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John McNaughton is a filmmaker without prejudice when it comes to genre or budget; the stark horror of “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” is as far from the deliriously gorgeous excess of “Wild Things” as that film is from the experimental documentary “Condo Painting,” and “Mad Dog and Glory” proves McNaughton could have been an accomplished studio stylist had he chosen to go that way.

The variety in his work stems from how McNaughton has always seen directing — and life — as an endeavor that necessitated trying new things. “Before I became a filmmaker, there were many things I wanted to do, and I did them,” McNaughton told IndieWire. “I joined a traveling carnival, built sailboats, and when I lived in New Orleans, I wound up buying silver jewelry and cutting gemstones. Because life is an adventure. And once I became a filmmaker, it was a similar thing.”

From September...

NCIS season 21 introduced paranormal elements but narrowly avoided an alien twist in "Strange Invaders." The levitating killer turned out to be a powerful AI, highlighting a national security threat. The unresolved storyline from season 21 will likely continue in NCIS season 22, possibly involving the Tony & Ziva spinoff.

NCIS season 22 needs to pay off an outlandish storyline that almost broke the entire series. The story began in NCIS season 21, packed with enthralling moments despite a shortened season due to the WGA strike. NCIS season 21 delivered a tribute to the series' most senior cast member at the time, Dr. Donald Ducky Mallard, after David McCallum died at 90. The season also delivered the 1000th episode of the NCIS franchise. While that would have been more than enough for the 10-episode set, season 21 also introduced paranormal elements to the shared NCIS universe.

It's to be determined whether Jessica Knight will be around to weigh in...

Geralyn Marie Betzler worked on several movies throughout the ’80s and ’90s. On her first feature, 1985’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, she was credited by her full birth name, but as her screen acting career went on she would take credit as either Geri Betzler or Zoe Trilling – and it’s that second name that most fans seem to know her by. Among her credits are episodes of Guiding Light, 21 Jump Street, and Married… with Children, and the films Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes, They Came from Outer Space, The Borrower, Dr. Giggles, Night Terrors, Hellbound, and Leprechaun 3 – but her most popular role may be in the 1994 horror comedy Night of the Demons 2, where she stole the show as bad girl Shirley Finnerty. Sadly, just as Night of the Demons 2 is reaching Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, it has been confirmed that Betzler / Trilling passed away...

Screambox has revealed the new films that are joining the horror streaming service in April, including the 1982 classic Creepshow, Child’s Play doc Living with Chucky, the brand new Japanese remake of Cube, Stephen King masterpiece Needful Things, Aussie-set wild boar horror Razorback, found footage favorite Hell House LLC, and Night of the Living Dead-inspired Screambox Original Shifted.

From the masters of the macabre, George A. Romero and Stephen King’s preeminent horror anthology Creepshow is now streaming on Screambox! After enjoying five jolting tales of terror, viewers can go behind the scenes with the Screambox Exclusive documentary Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow.

Also joining Screambox today are Needful Things, the 1991 Stephen King adaptation starring Ed Harris (The Abyss) and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist); The Borrower, a sci-fi horror hybrid from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer director John McNaughton; and Razorback, an ’80s killer boar movie directed by Russell Mulcahy.

Hello, everyone! We have a brand new batch of horror and sci-fi home media releases, and all things considered, it’s a relatively quiet week of genre goodness headed our way on Tuesday. For all you Goblin King fans out there, Sony is celebrating Labyrinth’s 35th anniversary with a brand new 4K release, and for those of you who enjoy John McNaughton’s work, Scream Factory is showing some love to The Borrower as well.

Other Blu-ray & DVD releases for August 17th include Stay Out of the Attic, The Maid, Shook, and A Discovery of Witches: Season 2.

The Borrower

From the creative mind of director John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer) comes an eerie tale of an alien killer sentenced to live the rest of his days on Earth for committing unspeakable crimes. The strange insect-like creature arrives in a lone spaceship. When he arrives on our planet,...

A deadly shapeshifter takes what it means to be human away from his victims in the new movie Lifechanger, and with the new horror thriller coming out soon in the Us from Uncork'd Entertainment and in Canada from Raven Banner, Daily Dead caught up with writer/director Justin McConnell for our latest Q&A feature to discuss the movie's inception in 2014, the cinematic influences pulsating in the movie's DNA, and the massive practical effects scene that took the combined efforts of 10 people to pull off.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us, and congratulations on your latest film, Lifechanger. When and how did you originally come up with the idea for this movie?

Justin McConnell: In 2014 I was getting frustrated with not being able to get a couple of larger films—The Eternal and Tripped—made. So I started brainstorming an idea that could be done on a very limited budget.

It’s very exciting to see ambition in the world of horror. Yes, pleasure can and always will be derived from one more well formed slice of the blade or swing of the axe. However, occasionally a filmmaker comes on the scene overflowing with imagination and verve, a need to spew forth fresh ideas, or at the very least, a new take on a haggard trope. And then you have Fred Dekker, who decided for his first feature to include everything he loved about exploitation, horror and sci-fi, into one glorious, hearty stew that bafflingly flew under the radar at the time of its release. And like a good stew, the more it simmers, the sweeter the taste. 30 years later, Night of the Creeps (1986) will fill you up and have you begging for more.

Released by Tri-Star Pictures in late August, Creeps pulled in under $600,000 on a $5,000,000 Us budget. The...

Stars: Michael Shannon, Samantha Morton, Peter Fonda, Natasha Calis, Charlie Tahan, Peter Fonda, Leslie Lyles | Written by Stephen Lancellotti | Directed by John McNaughton

John McNaughton, enfante-terrible of the BBFC thanks to his stunning 1986 debut feature Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, returns to genre film making after two decades away from horror (his Masters of Horror episode in 2006 is his only “horror” credit in 25 years), with Can’t Come Out to Play, a psychological thriller starring Britain’s very own Samantha Morton and everyone’s favourite Superman villain, Michael Shannon, who play married medical professionals Katharine and Richard Young who keep their sick son Andy isolated from the outside world in their remote countryside house.

However that isolation is broken when Maryann, following the death of her parents, moves in with her grandparents just down the road. Having left all she knows behind and feeling alone, she eventually befriends Andy...

“Otis, plug it in!”

It’s been a tough week for horror fans. First Robert Z’Dar passed away, and now Tom Towles. The actor would have a cult following if he had co-starred in nothing else but Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer in 1986. His Otis was based on Ottis Toole, the vile drifter who, along with Henry Lee Lucas (played in the film by Michael Rooker), left a trail of bodies in their wake. Towles was scary-good as Otis, and went on to co=star in a number of cult horror films including Tom Savini’s Night Of The Living Dead remake, The Borrower, and Fortress. Towles became a regular for director Rob Zombie with roles in House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’S Rejects, and Halloween. He had not appeared in a film since 2008, but had become a staple on the horror movie convention circuit. He died...

Stars: Michael Shannon, Samantha Morton, Peter Fonda, Natasha Calis, Charlie Tahan, Peter Fonda, Leslie Lyles | Written by Stephen Lancellotti | Directed by John McNaughton

John McNaughton, enfante-terrible of the BBFC thanks to his stunning 1986 debut feature Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, returns to genre film making after two decades away from horror (his Masters of Horror episode in 2006 is his only “horror” credit in 25 years), with a psychological thriller starring Britain’s very own Samantha Morton and everyone’s favourite Superman villain, Michael Shannon, who play married medical professionals Katharine and Richard Young who keep their sick son Andy isolated from the outside world in their remote countryside house.

However that isolation is broken when Maryann, following the death of her parents, moves in with her grandparents just down the road. Having left all she knows behind and feeling alone, she eventually befriends Andy – despite the vehement protest of his overprotective mother,...

Tiff’s Midnight Madness program turned 25 this year, and for two and half decades, the hardworking programers have gathered some of the strangest, most terrifying, wild, intriguing and downright entertaining films from around the world. From dark comedies to Japanese gore-fests and indie horror gems, the Midnight Madness program hasn’t lost its edge as one the leading showcases of genre cinema. In its 25-year history, Midnight Madness has introduced adventurous late-night moviegoers to such cult faves as Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. But what separates Midnight Madness from, say, Montreal’s three and half week long genre festival Fantasia, is that Tiff selects only ten films to make the cut. In other words, these programmers don’t mess around. Last week I decided that I would post reviews of my personal favourite films that screened in past years. And just like the Tiff programmers,...

I Am Number Four

Opens: February 18th 2011

Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand, Teresa Palmer

Director: D.J. Caruso

Summary: Nine infant aliens flee their home planet to hide out on Earth. The species that destroyed their planet however has followed them and sets out to hunt them down. As the infants grow into teenagers with special powers, three of them are killed. A fourth has fallen in love and now has something to stand up and fight for.

Analysis: In premise and look, this sounds like a big budget and more action-oriented reboot of late sci-fi teen drama "Roswell". Though based on a young adult novel series, it was another title in this category that was the impetus for this adaptation - Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series. Any novels with a focus on teen romance and an other worldly touch are presently being bought up right and...

Wonderin’ where the Chicago Fango schedule is? Well, we’re still tweaking it because we have a few surprise guests! We are happy to report that Jeffrey Combs, the Re-animator himself, will be attending Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held this coming March 6-8 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il).

In addition, Ashley Laurence is back in the lineup! The actress from Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Hellraiser: Hellseeker, plus Lightning Bug, Red, Warlock III and Lurking Fear, will be attending on Saturday, while Combs (also best known for From Beyond, Deep Space Nine, Pit And The Pendulum, The Frighteners, The 4400 and many more) hits the stage on Sunday. In other convention news, sadly, directors Tobe Hooper and R.W. Goodwin had to bow out due to unexpected commitments. The full Fango schedule will be live tomorrow morning. Other guests comin’ to...

WildClaw Theatre, Chicago’s leading horror stage troupe, will bring their brand of terror and the supernatural to the fast-approaching Chicago edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held March 6-8 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il). On Sunday of the event, the local horror theater stalwarts will discuss their previous shows, screen clips of their most outlandish work, answer questions, talk about their upcoming Zombie Bowling and zombie play, The Revenants, then close out the convention with a round of “Scary-aoke,” where the audience will have the opportunity to act out scenes from their favorite horror flicks.

For more about WildClaw Theatre, go here. Other guests comin’ to our Midwest extravaganza (come back tomorrow for the complete schedule!) include:

• George A. Romero: the director of Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, Land Of The Dead,...

The independent horror film Plague Town, which Fango’s Michael Gingold called “a nightmare captured on film,” will make its Midwest premiere at the fast-approaching Chicago edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held March 6-8 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il). The screening will be introduced by writer/director David Gregory.

Plague Town is about a group of American travelers lost in the Irish countryside who run afoul of a group of bloodthirsty, disfigured children. Gregory (pictured with actress Kate Aspinwall and victim) makes his feature debut with the movie, having previously helmed nearly 100 genre documentaries and DVD features, including Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth, Portrait: The Making of Henry, Inside Manhunter, Tom Savini: The Early Years, The Godfathers of Mondo and many more.

Other guests comin’ to our Midwest extravaganza include:

• George A. Romero: the director of Night Of The Living Dead,...

Actor Bill Johnson (left, Leatherface from Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) and John Dugan (right, Grandpa from Hooper’s original Texas Chainsaw) have joined the lineup of the next Chicago edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held March 6-8 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il). Dugan also appeared in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, while Johnson turned up in Future-kill and TV’s Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Other guests comin’ to our Midwest extravaganza include:

• George A. Romero: the director of Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead, Creepshow, Martin, Knightriders and The Dark Half will have the first news and footage from his latest zombie flick

• Tobe Hooper: director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist, Eaten Alive, ’Salem’S Lot, The Mangler, Crocodile,...

Veteran X Files producer/director R.W. Goodwin (pictured), whose new creature-feature comedy Alien Trespass opens this spring from Roadside Attractions, has joined the lineup of the next Chicago edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held March 6-8 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il). Goodwin produced over 70 episodes of The X Files, and directed nine of them.

Alien Tresspass, which stars Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack, Autopsy’s Robert Patrick and The Wonder Years’ Dan Lauria, concerns an Earthly encounter with extraterrestrials both good and bad. Not a spoof or parody, but pretty much a straight film that could have played on the same bill as It Came From Outer Space, Alien Trespass has won raves on the festival circuit. You can find out more here and see a couple of exclusive pics here. Accompanying Goodwin will be his wife Sheila Larkin,...

Director Toby Wilkins (pictured), whose first film Splinter wowed fans last year, has joined the lineup of the next Chicago edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held March 6-8 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il). Wilkins will preview his latest directorial effort, Ghost House Pictures’ The Grudge 3, at the convention, and the Sony Pictures DVD sequel will also be screened at the show.

The Grudge 3 picks up after the previous sequel ended, with the spirit of Kayako and her son still haunting a Chicago apartment building; Saw’s Shawnee Smith and Star Trek’s Marina Sirtis co-star, and rising genre scribe Brad Keene (The Gravedancers, From Within) penned the script. The Grudge 3 debuts March 24 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Other guests comin’ to our Midwest extravaganza include:

• George A. Romero: the director of Night Of The Living Dead,...

Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer co-star Tom Towles has joined the lineup of the next Chicago edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held March 6-8, 2009 at the Wyndham Chicago O’Hare Hotel (6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Il). Besides playing Henry’s henchman Otis, Towles appeared as Lt. George Wydell in both House Of 1000 Corpses (pictured) and The Devil’S Rejects.

He also turned up in Night Of The Living Dead, Halloween, Grindhouse, Home Sick, Fortress, The Borrower and The Pit And The Pendulum. Other guests comin’ to our Midwest extravaganza include:

• George A. Romero: the director of Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead, Creepshow, Martin, Knightriders and The Dark Half will have the first news and footage from his latest zombie flick

• Tobe Hooper: director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre,...