If there’s one thing the last few months have demonstrated, it’s how rapidly the film industry is changing.  From funding to production, to distribution and marketing, all aspects of the filmmaking process have been drastically impacted by new media.  We’ve recently seen the way that Kickstarter is controversially altering traditional methods of film funding and, with the success of films like Bachelorette and Arbitrage, VOD has stepped up as a viable distribution method.  With less and less people heading out the theater, and a steady incline in viewership on streaming devices, filmmakers have been searching for new ways to keep up with evolving consumer habits.  The latest innovation aimed at capturing modern viewers is Haunting Melissa, a hybrid-app created by film producer Neal Edelstein (Mulholland Drive, The Ring) that combines Hollywood horror film-making, long-form structure, and the unique distribution opportunities provided by the popularity of personal tablets and smart phones.  It’s a clever idea, one I think a lot of people have been waiting for, and I will definitely be checking out the app to see if it delivers.

I recently met with Edelstein to talk about the project and get a sneak peak at Haunting Melissa.  He filled me in on the genesis of the project, what kind of interactivity people can expect from the app, figuring out the writing process on such a new format, how post-production was different than his work on films, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Opening this weekend is Aftershock, a fictionalized disaster film loosely based on the 2010 Chilean earthquake, staring Eli Roth as Gringo, an American divorcée touring through Chile with his friends Ariel (Ariel Levy) and Pollo (Nicolas Martinez).  After meeting a trio of beautiful women (Andrea Osvart, Lorenza Izzo, and Natasha Yarovenko) the group heads out for a night of drunken debauchery, but when a devastating earthquake hits they must do whatever it takes to survive a night of recurring aftershocks, escaped convicts, and panicking civilians.  Directed by Nicolas Lopez, Aftershock takes a decidedly “genre” approach to the subject matter setting up death after bloody death and delivering on gruesome effects.  Aftershock is available in select theaters and on VOD May 10th.

At a recent press day for the film I sat down for a one on one interview with Lorenza Izzo.  We talked about her unique casting story, working with Eli and Lopez, working with practical effects, shooting The Green Inferno, and more.  Hit the jump to see what she had to say.

Opening this week Aftershock, a fictionalized disaster film loosely based on the 2010 Chilean earthquake, staring Eli Roth as as Gringo, an American divorcée touring through Chile with his friends Ariel (Ariel Levy) and Pollo (Nicolas Martinez).  After meeting a trio of beautiful women (Andrea Osvart, Lorenza Izzo, and Natasha Yarovenko) the group heads out for a night of drunken debauchery, but when a devastating earthquake hits they must do whatever it takes to survive a night of recurring aftershocks, escaped convicts, and panicking civilians.  Directed by Nicolas Lopez, Aftershock takes a decidedly “genre” approach to the subject matter setting up death after bloody death and delivering on gruesome effects.  Aftershock is available in select theaters and on VOD May 10th.

At a recent press day for the film I sat down for a one on one interview with Andrea Osvart.  We talked about working with Eli Roth, Nicholas Lopez’s directorial style, shooting in Chile, and her next project Anita B, and more.  Hit the jump to see what she had to say.

Co-writer/producer Eli Roth takes on his first starring role in Aftershock, a fictionalized disaster film loosely based on the 2010 Chilean earthquake.  Roth stars as Gringo, an American divorcée touring through Chile with his friends Ariel (Ariel Levy) and Pollo (Nicolas Martinez).  After meeting a trio of beautiful women (Andrea Osvart, Lorenza Izzo, and Natasha Yarovenko) the group heads out for a night of drunken debauchery, but when a devastating earthquake hits they must do whatever it takes to survive a night of recurring aftershocks, escaped convicts, and panicking civilians.  Directed by Nicolas Lopez, Aftershock takes a decidedly “genre” approach to the subject matter setting up death after bloody death and delivering on gruesome effects.  Aftershock is available in select theaters and on VOD May 10th.

At a recent LA press day I sat down with Roth for a one on one interview.  We talked about morality in disaster films, how much of the story is based on real events, Nicholas Lopez’s innovative approach to directing, and making a realistic disaster film with a limited budget.  We also talked about Green Inferno, his hopes to premiere at Toronto, how new technology is changing the industry, and much more.  Hit the jump to check out what he had to say.

Last night the Arclight Hollywood hosted AFI’s Night at the Movies, a celebration of 13 great American films hosted by the stars that helped make them famous.  As a part of the event Kurt Russell was on hand to introduce a screening of John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing.  Having been born a few years too late for The Thing’s theatrical run, I take every opportunity I can to watch it on the big screen and my favorite part is always the audience.  You can’t beat an audience that’s just as excited to be there as you are; an audience that screams, cheers and applauds at all the right moments – that is, I used to think you couldn’t beat it until last night’s screening.  Turns out a little reminiscing from Russell beforehand make the whole thing just that much more fantastic.  Hit the jump to check out the highlights of what he had to say.

After a three year delay 6 Souls is finally available to watch here in the states.  The film was released in the UK under the title Shelter back in 2010.  When a movie sits on the shelf that long it’s usually the sign of something rotten in Denmark, but 6 Souls is actually a pretty fun movie with a killer cast.  The story follows psychiatrist Clara (Julianne Moore) as she attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding a Dissociative Identity patient (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) with a unique set of symptoms.   Directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein (Underworld: Awakening) and written by Michael Cooney (Identity), the film also stars Jeffrey DeMunn and Frances Conroy.

During a recent press day for the film I landed an exclusive phone interview with Michael Cooney.  We talked about the similarities between 6 Souls and Identity, the film’s impressive cast, his research for the mystical elements of 6 Souls, and how the script changed over the course of production.  We also discussed his writing process, his stage career, what’s coming up next, and a lot more.  Hit the jump for the full interview.

Hemlock Grove, based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name, puts a spin on the current trend of werewolves and vampires, replacing love triangles with body parts and unconsummated longing with raunchy, bloody sex.  The story picks up in the small town of Hemlock Grove following a string of grisly murders when new boy in town, Peter Rumancek, gypsy trailer trash and rumored werewolf, comes under suspicion for the crime.  Peter finds an unlikely ally in Roman Godfrey, golden boy of the wealthy and influential Godfrey estate, Hemlock Grove’s resident wealthy philanthropists in the model of the Carnegies.  Together the pair attempts to solve the mystery of the murder before the killer can strike again.  From Producers Eli Roth, Lee Shipman, and Mark Verheiden, the show stars Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Lili Taylor, Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell, Freya Tingley, Kandyse McClure, and Aaron Douglas, and premieres April 19^th on Netflix.

Shortly before the WonderCon panel producers Mark Verheiden, Brian McGreevy, and Lee Shipman sat down for a roundtable interview.  We talked about the creative freedom of working on Netflix, how close the show sticks to the book, translating the story from page to screen, the mythology of the story, Peter and Roman’s relationship, Hemlock Grove’s roots in Pittsburgh and more.  Check out the full interview after the jump.  Please be aware that this interview has light spoilers for the first three episodes.

Hemlock Grove, based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name, puts a spin on the current trend of werewolves and vampires, replacing love triangles with body parts and unconsummated longing with raunchy, bloody sex.  The story picks up in the small town of Hemlock Grove following a string of grisly murders when new boy in town, Peter Rumancek, gypsy trailer trash and rumored werewolf, comes under suspicion for the crime.  Peter finds an unlikely ally in Roman Godfrey, golden boy of the wealthy and influential Godfrey estate, Hemlock Grove’s resident wealthy philanthropists in the model of the Carnegies.  Together the pair attempts to solve the mystery of the murder before the killer can strike again.  The show stars Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Lili Taylor, and Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron.

Shortly before the WonderCon panel (here’s my recap), executive producer Eli Roth and director Deran Sarafian sat down for a roundtable interview.  We talked about what attracted Roth to the TV format, what they loved about the book, creating a unique werewolf transformation, balancing the gore with good story, Roman and Peter’s Unique Relationship, and more. Check out the full interview after the jump. Please be aware that there are minor spoilers for the first three episodes.

What is there to say about Bruce Campbell?  For horror fans the world over Campbell transcends “actor” status and lands firmly in the category of “icon”. Today I was lucky enough to fulfill a lifelong dream and interview the man, the myth, the legend; the chin himself. Needless to say, it was awesome. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead is a classic of the genre and when the remake was first announced the general reaction was skeptical, to put it kindly, so when the film premiered at SXSW earlier this month fans breathed a collective sigh of relief as positive reports poured out of Austin.

Shortly before the Evil Dead panel at WonderCon (here’s our recap), I sat down with Campbell for an exclusive interview. He talked about the success of the premiere at SXSW, the communal experience of watching horror films, why it was surprisingly easy for them to get an “R” rating, his hands-on approach to producing, carrying that over to the sequel, and the toll filming took on the actors. We also discussed the possibility of Army of Darkness 2, his presence on twitter, and his post Burn Notice plans. Check out the full interview after the jump. 

The cast and crew of Under the Dome, the latest in the seemingly endless slew of Stephen King adaptations, was on hand today to give fans a sneak peak at what the new CBS show has to offer. The story kicks off after the town of Chester’s Mill is inexplicably encased in an invisible and impenetrable dome. As an avid reader of King’s novels I have to admit that Under the Dome is not my favorite of his works, but the premise has great potential for episodic adaptation, particularly with “Y: The Last Man” and Lost scribe Brian K. Vaughan at the helm.

Under the Dome, which premieres June 24^th on CBS, stars Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Mike Vogel, R. Keith Harris, and Britt Robertson. Hit the jump for highlights from the panel.

The cast and crew of Hemlock Grove, the second offering in Netflix’s slate of original shows, was on hand this weekend to give a glimpse into the mysteries of the twisted town. The show, produced by Eli Roth and based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name, puts a spin on the current trend of werewolves and vampires, replacing love triangles with body parts and unconsummated longing with raunchy, bloody sex.

The story picks up in the wake of a grisly murder.  The new boy in town Peter Rumancek, gypsy trailer trash and rumored werewolf, comes under suspicion for the crime. Peter finds an unlikely ally in Roman Godfrey, golden boy of the wealthy and influential Godfrey estate, Hemlock Grove’s resident wealthy philanthropists in the model of the Carnegies.  Together the pair attempts to solve the mystery of the murder before the killer can strike again. Staring Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Lili Taylor, Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell, Freya Tingley, Kandyse McClure, and Aaron Douglas, Hemlock Grove premieres April 19^th on Netflix. Hit the jump for the full panel recap.

Eli Rothis one of those guys who seemingly never stops working.  Whether serving as director, producer, actor, or some combination thereof, he’s always got a bounty of projects on the table.  This year is no different and first up is The Last Exorcism 2, opening March 1^st, for which Roth returns as producer.  Part 2 continues where the first film left off, Louisiana farm girl Nell (Ashley Bell) is found alone in the woods with her family dead and no memory of what happened.  As she tries to build a new life for herself in New Orleans pieces of her past begin to resurface and she discovers that the demon inside her is in no hurry to let her go.

I recently landed an exclusive phone interview with Roth.  He talked about coming up with a new approach for the sequel, the difficulty of titling the sequel, and whether fans can expect to have their questions answered.  He also talked about getting back in the director’s chair with The Green Inferno, shooting in the Amazon, the status on Thanksgiving, stepping into television format with Hemlock Grove, and working with Ti West on The Sacrament.  Check out the full transcript after the jump.

Now playing is The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia.  Based on a true story, the sort-of sequel is not a continuation of the Campbells’ story from the first film, but follows a new family, the Wyricks, as they confront the supernatural.  Andy (Chad Michael Murray) and Lisa (Abigail Spencer) move their daughter (Emily Alyn Lind) to a historical Georgia home, joined by Lisa’s free-spirited sister Joyce (Katee Sackhoff) the Wyricks soon find themselves face to face with the ghosts of the Underground Railroad.

I recently landed an exclusive interview with Chad Michael Murray.  We talked about what attracted him to the role, what it was like playing a father, his favorite horror films, and, meeting the Wyrick family.  We also discussed the Sundance success of Fruitvale, what people can expect from Cavemen, and trying his hand at comedy.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Opening this weekend is The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia.  The sort-of sequel is not a continuation of the Campbells’ story from the first film, but follows a new family, the Wyricks, as they confront the supernatural.  Andy (Chad Michael Murray) and Lisa (Abigail Spencer) move their daughter (Emily Alyn Lind) to a historical Georgia home, joined by Lisa’s free-spirited sister Joyce (Katee Sackhoff) the Wyricks soon find themselves face to face with the ghosts of the Underground Railroad.

At the recent Los Angeles press day I got to talk with actresses Katee Sackhoff and Emily Alyn Lind.  They talked about what kind of horror movies they like, playing characters based on real people, staying in a haunted house, and surviving the elements on set.  Check out the interview after the jump.

Opening this weekend is director Taylor Hackford’s (Ray) Parker.  Based on the novel Flashfire by Donald E.  Westlake (published under the pseudonym Richard Stark) the crime thriller stars Jason Statham as the title character, a professional thief with a strict personal code of ethics.  Parker doesn’t steal from people who can’t afford it, he doesn’t hurt people who don’t deserve it, and if you break his rules he will hunt you down and make you pay.  When his team double crosses him on the job and leaves him for dead he tracks them to Palm Beach with a mission for vengeance.  The film also stars Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Nick Nolte, Clifton Collins, Wendell Pierce and Micah Hauptman.