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Stopping at an isolated, run-down motel for the night does not bode well in a horror film. Audiences expect — even want — something bad to happen. Vacancy more than satisfies those expectations, seeing as how Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson’s hapless, anguished characters almost instantly find themselves in peril once they book a room at the Pinewood Motel. Dirty sheets and bad plumbing are the least of their problems when they discover their accommodations come with one additional, not to mention creepy, amenity: secret cameras.

Had things gone differently, Vacancy would have starred Sarah Jessica Parker, and it would have been directed by Simon West. As interesting as it would have been to see Parker fight for her life in a straight-up horror film, plans changed and Kate Beckinsale filled the role of Amy Fox. Luke Wilson, however, was David Fox from the very beginning when the film was first...

Topping the "Kill Count" promotion they ran last year, Crackle is celebrating the Halloween season with "Kill Count 2," featuring over 30 gut-wrenching, gore-filled films that are full of outrageous horror moments. Read on for the details!

From the Press Release:

Crackle, the multi-platform entertainment network, is launching a deadly collection of horror films for a second year in a row, titled “Kill Count 2.” Featuring a select group of 30+ horrifying, gut-wrenching and gore-filled horror films, “Kill Count 2” surpasses last year’s chilling assortment of outrageous horror movie moments. Click here to visit “Kill Count 2” on Crackle.

For the ten days leading up to Halloween, beginning Monday, October 22, users will be able to watch and discuss their favorite “kills” presented in the “Kill Count 2” collection on Crackle. The collection of films in “Kill Count 2” will boast more than 300 “kills” including multiple impalements, head explosions, electrocutions and even a handful of bat digestions … all for one bloody good time.

Now the British summer has made a belated reappearance, we can expect a few downsides such as hay fever, sunburn and insect bites - but no flying pests in our gardens can rival Dragon Wasps. And a can of the standard repellent probably won't do much good either.

This giant creature feature is written by Mark Atkins. His previous genre outings include numerous hit-inspired 'mockbusters' such as Snakes on a Train, 30,000 Leagues Under The Sea, War of the Worlds 2, Allan Quartermain and the Temple of Skulls, Princess of Mars (an alternative version of John Carter), Battle of Los Angeles and Avh: Alien vs Hunter.

He's also been involved in several dragon-themed productions including Dragonquest, Merlin and the War of the Dragons, and Dragon Crusaders.

Now offering an insect slant on the concept, the cast of Dragon Wasps features Corin Nemec (Stargate Sg-1, Smallville, Supernatural), Dominika Juillet (Dark Angel), Benjamin Easterday...

IFC Midnight will be rolling The Pact out to the public on May 25 via VOD (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, Xbox Zune, Playstation Unlimited) before hitting limited theaters on July 6th. Nicholas McCarthy wrote and directed this chilling tale, and he’s working with a band of familiar faces in Casper Van Dien (Sleepy Hollow, Starship Troopers), Agnes Bruckner (Venom, Vacancy 2: The First Cut), Caity Lotz (Death Valley, Mad Men), Haley Hudson (Killer Pad, Freaky Friday) and Mark Steger (Heroes: Going Postal, I Am Legend). Jamie Carmichael serves as executive producer.

Principal photography has been completed on Jamie Babbit's new horror-thriller 'Breaking the Girl'. The production from Myriad Pictures and Future Films was penned by Guinevere Turner ('BloodRayne') and Mark Distefano and is being described essentially as a modern-day 'Strangers on a Train' type movie whereby the two leads plan to kill each other's enemies. The sexy duo Madeline Zima ('Heroes') and Agnes Bruckner -below ('Vacancy 2: The First Cut') play the two female leads Alex and Sara respectively. They're joined by the likes of Shawn Ashmore ('Mother's Day'), Kate Levering, Melanie Mayron and John Stockwell. Actress Brit Marling ('Arbitrage') was previously attached to the project to play the role of Sara. Director Babbit previously described the project as 'genre-trashy fun; gratuitous girl-on-girl make-out scenes and three-inch heels'. So everyone's a winner here....

The kiddies deserve some tamer terror for the Halloween season, and that's precisely what Nickelodeon is scaring up with its original movie The Boy Who Cried Werewolf. Not to be confused with the 1973 flick of the same name about a young boy who discovers his father is a hippie-hating werewolf. Though I am a little confused given this Boy Who Cried Werewolf is actually about a teenage girl who turns into a tween wolf.

Victoria Justice of the popular Nickelodeon program "Victorious" stars in The Boy Who Cried Werewolf alongside Brooke Shields, once a teen superstar herself, now playing the creepy caretaker of a Romanian castle.

Jordan Sands (Justice) is an awkward, allergy-prone 17-year-old, forced to be the woman of the house after her mother's death. Her father, David (Matt Winston, Little Miss Sunshine), is struggling to make ends meet while her younger brother, Hunter (Chase Ellison, Tooth Fairy), drives...

Stage 6 Films is gearing up for an August shoot for Hostel: Part III. Stage 6 is the direct to dvd division of Sony Home Entertainment, is responsible for such home video releases as Zombie Strippers!, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Boogeyman 3, Vacancy 2: The First Cut, The Grudge 3, Messengers 2: The Scarecrow, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day and 30 Days of Night: Dark Days. Scott Spiegel (From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money) will be directing from a screenplay by Michael Weiss (The Butterfly Effect 2). Bloody Disgusting is reporting that the sequel will take the horror franchise to Las Vegas, "where a bachelor party goes horribly wrong." Sounds like a horrible idea (and this is coming from a guy who actually liked the second film in the series). The following comes from an unconfirmed tipster on the IMDb forums: It seems like it's going to ...

2009. It was pretty much as crappy a year for horror movies as it was for the economy. There were, however, some really high points to help balance out all the drivel that was put out there in theatres as well as on home video, and they are to be celebrated, even though technically a couple of them are not even from this year.

Pull up your chair, sit back, and strap yourself in for a look back at the dos, the don'ts, and of course the "Doh!"s of this past year.

Dig on our Best of and Worst of lists for 2009 by following the links below!

[Andrew Kasch]

[Matt Fini]

[Morgan Elektra]

[Nomad]

[The Buz]

[The Foywonder]

[The Woman in Black]

[Uncle Creepy]

Andrew Kasch's Picks

District 9 - Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi/action/horror hybrid delivered the kind of hardcore testosterone roller coaster ride we hadn’t seen since the glory days of John McTiernan. With story and special FX superior to that of...

Jack’s list (and he checked it twice) for all those scary films that graced the big screen in 2009.

Best “Scary” Movies:

- Zombieland - The Uninvited - Saw VI - The Last House On The Left - H2 - Friday the 13th - The Butterfly Effect 3 - Boogeyman 3 - The Collector - Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans

Worst “Scary” Movies:

- Whiteout - Sorority Row - Messengers 2: The Scarecrow - Jennifers Body - The Final Destination: FD4 - Feast 3: The Happy Finish - Paranormal Activity - The Cell 2 - Stan Helsing - Vacancy 2: The First Cut

Good but Not Good Enough:

- Amusement - Boogeyman 3 - Laid to Rest - The Burrowers - The Fourth Kind - My Bloody Valentine 3-D - The Grudge 3 - Thirst - Red Velvet - The Unborn

How’s that for a list? Let us know!

Cinema Releases for the Week 12/03/09

Appaloosa - Boy are we lucky! Two Renee Zellweger movies (after New in Town last week) in as many weeks. This Ed Harris-directed western gets a minimal release here, like most westerns these days. Stars Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Zellweger.

Confessions of a Shopaholic - Isla Fisher (adorable) stars in this film by Pj Holden (awesome). Of course, it's being eviscerated by critics, so maybe it's a DVD movie. The ads and posters have been everywhere for this movie, haven't they? So much more so than Watchmen, strangely.

Easy Virtue - Stephen Elliot (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) returns to directing after a debilitating accident to direct this Jessica Biel period comedy. Yes, you read that right. It actually looks quite charming, and it co-stars Kristen Scott Thomas and Colin Firth.

Friday the 13th - I really wanted to see this,...

Joe Reegan (Vacancy 2: The First Cut, Jeepers Creepers 2) will join the previously announced Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell in Overture Films' The Crazies, their remake of the classic George A. Romero film being helmed by Breck Eisner. The story revolves around the inhabitants of a small Kansas town who are beset by death and insanity after a plane crash lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply. The film is slated for release on September 25th. The screenplay was written by both Ray Wright and Scott Kosar (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and carries the tagline "Terror Can't Be Contained."...

Actor Joe Reegan is going to join Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell in the upcoming remake of The Crazies , directed by Breck Eisner. Reegan appeared in 2003's Jeepers Creepers 2 (he was one of the three kids who show up to see the dried Creeper), Bernard Rose's Snuff Movie and most recently starred in Vacancy 2: The First Cut . Shooting commences this month in Georgia on this redo of the George Romero film. Here's a look at the teaser one-sheet from Overture Films.

Overture Films recently released this new teaser movie poster from the upcoming remake of George Romero 1973 classic “The Crazies” by director Breck Eisner (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Flash Gordon) and starring Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood, Elektra Luxx), Radha Mitchell (Rogue, Surrogates) and Joe Reegan (American Summer, Vacancy 2: The First Cut). Synopsis: A biological weapon gone awry is only the start of problems in the little town of Evan’s City, Pennsylvania. Bouts of insanity in the populace are leading to murder and rioting, until the Us Army turns up - and things really start going to hell. Stay tuned to Shockya.com for the latest from “The Crazies”.

Greetings Fango Fiends! It's another Sunday here in the Fangoria Dungeon and that means it's time for another look back at the past seven days of blood-soaked horror delights. It was a glorious week here at Fango, as we announced our 30th Anniversary Celebration, Previewed Issue #281, and dropped the news that Shock*N*Roll would return to Chicago. For those of you not familiar with how this works, I've taken the entire week and broken it down by category with linked headlines. Let's get started!

Fangoria Entertainment Updates:

-Fangoria Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary! Frightful Festivities Continue All Year Long

-Sneak-Peek: Fangoria #281

-Mushroomhead to perform at the Chicago Weekend Of Horrors Shock*N*Roll Spooktacular!

-Tickets for Mushroomhead's Chicago Weekend of Horrors concert On-sale Now!

-Preview: Fangoria & Robot Monster give you 6 Days of Monster Musick!

-Get a Rise out of Fangoria Radio!

-Laid To Rest panel set for 2009 La Fango con...

One of the positives of Vacancy 2: The First Cut is that its existence suggests that the efficiently scary original, a box-office disappointment in theaters, found a wider audience on video—enough to encourage the production of this Sony Pictures direct-to-disc follow-up. Another is that as DVD sequels go, this one doesn’t shame its predecessor.

It no doubt helped that producer Hal Lieberman and scripter Mark L. Smith both returned for the second round (while foreign import Nimrod Antal was replaced by domestic indie-film stalwart Eric Bross as director). This is another in the reductive trend of prequels that attempt to explain just why their murderers do what they do, but for the first 20 minutes, Smith seems to be onto something as he traces the evolution of his villains from voyeuristic pornographers to snuff purveyors. Gordon (David Moscow, the boy who became Tom Hanks in Big, now grown up and styled—intentionally,...

DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed This week isn't exactly a great week for new releases, but as you will see at the very end of this article I have added a Ton of new titles to the database over the past seven days including Quantum of Solace and Wave 3 of James Bond on Blu-ray which will bring us Goldfinger, Moonraker and The World is Not Enough all on March 24. I have also added several new Criterion releases, the X-Men trilogy is coming to Blu-ray as is The Silence of the Lambs. As for new DVDs you can begin digging into those just below with a few brief comments on each as well as the Even More section, which includes several new catalog Blu-ray releases. The Express I already reviewed the Blu-ray version of The Express and was pleasantly surprised. This film won't bowl you over with greatness,...

Pretty much everyone who saw the 2007 horror entry Vacancy can agree that it was ripe for a follow-up. So many unanswered questions, so many loose threads, there just had to be more, right?

Right! Screen Gems has heard your cries and will release Vacancy 2: The First Cut (a prequel if you can believe it) on DVD January 20th. If you didn’t get a chance to read our Vacancy 2 review yet (I’m sure you were just waiting for the right amount of free time…), check out the official synopsis:

Suspecting only a night of hard beds and tacky décor, Caleb, his sexy new fiancée Jessica, and his sarcastic best friend Tanner check into the Meadow View Inn. They have no idea that it is not just another lonely motel, but a horrific trap where guests are brutally tortured and murdered while the sadistic maniac Mr. Smith and his...

Not to be confused with Ulli Lommel's "Boogeyman" films comes the second sequel to the Sam Raimi-produced PG-13 horror "Boogeyman." Meanwhile, a directo-to-dvd sequel to "Vacancy" is hitting stores the same day too -- January 20. Here are clips from both titles. Boogeyman 3 Boogeyman 3 DVD Trailer Wmv Mov Film Clip - He's In Here Wmv Mov Film Clip - Holding Cell Wmv Mov Film Clip - Closet Wmv Mov Special Features - Death Scenes Wmv Mov When college sophomore Sarah Morris witnesses the alleged suicide of her best friend, it sets into motion a series of horrific events that cause Sarah to fear the supernatural entity known as the Boogeyman. As she tries to convince the rest of her dorm that the Boogeyman does exist, the evil force grows stronger and her friends begin to pay the price. Now Sarah must stop this ultimate evil before the...

Sony has kicked open the floodgates and passed along four clips from the upcoming dVD thriller Vacancy 2: The First Cut . Click here to view them all along with the behind-the-scenes sneak peek we brought to you over the weekend. Synopsis: Suspecting only a night of hard beds and tacky décor, Caleb, his sexy new fiancée Jessica and his sarcastic best friend Tanner, check into the Meadow View Inn. They have no idea that it is not just another lonely motel, but a horrific trap where guests are brutally tortured and murdered while the sadistic maniac Mr. Smith and his greedy accomplices film the grisly slayings for profit. Caught in a deadly game or cat and mouse, the three young friends now must fight to survive. Vacancy 2: The First Cut streets on January 20th. Agnes...

If you click on over to Bdtv you can watch the trailer and an exclusive featurette from Sony Home Entertainment's forthcoming release of Vacancy 2: The First Cut, which stars Trevor Wright, Agnes Bruckner, Lola Davidson, Angel Oquendo, David Moscow, Nelson Lee, Brian Klugman and Gwendoline Yeo. In the Eric Bross directed prequel, experience the gruesome beginnings of Mr. Smith and his homicidal obsession in this prequel to the horrifying Screen Gems film, Vacancy. When three young travelers check into a roadside motel, they soon realize that they are the prey of a psychopathic killer and his two greedy accomplices who torture and murder their guests on film for profit. You can pick this up at retailers everywhere January 20th.

Director Eric Bross takes you through the storyboard process on Vacancy 2: The First Cut in an exclusive clip you'll find below. This is just a slice of the special features to be found on the DVD when the film streets on January 20th. With the clip you'll also get new footage which reveals one of killers and his disguise. Agnes Bruckner stars in the prequel to the 2007 thriller which finds a new group of weary travelers who settle down at the Meadow View Inn and become the subjects of a snuff film. The first film's Mark Smith returned to pen the script. Click here for eight new hi-res stills!

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment gave Fango the first peek at a batch of new photos from Vacancy 2: The First Cut. We first reported on the specs and cover art for the January 20 DVD release here.

The prequel to 2007’s well-regarded chiller stars Agnes (The Woods) Bruckner, Trevor Wright and David Moscow as a trio of travelers who check into the Meadow View Inn and soon learn that the place is a cover for snuff moviemakers. Eric (Vampire Bats) Bross directed from a screenplay by the original’s scripter Mark L. Smith. Check out the trailer below the pics.

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Beyond the break you can check out the hi-res final artwork for Eric Bross' Vacancy 2: The First Cut, which was written by Mark L. Smith. Sony Home Entertainment has slated the DVD for release on January 20th, 2009. Experience the gruesome beginnings of Mr. Smith and his hotel of horrors in this terrifying prequel to Vacancy, starring Agnes Bruckner (Murder by Numbers). Extra features include: Filmmakers and Cast Commentary, Behind the Facade: Constructing the Meadow View Inn, Deleted Scenes and Caught on Tape: Behind the Scenes of Vacancy 2. Suspecting only a night of hard beds and tacky décor, Caleb, his sexy new fiancée Jessica and his sarcastic best friend Tanner, check into the Meadow View Inn....

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sent along the full package art for Vacancy 2: The First Cut , a sequel to the 2007 thriller that starred Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale. Here, it's Agnes Bruckner ( Blood and Chocolate ) who becomes the victim of a snuff film-making seedy motel manager and his staff. The original Vacancy 's Mark Smith penned this installment with Eric Bross directing. Sony's DVD will include: . Filmmakers and Cast Commentary . Behind the Facade: Constructing the Meadow View Inn . Deleted Scenes . Caught on Tape: Behind the Scenes of Vacancy 2 Vacancy 2: The First Cut streets on January 20th. Click below for a hi-res version of the front cover!

Anchor Bay Entertainment gave Fango the scoop on final specs for its DVD of The Alphabet Killer. The fact-based, Rob Schmidt-directed serial-murder thriller streets January 6.

The film, in which Eliza Dushku plays a police officer who slowly loses her mind while investigating the child slayings, will be presented in 16x9-enhanced 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby Surround 5.1 sound. Special features include:

• Audio commentary by Schmidt and producer Isen Robbins

• Audio Commentary by writer/producer/actor Tom Malloy

• A to Z: The Making of The Alphabet Killer featurette

• “First Victim”—alternate scene

Retail price is $26.97. Schmidt talks about The Alphabet Killer, which will have limited theatrical play next month, here and in Fango #279, on sale in December.

In addition, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sent along details on Vacancy 2: The First Cut, its direct-to-dvd prequel to last year’s big-screen snuff-motel shocker. This movie finds the villainous Mr. Smith (returning Scott G. Anderson...

Artwork for two upcoming direct-to-disc sequels has been released. Check out the DVD covers for Pulse 3, available December 23, and Vacancy 2, which will be available January 20. The second sequel to the 2006 horror flick, Pulse 3 Follows the survivors of Earth, who have settled into a primitive lifestyle completely void of electronics. The clusters of human survivors live together in refugee camps as the phantoms have taken over the cities. Jamie Bamber and Rider Strong star. Vacancy 2: The First Cut is a prequel to the 2007 thriller and follows another couple as the check into the twisted Meadow View Inn. Trevor Wright, Agnes Bruckner and Lola Davidson star.

The odds were already significantly against you checking out the direct-to-dvd prequel to Vacancy. After all, the original film, released last spring, was hardly a runaway hit. It had its good qualities, even for a derivative suspense flick, but those traits weren't enough to actually get people to see it.

So trading on a brand name that people avoided the first time around, the prequel - cleverly titled Vacancy 2, even though, again, it happens first - will arrive in stores next January. It stars Trevor Wright, David Moscow, and Agnes Bruckner, so now I know you're really excited.

The trailer takes an interesting approach: About a third of it is footage from the first Vacancy. I don't whether the new movie is trying to somehow take credit for the original or remind people about the movie they never saw in the first place. Either way, that doesn't say much...

If you click on over to Bdtv you can watch the trailer for Sony Home Entertainment's Vacancy 2: The First Cut, which arrives on DVD in January 20, 2009. The trailer features a lot of footage of Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson in the first film, setting up what would be footage from the prequel starring Agnes Bruckner, Lola Davidson, Angel Oquendo and David Moscow. YOu can also click the title above for a long synopsis and more info on the project, which I've heard turned out pretty damn chilling (I guess we'll know soon enough). When Jessica, her fiancé Caleb and Caleb's buddy Taner check into the lonely Meadow View Inn in the middle of rural nowhere, they have no idea that the motel is run by a homicidal maniac and two vicious greedheads who are making a bloody dollar by selling snuff films on the black market...

I know you’ve all been chomping at the bit for more info on Vacancy 2, so I’m glad we can finally give you your first glimpse at it. A reader by the name of “gameboy” dropped us a heads-up that a rough cut of the trailer for the prequel is now online, so scroll on down to check it out!

Vacancy 2: The First Cut was helmed by Vampire Bats director Eric Bross and will see a direct-to-dvd release on January 20th, 2009.

- Johnny Butane

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When I first heard Vacancy 2 I had two thoughts. One: Vacancy was actually a really frickin’ cool movie - B horror done right. Two: how the hell do you make a sequel. It kinda...ended. In a very definitive way. The answer: the sequel, is actually a prequel! Behold the trailer to Vacancy 2: The First Cut. Will it have the same dread and twisty-turny plot of the first one? Or will it be mindless gore? We’re glass-half-full types, so we’ll go with the former. Vacancy 2: The First Cut doesn’t feature that many household names in the cast, but Gwendoline Yeo is pretty easy on the eyes, as is Lola Davidson (who plays the role of “Prostitute.")...