Horror Highlights: SÉANCE IN THE ASYLUM, THE NEW FLESH PARTY, ARROW
CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN AND ANDREA MUTTI CONJURE THE NEW HORROR SERIES “SÉANCE IN THE ASYLUM”: “We’re receiving a message from the beyond! Dark Horse Comics presents Séance in the Asylum, a new historical horror series from renowned writer Clay McLeod Chapman (What Kind of Mother, Ghost Eaters) and artist Andrea Mutti (The British Paranormal Society: Time Out of Mind, Haunt You to the End) that will have you questioning what’s real and what’s not. Chapman will write the series and Mutti will illustrate, with Trevor Henderson, Francesco Francavilla, Lukas Ketner, and Jenna Cha rounding out the circle and providing variant cover art on issues #1-4.
“Years back, I uncovered an esoteric text — The Homeopathic Principle Applied to Insanity: A Proposal to Treat Lunacy by Spiritualism by Dr. James John Garth Wilkinson — written all the way back in 1857, and I knew within my bones, my blood, that this was destined to be a story,” said Chapman. “As a lifelong acolyte of the Fox Sisters, I’ve always been obsessed with stories about tapping into the hereafter. Now it’s an honor to usher you through the veil and explore the other side… “
1865. Defrauded spiritual medium Alicia Wilkinson is brought to The Ashcroft Hospital at the behest of Dr. John James Templeton. He offers Alicia a second chance to revive her once-thriving career: perform a séance amongst the patients in order to draw out their mental maladies. Alicia performs her first series of séances with the patients—including traumatized soldiers returning from the Civil War and women whose sanity has slipped through their fingers—only to realize their sessions might work all too well. What no one knows is Alicia is a fake. A liar. A cheat… So why are the patients suddenly acting possessed?
It takes some time to summon the spirits, so Séance in the Asylum #1 (of 4) will relay its message in all comic shops on July 24, 2024. It is now available to pre-order from your local comic shop for $3.99.”
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THE NEW FLESH PARTY: “Time to get weird at The New Flesh Party, a film screening and music event where body horror meets dance at Digital Gym Cinema in East Village, San Diego on May 4th.
This unique event will kick off at 5pm with a screening of David Cronenberg’s iconic masterpiece VIDEODROME, setting the tone for an evening where television is reality, and reality is less than television.
After the screening, the dance party will start in the lobby with acid house, disco and dark wave beats with an opening set by Eric Leonardis and a headlining set by the legendary DJ Mark E. Quark, with dancers provided by the legendary Les Girls Theater. We will also have some cool photo opps for you!
We call on film aficionados, body horror fanatics, and dance music enthusiasts to celebrate the bizarre and the uncanny with us in the theater and on the dance floor!”
To learn more, visit: http://bit.ly/NewFleshParty
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ARROW Debuts Spring SVOD Collection, March 2024 Lineup Announced: “March 1st may be the beginning of the month, but for ARROW it’s the End of the Road (UK/ IRE/ US/CA). Put the pedal to the metal with a collection of automotive assaults on the senses! End of the Road has a tank full of four-wheeled thrills, reckless road trips and breakneck car chases, so jump in, crank the stereo and let’s hit the highway.
Titles Include: Threshold, Black Test Car, Fill ‘er Up With Super.
Also on March 1st, head back to ARROW’s film school with a trio of Paul Joyce documentaries about iconic filmmakers: Dirk Bogarde: By Myself Parts 1 & 2 (UK/ IRE/ US/CA): a two part interview in which Dirk Bogarde talks about his life and decades-long career, his transitions from heartthrob to icon of edginess, from leading man of the British Box office to novelist and director. In Nagisa Oshima: The Man Who Left His Soul on Film (UK/ IRE/ US/CA): a profile of Japanese filmmaker Nagisha Oshima explores the pioneer of the Japanese New Wave whose boundary-pushing output is chronicled through interviews with Paul Mayersberg, Donald Richie, Roger Pulvers and Oshima himself.
On March 8th, Keep the Faith (UK/ IRE/ US/CA). When all manner of unholy terrors and calamities are out to get you, all you can do is Keep the Faith. A collection that sees the godly, and not-so-godly, pushed to the edge and beyond by visions, murderers, the undead and the sordid; you don’t need to pray for a season of religious thrills and horrors – it already walks among you.
Titles Include: The Righteous, Black Rainbow, Crimes of Passion.
Also on March 8, ARROW continues its commitment to showcasing short films from emerging talent, with Ciarán Hickey’s sci-fi horror Terrible Things, Alex Baro-Cayetano’s unnerving chiller Keith, Drew Maxwell Weiss’s stalker story The Anatomy Maestro, and Ryan Irving’s twisted comedy horror Bark (all UK/ IRE/ US/CA).
On March 11, take a trip into the mind that brought Doghouse, Evil Aliens, Midnight Peepshow (The Black Rabbit segment), Razor Blade Smile, Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes, ABC’s of Death (S for Speed) to life with Jake West Selects (UK/ IRE/ US/CA).
“Putting together this list of my recommended ARROW favourites has been a bloody delight…. but also presented me with a massive dilemma. I haven’t felt such indecision to pick since the heady and good old ‘nasty’ days of browsing lurid VHS video covers In a proper independent video shop! And now I find myself back in a beautifully arcane store with a superlative horror and cult film section…how the hell do I pick favourites out of a selection this great?
So, after hours of browsing the endless treats on offer, I’ve somehow managed to boil it down. So if you also aren’t quite sure what to pick, then here’s my cross-section recommendations of stone-cold classics; video nasty gorey mayhem: retro thrills and some bizarre mind-expanding cult delights that range from brutal to hilarious, and classy to trashy. I love ‘em all! So if you’re looking for guidance or just want to take a chance you really can’t go wrong with any of these…”
Titles Include: The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey, The Red Queen Kills 7 Times, Switchblade Sisters.
On March 15th, ARROW unveils their Spring collection with Fashion Victims (UK/ IRE/ US/CA). Fashion Victims sees the models and photographers of the hottest fashions fall victim to the cruelest killers. This season’s killer looks are all here and ready to wear, but are you ready to dare start watching?
Titles Include: Crimes of Passion, There’s Always Vanilla, Swap Nude for Your Killer.
On March 22, subscribers Must Be Losing It (UK/ IRE/ US/CA).
Must Be Losing It is a collection of films that are losing their grip on reality. When the lines are blurred, your mind is reeling, it feels like they’re coming to get you and you can no longer tell the difference between what is real and what is not – you Must Be Losing It.
Titles Include: Naked Lunch, The Third Eye, Laguna Ave.
On March 28, see the classics with new clarity: Cult in 4K (UK/ IRE/ US/CA).
Cult films like you’ve never seen or heard them before; enjoy fresh and classic cult in glorious 4K.
Titles Include: Ringu, Terrible Things, Hellraiser.
ARROW is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland on the following Apps/devices: Roku (all Roku sticks, boxes, devices, etc), Apple TV & iOS devices, Samsung TVs, Android TV and mobile devices, Fire TV (all Amazon Fire TV Sticks, boxes, etc), and on all web browsers at https://www.arrow-player.com.”
