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John Carpenter planned "Halloween" to be an anthology series, but the relative failure of "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" put the kibosh on those plans. Instead, the series reintroduced classic antagonist Michael Myers, Carpenter's involvement lapsed until 2018's "Halloween," and "Season of the Witch" had to settle for being a cult classic.

However, Carpenter did get to create a different type of film series: a thematic one. His so-called "Apocalypse trilogy" is made up of "The Thing," "Prince of Darkness," and "In The Mouth of Darkness," three films that were released across more than a decade, hitting theaters in 1982, 1987, and 1994, respectively. Despite no overt story links between them, they each depict the end of the world, wrought by a force much greater and terrifying than humanity.

In a 2022 interview with Vulture, Carpenter recalls how this loose trilogy was not something he planned, but instead a career arc that happened...

Latinx actor and New York native Daniel Louis Rivas is making his directorial debut with a short film called Bad Face. The short film will be going on a festival circuit run soon and Rivas was told by a mutal friend that he should pass along information about his first film. So we have a teaser and some images to share with you today. Rivas keeps good company apparently so we have no trouble sharing that with you today.   Rivas co-wrote his short film with Rebecca Swan during the lockdown. Swan herself wrote a couple of John Carpenter's Masters of Horror episodes back in the day. Yeah, both have had their share of experiences in Hollywood over the years and are putting that knowledge to good...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Anyone who has experienced heavy stuff at any point in their life knows that trauma is not something you just get over. It’s a long road to recovery, and you meet many demons along the way. Anthony Diblasio’s 2018 film Extremity does what horror does best and makes a monstrosity of the post-traumatic introspection and […] The post Dread Central Presents Interview: Extremity Writer Rebecca Swan appeared first on Dread Central.

Extremity is an upcoming horror film. From the disturbed minds of writers David Bond (Boogeyman: Reincarnation) and Scott Swan, the film was directed by Anthony Diblasi. In the film, a young woman goes on a psychological journey, in order to relieve herself of an earlier drama. Extremity will be released by Dread Central Presents, in early October. A trailer for Extremity was released this past month (found below). Now, the film's special features and other release details are available. Extremity features a well renowned cast. Sports Illustrated model Ashley Smith stars as Nell, one of the many masked villains. Long-time horror veteran J. Larose (Insidious) also stars, along with Ami Tomite (Meatball Machine) and Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police). This cast bring great performances to an uber-violent feature as seen in the film's official trailer. The release date for Extremity is scheduled for October 2nd. On this date, this indie horror feature will show.

It’s hard to imagine a Masters of Horror series without John Carpenter. There are other names that might be more interchangeable, or that would be less noticeable had they been left off the roster of the Showtime anthology series, but trying to do something called “Masters of Horror” without Carpenter would be like trying to do a series on NBA Legends without Michael Jordan. I don’t know that I can definitively say that John Carpenter is the greatest horror filmmaker of all time, but John Carpenter is probably the greatest horror filmmaker of all time.

There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with being the best, which means Carpenter comes into “Cigarette Burns,” his first of two Masters of Horror episodes, with a certain amount of baggage: there’s pressure on him to stand apart from the seven directors and seven episodes that have come before his,...

With only few days left to go on post production the Canadian horror flick Extremity Screen Anarchy was sent a collection of images to share with you. We have interspersed the press release among them as well, including statements from the director Anthony Diblasi (Missionary, Most Likely to Die).    A young woman obsessed with horror, subjects herself to twelve hours of grueling torment in an attempt to confront her own fears and conquer the tragic past which haunts her.   Extremity was written by David Bond and Scott Swan (The Profane Exhibit). Bond is also producing under his banner Dark Elegy with Corinne Ferguson. This will be their first feature film as a company. ...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Like all superheroes (or anyone else who uses a secret identity), there came a moment when someone finally cracked the code and published my real name. To be fair, my identity was a pretty poorly-kept secret by that point. The first time I went to an actual press event, I used my real name, and anytime I met someone, I used my real name. "Moriarty" was a fun identity to slip into, and especially in the early days of the site, we played up the mythology of things. My friends all got their own spy names and would show up in the reports in the form of Henchman Mongo and Segue Zagnut and Harry Lime and more. From my end, it was silly and fun, and not something to be taken seriously. But when Film Threat ran a fairly vicious hit piece on Harry, I was also a target, and...

The first and most important thing that happened as a result of the staging of "Sticks and Stones" at the Met Theater as part of the Act One Festival was that Scott Swan and I got our first agent. Barbara Baruch worked for Ambrosio/Mortimer, a smaller boutique agency at the time, and from the moment we met her, she seemed like what I imagined an agent to be. She was nurturing, she was a cheerleader, she was a ballbuster, and she was always, always, always in our corner. Our time with her was unfortunately too short, and by the time the agency imploded in accusations of embezzlement, we were already repped by Gersh out of New York. Barbara was first, though, and she was the first one to start pushing people to come see our show and to read our work. The strangest thing about those early days is...

Anthology film The Profane Exhibit has been in the works for some time now, but things are moving along with casting news for the wrap-around along with more detailed descriptions of the various segments and quotes from a few directors. It's a lot of good stuff so prepare to be here awhile.

From the Press Release:

The producers of “The Profane Exhibit” are excited to announce that both Tony Todd (pictured) and Bai Ling have join the long-awaited horror anthology. They will be featured in the cast of "22 Rue des Martyrs," written by Ray Garton, which serves as the film's wrap-around segment.

David Bond and Manda Manuel are the architects of what is likely the most daring independent horror film project to date, both in concept and scope. Assembling an almost surreal collection of over 100 horror icons (directors, writers, actors, musicians, etc.), Bond's vision is to present the audience with...

David Bond, one of the producers of The Profane Exhibit anthology film, dropped us a line today with some news that should be of interest if you plan to attend HorrorHound Weekend in March. Read on for the details!

From the Press Release:

The producers of The Profane Exhibit are excited to announce the screening of a sneak preview of their long-awaited horror anthology at HorrorHound Weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday, March 22, 2013. A Q&A will also be offered with various directors, producers, actors, and team members of the 13-segment anthology... a few of which will have very special announcements. Some of the segments screened will be director’s cuts and may be the only time these versions will be available for viewing. The Profane Exhibit will be represented in various ways throughout the weekend (March 22-24).

Deep within the underbelly of Paris, there is a club which is the home of a secret,...

Another installment in the anthology film known as The Profane Exhibit is now complete, and we have a still from Marian Dora's "Mors in Tabula" to share along with the complete list of all 14 titles comprising the project.

Dora's part was filmed in Heidenheim, Germany, and producer David Bond tells us, "Marian did an amazing job! The score is done by Rune Eriksen, of the infamous Norwegian band Mayhem, and Ava Inferi."

The plot of "Mors in Tabula" revolves around a middle-aged woman who suffers from incurable cancer. A surgeon offers her the possibility of an operation. The operation is the patient's ultima ratima (last chance), but he has only his own desires in mind...

Here are the titles; only three spots are left to be filled:

"22 Rue des Martyrs" - ?

"Manna" - Michael Todd Schneider

"Tochka" - Andrey Iskanov

"Good Wife" - Ryan Nicholson

"Tophet Quorom" - Sergio Stivaletti...

A much beloved horror director has joined the lineup for David Bond and Manda Manuel's The Profane Exhibit, an anthology film that just get better and better all the time.

From the Press Release:

Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust) joins José Mojica Marins (Coffin Joe), Nacho Vigalondo, Ryan Nicholson, Andrey Iskanov, Michael Todd Schneider, Sergio Stivaletti, Marian Dora,Yoshihiro Nishimura, Richard Stanley, and Uwe Boll as directors of segments of The Profane Exhibit with more still to be announced.

Deodato, whose segment is titled "Bridge," is an Italian film director and screenwriter, best known for directing violent and gory horror films. Deodato is infamous for his 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust. This is his return to horror after leaving it in the 80's.

The "Bridge" soundtrack is being done by Killjoy of the death metal band Necrophagia.

The Profane Exhibit is an extreme international horror anthology film that was conceived, written, and...

Now this is a decent trailer. It delivers up the right amount of plot, hints at some very nasty goings-on and gives us a few disturbing images to go home with. Sadly it has such a forgettable name – it least Insidious was a nice plummy word which bounced off the tongue and made you look and sound insidious as you said it. Sinister… ok, well if you say so.

Rather than being presented as your average camcorder film Sinister has some literal found footage in the attic of a house which unleashes something very nasty. This trailer works exceptionally well considering that we’ve seen almost everything here before but if your blood isn’t chilled by the last few seconds then it’s doubtful you’re actually alive.

Ethan Hawke is the family man whose discovery unleashes not-so-merry hell and there’s something in here which brings to mind...

Big news has just dropped out of The Profane Exhibit camp! Not only has the team enlisted the services of Grammy Award winning artist Chris Vrenna to score one of the segments, they've added noted directors Jose Mojica Marins (aka Coffin Joe) and Ignacio "Nacho" Vigalondo.

With an already incredible lineup of actors, directors and musicians, The Profane Exhibit just seems to continue growing stronger with each new piece of talent added to the project. Check out the official Facebook page for The Profane Exhibit and follow them on The Profane Exhibit Twitter feed (@ProfaneExhibit).

From the Press Release

Harbinger International is pleased to announce that we have entered into agreements with Grammy Award winner Chris Vrenna to score the segment Viral , and that we have added two new directors to our already impressive lineup. Jose Mojica Marins (aka Coffin Joe), the legendary Brazilian king of blasphemy and terror, is...

Dread Central is closely following updates on the upcoming anthology film The Profane Exhibit. Last week we announced three of the ten directors involved in the project. This week some new info has dropped on Manna, the Michael Todd Schneider directed segment of The Profane Exhibit.

Manna was written by Scott Swan, who wrote for both the "Masters of Horror" and "Fear Itself" television series. (Incidentally, the episode of "Fear Itself" Swan wrote was entitled "Skin and Bones" starring Doug Jones. This was easily some of the best horror I've ever seen on television. Just how do you get NBC to air a program featuring cannibalism?) As a director Swan headed Big Junior and Maskhead.

Also working on the project are editor Jeremy Kasten (director of The Wizard of Gore remake and The Theater Bizarre's wraparound) and clothing designer Louis Fleischauer (one of the top fetish clothing designers in the...

On Saturday, June 25, the Second Annual Dead Flesh Feast Horror Film Festival will descend upon Los Angeles. Attendees will be treated to a full menu of feature films and shorts as well as actor and director panels and even a Corey Feldman appearance! Add to this a Goth comedian and a horror-themed game show, and you have yourself a full day of horrific entertainment.

We have a nice preview of the day listed below, but check the Dead Flesh Feast Horror Film website for all the newest information on featured entertainment, guests and scheduling.

From the Press Release

On June 25, 2011, Cinema Slaughter presents Dead Flesh Feast Horror Film Festival, a day for independent filmmakers and horror genre enthusiasts to watch raw, hardcore horror films and meet with some of the most influential names in horror.

The Feast begins at noon at the Vine Theatre, 6321 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, starting...

Over the past several months, we’ve attempted to showcase several older films that deserve the attention of the Criterion Collection with our series, For Criterion Consideration. We’ve noticed how other sites are changing the film business as we know it, by showcasing un-produced films. One of these sites right now has been Kickstarter, started in 2009, and has been on a tear these last 2 years in the world of online fundraising for projects of all kinds. They believe that a good idea can spread fast and that a large group of people can be a great source of funding and encouragement. It’s also ‘all or nothing’ funding, which means if you don’t hit your goal, no money exchanges hands. Which then in turn makes it that much more vital for both the website themselves and the project starters to get paid.

What we want these series of...

Scott Swan, at the time known only in small circles mainly for being a co-writer of John Carpenter’s Cigarette Burns and Pro-Life for Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” series and writer of the Skin and Bones episode of NBC’s “Fear Itself,” took the opportunity to direct his first feature in 2009 when he made the trip from Hollywood to Pittsburgh to co-direct the Toe Tag production of Maskhead with Fred Vogel. Having worked with a low budget extreme horror company like Toe Tag, he soon took it upon himself the next year to direct his own low budget horror effort under a production company he formed called EvilFlix. The result was Big Junior...

Fred Vogel, the creator of the August Underground Trilogy, and Masters of Horror writer Scott Swan ( Cigarette Burns , Pro-Life ) have teamed up for a slice of depravity entitled Maskhead . The film premieres at the But Film Festival in Holland on September 12 and makes its American premiere at Cinema Wasteland on October 4. Maskhead tells the tale of Syl and Maddie, lesbian filmmakers who produce fetish videos with a deadly twist. Each sickening video concludes with somebody getting tortured and killed snuff movie style by a hulking, bandaged brute in a bizarre mask that covers his deformed face. This is "Maskhead," Syl and Maddie's star. With the help of their sociopath associate, The Cowboy, the demented crew begins work on their next series of Maskhead...

Looks like Joe Dante may be moving on from the Drew McWeeney/Scott Swan feature "Bat Out Of Hell" according to a new video blog posted on This is Some Scene. He doesn't explain why he may not be attached to the vampires on a plan film, but he did confirm that he's getting ready to shoot The Hole. In case you'd forgot, "The Hole" is the story of two brothers who discover a mysterious hole in their basement that leads them to their darkest fears and nightmares. Cool premise, but even cooler is the news that Dante will shoot the film in 3-D! It may seem silly still, but I bet as soon as we see the upcoming "My Bloody Valentine" remake we'll all understand just how cool horror can look in three dimensions. Hopefully we'll get a solid update on "Bat Out Of Hell" soon, so keep your eyes.

Looks like Joe Dante may be moving on from the Drew McWeeney/Scott Swan feature Bat Out of Hell according to a new video blog posted on This is Some Scene. He doesn’t explain why he may not be attached to the vampires on a plan film, but he did confirm that he's getting ready to shoot The Hole.

In case you’d forgot, The Hole is the story of two brothers who discover a mysterious hole in their basement that leads them to their darkest fears and nightmares. Cool premise, but even cooler is the news that Dante will shoot the film in 3-D!

It may seem silly still, but I bet as soon as we see the upcoming My Bloody Valentine remake we’ll all understand just how cool horror can look in three dimensions. Hopefully we’ll get a solid update on Bat Out of Hell soon,...

Though it’s been kept under wraps since it was first announced, the official synopsis for the Drew McWeeny/Scott Swan-penned flick Bat Out of Hell, which is set to be directed by none other than Joe Dante, revealed its true nature over the weekend.

Bloody Disgusting got a look at the storyline, which goes a little something like this: ”As a red eye flight from Los Angeles to New York takes off, everything seems to be normal. That is until the co-pilot kills the pilot and a rogue group of coach passengers head into first class armed and ready to kill. Their claim - there are 9 passengers in the front of the plane who must die tonight. They are vampires, and our "heroes" will crash the plane if they have to in order to ensure what must be done is done. Not willing to die without fighting, the...

We are proud to present the 2008 Fantastic Fest Jury Members and Jury Films. Awards for all these catagories as well as the Amd Next Wave, Bloodshots, Fantastic Fest bumper, Fantastic Fest online, best Shakey Face and Audience Award will be all be announced at the Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony on Monday, September 22.

The 2008 Animated Shorts Official Selections:

Bernie's Doll

Blood Will Tell

City Wasp

Coffee Vending Machine and His Sword

Dog

The Facts in the Case of Mr Hollow

Fantaisie in Bubblewrap

Film Noir

Fish

Game Over

Karaoke Show

Muto

The Squirrel Next Door

Violeta

The Watermelon Chickens

For the first time this year, the Animated Shorts will play as a program at Fantastic Fest, screening three times throughout the festival, 3:45 Pm on Thu, Sep 18, 1:45 Pm on Sun, Sep 21, and 3:50 Pm on Wed, Sep 24.

Members of the Animated Shorts jury:

Sammi Inoue Harte: is a founder of...

We just got an updated airdate schedule for Fear Itself, NBC’s anthology horror series that continues this Thursday at 10/9 C with Stuart Gordon’s “Eater” (review). Check it out below!

7/17/08 - "New Year's Day"

Directed by Darren Bousman (Saw II, III & IV)

Written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night)

A young woman (Briana Evigan, Step Up 2: The Streets) wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by horrifying zombies and struggles to survive the day. Niall Matter ("Eureka"), Cory Monteith (“Kyle Xy") and Zulay Henao (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") also star.

7/24/08 – “Skin and Bones"

Directed by Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter, Wendigo)

Written by Drew McWeeny & Scott Swan (Masters of Horror)

When a cattle herder (Doug Jones, Hellboy & Hellboy II: The Golden Army) returns home to his family after being lost in the woods for days, he just doesn't seem the same. Soon, a terrible mortal struggle ensues...

While rocking the set of Sony Screen Gems' Legion, B-d stringer David Harley learned that Joe Dante (Gremlins, Piranha) is set to direct The Hole, which is being written by Mark L. Smith (Vacancy). The story centers on two brothers who discover a mysterious hole in the basement that leads to their worst nightmares. In addition, last night it was revealed that Dante will helm indie horror project Bat Out of Hell for Parallel Zide and VooDoo Prods. Shooting is expected to begin later this year. "Bat Out of Hell," written by Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan, centers on a red-eye flight from L.A. to New York during which hijackers confront the monstrous cargo.