Once the screaming stops and the blood has dried, more than fifty short films will have slashed their way across the silver screen at Screamfest 2016; the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States. The sixteenth edition of the annual horror celebration returned to the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, CA and blood-crazed audience members were treated to a wide variety of short films. Comedy, drama, romance, mystery, just to name a few genres, were mixed in with the horror to create many tasty concoctions that the most ardent or even most cynical of horror fans will find pleasurable. One of the greatest challenges a filmmaker will face in this genre, well any
This quartet's night takes a turn for the worse when they witness some disturbing news in FEAR INC. Fear, Inc. follows a company of degenerates who can be hired for a premium to bring your greatest fears to life. But when horror junkie Joe Foster's customized scare seemingly begins, he and his friends must decide if this company is there to scare them or make them pawns in their own sick game. *** Stars Fear Inc. Director: Vincent Masciale Screenplay: Luke Barnett Starring: Lucas Neff, Caitlin Stasey, Chris Marquette, Stephanie Drake, Abigail Breslin Rated R for bloody horror violence, language throughout and some drug use Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding
Aden Young stars as Bob Langmore, a man who will risk everything to reconnect with his daughter, in THE UNSEEN. A man, who years earlier mysteriously abandoned his family and isolated himself in a small northern town, returns for one last chance to reconnect with his troubled daughter. When she goes missing, he risks everything to find her, including exposing his long kept secret. **** Stars The Unseen Director: Geoff Redknap Screenplay: Geoff Redknap Starring: Aden Young, Camille Sullivan, Julia Sarah Stone, Ben Cotton, Max Chadburn, Alison Araya Not Yet Rated Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Averag
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Oct. 28, 2016 – America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest, has awarded the top movies, filmmakers and actors of the festival. The festival, which ran from Oct. 18 – 27, 2016 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, has launched careers – providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences. MY FATHER DIE and THE MASTER CLEANSE tied with the most awards, each with four. MY FATHER DIE won Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Brosnan, Best Editing by Jason Eric Perlman and Sean Brosnan, as well as Best Musical Score by Justin Small and Ohad Benchetrit. THE MASTER CLEANSE won the Bes
While at Screamfest 2016, which was held at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, CA, I had the opportunity to catch up with and chat about movies with filmmaker Damon Rickard. Damon screened his film THE TOUR at Screamfest 2014. While his new film DISSOCIATIVE wasn't screened at the annual festival he still made the journey from across the pond to see some quality independent genre films. His latest film DISSOCIATIVE, where he wears numerous hats including writer, director and editor, is making its way around the festival circuit. Be sure to check it out if it plays in your neck of the woods. You may listen to the audio interview by clicking here or the link below. The official teaser
Actor-producer Harley Neville discusses the film NO CALLER I.D. screening at Screamfest 2016. I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with actor-producer Harley Neville who is screening the short film NO CALLER I.D. at Screamfest 2016 in Hollywood, CA. Neville came to the attention of genre fans with the highly entertaining zombie-comedy I SURVIVED A ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST; which was screened during Screamfest 2014. You may listen to the audio interview by clicking here or the link below. NO CALLER I.D. screens Sunday October 23 at 4pm, along with other horrific short films, at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, CA. The film written and directed by Guy Pigden stars Jocelyn Chris
Owen and his girlfriend Isabel decide that the only way to move forward is to go back. When Owen is forced to confront a past he's been running from his whole adult life, he and his girlfriend, Isabel, soon discover that sometimes the past is best left in the past. ***1/2 Stars Trash Fire Director: Richard Bates, Jr. Screenplay: Richard Bates, Jr. Starring: Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, Fionnula Flanagan, Matthew Gray Gubler Rated R for some disturbing violence/behavior, strong sexuality, nudity and language Running Time: 1 hour 31 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2
Paul and Abby soon discover passing through the town of Denton was a huge mistake. A mysterious stranger and a random act of violence drag a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge. *** Stars In a Valley of Violence Director: Ti West Screenplay: Ti West Starring: Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, Karen Gillan, James Ransone, John Travolta, Larry Fessenden, Rated R for violence and language. Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
Lady Hideko speaks with Sook-Hee, her handmaiden, in the Chan-wook Park's THE HANDMAIDEN. A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but she is secretly involved in a plot to defraud her. **** Stars The Handmaiden Director: Chan-wook Park Screenplay: Seo-kyung Chang and Chan-wook Park. Based on the novel by Sarah Waters Starring: Min-hee Kim, Tae Ri Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Jin-woong Jo, Hae-suk Kim Unrated Running Time: 2 hours 24 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John Lennon In Alejandro Montoya Marin's LESLIE, a struggling artist who, despite her circumstances hangs on to her hopes and dreams, finds herself at a crossroads. Holly, played by Kika Magalhaes, is just barely getting by as she goes from one gig to the next, sometimes not even getting paid for days on end. She works at a grocery store to help make ends meet but ultimately she aspires to be a song writer and singer. The phrase "starving artist" is a pretty common label given to any artist, be it an actor, singer or the like, who makes very little for the amount of time and effort they
Screamfest 2016 unfolds at the TLC Chinese 6 theatres in Hollywood, CA from 10/18 - 10/27. Can you feel it? Can you sense it? Do you feel that chill running up and down your spine? Are the hairs on your arm standing on end? Have the goosebumps started to rise? It's October. It's Halloween season and once again Hollywood Blvd. will run red with blood as Screamfest returns with the 16th edition of the annual horror film festival. The film festival, founded by Rachel Belofsky, celebrates all things horror and provides audiences the opportunity to see a wide variety of horror themed films. There are features and short, independent and studio films and they all have one thing in common. T
Linguistics professor Dr. Louise Banks is called upon to communicate with an alien race in ARRIVAL. When mysterious spacecrafts touch down across the globe, an elite team - lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) - is brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity. ***1/2 Stars Arrival Director: Denis Villeneuve Screenplay: Eric Heisserer Based on the short story "Story of Your Life" written by Ted Chiang Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma Not Yet Rated Runni
Godzilla returns in Toho Studios' latest film in the long running franchise SHIN GODZILLA. Japan is plunged into chaos upon the appearance of a giant monster. ***1/2 Stars Shin Godzilla Directors: Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi Screenplay: Hideaki Anno Starring: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Ren Ohsugi, Akira Emoto Unrated Running Time: 2 hours Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
A rare, quiet moment in the found footage, horror-thriller CAPTURE KILL RELEASE. A couple plots to murder a random stranger just for the thrill of it, but things turn ugly when one of them decides not to go through with it. *** Stars Capture Kill Release Directors: Nick McAnulty and Brian Allen Stewart Screenplay: Nick McAnulty Starring: Jennifer Fraser, Farhang Ghajar, Jon Gates, Rich Piatkowski, Christina Schimmel Unrated Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
Documentarian Annie and her husband Neil make a startling discovery in the sci-fi film OCCUPANTS. Whilst filming a new project, which involves cameras placed throughout their home, Annie and Neil Curtis make a startling discovery that proves to be not only groundbreaking but incredibly dangerous. *** Stars Occupants (2015) Director: Russ Emanuel Screenplay: Julia Camara Starring: Briana White, Michael Pugliese, Robert Picardo Unrated Running Time: 1 hour 21 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
Doctor Orson, Commander Linden and Iris Duncan discuss their situation in the sci-fi film TELEIOS. The crew of the TELEIOS are sent to investigate what happened on a deep space mining vessel which has been adrift for nearly two years. *** Stars Teleios Director: Ian Truitner Screenplay: Ian Truitner Starring: Sunny Mabrey, Lance Broadway, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Christian Pitre, T.J. Hoban, Michael Nouri Unrated Running Time: 1 hour 29 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
Artist Cai Guo-Qiang tests some fireworks which he uses to create breathtaking art. This film captures the work and life of Cai Guo-Qiang, whose frequent use of gunpowder serves as both an ancestral homage and an acknowledgement of humanity's fleeting nature. Creating ambitious signature pieces on the largest imaginable scales, Cai's electrifying work often transcends physical permanence all while burning its philosophies into the audience's mind forever. Told through the artist's own words and those of family, friends and vigilant observers, Cai tracks his meteoric rise and examines how and why he engineers artworks that stretch as far as the eye can see and wow millions. **** Stars Sky Lad
Reggie continues his search for his friends, Mike and Jody, in Phantasm: Ravager. After the events of Phantasm IV: Oblivion, Reggie emerges in the unforgiving desert as he continues his search to find his friends and his quest to end The Tall Man's reign of terror once and for all. **1/2 Stars Phantasm: Ravager Director: David Hartman Screenplay: David Hartman and Don Coscarelli Starring: Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm, Bill Thornbury, Kathy Lester, Dawn Cody Unrated Running Time: 1 hour 27 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/
Accountant Christian Wolff, played by Ben Affleck, has an eye for numbers and moving targets. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a mathematics savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Using a small-town CPA office as a cover, he makes his living as a freelance accountant for dangerous criminal organizations. With a Treasury agent (J.K. Simmons) hot on his heels, Christian takes on a state-of-the-art robotics company as a legitimate client. As Wolff gets closer to the truth about a discrepancy that involves millions of dollars, the body count starts to rise. ***1/2 Stars The Accountant (2016) Director: Gavin O'Connor Screenplay: Bill Dubuque Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Jon
