Check out this kickass post art for the upcoming PERKINS’ 14:
Robert Perkins builds an army of 14 people brainwashed through cult-like methods to protect him from his parents’ killers. When Perkins is imprisoned, the police unwittingly unleash his followers on a small town and they’ve only got one thing on their mind: “Kill for Mr. Perkins.”
Perkins 14 is the winner of the After Dark Films and Massify.com venture dubbed “Ghosts in the Machine.” It’s the first feature film developed entirely via the internet and gave the massify.com community the tools to create, submit and choose the idea for a unique motion picture. The winning pitch and audience selection was Perkins’ 14.
Here’s the scoop from the good ‘ol boils ‘n ghouls over at SHOCK TILL YOU DROP:
DVD release details have surfaced for Toby Wilkins’ Splinter. DVD Active got their hands on an early look at the official cover art (below), not to be confused with the leaked version a few weeks back. The disc streets on January 27th with behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes and a making-of featurette.
Starring Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo and Jill Wagner, Splinter finds a young couple retreating to the wilderness for a camping weekend, but their romantic idyll is shattered when they are car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend on the run from the police. As the foursome travel the backroads together, each plotting their next move, they find themselves in deeper trouble than any of them could have imagined - a blood-crazed, parasitic creature that absorbs the corpses of its victims has laid claim to the woods, and the two couples are now in its sights. Finding shelter at an abandoned gas station, they must use their wits and every weapon at their disposal to stave off the onslaught, not only from the insatiable creature, but also each other…
More than likely. As much of a Romero mark as I am, I can’t get behind his latest effort Diary Of The Dead. It, well, it was just awful and it didn’t really FEEL like a Romero Zombie flick. The characters weren’t well defined and the social commentary that generally permeates the original trilogy, one of the aspects that made them so damn good, was just slapping you in the face on this one. Sorry Uncle George, that one was a real stinker.
Dimension Extreme, the company that brought us Diary of the Dead on DVD is also bringing us another film in the same vein, the UK’s ZOMBIE DIARIES, and I’ve got to say, this one looks like a winner. It’s being hailed as the best zombie flick to come out of the UK…ever (let’s remember that 28 Days Later was NOT a zombie movie, it was a plague movie). This is what Dread Central got out of Co-Director Michael Bartlett:
“Instead of making it a ‘documentary,’ we felt the Blair Witch format worked better — i.e., people trying to hurriedly document what they could for posterity. We saw a lot of areas that could be improved with this format, too.
For example, our film has music (which seems initially counter-intuitive but works a treat) and does not have annoying sequences with characters constantly arguing with each other. We also broke the story up and shot in Pulp Fiction style. It jumps across time lines and stories and does a pretty neat job of keeping the viewer’s attention, which we felt one single story wouldn’t achieve.
I made sure we did lots of [rehearsing] for this film and combined [that] with complete back-stories for the characters, as well as improv based around a script.
We also then cut the film to pieces in the editing suite. Kevin is a fantastic editor, and we put our egos aside and made sure we were blunt with one another from the scripting right through to the editing. Any dodgy exposition had to be axed. This had to be so real that you felt you were in this genuine ‘zombie world.’ Obviously we had to strike a balance, as at the end of the day this film is entertainment. I think we did that well, but time will tell if we did a good job. We had Mike Peel (The Descent) working on our special effects with two other great artists, and [everything] certainly comes across as very believable, even under the unforgiving eyes of a DV camera.”
This is the summary from Shock Till You Drop: Set in England during a world-wide viral infection, this documentary-style frightfest records the rise of the undead from the videocams of several survivor groups. As each struggles against the flesh-eating hordes, an even more horrifying fate lurks among them.
Granted, I’ve only seen the trailer and some stills, but it looks pretty damn kickass. Take a look at the trailer and poster below.
Release Date is set for November 18th, 2008, so mark your Zombie calendars! And While you’re here, be sure to click the link to your right for The Backwoods Horrorshow podcast!
Backwoods Horror Favourite MIKO MACABRE has a brand new site up. Not much going on right now, as she’s in Prague for a few months, but we’re going to be getting plenty of sweet, sweet Cryptique goodness in the near future. So check out the site and get ready!
Picked up this bit of news from the boils ‘n ghouls over at Shock Till You Drop:
“This morning we were requested by Magnolia (where Magnet is housed) to remove all copies of it from ShockTillYouDrop.com. According to our studio contacts, the MPAA has come down on them over the one-sheet. We cooperated, but now, unfortunately, some of you who haven’t seen it won’t be able to see what the fuss it about.
The one-sheet was simple. Plenty of weathered, white negative space with the title “Splinter” splattered in red. Below that, near the credits block, you see a hand coming over what appears to be a window frame. The hand is blackened (like a frostbite victim) and has giant, sharp splinters jutting up from the knuckles. Nothing too gruesome. Very subtle.
Our reps tell us the issue wasn’t so much over the artwork as it was about the timing of the poster’s release and various “approval” business - nothing too exciting.
So, a new poster is coming shortly, I just wanted to give you a heads-up as to why it’s no longer on the site.”
–My question is, since when has the MPAA been all cock ‘n balls about posters for cryin’ out loud? I mean, I’ve seen nastier, bloodier one sheets, let me tell ya, and it didn’t seem like anyone gave two shits about them. Could it have something to do with the fact that this is an indy flick? We all know the MPAA gets down on its knees for STUDIO pics and let’s ‘em get away with, ahem, murder, but they’ve always been assholes to the independents. Well, fuck ‘em, they haven’t contacted me, so in case you’re wonderin’, here’s that poster they’ve got their panties in a wad about:
Picked up news of the new horror flick splinter from all corners of the horror side of the internets. The basic rundown is this, from Horror Movies.ca:
Splinter is set in and around a quiet gas station on a lonely freeway, where a terrifying virus-like monster inhabits the bodies of its victims and drives them with a relentless lust for blood. The virus monster is said to twist the bodies of its prey into the shapes best suited to pursue its unrelenting desire to infect more victims and kill again.
Seems pretty dern interesting. Click on the two teaser posters below for a link to the official site, either one’ll do the trick, and keep checking Backwoods Horror for more info on this upcoming indie creepshow!
Just read about the new indy raver killer flick SWEATSHOP over on Shock Till You Drop. Here’s what they had to say:
No one ever learns. Raves? Bad. No matter how many hot tattooed girls (or dudes) are in attendance, this year Beyond the Rave and Catacombs, for better or for worse, showed us it’s best to sit tight at home and live a lame-ass existence.
The folks in the upcoming indie horror film Sweatshop don’t know that, so, we’ll be witnessing their massacre soon enough.
Written by Ted Geoghegan (Barricade) and directed by Stacy Davidson, this lil’ ditty tells of a group of party-goers who are smashed to bits by a killer named “The Beast.” This hulking ox carries a giant hammer to destroy (DESTROOOY!) his victims. Sound fun to you? Sounds deliciously messy to us.
You’ll find a trailer and images, at the film’s MySpace Page.
Here’s that Trailer:
Ok, a little piece of knowledge: The killer seems to be wearing a welding mask, yeah? Well, unless you’re welding, you can’t see shit out of a welder’s mask. So maybe he’s using sense of smell (patchouli?) to find his way to his victims. Ah well, it’s probably going to be a shit movie, but hell, any depiction of ravers gettin’ the axe (or hammer in this case) can’t be THAT bad. Stupid fucking ravers, man.
Have you guys noticed that a lot of flicks these days have MySpace pages instead of, you know, actual fucking websites? What the hell? That just decreases legitimacy on all levels. Geez.
SOUTH TEXAS BLUES is a unique project that is one part documentary, one part period drama and one part cinematic recreation.
SOUTH TEXAS BLUES is the amazing true story of the making of one of the most infamous films of all time, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In the summer of 1973, a small inexperienced crew of independent filmmakers set out to create a horror film. Little did they know that during that sweltering Texas summer they would also create a horror movie legend.
With South Texas Blues, Christopher P. Garetano, director of the critically acclaimed documentary Horror Business and the upcoming docudrama The Horror of Dante Tomaselli, will create a motion picture experience like no other as he explores the reasons why The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is so terrifying. Intense endless nights of shooting, injuries, unbearable temperatures, madness, accidental formaldehyde injections and marijuana brownies.. }
The outrageous true stories that surround the creation of the film will be illustrated in a way that has never been seen before in a motion picture. The story of the production from the first inspiration to the last day of shooting will be faithfully recreated according to the testimonies of the survivors.
During many of the pivotal dramatic moments of SOUTH TEXAS BLUES, the action and actors will literally freeze as if time stands still. Then one of the actual survivors of the cast and crew will walk back into this frozen moment in time and explain what they were feeling when the moment originally occurred. Also through our working prop camera (which would normally be indented as a prop only) we will precisely recreate the most memorable moments of the original film, using the same grade of 16mm film stock, lights, and lenses that were used for the original classic.
South Texas Blues is a dream project for director Garetano who plans to keep the recreations as faithful as possible to the testimonials. Garetano explains:The original dinner scene was such a long 36 hour shooting nightmare that when you watch the scene, you can feel the intensity of the moment. I’m going to show you what happened on that set, the real moments that created the incredible intensity for Tobe Hooper’s camera. There was rotting meat on the table, a funeral pyre of burning animals outside that filled the house with putrid smoke and smells. People were exhausted, throwing up, there was screaming and absolute madness amongst the cast and crew. This will all be meticulously re-expressed in my film.
A book of the same name (SOUTH TEXAS BLUES) will be written by film critic/journalist Elaine Lamkin (BLOODY-DISGUSTING.COM) who will co-produce and co-research the film with Garetano. The book will be an intense chronicle of the making of this unique motion picture as well as a historical retrospect on the phenomena of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Filmmaker Dante Tomaselli (Satan’s Playground, Horror) is also on board as an associate producer. Edwin Neal (who played the maniacal hitchhiker in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre) will come on board as a consultant, as well as many others of the surviving cast and crew.
Sounds like it could be fun. Check out the video below for a little more information on the genesis of what could be an amazing flick about one of the best horror movies of all time.
My favourite good ‘ol boys from Kentucky, the DEADPIT boys, are havin’ their very own documentary produced about ‘em. Looks like it’s gonna be a winner. Here’s the synopsis from the OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
Every week, thousands of Horror film fans from around the world tune into Deadpit.com’s Uncle Bill and The Creepy Kentuckian. Wickedly smart and crudely funny, their web-cast oozes expert commentary on the state of independent Horror films.
Now for the first time, see the whole story of the successful rise of Deadpit.com, from its humble beginnings in the Eastern hills of Kentucky to its worldwide acclaim as the “only Horror talk radio show for the fans, by the fans.”
Prestonsburg , nestled in the heart of Appalachia, is the “star” city of Floyd County, Kentucky. Where coal is king and county music reigns supreme. Where hunting, fishing, camping and religion are equal parts of daily life. But what of those whose interests stray from the region’s norm? What if Horror, Heavy Metal and Wrestling just feel more natural? For native sons Aaron Frye and Wes Vance, bored with the endless routine of country music and hunting, they decided to give voice to their real passion in life, Horror movies, and created Deadpit.com. Taking the monikers of The Creepy Kentuckian (Wes Vance) and Uncle Bill (Aaron Frye) , they reach out, via the internet, to others around the world who share their passion.
This backwoods duo surprises with a kind of savvy that has sent shock waves up through the corporate gatekeepers who have long stood between filmmakers and their audience. But Uncle Bill and The Creepy Kentuckian aren’t political. They just want to see Horror movies that don’t suck.
Take a journey into the heart of America with Deadpit.com and its legion of rabid fans. These connoisseurs of carnage cheer on the sidelines as Uncle Bill and The Creepy Kentuckian battle it out with the makers of re-makes and the producers of the over-produced franchise Horror flick.
“Into the Pit” shows the unique way Deadpit.com has connected with fans and filmmakers to celebrate the gory bliss of great Horror movies.
Hot damn, check out the trailer below and don’t forget to check out the INTO THE PIT site and the DEADPIT site. Can’t wait for this one to come out!
Just came across the trailer for the upcoming flick MIDNIGHT MOVIE. Sounds like it could be one hell of a show. Here’s the synopsis from IMDB:
At a run down theater in a sleepy suburban town, a group of friends get together for a midnight screening of an early 1970s horror film. What they do not know is that the director/star of the film has something more in store for them than just a movie. Rumor says that he was killed in a psych ward massacre five years earlier, but the detective and doctor who witnessed the aftermath of the bloodbath suspect that he was at the heart of the slaughter and might not be dead. What none of them understand is that he has enshrined his soul into the film itself.
As the movie starts, the kids heckle the black-and-white movie, but are jolted when the movies gruesome killer butchers one of their friends on screen! They realize that it is not the prank that they had hoped it was as the killer from the film emerges into the theater to take them out one-by-one. Caught between the world of reality and the screens flickering shadows, these unsuspecting viewers confront their gruesome fate in the locked theater. Will they be able to overcome the supernatural killer and find their way out before they are pulled into the killers celluloid world?
Check out the Trailer followed by 3 different “one-sheets”:
