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Mention Darkness Falls to your fellow horror fans, and you might get two very different reactions. One may scoff, dismissing it as yet another teen jump-scare fest with zero artistic merit. Another might enthusiastically high-five you and say, “I don’t care what anybody says, that movie rules!” The vast difference likely caused by a studio aiming to replicate The Blair Witch Project’s viral marketing success, while making a film more comparable to the modern popcorn horror of Blumhouse or the Conjuring Universe. This is the story of a film with enough lore to fill a novelization, a fake documentary, and a comic book prequel. Reduced to a film so short they had to make the ending credits last eleven minutes long just to be able to release theatrically; a studio that decided to entirely replace the design and appearance of its main villain in Post-production; and finally, this...

In 1992, the now acclaimed director Roland Emmerich, alongside action superstars Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, created Universal Soldier. A movie that was maybe under-appreciated in the golden age of action films but nonetheless a highlight in all of their careers. Regardless, financial issues loomed for the studio that created it. This resulted in rights being sold and two mostly horrendous television movies being released on Showtime starring Gary Busey and Burt Reynolds. Seven years later, in 1999, the franchise would attempt its big screen comeback with the legendary Jean Claude Van Damme desperate for a career win on a project no director seemed willing to touch. Would the result be a resurrection of not only the franchise but its leading man’s once unstoppable career? Or one of the final nails in the coffin of both of their big screen futures? This is What Happened to Universal Soldier: The Return.

While his most iconic work will always be appearing in and as Magnum P.I., Tom Selleck, in his 50 years in Hollywood, has also achieved two long-standing roles as law enforcement officials the more iconic protagonist of Blue Bloods, which ended with season 14, and the titular character of the Jesse Stone film series, based on the novels written by Robert B. Parker and one of Selleck's often forgotten roles. Spanning a decade, the series comprises nine made-for-tv films, following the police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts as he investigates major crime in the seemingly quiet and undisturbed town.

Fired from his job with the LAPD due to a drinking problem which began after Jesse's divorce from his wife, he found a job in law enforcement in a quiet town near Boston. But all is not as it seems as Jesse gradually uncovers corruption and conspiracies to protect criminals and keep illegal...

Universal Soldier: The Return, starring the iconic Jean-Claude Van Damme, was released in 1999 to heavy criticism. Twenty-five years later, the film is available to stream for free.

Jean-Claude Van Damme's critically panned film Universal Soldier: The Return is now available to stream on PlutoTV. The film is a sequel to the 1992 sci-fi film Universal Soldier, and it sees Van Damme return to reprise his role as the series protagonist, Private Luc Deveraux. The film was poorly received, with just a 5% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the first film's moderate success, Universal Soldier: The Return only grossed $10 million at the box office, failing to make back its $40 million budget.

Related Did Jean-Claude Van Damme Quit the Role of the Original Predator?

In the latest Movie Legends Revealed, we try to get into the bottom of Jean-Claude Van Damme's disastrous stint as the original Predator actor

The Return was directed by...

"Alien 3" is one of the more controversial "Alien" movies. For one thing, the development of the project went through fits and starts. For another, David Fincher, who made his feature directorial debut on the sequel, had notorious behind-the-scenes problems and has more or less disowned the movie entirely. And then there's the fact that the film is unapologetically bleak, including an opening that kills off fan-favorite characters like space Marine Hicks and precocious child Newt. Just to seal the deal, the movie then ends by killing off Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, who was the franchise's main character.

All that said, the film still has its fans. But even when you take into account the fact that "Alien 3" has its supporters, it's not unfair to say the film is flawed and not held in as high regard as Ridley Scott's original "Alien" or James Cameron's blockbuster sequel "Aliens.

“Darkness Falls wasn’t much different from any old-fashioned town on the Atlantic Ocean from Nantucket to Key West. Except for one thing.”

That one thing, of course, is Matilda Dixon, better known as the Tooth Fairy. Most horror fans likely recognize this in-your-mouth ghost from her 2003 big-screen vehicle, but what they might not realize is, the movie Darkness Falls was accompanied by a novelization. The first of two media tie-ins — the other being a single-issue comic from Dark Horse — was published by PocketBooks shortly before the movie was released in theaters. And, like in many cases, much of what ended up on the cutting room floor can be found in the novelization.

While novelizations tend to be different from their cinematic counterparts, Keith R. A. DeCandido’s literary adaptation of Darkness Falls stays largely true to the movie. In fact, this book uses a more intact version of James Vanderbilt...

Horror pairs well with just about any other subject or subgenre, but that’s especially the case for hard rock, heavy metal, and horror. It’s a match made in hell, with rock music injecting an infectious energy into the horror. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to hard rock horror movies that embrace music in a massive way, whether featuring musicians plunged into nightmarish scenarios or exploring the cutthroat nature of the music world. All feature earworm soundtracks that won’t dislodge from your skull anytime soon.

As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Black Roses – AMC+, Peacock, Shudder, Tubi

This irreverent ’80s creature feature sees its metal band, Black Roses, arriving at a small town and turning its teens into rebellious metalheads. But the band is really a bunch of demons in disguise, and...

Exclusive: Lifetime has given a green light to The Good Father: The Martin MacNeill Story, its latest ripped from the headlines original movie, starring Tom Everett Scott (13 Reasons Why), Anwen O’Driscoll (Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story) and Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) from executive producer Nancy Grace.

The Good Father is based on the true story of Dr. Martin MacNeill, a Utah doctor whose true nature behind his seemingly perfect persona came to light after the death of his wife. Scott stars as Dr. MacNeill; Carpenter plays his wife, Michele. O’Driscoll portrays his daughter, Alexis who idolized McNeill until she began questioning the circumstances of her mother’s death. The movie will debut this fall on Lifetime.

Based on actual events, The Good Father tells the story of Dr. MacNeill (Scott) and the incredible life he led with his former beauty queen wife, Michele (Carpenter) and their eight children.

Have you ever had a nightmare about being chased by zombies? Most people have. Do you think zombies have nightmares about us? These are the kinds of questions that keep my monkey brain somewhat sated; especially when I’m watching Zombie Nightmare (1987), a film that proffers voodoo, baseball, Batman, Thor, and Motorhead. So many queries, so few answers, so much fun.

Filmed in the summer of ‘86 in Quebec, Zombie Nightmare was supposed to have a Black-centric cast but writer (and ghost co-director) John Fasano (Black Roses) was told by director Jack Bravman (The Wetter the Better) that they’d have a hard sell with foreign investors, so the characters were changed. The more things stay the same, the more they stay the same.

Reviews were unkind, but the film somehow ended up grossing over a million and a half worldwide against a $180,000 budget after New World picked it up and...

Jack Beresford Nov 20, 2019

Sequels to hit movies are a Hollywood staple. Here are some of the most fascinating would-be follow-ups that never got off the ground...

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Sequels, by their very nature, are difficult to get right.

What may have started as a one-off film becomes a bona fide at the box office and suddenly Hollywood comes calling for more of the same. The only problem is that more of the same doesn’t always cut it. Sequels may be an increasingly common by-product of the Hollywood machine, but they don’t always replicate the success of the original.

A good sequel is a delicate balancing act. Repeat too much of what made the original so successful and you end up with something like Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. Veer too much from what made the first film work so well...

Verotika is coming to Cinepocalypse for its world premiere this summer. The horror anthology marks the directorial debut of punk metal legend Glenn Danzig and is based on his Verotik comics. The movie was announced in August 2018, and now it's almost ready for the world to see.

Cinepocalypse, Chicago's premiere festival for electrifying and provocative genre cinema, returns to the Music Box Theatre June 13th for eight days of features, shorts, events and surprises, including eight fantastic break-out world premieres! Topping the list this year is Verotika.

Cff 2019 couldn't be more excited to introduce you to Verotika, the directorial debut from Misfits founder and punk/metal legend Glenn Danzig. Glenn's passion for film, the occult, and all things ghouls 'n ghosts has long influenced his music, and now he's taking these elements to the big screen. Featuring a plot shrouded in secrecy, a soundtrack of new Danzig music, and based...

Following the exciting news that director Joel Schumacher will serve as the President of the 2019 Cinepocalypse Feature Film Jury, the festival's movie lineup has now been announced, and in addition to 35mm screenings of some of Schumacher's most beloved films, Cinepocalypse will also host screenings of some of this year's most anticipated titles, including The Lodge, Darlin', Villains, Bliss, and Fangoria's Satanic Panic!

Cinepocalypse 2019 will take place June 13th–20th at Chicago's Music Box Theatre. We have the official press release below with this year's lineup and additional details on the festival, and to learn more about the celluloid celebration, visit Cinepocalypse's official website.

Press Release: Cinepocalypse, Chicago’s premiere festival for electrifying and provocative genre cinema, returns to the Music Box Theatre June 13th for eight days of features, shorts, events and surprises, including eight fantastic break-out world premieres!

We’re proud to announce our new presenting sponsor for...

Whether you know his work from The Lost Boys, Falling Down, Batman & Robin, or The Phantom of the Opera (2004), director Joel Schumacher has had a big impact on American cinema, and the Music Box Theatre has fittingly announced the filmmaker as the President of the 2019 Cinepocalypse Feature Film Jury, along with the announcement that members of Gwar will be in attendance at the June Chicago festival.

Press Release: April 4, 2019 - The Music Box Theatre is proud to announce The Lost Boys director Joel Schumacher as President of the 2019 Cinepocalypse Feature Film Jury, and that the festival will host special screenings of the director's Falling Down in 35mm and Flatliners in glorious 70mm! The Chicago-based genre film festival, which will take place June 13 - 20 at the historic Music Box Theatre, celebrates its wild third year with more films, guests, and events than ever before.

Writer/director Schumacher, whose incredible career includes everything from D.

Welcome to the latest episodes of The ScreamCast! Each episode sees hosts Sean Duregger and Brad Henderson take a look at another slice of home video horror.

Don’t forget to check out TheScreamCast.com for the show notes and for more news and reviews of Scream Factory releases and make sure to follow them on Twitter too!

Episode 94: Feminism and Heavy Metal With Black Roses Screenwriter Cynthia Cirile

Heavy Metal Horror continues! Week Three powers on as we sit down with Black Roses screenwriter Cynthia Cirile and talk candidly about her career with John Fasano’s films: Zombie Nightmare, Rock And Roll Nightmare and Black Roses. We also learn a handful of surprises along the way! Bj Colangelo also returns to talk with us about Dee Snider’s Strangeland and 1981’s Terror On Tour.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode 95: Digging Up Rocktober Blood With The...

While we often lament some of the films that end up stuck in development Hell, never to become realized on the big screen, there are some films we should all be glad never came to fruition.

Sometimes they don’t get it! We all know that the film industry is a business and they want to make money, but Hollywood doesn’t always realize that the best way to do that is to make a good film. Sometimes, Hollywood’s habit of taking a known property and stretching them out to absurd proportions proves that they just don’t get the point. Fortunately, there are times when someone recognizes a bad idea and puts on the brakes. Below is a list of 14 films where someone was smart enough to notice that they were making a pile of trash and threw in the towel.

Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian

Due to the success of Beetlejuice,...

The first scene plays out like an anti-thesis to the satanic and heavy metal antics that the film devotes itself too. The setup is quaint. A young father happily shaves his face. A young mother is cooking breakfast, and their son yells that he can’t wait to scramble eggs with her! All of the sudden demons pop out of the oven and kill the mom and dad. Thus begins Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare – also known as The Edge of Hell in certain parts of the world – perhaps the most definitive entry into “Metalsploitation”.

What is “Metalsploitation”? One of my friends brought the term to my attention, and I’m not sure if that subgenre classification already exists, so if not congratulations to him for inventing it. Metalsploitation exists in this bizarre era of cinema where horror films and heavy metal artists and music met. It produced cult classics like this,...

During its fraught production, Alien 3 went through dozens of drafts. We look at some of the story ideas that never made it to the screen...

When the credits rolled on 1986's Aliens, the inevitable question from many cinemagoers was, "What happens next?"

For 20th Century Fox, and writer-producers David Giler and Walter Hill, it took nearly six years to figure out an answer to that question. Certainly, when Aliens was in production, director James Cameron had some ideas about a sequel; he once spoke about the prospect of Ripley, Hicks and young Newt - a makeshift family thrown together by that film's events - meeting up again for a second sequel to Alien.

“I know that James Cameron had planned to have Hicks, Ripley and me in Alien 3, to have a family-type thing", Newt actress Carrie Henn said in 1995.

A year after Aliens came out, Cameron was unequivocal...

The Die Hard series may be alive and well, but there's a unique story behind the writing of each one…

As any action fanatic will tell you, Die Hard is among the best films of its type ever made. Tautly directed by John McTiernan, deceptively well shot by cinematographer Jan de Bont, and full of charismatic turns from Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia, it’s seldom been bettered, even by its sequels.

The key to the first film's success, and the sequels in their best moments, is hero John McClane. Tough, sarcastic but ultimately human and relatable, he cuts a very different figure from the beefed-up, larger-than-life heroes of 1980s and 90s action cinema. When John McClane gets shot or injured, he actually feels pain. It's something we were keenly aware of in the 1988 original, but gradually ebbed away as the Die Hard franchise drifted from thriller territory...

Stars: Tom Berenger, Chad Michael Collins, Vasil Enev, Dennis Haysbert, Danko Jordanov, Mercedes Masohn | Written by Don Michael Paul, John Fasano | Directed by Don Michael Paul

Shocking as it may seem given the amount of horror flicks I review here on Nerdly, I’m not just a horror fan. My movie-loving passion is in fact split between three genres: horror, teen comedies and action movies. As much as I can appreciate low-budget horror flicks I can also appreciate low-budget action movies – which, at least from major studios, are few and far between these days. Which is one of the reasons I was excited to check out Sniper: Legacy.

The other reason? Well, as a teenager I used to love Impact Magazine. It really was my film bible, I’d religiously pick up each and every issue from the newsagents near where I used to catch the bus to college; in...

Writer/producer/director John Fasano, best known for his work in the horror genre, died in his sleep Saturday night at the age of 52, his attorney Craig Baumgarten confirmed. No cause of death was available. Fasano was nominated for a Writers Guild Award in 1996 for writing the teleplay for The Hunchback for TNT. He also had a hand in more than 40 other film and TV projects, including writing the hit Tom Selleck TV movie Stone Cold, Iraq war TV docudramas Saving Jessica Lynch and The Hunt for Saddam, and films including Alien 3, Meggido: The Omega Code 2, Darkness Falls and Another 48 Hours. Fasano also worked as a script doctor […]...

News is quickly spreading this morning that John Fasano died last night. Details of his passing are unclear; he was 52 years ago. Fasano was a writer, director and producer. Genre fans will know him for Rock 'n Roll Nightmare and Black Rose, which he helmed in '87 and '88, respectively. He also directed The Jitters in '89. Before all of that, however, he worked on Zombie Nightmare upon settling down in Los Angeles.

The post Rock ‘n Roll Nightmare Helmer John Fasano Passed Away appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Between 1963 and 1965, ABC aired 49 episodes of the strange and the macabre in "The Outer Limits" (review). In honor of its 50th birthday, Creature Features is releasing The Outer Limits at 50 and celebrating with a premiere event that coincides with the opening of a new art exhibit.

Synopsis:

Creature Features is proud to present a one-of-a-kind book: The Outer Limits At 50, written and edited by David J. Schow, author of the essential Outer Limits Companion and the world’s leading expert on the series.

This unprecedented look at the beloved show presents over 150 new pages of rare photographs and collectibles—including many in full color, unearthed here for the first time ever.

Published exclusively by Creature Features, with a lavish introduction by original Outer Limits zine publisher Ted C. Rypel, this limited trade paperback is jam-packed with never-before-published publicity and making-of photos, five decades of rare merchandise, exclusive photos of surviving props,...

Written by Kevin Scott, MoreHorror.com

Rock and Roll Nightmare aka Edge of Hell (1987)

Directed by: John Fasano

Written by: Jon Mikl Thor

Cast: Jon Mikl Thor (John Triton), Jillian Peri (Lou Anne), Frank Dietz (Roger), David Lane (Max), Teresa Simpson (Randy)

Gateway films can take a horror aficionado down roads to a destination that resurrects memories of humble beginnings as a young horror fan. I found “Trick or Treat” on YouTube in its entirety a few weeks back, and nostalgia overpowered me to the point that I had to go down the rabbit hole of horror and hair metal to see how far it goes. “Trick of Treat” seems to be the one that everyone remembers, mainly because of Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne making brief cameos, and Skippy from “Family Ties” sporting long hair, and dropping the “F” word from time to time. Stuff like that is downright unforgettable.

By Erin Lashley, MoreHorror.com

In the 80s, rock music and horror movies went together like acid washed jeans and feathered hair. The trouble is, even though many horror movies had awesome rock soundtracks, the movies that specifically featured rock musician characters as heroes or villains varied wildly in quality. Although the rock horror movie has mostly gone the way of the 80s, I’m not sure any other type of music will ever have such a successful love affair with horror. I can’t picture people turning up for a movie called Pop Divas of the Apocalypse, or Death by Dubstep, or even Bloody Pit of Techno Bastards. But what do I know? I’m still stuck in the 80s. Here are 10 of the movies that are stuck with me.

Rocktober Blood (1984)

Billy (Tray Loren) is a rock star, and also kind of an a-hole, so nobody is real...

Exclusive: Lifetime Movie Network has greenlighted Nancy Grace’s Eleventh Victim, an original movie based on Grace’s debut novel The Eleventh Victim with 90210 alumna Jennie Garth set to play the lead. Thriller The Eleventh Hour centers on Hailey Dean (Garth), a highly successful Atlanta assistant Da whose fiance is murdered. After a big courtroom triumph, securing the conviction of Clint Burrell Cruise for the murder of 11 prostitutes, Dean leaves the Da office and moves to Manhattan for a new career as a therapist. But soon Cruise is released from prison on appeal and starts stalking her and killing off her patients. John Fasano (Darkness Falls) wrote the TV adaptation. Talk show host Grace, a former prosecutor herself, is executive producing the movie with Ted Bauman and Josh Sabarra. PR executive Sabarra, a longtime friend of Grace’s, was Lifetime’s head of communications until the company’s merger with A&E Networks.

The 14th annual Boston Underground Film Festival is ready to kick ass and take names on March 29 to April 1 at the Brattle Theatre. And a few of those names will look familiar to Buff fanatics — and underground film fans the world over.

A trio of Buff favorites are returning to the fest with debut feature films after totally killing it with their amazing short films in the past. Jamie Heinrich‘s Happily Never After is a feature-length expansion of the short film that took home the Best of Fest Award in 2010, but with more solid and mature themes as the movie explores the problematic life of a degenerate photographer.

Another former award winner is Richard Bates Jr. who will be screening Excision, another feature-length extension of a short film, this one about a teenage girl who exercises her morbid obsession with surgery every chance she gets.

Steven Kostanski‘s feature...

Hostel: Part III will be released on DVD next week and I recently had the opportunity to speak with director Scott Spiegel about the film. For those unfamiliar with Scott’s work, he’s no stranger to horror or the Hostel franchise. He served as producer on both Hostel and Hostel: Part II, was co-writer of Evil Dead 2 and has directed Intruder and From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money.

Scott and I talked about moving the Elite Hunting Club to Las Vegas, Eli Roth’s earlier idea for a new Hostel film, my favorite death scene from the movie, and the possibility of Hostel: Part IV.

**Spoiler Warning- While the interview is mostly spoiler-free, the interview does discuss death scenes and minor plot items**

Was the idea for Hostel: Part III something you pitched to Sony or did they approach you?

Scott Spiegel: They came to me.

Hostel: Part III is the first film in the series to not have Eli Roth directing. Instead, actor, writer and director Scott Spiegel (Evil Dead II) will take up the torch in this straight-to-dvd launch. Raw Nerve will again produce, with Roth taking a secondary role on this film as producer. Now, the first trailer is available for the film, which shows several groom's men out on the town in Las Vegas. Sin City turns out to be a little more dangerous when the city's bloodsport community comes out at night to play.

The Elite Hunting Club is back and this time they offer torture in an underground arena where the most fantastic kill wins the money. This title will release on DVD December 27th and take a look at the franchise that defined the term torture porn back in 2005 with this sadistic trailer.

Release Date: December 27th, 2011 (DVD).

Director: Scott Spiegel.

Final round of updates for today.

Ryan Kennedy and John Pyper-Ferguson have a new film in the works, called Hannah's Law. It will premiere on Hallmark next spring. More details in the press release:

A frontier town is fueled by crime and corruption until a strong-willed heroine and her friends, including legendary lawman Wyatt Earp and gunfighter Doc Holliday, take a stand for justice to see who will be left standing in "Hannah's Law," a Hallmark Movie Channel Original produced by Nomadic Pictures Productions 3 and Sony Pictures Television, premiering on the network in 2012. The film, which is currently in production in Calgary, Alberta, stars Sara Canning ("The Vampire Diaries") as Hannah, Greystone Holt ("Durham County") as Wyatt Earp, Kimberly Elise ("For Colored Girls") as Stagecoach Mary, four-time Emmy(R) Award nominee Danny Glover ("Freedom Song," "Mandela") as Isom Dart, Billy Zane ("Titanic") as Lockwood, Ryan Kennedy ("Hellcats") as Doc Holliday...

This week sees a ton of genre movies coming out on DVD and Blu- Ray. The biggest being Predators, followed up by the remake of the cult classic Night of the Demons, a sequel to Mirrors, and Anniversary editions for Rocky Horror Picture Show and Psycho. Add to that a slew of indie and classic horror and there is a lot to choose from.

Predators

Directed by Nimród Antal

Robert Rodriguez presents Predators, a bold new chapter in the Predator universe. Adrien Brody stars as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors mysteriously brought together on a jungle planet. But when these cold-blooded human “predators” find themselves in all-out war against a new breed of alien Predators, it’s the ultimate showdown between hunter and prey. Predators also star Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Danny Trejo, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Oleg Taktarov, and Louis Ozawa Changchien.

The number of home video releases on October 19th is not as abundant as in recent weeks, and fewer re-released titles means those that are available are much more special. In this batch one Adrien Brody flick competes with another, and at least two independent horror titles are making a splash. Two beloved classic films return in Blu-ray where one is supplemented by a documentary treatment of it.

Also, don't forget to strum & drum out with some tunes from Rob Zombie on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Finally, foreign horror gives us an over-the-top Japanese gorefest, a British zombie flick where the $70 budget was spent on tea and biscuits for the zombies, and Norwegian black metal.

Predators

Directed by Nimród Antal

Robert Rodriguez presents Predators (review), a bold new chapter in the Predator universe. Adrien Brody stars as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors mysteriously brought together on a jungle planet.

John Hensley ("Nip/Tuck," "Teeth"), Thomas Kretschmann ("King Kong," "Wanted"), Chris Coy ("True Blood," "Greenberg") and comedian Skyler Stone ("Rules of Attraction," "The Island") have all joined the cast of a direct-to-dvd third entry in the "Hostel" film franchise which Sony's Stage 6 is releasing reports The Wrap.

The story is set around a Vegas bachelor party which turns grisly when the groom (Brian Hallisay) learns that his longtime best friend (Kip Pardue) has targeted him for ritual murder. Sarah Habel also stars.

Scott Spiegel ("From Dusk Till Dawn 2") will direct from a script he co-wrote with John Fasano. Chris Briggs and Mike Fleiss will produce. Eli Roth, writer/director of the first two films, will not be involved.

And the cast of Hostel Part III has more than doubled with the recent announcement of four more names that are joining the Vegas-based production. Will they be victims or perpetrators of the mayhem? Only time will tell!

According to The Wrap John Hensley (who played Dylan Walsh and Joely Richardson's troubled teen son on "Nip/Tuck" and also was a regular in "Witchblade"), actor/stand-up comedian Skyler Stone, Chris Coy (aka telepathic Barry the Bellboy on "True Blood"), and Thomas Kretschmann (pictured; King Kong, Transsiberian, Resident Evil: Apocalypse) are joining the previously announced Brian Hallisay, Sarah Habel, and Kip Pardue.

The story concerns a Vegas bachelor party that turns grisly when the groom (Hallisay) learns that his longtime best friend (Pardue) has targeted him for ritual murder.

Scott Spiegel will be in the director's chair working from a screenplay by John Fasano. Eli Roth will return to produce.

It's time for more zombies and some undead love that doesn't have sharp teeth and teenage angst. Crackle (a TV/movie/media goodness website) has just launched a new web series called Wake Up Dead. Yeah, it's more on the TV side of things, being a series and all, but it's got enough Hollywood connections to make it Cinematical friendly. And it's a zombie comedy. Who doesn't like zombies?

The brainchild of John Fasano (the pen behind Another 48 Hours, Universal Soldier: The Return, Darkness Falls and helmer behind Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare), Dead follows a university student (Jon Heder) who wakes up dead. But rather than being a drooling, brain-dead zombie a la Dawn of the Dead, he's basically just himself -- or himself mixed with the perks and downfalls of undead life. (Krysten Ritter, John Gad, Wayne Knight, and Lexi Alexander also star.)

I talked with Fasano over the weekend,...

Woke Up Dead is a new live-action zombie comedy from Electric Farm Entertainment appearing on Sony Pictures Entertainment’s online video network, Crackle.com. The original online series stars comedian Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory), Josh Gad (Back to You, The Rocker), Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad, 27 Dresses), Jean Smart (24, Samantha Who?) and Wayne Knight (Seinfeld). Woke Up Dead, marks Heder's first foray into the world of web programming and takes place in various locations around Los Angeles, California. The story of Woke Up Dead follows Drex Greene (Heder), a regular recent college grad who finds himself undergoing an inexplicable transformation that begins when he wakes up at the bottom of a water-filled bathtub. Drex’s roommate Matt, who has been eagerly filming his demise, informs him that he’s easily (and inhumanly) been underwater for more than a half-hour. As he starts to develop zombie-like tendencies, Drex finds...

I'm not sure how the heavy metal and horror movie connection started but it's a match made in hell. The two go together like chocolate and peanut butter. It's a natural pairing. Alice Cooper had been combining Grand Guignol stage theatrics with live music since the 70's. Blue Oyster Cult wound horror and science fictions themes into their lyrics. Black Sabbath took their name from a Mario Bava movie yet the movies and the music maintained a safe distance from one another until heavy metal became the undisputed king of album sales in the mid to late 80's. The two seemed to officially become bed mates in 1986 with Friday the 13th Part 6 when the very same and this time very crazy Alice Cooper provided the synth happy track "He's back! (The Man Behind The Mask)" to the soundtrack. Before you knew it, Dokken was writing the theme song to my...