News

The 2020 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner, beginning January 23 through February 2. As shared in an email with journalists today from Time’s Up, the festival is ramping up its support for minority press with a new travel stipend. The Sundance Press Inclusion Initiative will support critics who identify as women, non-binary and/or transgender, people of color, and people with disabilities.

In order to be considered for the travel stipend, applications are due Friday, December 13, and will be considered as they are received — notifications will be sent out on a rolling basis through Friday, December 20. Here’s the application.

Per Sundance, “Recognizing that quantitative matters alone aren’t a complete solution, Sundance Institute is deepening the qualitative experience for press at Festival, ensuring that new applicants, who may be covering the Festival for the first time, can best navigate accreditation, attendance and reporting. The Institute is providing grants...

Line-up includes five BBC Films titles and two from Film4.

Fourteen UK productions or co-productions will play at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City next month.

This is up on the 12 that screened at the previous festival in 2019 and 13 in 2018.

Among the titles announced yesterday are five from BBC Films, including Aneil Karia’s Surge, which plays in the world cinema dramatic competition. Starring Ben Whishaw, it follows a man who goes on a reckless journey of self-liberation through London after robbing a bank. Produced by Julia Godzinskaya and Sophie Vickers, it was backed by the BFI.

Remi Weekes...

The feature film lineup at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival has been unveiled, featuring 118 films. Among the highly-anticipated premieres we have Josephine Decker’s Shirley, Miranda July’s Kajillionaire, Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Janicza Bravo’s Zola, Kirsten Johnson’s Dick Johnson Is Dead, Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor, Julie Taymor’s The Glorias, Dee Rees’ The Last Thing He Wanted, Sean Durkin’s The Nest, Michael Almereyda’s Tesla, Benh Zeitlin’s Wendy, and more.

Check out the list below and return for our coverage from January 23-February 2, 2020.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include The Farewell, Honey Boy, Clemency, Eighth Grade, Sorry to Bother You and The Miseducation of Cameron Post. 47% of the directors in this year’s U.

Oscar nominees such as Glenn Close, Viggo Mortensen, Ethan Hawke, and Benedict Cumberbatch will appear alongside newcomers at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, according to the lineup of 118 feature films announced Wednesday.

The Utah-based festival will kick off Jan. 23 with several day-one films, including highly anticipated music documentary “Taylor Swift: Miss Americana,” and run through Sunday, Feb. 2.

Director Julie Taymor’s starry Gloria Steinem biopic, “The Glorias,” alone features Alicia Vikander, Julianne Moore, and Janelle Monáe. Another high-profile premiere, “The Father,” co-stars Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, while Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo topline former Pixar director Brenda Chapman’s live-action debut, “Come Away.” Fox Searchlight will debut “Downhill,” a remake of 2014 art-house hit “Force Majeure,” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as the vacationing couple impacted by the husband’s cowardly reaction to a sudden avalanche.

“We have lots of returning alumni this year, which really says a...

The 2020 Sundance Film Festival has announced its entire feature film lineup for the January gathering. The 11-day event will showcase 118 features, including premieres from Sundance regulars and newcomers alike. The announcement includes all four competition sections, the high-profile Premieres and Documentary Premieres, the forward-thinking Next section, the Kids lineup, and the Midnight films.

The 2020 feature film lineup includes a number of highly anticipated 2020 titles, including the premiere of Jim Rash and Nat Faxon’s remake of the Swedish dark comedy “Force Majeure” (now titled “Downhill”), Julie Taymor’s inventive Gloria Steinem biopic “The Glorias,” Liz Garbus’ narrative debut “Lost Girls,” Michael Almereyda’s Nikola Tesla biopic “Tesla,” and Alan Ball’s “Uncle Frank.” On the documentary front, Lana Wilson’s Taylor Swift-centric entry, “Miss Americana,” will also make a surprise debut at the festival, premiering on its first day. Meanwhile, Ron Howard makes his latest foray into non-fiction with...

Further deals secured for ‘The Nest,’ ‘The Most Beautiful Day In The World’ and ‘The Trap’.

Rome-based sales company True Colours has scored a series of deals on four films at Afm, including upcoming comedy drama Superheroes.

Directed by Paolo Genovese, whose credits include Perfect Strangers, Superheroes has been pre-sold to PROvzglyad for Russia and the Baltics, and Swallow Wings for Taiwan.

Principal photography began in September on the film, starring Jasmine Trinca and Alessandro Borghi as a young couple struggling to keep their relationship alive. It is set to be released in Italy by Medusa in the second half...

Further deals secured for ‘The Nest,’ ‘The Most Beautiful Day In The World’ and ‘The Trap’.

Rome-based sales company True Colours has scored a series of deals on four films at Afm, including upcoming comedy drama Superheroes.

Directed by Paolo Genovese, whose credits include Perfect Strangers, Superheroes has been pre-sold to PROvzglyad for Russia and the Baltics, and Swallow Wings for Taiwan.

Principal photography began in September on the film, starring Jasmine Trinca and Alessandro Borghi as a young couple struggling to keep their relationship alive. It is set to be released in Italy by Medusa in the second half...

David Cronenberg, God love him, sounded content with retirement in a recent interview with the Globe and Mail. “If this is it for the so-called Cronenberg canon, then so be it. You can’t worry about legacy” is more or less the most definitive one can get, but it wasn’t for lack of trying — and if he’s going to the well a little bit in getting something new made, so be it. The best shot-reverse dynamic can’t direct itself.

Presenting the 4K Crash restoration at Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinema, Cronenberg announced he was at work on a Netflix mini-series adaptation of Consumed, his 2014 novel about a camera-obsessed couple who discover a North Korean plot at world domination centered on planting bugs in women’s breasts… something like that. I wrote about it in 2014 and was a bit nonplussed by the whole endeavor, finding it maybe...

The Italian sales outfit has also picked up comedy drama ’The Good One’

Italian sales company True Colours has sold action thriller Ride to Japan (Ak Company) and picked up comedy drama The Good One, which is headed to Rome Film Fest’s Alice nella città side section.

The debut feature of Jacopo Rondinelli, Ride is about a pair of extreme-sports athletes seeking thrills and money who get involved in a mysterious cash prize contest that turns out to be far deadlier than expected. The film is produced by Mercurious with Tim Vision and Lucky Red, which also released the film in Italy last year.

Exclusive: Swiss-Peruvian filmmaker Klaudia Reynicke, whose Love Me Tender screened in the Toronto Film Festival’s Discovery strand this year, has signed with Los Angeles management and production outfit The Gotham Group.

The company plans to spearhead efforts to adapt the film into a TV series.

Love Me Tender world premiered at Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival in August. Reynicke also wrote the screenplay, which tells the story of Seconda, played by Barbara Giordano, a rebellious young woman with agoraphobia who is abruptly left alone by her unreliable father.

The film was produced by Switzerland’s Amka Films. Rome-based Summerside International is handling global sales. The feature will next screen at the BFI London Film Festival in October.

Reynicke’s debut feature was 2016 drama The Nest, which also premiered in Locarno. The director was born in Peru but lived in Florida for much of her youth; she is now based in Switzerland.

Take a large serving of The Others, throw in a few pinches of The Village and add a dash or two of the 2018 art house critical darling Happy as Lazarro, and you’ll wind up with something close to The Nest (Il Nido).

Far from original, yet intriguing and well-realized enough to keep you in your seat until the final, rather predictable, reveal, Italian director Roberto De Feo’s debut feature premiered in Locarno’s Piazze Grande section and seems like a decent candidate for streaming services beyond the boot.

Written by De Feo, Lucio Besana and Margherita Ferri, the script follows a ...

In “Mermaids,” a 2014 three-minute short from Lugano-based Klaudia Reynicke, some conventionally beautiful young women practice hand gestures before an underwater show where they’ll perform as mermaids. Older women cleaners look on.

Cut to the show, with a mermaid swimming across a tank. Then, after a cloud of bubbles, a second mermaid appears, performing underwater cartwheels, who looks like one of the far more fulsomely-bodied cleaners.

Reynicke’s second feature “Love Me Tender” world premiered at Locarno Aug. 9, and segues to Toronto’s Discovery section.

It’s a Swiss movie, produced out of its southern region of Ticino. But Reynicke was born in Peru, spent her early adulthood in Florida – where she retained to shoot “Mermaids” – studied at the New York Tisch School of Arts, has lived for the last eight years in Lugano, Italy.

Is she a rising star of Ticino Swiss filmmaking? Or a member of Peru’s burgeoning film-tv generation?...

The Feed producer Studio Lambert has made a number of drama moves, while Backyard Envy producer Renowned Films has hired a new head of development.

All3Media-backed Studio Lambert has promoted Maddie Sinclair (above) from head of development to executive producer and hired Mammoth Screen’s James Gandhi to replace her as head of development.

Sinclair, who has worked on shows such as Luther and The C Word, joined Studio Lambert in 2016 from BBC Studios, while Gandhi (right) was a script editor at ITV-owned Mammoth Screen, where he worked on Fearless and Vanity Fair for ITV and The City & the City and Noughts & Crosses for the BBC.

This comes as Studio Lambert is about to start shooting Nicole Taylor’s thriller The Nest for BBC One, while its sci-fi series The Feed is set to launch on Amazon and Virgin Media later this year.

“Maddie has been an...

Projects are from emerging directors Roberto De Feo and Evi Romen.

Rome-based sales agent True Colours has picked up two hot projects from emerging directors: Roberto De Feo’s debut’s The Nest, a horror movie set in an isolated villa where a paraplegic boy lives with his protective parents.

It is produced by Colorado Film and will be released by Sky Italia’s Vision Distribution in Italy in August.

Disco is the directorial debut of former editor Evi Romen and is a drama about the aftermath of a terrorist attack and its impact of a group of disparate characters.

Projects are from emerging directors Roberto De Feo and Evi Romen.

Rome-based sales agent True Colours has picked up two hot Italian projects from emerging directors: Roberto De Feo’s debut’s The Nest, a horror movie set in an isolated villa where a paraplegic boy lives with his protective parents.

It is produced by Colorado Film and will be released by Sky Italia’s Vision Distribution in Italy in August.

Disco is the directorial debut of former editor Evi Romen and is a drama about the aftermath of a terrorist attack and its impact of a group of disparate characters.

The Nest

It appeared that after winning the first one out of the gate contest, Sean Durkin would finally be moving into a Janice Joplin biopic project, but to our surprise, The Nest was announced last April as the filmmaker’s official sophomore film – a full eight years since his other psychological thriller in Martha Marcy May Marlene (here is our interview with the filmmaker). Starring Jude Law, Carrie Coon and Anne Reid, The Nest was shot in Toronto, Canada around the same time as Tiff, this also moved to the U.K. Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély and film editor Matthew Hannam who teamed with Josh Mond on James White, return to the Borderline Films crew here.…...

“Stranger Things” star Charlie Heaton will take the lead in the BBC’s new two-part drama “The Elephant Man,” the U.K. public broadcaster announced Wednesday. Heaton will star as Joseph Merrick, and the show will span two 90-minute episodes to air on flagship channel BBC One in 2019.

Piers Wenger, controller of BBC Drama, also announced a trio of new drama series from female writers. The new commissions see dramas for BBC One and BBC Two from BAFTA winners Nicole Taylor and Michaela Coel. Oscar-nominated Irish filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson will direct an adaptation of author Sally Rooney’s “Normal People.”

Taylor, who won a BAFTA this year for best miniseries with “Three Girls,” will write six-part thriller “The Nest” for BBC One. Exploring the consequences of a pact between a wealthy couple and a teenage girl that changes all of their lives forever, “The Nest” is produced by Studio Lambert.

A drama directed by Frank and Room director Lenny Abrahamson and a series created by and starring Michaela Coel are among the BBC’s latest slate of dramas.

The British public broadcaster has unveiled three new scripted series at the Edinburgh International TV Festival.

Jan 22nd, which is written by Chewing Gum creator Coel, explores the question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, people make the distinction between liberation and exploitation. Set in London, the story centres on Arabella (Coel) whose raw and personal experience of consent sits at the heart of the story. Through Arabella we meet a group of fictional friends and colleagues whose sexual adventures frequently collide with a world in which new codes of sexual practice are emerging. Produced by Various Artists and Coel’s indie, Falkna Productions for BBC Two, it will be executive produced by Coel,...

John Malkovich is set to star in The New Pope, Paolo Sorrentino’s follow-up to the critically praised The Young Pope limited series, with Jude Law returning following his star turn as tormented American pontiff Lenny Belardo in the first series. Production on The New Pope, from FremantleMedia-owned Wildside (The Young Pope) and Spain’s Mediapro, is set to begin in Italy in November.

Written by Sorrentino with his frequent Italian co-writer Umberto Contarello, who also served as co-writer on Young Pope, and Stefano Bises, The New Pope limited series also is set in the world of modern papacy. The New Pope, an original production of HBO-Sky, is produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani for Wildside and co-produced by Mediapro. The series has been in the works since last year.

Producers are keeping mum on Law & Malkovich’s roles in The New Pope. There were questions...

Apple has picked up to series Little America, a half-hour anthology series from Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, the Oscar-nominated writers of indie hit The Big Sick, Smilf executive producer Lee Eisenberg, Master of None co-creator/executive producer Alan Yang and Universal Television.

Written by Eisenberg, who will serve as showrunner, Nanjiani and Gordon, Little America is inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine and described on the site as “a small, collective portrait of America’s immigrants — and thereby a portrait of America itself.” The TV series will go beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and unexpected lives of immigrants in America, at a time when their stories are more relevant than ever.

Nanjiani and Yang executive produce alongside Eisenberg and Gordon. Joshuah Bearman and Joshua Davis will executive produce for Epic Magazine; Arthur Spector will co-executive produce.

Leading film sales and distribution firm, FilmNation Entertainment has struck a output deal with Chinese video streaming giant iQIYI. The agreement gives the Chinese streamer exclusive VoD rights access to FilmNation’s content for a three-year period.

“More Chinese movie fans than ever before will be able to experience many of the best independent films from some of the world’s most exciting directors,” said FilmNation’s Rob Carney. The agreement was announced at the Cannes Film Market, on the side of the Cannes Film Festival.

“Following on the heels of our strategic cooperation agreements with entertainment companies such as Fox, Disney, Sony, and Netflix, this exclusive partnership with FilmNation represents the next step of iQIYI bringing subscriber members an ever more international selection of high quality contents,” said Yang Xianghua, senior VP of iQIYI in a prepared statement.

Iqiyi, which last month listed on the Nasdaq stock market in the U.

The film is based on the true story of a British businessman who helped the CIA.

Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in Cold War drama Ironbark for director Dominic Cooke (On Chesil Beach).

FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales and will launch the project to buyers in Cannes. UTA Independent Film Group will handle the Us sale.

Ben Pugh and Rory Aitken from 42 will produce the feature, alongside Adam Ackland, SunnyMarch and FilmNation.

Cumberbatch and director Cooke will executive produce alongside Tom O’Connor (The Hitman’s Bodyguard), Josh Varney (In Darkness) from 42 and SunnyMarch’s Leah Clarke. O...

Exclusive: Benedict Cumberbatch is set to play Cold War spy Greville Wynne in hot Cannes package Ironbark, I can reveal.

FilmNation will finance and handle international sales on the pic, which is based on the true story of the British businessman who helped the CIA penetrate the Soviet nuclear program during the Cold War. Wynne and his Russian source, Oleg Penkovsky (codenamed Ironbark), provided crucial intelligence that ended the Cuban Missile Crisis. UTA packaged, negotiated the deal with FilmNation and handles U.S.

On Chesil Beach helmer Dominic Cooke will direct and executive produce with Cumberbatch (the duo previously collaborated on BBC drama series The Hollow Crown). The project, which is reminiscent in tone to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, is based on a spec script by Tom O’Connor (The Hitman’s Bodyguard) who will also exec produce.

42’s Ben Pugh and Rory Aitken (Sand Castle) will produce alongside Adam Ackland (Patrick Melrose), SunnyMarch and FilmNation.

Sean Durkin is finally returning to independent cinema. The “Martha Marcy May Marlene” director has cast Carrie Coon and Jude Law in his family psychodrama “The Nest,” which marks his first indie film since “Martha Marcy” made him a breakout director in 2011. While Durkin directed four episodes of the television miniseries “Southcliffe,” the upcoming film will be his first feature in eight years. Variety first reported the news.

“The Nest” is being described as “part psychological thriller, part family drama.” Law plays an entrepreneur named Rory, who brings his American wife and kids to live with him in England so that he can look for new business ventures. The family leaves the American suburbs and move into an isolated house that pushes them a part and “plunges them into the despair of an archaic ’80s Britain.”

The movie gives Coon one of her biggest lead roles in a film to date.

Jude Law and Carrie Coon are set to star in “Martha Marcy May Marlene” director Sean Durkin’s next pic, “The Nest,” sources tell Variety.

The movie is a co-production between FilmNation and BBC Films with Durkin writing and directing. FilmNation and BBC Films are producing along with Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Films.

The film is part psychological thriller, part family drama and follows Law’s character, Rory, an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic ’80s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family. As the eerie isolation of the house pushes the family further apart, each person descends into a self destructive cycle, leaving everyone...

Stars: Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz, Wu Chun, Kelsey Grammer, Stef Dawson, Shane Jacobson, Jason Chong, Eva Liu | Written by Kimble Rendall, Gary Hamilton, Jonathan Scanlon, Paul Staheli | Directed by Kimble Rendall

After her brother Luke (Chun) disappears on an expedition, scientist Jia (Li) goes in search of him with the aid of CEO Mason Kitteridge (Grammer) and paramedic Ridley (Lutz). Their quest leads them to an underground tomb, which houses an ancient Chinese emperor from 200 BC, and sees them battling hordes of giant spiders as they endeavour to find Luke and make it out of the deadly tomb alive.

After debuting in China cinemas at the beginning of the year, scoring $6 million on its opening weekend, this Chinese-Australian co-production goes direct to DVD in the UK, placing it alongside its China-financed brethren such as Lost in the Pacific and Skiptrace, whereas you can clearly tell the filmmakers were looking for...

At the Rotterdam’s Reality Check conference, global experts including veteran filmmaker Haile Gerima talk about how to reach diverse audiences.

Source: Tiff

‘Tuko Macho’

George Gachara of Kenya’s groundbreaking multidisciplinary arts group The Nest Collective said filmmakers and distributors need to think more about serving the audience and its desires rather than imposing films on them.

It should be easy for the audience to engage with content, he said: “Anyone who wants to see our films, whether that’s the basic audience or the industry screening that you dress up for, those are both important audiences, those people all have 1,000 things to otherwise see or do,” he said today at the Reality Check distribution conference at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

“Whether it’s the granny in the cinema or the Netflix crowd, they have a lot of things competing for your attention for their cash, for their entertainment time. I want to make...

Oscar nominee to tackle Cynthia D’Aprix bestseller about dysfunctional siblings.

Emily V. Gordon, who earned a best original screenplay Oscar nomination with her husband Kumail Nanjiani this week for The Big Sick, will adapt the feature version of The Nest for Amazon.

Cynthia D’Aprix bestseller centres on dysfunctional siblings whose trust fund is put in jeopardy when 19-year-old Leo is involved in a drunk driving incident.

Transparent creator Jill Soloway and Andrea Sperling will produce the project through Soloway’s production company, Topple. Carly Kahane will be the executive on the project for Topple.

Gordon is a former couples and family therapist and current writer and producer. She has written for The Carmichael Show on NBC, Another Period on Comedy Central, and Crashing on HBO.

Amazon Studios acquired The Big Sick at Sundance 2016 and the film grossed more than $40m theatrically in North America.

Topple and Amazon Studios collaborated on Transparent and I Love Dick.

Emily V. Gordon has been tapped to write the feature adaption of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest.

Gordon will pen the movie for Amazon Studios, which released her last feature The Big Sick, which just earned the scripter an Oscar nom for best original screenplay.

The New York Times best-seller follows the dysfunctional Plumb family. After years of simmering tensions that finally reach a boiling point, Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, whose actions have endangered the family trust fund.

Transparent creator Jill Soloway will produce via her Topple banner,...

Emily V. Gordon, who was nominated for the Original Screenplay Oscar yesterday for co-penning The Big Sick, has been set to adapt Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's bestselling novel The Nest for Amazon's film studio. It reteams Gordon and Amazon, the latter of which co-distributed Big Sick with Lionsgate. Jill Soloway and Andrea Sperling are producers on The Nest via Soloway’s Topple production company. Carly Kahane will be the executive on the project for Topple. Soloway of…...

Schlock should never be a dirty word in the world of cinema. Some of my favorite films are utterly devoid of taste and frequently, refinement. The majority of drive-in treasures lie somewhere between perspiration and inspiration, covered in flop sweat and trying desperately to entertain. This is often where you’ll find the films distributed by American International Pictures, and always where you’ll see director Bert I. Gordon’s oeuvre. Empire of the Ants (1977) is no exception.

Released by Aip in July and bringing in $2.5 million, Empire was the follow up to Gordon and producer Samuel Z. Arkoff’s success from the previous year, The Food of the Gods, another “loose” H.G. Wells adaptation, and was an even bigger hit (in B.I.G. terms, anyway—everything’s relative, folks). Naturally dismissed by critics, Empire continues the winning Gordon formula of B stars and groovy, goofy, rear projection grisliness.

While July 28th may be a light day in terms of the amount of horror and sci-fi titles making their home entertainment debuts, we do have an interesting assortment of films and TV to look forward to. Kino Lorber has dug up two classics—The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein and Cherry 2000 (starring Melanie Griffith)—which are being released on Blu-ray this Tuesday, and Scream Factory has another underrated genre gem getting the HD treatment as well—the horror western Ghost Town.

For all you MST3K fans out there, Shout! Factory is putting out another collection of campy films that you’ll be able to add to your collections this week and Bayview Entertainment also has a double feature of cult movies from Germany—Strangler of the Tower / Monster of London—arriving on DVD.

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)

After the death of Victor Frankenstein...

The deserted town the Brady family got trapped in on their way to the Grand Canyon is charming compared to the one in 1988's Ghost Town. On July 28th, Scream Factory will release Ghost Town on Blu-ray, and we've been provided with three copies to give away.

Ghost Town synopsis: "A dusty ghost town, seemingly abandoned, holds the lives of its original inhabitants in an animated netherworld for 100 years…

When a modern-day sheriff's deputy is lured to a desolate, spooky ghost town in search of a missing woman, he comes face-to-face with a malevolent spirit from the town's past. The spell of death and suffering over the undead townspeople must end to set them free from eternal pain. The horrors of a possessed outlaw, in a time-suspended dimension are only the setting for a frightening battle for the mind, nerves and flesh.

Starring Franc Luz (The Nest, When Harry Met Sally), Jimmie F. Skaggs (Oblivion,...

Ah, cockroaches. They just don’t get much love in the Horror genre. One would think that these lowly creatures, clicking and flitting, scurrying and shuttling from dark to light would be prime fodder for terror terrain. However, up until 1988’s The Nest, there are only a handful of critter flicks starring these grotesque end- of- the- worlders. Concorde Pictures (Roger Corman’s latest company at the time) unleashed this gloriously gruesome roach-a-rama on an unsuspecting public and watched them squirm with delight.

Actually, The Nest only received a limited release by Concorde, but made its coin when it was released on video by MGM later that same year. Reviews were generally positive, with critics seeing it as a good natured update of 1950’s monster movies, of course with new, improved and gnarly special effects. The Nest is, shall we say, a great deal moister than its bug strewn brethren of yore.

This summer, Scream Factory will take viewers to a ghost town that's a lot more sinister than the one the Brady family was trapped in on The Brady Bunch. Slated for a July 28th release, the western horror film Ghost Town hits Blu-ray on July 28th:

Press Release -- "The good. The bad. The Satanic. Scream Factory proudly presents the Empire Pictures classic Ghost Town on July 28, 2015 in its Blu-ray debut.

A dusty ghost town, seemingly abandoned, holds the lives of its original inhabitants in an animated netherworld for 100 years…

When a modern-day sheriff’s deputy is lured to a desolate, spooky ghost town in search of a missing woman, he comes face-to-face with a malevolent spirit from the town’s past. The spell of death and suffering over the undead townspeople must end to set them free from eternal pain. The horrors of a possessed outlaw, in a time-suspended...

The second week of April is a big one for horror fans, as one of the most buzzed-about indie genre films of 2014—The Babadook—is finally coming home this Tuesday courtesy of Scream Factory and IFC Midnight. There are also a multitude of classic cult titles arriving in high-def on April 14th as well, including Long Weekend, Tales of Terror, the sequels to both The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ’Em High, and Class of 1984.

Several new titles are also being released this week including Jinn, Roadside, and Echoes, and 20th Century Fox is unleashing their terror-filled sequel, The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death, on both Blu-ray and DVD.

The Babadook (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Deluxe Edition Blu-ray & DVD)

Amelia (AFI Award winner Essie Davis, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Slap) is a single mother plagued by the violent death of her husband.

When someone says they're "surviving high school," it can usually be considered an exaggeration, but when it comes to the teachers and students of Lincoln High, there's a literal truth in the phrase. Sinister students stalk the school's halls and don't hesitate to teach their own warped lessons to teachers after the bell rings in Mark L. Lester's Class of 1984. Scream Factory is releasing the early ’80s thriller in a Collector's Edition Blu-ray on April 14th, and we've been provided with two copies to give away to a couple of lucky Daily Dead readers.

"Synopsis: The teachers at Lincoln High have a very dangerous problem… their students!

Andrew Norris (Perry King, Lipstick, Mandingo), an idealistic and naive music teacher, has moved into a new community with his pregnant wife, Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross, General Hospital), only to find his new job is an academic abyss. Appalled by the crime-infested school,...

Detention doesn't solve problems in Class of 1984. The atrocious actions of the unruly students call for a far more intense form of discipline that Mr. Norris is pushed to dish out in the early ’80s thriller from Mark L. Lester. Soon, you can experience Class of 1984’s extracurricular revenge like never before, as Scream Factory's Collector's Edition Blu-ray of the film comes out on April 14th. Ahead of its release, we have the trailer and two clips from the Blu-ray, giving us a look at a young Michael J. Fox and a gun-wielding Roddy McDowall.

"Synopsis: The teachers at Lincoln High have a very dangerous problem… their students!

Andrew Norris (Perry King, Lipstick, Mandingo), an idealistic and naive music teacher, has moved into a new community with his pregnant wife, Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross, General Hospital), only to find his new job is an academic abyss. Appalled by the crime-infested school,...

Can't make it to the Valentine's Day Cannibal Holocaust feast at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema this Saturday? Don't sweat it, because now available from Mondo is the vinyl soundtrack and a new poster for the influential Italian horror film, along with a blood-dripping Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives that's also fittingly been released today. And that's just the first of three news items in our latest horror round-up, as we also look at Shout! Factory's Metal Hurlant Chronicles: The Complete Series Blu-ray and the newly unveiled final special features of Shout! Factory label Scream Factory's Class of 1984.

Cannibal Holocaust & Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives: Now available from Mondo:

"Cannibal Holocaust by Jock. 24"x36" screen print. Hand numbered. Edition of 250. Printed by D&L Screenprinting. $50"

"Cannibal Holocaust (Variant) by Jock. 24"x36" screen print. Hand numbered. Edition of 100. Printed by D&L Screenprinting. $75"

"Cannibal Holocaust LP.

Unfortunately for me, before Scream Factory announced that they would be releasing Deadly Eyes to Blu-ray, I had never even heard of the film. As often as I frequented the video store(Daily, for the 5-for-5-for-5 deals), I never even saw Deadly Eyes on the shelf. Had someone explained to me back then, or any time since, that a film exists wherein they strap giant rat costumes to the backs of small dogs, and get them to attack people by stuffing dog food in their pockets, I would have been on a mission to find said movie, because that sounds awesome. Does it not? On the bright side, this means that my first exposure to this film, was Scream Factory’s gorgeous Blu-ray release, stuffed with extras exposing everything I could ever want to know about these dogs dressed up as killer rats. Even before I watched the interviews on the disc,...

For the week of July 15th, we have giant rats, a handful of indie horror movies, a David Cronenberg classic and a killer Scarlett Johansson sci-fi thriller all coming our way on Blu-ray and DVD.

Criterion is releasing a brand new Blu-ray/DVD combo of the horror classic Scanners and Scream Factory is continuing their Summer of Fear with their latest release, Deadly Eyes, as well. Jonathan Glazer’s stunning sci-fi film Under the Skin is also getting its home release on Tuesday and, for all you shark movie fans out there, Anchor Bay’s put together a fun four pack of some recent shark-related titles perfect for a camp-tastic marathon one night.

Spotlight Titles:

Scanners (Criterion Collection, Blu-ray/DVD Combo & DVD)

From Criterion Collection comes the Director- Approved Dual-Format Blu-ray and DVD Special Edition Feature of Scanners which includes a new, restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by director David Cronenberg,...

While Scream Factory has made a name for themselves by releasing beloved horror movies on Blu-ray, they're also big into introducing us fans to little-seen gems from the past, and that's precisely what they're doing this coming July with the Blu-ray release of killer rat flick Deadly Eyes.

Never before available on any format other than VHS, the film is set to be introduced to a whole new audience, and we've got all the release details on tap for ya today. Dig in!

From the Press Release

Have you ever wondered what would be lurking beneath your seat? Meet one of mankind’s deadliest enemies— super-sized Rats! Each year they plunder one fifth of our food, spread deadliest diseases and destroy billions of dollars’ worth of properties. They are very hungry and ready to pounce on their next prey. Adapted from celebrated British author James Herbert’s best-selling novel The Rats,...

The super-sized rats of 1982′s Deadly Eyes are making their first appearance on Blu-ray and DVD this July, courtesy of Scream Factory. Here’s a look at the official release details, a list of bonus features, and the cover artwork:

“Have you ever wondered what would be lurking beneath your seat? Meet one of mankind’s deadliest enemies— super-sized Rats! Each year they plunder one fifth of our food, spread deadliest diseases and destroy billions of dollars’ worth of properties. They are very hungry and ready to pounce on their next prey. Adapted from celebrated British author James Herbert’s best-selling novel The Rats, the animal attack terror comes to life in the 1982 film adaptation Deadly Eyes, starring Sam Groom (The Baby Maker, Law & Order) and Sara Botsford (Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, The Fog) from action filmmaker Robert Clouse (Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon). A throwback to the giant-monster movies of the 1950s,...

Scream Factory announced that they’ll be releasing Deadly Eyes, a little-known horror movie from the 80′s that features giant rats. Also known as The Rats, this Canadian horror movie was released in the Us in 1983 and has actually never been available on DVD. Scream Factory announced that they’ll be releasing the movie to both Blu-ray and DVD next year:

“Fans of Canadian 80′s horror and animal attack films are in for a treat next Summer as we will be releasing 1983′s rat infested Deadly Eyes–which has never been on DVD or Blu-ray before.

The film stars Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Canadian Scream Queens Lesleh Donaldson (Curtains, Funeral Home) and Lisa Langlois (Happy Birthday to Me, The Nest) and if you’ve seen it, you know what a guilty pleasure it is.

More details on the release will become more clear in early Spring next year.”

The post...

Monster movies had seen their heyday come and go by the time Joe Dante made The Howling in 1981 and it seemed as if everyone had seen everything. However, Dante manages to create a unique entry in the werewolf movie canon with a murder mystery with supernatural creatures in it. The Howling still stands as one of the most inventive and fun horror films from the 1980′s and this stacked to the rafters Blu-ray from Scream Factory is a must have.

TV news journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) reluctantly meets a known predator Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo) in an adult theater one night on a sting arranged with the local police. Things go from bad for worse for Karen when the evening ends in a seemingly fatal shoot out. Traumatized by the events of the night, she seeks help from Dr. Waggner (Patrick Macnee), who recommends she visit “The Colony,” a...

From the opening scene of The Nest which combines something I really love coffee with something I abhor a cockroach swimming in it you pretty much know what you are in for should also be able to measure your tolerance for this type of nature run amok flick. If you can take the high amount of roaches featured front and center in this film then dive right in as youll be in for a real fun lowbudget gem that is ripe for rediscovery. This gross little killer bug movie from Roger Cormans former studio Concorde Pictures was produced by his wife Julie Corman and received a limited release.

Shout! Factory’s “Scream Factory” arm continues to release some of the most awesomely obscure and beloved horror titles ever and this coming Tuesday February 19 is no exception. Terence Winkless’ cult cockroach classic The Nest finally gets the high-definition treatment in the form of an excellent Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack that features a commentary track from the director himself. Tasked with making a film about man-eating cockroaches, Winkless makes what is easily the very best (and probably the only) film about killer cockroaches ever made. It’s a horror fan’s dream come true. That is, if your dreams consist of a terrifying Man-Roach and a healthy dose of gore. Here at FEARnet, that’s all we dream about.

FEARnet sat down with Winkless to discuss working with Roger Corman, wrangling cockroaches in the middle of the night, and the infamous Cat-Roach.

FEARnet: I just re-watched The Nest again the...

The 1950’s brought on an infestation of killer giant insect movies due to the atomic age and fear of the bomb. Movie monsters come in many shapes and sizes, from Godzilla to The Blob and everything in between. The Nest, newly released from Scream Factory, is a love letter to those big bug movies from the past with a graphic, modern slant much like Slugs and Squirm.

In a small seaside town, biological experiments have created a mutant strain of cockroach that are eating the townsfolk. Naturally, it’s up to the local Sheriff (Franc Luz) to take up arms to fight this “natural” menace. Dr Hubbard (Terri Treas), from the organization that performed the genetic experiments on the insects arrives in town with her own agenda, and now Sheriff Tarbell has another foe to vanquish. Add a greedy, ineffectual mayor (Robert Lansing) and the poor Sheriff has a lot...

Scream Factory is following up their release of Halloween II and III, with The Funhouse and Terror Train later this month and They Live in November. Those titles are only the start, and we have new details, along with cover art, for Scream Factory’s December and January releases:

Death Valley Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack: A divorcee, her son and her boyfriend are on a vacation in the beautiful but deadly Death Valley. What starts out as an ordinary, leisurely trip turns into a nightmare when they happen upon a murder and find themselves pursued by a maniac. Starring Catherine Hicks (Child’s Play), Paul Le Mat (Puppetmaster), Stephen McHattie (The Tall Man) and Peter Billingsley (A Christmas Story).

DTS HD Master Audio Mono (Blu-Ray)/Dolby Digital Mono (DVD)/Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)/1982/Color/87 minutes

Death Valley Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack bonus content:

Audio Commentary with Director Dick Richards

Theatrical Trailer...

Over the last couple of days The Scream Factory's Facebook page has been revealing the artwork for their upcoming Blu-rays of The Nest and Deadly Blessing. In addition, today being Friday, they also announced another new release for us to look forward to: 1988's Prison.

Prison was directed by Renny Harlin and stars Viggo Mortensen, Chelsea Field, Lane Smith, Kane Hodder, Tommy "Tiny" Lister, and Tom Everett. Look for it sometime in 2013.

Prison Synopsis:

After Charles Forsythe (was sent to the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit, he forever haunts the prison where he was executed. Flash forward several years when the prison is reopened, under the control of its new warden Eaton Sharpe, a former security guard who framed Charlie. When prisoners are ordered to break down the wall to the execution room, they unknowingly release the angry spirit of Charles Forsyth, a powerful being distributing his murderous rage to all,...