The documentary Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever - a look at horror’s slasher film boom – is hitting UK DVD May 13th. While we don’t have any word on a U.S. release, we do have a trailer to share with you.
Filleting-up numerous facts, which will appeal to both the seasoned follower of shock-cinema, and the more passive fan of fear-films, and featuring interviews with Corey Feldman (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), Mick Garris (Masters of Horror), Tom Holland (Child’s Play), Jeffrey Reddick (creator: Final Destination), Adam Green (Hatchet) and Scott Spiegel (producer: Hostel series) to name but a few, this is a documentary which aptly investigates the appeal of the ever-endurable stalk and slash trend. Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever explores all of the genre’s most famous features – including Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween and Friday the 13th – as well as various cult obscurities and long forgotten flops!
Who says HALLOWEEN can’t have it’s cute side, and the pet company PETCO has created the perfect Halloween ad pitch and contest for the season. Check it out below!
With the success of “The Walking Dead,” everyone’s jumping on the zombie bandwagon, including pet supply company Petco, which has released a new “Howloween” themed ad campaign pitting Pets vs. Zombies.
In addition, they are running a “Make a Scene” Photo Contest for your chance to win $5,000! Enter by clicking here now through October 28, 2012. Just dress up your pet, create a scene that goes with the costume, and snap a picture. Get creative, get imaginative, but above all get going!
Grand Prize for Best Scene is a $5,000 American Express gift card. Three $500 Petco gift cards will be awarded for Best in Category, and five $50 Petco gift cards will be awarded to those who receive the Most Votes.
Maybe it’s just me, but Halloween of yesteryear just seemed like more fun. There was less emphasis on über-mom safety, special gluten free soy candy, etc. Kids would trick or treat AT NIGHT as they should, running around in monster masks instead of safe little princess and movie memorabilia costumes. We all heard about razorblades and needles in our candy (some of it unwrapped, some of it cookies), and we didn’t care. It’s part of what made Halloween scary. Part of what makes Halloween special to me these days is more nostalgia then anything else. Remembrance of days long past when friends and I were allowed to run freely through the streets at night, trick or treating, telling ghost stories in the local cemetery. Good luck finding that now.
The blog Collecting Candy has acquired a massive amount of Halloween store displays from 1969 that bring back those wonderful memories. Here’s an example of what I mean:
We here at Backwoods Horror just received news from star Damian Maffei that New York City-based genre production company, Sideshow Pictures, has announced their second annual Halloween short film, THE HOUSE THAT CRIED BLOOD.
The film was written and directed by Frank Sabatella (BLOOD NIGHT: THE LEGEND OF MARY HATCHET &the tongue in cheek HALLOWEEN short NIGHT OF THE PUMPKIN) and produced by Frank Mosca of Harrington Talents.
This is the awesome email we received from Damian. Check it out and look for a formal press release soon!
I just finished a movie called THE HOUSE THAT CRIED BLOOD. Now, this is about a short film, BUT HOLD UP. This is no regular short. I don’t push regular shorts (or do them). It is a Halloween short of badass proportions. I guarantee it.
Due to premiere this month online (a press release will be sent out by them when all that’s solid)
Here are the essentials:
The newest Halloween short from Sideshow Pictures and director Frank Sabatella The House that Cried Blood follows four young adults, who, through a dare by their leader Lynch (Damian Maffei), venture into “Old Lady Death’s” house in search of her rotting corpse. What begins as regular Halloween tomfoolery turns into a night of terror as what awaits them within the walls of The House that Cried Blood… Is an evil none of them could ever fathom in their wildest dreams.
The approach taken in The House that Cried Blood is almost the exact opposite of that in Night of the Pumpkin. Whereas NotP delivers the goods through a tongue-in-cheek, wild retro-splatter ride, THTCB builds the tension and mounting fear through atmosphere, performances, and gen-yoo-ine thrills. And blood and some guts, sure.
THE HOUSE THAT CRIED BLOOD -Directed by Frank Sabatella (Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, Night of the Pumpkin) starring Damian Maffei (Christmas with the Dead, Closed for the Season) Andrea Boehlke (Survivor: Redemption Island) Ray Zupp, Ashlee Mundy. F/X handled by Emmy Nominated Jeremy Selenfriend (Boardwalk Empire, Blood Night, Men in Black 3) and Monster in my Closet FX. From Sideshow Pictures.
Premiering Sunday, October 28th on the CHILLER channel after a limited theatrical release (see showtimes below) is THE AMERICAN SCREAM, the new documentary from Michael Paul Stephenson, the director of one of the best documentaries in recent years, BEST WORST MOVIE which was a critical success when it was released in 2010.
Every Halloween, sleepy Fairhaven, Massachusetts erupts with the most ambitiously creative spookery in the world. Endless styrofoam tombstones and backyard beasts come courtesy of a few supremely dedicated local “home haunters” who’ve devoted their lives to the art of handmade monster making.THE AMERICAN SCREAM follows three of these horrific households to uncover the triumphs and tragedies that come with carrying the blackened banner of true Halloween spirit.
“After BEST WORST MOVIE, the thought of making another documentary was a bit terrifying. WithBEST WORST MOVIE, I felt as if we got lucky; lucky to have been able to follow amazing characters and tell a story that meant so much to everybody involved. How on earth could we make another documentary that would have as much meaning,” said filmmaker Michael Paul Stephenson.
THEATRICAL DATES:
October 5 – Hollywood Theater (Portland, OR)
October 5 – Music Box Theater (Chicago, IL)
October 6 – The Grand Illusion Cinema (Seattle, OR)
October 13 & 14 – The Cinefamily (Los Angeles, CA) with Director Michael Paul Stephenson in person
October 16 – Roxie Theater (San Francisco, CA)
October 19 – Coolidge Corner Theater (Boston, MA)
October 20 – Nitehawk Cinema (Brooklyn, NY)
November 9-14 – Alamo Drafthouse (Austin and Houston, TX)
All I can say is, “it’s about fucking time.” John Carpenter is truly one of the masters of the genre. While HALLOWEEN is often his claim to fame, my personal favorite of his has to be THE THING, an absolute perfect film full of dread, horror, the ultimate in practical special effects, an amazing ensemble cast, fantastic writing, and perfect direction. THE THING is a perfect storm of horror perfection, and for nothing else, he deserves the award for that film alone.
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
Director John Carpenter, the “Master of Horror” will be honored with a Career Achievement Award at the 12th annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival on Saturday, October 20th, beginning at 7 p.m. with a Q&A, and followed by a screening of Carpenter’s 1987 film Prince of Darkness. The event, and all things Screamfest will take place at LA Live Regal Cinemas (1000 West Olympic Blvd., LA, CA).
Carpenter burst onto the horror scene in 1978 with the wildly popular Halloween, followed by such hits as The Fog, The Thing, Christine, Escape From New York, Prince of Darkness, Village of the Damned, and In the Mouth of Madness.
In Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, a sinister secret has been kept in a basement of an abandoned Los Angeles church for many years. If revealed, it could mean the end of the world. Starring Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount and Jameson Parker.
More news for John Carpenter’s classic HALLOWEEN RE-RELEASE in theaters. First off, we now have a specific date where theaters all around the country will be playing the film: October 25th, so mark your calendars boils ‘n ghouls!
FROM THE HALLOWEEN MOVIES FACEBOOK PAGE:
This October, John Carpenter’s immortal classic, HALLOWEEN, will be making a return to theaters nationwide. This will be the biggest run the film has had since shocking audiences in 1978, and makes for the perfect early kick-off to next year’s 35th Anniversary celebration.
Screening before the film will be YOU CAN’T KILL THE BOGEYMAN: 35 YEARS OF HALLOWEEN, a new mini-documentary written and directed by our own Justin Beahm, focusing on the undeniable impact the film (and series) has had on culture and the genre. The documentary will run at all screenings coast-to-coast.
A List of theaters will start showing up soon at HalloweenOnScreen.com. The press release with full details is expected very soon. Until then, enjoy the poster and share it wherever you can.
EXCITING NEWS TODAY as we here at Backwoods Horror have learned, through our various web browsin’, that John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN is going to be coming back to theaters this OCTOBER!
FROM THE HALLOWEEN MOVIES FACEBOOK PAGE:
This October, John Carpenter’s immortal classic, HALLOWEEN, will be making a return to theaters nationwide. This will be the biggest run the film has had since shocking audiences in 1978, and makes for the perfect early kick-off to next year’s 35th Anniversary celebration.
Screening before the film will be YOU CAN’T KILL THE BOGEYMAN: 35 YEARS OF HALLOWEEN, a new mini-documentary written and directed by our own Justin Beahm, focusing on the undeniable impact the film (and series) has had on culture and the genre. The documentary will run at all screenings coast-to-coast.
More details will be posted soon over at HalloweenMovies.com, but before the press or anyone else found out, we wanted to share the news with you, the most amazing fans in cinema. Stay tuned!
I can’t wait to get more news about this re-release. Here’s hoping it’s some kind of 4K print and it’ll be one of those FATHOM events that show in every city and town cinema, and not just limited to we lucky few who live in the larger cities.
Premiering at Fantastic Fest September 23rd in Austin, Texas, and Sunday, October 8th on the CHILLER channel is THE AMERICAN SCREAM, from Michael Paul Stephenson, the director of one of the best documentaries in recent years, BEST WORST MOVIE. The fiends over at Shock Till You Drop have scored just about all the information you could possibly want about the upcoming film along with a slew of stills from the film.
Magic Stone Productions (Magic Stone), the team behind the critically acclaimed documentary BEST WORST MOVIE, and Brainstorm Media are pleased to announce that their feature documentary, THE AMERICAN SCREAM, will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the U.S., on September 23 in Austin, Texas. THE AMERICAN SCREAM is the second documentary from director Michael Paul Stephenson. His first documentary BEST WORST MOVIE was a critical success when it was released in 2010.
Every Halloween, sleepy Fairhaven, Massachusetts erupts with the most ambitiously creative spookery in the world. Endless styrofoam tombstones and backyard beasts come courtesy of a few supremely dedicated local “home haunters” who’ve devoted their lives to the art of handmade monster making. THE AMERICAN SCREAM follows three of these horrific households to uncover the triumphs and tragedies that come with carrying the blackened banner of true Halloween spirit.
“After BEST WORST MOVIE, the thought of making another documentary was a bit terrifying. With BEST WORST MOVIE, I felt as if we got lucky; lucky to have been able to follow amazing characters and tell a story that meant so much to everybody involved. How on earth could we make another documentary that would have as much meaning,” said filmmaker Michael Paul Stephenson.
“But then came THE AMERICAN SCREAM and with it, a feeling of immense love and pride for these characters and their story. This film is about more than ‘haunted houses’ or Halloween. It’s a small, intimate story that is centered on dedication, creative passion, obsession and even sacrifice. It embodies a strong sense of small-town American identity, family and community. It only feels fitting to return to the Alamo Drafthouse for the premiere,” continued Stephenson.
THE AMERICAN SCREAM will world premiere at Fantastic Fest at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar on Sunday, September 23. Filmmakers and stars of the film will be in attendance. This includes director Michael Paul Stephenson and stars Manny Souza and Victor Bariteau and family.
THE AMERICAN SCREAM is an original feature length documentary for NBC Universal’s cable channel, Chiller. It will premiere on the Chiller Channel on October 28, 2012 at 8pm EST and will play theatrically in select cities in October. Michael Stephenson, Lindsay Stephenson, Zack Carlson and Rod Olson of Magic Stone Productions and Meyer Shwarzstein of Brainstorm Media produce the film.
The executive producer and creator of the Halloween films, Irwin Yablans, is releasing his first book, The Man Who Created Halloween, just in time for the yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31st.
The full title is The Man Who Created Halloween: How a Bit of Desperation and Inspiration Gave Birth to the Movie that Changed Hollywood, and it’s chock-full of insider info from Yablans, who is known for his work in the horror film industry. He produced films that include Halloween (1978), Roller Boogie (1979), Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula (1979), Halloween II (1981), Hell Night (1981), Blood Beach (1981), and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982).
SYNOPSIS:
The Man Who Created Halloween is the fascinating story of one man’s improbable journey from the tenements of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg to fame and fortune in Hollywood. It is also a chronicle of the shifting winds of change from the old studio system to the emergence of a new breed of independent producers and filmmakers. Replete with fascinating first-hand anecdotes, The Man Who Created Halloween shows us that tumultuous era thru the eyes of famed producer and film executive Irwin Yablans.
Yablans’ career encompasses the entire gamut of motion picture experience from his early years at Warner Brothers to sales chief at Paramount and Orion Pictures, culminating with the start of his own company, Compass International Pictures. But his story is much more. It is a tale of the determination and perseverance that enabled him to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in a rough and tumble business.
Told in his own words, this candid, no holds barred autobiography finally relates the truth about how the iconic film Halloween came into being. The discovery of John Carpenter and Yablans’ relationship with Moustapha Akkad and Joseph Wolf are discussed in never revealed before detail. Written with humor and fidelity to the truth, The Man Who Created Halloween is an essential addition to any movie lore library as well as an inspirational example of the possibilities for any man who will not be denied.
Source: Shock Till You Drop
