The gorgeous ghoul known affectionately by her fans as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark just gets better with age and busier too! She is now sponsoring Elvira’s Horror Hunt, it’s a film festival, a contest, a web series and like her bra size… it is a helluva lot.. more! Read on for the gory details!

Put on you creative thinking “wigs,” because Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, (“Elvira’s Movie Macabre”) want you to SUBMIT….your horror feature and short films! Participate and compete in the first edition of “ELVIRA’S HORROR HUNT” an “indie’ genre film festival and web extravaganza co-hosted by best “ghoul-friend” Peaches Christ (“Midnight Mass”) and presented in association with Comikaze Entertainment and HorrorHound. The deviously demented duo even whipped up a special video laying out all the devilish details for you! Check it out below!

“Elvira, Comikaze, HorrorHound AND Peaches Christ: it’s a match made in HELL and my worst nightmare – and for me that’s a GOOD THING,” says Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. “I’m practically popping out of my dress with excitement and we promise to unearth the hottest new films…and bury the ones that suck.”

WHAT IS “ELVIRA’S HORROR HUNT”? It’s a competition that’s one part movie review show, one part film festival, and all parts funny as hell! The HorrorHound selection committee will select 13 features and 7 shorts to be screened for adoring fans at HorrorHound Weekend, Indianapolis (September 7 & 8, 2012) with Elvira and Peaches in person! The same feature films will also be individually reviewed by the dynamically dark duo for “HORROR HUNT,” a brand-new, online web-series full of outrageous, unapologetic humor and horror savvy.

““I grew up worshipping at the altar of Elvira so being her co-hostess is a dream come true!” proclaims Peaches Christ, hostess of “Midnight Mass.” “Being ‘indie’ filmmakers ourselves, I think this innovative film festival and multimedia event will expose the genre world to some incredible movies from filmmakers who may have been previously overlooked.”

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Of the 13 features and 7 short films featured, THREE will be selected by Elvira and Peaches Christ, who will present them to a panel of horror industry professionals who will declare the winners of Grand Prizes which include: a red carpet Los Angeles premiere for their film hosted by the Elvira and Peaches Christ, round-trip airfare/lodging and V.I.P. bragging rights at “Stan Lee’s Comikaze” expo September 15 & 16th, 2012.

“Elvira is one of the most iconic horror characters of our time,” says Regina Carpinelli, CEO/ Co-founder of Comikaze Entertainment. “On behalf of “Stan Lee’s Comikaze,” it is an honor and pleasure to be collaborating with one of the most brilliant businesswomen in our industry on a project that is sure to change the way film festivals are created”

For additional prizing details, contest rules and info about submitting your movie go to: http://www.ElvirasHorrorHunt.com

All has been quiet on the zombie front lately and I was getting a litte nervous about that, but guess what, the next installment from the Bloody Disgusting Selects series – Exit Humanity, is heading to DVD, Video on Demand and Digital Download (iTunes/Amazon/XBOX/Playstation) on June 19th! Catch a trailer and a few dripping brains past the break!

Exit Humanity explores the struggle of one man in a zombie infested America just 10 years after the American-Civil War. A decade after the American Civil War, Edward Young returns home from a hunting trip to find a horrific reanimation of his wife and that their son Adam has disappeared. He must battle his way through an unexplainable outbreak of the walking dead.

The film features the narrative voice of Brian Cox and stars horror icons Bill Moseley and Dee Wallace along with character actor Stephen McHattie. The film is directed by John Geddes.

Most of us are not fans of remakes, I know I am not. Remakes rarely come close to the standards of the originals, but occasionally, one film will stand out. Perhaps the Maniac remake will be the one. It actually looks better to me than the original! We have a teaser trailer that really looks brutal and wicked, so read past the break and check it out to see what you think!

Directed by Franck Khalfoun, Maniac is the remake of William Lustig’s early 80s NYC sleaze classic which is premiering at Cannes. The film stars Elijah Wood and Nora Arnezeder and is produced by Haute Tension’s Alexandre Aja.

Synopsis: “Just when the streets seemed safe, a serial killer with a fetish for scalps is back and on the hunt.
Frank is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna appears asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank’s obsession escalates, it becomes clear that she has unleashed a long-repressed compulsion to stalk and kill.”

Check out the NSFW trailer:

A man tells us what it is like to have a serial killer in his family. A retired horror movie queen hires a detective in a case of blackmail. The Winchester House of San Jose, CA becomes the site of a series of murders. A comic book writer hires a nanny to take care of her daughter and comes to regret it. These are only four of the fourteen short stories collected in Dark Dimensions by William F. Nolan.

Nolan is a legend in the horror field and one of few surviving members of the old guard.  He has been writing for over fifty years and shows no signs of slowing down. Most of the stories in this collection are quite recent. For example, “Zachry Revisited” was printed in the anthology He Is Legend (the anthology is a tribute to Richard Matheson) and is a sequel to Matheson’s tale “The Children of Noah.”  There are some older stories printed here as well. “The Horror at Winchester House” was written in the late 90s; Nolan wrote this on the realization that no had ever written a story about this particular haunted house and decided to do so himself. Other noteworthy horror tales include “Child’s Care,” “A Woods Encounter,” and “Stabbed by Rob.” “The Man Who Stalked Hyde” is a fun, yet brief sequel to the Stevenson classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not all of these stories are horror, however. “Getting Along Just Fine” is a touching piece of fiction with no fantastical content. “Vampire Dollars” is a very likeable and entertaining mystery tale. Another mystery that is worth reading (but a little too short) is “The Death of Sherlock Holmes” where Nolan accomplishes what Arthur Conan Doyle dreamt of doing.

Overall, this is a worthwhile collection to read. Nolan writes believable people and sets his stories at a breakneck pace. This may leave the reader with a sense of having been on a rollercoaster ride that was too short.  Regardless, this is an enjoyable read. Whether this ride provided by Nolan is too fast or just right, he still leaves his riders (readers) with a pleasant thrill and a craving for more.  4 stars.

In 1983 Bernie Wrightson’s illustrated version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein was met with both reverance and acclaim! Now, almost 30 years later, Wrightson returns to his passionate project with a comic series that picks up at the end of the classic novel, which has been hailed as one of the greatest horror stories of all time. Frequent Wrightson collaborator Steve Niles provides the script for this epic, which has been decades in the making.

Each issue will also include supplemental materials, including interviews, essays and a serialization of the original prose story by Shelley.

Story by
Steve Niles
Art by
Bernie Wrightson
Cover by
Bernie Wrightson
Publisher
IDW
Cover Price:
$3.99
Release Date
Wed, May 9th, 2012 (Available now!)

Bedbugs are everywhere now, they are even coming to the big screen!! BedBugs is a A sci-fi / horror feature film written by Dave Eisenstark and directed by Lee Lanier. We have a sneak peek teaser which you can watch past the break!

Starring Morgan Mead and Shannon Lark. Not to be confused with the Ti West adaption of the novel. This feature is based on a script written in the late 1980s by Dave Eisenstar

Mysteries Most Macabre, Inc., is a collection of downloadable short audio vignettes, averaging between 6 to 9 minutes in length. Set in the 1930’s, it concerns the adventures of Blake and Beatrice Ashton, a married detective team whose cases invariably take a turn for the supernatural. Sort of takes you back to the old radio horror of yesteryear and looks like great fun, read past the break for more.

“Blake & Beatrice were originally inspired by Nick & Nora Charles from the classic ‘Thin Man’ films and radio show,” notes Alsedek. “However, the characters found their own voices pretty quickly.” Blake is heir to the Ashton Cracker fortune and is described by Alsedek as “the world’s oldest ten-year-old…both aggravating and adorable.” Beatrice is the experienced private eye, daughter of a Scotland Yard detective, and a formidable woman in every respect- “sort of a proto-Sigourney Weaver or Linda Hamilton, but in heels” jokes Perry-Hayes.

In each episode the Ashtons find themselves faced with some manner of otherworldly threat, only to deal with it with tongue-in-cheek aplomb, according to Alsedek. “There’s a lot of snappy dialogue in a Cary Grant/Kate Hepburn vein, heavies right out of B-movies, and resolutions that would have made the Marx Brothers proud.”

The voiceover work is done by Alsedek and Perry-Hayes plus the versatile veteran voice actor Daamen Krall. “Daamen’s amazing- he does the narration, then seamlessly switches gears to play whoever that episode’s guest star is,” says Perry-Hayes. Production has already begun on the next seven episodes, which will be released in early summer.

Mysteries Most Macabre, Inc., Volume 1 includes:
· ‘The Conqueror Bookworm’ (7:45)
· ‘Zeitgeist Of The Zipless Zombies’ (9:30)
· ‘Now You Don’t See ‘Em, Now You Don’t’ (8:36)
· ‘Saga Of The Shrinking Salesforce’ (6:42)
· ‘Werewolf For Art Thou?’ (6:41)
· ‘Mystery Of The Malodorous Mummies’ (7:50)
· ‘Let Me Count The Ways’ (6:11)
· Song: ‘Mysteries Most Macabre’ Theme (4:10)
Total Running Time: 57:25

Mysteries Most Macabre, Inc., Volume 1 of which is now available from John C. Alsedek and Dana Perry-Hayes of Blue Hours Productions.

Aaaaaaaaarrrghhh!!!!1 That is the one word that ran through my mind over and over for the last two hours. I saw the early showing of the new Dark Shadows movie. And I have to say. . . Aaaaaarrrggghhhh!!!! I feel like Charlie Brown as Lucy snatches the football away moments before he can kick it. The teasing potential is always so enticing that you can’t help but hope for the best. But the reality, in this case, left me lying on my back staring up into the sky.
There were a number of times that the movie approached the precipice of a dark edgy and spooky story, but then it was turned on its ear in some ridiculous manner. As an example, after Barnabus is released from his coffin he slaughters eleven workers and drinks their blood. As he turns to leave the scene we discover the nature of the construction project the workers were engaged in. The bright neon golden arches of McDonalds light up the night sky. He looks at them and decries the chain as a reference to Mephistopheles, a moment very bluntly foreshadowed when living Barnabus was delving into the occult and read about Mephistopheles being the true name of Satan and the Illuminated letter on the page was unmistakably the McDonald’s logo.

The movie did have some shining moments. The opening credit sequence was quite good. Documenting the early history of the Collins’ family. There was a bit where they set up the sexual tension and future animosity between Barnabus and Angelique, and it was incredible how good the makeup was. Johnny Depp truly looked like a young man barely into his twenties.

The character of Roger, David’s dad, seemed a complete waste. He was only there to be a problem for the family. David himself was verging on being interesting. The ghost of his dead mother was rather lackluster and seemed as scary as Princess Leia’s message stored in R2-D2 for Ben Kenobi. Maggie Evans (Victoria Winters) was barely in it. Carolyn, the 15 year old) seemed to be perpetually stoned. Truthfully, everyone in this movie seemed to be half asleep. They were as uninterested in their roles as a vegan dining at a steakhouse. Even poor Willie was a lame character. In both series, he was a troubled man who was engaged in a troubling situation that he held no power over. He was put upon and loyal even as he was downtrodden. The Willie in this movie seems to only ever be in a stupor as though he is trying to ignore the alarm as he snoozes through the morning. Angelique is the only one who has any real life in her character, but she turns into a ridiculous mockery of herself by the end. And then there is Johnny Depp. He is always good, even when the material is lacking.

It was wonderful to see Jonathon Frid in his cameo role, but it was obvious that he was not well. I don’t think he moved a muscle during his entire screen time. This isn’t saying anything at all about him. It is a shame he passed away before the movie came out. It was a defining role of his career. And I am glad that Big Finish got him to do an audio story recently too.

Ultimately Dark Shadows was a schitzophrenic mess. They were unable to decide what type of movie they wanted to make and the result was something that few are likely to truly enjoy. Some people are saying this is perfect in its campiness, because the series itself was campy. I can’t blame someone for striving to find a way to enjoy a movie. If you have to lie to yourself to achieve that, that is on you. But the series itself wasn’t made to be campy. It was eerie and spooky and well done, and at times it came off campy. But what they did in making this movie was a shame. It felt like they made an Addam’s Family (or maybe Munster’s) movie and then decided to use the Dark Shadows cast without changing the script or tone. Johnny Depp has been sitting on the rights to make this movie for a long time, and many years ago a picture surfaced of him as Barnabus side by side with a picture of Jonathon Frid as the original. That image made me excited at the possibilities (although I can’t find it to post now.) Instead we got a rejected Oompah Loompah makeup test for his Barnabus. I guess he made it his own, but it felt wrong. Burton and Depp missed the mark big time on this movie.
I grudgingly yield 2 stars to this movie. Why 2? Because I love Dark Shadows. And being given the opportunity to see Dark Shadows on the big screen was impossible to pass up. Wait, make that 1.5 stars. A major miss for me was not hearing the Dark Shadows theme music. Don’t get me wrong, Danny Elfman did a great job with the music. When doesn’t he? But they should have at the very least done some updated version of it.

The Sibling is an upcoming American horror-thriller film written and directed by Matt Orlando. The film stars Mischa Barton, Devon Sawa and Michael Clark Duncan. The film shot for 20 days, mainly at the former Knoxville Middle School in Pittsburgh. It is currently in post-production. No synopsis is available yet, but we have a sneak peak of the first trailer. You can catch it past the break.

Dark Hall Press launches  horror fiction line with an author’s first brilliant novel. First-time author Lorne Patterson skillfully delivers a dark tale of both ancient and modern horror in his first novel Witch.

A police probe into the death of pedophile leads detective Jamie McFadden to the doors of Haven, a secluded clinic for abused women…

To the outside world it is a place of physical and spiritual recovery. But as Jamie soon discovers, Haven’s history runs deeper and darker than anyone could possibly imagine…

A tale of modern crime entwined with a savage history of religious persecution, WITCH will lead you down the proverbial rabbit-hole and dance you in the dark.

As of May 1st WITCH will be available for purchase via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other such sites, in both eBook and paper editions.

For more details on book:
http://darkhallpress.com/witch

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lorne Patterson is a psychiatric nurse who has worked in a number of countries, including Britain, the United States and Russia. WITCH is his first full-length book.