Today, May 28, marks the national theatrical unveiling of writer/director George A. Romero’s latest zombiefest, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD. “National” may be stretching it a bit, though, as SURVIVAL is only playing in 20 theaters or so across the country, quite a step down from Universal’s summer launch of LAND OF THE DEAD in 2005 at over 2,000 screens (a record for a Romero film). Then again, if SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD doesn’t come to your town today, it will be rolling out in more venues through July 2. Or, you can watch SURVIVAL via video on demand, Amazon, Xbox Live and other digital platforms, where it slipped in a month ago (see listings here).

It takes a lot for me to stay up for 24 hours straight. I love my sleep, and very few things—short of maybe Comic-Con or a 24-hour TWILIGHT ZONE marathon—will keep me from it. Well…those and the opportunity to be one of the first civilians to play the new SPLATTERHOUSE video game!

SHARKTOPUS, of course! Eric Roberts stars in this Syfy movie produced by Roger Corman and his wife Julie and directed by Syfy feature vet Declan O’Brien (ROCK MONSTER, MONSTER ARK and CYCLOPS, plus the recent WRONG TURN III: LEFT FOR DEAD for Fox). Check out the first pic from the flick after the jump! 

Fango heard from Michael Colburn, director of THE TOY BOX, the fact-based serial-killer thriller we first reported about on our newsblog. He sent along some exclusive photos (which you can see after the jump) with an update on how the Texas-based project is proceeding.

MARCEL’S QUANTUM KITCHEN. PARANORMAL WITNESS. FACE OFF. Those are the trio of reality shows that will be joining the network’s unscripted programming such as the GHOST HUNTERS franchise and DESINATION TRUTH along with Syfy’s new Thursday reality block—MARY KNOWS BEST and FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES—which premieres July 15.

The Frog Brothers are back in vampire-killing business in LOST BOYS: THE THIRST, the follow-up to the much-maligned 2008 sequel LOST BOYS: THE TRIBE. Corey Feldman is once again Edgar Frog, this time teaming up with his on-screen sibling Alan (Jamison Newlander, who appeared in the original LOST BOYS, and whose THE TRIBE scene was cut from the movie). The first trailer for the film is now online. 

Synthetic Cinema, the Connecticut-based team behind BANSHEE!!!, WEREWOLF: THE DEVIL’S HOUND and the upcoming ASSAULT OF THE SASQUATCH and OPPONENT, has announced its latest horror production, THE VINEYARD. A casting notice has been released, seeking both union and non-union actors for the film, and Fango got the early line on the creative talent involved.

While FANGORIA RADIO remains currently on hiatus, the folks at Sirius XM Radio have been running some of our best and bloodiest shows every Friday night (heard 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. EST, with a second broadcast right after), hosted by Debbie Rochon and Tony Timpone. Tonight’s show highlights:

Filmmaker Chris Columbus (pictured), who launched his career three decades ago with the script for GREMLINS, is getting back into the genre in a big way. His 1492 Pictures has pacted with Korea’s CJ Entertainment for a trio of fright features.

On the heels of the announcement that Emma Roberts has joined the cast of Wes Craven’s SCREAM 4 (see item here), confirmation has come down about another young actress joining the Dimension slasher sequel’s cast.

• Anchor Bay Entertainment just announced the DVD and Blu-ray releases of AFTER.LIFE. The debut feature by director/co-writer Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo stars Christina Ricci as a troubled young woman who wakes up on the slab of mortician Liam Neeson, and tries to determine whether she’s actually dead or his prisoner.