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Cranked Up Films is excited to kick off their 2024 slate with the North American VOD release of Reflect, the feature film debut of writer/director/star Dana Kippel. The sci-fi metaphysical thriller follows a group of friends on a spiritual obstacle course hoping to improve their lives, but they don’t know they are being monitored by mysterious hooded entities, eager to take over their bodies. Reflect is out now on Digital VOD, including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.

Dana Kippel headlines the film as Summer, rounded out by a cast including Grace Patterson, Jadelyn Breier, Marissa Patterson, Ariana Williams, Corey Brooks, Eric Scott Woods, Dash Katz, Maya Knell, Ryan Jack Connell, and Joe Filippone. Kippel produced under her Crazy Carrot Films shingle, alongside Zac Coats, Ryan Jack Connell, Brian Duss, Grace Patterson, Loan Thach, and Rhiannon Moller-Trotter. Michael DeLano of Cotu Media served as executive producer.

Now on VOD from Cranked Up Films is Reflect, the feature film debut of writer/director/star Dana Kippel.

The sci-fi metaphysical thriller follows a group of friends on a spiritual obstacle course hoping to improve their lives, but they don’t know they are being monitored by mysterious hooded entities, eager to take over their bodies.

Bloody Disgusting has a trippy exclusive clip from the film that also stars Grace Patterson, Jadelyn Breier, Marissa Patterson, Ariana Williams, Corey Brooks, Eric Scott Woods, Dash Katz, Maya Knell, Ryan Jack Connell, and Joe Filippone.

Kippel produced under her Crazy Carrot Films shingle, alongside Zac Coats, Ryan Jack Connell, Brian Duss, Grace Patterson, Loan Thach, and Rhiannon Moller-Trotter. Michael DeLano of Cotu Media served as executive producer.

Reflect world premiered at the Chandler International Film Festival and went on to screen at the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, the Sydney Science Film Festival,...

Blink-182’s track “Aliens Exist” could easily be the tagline for band member Tom DeLonge’s directorial debut “Monsters of California.”

DeLonge co-wrote the script with Ian Miller and Ben Kull, with the plot centering on a high schooler looking to find his missing father who works for a secret government program. The action-comedy stars Jack Samson, Casper Van Dien, Camille Kostek, Richard Kind, and Arianne Zucker.

After discovering research left behind by a missing government agent, Dallas Edwards (Samson) and his misfit high school friends embark on a righteous and dangerous adventure to uncover a paranormal conspiracy in Southern California that brings them face-to-face with some of the government’s most guarded mysteries.

DeLonge also produced the original score, composed by Ilan Rubin and co-produced by Aaron Rubin. Along with DeLonge, Stan Spry and Eric Scott Woods produce “Monsters of California” with DeLonge’s To The Stars production company...

Tom DeLonge’s directorial feature debut, Monsters of California, has released its first trailer, focusing on efforts to uncover a major government conspiracy.

DeLonge, the Blink-182 rocker and noted champion of UFO research, helmed and co-wrote the film that Screen Media launches theatrically and on-demand Oct. 6. The cast includes Jack Samson (Zodiac), Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Camille Kostek (Free Guy), Richard Kind (A Serious Man) and Arianne Zucker (Days of Our Lives).

Monsters of California centers on Dallas (Samson) and his outcast group of high school friends attempting to shed light on a paranormal conspiracy in Southern California that the political powers that be have kept under wraps.

“They don’t want you to know anything,” Kind says ominously in the footage. “This is going to shatter any idea you have about reality.”

The trailer shows Dallas working to use his father’s clandestine research to help shed light...

Roberto Sneider, whose credits include “You’re Killing Me Susana” and “Dos Crímenes,” has been tapped to direct multi-generational family drama “Blood Knot,” which stars Michael Douglas and Cameron Douglas. Emmy and Tony nominated actor David Morse, Michael Stahl-David and Walker Scobell have joined the cast.

Screen Media will be presenting the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film is based on Bob Rich’s novel “Looking Through Water” and is adapted for the screen by Rowdy Herrington (“Road House”). It follows a father who, in an attempt to reconnect with his estranged son, invites him to Belize to compete in a father-son fishing competition.

Sneider replaces Howard Deutch, who was originally announced as director, but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict.

The film is produced by Stan Spry of Cartel. Eric Woods and Robert Mitas (“Ratched”) also serve as producers. Screen Media’s David Fannon...

Former Shudder chief Craig Engler left the streaming service a couple months ago, shortly after overseeing the release of the horror film Skinamarink, which was made on a budget of $15,000 and earned over $2 million during its theatrical run. Now Variety reports that Engler has teamed up with The Cartel, the production company behind Shudder’s Creepshow series, to launch Shiver Studios, “a new genre company with plans to make and finance up to 10 horror films a year”!

Variety explains that the Los Angeles-based studio will focus on a theatrical-first approach, looking to ride the recent trend of indie horror hits. The overall plan is for Shiver to follow its theatrical releases with a Tvod, SVOD, AVOD, linear and physical windowing strategy, working with partners that include both streamers and traditional distributors.

The first two films on the Shiver Studios development slate are Incident at Joshua Tree and Bloody Mary.

Incident...

Creepshow producer The Cartel and former Shudder head Craig Engler have teamed up to launch Shiver Studios.

The new venture plans to finance and produce between four and 10 horror movies a year that first target theatrical releases. The Cartel produced Creepshow for AMC and Engler headed up AMC Networks’ horror-focused Shudder streamer.

“When Craig Engler approached the Cartel about partnering on a new horror studio, we jumped at the opportunity. Craig’s knowledge and relationships in the horror space and horror community are unparalleled. His expertise combined with Cartel’s production, financing and distribution infrastructure makes Shiver Studios a very exciting opportunity,” Stan Spry, co-ceo of Cartel Pictures, said in a statement on Friday.

Shiver Studios has set as its first projects Incident at Joshua Tree from NCIS: Hawaii and Colony writer/producer Noah Evslin, and Bloody Mary, from writer/producer Cameron Larson. The Cartel has other genre credits that...

Former Shudder chief Craig Engler and The Cartel, the production and finance company behind “Creepshow” have teamed up to launch Shiver Studios, a new genre company with plans to make and finance up to 10 horror films a year.

Based in Los Angeles, Shiver Studios will focus on a theatrical-first approach, looking to ride the recent trend of indie horror hits such as Shudder’s release of micro-budget hit horror feature “Skinamarink,” directed by Kyle Edward Ball. Prior to his departure from Shudder Engler oversaw the release of “Skinamarink” which has grossed $2 million in theaters on a budget of $15,000.

The overall plan is for Shiver to follow its theatrical releases with a Tvod, SVOD, AVOD, linear and physical windowing strategy, working with partners that include both streamers and traditional distributors, the nascent studio specified in a statement.

The first announced projects in the Shiver Studios pipeline are:

– “Incident at Joshua Tree...

First two projects announced: Incident At Joshua Tree, Bloody Mary.

Production and finance company Cartel and former Shudder head Craig Engler have launched genre production and finance company Shiver Studios and announced their first two theatrical projects.

Shiver plans to produce and finance four to 10 horror films a year for theatrical-first release, followed by roll-out on TVoD, streaming, AVoD, linear and physical home entertainment releases. The company plans to work with both streamers and traditional distributors.

Cartel co-ceo’s Stan Spry and Eric Woods and Engler will serve as Co-CEOs of the new venture and will produce the first two...