News

A new Untitled Project from action maestro Daniel Zirilli (Crossing Point, Asian Connection, Time Rush) and Chilean martial artist Marko Zaror (Redeemer, Mandrill, Undisputed 3) is prepping now for a late November start in Bangkok, Thailand. The storyline is as follows: Bruno Leone, a former Navy Seal, has his new solitary life in Southeast Asia interrupted when a mysterious girl washes ashore. Athena, reluctant to share the details of her past, develops a relationship of hope with Bruno. Their world is sent crashing down when Athena is taken captive (on a remote Island in the Andaman sea) by Dr. Vitor Strozzi, Commander Krieger, and a team of elite commandos. Determined to get Athena back, Bruno wages a one man war to rescue her and uncover...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Miramax and El Rey Network announced today four new cast additions to the Albuquerque-based production of From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, set to return for a third season later this year. Ana de la Reguera (Jane the Virgin, Narcos) will have a recurring role as Lord Venganza Verdugo, one of the seven remaining culebra Lords whose ancient roots and personal history put them at the center of an epic clash between good and evil. Also joining the cast is Chilean martial arts action star, Marko Zaror (Machete Kills), as Zolo, an Aztec warrior trained in hell, and iconic horror movie maven Tom Savini (Friday the 13th, From Dusk Till Dawn). Savini, who starred as Sex Machine in the original film, lights up the brand new role of Burt, a retired demon hunter who smokes more medical marijuana than he sells.

Returning to the El Rey Network supernatural action horror...

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza has long been a favorite director in the Twitch world. His impressive ability to keep the action flowing while dabbling in different subgenres has always been commendable. In Mirageman, Diaz Espinsoza married lo-fi action with the tropes of the super hero story. In Mandrill, it was the spy genre. And in Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman, the Chilean director turned things in a decisively more female orientation with this exploitation spectacular. The director returns with Redeemer - a movie that is not only another foray into a new action subgenre - this the Mma-inspired martial arts actioner, but it also marks the return of his action muse. If you missed Marko Zaror during his absence from Machine Gun...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Mirageman and Mandrill director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza is having himself quite a year with the premieres of both Redeemer - his latest collaboration with frequent star Marko Zaror - and his long in post action-comedy Santiago Violenta. The story of three friends drawn into a violent caper, Santiago Violenta hits Chilean screens January 1st which means - you guessed it - a new poster and trailer. No subtitles on this one but plenty of piscolas (a local adult beverage) and pistolas (a local lethal weapon) to keep things interesting. Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Exclusive: Here’s a first look at Redeemer, the Chilean action pic starring martial artist Marko Zaror that could help seal the imposing 6’3″ martial artist as the next international action star to watch. The Undisputed III and Machete Kills thesp stars as a brooding former cartel hitman who makes a promise to God to hunt down his former bosses and does so, in a hail of bullets and kicks to the head.

Exec producers and sales co. Xyz Films brought the pic to Afm where Mpi’s Dark Sky Films took North American rights in a deal announced yesterday. The action-heavy teaser trailer should help spark international sales for the Spanish language actioner, which showcases a sampling of Zaror’s impressive physicality (the film includes some scenes in English, courtesy of Looper‘s Noah Segan as an entitled American wannabe drug lord).

Redeemer marks Zaror’s fourth film with director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza,...

I’m writing this review at the expense of having actor/badass extraordinaire Marko Zaror hunt me down and beat my face into a bloody pulp, as he could do with both hands and feet tied behind his back, but something about Redeemer just doesn’t resonate with the B-Movie action nut that lives inside me, feeding off beef jerky and the tears of my foes. Redeemer is full-throttle action, I won’t argue that, but it feels a tad-bit undercooked, packing a whole host of ruthless butt-kicking into a movie that doesn’t cue proper plotting to support such bloodshed. Opening up with a cheeky homage to A Clockwork Orange and a synth-pop remix of Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” the action sequences grow tiresome after slowly devolving into a superhero-like film where the main character can do no wrong, as Zaror throws around goons like lifeless mannequins.

Ernesto Diaz Esponiza has long been a favorite director in the Twitch world. His impressive ability to keep the action flowing while dabbling in different subgenres has always been commendable. In Mirageman, Diaz Espinsoza married lo-fi action with the tropes of the super hero story. In Mandrill, it was the spy genre. And in Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman, the Chilean director turned things in a decisively more female orientation with this exploitation spectacular. This year, Ernesto returns with Redeemer - a movie that is not only another foray into a new action subgenre - this the Mma-inspired martial arts actioner, but it also marks the return of the director's action muse. If you missed Marko Zaror during his absence from...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Here's some happy news for international fight fans: Production has wrapped on Redeemer - the fourth collaboration between star Marko Zaror and writer-director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza following Kiltro, Mirageman and Mandrill - and with the film now in post production the first selection of stills have arrived with The Hollywood Reporter getting the first look.Former hitman Nicky Pardo (Zaror) has made a deal with God. Pardo will begin every day by holding a gun to his own head and pulling the trigger. And every day he does not die he will take it as a sign that he is meant to continue hunting down the men he used to work for. Also known for his roles in Machete Kills and Undisputed 3, check out the...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

El Mercado Fantastico is back. The international co-production market for genre films is putting out a wide alert to find projects made by Latino filmmakers currently in development, pre-production or post. Finalists will go to Austin during this year’s Fantastic Fest (September 18-25) and be hooked up with potential production partners, sales agents, and distributors. The market is co-produced with Canana and El Rey so you know the platform will attract heavyweight investors and partners.

Seize this unique opportunity to fast track your film, and who knows, your film could be distinguished in a future Fantastic Fest program with as many uncouth visual reference icons that fit your crazy film’s themes i.e. Fishhook Violence, Puppet Sex, Pedophilia, Decapitation, Lactation…. You have until May 31′st to submit

Along with accepting classic genre staples like horror, action and fantasy, projects can run the genre gamut and include animation, westerns, dark comedies, sci-fi, basically anything other than your run of the mill drama. In its second year, the market will select 12-14 projects and new this year, will select four films in post to screen as works in progress.

Since 2005, Fantastic Fest has nailed its epic niche of being the ultimate festival for a ravenous movie geek audience who embraces the rigorously curated fantastic program. And the international film marketplace has taken note, snapping up rights to several film titles that have screened in the Fantastic Fest program. El Mercado Fantastico feels like a natural step for them to incubate their specialty and sustain their grip on all films fantastic.

Director of Programming Rodney Perkins, along with Festival Director Kristin Bell are and heavily scouting for submissions. They received around 100 submissions last year and Rodney told me that overall, the quality was very high. Out of the 16 participating projects, a majority were by directors and producers who have had previous films in the festival. Rodney says they are looking to mix it up with bringing new talent to the surface, but also choosing projects by filmmakers with proven track records in making good movies and the quality of their new projects.

Rodney commented, “Some of the most interesting genre directors in the world are based out of countries like Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Brazil and Uruguay. Fantastic Fest has featured numerous films from these and other countries. A lot of these talented people don’t get recognized globally, particularly in the U.S. We want to do what we can to help them make films and expose their work to a broader international audience.”

Like Rodney says, since its inception, Fantastic Fest has supported and premiered films from Spanish filmmakers like Nacho Vigalondo (Time Crimes, Open Windows), Eugenio Mira (Agnosia, Grand Piano), Chileans like Ernesto Diaz Espinosa (Kiltro, Mandrill), Nicolas Lopez (Santos, Aftershock) and Mexicans Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Here Comes The Devil), and Jorge Michel Grau (Somos Lo Que Hay), among other filmmakers from all over South America and the Caribbean.

A number of projects that were in pre-production when they participated in the inaugural market last September are already coming to fruition. Notably Isaac Ezban’s feature debut El Incidente, produced by Andrea Quiroz (Here Comes the Devil), is completed and will screen at Ventana Sur’s Blood Window showcase at Cannes Marche du Film. Edgar Nito’s project Tatewari is steadily advancing and recently announced a new associate producer. The team from Uruguayan project Small Town found the producing partners for their film, Dios Local from the market last year. Dios Local is almost complete and is represented for international sales by the French company Elle Driver.

So what are you waiting for? I know there has got to be more than 100 Latino made genre projects out there. They aren’t just looking for international Latinos but U.S. native Latinos to represent. At least one of the filmmakers/producers should be some kind of Latino. Get your application together to submit asap. I was on the documentary jury last year which awarded Best Documentary to Jodorowsky’s Dune and Best Director to Shaul Shwarz for (Now on Netflix and iTunes) so I know firsthand this festival is a vital film festival. Plus, there’s really nowhere else you’ll find such sanctioned festival shenanigans like Helicopter Hog Hunting, Filmmaker Shotgun outings, the Schlitz chuggin Award Ceremony rite, Nerd rap, Karaoke and Debates that are settled with a good ol boxing fight.

From Desperado to the Spy Kids franchise and beyond, Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo have largely become household names due mostly to the work they’ve done together.

With the sequel to Machete about to hit theaters, Machete Kills expands on their body of work and might remind audiences just why they fell in love with the indie spirit of Rodriguez and the stoic badassery of Trejo in the first place. Shortly before the premiere of Machete Kills at this year’s Fantastic Fest down in Austin, TX, Rodriguez and Trejo sat down with Dread Central for a few minutes before they were rushed out to meet the fans on the red carpet.

Read our Machete Kills review!

DC: So, I actually remember being on the set of Predators at Troublemaker a few years ago. Danny, I didn’t get to interview you; I got to interview everybody else. And...

She’s out today! Ernesto Diaz Espinoza’s (‘Mandrill,’ ‘Kiltro,’ and ‘The ABCs of Death’) Chilean bloodbath, action film Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun hits UK theatres today and just to hammer the fact home they’ve dropped us another trailer for the movie. Cant get to a Cinema to see it? Fear not, it heads for DVD and Blu on October 14. Synopsis: Ruthless Chilean kingpin Che Longana uses everything in his power to stop the woman who wants to kill him - a sexy and bloodthirsty mercenary known as "the machine gun woman". The staggering sum of cash he offers for her head sets in motion an army of hit men. Caught up in the action are naive DJ and avid gamer Santiago Fernandez who overhears a secret meeting with Longana and his henchmen. At this point Santiago s life turns into a violent video game complete with missions,...

Stars: Fernanda Urrejola, Matías Oviedo, Eric Kleinsteuber, Jorge Alis, Víctor González, Sofía García | Written and Directed by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza

Written and Directed by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mandrill, Kiltro, The ABC’s of Death), Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman proudly claimed to be a ‘LatinXploitation’ flick and as such was a Chilean take on the grindhouse revival movement. Starring Matías Oviedo as a hapless young DJ who rubs his gangster boss the wrong way and becomes forced to track down the mysterious, deadly and sexy assassin known only as Machine Gun Woman (Fernanda Urrejola), which is a little more than he is likely to be capable of.

Ruthless Argentine kingpin Che Longana uses everything in his power to stop the woman who wants to kill him – a sexy and bloodthirsty mercenary known as “the machine gun woman” (Fernanda Urrejola). The staggering sum of cash he offers...

Chilean writer director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza returns with another slice of what he refers to as LatinXploitation in “Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman”, following up on actioners “Mandrill” and “Mirageman” with more of the same. Having also helmed “C is for Cycle”, one of the more successful segments of the recent “ABCs of Death” (not to mention having recently wrapped editing on Eli Roth’s forthcoming cannibal opus “The Green Inferno”), Espinoza is already somewhat of a cult favourite, and is clearly a director who knows his audience, throwing in plenty of guns, violence and a heroine who spends the running time clad in not much more than a black bra and hotpants combo. Having gone down well at a variety of genre festivals, the film now hits UK cinemas in late September, followed by a DVD and Blu Ray release in early October through Clear Vision.

If a liberal does of grind house style violence, dished out by a leather clad machine gun wielding female assassin is your cup o tea, then news that Ernesto Diaz Espinoza’s (‘Mandrill,’ ‘Kiltro,’ and ‘The ABCs of Death’) Chilean action bloodbath of an action film Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman is set for a UK theatrical release, might just be of interest. Sept 20 is the in theatre date to note, then hits DVD and Blu on October 7. Synopsis: Ruthless Chilean kingpin Che Longana uses everything in his power to stop the woman who wants to kill him - a sexy and bloodthirsty mercenary known as "the machine gun woman". The staggering sum of cash he offers for her head sets in motion an army of hit men. Caught up in the action are naive DJ and avid gamer Santiago Fernandez who overhears a secret meeting with Longana and his henchmen.

Eli Roth’s latest collaborator/muse duo Nicolas Lopez and Lorenza Izzo are, if anything, even more enthusiastic than he is. Styling himself as a maverick film-maker, Lopez is known for oddball comedies in his native Chile, and is making his English-language debut with Aftershock, based on the events of the 2010 Chilean earthquake that he personally lived through.

Meanwhile, Izzo has earned Eli Roth’s praise for her role in his upcoming Netflix TV show Hemlock Grove, and is set for bloody shenanigans in Aftershock and The Green Inferno.

The duo are bubbly, prone to good-natured joking, and have a lot to say about their love of genre movies.

Q1: Nicolas, I understand you started writing at quite a young age…

Nicolas Lopez: Yeah.

Q1: And then you created your own website. How did you go from that to then becoming a film director?

Nl: Ummmmm…..well.

The ABCs of Death is now available on a variety of VOD services and will receive a limited theatrical release on March 8th. If you’re looking to learn more before checking it out, we have a new featurette with a number of the directors involved talking about the movie and their segment.

“Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABC’s Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.”

Directors: Kaare Andrews (Altitude), Angela Bettis (Roman), Ernesto Diaz Espinoza...

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza's Machine Gun Woman arrived at Fantastic Fest with her guns blazing, prompting our own Ryland Aldrich to proclaim the latest from the director of Mandrill and Mirageman a dose of "wildly sexy violence". A should you be curious what Espinoza hath wrought in the absence of his normal cinematic sidekick, Marko Zaror, well ... you need wonder no longer. The Chilean trailer for his Bring Me The Head Of The Machine Gun Woman has arrived and, yes, it includes a woman with a machine gun. It also includes English subtitles so scroll on down to take a gander....

A red band trailer for The ABCs of Death gave us the first good look at the anthology horror film last month. If you’re looking for more, we have the new green band trailer that was just released. The ABCs of Death is an anthology horror film with 26 short chapters. Each chapter is directed by a different filmmaker, including Ti West, Xavier Gens, Adam Wingard, and more:

“Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABC’s Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get literary and remind ourselves of our aBCs. After a run on the festival circuit, the first, very red band trailer for horror anthology The ABCs Of Death has appeared online.

The premise of the project is simple, as you may recall – twenty six directors with minimal financial resources but full creative freedom were given a letter and the request to construct an on screen death in a manner connected to that letter.

Have a look at the trailer:

Directors involved in the project are:

Kaare Andrews (Altitude), USA

Angela Bettis (Roman), USA

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile

Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada

Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium

Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico

Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman), France

Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Mexico

Noburo Iguchi (Robo Geisha), Japan

Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja), Norway

Anders Morgenthaler...

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to get literary. Yes, after a run on the festival circuit the first, very much red band, trailer for horror anthology The ABCs Of Death has arrived online. The premise of the project is simple. Twenty six directors with minimal financial resources but full creative freedom were given a letter and the request to construct an on screen death in a manner which connected to that letter. The results were mayhem.Directors involved in the project are: Kaare Andrews (Altitude), USA Angela Bettis (Roman), USA Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman), France Jorge Michel Grau (We Are...

In yesterday’s news, we told you to expect something from The ABCs of Death this evening and we now have the first trailer for you to watch. The ABCs of Death is an anthology horror film with 26 short chapters. Each chapter is directed by a different filmmaker, including Ti West, Xavier Gens, Adam Wingard, and many more:

“Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABC’s Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.”

Directors: Kaare Andrews (Altitude), Angela Bettis...

After a number of festival screenings this year, The ABCs of Death is set for release early next year and we have two new photos to share with Daily Dead readers. The ABCs of Death is an anthology horror film with 26 short chapters. Each chapter is directed by a different filmmaker, including Ti West, Xavier Gens, Adam Wingard, and many more:

“Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABC’s Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.”

Directors: Kaare Andrews...

There are few filmmakers who know how to create as much onscreen fun with as small of a budget as Chilean writer/director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza. With 70s cinematic sensibilities, funk-filled soundtracks, and always awesome action, Mirageman and Mandrill were fun-packed riffs on the superhero vigilante and suave assassin (respectively) subgenres. His latest, Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman is his take on guns-blazing bounty hunter exploitation films (he calls it LatinXploitation, or Lxpl for short). Mix in a heavy dose of video game culture via a Grand Theft Auto mission motif and you have another big success from Espinoza and a film that is truly fantastic. Marking a big departure for the director, Espinoza has traded in the high kicks of action...

The cast for Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills has been swelling to epic proportions with everyone from Mel Gibson to Lady Gaga taking a shot at the baddest Mexican on the planet, but its adding one Chilean martial arts star to its roster. Mandrill star and Fantastic Fest favorite Marko Zaror has been announced as playing Zaror in the Machete follow-up. The character will serve as a henchman to Gibson’s role as main baddie and will likely come with the benefit of punching and kicking Danny Trejo. A lot. Says Rodriguez about the casting choice: “I’ve been a big fan of Marko’s for years, and I even created this role specifically for him. He is an incredible martial artist with physics defying speed and agility, and he has a great movie star presence. I’m sure we’ll be working together again soon.” Zaror was equally excited about joining the Machete Kills team, saying...

Here at FM, we love it when Danny Trejo kills things on film, but as much as that, we love good action with human bodies in harrowing situations—and Robert Rodriguez aims to please with his next movie, Machete Kills. According to the Press Release, the film will feature Marko Zaror, international martial arts action star.

From the Press Release:

Marko Zaror, an international martial arts action star, just finished filming Machete Kills, the sequel to Robert Rodriguez’s cult favorite Machete. Zaror joins an all-star ensemble cast that includes Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, and Jessica Alba. Zaror, dubbed “the Bruce Lee of Latin America,” is cast as Zaror (which happens to be his real last name), henchman to Mel Gibson’s villainous character.

Rodriguez was quick to comment, “I’ve been a big fan of Marko’s for years, and I even created this role specifically for him.

If there's one thing you can expect from Machete Kills (other than hot chicks and Danny Trejo taking off his shirt every chance he gets), it's that the flick will be brimming with fighting, shooting, and action sequences. To make sure of this, we have some two-fisted casting news for you!

From the Press Release

Marko Zaror, an international martial arts action star, just finished filming Machete Kills, the sequel to Robert Rodriguez's cult favorite Machete. Zaror joins an all-star ensemble cast that includes Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, and Jessica Alba. Zaror, dubbed "the Bruce Lee of Latin America," is cast as Zaror (which happens to be his real last name), henchman to Mel Gibson's villainous character.

Rodriguez was quick to comment, "I've been a big fan of Marko's for years, and I even created this role specifically for him. He is an incredible...

Yes, Robert Rodriguez's "Machete Kills" has wrapped, but that doesn't mean there aren't more surprises in store. This morning brings news that yet another name has joined the cast, and it will be one that will be bringing some serious punching and kicking power to the pic. Chilean martial arts star Marko Zaror will play the henchman to Mel Gibson's villain in the upcoming film. While he's not a household name yet, genre fans will probably best know him from "Mandrill," the action flick from a couple of years back that made some minor waves on the festival circuit and got a limited stateside release. But as you'll see in the sizzle reel for the actor below, he will bring a new and dangerous challenge to Danny Trejo's lead character and provide the biggest platform yet for Zaror to show his skills. But, if you're getting a...

In a move that makes so much sense it's shocking that it hasn't happened before now, Robert Rodriguez has cast Chilean action star Marko Zaror in a key villain role for the upcoming Machete Kills. Rodriguez apparently wrote the part specifically for the star of Mandrill, Kiltro and Mirageman and it will feature a number of fight sequences. A message to Zaror asking if he'd had the chance to punch Danny Trejo yet was simply answered with a happy "A few times!"Los Angeles, CA (August 20, 2012) Marko Zaror, an international martial arts action star, just finished filming Machete Kills, the sequel to Robert Rodriguez's cult favorite Machete.  Zaror joins an all-star ensemble cast, including Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, and...

The machine-gun woman is coming. The question is whether she will be alive or dead when she arrives. Chile's Ernesto Diaz Espinoza - director of Marko Zaror star vehicles Kiltro, Mirage Man and Mandrill - is bringing a new hero to the screen. An attractive, scantily clad, heavily armed one. Espinoza is now in post on his fifth feature, a low budget exploitation picture titled Bring Me The Head Of The Machine Gun Woman (Traiganme La Cabeza De La Mujer Metralleta). It features, not surprisingly, a woman with rather a lot of guns. While there is no trailer available yet we do have an extensive gallery of stills for your perusal below.And for the math-friendly among you who noticed that this is film number five...

As if we weren't already excited enough for the upcoming arrival of anthology film The ABCs of Death, one look at the flick's new poster was all it took to push us into a state of near frenzy! Check it out and see if you agree.

EW unveiled the movie’s poster earlier today, which was designed by Kaare Andrews, a comic book artist-writer (The Incredible Hulk, Ultimate X-Men) and filmmaker (Altitude) who, along with being one of the directors of The ABCs of Death, is also currently prepping the Cabin Fever prequel Patient X.

Synopsis:

Established directors and some of the most gifted emerging directors will make up the diverse roster of creative talent that will showcase twenty-six tales of mortality, beginning with the letter A and ending with the letter Z. This will be a celebration of death in all its forms. From the shocking and exotic to the banal and droll.

A new poster has been released for The ABC’s of Death. In case you missed out on last year’s news, this movie is an anthology horror film with 26 short chapters. Each chapter is directed by a different filmmaker, including Ti West, Xavier Gens, Adam Wingard, and many more.

“Twenty-six directors. Twenty-six ways to die. The ABC’s Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children’s educational books, the motion picture is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death.”

Directors: Kaare Andrews (Altitude), Angela Bettis (Roman), Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Jason Eisener...

Mandrill is Chile's slick, sometimes silly, often sappy, entry into the pantheon of mid-budget kung-fu flicks. It claims inspiration from cheesy spy shows from the 70s (even inventing a new one on-screen), but probably it's more honest so say the inspiration is big-budget American spy movies: flashing lights and lush casinos, fast cars, Sean Connery and James Coville trading one-liners with disposable women. Hong Kong martial arts seems thrown in almost as an afterthought, even though Mandrill's leading man, Marko Zaror, seems equally able to play sultry hunk as well as high-kicking martial artist. In fact he's so good at kicking it's almost a shame that he's stuck in so flimsy a movie.

Read more...

DVD Playhouse—March 2012

By Allen Gardner

J. Edgar (Warner Bros.) Director Clint Eastwood provides a rock-solid, albeit rather flat portrait of polarizing FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, covering his life from late teens to his death. Leonardo DiCaprio does an impressive turn as Hoover, never crossing the line into caricature, and creating a Hoover that is all too human, making for an all the more unsettling look at absolute power run amuck. Where the film stumbles is the love story at its core: Hoover’s relationship with longtime aide Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). In the hands of an openly-gay director like Gus Van Sant, this could have been a heartbreaking, tender story of forbidden (unrequited?) love, but Eastwood seems to tiptoe around their romance, with far too much delicacy and deference. The film works well when recreating the famous crimes and investigations which Hoover made his name on (the Lindbergh kidnapping,...

Chilean action star Marko Zaror kinda looks like a jock and certainly doesn't fit the profile for a martial arts hero of his caliber. Most of the really big names in martial arts are smallish men with lightning speed and incredible agility. Zaror's angular features make him look more like a brute than a graceful acrobat, and that's kind of how his style plays out on screen. Mandrill is Zaror's third feature with writer/director Ernesto Diaz Espinosa after his breakout role in Kiltro and it's follow-up Mirageman. Zaror continues to refine his style in Mandrill, though in a very different guise from the previous works.From the opening frames of Mandrill, it is apparent that Espinosa loves '70s action films. His characters are large and in...

We're big fans of Chile's Marko Zaror. Ever since we started seeing the first footage from the film Kiltro back in 2006, we've been following his career very closely.  It seems his 2009 action film, Mandrill is finally hitting Us Blu-ray and DVD from Magnet releasing on February 28th, check out the details:chilean Action Legend Marko Zaror ISMANDRILLWinner Of Best Feature And Best Actor Awards At Austin's Fantastic Film FestTo Thrill On Blu-ray Disc And DVD February 28 From Magnolia Home Entertainment Under The Magnet Label"I loved this film."- Film School Rejects"Zaror and his team kick all sorts of ass in this film."- Twitch"Zaror is a pleasure to watch."- Screen Crave"With Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme getting older, Hollywood's next top martial-arts talent could...

I covered writer/director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza’s potentially awesome action flick “Mandrill” way back in the year that was 2009, but the film is just now getting around to entertaining folks living within the boundaries of Region 1. Which is a good thing, really, because I haven’t had the opportunity to check it out. That issue will hopefully resolve itself this February. Can’t remember what this one is all about? Read this: Completing contracts with ruthless efficiency Mandrill is always on the lookout for the man who killed his parents when he was a child. When a contract comes up and it looks like this may finally be the man responsible for the death of his parents Mandrill discovers that the only way to get to him is through his daughter Dominic. But revenge is often a terrible cycle and Mandrill may not see this through to the end.

While we're uncertain at this point which letter of the alphabet director Xavier Gens will be tackling for the upcoming mega-anthology The ABC's of Death, the director has shared the first still from his piece. We approve. We totally approve.

Check out the complete list of directors for the upcoming feature from Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films below.

Kaare Andrews (Altitude), USA Angela Bettis (Roman), USA Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman), France Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Mexico Noburo Iguchi (RoboGeisha), Japan Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja), Norway Anders Morgenthaler (Princess), Denmark Lee Hardcastle (T is for Toilet segment), UK Yoshihrio Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police), Japan Banjong Pisathanakun (Shutter), Thailand Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), UK Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl), USA Jon Schnepp...

Although I’m generally not a fan of horror, there is one upcoming project that has me excited. Despite a few gems, many horror flicks now-a-days just seem repetitive and excessively gory with little substance. But taken in a short form, I’m much more open to the genre. Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films are teaming to deliver the ultimate in short-form horror.

They are putting together an anthology titled The ABC’s of Death that includes Hobo with a Shotgun director Jason Eisener, A Serbian Film‘s Srdjan Spasojevic, Timecrimes helmer Nacho Vigalondo and the guy behind the insane upcoming Kill List, Ben Wheatley. That is only a small portion of the 26 directors involved, each taking a letter.

The filmmakers left one letter open for anyone to submit a film. The letter was T and after whittling down to ten contenders, Lee Hardcastle‘s claymation short T...

Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films have announced T is for Toilet by Lee Hardcastle as the winner of their contest to find the "next great horror filmmaker," which finalized the lineup of their international co-production of The ABCs of Death - a highly anticipated anthology film featuring segments directed by over two dozen celebrated filmmakers in what Fangoria calls, "a stunning roll call of some of the most exciting names in horror across the world." Inspired by children's educational books, the feature is comprised of 26 individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given free reign to choose a word to represent a form of death based on their letter. The ABCs of Death will be released through Magnet Releasing in 2012.

T is for Toilet was an early submission to the contest setting the benchmark for future entries and...

We've all been waiting patiently to see who would get the "T" spot in the upcoming anthology flick The ABC's of Death, and the winner has finally been chosen. As a matter of fact, you can watch the winning short right here, right now!

Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films have announced "T is for Toilet" by Lee Hardcastle as the winner of their contest to find the "next great horror filmmaker," which finalized the lineup of their international co-production of The ABCs of Death – the highly anticipated anthology film featuring segments directed by over two dozen celebrated filmmakers.

The UK's Lee Hardcastle joins the following list of already named participating directors:

Kaare Andrews (Altitude), USA Angela Bettis (Roman), USA Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill), Chile Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Canada Bruno Forzani & Héléne Cattet (Amer), Belgium Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat), Mexico Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman...

As another nudge to horror fans to remember to vote for the 26th director to be included in The ABCs of Death anthology film, producers Ant Timpson and Tim League have written a note to everyone who entered the contest and also put together a red-band compilation of some of the highlights from the "T Is for..." short films submitted for voting thus far.

The ABCs of Death is an anthology horror film featuring segments directed by over two dozen leading talents in contemporary genre film from around the world. The feature is comprised of 26 individual episodes, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet inspiring a single word about death. Currently in pre-production, the film's producers reserved the 26th director slot for a worldwide contest to find tomorrow's next great horror filmmaker. A winner will be chosen after online voting ends on November 1, 2011.

The search...

It's been several weeks since we last mentioned the anthology we're all chomping at the bit to see - The ABCs of Death - and to make sure everyone remembers to vote for the 26th director slot, a new promo video has been released, entitled "T Is for Twenty Bucks". Voting has been extended until November 1st so read on for all the details!

The ABCs of Death is an anthology horror film featuring segments directed by over two dozen leading talents in contemporary genre film from around the world. The feature is comprised of 26 individual episodes, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet inspiring a single word about death. Currently in pre-production, the film's producers reserved the 26th director slot for a worldwide contest to find tomorrow's next great horror filmmaker. A winner will be chosen after online voting ends on November 1, 2011. Click here...

Jorge Michel Grau’s cannibal film We Are What We Are made our list of the best films of 2010. Now it seems the director along with Jon Schnepp (Metalocalypse) have joined the roster of directors working on the upcoming anthology film The ABCs of Death. Both men are excellent candidates for the project.

In the same way Let The Right One In reinvented the vampire brand and [Rec] put a clever twist on the epedemic /zombie film, We Are What We Are reinvigorated the cannibal genre with an emotional portrait of a family bound by a terrible secret and driven by monstrous appetites. Metalocalypse is an interesting project, an American animated television series, that centers around the larger than life death metal band Dethklok and often portrays dark and macabre content, including such subjects as violence, death, and the drawbacks of fame, with extremely hyperbolic black humor. While I am not...

Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films have announced the full roster of directors signed on to participate in their international co-production The ABCs Of Death, an anthology horror film featuring segments directed by over two dozen leading talents in contemporary genre film from around the world.

The feature is comprised of 26 individual episodes, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet inspiring a single word about death. Currently in pre-production, the film's producers reserved the 26th director slot for a worldwide contest to find tomorrow's next great horror filmmaker.

The contest ends October 1st. More submission information here.

In May 2011, the film's producers announced that enlisted directors were to include Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Ti West (House Of The Devil and the upcoming The Innkeepers), Ben Wheatley(SXSW 2011 favorite Kill List), Srdjan Spasojevic of A Serbian Film infamy, and 18 others. Joining the roster...

Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films have announced the full roster of directors signed on to participate in their international co-production The ABCs of Death, an anthology horror film featuring segments directed by over two dozen leading talents in contemporary genre film from around the world. The feature is comprised of 26 individual episodes, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet inspiring a single word about death. Currently in pre-production, the film's producers reserved the 26th director slot for a worldwide contest to find tomorrow's next great horror filmmaker. The contest ends October 1st. More submission information can be found here.

In May 2011, the film's producers announced that enlisted directors were to include Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun), Ti West (The House of the Devil and the upcoming The Innkeepers), Ben Wheatley (SXSW 2011 favorite Kill List), Srdjan Spasojevic of A Serbian Film infamy, and 18 others.

Here’s a great opportunity for all up and coming genre film directors out there. A chance to work alongside some of the directors listed below. It’s one damned fine looking list too and is getting me all fanboy flustered! I’d give my left nut to work with these guys and gals! Anyway, I’m not a filmmaker, but I am sure there are plenty of you out there interested in this, so what are you waiting for?

Check out the official site – The ABC’s of Death

We are searching for the next great genre director and we are prepared to give away five grand in cash and a dose of fame to find a lucky winner. The ABCs of Death has already signed up 25 of the most talented genre directors on this planet and have saved the 26th spot for someone to grab with both hands...

Bert and Ernie (recent homosexual rumors aside) have never done the alphabet this way. Makers of the upcoming film The ABC's of Death have rounded up 25 of the brightest young directors in the horror genre in anticipation of their anthology-style film. They need one more, and you could be it!

And if having your work melded with the incredible group of directors listed below isn’t enough, they've sweetened the pot by offering a cool 5 G's to the winner.

Here's what's required of you: Obviously the ability to spell is going to help you out here as your film will have to be entitled T is for ... (this is where you insert whatever clever bit of nastiness you come up with). And obviously you've got to create a completely new piece. Judges will only consider films made specifically for this competition. Complete instructions are on the ABC's of Death Website.

by Seth Metoyer

In what seems to be a pretty decent take on all the recent reality contestant shows (such as Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef etc.), there is one coming that is strictly for all you horror movie directors out there. The contest is presented by Magnet and Drafthouse Films.

The ABCs of Death is a global search for "The Next Great Horror Director" which features 25 director spots that have already been filled.

The 26th spot has been set aside for one lucky winner that will have his or her feature horror film added to a slot next to the other 25 notable horror movie directors.

Those 25 directors already on board include:

Kaare Andrews (Altitude)

Angela Bettis (Roman)

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill)

Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun)

Bruno Forzani and Héléne Cattet (Amer)

Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat)

Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman)

Noburo Iguchi (Machine Girl; Robo Geisha)

Thomas...

Fantaspoa 2011, billed as “the biggest fantastic film festival in Latin America”, is gearing up down in Brazil, with a whopping 150 films in its line-up, including 55 short films and 95 feature films. Director Rodrigo Aragao’s “The Night of the ChupaCabras” will open the festival, which will also feature the world premiere of Kapel Furman’s “Pólvora Negra (Black Gunpowder)”. And for you International horror fiends, Italian maestro of the horrific, Lamberto Bava will be honored with the festival’s Career Achievement Award. The Fest will run from July 2nd through July 17th, and you can get more details and ticketing info at the festival’s Official Site. The festival is separated into six different sections, including: Documentaries: 6 titles — Cropsey (Joshua Zeman, Barbara Brancaccio), Made in Serbia (Mladen Djordjevic) and The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry (Ángel Agudo). Action Films: 6 titles — Boy Wonder (Michael Morrissey), Mandrill (Ernesto Díaz Espinoza), Sinners & Saints (William Kaufman...

The horror short film anthology The ABCs of Death, inspired in part by early kids’ books and promises to explore “26 ways to die” from 26 different directors, has now added two more directors to its list. Now in the list of who’s-who of upcoming horror and genre directors is Xavier Gens (Hitman) and Christopher Smith (Black Death, Triangle). The duo will join the previously announced list of directors below. The production however is still looking for a 26th director and anyone can participate. Check out the details of the contest to choose the final director are after the break.

Here is the list of confirmed directors:

Kaare Andrews (Altitude)

Angela Bettis (Roman)

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman, Mandrill)

Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun)

Bruno Forzani and Héléne (Amer)

Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat)

Xavier Gens (Frontiers, Hitman)

Noburo Iguchi (Machine Girl, Robo Geisha)

Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja)

Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police,...