News

The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.

King of the Ants

While Stuart Gordon cemented himself as a master of horror with early works like Re-Animator and From Beyond, his later output is also worthy of exploration. 2003’s King of the Ants kicked off a trio of intense thrillers (alongside Edmond and Stuck) that would end up being Gordon’s final features. It was also one of the first productions from The Asylum, who would go on to create Sharknado, Z Nation, and Black Summer.

Based on the 1992 novel by Charlie Higson, who also wrote the screenplay, the film’s unusual structure makes it unpredictable. Struggling to make ends meet,...

Exclusive: Ryan Donowho (The O.C.) is set to topline Art of a Hit (fka Excelsis), an indie psychological horror film directed by Gaelan Draper that will begin shooting in France this month under a SAG Interim Agreement. Rounding out the cast are Rob Raco (Riverdale), Charlie Saxton (Hung), Tim Jo (This Is Us), Allie MacDonald (Under the Silver Lake), James Earl (White Men Can’t Jump), and David Valdes (Speechless). Draper and Saxton co-wrote and are co-producing under their Dewey & Bug banner.

Set in 2003, the movie follows a bygone rock band as they journey to a 1000-year-old French chateau to record with a reclusive super-producer in hopes of rebooting their career. But as tensions rise and tempers flare, they realize they are up against more than just the pressure to succeed. Indie rock pioneer Adam Lasus is music directing the ’90s alternative-heavy soundtrack alongside music supervisor Linda Cohen (Licorice Pizza...

Steven Simon of Landis Simon Management & Productions passed away on Sunday. According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner, Simon, who had hypertensive heart disease, died of natural causes. He was 55.

Simon had a long career championing kids for TV, film and musical theater. He helped shepherd Me, Earl and The Dying Girl’s Rj Cyler, Supergirl’s Nicole Maines, Tony Award Winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, Kyla Pratt, Robert Ri’chard and writer/director Ron Carlson, among others.

Simon got his start in reality casting before to shifting to agency work at Acme Talent and Literary where he became head of Acme Kids.

In 2011 he and Judy Landis, with whom Simon had worked on many projects over the decades, decided to join forces and start Landis-Simon Management & Productions.

Drew Barrymore spoke to Selma Blair about the truth behind death threats once sent to her from a person pretending to be Blair.

Blair wrote about the shocking events in her recent memoir, Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up.

Now, sitting down with Barrymore on her self-titled talk show, Blair gave further context to the staggering claims.

“I was very close to my mother. And my father and I went in and out of having some friendships, we never really clicked. Because he did something so unthinkable to me, I would never call him Dad again,” Blair said.

Early in her career, Blair landed a small film role and called her father to tell him the exciting news.

Shortly after, Blair said the film’s producers told her that they were receiving letters from someone “claiming to be an agent” who falsely informed them that Blair “was a heroin...

Cruel Intentions star Selma Blair and her ex-boyfriend, the filmmaker Ron Carlson, have both dropped their restraining orders against each other, according to reports.

Legal documents seen by US press have revealed that the criminal case against Carlson, who Blair has accused of domestic violence, is still active despite the orders being dropped.

According to TMZ, Blair is still cooperating with prosecutors in the case against her former partner.

Blair, 50, filed the original restraining order against Carlson on 25 February, three days after the alleged assault took place.

As per court documents at the time, Carlson was at Blair’s house returning a TV set after Blair had just finished a multiple sclerosis (Ms) treatment, leaving her feeling quite weak.

The Legally Blonde star was diagnosed with Ms in February 2018.

Blair alleged that, as soon as she told Carlson she wasn’t feeling well that day, Carlson started verbally abusing her...

Stars: Tom Arnold, Sean Astin, Martin Blasick, Natasha Blasick, Jake Busey, Rhys Coiro, Leisha Hailey, Michael Horse, Joi Liaye, David A. Lockhart, Nick Mason, Amber Martinez, Michelle Campbell, Angelica Cassidy, Ewart Chin | Written by Ron Carlson, Hank Braxtan, Dan Sinclair | Directed by Ron Carlson

Ron Carlson (Tom Cool) co-wrote the story and the screenplay of Giant Killer Ants with story co-writers Dan Sinclair (Chemical Peel) and Hank Braxtan (Snake Outta Compton), and they created a flashback of 80s comedy horror.

Giant Killer Ants takes a trip down peyote-lane with a 1980s glam rock band who have only had one hit, and they plan to rejuvenate their career by heading to a music festival in the middle of the desert. It isn’t as simple as going out and rocking out though, because they are attacked by, you guessed it, Giant Ants!

I love the concept. A comedy film about a...

Stars: Tom Arnold, Sean Astin, Martin Blasick, Natasha Blasick, Jake Busey, Rhys Coiro, Leisha Hailey, Michael Horse, Joi Liaye, David A. Lockhart, Nick Mason, Amber Martinez, Michelle Campbell, Angelica Cassidy, Ewart Chin | Written by Ron Carlson, Hank Braxtan, Dan Sinclair | Directed by Ron Carlson

Ron Carlson, director of the 2009 lesbian vampire film Life Blood and 2011′s “shockumentary” Midgets vs. Mascots (which I liked if nobody else did), teams with Hank Braxton, whose film Snake Outta Compton has just hit DVD here in the UK and who worked with Ron Carlson (with Carlson taking the lead) in the 2015 killer-bear movie Maneater, aka Unnatural for Dead Ant, a ridiculous monster movie in the style of Mike Mendez’s Big Ass Spider and 50s creature feature Them!

The 1989 ‘one-hit-wonder’ glam-metal band Sonic Grave embark on a trip to the No-chella rock festival with their long-suffering manager in the hopes of a comeback. Making...

Although Screamfest takes place in October, the creative team behind the festival celebrates horror all year long with their "Fears & Beers" screenings and Q&As. This week, Screamfest will kick off a new year of horror celebrations with a "Fears & Beers" screening of the new rock and roll creature feature Dead Ant, followed by a Q&A with co-stars Jake Busey, Sean Astin, Tom Arnold, and more!

The Dead Ant Fears & Beers screening will take place at Hollywood's Tcl Chinese 6 Theaters on Tuesday, January 22nd (ahead of the movie's theatrical release on January 25th).

Read on for additional details, and visit Eventbrite and Screamfest's official website to learn more about purchasing tickets for the screening and Q&A, which will be moderated by Brian Collins of Birth.Movies.Death.

From Screamfest: "Tuesday, January 22, 2019 - 7:30pm

Are You Ready To Rock?!! Join us for the red carpet theatrical premiere of...

"We're on a spiritual quest, here!" Wtf is this?! Cinedigm has released a new trailer and a new poster for the indie horror comedy, rock band drug trip film Dead Ant, described as "Spinal Tap meets Tremors!" Okay, you have my attention. The synopsis for this is hilarious and pretty much sums it up way better than we could. When the 1989 "one-hit-wonder" glam-metal band "Sonic Grave" embark on a trip to Coachella in hopes of a comeback, their peyote trip pit stop in Joshua Tree incites an "unworldly" viscous attack, and they must "rock" themselves out of harms way. This stars Tom Arnold, Sean Astin, Sydney Sweeney, Jake Busey, Leisha Hailey, and Rhys Coiro. As much as it seems like a fun concept for a film, this looks really terrible. Especially the ant VFX, which are so bad it's hard to even watch this. Unless you're on peyote. Here's the...

Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Ashes in the Snow, the narrative directorial debut of Marius Markevicius that stars Bel Powley. The coming-of-age drama set in 1941 during Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic region just had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Vertical is eyeing an early 2019 theatrical release. Powley plays Lina, a young Lithuanian artist arrested by the Soviet secret police and deported with her mother and younger brother to labor camps in Siberia. She finds solace in her art and risks everything to document and draw what she sees in hopes her drawings will shed light upon Stalin’s terror. Martin Wallström, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Jonah Hauer-King, Sophie Cookson, James Cosmo and Sam Hazeldine also star. Ben York Jones penned the script, adapted from Ruta Sepetya’s novel, and Sorrento Productions, Tauras Films and Twilight Merengue Studios produced. The deal was negotiated by Vertical’s Rich Goldberg,...

In today’s film news roundup, Sam Richardson will play an Nsa agent, Stefi Celma joins “Happy Times” and “Pretty Bad Actress” gets distribution.

Castings

Sam Richardson will star opposite Melissa McCarthy in New Line’s action-comedy “Superintelligence.”

McCarthy’s spouse Ben Falcone will direct from Steve Mallory’s script. The movie was set up last year with McCarthy and Falcone as producers through their On the Day production company.

McCarthy will play a former corporate executive whose life is turned upside down when she is selected for observation by the world’s first super-intelligence — an artificial intelligence that may or may not take over the world.

Richardson will play an Nsa agent. James Corden, Bobby Cannavale and Brian Tyree Henry also star. “Superintelligence” opens Dec. 25, 2019.

Richardson appeared with McCarthy in “Spy” and stars in HBO’s “Veep” and Comedy Central’s “Detroiters,” which he co-created. He is repped by UTA,...

With the 17th Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival having kicked off last night at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA, with the World Premiere of filmmaker Ron Carlson’s horror-comedy feature film Dead Ant, we were there on the carpet to… Continue Reading →

The post Screamfest L.A. 2017: Exclusive Opening Night Photos, Video, and Interviews with Dead Ant’s Ron Carlson and Tom Arnold appeared first on Dread Central.

Playing as part of this year’s Screamfest L.A. film festival is the horror comedy Dead Ant, and right now we have the official one-sheet for you cats! Dig it! Dead Ant (USA) 2017 – World Premiere Directed by Ron Carlson;… Continue Reading →

The post Screamfest 2017: Dead Ant Gets a Live Poster! appeared first on Dread Central.

The first trailer has hit for writer/director Ron Carlson's horror comedy Dead Ant about a glam-metal band who fight giant ants before the film permiers at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival.

The film stars Tom Arnold (True Lies), Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings trilogy), Jake Busey (The Predator 2), Rhys Coiro, Leisha Hailey, Cameron Richardson (Get a Job), Danny Woodbury (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

Synopsis:

When the "one-hit-wonder" glam-metal band "Sonic Grave" embark on a trip to Coachella in hopes of a comeback, their peyote trip pit stop [Continued ...]...

Seth Metoyer,

MoreHorror.com

The first wave of the 2017 Screamfest Horror Film Festival lineup and the festival ambassador have been announcement.

The festival will run from October 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. Film festival badges are currently on sale to the general public at www.ScreamfestLA.com and individual film tickets will be available soon. Actor and producer Dominic Monaghan will serve as ambassador for the festival.

Some really intriguing offerings in this list. Find official line up details below.

From the Press Release

America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up. In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences.

Halloween scares are nearly here.

With Hollywood studios and SoCal theme parks shifting towards horror and scares for Halloween, America’s largest horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, just announced its first wave of films to be showcased from October 10-19 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood.

Additionally, Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) was named as this year’s festival ambassador.

“I am extremely honored to serve as this year’s Screamfest ambassador,” said Monaghan in a press release. “I applaud Screamfest and its founder and festival director Rachel Belofsky for embracing the work of filmmakers and actors in the horror genre. I’m a big fan of this space, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of a fest that truly acknowledges unique and creative work.”

The festival has made showcased multiple known horror films and launched the careers for many actors.

America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up. In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers – providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences. Actor and producer Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings trilogy, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, TV’s “Lost”) will serve as this year’s festival ambassador.

“I am extremely honored to serve as this year’s Screamfest ambassador,” said Monaghan. “I applaud Screamfest and its Founder and Festival Director Rachel Belofsky for embracing the work of filmmakers and actors in the horror genre. I’m a big fan of this space, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of a fest that truly acknowledges unique and creative work.

Every October, horror fans in Los Angeles celebrate the Halloween season with diverse scares on the big screen at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival. The first wave of films for the 17th annual event have been announced, and this year's lineup is already looking to be one to watch, with the buzzed-about Tragedy Girls, the origin story Leatherface, and the animated farewell Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End all slotted to screen at Screamfest:

Press Release: Hollywood, Calif. – August 29, 2017 – America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up. In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences.

Stars: James Remar, Sherilyn Fenn, Ron Carlson, Graham Greene, Gregory Cruz, Ray Wise, Q’orianka Kilcher, Allegra Carpenter, Ivana Korab, Stephanie Hodes | Written by Arch Stanton | Directed by Hank Braxton

A photographer and his group set out in the dead of winter for the Alaskan wilderness to take advantage of the limited, but beautiful daylight. They are met by an experienced hunter and local lodge owner who instills fear within the group by telling them the legend of Maneater, a huge polar bear that has fangs and claws sharper than steel. This epic tall tale quickly becomes a real living nightmare, as the group is unaware that a bear experiment has gone wrong. The bioengineering company, Clobirch Industries, has genetically altered a polar bear so it can better survive climate change, but the end result is a relentless, deadly, man-eating, killing machine…

What’s that? A killer bear movie? Even...

"...An endless amount of blood courses through his veins..." A living nightmare from nature is discussed at the dinner table in our exclusive clip from Unnatural, out now in select theaters.

"Press Release: Los Angeles, CA (October 12, 2015) – Courtney Solomon’s After Dark Films is set to release the next ravenous horror film Unnatural in the ‘8 Films to Die For horror line up, hitting theaters October 16, 2015. This latest addition travels us to the cold stark Alaskan wilderness promising plenty of screams with no one to hear them.

Written by Ron Carlson & Arch Stanton, directed by Hank Braxtan and produced by Ron Carlson, the film preys on our fear of the unknown and the Unnatural.

“This film takes us far from Civilization to the land of blood and snow, where it answers the age old question of what happens when Man plays God" says Stephanie Caleb, Evp Creative Affairs & Acquisitions at After Dark Films.

Two new clips have been revealed for a favorite of SXSW, Turbo Kid. Also in this morning's round-up: U.S. distribution for Garm Wars: The Last Druid, release details for Unnatural, and the Rebound premiere at The Downtown Independent.

Turbo Kid: Released by Epic Pictures Group, Turbo Kid will have its official theatrical and VOD release next Friday on August 28th.

"In a post-apocalyptic future a young solitary scavenger obsessed with comic books must face his fears and become a reluctant hero when he meets a mysterious girl. From horror masterminds Ant Timpson (The ABCs Of Death 1 & 2, Housebound) and Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun)."

Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, Turbo Kid stars Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Aaron Jeffery, and Michael Ironside.

To read Heather's review of Turbo Kid and her interview with directors François Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, and Anouk Whissell, visit the following:

Review...

Unnatural is a creature feature from director Hank Braxton (Chemical Peel). The film deals with a genetically altered polar bear, who now has a penchant for human flesh. The film stars Allegra Carpenter (Argo), Sherilyn Fenn and James Remar. The film's first trailer is hosted here. The story takes place in Alaska. Here, a group of photographers and models are warned of a man-eating bear. Their warnings go unheeded. And soon, giant mandibles are tearing through flesh. This relentless eating machine will not be stopped, until local guides can intervene. The trailer shows more of the film's story. Characters disappear beneath the ice, or their body parts are strewn across the local forest. Also, the bear has little fear of human, nor of buildings. It trespasses wherever a human meal can be found. The full trailer for Unnatural can be found below. Director: Hank Braxtan. Writers: Ron Carlson and Arch Stanton.

With narrative shades reminiscent of 1979’s Prophecy, an old-school practical effects approach, a grueling location shoot in Alaskan winter climes, and a cast that includes 1990’s "Twin Peaks" bombshell Sherilyn Fenn, our interest was piqued from the onset for Unnatural...

Now, at long last, we’re finally able to bring you word on director Hank Braxtan’s recently wrapped creature feature. Helmed by Braxtan (whose upcoming psychological horror feature Chemical Peel is due out via Lionsgate this coming October), Unnatural was produced by Ron Carlson.

Cinematography is by Marc Carter and editing is by filmmaker Mike Mendez (Big-Ass Spider). The film was shot this past January and February on location in Fairbanks, Alaska, and in addition to Fenn, the cast includes James Remar (“Dexter”), Ray Wise (Jeepers Creepers 2, “Twin Peaks”), Graham Greene (The Green Mile), Q’orianka Kilcher (“Sons of Anarchy”), and Ivana Korab.

"With many species on the verge of extinction,...

FEARnet sat down recently with 1990’s bombshell and prolific actress Sherilyn Fenn on the set of director Hank Braxtan’s creature feature Unnatural to chat about the film, as well as the legacy of ‘Twin Peaks’, the David Lynch-created series and film that rocketed her to stardom, 1998’s erotic feature Two Moon Junction in which she starred, and much more. Read on.

Helmed by Braxtan (who’s upcoming psychological horror feature Chemical Peel is due out via Lionsgate this coming October), Unnatural was produced by Ron Carlson with cinematography by Marc Carter and editing by filmmaker Mike Mendez (Big-Ass Spider), and was shot this past January and February on location in Fairbanks, Alaska. In addition to Fenn, the cast includes James Remar (‘Dexter’), Ray Wise (Jeepers Creepers 2, ‘Twin Peaks’), Graham Greene (The Green Mile), Q’orianka Kilcher (‘Sons of Anarchy’) and Ivana Korab.

“They had sent me the script,...

With narrative shades reminiscent of 1979’s Prophecy, an ‘old-school’ practical effects approach, a grueling location shoot in Alaskan winter climes and a cast that includes ‘Twin Peaks’’ 1990’s bombshell Sherilyn Fenn, our interest was piqued from the onset. Now at long last, we’re finally able to bring you word on director Hank Braxtan’s wrapped feature Unnatural.

Helmed by Braxtan (who’s upcoming psychological horror feature Chemical Peel is due out via Lionsgate this coming October), Unnatural was produced by Ron Carlson with cinematography by Marc Carter and editing by filmmaker Mike Mendez (Big-Ass Spider), and was shot this past January and February on location in Fairbanks, Alaska. In addition to Fenn, the cast includes James Remar (‘Dexter’), Ray Wise (Jeepers Creepers 2, ‘Twin Peaks’), Graham Greene (The Green Mile), Q’orianka Kilcher (‘Sons of Anarchy’) and Ivana Korab.

‘With many species on the verge of extinction,’ reads the official synopsis of Unnatural,...

Dog Fight is going to be one of the more visible political satires to hit just before the 2012 Presidential election; the movie will be from director Jay Roach, featuring Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell as North Carolina politicians who are running opposite one another for a congressional seat in a district election. Brian Cox recently joined the cast, which also includes [1] Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, Sarah Baker and Katherine Lanasa. Now John Lightgow has signed on to play an unspecified role. The film is shooting in New Orleans, and already has an August 10, 2012 release date. [Variety [2]] After the break, Rachel Weisz joins Colin Firth in a real-life drama about POWs forced to build a railroad, and there are new actors for Elvis & Nixon and A White Trash Christmas. Colin Firth has already been set to star in The Railway Man, a film that Jonathan Teplitzky will direct based on Eric Lomax...

Midgets Vs. Mascots

Stars: Gary Coleman, Jason Mewes, Jordan Prentice, Rick Howland, Scottie Pippen, Ron Jeremy | Written by Kevin Andounian | Directed by Ron Carlson

After the death of midget spokesperson Big Red (Rick Howland), his heirs, a regular sized son and gold-digging wife, are told that in order to receive their inheritance they must gather together five midgets – including American Pie’s Jordan Prentice, Gary Coleman (playing a version of himself) and apparently the little person that played Alf in the 80?s sitcom – and five mascots to battle through 30 ridiculous competitions, with a prize fund of a million dollars for the competitors.

In the press release for Midgets vs. Mascots, the film is billed as a shockumentary in the style of Borat meets Jackass – which for once is actually a perfect description. Taking the premise of a semi-scripted movie ala Borat, the film then throws in the same type of offensive Ott language,...

Midgets Vs. Mascots

Stars: Gary Coleman, Jason Mewes, Jordan Prentice, Rick Howland, Scottie Pippen, Ron Jeremy | Written by Kevin Andounian | Directed by Ron Carlson

After the death of midget spokesperson Big Red (Rick Howland), his heirs, a regular sized son and gold-digging wife, are told that in order to receive their inheritance they must gather together five midgets – including American Pie’s Jordan Prentice, Gary Coleman (playing a version of himself) and apparently the little person that played Alf in the 80’s sitcom – and five mascots to battle through 30 ridiculous competitions, with a prize fund of a million dollars for the competitors.

In the press release for Midgets vs. Mascots, the film is billed as a shockumentary in the style of Borat meets Jackass – which for once is actually a perfect description. Taking the premise of a semi-scripted movie ala Borat, the film then throws in the same type of offensive Ott language,...

Life Blood

Stars: Sophie Monk, Anya Lahiri, Scout Taylor-Compton, Patrick Renna, Electra Avellan, Angela Lindvall, Charles Napier, Danny Woodburn | Written and Directed by Ron Carlson

It’s New Year’s Eve, 1969, and lesbian lovers Brooke (Monk) and Rhea (Lahiri) are celebrating the occasion at a swinging party in La. Unfortunately, the evening’s festivities take a terrible turn when Brooke stumbles into the bathroom and interrupts Hollywood A-lister Warren James (Justin Shilton) attempting to rape a young fan (Taylor-Compton) and promptly stabs him to death with one of the girl’s hair sticks. Escaping to the desert in their car, Brooke and Rhea encounter God herself (Lindvall), who offers to turn the pair into immortal, vampiric angels of death, destined to wander the earth destroying evil wherever they find it.

Exactly forty years later to the night, on New Year’s Eve 2009, the lovers arise from the sub-desert cocoons in...

On October 2nd the third annual GoreZone International Film Festival got under way at Leicester Square’s Prince Charles Cinema; and for the first time ever, Dread was on the scene to check it out. Our report follows along with condensed reviews of six of the films shown over the weekend.

Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, Breath of Hate, Hyenas, Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer, New Terminal Hotel, Darfur, and Devil's Playground are all included, but first a recap of the event and awards show.

In the face of fellow Leicester Square-based festival and horror heavy hitter, Film4 Frightfest, GoreZone (or Gz, as the magazine has rebranded) would appear to be the underdog. Having experienced the festival first-hand, however, it’s pleasing to discover a level of intimacy and audience connection that is easily lost amongst the hustle and bustle of many larger profile fests, bolstered by...

Video of Gary Coleman 's long dong silver is swinging across the Internet -- and the guy in charge of the footage wants it removed Asap... threatening a $10,000,000 lawsuit if it doesn't disappear soon. Ron Carlson -- the director behind the documentary " Midgets vs. Mascots " where the footage first appeared -- fired off a nasty letter to the people at kikster.com (who published the clip) accusing them of illegal activity. Carlson calls the isolated...

It seems like just yesterday we told you about the lesbian vampire flick Pearblossom undergoing a name change to Life Blood upon being acquired by Lionsgate for a DVD release later this year. That's probably because we did publish that story just yesterday. That was yesterday. Today we can tell you the DVD release date: April 27th.

"Forty years ago a supernatural force vanquished Brooke and Rhea, a sexy lipstick lesbian couple, after they committed an inconceivable murder. Now, on New Year's Eve, they'll rise from the dead. Still hot and still a couple, they're back as vampires. Enamored with their newfound power, it's no longer a question of whether they will kill again, but of how."

Sophie Monk (Date Movie, The Hills Run Red), Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie's Halloween franchise), and Charles Napier (The Silence Of The Lambs, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard) star in Ron Carlson's sexy Sapphic fangfest.

Title: Midgets vs. Mascots Directed by: Ron Carlson (Tom Cool) Starring: Gary Coleman, Jordan Prentice, Jason Mewes and Ron Jeremy Tagline: “Borat meets Jackass” I wasn’t too sure about ‘Midgets vs. Mascots’, mockumentary style comedies are a hit and miss for me. The film stars Gary Coleman, Jason Mewes, “The Hedgehog” Ron Jeremy and a cameo appearance by Scottie Pippen from The Chicago Bulls, how could it not be somewhat amusing? The films official website boasts that ‘Midgets vs. Mascots’ is a “Borat-meets-Jackass shockumentary, five little people and five mascots battle for one million dollars through 30 ridiculous competitions, including how many insults it takes to get punched in a bar, who can drink [...]...

Bleiberg Entertainment has recently picked up the rights for Life Blood aka Murder World aka Pearlblossom. The film will be distributed through Lionsgate Entertainment and the film has a very off center plotline. "A lesbian couple" meet their creator of the universe, sometimes known as God, who are summoned to fight the forces of evil, and sometimes the good (Bleiberg). The reviews that are available have labeled the film creative and with an intro' like that, the film must be something off the wall. An exact release date is not certain, but expect to see this one on DVD in 2010 (a prediction). Further details inside.

A synopsis for Life Blood here:

"It's New Year's Eve, 1968: While driving on the Pearblossom Highway, a lesbian couple (played by Sophie Monk of "The Hills Run Red" and Anya Lahiri) find themselves face to face with the creator of the universe (Angela Lindvall). Laid to rest for 40 years,...

The populist appeal of James Cameron's Avatar, which has managed to translate massive ticket sales into inexplicable awards consideration, may in fact be the game changer that Cameron predicted. The future portended by Avatar looks like motion seats, 3D glasses, and cinematic migraines for decades to come. Worse still, the huge expense of making a movie like Avatar will be passed on to us, the movie viewer, who will have to fork over $15 to $20 per person for admission, in addition to even higher concession prices, as theaters seeks to upgrade their own equipment to meet the demands of distributors. Within the next couple of years, a trip to the local multiplex with a family of four to see Alvin and the Chipmunks Raped Your Wallet could run $100, easily.

We'll have James Cameron to thank for that. I liked the game -- I didn't want it changed. Asshole.

Before the...

The eighth edition of the Tribeca Film Festival drew to a close very late Sunday night after a full day of screenings. The slimmed-down fest was evidently somewhat easier for the press and public to navigate, and the good films still bobbed to the surface on their own merits.

Awards. The competition categories were decided upon by all-star juries, but the paying customers got their say as well. Raymond De Felitta's comedy City Island won the Audience Award, edging out Marshall Curry's doc Racing Dreams and Ron Carlson's historical epic Mascots vs. Midgets. (Just kidding on that last description, of course; see "Our Coverage" below.) Racing Dreams previously won the jury award for Best Documentary Feature. The top 10 audience favorites are listed at the fest site.

Deals. Magnolia Pictures picked up Conor McPherson's drama The Eclipse over the weekend. We'll have a separate story on this distribution deal.

It's no secret that A-list celebrities (as well as B, C, and D-listers) are paid to show up at events to promote everything from fashion to nightclubs. But when you're an embittered former child TV star whose own parents robbed him blind, you'll demand cash even to promote your own film.

Especially when you think the movie is a total piece of crap.

"I'm actually pretty embarrassed by this whole thing," says Gary Coleman of "Midgets vs. Mascots" [www.midgets vsmascots.com]. "I don't like it when small people are made fun of. And I hate the title."

Yet with...

And here's the rest, including the Midnight Section, all after the break.

Encounters

This collection of engaging and entertaining narrative features and documentaries, a mixture of dark comedies and lighter fare, offers work from returning filmmakers, established talent, and popular subjects, and includes 10 World Premieres. Included in Encounters are performances from Academy Award®-nominated actors Thomas Haden Church, Melissa Leo, Elisabeth Shue; directorial debuts from both Eric Bana and Cheryl Hines (from a screenplay by Adrienne Shelly); stories ranging from an ill-fated man's discovery of inspiration and happiness, dysfunctional families, and unrequited high school crushes to a doc on the emergence of New York’s independent film scene.

• Blank City, directed by Celine Danhier. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Celine Danhier’s kinetic doc mirrors the urgent, anything-goes energy of her subject: the Diy independent film movement that emerged in tandem with punk rock in late ‘70s downtown New York.

The Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 22 to May 3, 2009, has announced this year's lineup, and it's looking pretty sweet for horror fans!

The Midnight series alone offers seven films that push the boundaries of genre and creativity ranging from a savage game of paintball to the unraveling of an urban legend to a babysitting job gone horribly wrong. Here are the highlights:

Cropsey, directed by Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio, written by Zeman (USA), Documentary: Urban legends - we either dismiss them or accept that they have some grain of truth. Directors Zeman and Brancaccio attempt to uncover one such urban myth as they investigate five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearance in Staten Island during their youth. Will this terrifying journey resolve what has haunted them since childhood?

The House of the Devil, directed and written by Ti West (USA): Set in the early...