Mark's Horror & Suspense Blog

The Sci Fi Channel has reached an agreement with RHI Entertainment, the company behind the "Maneater" series of killer animal films that have aired on the channel -- including Vipers, Grizzy Rage, Eye of the Beast, Blood Monkey and The Hive -- to premiere five upcoming horror/suspense films as part of Sci Fi's ongoing "Most Dangerous Night of Television" weekend theme:

• Hellhounds: In 500 B.C., a Greek warrior battles the demonic hellhounds of Hades in order to rescue his bride and bring her back to life. Directed by Rick "Don't Call Me Ricky" Schroder.
• Rise of the Gargoyle: A struggling author in Paris finds himself face to face with a real, living version of the stone gargoyles he's devoted his life to studying.
• Alien Western: Monstrous, buglike machines from another world attack an Old West town in the 1890s.
• Carney: Based on the Jersey Devil legend, a fiendish carnival sideshow attraction -- half-animal and half-devil -- escapes and terrorizes a Depression-era Mid-Atlantic town.
• Sand Serpents: American combat soldiers in the Afghan desert must battle both the Taliban and a horde of giant, carnivorous wormlike serpents awakened from beneath the earth's surface.

It's acceptable practice to make fun of these movies, but for what they are -- cheesy basic cable extensions of 1950s monster movies -- they're fairly enjoyable. I'll keep a not-so-diligent eye out for these in 2009.

Source: NBC Universal, Inc.

The annual Screamfest horror film festival opens today in Hollywood with perhaps the most impressive lineup in the fest's eight-year history. Kicking things off tonight is the long-delayed, eagerly anticipated Trick 'r Treat (pictured), an anthology that's rumored to be going straight to DVD next year, so this might be your last chance to see it on the big screen. Other highlights of the nine-day festival include Let the Right One In, Splinter, the controversial French flick Martyrs and Train, the former Terror Train remake that's grown into its own story. Stay tuned for reviews!

Good news for those who can't wait for the upcoming movie House, from acclaimed novelists Ted Dekker and Frank Perreti: its release has been moved up a week from November 14 to November 7. It'll be a limited release, so check the official site for city listings.

It appears that Hellboy's Guillermo del Toro might be returning to his horror roots after directing the upcoming Hobbit films. Comingsoon.net has an interview with the director -- who began his career with fright films like Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, Mimic and Blade 2 -- stating that he plans on tackling three horror adaptations after all this Hobbit hubbub dies down: Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.

With the updated Wolf Man coming out next year, maybe the new Hollywood trend will be remaking classics. (Might I suggest Leonard Part 6?) Don't get too excited, though, because The Hobbit and its sequel aren't scheduled to hit theaters until 2011 and 2012, respectively, so it'll probably be at least five years until we see anything else from del Toro.

Source: Comingsoon.net

Although it has yet to be announced on the official site, Bloody-Disgusting.com is reporting that After Dark Horrorfest III has added two more movies to its lineup, meaning it has only one remaining to reach the quota of "8 Films to Die For." Word is that the two new films are:

• Autopsy: A car accident lands a man in an odd hospital with a deranged staff (headed by Robert "T2" Patrick) that's not interested in healing its patients.
• Dying Breed: A Tribeca 2008 entry (like From Within), this Australian film about a team of naturalists who run into clan of cannibals has encountered censorship of its grisly "human meat pie" poster (pictured).

You can see trailers for both movies here.

Source: Bloody-Disgusting.com

What horror movie clichés drive you crazy? Ghostly kids (pictured)? Genetic testing gone awry? The burned-out cop/priest/high school gym teacher who's lost his faith? I've come up with 20 that I find the most egregious. See if you agree.

Although the first Death Note movie, based on a popular Japanese manga (comic) about a notebook that causes death to anyone whose name is written in it, just hit DVD in the US last month, Death Note II: The Last Name is coming to select theaters October 15 and 16. That's only two days, but the film is being carried in over 300 theaters (or triple what a "real" release like Midnight Meat Train got) -- similar to how the first was released this past May. Also included in the nearly three-hour event is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie and an interview with director Shusuke Kaneko. Check here for details and theater listings.

It's officially October, so let the horror avalanche begin! As Halloween approaches, Quarantine aims to pull you into the theater with its spooky POV appeal, while a slew of high-profile DVDs try to keep you at home -- including The Happening, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, straight-to-video sequels Feast 2 and Joy Ride 2, and several special edition re-releases.

If you can't wait until it opens this Friday, check out these new pics from Quarantine. If you flip through them real fast, it's like you're watching the movie!

The Devil's Chair is a small British independent film from writer/director Adam Mason, whose Broken made a splash on DVD last year as part of the Dimension Extreme lineup. He raises the ante this time around, with a more supernatural, more stylistic, less gruelling tale that should be remembered as one of the better direct-to-video horror releases of 2008. Devil's chairs: they ain't just for sittin' anymore!