i sell the dead

If I were giving out an award for "Best Genre Film of 2009 That No One Saw", I think I Sell the Dead would probably be the winner. Glenn McQuaid's horror comedy should have found a wider audience when IFC released it through their Video on Demand service earlier this year, but for some reason even most hardcore genre fans missed the film.

Luckily, I Sell the Dead will get another crack at finding viewers who can appreciate its offbeat charms when it releases on Blu-ray early next year. High Def Digest is reporting that film will be available for mass consumption on March 30th. Details on the supplemental material to be included in the package haven't been released, but that's a photo of the cover art on the right.

The film stars Dominic Mognahan, Ron Perlman, Larry Fessenden, and features a brief cameo from Phantasm's Angus Scrimm. Read on for a brief plot breakdown.

"18th Century England, a young graverobber (Dominic Monaghan) finds himself condemned to death for his crimes, with only a priest (Ron Perlman) for company for his last night before the gallows. A hilarious tale is told of a life spent digging up and selling supernatural corpses including vampires and zombies, and the many shenanigans involved!"

We'll bring you details on what extras will be included with the package when they're officially revealed.

After a long flight on my part and a far longer drive for both of us, Scott Weinberg and I have finally arrived in Montréal for the FanTasia International Film Festival (their thirteenth, our first). The genre-heavy festival lasts for nearly three weeks; alas, we've but one to spare, so without much further ado, here's a look at what I've seen already and what I hope to see before Scott tips his own hand with a title or two to recommend.

Of the features playing, I can highly recommend Michael Paul Stephenson's Troll 2 doc, Best Worst Movie; the Aussie revenge thriller, The Horseman (not to be confused with the barely-seen Dennis Quaid vehicle,Horsemen); and Paul Solet's beautifully bloody baby horror, Grace. Those looking for something a bit stranger might end up being a bit more fond of Black and The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle than I was, though I also seemed more easily pleased by the Nazi zombies of Dead Snow than most, so I guess it all balances out. My enthusiasm for the ultra-kitschy likes of Alien Trespass and Lesbian Vampire Killers, not to mention the admittedly boundary-pushing Deadgirl, is all a bit less than what's already been mentioned, so let's just leave those at that.