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There's no denying that 2025 has already been filled with some great horror movies. The Monkey, 28 Years Later, and Final Destination Bloodlines all managed to impress, but there's one film that's flown under the radar that could just be the sleeper hit of the year. Titled Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire, the terrifying new mocumentary hits theaters on August 8, and it already has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% thanks to its festival appearances. If the newly released trailer is any indication of anything, horror fans definitely need to add this one to their watch list, because it's poised to become the talk of the community later this year.

Directed by Stuart Ortiz (Grave Encounters), Strange Harvest stars Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, and Matthew Peschio. The film focuses on a couple of detectives who are thrust into a chilling hunt for Mr. Shiny – a sadistic serial...

Watch the Trailer for Bone Lake: "A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan Starring Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita, Eliane Reis and Clayton Spencer Written by Joshua Friedlander Produced by Jason Blumenfeld, Joshua Friedlander, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Jacob Yakob Release Date October 24, 2025



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Watch the Trailer for Bone Lake: "Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for “Mr. Shiny”—a sadistic serial killer from the past whose return marks the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force."

Directed & Written...

The official trailer for Stuart Ortiz's horror flick, Strange Harvest, arrived today. The faux doc horror will be in theaters on August 8th, 2025, from Saban Films and Roadside Attractions. Check out the trailer down below. From writer-director Stuart Ortiz (Grave Encounters) comes Strange Harvest, a chilling new thriller that introduces “Mr. Shiny,” a serial killer at the center of a terrifying and otherworldly mystery. Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for “Mr. Shiny”—a sadistic serial killer from the past whose return marks the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force. Strange Harvest was directed and written by Stuart Ortiz. The cast includes Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia,...

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

Saban Films and Roadside Attractions have just released the trailer for the chilling new found footage horror film Strange Harvest. The movie comes from writer-director Stuart Ortiz, who is known for Grave Encounters. Strange Harvest is a hauntingly grounded thriller that introduces “Mr. Shiny,” a serial killer at the center of a terrifying and otherworldly mystery. The movie uses various methods of voyeuristic point-of-views in a twist on the usual found footage formula as we see the action through webcams, news outlets and body cams.

The official synopsis for Strange Harvest from Saban and Roadside Attractions reads,

“Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for “Mr. Shiny”—a sadistic serial killer from the past whose return marks the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force.” The movie stars Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Travis Wolfe Sr. and Christina Helene Braa.

"We are begging for you to help us!" Saban Films & Roadside Attractions have debuted the trailer for an indie horror thriller film titled Strange Harvest, the latest from filmmaker Stuart Ortiz (also the director of Grave Encounters). Not to be confused with either The Strangers series or the other film titled Harvest with Caleb Landry Jones. This is a chilling new found footage thriller that introduces "Mr. Shiny," a serial killer at the center of a terrifying and otherworldly mystery in Inland Empire. Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for "Mr. Shiny" — a sadistic serial killer from the past whose return marks the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force. The horror film stars Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Travis Wolfe Sr, & Christina Helene Braa. All this grainy, jittery cam footage doesn't make this look any good.

A serial killer’s grisly murder spree might lead to supernatural terror in the faux-true crime documentary Strange Harvest from Grave Encounters writer-director Stuart Ortiz.

Saban Films and Roadside Attractions will unleash Strange Harvest in theaters on August 8, 2025, and we can exclusively debut the eerie trailer and poster this morning.

In the upcoming horror film, “Detectives are thrust into a chilling hunt for ‘Mr. Shiny’—a sadistic serial killer from the past whose return marks the beginning of a new wave of grotesque, otherworldly crimes tied to a dark cosmic force.”

Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple star as Detectives Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor, who act as talking heads as they investigate the mysterious and elusive “Mr. Shiny,” a serial killer who leaves little in the way of clues despite the ghastly, horrific nature of his crimes spanning multiple years.

Watch the trailer below that introduces the elusive Mr. Shiny in action.

Saban Films will be releasing Strange Harvest, the faux-true crime documentary from Grave Encounters writer-director Stuart Ortiz, and the film has received an “R” rating this week.

Strange Harvest is rated “R” for “disturbing/grisly violent content and language.”

In the film, “A routine welfare check in the San Bernardino suburbs leads to a gruesome discovery — a family of three has been bound, bled, and posed below a strange symbol written in blood on the ceiling. Detective Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor recognize the symbol as the calling card of a killer from 15 years earlier calling himself Mr. Shiny, who has seemingly returned to continue his murder spree.”

Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Thomas Wolfe Jr, Tim Shelburne, Christina Helene Bra, LA Williams star.

“Strange Harvest is like nothing you’ve ever seen,” Saban Films co-presidents Jonathan Saba and Shanan Becker said in a recent statement.

Dubai-based sales agency Cercamon has launched Vorteks, a new genre label running the gamut from horror to sci-fi, thriller, fantasy, dark comedy and action movies. Handling 8-10 features a year, Vorteks will be run by David Kwok, the Tribeca Film Festival director of programming for its first 10 editions. A partner at Vorteks, Kwok will spearhead acquisitions and sales.

“With a special focus on emerging talent, the label’s evolving slate will reflect the incredible new voices coming out of the genre community,” Kwok said, noting that Vorteks expands Cercamon’s mission of “searching for the best films and to work with bold filmmakers.”

In one case in point, Vorteks’ first official acquisition is “Ancestral Beasts,” the second feature from Canadian writer-director-producer Riedel (“Jackstones”) and a tale of an Indigenous woman’s battle with trauma which weighs in as one of the buzzy projects at Cannes Frontières Platform’s Proof of...

Saban Films has acquired the North American rights to Strange Harvest, the faux-true crime documentary from Grave Encounters writer-director Stuart Ortiz.

Variety broke the news, noting that a summer release is planned.

The film premiered at Fantastic Fest in September under the title Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire.

A routine welfare check in the San Bernardino suburbs leads to a gruesome discovery — a family of three has been bound, bled, and posed below a strange symbol written in blood on the ceiling. Detective Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor recognize the symbol as the calling card of a killer from 15 years earlier calling himself Mr. Shiny, who has seemingly returned to continue his murder spree.

Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Thomas Wolfe Jr, Tim Shelburne, Christina Helene Bra, LA Williams star.

“Strange Harvest is like nothing you’ve ever seen,” Saban Films co-presidents...

Saban Films has acquired the North American rights for Stuart Ortiz's horror flick, Strange Harvest. The faux-doc had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest last September and had a decent festival run, making stops at Beyond Fest, Fright Night Film Fest, Atlanta Horror Fest, Telluride Horror Show, NYC Horror Film Festival, Strasbourg Film Fest, Rama Skirk, Grimmfest, Soho Horror Fest, Morbido Mexico, and Vancouver Horror Show. That is a good stretch of festivals.    A routine welfare check in the San Bernardino suburbs leads to a gruesome discovery - a family of three has been bound, bled, and posed below a strange symbol written in blood on the ceiling. Detective Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor recognize the symbol as the calling card of a killer from...

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

Saban Films has acquired the North American rights to director Stuart Ortiz’s (“Grave Encounters”) newest horror film “Strange Harvest,” set to release later this summer, Variety can report exclusively.

The acquisition comes after a long festival run following the film’s Fantastic Fest premiere in 2024. The official synopsis reads: “A routine welfare check in the San Bernardino suburbs leads to a gruesome discovery — a family of three has been bound, bled, and posed below a strange symbol written in blood on the ceiling. Detective Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor recognize the symbol as the calling card of a killer from 15 years earlier calling himself Mr. Shiny, who has seemingly returned to continue his murder spree.”

“’Strange Harvest’ is like nothing you’ve ever seen,” Saban Films co-presidents Jonathan Saba and Shanan Becker said in a joint statement. “Stuart has crafted the perfect film for horror and true crime fans.

The best horror films are the ones that can shock their audiences. Whether it be through jaw-dropping twists or disgusting gore, these are the movies that imbue their fear with something unpredictable, keeping viewers on their toes and forcing them to constantly question what will happen next. Many films are able to do this, but few offer such an unforgettable, completely horrific moment of pure shock like Grave Encounters 2. Directed by John Poliquin, this sequel hasn't earned much love since its release; it is the follow-up to Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz's seminal found footage horror film, Grave Encounters.

Directed and Written by: Stuart Ortiz Starring: Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Thomas Wolfe Jr, Tim Shelburne, Christina Helene Bra, LA Williams Synopsis: A faux true-crime documentary about two detectives pursuit of an infamous serial killer named Mr. Shiny, who terrorized Southern California for almost two decades. Run Time: 94 …

The post Trailer Now Live!!! – Strange Harvest: Occult Murder In The Inland Empire – World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

In 2019, while on a trip to Los Angeles, I decided to visit the Museum of Death. I have a complicated relationship with true crime. It’s a morbid and problematic fixation, sure. But there’s a reason why it’s also a pervasive one. We all die, and most of...

London is set to become the capital of fear this winter as the Soho Horror Film Festival makes its eagerly awaited return for 2024. With an expanded hybrid format, this year’s festival promises to be the biggest yet, delivering a chilling mix of in-person and online scares across two weekends. Kicking off at Brixton’s Whirled Cinema from 22nd to 24th November, the festival then moves online for its Sohome Horror Film Festival from 28th November to 1st December, offering fans a ghoulish feast of over 80 films from 17 countries.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, the festival will showcase an exceptional strand of found footage films. Leading the charge is the international premiere of Tim Kasher’s Who’s Watching, a disturbing tale of obsession starring Zachary Ray Sherman. Horror fans can also expect chills from Stuart Ortiz’s documentary Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire,...

Found footage has always been one of the scariest subgenres of horror. Ever since The Blair Witch Project scared audiences in 1999, there have been many horror films that are purposefully shot in a way that is grainy and handheld. Viewers see through the perspective of the character holding the camera, lending authenticity and an immersive quality to the movie. It's meant to feel like one is truly there living the experience, which makes it seem more real and more frightening.

Some found footage films are terrifying enough to evoke nightmares for weeks. These movies take advantage of the tight frames and first-person perspective to create some of the most impactful jump scares in horror. One doesn't need to watch The Blair Witch Project or any of the Paranormal Activities to get quality found footage. There are many underrated gems that feature creepy characters, ominous settings, and above all, terrifying moments.

Directed & written by Stuart Ortiz, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire uses the true crime documentary format to unleash grim horror.

Framed entirely as a grisly true crime documentary, Strange Harvest tracks two detectives’ pursuit of a grisly serial killer’s murder spree across San Bernardino County.

Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple star as Detectives Joe Kirby and Lexi Taylor, who act as talking heads as they investigate the mysterious and elusive “Mr. Shiny,” a serial killer who leaves little in the way of clues despite the ghastly, horrific nature of his crimes spanning from the early ’90s to the early aughts.

Stuart Ortiz, one half of the filmmaking duo known as The Vicious Brothers, is no stranger to blurring fact and fiction. Bloody Disgusting spoke with Ortiz and lead stars Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple at Fantastic Fest, where the film made its world premiere (our review).

Despite its sprawling,...

One half of the Vicious Brothers, Stuart Ortiz, directs his first solo horror feature with Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire. It's a faux true-crime documentary about San Bernardino's most prolific serial killer, doing the work to trick audiences into believing its narrative authenticity. Think of Strange Harvest as the little sibling of John Erick Dowdle's The Poughkeepsie Tapes the horrors of a violent, inhumane murder spree are recalled by talking heads and through revolting footage. Ortiz pays meticulous attention to the documentary's composition, which results in believable interview subjects and tight editing techniques. It plays like a late-night serial killer special on a true crime channel. It's organic, unnerving, and proficiently grounded as a modern criminal nightmare.

Mixing the creeping faux true crime chills of The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) with hearty daubs of compelling supernatural mythos, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire is an impressive, engrossing, and downright scary instant found-footage/pseudo-doc horror classic from writer/director Stuart Ortiz.

Told in a docu-series format, Strange Harvest uncovers the weird tale of Mr. Shiny, a masked murderer responsible for a spate of ritualistic deaths located in and around San Bernardino, California, stretching back to the early ‘90s. Through news reports, still photos, the killer’s own letters, archival videos, and interviews with detectives Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Alexis Taylor (Terri Apple) as well as various others, the film takes viewers into the mind of a mysterious killer and the occult beliefs he may be killing for.

Ortiz brings the skills he sharpened on Grave Encounters (2011) and its sequel to bear here, gifting lovers of true crime...

Writer/Director Stuart Ortiz, one half of the filmmaking duo known as The Vicious Brothers, is no stranger to blurring fact and fiction. The filmmaker used a reality TV show to send a film crew to their doom in the 2011 found footage gem Grave Encounters. Ortiz’s latest, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire, makes for an exciting evolution in his craft.

Framed entirely as a grisly true crime documentary, Strange Harvest tracks two detectives’ pursuit of a grisly serial killer’s murder spree across San Bernardino County. Talking heads and case detectives Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Lexi Taylor (Terri Apple) investigate the mysterious and elusive “Mr. Shiny,” a serial killer who leaves little in the way of clues despite the ghastly, horrific nature of his crimes spanning from the early ‘90s to the early aughts.

Ortiz weaves an impressive, almost dizzying level of mythology that unfurls slowly,...

The Following Film Review is Based on A True Story. Reader Discretion is Advised.

According to statistics (that I’ve just now fabricated to support my claim), the average horror fan consumes approx. 736 true crime documentaries each year. It’s an outrageous number, but one feels closer to reality than zero. The good, however, is that those countless hours of over-produced, mildly exploitative junk content have prepared you for a new mockumentary from the co-director of the Reality TV parody Grave Encounters.

Stuart Ortiz’s Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire is an incredibly spot-on spoof of the now classic Netflix True Crime documentary format. It’s got salacious crime scene footage, distressing interviews with the parents of victims, cops that have gotten to close to the case, cliffhangers designed for commercial breaks, and a mysteriously intriguing intro montage. It so closely resembles the medium it’s mimicking...

Strange Harvest: Occult Murder In The Inland Empire Photo: Matthew M Garcia

One of the more unusual films on the genre festival circuit this year, and one of the best, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder In The Inland Empire is styled as a true crime documentary whose chronicle of the pursuit of a serial killer takes in some unexpectedly strange phenomena. It’s a beautifully crafted work with a slow burn plot and little stylistic touches that elevate it above the genre it’s based on, without hampering believability. Shortly before its Fantastic Fest screening, I met director Stuart Ortiz and stars Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple, who play the investigating officers. Stuart told me how the idea originally developed.

“My first film is a film from 2011. It's called Grave Encounters, and it's like a found footage film,” says Stuart. “But in that movie we do have some documentary elements where we interview some people,...

Making its premiere at Fantastic Fest this weekend is Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire, from director Stuart Ortiz. Having taken part in a recent press day, I caught up with Ortiz, and co-stars Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple, to talk about everything that went into making this compelling faux doc.

via Fantastic Fest: "In July 2010, the San Bernardino County authorities were faced with one of the most bizarre crime scenes they'd ever encountered. Alerted by a concerned friend, local police arrived at the victims’ home, and the murders they discovered shook them to the ground. The crime scene showed ritualistic aspects, and quickly, one of the detectives recognized a symbol painted on the ceiling in the victims’ blood linking back to a serial killer they’d chased in 1995, before the killer seemingly took a 15-year break.

Having previously co-written and co-directed both the first and second Grave...

World Premiere – Fantastic Fest 2024 Directed and Written by: Stuart Ortiz Starring: Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Thomas Wolfe Jr, Tim Shelburne, Christina Helene Bra, LA Williams Synopsis: A faux true-crime documentary about two detectives pursuit of an infamous serial killer named Mr. Shiny, who terrorized Southern California …

The post Trailer Now Live!!! – Strange Harvest: Occult Murder In The Inland Empire – World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Directed & written by Stuart Ortiz, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire will have its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 22, and we’ve got the official poster art along with an image set for ya today.

Stuart Ortiz is one half of the directing duo known as the Vicious Brothers. This solo outing from Ortiz uses the true crime documentary format to unleash horror, and you can further preview the upcoming movie by watching yesterday’s official teaser trailer down below as well.

The faux true-crime documentary centers on two detectives’ pursuit of an infamous serial killer named Mr. Shiny, who terrorized Southern California for almost two decades.

Fantastic Fest’s official description gives further insight:

“In July 2010, the San Bernardino County authorities were faced with one of the most bizarre crime scenes they’d ever encountered. Alerted by a concerned friend, local police arrived at the victims’ home,...

The next evolution in found footage may have arrived. A new teaser for Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire uses the true crime documentary format to unleash horror.

Watch the new teaser below, with the horror movie is set to make its world premiere later this week at Fantastic Fest.

In the film, “A faux true-crime documentary about two detectives pursuit of an infamous serial killer named Mr. Shiny, who terrorized Southern California for almost two decades.”

Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire hails from writer/director Stuart Ortiz, one half of the filmmaking duo known as The Vicious Brothers. In other words, Ortiz is no stranger to the realm of found footage horror, so expect the filmmaker to make bold swings with the format.

Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Thomas Wolfe Jr, Tim Shelburne, Christina Helene Bra, LA Williams star.

A faux true-crime documentary about two detectives pursuit of an infamous serial killer named Mr. Shiny, who terrorized Southern California for almost two decades.   Strange Harvest will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest soon. The trailer has gone out today, check it out below. Strange Harvest was directed and written by Stuart Ortiz, one of the writer and directors of the effective and jumpy Grave Encounters movies back in 2011 and 2012.   Their latest stars Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Janna Cardia, Thomas Wolfe Jr, Tim Shelburne, Christina Helene Bra, and LA Williams.    In my first film Grave Encounters, we used the found footage medium to try and present a fantastical supernatural story, as if the events actually...

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

The world premiere of Bruce Goodison’s Black Cab starring Nick Frost will open this year’s Grimmfest, a UK horror and sci-fi fantasy festival held in Manchester October 3-6, 2024.

Frost stars in the Shudder title as an erratic cab driver who has no interest in taking the bickering couple he’s just picked up to their destination. Synnøve Karlsen and Luke Norris also star in the film which Sony Pictures Television and Stolen Pictures produce.

Black Cab will screen as part of the festival’s ‘Fear On Four Wheels’ strand which also includes the world premiere of Joey Palmroos...

When done well, found footage horror makes for one of the most immersive and unnerving viewing experiences. The inherent naturalism tends to make the horror feel more plausible and real. Found footage horror doesn’t need a huge budget or recognizable names among the cast to induce chills, either, and the lo-fi visuals only further add to the scares.

This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to found footage horror movies that excel with the format, delivering unsettling atmosphere and scares while making the most of their immersive, lo-fi aesthetics. Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Banshee Chapter – Screambox, the Roku Channel, Tubi

Drawing inspiration from actual government hallucinogenic drug experiments and H.P. Lovecraft’s From Beyond, Blair Erickson’s feature debut is part found footage, part faux documentary. After her friend’s sudden disappearance, journalist Anne Roland...

In this edition of The Silver Lining, we’ll be covering Colin Minihan’s alien abduction thriller, Extraterrestrial!

At one point, it can be argued that the Vicious Brothers were one of Canada’s most influential filmmaking duos, only challenged by the Soska Sisters in genre cinema. While these punk-rock partners (who aren’t really brothers) skyrocketed to stardom after the popularity of 2007’s Grave Encounters, they weren’t too keen on repeating themselves after that initial success, even passing along their directorial duties to John Poliquin on Grave Encounters 2.

For their next endeavor, the duo decided to look back on an unproduced passion project. Inspired by their perceived lack of “cool” alien movies in the horror genre, the filmmakers had come up with a story informed by UFO abduction accounts and government conspiracy theories long before their first feature film. Updating the script, they soon began production on what would eventually become 2014’s Extraterrestrial.

What they captured on camera cannot be explained.

Still relatively early in its existence, YouTube was busy bringing Rebecca Black’s weekend anthem “Friday” into homes around the world and teaching viewers how to do the dance moves to The Lonely Island’s “The Creep," but for millions of horror fans in late 2010 and early 2011, the relatively new video platform was home to one of the first horror movie trailers to go viral in the 2010s. The name of the movie was Grave Encounters, and similar to The Blair Witch Project—its found footage predecessor that went viral in its own grassroots way in the ’90s—the film’s trailer was presented as real footage assembled from a real event that went really wrong. Centered on a paranormal investigative team making a TV show called Grave Encounters, the trailer showed what would happen if supernatural sleuths really did make contact with the other side…...

Urban Legend is the next horror movie to get the reboot treatment as an updated version is now in development at Screen Gems. Colin Minihan has been tapped to write and direct a new take on the 1998 movie. Reportedly, the studio has set the project on the fast track and is currently casting its key roles. Mike Medavoy and Benjamin Anderson are also on board to produce for Phoenix Pictures, with Screen Gems' Eric Paquette and Michael Bitar overseeing the project.

Full details are not yet known about the plot of the Urban Legend Reboot, but the modernized reboot will "introduce an iconic new slasher for the digital age in a world where internet urban legends are born and move at a terrifying pace." Similar to the original, Minihan's reboot will also focus on a diverse group of college students, now investigating a series of murders that "resemble urban legends...

"My dad, he used to say to me: You only kill what keeps you alive." This moral hunter's credo takes on sinister overtones when spoken by Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson) to her lover Jules (Brittany Allen) in the brutal Red Band trailer for writer/director Colin Minihan's What Keeps You Alive. The film was scooped up for distribution by IFC Midnight following an impactful debut at SXSW last March and can now be seen in theaters in Los Angeles and New York or on VOD. The film's premise seems as straight-forward as it is nerve-shredding:

"How much can you really know about another person? The unsettling truth that even those closest to us can harbor hidden dimensions drives this thrillingly unpredictable, blood-stained fear trip. Jackie (Anderson) and Jules (Allen) are a couple celebrating their one year anniversary at a secluded cabin in the woods belonging to Jackie's family. From the moment they arrive,...

"My dad, he used to say to me: You only kill what keeps you alive." This moral hunter's credo takes on sinister overtones when spoken by Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson) to her lover Jules (Brittany Allen) in the brutal Red Band trailer for writer/director Colin Minihan's What Keeps You Alive. The film was scooped up for distribution by IFC Midnight following an impactful debut at SXSW last March and can now be seen in theaters in Los Angeles and New York or on VOD. The film's premise seems as straight-forward as it is nerve-shredding:

"How much can you really know about another person? The unsettling truth that even those closest to us can harbor hidden dimensions drives this thrillingly unpredictable, blood-stained fear trip. Jackie (Anderson) and Jules (Allen) are a couple celebrating their one year anniversary at a secluded cabin in the woods belonging to Jackie's family. From the moment they arrive,...

Though writer/director Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz made a big splash a couple of years ago with the release of Grave Encounters (review) under the moniker of "The Vicious Brothers," the pair have slowly drifted into separate careers with What Keeps You Alive marking Minihan's first solo effort as both writer and director.

Minihan's latest has been much buzzed about since it premiered at SXSW earlier this year. It stars Hannah Emily Anderson and Brittany Allen as Jackie and Jules respectively, a couple who take a vacation to a remote cabin to celebrate their one year anniversary. Shortly after the pair arrive, Jackie starts to display a dark streak and when she shares a...

(Aotn)- Ok, Smt Heads, you’ve been chomping at the bit for a new take on zombies. Fortunately, the zombie makers have heard your plea…. That’s why we’re sitting down with ‘Jigsaw’ star, Brittany Allen, and talking about her bold, new take on the last survivor trope in her film “It Stains The Sands Red,” out on DVD/Blu-Ray on Sept. 26th!

Check out our conversation with Brittany (and our nifty, new Aotn graphics) right here:

It Stains The Sands Red

Comes to DVD on September 26th

In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, Molly, a troubled woman from Las Vegas, finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone ravenous zombie on her trail. At first, she’s easily able to outpace her undead pursuer, but things quickly become a nightmare when she realizes the zombie doesn’t need to ever stop and rest. Running low...

A Las Vegas stripper attempts to escape the zombie apocalypse in Colin Minihan's low-budget It Stains the Sands Red, a film whose eponymous "it" may not refer to the undead menace we're expecting. All My Children's Brittany Allen is a solo protagonist here, bucking the genre's customary ensemble format, and that's not the only way Minihan's picture (co-written with Stuart Ortiz) strays from the usual script. Genre fans will likely have a hard time coming to terms with this tonally confused and sometimes grating film, whose commercial prospects are limited despite the appeals it makes to some underserved audiences.

That...

*full disclosure: an online screener was provided by the film's publicity arm. Director: Colin Minihan. Writers: Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz. Cast: Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir It Stains the Sands Red is the latest thriller from the Vicious Brothers. Colin Minihan (Grave Encounters) and Stuart Ortiz try to breath some life into the zombie sub-genre, with this title. However, the long zombie chase in the desert gets a bit tiresome and repetitive, after awhile. The film's tone is overly sad. Meanwhile, there are almost no redeemable characters on-screen, outside of central character Molly (Brittany Allen). Even Molly has a long list of vices. A bit slow, It Stains the Sands Red offers minimal conflict and action, as well. It is not all bad. But, It Stains the Sands Red will entertain only the most patient zombie film fans. The film begins with one of the film's only wide shots.

As a member of the directing duo known as The Vicious Brothers, Colin Minihan took us on a paranormal-fueled adventure in Grave Encounters, and now he's entering the zombie apocalypse with his next film, It Stains the Sands Red, which now has an official release date from Dark Sky Films.

It Stains the Sands Red will be released in select theaters and on VOD and Digital HD from Dark Sky Films beginning July 28th. Directed by Minihan from a screenplay he wrote with Stuart Ortiz, It Stains the Sands Red stars Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir, Kris Higgins, Michael Filipowich, Andrew Supanz, and Nico David.

"In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, Molly, a troubled woman from Las Vegas, finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone ravenous zombie on her trail. At first, she's easily able to outpace her undead pursuer, but things quickly become a nightmare...

First came the massive hit Grave Encounters and the sci-fi shocker Extraterrestrial and now director Colin Minihan and co-writer Stuart Ortiz, aka The Vicious Brothers have fashioned an unusual. ‘walking dead’ movie… It Stains the Sands Red, which had it’s UK premiere at Glasgow Frightfest in February and has now been picked up for release (in the Us) by Dark Sky Films. And it’s Dark Sky who have released a brand new poster and trailer for the film which stars Brittany Allen and Juan Riedinger. Oh, and did I mention Nerdly’s review is quoted in the trailer alongside Frightfest’s own Alan Jones!

After a horrendous flesh-eating apocalypse, Las Vegas wild child Molly finds herself stranded in the desert with a ravenously relentless zombie hot on her high heels. Forever trying to give it the ingenious slip, the lone stalker has no need of rest and soon...

Stars: Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir, Kristopher Higgins, Andrew Supanz, Michael Filipowich, Nico David, Dylan Playfair | Written by Stuart Ortiz | Directed by Colin Minihan

It Stains the Sands Red follows Las Vegas wild child Molly who finds herself stranded in the desert with a ravenously relentless zombie hot on her high heels, after a horrendous flesh-eating apocalypse ravages Vegas. Forever trying to give it the ingenious slip, the lone stalker has no need of rest and soon it becomes her only physical contact in a world gone mad…

The zombie genre has took a bit of a beating over the years. Too many films and not enough good ideas it seems, and many horror fans are suffering from zombie movie burn-out – especially when it seems like we’re getting a new zombie movie every moth these days! However, there have been some interesting new takes on the much-maligned genre...

Author: Daniel Goodwin

Last year saw the astonishing Train to Busan and The Girl With All The Gifts take the zombie sub-genre into exciting new territories. Now writer/ director Colin Minihan (Grave Encounters, Extraterrestrial) and co-writer Stuart Ortiz, push the envelope further with a progressive horror that’s equally exhilarating as it is emotional and most importantly fun. As well as being loaded with imperative blood, guts and terror, Istsr is also shockingly poignant, with a straight-forward narrative. It’s an off-beat zombie flick unlike any other for Istsr is also a chase/ road movie, crime/ drug thriller, love story, comedy and family drama as well as perceptibly a horror. Its closest comparison point would be Maggie, but where the Schwarzenegger drama was an irrefutable slow burner, Istsr is elating and with a plethora of horror cogs to ensure it works as something new for genre fans as well as general audiences.

Exclusive: Sales outfit also has two documentaries on its Efm slate.

Mpi Media Group has commenced talks with buyers in Berlin on its new slate led by awards-winning zombie thriller It Stains The Sands Red from The Vicious Brothers and two documentaries.

Colin Minihan directed Sitges 2016 Midnight X-Treme winner It Stains The Sands Red and co-wrote with his Vicious Brothers associate and Grave Encounters co-director Stuart Ortiz.

Brittany Allen stars in the post-apocalyptic tale as a troubled woman from Las Vegas who flees across the desert from a relentless zombie. Juan Riedinger also stars.

Mpi will screen two documentaries. Meat explores the lives and practices of four compassionate food producers including TV and YouTube star Josh James, known as ‘The Kiwi Bushman’. David White directed.

Paul Oremland’s 100 Men follows the director on a personal quest as he chronicles changing attitudes towards homosexuality over four decades and tracks down some of the memorable men he has met...

Horror Channel FrightFest celebrates 12th year at Glasgow Film Festival with record-breaking fourteen titles – including Ten premieres and a screening of the 4K restoration of Phantasm!

FrightFest Passes are £70 and available from noon on Mon January 16th 2016. Passes cover all films on Fri 24 and Sat 25 Feb Only. Tickets for A Cure for Wellness and Phantasm: Remastered. Individual tickets for the Fri/Sat films are on sale Mon January 23rd from 10am.

To book tickets: +44 (0)141 332 6535 / boxoffice@glasgowfilm.org / www.glasgowfilm.org/festival

From the press release:

Monstrous stories, unspeakable urban legends, brutal acts and fearsome folktales dominate as the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to the Glasgow Film Festival with a record fourteen films, including ten UK premieres, screening from Thurs 23 Feb to Sat 25 Feb 2017 at the iconic Glasgow Film Theatre.

Kicking off with a special screening of A Cure For Wellness, an intense psychological ride from Gore Verbinski,...

"What's on your mind?" After watching Richard Mundy's Twenty-Twenty Four, a lot of haunting and disturbing things. We also have details on RiffTrax Live: Carnival of Souls, a video of the Ash vs Evil Dead Cast at Build Series, and a new clip from It Stains the Sands Red that premiered at Sitges Film Festival.

RiffTrax Live: Carnival of Souls Broadcast in Select Theaters: Press Release: "Denver – August 16, 2016 – Following the recent success of their MST3K Reunion Show, Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett take on the spooky 1962 cult classic Carnival of Souls with their unique commentary. “RiffTrax Live: Carnival of Souls,” will be broadcast live to select movie theaters across the country on Thursday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m. Et / 7:00 p.m. Ct and tape delayed to 7:00 p.m. Mt / 8:00 p.m. Pt, with an All Hallows’ Eve encore on Monday, October 31 at 7:30 p.

The Vicious Brothers, Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, are back with a new film called It Stains the Sands Red which is set to have its premiere at the upcoming Sitges Film Festival. Right now though we have your first… Continue Reading →

The post First Clip From The Vicious Brothers’ It Stains the Sands Red appeared first on Dread Central.

Over the past few years, screenwriter Simon Barrett has risen to prominence among film fans in general and horror fans in particular, especially for his last two collaborations with director Adam Wingard. Both the duo’s 2013 feature You’re Next and their 2014 film The Guest have garnered acclaim, with Barrett’s work also appearing in the horror anthology series V/H/S and V/H/S 2, as well as in The ABCs of Death.

The Vicious Brothers are another horror filmmaking duo that have seen their star rise, particularly with their 2014 alien invasion feature Extraterrestrial, as well as their involvement in the found footage horror films Grave Encounters and Grave Encounters 2. Consisting of the duo of Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, the filmmakers have had other directors handle their written scripts, but have yet to direct from a script written by someone else.

That is set to change in their upcoming project,...

Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, referred to in horror circles as The Vicious Brothers, have set their next project in Temple, a horror-thriller written by You’re Next and The Guest scribe Simon Barrett.

The duo, behind cult favorite Grave Encounters and its sequel as well as last year’s Extraterrestrial, will roll cameras on the project in Japan later this year. There are plans to also release a book of ghost stories focusing on various real temples in Japan, written by Eiji Otsuka and partly focusing on the main temple at the center of the pic, further plot details for which are being kept under wraps.

The Vicious Brothers are known for a particularly love-it-or-hate-it style of horror filmmaking, revelling in B-movie plotting and over-the-top twists shot with unusual clarity. Most of the criticism lobbed at the pair’s past movies are centered on their plotting, so a collaboration between the duo and Barrett,...

"The Guest," directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett, was one of 2014's sleeper treats, starring Dan Stevens as an unwelcome man from the past who invades the family of a fellow comrade who died. Horror maestro Barrett, who also wrote Wingard's meta-slasher "You're Next" (2011), now has a new script titled "Temple" to be directed by Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, a.k.a. The Vicious Brothers, according to THR. Set to shoot in Japan this year, "Temple" is cloaked in mystery as of this writing, but the film will deal with ghostly tales surrounding the country's temples. A movie tie-in compilation book of ghost stories by Eiji Otsuka will be published and featured in the film, with a 15-part animated series to follow. Read More: Why Dan Stevens Left 'Downton Abbey' to Make a Rash of Movies The Vicious Brothers directed Tribeca premieres "Grave Encounters" and "Extraterrestrial" in 2011 and 2014 respectively,...

Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, known as The Vicious Brothers, will direct horror-thriller Temple, based on a script by The Guest screenwriter Simon Barrett. Neal Edelstein of Hooked Digital Media, Shinya Egawa of Hemisphere Motion Picture Partners, Eric Bassett of Absurda and Mike Macari are producing while Toei Animation in Japan is financing. The film will shoot in Japan this year. As a cool tie-in with the film, a book of ghost stories surrounding various real temples in Japan will also be released. Written by Eiji Otsuka, the book will be featured in the film because one of

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