With BLACK DEATH, it’s high time that director Christopher Smith be acknowledged as one of the major modern forces in horror. The British filmmaker been getting better with each successive movie, and his latest (which had its North American premiere at the recent Fantasia film festival in Montreal) is a striking, mature and deeply scary piece of work.

NBC has closed a deal for ZOMBIES VS. VAMPIRES, a spec script by JAKE IN PROGRESS creator/executive producer Austin Winsberg.

As of now, you’ll only be able to see it in Canada, but advance word on THE DEATH OF ALICE BLUE has us looking forward to a U.S. release as well. Following festival play last year, the vampire comedy makes its Great White North debut this Friday, August 6, in Toronto, followed by expansion across the country in the coming weeks.

Universal’s 2010 Halloween Horror Nights event will open in late September and include new mazes inhabited by HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES’ characters. If you’ll recall, Zombie made that film at Universal, which found it too disturbing and decided not to distribute it; Lionsgate ended up releasing the movie and its sequel, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. Now the HOUSE is back at its original home; read on for more details and Zombie’s thoughts on the attraction.

Oh, Kristy! Our Deadly Friend Kristy Swanson is starring in another one of those Syfy creature features. The former Mannequin is on the move with Robert Davi and D.B. Sweeney in the upcoming SWAMP SHARK.

A new trailer for the UK horror flick, OUTCAST has hit just as the film gears up to play this month's Film 4 FrightFest. Hit the jump for more!

This month, Los Angeles’ American Cinematheque welcomes zombies, inbred cannibals, superhuman vampires and other creepy undead flesh-eating freaks to the Egyptian and Aero Theatres. Find out about the films—and guests accompanying them—after the jump.

Last week, while trolling on Entertainment Weekly’s website, I happened upon an article about the most overrated films of all time. As I toggled through the list, I found myself agreeing with most of them. Yup, GONE WITH THE WIND was an OK movie, but had long been overbilled as the greatest epic known to man. And certainly, LOVE STORY may have caused some young 1970s ladies to shed tears and panties, but over time it has proven to be schmaltzy and trite, leaving the once guaranteed score material as an overhyped piece of cinematic foreplay. However, I was a pretty surprised to see a particular horror film on the list…THE EXORCIST.

Since the early days of theater and the dawn of cinema, renowned American poet and author Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) has had significant influence on pop culture, especially film. Countless movies have adapted Poe’s trailblazing work (the most famous being the Roger Corman/American International cycle from the 1960s), others merely reference it (i.e. the recent TELL TALE). This Friday, August 6, FANGORIA FrightFest will introduce THE TOMB, a new modern-day take on the Poe short story “Ligeia,” helmed by directorial newcomer Michael Staininger.

A little while back, we posted a rave review of DRACULA IN LOVE, the new novel by Karen Essex (pictured left) that arrives next Tuesday, August 10 from Doubleday. To whet your appetite further, we’ve got an excerpt from the book, in which heroine Mina Murray, an assistant headmistress at Miss Hadley’s School for Ladies of Accomplishment, has a very disturbing dream.

Take a gander at the latest one-sheets (including one by renowned British comics artist Simon Bisley) promoting Neil Marshall’s bloody new actioner CENTURION, which is currently available via On Demand, Xbox Live, PlayStation, Amazon and VUDU and hits theaters August 27.