A new multiplayer mode titled King of Zombies has been unveiled for upcoming survival horror game ZombiU.
In an interview with ONM, the game's story director Gabrielle Shrager explained that that the mode would have links to the St George's Yard mission that players will encounter in the single-player game, while also being based on a modified version of Capture the Flag.
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St George's is our hell within hell. Our multiplayer arenas are a spin-off of this mission in the campaign.
"You’ve seen the Tower Of London gameplay footage by now, so you know we are going to have to breach the Traitor’s Gate and penetrate the depths of the Bloody Tower to find the Raven Of Dee’s Secret Bunker," she revealed. "But you’ve never heard of St George’s Yard.
"St George's is our hell within hell. Survivors here are unwilling participants in a twisted game in which they are thrown to the infected. Our multiplayer arenas are a spin-off of this mission in the campaign."
The King of Zombies mode is one such multiplayer arena that sees one player use the Wii U Pro Controller to try and guide their survivor towards the flag. Meanwhile, it's the job of the GamePad wielding player to spawn zombies around the flag using the touchscreen in a bid to keep the flag unclaimed.
ZombiU is planned as an exclusive launch title for the Wii U when it releases in America on November 18 and in Europe on November 30.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and is slowly realising he'd be as useful as a chocolate teapot in a Zombie Apocalypse. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.
The best thing about Revival is that it's four issues and it is still nearly impossible to tell where the story is going. Is it a horror story? Kinda. A murder mystery? Kinda. An alien, demon thingy, monster tale? Sorta, yeah. It's got a great mix of elements that will keep you guessing. This issue doesn't give any more answers than the previous three, but that doesn't make it any less captivating. I may have no idea where the hell Revival is going, but I know I want to be there when it finally arrives.
Tim Seeley does a great job of dangling threads in front of you. He gives you just enough questions and not enough answers. You keep turning the page hoping for a big reveal, and we are all kinda secretly happy when it's not there. Don't worry, you'll still get your violent horror fix in this issue. Guts are spilled. The only problem this issue has is there is simply not enough of Dana Cypress. She's more interesting than any of the other characters in the book.
The art by Mike Norton is the same great quality we have come to expect. Lots of detail, especially when it comes to the aforementioned gut spilling. This is character driven though and Norton gives the characters' expressions and emotions lots of heft. It looks great. Mark Englert's color work adds to the books dull, snowy grey look. Revival is a book to keep your eye on. Wherever it's going, it's someplace awesome.
Before projects like The Amityville Horror and her Golden Globe nominated performance in HBO’s In Treatment, Australian actress Melissa George first gained fame in America with her role on J.J. Abrams' Alias. And beginning this Friday, George is returning to the spy genre with Hunted, a new series debuting on Cinemax, a couple of weeks after its UK premiere on BBC One.
Frank Spotnitz, the X-Files alum who helped successfully launch Strike Back on Cinemax, is the creator and showrunner of Hunted -- a BBC/Cinemax co-production -- which stars George as British spy Sam Hunter, who works for the espionage group “Byzantium”, and is shot and left for dead as the series begins. A year later, she returns to her job, resuming her position and beginning a new undercover assignment – but also intent on finding out who it was among her colleagues was behind the attempt on her life. Hunted’s cast also includes Adam Rayner (Hawthorne), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost) and Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones).
I sat down with George to talk about what drew her to Hunted, which includes plenty of intense action scenes, and what it’s like playing a different sort of role in a spy series from Alias’ duplicitous Lauren Reed.
Melissa George in Hunted
IGN TV: There are a lot of different levels to play here. Your character is returning to her life a spy, but she’s also trying to find out who was behind her shooting – all while juggling both her real life and her undercover role.
Melissa George: Yeah, it was like all these things I love: a little bit of Laura from In Treatment, a little bit of Lauren Reed from Alias, a little bit of all the complex parts. And you get to a certain point in your career where some roles just come to you because you’re at the right place, you’ve got the emotion for it, and when I read it, with all the little emotions through it... And all the ways she’s perceived in that first episode, I thought, “Okay, this is going to be a great challenge, an amazing opportunity.” In the first 10 or 15 minutes, she’s in Morocco, she’s French, then you meet her lover, then she gets shot, and then she goes away to Scotland to get so strong, she walks back into Byzantium after a year with no notice. She’s so good and sure that they’re going to take her back.. Then she has to confront her workmates because she’s convinced that there’s a mole on the team and one of them set her up to kill her.
IGN: I also really like the overreaching story of the season with her undercover in this household as the nanny, and connecting with the young son, even as she’s investigating the boy’s father and grandfather. Is it interesting for you to delve into that as well?
George: Yeah, it’s nice to be the American nanny, and she’s so American. It was lovely to be English then American from one scene to another. That I love to watch. Also, she lost her mother when she was eight years old, and the kid lost his mother, too, a year ago. So she gets to exercise that side that you don’t see when she’s Sam - the maternal side. She lost a child, and she has all these other things with this little boy. It’s nice to see both sides. But it’s also getting in the way. Being in that house and being back in Byzantium is really a hobby. Her main goal is to find out who tried to kill her and putting the pieces together -- that’s the thread of the show. Being an MI6 agent is just what she’s good at. She’s taking a day job, but it’s really getting in the way of what she wants to do.
IGN: Just in the early episodes I've seen, you’re doing the American accent and playing a British character – who in turn, speaks French. Are there other iterations we’ll see as the series continues?
George: Not a lot more. You’ll see the British and the American, because she’s no longer on the mission in Tangier. But next year it’s in Berlin, and there’s a whole link to Hourglass, which is the covenant group that killed her mother, and it’s linked to her. So there will be a lot of accents and things like that. But what I love about the show -- and what I was really not wanting was for it to be glossy and unrealistic –- is the fighting is so real. They taught me Keysi, which is what they taught in Bond, Bourne and Batman. All three of those characters learned the fighting technique that I do in Tangier. That ferocious and vicious beach scene is all me, it’s all real, making contact. So I didn’t want to do the show unless it was all absolutely realistic.
IGN: Those fight scenes are great. That second episode, you have a great big fight with that one guy...
George: The military man. That took two months to study for.
Sam (Melissa George) shows off her home-made flamethrower skills in Hunted
IGN: Yeah, it’s clear you don’t just get on set and do a few things. How long was this training process for you?
George: Well, they trained my core in New York. I got really tough. I was pulling carts with weights, so it was really very Gladiator-style. It wasn’t just punching a bag. [It was] steel balls into your stomach and having to throw it over your head and throw it back at the person. It was very barbaric, almost unusual training that I went through. By the time I got to London, I had my fight team, the best of the best of the best. We would work out every day and learn how to protect yourself. It was great.
IGN: Did you find that that stuff came to you relatively easy, or was there a big learning curve?
George: Here’s the thing with me: I’m convincingly good from the beginning, and I make everyone believe I’m well equipped, that I can do anything. That’s kind of my facade, I would say. And yes I can. But my problem is, I’m very feminine, and I’m very ladylike and soft -- really, believe it or not! [Laughs] All these roles I play are not like that, but I get hurt easily, my emotions, my feelings and my body. And yet, I’m really freaking good at being a freaking badass. I don’t quite understand, and neither does my family or my best friends. Why does Hollywood see me as that girl? I can do it. I’m very athletic, and I can throw a punch. What happens to me is that I click, I snap. I go to another world very easily, which is kind of scary. But what happens when I film those days is I get very hurt and very upset because it’s violent, and I don’t like it. So they know that when those days come, it’s going to be very, very painful for me. I get very upset. I shake, and I stop speaking, I get hurt. I just walk out thinking, “S**t, that’s not ladylike at all.” But it’s Sam, and they wanted the softness, which comes through my work, that likability. But on top of that has to be that. But it’s not me at all.
IGN: Is it gratifying then, though, to see the final result and you see how well it plays on screen?
George: Yeah, when I saw that fight in Tangier, which really affected me greatly, I was in tears. The stick they used, I still can’t really close my fist.
[George shows me her hand and how she can’t quite close her first]
That’s as far as I can go - this is a tendon thing. So it’s not nice because I have to live after Sam. But what’s happening with me and Sam is that I don’t want to be anyone else right now. I love her. I’m really into her. It’s not a job for me, it’s a lifestyle.
IGN: This season filmed in London, Morocco and Scotland. Where were Frank and the writers located, and how accessible were they if you had questions?
George: I’m so lucky with Frank. We’ve become so close. He’s a genius. You’ve got to focus when you watch Frank’s work. He’s based out of London, so we were in London 80 percent of the time. The scripts are great. I was saying to Frank, I don’t pick my roles when I’m going to have to sit and work at changing the script. I don’t want to deal with that. So I’m just better off picking it by the showrunner, who I know is very good and with whom I won’t have any issues with dialogue. Because it’s hard enough for me to bring Sam to life, let alone sit there and say, “I don’t like that,” and, “Can you change this?” No. I don’t like to do that. I have to focus on other things. So it’s great. He’s easy.
IGN: How much did you talk to him about what was to come down the pipeline? Did he tell you from the beginning, “This is where it’s going to go,” or was it more script to script?
George: I knew the last five minutes of the eighth episode because I shot it the first week of filming in Scotland. We needed to just shoot the moment that we were going to play in the finale, and when they told me what that was, boy, was I excited. So I kind of knew. But as far as who’s responsible for my death and all that, I don’t want to know. Because in real life we don’t know, do we? Life is a mystery. When you’re too over-prepared and you know too much as an actor, it changed the way you play a scene. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know the set if my character hasn’t seen it before. I want to get there as we’re filming it, roll it, and it’s the first time I’ve seen it. You’ll get something different.
IGN: We have a growing world of more daring cable series, but especially with American network TV, it’s still more prudish. You see some of the nudity and think, “Oh, you wouldn’t see that in an American network show.” Is that strange for you?
George: Yeah, it’s funny for me because when I did In Treatment and then recently I did [Australian TV series] The Slap -- which is full-on -- if it’s required for the role, absolutely. But with HBO and BBC, it’s like, you know what, people pay to watch it. So you get a lot more leverage, a lot more freedom, to be natural. And if nudity’s required, then fantastic -- because sometimes when you’re covered up, it feels very unnatural. And you really have to lose some of your inhibitions anyway as an actress, let alone worrying about all these rules and stuff. So when you’re with HBO, if it’s required, sure. It’s really freeing, like the scene in Morocco at the beginning. That was totally fine.
IGN: That scene is interesting, because you can read so much on your face – she’s getting intimidate with this guy, but it’s all for the mission.
George: Yeah, she doesn’t want to be doing it, but she’s torn between these two worlds. And if I had a turtleneck on, it would be weird. So there are certain lines that I would never cross, and I’m very protective of my body and my career, but at the same time I don’t even think about it. What I did in The Slap, I was breastfeeding a five-year-old boy. It’s a very controversial role in the book, and it’s won so many awards for all of us, and it’s because we were free. We made the audience not look at the nudity because it was completely natural. That’s the key with nudity.
IGN: I was a big fan of Alias. Is it interesting for you to revisit this sort of spy world, but from such a different perspective, obviously, because you’re on the show from the ground floor as the protagonist? Does it kind of give you a different perspective from when you joined Alias?
George: Yes! You know, because it was Jennifer Garner’s show, I came in as the one that really stirred things up. Now it’s nice to be back in the lead role’s shoes, the good guy -- but also the bad guy at the same time. So yeah, it is. It’s unusual.
IGN: With Alias, I felt like you had somewhat of a thankless role, as anyone is who is introduced as an obstacle to the couple – in that case, Sydney and Vaughn -- that the fans want together.
George: See, the reason I get those parts is because I love to be that girl. They’re not going to hate me, because I’m a nice person in real life. So when they meet me, they’re so confused and don’t know what to do. But it’s an acting role, and it started my career, actually. I got Amityville Horror; after that, Derailed, with Clive Owen; I got all these other big films -- and it’s because I played a nice girl in the day and evil bitch at night. I’m an actor. Throw anything at me. But yes, it was tricky, and Jennifer and I, we were at Disneyland [before my debut on the show], and I was basically teasing them all because I had the wedding ring on. “Sorry, darling. I’ve got the wedding band on!” I just stirred them up.
IGN: On that show, did you have any idea that they were going to ultimately reveal that she was a true bad guy?
George: No, I didn’t at all. My gosh, when she was revealed as the sniper on the roof – but all casual about it, hair back, shot everybody and then just slowly packed it up and walked away -- I was like, “Yes! That’s my girl. Don’t run. Walk.”
IGN: [Laughs] Yeah. It’s casual!
George: It’s casual. All in a day’s work.
IGN: You mentioned Berlin as the setting for Hunted: Season 2. So has Frank given you a pretty good idea of where he wants to take the show?
George: Yeah, he’s given me a pretty good idea. It’s all going to be about Sam’s journey, finding out and putting the pieces together. She won’t be the nanny anymore.
Hunted premieres Friday, October 19th at 10pm on Cinemax.
Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on on Twitter at @EricIGN and IGN at ericgoldman-ign.
Completely unconnected storywise to the first season, Asylum does feature several returning cast members playing totally different roles, including Zachary Quinto, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Jessica Lange - the latter of whom won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her work in the first season. They are joined by several newcomers, including Chloe Sevigny (Big Love), James Cromwell (Babe, LA Confidential), Joseph Fiennes (FlashForward) and Adam Levine (yep, the Maroon 5 guy!), in the story of an asylum in 1964 where some very twisted things are occurring, involving both humans and... otherwise. It was also just announced that Ian McShane (Deadwood, Kings) will be appearing in two episodes.
American Horror Story amassed quite a following last year, even while some felt the show -- from Nip/Tuck and Glee's Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk -- was too over the top. With the new season and a completely new storyline here, we wondered, will you be checking it out? Let us know in our poll below!
American Horror Story: Asylum premieres Wednesday, October 17th at 10pm on FX.
Deadly Premonition, the Xbox 360-exclusive budget horror game, is now coming to PlayStation 3. Developed by Japanese studio Access Games, Deadly Premonition was terrible -- we gave it a 2.0 -- but there’s no denying that it has a niche of hardcore fans that swear by it.
The PlayStation 3 version of the game, will come packing an “updated control system,” as well as a “brand new scenario from the game’s director” and “DLC to keep the game going once you complete the main campaign.”
There’s no release date or other information available for Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut as of yet (though we've been told it'll be out early in 2013), but we’ll keep you updated when we hear more.
Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter (@notaxation) and IGN (Moriarty-IGN) and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.
Four new character posters for Ben Wheatley's Sightseers have been released by Studiocanal, ahead of the horror comedy's debut at the London Film Festival this coming weekend.
The follow up film from the Kill List director sees oddball couple Chris and Tina embark on a caravan holiday around the British Isles before things take a turn for the worse when everything rubs Chris up the wrong way, tipping him over a bloody edge.
Check out the hilarious character posters below. And yes, the caravan IS a character.
Darren Lynn Bousman is a filmmaking machine. Last year, he gave us 11-11-11 and Mother's Day. And in 2012, we're getting two more horror films from the Saw-alum, including The Devil's Carnival and The Barrens. Bousman also has at least three more projects on deck for 2013-14. Talk about busy.
Even more fascinating is that nearly every film on his resume is different, playing around with different subgenres within the horror playground. His latest entry is The Barrens, and it's actually one of his best films. Borrowing pieces and parts of the folktale of The Jersey Devil, the film follows a broken family as they trek into the wilderness on a camping trip, but soon worry they're not alone.
Painted largely as a monster movie, with a few clever shades borrowed from The Amityville Horror, The Barrens explores the nature of fear while also expressing a few metaphors about family turmoil and regret. The movie actually manages to take a few refreshing twists and turns, leaving audiences guessing where the plot is actually headed.
The performances are quite good. True Blood's Stephen Moyer delivers an outstanding performance as the father, Richard Vineyard. His slow mental breakdown is incredibly creepy to watch, especially when you begin to question his motives. He's complemented by Mia Kirshner (The Vampire Diaries), who plays the mother. Oddly, her performance is fairly vacant in the first two-thirds of the picture. It's not until the final act where she comes out of her shell. The two kids in the picture, played by Allie MacDonald (House at the End of the Street) and Peter DaCunha (who's set to star in Home Alone 5), also deliver naturalistic performances. DaCunha is a particular highlight as his reactions to the on-screen violence feel completely real.
Unfortunately, like many Darren Lynn Bousman films, The Barrens suffers from pacing issues. The entire middle act drags a bit, slowing down the narrative and drying out any brewing tension. The film meanders to the point of becoming repetitive, and only manages to pay off thanks to a few solid twists.
The film's monster is also not seen nearly enough. In fact, we only catch odd glimpses of the beast, usually in quick-cut takes or in the shadows. It's understandable to keep the monster hidden to add tension and dread to the picture, but we never quite get a decent look at the beast. That said, the few glimpses we do see are a tad silly, so it's possible the beast was cut back to reduce any audience laughter.
The Barrens is the very definition of a lightweight horror picture. The story is simple. The characters are a tad thin. And there's not much conflict. But as a midnight movie, The Barrens should prove intense and fun. The cast is terrific, and the moody atmosphere and '80s-like cinematography add gravity to the narrative. While not quite a hidden a gem, The Barrens is certainly a must-see for fans of monster movies.
The film comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment. The disc is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, encoded in 1080p/AVC and mixed in 5.1 Dolby True HD. The two-disc set also includes a DVD copy of the film.
Shot on 16MM, The Barrens has a bit of an intentionally dated, early '80s slasher look to it, namely Friday the 13th. The gritty, grainy image adds quite a bit of texture and dread to the film – something that's often lost among modern horror films, which are usually shot using HD cameras. The encode handles the grainy image perfectly, with no compression or banding noted. That said, the image does succumb to some crush every now and then. This is likely the result of lower resolution photography, and not the result of the encode, though. For what it is, The Barrens looks outstanding on Blu-ray.
The film's 5.1 TrueHD track aims to impress with moody, atmospheric surround cues, heavy, thumping bass and clean dialogue. The film's folk-infused soundtrack is wonderfully mixed among the five channels, giving weight the film's inherent tension. The ambient sounds of the forest setting are also fully realized in this mix, adding a few fun layers to the film's many jumps and jolts.
Extras, sadly, are lacking. There's a commentary track with writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman and director of photography Joseph White. It's a solid listen that explores the mythology of the Jersey Devil, the production, designing the script and working with the cast. While a touch dry at times, the track is filled with plenty of insight and trivia, and should please fans of Bousman's other tracks.
The disc concludes with a series of trailers for other Anchor Bay titles, and a deleted scene, also with commentary by Bousman and White. At just 3-minutes, the scene is definitely worth a peek.
R.L. Shaffer is a writer at IGN. He enjoys a good monster movie, but hates camping. You can follow himon Twitter, Facebook and MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!
The Verdict
The Barrens could have used a little more monster imagery, and a few more victims, too. But this creepy addition to the monster genre shouldn't go unwatched by genre fans.
We don't know McShane's exact role as of yet, but as Murphy wrote in his tweet, he's going to "tussle" with Jessica Lange's character, Sister Jude. American Horror Story: Asylum premieres on Wednesday, October 17th at 10pm on FX.
Wouldn't it be funny if he just played Blackbeard again?
Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring the 3D stop-motion horror-comedy, ParaNorman, to Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD Nov. 27, 2012. The critically acclaimed film (review here) went on to gross roughly $85 million worldwide, not quite reaching the heights of Coraline, the last feature produced by Laika.
Here's a synopsis of the film, direct from the official press release, "From the makers of Coraline comes the story of Norman, a boy who must use his gift of seeing and speaking with the dead to save his town from a centuries-old curse about to come true. Caught in a wild race against time, the young ghoul whisperer will find his paranormal abilities pushed to their otherworldly limits as he bravely summons up all that makes a hero – courage and compassion.
Featuring the voice talents of Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In), Tucker Albrizzi (Good Luck Charlie), Anna Kendrick (The Twilight Saga), Casey Affleck (Tower Heist,), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (How to Train Your Dragon), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up), Jeff Garlin (WALL-E), Elaine Stritch (30 Rock), Bernard Hill (Titanic), Jodelle Ferland (Silent Hill), Tempestt Bledsoe (Guys with Kids), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), and John Goodman (Monsters, Inc.), it’s a hilariously spooky adventure for the whole family in eye-popping 3D, made by LAIKA in stop-motion animation."
ParaNorman will come to Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D encoded in 1080p, mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVD will feature an anamorphic widescreen presentation, with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.
There will be three releases of ParaNorman on home video -- a three-disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, featuring a 3DBD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy and UltraViolet copy of the film; a two-disc Blu-ray combo pack, which nixes the 3DBD; and a single-disc DVD.
Extras for all three releases will include the following:
Preliminary Animatic Sequences with commentary
“Peering Through the Veil” Behind-the-Scenes featurette
7 short segments showcasing Norman and his co-stars
Feature commentary with Director Sam Fell and writer/director Chris Butler
Suggested retail for ParaNorman is set at $48.98 for the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, $34.98 for the Blu-ray combo pack, and $29.98 for the DVD. Amazon already has all three titles available to pre-order. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack is currently $34.99. The Blu-ray combo pack is available for pre-order for $23.99, and $26.98 for the DVD.
Stay tuned for artwork and more news regarding this exciting release!
[REC]3: Genesis is the third part in the Spanish zombie horror saga and it's just landed on Blu-ray and DVD. To celebrate we've got five copies of the Blu-ray to give away to our UK readers.
What are the names of the couple whose wedding [REC]3: Genesis centres around?
Submit your answer to @IGNUK with the hashtag #RECGenesis before 10am Tuesday September 11, 2012 when we'll pick five names at random to win a copy of the film on Blu-ray.
This competition is open to UK residents over the age of 18 only with full terms and conditions on the next page.
With only 30 days to go until Resident Evil 6 is released on October 2nd, we count down 30 reasons why Capcom’s latest zombie infested survival horror game has us ready to destroy wave after wave of the bloody undead in terrifying new ways. You rolling with us? Pack a shotgun and never look back, this is the dirty 30 for Resident Evil 6. BRRRAAAAAIIINNNSS!!
Love flourishes in the strangest of places. Sometimes a man loves a woman. Sometimes a woman loves a giraffe. Sometimes two fish smoke cigarettes after an argument. The Resident Evil 6 logo is like the world's most perversely inspiring rorschach test! Watch this Up At Noon bit for even more.
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The Achievements!
There's an Achievement named "Duty Calls" in case you were worried there wouldn't be enough action to go with that survival horror. Plenty more Achievement spoilers at that link, if you're into that kind of thing.
26
Ada Wong Is Back, Baby
And yes, we missed her too. Don't lie, so did you.
25
This Mysterious Man
What is he doing? Maybe he's READING THIS VERY ARTICLE!
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You Probably Have Better Skin Than This Guy, So Cheer Up!
23
Leon, Chris & Eminem In The SAME GAME!
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That Title Screen Guy Will Totally Yell "RESIDENT...EVIIIIL. SIX!" When You Press Start On The Title Screen
He did it for every other Resident Evil game so why fire him now?
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Resident Evil.Net Keeps The Game Going FOREVA AND EVA
Regularly updated new content and events? This makes us very happy.
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We Couldn't Wait So We Did Awesome Break Downs Of The Resident Evil Games Leading Up To RE6
So FrightFest happened at the weekend, with the good, the bad and the ugly of the horror film industry descending on the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square to shock and scare thousands of gore-hounds.
The weekend was a resounding success, but if you couldn’t make it down, the following are five of the best flicks that played (alongside the brilliant Sinister, which we previously reviewed here).
Sleep Tight
My favourite film of the festival, Sleep Tight is less an out-and-out horror and more a dark, psychological thriller in the tradition of Hitchcock’s very best. Luis Tosar delivers a grandstanding performance as Cesar, a quiet doorman working at an upscale Barcelona apartment. But below that unassuming surface, Cesar is something of a monster, creeping into his most beautiful tenant’s room at night and doing… well you’ll just have to watch the movie to find out, but rest assured it’s suitably sick and twisted.
V/H/S
Horror anthologies tend to be a mixed bag, and V/H/S is no different, though when it’s scary, it’s bloody terrifying. The wrap-around story finds a group of unpleasant pranksters breaking into a supposedly deserted house to retrieve a VHS tape, and while there they find footage that makes up the rest of the movie. The likes of Adam Wingard, Ti West and Joe Swanberg direct, and the film features the first chiller to tell its story purely through Skype. The undoubted highlight is a very novel twist on the devil worshipping sub-genre.
Berbarian Sound Studio
I’m not even going to pretend I understood this one, though while the vague plotting is frustrating, the bizarre sound and imagery stays with you long after the credits have rolled. Hunger Games star Toby Jones plays Gilderoy, a shy and retiring sound engineer invited to Italy to work on horror flick The Equestrian Vortex. But things turn strange as soon as he arrives at the titular sound studio, with life imitating art as the horror bleeds from the screen and into his life. As Gilderoy endeavours to retain his sanity, the film too starts to lose the plot, but it all looks beautiful, and as an homage to Italian Giallo, it's spot on.
Grabbers
So three serious choices, but what about something a little more light-hearted? Cockney’s vs. Zombies went down well with the FrightFest crowd, but for me Irish effort Grabbers narrowly edged the East End pensioners out. Playing like a cross between Tremors and Whisky Galore, the film stars Richard Coyle as a disillusioned Garda with a drink problem who is lazily seeing out his years in a sleepy coastal town. But when an alien invasion hits, Coyle’s character is forced to step up to the plate, no-more-so than when a scientist discovers that the aliens are allergic to humans with a high blood alcohol level. As ridiculous as it is entertaining, Grabbers is perfect midnight movie fare.
American Mary
Jen and Sylvia Soska – the directors of Dead Hooker in a Trunk – return with what may have been the most talked-about film at the festival. Ginger Snaps star Katherine Isabelle plays Mary Mason, a medical student who enters the shady underground world of body modification in search of a quick buck, and soon finds it taking a terrible toll on her own psyche. Brutal, gripping and genuinely horrifying, American Mary is the kind of film that FrightFest was created for, and should be sought out at the earliest opportunity.
Chris Tilly is the Entertainment Editor for IGN and is finding it hard to sleep after all that horror. His idle chit-chat can be found on both Twitter and MyIGN.
We raved about the upcoming horror film Sinister when we caught it at the South By Southwest fest back in March, saying it "wholeheartedly terrifies from start-to-finish." Now, if you live in Atlanta and love horror, here's your chance to see it first!
IGN is co-hosting the following Atlanta-area screening of Sinister, directed by The Exorcism of Emily Rose's Scott Derrickson and starring Ethan Hawke:
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 PM ESTat Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16
"Gee, IGN, I don't live in Atlanta but still want to see Sinister before other cities." Hey, no problem! You can create your very own hometown premiere through Tugg.com, which allows people to choose the films they want to see at their local theater. For one week only, fans will have the chance to create their own hometown premiere event for Sinister ahead of its wide theatrical release October 5.
If your screenings reach the attendance threshold, you'll also receive a limited edition collectible poster for Sinister. Furthermore, the filmmakers will be available for Q&As in select cities!
Two quick teasers have been released, via the official American Horror StoryFacebook page page, for the second season - a brand new story (set in the 1960s), called American Horror Story: Asylum. Both are mum on plot details, but offer plenty of creepy atmosphere. Check them out below.
Sick of prequels to classic movies that don't need prequels? So are we! Inspired by the recent rumor of a prequel to The Shining, we present to you five horror prequels we hope Hollywood, never, ever makes.
Kid Fly
Starring: Zachary Gordon, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Robert De Niro, Selena Gomez
The Pitch: Wuh oh! Lil' Seth Brundle’s gotten into his father’s teleporter again, and this time, he’s not alone! That’s right, we’re turning the gene-splicing concept upside down with this fun 're-imagining' of 1980's The Fly! This delightful family film follows 10-year-old Seth (Gordon) as he hilariously attempts to hide his body horror from his parents (Moranis and Plimpton) while trying to stop evil scientist Franken Snadien Lankanotvitch (De Niro) from stealing his father’s blueprints! And will he be able to impress his cute neighbor Rachel (Gomez) when bits of his face keeps falling off, or will she finally realize it’s what’s on the inside that counts?
Jaws: The Beginning
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shia LaBeouf, LL Cool J
The Pitch: This gripping historical epic centers on a young Quint (Wahlberg) as a naval officer on the U.S.S Indianapolis, famously hit by a Japanese torpedo in 1945. Director Darren Araonofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan) boldly examines that chilling night, casting an unflinching eye on the crumbling humanity of Quint and his men as they try to survive against a host of great white sharks. Never one to shy away from gritty topics, Aranofsky has filmed 95% of Jaws: The Beginning in the water, where 588 officers get painstakingly picked off one by one in an array of gruesome scenarios across four hours. But what is real and what is nightmarish delusion? You’ll soon find yourself questioning your own sense of reality while watching the movie critics are already calling “Aranofsky’s most ambitious work yet” and “the bleakest film you’ll see all century.”
Damien's Big Day Out (aka The Omen: Lost in London)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone (voice), Ricky Gervais (voice), Amanda Seyfried, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet
The Pitch: From the producers of Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 comes this cheeky comedy that puts the ANTIC back in ANTIChrist! During a day trip with one of his nannies (Seyfried), poor little Damien gets ‘accidentally' left at the foot of Big Ben, and must find his way home using only his adorable baby wits and the terrifying ability to telepathically persuade everyone around him to kill themselves! Featuring the voice talent of Sylvester Stallone as little Damien and Ricky Gervais as his cockney canine companion Bobby-three-paws, you’ll split your sides laughing as the spawn of Satan tries to find his way home to begin his tyrannical reign over the human race.
Misery: The Book Club Years
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Anne Hathaway, Kristen Wiig, Diane Keaton, Kirsten Dunst
The Pitch 25-year-old Annie Wilkes (Wilson) is a hopeless romantic and a hopeless shut-in - in fact, her closest relationship is with her pet pig! But one day she sees a members-wanted ad in the local newspaper for a book club...that will change her life forever! Featuring an all-star cast including Anne Hathaway as the bossy leader, Kristen Wiig as the hilarious hippy, Diane Keaton as the older lady and Kirsten Dunst as the slut, Misery: The Book Club Years is a gentle chick-lit-flick that reminds us all to treasure the small things in life: a strong cup of tea, some good friends, and a great Paul Sheldon novel!
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Presents: Frat Attack!
Starring: Cory Monteith, Noel Fielding, Kieran Culkin, Michael Cera, Emma Stone
The Pitch: Set during the swingin’ sixties, TTCMP: Frat Attack takes place at the fictional South Central Austin College where the Kappa Chi Delta chapter reigns supreme. But the Fraternity’s President Todd (Cory Monteith ) has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he recruits the Sawyer brothers into the fold! From playing unnerving ‘surprise cutting’ tricks on rival fraternities to straight up, unapologetic homicide, Robert ‘Chop Top’ Sawyer (Brit comedy thesp Fielding), Nubbins ‘The Hitchhiker’ Sawyer (Culkin) and ‘Leatherface’ (Cera) grow quickly out of control. How will Todd stop them from dismembering everyone at their annual kegger? And will Leatherface ever learn how to talk to smart, pretty sophomore Amy (Stone) without the uncontrollable urge to gut her from head to foot? Modeled after classic frat-house comedies like Animal House and Revenge of the Nerds, TTCMP: Frat Attack is bound to make you laugh and drop your jaw in equal measure.
Lucy O'Brien and Luke Reilly are Editors at IGN AU. They both like beer, cursing and share a crippling obsession with movies from their 80's childhoods. Talk to Lucy here and Luke here, or meet them and the rest of the Australian team at the IGN AUFacebook community.
Through the years, the Resident Evil franchise has offered its fair share of epic, zombie-fueled adventures. From the exceptional first entries that focused on survival horror to the more action-oriented modern releases like Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 - the franchise stands as a shining example of how to do zombie-gore right.
The funny thing is, the more memorable Resident Evil enemies usually aren't traditional zombies. In fact, some of them are downright weird. Elephants, giant snakes, plants, dudes in armor - when you really think about it, some of the creatures we've taken down in the name of survival have been pretty damn freaky.
In honor of the forthcoming release of Resident Evil 6, we've compiled the absolute weirdest enemies the RE franchise has to offer. These are in no particular order - although I think we can all agree the zombie elephant would have been number one. Take a look, then let us know your own favorites in the comments afterward.
On to the weirdness!
Neptune
As if Great White sharks weren't frightening enough, the bastards at Umbrella had to go and make B.O.W.s out of them. Bop it on the nose! I hear they hate that...
Hunter
Good ole hunters - giant, reptilian B.O.W.s with giant claws and mean tempers. He looks like he's yelling, "WHY ARE MY HANDS SO BIG!?"
Eliminator
ZOMBIE MONKEY! How can you not like that? Still - it's freaking weird.
Plague Crawler
Ew. Freaking... EW! Giant bugs are not only nasty, and unsanitary, they're also just not normal. Bugs should stay bug-sized.
Stalker
You only thought Aslan was on your side.
Web Spinner
This one's kind of just a spider. But it's HUGE! That's weird.
G
Not surprisingly, G is a product of the G-Virus. It's born from a human host - which is not only strange, but also endlessly unsettling. Also, if you looked at that and didn't think "zombie E.T." - shame on you.
Duvalia
This dude makes those Plagas that burst from your neck seem downright friendly. Disgusting.
Titan
It's a zombie elephant. What more do you need to know?
Alligator
A zombie alligator is different from a regular alligator because... it... well... it's bigger. That's about it.
Queen Leech
A former pet of Dr. Marcus, the Queen Leech is a product of Progenitor virus experimentation. That's what you get for keeping a leech as a pet. Freak. It also looks strangely like Bongo Bongo from The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Except without the bongo...
Ivy
A lot of the other enemies on this list are funny, but still frightening. This one is a plant with legs - which is just dumb.
Cephalo
It's like some sick game of jack-in-the-box, but where Jack is a disgusting Plaga that pops out of a zombie's severed neck rather than a box. Thanks for stomping all over our innocence, RE. At least he's wearing sandals, though. You can't be afraid of a man in sandals.
William Birkin
Man, and you thought your family was messed up. Worst. Father. EVER.
Armadura
A suit of armor infected by a Plaga. WTF?! So many questions... so few answers.
Big Man Majini
This one is basically just a big dude. The fact that he doesn't look at all like a zombie is the weird part. Um, ya. Moving on.
Licker
Its body is rotting, but its brain is perfectly intact? Its tongue is longer than its neck? This classic villain makes no sense. Watch out though! It'll lick you to death! Nooooo!
Giant Moth
Look at his mouth - this guy was clearly infected by the Zoidberg virus. Seriously though, what were they hoping to accomplish with this one? When is Umbrella going to learn that no one benefits from giant, infected bugs?
Bitores Mendez
That... has got to hurt.
Ghiozzo
That ginormous fish-monster could never fit in that tiny pool. Weird!
Lurker
Okay, this guy is just awesome. Expect to trip the **** out if you lick this frog's back. And maybe die. And maybe turn into a zombie. Proceed with caution.
Ndesu
He was actually only unshaven before the mutation happened and now look - a full beard! Also, he wears a dead dude for a belt buckle.
Executioner
At what point did he decide it was a good idea to stick nails in his head and torso? Dumbass.
Cerberus
The RE developers sure do love their zombie dogs. He looks more like a "Spot" to me though. I mean, come on. Silly RE developers. Cerberous has three heads.
Yawn
The most badass of badass snakes, Yawn is an awesome - though admittedly weird - B.O.W. that likes to hang around creepy mansions. That expression though - not frightening. He's either yawning, as his name implies, or the happiest puppy ever. I wish I felt half that good right now.
Were those weird enough for you? Did we miss any? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to let us know your picks for the weirdest Resident Evil enemies.
Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can follow her wild adventures on her IGN blog and Twitter. Game on!
