News

Joe Vaz, who recently starred in the Bloody Disgusting-produced Street Trash reboot, has passed away.

Street Trash director Ryan Kruger, who also worked with Vaz on Fried Barry, shared the news on social media: “I’ve been crying all morning, sending you love. I am so devastated and shocked, you were a great friend we shared so much knowledge of films we loved, it just does not register.

“I am so happy and lucky I got to work with you so many times over the years, its a huge loss to everyone not having you around and the industry won’t be the same, you where great and an amazing talent in so many areas, and your music, I listen to often. We had so many plans to make so many more films and write on projects together.

“Street Trash will hit me so much harder the next time I watch it.

Stars: Sean Cameron Michael, Donna Cormack-Thomson, Suraya Rose Santos, Joe Vaz, Lloyd Martinez Newkirk, Shuraigh Meyer, Gary Green, Ryan Kruger, Warrick Grier | Written by Ryan Kruger, James C. Williamson | Directed by Ryan Kruger

While remakes in general don’t bother me, I have to admit I didn’t think remaking Street Trash was a good idea. The original is the kind of weird, offbeat film it’s almost impossible to sit down and deliberately write, it’s the kind of weirdness that has to come organically, something any number of deliberate attempts at creating cult films have proven.

I did find it encouraging that Ryan Kruger had been picked to direct it. If anyone could pull it off the maker of Fried Barry, a seriously Wtf comedy about a junkie’s encounter with aliens and its aftermath, stood a good chance of being the one to do it. I also...

Ryan Kruger has a filmmaking career built on pushing boundaries and exploring the darker corners of genre cinema. Known for his bold visual style and his unique voice, Kruger first made waves with the cult hit Fried Barry (2020), which earned numerous accolades and cemented his place as a visionary in the South African film industry. Now, with his latest project Street Trash(2024), Kruger takes on the challenge of revisiting a beloved cult classic—Street Trash (1987)—while simultaneously charting a new course with a fresh narrative, a unique 2050 setting, and a blend of intense gore and meaningful storytelling. The film is a loose sequel, offering fans a chance to return to the bizarre, melting mayhem of the original but with Kruger’s distinct directorial vision.

Street Trash 2024 follows the dark and twisted adventures of a new set of characters as they grapple with societal collapse and the malevolent forces surrounding them.

Watch the New Trailer for The Fetus: Written and directed by Joe Lam, The Fetus stars Bill Moseley, Lauren Lavera, Julian Curtis, and Amy Arena, taking an unexpected twist on pregnancy horror films:

"When Alessa becomes pregnant, it brings up Chris' deep-rooted trauma surrounding fatherhood. Upon discovering that their fetus craves human blood, they visit their father, Maddox, for answers."

Producer Brent Trotter shares his thoughts on The Fetus' timely message and what makes it stand out: "This gripping humorous horror film delves into a thought-provoking pro-choice/pro-life debate, over a demonic fetus growing inside a woman's body. I believe it's a timely exploration given the upcoming election cycle that will inevitably thrust this topic into the national spotlight again. What sets The Fetus apart is its ability to resonate deeply with younger diverse audiences, particularly capturing the attention of female viewers, especially mothers or those navigating pregnancy. The film's compelling narrative,...

Ryan Kruger's drip-nasty return to 1987's Street Trash lore isn't a remake, but an overseas sequel. South African class warfare brings a rebellious spirit and geopolitical weight to vile body meltdowns, like George A. Romero's unsubtle commentary meets Astron-6's unpredictable shenanigans. Kruger's splatterpunk vibes in Fried Barry translate into a neon-juicy homage to J. Michael Muro's top-tier 80s goop, but it's a tangled Hydra of story tangents, and each head isn't being fed properly. Shock-slop silliness expands horizons yet rambles incoherently, failing to deliver a character-driven Street Trash that'll give you more than a cheap buzz.

Greenpoint's junkyard denizens swap for Cape Town vagabonds, modern peasants abhorred by corrupt Mayor Mostert (​​Warrick Grier). Should the elected tyrant's wishes be granted, struggling displaced folks like upbeat Roland (Sean Cameron Michael) and his companion Chef (Joe Vaz) would be eradicated. They aren’t, not yet at least, so...

J. Michael Muro’s 1987 cult classic “Street Trash” is on the Mount Rushmore of “melt movies,” a sickening horror subgenre marked by bodies literally dissolving into goo, with skin peeling off and skeletons deconstructing as outlandishly as possible. In the film, homeless people are poisoned and killed by a mysterious liquor named Tenafly Viper. “Fried Barry” writer and director Ryan Kruger has helmed a same-name sequel (out today on digital via Cineverse) that keeps the gonzo practical effects as a group of charming homeless misfits battle against a fascist government actively trying to exterminate them with a gaseous version of Viper. Kruger, who also co-wrote the movie and shot it in his native South Africa with producers Not the Funeral Home, spoke to Variety about balancing the message in the movie while still having fun, the difficulty of mopping up melted bodies and the possibility of a sequel.

What made...

Stars: Sean Cameron Michael, Donna Cormack-Thomson, Suraya Rose Santos, Joe Vaz, Lloyd Martinez Newkirk, Shuraigh Meyer, Gary Green, Ryan Kruger, Warrick Grier | Written by Ryan Kruger, James C. Williamson | Directed by Ryan Kruger

While remakes in general don’t bother me, I have to admit I didn’t think remaking Street Trash was a good idea. The original is the kind of weird, offbeat film it’s almost impossible to sit down and deliberately write, it’s the kind of weirdness that has to come organically, something any number of deliberate attempts at creating cult films have proven.

I did find it encouraging that Ryan Kruger had been picked to direct it. If anyone could pull it off the maker of Fried Barry, a seriously Wtf comedy about a junkie’s encounter with aliens and its aftermath, stood a good chance of being the one to do it. I also...

Last year, it was announced that the 1987 cult classic horror comedy Street Trash (buy it Here) would be getting a remake from Ryan Kruger, the director of the 2020 body horror film Fried Barry! Kruger’s take on the concept, which moves the story from Brooklyn to South Africa, is now ready to make its way out into the world, as a premiere screening will be held tonight at the New Beverly Cinema. Cineverse holds the North American distribution rights and they’re planning to release the film through the Screambox streaming service sometime in November. In anticipation of the premiere screening, a trailer for the remake has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

The original Street Trash was directed by J. Michael Muro from a screenplay by Roy Frumkes. Fourteen years ago, Frumkes said he was working on the script for Street Trash 2… but that sequel never made it into production.

Global Screen, the Munich-based international sales outfit, has boarded worldwide sales on “The Trek,” the upcoming first feature from leading South African cinematographer and director Meekaaeel Adam. The film is a horror-Western, in which starvation, suspicion and madness plague a family as they cross the Kalahari Desert under the eyes of primeval spirits.

“The Trek” is set in 1846, when a Dutch-Afrikaans family and their British travel companion set off on a challenging journey through the Kalahari Desert. Along the way, they meet Atshumao, a stoic man of the Khoen people, one of Southern Africa’s original indigenous, nomadic population groups.

Despite Atshumao’s warning, the group attempts a shortcut through the unforgiving landscape, unaware that this will lead them to cross paths with two ancestral spirits – who will settle a centuries-old dispute by betting on the family’s lives. The group of travelers is soon plagued by misfortune, tragedy, thirst,...

Stars: Dean Sharp, Richard Harrington, Nia Roberts, Gwyneth Keyworth, Sule Rimi, Mike Butler, Bizz Raggett, Evan Heneghan, Jennifer Riddle, Luis Delgado, Everett Lauster, Kayla Orben, Carole-Anne Fooks, Hayden Hancock, Drew Marvick, J.J. McGrath, Joe Nurse, Heather Marshall | Directed by Ryan Andrews, Tony Mardon, James Edward Newton, Jeph Porter, Ryan Kruger, Matt Shaw, Christian Fescine, Mark Felix Stewart, Justin Wiggins, Drew Marvick, Jonathan Zaurin

Dean of the Dead Presents Holiday Horrors! is a seasonal horror-themed anthology that features stories from ten different directors, all wrapped up with an introduction from Dean of the Dead – a host akin to the likes of Tales From the Crypt‘s Cryptkeeper; and with visuals that look like they’ve jumped straight from the pages of the EC Comics of old… think Creepshow but on a much lower budget!

So what terrifying tales are in this one?

First up is Little Munchkin, directed by Ryan Andrews,...

Hulu's new movie No One Will Save You revitalizes the horror of the alien abduction subgenre, prioritizing the fear and scares of the creatures actually trying to abduct people. Many alien horror movies in recent decades have focused on life-or-death battles with aliens rather than the terrifying nature of actual abductions, but No One Will Save You combines the home invasion and alien invasion concepts to create a fresh and terrifying tale. Hulu's horror movies No One Will Save You and Prey make Disney's new Alien film more exciting as the studio tackles the genre with high-quality scary stories.

Hulu released the first trailer for its new horror movie No One Will Save You, which may revitalize the terror of the alien abduction subgenre. While there has been no shortage of alien horror movies in recent decades, such as those in the Alien, Predator, A Quiet Place, and The Thing franchises,...

Variety has broken the news that the 1987 cult classic horror comedy Street Trash (buy it Here) is getting a remake from Ryan Kruger, the director of the 2020 body horror film Fried Barry! Production is already underway on the remake, which moves the story from Brooklyn to South Africa, and Cineverse has acquired the North American distribution rights. They’re planning to release the film through the Screambox streaming service sometime in 2024.

The original Street Trash was directed by J. Michael Muro from a screenplay by Roy Frumkes. Thirteen years ago, Frumkes said he was working on the script for Street Trash 2… but that sequel never made it into production. Thankfully, Muro and Frumkes are both involved with the remake. They’re executive producing it alongside Bad Dragon and Vinegar Syndrome.

The Street Trash remake follows a group of homeless misfits as they fight for survival when they discover a plot...

Get ready for a full load of face-melting gory goodness when Cineverse/Bloody Disgusting/Screambox reboot the 1987 cult classic Street Trash alongside Vinegar Syndrome!

Production is currently underway in various locations around Cape Town, South Africa for the film that is shot entirely on 35mm. The news was first reported by Variety.

Cineverse plans to release the film as a Screambox Original in early 2024.

From director Ryan Kruger, whose first independent feature Fried Barry played dozens of film festivals worldwide, Street Trash follows a group of homeless misfits as they fight for survival when they discover a plot to exterminate every homeless person in the city.

“Our reimagining of Street Trash takes place in Cape Town, South Africa where the growing divide between rich and poor has changed the world as we know it,” says Kruger. “I was a huge fan of the original Street Trash when I was a kid,...

Cineverse has acquired all North American rights to the reboot of the 1987 horror-comedy “Street Trash.” The reboot of the cult classic is helmed by “Fried Barry” director Ryan Kruger.

Over three decades after the slimy and grimy film’s debut, Kruger is moving this horror story out of Brooklyn and into a whole new continent with an even more potent message. “Our reimagining of Street Trash takes place in Cape Town, South Africa where the growing divide between rich and poor has changed the world as we know it,” said Kruger in a statement. “I was a huge fan of the original ‘Street Trash’ when I was a kid, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce a whole new generation to the melted gonzo goodness that made the original such a classic.”

Per the film’s official logline, “’Street Trash’ follows a group of homeless misfits as they...

Laugh all you want but the success of filmmaker Brett Michael Innes’ first foray into mockumentary territory with “Daryn’s Gym” is part of a growing South African slate flexing its muscles within a comedy genre no longer considered “too refined” for local audiences’ taste.

The Nostalgia Productions mockumentary feature – a David and Goliath battle between the hapless owner of a family gym squaring off against the ruthless owner of a multinational fitness center plotting a takeover – is included in the film lineup currently on show at the 5th Joburg Film Festival with Innes, who served as writer and director, attending.

Made for eVOD, the nascent streamer of the commercial South African broadcaster e.tv, Innes tells Variety that on a financing level “Daryn’s Gym” was “one of the easiest things to do” since the gym-set tale was a full commission from eVOD.

“They told us to be bold and risqué,...

Well, Halloween season is undoubtedly underway, as we have nearly 30 different horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases headed our way this Tuesday. Just in time for all your seasonal viewing needs, Scream Factory is releasing the first five Halloween films in 4K, and if you’re looking to get caught up on some recent genre fare, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, Fried Barry and the limited series of The Stand (2020) will be coming home tomorrow as well. The first two Phantasm films are getting a new double feature Blu-ray, we also have a new 4K collection of Universal Monsters films being released on Tuesday, and if somehow you’ve never had a chance to check out Trick or Treats, Code Red’s new Blu for the film should help you out there.

Other releases for October 5th include Onibaba: The Criterion Collection, The Victim, The Screaming Woman, Night of the Animated Dead,...

“the hard-r version of E.T.” – Den of Geek

Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to the horror film, Fried Barry from Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. Rlje Films will release

Fried Barry on VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-Ray on October 5, 2021. Check out the trailer:

Now you can win the Win the Blu-ray of Fried Barry. We Are Movie Geeks has two to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite horror movie of the year so far is (I’d say Army Of The Dead It’s so easy!)

1. You Must Be A US Resident. Prize Will Only Be Shipped To US Addresses. No P.O. Boxes. No Duplicate Addresses.

2. Winner Will Be Chosen From All Qualifying Entries. No Purchase Necessary

Written and directed by Ryan Kruger in his feature directorial debut,...

Hey everyone! I’ve been playing catch-up on a handful of indie horror movies over the last few weeks, and here are my thoughts on two films I recently had the opportunity to watch—Benny Loves You from Karl Holt and Ryan Kruger’s Fried Barry.

Benny Loves You: When I first read the initial premise of Benny Loves You—a man’s childhood toy becomes sentient and embarks on a killing spree—I knew I was absolutely all in for this wacky little movie, and it didn’t disappoint. Brimming with ambition, ingenuity, and heaps of slash-tastic fun, Benny Loves You feels exactly like the type of movie I would have made with my toys back as a horror youngin, but writer/director/star Karl Holt does a much better job than I ever could have dreamt up, resulting in a wickedly funny horror comedy that also has...

Happy Monday and welcome to a brand new month, dear readers! We have a ton of new horror and sci-fi headed to various digital and VOD platforms all throughout May, kicking off today with Threshold on Arrow. Other highlights include Fried Barry on the 7th (exclusively on Shudder), Benny Loves You on the 11th, The Djinn on May 14th, Army of the Dead from Zack Snyder and Simon Barrett’s Seance both are being released on the 21st, and Skull: The Mask, one of my favorite festival films of last year, hits Shudder on May 27th.

Happy Streaming!

Threshold (Arrow) - Streaming Exclusively on Arrow May 3rd

When a phone call from out of the blue brings Leo (Joey Millin) back into contact with his sister, Virginia (Madison West), long estranged from her family due to years of drug abuse, he arrives to find her alone in a bare apartment...

You can’t help but have high hopes for a film called Fried Barry so thankfully expectations have been massively exceeded. Writer/director Ryan Kruger extends his 2017 short of the same name into a phenomenal mind-f**k masterpiece that transcends nano-budget B movie trappings.

The script doesn’t let up as we’re swiftly introduced to Barry (brilliantly played by Gary Green), a perpetually frazzled, financially struggling, drug addled dad/scumbag, who looks like a hybrid of Lee Van Cleef, Julian Beck (Kane from Poltergeist 2) and Dieter Laser from The Human Centipede films.

After walking out on his wife and young son, Barry goes pub, gets tousled on heroin and is then either possessed by extra-terrestrials or has the type of frighteningly heightened hallucination that would suggest he’s been cajoled onto a toad licking frenzy by a psycho Shaman from Mars.

We’re then swiftly booted face first into Barry’s odyssey,...

The horror streaming service Shudder has just announced its complete lineup of new arrivals for May, including Originals, Exclusives, and some new horror classics from the past. Shudder teases, “Highlights for the month include the films Fried Barry, a wild and trippy horror film about sex, drugs and alien abductions destined to be a cult classic; acclaimed horror filmmaker Neil Marshall (The Descent, Game of Thrones) returns […]...

An alien abduction leads to a deadly night in Cape Town in Ryan Kruger's feature directorial debut, Fried Barry, which has been acquired by Shudder and will be streamable in multiple countries beginning Thursday, May 6th:

Press Release: New York – March 23, 2021 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired South African film Fried Barry for release in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, May 6. The feature directorial debut from award-winning music video director Ryan Kruger and starring newcomer Gary Green, the genre pushing, acid-washed, sci-fi horror has been praised by critics and embraced by fans around the world.

Fried Barry, a Ryan Kruger thing, follows the story of a drug-addled degenerate who, after yet another bender, gets abducted by aliens. Barry takes a backseat as his alien visitor assumes control of his body and takes it for a joyride through Cape Town.

Exclusive: AMC Networks’ genre streamer Shudder has picked up South African horror-thriller Fried Barry for domestic and a host of international territories.

The film is the feature debut from music video director Ryan Kruger and stars newcomer Gary Green as a drug-addled degenerate who takes a backseat as an alien visitor assumes control of his body and takes it for a joyride through Cape Town. The film is an extension of Kruger’s 2017 short of the same name.

Shudder will debut the movie in North America, the UK and Ireland, and Australia and New Zealand on May 6.

The pic had its world premiere at the 2020 Cinequest Film Festival and also screened at Sitges, Fantasia, Grimmfest and Fantaspoa. It is produced by James C. Williamson and Kruger and executive produced by Nicolai Fuglsig. Williams and Kruger combined on the screenplay. Also in the cast are Bianka Hartenstein, Sean Cameron Michael, Chanelle de Jager,...

Fried Barry Photo: Courtesy of Fantasia

The story of an alien borrowing the body of an abusive man and taking it on a joyride through Cape Town, Fried Barry is one of those films that will burn itself into your brain, leaving an indelible impression. It’s been an equally wild experience for director Ryan Kruger, who still seems overwhelmed by the response it has been getting on the festival circuit. A few days before its scheduled screening as part of Grimmfest, we took the time to talk about his experiences, starting with the short with the same title which he made in 2017.

“It was just a standalone, experimental film,” he says. “I had no idea. And I had no plan to turn it into a feature. Where I was at the time, I was just frustrated as a filmmaker. Normally I shoot music videos, I'm known as an African music video director.

Usually, the genre-heavy Fantasia International Film Festival is held annually in Montreal, but with things the way they are this year (terrible), the festival has gone virtual. This year, Chris Evangelista and Matt Donato are covering Fantasia for /Film, firing off dispatches featuring capsule reviews of the titles we’ve watched from the safety of our […]

The post Fantasia Film Festival Dispatches: ‘Come True’, ‘The Dark and the Wicked’, ‘Hail To The Deadites’, ‘Fried Barry’, ‘Bleed With Me’ appeared first on /Film.

The Fantasia International Film Festival is now on-going – virtually. Usually, this genre-heavy fest is held in Montreal, but with things the way they are this year (terrible), the festival has gone virtual. This year, Chris Evangelista and Matt Donato are covering Fantasia for /Film from the safety of their homes, firing off dispatches featuring capsule […]

The post Fantasia Film Festival Dispatches, Day One: ‘The Columnist’, ‘Sleep’, ‘Fried Barry’, ‘Survival Skills’, ‘The Mortuary Collection’, ‘Monster Seafood Wars’ appeared first on /Film.

"Where the hell have you been, Barry?" Rock Salt has released an early promo trailer for a totally insane indie horror comedy titled Fried Barry, made in South Africa by a British filmmaker making his feature directorial debut after numerous music videos. This premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival and is playing at tons of other genre festivals this year. "The movie that breaks all the rules." Fried Barry is a bizarre tale told in a genre-bending onslaught of sex, drugs and violence. A spectacle that pulls you in and won’t let go as every expectation is subverted in this boundary-pushing tale of alien abduction. An alien assumes control of a drug addict's body and takes it on a bizarre joyride through Cape Town. Starring Gary Green as Barry, plus Brett Williams, Joey Cramer, Sean Cameron Michael, Steve Wall, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and Tamer Burjaq. Casting this super weird lookin'...

Described as "an absolute first in the history of South African cinema - and perhaps in humankind itself!", Ryan Kruger's Fried Barry will enjoy its Canadian premiere at the upcoming Fantasia 2020, which will be a "virtual event accessible to movie lovers across Canada." My colleague Andrew Mack wrote about the first wave of titles announced, which includes Fried Barry, described thusly by the festival: "An alien takes over the body of a middle-aged drug addict (Gary Green) and goes on a delirious joyride across Cape Town in Ryan Kruger's Fried Barry, an acid trip of a road movie. Winner of a RapidLion Award for Best South African Film, it's a tale that's alternately depraved and oddly sweet - featuring over 100 actors and some...

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

Fried Barry is a feature film from Ryan Kruger. Developed from a short film which was released last year, Fried Barry follows a burnout drug user (Gary Green) - who finds himself abducted by aliens. The short film won awards. Now, the feature is complete and set to show across the world. Fried Barry also stars: Leon Clingman, Francois Coertze and Kelsey Egan. The film's first, international trailer and early stills are featured here. Director Kruger has talked about the central character Barry and actor Gary Green, in an interview. Kruger says of Gary Green: "I’ve worked with Gary in numerous projects over the years and he’s always excelled as a character actor because of his unique look...carrying an entire feature film as the lead actor was another challenge entirely (Hellnotes)." This is actor Green's first feature role. Kruger also mentions the challenges in filming his first...