This five-inch Chucky figure from Mezco Toyz doesn't ship until this fall, but he can be pre-ordered right now. Also in this round-up: an update on Shudder Labs' 2016 filmmaking programs, gaming details and a trailer for HoloGrid: Monster Battle, Volumes of Blood Blu-ray / DVD info, and Haunting at Foster Cabin's VOD debut details.
Chucky Action Figure: Press Release: "Chucky, the homicidal doll who contains the spirit of Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer better known as "The Lakeshore Strangler," is now a 5-inch action figure, Mezco's latest edition to its ever-expanding line of Chucky merchandise.
Mezco's designers have created an all-new sculpt in an all new scale that not only captures the look of Chucky but the very essence of his red-haired menace. Every detail has been captured; from his classic coveralls to his striped shirt. His glistening, insane eyes, his sneering lips, and his shocking red hair make this the most evil and iconic Chucky action figure ever.
Chucky features not only two film accurate weapons: a gun and knife, but two sets of arms as well! Chose your weapon, and then attach the appropriate arms for dynamic and versatile poses.
Chucky is packaged on a display friendly blister card so he can watch you and plan his attack!
The Chucky 5-inch Action Figure slashes his way into collections in September - October or can be pre-ordered at
Larry Fessenden is an actor, producer, and director of several art-horror movies including No Telling, Habit,Wendigo, and The Last Winter, as well as the TV films Skin and Bones and Beneath. Fessenden has operated the production shingle Glass Eye Pix since 1985 with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts. Fessenden has also been a producer on various projects including Rick Alverson's The Comedy, Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy (nominated for two 2009 Spirit Awards and on over 60 "Top 10 Movies of the Year" lists), and Ti West's The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers. Under his low budget horror banner ScareFlix, Fessenden has produced 9 films including Jim Mickle's Stake Land (winner of the 2010 Toronto Film Festival Audience Award), Joe Maggio's Bitter Feast, Ti West's The Roost and Trigger Man and Glenn McQuaid’s I Sell The Dead which opened the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival where it won awards for best cinematography and best actor (Fessenden). I Sell The Dead won the 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival award for best Independent Film.
Travis Stevens is the founder and CEO of Snowfort Pictures; a boutique production company specializing in the development, financing and production of commercial genre films. Recent Snowfort productions include the 2013 SXSW Audience Award Winner Cheap Thrills (Drafthouse Films), the 2013 Cannes Director’s Fortnight documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune (Sony Classics), the 2014 SXSW / 2014 BUFF Director’s Choice Award-winning Starry Eyes (MPI/Dark Sky Films), We Are Still Here (voted one of 2015’s best horror films by Rolling Stone) and the 2016 SXSW high-school thriller Teenage Cocktail. Prior to launching Snowfort Pictures, Travis worked in film development, acquisitions, and international sales.
George Schmalz, a native of West Virginia, received a B.A. from Bethany College in Communication and an M.A. from San Diego State in Television, Film & New Media. While in San Diego he worked in film exhibition with Landmark Theatres and in film production with Kovarova and Wormwood Films respectively. After moving to New York he shifted focus to film distribution, having worked for both Oscilloscope Laboratories and Kino Lorber before coming to Kickstarter, where he currently works as a Film Outreach Lead, specializing in Genre Cinema and Animation.
Russell FX was founded by east coaster Josh Russell and LA-born Sierra Spence. The pair met while working for their childhood heroes at Studio ADI with the instant chemistry and mutual love of all things monsters and gore quickly led to their marriage and the birth of a new kind of beast: Russell FX. Within no time at all, the new "mom and pop FX shop" began planting firm roots within the indie and horror film communities. Their charismatic enthusiasm for films of all genres, paired with their gamut of FX talents and unflappable work ethic has made them one of the fastest growing FX houses in the business, and the go-to for the new generation of horror filmmakers. Their work can be seen ranging from cult favorites (YELLOWBRICKROAD, Rites of Spring), high profile music videos (Ty Segall, Anthrax), to more recent projects such as the critically acclaimed Southbound (working under genre favorite David Bruckner) and the forthcoming Psychopaths from director Mickey Keating.
About Shudder
Shudder is a diabolical premium streaming video service, serving horror fans with curated worldwide programming ranging from hard-to-find independent fare to cult grindhouse classics to Hollywood blockbusters. Shudder has something for everyone, from the casual fan to the hardcore horror devotee. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder¹s growing library of curated horror is available ad-free and for unlimited viewing on Shudder¹s website, mobile apps for iOS and Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and the Roku platform with a free 14-day trial or $4.99 monthly / $49.99 yearly membership. To sign up or learn more about Shudder, visit www.shudder.com."
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Hologrid: Monster Battle: Press Release: "Berkeley, CA - March 30, 2016 - Tippett Studio and HappyGiant today announced an original Next-Gen Augmented and Virtual Reality gaming concept, HoloGrid: Monster Battle. A “Hybrid” Board Game, Collectible Card Game (CCG), and Digital Game in one, it delivers to players a new type of gaming experience.
Phil Tippett is a 2-time Academy Award winning Visual Effects Supervisor and Director best known for his work on the original Star Wars films, Jurassic Park, Robocop, The Force Awakens, and many more. Tippett also created the “Holo Chess” scene in the original Star Wars, which he recreated for the Force Awakens.
“For years I’ve been making monsters for Directors to play with, and now for the first time, I’m making monsters for YOU to play with,” said Tippett. “We’re excited about the new fields of Augmented and Virtual Reality, and to be working with our friends at HappyGiant to create HoloGrid: Monster Battle.”
Creatures battle on your tabletop with AR HoloGrid: Monster Battle is being built for next-gen AR & VR platforms, but will also release for mobile devices and PCs, giving the player the feeling that these creatures are doing battle right in front of you. The team is looking at all options from Publishing deals to Crowdfunding.
“We’re incredibly excited and interested in new platforms like Magic Leap, HoloLens, CastAR, Meta and others, as well as current AR mobile tech such as Vuforia,” said Mike Levine, President of HappyGiant. “We believe in the future of AR Gaming, and to be working with Phil Tippett and his studio on this project is a dream come true. The tech has finally caught up to the point where this game can be made.”
Photogrammetry Another exciting aspect of the project is the use of Photogrammetry to scan Tippett’s real life physical monsters into 3D digital assets for the game, giving them a level of detail and character unlike any other.
“We’d been doing experiments with Photogrammetry, but more on museum-level artifacts,” said Levine. “At the same time we began exploring doing projects with Tippett, we had the idea, ‘What if we tried this on some creatures?’ The results blew us away. That’s really where this idea was born.” “And it’s the exact same technique we used on The Force Awakens,” added Tippett.
Gameplay HoloGrid: Monster Battle is akin to games such as Magic: The Gathering or Hearthstone, but uses physical playing cards to trigger Augmented Reality creatures and a gameboard. Players will be able to play head-to-head, either locally or remotely, and offline play is possible as well.
About Tippett Studio Tippett Studio, founded in 1984 by animation pioneer Phil Tippett, is an Academy Award®-winning media production company specializing in CG animation and digital effects for feature films, television, commercials, VR and AR. The Berkeley, CA-based company has created visual effects for blockbuster movies including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Ted, The Twilight Saga, Cloverfield, Starship Troopers, Jurassic Park, and Robocop. Tippett Studio’s commercial work has garnered four Clio awards. Tippett Studio is currently in production on a large format ride for a Chinese Theme Park.
Founded by veterans of LucasArts, ILM, Hasbro and Pileated Pictures, HappyGiant is an independent developer and publisher of video games and entertainment for PCs, mobile, tablets and emerging platforms.
Volumes of Blood: Press Release: "LeglessCorpse Films has acquired distribution rights to the critically acclaimed horror anthology VOLUMES OF BLOOD! Coming to Limited Edition Steelbook, Blu-Ray, and DVD April 26th exclusively at LeglessCorpseFilms.com and Amazon. Major VOD date TBA.
SYNOPSIS: Five tales of dread interwoven when a sociology student gathers several of his friends on Halloween night at the local library to help him create a new urban legend with deadly consequences; Lily is in for a late night of researching and needs something to keep her going. It isn't until she's approached by a mysterious stranger that her luck may change... for the worse; a typical night of work for a librarian becomes a classic ghost story with a modern twist. Sometimes you can't keep a bad book down; Sidney is allowed to stay after hours to study for a test. It's not until she suddenly awakens in the darkened library that she realizes the horrifying truth of what lurks among the stacks of books after midnight. She better pray she doesn't become the prey; Paige faces regrets that she'd do anything to take back. When an ancient and arcane spellbook literally falls into her lap, she decides to make a grave decision. Be careful what you wish for, it might just kill you.
ABOUT THE PROJECT: Verite Cinema has released a new horror anthology produced through their Unscripted Film School program at the Daviess County Public Library. Volumes of Blood is produced by P.J. Starks and Jim Blanton the team behind the indie horror short Lucky. The film also features exclusive work from Justin Mabry of Trick or Treat Studios and is Executive Produced by Lynn Lowry (The Crazies, I Drink Your Blood).
That’s A Wrap! – Directed by Lee Vervoort (The Truck) A Little Pick Me Up – Directed by John Kenneth Muir (The House Between) Ghastly – Directed by P.J. Starks (Hallows Eve: Slaughter on Second Street) Encyclopedia Satanica – Directed by Nathan Thomas Milliner (A Wish For The Dead) 13 After Midnight – Directed by Jakob Bilinski (Three Tears on Bloodstained Flesh)
The anthology was written by Todd Martin (Lucky & Nightmare Tales). P.J. Starks and Nathan Thomas Milliner (Scream Factory and HorrorHound Magazine artist). The film stars Jim O’Rear (Day of the Dead, Teen Wolf), Jason Crowe (Easter Casket, Back in the Day), Roni Jonah (Overtime, The Zombie Movie), Todd Reynolds (Hallows Eve, Bumsicle), Louisa Torres (Lucky), Kristine Renee Farley (Bloody Hooker Bang Bang, The Creepy Doll), Kevin Roach (Out of the Shadows, Bloody Hooker Bang Bang) and more."
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Haunting at Foster Cabin: Press Release: "March 30th, 2016, Los Angeles, CA – Vision Films, in association with MTI Home Video, is set to release the chilling horror film “Haunting at Foster Cabin” on VOD platforms on April 1st, 2016!
The feature-length directorial debut of Rand Vossler (Star Rangers) and Bob Gill, based on an original screenplay by Tracy Morse (Chasing Jason, Creature), “Haunting at Foster Cabin” is a supernatural thriller starring AnnaMaria Demara (Monumental, Check, Please!), Kati Sharp (Allison, Idiocracy), Michelle Nunes (Uneasy Lies the Mind, Cubed), Kate Siegel (Oculus, The Curse of the Back Dahlia), Jamie Strange(Freakin’ Zombies Man, Mercy), Grant Alan (H.O.G.’S Tooth, Tyler’s Ride), Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist, Exorcism) and John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather: Part III).
“Haunting at Foster Cabin”, tells the story of five sorority sisters who come together for a weekend getaway at the secluded family cabin of one of the friends, Michelle (Demara), who has recently gone through a difficult break-up. What starts as fun girls’ retreat quickly turns into a horrific nightmare as secrets are revealed and dark forces are released.
Michelle shares the location’s haunting history: a previous cabin on the same land burned down years ago, killing her grandmother, a clairvoyant. She also reveals she herself has had visions in the past. When one of the girls discovers a Ouija Board on the property, an innocent game to contact Michelle’s deceased grandmother unleashes something sinister.
The girls must fight dark forces--and each other--to survive and stop the evil entity they have released from devouring mankind before it’s too late.
Managing Director/ CEO of Vision Films, Lise Romanoff says “Horror continues to be a hot genre with audiences and this film definitely delivers on thrills and chills. Who can resist a heart-pounding, fear-inducing story of a Ouija Board and a girls’ weekend-gone-wrong?”.
Supernatural horror fans will love the classic heart-pounding thrills as well as the themes of mystery, demons and witchcraft. With a spectacular, primarily female cast that sets it apart, this is the horror film for anyone looking for a compelling story and many spooks!
Vision Films’ 2016 slate includes the epic period drama film “Hedda Gabler”,” an animated family film based on the award-winning children’s book by Tove Jansson “Moomins and the Comet Chase”, a directorial debut from Nicholas Brooks (Mel Brooks’ son) the genre-bending movie “Sam”, the charming cross-cultural romance “A Date with Miss Fortune”, a David Hasselhoff musical “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” and a political drama penned by a renowned former United States congressman “The Congressman”."
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).