Get a look at the cover art Spawn #284before it swoops into shops this April! We also have Splathouse’s first audio commentary track, a new teaser trailer for Siren, details on Deon Taylor's new production label Dark Circus, an update on Wizard World Philadelphia's lineup, and the trailer for Ayla.
Spawn #284: Press Release: "PORTLAND, OR, 03/16/2018 — Image/Todd McFarlane Productions is pleased to reveal jaw-dropping cover art by Francesco Mattina for SPAWN #284—including black & white and virgin (without trade dress) versions.
In SPAWN #284 fans will see Spawn turn himself in to the Federal authorities, but what seems like the end for Spawn is just another ploy to advance his master plan.
SPAWN #284 Cover A by Mattina (Diamond Code JAN180829), Cover B black & white by Mattina (Diamond Code JAN180830), and Cover C virgin by Mattina (Diamond Code JAN180831) will be available on Wednesday, April 4th. The final order cutoff deadline for retailers is this Monday, March 19th."
1. Just listen to the episode like a regular podcast! (Trust us, it totally works with the edit) OR... 2. Pull up the film HAUSU (available on Criterion physical media or digitally via Filmstruck), pause when the Criterion logo pops up...press play on the pod and follow the instructions provided by host Mike and Sarah following the opening skit and theme song.
It's that easy!
On the lineup this show: a. SCREAMING PODS STINGER b. NPRELB w/ Elbee and Andrew Bargeron c. OPENING THEME d1. Mike and Sarah intro d2. HAUSU (1977) COMMENTARY e. Gratuitous SIMPSONS reference f. Gratuitous Stephanie Crawford drop g. SOUNDTRACK SOUND FACTS w/ Tom Nix h. An Appreciation from DOWN UNDER i. RECOMMENDATIONS j. TRAILER k. OUTRO STINGER
New Teaser Trailer for Siren: "What if there was something sinister swimming beneath the sea’s surface? In Freeform’s next epic tale “Siren,” the coastal town of Bristol Cove, known for its legend of once being home to mermaids, is turned upside down when a mysterious girl (Eline Powell) appears and begins wreaking havoc upon the small fishing town. Using their resources, marine biologists Ben (Alex Roe) and Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola) must work together to find out who and what drove this primal hunter of the deep sea to land, and are there more like her out there?
“Siren” is based on a story by Eric Wald and Dean White who both serve as executive producers. Emily Whitesell (“Finding Carter”) serves as showrunner and executive producer. Brad Luff, Nate Hopper and RD Robb also serve as executive producers.
“Siren” premieres on International Mermaid Day, Thursday, March 29 with a special two-hour event on Freeform at at 8/7c"
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Deon Taylor Launches Dark Circus: Press Release: "With the demand for urban-skewing content rapidly escalating, multihyphenate director, writer, producer and creator Deon Taylor (“Traffik,” “Supremacy,” “Motivated Seller”, the upcoming police drama “.38”) has launched Dark Circus - a production shingle solely dedicated to producing elevated urban / pop culture comedy and horror films and TV series.
Dark Circus is a wholly owned specialty label under Hidden Empire Film Group, the production company owned and run by partners Deon Taylor, Roxanne Avent and Robert F. Smith, with Shannon McIntosh partnering on the label as well.
With the creative autonomy and the ability to self-finance, develop, package and produce a wide range of theatrical films and television series, Hidden Empire is in a position to leverage the Dark Circus label to create a first-of-its-kind urban/horror/comedy brand rooted in pop culture.
“There is a substantial market for original, elevated content geared toward an urban audience and Dark Circus is a label created to provide just that, said Deon Taylor. “Audiences will know what to expect when they see something with Dark Circus logo attached to it.”
The debut project for the Dark Circus label will be a collaboration with Snoop Dog to produce “The Thrill” - a horror anthology TV series centered around a mysterious hotel on a lonely stretch of foreboding highway, where the unlucky guests who check in each week struggle to understand the supernatural events that unfold during their stay. Something dark lurks behind the façade of this roadside motor lodge… something even the macabre cast of regular employees can’t quite explain… an unsettling puzzle new guests slowly piece together during each episode that answers the question: Why have they been inexplicably drawn to The Last Stop Inn?
Through a series of flashbacks, each new guest remembers how they arrived and through this story, the guest comes to the horrific realization: The Last Stop Inn is a gateway between Heaven and Hell - a Purgatory in which the guest has been trapped because of something they did… and the fate of that guest’s soul is determined over the course of the episode.
While “The Thrill” will be the label’s debut TV production, Taylor’s urban comedy “The House Next Door” will serve as the debut release from Dark Circus. A sequel to his indie breakout hit “Meet the Blacks” which gained a cult following since opening theatrically in the top 10 at the box office in April 2016, “The House Next Door” stars Mike Epps, Katt Williams, Rick Ross, Danny Trejo, Bresha Webb, Zulay Henao, Andrew Bachelor (aka ‘King Batch’), Gary Owen and comedians Lil Duval, Michael Blackson and Tyrin Turner.
Taylor directed “The House Next Door” and produced the film with partners Roxanne Avent, Robert F. Smith and Shannon McIntosh. Mike Epps is a producer on the film via his Naptown Productions banner along with partner Niles Kirchner, who executive produced.
Taylor added, “We have the resources and market expertise to deliver branded content with a unique voice – one that speaks to an urban audience. I won’t say that this market is underserved, as there are a great deal of films still finding their way to the marketplace. However, our intention is to raise the bar with Dark Circus and create an enduring brand. Partnering with Snoop on this fist anthology series ‘The Thrill’ will have us coming out of the gates strong and we couldn’t be more excited.”
Overall, the launch of Dark Circus, continues a busy run for Taylor who wrote, directed and produced the thriller “Traffik,” which opens nationwide on April 20th (Lionsgate Codeblack release) and stars Paula Patton, Missi Pyle, Omar Epps, William Fichtner and Roselyn Sanchez. Taylor also wrote directed and produced the thriller “Motivated Seller” starring Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy and Megan Good, and also just produced, with Jamie Foxx, the comedy feature “All-Star Weekend,” starring Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Gerard Butler, Eva Longoria, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Szohr – directed by Jamie Foxx.
Taylor will next direct the movie “.38” – a gripping police drama based on real-life events.
Taylor’s films are financed by his longtime business partner and lead investor, Robert F. Smith. Robert Smith founded Vista Equity Partners in 2000 and is the firm’s Managing Principal. Vista has consistently ranked as one of the top Private Equity Firms in the world over the past 10 years with over $3 billion in capital under management."
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Natalie Dormer Coming to Wizard World Philadelphia: Press Release: "PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 2018 – Natalie Dormer , who gained international attention with her performance of “Margaery Tyrell” on the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” will make her first Wizard World Comic Con appearance when the tour hits Philadelphia on May 19 and 20. Dormer, who also earned acclaim as “Anne Boleyn” on the Showtime series “The Tudors,” will greet fans, sign autographs, pose for photo ops and conduct an interactive fan Q&A session at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Dormer made her screen debut in Lasse Hallstrom's romantic film Casanova (2005), followed by a small part in the dramedy “Distant Shores” (2005). After her key role in “The Tudors” (2007–08), for which she was nominated for two Gemini Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Drama Series, she played “Irene Adler/Moriarty” on the CBS series “Elementary” (2013–15), “Cressida” in the science-fiction adventure films The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015), and “Sara Price/Jess Price” in The Forest (2016). She plays the lead in this year’s Amazon Video mini-series “Picnic at Hanging Rock.”
Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) continues its 2018 schedule with its 16th trip to the City of Brotherly Love, May 17-20. Joining Dormer as celebrity guests announced to date are Sebastian Stan ( Captain America franchise), the Justice League trio of Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), the Lord of the Rings duo of Sean Astin and Billy Boyd, among others scheduled to attend the comic con and pop culture extravaganza. A full list of guests to date is available at http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR.
Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The fifth event scheduled on the 2018 Wizard World calendar, Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, May 17, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, May 18, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, May 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.
Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.
Ayla North American Distribution Acquired: Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA – March 9, 2018 – Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, has acquired North American rights to the multiple award-winning supernatural thriller AYLA. AYLA debuts on VOD and will be available to rent and own on digital HD across U.S. cable, internet, and satellite platforms through Freestyle Digital Media on April 3, 2018.
AYLA tells the story of a man, Elton, left lost and damaged since he was a young boy by the unexplained death of his 4-year-old sister, Ayla. All throughout adulthood, Elton has mourned the life with her that could have been. Elton's days and nights are inhabited by the presence of a mysterious woman, and as his obsession with the woman grows, he becomes convinced she's his sister Ayla, returned now as an adult. Resolving to find her at all costs, Elton plunges further down a rabbit hole forged by his own loneliness and desire, but who or what will emerge?
Written and directed by Elias ("Gut"), AYLA features an ensemble cast including Tristan Risk ("American Mary"), Nicholas Wilder ("Gut"), Dee Wallace ("The Howling"), Sarah Schoofs ("Phobia"), D'Angelo Midili ("The Invoking"), Bill Oberst Jr. ("Resolution"), and Andrew Sensenig ("We Are Still Here"). AYLA is a co-production between Clayface Pictures ("Dark") and The October People ("Hunting Grounds").
Freestyle Digital Media Acquisitions Coordinator, Miguel Johnson, negotiated the deal for AYLA with The October People's Matt Medisch and Clayface Picture's Elias.
"We're delighted to have found a home for AYLA with Freestyle Digital Media," says filmmaker Elias.
"Freestyle Digital Media’s strong presence in the digital marketplace will be a huge asset in helping AYLA find and reach audiences," adds Matt Medisch.
AYLA Official Website: www.aylamovie.com
AYLA Facebook: www.facebook.com/aylamovie”
About the Author - Tamika Jones
Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.
The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).
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