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The After Dark Horrorfest was a game-changer back when it premiered in 2006. Not only was this film festival devoted to the horror genre, it was accessible. Founder Courtney Solomon (An American Haunting) chose the best possible venue for this “ultimate celebration of horror”: the big screen. So from November 17 to 21, these hand-picked titles were shown at select theaters across the U.S.

There have been four “sequels” to the After Dark Horrorfest since then, but for many horror hounds like myself, the original one is a bit more meaningful. It was an exciting time for discovery, developing one’s own taste, and for learning what the genre had to offer in the non-mainstream sector.

So in honor of this momentous film fest, we look back at the first “8 Films to Die For”.

The Abandoned (Nacho Cerdà)

Pictured: Anastasia Hille in The Abandoned.

That February following the first After Dark Horrorfest,...

“It’s not a remake. It’s not a sequel. And it’s not based on a Japanese one.”

Hatchet‘s festival tagline — a quote from a major studio’s rejection of the film — served as a rally cry for horror fans. Despite its roots planted firmly in practical effects-driven ’80s slashers a la Friday the 13th, Hatchet felt fresh and exciting when it arrived in 2006; a gory but lighthearted reprieve from torturous studio horror littered with janky CGI and cheap scares.

Willed into existence by writer-director Adam Green based on a character he conceived as an 8-year-old summer camper, the Hatchet franchise centers on Victor Crowley — the hulking, vengeful spirit of a deformed boy that haunts the swamps of New Orleans. Kane Hodder brings a similar physicality to the role as he did to Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Parts VII-x, but Crowley is more ferocious. The casting...

Before making films like The Convent, The Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider, Lavalantula and Don’t Kill It, our buddy Mike Mendez made his feature debut with a film titled Killers back in 1997, which is now headed to Unrated Director’s Cut Blu-ray from Synapse Films.

Synapse previews, “In 1997, director Mike Mendez and co-writer/star Dave Larsen collaborated on the brutal, uncompromising and wickedly funny Killers, a movie that divided audiences at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival but then had a hard time finding an audience due to scattershot distribution. Having gained a cult following in the years since, Synapse Films is bringing Killers to Blu-ray in its complete, unrated director’s cut on October 8, 2024!

“Once upon a time, the James Brothers, Odessa (Dave Larsen) and Kyle (David Gunn), murdered their parents in their own beds. Now they’ve escaped from Death Row and are on the run on a stormy night, looking...

It’s a good time to be a fan of filmmaker Mike Mendez. Not only did he contribute to the horror anthology Satanic Hispanics, which received a theatrical release a few months ago and is coming soon to Blu-ray, but now Synapse Films has given his awesome 2000 horror comedy The Convent (watch it Here) a limited edition 4K release! Copies of this release can be purchased directly from Synapse Films, or through Diabolik DVD.

Directed by Mendez from a screenplay by Chaton Anderson, The Convent has the following synopsis: In 1960, a young woman named Christine enters St. Francis Boarding School for Girls and lays waste to the resident nuns. Four decades later, a group of college students head to the long-abandoned building late one night to tag it with their fraternity letters, little knowing that rumors of the place being haunted are terrifyingly true. Stir in a couple of disapproving...

Synapse Films have announced a Limited Edition Uhd & Blu-ray Slipcover combo for Mike Mendez’s much-cherished The Convent (a personal fave of mine Fyi).

From its opening massacre, set to the strains of (appropriately enough) Lesley Gore, The Convent is an in-your-face fright film with a full-blooded sense of humor. Director Mike Mendez both embraces and skewers the traditions of supernatural/possession cinema, with wicked twists that upend expectations and deliver jolts and laughs in equal measure. Not for the devout or the easily offended, the film gives Barbeau one of her best roles as the motorcycle-riding, shotgun-wielding Christine, with bonus appearances by fellow genre icon Bill Moseley (The Devils Rejects) and rapper/actor Coolio. The Convent rocked audiences at festivals including Sundance and Fantasia, but has long been unavailable on disc. Now you can possess its uncensored U.S. debut remastered in Dolby Vision 4K from the original uncut...

Satanic Hispanics is a horror anthology that explores diverse Latin American stories and creatures, bringing authentic representation to the genre. The film features an all-Latino cast of directors, including Mike Mendez, Alejandro Brugués, and Gigi Saul Guerrero, who aim to reclaim the narrative and showcase Latino talent in the horror genre. Each segment in the anthology is directed by a different filmmaker, allowing them to express their own unique voice and style, resulting in a range of tones and genres within the film.

Dropping right before the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, Satanic Hispanics will be available to see in theaters on Thursday, September 14th. The horror anthology follows The Traveler, who is the only living survivor after the police raid a house in El Paso. Brought to the station for question, the mysterious man tells multiple harrowing stories about the enigmas he has witnessed throughout his life.

In addition...

Stars: Dominic Purcell, Nick Stahl, Mel Gibson, Kate Bosworth, John Cassini, Erik Valdez, Russell Richardson, Arielle Raycene | Written by Michael Kaycheck, Brooke Nasser | Directed by Michael Oblowitz

Confidential Informant opens with a voiceover telling us what wonderful people cops are, especially those with combat experience. Case in point Tom Moran and Mike Thorton. We get to see them raid a crack operation and then lie to their superior over little things like not having a search warrant. Wonderful people indeed.

While tossing a baseball around with his son Moran collapses in pain. His wife Anna tells him he needs to see a doctor. He’s seen a doctor, three of them in fact, and they all tell him he has stomach cancer and not too long to live. Coincidentally enough another cop, Frank, was talking at the bar about how much money the department pays out to your family if...

For this installment of Phantom Limbs, we’ll be diving back into the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise with filmmaker Mike Mendez, the director behind The Convent, The Gravedancers and Big Ass Spider!. As Mendez noted during a recent appearance on the Best Films Never Made podcast, he had pitched to write and […]

The post ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer 2’ – Mike Mendez Recalls His Unmade Pitch [Phantom Limbs] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: Two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern is starring with Richard Grieco, Michael Paré, Sofia Nistratova, Nick Davi, Mike Mendez in the horror thriller feature The Devil’s Trap which is commencing production.

In the film directed by Mike Mendez, a big city hospital is terrorized by a demonic presence. In the quiet nighttime corridors and patient rooms of a city hospital, Abigail (Nistratova) consoles her traumatized brother, Billy (Davi) who is now a paraplegic. Billy suffers from horrible nightmares in which he revisits his childhood, where we meet his alcoholic and violent father. Sharing Billy’s hospital room is a dying man, Mr. Cohen (Dern) who seems to know everything about Billy and Abigail. There’s also another horrific presence roaming in the hospital terrifying patients and staff alike. Paré portrays Father Gestas. Grieco is the lovestruck hospital orderly who worships his nurse g.f. Diana. Their romantic interludes in...

New Additions to Shudder in August:

To Stream, Start Your Free 7-day Trial At Shudder ($4.99/Month Or $3.99/Month With Annual Plan)

Check Out What’S New On Shudder In August, Including 31 Films And 2 Series Seasons

August 1

Boy Eats Girl A boy declares his love for his girlfriend, only to die the same night. He is brought back to life by his mother as a flesh-craving zombie, who sires more teen undead while trying to control his appetite for his beloved.

The Dead When his plane crashes, a U.S. Navy officer (Rob Freeman) must trek through an African landscape where zombies roam.

The Dead 2: India As a zombie plague spreads across India, an American turbine engineer battles his way back to Mumbai to rescue his pregnant lover.

In the Mouth of Madness An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer’s books have on his fans is more than inspirational.

31 films and 2 series are heading to Shudder in August, including African zombie movie The Dead, Lucky McKee's All Cheerleaders Die, and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness:

August 1

Boy Eats Girl (2005, Stephen Bradley) A boy declares his love for his girlfriend, only to die the same night. He is brought back to life by his mother as a flesh-craving zombie, who sires more teen undead while trying to control his appetite for his beloved.

The Dead (2010, Howard J. Ford, Jon Ford) When his plane crashes, a U.S. Navy officer (Rob Freeman) must trek through an African landscape where zombies roam.

The Dead 2: India (2013, Howard J. Ford, Jon Ford) As a zombie plague spreads across India, an American turbine engineer battles his way back to Mumbai to rescue his pregnant lover.

In the Mouth of Madness (1994, John Carpenter) An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror...

Joseph Baxter Sep 22, 2016

Dolph Lundgren is a cowboy hunting down an ancient demon with some bizarre rules in the trailer for Don’t Kill It...

Dolph Lundgren continues to find fun projects to keep himself busy. His latest looks really quite good fun, too.

Don’t Kill It might resemble an odd amalgam of a Western film and television’s Supernatural, at first glance. However, pitting the action in a sleepy small town, this particular piece of demon-hunting fiction puts an intriguing spin on things. Fedora and duster-rocking demon hunter Jebediah Woodley (Lundgren) wanders into town, looking to make a powerful and ancient demon his next quarry. However, there’s a catch with this one, since whoever kills the demon’s host body ends up becoming its next host, creating a horrendously homicidal chain of events. Splendid.

Consequently, even a slayer of demons as seasoned as Woodley is going to...

By Jonathan Weichsel

MoreHorror.com

The Filmmaker's Book of the Dead is written by Danny Draven with a forward by Charles Band, owner of Full Moon Pictures.

The book features interviews with Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers, Bag of Bones, Desperation, The Stand,) John Ottman (Composer/Editor of X:Men: Days of Future Past, The Usual Suspects,) Mark Ordesky & Jane Fleming (Producers of Lovely Molly, Exists,) Kane Hodder (Jason from the Friday the 13th, part 7 to 10, Hatchet,) Tibor Takacs (Director of The Gate, Spiders 3D, Megasnake,) John Debney (Composer of Predators, Sin City, End of Days,) Jojo Draven (Composer of Patient Seven, Ghost Month, Reel Evil,) Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, Weird Science,) Mike Mendez (Director of The Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider,) Neal Marshall Stevens (Screenwriter of Thir13en Ghosts, Hellraiser: Deader,) Chris Alexander (Former Editor in Chief of Fangoria Magazine, Filmmaker,) Jessica Cameron (Actress/Director of Truth or Dare,) Denise Gossett (Founder...

We’re huge fans of Mike Mendez here on Dread, as he’s delivered nothing but entertainment over the years. Up next, Mendez follows up films like The Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider!, and Lavalantula with Don’t Kill It; and on tap today… Continue Reading →

The post Check Out Bloody Set Photo from Mike Mendez’s Don’t Kill It appeared first on Dread Central.

ScreamFest La is now in full swing, and I could not be more ready for a week+ of horror movies from some of the best up-and-coming horror producers/directors in the world! I attended opening night on Tuesday and was treated to Epic Pictures & The October Society’s horror anthology Tales Of Halloween. The film included ten short terrifying—and sometimes hilarious—films from the likes of Adam Gierasch (Fertile Ground, Night Of The Demons), Andrew Kasch (Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy), Axelle Carolyn (Centurion, Soulmate), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw 2-4), Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red), John Skipp (Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child), Lucky Mckee (The Woman), Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers), Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent), Paul Solet (Grace), and Ryan Schifrin (Abominable).

There are quite a few horror movies reaching the silver screen this weekend, but Tales Of Halloween is the perfect film for the season.

To celebrate the October 16th release of the horror anthology Tales of Halloween, Daily Dead spoke to the filmmakers behind the movie to discuss the project, their individual contributions and more.

Mike Mendez is best known as the director of films like The Convent, The Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider! and, most recently, the horror comedy Lavalantula for Syfy. He’s both a producer and a director on Tales of Halloween, contributing the ’80s slasher-inspired “Friday the 31st.”

This project started with you and Axelle Carolyn, right?

Mike Mendez: It’s Axelle’s concept and she’s the one who got the ball rolling. She told a few of us about it, and I brought in Epic Pictures and got it financed. From that point on, it’s been Axelle’s and my burden to bear, for better or worse. A very fun burden to bear.

Was it a case of,...

It may only be July, but it can take a while to get in just the right mood for certain annual festivities. So, thank goodness for the early arrival of a trailer for Tales Of Halloween – an anthology horror movie featuring ten different segments, directed by eleven different directors.

“Ten stories are woven together by their shared theme of Halloween night in an American suburb, where ghouls, imps, aliens and axe murderers appear for one night only, to terrorise unsuspecting residents.”

In many respects, an advantage of a horror anthology is the fact that it allows for many filmmakers to showcase their work, giving the whole project a fascinating blend of flavours. However, what is notable about Tales Of Halloween, is that – despite – featuring the work of very individual directors, there is an overall tone that snakes through each one, making it feel very much like part of a larger whole.

Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider!) has many treats in the works, including the recently announced Don’t Kill It and a segment in this year’s Tales of Halloween. Today he’s announced his latest project, wherein he embarks on a… Continue Reading →

The post First Look at Mike Mendez’s The Last Heist appeared first on Dread Central.

Ready to crack open another horror title from 'The Vault?' This week, we're unleashing an early cult classic from legendary director George A. Romero. That's right, it's the original 1973 version of 'The Crazies!' And this week's commentators are two of the most well versed horror minds working in the industry today. Director Mike Mendez ('Big Ass Spider,' 'The Gravedancers,' 'The Convent') is paired up with the managing editor of Shock Till You Drop Ryan Turek to talk all about Romero and 'The Crazies.' 

Although technically George followed up his monstrous debut 'Night Of The Living Dead' with 'Season Of The Witch' (and 'There's Always Vanilla'), 'The Crazies' is what many consider his true follow-up to his defining zombie classic. Starring a young Lynn Lowry and Richard Liberty (who'd later play Logan aka Dr. Frankenstein in 'Day Of The Dead,...

One of the key components to a successful horror film is a memorable adversary for the protagonists. Often, the villain is human, or once was. Sometimes the foe is a possessed home, or a revenant that just won’t die. In rare cases, the monster is something a little more… unusual. As evidenced in the list below, we sometimes discover the enemy is more bizarre than we could ever dream: evil objects, demonic playthings, even malevolent pastries... monsters come in many forms. With that said, it’s time to take a walk down memory lane and look at ten more of the most unconventional monsters in horror cinema history. [Check out our first ten here.] Note: To avoid a list that features nothing but SyFy Channel originals, we are only considering films that premiered in a medium other than cable television. Dolly Dearest The Child’s Play franchise is hands-down better than Dolly Dearest, and we...

You never know what you're gonna find in Walmart. Among all the chicks with Wolverine-like sideburns and Nascar jackets, our own Foywonder came across the Blu-ray for Mike Mendez's latest flick, Big Ass Spider! (review), and noticed a pretty interesting (and senseless) change to it.

Apparently the retail chain (a.k.a. the 7th circle of hell) has taken issue with the word "Ass" in the film's title and changed the cover art via a family-friendly(!) graffiti font to read BigGEST Spider!. However, they did add the film's correct moniker under their bastardized title hackjob anyway.

This leads us to only one possible conclusion - Walmart fears the usage of Mike Mendez's ass. What we wouldn't do to see that written on an employee picket sign the next time the chain treats its workers like crap and they decide to strike! Say It Loud!

If that isn't enough,...

The big names in horror are often recognized by both the genre community and mainstream entertainment culture, showered with accolades by horror fans and film critics alike. Directors like John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, and Wes Craven have secured their place in film history, but many more talented directors go largely unsung for their hard work and noteworthy contributions to the genre. To remedy that, we recently kicked off a recurring segment that gives much-needed credit to those groundbreaking horror filmmakers who aren’t always given the praise they deserve. [You can check out part one here and part two here.] Since the first two installments proved popular, we're back with another round, and this time we present not five, but six more of our favorite underrated genre film directors. Mike Mendez Director of The Gravedancers and Big Ass Spider, Mendez and frequent collaborator Dave Parker (Coldwater, The Hills Run Red) helped to inspire the popular Showtime series Masters of Horror, but...

That's right, kids! 2013 is on its way out, and we're kicking it right in its big ass! On tap right now we have your chance to score an exclusive prize package in anticipation Mike Mendez's loving homage to the giant insect movies of yesteryear, Big Ass Spider!

Included in the prize package is a Blu-ray copy of the flick along with a T-shirt and a signed mini-poster!

To enter for your chance to win, just send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.

Look for it on DVD, Digital Download, and Blu-ray on January 7th!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer...

On tap right now we have the opening three minutes of Mike Mendez's loving homage to the giant insect movies of yesteryear, Big Ass Spider! in anticipation of its debut on Blu-ray and DVD! Please note: This will likely end up being the best three minutes of your day!

Look for it on DVD, Digital Download, and Blu-ray on January 7th!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Check out the official Big Ass Spider! website here! Visit it now, or we will personally come to wherever you are just to shoe you swiftly in your genitalia.

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication,...

Mike Mendez's loving homage to the giant insect movies of yesteryear is getting ready to make its debut on Blu-ray and DVD, and we've got yer details right here. While you wait for the disc, go check the movie out on VOD now. Believe us when we say it's a keeper!

Look for it on DVD, Digital Download, and Blu-ray on January 7th!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Check out the official Big Ass Spider! website here! Visit it now, or we will personally come to wherever you are just to shoe you swiftly in your genitalia.

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication,...

With Halloween in the air, we thought it would be fun to reach out to the horror genre's biggest and brightest stars - both legends in the industry and up-and-coming superstars - to ask them two quick questions: What's your biggest fear, and what's your favorite scary movie? Read on for the results!

Some of the results will make you laugh. Some will make you shiver... and some, well some are just too funny for words. Sit back and get ready to hear from the likes of Anne Rice, John Carpenter, Robert Englund, the "Ghost Adventures" crew, cast members from "The Walking Dead," George A. Romero, and many - Many - more. Who knows? You may even find some new movies you should check out or at least revisit.

Let the scares begin!

A

Jace Anderson

Writer - The Toolbox Murders (2004), Schism, Night of the Demons (2009), Mother of Tears

1) I...

Day two of the 2013 edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival has now come and gone. Dubbed “Insect Night,” the night’s programming consisted of a pair of movies where the (arguably) main star was a bug. The idea of “theme nights” is one that has become more prevalent at the festival over the years, and I think that it has worked in favor of Tadff. After all, for those of us who don’t cover the entire festival, it’s probably a lot easier to pick certain days to attend if the film’s are similar in theme; and I use the term, “similar,” loosely.

Why do I mention that? Well, that’s probably because, while both movies featured insects, their tone and overall execution varied pretty wildly… But more on that in a minute…

As is customary for Tadff screenings, the main features are preceded by Canadian-made short films.

Giant insect movies have been around for the better part of the last century. There’s just something about those tiny things that creep so many of us out running amok and squashing us for a change that seems to speak to moviegoers. When you couple that notion with the recent public adoration of made-for-cable campfests like Sharknado, Piranhaconda, or Mega-Whatever-Animal-Meets-Some-Other-Mega-Thing, it’s not hard to figure out why a movie called Big Ass Spider! (orginally known as Megaspider) would be a real thing. Well, as far as movies featuring giant CGI bugs go, Big Ass Spider! is far from the worst of the lot, but it’s also nothing that you need to rush out and see as soon as possible either.

The plot of the film is simple: Everyman exterminator, Alex (played by Heroes‘ Greg Grunberg), gets bitten by a brown recluse, resulting in a trip to the hospital.

It’s that time of year again… The leaves are changing color and falling to the ground, every single product has a pumpkin scented/flavored option, the stores are filled with monster masks and skeletal decorations, and horror fans all over are rejoicing and counting the days until our version of Christmas; Halloween. While I love all of these things just as much as all of you, there is one other reason that I look forward to October each year, and that is the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, which kicked off last night.

For more comprehensive info on exactly what the festival is all about, you can either check out our previous coverage of past years’ fests, or you can visit the festival’s official website. However, the short and skinny of it is that it is a genre fest specializing in horror, sci-fi, action, and cult films that...

Is there a better name for a film about a big ass spider than Big Ass Spider!? We think not! But director Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers) says his self-explanatory creature feature, which hits select cinemas on Oct. 18 and will also be available on VOD, was almost released under a far-less-memorable moniker.

“The producers did not want to call it Big Ass Spider!,” recalls the filmmaker. “But I was very fearful that if we called it Mega Spider or something people would just think, ‘Oh, this is just another monster b-movie.’”

The film stars J.J. Abrams favorite Greg Grunberg (Heroes) as...

In Los Angeles and looking to take part in some monster-sized fun? How about checking out Mike Mendez's Big Ass Spider! one day early and on us? Read on for the details.

The screening will take place on Thursday, October 17th, at 9:55 pm at the Laemmle Noho 7, and we're giving away Two Dozen Pairs of tickets. To enter for your chance to win, just send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name. We’ll take care of the rest. (Just make sure you live in or near La; transportation is your responsibility.)

Epic Pictures Releasing has locked an October 18, 2013, domestic release for the flick, which will be available theatrically and on VOD at the same time.

Check out the official Big Ass Spider! website here! Visit it now, or we will personally come to wherever you are just to shoe you swiftly in your genitalia.

Battling the...

Good news for you kids online right now looking to check out something cool! The official website for the upcoming Mike Mendez flick Big Ass Spider! has opened its doors! Epic Pictures Releasing has locked an October 18, 2013, domestic release for the flick, which will be available theatrically and on VOD at the same time.

Check out the official Big Ass Spider! website here! Visit it now or we will personally come to wherever you are just to shoe you swiftly in your genitalia.

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and...

Good news has finally arrived for those of you out there looking forward to the upcoming Mike Mendez flick Big Ass Spider! Epic Pictures Releasing has locked an October 18, 2013 domestic release for the flick which will be available theatrically and on VOD at the same time.

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication,...

Alrighty, kids, time to add a little sticky to your morning with a slew of images from the upcoming Mike Mendez flick Big Ass Spider!, which feature one hell of a... well... big ass spider. Check out a glimpse of the chaos to come right here!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication,...

Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers) has been making horror films since before the dawn of the new millennium. He has been drawing a great deal of attention over the last couple of months with his latest addition to the genre, Big Ass Spider. FEARnet had the opportunity to check in with the man himself about Big Ass Spider. The film has garnered rave reviews through its debut at SXSW. Big Ass Spider has been getting praise for good-naturedly laughing in the face of its farcical premise but still taking itself seriously enough to provide the viewer with a fun experience.

We talked with Mendez about his struggle to get approval from the produces to call the film Big Ass Spider, how he reluctantly learned to embrace digital effects, and what kind of distribution the film is headed for.

Can you give us a brief rundown of what we can look forward to in Big Ass Spider?...

Playing as part of SXSW's Midnighters series is Mike Mendez's Big Ass Spider! and we have a new clip on tap that will melt your friggin' face off! Dig it!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication, a horrible alien mutation in arachnid form is now growing at an...

Even more cinematic insanity has been announced for this year's Boston Underground Film Festival, scheduled this year for March 27 through 31. Among the new titles announced are Big Ass Spider and Guilty of Romance. Read on for all the details!

From the Press Release

The 15th Annual Boston Underground Film Festival continues their barrage of insanity at the Brattle Theatre, from March 27th through the 31st, delivering a second wave of wild programming guaranteed to shake the pillars of Heaven. This year's fest wraps up with a closing night film unlike any other – Mike Mendez's knowingly tongue-in-cheek sci-fi/horror romp, Big Ass Spider!–fresh from its World Premiere at SXSW 2013! With the celebrated director (best-known for 2006’s The Gravedancers) in Cambridge and producer and magical conjurer Travis Stevens, who's Cheap Thrills also plays Buff 2013!

Joining our oversized arachnid pal in Boston Underground's second wave of killer programming is Sion Sono...

Among the movies joining those already slated (see item here) for the fest, which runs Wednesday-Sunday, March 27-31 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Ma, is the tongue-in-cheek big-bug epic Big Ass Spider (pictured above), fresh from its world premiere at this month’s SXSW. Accompanying this closing-night screening will be director Mike Mendez (of The Convent and The Gravedancers, who discussed Spider here), and producer Travis Stevens, also repped at Buff by E.L. Katz’s Cheap Thrills.

Also added to the Buff lineup are Chad Crawford Kinkle’s rural shocker Jug Face (see story here), with Kinkle and producer Andrew van den Houten on hand for this East Coast premiere; Guilty Of Romance, an eerie thriller from Suicide Club, Exte: Hair Extensions and Cold Fish director Sion Sono; The Rambler, an exercise in comic brutality from The Oregonian director and V/H/S co-star Calvin Reeder, also making its...

Among the movies joining those already slated (see item here) for the fest, which runs Wednesday-Sunday, March 27-31 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Ma, is the tongue-in-cheek big-bug epic Big Ass Spider (pictured above), fresh from its world premiere at this month’s SXSW. Accompanying this closing-night screening will be director Mike Mendez (of The Convent and The Gravedancers, who discussed Spider here), and producer Travis Stevens, also repped at Buff by E.L. Katz’s Cheap Thrills.

Also added to the Buff lineup are Chad Crawford Kinkle’s rural shocker Jug Face (see story here), with Kinkle and producer Andrew van den Houten on hand for this East Coast premiere; Guilty Of Romance, an eerie thriller from Suicide Club, Exte: Hair Extensions and Cold Fish director Sion Sono; The Rambler, an exercise in comic brutality from The Oregonian director and V/H/S co-star Calvin Reeder, also making its...

Among the movies joining those already slated (see item here) for the fest, which runs Wednesday-Sunday, March 27-31 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Ma, is the tongue-in-cheek big-bug epic Big Ass Spider (pictured above), fresh from its world premiere at this month’s SXSW. Accompanying this closing-night screening will be director Mike Mendez (of The Convent and The Gravedancers, who discussed Spider here), and producer Travis Stevens, also repped at Buff by E.L. Katz’s Cheap Thrills.

Also added to the Buff lineup are Chad Crawford Kinkle’s rural shocker Jug Face (see story here), with Kinkle and producer Andrew van den Houten on hand for this East Coast premiere; Guilty Of Romance, an eerie thriller from Suicide Club, Exte: Hair Extensions and Cold Fish director Sion Sono; The Rambler, an exercise in comic brutality from The Oregonian director and V/H/S co-star Calvin Reeder, also making its...

Among the movies joining those already slated (see item here) for the fest, which runs Wednesday-Sunday, March 27-31 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Ma, is the tongue-in-cheek big-bug epic Big Ass Spider (pictured above), fresh from its world premiere at this month’s SXSW. Accompanying this closing-night screening will be director Mike Mendez (of The Convent and The Gravedancers, who discussed Spider here), and producer Travis Stevens, also repped at Buff by E.L. Katz’s Cheap Thrills.

Also added to the Buff lineup are Chad Crawford Kinkle’s rural shocker Jug Face (see story here), with Kinkle and producer Andrew van den Houten on hand for this East Coast premiere; Guilty Of Romance, an eerie thriller from Suicide Club, Exte: Hair Extensions and Cold Fish director Sion Sono; The Rambler, an exercise in comic brutality from The Oregonian director and V/H/S co-star Calvin Reeder, also making its...

Run for your lives! The first teaser poster for Mike Mendez's Big Ass Spider! has arrived! Playing as part of SXSW's Midnighters series look for more on this enormously fun looking arachnid soon!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication, a horrible alien mutation in arachnid form is now...

Yesterday SXSW announced their Midnight line up, and one of the titles that caught our attention was Big Ass Spider!, from director Mike Mendez. For those unfamiliar, Mendez directed several short films in his youth and worked on several feature films as makeup artist or production assistant. His first feature, the violent and disturbing Serial Killers, made quite an impression when it deputed at Sundance, garnering him critical and public acclaim. Mendez went on to direct Convent in 2001 with Adrienne Barbeau headlining, and in 2006 he directed The Gravedancers. It is my opinion, that he is an extremely underrated talent, and not enough cinephiles know his work. I’m pretty excited about his latest project. Big Ass Spider will premiere as part of the Midnighters series at SXSW 2013. Watch the trailer below.

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it...

No, it's not an Asylum release, and it's not a Syfy original... it's just one of the many movies premiering at this year's SXSW Midnighters program! Big Ass Spider! is a high concept / low budget monster movie with a title that is primed and ready to go viral. The only thing missing is a catch phrase uttered by Samuel L. Jackson. But is it too self-aware to be genuinely funny? Directed by Mike Mendez (The Gravedancers), the movie stars Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Lin Shaye (Insidious) and Ray Wise (Twin Peaks). Unfortunately, the digital effects look pretty terrible at times... but, wait, maybe they're terrible on purpose! Movies like this tend to walk a fine line, I'm just not quite sure what side it will fall on. Big Ass Spider! premieres next month in Austin; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.

For More Daily Movie Goodness,...

The feature film slate for Austin's South by Southwest festival (SXSW) was revealed last week, but as most genre fans know, the real cinematic treasures are lurking in the festival's midnight lineup. As SXSW Programmer Jarod Neece put it: "This year we scoured the globe and brought back a batch that we knew would truly satisfy the gore hounds of SXSW. Full of scares, sex, madness, laughs, chills and major mind f--ks, we hope there's a little something for everyone."

Browsing the titles, it's hard to tear our eyes away from a film called "Big Ass Spider" (directed by Mike Mendez of "The Gravedancers"), but the addition of Rob Zombie's "Lords of Salem," sequel "V/H/S/2," a movie from "Splice"'s Vincenzo Natali ("Haunter"), and vampire tale "Kiss of the Damned" from Xan Cassavetes certainly helps.

Earlier this week, a full trailer was released for Zombie's witchy opus,...

As we told you earlier today, Mike Mendez's latest film, Big Ass Spider! (formerly known as MegaSpider), is premiering at SXSW and we now have a trailer to share with you.

Starring Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer and Ray Wise, the film concerns a giant, mutated spider that attacks Los Angeles and the two exterminators (Grunberg, Boyar) that join forces with the military to take the threat on.

Mendez previously helmed The Convent and The Gravedancers.

Read more...

Playing as part of SXSW's Midnighters series is Mike Medez's new flick Big Ass Spider! (formerly Mega-Spider), and to celebrate the film's premiere, we have the first trailer for you right here! Dig it!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication, a horrible alien mutation in arachnid form is now...

Big Ass Spider will have it’s World Premiere as a part of the Midnighter’s lineup during SXSW 2013. Here’s the world premiere of the trailer with an introduction by director Mike Mendez.

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. Big Ass Spider! (aka Mega Spider).

Mendez has directed the horror films The Gravedancers that premiered at Tribeca, The Convent (Sundance) and Killers (Sudance). This is his 5th feature film. The screenwriter is Gregory Gieras (Dark Asylum, Beyond).

The cast includes Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, and Patrick Bauchau.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mega-Spider/...

On April 16th, Anchor Bay Entertainment releases the suspense thriller Escapee on Blu-ray and DVD

Written and directed by Campion E. Murphy, the film stars Dominic Purcell (Blade Trinity, The Gravedancers), Christine Evangelista (The Joneses), Faith Ford, Melissa Ordway (Ted) , and Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory). Srp for the Blu-ray™ is $24.99 and $22.98 for DVD. Pre-book is March 20th.

While on an observational trip to a high security prison for the criminally insane, young psychology student Abby Jones (Evangelista) has a chilling encounter with psychotic serial killer Harmon Porter (Purcell). Abby returns home that night to study with her two roommates, unaware of the dark forces she’s unleashed within Harmon.

Read more...

There's just something so very iconic about imagery involving a giant beast atop a building with jets and helicopters waging war against it. That's just what we have here in this latest image from Mike Mendez's (The Convent, The Gravedancers) Mega Spider. Dig it!

Battling the beast are Greg Grunberg ("Heroes", "Alias") and Lombardo Boyar ("The Bernie Mac Show"), who star as Alex, an exterminator, and Jose, his security guard sidekick, respectively. The unlikely heroes team up with an elite military unit that includes genre vets Clare Kramer (The Gravedancers) and Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class, "Twin Peaks").

Mendez explains what drew him to the project: "The script was hilarious, and as we got into the creature design and the casting, we had one objective in mind: fun! I love the tone of this movie and think audiences are going to have a wild time.”

Synopsis

Surviving extermination by nuclear eradication,...