FOLLOWING FILMS

When Dean DeBlois announced he’d be directing a live-action remake of his own animated classic, there was a collective buzz among fans. It’s rare for a remake to be guided by the same creative hand that brought the original to life, and that gave this project a built-in authenticity from the start. Fifteen years after the animated film’s debut, we return to Berk to find the same story, the same emotional beats, and the same charm—this time wrapped in a tactile, photo-real world that feels both fresh and familiar. The narrative remains a timeless one: Hiccup, the awkward but curious son of Viking chief Stoick the Vast, lives in a world where dragons are feared and hunted. When he injures a rare Night Fury and discovers it’s not the monster he was taught to believe, he forms a friendship that will alter the course of his village forever. That relationship, between a boy and his dragon, is still the film’s heart, and it beats as strongly in live action as it did in animation. Berk itself ...

The sword and sorcery classic Deathstalker is returning in a bold, practical-effects-driven reboot from director Steven Kostanski (The Void, PG: Psycho Goreman). Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick, The Matrix Reloaded) steps into the role of the wandering warrior Deathstalker, while Patton Oswalt (Young Adult, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) lends his voice to the kindly wizard Doodad. Kostanski, known for his creature work and offbeat genre sensibilities, is bringing Abraxeon’s dark fantasy world to life using prosthetic FX, elaborate creature suits, and stop-motion animation courtesy of his own Action Pants FX shop. In the new film, the Kingdom of Abraxeon is under siege by the monstrous Dreadites, servants of the long-dead sorcerer Nekromemnon. After retrieving a cursed amulet from a battlefield, Deathstalker becomes marked by dark magic and pursued by otherworldly assassins. To break the curse—and stop the coming darkness—he must face danger at every turn. In Kostanski’s hands, Deathstalker ...

Thank you for listening to the Following Films Podcast. Today I’m joined by Jeremy Rudd to discuss DIE’CED: RELOADED Seattle, Halloween night, 1987. Benny - an infamous serial killer long thought contained - breaks free from a high-security asylum, reborn behind a twisted scarecrow mask. As he leaves a trail of carnage across the suburbs, whispers of his gruesome past resurface, fueling panic in a city soaked in neon and fear. But Benny isn’t just killing for pleasure - he’s hunting someone. A young woman unknowingly tied to the darkest chapter of his madness becomes his fixation, and the closer he gets, the bloodier it gets. DIE’CED: RELOADED delivers a brutal, synth-drenched slasher soaked in 1980s nostalgia, where Benny carves his place in horror history - one body at a time. DIE’CED: RELOADED will be available to rent or purchase on video-on-demand on Tuesday, 8/12 Now on to my conversation with Jeremy Rudd. I hope you enjoy the show

  In the upcoming horror-thriller GOOD BOY, director Ben Leonberg takes audiences on a chilling ride through the eyes of an unlikely hero—a dog named Indy. Leaving the city behind, Indy and his owner, Todd, move into a long-abandoned country home that harbors more than just memories. As eerie visions and invisible forces begin to take hold, it's clear that something sinister lurks within the walls. While Todd remains unaware, Indy picks up on the house’s haunting presence from the start. With ghostly warnings from a long-deceased dog and spectral glimpses of a grim past, Indy becomes the only line of defense as dark forces begin to possess his best friend. Co-written by Leonberg and Alex Cannon, and produced by Leonberg and Kari Fischer, the film stars Indy the Dog, Shane Jensen, Arielle Friedman, and genre favorite Larry Fessenden. Indy clocks in at a lean 73 minutes and promises a unique take on supernatural horror through a canine perspective. Indy is a tale of loyalty, fear, an...

Award-winning filmmaker Connie Field’s latest documentary, Democracy Noir, is making waves on the international film circuit, earning top honors and resonating deeply with audiences concerned about the global erosion of democratic institutions. The film has already won Best Documentary at the Sebastopol Film Festival, Best Human Rights Film at the Chicago International Women's Film Festival, and both Best Documentary and the Impact Award at the Boston Film Festival. It also received the Jury Award at the One World Festival in Prague, and was nominated for the Fact Award at CPH:DOX and the Tim Hetherington Award at Sheffield. At the heart of Democracy Noir is a sobering and incisive look at Hungary under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government has become a global case study in 21st-century authoritarianism. Orbán, praised by many on the far right in Europe and the U.S., including former President Donald Trump and segments of the Republican Party, has spent ov...

  Today’s episode is a real treat—especially for fans of supernatural horror and '80s cult classics. We're joined by legendary director Chuck Russell, whose past work includes genre-defining hits like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Blob, and The Mask. Now, he's back with a bold and grounded reimagining of Witchboard, the 1986 cult horror film that delivered equal parts cheese and chills. Russell’s new vision trades in the campy charm of the original for a darker, more atmospheric take. Set in present-day New Orleans, this Witchboard follows a young couple as they stumble upon a cursed artifact that awakens a vengeful witch, plunging them into a harrowing world of possession, occult terror, and temptation. Stick around as we chat with Chuck about reinventing Witchboard for a new generation, building dread without leaning on nostalgia, and how the haunted streets of New Orleans helped bring this eerie tale to