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The Horror Coming to Cinemas Near You — January 2015

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Happy New Year (of Horror Movies) iHorror readers!

As the calendar turns over, the horror fan is once again graced by a few more titles finding cinematic release this month, including a terrifying look at the isolation of post-modern man as seen through some sort of voodoo cursed doll in Paddington

Or, you know, these three actual horror films are also coming to cinemas this month:

January 2:

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Right out of the gate in January is the release of The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, which we first told you about here. Seeing that the original The Woman in Black (loosely based on the superbly creepy novel by Susan Hill, and incredibly successful stage play by Stephen Mallatrat) was the most financially successful British Horror film in 20 years, it is little surprise that Hammer Film Productions decided to make a sequel.

Angel of Death returns to the creepy Eel Marsh House during the Blitz in World War II (for those you of wondering, that is roughly 40 years after the events of the original film) as a young schoolteacher named Eve, played by Phoebe Fox (Switch) escorts a group of children out of London to Crythin Gifford and the long abandoned estate.  Once they are settled into Eel Marsh House, the children begin acting strangely and, with the help of the young, locally stationed pilot (played by Jeremy Irvine– War Horse), Eve sets out to protect the children in her charge, and find out the truth behind the eponymous woman in black.

Check out the official U.K. trailer below:

[youtube id=”G4rzV0CvhyM” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

With a new director at the helm in Tom Harper (The Scouting Book for Boys), and a new screenwriter in Jon Croker (Desert Dancer), with story assistance from Susan Hill, it is hard to know what to expect in The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death.  What we can hope for, however, is another tense and well told ghost story which is not overly reliant on jump scares, but builds its’ tension and power through an exceptionally creepy atmosphere, which if the trailer above is any indication, could make Angel of Death another surprisingly good horror film to start off our year.

[REC]4: Apocalypse

The fourth and final entry into the Spanish horror series [REC] will come to cinemas (limited release) and VOD on January 2, 2015.  We told you about it here, and again here, because Zombie Monkey…

Abandoning it’s ‘found footage’/P.O.V. roots, Apocalypse runs a more regular horror movie route as you can see in this trailer:

[youtube id=”0ZUNR1zxRYE” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

Manuela Velasco returns as reporter Ángela Vidal for what is Jaume Balagueró’s direct sequel to [REC]2 (after the divergence of [REC]3: Genesis).  Vidal has finally been removed from the apartment block of the original two films, and taken to what should be a highly efficient quarantine facility aboard a re-purposed oil tanker.  Rather than make a dull movie about the effectiveness of disease control measures, perhaps adding some light romance to it, the virus escapes and wreaks havoc on the crew of the ship.

Basically the way to look at [REC]4 is: do you like [REC]?  Then here you go, more [REC] for you.  If you were not a fan of the franchise, they are not going to be re-inventing the wheel with the fourth installment (aside from the move away from the P.O.V. style), so you may as well move along…

January 9:

Preservation

An indie horror film from director Christopher Denham (best known as an actor in Argo & Shutter Island), Preservation is coming to cinemas in a limited release on January 9.

The film follows three people: married couple Wit (Wrenn Schmidt – Boardwalk Empire) and Mike (Aaron Staton – Mad Men), and Mike’s brother Sean (Pablo SchreiberVicky Cristina Barcelona) on a hunting trip in a closed nature preserve.  The next morning the group wakes up to find all of their stuff is gone, and they have big, black X’s marked on each of their foreheads, causing suspicions to run rampant between the three of them, before they are faced with the prospect of being hunted themselves.

[youtube id=”9XcEo7aL67I” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

Originally finding something of an audience in the festival circuit (including a showing at Tribeca), Preservation has received mixed reviews, but it could be worth heading out to see if it avoids the more common ‘people being hunted in the woods’ horror movie cliches we have already seen a million times.

There you have it; hopefully there is a film there that interests you as there is a nice balance in horror types coming out this month. Between the more classic, Gothic ghost story stylings of The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, the hard R rated zombie stylings of [REC]4: Apocalypse and the more naturalistic survival horror of Preservation, there is a little something for everyone this month.

Or you could brave the terror of Paddington…

Happy Horror!

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New ‘Faces of Death’ Remake Will Be Rated R For “Strong Bloody Violence and Gore”

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In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, the Faces of Death reboot has been given an R rating from the MPA. Why has the film been given this rating? For strong bloody violence, gore, sexual content, nudity, language, and drug use, of course.

What else would you expect from a Faces of Death reboot? It would honestly be alarming if the film received anything less than an R rating.

Faces of death
Faces of Death

For those unaware, the original Faces of Death film released in 1978 and promised viewers video evidence of real deaths. Of course, this was just a marketing gimmick. Promoting a real snuff film would be a terrible idea.

But the gimmick worked, and franchise lived on in infamy. The Faces of Death reboot is hoping to gain the same amount of viral sensation as its predecessor. Isa Mazzei (Cam) and Daniel Goldhaber (How to Blow Up a Pipeline) will spearhead this new addition.

The hope is that this reboot will do well enough to recreate the infamous franchise for a new audience. While we don’t know much about the film at this point, but a joint statement from Mazzei and Goldhaber gives us the following info on the plot.

“Faces of Death was one of the first viral video tapes, and we are so lucky to be able to use it as a jumping off point for this exploration of cycles of violence and the way they perpetuate themselves online.”

“The new plot revolves around a female moderator of a YouTube-like website, whose job is to weed out offensive and violent content and who herself is recovering from a serious trauma, that stumbles across a group that is recreating the murders from the original film. But in the story primed for the digital age and age of online misinformation, the question faced is are the murders real or fake?”

The reboot will have some bloody shoes to fill. But from the looks of it, this iconic franchise is in good hands. Unfortunately, the film does not have a release date at this time.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Movie Reviews

Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘The Ceremony Is About To Begin’

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People will look for answers and belonging in the darkest places and the darkest people. The Osiris Collective is a commune predicated upon ancient Egyptian theology and was run by the mysterious Father Osiris. The group boasted dozens of members, each forgoing their old lives for one held in the Egyptian themed land owned by Osiris in Northern California. But the good times take a turn for the worst when in 2018, an upstart member of the collective named Anubis (Chad Westbrook Hinds) reports Osiris disappearing while mountain climbing and declaring himself the new leader. A schism ensued with many members leaving the cult under Anubis’ unhinged leadership. A documentary is being made by a young man named Keith (John Laird) whose fixation with The Osiris Collective stems from his girlfriend Maddy leaving him for the group several years ago. When Keith gets invited to document the commune by Anubis himself, he decides to investigate, only to get wrapped up in horrors he couldn’t even imagine…

The Ceremony Is About To Begin is the latest genre twisting horror film from Red Snow‘s Sean Nichols Lynch. This time tackling cultist horror along with a mockumentary style and the Egyptian mythology theme for the cherry on top. I was a big fan of Red Snow‘s subversiveness of the vampire romance sub-genre and was excited to see what this take would bring. While the movie has some interesting ideas and a decent tension between the meek Keith and the erratic Anubis, it just doesn’t exactly thread everything together in a succinct fashion.

The story begins with a true crime documentary style interviewing former members of The Osiris Collective and sets-up what led the cult to where it is now. This aspect of the storyline, especially Keith’s own personal interest in the cult, made it an interesting plotline. But aside from some clips later on, it doesn’t play as much a factor. The focus is largely on the dynamic between Anubis and Keith, which is toxic to put it lightly. Interestingly, Chad Westbrook Hinds and John Lairds are both credited as writers on The Ceremony Is About To Begin and definitely feel like they’re putting their all into these characters. Anubis is the very definition of a cult leader. Charismatic, philosophical, whimsical, and threateningly dangerous at the drop of a hat.

Yet strangely, the commune is deserted of all cult members. Creating a ghost town that only amps up the danger as Keith documents Anubis’ alleged utopia. A lot of the back and forth between them drags at times as they struggle for control and Anubis keeps continuing to convince Keith to stick around despite the threatening situation. This does lead to a pretty fun and bloody finale that fully leans into mummy horror.

Overall, despite meandering and having a bit of a slow pace, The ceremony Is About To Begin is a fairly entertaining cult, found footage, and mummy horror hybrid. If you want mummies, it delivers on mummies!

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“Mickey Vs. Winnie”: Iconic Childhood Characters Collide in A Terrifying Versus Slasher

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iHorror is diving deep into film production with a chilling new project that’s sure to redefine your childhood memories. We’re thrilled to introduce ‘Mickey vs. Winnie,’ a groundbreaking horror slasher directed by Glenn Douglas Packard. This isn’t just any horror slasher; it’s a visceral showdown between twisted versions of childhood favorites Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh. ‘Mickey vs. Winnie’ brings together the now-public-domain characters from A. A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ books and Mickey Mouse from the 1920s ‘Steamboat Willie’ cartoon in a VS battle like never before seen.

Mickey VS Winnie
Mickey VS Winnie Poster

Set in the 1920s, the plot kicks off with a disturbing narrative about two convicts who escape into a cursed forest, only to be swallowed by its dark essence. Fast forward a hundred years, and the story picks up with a group of thrill-seeking friends whose nature getaway goes horribly wrong. They accidentally venture into the same cursed woods, finding themselves face-to-face with the now monstrous versions of Mickey and Winnie. What follows is a night filled with terror, as these beloved characters mutate into horrifying adversaries, unleashing a frenzy of violence and bloodshed.

Glenn Douglas Packard, an Emmy-nominated choreographer turned filmmaker known for his work on “Pitchfork,” brings a unique creative vision to this film. Packard describes “Mickey vs. Winnie” as a tribute to horror fans’ love for iconic crossovers, which often remain just a fantasy due to licensing restrictions. “Our film celebrates the thrill of combining legendary characters in unexpected ways, serving up a nightmarish yet exhilarating cinematic experience,” says Packard.

Produced by Packard and his creative partner Rachel Carter under the Untouchables Entertainment banner, and our very own Anthony Pernicka, founder of iHorror, “Mickey vs. Winnie” promises to deliver an entirely new take on these iconic figures. “Forget what you know about Mickey and Winnie,” Pernicka enthuses. “Our film portrays these characters not as mere masked figures but as transformed, live-action horrors that merge innocence with malevolence. The intense scenes crafted for this movie will change how you see these characters forever.”

Currently underway in Michigan, the production of “Mickey vs. Winnie” is a testament to pushing boundaries, which horror loves to do. As iHorror ventures into producing our own films, we’re excited to share this thrilling, terrifying journey with you, our loyal audience. Stay tuned for more updates.

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