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After a couple of light on horror weeks, we are finally treated to a bumper crop of new releases. Headlining the week is Frozen, which is just what we in Southern California need to stave off our current heat wave. A couple of oldies but goodies are out, too, as Madman celebrates its Happy 30th Birthday and the original King Kong comes to Blu-ray. Fangoria's eight FrightFest titles bow as well.

Frozen

Directed by Adam Green

In Frozen (review), Adam Green has crafted a potent combination of absolute terror and compelling human drama that will stick with you long after you've left the theatre or turned off the DVD. One thing's for sure: The next time your friends invite you on a ski weekend, odds are you'll try to convince them to head to the beach instead. Frozen stars Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell and Kevin Zegers.

Buy the Blu-ray or the regular DVD.

Dark House Poster

The 2010 Fangoria Frightfest film entries are moving to DVD this week through Phase 4. This series released in Canada September 21st and the Us release is scheduled for September 28th. Films included: mysterious thriller The Tomb, the suspenseful The Haunting, the goreific Pig Hunt, the dismal Hunger, the disturbing Grimm Love, the original Road Kill, shocker Fragile and this year's winner of the event Dark House. This film festival competition was successful because of fan support and horror enthusiasts can have a look at the DVD special features for each of the titles listed here inside.

Dark House

Director: Darin Scott.

Producer: Mark Sonoda.

Cast: Jeffrey Combs (House on Haunted Hill), Meghan Ory (John Tucker Must Die), and Diane Salinger .

The synopsis for Dark House:

"A group of hot young drama students are recruited to work in a new 'haunted house' attraction by flamboyant, impresario Walston Rey...

Since the early days of theater and the dawn of cinema, renowned American poet and author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) has had significant influence on pop culture, especially film. Countless movies have adapted Poe’s trailblazing work (the most famous being the Roger Corman/American International cycle from the 1960s), others merely reference it (i.e. the recent Tell Tale). This Friday, August 6, Fangoria FrightFest will introduce The Tomb, a new modern-day take on the Poe short story “Ligeia,” helmed by directorial newcomer Michael Staininger.

The competition at the Fangoria FrightFest website has begun (go here to vote and decide which of our eight films will win a theatrical release), and one of the films seeking your vote is debuting director Michael Staininger’s Edgar Allan Poe spin The Tomb. The horror-thriller boasts the pedigree of two veterans of The Crow movies: producer Jeff Most and screenwriter John Shirley, the latter also a noted sci-fi novelist. See below the jump for some exclusive Tomb pics.

The Tomb PosterFangoria's Frightfest is off to a good start and included in the series is director Michael Staininger's The Tomb. Horror fans can vote on the The Tomb at the link below and help this film received a theatrical release. The trailer is also below and the film's DVD extras include behind the scenes footage and the eight Frightfest trailers.

The Tomb will be available August 6 through Blockbuster's on-demand service exclusively and the film's story revolves around Ligeia, a beautiful enchantress who is attempting to forestall her own death. Many will fall, or bend to her will in this vixen's bloody pursuit of immortality. As well, the film's plot is loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe's short story "Ligeia." So, vote on the film's trailer at the Fangoria Frightfest contest below and help one independent film receive a well deserved theatrical showing.

The synopsis for The Tomb...

Curious about the films playing as part of the Fangoria FrightFest? Well, dig in, kids, because we've got the exclusive artwork and the trailer premiere for one of its entries - The Tomb.

The Fangoria FrightFest is a partnership with Lightning Media to distribute independent horror films via DVD, Video on Demand and Digital Download. In addition to The Tomb they'll be bringing us some wicked titles such as Pig Hunt, Fragile, Grimm Love, Dark House, Hunger, Road Kill, and The Haunting.

If you stop by the official FrightFest site, you'll have the opportunity to check out some extra material pertaining to the flicks while casting a vote for your favorite film. The winning flick will then go on to receive a big-screen theatrical release in July!

Synopsis

"The Tomb (a.k.a. Ligeia): In Michael Staininger’s updated adaptation of the classic Edgar Allan Poe tale “The Tomb of Ligeia,...

Cool news from the cool people over at Fangoria: this summer they will be distributing eight horror films in a multi-platform program with the label "FrightFest". Through partnering with Lightning Media these films will be made available on DVD, Video-On-Demand and Digital Download.

 

Even more cool: on the FrightFest website readers can vote which of these films should get a theatrical release in July. Right now the site just shows the selected titles but trailers, clips and featurettes should follow soon.

 

And the titles are not to be sneezed at: James Isaac's "Pig Hunt", Jaume Balagueró's "Fragile", Steven Hentges' "Hunger", Dean Francis' "Road Train", Darin Scott's "Dark House", Martin Weisz' "Grimm Love", Elio Quiroga's "No-Do: The Beckoning", and finally Michael Staininger's "Ligeia".

 

Something for everyone I'm sure you'll agree. Granted, some of these titles are quite old and well known already from the festival circuit (wow,...

Edgar Allan Poe's Ligeia recently played at the 18th Annual International Film Festival and will likely make further festivals until releasing in 2010 (a prediction). Distribution is being handled through Darclight Films and Ligeia stars Wes Bentley (Ghost Rider), Eric Roberts (The Steam Experiment), Michael Madsen (The Killing Jar) and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. The film involves trapping the souls of the living in vessels to achieve immortality. A dark and twisted tale, the trailer for Ligeia can be found below with a synopsis until an official release date is found.

A synopsis for Ligeia here:

"Based on the classic Edgar Allan Poe short story Ligeia, the film is about a young, successful writer and scholar, Jonathan Merrick, who happens to fall under the spell of the bewitchingly, irresistibly beautiful Ligeia. Ligeia knows that she will die of a rare cancer and has decided to fight death by using her mystic powers to...

Patrick Cassidy, who is best known for his musical contribution "Vide Cor Meum" to Ridley Scott's Hannibal, has composed the original score for Edgar Allan Poe's Ligeia, a horror film directed by first time helmer Michael Staininger and starring Wes Bentley, Kaitlin Doubleday and Mackenzie Rosman. The film, which is awaiting distribution, tells the story about a writer who falls under the spell of a bewitching woman who is fighting a fatal illness and will do anything - and we mean anything - to defeat death.

If you head on over to the film's official website you can check out stills, a trailer and much more from Michael Staininger's Edgar Allan Poe adaptation, Ligeia, which stars Wes Bentley, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts, Sofya Skya, Kaitlin Doubleday and Christa Campbell. Check out the one sheet beyond the break. Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful Ligeia. She's fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people's souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé Rowena and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world. They settle down in an old manor by the Black Sea where Ligeia's everlasting presence slowly drives Jonathan to madness...

Wes Bentley dons a co-producer hat and stars as Jonathan Merrick in Edgar Allan Poe's Ligeia , a film by Michael Staininger and written by John Shirley ( The Crow ) that's due to arrive sometime within the next year. If we're being vague on the release date, it's not on purpose. When ShockTillYouDrop.com chatted with Bentley and co-star Michael Madsen ( here ) back in April, we presumed the film was close to completion. Months later, it appears to be done as photos, a trailer (see below) and an official site have surfaced online. Also, you'll find below an early, albeit small, piece of poster art. Bentley plays Merrick, a man caught up in a dying woman's scheme to steal souls from others to keep her alive. Eric Roberts, Sofya Skya and Kaitlin Doubleday co-star. Keep it...

Wes Bentley, Kaitlin Doubleday, Mackenzie Rosman, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts, Christa Campbell, Lydia Hull and Jeff Most are all set to topline Michael Staininger's Edgar Allen Poe's Ligeia. Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful Ligeia. She's fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people's souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé Rowena and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world. They settle down in an old manor by the Black Sea where Ligeia's everlasting presence slowly drives Jonathan to madness...