[RM contributor Derek Emerildo Nieto offers his thoughts on [REC] ³ Génesis, which screened at this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival.]

Jumping out at you in boisterous colour, it’s the prequel [REC] ³!

Wait, what? Colour? Yes. This prequel to the so far, so awesome [REC] series, which exhibited good use of the first-person camera technique and set a fine example of how to use it to good effect in the ever-more-saturated zombie sub-genre, starts off well enough and with the best of intentions, but leaves much wanting in the way of not only a prequel but as a part of the [REC] universe itself. And yeah, baby, it’s all colour, all the time. But is that a good idea? In my opinion, no.

[RM contributor Patrick Dolan checks in from the Toronto After Dark Film Festival with a review of Cockneys vs. Zombies.]

With so many zombie scenarios outlined already (see Max Brook’s Zombie Survival Guide or The Walking Dead comic book series, TV show and video game), it’s easy to pick and choose your own “original” undead adventure. The challenge lies in making something that the hoards of zombie fanatics actually want to watch. Enter Cockneys vs Zombies, another entry in the long list of zombie flicks that pit the shambling hoards against England’s inner city rednecks. The setup might be familiar, but the film makes up for its lack of originality with plenty of zombie-killing carnage.

God, zombies are such ass-pains when it comes to things like manners and diction.

Filmmaker Brett Kelly recently sent us a pic from his new horror-comedy My Fair Zombie, and we thought it was cool enough to share with you. According to the movie’s website, the plot concerns “a professor of phonetics who attempts to teach a zombie woman to be a proper English Lady.” Scroll down for a fun teaser, too.

[If you've still got a hankerin' for brain matter, here's Rondal Scott with the goods on Deadheads, a new zomcom from brothers Brett and Drew Pierce.]

Zombie films have become as much a part of our collective film culture as psycho slashers or radioactive monsters; from fast and furious flesh-eaters (28 Days Later) to shambling, sea-weed covered cannibals (Spanish short film Brutal Relax), the undead are everywhere. Deadheads, from co-directors Brett and Drew T. Pierce, falls somewhere in between with two (deceased) strangers who embark on a road trip during which they find laughter, friendship and plenty of action. Chock-full of references to the horror genre and films in general, Deadheads is as much a love letter by the Pierce brothers to the movies that inspired them as it is about eating brains.

Rue Morgue readers will be happy to hear that Frankenstein’s Army will soon be lurching its way into British theatres. Momentum Pictures, the UK distribution arm of Alliance Films, has picked up British rights to Richard Raaphorst’s much-anticipated feature debut, which began its un-life as an awesome pair of promo reels way back in 2004. The feature project, then titled Worst Case Scenario, was scrapped due to rights issues, but was resurrected a few years later as a prequel called Frankenstein’s Army (RM #90). The Dark Sky Films/XYZ Films/Pellicola co-production is currently shooting in Europe.

CineMacabre Movie Nights are back THIS THURSDAY, January 19 @ 9:30 p.m. at The Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Avenue – Toronto) with a new twist on the zombie subgenre, Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford’s THE DEAD, presented by Rue Morgue and the Toronto Zombie Walk. Shot on location in Africa and in the tradition of George A. Romero, The Dead has been called “Night of the Living Dead reimagined as a Sergio Leone western. A knockout!” by The Village Voice.

One night only! Classic trailers! Killer prizes!

Sponsored by Anchor Bay Entertainment, Vagrancy Films, Exclaim.ca, Eyesore Cinema, My Big Fat Independent Movie Store, Rue Morgue Radio and the Toronto Zombie Walk.

Call it a sixth sense, psychic know-how or simply some kind of inexplicable otherworldly ability but, despite the fact that the band’s reunion was kept absolutely top-secret until 11/11/11, we just had a sinking feeling that the original lineup of Black Sabbath was going to reassemble and spark up the black mass they initiated some 40 years ago. It seemed high time RM and legendary guitarist Tony Iommi met in a dark alley to discuss the band’s evil essence. One thing’s for sure…heads will roll when this unholy spawn hits stands December 1.

Also available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch from the Apple App Store, and in a desktop edition for PC and Mac from yudu.com.