Icon vs. Icon

Stay up all night with the films that put a new twist on the slasher genre. Along with Halloween (1978), Friday the 13^th(1980) and Prom Night (1980), Slumber Party Massacre (1982) helped define the slasher film ethos of the 1980s.  Put together by first-time director Amy Holden from a script, titled “Don’t Open the Door,” by feminist author Rita Mae Brown (Rubyfruit Jungle), the film was an immediate hit for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, eventually spawning two sequels.

Here, for the first time, all three Slumber Party Massacres are brought together in one DVD set, due to drill its way into your heart on Oct. 5, 2010 from Shout! Factory, in association with New Horizons Picture Corporation. The 2-DVD set includes The SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE: Special Edition, SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II, and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III, as well as such killer all-new bonus features as a three-part documentary, “Sleepless Nights: Revisiting The Slumber Party Massacres,” a photo and poster still gallery, and an essay on the Slumber Party phenomenon, “Close Your Eyes For A Second  …  And Sleep Forever.” A must have collection for all slasher fans and collectors of Roger Corman’s Cult Classics, own the complete set for $24.97 SRP.

Thanks in part to a brilliant marketing campaign pushing a feminist angle because the film was written, produced and directed by women, the story of a girls’ basketball team drilled to death at their celebratory slumber party became a staple in mom-and-pop corner video stores of the 1980s. Bulked in with the “best” of the early slashers, The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) had a secret weapon: a wicked little brain and a dark sense of humor layered between the three nude scenes and one very brief sex scene. The girls take on the masculine roles (playing sports, working as telephone repair women, basketball coaches, carpenters and always willing to fight back against the “Driller Killer”), while the somewhat effeminate boys made the stupid decisions typically played out by women in the subgenre. Additionally, the boys died more violently on screen than their counterparts.

In The Slumber Party Massacre, 18-year-old high schooler Trish (Michelle Michaels) decides to invite her high school girls’ basketball teammates over for a slumber party. What she doesn’t know is that the girls will get an uninvited guest — Russ Thorn,  an escaped mental patient and murderer of five people who’s weapon of choice is a portable power drill.

The only sane survivor of the first incident, Courtney (Crystal Bernard of “Wings” fame), dreams of the driller killer returning in the first sequel, Slumber Party Massacre II (1987). She can’t help shake the feeling that she and her friends will be viciously tormented by the killer. Her nightmare becomes reality when the killer returns, reincarnated as an evil rocker with a deadly guitar, who goes about slaying more teens.

The final, installment, Slumber Party Massacre III (1990), is a reimagining of the first film, but with more gore and violence. After a relaxing day at the beach, a group of teens decide to have a slumber party. Their boyfriends predictably show up to scare them, but there is something much scarier lurking in the shadows as the group starts getting attacked by an unknown killer with a fixation on drilling.

Disc 1

The SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE: Special Edition (1982)

Disc 2

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II (1987) and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III (1990)

Special Features:

• New anamorphic widescreen transfer (1.78:1) of “The Slumber Party Massacre” and “Slumber Party Massacre II”
• All-new three-part documentary: “Sleepless Nights: Revisiting The Slumber Party Massacres”
• Photo and poster still gallery
• Theatrical trailers

THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE

Starring Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, Michael Villella,  Debra Deliso,  Andree Honore

Produced and directed by Amy Jones

Screenplay by Rita Mae Brown

Director of Photography: Steve Posey

Edited by Sean Foley

Music by Ralph Jones

Co-produced by Aaron Lipstadt

Rated R

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II

Starring Crystal Bernard, Patrick Lowe, Kimberly McArthur, Juliette Cummins, Heidi Kozak, Joel Hoffman, Scott Westmoreland. Featuring Atanas Ilitch as the Driller Killer.

Written and directed by Deborah Brock

Director of Photography: Thomas L. Callaway

Edited by William Flicker

Music by Richard Cox

Production design by John Eng

Special makeup effects by James Cummins

Produced by Deborah Brock and Don Daniel

Executive producer: Roger Corman

Rated R

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III

Starring Keely Christian,  Brittain Frye,  M.K. Harris, David Greenlee,  Brandi Burkett,  Hope Marie Carlton,  Maria Claire,  Maria Ford

Directed by Sally Mattison

Written and produced by Catherine Cyran

Director of photography: Jurgen Baum

Edited by Tim Amyx

Music by Jamie Sheriff

Produced by Roger Corman and Catherine Cyran

Rated R

Total running time: 241 minutes

Special features are not rated

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Shout! Factory will continue to present ROGER CORMAN’S CULT CLASSICS home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include The Evil, Twice Dead, The Warrior and The Sorceress, Barbarian Queen, Not of This Earth, Terror Within,Streets, Angel in Red, Lady in Red, Crazy Mama, Big Bad Mama, among others.

Independent filmmaker-producer Roger Corman’s storied career ranks as one of Hollywood’s most amazing success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers. In 2009 he was the recipient of an honorary Academy Award for his contribution to the medium of film.

Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, William Shatner, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Carl Franklin, Jonathan Kaplan, Bill Paxton, Dennis Hopper, Curtis Hanson, Peter Bogdanovich, John Sayles, David Carradine and Sally Kirkland.

Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY^®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. With its fingers on the pulse of pop culture, Shout! Factory continues to impact the entertainment media landscape through acquisition of top quality programming for home entertainment releases. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com

Red Hour Films, Lauren Versel, Molly Hassell, Maria Teresa Arida and Lucky Monkey Pictures announced today that Marilu Henner, Zak Orth and Malcolm McDowell have joined the cast of writer/director Amy Heckerling’s new feature film VAMPS. Written and to be directed by Heckerling, VAMPS tells the modern day tale of two young beautiful female vampires (Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter) living the good nightlife in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize her immortality. The film is currently shooting in Detroit, Michigan.

The actors join previously announced Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Lewis, Wallace Shawn, Justin Kirk, Dan Stevens, Todd Barry and Kristen Johnston.

Henner will portray Angela, a deathly ill woman who gets “awakened” to her former hot self. Orth will portray Renfield, a young nerdy friend of Stacy (Ritter) and Goody (Silverstone) who tries to be much more hardcore than he actually is, and McDowell will portray vampire Vlad Tepish, otherwise known as the infamous Vlad the Impaler, who enjoys wearing velvet jogging suits and knitting.

Henner is represented by Innovative Artists; Orth is represented by Rhonda Price at the Gersh Agency; McDowell is represented by Chris Roe at Chris Roe Management.

VAMPS is produced by Red Hour Films (“Tropic Thunder,” “Blades of Glory,” “Dodgeball”), Lucky Monkey Pictures Lauren Versel and Maria Teresa Arida (this summer’s breakout hit “City Island”) and Molly Hassell (Sundance Award Winning “Big River Man”). Executive Producers include Julie Kroll.

Heckerling shot to fame directing “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” for Universal followed by the box office hits “Look Who’s Talking,” “Look Who’s Talking Too” and “Clueless.”

Foreign sales are being handled by Lisa Wilson, President of Distribution, Parlay Films LLC, which is a GK Films affiliate. Alvernia Production is an investor and Alvernia’s Marek Gabryjelski and Anna Rozalaska are co-producers of “Vamps.” Alvernia Studios will be handling visual effects in post production.

D&E Entertainment in association with Entertainment One, Capri Films and Joker Films proudly announce the rock-n-roll vampire comedy ‘SUCK: THE MOVIE’ will receive its U.S. Digital Cinema theatrical campaign starting on September 2.

The film follows a down and out band, ironically known as The Winners, that are desperately seeking a record deal and will do anything to make it big. After a life-changing encounter with a vampire, they rocket to stardom only to discover that fame and fortune are not all they are cracked up to be.

After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, “SUCK” made its U.S. debut at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin and also played the Chicago International Movies and Music Festival earlier this year. Rolling Stone said the film “has the potential to become a cult classic,” and MTV.com called it “‘Twilight’ meets ‘True Blood’ with a dash of ‘Rock Star’.” “SUCK” is directed by Canadian Rob Stefaniuk (“Phil the Alien”), who also stars along with Jessica Paré (“Hot Tub Time Machine”), Malcolm McDowell (“The Book of Eli”) and Dave Foley (“The Kids in the Hall”) as well as some the music industry’s biggest names including Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Moby, Alex Lifeson, Carole Pope and Alice Cooper. Dimitri Coats of the band Burning Brides portrays the film’s villainous vampire Queenie.

“SUCK: THE MOVIE” is theatrically distributed and marketed in the United States by D&E Entertainment (www.DandEentertainment.com) in association with the film’s U.S. distributor Entertainment One and will premiere for a special run in over 100 digital cinemas starting September 2. Participating theatres include: AMC, Carmike, Celebration Cinemas, Dipson, Lee Neighborhood, Mann, Marcus, Clearview, Wehrenberg, Bow Tie, Rave, Studio Movie Grill, Cleveland Cinemas, Allen Theatres, Harkins, Alamo Drafthouse, Regent Theatre, The Michigan Theatre, Cinema West, Spectrum 8, The Movie Experience, Cinema Café, and Showplace East Cinemas.

For a listing of theaters and more information on the film, please visit: www.SuckTheMoviePremiere.com orwww.DandEentertainment.com

The film has a running time of 96 minutes and will play at select theater locations with a 10-minute preview of the making-of documentary “Down to the Crossroads or: How to Make a Movie SUCK.”

Dark Sky Films, a division ofMPI Media Group, announced today that in anticipation of the upcoming Halloween horror movie season, Adam Green’s HATCHET II will be distributed in theaters across the country beginning Oct 1.  The film will be released without an MPAA rating, marking the widest release of an unrated genre film in more than 25 years.

AMC Theatres, under its AMC independent program, will be exhibiting HATCHET II in the top 20 markets across the country.   Vitagraph Films is serving as theatrical distributor.

The announcement regarding the HATCHET II release was made jointly by Adam Green with MPI Media Group’s Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Greg Newman.

A ferociously fun tribute to the old-school horror sensation slasher movies of the 80′s, HATCHET II is the follow-up to the popular original film, which was released theatrically in 2007 and became a sleeper-hit, gaining a wide following on DVD.   The cast of HATCHET II features a cavalcade of horror movie icons including Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN) and Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13^th), reprising his role as serial killer Victor Crowley.   Also starring are Tony Todd (CANDYMAN) and R.A. Mihailoff (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE).

HATCHET II is having its world premiere this week in London at Fright Fest, the UK’s premiere horror and fantasy film festival.

Director Adam Green said, “Having a movie as graphically over the top as HATCHET II come out in major theatres unrated is an absolute dream come true — not only for the genre fans but for the entire make-up effects crew who normally have to watch their amazing achievements get sliced and diced for theatrical release. This is an important event for the horror genre and I hope the real horror fans support HATCHET II and help change the way genre films are released theatrically from this day forward. Kudos to Dark Sky Films and AMC theaters for truly honoring the spirit of old school American horror and doing this right. Gorehounds won’t know what hit them!”

Dark Sky Films’ Newman added, ”We are thrilled that audiences will not have to wait for a director’s cut or unrated version of Adam Green’s HATCHET II.  On October 1^st fans will have the opportunity to see Hatchet II  in theaters exactly as it was intended to be seen: full-on, uncut and uncensored! We hope that this unrated release of HATCHET II marks a new trend in providing an uncompromised theatrical experience for genre film lovers nationwide.”

“Our AMC independent program embraces diverse storytelling of all types,” said AMC Theatres’ Vice President, Specialty & Alternative Content, Nikkole Dneson-Randolph.  ”Bringing a story like HATCHET II to our guests is a natural fit during this time of year and we’re excited to share the filmmakers’ vision on-screen in its intended state.”

The first official trailer for Adam Green’s ‘Hatchet II’ has been unleashed! The sequel to Green’s 2006 slasher success sees the return of horror icon Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley. Also featured in the film are horror staples Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5) and Tony Todd (Candyman).

In the sequel, Victor Crowley returns as Marybeth, who escapes from his clutches in the first movie, learns the truth about his curse. She then heads back into the haunted New Orleans swamp to seek revenge for her family.

The film is slated to open on October 1st, 2010. Visit the official website at www.hatchet2.com

Master of Horror Wes Craven is back with ‘My Soul to Take’, which is his first movie since 2005′s ‘Red Eye.’ The flick stars Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Emily Meade, Nick Lashaway, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Paulina Olszyinski, and Raul Esparza and is currently slated to hit theaters October 8th, 2010. Check out the first official trailer for the film below and be sure to weigh in with your thoughts!

Synopsis: In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.Adam “Bug” Heller (Max Thierot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad’s terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that’s returned, he must face an evil that won’t rest … until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.

The good folks over at Lionsgate have revealed another new cool motion poster for ‘Saw 3D‘ which is the seventh and reportedly final chapter in the series. The film reunites ‘Saw VI’ director Kevin Greutert and writers Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton.

The film stars Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, and Sean Patrick Flanery. Check out the poster below courtesy of MTV.

Synopsis: As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror…

The first theatrical feature to be shot exclusively on the cutting-edge SI-3D digital camera system, Saw 3D brings the horrifying games of Jigsaw to life like never before.

Saw 3D in theatres nationwide this October 29th.

Just when you thought it was safe to take a shower again, Shout! Factory is set to pull back the shower curtain and reveal THE PSYCHO LEGACY, a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD set that explores the history, impact and mystique of Psycho and the films that it spawned. In addition to the 90-minute documentary feature by filmmaker Robert V. Galluzzo, the set boasts more than three hours of bonus material, including extended interviews, an hour panel discussion with Psycho star Anthony Perkins, Psycho on the Web, a tour of the Bates Motel, and much, much more. Due in stores nationwide October 19, 2010, just in time to celebrate Psycho’s 50th anniversary, THE PSYCHO LEGACY Special Edition will be available to own for $19.93 SRP.

In 1960 Alfred Hitchcock took a seemingly mild-mannered “boy-next-door” and turned him into a murderous madman obsessed with his dead mother, catapulting the horror genre into a new realm of possibility — laying the foundation for the “slasher film” genre — and forever changing the American public’s relationship with showers. Anthony Perkins’ chilling portrayal of Norman Bates became an iconic role that has crept into the filmmaking vernacular, creating the template for thepsychoanalytical thriller and the lone, crazed killer that has populated so many horror films during the last half century.

Hitchcock’s original Psycho gave birth to three sequels and one remake, and the series continues to affect popular culture 50 years later.

THE PSYCHO LEGACY, written and directed by Robert V. Galluzzo, follows the indelible filmmaking legacy left by thePsycho movies and unravels the screenwriting, casting and directing of all the movies, examining their undeniable longevity and success. Interweaving rare and never-before-seen interview footage with Anthony Perkins and dozens of interviews with the films’ cast, crew, writers and directors including Robert Loggia, Olivia Hussey, Henry Thomas, Diana Scarwid, Tom Holland, Hilton Green, Mick Garris, Richard Franklin,  as well as other writers and directors in the horror genre, including Stuart Gordon  (Re-Animator), Adam Green (Frozen),  Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Michael Gingold and Tony Timpone from Fangoria, and many more, THE PSYCHO LEGACY is the first documentary to unite and explore decades of Psycho movies in one place, revealing surprises and insights into what is considered the “grandfather of modern horror.”

Notes on the Psycho films:

Hitchcock’s Psycho was based on Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel, which in turn was loosely based on  the life of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. The film starred Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam and featured a stirring and  unforgettable music score by Bernard Herrmann. Psycho was released August 10, 1960, and broke box office records around the world. The infamous shower scene features some 70-plus different camera angles yet runs just 45 seconds. After the film was released, Leigh refused to take showers; one of her homes didn’t even have a shower stall. When forced to take a shower for lack of a bath, she would make sure all the windows were locked and that the bathroom and shower doors were wide open. Other tidbits: Psycho took cinema into uncharted territory by being the first movie to show a toilet (which was banned by the Production Code), have the female lead parade around in a bra and slip, and have an unmarried couple lying on a bed during their lunch break.

Psycho tops the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Most Thrilling American Films  and is number 14 on their list of the top American films of all time.

Psycho II was released in 1983 and follows what happens when Norman Bates is released after 22 years of psychiatric care. It starred Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilley,  Robert Loggia and Dennis Franz, and was directed by Richard Franklin. In Psycho III(1986) , Perkins stepped behind the camera in addition to starring as Bates; in this sequel, Mother begins killing again. Co-stars were Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. And, finally, Psycho IV (1990) starred Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey and CCH Pounder in a prequel that takes viewers back to Bates’ childhood.

THE PSYCHO LEGACY BONUS FEATURES:

• Extended and deleted scenes
• Full panel discussion with Anthony Perkins
• The Psycho reunion panel
• A tour of the Bates Motel
• Revisiting Psycho II: Psycho II writer Tom Holland and The Psycho Legacy director Robert Galluzzo look through the original blueprints, newspaper clippings and articles and possessions left behind from Psycho II director Richard Franklin
• Shooting Psycho II: An interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey
• A visit with Psycho memorabilia collector Guy Thorpe
• Psycho on the Web
• The Hyaena Gallery Presents Serial-Killer-Inspired Art