Noticias

When we first started this show, Matt had intended for the show to be a platform to introduce people to the really depraved horror films they had most likely never heard of. While we may have shifted the focus of… Continue Reading →

The post Who Goes There Podcast: Episode 124 – August Underground appeared first on Dread Central.

Stars: David Long, Kristi Ray, Taylor Kowalski, Barbara Weetman, Jon Stafford, Nate Panning, Joy Merrow, Shane Callahan, John Marchioni, Simon Crist, Shaun O’Rourke, Johnny Blanton, Patt Noday, Donna Stamm | Written by Joe Stauffer, David Long | Directed by Joe Stauffer

Those who know me personally within certain circles know that I have something of a distaste for a lot of the underground horror films released over the past couple of years. Especially when it comes to “extreme” underground horror. If I had a penny for the amount of times I have been coaxed in to watching an effort that’s been hyped or included in one one of those tedious “Most Extreme Horror Films!” slideshow videos on Youtube (You’re always going to get a lot of views doing one of those lists by the way!), only to be completely disappointed and bored out of my skull, I’d have...

Stars: Ciara Hanna, Emily O’Brien, Jackie Moore, Russell Geoffrey Banks, Byron Gibson, Jared Cohn, Wallop Terathong, Sara Malakul Lane, Irada Hoyos | Written by James Cullen Bressack, Taryn Hillin | Directed by James Cullen Bressack

Pernicious (adjective), definition:

causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie. deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease. Obsolete. evil; wicked.

Never has there been a film that so clearly lived up to its dictionary definition as James Cullen Bressack’s Pernicious. The film sees three beautiful girls arrive in Thailand to teach English and have a summer filled with adventure but none were prepared for what awaited them. Their nightmare begins when they trio pick up three strangers in a bar; three strangers who disappear with (seemingly) the girls jewelery and a golden statue that was left to rot in the attic, leaving behind only gore-filled dreams that haunt the girls sleep.

Stars: Billi Baker, Michael Thomson, Allira Jaques, Holly Phillips, Rebecca Plint, Sean Gannon, Christian Radford, Darrell Plumridge, Mirko Grillini | Written and Directed by Chris Sun

After the police find Derek’s daughter brutally murdered on the beach, he vows to make the culprit suffer for his actions, even if that person is ‘part of the family.’ With careful research into the history of torture, Derek prepares himself and his basement for a week of brutal tactics that will make his daughter’s killer feel the pain that he has inflicted upon so many others. In a time when stranger danger is ever present, a single father learns that it’s the ones you trust most who have to be watched the closest.

Ive been hearing a lot of buzz around Chris Sun’s new flick Daddy’s Little Girl recently, mainly from the more extreme films fans on some of...

It’s Friday the 13th and a full moon tonight so we let the crazies loose and are bring back one of our favorite staff posts, The Thirteen! If you aren’t familiar with The Thirteen, it was initially conceived to be a Top 13 list of films about a certain topic. Sadly, we started it last September and it fell by the wayside. Read our past two posts:

13 Songs Used in Films That Take On a Haunting Feeling

13 Female Villains & Anti-Heroes in Film

Xtro

contribution by Jeremy Jones

A young boy sees his dad abducted by some unseen force. Three years later a meteor hits in the middle of the woods and brings something icky. Written, directed and scored by Harry Bromley Davenport, Xtro is a demented labor of love. The first twenty minutes are the most chunk blowing worthy moments. Including perhaps the grossest thing ever, walking in on your parents having sex.

Christmas is a time for feel-good movies. It’s a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and the usual Hallmark Hall of Fame drivel that hits the airwaves every December. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the mainstream Christmas classics as much as the next guy. But at night, when my family is all snug in their beds, that’s when I drag out my sick and twisted Christmas collection…

Black Christmas, Christmas Evil, Silent Night Deadly Night, Don’t Open Till Christmas, those are the films I like to cuddle up to with a spiked eggnog. What is my favorite? That’s a difficult question. I love them all for different reasons, but if I had to pick one, I would have to pick a recent import from Finland called Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. A modern mashup of The Thing and the Krampus mythology, it is...

As the movie industry heads the way of the digital download, one of our oldest friends - the VHS tape - is becoming more and more collectible. Some people even get a bit obsessive about their collecting. Such is the case with Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector.

From the Press Release

Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector is a feature-length documentary directed by Dan Kinem and Levi Peretic that sheds light on the growing VHS culture and the community of collectors that still cherish what many refer to as a "dead format." It is a passion project made by true lovers of the format for not only people who love VHS, but also for people who can remember having to rewind a movie before they could watch it and for people who remember the glorious days of going to the video...

If you're a fan of extreme horror, you're probably familiar with Toe Tag Pictures – the independent studio behind the controversial August Underground film series, which continues to shock even the most jaded horror fans a dozen years after the first film's debut. Fred Vogel, the brains behind the Toe Tag team, is not only an award-winning filmmaker, but also a strong advocate for other independent and underground artists, and his latest enterprise is another cool venue for their films and other works to find new audiences: the official Toe Tag Store, which just held its grand opening in Millvale, Pa. In addition to a full stock of videos, artwork, clothing and other collectibles, the store also exhibits original works from featured artists, with new pieces being displayed on a revolving basis, and will also host events. Vogel guides fans on a video walk-through of the shop which you can watch...

Perhaps the most polarizing film on Doctor Gash's Top 10 Greatest Horror Movies…Ever! list is Number 9, The Blair Witch Project. I've heard many people talk about how they detested this film, that nothing happened, that it was a waste of time.

Not only is The Blair Witch Project undeserving of these criticisms, it was one of the most influential and profitable films of its time.

#9-The Blair Witch Project

"I'm afraid to close my eyes, I'm afraid to open them."

Those that criticize the movie certainly missed the point of the effort, but regardless of any negativity, the box office take was staggering. Made on a budget that would barely cover a decent bachelor party in Vegas, Blair Witch ended up bringing in nearly $250,000,000. Not a bad return on your investment. In addition to the earnings, it solidified the found footage sub-genre of horror, and, most impressive of all,...

Hate Crime

Stars: Jody Barton, Nicholas Clark, Greg Depetro, Debbie Diesel, Sloane Morgan Siegel, Maggie Wagner, Tim Moran, Ian Roberts | Written by James Cullen Bressack, Jarret Cohen | Directed by James Cullen Bressack.

Let’s get the standard caveat out of the way first – I hate, no, loathe the “found-footage” sub-genre of horror, it’s often used as a cheap and easy way to tell a bad story. There are of course exceptions to this rule – of which Hate Crime is one.

Hate Crime has, at it’s core, a very simple premise. A family are gathered together to celebrate the birthday of the youngest member and as the father has done every year, he films the occasion. Only this year is different, in the midst of the celebration the family are subjected to a violent home invasion by a trio of masked men brandishing guns and waving swastikas, determined to...

The Queen of the wicked shit, Razakel, has returned with a brand new full-length album featuring 22 tracks of the sickest horrorcore to ever grace the genre. Easily this is the best produced horrorcore release I have heard to date, showcasing some authentically mind blowing lyrics, proving once and for all who the illest female Mc of them all truly is. “Muerta” officially dropping on July 31st, is by far Razakel’s most solid contribution to the genre, over the years she has mastered her craft to a degree that makes her stand out above other similar artists. Just like every other Skr release this record further innovates the genre, rising the bar multiple notches, creating the new standard for quality horrorcore.

Within moments of pressing play, I found myself uncontrollably bobbing my head back and forth in rhythm to the beat. As I progressed down the track list, I found...

Year:  2010Director:  Srdjan SpasojevicCast:  Srdjan Todorovic, Sergej Trifunovic, Jelena Gavrilovic, Katarina Zutic

Milos, an aging male porn star struggling to support his family receives a proposition from a Serbian filmmaker to revive his career by making the ultimate "pornographic art film."   In need of the money, Milos agrees, having no idea that the filmmaker is insane and hellbent on creating a snuff film.  Slowly, he convinces, and ultimately forces, Milos to participate in some of the most depraved, controversial acts ever to be shown in a film.

Vile.  Repulsive. Despicable. Repugnant  Evil.  All of these adjectives have been used to describe A Serbian Film, perhaps one of the most controversial, divisive films of the last few decades.  And while it is extremely easy to dismiss it as such simply disgusting garbage because it pushes the boundaries of taste unlike any film before it by depicting extremely taboo acts, such as infant rape,...

If you've been following along, you've gotten every bit of information we can squeeze out of the creators of The Profane Exhibit anthology film. We've given you some directors, stars and stills. Here's some more for you ... chew on this announcement of yet another director joining the project.

Marian Dora (Melancholie der Engel, Cannibal) will be directing the segment entitled Mors in Tabula (Germany, 10 min.). Rune Erikson of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem penned the score. The Profane Exhibit promoters describe Mayhem as "the black metal band that started it all, the church burning, murder and cannibalism." There's a resume for you!

Starring in Mors in Tabula will be Victor Brandl (Cannibal), Carina Palmer (Jess Franco's Incubus) and Thomas Goersch (Reise nach Agatis).

And for a bit more mayhem, below is a still from the Michael Todd Schneider (of August Underground fame) directed segment, Manna. The image is...

The B-Movie Underground and Trash Film Festival brings their unique collection of international sleaze on Sept. 7-11 in the city of Breda in the Netherlands. Violence, gore, general grossness and perversion are, once again, near and dear to the heart of this fun fest.

From the U.S., the But Fest is screening a few modern underground classics while also celebrating a few of the old masters. Included in the lineup are Usama Alshaibi‘s mind-blowing Muslim sex worker flick Profane, Zach Clark‘s wild weekend of debauchery Vacation! and Dan Nelson & Drew Bolduc‘s over-the-top The Taint.

Plus, But is honoring Cinema of Transgression mastermind Nick Zedd with several screenings of his classic works, such as Thrust in Me, Police State and Whoregasm, as well as his recent public access TV series Electra Elf.

Other films from around world include horror hits like César Ducasse & Mathieu Peteul’s Dark Souls,...

Dread Central has gotten wind of a secretive project being developed entitled The Profane Exhibit, a new anthology film dealing with the nature of corruption that looks to be a no-holds barred shocker. Although just a few slivers of information have been leaked about this ten-part compilation, what we've seen thus far indicates some serious pushing of the boundaries of good taste, and we've got high hopes for it.

Three of the film's ten directors have been announced, and it seems to be a true rogues' gallery running the show at The Profane Exhibit. Try these names on for size:

Directing a segment entitled Manna, straight from one of the most visually disturbing horror films ever created, August Underground's Mordum, is Michael Todd Schneider. That name alone should be enough to curl the toes of even the most hardened viewer. But that's just the beginning.

Manna stars AmberLynn Walker (Guinea Pig...

With The Theatre Bizarre, Chillerama, The ABC’s of Death and now The Profane Exhibit, the horror anthology is making a big come back. The Profane Exhibit, promises to bring together some of the biggest names in the international horror underground scene, and some of those names have now been announced via Twitch. The list contains two Canadian directors and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy doing the score to one of the shorts.

Here are the details on the first three confirmed entries:

Manna – Edmonton, Canada ( 14 mins )

Director: Michael Todd Schneider (August Underground’s Mordum)

Cast: Amber-lynn Walker (Guinea Pig(TV) ) – 1st Apprentice

Madeleine Horn (International Fetish Model) – Priestress

Score: Seb Komor (Icon of Coil, Zombie Girl)

SFX: Autumn Cook (Sella Turcica, Theatre Bizarre)

Jerami Cruise (Murder Set Pieces, Theatre Bizarre, August Underground Series)

Good Wife – Vancouver, Canada (10 mins)

Director: Ryan Nicholson (Live Feed, Gutterballs)

Cast: Dan Ellis (Gutterballs, Hanger...

It's hard to believe that August Underground – considered by even the hardest of hardcore gorehounds to be the sickest, bloodiest, most disturbing horror video series ever made – is already celebrating its tenth anniversary. Even more shocking is the fact that the series' creators, Fred Vogel and Toe Tag Pictures, will be marking the occasion with a special theatrical screening of the entire August Underground series, accompanied by the music of gore-metal gods Necrophagia. It's a sure bet you won't find a more grotesque and brutal event presented all year (not legally, anyway), so this could be a must-see for the bravest and craziest among you. Hit the jump to read all about it and find out if you've got...

Severed Sinema and Toetag are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fred Vogel's August Underground on August 27 at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg Pa. They will be screening the August Underground Trilogy (August Underground, Mordum and Penance) with introductions by the filmmmakers and a live performance by Necrophagia. The event starts at 7:00 Pm. Visit www.shermantheater.com for tickets ($15).

Over the past several months, we’ve attempted to showcase several older films that deserve the attention of the Criterion Collection with our series, For Criterion Consideration. We’ve noticed how other sites are changing the film business as we know it, by showcasing un-produced films. One of these sites right now has been Kickstarter, started in 2009, and has been on a tear these last 2 years in the world of online fundraising for projects of all kinds. They believe that a good idea can spread fast and that a large group of people can be a great source of funding and encouragement. It’s also ‘all or nothing’ funding, which means if you don’t hit your goal, no money exchanges hands. Which then in turn makes it that much more vital for both the website themselves and the project starters to get paid.

What we want these series of...

I honestly thought, in the bubble where I keep my thoughts, that it couldn't get much more extreme than Ennis' run on Crossed. How could it? How could it get worse than heartless, point-blank, kid murder. How could anyone top a married couple getting raped while their little girl is torn limb from limb in front of their screaming eyes? No way! End game. Than I opened the cover to Crossed: Family Values, David Lapham's (Stray Bullets) sequel to Ennis' all-too-short-lived run on Crossed. ....

Parents killing their children, lovers raping... everyone around them. No explanation. Too late for one anyway. Everyone's dead, infected, hiding, or on the run. The infected are easy to spot with their obvious crossed-shaped facial rashes and self-mutilation. The nudity is usually a dead-giveaway as well. They are vicious & they are smart. Nothing like mindless, motionless zombies. They can think. They can hunt. They are infinitely more ruthless.

Directed by: Fred Vogel

Written by: Fred Vogel, Shelby Vogel, Don Moore

Cast: Damien A. Maruscak, Camille Keaton, Jade Risser, Harvey Daniels, Sean P. McCarthy

Fred Vogel has gained a reputation as one of independent horror's most notorious filmmakers. With movies like The Redsin Tower and the August Underground series, Vogel and his production house, Toetag Pictures, have become synonymous with graphic, controversial fare, which makes Vogel's latest project, Sella Turcica, somewhat puzzling to me.

I came to Sella Turcica having never seen a Fred Vogel film. Sure, I've heard about his flicks for years, and I've always meant to see them. Really I have. I love gore as much as, and maybe more than, the next guy. At first, Vogel's movies were too hard to locate. By the time they’d become easily available, the moment had passed. They fell into the category of films I vowed to catch up with later.

Horror films have a difficult obligation to fulfill.

Scaring people with a two dimensional picture isn't as easy as it looks, especially when the crowd you're attempting to spook consists of individuals who have seen it all a million times. I mean, how are you supposed to compete with the internet, which boasts the world's largest library of revolting phenomena? How are you supposed to compete with the nightly news and its harrowing tales of actual human beings butchered en masse by a seemingly cold and uncaring Machine Gun Hand? How do you scare the tune out/drop out next generation of alarmingly jaded bubble gum popping I-Pod heads?

Well, you have to be talented. Most film makers are not. Most film makers are mediocre, at best.

It didn't used to be this difficult. Back in the day, a black and white plastic skeleton could jingle jangle out of a...

As I’m oddly fond of sequels that don’t have much to do with the original film, here’s a disconnected sequel to this article. Oh, and I’d like to make it clear that characters from Last House on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave naturally belong on both lists, but I didn’t feel like getting into the rape-revenge subgenre.

You list one of those flicks, you might as well list ‘em all. Well, maybe that’s being a tad unfair – rape-revenge isn’t the only portion I’m avoiding. The August Underground characters ought to be listed, and that guy from Hostel that made me laugh my head off when he slipped on the blood and chainsawed his own leg… Clearly I’m conflicted. So with that out of the way, let’s make with the hatin’ that I prepared before writing this introduction.

Before you run out and get this for your Halloween party read carefully. This is strong, strong stuff. It's also one of the most thought provoking horror films I've seen in quite some time blurring the lines not so much between documentary and fiction film as between the horror genre and whether or not it has any boundaries. Fledgling film director and horror fan Jt Petty sets out to do a documentary on voyeurism and the horror film and winds up in the world of fetish horror indies interviewing people who make fake snuff movies. As the film progresses we, the viewers, ask ourselves what it is we really want to see and why? Any film that encourages this sort of self-dialogue is the horror genre's friend especially in a society offering little or no support to those constantly tempted, assaulted, preyed on by Buy It Now buttons. 

As Petty interviews forensic psychologists,...

Before you run out and get this for your Halloween party read carefully. This is strong, strong stuff. It's also one of the most thought provoking horror films I've seen in quite some time blurring the lines not so much between documentary and fiction film as between the horror genre and whether or not it has any boundaries. Fledgling film director and horror fan Jt Petty sets out to do a documentary on voyeurism and the horror film and winds up in the world of fetish horror indies interviewing people who make fake snuff movies. As the film progresses we, the viewers, ask ourselves what it is we really want to see and why? Any film that encourages this sort of self-dialogue is the horror genre's friend especially in a society offering little or no support to those constantly tempted, assaulted, preyed on by Buy It Now buttons. 

As Petty interviews forensic psychologists,...

Director Fred Vogel is a nasty, nasty man. His “August Underground” series features some of the most stomach-churning scenes I’ve ever encountered, particularly those found lurking deep within 2007′s “August Underground Penance”. And while “Redsin Tower” left me feeling a little underwhelmed, it looks like Vogel’s back on track with the post-war genre effort “Sella Turcica”. The film follows the exploits of a paralyzed solider (Damien A. Maruscak) who returns home from active duty, only to find that his unusual condition is getting worse with each passing hour. If you think you can handle the madness and the mayhem, the official trailer awaits your attention below. If you’re interested in ordering “Sella Turcica”, pay a quick visit to the Toe Tag store and knock yourself out. The movie should ship this October.

Fgt staff writer Cassandra Bragg catches up with the heroine of the original Day of the Woman (Aka I Spit on Your Grave.)

I recently had the chance to catch up with Miss Camille Keaton (of the 1978 cult classic I Spit on Your Grave) at Toronto’s annual convention of all things worth being a fan of-Toronto, Canada's FanExpo Convention. Miss Keaton, who made her acting debut in the Italian film What Have You Done to Solange?, directed in 1972 by Massimo Dallamano, cemented her place as a 70s scream queen in Giallo films. Miss Keaton could not have been sweeter or more obliging to me. Of course, we talked Italian horror cinema (one of my personal favorite topics), favorite directors, genre films and Day of the Woman/I Spit on your Grave.

Writer Cassandra Bragg with Camille Keaton

When she made Day of the Woman/I Spit on your Grave,...

Brave souls only need venture forth. If you're unfamiliar with Toetag's brand of horrific, true to life horror flicks, there's probably a reason for that. Movies like  the August Underground trilogy, The Redsin Tower, Murder Collection v.1, and Maskhead  can make even the most jaded of horror fans wince. That being said, Toetag annouced about a month ago that Camille Keaton, star of the notorious 1978 exploitation classic I Spit on Your Grave aka Day of the Woman was set to star in Toetag's latest flick, Sella Turcica and today we have the first trailer, check it out below. "For Brad the war is over. For his family it has just begun." The first trailer for Toetag Inc.'s latest...

Brave souls only need venture forth. If you're unfamiliar with Toetag's brand of horrific, true to life horror flicks, there's probably a reason for that. Movies like  the August Underground trilogy, The Redsin Tower, Murder Collection v.1, and Maskhead can make even the most jaded of horror fans wince. That being said, Toetag annouced today that Camille Keaton , star of the notorious 1978 exploitation classic I Spit on Your Grave aka Day of the Woman is set to star in Toetag's latest flick, Sella Turcica. For more on the new flick and a video message from Toetag founder Fred Vogel, hit the jump. From the official press release: The founders of Pittsburgh-based...

Ronny Carlsson, head reviewer of the horror site FilmBizarro.com has made his short films Video Geisteskrank and My Monster available for download online and is working on a short run of DVD-r screeners and a limited VHS release of Vg. Also set to be included as a bonus feature on the upcoming August Underground box set from Toe Tag Pictures, Vg is a highly experimental and surreal short and nice fan tribute to Toe Tag’s Au films.

Pittsburgh-based Fort Street Entertainment is winding up preproduction on its revenge/horror shocker Revenge Is Her Middle Name, an ode to the gruesome drive-in flicks of the 1970s. With his lead cast and crew in place, writer/director Anthony Matthews is getting ready for the shoot, and seeking additional funds for the project.

Lissa Brennan will star as Kat, a drug-addicted prostitute who plots to steal the money she needs to get off the street. Instead, her plan goes haywire and sparks the ire of a pimp called Mutton Chop (Douglas Bell), who has Kat brutally assaulted. From there, it’s payback time in the grisliest possible way, courtesy of makeup FX being created by Jerami Cruise of Toetag Pictures (the folks behind August Underground and The Redsin Tower). Matthews and co. are hoping to receive donations to help with equipment, costumes, FX supplies, etc.; donors will receive screen credit,...

Continuing Simon Augustine's countdown of the Most Disturbing Movies (Read Part 1 for the first 13). [<< #6]

5. The August Underground Trilogy (August Underground 2002, Mordum 2003, Penance 2007) 10/6 [link to request on GreenCine]

Wow, August Underground, you're a piece of work. All your best home movies include you and your psycho girlfriend running around, capturing unsuspecting victims, and dragging then to a basement or attacking them in their home and doing the most unspeakable things to them. (“Unspeakable” is one of those hyperbolic movie-critic stock words, like “unimaginable' or “jaw-dropping,” but not entirely accurate, because I'm about to speak a little bit about the unspeakable.) The trilogy plays like an extended and benumbing snuff movie as the two twentysomething killers videotape their gleeful and absolutely barren adventures in misanthropy...

I hate the term 'torture porn', despise it. I think it drags our beloved genre down…way down. But if there were an argument (or an honor) for one of the first 'torture porn' films, it wouldn't go to Saw or Hostel like many people would tell you. It would go to Fred Vogel for his little film August Underground. After August Underground, Fred went on to form Toe Tag Pictures and has since released 2 sequels to August Underground, in addition to his films The Redsin Tower and Murder Collection Vol. 1. Not only has Toe Tag provided effects for their own films, they also provided the effects for Murder-Set-Pieces (which is the only thing worth discussing when it comes to that film). Toe Tag takes pride in...

Fred Vogel, the creator of the August Underground Trilogy, and Masters of Horror writer Scott Swan ( Cigarette Burns , Pro-Life ) have teamed up for a slice of depravity entitled Maskhead . The film premieres at the But Film Festival in Holland on September 12 and makes its American premiere at Cinema Wasteland on October 4. Maskhead tells the tale of Syl and Maddie, lesbian filmmakers who produce fetish videos with a deadly twist. Each sickening video concludes with somebody getting tortured and killed snuff movie style by a hulking, bandaged brute in a bizarre mask that covers his deformed face. This is "Maskhead," Syl and Maddie's star. With the help of their sociopath associate, The Cowboy, the demented crew begins work on their next series of Maskhead...

with Fred Vogel

part 1 of 2 with the indie madman!

The Horror Talk Radio world gets a little Brutal this week with part one of our two part interview with Toe Tag Pictures' Fred Vogel, the mastermind behind the August Underground Films, The Redsin Tower and the new Murder Collection Volume 1. Also this week Ck and Ub discuss all of the latest happenings in the world of horror. The Creepy Kentuckian along with Jay Reel take your phone calls on all things horror conventions, we make a Major announcement on the Deadpit documentary 'Into The Pit' and review some of the hottest horror discs this side of Floyd County including The Collector's Edition of Wes Craven's original masterpiece 'The Last House on The Left' plus Robert Hall's slasher revival 'Laid To Rest'. All of this and more on the often imitated, #1 rated, show to which many a women masturbated.