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The flair for the theatrical is at the core of “Lavender Men.” The film is set in a small theater where a rather mediocre play about Abraham Lincoln is being staged. But no sooner has the proverbial curtain come down on that self-serious proposition (with but a handful of people in the audience) than Lovell Holder’s film, co-written by creator and star Roger Q. Mason, truly begins. Described as a “fantasia” created within the mind of Mason’s Taffeta (the play’s stage manager), “Lavender Men” is a heady and meta-theatrical excavation of Lincoln’s long-rumored gay affair that’s wildly ambitious if a tad overstuffed.

“Lavender Men” began, as seems obvious from its logline, as a play. With Taffeta, a self-described Black, Filipinx, queer plus-size character, Mason devised a theatrical conceit wherein the stage would help recast the sanitized version of Lincoln the U.S. has been presented in schools.

The horror film Alma & the Wolf is set to receive a theatrical and digital release this Friday, June 20th – and to help you decide whether or not you’re going to be watching this movie in a few days, we have the trailer embedded above.

Directed by Michael Patrick Jann from a screenplay written by Abigail Miller, the film has the following synopsis: After a violent animal attack, paranoia spreads through Spiral Creek. But when Deputy Ren Accord gets too close, his son vanishes, and reality begins to fracture. This appears to be somewhat of a werewolf movie, with a whole lot of mind-boggling “what the hell is going on?” trickery mixed in.

Jann’s previous directing credits include Drop Dead Gorgeous, Organ Trail, and episodes of The Spiderwick Chronicles, Daybreak, The Good Doctor, Ghosted, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Atypical, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Last Man on Earth,...

Entertainment Squad has acquired worldwide rights to Lavender Men, adding the queer drama to its international sales slate for this week’s European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin.

The film will get a limited US theatrical release this spring under the Lgbtqia+ PrideFlix label, which Entertainment Squad acquired last month.

Adapted from his own stage play by Roger Q Mason and directed by Lovell Holder, Lavender Men blends historical fiction and contemporary memoir in the story of a non-binary stage manager (played by Mason) who re-imagines Abraham Lincoln’s life through a queer lens.

Also starring are Pete Ploszek, Alex Esola,...

The title of "best Michelle Williams performance in recent years" is officially up for debate. This much, everyone can agree on: she absolutely dazzles in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical ode to cinema, "The Fablemans," stealing the show as the free-spirited mother who encourages Sammy's artistic sensibilities. But that just makes it all the more stunning to catch a glimpse of her in "Showing Up," where she plays a frazzled Portland sculptor whose professional and personal lives are crumbling around her. Based on early reviews out of Cannes and NYFF, this is yet another masterclass performance from Williams and another showcase for the talents of director Kelly Reichardt.

Given Reichardt's track record with contemplative dramas about the American working class, the premise of "Showing Up" should be no surprise. Per the synopsis, "A sculptor (Williams) preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends,...

Three years after dazzling audiences with the Oregon Trail period piece “First Cow,” Kelly Reichardt is returning to the state for another animal-centric film. “Showing Up,” Reichardt’s new film from A24, tells the story of a struggling Portland sculptor (Michelle Williams), who befriends a wounded pigeon while she prepares for a major art show as her professional and personal lives crumble around her.

“Showing Up” marks the fourth collaboration between Reichardt and Williams. They first worked together on “Wendy and Lucy,” the 2008 film about a homeless woman’s quest for a lost dog, which helped establish Reichardt as a major independent filmmaker. They collaborated again on Meek’s Cutoff, a 2010 period piece about the harsh conditions that Oregon settlers faced in the mid-1800s. Most recently, Williams starred alongside Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern in “Certain Women,” Reichardt’s innovative adaptation of three Maile Meloy short stories that followed...

By the time the second season of HBO's Prohibition crime series "Boardwalk Empire" rolled around, its hero was on the outs, deeply in need of muscle as his various criminal enterprises caught up with him.

In a show already teeming with some of the finest character actors around, anybody who arrived to lend support to protagonist Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) would need to make an immediate impression on the audience. The actor would need to compete with known greats like Michael Stuhlbarg and Michael K. Williams, besides being a meaningful foil for Buscemi. Luckily for the show, this actor did.

He might not have had the name recognition of the rest of the show's cast, but Charlie Cox proved a potent screen presence on a show that was drowning in it. As the Irish mercenary Owen Sleater, he gave the show a light sense of charm that could distract from...

"I just wanna know if the Water Man is real!" Me too, Gunner! Rlje Films has revealed the first official trailer for The Water Man, the feature directorial debut of acclaimed British actor David Oyelowo. This initially premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year, and it's debuting exclusively in theaters to start coming up this May. A boy sets out on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have magical healing powers. Described as an "engaging family film with a light touch." Starring Lonnie Chavis as Gunner, and Amiah Miller as Joe, plus David Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina, Ted Rooney, and Maria Bello. This looks solid, with some cool fantasy elements to it. I like that the kid carries a sword around with him, but consider it's PG I don't think he uses it for much besides defense. But it...

An engaging for-kids ghost story whose fantasy elements are thoughtfully grounded by real-world concerns, “The Water Man” ends with a blazing wildfire that is far scarier than the supernatural elements that precede it — especially now, as so much of the Pacific Northwest burns. Fans of David Oyelowo’s acting work might be surprised he chose such a “Goosebumps”-y project as his directorial debut, although it’s pretty cool for younger audiences that the “Selma” star put his clout (with a boost from exec producer Oprah Winfrey) behind a family film.

So what if the movie’s creepy title character is no match for the nightmare of being surrounded by flames? It’s actually pretty smart on the movie’s part to recognize that such disasters — which will only become more common as climate change gets more volatile — have a way of putting everything else into perspective. To some extent,...

Sherilyn Fenn is set to co-star in the indie thriller, Losing Addison, from writer/director Martin Bannon Beaudet. The pic explores the psychic connection between twin brothers Les and Addison after one brother suspiciously disappears in the wake of their mother's death. Fenn will play Sarah Jane McCubbin, the family matriarch and domestic violence survivor struggling with early onset dementia. Adam Elliott Davis, Joel Robert Walker, Ted Rooney, and Shelly Lipkin…...

Title: The Kill Hole Director: Mischa Webley Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Billy Zane, Tory Kittles, Peter Greene, Dennis Adkins, Ted Rooney The ghost of Christopher Dorner, the former Los Angeles police officer who held the imaginations of television news producers captive for a week several weeks ago when he went on a rampgage, shooting several cops and their family members as part of a twisted statement of grievance, hangs over “The Kill Hole,” a well meaning indie drama of post-traumatic stress disorder and ex-military account-settling. Despite a fairly convincing evocation of mood by writer-director Mischa Webley, this spare yet affected tale never ripens past the point of a wobbly character study. It’s a half-developed [ Read More ]

The post The Kill Hole Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

In Cell Count, Russell reluctantly agrees to support his dying wife, Sadie, in taking part in an experimental treatment. Russell is recruited to participate in the program, as well. Sadie’s Doctor promises results that seem too good to be true. But, despite their skepticism, the couple goes along with the program anyway. The problem is that their skepticism is not unfounded. In fact, it is more than warranted. It seems that 'the cure' may be worse than the disease.

Robert McKeehen (Grimm) stars as Russell and Haley Talbot (Grimm) as Sadie. The performances are reasonably good. The characters are easy enough to either relate to or empathize with. The only performance that I have any criticism against is Ted Rooney (Roswell) as Abraham. Rooney’s performance is a bit over acted at times. His performance is believable for most of the film, but he becomes a bit hammy in the final fifteen minutes.

This edition of Indie Spotlight is filled with slashers, zombies, and more of the latest independent horror news sent our way. Continue reading for girls fighting slasher villains in Slasher Squad, release details for Cell Count, and multiple trailers:

First Details on Slasher Squad: “Slasher Squad is an 8 minute, action-horror short film about a team of sexy and deadly women who hunt slasher villains by using themselves as bait. Think of a darker Charlie’S Angels meets Friday The 13th, inspired by the likes of Buffy, Mission Impossible and even Scooby Doo. It’s not a comedy but has a wicked sense of humour, playing with the conventions of the genre alongside films like Wes Craven’s Scream and Joss Whedon’s recent Cabin In The Woods.

It’s a genre mashup of horror and action, taking place in a larger-than-life world. A place where sexy, kick-ass heroines battle terrifying villains.

We’re back with another edition of our Indie Spotlight. This week’s feature includes news on an upcoming screening of American Mary, a newly launched horror magazine, distribution for Cell Count, a T-Shirt for The Walking Dead, and more:

Cell Count Distribution News: “FilmBuff has come onboard to digitally distribute the sci-fi horror film festival favorite, Cell Count from filmmaker Todd E. Freeman (Two Fisted and Pray for Hell), starring Robert McKeehen (“Leverage”), Haley Talbot (“Grimm”), Ted Rooney (“Boardwalk Empire”) and Daniel Baldwin (Grey Gardens).

The film, which had its world premiere at the 2012 Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil, is the story of Russell Carpenter, a man who reluctantly admits his wife Sadie into an experimental treatment facility for her life-threatening disease. While locked in this prison-like surrounding, they along with 6 others are unknowingly subjected to a cure that might just be worse than the disease itself.

Cell Count...

We've been talking about the indie effort Cell Count for quite a few months here on Dread Central, and finally some news has come pertaining to just when and more importantly how we're going to be able to see it!

Written and directed by Todd Freeman, Cell Count is the story of an experimental treatment gone horribly wrong. For more info check out the official Cell Count website, and like Cell Count on Facebook.

From the Press Release

FilmBuff has come on board to digitally distribute the sci-fi horror film festival favorite Cell Count from filmmaker Todd E. Freeman (Two Fisted and Pray for Hell), starring Robert McKeehen ("Leverage"), Haley Talbot ("Grimm"), Ted Rooney ("Boardwalk Empire"), and Daniel Baldwin (Grey Gardens).

The film, which had its world premiere at the 2012 Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil, is the story of Russell Carpenter, a man who reluctantly admits his wife, Sadie, into...

Update: 5:23 p.m. on May 29, 2012: Prizing quantities changed per studio update

Chicago – In our latest psychological thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 3 Blu-rays or DVDs up for grabs for the home entertainment release of “Gone”! One grand-prize winner will also score an Amanda Seyfried-signed “Gone” mini poster!

“Gone,” which will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 29, 2012, also stars Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley, Daniel Sunjata, Sebastian Stan, Nick Searcy, Socratis Otto, Emily Wickersham, Joel David Moore, Katherine Moennig, Michael Paré, Sam Upton, Ted Rooney, Erin Carufel and Amy Lawhorn from director Heitor Dhalia and writer Allison Burnett.

To win your free “Gone” Blu-ray or DVD plus for your chance at a signed poster courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found below.

“Gone...

By MoreHorror.com

We do quite a bit of giveaways here on MoreHorror, but this one has a bit of a twist. One of the prizes is a poster design, which happened to be crafted by The Dude Designs, who also designed the poster for another current giveaway we have going on for The Inkeepers movie.

So here's the deal. We are giving away 2 copies of the 'Cell Count' poster (design can be seen to the left) as well as 2 t-shirts of the same design.

To win, simply email your full name and physical address to cellcount@morehorror.com with the subject line "Cell Count Giveway". All winners are chosen randomly, so good luck!

Check out the full press release details about 'Cell Count' and "The Dude Designs" partnering for a nice throw back piece of art to the horror of old. You can also view...

We’re back with our latest Indie Spotlight. This weekend’s coverage includes The Fields‘ Blu-ray/DVD release, a zombie-killing gorilla with a baseball bat, paranormal investigators, and much more…

The Fields Blu-ray/DVD Release: Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman’s (Fox’s “Raising Hope”) thriller The Fields is coming to Blu-Ray (Srp $29.99) and DVD (Srp 24.99) from Breaking Glass Pictures (5 Star Day, Cropsey, The Living Wake). Written by Harrison Smith (Six Degrees of Hell) and directed by Tom Mattera and David Mazzoni (cult favorite The 4th Dimension), the film also stars Tara Reid (American Reunion) and newcomer Joshua Ormond (Sundance hit Robot and Frank).

Based on actual events, The Fields follows a young boy named Steven during the summer of 1973. Steven (Ormond) is sent to live in the Pennsylvania countryside with his grandparents while his mother (Reid) and father (Faust Checho) work through their marital troubles. Though his grandmother (Leachman...

I'd been unaware of Cell Count up until today, but that was until I saw this cool poster by Tom Hodge at The Dude Designs. The film is written and directed by Todd Freeman (Wake Before I Die) and stars Robert McKeehen ("Leverage"), Haley Talbot ("Grimm"), Ted Rooney ("Boardwalk Empire") and Daniel Baldwin. The film, "is the story of Russell Carpenter, who reluctantly admits his wife, Sadie, into an experimental treatment facility for her life threatening disease. While locked in this prison like surrounding they, along with six others, are unknowingly subjected to a cure that might just be worse than the disease itself."...

The Saw-esque sci-fi/horror film Cell Count from Polluted Pictures, in association with Wooden Frame Productions, has a new poster, created by Tom Hodge at The Dude Designs, one of the hottest artists in the genre today. Come take a look at the poster as well as a trailer for this interesting new film.

Written and directed by Todd Freeman, Cell Count is the story of an experimental treatment gone horribly wrong. The film stars Robert McKeehan, Haley Talbot and Christopher Toyne. Check out the official Cell Count website and like the Cell Count Facebook page.

From the Press Release

The announcement earlier this week that Cell Count was chosen as the Closing Night Film and to also have its World Premiere at this year's Fantaspoa Film Festival in Brazil made the filmmakers think this would be a great time to show the new poster from the amazing Tom Hodge at The Dude Designs.

The sixth season of Lost has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. As promised, the sets include a 12-minute epilogue that takes place after Hurley (Jorge Garcia) has taken over as the new caretaker of the island. As promised, "The New Man in Charge" gives us a few more answers to various island questions.

The two-chapter Lost epilogue opens up on a warehouse in Guam that's producing Dharma-branded food and supplies. Employees Glenn (Ray Porter) and Hector (Ted Rooney) are in a hurry because they need to get stuff ready for another airplane drop.

Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) enters and tells them that he's from the "home office" and that their services are no longer needed. The place is being closed down and he gives them envelopes with lots of cash as severance packages (probably from Hurley's lottery winnings).

Ever wondered what Hurley and Ben did when they ran the island? So did we. On the upcoming Lost: The Complete Sixth Season and Lost: The Complete Collection which will debut on Blu-ray & DVD on August 24, 2010 there is a full 12 minute extended scene where we get an idea of the Hurley/Ben regime of the island. Get confirmation on the polar bears, who/what is the Hurley bird and where or what is the fate of Walt?

We are not sure how long this will up but enjoy it as it is some closure to the question seekers out there on some little open ended things. The video features a new Dharma Initiaitive video explaining the use of animals on the island even showing the Dharma group’s awareness of the island’s inhabitants “worship” of Jacob. We even get an explanation of the room 23 where Carl was...