Weekly Round-up: FrightFest, Predator and More!

It's that time again to round-up the best of last week's horror news! First up...

Takashi Miike returns!

Horror fans will be pleased to know that Japanese director Takashi Miike, famous for madcap, violent affairs such as Ichi the Killer and Audition, is back. He returns with two brand new features, Over Your Dead Body and Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld.

Over Your Dead Body is a loose adaptation of 'Yotsuya Kaidan', one of Japan's most infamous ghost stories. It follows actors Kosuke and Miyuki, who play respective parts in a stage adaption. As they delve deeper into their roles the lines between fiction and reality blur, resulting in - what one assumes to be - a rather gory and psychologically twisted crescendo. Check out the trailer below;


Not bloody enough? Well never fear gore-hounds, as there's an even greater blood-soaked version courtesy of Twitch, available on their website.

Taking on a slightly different narrative is Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld. This martial-arts-horror hybrid, staring Yayan Ruhian (The Raid, The Raid 2), follows the story of Akira and his admiration for the most powerful and seemingly invincible Yakuza, Genyo Kamiura. All is not what it seems however, as Kamiura is in fact a vampire. Promising to be yet another bloody affair, with plenty of fight scenes to boot, it sounds like we're in for an intense and violent showdown.

Over Your Dead Body will be hitting festivals soon.

Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld is set for a 2015 release.


New blu-ray releases for The Exorcist and Leprechaun

Out of all the upcoming blu-ray releases that have been announced over the past week, The Exorcist and Leprechaun are particularly note-worthy.

The Exorcist Complete Anthology will be receiving a re-distribution in fancy high-definition quality, thanks to those at Warner Bros. The collection will include all six films of the series;

• The Exorcist
• The Exorcist: Extended Director's Cut
• Exorcist II: The Heretic
• Exorcist: The Beginning
• Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist

Whilst the majority of these titles have been re-released on blu-ray already, Warner Bros. have full faith in the quality of this high-definition upgrade. Unfortunately further details of this special collection are yet to be announced, but stay tuned for news and updates, which will (hopefully) include some information on additional features. 

The Exorcist Complete Anthology is due for release on 23rd September.

Lionsgate have announced they are working on Leprechaun: The Complete Movie Collection - a box set to feature all seven installments of the franchise, including the upcoming Leprechaun: Origins. The collection will also include all-new bonus content such as;

• Audio commentaries from all directors of the first six films
• Three 'making-of' featurettes
• Never-before-seen behind-the-scene footage and photos
• Special feature content from the new Leprechaun: Origins release

This must-have collection is due for release on 30th September. 

Predator: remake, reboot or sequel?

Over the past week, Predator has dominated horror headlines and discussion. The original is getting a revisit, that's for certain, but will it be a remake, a reboot or a sequel? Well after much speculation it has been confirmed - the new Predator film will be a sequel. Shane Black and Fred Dekker are at the helm and both revealed, in a recent discussion with Collider, that a remake or reboot was not an option...

"As far as Fred and I are concerned... why start over when you've got all this rich mythology yet to mine?"

Black continued, "[I like] the idea of expanding and exploring the existing Predator mythology, rather than hitting the restart button". 

Well, they're saying all of the right things and with the combined credentials of Lethal Weapon, The Monster Squad, Night of the Creeps and Iron Man 3 behind them, it's hard to not have a little bit of faith. 

Listen out for further Predator updates.


FrightFest 2014 line-up

Last week it was announced that Adam Wingard's The Guest is the opening film for 2014's Film4 FrightFest. Now, ticketing issues aside, we can see what other films have been added to the line-up in London this year.

Highlights from the Main Screen include; Housebound, Zombeavers, the much anticipated Eli Roth vehicle, The Green Inferno, in addition to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, new zom-rom-com Life After Beth and The Babadook. 

The Discovery Screens include Honeymoon, Wolfcop, new zombie documentary Doc of the Dead, Wolf Creek 2 and Bad Milo. Not to mention, A Nightmare on Elm Street 30th anniversary retrospective and a preview of the now BBFC classified, yet nevertheless controversial, Nekromantic.

Personally, the line-up doesn't have me overwhelmed with excitement but I'm sure the event will be fantastic regardless - who doesn't love an opportunity to celebrate horror?

For the full line-up, visit the official website.

That's it for now - stay tuned to Wise Words... for more horror updates.

In the mean time, feel free to post a comment!

Horror Highlights from E3 2014

E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is arguably the biggest video game conference that exists today. Having passed us by for another year, it's now time to pick out the top horror highlights to have emerged from this years gaming haven.

The Order: 1886

Published by Sony and due for a 2015 release on the PS4, The Order: 1886 is a single-player, action-adventure game. Set in an alternate history of London, an order of knights must protect the city and themselves from a threat of half-breed monsters, a combination of animal and man. E3 kindly premiered the first full trailer and demo of the game which should get some horror fans, at the very least, a little intrigued. Catch the full trailer below;


Bloodborne
If you're a fan of Dark Souls then you'll be excited for Hidetaka Miyazaki's next project, Bloodborne - a fantasy-horror take on the Cthulhu mythology. E3 were kind enough to exclusively premier the game's first official trailer;

There are clear similarities here between Bloodborne and Dark Souls, most noticeably in the game's aesthetics. However, there are marked differences which should create a level of intrigue for existing fans. Regardless, it looks fantastic and demonstrates a rather violent, bleak but exciting sensibility. Bloodborne is due for release on PS4 in 2015.
Dead Island 2
Time for a bit of fun now as E3 announced the development of Dead Island 2, accompanied by a rather great trailer. From the off it is fair to say that the game's creators have gone for a more tongue-in-cheek, over the top feel.
According to the press release, the game is set in California - a restricted zone following on from the zombie outbreak in Banoi. It will apparently combine classic Dead Island elements with never-before-seen, hand-crafted weapons and new, crazy characters, as you travel the breadth of the state from the Golden Gate Bridge to Venice Beach. This particular trailer went pretty viral but if you somehow missed it, you can catch it once more below;

Dead Island 2 is due for release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC in Spring 2015.
Dying Light
In keeping with the zombie theme, next up on my E3 horror highlights is Dying Light. As an open-world zombie survival game, you would not be blamed for comparing it to, nay, copying Dead Island. However, according to Techland and the game's producer, Tymon Smektala, the game is different. Apparently, the focus is not so much on the un-dead, but on the gameplay and movement, as a free-running system is implemented. Check it out in the exclusive trailer below;

Night time and free-running movement aside, I'm not totally convinced. I guess we'll have to wait and see however, until the game is released for PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows in 2015.

Alien: Isolation

News of Alien: Isolation has been circulating for a while and in addition to our beloved Amanda Ripley and a not-so-friendly xenomoroph, E3 premiered a new trailer and stills. The trailer, whilst stating that the game is a working progress, effectively exhibits the generic tone and aesthetic of the Alien franchise that we all know and love. The stills however, possibly introduce a new threat in to the mix, in the form of an un-friendly android.

Alien: Isolation will be released on the 7th of October for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

The Evil Within

Much controversy has surrounded The Evil Within of late. Originally heralded as the 'saviour' of the survival horror genre, any demo run-through's have since been met with negative comments. With such high expectations, this comes as no surprise.

However, it is a Shinji Mikami project after all and even though some of us may be a little desensitized after the frights of Outlast, there must be some thrills and spills in The Evil Within that will get our hearts racing. There was a lot of coverage of the game at this year's E3, so take your pick from the list below:

• The Evil Within Stage Demo
• The Evil Within Extended Gameplay Demo - Upgrade System
• The Evil Within Reactions

The Evil Within is due for release on October 21st for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Doom 4

Last but not least, E3 exclusively premiered the first ever teaser trailer for the long-awaited Doom 4. You'll be hard-pressed to find a horror fan that hasn't played the original series at least once. Doom is a benchmark in gaming history and loved dearly by many. Because of this, Doom 4 will most certainly not please all, but its a gaming event that we have anticipated for a very long time. Check out the teaser trailer below;

Unfortunately it is all CG, however fans will note the Cyberdemon monster and that oh-so-familiar sound of the opening door - a mere second that will forever manage to cause mass excitement... or serious dread.
Alas, we must wait with baited breath for more detail but thankfully we don't have to wait long. The game will get it's official reveal at QuakeCon 2014, which begins on the 17th of July. 
So there we have it, my horror highlights of this year's E3. By all means, sound off in the comment box below with your opinions. Have I missed anything out? Is there anything you're particularly looking forward to? 

In the mean time, stay tuned for more Wise Words... on the latest horror games.

Weekly Round-up: Friday the 13th, FrightFest and More!

It's time again for the weekly round-up of horror news and developments. First up...

Motel Hell Blu-ray and DVD Release

Scream Factory have recently announced their plans to re-release the 80's cult classic, Motel Hell. A horror-comedy by Kevin Connor, this trashy number follows Farmer Vincent and his sister Ida who run Motel Hello and sell and produce popular meat products. Although we're not talking animal meat here as indeed, it takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent fritters... Rivalry, chainsaw fights and a few severed vocal chords later, we have a lurid, laughable and cheesy flick that rightly belongs in any horror collection.

On August 12th, 2014, Motel Hell will be re-released on blu-ray in a definitive collector's edition including a collectible retro-art cover and the following special features:

• New audio commentary with director Kevin Connor
• New It Takes All Kinds: The Making of Motel Hell featuring interviews from director Kevin Connor, writers/producers Robert Jaffe and Steven Charles Jaffe and actor Marc Silver
• New Shooting Old School with cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth
• Another Head on the Chopping Block: an interview with actor Paul Linke
• From Glamour to Gore: an interview with actress Rosanne Katon
• Ida, Be Thy Name: A look back at Motel Hell's frightful female protagonist Ida Smith
• Theatrical Trailer
• Photo Galleries

Friday the 13th in 3D?

Camp Crystal Lake has been in the news again, following Paramount's recent announcement of another Friday the 13th installment. Other than the confirmation of David Bruckner as the film's director, further details have been speculative. Once believed to be a found footage piece, Paramount Pictures International SVP, Edward Ryan, has now hinted at the prospect of 3D. 


When discussing Paramount Pictures' schedule in a recent interview, Ryan listed Friday the 13th within the 3D category. Of course this is subject to change, although if correct, it would hardly be a surprise given the recent track record of horror remakes and reboots. Nevertheless stay tuned for further updates as more information becomes available. 

Robert Englund to Return as Freddy

If like me, you are a horror fan based in the UK, you will sympathise with how often this geographical restriction impinges jealousy upon those that live in the US. Last week was no exception as it was revealed that Robert Englund will return for one last time, as the iconic Freddy Krueger.

The 2014 Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention is shaping up to be a truly memorable event with this latest development. Not only will pundits witness Englund in the pivotal Krueger make up (to be applied by Robert Kurtzman) one last time, but they will also get a photo opportunity with the man himself.

In addition to this, there will be a live Q&A session - all of which, is to celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

For a look at the rest of the enviable line up of the 2014 Flashback Weekend, visit the official website - http://flashbackweekend.com/

FrightFest Opening Film Announced

It's not all doom and gloom for us British horror fans however, as we have the pleasure of hosting Film4 FrightFest every year, and as it's just around the corner (21st - 25th August), the opening film of the festival has been revealed.

Adam Wingard's The Guest will be kicking things off, and having been labelled as a 'dazzling, horror thriller' and described as an homage to 1980's action flicks, it promises to be a great opener from the creative minds that have brought us V/H/S, V/H/S 2 and You're Next.

A full line up of this years Film4 FrightFest will be announced on Friday 27th June. 

That's it for the round-up of last week's news. Stay tuned for more Wise Words... coming soon. In the mean time, feel free to post a comment - what are your thoughts on these latest developments? 

Weekly Round-up: Hemlock Grove, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and More!

A little later than planned, but it’s time again to review the most important and exciting news and updates that have come to light over the past week.

The Blob is coming to Blu-ray

We are kicking things off, not with a bang, but with a blob, as our favourite jelly-like substance is heading our way once again on Blu-ray. The Blob first hit our screens in 1958 but was later remade in 1988, and it is this version that Twilight Time is re-releasing. Timing it nicely with Halloween cheer, the release is scheduled for October 14^th.  Further details are yet to be confirmed but stay tuned for updates.

Halloween: The Complete Collection art work revealed

Move over Jason as last week, Friday the 13^th shone the spotlight on a different masked murderer. That’s right, Michael Myers took centre stage as the art work for the highly anticipated Blu-ray box set Halloween: The Complete Collection was released. This unique and all encompassing chronicle of the series includes 15 discs and contains all of the Halloween feature films; Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween 4: TheReturn of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Halloween:The Curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H20, Halloween: Resurrection, RobZombie’s Halloween and Halloween II. Bonus features include;

• Never-before-seen interviews with cast and crew
• The original mono audio track for the original Halloween
• Both versions of the original Halloween - the original Blu-ray release and the recently remastered 35th Anniversary version with the mono track added back in
• A limited edition 40-page book written by Michael Gingold of Fangoria Magazine 

The art work, which you can see below, boasts a newly commissioned illustration, and each film then sits in its own black Blu-ray case with the original theatrical one sheet as the key art. In short, it looks fantastic. The set is out September 23^rd.

Trailer for Season Two of Hemlock Grove

For those of you who have read my blog from day one, you may remember my dislike for Eli Roth’s Netflix exclusive, Hemlock Grove (read my review of Season One here). In a nutshell, I thought it was awful. Clearly not everyone felt the same, as Season Two is upon us and last week saw the release of its first official trailer. Take a look...

Clearly, we rejoin this supernatural thriller in the aftermath of all destruction that took place in the first season. From the looks of things we have some new faces and even more bloodshed. Let’s just hope that this time round, it manages to formulate a coherent and compelling story. All new episodes will hit Netflix on July 11^th.

Trailer for the remastered Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The last piece of news to cover in this week’s round up involves our beloved Leatherface and the upcoming 40^th anniversary re-release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, courtesy of MPI and Dark Sky Films. Not that long ago, I posted a few wise words on the pros and cons of re-mastering an absolute classic, questioning whether a 4K restoration of this scuzzy, brilliant horror was in fact a good idea. Well, a few days ago a new trailer for this re-release emerged and it must be said, it looks fantastic. Catch it below...

In addition to this, a list of dates and theatres that will be screening this restoration of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was also released. Surprise surprise, they are all based in the US, so all we can do is hope that us UK fans will get given the opportunity too.

That’s it for now, stay tuned for more news and updates including an E3 summary!

Weekly Round-up: Ghostbusters, Penny Dreadful and more!

Many moons ago when Wise Words... first started, weekly posts of the world's latest horror news were the norm. After a slight hiatus (and admittedly, a change of mind), the news round-ups are back. Yes, they can be brief, repetitive and lacking a little substance but quite frankly, it's nice to get excited about upcoming projects, re-releases and many other anomalies that break out into our favourite genre. So without further ado, let's begin and pick out the best of last week's news.

'It Follows' picked up by RADiUS

Out of the festival circuit, either Sundance or Toronto are the places to be when it comes to horror. However at this years Cannes festival, a small, independent hit directed by David Robert Mitchell entitled It Follows, created a massive buzz. The film follows Jay, a 19-year-old girl whose Summer fun is shattered after an apparently innocent sexual encounter leads to frightening visions and extreme paranoia. The film has been heralded as both 'haunting and beautiful', and predicted to be 'one of the best indie horror films in over a decade', so it is no surprise that last week, It Follows was acquired by RADiUS, a Weinstein subsidiary. The film is reportedly set for a 2015 release.

'We Come in Pieces' debut

Last Tuesday, Trapdoor Pictures (comprising of directors/producers Ryan Spindell and Ben Hethcoat) released their latest documentary, We Come in Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film. Featuring appearances from various horror directors and genre buffs, the very short documentary examines not so much what an anthology is, but why us fans love it. With a few great clips here and there (Creepshow, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Tales From the Darkside), We Come in Pieces is a great little love letter to the portmanteau form. See it in full below;



The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Re-release and DVD/Blu-ray
Last week saw the wonderful news that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari will receive both a cinema and Blu-ray/DVD re-release, courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema series. As the epitome of German Expressionism and deservedly thought of as an iconic masterpiece, we can all rejoice at the opportunity to once again witness this 1920s classic. The theatrical run will begin on the 29th of August at London's BFI Southbank and the dual format Blu-ray/DVD will be available from the 29th of September. 

Penny Dreadful renewed for a second series
Penny Dreadful, a series following a selection of gothic literary legends, has been picked up for a second season. Having been embraced by the public (hitting over 3 million viewers) and received rave reviews (although you can read my not-so-rave reviews here), it is no surprise that this latest horror show has been allowed another ten-episode run. We're a while off a release date however, so in the mean time, you can continue with the current series on Sky Atlantic, every Tuesday at 9.00pm. 
Ghostbusters theatrical re-release announced
The classic Ghostbusters turned 30 last week and to celebrate, it was announced that the much-loved film would receive a theatrical re-release late this Summer. On August the 29th it is reported that over 700 screens will exhibit a restored and remastered version of Venkman and co., and the fun doesn't stop there. A 30th anniversary Blu-ray will also be released on 16th of September, in addition to a first-ever Blu-ray release of Ghostbusters II, featuring all new discussions from Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd. I feel so funky...

So that's it for the best of last week's news. Keep your eyes peeled for next week's installment and any delightful developments that lie ahead. 

Re-Animator: Steelbook out, details later.

On Monday, Re-Animator was lovingly re-animated in a high-definition Blu-ray, limited edition steelbook, courtesy of Second Sight Films. To mark this occasion, it feels only right to briefly remind ourselves of this classic 1980s horror, and why we love it so god damn much.

As we all know (and if you don’t, go watch this film immediately), Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator is loosely based on a tale from H.P. Lovecraft and follows medical student Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), and his luminous green concoction that brings the dead back to life. Botched experiments, scientific rivalry and a few fatalities later, West and his co-eds Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) and Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton), find themselves caught up in experimental mayhem, with particularly gory consequences.

From the off, it is fair to say that Re-Animator is not a horror film that will terrify your very soul. Rather, it is one that will have you laughing out loud in sheer enjoyment, quoting dialogue for days on end and cheering at the screen for every head crushing and intestine twisting set-piece. You’d be hard pressed to find a moment in this film that isn't outrageously fun or enjoyably twisted, from Hall’s severed head lusting after the restrained Halsey whilst her zombified father watches, to the crescendo of entrails and ooze amidst re-animated mayhem. Not to mention, each performance (Combs in particular) cleverly balances on the brink of camp and is executed with clever, comical rigor. Overall the film possesses a vitality and over-the-top sensibility, a certain luminosity that isn't just confined to West’s trusty needle. Akin to other classics such as The Evil Dead or Braindead, Re-Animator is the epitome of horror-comedy and most certainly warrants a re-visit at any opportunity.

In short this steelbook is a must-have for your collection. With it, you can once again witness such glorious gore in high-definition, and indulge a little further with some extra features;

• The ‘Unrated’ Version – brand new 4k restoration
• The ‘Integral’ Version – exclusive to Blu-ray
•  Audio Commentary with director Stuart Gordon
• Audio Commentary with producer Brian Yuzna and actor Jeffrey Combs, Robert Sampson, Barbara Crampton and Bruce Abbott
• Re-Animator Reserrectus documentary
• Interviews with Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, writer Dennis Paoli, composer Richard Band and Fangoria editor Tony Timpone
• Extended scenes, deleted scenes and trailers
• Gallery

Fear not - if you don’t have a Blu-ray player, Second Sight Films are also kindly releasing a two-disc DVD version, for your re-animating pleasure. 

That's all for now folks, feel free to post a comment - what do you love about Re-Animator?