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Regardless of their artistic merit, it’s understandable that it can sometimes be difficult for mainstream cinephiles to connect with movies about twisted bodies and grisly mutations. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that these films are any less deserving of praise – it’s just that not every critic has a strong stomach. That’s why it’s so satisfying to see a production like Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body horror flick The Substance get the recognition it deserves in spite of its disturbing mean streak.

And in honor of this Demi Moore / Margaret Qualley experiment wowing highbrow audiences worldwide, we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six other arthouse body horror flicks for your viewing pleasure! After all, there’s no reason that fine cinema should be devoid of blood and malformed guts.

For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining “arthouse” as any film...

When the world was first introduced to Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), she was a budding adult film starlet traveling with her crew to Texas to appear in the film "The Farmer's Daughter." She tells her boyfriend/film producer Wayne that she wants the whole world to know her name, "like Lynda Carter or some s**t." He tells her that the whole world will lust after her because she's "got that X-factor." She has dreams of being a star with her name in lights, and she'll do whatever it takes to get to the top. This film was supposed to be her ticket to superstardom, but after the events of the Texas Porn Star Murders, Maxine Minx escaped as the sole survivor and had to start again in the City of Angels.

Six years after the events of "X," Maxine Minx returns in "MaXXXine," (read our review here) which sees...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: Cold Sore Terrorism, Period Sex, and John Waters as Your Youth Pastor? Nice Work, Pauline!

It’s my understanding that the tampons were handmade.

Unfortunately, I was unable to hunt down the contact information for “Excision” writer/director Richard Bates Jr. to confirm that fact in time for this column’s ceremonial 11:59pm publication. (Cut me some slack; it’s festival season!) But what little information I could uncover about his debut film’s 2012 Sundance premiere — a storied screening that took place as part of that year’s Park...

Sharknado has been back in the news this year, since 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the goofball shark movie’s initial release – so it’s fitting that Sharknado director Anthony C. Ferrante also has multiple new movies making their way out into the world this year. The latest Ferrante joint is the horror film Dante’s Hotel, which is set to be released through the Tubi streaming service this Friday, October 13th. With its premiere just three days off, a trailer for Dante’s Hotel has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Scripted by Ferrante and William C. Martell, Dante’s Hotel has the following synopsis: When an unknown assailant preys on the patrons of a haunted hotel, an event planner teams up with a mysterious tenant whose dark past is the key to freeing the cursed hotel.

AnnaLynne McCord (Excision), Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club), Moon Bloodgood (Falling Skies...

Stonecutter Media has announced that they will be giving Aaron’s Blood director Tommy Stovall’s Faustian tale Condition of Return a weeklong theatrical release on September 22nd, and will also be bringing the film to Vudu and Cable VOD on the same date. In anticipation of this release, a trailer for Condition of Return has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Scripted by John Spare, the film is said to be a “slow burn character study” about “a churchgoing schoolteacher’s descent into darkness, and the lengths she’ll go to reclaim her life”. AnnaLynne McCord of Excision and the more recent version of 90210 stars as Eve Sullivan, who is arrested for committing a heinous crime. Shackled in a police station breakroom, she is questioned by psychoanalyst Dr. Donald Thomas, who is tasked with determining her fitness to stand trial. In a contentious interview,...

In the article series Sound and Vision we take a look at music videos from notable directors. This week we look at White Lung's Below, directed by Richard Bates Jr. Richard Bates Jr. made an impressive debut with Excision, a gory coming-of-age horror with a powerful central performance for AnnaLynne McCord. In it, a young woman who has an obsession with blood and bodies, goes very far to get back at the people who hurt her and save her sister. It plays like a mix between John Hughes and Jörg Buttgereit, and is exactly as fucked-up as that sentence seems to imply. While Richard Bates Jr. never really fulfilled the promise of Excision, films like Tone-deaf, Trash Fire and King Knight...

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

Alaina Castillo is slowly but steadily rising into pop stardom, and on her way there, she's capturing the emotional pulse of an entire generation. Through soft and melodic tunes, the Mexican American artist is vocal about her feelings, all while basking in the joy that processing her dark emotions through music brings her.

First gaining popularity with covers on YouTube, Castillo reached new heights in 2022, opening for Coldplay in her Houston hometown's own Ngr stadium during the band's "Music of the Spheres" World Tour and releasing her critically acclaimed EP "Fantasies." Now, she's focusing on creating new music that showcases all of her sides, from the raw, sad emotions to her Latina identity and her love for Edm music.

"I'm doing the little kind of sad dance vibes that are bringing in a bunch of Spanglish . . . I'm incorporating a lot of dance influences," she tells Popsugar. "I'm very excited because...

King Knight is the latest twisted yet brilliant movie from director Richard Bates Jr. I have been a big fan of his movies since his debut Excision almost ten years ago and thought there was no better time to remind people of his movies now that King Knight is doing the festival rounds.

First up is the aforementioned Excision. And what a debut it is, as we see ‘a disturbed high school student with aspirations of a career in medicine go to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother’. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. With a fantastically varied cast including AnnaLynne McCord, Ariel Winter, Malcom McDowell, Ray Wise, John Waters and Traci Lords it’s an expertly-crafted and grotesque story which you will not forget in a hurry.

The director’s second movie was completely different though. How you go from Excision to a...

Stars: Matthew Gray Gubler, Andy Milonakis, Johnny Pemberton, Angela Sarafyan, Barbara Crampton, Ray Wise, Kate Comer, Emily Chang, Josh Fadem, Swati Kapila, Shane Brady | Written and Directed by Richard Bates Jr.

The latest genre opus from Richard Bates Jr., whose previous work includes Excision, Trash Fire and Tone Deaf, King Knight reunites Bates with his Suburban Gothic star Matthew Gray Gubler in yet another twisted slice of American life tale that Bates is known for – quirky, strange and otherworldly… in this case focussing on witches?!

What makes a good witch nowadays? A deep sense of spirituality and communion with nature? Devotion to a tight-knit group of like-minded free spirits? A successful Etsy shop and a sick set of Tarot cards? Living the dream alongside his beautiful life partner Willow (Angela Sarafyan), the revered high priest of a modern Californian coven, Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) has it all… as well as...

We’re all good people, but we’re full of shit. Or, as the characters in King Knight say, we all have “poo in our butts”. We’re all imperfect human beings, some more malicious than others, and it’s the outsider who receives the brunt of that malice. Writer-director Richard Bates Jr. looks at the outsider with a dark sense of humor and with a farcical approach, creating one of the best comedies of the year. While looking at religion, conservatives, and society in general, King Knight aims to present Wicca in a positive light. It succeeds, leading to a journey of acceptance and rebirth.

Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) is a witch, but not evil, he explains. His life partner Willow (Angela Sarafyan) is a registered nurse and supports his dream of starting a birdbath business. In this introduction to himself and his coven, he also clarifies that the...

One of my favorite festivals is back with a virtual event taking place this August! The Fantasia International Film Festival has announced its first wave of programming, which includes a diverse slate of features and a special focus on Japanese cinema:

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 // Montreal, Quebec -- The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the first wave of programming for its upcoming 25th edition, set again to take place as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada. The festival will run from August 5 - 25, 2021 and will include scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops, with films once again hosted on the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72. As the summer approaches, Fantasia organizers will be following advice from local health authorities in Montreal with respect to the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events as well. In celebration of the key role that Japan...

On this special Indie Horror Month episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Horror BFFs Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley reflect on their favorite indie horror movies of the past decade, including The Final Girls, The Invitation, We Are Still Here, The Woman, It Follows, The Blackcoat's Daughter, The Lords of Salem, and Excision.

You can listen to the 200th episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.

Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!

Missed out on our previous episodes?...

John Waters has joined the cast of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Season 4 at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.

Waters will be appear in a guest starring role in the fourth season of the critically-acclaimed series, with the exact nature of the character he is playing being kept under wraps. Season 4 is currently in production in New York.

Waters is best known for his work behind the camera, having written and directed films like “Pink Flamingos,” “Hairspray,” “Cry-Baby,” and “Cecil B. Demented.” He is also the author of the book “Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder.” Waters is no stranger to acting, though. He has appeared in small roles in a number of his own films as well as others like “Seed of Chucky,” “Mangus!,” “Excision,” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.” On the TV side, he has been on shows like “Law & Order: Svu,...

Stars: Robert Patrick, Amanda Crew, Kim Delaney, Hayley Marie Norman, Johnny Pemberton, Nancy Linehan Charles, Ray Wise, AnnaLynne McCord | Written and Directed by Richard Bates Jr.

The latest genre opus from Richard Bates Jr., whose previous work includes Excision, Trash Fire and Suburban Gothic, Killer Instinct (formerly known as Tone-Deaf) tells the story of Olive (Amanda Crew), a millennial working in the fashion industry who decides to vacation in the countryside to spend a quiet weekend alone after losing her job and having her last complicated relationship implode. She makes the mistake of renting a country house from a complete stranger online, old-fashioned widower Harvey (Robert Patrick), who – seemingly succumbing to dementia – struggles to hide his pyschopathic tendencies…

If you’ve ever seen any of Richard Bates Jr.’s film before you won’t be surprised to discover that Killer Instinct features his usual style of imagery strewn throughout. The...

Exclusive: Criminal Minds star Matthew Gray Gubler and Westworld’s Angela Sarafyan are set to topline King Knight, a pagan comedy written and directed by Richard Bates Jr. It’s about a High Priest of a modern-day coven who confronts his past as an all-American prepster.

AnnaLynne McCord, Nelson Franklin, Emily Chang, Johnny Pemberton, Josh Fadem, Kate Comer, Andy Milonakis, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Shane Brady, Barbara Crampton and Ray Wise make up the supporting cast. Robert Higginbotham is the producer.

The project marks the fifth feature for Bates, who most recently directed the horror-comedy Tone Deaf, starring Amanda Crew and Robert Patrick. His films Excision and Trash Fire debuted in the Sundance Midnight Program.

Gubler, who has played Dr. Spencer Reid since the first season of Criminal Minds, co-stars in Endings, Beginnings, the Drake Doremus-helmed romantic drama that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was picked up by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Once again, Insomniac’s Escape Psycho Circus took over the Nos Events Center in San Bernardino this past weekend for yet another thrilling two-day event highlighting some of the best electronic music acts from across the world with tons of spooky shenanigans, just in time for the Halloween season. For 2019, Escape not only revamped its stages, but also several key areas of the festival, and these improvements were very welcome, making it the biggest and best year in the long-running festival’s impressive history.

More than 65 artists played on Escape’s four stages, including the likes of Deadmau5, Dillon Francis, Rl Grime, Dombresky, TestPilot, Eric Prydz, Excision, ATLiens, Valentino Khan, San Holo, Nicole Moudaber (who performed a B3B set with both Dubfire and Paco Asuna), Alesso, i_o, Bear Grillz, Chris Liebing B2B with Charlotte De Witte, Timmy Trumpet, Headhunterz, and so many more.

This year, a giant...

Stars: Robert Patrick, Amanda Crew, Kim Delaney, Hayley Marie Norman, Johnny Pemberton, Nancy Linehan Charles, Ray Wise, AnnaLynne McCord | Written and Directed by Richard Bates Jr.

The latest genre opus from Richard Bates Jr., whose previous work includes Excision, Trash Fire and Suburban Gothic, Tone-Deaf tells the story of Olive (Amanda Crew), a millennial working in the fashion industry who decides to vacation in the countryside to spend a quiet weekend alone after losing her job and having her last complicated relationship implode. She makes the mistake of renting a country house from a complete stranger online, old-fashioned widower Harvey (Robert Patrick), who – seemingly succumbing to dementia – struggles to hide his pyschopathic tendencies…

If you’ve ever seen any of Richard Bates Jr.’s film before you won’t be surprised to discover that Tone-Deaf features his usual style of imagery strewn throughout. The sequences in which Harvey’s twisted...

Richard Bates, Jr.’s first three films, Excision, Suburban Gothic, and Trash Fire, comprise a “Coming of Age Trilogy” highlighting experiences that represent high school, college, and adulthood. His next film, Tone-Deaf, seems full of grown-up problems. The film stars Robert Patrick, Amanda Crew, Hayley Marie Norman, Johnny Pemberton, Nancy Linehan Charles, AnnaLynne McCord, Keisha Castle-Hughes, with Ray Wise and […] The post Trailer: Brutal Black Comedy Tone-deaf Hits Theaters in August appeared first on Dread Central.

Richard Bates, Jr.’s first three films, Excision, Suburban Gothic, and Trash Fire, comprise a “Coming of Age Trilogy” highlighting experiences that represent high school, college, and adulthood. His next film, Tone-Deaf, seems full of grown-up problems. The film stars Robert Patrick, Amanda Crew, Hayley Marie Norman, Johnny Pemberton, Nancy Linehan Charles, AnnaLynne McCord, Keisha Castle-Hughes, […] The post Trailer: Excision/Trash Fire Director’s Next Flick, Tone-deaf, Stars Robert Patrick appeared first on Dread Central.

Tone-Deaf is a horror comedy from director Richard Bates Jr. Film fans will recognize Bates Jr. from his other films, like: Excision (2012), Suburban Gothic (2014) and Trash Fire (2016). His latest brings a social justice advocate out into the country. Here, a psychopath resides, waiting for his first victim. A trailer, for the film, was just released this week via Saban Films and the clip can be found below. The film centers on the character Olive (Amanda Crew). She has just lost her job and ended her latest dysfunctional relationship. Determined for a new start, Olive heads out into rural America, to clear her mind. However, Harvey (Robert Patrick) has his own plans. Plagued with strange visions, Harvey can barely contain his murderous impulses. Both worlds collide in a rural B & B. Tone-Deaf has already had its World Premiere; the film debuted at this year's SXSW Film Festival, in Austin. Now, Tone-Deaf...

As the year 2019 continues to just fly by, the SXSW Film Festival is already right around the corner, kicking off on Friday in Austin, Texas. Not only does SXSW boast several impressive studio horror premieres this year, both opening and closing the festival, but it also features a Murderers' Row of talent in their Midnighters slate as well. This writer will once again be on site at the fest representing Daily Dead, and while I am really excited about everything on my docket over the next few weeks, here are 13 things happening at SXSW 2019 that have me especially amped to check out throughout all the film-related festivities.

Us (Director/Screenwriter: Jordan Peele)

I mean, it’s a new horror movie from Jordan Peele featuring a stellar cast oozing with raw talent. What more could I possibly need?

Festival Synopsis: An original nightmare from Oscar-winner Jordan Peele (Get Out), starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke,...

Over the weekend, Insomniac’s Escape: Psycho Circus event transformed the Nos Events Center into the biggest Halloween dance party of the year, with 125,000 attendees making their way to San Bernardino to experience more than 70 different electronic music artists who performed on four oversized stages over the course of two days. I realize that living in Southern California means I’m privy to some truly jaw-dropping Halloween-themed events and activities, but Escape weekend has quickly become my favorite time during the entire month of October, as it feels like two of my worlds colliding—electronic music and horror—into one unforgettable experience. And with each year, Escape: Psycho Circus continues to get even bigger and better, with this year’s festivities being the best time I’ve had to date.

For this year’s Escape Halloween celebration, Insomniac really amped up their overall efforts throughout the entire Nos Events Center.

One of my favorite traditions for Halloween weekend has become Insomniac’s Escape: Psycho Circus, a two-day Halloween festival and freak show that transforms the Nos Events Center in San Bernardino, California into a devilish playground where attendees can immerse themselves in endless festive frights while checking out over 65 of the best electronic music acts performing all weekend on four different horror-themed stages.

As someone who attends a variety of electronic festivals throughout the year, Escape: Psycho Circus is one of the best, and their Escape Asylum Halloween maze is one of the most enjoyable attractions I’ve ever experienced. The fact that they put you into a straitjacket upon entry only adds to the terror and hysteria you experience as you make your way through the haunt’s 32,000 square feet of creepy shocks and jolts.

Here’s a look at the impressively awesome musical lineup for the eighth annual Escape: Psycho Circus,...

Amanda Crew and Robert Patrick are starring in Ricky Bates Jr.’s home-invasion horror movie “Tone Deaf.”

Production has begun on “Tone Deaf,” which is the first film in the yearly slate of elevated suspense-thriller genre films from Circle of Confusion (producers of “The Walking Dead”), Lightning Entertainment and Hindsight Media.

Crew portrays a woman who leaves for a a quiet weekend in the country after losing her job and imploding her latest dysfunctional relationship. She rents a country house from an old-fashioned widower, played by Patrick, who’s struggling to hide his psychopathic tendencies. Soon, two generations collide with terrifying results in this home invasion horror film that is also a darkly comedic critique of the bizarre cultural and political climate.

Producers are Circle of Confusion’s Lawrence Mattis, Brad Mendelsohn and Matt Smith; along with Brion Hambel and Paul Jensen of Best Medicine Productions. Executive producers are Lightning...

Grimmfest, Manchester’s Festival of Horror, Cult and Fantastic Film is back; bigger, bolder, and bloodier than ever before. As the Printworks once again find itself under siege by blood-soaked hordes of horror enthusiasts and film freaks, as Team Grimmfest unleashes…the Ninth Configuration! The festivals latest and greatest line-up yet of dark, dangerous, wild, weird, witty, thrilling, chilling, blood-spilling movies, every one of them a premiere or cult classic of one kind or another.

Highlights include: World Premieres!

Grimmfest is proud to be presenting the world premiere of the remarkable and utterly unique Borley Rectory. Using an elaborate mixture of live action, stills, paintings, and model work, it’s an immersive, eerily atmospheric, and elegantly retro-styled exploration of the Most Haunted House in Britain. Over six years in the making, it’s a real labor of love for its creator, Ashley Thorpe. Featuring a score by Ex-Banshee Steve Severin,...

Stars: Matthew Gray Gubler, AnnaLynne McCord, Alisha Boe, Sheila Vand, Sam Eidson | Written and Directed by Trent Haaga

Seemingly inhabiting the same universe as Cheap Thrills, the film he co-wrote with David Chirchirillo, 68 Kill, Trent Haaga’s second feature as director (his first being Chop) is a similar deep-dive into the fringes of American society – an underbelly that walks the fine line between morality and depravity. A world where people will do anything for money. Or so it would seem.

Trailer-dwelling, sewage-pumping Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler) may not lead the most glamorous life, but he’s got one thing going for him: he’s head over heels infatuated with his girlfriend Liza (AnnaLynne McCord). He’s more than willing to overlook her wild streak, the fact that she’s hooking up with their landlord and her rather extreme mood swings. So when she proposes a plot to steal $68,000, he goes along with the plan.

Trent Haaga has spent more than 15 years establishing himself in the realm of indie filmmaking. An esteemed graduate of Troma University, where he got his start as the writer on Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger 4, Haaga also penned Deadgirl and Cheap Thrills (and numerous other projects), and has made appearances in over 50 films to date. While Chop, a 2011 micro-budget horror comedy that has been grossly overlooked, may have been Haaga’s first-ever time in the director’s seat, it’s with his follow-up effort, 68 Kill, that he cements himself as a filmmaking force of nature who continues to build a strong foundation as a purveyor of cult cinema.

With a screenplay based on Bryan Smith’s book of the same name, 68 Kill introduces us to Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler), a trailer-dwelling nice guy who pumps sewage for a living and is completely infatuated with his out-of-control girlfriend, Liza (AnnaLynne McCord...

Stars: Rob Zabrecky, Lisa Howard, Elisha Yaffe, Jackie Hoffman, Hannah Barron, Reese Ehlinger, Whitney Hayes | Written and Directed by Joseph Wartnerchaney

Decay focuses on a middle-aged grounds keeper at a local theme park (played by Rob Zabrecky) that suffers from a debilitating case of Ocd. One day, his daily routine is disrupted by a surprise visitor in his basement: a beautiful young woman who, through a jarring turn of events, ends up dead. Jonathan panics and chooses not to report the dead girl. Instead, he invites her to dinner. Jonathan is happy to have a friend, until the police start closing in, and his mind, and the body of the girl, begins to decay.

Opening with a quote taken from a thousand internet memes is an odd way to start a horror movie. But then Decay is odd all over – odd characters, odd situations and an oddly beautiful appearance. And oddly,...

Make no mistake about it: this was a great year for horror fans. It was so good, in fact, that making a list of “favorites” is almost impossible because there’s just too much I want to talk about. The independent horror scene continues to crank out new classics and minor gems, but even studio horror was good this year: The Conjuring 2, Don’t Breathe, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Lights Out (not my bag, but a lot of people really enjoyed it), The Boy (not a lot of people’s bag, but I really enjoyed it), The Purge: Election Year, and so on. Even better? Pretty much every one of them was successful at the box office. As more and more horror moves are released with the limited release / VOD model, it’s nice to know that good movies still play to big audiences at the multiplex.

And what about horror on TV?...

2016 was chock-full of big blockbuster releases, many of which either failed to make a sizable profit or were incredibly divisive among audiences. But out of the ashes rose a beautiful flower: the indie film. Yes, independent movies had a wonderful year, some even breaking per-theater records and making their way onto my favorites of 2016 list, which also includes a Denis Villeneuve film, a comic book series, collectibles, an excellent comprehensive horror documentary, and more.

Arrival: Denis Villeneuve's Arrival is a beautiful take on language and how communication (or the lack of proper communication) can either doom or ensure our survival as human beings on this planet. The way Villeneuve tells a story is the perfect fit for a film like Arrival because its focus is small but the ideas are big, much like his previous works, Enemy, Sicario, and Prisoners.

My hope is that the takeaway from Arrival...

Ever since 2012’s razor-sharp Excision (or 2008’s short film Excision, technically), writer/director Richard Bates Jr. has been slicing and dicing the horror genre with his pitch-black brand and stinging social takedowns. Excision tore into religion and social awkwardness, while Suburban Gothic employed a goofy paranormal detective – but Trash Fire only crescendos his darkest thoughts.

Humor pushes through vile, narcissistic, masochistic appropriations of false appearances, making Bates’ previous films look like kiddie content in comparison. No character bothers to filter their intentions, berating one another with the most toxic, hurtful dialogue that’ll have you laughing your way to Hell. Bates writes a painful arc that’s constantly torturing those caught in their own emotional inferno, holding onto signature quirks despite his most serious vision yet. It’s a lit fuse that never stops burning, until humanity is nothing but blown-away dream.

Adrian Grenier stars as Owen, whose life is a catastrophic disaster.

Anyone who has sat through director Richard Bates Jr.’s memorably disturbing 2012 effort Excision may have an inkling of what to expect with this, his third feature-length effort. While there are shared tonal similarities with the latter, Trash Fire represents a big step up for the director. A film of two halves, we’re initially witness […]

The post Grimmfest 2016: Trash Fire Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Going home to make peace with your past isn't always a good idea, as evidenced in the official trailer for Trash Fire, the latest film from Richard Bates Jr. (Excision, Suburban Gothic).

Synopsis: "When Owen is forced to confront the past he's been running from his whole adult life, he and his girlfriend, Isabel, become entangled in a horrifying web of lies, deceit and murder. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be scarred for life."

Written and directed by Richard Bates Jr., Trash Fire stars Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, Fionnula Flanagan, AnnaLynne McCord, and Matthew Gray Gubler. Vertical Entertainment and Orion Releasing will release Trash Fire in theaters on November 4th.

Trailer via New Trailer Buzz:

The post Watch the Official Trailer for Trash Fire appeared first on Daily Dead.

Cowboys and sinister spirits are coming to Canada this October for the 11th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The fest's first ten films have now been announced, including Ti West's new Western, In a Valley of Violence, Babak Anvari's Under the Shadow, Richard Bates Jr.'s Trash Fire, and more.

Toronto After Dark Film Festival takes place October 13th–21st. To learn more, visit the festival's official website and check out the press release below for full details:

Press Release:September 22, 2016: Toronto After Dark Film Festival is thrilled to officially unveil its first wave of exciting film announcements for 2016! Included in the lineup are some of the most critically acclaimed and eagerly anticipated new horror, sci-fi, action and cult films from this year’s international film festival circuit. These 10 new movies will all screen at Toronto After Dark Film Festival as part of the 11th Annual Edition...

The first programming has been revealed for the 20th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. Taking place from July 14th–August 2nd in Montreal, this year’s Fantasia will honor Guillermo del Toro with the Cheval Noir Award, and the newly revealed first wave of programming includes screenings of Lights Out, Abattoir, In a Valley of Violence, Under the Shadow, Trash Fire, Teenage Cocktail, and more:

Press Release: Montreal, May 26, 2016 – The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in Montreal this summer, taking place from July 14-August 2, with its Frontiéres international co-production market and Industry Rendez-Vous weekend being held July 21-24. The full lineup of over 130 feature films will be announced July 5th. In the meantime, the festival is excited to announce a selected first wave of titles, along with several special happenings.

For Fantasia’s 2016 poster, the festival has once again turned to award-winning Quebec visual artist Donald Caron.

Exclusive: Richard Bates Jr.’s horror premiered at Sundance.

Vertical Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to Richard Bates Jr.’s Sundance horror Trash Fire starring Adrian Grenier.

Co-president Rich Goldberg anticipates a fourth quarter release on the Circle Of Confusion and Snowfort Pictures production about a man who confronts his past and becomes entangled with his wife in a web of lies, deceit and murder.

Angela Trimbur, Fionnula Flanagan, AnnaLynne McCord, Sally Kirkland, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Ray Santiago round out the key cast.

David Clark Lawson Jr produced with Lawrence Mattis and Matt Smith, while Makan Delrahim served as executive producer.

Bates Jr directed Sundance 2012 entry Excision as well as Suburban Gothic.

“Ricky [Bates Jr.] has delivered another cult classic,” said Goldberg. “The film is a wild ride, and performances from Adrian, Angela, and the rest of the cast are fantastic – this is a team we’ve been wanting to collaborate with for some time now and are...

Another week, another installment of VOD Vault – taking a look at some of this weeks on-demand releases that have hit various VOD platforms. This week we’re focusing on independent Us horror, in particular two new VOD titles which share a similar “odd” theme: Decay and Tabloid Vivant.

Decay

Stars: Rob Zabrecky, Lisa Howard, Elisha Yaffe, Jackie Hoffman, Hannah Barron, Reese Ehlinger, Whitney Hayes | Written and Directed by Joseph Wartnerchaney

Decay focuses on a middle-aged grounds keeper at a local theme park (played by Rob Zabrecky) that suffers from a debilitating case of Ocd. One day, his daily routine is disrupted by a surprise visitor in his basement: a beautiful young woman who, through a jarring turn of events, ends up dead. Jonathan panics and chooses not to report the dead girl. Instead, he invites her to dinner. Jonathan is happy to have a friend, until the police start closing in,...

Writer/director Richard Bates Jr. emerged on the horror scene a few years ago with the release of his full length feature Excision (review) which he followed up with last year's wide release of Suburban Gothic. I haven't totally loved either of his films but they've both shown sharp wit and a vague promise that Bates Jr. would stick the landing and deliver a movie that completely worked for me. Trash Fire might just be that movie.

The Sundance midnighter stars small-screen star Adrian Grenier as Owen, a guy who returns home with his pregnant girlfriend and finds himself dealing with the family dysfunction which has haunted him his entire life.

Along with Grenier, the movie [Continued ...]...

In less than ten years, filmmaker Richard Bates Jr. has made quite the impact in the world of independent horror. His short film, Excision, led to a stunning 2012 feature film version, his follow-up, Suburban Gothic, was a blistering, supernaturally-infused small-town yarn and with his latest movie, Trash Fire, Bates Jr. takes on adulthood and dysfunctional families.

For the most part, Trash Fire succeeds as a caustic tale of obsession, forgiveness, and the trappings of modern religion, although admittedly things start off a bit rough with the introduction of Owen (Adrian Grenier). We learn almost immediately that Owen is a complete asshole, as he abrasively chats with his therapist (Sally Kirkland) about his past and his general disdain for everyone and everything. Owen’s destructive nature is spilling over into his relationship with longtime girlfriend Isabel (Angela Trimbur), but once she reveals that she’s pregnant, Owen decides he’s ready...

Writer/director Richard Bates Jr. and AnnaLynne McCord first came together several years ago to create Excision—the haunting tale of a young woman’s obsession with surgery that takes a tragic turn—which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The duo have returned to Park City this year for their latest collaboration, Trash Fire, which recently celebrated its debut as part of Sundance’s stellar Midnight selections.

Trash Fire follows Owen (Adrian Grenier), a troubled 20-something who wants to reconnect with his family—and his sister Pearl (McCord) in particular—after he learns some life-altering news from his longtime girlfriend (Angela Trimbur) and realizes he needs to atone for his past mistakes.

Daily Dead had the opportunity to catch up with both Bates Jr. and McCord during the festival to hear more about their experiences collaborating together on this personal tale of redemption and dealing with your demons. Bates Jr.

Richard Bates Jr., the writer/director of Excision and Suburban Gothic, continues to be an interesting voice worth listening to in the filmmaking world, and his third feature just debuted over the weekend at Sundance. On tap tonight is the first… Continue Reading →

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Stars: Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, Annalynne McCord, Paige, Eric Keenleyside, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, Geoff Gustafson, Tom McLaren | Written by James Robert Johnston, Bennett Yellin | Directed by Gil Junger

The WWE have made a name for themselves in the movie world with a spate of well-recieved action and horror movies, however that’s not the only types of filmic fare they’ve put their name to. Back in the burgeoning days of WWE Studios, the company put out a number of comedies and family-friendly films that – looking at the WWE’s cinematic landscape today – don’t quite fit the mold they have built for themselves.

Yet whilst the WWE have found financial and critical success with genre fare such as No One Lives, The Call, See No Evil 2 and Oculus, they haven’t forgot their family-friendly beginnings – producing animated movies with Hanna Barbera featuring WWE Superstars alongside iconic cartoon characters such...

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...

While most of the industry is ramping up for awards season campaigns, casting director Carmen Aiello is starting his own campaign – against auditioning. The Chicago transplant is trying to bring back the human element to casting. Aiello has worked in TV (“CSI: Miami, “Scare Tactics”) and film (“Excision,” “The Employer”) casting, as well as spending time at an agency and as a junior manager, giving him an understanding of the casting process from all sides. “If you have a name you don’t have to audition, you just have to meet with them, but if you don’t have a name and you don’t have credits you have to audition in order to validate your career. In order to validate your talent.” Aiello says the process of bringing in hundreds of actors to “see if they can act in a cold room” with people staring at them was excruciating.

Writer/director Richard Bates Jr. makes some really unique films. He followed up the dark coming of age tale Excision with the morbidly madcap Suburban Gothic (our review). In both, Bates exhibits a knack for addressing the fears of the youth while embracing the horror genre he loves. Now for his third feature, which just wrapped filming, Bates has set […]...

Principal photography has ended on the dark comedy Trash Fire, from writer-director Richard Bates Jr. (Excision, Suburban Gothic). Starring Adrian Grenier (Entourage) and Angela Trimbur, the film is a comedy take on psychological thrillers, focusing on a man forced to confront his past when he and his girlfriend end up entangled in a web of lies, deceit and murder. It also stars Fionnula Flanagan, AnnaLynne McCord, Matthew Gray Gubler, Sally Kirkland, Ray Santiago, Ezra…...

Suburban Gothic isn’t as much a horror movie as it is a generational link between younger audiences and the horror genre. Richard Bates Jr. has created a hipster Poltergeist that channels the complacent angst of so many house-arrested graduates who have fallen victim to a ruthless job market, and he does so while exploring a paranormal story that remains jovial and sarcastically witty. It’s very Juno-esque in its irreverent charm, substituting bandanas and scarves for cheeseburger phones and Slurpees, but this blasé attitude towards undead spirits re-imagines Ghostbusters for hordes of Pbr-swigging, non-prescription-glasses wearing, Masters-degree-entitled youths who’d rather battle malevolent forces and agitated parents than actual responsibility. Except with more masturbation jokes and racist Ray Wise dialogue.

Matthew Gray Gubler plays Raymond, a jobless graduate forced to move home after his independent funds run out. Aside from his prestigious Mba and snarky cynicism, Raymond can also communicate with the undead,...

Good day, horror fans. Jumping junipers, January is almost done. Not that February will be a horror fan.s haven or anything, but it gets us that much closer to better releases. Richard Bates Jr..s Excision follow-up Suburban Gothic is now out on VOD, along with Edward Boase.s micro-budget horror The Mirror. I suppose if you think Gone Girl is scary . and not just the Batdong . you can rent that on VOD now, too. In smaller news, The Babadook is getting a sweet Blu-ray Special Edition on April 14 that comes with pop-up book packaging and a slew of special features. The festival fave It Follows has been given a release date of Friday, March 13. All-around badass Frank Grillo is headed back to the horror genre for Akiva Goldsman.s next feature, the supernatural thriller Stephanie. And Nicolas Winding Refn.s first trip into horror, The Neon Demon, has...

Excision director Richard Bates Jr.’s new film Suburban Gothic is opening on VOD platforms today courtesy of FilmBuff. We saw the film back during last year’s Fantasia Festival (review) and it really is something special. A love letter mash-up of Scooby Doo and Are You Afraid of the Dark, the film is about Raymond (Matthew Gray Gubler), a college grad who moves […]...

Richard Bates, Jr., the madman behind Excision, releases his sophomore feature, the silly, strange Suburban Gothic to VOD today. Suburban Gothic is a lighthearted, stylish and heartfelt piece of work from the filmmaker. It’s just as strange as Excision, but not so dark; a lovely little horror worth seeking out in this increasingly crowded VOD…

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