News

One of the greatest but perhaps unsung names in the history of genre cinema is Veronica Cartwright, a legend of sci-fi and horror going back to The Twilight Zone and The Birds (1963). She really gained attention in the late '70s after the one-two punch of Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), where she played Lambert. Now she's back to the genre we love her in, starring opposite Madelyn Dundon (Getting Grace), Michael Steger in The Ruse. Check out more information below.

"When the in-home caregiver assigned to an elderly patient mysteriously vanishes, Dale (Madelyn Dundon) is quickly sent as the replacement nurse. She rushes to the remote seaside home, only to find herself in the middle of chaos—forced to deal with an unruly patient, mysterious neighbors, and terrifying supernatural occurrences that seem to plague the home. Is the house haunted? Or...

Even after decades of masked killers armed with increasingly ludicrous weapons, cinemagoers still flock to theaters to experience the raw thrills of watching homicidal maniacs hunt the most dangerous game. And while there’s nothing wrong with filmmakers choosing to rely on tried-and-true formulas when depicting classic cat-and-mouse conflicts, the sheer amount of these movies means that horror fans often find themselves wishing for riskier takes on these familiar ideas.

Thankfully, there are some brave filmmakers out there that use of the basic premise of a slasher as a jumping off point to tell more creative stories. A recent example of this is Chris Nash’s highly ambitious In a Violent Nature, a Friday-the-13th-inspired horror film told from the melancholy perspective of the undead killer himself. And with the film impressing genre fans with its artsy reinvention of common clichés, we’ve decided to come up with a...

Written and Directed by Stevan Mena on a budget of around $200,000, Malevolence was only released in ten theaters after it was purchased by Anchor Bay and released direct-to-dvd like so many other indie horrors. This one has many of the same pratfalls as its bargain bin brethren, which have probably helped to keep it hidden all these years. But it also has some unforgettable moments that will make horror fans (especially fans of the original Halloween) smile and point at the TV like Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Malevolence is the story of a silent and masked killer told through the lens of a group of bank robbers hiding out after a score. The bank robbery is only experienced audibly from the outside of the bank, but whether the film has the budgetary means to handle this portion well or not, the idea of mixing a...

Lamb of God and Mastodon are each celebrating the 20th anniversary of a landmark album this year, and they’re marking the occasion by embarking on a co-headlining 2024 North American tour. Moreover, they’ll be joined by Slayer guitarist Kerry King’s new eponymous solo band, as well as UK metalcore act Malevolence.

The “Ashes of Leviathan Tour” will see Lamb of God playing Ashes of the Wake in full and Mastodon performing Leviathan in its entirety. Both 2004 albums are considered classics in each band’s discography.

The outing kicks off July 19th in Grand Prairie, Texas, and runs through an August 31st show in Omaha, Nebraska. An artist pre-sale starts today (February 6th) at noon Et using the code LOG20 via Ticketmaster, while a Live Nation presale begins an hour later using the code Energy at the same link. Fans can also check for deals or pick up tickets to sold-out shows via StubHub,...

Priscilla Presley’s Dating History(Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb/wikimedia)

Priscilla Ann Presley, the former wife of Elvis Presley, is a famous personality in the showbiz. Priscilla met the King of Rock n Roll when she was just 14 years old and he was twenty-four. They got married in 1967 and parted ways in 1973. Priscilla never married after her divorce from Elvis; however, she did date some renowned personalities. Today, we bring you a list of celebs, she dated after the demise of her ex-husband.

Priscilla reportedly was interested in modeling and modeled for a local store once. She appeared in movies like The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and more. Priscilla also did the popular soap opera Dallas for a few years; however, Elvis allegedly did not want her to have a career. Scroll below to get the deets.

After separating from Elvis,...

Rock band New Years Day came to WWE Nxt on the road to Halloween for a special performance of their bloodthirsty new single “Vampyre,” which kicked off Nxt Halloween Havoc Night One on Tuesday, October 24. Last night, the band returned for Nxt Halloween Havoc Night Two, this time performing the single “Hurts Like Hell” on Halloween night.

You can watch both performances from the professional wrestling events below!

A reboot of a long-running Halloween tradition in the world of professional wrestling, this year’s two-night Nxt Halloween Havoc was hosted by pro wrestlers Shotzi and Scarlett, and it featured 16 matches across the two nights. Themed matches included a “Lights Out Match” and a “Devil’s Playground Match,” with various wrestlers dressing up in horror costumes.

“We are absolutely ecstatic to have the incredible opportunity to perform alongside our beloved WWE family once more,” shares the band. “WWE Nxt holds a...

Thy Art Is Murder have announced their sixth studio album, Godlike, arriving September 15th via their own label, Human Warfare. The Australian band has also offered up the lead single “Join Me in Armageddon.”

The track opens with dissonant riffing and a death-march tempo — appropriate given the apocalyptic themes at play. From there, the track picks up the pace for some technical grooves and thrashier sections, all while growler Cj McMahon spews forth gallows humor: “Dress warm for nuclear winter.”

“‘Join Me in Armageddon’ is a song that started off with one idea, self destruction,” commented guitarist Andy Marsh in a press release. “I suppose throughout this record, we have ended up touching on a lot of themes that came to the fore these last few years, for us, and maybe you, as well. Loss, distance, doubt, pressure, and tension have made their way through our lives and now are...

Charlie Robinson, known for playing Mac the court clerk in the 1980s and ’90s sitcom “Night Court,” died on Sunday in Los Angeles due to cardiac arrest and cancer. He was 75.

Throughout his 50-year career, Robinson appeared in movies such as “Secret Santa,” “The River,” “Set It Off,” “Antwone Fisher,” “Jackson,” “Even Money” and “Miss Lettie and Me,” and TV series including “Buffalo Bill,” “Home Improvement,” “Mom,” “Hart of Dixie,” “NCIS” and “The Guestbook.”

Born in Houston, Robinson began his career as a theater actor and singer for R&b groups Archie Bell and the Drells and Southern Clouds of Joy. In the late 1960s, Charlie attended Chris Wilson’s acting school, Studio 7, at the Houston Music Theatre. He soon moved to Hollywood and began acting for the screen.

In the 1970s, Robinson acted in films such as “Sugar Hill,” “The Black Gestapo,” “Caribe,” “A Killing Affair” and “The White Shadow.

For myself personally, I've been a huge fan of filmmaker Stevan Mena ever since I first caught a theatrical showing of his debut feature 'Malevolence' back in 2004. You have to keep in mind what was going on in horror at the time. The two ficks I'd seen prior to 'Malevolence' were 'Aliens Vs Predator' and 'The Exorcist: The Beginning,' so I had pretty much given up on the genre at that point. But thankfully, Mena's brutal and relentless "slasher" perfectly captured the essence of the movies I grew up loving; so much so that I later had to reconfirm it was a new movie and not something from the 80's only at that time finally getting a release. But 'Malevolence' was always intended to be the middle part of a more epic trilogy. 'Bereavement' came out in 2010 and told the prequel story of how Martin Bristol became the killer we see in 'Malevolence.

In 2005, Stevan Mena’s debut feature film Malevolence was a surprise hit when it was released theatrically and on DVD. Written, co-produced and directed by Stevan, Malevolence told the shocking but enthralling story of masked serial killer Martin Bristol, whose story hit a nerve with horror fans and mainstream audiences all over the world. Intended as the second act of a sprawling trilogy, fans were rewarded in 2011 when Stevan explored the origins of … Continue reading →...

Martin Bristol is back! Well, he could be back – with your support. Writer-director Stevan Mena is looking to complete his particularly violent three-film “Malevolence”/”Bereavement” series, but, in an effort to steer clear of folks who might insist he tone down the brutality, Mena is making this one totally independently. Taking a cue from the recent surge of films successfully funded via Kickstarter, Mena launched his own campaign for “Malevolence 3.” The films come from a book Mena divided into three stories. The first, the basis for the 2004 release, “Malevolence,” focuses on a group of bank robbers who hide out in an abandoned farmhouse after a heist. Little do [ Read More ]

The post Stevan Mena Launches Malevolence 3 Kickstarter Campaign appeared first on Shockya.com.

Here at Dread Central we're inundated with e-mails every day pertaining to filmmakers who want us to cover their Kickstarter projects. Nine times out of ten we pass because if we didn't we'd be writing all day and who knows if said projects will ever even get made (that is if you're not Veronica Mars).

That being said we only try and cover the ones which we think have a real shot at making it. Such is the case with Stevan Mena and his sequel to both Malevolence and Bereavement entitled Malevolence 3.

From the Press Release

Stevan Mena’s debut feature film Malevolence was a surprise hit when it was released theatrically and on DVD. Written, co-produced and directed by Stevan, Malevolence told the shocking but enthralling story of masked serial killer Martin Bristol, whose story hit a nerve with horror fans and mainstream audiences all over the world. Intended...

Genre fans may recall first seeing actress Alexandra Daddario in Stevan Mena's 'Bereavement', a prequel to his film 'Malevolence', so considering the adversary she had to face off in that film, it seemed to be the perfect training ground for when she'd inevitably go head to head with one of the horror's biggest heavyweights. And there's no bigger one (literally and figuratively) than Leatherface! With 'Texas Chainsaw 3D' arriving in theaters on January 4th, we thought this would be the ideal time to get Alexandra in the hot seat to talk all things Chainsaw Massacre!

First off, just wanted to tell you how much I love your performance in Bereavement. I remember coming to set and (director) Stevan Mena had nothing but nice things to say about you.

No way! That was such an exciting film for me to do, because it was...

It's the most wonderful time of the year again for horror fans! Our very own holiday season, if you will. Everyone has some type of madness on tap to bring on the spooky, especially Hulu and its annual Halloween event: Huluween!

The spotlight this October will be on several premieres from the Starz catalog of fright flicks! Below you'll find the premiere schedule:

October 2nd

Malevolence directed by Stevan Mena, starring R. Brandon Johnson, Samantha Dark and Heather Magee.

October 9th

Dead Space Aftermath directed by Mike Disa and featuring the voices of Bruce Boxleitner and Kelly Hu.

October 16th

Strait Jacket directed by Shinji Ushiro and featuring the voices of Crispin Freeman and Kari Wahlgreen.

October 23rd

Dante's Inferno directed by Mike Disa and featuring the voices of Mark Hamill, Victoria Tennant, Vanessa Branch, and Graham McTavish.

October 30th

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto directed by Rob Zombie...

Bereavement

Stars: Alexandra Daddario, Spencer List, Brett Rickaby, Michael Biehn, Kathryn Meisle, John Savage, Chase Pechacek | Written and Directed by Stevan Mena

What makes somebody evil? Is it just in their nature to be that person, to have the ability to harm others without remorse or is it their environment that builds the monster inside. This is the well-known argument of nature vs. nurture and Bereavement is a film that pushes for the belief that its nurture that creates the monster, that the parent is to blame.

Bereavement is actually the prequel to a movie called Malevolence, looking at the tale of Martin Bristol. In Bereavement we see him as a six year old boy with a rare disease; he lacks the ability to feel pain. When he is kidnapped by a serial killer he is taught that torturing and killing is ok because pain is not felt, which of course he understands.

by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com

2011 was somewhat of a quiet year for the horror genre and me and I still haven’t seen everything I would’ve liked to – but so far, here’s the top 5 horror films of 2011 that made quite an impression on me.

5. Final Destination 5

Let’s face it, they never meant The Final Destination to be the last one.

After all, you really can’t stop death, can you? – Haven’t these film makers learnt anything from their characters?

But seriously, Final Destination 5 was a return to form for the series, after the drab and dreary last two installments. Tony Todd’s return was a welcomed one and the writers threw in this interesting little twist to shake up the familiar formula.

Not all of it worked but damn if it wasn’t tense as all hell – and with one of the year’s best horror soundtracks,...

I’ve started and stopped, deleted, began from scratch, it must be a year end list. I let these things stress me out far more than I should. I have a real problem with ranking films. I feel as, every film I watch, even some bad ones, are enjoyed at different levels, for different reasons. It seems wrong to me to slap an arbitrary number next to it. How do I rank my enjoyment? Especially if it’s due to different factors? Well, the answer is, I don’t. I’m going to list for you, 10 films of 2011 that I feel should be seen. Please don’t take it as an extensive list, as there are still Far too many flicks that were released at some capacity during the year that I gotten around to yet. Keep in mind that that there is no ranking involved. Movies are listed as they come to me,...

Well, folks, 2011 is officially in the can, and surprisingly it wasn't such a horrendous year. It was definitely better than 2010, which was a huge step up from the putrid 2009. We laughed, we applauded, we were left dumbstruck, and of course we were infuriated. Read on for our cheers and jeers!

Now, with a fresh movie-watching start before us, we're taking our usual yearly look back at the good, the bad, the Wtf, and everything in between.

And don't be lazy by just reading along! Get off of your asses and give us your lists in the comments section below. We wanna hear from you if only to compare notes. Lots and lots of notes.

Speaking of notes, the most common complaint we've heard over the years is that we don't have one definitive list representing Dread Central as a whole so for 2011 we dropped everyone's choices in the blender, hit puree,...

With the 11th annual and venerated Screamfest La Film Festival running this Friday, October 14th through Saturday, October 22nd at Manns Chinese 6 in Hollywood, CA, we chatted yesterday with the director of one of the fest's selections, the feature Rites of Spring, and got the skinny on the slasher/hybrid, which is set for its world premiere on Saturday, October 22nd, at 12:00 noon.

Produced by Wes Benton, Bobby Benton, John Norris and Eric Thompson and written and directed by Padraig Reynolds, Rites of Spring stars Aj Bowen (House of the Devil, Hatchet 2), Anessa Ramsey (Footloose, YellowBrickRoad), Sonny Marinelli (Rosewood Lane), Katherine Randolf (Jarhead), Hannah Bryan, Sarah Pachelli, and James Bartz and (according to the film’s synopsis) centers around ‘a group of kidnappers who abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school in the middle of the woods. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers,...

2011 - 107 mins. - Rated Rd: Stevan Mena

C: Alexandra Daddario, Nolan Funk, Michael Biehn, John Savage, Spencer List, Peyton List, Brett Rickaby

Prequel to Malevolence detailing how a serial killer came to be and his earlier escapeds as a child.

Dreary prequel is competently acted, but Bereavement forgets one of the most important things when it comes to making a good horror film – a compelling storyline! Bereavement just drags along from one scene to the next without a sense of urgency or immediacy as the characters are either – A.) tortured B.) feel sad about their home life situation C.) act bonkers D.) or stand alone in complete silence. The final outcome of Bereavement is a given, so there isn’t much suspense as to what is going to happen at the end. Key horror sequences lack the impact that it could have had, due to poor staging, setup. Malevolence was...

Bereavement is the prequel to Stevan Mena's 2004 feature debut Malevolence. In Bereavement, we see how Martin became the brutal psychopath he was in Malevolence. We spoke exclusively to Mena about working on a shoestring budget, directing kids with such intense subject matter, and what we have to look forward to in Malevolence 3. You wrote, produced, directed, edited, scored this movie... Did anyone else work on this film or was it all you? I could have sworn there were some other people lurking around on set [laughs]. No, there were a lot of people. I just get to do the fun stuff. What was it that made you want to take on all these different roles? Basically, a lack of money. Unfortunately...

by Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com

With the excitement surrounding today's Anchor Bay release of Bereavement (review here), we've decided to hook our readers up with a giveaway of the DVD and Blu-ray.

*Contest has ended. Thanks for your interest.

Be sure to also check out our exclusive interview with Bereavement director Stevan Mena and watch the trailer below.

About Bereavement

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, “White Collar”), and Brett Rickaby (The Crazies, The Assassination of Richard Nixon).

In 1989, six-year-old Martin Bristol (Spencer List) was kidnapped from his backyard swing in Minersville, Pa. Graham Sutter (Rickaby), a psychotic recluse, kept Martin imprisoned on his derelict pig farm, forcing...

There are plenty of movies that show what it’s like to be the parent of a missing child. Take movies like Ransom (1996) and Taken (2008), for example. These stories might be so common place now that we’ve become numb to them.

But what about a movie focusing on the kid who has been taken away? Stevan Mena’s Bereavement takes on the concept of growing up under the ever watchful eye of the serial killer captor, Graham Sutter (Bret Rickaby The Crazies 2010).

Martin Bristol (Spencer List Offspring, The Orphan Killer) is just like any other kid, except for the fact that he can’t feel pain. He requires an aid who checks him every hour for cuts, scrapes even broken bones; so when Martin’s mother looks outside to see an empty swing set she doesn’t just worry about his safety, she worries about him staying in one piece.

A follow-up to Stevan Mena's 2004 directorial debut Malevolence, Bereavement is actually a prequel. In it, we get a glimpse at how Martin became the depraved killer he was in Malevolence. Brett Rickaby plays Graham Sutter, the man who kidnapped young Martin. We spoke to Rickaby about how he handles such a dark role (he promises he isn't Method) and Sutter's own tortured childhood. Bereavement is available on DVD and Blu-Ray today. How did this role come about? What about you says, "I would make a good psychopath?" I have an empathy for people who are not normal. Even when I was in school, I was always drawn to more "character roles" than the leading men roles. And back then,...

In 2005 up-and-coming writer/director Stevan Mena set the indie horror world ablaze with his feature film debut, Malevolence, which introduced us to the twisted world of serial killer Martin Bristol, who made a living of capturing and torturing innocent people. For Bereavement, the prequel and second film in the filmmaker's planned trilogy, Mena takes us back to where it all began.

For Martin (Spencer List) that would be the day he was kidnapped by deranged sociopath Graham Sutter (Brett Rickaby) and taken back to Sutter's farm, where the youngster would be groomed over the next five years and molded into a killing machine just like his captor.

Last week Dread Central had the opportunity to talk exclusively with Mena regarding his experiences making Bereavement after assembling a top-notch cast including the aforementioned Rickaby and List as well as Michael Biehn, John Savage and Alexandra Daddario. The writer/director also discussed...

Brett Rickaby has made quite the name for himself in the horror genre over the past year. No, he didn’t have a lead role in The Crazies, but thanks to a particularly disturbing performance, he practically wound up becoming the face of the film. Still, that was only Rickaby scratching the surface of his potential because it’s in Stevan Mena’s Bereavement that the actor really gets the opportunity to show what he’s capable of and, boy, does he seize the opportunity. In 2005′s Malevolence, Mena introduced us to Martin Bristol, a six-year-old boy who was snatched up and emerges as a ruthless killer years later. What happens during that time...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Stevan Mena, the director, writer, and producer of Bereavement. This is the second film in the Malevolence trilogy, with his previous efforts including Malevolence (2004) and Brutal Massacre: A Comedy (2007).

During our interview, Stevan and I got to chat about the actors in the Bereavement, plans for the third film in the trilogy, and a bit about Mena beyond the limelight.

**Spoiler Warning: This interview discusses elements of Malevolence that would be considered spoilers to those that have not seen the film. **

Acting:

For anyone who has seen Malevolence, you probably expect that Bereavement would follow suit in brutality and anguish. While Bereavement continues to pack the ferocious nature seen in Malevolence, one thing it adds to the mix is character growth. Not only does the viewer get more insight into the enigma that is Martin Bristol, but we actually have deeper connections between the characters in general.

In 2005, writer/director Stevan Mena introduced genre fans to the twisted world of serial killer Martin Bristol in his breakout indie horror flick called Malevolence which was the middle part of a trilogy of films surrounding the serial killer as envisioned by storyteller Mena.

Now, the indie horror filmmaking maverick is back with his follow-up to Malevolence called Bereavement (review here), a prequel that introduces us to Martin's world soon after he was kidnapped at age six by psychotic recluse Graham Sutter, who is not only a kidnapper but a serial killer that tortures and kills teenage girls on his pig farm in the middle of nowhere.

Graham raises the young boy to be more like him- by teaching Martin (who suffers from Cipa- a condition that makes it impossible for the youngster to feel any sort of pain) about suffering while Sutter forces the young boy to watch him...

If you didn’t catch “Malevolence” director Stevan Mena’s last horror offering, the slasher flick “Bereavement”, you’re in luck, because Anchor Bay Entertainment has given us two copies of the movie (a standard DVD and a Blu-ray version) to give away to two lucky winners. Head on below to learn more about “Bereavement” and how to enter our free giveaway. The Movie: In 1989, a 6-year-old boy is lured into the vehicle of a stranger. The stranger is a serial killer with a tendency of butchering teenage girls. In the basement of a rural Pennsylvania slaughterhouse, he will teach the boy everything he knows. Five years later, teen Allison (Alexandria Daddario of Hall Pass) comes to live with her uncle (Michael Biehn of The Terminator) following her parents’ death. In time, she will discover the boy and his madman mentor. And they will all be plunged into an unimaginable...

by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com

I’ll start this review off by saying that I loved Malevolence, the film debut of Stevan Mena. I absolutely loved it – it was a horror film made for me. Every aspect worked for me – the look of the film, the feel of the film, the acting, writing, directorial style, and cinematography – every miniscule detail.

I can’t think of an aspect here in this film that I felt didn’t work because all of it did for me.

The film begins to the eerie sound of howling wind and booming thunder, with a brief statement that describes how in the last year, three hundred thousand children were reported missing in the United States. Shortly after this, another statement appears informing the audience of the abduction of six-year-old Martin Bristol from his backyard in 1989. From there, the film truly opens with a nasty, unsettling prologue...

All you gorehounds north of the Border, do yourselves a favor and clear your calendars for this weekend, starting tomorrow, August 25 through August 28. If you haven't yet made plans to be at The Toronto Convention Center to attend the 2011 Fan Expo Canada/Rue Morgue Festival of Fear, don't worry; there's still time. And Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada is about to give you some additional motivation.

Let's start with the featured guests Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada is boasting. Legendary veteran of Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss and Bereavement (and that barely scratches the surface) Michael Biehn will be on hand. Promoting Monster Brawl will be well-traveled Canadians Art Hindle (Black Christmas) and from 300, Robert Maillet (that would be Kurrgan for all you WWE fans).

And speaking of the WWE, what Canadian convention would be complete without Ms. Stratusfaction herself, Trish Stratus. Trish will be on hand to promote Bounty Hunters.

Aside from...

Interview by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com

With the highly anticipated release of the upcoming horror film Bereavement (review here) from Anchor Bay, we decided to sit down with the movies director Stevan Mena and ask him some killer questions.

Check out the full interview below with our writer Jesse Miller and be sure to pick up a copy of Bereavement when it hits shelves on DVD and Blu-ray on August, 30, 2011. Enjoy.

MoreHorror.com Can you tell me where your passion to become a film maker began?

Stevan Mena I always wanted to be a film composer. I grew up listening to the music of John Williams and Bill Conti. As I got older I got interested in all aspects of film, which is probably why I like wearing so many hats as a filmmaker.

Mh What were some of the films that inspired you growing up?

Sm 12 Angry Men, Psycho,...

Review by Jude Felton

In 2005, April to be precise, Stevan Mena’s debut movie was released onto DVD. Being as though at that time I lived in the UK I had to import myself a copy from the good old Us of A. It was money well spent, with the movie being an excellent blend of slasher and crime thriller all washed over with a gritty old school horror movie feel to it.

It has been a long six years since then waiting for Bereavement, which is a prequel to Malevolence. Yes we did get the horror/comedy Brutal Massacre, which was a great fun watch, but I wanted to see more of the story of Martin Bristol and how he evolved into the killer that he is. So then, Bereavement has finally got its release (it also had a limited theatrical release in March 2011) and I will tell you...

Writer/Director Stevan Mena graciously took time out of his schedule to answer a few questions about Bereavement, as well as his earlier movies Malevolence and Brutal Massacre.

Jude Felton (Jf) – Congratulations on Bereavement. I just finished watching it a couple of days ago and have to say that it was well worth the wait. After its limited theatrical release you must be thrilled to finally see it coming to Blu-ray and DVD?

Stevan Mena (Sm) – Yes, the whole process was exhausting as I was involved from writing and production, all the way through distribution, so it’s great to see it finally seeing the light of day. The film wasn’t made, it was forged.

Jf – Bereavement is the prequel to your debut movie Malevolence. At what point did you decide that you wanted to expand on the story from that movie? Was it always the plan? Or did this decision come later on?...

Check out a behind-the-scenes interview with writer/director Stevan Mena as he discusses how Bereavement, his prequel to 2004's slasher hit Malevolence, explores deeper the issues of murder,madness and child abuse to chilling effect.

Bereavement will hit Blu-ray and dvd August 30th

In 1989, a 6-year-old boy is lured into the vehicle of a stranger. The stranger is a serial killer with a tendency of butchering teenage girls. In the basement of a rural Pennsylvania slaughterhouse, he will teach the boy everything he knows. Five years later, teen Allison (Alexandria Daddario of Hall Pass) comes to live with her uncle (Michael Biehn of The Terminator) following her parents’ death. In time, she will discover the boy and his madman mentor. And they will all be plunged into an unimaginable evil from which there may be no escape. Nolan Gerard Funk (Deadgirl), Brett Rickaby (The Crazies), Valentina de Angelis (“Gossip Girl...

by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com

Bereavement is the prequel to Writer/Director Stevan Mena’s 2005 debut film Malevolence – Maybe you’ve heard of it? It was a neat little slasher film that saw a bunch of kidnapping bank robbers and their victims hide away in an abandoned house only to come up against a psychopath that can feel neither pain nor fear. Well, Bereavement is the tragic story behind this madman and how he came to be this way.

The film begins in 1989 when a mysterious man walks into a random backyard, abducts a young boy there and takes him back to an abandoned meat processing facility where he forces him to witness the horrific torture and slaughter of many young women.

Five years later, teenager Allison (Alexandra Daddario) is moving in with her uncle Jonathan (Michael Biehen) and his family after a terrible accident befalls her own family. You’ll have to forgive me,...

The sequel/prequel to the way above average slasher flick Malevolence, entitled Bereavement, is well on its way, and we've got a new behind-the-scenes clip for you to dig on while you wait for it to get here!

From the Press Release: There’s nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena’s Bereavement on Blu-ray™ and DVD.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, “White Collar”), and Brett Rickaby (The Crazies, The Assassination of Richard Nixon).

In...

Check out this video interview with writer/director Stevan Mena as he discusses how Bereavement, his prequel to 2004's slasher hit Malevolence. He explores the deeper issues of murder, madness and child abuse to chilling effect. Bereavement is available on Blu-ray & Dvd August 30th In 1989, a 6-year-old boy is lured into the vehicle of a stranger. The stranger is a serial killer with a tendency of butchering teenage girls. In the basement of a…...

The astute fan of indie horror cinema may recall a not-half-bad offering from 2004 called Malevolence. Written and directed by Stevan Mena, it told the story of a bank robbery gone (seriously) awry when the criminals choose the wrong patch of woods to hole up in. And that's an understatement. A clearly low-budget and scrappy indie, to be sure, but one with a few fresh ideas in its head -- and an impressive commitment to not softening its blows. Mena came back a few years later with the horror farce known as Brutal Massacre, which earned some fans on the festival circuit, and now he's returned to "straight" horror with Bereavement. To those who remember the story of Malevolence, Bereavement will work as a...

Here's a new  "Behind the Scenes" DVD clip of the making of the slaughterhouse scene from Stevan Mena's Bereavement, along with a clip of the chilling  and brutal final result.

There's nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent, and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena's Bereavement on Blu-ray and DVD.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn, John Savage, Alexandra Daddario, and Brett Rickaby. 

In 1989, six-year-old Martin Bristol (Spencer List) was kidnapped from his backyard swing in Minersville, Pa. Graham Sutter (Rickaby), a psychotic recluse, kept Martin imprisoned on his derelict pig farm, forcing him to witness and participate in unspeakable horrors. Chosen at random, his victim's screams were drowned out by the rural countryside.

Martin's whereabouts would have remained a mystery,...

August 30th will see the Anchor Bay Blu-ray and DVD release of Stevan Mena’s Bereavement, which we previously covered here and here and is the prequel to his 2005 flick Malevolence. Bereavement stars Michael Biehn, John Savage, Alexandra Daddario, and Brett Rickaby.

Down below you will see that we have some new stills and a behind the scenes clip for you all to check out.

The sequel/prequel to the way above average slasher flick Malevolence is just weeks away from its release date, and we have a new behind-the-scenes clip lined up for you that takes you deep inside of the killer's lair. Dig it!

From the Press Release: There’s nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena’s Bereavement on Blu-ray™ and DVD.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, “White Collar”), and Brett Rickaby (The Crazies, The Assassination of Richard Nixon...

Hey horror peeps! Check out the chilling and a little disturbing new clip from the upcoming DVD & Blu-ray release of Stevan Mena's Bereavement, available on August 30th from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn, John Savage, Alexandra Daddario, and Brett Rickaby. Available on Blu-ray and DVD on Aug. 30.

In 1989, six-year-old Martin Bristol was kidnapped from his backyard swing in Minersville, Pa. Graham Sutter (Rickaby), a psychotic recluse, kept Martin imprisoned on his derelict pig farm, forcing him to witness and participate in unspeakable horrors. Chosen at random, his victim's screams were drowned out by the ruralcountryside. 

Martin's whereabouts would have remained a mystery, until 17-year-old Allison Miller (Daddario) comes to live with her Uncle Jonathan (Biehn). While exploring her new surroundings, Allison discovers things aren't quiet at the farmhouse down the road. What started as an innocent exercise in satisfying...

With the DVD and Blu-ray release of Stevan Mena's Bereavement just on the horizon, we thought we'd treat you to a new disquieting clip from the highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence. Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olym…...

A new clip has arrived for Stevan Mena's long awaited sequel to the way above par slasher flick Malevolence, entitled Bereavement. Read on for the goods!

From the Press Release: There’s nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena’s Bereavement on Blu-ray™ and DVD. Srp is $34.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $26.98 for the DVD.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, “White Collar”), and Brett Rickaby (The Crazies, The Assassination of Richard Nixon).

In 1989, six-year-old Martin...

Excited for the release of Stevan Mena's long awaited sequel to the way above par slasher flick Malevolence, entitled Bereavement? You should be. The flick is pretty damned good, and to get you geared up, we've got another clip for you to dig on.

From the Press Release: There’s nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena’s Bereavement on Blu-ray™ and DVD. Srp is $34.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $26.98 for the DVD.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,...

Check out this new clip from Stevan Mena's Bereavement, which will be available on blu-ray and dvd on August 30th from Anchor Bay Entertainment. I'm a huge fan of Mena's Malevolence and totally looking forward to this which is actually the prequel to the film.

There's nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent, and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena's Bereavement on Blu-ray and DVD. 

 The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, "White Collar"), and Brett Rickaby (The Crazies, The Assassination of Richard Nixon...

I didn’t have an opportunity to check out “Bereavement” when it hit theaters earlier this year, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem at the moment. The fine folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment are releasing director Stevan Mena’s critically-acclaimed slasher on DVD and Blu-ray this August. And while I was a little harsh on Mena’s “Malevolence” when I first saw it years ago, the film has actually grown on me. Besides, “Brutal Massacre: A Comedy” was exceptionally badass, and I’m anxious for Mena to return to the darker side of the genre. If you need a synopsis, then here you go: In 1989, six-year-old Martin Bristol (Spencer List) was kidnapped from his backyard swing in Minersville, Pa. Graham Sutter (Rickaby), a psychotic recluse, kept Martin imprisoned on his derelict pig farm, forcing him to witness and participate in unspeakable horrors. Chosen at random, his victim...

by MoreHorror.com

Anchor Bay Entertainment will release Stevan Mena's 'Bereavement' onto DVD and Blu-ray on August 30th. Stay tuned to MoreHorror.com for a DVD giveaway of the film when the release date get's closer. Check out the synopsis and movie trailer below.

From the Press Release

There’s nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent, and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena’s Bereavement on Blu-ray™ and DVD. Srp is $34.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $26.98 for the DVD. Pre-book is August 3rd.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, The Rock, Tombstone), John Savage (The Deer Hunter, The Godfather Part III, Hair, The Thin Red Line, Do The Right Thing), Alexandra Daddario (Hall Pass,...

Check out the DVD and Blu-ray cover art and trailer for Steven Mena's Bereavement! This is one movie I've really been looking forward to as I am a huge fan of Malevolence!

There’s nothing worse than when a parent loses a child to kidnapping. But what if the kidnapper wants to be their new parent, and teach them everything they know about...murder? On August 30th, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents Stevan Mena’s Bereavement on Blu-ray and DVD.

The highly-anticipated prequel to the 2005 cult hit Malevolence, Bereavement stars Michael Biehn, John Savage, Alexandra Daddario and Brett Rickaby.

Synopsis:

In 1989, six-year-old Martin Bristol (Spencer List) was kidnapped from his backyard swing in Minersville, Pa. Graham Sutter (Rickaby), a psychotic recluse, kept Martin imprisoned on his derelict pig farm, forcing him to witness and participate in unspeakable horrors. Chosen at random, his victim’s screams were drowned out by the rural countryside.