Hatchet II to open nationally in wide-release in its unrated glory.

Dark Sky just sent out a press release, basically stating that the horror sequel Hatchet II will actually be released nationwide through AMC in its unrated 'director's cut'. I never saw the original Hatchet, ironically because Blockbuster never carried the unrated DVD for rent and I just forgot about it over the years. Since the unrated Blu Ray will be released on September 9th, I'm going to try to rectify that soon enough. Anyway, this is actually pretty big news. Although it will probably be a limited-time release, we have a horror picture being given a wide, national release (in twenty markets) through a major theater chain without having been rated by the MPAA. I'm not one who thinks that the MPAA is the root of all evil, especially considering how prevalent these unrated or director's cuts have become on the DVD market (IE - everyone gets to see the intended vision within a few months anyway). But the issue has never been the MPAA, but rather the national theater chains refusing to screen unrated pictures and the hesitancy of newspapers and television stations to allow advertising for unrated (or NC-17-rated) pictures. If the theatrical release of Hatchet II is in any way a success, it could very well open the floodgates for this kind of niche national release, especially regarding documentaries and independent cinema. This is good news all around. The press release and trailer is below.

Scott Mendelson

ADAM GREEN'S "HATCHET II" SLASHES ITS WAY INTO THEATRES KICKING OFF THE 2010 HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE SEASON

AMC Theatres ® To Release The Film Nationwide Oct 1 -- The Widest Release of An Unrated Genre Film In More Than 25 Years

"HATCHET II" Cast Features Cavalcade Of Horror Movie Icons Including Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN), Tony Todd (CANDYMAN), R.A. Mihailoff (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) and Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13^th) reprising his role as serial killer Victor Crowley

Orland Park (IL) (August 24, 2010) - Dark Sky Films, a division ofMPI Media Group, announced today that in anticipation of the upcoming Halloween horror movie season, Adam Green's HATCHET II will be distributed in theaters across the country beginning Oct 1. The film will be released without an MPAA rating, marking the widest release of an unrated genre film in more than 25 years.

AMC Theatres, under its AMC independent program, will be exhibiting HATCHET II in the top 20 markets across the country. Vitagraph Films is serving as theatrical distributor. The announcement regarding the HATCHET II release was made jointly by Adam Green with MPI Media Group's Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Greg Newman.

A ferociously fun tribute to the old-school horror sensation slasher movies of the 80's, HATCHET II is the follow-up to the popular original film, which was released theatrically in 2007 and became a sleeper-hit, gaining a wide following on DVD. The cast of HATCHET II features a cavalcade of horror movie icons including Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN) and Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13^th), reprising his role as serial killer Victor Crowley. Also starring are Tony Todd (CANDYMAN) and R.A. Mihailoff (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE).

HATCHET II is having its world premiere this week in London at Fright Fest, the UK's premiere horror and fantasy film festival.

Director Adam Green said, "Having a movie as graphically over the top as HATCHET II come out in major theatres unrated is an absolute dream come true -- not only for the genre fans but for the entire make-up effects crew who normally have to watch their amazing achievements get sliced and diced for theatrical release. This is an important event for the horror genre and I hope the real horror fans support HATCHET II and help change the way genre films are released theatrically from this day forward. Kudos to Dark Sky Films and AMC theaters for truly honoring the spirit of old school American horror and doing this right. Gorehounds won't know what hit them!"

Dark Sky Films' Newman added, "We are thrilled that audiences will not have to wait for a director's cut or unrated version of Adam Green's HATCHET II. On October 1^st fans will have the opportunity to see Hatchet II in theaters exactly as it was intended to be seen: full-on, uncut and uncensored! We hope that this unrated release of HATCHET II marks a new trend in providing an uncompromised theatrical experience for genre film lovers nationwide."

"Our AMC independent program embraces diverse storytelling of all types," said AMC Theatres' Vice President, Specialty & Alternative Content, Nikkole Dneson-Randolph. "Bringing a story like HATCHET II to our guests is a natural fit during this time of year and we're excited to share the filmmakers' vision on-screen in its intended state."