Hot on the heels of a massive deal between Netflix and Microsoft to enable films to be streamed online through the Xbox Live format, horror film directors have wasted zero time getting in on the action. According to imdb.com, Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III, IV), Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead remake) and Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror remake) have reached an agreement to direct a compilation of short horror films for Xbox Live. Peter Safran (CEO of Safron Digital Group) is set to produce, offering the directors an unrestricted freedom of bringing their own final cut to the new medium. Safron chimes in, "this is an opportunity that filmmakers don't usually get" (London Financial Times). The short horror-flicks will be exhibited in the 26 countries/territories that subscribe to the Xbox Live avenue.

Here's a list of said countries/territories:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
China
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
India
Ireland
Italy
Japan
South Korea
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
U.K.
U.S.

Final Word: I don't even have Xbox Live but this sounds pretty damn badass, mainly due to the whole creative control issue that directors are said to garner. I don't even mind that they/re short films, as long as we can see some uncomprimised twisted visions devoid of frightened studio hatchet-jobs that neuter a film as a means of expanding to the widest possible audience. It's about time the MPAA is rendered useless - I hope this works wonders.

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Eater_of_Entrails

I'm definitely going to use my Xbox Live account (which I rarely use) to download these. Should be interesting to see what directors come up with. If it's anything like the over-the-top fake trailers featured in Grindhouse, which were also done by multiple horror directors, these horror comedy shorts could be something great.

monkeyfish

I dunno about the Saw director but I'm totally there for the Dawn of the Dead director. I think it is a really interesting move to cater to such a small (not the gaming world but specifically 360 owners) group of people. i'm going to have to keep my eye on this one just because it sounds so different.

monkeyfish

uncomprimised twisted visions devoid of frightened studio hatchet-jobs that neuter a film as a means of expanding to the widest possible audience

Yay! no pg-13 teen slasher crap here!

goreobsessed

Other than the douche who directed the Amityville Horror remake, these horror dudes are all top tier. Can't wait to see what Zack Snyder comes out with in his short.

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