Lionsgate

If After Dark left you hungry for more post their Horrorfest 8 Films To Die For series, then get ready for the thrice produced After Dark Originals (ADO) -- eight films which are expected to be released in September, in cooperation with Lionsgate and NBC Universal's Syfy. All the films have been handled by After Dark from concept, to script and through final editing (shot in the US or Bulgaria) -- with seven of the eight films are currently in post-production and the eighth slated to start production this month.

The ADO series spans the genre and your mission if you choose to accept it is to check out the first installment which includes Husk, Fertile Ground, Scream of the Banshee, Prowl, The Task, Re-Kill, Seconds Apart and 51. You'll recognize a few names in the bunch: Brett Simmons, whose short film Husk enjoyed the Sundance spotlight a few years ago, Seven C. Miller of Automaton Transfusion notoriety and After Dark friend Adam Gierasch (Autopsy). "The writers and directors in our After Dark Originals line are outstanding. We are excited to showcase their work and to give a home to all this fresh young talent that we will continue to develop over time", says After Dark Films owner and CEO, Courtney Solomon.

So far, I'm looking forward to seeing Miller's Scream of the Banshee -- mainly because Lance Henriksen is in it and I'm a little obsesso for his movies. Anything else catch your eye in this new lineup? Given their reputations (Lionsgate for dumping films to meet contract obligations, SyFy for making some films of dubious quality), does this new partnership fill you with hope or dread for After Dark's future?

I've been following the exorcism flick Cotton for what feels like an eternity. I like demonic possession films in general and have been intrigued by the cinema verite style this film supposedly possesses--plus it's got Eli Roth on board as a producer, so there are now at least three things that make it worth keeping an eye on.

Late yesterday afternoon, Variety reported that the film has finally found distribution. Venerable horror house Lionsgate has won the war to acquire the film (reportedly multiple studios were interested in the title), and the first thing they've done with their new toy is change the title. The film is no longer Cotton--it's The Last Exorcism instead. I'm not a fan of the name change--Cotton certainly doesn't tell you anything about the film, but The Last Exorcism is pretty on the nose.

Directed by Daniel Stamm, The Last Exorcism is a faux documentary-styled feature about disillusioned minister Cotton Marcus, who lets a film crew record his final exorcism. I probably don't have to tell you that lots of crazy stuff is going to happen in front of the cameras...

Lionsgate hasn't even hinted at a release date yet, but when they do we'll pass it along.

Dang, someone at Lionsgate really delved into the vault for this one. Hell, I even saw this flick during its Philadelphia theatrical run in 1986 ... and then promptly forgot all about it. I vaguely remember there being a slick car. The film at hand is called The Wraith, and it's about an spirit(?) from another dimension who visits a small town to wreak vengeance on some murderous assheads. He does it in an ostensibly futuristic sports car, if memory serves.

Initially rated R but released as PG-13 after some trims, The Wraith does boast a pretty colorful cast: Charlie Sheen, Sherilyn Fenn, Nick Cassavetes, Randy Quaid, and (woo hoo!) Clint Howard are all involved somehow. Written and directed by Mike Marvin (whose filmography includes deliciousness like Hot Dog: The Movie and Hamburger: The Motion Picture, with a Six Pack to wash it down), The Wraith is nobody's idea of a cult classic -- and yet I'm very curious to give this flick a re-visit.

According to DVDActive, Lionsgate will unleash The Wraith on March 2, and the DVD (no blu-ray to speak of) will come with interviews, featurettes, and a Marvin commentary. Oh, and according to Dictionary.com, a wraith is "an apparition of a living person supposed to portend his or her death." I hope that's not a spoiler.

Our Horror Squad pal Mike Bracken tweeted yesterday that Lionsgate has announced April 27 as the DVD release date for the long-awaited The Descent Part 2. What, you actually expected LG to release this one in theaters? After the "releases" they put together for Midnight Meat Train, Horsemen, Blood Creek, and Train? Not bloodily likely. Unless it's a Saw sequel or a festival pick-up (like Buried), our old friend Lionsgate seems to have forsaken the horror genre. (And if you're holding out some hope for Cabin Fever 2, don't. It's abysmal.)

Or maybe The Descent Part 2 just sucks eggs? The flick was released theatrically in France last October, and in the UK in December. The Independent gives the flick 2 out of 5 stars, but our pals at the genre blogs seem a little more enthusiastic: Dread Central gives it three knives out of five, Brutal as Hell goes 4 out of 5, and Quiet Earth goes all the way up to 8.5 out of 10.

All I know is that I adore the original as much as Peter Hall hates it, and if the follow-up is at least half-decent and entertaining (kinda like Halloween 2 and Jaws 2) then I'll be a happy guy. Oh, but the DVD cover is kind of a mess. I've included a piece up top, but check out DVDActive for the full pic.

The past two weeks created a fever-pitch buzz over who was at fault in the Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno Tonight Show hosting duties feud and how it would all turn out. Well, now that it's over (for the most part, Team Coco still doesn't have a job officially lined up), the collective conscience that is Hollywood must have realized that their was a new void in entertainment rivalries and decided to conjure a new one up. The unfortunate winners/victims? Saw VII (Lionsgate) and Paranormal Activity 2 (Paramount).

Just a few days ago Paramount announced that it would not only be going after the Halloween marketplace with an October 22nd release date, but that it would be hiring Saw VI director Kevin Greutert to direct the (unnecessary) sequel. Lionsgate didn't take too kindly to news that the studio who beat them at the box office last Halloween was posing themselves to do it again this year - and with their latest director, no less - so they decided to exercise an option in Greutert's contract that basically said "It's up to us whether you make your next movie at Lionsgate or not". In case the existence of this post wasn't clue enough, Lionsgate decided to reel him back home.

So the one-time director of Paranormal Activity 2 has just replaced the one-time director of Saw VII (part V's David Hackl) due to the whims of the studio. All of this arrives with principal photography just two weeks away on Saw VII, which really makes Lionsgate look like bad guys in this feud. I'm glad the guy who made the worst Saw film is now off the project (Lionsgate contractually must find him another gig, however), but shuffling/stealing directors a matter of days before production begins on the first 3D Saw film certainly makes it look like there is zero quality control being exercised over there.

Sundance isn't exactly known for its championing of horror films so much as it is indie-cred movies must people will, in all likelihood, never see, but a few horror titles always crop up at the annual Park City film jamboree. Vincenzo Natali's Splice and the Butcher Brothers' The Violent Kind are both playing at the festival, but the first horror movie to get acquired this year looks to be Buried.

If you happen to be on Twitter and follow a bunch of film geeks, it was hard to avoid people's enthusiasm for the Rodrigo Cortes'-directed, Ryan Reynolds-starring flick about a man kidnapped in Iraq and buried alive. Well now there's some official news to fuel the fan buzz: Lionsgate has just purchased the North American rights to Buried. It doesn't look like they have a release date planned yet, but given the hype for the film, some of which you can see below, hopefully it won't stay stabled for long.

Neil Miller from Film School Rejects: "BURIED was an intense little thriller. Reynolds is top-notch. It's a rivveting flick, all the way to the end."

Drew McWeeny of HitFix: "BURIED stopped me cold. That gets reviewed first tonight."

Steve Weintraub of Collider: "Buried was as good as the buzz. Awesome movie. Great direction. Ryan reynolds was amazing."

And of course, our very own Scott Weinberg to keep things in perspective: "To those who went mega-ape-shit for BURIED last night, I say this: see more movies."

Daybreakers is gearing up for its January 8 release and Lionsgate has released two new viral websites in anticipation of the post-apocalyptic vamp flick.

The first site is a play on the pharmaceutical company Bromley/Marks, a powerful vampire run corporation. All the art for the film depicting the big business has been propaganda-esque. I suppose you can see a smudge of that in the vampire chick hairstyles on the site, but overall it feels kind of blah to me. Biggest bummer is that the links don't work. Perhaps they'll fix that.

There's also a site for vampire recruitment over here which features a gaunt vamp asking you to fill out a form to turn your friends to the dark side. If you don't move fast enough he gets pissy with you.

In Daybreakers, Ethan Hawke is Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, and tries to perfect a blood substitute that may sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans. Enter Audrey, a human survivor who leads him to a startling medical breakthrough. The fate of the human race rests in their hands. The film also stars Sam Neill, Willem Dafoe, Michael Dorman and Vince Colosimo. Check out William Goss' Fantastic Fest review of Daybreakers here.

Dominic Sena and Nicholas Cage, I'm very concerned. Nic, aside from ruining my memories of the Ghost Rider comic and attempting to remake the splendor that is Wicker Man--you've had all the charisma of a wax dummy for far too long. Dom, you also directed Whiteout which made Rotten Tomatoes' Worst of the Worst 2009 List. So far, Season of the Witch is not winning any points with me.

Season of the Witch stars Nicholas Cage and Ron Perlman (who would rather be working on Bubba Nosferatu) as 14th Century Crusaders, who transport a suspected witch (Claire Foy) believed to be responsible for spreading the Black Plague. Supernatural forces ensue. The film also stars Stephen Campbell Moore, Robbie Sheehan and Stephen Graham (Tommy!).

Check out the teaser trailer Lionsgate released after the jump. Can you get past the hair that escaped from Critters and the mumbling of every line that Nic kills? Perhaps the awkward fumblings of Cage on Foy action will entice some, but I'd rather watch paint dry.

Season of the Witch is in theaters March 19, 2010.

The use of 3D in horror needs to be carefully chosen. The recent bit of news discussing the acquisition of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre rights by Twisted Pictures from Platinum Dunes revealed that the newest entry will be in 3D, leading me to believe that 3D technology is being applied willy-nilly to horror films. Although I object to 3D horror films in general, I am looking forward to see the application of the technology to Burst 3D.

According to Bloody-Disgusting, Lionsgate, in association with Ghost House Pictures, has announced that Neil Marshall will replace Daniel Calparsoro in the director's chair for the horror/thriller written Gary Dauberman about a group of strangers stranded in a lodge begin to explode one-by-one, presumably by an unseen malevolent force; which gives us a visual quite appropriate for the 3D technology.

The film will be produced by Sam Raimi and longtime collaborator/producer Rob Tapert, the two men behind Ghost House Pictures, and comes hot off the heels of the success of My Bloody Valentine 3D, another Lionsgate production. The announcement was made in part by co-Chief Operating Officer of Lionsgate Joe Drake, who was also a co-founder of Ghost House Pictures with Raimi and Tapert.

There's no need for a spoiler alert here, even if you haven't been keeping up with the Saw franchise it's common knowledge that it's villain Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) died a few entries ago. How they're going to incorporate the long dead trap-setter is actually the only thing that keeps me interested in the series. I'm just hoping that writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan break out Jigsaw's twin brother at some point.

The sixth entry is only a few weeks away and we're still without a full length theatrical trailer, but fans now have another 30 second spot to pour over. And surprise, surprise, the short trailer shows us that Jigsaw is still milling around, droning on in his sinister old man voice. Is it just another in the never-ending list of Jigsaw's vlogs? Is Saw 6 a prequel that takes place before he was on an autopsy table? Will theaters hand out motion sickness pills for the spinning camera?

Find out on October the 23rd!