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A few weeks ago, we shared the news that Outlander actor Graham McTavish has signed on to star in director Neil Marshall’s latest action horror survival thriller, Gunn, where Marshall will be working from a screenplay by Doug Rao, who is producing the film. We also mentioned that Rao recently made his own feature writing and directing debut with the mystery thriller Dirty Boy, which also happened to star Graham McTavish. Now, a trailer for Dirty Boy has dropped online, and you can check it out in the embed above!

Coming our way from Mystic Dream Story Studio and Stone Hill, in association with Saint Halo Productions, Dirty Boy will be having its UK Premiere at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival on June 22nd. It has already been nominated for four awards at the festival; Best Performance in a UK Feature (Graham McTavish), Best UK Feature, Best Director of...

Exclusive: Firebook Entertainment has acquired world sales and distribution rights to Dirty Boy, the debut feature from British actor-turned filmmaker Doug Rao.

The film is described as a psychological thriller. It stars Graham McTavish (The Hobbit) and was shot on location in Styria, Austria, the town where part of The Sound of Music was filmed.

The film’s plot follows a reclusive schizophrenic, raised in an oppressive religious sect, who must clear his name when he’s framed by cult leaders for a series of ritualistic murders. As he races to save the next victim, he must unravel his fractured mind and expose the sect from within.

Also starring are Susie Porter, Stan Steinbichler, Honor Gillies (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and Alice Lucy (Mad Heidi). The film was produced by Rao, Giles Alderson (The Dare), Marek Lichtenberg, and Sarah-Ann Grill.

Writer-director Doug Rao will make his feature debut with Dirty Boy, a thriller starring Graham McTavish (“House of the Dragon”) that Deadline reports on this afternoon.

Stan Steinbichler (Zero Chill), Susie Porter (Gold) and Honor Gillies (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) also star in Dirty Boy, which has wrapped filming.

The film “centers on Issac (Steinbichler), a reclusive schizophrenic who discovers that he’s being framed for a series of ritualistic murders and must prove his innocence by exposing a sinister cult and rescuing their next victim.” Deadline further details in their report, “McTavish and Porter portray the brutal cult leaders, with Gillies as troubled sect member, Hope.”

The cast for the upcoming thriller will also include Alice Lucy, Katharina Scheuba, Ruaridh Adlington, Ava Merson-o’Brien, Michael Kodi Farrow and Olivia Chenery.

Producers are Giles Alderson, Sarah-Anne Grill (Solitary), and Marek Lichtenberg (The Final 45).

The post ‘Dirty...

Exclusive: Graham McTavish (House of the Dragon), Stan Steinbichler (Zero Chill), Susie Porter (Gold) and Honor Gillies (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) have wrapped production on Dirty Boy, an indie psychological thriller marking the first featur from writer-director Doug Rao.

Pic centers on Issac (Steinbichler), a reclusive schizophrenic who discovers that he’s being framed for a series of ritualistic murders and must prove his innocence by exposing a sinister cult and rescuing their next victim. McTavish and Porter portray the brutal cult leaders, with Gillies as troubled sect member, Hope.

Alice Lucy, Katharina Scheuba, Ruaridh Adlington, Ava Merson-o’Brien, Michael Kodi Farrow and Olivia Chenery co-star. Producers of the project are Giles Alderson, Sarah-Anne Grill (Solitary), and Marek Lichtenberg (The Final 45).

“I am delighted with the level of cast I have for my debut feature,” said Rao, “and getting to work...

“Mad Heidi is a grindhouse film in every sense of the word. It’s over the top, bombastic, and absolutely nuts during most of its runtime.” — JoBlo

“Alice Lucy proves herself to be a capable action star in a story filled with memorable characters” — Adventures in Poor Taste

“…a joy for fans of exploitation films.” — Screen Anarchy

“Mad Heidi, like the makers of fine cheese, gets the formula right.” — Nerdly “This is one wild ride that you don’t want to experience alone.” — The Hollywood News “Plenty of gushing blood to satisfy fans” — Eye For Film

Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films are excited to announce the North American digital and physical release of the modern grindhouse epic Mad Heidi. Following a one night theatrical release across the United States and Canada, Mad Heidi will bow on Blu-ray, digital and cable VOD 21st July. The Blu-ray will be available in...

First published in 1881, Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written. As Wikipedia explains, the story follows “a joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler” as she develops a friendship with a girl named Klara, who is unable to walk. More than 140 years later, the Swiss icon Heidi has been reimagined as Mad Heidi for an over-the-top action-adventure horror comedy. The film (read our review Here) received a one-night theatrical release in the United States and Canada last week, but if you missed out on that, you still won’t have to wait much longer to see the movie. Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films are teaming up to bring Mad Heidi to Blu-ray, digital HD, and cable VOD in North America on July 21st!

Directed by Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein, who also wrote the screenplay with Trent Haaga and Gregory D. Widmer,...

Fathom Events, Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films just presented the theatrical premiere of the “modern grindhouse epic” Mad Heidi, which came to theaters nationwide for a special one-night-only engagement on Wednesday, June 21. If you missed it, you’ll be happy to know that Mad Heidi is now headed home in less than one month’s time.

Mad Heidi comes to Blu-ray, Digital HD and VOD outlets on July 21, 2023. The Blu-ray will be available in both a standard edition and a Limited Edition Extra Cheese Edition.

Watch the ultra-violent official Red Band trailer for Mad Heidi below, which looks like it was ripped straight out of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse.

This wicked odyssey of blood and cheese puts a new spin on the classic tale of “Heidi,” finding our heroine (Alice Lucy) all grown-up and living an idyllic life in the Swiss Alps with her beloved grandfather...

The wild new film Mad Heidi is a parody of Heidi by Johanna Spyria, which has been adapted numerous times. In this story, Heidi (Alice Lucy) lives in the Alps with her grandfather Alpöhi (David Schofield). Elsewhere in the country, Switzerland is being ruled over by an evil cheese dictator named President Meili (the very busy Casper Van Dien), who has a monopoly on dairy products and has outlawed lactose intolerance.

One day, Meili’s forces, led by Kommandant Knorr (Max Rüdlinger), discover that the man Heidi loves, Goat Peter (Kel Matsena), is selling illegal dairy products. They have him executed, and Heidi imprisoned. In captivity, Heidi is abused by the guards, who are led by Fräulein Rottweiler (Katja Kolm), and her fellow inmates, though she befriends one of them, Klara Sesemann (Almar G. Sato).

Being Good and Being Not Good

Eventually, Heidi is locked up in solitary for not...

Plot: Swiss mountain girl Heidi is abducted by brutal government troops and must defend herself and fight a war against a cheese-fueled machinery of hate.

Review: I wasn’t familiar with the Heidi character before Mad Heidi but I know she’s quite ingrained in the childhood of many Europeans. So I can only imagine the reaction of someone who grew up with this character, only to see her kick so much ass. Because this is a revenge story more akin to Kill Bill than something you’d be reading to your children at night. From a crazy dictator who thinks the biggest crime in the world is being lactose intolerant to an officer with a very specific kink, this is exploitation in every way. And that’s why I had such a blast with it.

Alice Lucy is fantastic as Heidi, a woman who watches the love of her...

Mad Heidi is clearly in love with the vast history of exploitation and grindhouse films. That’s never more on display than during a sequence in which we watch the titular Heidi (Alice Lucy) go through a Kung-Fu film inspired training montage with katanas as weapons, nuns as teachers, and a rousing Spaghetti Western-style score as backing track. That montage is indicative of the film’s commitment to check off as many subgenre boxes as it can, which sometimes works in its favor -- that sequence is hilarious because of its disjointed parts -- and sometimes does not. There are some moments, particularly early in the film, that feel as though the creators’ understanding of the provocation in exploitation films ended at pushing a button that...

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

If the trailer for Mad Heidi doesn’t get your blood pumping for some fun Grindhouse cinema then I don’t know what will. Mad Heidi comes to us in a hail of gunfire and explosions for just One Night Only via Fathom Events. I was fortunate enough to be able to talk with Mad Heidi herself Alice Lucy as well as the main antagonist of the film played by Casper Van Dien. This was one of the most fun interviews of my career as they clearly loved the project and the end result. From finding out that all of the officer badges had the names of famous directors to discovering that Casper is lactose intolerant (a massive crime in the film), there are lots of fun revelations here. And you can never go wrong with Casper calling you out for seeing him naked. Check out the fun interview embedded below.

This week marks the official start of Summer 2023, and the horror genre is celebrating with four brand new movies that are releasing both in theaters and at home throughout the week.

Here’s all the new horror releasing June 20 – June 25, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up, Japanese surrealist horror film New Religion is now streaming exclusively on Screambox beginning today, written and directed by Keishi Kondo.

In the film, “After her daughter’s death, divorced Miyabi begins working as a call girl. One day, she meets an unsettling customer who wants to take pictures of her body parts. Soon, she realizes that every time she allows her body to be photographed her daughter’s spirit gets closer. She must decide how far she is willing to go to connect with her daughter once again.”

New Religion stars Kaho Seto, Daiki Nunami, Satoshi Oka and Saionji Ryuseigun.

First published in 1881, Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written. As Wikipedia explains, the story follows “a joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler” as she develops a friendship with a girl named Klara, who is unable to walk. More than 140 years later, the Swiss icon Heidi has been reimagined as Mad Heidi for an over-the-top action-adventure horror comedy. Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films are teamping up with Fathom Events to give Mad Heidi a one-night theatrical release on June 21st – and in anticipation of that event, a clip that features some “killer combat” has been released online and can be seen at the bottom of this article.

The Fathom Events of Mad Heidi is scheduled to take place at 7pm local time on the 21st. “Exclusive to the Fathom event is an introduction from stars Casper Van Dien...

There aren't enough communal grindhouse experiences anymore. Sure, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez got together and had some fun, but that was all a bit bloated (and 15 years ago). It's a shame, because there's something very special about sitting among a group of like-minded cinephiles and watching some wacky, wild, and weird. Fortunately, Fathom Events is bringing back the grind in what's being labeled a "Swissploitation" film, the utterly bonkers bonanza, Mad Heidi.

Starring Alice Lucy as a kick-ass vixen out for revenge and Casper Van Dien as a dairy-driven dictator, Mad Heidi is an action-adventure exploitation extravaganza based on the popular children's book character Heidi, and the world's first Swissploitation film. Mad Heidi is coming to theaters nationwide for a special one-night engagement on Wednesday, June 21 at 7:00 p.m. local time, and you can check out an exclusive clip and the synopsis below.

Alice Lucy Leads a Ribald...

First published in 1881, Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written. As Wikipedia explains, the story follows “a joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler” as she develops a friendship with a girl named Klara, who is unable to walk. 141 years later, the Swiss icon Heidi has been reimagined as Mad Heidi for an over-the-top action-adventure horror comedy. The film got an online release back in December, but now Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films have teamed up with Fathom Events to give Mad Heidi a one-night theatrical release!

Mad Heidi will be showing in theatres nationwide on Wednesday, June 21st at 7pm local time. “Exclusive to the Fathom event is an introduction from stars Casper Van Dien and Alice Lucy as well as co-directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein.” To find out if Mad Heidi will be showing in a theatre near you,...

Fathom Events, Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films present the premiere of the “modern grindhouse epic” Mad Heidi, which is coming to theaters nationwide for a special one-night engagement on Wednesday, June 21 at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Tickets are on sale Now through Fathom Events.

Watch the ultra-violent official Red Band trailer for Mad Heidi below, which looks like it was ripped straight out of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse.

This wicked odyssey of blood and cheese puts a new spin on the classic tale of “Heidi,” finding our heroine (Alice Lucy) all grown-up and living an idyllic life in the Swiss Alps with her beloved grandfather (David Schofield) far above an increasingly-dystopian landscape presided over by Our Very Swiss Leader (Casper Van Dien) – a ruthless dictator bent on world domination through dairy.

But when her goat-herding lover (Kel Matsena) is brutally murdered by government thugs for distributing illegal cheese,...

"Now - the girl from the Alps is back... with a vengeance!!" Raven Banner is releasing this action comedy spectacle in theaters in the US this summer, after first debuting last year at a few film festivals. Mad Heidi is the very first "Swissploitation" creation, a mad scientist wacky action horror comedy made with crowd-funding by movie fans from around the world. In a dystopian Switzerland that has fallen under the fascist rule of an evil cheese tyrant, Heidi lives a pure and simple life in the Swiss Alps. Grandfather Alpöhi does his best to protect Heidi, but her desire for freedom soon lands her in trouble with the dictator’s henchmen. Mad Heidi is an action-adventure exploitation extravaganza based on the popular children‘s book character Heidi and the world's first Swissploitation film. The cast features Alice Lucy as Heidi, Max Rüdlinger, Casper Van Dien, David Schofield, Kel Matsena,...

The mountains of Switzerland. Fresh air. Fresh faced young people, full of love. Wild flowers and waterfalls and...cheese smuggling? This Alpine Paradise might not be quite what you thought it was. Iron Sky director Timo Vuorensola may have delivered a disappointment with that film’s sequel, but with his producer hat on he’s back on form with this unlikely tale of totalitarianism, resistance and revenge.

The cheese smuggler is Goat Peter (Kel Matsena), whose affectionate relationship with his caprine charges has inspired him to create his own products high amongst the peaks. This is a serious offence in a mountain land under the sway of tyrannical leader and cheese magnate President Meili (Casper Van Dien). When the military police track him down, they also arrest his girlfriend Heidi (Alice Lucy), taking a more serious interest upon discovering that she’s the daughter of an old revolutionary. That’s their first mistake.

First published in 1881, Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written. As Wikipedia explains, the story follows “a joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler” as she develops a friendship with a girl named Klara, who is unable to walk. 141 years later, the Swiss icon Heidi has been reimagined as Mad Heidi for an over-the-top action-adventure horror comedy. A few months ago, we heard that the movie would be released through “madheidi.com, a dedicated website created by A Film Company, during a three-month exclusive window. The film will then be made available on other platforms as well, followed by Blu-ray and DVD releases and TV.” Now The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the website release is going to happen in just one week, on December 8th!

Johannes Hartmann made his feature directorial debut with Mad Heidi, working from...

Stars: Alice Lucy, David Schofield, Kel Matsena, Casper Van Dien, Max Rüdlinger | Written by Johannes Hartmann, Sandro Klopfstein, Gregory D. Widmer, Trent Haaga | Directed by Johannes Hartmann, Sandro Klopfstein

After several years of raising funds and filming, Mad Heidi arrives just in time to join films like Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, The Banana Splits Movie and the Grinch-themed The Mean One in making bloody exploitation films based on our childhood memories. In this version, Heidi starts out living a carefree life in the Alps with her grandfather Alpöhi, but that’s where the similarities end.

Rather than tending to the goats, she spends her days rolling in the hay with Goat Peter (Kel Matsena; Doctors) whom her grandfather strongly disapproves of. Peter is a dealer in bootleg goat cheese, defying the state-enforced monopoly of Meili Cheese, owned by the Very Swiss Leader President Meili. In one terrible day, this...

Film will get exclusive theatrical window before streaming on bespoke platform.

Raven Banner has acquired North American rights to horror-comedy Mad Heidi and is planning an innovative hybrid release on what the producers have described as “the world’s first Swissploitation movie”.

First-time directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfsteinset their story in a dystopian fairytale Switzerland under the fascist rule of a cheese industry tycoon (Starship Troopers’ Casper Van Dien) whose reign of terror involves hunting down the lactose intolerant.

After her lover is brutally murdered for smuggling goat cheese into the country, young Heidi (Alice Lucy) descends from the...

Click here to read the full article.

Wild and elaborate deaths are part and parcel of genre movies, a blood-soaked world where filmmakers are often in competition to raise the splatter bar as high as possible. Speaking of bars, one film has surely deserves some kind of prize for this year’s most creative — and culturally appropriate — offing, a death in a which an entire triangular tube of Toblerone is hammered into a man’s mouth and out the other side. In another scene, a prisoner is waterboarded with steaming hot fondue (Ok, the fondue is tipped over his eyes while his mouth is stuffed with croutons).

Introducing Mad Heidi, an insane action-adventure horror-comedy described as the “world’s first Swissploitation movie,” and without a doubt the most ridiculous take on the beloved pig-tailed, Alps-living orphan girl Johanna Spyri wrote about 140 years ago.

From first-time directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein,...

Telluride Horror Show today announced the full program for its 13th film festival, scheduled for October 14-16, 2022, in the funky and unique mining-turned-ski town of Telluride, Colorado.

“This year’s program features a robust international lineup with the latest and best horror films from 15 countries around the world, with numerous directors and cast and crew members in person. Attendees will have a chance to meet Hollywood legend Clint Howard at Friday’s Ice Scream Social, where he’ll be scooping ice cream before the festival’s retro program of Ice Cream Man with Q&a presented by Vinegar Syndrome. Pass holders will also be able to test their horror movie knowledge on Sunday during Fright or Wrong’s Horror Trivia, where players are encouraged to arrive dressed as their favorite horror villain.

“Several other free events will be open to the public throughout the weekend including the 2022 Horror Summit, as...

In the first leg of what it hopes is an industry revolution, Zurich-based A Film Company has raised north of 2 million in crowd investment from 560 people across 19 counties to co-finance “Mad Heidi,” an action-adventure horror comedy reimagining of the Swiss icon.

The Ott re-set includes portraying the Swiss icon Hedi as she’s never been seen before – with smocked dress, puffed sleeves, apron and pigtails, yes, but as a badass, kick-ass rebel with the brute strength to slice an opponent in two, top to toe, with a battle axe, for example.

In industrial terms, however, the change goes even further as “Mad Heidi” departs from traditional film models not only in financing but also distribution.

Starring Casper Van Dien (“Starship Troopers”) and David Schofield, the English-language movie, with a total 3.5 million budget, is now readying for the second and most radical part of the experiment: Exclusive global release day and date on madheidi.