Austin Film Festival (AFF), (OCT 27—NOV 3, 2022)  has announced that The Whale will serve as the festival’s Opening Night selection. Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, BLACK SWAN, The Wrestler). 

Additionally, AFF is hosting a special screening of James Gray’s latest film Armageddon Time, with Gray in attendance to receive this year’s Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting. The festival is also welcoming a wide slate of films including Israeli filmmaker Jonathan Dekel’s Checkout and the world premiere of local Austin filmmaker Riley Cusick’s The Wild Man.

THE WILD MAN
WORLD PREMIERE

Writer/Director: Riley Cusick

Synopsis: A son takes care of his father with a deteriorating mental condition where he believes he’s a wild animal. The films cast includes Cusick, Larry Fessenden, Jenna Kanell, and Kelli Maroney. 

Check Out the Austin Film Fest Website

Horror anthology films have existed since the era of silent movies, offering a collection of at least three short horror films, each with a unique premise and a different cast. While some horror movies run out of steam as they stretch their story to 90 minutes, anthology shorts have the benefit of wrapping things up in a taut 20-30 minutes.

The concept owes much to short story books. Stephen King, in particular, has published many short story collections that have been adapted within anthology films. He even provided the screenplay for the horror anthology Creepshow. With the rise of TV shows such as Black Mirror, anthologies have found a new home on streaming services and more horror films are being produced in the genre than ever before. Below are ten of the highest-rated by critics.

‘ABCs of Death 2’ (2014) RT Score: 73%

Based on the concept that each entry must relate to a letter of the alphabet, ABCs of Death 2features 26 short horror films directed by 26 different filmmakers. There is no wraparound story, so audiences can expect to experience tonal whiplash as the films leap between grotesque, laugh-out-loud funny, and disturbing.

As well as featuring famous horror names such as Larry Fessenden, Jen and Sylvia Soska, and Vincenzo Natali, the anthology also invited amateur filmmakers to submit their films for the letter M with the winner appearing in the film. While some shorts are weaker than others, the overall package makes for a more consistent and enjoyable watch when compared to its predecessor.

‘Southbound’ (2015) RT Score: 81%

Produced by Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting fame, Southbound is an underrated horror anthology that tells five tales all centered around the same stretch of highway in the US. There is a prevailing theory that the characters are stuck in purgatory, as they face scenarios that include evil spirits, shady old people, and masked intruders.

Having the stories directly lead into each other, rather than having a wraparound segment, allows the film to avoid the massive tonal shifts that some anthologies suffer from. Southbound features segments by filmmakers who have become some of the brightest names in horror going forward, such as Radio Silence (the latest Scream) and David Bruckner (the upcoming Hellraiser reboot). Southbound is available to stream on Hulu and Tubi.

See whole list at Collider

Rue-Morgue chats with GEP pal James Felix McKenney (HYPOTHERMIA, SATAN HATES YOU) on Glass Eye Pix, AUTOMATONS at MoMA and the making of his newest sci-fi feature, WRACK, available on Blu-Ray and VOD tomorrow!

From RUE MORGUE: Multi-faceted film director, comic book author, and toy craftsman James Felix McKenney began auspiciously as part of the talented outfit at Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix, lending his ingenuity to a variety of low-budget horror and sci-fi projects. His early features, the eccentric supernatural film The Off Season (2004), and blood-soaked satire Canniballistic! (2002), heralded a talent with his sights set on idiosyncratic and biting work in the genre.

Read Full Interview HERE

THAT’S FAR ENOUGH came out of plague isolation and a crucial long distance connection
between Robert O. Leaver (Birdthrower, This Wilderness)
and Phil Puleo (Swans, Cop Shoot Cop, The Children…)

THE DEEP END, a 16mm short thriller directed by Jack Fessenden (FOXHOLE, STRAY BULLETS) will premiere at The Woodstock Film Festival 2022. Starring Annabel Asher, Cody Kostro, Matthew James Ballinger, Garrett Forster & Roger Peltzman.

A piano tuner gets caught up in a botched home invasion.

As part of the FIGHT OR FLIGHT block.
Friday, September 30, 2022 8:45 PM EDT
Woodstock Community Center

See Full Festival Lineup HERE

SUMMONERS, directed by Terence Krey to premiere at the
The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Starring Christine Nyland,
 McLean Peterson and Fessenden.

From BHFF: Former witch Jessica Whitman hasn’t casted a spell in almost ten years. When her childhood friend Alana Wheeler desperately seeks her help in performing a dark spell, Jessica is plunged back into a world of witchcraft more dangerous and powerful than ever before. Terence Krey and Christine Nyland, the filmmaking team behind 2020’s indie gem AN UNQUIET GRAVE, followed their witchy hearts with this deeply humanistic chiller co-starring indie icon Larry Fessenden. 

See Full Lineup HERE

Leon Vitali, an actor and filmworker
for the late Stanley Kubrick.

Leon Vitali performs alongside Barbara Crampton in COLD READING,
live at the Tales From Beyond The Pale: Stanley Edition, Colorado 2015.

From Buzzfeed:

#1 MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND; This unnerving Glass Eye Pix production following an illegal immigrant (writer/director Ana Asensio) who accepts a mysterious and clandestine opportunity to make money quick in New York City garnered high praise from critics with a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, but has been largely unseen to wider audiences due to its limited release from Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn themes.

See Full List HERE