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Whiplash is the perfect word to describe the viewing experience of The ABCs of Death, a horror anthology containing 26 separate shorts by 26 different directors. There is no overarching story to connect the segments and the only brief the directors had to fulfill was to create a short that involved death and a word starting with the alphabet letter assigned to them. With so much room for movement and such distinct visions, each short is unique in its own way, though they do generally follow a trend of being either comedic, schlocky or outright horrifying. While there are many stand-out moments in this anthology, one that truly remains unforgettable is "D for Dogfight" by Marcel Sarmiento, and not only for the reasons you would expect.

Unfriendly Friend Demo: "Hey. Dakota here.

I'm a high school student. My friends and I decided to explore St. Mercy Hospital, an old place abandoned for decades. Things got weird fast.

You can step into my shoes in this RPG adventure horror game.

Here's what you're in for:

My choices? They matter. A lot. And trust me, the consequences are... let's say "varied." This place? It's terrifying. Dark corners, weird noises, and everything about it screams danger. Puzzles. Because apparently being scared wasn't enough. We get to be scared And stuck. I'm carrying around more random junk than I'd like to admit. But hey, you never know when a rusty scalpel might save your life. Oh, and there are stories everywhere. In journals, on walls, in whispers. This hospital's got a lot to say.

Look, I'm not here to sell you on some epic adventure. This is my nightmare, and for some reason,...

One of the most unique franchises to emerge in the last fifteen years, V/H/S feels like an indefinite horror franchise. After enough of the filmmakers broke through in the mainstream, other emerging voices have been eager to add their names to the franchise. Like Punk Goes Pop or And1 Mixtape for horror, the series has become a scouting ground for the next great horror filmmakers. With the arrival of V/H/S/Beyond, we’re ranking the films of the franchise. Within each, we also do a mini-ranking of the shorts, so keep an eye out for your favorite shorts.

7. V/H/S: Viral (2014)

While there are moments of Viral that stand out to this day, the overall style and stories rarely live up to the premise. Outside of this franchise, some segments would feel like a great little horror entry, but when the footage does not make sense as something that might come from a VHS,...

Any horror franchise that sticks around for more than a handful of entries becomes an institution by default. And few long-running horror franchises have provided genre fans with such a rollercoaster as "V/H/S," perhaps because each movie in the series feels like an unpredictable theme park ride in its own sick, twisted, ambitious way.

The first "V/H/S" film, released in 2012, laid out the endlessly adaptable format: a horror anthology consisting of "found footage" shorts, each of them directed by a different filmmaker, with only a thin (if that) thread connecting them all. Really, each "V/H/S" segment is an excuse for a director to cut loose, to run wild, and to tell a brisk, violent, sometimes funny and sometimes disturbing tale of terror. The only real rule is that it has to be found footage, but even that is malleable. Stories in the series are told from camcorders, GoPros,...

While nearly every genre has leaned into anthology storytelling at one point or another, few have made better use of the idea than horror. Horror anthologies have shown up across nearly every form of media, including the silver screen, which has been home to some of the most iconic anthologies of all time.

When it comes to long-running horror anthologies, few have left as big a mark on the genre as the V/H/S franchise. With six main entries and multiple feature-length spinoffs to its name, the V/H/S franchise immediately cemented its place in the annals of the horror genre when it debuted in 2012. That being said, having so many titles to its name naturally means that some V/H/S films just aren't going to stand up to the rest of the crowd, although the number of objective bombs among them more than speaks to the series' overall success.

Related 10 Iconic Modern Horror Directors,...

Asking Questions.

With Spooky Season firmly in the rear view mirror, Trace and I are now mid-way through our month on Toxic Masculinity. And while we probably could have counted Apt Pupil (and maybe even Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2), we officially kicked things off with Michael Haneke’s Funny Games.

Things get considerably darker with our second entry: Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel‘s Deadgirl. The extreme film follows two high school teenage boys – Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and Jt (Noah Segan) – who discover a zombie girl (Jenny Spain) in an abandoned hospital and make the horrific decision to use her as a sex object rather than alert the authorities.

As Rickie struggles with his guilty conscience, Jt recruits other “friends” like Wheeler (Eric Podnar) to assault the girl. Things get out of hand, however, when a pair of jocks, including Johnny (Andrew Dipalma) – the boyfriend of Rickie’s crush,...

August has been a significant month for Screambox, which celebrated the anniversary of Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, took a look back at the classic 1985 movie Clue in Who Done It: The Clue Documentary, got creature feature crazy with the sci-fi horror Subject, and had a blast with the Ghostbusters-inspired sci-fi horror comedy The Ghastly Brothers.

In addition to the controversial The Woman hitting the streaming service last week, Screambox has now added four highly regarded horror films, all courtesy of MPI/Dark Sky Films.

The lineup includes…

Late Phases: A practical effects heavy werewolf movie from Adrián García Bogliano. When deadly beasts attack from the forest, it is up to a grizzled veteran to uncover what the residents of a secluded retirement community are hiding.

Bliss: From director Joe Begos, Bliss follows a brilliant painter (Dora Madison) who turns to anything she can to complete her masterpiece,...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

M3GAN 4K Uhd from Universal

M3GAN curiously didn’t receive a 4K Ultra HD edition when it hit home video earlier this year, but Universal is righting the wrong on October 3. The film is presented in 4K with Hdr 10 and Dolby Atmos sound.

Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) directs from a script by Akela Cooper (Malignant). Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Amie Donald, and Jenna Davis star. Jason Blum and James Wan produce.

Both the PG-13 theatrical version and the unrated cut are included, along with three featurettes: New Vision of Horror, Bringing Life to M3GAN, and Getting Hacked.

Ghost Face Doll from from Living Dead Dolls

Ghost Face joined the...

Yesterday, we shared the news that Encyclopocalypse Publications, the company that not only brought John Skipp and Craig Spector’s novelization of Fright Night and Jeff Rovin’s novelization of Re-Animator back into print, but have also commissioned new novelizations of older films like Scared to Death, Wishmaster, Vamp, Titan Find (a.k.a. Creature), and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, is set to bring us a novelization of the 1989 Troma release Redneck Zombies. But that’s not the only novelization they currently have in the works. Encyclopocalypse Publications has also announced that they’ve got Snow Shark author Brian G. Berry working on a novelization of the 1986 low budget classic Nail Gun Massacre, while A Bouquet of Viscera author Bridgett Nelson is writing a novelization of the unnerving 2008 film Deadgirl!

Written and directed by Terry Lofton, Nail Gun Massacre told the following story: Forget about that guy with the chainsaw.

In 1980, the auspiciously named first baseman Willie Mays Aikens made baseball history when he hit two home runs in two World Series games, a feat that wasn’t repeated until 2009. That year, the Kansas City Royals player was second in home runs and RBIs only to teammate, friend and future Hall of Famer, George Brett.

Directed by Marcel Sarmiento, “The Royal” isn’t obsessed with Aikens’ on-the-field triumphs. Instead — with a script by Gregory W. Jordan, based on the 2012 book he co-wrote with Aiken, “Willie Mays Aikens: Safe at Home” — the movie recounts what happened to the major league slugger after he served 14 years for crack cocaine possession and distribution.

In 1994, under the inequitable federal sentencing guidelines, Aikens was sentenced to more than 20 years for possession with intent to sell 50 grams of crack cocaine. (He’d have had to be in possession of five kilos of powdered coke to receive a similar sentence.

Exclusive: Mike Pniewski (Hightown), Thad Luckinbill (12 Strong), Sky Ferreira (Lords of Chaos), James Devoti (The Walking Dead) and Michael Beasley (Escape at Dannemora) will round out the cast of Netflix’s crime thriller Reptile, appearing alongside previously announced cast members Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Pitt, Ato Essandoh, Frances Fisher, Eric Bogosian, Domenick Lombardozzi, Karl Glusman, Matilda Lutz, Owen Teague and Catherine Dyer.

The first feature from director Grant Singer picks up following the brutal murder of a young real estate agent, following a hardened detective (Del Toro) as he attempts to uncover the truth in a case where nothing is as it seems. In doing so, he finds himself dismantling the illusions in his own life.

Singer and Benjamin Brewer wrote the script for the film, which was acquired by Netflix back in August. It’s not yet clear what roles the newest cast members will play.

Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s ‘The Beta Test’ will open the festival.

US directors Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s feature The Beta Test will open the UK’s genre film festival Grimmfest which is running as a physical event in Manchester from October 7-10.

Cummings and McCabe will also star in the film about a Hollywood agent who gets sucked into a world of sexual infidelity and mysterious streams of digital data. Los Angeles based-Vanishing Angle produced the horror thriller. The feature initially premiered in the Berlin International Film Festival’s Encounters.

The festival is screening three...

"Don't hide from your demons." Indican Pictures has revealed the official trailer for an eerie indie horror-thriller titled Faceless, a new film from filmmaker Marcel Sarmiento, director of the strange genre films Heavy Petting and Deadgirl. His latest film is another strange concept that is especially unsettling - a man wakes up to discover he has received a full face transplant. As he attempts to make sense of things leaving the hospital, he's plagued by vivid, unexplainable flashbacks and stumbles around trying to find out what's going on. Brendan Sexton III stars in this as George, with a cast including Alex Essoe, Terry Serpico, Clayton Landey, and Blake Robbins. The trailer is just as peculiar and confusing as you might expect for a film like this, as it's a bit challenging to try and figure it out just from two minutes of footage. Check it out. Here's the first official...

Now on Cinemax and VOD platforms is Marcel Sarmiento‘s supernatural thriller Totem, which stars Kerris Dorsey, Ahna O’Reilly, James Tupper, Lia McHugh, and Braeden LeMasters. In the film, “A teen must resort to extreme measures to protect her family from a supernatural entity.” The screenplay was penned by Evan Dickson, who was a long-time writer for Bloody Disgusting and now a full-time screenwriter. Sarmiento […]...

Totem is an upcoming horror film from notorious director Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl, 2008). The film was written by Evan Dickson. And, Totem involves a young girl, saving her family from a supernatural entity. This title will be showing through Video-on-demand, at the end of the month (on Halloween!). As well, a couple of clips were released for the film - this week. The "Cat Hair" clip is hosted here, along with the film's official poster. The short clip brings the family together, for breakfast. An argument ensues and one character is left behind with a glass of orange juice. But, this is not your regular pulp as a long of strand of hair enters the picture. Totem is both a supernatural thriller and a horror film. After releasing on October 31st, this title will show on HBO, in early November. And, the last word goes to writer Dickson who says of...

Last week, we debuted a set of first look images for the new horror thriller Totem, the mysterious little supernatural horror pic that's set to land on VOD this Halloween. Totem is the feature writing debut of ex-Collider staffer Evan Dickson, and the marketing for the pic is keeping things cryptic. Directed by Deadgirl helmer Marcel Sarmiento, the film follows a teenage girl (Kerris Dorsey), who must resort to extreme measures in order to protect her family from a supernatural entity. Pretty ambiguous, eh? Sounds like a movie that's got a few tricks up its sleeve. According …...

Marcel Sarmiento will see the release of his Totem on Cinemax and VOD platforms October 31st. In addition to scoring the brand new poster art, we also have a new clip that will test your gag reflex, especially if you’re grossed out by hair. In the film, “A teen must resort to extreme measures to protect her family from a […]...

Last week we sprung the news that Marcel Sarmiento will see the release of his Totem on Cinemax and VOD platforms October 31st. Now, here’s a clip from the film in which star Kerris Dorsey accidentily drops a bookshelf onto her cat! In the film, “A teen must resort to extreme measures to protect her family from a supernatural entity.” The supernatural thriller […]...

Today, we're happy to debut some exclusive new images from Totem, the new Blumhouse horror pic headed to HBO/Cinemax just in time for Halloween. Totem is the feature writing debut of ex-Collider staffer Evan Dickson. Directed by Deadgirl helmer Marcel Sarmiento, the film follows a teenage girl (Kerris Dorsey), who must resort to extreme measures in order to protect her family from a supernatural entity. If that sounds a bit broad, don't worry, Sarmiento's work on Deadgirl proves he can deliver some supremely twisted genre subversion, and according to Dickson, the script was designed to …...

Last week we sprung the news that Marcel Sarmiento will see the release of his Totem on Cinemax and VOD platforms October 31st!. In the film, “A teen must resort to extreme measures to protect her family from a supernatural entity.” We now have another batch of stills from the supernatural thriller that stars Kerris Dorsey, Ahna O’Reilly, James Tupper, Lia McHugh, and Braeden […]...

In a surprise announcement, Marcel Sarmiento (pictured below) will see the release of his Totem on Cinemax and VOD platforms October 31st! The screenplay was penned by Evan Dickson, who was a long-time writer for Bloody Disgusting and now a full-time screenwriter. Sarmiento directed the awesome Deadgirl before taking the reigns on the wild and crazy wrap portion of VHS: Viral, […]...

Comic readers who are fans of Blood & Gourd can now download the first two issues of the series on ComiXology. Also in today's Highlights: a Q&A with Havenhurst director Andrew C. Erin, a clip and a trailer for Blind Sun, Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume 38 DVD release details, Arbor Demon acquisition info, and the trailer for Plaga Zombie: American Invasion.

Blood & Gourd Comixology Digital Download Details: The first two issues of Blood & Gourd are now available as digital downloads on ComiXology! If you prefer to collect your comics in physical form, you can limited print copies at bloodandgourd.com.

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Q&A with Havenhurst Director Andrew C. Erin: From the Press Release: "Brainstorm Media and Twisted Pictures have announced the February 10th limited theatrical and nationwide Cable VOD and Digital HD release of Andrew C. Erin's Havenhurst. Co-written by Erin (Sam's Lake, Simple Things) and Daniel Farrands (Amityville: The Awakening,...

Bron Studios’ genre label The Realm is set to produce “The Wildness,” a horror-comedy that Marcel Sarmiento (“Deadgirl”) will direct from a script by Evan Dickson (“The Bringing”) that was voted to the 2014 Blood List, TheWrap has exclusively learned. The story follows a ski bum who’s pushing 40 and still has a penchant for drugs, babes and transcendental meditation. He’s forced to become an unlikely hero in order to save a mountainside community too drunk on wild parties and over-development to notice that their kids are being systematically turned into werewolves. Bron’s Matthias Mellinghaus will produce “The Wildness” with renowned.

Stars: Emmy Argo, Amanda Baker, Rim Basma, Nick Blanco, Dan Caudill, Stephen Caudill, Greyson Chadwick, Lindsay Clift, Jawed El Berni, Laura Eschmann, Natalia Ferreiro, Michael Flores, Angela Garcia | Written and Directed by Justin Benson, Gregg Bishop, Aaron Moorhead, Marcel Sarmiento, Nacho Vigalondo

As the third film in the series, V/H/S: Viral runs the risk of taking a good thing too far. Featuring stories that feel like they’ve forced camera footage in them to stick to the over-arcing theme, is it time to end the franchise now? The returning horror anthology this time has a connecting story that features a car chase, with a camera obsessed boyfriend chasing an ice cream van which appears to have stolen the love of his life. As we get a few minutes of this story at a time, we then skip off to some other stories that tend to make a little more sense.

It’s October, so you know what that means… Halloween! And what better way to celebrate the festival of fear than with a whole heap of new movie releases? But with a whole heap of new horror movies on the way this month, we thought we’d take a look at what UK distributors have to offer on DVD later this month:

Toolbox Murders 2

The handyman of horror is back with a new box of tricks in in this terrifying sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 2004 reimagining of the 1978 cult favourite. Picking up directly after the events of Hooper’s film, we follow ‘Coffin Baby’, Hollywood’s most twisted killers, as he plans to put the screws to a new victim – Samantha, the sister of his prey from his previous rampage. Samantha finds herself held captive in a house of horrors and forced to undergo the most unspeakable tortures…

Unlike previous releases,...

Think you've seen "V/H/S: Viral"? Not all of it, as it turns out. Though the theatrical and VOD release of the third chapter in Magnet's horror anthology series featured segments by directors Nacho Vigalondo, Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead, fans who buy the DVD or Blu-ray will be treated to a surprise sixth segment directed by Todd Lincoln ("The Apparition"). Titled "Gorgeous Vortex," the visually-dazzling short was inspired by "avante-garde video artists, fashion photography, old Italian Horror movies, George Lucas’s early experimental films, and the writings of J.G. Ballard and Jean Baudrillard" -- quite a mashup of influences! Lincoln spoke with HitFix recently about the film, which journeys into a cryptic, sensual world of murder, the occult and, yes, fashion models. Curious? Here's a teaser: In addition to an in-depth discussion of the short, Lincoln also provided more insight into his 2012 feature film "The Apparition,...

Today’s the day, kids! V/H/S: Viral (review) is now officially on Blu-ray and DVD via Magnet, and we have an exclusive clip for you cats! Dig it! V/H/S: Viral features segments from directors Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes, Extraterrestrial), Marcel Sarmiento (ABCs… Continue Reading →

The post Exclusive V/H/S Viral Blu-ray / DVD Clip! appeared first on Dread Central.

The third installment of the highly anticipated horror sensation, V/H/S: Viral, arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 17 from Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet Label. Written and directed by a stunning collection of terror masterminds including Academy Award® nominee Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes, The ABCs of Death), Marcel Sarmiento (The ABCs of Death, Deadgirl), Justin Benson (Resolution, Spring), Aaron Moorhead (Resolution, A Glaring Emission) and Gregg Bishop (Dance of the Dead), V/H/S: Viral “is a magnificent collection of horror shorts from both established … Continue reading →

Horrornews.net...

“Hold on to your tickets, it’s gonna be a big finale.” Reuniting Dance of the Dead alums Justin Welborn and Gregg Bishop, Dante the Great is one of several segments featured in V/H/S: Viral. The third entry in the found footage anthology horror trilogy comes out on home media early next year with a bunch of bonus features, including Gorgeous Vortex, an additional segment that was filmed by Todd Lincoln.

From Magnolia Home Entertainment, V/H/S: Viral comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on February 17th, 2015, with the following special features (via Blu-ray.com):

Gorgeous Vortex – A Short Film by Todd Lincoln Audio Commentary with Directors Bonestorm: Behind the Scenes Featurette FX Storyboards Galleries Dante the Great: Behind The Magic of Dante The Great Photo Gallery Director Interviews Axs TV: A Look at V/H/S: Viral

“A police chase after a deranged ice...

V/H/S brought us stories from Ti West, Adam Wingard, Glen McQuaid, and Joe Swanberg, among others. V/H/S 2 gave us far superior films from Gareth Evans and Timo Tjahjanto, Gregg Hale and Eduardo Sanchez, Jason Eisener, Simon Barrett, and Adam Wingard (again). For the third entry of the franchise, V/H/S Viral delivers another mixed bag, with entries from Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, Marcel Sarmiento, Nacho Vigalondo, Gregg Bishop, and Todd Lincoln, whose segment "Gorgeous Vortex" was cut from the film for mysterious reasons. The series' most challenging aspect remains its wrap-around segments, which serve to loosely link the stories together. For an anthology, one would assume that these would be among the strongest in the film; sadly, that's not the case. "Vicious Circles" features...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

'V/H/S: Viral' arrives in theatres tomorrow for those who've not yet caught it on VOD and hot on its heels is this latest alternative look poster for the anthology threequel. It's been kicking around On Demand for a little while now and this new poster arrives based around the Marcel Sarmiento helmed wrap-around segment entitled 'Vicious Circles'. It comes courtesy of Magnet Releasing who'll be unleashing the third installment in the franchise into Us theatres this Friday. Filmmakers Todd Lincoln ('The Apparition'), Nacho Vigalondo ('Open Windows'), Gregg Bishop ('The Other Side'), Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead ('Resolution') are also on board with their efforts....

Headcleaner: VHS Series Gets Third Installment Blues

Perhaps after this third installment this franchise can enter the same void for the format which it’s named, as this is by far the least thematically inventive anthology of the trio. A quintet of five up and coming horror directors spackle this latest omnibus, once loosely geared to tickle our nostalgic fancy for the retired home video format from an era where gritty and scary films used to be more prolific.

Interweaving between its three sordid tales is the wraparound segment, “Vicious Circles,” from director Marcel Sarmiento, better known as the helmer of “D is for Dog” from the first The ABCs of Death film and his feature, Deadgirl. Beginning with a tense teenage couple, whereby the young male filmmaker stumbles upon a high speed Los Angeles chase and uses the opportunity to snag some YouTube footage that will make him famous,...

When people watch V/H/S: Viral, there will undoubtably be some who question the short runtime, while there will be others scoffing at the Go-Pro cameras, iPhone videos, and other technologically advanced recorders that have nothing to do with VHS tapes, which is understandable. To provide a little backstory, Todd Lincoln (The Apparition) was supposed to have a segment in this third installment, but either the short was subsequently cut after a few test screenings or he submitted an unfinished product – whoever you choose to listen to – which doesn’t surprise me in the lest after sitting through The Apparition. And to the haters who will never silence their gripes about authenticity and VHS quality, throwing their hands in the air at the first signs of crisp quality and crystal-clear focusing? Eh, we’ll never stop the haters from hating, and it’s their loss because V/H/S:...

The deranged minds behind the cult sensations V/H/S and V/H/S/2 are back with the latest installment, V/H/S Viral, which brings this brutal horror anthology franchise to a whole new level. V/H/S Viral is currently available on iTunes and VOD formats, ahead of its theatrical release on November 21, and we have a contest to get you fully prepared for this gruesome thriller, where fans can win V/H/S and V/H/S/2 on Blu-ray.

Both V/H/S and V/H/S/2 are comprised of several different short films by some of the most talented directors, such as Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies), Ti West (The Sacrament), Adam Wingard (The Guest), Gareth Evans (The Raid 2) and Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun). V/H/S Viral brings in a new crop of filmmakers including Nacho Vigalondo (Open Windows), Marcel Sarmiento (The ABCs of Death...

The third entry in the found footage franchise is available just in time for Halloween and features segments from Nacho Vigalondo, Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Justin Benson, Todd Lincoln, and Aaron Moorhead. Here’s a look at two clips from V/H/S: Viral:

“A police chase after a deranged ice cream truck has captivated the attention of the greater Los Angeles area. Dozens of fame-obsessed teens flock to the streets with their video cameras and camera phones, hell-bent on capturing the next viral video. But there is something far more sinister occurring in the streets of L.A. than a simple police chase. A resounding effect is created onto all those obsessed with capturing salacious footage for no other purpose than to amuse or titillate. Soon the discovery becomes that they themselves are the stars of the next video, one where they face their own death.

V/H/S:...

Every day until Halloween, The Hollywood Reporter will be speaking to a notable horror director. Previously in this series: 'V/H/S: Viral's' Marcel Sarmiento and 'ABCs of Death 2's' Alejandro Brugues. Writer-director Steven DeGennaro is almost ready to unleash what he hopes will do for the found footage genre what Scream did for slasher flicks. The catch? He and his team need a little extra money for what they hope will be an astounding visual effect for Found Footage 3D. They've taken to Indiegogo to raise $35,000 (they've got about $20,000 so far). "I decided if it looks cheesy, if it looks stupid and fake

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It is common knowledge that sequels rarely, if ever, either improve upon or best their original. Which makes the latest addition to the short horror film anthology The ABC's of Death 2 a truly rare, if not totally unexpected, surprise. The ABCs of Death was a success inasmuch as its ambitious concept was surely executed; tap into the creative potential of 26 emerging yet established filmmakers to each create short films showcasing a unique death, each one represented by a different letter of the alphabet. Some were standout efforts (Marcel Sarmiento's D is for Dogfight) some were "phoned in" (Ti West's M is for Miscarriage); many were entirely forgettable. As a spectator experience, the original felt like an exhaustive experiment in how 26 short films-in-a-row...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Stars: Emmy Argo, Amanda Baker, Rim Basma, Nick Blanco, Dan Caudill, Stephen Caudill, Greyson Chadwick, Lindsay Clift, Jawed El Berni, Laura Eschmann, Natalia Ferreiro, Michael Flores, Angela Garcia | Written and Directed by Justin Benson, Gregg Bishop, Aaron Moorhead, Marcel Sarmiento, Nacho Vigalondo

The V/H/S franchise’s overarching idea is the concept that like David Cronenberg’s Videodrome posits, the video image can corrupt on a biological level, the grainy images and muffled sound can somehow change a person. This isn’t just something which happens in the world of these films though, as in the majority of cases, it also affects the filmmakers involved, allowing them to wallow in the more tired tropes of cinematic horror, along with its fixation on objectifying women, and as a result, make some of the worst stuff of their careers. Ti West and Adam Wingard are just two of the new breed...

Every day until Halloween, The Hollywood Reporter will be speaking to a notable horror director. Previously in this series: 'V/H/S: Viral's' Marcel Sarmiento. Juan of the Dead is Cuba's first zombie movie, and its director, Alejandro Brugués, tells The Hollywood Reporter it was inspired by a joke he cracked while walking around Havana. People on the streets "kind of looked like zombies," he says. "I said to [my producer], 'we could make a film, a zombie film, with real people here in the streets and we wouldn't even need make-up.'" "I looked at him and said, 'you know what,

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Editor's note: Every day until Halloween, The Hollywood Reporter will be speaking to a different horror director. Marcel Sarmiento directed one of the best-regarded segments in The ABCs of Death, the 26-part horror anthology that will see a sequel in theaters on Halloween. His D Is for Dogfight centers on a man whose fight to the death with a dog takes an unexpected turn. "It sounds absurd," the director tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm attracted to absurdist ideas. I feel like the truest horror comes from that space — it allows you to do things that would be too

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Same Old Song: Scant Few Highlights Justify Lengthy Omnibus

Well, alphabet soup horror is back with The ABCs of Death 2, a follow-up to the first installment (The ABCs of Death) which had twenty six different directors helming a short film based on a word starting with each letter. Now, twenty six more directors try their hand at this formula, which is generally hit and miss, a complaint launched the first time around. With short films of such meager running time amidst a sea of similarly constructed items, most of these tend to cancel each other out. A struggle to remain vibrantly memorable also hobbles a sequence or two. And yet, there are a few little masterful strokes here, though enjoying them feels a bit like trudging through a bargain bin.

E.L. Katz of Cheap Thrills gets things off to an amusing start with his A is for Amateur segment,...

V/H/S: Viral

Written by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Nacho Vigalondo, Gregg Bishop, Marcel Sarmiento, David White, T.J. Cimfel, Ed Daugherty

Directed by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Nacho Vigalondo, Gregg Bishop, Marcel Sarmiento

USA, 2014

When the first film in this series was released 2 years ago, it came as a much-needed breath of fresh air for the found-footage subgenre, a subgenre that had tired itself out by the time even Paranormal Activity 2 came out. What stood out the most about it was that none of the filmmakers involved were trying to fool you into thinking that any of it was real, while studio made found footage films still marketed themselves as “this is real footage”. Rather than try to pull a trick you wouldn’t fall for, they just had fun with the format and sought to break down the limitations of it. V/H/S 2 doubled down on...

Popular in the 1960s and early 1970s with more rare appearances in the 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s, the anthology-style horror film has made a solid resurgence in recent years with such portmanteau releases as The ABCs of Death films and the V/H/S series.

With Mexico Barbaro, Fear Paris and other projects in various stages of completion, the anthology horror film looks to continue to be an important part of the horror cinema landscape.

Some anthology films employ a framing or wraparound sequence in an attempt to connect the segments that make up the film while others dispense with this classic Amicus-style approach entirely and simply present a collection of short films connected by genre.

Either way, a horror anthology film is ultimately about the quality of its individual segments and this article will take you on a tour of the greatest horror anthology segments of all time.

Earlier this week we saw the debut of a chart calculating the carnage of the Wrong Turn franchise, and now an infographic analyzing the kills of the found footage V/H/S horror film series has been unveiled, coinciding with the release of V/H/S: Viral to VOD platforms. In addition to the bloodbath breakdown, we also have a look at a new red band clip from the franchise’s third installment.

“A police chase after a deranged ice cream truck has captivated the attention of the greater Los Angeles area. Dozens of fame-obsessed teens flock to the streets with their video cameras and camera phones, hell-bent on capturing the next viral video. But there is something far more sinister occurring in the streets of L.A. than a simple police chase. A resounding effect is created onto all those obsessed with capturing salacious footage for no other purpose than to amuse or titillate.

Now available on iTunes and On Demand is the next chapter in the popular horror anthology series 'V/H/S: Viral'. A fresh selection of segments have been put forward by another group of talented genre filmmakers that include the likes of Todd Lincoln ('The Apparition'), Nacho Vigalondo ('Open Windows'), Marcel Sarmiento ('Deadgirl'), Gregg Bishop ('The Other Side'), Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead ('Resolution'). To accompany the release a cool new infographic featuring all the deaths of the threequels predecessors' 'V/H/S' and 'V/H/S/2' plus a cool new red band clip have been unveiled which you can check out below....

If you're like most of America, you probably don't have time to sit and count all the death scenes in any given horror franchise. That's okay, because infographic creators make a 'killing' doing that job for you. And today, those anonymous sources sitting in a basement somewhere have created a new one for the V/H/S franchise. This comes along with a new red band clip for V/H/S Viral.

A group of Los Angeles skateboards get in on the action when an ice cream truck becomes the center of a nationally televised chase. In this bloody scene, we're introduced to this group of boys who encounter a pagan witch standing in the center of their favorite skate zone. Suddenly, more mysterious figures begin to appear on the horizon. Suffice it to say, this does not bode well for one of the cameramen documenting the skate session.

The...

A monster in the closet (and the shower), a secret compartment behind a breaker box, and a creepy ice cream truck are just a few things shown in the recently revealed international trailer for V/H/S: Viral, available on VOD beginning tomorrow. The third entry in the found footage franchise features segments from Nacho Vigalondo, Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Justin Benson, Todd Lincoln, and Aaron Moorhead:

“A police chase after a deranged ice cream truck has captivated the attention of the greater Los Angeles area. Dozens of fame-obsessed teens flock to the streets with their video cameras and camera phones, hell-bent on capturing the next viral video. But there is something far more sinister occurring in the streets of L.A. than a simple police chase. A resounding effect is created onto all those obsessed with capturing salacious footage for no other purpose than to amuse or titillate.

As Hollywood studios push for cinema to exist exclusively in digital media, there is a not-so-quiet cry for the grit of analog VHS. Part nostalgia and part need to hold on to something that is not just an ephemeral format,… Continue Reading →

The post Exclusive V/H/S: Viral Interviews Part 1: Gregg Bishop, Justin Welborn, Nacho Vigalondo, Marcel Sarmiento appeared first on Dread Central.

Continuing to make sure that October remains the scariest month of the year, the Spooky Movie International Horror Movie Festival returns for its ninth annual edition on Oct. 9-18 at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Opening Night: It’s a double slam bang on Oct. 9 with two exciting new entries in insanely popular horror franchises. First up is V/H/S Viral, where the gruesome series goes online with startling Internet videos directed by Todd Lincoln, Nacho Vigalondo and more. Then, that’s followed by The Dead 2: India, another tale of international zombie madness once again directed by Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford.

Closing Night: It’s retro massacre time on Oct. 18 when local horror legend Count Gore De Vol hosts a special screening of Wes Craven’s classic mutant thriller The Hills Have Eyes. This special screening will be presented just like Count...

While I enjoyed most of V/H/S: Viral, not really wanting to play favorites, there’s no denying the frantic awesomeness of a little segment called “Bonestorm.” My best goes out to Nacho Vigolondo, Gregg Bishop and Marcel Sarmiento for their respective horror shorts, but Spring/Resolution filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have done the unthinkable and challenged previous V/H/S favorite “Safe Haven” for franchise supremacy. Starting out with a group of skateboard punks looking to record a sick demo, the segment quickly becomes a video-game-esque shoot ‘em up I dubbed “Skater Punk Call Of Duty.” Once Benson and Moorhead hit their stride, there’s no competition amidst the skull-crushing gore, crazy cultists and evil monsters, which you can read about in my Fantastic Fest review of V/H/S: Viral.

Benson and Moorhead were mainstays at this year’s Fantastic Fest, having both V/H...