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You, dear reader, are here for one glorious reason ... You love horror movies! But do you know who else does as well? The good folks over at Monterey Media! So much so in fact that we have partnered with them to deliver to you a horror prize package of some of their biggest titles.

To enter the contest, all you have to do is click on the image below and submit your info. We'll make sure the rest is handled on our end, and in a few days you'll find out if you're the winner of a pretty hefty haul of horror goodies.

Just don't blame us for the blood puddle left at your front door at the time of delivery. That stuff is on you or your landlord!

Prize Package Includes:

• Karla DVD

• Special Edition reprint of “The Ken and Barbie Killers” news coverage from The Los Angeles Times,...

After several requests to review writer Brian O'Toole's horror thriller Basement Jack the mail slot is empty and a DVD release is coming up very soon; so why would a writer or a studio not want a review of their film? Sometimes a studio like Island Gateway Films will not make a movie open to the reviewing public if they have a bad film on their hands. So, without seeing the film how would I know if the film is of poor quality? Another clue to the value of Basement Jack is that the DVD premiere is in Germany with a straight to DVD format also signalling that this film has at the very least low production values (low budget). While many films with low production values are still able to come across as entertaining, i.e. How to be a Serial Killer generally a film with a low...

It’s time for another update on horror-film screenings for the Halloween 2009 season and beyond; you can track back through our previous items starting here. The most exciting news is the addition of a very special show to the Scary Movies 3 series currently unspooling at New York City’s Lincoln Center: Trick ’R Treat with Michael Dougherty (pictured) in attendance!

The All Hallow’s anthology feature unspools at the Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th Street, upper level) this Wednesday, October 21 at 8:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A with Dougherty. Trust us: You want to see this one on the big screen. Full details on Scary Movies 3 can be found here. In addition, adventurous genre fans will want to check out Juraj Herz’s The Cremator when it shows as part of Lincoln Center’s The Ironic Curtain: Czech Cinema series on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 9 p.m. This black...

Director: Luke Ricci.

Writer: Luke Ricci.

Already released through a limited run last summer How to be a Serial Killer is a 2009 DVD October release that blends comedy, some horror, and solid writing to show the life of a serial killer over the course of several days. Really a spoof of infomercials How to be a Serial Killer from writer, and director, Luke Ricci is a fun watch despite some limiting production values (low budget). A great addition to horror genre How to be a Serial Killer is a Netflix must for those wanting something off the beaten path.

The film centers around Mike played by Dameon Clarke and Matthew Gray Gubler as Bart who form a dysfunctional, symbiotic relationship as they terrorize the unfortunate folks of Santa Clarita, California. Shot documentary style the film shifts back and forth between Mike the seminar leader and the and often funny actions of Bart.

It's another awesome week for DVD releases gang. First up is Pieter Van Hees' Belgium thriller, Left Bank (review, amazon), and dark slow boiler that our own Hal McDermot said was "good at combining the familiar with the unsettling."

Then of course we have a couple of apocalyptic flicks, one classic and one soon-to-be. Richard Stanley's 1990 Pa android shocker, Hardware (exclusive clip, amazon), gets an overdue royal treatment from Severin who have lovingly restored the film and stuffed it with extras. As soon as my copy arrives I'll be posting a review so stay tuned. The soon-to-be classic is of course Kyle Rankin's comic tinged bug-pocalypse romp, Infestation (review, amazon). This is one of those film that does so much with so little and has so much fun doing it that you'd feel like kind of a jerk for dissing its shortcomings. Don't let the bad DVD...

Welcome to your weekly movie horoscope with Madame Millie Kilakilarney. She will point you in the direction of the DVDs you need to watch this week according to the astrological charts she keeps on her bedroom wall. If it's in the stars or on store shelves, she knows about it!

Aries (March 21st-April 19th): Guess what, Aires? You can't hide from the things you've done. Sadly, this week, you are going to want to do just that. You've made some poor decisions in the recent past. Some moments of validity were tossed out of your control. Too bad, because you were the only one that could have saved these horrible hours like a pickled fetus in a fruit jar. My advice to you? Don't run. Take everything into account, and figure out the best way to deal with this mess you've made on your best friend's carpet. It's not all bad.

Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.

Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, October 13, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List. It's another Big week, with Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell hitting the market, along with some long-awaited classics including The Stepfather, Hardware, and more.

Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com

Angels Vs. Demons: Fact Or Fiction?

The Vatican has condemned it. Readers around the world love it. And now we separate the fact from the fiction in Dan Brown’s controversial bestseller Angels & Demons. We examine the cutting-edge science of anti-matter and question the historical accuracy of theology, conspiracies, symbolism and cults as described by the The Da Vinci Code author. Includes bonus feature:...

The 2009 Shriekfest Film Festival has released an update to its recently announced list of film and screenplay finalists; this time, it's a rundown of some of the talent scheduled to be involved in the event in order to represent their films.

The festival's lineup includes such talent as Jeffrey Combs in "Dark House", Ving Rhames in "Evil Angel", Dameon Clarke and Matthew Gray Gubler in "How to Be a Serial Killer", Dean Cain in "Maneater", John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Joe Dante, and Roger Corman in "Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue", Billy Zane in "Surviving Evil", and Tiffany Shepis in "Thirsty".

The 2009 Shriekfest Film Festival is scheduled for October 1st-4th, and the current roster includes 40 films and 39 screenplay finalists.

For complete and up-to-date information on the upcoming event, please visit the official Shriekfest website.

- Tristan Sinns

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

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It's time to see if your shorts and features made the cut - Shriekfest 2009, which runs October 1st-4th, 2009, has released the titles of those films that have made its 2009 Finalists list.

The judges must be busy with the long list of titles that have made it thus far. Included among them is a short film from some of our very own, "Thirsty", directed by Andrew Kasch, written by Joe Knetter, screenplay by David Rosiak, shot by Buz Wallick, and starring Joe Lynch and Tiffany Shepis. I've seen the film and it's a riot; let's hope the judges agree!

Here's the rundown of the features that are Finalists:

"Dark House"

directed by Darin Scott

"Dawning"

directed by Gregg Holtgrewe

"Evil Angel"

directed by Richard Dutcher

"Evilution"

directed by Chris Conlee

"How to be a Serial Killer"

directed by Luke Ricci

"Hurt"

directed by Barbara Stepansky

"Lo"

directed by Travis Betz...

It's been a Massive week here at Fangoria. With much of the East Coast crew up in Montreal at the Fantasia Film Festival, and most of the West Coast Crew in San Diego for Comic-con, the Midwest Crew here in Chicago (where Fangoria.com is based) has been working overtime to keep all of the updates coming.

That said, this installment of our Week in Review is pretty lengthy. We've got all the gory goodness broken down by category, so you can easily catch up on any horror news that you might have missed.

Fangoria Entertainment Updates:

Fangoria #286 Sneak-Preview - Megan Fox, Cover Ghoul *Updated* Fangoria #286 cover: Banned (and Un-banned) from MySpace Fangoria at San Diego Comic-con - Sdcc '09:

Sdcc '09: Trailer - The Hills Run Red Sdcc '09: The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Press Conference Sdcc '09: 2 Bootleg Clips of The Twilight Saga: New Moon...

Many of us are fascinated by serial killers--what makes them tick, what makes them do what they do and, in our darker moments, whether we could ever carry out the gruesome acts they undertake. Sure, everyone has thought about killing someone, even if it is only for a fleeting moment, but how many of us could actually do it?

And what if, one day, someone walked into your life who saw a spark of himself lurking behind your eyes, and offered to help you recognize that darkness within yourself? Could you do it? With dark humor and a decidedly tongue-in-cheek approach, How To Be A Serial Killer (opening in select bookings this summer; go here for details) examines exactly those questions.

Moving seamlessly through a variety of styles, writer/director Luke Ricci brings us the story of Bart (Criminal Minds’ Matthew Gray Gubler), a fumbling video-store clerk/slacker who is...

Monterey Media will be releasing "How to be a Serial Killer" at Comicon in San Diego on July 24th at the Gaslamp 15. Although still bloody the films purpose is to poke fun at the recent self-help generation who turn to books, psychology, and new age spirituality in order to find greater purpose. Produced by Matador Motion Pictures this comedic film is not to be missed as one psychopath finds passion in the remorseless killing of others. Have a look at the first demented trailer for the film until the film releases in San Diego.

The synopsis for "How to be a Serial Killer" here...

"It's time to start listening to those voices in your head.

How to Be a Serial Killer analyzes the self-help literature industry and motivational speakers in general. There are so many ways to get off track while pursuing the perfect life, and an even greater number...

First, a few street date updates: Shout! Factory’s DVD of Audition, which we broke the news on here, will arrive October 6. Monarch Video will release Farmhouse (see our review here) September 29; look for a making-of featurette and possibly other special features on that one. And First Look will issue Kyle Rankin’s big-bug opus Infestation on October 13, following its Syfy cable debut (see previous item here).

Lowest Common Denominator Entertainment has set an October 27 street date for its long-awaited special-edition disc of Black Devil Doll, and gave Fango the scoop on the complete details. The saga of an executed black militant’s spirit entering a ventriloquist’s dummy and wreaking all sorts of outrageous, politically incorrect havoc will be presented in widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, plus an insane amount of special features:

Audio commentary by director Jonathan Lewis, writer/producer Shawn Lewis and writer/designer Mitch Mayes Audio...

San Diego Comic-Con 2009 is still six weeks away, but already news is starting to trickle in with regard to the who, what, when, and where of the pop culture blowout. And considering this is the Con's 40th Anniversary and all four days are already sold out, there's sure to be a Lot going on!

First up, the theatrical premiere of How to Be a Serial Killer on July 24th at the Gaslamp 15 in Downtown San Diego. A hilariously disturbing dark comedy, How To Be A Serial Killer is the story of Mike Wilson (Dameon Clarke), a charismatic, educated, and articulate young man who has found his life’s purpose in exterminating ... people. Determined to spread his message about the joy of serial killing, Mike recruits a lost soul named Bart (Matthew Gray Gubler) to be his pupil and leads him through his 10-step program, which includes such quintessential lessons as theories on corpse disposal,...

Here are the new MPAA ratings from Bulletin No: 2073. 13Teen Rated R For some violent content. Burning Bright Rated PG-13 For terror/violence and some language. Facing Ali Rated R For some language. From Mexico With Love Rated PG-13 For sports violence, language, brief sensuality and drug references. Ghost Image Rated PG-13 For violence, disturbing images and a sexual reference. How To Be A Serial Killer Rated R For violence, grisly images and language. Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs Rated PG For some mild rude humor and peril. Release Date: July 1, 2009 La Linea Rated R For violence, sexual material, language and drug content. Love and Other Impossible Pursuits Rated R For sexual content and language. Nature's Grave Rated R For language, some disturbing violent images and brief sexual material. The Other Man Rated R For some sexuality/nudity and language. Ponyo Rated G Release Date: August 14, 2009 A Serious Man Rated R For language,...

MPAA ratings: June 10, 2009. The following feature-length motion pictures have been reviewed and rated by the Classification and Rating Administration pursuant to the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program. Each of the designated ratings is defined as follows under the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program.

G -- General Audiences. All ages admitted.

PG -- Parental Guidance Suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG -13 --Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

R -- Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Nc-17 -- No One 17 And Under Admitted.

Film Distributor Reason Rating 13Teen 

Barnholtz Entertainment, Inc.

Rated for some violent content.

R Burning Bright  

Lionsgate

Rated for terror/violence and some language.

PG-13 Facing Ali  

Lionsgate

Rated for some language.

R From Mexico With Love

Roadside Attractions

Rated for sports violence, language, brief sensuality and drug references.

PG-13 Ghost Image  

Mti Home Video

Rated for violence,...

Fango got word about a pair of independent features spotlighting different kinds of crazy heading for big screens in the coming months. One, Morgan J. Freeman’s Homecoming, is played straight, while Luke Ricci’s How To Be A Serial Killer is pitched as a gruesome satire.

In Homecoming, Freeman (no relation to the similarly named actor) returns to the bad-girl territory he previously explored in American Psycho II: All American Girl. Mischa Barton stars as Shelby, a small-town girl and former homecoming queen who’s just a tad upset when her former beau Mike (Matt Long) comes home from college for Christmas break with his new girlfriend Elizabeth (The Hills Have Eyes II’s Jessica Stroup). Shelby wants Mike back for herself, and embarks on a campaign of terror to get Elizabeth out of the picture. Paper Street Films opens Homecoming in New York and La on July 17, and...

• Image Entertainment has set a March 24 street date for two Sci Fi Channel nature-amok movies on disc: Locusts: The 8th Plague and Snakehead Terror. The company will also release the Pang Brothers production Forest Of Death April 14.

Locusts, in which star Dan Cortese is backed by a genre-friendly ensemble including David (Firestarter) Keith, Julie (Dexter) Benz and Jeff (Planet Terror) Fahey, will come with an FX featurette, while the killer-fish flick Snakehead, starring Bruce Boxleitner and Carol Alt, will be extras-free. The movies will be presented in 16x9-enhanced 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio; retail price for each is $14.98. Forest, in a 16x9-enhanced 1.78:1 transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 Chinese audio and no announced supplements, is about a woodland in which both rape/murders and suicides have taken place, and is investigated by a homicide detective (The Eye 2’s Shu Qi), a tabloid TV reporter and a paranormal...

Year: 2008

Release date: Unknown

Director: Luke Ricci

Writer: Luke Ricci

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: Bob Doto

Rating: 8 out of 10

“If you can dream it, you can kill it.”

—Mike Wilson from the “How to be a Serial Killer” seminar

I’m not one of those horror fans who gets off on heaps of FX violence. Actually, I’m far from it. So, when I found out that I would be reviewing Luke Ricci’s directorial debut How To Be A Serial Killer, I honestly wasn’t terribly excited. Truth be told, I assumed the film would be a balls-out slasher fest, serving no purpose other than to make me squirm in my seat. Once again (and this proving to be a theme) I was wrong.

Let’s not be mistaken, Htbsk contains enough murder and subsequent blood flow to keep even the most hardened fan a little squeamish,...

Fango was on hand last night for the close of the 2008 New York City Horror Film Festival, capped by the handing out of the event’s awards (for which this writer was one of the judges). Bad Biology topped the list of winners, taking Best Feature Film and Best Special Effects (Gabe Bartalos); writer/director Frank Henenlotter and stars Anthony Sneed and Charlee Danielson (pictured) were on hand to accept.

Also taking a pair of prizes was Jennifer Lynch’s Surveillance, which marked two firsts for the fest: Its first female Best Director, and the first award given to a child performer (Ryan Simpkins, named Best Actress). The rest of the winners are:

• Best Actor: Dameon Clarke for How To Be A Serial Killer

• Best Screenplay: Nacho Vigalondo for Timecrimes

• Best Cinematography: Stephanie Martin for The Objective

• Best Short Film: Nathan Bezner’s Altar

• Audience Award, Best Feature: Timecrimes

• Audience Award,...

**Please Note: This will be at the top for a while; be sure to scroll down for updated news stories!** Horror may currently be in a slump, but the 2008 American Film Market has shown a huge light at the end of the tunnel. This year showcased a record number of horror titles and Dread Central was on hand to catch a great deal of them. Some were good, some were bad but all showed that this genre still has plenty of lifeblood left. Many exhibitors were also kind enough to show us movie promos, while others coldly showed us the door (Lesbian Vampire Killers, I’m looking at you). The most promising show previews were easily Night of the Demons and Clive Barker’s Dread, with plenty of new projects being announced. Check out our full Afm '08 coverage here.

So without further ado, we present you with our yearly...

Sporting some of the sweetest horror of the year, the NYC Horror Film Fest has it's kick off party at the Don Hills Night Club on Wednesday, November 12th at 8pm and runs at the Tribeca Cinemas. There's a host of great shorts, including Eel Girl and Treevenge, and for the main program, films like Bad Biology, Daniel Myrick's The Objective (this is a good one), and How to be a serial killer are playing. You can check the full schedule of shorts and features after the break or at the official website.

Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick St. @ Canal)

Nov. 13th though the 16th

Program 1

Thursday, Nov. 13th 9:00pm

Antibody (Dir. Nathan Bezner / 20 min)

Resident Evil: Degeneration (Dir. by Makoto Kamiya / 96 min)

Program 2

Friday, Nov. 14th 7:30pm

Legend of Ol’Goldie (Dir. by Matthew Snyman / 8 min)

Martians Go Home (Dir. by Dan Moreno / 20 min)

Alien Raiders (Dir.

We just got the final lowdown from the guys behind this year’s New York City Horror Film Festival with the first look at their full schedule! The festival runs from November 12th–16th this year, and there’s some great stuff on the schedule. Check it out below, and then head to the official NYC Horror Film Festival site to get your tickets!

Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick St. @ Canal)

Thursday, Nov. 13th

9:00pm

"Antibody" (Dir. Nathan Bezner / 20 mins) Resident Evil: Degeneration (Dir. by Makoto Kamiya / 96 min)

The Resident Evil franchise gets a brand new addition this winter with Resident Evil: Degeneration. It's the first full CGI Resident Evil movie and picks up seven years after the destruction of Raccoon City by the Us government after the first zombie outbreak caused by the Umbrella Corporation. It's set in a Us airport where the T-Virus gets released once again...

The organizers of the New York City Horror Film Festival gave Fango the scoop on the features showing at the event’s 2008 edition. The fest has moved back to the Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick Street, where it will be held Thursday-Sunday, November 13-16 (with the traditional opening-night party Wednesday, Nov. 12).

The first night sees the North American premiere of Resident Evil: Degeneration, the CG-animated fourth in the series of zombie actioners based on the Capcom games. The subsequently screened features will be:

• Alien Raiders, the Ben Rock-directed latest in the Raw Feed film series

• The Objective, Daniel (Blair Witch) Myrick’s military chiller set in Afghanistan

• The 7th Hunt (pictured), pitting five youths against five trained killers, from writer/director Jon Cohen

• From A Place Of Darkness, about a documentarian who becomes involved with a snuff filmmaker, directed/co-written by Douglas A. Raine

• How To Be A Serial Killer,...

This afternoon we got our hands on the official poster, along with the official synopsis for Luke Ricci's How To Be A Serial Killer from Matador Motion Pictures. How to Be A Serial Killer is the story of Mike Wilson, a charismatic, educated, and articulate young man who has found his lifes purpose in exterminating people. Mike is determined to spread his message about the joy of serial killing and recruits a lost soul named Bart to be his pupil. Mike leads Bart through the ethics of serial killing as well as teaching him various lessons in disposing corpses, balancing work and play, methods of killing, and many many more. Mike and Bart's curriculum is interrupted when Mikes girlfriend discovers whats beneath her boyfriends charming exterior and Mike and Bart must kill their way out of being discovered by the cops.

Take a look at the latest movie poster from the upcoming film “How to Be a Serial Killer” by director Luke Ricci and starring Dameon Clarke, Ryan Smith, Laura Regan and George Wyner. Synopsis: How to Be A Serial Killer is the story of Mike Wilson, a charismatic, educated, and articulate young man who has found his life’s purpose in exterminating people. Mike is determined to spread his message about the joy of serial killing and recruits a lost soul named Bart to be his pupil. Mike leads Bart through the ethics of serial killing as well as teaching him various lessons in disposing corpses, balancing work and play, methods of killing, and many many more. Mike and Barts [...]...