News

Indie genre director Mickey Keating, who broke out with films such as 2015’s “Darling” and 2016’s “Carnage Park,” has wrapped shooting on his latest movie, the crime drama “Crooks.”

The film stars Keith Kupferer (“Ghostlight”), Angela Trimbur (“Quiz Lady”), Chase Williamson (“John Dies At the End”) and Melora Walters (“Magnolia”).

Per the logline, “Two small-time crooks rob a mob-run poker game in Chicago. Things immediately go wrong, resulting in a high-stakes adventure through the Midwest.”

“’Crooks’ is an incredible opportunity for me to break into the crime movie genre, which I’ve been hoping to do since I started my career,” Keating said in a statement. “This film is a highly stylized celebration of aesthetics ranging from noir to heist to western. I think anyone familiar with my work will see this as a natural progression from my previous films.”

Keating shot the movie in Chicago alongside producers Eddie Linker,...

A serial killing, lover of comics who runs a sunflower farm with his family of foster children? Sign me up! The trailer for Artik has been released and it leads today's feature. Also, check out the other two rad stories in the Horror Highlights. We have release details and a launch trailer for Dream Alone from WarSaw Games and Fat Dog Games, as well as production news on Bit.

Watch the New Trailer for Artik: "Comic Book fandom meets Punk Rock with a bloody twist in new horror thriller, Artik.

The story centers around a family-run sunflower farm, where comic-book obsessed serial killer Artik (Jerry G. Angelo), his life partner Flin (Lauren Ashley Carter), and their family of foster kids are on the hunt for the ultimate comic-book hero. Until Holton (Chase Williamson), an Al-Anon attending straight edge, punk purist, comes between them.

Artik is writer/director Tom Botchii’s...

If you missed the return of Dollface, Pin-Up Girl, and Man in the Mask in theaters, you can now invite them into your house with the home media release of The Strangers: Prey at Night, and to celebrate, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has provided us with one Blu-ray / DVD combo pack copy to give away to one lucky reader!

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Prize Details: (1) Winner will receive (1) Blu-ray / DVD combo pack copy of The Strangers: Prey at Night.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Strangers: Prey at Night Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Temple will play Faye opposite Mark Kassen as Johnny as a pair of hustlers who rob the decaying Moonlight Casino.

Celluloid Dreams has boarded world sales on Mickey Keating’s 1968-set Crooks, starring Juno Temple and Mark Kassen as a pair of hustlers operating in late-1960s Los Vegas.

The Paris-based company announced it was teaming with Like Minded Entertainment and Monte Rosso Productions on the production.

Iliana Nikolic, Kassen and Alexander Kushaev will produce with Celluloid selling International while 30West and CAA, which arranged the financing, are handling the Us.

Shooting will commence in summer 2018.

Temple will play Faye...

Black Mass star Juno Temple, Games of Thrones’ Lena Headey and Jobs’ Mark Kassen are to star in Crooks, the latest feature from rising star Mickey Keating.

Celluloid Dreams, the French film firm behind Steve Buscemi-fronted Lean On Pete, has teamed with Kassen’s Like Minded Entertainment and Monte Rosso Productions to co-finance the Las Vegas-set hustler drama.

The movie is set in sin city in 1968, where a pair of hustlers, Johnny, played by Kassen and Faye, played by Temple, rob the decaying Moonlight Casino. Faye double crosses Johnny and takes off with the money and is soon pursued by the oldest and deadliest assassin in town. Worse still, Faye meets Blanche, played by Headey, a friendly but crazy waitress, at a truck stop.

It is Keating’s latest feature following Psychopaths, Carnage Park and Darling. Iliana Nikolic, Mark Kassen and Alexander Kushaev will produce with Celluloid selling International and repping the U.

Filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska, aka The Twisted Twins, take center stage as the latest guests on Shudder's new show The Core, hosted by Mickey Keating, and in today's Horror Highlights we also have a look at Scream Factory's Blu-ray / DVD release of Trent Haaga's 68 Kill and details on a live event for Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks from Hell.

Jen and Sylvia Soska Guest Star on The Core: "Today, Shudder releases the latest episode of The Core with host Mickey Keating and special guests The Soska Sisters. Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska also known as The Soska Sisters or The Twisted Twins, are Canadian twin sisters who work together as film directors, producers and screenwriters.

Whether it's a demo on head explosions, or a primer on avoiding predictable jump scares, The Core busts open the traditional talk show and plays with its guts. Host Mickey Keating (Carnage Park,...

It’s hard to reject a film as having no substance when its narrator apologizes for that very fact. Was its hollowness therefore an intentional commentary on the empty nihilistic void that we call life or was the filmmaker throwing us for a “meta” loop with a tongue-in-cheek laugh that knowingly commends our having sat through it in its entirety nonetheless? In this vein Mickey Keating’s Psychopaths could be profound or worthless. It could be a full-fledged movie that seeks to entertain in its gratuity or a feature length experiment with kill shots and psychedelic filters to be used in subsequent projects containing a bit more meat on their bones. You can like it or hate it or — like me — appreciate the ride despite its lack of reward.

I’m the latter because I must applaud Keating for making me believe something was coming, some purposeful “a-ha” moment transcending...

We’re always on the lookout for new and, more importantly, interesting projects to get our ghosts. The new flick Artik may just do the trick. Word has come across our desk that Lauren Ashley Carter (Jug Face, Darling, The Woman) and Chase Williamson (The Guest, Bad Match, John Dies at the End) have joined the […]

The post Casting News Bleeds from the Pages of Artik appeared first on Dread Central.

Prevailing wisdom might suggest that the golden age of the talk show is over, and with Johnny Carson, Leno and Letterman all off the scene, it can feel as though there's little freshness left in the format. That is, unless you count The Core, Shudder's new talk show for horror obsessives. Hosted by genre wunderkind Mickey Keating (Darling, Carnage Park), The Core breaks down the talk show format to its elemental level, throws in plenty of questions tailor-made for horror hounds and aspiring filmmakers and most importantly, adds a healthy dose of gore to the proceedings. The …...

At the age of just 26 or 27, writer/director Mickey Keating already has five feature films under his belt. These aren’t just homemade backyard projects shot with his buddies for $200, either; these are movies with major stars of the indie horror scene (Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, Pat Healy, Larry Fu**ing Fessenden) and getting actual distribution through companies like Glass Eye Pix and IFC Midnight. While his previous films have shown major chops behind the camera, they’ve also all had an air of familiarity about them; Keating is a director who wears his influences proudly, and some of his past work has played more like him riffing on an existing piece than like something borne of his own interests and obsessions.

With his fifth feature, Psychopaths, Keating has really come into his own as a director. It is his most original, most ambitious, most audacious work to date...

AMC Networks has announced a new series called The Core, hosted by Mickey Keating (Carnage Park), which will debut on Shudder, the network's streaming service. Each week, Mickey and other creatives in the genre will unpack all the elements that go into genre filmmaking. Check out the gory, funny trailer now:

Press Release: New York, New York — Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 —On Thursday Nov 16, AMC Networks’ subscription streaming video service Shudder, debuts new original series The Core, a weekly dissection of genre filmmaking hosted by director and fierce genre fan Mickey Keating (Psychopaths, Carnage Park). Alongside filmmakers from the world of horror, Keating examines the onscreen techniques and real-life psychologies that strike fear into our very core. The 10-episode series will premiere Thursday, November 16th, with new episodes releasing every week.

“The Core is a twisted celebration of the magic of genre filmmaking, and I can honestly say there has never been anything like it,...

Living in Chicago, I spend much of my year being jealous of all the people I see online going to the various genre film festivals held around the parts of the country that aren’t here… until now.

For the first time ever, Chicago is getting its very own full-blown genre festival with Cinepocalypse, a week-long event running November 2nd–9th at the Music Box Theatre, the best place to see a movie in the entire city. Formerly the Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival (which I have attended since it began and always completely loved), Cinepocalypse now has a new venue, a larger and more ambitious slate of programming, and dozens of special guests. It’s going to be bigger and better than any festival of its kind the city has ever seen, and I can’t wait to be there as much as possible to see as many cool movies as possible.

"You look like a friendly crowd!" Samuel Goldywn Films recently debuted this official trailer for the new horror thriller titled Psychopaths, which first played at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. This is also the latest film from Mickey Keating, director of the films Ritual, Pod, Darling, and Carnage Park, which was also released this year. Psychopaths is about seven different serial killers whose paths cross over one single, blood soaked night. This looks flashy and stylish, though it's hard to tell what exactly is going on in this trailer. The ensemble cast includes Ashley Bell, Angela Trimbur, James Landry Hebert, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Jeremy Gardner, Ivana Shein, and Larry Fessenden. If you're into indie horror, and masks, and serial killer films, then this is for you. But if you're not into that, well, maybe not. Have fun. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Mickey Keating's Psychopaths, direct...

What goes into the making of a family-owned haunted attraction? You can find out this fall when the documentary Spookers makes its Us premiere at the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival, which will also host the world theatrical premiere of Night Creep, a movie filmed in 2002 that co-stars the late, great Don Calfa (The Return of the Living Dead).

Press Release: Philadelphia, Pa, September 6th, 2017, Set to haunt the Proscenium Theater at the Drake in Center City Philadelphia from Thursday, September 28th, to Sunday, October 1st, the second annual edition of the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival (“Puff”) is excited to announce the latest and final additions to their 2017 line-up. In addition to such acclaimed genre fare as “Tragedy Girls,” “Terrifier,” and “Ruin Me,” as well as the World Premiere of the highly-anticipated “100 Acres of Hell,” Puff is proud to add two extremely unique films to their roster, including a shot-on-video horror...

Director Mickey Keating is a rising star in the indie horror arena, turning in fantastic films like Ritual, Pod, and the 2016 survival thriller Carnage Park. His most recent film Psychopaths has firmly cemented him in the arena of filmmakers to watch. However, there has been little love and even less discussion of his Darling. Shot […]...

On Tuesday, June 6th, writer/director Natasha Kermani’s science fiction-fueled exploration of identity, Imitation Girl, will celebrate its Los Angeles premiere at the 2017 Dances With Film festival being held at the Chinese Theaters in Los Angeles. To mark the occasion, Daily Dead had the chance to speak with Kermani about collaborating with Imitation Girl star Lauren Ashley Carter (Darling, The Mind’s Eye, Pod), using genre elements to explore the themes of identity and humanity, and creating a film with grandeur while working within the constraints of a tight budget.

Great job on the film, Natasha. Because I saw that Lauren was starring in this, I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy it. And I was so glad that it lived up to that expectation for me, because I just fell in love with the story. And Lauren’s great, too, so congratulations again.

Natasha Kermani: Thank you so much,...

Genre favorite Lauren Ashley Carter (The Woman, Jug Face, Darling, The Mind’s Eye and Pod) has joined the cast of Gags. She will play Heather Duprey, a local news reporter forced to cover her city’s recent creepy clown problem and in turn uncovers something much more sinister. The film also stars Jesse C. Boyd (The Walking Dead, The Choice and High on the Hog), […]...

Toward the end of Mickey Keating’s latest horror film, the narrator apologizes “if the violence was too gratuitous and the story was too ambiguous.” It’s a kind enough gesture, really, even if it threatens to make the role of film critic superfluous. Nonetheless, it comes as too little, too late for Psychopaths, receiving its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Keating — a rising star in the indie horror film world thanks to such cult favorites as Carnage Park and Darling — goes for broke here. The pic doesn’t so much feature a narrative as a series of...

Psychopaths, the latest film from writer/director Mickey Keating, recently enjoyed its world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Daily Dead had the chance to speak with Keating and Psychopaths co-stars Ashley Bell and Larry Fessenden, and the trio discussed reteaming for their latest collaboration (both Bell and Fessenden were in Keating’s previous genre effort, Carnage Park) and what fans can expect from Keating’s latest slice of horror-fueled fun.

For those who may miss out on Psychopaths during Tribeca, the film heads to The Overlook Film Festival later this week.

Great to speak with you today, guys, and I can’t wait to see the movie. So, Mickey, can you discuss what inspired you this time around? From what I've seen from the clips and different publicity materials, this feels like a complete 180 from Carnage Park and your other previous projects.

Mickey Keating: Yeah, what was kind...

In today's Horror Highlights, we have an update and a video for Clive Barker Presents: Reel Fear Horror Contest, as well as Ghost Brothers clips, The Ranger casting details, info on the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, and a new zombie-themed song on Coolzey and Soce the Elemental Wizard's new Ep, Coolsay Too.

Clive Barker Presents: Reel Fear Horror Contest: "Are you more of a slasher fan, or would you prefer a paranormal thriller? Do you like blood and guts, or do the twists and turns of psychological horror keep you on the edge of the seat? Well, now’s the chance for you and genre fans everywhere to greenlight your next favorite horror flick.

Public voting for the “Clive Barker Presents: Reel Fear Horror Contest” from Project Greenlight Digital Studios and Shudder officially opens today!

Filmmakers have submitted one-to-three minute pitches for their original horror film concepts on projectgreenlight.

Mickey Keating, who is one our favorite genre filmmakers. If you haven’t already seen his black and white masterpiece, Darling, do so immediately. Then check out his , with his survival horror Carnage Park also now on VOD. The dude’s been busy, and has yet to disappoint. Mickey Keating’s Psychopaths, described as a sprawling, psychedelic ensemble piece that follows several serial […]...

I love Mickey Keating, who is one our favorite genre filmmakers. If you haven’t already seen his black and white masterpiece, Darling, do so immediately. Then check out his “Twilight Zone”-esque Pod, as well as Ritual, with his survival horror Carnage Park also now on VOD. The dude’s been busy, and has yet to disappoint. Next up is Psychopaths, described as a sprawling, psychedelic […]...

Imitation Girl, a new feature film from Iranian-American filmmaker Natasha Kermani has been included in the Official Selection of the Cinequest Film & Vr Festival 2017, and will celebrate its world premiere in March. Her new film features indie horror actress Lauren Ashley Carter (Darling and The Mind's Eye) in a dual role. The dramatic sci-fi looks to be a departure from the types of film we have come accustomed to seeing the doe-eyed actress in.    There is a selection of stills and a trailer after the official synopsis.   A mysterious being appears in the Southwestern desert and assumes the identity of the first person she sees - a woman on a magazine cover. Taken in by Iranian immigrants, she forms an understanding...

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

Stars: Ashley Bell, Pat Healy, James Landry Hébert, Michael Villar, Bob Bancroft, Larry Fessenden, Graham Skipper, Darby Stanchfield, Alan Ruck | Written and Directed by Mickey Keating

Sometimes I’m sure people think I’m just being contrary in my reviews – there are films I like that Many don’t (if you remember the first Frightfest I covered in 2009 you’ll know what I’m talking about); and there are films that are critically acclaimed, be it by other movie blogs, big name film critics, whomever, that just don’t resonate with me. One such film was Mickey Keating’s previous film Pod. However, not to be put off by one bad experience, and thanks to good word of mouth I decided to give his latest film, Carnage Park, a go…

Carnage Park sees two criminals rob a bank and go on the run. However things don’t go to plan...

Make no mistake about it: this was a great year for horror fans. It was so good, in fact, that making a list of “favorites” is almost impossible because there’s just too much I want to talk about. The independent horror scene continues to crank out new classics and minor gems, but even studio horror was good this year: The Conjuring 2, Don’t Breathe, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Lights Out (not my bag, but a lot of people really enjoyed it), The Boy (not a lot of people’s bag, but I really enjoyed it), The Purge: Election Year, and so on. Even better? Pretty much every one of them was successful at the box office. As more and more horror moves are released with the limited release / VOD model, it’s nice to know that good movies still play to big audiences at the multiplex.

And what about horror on TV?...

With Ritual, Pod, Darling, and Carnage Park under his belt, writer/director Mickey Keating is one of the most consistent and prolific filmmakers working in the independent horror scene today, so it's no surprise that Lionsgate has now acquired Keating's pitch for a new project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate has acquired The Faces, Keating's pitch for a new sci-fi thriller that he will write and helm for the production company.

David Engel and Circle of Confusion will produce The Faces. No further details are known at this time, but we'll keep Daily Dead readers updated as more information is revealed.

Following IFC Midnight's recent release of Carnage Park, the next film horror fans can look forward to seeing from Keating is the anticipated Psychopaths, starring Ashley Bell, Larry Fessenden, Jeremy Gardner, Sam Zimmerman, Matt Mercer, and more.

The post Mickey Keating to Write & Direct New Sci-Fi Film...

Who says you need to adapt? As some filmmakers look towards newfangled technology for 21st century chills (Friend Request/Unfriended/The Den), writer/director Jackson Stewart scares up some vintage nostalgia with his debut feature, Beyond The Gates. Screw Facebook and Skype. Remember the good old days when people sat around in social groups, and spooked themselves silly with products you’d only find in dumpsters nowadays?

For you younger readers, VHS cassettes used to play movies on film before digital radio waves made physical copies obsolete – but Stewart’s concept dates even myself (not in my 30s yet, so I was part of the DVD uprising). Apparently games used to exist in VHS form, and you could play along with the characters on screen (like Final Destination 3 tried to do with their “Select A Fate” DVD). Well, what if those games became reality, and immersion meant realistic consequences?...

This week, on a very special episode of the Who Goes There Podcast, the universe shined one giant sunbeam on our collective ass. We’re joined by our favorite foul mouth, Lauren Ashley Carter (Jug Face, The Mind’s Eye, Darling). If you’ve ever heard… Continue Reading →

The post Who Goes There Podcast: Episode 89 – Society w/ Lauren Ashley Carter appeared first on Dread Central.

Now that we’re bidding farewell to Halloween, there aren’t a ton of genre-related home entertainment releases coming our way. But as the saying goes—quality over quantity—which means that while November 1st isn’t necessarily a busy day, it still has several stellar horror and sci-fi offerings for us fans to get excited about.

The latest from indie filmmaker Mickey Keating, Carnage Park, comes home on both Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday courtesy of Scream Factory and IFC Midnight, and Star Trek Beyond will be coming out on 3D and 4K Blu-ray releases. For all you Walking Dead fans out there, the sublime season 6 limited edition box set arrives on November 1st from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Other notable home entertainment releases for this week include Last Girl Standing, Daylight’s End, Dam Sharks, and Happy Birthday.

Carnage Park (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Blu-ray & DVD)

It’s 1978 and...

Right after Halloween, Scream Factory will let viewers enter Carnage Park with their November 1st Blu-ray and DVD release of Mickey Keating's 2016 horror thriller, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Carnage Park.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Carnage Park Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on November 6th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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Carnage Park Blu-ray: ""A brutal masterpiece of tension and terror" (Heather Wixson, Daily Dead), this pure-pulp thrill ride jumps between past and present as it pieces together the puzzle of a shocking crime.

"They seem naive on the outside, waif-like" - Lauren Ashley Carter

Lauren Ashley Carter is an actress who has exhibited a nuanced onscreen presence, from the submissive housewife in Lucky McKee’s The Woman to the self-described “toxic, bitchy asshole” Lyla in Mickey Keating’s Pod. Now she is collaborating with Keating for a second time on Darling, the story of a woman who takes over caretaking duties of a large New York house. After an encounter with a friendly stranger (Brian Morvant), she spirals into madness, experiencing unsettling and nightmarish flashbacks that set the stage for this deceptively vulnerable woman to reveal a more sinister and violent nature.

Reflecting on her career thus far, Carter explained: “With the performances I have been very fortunate to pick things and to find scripts that I really love. I always try to do something that I haven't done before. It is not really a business strategy,...

On Tuesday, November 1st, Scream Factory will take horror fans into the deadly depths of Carnage Park with their Blu-ray and DVD release of the Mickey Keating film. To give you an idea of what to expect, we have three high-def clips and a trailer from the Blu-ray release.

Carnage Park Blu-ray: ""A brutal masterpiece of tension and terror" (Heather Wixson, Daily Dead), this pure-pulp thrill ride jumps between past and present as it pieces together the puzzle of a shocking crime.

It's 1978 and a bank robbery gone wrong forces two criminals to take a hostage – the young-but-resilient Vivian (The Last Exorcism's Ashley Bell) – as they go on the run. But things go from bad to off-the-rails berserk when Vivian and her captors wind up in the crosshairs of a deranged ex-military sniper (Pat Healy, Cheap Thrills, Starry Eyes), who ensnares them in his deadly game of cat and mouse.

Scream Factory has added two IFC Midnight titles—Carnage Park and Intruder—to its November Blu-ray release slate to help horror fans shake off the post-Halloween blues.

From Scream Factory: “We are proud to announce that we have two new IFC Midnight films planned for release on Blu-ray & DVD this Nov!

Carnage Park – It’s 1978 and a bank robbery gone wrong forces two criminals to take a hostage – the young-but-resilient Vivian (The Last Exorcism’s Ashley Bell) – as they go on the run. But things go from bad to off-the-rails berserk when Vivian and her captors wind up in the crosshairs of a deranged ex-military sniper (Pat Healy, Cheap Thrills, Starry Eyes), who ensnares them in his deadly game of cat and mouse. Rising horror auteur Mickey Keating (Pod, Darling) directs this gritty, grisly homage to the glory days of grindhouse cinema.

Streets 11/1 Pre-order now @ https://www.shoutfactory.com...

Writer/director Joe Begos’ second genre effort, The Mind’s Eye, feels like it could have been an early ’90s spin-off from the world of Scanners, with the up-and-coming filmmaker wearing his influences proudly on his sleeve. However, the difference between The Mind’s Eye and other recent projects that evoke feelings of grungy horror nostalgia, is that Begos never relies too heavily on our love of the movies of yesteryear, instead creating a film that can stand proudly on its own two feet.

That being said, there are aspects of The Mind’s Eye that are a bit rough around the edges, and one of the film’s actors almost derails the whole effort, but by and large, Begos’ latest feature is an ambitious throwback telekinetic tale that’s explosively fun and a solid step forward for Begos as a visual storyteller.

The Mind’s Eye follows Zack Connors...

With just two features under his directorial belt, writer/director Joe Begos has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting genre filmmakers working on the independent level. His directorial debut, Almost Human, was a stunning sci-fi shocker and his newest project, The Mind’s Eye, is a balls-out telekinetic war that features some insane practical effects and performances from the likes of Graham Skipper (Almost Human, Tales of Halloween), Lauren Ashley Carter (Jug Face, Darling), Noah Segan (Looper, Starry Eyes), Larry Fessenden (We Are Still Here, Late Phases), and Jeremy Gardner (The Battery, Spring).

Daily Dead recently spoke with Begos about his approach to The Mind’s Eye, and the filmmaker discussed what inspired his second feature, the importance of working with the right people and making movies that he wants to see as a genre fan, why he’ll always champion practical effects, and more.

Look for...

First comes the festival circuit, then comes acquisition, then comes a cool clip from Jeff Mahar’s Bed of the Dead. Also in today’s Highlights: another new clip for Viral, a Tonight She Comes teaser trailer, and release details for Chopping Block.

Bed of the Dead Clip Revealed by Black Fawn Distribution: Press Release: “Toronto, Canada – Hot off its sold-out world premiere at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival, United Front Entertainment and Black Fawn Distribution have acquired the Canadian digital and home entertainment rights for Breakthrough Entertainment and Black Fawn Films’ nightmare inducing horror feature Bed of the Dead. From the twisted minds that brought you Bite, Bed of the Dead is directed by Jeff Meher, produced by Black Fawn Films (Bite, Antisocial) and distributed worldwide by Breakthrough Entertainment. Critics are already hailing Bed of the Dead as one of the most outrageous horror releases of 2016.

Bed of the Dead...

Located in the dusty stretch of hell that lies between homage and pastiche, Mickey Keating’s “Carnage Park” is a lean, mean, motherfucker of a movie that confirms the young director’s outsized potential but fails to follow through on his most explicit promise. A twisted “true crime” story that’s heavily indebted to Quentin Tarantino and boasts all the historical validity of “Inglourious Basterds,” this gnarly gore-fest opens with the kind of reckless, apocryphal declaration that’s only made by geniuses or kids too young to know any better: “The film you are about to see is perhaps the most bizarre episode in the annals of American crime.” That’s a mighty big gauntlet to drop at the feet of an unsuspecting audience, but “Carnage Park” nearly lives up to its own hype — at least for a little while, anyway.

1978. A deranged Vietnam vet named Wyatt Moss (played by...

After playing at Sundance and South by Southwest,Mickey Keating’s “Carnage Park” hit theaters in New York theater on Friday courtesy of IFC Midnight. A new clip offers a sense of the ’70s-set horror thriller’s genre wares; watch it below.

Read More: ‘Carnage Park’ Trailer: Bank Robbers Are the Least of Ashley Bell’s Troubles in Micky Keating’s Sundance Thriller

James Landry Hébert and Michael Villar star as two bank robbers who take Ashley Bell’s character hostage; they’re all of them mere pawns in a game being played by a desert-dwelling sniper who doesn’t take kindly to folks coming anywhere near his secluded hideout. The washed-out scene finds Bell assisting a man get his leg out of a bear trap; once free of his restraints, the troubled-looking fellow shares what little knowledge he has of their dire situation — none of which inspires any confidence...

Hard to believe that July is already upon us, but before we all take off for some summer shenanigans over this long holiday weekend, here’s a look at all the great VOD titles coming our way this month, including one of my favorite films I’ve seen in 2016, Mickey Keating’s brilliant Carnage Park, which is being released by IFC Midnight.

Marauders, the latest from Steven C. Miller (The Aggression Scale, Silent Night) is also making its VOD premiere on July 1st, along with Magnet Releasing's Satanic, and Gravitas Ventures wants us to indulge in some Bachelor Games on July 8th. The haunting and beautiful Japanese animated film, Belladonna of Sadness—something all genre fans should experience at least once in their lifetimes (it’s amazing)—arrives on VOD on July 12th, and the revenge thriller Angels and Outlaws will be released on July 15th.

Other notable VOD titles...

Carnage Park is the latest film from Mickey Keating, a young director who's been knocking them out in rapid succession lately; Pod, Darling, and Carnage Park are his latest feature films, with another (Psychopaths) on the way. Grindhouse desaturation rules the day here, with the desert browns bowing toward a pink look; which is to say that Keating and his director of photography have manipulated the color grading to mimic the look of faded celluloid common of old films. Here's the plot: It's 1978. Disgruntled veteran Wyatt Moss (Pat Healy) starts off the film by ranting about the bible in an introduction about his obviously psychotic redneck character. Next, two thieves (one calls himself "Joe Scorpion") rob a bank and decide to take Vivian (Ashley Bell as a firebrand in the wrong...

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

Shock wants to send you to Carnage Park on Wednesday night! So, first of all, director Mickey Keating is a visionary and one of this writer’s favorite contemporary filmmakers. I boldly called his black and white female freak-out Darling (read the review here) the best horror film of 2016. That was back in February. And…

The post New York! Win Tix to See Carnage Park with Director Mickey Keating, Star Ashley Bell and Horror Journo Michael Gingold! appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Hitting the big screen in New York City and VOD platforms on July 1st before making its Los Angeles theatrical debut on July 8th from IFC Midnight, Mickey Keating’s Carnage Park marks his fourth feature film collaboration with acclaimed composer Giona Ostinelli. For our latest Q&A feature, we caught up with Ostinelli to discuss working with Keating, using a wide range of instruments and items (including a nail gun) to create unease in Carnage Park, and much more.

Giona, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Your score for Carnage Park marks your fourth collaboration with director Mickey Keating. What first attracted you to Keating’s work?

Giona Ostinelli: Thanks so much for having me! Yes indeed, Mickey Keating and I have collaborated on four films. Our first film together, Ritual, was acquired by Lionsgate; our second film, Pod, was released theatrically with...

Would you like to win tickets to an advance screening of Carnage Park? Written and directed by Mickey Keating (Darling, Pod), the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is preparing to open in New York City. Here's the synopsis: "After botching an ill-conceived bank robbery in a desolate California town, two wannabe crooks flee the scene with a hostage and lead the local lawmen on a dangerous high-speed chase." Ashley Bell, Pat Healy, James Landry Hebert, Darby Stanchfield and Alan Ruck star. Carnage Park will open in select theaters on Friday, July 1. For more information about the film, visit the official IFC Midnight site. The advance screening will take place Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m. at the IFC...

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

Did you ever see that scene in “Scanners where the dude’s head blew up? All evidence certainly points to Joe Begos having seen David Cronenberg’s body-horror exemplar, and by “all evidence” I of course mean the trailer for “The Mind’s Eye,” a psychokinetic thriller that’s been making the festival-circuit rounds since its premiere last fall. Check out the trailer below and pay special attention to its last few moments, which come close to directly invoking “Scanners.”

Read More: 5 Reasons Fantastic Fest Deserves Your Respect

The film stars Graham Skipper and Lauren Ashley Carter as a coupled gifted (or cursed, depending your view of things) with supernatural talents that draw the attention of a doctor hoping to use their otherworldly abilities for his own nefarious purposes. Between its John Carpenter esque–soundtrack and VHS-ready font, the trailer evinces a distinctly retro vibe.

Read More: Exclusive: A Body In The Woods...

It’s been a pretty stellar year for horror so far, and not from the avenues you’d probably expect. Sure, The Conjuring 2 cemented James Wan’s status as a modern-day genre God, but plenty of other fantastic efforts have seemingly flown under the radar.

We’re talking about the little guys, who fight a (completely silly) stigma that comes along with the words “VOD release.” No longer are these non-theatrical openings a wasteland of avoid-at-all-cost titles, and furthermore, companies like A24 are giving these lesser titles the in-movie releases they deserve. This is a great time for horror – you just have to look hard enough.

If you follow my weekly film reviews, then you already know I watch a lot of horror. Like, probably an unhealthy amount (if you ask my family). But, in doing so, I’m able to offer recommendations with a much deeper knowledge, as...

Fans of the apocalyptic vampire film Stake Land have been looking forward to the continued adventures of Martin and Mister since the film was released in 2010, and while a Stake Land TV series was previously in development, Dark Sky Films, Glass Eye Pix, and Syfy have announced that filming has finished on a Stake Land sequel film called The Stakelander, with Connor Paolo and Nick Damici reprising their roles from the original movie.

Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (2015’s Body) from a screenplay by co-star Damici (who also co-wrote Stake Land), The Stakelander will be released on the Syfy Channel. An official premiere date has yet to be revealed, but we’ll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated on further announcements. For full details, including the sequel’s synopsis and additional cast members, check out the official press release:

Press Release: Dark Sky Films, Glass Eye Pix...

After playing the Sundance and SXSW film festivals, IFC Midnight acquired U.S. rights to Ritual, Darling and Pod director Mickey Keating’s survival horror with Carnage Park (read our review…and another), which is based on a shocking true story. Bloody Disgusting now has some grimy and gritty new images for this 1970s set thriller starring Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism, The Last Exorcism II), […]...

Montreal genre showcase to open with drama King Dave and John Stockwell’s Kickboxer: Vengeance.

Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival (July 21-24) will open with a double header of Daniel Grou’s single tracking shot drama King Dave and John Stockwell’s Kickboxer: Vengeance, starring Canadian actor Alain Moussi alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme, Georges St-Pierre and Dave Bautista.

Musician Marilyn Manson will be at Fantasia to present the world premiere of Corey Asraf and John Swab’s noir Let Me Make You A Martyr on which Manson is a producer and co-stars alongside Mark Boone Junior, Niko Nicotera, Sam Quartin,...

From visionary filmmaker Mickey Keating (whose recent psychodrama Darling we gave a rave review to here) comes Carnage Park, the acclaimed new horror film that recently lit up both Sundance and SXSW. Distributor IFC Midnight just announced that the film will release on VOD and in limited NYC theatrical on July 1st (at…

The post Mickey Keating’s Carnage Park Locks NYC Opening appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

We recently highlighted a dozen directors who are making their name in horror movies outside the studio system, and while Mickey Keating didn’t make the list, there’s no reason to think he might not be on the next one. The writer/director has already earned attention in genre circles for efforts “Pod” and “Darling,” and his […]

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