Happy Halloween from WWE Studios & the Twisted Twins~!

Happy Halloween from WWE Studios and Jen & me on the set of SEE NO EVIL 2 Movie. Here's some bloody fun flicks, perfect for date night this October 31st. 

-Sylv

AMERICAN MARY makes ROLLING STONE

#AmericanMary makes Rolling Stone's 13 TERRIFYING MOVIES YOU CAN’T UNSEE List!!
Wow, what a massive honor!! Thank you so much guys. Check it out. And MARY does make the perfect Halloween movie and is a total kickass Halloween costume ;)

***SPOILER ALERT***

“'American Mary' (2012) Mary is a broke medical student who is drugged and raped at a party she’s invited to by her professor. Fleeing school and desperate for money, she is thrown into the underworld of body modification. But these aren’t your ordinary alterations. They’re highly illegal and bordering on immoral, but if you have enough cash, Mary will take good care of you.

Creepiest Scene: Finding out what she did – and is still doing – to the professor that raped her.”

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/pictures/13-terrifying-horror-movies-you-cant-unsee-20131025/american-mary-2012-0871035#ixzz2irL6mO3u

Hey, What're You Doing at 3:30am on Halloween? Watch Dead Hooker in a Trunk on Tv!!

DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK is on the Sundance Channel at 3:30am on ol’ Hallow’s Eve! I think our exact demographic is people still up at 3:30am on Halloween. Enjoy! And totally tell me and Jen all about it!!!

Fuck yeah, Dead Hooker in a Trunk.

-Sylv

Get GHOST PATROL in time for your Halloween Shenanigans!

 Hey, boys and grrls!!

Love Halloween? Want some MAJOR bang for your buck? With a mere 99 cents you can score a wicked awesome Halloween app via iTunes that will at long last allow you to live out your own need to hunt down ghosts and you don't even NEED to have any found footage tapes kicking around ;)

GHOST PATROL is the handy dandy love child of every found footage/ghost hunting everything with the sexy as hell element of FATAL FRAME (yeah, my fellow gamers know what I'm preaching about, ha ha).

GHOST MISCHIEF & MAYHEM! As a rookie in Ghost Patrol, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Armed with ParaVox Technology – a top-secret ectoplasmic audio-visual tool -- your assignment is to detect, engage and photograph 10 of the agency’s most wanted haunting the world around you! Snap photos of each ghost to close their case and unlock new targets.

But beware… ghosts aren’t fond of getting photographed, so you must keep your eyes and ears open at all times. And with each case you take on, the ghosts get creepier and more powerful as you climb the ranks toward earning your Ghost Patrol badge!

Ghost Patrol is an immersive, multi-media experience that leverages your smartphone's camera and accelerometer in wildly innovative ways!

FEATURING:

• DEEP, ENTERTAINING STORYVERSE where all 10 ghosts have a personal dossier (obituary, life photo and intel) plus a creepy audio message and a scary set of photographs. But this is only the beginning -- more ghosts are coming, more secrets about the agency will be revealed, and more opportunities for real "field work" will be unveiled!

• ORIGINAL RETRO CHARACTERS created by renowned Hollywood illustrator Peter Von Sholly, known for his work on many Hollywood movies.

• TWO-TIERED GAMEPLAY lets you scan your real world environment for ghostly auras, then contact the entities using fast & fun Rock Band-style gameplay with a supernatural twist! Succeed and you'll capture a spooky picture of the ghost only a few feet from your face!

• COLLECT TRADING CARDS & SHARE PHOTOS. Complete the game and collect 50 ghostly photos & 10 demented trading cards. Share your ghostly photos on your favorite social network and visit the Ghost Patrol website to discover some secrets about this arcane agency!

Join Ghost Patrol on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/ghostpatrolgame

Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/artifacttech

Get it RIGHT HERE!! 

La Samain Du Cinema Fantastique is Bringing American Mary to France

Bonjour mes amis en France! American Mary is coming to your beautiful country and it would be magnifique if you could make it to the stellar RUE MORGUE FRANCE AT LA SAMAIN DU CINÉMA FANTASTIQUE!!!

"For a French horror fan like me, the same question comes up every October: What am I going to do for Halloween? France is a very traditional and conservative country when it comes to horror entertainment and foreign celebrations. Year after year, there is less and less “trick or t

reat” in the streets of Paris, and the spirit of Halloween is dying. I used to leave France every Halloween to escape the boredom; Anglo-Saxon countries are dream destinations for those who love Halloween parties. But this year, I don’t need to fly to Transylvania or to Scotland to enjoy the Samhain festival. The hottest French destination for the Halloween period is in the city of Nice in the South of France – the site of La Samain du Cinéma Fantastique.

From October 26 to November 3, the folks of Cine Nasty will celebrate the third edition of the coolest horror film festival in the South of France. La Samain du Cinéma Fantastique will host the French premieres of Paranormal Activity 4, Sinister, American Mary, Frankenweenie, Mimesis, The Whisperer in Darkness and The Seasoning House. Festival-goers will also have the chance to attend advanced screenings of Richard Bates Jr.’s Excision, the horror anthology V/H/S, Franck Khalfoun’s Maniac and Grabbers by British director Joe Wright. Cine Nasty will also screen many European premieres, including Nate Taylor’s Forgetting the Girl, the documentary American Scream by Michael Paul Stephenson, Michael Goi’s Megan Is Missing and the world premiere of the Italian movie Red Krokodil by Domiziano Cristopharo. And to celebrate 100 years of Universal classic monsters, “La Samain Du Cinéma Fantastique” will show a newly restored digital copy of The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D!"

Get all additional info HERE! And have a fantastique time with this utterly rad lineup perfect for Halloween viewing pleasure.

-Sylv

Twisted Celluloid Halloween American Mary Screening Tix on Sale

Get your Twisted Celluloid AMERICAN MARY Halloween screening tickets here!

-Sylv

Jamie Lee Curtis

"I'm Laurie Strode's guardian angel."



Jamie Lee Curtis is a badass.

The daughter of legendary actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis got her film debut in the 1978 horror film HALLOWEEN. She played the role of Laurie Strode. The film kicked some major box office ass and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic horror film. Jamie Lee was subsequently cast in several horror films, garnering her the title, "scream queen".

"For me, I just show up and do what I do. And for me it has to be real -- anything I do, I don't care what it is. On "Halloween," I can remember, John Carpenter's first and only real direction to me was, 'I want people to believe this is a real person.' All I care about is trying to make anything real -- and then because I'm brave I'll try anything."

Her next film was the horror film, THE FOG, which was helmed by HALLOWEEN director John Carpenter. The film opened in February 1980 to mixed reviews but strong box office, further cementing Jamie Lee as a horror film starlet. Her next film, PROM NIGHT, was a low-budget Canadian slasher film released in July 1980. The film, for which she earned a Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress, was similar in style to HALLOWEEN, yet received negative reviews which marked it as a disposable entry in the then-popular "slasher film" genre. That year, she also starred in TERROR TRAIN, which opened in October and met with a negative reviews akin to PROM NIGHT. Jamie Lee had a similar function in both films - the main character whose friends are murdered, and is practically the only protagonist to survive. The final girl.

Famed film critic Roger Ebert, who had given negative reviews to all three of Curtis' 1980 films, said that Jamie Lee "is to the current horror film glut what Christopher Lee was to the last one-or Boris Karloff was in the 1930s". She later appeared in HALLOWEEN II, HALLOWEEN H20: 20 Years Later and HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION, as well as giving an uncredited voice role in HALLOWEEN III: Season of the Witch.

Here she is with fellow femme fatale and a woman I simply adore, Sigourney Weaver.

Jamie Lee has always been a fox, from the moment she first stepped out onto the scene to right now. She has been called "The Scream Queen" and "The Body". Her trademarks are her deep, sultry voice, her lovely legs, and her voluptuous body. In fact, her legs are insured for 2 million dollars. Here is a personal favorite exert from her performance in TRUE LIES where Jamie Lee is married to secret spy husband Arnold Schwarzenegger and unknowingly has to seduce him in a vain attempt of his to put a little excitement back into their marriage. Oh, Arnie.



"I believe people are entitled to a private life. I'm not sure where it's written that because you're in the public eye you are required to expose your private business, with anybody. It is nobody's business, and it's interesting because obviously in today's marketplace people don't abide by that. There are no boundaries that people won't cross...We're in a bit of a "Wild West" thing with media, and, I think, it's just kind of like no holds barred - the Internet. You know, there are no criteria on the Internet...I've chosen a public life to express myself, not to tell what I do with my husband in bed, not to do, to talk about my parents and my family life. And I just think it's wrong, and obviously it's an insatiable appetite that people have for gossip and innuendo and things that are nobody's business. And there's a term that they use in this called "legitimate public concern." What is legitimate public concern? If an elected official has an illness, that's legitimate public concern because they're our president or elected official. We, we, we need to know that they're healthy because we want them to live a long life and protect, you know, the Constitution...but in the marketplace, in the world, I don't believe it's anybody's concern. And that's what I think."

It's not easy growing up in the public eye and when your parents are super stars, it's even more difficult. Especially when things in your life aren't "happily ever after". Jamie Lee and her father, Tony Curtis, didn't have a relationship. Having to grow up not having him there for her at all in front of the world was difficult and emotionally upsetting to say the least. Jamie Lee handled the situation with great maturity and honesty.

"He was not a father; he was not interested in being a father - and this is not a slam against him - he did what he had to do from a financial standpoint, which was honorable of him to do, but he wasn't an involved father. Therefore, I look at him much more from the perspective of being a fan of him. I was more of a fan of his work, of his spirit, of his joie de vivre (joy of living)... My mother was never a diva, my father was bigger than life, who lived in Vegas! There was no bond, not at all. Except for the fact that I inherited genetically a part of him."

Jamie Lee is also an accomplished writer. She has written books, mostly for children. She has written "I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem", "It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel", "Is There Really a Human Race?", and "Big Words For Little People".

She is a strong believer in charity work. Jamie Lee feels that it's her duty given the power she has by her celebrity status. She takes time to support various philanthropic groups. Curtis was Guest of Honor at the 11th annual Gala and Fundraiser in 2003 for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organization offering a live-in, twelve-step program of rehabilitation for women in need. Past honorees of this organization include Sir Anthony Hopkins and Angela Lansbury. Jamie Lee is also involved in the work of the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, serving as the annual host for the organization's "Dream Halloween" event in Los Angeles, launched every year in October.

"I'm not sure what fame is for if it isn't to focus on charitable work."

~Jen

Halloween Memories on Slammed & Damned

Boys and grrls, if you are avid readers of our Penny Dreadful Diary (and truly, why wouldn't you be?) you must be well acquainted with our beloved friend and exquisitely talented writer, reviewer, and interviewer, Theron Neel of Slammed & Damned as well as Planet Fury.

I hope all you fellow creatures of the night are recovered or recover-ing at this point. And hopefully, my darlings, you remember exactly what you did this Halloween, even if it's fuzzy patches that slam back into your mind like post traumatic stress disorder style acid flashbacks. We had the pleasure of chatting with Theron about our Halloweens past...

"We would look forward to it all year long. My parents thought it was funny because we would muchly prefer Halloween to Christmas, birthdays, anything else. There have been lots of folks that used to come over to me and say, “It’s not Halloween” because of my attire. Now, every day kind of is." ~ Sylvia Soska

"We’re very lucky to be able to have Halloween every day, but there is something undeniably special about Halloween. We’ve almost religiously dressed up every year. It makes me sad to hear “grownups” say that they don’t like Halloween and haven’t dressed up since they were kids. Where is it written or said that once you reach a certain age you have to stop having fun? And that’s really what Halloween is — a whole lot of demented fun." ~ Jen Soska

For the full Halloween Interview, please enjoy it RIGHT HERE!!!

And thank you, as always, Theron. You're absolutely wonderful.

Bloody Best!
Jen Soska

Aliens To Zombies Convention aka The Best Place On Earth

Ever wonder what the best place on Earth is?

Your childhood home? Your favorite bar? A secret place that no one else knows about?

Well, I'm afraid if you guessed any of the above, you'd sadly be wrong. The Aliens to Zombies Convention is the obvious answer. But what is, in fact, this monumental event?

Glad you asked 'cuz I was pretty much just gonna go ahead anywho.

The Aliens to Zombies Convention is held at the famously haunted Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, October 21st to 22nd 2011, which is being run by Emmy-winning visual effects artist Todd Masters and Bruce Haring of JM Northern Media.

Todd Masters recently spoke with FEAR NET about the Convention...

"Well, my ol' buddy Bruce Haring phoned me one day, said... I got this idea, "Aliens to Zombies"...and before he even said it all, it was like, "DANG! I like this..." So we both just went rapidly into it... He having this great background in conventions, book festivals, story conferences... And me, with my history of these Halloween Bash's, monster-making and arts... We naturally jumped into making what this means to our unique association, into this event.

And it's been a lot of fun putting together. It's like a monster itself!!" ~ Todd Masters, Fear.net

Check out the FULL FEAR NET INTERVIEW right here.

Confirmed participants include "Dark Skies" producer Bryce Zabel, "Walking Dead" actor Michael Rooker, and ADI Inc’s Oscar winners Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr. One highlight will be the return of Masters' annual "Monster-Makers Bash" costume party, attended by top FX artists.

That's right. In addition to tons of special panelists, special events, and horror royalty being in attendance, there will be a COSTUME PARTY HELD BY THE MOST TALENTED FX ARTISTS IN THE WORLD. THAT is what heaven is like. And it is a place on Earth.



Now, I don't have to tell you folks that frequent our Penny Dreadful Diary that I absolutely adore prosthetic effects, make up effects, and the masters who create them. What can I say? I'm a 80s brat who was lucky enough to grow up with titles like ALIEN, JACOB'S LADDER, and THE THING where gore~geous, practical effects were used and even the occasional amputee. I know I'm not the only one who cringes watching actors try to interact with CGI beasties who never quite match up to having the real deal.

And our very favorite person attending? The Master of Horror, Todd Masters, of course. (Sorry, Rooker)

FEAR NET: Another film you're working on is American Mary. How would you describe this movie?

Todd Masters: Hey cool, glad to hear that you know this!! Working with the extra talented Twisted Twins... Their follow- up indie to Dead Hooker in a Trunk.... Just saw the ladies last night; we're moving into shooting (starts shooting Oct 31st!) The Twins will be at A/ZCon too!

We have the esteemed pleasure of working together on our upcoming AMERICAN MARY. Additionally, we will be attending the event as well. That's right, LA citizens and those within reasonable driving distance. Come on down and meet us Twisted Twins in the flesh.

It's the only place to be from October 21st to 22nd.

PROGRAM

FRIDAY, OCT. 21
7 p.m. Aliens to Zombies kickoff party – Halloween Book Festival Awards


SATURDAY, OCT. 22
Aliens to Zombies Convention – Roosevelt Hotel

ACADEMY ROOM 11:00 a.m. Aliens Keynote – Bryce Zabel, producer of NBC’s “Dark Skies” and author of “A.D. After Disclosure: The People’s Guide to Life After Contact” in a conversation with Alex Ben Block, Senior Editor, The Hollywood Reporter


OSCAR ROOM 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Beginning of the End
Moderator: Bruce Haring, Aliens to Zombies

Panelists:
Martin Olson, author, “ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HELL”
Joe McKinney, author, “DEAD CITY”
David Moody, author, “THE ‘AUTUMN’ SERIES”
Scott Kenemore, author, “ZOMBIE, OHIO”
Matt Mogk, author, “EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ZOMBIES”
Rhiannon Frater, author, "The First Days"


ACADEMY ROOM 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. – Aliens Among Us

Panelists:
Steve Murillo, State Section Director, MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Los Angeles
Alec Gillis & Tom Woodruff Jr., ADI Inc. Oscar-winning FX creators, “Starship Troopers”, “Alien vs. Predator,” “The Thing”
Shane Mahan, “Aliens & Cowboys,” “Terminator” series, LegacyFX


OSCAR ROOM 1:10 to 2:00 p.m. Pro Monster-Maker $22. Halloween Challenge
Hollywood’s top monster-makers are challenged to make a monster from simple household materials with limited budget. A great how-to for anyone seeking Halloween costume ideas.

Participants:
Dan Rebert, MASTERSFX “6 Feet Under, True Blood”
Shane Mahan/Legacy, FX “Iron Man”, “Aliens”
Andrew Clement, “Cloverfield”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Sons of Anarchy”
Steve Johnson, “Ghostbusters,” “Species”

ACADEMY ROOM: 2:00 to 2:15 p.m. – “Beast Wishes” Trailer - Bob and Kathy Burns, Frank Dietz, Producer

ACADEMY ROOM 2:15 to 3:30 pm – The Cinema’s Simians: Monkey Men of the Movies

Panelists:
Jason Barnett, documentarian/producer
Bob Burns, special effects, “Aliens”
Todd Masters, “Underworld 4”
John Criswell, Hensons


ACADEMY ROOM 3:40–4:50 p.m. – Werewolf’s Bane – Howling to The Underworld
Moderator: Michael Dougherty, writer/director, “Trick or Treat”, “X-men”,

Panelists:
Steve Johnson, FX guru, “The Howling,” “Fright Night”
Kerry Gammill, artist, MONSTERVERSE (“X-men”, “Superman,” “Flesh and Blood”)
Todd Masters, President of MASTERSFX. “Underworld 4”


OSCAR ROOM 5:00 p.m Talking Dead – Michael Rooker, “The Walking Dead,” “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” in conversation with James Gunn, writer,/director, “Slither”, “Dawn of the Dead”, and “Super”.

8:30 p.m -1:30a.m. ALIENS TO ZOMBIES - Monster-Makers Bash, presented by MASTERSFX and JM Northern Media at Velvet Margarita.

For more info on the Convention, check out ALIENSTOZOMBIES.COM

You can get your tickets RIGHT HERE.

See you there!! Better start planning your costumes for the MONSTER MAKERS BASH now...

Bloody Best!
Jen

Top Horror Films from Vancouver Talent to enjoy this Halloween

Halloween is, bar none, the best time of year.

Folks hand out candy, you can dress up and literally be anyone you want to be, villain or hero(ine), and horror movies galore can be found on TV and usually out on the silver screen in celebration. No need to buy presents for anyone. No big, complicated meals to cook. Just grab a knife, gut and carve a pumpkin, throw on some dashing duds, and you're ready to rock.

Trick or Treating will always have a warm place in my heart, but eventually you have to give it up as a new generation takes over the neighborhood candy routes. The best thing to do on Halloween? Well, unless you really have your heart set on heading out to the clubs, blowing a bunch of cash you don't really have to spend, and getting beer spilled all over the costume you spent weeks perfecting, it's a no brainer. There's nothing better than staying in, party optional, and taking in a legion of horror movies.

And if you hail from beautiful Vancouver, one of the absolutely most gore~geous cities in the world, why not take in a few horrors that were made in our city and with our talent? After all, Vancouver's a lot more than just a pretty face.

Van City Buzz (vancitybuzz.com) has you covered with a plethora of Vancouver horror delicacies. And not just our much loved, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK (which does make for a delicious Halloween appetizer).

Check out their wicked awesome list and enjoy some truly fucking cool films. A personal favorite on the list? SLITHER. Not just because it was shot here with some wicked awesome local talent. Not just because it stars Joss Whedon favorite Nathan Fillion in a pitch perfect casting. Because of the effects. Yes, the effects in this bad boy are nothing short of outstanding. It's so good to see real, honest to badness prosthetic effects in a film that really wouldn't have been the same with a multitude of over saturated CGI effects (*cough, cough* I'm looking at you, Hulk....). And the masters behind the creatures of this feature? None other than the geniuses at MastersFX. I couldn't be bigger fans of their spectacular work.

So, cozy up to some nasty beasties and nightmares this Halloween. Check out the FULL ARTICLE and LIST right here and plan to have a wicked awesome Halloween.

Bloody Best!
Jen

Shiver in Antici.............pation! Vancouver Horror Con is ON!!!

Are you over nineteen years of age? Hmmm. Well, how's your ID? We are tickled pink (or maybe red would be more appropriate) to announce the First Annual Vancouver Horror Convention! Appropriately scheduled for October 31st. Say whaaaaaaaaat!?

"On Halloween day, horror fanatics from across the lower mainland will converge on Main Street to celebrate horror culture. The convention brings together artists, film makers, special effects personnel and local vendors for an expose of what the horror subculture is producing in Vancouver. Hosted by the one and only Miss.Gory Rae this event will be one you wouldn't wanna miss! Make-up artists from renowned special effects schools are geared to compete for the Dr. Frankenstein Award for the most horrific creation. Local shops are also taking part by setting up vendor stands to sell horror-related products – comics, jewelry, fashion, video, posters and more. Other attractions include a performance of gore burlesque and a DJ set from Pyra Draculea aka DJ Drake, host of Vampire’s Ball on CiTR 101.9FM."

We, Twisted Twins, are joining the fine ladies and gentlemen of the horror scene this Sunday, October the 31st at noon til six at 2655 Main Street – two blocks south of Main and Broadway in Vancouver, beautiful British Columbia. So, join your fellow Canucks, pop on up over the boarder, take a quick flight, and come on down! Only for five bucks Canadian. Are you involved in the horror scene? Join in the bloody good times -- If you are interested in booking a vendor table, please contact Raien at events@badbird.tv

~Sylv

Fancy a Spot of Dead Hooker in the Boot?

We love the UK. Seriously. We have had such tremendous support since day one with 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' from our overseas friends. One of the first festivals to show the first cut of the film was Ghouls on Film Festival which was a hit thanks to the horror fans that came out and the incredible Nia Edwards-Behi for having our Hooker in attendance. Now, Hooker has her final sexy cut and is going back overseas for the Manchester Premier Horror Festival: Grimm Up North 2. So what's going on?
"After careful consideration and a lot of hard work, the Grimm Up North team have announced their full festival lineup for 2010. Festival passes are still available for only £75, and individual tickets for all the main screenings will be on sale starting October 1st.

A festival pass provides access to the whole lineup of films, seminars, features, events and more with the exception of the Gala Opening Night events, tickets for which will also be available to purchase separately soon."
The lineup is fucking fantastic. If you can make it out and love horror, you must be there. The always horror-all knowing Dread Central put up the lineup today and they look delicious, here's the awesome you will face at the fest:

"Full Lineup for Grimm Up North 2010THE GALA OPENING NIGHT-Thursday 28th October, The Dancehouse/Odder Bar


We kick off with a special showing of the 1964 horror/sci-fi classic LAST MAN ON EARTH starring Vincent Price - all set to live music from Animat. The electronica collective have been adding their audiological special sauce to movies for some time now, so we've invited them along to kick things off in spectacular style!

The special opening night Gala brings us the Northwest premiere of new Irish horror OUTCAST. Starring James Nesbitt (The Deep/Jekyll), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who), Therese Bradley (Young Adam) and James Cosmo (Highlander), this stylish psychological horror tells the story of a doomed romance between two young lovers as they are forced to deal with a community obsessed with bringing down a terrifying beast which has been killing locals.

THE BIG SCREEN FILM LINE UP
Films will run from the Friday: 2pm - 1.30am. Saturday: midday - 1.30am. Sunday: Midday - 8pm. The festival pass allows access to all these screenings. Exact schedule, TBC.


* AMER (France/Belgium) Northern Premiere
A love letter to the giallo genre and the work of such masters as Argento and Bava, Amer is a film that has been blazing a trail of its very own recently playing to a number of thrilled international festival audiences.

* ALIEN VS. NINJA (Japan) Northern Premiere
If you like aliens and you like ninjas, well, you know the rest. What would happen if a team of elite Japanese swordsmen came face to face with an army of terrifying bloodthirsty beasties in a beautiful forest location?


* BEDEVILLED (South Korea) Northern Premiere
A dark tale of revenge, Bedevilled shows us the life of a young woman who has been beaten down by life and those around her for many years on a small island. A challenging watch during its opening couple of acts, but Bedevilled will give you a climactic release you won't forget anytime soon.

* THE PACK (LA MEUTE) (France) Northern Premiere
In a snowy no man's land, loner Charlotte picks up a hitchhiker, Max, for security after being hassled by a motorbike gang. When Max goes missing, Charlotte's investigations lead her into a world of fear. Little does she know that she is being set up to take part in an unholy ritual! Visually arresting, Franck Richard's debut feature follows in the sick and slick tradition of recent French horror fare.

* CHOP (USA) UK Premiere
A wonderfully trashy grindhouse late-nighter, Chop is a blacker than black comedy which takes on the world of torture porn movies like Saw and Hostel. The directorial debut of Deadgirl screenwriter Trent Haaga, this is a weird little left-field shocker that will nail you to your chair.


* DEEP RED (Italy) New release
What better way to honour the upcoming high definition re-release of Dario Argento's 1975 classic Deep Red than offering our Grimmlins the chance to see it on the big screen? Known to many by its original title Profondo Rosso, this is the film that helped to cement its director as a genre legend.

* DREAM HOME (Hong Kong) Northern Premiere
What if you were prepared to do anything to get the house you've always dreamed of? Well, that's the attitude of Cheng Li-sheung, a young, professional woman who will brutally murder anyone who threatens her investment... and when I say brutally, I do mean brutally. We guarantee you've never seen anything like this.


* EVIL - IN THE TIME OF HEROES (Greece) English Premiere
A cheeky and innovative new take on the zombie genre - the story of a battle between humankind and zombiekind that has raged for thousands of years - with, erm, hilarious results. In addition, it also features Billy Zane as a mysterious undead-slaying prophet... so what more could you ask for?

* FRAGMENT (Australia)
When Lloyd takes photographs of dead people, he can bring them back to life... either that, or he's experiencing hallucinations brought about by cerebral damage. When a dead serial killer and one of his victims are resurrected, Lloyd falls for the victim and is forced to save her - leading to some tense horror and even a little necrophilic romance!

* FINALE (USA) Northern Premiere
After the unexpected death of one of their own, a bereaved family start to fall apart at the seams. What is the truth behind this mysterious world in which nothing is what it seems - and who is the mysterious soul collector who seems to be at the heart of it all? If you like dark, intense, Gothic supernatural thrills, Finale will be right up your alley.


* 13 HRS (UK) Northern premiere
A British horror starring some favourites from the world of TV and film (Hollyoaks' Gemma Atkinson and Harry Potter's Tom Felton), 13 HRS is the story of a group of teenagers who find themselves terrorised by a mysterious beast that is stalking the grounds of a decaying stately home. They are forced to put their differences aside and work together or face being torn limb from limb by the terrifying force that waits in the darkness.

* PRIMAL (Australia) Northern Premiere
We all know evil lives in the woods and nature should be treated with respect, but some kids just never learn. In Primal, six teenagers who clearly haven't seen Cabin Fever head out into the wild for a weekend of thrills that typically turn into horrifying chills. A terrifying and primordial evil takes hold turning them into rabid neanderthals that crave blood and flesh!


* THE REEDS (UK) Premiere
A bunch of 20-somethings head out for a weekend boating trip, but soon find themselves part of a deadly game at the hands of some locals. The group end up way off course and, once deep into the reeds, become easy prey for their pursuers. A great British offering, The Reeds is a wonderfully shot and performed slice of horror that makes the most of a limited budget.

* REEL ZOMBIES (Canada) English Premiere
A mockumentary that invites the viewer to watch as a hapless team of film-makers create the third film in their 'Zombie Night' trilogy. However, as the group are already living in a world where real Zombies roam, they decide to use the recently deceased as their cast. Big laughs, big explosions and big breasts, Reel Zombies is an absolute zom-com gem that is dripping with originality!


* SLICE (Thailand) UK Premiere
Bizarrely combining elements of Seven and Slumdog Millionaire, Slice is a tense and powerful horror-thriller that provides a sucker punch of an ending which will leave you reeling with your jaw on the floor. As intense in its modern day scenes as it is beautiful in its flashbacks, this is a fantastic opportunity to see a movie that truly deserves some serious attention.


* WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (Mexico) Northern premiere
Already created a fantastic buzz on the festival circuit and will now be heading to Manchester to give North West audiences the chance to see what all the fuss is about. We Are What We Are has been cited by some as having done for the cannibal genre what Let The Right One In did for vampires. Along the way, this family drama goes to some very dark places and combines a rich, engaging plot with some fresh ideas and a heart-wrenching climax.

* SURPRISE FILM (TBC)
There's one spot we have on our schedule that we aren't quite ready to announce just yet! Rest assured, this is a movie we are very proud to have on board and can't wait to share with you - watch this space!

THE BREAKOUT ROOM
For 2010 we introduce the 'Breakout Room', where there will be all kinds of great things happening over the course of the festival. If you fancy something extra between movies, or need to take a break from the main screen, you will be well catered for.

We’ll showcase some very special low budget indie movies, documentaries, short films, talks and seminars and will screen some great items that we simply couldn't fit into our main schedule. Among these will be Sweatshop, a US film described by Buried.com as "a brutal horror that makes Saw look like it was produced by Disney"; Chased By Satan, a darkly funny Indonesian cross between The Ring and Final Destination; and Dead Hooker in a Trunk, an underground Canadian grindhouse movie directed, written by and starring identical twins Jen and Sylvia Soska with bags of punk rock attitude. This is the place to find those rare hidden gems by up and coming talent.


* SPLATTERHOUSE COMES TO GRIMM
This year, we will again be giving our Grimmlins a special sneak peek at an upcoming title - Splatterhouse. This latest guts-and-gore-fest from Namco Bandai brings the original 1988 arcade classic kicking and screaming into the world of modern console gaming, and we're delighted to be able to host it at our festival! As the title that first earned a "parental advisory" video game stamp, we are particularly excited to see what people think of its latest incarnation. Splatterhouse appears at Grimm ahead of its actual release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 later this year.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT
Finally, when the projectors stop rolling on Sunday 31st, the festivities will be far from over! Halloween night will see the first ever Grimm Up North Awards Party, where, beginning at 8.30 pm, we'll be announcing the winners of our inaugural ceremony while celebrating over a few beers. As our official festival bar, Odder have also arranged some very special food and drink deals for pass holders and revellers."

A huge, bloodsplattered, halloween-candy filled thank you to Laura Smith who invited 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' to the festival. It is a true honor to be amongst such innovative and creative horror films. Thank you to all our friends that pass hooker around like, shucks, the hooker that she is! Drop us a line, send us your pictures, we want to know every gushing detail about the festival.

~Jen and Sylv