room 205 Tagged Articles at Cinematical
We've Got a Date for the 'Dance of the Dead'!
Filed under: Foreign Language », Horror », Independent », Mystery & Suspense », Home Entertainment »
I'll admit it: Most of the indie / foreign horror films that I see at film festivals and then recommend like crazy ... are not exactly "mainstream" titles. My apologies if you watched Inside, Teeth, or Frontier(s) with your mom -- although she'd probably like The Signal. Heck, even my preferences in studio horror fare tend to run towards the bleak, and hats off to The Mist, The Ruins and The Strangers for keeping me on my toes.So what's my point? There's one particular indie that is absolutely NOT a gorehounds-only affair. I actually expect quite a (relatively) mainstream groundswell of support once Gregg Bishop's Dance of the Dead hits DVD -- and according to good ol' Bloody-Dee, that DVD will arrive on October 14. Yes, the movie is about a prom that's been overrun by zombies, leaving only the dateless outcasts to save the day, and sure, it's got some gore, some salty language, and some playful sexiness -- but dang if the Dance of the Dead doesn't feel like something Spielberg might have done as a newcomer. (And actually liked horror movies.) It's quick and colorful and jaunty and amusing -- and I think that's the first time I've ever used the word "jaunty" in any capacity. Anyway, toss a red circle around this title. It's not just for the horror fans. (No less than eight Cinematical staffers saw and really enjoyed it.)
And hey, get this! Lionsgate is absolutely GUSHING horror flicks on October 14! Not only the Dance will hit DVD on that date, but seven more titles as well: Brotherhood of Blood, Dark Floors, The Last House in the Woods, No Man's Land: The Rise of the Reeker (cool!), Room 205, The Substitute, and something Russian called Trackman (that looks pretty wild). Now that sounds like a Halloween party!
Screamfest '07 is Here!
Filed under: Horror », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Other Festivals »
You thought that with all the love we've been throwing at Austin's Fantastic Fest we'd probably forget all about good ol' L.A. Screamfest. Not with me on horror watch! The event runs from October 12 to 20, and if you happen to be located anywhere near the legendary Mann's Chinese Theater -- you just might want to duck inside to see what sort of murderous mayhem is going on.
And the Screamfest looks to be starting off on the right foot this year: Last night's opening night film was George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead! After much praise from the audiences at Toronto and Fantastic Fest, the master's latest zombie opus will hit the west coast with much excitement and gore. And the fun doesn't stop there. The festival will also offer Robert Rodriguez's director's cut of Planet Terror (which is awesome) and a 25th Anniversary screening (and cast reunion) of Friday the 13th Part 3. Yes, in 3-D!
Attendees will also get to check out the long-awaited DVDquel Return to House on Haunted Hill, a screening of the great-looking 30 Days of Night (and the video prequels Blood Trails), David Arquette's festival fave The Tripper, and a variety of genre titles of various shapes, sizes and nationalities. Of the Screamfest flicks we've seen, we've already given a strong seal of approval on the quiet but creepy Alone, the robust zest of Wrong Turn 2, the Pakistani lunacy known as Hell's Ground, , the freakishly ferocious Inside, and the apocalyptic awesomeness that is The Signal. Plus I keep hearing that Shrooms is pretty amusing, Buried Alive is gruesome, and Storm Warning is really solid.
World Cinema: Danish Trailers Look Hot
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Foreign Language », Horror », Thrillers », Cinematical Indie »
We last visited Denmark to tell you about The Substitute, a so-called "children's thriller" that had a strong performance at the box office in June. Weeks later, The Substitute is still drawing Danes into theaters; it was the top-grossing local film this past weekend. The Substitute has been selected to play in the Sprockets Family Zone at the Toronto film festival in September, which may help it land a US distribution deal. Several upcoming releases also look to have international appeal.Room 205 is due August 10; it's a horror picture about a university student who unwittingly unleashes an angry spirit seeking revenge. The trailer (available at the official site) makes it obvious we're not talking about Casper, The Friendly Ghost: young girl comes to city, is seduced by loud music and sexy dancing, and soon blood and body parts are flying. Two weeks later, Just Another Love Story rolls out. Directed by the suddenly busy Ole Bornedal (The Substitute), it's a thriller that starts when a weary family man causes an auto accident, resulting in a young woman losing her memory. The family man is then mistaken for her new boyfriend and assumes his identity. It looks like a very dark, intriguing twist on While You Were Sleeping.
September takes a comic turn with Thomas Vinterberg's A Man Comes Home, in which a small town kitchen worker's romances get mixed up with the arrival of a famous opera singer. (The breezy, jazzy trailer is NSFW.) Finally, Paprika Steen (star of The Substitute) returns to the director's chair for With Your Permission, scripted by the gifted Anders Thomas Jensen. The film is described as a tragic comedy: "Sometimes you should let go of your dream and let another dream come true." All the trailers are available at one convenient site.
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