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Plot: A young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls for a charismatic and sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.

Review: Romance and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly. At their core, they’re just similar enough at their base levels that they can intertwine and make a beautiful chorus of emotion. Because what goes better with both genres than obsession? The Dead Thing blends both in a way that is both satisfying and frustrating depending on which part of the narrative. Thankfully all of it is anchored by a standout performance from lead, Blu Hunt.

The Dead Thing is very sexual on the surface, as even the opening title card plays over a scene of a guy going down on Alex (Hunt). But it makes sense as the entire first act is just Alex going on various one-night stands.

Caught in a cycle of disillusioned dates, a young woman believes she's finally found the love of her life... until she discovers his supernatural secret in Elric Kane's new movie The Dead Thing. With the erotic thriller now streaming on Shudder just in time for Valentine's Day, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of catching up with director/co-writer Elric Kane and stars Blu Hunt and Ben Smith-Petersen to discuss their new film, including exploring the movie's themes of dissatisfaction, the importance of spending time with their layered characters, and taking a unique approach to romance gone wrong.

Synopsis: Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.

A woman ghosted by her charming dating app suitor refuses to let go of their relationship in The Dead Thing. We have an exclusive new clip that may have you swiping right on Shudder’s erotic thriller.

The Dead Thing debuts on Shudder on Valentine’s Day.

Elric Kane makes his solo feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Webb Wilcoxen.

In the movie, “Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.

“Alex then sets out to find the one person who made her feel alive. Through her investigation, she reconnects with Kyle, but also digs up a ghastly supernatural secret. The pair quickly...

Stars: Blu Hunt, Katherine Hughes, Ben Smith-Petersen, Josh Marble, Brennan Mejia, Joey Millin, Aerial Washington | Written by Elric Kane, Webb Wilcoxen | Directed by Elric Kane

The Dead Thing opens with an extended montage that gives us a look at Alex and the dead-end routine that takes up her waking hours. Her job is a dead-end position that has something to do with layouts and printing and her social life is a stream of one-nighters arraigned via a hookup app named Friktion, a name that’s meant to evoke the feeling of skin on skin, but serves as an omen of the conflict it’s about to bring her way.

Throw in some Uv light therapy and avoiding her roommate Kara and that’s her existence, I say existence, because it seems a bit of a stretch to call it living. For all intents and purposes, she could be the dead thing the title speaks of.

Who can forget Oscar-nominee Ralph Fiennes' glorious introduction in the beloved film In Bruges (2008), when he receives a troubling call and proceeds to smash his telephone again and again in a fit of rage. His wife storms in and yells, "It's an inanimate f***ing object!" And he immediately fires back, "You're an inanimate f***ing object!" Years later, it's this exact kind of "inanimate object" that has spawned all sorts of changes, conveniences, and problems in our lives, practically becoming more "animate" in the process. The power of phones, particularly mobiles and how much power they have at any given moment in our lives, informs the creepy new thriller, The Dead Thing.

Perhaps you've received the advice, "Still single? Get on the apps!" Followed by, "But be careful out there..." Well, which is it, friends and family? Leave it to the streaming platform Shudder to broach any number of...

All eyes are on the alternate poster for The Dead Thing, pictured below. The erotic thriller drops February 14 on Shudder.

The film will also screen on 35mm at New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles on February 6, IFC Center in New York City on February 11, and Music Box Theatre in Chicago on March 7 and 8 with more cities to be announced.

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road) star with John Karna (“Scream”), Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and Brennan Mejia (“Power Rangers Dino Charge”).

Elric Kane, co-host of Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark podcast, makes his solo feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Webb Wilcoxen.

In the movie, “Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious,...

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If you are a horror fan, then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription, you might be wondering what’s in store for you in February 2025. Don’t worry. There is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month, and we have listed the 10 best movies coming to Shudder in February 2025.

Unfriended: Dark Web (February 1) Credit – Blumhouse Productions

Unfriended: Dark Web is a screenlife horror thriller film written and directed by Stephen Susco. The 2018 follows a teen who finds a laptop with hidden files. When he and his friends try to investigate, they discover that the previous owner of the laptop had access to the dark web and was watching over them. Unfriended: Dark Web stars Colin Woodell,...

In this edition of Horror Highlights, we have the one-night-only theatrical release details for Alejandro G. Alegre's I Heart Willie, trailers for Elric Kane's The Dead Thing and Mark Anthony Green's Opus, and the cover art and release info for John Harrison's new novel Residue: Paramentals Rising.

I Heart Willie Theatrical Release Date: "Hewes Pictures is excited to announce the special One Night Only®, release of I Heart Willie, a Steamboat Willie-inspired horror/slasher, coming exclusively to theaters across North America for One Night Only®, February 26th, 2025. Directed by Alejandro G. Alegre, this chilling origin story presents genre fans with a sinister reimagining of one of the most iconic cartoon characters in history, along with one of the most horrifying love stories of the year.

Synopsis: Popular YouTubers Daniel and Nico are invited to investigate a haunted property drawn by rumors of a malevolent force. The legend...

Dating is brutal, right? In Shudder's upcoming The Dead Thing, it's also terrifying. The streaming platform has now released a trailer for the upcoming horror outing. The indie feature debuted at the Fantasia Film Festival last year before making its way to London's FrightFest and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. While there will be plenty of Valentine's Day movie offerings across streamers, The Dead Thing promises a scary date night when it lands on Shudder on February 14.

Directed by Elric Kane (best known for hosting the podcasts Pure Cinema and Colors of the Dark), the indie thriller follows a young woman named Alex (Blu Hunt), who is disillusioned with dating until she meets a charming man named Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen). A passionate night ensues, but things get eerie quickly after Kyle vanishes. The Dead Thing's official synopsis teases that once Alex reconnects with Kyle, she "digs up a ghastly supernatural secret.

"A stylish, ghostly LA noir." Shudder has unveiled an official trailer for an indie horror thriller film called The Dead Thing, made by filmmaker Elric Kane – who you might also recognize as a voice on the "Pure Cinema" podcast. The film premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival last year, and it also played at FrightFest and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. A young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections falls in love with a charismatic & sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns into a dangerous obsession. Another quick synopsis: A young woman ghosted by her charming dating app suitor refuses to let go of their relationship. The horror stars Blu Hunt as the main character Alex, Katherine Hughes, John Karna, Brennan Mejia, Joey Millin, Ben Smith-Petersen, and Aerial Washington. This trailer doesn't fully reveal what's going on or what's up with this guy, which makes it all the more mysterious.

A woman ghosted by her charming dating app suitor refuses to let go of their relationship in The Dead Thing.

Preview the erotic thriller in the new trailer and images below, ahead of its Shudder release on February 14.

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants) and Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road) star with John Karna (“Scream”), Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and Brennan Mejia (“Power Rangers Dino Charge”).

The indie film marks the solo feature directorial debut of Elric Kane, co-host of Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark podcast, who wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen.

In the movie, “Alex is trapped in a downward spiral of shallow hookups and tepid connections, but she is caught off guard when her dating app swipes lead her into the arms of a mysterious, charming young man Kyle. Despite their passionate night, when the sun rises, the mystery man is nowhere to be found.

Are you a fan of erotic thrillers? If so, you're in for a treat with the upcoming release of The Dead Thing on Shudder. Here's everything you need to know about this thrilling new Shudder original film.

Elric Kane, who is known for his podcast shows Pure Cinema and Colors of the Dark, makes his feature debut with this movie. He directed this 95-minute film as well as co-wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen (The Frontier). In addition, Yellow Veil Pictures and Rubric Pictures are the production companies behind The Dead Thing, with Matt Mercer and Monte Yazzie as producers.

It stars Blu Hunt as a young woman named Alex. Alex finds herself stuck in a cycle of meaningless hookups and unfulfilling connections until a chance swipe on a dating app leads her to Kyle, a mysterious and captivating young barista. After a passionate night together, Kyle vanishes by morning,...

Not long into "Palm Springs," trying to explain the strange situation they find themselves in, Nyles (Andy Samberg) tells Sarah (Cristin Milioti), "This is today. Today is yesterday, and tomorrow is also today. It's one of those infinite time loop situations you might've heard about." Incredulous, she repeats, "That I might've heard about?"

Everyone's heard about infinite time loop situations, at least in the world of cinema. They've been around a while, but ever since 1993's "Groundhog Day," the idea of being stuck in the same day, repeating everything day in and day out, has stuck in the popular consciousness. Several movies have tried to recapture the novelty of "Groundhog Day," using the time loop conceit to examine everything from romantic relationships to social justice issues like police brutality. It's a compelling format, after all; it allows you to examine a life in minute detail, getting deep into a character's...

Shudder has announced today that they have acquired the North American, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand rights to Elric Kane’s solo feature debut, The Dead Thing, ahead of its U.S. premiere at the 2024 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.

The erotic thriller world premiered at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival and will debut on Shudder on February 14, 2025.

The Dead Thing follows “a young woman lost in a series of meaningless connections, who falls in love with a charismatic and sensitive man, who hides a dark secret that turns her affair into a dangerous obsession.”

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants), Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road), John Karna (Lady Bird), and Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) star in the film.

Elric Kane wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen (The Frontier).

“I’ve been a Shudder subscriber since almost day one and preaching about it on podcasts for just as long,...

Scream: The TV Series' abrupt reboot has been addressed by one of the original stars. The show, which premiered on MTV in 2015, did not feature major story or character overlaps with the movies, featuring a new killer with a different mask and a fresh ensemble cast that included Willa Fitzgerald, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Carlson Young, and John Karna during the first two seasons. The delayed season 3, which brought back the Ghostface mask and Roger L. Jackson as the iconic killer's voice, featured an entirely different setting and cast of characters, but Scream season 4 never came to fruition.

Willa Fitzgerald recently sat down for an interview with Perri Nemiroff on Collider Ladies Night while promoting her new serial killer thriller Strange Darling. When asked about the fact that she and her co-stars did not return for Scream season 3, which premiered on VH1 in 2019, she revealed that "I kind of still dont know what happened.

Stars: Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, Katherine Hughes | Written by Elric Kane, Webb Wilcoxen | Directed by Elric Kane

Directed by Elric Kane and co-written by Webb Wilcoxen, The Dead Thing is an erotic thriller with a supernatural twist. By turns haunting, chilling and achingly melancholy, it’s also a compelling drama about digital dating and modern-day malaise.

Set in present-day Los Angeles, the film stars Blu Hunt as Alex, a bored twenty-something working a dead-end office job as a “scanner bitch” and spending her nights with a series of one-night stands she meets through a dating app called Friktion. Meanwhile, there’s increasing tension between her and her best friend Cara (Katherine Hughes), whose flat she has been “temporarily” sharing for more than two years and who is currently recovering from a recently called-off wedding.

One night, Alex meets kind-hearted, sensitive Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen) via the app and sparks...

Yellow Veil Pictures has proudly announced the international premiere of Elric Kane’s debut solo feature, The Dead Thing, an obsessive and lust-driven thriller set to captivate audiences at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest. The film will screen on 26th August at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, promising a unique blend of horror and romance that will leave viewers spellbound.

The Dead Thing marks a significant milestone for Kane, known for his work as the host of the Pure Cinema podcast and Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark podcast. This debut solo feature is based on a script co-written with Webb Wilcoxen and produced by Matt Mercer and Monte Yazzie, with Colors of the Dark co-host Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) serving as executive producer. Yellow Veil Pictures is handling worldwide sales, underscoring the film’s anticipated global appeal.

Starring Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna, and Katherine Hughes, The Dead Thing delves into...

Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck Return to the Hellboy Universe with The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England: "Mike Mignola and his longtime collaborator Ben Stenbeck are joining forces to create the next chapter of the Hellboy Universe in The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England, a new 3-issue miniseries written by Mignola and drawn by Stenbeck with colors by Dave Stewart, with lettering from Clem Robins. Issue 1 will be published in November by Dark Horse Comics. Nineteenth-century paranormal investigator Ed Grey’s illustrious and otherworldly career has been a pivotal part of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy Universe. From his first appearance of Hellboy: Wake the Devil to his unforgettable roles in Hellboy in Hell and Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder, Grey has always been one of the most important and enigmatic figures in the Hellboy Universe.

“Ed Grey...

Yellow Veil Pictures has boarded worldwide sales for Cannes on Elric Kane’s feature The Dead Thing, which it was announced on Thursday will premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in July.

Described as a contemporary haunted romance and urban legend for the internet dating app era, the film follows a young woman who, lost in a string of meaningless hook-ups, falls in love with a sensitive and charismatic man harbouring a dark secret that turns their affair into a twisted obsession.

Kane co-wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen (The Frontier)

The Dead Thing stars Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen...

Inner Child: A young woman struggles with sleep paralysis and visions of a dark figure in a new horror film gearing up for production this spring. Here are details on Inner Child, an upcoming feature from writer / director Natalie Rodriguez:

"Cassie, a twenty-year-old college student, has the same recurring night terror (sleep paralysis), where she sees a dark figure. When a particular night terror becomes too real, taking over her physically, she reaches out to her longtime therapist, Dr. Reid, for guidance. Cassie hopes that Dr. Reid will help put an end to her sleep paralysis. Soon, Cassie comes to terms with reality when she makes a startling connection between her sleep paralysis and childhood trauma. Reopening unresolved wounds, she reckons with the ongoing fear of reverting to the terrified girl she once was. Cassie faces the difficult choice to either cave into her past and relive her horrific...

This article contains spoilers for Scream: The TV Series and the Scream film franchise at large.

The mid-to-late ‘90s was a strange time for film and television, and things were especially bleak for horror fans. Sure, there were the classics from the ‘70s and ‘80s to fall back on, but ironically, those same franchises were almost the ruin of the genre for an entire decade.

By the mid ‘90s, the horror movie genre was all but dead, mostly in part to a myriad of iconic horror franchises that outstayed their welcome, such as Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Much maligned sequels kept being released, but no one came to see them, and it was clear the slasher sub genre needed a shot in the arm.

…Or a knife in the chest?

Coincidentally, it was iconic director Wes Craven, teaming with a relatively unknown screenwriter at...

At the time, Scream 4 seemed like a pretty definitive end for the franchise, providing Sidney Prescott with a second round of closure and riffing on all of the (then) recent trends in horror media. Of course, no matter how satisfying they may be, endings are always bittersweet, so fans were understandably bummed that this would be the last we’d ever see of good old Ghostface. That’s why it makes sense that folks were ecstatic when MTV announced that they were producing a televised follow-up to Scream, Wes Craven’s iconic horror franchise.

After all, a small-screen adaptation of a series known for its satirical meta elements and memorable protagonists could absolutely thrive on network television, especially with the TV horror renaissance of the mid-2010s gifting us with plenty of shows to satirize. From American Horror Story to Hannibal and Bates Motel, there was more than enough...

Exclusive: Minnie Mills, star of Amazon YA series The Summer I Turned Pretty, is moving into the audio world.

Mills is starring in Dump Him!, an audio rom-com series from Meet Cute.

She stars as Ruby, who by day is an average jaded college sophomore, but by night she’s “Venus,” the anonymous campus radio’s relationship expert dispensing advice to lovelorn undergraduates. When Ruby’s boss tells her he’s replacing her with an a cappella hour because Venus “has no impact,” Ruby tells that night’s caller to dump her boyfriend.

Impact achieved: the next morning, campus Queen Bee Paige has dumped high school sweetheart and fellow a cappella star, Parker. Parker, deranged with grief, decides to track down Venus and expose her true identity, and he knows just where to go for help: resident nerd and big-time nobody, Ruby. She’s that geek majoring in investigative journalism,...

At one point, there was hype for The New Mutants, the film that was being promoted as a horror entry in the X-Men franchise… but unfortunately, things didn’t end up going very well for that project. Hopefully it will all work out better for the new genre movie The New Mutants cast member Blu Hunt stars in: The Dead Thing, which is described as being “a neo-realist take on an Invisible Man story”.

According to Deadline, The Dead Thing will see Hunt taking on the role of a

young woman who, lost in a string of meaningless hookups, falls in love with a sensitive and charismatic man who she soon discovers harbors a dark secret that turns their affair into a twisted obsession.

Hunt is joined in the cast by John Karna (Lady Bird) and Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), with Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road...

A friend to many here in the horror community, Elric Kane will be making his directorial debut with The Dead Thing, and Deadline reports that filming has wrapped in Los Angeles.

Blu Hunt (The New Mutants), Ben Smith-Petersen (Mad Max: Fury Road), John Karna (Lady Bird) and Katherine Hughes (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) will star in the film.

Deadline details, “Billed as a neo-realist take on an Invisible Man story and a modern urban legend for the online dating era, the film follows a young woman (Hunt) who, lost in a string of meaningless hookups, falls in love with a sensitive and charismatic man (Petersen) who she soon discovers harbors a dark secret that turns their affair into a twisted obsession.”

Elric Kane wrote the script with Webb Wilcoxen (The Frontier).

Producers for The Dead Thing include Monte Yazzie and Matt Mercer, with Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) on board as executive producer.

After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, The Blazing World is headed to theaters and VOD on October 15th! The film is Carlson Young's feature directorial debut based on her 2018 short film of the same name, and we have a look at the brand new trailer.

"Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge."

Written by Carlson Young & Pierce Brown, the film stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Carlson Young.

The post Watch the New Trailer for Carlson Young’s The Blazing World appeared first on Daily Dead.

"Darkness eats, darkness keeps." Vertical has released an official trailer for the film The Blazing World, marking the feature directorial debut of actress / filmmaker Carlson Young. This first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year. Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman returns to her family home, drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Sundance then adds: "Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge." Freaky! Carlson Young also stars in the film, along with Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, and John Karna. This looks like it goes to really weird, demented, dark places. You just have to see it because - whoa. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Carlson Young's The Blazing World, direct...

30-year-old filmmaker, writer, director, actress Carlson Young came in guns blazing at Sundance this year with her directorial debut, “The Blazing World,” a “feminist horror” and down-the-rabbit-hole surreal fairytale about female trauma. Co-written with Pierce Brown and starring Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, and Young herself, the film was a dark, nightmare fantasy about Margaret (Young), who had been plagued with dreams of a strange world since she was a little girl.

Continue reading ‘The Blazing World’ Trailer: Sundance Trauma Fairytale Looks To Exorcise Demons at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to The Blazing World, the feature helming debut of actor-director Carlson Young (Scream: The TV Series). The fantasy thriller, which had its world premiere earlier this year at the Next section at the Sundance Film Festival, will now get an October 15 day-and-date release.

Young also co-wrote wrote and stars in the pic alongside Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko and John Karna. The plot: Margaret (Young), who ever since she was 6 years old has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown during an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slides further into her twisted inner life, ultimately finding herself on the brink of suicide. Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.

Young wrote the...

Stars: Carlson Young, Udo Kier, Vinessa Shaw, Dermot Mulroney, John Karna, Soko, Lillie Frank, Liz Mikel | Written and Directed by Carlson Young

Actress Carlson Young (best known for Scream: The TV Series) turns writer-director-star with this trippy horror debut, adapted from her own 2018 short film. Inspired by a 1666 sci-fi novel by pioneering author Margaret Cavendish, The Blazing World delivers delivers nightmarish imagery and some decent jump scares, but the simplistic script struggles to match the quality of the visuals.

Young plays Margaret (presumably named in tribute to Cavendish), a depressed student who’s still haunted by the mysterious death of her twin sister Elizabeth (Lillie Frank), who drowned in the swimming pool when they were both children. In particular, she has recurring memories of a sinister figure (Udo Kier) who appeared just before the death, seemingly beckoning both sisters into a black hole.

When Margaret’s frequently bickering parents (Vinessa...

Sundance Film Festival: London has revealed that “Zola” and “Coda” will be among the 2021 lineup, when the festival returns to Picturehouse Central next month.

“Coda” — an acronym meaning “Child of Deaf Adults” — features Marlee Matlin (“The West Wing”) and 19-year-old Emilia Jones (“Locke & Key”) navigating their relationship, while “Zola” is based on a 148-tweet viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah “Zola” Wells. It stars Taylor Paige (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Riley Keough (“Max Max: Fury Road”) and will close the 4-day festival.

Edgar Wright’s rockumentary “The Sparks Brothers,” described as a “musical odyssey,” opens the festival on July 29.

Other feature film offerings, which have been selected from the longer line-up shown at the Sundance Film Festival, include “The Nest,” starring Jude Law (“Sherlock Holmes”), animation “Cryptozoo,” which features Lake Bell (“BoJack Horseman”) and Michael Cera (“Arrested Development”), and documentary “Writing With Fire,” about a female-run Indian newspaper, which...

One of my most anticipated films screening at Sundance is The Blazing World, Carlson Young's feature directorial debut based on the 2018 short film of the same name. Ahead of the movie's Sundance premiere today at 6:00 Pm Et / 3:00 Pm Pt, we're proud to share an exclusive clip with Daily Dead readers, featuring a scene between Carlson Young and Udo Kier!

"Ever since Margaret (Carlson Young) was six years old, she has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown during an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slides further into her twisted inner life, ultimately finding herself on the brink of suicide. Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.

The Blazing World is Carlson Young’s debut feature; it is based on...

Greenbelt Films

Carlson Young's directorial debut, The Blazing World, which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 31, serves as a full-circle moment for the 30-year-old. "I had my first job ever in Austin," she told Popsugar. "So to bring it back there [while filming] and legitimately go back to my roots is not only very fitting for the film but was a really beautiful thing." Young got her start on the Disney Channel in 2007, and since then, she is best known for her roles on Key & Peele, Emily in Paris, and MTV's Scream. The Blazing World once again sees Young delving into the world of horror she became so familiar with during her stint as "scream queen" Brooke Maddox on the hit MTV show.

When it came to making the jump from actor to director, Young was more than ready for the challenge. "I've been acting for a long time,...

While this year's Sundance Film Festival will be experienced differently in the era of Covid-19 (with virtual screenings taking place online and in-person screenings taking place with safety precautions in select theaters across the country), the cinema celebration will continue to highlight vital, impactful, and innovative creators behind and in front of the camera, with more than 70 feature films included in the festival's full lineup.

We've highlighted some of the genre films horror fans can look forward to from the official press release below. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for our upcoming coverage of the festival (taking place January 28th–February 3rd), and visit Sundance's website for more details.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet / Argentina — Sebastian, a man in his thirties, works a series of temporary jobs and he embraces love at every opportunity. He transforms, through a series of short encounters, as the world flirts with possible apocalypse.

MTV's Scream co-stars Carlson Young and John Karna have teamed up to play the leads in a new lockdown short from Timur Bekmambetov and Adam Sidman, producers of Searching and Unfriended. 

Love in Isolation sees Young, who has also appeared in True Blood, Pretty Little Liars and Key and Peele, and Karma, who recently appeared in Valley of the Boom, play two singletons who meet on the dating app Bumble and see their plans to meet in real-life dashed by the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

The entire story is played out on their phones, with the two only speaking to each other via FaceTime, enabling the ...

MTV's Scream co-stars Carlson Young and John Karna have teamed up to play the leads in a new lockdown short from Timur Bekmambetov and Adam Sidman, producers of Searching and Unfriended. 

Love in Isolation sees Young, who has also appeared in True Blood, Pretty Little Liars and Key and Peele, and Karma, who recently appeared in Valley of the Boom, play two singletons who meet on the dating app Bumble and see their plans to meet in real-life dashed by the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

The entire story is played out on their phones, with the two only speaking to each other via FaceTime, enabling the ...

The “Masters of Doom” pilot in the works at USA Network has found its main cast members, as well as its director.

Eduardo Franco (“Booksmart”), Patrick Gibson (“The Oa”), John Karna (“Valley of the Boom”), Jane Ackermann (“Neptune”) and Siobhan Williams (“Deadly Class”) have all joined the cast in central roles, as well as “Succession” star Peter Friedman who has jumped aboard in a recurring guest role. Regular “Saturday Night Live” and “Documentary Now!” director Rhys Thomas will helm the pilot.

“Masters of Doom,” based on David Kushner’s non-fiction book, tells the true story of two computer geniuses in an obscure corner of America who, along with a group of rebellious misfits, created one of the biggest franchise hits of the 90s, the video game “Doom.” John Carmack and John Romero were best friends who became bitter rivals, as they created a video game empire and transformed pop culture forever.

Eduardo Franco (Booksmart) and Patrick Gibson (The Oa) are set as the leads in USA Network’s Masters of Doom pilot, a drama based on David Kushner’s nonfiction book, from James and Dave Franco’s Ramona Films, The Gotham Group and Ucp. John Karna (Valley of the Boom), Jane Ackermann (Neptune) and Siobhan Williams (Deadly Class) round out the series regular cast. Peter Friedman (Succession) is set to recur, and Rhys Thomas has been tapped to direct.

Written and executive produced by WGA Award winner Tom Bissell (Gears of War), Masters of Doom is the true story of two computer geniuses in an obscure corner of America who, along with a group of rebellious misfits, created one of the biggest franchise hits of the ’90s, the video game Doom. Franco and Gibson play best friends who became bitter rivals, as they created a video...

Network: MTV (seasons one and two), VH1 (season three -- )

Episodes: Ongoing (hour)

Seasons: Ongoing

TV show dates: June 30, 2015 -- present

Series status: Has not been cancelled

Performers include: Willa Fitzgerald, Bex Taylor-Klaus, John Karna, Amadeus Serafini, Conner Weil, Carlson Young, Jason Wiles, Tracy Middendorf, Mary J. Blige, Rj Cyler, Keke Palmer, Tyler Posey, C.J. Wallace, Tyga, Giullian Yao Gioiello, Mike Vaughn (voice only), and Roger Jackson (voice only).

TV show description:      

This horror TV series is an adaptation of the slasher film series of the same name. A YouTube video goes viral and soon leads to problems for the teenagers of Lakewood. It serves as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to the town's troubled past.

Emma Duval (Willa Fitzgerald) is known as the "Good Girl" and...

It's been a long road getting VH1's Scream: Resurrection to the screen, but it's well worth the wait.

For the first time since the series began, Scream delivers exactly what the audience wants -- a four and a half hour (not counting commercials) horror movie playing out over three nights.

Gone is the soapy, melodramatic aspect that unsuccessfully tried to throw viewers off the scent of the killer, and it is a fast-paced, well-written horror when every life is on the line.

Scream was a terrific movie franchise that stood the test of time.

After all, it's not the unsuccessful movie franchise that gets a TV series that moves through three seasons.

The first two seasons of MTV's Scream were a bit of a mess.

The complicated story took precidence over the thrills and kills, and that's never a good sign for true horror fans.

Scream: Tyga & C.

The third season of the “Scream” reboot is finally happening — but it’s airing on VH1 instead of it’s original home at MTV. VH1 released the first look trailer today, and announced that the three-night event will kick off on July 8.

From executive producer Queen Latifah, the third season features Academy Award nominee Mary J. Blige, Grammy Award winner Tyga, Cj Wallace (“Notorious”), Keke Palmer (“Akeelah and the Bee”) and model and actress Paris Jackson.

The reboot cast new characters is the classic story of a group of teenagers being targeted by a serial killer in a ghoulish mask and black cloak, wielding a tell-tale bloody knife.

Also Read: Lgbtq Hollywood: 18 Stars Who've Come Out Since Last Year's Pride (Photos)

The first-look trailer finds the Scream killer up to his old tricks, stalking teenagers at their high school, in a corn field and later, in their homes. Jackson’s character opens the door,...

Last night in Los Angeles, two thousand National Geographic fans descended upon The Greek Theatre for the network’s Emmy Contenders Showcase, a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience and concert event.

Upon entry, guests were treated to activations inspired by five Emmy-contending series and one stunning documentary, which just a few months ago picked up an Oscar, and is on the awards path once more.

First, there was a cryo spa, inspired by Life Below Zero. Attendees could step into the shoes of the series’ extreme crew and documentary subjects and get a taste of the subzero temperatures they endure on a daily basis in remote parts of Alaska, while living off the grid.

Following a cryotherapy facial, guests could engage with the producers of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, getting henna tattoos, and tapping into 5,000 years of cultural tradition.

The composer behind Ebola outbreak thriller The Hot Zone, Sean Callery...

It was just last week that we passed along the update that 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment's upcoming three-film adaptation of Goosebumps author R.L. Stine's teen horror book series Fear Street had added Ashley Zukerman, Fred Hechinger, Julia Rehwald, and Jeremy Ford to the cast. That update was a two-parter as we also passed along word that the trilogy lost Queen of Earth and Her Smell writer-director Alex Ross Perry, who was all set to take the helm of the second Fear Street sequel. And today we hear that Stranger Things season two star Sadie Sink has joined the cast as well.

Sadie Sink will be joining a cast that includes the above-mentioned Ashley Zukerman, Fred Hechinger, Julia Rehwald, and Jeremy Ford along with Benjamin Flores Jr., Olivia Welch, Kiana Madeira, and Swamp Thing, Jurassic World star Matt Burke in the role of "Football Coach." Madeira and...

Chris Longo Jan 12, 2019

National Geographic's '90s tech series Valley of The Boom tells the Silicon Valley story like no one else has.

Matthew Carnahan saw only one path when he pitched his vision for a series based on the real-life stories of the ‘90s tech bubble to National Geographic.

The House of Lies creator was never interested in telling a conventional story about clicking keys and endless lines of code. He cooked up something strange, a plan to make a show that was both fresh and innovative, worthy of being set during a period of profound technological advancement. So Carnahan walked into a pitch meeting and told the network that he sought to “ruin the genre.” He wanted the show to be as disruptive, an overused buzzword today, as the Og tech disruptors.

Nat Geo complied and let Carnahan piece together Valley of The Boom, a hybrid scripted-documentary...

Midway through Nat Geo’s latest scripted-documentary hybrid “Valley of the Boom,” three lead characters are assassinated. Bradley Whitford being garroted in the middle of his own series may seem like a major spoiler, but it’s not even a surprise. For one, you’ve been watching the real-life man he’s playing — James Barksdale, 75, and very much alive — recount the same experiences direct to camera for the last three hours. For another, the assassinations are so choreographed, so slowly executed, so obviously over-the-top, that by the time Lamorne Morris’ imaginary “amalgam” of banker types shows up to explain that all these murders are just a metaphor for what happened to their business, the gesture is redundant — and as painful as a bullet to the brain.

“Valley of the Boom” isn’t always hard to watch. For anyone who makes it through the over-caffeinated first hour, there’s insight and...

Chris Longo Dec 20, 2018

Lamorne Morris comes bearing gifts this holiday season: The first episodes of Nat Geo's new series Valley of the Boom.

The story of the internet is still being written, one line of code at time. A handful of major players–Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook–dominate the headlines as they fight to seize the narrative about where the future of technology is going. But what was the internet like during its formative years? How did it lead us here? And who were the major players that took us on this wild ride?

National Geographic’s new series Valley of the Boom tells the story of the early days of the internet by chronicling pivotal stories from the dot-com bubble era. It’s set to premiere on January 13th, but with the show focusing on the tech industry’s original disruptors, the network decided to go new school...

Dirty John is true crime anthology coming to Bravo this winter. The series is based on the popular podcast of the same name that dramatised the crimes of con artist John Meehan. The podcast was created by La Times crime reporter Christopher Goffard, but for the TV series Alexandra Cunningham is taking on the writing duties. The story charts the burgeoning romance between Debra Newell (Connie Britton) and John Meehan (Eric Bana) that eventually descends into manipulation, obsession and ultimately proves deadly. The series will also star Juno Temple, Julia Garner, Kevin Zegers, Keiko Agena and John Karna. What is the […]

The post Dirty John is based on true story of ‘Filthy’ John Meehan appeared first on Monsters and Critics.

The birth of the technology industry is an interesting story, one fueled by big money, hubris and creators’ unique ability to see a world that might be overlaying the one that exists. That’s the message that comes through in about half of National Geographic’s new series, “Valley of the Boom,” which had its world premiere at the Tribeca TV Festival Sept. 21 in advance of its Jan. 13 premiere. The portion of this hybrid scripted-nonfiction show drawn from interviews with real-world tech pioneers and scenesters is light but enlightening.

By contrast, the time the show spends dramatizing the stories its talking heads explain is poorly spent, spinning a relatively thin narrative into a six-episode run through repetitious and tiring use of post-modern storytelling techniques that are as tired today as a dial-up modem.

The series tells the stories of three startups in the 1990s — Netscape, the early web browser; TheGlobe.

The story of how the rise of the Internet changed the world is an important one, but it can also be a little dry. That’s why creator Matthew Carnahan, when tackling the subject for the upcoming Nat Geo series “Valley of the Boom,” decided to have some fun with it.

“I’m interested in the subject matter, but not that interested,” he explained during a panel at the Tribeca TV festival. In the two episodes of the series screened, the story of three rising companies during the 1990s tech boom is told with documentary interviews, scripted reenactments, fourth wall breaks, interpretative dance, and a rap battle. “I just like to play with that stuff, always, and the prankster-ism of the piece is all in service of bringing the audience in on the fun, rather than it being this dry observational experience.”

Joined by cast members Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn,...

Bravo has dropped the first teaser featuring Eric Bana as John Meehan in its true crime anthology Dirty John, produced by Universal Cable Productions. In the chilling clip, we see Meehan (Bana) rehearsing his lines before he goes to meet his next victim.

Written by Chance co-creator Alexandra Cunningham, Dirty John is based on the articles and breakout true-crime podcast from Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard. It centers on John Meehan (Bana), a handsome and romantic charmer who sweeps Debra Newell, played by Connie Britton, off her feet and pulls her into his web of lies. The series chronicles the true story of how a romance with Meehan spiraled into secrets, denial and manipulation.

Britton is executive producing with Reiner, Cunningham, Atlas Entertainment’s Richard Suckle and Charles Roven, and Los Angeles Times Studios’ Mark Herzog, Christopher G. Cowen and Chris Argentieri.

In addition to Bana and Britton, the...