In more news to make you envy those SXSW attendees, the first image from Gareth Edwards’ Monsters has emerged. The film will be making its premiere at the Austin film festival–featured in the Midnighters lineup and feels vaguely like District-9. The story revolves around a journalist leading a tourist through an infected zone between Mexico and the United States. The infected are people who have come into contact with a crashed NASA space probe six years ago. Do we have some extra-terrestrials on our hands?
There isn’t a lot floating around yet about Monsters, but the image shows a traveler looking …read more

Michael Winterbottom’s crime-thriller, The Killer Inside Me, sold to IFC Films for around $1.5 million this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival. Given the film’s controversial buzz this seems like the perfect fit for IFC who also picked up Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist at Cannes in 2009. The film stars Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Simon Baker, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty and Elias Koteas. IFC Films will be releasing the movie in late summer through its theatrical and VOD platforms.
The Killer Inside Me is based on Jim Thompson’s novel, told from the point of view of a sociopathic, small-town …read more

Taking a cue from Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno, Lionsgate and Paramount have decided to go head-to-head when it comes to their box office darlings, Saw VII 3D and Paranormal Activity 2.
Paramount hired Saw VI director Kevin Greutert and prime time veteran writer Michael R. Perry to create the sequel to last year’s indie sensation, Paranormal Activity. Ironically, this would have put Paranormal Activity 2 up against Lionsgate’s Saw VII for this year’s pre-Halloween weekend. Apparently, this got Lionsgate’s panties in a twist and they have decided to exercise an option in Greutert’s contract that forces him back to the …read more

Here is part two of my interview with Lance Henriksen. Part 1 can be found here and part 3 will be posted soon.
Alison: You reunited with Aliens co-stars Bill Paxton and Jenette Goldstein for Near Dark…
Lance: God, that was fun.
Alison: I could tell! [Both laugh] I’ve always thought it was less about vampires and more about a Romeo and Juliet family/romantic rival theme. Do you agree?
Lance: Sure I do. After that movie was done, I went to the producers and wanted to do a prequel to that movie. The critical question he asked me was, ‘Lance, why would anyone want …read more

If you ever doubted that HBO’s True Blood wasn’t a soap opera in vampire’s clothing then all the casting news these past few months should totally cinch the deal for you. It looks like Season 3 of Alan Ball’s popular show will be loaded with lots of hot fresh meat. This is no insult to the show, I’m totally digging it–but let’s just call it like it is already.
Enter new cast member Kevin Alejandro, the Southland co-star who is expected to appear in almost every episode of the third season. Don’t wet your panties just yet ladies, his character Jesus …read more

Lance Henriksen’s filmography is a mile long and he always has a dozen projects in the works at any given time. Like many of the characters he has portrayed throughout his career, his energy is fierce and unyielding. Cool confidence and the wisdom of age cannot betray his passion for the challenges of acting and of life. The gravel of his voice is more soothing than distressing; words are impressed upon you with the solemnity of a person who is sharing some secret knowledge only you are privy to. The deep creases of a weathered brow might be evidence of …read more

Carnivàle writer Tracy Torme will be behind Escape Artists’ new feature, Go to Hell, according to Bloody-Disgusting. Rumor has it the film is due out 2011 and there is currently no director attached to the project.
The film follows a hostage negotiator who is near death after a plane crash, but stays alive as his body becomes frozen in the cold water. While frozen, he visits Hell until he is revived by doctors and is then charged with the task of revisiting Hell to rescue someone trapped there.
Torme is also behind the 1993 alien abduction flick Fire in the Sky, starring …read more

I gave you a hint about this in July and today I am beyond excited by the news that Tim Burton has officially signed on for a remake of the popular vampire soap opera, Dark Shadows–set to film in 2010. Equally exciting but not surprising is confirmation of Johnny Depp in the role of lead vampire Barnabas Collins. I’m sure we’ll be seeing some of the other usual suspects and that’s ok by me. I haven’t raced to the theater for any Burton films as of late but I have faith that the spooky visionary can do something imaginative with …read more

I was able to overcome my True Blood addiction since Season 2 ended not that long ago but seeing the news from Dread Central today about a Season 3 cast addition got me excited for Sunday nights again. It’s not really that I know much about Marshall Allman who will be joining the HBO cast. It’s sadly just the mere mention of True Blood in the news. Don’t judge me.
You have probably seen Allman in Prison Break, a show I have yet to watch. Am I missing anything? Dread reports that he will be a regular player in the third …read more

I’m dedicating this Video Vault edition to the great actor, Boris Karloff. I’m participating in the Boris Karloff Blogathon that Pierre at Frankensteinia has organized. It runs until Sunday, November 29 so please check out the other great write ups that horror bloggers have contributed to this fun event.
I present for your viewing pleasure Karloff’s Ronson Comet torture techniques, a reimagining of Karloff’s performance singing the Monster Mash on ABC’s Shindig!, a scene with Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre and a three part This is Your Life interview.
Image: Frankensteinia