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This will be my last piece on the #OscarsSoWhite protests. Several of you have sent me the above statement from Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs for comment, so here's my $.02 on the matter, which shouldn't be news to long-time readers of this blog. In short, I think too much of the burden is being placed on Isaacs' shoulders, and it's unfair. The root of the problem doesn't start with the Academy. Yes, the fact that the membership is predominantly white and male is certainly a problem (one that she's promised to address as president, in past statements as well as the one above which was released yesterday). However, even if "Creed" and "Straight Outta Compton"...

"They all float down here". Cavity Colors' Pennywise sweater / shirt is available for pre-order now. Also in this round-up: details on the Telluride Horror Show, The Cutting Room, and new horror apparel from TeeFury.

Cavity Colors' Pennywise Shirt: "'World Eater' Crewneck Sweater ($37.00)

Limited Edition of only 100 (this item will never be reprinted) 80% cotton 20% polyester blend Fleece Split stitch double needle sewing on all seams Designed by Coki Greenway (art direction by Aaron Crawford) Pre-order - Ships in Mid-October

"World Eater" T-shirt / Girl T-shirt ($25.00)

Limited Edition of only 200 (this item will never be reprinted) Printed on our ultra soft Black 100% cotton T-shirts Designed by Coki Greenway (art direction by Aaron Crawford) Pre-order - Ships in Mid-October"

To learn more about the Pennywise collection, visit the Cavity Colors online shop.

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Telluride Horror Show: Press Release: "Telluride, Co - The Telluride Horror Show has announced its second wave of films and a...

Maggie’s Plan

Written by Rebecca Miller

Directed by Rebecca Miller

USA, 2015

Is it sexist, or at the very least unfair, to compare Rebecca Miller’s Maggie’s Plan to the works of Noah Baumbach and Woody Allen, but with a tone of derision? Either way, it’s hard to divorce Miller’s manic wit and preoccupation with middle-class white folks from the filmographies of those aforementioned auteurs. But why is that so? Lots of directors, regardless of gender, can be funny and can focus their stories around said demographic. Perhaps it’s because Maggie’s Plan seems to explicitly emulate the tone those directors often imbue in their films. It seems to be Miller’s intention to make one of those films, sort of, but with a female perspective. It’s admirable, but it doesn’t make for a great film.

The root of the problem might be that...

An Audience Award winner at the 2013 Stanley Film Festival and favorite at Tribeca that same year, Ryan Spindell’s short film The Root of the Problem, about a devious dentist is online in full. Director Spindell is coming off a big win at the 2015 Stanley Film Festival where the World Premiere of his latest…

The post Watch: Fantastic Dentist Horror Short, The Root of the Problem Now Online appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Well, dear readers, it must be short film day here at Twitch.Director Ryan Spindell and his fellow mad scientists and Trapdoor Pictures have something wonderfully pulpy and more than a little silly to share with us today: Their short film The Root Of The Problem.I caught Spindell's horror-comedy short a few years back on the festival circuit where it turned heads for its exceptional 50s era production design and gross gags. I am happy to report that the full short is now online for your viewing pleasure just below this here synopsis:In the candy-colored world of 1950s suburbia, a reluctant young housewife suspects that the friendly neighborhood dentist is hiding a horrible secret. Is it just the anesthesia at work or is there something more...

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

The root of the problem! Kim Kardashian and her platinum tresses jetted home to the United States on Thursday, March 12, but some of her brunette roots came back with her. Following endless appearances at Paris Fashion Week, Kardashian, 34, was spotted at Lax Airport with her bright blonde 'do parted down the center, making it all the more obvious that her natural dark brunette locks were fighting to peek through. And after less than a week since she had a touch-up in France! The Keeping Up With the [...]...

For two small town cops who tackle paranormal activities on an everyday basis, it's the looming threat of fatherhood that really gets their stomachs in knotted. That's the basic setup for Ryan Spindell's short film Bundle Of Nerves. Spindell, director of fest fave The Root Of The Problem, who is also hard at work on the feature horror anthology The Mortuary Collection, made Bundle Of Nerves for Black Box TV and Guillermo Del Toro's House of Horror Youtube series. Made in just over a week, from writing to edit, the film sits comfortably between that old Universal Monster movie vibe and the 80s Amblin productions, with a dry post-modern delivery which helps lens the phantasmagorical as more commonplace than we're used to. It's Fun that...

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

There's no question that lately there's been a resurgence in horror anthology films, due in no small part to the success of the V/H/S franchise, and now one indie filmmaker is taking a look at the subgenre with the doc We Come in Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film.

From the Press Release

We Come In Pieces is a documentary short that chronicles and celebrates the past, present, and future of horror anthology films.

When filmmaker Ryan Spindell (Kirksdale, The Root of the Problem) set out to make his horror anthology film The Mortuary Collection, producers rejected it outright. Time and time again, he was told that horror anthologies are dead at the studio level, but the question no one seemed to be able to answer was why?

To find out, Spindell teamed up with documentary filmmaker Ben Hethcoat (Dead Dad, D.I.Y), and together...

With less than a week to go before writer/director Ryan Spindell's horror comedy short The Root of the Problem screens at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival as part of its stellar shorts programming slate, we thought it was a perfect time to share the trailer which recently debuted.

Co-written by Spindell and Mark E. Davidson, The Root of the Problem follows a nervous housewife (Alison Gallaher) who begins to suspect her dentist (Ptolemy Slocum) has a far more sinister agenda than just drilling cavities and pulling teeth after his unorthodox approach to dentistry has her second-guessing his motives.

Set in a 1950's candy colored world,The Root of the Problem hearkens back to old school Tim Burton films like Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands and will undoubtedly have you watching your own dentist a little more closely at your next check-up.

And for those of you who aren't able...

For short films, the Tribeca Film Festival is a must. Winning the award for Narrative Short or Best Documentary Short automatically qualifies a film for the Academy Awards. Their track record isn’t too bad either. Shawn Christensen’s Curfew had its New York premiere at the Festival and went on to win the Academy Award.

This year, Tribeca will show 60 short films in eight categories, from a variety of new and returning directors (including Christensen with Grandma’s Not A Toaster), and featuring performances from a number of Hollywood stars. Elijah Wood plays a standup comic who attempts a daring set in Setup,...

Taking place this weekend is the CineMayhem Film Festival in Thousand Oaks, California. If you’re a fan of independent horror, there will be a variety of short films, multiple features, including The ABCs of Death, and the world premiere of Roadside:

“(Los Angeles, CA)—In just less than 48 hours, the first-ever CineMayhem Film Fest will be underway at the Muvico Thousand Oaks (166 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA) and to get the fans out there ready, we have a few final details we wanted to share in preparation of our two-day celebration of independent horror this weekend.

CineMayhem sponsor SideShow Collectibles has generously donated four figurines for us to raffle off to attendees at the following screenings on March 2nd and 3rd: Roadside and The ABC’s Of Death on Saturday and K-11 and Resolution on Sunday. Scream Factory, another CineMayhem sponsor, has also kindly donated several of...

If you're in or around Los Angeles and are a horror fan, you should make it your business to attend this weekend's CineMayhem Film Festival in honor of Indie Horror Month! Read on for the skinny on all that's happening!

From the Press Release

In less than 48 hours, the first-ever CineMayhem Film Fest will be under way at the Muvico Thousand Oaks (166 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA), and to get the fans out there ready, we have a few final details we wanted to share in preparation of our two-day celebration of independent horror this weekend.

CineMayhem sponsor Sideshow Collectibles has generously donated four figurines for us to raffle off to attendees at the following screenings on March 2nd and 3rd: Roadside and The ABC's Of Death on Saturday and K-11 and Resolution on Sunday. Scream Factory, another CineMayhem sponsor, has also kindly donated several of their cult classic...

We return with the latest edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes an exclusive poster reveal for Oaz: Nan from Hell, preview pages from the horror anthology comic Eeek!, and much more:

Exclusive Poster Reveal for Oaz: Nan from Hell: “Ed awakes one morning to find his Nan has become one of the living dead, trapped in his house by his flesh eating Nan he struggles to cope, with a little help from his friends he tries to survive the day, but the more Nan feeds the stronger she gets and soon it becomes a battle to keep the house zombie free.”

Written and directed by, Craig T. James, Oaz: Nan from Hell stars Marcus Carroll, Abigail Hamilton, Oliver Ferriman, Nia Ann, Sabrina Dickens, William Huw, Josh Wood, and Steve Purbrick. To watch the trailer for Oaz, visit the official website at: http://www.

The CineMayhem Film Fest is pleased to announce its final line-up with tickets and festival passes going on sale Today for the two-day celebration of independent horror at the Muvico in Thousand Oaks, CA, this March.

Ticket and Pass prices for the 2013 CineMayhem Film Fest are:

Saturday Pass- $30

Sunday Pass- $30

Individual Movie- $7 per ticket

Tickets and full-day passes can be purchased at the Muvico Thousand Oaks website. The theatre is located at 166 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA.

And don't forget that starting Right Now, you can submit your short film to us, and if gets the most "Likes" via our official CineMayhem Contest Facebook App, it will be shown during the fest. To upload your film for judging, just hit the link and get started.

From the Press Release

Founded this year as a launch event to kick off Dread Central's third annual Indie Horror Month this March by Heather Wixson,...

With Dread Central's Indie Horror Month right around the corner, we have a contest for you indie filmmakers that's sure to get your blood pumping and then hopefully spraying right out of your jugular vein. Read on for details.

Starting Right Now you can submit your short film to us, and if gets the most "Likes" via our official CineMayhem Contest Facebook App, it will be shown during the fest. You can upload your film right now for judging. Hit that link and get started.

The festival runs March 2nd and 3rd at the Muvico Theaters in Thousand Oaks, California.

All shorts must be made and submitted in accordance with the provisions and instructions posted herein. The short must be in the English language or with English subtitles. The short may be no longer than 10 minutes in length, including titles and/or credits, if any. The short must be the contestant’s original work.

Writer Heather Wixson, who you can find tirelessly toiling away at Dread, has founded CineMayhem as a way to celebrate the past, present and future of independent genre filmmaking. The fest will run March 2nd and 3rd at the Muvico Theaters in Thousand Oaks, California and is set to include insane-o anthology The ABCs Of Death, Paul Davis' much buzzed short film Him Indoors and the latest from Hills Run Red director Dave Parker. Here's the rundown, via release:

CineMayhem's diverse line-up includes advance screenings of two highly anticipated genre projects including Magnet Releasing's visceral horror anthology The ABCs Of Death and Breaking Glass Pictures' mind-bending drama K-11 directed by Jules Stewart (Crank: High Voltage, Mortal Kombat).

CineMayhem is also thrilled to announce that it will be hosting the World Premieres of Roadside directed by Eric England (Madison County) and the latest short film from Ryan Spindell (Kirksdale), The Root Of The Problem,...

Writer Heather Wixson, who you can find tirelessly toiling away at Dread, has founded CineMayhem as a way to celebrate the past, present and future of independent genre filmmaking. The fest will run March 2nd and 3rd at the Muvico Theaters in Thousand Oaks, California and is set to include insane-o anthology The ABCs Of Death, Paul Davis' much buzzed short film Him Indoors and the latest from Hills Run Red director Dave Parker. Here's the rundown, via release:

CineMayhem's diverse line-up includes advance screenings of two highly anticipated genre projects including Magnet Releasing's visceral horror anthology The ABCs Of Death and Breaking Glass Pictures' mind-bending drama K-11 directed by Jules Stewart (Crank: High Voltage, Mortal Kombat).

CineMayhem is also thrilled to announce that it will be hosting the World Premieres of Roadside directed by Eric England (Madison County) and the latest short film from Ryan Spindell (Kirksdale), The Root Of The Problem,...

The new edition of the Indie Spotlight contains the latest independent horror news sent our way. In this week’s feature, we have the first information on this year’s CineMayhem Film Festival, details on Return to Nuke ‘Em High Vol. I & II, the first photos from Warhouse, and much more:

CineMayhem Film Festival Announced: “Created as a way to pay homage to and celebrate the spirit of independent filmmaking and those unafraid to take risks with their storytelling, CineMayhem’s diverse line-up includes advanced screenings of two highly anticipated genre projects including Magnet Releasing’s visceral horror anthology The ABC’s Of Death and Breaking Glass Pictures’ mindbending drama K-11 directed by Jules Stewart (Crank: High Voltage, Mortal Kombat).

CineMayhem is also thrilled to announce that it will also be hosting the World Premieres of Roadside directed by Eric England (Madison County) and the latest short film from Ryan Spindell...

If you're a regular reader of Dread Central, then you know that March is officially Indie Horror Month around these parts. A time when we celebrate our future horror maestros! This year we're kicking it off with a bang!

From the Press Release

Today the first-ever CineMayhem Film Fest was announced by founder Heather Wixson, producer and horror journalist with DreadCentral.com. Created as a launch event to kick off Dread Central's third annual Indie Horror Month this March, CineMayhem will celebrate the past, present and future of independent genre filmmaking at the Muvico Theaters in Thousand Oaks, California, on March 2nd and 3rd.

Created as a way to pay homage to and celebrate the spirit of independent filmmaking and those unafraid to take risks with their storytelling, CineMayhem's diverse line-up includes advance screenings of two highly anticipated genre projects including Magnet Releasing's visceral horror anthology The ABCs Of Death...