News

Stars: Michael St. Michaels, Sky Elobar, Elizabeth De Razzo, Gil Gex, Abdoulaye NGom, Holland MacFallister, Sam Dissanayake, Joe David Walters, Sal Koussa, Jesse Keen, Carl Solomon, Dana Haas | Written by Toby Harvard, Jim Hosking | Directed by Jim Hosking

While it is fair to say that some movies are just bad, there are others that are created to Be bad. While for some people, they stay that way, for others they become a self-aware gem of a film that has its own charm… The Greasy Strangler is definitely the latter.

The Greasy Strangler is a tale that follows the lives of Big Ronnie (Michael St. Michales) and his father Big Brayden (Sky Elobar). While taking a group of people on their Disco Walking tour, they encounter Janet (Elizabeth De Razzo) who Ronnie soon falls for. With attention movie away from his father to this new woman in their lives, it soon...

October is upon us. The leaves are changing. Sweaters are becoming more abundant. Awards contenders are popping up in theaters nationwide. But those are far from the only films opening throughout the coming weeks. Below, you’ll find every planned theatrical release for the month of October, separated out into films with wide runs and limited ones. (Synopses are provided by festivals and distributors.)

Each week, we’ll give you an update with more specific information on where these films are playing. In the meantime, be sure to check our calendar page, where we’ll update releases for the rest of the year. Stay warm and happy watching!

Week of October 7 Wide

The Birth of a Nation

Director: Nate Parker

Cast: Aja Naomi King, Armie Hammer, Gabrielle Union, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Junior, Nate Parker

Synopsis: Set against the antebellum South and based on a true story, “The Birth...

Kate Plays ChristineThe lineup for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place between January 21 -31, has been announced.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITIONAs You Are (Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, USA): As You Are is the telling and retelling of a relationship between three teenagers as it traces the course of their friendship through a construction of disparate memories prompted by a police investigation. Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Heaton, Amandla Stenberg, John Scurti, Scott Cohen, Mary Stuart Masterson. World Premiere The Birth of a Nation (Nate Parker, USA): Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr. World PremiereChristine (Antonio Campos,...

The Sundance Film institute has released the line-up of film for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Going to Sundance is one of my favorite events of the year. I love going because you never know what kind of movies you're going to see. Sometimes they are great films that amaze and entertain, other times they completely suck ass, but that's all part of the fun of going to the festival. It's an awesome experience for any hardcore movie geek, and if you ever get a chance to go, you need to.

The event takes place in Park City, Utah next year from January 21st to the 31st. It looks like there's a great line-up of movies at next year's event. My favorite portion of the event is the Midnight section because it deals more with geeky genre type movies, but I also enjoy the various sections of other line-ups.

Some of...

As we near the end of the calendar year, there is still plenty to look forward to in cinema – and not just the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December. Yes, as we barrel down on the industry’s undisputed purple patch, our local theaters will soon become brimming with awards contenders each out to stake a claim for that coveted Oscar trophy.

Much like previous years, the Academy’s presentation will take place in February, and it’ll be preceded by the Sundance Film Festival one month prior. Returning for its 32nd year on the festival circuit, the Midnight selection has been formally revealed, confirming such entires as Rob Zombie’s horror 31 along with the Kevin Smith-directed college flick, Yoga Hosers.

Blending irreverent comedies with impassioned horror films, the Midnight slate of Sundance 2016 is once again jam-packed with notable release, and let’s not forget...

This January, Sundance Film Festival attendees will have the chance to witness the mania of Murder World, as the festival announced today that Rob Zombie's Halloween-set horror film 31 will be part of its special Midnight section, along with Kevin Smith's Yoga Hosers, The Greasy Strangler, and more.

To celebrate the Sundance screening announcement, a new image from 31 has been released, along with a video of Rob Zombie's on-the-go reaction to the news. For more details, we have the official press release:

Press Release: Park City, Ut — Adrenaline junkies and genre film-lovers know the real fun at the Sundance Film Festival starts at midnight. Sundance Institute tonight offers a first look at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival by announcing the nine feature films that will screen in its iconic Midnight section, which has launched films including The Blair Witch Project, Saw, Super Troopers, The Babadook, Black Dynamite, What We Do In The Shadows,...

A change of pace for Sundance Film Festival, before we get their competition films (and much more), they’ve first unveiled their midnight line-up for 2016. Among the notable titles are the latest films from Rob Zombie and Kevin Smith, 31 and Yoga Hosers, respectively. However, what keeps me coming back to Park City are the surprises, so there’s also a handful of features from relatively unknown directors that have caught our eye, including Carnage Park and Under the Shadow. Check out the line-up below, along with debut images, and return for our coverage in around two months.

31 / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rob Zombie) — Five friends are kidnapped on the day before Halloween and are held hostage in a terrifying place named Murder World. While trapped, they must play a violent game called 31, in which the mission is to survive 12 hours against a gang of evil clowns. Cast: Sheri Moon Zombie,...

Is it really almost time for Sundance again? For the last few weeks, I've been discussing Sundance strategy with Richard Rushfield, my editor-in-chief. He and I are attending at least part of the festival together, and it's going to be a very different year for us. HitFix looks different than it did even a year ago, and the way we approach festivals in general is going to be different starting in 2016. That doesn't mean I'll abandon the things that I think are interesting about a fest. I've always been drawn to the midnight programming at the different festivals I attend, and I'm intrigued by the differences in the way each section is programmed. I think the king of the midnight sections is, without question, Colin Geddes. His Midnight Madness selections may not always work for me, but there is a personal touch to the way he curates the ten nights...

In an unusual move, the Sundance Film Festival revealed the nine-strong genre strand line-up late on Sunday night with little warning.

The section includes Rob Zombie’s 31, Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers (pictured) — the second in his True North trilogy that began with Toronto 2014 entry Tusk — featuring Johnny Depp and Babak Anvari’s Tehran-set Under The Shadow.

Midnight selections appear below with full synopses as provided by the festival. All films hail from the Us and are world premieres unless stated otherwise.

This year’s festival will include a programme of Midnight short films. Those and other Sundance selections will be announced in the weeks ahead. Sundance will run from January 21-31 2016.

31, Rob Zombie

Five friends are kidnapped on the day before Halloween and are held hostage in a terrifying place named Murder World. While trapped, they must play a violent game called 31, in which the mission is to survive 12 hours against a gang of evil clowns...

In an unusual move, the festival revealed the nine-strong genre strand line-up late on Sunday night with little warning.

The section includes Rob Zombie’s 31, Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers (pictured) — the second in his True North trilogy that began with Toronto 2014 entry Tusk — featuring Johnny Depp and Babak Anvari’s Tehran-set Under The Shadow.

Midnight selections appear below with full synopses as provided by the festival. All films hail from the Us and are world premieres unless stated otherwise.

This year’s festival will include a programme of Midnight short films. Those and other Sundance selections will be announced in the weeks ahead. Sundance will run from January 21-31 2016.

31, Rob Zombie

Five friends are kidnapped on the day before Halloween and are held hostage in a terrifying place named Murder World. While trapped, they must play a violent game called 31, in which the mission is to survive 12 hours against a gang of evil clowns.

Cast: [link...

In an unusual move, the festival revealed the nine-strong genre strand line-up late on Sunday night with little warning.

The section includes Rob Zombie’s 31, Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers — the second in his True North trilogy that began with Toronto 2014 entry Tusk — featuring Johnny Depp and Babak Anvari’s Tehran-set Under The Shadow.

Midnight selections appear below with full synopses as provided by the festival. All films hail from the Us and are world premieres unless stated otherwise.

This year’s festival will include a programme of Midnight short films. Those and other Sundance selections will be announced in the weeks ahead. Sundance will run from January 21-31 2016.

31 (USA), Rob Zombie)

Five friends are kidnapped on the day before Halloween and are held hostage in a terrifying place named Murder World. While trapped, they must play a violent game called 31, in which the mission is to survive 12 hours against a gang of evil clowns.

Cast: [link...

A road trip between lifelong friends goes violently awry in two trailers for Scenic Route. Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler star as Mitchell and Carter, two friends who take a road trip to reconnect, when they get stranded on a desert road. As the sweltering heat begins to take its toll, these former buddies violently confront the decisions that lead up to this trip. We also have the first poster from this upcoming thriller, directed by Kevin Goetz and Michael Goetz, hitting theaters nationwide August 23.

Scenic Route - Trailer 1

Scenic Route - Trailer 2

Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler), life-long friends who have drifted apart, are on a road trip when their old pickup breaks down, leaving them stranded on an isolated desert road. Nobody can pick apart a man like his best friend, and as the relentless elements of the desert grind them down, they start to attack...