News

I always look forward to Severin's summer sale, since not only are they discounting previous releases, but they have announced Ten new titles that will be available, including the 4K Uhd release of Opera. The sale kicks off on Friday, July 12th and we have the details:

"Severin Films today announced full details of their 2024 Severin Summer Sale, the most ambitious and eclectic in company history. Leading the mid-year event is the Worldwide Uhd Premiere of Dario Argento’s masterwork Opera, newly restored by Severin and featuring 5 discs, 12 hours of Special Features and the CD soundtrack; the North American Disc Premiere of Dario Argento’S Deep Cuts, a 4-Disc Collection featuring 10 hours from his Rai TV shows; The Worldwide Uhd Premiere of Joe D’Amato’s Penne Post-Apocalypse epic 2020 Texas Gladiators, a 3-disc collection that includes a CD of the never-before-released soundtrack; and Bert I. Gordon’s politically incorrect crime...

Severin follows up their 2023 collection of Italian gothic titles with an essential second volume that brings together three films and a miniseries. Each work takes a very different approach to the gothic as both a visual aesthetic and a set of thematic preoccupations. The results range from virtually archetypal to resolutely revisionist. For this well-appointed set, Severin provides a veritable bounty of bonus materials: new restorations, alternate cuts, commentary tracks, cast and crew interviews, visual essays, even a soundtrack CD.

Antonio Margheriti’s Danza Macabra, from 1964, is one of the very best Italian gothic films. It simply oozes with atmosphere courtesy of Riccardo Pallottini’s moody monochrome cinematography, and, while the violence remains relatively restrained, Margheriti brazenly pushes the envelope when it comes to nudity and some suggestive sexual content. Likely as a bid to cash in on Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle, Danza Macabra not only claims to be...

“I really wanted to expand things much more than I ever had before. I wanted to work on a large canvas. ‘Salem’s Lot showed me how to do this without getting lost among a lot of minor characters.” –Peter Straub on writing Ghost Story With Danse Macabre, The Losers’ Club journeys through all the books […]

The post Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot’ Helped Peter Straub Tell His ‘Ghost Story’ [The Losers’ Club Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We are, it is easy to argue, living in a golden age of science fiction film making. Whether you’re talking about the latest cinematic universe blockbuster or glossy straight-to-streaming CGI extravaganzas. And yet, sometimes it’s possible to feel like something’s missing. Sometimes you’re in the mood for a proper sci-fi movie. Something with square-jawed scientists, no-nonsense military men, and bands of plucky teens who know what’s up even if the grown-ups won’t listen. Stories where the threat isn’t a bunch of carefully orchestrated pixels, but a guy in a carefully crafted costume, a model hanging from a piece of string you definitely can’t see, or a stop-motion monstrosity that somehow has more weight than the most impressive CGI you’ve ever seen.

This Easter, Horror Channel is launching a mammoth weekend of sci-fi classics, and the schedule is a real treasure trove...

Sales commenced at last November’s AFM.

UK sales agent and genre specialist Jinga Films has closed key deals on two titles, Girl Next and Night At The Eagle Inn, following last November’s American Film Market.

US director Larry Wade Carrell’s Girl Next has sold to High Fliers for UK and Ireland, Venal Virulent for Germany, HBO for East Europe (for pay TV and subscription video on demand only), Kino-Land for Russia/Cis, Encripta for Latin America and Danse Macabre for Australia and New Zealand. It was released in North America by Gravitas Ventures.

The film is about...

Barbara Steele has one of her better performance showcases in Camillo Mastrocinque’s classy ghost story with a somewhat dispiriting twist. Steele’s fan-collectors won’t need extra encouragement, as she’s in most every scene and gets to play a variety of moods from delicate to seductive to outright poisonous. Quality performances flatter a flawed screenplay, and the fine direction and attentive cinematography clearly inspired Steele to give it everything she had. Severin’s quality HD transfer is everything we’d want, with dual language tracks and good extras including a Kat Ellinger commentary and a second track featuring stellar input from Ms. Steele herself.

An Angel for Satan

Blu-ray

Severin Films

1966 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / Street Date October 26, 2021 / 34.95

Starring: Barbara Steele, Anthony Steffen, Claudio Gora, Mario Brega, Marina Berti, Ursula Davis, Vassili Karis, Aldo Berti, Betty Delon, Antonio Corevi, Antonio Acqua, Livia Rossetti, Halina Zalewska, Giovanna Lenzi.

FIms from Brazil, Ukraine, Russia and Romania are among those that have been selected.

Films from Ukraine, Brazil and Russia are among seven world premieres selected for the international competition of Doclisboa, taking place as a physical event in Portugal from October 21-31.

Ukrainian director Eva Neymann’s Pryvoz about one of the oldest and largest European shopping markets will be screening, while Brazil is represented in this year’s line-up with two world premieres: Thiago B. Mendonça’s Short Journeys Into Night and Aline Lata and Helena Wolfenson’s The Safest Place In The World.

Mendonça’s film follows...

Films with aliens are rarely about the aliens themselves. These interstellar visitors usually serve as metaphors for human nature, a reflection of our politics, or a means to discuss strange natural phenomena. As Stephen King explained in "Danse Macabre," his non-fiction exploration of the horror genre, the things that frighten or confuse us change shape with each generation. The aliens of the '50s and '60s were Cold War relics that played on social paranoia. The aliens of the '80s reflected conspiracy theories and economic fears. Today, aliens represent ecological or transfigurative themes, embodying our worries about social unrest and the planet's future.

Although many movie aliens...

The post 20 movies about aliens that you definitely need to watch appeared first on /Film.

Stars: Colm Feore, Steven Morana, Holly Deveaux, Ari Millen, Art Hindle, Bobbie Phillips, Melissa D’Agostino, Marco Timpano, Mark Andrade, Nicole Stamp, Jon Cor, Supinder Wraich | Written by Matthew Campagna, Rudy Jahchan | Directed by Chris Green, Steven Morana

[Note: With the film now out on DVD in the UK, here’s a reposting of our review of Beast Within from its US digital release last year]

Essentially a horror version of Knives Out (or the many Agatha Christie films which inspired it) and filmed on a low-budget, of course, Beast Within is a whodunit creature feature which stars Steven Morana (Whiskey Business) and Holly Deveaux (The Mist) as a couple attending the launch party of their gaming app Werewolves Awaken. But when a guest is mysteriously found dead, they question who could be the killer, as everyone becomes a suspect and player in a deadly real-life version of the game.

For a low-budget genre film, Beast Within has some truly fantastic effects work – from the over the top violence, blood...

‘Red Snow’ and ‘Beast Within’ sell to multiple territories.

UK-based genre specialist Jinga Films has secured sales on two horror titles at the Pre-Cannes Screenings.

Sean Nichols Lynch’s US vampire horror-comedy Red Snow has sold to North America (4Digital Media), UK (Central City), Benelux (One2See) and Scandinavia (Njuta).

Dennice Cisneros stars as a vampire romance novelist who protects a handsome vampire from a ruthless slayer on the hunt for such creatures.

Jinga has also sold Steven Morana’s werewolf horror Beast Within starring Colm Feore to Korea (Cinema Black) and Scandinavia (Njuta). Jinga will release the film on August 2 in the UK,...

While the recently released Resident Evil Village demo (“Maiden”) can easily be completed in around 10 minutes, it still offers an intriguing look at one of 2021’s most anticipated games as well as the processing power of the PS5.

More importantly, the demo is loaded with references, Easter eggs, and clues that enhance its short length by expanding the upcoming game’s world as well as our knowledge of what the mysterious Resident Evil Village is really all about.

So whether you haven’t had the chance to play the PS5 demo (likely due to scalpers buying all the next-gen consoles) or you’re just looking to dive a little deeper into what it all means, join us as we take a look at some of the things you may have missed during Village‘s “Maiden” voyage.

Something…Big Locked in a Cage

While you’re wandering through the basement at...

London-based sales outfit Jinga Films has announced deals on a raft of Latin American genre titles during the American Film Market, securing sales across Europe, Asia and the U.S.

Sales come in the run-up to next week’s Ventana Sur market where genre is one of its main focuses, thanks to a dedicated Blood Window genre co-production and sales market at Ventana Sur.

Post-apocalyptic and pandemic titles were among those to be snapped up, with Munich-based distributor Donau acquiring the rights in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for Luciana Garraza and Eric Fleitas’ “Scavenger,” a post-apocalyptic Argentinian sci-fi offering.

“Scavenger” – the story of a female organ dealer seeking revenge on the cartel that murdered her family – has also been acquired by

Cleopatra Entertainment for the U.S. in a pre-market deal.

Donau has also acquired Jinga’s erotic thriller from Argentina, focusing on sexual transgression, Lucia Vassallo’s “Exquisite Corpse.

In Danse Macabre, Stephen King’s 1981 critique on horror fiction, the author examined popular culture in film, books and television, reflecting on what makes for a good fright, and why terror is such an important commodity. “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones,” he wrote. “A good horror story is […]

The post ‘The Columnist’ and Why Horror Movie Fans Cope Better with Crises [Telluride Horror Show] appeared first on /Film.

Antrum – ‘Cursed’ horror with grim history set for UK release 14th September, London, UK: Danse Macabre have confirmed that the controversial horror Antrum will be released in UK Cinemas on 23rd October and on DVD & Digital from 26th October, over forty years after its original release. Antrum, a feature length film shot in …

The post Antrum – ‘Cursed’ horror with grim history set for UK theatrical release appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

London-based specialty title outfit Jinga Films has launched a new distribution arm, Danse Macabre. Operating under the Jinga umbrella, Danse Macabre will focus on the distribution of horror films in Anglophone territories, including the U.K., Ireland, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Danse Macabre will also act as a horror sales sub-label within Jinga Films while the parent company Jinga itself expands to include a wider range of genres, including arthouse. The label is co-owned by Jinga’s Julian Richards and Rosana Coutinho.

The 2020 slate for Danse Macabre includes “Antrum” and “The Ringmaster” that will have theatrical releases alongside their home entertainment release on Oct. 26 and Nov. 16 respectively. “Gags the Clown” (Oct. 5), “Purgatory Road” (Nov. 2) and “All the Creatures Were Stirring” (Nov. 23) will be released across DVD and digital.

Marketing and communications agency Strike Media will be working with Danse Macabre across their titles.

“Danse Macabre will be the home for horror,...

Generation C is being invaded by the B-Girls. 80s cult singer Josie Cotton, best known for blurring the angst of both liberals and conservatives with “Johnny Are You Queer?,” sees the science fiction claustrophobia arising from the coronavirus pandemic and wants to help. Cotton joined the Minutemen’s Mike Watt, the Runaways’ Cherie Currie, and Eddie Spaghetti on the song “Flatten the Curve,” to benefit the Jubilee Consortium and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Everyone else, she advises to cuddle up with a bad movie. Cotton ventured beyond the valley of the dolls in a “so-bad-they’re-good” movie hunt to accompany this real life B-Movie scenario and re-released Invasion of the B-Girls.

The album title is a twist on the Denis Sanders’ 1973 film Invasion of the Bee Girls, where giant killer bees masquerade as sexy women scientists who kill men for their blood during sex. The New Wave pioneer originally...

With so many folks out there looking for ways to keep themselves entertained at home right now, perhaps this new batch of home media releases might have something to offer you this week. If you missed it in theaters last year, the controversial Black Christmas remake hits both Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, and Scream Factory has put together a fourth volume in their Universal Horror Collection series, which looks like a must-own for all classic genre fans out there.

Also headed to Blu this week is The Nines, which is one of my favorite underseen films from Ryan Reynolds, as well as Cannibal Apocalypse, featuring John Saxon. We also have Glenn Danzig’s Verotika coming out on Tuesday and if you need something to keep the kiddos busy, Jumanji: The Next Level should do the trick.

Other releases for March 17th include Uncaged, By Day’s End, Witch Hunters,...

Review by Roger Carpenter

Few filmmakers are as polarizing as Spanish director Jesus Franco. Some hail him as a trash film king while others denigrate him as a complete hack. His overuse of the zoom lens causes some viewers to twitch while others apologize for his sometimes convoluted plots by describing them as dream-like and insisting his films are multi-layered and filled with meaning. Regardless of which side of the fence you may be on with regards to Jess Franco, most viewers praise his early genre works as artistic, gothic classics of European horror.

Long before he wallowed in softcore lesbian adventures, cheap knockoffs of genre hits, and hardcore pornography, Franco created a series of black-and-white gothic chillers which were well-received upon release, with titles such as The Awful Dr. Orlof, The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus, and Kino Lorber’s latest Franco release, The Diabolical Dr. Z.

Dr. Zimmer, an acolyte of the discredited Dr.

Review by Roger Carpenter

During the first half of the 60’s Mario Bava created several genuine horror classics that remain high-water marks in the genre over a half century later. Films such as Black Sunday (1960), Black Sabbath (1963), The Whip and the Body (1963), and Blood and Black Lace (1964) either pushed the boundaries of horror or helped to establish cinematic tropes still used in modern horror. Always saddled with shoestring budgets and bad deals, Bava nevertheless remained optimistic in the face of his cinematic struggles. A case in point is the troubled production of Kill, Baby…Kill! which ran out of money midway through the shoot. The cast and crew were so loyal to Bava they worked for free to finish the film—a film, by the way, which only had a 30-page script with no dialogue when filming commenced. Bava had the actors make up their own lines, preferring to resolve...

Brooklyn's own Nitehawk Cinema has announced their programming guide for October and it includes Mario Bava's Kill Baby, Kill, Black Sabbath, and so much more. Also: check out a clip from Red Christmas before its home media release on October 17th, and we also have details on the Blu-ray release of Web of the Spider.

Nitehawk Cinema's October Programming Revealed: To learn about the October programming at Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema, read the details below or visit them online.

“New Horror

We are in the midst of a horror film resurgence. A significant group of contemporary horror films made in the past couple of years is reminiscent of the socio-political classics of the 1960s and 1970s in that they are boldly confronting the terrifying undercurrent of life today. Like their predecessors, these films tackle class, gender identity, and race in a way that shows us both where we are and how far we,...

It’s telling that the first feature-length film to come out of Italy was Dante’s Inferno (1911). Because of course, what else would it be? A silent, 68-minute adaptation of the classic poem that, quite memorably, features Satan munching on the souls of the damned. I suppose you could consider this film a tone-setter for the sort of genre films that would come out in Italy over the next hundred-plus years. The film is violent, demonic, and packed with full-frontal nudity. But most importantly, it was all about Hell.

Now, I know it should go without saying, but Italy is pretty big on that whole Catholicism deal. According to a survey conducted in 2005–2006, 87.8% of Italian citizens considered themselves to be Catholic. It should be no surprise, then, that while religious horror is prevalent in the United States, nobody can quite deliver a satanic panic like the Italians. And in the...

Everybody sing!: An Italian boy from Napoli, got petrified by the scenery. Now his face is white and his arms are long. And he'd rather choke you than sing a song! Hey Ed Cahn! Do another cheapie for us Hey Ed Cahn! No more Volcano nonsense! --- A really stiff guy searches for the reincarnation of his Etruscan babe from 79 B.C.. This fave monster romp from '58 is no classic, but it's the spirit that counts. Curse of the Faceless Man Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1958 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 67 min. / Street Date February 16, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Richard Anderson, Elaine Edwards, Adele Mara, Luis Van Rooten, Gar Moore, Felix Locher, Jan Arvan, Bob Bryant. Cinematography Kenneth Peach Original Music Gerald Fried Written by Jerome Bixby Produced by Robert E. Kent Directed by Edward L. Cahn    

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Actually, 1958's Curse of the Faceless Man is...

August 18th is bringing horror and sci-fi fans a bounty of home entertainment choices this week, especially if you’re into cult classics and indie genre films. Titles arriving on Tuesday include newer movies like Cub, Ejecta and Closer to God as well as the latest from the Soska Sisters, Vendetta. Several older films are getting an HD overhaul on Blu-ray too, including Nomads, The Hunger, Nightmare Castle, The Wife Killer and the supernaturally-infused Burn, Witch, Burn which was also co-penned by Richard Matheson.

And while it may not necessarily be a full-on genre movie, it’s worth noting that Shout! Factory is also releasing the criminally underrated cyber-adventure/thriller Hackers onto Blu-ray this week to celebrate its upcoming 20th anniversary.

Burn, Witch, Burn (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray)

The powers of dark magic rule the night in this chilling masterpiece of supernatural horror as a

college campus turns into a nest of evil.

Barbara Steele, that striking figure of Eurohorror, is coming to Blu in Mariano Caiano favorite Nightmare Castle. Severin Films announced the release with a killer bonus: Castle of Blood and Terror Creatures from the Grave as supplements. Coming August 18th, Severin Films Severin Films announced “the global Blu-Ray premiere of Nightmare Castle starring the Queen…

The post Severin Brings Nightmare Castle and More Barbara Steele to Blu appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Its rare to have a film maker remake his own film, only a few have even tried. I love 1964s Danse Macabre starring Barbara Steele so Ive always been curious about this remake known by many names including "Dracula's Castle of Blood?!" Well, with a bottle of Patron and an ice cold Rollin Rock, I sat down to enjoy this second trip to Blackwood Manor. Setting it apart right off the bat, is a lengthy prologue of Edgar Allan Poe wandering a da…...

Your blood will be our life! The first film Id like to look at is 1964s Danse Macabre aka Castle of Blood, starring Barbara Steele. A striking Italian-French film directed by Antonio Margheriti. The film opens in a downstairs pub in London with Edgar Allen Poe and his friend Sir Thomas Blackwood meeting another writer named Alan Foster. Sir Blackwood wagers that Foster wont be able to survive the November 1st Samhain night at his Castle…...

by Nick Schager

[This week's pick is inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe-themed horror-mystery The Raven.]

Not to be nitpicky, but it would have benefited Web of the Spider if it had something—anything—to do with a spider. Or, for that matter, a spider's web. It's likely that director Antonio Margheriti intended his title to refer to the sinister trap set in his story by a castle proprietor for an American journalist, but that's hardly a reasonable reason for bestowing this 1971 film with its chosen moniker, especially given that it's a remake of Margheriti's own aptly-dubbed (and superior) 1964 Castle of Blood. Nonetheless, this Italian horror throwaway's problems aren't relegated to name alone, as the saga of a haunted abode and its spooky inhabitants is defined by lame-brained incompetence, a fate made all the more frustrating by the fact that it has the inspired idea to cast the incomparable Klaus Kinski as Edgar Allan Poe. Kinski opens the film flailing about a tomb with a torch in hand,...

Today October 7, 2011 is the 162nd anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death. In memory of Edgar Allan Poe we are giving you some unusual facts about the great American author, poet, editor and literary critic. Edgar Allan died at the age of 40, on Oct. 7, 1849. Not only did Edgar Allan Poe have an influence on literary horror fiction his work also had a huge influence in horror movies. There have been many great horror film adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s work including The Raven (1935), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Castle of Blood (1964, and The Black Cat (1934). The will also be a new film The Raven which is an adaption of the horror poem by the same name in 2012.

The Daily Dead team had a great time at this weekend’s Drive-In Super Monster-Rama. This edition of “Weekend Horror Trivia” includes items from many of the movies that were playing at the event.

1. The Abominable Dr. Phibes: Peter Cushing was originally cast as Dr. Vesalius. He left the project when his wife became sick, but did have a cameo role in the sequel.

2. Count Yorga, Vampire: The movie was planned to be a soft-core adult movie titled “The Loves of Count Iorga”, but was changed to a regular horror film when Robery Quarry joined the cast.

3. The Last Man on Earth: Released in 1964, this film is considered a major source of inspiration for Night of the Living Dead.

4. Child’s Play: The movie’s working title was “Bloody Buddy”.

5. Dawn of the Dead (2004): The scene during the ending credits was not originally planned and was added after filming had completed.

Review by Colleen Wanglund, MoreHorror.com

Written and directed by Mario Caiano, The Faceless Monster (1965) is an Italian horror movie that was released in the United States with the original title Nightmare Castle. Upon its release to video it was given the different title. Although in my opinion, The Faceless Monster doesn’t fit the movie and is a bit misleading as to the subject matter.

The movie stars Barbara Steele in a dual role—as Muriel, the wife of scientist Stephen Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) and Jenny, Muriel’s step-sister. Muriel is having an affair with the handyman David (Rik Battaglia) and one night they are caught red-handed by Stephen. With the help of his loyal housekeeper Solange (Helga Line), Stephen kills Muriel and David, removing their hearts and using their blood for some experiments involving a youth serum.

Muriel was the one with the money and before her death...

I finally got to attend a Famous Monsters Convention! I.ve been a huge fan of the magazine since I bought my first issue when I was 8 years old in 1969 at Wood Drug Store at the corner of Taylor and Manchester in Kirkwood. It was issue #64 with Basil Gogo.s painting of Vincent Price from House Of Wax on the cover and from then on, I lived for the magazine, buying all subsequent issues and eventually tracking the earlier ones until I acquired a complete run. In 1973 the first Famous Monsters Convention was held but I was too young to attend. The magazine, run by legendary editor Forry Ackerman, ended its original run in 1983 after 191 issues. Famous Monsters returned to newsstands (sans Forry) in a couple of brief incarnations (including an on-line form) over the next couple of decades and another Famous Monsters Convention was held in 1993 (I wish I...

You just can’t keep a good serial killer down, especially when he only exists in our imaginations. Freddy Krueger returns once again this Friday, April 30, but this time without Robert Englund. Jackie Earle Haley slips into the scar makeup and knife-fingered glove this time around, hoping to give new life to an old favorite. Haley has already proven himself is short time to be one of this generation’s great character actors, with a knack for the dark and creepy side of the craft. In light of the new Nightmare On Elm Street film, We Are Movie Geeks has compiled our Top Ten List of the Best Creepy Character Actors.

Honorable Mention: Rondo Hatton

Of all the actors on this list, none has had a more tragic personal story as Rondo Hatton. As a young man Hatton was diagnosed with a rare pituitary disorder known as acromegalia (the studios...

Debbie Rochon, often described as a scream queen herself, wrote in an article originally published in Gc Magazine that "a true Scream Queen isn't The Perfect Woman. She's sexy, seductive, but most importantly 'attainable' to the average guy. Or so it would seem." Nastassja Kinski Films: To the Devil a Daughter (1976) [1] Cat People (1982) [2] The Day the World Ended (2001) [3] Inland Empire (2006) [4] Kinski will always be remembered for the iconic photograph shot by Richard Avedon (with a snake coiled around her body) and her role in Paul Schrader's (not so good) remake of Cat People. Needless to say, it was a hit at the box office and Kinski deservingly received a Saturn Award for Best Actress. Caroline Munro Films: The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) [5] Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) [6] Dracula A.D. 1972 [7] Maniac (1980) [8] Faceless (1987) [9] Demons 6 (1989) [10] Caroline Munro seduced audiences in her Hammer roles in films like Dracula A.D. 1972, but for gore hounds,...