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Horror’s Greatest makes a comeback with a second season filled with exciting episodes for horror fans hungry for more horror films to see in 2025. This season's episodes include “Animal Attacks”, “Killer Dates”, “Hidden Gems”, “Film Scores”, and “Space Horror”. Showrunner Kurt Sayenga brings to this season new perspectives to horror classics like The Birds and Carrie, to lesser-known frights like The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Ghostwatch, with several on-camera interviewees, including myself.

Sayenga shares with us how he developed the themes of the episodes, what new films he discovered through this season, the impact of film scores in horror cinema, and what he hopes audiences will take away from the series.

Bonilla: How would you describe the theme of this season?

Kurt Sayenga: This season takes the general idea of Horror’s Greatest and expands upon it, taking it into places that show the flexibility of the concept. The general umbrella...

It's a bit of trivia that you can use to stump friends at parties, especially those folks who fancy themselves a know-it-all about how the film industry works: doesn't a major motion picture based on a Marvel comic produced by "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" guru George Lucas during the peak of his filmmaking career sound like a sure-fire hit? Of course, it's a trick question, as the movie in question, 1986's "Howard the Duck," was a notorious flop, one which sent Lucas back to the "maybe I should think about making some 'Star Wars' prequels" drawing board and very likely helped keep more Marvel properties off the big screen for several years. Although the film was certainly not a complete waste of time — its long research & development process regarding the title character eventually led to what became Pixar — its status as a flop tarnished the careers of Lucas, director/co-writer Willard Huyck,...

As the sweltering heat of summer begins to fade and the days grow shorter, there’s an unmistakable shift in the atmosphere. The air becomes cooler, the sun sets earlier, and a creeping sense of autumn unease starts to settle in. This is the perfect time to dive into some end of summer horror movies that capture the eerie transition from the bright, carefree days of summer to the darker, more foreboding nights of early fall. These films tap into that strange in-between time when the warmth of the season lingers, but there’s a chilling edge just around the corner.

Whether you’re a fan of the rural horrors lurking in cornfields or the unsettling rituals of isolated communities, these late summer horror movies offer a mix of unsettling dread and atmospheric tension, dripping with the last drops of summer humidity. Each film on this list is perfect for...

Oh, Canada debuting this week on the Croisette is high time to see lesser-seen Schrader on the Criterion Channel, who’ll debut an 11-title series including the likes of Touch, The Canyons, and Patty Hearst, while Old Boyfriends (written with his brother Leonard) and his own “Adventures in Moviegoing” are also programmed. Five films by Jean Grémillon, a rather underappreciated figure of French cinema, will be showing

Series-wise, there’s an appreciation of the synth soundtrack stretching all the way back to 1956’s Forbidden Planet while, naturally, finding its glut of titles in the ’70s and ’80s––Argento and Carpenter, obviously, but also Tarkovsky and Peter Weir. A Prince and restorations of films by Bob Odenkirk, Obayashi, John Greyson, and Jacques Rivette (whose Duelle is a masterpiece of the highest order) make streaming debuts. I Am Cuba, Girlfight, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Dazed and Confused are June’s Criterion Editions.

Bernard Hill, known for playing King Thoden in Lord of the Rings, has passed away at age 79. The actor played prominent roles in many films and TV shows throughout his career including Titanic and Gandhi. Hill's legacy includes his memorable movie performances opposite A-listers as well as prominent television roles.

Bernard Hill has died. The actor, who played Thoden, King of Rohan, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was born in Manchester, England on December 17, 1944. His acting career began in 1970 when he graduated from the theater program at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama. The star has since gone on to appear in more than 100 film and television titles, which in total earned him a pair of Best Actor BAFTA nominations for his roles as Yosser Hughes in 1982's Boys from the Blackstuff and David Blunkett in 2005's A Very Social Secretary.

Per The Guardian, Bernard Hill passed away...

Charles Dierkop, the busy character actor who played tough guys in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and the 1970s Angie Dickinson series Police Woman, has died. He was 87.

Dierkop died Sunday at Sherman Oaks Hospital after a recent heart attack and bout with pneumonia, his daughter, Lynn, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Wisconsin native also appeared alongside Rod Steiger in Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker (1964), played the mobster Salvanti in Roger Corman’s The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967) and was a murderous Santa Claus in the cult horror movie Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).

After portraying an uncredited pool-hall hood in the Paul Newman-starring The Hustler (1961), Dierkop got to work with Newman again in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) when he was hired to play Hole in the Wall Gang outlaw George “Flat Nose” Curry.

Dierkop had broken his nose in fights several times as a kid,...

The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.

The Collector

If the triumphant return of the Saw franchise has you in the mood for more trap-laden horrors, look no further than The Collector — which was originally conceived as a prequel to Saw that would show Jigsaw’s original story. When producers passed on the idea, writers Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan (Saw IV-vii) reworked it into an original script, which Dunstan directed in 2009.

A slasher/home invasion hybrid for the so-called “torture porn” era, The Collector stars Criminal Minds‘ Josh Stewart as struggling ex-con Arkin. A planned heist at his new employer’s home to repay a debt becomes deadly when he...

It’s hard to believe at first glance that the surreal Lovecraftian horrors of Messiah of Evil are courtesy of Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who wrote both the warm nostalgia bath that is American Graffiti and the absurd comic book antics of Howard the Duck. But there are definite similarities between these films. American Graffiti and Messiah of Evil each capture a particular milieu at the end of an era, whether that’s provincial Modesto before the Beatles and Vietnam, or a beach town being overtaken by an evil cult. And Messiah of Evil and Howard the Duck both concern a cataclysmic threat from another realm.

Messiah of Evil focuses on Arletty (Marianna Hill), a young woman who’s come to Point Dune on the California coast looking for her famous artist father, Joseph Lang (Royal Dano). She soon makes the acquaintance of raffish Thom (Michael Greer), a nomadic...

When Martin Scorsese decided that he would travel to Oklahoma to shoot “Killers of the Flower Moon,” he called on a number of his most trusted partners, including editor Thelma Schoonmaker, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, and composer Robbie Robertson. Yet for the pivotal role of production designer, Scorsese chose a collaborator with whom he had never worked before: Jack Fisk.

A quick look at Fisk’s filmography makes it obvious why the greatest living American director would choose him to design “Killers”; for 50 years, Fisk has been creating historically accurate, visually poetic, and quintessentially American sets for master filmmakers including Brian DePalma, Terrence Malick, Paul Thomas Anderson, and David Lynch.

Fisk began his career working in exploitation pictures for producers like Roger and Gene Corman and quickly gained a reputation for creating atmospheric, expressive sets on a budget; his work on Stephanie Rothman’s thriller “Terminal Island” is particularly impressive in its triumph over limited resources.

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (Bhff) announces today the full program for its 2023 incarnation, running October 12-19th with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unearthly lineup of films and events, including the inaugural Leviathan Award, which will be presented to NYC horror legend William Lustig at a special 35th-anniversary screening of Maniac Cop, followed by a post-screening conversation with Lustig.

The Opening Night film is the World Premiere of Kill Your Lover from directors Alix Austin and Keir Siewert, who previously announced themselves to the Bhff audience last year with their short film Sucker. The 2023 festival boasts the World Premieres of three more exciting new films: Gaia director Jaco Bouwer’s unsettling Breathing In, Aimee Kuge’s audacious debut Cannibal Mukbang, and Tyler Chipman’s powerfully creepy debut The Shade. The festival’s other spotlight titles include director...

Stars: Shelley Regner, Diane Franklin, Jamison Newlander, Kelly Leon Guerrero, David Naughton, Brian Tyler Cohen, Ryan Bonnick, Yan Birch, Helene Udy | Written by Brian Farmer | Directed by Brian Farmer, Steve Craig

Waking Nightmare begins appropriately enough with Jordan waking up screaming from a nightmare. This has been a regular occurrence since her best friend Jamie killed herself. It’s gotten bad enough that she’s moved back home with her parents Danielle and Jeff.

A visit from her best friend Zoey seems to cheer her up, but that night her nightmares turn into sleepwalking, and while doing that she pulls a knife on her mother. This gets her an appointment with Dr. Doolin who gives her a prescription for Ambien.

The Ambien doesn’t make her start posting racist comments on Twitter, but it doesn’t stop her sleepwalking either. In fact, she ends up walking out of the house...

Fantastic Fest is back for its eighteenth edition which is jam-packed with horror insanity including World Premieres of several prominent titles including the remake of Troma’s cult classic The Toxic Avenger, the Bloody Disgusting-produced Shudder Original V/H/S/85, Blumhouse and Amazon’s Totally Killer, and Paramount’s hotly anticipated Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.

The festival will once again possess Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX from September 21st – 28th. Badges are available now at FantasticFest.com.

From the press release:

The opening night film for Fantastic Fest 2023 is the world premiere of Legendary Pictures’ The Toxic Avenger, a hilarious and action-packed reimagining of the classic Troma film from director Macon Blair that features an all-star cast including Peter Dinklage who will pick up the infamous mop to become the hideous vigilante that no one knew they needed (or wanted) as well as Jacob Tremblay and Taylour Paige with Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon.

Fantastic Fest is back for its eighteenth edition featuring 29 World Premieres, 24 North American Premieres, and 18 U.S. Premieres. The festival will once again possess Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX from September 21st – 28th. Badges are available now.

“The Fantastic Fest team is ready to take you on a journey you won’t ever forget. We’ve taken the best week of the year and supercharged it: more movies, more parties, more fun,” says Festival Director Lisa Dreyer. “If you want to see the best new movies from around the world first with the best audience, Fantastic Fest is the place to be.”

The opening night film for Fantastic Fest 2023 is the world premiere of Legendary Pictures’ The Toxic Avenger, a hilarious and action-packed reimagining of the classic Troma film from director Macon Blair that features an all-star cast including Peter Dinklage who will pick up the infamous mop...

Plot: An alcoholic and drug addict, Richard is taken into the wilderness to detox – but once they’re out in the woods, he and his group of friends are attacked by a madman.

Review: Hutch Dano is the grandson of legendary character actor Royal Dano and the son of actor Rick Dano, so it’s no surprise that he got into acting himself. He has racked up over twenty screen credits in the last thirteen years, including playing Zeke on 77 episodes of the Disney series Zeke and Luther – and now that he has made his feature directing debut, he has brought several of his former co-stars onto the project with him. Dano stars in his film As Certain as Death, which he also scripted, alongside his Zombeavers co-star Cortney Palm, who was also in Disappearance with him and Guy Wilson, his Den Brother co-star David Lambert, and his Zeke and Luther co-star Daniel Curtis Lee,...

A 1973 curiosity which has been released under several other titles – most notably Dead People – yet never quite taken off, Messiah Of Evil has recently been restored and is screening as part of the Retrospective strand at the 2023 Dundead film festival. It’s an oddly structured, messy yet atmospheric film with its roots in Hp Lovecraft tales, Night Of The Living Dead and Carnival Of Souls, clearly an influence on a lot of subsequent genre work yet easy for even quite serious fans to overlook altogether. Although the first half is very slow, once it picks up, there’s enough genuinely weird stuff to make you glad you didn’t.

The story revolves around Arietty, a woman who goes looking for her estranged father after he sends her a series of increasingly urgent-sounding letters and then falls...

It may not feel like it, but the ratings system used for movies that is administered by the Motion Picture Association of America is still an ongoing work in progress. Granted, the system has seemingly been fully established for the last 30-odd years or so, with the last major hiccup being the creation and controversial usage of the Nc-17 rating during the 1990s.

Still, it only takes a cursory glance at the recent cinematic landscape to see that there's a remarkable imbalance in the way the ratings system has been used over the past couple decades. Upon the introduction of a "middle ground" rating between PG and R, the PG-13, the system began to slowly be skewed to the point where now G and PG-rated films are almost exclusively the purview of children's movies (with the G rating itself nearly fully retired by circumstance). PG-13 has far and away become the most common rating,...

George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi film "Star Wars" was made on a budget of $11 million in 1976, which, in 2023 dollars shake out to about $58 million. That's a sizeable amount of money, of course, but given that the last theatrical "Star Wars" feature film, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" cost anywhere from $275 to $460 million to make, the original's budget seems like a drop in the bucket. Because Lucas was working with a mere mid-size budget (by today's standards), he was forced to change a great deal of his original "Star Wars" script, removing many fantastical elements and characters for more grounded, human, easier-to-film counterparts. From the looks of the original script, though, "Star Wars" might have come out looking as dense and as odd as Jodorowsky's failed "Dune" adaptation.

In 2020, details of Lucas' first draft were explored in detail on the Biography website. It seems the filmmaker's early visions for "Star Wars" were...

Welcome to the Ghostface Glossary, a guide to every horror reference and nod throughout the first five films of the Scream franchise.

After a lot of pausing, rewinding, and zooming in, as well as researching, we’re catching all of the many horror-specific references Williamson, Craven, and Co. included in this beloved postmodern slasher franchise. If we’ve forgotten any glaring ones, kindly let us know.

This guide will exclude homages from previous Scream films and their respective sequels— we’re only looking at outside horror franchises and inspirations, because any red-blooded Ghostface fan is likely already aware of those. (Goes without saying that the beloved faux franchise ‘Stab’(s) 1-8 will also not be counted, since, even though our neon green ‘Stab’ t-shirts and mock VHS tapes feel very real, it’s still a very fake franchise). If we’ve forgotten any glaring ones, kindly let us know.

“By definition alone,...

Exclusive: Bull alumna Jaime Lee Kirchner has been cast as a series regular opposite Ben McKenzie, Michelle Ortiz and Augustus Prew in ABC’s medical drama pilot The Hurt Unit, written by Matt Lopez and John Glenn and to be directed by Marc Webb.

The Hurt Unit follows a highly skilled team of trauma surgeons and nurses led by Danny (McKenzie), a self-made surgeon, who race into the field to treat the patients who won’t make it to the hospital in time. When the sick and the injured can’t get to the ER, the Hurt Unit (Hospital Urgent Response Team) brings the ER to them.

Related Story Pilot Season 2023: Volume Takes Another Dive Amid Solid Broadcast Debuts & Looming Writers Strike Related Story Daniel Sunjata Joins Kaitlin Olson In ABC's 'Hpi' Remake Pilot From Drew Goddard Related Story Tim McCarver Dies: Hall Of Fame Announcer & All-Star Catcher Was 81

Kirchner will play Nora,...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Sole Survivor"

Where You Can Stream It: Shudder

The Pitch: Among the five installments (soon to be six) of the celebrated "Final Destination" franchise, one maxim sits at the core of every elaborate death contained therein, summed up by Tony Todd's Bludworth: "In death, there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes." When someone escapes death -- say, a plane crash that kills everyone else on board -- the resident Reaper figure of the franchise explains that near-death experiences are something like bugs in a system that, in the end, always gets their man. Death as an active enforcer was a hit concept for these movies, but "Sole Survivor" was playing in the same sandbox decades ago.

Movie theaters bring entertainment and escapism. The smell of popcorn wafting through the air, the previews of coming attractions, and the communal reactions to seeing a movie on the big screen often bring a viewing experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere. It’s also a safe way to experience horror, as the terror is harmlessly confined to celluloid.

But what if it isn’t…?

This week’s streaming picks center around horror movies that feature or are set at the cinema. For the characters in these six titles, their haven becomes anything but when movie theaters turn into slaying grounds for killers and creatures alike.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Messiah of Evil – Fandor, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Shudder

Arletty has arrived in a Coastal Californian town to visit her father after receiving a series of worrying letters.

Exclusive: Aaron Magnani has optioned screen rights to Walker Percy’s New York Times bestseller The Second Coming, with plans to develop the novel for film.

He’s currently in search of a director for the adaptation and will produce via under his Aaron Magnani Productions banner. Peter Arneson adapted the script and will executive produce.

The story centers on a wealthy, suicidal widower who searches for proof of God but finds much more when he meets a young woman fugitive from a mental hospital. Influenced by the real-life suicides of Percy’s father and grandfather and suspected suicide of his mother, the plot combines comedy, tragedy and romance, with themes of alienation and redemption.

“This story is very relatable to the world we have been living in,” said Magnani. “And the adaptation is as much a director’s piece as an actor’s piece and incredible character study.”

Percy...

Stars: Melora Walters, Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, Richard Brake | Written and Directed by Mickey Keating

Offseason, the new film from writer/director Mickey Keating opens with Ava Aldrich addressing the viewer in a scene that recalls Marianna Hill’s warning at the start of Messiah of Evil.

That film involved a woman’s trip to a touristy coastal town in search of her missing and presumed dead father, Offseason opens with Marie Aldrich heading to the touristy island where Ava is buried. It seems her grave was desecrated and her presence is required to remedy it.

As she and George arrive their trip is almost derailed. It seems the drawbridge to the island is raised during the offseason and the Bridge Man only relents and lowers it after finding out why she’s there. He also warns them that after tomorrow it’ll be locked until spring.

Keating opens Offseason...

After a hiatus where New York’s theaters closed during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings are taking place.

Metrograph

The insanely packed “Lives of Performers” offers films by Almodóvar, Satoshi Kon, Bob Fosse, Cassavetes, Powell & Pressburger, Rivette—almost too much to count.

Film Forum

Miraculously rediscovered and restored, the Iranian film Chess of the Wind is now playing, while North by Northwest continues; Frankenstein screens on Sunday.

Bam

Recently rediscovered and restored, Wendell B. Harris’ Chameleon Street is now playing. Read our interview with Harris here.

Roxy Cinema

Screen Slate has a weekend series of 35mm horror: Anguish and Popcorn on Friday and Sunday, and House of Wax and I Know Who Killed Me on Saturday. Halloween and...

Unbelievable! A Beautiful Girl Becomes a Petrified Monster!

1960 Italian Horror Classic Mill Of The Women will be available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video November 30th

Before Black Sabbath, before I Vampiri, director Giorgio Ferroni introduced audiences to period horror Italian-style with his chilling 1960 shocker Mill of the Stone Women – a classic tale of terror redolent with the atmosphere of vintage Hammer Horror.

Young art student Hans von Arnam arrives by barge at an old mill to write a monograph about its celebrated sculptures of women in the throes of death and torture, maintained and curated by the mill’s owner, the hermetic Professor Wahl. But when Hans encounters the professor’s beautiful and mysterious daughter Elfi, his own fate becomes inexorably bound up with hers, and with the shocking secret that lies at the heart of the so-called Mill of the Stone Women.

The first Italian horror film to be shot in color,...

There’s no better way to celebrate the spooky season than with Elvira, the queen of Halloween. The “Mistress of the Dark” is hosting a one-night, four-film marathon on Shudder as part of Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary Very Special Special on Shudder. The evening will see the ever-so-lively Cassandra Peterson come full-circle, as she revisits a similar format to that of her beloved late-night television series, Elvira’s Movie Macabre. The show premiered in 1981 out of the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles, bringing “B” horror and science fiction to the forefront. Over the years, Peterson became a pop culture icon with appearances on various TV shows, spinoffs, and merchandise licensing bonanza. In 1988, she starred in her own movie, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, which is part of the streamer’s lineup. Rounding out this frightful good time will be old school classics House on Haunted Hill, The City of the Dead,...

Horror icon Elvira is returning to the small screen to celebrate her 40th anniversary as the much beloved Mistress of the Dark, the horror hostess with the mostess. She is celebrating on Shudder with a movie marathon on September 25th! The marathon will begin at 8pm Est on Shudder US and Canada, then it will be available on demand in all Shudder territories and AMC+ on the 27th. The lineup of films includes Elvira: MIstress of the Daek, House on Haunted Hill, The City of the Dead and Messiah of Evil. Check out the promo below the announcement! Horror Icon Elvira Makes Long-awaited Return To The Small Screen With Elvira’S 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special Debuting September 25 On Shudder...

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

Drop Dead Diva is being resurrected by CBS: The Eye network is developing a gender-swapped reboot of the Lifetime dramedy, according to our sister site Deadline.

The hour-long reboot, titled Drop Dead Dave, centers on a self-involved Gen Z lawyer named Dave who dies in a freak accident “and his soul is transferred into the body of Rita, a successful but complicated Gen X attorney, forcing Dave to live as a woman and navigate an entirely new perspective on life, love and identity,” per the official synopsis.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: Piers Morgan Joins Fox Nation, Another Life Trailer...

A surprise addition to Shudder's “61 Days of Halloween” lineup, a special one-night event hosted by Elvira will feature a four-film marathon, including Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, House on Haunted Hill, The City of the Dead and Messiah of Evil. The special will air on Shudder on September 25h, and we have more details below, along with a promo video featuring, featuring Elvira!

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thriller and the supernatural, welcomes the beloved Halloween queen of camp Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) for a one-night movie marathon event, Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special. Joining Shudder’s annual “61 Days of Halloween” lineup, the special debuts Saturday, September 25 at 8pm Et in the US and Canada via the Shudder TV feed within the Shudder app and will also be released on demand to all Shudder platforms and AMC+ beginning Monday, September 27. Similar to the cult classic,...

Sarah Silverman is set to star opposite Blair Underwood in the upcoming psychological thriller “Viral” from York Films.

The independent film, written by Joe McClean, centers on Andrew (Underwood), a man dealing with the disappearance of his wife. As Andrew falls deeper into paranoia, he finds that the only way out of the self-destructive cycle seems to be through his new girlfriend Emilia (Silverman), a victims advocate and self-help blogger he meets in group therapy, who is dealing with her own demons from her past. The drama will explore if they are strong enough to get past their own nightmares and mental illnesses to find true happiness together.

Underwood will direct and produce the indie feature, which was originally supposed to shoot in 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Production will begin in New York this summer.

“A true artist thrives in all genres. Most people know of...

The Performer | Kaley Cuoco

The Show | HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant

More from TVLinePerformer of the Year: Michaela CoelPerformer of the Week (12/12): Colman DomingoMandalorian EP on Finale's Legendary Surprise: 'We Were So Scared, Right Up Until It Aired,' Cameo Would Be Spoiled

The Episode | “Arrivals and Departures” (Dec. 17, 2020)

The Performance | As intense as her performance was during the Episode 6 meltdown, the dramedic thriller’s eighth and final episode gave Cuoco something new and differently engaging to do: play Cassie Bowden as someone just a bit more sober, and thus a bit more able to sincerely engage with those around her.

Here’s a story about a different kind of ‘lockdown.’ This near-perfect Americana drama might be the real pinnacle of Sissy Spacek’s wonderful career. The no-baloney tale of rural life on the Texas coastline during WW2 is packed with strong emotions and solid sentiment. Wartime hardship and catch-as-catch-can romance strike an uneasy balance with more threatening material, including a highly suspenseful finish. First-time director Jack Fisk hits this one out of the park, with help from Eric Roberts, William Sanderson, Tracey Walter, R.G. Armstrong, Sam Shepard and little Henry Thomas. This is one of those special pictures that creates a warm feeling about people. The ‘Rum and Coca Cola’ scene is perfection of a special kind.

Raggedy Man

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1981 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date July 28, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Eric Roberts, Sam Shepard, William Sanderson, Tracey Walter, R.G. Armstrong, Henry Thomas,...

This Devs review contains spoilers.

Devs Episode 8

It feels woefully ironic to be discussing a show about seeing into the future that did not manage to predict the current pandemic crisis. Yet it seems intentional that FX decided to air the Devs series finale the week after Easter. Because this final episode is all about resurrections and second comings… just maybe not the ones we expected.

Despite the last few episodes making it painfully clear that Forest has done all of this—invested probably millions in a technology that can look into the freaking past, sacrificed a half-dozen lives—solely for the chance of getting his dead daughter back in some form, the finale ramps back up all the religious imagery. Stewart recites William Butler Yeats’ “The Second Coming” to no one in particular, intoning about how “the centre cannot hold” and “surely the Second Coming is at hand.” Lily...

Who brings fear and passion into the heart of the Philippine jungle, striking with terror and hot, venomous lust? Why it’s the Cobra Woman of course, and in Night of the Cobra Woman (1972) she does just that, in a cheap, exploitation-filled frenzy of snakes, breasts, and incoherence. I’m afraid to say you won’t even win the small stuffed bear if you guessed that Roger Corman brought this to the screen.

Released by Corman’s nascent New World Pictures in January as part of a bill with Lady Frankenstein, Cobra was the perfect fit for the bottom half of a double header; short (77 minutes) and very weird, it offers up exploitation goodness as sweaty as the jungle itself.

Mr. Corman was as usual, busy busy busy, and when one has a location as visually sumptuous as the Philippines, one milks it for all its worth. The Big Doll House,...

Anyone familiar with this column knows my deep-rooted affection for Ms. Kate Jackson; I espoused her many virtues when I covered Satan’s School for Girls (you can ponder my musings here), and I promise (warn?) you I will do so again as I discuss the couple-in-a-house-is-met-with-animosity-from-a-possible-ghost telefilm, Death at Love House (1976), aka How Much Is That Dead Actress In the Window?

Originally broadcast as The ABC Friday Night Movie on Friday, September 3rd, Love House was up against The CBS Friday Night Movies and NBC trotted out The Rockford Files/Quincy M.E. for folks like mine. So who won out? We all did! I loved Rockford and Quincy. Okay, CBS probably lost. But if you were looking for some charming stars doing charming things in a charming manor with a hint of danger, look no further than ABC.

Let’s open up our battered faux TV Guide and see...

Gloria Katz, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “American Graffiti” who helped polish the final “Star Wars” script, died on Sunday. She was 76.

She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment confirmed Katz’ passing in a tweet on its official account, writing, “Very sad news to report tonight. Gloria Katz, who wrote Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom for us with her husband Willard Huyck, has passed away. Our deepest condolences to Mr. Huyck and loved ones.”

Katz co-wrote 1973’s “American Graffiti” with her husband Willard Huyck and director George Lucas. In addition to an Academy Award nod, “American Graffiti” won the National Society of Film Critics Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best screenplay.

Later, Katz and Huyck re-teamed with Lucas to revise his fourth and final draft of 1977’s “Star Wars,” including shaping and...

Producer and screenwriter Gloria Katz died Sunday in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 76.

Katz was born in Los Angeles on October 25, 1942. She attended Uc Berkeley and went on to UCLA where she received a masters in film. Her husband William Huyck met George Lucas at USC and the three later became a trio of collaborators.

Katz teamed with her husband and Lucas on many projects. She is best known for co-writing the Lucas-directed classic American Graffiti starring Ron Howard. The film earned Katz, her husband, and Lucas an Oscar nomination in 1974 for Best Screenplay.

In addition to the coming-of-age comedy, Katz and her husband collaborated on numerous projects including the Steven Spielberg-directed Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She also co-wrote Messiah of Evil, Lucky Lady, French Postcards, Best Defense, and Howard the Duck, which were all directed by Huyck.

While October is officially just days away now, we have another batch of excellent genre home media releases in the meantime to help get us ready for the best month of the year. Scream Factory has put together an incredible box set for the [Rec] series that fans will definitely want to add to their personal collections, and for those who have made the upgrade, John Carpenter’s original Halloween makes its debut in 4K this week.

Arrow Video has put together a Special Edition release for The Baby, and for those of you who may have missed it earlier this year, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich heads to multiple formats on Tuesday. Both The Swarm (1978) and The Cyclops (1957) head to HD for the first time ever courtesy of the Warner Archive Collection, and there’s a bevy of cult classics headed to both Blu-ray and DVD from the likes...

“Maybe you think too much. When it comes to Baby, I do all the thinking.”

The Baby (1973) will be available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video September 25th

Still traumatized by the loss of her husband, well-meaning social worker Ann Gentry throws herself into her latest assignment: the case of Baby , a 21-year-old man with the mind of an infant who crawls, cries and has yet to make it out of nappies. But Baby s family the tyrannical Mama Wadsworth and her two demented daughters aren’t the only ones with a warped conception of familial relations, and the full horror only begins when Ann sets her sights on liberating the drooling man-child… and in so doing unleashes the wrath of the Wadsworth women.

45 years after its original release, this film remains one of the most bizarre horror movies ever committed to celluloid. Directed by Ted Post and co-starring Marianna Hill,...

Forget The Dark Universe. The best horror franchise currently in play belongs to James Wan, whose “The Conjuring” spin-offs delivers a world filled with nightmarish creatures like The Crooked Man, The Nun, and a doll that could make even Chucky’s blood run cold. Welcome to the frightful terrain of “Annabelle,” now equipped with a whole movie to provide its backstory.

Although 2014’s “Annabelle” did well enough at the box office to warrant a sequel, reviews were less than stellar. But the surprise success of Mike Flanagan’s “Ouija: Origin of Evil” offered a solution that was likely too good to ignore: hire an indie horror director to create a prequel-sequel set in the past. And so, the hideously scary doll of the first installment was reborn, this time with “Lights Out” director David F. Sandberg behind the camera.

Read More:‘Annabelle: Creation’ Trailer: The Evil Doll Gets an Origin...

The exploitation films of the ‘70s always offered up the goods to everyone. And by goods I mean a whole lot of sex and violence, and if you were so inclined to notice behind fogged up eyewear, pulpy takes on the relevant social issues of the day. Not all were created equal, of course; they can’t all be clever variants of the form such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, or Foxy Brown. However, they almost all deal with female empowerment and Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) more than checks off all the boxes, squeezing every last drop of pulp from its sci-fi fruit.

Released by Centaur Dimension Pictures in June, Invasion of the Bee Girls Aka Graveyard Tramps (it doesn’t really fit, but is one of the best alternate titles I’ve ever heard) managed to fairly impress critics on its tour of local theatres and drive-ins, including Roger Ebert,...

NBC is set to debut its new supernatural series “Midnight, Texas” on Monday, July 24th, at 10:00 Pm; and they’ve just released a few promos to keep the show on your radar. And if you’re heading to the San Diego… Continue Reading →

The post See Dead People and a Witch in These New Midnight, Texas Promos; Series Goes 4D at #SDCC17 appeared first on Dread Central.

Only in the ‘70s, man, only in the ‘70s. Long before PC culture invaded popular entertainment, movies were the haven of the taboo, a safe house for ideas two steps from the norm. Now, many of these films of perversion were relegated to grindhouse theatres and the third feature of a Dusk Til Dawn showing at your local Drive-In. But occasionally a film will crawl towards the mainstream and plop itself down, bawling for attention. The Baby (1973) is one such film, so twisted in conception that it’s hard to believe it would be released in any decade. Except the ‘70s of course, where you could even get the director of a Dirty Harry and a Planet of the Apes flick to helm it.

Distributed by Scotia International in March, The Baby was given a limited theatrical release; and that’s really for the best – as much as the film...

Daily Dead is proud to debut the music video for “Ratimis,” the title track from the full-length album by electronic artist Brahm, available beginning today from Swedish Columbia Records. Directed by cult filmmaker Damon Packard, a lifelong independent director known for movies like Reflections of Evil and Foxfur, the “Ratimis” video is comprised of clips from a number of horror films all set to the pulsing electronic score of Brahm's music.

Brahm (aka Chaz Barber), a lifelong fan of horror, exploitation, and genre films, incorporates his passion for cinema into his songs in ways that are both understated and overt, but always unique. “Whenever I work on music, there is always a film, TV show, scene, score from a film, or even some simple bit of TV nostalgia that I remember seeing as a kid,” Barber says. “I always attempt to create some kind of visual through my songs and...

[Spoilers follow for Season 4, Episode 2, “The Lying Detective.”]

After last week’s damp squib, “Sherlock” is back on form in a genuinely terrifying episode with a shocking conclusion.

The villain of the week is Toby Jones as Culverton Smith, a wealthy and influential public figure beloved by the nation who may or may not have a secret life as a serial killer. While John is back in therapy, Sherlock is back on drugs and publicly accusing Smith of crimes he can’t prove, on account of being…well…off his tits for nearly the entire episode. It’s not until the very end that we know for sure that the great detective is right– Oh, and did we mention that Sherlock has a sister?

Last Week’S Review: ‘The Six Thatchers’ Launches Season 4 With Some Big Changes

“I am a bit creepy, but that’s just my Usp.”

If at times this episode veered dangerously close to horror movie territory,...

“How did it come to this? How did all this happen?” Oh, Matt’s deadbeat dad, you are preaching to the choir.

RelatedExclusive: The Vampire Diaries‘ Matt Davis to Visit The Originals in Season 4 Crossover

During Friday’s Vampire Diaries, as I watched Tyler Lockwood’s nearest and dearest bid him a final farewell in the forest — where I’m pretty sure there are now more corpses than trees — a wave of disbelief washed over me. “How did we get to this place?” I asked myself (but not, like, out loud. I’m not a total lunatic).

I continued, “What happened to Season 1 Tyler,...

So. Many. Superheroes.

The CW has released a big batch of photos from its upcoming crossover between Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, and it is chock-full of costumed crimefighters — and their trusty pals! (Yes, The Flash‘s Iris and Caitlin are also present at the super meet-up.)

PhotosArrow Episode 100: Oliver Sees Dead People, Including His Bride-to-Be

Other takeaways from the first-look photos:

* It’s all hands on deck as the heroes battle the alien race the Dominators, so even Thea suits back up to pitch in.

* Cisco looks very happy to meet the Girl of Steel.

Fans of The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend were crushed when co-star Santino Fontana (Greg) left the show last week, four episodes into Season 2. (Rip, #TeamGreg.) But star/co-creator Rachel Bloom (Rebecca) says Greg’s exit — or should we call it “Gregxit”? — was planned all along.

“We always knew this is how it would go,” she tells TVLine. “And we wanted to completely demolish the love triangle. Other shows have love triangles where the other person leaves. But in the back of your head, you’re always rooting for Ross and Rachel. We wanted to do something else, to say, ‘No,...

Last week’s Vampire Diaries revealed the source of “hot nanny” Seline’s heat — you know, actual flames of hell — but fans might want to save their gasps for the next big siren-related bombshell.

RelatedExclusive: The Vampire Diaries‘ Matt Davis to Visit The Originals in Season 4 Crossover

“You should be very worried about the twins,” Kristen Gutoskie tells TVLine of Caroline and Alaric’s magical offspring. “I’m sorry to say it — Seline definitely has some dark plans for those kids.”

But before you start hating on Seline too hard, remember this: Has this show ever had a truly irredeemable villain?...

This Thursday on Supernatural, the Winchesters go where everyone knows their name — a hunter’s wake — and Mary gets a very tempting offer.

RelatedWas Supernatural‘s Hitler Episode Just Right or All Kinds of Wrong?

At the gathering, where Dean and Sam are bombarded with questions about being “dead, like, four times” and being possessed by Lucifer — someone send these fanboy hunters a set of Supernatural books! — a secret about Mary’s past comes out. As a young boy in 1980, the now-dead hunter was saved by Mary, meaning she was still hunting after she and John got married and had Dean.