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*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Osiris Entertainment.

Director: Elias Matar.

Writers: Edward E. Romero, and Elias Matar.

Cast: Enrique Almeida, Joel Bryant and Chris Trouble Delfosse.

When the subtitle of the movie poster of Ashes simply says, “We All Fall Down,” the connection this film is making with the classic nursery rhyme, “Ring a Ring o’ Roses,” is almost appropriate. Ashes is just a variation of “atishoo,” an onomatopoeia for a sneezing sound.

Had this film actually made more of a fuller emphasis with the verse, more people would be making the same leap of faith that director/writer Elias Matar has made—he believes the poem is about the bubonic plague.

But with this movie, the necrosis that develops is far worse. It numbs the nerves and dulls the brain. Eventually, all these patients are going to become zombies. But that is not what this film is about.

Osiris Entertainment has picked up the indie thriller Ashes for a future release, while Time Warner has acquired video-on-demand rights for this title. Release dates are to be formalized, but expect Ashes to become available in early 2012 with a vod release likely to come earlier than the DVD release (prediction).

Ashes is a story of an obsessive doctor who turns patients in to shells of their former selves. Infected with a virus, these patients turn everyone around them into mulch to the doctor's despair. This is a small film which includes a few action packed sequences and fans of indie thrillers might want to look out for this title in the coming year. A trailer for Ashes is below.

Release Date: 2011-2012 (DVD, VOD).

Director: Elias Matar.

Writer: Edward E. Romero and Elias Mataar.

Cast: Enrique Almeida, Joel Bryant, Chris Trouble Delfosse, Sierra Fisk, Richard Gant, Diane Ayala Goldner, Aldo Gonzalez,...

If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.

For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.

Director Michael D. Olmos is the 34-year old adopted son of activist and actor Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver). After graduating from Columbia University with degrees in Contemporary American Literature and Creative Writing, Michael mentored under filmmaker Robert M. Young (Alambrista!). Like father, like son, Michael’s debut feature film, Splinter, is a politically charged vision of a highly volatile world. Dreamer (Enrique Almeida) is just that, a dreamer; slowly regaining his consciousness and memory after being caught in the crossfire of his brother, Shaggy’s (Billy Garcia) murder. Dreamer is on a mission to reveal his brother’s killer, while attempting to continue his deceased brother’s mission to keep the peace between rival neighborhood gangs. Dreamer’s intention is in complete syncopation with a newly transplanted female detective, Gramm (Resmine Atis). Realizing that even their partner/family seem to operating in opposition to them, they try to help each other.