In what we hope to make a regular feature, this was the week in Horror (AKA all the bits you need to know):

• Disturbia expectantly dropped from the #1 spot in America to make way for Peter Parker's web of reign. It still managed to cling onto the #2 spot though, which is more than can be said for Vacancy, which fell out of the Box Office altogether.
• Next years Prom Night remake, starring Brittany Snow, is now due out in April. The film, which originally starred Scream-Queen Jamie Lee Curtis, follows Donna and her friends on the night of their senior prom, little knowing that Donna's deadly past is about to catch-up with her...
• "Splat Pack" member Eli Roth's highly anticipated sequel to 2005's Hostel have released some video peeks and stills from Hostel: Part II.

And now here is what you can look forward to on TV next week:

• 11/5: Mother's Day - Zone Horror, 22:55


• 12/5: I Spit On Your Grave - Zone Horror, 22:55


• 14/5: Ghost Ship - ITV2, 23:45


• 15/6: Tell Me Something (Korean) - Film4, 23:25


• 16/6: The Slumber Party Massacre - Zone Horror, 00:50

For an amazing third week (a feat not seen in America since December 2004's Meet the Fockers), Disturbia has held onto the top spot, grossing an estimated $9.1 million. This isn't all good news though, as the whole Box-Office countdown resembled what analysts would expect to see in September, right when the new school-term has started. This could all just be a lull of sorts, though, as Spider-Man 3 opens next week and is expected to kick off the feverish rush of Summer blockbusters, here and abroad. One film not making it to theatres in the UK though this summer, and perhaps even at all, is The Weinstein Co.'s Grindhouse. The film has been plagued with low numbers since it's American release, and as such Grindhouse, which was a back-to-back presentation of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, is being split in two, with Tarantino rumoured to be retooling his half for a separate release, which may see Planet Terror skip theatres all together over here. The projected date is toward the back-end of September, but that's very-likely to change so stay tuned for future news.

Source: IMDb.com

Staying firm at the top of the US Box Office, Distrubia took in a further $13 and a half million to it's already healthy gross this week. Also making an appearance in the Top 5 is the new release from Sony Vacancy, starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson as a couple who check into an off-road motel and get a little unwelcome room service during the night...! Completely absent from the Top 10 was our old friend Grindhouse, which is still in release limbo for British shores, but we'll keep you posted if anything changes.


Vacancy, UK Release: 15 June, 2007.
Source: IMDb.com

The Hitchcock inspired Disturbia took first place at the US box office, raking in an estimated $23 million, far ahead of expectations. It reportedly cost $20 million to make, and was predicted to gross only $12 million. The film, which stars Shia LaBeouf and Carrie-Anne Moss, asks the question what if your neighbour is a secret serial killer? Borrowing heavily from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, the PG-13 rated film is set for release in Britain this June. Meanwhile, things went from bad to worse for Grindhouse, which dropped to tenth place, grossing only $4.2 million. The film is reportedly set to be remarketed and split in two, with both films already being announced for separate DVD releases. Grindhouse: Planet Terror and Grindhouse: Death Proof are likely to be shown separately when they hit UK theatres in June.



Source: IMDb.com

Troma Entertainment. They make really shit movies. And that’s why horror fans all around the world love them.

The company, which was founded in 1974 by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, producer and distribute some of the most over the top movies you’ll ever likely to see. Sex. Violence. Gore. Anything goes in these movies.

Tonight on Sci-Fi (which, I have to say, are on a bit of a roll lately!) are showing three Troma movies back-to-back to celebrate Friday the 13th. The evening will presented by Lloyd Kaufman, too!

The Toxic Avenger, the first movie of the night at 10pm, is about Melvin, a 7 stone weakling who tumbles into some toxic waste and emerges as… well, The Toxic Avenger! The film is the company’s most well known, and spawned 3 sequels, a comic, a cartoon for kids and even a musical!

Tromeo and Juliet, the next movie of the night at 11:50pm, is a “punk-rock, gore-filled, over-sexed take on the Shakespearean classic with narration by Lemmy from Motorhead.” I think that about sums it up, really. The film was written by James Gunn, who went onto write and direct the mainstream, but rooted in Troma humour, flick Slither for Universal. The film was highly praised in the horror community, but bombed at the box-office making only £12.2 million worldwide.

The final movie of the night is Sgt Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. at 2am. The film is a spin on the superhero genre, about a cop called Harry who is transformed into an Oriental super-being equipped with heat-seeking chopsticks. Wow, much!?

For more information on Troma Entertainment, and their movies head on over to the official website.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Anyone who is kind enough to pay us a visit will notice I, Tom, have my name credited as co-owner of this hallowed blog, although I don't actually seem to post much. Well from now on I aim to change all of that and am making a return to the genre I love so much called Horror in order to post more blogs. But first, a revival, for those of you who are new to the blog, and might be wondering what the true meaning of Friday the 13th is:

Weird old day this, of course only for the people who suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia. Damn, try saying that 10 times fast! Paraskavedekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th is perhaps more common than just the silly superstition you would think it to be. It's reported that over 21 million people in America alone suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia, sometimes staying inside for a full twenty-four hours. A sort of amalgamation between the fear of the number thirteen, triskadekaphobia, and the day when it is believed to have been Christ's crucifixion. Of course, none of this has anything to do with "Friday The 13th", it just happens to be the name of a bloody great horror film. Hurray for Mrs. Voorhees and her son Jason, happy holidays!

"'Wife Swap' is looking for a new family for their show. The catch? They're looking for The Ultimate Horror-loving Family!!! That's right, if you and your entire family loves going to the theater to watch horror flicks, hitting up conventions, collecting horror memorabilia, writing/ making horror films, celebrating Halloween all year long, etc.. - then they want YOU to be on the show."

"Seeing how mainstream America thinks those that love horror are demented individuals, I'm guessing the wife the horror loving family gets swapped with loves musical, or is in the church choir, or somewhere COMPLETELY OPPOSITE than loving horror. Which then means that the show will likely depict the horror family as a bunch of freaks for all the losers who actually watch this trash to laugh at."

Source: arrowinthehead.com