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Stars: Danny Trejo, Rachele Brooke Smith, Terri Ivens, Nicolas Coster, Leah Ann Cevoli, Branden Smith, Adam Horner, Melanie Brooke Sweeney, Dennis Lavalle | Written by Robin Bain, Amy Brown Carver, Lizzie Gordon | Directed by Robin Bain

I have watched too many Danny Trejo movies to know that just by having his name on the poster and physical media artwork does not guarantee a good movie. Of course, he’s been in some movies I absolutely love but his name is often used when he features for little more than seconds in a movie and I thought that would probably be the case with The Last Exorcist.

I wasn’t far wrong, to be honest but Danny Trejo’s role here could be called a little bit more than a cameo. In The Last Exorcist, we follow two sisters who have had a difficult upbringing and have neither of their parents still with them.

Filmmaker Joe Davison will be leading a gaggle of hotties in his upcoming film Sorority of the Damned. This horror-comedy will take a look at the age-old good girls turned witches theme and give it a modern twist. Can't wait!

In addition to directing, Davison will also produce and star in the film. For more information, "like" Sorority of the Damned on Facebook and follow Sorority of the Damned on Twitter (@SOTDmovie).

Synopsis

Red Gears Studio is proud to announce their first feature film, Sorority of the Damned, from executive producers Joe Davison and Megan Chapnick. "Megan has a fresh new look at the genre," Davison said. "She brings a humor to it that I think horror fans will really enjoy."

An ensemble cast starring Mindy Robinson (King of Nerds, Blood Sucka Jones, V/H/S/2, Live Nude Girls), Tara Cardinal (The Legend of the Red Reaper, Wrath of the Crows,...

We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes photos from Chainsaw Sally: The Animated Series, the first two chapters from the novel Survivor Max, the uncensored trailer for Smothered with Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder, Camp Dread DVD release details, and much more:

First Two Chapters of Survivor Max: “Meet Max, an 11-year old boy who was stuck in another boring day at school when the lock down alarm went off. They were under quarantine. He escaped and made it home, only to discover he’d have to find a way to survive this plague alone. Little did he know his father, his only parent, was among the infected. Slow-moving and non-thinking, the “lamebrains” swarmed his apartment complex, hunting survivors to feed their insatiable hunger for living flesh. Now he must apply his Porcupine...

Another horror film has passed through the Kickstarter gauntlet and come out a winner. Blood Kiss, a vamp noir, was written by Michael Reaves, who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. The horror community has rallied behind this project and is making it a reality.

From the Press Release

Writer/producer Neil Gaiman, actresses Amber Benson, comic artist Tom Mandrake, friend Whoopi Goldberg, and a number of entertainment industry veterans are rallying to make ailing filmmaker Michael Reaves’ final film, Blood Kiss, a reality.

Blood Kiss is set in Golden Age Hollywood, a classic film noir tale of a sexy jazz singer in distress and a private investigator who takes on a little more than he bargained for when he discovers this case involves vampire murders.

"There's nothing supernatural about vampires," says Reaves, "My vampires, that is. Everything in Blood Kiss is explained in terms of a symbiotic organism that alters...

Leah Cevoli has covered events for us in the past, such as Eli Roth’s Goretorium, and brought us new details on The Night Visitor last week. She’s currently helping out on Blood Kiss, and put together an exclusive Q&A with the team behind the project.

The movie is a vampire love story set in 1940′s Los Angeles, was written by Michael Reaves, and will star Neil Gaiman, Amber Benson, Christina Moses. Continue reading to learn more about Neil Gaiman’s acting debut, how everyone got together for this project, and what we can expect:

“Emmy Award winning writer Michael Reaves is creating a new film, Blood Kiss, and new genre, Vamp Noir. He’s discovered a fresh acting talent to co-star, superstar writer Neil Gaiman. Also starring Amber Benson from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Blood Kiss revolves around detective Joe Belicek, who must solve the murder of...

The Night Visitor is Jennifer Blanc-Biehn’s directorial debut and we previously brought you some of the first casting news. Filming has wrapped and we have additional details on the project, an exclusive Q&A, and exclusive photos:

“Actress and producer Jennifer Blanc-Biehn has wrapped filming ahead of schedule on her directorial debut of the digital feature, The Night Visitor.

With nine actors, a seven person crew, and a shoe-string budget made up almost 50% in trade dollars, Blanc-Biehn along with Streamy Award winning producer Mark Gantt (The Bannen Way), and Lony Ruhmann who Executive Produced alongside Blanc-Biehn, wrapped filming The Night Visitor in just five days, one full day ahead of schedule.

The Night Visitor is a unique mix of sci-fi and horror, lensed with the found footage style that has become popular in the genres. ‘I don’t think there’s another story out there like this one, I...

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read people putting down others online because of their taste in movies. It’s common to see “you’re not a real horror fan if you like/dislike movie X,” but everyone has different tastes in movies and it’s important to me that we don’t have that kind of attitude on Daily Dead. Just because I don’t care for a particular movie doesn’t mean that there aren’t horror fans out there that won’t love it.

There are plenty of instances where I’ve heard from people who prefer the remake of Dawn of the Dead or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to the originals and I know that Texas Chainsaw 3D will also divide casual and die-hard horror fans.

After seeing Texas Chainsaw 3D, Leah came to me with a very different opinion of the movie than my own.

Any horror fan will agree that mid-September to November is our favorite time of year. This is the time when haunts open, ghost tours are plentiful, and scary movies can be found on almost every major channel. Thanks to Eli Roth’s latest creation, horror is alive and well all year long in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Goretorium aka The Delmont Hotel opened its doors to a star-studded red carpet event this past September in Las Vegas, promising to be one of the scariest haunts around, with 365 days-a-year access. I watched with gleeful obsession as the Goretorium Twitter account began posting photos and updates, and it soon became a regular in my Twitter feed conversations. I mused that a trip to Las Vegas and a visit to Goretorium would be a perfect romantic getaway.

The romance didn’t happen, but thanks to Daily Dead, the trip to Goretorium did. Three girlfriends...

Our newest contributor, Leah Cevoli, traveled to Las Vegas last week and thought it would be a great opportunity to visit Eli Roth’s Goretorium. The haunted attraction recently opened on The Las Vegas Strip, and for the first of a two-part special feature, we have her interview with Goretorium CEO Robert Frey:

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. I was searching a little about you online and saw you say that you haven’t been a horror fan until now. So as a non-horror fan, how did Goretorium happen?

Robert Frey: Well, I’ve always been a big fan of Halloween; it’s my favorite holiday. I like dressing up and just seeing everyone in costumes. With my background of being in Vegas, the holiday was always a big deal. That’s the date that Nevada was admitted into the Union, it’s a local holiday,...

Versus Valerie, a 12-part original web series that will chronicle the chaotic life of YouTube sensation Sexy Nerd Girl, has been awarded financing from the Independent Production Fund.

For 18 months, the team behind Sexy Nerd Girl has crafted the online persona of the fictional character Valerie Lapomme (played by Hannah Spear).

The result has been an internet sensation whose videos have over 1.75 million views and have been nominated for Best Web Series in the 2012 Canadian Comedy Awards.

The team's efforts have focused on making interactions with the audience an important part of the story, often shaping Val's personal views, her relationships and her story as a whole.

Sexy Nerd Girl is a first person narrative, with Valerie broadcasting her story through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, her blog and her successful vlog (video blog) on YouTube.

Valerie will now feature in a 12-part series, directed by Mike Fly and Simon Fraser, which...

The schedules for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con Preview Night and Day 1 (July 11 and July 12) are now live, and we have the horror highlights for you here (along with a few panels of general interest). As always, though, be sure to check the official Sdcc site for updates!

We also recommend downloading the Sdcc app if you have a smart phone.

Preview Night - Wednesday, July 11

6:00-9:45 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings— Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition, with exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilot episodes of five of the most highly anticipated TV series pilots of the 2012–13 television season: 666 Park Avenue, Arrow, The Following, Revolution and Cult. More info can be found here. Ballroom 20

Day 1 - Thursday, July 12

10:00-11:00 The Witty Women of Steampunk— The Victorian era was one marked by constraints on behavior, morals and bosoms. When you...

Actor/Producer Stephanie Thorpe - whose acclaimed, fan-made ElfQuest trailer premiered at WonderCon 2011 - is returning to this year's convention for a panel aimed at female geeks.

Stephanie will host the Geek Girls Create panel at WonderCon 2012, in Anaheim, California, where she will be joined by Leah Cevoli (Robot Chicken, Jedi Camp), Kristen Nedopak (Fight Class, Think Hero TV), Jessica Mills (Awkward Embraces), Crix Lee (Girl Gamer, The Frame Rate) and Helenna Santos Levy (Girl and Boy, American Reunion).

She said: "Geek Girls Create will bring together a group of talented women who have taken their love of the geek life and turned it into a career. These geek girls direct, produce, act, host and embody geek culture, creating their own award-winning content for film, TV and the web."

Thorpe has been featured at numerous conventions across the USA including San Diego Comic-Con. Pop Culture Monster has named her one...

Director: Alex Bram.

Writer: Shayla Beesley, and Alex Bram.

Body of Work is a Panic Attack Film that looks at artistry, blood-letting and the desires of the very twisted Jack Vogler. Directed by Alex Bram from actress Shayla Beesley's script (Perkins 14), Body of Work is the best horror short these eyes have seen. Clocking in at twenty-three minutes, the fact that this film does not have distribution is more shocking than the final horrifying scene.

The film begins with model Haley (Leah Ann Cevoli) practically begging to go topless for artist, black magician, and murderer Jack Vogler (Justin Dray). The intrigue begins here and continues ten years later when new homeowners, Mark (Joe Russell) and Carly (Yasmine Zapp) discover Vogler's paintings hidden in an shadowy shack. The paintings hold some of Voglers female subjects within the lines and colours of his artistry, forever trapped in dark magic. But when...

Title: Body of Work Scores: Technical: 98, Story: 100, Acting: 100, Overall: 99 Written by Shayla Beesly & Alex Bram (Alex also directed and produced the film along with Renee Pezzotta & Leah Cevoli) Body of Work premiered at the Carnival of Darkness Film Festival at the Crest Theater in L.A. on August 8th along with some other great short films. The film opens with Vogler, a deranged artist, who hires models to pose for his paintings, and then he kills them and finishes the painting with their blood. After the brief, but splatter-satisfying intro, our story begins ten years later and follows a husband and wife, who have moved into [...]...

In terms of comic book heroines, poor Vampirella has always dwelled in relative cult obscurity, somewhere between the equally forgotten Dazzler and Squirrel Girl in public recognition and respect. If she's remembered at all, it'a for the painted covers of cult actress Barbara Leigh playing her. So it came as a shock that The Vampire Con featured two versions of the alien ingenue co-created by Forrest J. Ackerman, vying to be crowned Vampirella at the Vampirella Ball.

"I love vampires because I am a vampire," declared the first Vampirella, Chicago's Angela Eve (evesparlor.com), a sleek siren who sported fangs and a whip--which she used impressively. "I love having fangs and I learned how to use a whip when I started out as a fetish model--i knew I would need a whip." As Eve's whip repeatedly cracked the floor, hostess Leah Cevoli joked, "Anyone else's nipples getting hard right now?...

Hey, if plumbers and dentists can have conventions, why not vampires?

On Sunday, Augist 16th, Hollywood appeared to be invaded by the combined residents of Sunnydale, Santa Cruz and 'Salem's Lot, as bloodsuckers gathered at the Music Box Theater for the first ever Vampire Convention and came back that night for Vampirella's Ball.

It was an appropriate date, as it marked the 53rd anniversary of the death of Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi--the inspiration for Bauhaus' biggest hit. Because of the Hollywood setting, attendees could literally walk down the Boulevard and pay respect at Bela Lugosi's star (Many did.).

There was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Vampirella, as well as round-table discussions on 'Vampires And Sexuality', and 'Why we love vampires.'

Well-dressed theatergoers on intermission from the "Legally Blonde" at The Pantages Theater did double takes as hordes of fanged, pale Goths slouched silently past them,...

The 1st Annual Carnival of Darkness short film festival will be held August 6th at The Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood, Ca. The website: http://carnivalofdarknessfestival.com/ Carnival of Darkness showcases the very best new work from independent horror filmmakers. This celebration of ‘creepy’ and original film shorts and music videos will culminate in a one hour panel discussion featuring top names in the horror world. In addition to the live appearances, fans will be able to purchase exclusive comic books, t-shirts and DVD’s relating to the horror genre at the venue. Co-producers Alex Bram and Leah Cevoli have selected the historic landmark Crest Theater not only because of its state-of-the-art sound and [...]...

Look here for your scary shorts fix! The Carnival of Darkness Film Festival, specializing in short horror films and genre friendly music videos, is set to kick off at The Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood, California on August 6th.

The barrage of shorts isn't the only thing; the festival also includes a film panel and Q&A which is planned to include actor Juliet Landau (Buffy/Angel), actor Marc Sheffler (Last House on the Left), director Katt Shea (Poison Ivy, The Rage: Carrie 2), actor Stephen Wozniak (Exorcism), and musician Jason Miller (Godhead). The panel will be moderated by Leah Cevoli, who did great work on the Deadwood series as well as Robot Chicken.

For additional and up-to-date information on this upcoming shorts film festival including opportunities to purchase tickets online, visit the official Carnival of Darkness website!

- Tristan Sinns

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The 1st Annual Carnival of Darkness short film festival will be held August 6th at The Majestic Crest Theater in Westwood, Ca. The website: http://CarnivalofDarknessFestival.com Carnival of Darkness showcases the very best new work from independent horror filmmakers. This celebration of .creepy' and original film shorts and music videos will culminate in a one hour panel discussion featuring top names in the horror world. In addition to the live appearances, fans will be able to purchase exclusive comic books, t-shirts and DVD's relating to the horror genre at the venue. Co-producers Alex Bram and Leah Cevoli have selected the historic landmark Crest Theater not only because of its state-of-the-art sound and projection equipment and large seating capacity (465 seats), ...

The 1st Carnival of Darkness short film festival (August 6th in Los Angeles, California) will feature actress Juliet Landau's (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) directorial horror debut, the Godhead music video Hero. Scary Stud of the Month April 2008 Stephen Wozniak will also be on a panel to discuss the shorts shown and the horror industry as it is today...

The Festival co-producer, actress Leah Cevoli, will host the event.

Watch the 'Hero' music video directed by Juliet Landau:

Panel Speakers include Juliet Landau, Marc Sheffler (Last House on The Left), Jason Miller (Godhead), Stephen Wozniak (Exorcism).

When: Thursday August 6th

Where: The Majestic Crest Theater

1262 Westwood Blvd 90024

Admission: $10

Doors: 8:00pm...

This August 6th The Carnival of Darkness will bring together "...independent horror filmmakers" from across North America in a "...celebration of 'creepy'." In attendance are: Juliet Landau (Buffy/Angel), Marc Sheffler (Last House on The Left), Katt Shea (Poison Ivy, The Rage: Carrie 2), Jason Miller (Godhead), and Stephen Wozniak who will each discuss independent filmmaking and their experiences on previous horror projects. Also, flaying limbs and falling bodies will be available on t-shirts and DVD at The Majestic Crest Theatre for fans of the genre. So, buy your tickets early and head down to the festival on Westwood Blvd. in Los Angeles. Location and ticket information inside.

When: Thursday August 6th.

Where: The Majestic Crest Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd, 90024.

Admission: $10.

Doors: 8:00pm.

*Panel Moderator: Leah Cevoli- Actor/Writer (Deadwood, Robot Chicken).

For more information on the carnival check out the Carnival of Darkness website below:

http://site.carnivalofdarknessfestival.