Several Noteworthy Horror Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray the Week of November 30th

Author/Michael Allen

There are two notable horror films moving to DVD and Blu-Ray this week and one other, which is mostly known for softening the horror genre. Joshua Grannell's debut film, All About Evil releases today and this is an independent film, with many well known actors participating. Thomas Dekker will star with Natasha Lyonne and Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira. The film puts real life murders on the screen for fans to watch, until they are the next to die! Moving on to Shadowland, which is the first time this film has been seen by 28DLA, readers will find an independent and creative take on the vampire myth. Vampire hunter faces vampire in this production from Pirate Pictures. The last is The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - which releases later in the week (December 4th). More details on two of these films are below.

The synopsis for All About Evil is here:

"The story centers around a mousy librarian, who has inherited her father's beloved but failing old movie house. In order to save the family business she discovers her inner serial killer - and a legion of rabid gore fans - when she starts turning out a series of grisly shorts. What her fans don't realize yet is that the murders in the movies are all too real" (UHM).

Director/writer: Joshua Grannell.

Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Dekker, Cassandra Peterson, Mink Stole, Noah Segan, and Jack Donner.
 
The film's central trailer is here:



Special features include:

* Audio commentary by director Joshua Grannell
* Making-of documentary “Behind the Evil”
* "EVIL Live," a documentary about the San Francisco premiere
* GRINDHOUSE, the short film that inspired ALL ABOUT EVIL
* CHILDREN OF THE POPCORN, a new short film providing an exclusive glimpse of Peaches Christ’s empire
* Peaches Christ ROLL-IN video
* Original theatrical trailer
* Poster gallery
* Production stills and notes (UHM).

More on this film at the All About Evil webpage:

The All About Evil Website

The film can only currently only be purchased through the Peaches Christ website, found here:

All About Evil at Peaches Christ

Shadowland

The film's synopsis:

"A thrilling new vision of classic vampire lore, Shadowland opens in modern day North America, where construction workers uncover an old stone cross and a mysterious wooden stake. They remove the artifacts from the ground, allowing Laura (Caitlin McIntosh), a beautiful vampire, to awaken from a century of slumber.

As Laura attempts to make sense of the strange new world around her, she begins to remember her human life and a mysterious lover (Carlos Antonio León) with secrets of his own. Soon a dangerous vampire hunter (Jason Contini) begins tracking Laura, but as he closes in for the kill he learns that things may not be what they seem" (UHM).

Director/writer: Wyatt Weed.

Cast: Caitlin McIntosh, Jason Contini, Carlos Antonio Leon, Dale D. Moore and Don McLendon.

The film's trailer is here:



Shadowland's homepage is here:

Shadowland's Place on the Interweb

And Shadowland's fan page is here:

Shadowland's Fan Page on the Interweb

Shadowland can be purchased here, through Amazon:



Sources:

Horror Releases at Upcoming Horror Movies

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A High Quality Trailer for Eastern Horror Themed Thriller Jinn

Author/Michael Allen

This trailer for Jinn was made available earlier this month, but this horror movie lover was too knee deep in Geoffrey Chaucer to do anything about it. Now, a high quality version of the clip is available and Jinn is the story of mythological spirits, known throughout much of the Muslim world.

In western countries the Jinn are known as Genies and these creatures have been given some darker colouring in this film and in another called Red Sands. If you like mythology from other cultures, then you will likely like this trailer for Jinn below.

The synopsis for Jinn:

"Man made of Clay. Angels made of Light. And a Third...made of Fire.

From the beginning, stories of angels and men have captured our imaginations and have been etched into our history crossing all boundaries of culture, religion, and time. These two races have dominated the landscape of modern mythology for countless centuries, almost washing away the evidence that a third ever existed. This third race, born of smokeless fire, was called the Jinn. Similar to humans in many ways, the Jinn lived invisibly among us and only under dire or unusual circumstances were our paths ever meant to cross.

As humans became the dominant force on Earth, contact between man and Jinn steadily decreased. .

Modern man has all but forgotten the Jinn" (Trailer).

Release Date: 2011.

Director/writer: Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad.

Cast: Dominic Rains, Ray Park, and William Atherton.

An extended teaser trailer for the film is here:



The film's homepage:

Jinn's Dwelling in the Desert of Cyberspace

Become a fan and support Jinn here, or leave some scandalous comments:

Jinn on Facebook

Sources:

Jinn at Trailer Addict

More on Djinns:



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Indie Thriller Alert: Apocalypse, CA Sees Man's Extinction in this Trailer

Author/Michael Allen

Chad Peter is the director and the writer behind the fantasy thriller Apocalypse, CA. The film questions: what will you do when the world collapses? Impending death and extinction is promised in the form of an asteroid and the tagline states: "Life is just an asteroid away" (Apocalypse).

While viewers might make different plans of their own, the characters in the film choose hallucinogenic drugs to deal with their impending doom. The trailer shows the effects of taking such dangerous substances and viewers can preview the film with the trailer, inside.

The film's plot has been detailed here:

"The world is doomed. Wry, cynical and full of off-beat humor, Apocalypse, CA is the story of ill-fated friends as they prepare for certain death at the hands of a massive asteroid, sex-inducing drugs, a three-hundred foot giant, and a horde of other unfortunate problems. Apocalypse, CA is an indie cult film of catastrophic proportions" (Trailer).

Release Date: January 1st, 2011 (Theatres).

Director/writer: Chad Peter.

Cast: Nick Mathis, Erin Bodine, and Anne McDaniels.

The film's trailer:



Become a fan of the film on Facebook:

Apocalypse California on Facebook

The film's homepage:

Apocalypse California's Homepage

Sources:

Apocalypse California at Trailer Addict

Deadly meteors or asteroids have threatened or taken millions of lives in cinema:



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An Inside Look at "The Walking Dead" Episode 5 ("Wildfire") with this Movie Clip

Author/Michael Allen

*Here be spoilers.

In case you are not completely satiated with zombie television news, there is an inside look video clip for Episode 5 of "The Walking Dead." Here, Frank Darabont talks briefly about the developing story, with actor Jon Bernthal taking up much of the clip. The five minute reel breaks down the episode in a thorough fashion and the movie clip is worth having a look.

Here is one last thought on "The Walking Dead." Is "The Walking Dead" the first zombie soap opera? If yes, why? And if no, what makes drama different from a soap opera? There seem to be a lot of similarities between these two genres. The clip is below.

The synopsis for Episode 5:

"Rick leads the group to the CDC after the attack. Jim must make a terrible life and death decision" (AMC).

Showing Date: November 28th (Television).

Director: Ernest R. Dickerson.

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Glen Mazzara.

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Steven Yeun, IronE Singleton, and Chandler Riggs.



More details on "The Walking Dead" can be found at the AMC Blog:

"The Walking Dead" at the AMC

Expect lots of extras on this release:



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"The Walking Dead's" Episode 6 ("TS-19") Sneak Peek is Previewed Here!

Author/Michael Allen

Episode 6 "TS-19"

The AMC has just launched a new sneak peek of Episode 6 of "The Walking Dead," entitled "TS-19." The title stands for test subject 19 and in this clip, an infected, soon to be zombiefied, patient is seen - dying. Also shown are various parts of the brain e.g. synapses, dendrites, neurotransmitters etc., before the disease spreads.

The clip takes place within the Center for Disease Control and while the reel is interesting, it does not explain how the patient comes back to life after zombiefication. Once the major organs shut down and the brain expires, is there really a way for a corpse to come back to life? Maybe some help from anaerobic metabolism might help generate energy, but zombie experts need to chime in with their thoughts below. Check out the clip, also below!

The synopsis for the Episode 6 is here:

"Rick and the group are allowed into the CDC by a strange doctor. But all is not what it seems in their newfound haven" (AMC).

Airing Date: December 5th 2010 (Television).

Director: Guy Ferland.

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Adam Fierro.

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, and Chandler Riggs.

The sneak peek for Episode 6 "TS-19" is here:



More details on Episode 6 can be found here:

The Walking Dead Episode 6 at the AMC Blog

"The Walking Dead" Season 1 can be pre-ordered here:




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"The Walking Dead" and Going in Circles Outside of Atlanta: A Television Review of Episode 5 - "Wildfire"

Author/Michael Allen

*Here be some spoilers.

Director: Ernest R. Dickerson.

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard and Glen Mazzara.


Episode 5 of "The Walking Dead" aired November 28th and this three quarters of an hour episode brought the surviving characters to an almost abandoned Center for Disease Control. On the way there, more characters would pass and the central feeling portrayed over and over again was one of grief. This episode was character heavy, light in action and important for getting the refugees of the zombie apocalypse into a safe zone.

The episode begin with the remnants of a zombie battle being removed from the survivors' camp. Andrea (Laurie Holden) mistakenly holds onto her dead sister, Amy (Emma Bell), for a little too long. The infection spreads through their ranks killing Jim (Andrew Rothenberg), and minor character Ed (Adam Minarovich). The trip to Atlanta is mostly uneventful, with the only surviving member of the CDC, Jenner allowing entrance to his lonely lair. Cue credits.

The characters in the story should be searching for a local laundromat and not the CDC, with most of figures covered in blood-stained or sweat soaked clothing. Comedic jabs aside, this episode was a little slow in pacing. The continual focus on characterizations is good for drawing in viewers, but a little more action, or conflicted interaction with an antagonist is becoming more and more necessary. There was a minor scuffle in the closing few minutes between Rick's gang and the undead, but much of the time was spent focused on grieving for Amy, or Jim, or less so for Ed. A little less emotion and a little more driving over zombies on the road to Atlanta could have made things more horrifying, or entertaining.

Also, at this rate "The Walking Dead" will be out of characters by Season 2 Episode 2, with one additional character not improving the group's size much. This cranky reviewer is also hoping for an amped up finale, but the preview is promising an open ended climax. Is there a cure to infection? What is the state of the rest of the world? How can shambling zombies infect anyone? Hopefully, these questions will be answered or given some attention in Episode 6, "TS-19" aka "Test Subject - 19." W

Overall: 7 out of 10 (Darabont and Kirkman show a knowledge for developing deep characterizations, but they also show a minimalist approach to the more beastly aspects of the zombie apocalypse).

What did you think? Leave some comments on what you liked, did not like, want to see more of etc. below.

More videos, pictures, interviews and episode guides can be found at the AMC Blog:

The Walking Dead at the AMC Blog

Expect lots of extras on this release:



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High Schoolers Chased Down and... By Cinderhella in Joseph Kahn's Detention

Author/Michael Allen

Detention is a horror film from Joseph Kahn (Torque), which is currently in post-production. The film was shot in Los Angeles, with several well known persons participating in the cast. Spencer Locke stars as a cheerleader along with Josh Hutcherson (Cirque du Freak: the Vampire's Assistant) as one of several unlucky high schoolers. Canadian comedian Dane Cook is also taking part (UHM).

The film is being billed as a time-shifting high school survivalist serial killer thriller. The central antagonist has already been given a name: Cinderhella and the film is sure to release in 2011. There is no trailer available on this piece, but there are some early movie stills, seen here.

The film's plot summary is here:

"The story centers on teens who must survive their final year of high school; standing in their way is a slasher-movie killer who has seemingly come to life" (UHM).

Release Date: 2011.

Director: Joseph Kahn.

Writers: Joseph Kahn and Mark Palermo.

Producers: Richard Weager, Maryann Tanedo, David Kang, and Joseph Kahn.

Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook, Shanley Caswell, and Spencer Locke.

The film's homepage:

The Detention Official Website



Sources:

Detention at Upcoming Horror Movies

Spencer Locke has a small part in Resident Evil: Afterlife as K-Mart:



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An Italian Narrated Teaser Trailer for "The Walking Dead's" Episode 5 ("Wildfire")

Author/Michael Allen

*Here be some spoilers.

Okay, you know that you are sinking to new lows when 28DLA posts an Italian dubbed teaser trailer for "The Walking Dead." But, the reviewers here on the site have heard worse dialogued movies than this 30 second clip and in our defence, this clip shows a lot of new footage!

This short reel shows Amy (Emma Bell) coming back to life and her sister (Laurie Holden) offing her via pistol (or alluding to). The Italian dialogue teaser also shows uninfected peoples at the Center for Disease Control and Rick Grimes, plus crew, penetrating the zombie hordes to enter this facility. So, as you can see, there is a honourable motivation behind posting this clip and that is to show viewers a little more of what to expect from Episode 4 of "The Walking Dead," entitled "Wildfire." Enjoy the clip below.

The synopsis for Episode 5:

"Rick leads the group to the CDC after the attack. Jim must make a terrible life and death decision" (AMC).

Showing Date: November 28th (Television).

Director: Ernest R. Dickerson.

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Glen Mazzara.

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Steven Yeun, IronE Singleton, and Chandler Riggs.

The Italian dubbed and narrated clip is here:



Another clip for "The Walking Dead's" Episode 5 has been posted here on 28DLA:

Another Preview Clip for "Wildfire" is Here

More details on "The Walking Dead" can be found at the AMC Blog:

"The Walking Dead" at the AMC

Episode 4 ("Vatos") can be watched on Amazon here, or Season 1 can be pre-ordered:



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IFC Films Announces a December 3rd Relese Date for French Creature Feature Prey

Author/Michael Allen

IFC Films has announced a December 5th release date for Antoine Blossier's Prey. A trailer on this picture was recently posted (here) and with the arrival of a set launch date, fans can prepare to see the ferocious of a wild beast set loose in the French countryside. More details on this picture are below.

The synopsis for Prey is here:

"One night, several deer hurl themselves unexpectedly against the electric fence of a farm. Seeing deep signs of biting on the animals’ bodies, the farm owners realize that a predator is roaming about the neighbouring woods. Having determined to hunt it down, the farmer and his family penetrate deep into the surrounding forest. They look with bewilderment at the dying environment ravaged by a mysterious evil force. As the sun slowly sinks away, howling resounds through the forest. The hunters have become prey..." (IFC Films).

Release Date: December 3th (Video-on-demand).

Director: Antoine Blossier.

Writers: Antoine Blossier and Erich Vogel.

Cast: Gregoire Colin, Francois Levantal, Joseph Malerba, Fred Ulysse, Isabelle Renauld, and Berenice Bejo.

More details at the film's distributor:

The Film at Rezo Films

Or on the Facebook page:

Prey on FB

Sources:

Prey at IFC Films

There have been lots of film made in recent years with the title Prey, or with Prey in the title. Some of them are better than others:



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In Their Sleep Comes to North America Through IFC Films' Video-on-demand Feature

Author/Michael Allen

In Their Sleep is a French language film, which will be shown in North America through IFC Film's video-on-demand platform. The release date is set for December 10th and the story involves a cat-and-mouse game between a robber, his victim, and an innocent female bystander. Not every one in the film is going to make it to the happy ending, as the bloody trailer suggests. Have a look at the clip below for this film from BR Films, which also brought Frontier(s) and L'Interieur (Inside) to theatres (UHM).

The synopsis for In Their Sleep is here:

"After the brutal death of her 18 year-old son, Sarah's life is in pieces. Late one night, her car accidentally hits Arthur, a young man the same age as her boy, who suddenly emerges out of the forest and onto the road. Wounded and frightened, he is running from a mysterious assailant, hunting him down after Arthur caught him red handed in the act of burglary...

Sarah sympathizes with him, taking him in, only to be tracked down by the burglar whose murderous rage towards Arthur forces her to take action. Unbeknownst to Sarah, things aren't quite the way they seem... but by the time she finally realizes, it is too late to turn back" (IFC Films).

Release Date: December 10th (Video-on-demand).

Directors/writers: Caroline and Eric du Potet.

Cast: Anne Parillaud, Thierry Fremont, Arthur Dupont, and Jean-Hugues Anglade.

Brush off you best French and then step inside the trailer here:



The In Their Sleep homepage:

In Their Sleep Official Website

In Their Sleep at IFC Films:

In Their Sleep at IFC Films

Sources:

In Their Sleep at Upcoming Horror Movies

Two of the films mentioned in the article are here:



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When Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus Collide You Know there will be Giant Sized Fun!

Author/Michael Allen

Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus is the latest giant sized animal feature from The Asylum and this time, as the title suggests, a shark gets supersized along with a crocodile. The tagline promises: "whoever wins we lose!" and of course this is borrowed from AVP: Alien vs Predator. A trailer is unavailable, but the giant creature funness begins on DVD December 21st

The synopsis for Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus is here:

"The massive prehistoric shark has survived the last battle, and the world is again threatened when a new, more dangerous foe is discovered in the jungles of Africa."

Release Date: December 21st (DVD, Blu-Ray).

Directed by: Christopher Ray.

Written by: Naomi Selfman.

Producers: David Michael Latt, David Rimawi, and Paul Bales.

Cinematography by: Alex Yellen.

Cast: Jaleel White, Gary Stretch, Sarah Lieving, and Robert Picardo.

The film can be found with more details at The Asylum:

Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus at The Asylum

The film can be pre-ordered here:



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Descending into Darkness by Sound of Cuckoo in this Trailer

Author/Michael Allen

Cuckoo made some film festival showing in 2009, after the film was completed. Now in 2010, the film will go theatrical in the United Kingdom. The movie clip below shows a young woman (Laura Fraser) descent into madness, due to her hyper-sensitivity to ambivalent noises and sounds. Have a look at the trailer below from Verve Picures, courtesy of Film-Book.com

The synopsis for Cuckoo is here:

"Polly is desperate to get out of her dead-end life. But when she has the chance to escape, her nearest and dearest have other ideas.

Alone in her flat, sounds torment her. Voices in the darkness. Whispers of deceit. She knows she's not cuckoo, but why won't the noises go away?" (Cuckoo).

Release Date: December 17th (UK Only).

Director/writer: Richard Bracewell.

Cast: Laura Fraser, Richard E. Grant, Antonia Bernath, Adam F., and Tamsin Greig.

The film's trailer is here:



More details on this picture are here:

The Cuckoo Homepage

Sources:

Cuckoo at Film Book

A completely unrelated film:



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