UK VOD Release: Stay Pretty, No Pity

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Tokyo Bay Films is excited to present Stay Pretty, No Pity, which is available to watch on YouTube. 

If a ghost shows herself to you in the mirror and asks: “Do you want to stay pretty?” What would your answer be? 

Stay Pretty, No Pity is a short film that tells the story of Lucy (Maria Ozawa) who fled an abusive relationship and took refuge with her new roommate. Things take a turn for the worst when a ghost appears and shows her seemingly random images. Lucy has three days to decipher the clues of these visions and discover the ghost’s intentions. 

Stay Pretty, No Pity is a spooky extension of the ancient Japanese folklore tale of Oiwa Yotsuya (Yotsuya Kaidan). The original tale followed a samurai who after murdering his wife after she became deformed was haunted by her spirit until he became insane and killed himself. 

Now hundreds of years later, Yotsuya is back! She is punishing ugly characters by recruiting the pretty, starting with Lucy.  

Stay Pretty, No Pity is available to watch on YouTube now here: https://bit.ly/3Eh653b

Experience12 tests your pop-culture knowledge this Christmas!

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 Featuring the best of TV, Gaming and Film from the past year 
 To view the full image & take part in the challenge please visit: www.experience12.com/xmas  
We have finally made it to the end of the year and if there is something we can all agree on, it’s that we have had some amazing entertainment to help us get through it! As is tradition, the incredible team at Experience12 are back at it again with their pop-culture Christmas challenge, and this year it is back bigger & better than before!

As the world opened up following the pandemic, 2021 proved itself to be a bumper year for entertainment. October alone saw 16.4 million cinema admissions – the biggest October since 2012. Consumers are watching nearly 4 hours of TV a day, which although down on 2020 during lockdown, it’s still 50% more than 2019. Also now 93% of 16-24-year-olds are playing video games, which is also up from 73% in 2020.

To celebrate our love for pop culture Experience12 have created their largest pop culture Christmas challenge yet. Hidden in their IP isometric illustration is a total of 47 references across film, TV and video games – some more overt than others, but a true pop culture aficionado will spot them all. We’ve included a tease of the full image above, but head to www.experience12.com/xmas for the full experience! 

POSTERSPY TO LAUNCH NEW COMMUNITY ART SHOW IN LONDON THIS MONTH

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PosterSpy have confirmed that they will be hosting a community art show between 26th – 28th November at Gallery Different in Fitzrovia. The event will see the online platform display some of their finest examples of alternative poster artwork, showcasing amazing pieces from the PosterSpy community & beyond. 

The two primary exhibitions across the weekend will be Terror Twos and The Most Amazing Destination. 

Terror Twos is a community art project led by Si Heard and Cherie Chapman which sees 31 artists creating pieces of artwork based on sequels from horror/sci-fi franchises including Blade, Gremlins, Scream and Final Destination. All 31 pieces will be on display throughout the weekend. 

Artists featured: Jack Foster, Ciarán O Donovan, Alex Schlitz, Christopher Robertson, Kevin Tiernan, Lon Chan, Cherie Chapman, Beth Morris, Neil Fraser, Zoltan Kovacs “Genzo”, Jorge Teles, Ryan Button, Brett Elvidge, Ramunas Strakauskas, Si Heard, Mark Levy, Royalston, Hannah Gillingham, Ben Turner, Estella Budd, Nuno Sarnadas, Lucas Tetrault, Nick Prinzing, Matthew Gallagher, Edgar Ascensão, Steven Key, Erik Kreffel, Heather Vaughan, Sarah Atwa, Neil Davies, Liza Shumskaya. A handful of whom will be in attendance. 
    
 Examples of Terror Twos submissions on display 
PosterSpy will also be exhibiting 15 submissions from their The Most Amazing Destination art challenge. The challenge invited artists to create travel style posters for the one place they would go to after travel lockdowns and bans have concluded. The place could be real or fictional, opening up lots of possibilities for artists. Examples include Star Wars, Alien and Casablanca. 
    
 Examples of The Most Amazing Destination submissions on display 
From 1pm on Saturday 27th November, PosterSpy will also host industry talks and presentations from creative professionals Sam Gilbey, Murugiah, Godmachine and writer/editor duo Jeremy Arblaster & Blaise Radley. 

There will also be a special screening on Sunday (3pm) 28th November of the instant cult classic from Panos Cosmatos, Mandy, starring Nicolas Cage. Tickets include a free snack bag. Mandy attendees are welcome to bring their own snacks, cushions, blankets, to get comfortable for the film and guests will also be treated to a special reveal about an exciting new project PosterSpy are working on. 

For general admission, a physical ticket is not required and walk-ins are welcome. However, in order for PosterSpy to remain safe and minimise large numbers they are recommending guests order the FREE tickets for the days they want to come via this link: https://posterspy.com/posterspy-community-event-book-your-free-tickets

UK VOD Release: Ted Bundy – American Boogeyman

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The Movie Partnership have today confirmed that the upcoming crime thriller Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman will be released in the UK from 6th December across iTunes, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Sky. 

Chad Michael Murray, best known for his roles in One Tree Hill and more recently Riverdale & Marvel’s Agent Carter will play the notorious serial killer alongside horror icon Lin Shaye (Critters, Insidous film series) playing Bundy’s mother, as well as Holland Roden (Teen Wolf) and Jake Hays who makes his feature length film debut. 

Notorious killer, Ted Bundy (Chad Michael Murray), stalks the highways of gritty 1970s America looking for his next victim. Hunting him are FBI agents Kathleen McChesney and (Roden) Robert Ressler (Hays) as they lead the largest manhunt in history to apprehend America’s most infamous serial killer. 

Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman will be available on Digital Download from 6th December and can be pre-ordered here

UK VOD Release: Slumber Party Massacre

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 Starring: Hannah Gonera, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Alex McGregor 
Lightbulb Film Distribution are delighted to share the poster and trailer for new horror feature, Slumber Party Massacre. Featuring an all-female principle cast, this feminist reimagining of Roger Corman’s 1982 cult-classic is smashing the glass ceiling. Slumber Party Massacre will be released on Digital Download on 13th December and  DVD from 10th January. The film had its UK Premiere at Abertoir Horror Festival in November and has also been selected as the closing film of Soho Horror Festival. 

Written by Suzanne Keilly (Warrior Nun, Ash vs Evil Dead) and directed by Danishka Esterhazy (The Banana Splits Movie), the film stars Hannah Gonera (Spell, Jamillah and Aladdin), Frances Sholto-Douglas (The Kissing Booth, Black Mirror), and Alex McGregor (Searchers, Blood Drive).  

A slumber party turns into a bloodbath when a psychopath wielding a power-drill disrupts the fun. There really is no rest for the wicked at this slumber party… 

Commenting on the release, Peter Thompson, Sales & Acquisitions Director at Lightbulb Film Distribution, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing this iconic slasher remake to audiences in the UK and Ireland. Esterhazy manages to bring a fresh perspective to this horror sub-genre, whilst capturing the essence of the much-loved original. She is an exceptional filmmaker. Gore, jumps and laughs – Slumber Party Massacre has it all.”
Slumber Party Massacre will be released on Digital Download on 13th December and on DVD from 10th January 2022 

#SlumberPartyMassacre

Icelandic psychological mystery Quake to have World Premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

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Ursus Parvus have released the poster and trailer for Icelandic haunting mystery title Quake, which will have its World Premiere (November 20th) at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).

Based on the best-selling novel, Grand Mal/ Quake: A Novel, by Audur Jonsdóttir, which was nominated for the Icelandic Literary prize and picked out by Toronto International Film Festival as one of their 2021 Industry Selects, Quake stars Anita Briem (Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Minister), Edda Björgvinsdóttir (Under the tree, The Valhalla Murders) and is written and directed by Tinna Hrafnsdóttir (Margrete – Queen of the North, Valhalla Murders, The Minister), and produced by Hlín Jóhannesdóttir of Ursus Parvus.

Quake follows Saga (Briem), a single mother in her late thirties, who gets hit by a fierce epileptic attack walking in a public park with her six-year-old son resulting in a total memory loss. Afraid of being considered unable to take care of her son, Saga attempts to hide her state from others and occupies herself digging for the answers she needs. As she struggles to gather bits and pieces from her forgotten life, repressed memories that Saga unconsciously blocked as a child suddenly start to come back, revealing a painful truth about herself and the past. 

Quake is a shocking and revelatory exploration of the blurred lines between fact and fiction, reality and imagination, and where mother ends and child begins.

Quake will have its World Premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival on November 20th and be released in Iceland in January 2022.

UK VOD Release: Red Snow

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 Starring: Dennice Cisneros, Nico Bellamy, Laura Kennon & Vernon Wells  
“Red Snow is the Christmas vampire movie that you never knew you needed” – The Hollywood News  
“Amusing and smart thanks to likeable leads and a witty script” – Horror DNA
“Smart, funny and solid entertainment” – Eye for Film 
Central City Media is excited to share their new comedy horror thriller, Red Snow. Fear not, this vampire-filled comedy horror will provide plenty to sink your teeth into as it comes to Digital Download on 6th December. 

Written and directed by Sean Nichols Lynch (Prep School), the film stars Dennice Cisneros (Exile, NCIS), Nico Bellamy (Boy and Girl, The Way of the Iron Buffalo), Laura Kennon (Prime, Escalate), Vernon Wells (Commando, Mad Max 2), Alan Silva (Fist of the Vagabond, Acceleration), Edward Ewell (The Lepers), & Olivia Pintz (Lil Peep : Life is Beautiful, The Alternate).  

Aspiring vampire-romance novelist Olivia Romo is spending her holidays alone, holed up in her snowbound cabin near Lake Tahoe and racking up rejection letters from publishers. Until one night, an injured bat slams against her window. Sympathetic to creatures of the night, Olivia takes the wounded critter inside her garage to nurse it back to health.

The next day, however, Olivia is delighted to discover that the bat has transformed into a handsome vampire. His name is Luke. He’s not a fan of crosses, garlic, or sunlight, but he seems to take a strange liking to Olivia.

The unlikely companions get to know each other and start to form a tenuous friendship, but Olivia grows suspicious of Luke’s intentions as his past begins to catch up with him. First, there’s the strange detective who comes looking for Luke and his dangerous associates. Then, there’s the pale figures creeping outside Olivia’s cabin at night.

And at last, Luke’s old vampire friends come out of the shadows and into Olivia’s cabin. They want Luke back, but first they want to help themselves to his tasty new friend… 
Red Snow had its World Premiere at FrightFest and won BEST FILM at Dead Northern Horror Film Festival in York 2021 

Red Snow will be released on Digital Download in the UK & EIRE from 6th December 

108 MEDIA BOARDS MORAYO AKANDÉ’S UK-JAPAN COMEDY-HORROR’KONBINI ZOMBIES’ 

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108 Media, a global content financing & media rights management company focused on emerging markets, has picked up the screenplay to KONBINI ZOMBIES, a British-Japanese comedy-horror actioner set in Japan. They will produce and distribute the feature film, with an expected April 2022 start of principal photography in Tokyo and London. 

The film will be written and directed by BIFA and BAFTA-nominated Scottish screenwriter/director/actress Morayo Akandé in a feature-length debut. She developed the concept while living in Japan and considered the deep societal connection of its ubiquitous 24/7 convenience stores (“konbinis”) to the Japanese family dynamics and the country’s quickly transforming labour force, due to its ageing population and international workers. 

Envisioned with internationally diverse East-West actors and crew, the hyper-kinetic and colourful film will be in both English and Japanese languages and revolves around the early days of a national zombie outbreak. When the only 24-hour convenience store in a dead-end town outside Tokyo is suddenly rampaged by undead salarymen, it forces its rag-tag team of slacker clerks, led by the shy and reserved Mayumi, to step up and protect their konbini at all costs. 

Director Morayo Akandé says of the project and the partnership “I’m really passionate about telling universal narratives and elevating underrepresented voices. I aim to deliver a bold and unique project that inspires audiences to see Japan from a new perspective. 108 Media shares this vision of amplifying strong diverse content with me, and with their wealth of experience and knowledge within the industry, they will help enrich and elevate this exciting and unique project.” 

KONBINI ZOMBIES is developed, financed, and packaged across Asia, UK and Los Angeles with 108 Media as the lead studio with Justin Deimen, Micah Tadena, Matthew Wilson, and Moyo Akandé producing, and Ryo Ebe and Abhi Rastogi executive producing from Tokyo and London respectively. The deal was brokered by Rob Kraitt from Morayo’s agency, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and Justin Deimen from 108 Media. 

Ryo Ebe, Managing Director of 108 Media Japan says “This is the new way of cinema and television as we see it. Morayo is a perfect creative collaborator and has such a strong style that we can’t help but want to share it with the world alongside the rest of our premium slate of Eurasian projects in the coming months.” 

Justin Deimen, President of Production of 108 Media says “We’re always embarking on creating fresh creative and producing alchemies across our offices and teams around the globe; fusing unique talents, stories, and cultures together through organic co-productions as international content continues to thrive in our evolving viewing habits.” 

Casting is currently underway with KONBINI ZOMBIES launching sales during the Tokyo Film Festival’s TIFFCOM21 content market and will be presented to potential co-production partners in Japan and Asia. 

Headquartered in both London and Singapore with key sales and producing offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila, 108 Media will produce the title under its upcoming genre label geared towards international markets with a key focus on empowering new creators with cross-cultural IPs.

UK VOD Release: Puppet Killer

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This Christmas, Playtime is over.
Listen out for slay-bells as Puppet Killer is coming to town. Central City Media have today confirmed that the yuletide horror comedy will be released on Digital Download this November. Pulling the strings of Puppet Killer is director Lisa Ovies and stars Aleks Paunovic (Numb, War For The Planet of the Apes), Lee Majdoub (Sonic The Hedgehog, Dirk Gently) & Lisa Durupt (Love Guaranteed). Guaranteed to knock the stuffing out of you, Puppet Killer will be available on all major digital platforms from 29th November in all it’s puppetry glory. 

It’s the classic ‘cabin in the woods‘ tale of teenagers (who are 100% teenage actors despite what IMDb may tell you) being assailed by a menacing pink and fluffy plush toy – that old chestnut. 

For seven-year-old Jamie, watching horror movies with his loving parents and his fuzzy pink puppet, Simon, is a beloved Christmas tradition. Unfortunately, that all ends when his mother dies of cancer and his father marries a new woman who isn’t nearly as supportive of Jamie’s horror obsession, or his unhealthy friendship with Simon. After she mysteriously disappears from the family vacation home, Jamie starts to believe that Simon may have killed her. 

Ten years later, Jamie brings five of his high school friends to the family’s cabin for Christmas Break. All seems well until Simon is discovered in the cellar, resurrecting Jamie’s old fears, causing him and his friends to question his mental well-being.  

As the weekend unfolds, Jamie’s friends are slaughtered one by one in ways that would make Freddy, Jason, and Michael proud. Jamie must confront his childhood best friend in a bloody showdown that will push him to the brink of madness… if he isn’t already there. 

This Christmas – You better watch out, you better not die. 

Puppet Killer will be available on Digital Download from 29th November

UK Cinema Release: Pitbull – Exodus

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Kinostar has announced the release of the explosive ‘Pitbull – Exodus’ in UK / EIRE cinemas from 19th November.  The Polish crime thriller is directed by genre veteran Patryk Vega (The Plagues of Beslau, Pitbull [2005] & Small World) and stars Andrzej Grabowski, Przemyslaw Bluszcz & Tomasz Dedek. 

The story of Pitbull – Exodus is told across a number of years, a part of the ever waging war between the police and the criminal empires spanning Eastern Europe. We follow one young man’s life, his childhood and adolescence and ultimately his descent into the criminal underworld. His path soon crosses with a policeman who will stop at nothing to catch him. 

With twists, turns, shocks and spectacular scenes, Vega is back to his favourite genre, giving everyone what they want.  

Pitbull – Exodus was shot in Polish (titled Pitbull) as well as in English (titled Exodus) and there will be UK screenings for both Exodus and Pitbull with English subtitles. 

Pitbull – Exodus will be in UK & EIRE cinemas from 19th November–