Award-winning, independent filmmaker, Antonio Arecibo recently announced he was deep into the production of a horror feature anthology entitled "Somnambular Tremors." An exploration of the profoundly frightening phenomenon known as false-awakenings, "Somnambular Tremors" will explore multiple characters in an interwoven narrative style similar to the "Creepshow" and "Tales From the Crypt" anthologies.
While thus far financing the project out-of-pocket, Antonio brings his signature one-man-production style to a genuine indie-film experience that has already generated early critical buzz.
False Awakenings: An Eternal Nightmare:
False awakenings happen when someone believes they have woken up from sleep, only to realize at some later point that they are still dreaming. Often a part of a larger, over-arching lucid-dreaming phenomenon, false awakenings are categorized as hybrid states, and can represent a significant psychological strain on an individual, who must often struggle through the delusions of wakefulness to reach conscious awareness. These struggles are all the more profound when sleepers are fighting to wake up not from a normal dream, but a nightmare. False awakenings are usually part of composite experience that can include lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, and feelings of despair or foreboding.
"Dreams have fascinated mankind for thousands of years," said Antonio Arecibo. "They are normally a source of magic, joy, mystery, and can be a welcome escape from a life that is dull or painful. We're taught as children to follow our dreams as a source of inspiration, because the dream state comes with an inherent sense of positivity. And we also know that dreams aren't real – they eventually end and are always escapable, even when they turn bad. But what happens when that's no longer true? What happens when the dreamer and the dream merge as one? What happens if we can't wake up, and our nightmares follow us out into the real world? That's what I wanted to explore."
The Trailer:
About Filmmaker Antonio Arecibo:
A native of Puerto Rico, Antonio is a New York City based independent filmmaker who writes, directs and edits his own work, while also serving as a visual effects creator, cinematographer and producer. A one-man production crew, Antonio is skilled at working brilliantly and efficiently on a shoe-string budget, producing results that have high production values and critical acclaim potential. Arecibo has collaborated with Director/Producer Josh Taub on several projects, and is currently working on a short-film anthology that explores the mercurial nature of nightmares and false awakenings.
Drag Superstar Nina West has come to SLAY this Halloween season, literally!
Her new Spooktacular Variety Special HEELS OF HORROR began streaming on VIMEO on October 28th 2020. As part of the special Nina created an ode to one of her favorite TV shows of all time, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Written by Nina West and Mark Byer, with a video Directed by Brad Hammer and animations by Kevin Posnanski and Shawn Adell, NINA THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, features the voice of SNL's Taran Killam as well as an appearance by original Buffy The Vampire Slayer cast member Anthony Stewart Head!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Animated cast in Nina The Vampire Slayer by Nina West
It tells the story of a group of friends gathered around a campfire to listen to spooky stories about vampires on Halloween. However, Buffy The Vampire slayer superfan Nina keeps interrupting the storyteller (the voice of SNL's Taran Killam) with "OMG, IT'S JUST LIKE THIS ONE TIME ON BUFFY!.." and her excitedly singing how each ode likens to her favorite episodes of Buffy through recaps using animated versions of the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer Cast.
The Video:
About Nina West's Heels of Horror:
In 2020, due to the pandemic and the need for social distancing protocols, Nina and her producing partner Patricia Taylor, searched for ways to bring Heels of Horror to the stage safely and with the highest quality possible. Ultimately, it was deemed that a Live show would not allow for a large number of people to attend the show and for the safety of performers and fans it would be best to move the show to a digital space.
However, this opens the show for a whole new worldwide audience to see what Nina and her spooky friends have been up to! The entirely new show is split into 3 episodes each featuring a different Halloween theme.
They are streamed exclusively via a ticketed event on VIMEO and feature some of Columbus's finest performers as well as special guests Sydney James Harcourt (Original Cast Member Hamilton on Broadway), Jennica Tastrophe, Gretta Goodbottom and The Skeleton crew, Jamz Dean and surprise cameos from the world of stage and screen,
The show is sponsored by the generous support of the presenting sponsor Equitas Health. Equitas is a regional non-profit health system serving the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ in 13 cities in the Midwest. Throughout the run, Nina will be asking for donations to Equitas Health to continue its mission. The production is also supported by the Columbus-based, national companies White Castle and Big Lots.
"I'm so excited to continue the tradition of Heels of Horror with an all new Digital show." Said Nina West. "I went back and forth on how to provide a safe and fun in person event that would be both memorable and safe as I have with the past 12 years. Ultimately the safety of my performers and fans won out. There are tons of surprises in store, even some Tricks and Treats! Tune in Beginning October 28th ! You won't want to miss it!"
Nina West's Heels of Horror - The Trailer:
Tickets for Nina West's Heels of Horror Halloween Spooktacular are on sale now at vimeo.com/ondemand/heelsofhorror with support from charity partner and presenting Sponsor Equitas Health.
Nina West Feat Taran Killam - Nina The Vampire Slayer Single art
About Nina West:
Nina West is an American drag queen, actor and singer based in Columbus, Ohio played by Andrew Levitt. She rose to national prominence with her appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11, where she placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality.
She made history at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Sept 2019 when she became the first ever person to walk the carpet in Full Drag, while her season won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards including best Reality Competition Show.
In June 2019, New York magazine named West one of the top 100 Most Powerful Drag Queens in America.
On November 8th, she released her first Christmas EP, "The West Christmas Ever" featuring Disney Legend Jim Cummings which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Comedy Charts.
Her animated short "Coaster", was shortlisted for a 2020 Oscar,
Her Podcast "Dragcast with Nina West" relaunched in 2020 with guests including Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson, Daisy Ridley, Jared Harris, Tituss Burgess, Kristin Chenoweth, Orfeh, Caissie Levy, Pentatonix and more.
West has been performing in central Ohio and around the United States for the last 18 years, doing regional theater and of course, drag. As Nina West, she has produced over 35 main stage production shows. West hosts the annual "Heels of Horror" show at Axis Nightclub and has also hosted the competition "So You Think You Can Drag?'. In 2008, she won the Entertainer of the Year award, and was included in Columbus Business First's "40 Under 40" list in 2018 and 2019.
Nina is a LGBTQ advocate and has raised over $3million for charitable causes in the last decade alone through her charitable foundation The Nina West Foundation.
On June 17th 2020, Nina released a charity partnership with Country Music Legend, Dolly Parton - The "Dolly X Nina Kindness is Queen" Collection - with all proceeds going to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and The Nina West Foundation to benefit LGBTQ+ youth and Illiteracy.
For more information about Nina West, please visit here.
'The Strange Talent of Luther Strode ' (Cover Art by Tradd Moore; Courtesy of Image Comics)
Allnighter has announced that it will be adapting the hit Image Comics series 'The Strange Talent of Luther Strode' as a feature film in partnership with series co-creators Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore.
Allnighter's Dinesh Shamdasani, Hunter Gorinson, and Amanda Kruse will produce the film alongside co-creators Jordan and Moore. Jordan is currently at work adapting the comic and will pen the screenplay.
Celebrated as "one of the greatest comic book series of all time" by SyFy Wire and a "career-making work" heralded as both "deftly original" and "masterful" by IGN, The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is one of the runaway hit series, alongside The Walking Dead and Saga, that redefined Image Comics for a new generation. The subject of near-universal critical acclaim and multiple sold-out printings, the series cemented writer Justin Jordan and artist Tradd Moore alike as two of comics' fastest rising stars upon its debut in 2011 and led both to best-selling turns at the helm of Marvel and DC's biggest franchises.
In the process, Jordan and Moore reunited for two equally successful follow-ups – 2012's The Legend of Luther Strode and 2015's The Legacy of Luther Strode – to complete the genre-colliding trilogy that first rocketed them to superstar status.
Like Venom and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Luther Strode deftly splices together the common DNA of the superhero and slasher archetypes for a brash and bloody adventure that is equal parts comic-book escapism and action-horror hybrid.
High schooler Luther Strode was always a little bit less than average – soft-spoken, skinny, and, more than anything, terrified that his estranged father would one day return to torment him and his mother once more. But that ended the day that Luther discovered "The Method" – an improbably old text hidden between the comic books and ragged paperbacks at his favorite used bookstore. But The Method is far more than it seems – and, as its ancient techniques rework Luther's body and unlock the strange talents buried deep within, he will find himself transformed into a near-perfect physical specimen imbued with incredible strength, startling new abilities...and a killer's instinct for violence that he can't quite seem to shake. When The Method's masters arrive to observe Luther's progress and draw him into action, he'll be forced to make the ultimate choice: embrace the monster he was intended to be...or use his newfound power to protect the people – the classmates, the teachers, the neighbors – who never protected him when he needed them the most.
Jordan's other film and television projects currently include an adaptation of his comics series Spread with artist Kyle Strahm, while Moore's 2019 series with writer Ales Kot, The New World, is being adapted as a feature film for Warner Bros. Pictures.
"Luther Strode remains one of my very favorite things I've ever worked on and getting the chance to bring it to a new audience as a film is exciting beyond belief," said Justin Jordan. "Especially since Allnighter is dedicated to staying true to all of the foundations – from the tone to the mythology, and, of course, the kinetic action exemplified by Tradd's artwork – that people have loved about the comic."
"The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is the type of pitch every publisher dreams of – work by newcomers so anxious to make their mark that every page practically vibrates with indomitable confidence," said Eric Stephenson, Publisher & Chief Creative Officer at Image Comics. "When I first got a look at Luther Strode as a blind submission in my inbox, I was bowled over by the sheer audacity of what Justin and Tradd were creating, and it was an automatic green light. It's going to be exciting to see how this awesome series takes shape in another medium!"
Allnighter was founded earlier this year by the executive team that previously led Hivemind – the hit-making production company behind Netflix's The Witcher and Amazon's The Expanse television series, as well as Sony Pictures' Bloodshot and Lionsgate/CBS Films' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark feature films – and includes Hivemind co-founder Dinesh Shamdasani, former VP of Film & Television and Lionsgate veteran Amanda Kruse, and former SVP of Brand & Content Strategy Hunter Gorinson. With partners whose backgrounds straddle film and television, comic book publishing, and game development, Allnighter is uniquely positioned to unite world-class creative talent and industry-leading properties from the worlds of cult genre fiction, comedy, comics and graphic novels, video games, tabletop games, manga and anime, and more. Shamdasani, Kruse, and Gorinson will jointly serve as a Co-Founders/Partners in Allnighter.
Luther Strode is just the latest addition to Allnighter's high-profile slate of upcoming film and television projects, which also includes Gideon Falls, a television adaptation of the Eisner Award-winning Image Comics series by creators Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino, in partnership with James Wan's Atomic Monster and Hivemind; Weird Fantasy, a new series based on the subversive science-fiction stories of EC Comics; Illuminatus!, a new series from showrunner Brian Taylor adapting the hugely influential science-fiction trilogy by authors Robert Anton Wilson & Robert Shea; and Final Fantasy, the first live-action adaptation of Square Enix's genre-defining video game franchise, in partnership with Hivemind; among many others.
"Luther Strode is one of the most beloved comic book series of the past decade and with good reason. Not only is it a master-class in the best that comics have to offer, but it's horrifying, heartfelt, and funny all at once. Whether you like superheroes or horror, Strode is the rare series that equally speaks to the core of both genres and creates fascinating new dimensions in the process," said Allnighter co-founder and partner Dinesh Shamdasani.
"Allnighter is built to celebrate not just the things we love, but the artists that have something new and distinctive to say about them as well. Luther Strode's unique perspective is a perfect example of that mandate in action," added Allnighter co-founder and partner Amanda Kruse.
During her time at Lionsgate, Kruse served as a feature-film executive helping to oversee recent and upcoming live-action, theatrical releases for Saban's Power Rangers, Shueisha's Naruto, and Gearbox's Borderlands franchises before being tapped by studio president and Nerdist co-founder Peter Levin to run creative and development for Lionsgate's newly founded Games Division, where she shepherded 35+ games and integrations, including the critically acclaimed Triple-I launches John Wick Hex and Blair Witch.
Prior to establishing Hivemind, Shamdasani and Gorinson previously led the iconic comics brand Valiant Entertainment through a groundbreaking run of creative, commercial, and critical successes that culminated with the company's sale in early 2018 and the start of production on Valiant's first-ever feature film, Bloodshot, which Shamdasani produced for Sony Pictures. In addition to their current duties at Allnighter, Shamdasani and Gorinson also serve as the Co-CEO & Co-Chief Creative Officer and Publisher, respectively, of the upstart comic book publishing imprint Bad Idea, which is slated to debut with a slate of five highly anticipated new series in 2021.
Allnighter is represented by UTA. Visit them online at TeamAllnighter.com.
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream (screengrab)
With this week's announcement that The Infamous American Horror Story Murder House will open to the public for the first time ever, homeowners Dr Ernst von Schwarz and his wife Angela Oakenfold have now revealed the list of participants for the three-day, 24-hour first-ever live stream event from the notorious historical Los Angeles monument.
Kicking off at dusk Thursday, October 29 and closing out at sunset Sunday, November 1, The Murder House livestream event will feature 15 cameras set up throughout the 10,000-square foot home streaming live throughout the entire weekend.
Beyond The Murder House live stream, viewers will see daily programming (details below). While the live stream is open to all via the ticketed event, The Murder House will open its doors to a few lucky ticket holders. Six fortunate (or unfortunate)--two per each of the three nights--Murder House fans in the terrifying basement all while being live streamed to the world (while a doctor monitors their vital signs and psychological condition).
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream (screengrab)
An initial outline of the weekend's events is as follows:
The first-ever paranormal investigation will be carried out by Exorcist Bishop James Long, who has appeared on "Ghost Adventures," "The Possessed," "Gates Of Hell," "Exorcism Live!" and "Portals To Hell"
Famous psychic and white witch Patti Negri from "Ghost Adventures" will lead the houses first-ever seance
Michelle Belanger, vampire expert and acclaimed author who has been seen on "Paranormal State," "Portals To Hell " and "The Real Vampire Files" will delve into the haunting world of the occult
Prolific historian and Halloween expert Lisa Morton will take us on an exploration of the history & traditions of Halloween
Tarot expert Sasha Graham will explain the world of tarot and one lucky ticket holder will get a virtual reading live on air
Energy healer Satish Dholakia will give advice on how to protect yourself from negative energies and unwanted evil entities
Psychiatrist Dr Waguih Ishak will discuss the addictive nature of horror and the pathology of fear
Homeowner and cardiologist and Professor Dr Ernst von Schwarz will delve into the history of medieval torture techniques
The "American Horror Story" Murder House Is Opening To The Public For The First Time Ever For Paranormal Halloween Weekend Live Stream (screengrab)
Tickets are on sale now at www.themurderhouse.com. In addition, a commemorative t-shirt for the event will be on sale on the website.
A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to the Baby2Baby charity.
Stars Of "Friday the 13th" & "Supernatural" Along With Musical Guests Silversun Pickups, Filter, Beasto Blanco Join The "Queen Mary Live: A Virtual Haunt & Music Fest" (screengrab)
Halloween is not cancelled! The Dark Zone Network announces their biggest Live Streaming Virtual Paranormal Event yet! The revolutionary and innovative creative team at The Dark Zone Network is at it again!
This time, the people that brought you ground-breaking television like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Mine, Mountain Monsters and more, thrill and entertain viewers with four fully packed days of ghost hunting and Halloween festivities - music and celebration at the world's most haunted ghost ship, the Queen Mary. Do not miss their latest—and BIGGEST--live streaming, interactive, fully immersive virtual global event - "The Queen Mary - LIVE: A Virtual Haunt and Music Fest!"
Never before has anyone had full and unrestricted access to the Queen Mary. Because it is currently closed to the public, every level, every haunted area will be virtually accessible by anyone watching the live stream. For the first time, the world's most haunted ghost ship will reveal her secrets to The Dark Zone's world-wide audience.
Stars Of "Friday the 13th" & "Supernatural" Along With Musical Guests Silversun Pickups, Filter, Beasto Blanco Join The "Queen Mary Live: A Virtual Haunt & Music Fest" (image via TheDarkZone.tv)
Hosted by renowned resident apparitionist Aiden Sinclair, partner Becca Knight and The Dark Zone's Susan Slaughter, viewers will be treated to more ghost hunting over four days than seen on most reality ghost hunting shows. This is a fully immersive, interactive experience as viewers watch the locked down camera feeds from the safety of their living room couches, looking for shadow figures, objects moving or even full-bodied apparitions. When they spot them, and they always do, they'll communicate directly with The Dark Zone and the on-site investigators to tell them where to investigate next.
Because it's their favorite holiday, The Dark Zone will host a full, live-streaming Halloween party and Day of the Dead celebration. TDZ proudly announces music performances from Silversun Pickups, Filter, Beasto Blanco, Dead Sara, Metalachi and Sound Barrier as well as celebrity guests Kane Hodder (Jason from Friday the 13th), Chad Lindberg (Supernatural), Calico Cooper (Alice Cooper's daughter/Beasto Blanco's lead singer), and Britton Buchanan (The Voice).
Stars Of "Friday the 13th" & "Supernatural" Along With Musical Guests Silversun Pickups, Filter, Beasto Blanco Join The "Queen Mary Live: A Virtual Haunt & Music Fest" (image via TheDarkZone.tv)
There will even be a virtual costume contest with prize giveaways. Oh, and there will be ghosts - and ghost hunters.
This event will feature some of the biggest names in the paranormal ghost hunting community to search around in the deepest, darkest depths of The Queen Mary looking for what goes bump in the night.
Step into The Dark Zone on October 29th through November 1st for four terrifying nights of Halloween on the haunted Queen Mary. Tickets are only $19.99 for this once in a lifetime, live streaming, fully immersive, virtual event.
Go to www.thedarkzone.tv for tickets and more info. Live, multi-channel stream available to view on Roku and Apple TV.
"The Petrified Forest" and "Werewolf of London". These are just two of over 100 rare original movie posters that were found and will soon be available for sale at CineMasterpieces.com.
Hidden for over eighty years! A newly discovered stash of incredibly rare and valuable vintage movie posters from the Golden Age of Hollywood has been unearthed in British Columbia, Canada. A client of CineMasterpieces found them in an old home undergoing renovation.
While workers were tearing down walls and pulling up floorboards, they came across over one hundred different highly collectible posters from the mid-1930s. All of them are insert size 14" x 36" and were printed in the USA for use in theaters back when the films were originally released. Untouched for over eighty years they were used as insulation.
Some are one of a kind only known surviving specimens and for a few titles there are just a handful of examples known to exist. Some of the premium ones include: The Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf ofLondon, and The Petrified Forest.
A few of these posters have been known to sell for over $50,000.00, and many of them are worth well over $1000.00. Condition varies from poor to excellent and several will be restored.
Unlike other collectibles like comic books and baseball cards where any alteration is frowned upon and can negatively affect the value, restoration of old movie posters is looked at similarly to vintage automobiles. It is acceptable and can increase the value.
Eighty years ago, these posters were seen as having very little worth. Many titles from this era are extremely rare and the vast majority did not survive because after they were used at the theater they were generally discarded. Thankfully, someone took a stack of them from a theater storeroom and used them for insulation in their home.
The total value of this cache is estimated to be over $250,000.00. The owner of the posters contacted David A. Lieberman from CineMasterpieces.com. Mr. Lieberman is the recurring featured movie poster expert on The History Channel TV show Pawn Stars.
He expressed: "We get a lot of phone calls where someone thinks they may have stumbled upon a treasure. Those calls are almost always false alarms. As soon as we received photos from this discovery, we realized these posters were authentic and this was a jackpot. This is an extraordinary find."
An original insert movie poster from the 1935 Universal horror classic "The Bride of Frankenstein". Less than five of these are known to exist. Unseen for over 80 years this was recently discovered in the walls of a home in British Columbia, Canada.
These incredible rarities will soon be available for sale at CineMasterpieces.com. The owner of the posters wishes to remain anonymous.
Former WWE Superstar Al Snow starring as the lead in "The Whittler"
Executive Producer Robert Costner's The Whittler is a neo-gothic thriller where a young girl must choose between saving her family or saving... her soul.
The premiere of The Whittler will be arriving on Amazon October 16th, 2020. Actor, and former WWE Superstar, Al Snow will be appearing along with John Wells and Sarah Cleveland.
Comedians Catfish Cooley, Andrew Conn, and Gerard Haran make their feature film debut in The Whittler along with Nick Doetsch, Mahalah Peters, and Raegan Joseph.
Comedian and internet sensation Catfish Cooley making his debut appearance in "The Whittler"
Alexandra is an 11-year-old girl who lives with her parents in a 200-year-old in, and she can see ghosts. She has a ghost friend named Phebe who plays with her on a daily basis. Recently, however, a new ghost has come to haunt the Inn. Phebe has forbidden Alexandra to go near or even talk with him Tonight, a band of rednecks decides to rob the In after a series of lucrative Christmas parties. Phebe wakes up Alexandra to hide from them, however, her parents are taken, hostage. Against Phebe's wishes, Alexandra asks the new ghost if he can help save her parents, but what will he want in exchange?.
Prolific author/writer/director and horror icon, Mick Garris has released a collection of five spine-tingling tales. From a plastic surgeon with a uniquely disturbing approach to his job to a deranged child genius obsessed with his teacher, These Evil Things We Do: The Mick Garris Collection explores mankind's capacity for limitless evil—and how often that evil hides in plain sight.
For more than three decades the award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, writer and Founder of Nice Guy Productions has been behind countless memorable projects for both the big and small screens including Hocus Pocus, Sleepwalkers, The Fly II, *batteries not included, Riding the Bullet, Psycho IV, Critters 2, Nightmare Cinema, Tales from the Crypt, Amazing Stories, Freddy's Nightmares, The Stand, Masters of Horror and so many more.
He recently received some high praise from many of his legendary friends which had glowing things to say about his book. Those quotes include:
"When he's yearning about the tarnished tinsel underbelly of the town he knows (and clearly loves) the best, Mick Garris writes like a combination of Robert Bloch and James Ellroy, hardboiled noir with a ghostly little prink of the Devil's own pitchfork." -- Stephen King
"Mick's book speaks from a new place. He has found a voice and a vision which is both beguiling and gut-wrenching. Its confrontations with death and its cold methodologies perfectly placed in narratives in which nothing is what it seems, not even our own reflections. You have been an under-valued, under-celebrated literary presence for too long. Surely the time has come for your superb body of work to be seen for the unique achievement that it is. It will happen, of that I am sure." -- Clive Barker
"Mick Garris's well-written stories are all killer and unique and I recommend his collection, These Evil Things We Do, highly and without reservation. Gird your loins and bring a light snack, you'll be here a while, but it'll pass so quickly you'll be crying out for more. I wish there were a dozen more books of his stories, and so will you." -- Joe R. Lansdale
"Mick Garris's creepy, claustrophobic tales feels like sitting in on a group therapy session with some of L.A.'s most damaged souls, each one whispering their own precisely detailed roadmap to their personal circle of hell right into your horrified ears." -- Grady Hendrix
"This excellent and disturbing collection from one of the singular talents in modern horror storytelling (across many platforms) finds Mick in a uniquely dark and cynical mood, with a pulp gallery of frustrated artists or one stripe or another who meet their doom in any number of macabre ways. Don't read just before bedtime!" -- Joe Dante, director of GREMLINS
Mick Garris
Previously only available in limited print-runs, this collection brings together four of Garris' works for the first time in a single volume, along with a brand new novella, so indulge your own inner monster and come along for these five fearsome tales of human wickedness… just don't be tempted to commit any evil deeds of your own.
The books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. Signed copies are available from Dark Delicacies (darkdel.com) and Overlook Connection (overlookconnection.com), while supplies last.
A little under five years ago, subscription service HorrorPack launched its first offering, a monthly Mystery Horror Movie subscription box with both DVD and Blu-ray plans.
Founded by Diego Kirsch and Chris Ethridge, HorrorPack's mission was simple: Despite the rise of VOD, the demand for physical media still exists, particularly for collectors, and in areas with limited broadband. HorrorPack would meet this need by sending four DVDs or four Blu-rays straight to the customer's door every month.
A little while later, they began to include a Numbered, Limited Edition Blu-ray each month in the Blu-ray pack.
Flash forward to now: In the August 2020 pack, HorrorPack will be shipping Limited Edition #50, right before their 5-year anniversary in September. This milestone mystery title, previously unreleased in North America, is a horror film featuring the legendary Tony Todd.
Each disc will be signed by the Director.
HorrorPack Horror Movie Subscription Box
"One of the best things we have been able to do at HorrorPack is to help get independent horror films out to a wider audience while compensating the filmmakers at the same time," says Ethridge.
Kirsch adds, "We also connect the filmmakers to the HorrorPack subscriber and unboxer community, which has been growing steadily with everyone staying at home due to COVID-19."
The DVD plan contains 4 Horror DVDs each month for $19.99 including US shipping. The Blu-ray plan consists of 4 Horror Blu-rays each month, including the Numbered Limited Edition title, for $24.99 with US shipping.
Related Videos:
Both formats have multi-month subscription options, which are even more affordable, and HorrorPack ships internationally for an additional cost.
Paranormal investigators Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman descend into all-new eerie encounters in season two of Travel Channel’s hit series “Portals to Hell.”
Descend into all-new eerie encounters when Travel Channel's hit series, "Portals to Hell," returns for Season Two on Friday, March 13, with a special two-hour episode beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Avid paranormal investigators Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman resume their chilling journey to historically haunted locations in the United States, confronting sinister stories of the supernatural as they seek concrete evidence that a spirit world exists.
Eight additional hour-long episodes will move to their regular 10 p.m. ET/PT timeslot beginning Friday, March 20.
"This season is intense," said Weidman. "Jack and I purposefully explore locations that embody the darker side of the paranormal, as we try to understand why certain places evoke more sinister activity than others. It's exciting to see what new discoveries we can make in the paranormal field. Yet as we explore the unexplained, we can only presume to know what we're working with. At the end of the day we really don't – and that's the scary part."
The undaunted duo will face their most fearsome cases yet, as they uncover disturbing tales from bygone pasts and unnerving paranormal activity. Osbourne and Weidman filter through extensive research, utilize advanced scientific equipment and enlist a network of specialists, including psychic mediums, to try and exhume answers behind these terrifying hauntings.
"Katrina and I are breaking down walls – literally," said Osbourne. "We have unprecedented access to a number of locations and are also the first team to ever investigate some of them for TV. They're incredibly active sites for the paranormal, and we're going all in to try and capture substantial evidence."
Paranormal investigators and “Portals to Hell” hosts Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman.
In the special two-hour season premiere, Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman head to Paulding, Ohio, to investigate the Old Paulding Jail – an almost 150-year-old site rumored to be haunted by the spirits of former inmates, sheriffs and even the victim of a horrific, 60-year-old cold case crime. The pair find it hard to uncover the truth in a sea of rumors, cover-ups and theories of what happened to the young woman who was murdered. They call in a trusted psychic in their search for answers. Determined to find out more, Osbourne and Weidman break down the last remaining sealed jail cell in the basement … and are shocked to discover large bone fragments scattered within. Now, the possibility of not only contacting spirits, but also solving a town's most infamous murder is on the line. As the investigation deepens, Osbourne has a paranormal experience that will forever change him as an investigator and truth seeker.
Upcoming Episodes:
“Thomas House Hotel” Location: Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee
Katrina Weidman and Jack Osbourne travel to Tennessee to investigate a once-thriving natural springs resort where guests fell victim to the deadly waters. A recent flare-up of paranormal activity has them asking if a dark force has checked into the century-old hotel.
“Fort William Henry” Location: Lake George, New York
Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman investigate the site of one of the bloodiest massacres in Colonial America. The team embarks on a mission to find out if the paranormal activity is the echo of dead soldiers or something more sinister.
“Iron Island” Location: Buffalo, New York
In snowy Buffalo, New York, Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman investigate the Iron Island Museum, a century-old building that has undergone several evolutions as a church and funeral home, and is rumored to house not one, but two, portals.
“The Ohio State Reformatory” Location: Mansfield, Ohio
Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman travel to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, an abandoned maximum-security prison notorious for its barbaric treatment of inmates and malevolent spirits haunting it, where they obtain exclusive access to paranormal hotspots never investigated before for television.
“Haunted Hill House” Location: Mineral Wells, Texas
Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman travel to Mineral Wells, Texas, to investigate for the first time for television, the Haunted Hill House, an infamous location that’s plagued by rumors of murder, prostitution and devil worship. The team uncovers the truth of this hellish home and discovers that the claims of demonic activity may not be that far-fetched.
“The Croke-Patterson Mansion” Location: Denver, Colorado
The 130-year-old Croke-Patterson Mansion has haunted its previous owners with a string of bad luck and untimely deaths. In a TV exclusive, Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman encounter a mirrored portal and discover why this mansion holds the title, “The King of Haunted Houses.”
“The Shanghai Tunnels” Location: Portland, Oregon
Katrina Weidman and Jack Osbourne gain unprecedented access to the infamous Shanghai Tunnels of Portland, Oregon. They've been called on to determine if two newly restored tunnels are safe for public tours after a recent spike in violent paranormal activity.
Video: Sneak Peek - Season Two Premiere
"Portals to Hell" is produced by Osbourne Media and Critical Content for Travel Channel. For Osbourne Media, the executive producers are Jack Osbourne and Peter Glowski. For Critical Content, the executive producers are Jenny Daly and Tom Forman. Elaine White executive produces the series for Osbourne Media and Critical Content. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Vaibhav Bhatt, Julie Meisner Eagle is vice president of production and development, Matthew Butler is general manager and Henry Schleiff is group president of Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America.
Jack Osbourne inside Ohio’s haunted Old Paulding Jail.
About Jack Osbourne:
Jack Osbourne is the president of Osbourne Media and is best known for MTV's reality show "The Osbournes," SyFy's "Haunted Highway," and A+E Network's "Ozzy & Jack's World Detour."
He has not only starred in multiple series but also developed and produced original unscripted content, including NatGeo's Wild's "Alpha Dogs" and "Surviving the Apocalypse," along with various pilots and development projects for Bravo, CBS, A&E, MTV, WeTV and TRVL.
Osbourne appears in and serves as Executive Producer of "Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne," which will premiere at this year's SXSW festival. Osbourne is also an adventurer and paranormal investigator who has documented harrowing face-to-face encounters with the unexplainable in some of America's darkest and most remote regions. Most recently, he was featured on United Kingdom's live "Celebrity Haunted Mansion" alongside Jason Hawes ("Ghost Hunters," "Ghost Nation") and is currently filming season two of "Portals to Hell."
Katrina Weidman at Ohio’s haunted Old Paulding Jail.
About Katrina Weidman:
Katrina Weidman is a paranormal researcher and investigator, host and producer.
She rose to national recognition in her role on A+E's "Paranormal State," working on hundreds of cases of unexplained supernatural phenomena and interviewing thousands of witnesses alongside world-renowned paranormal researchers.
Weidman also served as co-host and producer of "Paranormal Lockdown" on TLC and Destination America, as well as Chiller's "Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies" (2012) and "The Truth Behind More Movies" (2013).
She frequently gives talks and lectures at paranormal conferences and conventions around the world.
Bloody and unbowed: Claes Bang as Dracula. (BBC/Hartswood Films/Netflix/David Ellis)
Fictional vampires tend to reflect the politics of the times that produce them: “Because they are always changing, their appeal is dramatically generational,” says the late American scholar Nina Auerbach in her classic work of criticism Our Vampires, Ourselves. The figure of the vampire, she suggests, always tells us as much about ourselves as it does about vampires per se. With this in mind, the first episode of the new adaptation of Dracula for the BBC and Netflix by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss is at first perplexing. Unlike Moffat’s previous, modernising adaptations of 19th-century fiction – Jekyll (2007) and Sherlock (2010-17) – the series returns to 1897, the year in which Bram Stoker published his novel. The setting is high Gothic, featuring a crumbling, eastern European castle (Orava Castle in Slovakia) and a convent full of crucifix-toting nuns. Eschewing the sentimental romance of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation or the wildly successful Twilight franchise, Moffat and Gatiss appear – initially at least – to take us back to the horror of the original text.
But as the episode progresses the European setting becomes more than just spooky window dressing. One of the most famous arguments about the novel, first made by Stephen D. Arata, is that Dracula enacts “reverse colonisation” – Stoker’s vampire expresses the threat that imperialism might not be a one-way operation. From his home in eastern Europe, the count travels to Britain to buy up its real estate and add its women to his harem, bypassing the need for a passport or immigration documents and threatening British manhood in the process.
‘Brexit Gothic’
Seen in this light, Dracula offers a clear application to our times. In an article for The Guardian on “Brexit Gothic”, Neil McRobert points out:
"When Nigel Farage expresses concern about Romanian men moving in next door, it makes one wonder if he has read Dracula – the story of a Romanian man who literally moves in beside some stuffy British people."
Moffat and Gatiss are too canny to give us a straightforward metaphor for Brexit – and yet there are clear nods to contemporary anxieties in the first episode. Dracula quizzes Jonathan Harker on English language and culture out of a desire to “pass among your countrymen as one of their own”. He will be the good immigrant who assimilates, who blends invisibly with the host culture. There is a moment of discomfort, however, as he promises to “absorb” Harker – this immigrant is a parasite who feeds off its host. There is no direct correlation with itinerant agricultural workers, however, as Dracula seeks to infiltrate the highest echelons of society. In a warped version of late 19th-century eugenics, we discover that Dracula’s choosiness about his victims is the secret to his vampiric success – consuming only the blood of the best enables him to retain his human qualities. Hence his appetite for the British Empire. “Vampires go where power is,” says Auerbach. “You are what you eat,” quips Claes Bang’s Dracula.
Dolly Wells as Sister Agatha with Joanna Scanlan as Mother Superior. (BBC/Hartswood Films/Netflix/Robert Viglasky)
Moreover, this is a tale of two Europeans. Sister Agatha, the Dutch nun who questions Harker after his escape from Dracula’s castle (a significantly expanded role from the book, played with exquisite exasperation by Dolly Wells), scoffs at Jonathan’s English masculinity when he fails to realise the incongruity of a secret message written to him in English in a Transylvanian castle: “Of course not! You are an English man! A combination of presumptions beyond compare.” British exceptionalism looks set to take a tumble as Dracula reaches England in the second instalment.
Dark humour
The episode displays the acute self-aware characteristic of vampire films, which are what Ken Gelder calls “citational”, constantly referring to previous examples of the genre. There are multiple moments when viewers anticipating romance have their expectations rudely shattered. Twilight in particular comes in for some sharp debunking, with Mina playing the role of Twilight’s heroine Bella, appealing to her lover’s higher moral fibre and coming in for a shock as she discovers that true love does not trump bloodlust after all. Instead of Twilight’s lingering shots of gleaming male torsos we get intimate body horror in excruciating close up – a fly crawling across an eyeball, a blackened nail flaking off a finger. One of the most striking features of Moffat and Gatiss’s adaptation is its humour. Comedy has always been a crucial element of Gothic literature, which continually teeters between terror and laughter. “King Laugh,” a metaphorical figure invented by Professor Van Helsing in Bram Stoker’s novel to explain his own hysterics, is a version of death, leading the characters in a kind of danse macabre. The novel exhibits black humour in the character of the lunatic Renfield, in particular, who calculates how many lives he can consume, starting by eating flies and trading up the food chain. As I argued in my recent book, Post-Millennial Gothic, a distinguishing characteristic of contemporary vampires is their increasing comic agency. The first self-conscious vampire joke is the iconic one-liner first spoken by Bela Lugosi in Tod Browning’s classic 1931 film: “I never drink … wine.” Moffat and Gatiss get this out of the way in the first few minutes – and even add a callback later in the episode.
There are more zingers to come as Bang quips his way across Europe like an infernal James Bond. When Harker spots him with a glass and queries that he never drinks, I almost expected him to clarify: “Shaken, not stirred.” The comparison between Dracula and Bond is not a casual one. Bond props up a crumbling British Empire – Dracula aims to infiltrate it and use it to his own ends. They emerge from the same social and historical concerns, two sides of the same coin. Both reflect us back in multiple ways, and neither offers a flattering picture.
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