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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire pays tribute to Ivan Reitman in a subtle nod to his 1973 film, Cannibal Girls. Cannibal Girls follows a couple who are terrorized by a group of beautiful, cannibalistic women. The Cannibal Girls reference in Frozen Empire is the third to occur in the Ghostbusters franchise.

It may be subtle, but one line from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is actually the perfect nod to Ghostbusters director, Ivan Reitman. Over the years, Reitman has been at the very core of every Ghostbusters movie. In 1984, Reitman directed and produced the very first Ghostbusters movie. Five years later, he returned for Ghostbusters II. From there, he continued to be a producer on every subsequent Ghostbusters film, including the 2016 remake and the two modern-day reboots starring McKenna Grace. Though Reitman passed away in 2022, his legacy remains in one humorous way in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Although Ghostbusters is a massive part of Ivan Reitman's filmography,...

When Ivan Reitman passed away on Feb. 12, 2022 at the age of 75, the Canadian producer, director, and screenwriter was justifiably remembered as one of the driving forces of cinematic comedy for more than four decades. After all, he produced National Lampoon’s Animal House–one of the classic farces of its time–in 1978, before moving on to direct a string of other well-remembered entries in the genre, including Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981), Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990), and Dave (1993), while producing films such as Space Jam (1996), Private Parts (1997), and Old School (2003).

Of course Reitman is best remembered for directing Ghostbusters, the seminal 1984 film that spawned a franchise and has influenced an entire subgenre, the horror comedy, ever since its release.

Ghostbusters wasn’t Reitman’s only foray into horror territory, however. His second feature film as a director was a low-budget horror comedy called Cannibal Girls (released in 1973 and starring Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman takes hosts Joe Dante and Josh Olson on a journey through some of his favorite cinematic tonal shifts.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Thank You For Smoking (2006)

Up In The Air (2009)

Juno (2007)

Young Adult (2011)

Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Seven Samurai (1954) Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Rififi (1955)

Titane (2021)

Cannibal Girls (1973)

Raw (2016)

Hellraiser (1987)

A Serbian Film (2010)

Cast Away (2000)

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Downhill Racer (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Breaking Away (1979)

Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

Psycho (1960) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Psycho (1998) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Last Night In Soho (2021)

Funny Games (1997)

Funny Games (2008)

The Piano Teacher (2001) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray

I, The Jury (1982)

Mother! (2017)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Tully (2018)

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links...

Eugene Levy has come a long way since debuting in Ivan Reitman's horror-comedy Cannibal Girls in 1973. The hilarious comedic actor cut his teeth at the infamous Chicago improv group Second City where he met and worked with the likes of John Candy, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, and perhaps his most important muse, Catherine O'Hara.

Related: Eugene Levy: 10 Best Roles, According To IMDb

Levy and O'Hara continued their professional relationship through a number of Christopher Guest movies and most recently starred together on the hysterical TV show Schitt's Creek. The series finale just aired this week, giving us the perfect opportunity to check out Eugene Levy's 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes!

Stars: Amy Groening, T. Thomason, Shelley Thompson, Bradley Bailey, Scott Bailey, Jason Daley, Zach Faye, Lisa Hackett, Marletta Laan, Jason Morley, Taylor Olson, Geneviève Steele, Shelley Thompson | Written and Directed by Jay Dahl

Jay Dahl, writer and director of There Are Monsters, is back after a five-year break from the genre with his latest film Halloween Party, an apparent love-letter to the horror films of the 90s and all the baggage associated with the films of the time.

They were known as the ‘Halloween Party’, a group of five badly disfigured children who made a pact to take revenge on a world who couldn’t look at them. Unwittingly released from their closet grave via a Halloween-themed computer meme, they now take malevolent joy in terrorising college students with their worst fears. Can the unlikely pair of bereaved Grace and hacker nerd Spencer stop the virus spreading before its too late?...

I grew up in the ‘70s, and as a burgeoning horror fan, there was no better time to be alive. I cherished every outlet and every aspect – I had The Witching Hour comics and Creepy magazines, a mom who took me to the movies to see Burnt Offerings at the age of six, and a cavalcade of small screen terrors. Being a kid, my domain was Saturday morning, naturally. Scooby-Doo and the gang fighting the (usually) fake monsters, The Monster Squad, Far Out Space Nuts, and Land of the Lost were but some of the shows that tackled not necessarily horror, but at the very least the fantastic.

Because I was a kid, seeing previews for The Night Stalker TV series almost made me weep – it came on way after my bedtime as part of CBS’ late night programming. So imagine my delight one Saturday morning as I arose an...

After producing Animal House in 1978 — an experience that only reinforced his desire to direct — 31-year-old Ivan Reitman gave himself a five-month window to conceive and shoot his own movie. He started with a simple premise — a crazy summer camp — but not much else in terms of Hollywood support or financing. (The budget was less than a million dollars.) But he thought he had an ace in the hole in Bill Murray, the then-27-year-old who was just emerging as one of the new faces on Saturday Night Live. If only he could persuade the contrarian comic, who he knew from...

Horror has been in Canada's snow for decades now, starting with the classic Cannibal Girls and Black Christmasin the early '70s, through the classic early Cronenberg years of Shivers, Rabid and The Brood in the late '70s. In the '80s, we got films like Prom Night, My Bloody Valentine and The Gate. In the past decade, we've had flicks like the Ginger Snaps series, Cube and PontyPool. In fact, you could even count the last three Dead movies by George A. Romero as Canadian — after all, he is a Canadian citizen now and made all three films in Toronto.

Being both a film writer and a host of a monthly horror film series called Fright Nights at the Projection Booth (based out of Toronto, Canada), I have noticed an incredible renaissance of grindhouse and horror directors coming out of Canada in the past few years. Southern Ontario,...

Following the initially fascinating but ultimate tedium of black-magic mumbo-jumbo Shaw Brothers oddity The Boxer’s Omen (1983) as the highly anticipated ‘Mystery Film’ choice from Fantastic Fest, Sunday evening’s Drive-In Delirium Presents… double bill mash-up was something to get seriously geeked out about.

Ozploitation extraordinarie Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood) and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s ‘Weird Wednesday’ programmer Lars Niels presented their film clip compendiums; the first of which, Trailorpalooza, compiled a collection of cult film trailers plucked from the last 50 years and featured some of the most ludicrously over-the-top scenarios ever conceived. What was most surprising however was the calibre of former Hollywood heavy-weights who actually agreed to sign up to such straight-to-the-trash can concepts.

Ray Millard in The Thing with Two Heads – a supposedly humorous transplant tale with a white man/black man splicing that defies definition; Joan Crawford in (what ultimately became her swansong) Trog -...

Oh, do we have a deal for you! Not only are the good people at Shout! Factory slashing like Chromeskull (prices that is), but they are offering a huge Halloween prize package valued at over $650! And all you've got to do is cruise over to their site and and sign up.

Use the links below to enter the contest. Here are just some of the titles you'll receive: Audition, Cannibal Girls, Piranha and Humanoids From the Deep just to name a few. Do yourself a favor and enter. What do you have to lose?

From the Press Release

Happy October from your friends at Shout! Factory! To celebrate this macabre month, we’re offering slasher-inspired pricing on some of our more terrifying titles. Sales prices range from 15%-70% off list price. Place items in your cart to see how much you're saving. Sale ends October 31, 2011. To receive your items by Halloween,...

For this week's Tfe contributors roundup, I thought I'd force a confession... but alas, I didn't manage to catch anything that embarrassed anyone, damnit! Except myself! My queue is stupid

What's Next On Your DVD Queue?

Jose: The Red Shoes and the first four seasons of "Doc Martin" which I have to review for work.

Ja: Simon Rumley's terrifically unsettling Red White and Blue which unsettled me, terrifically, last year and Undertow, that Peruvian movie which I think you interviewed the director. [Editor's Note: Yes, yes, I did.]

 Alexa (Curio): I'm really, really going to watch them when I'm not chasing my toddler or passing out: Gloria (John Cassavetes' film, not the one with Sharon Stone! This is a re-watch, I just like it) and Reform School Girls (the one with Wendy O Williams from 1986).

Robert (Distant Relatives): First up is The Circus, the only Chaplin silent comedy I haven't seen. It...

I admit I love surprises. But when Ghostbusters‘ director Ivan Reitman‘s 1972 horror debut dropped through my letterbox I was pretty much anticipating an amateurish mini-budgeted gore fest, complete with hammy acting, grainy photography and overall video nasty predictability. What I got was indeed all of the above but thankfully a lot more because Cannibal Girls is a superb little treat that creeps up on you like a bad rash (as appose to a good rash!), tickles your fancy then trickles you with blood and finally messes with your soul.

The near forty year old is finally released on DVD in the U.K. this week. Here is our review…

The film opens to an aerial shot of Canadian snow capped mountains where a voice over announces that “during the showing of Cannibal Girls, in consideration for those of you with delicate sensibilities a special warning bell has been installed.

Another week, another list of DVDs and Blu-rays out to buy from today – and what a selection of titles: action, drama, award-winners and even some complete drivel. I’ll let you decide which is which!

Red (DVD & Blu-ray) – Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA’s top agents – but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history. Review.

The Social Network (DVD & Blu-ray) – David Fincher’s The Social Network is the tale of a new...

Let’s get something out of the way. Ivan Reitman hasn’t made a film worth watching in years. Therefore it’s welcome to announce No Strings Attached, while no particular evolution, heralds something of an anomaly.

It also proves Natalie Portman cannot do comedy. The supporting cast do the funny stuff with aplomb – and Ashton Kutcher, for all it’s worth. One gets the sense it would have been canny to give Greta Gerwig the female lead. After all, she gets the best line in the whole movie. Munching on a cupcake she announces her period is “like a crime scene in my pants”.

Reitman’s 1980s heyday is a distant memory and firmly in cinema history. He started off his career flirting with horror (see Cannibal Girls review) before the behemoth of Ghostbusters took off. Since then it’s fair to say the director has been lost in...

"....What scares you?"

The Dead Hour is a new webseries from the creators of the indie horror film The Wretched. In the tradition of The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Tales from the Crypt, The Dead Hour is an anthology series that will bring new original webisodes from the horror, fantasy, thriller, slasher and sci-fi genres to the web each week.

Creators Daniel B. Iske and Scott Coleman have just completed season one of their new thriller web series, The Dead Hour. The Dead Hour is a unique anthology series that will bring new and original webisodes to http://thedeadhour.com each season in the genres of horror, science fiction, thriller, slasher and fantasy. All webisodes remain online so fans can watch their favorites at any time, and as often as they like. Viewers also get an inside look at innovative low-budget indie filmmaking as http://thedeadhour.com takes...

Ivan Reitman’s directorial debut Cannibal Girls gets a release on DVD from Jake West’s Nucleus Films label. This low budget Canadian offering was made way back in 1973 and is notable for starring a very young Eugene Levy.

Made with little money and plenty of perseverance the structure and confidence of Reitman’s direction alongside Dan Goldberg’s editing manages some effective moments. It also features a nice riff on urban legends and has a fairytale-like quality. Filming during the winter certainly helps the ambience. All this is quite amazing as in the twenty-five minute interview contained in the DVD extras the pair openly acknowledged they made it up as they went along. The initial shoot lasted only nine days!

It begins with a prologue in which a young man gets murdered by a babe with a pick axe. Before this, a narrator warns us an alarm system is...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith may be carrying the baton for coarse, observational, sex-soaked comedy these days, but it was passed to them by Ivan Reitman.

And he wants it back.

Seriously, go back and watch Reitman’s early work, from “Cannibal Girls,” “Stripes” and “Meatballs,” and you’ll see the blueprint that Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill and many more follow to this day. From there, Reitman moved on (and moved up) to “Ghostbusters,” “Legal Eagles,” “Kindergarten Cop” and “Dave.” A generation of classic comedies were born.

Now Reitman’s tackling a new generation, one that’s more frank with their sex talk (and more plugged in to the virtual community, where so much of that sex talk takes place).

“I don’t know if it’s kind of an evolving cynicism, that seems to be part of the world in general,...

The creative folks over at 'The Dead Hour' have just completed the first season of their indie horror webseries which consists of five episodes with running times of approximately 15 minutes each.

The series is free to watch and includes the most recent addition titled 'Cannibal Girls'. Check out the trailer below as well as some details from the production and check out the series here.

About “Cannibal Girls”:

In the barren fields of middle America, two girls fight to stay alive following a near apocalyptic disaster. With much of the world's food supply eliminated, they have no choice but to feed on the flesh of other humans. What happens to the mind when living becomes the only thing to live for.

About The Dead Hour

"The Dead Hour is a new webseries from the creators of the indie horror film The Wretched. In the tradition of The Twilight Zone,...

Released in the new year, Ivan Reitman’s (‘Ghostbusters’) early 70s cult classic Cannibal Girls can finally be appreciated in the UK in all its uncensored flesh-eating glory, with a re-mastered and restored collector's edition packed with tons of extras, and including the infamous 'Warning Bell'! For those now staring blankly wondering what the hell the “Warning Bell” is check out the trailer and all will be revealed. Cannibal Girls arrives on R2 DVD Feb 14th, 2011. Synopsis: In the isolated town of Farnhamville the locals still talk of the legend of Anthea, Clarissa and Leona, three stunningly beautiful girls, who seduced men, lured them to their grisly deaths, and then ritualistically consumed their flesh in a strange rite to keep themselves young and beautiful forever. For Cliff and Gloria, a young couple on a travelling holiday, this legend is about to become a sickening reality….for the legendary local man-eaters...

Released in the new year, Ivan Reitman’s (‘Ghostbusters’) early 70s cult classic Cannibal Girls can finally be appreciated in the UK in all its uncensored flesh-eating glory, with a re-mastered and restored collector's edition packed with tons of extras, and including the infamous 'Warning Bell'! For those now staring blankly wondering what the hell the “Warning Bell” is check out the trailer and all will be revealed. Cannibal Girls arrives on R2 DVD Feb 14th, 2011. Synopsis: In the isolated town of Farnhamville the locals still talk of the legend of Anthea, Clarissa and Leona, three stunningly beautiful girls, who seduced men, lured them to their grisly deaths, and then ritualistically consumed their flesh in a strange rite to keep themselves young and beautiful forever. For Cliff and Gloria, a young couple on a travelling holiday, this legend is about to become a sickening reality….for the legendary local man-eaters...

For the first time in the UK on DVD… From the director of Ghostbusters, Ivan Reitman, and the producer of Hangover, Daniel Goldberg comes a rare, sexy feast of a film from 1973. Released by Nucleus Films (Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide’.) on Mon Feb 14, 2011, this 70s cult classic can finally be appreciated in all its uncensored flesh-eating glory in a remastered and restored collector's edition packed with stunning extras and including the infamous 'Warning Bell'! In the isolated town of Farnhamville the locals still talk of the legend of Anthea, Clarissa and Leona, three stunningly beautiful girls, who seduced men, lured them to their grisly deaths, and then ritualistically consumed their flesh in a strange rite to keep themselves young and beautiful forever. For Cliff (Eugene Levy from the American Pie series) and Gloria (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), a young couple on a travelling holiday, this legend is about to become a sickening reality…...

Need something tangible from director Ivan Reitman to purge these interminable Ghostbusters rumors from your brain? Here's something fun from the fine folk at Canada's filmswelike.

It seems simply restoring and releasing Reitman`s Cannibal Girls on BluRay wasn`t enough for these folk. Nope. They`re now also releasing limited edition Cannibal Girls apron and cleaver sets. You can get èm bundled with the BluRay release of the film or separately but move fast because stock is extremely limited.

Few probably know that Ivan Reitman produced early David Cronenberg movies and dabbled in the cannibal subgenre as a director. But he did. It’s true. Nucleus Films and Clout Communications just shot us over this press release that will have horror fans intrigued!

Cannibal Girls is being released for the first time ever on DVD on Monday 14th February, 2011 by Nucleus Films (Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide). On Valentine’s Day. Awesome. Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a cannibal movie with sexy ladies. The BBFC rating says: contains strong violence and moderate nudity.

To be honest, this had me at ‘Cannibal Girls’. A title with a certain je ne sais quoi.

Released by Nucleus Films (Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide’.) on Mon Feb 14, 2011, this 70s cult classic can finally be appreciated in all its uncensored flesh-eating glory in a remastered and restored collector’s edition packed with stunning...

It's been a while since I've done...anything really. I have to admit, I'm getting a bit burnt out on the horror genre these days. There's nothing new or particularly interesting going on. It's an endless parade of half baked remakes and uninspired backyard buffoonery. Most of the screeners I find in my mailbox now promptly wind up in the trash because I have no interest in watching them, much less attempting to review them...and then promote them. Even a bad review is too much publicity for some of the dogshit I've been sent in the last year or so. I was more than ready to throw in the towel on this column for good, until a few days ago when I received a message from my drunken and shiftless editor Wil, asking me if I would be interested in checking out a screener copy of the new Shout!

Burbank - Traci Lords was the biggest name in showbiz in 1986, but for all the wrong reasons. She had become a major star in the adult industry. Her run started as Penthouse Pet of the month for the issue that exposed Vanessa Williams in September of 1984. Dozens of video titles appeared as she became the it girl noted for her youthful looks.

There was a reason for her looking so young: she’d used fake IDs to appear 20. She was under 18 in dozens of her adult films. Only one was made after she turned 18. The FBI and other police agencies poured over the valley investigating everyone connected to the industry. In the midst of this ugliness, Traci Lords still dreamed of being an actress. Luckily she found entry into the profession through the gates of Roger Corman’s studio.

She was signed to remake Not of This Earth with Jim Wynorski directing.

Kicking off at 6pm on Saturday evening and rolling all the way through the witching hour ‘til the wee hours of Sunday morning, the Film4 FrightFest All Nighter has become an institution and an essential offshoot of the main August Bank Holiday bonanza. Previously held in the Ica (and becoming a sauna by about midnight), this year we upped sticks into Screen 2 of the Empire, Leicester Square.

With plenty more seats, comfier ones too, a better screen and sound and, mercifully, air conditioning, the scene was set for an epic assault on our fear receptors. But were we to be left quaking in our boots or sleeping in our seats?

Confessions

First up was Confessions. This Japanese revenge thriller takes the form of a series of confessions (see what they did there?) that intricately intertwine revealing the truth behind a young, female teacher’s daughter’s murder. If you thought...

0:00 - Intro 8:52 - Headlines: Charlie Chaplin Time Traveling Hoax, The Dark Knight Rises, New Star Wars Trilogy, Indiana Jones in 3-D?, Seann William Scott to Star in Goon, Randy Quaid is Crazy 32:45 - Feature: Canadian Horror Special: Cannibal Girls, The Changeling, Zombie Nightmare, Rock n Roll Nightmare, The Gate, Gate II: Return to the Nightmare, Pin, The Mask 1:37:15 - Other Stuff We Watched: Leviathan, Horror Hospital, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Joy Ride, Primal Rage, Red, Frozen, Back to the Future Trilogy, House, Paranormal Activity 2, Creepshow, Shaun of the Dead, American Grindhouse 2:04:00 - Junk Mail: A Serbian Film, Favourite Compilation Horror Movies, Life Advice, Practical Effects vs. CGI, Jay's Music 2:17:25 - This Week's DVD Releases 2:19:00 - Twitter Poll: What are your favourite movies to watch on Halloween? 2:22:00 - Outro » Download the MP3 (65 Mb) [1] » View the...

I grew up watching the original cast of Sctv on late night cable. It included John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty,  Dave Thomas, Harold Ramis, Shelley Long and Andrea Martin. In short I didn't know it at the time but I was witnessing something that would pass into comedy legend. I also grew up watching the films of Ivan Reitman including Ghost Busters, Twins, Meatballs, Stripes etc. Even when they weren't great they formed a backdrop for my formative movie years. They helped make it possible for for people like Bill Murray and Harold Ramis to give us Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation 

So where did Reitman get his start? 

Cannibal Girls!!!

Folks these are indeed humble beginnings but they do combine two of SCTVs golden age cast with Reitman. If you don't like truly no-budget gonzo cinema then fageddaboudit. But there's an undeniable charm and...

I grew up watching the original cast of Sctv on late night cable. It included John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty,  Dave Thomas, Harold Ramis, Shelley Long and Andrea Martin. In short I didn't know it at the time but I was witnessing something that would pass into comedy legend. I also grew up watching the films of Ivan Reitman including Ghost Busters, Twins, Meatballs, Stripes etc. Even when they weren't great they formed a backdrop for my formative movie years. They helped make it possible for for people like Bill Murray and Harold Ramis to give us Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation 

So where did Reitman get his start? 

Cannibal Girls!!!

Folks these are indeed humble beginnings but they do combine two of SCTVs golden age cast with Reitman. If you don't like truly no-budget gonzo cinema then fageddaboudit. But there's an undeniable charm and...

Grades: The Slumber Party Massacre: B; The Slumber Party Massacre 2: C+; The Slumber Party Massacre 3: C-; Cannibal Girls: C+ For almost as long as there have been horror movies, there have been filmmakers commenting on horror movies, either by mocking them outright, or by subverting the conventions. In theory, 1982’s The Slumber Party Massacre does the latter. Based on a screenplay by novelist Rita Mae Brown—who intended to skewer the slasher film by amping up its clichés—Spm was re-written and directed by Amy Jones, who played the material much straighter than Brown intended. The ...

October 25th, 2010

Alien Anthology (Blu-Ray) – Fox Home Entertainment

Brace yourself for a whole new breed of Blu-ray: Four powerful films…eight thrilling versions…in dazzling, terrifying, high-def clarity with the purest digital sound on the planet. Two bonus disc and over 65 hours of archival and never-before-seen content, including the totally immersive Mu-th-ur mode feature, makes this definitive Alien collection!

Altitude (Blu-Ray/DVD) – Anchor Bay

Lost in a mysterious cloudbank, a rookie pilot and her four teenage friends must contend with a freak mechanical failure that first sends their small plane climbing to an impossible height, and then plummeting through endless mist. After regaining control, the survivors are confronted with a horrifying realization – the very ground beneath them has vanished and a malevolent force lurking in the clouds wants them dead.

The Bisbee Cannibal Club – Chemical Burn Entertainment

Vegetarians are disappearing from the little town of Bisbee, Az. When a group...

I hope you saved up your pennies folks, because today is a real doozy. The two biggest releases of the week have got to be the Blu-ray box sets for the Back to the Future Trilogy and the Alien Anthology, but beyond that we've also got something for the ladies (Sex and the City 2), a couple of solid thrillers (The Girl Who Played with Fire and Winter's Bone) and some campy horror fun (Lake Placid 3, Cannibal Girls). Criterion has also put out new releases for Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and Nobuhiko Obayashi's House, and we've got HBO's You Don't Know Jack starring Al Pacino plus a new season of The Venture Brothers. What will you be picking up this week? P.S. Does anyone know if The Frighteners Blu-ray got delayed? I haven't seen any listings for it anywhere. Sex and the City 2 [1] (+ Blu-ray [2]) The...

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy"

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Yes, we're finally getting the footage of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, for the first time, but for many simply having the hi-def version of Robert Zemeckis' time-travel franchise will be good enough. Commentaries, deleted scenes, a full-length documentary and much, much more come on this new set of the trilogy.

"Alien Anthology"

Directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Released by Fox Home Entertainment

While not as much of an upgrade over its previous DVD release as "Back to the Future," the Blu-ray update of the four "Alien" films worth owning now boasts isolated scores for each film, all of Ridley Scott's sketches for the first "Alien," the uncut documentary of David Fincher's ill-fated "Alien 3" as...

You know we are nearing the end of October when the pace of horror DVD title releases starts slowing down. I guess the powers that be banked on everyone buying horror DVDs several weeks before Halloween. Is that true? Are you folks doing just that, or are you only now starting your Halloween viewing party planning?

Anyway, while this week's bounty includes monsters in the water and in the sky, with mostly direct-to-dvd, TV movies and old re-releases, the juggernaut monster is the one in space with a complete set in one neat package.

Alien Anthology

Directed by Various

For the first time ever, the studio has united the material from every home video release of the Alien saga including the 1991/1992 laserdisc releases, the 1999 “Legacy” release and 2003’s groundbreaking Alien Quadrilogy release into one complete Blu-ray collection. The set also includes two versions of each film and over four hours...

It's that time of year when the vaults are prised open, the cinematic nightmares of the world are unleashed, and movie houses across the land compete to present the scariest horror-themed festival with the corniest name. Halloween festivals have been steadily multiplying, like marauding zombies or Tesco Metros, so here's a handy breakdown …

The cheesiest name award has to go to Derby's Dead And Breakfast (Quad, 30 Oct), although the title does at least make sense as it's an all-nighter. And after sitting through the likes of Evil Dead II, Halloween, Night Of The Demon and Bubba Ho-tep, who wouldn't fancy a bacon butty, if not some black pudding? The other hot all-nighter tickets are the Electric's Vintage 80s Horror All-Nighter (31 Oct, Electric Cinema, W11) which has The Thing, Evil Dead II, Re-Animator and Poltergeist, washed down with Michael Jackson's Thriller. The BFI IMAX Scary 3D Halloween all-nighter (30 Oct, BFI IMAX,...

It's only been a few weeks since the ever popular Frightfest horror event in London's Leicester Square took place and already they're preparing to once again open their doors for the Halloween season. The Film 4 12 hour all-night event takes place on Saturday 30 October 30 later this month and has a whole host of UK premieres under it's belt, not to mention cool sneak peeks at some upcoming flicks also. Japanese revenge thriller 'Confessions', supernatural airborne tale 'Altitude' and Gustavo Hernandez's haunted house flick 'The Silent House' kicks off the event up until Midnight. But the fun and scares do not end there as we venture into he hours of Halloween itself we are hit with the world premiere of 'Choose', shark tale 'The Reef', Ivan Reitman's 'Cannibal Girls' and finish of with Finnish scarytale 'Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale'. Here's the full-line up with showing times: ...

This Halloween (well, Saturday October 30th to be specific), the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square will once again play host to FrightFest’s annual "All-Nighter". The full line-up has now been announced. Feast your eyes!

Of course Dread Central will be there to bring you all the info you need on the movies shown. Hope to see you there!

Confessions (UK Premiere)

A teacher attempts to wreak a terrible revenge on the students she blames for the death of her 4-year-old daughter in Kamikaze Girls and Memories of Matsuko director Tetsuya Nakashima’s ethereal and sinister shocker, selected as Japan's official entry for the 2010 Oscars. Through the most twisted retaliations, a stunning operatic style, fabulous cinematic flourishes and a theme song by Radiohead, you’ll be blown away by this intensely savage masterpiece throbbing with the darkest of emotions. Shot in the cool greys and blues of a...

Revenge Japanese style, American psychos, sharks, cannibal girls and a Finnish nightmare before Christmas - it can only be Film4 FrightFest’s Halloween all-nighter event – taking place this year at the Empire Cinema 2, Leicester Square on Saturday October 30, 2010 with a superb line-up of world or UK premieres sneak previews and a Retro Classic thrown in for good measure. Kicking things off at 6pm, Japan’s official Oscar contender Confessions, the twisted revenge saga, directed by ‘Kamikaze Girls’ Tetsuya Nakashima. Then it’s up, up and away with Altitude, Kaare Andrews tale about high flying teenagers trapped in a deadly showdown with an airborne supernatural force. Next is this year’s Cannes sensation - director Gustavo Hernandez’s haunted house shocker The Silent House. The Midnight Madness slot goes to Choose - to jolt you into Sunday. Scar lip is the new games master on the shock block in our highly anticipated World Premiere presentation.

Revenge Japanese style, American psychos, sharks, cannibal girls and a Finnish nightmare before Christmas - it can only be Film4 FrightFest’s Halloween all-nighter event – taking place this year at the Empire Cinema 2, Leicester Square on Saturday October 30, 2010 with a superb line-up of world or UK premieres sneak previews and a Retro Classic thrown in for good measure. Kicking things off at 6pm, Japan’s official Oscar contender Confessions, the twisted revenge saga, directed by ‘Kamikaze Girls’ Tetsuya Nakashima. Then it’s up, up and away with Altitude, Kaare Andrews tale about high flying teenagers trapped in a deadly showdown with an airborne supernatural force. Next is this year’s Cannes sensation - director Gustavo Hernandez’s haunted house shocker The Silent House. The Midnight Madness slot goes to Choose - to jolt you into Sunday. Scar lip is the new games master on the shock block in our highly anticipated World Premiere presentation.

FilmShaft enjoyed the hell out of this year’s Film 4 FrightFest and their Halloween all-nighters are legendary.

The programme for Saturday 30th October has been announced – and boy is it great! It’s got “American psychos, sharks, cannibal girls and a Finnish nightmare before Christmas” according to the press release sent to us and it’s littered with UK premieres, a retro classic plus a world premiere for you horror hounds to enjoy and feast upon!

Tickets went on sale yesterday (2nd October) and cost £50. For ticket info and getting them you can call: call 08 714 714 714, see FrightFest’s website www.frightfest.co.uk for the full schedule and times and buy them online at www.empirecinemas.co.uk

Confessions (UK Premiere)

A teacher attempts to wreak a terrible revenge on the students she blames for the death of her 4 year-old daughter in Kamikaze Girls and Memories Of Matsuko director Tetsuya Nakashima...

The organisers of the Film4 FrightFest have announced the full details of the eagerly awaited Halloween all-nighter event, which this year takes place at the Empire Cinema 2, Leicester Square on Saturday October 30th.

The years event features a fantastic line-up of premieres, sneak previews and a even a well-loved classic to scare you, make you jump and creep you out over the Halloween weekend…

Kicking things at 6pm in spectacular fashion we have one of the best films of the year – Japan’s official Oscar contender Confessions. This twisted revenge saga, directed by ‘Kamikaze Girls’ Tetsuya Nakashima will take your breath away. Not since Park Chan-Wook’s Vengeance trilogy has the psychological warfare of crime and punishment been so brilliantly or elegantly brought to stark life.

Then it’s up, up and away with Altitude, a remarkably taut Twilight Zone-style tale about high flying teenagers trapped in a deadly...

It's hard to believe that Canada's Rue Morgue Magazine has been around as long as it has! Their next issue marks their lucky thirteenth year of kicking ass and taking names and we have a look at what's in store for readers both old and new!

Congrats, guys! Here's to another 13!

From the Press Release

Rue Morgue Special Edition 13th Anniversary Halloween Issue

On Stands October 1st!

We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

Fifty years ago Marion met Norman at the Bates Motel and the modern horror film was born. Rue Morgue’s panel of experts celebrates the lunatic legacy of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Featuring Wes Craven, assistant director Hilton Green, and authors Stephen Rebello and David Thomson.

Plus: A look at Bernard Herrmann’s score, a new documentary on the film, sequel spotlights, and more!

by Aaron Von Lupton, Mark R. Hasan, James Burrell, Stuart F. Andrews,...

Oh, Shout! Factory! This has been such a good year for you. A plethora of Roger Corman classics. Restored Gamera DVDs. You seem to have everything covered. Including Canadian movies about cannibal women. Now that's saying something!

From the Press Release

"Hungry for thrills and high camp this Halloween? Sctv regulars Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin star in the Canadian horror spoof Cannibal Girls as a couple on a romantic holiday who settle into a quaint little bed-and-breakfast run by a trio of flesh-eating ladies who fancy them for tomorrow’s menu. Pull up a seat at the table for this delightful feast when this cult horror classic Cannibal Girls, directed by Ivan Reitman, finally makes its way on DVD in the United States for the first time October 26, 2010 from Shout! Factory.

Packed with all-new bonus content featuring, original promotional materials, alternate audio track featuring the cult-famous “warning bell” and all-new interviews with Ivan Reitman,...

Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin star in the Canadian horror spoof Cannibal Girls , directed by Ivan Reitman and coming to DVD from Shout! Factory on October 26. The DVD boasts the widescreen presentation of the movie, mastered from the newly restored original film elements. Theatrically released in 1973, Cannibal Girls quickly acquired a reputation as the B-movie concoction of the 1970s. Canadian audiences had never before experienced such a rich blend of camp, gore and comedy. On top of the film's overt B-movie presentation, the producers tore a page from the William Castle book of exploitation, introducing to the theatre-going public the "warning bell" experience: just prior to a scene of particular malice and gore, viewers would be warned by the sound of a bell, at...

A few years before he directed the films for which he's best known like Meatballs, Stripes and Ghost Busters, Ivan Reitman tried his hand at spoofing the horror genre with a little flick called Cannibal Girls, which is the topic of this week's Motion Picture Purgatory.

Synopsis:

A young couple spend the night in a restaurant, only to find out that it is haunted by three dead women who hunger for human flesh. This cult movie, which stars Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin, is known for the 'warning bell' gimmick, which rang in theatres to warn the more squeamish members of the audience for impending gory scenes.

Thanks to the awesome folks at Shout! Factory, come October 26th you can procure your own copy of this little gem from 1973.

Anthropophaginian Canadians!

Discuss Motion Picture Purgatory in the Dread Central forums!

After the Academy’s attempt at honoring genre during the live show, we saw a real tribute to horror by someone who is truly one of our own. Bob Murawski thanked Sam Raimi for giving him his “first cutting job” in Army of Darkness. His Best Editing award for Hurt Locker was shared by his partner Chris Innis, whom he met on the Raimi produced TV show “American Gothic.”

I gotta say, never since Peter Jackson’s (who was nominated this year for District 9) thank you to the crew of Meet the Feebles has there been such an excellent genre shout out.

On top of working with Raimi for over a decade, Murawski also runs Grindhouse Releasing, which distributes and restores cult and horror films with a focus on extreme Italian cinema. Pieces, The Beyond, Cannibal Holocaust, and I Drink Your Blood are just a few names you’ll find in Grindhouse Releasing's catalogue.

The 2010 SXSW Film Festival will take place March 12-20 in Austin, Texas. Amer (Belgium) Directors: Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani. Screenwriter: Bruno Forzani Ana is confronted to Body and Desire at three key moments of her life. Cast: Bianca Maria D’Amato, Cassandra Forêt, Charlotte Eugène-Guibbaud, Marie Bos, Harry Cleven (U.S. Premiere) Cannibal Girls (Canada) Director: Ivan Reitman. Screenwriter: Robert Sandler They do Exactly what you think they do! Second City TV regulars Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin star in Ivan Reitman’s Canuxploitation classic as a couple on a romantic holiday who settle into a quaint little bed-and-breakfast run by a trio [...]...

Not all of the great film festivals are outside of the U.S. Even if you can’t book a ticket to Cannes or Berlin, you should be able to afford a flight out to Austin, Texas for SXSW, which is a festival for not only movies, but music and video games as well. Like the years before, the line-up for the 2010 SXSW Film Festival is the goods. Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass will open up the fest and then there will be other great-looking films throughout including The Duplass Brothers’ Cyrus, SNL’s hard-r adaptation of MacGruber, Tim Blake Nelson’s Leaves of Grass, and Floria Sigismondi’s The Runaways, just to name a few. If you’re going to this year’s SXSW, let me know so I can steal your identity and go in your place.

The 2010 SXSW Film Festival will run from March 12-20. Check out the...

Less than a week worth of recovering from the Sundance Film Festival, and we are already looking forward to our next, big film fest coverage. That would be the South by Southwest Film Festival held annually in Austin, Texas. Last year, Scott and I brought you all kinds of coverage from the Lone Star State, and this year doesn’t look to be much different.

With that, the announcement came last night of the feature films that will be playing at the SXSW Film Festival. Previous announcement were already made about films like Cold Weather, Electra Luxx, Hubble 3D, Lemmy, Saturday Night, and The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights making their debut. Kick-ass was recently announced as the opening night film, as well.

Among the other films being presented this year are some Sundance darlings, a few, highly anticipated premieres, and MacGruber.

Check out the full list...

I was so excited at seeing the SXSW line up last night that I completely forgot to post it and started searching the interwebs for cool content to go with it. Oops. Yes, I wish I was there but alas, it wasn’t mean to be (though don’t despair. We’ll be bringing you wicked awesome coverage).

But enough rambling, you want to know what’s all playing. Well, for a start there’s the much anticipated McGruber (trailer), the Duplass’ semi-mainstream comedy Cyrus, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Micmacs (trailer, review), Daniel Stamm’s horror flick Cotton and that’s on top of the previously announced titles which include Electra Luxx (Carla Gugino as a pregnant porn star? Bring. It. On.) and Kick-Ass (trailer). That’s already a great line-up but dear me, some of the other titles are pretty awesome too.

There’s Clay Liford scifi drama Earthling (trailer...