News

The Strangers film series is back with the first film of a new standalone trilogy, and while it may not be as good as the previous two films it is certainly making bank at the box office. Directed by Renny Harlin from a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, the 2024 film titled The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a horror film that follows the story of a young couple as their car breaks down in a small town and they are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. But things get even worse when three masked strangers try to kill them. So, if you have loved all the previous The Strangers films and you are okay with the latest one here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Becky (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Yale Production and BoulderLight Pictures

Becky is an action thriller film directed...

The opening scenes of director Christian Sparkes’ The King Tide set an ominous tone: a powerful storm takes down the power lines of a small island town as a pregnant woman loses her child while her dementia-suffering mother sits nearby. In the morning, as the town takes stock of the damage and the power is restored, a surprising discovery is found in an overturned boat in the harbour: a baby girl…with the ability to heal.

Writers Albert Shin and William Woods, working from a story by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby, treat the story as something of a morality tale mixed with a fable. Following the cold open, the action jumps ahead 10 years at a point when the unnamed island is thriving. The fishing is bountiful, the islanders are self-sufficient and have cut ties with the mainland, and most everyone is happy.

As characters are prone to saying, it...

Exclusive: Jhené Chase has been tapped to direct Winter State Entertainment‘s forthcoming Christmas thriller, Santa’s List — a film described as a festive Christmas version of your favorite slashers.

Written by Winter State’s Hamid and Camille Torabpour, the film is set in Deep Haven, which is known for its world-renowned Santa Claus festival that keeps the small town alive all year round. But beneath all the Christmas Spirit, tinsel and lights, there’s a darkness lurking. And this year, the 12 days of Christmas get turned upside down. After the murder of her best friend, big city detective, Eve, is lured back to her hometown to solve the crime. With each passing victim, the killer seems to be closer to home than ever. Will she solve what “my true love gave to me” before it’s too late or will Santa check the final name off his list?

Chase...

The first time Frances Fisher’s character appears in The King Tide, she’s stooped, uncommunicative, crushed by life and perhaps by a stroke. When the main action picks up, 10 years later, she’s a glowing picture of New Agey vim and vigor, and the island where she lives has been transformed. Nobody fears illness anymore because all discomforts and injuries are relieved by the miraculous healing powers of a little girl. The small population is united and harmonious — until the little girl’s powers lapse.

In this story of strong atmospherics and well-etched types, an isolated community discovers an otherworldly source of harmony, and the North Atlantic setting is as much a character as any of the villagers. Shooting in the tiny Newfoundland town of Keels, director Christian Sparkes (Hammer) plunges straight into a mood of crisis and foreboding with scenes of a pregnant woman’s bloody miscarriage and a disruptive storm.

Kelsea Ballerini honored the Nashville shooting victims on Sunday at the 2023 CMT Music Awards. The artist opened the ceremony by sharing their names during the broadcast, paying tribute to students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, and staff members Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill.

“I pray — deeply — that closeness and community we feel for the next few hours of music can soon turn into action, like real action, that moves us forward together to create change for the safety of our kids and our loved ones,” said Ballerini.

Click here to read the full article.

Christian Sparkes’ drama The King Tide, starring Frances Fisher and Lara Jean Chorostecki, has wrapped production in Newfoundland.

The indie’s ensemble cast includes Clayne Crawford, Alix West Lefler, Aden Young, Michael Greyeyes and Ryan McDonald. The King Tide is set in a small island fishing village that faces civil war after a child with special powers is discovered in its midst and some villagers believe the child has been sent for a larger purpose.

Fisher, whose credits include Titanic and Watchmen, also appears in The Sinner, which shot in Nova Scotia, also in Atlantic Canada. Chorostecki, who earlier appeared in Sparkes’ second feature, the rural crime thriller Hammer, more recently starred in Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.

Sparkes shot the film based on a screenplay adapted by Albert Shin and William Woods, and from a story by Ryan Grassby and Kevin Coughlin.

Exclusive: Cinedigm has acquired North American rights to the horror film Incarnation starring Taye Diggs, Jessica Uberuaga (Take Back) and Michael Madsen, with plans to release it in theaters and on VOD on February 18.

The first feature from director Isaac Walsh picks up with the young couple of Brad (Diggs) and Jess (Uberuaga) as they move to Los Angeles in search of a better life. When they stumble upon a hidden real estate gem, managed by the laid-back landlord Peter (Madsen), they are elated by their turn of fortune. But their ideal home is hiding a secret far more sinister than they could have ever imagined, for the very walls are alive with an ancient evil, and they soon learn that greed comes with a hefty price.

In the film written by Walsh and Tyler Clair Smith, Madsen takes over a...

Stars: Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Ryan McDonald, Robert Mailett, Amanda Brugel, Isaiah Rockcliffe, James McDougall | Written by Nick Morris, Ruckus Skye, Lane Skye | Directed by Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion

[Note: With the film finally releasing on DVD, here’s a reposting of our review of Becky from last year]

Co-directing duo Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion return for Becky, a smartly conceived home invasion thriller that plays like a twisted coming-of-age movie.

Rising star Lulu Wilson plays 13 year old Becky, who’s recently lost her mother to cancer and is horrified when her father Jeff (Joel McHale) tricks her into spending the weekend at their remote lakeside summer house with his new fiancée Kayla (Amanda Brugel) and her young son (Isaiah Rockcliffe). However, she barely has time to throw a strop before escaped convict Dominick (Kevin James) arrives with three henchmen in tow and begins torturing her father, demanding to know the whereabouts of a key.

When the convicts realise that Becky is hiding somewhere in the woods,...

101 has also recorded sales on another Rourke title, ‘Take Back’.

The UK’s 101 Films International has acquired worldwide rights to horror title Mammon, starring Mickey Rourke, now in pre-production in Los Angeles.

Mammon is the directorial debut of US filmmaker Isaac Walsh, who also wrote the script with Tyle Claire Smith. It follows a struggling young couple chasing the ’American Dream’, who realise their worst nightmare when they discover a demonic spirit in their new home.

Rourke plays the demonic spirit, with Taye Diggs and Jessica Uberuaga also attached to star.

Mammon is prdouced by Mike Hatton for his Ton of Hats outfits.

Exclusive: Mickey Rourke, Taye Diggs and Jessica Uberuaga have join the horror thriller Mammon which Isaac Walsh will make his feature directorial debut with.

The movie, penned by Walsh and Tyler Clair Smith, follows a struggling young couple who are chasing the American dream, and soon realize that their worst nightmare is the demonic spirit in their new home. Mammon is the biblical word for the worship of wealth, and the couple discover that getting rich can come at a hefty price. The feature is in pre-production and will shoot in Southern California next month.

Mike Hatton is producing under his production company, Ton of Hats. Executive Producers are Glen D. Smith, Gary Smith, and Gary Smith Jr. of Mhi Investments, along with Kimberly Hines of Framework Entertainment, Michael Walker, Garrett Zinke, Ryan McDonald, and Asko Akopyan.

Rourke was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 2009 for Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler,...

Stars: Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Ryan McDonald, Robert Mailett, Amanda Brugel, Isaiah Rockcliffe, James McDougall | Written by Nick Morris, Ruckus Skye, Lane Skye | Directed by Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion

Co-directing duo Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion return for Becky, a smartly conceived home invasion thriller that plays like a twisted coming-of-age movie.

Rising star Lulu Wilson plays 13 year old Becky, who’s recently lost her mother to cancer and is horrified when her father Jeff (Joel McHale) tricks her into spending the weekend at their remote lakeside summer house with his new fiancée Kayla (Amanda Brugel) and her young son (Isaiah Rockcliffe). However, she barely has time to throw a strop before escaped convict Dominick (Kevin James) arrives with three henchmen in tow and begins torturing her father, demanding to know the whereabouts of a key.

When the convicts realise that Becky is hiding somewhere in the woods,...

There should be special place in movie hell for lazy filmmakers who get off showing adults terrorizing children and animals. Is there an easier or cheaper way to jolt an audience? That’s a rhetorical question. Becky, available on demand and at a drive-in near you starting June 5th, is too mindless and meh to get Child Protective Services and the Aspca all up in a twist. But

The gifted child actor Lulu Wilson (Annabelle: Creation) is saddled with the role of Becky Hooper, a 13-year-old mass of throbbing resentment...

Comedians going dark can sometimes lead to a real cinematic discovery. They don’t even need to necessarily go dark, but to show another side of themselves is often a joy to witness. Look no further than Adam Sandler’s revelatory turn last year in Uncut Gems, continuing what he’s been able to show in work like Punch Drunk Love. Now, Sandler’s pal Kevin James takes a crack at it in the thriller Becky, a gory gender swapped take on material covered far lighter in Home Alone. James is certainly chillingly evil here, but the mean streak, especially in relation to dogs, found here ends up soiling the picture. The movie is a thriller, beginning with some father/daughter drama. Becky (Lulu Wilson) is headed to her family’s lake house with her father Jeff (Joel McHale) and their two dogs, sometime after her mother/his wife has passed away.

"You're clearly a special girl!" Quiver Distribution has released a new red band trailer for Becky, the latest from filmmaking team Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion. A teenager's weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts wreaks havoc on their lives. Lulu Wilson stars as the titular Becky, who decides to fight back against the criminals in her own way and save her family. Kevin James also co-stars as one of the ruthless neo-Nazi thugs. The cast includes Joel McHale, Amanda Brugel, Robert Maillet, and Ryan McDonald. The original trailer from last month was pretty good, this one looks even better. I really, really hope the film is as good as it seems from these trailers, no more let downs please. The hand-drawn graphics in this new trailer are a great addition, I dig it. Here's the new red band...

Thirteen can be a petulant age, but hell hath no fury like the pubescent heroine of “Becky,” who has the ill luck to confront a gang of escaped cons — though that’s definitely worse luck for them, as it turns out. Offering fairly brutal action on the verge of black comedy, this indie thriller from the directorial duo of Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott is lean, mean, nasty fun that will appeal to genre fans with hard-edged tastes. It may be less appealing to surprised fans of comedian Kevin James, who’s a long way from “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” as the sadistic chief villain here. Selected for Tribeca this year, the feature is instead going straight to digital and on demand (plus available theatrical venues) on June 5.

Her mother having died a year ago, Lulu Wilson’s titular teen is still grieving in her particular way, which mostly means...

"I'm not gonna let them get away with this." Quiver Distribution has debuted an official trailer for an action horror thriller titled Becky, the latest from filmmaking team Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion. A teenager's weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts wreaks havoc on their lives. Lulu Wilson stars as the titular Becky, who has to fight back against the criminals and save her family. Kevin James also co-stars as one of the ruthless neo-Nazi thugs. The cast includes Joel McHale, Amanda Brugel, Robert Maillet, and Ryan McDonald. This reminds me of Green Room, where some nasty thugs show up and ruin an otherwise nice day. But this also has a Home Alone vibe, with Becky setting up traps to kick their ass. Might be worth a watch after all. Take a look below. Here's the official trailer...

Former Bachelor star Whitney Bischoff announced some big news on Tuesday—she's pregnant! Bischoff posted a photo on Instagram where she posed alongside her husband Ricky Angel and their 12-year-old dog Lillie in a nursery. She's wearing a short-sleeve gray dress that hugs her baby bump and smiles at Angel, who is reading a book called Dada. Books aplenty line the shelves behind them. This is her first Instagram upload since October, and the fertility nurse explained her very long absence from the social media platform. "Sorry I've been Mia, I've been busy growing a little angel for the past 7 months," she captioned the family photo taken by Ryan McDonald. "We are so excited...

Stars: Yvonne Strahovski, Anna Pniowsky, Abigail Pniowsky, Ryan McDonald, Justin Bruening, Julian Bailey, Stephanie Costa | Written by Mike Scannell | Directed by Quinn Lasher

My last Frightfest 2018 review for Nerdly comes in the form of a home invasion/slasher style horror movie titled simply, He’s Out There. The set-up of which will feel very familiar to genre fans.

A family visit the cabin in the woods (to be fair it’s a pretty big house in the woods) that they go to every year. Only this year they are terrorized by a mystery psychopath. But don’t dismiss He’s Out There just because you feel like you’ve seen it all before because it has plenty to offer even hardened horror fans.

The reason this is scarier than alot of home invasion movies is because the children are a major target for most of the movie. The mum is...

He helmed the 2009 remake of Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left and took viewers to a party they wouldn’t soon forget in 2013’s 1. Now director Dennis Iliadis is hard at work on his latest film, He’s Out There, which has started filming in Canada:

Press Release: Montreal, July 29, 2016 – Principal photography has begun on Screen Gems’ suspense thriller, He’s Out There. Yvonne Strahovski stars, along with Justin Bruening, Anna Pniowsky, Abigail Pniowsky, Julian Bailey and Ryan McDonald. Dennis Iliadis directs, from a script by Mike Scannell. Producers are Adrienne Biddle and Bryan Bertino of Unbroken Pictures. Glenn Gainor is executive producer.

On vacation at a remote lake house, a mother and her two young daughters must fight for survival after falling into a terrifying and bizarre nightmare.

Yvonne Strahovski’s film roles include I, Frankenstein, The Guilt Trip and Killer Elite, and she will next...

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

After a desperate wait over the Christmas hiatus, Fringe has once again graced our living rooms with probably the most exciting episode of Season 4 so far. As ever with these Fringe reviews, it will be impossible to say anything of any value without massive spoilers so don’t read this until you’ve seen the episode.

But before we get down to it, I have to announce that the highly coveted award for Understatement of the Century goes to Peter Bishop! (Joshua Jackson) “I’m not the Peter that you think I am… I’m from… another place. It’s all very complicated.”

Too right Mr. Bishop! Of course up until now I had convinced myself that it wasn’t really that complicated if you looked into it. Is it? I didn’t fully realise the extent of my error until the other day when I...

He knows! Finally Peter knows! After he receives the call from the scared janitor on Liberty Island about Olivia's message, the little oddities about Bolivia (Anna Torv) seem to be clicking into place for our genius. Claiming that it was a cold call to Bolivia, Peter (Joshua Jackson) gets up and starts rummaging around in her laptop. He's unable to break her password when she awakens. Peter plays it off, claiming to be emailing a friend in Greece, and recites a famous quote in Greek to Bolivia. When she doesn't recognize it, his suspicions are confirmed. Of course, Bolivia is not slow either, and pulls a gun on him. Peter asks her about her mission, just as she forces him to inject himself with a paralyzing agent, and she escapes. At the typewriter antiques store, Bolivia sends a message to the Other Side: "Cover Blown. Extraction Needed." Covers are blown in more than one way,...

Oh, how I missed my Fringe (TV). It messes with viewer perception, not to mention ratings, having these ridiculously long breaks in the middle of the stories. When we last left, Olivia (Anna Torv) was still on the Other Side, thinking that she's "their" Olivia, and Walternate (John Noble) wanted to put her in the new-style tank to jog her side-shifting abilities. And this side of the universal gap, Bolivia was getting some…well, Peter (Joshua Jackson). Sex is a great distraction from getting your cover blown. Olivia is still dealing with a pesky Peter vision following her around, telling her that she doesn't belong on this side, and being incredibly distractingly cute. Walternate wants her to start the procedures and experiments to see if she can cross over to the other side, like her supposed counterpart. Only we know that Walternate's plan hinges on Olivia regaining this ability, so...

The 16th annual San Antonio Film Festival, which runs June 23-27, is truly a great combination of celebrating local talent and international cinema, screening films produced in Texas to ones produced in Europe, South America and the Middle East.

There’s also a distinct flavor of socially aware fictional narratives and documentaries, including films about Tibetan refugees, migrant workers, the 2008 Presidential election, alcoholism and genocide. But, that’s not to say the fest is a totally serious affair as there’s also several genre films about the World Cup, sheep rustlers, dancers, crooks and other ne’er-do-wells. It looks like a fun mix.

The full lineup of films is below. The way the festival runs is that films screen in blocks in three different theaters. A “block” of films will generally contain a feature or two (feature = film that is 50 mins. or more), plus several shorts. In the lineup I have up,...

Chicago – Is there anything more damaging to an actor’s performance than a Botox needle? It’s heartbreaking to see faces that were once so expressive become stiff and embalmed. Robin Wright is living proof that a naturally older appearance is infinitely preferable to a synthetically younger one. Her face has only gotten better with age, and has rarely been used to more mesmerizing effect than in “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.”

This is the fourth film written and directed by Rebecca Miller, a versatile artist whose work has always been provocative and insightful, though it often fails to coalesce into a satisfying whole. Miller based “Pippa Lee” off of her own novel, and there are moments when the film seems as uneven and unstable as its titular protagonist. Though it occasionally stumbles into overwrought waters, the film maintains a playful, off-kilter charm that is quite appealing.

DVD Rating:...

Very rarely does Hollywood do lady-crazy well. Usually, screenwriters pen female character depth as if everyone is constantly on their period at all times. They assume by having a woman burst into histrionics every five seconds somehow this will earn them an Oscar. Watch every single solitary performance that's won an award over the past decade: either the character stoically attempts not to cry while she gives an impassioned speech, the character hollers like a banshee, or she actually uncorks the waterworks. It's at least 85 percent. But when lady-crazy is done well -- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Mommy Dearest, even 9 to 5 to a lesser extent -- it's potent and wonderful. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee doesn't contain within it a single solitary stable female character (truth be told, male either). Every scene has the actressin' running the emotional scales like Whitney Houston being car-battery electrocuted by Al Leong...

Check out a brand new poster for Rebecca Miller’s movie “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” screened at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival as one of the out of competition films. The movie is adapted from writer-director Rebecca Miller’s novel of the same name.

From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) leads a charmed existence. She is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (Alan Arkin) thirty years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path. But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test.

In truth, looks are deceiving, and this picture-perfect woman has seen more than her fair share of turmoil in her youth.