The Fear Monger: Vampire Leprechauns And Competing Serial Killers

Good day, buriers of all things bloated. Another week, another modern Scandinavian werewolf movie. Oh wait, Patrik Syversen’ Party Animal will actually be the first of its kind, and with a script written by Dead Snow co-writer Stig Frode Henriksen also lending his talents to this one, we can expect something fun and over-the-top.

But if you’re looking for more fantastical creatures, you can find some vampires in today’s feature. As well, there is a pair of violent Asians and vintage practical effects gore. Just like your last birthday party. Now blow out the candles after wishing the following story didn’t exist.

leprechaun

Leprechaun Creator Wants To Make Vamprichaun. Seriously.

No matter what your brain is thinking of at any given time, stating that Leprechaun creator Mark Jones wants to follow up his 2013 horror Scorned with a vampire spin on the Warwick Davis-starring franchise, well, it’s going to make you forget about your problems for at least a second. That’s like somebody trying to change customs so that we have to drink out of bowls now instead of glasses. It just doesn’t make sense! Speaking with the Binge Watchers podcast, he had this to say about the project.

"I stayed very good friends with Warwick. They're doing the Leprechaun reboot without him. And, I said, we should do a new franchise about a vampire who bites a leprechaun. He turns into a little Vamprichaun. Warwick loved the idea and it's basically a little vampire who bites your ankle instead of your neck and it's kind of a comedy-horror."

So Warwick Davis is interested, too? Maybe I’ll get on board if they bring Ricky Gervais into it. I bet Jones already has at least 30 puns written.

NSFW Killers Trailer is a Violent Shot to the Head

The Mo Brothers (Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto) caused quite a few squirms and fist-pumping disgust with their 2009 horror Macabre, and their upcoming thriller Killers is sure to cause even more revulsion. The trailer seen above is nearly more disturbing than any American film I’ve ever seen. I don’t feel the need to eat liver with ketchup anytime soon. Not that I ever did.

The story follows a pair of serial killers who battle each other for top honors by posting their increasingly sadistic murders online for everyone to see. It all leads to a final confrontation between them that will no doubt end in buckets of blood and guts. And the buckets will probably also be made out of guts. The film premiered last month at Sundance, and there’s no release date set for the U.S. just yet, but we’ll bludgeon your head with it when we find out.

anson mount Gillian Jacobs

Anson Mount and Gillian Jacobs Join Kevin Greutert’s Visions

Kevin Greutert, the director of the (for now) last two films in the Saw franchise, moved away from killer thrillers for his upcoming supernatural film Jessabelle, and he’s building the cast for his next project, the potentially supernatural Visions. Hell on Wheels’ Anson Mount and Community’s Gillian Jacobs will join the previously cast Isla Fisher and Jim Parsons. It comes from the house of producer Jason Blum, so it’s probably going to be a success.

Deadline reports Fisher will star as a pregnant mother who moves to the countryside with her husband (Mount), and soon begins experiencing frightening visions of a hooded man stalking them. And possibly cravings for peanut butter filled green peppers. Jacobs will star as one of Fisher’s close friends. This is a pretty dependable cast, so there’s no reason to think the story won’t be just as good. Or at least watchable.

Apollo 18

Open Grave and Apollo 18 Director Finds Sanctuary in Next Project

After the abysmally boring space dud Apollo 18, director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallero created the not-quite-as-boring-but-still-should-have-been-better thriller Open Grave. For his third film, he’s going deep into South America to do his damnedest to make ghost towns as marginally exciting as possible with Atlas Entertainment’s Sanctuary, written by Ryne Douglas Pearson, who blew everyone’s minds with his script for 2009’s Knowing, which made more sense than any film in history.

In Sanctuary, three documentarians head down to South America to search for a town that seemingly ceased to exist. Once they find it, they’re "led to the ultimate enigma," which amounts to a huge concrete structure in the middle of the town with no way in or out. I’m a sucker for mysterious structures, but I really hope this won’t be a mockumentary like his first film was.

Shot on Video Anthology Hi-8 Releases Lo-Fi Teaser Trailer

The VHS films have had a strong influence on the uprising of filmmakers coming together for horror anthologies, which is both a good thing and a bad thing, given the propensity for terrible filmmaking. Enter Hi-8, which means Horror. Independent. 8 Filmmakers. None of these directors have mainstream recognition, so the attraction becomes the gimmick, which is that the films were shot on video, where the only rules were no found footage, no green screen or CGI, and no HD or DSLR.

There’s no telling what kind of stories these guys will be telling, but based on the above video, it’ll be a bunch of nastiness cloaked in blood and terrible sound design. Here’s who you can expect to see films from. Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare), Brad Sykes (Camp Blood), Marcus Koch (100 Tears), Ron Bonk (The Vicious Sweet), Donald Farmer (Savage Vengeance), Todd Sheets (Zombie Bloodbath), Chris Seaver (Filthy McNasty), and Tony Masiello (SOV: The True Independents).

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.