Headed by actress-turned-director Virginia de Witt and Koji Ueda, a Kyoto-born Tokyo-based director, photographer, and filmmaker, “Karita” is a film inspired by the manga series “Nana”, while trying to answer the question, what if “Lost in Translation” was cast with the “Fleabag” character. The 17-minute short will be premiering at the Dances With Films Festival on June 22nd in Los Angeles.
Karita review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The film begins with a series of impressive images from nighttime Tokyo, while the ominous music suggests that something dangerous is about to happen. The next scene has two women walking in the streets during the day, as Nico, an American, is shown around Tokyo by her friend
and supervisor at a local record store, Rumi. The camera is shaky and the cuts frantic, while there is a different dialogue heard in the background. The next, dominated by neon pink lights scene,...
Karita review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The film begins with a series of impressive images from nighttime Tokyo, while the ominous music suggests that something dangerous is about to happen. The next scene has two women walking in the streets during the day, as Nico, an American, is shown around Tokyo by her friend
and supervisor at a local record store, Rumi. The camera is shaky and the cuts frantic, while there is a different dialogue heard in the background. The next, dominated by neon pink lights scene,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
MidWest WeirdFest has announced its full program for 2024. The 8th annual film festival – a cinematic celebration of of all things fantastic, frightening, paranormal, and just plain weird – takes place March 1st – 3rd 2024 at the Micon Downtown Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The fest’s fantastic line-up of horror, sci-fi, underground, paranormal, and documentary cinema, kicks off at 6pm, Friday March 1, with the theatrical world premiere of the brand new, and soon to be cult hit, Blind Cop 2.- which is just one of the amazing feature films to be showcased at the festival next month, along with over fifty short films.
The feature films screening at the festival include:
Blind Cop 2: (dir: Alec Bonk ) Theatrical World Premiere
A sequel to a film that doesn’t exist, this is a riotous homage and parody of 80s action cinema. Blind Cop, the former beacon of justice, is consumed by grief after...
The feature films screening at the festival include:
Blind Cop 2: (dir: Alec Bonk ) Theatrical World Premiere
A sequel to a film that doesn’t exist, this is a riotous homage and parody of 80s action cinema. Blind Cop, the former beacon of justice, is consumed by grief after...
- 2/21/2024
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Candy Land Blu-ray from Mvd
One of last year’s indie horror standouts, Candy Land is getting a Blu-ray release on February 5 from Mvd and Roxwell Films. Special features include a commentary by director John Swab and a digital zine.
Swab writes and directs. Olivia Luccardi, Sam Quartin, Eden Brolin, Owen Campbell, Virginia Rand, Guinevere Turner, and William Baldwin star.
In her review, Meagan Navarro said “Candy Land gives a refreshing perspective through its condemnation of religion and its positioning of sex workers as protagonists. It’s a more nuanced and lived-in approach to the sleazy slasher format, and its affecting characters elevate the familiar.”
Art the Clown Doll from Living Dead Doll
Terrifier’s...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Candy Land Blu-ray from Mvd
One of last year’s indie horror standouts, Candy Land is getting a Blu-ray release on February 5 from Mvd and Roxwell Films. Special features include a commentary by director John Swab and a digital zine.
Swab writes and directs. Olivia Luccardi, Sam Quartin, Eden Brolin, Owen Campbell, Virginia Rand, Guinevere Turner, and William Baldwin star.
In her review, Meagan Navarro said “Candy Land gives a refreshing perspective through its condemnation of religion and its positioning of sex workers as protagonists. It’s a more nuanced and lived-in approach to the sleazy slasher format, and its affecting characters elevate the familiar.”
Art the Clown Doll from Living Dead Doll
Terrifier’s...
- 1/19/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Olivia Luccardi, William Baldwin, Sam Quartin, Owen Campbell, Virginia Rand, Guinevere Turner, Eden Brolin | Written and Directed by John Swab
Whilst it’s set in 1996, Candy Land reminds me very much of the 70s exploitation era of filmmaking, where the lines between genres blurred and a wide variety of subject matter was explored by filmmakers willing to take chances on stories that the mainstream wouldn’t tell… The latter of which is certainly the case here as writer/director John Swab tells the story of Remy (Olivia Luccardi; It Follows), a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself into the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin; Body Brokers), Riley (Eden Brolin; Yellowstone), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell; X...
Whilst it’s set in 1996, Candy Land reminds me very much of the 70s exploitation era of filmmaking, where the lines between genres blurred and a wide variety of subject matter was explored by filmmakers willing to take chances on stories that the mainstream wouldn’t tell… The latter of which is certainly the case here as writer/director John Swab tells the story of Remy (Olivia Luccardi; It Follows), a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself into the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin; Body Brokers), Riley (Eden Brolin; Yellowstone), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell; X...
- 1/10/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Alcarràs, winner of the Golden Bear in Berlin, opens on five screens in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, presented by Mubi; Quiver Distribution releases Candy Land in nine theaters; and Sony’s Tom Hanks-starring A Man Called Otto, Uar’s Women Talking and IFC Films’ Corsage move into moderate expansions as the broader specialty market barrels into Oscar nominations and a new year of reckoning with adult audiences.
The conversation about what ails the arthouse market is still treading water. Some major arthouses are Mia in a key market. With rare exceptions, audiences are failing to embrace indie titles with the gusto they’ve shown in the past. Everything Everywhere All At Once cleaned up but that’s feelgood, versus downbeat, which an emotionally exhausted moviegoing public may be avoiding. It’s not clear awards kudos will change that.
“The marketplace needs to listen to...
The conversation about what ails the arthouse market is still treading water. Some major arthouses are Mia in a key market. With rare exceptions, audiences are failing to embrace indie titles with the gusto they’ve shown in the past. Everything Everywhere All At Once cleaned up but that’s feelgood, versus downbeat, which an emotionally exhausted moviegoing public may be avoiding. It’s not clear awards kudos will change that.
“The marketplace needs to listen to...
- 1/6/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s the first week of a new year, and 2023 is going to be absolutely loaded with new horror. As always, we’ll be providing you with week-by-week previews of what’s being released.
Let’s get right into things, shall we?
Here are the first four horror releases of 2023, which are all out Now!
The 2023 horror season kicks off with the critically acclaimed M3GAN (read Meagan’s review), which is now playing in theaters. The premise? It’s essentially Annabelle meets Terminator!
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.
When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece,...
Let’s get right into things, shall we?
Here are the first four horror releases of 2023, which are all out Now!
The 2023 horror season kicks off with the critically acclaimed M3GAN (read Meagan’s review), which is now playing in theaters. The premise? It’s essentially Annabelle meets Terminator!
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.
When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece,...
- 1/6/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Grimy truck stops serve as prime real estate in horror. The setting invokes a sense of desolate lawlessness as strangers pass through a revolving door of anonymity. Don’t even bother entering the filthy, unkept bathrooms; bad things always happen there. It’s precisely this setting where Candy Land unfurls its sleazy slasher filled with broken dreams, religious repression, and a sensitive depiction of sex workers right before a grim turn.
Candy Land introduces Sadie (Sam Quartin) and Liv (Virginia Rand), Riley (Eden Brolin), and Levi (Owen Campbell), a group of tight-knit sex workers dubbed “lot lizards.” They live out of the motel and spend their days chatting near the gas station, snowballs and soda in hand, in between sexual encounters in bathroom stalls or truck cabs. The lot lizards are presided over by Madame Nora (Guinevere Turner) and morally ambiguous Sheriff Rex (William Baldwin). Then the lot lizards find...
Candy Land introduces Sadie (Sam Quartin) and Liv (Virginia Rand), Riley (Eden Brolin), and Levi (Owen Campbell), a group of tight-knit sex workers dubbed “lot lizards.” They live out of the motel and spend their days chatting near the gas station, snowballs and soda in hand, in between sexual encounters in bathroom stalls or truck cabs. The lot lizards are presided over by Madame Nora (Guinevere Turner) and morally ambiguous Sheriff Rex (William Baldwin). Then the lot lizards find...
- 1/6/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Plot: After a religious young woman joins a group of truck stop sex workers (a.k.a. lot lizards), someone starts murdering people in and around the truck stop.
Review: After making a handful of crime dramas and thrillers, writer/director John Swab shifts into the horror genre with his fifth feature Candy Land – but he definitely didn’t just dive into formula or clichê with his first horror project, as evident from the fact that he cited ‘90s cult films like Bully and Welcome to the Dollhouse as sources of inspiration. Candy Land has been described as a truck stop slasher, and it does become that in its second half, but the influence of ‘90s indie dramas is clearly felt in the movie. It’s even set in the ‘90s; around Christmas 1996, to be exact. So it’s a bit of a shame that it’s being released in January,...
Review: After making a handful of crime dramas and thrillers, writer/director John Swab shifts into the horror genre with his fifth feature Candy Land – but he definitely didn’t just dive into formula or clichê with his first horror project, as evident from the fact that he cited ‘90s cult films like Bully and Welcome to the Dollhouse as sources of inspiration. Candy Land has been described as a truck stop slasher, and it does become that in its second half, but the influence of ‘90s indie dramas is clearly felt in the movie. It’s even set in the ‘90s; around Christmas 1996, to be exact. So it’s a bit of a shame that it’s being released in January,...
- 1/5/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The biggest question of the new year is whether horror can continue the tremendous hot streak unleashed in 2022. The good news is that, so far, all signs point to yes!
From new adaptations to hotly anticipated sequels, indie darlings, and much more, 2023’s list of horror movies looks incredibly stacked with great offerings.
We’re excited to check out these 35 horror movies in 2023, but perhaps even more excited knowing that this list is only a fraction of what’s in store….
M3GAN – January 6
(from left) M3GAN and Cady (Violet McGraw) in M3GAN, directed by Gerard Johnstone.
Get Out’s Allison Williams combats a state-of-the-art A.I. doll in this horror movie directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper and based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan.
Candy Land – January 6
This slasher movie written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red...
From new adaptations to hotly anticipated sequels, indie darlings, and much more, 2023’s list of horror movies looks incredibly stacked with great offerings.
We’re excited to check out these 35 horror movies in 2023, but perhaps even more excited knowing that this list is only a fraction of what’s in store….
M3GAN – January 6
(from left) M3GAN and Cady (Violet McGraw) in M3GAN, directed by Gerard Johnstone.
Get Out’s Allison Williams combats a state-of-the-art A.I. doll in this horror movie directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper and based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan.
Candy Land – January 6
This slasher movie written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red...
- 1/4/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Quiver Distribution has unveiled a trailer for Candy Land, the truck stop slasher they’ll be giving a theatrical and VOD release in North America on January 6th, and you can check it out in the embed above!
Written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), Candy Land sees Luccardi taking on the role of Remy, a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie, Riley, Liv, and Levi. Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora, and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex, Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.
Olivia Luccardi of It Follows and Go/Don’t Go stars and is joined...
Written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), Candy Land sees Luccardi taking on the role of Remy, a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie, Riley, Liv, and Levi. Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora, and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex, Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.
Olivia Luccardi of It Follows and Go/Don’t Go stars and is joined...
- 12/30/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Written and Directed by John Swab Starring Olivia Luccardi, Sam Quartin, Eden Brolin, Owen Campbell, Guinevere Turner, Virginia Rand and William Baldwin Opens on January 6th on Digital and in Select Theaters Synopsis Candy Land follows Remy, a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her …
The post Provocative Horror-Thriller Candy Land Opens Jan. 6th | Trailer + Poster Debut appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Provocative Horror-Thriller Candy Land Opens Jan. 6th | Trailer + Poster Debut appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 12/6/2022
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
"We are here to cleanse ourselves of this world…" Quiver Distribution has revealed an official trailer for an intriguing revenge horror thriller titled Candy Land, from filmmaker John Swab. This first premiered at FrightFest, Grimmfest, and the Locarno Film Festival a few months ago, and will be out in the US on VOD starting in early January 2023. A seemingly naive and devout young woman ends up finding solace in the underground world of truck stop sex workers also known as "lot lizards." Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, and an enigmatic local lawman, Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the code to find her true calling in life. Will she make her way out? The film stars Olivia Luccardi, Sam Quartin, Eden Brolin, Owen Campbell, Virginia Rand, Guinevere Turner, and William Baldwin. Not too sure about this one, but it's made by a talented indie horror filmmaker...
- 11/30/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Writer/director John (Ida Red) Swab’s critically-praised horror thriller Candy Land will open the 20th edition of the New York City Horror Film Festival, to be held at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas (260 West 23rd Street) December 1 to 4, 2022. Stars Olivia Luccardi (It Follows) and Owen Campbell (X) will be attending the NYC screening.
Candy Land will be joined by over 50 films from around the world at the New York City Horror Film Festival. For this edition, classic screen bogeyman Kane Hodder (notorious slasher icon from the Friday the 13th and Hatchet films) will be receiving the fest’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The festival offers 13 programs, each consisting of terrifying new feature films and shorts. Q&a panels and celebrity guests follow each screening. Fans and filmmakers will mingle at the full bar located at the venue.
Candy Land follows religious cult disciple Remy, who stumbles upon a rag-tag group of truck...
Candy Land will be joined by over 50 films from around the world at the New York City Horror Film Festival. For this edition, classic screen bogeyman Kane Hodder (notorious slasher icon from the Friday the 13th and Hatchet films) will be receiving the fest’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The festival offers 13 programs, each consisting of terrifying new feature films and shorts. Q&a panels and celebrity guests follow each screening. Fans and filmmakers will mingle at the full bar located at the venue.
Candy Land follows religious cult disciple Remy, who stumbles upon a rag-tag group of truck...
- 11/18/2022
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
Olivia Luccardi of It Follows and Go/Don’t Go stars in the truck stop slasher Candy Land – and Deadline reports we’re going to have the chance to watch the horror thriller in just two months. Quiver Distribution has picked up the North American distribution rights to Candy Land and are planning to give the film a theatrical and VOD release on January 6th.
Written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), Candy Land sees Luccardi taking on the role of Remy, a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie, Riley, Liv, and Levi. Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora, and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex, Remy navigates between her strained belief...
Written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), Candy Land sees Luccardi taking on the role of Remy, a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie, Riley, Liv, and Levi. Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora, and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex, Remy navigates between her strained belief...
- 11/14/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), the horror movie Candy Land has just been acquired by Quiver Distribution for domestic release, Deadline reports this afternoon.
The film will be released in theaters and on demand on January 6, 2023.
“Candy Land follows Remy (Olivia Luccardi), a seemingly naïve and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell).
“Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora (Guinevere Turner), and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex (Billy Baldwin), Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.”
John Swab and Jeremy M. Rosen (Ida Red) produced the upcoming Candy Land,...
The film will be released in theaters and on demand on January 6, 2023.
“Candy Land follows Remy (Olivia Luccardi), a seemingly naïve and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell).
“Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora (Guinevere Turner), and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex (Billy Baldwin), Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.”
John Swab and Jeremy M. Rosen (Ida Red) produced the upcoming Candy Land,...
- 11/11/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has taken North American rights to the horror-thriller Candy Land, written and directed by John Swab (Ida Red), slating it for release in theaters and on demand on January 6.
Candy Land follows Remy (Olivia Luccardi), a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell). Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora (Guinevere Turner), and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex (Billy Baldwin), Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.
Related Story Luke Hemsworth Drama ‘Ocean Boy’ Acquired By Gravitas Ventures Related Story Whoopi Goldberg, Cedric The Entertainer, Edward James Olmos...
Candy Land follows Remy (Olivia Luccardi), a seemingly naive and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself in the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards,” courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell). Under the watchful eye of their matriarch, Nora (Guinevere Turner), and enigmatic local lawman, Sheriff Rex (Billy Baldwin), Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.
Related Story Luke Hemsworth Drama ‘Ocean Boy’ Acquired By Gravitas Ventures Related Story Whoopi Goldberg, Cedric The Entertainer, Edward James Olmos...
- 11/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Roxwell Films has cast Olivia Luccardi, Eden Brolin, Sam Quartin, Owen Campbell and Billy Baldwin in the upcoming gritty horror-thriller “Candy Land.”
Written and directed by John Swab, the film follows a young disciple of a religious cult, Remy (Luccardi), who stumbles upon a rag-tag group of truck stop sex workers known as “lot lizards” who take her under their wing. As Remy immerses herself in this new underground world, her true colors are revealed in a way that neither her former family nor new family could have ever imagined. The film has commenced principal photography in Southwestern Montana. It will also star Guinevere Turner, Virginia Rand and Brad Carter.
Robert Ogden Barnum and Michael Reiser serve as executive producers on “Candy Land,” which marks the fourth feature film collaboration between producers Swab and Jeremy M. Rosen. The duo recently released “Body Brokers,” which is a narrative expose about the...
Written and directed by John Swab, the film follows a young disciple of a religious cult, Remy (Luccardi), who stumbles upon a rag-tag group of truck stop sex workers known as “lot lizards” who take her under their wing. As Remy immerses herself in this new underground world, her true colors are revealed in a way that neither her former family nor new family could have ever imagined. The film has commenced principal photography in Southwestern Montana. It will also star Guinevere Turner, Virginia Rand and Brad Carter.
Robert Ogden Barnum and Michael Reiser serve as executive producers on “Candy Land,” which marks the fourth feature film collaboration between producers Swab and Jeremy M. Rosen. The duo recently released “Body Brokers,” which is a narrative expose about the...
- 4/29/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
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