Got a news scoop? Send it now! NEWS HUB FEBRUARY 2006 - ARCHIVED BACK TO CURRENT FEBRUARY REVIEWS, LAST MINUTE ROUND-UP! Over the past month, we've been fastidiously reviewing a few new flicks, whether new release in cinemas, coming to video or even Pit Exclusive sneak peeks, for inclusion on the site. February's big box office genre title, of course, is Final Destination 3, which has thus far grossed over $45 million and is still making the registers say "Ka-ching." Meanwhile, the remake of When A Stranger Calls managed to pull in at least as much before slowing down. Oscar contender Capote, while not a genre picture per se, is noteworthy not only because of its aesthetic greatness but also relevant here because of the horrific crossover story elements. Feisty independent feature KatieBird: Certifiable Crazy Person is an interesting, if uneven, psychological yarn which deserves your attention. Finally, let's not forget the Pit's exclusive Rough Cut review of Ethan Dettenmaier's upcoming Sin-Jin Smyth, one of the most eagerly-awaited horror features of 2006. Keep your browser pointed to the Pit, because we're bringing you all the goods and keeping you informed on all the latest! EXCLUSIVE PIT OF HORROR "THE HILLS HAVE EYES" SCREENING IN TEXAS! Thursday March 2nd AMC / Loews Cityplace 14 2600 N. Haskell Ave Dallas, TX 75204 2:00pm Showtimes: 214-828-6000 Guest Services: 214-828-6008 PLEASE EMAIL FOR A FREE PIT OF HORROR PASS AND HURRY! WE ONLY HAVE 40 PASSES TO GIVE AWAY! 'DEMON HUNTER' DVD GIVEAWAY CONTEST ANNOUNCED! The Pit is pleased to announce another DVD Giveaway Contest, this time for the supernatural thriller Demon Hunter, which stars Sean Patrick Flannery as a member of a covert society dedicated to fighting Satanic forces. When a rogue demon (Billy Drago) threatens to create progeny via an unspeakable means, it's a battle to save mankind, but the heroic demon hunter must also save himself from his own inner demons first! To enter, click here and try your hand at three trivia questions. Make sure you're a registered member at our Guts And Gory message community, or you won't be eligible. Good luck! GUTS AND GORY WELCOMES TOM SAVINI AND DANTE TOMASELLI! Pit Of Horror and sister site Guts And Gory are proud to announce our latest two horror celebrities to grace our message community with their own forums! Legendary make-up effects artist Tom Savini first supplied the gruesome goods to Bob Clark's grim 1972 shocker Deathdream and went on to provide the realistic effects for such classics as Dawn Of The Dead, Friday The 13th, The Burning and Creepshow. He is also an accomplished director (Night Of The Living Dead 1990) actor (Martin, Knightriders) and stuntman and has authored the influential Grande Illusions, Vol. 1 and 2 books dealing with his craft. Click here to access his forum. Also be sure and visit Tom's official website. Visionary writer/director Dante Tomaselli first made a name for himself with his unnerving 1999 debut Desecration. He later struck up a fruitful working relationship with actress Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), also a Guts And Gory featured celebrity, who has appeared in his features Horror, Satan's Playground and the upcoming The Ocean. Dante's forum can be accessed here. And don't forget to read John Gray's interview with the man himself! COME FROLIC IN SATAN'S PLAYGROUND!' Drawing on the classic horror film styles of the 1970s and 1980s, Satan's Playground is independent horror director Dante Tomaselli's much anticipated third feature film. This visually dazzling, supernatural shocker chronicles an average family's spine-tingling odyssey in New Jersey's legendary Pine Barrens. When their car breaks down en route to a wilderness camping retreat, the unsuspecting travelers find themselves terrorized by a mysterious supernatural presence. The cast reads like a convention list for indie horror alumni, with appearances by Ellen Sandweiss (The Evil Dead), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Ed Neal (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Irma St. Paule (Psychos In Love) and Ron Millkie (Friday The 13th). Anchor Bay, who have set the bar for primo DVD releases of contemporary horror films, will release Satan's Playground this coming summer. Expect bonus features that will include audio commentary, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, trailers, stills and much more! SOME SPIRITS STILL HOLD A 'GRUDGE'! Principal photography has begun on The Grudge 2, it was announced today by Columbia Pictures and Ghost House Pictures. The film is the much-anticipated sequel to the 2004 hit, which earned $188 million in worldwide box office receipts. The Grudge 2 delves into the secrets behind the grudge's wrath and introduces a seemingly unrelated host of new characters who find themselves connected by the same terrifying supernatural curse. Amber Tamblyn (Joan Of Arcadia) heads up the cast, with returning appearances by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Takako Fuji, who will reprise her role as the terrorizing Kayako. Director Takashi Shimizu will once again helm. Filming began in Tokyo this month, with shoots at various locations around the metropolitan area and the famous Toho Studios, the largets soundstages in Japan. The Grudge 2 is scheduled to open in the U.S. on October 20th. BETTER RUN FOR THE HILLS--THE GAME, THAT IS! Alexandre Aja's highly anticipated remake of The Hills Have Eyes--which incidentally has finally secured an R-rating--will make a bloody splash at the cinema in a little over two weeks. To tide us over in the meantime, the online tie-in video game Run For The Hills has now been made available at http://thhe.ign.com. Also on the site are links to the trailer, clips and behind the scenes material. This game is best viewed on a 1024x768 screen resolution or higher and may not be compatible with all Mac computers. Many thanks to Roderick Stoker of Moroch Entertainment for the info! Contributed by Petch Lucas. WHO SAYS BRYNIARSKI COULDN'T PLAY JASON? Andrew Bryniarski logged onto his official Guts and Gory forum today and had this to say... "It seems like it was only yesterday that FANGORIA stated that I would NOT be playing "LEATHERFACE" in Platinum Dunes NEW CHAINSAW movie. W-R-O-N-G! Today I read that I will not be playing Jason in the new Friday the 13th movie. Well I just spoke to them yesterday for the first time and I said my piece and threw my hat into the ring. I would not be surprised if I do play Jason in the movie. I want to play Jason in the film and it is being considered as of yesterday. Platinum Dunes and I came into horror together and have done exceedingly well together. We just worked on THE S-I-C-K-E-S-T horror movie ever!!! T.C.M ORIGIN... Fangoria's rumor mill is sure to be wrong about this as well. The Platinum Dunes team and I work very well together and continue to work together. While admittedly it is early for any of us to make a decision completely, I assure you all, I am in the mix and at the front of the pack. As earned and is deserved. Thanx." Contributed by Rich Carlin EXCLUSIVE PICS FROM THE SET OF FURNACE! Check out the official FURNACE forum on Guts and Gory for exclusive pictures from the set. Including photos with Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo and JaRule. Not to mention our very own Guts and Gory member, Spence Gray, who has been working on the set courtesy of William Butler. Contributed by Rich Carlin WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS PARTICULAR 'EVIL'! Opening May 19th is Lions Gate's See No Evil, which features the WWE's Kane (aka Glen Jacobs) like you've never seen him before! Kane plays reclusive psychopath Jacob Goodnight, a 7-foot-tall, 400 lb. madman with a rusty steel plate in his skull and razor-sharp fingernails that pluck out his victims' eyes. Goodnight's holed up in the long-abandoned and rotting Blackwell Hotel, alone with his nightmares until eight petty criminals show up for community service duty along with the cop who put a bullet in Jacob's head four years ago. When one of their own is kidnapped by the killer and her fate uncertain, the remaining lawbreakers must fight this indestructible force of nature with a violent score to settle. Gregory Dark directs, from a script by WWE Smackdown writer Dan Madigan. Visit the official site for more details. Contributed by Jessica Cheung. 'HILLS HAVE EYES' VALENTINE E-CARD NOW VIEWABLE! With the March 10 release date fast approaching, we've got a special treat heralding the arrival of Alexandre Aja's remake of The Hills Have Eyes. Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and what better way of expressing your love to your horror-loving sweetheart than this nifty E-card featuring a terrified Bobby Carter (Daniel Byrd) as he stumbles onto a gut-churning discovery. Special thanks to Greg Fatica for the heads-up! Contributed by Petch Lucas. FAMOUS AUTHOR OF "JAWS" DIES, AGED 65 Peter Benchley, whose novel "Jaws" later became Speilberg's blockbuster movie, putting most of the world's swimmer population in a panic, has died at the age of 65. Married to wife Wendy (for over four decades), Peter passed away on Saturday night at their home in Princeton, New Jersey, from a progressive and fatal scarring of the lungs. Also notable in his filmography are The Beast and The Deep, also written by Peter and ofcourse pertaining to his fascination with the ocean and it's predators. In closing he will be sorely missed by many movie fans for the simple fact that he wrote one of the best horror movies of all time in JAWS. Contributed by Rich Carlin 'SIN-JIN SMYTH' ROUGH CUT REVIEWED! Myself and John Gray were lucky enough to see a rough-cut of Ethan Dettenmaier's upcoming movie, SIN-JIN SMYTH while in Los Angeles earlier this month. The cut had absolutely no color prep or proper soundtrack and yet it still blew us away. It has the Pit's full seal of approval already, and we can't wait for the finished article! Read John's review here. Check out the official site (new store coming soon!) and forum, where you can interact with Ethan himself and many of the other people involved with the production. Also expect an official teaser trailer very soon from the official site and also a live chat with Ethan, Richard Tyson and Roddy Piper; which is in the works as we speak. More information coming soon! Contributed by Rich Carlin NEW REVIEWS FOR FEBRUARY... We've added reviews for Final Destination 3 and When a Stranger Calls (2006). Written by Petch Lucas, check them out! Contributed by Rich Carlin TEXAS LOVES IT'S HORROR... The Texas Frightmare 2006 was greatness. Fans turned out in their droves to see the horror celebrities attending and also stalk the various dealer tables at the event. Having our own PIT OF HORROR / GUTS AND GORY table, we were able to steer alot of new blood to the sites. The convention was such a success that it even got coverage on a local news station on the Saturday night. And although Sunday was alot slower in terms of traffic it was still a great day and well attended, especially in light of the Superbowl taking place. Guts and Gory celebs Stu Charno, Ed Neal and Ari Lehman were all in attendance meeting and greeting with their fans. Check out this video which features Stu Charno -in his Guts and Gory shirt no less! We also recruited a new celebrity for the forums and lets just say that the guy is considered a horror legend by most... we'll open up his forum very shortly, so keep an eye on the boards! To conclude, expect more from Loyd Cryer as we are pretty sure a second event is already in planning. It has to be! Contributed by Rich Carlin NEW 'FRIDAY THE 13TH' CHAPTER ANNOUNCED FOR OCTOBER! Variety reports that New Line Cinema, who acquired the rights to the Friday The 13th franchise from Paramount Pictures in 1992 and who has thus far distributed two additional installments plus 2003's monster shake-up Freddy Vs. Jason, plans to open a brand-spanking-assed new installment in the Voorhees saga on October 13, which is a calendar Friday The 13th. Despite recent speculation of another horror villain team-up, this new opus is set to be a stand-alone Friday The 13th film which will reportedly explore Jason's origins. Curiously, it will go up against another New Line horror titan, the Leatherface prequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which hits screens the same month. Curiously, no writer or director has officially been attached to the new Friday flick, but the minute we hear something, so will you. 'OMEN 666' TEASER NOW ONLINE! There's a lot of positive buzz surrounding the upcoming Omen 666, dismay towards remakes notwithstanding. With a cast that includes Liev Schrieber (Scream 2 and 3), Julia Stiles, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite and Mia Farrow (as diabolical Mrs. Baylock!), this prophetic chiller about a politician's adopted son who just might be the Antichrist looks to be a cut above the rest of the redux fare in today's climate. The wonderfully creepy and minimalist trailer is now available online for viewing in three different QuickTime (.mov format) sizes at this link. The Pit will post more info on this eagerly-anticipated feature as it becomes available. 'SAW II' DVD GIVEAWAY: THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE BLOOD! On the heels of our below two contests comes our most crowd-pleasing title of the new year: Saw II. Former 'New Kid On The Block' Donnie Wahlberg plays a tough-as-nails detective who attempts to match wits with the enigmatic Jigsaw--while his son's life hangs in the balance! It's a race against time to save the boy and several others who are locked in a room with a deadly gas being piped in. All you Guts And Gory message community members are qualified to enter, as well as any new folks who read this and decide to click above and join. To enter the contest, click here and answer the three relatively easy trivia questions at the bottom of the page. Have fun and good luck! 'DOOM' CONTEST READY TO ROLL! After a slight holiday-induced lag, the Pit is up and running again with giveaway contests galore, this latest one being the DVD for Doom. Due for a February 7 release and based on the popular video game of the same name, Doom follows a team of weathered Marines on a distress call from a remote research station on the planet Mars. Wrestler-turned-action-star The Rock leads the way as this pack of roughnecks comes up against a legion of hellish creatures which must be obliterated at all costs. To participate in the contest, follow this link to answer the trivia questions and as always, make sure you're a registered and participating member of our Guts And Gory message community in order to qualify. Best of luck to you! NEW LINE PRESENTS 'FINAL DESTINATION 3' SWEEPSTAKES! Final Destination 3 hits screens February 10, and New Line Cinema is heralding it with an online sweepstakes which the Pit is proud to help promote. The Grand Prize winner will receive a Panasonic TV/DVD Combo and FX8 Camera plus the DVD Set of the first two films in the franchise! There will also be additional lesser-tiered winners. This time around, it's violent death in a runaway rollercoaster which our protagonists (including Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ryan Merriman) narrowly avoid....only Death doesn't like to be cheated out of its prize. James Wong, who directed the original film, returns to the series in this soul-chilling third installment in which the villain is neither man nor machine, neither fish nor fowl, but an elemental force of nature itself. To participate in the sweepstakes, you must access this link and fill out the online entry form. Also make sure you read the sweepstakes rules and regulations here. Good luck to all! And as the movie's tagline asserts, "This Ride Will Be The Death Of You!" 'ALL SOULS DAY' DVD GIVEAWAY CONTEST--FIRST OF 2006! Santa Bonita seems like a sleeply little Mexican township, but for a group of partying American students, it becomes the gateway to Hell as a long-dormant evil is awakened, and their only hope is a fearsome spectre from the past. That's the premise of All Souls Day, and the DVD is now designated as the Pit's first 2006 giveaway contest! Horror alumnus Ellie Cornell (House Of The Dead) headlines this dark excursion into supernatural madness, which is directed by Jeremy Kasten (The Attic Expeditions) and written by Mark A. Altman (House Of The Dead). To enter the contest, simply go to this link, answer a couple of ridiculously easy horror trivia questions, and you just might win! If you're not a member of our own Guts And Gory message community, you won't qualify. But it's not too late to point your browser in that direction, get registered (it's free!), start talkin' with the rest of us, and find yourself magically qualified for this contest. The ball's in your court. With a little luck, so could be the DVD.... TEXAS FRIGHTMARE WEEKEND THIS FEBRUARY! PIT OF HORROR and GUTS AND GORY will be representing at the Texas Frightmare Weekend this February 4th and 5th at the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine, TX. Guts and Gory celebs Stu Charno, Ari Lehman and Ed Neal will be guests at this convention. Other celebrities in attendance will include Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Betsy Palmer, Tom Savini, Joe Bob Briggs, Herschell Gordon Lewis....and a convention first: Caroline Williams, who will be part of a special Texas Chainsaw Massacre II reunion panel. Moreover, the website staff of the PIT and GUTS (Rich Carlin, John Gray and Petch Lucas) will be present with their own table to let fans know about the sites. For more information check out the official website. We'll see you in Texas! Contributed by Rich Carlin Got a news scoop? Send it now!