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Stars: Dean Sharp, Richard Harrington, Nia Roberts, Gwyneth Keyworth, Sule Rimi, Mike Butler, Bizz Raggett, Evan Heneghan, Jennifer Riddle, Luis Delgado, Everett Lauster, Kayla Orben, Carole-Anne Fooks, Hayden Hancock, Drew Marvick, J.J. McGrath, Joe Nurse, Heather Marshall | Directed by Ryan Andrews, Tony Mardon, James Edward Newton, Jeph Porter, Ryan Kruger, Matt Shaw, Christian Fescine, Mark Felix Stewart, Justin Wiggins, Drew Marvick, Jonathan Zaurin

Dean of the Dead Presents Holiday Horrors! is a seasonal horror-themed anthology that features stories from ten different directors, all wrapped up with an introduction from Dean of the Dead – a host akin to the likes of Tales From the Crypt‘s Cryptkeeper; and with visuals that look like they’ve jumped straight from the pages of the EC Comics of old… think Creepshow but on a much lower budget!

So what terrifying tales are in this one?

First up is Little Munchkin, directed by Ryan Andrews,...

You may have seen that recently here on Nerdly we’ve been reviewing a few more “underground” horror titles thanks to distributors Tetrovideo, films such as Vore Gore, Nightmare Symphony and Thanatomorphose. Now whilst we haven’t covered many underground/extreme horror on the site in the past – though we have reviewed films like Lung, American Guinea Pig: Bucket of Guts and Gore, Mecanix and Your Flesh Your Curse – that doesn’t mean we don’t watch a Lot of them. So with that in mind here’s a rundown of our Top 5 Extreme Films… in no particular order and with a caveat that, should you choose to watch these for yourself, you have a strong stomach and a penchant for debauchery and gore!

XXX Dark Web

Taking its cue from the underbelly of the internet, where everything is anonymous and where it’s purported the dark and mysterious, oftentimes criminal,...

It's been a while since we last heard about Éric Falardeau's Quebecois/Canadian body horror flick Thanatomorphose. We're about to remind you that some of us Canadians can think up some pretty nasty shit. Nearly ten years after Falardeau's film hit the circuit and found an AnZac/Uk home back then with Monster Pictures, it has found a new home over at TetroVideo.    The release is coming out in March. I know TetroVideo says in the press release that this is the first time that Thanatomorphose will be released on Blu-ray but a quick scan of the website suggests differently. What's a Dead Pussy Bundle?    Anyways, it's here, or it's back. As is with anything from TetroVideo this is for fans of extreme horror and...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Stars: Austin Hayden, Shian Denovan | Written and Directed by Andy Stewart

It was two years ago when I first saw blogger-turned-filmmaker Any Stewart’s short Dysmorphia, his superb take on the body-horror genre pioneered by the likes of David Cronenberg. Since then we’ve had the likes of Éric Falardeau’s Thanatomorphose – a feature length look at the physical breakdown of the human body - and now comes Stewart’s Split.

I was a huge fan of Dysmorphia, so I was eager to see what Andy Stewart would bring to the screen for the second “act” of his three film body-horror trilogy. Even more so considering this was set to be more of a grotesque effects-filled story (perhaps Stewart’s homage to Cronenberg’s The Fly remake?)

Guess what? I wasn’t disappointed.

Now I can’t go further without first mentioning Thanatomorphose. That film totally blew me away – director...

I’ve never encountered a motion picture quite like “Thanatomorphose.” You’re either going to absolutely adore this movie or hate it with every fiber of your being. It’s one of the most depressing and thoroughly exhausting horror flicks I’ve ever encounter, and that’s really saying something. Anyone who’s read my reviews at Beyond Hollywood knows that I’ve stuffed some seriously demented cinema into my brain over the years. However, this one easily takes the cake as the most grueling. And, yes, I clearly remember “A Serbian Film.” There isn’t much of a plot to speak of in writer/director Éric Falardeau’s deranged little flick. Instead, you get to watch an emotionally insecure 20-something come to terms with the fact that her body is slowly rotting from the inside out. The movie is damned slow, but it’s thoroughly fascinating in its presentation of the situation.

Finally, Thanatomorphose (review) is hitting DVD Stateside, and we have a look at the artwork for you right here. Surprise! It's not as horrid as the UK art, which we Loved.

The film stars Kayden Rose, Davyd Tousignant, Émile Beaudry, Karine Picard, Roch-Denis Gagnon, Éryka L. Cantieri, Pat Lemaire, and Simon Laperrière.

A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification, Thanatomorphose, by Canadian director Eric Falardeau, picks up where Nekromantic left off. Look for it on DVD on January 21st from Unearthed Films.

A strange and claustrophobic tale of sexuality, horror, and bodily fluids, Thanatomorphose not only will make you wince but is strangely uplifting in its take on mortality.

For more info visit the official Thanatomorphose website.

Synopsis:

Thanatomorphose is an Hellenic word meaning the visible signs of an organism's decomposition caused by death. One day a young and beautiful girl wakes up and finds her flesh rotting.

It's not often that artwork comes our way that elicits a total and immediate bout of discomfort and nausea. The UK artwork for Thanatomorphose (review) does just that by being repulsive and badass all at the same time.

The film stars Kayden Rose, Davyd Tousignant, Émile Beaudry, Karine Picard, Roch-Denis Gagnon, Éryka L. Cantieri, Pat Lemaire, and Simon Laperrière.

A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification, Thanatomorphose, by Canadian director Eric Falardeau, picks up where Nekromantic left off.

Synopsis:

Discovering several bruises on her body after a night of rough sex, a young woman is shocked as, rather than heal itself, her body begins rotting from the inside out. She faces a terrifying and gory descent into a living death, as her putrefying body begins to literally ‘fall off the bone’.

A strange and claustrophobic tale of sexuality, horror, and bodily fluids, Thanatomorphose not only will make you...

Get ready for 10 truly terrifying nights when Washington, D.C.’s Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival haunts the AFI Silver Theatre on Oct 10-19 for the fest’s 8th annual edition.

Things really jolt alive on the 10th with the Opening Night film Willow Creek, a surprising genre entry by comedian-turned-director Bobcat Goldthwait, who tells the tale about a couple of amateur Bigfoot hunters who get in way over their heads in the woods. Goldthwait will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A moderated by Film Comment‘s Laura Kern. Also playing on this opening night are a program of scary short films and the feature An American Terror, a post-Columbine fright flick by Haylar Garcia.

As for the other nine nights, sticking true to the “International” in the fest’s name are movies such as the Ireland/France/Sweden co-production Dark Touch by Marina de Van about...

Stars: Kayden Rose, Émile Beaudry, Eryka Cantieri, Roch-Denis Gagnon, Simon Laperrière, Pat Lemaire, Karine Picard, David Tousignant | Written and Directed by Éric Falardeau

Thanatomorphose: “visible signs of an organism’s decomposition caused by death”

Thanatomorphose is, to put it bluntly, a startling and horrifying first feature from writer/director Éric Falardeau. On the surface the film has a pretty simple plot: discovering several bruises on her body after a night of rough sex, a young woman is shocked as, rather than heal itself, her body begins rotting from the inside out, her putrifying body literally falling off the bone.

However dig a little deeper and you soon realise Falardeau’s film, however shocking, is actually a metaphor for societies ills – touching on ideas of loneliness, hopelessness, bad body-image and self-loathing. You could say the film is a wake-up call for all those young “sexualised” girls the media are forever warning us about.

Following its World Premiere at Fantasia Fest, genre distributor Monster Pictures have announced their acquisition of gruesome body horror movie Thanatomorphose, which stars stars Kayden Rose, Davyd Tousignant and Émile Beaudry (the title means the physical signs of a body’s decomposition, caused by death). The official synopsis reads:

A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification, Thanatomorphose, by Canadian director Eric Falardeau,picks up where Nekromantic left off. Discovering several bruises on her body after a night of rough sex, a young woman is shocked as, rather than heal itself, her body begins rotting from the inside out. She faces a terrifying and gory descent into a living death, as her putrifying body begins to literally ‘fall off the bone’. A strange and claustrophobic tale of sexuality, horror and bodily fluids, Thanatomorphose will not only make you wince, but is strangely uplifting in its take on mortality.

Monster...

We are always in a position of being forward and looking back. I’m at least 12 films into Fantasia at this point and having to document my musings about past experiences is starting to make me dizzy. Fanciful eye gouging is not for the weak of heart, but I soldier on. Week 1 brought a great list of premieres to Montreal, of which most would agree the following two films are not a part of. For the sake of argument however, I will differ (or defer? Frankly, they both work). Not to worry though, I will serve you more choice cuts down the road; but for now, here are the nasty bits:

Thanatomorphose (Canada, 2012)

Éric Falardeau’s microbudget head scratcher is not for the impatient, nor the faint of heart. After the Canadian premiere, I’ve heard critics complain that this film should have been a short instead of a feature,...

At its best moments, a film review can offer some insights and perspectives that can help a viewer to appreciate a certain movie. In a lot of cases, a film review can simply help you decide what to watch if the critic has a fair amount of insight and personality.

And once in a while, a film review is a big fat "I have no idea if I even liked this film, but since I do love strange horror cinema, I feel compelled to cover it." Such is the case with the admirably bizarre French-Canadian horror film Thanatomorphose. Plot synopsis? Fine: a lonely woman who never leaves her apartment contracts some sort of disease and begins rotting from the inside out. She sleeps, she bathes, she briefly entertains some ungentlemanly callers, and she slowly falls apart. Literally. Graphically. Disgustingly. For over 90 minutes.   Those who will appreciate Thanatomorphose are the film buffs who enjoy the odd,...

Today we have a new trailer for Thanatomorphose bringing us the dark tale of sex and gore from director ric Falardeau. The film stars stars Kayden Rose Davyd Tousignant mile Beaudry Karine Picard RochDenis Gagnon ryka L. Cantieri Pat Lemaire and Simon Lape Synopsis A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification Thanatomorphose by Canadian director Eric Falardeau picks up where Nekromantic left off. Discovering several bruises on her body after a night of rough sex a young woman is shocked as rather than heal itself her body begins rotting from the inside out. She faces a terrifying and gory descent into a living death as her putrefying body begins to literally...

As the titles of this story suggests, a new not safe for work trailer for Thanatomorphose has come our way, and as per usual we have no clue what we're looking at, but we like it! Hell, we can barely even pronounce this flick's title, but who cares? This looks nuts!

The film stars stars Kayden Rose, Davyd Tousignant, Émile Beaudry, Karine Picard, Roch-Denis Gagnon, Éryka L. Cantieri, Pat Lemaire and Simon Laperrière.

A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification, Thanatomorphose, by Canadian director Eric Falardeau, picks up where Nekromantic left off. “Discovering several bruises on her body after a night of rough sex, a young woman is shocked as, rather than heal itself, her body begins rotting from the inside out. She faces a terrifying and gory descent into a living death, as her putrefying body begins to literally ‘fall off the bone’.”

A strange and claustrophobic tale of sexuality,...

Over the past few weeks we've been keeping you updated on the expanding lineup of titles being added to Montreal's Fantasia 2013, the largest genre film festival in North America. Now that the list is a lock and the curtain is set to rise tomorrow night, we thought we'd gather up our own list of the Fantasia screenings we're most curious about. Some of the fest titles we've shared with you already, in some form or another: for example, we took a look at James Wan's The Conjuring, the grim Israeli killer flick Big Bad Wolves, Mike Mendez's monster bash Big Ass Spider! and E.L. Katz's mind-games thriller Cheap Thrills; some titles like V/H/S/2 and the psycho-thriller Magic Magic are seeing their theatrical, DVD and/or On Demand premieres this month, and Adam Wingard's You're Next screens at Comic-Con tonight. But there are still plenty...

The full Fantasia 2013 lineup will be announced next Tuesday, July 9th, but in the meantime we have the second wave of titles to share, and per usual, it's a doozy!

From the Press Release:

Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil several additional highlights to warm you up for our July 9th Press Conference, where we’ll be unveiling of our full 120+ film lineup. The festival runs from July 18 to August 6.

Official Opening Night Film – Takashi Miike’s Shield Of Straw (North American Premiere)

Hot off its screening in official completion at the Cannes Film Festival, Takashi Miike’s riveting crime thriller Shield Of Straw will be kicking off Fantasia’s 2013 edition with its first screening on the North American continent. Shield Of Straw stars Takao Osawa, Nanako Matsushima, and Tatsuya Fujiwara. Fantasia’s 1997 screening of Fudoh marked the...

From the press release:

Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil several additional highlights, before their July 9th Press Conference, where they’ll be unveiling the full 120+ film lineup!

Official Opening Night Film – Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw

(North American Premiere)

Hot off its screening in official completion at the Cannes Film Festival, Takashi Miike’s riveting crime thriller Shield of Straw will be kicking off Fantasia’s 2013 edition with its first screening on the North American continent. Shield of Straw stars Takao Osawa, Nanako Matsushima, and Tatsuya Fujiwara. Fantasia’s 1997 screening of Fudoh marked the first time that a Miike film had ever been shown in North America, making it all the more joyous to open our 2013 festival with his latest work.

Extensive Artist Talks with Bryan Singer and Simon Boswell

Fantasia will once again offer audiences...

Last week we shared the first group of films and events slated for this year's Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, the largest genre-themed film festival on the planet. In addition to dozens of film entries, many of which are making their world premieres at Fantasia, there will also be some major one-of-a-kind events at the fest, the first of which you can read about in our previous update. But now, here's the latest crop of films and events added to Fantasia's schedule: Official Opening Night Film: Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw (North American Premiere) This is the second time Miike has chosen Fantasia to debut a film in North America at this fest; the last was Fudoh in 1997. Rated X: A Night with Bryan Singer The acclaimed genre director will engage the audience in an hour-long discussion on his films, career and the genre in general, moderated by Fangoria veteran Tony Timpone.

Directed and written by: Éric Falardeau

Featuring: Kayden Rose, Émile Beaudry, Eryka Cantieri, Roch-Denis Gagnon

Thanatomorphose, which is a French word meaning "visible signs of an organism's decomposition caused by death," is Éric Falardeau's debut feature film. After offering us a series of award-winning shorts, which include Purgatory and Coming Home, Falardeau's first feature-length effort is the culmination of the "art house-gore" aesthetic he's been cultivating in his previous works.

The film follows a young woman, brilliantly played by Kayden Rose, who is numbly sleepwalking through her life: She has a boring day job she doesn't care about; she is stuck in a loveless, abusive relationship; her social life is pretty much non-existent; and she even lacks the motivation to work on a sculpture she's been trying to complete. To make matters worse, she just doesn't care about any of this, passively letting everything happen to her without ever...