News

It was the next-to-last show of the season Friday for Bill Maher’s Real Time on HBO. So it was a moment for the host to ponder some of the supply chain issues and other big questions confronting US society, which some – including Maher – believe threaten life as we know it in this country.

So who better to bring on than multimillionaire entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary, aka “Mr. Wonderful” from ABC-tv’s Shark Tank, to talk about a world where the women of Only Fans are now accepting canned goods, thanks to supply chain issues, as Maher joked.

Why, asked Maher, are supply chain issues a problem when the stock market is booming and unemployment is low?.

O’Leary said he confronts the problem of supply chain blockages every day “We’re having major problems,” he said, blaming countries that have struggled to recover from the pandemic. “They’re keeping supplies low and factories shut down,...

The cast of the Spanish ‘Bird Box’ spin-off has also been revealed.

Netflix’s upcoming Spanish production slate includes two original feature films: Nowhere, directed by Albert Pintó, and Patxi Amézcua’s Infiesto (both are working titles).

Nowhere stars Anna Castillo and is produced by Miguel Ruz. Set in the near future, a young pregnant woman named Nada escapes from a country at war by hiding in a maritime container aboard a cargo ship. After a violent storm, Nada then gives birth to the child while lost at sea, where she must fight to survive. Pintó previously directed Spanish Netflix series Sky Rojo.

Netflix today unveiled a slate of new Spanish content, including two fiction series and a pair of feature films.

The streamer renewed its popular Spanish YA drama series Elite for a sixth season, well ahead of the series’ Season 5 premiere. Created and written by Carlos Montero and Darío Madrona, Elite is one of the streamer’s best performing Spanish originals.

Netflix also confirmed three new holiday-themed installments of the short-form spinoff Elite: Short Stories: Phillipe, Caye, & Felipe, premiering Wednesday, Dec. 15, Samuel & Omar, premiering Monday, Dec. 20 and Patrick, premiering Thursday, Dec. 23.

On the film side, Patxi Amezcua is writing and directing Infiesto (working title). Isak Férriz and Iria del Río star in the pic, which is set on the first day of a national emergency involving a virus and follows two detectives who are called to a small mining town in the Asturian mountains where a young woman who had...

Netflix’s Spanish adaptation of its hit original movie “Bird Box” is coming together.

Cast and a handful of early details were announced for the previously announced project from Àlex and David Pastor. Leading the international cast are Mario Casas, one of Spain’s most bankable leading men who this year won a best actor Spanish Academy Goya Award for his performance in “Cross the Line,” and Georgina Campbell, a best leading actress BAFTA winner for her work in “Murdered by My Boyfriend.”

Casas was also the star of horror thriller “The Paramedic,” one of Netflix’s best performing Spanish original films to date.

Other cast includes Diego Calva (“I Promise You Anarchy”), Alejandra Howard (“Ana. all in”), Naila Schuberth (“Unbroken”), Patrick Criado (“Riot Police”) and Celia Freijeiro (“Perfect Life”), with Lola Dueñas (“The Sea Inside”), Gonzalo de Castro (“La torre de Suso”), Michelle Jenner (“Isabel”) and Leonardo Sbaraglia (“Pain and Glory...

After being one of the jury members for the 2019 Popcorn Frights Film Festival and hosting a virtual conversation with the cast of Smiley Face Killers as part of the festival's 2020 virtual Wicked Weekend Halloween celebration, Daily Dead's Derek Anderson was honored to host a Q&a with the cast and crew of The Accursed, which had its world premiere as part of the virtual edition of the seventh annual Popcorn Frights, and the insightful discussion is now available online for all to enjoy!

Below (via the Popcorn Frights YouTube channel), you can watch Derek talk with The Accursed co-director/co-writer/producer Kathryn Michelle, co-director/co-writer/producer Elizabeta Vidovic, and actor/producer Izabela Vidovic about the making of their ambitious new horror film!

Be sure to visit Almost Normal Productions to keep up to date on The Accursed and their other exciting projects, and go to Popcorn Frights' official website for...

John le Carré, a prolific novelist whose Cold War spy stories dominated the bestseller lists, has died at age 89.

His family confirmed he had died of pneumonia at the Royal Cornwall Hospital on Saturday night. “We all deeply grieve his passing,” they wrote in a statement.

In addition to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Le Carré’s works included the novels The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and The Night Manager. Most of his works were made into television series, movies and more, with actors Richard Burton, Alec Guinness, Ralph Fiennes, and Gary Oldman among those taking up the Le Carre’ roles.

Jonny Geller, his agent, described him to the UK’s The Guardian as “an undisputed giant of English literature. He defined the cold war era and fearlessly spoke truth to power in the decades that followed … I have lost a mentor, an inspiration and most importantly, a friend.

Eva Marcille is saying goodbye to The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Marcille announced her exit Tuesday morning on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show.

"I appreciate the bond of friendship that I’ve made with my castmates and strong personal relationships I have with numerous executives and producers of Bravo," she said in a statement.

"I am thankful for the opportunity I was provided, however, after speaking with my family and representatives, I believe that what I hope to accomplish for the culture and community will be better served by focusing on other opportunities."

"I look forward to serving the community on Ricky Smiley Morning show and finding other ways to be a voice during this transformational time during our country for people of color," she continued.

Marcille first appeared on the hit reality series in 2017 in a recurring role, but quickly emerged as a fan-favorite, leading to her being promoted to a full housewife.

Shudder’s upcoming Scare Package is a love-letter to genre obsessions inked in blood by horror-loving filmmakers. Any anthology comes with ups and downs, but thankfully the “ups” here swing bigger than expected. Seven directors submit a collection of meta-spoofy spooks which share a collective heart that is forever in the right place. The bigger the horror fan, the harder the jokes land as recognizable structures or archetypes are roasted over an open flame. Sometimes to a charred, smokey Texas flavor that is worth drool-dribble reactions, other times overdone and burned to a bitter aftertaste that’s easier to forget.

So, let’s talk “package.”

Together, shorts double as old-school bites of horror nostalgia that populate a VHS rental joint owned by the film’s Randy Meeks replicant. As a new employee learns the ropes, titles are “explained” by either “Rad” Chad (Jeremy King), regular horror-bro customer Sam (Byron Brown...

Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures have released the first domestic and international trailers for the fourth film in the Insidious franchise, "Insidious: The Last Key". In the supernatural thriller, which welcomes back franchise standout Lin Shaye ("The Black Room", "Abatoir", "Ouija: Origin Of Evil") as Dr. Elise Rainier, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet: in her own family home. Shaye is joined in the cast by Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell ("Saw" trilogy, "Cooties"...), Josh Stewart, Caitlin Gerard ("Smiley"), Kirk Acevedo ("Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes"), Javier Botet ("It", "Polaroid"), Bruce Davison ("The Exorcist"), Spencer Locke ("Resident Evil: Retribution", Tessa Ferrer, Ava Kolker ("The Axe Murders Of Villisca") and Marcus...

Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures have released the first domestic and international trailers for the fourth film in the Insidious franchise, "Insidious: The Last Key". In the supernatural thriller, which welcomes back franchise standout Lin Shaye ("The Black Room", "Abatoir", "Ouija: Origin Of Evil") as Dr. Elise Rainier, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet: in her own family home. Shaye is joined in the cast by Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell ("Saw" trilogy, "Cooties"...), Josh Stewart, Caitlin Gerard ("Smiley"), Kirk Acevedo ("Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes"), Javier Botet ("It", "Polaroid"), Bruce Davison ("The Exorcist"), Spencer Locke ("Resident Evil: Retribution", Tessa Ferrer, Ava Kolker ("The Axe Murders Of Villisca") and Marcus...

Legendary Pictures has debuted a trailer for The Thinning. The film takes place in a dystopian future, where Us citizens must take a test. If they pass, they live. But, if they fail, they do not survive. The film was developed by director Michael Gallagher (Smiley, 2012). As well, the film stars: Logan Paul, Peyton List and Lia Marie Johnson. The first shocking trailer, for The Thinning, is hosted here. The film's trailer reveals more of the plot, compared to the official synopsis. Both items talk of a conspiracy, which targets the children of political figures. Behind all of the smoke and mirrors, corrupt forces are orchestrating events. It is amazing to see how much new media, targeting young adults, involves dystopic settings. There are no happy endings for the next generation of milennials! More on The Thinning is hosted below. Release Date: October 12th, 2016 (Youtube Red). Director: Michael Gallagher. Cast: Logan Paul,...

A nationally-televised competition to find the Web Star of the Year is about to begin in our exclusive clip from the upcoming comedy Internet Famous. This hot new release is available on iTunes and other Digital HD/VOD formats. The story centers around one massive competition, which, as you can see in our clip, have some bizarre judges, including Missi Pyle as a home shopping guru.

Follow the hilarious journey of five of the Internet's biggest stars as they travel across the country to compete in a nationally-televised talent competition. The only problem is... they have no talent. Tomas "The Parody Boss" (Shane Dawson) creates spoofs of pop songs, but thinks he is an original artist; Comedienne Amber (Amanda Cerny) gets tons of attention, just never for her jokes; Dale Hand (Steve Greene), likes to stage elaborate pranks to scare his baby daughter, Lucy; Veronica Decker (Wendy McColm), a struggling...

Maker Studios is getting more entrenched in the film biz. The Disney-owned YouTube multi-channel network teamed with Off the Dock, Lakeshore Entertainment’s digital studio, to produce the mockumentary film Internet Famous, starring newly-christened Maker talent and YouTube superstar Shane Dawson.

Internet Famous tells the story of six digital media stars who travel across the country to compete in a talent show where the ultimate prize is their very own TV show. Dawson, who starred in his own film Not Cool and boasts 12.7 million subscribers across two channels, will play one of the online celebrities. Real-life digital stars Steve Greene, Amanda Cerney, Christian DelGrosso, Wendy McColm, and Richard Ryan will play the remaining five online personalities in the flick.

Written by Greene and YouTuber star Michael Gallagher (the guy behind the 2012 feature film Smiley), Internet Famous is produced by Maker and Off the Dock alongside Gallagher’s Cinemand banner. Gallagher...

And you thought Tiny Tim’s original rendition of “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” was horrifying?

Birthed from a place of nightmares, “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” captivated modern horror audiences when Rose Byrne heard the eerie track echoing through her home in the first Insidious. A small child runs from room to room, Rose follows, and we get a usual jump scare – but the addition of Tiny Tim’s high-pitched serenading adds a level of unsettling dread. It’s a song that’s otherwise innocent, yet when paired with the right circumstance, the inner hellishness of Tiny Tim’s true satanic nature is unlocked and revealed to the world.

Fine – Tiny Tim isn’t a demon-loving satanist, but dammit that man is creepy!

Well, here we are five years and two Insidious films later, and that damn song is still threatening to haunt our dreams – this time in support of the...

Fans of the Insidious films have likely never listened to "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" quite the same way since following Josh Lambert into the fire-face demon's lair and hearing the classic song bouncing off the walls. Last October, we shared audio of indie rock band Cherry Glazerr's cover of the famous song, and now Cinemand and Focus Features have teamed up to make a music video of the band's chilling cover. The video tells a story all its own, and it debuted today on Totally Sketch.

The "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" music video was directed by Michael Gallagher and comes from Cinemand, which was founded by Gallagher (”Smiley”), Jana Winternitz (”urFRENZ”), and Michael Wormser (”Smiley”).

"In a rare blending of classic tune, hot new movie, and next-gen talent, Cinemand tapped top stars from YouTube and Vine (Meg Deangelis, Eric Ochoa, Brittany Furlan, and Christian DelGrosso) to act in the video.

The “Insidious” horror franchise continues with “Insidious: Chapter 3,” starring Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Hayley Kiyoko and Lin Shaye. The film comes to theaters June 5, but until then, there’s a music video that gives you a taste of “Insidious”-esque scares. Music video “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” was made in partnership between Focus Features and digital millenial-focused studio Cinemand, founded by “Smiley” director Michael Gallagher, “Smiley” producer Michael Wormser and “@urFRENZ” producer Jana Winternitz. The team used the classic song, the direction of Gallagher as well as inspiration from the new film to utilize the acting talents from YouTube and Vine stars Meg Deangelis, Eric Ochoa, [ Read More ]

The post Moving Becomes Deadly in Music Video Inspired By Insidious: Chapter 3 appeared first on Shockya.com.

As if the trailer wasn’t scary enough, now comes this Insidious 3 “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” music video by Totally Sketch, featuring Meg DeAngelis, SUPEReeeGO, Brittany Furlan, and Christian Delgrosso.

The music video was made in partnership between Cinemand – the one-stop-shop digital studio creating premium content for millennials – and Focus Features.

Cinemand was founded by filmmakers Michael Gallagher (”Smiley”), Jana Winternitz (”urFRENZ”), and Michael Wormser (”Smiley”).

In a rare blending of classic tune, hot new movie, and next-gen talent, Cinemand tapped top stars from YouTube and Vine (Meg Deangelis, Eric Ochoa, Brittany Furlan, and Christian DelGrosso) to act in the video. Collectively, this ensemble has over 20 million followers across various social platforms.

Directed by Mr. Gallagher, the video premiered exclusively on his YouTube Channel, Totally Sketch.

The newest chapter in the terrifying horror series is written and directed by franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell.

This chilling prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family,...

After two tours of the paranormal-plagued Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, the writing/directing duo known as The Vicious Brothers, are stepping out of the asylum’s haunted halls and into the woods for their latest film, Extraterrestrial, now available on VOD. We have three new clips from the movie that show what happens when you engage visitors from the sky.

“From The Vicious Brothers, the creators of Grave Encounters comes a different kind of encounter, one of ‘Extraterrestrial’ origin. Still reeling from her parents’ divorce, April (Daytime Emmy winner, Brittany Allen) is dragged back to the vacation cabin she spent fond summers at as a child accompanied by a group of friends. Her trip down memory lane takes a dramatic and terrifying turn when a fireball descends from the sky and explodes in the nearby woods. Lead by her boyfriend, played by Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter & The Half Blooded Prince,...

Stars: Melanie Papalia, David Schlachtenhaufen, Matt Riedy, Adam Shapiro, Victoria Hanlin, Matt Lasky, Brian Bell | Written by Zachary Donohue, Lauren Thompson | Directed by Zachary Donohue

It may seem, given my past reviews of found footage movies, that all I do is spew bile and vitriol when it comes to a lot of these particular movies but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to still give the genre a a fair shake. Good job too, otherwise I would have missed out on a great example of it in The Den.

The idea of using the internet (and webcams) is nothing new in horror, it’s cropped up in dozens of movies, some good, a lot bad. With the advent of webcams, CCTV and “always-connected” devices, any good horror movie villain would – given that using the net is his or her modus operandi – have almost total control over their victims lives.

“Keep watching the skies!” warned Douglas Spencer’s reporter at the end of the 1951 science-fiction classic The Thing From Another World. More than 60 years on, that remains good advice for characters in alien-themed horror movies such as the Tribeca-screened Extraterrestrial. This third film from directors the Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters) details a weekend getaway by five college friends which goes horribly awry when aliens invade.

Extraterrestrial stars Brittany Allen (The Rocker), Freddie Stroma (the Harry Potter franchise), Jesse Moss (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil), Anja Savcic (I Love You, Beth Cooper), Melanie Papalia (Smiley), and Gil Bellows (The Shawshank Redemption, Ally McBeal...

“Keep watching the skies!” warned Douglas Spencer’s reporter at the end of the 1951 science-fiction classic The Thing From Another World. More than 60 years on, that remains good advice for characters in alien-themed horror movies such as the Tribeca-screened Extraterrestrial. This third film from directors the Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters) details a weekend getaway by five college friends which goes horribly awry when aliens invade.

Extraterrestrial stars Brittany Allen (The Rocker), Freddie Stroma (the Harry Potter franchise), Jesse Moss (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil), Anja Savcic (I Love You, Beth Cooper), Melanie Papalia (Smiley), and Gil Bellows (The Shawshank Redemption, Ally McBeal...

We return with the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes a new trailer for Repentance and Rockabilly Zombie Weekend, details on the Sundance Next Fest Lineup, Eat Men Like Air, Mindless, and much more:

First Rockabilly Zombie Weekend Trailer: “When Becky and Grant arrive at their rockabilly-themed wedding, despite warnings of a West Nile Virus outbreak, things go horribly wrong as the mosquito-spread virus spawns zombies, who begin feeding on the wedding guests as well as the other locals. The two newlyweds have to escape along with their family and friends if they ever want to live to see their honeymoon!

Rockabilly Zombie Weekend is a new feature length horror thriller with a rocking twist on the modern zombie film. It’s currently being released on DVD on July 1st, 2014 through Green Apple Entertainment. The film (as well as other merchandise) can...

After Dark Originals has released the long talked about flick Mischief Night on DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Digital HD, and Video on Demand today and right now we have a pretty damned cool video salute to all the slashers who cut out their niche before it! Check it out!

Lionsgate and After Dark Films have made the film available via DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Digital HD, and VOD starting today Tuesday, May 20th, 2014. You can also order it through Amazon (below) and download it on iTunes.

Mischief Night, written and directed by Travis Baker, produced by Richard Tanne, and starring Brooke Anne Smith (MTV's "Awkward"), Marc Valera ("Melrose Place"), Nikki Limo (Smiley), Matt Angel (My Super Psycho Sweet 16) and Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie's Halloween) is a unique and subversive slasher that aims to turn the genre on its head. The premise: on the night before Halloween, a masked maniac attacks a pretty young babysitter,...

After Dark Originals has released the long talked about flick Mischief Night on DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Digital HD, and Video on Demand today and as a means to usher the flick into your heart we have an exclusive Malcolm McDowell blooper reel for you to dig on! Check it out!

Lionsgate and After Dark Films have made the film available via DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Digital HD, and VOD starting today Tuesday, May 20th, 2014. You can also order it through Amazon (below) and download it on iTunes.

Mischief Night, written and directed by Travis Baker, produced by Richard Tanne, and starring Brooke Anne Smith (MTV's "Awkward"), Marc Valera ("Melrose Place"), Nikki Limo (Smiley), Matt Angel (My Super Psycho Sweet 16) and Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie's Halloween) is a unique and subversive slasher that aims to turn the genre on its head. The premise: on the night before Halloween, a...

We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes photos from Chainsaw Sally: The Animated Series, the first two chapters from the novel Survivor Max, the uncensored trailer for Smothered with Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder, Camp Dread DVD release details, and much more:

First Two Chapters of Survivor Max: “Meet Max, an 11-year old boy who was stuck in another boring day at school when the lock down alarm went off. They were under quarantine. He escaped and made it home, only to discover he’d have to find a way to survive this plague alone. Little did he know his father, his only parent, was among the infected. Slow-moving and non-thinking, the “lamebrains” swarmed his apartment complex, hunting survivors to feed their insatiable hunger for living flesh. Now he must apply his Porcupine...

Bored at night? Ever visited Chatroulette?

Like any Internet trend, Chatroulette opened up a new world of randomly meeting people with one’s webcam. But, the Internet world is very dangerous and you’ll never know what kind of random stranger you’ll meet.

Horror thriller “The Den” sets itself in this webcam social networking arena with a young college student trying to research her thesis. She witnesses pranks, nude flashers, foreigners, dancers, etc. Until she came across a video, in which she witnessed a murder. And then strange things started to happen.

The film stars a few relatively young stars with Melanie Papalia (“Smiley”), David Schlachtenhaufen (“Loose Cannons: The Movie”) and Adam Shapiro (“Now You See Me”). It is the directorial debut for Zachary Donohue, who wrote the script with Lauren Thompson.

Although “The Den” is a fictitious horror setting, it plays into the certain themes of Internet stalkers...

The internet is a vile, abhorrent, perverse beast. Need proof besides the countless websites of illegal pornography, shared videos of actual human deaths, and constant accreditation of the “Brony” culture? Please, look no further than a brilliant idea turned into a cesspool for perverts – Chatroulette. Don’t lie, we’ve all gotten hammered one night (many nights) in college and scoured this video chat service looking for some debaucherous internet lulz, only to stumble upon an endless parade of naked men beating their meat for the world to see. Give a man the technology to communicate with any inch of the globe on command, promoting cultural knowledge and uninterrupted encounters with countless interesting people, and all he’ll end up with is a sticky keyboard apparently. Right, and you’re going to argue that society isn’t screwed?

Enter Zachary Donohue, a first time writer/director who noticed the inherent...

Director: Michael J. Gallagher. Review: Adam Wing. Stop me if you've heard this one. We open in a suburban household, where a hot babysitter is having a conversation with the girl she's looking after. The young damsel is on the internet, chatting to strangers online. They talk about the dangers of chat rooms and the pitfalls of cyber-stalking. The young girl tries to scare the hot babysitter with a myth about a masked man who preys on unsuspecting users. After a few obligatory ass shots, the babysitter is butchered to death by a monster called Smiley, so called because he stitched his own eyes shut before carving his mouth into a smile. Nice. Then we cut to the opening titles. With Smiley, director Michael J. Gallagher isn't interested in bringing anything new to the table. He takes an attractive theme, both intriguing and current, and largely ignores it in favour...

Smiley, 2012

Directed by Michael J. Gallagher

Starring Caitlin Gerard, Melanie Papalia, Shane Dawson, Andrew James Allen, Liza Weil, Roger Bart and Keith David

Synopsis:

After discovering an urban legend of a demented serial killer, who has nothing but a carved 'smiley' on his face, a mentally fragile teen must decide whether she is going insane - or will be the next victim.

Alright guys, here’s the pitch: Smiley is a slasher movie in which you summon a killer by going into Internet video chat rooms and typing “I did it for the lulz” three times, causing him to appear behind and kill whomever you're chatting with. Oh, and he has carved his face to look like a smiley emoticon.

Still here after that?

Ignoring the completely ridiculous "plot" and monster, Smiley is a very poorly made movie with some awful direction and lousy acting. When you read the plot out loud,...

Stars: Caitlin Gerard, Melanie Papalia, Shane Dawson, Andrew James Allen, Liza Weil, Keith David, Toby Turner | Written by Ezra Cooperstein, Michael J. Gallagher, Glasgow Phillips | Directed by Michael J. Gallagher

Smiley follows Ashley, a young woman freshly arrived at university, who finds herself caught up in the online urban legend of Smiley, a mysterious, seemingly supernatural killer who kills via a social networking site… After testing out the urban legend for herself, Ashley becomes paranoid and starts to think she sees Smiley everywhere, stalking her. But how can that be if he’s not real?

Literally a slasher movie for the internet age, Smiley features of cast of YouTube “celebrities” including Shane Dawson and Toby (Tobuscus) Turner and comes from writer Ezra Cooperstein, who also happens to be the head of sales for Maker Studios, one of the premiere producers of YouTube content. The plot is a riff on the classic ‘Bloody Mary’ urban legend,...

It's been more than a decade since the 1990s ended, yet the Internet can't seem to go a day without a reminder of the neon slap bracelets that may have been banned from your school.

Yes, we get it. Times are tough and there's comfort in reflection, but enough is enough.

Below, a final goodbye to the 90s to end the nostalgia once and for all. (We're not kidding. There are 1990 items below.)

1. Scrunchies

2. "The Wild Thornberries"

3. Dawson and Joey

4. "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"

5. Mr. Feeny

7. MTV playing music videos

8. Snick

9. The premiere of "Freaks and Geeks"

10. Levar Burton

11. "Daria"

12. "Arthur"

13. "The Powerpuff Girls"

14. "Smart Guy"

15. Comedy Central globe logo with buildings

16. "The X-Files"

17. Rosie O'Donnell

18. Bill Nye

19. "Dawson's Creek"

20. The Mighty Ducks"

21. "Are You Afraid of the Dark"

22. Cornholio

23. Rachel Green

24. Tim Allen

25. "All That"

26. "Beverly Hills 90210"

27. "Step by Step"

28. "The Ren & Stimpy Show"

29. "The Famous Jett Jackson"

30. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

We return with the latest edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes release details for A Resurrection, the first teaser trailer for Ten, a review of Smiley, and much more:

First Teaser Trailer for Ten: “Ten is a collectivist, post-exploitation psychological thriller devised as a possible explanation for the events of the 1972 Spektor Island Massacre. On a cold December afternoon, ten women arrive at a mansion on Spektor Island, famed for years of reported hauntings and strange activities. Will they live through the night?

The all-female cast film is a response to exploitation, slasher, and thriller films, with particular focus on the kind of storytelling prominent in b-movies and genre films from the 1950s to the 1980s. It explores the meaning and fluidity of identity and takes a number of surprising turns, paying homage to filmmakers and producers such as Alfred Hitchcock,...

In our world of horror today, sometimes films seem to have lost the art of what a good scary movie is truly is. Flicks can be repackaged, blended from many different stories, and fed to us as we have no choice left if we are hungry enough but to eat it to attain our fright fix. As Bidites we must press on hoping for a brighter tomorrow. Director Michael Gallagher brings to us a new way to look at things. His film "Smiley" is very fresh, and it wa…...

Shawn Dawnson Talks Smiley, available this week on DVD

Evil wears a smile in director Michael J. Gallagher's Smiley, which arrives on DVD this week. After learning of an urban legend in which a demented serial killer named Smiley can be summoned through the Internet, mentally fragile Ashley must decide whether she is losing her mind or becoming Smiley's next victim.

We recently caught up with one of the stars of the film, Shane Dawson, who has amassed a huge fanbase online for his hilarious Youtube videos. Smiley serves as the actor's first feature role, and a dramatic departure from the comedy skits he's known for. Soon to be a major force in entertainment and a household name before the end of the decade (you may not know him yet, but your kids sure do), we sat down with Shane to find out more about the movie, and his involvement in it.

This week Michael Gallagher's indie urban legend slasher Smiley arrives on DVD via Arc Entertainment. Gallagher's film explores the dangers of Internet chatting through a serial killer that can be summoned if given the proper command ("I did it for the lulz").

Smiley is a bit of Candyman meets Bloody Mary meets Hackers (minus Matthew Lillard's sweet braids of course); and Dread Central recently hopped on the phone with Gallagher to talk about what inspired the story, his experiences working with both his younger stars as well as the more seasoned actors including Roger Bart, Keith David and Liza Weil, and whether or not Smiley will strike fear into computers once again in a sequel.

Dread Central: It's funny to me just how much technology has changed society in the last ten years; it's even something you can see when watching movies. Was that something that resonated with...

After a number of years spent sifting through independently-produced horror movies of every size, shape, quality, and nationality, one starts to notice the little intangibles. Things like intent, effort, and passion -- and, on the other hand, stuff like laziness, cynicism, and outright plagiarism. One of the recent "discoveries" on my horror rounds was an American indie called Smiley that, oddly enough for such a tiny film, earned itself a small theatrical run a few months back, probably because the sales agent knew what s/he was doing. Michael J. Gallagher's monumentally uneventful slasher flick Smiley comfortably joins the ranks of films like Chain Letter, Blood Creek, and Creature: low-rent horror flicks that play theaters only so the DVD sales sheets can legally say "fresh off a successful theatrical run!"

  Because not even the creators of Smiley could believe that a movie this woeful could pack any appreciable number...

In Smiley, the world of internet trolls, urban legends, and crazed killers all come together in a crazed stew. We chatted with writer and first time director Michael Gallagher about researching Smiley, internet trolls, and death threats.

Where did the idea for Smiley come from?

It came from the launch of websites that allow you to video chat anonymously with strangers on the internet - like ChatRoulette and Omegle. We saw that and thought it would be the perfect launching pad for a new urban legend. It’s so creepy that people in thereal world want to talk to people they don’t know and put out so much personal information that it just lent itself to a horror film.

Did you spend a lot of time on ChatRoulette-type websites for research?

I’ve been on those sites, and mostly it was for research. What I found is that there...

Director: Michael J. Gallagher

Cast: Caitlin Gerard, Melanie Papalia, Michael Bart (TV’s Desperate Housewives, The Stepford Wives), Keith David (Lottery Ticket, Stomp the Yard 2), Shane Dawson (You Tube star)

A twisted killer let loose. A college student yearning for a fresh start. Internet trolls looking for trouble. It all comes together in Smiley: the most terrifying and controversial horror film of the year. Troubled teen Ashley (Caitlin Gerard) … Continue reading →...

Synchronicity Entertainment, the genre film production and international sales label launched by Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel’s The Solution Entertainment Group, has acquired international rights to the mob thriller God Only Knows starring Ben Barnes and Harvey Keitel, it was announced today by Ruzanna Kegeyan, Synchronicity’s President of International Distribution. Check out this new photo from the movie.

Currently in post-production, God Only Knows stars Ben Barnes (The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Dorian Gray, The Words), Toby Jones (Hunger Games, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Red Lights), Leighton Meester (The CW’s “Gossip Girl”) and Harvey Keitel (Moonrise Kingdom, Reservoir Dogs). The film was directed by James Mottern (Trucker), written by newcomer Emilio Mauro, and produced by French production company, Mirabelle Pictures.

The film follows Nick, a smooth-talking, ambitious young man from the streets of Boston who has made some mistakes, and has found himself living a life of petty crime.

We’re back with the latest edition of the Indie Spotlight, which contains all the independent horror news recently sent our way. This week’s edition looks be our biggest yet, with trailers for Molly Crow and VIViD, news on the Shriekfest Film Festival, a new clip from Bad Kids Go to Hell, multiple short films, and much more:

First Details on Alice D: “In the early 1900′s the Davenport House was a famous and successful brothel, until a young prostitute named Alice killed herself there. After her death, the brothel became haunted by Alice’s ghost, and was eventually abandoned. One hundred years later, the old structure is renovated into a beautiful mansion. It is still rumored to inhabit the ghost of Alice. Despite this, the new owner; the rich and arrogant heir to the Davenport fortune, decides to throw a wild party for his first night in the house.

A few tidbits on smaller horror films have come to light, and here is a quick rundown!

Turn that frown upside down. Smiley, the film starring Caitlin Gerard, Roger Bart, and Keith David is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray on February 12th. Read our review for it here.

Just before that, on February 8th, Spiders 3D is coming to VOD. Here’s the final poster art for the film, which should look familiar to those following the film:

Finally, we have the red band trailer for Ghost Team One, a Slamdance horror entry described as Paranormal Activity meets Harold And Kumar:...

Last October's slasher offering, Smiley, is coming to DVD on February 12th from Arc Entertainment.

The story of the film follows a mentally fragile college student named Ashley (Caitlin Gerard) who, after learning of an urban legend in which a mysterious serial killer named “Smiley” can be summoned through the Internet, must decide whether she is losing her mind or becoming Smiley's next victim.

Meanwhile, we've received the DVD and final poster art for Spiders (no longer Spiders 3D). Head inside for a look.

The nature-run-amok thriller hits theaters and VOD February 8th.

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If you missed The Asylum’s first theatrically released flick #HoldYourBreath and the cyber cafe Candyman that was Smiley during their very limited theatrical runs and haven’t gotten around to watching them on VOD you won’t have to wait too much longer to see them both.

The first Asylum production to receive a theatrical release proved to be a mixed bag to say the least but slasher movie fans that like their films with a healthy dose of over-the-top kills, gratuitous nudity, and a wacko finale will probably enjoy seeing Tucker & Dale vs. Evil’s Katrina Bowden and Randy Wayne of “The Lying Game” get terrorized by a body-jumping serial killer after they fail to adhere to an old wives’ tale that states you should hold your breath when passing by a cemetery lest you risk letting in a damned soul.

The Asylum is set to release Jared Cohn...

Reviewed by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com

Smiley Synopsis:

Ashley (Caitlin Gerard) just arrived at college and she’s looking for some fun parties to unwind and maybe even a few cute guys – but what she finds instead is a gruesome urban legend involving a man with a smiley carved into – His? Her? It’s? – Face and so begins her odyssey into the myth and the creation of evil.

“Ever hear about that urban legend?” – this is how Smiley begins, with a babysitter being told the urban legend of the titular character and then trying it out for herself, with gruesome results.

Yet, rather then doing a full-blown slasher akin to something like 1998’s Urban Legend, Smiley is an ambitious horror that aims for something much more and seeks to tackle the myth of the legend and interestingly, how such evil is created.

It isn’t the first horror film to...

Synchronicity Entertainment is announcing its arrival in genre films with three horror films with impressive pedigree in Cooties, Due Process and Smiley on its debut slate. Cooties is to star Elijah Wood, Due Process will star John Cusack, and Smiley is already completed and on demand, and was reviewed here. Peruse the press release below!

Los Angeles, California (October 30, 2012) – Synchronicity Entertainment, the new genre film production and international sales label launched by Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel’s The Solution Entertainment Group has unveiled its debut slate of three new feature films including: the horror film Cooties from the co-creator of the Saw franchise and Insidious writer Leigh Whannell and Paranormal Activity 1 – 4 producer Steven Schneider; the thriller Due Process starring Golden Globe nominee John Cusack (High Fidelity); and the completed psychological thriller Smiley, it was announced today by Ruzanna Kegeyan, Synchronicity’s President of International Distribution.

Executive produced by...

Synchronicity Entertainment debuts three new genre feature films including Cooties, from the co-creator of the Saw franchise and Insidious writer Leigh Whannell and Paranormal Activity franchise producer Steven Schneider, the recently completed Smiley directed by Michael Gallagher, and Due Process starring John Cusack.

Elijah Wood, who is also behind the Maniac reboot, will both star in and produce Cooties. The film is co-written by Whannell, who also wrote the Saw films, and Ian Brennan who behind the teen musical phenomena, Glee.

In Cooties, a mysterious virus turns elementary school kids into "a feral swarm of mindless savages."

"My friend Ian Brennan and I wanted to write a film about one of life’s most universal experiences – hatred for precocious, adorable children. And so we started work on Cooties, a film about a virus that turns school children into monsters and therefore makes it okay to beat them up with hockey sticks,...

Synchronicity Entertainment has unveiled its debut slate of three new feature films, which include horror project Cooties from writer Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious) and producer Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity franchise) starring Elijah Wood.

From the Press Release:

Synchronicity Entertainment is the new genre film production and international sales label launched by Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel’s The Solution Entertainment Group. The other two features are the thriller Due Process, starring Golden Globe nominee John Cusack, and the completed psychological thriller Smiley.

Starring Elijah Wood (pictured above; Maniac, The Hobbit), Cooties is produced by top horror film producer Steven Schneider, who is behind the hugely successful Paranormal Activity franchise. Wood is also set to co-produce Cooties with partners Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller under his new horror film production company, The Woodshed, which recently announced the films Toad Road and A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.

Cooties is...

The new studio Synchronicity will make a splash at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, California this week with new projects Cooties, Due Process, and Smiley.

Smiley already has a distribution deal in place through AMC theaters in a limited number of markets. It seems Synchronicity is seeking to expand off of that platform release.

Cooties stars Elijah Wood and centers on an elementary school that becomes infected with a bizarre virus, turning the innocent children into savage, feral creatures. Steven Schneider is producing with Ace Norton set to direct.

Due Process comes from director Paul Currie, who is working from a script by Anthony Derrico. The story revolves around two bankers who set out to foreclose on a rural farm. Mark Holder, Christine Holder, and Mark Williams are producing, with shooting scheduled to begin in January.

Cooties comes to theaters in 2013 and stars Elijah Wood.

Due Process comes...

Synchronicity Entertainment, the new genre film production and international sales label launched by Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel.s The Solution Entertainment Group has unveiled its debut slate of three new feature films including: the horror film Cooties from the co-creator of the Saw franchise and Insidious writer Leigh Whannell and Paranormal Activity 1 . 4 producer Steven Schneider; the thriller Due Process starring Golden Globe nominee John Cusack (High Fidelity); and the completed psychological thriller Smiley, it was announced today by Ruzanna Kegeyan, Synchronicity.s President of International Distribution.

Executive produced by The Solution who is arranging the financing for two of the new films, Synchronicity is handling the international distribution rights for the slate and will introduce the films to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market.

Starring Elijah Wood, Cooties is produced by top horror film producer Steven Schneider, who is behind the hugely successful Paranormal Activity franchise including the latest installment,...

Elijah Wood is set to star in Cooties, one of the first titles from his new horror production company The Woodshed. Cooties is one of two new projects being shopped at the American Film Market by Synchronicity Entertainment. The other is John Cusack thriller Due Process. Synchronicity is the new genre film production and international label launched by Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel's The Solution Entertainment Group, which is arranging financing for both films. Synchronicity also will shop third-party title Smiley, a completed film directed by Michael Gallagher of YouTube fame. Siren Studios is The Solution's partner in Synchronicity.

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