The punk-rock slasher The Ranger that world premiered earlier this year at the 2018 SXSW is headed to theaters next week, opening in New York’s IFC Center on August 17th and L.A.’s Laemmle Music Hall on September 7th.
After a run-in with the cops at a punk show goes sideways, Chelsea (Chloe Levine, The Transfiguration) and her pals flee the city in search of a place to lay low. Running to the security of Chelsea’s old, abandoned family cabin in the woods, they fall under the watchful eye of an overzealous park ranger (Jeremy Holm, House of Cards) who holds a secret from Chelsea’s past. Set to the beat of a killer punk soundtrack (Fang The Avengers, The Grim, Rotten UK and more) and presented in eye-popping neon colors, Jenn Wexler’s debut offers a modern take on survivalist horror that both celebrates and subverts the genre’s tropes—with equal parts humor, glitter and gore.
The Ranger is the directorial debut from Jenn Wexler, producer of Ana Asensio’s 2017 SXSW Competition Winner Most Beautiful Island, Robert Mockler’s Like Me (2017), and Mickey Keating’s Psychopaths (2017) & Darling (2016). The Ranger world premiered at SXSW 2018, was in official selection for the inaugural What The Fest!, recently played the Fantasia International Film Festival, and is set to open London’s FrightFest.
Horror + Scifi
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Punk-Rock Slasher THE RANGER Scares Theaters on August 17th [Trailer]
The punk-rock slasher The Ranger that world premiered earlier this year at the 2018 SXSW is headed to theaters next week, opening in New York’s IFC Center on August 17th and L.A.’s Laemmle Music Hall on September 7th.
After a run-in with the cops at a punk show goes sideways, Chelsea (Chloe Levine, The Transfiguration) and her pals flee the city in search of a place to lay low. Running to the security of Chelsea’s old, abandoned family cabin in the woods, they fall under the watchful eye of an overzealous park ranger (Jeremy Holm, House of Cards) who holds a secret from Chelsea’s past. Set to the beat of a killer punk soundtrack (Fang The Avengers, The Grim, Rotten UK and more) and presented in eye-popping neon colors, Jenn Wexler’s debut offers a modern take on survivalist horror that both celebrates and subverts the genre’s tropes—with equal parts humor, glitter and gore.
The Ranger is the directorial debut from Jenn Wexler, producer of Ana Asensio’s 2017 SXSW Competition Winner Most Beautiful Island, Robert Mockler’s Like Me (2017), and Mickey Keating’s Psychopaths (2017) & Darling (2016). The Ranger world premiered at SXSW 2018, was in official selection for the inaugural What The Fest!, recently played the Fantasia International Film Festival, and is set to open London’s FrightFest.
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Watch New Trailer for German Hypnotic Thriller LUZ to US Premiere at Fantastic Fest
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Luz[/caption]
The German hypnotic thriller LUZ has released the new teaser trailer ahead of its US Premiere at the acclaimed Fantastic Fest in September. The breakout German debut feature from Tilman Singer premiered at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival.
A rainy night. A dazed and numb young cabdriver, Luz, drags herself into the brightly lit entrance of a rundown police station. Across town in a nightspot, Nora seductively engages police psychiatrist Dr. Rossini in a conversation. Nora is possessed by a demonic entity, longing for the woman it loves – Luz. She tells the Doctor about her old schoolmate Luz’s rebellious past at a Chilean school for girls. Increasingly drunk on her story, Rossini turns into an easy prey in Nora’s hands, but he’s soon called away to the police station to examine Luz. Supervised by his colleagues, the doctor puts Luz in a state of hypnosis that initiates a series of flashbacks, unfolding the events leading to her arrival. But the entity that has taken control of the doctor wants something more. Bit by bit it slips into Luz’ reenactment and makes old memories come to light.
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LUZ[/caption]
The first feature from German writer/director Tilman Singer LUZ is captivatingly shot on 16mm with immersive sound and visuals that call to mind the experimental images of Giallo and 70s Spanish horror atmosphere. Produced by Dario Méndez Acosta and Tilman Singer, with a brooding synth score composed by Simon Waskow, the film stars breakout actress Luana Velis as Luz, as well as Jan Bluthardt and Julia Riedler offering a strong supporting base
LUZ premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2018, and has recently screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival and New Horizons International Film Festival, and is in official selection for Fantastic Fest and Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.
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Dark Cuts Pictures to Release Jeremy Wechter’s E-DEMON in the Fall [Trailer]
Jeremy Wechter’s e-Demon tells of an escaped demon on a dark and twisted mission that manipulates a group of friends hanging out on a video-chat. The film is craftily structured – it takes place completely on a computer screen via the webcams being shown. Dark Cuts Pictures has acquired North American rights to e-Demon, planning a fall theatrical and VOD release.
Kendra, AJ, Mar and Dwayne are old college friends who find themselves growing apart. Attempting to hang on to their good old Ohio State days, the gang gets together online for a night of stories, pranks and drinking via web-cam. As the evening progresses, they unknowingly release a deviously clever demon that had been trapped for centuries in Salem, Massachusetts. Since the demon can possess multiple people at once, the group of friends must determine who they can still trust in order to survive the demon’s dark and twisted mission.
Dark Cuts is planning a September theatrical roll-out with a day-and-date VOD release.
e-Demon writer and helmer Wechter scored best director at the New York Horror Film Festival.
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Mischa Barton Stars in Horror Film THE BASEMENT in Theaters this September [Trailer]
Mischa Barton (“The OC”, The Sixth Sense) stars in The Basement, a unique new horror film from Brian M.Conley and Nathan Ives. The film cast also includes Jackson Davis, Cayleb Long, Tracie Thoms, Bailey Anne Borders and Sarah Nicklin.
Craig is abducted and wakes up in a basement. His captor, Bill, is a twisted serial killer who wishes to reenact his own capture, with Craig playing the part of Bill and Bill playing everyone else. As Bill tortures Craig, he cycles through a number of personas, all while Craig tries desperately to find a way into Bill’s pathology in order to save himself.
The Basement gets a theatrical and digital release on September 15 from Uncork’d Entertainment.
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Watch New Trailer for Exorcism Horror Film ALONG CAME THE DEVIL
Gravitas Ventures has released the trailer for the horror film Along Came the Devil directed by actor-filmmaker Jason DeVan. The film starring Jessica Barth, Matt Dallas, Sydney Sweeney, Madison Lintz, Heather DeVan, and Bruce Davison, will be released in theatres and on VOD and Digital HD on August 10th.
Ashley (Sydney Sweeney, “The Handmaid’s Tale”) is sent to live with her estranged Aunt Tanya (Jessica Barth, Ted 2) . While in her old hometown she has visions of her deceased mom, driving her to contact the spirit world. Ashley unknowingly unearths a demonic force, which leaves her loved ones fighting for her soul. The film also stars Matt Dallas (Painted Woman), Bruce Davison (Insidious: The Last Key), Madison Lintz (“Bosch”), and Heather DeVan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQFuhqCdXIg
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Teemu Nikki’s Acclaimed Horror Film EUTHANIZER Injects into Theaters this July [Trailer]
Writer/director Teemu Nikki’s Euthanizer injects into theaters this July, and August on VOD, via Uncork’d Entertainment.
Veijo runs a black-market operation euthanizing people’s ailing pets to make extra money. It is clear he has dark secrets, but only after meeting a young nurse and a seedy mechanic (who’s mixed up with a vicious gang of neo-Nazis) that Veijo’s carefully balanced, albeit deranged, life begins to show cracks. Things turn to the extreme when Veijo does not finish a job he was paid to and his client finds out…in this grungy exploitation throwback.
Euthanizer will play in L.A theaters (other cities to be announced) from July 20, with a VOD release set for August 7.
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Watch Trailer + Poster for Portuguese Horror Film THE FOREST OF THE LOST SOULS
The Portuguese horror film The Forest of the Lost Souls which had its world premiere at the Fantasporto Film Festival on February 26, 2017, will be released in August by Wild Eye Releasing as their first theatrical release.
The psychological “coming of age” horror film is written and directed by directed by José Pedro Lopes.
Ricardo and Carolina are complete strangers that meet seemingly by chance in the “Forest of the Lost Souls”, a place where many people go to commit suicide. These two, a young woman and an old man, are no different than the others as they also came to the forest for this very reason.
They decide to briefly postpone killing themselves in order to explore the forest and also to continue talking to one another, as Ricardo and Carolina find themselves intrigued by one another.
However, as the pair go further into the forest it becomes clear that one of them has other reasons for being in the forest and is not who they would have the other believe them to be and is actually a psychopath…
The Forest of the Lost Souls will open theatrically August 5 in L.A and other cities.
Wild Eye Releasing, whose recent releases include well-received sci-fi thriller Soft Matter and James Klass’s House on Elm Lake, represents horror, exploitation, dark arthouse, cult and documentary films from around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQXzASuWHzs
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Bradford Baruh’s ‘Wild and Blood-Soaked’ DEAD NIGHT Drops Official Trailer + Poster
Bradford Baruh’s directorial debut, Dead Night with genre icon Barbara Crampton as lead actress and producer, today released the official trailer and poster. Dark Sky Films will release Dead Night starring Brea Grant, AJ Bowen, Sophie Dalah, Elise Luthman, Joshua Hoffman, and Daniel Roebuck in theaters and digital/VOD on July 27, 2018.
James and his wife Casey load up their two teenage kids and head out to a remote cabin in Oregon for a weekend trip. When James heads into the snowy forest in search of firewood, he encounters an enigmatic woman passed out in the snow. Bringing her back to the cabin for help, the family has no way of knowing that the woman’s presence is the catalyst for a series of events that will change their lives forever.
Mixing original storytelling with timeless supernatural elements, Bradford Baruh’s directorial debut features a stellar cast of genre favorites including AJ Bowen and Barbara Crampton and delivers a wild and blood-soaked weekend away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyKyboTBsU4
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Horror Sequel 14 CAMERAS Sets July 27 Release Date [Trailer]
14 Cameras, the highly-anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed horror title 13 Cameras, will be released in theaters and on demand nationwide on July 27th by Gravitas Ventures
When a family of four rent a beautiful house for their summer vacation, the price seems too good to be true. Unbeknownst to them, the lascivious owner (Archambault) has set up a series of spy cams throughout the house, documenting their most intimate moments and live-streaming them to the dark web.
The horror-thriller 14 Cameras is directed by Scott Hussion and Seth Fuller; and stars Neville Archambault (13 Cameras), Amber Midthunder (“Legion”), Chelsea Edmundson (Thunder Road) along with Brianne Moncrief (13 Cameras). The film was written by Victor Zarcoff; and produced by Fuller and Hussion, with Andrew van den Houten (The Ranger), Jordan Rudman (Funeral Kings) and The McManus Bros. (writers of Netflix’s “American Vandal”) executive producing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HqBKYe0DqA image via screenshot
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A.I TALES, Featuring Pom Klementieff, Eric Roberts and Neil Jackson, Gets June Release Date
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SEED by Nelson Lee[/caption]
“A.I. Tales”, a collection of short sci-fi stories distributed by Hewes Pictures, will premiere in Somerville Theater, Boston, June 8th to 14th and on Amazon. The collection of stories feature world-renowned talent such as Pom Klementieff (“Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Avengers”), Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight”), Neil Jackson (“Westworld”) among many others.
The film is made up of futuristic, high concept stories about artificial intelligence. Whether it’s love found in time of over-population or exploration of the unknown and space-travel, “A.I. Tales” has a bit of something for every fan of the genre. Altogether, these stories provide a one-of-a-kind experience and a unique view of the near future.
Titles include: SEED by Nelson Lee, IN/FINITE by Kristen Hilkert, PHOENIX 9 by Amir Reichart, REDUX by Vitaly Verlov and JULIET by Marc-Henri Boulier.
Trailers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udKV2u9vGFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLVTuJNGVmE
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Doppelgänger Releasing Partners with Bloody Disgusting, will Release Black Metal Comedy HEAVY TRIP
Doppelgänger Releasing announced a new distribution relationship with horror genre website Bloody Disgusting, and will kick things off with the release of Finnish black metal comedy Heavy Trip, which had its world premiere at SXSW. Doppelgänger (the genre label of arthouse distributor Music Box Films) is planning a limited theatrical run along with a home entertainment release in late 2018, and will screen the film at the upcoming Cinepocalypse Genre Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre in late June.
When Turo and his undiscovered heavy metal band—eventually named Impaled Rektum—get their first chance in 12 years to leave the basement and play at Norway’s biggest heavy metal music festival, they steal a van, a corpse, a coffin, and a drummer from the local mental hospital and hit the road.
“We’ve admired Bloody Disgusting’s ability to create and grow the most actively engaged online horror communities out there, and we’re looking forward to working with them on identifying and releasing exciting new content that pushes the boundaries of genre filmmaking,” said Lisa Holmes, Director of Sales at Music Box Films/ Doppelgänger Releasing. “Heavy Trip has a perfect combination of humor, heart, and heavy metal, and we’re excited to work with Bloody Disgusting to bring it to American audiences.”
“Heavy Trip is destined for cult classic status and we know horror and music fans will unite in celebration of this heartwarming, but totally metal comedy,” said Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting. “We’re extremely proud of our Chicago roots and working with the prestigious Music Box is a dream come true. This is just the opening act! “
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SingularDTV to Release Eddie Alcazar’s Sci-Fi Thriller PERFECT
The sci-fi thriller Perfect, Eddie Alcazar’s feature directorial debut that had its world premiere in the Vision section at the recent SXSW Film Festival has been acquired by the blockchain entertainment studio SingularDTV. SingularDTV will release the film theatrically in the US later this year, with worldwide event-driven screenings to follow. Perfect will become available on SingularDTV’s global digital platform in early 2019.
Alcazar was one of Filmmaker magazine’s 25 New Faces, when he shot and created the short FUCKKKYOUUU, which was selected for Sundance in 2016. Multi-hyphenate Flying Lotus is executive producer on Perfect and composed the score for the film. This marks the second feature collaboration for Alcazar and Flying Lotus from their Brainfeeder Films banner. Flying Lotus’ directorial debut KUSO premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section.
Alcazar brings his trademark atmospheric intensity to Perfect, with Steven Soderbergh on board as executive producer. In Perfect, a young man with a violent past enters a mysterious clinic where the patients transform themselves using genetic engineering. The film stars Garrett Wareing, Courtney Eaton, and Abbie Cornish.
Other executive producers include Marco Vicini, Phil Hoelting, Matthias Koenigwieser, Rooter Wareing, Nikki Pederson, and Adam Silvestri. XYZ Films and CAA Media Finance negotiated the deal on behalf of filmmakers.
“SingularDTV’s approach to distribution is as bold as the film itself–I feel I’m getting a front-row view of the future,” said Soderbergh.
As SingularDTV’s President of Entertainment Kim Jackson comments, “This is exactly the kind of bold filmmaking that SingularDTV stands for. By bringing blockchain technology into the film industry, we are forging ahead with creating an environment where forward-thinking artists and filmmakers can thrive.”
“Not only is this an innovative, boundary-breaking film we are thrilled to be working with, but it also provides SingularDTV with an opportunity to innovate in our approach to sharing Perfect and its universe of thought-provoking stories with the global audience,” says Jason Tyrrell, SingularDTV’s VP of Content.
Tyrell continued, “Eddie and his team have created something we feel will stand the test of time, and we look forward to collaborating with Brainfeeder Films on a special release that’s in line with the audacity of this project, and our goal to create a more sustainable industry for the independent arts.”
SingularDTV helps filmmakers fundraise, develop and distribute using blockchain technology. The company acquires and creates original content. Alex Winter’s feature-length doc TRUST MACHINE: THE STORY OF BLOCKCHAIN is currently in post-production. THE HAPPY WORKER by director Duwayne Dunham (HOMEWARD BOUND: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, LITTLE GIANTS) and executive-produced by David Lynch, is in pre-production. Follow us on @SingularDTV.