You think you know what to expect from “VHS 2” having seen the first film? Think again. Don’t believe me? It says it right there in the film’s new red band trailer – “Leaps and bounds beyond its predecessor” – courtesy of yours truly. Veterans Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard return and are joined by “VHS” newcomers Jason Eisener, Gareth Evans, Timo Tjahjanto, Eduardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale to deliver five gruesome and twisted yet highly enjoyable tales of found footage horror. “VHS 2” isn’t just a step above the first film or even a top genre release of 2013; it’s one of the best films of the year, period.  [ Read More ]

When you put Eli Roth’s name on a film, you know what you’re getting, but only to a degree. There are just no bounds to how far this guy will go to tear helpless victims apart in the most gruesome ways possible and in this case, that means flying down to Chile to shoot a post-earthquake bloodbath. Roth both produced and stars in the film as Gringo, an American divorcee looking to let loose and have a good time with his buddy Ariel (Ariel Levy), and Ariel’s lifelong friend, Pollo (Nicholás Martínez). While the guys are soaking up the Chile nightlife with their new lady friends Monica, Kylie, and Irina  [ Read More ]

Unless you caught “The Pact,” actress Caity Lotz is probably off your radar, but between “The Machine” making waves at the Tribeca Film Festival and “Battle of the Year” heading towards a September 13th release, that could change fast. In “The Machine,” Lotz first steps in as budding programmer Ava. Dr. Vincent McCarthy’s (Toby Stephens) been hard at work trying to develop a cybernetic super solider to help Britain’s Ministry of Defence through the second Cold War, and when he realizes Ava has the technology he needs to perfect his design, he makes her his #2. When their work is complete and Vincent automates the first robot with the potential  [ Read More ]

“The Killing Room,” “The Divide,” “The Pact,” and loads more in the works, but right now, it’s all about “Mr. Jones” for producer Ross Dinerstein. The Tribeca Film Festival Midnight Program entry features Jon Foster and Sarah Jones as Scott and Penny. When Scott insists on ditching the big city for a secluded cabin so he can make a nature documentary, she leaves everything behind to support the venture. The place is the ideal no rules, no pressure existence until filming sunrises, local greenery and creatures becomes monotonous and Scott loses all motivation. However, just before giving up entirely, they catch a glimpse of the most interesting thing they’ve seen  [ Read More ]

Who hasn’t made up stories about the hermit or creepy neighbor next door? Writer-director Karl Mueller is here to make you even more apprehensive of the hooded weirdo who might dwell right down the hall or road in his Tribeca Film Festival Midnight Program entry, “Mr. Jones.” The film hones in on Scott and Penny (Jon Foster and Sarah Jones). He’s a filmmaker in desperate need of some inspiration and she gives up everything to head out to a secluded cabin to help him get moving on a nature documentary. However, while they’re out there, Scott realizes there’s something much more interesting to film than picturesque scenery; he’s got the  [ Read More ]

Tom Elkins’ second part of the “Haunting in Connecticut” series, “The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia,” will be on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download April 16, and ShockYa was happy to learn more about the film and the behind-the-scenes goings-on from Elkins himself. Read below to learn more about the film’s editing process, the real life story that inspired the film and if there will be a third “Haunting in Connecticut” film coming soon. How did you approach directing this film? Tom Elkins: Well, it was a balance becasue you have this very compelling story…that is very historical in nature, you know? In terms of the history of  [ Read More ]

Imagine battling bats and being doused in dust and blood on your very first feature film set. So it goes for actress Victoria Nugent on the set of Michael and Shawn Rasmussen’s “Dark Feed.” The film features Andy Rudick as Chris, a screenwriter visiting an abandoned mental hospital, the set of his latest movie. The large majority of the cast and crew have been at it for quite some time, so Chris bonds with another newcomer, Beth (Nugent), who’s joined in to work as a PA for the day. The grips are messing around, the director is demanding to get what he wants and the makeup artist is methodically decorating  [ Read More ]

Confronting your unwavering beliefs that have been the foundation for your career, and uncovering evidence that what you have long held to be true, can be an emotional journey that also physically puts you in harm’s way. Such is the case with the protagonist, Dr. Cara Harding, in the new horror thriller mystery, ’6 Souls,’ which was written by Michael Cooney. The scribe, who has experience in the genre, having written the hit 2003 mystery thriller, ‘Identity,’ chronicled the psychiatrist’s taunting journey of witnessing that her conflicting beliefs on modern medicine and religion may not be as contradictory as she always believed. ’6 Souls,’ which was helmed by Måns Mårlind  [ Read More ]

There’s a number of online streaming services out there, but YEAH! strives to enhance the experience by pairing full films with interactive features. This additional content appears just below the film in a way that keeps it from interfering with the movie, but also makes this bonus material readily accessible. Every YEAH! film comes with 400 – 500 different pieces of extra content like exclusive interviews, little-known facts, quizzes, polls, and more. And the YEAH! curators managed to snag the films you’d want to have such an experience with – those films you’ve seen time and time again, but just can’t get enough of. The platform launched this month at  [ Read More ]

I recently got to speak with Jay Bonansinga, author of The Walking Dead novels, to discuss his work, life, and passions. What about the Walking Dead franchise made you want to get involved? In total full disclosure naked honesty, I didn’t  know much about it at first. I found out about it from some people who knew some people who knew some people.  They just told them that they needed someone for a Horror novel. I thought it would be a tie-in kind of job and seemed really fun, but it turned out to be an opportunity to actually write a series of original novels. When I first heard about  [ Read More ]

After finally emerging from the SXSW bubble, it’s time to recognize that the film industry is making moves beyond Austin. After a recap of Shockya.com’s run at SXSW 2013, we dive into loads of casting news, featuring big recruits for the book-to-film adaptation “Divergent” and Bryan Singer’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment also dropped a big bomb this week; they’ve hired “Safety Not Guaranteed” director Colin Trevorrow to direct “Jurassic Park 4.” Then, of course, we’ve got the goods on all this “Veronica Mars”/Kickstarter action and speculate on how the arrangement might open the doors to a new format of film financing. You’ve got all  [ Read More ]

From a pair of plucky hotel employees-turned-paranormal investigators to two people in the middle of a bloody, warped game of dare challenges, Pat Healy and Sara Paxton make the ultimate shift, taking their big screen chemistry from “The Innkeepers” to their latest collaboration, “Cheap Thrills.” Healy steps in as Craig, a loving father and husband who’s just trying to earn a living. He hits an all-time low after waking up to an eviction notice and losing his job all in the same day. While cooling off with a drink at a local bar, Craig bumps into an old high school buddy, Vince (Ethan Embry), and the pair catches the attention  [ Read More ]

Even if you have the ideal SXSW experience, there’s always that one you wished you would have made time to catch and for me, that was Dennis Iliadis’ “Plus One” and that guilt was only intensified after hearing the ultimate pitch from Iliadis and his cast. Ashley Hinshaw, Rhys Wakefield and Logan Miller lead as a trio of college friends gearing up for the ultimate party. That same evening a small meteor hits and while it doesn’t cause much damage, the impact conjures a supernatural phenomenon that leaves everyone with a duplicate of themselves. Whereas you start with the familiar college kids looking for a good time scenario, “Plus One”  [ Read More ]

You’ve never seen a horror movie heroine like Sharni Vinson’s Erin in “You’re Next.” Erin and her boyfriend Crispian (AJ Bowen) are taking the next step in their relationship – meeting Crispian’s family. Despite arriving with the best intentions, good old sibling rivalry sets back in and their classy reunion dinner is drowned in passive aggressive bickering. Petty differences are finally pushed aside when their house is ambushed by a brigade of vicious intruders wearing animal masks. Each and every family member puts up a valiant fight for his or her life, but no one fights quite like Erin. She doesn’t hide in the basement or run around screaming for  [ Read More ]

“Big Ass Spider” may be the talk of SXSW courtesy of that outrageous title and downright wild central concept, but the film also sends a strong message to budding filmmakers – limitations are fading and you’re totally capable of making your movie, even if it features a big ass spider. While major studios are spitting out a slew of epic adventures with budgets north of $200 million, director Mike Mendez simply assembled an exceptionally dedicated cast and crew to make his movie about an enormous spider that attacks Los Angeles on a far more affordable scale. The film features Greg Grunberg as Alex Mathis, a local exterminator who loves his  [ Read More ]