Today, Netflix released all 13 episodes of its new original horror series Hemlock Grove, based on the novel of the same name by Brian McGreevy and produced by Eli Roth.  After the critical success of the subscription platform’s House of Cards series, it’s easy to see why viewers would be excited for the next offering.  Hemlock Grove though is worlds away from House of Cards, and while many outlets have slammed the series as being practically unwatchable, I actually have to give it credit for a few things despite its larger flaws.  Put it in the category of “guilty pleasure.”  And, actually, it manages to have a little something for everyone, even those who aren’t horror genre fans.  Hit the jump for more.

Eli Roth is at it again, delivering chills, thrills and bloody disgusting goodness in the newly-released red-band trailer for Netflix’s original series Hemlock Grove.  Roth serves as executive producer for the gothic thriller, based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name.  The story follows the residents of a former steel town in Pennsylvania after the murder of a 17-year-old girl.  Of course, as any investigation goes, it soon begins to unravel the mysteries and obscurities that plague some of its residents.  Grove marks Roth’s first venture into television and will also mark Netflix’s latest original series following the successful release of House of Cards earlier this year.  By the looks of the trailer, they seem to be pushing the boundaries when it comes to R-rated content.  It’s heart-stopping action enveloped in cringe-worthy bloody visuals, with plenty of sex and even a dash of comedy – I’m definitely on board this crazy train.

The series stars Famke Janssen, Penelope Mitchell, Bill Skarsgard, Freya Tingley, and Lili Taylor.  All 13 episodes will be available to Netflix members on Friday, April 19th.  Hit the jump to view the red-band trailer forHemlock Grove.  For more insight on the show and some cool tidbits, check out our set visit here.

Warner Bros. has released the first full-length trailer for director James Wan’s (Saw, Insidious) upcoming horror film The Conjuring.  The first trailer for the film was a genuinely terrifying clip that showcased the kinds of scares Wan has crafted for this latest horror pic, and this new full trailer is no less terrifying.  The film is based on the story of the Perron family who inhabited a haunted Rhode Island farmhouse in the 1970s.  Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston play the Perrons, and Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play a husband and wife team of psychic investigators who encounter the most horrifying case of their career.  Wan recently told the audience at WonderCon that the film received an R-rating simply for being “too scary,” and I’m now fairly certain that I’ll be watching this one through covered eyes this summer.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer, click here to read Dave’s recap of the film’s WonderCon panel, and click here to read our interview with Wan.  The pic also stars Joey King and Mackenzie Foy.  The Conjuring opens on July 19th.

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.

Star Trek‘s J.J. Abrams has wisely added Trek alum Karl Urban and Friday Night Lights star Minka Kelly to the cast of his Fox pilot. The new series, called Human, is described as an action-packed buddy cop show set in a future where all LAPD officers are being partnered up with highly evolved human-like androids.  TV Line reports that Urban will play a character named John Kennex, a respected police officer who has shut down emotionally after a tragic mission left him critically injured. Hit the jump to find out more casting news for Human.

Warner Bros. has released the incredibly creepy first trailer and poster for director James Wan’s (Insidious, Saw) horror film The Conjuring.  The pic is based on the story of the Perron family who inhabited a haunted Rhode Island farmhouse in the 1970s.  Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston play the Perrons, and Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play a husband and wife team of psychic investigators who encounter the most horrifying case of their career.  The film’s release date was moved into the middle of the summer after some through-the-roof test screening responses, and from this trailer I can most certainly see why.  Horror films rarely frighten me, but I found this incredibly well-cut trailer to be extremely effective and just a little bit terrifying.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster, and click here to read Matt’s positive recap of the film’s New York Comic-Con panel.  The film also stars Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, and Shanley Caswell.  The Conjuring opens on July 19th.

The first images from Saw and Insidious director James Wan’s supernatural thriller The Conjuring have been released.  The film has become a curious point of interest as of late, as Warner Bros. recently moved the film from its upcoming January release date to a prime summer spot following some wildly positive test screenings.  Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as a husband and wife team of demonologists and psychic investigators who enter the most horrifying case of their career, spirits in a Rhode Island farmhouse.  The pic is based on the true story of the Perron family who encountered a similar situation in the 1970s.  Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor star as the couple who unknowingly move into the house, and I’m interested to see how one of these small-budget horror films fares in the midst of the blockbusters of the summer.

Hit the jump to check out the first images, and click here to read Matt’s recap from the film’s New York Comic-Con panel.  The Conjuring opens on July 19, 2013.

I went into the panel for The Conjuring knowing nothing about the film other than James Wan (Insidious) directed it and it starred Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston.  I came away thinking that Warner Bros. might have a surprise horror hit on their hands for 2013, and I say this as someone who is not a fan of Wan’s breakthrough film, Saw (I have yet to see Insidious).  We got to see a solid trailer and a clip that really got the crowd going, and it looks like Wan may have created a nice period flick that puts a nice spin on the paranormal investigators-vs-haunted-house horror sub-genre.

Hit the jump for my recap of the panel, click here for all of our New York Comic-Con coverage.

Here is the latest movie release calendar, including new release dates and one release date shuffle:

• We’re the Millers, a pot comedy starring Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston, is set to open August 9th, 2013.
• The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, a magician comedy starring Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, opens March 15th, 2013.
• Prisoners, a thriller starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, opens September 20th, 2013.
• The Conjuring, a horror/thriller starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, now opens six months later on July 19th, 2013.

Hit the jump for more on the films’ synopses and casts.

A new trailer for the porn-centered drama About Cherry has landed online.  The film follows an 18-year-old girl on the verge of finishing high school who ends up in the porn industry.  Ashley Hinshaw stars as the young girl, with James Franco playing a coked-out lawyer who becomes her beau.  The cast is rounded out by Heather Graham, Dev Patel, and Lili Taylor.  The story provides a nice avenue for exploring the ups and downs of the porn industry and whether it plays a role in the objectification of women, but it’s hard to tell if this is the case based on the trailer.  Hopefully something a little deeper than “I make a lot of money but my life is falling apart” is explored in the full feature.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  Directed by Stephen Elliott, About Cherry will be available On Demand on August 9th and hits theaters on September 21st.

We have 5 clips for you from Being Flynn, an adaptation of Nick Flynn‘s memoir Another Bullshit Night In Suck City written and directed by Paul Weitz (Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant).  Paul Dano stars as the fictional Nick Flynn, a young writer who unexpectedly reunites with the father (Robert De Niro) who abandoned him 18 years ago and describes himself as “a master storyteller.”  Olivia Thirlby, Lili Taylor, Wes Studi, and Julianne Moore also star.

Being Flynn opens on March 2.  Watch the clips after the break.

Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor are in negotiations to join the cast of a supernatural thriller formerly known as The Conjuring.  Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as “a husband and wife team of demonologists and psychic investigators who enter the most horrifying case of their career, spirits in a Rhode Island farmhouse.”  Livingston and Taylor will play a couple who unknowingly move into the haunted farmhouse with their kids.

James Wan (Insidious) is directing with a North Carolina shoot in mind for March.  THR says the new working title is “Untitled Warren Files Project.”  When New Line bought the script by Chad and Carey Hayes, they also acquired the life rights for paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as well as the Perron family who moved into the Rhode Island farmhouse in the 1970s.  Hit the jump for more on the real life tale that inspired the project.

The first trailer for the drama Being Flynn has gone online. The film is an adaptation of Nick Flynn’s acclaimed memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, written and directed by Paul Weitz. Paul Dano stars as a writer who takes a job at a homeless shelter, only to run across his long-absent father (Robert De Niro) who is seeking a bed. The story is neat, and the trailer plays pretty well. Dano and De Niro are both capable of great performances, but I can’t tell if Being Flynn will play as an insightful drama, or a heavy-handed soap opera. Weitz was responsible for About a Boy which gives me hope, but his last three films (American Dreamz, Cirque du Freak, and Little Fockers) give me pause. I’m hoping for the best though, as the trailer reminds me a bit of Wonder Boys which is definitely not a bad thing.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The cast also includes Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby, Dale Dickey, and Lili Taylor.

A trio of actors are currently in negotiations to star alongside James Franco in the Stephen Elliott-directed Cherry. Variety reports that Heather Graham, Dev Patel and Lili Taylor are in talks to star in the film, which pits Franco as a cocaine-addicted lawyer. The story revolves around an 18-year-old girl who moves to San Francisco and joins the porn industry. She becomes involved with Franco’s character.

Returning to familiar territory, Graham is eyeing the role of a former porn star turned director who takes an interest in the young girl. Patel would play the girl’s best friend who just happens to also be in love with her, while Taylor will play the girl’s alcoholic mother. Elliot and Lorelei Lee co-wrote the script. Production is set to begin next month in San Francisco, after Franco wraps The Stare with Winona Ryder. He’ll begin shooting Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful this August, bringing his grand total of movies filmed in 2011 to about 37.

Production has begun on Paul Weitz’ adaptation of Nick Flynn’s 2004 memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City.  Obviously, the film won’t be called that so the challenge is to find a title that is somehow more bland than Weitz’ 2004 film, In Good Company.  The plot Another Bullshit Night centers on a writer (played by Paul Dano) who takes a job at homeless shelter and runs into his long-absent father (Robert De Niro) who is seeking a bed.  Olivia Thirlby will play a worker at the shelter while Moore will play the mother of Dano’s character.

In addition to clarifying Moore’s role, the press release from Focus Features also announces that Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under) and Dale Dickey (Winter’s Bone) have joined the cast, but doesn’t specify which roles they’ll play.  Hit the jump for the full press release.  I want to have hope for this film, but Weitz has done his best to extinguish that hope by making American Dreamz, Cirque du Freak, and Little Fockers.