This Week in Indie Horror: Briggs and Buff, Saints and Sinners, Extreme Shopping, Hulu Latches On To Parasite, Short Horror Spotlight, and More!
We’ve loved bringing you these content-packed horror news roundups each week. However, based on some great feedback we’ve received, we’re going to be changing them up a bit. First, we’re moving to a bi-weekly schedule, starting March 22nd. This will allow us to make sure we’re bringing you as much useful and engaging content as possible.
Second, our focus will be indie news you may not find on other horror sites, allowing us to stay true to our mission to highlight and celebrate the work of indie artists, writers and filmmakers who often get overlooked by the mainstream entertainment media.
Expect more content dedicated to indie books, music, small businesses, artists, filmmakers and new releases, local horror events and conventions, crowdfunding campaigns, and horror shorts. We hope you are as excited about this new direction as we are, and we look forward to being your go-to source for independent genre news and content that matters.
BUTT BOY (RELEASE DATE: APRIL 3, SELECT THEATERS; APRIL 14 VOD)
One of my favorite films out of last year’s Fantastic Fest, Butt Boy follows a bored IT Engineer named Chip who has has an unusual awakening after a routine prostate exam. What starts as a harmless rectal kink, soon grows into a dangerous addiction as he becomes responsible for a missing child. Chip eventually buries his desires in Alcoholics Anonymous and tries to move on with his life. Years later, he becomes the sponsor of Russell Fox, a newly sober detective, who begins to suspect that Chip’s addiction may not be to alcohol, but something much more sinister. Look for our quote in the below trailer from Epic Pictures.
THE INFILTRATORS (RELEASE DATE: MARCH 27, 2020 – LIMITED)
THE INFILTRATORS is a docu-thriller that tells the true story of young immigrants who are detained by Border Patrol and thrown into a shadowy for-profit detention center— on purpose. Marco and Viri are members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, a group of radical DREAMers who are on a mission to stop unjust deportations. And the best place to stop deportations, they believe, is in detention. However, when Marco and Viri attempt a daring reverse ‘prison break,’ things don’t go according to plan
THE PAINTED BIRD (RELEASE DATE: APRIL 17, 2020 – LIMITED)
Based on the acclaimed Jerzy Kosiriski novel, The Painted Bird is a meticulous 35mm black and white evocation of wild, primitive Eastern Europe at the bloody close of World War II. The film follows the journey of The Boy, entrusted by his persecuted parents to an elderly foster mother. The old woman soon dies and the Boy is on his own. As he struggles for survival, he suffers through extraordinary brutality meted out by the ignorant, superstitious peasants and he witnesses the terrifying violence of the efficient, ruthless soldiers, both Russian and German. This beautiful and powerful film was on the 2020 Oscar Shortlist for Best International Feature Film.
A BAD PLACE (RELEASE DATE: TBD)
Horror film darling and Scream Queen Jessica Cameron returns for her third time in the director’s chair with a chilling vision: the story of another place, another time, where three female strangers must evade a shadowy force and their own grim pasts, as they try to find a way beyond a nightmare world that exists in a foggy edge of reality. Florence, Molly, and Collette are trapped in a world they couldn’t possibly have imagined…all running from events that happened in their lives; each forced to confront the unthinkable. A Bad Place made its world premiere at Cinequest Film Festival on Sat. March 7th.
THE BONE BOX (RELEASE DATE: MARCH 13, 2020)
THE BONE BOX centers around Tom, a down-on-his-luck guy living with his Aunt. In order to pay off the debts he enlists the help of an undertaker’s daughter. Together, they conspire to find freshly buried bodies in order to dig them up and steal whatever valuable possessions may have been buried with the recently departed. But Tom soon finds that his financial problems are the least of his worries. Beginning March 13th, THE BONE BOX will be available on Prime Video for rent or purchase. Additional platforms will follow soon after. Terror Films has also secured a licensing deal with Shudder, and a release date will be announced soon.
DEAD BY DAWN (RELEASE DATE: APRIL 7, 2020)
Horror icon Jamie Bernadette (I Spit On Your Grave : Déjà vu) stars in Dead by Dawn, coming this April from Uncork’d Entertainment. A suicidal man in a remote cabin is suddenly faced with protecting a kidnapped woman from three killers and their sadistic games. Unable to contact the outside world and with night falling, he falls backs on creating traps to prevent the criminals from gaining entry. It’s a fight to the death where only the strongest will survive until dawn.
GETAWAY (RELEASE DATE: APRIL 14, 2020)
Halloween’s Scout Taylor-Compton stars in an unnerving kidnapping thriller from Uncork’d Entertainment. Tamara Miller has planned a weekend lake getaway with her two best friends. When she gets kidnapped by a backwoods cult, eerie and unexplained occurrences arise. Will she make it out alive or become the treasure of these deranged lunatics? Getaway is available on DVD and Digital April 14.
DARKER COLORS
After a young girl’s drawings are transformed into living monsters made of crayon and glitter, her older brother leads a mission into the woods to destroy them. Director Seth Worley’s Darker Colors may seem like an episode straight out of Stranger Things, with an all-child cast and a monster ridden environment. It brings back the chilling 80’s goosebumps with modern day production standards. At less than 13 minutes, this short film actually takes child creativity to a whole new level.
AN EVENING WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS (MARCH 11)
Tickets are available for An Evening with Joe Bob Briggs at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre on WEDNESDAY, March 11. The beloved horror host, history buff and walking cinematic encyclopedia will be presenting his multi-media standup-comedy rant “How Rednecks Saved Hollywood”, featuring 200 clips and stills covering the complete history of rednecks in America as told through the classics of both grindhouse and mainstream movies. I had the pleasure of catching the premiere of this show during last year’s SXSW (Sidenote: It was devastating to hear about the wildly popular fest’s decision to cancel this year’s event due to worries about the coronavirus), and it was an unforgettable evening that I urge all film lovers and Briggs devotees to attend if at all possible.
BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL
One of our absolute favorites, the Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF), just announced its 22nd annual lineup, and it includes a juggernaut of genre gems. The fest is set to overtake Cambridge from March 25th through the 29th. This year’s titles include A24’s sinfully anticipated Saint Maud; Sundance hits Dinner in America & Jumbo; feminist thriller Lucky; Cannes sensation Deerskin; Japan’s supernatural chiller It Comes – and so much more! We’re thrilled to be once again covering this prestigious fest.
Individual ticket sales will be live at www.bostonunderground.org starting Monday March 9th at 2pm EST.
SHE IS RISEN SCREENING SERIES
Join AMC and Saint Maud for an unholy matrimony. The “She is Risen” screening series features one month of soul-shaking terror to mark the arrival of the boldest new voice in horror, writer/director Rose Glass. The series kicks off on Friday the 13th with THE EXORCIST and culminates in sneak screenings of SAINT MAUD nationwide. Click here for locations and tickets.
SATANIC PANIC (RELEASE DATE: MARCH 19)
Satanic Panic is a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek satire about Sam, a pizza delivery driver whose issues are about to get worse than crappy tips. Her last delivery of the day is a bit more than Sam was expecting – a cult of Satanists about to embark on a ritual, and they need a bit more than extra parmesan. Actually, they need Sam as a sacrifice, and when she realizes what’s going on, she’ll do anything to keep her soul safe from this creepy coven. The film was directed by Chelsea Stardust, based on a screenplay written by novelist Grady Hendrix and adapted from a story created by Hendrix and Ted Geoghegan. It is a production of Fangoria and Aperture Entertainment. Rebecca Romijn stars in this must watch Shudder exclusive. (Written by Christi Bandy)
SOME KIND OF HATE (RELEASE DATE: MARCH 23)
Some Kind of Hate shows us what happens when bullying takes over a young man’s life. To evade the nightmare, he’s sent away to a boarding school, but he’s not the only survivor of bullying there. The spirit of a teenage girl, Moira, was bullied to suicide, and once she’s unleashed, she wants revenge. Stream it on Shudder. (Written by Christi Bandy)
CURSED FILMS DOC (APRIL 2)
We all love the spooky stories of creepy things that happen on film sets, which seemed to be rampant in the ‘80s for some reason. Now, Shudder will be streaming a five-part series called Cursed Films that will explore these curses and interview people who were directly involved. Check out the first episode on April 2, which will focus on The Exorcist, with subsequent episodes featuring The Crow, Poltergeist, and Twilight Zone. (Written by Christi Bandy)
PARASITE (RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8)
Hulu has won the exclusive rights to stream director Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning film. This is a combination black comedy/suspense thriller that explores socioeconomic themes of family, wealth, poverty, and the discrimination between the social classes in this movie that won Best Foreign Language film. (Written by Christi Brandy)
THE UNEARTHED FILMS PROP PAGE IS LIVE
Pick up screen-used props from your favorite extreme horror films, including A Serbian Film (yes, the baby is available), August Underground’s Toetag, and The Song of Solomon. Why pay $500 for an out of print DVD when you can pick up a screen-used knife from the same movie — and for the same price. Head over to www.UnearthedFilms.com and click on PROPS + ART to see all our great selections. And stay tuned as more props are being frequently added.
GO GREEN WITH TERROR THREADS
Feeling the St. Patrick’s Day spirit? Well, you’re in luck! Some of the most popular designs from one of our favorite horror apparel companies, Terror Threads, have gone green for a limited time. As an Irish, horror-loving lass, this makes my Celtic heart skip a beat. Click here to shop.
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