Well why not book a day in an abandoned Mall full of flesh eating zombies!
There is parking available at the venue.
You must be 16 years of age or over to take part
What will you be doing for your work Christmas party this year? fancy something different to book in for you and your friends to end the year with a bang? Well why not book a day in an abandoned Mall full of flesh eating zombies! Zed Zombie Survival Events have answered the prayers of all horror fans this Christmas as they host an Original Zombie Survival Experiences from 2nd December-27th January. Zed Events, who launched 5 years ago, will lay on ‘full immersion’ zombie survival events in an 250,000 Sqft abandoned shopping mall in a Dawn of the Dead style holiday zombiefest. At their facility in Reading you are thrown in from arrival into an unfolding story that will play out in real time. The ZED team use movie style Special Effects, weapons and props (provided by Hollywood SFX artists) to achieve something that is unrivaled in live survival horror. This will be something that you will never forget. You simply turn up and take part. Can you solve the clues and brave the experience? then head on over to www.zedevents.co.uk and check them out on www.youtube.com/zedeventsuk and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zedeventsuk/ There is parking available at the venue. You must be 16 years of age or over to take part
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Tis the season to be jolly...and to buy the perfect gift for your loved ones. But what do you get the entertainment loving person in your life that isn't the usual DVD or Blu-Ray. Well here at Snakebite we have a range of gift ideas that will hopefully give that extra little love into those gifts. First up today is a new friend of the site, Absolute Cult. Absolute Cult is your one stop shop for the best movie and TV jumpers, t-shirts and wearable gifts and what is best to buy you loved one this year? well why not a themed x-mas jumper! Fancy a Christmas stroll through Camp Crystal Lake? or how about letting the Christmas Force flow through your clothing!!! or maybe you would like a a DC Christmas perfect for the suicide squad! Absolute Cult has the design for you. .And you don't have to stop at Christmas. Absolute Cult is a new omni-channel retail brand selling officially licensed merchandise covering music, movies, comic book superheroes, TV shows and other pop culture characters across 190 countries world-wide.
So if you want some Punsiher gear or something you fear they will have the right clothing for you. Check them out over at www.Absolutecult.com and follow them on twitter @AbsoluteCult All images are copyright of Absolute Cult © Absolute Cult 2017 In a sneak peek at 78/52, a look into the iconic Psycho shower scene, we have a special clip from the director of Pans Labyrinth Guillermo Del Toro. An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO, the 'Man behind the Curtain', and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. 78/52 references the number of set-ups (78) and the number of cuts (52) in the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO. One entire week out of the four weeks scheduled to shoot PSYCHO -- a full quarter of the film’s production schedule -- was dedicated to the infamous shower scene. “If PSYCHO changed the way people shower, it’s safe to say that after watching 78/52, you will never look at the shower scene the same way again.” – Director Alexandre O. Phillipe It’s finally October – the best time of year, when you can test just how long it’s possible to stay awake and marathon as many horror films as possible. However, sometimes it’s tough deciding what ones to watch when there’s so many to choose from, and so many horror subgenres on top of that. Maybe you just want to find something a little different and unique, so here’s a list of top 10 films for Halloween that might be less known to mainstream audiences, or just aren’t appreciated enough in my opinion. Keeping it to 10 was very difficult, but here are the ones that made it: 10. ‘The Cottage’ (2008) This film written and directed by Paul Andrew Adams (best known for his work on ‘Broadchurch’) stars Andy Serkis and Reece Shearsmith as two brothers who rent a cottage in the remote countryside to keep their kidnapping victim hostage. This starts out as a crime film but gradually becomes horror – choosing somewhere quiet doesn’t turn out to be an advantage for these characters when they come across a monstrous, psychotic farmer. This might be slow-paced at first for some, but the dynamic between Serkis and Shearsmith can be amusing and provides some black humour. Die-hard horror fans can also enjoy a cameo from ‘Hellraiser’ actor Doug Bradley. Side note: if you love dark comedy and twisted horror, also watch the ‘Inside No. 9’ anthology TV series created by Shearsmith and his writing partner Steve Pemberton. 9. ‘You’re Next’ (2011) I haven’t watched this one in a while, but I remember liking it nonetheless. Erin, an Australian college student, accompanies her boyfriend at a family reunion. They come under attack by a group of masked killers, and Erin steps up to be the badass of the movie. There’s a few creepy moments, plenty of brutal violence (especially in the third act), and although some people might not like the twist, the ending is the most enjoyable thing it has to offer because it’s cruelly ironic in a way. This is one for slasher horror fans in particular. 8. ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ (2010) ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ is a hilarious horror-comedy about two hillbillies who go on holiday to a creepy old cabin in the woods, and are mistaken to be murderers by group of college students due to a few misunderstandings. What really makes this film worth watching is the two charismatic lead actors – Tyler Labine, and everyone’s favourite Alan Tudyk. In addition, not only are the jokes original even though comedy based on misunderstanding could easily be cliché, but it also offers an important message about judging others based on stereotypes. And yes, there’s gore. 7. ‘The Ritual’ (2017) This is a very recent film having only come out this month, but deserves to be talked about a lot more than it has been. Rafe Spall stars as guilt-ridden Luke, who witnessed his friend Robert being killed during a robbery and failed to step in and help him. To honour Robert’s memory, he goes on a hiking trip to Sweden along with a group of friends, but after they come across an abandoned house the become influenced by a dark force. Although this is clearly influenced by ‘The Blair Witch Project’, it doesn’t make it feel less original. It has moments of comedy with a laddish charm, as well as genuinely creepy scenes which are made more effective by seeing the characters trying so hard to understand what is happening to them. The ending will probably divide audiences as it is bold, but at least it doesn’t go with the most obvious explanations behind what happens. I also love the sets in Luke’s nightmare scenes, where parts of the shop where Robert died are integrated into the forest. 6. ‘The Final Girls’ (2015) Here’s another horror-comedy for you, in which Max (Taissa Farmiga) is grieving the loss of her mother who was a famous slasher film actress in the 80s, and during a screening of her film she becomes trapped in it along with her friends. They must make their way through the film and play by the slasher movie rules to survive. It’s an entertaining concept that makes fun of the clichés, and Thomas Middleditch who is best known for his role as Richard in ‘Silicon Valley’ is very entertaining. The film also has heart as it shows the process of Max trying get through the grieving process and move on from her mother’s death. This is a great one to watch with friends as it’s short and sweet. 5. ‘Hush’ (2016) Writer/director Mike Flanagan – who has recently received critical acclaim after adapting Steven King’s novel ‘Gerald’s Game’ for Netflix – previously made ‘Hush’ which is a horror/thriller about a deaf writer called Maddie who retreats to a quiet setting, but becomes the target of a masked killer. She can’t scream for help as she’s also unable to speak, so she has to survive alone in silence. It’s interesting and unique to see a character with these conditions and how she overcomes even the less obvious difficulties in her life as well as this terrifying threat. I’ve watched this a few times now and it’s still just as intense. Furthermore, even in such a short amount of time (the film is only 1 hour 20 mins long), it’s hard not to root for Maddie. 4. ‘The Orphanage’ (2007) Produced by Guillermo del Toro, this film is about a woman called Laura who moves in with her family to the orphanage she grew up in so she can take in children with special needs. However, her son Simon starts to talk of invisible new friends, and eventually goes missing. We follow Laura through the months after this happening, as she desperately tries to find him. ‘The Orphanage’ is slow paced so it requires some patience, but it’s worth it since it has one of the best twist endings I’ve ever seen. It’s not what you’d expect, and it doesn’t hold back. It gets pretty dark, and took me by surprise so I finished the film totally mind-blown. 3. ‘Raw’ (2016) This French horror film gained some attention when it was initially released, as there were reports of audience members fainting because of the gore. While this may have blown it a little out of proportion (or maybe I’m just desensitised at this point), it isn’t afraid to show some nasty cannibalism, that’s for sure. Young vet student Justine is forced into a rather disgusting hazing ritual that involves breaking her lifelong vegetarianism, and once she gets the taste for meat, she can’t seem to get enough. Her transformation from an innocent teenage girl to someone animalistic who can’t control her impulses is horrifying, and is done in a brilliant way without any cheap scares. It’s the physical and psychological impact of the transition on herself that is what makes it scary, not just the violence (although this does help drive the point home). 2. ‘Get Out’ (2017) This movie is probably more of an obvious choice, but I don’t care because it deserves to be high up on any list. It deserves all the hype that surrounded its release. This is comedy writer/actor Jordan Peele’s directorial debut that deals with the new type of racism that can be found in Western society as it follows African-American photographer Chris’s experience of meeting his white girlfriend’s family for the first time. Their overly polite attitude towards him is uncomfortable, and hides something more sinister going on within the family. ‘Get Out’ succeeds in creating an eerie, uncomfortable atmosphere from Chris’s point of view, as well as a great sense of humour. 1. ‘Train to Busan’ (2016) Go watch this movie right now. You won’t regret it. This is officially one of my favourite horror films of all time. It has zombies, good characters and it will probably make you cry. There’s a reason everyone was freaking out about this at Frightfest last year – it’s a new take on such a popular genre. The story follows the passengers on a train from Seoul to Busan, starting with a single father taking his daughter to see her mother on her birthday. However, a zombie virus breaks out and they have to survive the journey as more people become infected. Not only does the film successfully make you care about most of the characters in some way despite there are quite a lot of them, it has a wonderful, bittersweet ending to top it all off. The zombies are also pretty cool too, so there’s that. To celebrate the release of IT this weekend we have a special featurette to wet your gory desires. Take a look and let us know your thoughts below! I love zombie stories. There, I admitted it and I feel no shame. I know the sub-genre has suffered a great backlash, even as it remains hugely popular in modern entertainment. I, however, am an unabashed fan. I’ve published several zombie tales myself, and recently Apex Publications released a new edition of my first zombie novella Asylum, which features a brand new short story “Lunatics Running the Asylum.” As part of my promotional extravaganza I thought I would list some of my favorite zombie films and books. Movies Night of the Living Dead & Dawn of the Dead (originals) Romero proved himself the master of the modern zombie tale, and it is hard to pick just one of his films as my favorite. These first two films I think showcase his storytelling power at its finest. Night may seem tame by today’s standards, but at the time it was made the film was daring and shocking and original. Even the casting of a black protagonist was bold for the era. The film almost single-handedly invented the modern zombie, taking it away from the Haitian voodoo tradition. The follow-up, Dawn, I thought was the first of his films to go full-fledged with the social commentary, satirizing American’s consumer culture. I think Romero really set the standard with these two films that all other zombie films after strive to live up to. Dawn of the Dead (remake) & 28 Days Later These are two examples of what became known as “fast zombies,” creatures that not only had an insatiable hunger for human flesh but could move with lightning speed, making them even more formidable monsters. Dawn, being a remake of a classic, had a lot to prove, but it played it smart. The film took the basic concept of the original and introduced new characters and scenarios into the mix. 28 Days Later was an “infected” story, one that presented zombies not as the undead but as merely diseased, and it told a story that was as much about the atrocities of which the human animal is capable as it was the monsters themselves. The Returned & Maggie Here we have two movies that take a very original approach to the zombie story. They treat zombieism as a medical condition, a sickness that kills slowly so that the person infected suffers and knows exactly what is going to happen to him or her. In both cases, the films deal with the effects of such a condition would have on a family, what one may or may not be willing to do in order to save a loved one. The results are stories with a more emotional bent, that tug at the heart strings and get you invested in the characters. Books World War Z by Max Brooks This is probably my favorite zombie novel. What I think sets this one apart is the structure, the approach. He took what could have been a very straight-forward zombie tale and elevated it to another level. Looking back at the war against the undead through what is essentially an oral history was ingenious and put this book at the top of my list. Book of the Dead edited by John Skipp & Craig Spector This anthology looks at a world where George Romero’s vision really happened, different authors telling stories from around the world, giving their own interpretations of how they think folks would react to a zombie apocalypse. The collection features stand-out tales by Stephen King, Phillip Nutman, Joe Lansdale, and Robert McCammon to name a few. The Rising by Brian Keene This book delivers a unique take on the zombie, presenting not a mindless, shambling undead creature, but demons entering our world through the bodies of the dead, wearing the corpses like suits. The book is clever and exciting and gives new life to the subgenre. Now the films and books I’ve listed here merely scratch the surface, tip of the proverbial iceberg as it were. The market is full of zombie stories, and while not all of it is good, there are plenty of quality tales out there to keep us all entertained. I’m proud to be a part of that tradition. Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig A. Metcalf.
I am a few days late on this one but ahead of the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (out on 4th September), we have for you the very funny music video from David Hasselhoff and some special guests for the track Guardians Inferno which has been hailed as a galactic retro dance party. The music video will also feature on the Blu-ray bonus features. Check out the greatness below! and let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Already a major hit in China, action blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 topped the worldwide box office in its opening weekend and has broken several records. It also became the fastest Chinese film to break the one billion yuan (£113m) benchmark, reaching this in 85 hours. Written, directed by and starring action prodigy Wu Jing, 2015’s Wolf Warrior was a surprise hit and boasted slick, epic and cinematic action. Now, the sequel brings a fresh flavour with world class stunts and choreography from 87Eleven Action Design, the veteran Hollywood stunt team behind John Wick, Atomic Blonde and Captain America: Civil War. This huge success has cemented Wu Jing’s reputation as a force, and filmmaker, to be reckoned with. To coincide with the UK release of Wolf Warrior 2, we look back at some of Wu Jing's best action roles which helped define his star power... Tai Chi Boxer (1996) This modern genre classic is helmed by Hong Kong action legend, Yuen Woo-ping (Once Upon a Time in China, The Matrix), who first spotted our young star. The story follows a martial artist (Wu Jing) inspired by his heroic father to combat the violence of an opium-smuggling ring and win the girl of his dreams, if only it were that easy! Calling on his years of training and time spent as a member of the Beijing Wushu Team, Wu Jing dominates the screen and shares a now-famous showdown with late, great British martial arts actor Darren Shahlavi (Ip Man 2), which reportedly took 16 days to film SPL (2005) A critically acclaimed, action-packed thriller from director Wilson Yip (Ip Man trilogy). Boasting an all-star cast, a straight-arrow detective (Donnie Yen) reluctantly teams with a group of rogue cops to bring down a notorious Triad boss (Sammo Hung). Wu Jing plays Sammo's ruthless assassin and shares a tense, brutal fight in an alley with Donnie, which many consider a real highlight from both stars' careers. Fatal Contact (2006) Giving the fight tournament formula an Eastern twist, naive and penniless Olympic champion (Wu Jing) agrees to try his hand on the illegal fight circuit to support his girlfriend. Thinking he can earn a fast buck and leave, he is drawn deeper underground until he can summon the courage to fight back. With tough action choreographed by Nicky Li from the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, Wu Jing trained hard to prepare for his role, received injuries and even said, at the time, it was his toughest work to date. Invisible Target (2007) From popular director Benny Chan (New Police Story), Invisible Target is an exhilarating, fast-paced action thriller showcasing a younger generation of action stars. A group of cops from different backgrounds (Nicolas Tse, Jaycee Chan, Shawn Yue) unite to bring down a gang of mercenaries led by a ruthless boss (Wu Jing). The cast, well known for their physical skills, were requested to perform all of their own action and stunts throughout filming, adding to the authenticity. Fatal Move (2008) In a powerful criminal empire, a Triad boss (Sammo Hung), his troubled brother (Simon Yam) and lethal hit man (Wu Jing) work to systematically unravel their enemies, both inside and outside the organisation. Cue plenty of hard-hitting violence and gutsy action. The film presented a wealth of veteran genre stars across its cast, arguably one of the best ensembles from a Hong Kong movie. According to Wu Jing, during fight rehearsals, Sammo would throw him friendly surprise moves to see how he would react. Despite these antics, they enjoy working together and have great mutual respect. Legendary Assassin (2008) As Wu Jing's first foray into filmmaking, he co-directed this movie with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team's Nicky Li. Combining martial arts, action and romance, as assassin (Wu Jing) inadvertently befriends a woman after his latest kill, not knowing she is a cop. Meanwhile, criminals descend on the quiet island community looking for revenge against the mysterious assassin. This also marked the screen debut of singer, songwriter and model Celina Jade (TV's Arrow, Skin Trade) who would later reunite with Wu Jing for Wolf Warrior 2. Wolf Warrior (2015) A big box office hit in China, the first Wolf Warrior made an impact with Western fans too, a fun throwback to larger-than-life 1980's action cinema. A loose cannon special forces soldier (Wu Jing) is confronted by a group of deadly foreign mercenaries hired to assassinate him by a vicious drug lord. In the martial arts and ballistic carnage, Wu Jing goes toe-to-toe with the mercenary leader, played by Brit action star Scott Adkins (Undisputed 2-4, The Expendables 2). Writing, directing and starring in the film, it proved to be Wu Jing's most ambitious work yet. SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015) A name-only sequel to Wilson Yip's gritty original, SPL II takes an entirely new story with returning cast members Wu Jing and Simon Yam (Election) playing different characters, plus new cast additions Tony Jaa (Ong Bak) and Max Zhang (Ip Man 3). Combining a tight script with great action, and the cops and criminal themes of classic Hong Kong cinema, the film was well received by fans and critics alike. Wolf Warrior 2 (2017) Following the success of the original, this proved to be an even bigger hit, breaking global box office records. Reviving the character with a fresh new story, the heroic 'Wolf Warrior' hopes to settle into a quiet life by the sea. But after he crosses paths with a new band of mercenaries, overseen by a volatile and sadistic leader (Frank Grillo, Warrior, Captain America: Civil War), he must reaffirm his duty as a soldier and put an end to the terrorizing of innocent civilians. As the action movie event of the year, Wolf Warrior 2 is a must-see for genre fans and hopefully marks more to come from this exciting franchise. Cine Asia and CMC Pictures presents Wolf Warrior 2 in selected cinemas now For tickets and showtimes head to: ODEON website here Genre staple Tracey Birdsall gives an intergalactic performance in the Neil Johnson helmed Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter. What goes into making a successful indie sci-fi movie? Tracey fills us in!
In a few words, what’s the film about? ROGUE WARRIOR: ROBOT FIGHTER, out August 15 on VOD, is a Science Fiction film set in the distant future depicting the overthrow of humanity by artificial intelligence on Earth and other worlds. Always been a fan of the genre? Most definitely. Have you discovered any unlikely fans or segments that you didn’t count on? It’s been surprising to me when people come out and tell me that they are fans of my work now, as there’s the likely and unlikely fan base. There’s an actor that I’m a huge fan of his work (an Oscar winner), whose wife came up to me at a local restaurant and told me that her husband is a huge fan. It’s kind of surreal. It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day, but it was very unpredictable. How important are reviews to you? I think they’re important for the distributor marketing the film. This particular film, the reviews have been pretty awesome. There are a couple of them (major outlets) who dissed the film, but in their Vimeo stats they didn’t even watch the movie. They probably watched the trailer or something, but we were very tight on screener links so that we could judge the statistics – it was really quite interesting. I took screen grabs of their “lack of viewing” on Vimeo and sent them to the editors of the sites, who did nothing. That’s their bad karma. Now it’s all in the hands of the distributor – I’m too busy to police that stuff. Besides what it’ll do for your career, are there any standouts involved in the film that you believe will see a real career boost from being involved in it? Several of the actors are already talented names working in film and TV (Daz Crawford, Stephen Manley, William Kircher), but Sci-Fi shows a new side to already established actors – it can really open doors. I hope that the whole cast gets a boost from it, as they all really did an excellent job. Even Tony Gibbons, who voiced Hoagland, now he was a real find! Have doors opened for you as a result of it? It’s too early on to really judge the exact impact on my career, but I’ve been shooting on the next two Sci-Fi’s, so that’s a good sign! I’m not exactly trying to look around the corner or in the future… I’m focused on the now and just putting out the best work that I can. Would you compare the storyline to anything we’ve seen in earlier films? Anything you can say is an intentional homage? Other people have compared it to many other things, but it was intentionally made to stand on it’s own. Ironically, many of the films it’s been compared to are films neither of us has seen! Has it all gone according to plan for you? Anything you’ll do differently next time around? It’s actually all gone according to plan…! What’s ahead for you? It’s going to be a very exciting year, as The Time War – an epic time travel movie we’ve been working on for years – will be released in another 4-6 months (that’s a guess of course.) It’s really been an exciting journey, as we knew it had to be even bigger and more epic than Rogue Warrior… The Director (Neil Johnson) has really outdone himself on this one! Brett DeJager talks up his fun new horror jaunt Bonejangles, now out on VOD from Wild Eye Releasing!
In a few words, what’s the film about? A group of poorly trained cops try to escort an unstoppable serial killer to an asylum when their van brakes down in a cursed town where the dead rise once a year. Always been a fan of the genre? Absolutely! I grew up watching cheesy sci-fi and b-horror movies with my mom. My love for horror movies has only grown over the years. Have you discovered any unlikely fans or segments that you didn’t count on? I am very pleasantly surprised at how much love Juice Lad is getting. We took a roll with this character and Brian Hoesing really smashed it out of the park with his performance. How important are reviews to you? I don’t think I’ve ever read a movie review before getting into filmmaking. I still don’t read reviews for any movies except my own. Having said that, I like to think I have thick skin because there are always people that will tear your stuff apart. And that’s OKAY. I want people to enjoy my movies, but I know not everybody will. Besides what it’ll do for your career, are there any standouts involved in the film that you believe will see a real career boost from being involved in it? I’ve said this since day one but the talent of this cast was above anything I could have expected or deserve to have worked with. Their performances saved my bacon numerous times during production when we were running behind schedule and they just nailed their delivery on every take. They made my job easy. So I’m hoping each one of these talented actors gets what they deserve…. And that’s a ton more actor work! Have doors opened for you as a result of it? I think so… maybe? I’ve been trying to network my tail off for the past few years but Bonejangles has finally given me something to really throw around. I’m hoping it will open doors for me though. Otherwise.. I’ll just keep trying to bust them down myself. Would you compare the storyline to anything we’ve seen in earlier films? Anything you can say is an intentional homage? Hm… that’s really a tough question because nothing comes to mind right away. I think that’s why I really loved the script when I first read it. My mind didn’t wander to another movie that I’ve seen… it started creating something new. In terms of homages, there are a ton of them in Bonejangles…. F13, Halloween, Evil Dead, Dale & Tucker vs. Evil…. Insert the blank. If you loved….. you’ll love my movie. If you loved Dale & Tucker vs. Evil you’ll love my movie! Has it all gone according to plan for you? Anything you’ll do differently next time around? Yes & No. We set out to make a complete horror movie and we accomplished that. We set out to make a horror movie that horror fans would enjoy… and I believe we have accomplished that as well. Next time around? I’m going to have a bigger budget! (I think that’s what every filmmaker wants…) So… if there are any money men or women out there reading this interview… contact me! Bonejangles II is dying to be made! What’s ahead for you? I directed a segment for each of the upcoming horror anthologies, 10/31 by Rocky Gray, and Cryptids by Zane Hershberger, Justin Seaman, and P.J. Starks. Those anthologies are going to be a ton of fun so make sure to keep your eyes out for them! Those guys have a ton of talent. In terms of feature length projects, I’m hoping to direct Tis’ the Season of the Witch sometime next year if I can secure funding. I’ve been laying the groundwork for that movie for the past few years and it has an amazing script behind it. I’d basically do anything to get that movie made! AND of course Bonejangles II... hopefully we’ll get to see a lot more Bonejangles in the future. Plenty of projects ready to be made! |
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