Horror Fuel
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Indie

Independent horror: micro-budget features, short films and first-time filmmakers doing more with less — and often doing it better.

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Horror Fuel

Exclusive: Trailer And Update For The ‘Crawl Of Die’ Sequel

BackyardFilms has just announced the upcoming sequel(s) to their 2015 breakout Horror, CRAWL or DIE, starring actress and singer, Nicole Alonso (CRAWL or DIE, Screen) who is returning as the fan-favorite badass action hero, Tank. Written and directed by acclaimed Indie director, Oklahoma Ward, filming has wrapped on the sequel that is currently in post-production. Ward and Alonso have kept the plot to their highly anticipated sequel(s) close to the vest, but what we do know is that Alonso’s Tank is back with a heart-pounding vengeance, and the Mohawk sporting, steel-nerved warrior will finally come face-to-face with the creature and this time — IT’S WAR! We called CRAWL or DIE a “claustrophobic masterpiece” back when it was released and there is no doubt that Ward’s follow-up will be just as intense, terrifying, and anxiety-inducing as its precursor. Backyard Films, LLC is the brainchild of Oklahoma Ward and Nicole Alonso. Started in 2012 as a means of producing the original CRAWL

Continue reading →
May 10, 2021
Horror Fuel

Warped Dimension Online Film Festival Review: “The Black Market: San Francisco (ASMR)” 

If you are in the mood for something decidedly different and altogether intriguing, give writer/director Alexander Roman’s neo-noir mystery The Black Market: San Francisco (ASMR) a whirl. It’s a modern take on classic mysteries using autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) elements to engage viewers deeper into the proceedings. Besides offering what the store name promises, San Francisco business O’Hara’s Art Gallery & Rare Books also sidelines in hot items and organ transplants. Elsa (Christina Ros) is the face of the retail business, and works the behind-the-scenes illegal businesses with Jess (Stevie Vallejo) and Ava (Max Reeves). When Jess’s father, ringleader Boss Joe (David L. Klein), finds himself needing an organ transplant quickly, he finds it isn’t easy locating a donor as forces work against him. Side plots include a retired judge turned writer and someone he sentenced to jail time, and a detective suspicious of the goings-on at the bookstore who takes a personal interest in Elsa. Briefly, ASMR is

Continue reading →
May 8, 2021
Horror Fuel

Shudder Announces “Summer Of Chills” Featuring 12 Exclusive Films

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thriller, and the supernatural, announced today its “Summer of Chills” slate of twelve new original and exclusive films for June, July, and August, including the anticipated debut of landmark horror director George A. Romero’s legendary “lost” film The Amusement Park on Tuesday, June 8. The robust summer lineup kicks off with Caveat, an eerie, slow-building, cat-and-mouse thriller, and continues with such marquee films as The Boy Behind the Door, Justin Powell, and David Charbonier’s directorial debut; Jakob’s Wife, starring horror icon Barbara Crampton; and Kandisha, the long-awaited new supernatural shocker from the French directing duo of Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who return to Shudder following the success of their film Among the Living; in addition to many others. Shudder’s ‘Summer of Chills’ offers something for everyone with a fantastic line-up of new premieres every week, on top of the best library of curated streaming horror films anywhere,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

This May, There’s ‘Evil Everywhere’ In This 80s Throwback

This May, there’s EVIL EVERYWHERE! This May witness the 1980’s throwback Evil Everywhere, from director Mykee Morettini, coming to DVD and Digital. Ahead of the release, we’ve got the brand new trailer. “In 1985, an ancient evil began slaughtering the high school senior class in alphabetical order – but it was stopped. Two years later it has resurfaced, and a trio of friends must join together against the demonic force that is claiming new young lives. But what they discover is more complicated and evil than any of them imagined.” Dylan Greenberg (Return to Return to Nuke ‘Em High, Dark Prism), Corrinne Mica (Nightfall, Shadow Marsh), and Brian Harmony (TVs “Concessions”, Awake) star. Evil Everywhere premieres on DVD and Digital May 25, 2021, from Wild Eye Releasing.

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

A Father Turns Vigilante In The Thriller ‘Painkiller’

After a man loses his daughter to an overdose, he turns vigilante in the thriller Painkiller, out this May on DVD and On Demand. Starring Michael Parè (Eddie & the Cruisers, Gangster Land) and horror mainstay Bill Oberst Jr. (‘Scream Queens’ ‘Criminal Minds’), takes an unapologetic look at a crisis facing countless American families. In Painkiller, Bill Johnson (Oberst Jr.) has suffered the kind of loss that no parent should ever have to; watching his daughter fall victim to the opioid epidemic, which too long went unnoticed. Conversely, Dr. Alan Rhodes (Parè), has been leading a lavish lifestyle, thanks to the profits he’s been making from his prescription business. Seeing that no one is being held accountable, Bill sets out on a campaign targeting those made rich by the suffering of so many. Teaming up with a rogue cop, they set out to dismantle this network of doctors and pharmaceutical executives that continue to devastate families across the country Directed

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Chad Ferrin Conjures ‘H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones’ This Summer

This June Chad Ferrin‘s award-winning film The Deep Ones will unleash a tale that explores the depths of fellowship and motherhood, featuring aspects of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythos. In the film, “a married couple rents a beachside cottage only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and strange occurrences. They soon discover themselves in the grips of a mysterious cult and their ancient sea god.” The film’s awards include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best FX at the Anatomy Crime & Horror International Film Festival, and winner of Best Film at the Arizona Underground Film Festival. H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones will be released on DVD and Digital on June 15, 2021, from 123 Go Films and Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment. The trailer will arrive soon.

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Post-Apocalyptic Horror Thriller ‘Undergods’ Coming To Theaters And On Demand

Director Chino Moya makes his feature directorial debut with the award-winning post-apocalypse film Undergods is about to be released. The film is set, “in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world, K and Z roam the streets on the lookout for corpses and something even more valuable – fresh meat.” Kate Dickie (The Witch, Game of Thrones”) and Ned Dennehy (“Good Omens,” “Peaky Blinders”) star in Undergods along with Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, Enola Holmes), Geza Rohrig (Resistance, Son of Saul), and Tanya Reynolds (Emma., Sex Education). Witness Undergods in select theaters and On Demand on May 7, 2021, from Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studio Company.

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Glenn Payne’s Micro Budget Horror-Comedy ‘Killer Concept’ Out This May

From director Glenn Payne (Driven, Earthrise) and writer Casey Dillard (Driven, As I Lay Dying) comes Killer Concept, a horror-comedy starring Payne, Dillard, and Coley Bryant (Driven, Stargrassle Paranormal). The film “explores what happens when three creatives team up to write a screenplay about a string of murders in their town, not knowing that one of the three may be closer to the story than the others realize. Mark (Glenn Payne), a voyeuristic photographer with a secret, is at first reluctant when aspiring cut-throat producer Seth (Coley Bryant) and true crime writer Holly (Casey Dillard) want him to help them make a movie about a local serial killer: after all, they might figure out that he is the murderer, but he figures it could be interesting. However, when rivalries, crushes, and outside influences begin to cloud his twisted mind it’s harder to tell if he’s in his own story or theirs.” With a primary cast and crew of five people,

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: ‘Sweet Water’ (2021)

From director Justin McMillan comes Sweet River, out in theaters and on VOD on April 23, 2021, from Gravitas Ventures. The film centers on Hanna (Lisa Kay), a grieving mother whose son was killed by a serial killer, however, the boy’s body was never found, and she never found acceptance. At the beginning of the film, Hanna rents the cottage on the property where the serial killer lived in hopes that she might find her son’s body in the nearby field, not knowing that the land holds many dark secrets. A bit of slow-burn, Sweet River is a thriller at heart, exploring death, grief, acceptance, regret, and how far a parent would go for their child. While there are paranormal aspects of the film, the death of the child takes more of the focus in the story. Lisa Kay did great with the role she was given, which was an emotional one. She was believable, which is always great. Eddie

Continue reading →
Apr 30, 2021
Horror Fuel

Dustin Ferguson’s ‘Terror At Black Tree Forest’ Getting A Remake

Trash Arts has teamed up with HB Films once again, this time for the remake of Dustin Ferguson‘s Terror At Black Tree Forest. The new film, based on Ferguson’s 2010 indie slasher, will be directed by Sam Mason Bell, who said “I am honored to have been asked by Dustin to remake his film. Originally, he asked me in 2018 and we were about to start production when the covid-19 pandemic hit but now we can see a way to filming safely and successfully, so it feels absolutely great being back in pre-production’.” In the slasher, “Caroline and her friends usually meet up once a year for a camping trip escaping their everyday lives and feeling young again, but this time it is different. They still meet up, but someone is stalking and killing them off … one by one! Is it a secret from the past? Or an urban legend come to life? What terror awaits at Black Tree

Continue reading →
Apr 29, 2021

More from Indie

Horror Fuel

Exclusive: Trailer And Update For The ‘Crawl Of Die’ Sequel

BackyardFilms has just announced the upcoming sequel(s) to their 2015 breakout Horror, CRAWL or DIE, starring actress and singer, Nicole Alonso (CRAWL or DIE, Screen) who is returning as the fan-favorite badass action hero, Tank. Written and directed by acclaimed Indie director, Oklahoma Ward, filming has wrapped on the sequel that is currently in post-production. Ward and Alonso have kept the plot to their highly anticipated sequel(s) close to the vest, but what we do know is that Alonso’s Tank is back with a heart-pounding vengeance, and the Mohawk sporting, steel-nerved warrior will finally come face-to-face with the creature and this time — IT’S WAR! We called CRAWL or DIE a “claustrophobic masterpiece” back when it was released and there is no doubt that Ward’s follow-up will be just as intense, terrifying, and anxiety-inducing as its precursor. Backyard Films, LLC is the brainchild of Oklahoma Ward and Nicole Alonso. Started in 2012 as a means of producing the original CRAWL

Continue reading →
May 10, 2021
Horror Fuel

Warped Dimension Online Film Festival Review: “The Black Market: San Francisco (ASMR)” 

If you are in the mood for something decidedly different and altogether intriguing, give writer/director Alexander Roman’s neo-noir mystery The Black Market: San Francisco (ASMR) a whirl. It’s a modern take on classic mysteries using autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) elements to engage viewers deeper into the proceedings. Besides offering what the store name promises, San Francisco business O’Hara’s Art Gallery & Rare Books also sidelines in hot items and organ transplants. Elsa (Christina Ros) is the face of the retail business, and works the behind-the-scenes illegal businesses with Jess (Stevie Vallejo) and Ava (Max Reeves). When Jess’s father, ringleader Boss Joe (David L. Klein), finds himself needing an organ transplant quickly, he finds it isn’t easy locating a donor as forces work against him. Side plots include a retired judge turned writer and someone he sentenced to jail time, and a detective suspicious of the goings-on at the bookstore who takes a personal interest in Elsa. Briefly, ASMR is

Continue reading →
May 8, 2021
Horror Fuel

Shudder Announces “Summer Of Chills” Featuring 12 Exclusive Films

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thriller, and the supernatural, announced today its “Summer of Chills” slate of twelve new original and exclusive films for June, July, and August, including the anticipated debut of landmark horror director George A. Romero’s legendary “lost” film The Amusement Park on Tuesday, June 8. The robust summer lineup kicks off with Caveat, an eerie, slow-building, cat-and-mouse thriller, and continues with such marquee films as The Boy Behind the Door, Justin Powell, and David Charbonier’s directorial debut; Jakob’s Wife, starring horror icon Barbara Crampton; and Kandisha, the long-awaited new supernatural shocker from the French directing duo of Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who return to Shudder following the success of their film Among the Living; in addition to many others. Shudder’s ‘Summer of Chills’ offers something for everyone with a fantastic line-up of new premieres every week, on top of the best library of curated streaming horror films anywhere,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

This May, There’s ‘Evil Everywhere’ In This 80s Throwback

This May, there’s EVIL EVERYWHERE! This May witness the 1980’s throwback Evil Everywhere, from director Mykee Morettini, coming to DVD and Digital. Ahead of the release, we’ve got the brand new trailer. “In 1985, an ancient evil began slaughtering the high school senior class in alphabetical order – but it was stopped. Two years later it has resurfaced, and a trio of friends must join together against the demonic force that is claiming new young lives. But what they discover is more complicated and evil than any of them imagined.” Dylan Greenberg (Return to Return to Nuke ‘Em High, Dark Prism), Corrinne Mica (Nightfall, Shadow Marsh), and Brian Harmony (TVs “Concessions”, Awake) star. Evil Everywhere premieres on DVD and Digital May 25, 2021, from Wild Eye Releasing.

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

A Father Turns Vigilante In The Thriller ‘Painkiller’

After a man loses his daughter to an overdose, he turns vigilante in the thriller Painkiller, out this May on DVD and On Demand. Starring Michael Parè (Eddie & the Cruisers, Gangster Land) and horror mainstay Bill Oberst Jr. (‘Scream Queens’ ‘Criminal Minds’), takes an unapologetic look at a crisis facing countless American families. In Painkiller, Bill Johnson (Oberst Jr.) has suffered the kind of loss that no parent should ever have to; watching his daughter fall victim to the opioid epidemic, which too long went unnoticed. Conversely, Dr. Alan Rhodes (Parè), has been leading a lavish lifestyle, thanks to the profits he’s been making from his prescription business. Seeing that no one is being held accountable, Bill sets out on a campaign targeting those made rich by the suffering of so many. Teaming up with a rogue cop, they set out to dismantle this network of doctors and pharmaceutical executives that continue to devastate families across the country Directed

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Chad Ferrin Conjures ‘H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones’ This Summer

This June Chad Ferrin‘s award-winning film The Deep Ones will unleash a tale that explores the depths of fellowship and motherhood, featuring aspects of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythos. In the film, “a married couple rents a beachside cottage only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and strange occurrences. They soon discover themselves in the grips of a mysterious cult and their ancient sea god.” The film’s awards include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best FX at the Anatomy Crime & Horror International Film Festival, and winner of Best Film at the Arizona Underground Film Festival. H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones will be released on DVD and Digital on June 15, 2021, from 123 Go Films and Distribution Solutions, a division of Alliance Entertainment. The trailer will arrive soon.

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Post-Apocalyptic Horror Thriller ‘Undergods’ Coming To Theaters And On Demand

Director Chino Moya makes his feature directorial debut with the award-winning post-apocalypse film Undergods is about to be released. The film is set, “in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world, K and Z roam the streets on the lookout for corpses and something even more valuable – fresh meat.” Kate Dickie (The Witch, Game of Thrones”) and Ned Dennehy (“Good Omens,” “Peaky Blinders”) star in Undergods along with Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, Enola Holmes), Geza Rohrig (Resistance, Son of Saul), and Tanya Reynolds (Emma., Sex Education). Witness Undergods in select theaters and On Demand on May 7, 2021, from Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studio Company.

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Glenn Payne’s Micro Budget Horror-Comedy ‘Killer Concept’ Out This May

From director Glenn Payne (Driven, Earthrise) and writer Casey Dillard (Driven, As I Lay Dying) comes Killer Concept, a horror-comedy starring Payne, Dillard, and Coley Bryant (Driven, Stargrassle Paranormal). The film “explores what happens when three creatives team up to write a screenplay about a string of murders in their town, not knowing that one of the three may be closer to the story than the others realize. Mark (Glenn Payne), a voyeuristic photographer with a secret, is at first reluctant when aspiring cut-throat producer Seth (Coley Bryant) and true crime writer Holly (Casey Dillard) want him to help them make a movie about a local serial killer: after all, they might figure out that he is the murderer, but he figures it could be interesting. However, when rivalries, crushes, and outside influences begin to cloud his twisted mind it’s harder to tell if he’s in his own story or theirs.” With a primary cast and crew of five people,

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: ‘Sweet Water’ (2021)

From director Justin McMillan comes Sweet River, out in theaters and on VOD on April 23, 2021, from Gravitas Ventures. The film centers on Hanna (Lisa Kay), a grieving mother whose son was killed by a serial killer, however, the boy’s body was never found, and she never found acceptance. At the beginning of the film, Hanna rents the cottage on the property where the serial killer lived in hopes that she might find her son’s body in the nearby field, not knowing that the land holds many dark secrets. A bit of slow-burn, Sweet River is a thriller at heart, exploring death, grief, acceptance, regret, and how far a parent would go for their child. While there are paranormal aspects of the film, the death of the child takes more of the focus in the story. Lisa Kay did great with the role she was given, which was an emotional one. She was believable, which is always great. Eddie

Continue reading →
Apr 30, 2021
Horror Fuel

Dustin Ferguson’s ‘Terror At Black Tree Forest’ Getting A Remake

Trash Arts has teamed up with HB Films once again, this time for the remake of Dustin Ferguson‘s Terror At Black Tree Forest. The new film, based on Ferguson’s 2010 indie slasher, will be directed by Sam Mason Bell, who said “I am honored to have been asked by Dustin to remake his film. Originally, he asked me in 2018 and we were about to start production when the covid-19 pandemic hit but now we can see a way to filming safely and successfully, so it feels absolutely great being back in pre-production’.” In the slasher, “Caroline and her friends usually meet up once a year for a camping trip escaping their everyday lives and feeling young again, but this time it is different. They still meet up, but someone is stalking and killing them off … one by one! Is it a secret from the past? Or an urban legend come to life? What terror awaits at Black Tree

Continue reading →
Apr 29, 2021