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The Creepy and Peculiar Shine in Sundance 2021’s Midnight Selections

Sundance Film Festival is quickly approaching. This year’s predominantly virtual festival opens on January 28, 2021, and as always, they have an amazing slate of films for viewing including their Midnight category selections.
“From horror and comedy to works that defy genre classification,” the official Sundance website states. “these films will keep you wide awake, even at the most arduous hour.”
It’s a category that’s always catered to genre fans with previous years’ selections including Hereditary, The Babadook, and Assassination Nation, and this year is no exception. Check out the full list of films below, and stay tuned for coverage from iHorror as the festival gets underway!
Censor (Directed by Prano Bailey-Bond)
Set in the era of the “video nasty” in 1985, Niamh Algar (Raised by Wolves) stars as Enid, a film censor who takes her job very seriously. After viewing a film that seems uncannily similar to the hazy memories of her childhood concerning the disappearance of her sister, she finds the line between fact and fiction slowly blurring in the most terrifying ways.
The film marks the feature debut of Welsh director Prano Bailey-Bond. The director co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Anthony Fletcher. They previously collaborated on several short films including Man vs. Sand and Nasty.
Coming Home in the Dark (Directed by James Ashcroft)
Alan and Jill have no idea the terrifying series of events they will set in motion when they decide to take their sons on a spontaneous hike through the New Zealand wilderness. When two drifters emerge from the woods as the family stops for a picnic, they soon find themselves taken by prisoner and confronted by ghosts of their past that will no longer remain silent. The film comes with a warning of extreme violence and gore.
Director James Ashcroft makes his feature directorial debut with Coming Home in the Dark. He previously served as the artistic director of the Indigenous Maori theater company Taki Rua.
A Glitch in the Matrix (Directed by Rodney Ascher)
Documentarian Rodney Ascher returns to Sundance with his new film, A Glitch in the Matrix, a deep dive into the ideas of simulation theory which states that the world we live in may not be entirely real. Ascher traces the theory from the ancient Greeks to modern iterations of the tenets by Philip K. Dick and the Wachowskis (The Matrix) as well as modern scholars.
Ascher has produced some of the most compelling, and sometimes terrifying, documentaries of the last decade including Room 237 and The Nightmare. The latter was especially enthralling as it took a deep dive into the eerie common experiences of those who suffer from sleep paralysis.
Knocking (Directed by Frida Kempff)
Molly is still adjusting to her new life after her release from a mental healthcare facility. She initially finds some comfort in her new apartment, but the feeling does not last long after she begins to hear strange knocking on her ceiling. As she tries to figure out what the sound is, she is dismissed by her neighbors who say they hear nothing. The sounds increase and soon Molly begins to hear the desperate cries of a woman who sounds like she is in danger. She must find out what is happening. But how?
Director Frida Kempff explores the culture of gaslighting and the social stigma surrounding mental illness in this harrowing psychological thriller. which is already gaining a lot of buzz as Sundance approaches.
Mother Schmuckers (Directed by Harpo and Lenny Guit)
Issachar and Zabulon are two smarmy brothers who find themselves in a predicament after they lose their mother’s nippy dog. The woman kicks them out of her home and refuses to let them return until they have found the dog which leads them on a bizarre hunt through the urban jungle of Brussels.
The film comes with a content warning for “graphic depictions of animal abuse, sexual violence, and other subject matter that could be offensive to some viewers. Not suitable for audiences under 18.”
Violation (Directed by Dusty Mancinelli and Madeline Sims-Fewer)
Unhappily married Miriam and Caleb join the former’s somewhat estranged sister Greta and her husband, Dylan for a weekend getaway in the hopes of reconciliation. After he attempts to reconnect with Greta seemingly fail, Miriam finds herself drawn to Dylan. The weekend is fractured after an act of sexual of violence takes place, and Miriam soon finds herself on the path to vengeance.
Madeline Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli met at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Talent Lab and were soon writing and directing together. This is their first feature film. Sims-Fewer also stars as Miriam in Violation.

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Nick Groff Reveals “Truth” Behind ‘Ghost Adventures’ & Zak Bagans

It could be argued that the American paranormal documentary and reality TV phenomenon started with Ghost Adventures back in 2004 when then-unknown investigator Zak Bagans and his team filmed a documentary that allegedly revealed actual footage of paranormal activity on camera. That movie wouldn’t become widely available to viewers until it aired on the SyFy (nee Sci-Fi) Channel in 2007.
The movie, titled Ghost Adventures, inspired a television reality show of the same name that premiered on a different network, The Travel Channel, in 2008.
It must be noted that the hugely popular paranormal investigation reality show Ghost Hunters was already a mainstay on SyFy since 2004 and would go on to span 11 seasons.
Since then both original shows have found new life on Discovery+ with each brand having spin-offs and new seasons.
Lately, Ghost Adventures has become the topic of rumors and harsh accusations, especially against its host Zak Bagans. From allegations of career sabotage to being hard to work with, Bagans has recently been vilified by some people formerly on his team.
One of the original creators of Ghost Adventures, Nick Groff went on Twitter this week to speak about his former business partner, and let’s just say Bagans didn’t fare well. Groff doesn’t mention Bagans by name in the video, he often refers to him vaguely, as in, “the host who I was working with.”
IT’S TIME FOR THE TRUTH pic.twitter.com/9BXKieDzVZ
— Nick Groff (@NickGroff_) March 19, 2023
To be fair, the paranormal behind-the-scenes drama is really nothing compared to the success that the original Ghost Adventures team wrought. Since Bagans was the face of the show (and still is), and apparently a sex symbol in that field, it was mostly his persona that propelled the brand into reality stardom.
That isn’t to say no one else from his team didn’t work hard to make the show as iconic as it is, Groff even says he helped come up with the name. But comparatively, Bagans is like the lead singer of a rock band and his investigators just aren’t as visible.
However, Groff, having gone solo, is himself a pop culture favorite. His show Paranormal Lockdown, which he executive produced, found a huge following. Many fans were upset that it ended in 2019 as you will see in his Twitter Q&A above.
Tell us what you think of this reality drama in the comments.
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‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’ Comes to Brilliant 4K UHD From Vinegar Syndrome

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is on its way to us from Vinegar Syndrome. The new release comes with an entire heck load of special features to boot. From new interviews with Tom Savini to Caroline Williams and more the disc is loaded with all kinds of new features to dig into. Of course, the new collection also made sure to include all the previously released special features. This makes for one hell of an absolutely complete collection.
The entire Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 experience on its own is a brilliant one. Director, Tobe Hooper took things in a vastly different level from that of the first film. Gone are the greasy, dirty, sweat-drenched Texas summers with the underlined stench of a cattle feed lot. Instead, Hooper went in a direction that underlined a comicbookish feel to the characters and the evil undeground lair in which The Saw and The Family took to hiding. It isn’t a direction everyone woul have gone with but Hooper wasn’t everyone and his brilliance shined through immensely with this gigantic choice.
The Vinegar Syndrome Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 special features include:
- 4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray Set
- 4K UHD presented in High-Dynamic-Range
- Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
- Presented with it’s original 2.0 stereo theatrical mix
- Brand new audio commentary with film critic Patrick Bromley
- Audio commentary with director Tobe Hooper
- Audio commentary with actors Bill Moseley, Caroline Williams and special effects makeup creator Tom Savini
- Audio commentary with director of photography Richard Kooris, production designer Cary White, script supervisor Laura Kooris and property master Michael Sullivan
- “The Saw and Savini” – a brand new 2022 interview with special effects makeup creator Tom Savini
- “Stretch Lives!” – a brand new 2022 interview with actress Caroline Williams
- “Serving Tom” – a brand new 2022 interview with special makeup effects artist Gabe Bartalos
- “Remember The Alamo” – a brand new 2022 interview with actor Kirk Sisco
- “Texas Blood Bath” – a brand new 2022 interview with special makeup effects artist Barton Mixon
- “Die Yuppie Scum” – a brand new 2022 interview with actor Barry Kinyon
- “Leatherface Revisited” – a brand new 2022 interview with actor Bill Johnson
- “Beneath The Battle Land: Remembering The Lair” – a brand new 2022 featurette with actors Caroline Williams, Barry Kinyon, Bill Johnson, and Kirk Sisco
- Never-before-seen extended interviews with director Tobe Hooper and co-producer Cynthia Hargrave – from director Mark Hartley’s documentary “Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films”
- “It Runs In The Family” – an 85-minute documentary on the making of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
- “IRITF Outtakes” – extended interviews with L.M. Kit Carson and Lou Perryman
- “House Of Pain” – an interview with makeup effects artists John Vulich, Bart Mixon, Gabe Bartalos and Gino Crognale
- “Yuppie Meat” – an interview with actors Chris Douridas and Barry Kinyon
- “Cutting Moments” – an interview with editor Alain Jakubowicz
- “Behind The Mask” – an interview with stunt man and Leatherface performer Bob Elmore
- “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds” – a featurette on the locations of the film
- “Still Feelin’ The Buzz” – an interview with author and film historian Stephen Thrower
- 43 minute behind-the-scenes video footage shot during the film’s production
- Alternate Openingl
- Deleted Scenes
- Original theatrical trailers for U.S. and Japan
- TV Spots
- Extensive promotional still and image gallery
- Reversible cover artwork
- English SDH subtitles
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is coming to 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndome. Head over HERE to place your order before they are all gone. (They are selling out fast!)
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‘Bambi’ Meets ‘Apocolypse Now’ Fever Dream ‘Unicorn Wars’ Coming to Blu-Ray

Director, Alberto Vázquez brings the animated fever dream Unicorn Wars to life in a must-see spectacle and surprisingly heavy political statement. Fantastic Fest 2022 selected Unicorn Wars as part of its programming and it didn’t let down in the heavy genre fest. The film which is best described as Apocalypse Now meets Bambi is an incredible film with surprisingly heavy drama for being such a squishy, and happy animation style. That juxtaposition makes for an incredible and singular viewing. Luckily for us, the radical experience is coming to Blu-Ray from G Kids and Shout! Factory.
The synopsis for Unicorn Wars goes like this:
For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.

Unicorn Wars Bonus Features
- Interview with the director Alberto Vásquez
- “Working in Blender” featurette
- Feature-length animatic
- Trailer
Unicorn Wars arrives on Blu-Ray beginning May 9. Are you excited about the insanely over-the-top experience? Let us know in the comments section.