IFC Films' THE CURED Trailer Premiere

Written and Directed by David Freyne

Starring Ellen Page, Sam Keeley, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Paula Malcomson

What happens when the undead return to life? In a world ravaged for years by a virus that turns the infected into zombie-like cannibals, a cure is at last found and the wrenching process of reintegrating the survivors back into society begins. Among the formerly afflicted is Senan (Sam Keeley), a young man haunted by the horrific acts he committed while infected. Welcomed back into the family of his widowed sister-in-law (Ellen Page), Senan attempts to restart his life—but is society ready to forgive him and those like him? Or will fear and prejudice once again tear the world apart? Pulsing with provocative parallels to our troubled times, The Cured is a smart, scary, and hauntingly human tale of guilt and redemption.

In Theaters and On Demand February 23, 2018

Turbo Kid Team Lined Up to Direct AMOS DARAGON

RKSS Set to Direct Adapted Fantasy Series “AMOS DARAGON”

PARK CITY,  UTAH - With two successful world premieres at the Sundance Film Festival, including this year’s multiple sold out screenings of SUMMER OF ’84, award-winning filmmaking trio RKSS (Anouk Whissell, François Simard and Yoann-Karl Whissell) are attached to direct the live-action adaption of the international phenomenon AMOS DARAGON. Exec-Produced by Sylvain Viau of IceWorks Pictures Inc., Benoit Beaulieu, Albert I. Melamed and Pierre-Alexandre Bouchard, the film bearing the same title  will be based on the 12-book fantasy series by Québec author Bryan Perro. The best seller has sold over 2.5 million copies to date and has been translated into more than 15 languages.

RKSS hit the ground running with their directorial debut, TURBO KID, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. The film went on to tour the world, winning acclaim and multiple awards before having a wide release by EPIC Pictures. RKSS’ visual style and creative flair will lend perfectly to the expansive universe that Perro has created with AMOS DARAGON. 

AMOS DARAGON follows the adventures of 12-year-old Amos Daragon and his companions Beorf, Lolya and Medousa as they journey to find four masks that harness the forces of nature. With the power of the masks, they can defeat the evil villain who threatens their world.

RLJE Films Acquires TERMINAL Starring Margot Robbie

RLJE FILMS ACQUIRES MARGOT ROBBIE-STARRER “TERMINAL” FROM HIGHLAND FILM GROUP

RLJE Films to Release Noir Thriller in Theaters Spring 2018

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24, 2018 – RLJE Films, a brand of RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE), has acquired all U.S. rights to Vaughn Stein’s noir thriller Terminal from Highland Film Group, starring Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), Mike Myers (Austin Powers), Max Irons (“The White Queen”) and Dexter Fletcher (Kick Ass). Written by Stein for his directorial debut, RLJE Films plans to release the film in theaters in the spring of 2018.

“We’re excited to work with Margot Robbie, who not only stars in, but also produced this amazing film,” said Mark Ward, Chief Acquisitions Officer for RLJE Films.  “With her passion for the project, Margot leads a talented cast who takes audiences for a mystery ride in this highly anticipated thriller.”

“I am delighted and excited to be working with RLJE on Terminal, who share both our vision and passion for the film,” said director Vaughn Stein. “We are all extremely proud of Terminal and look forward to sharing it with the US audiences later this year.”

In the dark heart of a sprawling, anonymous city, Terminal follows the twisting tales of two assassins carrying out a sinister mission, a teacher battling a fatal illness, an enigmatic janitor and a curious waitress leading a dangerous double life.  Murderous consequences unravel in the dead of night as their lives all intertwine at the hands of a mysterious criminal mastermind hell-bent on revenge.

Terminal was produced by Robbie alongside Tom Ackerley (I, Tonya) and Josey McNamara (Dreamland) under their LuckyChap Entertainment banner, David Barron (Harry Potter) of BeaglePug, Highland Film Group’s Arianne Fraser (Barely Lethal), Molly Hassell (The Trust), and Teun Hilte (The White King).

Comet TV January Lineup And Giveaway

We are the weirdos, mister. 

Nancy, The Craft

January is here and with the start of any new year it’s the perfect time to come up with resolutions and things to accomplish in 2018. Or you can just cast a spell… That’s what the teen witches of The Craft did and look what happened to them! Oh… Wait a minute…

This month COMET TV has not just The Craft but amazing films like Labyrinth, Bubba Ho-Tep (Um… the awesomeness of Bruce Campbell?I say yes!) and more!

There are also Edgar Allan Poe double features all month with tantalizing and terrifying tales from one of the grand masters of horror. As The Raven says, “Nevermore!”

And we want to give you the opportunity to have an awesome January of your own! The COMET TV January Prize Pack is perfect for casting a spell on the new year or just kicking back and watching COMET TV!

We’re giving you a chance to do a giveaway for a lucky reader to win one! Say wha? I know! You can run the contest anyway you like, a lot of people use rafflecopter, etc…

Please include some of the gifs below in the post!

The Comet TV January Pack has:

1 - Limited Edition The Craft COMET TV T-shirt: One of my favorite films of all time! This The Craft exclusive T-Shirt features all four witchy guardians of the watchtower on the front and a quote from the film on the back! Welcome to the Witching Hour!

1 - The Craft Exclusive COMET TV Clamshell Box: Talk about retro goodness! This The Craft exclusive clamshell box features exclusive throwback artwork and will immediately take you back to the days of waiting in line for new release movies at the video store!

1- The Craft "Witching Hour Cleansing” Kit: Earth, Wind, Water, Fire! This kit will bring a little sage, crystal and spell scroll into your life. Perfect for getting in touch with your inner earth goddess!

2 - Exclusive The Craft COMET TV Tarot Cards : While you may not be able to tell your future with these two cards, they are exclusive to this set and feature The Craft artwork. The best thing to celebrate the cult classic film arriving on COMET TV this month!

To Enter:

1. Send an Email with "January Comet Giveaway" as the heading to CelluloidTerror@yahoo.com

2. Include your full name and address

3. Tell me your favorite Edgar Allan Poe story or movie. 

4. US Addresses ONLY.

5. Winner Picked February 1st

About Comet TV - Jan 2018

FILMS ON COMET IN JANUARY

The Craft (1996) 

Teen movies might want you to believe that high school was all about keggers and beautiful cheerleaders, but we prefer The Craft’s version of events. Featuring a quartet of angsty teens who turn to witchcraft in the face of personal high school horrors, The Craft casts a spell that leaves you wishing you had an occult stor on your local main street.

Friday, January 12 at 8P/7C 

Saturday, January 13 at 8P/7C 

Sunday, January 21 at 6P/5C 

Monday, January 22 at 8P/7C

Labyrinth (1986) 

January will mark the second anniversary of the day we lost pop culture legend David Bowie, so this month’s COMET is honoring his memory in the best way we coul think of .... by screening one of the most iconic roles of his career. Back in 1986, Bowie stole the show as the Goblin King in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from the music to the costumes, this was Bowie at his best.

Friday, January 19 at 8P/7C 

Saturday, January 20 at 8P/7C 

Saturday, January 27 at 5:30P/6:30C 

Tuesday, January 30 at 6P/7C

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) 

Could there be a better way to shake off the post-holiday blues than with the adventures of Elvis in all his hip shaking and breaking glory? Of course not, which is exactly why you should be tuning in to watch Bubba Ho-Tep on COMET this January.

Friday, January 26 at 8P/7C 

Saturday, January 27 at 8P/7C 

Sunday, January 28 at 2P/1C

--------------------

Edgar Allan Poe DOUBLE FEATURES 

Need to warm up on the cold Winter Wednesdays? Look no further than COMET’s brand new 2-hour block of Edgar Allan Poe programming. Each Wednesday evening at 6P/5C, catch the Tomahawk Man’s most beloved creations, including The Raven and Tales of Terror.

Airing Wednesday Nights at 6P/5C throughout January, check schedule at CometTV.com

The Raven (1963) 

Wednesday, January 17 at 6P/5C

The Haunted Place (1963) 

Wednesday, January 17 at 8P/7C

Masque of the Red Death (1964) 

Wednesday, January 24 at 6P/5C

The Tomb of Ligeia (1965) 

Wednesday, January 24 at 8P/7C

The Oblong Box (1969) 

Wednesday, January 31 at 6P/5C

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) 

Wednesday, January 31 at 8P/7C

--------------------

January Theme Weeks

Airing weekdays at 4P/3C throughout January, check schedule at CometTV.com

Killer Creature Movies (1/1 – 1/5) 

Outer Space Movies (1/8 – 1/12) 

Rubber-Suit Monster Movies (1/15 – 1/19) 

Dystopian Movies (1/22 – 1/26)

Demon House - Art Reveal

As mass hysteria breaks-out over an alleged demonic possession in an Indiana home, referred to as a “Portal to Hell,” "Ghost Adventures" host and paranormal investigator Zak Bagans buys the house, sight unseen, over the phone.  He and his crew then become the next victims of the most documented case of demonic possession in US history...the “house of 200 demons.”

Freestyle Digital Media will be releasing DEMON HOUSE in Theaters and on VOD and Digital HD on March 16th. 

IT (Blu-ray Review) - Warner Bros

USA/2017
Directed By: Andy Maschetti
Written By: Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman
Starring: Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Bill Skarsgard
Color/135 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
The small town of Derry, Maine is plagued by a rash of disappearing children, similar to events that happened 27 years earlier. A group of ragtag kids, lead by Bill whose younger brother Georgie is amng the missing, encounter a sinister shapeshifting monster named Pennywise who stalks the children in his preferred form of a clown. The kids try to uncover the truth of Pennywise and the disappearances without winding up on a missing poster themselves.

Based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, IT is the first feature film adaptation of the story but not the first screen adaptation as it was turned into a two-part miniseries in 1991. That miniseries has attained a bit of cult classic status over the years, largely based on Tim Curry's memorable performance as Pennywise. That adaptation was heavily flawed, especially in its second half and the ending of it is much maligned. That hasn't stopped it from heavy rotation on cable and a huge fanbase. This feature film version of the story was in the works in one form or another for half a decade, going through several changes at director. Finally in the summer of 2017 IT arrived in theaters and would wind up becoming the highest grossing horror film of all time (not adjusted for inflation).

Plenty of bad movies make loads of cash at the box office though and with already having a shaky screen adaptation it's reasonable to ask if IT was any good. I'm here to say that yes, IT is in fact a well done adaptation and horror film. While it changes some of the source material and if you're at all familiar with the source material you're well aware that there are just some scenes that simply will never make it in to an adaptation. That's okay, it doens't hurt anything. The most important part of the movie is the kids. Without a group of kids that turn in good performances and give the audience a reason to connect and care about them the movie fails on its most important level. This is the film's best aspect. The cast of kids led by Jaeden Lieberher as Bill, Sophia Lillis as Beverly and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Richie, they each bring a distinct personality to the group but are a wonderful ensemble together. Their chemistry is entirely believable and natural. It's easy to connect with them and be taken back to our own childhoods. If there's one thing I wanted more out of the kids was more backstory for each of them as a couple get glossed over and lost in the shuffle a bit even at the film's two hours and fifteen minute run time.  There's still time to bring more of their backstories out in the inevitable sequel so I'm not holding it against the film too much. Bill Skarsgard is effectively creepy and menacing as Pennywise. His facial expressions and line delivery bring are memorable but there is an over reliance on CGI effects and scares which don't always look great and at times it does cheapen the overall quality of the movie with tired cliches.

IT has a strong screenplay and script however and has a stunning look. The late 80s setting is recreated brilliantly and brings back a sense of nostalgia. That sense of nostalgia is a driving force in the film but never gets too heavy handed. It teleports us back to a time when we were young, adventurous and vulnerable. That's why it works and while it may not match the darkness of the novel we will be getting a sequel that could certainly bring a darker tone and more serious scares but even if history repeats itself and the second half falls flat as it did with the 1991 adaptation IT is a self contained horror film that works perfectly on its own as it hopefully works as a great first half to a great second half. Only time will tell but IT will still be a very good horror movie either way.

The Audio & Video
Warner Bros Blu-ray release of IT looks and sounds as good as you could possibly imagine, as it should. The film's anamorphic widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio is super wide and gorgeous with no signs of edge enhancement or DNR. The colors are vibrant and natural with incredible levels of detail from textures and fabrics to faces and body closeups. The black levels are very deep and inky with no trace of blocking up. I don't think I could ask for a nicer Blu-ray presentation while the Dobly TrueHD 5.1 surround mix sounds exceptional and free of any flaws. It really is that simple to describe as the audio sounds perfect. There's not a single instance of distracting background noise or staticy damage. Five stars, ten out of ten, I'm on board with whatever you want to consider the perfection of this disc.

The Extras
There are four featurettes that are all worthwhile and clock in around 15 minutes (give or take a minute or two). There's no throw aways here.

-"Pennywise Lives" - A look at how Bill Skarsgard prepared and performed the iconic character including how he saved the production from having to use CGI effects with his eyes and face. This is my favorite supplement on the disc.
-"The Losers Club" - A featurette focusing on the relationship of the kids in IT and how their friendship. The kids' relationship makes the film what it is and this feature documents how real it is. It's hard to watch this without a smile on your face.
-"Author Of Fear" - An interview with Stephen King as he hashes out his history with the IT story including the history of writing it and how he came up with various aspects of the story.
-Deleted Scenes - Things the movie didn't need but maybe could have used...and maybe not.

The Bottom Line
IT isn't perfect but it hits the right notes to be a fun, nostalgic and whimsical horror tale that lives up to the novel it was based on. Recommended.

IT is avaiable HERE

FREESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA ACQUIRES DEMON HOUSE

REESTYLE DIGITAL MEDIA ACQUIRES

“DEMON HOUSE” FOR MARCH RELEASE

Paranormal-Themed Documentary Hits North American Theaters and VOD Platforms March 16

Los Angeles, CA – January 12, 2018 – Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, has acquired the North American rights to the paranormal-themed documentary DEMON HOUSE. DEMON HOUSE debuts in select theaters nationwide, and will also be available to rent and own on VOD in digital HD across cable, internet, and satellite platforms through Freestyle Digital Media on March 16, 2018.

DEMON HOUSE documents what happens when Zak Bagans – the host, creator, and executive producer of The Travel Channel’s smash hit series GHOST ADVENTURES – and his crew are overwhelmed by a demon possession case some have called the next Amityville, the most authenticated case of possession in American history. After buying the haunted home in Indiana over the phone, sight unseen, Bagans and his crew are unprepared for the demonic forces that await them at the location referred to as the “portal to Hell.”

Written, produced and directed by Zak Bagans, DEMON HOUSE features Zak Bagans, Father Michael Maginot, Dr. Barry Taff, and Captain Charles Austin.  DEMON HOUSE was produced by Joseph Taglieri and Mike Dorsey, and was co-produced by Jay Wasley.

Freestyle Digital Media Vice President of Acquisitions, Dan Fisher, negotiated the deal for DEMON HOUSE with Alec Shankman, Abrams Artists Agency’s Senior Vice President and Head of Alternative Programming, Licensing & Digital Media.

“DEMON HOUSE is a chilling, edge-of-your-seat horror-thriller pitting the world’s most renowned paranormal investigator against his greatest challenge--the house of 200 demons,” said Dan Fisher, Vice President of Acquisitions for Freestyle Digital Media. “We at Freestyle could not be more excited to bring Zak’s documentary to millions of homes across North America this March.” 

“I destroyed the house because I do not want anyone to ever live there again,” said filmmaker Zak Bagans. “I saw too many things, and there was something inside the house that affected everyone. The police, clergy, children, my production crew. Everyone.  I am delighted that Freestyle will now be making DEMON HOUSE available to North American viewers soon!”