Synopsis (courtesy Boku Films):
On the outskirts of civilization, a remote test facility lays ruin following a catastrophic security breach. All that remains is a handful of survivors, their small armory of weapons, and a fleet of the infected. The breach lead to a viral outbreak that left hundreds dead or mutated. Now the infected walk the land, stalking the few that stayed alive.

Led by private military operative Max Gatling (Dolph Lundgren), our heroes have learned to fight against the infected, in hopes that rescue will soon come from the outside world. What they weren’t expecting, though, was the emergence of another deadly threat.

The breach also gave way to the escape of a band of malfunctioning prototype robots. Armed and incredibly dangerous, the robots could either be an indomitable force… or an unexpected ally in their battle against the infected masses.

Source: Twitch

THE WALKING DEAD

“PRETTY MUCH DEAD ALREADY”

Season 2, Episode 7

Review by Andy Greene

It’s been a couple months since the midseason finale of The Walking Dead, and with AMC’s hit ramping up just in time for Valentine’s Day, it’s time to look back at “Pretty Much Dead Already,” an episode that proves to be a turning point for the show and many of its characters.

TWD is one of the best shows on TV, and that’s even if it sometimes devolves into scenes from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (albeit with zombies). Every single plot and subplot of this episode involves an argument between two or more characters. But it works because these characters are so rich, their emotions so real; the struggle to retain one’s humanity when in hell is really the focus of the show, not the (external) monsters they are fighting, which sounds a lot like a play to me.

The season so far has dwelled on the growing heat in the rivalry between former best buds Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Shane (Jon Bernthal) and who is the best leader, who/what is right and wrong, and what’s best for their group. It has also focused on the search and rescue for Sophia, and the growing heroics and complexities that color Daryl (fan favorite Norman Reedus) as he spearheads the task. In this episode, we (finally) get the answer we were looking for with Sophia (one that many won’t expect), and perhaps an answer in the Rick and Shane debate.

The action begins with Glenn (Steven Yeun practically jumps from the panels of Kirkman’s comic book) telling the camp that Herschel has been keeping live zombies in the barn this entire time. Obviously, this sparks uproar and reignites the debate over Herschel’s rules on the farm, particularly between Rick and Shane in another in a sea of moments that highlight both Lincoln and Bernthal’s Emmy candidacy. Rick clings to the notion that they are guests and must obey Herschel’s wishes against arms to stay in this haven they’ve found, whereas Shane doesn’t see the point in staying somewhere that clearly isn’t safe with zombies lurking and without guns at hand to kill them.

Daryl packs up again to go off looking for Sophie perhaps too quickly after his recent injuries, and Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) expresses concern over his safety. Daryl’s not used to anyone’s concern, especially when he’s trying to find Carol’s daughter, so he blows up in her face. Rude.

Moral compass Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), like clockwork, expresses concern over Andrea’s (Amy Holden) association with Shane and what he’s become and whether she really wants to be like him. As always, it blows up in Dale’s face. This time, he responds rashly by grabbing the remaining weapons to hide them in the woods.

Off to the side, Maggie and Glenn continue their adolescent tiff over Glenn revealing the secret about the barn, but their burgeoning relationship proves to be the only (and very much welcome) bright spot in the series right now, and Glenn’s speech to Maggie is the cutest darn thing you’ll ever hear. Yes, I love them, which probably means one or both will be food soon enough.

Rick goes to Herschel (Scott Wilson) to discuss the news about the barn, ever the diplomat. Naïve to the danger of the outside world, Herschel refuses to negotiate, believing his “conscience is clear,” and that they should be on their way in the coming days. Rick reveals his ace in the hole that Lori is pregnant and stomps off to get in more arguments. Maggie (the luminous Lauren Cohan) overhears the dispute and lets her father have it for wanting to leave Rick’s camp out in the cold. Herschel decides to show Rick what they do with the “sick” in a final effort to get their clan to follow his rules.

There’s a great little scene between Shane and Carl (Chandler Riggs), where Carl stands up for Sophia and what he believes is right, and with Rick’s sheriff hat on his head, is symbolically mini-Rick. He’s clearly chosen his father over his father figure. This, coupled with news of Lori’s pregnancy and how he’s (again) dismissed by Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), brings Shane past the point of no return and off to get his weapons back, which leads to one of the best and most tragic sequences of the series that wraps up all of the disparate elements of this episode and of the season so far all together in a bloody bow.

At times this season, WD has plodded along as slowly as the “walkers” themselves, but even so, these characters have been a treat to spend a tension filled hour with every week. But I think the end of this episode signals a pickup of the pace, and that even direr moments loom. That’s bad news for Rick and company, but good for us. This episode, and really, ever since the middle of the first season, this show has made a statement that it is a completely different entity than the excellent Robert Kirkman comic book upon which it is based. It takes guts to stray from sacred source material, but to this point, it’s been a shrewd move (most likely due to Kirkman’s direct involvement), and has made WD unpredictable for everyone, even for those who thought they knew what was going to happen next.

B-MOVIE REELS

by Alan Spencer
Samhain Publishing

Review by John Scappini 

B-Movie Reels has a lot going on. It’s sort of like a horror quiche, throw in a few toxic mutants, deranged lunatics, some magic, some zombies, set the oven to gory—and voila, you have Alan Spencer’s monster-movie mashup.

Set in the unfortunate rural town of Anderson Mills, B-Movie Reels tells the story of Andy Ryerson, a recent college grad. Tasked with reviewing a crate of lousy B-movies for his old professor, Andy’s uncle Ned helpfully puts him up in his old home, a house that has more than just central air going on within its woodwork. Mayhem, and quite a bit of dismemberment, ensues when the characters and creatures from the B-movies begin to materialize and attack the townspeople.

As they’re taken from made-up B-movies, the monsters all have wonderfully ham-fisted origins, and the sections describing the movies and their monsters are probably the best part of the book. The titles alone are great: Humanoid Rat Eats Indiana, The Clothesline Killer, Jorg: The Hungry Butcher, Attack of the Sludge. The Mallet Killer may be my favorite though; a young man runs away to join the carnival and avoid the Vietnam War, loses his mind, and begins to bludgeon everything in sight with the carnie mallet.

It’s not the most well-written story you’ll ever come across—characters tend to have just enough information in order to fill in backstory, and Andy has a strange habit of talking to himself at length, but that would be missing the point. B-Movie Reels is, as the title suggests, a throwback—a fun, campy, cheesy book with a high body count. If you like 60s and 70s style low budget horror films, you’ll enjoy this fun homage to the genre.

Intergroove/Film Savoy is releasing the film on January 27th on region free DVD and Blu-ray, with the tweaked title of COLLAPSE OF THE LIVING DEAD. The picture stars Chris (TWIN PEAKS, BOARDWALK EMPIRE) Mulkey, Karen (ST.ELSEWHERE, HEARTBREAK HOTEL) Landry, and the omnipresent Linnea Quigley. Toby (THE WALKING DEAD) Sells handled special make-up effects. COLLAPSE is looking for U.S. release later this year, so stay tuned.

Synopsis:
“The normal worries of a struggling small town farmer are blown away when the world is suddenly overrun by undead monsters. How can a good man protect and provide for his family in a hostile world without becoming a monster himself? “ 

The Blu-ray and DVD can be ordered at Amazon’s UK site. Below is the trailer, some stills, and the Intergroove cover art.

You can order yourself a crimson and colorless Grimes at the Toys R Us website. Enjoy, ghouls!

Synopsis (courtesy the Seattle Times):
“‘R’ is a zombie. After a zombie apocalypse, he slowly moves through an America made up of collapsed buildings, rusted cars, shattered glass, and hollowed-out high-rises. He can speak only in grunts and simple syllables and craves human brains to get high on the memories they contain. After eating the brain of a suicidal teen, R is overcome with love for the teen’s companion, Julie Grigio. R rescues Julie from certain death by his zombie pack and takes her back to his lair. She eventually leaves, and R follows her to back to Citi Stadium, the largest remaining human habitation” 

The film lands in theaters on August 10. Expect a lot more preview footage and pics in the coming weeks.

(Image credit: Collider)

Nicholas Hoult as "R" in WARM BODIES (Image Courtesy Summit Entertainment)

Synopsis (courtesy BBC America):
“THE FADES  is a coming-of-age fantasy drama showcasing the supernatural skills of a reluctant teenager named Paul (as played by Iain De Caestecker). His best friend, Mac (Daniel Kaluuya), as well as his therapist, are completely stunned by the apocalyptic dreams that he’s been having. His twin sister Anna (Lily Loveless) is also unsympathetic of his socially awkward behavior.

As if things aren’t difficult enough, Paul is seeing the spirits of the dead (known as Fades) all around him. An embittered Fade finds a way to break the barrier between the dead and the living, aiming its vengeance at Paul, Mac and their loved ones. Soon the fate of humanity rests in the hands of the two best friends, who already have enough trouble getting through the day in one piece, let alone saving the world.”

Enjoy the trailer and some stills (courtesy BBC America) from season 1.

Description from Spawn.com:
Sharpen up your survival skills, McFarlane Toys is introducing a new line of figures inspired by the highly acclaimed AMC television show THE WALKING DEAD. The TV series, adapted from the WALKING DEAD comic book series, follows a group of survivors, led by Deputy Rick Grimes, as they travel in search of a safe and secure home after a zombie apocalypse.

FAMOUS MONSTERS has a preview of the figures, hitting stores later this month, and your shelves shortly thereafter…

Click thumbnails for full image:

In what seems like an amazing collision between THE BREAKFAST CLUB and SHAUN OF THE DEAD, writer/director Alex Craig Mann brings us DETENTION OF THE DEAD a Teen Zombie comedy currently in post-production.

Comedy and Horror unite in this tale about a group of oddball high school students who find themselves trapped in detention during a Zombie Apocalypse. Can they put their differences aside and work together to survive the night? Fat chance! This is High School after all.

We’ve got a bunch of images for you to salivate over. Also make sure to check out their official website.

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Jovovich has released three more videos from the set showcasing the closed-down streets, production trailers and co-star Bingbing Li, who plays Ada Wong in the film. Check them out below:

Written and Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION co-stars Sienna Guillory, Colin Salmon, Michelle Rodriguez, Shawn Roberts, Johann Urb, Kevin Durand and Boris Kodjoe. It hits theatres September 14, 2012.