Headed our way on the 17th of this month is the horror genre's second big theatrical release of 2014, a found footage flick called Devil's Due.  Already no stranger to controversy, the film's eye-catching original poster art was banned here in the states - which you can see in our list of the top 13 coolest horror posters of 2013 - and I wouldn't be surprised if their latest bit of creative promotion suffers the same fate.

When you navigate over to the official Devil's Due website, you'll find the typical goodies like a plot rundown and trailer, but you'll also find a tab at the top of the page that says 'Convert.'  Upon clicking it, you are encouraged to change your religious views on your Facebook page to Satanism, the website promising an 'exclusive offering' if you follow the Devil's orders and show your allegiance to him.

Though I admit I hesitated to do so, not looking forward to the text messages that friends and family would surely send my way when Facebook notified them that I became a Satanist this morning, I bit the bullet in an effort to find out exactly what this exclusive offering was.

Unfortunately, it's just a 16-second teaser clip for the film (found below), which is little compensation for handing my soul over to Satan himself.  Nevertheless, a pretty cool bit of promotion for the film, which definitely caught my eye!

As if being suspended thousands of feet in the air wasn't scary enough, the pilot of an unnamed passenger airline got the fright of his life this past July, The Province reports, when a large unidentified flying object nearly collided with the jet he was piloting.  Though air traffic controllers never alerted the man to any other aircraft flying within the vicinity of his plane, he says that a silver "cigar/rugby-ball shaped" object quickly came towards the plane, forcing him to duck down and brace for impact.  Thankfully, the 'UFO' passed over top of the aircraft, avoiding a collision by only a few feet.

The incident occured some 20 miles away from London's Heathrow Airport, on July 13th, and aviation authorities have been unable to determine the identity of the possible alien spacecraft.  Data recordings and even military radar operators were also unable to provide any clues as to what exactly the pilot saw in the sky.  According to the official report, it is "not possible to trace the object or determine the likely cause of the sighting."

Makes ya wonder, doesn't it?!

Initially released in the first year of the Xbox 360 (August of ’06, to be more precise), Capcom’s Dead Rising was a unique mix of hardware-pushing tech and oddly Japanese gameplay tropes that guaranteed its cult success.  The game showcased the Xbox 360’s then-powerful processor by rendering hundreds of zombies onscreen as players slogged their way through the Willamette Mall to try and uncover the truth behind an undead outbreak, all while keeping players’ time-management skills honed to a razor’s sharpness as they tried to take on side missions before the clock ran down.

The saga continued for 4 more games, starring both original protagonist Frank West and newcomer Chuck Greene as they faced off against the widespread pandemic, but with a new crafting ability to allow for hilariously diverse weapons.  The storyline becomes a little weird and muddy at times, with downloadable prequels and epilogues (Case Zero and Case West), as well as an entire alternate timeline for the sequel (Dead Rising 2: Off the Record) delivering the same quality gameplay.

Capcom Vancouver has once again tried to get everything back in check for Dead Rising 3, an Xbox One exclusive that, miraculously, winds up being the best the series has to offer as well as one of the best launch titles for a new console that has ever been released.

Set years after DR/DR2, DR3 gives us a new protagonist in Nick Ramos, a grizzled mechanic who has to evacuate the California city of Los Perdidos.  The government has tried to control the zombie population with the pharmaceutical treatment Zombrex, which is now administered via a microchip implant.  The catch?  The microchips are also trackable via GPS, which leads to a small resistance movement that refuses to have its privacy compromised.  Unfortunately, this comes to a head after a plane crash starts a new epidemic and the government declares martial law.  This all ties in to a conspiracy involving the military, the president, and loops everything back to the original games in a smart way that’s equal parts fan service and smart world building.

The gameplay is streamlined dramatically over the predecessors, with weapons crafting now being able to be done on the fly (the DR2 quartet required stationary workbenches), and a new vehicle crafting skill allowing players to build new means of terrifying transportation to traverse Los Perdidos and slaughter the thousands of zeds that walk the streets.  This gives the game a very Grand Theft Auto feel, although the gameworld of DR3 is considerably smaller than those games, and some of the vehicle combos are sadistically satisfying.  You don’t know true joy until you’ve combined a motorcycle and a steamroller into the Rollerhawg, a zombie-flattening bike that belches flames like a diesel-fueled dragon.

The Xbox One’s new hardware capabilities are also well employed by the game.  The Kinect is used for specific voice commands during boss battles.  My girlfriend quickly became by copilot, shouting taunts when onscreen prompts popped up to goad my foes.  My neighbors must wonder why there was a constant chorus of “you’re crazy” coming from my apartment.  It’s also used in a more sinister fashion, with too much noise alerting zombies to your presence…or luring them into potential deathtraps.  There’s also the SmartGlass integration, which makes your smartphone or tablet into an in-game device to manage maps and missions, as well as call in airstrikes or drone attacks.  It becomes a little clunky at times (trying to juggle a traditional controller, voice commands, and my iPhone was daunting), but it’s an intelligent integration that’s still in its infancy.

The most exciting aspect of it being on a new console, however, is just how damn pretty the whole thing is.  The game never slowed down for me, even with seething masses of zombies onscreen or blood-soaked explosions filling the streets.  The game also boasts procedurally-generated foes, which means that the regular zombies have randomized body types, decay patterns, and outfits, meaning that you wouldn’t likely spot the same zed twice.  I’ve killed well over 20,000, and aside from a few looking a little similar (the football players have little more than jersey numbers to differentiate them), each was as unique as a putrescent snowflake.  The game’s score, by Celldweller, is also worth a mention as it manages to blend new-school rock sensibilities with a synthy soundtrack that would make John Carpenter proud.

While the Xbox One’s 500 dollar price tag makes buying one a hard pill to swallow, launch titles like Dead Rising 3 make it a much easier proposition.  It’s familiar enough to placate longtime fans, but streamlined and simplified enough to attract new players. 

I'm not a Catholic, but I'm fairly sure that this is not supposed to happen during communion. Enjoy this exclusive clip from Devil's Due, which opens in theaters on January 17th.

Official synopsis: After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

Shortly after winning gamers’ dark hearts with Alice, game designer American McGee decided to keep on corrupting childhood memories with Grimm, starring a rotund wretch named Grimm (natch) that sought to restore fairy tales back to their morbid roots.  It was one of the few reasons I had a subscription to Gametap back in the day, as well as one of my earliest game reviews.  Nostalgia!

Now, thanks to the democratic wonders of Steam Greenlight, which allows self-published titles to be voted into Valve’s PC distribution platform, American McGee’s Grimm is now available for 99 cents for each of its 23 episodes…or 10 bucks for the complete series.  That’s an…interesting pricing model to say the least.

American McGee’s Grimm is available now on Steam.

A 425-foot long sea serpent has emerged from the water in France, and people aren't running away from it, but rather flocking towards it.  What the hell is wrong with them, you ask?  Well, thankfully for the entire country, the massive water snake is merely a stunning work of art, rather than the creature from a Syfy flick come to life!

Fittingly titled Serpent d’océan, the giant aluminum skeleton is the work of artist Huang Yong Ping, a permanent piece of art that swims off the shore of France's Loire River.  Yong Ping completed the incredible structure in 2012, and the twists and turns in its skeletal body cleverly mirror the curves of a nearby bridge.  The artist hoped that by depicting a figure from Chinese mythology on European shores, it would make people think about identity and cultural hybridity.

Not surprisingly, ole Serpent d'ocean is a popular tourist attraction, and hundreds of photographers have snapped some truly impressive shots of it.  The coolest thing about the piece is that it looks very different depending on weather conditions and tide levels, sometimes only its head poking out of the water and other times the entire skeleton completely exposed.

Head over to Flickr to see a handful of the incredible photos taken of this frightening work of art, which came to our attention courtesy of the website Colossal.

2013 is on its way out and 2014 is ready to go! Here are just a few titles I'm really looking forward to reading in 2014.

Doctor Sleep: Yes, Doctor Sleep was published in 2013. But I'm looking forward to reading it in 2014. There has been a lot of excitement over this sequel to The Shining, and it's pretty much guaranteed to live up to the hype.

Black Wings of Cthulhu, Volume Two, edited by S. T. Joshi: The title alone is enough to get my interest. I haven't yet read the first volume, so that can be added to the list as well.  

The Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 6: A year really doesn't feel complete without at least one Ellen Datlow edited anthology. Ms. Datlow takes the time to collect and read short stories from all over the place, and presents her findings for eager readers. Definitely one not to miss.

---

Nancy O. Greene started writing at the age of nine. Her short story collection, Portraits in the Dark, received a brief mention in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007. Other works have appeared or will appear in ChiZine; Lovecraft eZine; Cemetery Dance; Tales of Blood and Roses; Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror; Shroud Publishing's The Terror at Miskatonic Falls; Dark Recesses; Flames Rising; Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!; and others. She has a BA in Cinematic Arts (Critical Studies) and a minor in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Southern California, and is a former Fellow of Film Independent's Project:Involve.

Muck is a new indie flick from director Steve Wolsh, and it has all the elements to be a great little flick: Kane Hodder, Playmate of the Year Jaclyn Swedberg, and a summary that describes the flick as Evil Dead meets The Hills Have Eyes meets Die Hard. Count me in. Muck is also the middle section of a planned trilogy, with casting for the prequel Muck Offed already underway. We've got a bunch of exclusive stills for your perusal.

Stay up-to-date with Muck on the official Facebook page or GetTheMuckOut.com

It's that time of year again. Time to start fresh and make a "new you." Maybe you vow to hit the gym more, or keep your dorm room clean, or watch more horror this year. To celebrate the time of the year when people refocus their lives and attempt to change themselves we've put together a list of our favorite horror movie good guys gone bad. These characters embraced change… and ended up becoming horrible monsters or raving lunatics. These aren't characters who spent the whole movie scheming behind the protagonists backs; these are characters who undergo a deep and often sudden change, who are drastically different at the end of the film. They may not have resolved to lose weight or do their taxes early, but these horror turncoats have made a resolution... to kill their friends and loved ones!

Jack Torrance in 'The Shining'

Okay, this is an easy one so let's start right off with it. Sure, Jack Torrance wasn't a great guy to begin with, but he comes a long way in The Shining. In Stephen King's novel we get the impression that he was once a mean drunk and hurt his kid, Danny. But when he gets to the Overlook Hotel things get a little… weird. You know the score: elevators of blood, the dead woman in room 237, "all work and no play." This is all classic transformative stuff. We get to witness the psychological breakdown of a man in brutal detail. And in both the novel and the film we see Jack slowly transform from a guy trying to get his life back on track to… "Wendy, give me the bat." Happy New Year, Mr. Torrance. We're going to make a resolution to stay out of your way while you're "working."

Katie in 'Paranormal Activity'

And the award for most abrupt case of transformation goes to… Katie from Paranormal Activity. In this low budget freak-out, Katie and Micah have just moved into a brand new home. But, as in all good haunted house movies, all is not as it seems. When they begin to hear creaks and footsteps they seek professional help. But no one can calm down an angry demon if it doesn't want to be calmed down. When said demon gets in Katie's head… things don't end up going well for Micah. Though the story is told through the inventive use of home video recording cameras, it still unfolds in tense detail. And when Katie flips over to the dark side it's an awesome scare and a cool gag. So what if this isn't the most sensical or long-lived case of a turncoat… we love it! And even though this "twist" ending was jammed onto the end of the film by Paramount Pictures, we love Katie's turn from concerned house owner to full-on demonic freak. So remember, if your resolution was to buy a new house this year, be sure to watch this movie (and Amityville Horror, and the first season of American Horror Story, among others…) first.

Everyone Ever Bit By A Zombie, Ever

You and your boyfriend have been surviving the zombie apocalypse for about two weeks. The living dead surround you both. As you race down an alley you hear you boyfriend give a little shout of pain. Next you notice him limping. Five hours later he's a drooling, ravenous, bloodthirsty beast going for your throat. The example that truly gets to the root of this list is the classic "victim of a zombie." Whether it's Shaun's mom from Shaun of the Dead or Carol's daughter Sophia in The Walking Dead, the awful result of a zombie bite is always a devastating, and unplanned, case of a treachery. These victims haven't been scheming to kill their loved ones. They haven't made a deal with the devil and their not screwing everyone over for personal gain. They're monsters, plain and simple, and it's heart wrenching to watch  everyone else deal with the transformation. It's kind of like when your partner says they're going to try "only eating raw foods" in the new year.

Regan from 'The Exorcist'

Look, it's not Regan's fault that she turned into a vessel for the demon Pazuzu. She's just a kid, a kid playing with a Ouija Board, a kid who… gains incredible strength and supernatural powers. In this tense horror masterpiece Regan becomes a violent, vile manifestation of the demon. She becomes everything unholy and wrong, a symbol of treachery and darkness. And nothing short of sacrifice is enough to set her back on track. What makes this movie so terrifying (aside from Friedkin's many tricks) is exactly what we're getting at with this article. She's an innocent, she doesn't start out with any grand ambitions, and a power beyond her scope takes control and turns her against her mother (and the Catholic church).

Rosemary from 'Demons'

How many people here went to a special event for New Year's Eve? Be honest, was it a creepy film screening in a derelict part of town? No? Okay, then you're starting your year off better than Rosemary. You remember her, right? Rosemary, the sassy fast-talking prostitute, is the first victim to get "turned" in the Italian horror classic from Bava and Argento. She, like many others, has been mysteriously invited to a secret movie screening at a newly renovated cinema. She begins to feel ill after unknowingly scratching herself on the face with a demonic mask in the movie theater's lobby. Soon, the scratch begins to bubble and ooze pus, and it's not long before she's going on a rampage in the theater, infecting others with her demonic possession. If only she would have made a resolution to not jam creepy, demonic masks onto her face at weird film screenings, everyone would have just had a nice night out at the movies. 

A massive ice monster has invaded Minnesota... it sounds like the plot of the next Syfy Original Movie, but it's actually a real life horror that the residents of a lake-front resort experienced last year, and the perfect example of how crazy and unpredictable Mother Nature can be.

The natural phenomenon is known as an ice shove, when extreme temperatures, ocean currents or high winds force ice from an ocean or large lake onto shore, essentially creating what many refer to as an 'ice tsunami.'  Though it's a rare event, ice shoves have been known to happen in cold parts of the country from time to time, and Minnesota's Izatys Resort on popular ice fishing spot Mille Lacs Lake is the latest to be hit with a so-called ice tsunami.

Around 9:30am on May 11th of last year, 40mph winds propelled the frozen lake onto land, large chunks of ice slowly crawling their way up the shore, and making their way into doors, windows and even up onto roofs.  Approximately 10 miles of shoreline were covered in the icy blob, with mountains of ice reaching as high as 30 feet.

The reason we bring this up today is because video footage has surfaced that captures the bizarre ice shove in motion, and it's the kind of thing you really have to see to believe.  It quite frankly looks like the opening scene of a found-footage Blob remake, and you can check out the crazy video below!

Last month, we introduced you to an artist who buys boring paintings from local thrift stores, and spices them up by painting giant monsters into the scenery.  It's just the sort of thing we love here on FEARnet, and we were happy to recently discover that Chris McMahon isn't the only one who's giving dull artwork a horrific second life.  So too is Hollie Paris, a Montana-based artist that believes "pretty art can suck it."  And so, she takes the kind of art that our grandparents have displayed in their homes, and turns it into art WE would be proud to have displayed in ours.

Much like Chris, Hollie finds inspiration at her local thrift shops, scooping up the pieces of art that most people pass by without a second glance.  Once home, it's time for the makeovers to begin, and Hollie can often be found painting iconic horror villains and various other monsters over top of the thrift store art - making pretty things ugly and beautiful things scary.  In one of her unique mash-up paintings, Leatherface stalks a young child, and in another, Jason chills in the woods with a racoon.

Check out some of Hollie's artwork below, and see more over in her Etsy shop, where you can also purchase prints!

Founded by sculptor Nigel Humphreys, Sculptoria Studio currently has one goal in mind; to beef up your toy collection with awesome collectibles that you've only ever dreamed of owning.  Nigel has got a slew of collectible dioramas in the works, including one of Captain William Blake from The Fog and the iconic 'Devil's Tower' from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and he's just kicked things off with the company's very first release, in tribute to another Steven Spielberg fan-favorite; Jaws.

Limited to only 200 pieces, as all of Sculptoria's collectibles will be, this awesome first release recreates the estuary attack scene from the film, where an unlucky victim meets a gruesome end.  Titled the 'Jaws Estuary Attack Diorama,' the limited edition piece is the first of many Jaws collectibles Nigel plans on releasing, with another one in the works that depicts Ben Gardner's severed head emerging from his damaged boat - one of the greatest jump scares in the history of horror, that's for sure!

The Estuary Attack Diorama can be yours for approximately $393, with a lower price if you live in the UK.  Expensive, but keep in mind that these are completely hand-made, and quite limited.  Head over to Nigel's website to place your order, and to see preview images of the pieces he's currently working on.

I was mindlessly surfing the internet the other day and I came across a list of “parenting fails” on EbaumsWorld with this picture:

My first reaction was, “Hey! That was taken at HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis!” Then once my brain put together all of the pieces I felt a pang in my stomach. Apparently horror-loving parents are a bad thing? Maybe I’m in the wrong business.

I posted the picture on Facebook and a friend said, “Consider the source.” Absolutely. Ebaums World is a site whose sole purpose is to make its readers laugh. But the picture spoke volumes to me.

The sad truth is that, despite the fact that horror has become fairly mainstream (The Walking Dead, anyone?), the general public seems to think that watching people getting eviscerated (on film) might contribute to us being bad role models. It’s very hard for a lot of people to separate fact from fiction

Let’s go back to that picture for a second. It’s a guy in a Michael Myers mask and worksuit holding a baby, a baby who isn’t even looking at him. If the kid had seen him and was frightened, wouldn’t he be crying or fussing? He’s just a normal baby, unaffected by a mask. Even if that father is watching Halloween every night while he gives the baby its evening bottle, do you really think it’s going to affect him? Most likely not. I personally don’t know anyone who has vivid memories of any movies they were exposed to before age two. 

When did you start watching horror movies? For me I was around three years old. One of my best friends Ben was four. His first horror film? Halloween. Ben now has two kids, ages four and seven. Neither of them have seen Halloween, but his daughter can play the Halloween theme on piano. His son William has yet to see any of the Friday the 13^th franchise but can identify which mask was used in part 4 and which was used in part 6, because they are in his dad’s home office. Parents won’t bat an eye when their young child recites the alphabet or count to 20, but to be able to tell the difference between The Final Chapter Jason and Jason Lives is somehow bad parenting? Come on, that’s awesome! Someone who is not a horror nerd might compare that to a child who can religiously recite the names of all of the characters on Yo Gabba, Gabba! or a football loving parent hearing their child naming the entire starting lineup of their favorite team. See what I’m saying? 

I guess the biggest reason this riled me up so much is because the person who wrote this list took one look at a picture of a baby being held by a guy in a horror mask and called it a bad parenting decision. As a lifelong horror fan who someday would love to make babies and would be ecstatic if her kids loved horror too, it hurts to see a horror parent passed judgment on so flippantly. That baby might grow up to hate horror. Maybe they’ll look back at this picture and think, “God, my dad was such a dork,” in the same way that some of you look at your Star Wars obsessed parents now. But if they become a casual horror fan or an outright horror zealot, why should it matter? Won’t it be amazing for them to grow up in a house where their interests are supported and fostered? When that kid is in his teens, he can point to that picture and show he’s been in the genre since he was a baby. Bragging rights for days!

I hope that the general public will come to realize that the passion we feel for horror is the same as any pop culture passion they may have. I invite them to visit a horror convention and see for themselves that horror fans are some of the warmest, most passionate and loving people you may ever meet. You’re likely to see as many kids as adults. I’ve yet to see a kid who is frightened by what they’re seeing. More often than not, kids at conventions are fascinated, not terrified. I’m not ashamed to admit I freak out more than most of the kids at conventions when a creepy clown walks by. 

We all see something different when we look at a picture, read a book or watch a movie, and we all bring our own views and experiences to the table when we do it. What do you see when you look at this particular picture? 

For more horror-loving kids, be sure to check out Ten Awesome Halloween Costumes for Kids of Serious Horror Movie Fans.

The Slender Man is a peculiar phenomenon: a completely manufactured urban legend borne out of the Something Awful forums in 2009, the black-suited wraith has pretty much taken the internet by storm, showing up in films, creepypasta fiction, and a few video games.  The most famous of these, Slender, has been the subject of many a shriek-filled YouTube video as players try and collect 8 sheets of paper before they’re hunted down by Slender Man, who pops up out of nowhere like a waifish Jason Voorhees.

That formula was honed late last year by developer Blue Isle Studios, who teamed up with original Slender Man creator Eric Knudson to tighten up the formula with Slender: The Arrival, which offered plenty of new environments for the malicious meme to hunt you down in.  Midnight City, the new indie label founded by Majesco Entertainment, has announced that they will be bringing this new vision of Slender-based terror to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in Q1 2014.

The console release will feature the same gameplay and features of its PC brethren, but with two new levels that will place players “in the shoes of Slender Man’s victims.”  Yeesh.  These new levels will be issued as an update for the PC version on Steam following the game’s console release.

Slender: The Arrival will be released on Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in Q1 2014 for $9.99.