Here’s a selection of some of the horror and genre news that caught our eye during the last week…
Angus Scrimm Dies Aged 89
One story has dominated the horror world this week with the sad news that Angus Scrimm has passed away on January 9 aged 89. Best known for his fantastic portrayal of the Tall Man in the 1979 film Phantasm along with its sequels, Scrimm was a true gentleman of the horror world and he will be sorely missed.
You can read our full Angus Scrimm obituary HERE.
World, European & UK premieres dominate as Film4 FrightFest celebrates 11th year at Glasgow Film Festival
Based out of the historic Glasgow Film Theatre, and regularly welcoming over 40,000 admissions, Glasgow Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in the UK. Running from February 17 – 27, 2016, the full 2016 programme of UK, European and world premieres, as well as a ground-breaking pop-up cinema strand, will be launched on the evening of Wednesday 20 January and will be online from Thursday 21 January. Tickets go on sale Monday January 25 at 10am for the film festival.
This is the eleventh year FrightFest has been involved with the Glasgow Film Festival, and tickets for FrightFest are already on sale, click HERE to purchase your pass.
Here’s what the FrightFest organizers said about the festival: ‘Time to live in fear again! After its biggest year ever raising the terror landscape bar and diversification into other major media platforms, FrightFest returns to their beloved Glasgow Film Festival with another stellar shocker line-up to scare, chill, thrill and jangle those frayed nerves that haven’t yet recovered from our last North of the border outing. With our open-minded approach to original visions and fresh talent, and returning genre firm favourites jostling with new names bound to become equally much-loved regulars, our latest programme celebrates the groundbreaking, the innovative, the unexpected, the unique, the extreme but most essentially all that’s best and keynote about the action horror fantasy genre. Surprise is the key to FrightFest’s continuing success and, boy, do we have some incredible nightmares waiting in store for you. So please be seated… for the frights of your lives’
FrightFest Full Schedule:
Thursday, Feb 25th
The Forest
Friday, Feb 26th
The Hexecutioners
Anguish
Cell
The Mind’s Eye
Patchwork
Saturday, Feb 27th
The Wave
Southbound
A Time for Consequences
The Other Side of the Door
Baskin
Martyrs
The Devil’s Candy
Further information about the festival can be found by clicking HERE.
Rob Zombie Unleashes Preorder for New Album Coming in April
As promised in his teaser trailer, horror shock-rocker and movie director Rob Zombie has revealed the release date for this latest album, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser. Releasing April 29, Zombie has opened up his website in true form with a plethora of preorder deals, including the opportunity to be an extra in the proposed film for the album. Forgoing the usual distribution process, the self produced album will be available directly from his website, and includes signed albums, CD’s digital downloads, t-shirts, hoodies, and posters, all designed by Rob Zombie.
For more information, and to preorder, click HERE.
Fear The Walking Dead Set to Return in April
The second season of the prequel to AMC’s hit show, The Walking Dead, is set to return Sunday, April 10 at 9pm. The network will split the 15-episode season into two parts, with the last eight episodes airing sometimes later in the year. Variety reported that the network revealed the premiere date at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California. The show carries on events that take place prior to the events of The Walking Dead, before anyone actually understood what was happening.
Fox Acquires Joe Hill’s Forthcoming Novel, The Fireman
Fox has acquired Joe Hill’s forthcoming novel The Fireman, with Louis Leterrier (Transporter, Now You See Me) set to direct. The story is about a worldwide pandemic of spontaneous combustion that will reduce civilization to ashes unless it can be stopped by an improbable group of heroes led by an enigmatic man known as The Fireman. First, the combustion starts with an inky splotch, like a tattoo, which then burns the victims, spreading spores like a fungus. With millions infected, it’s a race against time to find a cure. The book releases May 17 by William Morrow. More information on this story as it develops.
Studiocanal To Release Horror-Romance Nina Forever for DVD/Blu Ray on February 22
The horror/romance that Kim Newman (Screen International) called a “a strikingly original British Horror Film” is finally coming to DVD and Blu-Ray. Rob (Cian Barry) is a supermarket shelf-filler who tried to kill himself after depression brought on by the sudden tragic death of his girlfriend Nina (Fiona O’Shaughnessy). Checkout girl Holly (Abigail Hardingham) has a morbid fascination with pain and death and puts Rob on her want list. Sexual sparks fly when they do finally get together. There’s just one problem. Even though she’s dead, sarcastic Nina has no intention of letting go of her ex. But can Rob and Holly really cope with a forever revenant threesome? A tender but bloody story about breaking up and moving on. Full of surprises and distinctive in its identity, Nina Forever is the talk of the international film festival circuit receiving both critical and audience praise at SXSW Film Festival 2015, Film4 Frightfest 2015, and Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2015.
You can pre-order Nina Forever HERE.
Alienate Set to Invade February 22 on DVD
Blending the suspense of Monsters with the intelligent action assault of Independence Day and Cloverfield, Alienate is a unique modern genre must-see that firmly places debut feature director Michael Shumway (The Edison Effect-short film) and his cast in the spotlight as ones to watch.
Here’s the official synopsis: David leaves home for a business trip. When airplanes start mysteriously falling out of the sky and cell towers fail, he finds himself trapped. With the Earth falling to an alien invasion, David fights to return to whatever is left of his home and marriage.
Bringing together the very human themes of love, belonging and loyalty right at the centre of an alien invasion, Alienate continues to explore exciting new territory for the genre. Starring Blake Webb (The Divergent Series: Allegiant, American Horror Story) and Tatum Langton (Grey’s Anatomy). With big action and even bigger ideas, Alienate is stacked from start to finish with thrilling suspense that will have you dusting off your copies of Independence Day and The X-Files to ask yourself the all time important question, do you believe…?
Alienate is available for pre-order HERE.
