Dead Harvey - A resource for independent horror filmmakers and fans

Press Release on Geno McGahee's "Scary Tales"

2012-01-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

We received this press release from Geno McGahee about his latest film, a horror anthology called "Scary Tales". I figured that I would just share the whole thing, so you can check out how he put it all together and, of course, read all about the film. I would like to mention that if any of you other filmmakers have press releases or want to talk about your upcoming projects, please let us know!

SCARY TALES – New Horror Anthology in the Vein of CREEPSHOW is Set to Release in 2012

On behalf of X Posse Productions, we are excited to announce that the Official Facebook page for their upcoming horror thriller SCARY TALES.

SCARY TALES is a unique horror anthology featuring five tales. When four friends reunite at a remote cabin, they share some campfire stories, but the line between fantasy and reality soon gets blurred and the unexplainable begins to occur. There is something for every horror fan. SCARY TALES features zombies, werewolves, demons, and the devil himself. The twists and surprises that were seen in FAMILY SECRET, the last X Posse Production, are also in good supply in this new anthology.

Written and Directed by Geno McGahee, SCARY TALES is a throwback to the 1970’s character driven horror films.

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SCARY TALES - Releasing in 2012

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Become a fan of film on Facebook: Click here

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Starring: Leeann Aubuchon, Josh Tienson, Jaki Valensi-Lauper, Forris Day, JR., Tim Pieciak, Kate Lago, Charlotte Lewis, Brent Northup, Savanah Lee Gauthier

Directed by: Geno McGahee

Written by: Geno McGahee

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Any interview requests or any questions or comments can be sent to genobambino69@gmail.com

Interview with Xu Razer, co-director and co-star of HOUSE OF MIRRORS.

2012-01-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Here's an interview with Xu Razer, the co-director and co-star of the upcoming indie horror, "House of Mirrors". If you'd like more information on the film, you can check out it's IMDB page here. Otherwise, Xu offers up a great interview!

Tell us about your film, what’s it all about?

HOUSE OF MIRRORS is about a rich music executive who wakes up amnesiac the morning after a party and receives a phone call that he murdered someone the night before. He has no memory of the event and is not sure if he did it. The caller gives him only 48 hours to comply with his bizarre riddles before giving the police info about the murder.

1 If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for the film and how did you secure financing?

All we can say about the budget at this time is that it was less than Superman Returns and 2012.

1 As of right now, what are your goals for the film and what kinds of things are you doing to make sure you reach your goals?

Our goals for the film is that it reach as wide an audience as possible- we would like everyone who likes mind bending horror/thriller to get a chance to enjoy it!

1 What about film festivals? Are you going to enter your film? If you have, how did it do? Tell us about your feelings around the indie film fest circuit.

We have submitted our film to a few festivals. One festival told us he would waive the fee on Withoutabox if we agreed to world premier it at his fest. We also have a distributor of one of our previous films who requested a copy for a possible festival screening in April.

1 Talk about distribution. Have you secured distribution? If so, how did you go about doing that? If not, what’s your plan?

We’ve sent out some copies to distributors. Bloody Disgusting requested a copy after we sent a press release to their site, and told me by e-mail that they partner with Vivendi-Universal to distribute successful horror movies from the film fest circuit. We haven’t gotten an offer from them, but it was flattering that they requested a copy nonetheless.

1 Where can people find out more about the film and/or get their hands on a copy?

Copies will be available in the next few months when we sign a contract with a distributor.

1 Talk about the production. How did it go? Tell us one good or funny story that demonstrates the trials and tribulations of being an indie filmmaker.

One of the cast members got extremely drunk. You’ll see who when you watch the movie. I had to take the bottle out of his hand and pour it down the sink. He was a good sport about it.

1 What about you? Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into indie horror.

we like interesting off-beat stories. Some big studio horror movie are so formulaic they are painful to watch. I want to not be able to guess what’s coming next when I watch a movie.

1 Talk about the indie horror scene. Where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

We see it exploding onto the mainstream with movies like Blair Witch and Paranormal activity. People are getting tired of the same old stories and want to be shocked with novelty. Studios are trying to figure out how to make their movie look grainy and bounce the camera so it looks indie.

1 Do you have any more projects in the works? What’s next for you?

Yep, we are shooting next weekend!

News Out of CES that you should care about...

2012-01-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

Do any of you guys give a shit about CES? If you don't, you really should... and if you don't know what it is, it's the Consumer Electronics Show and it was in Las Vegas last week. Lots of celebrities hit it up and all the major technology and media companies make big announcements there. For example, Tom Hanks was there announcing that he's partnered with Yahoo for his next creative venture, "Electric City". He even went on to say that while feature films are "supposedly the top of the pyramid", the ecosystem is changing. Since then, Hulu has announced that it's developing a series for online distribution, Netflix is already in the game with it's "Arrested Development" reboot and other big time online projects are popping up. Online, as a distribution network, is just heating up... and I'm going to do a post on that soon. Until then, there was some other news out of CES that I found interesting and it has to do with Ultra Violet and Blu-ray.

Everyone knows that the disc format is dying, right? It's VHS, Beta and 8 tracks all over again, isn't it? Well, apparently, Blu-ray boosted Hollywood's home video business in 2011, growing 20% and topping $2billion in sales. That's pretty big news, considering that everyone keeps saying that the home entertainment business is in the dumper. Sure, overall spending was down, but only slightly... 2%. That's a far cry from what the studios would have you believe. So, is home entertainment dead or is it just changing? This is interesting for us indie filmmakers because the theatrical market isn't an option for us... Online isn't going to be a viable option for at least a few years and with the DVD and home entertainment market dying, where are we supposed to turn? Here's the thing... I'd argue that a lot of Americans still put a disc into a player to watch movies and aren't going to stop soon... way more than you think, and that's good news for us. Variety did an article on all the numbers, you can find that here.

The other thing that I found interesting, which they talked a lot about at CES, is Ultra Violet. Have you heard of this? Basically, there's a consortium of 70 businesses, called the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, that back and are connected to Ultra Violet. What is it? Basically, the idea is, content (films, shows, whatever) is stored in the cloud and once you buy that piece of content, you get access to it on any device that you'd want... forever. Read this article on CNET to read more about how it works. What I like about this... and any online distribution format, is that, technically, if it catches on, the barriers for indie filmmakers to distribute their content should lessen. Imagine being able to upload your film, make up a profile page and then it's up to you to market it. You just collect on all the people who access it. Think about what it would mean for the indie film festival market, too... the future could be very bright.

We've got a few interviews with filmmakers to post this week, so stay tuned for that!

Looking forward to the horror films of 2012

2012-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago, we took a look at how 2011 ended up. Now, let's look forward to horror films that are slated for 2012. Truth be told, there isn't much that's going to blow up your skirt. Having said that, this is just what's slated for theatrical releases in 2012 now. More will be added as the year progresses and you can expect lots of quality horror films to not get theatrical releases. Anyhow, here's how it looks now:
Jan 20 - Underworld Awakening
Jan 27 - Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes
Jan 27 - The Wicker Tree
Feb 3 - The Woman in Black
Feb 3 - Chronicle
Feb 3 - The Innkeepers
Mar 9 - The Raven
May 11 - Dark Shadows
Jun 8 - Prometheus

Fall and Winter tend to be good for horror and there's nothing on the books now... also, the Spring and Summer bring some big non-horror films to be excited about, including: Men in Black III, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. Let's take a closer look at some of the notable films that are slated...

"Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes" is probably going to be an unmitigated disaster, as they're doing this as a "found footage" film. They do have the producer from "Paranormal Activity" involved, but I just don't see this being a success. This sounds like an idea that was born out of an executive meeting.

"The Wicker Tree" is interesting as it's basically a sequel to "The Wicker Man" and it's from the same filmmaker, Robin Hardy. I say it's basically a sequel because, apparently, it's more like a reimagining. Wacky religious people seems like a good subject matter these days, I'll bite... and, hey, I liked "Wicker Man".

"The Woman in Black" is a PG-13 horror, but it stars Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) as a young lawyer that travels to a remote village where he finds a vengeful ghost. He's done other roles that aren't Harry Potter, but I haven't seen them... a young lawyer? Hmmm...

"Chronicle" is a found footage style film that I really am interested in, although I'm not sure it needed to be a found footage film. It's about three high school students that discover they have super powers... and they film themselves. You need to check out the trailer, very cool.

"Dark Shadows" could be interesting. It's a Tim Burton directed and Johnny Depp starring film with an interesting concept - Johnny Depp is a rich, powerful playboy type guy in the 1700's that meets a witch that turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. He emerges in 1972 and returns to his manor to find it fallen into ruin by his family...

"Prometheus" is probably the film that I'm most looking forward to, as Ridley Scott returns to sci-fi and calls "Alien" the jumping off point for this project. He goes on to say that "there's strands of "Alien" DNA, so to speak, but the ideas are unique, large and provocative." Looking forward to that, check out the trailer, it's online.

I'm probably missing quite a bit, but what are you looking forward to? Is it going to be a good year or is this just going to be another year of sequels and pablum for the masses?

Top Grossing Horror Films of 2011

2012-01-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

2011 has come and gone and I'm betting that most of us are looking forward to a better 2012... I know I am, anyhow. It better be good, especially if The Mayans are right. If they are, we've got less than a year to go because it all ends on Dec 21, 2012. So, if you were ever going to get off your ass and make that movie, you better do it now. Otherwise, forget about it and hunker down in your bunker filled with beer and canned food, we'll hope to see you next Christmas.

Anyhow, let's look back at 2011 and see how horror did at the box office. I went through the list of the 592 films that received theatrical releases and pulled the films that I considered to be horror or horror related and, yeah, yeah, I took some liberties. I don't consider "Twilight" to be horror either and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is a stretch, but... I liked Apes and "Twilight" had vampires and werewolves in it. Here's the list and how they ranked overall...

3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
25. Paranormal Activity 3
36. Battle: Los Angeles
37. Immortals
41. Contagion
58. Insidious
71. Final Destination 5
77. Scream 4
97. Priest
107. Sanctum
116. Fright Night (2011)
117. Apollo 18
118. The Thing (2011)
122. The Darkest Hour
133. Straw Dogs
199. Red State
204. Attack The Block
221. Hobo With A Shotgun
239. Creature (2011)
279. Troll Hunter
286. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil
323. I Saw The Devil
325. The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence
346. Evil Bong 3D
354. Inkubus
435. 11-11-11
443. Evidence of a Haunting
456. Bonnie & Clyde Vs. Dracula
465. Stake Land
591. A Good Day to Die
592. Redneck Carnage

Do note that all these films are not created equal. For example, "Twilight" grossed over $276Million domestically and "Redneck Carnage" grossed $372... I get that. However, "Redneck Carnage" DID get a theatrical release. Also, I may have missed a few horror films here and there because from film 300 to film 592, there was lots that I've never heard of. Anyhow, what can we take away from this?

First off, horror didn't do so well... there's only a handful in the top 100 and anything below that, for a studio film, would be considered a disappointment. Now, I don't think that's necessarily a reflection on the state of horror. I think that's more a reflection on the state of studio horror. Horror is alive and well, it's just being distributed outside of the studio system... it is good to see films like "Troll Hunter", "Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil" and "Stake Land" getting theatrical releases, though.

Now, I'm interested in what you have to think. What were your favorite horror films of 2011? Did they get a theatrical release? Talk to us!

Uncle Lloyd's Take on Net Neutrality

2011-12-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

Troma's Lloyd Kaufman is, if anything, a huge proponent of independent film. All of his films are, in one way or the other, independent and he's done more for the indie film scene than anyone I can think of off the top of my head. He's launched an indie film festival, he makes, produces and distributes indie film and he's always looking out for the community. He also knows how important the internet is to independent film's success.

The internet is our only ability to have a voice. It's our primary source for marketing, distribution and networking. It's the only level playing field that we have with the studios. So, when you hear debates on net neutrality and how it's about piracy, think again.

You should have an opinion on it, so do read as much as you can. However, do yourself a favor and check out this article written by Uncle Lloyd. It might make you realize how important this debate actually is.

Black Peter... The Anti-Santa.

2011-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

It looks like there's only a couple of notable horror films coming out this week, the big one being the 2011 "Straw Dogs" remake of the 1971 Sam Peckinpah classic film of the same name... This one is written, produced and directed by Rod Lurie and, well, I haven't seen it yet, so I'll reserve judgement. Reviews were shitty, though.

We also get a new Christmas/Slasher flick, "Saint Nick"... which is actually about "Black Peter", a personal favorite fairy tale. In fact, I'm a little choked because I've always thought this would be a good idea for a film... I know what you're thinking, what's the idea? Well, we all know Santa, right? However, how many of you know about Zwarte Piet? He's the guy that rode the white horse Sleipnir and flew through the air as the leader of the Wild Hunt... Don't know him? Well, those tales came before the whole Christianity thing, let alone Christmas. Anyhow, the story evolved and, eventually, he became "Black Peter", which is, of course, a translation of "Zwarte Piet" and he's the anti-Santa. If you were good, Santa brought you gifts. If you were bad, Black Peter threw you in a bag and beat you with sticks. It looks like "Saint Nick" twists the story a bit or goes off a slightly different legend, as this opens with Saint Nick and a bunch of Black Peter's on a murderous spree, kidnapping kids, raping and pillaging in 1683AD. Then, I assume he gets banished and returns in modern time. Long and short, I've known about old Black Pete for a while and always thought it would make a good Christmas Slasher flick... now, here it is. It's a Dutch film and it's a bit different from my imagination of it, so there's always room for a North American version. Maybe we can still get away with making it... hmmm. Any takers? Who wants to make this with me? Anyone? Buller?

There was a bit of other news out there that I found interesting... A New York man was just given one year in prison for being the guy who uploaded the pirated copy of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" back in 2009. I watch all this quite closely, as I think that torrent sites are great for indie and micro film. Obviously, the studios hate the torrent sites, as they think they're stealing money out of their pockets... which I don't necessarily agree with. I think a lot of people that download movies for free wouldn't pay for them, so they're just additional eyeballs... not lost revenue. As for indie and micro cinema filmmakers, I think the torrent sites can act as a great marketing vehicle. How many small films got popular because they're on there? I can think of a few off hand - "Ink", "Troll Hunter", "A Serbian Film". Granted, the festivals played a big part for those films, too, but whatever... I think we should all watch this space closely, as I think the technology could be an integral part of indie film's future.

Louis CK snubs traditional distribution... and could pave the way for indie filmmakers?

2011-12-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you know who Louis CK is... if not, you should look into him. He's a comedian that started out as a writer, he wrote, directed and produced a few projects, eventually broke out as a comedian, he has his own show on FX, which he created, writes, directs and edits and he's a big draw when he tours. The show, "Louie", is awesome, by the way. Anyhow, he's just done something that rattled the cages at a few big media companies... he self-distributed his latest show, "Louis CK - Live At The Beacon Theater", on his own. It's only available on his site at a cost of $5, worldwide, paid via PayPal and you just download it and it's free of any restrictions. Burn it to DVD, watch it on your computer, share it, pirate it, whatever... and how did it do? Well, he gives a statement on his site, which I'll link to here.

This has drummed up a lot of press (CBS, mashable, mediabistro) and rightfully so, this is NOT what the big media companies and major distributors want to see. However, is it the future of distribution? Could something like this work for indie horror? I think so... In fact, I think this is exactly the direction that indie horror needs to go. Drop the cost of the product and make it easily accessible, then cut out the middle man. Less money overall, but a happier consumer and a happy filmmaker.

Check out what he has to say and let us know what you think. I think this is revolutionary.

Interview with an Indie Filmmaker: Frankie Frain

2011-12-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

Things must be getting back to normal... I've got Old Milwaukee empties scattered around my monitor, I've got a small stack of indie horror DVD's lined up to watch and we've got an interview with an indie filmmaker ready to go. The best part is, the interview is with one of our favorites: Frankie Frain. If you need a reminder as to who Frankie is, just look over on the right there and read what we referred to as his "genius article". He made a Tromadance winning film called "I Need To Lose 10 Pounds" and then made "A-Bo The Humonkey", which is f'ing awesome. A few years have passed, but now he's back with a vengeance with his latest film, "Sexually Frank".

I do want to mention that after you've thoroughly enjoyed the interview, you should head over to the site for the film at sexuallyfrank.com. Once there, click on "blog", scroll down a bit and then read the post entitled "Why Sexually Frank Exists". It's a little long, but do yourself a favor and check it out. If you're not motivated to go out and write or shoot a film after reading that, you're never going to be motivated enough to go out and write or shoot a film...

Anyhow, here's our interview with Frankie about his new film, "Sexually Frank".

Tell us about Sexually Frank.

Sexually Frank is a feature length ensemble indie comedy about a group of friends with unique, sexually political issues they’re dealing with. It features a gay couple that breaks up, but find how inept they are in gay culture, a 24 year old virgin who’s going bald and worried about becoming a “creepy” old man, a nurse who isn’t interested in marrying her first and only boyfriend of ten years, and my character – a video sketch artist whose most recent opus is a comedy sketch about a girl who takes a toe up her ass. The themes of the plots cross and complement one another to make statements on the nooks and crannies of sex and stigmas.

What have you been doing since A-Bo the Humonkey and I Need to Lose Ten Pounds?

I Need to Lose Ten Pounds was written when I was 14. It took six years for me to muster the confidence, ability, and resources to complete that movie. It was an experiment in proving that I could complete something. Some people love that movie – I’m thankful for them, but that movie was a rite of passage. A-Bo the Humonkey was an experiment in, “can I do it again?” It was a more ambitious project, involving special effects, prosthetics, big set pieces and elaborate location shooting, child actors, all kinds of crap. It even had a little something to say somewhere amidst all the cynicism and irony. I was totally delusional, in that I thought that film could actually act as a calling card in Hollywood. So I moved to LA and quickly confirmed that I don’t make movies for everyone. In fact, I don’t make movies for most people. And I learned the most important thing – I make movies because…I make movies. And that has nothing to do with money, success, or even a shot at a budgeted, union production. I moved back to the east coast, got my old crew of freaks together, and asked if they wanted to make another one – except, let’s really not give a shit what anyone thinks this time. Let’s shoot for a creatively liberated experience. At the time, I was exploring how much sexuality informs someone’s identity, and having been inspired by my friends, the media, Dan Savage, and “To Catch a Predator,” I wrote Sexually Frank. I took a job as a Systems Administrator at Emerson College, which, combined with my nurse practitioner wife’s salary, would more than pay for our modestly budgeted film. This one was going to be people talking, and not much else. Fuck doing a Kickstarter or any of that crowd funding shit – that just perpetuates the idea that you need permission or validation to make a film. Since I worked at a film school, I was able to get an MFA for free – Sexually Frank acted as my thesis film, but only as a matter of convenience.

What lessons did you learn from those films that you’ve applied here?

Well the biggest would be the simple ability to make a feature length piece for next to no money. When you’ve done this as many times as I have, you start to really hone in on what corners can be cut and what can’t be. I don’t remember who said it, but a filmmaker once said “A film can just be an actor in focus” – point being, your performances are the most important thing (yes, that’s arguable, but it’s fact in the case of Sexually Frank). In documentary, if you can make a subject comfortable, you can get an honest, compelling interview out of them. Actors are very similar – it all comes down to comfort level, which was crucial in this film, because it needs to be as honest as possible. And I learned from my last films that personal relationships with the actors can be everything. So I cast my wife as “Jess” and one of my closest friends, Keith Sadeck, as “Neil” (who was based on him in the first place). They’re the most complimented performances in the film. We have lots of trained actors in the film, and I’m proud of every performance in that film – but when you don’t have a relationship, you’re more likely to accept or go lax on your direction, so I tried to hold myself to a higher standard and really beat on the actors when I didn’t get what I wanted. In the past, I worried that I didn’t have the right to do that – to beat on my actors I’m not paying them. But for most actors, the opposite is true – if they’re doing this shit for free, they want to do it right, and since you’re the idiot who wrote the lines and who’s standing behind the camera, they’re relying on you to speak when something’s not working. I established wonderful (and what I expect to be), long lasting relationships with the actors in this flick.

We were also able to improve our techniques, mechanically. We shot 110 pages in 16 days – so we shot with two cinematographers simultaneously, with two 7Ds. We shot non-sync sound so we weren’t bogged down by cables or wires. We also knew to focus on shooting at the actors’ eye lines, both for performance reasons and for the audience’s comfort (something we failed at pretty hard in A-Bo). I had never worked with the two cinematographers before – one was a freelance videographer and the other was an interactive media developer. But we worked together at Emerson, and like with actors, having a working relationship informed the cinematography, and I think it’s by far my best looking film, thanks to those guys.

What was the budget for Sexually Frank?

Depends who you ask. When you have a dual-income, no kids (dinc) financial situation like my wife and I, a movie that has very few production expenses, a crew who owns and operates all of their own equipment, and software bought by your college, there’s really no reason to budget for the film. You just kinda pay for shit as it comes up. So I’d say we spent about three thousand dollars or so – that’s a guess, but that’s probably the amount we wouldn’t have spent if we didn’t make a movie (gas, food, hard drives). However, if we made the movie from scratch, and bought every piece of equipment we ultimately used, and accounted for everything (excluding salaries, I’m just talking about raw, necessary expenses), it would have cost $17,000. That doesn’t include festival submissions or DVD/Blu-ray dupes and mailers, which I’ve already spent a few hundred dollars on. But you get the idea. Check out the blog post on expenses at the Sexually Frank website to see the budget breakdown.

http://www.sexuallyfrank.com/2011/12/10/how-much-did-this-movie-cost/

What are your goals for the film and what’s your plan to accomplish those goals?

I’m in the same boat as anyone who makes a movie like this. I think there’s an audience at festivals for this, but only niche festivals. I’m really leaning on the LGBT audience to come out for this movie – so far, it’s been playing great for gay audiences, since the movie goes to great lengths to naturalize gay men and their relationship to gay culture. So I’m chiefly interested in just playing the film at various venues and seeing where that takes me. If it doesn’t lead to distribution (which, I’m not holding my breath, who buys DVDs anymore?), I’m going to explore online video-on-demand and Netflix Watch Instantly. I’ve also built a DVD and Blu-ray that I’m happy to self-distribute, both of which have commentaries, feature length documentaries on the film, and the Blu-ray (which looks amazing) has over 9 hours of special features. Contact me if you want one of those, they’re badass. But yeah, I just want people to see it, and most of all, I want to talk to people about it – I made it to say something, and I just want to have that conversation.

Where can people find out more about Sexually Frank?

www.sexuallyfrank.com is obviously the aggregate for all Sexually Frank news, blogs, videos, info, screenings, etc., and they can follow my ass (just the ass) on Twitter @frankiefrain, or on Facebook (production still of me and my wife from the movie). Subscribe to the website blog if you want to know when a screening is coming up. On the Sexually Frank website, you can read an epic blog post called “Why Sexually Frank Exists,” which is a touching look at the events that lead to making this film, and how much it and the people involved mean to me.

http://www.sexuallyfrank.com/2011/10/15/tldr-why-sexually-frank-exists/

You can also see most of the special features from the DVD/Blu-ray, including a feature length blooper reel. And as always, anyone can feel free to e-mail me at JVCFelix@yahoo.com.

Any other projects in the works?

I just produced and co-directed a short film called Vibes, which we can talk a little about a couple of months from now when that goes out to festivals. It’s a script by Ingrid Stobbe about a group of girls who buy a vibrator for their friend for her birthday. I’m also interested in developing my visual sense, which I may work on in a short I want to direct titled The Talking Cure, a psychological horror about a gay reparative therapist, and his work with a homosexual Ugandan man. I’d also like to make a documentary about cyber-bullying and social media amongst pre-teens. And of course, most people know me from my animated lampoon of George Lucas, “Lord of the Rings by George Lucas” and I’d like to get back to satirizing directors and egotists in animated form. So I’m spinning a bunch of plates right now.

The NYC Horror Film Festival WILL RETURN!

2011-12-08T18:09:00.001-08:00

If you're into the indie horror scene, especially if you live in the New York City area, you should be familiar with The New York City Horror Film Festival. You may also be aware that the festival was cancelled last year due to the untimely passing of the founder of the fest, Michael J. Hein. He was a huge supporter of indie horror, plus he was a producer and director of indie horror himself... It was very sad news and the horror community certainly lost a big piece of the puzzle last year. Anyhow, we were lucky enough to interview Michael a few years ago and here's a link to it. It's a great interview and take note of what he says when I asked about what advice he would give to up and coming filmmakers.

The good news is, the festival will be back in 2012! We received an email from them and they want to get the word out that there's a new NYC Horrorfest website coming out by January and the fest will continue in Michael's memory.

We'll be sure to post some sort of reminder once we see that's it up and running.

Cowboys & Indians

2011-12-05T08:34:00.001-08:00

Alright, I'm going to admit that it's going to take more than a few days for me to get properly up to speed. I haven't even started on my inbox, which is going to take a while... However, I do want to get in the habit of posting new things regularly. In the next day or two, I'll post about some of the things that Brad and I have been working on... and, hopefully, by early next week, I'll get in a groove and start talking with some of you indie filmmakers out there.

First off, I want to make a point of mentioning a film that the Burk brothers, Aaron and Ty, have recently made called "Cowboys and Indians". They're good friends of ours, we went to film school together, and they did a hell of a job on this indie flick. I don't want to get into it too much here, as I do plan on doing a Q&A with them, but do them a favor and click here to go to the film's Facebook Page. Check out the trailer and like it to keep up to date on what's going on with the film. It's being released in the new year through Screen Media Films and we'll definitely keep you posted, too.

Speaking of what's coming out on DVD, this looks like a good week for indie horror... "Zombie Allegiance", "Porkchop" and "Santa Claus Vs. The Zombies" are all new this week. Go look for them on Amazon.

Back In Action

2011-12-01T08:21:00.001-08:00

It's almost been a full year since we last wrote a post on the site... we meant to take a bit of time off to work on some projects, get caught up and then make a rejuvinated return. Instead, one project is all but dead and we're still working on all the others. Oh well, thus goes micro-cinema life.

Anyhow, if you're reached out over the last little while, I apologize for not getting back to you. I have a shit-ton of emails saved up in my inbox and I'm going to start going through them today. I promise that I'll get to you eventually.

Otherwise, we've also got some new ideas and directions that we want to take. So, bare with us... and stay tuned.

Where We've Been And Where We're Going

2011-02-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

If you're a regular reader of Dead Harvey, I apologize for the lack of new information. To be honest, for the next little while, chances are that new posts will be infrequent at the best of times. Having said that, I AM going to do my best to keep the horror film festival and indie horror distributors info up to date. I know a lot of you guys use that and I do want this to continue to be a resource. Truth is, I spend a lot of time on the site, which gives me less time to work on our other projects - we're working on indie films, scripts, books... you name it - and we need to spend some more time on those projects. That and I have a new day job and, combine that all up, it doesn't give me much time to do any side-show stuff, so... long and short, the site is going to suffer a bit. At least for now.

Having said that, if you want to promote your film, please contact me. I can easily send you some generic questions and do up a post. In fact, PLEASE contact me about promoting your film. It's easy to post information AND people really dig it. I think I'll change things up on the site to reflect our new direction... bear with me on that.

Anyhow, I'll keep you posted on any new things that we have going on and, when I get time, I'll be sure to write a post or two. Otherwise, keep using the site as a resource and send me an email if you have something you'd like to promote or want people to know about.

Interview with Dr. Karen Oughton

2011-01-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie to you, life's been busy lately... and because of that, there's been a recent lack of regular posts. What can I say? New job, new responsibilities and I'm just trying to figure out how to rebalance my life. It happens every now and again. Because of that, I'm struggling with the fact that I'd rather produce a decent post than just rip one off a few times a week and I really don't want to post something that's useless. I did, however, recently receive a very intriguing interview back from Dr. Karen Oughton... finally, something decent to post.

We usually talk with indie horror distributors and filmmakers, but Dr. Oughton is a little different - she's basically a horror aficionado. She's writes, she reviews, she does commentary and, because of all that, she knows a thing or two about the whole scene. In fact, she's just the type of person you want to hear from if you're a filmmaker. She's completely unbiased and she studies the industry - when I figured that out, I figured we should ask her a few questions. Trust me when I say, it's a worthwhile read if you're a filmmaker. However, before you read the interview, feel free to read up on her. You can check out her two websites by clicking on these links: horrorfilmreview.co.uk and karenoughton.co.uk. After you're well versed, check out the interview...

Tell us about the FrightFest and what you do with the festival.

I’m organizer Ian Rattray’s assistant. I write the “Who’s Dead” obituary column, articles and reviews for the e-Magazine and have helped with the editing and checking processes. I was also let loose to coordinate the stage lighting and microphones and liaise with guests before they went on stage for the introductions and Q&A sessions.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What got you into the horror scene?

I’m a journalist, lecturer, commentary provider, film promoter and long-time horror nut! I was hooked by The Pit and The Pendulum when still in pigtails. These days, I love anything that is done well, from The Haunting to A Serbian Film and to Beautiful Girl Hunter (AKA Star of David). I got into the festival circuit after attending the Celluloid Screams festival to take my mind off my PhD exam the next week – replacing one horror with another!

There are some great films screening at different film festivals this year. What are the highlights? Which films really rattled the cages this year?

It has been a varied year in terms of both films and festival audiences. We had everything from giggles ‘n’ gore crowd-pleasers like Hatchet II through to infamous offerings like A Serbian Film and I Spit on Your Grave. These latter two are interesting not only because of their subject matters and the stylistic reasons they incurred the wrath of the British Board of Film Classification, but also because of how different audiences reacted to them. I have seen I Spit on Your Grave three times with different audiences, one looked extremely uncomfortable at the milder sections, one didn’t seem bothered either way, the other cheered through all the nasty bits! A similar thing happened with A Serbian Film. People either picked out the comic elements, understood it as a serious social commentary or saw it simply as an attempt to make the sickest film of all time. Personally, I think it is elements of all three.

A surprise cage-rattler was Jake West’s Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape documentary, but for all the right reasons. It got a particularly good reaction (I suspect) because it is entertaining, is about films people love and (sometimes!) respect, and because the contributors were so enthusiastic. They took part in a fantastic discussion panel at FrightFest. It bought home what a political act a film festival can be, and frankly what we have got to be grateful for. It was brilliant to see the contributors - academics, journalists and directors - mobbed by the world’s politest crowd as soon as they got off the stage. In England that kind of reaction simply isn’t that common an occurrence. The contributors were stunned by the attention as they had done only what they felt was right in standing up for these films when all around were claiming they were corrupting society. It was such an amazing moment.

You also provide audio commentary for Lionsgate. How did you get into that and what’s that process like?

I went to the Celluloid Screams Festival in Sheffield, England and went to a screening of Neighbor. Being an academic specializing in film, I got talking to the producer, Charles St John Smith, afterwards and he invited me to put some ideas together for an audio commentary and a few other marketing tools. He gave me free reign, so after doing some interviews with him, director Robert Angelo Masciantonio and key cast members, I did what I’ve always enjoyed watching but rarely see - a commentary that talks about what is happening, when it happens. People don’t often do it like that because it’s fiddly. I watched the film a few more times to work out what sections needed notes and how long I had to talk about them. I then went into the recording studio, put the DVD on silently and read some of my notes at the right times, but riffed the rest from scratch and sometimes included information I had been given by the producer and director. I tailored my tone to fit the film – sensible when it was serious, playful when it was funny, and down right filthy when The Girl got going! I’m used to public speaking, so most of it was done in one take. When we’d finished, we did some editing work and sent the whole thing through to Lionsgate, who approved it.

Talk about where horror is at right now. What trends do you see going on and where do you see things going?

Well this year it was all about the different guises of gore, gore, gore! FrightFest was a really good indicator of this, as it showed how gore is used in different subgenres of horror. There’s homage horror in the veins of Hatchet 2 which makes the appreciation of the execution of the gore (ewwww!) a main part of the audience’s experience, there was the fabulous F, which shows a trend towards the incorporation of horror into real life scenarios (as could also be seen in Cherry Tree Lane), and there’s supernatural shocker in films such as 13 Hrs.

In terms of the future, my guess is that we will see two distinct strands of scream films: those that continue in the shrieking with laughter slasher vein and an increasing focus on serious subjects. Horror is becoming more widely appreciated. In the past, (as I found out when researching the “Who’s Dead” Obituaries column for FrightFest Ezine), horror films were what you did to gain experience - a number of mainstream industry professionals had horror films buried down in the darkest depths of their CVs. Now it has gone mainstream and A list actors like Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton are appearing in features and Dr Who’s David Tennant is currently filming the Fright Night remake! It’s taken seriously as a genre now, is featured on university courses (including mine!), and it’s becoming far more acceptable to like even the more hardcore stuff. This is great because it means that horror can continue to develop and give fans just what they want, be it a horror-action flick, a slick slasher, a really great ghost story, or indeed anything else in between. And the best thing is that more and more films are coming through that are so good at turning the thumbscrews they blow everything else away.

Now, as we’re a site about indie horror, let’s talk about low-budget, indie horror. In your opinion, what does it take for a film to break through and have mass appeal?

Well, I’ve seen one heck of a lot of indie horror and wrote a review of the Raindance Film Festival for the FrightFest e-Magazine this year, and from what I can see there is really only one absolute necessity: decent actors or character representation. They don’t have to be playing serious characters but they do need to buy into the scenario they’re portraying. If they do, the film is probably going to be watchable and, importantly, remembered. If they don’t, it just becomes another low-budget blood and bore-fest. Of course, this is discounting the whole issue of luck and being seen in the right place at the right time, but having just turned off a great indie film with a good premise and great camera work but absolutely awful acting, I’m becoming more and more convinced that if you don’t have the actors to convey it, even the best story will just die. Horribly. In great pain.

What’s next for you?

Well, I’m writing for film magazines including Fangoria and Scream: The Horror Magazine, am scheduled to appear as a special guest on a few radio shows (I can’t say which as they’re making a formal announcement soon), am developing a new horror review website and am in discussions over one or two film projects. I also teach media communications (including film studies) at Regent’s American College London (Webster University). If I’m not laying awake in the night thinking about what might go ‘bump’, appear or bite, there’s something wrong!

Distribution Problems and Apprehensive Films

2011-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot to put the Amazon links in with my last post... if you've been scrambling around for the last few days, desperate to find links to those two films... you can relax, I've added them. Now, since we're talking about my last post, I'd like to mention Apprehensive Films, which distributed the film "Colony of the Dark". I was on their site and came across something interesting...

Let's just preface what I found, though. Usually, while I'm perusing the latest indie horror titles, I check out who's distributing. That's partly because I'm interested in the whole distribution angle and partly because I want to pass my findings on to you, my dedicated reader, the indie horror filmmaker.

Maybe I should go back even further... Look, I've said it a thousand times and I'm going to be right... one day. I guess it's kind of like that old saying, even a broken clock is right once a day, but... I think that indie film, especially indie horror, is on the verge of breaking out. And I'll keep saying it until it does. However, there's a couple things that are holding it back, one is distribution and the other is awareness. If I win the lottery... or someone wants to pay me a handsome salary, I would dedicate my days to solving both problems and I could solve them... However, until that time, I'll have to keep my day job and do this on the side - fighting the good fight for indie film, a half hour here... a half hour there. Anyhow, awareness is something that is going to be an issue - how do you differentiate indie horror from mainstream horror and attract a new audience? Indie horror does have a dedicated audience, but right now... supply outweighs demand. There's just too much product. We need to build that audience. As usual, I have ideas on how to do it, but... I'm just a guy with a blog.

Distribution is the other thing. Currently, in most cases, the indie filmmaker is getting screwed by the distributor and if an indie filmmmaker wants to distribute himself, he doesn't have the weight or clout to really be successful. They don't know it, but the way that most distributors work is actually holding back the entire indie horror scene. They need to break out, try new things... what they're doing now isn't helping anything but their coffers. Anyhow, back to Apprehensive Films... when I was reading up on them, I couldn't help but notice a section on their site called "distribution options". So, I checked it out... and they do have a cool spin on it. Basically, they do have the weight and clout to get in to big retailers, but they want you to take on the risk by pressing your own DVD's and, well... paying them. I don't think it's THE answer and I won't get in to why, but I do think it's a good option for those that are having trouble dealing with distributors that don't want their film and don't want to do the hustle of distributing themselves... and, of course, you'll need to have a few extra thousand dollars to burn.

Here's a link to their "distribution options", check it out. It's a good little read, even if you're not currently looking to distribute your film.

The Golden Globes and a couple of new DVD's

2011-01-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this on Sunday, a few hours before the Golden Globes start, and that means we're at that point of the year that horror fans dread - the start of awards season. So, we get a lot of artsy shit, but there are some good flicks in the mix, too, including "Black Swan", "The Fighter" and "The Social Network". The only thing that's notable for horror fans is Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan", which is, essentially, a horror movie... that's set in the world of ballet. If you haven't seen it, it's worth checking out. I mean, if you're a gorehound, it's not going to blow up your skirt or anything, but if you want to see a horror film that's got the critics talking, it's actually really good.

There is another cool thing about this years festival season... a lot of the directors have indie roots. "Inception" director, Christopher Nolan, started with "Following" and "Momento", two awesome indie films. "Black Swan" director, Darren Aronofsky, started with the micro-cinema film, "Pi". "The Fighter" director, David O. Russel, started with the indie film "Spanking the Monkey". All the films they started with could've been done by any of our readers... there is hope, people.

Anyhow, the point of that wasn't to tell you to check out "Black Swan" or give you a pep talk, the point was that we're in awards season and that means that means art films at the theaters, no horror. So, not much to talk about at the box office. Further, there's not much to talk about that's coming out in DVD, either. Really, there's only two things of note, "Colony of the Dark" and "Nite Tales: The Series"

"Nite Tales: The Series" is from Deon Taylor and is based off of his film, you guessed it, "Nite Tales: The Movie" and Flavor Flav reprises his role as a crypt-keeper type character. I never saw it, but I think it aired on WGN. Each episode was shot in one day on 35mm and budgeted around $20K - $50K. That sounds super indie, to me. I'm almost positive that it only lasted one season, but if you missed that one season... here it is.

"Colony of the Dark" comes from Apprehensive Films and it looks pretty good... shot entirely on Super 8, it's a feature length creature feature and the low budget creature effects are what makes it. You have to check out the trailer, here's a link to it. Also, the film introduced me to Apprehensive Films, which I had never heard of before. I'm going to have to do a post on them soon, as they could be a great distribution partner for a lot of you filmmakers.

A Look At Breaking Glass Pictures, Distributor of "Hanger", "Run Bitch Run" and "Ticked Off Trannies"

2011-01-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we added a new distributor to our list, but we recently added Breaking Glass Pictures... To be honest, I'm not sure how new they are, but they came to my attention after checking out "Hanger", which is a pretty good indie horror flick.

So, they were named after David Bowie's 1977 hit song and were founded by Richard Wolf and Richard Ross... odd that they're both named Richard. I wonder if they've ever been called the two Dick's? Anyhow... they stick to provocative and challenging films of all genres, namely horror, gore, LGBT and the odd erotic drama. They also distribute up to twelve titles a year through their new specialty horror label, Vicious Circle Films. Their first film under that label was the afore mentioned "Hanger", which is about a botched abortion that lives and seeks revenge. They also released "Run Bitch Run", which is slowly turning into an indie cult classic.

They have all their contact info on their site, which you can find by clicking here. If you're looking for a distributor, just head over there and start emailing them. It can't hurt! If you want to check out all the other distributors that we've covered, head on over to our section called "Indie Horror Distributors", you can go directly there by clicking here.

New Horror Coming Out on DVD This Week

2011-01-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, things are slowly getting back to normal around here. Well, the new normal, anyhow. We here at Dead Harvey are working on a few projects and we're going to be spending some more time on those. Of course, we're going to continue to post new things on the site, it may just be at different times and on different things. At the end of the day, if you're in to indie and micro-cinema horror, as a filmmaker or fan, we'll keep you happy. Anyhow, there's really nothing of note, horror-wise, going on at the box office, so I'm just going to get right to the new horror coming out on DVD.

Anyone worth their weight in indie horror knowledge knows that "Piranha II: The Spawning" was the directorial debut of James Cameron. It came out in 1981 and it's the sequel to the low-budget 1978 film, "Piranha". The story goes that James Cameron was originally hired to be the special effects guy, but ended re-writing the script and taking the helm... however, the executive producer, Ovidio Assonitis, got involved and Cameron was only allowed to shoot the film, he wasn't allowed to cut it... legend has it that Cameron broke into the editing room in Rome and cut his own version, but ended up getting caught. In any case, the film was a bit of a bust and Cameron was later allowed to cut his own version of the film, but it's rare. It's probably easy to get now, but I've never seen it. ANYHOW, I'm fairly certain that this story is one of the only reasons anyone knows about the "Piranha" franchise and it's probably why it was remade and available this week on DVD as "Piranha 3D". This version is actually directed by French horror director Alex Aja, who is the guy behind the new wave French Horror classic, "Haute Tension". He also did the remake of "The Hills Have Eyes" and a few other big budget horror films. This is one that I didn't check out in the theaters, but will definitely be checking out on DVD.

Most indie horror fans are aware of the 2004 film "Chainsaw Sally", where April Monique Burril plays the title role of Chainsaw Sally, a girl that witnessed the murder of her parents and grows up to become a serial killer that gets her inspiration for killing from horror films. What I didn't know about... and haven't seen... is "The Chainsaw Sally Show, Season 1", which is now available on DVD. I really dug the film and I'm going to have to check this out. Apparently it's filled with horror references, cameos, gore, hot chicks and hapless victims. What more do you want? All that and I believe it's distributed by Troma... probably through its Troma TV, which I have no idea of how to subscribe to.

I like the cover art for "Halloween Night", but only because it kinda reminds me of the cover art for Slayer's "South of Heaven" for some reason. It's released by Tempe Video and it's directed by Mark Plonia... and it's about a college party gone bad, where a mistreated student exacts his revenge on those who wronged him. His uses the effigy of a living scarecrow, a Frankenstein-like creation, to carry out his plans. Definitely piques my interest...

Here's one for the horndogs... "Chinese Kamasutra" is about an American scholar of Chinese lore that takes a job at a Chinese library and stumbles upon a volume of the Kamasutra... and unleashes her sexual fantasies. There's some sort of connection between the book and some haunted house and then she somehow falls into the clutches of the Kamasutra cult, who probably do terrible sexual things to her.

New Horror Coming Out on DVD This Week

2011-01-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a good two or three weeks since I've posted anything. Sorry... lots of family in town and Christmas was hectic. Truth be told, things are still hectic. Hopefully I can get back in a groove soon and be posting on a regular basis again. Anyhow, let's get right to the new horror DVD's that came out this week.

First up, there's "WolvesBayne". It's a Syfy original that premiered back in 2009 during their 31 nights of Halloween. It's directed by Griff Furst, who's the son of none-other-than Flounder (from "Animal House") himself, Stephen Furst, and stars Jeremy London from "Party of Five" as a newly transformed werewolf that's working with vampire hunters to stop a vampire cult that has plans to resurrect Lilith, the mother of all vampires. So, basically, your typical Syfy original.

I doubt that "Let Me Die Quietly" will be a true horror, but it's garnered some awards and is critically acclaimed. It comes from indie label, Breaking Glass Pictures, and is directed by Mitchell Reichler and Brian Finn. The film follows a broken-down alcoholic who's haunted by psychic visions of murder victims. It won best suspense feature at the Indie Gathering Film Festival and Best Suspense Thriller at the New York Film and Video Festival.

"Sci-Fi High: The Movie Musical" comes from Brain Damage Films and Midnight Releasing... and it's a musical. I'm not sure what the budget was, but it looks like they sure did a good job with whatever it was. I don't think it's one for the gore hounds... at all, but it looks pretty damned good.

We just interviewed the guys behind "The Shadows" and we definitely recommend checking it out. Here's a link to the interview that we did with them... or you can just scroll down. It's the last post we did.

Believe it or not, the reviews and comments on "Alien Vengeance II: Rogue Element" are good... and I kinda like the idea behind the plot. A group of friends get together after a decade apart when they find out that one of them is actually an alien... and they cut off his head.

It's shot in black and white, it's low-budget, it looks hilarious and awesome... and it's got a great title - "Hamlet the Vampire Slayer". Enough said, check it out.

An Explanation and An Interview With the Makers of "The Shadows"

2010-12-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... it's been a week since I've posted anything. And without explanation. Well, I foolishly thought that while I have new responsibilities at work, my family was coming to town and Christmas was around the corner, I would still be able to keep up on all my Dead Harvey chores. I was wrong. To quote Arnie, "Dead wrong". So, I'm going to be taking a break, which will make life a whole lot easier, and this will be my last Dead Harvey post until January 3rd. If I have any readers left by then, I hope you'll come back to a reinvigorated Dead Harvey, as I'm hoping to get some time to catch up on some indie horror and readjust my life to fit in everything that I want to fit in.

So... before I take off on my holiday, I want to leave you with a great interview. We had the opportunity to check out "The Shadows", a small budget indie horror and speak with the guys behind it. Now, "The Shadows" isn't your typical no-budget horror. Usually, no-budget horror films hang their hat on gore, nudity or a particular sub-genre, like zombies, vampires or whatever. "The Shadows" was different. "The Shadows" was far more cerebral than almost anything you'd expect from the low-no budget realm. It didn't bank on gore, it didn't bank on nudity and, as far as I could tell, there weren't any zombie outbreaks. There were, however, quite a few decent effects, including some very creepy characters, but that's not what grabbed me about the film. What grabbed me was how well it was put together, how the story was crafted and how they managed to keep my attention to the end... without nudity, gore or zombies. The film is along the lines of "The Sixth Sense" or "The Others" and it should stand out in the low-no indie horror world as something that's unique, different and very well crafted.

Enjoy the interview and have a great holidays!

So, tell us about “The Shadows”, what’s it all about?

Really it's about facing your demons. And a person’s will to live. The plot revolves around five friends who are marooned on an abandoned island with a lighthouse. And although they seem to be close friends with no secrets from each other, their suppressed conflicts and longings, boil to the surface. Ghostly shadow figures threaten to steal away their souls so they must put aside their conflicts and band together to defend themselves against the relentless demonic specters.
It’s also completely dubbed in Spanish and I am really glad that I was able to include a commentary on the film. The script has so many layers and subtleties, so the more you watch it, the more depth you discover. And the commentary helps you see those things. It's very much a ghost story.

The film is definitely a horror, but it’s far different than most indie horror’s that we see, as it’s not really gory and/or excessively violent. Talk about where the idea came from and why you wanted to make it.

Gratuitous violence and gore really aren’t the foundation for a good film. For us a solid, creative story and engaging characters is. Without a good story everything else is pointless. And you have to have characters worth caring about. So we created characters who had real depth with hopes and fears and flaws. It keeps the audience more connected, invested in their individual struggles and on the edge of their seat as each twist reveals that things are more complicated than you thought.

The lighthouse was a key element from the beginning. They have this stigma of eeriness, mystery and something supernatural about them. So we gave it meaning in the story physically and figuratively. We liked the idea of it becoming a character in the story, hiding it's own secrets, being wounded and under attack. It’s a great metaphor. We are all like a lighthouse with both a light and dark side.

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for the film and how did you secure financing?

We sought funding for a long time. Eventually my sister (Dianna Collett) and I (we make up Victory of the People Productions) decided that we were going to have to fund our first major film ourselves. So we spent our life savings to create a film we loved and to propel a production company we believed in.

The only way to make a high-quality film on a low budget is through lots of planning and preparation. The set started construction seven months before shooting. Script re-writes and revisions took place for a year to refine it and intensify the story. Rehearsals began months ahead and most of the cast was completely off-book before shooting began. It was necessary to keep the intensity of each scene. It was like a thrilling play that became a film. I think often film-makers are in such a rush to shoot the film they skip important rehearsal time and it shows in the acting quality. So the emotion in our film is very real. There were nights after shooting that we genuinely had the creeps. It’s awesome.

The film keeps the audience hanging and has a cool twist at the end. Talk about making sure that the twist was effective and did that come in the writing or did it come while shooting?

The foundation of the story really sets up those twists at the end. We knew keeping the audience in suspense was key. And it’s not an easy thing to pull off. But that really started in the writing. It was well captured by Sabrina's direction and the music for the film absolutely sealed the deal. But even with all that, the editor has to know how to show it. We worked hundreds of hours in post-production to get it exactly right. The audience reactions we’ve experienced have been very gratifying.

You used quite a few CG effects, which was very impressive for an indie film. How did you do the effects and what was your favorite?

Yeah, in an earlier version there wasn't much. But the question arose, "Now how can we make it more scary?" We wanted to make the shadows more mysterious and supernatural. It turned into a major project. Since we ran out of funding, I had to learn some of the art of CGI myself. I'm a on-hands producer. I'd rather pay someone to do it if I can, but knowing how it's done makes me a better producer. I also built the set. It helps me to understand all aspects of film-making.

The ending sequence, building up to Nadia's light burst moment, is so powerful. You become panicked for them. It took many adjustments before we got there in post-production but doing it right is more important that just getting it done. I think as a hard-to-please film-maker, if you can watch the final cut of the film and even you feel the drama, the suspense and the fear, then it’s something you are proud to show off.

The sinking ship in the beginning sequence is probably my favorite effect. Though people have to pay attention during the opening credits to notice it. Detail is important.

What are your goals for “The Shadows”? Is it to get a festival run? Are you looking to just get distribution? Are you looking to turn a big profit? What would be your benchmark for success?

We are submitting to festivals but our primary focus is distribution. We're delighted to be working with Midnight Releasing with a release date of January 4th, 2011. They've already secured a deal with a mainstream video store retailer.
We have realistic expectations. Our goal is to get our production company rolling, gather a following and become a profitable business. We've shown that we are committed enough to put our money where our mouth is. We produced a high-quality film on a low budget which is the best way to make a profit. So I think success would be achieving a satisfied audience following and investors willing to help us move to the next level.

Where can people find out more about “The Shadows” and/or get their hands on a copy?

Our IMDB page has clips and review links and where to purchase the film.
Our facebook page has lots of updates and pictures.
Our website has it's own original front-end graphics with details, clips and more about the film.
And our production company website has more information about our slate of film. People can also friend our production company on facebook.

Now, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get into indie horror and film?

I think acting and film-making chose me more than I chose it. I was unexpectedly cast in a play when I was a teenager and I loved it. I got more involved in all aspects of stage and by 19, I was directing. By 21 I was building sets and producing. I think fundamentally I love story-telling in all aspects of it. In theater, I have held every crew position imaginable. I chose a more profitable profession for life, but after 25 roles and 40 productions, I decided that rejecting it was rejecting who I really am. There is a motto I really try to live by, "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it." As a film actor, I wasn't getting the opportunities I should. So I had to start creating those opportunities. And we saw that other talented people were being passed by as well.

Our production company name came from our last name, Collett. It’s derived in French meaning, "Victory of the People." That kind of became the spirit of what we are doing. There are a lot of people who are tired of the big studios putting out the same rhetoric every year; producing yet another sequels or re-do of stories that have been exhausted. They practically fear originality and creativity. We seek to provide what movie-goers long for with a focus on high-quality production value. So we work with investors who are sick of being ripped off. We work with exceptionally talented crew members and actors who are tired of being passed-over and treated like dirt by a studio system that values “who you know” over dedication and skill. So for the audience and for those making the film, it is kind of a revolution, a victory of the people.

Film school: yes or no?

I learn better by doing. I’ve working in most every aspect of film-making and I think that makes a better producer and informed actor. As an actor I go by Alan Collett. As a producer I go by Paul. It helps my alter-egos know what they are doing.

Talk about the indie horror scene, where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

Indie Horror films always have an advantage over the studios. They can tell the stories the studios can’t. But I think the Indie horror scene today is swamped. Audiences are so leery of being scammed with a crappy film because there are so many. And just because there is a name actor in it, doesn’t mean it’s going to be any good. It reminds me of a Louie B Mayer quote, "Anyone can make a movie son, but it doesn’t mean they should." The quality of the production, the acting and especially the story being told is what audiences care about. Screenwriters are so unappreciated today but you can really tell the difference between what a director slapped together and what an experienced writer created.

Since there is so much being produced these days, audiences need a way of knowing what’s actually worth watching. Every time an audience feels cheated, they blame the entire Indie Horror market for it. They need someone they know to tell them what’s good. They need distributors and film companies they can trust to provide quality films. We hope to build that kind of audience that can trust our content.

Are there any other projects in the works?

We are fortunate to be acquainted with a lot of talented people. We have the filming rights to nine more scripts in three genres. We treat our crew and cast like family so when we are gearing up for our next project, they are asking to be on-board even though they usually have to turn down higher paying projects to do so. (Eventually we will be the higher paying project.)

"Truth" is our next feature film which is in post-production about a terrorist cell that kidnaps three Americans and threatens to expose a secret that will shatter America's soul. Our third film is a black comedy, “Technicolor Llama”, which is currently seeking additional funding. We also have other horrors like “Spectacles” and “Ghost Town” and “Hotel Obscuridad” in development. All of which have a supernatural flavor to it. With the right investors, we’ll have a regular slate of films coming out each year.

The Box Office and the New Horror Out on DVD

2010-12-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a very uninspiring weekend at the box office... so, sorry if I didn't jump on reporting on it right away. The top spot went to "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and the number two spot went to "The Tourist", both were new this last weekend and both drastically underperformed. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" fell to fourth, but has brought in over $250Million to date. Not too shabby. There were a couple of notable limited releases, including "Black Swan" and "127 Hours". Both are getting a lot of buzz, especially "Black Swan", which graced the cover of Fangoria this month, if you can believe it. I think it's opening wide this Friday, so you should go check it out, if you get the chance. As for new releases on DVD this week, there are a few good films coming out. As usual, you can go to our Youtube Page to see the trailers and you can click on the title to be taken to the films Amazon Page, where you can read more about it and/or buy it.

I was pretty sure that the whole torture porn film craze was done after "Captivity" bombed, but they still seem to be pumping them out. "Slave" looks slick, has great production value, a bunch of good looking girls and appears to be well put together... I'm just not sure if the concept is going to fly, but I haven't seen it. A couple is on vacation in Spain and the girl is taken and becomes the trophy of a psycho named the White Arab... the guy does everything he can to find her. I don't know, it doesn't sound terribly original to me, but whatever. It probably has lots of T&A, maybe some decent violence, who knows?

As much as I'm not really a big fan of the Killjoy the demonic killer clown character itself, I'm a huge fan of Charles Band and his brand of horror-humor. So, with that, I'm proud to announce the release of "Killjoy 3". If you didn't know, Killjoy is actually played by Trent Haaga, who is a Troma Vet and writer of "Deadgirl", "Citizen Toxie" and "Raving Maniacs", among others... I like Trent Haaga... I just don't like the Killjoy character. Sorry to anyone who like it. Anyhow, word is that this is the best of the "Killjoy" trilogy. So, if you haven't check in on these films yet, you might as well start here.

Last up is a micro-cinema film out of the UK called "Tuck Bushman and the Legend of Piddledown Dale". What I like about this micro film is that it obviously doesn't try to take itself too seriously. The wigs, make-up and acting are all over-the-top and the plot is insane. Out of work TV presenter/creature hunter, Tuck Bushman, signs up to collect the reward offered by the mayor of Piddledown Dale, as there's some sort of demon creature on the loose. He gets more than he bargains for when he discovers that there's more brewing in the village than tea and some old wounds. As it's micro-cinema and this is Dead Harvey, we have to endorse it... Can't wait to check it out.

Interview with Brett Pierce, writter/director of "Dead Heads"

2010-12-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

I have some thoughts as to where the indie horror scene is heading... I mean, I always have thoughts, but recently something is becoming evidently clear.

Over the last five to ten years, the cost of producing an indie film has plummeted. You can now make a good looking film for $5K - $10K. Seriously. I'm not suggesting it as a budget, but I'm saying it can be done. I know a few people who've shot on cameras like the Canon Mark V, in 24 fp and the footage looks astounding. You don't know what the Canon Mark V is? It's an affordable consumer DSLR. Editing programs are a dime a dozen and CG effects are easily learned. There are, however, some hurdles. Good actors are hard to come by, you'll need a good DP, a good sound guy, etc. Having said that, none of that stuff needs to cost you serious money. The monetary boundaries are all but gone. The boundaries that exist now involve skill.

Are you a skilled filmmaker, a skilled writer, a skilled director? Did you get skilled actors and a skilled crew? Truth of the matter is, in the indie world, the men are being seperated from the boys. There are top-notch films coming out of the indie world and they are going to tank the amateur hour stuff. Good thing? You bet. It's time that the indie world starts pumping out quality films because, soon enough, the rest of the industry is going to take notice. Brett Pierce's "Dead Heads" is a great example of a quality film that's coming out of the indie world. Watch the trailer and check out the production quality, the acting, the effects and the originality of the story. I don't know what the budget actually is, but they did it on their own. Everything about the film looks awesome and I can't wait to check it out. We had the chance to discuss "Dead Heads" with Brett and he offers up a great interview...

So, tell us about “DeadHeads”, what’s it all about?

DEADHEADS is about two zombie pals, Mike and Brent, who embark on a cross country road trip in search of Mike's long lost girlfriend. As they adventure their way across the midwest they are pursued by a group of zombie killin' bounty hunters. It's a zombie/buddy/adventure/horror/comedy with a little romance for good measure.

Okay, first off… self aware, rationalizing zombies? Is that a first?

It's not. Some other films have done some great stuff with self aware zombies. What I think is original about DEADHEADS is that it's an adventure movie as much as it's a zombie movie. My brother and I really wanted to make Mike and Brent hilarious but endearing characters. We wanted to John Hughes-up our zombies. I've seen some great self aware zombie films but I feel these are the first zombies I'd want to hang out with.

The film looks to be remarkably unique – I can honestly say that I’ve never heard of, let alone seen, a zombie-buddy road trip film. Where did the idea come from and talk about developing the idea into a film

Drew and I were living in LA working as interns and PA's and barely scraping by. We had a few scripts we we're blindly shopping around but we were nobody's, nobody cared. We realized that even if we were lucky enough to sell one of these we'd never get to direct it. So we started writing DEADHEADS which was something we could produce independently. Drew and I had grown up on the set of EVIL DEAD. Our father was the photographic FX artist for the original one. What we took from watching Dad, Sam and the guys is that horror and comedy works and that we don't need a big name attached to get people to watch. Everybody likes to laugh and everybody likes something a little creepy or scary. We had made a "no money" feature just out of high school that we co-directed with 3 other friends. It had a few talking zombies in it and that was our favorite part of that film. So we scribbled down "talking zombies" and that's how it really got started. All the other elements of the story we're inspired by our love of 80's adventure flicks like THE GOONIES, BACK TO THE FUTURE and STAND BY ME. We knew we had one shot at this and we just kept writing and rewriting out of fear of failure. Everyday we'd write, argue, and just grill each other about every scene. "Is this funny? Is this exciting? Are the characters working?"

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for the film and how did you secure financing?

Umm....Less than Avatar? We just asked anybody and everybody. It was a 2 year process. We put together investor info packs and a pitch and took hundreds of meetings and pieced it together.

Where are you at with the film now and what’s next for the film?

We actually just finished post production. It's done, wrapped. We actually still can't believe it. It's been about 5 years of our lives.

What are your goals for “Dead Heads”? Is it to get a festival run? Are you looking to just get distribution? Are you looking for a theatrical release? What would be your benchmark for success?

We're currently submitting for fests and meeting with distributors with the intent of getting a theatrical release. The benchmark for success for us is when somebody approaches us after seeing the flick and they just wants to meet our buddies Mike McKiddy and Ross Kidder (Mike and Brent in DEADHEADS). They're so excited to meet them and they just see them as the characters in the movie. It reaffirms us why we want to make movies. I just hope we get to do it again.

Where can people find out more about “Dead Heads” and is there a trailer that people can check out?

Best place to keep up on the movie is Facebook and Twitter. We're updating constantly. We also have a trailer posted. Here ya go!

TRAILER

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Now, tell us a bit about yourselves. How did you get in to indie horror and film?

We'll we grew up amid EVIL DEAD and that put the bug in us to make movies. In high school and into college Drew and I made shorts, mock trailers for movies we wanted to make, and "no money" features we'd shoot on weekends with friends for fun. We made dramas, comedies, horror shorts, sci-fi and etc. Making the horror and comedy stuff was the most fun. You get to make fake blood, throw cow innards at your actor buddies, and you just get to play. It's a blast! After that we headed to LA with big dreams and quickly realized that Hollywood was not going to make our movie for us. We we're going to have to go do it on our own and prove we could do it.

Film school: yes or no?

I'm in the middle on film school. I think it really works for some people. I think the best thing you can get out of it is the people you meet who share the same dream as you. The flipside for me is that it's really expensive. You wrack up a lot of debt that you could instead wrack up on an indie flick you make. I didn't go to film school. I feel my film school was back home in Michigan when I got to work with all my buddies making those "no money" features and shorts. I learned so much doing that. But that's just me.

Talk about the indie horror scene, where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

It's exploding. I can't believe how amazing some things are starting to look. The jump in quality of cinematography and special effects is astounding. They've been saying for years that the tech was coming for anyone to make a movie. It's here. But cameras and computers don't equal good storytelling. We just have no excuses anymore about not having the ability to achieve quality post production.

Are there any other projects in the works?

We have a adventure/comedy script called DORKS & DICE written we would love to do. It's a reality meets fantasy epic with heroic nerds at the center. We love nerds. We've actually plotted it as a trilogy. Dreaming big here. We also have a good and nasty werewolf script called NEVER CRY WOLF. Straight horror. We want to make werewolves scary again. The other one we're currently working on is a horror/comedy based around Halloween tentatively titled "ALL HALLOW'S EVE" but that will name will probably change. Our priority is getting DEADHEADS out there though. Our cast and crew killed themselves making this movie and we love it to death. We can't wait to get it up there on the screen.

The Weekend at the Box Office AND the new horror out on DVD

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I can't even come up with anything to say about the box office, we're right in the apres-Thanksgiving, en route to Christmas period where everything is family oriented. "Tangled" pulled in over $20Million, jettisoning it past "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1". The next "Chronicles of Narnia" film comes out this Friday, along with the romantic thriller "The Tourist", starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The near future doesn't look that bright, either. I've heard it's going to suck, but some of you may be interested in "Tron Legacy", which comes out on the 17th. After that... no joke, you're going to have to wait until February for a genre film. Films that are getting buzz, and may be worth checking out, include "The Fighter" and "Black Swan". "The Green Hornet" comes out January 14th - I'm luke warm on it, I don't know. It's enough to make you just sit at home and watch DVD's, but it's been a while since there's been a really exciting week. There are a couple good, new indie horror's to check out, though.

As usual, you can go to our Youtube Page and check out all the trailers and you can click on the titles to be taken to the films page on Amazon where you can read more and/or buy it.

Okay, everyone went absolutely batshit over "Inception" and, I don't know what to tell you... it didn't blow up my skirt. Christopher Nolan is awesome, the effects were unreal and the concept was pretty f'ing cool. HOWEVER, after that, I thought it was fairly basic and run-of-the-mill. For me, it was one of those films that, had no one told me anything, I would've loved it. But, because everyone said it was so awesome, I was let down. That and it had gaping plot holes and outright didn't make sense at times.

Okay, so the title sounds like an Asylum film and the cover art looks ridiculously low-budget, but... the trailer for "Hunter Prey" actually looks alright. It's from Sandy Collora, who made "Batman: Dead End" and the quality is fantastic, the cinematography looks unreal and it looks to be a cool throwback to 70's and 80's sci-fi. I'm not sure how the film came about, but I'm definitely interested in checking it out. Looking around, he put together some wicked posters... like the one above. I have no clue why the went with the cover art that they did. I'm going to have to look deeper into this film.

I'm not sure why "Fistful of Brains" is being released now... they either decided to rerelease it themselves with new cover art OR they sold it to a distributor and they changed up the cover art and rereleased it. I'm hoping, for Christine Parker's sake, that they got it picked up. Not only have I seen "Fistful of Brains", we interviewed writer/director Christine Parker about it around a year ago. You can find a link to our interview here.

"300 Killers" looks to be a very ambitious micro-cinema film. I don't want to call it a horror, but it definitely has horror elements. It's more like a gory, sci-fi action film or something. Anyhow, it's about a near future where drugs and crime have risen 500% and people are forced to take back the streets from the bloodthirsty drug cult. The killers look awesome, the action looks great. I'd love to check this out and talk with the filmmakers... I may have to look into this further, too. Stay tuned.

Interview with Mark Bessenger, writer/director of "Bite Marks"

2010-12-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering why I didn't post anything about new horror DVD's on Tuesday, it's because... amazingly... only 1 new horror DVD came out - "Voodoo Cowboys" - and it's currently out of stock. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" also came out, but I don't really need and/or want to talk about it. "Voodoo Cowboys" is a micro-cinema horror and it looks great - has Debbie Rochon in it, lots of zombie killing by backwoods hicks, what else do you need? However, instead of me talking about it, you should just go to The Dark Roa st Releasing site, where you can read all about it AND check out the trailer. Why do the work when they can do it for me?

Now that I've got that out of the way, let's get to the main event - our interview with Mark Bessenger. We had the chance to talk with him about his upcoming film, "Bite Marks". Now, I haven't seen it, as they're currently in post-production, but I have seen the trailer and I'm really looking foward to checking it out. Production value is high, the acting looks superb and Bessenger seems to mesh together a lot of different ideas while keeping genre fans happy. It's a great interview, so make sure you give it a read!

So, tell us about “Bite Marks”, what’s it all about?

BITE MARKS is a horror-comedy about a truck driver named Brewster whose brother has disappeared and must take over his cross-country delivery of a load of coffins to a funeral home. Along the way, to help stay awake, he picks up a pair of gay hitchhikers who are having relationship problems. He immediately dislikes Cary, but is uneasy that he finds himself attracted to David. When their GPS misleads them into a junkyard and the truck breaks down, nightfall reveals that the coffins contain vampires. Hungry ones! Now, the mismatched trio must barricade themselves in the cab of the truck and try to survive the bloodsuckers--and each other--until dawn.

Now, you’ve mixed two genres together that usually don’t get mixed together ‘gay indie’ and ‘horror-comedy’. When you came up with the idea, what came first? The gay angle or the horror angle? Where did the whole idea come from?

My cousin Jennifer (who was hired as unit production manager) married a man whose family owned a scrapyard. The idea of setting a horror movie there tantalized me, and the thought of defending yourself from monsters in that location grew into the story that I wrote. Originally, the hitchhikers would be a straight couple, boyfriend and girlfriend. When we started our company, Blakk Flamingo Pictures, the executive producer asked me to pitch him two ideas. He liked them both, but wanted our first film to have some gay characters in it. I could do it for BITE MARKS, but not the other movie, so we went with BITE. Boyfriend/girlfriend Jack and Angie became Cary and Vogel, and that was that.

You managed to secure horror veteran Stephen Geoffreys, from “Fright Night”, “976-EVIL” and “Sick Girl”, for a role in the film. How did that come about?

I was discussing with a friend whether or not having a "name" in low budget films like you saw in the 80's straight-to-video releases was still relevant. My friend thought it couldn't hurt, and we began speculating on who would do something like this. Several names were tossed out, but then I remembered that I had seen Stephen Geoffreys in SICK GIRL mere days before and realized that he would be the perfect actor for our "name". I found him on MySpace, he asked to read the script, and then he was in! I was elated! His films, especially FRIGHT NIGHT, are truly favorites of mine.

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for the film and how did you secure financing?

I can only say that it was under $250,000 (waaaay under), and we had to apply for the Screen Actors Guild's Low-Budget Independent Film Agreement to get a couple of SAG actors on board, and that is the budget limit to be able to do that. As to the financing, a friend of mine who owns a very successful bar put up the funds after reading the script.

What state are you at with the project right now and talk a bit about getting to this stage.

I did a several months of pre-production and we shot in southern Indiana for 17 days with mostly Los Angeles talent and an Indiana crew. The film stars Windham Beacham of LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP and BACK SOON fame. Porn starlet Krystal Main plays our vampire girl. Most of the supporting actors were also local. It wasn't an easy shoot, but it wasn't as hard as most films I've been on. Filming was done on the Canon 5D Mark II, which looks like a still camera but shoots true HD and at 24p. The footage is amazing. The movie is funny, scary, sexy and gory, and it is currently nearing the end of post-production. The picture is almost locked. At the last minute, I decided upon an animated opening credits sequence a la NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, so that put us behind schedule. The film is also being scored, so we're waiting for that, as well.

What are your goals for “Bite Marks”? Is it to get a festival run? Are you looking to just get distribution? Are you looking to turn a big profit? What would be your benchmark for success?

I would love to see the film get a festival run. I think audiences will enjoy it. We want it to be distributed, of course, and though I suspect it will be strictly dvd and On Demand, the ultimate goal for me would be a theatrical release of some sort, no matter how small. That would make my day, night and another day.

Where can people find out more about “Bite Marks” and is there a trailer that people can check out?

People who are interested can find out more about the film at our website, blakkflamingopictures.com, where they can see photos and read blog entries by myself and the cast. The trailer is posted there, but they can also see it on YouTube by doing a search on "bite marks teaser trailer". They can also join our Facebook Fan Page by searching on "Bite Marks" the Movie".

Now, tell us a bit about yourselves. How did you get in to indie horror and film?

I've always been a horror fan ever since a young age. One day, when I was six, I came home from school and found my mother watching THE REVENGE OF THE CREATURE on the Channel 3 Afternoon Movie. I was hooked from then on. I collected books, records, posters, magazines, everything I could find on horror. I bought all the Aurora monster model kits (both regular AND glow-in-the-dark versions!) and when I got a Super 8mm projector for Christmas, I started buying the old Castle Films compilations of classic Universal monster movies. Once, when I was snooping in the hall closet, I found a case with my mother's old 8mm home movie camera in it and got her to buy me some film. I began shooting my own little movies, which were all horror or fantasy-related. In 1980, I dropped out of college and opened one of the first home video stores in the area, which I ran for a year, then decided to try my hand at being a filmmaker, so I sold the store, went back to school and got my bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and my master's in Film. I shot two indie features, but couldn't find distribution for either, so I came to Los Angeles and opened a video production company that makes industrials and training films. The opportunity to make features came along, and here I am!

Film school: yes or no?

I'm not sure if you're asking me if I went or if I recommend one to go, but in either case, the answer is "yes." I went to Columbia College Chicago for my master's specializing in screenwriting. Would I recommend it? I think so. You do get hands on experience with equipment and professionals helping you learn what to do, but the best thing is the contacts you will make. People who think like you and are willing to help you make your films. This can be invaluable. I met Mark Pavia, the director of THE NIGHT FLIER, there, and we've been best buds ever since.

Talk about the indie horror scene, where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

Well, as exploitation films were incorporated into Hollywood moviemaking, so is the indie film scene. You have big studios making small pictures, so they are kind of drawing the same ideas that normally only indie filmmakers would/could do. Plus, now with HD camcorders and Final Cut Pro so affordable, you are seeing a glut of indie product. The problem is, most filmmakers are only interested in doing gross makeup effects or getting girls to show their boobs onscreen, not caring about the story. That's why whenever I see another indie zombie film on Netflix, I cringe, because I know it's going to be all about "How can we show zombies eating people in a new way?" and they can't figure it out and shoot anyway, and you get the same old thing, resulting in the indie horror film scene spinning its wheels in the same muddy hole. There are some filmmakers doing new and interesting stuff, but they're few and far between.

Are there any other projects in the works?

Yeah, I have two projects buzzing around the greenlighted starting line. One, the most likely to go next, is the other picture I pitched, a spin on the slasher genre, but more like PSYCHO than FRIDAY THE 13TH (which I both love). It's more terror and suspense than gross-out. The other is a gay romance set during WWII. Whichever one I do next, I know it will be a blast to do and hopefully, the audience will think so, too.

A Tribute to Leslie Nielsen and a Look at the Box Office

2010-11-29T08:34:00.000-08:00

Before we talk about the Box Office, I'd like to take a moment to remember the late-great Leslie Nielsen, who passed away yesterday. There's a lot that you can take away from him... and I'm serious. The guy was in his 50's when "Airplane!" came out and it completely rejuvenated his career... prior to that, he was a serious actor playing serious roles and then came the role of Dr. Rumack in "Airplane!", directly followed by the infamous character, Lt. Frank Drebin. He had always wanted to do comedy, but it wasn't in the cards... until "Airplane!". Goes to show that it's never too late. He was working all the way to the end, too. He was doing some voice work for an upcoming film and had made some guest appearances on various TV shows. Surely, he will be missed... and he will, but don't call him Shirley.

The results at the Box Office got me thinking... Horror, action, sci-fi and like-minded genres are crying out for an alternative market. I mean, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" continued to dominate and "Tangled", the 3D Disney animated take-off on "Rapunzel", tore into the theaters right behind it. A distant third? "Burlesque" Way down at the 7th place? The 70's inspired Dwayne "Don't call me The Rock" Johnson vehicle, "Faster". When I talk about an alternate market, it comes from this question - Is there really room for smaller, original, niche genre films on the big screen?

The answer, really, is no. The studios really just want franchise films and films that cater to as broad an audience as possible. This is bad times for genre fans and, especially bad times for aspiring filmmakers of genre films... or is it? My thought is, the market needs to change. Fans of genre films aren't going anywhere. If anything, that market is growing. However, it's tough to cater to that market with one big film, you know what I mean? All horror fans wouldn't be satisfied by one big studio horror film, but almost all fans of family films would be satisfied by something like "Tangled" or "Harry Potter". So, a new market needs to be made and, obviously, the market has to be in home entertainment.

That home entertainment market is growing and changing, but it hasn't hit a tipping point yet. I've noticed new indie horror films on Netflix's streaming service, there's lots of new web-based horror series' and Amazon is filled with new horror. Having said that, it hasn't hit critical mass. Change is coming, though... it's just not coming fast enough for me.

Speaking of new horror on DVD, check back in tomorrow and we'll see what's coming out this week.