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We kicked off the summer with a look at Steven Spielberg’s classic creature feature Jaws (listen) before checking out our first Jean Rollin lesbian “vampire” movie Fascination (listen), as well as the female dominated slasher The Slumber Party Massacre (listen). Now it’s time to revisit Dario Argento (for only the second time on the pod!) with a first time look at 1985’s Phenomena.

The film stars Jennifer Connelly as Jennifer Corvino, an American girl sent to a Swiss boarding school. The girl has a mysterious ability: she can communicate with insects and even get them to do her bidding. This proves to be a wildly helpful skill when Jennifer finds herself targeted by a killer who preys on young women, including her roommate Sophie.

But who is committing the murders and why? Could it be the disabled local entomologist, Professor John McGregor (Donald Pleasence) or his chimp, Inga?...

In a 2020 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, actor Patrick Stewart recalled the frustrations he encountered while working with Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Roddenberry notoriously didn't want Stewart to play Captain Jen-Luc Picard, hating the fact that he was bald and not so keen on the fact that he's English. When Roddenberry visited the "Star Trek" set, Stewart recalls being treated with coldness, and he received little actual direction from the man. Stewart sought to discuss Captain Picard with Roddenberry over a lunch, but that wasn't a very helpful meeting; Roddenberry merely advised Stewart to read C.S. Forster's Horatio Hornblower novels. As the series creator said, "It's all in there." Not terribly helpful. 

Roddenberry's distaste of Stewart, however, was not shared by the general public. Captain Picard became a fan favorite character quite swiftly, with Trekkies responding to Stewart's commanding performance and to Picard...

Dario Argento’s Italian horror classic Phenomena (also known as Creepers) is headed to the small screen, with Variety reporting that Italy’s Titanus Production is behind the series.

Phenomena: The Series is said to “reimagine” the world of Dario Argento’s 1985 horror movie, delivering “a unique blend of supernatural intrigue and high-stakes drama.”

From writers and creators Nicola Guaglianone and Menotti, the series “follows Jennifer Corvino, an American student at a fencing academy in the glamorous Dolomites, who harbors a secret psychic link with insects. As Jennifer navigates the challenges of being the new girl at school, she must also confront a series of brutal murders.

“With her unique abilities, Jennifer must learn to harness her power to stop the killer, save her comrades, and survive.”

It was future Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly who played Jennifer Corvino in Argento’s movie, with the film’s cast also including Donald Pleasence,...

Fifty years after winning his Academy Award for Robert Altman's masterpieceNashville, Keith Carradine is still very much in the acting game. His new star-studded crime thriller, Laws of Man, is now available on digital and demand, while his earlier work is still being spotlighted to this day. Exhibit A is Choose Me (1984), which is soon entering the Criterion Collection. MovieWeb recently caught up with Carradine following the release of Laws of Man, where he also weighed in on the continued impact of Choose Me from writer-director Alan Rudolph.

"We were delighted to hear that, and Alan and I both went in and spoke on camera, you know, for the extras and stuff. That was really fun. And I'm happy to to know that Criterion has adopted us and people will have another chance to revisit that," Carradine told us.

The longtime performer also revealed more about the history of...

In another universe, Star Trek: The Next Generation would've looked much different. A concept that would have greatly affected the franchise's legacy had Gene Roddenberry gotten his way. There exists a sincere possibility that every other version of this cast would've failed to some degree whether it was failing to last seven seasons or failing to live up to the potential of the original version.

It's entirely possible that this group of actors and actresses created the best version of The Next Generation possible. Yet, it was a cast that was brought together in spite of what series creator Roddenberry wanted. While fans rightfully credit the man for the creation of the franchise, he often mishandled it. Unsure of how to properly expand on the original concept.

It's why these three names would've or could've been the names most associated with Star Trek: The Next Generation when Roddenberry had more control back in the 1980s.

Carry-On is the latest thriller from acclaimed director Jaume Collet-Serra, following an unlucky security officer at Lax who’s unwillingly pulled into an international conspiracy when a suspicious suitcase turns up on his shift. The film stars Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman in two very different roles, with the latter ditching his typical comedy for a gritter, more villainous character that helps drive this story forward. It’s one of Netflix’s best current movies, and it pays homage to a classic style of action/thriller storytelling.

While Carry-On has a very original story that’s filled with twists and turns all the way through, it also feels very familiar - it’s the kind of mid-budget thriller that isn’t made all that frequently anymore but was very popular throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. As such, Carry-On feels very reminiscent of those kinds of modern classics, using a...

From John Hughes teen classics to one-of-a-kind science fiction adventures, the 1980s had something for everyone. The '80s in film might be most notable for the domination of the summer blockbuster, which began in the previous decade with Jaws. Action stars were made from scratch and introduced to audiences all over the world, from Schwarzenegger to Van Damme to Stallone. The John Hughes revolution continued in full force, with The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Sixteen Candles sweeping audiences young and old off their feet. Most importantly, however, independent cinema continued to deliver absolute gems for the truest of movie lovers. While these films might've failed to resonate with audiences, critics, or the box office at the time, they still absolutely deserve their flowers.

If fans search long and hard, unsung movies can be found in every corner of the industry. Independent cinema is a hit parade,...

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Sanctuary is a psychological thriller directed by Zachary Wigon from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg. Starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott in the lead role of a dominatrix and Hal, who is soon becoming the CEO of a large corporation and that’s why he wants to end his relationship with the dominatrix as he fears that it will come out later. This starts off a dark and twisted night that will leave you gasping for air. Sanctuary stars Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. So, if you loved the intensely thrilling story, inappropriate relationships, and compelling characters in Sanctuary here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Secretary (Tubi & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lions Gate Films

Secretary is an erotic romantic drama film directed by Steven Shainberg from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson. Based...

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If you are a horror fan then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription you might be wondering what’s in store for you in October 2024. Don’t worry there is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month and we have listed the 13 best movies coming to Shudder in October 2024.

Hush (October 1)

Hush is a slasher horror thriller film directed by Mike Flanagan who also co-wrote the film with Kate Siegel. The 2016 film follows the story of a dead writer living in a remote house in the woods but when a masked killer appears in the window she must fight for her survival. Hush stars Kate Siegel in the lead role with John Gallagher Jr.,...

Quick Links The Story of David Fincher's Panic Room Panic Room Had An Interesting Development Stage The Effectiveness of Panic Room is All Thanks to David Fincher

It has recently been announced that David Fincher's next film, Bitterroot, will be taking the form of an "Unforgiven-style western", which sounds like quite an intriguing far cry from the more contemporary thrillers and dramas that he's been mostly known for. As a director, Fincher has been responsible for some of the most acclaimed and influential films to have come out since the early 90s, including Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and The Mysterious Case of Benjamin Button. His work on The Social Network even earned him his first and only Oscar win for Best Director in 2011. Some may not realize, however, that his directorial talent goes far beyond the realm of serious message-laden dramas and prestige pictures, as he's also proven himself...

Trap is a psychological mystery thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The 2024 film follows the story of Cooper Adams, a family man with dark secrets as he goes to a pop concert with his teenage daughter and realizes that the concert is a trap laid out by the FBI to catch a serial killer called the Butcher. Trap stars Josh Hartnett in the lead role with Saleka, Ariel Donoghue, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill, and Vanessa Smythe starring in supporting roles. If you loved the twists, turns, psychological, and thriller aspects of Trap here are some similar films you could watch next.

Knock at the Cabin (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures

Knock at the Cabin is an apocalyptic psychological horror film directed by M. Night Shyamalan from a screenplay co-written by Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, and Michael Sherman. The 2023 film follows the story of Andrew, Eric,...

Spoiler Alert !!!A tiny Deadpool & Wolverine spoiler ahead!

The one and only Blade, Wesley Snipes, who recently made waves with his return in the MCU’s latest offering, Deadpool & Wolverine, almost had a completely different destiny. Fans are having a hard time imagining a universe where Snipes wasn’t slicing through vampires, but was instead donning the visor of Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

LeVar Burton in Star Trek: The Next Generation| Paramount

It’s quite an intriguing what-if scenario, given that Snipes nearly landed the role that LeVar Burton made iconic. Had Snipes taken on that role, it could have dramatically altered the trajectory of his career, leading to a whole different chapter in his very iconic journey through Hollywood.

Wesley Snipes Was Close to Being Cast as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Recently, Wesley Snipes made a spectacular return to...

This episode of the Horror TV Shows We Miss video series was Written and Narrated by Niki Minter, Edited by Adam Walton, Produced by John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

When I am on my deathbed, I will still be recommending Carnivale to whoever will listen. It’s also depressing as fuck. There are few moments when you get a chance to feel actual happiness in any scene, or for any character in the show. Oh, and they decided to cut the cord leaving it on a cliffhanger. More on that later. For now, let’s get into the wonderful world that is, Carnivale.

Between the years of 1990 and 1992 while Daniel Knauf was working as an insurance broker he was dreaming of something bigger, much like most of us, and decided to use his energy towards something much grander. A story of good vs evil against the backdrop...

A new episode of our video series Best Foreign Horror Movies has just been released, and with this one we’re returning to the work of Dario Argento to take a look at his 1985 film Phenomena (watch it Here). This one doesn’t get mentioned as often as some of his other films, but how can you go wrong with a movie that has Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence, and a chimpanzee? Find out all about Phenomena by checking out the video embedded above.

Scripted by Argento and Franco Ferrini, Phenomena has the following synopsis:

A young girl with an amazing ability to communicate with insects is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.

Connelly and Pleasence are joined in the cast by Daria Nicolodi, Dalila Di Lazzaro, and Patrick Bauchau.

The Best Foreign Horror Movies series is

dedicated to...

It is hard to imagine anyone but Patrick Stewart playing the role of Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Through the entire run of the series, he was the clear-thinking, soothing head of the starship Enterprise crew, and the absolute moral center of the entire franchise. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" could have looked very different, though. According to a casting memo from April 13, 1987, other actors were up for the role.

Casting nets are wide, of course. Other names up for the role of Picard included Mitchell Ryan ("Grosse Pointe Blank"), Roy Thinnes ("The X-Files"), Yaphet Kotto ("Alien"), and Patrick Bauchau...

The post Patrick Stewart Wasn't The First Choice for Captain Picard Star Trek: Tng appeared first on /Film.

This article contains Star Trek: Picard spoilers.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 4

The topsy-turvy time travel antics of Star Trek: Picard season 2, episode 4, continue with “Watcher,” an episode in which we do, in fact, meet the mysterious Watcher, as well as someone else who we didn’t expect to see in this century at all. Along the way, Picard manages to dive deep for those Trekkie Easter eggs, some of which fix some very old mysterious, lurking in the strange Star Trek timeline for years and years.

Here are the five deepest cuts in the latest episode of Picard and what they mean for the larger Star Trek universe as a whole.

Picard’s accent finally explained

Why does a guy from France speak with an English accent, and essentially, act English? For decades, the Doylist (real world) reason has dominated the Trek discourse: Gene Roddenberry conceived of Picard as French,...

France’s Ministry of Culture gave a French toast to Variety’s Steven Gaydos on Thursday, naming him a chevalier/knight for his decades of work in entertainment.

Julie Duhaut-Bedos, consul general of France in Los Angeles, reminded the crowd that only a few such awards are handed out yearly, to “people who have distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literary field or by the contribution they have made to the influence of arts and letters in France and in the world.”

In the ceremony at the French Residence in Beverly Hills, Duhaut-Bedos rattled off multiple accomplishments of Gaydos, who is Variety’s exec VP of global content. She praised his “open-mindedness and advocacy for world cinema, which allowed Variety to achieve a successful international expansion and become the worldwide reference for entertainment industry reviews. Your involvement has been key to Variety’s successful international development. We...

Arrow Video will have special treats in store for horror fans this spring with their limited edition Blu-ray releases of Evil Ed and Brain Damage.

Both Evil Ed and Brain Damage will be released on Blu-ray in the Us and the UK this May, and you can check out the impressive lists of bonus features below, as well as the eye-popping cover art for the releases.

Arrow Video has also announced a new UK Blu-ray release of Dario Argento's Phenomena (aka Creepers), which includes the 116-minute Italian cut of the film.

Evil Ed Blu-ray / DVD: "New UK/Us Title: Evil Ed (Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD) Limited Edition

A veritable smorgasbord of flying limbs, exploding heads, busty babes and creepy creatures!

Pre-order your copy via Arrow: http://bit.ly/2kRcxF2

Pre-order via Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/2kRgU2Y

North American pre-orders links should be live soon!

Release Dates: 29/30 May

When His Mind Blows,...

The Pretender TV show premiered 20 years ago today. Starring Michael T. Weiss, as Jarod, the action-adventure drama, created by Steven Mitchell and Craig van Sickle, ran for four seasons before being cancelled in 2000, by NBC.The series also starred: Andrea Parker, Patrick Bauchau, Jon Gries, Ryan Merriman, Richard Marcus, Alex Wexo, James Denton, Sam Ayers, Harve Presnell, Paul Dillon, Willie Gault, Dennis Cruzado, Pamela Gidley, Jason Brooks, and Ashley Peldon. Read More…...

The Throne of Loneliness: Kaurismaki Cartoons Christina

Considering it’s been forty years since her last notable on screen incarnation, the time has come for a new biopic on that other famous ‘virgin’ queen, Christina of Sweden. Iconically portrayed by Great Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina, and then again in 1974 by Liv Ullmann in The Abdication, these are significant footsteps to follow, especially considering these productions are best remembered for their female leads and not their directors (Rouben Mamoulian and Anthony Harvey, respectively). Finnish director Mika Kaurismaki, the brother to world renowned auteur Aki Kaurismaki, aims to resuscitate her provocative legacy with The Girl King, though its use of archaic language concepts (such as ‘girl’ and ‘virgin’) hint at a certain ignorance of both femininity and lesbianism despite a screenplay penned by Michel Marc Brousard (Lilies; Tom at the Farm). A handsome costume drama, this international co-production is more often distracting than relevant,...

IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to Wim Wenders' Every Thing Will Be Fine, the pic that stars James Franco, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rachel McAdams, Marie-Josée Croze, Robert Naylor, Patrick Bauchau and Peter Stormare. IFC plans a December 4 release date after the film makes its North American premiere in Toronto next month in the Masters section. It had its world premiere earlier this year in Berlin. The 3D drama centers on a tragic car accident links the lives of a…...

IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to Wim Wenders‘ 3D drama “Every Thing Will Be Fine,” which stars James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Marie-Josée Croze. The film will make its North American premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival in the Masters section. IFC Films will release “Every Thing Will Be Fine” on Dec. 4. The story follows a tragic car accident that links the lives of a struggling writer (Franco), his long-suffering girlfriend (McAdams), a grieving mother (Gainsbourg) and a publisher (Croze). Peter Stormare co-stars alongside Robert Naylor and Patrick Bauchau. Also Read: Bryan Cranston Joins James Franco in Comedy.

Glee star Dianna Agron is transformed into a gun-toting wife in the first official photo from her upcoming movie Headlock, which doesn't have a release date in place.

Writer-director Mark Polish co-stars as Kelley Chandler, a CIA recruit surviving on life support after a tragic accident. Dianna Agron plays his wife Tess, a former CIA agent herself, who goes on her own secret mission to find out what happened to her husband. Take a look at Dianna Agron like you've never seen her before in this image from Headlock, which doesn't have a release date in place yet.

Love Is A Gun... pic.twitter.com/XgR82pxsQo

— Headlock (@Headlock_MOVIE) September 6, 2014

After new CIA recruit, Kelley Chandler (Mark Polish) is seriously injured during a mission, surviving only on life support, his wife Tess (Dianna Agron), a former CIA operative, becomes determined to find out what happened to her husband. As...

Now over a decade since its 2003 release, Kino Lorber is releasing the Lars Von Trier and Jorgen Leth experiment/documentary The Five Obstructions in a Special Remastered Edition. While this serves as an excellent opportunity for those unfamiliar with the title to take a gander, the timing serves as more of an interesting conversation piece in regards to Von Trier’s release of the final chapter in his Depression trilogy (or quadrilogy, if you will).

Around the same time that Von Trier’s masterpiece Dogville was provoking audiences, he unleashed this exciting exercise in filmmaking that’s as engaging as it is thoroughly entertaining. As much as it is an examination of filmmaking, it’s also a rather brilliant motivation to goad one friend into creative action, for, as we move along through the film, one can assume that Von Trier and Leth both seem to struggle with issues of depression,...

We recently let you know that Big Ass Spider! will receive a digital download, DVD and Blu-ray release on January 7th. If you want a better idea of what to expect from the creature feature, we now have the first few minutes for you to watch right now.

“An exterminator (Greg Grunberg) and his Hispanic sidekick (Lombardo Boyar) are caught in an epic battle when a military assault fails to contain a giant alien spider rampaging through the city of Los Angeles.”

Big Ass Spider! was directed by Mike Mendez, written by Gregory Gieras, and stars Greg Grunberg, Clare Kramer, Lombardo Boyar, Ray Wise, and Patrick Bauchau.

The post Watch the First 3 Minutes of Big Ass Spider! appeared first on Daily Dead.

It has been announced that Big Ass Spider! will receive a digital download, DVD and Blu-ray release on January 7th. Here’s a look at the official cover art and trailer:

“An exterminator (Greg Grunberg) and his Hispanic sidekick (Lombardo Boyar) are caught in an epic battle when a military assault fails to contain a giant alien spider rampaging through the city of Los Angeles.”

Big Ass Spider! was directed by Mike Mendez, written by Gregory Gieras, and stars Greg Grunberg, Clare Kramer, Lombardo Boyar, Ray Wise, and Patrick Bauchau.

The post Big Ass Spider! Blu-ray / DVD Release Details and Cover Art appeared first on Daily Dead.

Check out the ass on that spider! Now that’s what I call big! (Spiders have asses, right?) Hey, fans of spiders — and especially you fans of really big ass spiders — check out the new trailer for director Mike Mendez’s “Big Ass Spider”. I think at one point someone wanted to call this movie “Mega Spider”. Which is dumb. Because, you know, obviously, “Big Ass Spider”. You can’t beat that, kids. It’s like “Ghost Tornadoes”. Or “Shark Hurricanes”. It just Is. The movie stars Greg Grunberg, who played Matt Parkman on “Heroes”, Fyi. Boy, I bet he could use Sylar’s help about now, huh? A giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampage the city of Los Angeles. When a massive military strike fails, it is up to a team of scientists and one clever exterminator to kill the creature before the city is destroyed.

Chaos spreads throughout the streets of Los Angeles in the first trailer for Big Ass Spider, director Mike Mendez's horror-comedy that debuted at the South By Southwest Film Festival last spring. Greg Grunberg stars as an exterminator, who teams up with a Latino security guard (Lombardo Boyar) to take down the biggest spider on record, a 50-foot tall arachnid that leaves massive amounts of destruction in its wake. Co-starring Lin Shaye, Ray Wise, Clare Kramer and genre icon Lloyd Kaufman, Big Ass Spider debuts in theaters and VOD platforms October 18. In addition, you can also take a look at the poster that debuted earlier this year.

Big Ass Spider comes to theaters October 18th, 2013 and stars Lin Shaye, Greg Grunberg, Ray Wise, Clare Kramer, Lloyd Kaufman, Patrick Bauchau, Lombardo Boyar, Alexis Peters. The film is directed by Mike Mendez.

Carnivále, “Milfay”

Written by Daniel Knauf

Directed by Rodrigo Garcia

Originally aired: September 14, 2003

From the first few remarks of a cryptic prologue, Carnivále’s pilot, “Milfay,” ushers in a different sort of drama, a form of storytelling comfortable with its own weirdness and undaunted by grandiose ideas. Just as one might expect from the acts of a traveling circus, there’s much more to Carnivále than meets the eye, and its ambitious first episode deals with themes of magic and a conflict of biblical proportions.

In the first few moments of Carnivále’s inception, Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl) keeps vigil over his dying mother’s sickbed. When he reaches out to help her, she shrinks from him as if he were evil incarnate. A carnival passes by later as Ben digs a grave and argues with a demolition worker sent by the bank over who has rights to his mother’s property.

Title: Big Ass Spider Screened At: SXSW 2013 Directed By: Mike Mendez Starring: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Patrick Bauchau, Lin Shaye With a name like “Big Ass Spider,” all you can really ask is that the filmmakers make due on the title, and Mike Mendez gives you that big ass spider and then some. Greg Grunberg leads as Alex, your friendly neighborhood exterminator. After suffering a nasty spider bite, Alex takes a quick trip to the hospital for a routine shot to clear up the problem, but, just before he can get on his way, his nurse volunteers his services to clear up the hospital’s own [ Read More ]

The post Big Ass Spider Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

I'm a huge fan of spider cinema, and I'm not talking about superhero silliness. I mean flicks like Tarantula (1955), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977), Kingdom of the Spiders (1978), Arachnophobia (1990), Spiders (2000), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), and a dozen others you've probably never even heard of. Like most people, I have a natural wariness of spiders, but like most horror fans, I love to see the creepy little buggers wreak havoc safely within the world of movies. Of course sometimes the spiders aren't so little, and that's when I know I'm dealing with a flick I'll probably enjoy.

Simply put: one of the most entertaining things about movies is that they can deliver funny stuff that you'd (hopefully) never see in real life, stuff like a giant spider wreaking havoc across Los Angeles as it skewers screaming people with its spindly legs and wraps other victims up in webbing and swallows them whole.

Last week the Midnight slate for SXSW was revealed, showing us what horror titles we can expect from the festival. The movies range from Rob Zombie to creature feature to a dose of Vincenzo Natali and even to the realm of sequels (hello V/H/S 2). Here’s the list, showing the cast and the director(s) and screenwriter(s) behind the films.

Big Ass Spider!

Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed.

Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau

Cheap Thrills

Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo

Recently fired and facing eviction, the married father of a newborn has his life turned upside...

You've got to watch this awesome trailer for a horror comedy called Big Ass Spider, about a a giant spider that escapes from a military facility and attacks Los Angeles. It's up to an exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before it destroys the city. It's looks as entertaining as it sounds.

The movie stars Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, and Patrick Bauchau. It's set to premiere at SXSW, and is currently looking for a buyer at the European Film Market. It looks like a ton of fun, and I hope it gets picked up so we can see it! Check out the trailer!

The first trailers for Final Girl and Big Ass Spider! (previously Mega Spider) have been released, and we have both for you to watch right now. Final Girl is the first film from Tyler Shields and stars Abigail Breslin and Wes Bentley. There are currently no release details available, but we’ll update readers as soon as anything is announced.

“Loner Veronica is new to school, shy and vulnerable, the perfect target for a group of teenage boys who lure girls into the woods to hunt and kill them for sport. It’s only after they get her alone that she turns the tables on them, escaping and revealing she’s armed and knows how to defend herself. Little do they know, Veronica is an assassin-in-training, and she’s chosen killing these boys as her final test. When the dust clears, Veronica will find out if she can be the...

The feature film slate for Austin's South by Southwest festival (SXSW) was revealed last week, but as most genre fans know, the real cinematic treasures are lurking in the festival's midnight lineup. As SXSW Programmer Jarod Neece put it: "This year we scoured the globe and brought back a batch that we knew would truly satisfy the gore hounds of SXSW. Full of scares, sex, madness, laughs, chills and major mind f--ks, we hope there's a little something for everyone."

Browsing the titles, it's hard to tear our eyes away from a film called "Big Ass Spider" (directed by Mike Mendez of "The Gravedancers"), but the addition of Rob Zombie's "Lords of Salem," sequel "V/H/S/2," a movie from "Splice"'s Vincenzo Natali ("Haunter"), and vampire tale "Kiss of the Damned" from Xan Cassavetes certainly helps.

Earlier this week, a full trailer was released for Zombie's witchy opus,...

This year's SXSW looks to be one for the ages as the Midnighters film line-up has just been announced! There are a lot of heavy hitters making their premiere including the newly retitled V/H/S/2 (formerlyS-vhs) and Big Ass Spider! (formerly Mega Spider).

The 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival takes place March 8-16, 2013, in Austin, Texas. Visit the official South by Southwest website for more info in the meantime.

Big Ass Spider!

Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau

“When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the entire city is destroyed.”

Cheap Thrills

Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo

Cast: Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton,...

Just last week the official lineup for the upcoming 2013 SXSW Film Festival was announced, and today the fest has unveiled its lineups for the midnight and shorts categories. While films like Before Midnight, Much Ado About Nothing, Evil Dead, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone will screen in the film festival’s other sections, the midnight lineup includes films like Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem, the anthology sequel V/H/S/2 (which recently changed its title from S-v/H/S), and the much buzzed-about horror pic You’re Next. Hit the jump to take a look at the full lineup. Here’s the lineup: Midnighters Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious. Big Ass Spider! Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up...

As if the line-up for SXSW wasn’t already incredible; the fest just announced their Midnight slate, which includes Rob Zombie’s The Lords Of Salem, V/H/S/2, You’re Next and the latest from director Vincenzo Natalie.

SXSW runs from March 8-16.

Here is the main lineup. You can see a complete list, which includes short films, over at their site.

****

Midnighters

Big Ass Spider!

Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau (World Premiere)

Cheap Thrills

Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo

Recently fired and facing eviction, the married father of a newborn has his...

With festival favorites like V/H/S 2 (retitled from S-vhs) and Xan Cassavetes’ terrific vampire Euro throwback Kiss Of The Damned, the world premiere Dennis Iliadis' (Last House On The Left) Plus One and E.L. Katz' Cheap Thrills, SXSW’s Midnighters look to have the spectrum from gory blasts to lush dreams covered. You can find the entirety of the lineup, below. SXSW Film spans March 8-16. For more, visit the official site.

• Big Ass Spider! Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau (World Premiere)

• Cheap Thrills

Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo

Recently fired and facing eviction,...

With festival favorites like V/H/S 2 (retitled from S-vhs) and Xan Cassavetes’ terrific vampire Euro throwback Kiss Of The Damned, the world premiere Dennis Iliadis' (Last House On The Left) Plus One and E.L. Katz' Cheap Thrills, SXSW’s Midnighters look to have the spectrum from gory blasts to lush dreams covered. You can find the entirety of the lineup, below. SXSW Film spans March 8-16. For more, visit the official site.

• Big Ass Spider! Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau (World Premiere)

• Cheap Thrills

Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo

Recently fired and facing eviction,...

SXSW has announced its selection of midnight films, which include screenings of The Lords of Salem, the recently retitled V/H/S/2, and You’re Next before they open in theaters across the country. Don’t forget that Evil Dead will also have its world premiere during the event which is taking place from from March 8th – 17th in Austin, TX. We’ve included the full list of midnight features below and you can learn more at http://sxsw.com/

Big Ass Spider!

Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau (World Premiere)

Cheap Thrills

Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga,...

Big Ass Spider will have it’s World Premiere as a part of the Midnighter’s lineup during SXSW 2013. Here’s the world premiere of the trailer with an introduction by director Mike Mendez.

When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. Big Ass Spider! (aka Mega Spider).

Mendez has directed the horror films The Gravedancers that premiered at Tribeca, The Convent (Sundance) and Killers (Sudance). This is his 5th feature film. The screenwriter is Gregory Gieras (Dark Asylum, Beyond).

The cast includes Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, and Patrick Bauchau.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mega-Spider/...

We’re here to start a little chat about the upcoming Mega Spider movie. As you probably know, this sci-fi thriller (or horror?) comes from director Mike Mendez, the project is currently in post-production, but we finally have a completely new image from the whole thing, and as usual – we’re here to share it with you! A giant alien spider terrorizing the city of Los Angeles? That should be fun! Just kidding.

Written by Gregory Gieras, Mega Spider will tell us the story of a 50 foot tall alien spider who escapes from a military lab and rampages the city of Los Angeles.

But you have nothing to be afraid about – there’s also a great team of scientists, soldiers, and even one clever exterminator who will (just a wild guess) kill that damn thing before the city is destroyed.

Beside that giant spider, the movie also stars Greg Grunberg,...

Eric Rohmer’s La Collectionneuse (1967) serves as a purposeful point of reference for writer-director Will James Moore’s Satellite of Love — not only does Moore cast the lead actor of La Collectionneuse (Patrick Bauchau) as an eccentric friend, but Moore even mimics the tranquil Mediterranean atmosphere of La Collectionneuse by setting Satellite of Love in the vineyards of the Texas Hill Country. Satellite of Love maintains the visually vibrancy of the French New Wave, particularly with its impeccably crafted mise-en-scène. Satellite of Love is absolutely gorgeous, from the oh-so-beautiful cast to Steve Acevedo’s masterful cinematography. Rohmer would probably be very proud that he inspired Moore’s film. Moore and I have been in correspondence ever since the film’s world premiere at the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival; but it was not until the 2012 Austin Film Festival that I finally had a chance to sit down with him and Jonathan Case (co-writer and music supervisor) to talk...

Eric Rohmer’s La Collectionneuse (1967) serves as a purposeful point of reference for writer-director Will James Moore’s Satellite of Love -- not only does Moore cast the lead actor of La Collectionneuse (Patrick Bauchau) as Samuel’s eccentric friend, but Moore even mimics the tranquil Mediterranean atmosphere of La Collectionneuse by setting Satellite of Love in the vineyards of the Texas Hill Country. While the fourth of Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales functions as a sharp criticism of the lack of morality in the youth of the 1960s, Moore allows his characters to criticize each other and refrains from stamping any sort of directorial judgment on them. The script lives up to the classic intellectualism of Rohmer without ever feeling too stilted or forced; while, visually, Satellite of Love maintains the vibrancy of the French New Wave, particularly with its impeccably crafted mise-en-scène. Satellite of Love is absolutely gorgeous,...

Kevin Hernandez talks Get the Gringo, on Blu-ray and DVD starting July 17th

You may remember Kevin Hernandez as the adopted foster child with a strong taste for cherry bombing bathrooms in The Sitter. He returns this week in Get the Gringo, playing opposite Mel Gibson as a youngster forced to live inside a sprawling Mexican prison with his prostitute mother.

We recently caught up with Kevin to chat about his experiences in bringing this film to the screen, and as it turns out, he and Mel Gibson have a lot more in common than exploding toilets. Read on for our conversation, then be sure to pick up Get The Gringo on Blu-ray and DVD, in stores today!

Does this type of prison that we see in the film actually exist in Mexico?

Kevin Hernandez: Oh, absolutely. We shot this in a real prison. They just moved the prisoners...

Director: Will James Moore Writer: Will James Moore, Jonathan Case Starring: Nathan Phillips, Zachary Knighton, Shannon Lucio, Janina Gavankar, Patrick Bauchau, Turk Pipkin, Chad Mathews, Mike Lutz, Meaghan Cooper Satellite of Love begins at a carnival as Blake (Zachary Knighton), Samuel (Nathan Phillips) and Catherine (Shannon Lucio) trip the lights fantastic. This turns out to be sometime in the past, presumably while the characters were best friends in college. We flash-forward to a period of time after graduation. Samuel has become a musician and bohemian of the world; Catherine and Blake got married, now they run a restaurant (which Austinites will recognize as Justine's) together. The threesome might have been BFFs in college, but Catherine and Blake have taken a decidedly different path in life than Samuel. Catherine and Blake are initially stand-offish when Samuel returns home, obviously still sore from Samuel not attending their wedding. As an apology for his absence at their wedding,...

Mel Gibson continues his cinematic comeback with a brutal spell in a Mexican prison for Adrian Grunberg’s How I Spent my Summer Vacation.

Grunberg was the first Ad on Gibson’s 2010 reworking of the BBC’s Edge of Darkness, a film which threw out a decent punch visually without ever sparking too much engagement however in the two clips we have for Gibson’s latest film (one today, one tomorrow) there’s a good look at Grunberg’s exploration of the chaotic and alienating environment Gibson’s characters lands in.

Gibson produces and stars alongside Peter Stormare, Bob Gunton, Dean Norris, Scott Cohen, Patrick Bauchau and the film is out in UK cinemas this Friday.

Here’s a synopsis secreted between the pages of an erotic novel,

It’s been a bad day for Driver (Gibson) and it’s not getting any better. He just made a big haul...

Here’s the second trailer for Lionsgate’s new movie, How I Spent My Summer Vacation. The movie stars and is Produced by Mel Gibson and also stars Peter Stormare, Bob Gunton, Dean Norris, Scott Cohen, Patrick Bauchau with Director Adrian Grunberg at the helm.

I rather like this trailer which is narrated by Gibson and fills us in more with the story and the comedic tone while writing a postcard to his mom! Have a watch below.

It’s been a bad day for Driver (Gibson) and it’s not getting any better. He just made a big haul of millions that would give him a nice summer vacation on easy street. A good idea that went south – literally. During a high-speed car chase with the Us Border Patrol, and a bleeding body in his back seat, Driver flips his car smashing through the border wall, tumbling violently, coming to a stop … in Mexico.

Lionsgate have just sent over the first UK poster and trailer for their new movie starring Mel Gibson with the title ‘How I Spent My Summer Vacation. he movie sees Mel Gibson in his first action movie for some years and I’m really hoping (like The Beaver) that he puts in an amazing performance. Could it be a new Lethal Weapon or has that time been and gone for Mel? I guess we’ll see.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation is directed by Adrian Grunberg and also stars Peter Stormare, Bob Gunton, Dean Norris, Scott Cohen, Patrick Bauchau. It’ll be with us May 11th.

It’s been a bad day for Driver (Gibson) and it’s not getting any better. He just made a big haul of millions that would give him a nice summer vacation on easy street. A good idea that went south – literally.

During...