paramount

After the success of the ultra-tepid and mega-overrated “Paranormal Activity”, Paramount is hoping that lightning will strike twice by starting Insurge Pictures, an in-house effort that will distribute films budgeted under $100,000. While this sounds awesome at first glance, we all know this'll just become another home for Hollywood vanity project for the likes of Steven Soderburgh and George Clooney to “get back to their roots” by using digital cameras to make scathing indictments of the US military complex starring porn stars and cameos from former teen-stars trying to shed their pretty boy image. On the plus side, you might get to see James Van Der Beek's dong.

Eric Roberts has signed the dotted line to star in the SyFy movie “Sharktopus”. I know that I've been a champion of these movies in the past, but, after the release of “Mega-Shark vs. Giant Octopus”, I find it hard to give a damn anymore. These movies used to be reviled and spit on, which, for me, added to their charm, but, for some reason, with the release of “MS v. GO”, they became a part of the hipster culture and they became “cool” bad movies. “Hey bro, I can't make it to our Brooklyn-based indie art-rock collective band meeting tonight! SyFy has Cyndi Lauper is taking on a Spider-Megalodon!” (And, even more, am I the only one who feels like a total dick actually writing “SyFy”? That channel has gotten so pretentious I'm surprised they haven't done a Phillip K. Dick miniseries yet, with a soundtrack by Joanna Newsom.)

Derek Mears, your current "Jason Voorhees", joins the cast of Robert Rodriguez's "Predators". Which makes sense, because he's just about the most terrifying human being I've ever seen. In real life that is, not so much in "Friday the 13th".

Paramount is Throwing 10 parties to celebrate this weekend's success of "Paranormal Activity". Find out how you can attend at the link.

Check out these early images from John Carpenter's big screen return "The Ward".

Scott Derrickson, director of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", has signed on to direct the supernatural thriller "The Living".

Follow me on this one. A script that's been floating around called "Nightcrawlers", has officially gotten a director in Mike Mitchell. It also has a new name... "Monster Squad". Apparently the horror/comedy is being turned into a psuedo/not really remake of Fred Dekker's 80's classic. Here's more info.

★ ★ ★

"Ju-On" 5 and 6 are on their way stateside. Not sure what they're about? Watch the other 4, that should give you a pretty good idea.

If ever there were a series made for a hollow gimmick like the new 3D technology, it's definitely "Saw". You'll find quotes from one of the Producers on how the development process for the next film is going, and the ways they're trying to utilize the 3D at the link.

Check out all the entries for the "Instant Films 48 Hours Film Festival". Among the entries you'll find a film called "Shut up! I Said Shut Up!", by "Alien Raiders" director Ben Rock.

Paramount Pictures plans to release a new web series titled "Circle of Eight" on Myspace on October 27th. Yup, I said Myspace. Apparently that place still exists.

A ton of sneak peak videos from the "Night of the Creeps" DVD. Fred Dekker's 80's classic finally comes home to your collection in a few weeks.

Paramount and Myspace join forces for a new web-series called "Section 8". Borrowing a concept from the old "10 Little Indians" song, the series claims to be a supernatural thriller as we watch a different character knocked off each week and attempt to discover who the killer is. How long until the internet meme concept explodes as Facebook groups form for fans of a Myspace series?

Following in the footsteps of "Dead Space", Electronic Arts plans to release a "Dante's Inferno" animated film to accompany the games release. With the mild popularity of the "Dead Space" animated feature, could this be a new trend in the converging entertainment industry?

While Rogue Pictures continues to work on their "Hack/Slash" adaptation, indie newcomer Ratio Pictures borrows the concept in their announced flick, "Eve". They're not even trying to hide the fact with their feature starring a young girl that runs around hunting serial killers, there is sure to be some legal hullabaloo following this one before its scheduled 2010 start date.

The official site for "Sorority Row" has been launched by Summit Entertainment. As usual, there's not a lot to it that you haven't seen already, but we'll keep an eye out for future updates.

Rob Zombie plans to ditch the iconic "Halloween" score originally recorded by John Carpenter in 1978. There were elements of Carpenter's score used in the original remake back in 2007.