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“PYOTR495” Will Unleash the Beast at San Diego FilmOut Festival

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In 2014, Blake Mawson,like many of us, sat stunned as Uganda passed the now infamous “Kill the Gays” law, and Russia began its crusade against the LGBT community by making it illegal to even mention that we exist in public.  Like many of us, he was astounded by what he saw and as many artists do, he began to create something that that expressed his need for justice in a world that seemed to offer none.

“There was a lack of response in the media about how gay people were being treated,” he explained.  “The world was celebrating the Olympics in Russia while stories began to pop up about Russian LGBT people being catfished and then dehumanized on videos that were uploaded to the internet.  These people were losing their jobs and being disowned by their family and the larger media did not seem to care.”

He sat down and began writing and soon enough the story/script for “PYOTR495” was completed.

The film centers on a young man named Pyotr who agrees to meet up with a man he’s met on a hookup app.  He sets off late at night to meet the man in his apartment for a supposed night of sex but finds upon his arrival that he has stepped into a dangerous trap.

The man and his friends have intentionally lured Pyotr to the apartment to humiliate him.  They hold him down in a bathtub and shave parts of his head, painting the shaved sections blue.  They pour urine over his face, all the while yelling that they are only doing this to help him.  Pyotr cries out for help and begs them to leave him alone, but his cries only spur on his tormentors.

And then Pyotr cracks…and morphs into a beast with unimaginable strength.

For Mawson, it was in many ways a return to his horror roots.  His father was a fan of the classic Universal monsters and he recalls watching titles like The Wolf Man and Frankenstein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame repeatedly as a child.  The image of those mobs chasing the “monsters”  have always stuck with him and came to mean even more as he was coming out.

“[The monsters are] always being chased by villagers with pitchforks and torches,” Mawson recalled.  “As a gay person coming out to the world, you feel that way sometimes.  For a young Russian gay man in an environment that denies your existence and criminalizes it at the same time it has to feel like a curse.”

Mawson continued to develop this idea of gays being sent to hell until a new thought formed.  What if coming out was like going through hell?  What if going through hell changed you, gave you power you didn’t have before the process.  If you repress something like your sexual orientation your entire life, what happens when that repression is finally released?

All these questions and their subsequent answers worked their way into Mawson’s script and onto the screen.

Screenshot taken from PYOTR495

Mawson created a spectacular and dynamic film.  The abandoned streets and buildings of Berlin mimic perfectly the look of a destitute section of Moscow while he used interiors of an actual old church in Toronto to build the interior sets of the apartment where Pyotr is tortured.

The film’s star, Alex Ozerov (who you might recognize from recurring roles on “The Americans” and “Orphan Black”) is a native of Russia who left at age 13 with his parents to move to Toronto.  Ozerov brings beauty and sensitivity to the role of Pyotr before his metamorphosis.  He draws the audience in and fills us with sympathy as he is attacked, and I found myself rooting for him as the tables turned and the unkempt beast inside him emerges.

“PYOTR495” is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit and will be featured on Boys on Film 16: Possession which will release on June 12, 2017.  There will be a screening of the film at FilmOut San Diego LGBT Film Festival on June 10, 2017.

The young director said he is especially excited to see more and more LGBT film festivals carving out time for more genre fare.

“There is a long-standing relationship between queerness and horror and every single screening I attended at LGBT festivals which had created a horror showcase ended up completely sold out, so that definitely speaks to something!”

You can keep up with all of their screening dates by following them on Facebook.  You can also find them on Vimeo and follow them on Instagram!

PYOTR495 | Trailer from DRIVE-IN/KEEP OUT Productions on Vimeo.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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