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I’m something of a made-for-television movie connoisseur. That means, in operational terms, simply that I watch a lot (a frightening amount) of made-for-television movies. Principally, the scary ones. I’m discussing classics from the BBC and ABC Horror Movie of the Week programming list. Sweetly, I first got into them with my mom, who considered them a cornerstone of my horror education. I couldn’t understand the genre without first witnessing wall-crawling goblins in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark or being Bewitched by Elizabeth Montgomery in The Victim.

I’ve seen the good, the bad, and even the ugly, and narrowing down my favorites isn’t straightforward. After all, my list looks considerably different than our own Tyler Doupé’s on the same topic. However, I am willing to concede that Richard Lang’s Don’t Go to Sleep ranks among the best. It’s haunted me since I...

Paramount’s free streaming service, Pluto TV, has revealed its March highlights. The Pluto TV March 2025 lineup celebrates Women’s History Month with powerhouse performances, legendary directors, and female-led stories in every genre. Pluto TV is also spotlighting its On-Demand section, where you can find sections specially curated by programmers.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

On-demand

Pluto TV offers hundreds of free live channels, but there’s even more to love with its growing on-demand section. With an expanding selection of films and TV series, audiences can dive into their favorite content anytime, in addition to tuning in live. This month, dive into new special collections:

A24 Spotlight – Stream acclaimed films like Red Rocket,...

There was a time when “TV movie” didn’t mean cheesy rom-coms or throwaway thrillers. It meant high-stakes drama, impactful cultural events, and millions of viewers glued to their screens.

Made-for-tv movies were “event television” before that term even existed.

These films took on bold stories, pulled in top-tier talent, and covered issues from nuclear war to domestic violence — sometimes sparking national conversations that kept people talking for weeks.

(ABC/Screenshot)

But as TV evolved, the made-for-tv movie lost its place in the lineup, edged out by reality TV, serialized dramas, and eventually, streaming.

Here’s a look back at the heyday of made-for-tv movies, why they faded, and how they left their mark on today’s TV landscape.

The Golden Age of Made-for-tv Movies

From the 1970s through the ’90s, made-for-tv movies dominated the airwaves.

Networks brought big stories to small screens, delivering gripping dramas that tackled hot-button issues...

Peacock has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the streaming service in November. The Peacock November 2024 schedule includes The Day of the Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne as a highly elusive assassin who meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch).

For true crime aficionados, Making Manson unearths new revelations in the story behind one of history’s most infamous criminals – in his own words. Plus, the dark comedic thriller Based on a True Story, starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina, makes a killer return for season 2.

The Day of the Jackal

Also this month, four girlfriends take a girl’s trip to Vietnam in the new unscripted series​​​​​​​ Eat Slay Love, where the spirituality, hospitality, and beauty of Vietnam help the ladies heal from heartache, strengthen friendships, and reevaluate their priorities back at home.

Hold on tight! Blockbuster...

The American TV-movie has gained a bad rap over the years, but there was a time when folks looked forward to these flicks — and not in an ironic sense or a need to hate-watch.

That period of kinder and less cynical viewership was surely in the 1970s and ’80s when the made-for-television movie became more widespread. The “movie of the week” format took off in the former decade, with the major networks at the time devoting blocks in their schedules to these standalone, small-screen features. And one of the more revisited genres was horror. Duel, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Trilogy of Terror, Are You in the House Alone?, The Initiation of Sarah. These are just a few of the classic telefilms that scared a whole generation of viewers.

There have been great strides to archive and restore these past horror TV-movies,...

Pumpkin spice is flowing, autumn leaves are turning and it’s time to start watching some of your seasonal favorites. But Fall’s arrival also brings a new challenge every year — figuring out where all the best Halloween movies are streaming right now.

If you’re looking for family-friendly Halloween movies, Peacock has a handful of the essentials, most notably the “Harry Potter” films, as well as “Casper,” “Blippi Celebrates Dia De Los Muertos” and “Scared Shrekless.”

With 150+ new Halloween titles in September and October, Peacock also has the “Leprechaun,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “The Purge” franchises, along with plenty of great standalone horror movies for the Halloween season, from teen screams like “The Craft” and “Jennifer’s Body” to classics like “The Fly” and “Christine.”

Want some underrated horror movies you might not have seen to celebrate this Halloween? No worries, they’ve got that too,...

Spooky season is nearly here.

And Peacock, Universal’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform, has just unveiled its Halloween programming line-up, full of tricks and treats from the studio’s back catalog, as well as two new series (“Teacup” and “Hysteria!”) for some fresh scares.

In 2022 and ’23, there was at least one big Blumhouse movie that simultaneously debuted on Peacock — in ’22, it was David Gordon Green’s trilogy-capping “Halloween Ends” and last year, it was the video game adaptation “Five Nights at Freddy’s”. This year doesn’t have anything quite like that, but it’s still a powerful collection of titles for every viewer.

The Sept. 1 batch includes classics like “Bride of Frankenstein,” “It Came From Outer Space” and “Werewolf of London;” 1980s favorites like “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” “The Funhouse” and “The Thing;” along with more modern hits like the original “Candyman,” Jordan Peele’s “Us” and several entries in the “Saw” franchise.

This year, Peacock is bringing everything you need to face your fears, with more than 150 new Halloween titles heading to the service through October.

From Universal classics like Frankenstein, The Raven, and Phantom of the Opera to nostalgic favorites like Child’s Play, The Craft, and Candyman to frightening franchises like Saw, The Purge, and Leprechaun, and the best of Blumhouse like Get Out, Halloween Kills, and Happy Death Day, Peacock has all the titles to get you into the Halloween spirit.

Two new originals – James Wan’s horror series Teacup and the satanic panic thriller Hysteria! – and The Mouse Trap‘s streaming debut will also be available.

Peacock Halloween 2024 Lineup

Peacock Originals

October 10: Teacup (Peacock Original)

New Episodes: October 17, October 24; Finale: October 31

Teacup follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Inspired by...

Peacock invites you to face your fears this Halloween with more than 150 new horror titles headed to the streaming service from September 1 straight through All Hallow’s Eve.

From Universal classics, like Frankenstein, The Raven and Phantom Of The Opera, and nostalgic favorites, like Child’S Play, The Craft and Candyman, to frightening franchises, like Saw, The Purge and Leprechaun, and the best of Blumhouse, like Get Out, Halloween Kills and Happy Death Day, Peacock aims to be “your Halloween HQ with a full spectrum of scares to enjoy.”

Not to mention, two new originals – James Wan’s horror series, Teacup, and satanic panic thriller, Hysteria! – as well as the streaming debut of The Mouse Trap.

Here’s the full Halloween 2024 lineup from Peacock…

September 1

30 Days Of Night (2007)

Amityville II: The Possession

Amityville 3-D

The Amityville Harvest

Amityville Moon

The Amityville Uprising

Bride Of Frankenstein

Candyman (1992)

Child’s Play (1988)

The Creature Walks Among Us...

Peacock was the underdog streaming service of the summer with the broadcast of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Now, NBCUniversal’s little streamer that could is gearing up to be the primo destination for spooky season. On Tuesday, Peacock declared its intent to “be your Halloween HQ” this year with the addition...

Bailee Madison's final girl role in Pretty Little Liars is a reminder to revisit The Strangers: Prey at Night. The 2018 horror sequel provided her with her first opportunity to play a final girl. The underrated horror sequel combines slasher thrills and 1980s atmosphere.

Bailee Madison's recent television success is a powerful reminder to revisit her early horror movie The Strangers: Prey at Night. Now 24 years old, the former child actor is known for a variety of onscreen roles beginning with a supporting part in the 2007 children's book adaptation Bridge to Terabithia. Some of her most notable titles include the comedy movies Just Go with It and Parental Guidance, the Christian summer camp musical A Week Away, and the television shows Wizards of Waverly Place (in which she played a gender-swapped version of major character Max Russo), The Fosters, and Good Witch.

However, quite a few Bailee Madison movies and...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, Australian actor James Mackay has signed with Elevate Entertainment.

Mackay made his feature film debut in Guillermo del Toro’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) starring alongside Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce. In the remake of the 1973 TV movie of the same name, a family moves to Rhode Island where the patriarch Alex Hurst (Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) are restoring a 19th-century mansion. Alex’s daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) discovers a hidden, long-undisturbed basement and unwittingly unleashes a race of dark-dwelling creatures. Mackay portrayed the librarian.

In the 2015 film The Dressmaker, Mackay starred as William Beaumont working opposite Kate Winslet and Sarah Snook. Other film credits include Searchlight’s Battle of the Sexes alongside Emma Stone and Steve Carrell, Hacksaw Ridge for Lionsgate opposite Andrew Garfield and Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, among others.

On the television side,...

A lot of people ask me, "Creepy, how did you first come to love horror movies so much?" Well, growing up in the Seventies, there was plenty to go around. There were TV classics like Gargoyles, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and any number of TV Movies of the Week, and there was also...

There was also a ton of weird and quirky bits of monster-themed kids programming. Usually "The Munsters" and "The Land of the Lost" get all the love, and rightly so. They're absolute classics. That being said, we're gonna talk about some other things here. Things you may not have known even existed. For instance, were you aware that way before Venkmen, Spengler, Stantz and Zeddmore there was a whole other set of Ghostbusters? How about a different Monster Squad? Got your attention? Good. Sit back, relax, and get ready to soak up some lunacy as we revisit.

Flashback Weekend is the Windy City's largest and longest running horror film convention, and for its 10th Anniversary the con is pulling out all the stops. It runs from August 10th through 12th, and we have all the info you need right here!

Fans in attendance have the opportunity to see almost three dozen of their favorite genre icons and attend autograph sessions and film panel discussions. They can also check out the large vendor room featuring tons of movie memorabilia and collectibles along with experiencing live horror theater, several movie screenings and after parties.

And as if all that isn't enough, Flashback Weekend is hosting a special concert featuring "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"/"Angel" bad boy James Marsters, who'll be on hand to perform in honor of his birthday at the con.

Flashback Weekend has announced its official line-up to ring in its 10th Anniversary; check out all the details below,...

Okay, this is odd. This is the first M.O.D. I've ever gotten a second edition of. Yes, Warner released Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) about a year ago in the manufacture on demand format and now they've gone back and released it again in a nicely remastered special edition with an audio commentary. But hey, who's complaining?  This is truly a better visual experience and it's clearly motivated by the release of the new film. Purists look out. The commentary by Steve 'Uncle Creepy' Barton (Dread Central), screenwriter Jeff Reddick (Final Destination, Day of the Dead) and Fangoria's Sean Abley, though full of solid info about the film, is a little irreverent. The bottom line is that Kim Darby is still out there,...

John Newland's 1973 made-for-tv drama "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is widely considered a high water mark for feature-length broadcast productions. Produced as an ABC movie of the week, it belonged to a series that also included Steven Spielberg's "Duel" and the early Michael Douglas vehicle "Shattered Silence," among many others. Those with adolescent memories of watching Newland's movie usually recall its genuine frights, an experience made particularly resonant ...

We have an exclusive clip from the upcoming Warner Archive title Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which will be available on DVD August 23, three days before the remake Don't Be Afraid of the Dark hits theaters on August 26. Click on the video player below for a glimpse at this 1973 TV movie starring Kim Darby and Jim Hutton.

Click to watch Exclusive: Blackout!

clickHere to order this new DVD from Warner Archive.

It's back! The classic TV Mow that continues to cast a spell almost 40 years after it was first broadcast, in a new remastered and enhanced edition. Sally (Kim Darby) and Alex Farnham's (Jim Hutton) marriage has a sinister wedge driven through it, when her occult "imaginings" threaten to derail his career after they inherit Sally's grandmother's house. Also starring William Demarest.

Special Features:

Audio Commentary by Steven "Uncle Creepy" Barton (Dread Central), screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination, Day of the Dead...

On August 23rd Warner Archive will be making the 1973 TV movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark available for the first time on DVD, completely remastered in a special edition, and we have an exclusive clip from it!

Synopsis: It's back! The classic TV Mow directed by John Newland that continues to cast a spell almost 40 years after it was first broadcast, in a new remastered and enhanced edition.

Sally (Kim Darby) and Alex Farnham’s (Jim Hutton) marriage has a sinister wedge driven through it when her occult "imaginings" threaten to derail his career after they inherit Sally's grandmother's house.

Also starring Barbara Anderson and William Demarest.

In addition to the film, the DVD contains a "superfan" commentary track by yours truly along with screenwriter Jeffrey Riddick (Final Destination) and Fangoria's Sean Ably.

Check out the exclusive clip below, and pre-order your copy today from Warner Archive.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

John Newland's 1973 made-for-tv drama "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is widely considered a high water mark for feature-length broadcast productions. Produced as an ABC movie of the week, it belonged to a series that also included Steven Spielberg's "Duel" and the early Michael Douglas vehicle "Shattered Silence," among many others. Those with adolescent memories of watching Newland's movie usually recall its genuine frights, an experience made particularly resonant ...

Don't Listen To Them. Don't Turn Off The Lights. And Most Importantly...Don't Let Them Out. Your probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about? Well my friends, feast on this bag of goodies below and you'll questions will soon be answered. Can I just tell you how freaking excited I am to see this remake of one of my all-time childhood favorites, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. The film which is directed by Troy Nixie and produced by Guille…...

The first trailer we got for Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark felt more like a teaser. Now Empire has the exclusive on a longer, creepier, yet not too revealing international trailer. I've known to stay the f*ck away from anything that says, "Come play with us" thanks to The Shining. No, I will not come play with you. Go find someone else to prey on Satan! I have an axe! Little Sally is constantly tormented by these tiny creatures who want to take her to claim her as their own. Yeah,...

The upcoming thriller Colombiana isn't the first time writer/director/producer Luc Besson has taken a female character from unfortunate circumstances and tried to turn them into an assassin. But instead of being a junkie criminal (La Femme Nikita) or a 12-year-old apprentice, Zoe Saldana plays Cataleya, a woman who has become a hitman after witnessing her parents' murder in Bogota, Colombia, when she was nine. While she works for her uncle by day, she continues to search for the mobster responsible for her parents' deaths.

An action-packed teaser trailer debuted earlier this month, which showed Saldana performing her job even if she wasn't wearing very much. A recently released poster again focuses on Saldana, and slightly alters the trailer tagline from "vengeance is beautiful" to "revenge is beautiful."

Another small change is the movie's release date. Set for an early September opening, Colombiana has been moved up a week...

Crazy Fat Ethel (2012) News has just broke of another planned horror film remake! This time around it's a remake of Criminally Insane. While I believe in the potential of some like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, because they have the ability to relate the story in a new and refreshing way. There is others I wasn't so fond of like The Omen remake, because it was pretty much a purposeless shot for shot remake of the original. As for a Criminally Insane remake, I'm not ready to put a ringing endorsement on it yet, but I do believe one of the reasons as to why it is acceptable to remake a film, is because it can be improved upon. With this remake, I believe the filmmakers have the potential to improve upon it and create a distinctive film with cult ish possibilities. 

This remake of the 1975 horror film, Criminally Insane,...

By Annlee Ellingson

(from Moving Pictures, spring issue, 2011)

Even if you’re not in school anymore, summertime evokes vacation: lazy afternoons at the pool under the hot sun, cool nights spent at sleepaway camp, sweaty cross-country road trips in the back of the family station wagon — or, these days, SUV. It’s perhaps these warm feelings that the studios are attempting to tap into with summer slates rife with films that aim to induce laughter.

Sure, the summer months are best-known for high-concept, special effects-laden blockbusters (see this year’s “Priest” in May, “Super 8” in June and “Cowboys & Aliens” in July), comic-book adaptations (including “Thor,” “Green Lantern” and “Captain America”) and the requisite sequels: “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “X-Men,” “Transformers,” “Harry Potter” and “Final Destination” all have installments coming out in April through August.

“There is a reason that studios make sequels and franchises, and that reason is simple: audience demand,...

By Annlee Ellingson

(from Moving Pictures, spring issue, 2011)

Even if you’re not in school anymore, summertime evokes vacation: lazy afternoons at the pool under the hot sun, cool nights spent at sleepaway camp, sweaty cross-country road trips in the back of the family station wagon — or, these days, SUV. It’s perhaps these warm feelings that the studios are attempting to tap into with summer slates rife with films that aim to induce laughter.

Sure, the summer months are best-known for high-concept, special effects-laden blockbusters (see this year’s “Priest” in May, “Super 8” in June and “Cowboys & Aliens” in July), comic-book adaptations (including “Thor,” “Green Lantern” and “Captain America”) and the requisite sequels: “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “X-Men,” “Transformers,” “Harry Potter” and “Final Destination” all have installments coming out in April through August.

“There is a reason that studios make sequels and franchises, and that reason is simple: audience demand,...

If The Debt seems familiar, that's because it was supposed to come out last year but got caught up in the Miramax business shift (as did Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark) before Focus grabbed it for release. Now we'll see Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington in different time frames tracking down Nazi war criminals. The movie (a remake of the 2007 Israeli film) comes from Shakespeare In Love director John Madden, with a script by X-men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn and his writing partner Jane...

Katie Holmes, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark The Los Angeles Film Festival has announced Guillermo del Toro as Guest Director of its 2011 edition. Del Toro will also introduce the festival's closing night film, Troy Nixey's Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, on June 26 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 L.A. Live. Del Toro co-wrote the horror film's screenplay with Matthew Robbins. Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison star. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is based on a 1973 telefilm "that del Toro believes is the scariest TV production ever made." Directed by John Newland, the TV movie starred True Grit's Kim Darby and Jim Hutton. The new version has added a child to the proceedings. From the Los Angeles Film Festival's press release: The story follows Sally (Madison), a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father (Pearce) and his new...

It feels like the wait for Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark has been forever. First it was to be released in January, then August 12th, now August 26th. It's been awhile since we really got anything from the movie. We got a pretty creepy trailer back in August of 2010, but have had nothing since then to satisfy us. Luckily, Fangoria found the poster in The New York Times over the weekend and gave it a scan for everyone else to see. Obviously ignore the whole August 12th thing. It's always...

The scheduling dance continues.

Already set for an August 26 release, director Steven Quale's 3-D sequel Final Destination 5 has been moved back two weeks to August 12, ComingSoon reports.

According to our Summer Movie Guide, that puts Final Destination 5 next to fellow horror movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, the action/comedy 30 Minutes or Less, and the drama The Help.

The sequel again follows a group of survivors after a premonition thwarts death, with the fifth movie involving a suspension bridge disaster. Emma Bell (Frozen), Nicholas D'Agosto (Fired Up), and P.J. Byrne (Dinner for Schmucks).

Next Showing:

Apollo 18 - Trailer

Trailer for Apollo 18

Link | Posted 4/29/2011 by Ryan

Apollo 18 | Final Destination 5...

Some changes to the summer movie schedule. New Line/Warner Bros. has moved Final Destination 5 up two weeks from August 26th to August 12th.

30 Minutes or Less, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and The Help will also be released on August 12.

The Weinstein Company has also moved one of its movies that's seen a lot of different dates - Apollo 18 was originally supposed to be released in April, but was then moved back all the way to January 6, 2012 and is now back in 2011 on August 26th.

It will be competing with Our Idiot Brother, although that is also a Weinstein Co. release, so it may be in for some scheduling changes as well.

There's been some changes to the late summer season today. New Line/Warner Bros. decided to move up Final Destination 5 two weeks from August 26th to August 12th. The other releases scheduled for that new date are 30 Minutes or Less , Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and The Help . The Weinstein Company saw this as an opportunity to move Apollo 18 back to this year, taking it off of January 6, 2012 and putting it at August 26th. The studio has Our Idiot Brother scheduled for that date as well, so one would assume it will be moving that comedy to a new spot.

New Line Cinema (Warner Bros.) has pushed up the release date for Final Destination 5 two weeks from August 26th to August 12th.

Other films to be released August 12th include 30 Minutes or Less, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and The Help.

The Weinstein Company's Apollo 18 has also been shifted from a scheduled January 6th, 2012 release to August 26, 2011.

Final Destination 5 comes to theaters August 26th, 2011 and stars Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Nicholas D'Agosto, Ellen Wroe, Meghan Ory, P.J. Byrne, Tony Todd, David Koechner. The film is directed by Steven Quale.

Apollo 18 comes to theaters January 6th, 2012. The film is directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego.

There's been some changes to the late summer season today. New Line/Warner Bros. decided to move up Final Destination 5 two weeks from August 26th to August 12th. The other releases scheduled for that new date are 30 Minutes or Less , Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and The Help . The Weinstein Company saw this as an opportunity to move Apollo 18 back to this year, taking it off of January 6, 2012 and putting it at August 26th. The studio has Our Idiot Brother scheduled for that date as well, so one would assume it will be moving that comedy to a new spot.

It's been a long, brutal winter in most parts of the country, so it's no surprise that even Hollywood is looking to get a jump on summer. The rollout of blockbuster movies starts this Friday, a full month before the Memorial Day Weekend.

As you'd expect (and hope), the mix of movies being offered up is heavy on the Action/Adventure movies (11) and Comedies (10). There's also plenty of offerings for Kids/Families (8). What's new this year is the addition of more R-rated comedies, thanks in no small measure to The Hangover's runaway success two summers back. Along with it's sequel, see what else is playing this summer — complete with trailers and photo galleries.

See the 2011 Summer Movie Guide >>

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 4/25/2011 by reelz

Priest | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | The Hangover 2 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | X-Men: First Class | Mr. Popper's Penguins | Cars 2 | Larry Crowne | Monte Carlo...

Made for television horror films thrived in the 70's with strong offerings like Trilogy of Terror, Satan's School For Girls, The Initiation of Sarah, and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. However, in the 80's there was a decline in quality. In the 90's TV horror movies thrived yet again, especially those that were adpatations of Stephen King books. We got such films as It (1990), Sometimes They Come Back, The Stand, The Tommyknockers, The Longoliers and the Shining (1997). My pick for favorite made for television horror film is also another adaptation of a Stephen King work and a remake at that. Before you get all made at me for picking a remake, let me argue the facts of the case. So I give you…..

Salem's Lot (2004) - A remake of a made for television movie. This remake of Salem's Lot also premiered on TV on the TNT network. The film...

Source Code

Opens: April 1st 2011

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright

Director: Duncan Jones

Summary: A decorated soldier discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. The experiment is a program that enables him to re-live another man's identity in the last eight minutes of his life which he must do repeatedly to find the truth.

Analysis: Two years ago British filmmaker Duncan Jones delivered his indie debut feature "Moon", a little seen but critically acclaimed sci-fi tale that was essentially Sam Rockwell acting alone or against himself. It was fresh, innovative, somber and overall heralded the arrival of a director to watch out for. After failing to secure funding for his next project, Jones quickly hopped onto the helm of this high-concept action/time travel blockbuster.

Naturally came the calls of Jones being a sell out, after all the...

The Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Ratings Administration released ratings for Sucker Punch, Scream 4, Limitless and more in this afternoon's weekly bulletin.Sucker Punch was rated PG-13 for "thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language." This marked director Zach Snyder's first live-action PG-13 movie, as his previous ones (Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen) were all rated R. The rating indicated an obvious attempt at welcoming a younger audience, which seems logical considering that Sucker Punch's main female characters all appear to be teenagers. Sucker Punch opens March 25 opposite Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. Unsurprisingly, Scream 4 received an R rating for "strong bloody violence, language and some teen drinking." That's the same rating as the previous three Scream movies, which combined to earn over $500 million worldwide. Scream 4 opens April 15 against Blue Sky Animation's Rio. Limitless earned a PG-...

Thanks to the complicated sale of Miramax, two upcoming titles - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Last Night - have been caught in limbo. Recently, however, the tide has turned and both projects have seen forward motion, the former recently getting an August 12 release date and the latter landing a distribution deal. In celebration, we now have the second trailer for Last Night. Posted by Miramax on their YouTube page, Keira Knightly and Sam Worthington play a married couple who suddenly find themselves in dangerous situations. Worthington is on a business trip with his beautiful co-worker, played by Eva Mendes and Knightly runs into an old flame, played by Guillaume Canet. Set over the course of one night, the question is whether or not they can resist temptation and stay loyal to each other. Check out the trailer below. function getVideo() { var so = new SWFObject("http://cdn.springboard.

The orphaned Miramax films are finding new homes. Last week we heard that The Debt, John Madden's film that is (partially) about a group of Mossad agents tracking a Nazi war criminal locked distribution via Focus Features. Now Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, the remake of a '70s TV chiller co-written and produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by newcomer Troy Nixey, will go out to Us screens via the new company FilmDistrict. I'm quite happy about this. We loved the footage shown last year at Comic Con [1], and the film has played well at some small festival appearances. It looked for a while last year like Disney was going to directly distribute the film, and while I wanted to see it hit theaters that didn't seem like the best way to do it. But Guillermo del Toro has a good relationship with FilmDistrict's Bob Berney thanks to Pan's Labyrinth,...

The Debt was originally scheduled to come out at the end of last year (you can watch the trailer here), but the prolonged Miramax deal left the drama on the shelf without a release date (same for the other remaining Miramax title, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark). The Debt has now found a home at Focus Features, which will release the flick on August 31st. Hit the jump to check out the press release. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), The Debt features an impressive cast that includes Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Ciarán Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson. Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass) wrote the screenplay with Peter Straughan. Here's the press release: New York, NY and Santa Monica, CA, February 9th, 2011 – The espionage thriller The Debt will be distributed for Miramax by Focus Features and Universal Pictures International (Upi). Focus will release The Debt in the U.

Machine Gun Preacher

Opens: 2011

Cast: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll, Kathy Baker

Director: Marc Forster

Summary: After finding God, drug-dealing biker Sam Childers renounces his outlaw ways and embarks on a spiritual path, becoming a crusader for hundreds of desperate and helpless children who were being forced to become soldiers in war-torn southern Sudan.

Analysis: Despite taking the freshly rejuvenated James Bond franchise and nearly destroying it with the very disappointing "Quantum of Solace", German-Swiss filmmaker Marc Forster still has a decent amount of good will left thanks to strong earlier efforts like "Monster's Ball," "Finding Neverland," "Stranger Than Fiction" and "The Kite Runner".

Now, in his first film since that Bond outing, Forster returns to serious drama with this true story tale of a biker who became a humanitarian crusader for children in the Sudan. The story itself is fascinating, the born again Sam Childers and...

Catch .44

Opens: 2011

Cast: Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll

Director: Aaron Harvey

Summary: The story focuses on three women being thrust into an extraordinary situation involving a psychopathic hitman, a grizzled trucker and a delusional line cook.

Analysis: Oddly little is known about this indie crime comedy aside from the three lead female roles have gone through more than a couple of rounds of casting musical chairs. The likes of Maggie Grace, Kate Mara, Laura Ramsey, Sarah Roemer, Lizzy Caplan and Lauren German were all attached at one point or another before the final trio of Malin Akerman ("Watchmen"), Nikki Reed ("Twilight") and Deborah Ann Woll ("True Blood") were settled on.

Bruce Willis, Forest Whitaker, Michael Rosenbaum and Brad Dourif also star with Willis as a crime boss behind everything that happens and Whitaker as a dangerously unstable assassin. Aaron Harvey, who last directed...

The Beaver

Opens: March 23rd 2011

Cast: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence

Director: Jodie Foster

Summary: A depressed toy company CEO with a failed marriage starts to wear a beaver puppet on his hand as a form of therapy, much to the initial bemusement of his family. He soon begins talking only through the character.

Analysis: This time last year, excitement was quietly brewing for "The Beaver". Gibson's drunken tirade a few years before hand wasn't forgotten, but enough time had passed that this looked to be the year of a potential comeback for the actor.

The thriller remake "Edge of Darkness" and this were his first on screen roles in ten years, 'Beaver' is also his "Maverick" co-star Foster's return to the director's chair fifteen years after her last feature. The script topped the 2008 Black List and scored rave reviews for its blend of sophisticated humor and sad pathos,...

The Beaver

Opens: March 23rd 2011

Cast: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence

Director: Jodie Foster

Summary: A depressed toy company CEO with a failed marriage starts to wear a beaver puppet on his hand as a form of therapy, much to the initial bemusement of his family. He soon begins talking only through the character.

Analysis: This time last year, excitement was quietly brewing for "The Beaver". Gibson's drunken tirade a few years before hand wasn't forgotten, but enough time had passed that this looked to be the year of a potential comeback for the actor.

The thriller remake "Edge of Darkness" and this were his first on screen roles in ten years, 'Beaver' is also his "Maverick" co-star Foster's return to the director's chair fifteen years after her last feature. The script topped the 2008 Black List and scored rave reviews for its blend of sophisticated humor and sad pathos,...

Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.

Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).

I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...

Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.

Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).

I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...

What better time of year than right now to review the classic Dark Night Of The Scarecrow. Back in March we announced that Dark Night was Finally making its way to DVD and thanks to our friend John Sullivan aka The Creepy Custodian we have a full review for you Bidites to feast on...

Through the 70's and by the early 80's, the horror genre was finding it's way to a brand new audience. Made-for-tv movies such as "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" (1973), "Stranger in Our House" (Later re-titled Summer of Fear) (1978), "Midnight Offerings" (1981) and "Don't Go To Sleep" (1982), were scaring their way into living rooms and reaching a broader range of people who normally might not be exposed to these kinds of films or to the horror community in general. And while these were not big theatrical releases with huge promotional campaigns, because of excellent screenwriting and storyline,...

Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's Cabin In The Woods isn't the only upcoming horror movie that's completed but caught in limbo because of studio problems. Now the remake of Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark has been bounced from its planned release on January 21, 2011 -- because it's a Miramax movie and that sub-studio is currently in the process of being sold by Disney. The movie (along with the Sam Worthington starrer The Debt) will find a new distribution partner after the deal finishes, but...

Briefly: Miramax essentially has new owners, but the process of handing the reins of the studio over from Disney to Ron Tutor and Colony Capital isn't a speedy one. Given that Miramax hasn't got many films, there won't be deep repercussions if the deal takes some time. But Deadline says that the process has pushed The Debt (trailer) and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (trailer), previously scheduled for December 29 and late January, into new Tbd dates. I hope this actually works out better for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which was recently given a rave by the La Times. The paper called it "intensely scary" and praised " its restraint and creative use of sound." The January date can be a dumping ground, so hopefully this will put the movie in a new spot where it can really find and audience.

Originally due for release January 21, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark 's release is going to face a delay. According to Deadline, you can thank Walt Disney's Miramax deal for that. You see, Miramax is in line to be acquired by Colony Capital. Until that deal is finalized later this year/early-2011, it looks like Dark 's release will have to wait a spell. When it does hit the screen, it will debut under Colony's Filmyard banner.