Cueva, who is also the producer of Angel Baby, takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions as she navigates her way through grief and terror. Meanwhile, Val meets a mysterious neighbor (Chris Browning) desperately searching for the truth, and with the help of Maggie, the local bar owner (Rebecca DeMornay), she gains the strength to face what is tormenting her peace, leaving the audience cheering for her in the final act. 

Angel Baby is a film that, though delivering plenty of jump scares and terrifying musical cues, balances cinema horror with the deeper themes of grief and ultimately, acceptance.

Angel Baby is produced by Cueva of Cave Entertainment, and financed by Fearful Pictures. Cueva founded Cave Entertainment to make ground-breaking female-driven films and television shows focused on Latino, indigenous, and underrepresented voices. With the USC Annenberg

Inclusion Initiative report, released in October 2023, revealing that across 16 years, 3.1% of “Produced by” credits went to a Latino or Hispanic individual with “Women” representing less than 1% overall. Less than one-quarter of one percent (<0.25%) of all speaking roles went to Native American characters across the 16 years studied. In fact, the percentage of Native American roles did not exceed 1% across any of the years evaluated. There was only 1 film with a Native actor in the leading role.

Angel Baby is coming to select Theaters in the US and On Demand Dec 15. The film is distributed by Quiver Distribution in North America and Canada. The screenplay is written by Elisa Manzini (I’ll Be Waiting) and Rebecca Stahl (Everything in Between). Whitney Anderson (Holland, Michigan) and Chris Browning (Bright) also star in the film. Cinematographer is Alvaro Martin Blanco, Production Designer is David Hartwell, Composer is Max Di Carlo, Costume Designer is Elaine Lin.

The post REVIEW: “Angel Baby” delivers thrills and chills  first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

The Forever Purge, the final film of the popular The Purge franchise, is scheduled to premiere July 2, 2021.

A strong presence of Mexican talent is featured in The Forever Purge both in front and behind the camera, including stars Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta and director Everardo Gout, as well as the Spanish-born, Mexico City-based cinematographer Luis David Sansans.  

The plot, according to Total Film: “[The Forever Purge] will take place after the events of [The Purge] Election Year (whereas The First Purge acted as a prequel to the 2013 original [film The Purge]) and will center on Adela (Reguera) and Juan (Huerta), who finds solace at a Texan ranch, having fled a drug cartel in Mexico. Things go awry when a group of outsiders decides to keep purging beyond the allotted time when people can break any and all laws.”

De la Reguera began her career in multiple Mexican telenovelas. She gained notoriety for her role as Sister Encarnacion in the Jack Black comedic film Nacho Libre. Later, she appeared in an array of American television shows such as Narcos, Twin Peaks (2017), From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, and Anna.   

Huerta has acted in many Mexican films, including two films with writer-director Issa Lopez; the comedy Road to Fame and the fantasy horror Tigers are Not Afraid. On television, Huerta played Blue Demon, the legendary Mexican professional wrestler, in the series Blue Demon and had a recurring role in Narcos: Mexico.

Gout began his directing career as a second assistant director for Romeo + Juliet. He directed multiple shorts and television shows, most notably Mars for National Geographic. Later, Gout’s feature film Days of Grace, which featured Huerta as a part of the main cast, premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Sansans has been working in Mexico for over 20 years. Like Gout, Sansans worked on Romeo + Juliet (video assistant operator) and Days of Grace (cinematographer). His own filmography features camera work for Man on Fire and Y Tu Mama Tambien and as a cinematographer for Narcos and Narcos: Mexico.

James DeMonaco wrote The Forever Purge script. DeMonaco is the main creator of The Purge franchise, also wrote the previous five The Purge films and wrote on The Purge TV series. He also directed the first three of The Purge films, The Purge, The Purge: Anarchy and The Purge: Election Year.

The Purge franchise is distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes.

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By Justina Bonilla

Gigi Saul Guerrero is making a name for herself as director and writer in horror, breaking new ground.

Saul Guerrero, originally from Mexico City, Mexico, immigrated to Canada where she earned a B.A. at Capilano University in Motion Picture Production. She co-founded the independent production company, Luchagore. Since launching Luchagore, she has directed and co-written several shorts, including El Gigante and the Crypt TV shorts, A Luchagore Christmas, and Mistress of Bones. She has also directed for Blumhouse Television, most notably, the episode Culture Shock for the Into the Dark series and the upcoming film Bingo.

In our exclusive interview with Saul Guerrero, she shares her creative influences, her path to her directorial career, current projects, and future hopes for her career.

Justina Bonilla: What filmmakers and films have influenced you and your style?

Gigi Saul Guerrero: It really did start with Children of Men. When I looked more into [Alfonso Cuaron, the director of Children of Men], I saw that he was part of the “Three Amigos.” Form there I discovered Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Guillermo Del Toro.

It really was a mix of those three guys. Everything that these guys were making, they were not afraid to just go over the boundaries, in showing really raw and gritty, but human stories. It has the love of monsters that Guillermo would be that were so human and so real. And then, it had Iñárritu’s grittiness and brutality, like he brought in Amores Perros. These guys are not afraid to speak our language.

Because of [them] I found out about [Robert] Rodriguez, who’s total Tex-Mex style, and I really related to [it]. I couldn’t really figure myself here out in Canada. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to adapt quickly. I wanted to learn English right away. I was trying so hard to be something. But I realized that it’s okay to be two different things. It’s okay to have your past culture and bring it to a new one. And Rodriguez would do that [with] his crazy movies, with El Mariachi, Machete, Planet Terror. He always had those hints of Mexicano style, and I thought that was so neat.  

From there, I just got deep into the horror world, because of Rob Zombie with The Devil’s Rejects. I had never seen a movie so dirty. I had never seen a movie so raw and to the point where you could smell what was on the screen.

JB: Speaking of the horror genre, what are your favorite sub genres?

GSG: I’ve gone through phases. Suddenly I’m all about slashers. Suddenly I’m all about cult classics, and 80s horror, or trash horror. I go through it all. At the end of the day, I guess what really changed my mind that the subgenre doesn’t really matter, is because of Jordan Peele’s work. I never thought I would gravitate so much towards socially elevated horror like that, since Get Out.

JB: What inspired you to create your production company Luchagore?

GSG: It really all started with my best friend, who is my cinematographer in all of the stuff I’ve directed, Luke Bramley. Luke and I were the only horror freaks in our school. All of our homework was based on horror.

For one of our bigger projects, not having enough people in our crew, we became the troublemakers of the school, [because] we were bringing students in from the rival [Vancouver] film school, into our project. One of the crew members from the other school, Raynor Shima [Luchagore producer], was obsessed [with horror].

We realized, “Well, no one wants to work on [horror projects] but us three. Let’s make a bunch of videos [together].” Self-funded, just no budget. [With] the tiniest DLSR camera. Just making viral videos. Making cool content.

JB: Why do you think Mexican culture works so well with horror?

GSG: At the end of the day, I think [Mexican] culture is so rich and historic. We’re [also] very spiritual people. We celebrate death. We are not afraid of it. We cherish it. We embrace it. And we just see all these dark stories, legends, traditions, we see them in a different light.

JB: How did you become involved with Crypt TV?

GSG: I was still in film school when we met in L.A. Very Kindly, my work [El Gigante] was shown to Eli Roth, who co-founded Crypt TV. And Eli [noted], “Your work is really cool. Luchagore is super cool. We’re starting a new [project] Crypt TV, let me connect you.” We were one of the first [filmmakers] to work with them.

Since then, we’ve grown up together. So, it’s nice that after a few years of doing our own things, we came back together [last] year to make something together, Mistress of Bones.

JB: What inspired Mistress of Bones to focus on Aztec culture?

GSG: Aztec mythology has a lot of layers. A lot to say.

It was a mix of [wanting] a Latina hero. And our writer Shane McKenzie [asking], “What about the background of how Day of the Dead started, [emphasizing] the goddess Mictecacihuatl?” Mistress of Bones is a perfect opportunity to bring the mythology to light. But, the dark mythology, the underworld stuff that we don’t talk about very often.

JB: Would you like to see Mistress of Bones become a series on Crypt TV?

GSG: I would hope so. That’s Luchagore’s next goal. We wanted to make Mistress of Bones not just a standalone short, full of action and a new heroine. It was a cool challenge to be like, “How can we shoot this that it still makes sense on its own? But you can see that there’s a lot going on that we’re not showing.” Hopefully, Crypt TV and Luchagore can make it a bigger thing.

JB: What lead you to direct projects at Blumhouse Television?

GSG: I love Blumhouse, who are the pillar of the horror community. They want to tell new [and] fresh stories. Blumhouse had seen El Gigante and a few of my shorts. So, they gave me a chance of Culture Shock. And Culture Shock really blew up in the best way possible. It spoke a lot about a very important issue, with the border crisis, and what’s going on, unfortunately. The movie still stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. Blumhouse and I really wanted to tell a very important message. It’s very cool that Blumhouse is taking a chance again on Luchagore [with Bingo].

JB: What are you most excited about for your upcoming Blumhouse Television series film Bingo?

GSG: I can’t wait to share this film with the world. So proud of what we were able to achieve during the pandemic. Filmmaking is a lot harder now, but we followed safety protocols and gave it our best every single day during the making of this film. [I’m] incredibly excited to share a unique story where audiences are going to connect with new heroes. Plus, heroes we haven’t seen kick-ass in a genre film before!! These seniors fight back for their beloved bingo hall and it makes my heart swell of joy!

The post Exclusive: Director Gigi Saul Guerrero Talks Mexican Culture in Horror first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

Five years after its initial release, Knock Knock, which stars Hollywood royalty Keanu Reeves and, at the time, relative newcomers Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo, has gained a resurgence in popularity thanks to Netflix.

Netflix released Knock Knock on October 28 and immediately it shot up to the #2 spot on its top ten list of films trending in the United States. Director Eli Roth reacted to this on his Instagram with an ecstatic, “This is incredible.” Adding, “Out of nowhere. Thank you everyone for watching.”

Knock Knock is an erotic home invasion horror/thriller filmed in 2015 in Chile. It’s Roth’s third writing collaboration with Uruguayan director/producer/writer Guillermo Amoedo. Their first two other films include Aftershock and The Green Inferno. Two of the actor who appeared in these films Aaron Burns (The Green Inferno) and Ignacia Allamand (The Green Inferno, Aftershock) were tapped to also star in Knock Knock at the time.

In this psychological thriller we meet Evan (Keanu Reeves), a dedicated middle-aged father who loves his wife and two young children, but is dissatisfied with his current situation. One rainy night, while his family is away for the weekend, two wet and lost young women, de Armas and Izzo, show up at his front door asking for directions. Evan opens his home to them with good intentions only to eventually fall for their charms and have a lapse in judgement. In the morning the women refuse to leave, proceeding to drag Evan into hell on Earth.

The style of horror seen in Knock Knock was the first major cinematic departure Roth had taken from his signature style of vivid gore and graphic violence known as “torture porn.” Knock Knock instead emphasized psychological horror, through the torturing of Evan by the two young women, with a dose of physical violence.

This film was a remake of the 1977 film Death Game (also known as The Seducers), which starred Colleen Camp and Sondra Locke, who were also producers on Knock Knock.

Knock Knock was de Armas’ first cross-over into English-language film and her introduction to U. S. audiences. Prior to this de Armas, who was born in Cuba, had mainly worked in films and television in Spain. Once she caught the attention of Hollywood, de Armas landed a plum role in Blade Runner 2049. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in her follow-up film Knives Out (2019), where she starred alongside Daniel Craig. She then went on to once again star alongside Craig when she was cast as “Bond Girl” Paloma in No Time to Die. Her biggest role to date will be playing the title role of Norma Jean AKA Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming film Blonde which is being produced by Brad Pitts’ production company, Plan B.

Chilean actress Izzo began her acting career in two popular Chilean romantic comedies. Her first English speaking role was in Aftershock. She later worked in the films Green Inferno and the Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, as well as on television in the Showtime limited series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

A unique suspenseful horror film, Knock Knock explores the diversity of modern Latin horror cinema.

With Knock Knock adding to Netflix’s roster and Latino themed films, domestic and international, it only broadens their major international influence for promoting Latino content and talent.

The post ‘Knock Knock’ Re-release Surges in Popularity on Netflix first appeared on .

The beloved genre film festival, the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival is modifying its signature, in-person thrills and chills for a frightfully good time virtually. Not even the COVID-19 virus can stop horror film fans from getting their spine-tingling delights.

Celebrating its 11th year, Horrible Imaginings is creating a cyber film festival from Tuesday, September 1- Monday, September 7, 2020, featuring 11 feature films and 100 short films categorized in 10 film blocks. All of the features and short films will have scheduled discussions and designated interactive CO-WATCH sessions, where fans can virtually watch the films together and communicate during the film.

The 11 feature films are a mixture of classic and modern horror films, such as the 1962 cult sci-fi horror classic The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, the 40th anniversary of the Italian horror classic Dr. Butcher MD: Medical Deviate (Zombie Holocaust) and Hail to the Deadites, a contemporary documentary exploring the devoted fan culture of the Evil Dead series. Among these films are the two highly anticipated South American horror films Luz: The Flower of Evil and Diablo Rojo PTY.

Luz: The Flower of Evil is a Colombian gothic folk horror film, budding from the same generation of groundbreaking horror films such as The Witch, Midsommar, and The Golem. The religious leader of an isolated mountain cult brings into his community a child, who he believes is the new messiah, only to receive suffering, destruction, and pushback from his cult and his three daughters. Available to stream for only 24 hours, on Friday, September 4, 2020.

Diablo Rojo PTY is considered Panama’s first horror film, intertwining action, suspense and traditional regional folklore. A bus driver who is unknowingly cursed with a spell, becomes lost in the jungle at night, causing himself and the others on his bus to fight for survival against the evil of the night. Available to stream from Thursday September 3, to Monday September 7, 2020.

The 100 short films showcase a variety of horror taste, styles, and themes from up and coming talents, nationally and internationally. They feature a wide range of diverse talent on both sides of the camera, most notably directors who are female and/or of color. Within the 10 short film block themes features themes of monsters, cults, isolation, corrupt power, family and student films.

Among this wide range of talent of the short films, includes Latino American and international Hispanic talent. A few of the American short films with Latino talent include: The Springfield Three, Spoon, Snake Eyes: An ASMR nightmare Experience, Milk Teeth, Hammer, The God from Below, My Neighbors are Weird, and Culpa. While international Hispanic short films come from Spain (My Brother Juan, Yo Confieso (I Confess), Human Trash, and Smiles), Mexico (Diabla (She Devil), Mateo, and Perturbado (Disturbed)), and Colombia (Lenses).

Since its premiere in 2009, the annual Horrible film Festival has used their platform to showcase, “…the newest voices in horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genre cinema over a multiday event…”, and, “…to spotlight genre cinema, amplify artistic voices, and foster a community of acceptance.” – hifilmfest.com.

Founder/Executive director of the Horrible Imaging Film Festival Miguel Rodriguez shared with Latin Heat how, “Our definition of the horror film is pretty broad and it’s not all stuff that going to scare you, or meant to scare you. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s a little more dramatic. Sometimes it’s more social justice-oriented. It’s just kind of all over the place. But I think that is the power of the [horror] genre”. He credits the diversity of voices behind the camera for creating an amazing variety of horror.

A past Horrible Imaginings Film Festival alumni, is director Gigi Saul Guerrero. In 2015, Guerrero won the festival’s Best Director for a Short Film award for El Gigante and participated in the Mexican Horror Panel. Later in 2018, her short film La Quinceañera was featured. Guerrer is the co-writer and director for Culture Shock, a feature film for the Into the Dark horror anthology web television series, produced by Blumhouse Television for Hulu.

TICKET OPTIONS:

SINGLE TICKET: $8

Access to one feature or one a short film block, along with its discussion and CO-WATCH session.

TICKET 10 – FESTIVAL: $30

Access to either watching 10 feature films, all 10 entire short film blocks, or a mix of feature films and short film blocks (For example 5 feature films and 5 short film blocks, 6 feature films and 4 short film blocks, etc.). All discussions and CO-WATCH sessions are included.

ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS – REGULAR: $50

Access to all short and feature films, along with featured events from September 1-7, 2020. All discussions and CO-WATCH sessions are included.

ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS – ZOMBIE RANGER EDITION!: $80

Includes access to all short and feature films, along with featured events from September 1-7, 2020. All the discussions and CO-WATCH sessions are included.

One “Zombie Ranger” full access pass to all four upcoming 4 Campfire Tales events in October and December of 2020 and February and June of 2021 (A $45 value).

The Horrible Imaginings Eventive How-To Videos

Note: The Horrible Film Festival will be Geo-Restricted, only available in the West Coast and South West reigns of the United States to the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

#HorrorFilms #GigiSaulGuerrero #filmfestival #MiguelRodriguez #LuzTheFlowerofEvil #movies #HorribleImaginings #latino

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