Horror Highlights: HOTEL BARCELONA, Stanley Event Center, VIZIO WatchFree+, ARROW SVOD

HOTEL BARCELONA, the slasher roguelite from SWERY and SUDA51, is out now on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5: "From legendary Japanese game directors SWERY (Deadly Premonition) and SUDA51 (No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw), HOTEL BARCELONA - a surreal, bloodsoaked roguelite set inside a twisted hotel overtaken by serial killers - is OUT NOW. Fight, die, repeat, and maybe - just maybe - figure out a way to exorcise the murderous, bloodthirsty entity possessing your mind. Check in on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Check out? Never.

Hidetaka "SWERY" Suehiro, game director, says:

"When I first announced HOTEL BARCELONA in 2019, it may have sounded like a joke. But jokes can take on a life of their own. After six years - working with my companions at White Owls Inc and inspired by Goichi Suda's outrageous concept - what remains is the scent of blood, a crooked laugh, and a beautiful nightmare.

I feel this is not a game I wanted to make, but one I had to make. It is the chemical reaction of two mad geniuses colliding. I hope you enjoy the result."

Watch the NEW TRAILER from Xbox's Tokyo Game Show broadcast, featuring IRL cameos from both SWERY and SUDA51:

CHECK IN, WIPE 'EM OUT! In HOTEL BARCELONA, play as Justine, a federal marshal investigating a mysterious hotel when an ancient evil, known only as Dr. Carnival, imbues her with incredible power. Learning the hotel has been taken over by America's most dangerous serial killers, slaughter your way through a bizarro vacation complex inspired by classic horror movie subgenres and try to escape with answers. Who are the Seven Slasher Killers? What, exactly, does Dr. Carnival want? Why is the bartender so obsessed with ears, and does room service at this place really offer "bondage"…?

So fight, die, and die again in this re-invented roguelite brought to psychedelic life by the creative geniuses behind iconic Japanese hits like Chainsaw Man, Deadly Premonition, and Persona. Kill AND be killed as your every execution makes you stronger, while ghosts mimicking your actions from failed attempts to overthrow the hotel (and you will fail. A lot) return to assist you in combat. Even your friends can join the bloodbath and help you overcome gnarly opponents with PvE multiplayer for up to 3 players - though perhaps you'd rather invade their game and undo all of their progress instead? We welcome both masochists and psychopaths at this hotel.

HOTEL BARCELONA is available now on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Please, enjoy your stay. Just try to ignore the screaming."

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Jason Blum Loses His Head at Stanley Groundbreaking: "The Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority (CECFA) and its subsidiary the Stanley Partnership for Art Culture and Education, LLC (the Stanley Partnership) today announced the groundbreaking of the Stanley Event Center, a $60 million arts and culture destination that is the first phase of a three year project to preserve, expand, and improve the historic Stanley Hotel campus into a year-round hub for film, art, and community. Scheduled to open in late 2028, the Stanley Event Center marks a major milestone in the evolution of one of Colorado’s most iconic landmarks.

Since first opening its doors in 1909, the Stanley Hotel has stood as a symbol of Colorado’s pioneering spirit, hosting presidents, performers, and travelers from around the world. Famously, it also inspired Stephen King’s The Shining, cementing its place in global pop culture. Its role as a cultural touchstone has endured for more than a century, and this next chapter ensures that legacy will continue.

The new 70,000-square-foot Stanley Event Center and Blumhouse Space will feature a world-class 1,000-seat theater designed to host film premieres, concerts, and community events. The event center will serve as a cultural anchor with immersive exhibits, rotating festivals, and creative programming.  At its heart will be the Blumhouse Space, an innovative horror film museum space curated by Blumhouse, showcasing artifacts, interactive storytelling, and behind-the-scenes curiosities from some of the most influential films in the genre. Together, these elements will establish the Stanley Film Center as a destination that celebrates film, art, and culture on a year-round basis.

Later this year, construction will begin to add 64 new luxury rooms and suites that expand the hotel’s capacity while offering elevated accommodations. The project will also add a dramatic new lobby and port cochere that will greatly enhance the guest arrival experience. The Stanley Hotel will remain open throughout construction, welcoming guests to enjoy its historic charm and modern amenities without interruption.

Morris Price, CECFA Chair, explained CECFA’s role in and benefits from this project: “As a public entity, CECFA’s ownership of the Stanley Hotel will guarantee preservation and public ownership of this Colorado treasure. Just as importantly, CECFA’s participation will generate many tens of millions of dollars that CECFA and the Stanley Partnership can direct towards Colorado’s cultural and educational sectors.”

Mark Heller, Executive Director of CECFA, added: “The $400 million in mostly private investment to purchase this property and fund these improvements will catalyze a new arts-centric evolution of one of Colorado’s most storied properties.”

The Stanley Film Center is also funded by a $46 million Colorado State Regional Tourism Act award and a $1 million grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) based on the anticipated new economic activity that this project will bring to the region and state.

“Colorado’s artistic culture, strong workforce, rich history, and breathtaking landscapes are skyrocketing us to the best state to work in the film industry. We are proud of our booming film industry and the incredible art it creates. That’s why the state has doubled down on our investment into this important sector. This new space will continue to drive horror film buffs from across the world to the Stanley Hotel and Estes Park, supporting our growing film workforce and economy,” said Governor Jared Polis.

“The groundbreaking of the Stanley Film Center signals a bright future for the Stanley Hotel,” said Walter Isenberg, CEO of Sage Hospitality Group. “From FO Stanley’s original vision in 1904 to this new chapter, the property continues to evolve as a world-class destination rooted in hospitality, culture, and creativity. Guests will discover an experience that blends the hotel’s historic character with new opportunities to connect through film, art, and unforgettable programming.”

Jason Blum, Founder and CEO of Blumhouse, added: "I started Blumhouse 15 years ago because I love to build. And I’ve been thinking a lot about how we will build out this Blumhouse exhibit space. Horror fans are the best fans in the world, and they deserve a world-class, must-visit destination. And horror itself deserves a rightful place at the center of culture. We plan to celebrate the art and icons of horror, including key filmmakers, stars and the amazing cinematic villains who’ve terrified us over the years. And there’s no better place to do it than the iconic Stanley Hotel."

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October Horror Titles for Spooky Season on WatchFree+!: "Looking to add some creepiness to your spooky season? Then look no further because your friends from VIZIO WatchFree+ are coming to ring your bell with FREE streaming tricks and treats this Halloween season with the most terrifying titles available!

WatchFree+ has thousands of free premium movies and shows that can be streamed on demand on VIZIO TVs, or ANYONE can enjoy titles like these and more with the VIZIO mobile app! All you need is a free VIZIO Account to start enjoying WatchFree+.

Hemlock Grove 
Television Series

A teenage girl is brutally murdered in the small Pennsylvania town of Hemlock Grove, where secrets lie and the darkest evils hide in plain sight.

Cast: Famke Janssen (Goldeneye), Bill Skarsgård (It), Landon Liboiron (Frontier)

Available: October 1st

Hannibal 
Television Series

Explores the early relationship between renowned psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter and a young FBI criminal profiler who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.

Cast: Hugh Dancy (Law & Order), Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Caroline Dhavernas (Breach)

Available: October 1st

Z Nation 
Television Series

Three years after the zombie virus has gutted the United States of America a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood.

Cast: Russell Hodgkinson (Big Fish), Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show), Keith Allan (Mad Men)

Available: October 1st

Terrifier 
Feature Film

A maniac named Art the Clown terrorizes two friends on Halloween and everyone who gets in his way.

Cast: Jenna Kanell (Renfield), Samantha Scaffidi (Payback), David Howard Thornton (Gotham)

Available: October 1st

Terrifier 2 
Feature Film

Resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County to terrorize a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.
Cast: Lauren LaVera (Iron Fist), David Howard Thornton (Gotham), Elliott Fullam (Instinct)
Available: October 1st

Conjuring the Cult 
Feature Film

After finding his daughter's bloodied body, David joins a support group, but a cult offers to resurrect her. His choices will determine not only his fate but his daughter's soul.

Cast: Neil Green (The Way We Speak), Elissa Dowling (The Most Dangerous Game), BJ Mezek (Bermuda Island)

Available: October 1st

Look Away 
Feature Film

Alienated high-school student Maria's life is turned upside-down when she switches places with her sinister mirror image.

Cast: India Eisley (Underworld: Awakening), Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite)

Available: October 1st

Wrath of Van Helsing 
Feature Film

Van Helsing is called upon to help save a missing girl and her friends from a hoard of demons.

Cast: Michael Hoad (The Gardener), Beatrice Fletcher (Shockwaves), Mark Sears (Mary Queen of Scotts)

Available: October 1st

Last Night at Terrace Lanes 
Feature Film

When a bloodthirsty cult invades a bowling alley on its final night of operation, a high schooler on a date from hell, must join forces with her survivalist dad to fend off the crazed murderers.

Cast: Francesca Capaldi (Dog with a Blog), Ken Arnold (The Lady in the Lake), Christopher Inlow (The Only Ones)

Available: October 1st

The Jester 
Feature Film

A malevolent being known as The Jester terrorizes the inhabitants of a small town on Halloween night, including two estranged sisters who must come together to find a way to defeat this evil entity.
Cast: Lelia Symington (The Marksman), Matt Servitto (Enchanted), Dan De Luca (The Wire)
Available: October 1st

Hellhole 
Feature Film

A young woman becomes an amnesiac after an attack by a hired killer. She's admitted to a mental asylum run by a ruthless doctor who experiments on her patients with a lethal drug, and her attacker just got employed there.

Cast: Ray Sharkey (Wiseguy), Judy Landers (Armed & Dangerous), Marjoe Gortner (Earthquake)

Available: October 1st

Oculus 
Feature Film

A recently released inmate from a mental asylum learns from his sister that the murders he was convicted of committing were actually orchestrated by a supernatural entity, the Lasser Glass mirror.

Cast: Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Brenton Thwaites (Titans), Katee Sackhoff (Riddick)

Available: October 1st

Vampire Journals 
Feature Film

Avenging vampire stalks a king of the vampires in Eastern Europe, slaughters anyone who gets in his way.

Cast: Jonathon Morris (The Fantasticks), David Gunn (The Convent), Kirsten Cerre (A Seduction in Travis County)

Available: October 1st

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ARROW Player Announces October 2025 Lineup - Cult Streamer Celebrates Gialloween with Terrifying Trios, Argento Classics, Livestreamed Nightmares & More: "Arrow Video is excited to announce the October 2025 lineup of their subscription-based ARROW platform, available to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. Enjoy a selection of new titles from carefully cultivated curations to rediscovered classics. For serious enthusiasts, ARROW offers deep dives into the tastes of filmmakers that changed the way we see the genre.

The ARROW October 2025 lineup includes the Asian horror anthology series, Three and Three...Extremes, featuring work from acclaimed directors from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand includng Peter Chan, Nonzee Nimibutr, Kim Jee-woon, Park Chan-wook, and Takashi Miike. Additionally, Ms. 45 arrives in a brand-new restoration that gives an extraordinary glimpse into the grimy glamour of New York in the 80s and with all its controversial power intact.

Kicking off the countdown to every subscriber's favorite day of the year, October 1 asks What Have They Done to Your Daughters (US/CA).

In 1972, director Massimo Dallamano (Colt 38 Special Squad, The Night Child) broke new ground in the giallo genre with the harrowing What Have You Done to Solange? Two years later, he followed up with an even darker semi-sequel – the chilling What Have They Done to Your Daughters?

A teenage girl is found hanging from the rafters of a privately rented attic, pregnant and violated. Hot-headed Inspector Silvestri (Claudio Cassinelli, The Suspicious Death of a Minor) and rookie Assistant District Attorney Vittoria Stori (Giovanna Ralli, Cold Eyes of Fear) are assigned to the case, the scope of which grows substantially when they discover that the dead girl was part of a ring of underage prostitutes whose abusers occupy the highest echelons of Italian society. Meanwhile, a cleaver-wielding, motorcycle-riding killer roars through the streets of Brescia, determined to ensure that those involved take their secret to the grave.

On October 3, ARROW brings out four films from the past decade to give subscribers a taste of underseen modern horror.

Family Dinner (UK/US/CA/IRE): An overweight teenager spends the holidays at her aunt's farm in the hope of getting help to lose weight, but soon after her arrival, she begins to suspect that something is very wrong at this place.

A Most Atrocious Thing (UK/US/ CA/IRE): Oh deer! Ben, Dylan and their three stoner buds embark on a graduation trip at a remote cabin with plans to drink, hunt and drink some more. But, after inadvertently eating tainted deer meat, friends become foes and transform into demonic flesh craving zombies who want nothing more than to tear the group limb from limb.

Creep Van (US): A 20-something slacker gets caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse after answering a 'For Sale' sign placed on a dilapidated van.

Housebound (US): A young woman is forced to return to her childhood home after being placed under house arrest, where she suspects that something evil may be lurking.

On October 7, the editorial team at Rue Morgue magazine make their ARROW Halloween picks.

Rue Morgue Selects (UK/US/CA/IRE):

Launched in 1997 by Rodrigo Gudiño, RUE MORGUE is the world’s leading horror in culture and entertainment brand, spearheaded by its multiple award-winning periodical, Rue Morgue Magazine and Rue Morgue Digital; Rue Morgue TV specialty horror channel; the Rue Morgue Library book series; Rue Morgue Presents Frightmare in the Falls horror expo and Rue Morgue Presents CineMacabre Movie Nights monthly film series. Rue Morgue Magazine is issued bimonthly and distributed worldwide.

"Damn, I love making a horror movie playlist. It’s like making a mixtape for your crush in high school – the ultimate gesture in the endeavour to be heard and understood on an experiential level. As Executive Editor of Rue Morgue magazine and one half of the Faculty of Horror podcast, I have the pleasure and the privilege of talking horror all day long alongside some of the best and brightest in genre criticism, but making a list still feels especially intimate somehow. For someone to take me up on a horror movie suggestion is deeply gratifying. For them to enjoy it? Sublime! And so, it’s with a weird mixt of vulnerability and pride that I share these selects, and I’m so grateful to ARROW Selects for not only giving me the opportunity to do so, but for having such an expansive catalog to pick and choose from.

Selecting the fright flicks was easy – describing them here is proving to be a bit trickier. The best I can do to articulate my taste in horror is to say I like movies that make me feel changed, rattled, shaken and not stirred. It could be that unexpected flash of absurdity amid the rough realism of Calvaire, the sight of uniformed Japanese teens being riddled with machine gun bullets in Battle Royale, or the various “oh shit” moments in Hounds of Love when you realize that oh yeah, we’re going there, and there’s nothing you can do about it."

Titles include: Spider Baby, Audition, Calvaire.

On October 10, monsters and murder are the name of the day with a terrifying trio of releases.

She Freak (UK/US/CA/IRE): A waitress leaves the greasy-diner business for the excitement of the carnival, where she quickly discovers that she despises freaks and human oddities in this newly restored 60s exploitation classic.

Resolution (US): A man imprisons his estranged junkie friend in an isolated cabin in the boonies of San Diego to force him through a week of sobriety, but the events of that week are being mysteriously manipulated.

Boardinghouse (UK/US/CA/IRE): In this 80s shot-on-video favorite, a boarding house is reopened years after gruesome murders were committed there. Suddenly, the body count begins once more!

On October 17, practice for big day with Gialloween (UK/US/CA/IRE), ARROW's spotlight on the bloodiest and best of Italian horror.

Halloween is usually a time for creepy killers in scary masks hacking up teenagers for no discernible reason. Why not spend this Halloween with stylish black-gloved killers who leave a trail of dead bodies in order to cover up crimes of passion?

This Halloween, forget the monsters and the slashers and enjoy some of the best Giallo films ever made in new restorations that make these important and influential films just as terrifying as they were back in their heyday. Just don't turn the lights off, because you never know know who's lurking around the corner...

Titles include: Tenebrae, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, What Have They Done To Your Daughters?, The Killer Reserved Nine Seats.

Tenebrae and The Bird With The Crystal Plumage are available to North American subscribers for the first time!

The European nightmares continue with The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (UK/US/ CA/IRE).

An ambassador's unfaithful wife discovers that one of the men in her life -- either her husband, an ex-lover or her current lover -- may be a vicious serial killer who targets women with razor blades in Vienna.

As another October 17 treat for North America, ARROW debuts Haunted Ulster Live (US/CA).

On Halloween night 1998, a Northern Ireland TV veteran teams up with a popular new children's presenter to investigate poltergeist activity in a reputedly haunted house in Belfast. Light entertainment turns to horror when an unseen terror reveals itself.

October 24 offers bite sized horror with the pan-Asian anthology Three and its sequel Three... Extremes. Featuring haunted tales of terror, each from a different Asian country, forms the anthology Three, directed by South Korea'a Kim Jee-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters), Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr (Nang Nak), and Hong Kong's Peter Ho-Sun Chan. The first film would shock audiences with its approach to Asian horror, and lead to the sequel, Three... Extremes, directed by Hong Kong's Fruit Chan (Made in Hong Kong), South Korea's Park Chan-wook (Oldboy), and Japan's Takashi Miike (Audition).

Also on October 24, ARROW brings a new restoration of terrifying revenge-thriller in the tradition of Death Wish and Taxi Driver... Ms. 45 (US/CA).

New York, 1980. Raped at gunpoint on her way home from work, mute seamstress Thana returns to the safety of her apartment only to be assaulted again by a burglar; but this time she fights back. Bludgeoning her assailant with an iron, she takes his gun and begins to dispose of the body piece by piece. Fuelled by her trauma, Thana sees that sexual threat is everywhere in the city and decides to bring a .45 calibre solution to the problem.

ARROW's last offerings before Halloween arrive October 27 with a trip back to the 80s, one of the greatest periods in horror.

Slugs (US/ CA): The townsfolk of a rural community are dying in strange and gruesome circumstances. Following the trail of horrifically mutilated cadavers, resident health inspector Mike Brady is on the case to piece together the mystery. He soon comes to a terrifying conclusion – giant slugs are breeding in the sewers beneath the town, and they’re making a meal of the locals!

Apprentice to Murder (US/ CA): In early twentieth-century Pennsylvania Dutch Country, young Billy Kelly (Chad Lowe, Highway to Hell) falls in with a charismatic "powwower" or folk magic healer, Dr John Reese (Donald Sutherland, Don't Look Now), shunned by the rest of the community for his non-conformist beliefs. Together, they investigate the mysterious sickness that is blighting the area, which Reese believes to be the work of a sinister local hermit. But as the plague spreads and the wide-eyed Billy falls ever deeper under Reese's spell, are they doing God's work or the Devil's bidding?

Dead-End Drive-In (US/ CA): One of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite directors, Brian Trenchard-Smith was a key figure in the Ozploitation movement, responsible for The Man from Hong Kong, Stunt Rock, Turkey Shoot, BMX Bandits… and dystopian cult classic Dead-End Drive In!

Set in a near-future where the economy has crumbled and violent gangs play havoc in the streets, the powers-that-be have decided to lure the delinquent youth into drive-in cinemas and keep them there. No longer just a place to watch trashy movies and make out, these outdoor picture shows have become concentration camps for the unruly and unwanted.

With its day-glo color scheme, new wave soundtrack and extraordinary stunt work, Dead-End Drive-In is in the tradition of Ozploitation milestones Mad Max and The Cars That Ate Paris only very, very eighties.

Flowers in the Attic (US/ CA): Home sweet home is murder... When her husband dies in a tragic accident, widow Corrine Dollanganger (Victoria Tennant, The Holcroft Covenant) takes her four children to the ancestral family home she fled before they were born. Locked away in the attic by their tyrannical grandmother (Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), it falls to older brother and sister Chris (Jeb Stuart Adams, The Goonies) and Cathy (Kristy Swanson, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) to care for their younger siblings. But with their mother growing increasingly distant and erratic and a mysterious sickness taking hold, will any of the Dollanganger children survive to escape the clutches of the house's cruel matriarch?

Return of the Killer Tomatoes (US/ CA): Ten years on from the Great Tomato War, mankind lives in fear of another uprising by the waxy red menace. Meanwhile, Professor Gangreen – played with gusto by the great John Astin from TV’s The Addams Family – sets out to pursue his own evil ends by creating a burgeoning army of tomato militia men.

ARROW is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland on the following Apps/devices: Roku (all Roku sticks, boxes, devices, etc), Apple TV & iOS devices, Samsung TVs, Android TV and mobile devices, Fire TV (all Amazon Fire TV Sticks, boxes, etc), and on all web browsers at https://www.arrow-player.com.