Trailer Round-up: Silent Hills and The Evil Within

Whilst much of the latest news has been dominated by the delights currently screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one or two announcements have managed to push their way to the front of every horror fans' radar, namely as a result of another popular, annual event - Tokyo Game Show (TGS).

Held each year in Chiba, Japan, this video game convention is an unmissable opportunity to showcase the very latest in Japanese gaming. This year was no different, as both Hideo Kojima and Shinji Mikami's latest efforts took centre stage.

If, like countless other horror gamers out there, the Silent Hills playable teaser (PT) scared you witless, TGS were kind enough to premiere an exclusive concept video, just to scare you that little bit more...


As a companion piece to the PT, this concept video remains dark, twisted and nightmarishly bonkers with some seriously eerie sequences. Hardcore fans may sneer at the first-person set-up, others may feel it anti-climactic after the incredibly effective subtlety of the PT. Either way, Kojima and collaborative partner Guillermo del Toro are most definitely out to prove a point with this latest exclusive - to rejuvenate the dilapidated Silent Hill franchise and hopefully once again frighten us in to a collective stupor.
The same can be said for the highly anticipated The Evil Within. Due for release this October 14th on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, this latest survival horror proves it's out to shock, with a new exclusive trailer, fresh from TGS...

The material on offer here is another look at the treacherous terrain and physical struggles from our main protagonist, Sebastian, as well as a greater (albeit brief) look at the type of monsters we are bound to encounter. In addition to the familiar maniacal butcher, we are also privy to leaking lesions, spider-like limbs and tentacle-ridden faces. 
Played out to a sombre, orchestral score and the sinister musings from an assumed antagonist, we are clearly in for a dark and twisted tale. It may not appear as eerily surreal in comparison to Silent Hills, but odds are, with blood and gore in abundance, The Evil Within will provide a much needed thrill to all horror gamers in the run up to Halloween. 

Some say the survival-horror sub-genre is dead and indeed, the above may well turn out to be overly generic and dull. However, given the recent successes of independent efforts such as Outlast and Amnesia, there is an underlying sense that the sub-genre is undergoing a renaissance. There are new ideas, new techniques and new boundaries often pushed to breaking point. Arguably, these latest trailers indicate a combination of this recent ingenuity, with the rejuvenated efforts of the very creators who started it all... Fingers crossed they deliver.
What are your thoughts on Silent Hills or The Evil Within? Post a comment!  

News: Official Trailer for American Horror Story: Freak Show!

October is proving to be a damn good month for television fans. In addition to the fifth season of The Walking Dead, American Horror Story is also returning to our screens with its fourth season entitled Freak Show.

Set in the 1950s, Freak Show surrounds the bizarre lives of American carnies, whose arrival in Florida strangely coincides with an emerging dark entity, threatening the lives of humans and freaks alike.

From three boobs to a bearded lady, the show appears to have it all, including its usual recurring (but nonetheless impressive) cast of Jessica Lange, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson, in addition to Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett and newcomer Michael Chiklis.

As we approach the show's October debut, a nice array of posters (top right) and teasers have been released, including Open Wide and Twisted Smile. Whilst short, both are positively creepy, and do a great job of alluding to the maniacal characters we can expect from this season.

Just yesterday however, the show's official and full-length trailer was finally released (see below), granting us an extended look at our beloved carnies in action and unveiling the utterly bizarre, dark and voyeuristic world that we will be privy to this Autumn.

A Todd Browning masterpiece isn't likely, but hopefully American Horror Story: Freak Show will dodge the pitfalls of Coven and keep us enticed. Chant with me now, gooble gobble, one of us...



American Horror Story: Freak Show will premiere on FOX (UK), October 21st, 2014.
Make sure to keep an eye out for my weekly reviews on The Digital Fix.

News: UK Horror Anthology 'Its Walls Were Blood'

It's fantastic news for us UK horror fans as just last week it was announced an all-British portmanteau is in the works. Entitled Its Walls Were Blood, the film is set in an English country house and follows four connected stories that take place throughout the house's history. Filming is said to start later this year and an intriguing cast has already been announced, boasting the best in British talent. 

Steve Oram (Sightseers, The Canal), Pollyanna McIntosh (The Woman) and Edward Hogg (Anonymous) have been confirmed to star (to name but a few) and akin to the classics Dr Terror's House of Horrors, From Beyond the Grave and The House that Dripped Blood, we can expect an ensemble piece, with plenty more names yet to be announced. 

As for the directors, Paul Davis (The Body), Sean Hogan (The Devil's Business), Paul Hyett (FX Artist and Director of The Seasoning House) and Tom Shankland (The Children, Ripper Street) have been confirmed for each segment. The individual synopses have remained under wraps, although producer Paul Fischer had shed some light on the matter;

"It's all set in one house, and the house is a character, certainly; but it's not a haunted house. It's more complex than that - more about the idea of bringing your own darkness to a place that draws it out of you, of stepping into darkness and darkness entering you in return".

Davis (who is also the film's Executive Producer) has described it as a "contemporary-throwback", providing a modern twist on the classic portmanteau form, with a nod to the British anthologies of the 60s and 70s. In addition to Davis, who has labelled his own segment as "the heaviest thing [he's] done so far", the other directors have promised "a chilling and visceral journey through the twisted innards of a Victorian house", "a retro/horror thriller echoing the grittiness of Straw Dogs and A Clockwork Orange" and the "product of 1970s broken Britain". 

By the sound of things, Its Walls Were Blood is a fantastic project - a celebration of not just horror, but British horror, drawing upon an esteemed sensibility and tradition that has been somewhat lost within the genre of late. Not to mention, the consideration of some intelligent socio-cultural context that should provide some solid substance. With credible talent and an evident passion for what each cast and crew member is about to embark on, any horror fan is a fool to not get excited over this recent development. Need a little more convincing? Then read on for these Wise Words... from Fischer;

"Britain has a great, proud tradition in cinematic horror, where originality, spectacle, atmosphere and memorable characters played as much of a role in a film's identity as jumps and gore... Hammer and Amicus films of the 1960s and 70s had all the scares, the psychological suspense, all the dread and a sort of primordial imagery that kept you up at night and stuck with you your whole life - but they were also a great cinematic experience, in the dark with other people.

They were made for a wide audience, not a niche audience - and made well, made to scare and entertain. We're hoping Its Walls Were Blood will claim that back for horror a little, and give people a change from found footage, torture porn and period ghost stories".

We wait with baited breath for further information but until then, feast your eyes on the recently released teaser poster below...

Source: twitchfilm.com

Trailer Round-up: Cub, Horns and [REC]4: Apocalypse!

Another week has passed so it's time for the Wise Words... trailer round-up! First up;

[REC]4: Apocalypse

The popular Spanish franchise returns this year with its fourth installment, [REC]4: Apocalypse, directed by Jaume Balagueró. Less than two weeks away from its world premiere at Midnight Madness, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), a full and final trailer has been released.



Unfortunately there are no subtitles, but as you can see our feisty protagonist, Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco), is back for more zombie madness. Taking place after [REC]2 (bypassing the anomaly that is [REC]3: Genesis), we join the troubled news reporter on a quarantined ocean liner. Queue what looks like a fast-paced, fun and gory finale, as the recognisable virus wreaks havoc on unsuspecting shipmates. 
[REC]4: Apocalypse is set for release this Autumn (date TBC).
Horns
Alexandre Aja's latest film, Horns, is fast approaching and just last week a new trailer was released for this much anticipated horror-fantasy. Based on Joe Hill's acclaimed novel, Horns tells the tale of Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) and his sudden gain of two devilish horns in the emotional aftermath of his girlfriend's unsuspected murder. Blamed for her death, Perrish embraces the dark side and uses his new supernatural anatomy to find out the true killer.

From the looks of things, Aja is back on-form (after Piranha 3D) with this stylistic and dark journey. Grim at times, humorous at others, Horns could well be one of the most strange, yet compelling horror films out this year.
Horns is set for release October 31st, 2014.
Cub
Along with [REC]4: Apocalypse, Cub will also be found at this year's Midnight Madness (TIFF) - the feature debut from Belgian filmmaker, Jonas Govaerts. This folkloric, forest-based horror follows a group of young cub scouts stalked by a psychopathic huntsman, who has riddled the forest with deadly traps. 

If this trailer is anything to go by, we are in for a horrifying treat. Set mostly at night, the unfolding terror looks dark and brutal but beautifully shot with a suitably eerie undertone. It may be based in a familiar setting but this is not your generic cabin-in-the-woods affair. According to the Midnight Madness programmer, Colin Geddes, the film;
"draws on such influences as Lord of the Flies and The Devil's Backbone to create a world filled with vivid childhood terrors... [It] marks Govaerts as a bold new voice in horror cinema: one who understands both the art of storytelling and the complex craft of inspiring real fear"
Unfortunately an official release date for Cub remains unconfirmed but stay tuned to Wise Words... for further updates and visit the film's official website on - http://www.cubthemovie.com/.

That's it for this week's trailer round-up! Which of the above are you looking forward to the most? Post a comment!