Greetings, all. It’s Ambush Bug with some more horror news—bite size, just how you zombies like it!
Exclusive Premiere of THE INVOKING Trailer!
Coming to DVD February 18th, 2014 is THE INVOKING, directed by Jeremy Berg (who with writer Matt Medisch, is working on an intriguing project called VALLEY OF THE SASQUATCH). This one looks to be somewhat of a ghost story, but here’s the official synopsis;After inheriting a house from the family she never knew, Samantha Harris (Trin Miller) and three friends head to rural Sader Ridge to inspect the property. Soon after arriving, Sam begins to experience horrific visions of savage brutality and unspeakable evil. Plagued by the sinister forces closing in around her, Sam descends into a waking nightmare when the demons from her past refuse to stay buried any longer.
Here’s the exclusive premiere of the trailer for THE INVOKING!
This clip is what you CRAVE!
I reviewed the film CRAVE last year when it was on the festival circuit and it was a great urban thriller about a man slowly, but surely sliding into madness. The film, directed by Charles de Lauzirika, will be released on VOD and in theaters on December 6th by Phase 4 Films and has an eclectic cast of newcomers (Josh Lawson, Emma Lung) and genre greats (Ron Perlman, Edward Furlong). Here’s the official synopsis ;A downtrodden photographer, haunted by the urban violence and decay around him, retreats into an inner world of dark fantasies. Those dangerous visions explode in reality with deadly consequences when his intoxicating new relationship with a beautiful young woman goes sour.
Here’s an exclusive clip for the film;
And here’s the trailer;
Italian Genre Filmmakers Crack Open THE BOOK!
David Bond, Sergio Stivaletti, and Manda Manuel, the folks behind THE PROFANE EXHIBIT (which I still haven’t seen but heard very, very good things about) are at it again with an ambitious anthology, this time gathering some of the most influential Italian Masters of Horror together for one project. Here’s the list of filmmakers already attached;Lamberto Bava (SHOCK, DEMONS 1&2), Antonio Bido (BLOODSTAINED SHADOW, CAT WITH THE JADE EYES), Enzo G. Castellari (THE LAST SHARK, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Luigi Cozzi (STARCRASH, THE BLACK CAT), Alberto De Martino (THE ANTICHRIST, SCENES FROM A MURDER), Ruggero Deodato (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK), Aldo Lado (NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS, SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS), Umberto Lenzi (NIGHTMARE CITY, CANNIBAL FEROX), Edoardo Margheriti (IN THE EYES OF A KILLER, BLACK COBRA), Sergio Martino (TORSO, MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD), Sergio Stivaletti (THREE FACES OF TERROR, THE WAX MASK) and Tonino Valerii (MY NAME IS NOBODY), with music from Goblin and Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin! They’re coming together to bring us 12 tales of the macabre. Here’s the official synopsis;
THE BOOK sees the ultimate collaborative Italian horror film unfold before your very eyes. A one off project of unprecedented scale, THE BOOK brings together, for the very first time, the writers, directors, actors, composers and artists behind the finest Italian genre cinema of the past sixty years. This includes the creative forces behind the Giallo movement, Spaghetti Westerns, Eurocrime and more. Each director will be given the opportunity to showcase their own personal vision of Rome, spread across a dozen episodes. Each segment in this feature film will contain a unique blend of macabre thriller, horror and the fantastic; all delivered with the unique style and method of the director in question.
A crowd funding site has been set up to generate start-up finding for the project and if you’re interested in Italian horror (and you should be), you can support the project here! Here’s the pitch video!
Will VOLCANO ZOMBIES be the next SHARKNADO!?!
Looks like Danny Trejo is either sad that someone threw trash out along the highway or he’s itchin’ to kick him some Volcano Zombie ass. From the folks who brought you AXE GIANT: THE WRATH OF PAUL BUNYAN (reviewed here) and THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED comes VOLCANO ZOMBIES! The film is currently in post-production and most likely soon to be seen on ScyFy.More on this film as it erupts…
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
MS. 45 Reloads into Theaters!
Drafthouse Films are dusting off another grindhouse classic. MS. 45 follows a mute garment-district seamstress - played by the late odel/actress/musician/screenwriter Zoë Lund - who, after falling victim to multiple unspeakable assaults, ignites a one-woman homicidal rampage against New York City's entire male population.Abel Ferrara's (BAD LIEUTENANT, KING OF NEW YORK) 1981 revenge thriller classiwill be hitting the big screen in December in major cities including Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle. You can find the whole schedule of wheres and whens here and you can download two free tracks from the film here! And check out the trailer below, edited together by HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN director Jason Eisener!
Ms. 45 [Trailer] Returns to Theaters Dec 13th from Drafthouse Films on Vimeo.
Fez joins the cast of FROM DUSK TIL DAWN TV Show!
Joining D.J. Cotrona (DEAR JOHN, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION) who plays Seth Gecko; Zane Holtz (HOLES, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER) as Richie Gecko; Jesse Garcia (SONS OF ANARCHY) who plays Texas Ranger Freddie Gonzalez; Don Johnson (DJANGO UNCHAINED) who joins in a recurring role as Sheriff Earl McGraw; Robert Patrick (T2, X-FILES) as Jacob Fuller; Madison Davenport (SAVE ME, SHAMELESS) as Kate Fuller; Brandon Soo Hoo (TROPIC THUNDER, ENDER’S GAME) as Scott Fuller and Eiza González (LOLA: ERASE UNA VEZ) as Santánico Pandemonium is THAT 70’S SHOW star Wilmer Valderrama who’s been cast as enigmatic crime lord Carlos, in El Rey Network's highly anticipated supernatural crime saga, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN THE SERIES, based on Robert Rodriguez's cult classic film of the same name. The hour-long series will premiere on El Rey Network in early 2014, debuting as the first scripted original series on the new genre-busting cable network. Find out more about this series here. Personally, I can’t wait to see what Rodriguez has in store for us!
Tony Todd Finds Found Footage in DEAD OF THE NIGHT!
Tony Todd (CANDYMAN, HATCHET) joins Simon Bamford (HELLRAISER, NIGHTBREED) and Suzie Lorraine (ROXANNA, TORMENT) in a new film called DEAD OF THE NIGHT and on the right is the brand spankin’ new poster for the film. Here’s the official synopsis;When a group of internet sensation ghost hunters are found brutally slaughtered in the infamous Jericho Manor, Police Detectives Jenkins (GARY MAVERS) and Anderson (JOSEPH MILLSON) must piece together what happened on the fatal night by viewing the paranormal investigators video footage. With the only witness being the secretive caretaker (TONY TODD) claiming it was the ghost of killer Jeffery Heath, will the detectives discover more than they had bargained for? From ghostly happenings to breath-taking action thanks to stunt co-ordinator CLAUDIO PACIFICO (MI:III, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Gang of New York), DEAD OF THE NITE will have audiences on the edge of their seat and guessing until the very end as to who, or what is slaughtering the team, and usher in the new dawn of ‘psychological slashers’.
Look for DEAD OF THE NIGHT to be released from Midnight Releasing on DVD and Video On Demand January 6th, 2014!
HAUNTING IN MASSACHUSETTS becomes HAUNTING OF THE INNOCENT!
Here’s another new bit of cover art for another horror film being released in late January 2014. THE HAUNTING OF THE INNOCENT was previously called A HAUNTING IN MASSACHUSETTS, but I guess director Matt Hish (BLACKOUT) wanted to go another route. The film stars Judd Nelson (THE BREAKFAST CLUB), Jessica Morris (REEL EVIL), and Rib Hillis and the official synopsis is below;Desperate to reconnect with his wife and son after a violent attack leaves them fear-stricken and traumatized, a father moves his family to a sleepy New England town and finds himself in a fight against supernatural forces hell-bent on tearing them apart.
THE HAUNTING OF THE INNOCENT haunts your DVD and BluRay players in late January…even those of you living in Massachusetts!
I Want My ZOMBIE TV!!!
Japanese splatter madman Yoshihiro Nishimura has returned to the world of zombies with the brand-new omnibus feature ZOMBIE TV! Here’s the official synopsis ;A Monty Python-esque collection of shorts, animation, sketch comedy, instructional videos and more, ZOMBIE TV showcases the natural evolution of zombies in the 21st century, no longer a frightening menace, but rather an annoying neighbor you realize you simply have to put up with. ZOMBIE TV answers such natural questions as: in a world full of the undead, wouldn’t some of the surviving humans want to join the majority and become zombies themselves? Would becoming a zombie solve the emotional and relationship problems we all have as living, breathing human beings? Do zombies have their own idols? Would zombies worship a zombie god? Who would win in a fight: a cannibal, or a zombie? How did zombies evolve from walkers into runners? And the most burning question of all: how do zombies have sex?
ZOMBIE TV held its World Premiere at Monsterfest in Melbourne, Australia on Monday, November 24th at 4:30pm local time, and will screen at film festivals across the world in early 2014. And here’s the new trailer for the bugnuts film!
Zombie TV trailer from Outcast Cinema on Vimeo.
And finally, director Larry Ziegelman wrote me to let me know his short film LITTLE MAN OF STEEL, which I talked about a few months ago, is finally released on Vimeo. It won Best Fan Film at DragonCon this year and I’ve got the whole super-powered short here for all to enjoy!
Little Man of Steel from Larry Ziegelman on Vimeo.
Look for AICN HORROR horror and genre film reviews every Friday. Find more AICN HORROR including an archive of previous columns on AICN HORROR’s Facebook page!
