EYEPUS

"THE DEAD HOUR" SECOND SEASON Announcement

2011-08-28T20:23:00.003-04:00

The legendary web series "THE DEAD HOUR" Second Second now in production. It will be premiering soon. Amazing webseries. If you haven't checked out the first season then you don't know what horror really is...

"The Dead Hour" is an indie horror anthology series filmed in Omaha, Nebraska. The show centers around a mysterious and sexy radio DJ who brings her audience dark and twisted tales each night. The first season launched last fall and webisodes can be seen exclusively at www.thedeadhour.com. Season 2 is currently in production and will feature nine new episodes that will premiere this October also exclusively on the site.

More news, updates and behind the scenes features can be found on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/magnumpictures.

Daniel Iske

Director/Executive Producer

The Dead Hour

www.thedeadhour.com

FINAL DESTINATION 5 - REVIEW

2011-08-28T19:24:00.001-04:00

FINAL DESTINATION 5 in 3D Starring Tony Todd, Emma Bell, Nicholas D'Agosto

A young man named Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) has a premonition that he and his co-workers will die in a suspension collapsing bridge on their way to a trip - in the premonition Sam sees the most disturbed, horrific deaths ready to happen. Sam wakes up from his premonition and alerts the bus driver about the collapsing bridge ahead. Before you know it, Sam and eight of his co-workers escape the invisible death.

The film turns into a slice, dice, splatter, chop, ooze, grisly, blood and gore fiasco of fun and death. And the gimmick here is 3D where you get to enjoy all the grisly deaths right in your face. Sam and his co-workers start to run away from death in the most satirical way. Tony Todd makes a special appearance delivering his deathly one liners. The film goes more in-depth into each of the characters unlike the last three Final Destination films in which you don't care about the characters, you are just dying to see how they going to die - but in this installment we are more installed into the characters lives. Final Destination 5 most classic sequence is the collapsing suspension bridge - a must see.

By the end of the film we really don't care who survives or not, we are just having a good ole time watching a blood and gore ride in 3D. We all know there is going to be a part 6 around the corner. The Final Destination franchise is twenty times better than the SAW and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise.

THREE STARS - A Hellish Joy Ride of blood and gore...

TICKED OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES - Review

2011-08-14T00:32:00.002-04:00

Is been three months since I wrote a review or did an interview here at eyepus. Sorry folks for being a ghost for three months. My sincere apologies. This month I will begin with a dvd film review of TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES.

TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES Starring Krystal Summers, Kelexis Davenport, William Belli, Jenna Skyy, Tom Zembrod, Erica Andrews. Written and Directed by Israel Luna.

What started as good ole campy dialogue between transgendered girls (looking a bit like drag queens) in a dressing room ready to perform at a cabaret show and thirty minutes of thrilling, edge on your seat little scary action turns into dumb camp, trashy, stupidity spoof, tired mess.

The storyline: In short summary - Two transgirls (I hate using the word trannies) take a ride out of town to meet some guys for some little action. The guys turn out to be transphobic, bully-killer motherfuckers, especially the leader named Boner (Tom Zembrod, giving some fine chilling performance). The girls get trapped inside some warehouse in the middle of nowhere, where they get served brutally by the guys. The survivors of the brutal attack start to seek vengeance in a smart, but yet stupid way.

Some fine performances from the cast and good direction. Great costumes and wardrobe designs. The storyline was a perfect concept "Transgirls VS Transphobic Men Revenge", but Mr. Luna decided to make it into a spoof. If this film was not a spoof and more of a serious film, it could've been an instant cult classic along with Lloyd Kaufman "Mother's Day", "Ms. 45" and "I Spit On Your Grave".

Was it necessary for this film shot in video to have that grindhouse look? The grindhouse effect style for this film: splices, derailed sounds, bad in purposely jump cuts, etc., - TIRED. There was no need for it. Low-budget Filmmakers nowadays are using the whole grindhouse gimmick effect to cover up their film flubs, bad lighting, bad cinematography mistakes. If the film had more splatter and gore fiasco it could've been delivered as a homage to the video nasties of the 80's but not the grindhouse look.

Filmmaker Israel Luna aint no John Waters, Tarantino, or Rodriguez. But I must say Mr. Luna delivered a great concept for what could've been a great serious film, but he took his concept into a shady film spoof mock and made court jesters of the transgender girls for the heterosexual community across the nation, who still believe in their own little minds that the transgender community is a freak show. Israel Luna redo this film again with a real serious tone.

ONE STAR FOR THIS MISERABLE, TRANSGENDERPHOBIC FILM.

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER M. ASLI DUKAN

2011-05-15T16:30:00.000-04:00

I Want to give a million thanks to Filmmaker M. ASLI DUKAN for taking the time out of her busy schedule to do this interview for us. Asli Dukan is a Director, Producer and Editor,, she has shot and directed some wonderful and amazing short sci-fi films such as ORISHAS, 73, M.O.M.M., the upcoming 2012 documentary INVISIBLE UNIVERSE - a documentary on the history of blackness in sci-fi and horror books and films. And busy in pre-production on her horror, eerie anthology film SKIN FOLK.

EYEPUS: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?

ASLI DUKAN: My name is M. Asli Dukan. I am a producer, director and editor currently residing in New York City where I have lived since 1998. I am originally from Newark, New Jersey but have lived in most of the cities in the northeast parts of New Jersey (part of the tri-state area) - Newark, Irvington, East Orange, Jersey City, etc. My family is actually from New York, so its like I came home really.

EYEPUS: HOW DID YOUR PASSION FOR HORROR/SCI-FI FILMS GOT STARTED?

ASLI DUKAN: In hindsight, I believe my passion was evident to me and my family by the time I was seven years old. My aunt was taking my cousin and me to see a movie in New York City and she gave me the choice of film. Amongst the movies to pick from were, Superman II (Richard Lester, 1980) and The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner, 1980). I chose TESB because I hadn't seen Star Wars yet (or at least I don't think I did - I have to ask my mother) and I was really pschyed at that young age to get into the whole space fantasy thing. It seemed to me very chaotic and very heroic at the same time with the creatures and the space ships and the light sabers and the mystical FORCE… I really wanted to be a part of the world the characters were living in, even at seven years old, I wanted to be a part of that whole fantastical experience. Then, a few years later I saw Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979) on VHS tape and I knew I was right about my preferences. I dreamed about Alien every night probably for the next ten years, up into college before I officially started making films in a film program with film cameras. Alien for me was the epitome of everything that I loved - a ship in deep space, merciless combatants with their own philosophy on life, an unassuming hero forced into the role, a woman as the hero, a bomb, an escape, using your brain and brawn to get out of a jam…

EYEPUS: DID YOU GO TO FILM SCHOOL OR WAS IT SELF TAUGHT FILMMAKING?

ASLI DUKAN: Yes, I went to two film schools actually. Undergrad and grad school. I guess you can say I kind of had my heart set on what I wanted to do. I began undergrad in Jersey on 16 mm film cameras like the Bolex H-16, CP-16, Arri S and BL, the Eclair NPR, the Aaton LTR and later the Arris SRII. I learned to edit on film on Steenbeck flatbeds and mixed down my film audio on Multi-Track Magnetics mixers, the whole complicated bit. There was also a video class or two to take at the time, one was a requirement, but we were still in the age of film is greater than video - real filmmakers don't shoot on video, so I took the one required class and went back to shooting and editing on film. By the time I got to grad school, though, there was no film editing on flatbeds, only Avid on desktops so I my philosophy changed and eventually expanded to shooting on video, all as a matter of fact. However, I must add even with two film degrees, there was quite a bit of self-learning because my education came during the transition from analog to digital technologies. I have spent many a night reading about digital formats, resolutions, compression rates, color spaces, bit rates, etc…

EYEPUS: WHICH HORROR/GORE FILMS INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE FILMS?

ASLI DUKAN: As I mentioned Alien was the epitome of great filmmaking to me from an early age. There are other films that have inspired me though, Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978), The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980), Dawn of the Dead (1978), The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973), Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977) - as I look at this list I am making from off the top of my head, it's evident they are all from a certain period in film history, essentially the 1970's. There is something that just feels cinematic about the films that came out of this period for me - the storytelling, the performances by the actors, even the grain and the contrast of the film stock makes sense to me. Of course it could also be that I was of a very influential age when I saw these films too. Who knows. Also I just noticed I don't really discriminate between the types of themes within the genre - I like zombie films, possession films, witchcraft films, psycho-slasher films, etc. There is another film that really inspired me when I was young, a vampire film called Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973). It's a genre film that attempts and in my opinion succeeds at postulating an alternative origin for vampirism, in this case via a fictional African culture called Myrthia. The film's director also attempted to direct a film that just didn't delve into addiction as a matter of blood lust, but also the addictions that affect humans on a daily basis, addictions to certain social classes and material possessions, addictions to religious beliefs, addictions to sex, etc. It is really a beautiful film, unfortunately battered and bruised by various producers and distributors over the years - after a standing ovation at it's debut at the Cannes Film Festival on France - it fell into obscurity. Fortunately, a "director's cut" came out in 2007 and it is purportedly the closest to the director's vision that has been seen thus far, but even in its most wrecked state - one can still get a sense of originality and poeticism from it. On another note, the lead characters are played by Marlene Clark (Putney Swope, 1969; Beware! The Blob, 1972; The Beast Must Die, 1974) and Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead, 1968; Beat Street, 1984; Vampires, 1986). The film really is legendary.

Dario Argento is another filmmaker I admire, because of his commitment to the mythology and art of horror. His Three Mothers trilogy, Suspiria, 1977; Inferno, 1980 and his later Mother of Tears, 2007, was a great example of an artists research into history, religion, the occult and other arts over a thirty year period to get to a point where he could tell a sort of thematically unified storyline about three Witch Sisters, and although each film was different from each other, I really did appreciate that intellectual approach to the films. Argento's influence on the Giallo genre (crime mysteries with a mixture of horror and psychological twists) is legendary. Indeed he, along with Mario Bava and Umberto Lenzi were some of the earliest practitioners in the sub-genre. His influence was masterly felt in his first feature, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, 1970 which had a great twist at the end. Lastly, Argento's use of color and music is highly effective and really helps to overpower the audience, especially in places where his films are weaker, like in the scripts and the acting.

I also appreciate filmmakers like Richard Stanley (Hardware, 1990 and Dust Devil, 1992) whose resume is not extensive but whose vision is original and Guillermo Del Toro (The Devil's Backbone, 2001 and Pan's Labyrinth, 2006) who is the current master of fantastical, horrific worlds. And how can I leave without saying a few words about producer, Val Lewton, who during the 1940's produced some of the most influential and iconic horror films of all time for RKO. Cat People, 1942, I Walked With A Zombie, 1943 and Bedlam, 1946 are shining examples of how to set up stories, characters and locales to tell effective stories of psychological terror on low budgets.

EYEPUS: WHAT WAS YOUR LAST HORROR/GORE FILM YOU SAW?

ASLI DUKAN: INSIDIOUS by James Wan, 2010. It kind felt like Paranormal Activity 2, but all in all I liked it, especially its switching paces three times. The last part was my favorite because it was like watching Poltergeist but from Carol-Ann's point of view.

EYEPUS: ANY FAVORITE HORROR AND SCI-FI WRITERS YOU ADMIRED?

ASLI DUKAN: Current list. It could change tomorrow. Octavia E. Butler (Wildseed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, Fledgling), Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring, Skin Folk anthology), Kim Stanley Robinson (The Mars Trilogy), Anne Rice (The Vampire novels - mostly when I was younger) and Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash).

EYEPUS: CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTION COMPANY MIZANMEDIA?

ASLI DUKAN: I founded Mizan Media Productions (MMP) in 2000 with three other people to specifically make speculative fiction films (horror, fantasy, science fiction). Along the way the staff has been reduced to me and a bunch of freelancers and we also produce music videos, promos, documentaries and performances for artists, bands and organizations.

EYEPUS: YOU RECENTLY SHOT A SHORT FILM TITLED M.O.M.M. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS FILM?

ASLI DUKAN: M.O.M.M. is a short SF film influenced and based on the the first scene from the book Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler. Initiated as an homage to the late writer - who died in 2006, it's kind of a re-telling of the scene from the point of view of a character who was very minor to the story but very important to the plot of the book.

EYEPUS: WHAT WAS THE BUDGET FOR M.O.M.M.?

ASLI DUKAN: The actual money I had to put up for the film was probably one thousand dollars, because I have a lot of resources like equipment and favors I could pull in from crew and actors to get it done.

EYEPUS: WHICH CAMERAS DID YOU USED FOR M.O.M.M.?

ASLI DUKAN: We used the Panasonic HV-200 with the Letus 35mm adapter.

EYEPUS: HOW MANY DAYS DID IT TAKE TO MAKE M.O.M.M.?

ASLI DUKAN: We shot a total of two days. One for the original shoot and a second day for re-shoots and pick ups.

EYEPUS: ANY HARDSHIPS IN THE MAKING OF M.O.M.M.?

ASLI DUKAN: There's always some hardships. I could have originally used two days for shooting, then maybe I wouldn't have had to come back for missed shots, for example and would have a more consistent look throughout. We shot the re-shoots/pick ups maybe 3 months after the original shoot in the same interior location, but by this time the sunlight and its color were different, so there was alot of color correction that had to be done to match the looks in the film. Also post-production took longer than I expected because of technical problems for people who were working with me on VFX and sound design. But these kind of delays are always the case in making low budget, independent films, and you really have to prepare for them, have back up plans, and back up plans for your back ups and forge ahead and get it done.

EYEPUS: YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE A BIG INDIE HORROR FILM ANTHOLOGY TITLED SKIN FOLK, WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THIS HORROR ANTHOLOGY CAME FROM?

ASLI DUKAN: Skin Folk is based on three different short stories from an anthology horror book by Nalo Hopkinson. I really love her work, especially this collection of mostly, short sci-fi and horror stories based on Afro-Caribbean mythology. I picked three stories - one about soucouyants (vampires), another on gangers (ghosts) and another on zombies. I've re-written the stories to take place in a post-Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans. I liked the stories because I thought they would be familiar to popular horror audiences but were different enough to bring some originality to the table.

EYEPUS: WHEN DO YOU THINK PRODUCTION WILL BEGIN FOR SKIN FOLK?

ASLI DUKAN: I am planning on beginning production at the end of 2011, but it is totally dependent on raising the budget for the film.

EYEPUS: ANY STRUGGLES SO FAR IN THE FUNDRAISING AND PRE-PRODUCTION OF SKIN FOLK?

ASLI DUKAN: I've decided to try the crowd-sourcing approach to get initial monies to get into pre-production. It has been hit or miss so far. It's like we (me and another director) are new filmmakers on the feature length film block trying to grow an audience and raise money from them at the same time. And there are hundreds of other projects doing the same thing. So I am constantly on the look out for press to promote our project to more and more people and to convince them that our project is exciting and new and fresh and worth investing into. Fundraising is whole other world, whether for filmmakers or for other types of businesses. For me, it is very hard to wear so many hats at the beginning (creative producer/fundraising producer), so I have also been on the look out for other producers to bring on-board with this project. I have found some help in the form of a consulting producer, but what really need is a full time, Producer, with a capital P.

EYEPUS: ARE YOU PRODUCING SKIN FOLK BY YOURSELF?

ASLI DUKAN: So far, yes, but hopefully not for long.

EYEPUS: IS SKIN FOLK GOING TO BE A BLOOD AND GORE FEST?

ASLI DUKAN: Skin Folk will have some blood and guts but actually has more psychological horror in it. For example, one of the stories is a zombie story and actually a throwback to the original zombie movies like White Zombie, 1932 and the aforementioned, I Walked With a Zombie, 1943, but with a twist, because we experience the zombiism from the zombie's point of view.

EYEPUS: WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON HORROR REMAKES/DO YOU BELIEVE GREAT HORROR/SCI-FI FILMS SHOULD BE REDONE?

ASLI DUKAN: I am categorically against re-makes because some of the my favorite films have been re-made and are the worst pieces waste ever produced by human beings. (Psycho 1998; Godzilla, 1998; Planet of the Apes, 2001; Body Snatchers, 1993; Invasion, 2007; The Omega Man, 1971; and I Am Legend, 2007).

EYEPUS: AFTER SKIN FOLK - ANY OTHER PROJECTS IN THE HORIZON?

ASLI DUKAN: I have many ideas and several scripts waiting for more attention - a vampire film, a futuristic dystopian drama/actioner, an urban ghost story, an urban zombie story, an animated alien space opera, etc.

EYEPUS: ANY INSPIRING WORDS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER ASPIRING FILMMAKERS OUT THERE WHO ARE WORKING IN MICROSCOPIC BUDGETS?

ASLI DUKAN: Study the craft and business of filmmaking; read the biographies/autobiographies of other filmmakers (and other artists), read fiction - alot of it, watch alot of movies (all genres), seek out other art forms (painting, sculpture, dance, opera, theatre, costume, make up, etc.), listen to different types of music, talk to different people and most importantly, daydream, plan and never be afraid to ask for help (but be ready to give up something in return that you can live with) and still get the film done.

PLEASE VISIT M. ASLI DUKAN WEBSITES

WWW.MASLIDUKAN.COM and WWW.SKINFOLKMOVIE.COM

Invisible Universe trailer, 2011 from mizanmedia on Vimeo.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM EYEPUS

2011-05-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM EYEPUS

THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE - SHORT FILM REVIEW

2011-04-25T23:21:00.000-04:00

The Sweet Hand of the White Rose begins with looooong credits, looooong takes of a lounge, its patrons and finally we are introduce to Mark (Carlos Bahos). Mark is having some issues with his girlfriend (Leocricia Saban). Mark is on the road, his cell phone rings, he picks it up, and suddenly he skids off the road - ends up SLAMMED... Seconds before, a young, innocent little girl (Natasha Machuca) leaves the park, on her bike, with a sweet smile, she rides her bike up the road... From here on the film begins with some religious, heavenly, inter-faith sweet but eerie story... Is Mark dead?

Filmmaker David Melide (The Puzzle) short film The Sweet Hand of the White Rose is an interesting short film just for its amazing cinematography. The story begins and it goes nowhere. The distracting voice overs were annoying as hell, it took me away from the little bit of suspense I was feeling for the film. When Mark's voice over begins while he is driving – I’m here sitting down watching this thinking is this a 'black comedy'. The cinematography full of great shots, but too many long scene takes dragged the film a bit. For example the film begins with a singer singing, camera is focus on her for a good minute or two, later after two minutes is when the camera POV on Mark. This is not a feature film where we can have all those long takes (Legendary filmmaker Michael Haneke could get away with this) but not in short films - short films is about lets get to point and the story - no need for long credits (this is not a Michael Bay production with long credits) and no long takes.

THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE gets TWO STARS out of FOUR STARS.

ASLI DUKAN FILMMAKER - FUNDRASING FOR UPCOMING HORROR FILM

2011-04-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

SKIN FOLK: The skin hides the horrors inside us all…

In the tradition of anthology horror films like Twilight Zone: The Movie, Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside and Tales from the Hood come three tales that will have you crawling in your own skin!

"Years after Hurricane Katrina brought death and destruction to New Orleans, a similar but angrier storm, unleashes a “revengeful spirit”, a woman abused and discarded to the bottom of the sea eons earlier. She emerges from the murky waters of the Gulf Coast, soaking in a ruined dress and veil of seaweed. Her eyes are dark and cavernous. Her mouth shaped in the form of an eternal soundless scream. She passes through the streets of New Orleans, unseen by most, to bring us three cautionary tales of those who tread the waters of the wicked. These are their stories…"

Each story in the Skin Folk anthology will be directed by a different director and will tell three tales - the first of wanton pride, the second of stifled love and the last of obsessive greed.

I am reaching out to let you know about our new film, Skin Folk. Currently, in development, it is a feature length, anthology horror film based on the stories of the award winning writer, Nalo Hopkinson. We are fundraising through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas and the crowdsourcing website, IndieGoGo to raise development funds to move into pre-production and eventually production. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our project by clicking the link below! You can receive limited edition Skin Folk posters, tee-shirts and DVDs in exchange for your donation! If you can not make a financial donation, please help us spread the word about this project by forwarding this email!

From the producer, M. Asli Dukan:
"You may ask yourself why I am interested in telling stories through the genres of "Speculative Fiction/SF"? My answer? Because the genres of SF (fantasy, horror, science fiction, etc.) gives the creator an opportunity to tell fantastic/larger than life stories about real issues. For example, horror films often speak to the fear of human mortality/death, the fear of the unknown via the revealing of hidden pasts and identities. In the case of Skin Folk, we are exploring the idea of hiding who you really are behind who you pose to be. It is not out to have the highest body count or the most gore, but to touch you at the core of your psychological foundation and you will find that it has, like in some of the best horror films, a morality tale clinging to each story."

For more information or to become a supporter of our project, please click the links below:

Skin Folk teaser trailer

IndieGoGo/Fractured Atlas fundraising page
Skin Folk blog

M. Asli Dukan blog

M. Asli Dukan, Producer/Writer/Director
SKIN FOLK - the feature film

SCREAM 4 - REVIEW

2011-04-20T00:43:00.000-04:00

STARRING NEVE CAMPBELL COURTNEY COX DAVID ARQUETTE EMMA ROBERTS RORY CAULKIN, HAYDEN PANETTIERE

KILLER FEMMES ON THE LOOSE ANYONE? The film within the film beginning of SCREAM 4 - give us a bit of a hint who is the new serial killer Ghostface at Woodsboro hood. I also mentioned or should I say predicted on February 4 here at Eyepus who was one of the serial killers (spoiler alert ahead) none other than Rory Caulkin. The other killer I wont tell you who it is...

Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is back at her old hometown Woodsboro to promote her self-help book Out of the Darkness. And before you know it bodies start piling up nearby and she is a suspect. And everybody else is a suspect. Sydney stays over at her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonald) and Cousin Jill (Emma Roberts). Everybody gets turned out by the serial killer Ghostface. No one is safe. The cat and mouse chase begins trying to figure out who is behind the Ghostface costume. Dewey (David Arquette) now as the new Sheriff in town and Gale Wethers (Courtney Cox) now both married are in hand to capture the new face behind the Ghostface costume. The film becomes a turn of twists and turns, bloody as hell, new creative stabbing ways, dark neighborhoods, cops getting stabbed in the head on the sidewalk, teens gutted, and a fast Ghostface always on the go.

For a Fourth Installment SCREAM 4 delivered a cute, scary fun ride. But honestly, no more sequels for this franchise. Enough is enough. How many times are we going to see Sydney Prescott get shot, stabbed, sliced, beat, gouged, dragged, served, chopped and still live through all the madness? Enough. She is not ASH from the EVIL DEAD series... Rumors has it there maybe another installment in the works - Hell No!. Maybe in the next SCREAM installment Sydney Prescott is all TERMINATOR Type, all pumped, diesel, leather jacket with chainsaw and shotgun in hand ready to get the next Ghostface.

I must say this was a good comeback for the legendary Wes Craven after his last horrible, tacky, trash film MY SOUL TO TAKE. Craven really mastermind a wonderful and colorful direction with this installment. Kevin Williamson delivered some good sequences and liners in the script... The film made close to 19 million over the weekend at the box office - the lowest from all the SCREAM films. Lets just pray no more SCREAM installments. Let this legendary franchise go to sleep in classic mode. No more remakes and no more sequels.

I give SCREAM 4 - THREE STARS - a good little fun ride.

Filmmaker M Azli Dukan Upcoming Horror Film SKIN FOLK Teaser Trailer

2011-03-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

This is the teaser trailer upcoming horror film SKIN FOLK from filmmaker M Azli Dukan - a feature length anthology horror film based on the work of award winning writer, Nalo Hopkinson.

INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER DANIEL ISKE

2011-03-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

EYEPUS is proud to interview Filmmaker DANIEL ISKE the creator of the classic, spine tingling horror webseries THE DEAD HOUR and THE WRETCHED. I just saw the last webisode CANNIBAL GIRLS from the webseries THE DEAD HOUR and it just left me jaw opened with great storyline, cinematography, great acting, and just overall greatness - THE DEAD HOUR is a classic must see. I will be reviewing THE DEAD HOUR in the next blog. So lets begin our talk with filmmaker Daniel Iske.

VISIT THE DEAD HOUR WEBSITE WWW.THEDEADHOUR.COM

EYEPUS: CAN YOU TELL US A SMALL BIO ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WORKS?

DANIEL ISKE: I started making low budget indie films right out of high school and have racked up a handful of feature films over the last twelve years.

EYEPUS: HOW DID YOU GOT INTO FILMMAKING?

DANIEL ISKE: I was just kind of drawn to it. My grandfather had a clunky VHS camera back in the late 80s and ended up giving it to me when I was able to handle it. I grew up in the country so there wasn't much to do, so my brother and I just started making little films for fun. Usually just goofy stuff, or action films.

EYEPUS: DID YOU ATTENDED FILM SCHOOL?

DANIEL ISKE: Yes. I earned a degree in Film from the University of Nebraska. I was one of the first students to go through their program. We were editing in storage closets back then and fighting over little equipment they had. Now the program is booming and they have received a bunch of grants and have all sorts of fun toys. I'm jealous.

EYEPUS: HOW DID YOUR PRODUCTION COMPANY MAGNUM PICTURES EVOLVED?

DANIEL ISKE: When I graduated college in 2004, I took out a loan and bought a camera and some equipment and started to freelance video production. I started to get more clients and started my own business in Omaha doing corporate video, fundraising videos for charities, weddings and local commercials. Once I was able to pay the bills, I could turn my attention to my creative work. But I wanted to keep that separate so I created Magnum Motion Pictures.

EYEPUS: WILL YOU EVER TURN ANY OF THE DEAD HOUR WEB EPISODES INTO A FEATURE LENGTH FILM?

DANIEL ISKE: Yes, actually. And soon. In addition to filming a second season this year. We will be filming our first The Dead Hour movie. We're keeping the details under wraps for now, but we'll be looking at doing a festival run in 2012.

EYEPUS: WHAT WAS YOUR ROUGH ESTIMATE BUDGET FOR MAKING THE DEAD HOUR WEBSERIES?

DANIEL ISKE: Not much. Almost all our budget went to food and props. We use a small van load of equipment from my business and that's about it.

EYEPUS: YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE HORROR FILMS OF ALL TIME?

DANIEL ISKE: May, The Thing, Scream, Evil Dead, Dawn of The Dead (either version), Cabin Fever, Zombieland, The Exorcist, Jaws, The Ring, Rear Window, Homicidal, Near Dark.

EYEPUS: WHICH HORROR FILMMAKERS INSPIRED YOU?

DANIEL ISKE: Alfred Hitchcock, William Castle, Sam Raimi, Lucky McKee, Darren Arnofosky

EYEPUS: DO YOU HAVE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS IN THE WORKS?

DANIEL ISKE: Just The Dead Hour - Season 2 and the feature film should take up another year at least.

EYEPUS: ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING INDIE/MICROBUDGET HORROR FILMMAKERS TRYING TO STRUGGLE TO MAKE A FILM?

DANIEL ISKE: Network. Meet people who can make your job easier. Find someone who has a cool location to film at. Meet a musician who could do audio or music for you. Visit the local theater scene and find some interested actors. Basically surround yourself with as talented people as you can find.

VISIT THE DEAD HOUR WEBSITE WWW.THEDEADHOUR.COM

FILMMAKER/ACTOR ALAN ROWE KELLY INTERVIEW

2011-02-15T08:59:00.001-05:00

EYEPUS Exclusive in-depth interview with the amazing, stunning, multi-talented, authentic, fierce, Filmmaker/Actor ALAN ROWE KELLY (GALLERY OF FEAR, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, THE BLOOD SHED, I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW). Alan Rowe Kelly took the time of his busy schedule to do this interview. I want to give a million thank yous for Alan Rowe Kelly taking part for this interview... So lets begin...

EYEPUS: HOW DID YOUR LOVE FOR HORROR FILMS GOT STARTED?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: I had always dreamed of being in front of the camera since I was a very young kid ogling over Saturday afternoon Creature Features and late night Chiller Theater on television. My love of horror started when I was about 4 years old, watching THE OUTER LIMITS and THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE on my parents old B&W television set (Yeah, yeah! You do the math!).

I can recall my first horror movies being ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and THE WIZARD OF OZ. I was hooked after that. I remember being on vacation in Long Beach Island, NJ when I was a little tot and my dad took my older brother and I to the Colony Theatre to see DINOSAURUS! I was so excited when the tyrannosaurus attacked a bus full of people and it became quite graphic - for 1964, that is! But my brother got upset and we had to leave! I was extremely miffed by that! In retrospect, what I loved about DINOSAURUS! is it was made in 1960, yet still playing in theaters 4 years later. A film is lucky to get 2 full weeks in a cinema nowadays!

EYEPUS: DID YOU GO TO FILM SCHOOL OR WAS IT SELF TAUGHT FILMMAKING?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Self taught all the way baby! 20 years as a make up/hair stylist on photo, film and commercial sets have been my schooling. I've seen it all, from great shoots, to horror stories where folks have go ballistic during productions. I would sit back, absorb it all and think, "OK, I would never do that", or, "Oh! I really like his/her approach to the cast & crew," etc. By the time I was ready to make my first film I was able to pull together all those pros and cons to form my own easy system for making movies. I hate getting over complicated with things like to keep it what I call 'simple stupid'.

EYEPUS: WHICH HORROR/GORE FILMS INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE HORROR FILMS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: I loved all the 70's Grindhouse fare I used to see at the drive-in as a teenager. DAWN OF THE DEAD, MANSION OF THE DOOMED, PRIVATE PARTS, EVIL DEAD, THE FUNHOUSE, SUSPIRIA, DEAD AND BURIED, ZOMBIEÉThe list is endless. I just love them all.

But those great monster /sci-fi movies of the 1950's such as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, NOT OF THIS EARTH, THE BLOB!, MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS, TARANTULA, THIS ISLAND EARTH, BEGINNING OF THE END, ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS - these were my all time favorites, and still are!

EYEPUS: WHO ARE YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE HORROR FILMMAKERS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: John Llewellyn Moxey, Curtis Harrington, Roger Corman, Val Lewton, Mario Bava & William Castle. And I never miss a Hitchcock film, no matter how many times IÕve seen it. Something new always appears.

EYEPUS: DO YOU PREFER HORROR OR GORE?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: I love them both and even more so when they meld together in the same film.

EYEPUS: WHAT WAS YOUR LAST HORROR/GORE FILM YOU SAW?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: I just watched FEAST again and loved it even more the second time around. Great pacing! And I'm presently in my Euro- Zombie phase with BURIAL GROUND, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD. These are real guilty pleasure for me!

EYEPUS: ANY FAVORITE HORROR WRITERS YOU ADMIRED?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Vincent Churchill (The Dead Shall Inherit The Earth, The Butcher Bride), Owen Keehnan (Doorway Unto Darkness) and Robert McCammon (Swan Song) have been my favorite writers. I find them very inspiring because their stories always read like a film. I can see it and am always transported to another place with their originality, intriguing plots, and great character development.

EYEPUS: CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE FILM COMPANIES SOUTHPAWS PICTURES AND TINY CORE PICTURES?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: SouthPaw Pictures is my production company based in NJ. I started it when I made THE BLOOD SHED. Tiny Core Pictures is Anthony G. SumnerÕs production company based out of the Chicago area. It's wonderful collaborating with someone who is so talented, smart and understands all the ins and outs of low budget filmmaking. So far we have combined our talents on two projects, Anthony's latest release SLICES OF LIFE, and my upcoming horror anthology GALLERY OF FEAR. Anthony is an inspiration and a real pleasure to work with.

EYEPUS: YOU DIRECTED AND ALSO ACTED IN 3 OF YOUR FILMS THE BLOOD SHED, A FAR CRY FROM HOME/GALLERY OF FEAR AND ILL BURY YOU TOMORROW - HOW HARD IS IT TO DIRECT AND ACT AT THE SAME TIME?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Since I started out directing and acting in my own films it doesn't seem so difficult. You're already multi-tasking on a set, so the added pressure of an acting role doesn't seem so daunting to me. I also have had the smarts to have a talented AD and cinematographer on board who are also directors. So if I'm missing something on a take, they tell me right away, "bring it up, bring it down, start again try something different". And I listen because I want the best shots possible and acting in a good horror film is crucial. If an audience thinks you're a fake or simply mailing in a performance, you just killed your film. Unlike a play where you get to experiment and reinterpret on a nightly basis to a live audience, film is a final locked performance that cannot be changed or corrected once it's complete. So you have no choice but to bring your best game to set everyday.

EYEPUS: LAST I KNOW YOU ARE WRITING AND CO-DIRECTING DONT LOOK IN THE BASEMENT WITH ANTHONY G. SUMMER ALSO AS CO-DIRECTOR

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Oddly enough, Director Anthony Sumner and actor Jerry Murdock approached me at the same time in 2007 and said, "you have to remake this film. It will be your crossover movie that could eventually grant you some higher budgets in the future". I always loved this Grindhouse classic by S.F. Brownrigg and started watching it again. It hit me dead on and I thought, "Yeah, we can do this" and we would give it a new life without compromising the original, as do so many 'studio' remakes today.

Anthony and I decided to co-produce/direct it together through our companies SouthPaw Pictures and TinyCore Pictures. I rewrote the script, updated it, added new characters and came out with a very decent storyline. We were set to shoot in 2008, but the recession killed us - as it did everyone - and our backers backed out. It was frustrating, but who could blame them? It was happening to many filmmakers at the same time. Now we have the time to build more interest and begin pre-production while assembling the most amazing cast that includes Jerry Murdock, Zo‘ Daelman Chlanda, Debbie Rochon, Caroline Williams, Jeff Dylan Graham, Raine Brown, Katherine O'Sullivan, Susan Adriensen, Douglas Rowan, Terry M. West, Carl Burrows, myself, and the lovely Deneen Melody.

The film deserves a new life and I truly believe we have the right combination of talent to give it its worth. The proof will be in the finished product, so let's wait and see then. We have so many projects in production and pre production right now that we actually have to wait and see when will be the proper time, this year or next, to make this film a 'reality'.

EYEPUS: HOW CLOSE IS THE LOOK OF YOUR NEW FILM DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT WILL BE TO THE ORIGINAL DRIVE-IN CLASSIC?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Probably not close at all - I mean, the purpose to a remake is to bring new life to a film and still give it an original feel. Why do a silly frame-by-frame remake when you can watch the real thing? We've added new characters and new plot twists, but we're still remaining true to the original's storyline.

EYEPUS: HOW HARD IS TO REMAKE A HORROR FILM?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Filmmaking is hard work period. And it is just as hard to do a remake as it is an original piece. I think remaking a film is a bit riskier because there are high expectations from fans of the original. You have the raised antennas from fans and folks who will voice an immediate opinion on how bad the film will be before you even roll a single frame. That always adds pressure for you to deliver even more. My intent for remaking DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, aside from my love of the film, is simply to deliver a new life to an already terrifying storyline and gather more audience exposure. We'll just have to see how it turns out once it's finished.

EYEPUS: ARE THERE ANY OTHER DREAM HORROR FILMS THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO REMAKE?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: FROGS! would be totally fun to redo. I love those Nature/Ecology run amuck films! I love Ted Post's THE BABY with Ruth Roman, John Llewellyn Moxey's HORROR HOTEL, Lewis Allen's 1944 classic THE UNINVITED with Ray Milland and Cyril Frankel's THE WITCHES (aka THE DEVIL'S OWN) with Joan Fontaine. But I would really love to take a crack at David Miller's 1952 SUDDEN FEAR with Joan Crawford. Great suspense thriller!

EYEPUS: AS A FILMMAKER - WHICH FILM/VIDEO CAMERAS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR FILMS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: We have pretty much run the gamut in the past 12 years. My first film was shot on Beta SP back in 1999 and then had to have the entire piece reformatted and film-looked which was extremely costly at $12,000.00 and still not very effective because it was still in it's infancy. And at the time it was the only available resource before Final Cut Pro was born and you could finally do all your own color corrections and cinematic FX.

Then for the next few films we moved to the Panasonic DVX 100 A & B cameras and the picture was always gorgeous. And under the technical expertise and artistry of my cinematographer Bart Mastronardi, we were able to achieve a cinematic look and feel comparable to HD. Now we're working with the Canon 7D in HD. The picture quality is even more expansive and gives you unlimited range to play and adjust for the film's needs in post. But I am a firm believer that despite whatever camera you are using it all comes down to the proficiency and knowledge of your cameraman. You could have the best camera in the world and still come out with a poor looking film if your cinematographer doesn't completely understand how work with the equipment. You should test everything before you start shooting.

EYEPUS: FOR YOUR ACTING ROLES, DO YOU GET TO CHOOSE YOUR OWN WARDROBE DESIGNS AND HAIR/WIG STYLES?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: In most cases I usually insist on designing the look for the characters I play. And fortunately for me, my background is one of the main reasons why I am brought onto a film because I make sure I have a complete understanding of what the director is looking for. So this puts me in a very good situation as an actor and gives me a great comfort level on camera knowing that my instincts are trusted and actually contribute to the storyline.

EYEPUS: HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF GLAMOROUS WITH SUCH EPOCH OUTFITS, COSTUMES AND MAKEUP?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Well, there has not been one film yet where I appear glamorous or even remotely attractive - lol! So the pressure is off and I can focus on acting and building a character instead of worrying about how I look...lol! It's like playing Halloween all year round. I stopped looking at how I appear on camera a long time ago. It's not important what I think. It's more important on what the viewer sees and accepts in your performance.

EYEPUS: IS IT EXPENSIVE?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Not really. I just make sure there is a certain amount of wardrobe expense in the budget and I get extremely creative from there. I know a lot about costuming and styling from years spent in fashion design school and working with stylists on fashion shoots. So I'm always able to get access to certain items if I need them for a role or when dressing my actors for my own films. Wardrobe and costuming is vitally important in my book.

EYEPUS: IS IT HARD WORK PROMOTING YOUR FILM WORKS DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Its simply part of making an independent film. Just because the film is finished and distributed doesn't mean the work stops there. You have to promote your film from its conception and well into its distribution. And you should never depend solely on your distributor to promote your film full time, they have other films to work on and once you've been released, they have to move onto their next upcoming release. So it is solely up to you to get the word out and even update your fans every few months as to the availability and whereabouts of your movies. No one is going to blow your horn louder than you. And there are certainly enough legit horror sites online to post articles, be interviewed, upload links, trailers, banners, etc. to keep you in the public eye. There is no excuse for lazy self-promotion when it is so easy to do it yourself. A film has to grow and continuously be exposed to new audiences. Film is forever. It will be here long after you're not.

EYEPUS: HOW HARD IS THE USA MPAA SYSTEM COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTRIES WHO LET FILMMAKERS BE FREE (UNCENSORED WORKS) WITH THEIR FILM WORKS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: It has never effected distribution for my films so I pay no attention to it. I make adult-themed horror that is always rated R or NC-17 if they were studio purchased or produced in the US. I make the same type of edgier, extreme horror I always looked for when I was a kid and I'll stick with it. Seems to be my label.

EYEPUS: WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE TO OTHER HORROR FILMMAKERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH ZERO MONEY AND THEY WANT TO MAKE THEIR FIRST SHORT OR FEATURE FILM?

ALAN ROWE KELLY: Most importantly- DO YOUR HOMEWORK. As a beginning filmmaker, you must learn every aspect of what is going on your set and know what everyone on that set is doing. Learn about the camera you or your cinematographer are using and what you can achieve visually from it. See how far you can push your equipment. Learn how to frame a shot and make it look interesting with lighting and the correct exposures. Sound is vitally important as well - you must make sure you LEARN about sound, proper recording and all it's settings. I can't tell you how many independent films I've seen that have been ruined by this lack of attention to a VERY important piece of filmmaking. Horror films are totally dependent on SOUND and its deep connection with your audience.

Also, the people you bring on board to work with you are crucial. Use all the right people who BELIEVE in you and your project. (And please don't bring on all your friends because they think it will be "cool". Trust me - after one day of shooting, they all discover that it is hard work, long days and far from a glamorous profession). One bad apple in your crew can very quickly rot everyone's attitude and enthusiasm. So treat everyone with respect for helping you out and FEED them well. This is no time for Diva antics and a temperament. As a matter of fact, there is never any time for that.

There will be times when it is so daunting you'll ask yourself if its really worth it to continue. I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW took me almost 3 years to complete. I thought it would never get finished. But it did and the personal rewards of that accomplishment alone were amazing. You have to stick to your guns and not give up on it. You must see it through to the very end and complete it. Many of us work with miniscule budgets. So instead of thinking of this as a hindrance let that lack of funds set you free so your creativity and imagination can take over. If you are not creative, you will have a VERY boring and pointless film.

There will also be those people that tell you "you're crazy for doing it" "it's only a pipe dream", "quit while you're ahead", etc. But you have to pass all those negative people by and move on if you're to complete your dream. Because it is "your" dream. In the end it's ONLY about the film and will people like it? You can't make it a personal crusade where the film will only mean something to you, it has to reach out to a wider audience and captivate them. (Also- watch really bad indie films made by lazy filmmakers who really don't care and you'll see all the creative and technical mistakes unravel in front of you before you make them yourself - It helps to avoid the same pitfalls.)

And last, but most importantly, leave yourself open to learn. Don't get stuck in the thought that you know all there is to know. You'll stifle your set and your film and that will show up on camera. I learned something new each time I walk onto a new set. It's a constant evolution if you're going to get any better as a filmmaker. Be open to the newness of each experience and you can accomplish anything.

VISIT ALAN ROWE KELLY WEBSITE WWW.ALANROWEKELLY.NET

SCREAM 4 TRAILER and STILLS

2011-02-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

SCREAM 4 STILLS AND TRAILERS - Can't wait to see this film... Maybe the SCREAM 4 Ghostface killer is? Rory Culkin. I'm just guessing... A great cast, I'm happy Wes Craven and Kevin Willamson are back.

DAVIDE MELINI Short Film THE PUZZLE - Review

2011-02-03T08:55:00.000-05:00

Davide Melini short film THE PUZZLE is a mind boggling, puzzling short film. A home alone mom is working on a puzzle, when she receives a phone call, she argues on the phone with her son. Then, a cutaway shot of a frame picture of the mom and her son. She continues to work on the puzzle. As the film ascends, we follow the mom throughout the house - something shady and creepy is going to happen, leaving us with the puzzling question - Mother and son family drama and Why?

The Puzzle is more of a thriller than a scarefest but nevertheless a good little opus. David Melini THE PUZZLE has a very well talented cast, very well directed and well shot. One Filmmaker to have our eyes on in the future... Can't wait for his next upcoming film THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE.

Check out David Melini film below or go to his THE PUZZLE website at http://www.thepuzzle2008.blogspot.com/

OWEN MULLIGAN'S "LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR" WEB SERIES

2011-02-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

OWEN MULLIGAN'S "LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR" WEB SERIES DEBUT. RUN AND CHECK OUT HIS LATEST HORROR TALE: TO DIE FOR - The first episode of LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR.

LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR "TO DIE FOR" - First episode is a great little chiller - A man buys a snuff film from an underground snuff film seller - he heads home and starts to get off all happy with the snuff film - a woman is being butchered by a masked killer in some dark basement in the film. Suddenly, television goes blank - and the ending, well, my friends you need to go and watch it yourself because I aint telling you... All I can tell you is a scary episode, great performances, great cinematography - the filmmaker Owen Mulligan did a fine job for a micro budget that looks like indie high budget . Owen Mulligan has done it again with another chilling story but this time in webseries format. Great filmmaking.

CHECK OUT HIS FIRST EPISODE AT LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR

YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE/FUNDING FOR OWEN MULLIGAN NEXT HORROR WEBISODES BY DONATING A $1, $5, $10 OR WHATEVER YOU CAN TO:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Legends-of-Urban-Horror

FANGORIA 300 ISSUE

2011-01-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

FANGORIA 300 - ISSUE 300 - WOW - I feel like an old son of a bitch - I remember when I was 13 years old in 1984 and a friend of mine named Timothy introduced me to Fangoria. From there on I started collecting them issues back way then. I used to hit the FANGORIA Weekend of Horrors conventions when they used to have them at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC in the 80's. When going around the convention dealers room you would find original FANGORIA magazines for 2 dollars, movie horror classic posters, lobby cards, rare items so cheap, and now those items are worth hundreds to thousands of dollars. I remembered when they were selling the original PIECES horror movie poster for about 8.00 bucks rolled up. You would even find original Star Wars collectible action figures for 3 bucks. Everything now is reprints. I wish I could turn back into the past and buy them memories. I stopped collecting FANGORIA - 9 bucks now - I can't afford it - i have to go to Barnes and Noble and read it there because is too high in price - economy is shady my friends. But I did buy the 300 Issue. A great issue commemorating all time horror movie classics. I wish FANGORIA was the price of a GQ magazine $4.99. I love you FANGORIA - because of FANGORIA i went to Film School and made some bizarre short films. May the legendary magazine live on.

FOUND VHS HORROR TREASURES FOR FREE

2011-01-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

Someone at my worksite threw away this VHS Horror movies. I never saw any of this films but I do remembered when HUMONGOUS played in 1982 at a local bijou in my neighborhood. I never saw it. But now I get to see them...

DEADFI Launches Horror Anthology Web Series “LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR”

2011-01-14T11:10:00.000-05:00

FILMMAKER OWEN MULLIGAN (THE SMOG, ROADKILL) Launches his horror webseries LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR with his first episode TO DIE FOR. Go and check out his horror web series. Below is his presskit.

Legends of Urban Horror is a new anthology web series based on the most horrific urban legends. In the tradition of Tales from the Darkside, Tales from the Crypt and Night Gallery, each original episode features a singular story of the uncanny. Each tale will run between 3-5 minutes in length and will be distributed exclusively to the web.

The first tale “To Die For” will be free to watch on the Legends of Urban Horror website (www.LegendsofUrbanHorror.com) starting Tuesday, February 1st. The episode will also be available to own as a digital download for 39¢.

Episode 1: To Die For
A man watches a snuff film that unleashes an evil curse.
Starring Jeff Hatin, Giovanna Contini, Zak Frederick & Matt Sutkoski. Written, directed & edited by Owen Mulligan. Produced by Owen Mulligan & Jay Vos.

Owen Mulligan and Jay Vos run DeadFi Productions, which is a micro-budget horror outfit based in Burlington, Vermont. They’ve produced several short horror films which have played the Vermont Horror Film Fest and the Killer Film Fest in Massachusetts.

For all the latest news, please visit www.LegendsofUrbanHorror.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / CONTACT: Owen Mulligan
contact@deadfi.com 802-355-5247

RUE MORGUE - THANK YOU SO MUCH

2011-01-02T18:24:00.000-05:00

I would like to give a zillion thank yous to the legendary horror magazine RUE MORGUE for announcing my EYEPUS BLOGSPOT in their ROADKILL section, page 10 in the DECEMBER 2010 Issue. The section ROADKILL is compiled by Monica S. Kuebler. THANK YOU GUYS FOR MENTIONING MY BLOG - you guys made my day... KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORKS WITH YOUR MAGAZINE.

WWW.RUE-MORGUE.COM

YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD - Upcoming Documentary

2011-01-02T18:12:00.000-05:00

Recently, I saw a pre-screening of a fine cut of an upcoming documentary YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD at DCTV (Downtown Community Television Center) in NYC.
The documentary dealt with the trials and tribulations of the making of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD by George A. Romero within the year 1968 it was made. The film was funny at times with George A. Romero telling his adventures with the making and the process of his film. The documentary goes into why the film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is in public domain and how George A. Romero hasn't received or not getting any money from the screenings or merchandise of his classic horror film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD since the film went into public domain.

YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD (TITLE MAY CHANGE) is still in a fine cut mode, still in the editing and sound stages but what I saw in the advanced special screening the doc is a very informative and a great piece of work. Check it out when it gets release.

THE WALKING DEAD - A Disappointment

2010-11-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

Being a big fan of the graphic novel I'm so disappointed where the series is heading. Sudden unknown characters and scenes not from the graphic novel. The first episode of The Walking Dead was the most closest to the graphic novel but the rest disappointment. I'm tuning out from seeing the horrible show and continue my loyalty to the graphic novel. Shame on the producers for becoming dead brainers. The most anticipated television series of my favorite graphic novel SUCKS. This should be redone/remake for HBO. Keep it as faithful to the comic novel. Read the graphic novel Volume 1 through Volume 13. Believe me you will love the novel better.

THE WALKING DEAD #80 - COMIC BOOK DUE IN DECEMBER

2010-11-04T23:15:00.000-04:00

THE WALKING DEAD #80 due out in December 2010

HELLBOUND:HELLRAISER 2 - A CLASSIC SHOUT OUT

2010-10-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

A SHOUT OUT ON HALLOWEEN TO ONE OF THE GREATEST HORROR SEQUEL EVER MADE. MANY WILL DISAGREE WITH ME - BUT THIS SEQUEL JUST WENT BEYOND ANY DIMENSION IN THE HORROR GENRE. A DAMN GOOD VIOLENT, BLOODY SEQUEL... HAPPY HALLOWEEN

CRYSTAL GONZALEZ - CARTOON ARTIST - INTERVIEW

2010-10-27T11:44:00.000-04:00

This Halloween month EYEPUS interviews cartoonist CRYSTAL GONZALEZ. Here is an exclusive interview with the talented and amazing Crystal Gonzalez. Check out her work at DEVIANT ART and NEWGROUNDS.

Can you give us a bio about you and your works?

I was always drawing since I can remember, but I probably got most serious about my art by the time I hit high school. “In the Dark” was a small 3 panel comic strip I drew for my school newspaper. The characters evolved from these first strips. Sin and Fibble were very different back then. For example Sin was very small..about the size of a mouse and had a pair of clawed hands for ears. Fibble used to have black pupils and white irises and wore a green vest ha ha. In college, I continued drawing them and the character’s plots become darker and more elaborate. I eventually had volumes of a massive 200+ page story that I wanted to tell. But the problem was that it was all doodled in pencil and scraps.

It was during my years at CCA, that I decided to really sit down and redraw the pages to make the comic really publication ready. I self-published their first issue “Gluttony” this year (2010) and the 2nd issue is now on the production table, with new pages being posted on my comic blog. http://inthedarkcomic.blogspot.com and deviantart account http://comickpro.deviantart.com But since I’m also a cartoonist, the idea of making animated shorts for them was always in the back of my mind. So in 2004 I attempted the first animated tests but nothing came from them… then as the comic started taking root in 2008, I started drawing the rough practices to flesh out the series, but again at the time my skills just weren’t there yet. It took me another 2 years of practice and fleshing out the first 4 episodes in the series to finally start seeing the light for their cartoon to become a reality and the trailer was released last month http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/546125.

Did you go to art school?

I went to a state college first, the University of Nevada to get my BA in Art. And then I attended the California College of the Arts to work on my Masters.

Since your works are very dark and EYEPUS is a horror blogzine - any favorite horror filmmakers of all time?

I love the stop motion films of Jan Svankmajer. His work is so morbid and creepy. The way he uses raw meat and dolls and taxidermy animals to create characters is really amazing. My favorite of his films is “Alice”.

Favorite horror films of all time?

Pans Labyrinth, Silence of the Lambs, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Puppet Master, The Thing, and a bunch of lesser known corny horror films like Dr. Giggles and The People under the Stairs ha ha.

Out of all the websites used for art why did you pick Newgrounds and Deviantart?

I never really knew of any other sites for art at the time. This was many years back, but I guess it all started when a friend suggested I make an account and post my art. It wasn’t a lot of viewers for the first years but I kept at it and continued to just do what I do (make art) and the viewers began to grow. Since then, I have opened a comic blog as well, but still I think a lot of my work’s exposure come from my accounts on these sites.

What was your inspiration for In the Dark?

When the strip started it was a gag strip. Basically 3 panels that ended on a joke or violent slapstick punch line. The idea behind the name “In The Dark” was meant to convey a double meaning. One that meant “unaware or clueless (which is Fibble)” and “encased in darkness (which is Sin)”. So basically the title is “Fibble and Sin” together ha ha, but I’m sure nobody read into that. Anyways while attending the University of Nevada, I began a Minor degree in Philosophy and these classes were a big inspiration to my comic. I realized that a lot of words and human expressions are not valued or judged the same (what is Love?). As a philosopher there is this drive to question everything. Many readings took the foundations of religions and the metaphysical and expanded on them into theories to see what they meant, and why, we as humanity, embrace them or reject them. It was my own theory that a common element in all religions was the concept of “sin”, or a series of constructs that were deemed taboo or forbidden. I had even written a huge thesis paper on the subject to get my degree….but again since I’m an artist, I thought that would be a very interesting element for a character. Thus, Sin is a demon meant to encase this taboo. A physical representation of a metaphysical concept that is present in every religion, and he is the original evil darkness that all the other sins in religions where born from. The main story for In The Dark has a lot to do with this idea and how Sin and Fibble will encounter Hell and its citizens and have various effects on its structure. So I’d have to say a lot of my inspiration comes from my Philosophy Minor and studying world religions (major, dead, and myth).

Did you always want to make a series such as In the Dark, or were there other ideas? Possibly any we might see in the future?

I’ve been drawing comics for so many years and I have sketchbooks full of ideas that could become bigger series’ in their own rights ha ha. But for right now the only two that might come up in the future is “Trash and Clash”-a morbidly dark and tragic comic about two outcast birds trying to find a place in the world, and “S.A.H.U.” a robot protector who is a slave entrusted with being the world’s “loved hero” whether he likes it or not.

Now that you may turn the series into an animation do you think there may be problems getting voice actors, or did everyone just came at once? How long will it take for each episode to be animated after the comics are made?

I was very lucky and grateful to have a lot of people approach my cartoon who wanted to provide the voices! I later held an audition for the voices and received 45 tryouts! Needless to say I was shocked and honored to see the great turnout. And yes the VA cast has now been set and they are awesome! As for the episodes, they are very short cartoons. Only lasting about 1-2 mins long but animated to the best of my skills, I can bet each episode will take at least 6-8 weeks to draw. The cartoon and the comic are being updated side by side so there are no dry periods for either medium. The cartoons are like bite-sized open and closed stories that don’t connect to the next, while the comic is a much meatier and grander story arch.

For how long have you been drawing and animating for?

I’ve been drawing since I was a kid…and I knew it was my passion when I was about 10 and I drew little comics for my family and friends. I started to learn animation when I was 12 and drew with a dos animation program called the Disney animation studio (DAS). When I was 16 I started learning Flash.

How different is it between being a comic artist and being the animator?

Very different. In a comic the story teller can use all the pages he needs to tell what he wants. The panels act as moments in time that can be a second long or ten years between panels. Also each picture can be drawn with lots of extra details and line work. In a short cartoon you don’t have those privileges. You need to say everything and get to the point without deviation because you’re running on a 2 min timeline. Thus the story and characters need to work harder to stay on task and the amount of drawing is increased 10 fold to make them move and talk. Then there is the issue with editing, sound, voice, and coloring in each frame one by one which takes a huge patience and determination. In the first episode alone, I’ve had to color more than 1500 individual frames of drawings.

In the Dark seems like a gruesome and macabre, but at the same time a dark comedy, how do you maintain the balance?

I remember reading in a philosophy book a theory that the horror of nature…like the animal instincts, violence, blood and flesh, are alluring to us because we suppress them from our society. We have been conditioned to think of anything with horror as a bad or taboo thing and so when we engage with it, it is exciting and alluring because it’s forbidden but natural. I think my cartoons and comics play on that line…you do see a lot of horror but it’s all so alluring to watch ha ha. Is it horror or is it comedy? Ha ha it’s interesting to note that scientists have a theory that laughter was once a method of releasing anxiety in scary situations like when our ancestors met a predator. In my cartoons you probably do a lot of that kind of laughing.

Since your amazing works is on deviant art and new grounds - are you ever afraid someone could steal your ideas and art designs?

Those sites are no different than any other place on the internet. Besides I’ve taken the measures to ensure my copyrights and my comic and cartoons are registered with the US Copyright Registry. If anyone were to try that, I at least have a good solid legal ground to sue them or contest the merit of their designs and story in court.

What is the future of In the Dark?

In the comic, I want to finish telling the whole story. I imagine it will take about 7 issues to complete and maybe in the future I will publish them as a large graphic novel. I’m still drawing issue 2 so it’s got a while to go. The cartoon is just getting started so the only future things set up for it now are the 4 episodes that are storyboarded out. One idea that is still on my mind is getting some T-shirts made, but we will have to see how funding that comes around.

Can you tell us about how are you going about promoting and doing publicity for In the Dark - are you doing it the self distribution way?

I’ve have internet ads that are shown on a number of web comic pages including Dumm comics.com and Doomcat. Blogs and journals keep people up to date and hopefully my new cartoon might bring interest and new viewers to my comic and vice versa. Also, I have an online store to purchase the comic book http://inthedark.bigcartel.com/ So that no matter where you are in the US or International, I can ship my book to you. If you live in the San Francisco area, my comics are available at Isotope Comics and Comix Experience. And lastly I also promote the book at comic cons. My next one will be at the APE in San Francisco this Oct 17-18! (Booth 540 CCA).

Any advice to give to all struggling animators and comic artists who are trying to make it?

Have a finished product to show and show it to everyone and anyone. Have confidence in your work and don’t be shy to speak openly about it. If you have a determination, you CAN get it published even if it means you do it yourself. You may have to save up to afford it or get donors to help you, but basically I have a motto in life that I live by. “A desire or dream without action, is just an illusion.” This means that if you don’t actively work towards what you want, then your big dreams will remain just that; a dream. Do research. Check out your local print shops, and comic book shops to see if they carry independently made comics. Find out how to get what you want and then pursue it with a passion. For animators, collaborate with others. Build friendships with other artists and you can make great things happen. My episode wouldn’t be complete if it weren’t for my great voice actors and music director making my soundtrack. Also check out the local film scene. See when they do screenings and propose to them with a finished cartoon.

PIRAHNA - Review

2010-10-26T22:50:00.000-04:00

Is Halloween Month... I havent written anything for over a month - I'm very sorry to all my fans out there - I realized in writing film review blogs you have to keep it short, cute, and to the point. From now on no more long reviews. Is been a good Halloween month in the cinema showing horror films in movie theaters - LET ME IN (Remake), I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (Remake), MY SOUL TO TAKE, RESIDENT EVIL 5, CASE 39,

“THEY ATE MY PENIS…” JERRY O’CONNELL CLASSIC LITTLE FOUR WORD SENTENCE in PIRAHNA 3D.

Alexandre Aja remakes Joe Dante B classic film into an exaggerated fun ride of cheese. A pirahna swallows a human penis then spits it out in 3-D. Blood and Gore galore and so much nudity including a lesbianic erotic water dance routine you thought you was watching SHOWGIRLS meets PIRAHNA. Premise of the story - Jurassic vicious pirahnas with razor, scalpel teeth wake up from a 200 million year old sleep to cause mayhem at a spring time resort.

Starring Elizabeth Shue, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Special appearances by Eli Roth, Christopher Lloyd and Richard Dreyfuss.

The Special Gore Effects amazing. The film is a must see fun ride along with cheesy lines that you will need some saltine crackers to go along with them. The film got away with so much for an R-Rating it looked more like NC-17.

Best Films so far from Alejandro Aja: HAUTE TENSION, PIRAHNA 3D AND HILLS HAVE EYES. The worst film by him - MIRRORS.

THE WALKING DEAD - TRAILER and POSTER

2010-09-02T18:08:00.001-04:00

The legendary zombie comic book THE WALKING DEAD comes to life as a television series on our AMC channel on Halloween - Directed by Frank Darabont. Check out AMC website for pics and trailers of the tv series.

PIERRE AYOTTE - FILMMAKER INTERVIEW

2010-08-29T10:12:00.000-04:00

Exclusive interview with cool, awe-inspiring filmmaker PIERRE AYOTTE, from Canada who took the time to be interviewed for our blog. And also to thank Mr. Ayotte for sending us a dvd screener of his grindhouse tribute, awesome, absurd, fast-paced short film MASSACRATOR for review and for taking the time to be asked questions. MASSACRATOR 2 is soon to be release I cant wait to check it out. Check out his trailers of his other film works - honestly, WOW - AWESOME...

EYEPUS: Pierre can you tell EYEPUS a bio about you and your multitalented works - especially as seen in your short film MASSACRATOR?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Growing up, I was always close to one kind of art or another. At home, we watched very little TV but a lot of movies, with a jukebox in the living room (my dad was a bit fifties-oriented); so music and dancing was part of the background. I started playing guitar myself at around fourteen, but was more inclined towards sports and science in high school, although I did a few year-end shows. I went to engineering in college, spreading my free time between rock bands and hockey, but found the applied science curriculum less thrilling than I thought. I switched to the Communications Program at University of Montreal, which happened to give free access to shooting equipment and editing facilities. I flunked it twice, just to take it again and benefit from the free equipment, and made a bunch of short films and videos. At the time, I was also doing music and eventually decided to pursue it more seriously for some years. I recorded a few albums and did a couple of hundred shows. Producing music was satisfying, but I missed the overall intricate endeavor of moviemaking. I was stuck between two great passions, and I knew you can only do one thing with greatness, not two. So I chose cinema, which is what I've been doing lately. I finished Massacrator and three other short films, and am now at work on my first full-length movie.

EYEPUS: I just found out you also do photography - Can you tell me about your fashionable black/white and colorful photography?

PIERRE AYOTTE: I did a couple of years of glamour photography and some exhibits, but as a hobby, really. Doing camera work in movies, I found photo framing and model direction to be closely related to directing a film shot. I do like the esthetics of black and white.

EYEPUS: Did you go to film school or art school?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Besides the free-equipment repeat sessions, I did a minor in cinema theory as part of my college degree. Very instructive in terms of cinema history but not too useful if your aim is to actually do film. For that, nothing beats slugging it on no-budgets productions.

EYEPUS: You are from Canada - how is the horror/filmmaking scene in Canada?

PIERRE AYOTTE: The Canadian living dead is alive and well ;) In Montreal especially, you find all kinds of very active and creative people, with some major genre festivals such as the Fantasia Festival and Toronto After Dark. I find it uncanny that a relatively small population can manage and sustain its genre community. People here are very resourceful and show great abilities at combining technical proficiency with very low budgets. There's a can-do and "will-do-no-matter-what" attitude that makes this scene a lot bigger than its parts.

EYEPUS: Would you call your film MASSACRATOR a horror sci-fi spoof?

PIERRE AYOTTE: It sure is.

EYEPUS: Your film features an undead Elvis Presley - are you a fan of Elvis?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Certainly. My father playing rockabilly guitar in outdoors shows, Elvis in the jukebox, those are great memories. Like all teens, I rebelled against stuff in my teens, but managed to keep my fondness for the King alive. I understand the cheesy dimension surrounding this pop culture icon, and I play with it as well, but I have a genuine appreciation for the man and his music. At his best, he was an incredible singer and performer. The rock I play and listen to has not much to do with him, but it owes a great deal of its existence to pioneers like him.

EYEPUS: I just found out you did a sequel to MASSACRATOR - Can you tell us a bit without giving away too much?

PIERRE AYOTTE: It's more of a tongue-in-cheek musical after-thought to Massacrator; it's got quite a bit of gore as well, but it isn't a narrative per se. Basically, Elvis comes backs to life after being decapitated by Massacrator, but his brain is infected with a virus. So he sings a bit, and kills a lot.

EYEPUS: Who are your favorite horror filmmakers of all time?

PIERRE AYOTTE: I like filmmakers who manage to blend horror/suspense with good narratives and some style. John Carpenter comes to mind, early Sam Raimi, Ridley Scott.

EYEPUS: Favorite horror films of all time?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Alien, The Thing, The Shining, Evil Dead. 200 other ones.

EYEPUS: Your film is very outrageous and absurd - reminded me of the early works of John Waters - Who or what inspired you to make MASSACRATOR?

PIERRE AYOTTE: A visiting friend of mine was very muscular (he's a judoka). He was here for a week, so we decide to do a Terminator 2 gory silent spoof on the weekend, starring him. Although it was a quick and dirty production, I knew I could convey a certain uncanny style in both the humor and the action by using old film and low tech tricks in this genre of movie. After sending it to a few places, I was somewhat surprised that other festivals started writing me to get it as well. It's not groundbreaking cinema, but it fits the audience for these types of showings.

EYEPUS: So lets get technical - the making of MASSACRATOR - Which editing system did you used to cut your film?

PIERRE AYOTTE: It was shot on Super-8 film and edited on a very old reel-to-reel manual splicer. There is no negative with Super-8, so you are basically editing your master, adding a lot of scratches and dust just playing it back and forth, so there was no need to add those scratches in post-production. After I had fooled around enough with it, I sent it for digital transfer in Toronto (Frame Discreet, excellent people) and fine-tuned it in Sony Vegas, because there's no way I could get a tight enough edit other than on a modern non-linear editing system.

EYEPUS: What was your overall budget for MASSACRATOR?

PIERRE AYOTTE: About 300$ for film and transfers, 200$ for gas money, fake blood, lunch, beer, etc.

EYEPUS: Which film camera you used to make this film?

PIERRE AYOTTE: A Bauer C 900 XLM Super-8.

EYEPUS: Do you have any more upcoming film projects in the works?

PIERRE AYOTTE: I'm currently at work finishing the editing of my first feature film, a whitesploitation action comedy. It's very old-school, with loud car chases, gory back alley martial arts, dynamite, peek-a-boo nudity, and very cool funk music. It stars a rock band against the forces of Evil, of course.

EYEPUS: For all filmmakers who are struggling pushing their little films out there - Can you tell us about how are you going about promoting and doing publicity for your films - are you doing it the all self - distribution way?

PIERRE AYOTTE: First, I made something like a five-year plan, because I understood that the publicity efforts would come from myself for the longest time. Then I made sure the films are the best they can be. I show it to friends, cut out the fat, show it some more, cut some more. Basically, I make it tight and effective, because people will have zero patience for something they don't know yet. I build up interest for it and subsequent productions by entering festivals, submitting to online reviews, putting trailers on YouTube, creating a mailing list from any and all, creating bridges to like-minded people on Facebook, Youtube, MySpace, etc. I spent a bit on Festival fees, poster expenditures, etc, and a unexpectedly large chunk of time; this is where the five-year plan helps. Meanwhile, I write scripts and keep on top of industry changes with books and online resources (The Workbook Project for instance).

EYEPUS: What is your best advice to give to all struggling horror filmmakers who are trying to make a film at no zero budget?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Just do it, and make sure you finish what you start, even if you have to wing it; then move on to the next thing. Besides, if your budget is zero, then your potential for loss is inexistent, isn't it?

FOR MORE OF PIERRE AYOTTE UPCOMING FILM WORKS, MUSIC AND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKS PLEASE VISIT WWW.PIERREAYOTTE.COM

CHECK OUT HIS UPCOMING MASSACRATOR 2 TRAILER BELOW

FILMMAKER PIERRE AYOTTE - EXCLUSIVE TRAILERS

2010-08-29T10:11:00.000-04:00

THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE SECTION FOR PIERRE AYOTTE Awesome - horror, gore, crazy cool Trailers of his film works DATE WITH A CHICKEN, MASSACRATOR, MASSACRATOR 2: ELVIS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and SATAN, JESUS & ELVIS. Check them out and visit his website

WWW.PIERREAYOTTE.COM

DATE WITH A CHICKEN

SATAN, JESUS & ELVIS

MASSACRATOR 2: THE ELVIS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

MASSACRATOR

MASSACRATOR - A Short film by Pierre Ayotte - Review

2010-08-28T23:40:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been watching lots of indie short horror films and sad to say the short horror films is better than the horror feature garbage that pops in our local bijous and Netflix. Recently, I just got a dvd screener MASSACRATOR from filmmaker Pierre Ayotte I must say it was one twisted, awesome, grindhouse, crazy ass film. MASSACRATOR is absurd and funny as hell - Elvis Presley comes back from the dead. Pierre Ayotte take us to experimental, grindhouse tribute via Super 8 (literally the film was shot in Super 8 - no Final Cut Pro scratchy film effects here) and an amazing soundtrack. MASSACRATOR is getting lots of film festival notoriety and filmmaker Pierre Ayotte is one filmmaker to be in the look out for. Following this review is a personal interview with filmmaker Pierre Ayotte.

Below is the trailer of MASSACRATOR and check out the website www.massacrator.com

SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD - DVD RELEASE TOMORROW 8-24-10

2010-08-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

DONT BE AFRAID OF THE DARK - Remake - Poster and Trailer

2010-08-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

"DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK" is a remake of the 1973 of the same name starring back then Kim Darby as she gets turned the fuck out by shady little creatures. Scary as hell when it played on TV back in the seventies and the 80's especially watching the film after midnight in our black and white tv sets. In this remake - stars Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes - Guillermo Del Toro produced and wrote the story. Anything Guillermo Del Toro touches is gold, so I know is going to be great. Maybe someone could remake TRILOGY OF TERROR someday. Another great made for television horror film that scared the crap out of me in the 70's.

Below is the poster of the original film, the remake and the trailer of the new remake.
Enjoy...

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark in HD

Trailer Park Movies MySpace Video

New Horror DVD releases

2010-08-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

New Horror DVD releases today TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2010:

A film about Killer Animals BURNING BRIGHT

AND FROM SHOUT FACTORY TWO HORROR SAPPY RELEASES

DONT LOOK IN THE BASEMENT - Remake Coming Soon

2010-08-06T18:32:00.000-04:00

Legendary filmmaker Alan Rowe Kelly and Anthony G. Summer both are directing together the seventies horror underground classic "DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT". Above is the original poster of the classic horror film and the new version below. I love the new version poster...

MAC ELDRIDGE - CHEMICAL 12-D FILMMAKER - INTERVIEW

2010-08-05T02:29:00.000-04:00

EYEPUS: How did your passion for filmmaking got started?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I don't have the typical start in film making where someone in my family took me to the theater constantly. Instead, my brother's best friend got a job at the local theater and constantly took my brother to the movies. Once my brother got tired of it and stopped going, his best friend took me instead (as he thought I was the closest thing to my brother). I was taken to see The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou one day and it was then I realized that films are more than just entertainment: they could be whatever I wanted them to be. I started making movies with my brother's best friend with a little sony hand camera in our backyard and now I just wrapped my last production shot on RED. Its a surreal experience when I look at the big picture.

EYEPUS: Did you attended film school?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I still attend film school in Chicago at DePaul University. I'm entering my final year here and I cannot speak any bad about the experience. Its free equipment and they let me shoot what I want (more importantly, the work I produce is mine, not the school's like many other film schools). I made Chemical 12-D as a sophomore in my first production class. Before entering college I was certain I was just going to go out to LA and start working, but my DP David Wagenaar convinced me to come here. Thankfully, he did or else I wouldn't have gotten to make 12-D amongst other projects that I've had a blast making.

EYEPUS: Any favorite horror films of all time?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I'm a list man. That meaning, I constantly create lists and they constantly get rearranged as well. With that said, I have my five favorite horror films of all time listed below (and in order).

The Thing (John Carpenter)
Alien
Halloween
Night of the Living Dead
The Shining

As I said, its constantly changing but its always between these five. For the past couple of years Alien was my favorite, but now The Thing has taken over as of late.

EYEPUS: Who are your favorite horror filmmakers?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I always find this to be a tough question since a lot of my favorite filmmakers are genre filmmakers. If I had to stick strictly to my favorite horror director, I'd have a tough time figuring out any outside of a few (Cronenberg, Carpenter, and Romero are a few to come to mind) but I must say that my favorite filmmakers are genre filmmakers. This is the likes of Hitchcock, Del Toro, Kubrick, and Neil Marshall just to name a few. I always feel bad for the guys who get pigeonholed into a genre as I know they probably want to tell some stories outside of their respected genre.

EYEPUS: How did your film company Water Cooler Productions come about?

MAC ELDRIDGE: Water Cooler Productions came about from a project that never got made. Back in the day when my friends and I were 16 or 17, we wanted to shoot a project that focused around a few water fountains and water coolers but the project never came to exist. Since then, our motto has been to give people something to talk about around the Water Cooler. We now produce some work outside of our own but mainly it is a production company where we fund and create projects helmed by us.

EYEPUS: What inspired you to make your astounding zombie short film CHEMICAL 12-D?

MAC ELDRIDGE: To be quite honest I never wanted to make Chemical 12-D as I always say that the film is my DP's baby more than it is mine. I was in pre pro for a love story I fell in love with but funding never came through so David (my DP) told me to write a zombie script. I was hesitant because the indie circuit was filled with zombie movies (a lot of them not being good, mind you) and if we made a zombie short we would be lost in the trash. Well, needless to say I was wrong. 12-D has been our most succesful short thus far and it has gotten more praise than I ever imagined. When I wrote the film though I wrote it to be an abduction film where zombies just so happen to be a part of the story. I think thats why it is successful. SPOILER: If you notice, throughout the entire film not one zombie hurts anything; its always the humans creating pain and death. I think that resonates with some people. The other big pull to me is that this is a scarier movie if you're a parent. Its about the horror of a mother.

EYEPUS: Which film/video camera did you used to make CHEMICAL 12-D?

MAC ELDRIDGE: Chemical 12-D was shot on the Panasonic HVX200A with a Letus adapter. The real beauty in the film is seen in the post production and what our colorist Ryan Linich did to it. The film would have a completely different vibe and feel to it if it weren't for him.

EYEPUS: How many days and hours did it took you to shoot CHEMICAL 12-D?

MAC ELDRIDGE: We worked on Chemical 12-D for one solid weekend of photography (roughly 8-10 hour days) and one day for pick ups the following weekend. The garage scene was the longest to shoot as it took 8 hours by itself due to SFX and how long the chest cutting bit took to set up. Post production was a much, much longer experience than production as we have 3 or 4 different cuts of the film with a few different sound mixes.

EYEPUS: How was your experience working with a child actor in your film?

MAC ELDRIDGE: Working with children can be tough as I found out from my latest production. They can be a real hassle if they're not wanting to do it (what I'm really saying is that stage moms are tough to deal with) but working with Wesley Klepac was a dream. He layed on the operating table for 8 hours with no complaints and he did everything I asked of him on the first take. In our down time we'd talk about sports and throw a football around. I can't think of one negative mark against him. If his passion for acting continues on into the future, you'll be seeing him around. Hes a real talent.

EYEPUS: Any hardships in the making of the film?

MAC ELDRIDGE: This was by far the most fun I've had on a set. Looking back on it, other than the typical hardships of scheduling and such, I can't think of too much that proved to be real frustrating on set.

EYEPUS: How was your film festival experience and reactions with your film CHEMICAL 12-D?

MAC ELDRIDGE: The festival circuit has been great to us as we have just played our biggest festival to date: Fantasia Film Fest. There were roughly 750-800 people to see The Human Centipede and we opened for it. It was again another surreal experience as only four years ago we couldn't get anyone to watch our work and now we're playing internationally to hundreds of people who don't know us or owe us anything. It was incredible and if that was the peak of my film career, I couldn't be happier.

EYEPUS: Any distribution deals in the future for CHEMICAL 12-D?

MAC ELDRIDGE: 12-D has been offered a distribution deal twice for online distribution/netflix. We had to turn them down both times as things just didn't make sense for us but as of now, YouTube is great. People get to see our work and that is all we really care about. The more people to see our work, the better. People have come to me about a feature which is something I'd be interested in doing. Believe me, I have an idea stirring in my head I don't think the zombie genre has seen before.

EYEPUS: What was your overall budget for CHEMICAL 12-D and how you got the funds?

MAC ELDRIDGE: 12-D was funded out of pocket and funding wasn't a grave concern as we get all of our equipment free. I've seen around the net that people said we had a grand. That is not true. We didn't even have 500 bucks. We had favors and people who wanted to be involved with the project. Its crazy to see how far a few computers with facebook favors go (along with free rental equipment from film school).

EYEPUS: Is it hard getting funding in making a film?

MAC ELDRIDGE: Extremely but it can be done. Our latest short (The Old Man and His Dog) is our biggest budget to date and funding it was tough. Luckily a few kegger parties along with fundraising events can get you places very quickly. I always say this: everyone has a rich uncle or something like a rich uncle who can be tapped for a few bucks once or twice. Get a great project with great people involved then tap your uncle's shoulder for your one shot. However, with the way technology is going, the most expensive things on set now are catering. What I'm saying is that anyone can make a short with a few favors and an understanding of technology. Money should never stop you from making a production but only make your life easier.

EYEPUS: Lately, I’ve been asking filmmakers about horror film remakes - With so many classic horror movies been remade, which dream favorite horror film would you like to remake and why?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I have two answers for this. If I could remake a movie out of the sheer fact that I want to be a part of that franchise then I'd remake Alien. I'm only saying that because I'm such a fanboy and I want nothing more than to be a part of that franchise. It doesn't need to get remade but I want to do it anyway. With that said, the movie I actually do want to remake in a very, very bad way is Frankenstein. I think Del Toro will beat me to the punch as he wants to remake it also but I've always been infatuated with that character. I got a few ways to tell that story but its something I wouldn't tackle without a serious budget behind it. Maybe one day, but until now, it sits in the back of my brain as an idea.

EYEPUS: Do you have any upcoming film projects in the horizons?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I just wrapped production on my last short The Old Man and His Dog. Its a ghost story I have treated like my baby for the past year. We're in post production now and I can't wait to have it done for 2011. Its my The Devil's Backbone if I had to relate it to any other movie. After that, Water Cooler Productions is pretty much open however we have already decided that we are shooting a less serious horror film that we hope to shoot starting next March. We need a break after being so serious for almost two years and some fun action/horror stuff will be a blast to shoot.

EYEPUS: Any inspiring words or advice for upcoming indie/micro budget/or the very low zero budget filmmakers trying to struggle with a small penny to make a film?

MAC ELDRIDGE: I touched on it already but my main thing now is that you don't NEED a budget like you use to. Back in the day it was 16MM, buying the film, processing it, getting a steenbeck to cut, printing the film, etc. etc. You needed money but not anymore. Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project are great examples of movies made with no money. It can be done. Its finally all about creativity!

CHEMICAL 12-D - Great Zombie Short Film

2010-08-05T02:20:00.000-04:00

Zombies have taken over the world once again - but this time in just seven minutes in the great zombie short horror film CHEMICAL 12-D By filmmaker Mac Eldridge.

In a zombie-undead infested world, a man named Michael Frank is out searching for a zombie to experiment on with his CHEMICAL 12-D. Research Subject a "zombie" age 8 to 12 - a child zombie. Where he kidnaps the child zombie - brings him to his lab and experiments on the child by dissecting him, making his test subject just to test his CHEMICAL 12-D. I could give a bit more details here but you need to see the film for yourself the ending left me jaw opened (which I won't spoil it - see the film - a must). Lots of blood/gore splatter. Remarkable performances by the three film cast members. Great story and great direction by Mac Eldridge. Great sound design and soundtrack... Mac Eldridge zombie opus in seven minutes is a classic short horror film.

Watch CHEMICAL 12-D embedded here with the permission from filmmaker Mac Eldridge.

RUE MORGUE FESTIVAL OF FEAR

2010-07-30T13:21:00.000-04:00

RUE-MORGUE FESTIVAL OF FEAR - AUGUST 27 - 29, 2010 - AN AMAZING CAST OF GUESTS INCLUDING DAVID CRONENBERG, KEN RUSSELL, HEATHER LAGENKAMP, LANCE HENRIKSEN and MANY MORE.
CHECK OUT THEIR WEB PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION RUE-MORGUE.COM

JEREMIAH KIPP - FILMMAKER INTERVIEW

2010-07-29T18:19:00.000-04:00

EYEPUS has the most distinguish pleasure to bring an exclusive interview with Filmmaker Jeremiah Kipp. Mr. Kipp took time out of his busy film schedule (shooting his upcoming horror feature film SWINE starring Tom Savini) to be interviewed here at EYEPUS. He is one hell of an amazing detailed filmmaker, and if anybody haven't seen his short film works

CONTACT and THE POD I suggest to run and do so - and check out his filmmaking craftmanship. Just remarkable short horror film works...

EYEPUS: Can you tell us - How did you got into filmmaking?

JEREMIAH KIPP: When I was twelve years old my grandparents purchased a VHS camcorder, I think to photograph weddings and family gatherings. But it became an opportunity for me to gather together all the kids who lived on my block so we could make vampire, zombie and end-of-the-world movies in my backyard. I cut together a reel from these 300 mediocre films and submitted it to NYU, and combined with my grants, scholarships and high SAT scores, it was enough to get me into this prestigious film school, where they throw a 16mm camera in your hands and you take to the streets. I was fortunate to be able to continue working in this industry post-graduation as a director, assistant director and producer.

EYEPUS: Any horror films inspire you to become a filmmaker?

JEREMIAH KIPP: There were several genre films that transformed me when I was growing up. Some of the most significant were John Carpenter’s THE THING, which had a truly original monster in a chilling location and a dozen great characters having to deal with it. I also loved George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD, a classic wish-fulfillment fantasy (what kid wouldn’t want to live in a shopping mall and kill zombies) that turns in on itself as a visceral social satire about consumerism. Romero and Carpenter remain two of my favorites, but I also remember having powerful experiences from the extreme cinema of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, ERASERHEAD and the immersive worlds of THE ROAD WARRIOR and BLADE RUNNER. I’ve never been able to shake off my early impressions of cinema, or my love of horror, because these movies made it seem like anything was possible; that there were no barriers. Horror filmmaking allows you to push beyond the limits of human experience into something other, and that’s always been a source of great inspiration.

EYEPUS: Any favorite horror filmmakers?

JEREMIAH KIPP: Romero and Carpenter, as I said, are seminal filmmakers, and I also love the work of David Lynch, David Cronenberg…I’m particularly drawn to a Polish filmmaker named Andrzej Zulawski who made a monster movie in the early 1980s called POSSESSION, which was really about a nightmarish divorce between the characters played by Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill. Within the independent film world, I appreciate filmmakers like Larry Fessenden, who directed the deeply personal HABIT and the nightmarishly political eco-horror movie THE LAST WINTER. Jim Mickle, whose MULBERRY STREET is a low-budget gem, and Graham Reznick’s mind-trip I CAN SEE YOU are also favorites.

EYEPUS: Which is your favorite horror film of all time?

JEREMIAH KIPP: Tod Browning’s FREAKS is one that has truly stayed with me; I love films in general that blur the line between reality and filmmaking. Harmony Korine, Bruno Dumont, Claire Denis and Lars von Trier seem to be some of the directors who are pushing the envelope nowadays, but FREAKS is mind-blowing because of its use of actual sideshow freaks as characters in the movie—who can forget the uncomfortable “gooble gobble” dinner scene or the climactic chase through the mud and the rain….”one of us, one of us”—brilliant!

EYEPUS: Do you consider yourself a filmmaker or a horror filmmaker?

JEREMIAH KIPP: I consider myself a filmmaker with a deep and abiding passion for the horror genre. If I fell into the so-called horror ghetto and never made a movie outside of the genre, I think I would remain a very happy man because there are so many possibilities that exist within the world of horror.

EYEPUS: How do you feel about classics horror films been made into remakes?

JEREMIAH KIPP: It all depends on how they handle the remake. Let’s not forget that John Carpenter’s THE THING, David Cronenberg’s THE FLY, Chuck Russell’s THE BLOB and TNT’s wonderful reinvention of SALEM’S LOT starring Rutger Hauer and Donald Sutherland were all remakes of previous genre offerings. It all depends on the execution. Many of these are attempts to brazenly cash in on a brand name, so all you can see are the hands of greedy studio executives wanting to cash in. Genre fans can tell if the work came from the heart or not. I liked the direction Rob Zombie was going on HALLOWEEN II, which felt more like his kind of movie than a straight-up homage. I didn’t think Zack Snyder’s DAWN OF THE DEAD remake was a total success—a lot of it felt pretty weak—but I did think he was sincerely trying to make a valid remake of the material, whereas the FRIDAY THE 13th and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET retreads were far more transparent in what they were trying to do, which is make a fast buck.

EYEPUS: I just saw your short film CONTACT, I really enjoyed and I was impressed with your film - what was the budget for your film?

JEREMIAH KIPP: Our budget was miniscule—ridiculously so! I spent around $600 to make that picture, but mind you our very professional crew were doing me a favor by working on the film out of the goodness of their hearts, and the camera and equipment were on loan from a filmmaker whose feature I produced a few months earlier. So when considering the $600 price tag, you also have to factor in the friendships, favors and courtesies my cast and crew extended towards me. How does one budget for the knowledge that you would do anything to help these people, and they return the favor by helping you? The east coast low budget horror community can be very loyal and supportive in this way.

EYEPUS: How many days did it take you to shoot CONTACT?

JEREMIAH KIPP: We shot for two days, but did full rehearsals and were in post-production for a little over a month as we cut the picture and worked with our wonderful composer and sound designer Tom Burns, who fully mixed the project for us before screening it in October 2009 at a Halloween film festival.

EYEPUS: Which type of camera did you used to shoot CONTACT?

JEREMIAH KIPP: Our camera was the Panasonic HPX, but more important was our cinematographer Dominick Sivilli. It’s wonderful to collaborate with a director of photography whom you draw inspiration from; he really has been like a brother in our collaborations. We shot some behind-the-scenes footage for a documentary that I co-produced, then we made CONTACT and that set in motion a series of projects we collaborated on together. Mapping out visual storytelling with him has been incredibly meaningful to me personally and professionally, and I look forward to our work together on our first feature, SWINE, which starts principal photography a mere three days from the completion of this interview.

EYEPUS: What was your overall working with the actors especially the legendary Alan Rowe Kelly?

JEREMIAH KIPP: I enjoy the rehearsal process, particularly with actors as creatively engaging and resourceful as Zoë Daelman Chlanda and Robb Leigh Davis. Most films have no rehearsal at all, so you’re basically watching what’s emerged after a very rough blocking if you’re watching an independent movie. I prefer not to work that way whenever possible, but unfortunately budgets don’t always allow that time with the actors during pre-production. As for the wonderful Alan Rowe Kelly, he has a magnetic persona onscreen, a kind of intensity that you expect from performers such as James Cagney or Barbara Stanwyck. He was open to the idea of playing this drug dealer as an aging punk rocker; I was inspired by the way Morrissey looks these days, and Alan wanted to create some sort of faux-mullet with his hair and wore that striking pea coat. Alan is like those British actors who work from the outside in; I think he discovers the characters he plays by figuring out their hair and wardrobe, and allowing that to inform all of his choices as an actor. I think his best work to date, though, was in A FAR CRY FROM HOME as the victim of a hate crime. It was very moving, poignant and personal; also Alan was not hiding behind a colorful mask, but playing a real and sensitive person, a normal person, and one who is suffering under extreme conditions. It’s quite a moving performance, and I encourage readers to try to track down this film however you can. Alan is releasing it in an anthology film called GALLERY OF FEAR sometime this fall.

EYEPUS: You are about to go and direct your second film as a feature for two weeks, Can you tell us about your upcoming feature?

JEREMIAH KIPP: I was hired to direct SWINE by two producers after they saw CONTACT online, and much of the same crew is returning. The feature is a “killer in the woods” scenario starring Tom Savini as the silent, predatory villain; there are a few fresh twists involving a primal state induced by animal steroids, and I’m blessed to be working with many of my east coast horror colleagues, including co-producer Alan Rowe Kelly, special FX artist Daniel J. Mazikowski (THE ROOST), and cast members such as Zoë, Jerry Murdock from I’LL BURY YOU TOMORROW and Miguel Lopez from VINDICATION.

EYEPUS: If there was a dream horror remake you would like to direct which film would it be and why?

JEREMIAH KIPP: I don’t think it’s as worthwhile remaking a classic genre film such as HALLOWEEN or even THE WOLF MAN. But if you came up with a fresh twist on a humble genre flick like, I don’t know, the Australian outback horror movie RAZORBACK or a “death on the road” picture like RACE WITH THE DEVIL, you wouldn’t feel a slavish obligation to the original. Alan Rowe Kelly is remaking S.F. Brownrigg’s drive-in classic DON’T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT with co-director Anthony Sumner. I’d love the idea of remaking Brownrigg’s SCUM OF THE EARTH—if I could do it as if Mike Leigh were making an exploitation film!

EYEPUS: Any inspiring words you would like to share with other aspiring filmmakers out there?

JEREMIAH KIPP: The best advice to most filmmakers is simply not to do it, because this is an incredibly difficult way to live your life. If you have a tremendous passion for the work, it is the most beautiful and rewarding profession, with great and rewarding artists in front of and behind the camera. And it is humbling to consider that no one can do it alone; no one person makes a film. One must always be mindful of that other party involved, which is the audience. How are you telling a story to them visually, and what is the effect you want to have on them? What do you hope to communicate? Even if the reason is as simple as, “I want to scare the shit out of people, because it is fun to be scared!”, that’s wonderful, because scary movies are cathartic; they take us to other worlds; they allow us the chance to get close to our deepest nightmares and emerge safely, however shaken and unsettled, as the end credits roll.

CONTACT - Short Horror Film Review

2010-07-27T23:29:00.000-04:00

I just saw a great - interesting short horror film titled CONTACT by filmmaker Jeremiah Kipp. Starring Zoe Daelvan Chlanda, Alan Rowe Kelly and Robb Leigh Davis... In the bible, there was once upon a time a man named Jesus Christ who once told a story about the Prodigal Son, who was once rebellious/sinful then came back feeling repentful, with humility to his good father. His Father accepted his rebellious son back to his heart. CONTACT storyline is sort of the female version of the Prodigal Son - The Prodigal Daughter. The film takes us to a shady little journey of a dilapidated, chilling wicked world of drug usage and what drugs could do to your little brain.

The film is beautifully shot - amazing black and white cinematography. The overall film direction, again for a short film like this very well done, and with creative pace. Jeremiah Kipp has a great eye behind the lens. The wonderful performances by the cast especially by Zoe Daelvan Chlanda just beyond... And the FX though not in the gory department but more in the grothesque department just oozing with greatness. Jeremiah Kipp delivers a remarkable little amazing little horror film package in just ten minutes. I cant wait to see Jeremiah Kipp next film titled SWINE starring TOM SAVINI.

Jeremiah Kipp CONTACT could be view online at www.contact.shroggle.com/

CONTACT Film Reviews

“The structure and progression of images in CONTACT, the storytelling – all very strong!" - Larry Fessenden, director of THE LAST WINTER and HABIT

"It's a beautifully made film -- I loved the mouth tunnel! In fact, I think I did that drug once upon a time. Excellent. Keep makin' em!" - Frank Henenlotter, director of BASKET CASE and BAD BIOLOGY

“CONTACT is an emotionally charged short film/poem…with its rumbling, ethereal sound design and constant barrage of visual metaphor, this trancelike film speaks in dream language. There are themes of trust and desire and family betrayal bubbling under the surface. CONTACT powerfully illuminates the dangers of hardcore drug abuse and reveals, almost subliminally, how once tainted, it’s nearly impossible to escape its savage clutches.” – Dante Tomaselli, director of SATAN’S PLAYGROUND and HORROR

“While it has a running time of only 11 minutes, CONTACT feels much more substantial because of its message and depth…Absolutely intense! Amazing on all levels: sound design, camera, lighting, acting – this one is going to win a ton of awards.” – Marla Newborn, Fangoria

“Felt like a chapter out of my own dating history. I love the mouth-to-mouth connection and the face tear. Kipp, you are one sick fucker!” - Paul Solet, director of GRACE

“A jolting, intriguing work that is blessed with great style and original substance—one of the most satisfying shorts to come around in a long time. 5 stars (out of 5)” – Film Threat

PUNK AND PISSED STORE

2010-07-11T18:51:00.000-04:00

Searching around the internet for affordable horror t-shirts I discovered a new, hot, cool, fierce internet horror shop - PUNK AND PISSED. Oh my God - they sell amazing cool stuff - Horror T-Shirts, Horror Movie buttons (of your favorite horror films) for 1.00 (small) 1.50 for large ones, Cloth punk and horror movies patches, light horror jackets, Messenger bags 9.99, Punk - Metal Shirts, crazy cool keychains, stickers, and all so damn cheap. The shipping and handling is cheap, if you spend over 40 dollars - shipping is free. Not only are they the most affordable punk and horror store around but they give you an extra little gift with your order. NOW that is how you treat your customers.

I just bought four horror movie T-shirts from PUNK AND PISSED - EVIL DEAD 2, NOSFERATU, DEAD ALIVE and DEMONS t-shirts and honestly, I could tell you the best t-shirts a horror fan ever had. The print and texture of the shirt is great. A very comfortable feel with the shirt. I already washed my EVIL DEAD 2 shirt three times and is still in intact condition. Since I just discovered this store believe me I will be pumping the PUNK AND PISSED fashions...

Visit WWW.PUNKANDPISSED.COM and get some great, cool stuff and deals. Trust me you wont be disappointed. This shop put many horror t-shirts shops to shame. Many horror t-shirts companies these days charge you an arm and leg in our economic hard times. PUNKANDPISSED rocks with the prices...

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My Review for PUNK AND PISSED - THE BEST -

A CLASSIC - FOUR SKULLS

FILMMAKER OWEN MULLIGAN - INTERVIEW

2010-07-02T09:27:00.000-04:00

OWEN MULLIGAN is an amazing filmmaker from Vermont, and one to keep our eye out for in horror filmdom. His two short films - THE SMOG and MIDNIGHT ROADKILL screening now in YOUTUBE are a must see. Mr. Mulligan gives you that retro horror experience with his two short films - taking me back to that eighties horror film experience. Mr. Mulligan has a professional keen eye in film direction and cinematography. The special effects in both films are just startling. You take a look at his two films you think he spent a big budget for each of his short films. Again I repeat see his two short horror films - a must see… So, with the most respect I bring to you an interview with filmmaker Owen Mulligan…

Good Evening Owen - Can you tell the Eyepus audience about yourself personally and creatively - What first got you interested in film?

The desire was always there to make a film since I was old enough to understand the concept but it seemed impossible with the equipment of the time and I really had too many problems anyway. Years later digital technology blossomed and I was a different person with far fewer problems and ready for a challenge. I was heavily involved with politics which exposed me to digital camera work, etc. and I realized that making a movie was now within my reach.

Did you go to film school?

No, I have no formal training. I’m completely self-taught.

Who are your favorite horror filmmakers of all time?

I would have to say John Carpenter.

Any favorite GORY films of all time?

The Exorcist and John Carpenter’s The Thing as well as Alien. They all had groundbreaking gore that was really well used. I definitely admire The Exorcist the most though for making use of an erect penis in several shots, which not only offends most people but scares the Hell out of them. God knows why but it works.

Any favorite horror films of all time?

The Exorcist, The Thing, The Blob, The Fog, Prince of Darkness, The Changeling, Poltergeist, The Ring. There’s so many.

The last horror film you seen?

The Human Centipede, which I definitely liked.

Favorite horror writers?

Dean Koontz and Ray Bradbury. They may not be categorized as horror writers but they got some really horrific stories.

Can you tell me the budget for THE SMOG and MIDNIGHT ROADKILL?

They both were around $1,000.

Which kind cameras did you used for your films?

I used a Canon Vixia HV30 for both. I wish I had a wide angle lens when I did those but now I do so I look forward to putting that to use on my next short. I actually don’t own this camera though. Luckily, public access will let you use their equipment for exchange of your project airing on their channel. Now that’s a win-win situation that I take full advantage of.

Which editing system you used to edit your films?

Midnight Roadkill was edited by Paul Varricchione on Adobe Premiere and I edited The Smog on Sony Vegas, which is great software that I highly recommend. I also learned that Paranormal Activity was edited on Sony Vegas so don‘t think you have to use Final Cut. There’s other editing choices out there esp. if you’re PC based.

How many days did it took you to shoot The Smog and Midnight Roadkill?

They both took three days to shoot although some additional time was spent on getting the establishing shot that starts The Smog.

Love the saturated green colors in your film THE SMOG, it has a feel of an eighties horror film look, did you played with color corrections? Was is it intentional?

The saturated green was intentional alright. I purposely made the film become more green with each shot as the story progressed and the smog seeped in. I used green gels over the majority of the lights during filming for this effect and then in editing I used color balance and color curve effects to enhance the green and also the shadows.

Are you planning to expand your short horror films to a feature film someday?　

I realize The Smog could definitely be made into a feature but I’m not sure if I’d make it or any other of my upcoming shorts into a feature at this point. I think I’d rather write a feature screenplay and go from there but who knows.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five to ten years?

Hopefully still making films and ideally feature horror films that are really good and scary. That’s what I’m trying to do by making shorts is to learn the craft and what techniques, etc. make people scared. I don’t see myself in Hollywood but rather making independent films under some film entity that will fund my work. There’s plenty out there like ScareFlix and Fangoria Films. I’d be completely content working with them spending the rest of my life making micro-budget horror flicks.

As far as promoting, are you submitting your films to any film festivals? Any upcoming personal screenings of your short horror films?

Midnight Roadkill played at the 2009 Vermont Horror Film Festival. Since it was basically my first film, I didn’t feel it was good enough to go beyond my local area. The Smog I feel is an improvement and so I submitted it to a number of horror fests nationwide but I won’t know until August which ones I got into.

Any upcoming film projects in the works?

I have another short in the works that I’m planning on shooting this coming January called Call of the Wendigo. My focus this time will be purely on the fear factor. My hope is to make a short that is really scary and one that will haunt people. That’s not an easy task but I’m going to try.

Any inspiring words or advice for upcoming indie/microbudget filmmakers trying to struggle with a small penny to make a film?

Well I’m still struggling but the struggle is important so pay attention to all the lessons learned. If you believe you have the talent and filmmaking is the only thing you want to do then don’t ever give up. So patience and persistence are key. You’ve got to work hard to make yourself the best filmmaker you can and that takes practice and time so keep making films and getting them out there. Listen to feedback and be open to criticism. Listen and improve, pay attention to your weak points and fix them. And don’t ever think you’re too old for this shit. Alfred Hitchcock made Psycho when he was sixty!

Check out OWEN MULLIGAN website www.deadfi.com and his two short fierce horror films THE SMOG and MIDNIGHT ROADKILL.
　

VHS HORROR TAPES - COLLECTING

2010-07-02T00:28:00.000-04:00

I found these three VHS horror film tapes brand new at a local thrift shop for a buck each.   VHS horror tape collecting is all the craze now.   Visit your thrift shops, craigslist, garbage cans, grandparents attic, where ever, find the VHS horror tapes in original boxes and collect them.   Many horror films on VHS are becoming rare to find. Some of them you cant find on dvd such as Linda Blair 1982 cult prison film CHAINED HEAT.   Many VHS films will be worth money in the future. I have the original VHS tape of the film BEN - now a collectible.

VHS horror films take me down memory lane back in 1983 when every single corner of New York City had a video store, and you would go inside the store and see displays of boxed VHS horror films than any other films behind glass door cabinet. A number will be in front of the film box. You went to the counter and asked the clerk if that number (vhs horror) was available. Many times the film was not available... The memory of VHS horror films behind glass shelves with paper magic marker numbers in front of the box and running home with the tapes in hand. Inserting them inside the big JVC vhs player and discovering the great films from the best horror and cult filmmakers...

So, collect those rare horror films on VHS for either a trip down memory lane, for fun - hobby, or just collecting to sell in the future.   It will be well worth it...

SCREAM 4 - NEWS

2010-06-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

SCREAM 4 Stars NEVE CAMPBELL, DAVID ARQUETTE, COURTNEY COX, EMMA ROBERTS (JULIA ROBERTS NIECE), RORY CULKIN, LAUREN GRAHAM, ANTHONY ANDERSON and a bigger cast. WES CRAVEN IS HELMING AND KEVIN WILLIAMSON WRITING - I PREDICTED THIS BLOGS MONTHS AGO - CHECK OUT MY EARLY BLOG ABOUT SCREAM 4. HERE IS THE TEASER POSTER.

THE WALKING DEAD - TV SERIES

2010-06-14T23:13:00.000-04:00

The famous graphic novel THE WALKING DEAD By legendary graphic novelist Robert Kirkman will be turned into a television series for AMC by the amazing director Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE). Above is a film still from THE WALKING DEAD. I know Frank Darabont will turn this classic graphic novel into a gem.

CALIBAN T-SHIRT BY RODNEY GITHENS ON SALE

2010-04-29T10:42:00.000-04:00

Hold a piece of original, mind-blowing, fierce artwork across your chest from amazing PAINTER and ILLUSTRATOR RODNEY GITHENS

The ferocious, fiercely detailed "CALIBAN" T-SHIRTS are now on sale Click on the design below for more details and price.

RODNEY GITHENS CALIBAN TSHIRTS

RODNEY GITHENS - PAINTER/ILLUSTRATOR

2010-04-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

Rodney Githens is a painter and illustrator based out of Long Beach, NY. His art works are just beyond dark, deathly and visually stunning. Mr. Githens art works and designs have been showcased in galleries and fashionably used by popular Metal Bands and by the Ring of Honor Wrestling. Githens also owns a t-shirt line of his designed art works titled VERTEBRAE 33.

Astoundingly, Mr. Githens took time out of his busy schedule and designed the EYEPUS logo above - in which, I literally fell to the ground and almost broke my neck for this incredible design. A billion thanks go out to him for making the EYEPUS logo.

EYEPUS is more than proud to present RODNEY GITHENS in this brief cool interview.

When did you discover your hidden talents as a painter/illustrator?
Honestly, I cannot remember a time when I did not draw or create in someway. I spent my childhood drawing monsters and weird people. In some ways a lot has not changed that much. As an adult I spend a lot of time drawing monsters, skulls and weird people.

Who are your major inspirations for your artwork?
Obviously my work has a darker slant…so I could not say I draw inspiration from a sunset. But I do draw inspiration from all aspects of my daily life and I have some very crazy dreams all of the time. In fact, I have some sketches for a series of paintings I want to do based solely on some pretty elaborate dreams. As far as other artists go, there are numerous artists that I like including Dali, Munch, DaVinci & Durer. Anyone that does art for metal bands has to count Pushead & Derek Hess as an influence. Also, there are bunch of people working a lot right now whom I really like such as Riddick, Paul Romano and a bunch of illustrators. In addition, I draw inspiration from music of the heavy variety. For me, having a great soundtrack is a key element of the creative process.

Who are your favorite horror filmmakers of all time?
Of all time? Well, there are certainly a group of no-brainers such as George Romero, John Carpenter and Sam Raimi. Also, I would throw Hitchcock in there as the master of suspense.

Any favorite horror films of all time?
I go through different phases and as such I will latch on to different types of horror films at different points. So I went through periods where I became obsessed with all of the Evil Dead movies, Living Dead movies, Hellraiser movies but I really love the Alien movies. There is no better art created for movies than the stuff that Giger did for the first Alien movie. Also, I really love old horror films such as The Creature from The Black Lagoon, Frankenstein and a bunch of the Hammer films. As far as poster art goes those old movies had some of the greatest posters of all time.

Any favorite GORY films of all time?
I am not a very big fan of GORY horror movies. But I do remember meeting a good friend of mine, Gary in a high school gym class because he was on the bleachers looking at a Fangoria magazine. I guess I have always preferred suspense or creepy monsters rather than outright gore.

Can you tell us how you got inspired for your art works “CALIBAN” “PROVE TO YOU” and “NERVE MAN”?
“Prove to You” was created to be shown at a co-op gallery that I was a part of a while ago. The idea behind the piece stems from the frustration of teenage life as I reflected back on it…the passive being forced to follow the misguided. “Nerve Man” was originally created as a shirt design for a band but I decided not to work with them. Not sure of the actual inspiration other than creating a spindly nerve guy existing in the astral plane. “Caliban” was created for the metal band Caliban to be used for a tour this spring/summer. They wanted a zombie based design and I wanted to try something different. So I went with the zombie crossbones.

How long does it take you to do one of your works? Any particular techniques or styles you use?
It really varies depending on the piece, but often it takes me while just to get warmed up. I tend to work pretty slowly but I can turn around work to people fast and I never missed a deadline. As far as style, I have my natural drawing style that has been developed over my entire life that is the base for all of my work. I work both by hand and in the computer. But the key would be that the average person should look at your work and not think about how it was done. Whatever tool you use it should not overshadow the impact of the work.

What are you trying to do to people with your art?
I am trying to lead them to the edge of insanity, where one-eyed bandits run amok and monkeys rule with an iron fist…..just kidding. I just want them to have some sort of reaction to my work, whether it be good or bad.

Can you tell us about your website VERTEBRAE 33 and your online store?
My site is the showcase for my art and it is for all humans who have all 33 of the their vertebrae. The store was created to try to tell some of my own designs on shirts and hopefully in the future prints and originals as well.

Are all your art works printed on all the Shirts you sell?
No. Right now I have only two designs on shirts for sale through my site but you can get some of the designs I did for bands at their shows or on their websites.

Any upcoming gallery art shows or exhibitions of your works?
Right now I do not have any gallery shows on the horizon, as I am solely concentrating on doing artwork for bands and merch companies. I would love to get back into showing

Do you think the art world is competitive?
In some respects it is very competitive but doing good work consistently over a long period of time will shrink that world into more manageable components. The internet makes it easier than ever to expose people to your work but it often still just boils down to networking. Most artists are pretty bad at networking or the business side of the art world. There is a reason we are motivated to create and it has nothing to do with business acumen.

Do you have any new upcoming projects in the works?
I am currently working on shirt designs for Ring of Honor Wrestling and a couple of bands. I just finished another design for Metal Hammer magazine and a record cover for the band Sons of Tonatiuh. I have a couple of things lined up but I cannot talk about them yet, as they are still in the beginning stages.

Honestly, Do you think aspiring artists should go to art school to learn art?
I spent time at a bunch of schools and I learned something at all of them. If you get a good teacher you can learn a ton and there are some good things that can come from feedback from a group of your peers. But it all boils down to the amount of effort you put into being an artist everyday of your life.

Any great advice for aspiring painters and illustrators out there?
work…work…work….You must push yourself all of the time to be better and better. I believe that hard work and perseverance will pay off in the end.

CLASH OF THE TITANS Review

2010-04-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

CLASH OF THE TITANS remake is not a junk but a yawn. Thank God I didn’t pay extra to watch it on 3-D. Is not worth your coins to see a classic remake being made to a 3-D mess. When I saw the trailer for the new Clash of the Titans in 3-D I thought it was going to be beyond epic - more monsters, more fantasy, more special effects. I expected a LORD OF THE RINGS type of atmosphere. But all you get is green screen computer generated few creatures, gigantic insects, some men dressed up in PARTY CITY HALLOWEEN MONSTER OUTFITS, men in cute skirts showing their fine ass thighs, cheap studio art direction, actors (Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson) playing tacky Gods - Zeus and Hades.

Sam Worthington as Perseus was okay - handsome aussie actor in skirt was cute, but HARRY HAMLIN as the original Perseus was better. The film was a bit slow especially the fight scenes between the Perseus and his men vs. the gigantic scorpions. The only amazing scene I love of the whole is the Medusa fighting scenario. The computer generated Medusa I must admit was gorgeous. The romance innuendo between Perseus and Lo (Gemma Arterton) whatever. Perseus flying the black Friesian (computer cheesy generated wings), Perseus defeating Hades (GOSH) - Perseus fake crying over his foster parents when they drown in the ocean (TIRED) - Why wasnt Bubo the gold robotic owl throughout the remake, he only made a short special appearance.

I WANT MY MONEY BACK AMC… Save your coins - rent the original 1981 CLASH OF THE TITANS from your local library or Netflix and watch it. If you want to see the remake wait when it comes to DVD. Save your money…

CLASH OF THE TITANS Starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes Directed By Louis Letterier Rated PG-13

TWO STARS from EYEPUS

JOSHUA HOFFINE New Horror Photograph

2010-04-01T11:59:00.000-04:00

JOSHUA HOFFINE is a genius, horror photographer, his photograph works deal from childhood nightmares to the splatter nightmare gore horrors. He is just amazing.

This is his latest work - KEYHOLE. Go to his website and check out all his amazing, nightmarish photographs they're going to make you GAAAAAGGGGGGG.

www.joshuahoffine.com

ANIMAL SOUP (UNCENSORED) - REVIEW

2010-03-02T23:29:00.000-05:00

Starring: Sofia Disgrace, David Pilskin, Scorpio Vixen, Lee O'Neill, Gary Benham, Daniel Peacock and a special appearance by Lloyd Kaufman

A film not for the faint of heart... Get ready to gag because ANIMAL SOUP (UNCENSORED) is one nasty, sick, little fierce film ride. A true indie, miniscule budget impressive debut by filmmakers DAVID V.G. DAVIES and JAMES A. KIRBY.

The story: Four Campers - in the mood for a hike in the woods come across with some grisly, wicked, ferocious, nasty motherfuckers, especially one that looks like Charles Manson named Mad Tom (played amazingly by David Pliskin) who sports a little bra (hilarious) and shitty pants. Once the happy campers encounter these savages is all a sick, depraved blood fiasco.

ANIMAL SOUP is out of control, twisted and downright outrageous. From defecation, excrement splats, peas and carrot vomit to shockful of blood, gore, guts, brains and animal soup. I was speechless with the film's rawness. I haven't seen such daring, shady, raw boldness since the early works of John Waters (MULTIPLE MANIACS, PINK FLAMINGOS) and Passolini's SALO: THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM. ANIMAL SOUP is like a rare, forgotten 80's video nasty - it pays homage to the 70's horror exploitation cinema to the 80's video nasties - Kudos for the filmmakers for being so damn daring.

The filmmakers cut straight to the chase (ready to hack and slash) - none of that long boring dialogue that you see in tired ass recent horror films. The film editing is very well done at a fast paced. Amazing videography - beautiful animal shots and the green, country side pastures. The film has an 80's look to it. A banging soundtrack by Spit Like This, JackViper, Spiderbaby and Computers for Schools.

This is indie/miniscule budget horror/gore at best, and if you are ready to gag and have a good old time see ANIMAL SOUP. A worth while shocker better than some lame Hollywood films such as the "SAW" series, and the dreadful PARANORMAL ACTIVITY... There is a sequel to ANIMAL SOUP in the works. I hope they bring back the amazing characters - Mad Tom (David Pliskin) and the lovely Sophia Disgrace as Mia.

ANIMAL SOUP delivers and it gets FOUR STARS from EYEPUS.

Anyone interested in purchasing ANIMAL SOUP go to: WWW.FILMMA.COM

SCREAM 4 - WES CRAVEN RETURNS

2010-01-30T22:11:00.000-05:00

SCREAM 4 - Everybody is back WES CRAVEN, NEVE CAMPBELL, KEVIN WILLIAMSON, COURTNEY COX and DAVID ARQUETTE. I'm happy the legend Wes Craven is helming SCREAM 4

ZELDA RUBINSTEIN Dead at 76

2010-01-27T21:58:00.000-05:00

Actress Zelda Rubinstein known for her classic cult performance in POLTERGEIST (and its sequels), ANGUISH, TEEN WITCH, BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON and many other films, dead at the age of 76. Not only was she a classic with her performances, her petite, squeaky voice, but she was one of the first celebrities who supported the gay community. May she rest in peace. Below is a Zelda Rubinstein classic performace from the film POLTERGEIST (taken from you tube).

"FROZEN" This looks scary as Hell for 2010

2009-12-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

I cant wait to see Adam Green (HATCHET) new film FROZEN looks scary as hell, imagine being stuck in the middle of the slopes, stranded in a chairlift, freezing, now that is some scary shit... Check out the poster, synopsis and website of the film.

SYNOPSIS

A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off the night lights, they realize with growing panic that they've been left behind dangling high off the ground with no way down.

With the resort closed until the following weekend and frostbite and hypothermia already setting in, the trio is forced to take desperate measures to escape off the mountain before they freeze to death. Once they make their move, they discover with horror that they have much more to fear than just the frigid cold. As they combat unexpected obstacles, they start to question if their will to survive is strong enough to overcome the worst ways to die.

CHECK OUT THE FILM TRAILER AND WEBSITE: www.frozen-film.com

CHRISTMAS HORROR FILM JOLLIES

2009-12-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

KILLER SANTAS, A KILLER SNOWMAN, HERE ARE SOME XMAS HORROR FILMS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD SEE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITH A CUP OF HOT COCOA AND CHOCOLATE COOKIES ON THE SIDE... MERRY CHRISTMAS...

THE CRAZIES Remake Synopsis

2009-12-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

THE CRAZIES is a remake from George A. Romero THE CRAZIES from 1973, below is the synopsis. Above is the new remake poster and the original from 1973. THE CRAZIES opens February 26, 2010.

Imagine living in a small town where everything is safe and happy…until suddenly it isn’t. Imagine your friends and neighbors going quickly and horrifically insane. In a terrifying tale of the “American Dream” gone horribly wrong, four friends find themselves trapped in their hometown in The Crazies, a reinvention of the George Romero classic directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay by Ray Wright (Pulse, Case 39) and Scott Kosar (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) is sheriff of Ogden Marsh, a picture-perfect American town with happy, law-abiding citizens. But one night, one of them comes to a school baseball game with a loaded shotgun, ready to kill. Another man burns down his own house…after locking his wife and young son in a closet inside. Within days, the town has transformed into a sickening asylum; people who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives have now become depraved, blood-thirsty killers, hiding in the darkness with guns and knives. Sheriff Dutten tries to make sense of what’s happening as the horrific, nonsensical violence escalates. Something is infecting the citizens of Ogden Marsh…with insanity.

Now complete anarchy reigns as one by one the townsfolk succumb to an unknown toxin and turn sadistically violent. In an effort to keep the madness contained, the government uses deadly force to close off all access and won’t let anyone in or out – even those uninfected. The few still sane find themselves trapped: Sheriff Dutten; his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell); Becca (Danielle Panabaker), an assistant at the medical center; and Russell (Joe Anderson), Dutten’s deputy and right-hand man. Forced to band together, an ordinary night becomes a horrifying struggle for survival as they do their best to get out of town alive.

EYEPUS News

2009-12-21T08:45:00.000-05:00

WES CRAVEN new film 25/8 has a new title: "MY SOUL TO TAKE".  Here is the synopsis of the film:

In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.   Adam “Bug” Heller (Max Thierot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad’s terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that’s returned, he must face an evil that won’t rest…until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.

Hopefully the film will get an R rating and Wes Craven will take us to a new horror masterpiece journey. And speaking of Wes Craven, I dont think he is helming SCREAM 4. That will be a bummer if the legendary director doesnt helm SCREAM 4. Neve Campbell is back for SCREAM 4 but no talks about Craven back in the director's chair. I refuse to see SCREAM 4 without Craven on board...

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Actress Natalie Portman will star in and produce “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” a film that is based on the book by Seth Grahame-Smith and Austen. Miss Natalie Portman will slay zombies in Victorian times. It sounds crazy and funny, another hilarious take on zombies like SHAUN OF THE DEAD and ZOMBIELAND but in Victorian times. Jane Austen meets zombie hell...

THE WOLFMAN gets "R" Rating

2009-12-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

The looooooooooooooonnnnnnnggggggggggg awaited THE WOLFMAN starring BENICIO DEL TORO, EMILY BLUNT and ANTHONY HOPKINS due out February of next year is getting an R rating by the MPAA. Thank God because I hate those PG-13 horror films. The Wolfman will be bloodier, gorier, and loooooooonnngeeerrr without the cuts. Thank you Universal Pictures. Now we can enjoy it with all its glory.

LEGENDARY ACTRESS BRITTANY MURPHY DEAD AT 32

2009-12-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

BRITTANY MURPHY 1977 - 2009

Sad and shocking to know that one of my all time favorite young actress Brittany Murphy is dead at the age of 32. Brittany Murphy died of a massive heart attack. As I write these lines I'm still in shock. She starred in the teen classic film CLUELESS, 8 MILE, DEADGIRL, she played a sexy vixen in the cult classic - fierce SIN CITY, in the slasher film CHERRY FALLS, DON'T SAY A WORD, SPUN, LITTLE BLACK BOOK, UPTOWN GIRLS the upcoming horror films DEADLINE, SOMETHING WICKED and just many memorable films to even list here... Sadly, I will miss her screen presence very much. May she rest in peace.

EYEPUS TOP FIVE HORROR FILMS OF 2009

2009-12-19T21:42:00.000-05:00

This year was a good year for horror films, though some great goodies ended on DVD, I say this was still a good year for horror films on the big screen. Though after three years in the shelves of Warner Brothers, TRICK R TREAT ended straight to DVD, not shown on the big screens, I must say, the EYEPUS horror Oscar goes to TRICK R TREAT as BEST HORROR FILM OF 2009. Followed by ZOMBIELAND, DRAG ME TO HELL, ORPHAN, and THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL.

Winner: 1. TRICK R TREAT

2. ZOMBIELAND

3. DRAG ME TO HELL

4. ORPHAN

5. THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL

Worst piece of shit horror film of 2009 goes to the awful and stupid remake of MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D, what the fuck were this folks thinking when remaking this piece of shit. Bad acting, bad special effects, bad storyline, just bad everything, thank God I didnt pay once cent to see this garbage on the screen it was a library rental.

Honorable mentions that I liked very much but were not in my top five: JENNIFER'S BODY, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and DISTRICT 9 (though not a complete horror film - but EYEPUS says is sci-fi/horror).

MAY THE NEW YEAR 2010 BRING THE BEST IN HORROR FILMS AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO MY BLOG AND READING THE REVIEWS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT... LOVE EYEPUS.

PHOTOGRAPHER ELISABETH FARAONE - INTERVIEW

2009-11-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

EYEPUS INTERVIEWS PHOTOGRAPHER ELISABETH FARAONE. ELISABETH FARAONE is one photographer to watch for. In a series of her works she embarks into the horror, the darkness and the macabre. Here is an exclusive interview and don't forget to check out her webpage and her myspace page for the rest of her amazing photo works.

Can you tell me about yourself and your photography works?

Behind the camera, I'm a mixed drink of emotion, sarcasm, and honesty, with shot of childish innocents. I'm an art teacher, School of Visual Arts grad, wife, daughter and photographer. My photography is a culmination of horror, metaphors and a childhood I a childhood toy or two, and moody lighting.

How you got into photography?
When I was 9 I saw this back leather, dusty bag in my mother's closet. When she wasn't home I opened it to see what was in there. I lifted out her Honeywell Pentax, and started to play with it. I think I liked the clicking sound of the shutter and the grinding sound of the manual film advance lever. I asked my mother what it does and how to use it. After she showed me that was that.

I just found out you went to School of Visual Arts through your myspace page, explain your experience at School of Visual Arts?
I had an in depth training on how to use lighting, and camera settings (without guessing). Technically, the school did wonders, creatively... you either had it or you didn't.

Who is your biggest inspirations for your horror and the macabre photography imagery?
Floria Sigismondi, Joel Peter Witkin, David Lynch, and Andres Serrano.

Your images are ferociously fierce and beautifully shot, especially "DOLLS", "POSSESSION" and "A HEART STORY", I love them all, what was your experience in making them and your inspiration for it?
For the series "Dolls" I adressed my fear of abandonment and lack of playtime as a child. I photographed dolls that represented my emotional trauma of being adopted, and having a mother that was diagnosed with an auto immune disease.

"Possession" is about life structure. People are brought up to believe in a God, fear evil, fear of sining, stay inside the lines and for What, to be chosen for stigmata? Its not so bad to have experiences that lead to growth. No, I'm not against Christianity or any other faith. I love religion, but I love life more.

"A Heart Story" is a play on words. The phrase... "broken heart" seemed kinda funny because a heart can't actually break on its own. It's the creative mind that uses metaphors to describe the messes we get ourselves into. Give me a situation and a list of words that describe an emotion and that will be a platform for me to work off of.

EYEPUS wants to know what are your favorite horror films?
Halloween (Rob Zombie), Stigmata, Hellraiser, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Nosferatu, The Cell (just the visuals) Event Horizon and currently Martyrs.

And who are your favorite horror filmmakers?Takashi Miike, Clive Barker, Quentin Tarantino, Gore Verbinski, James Wan, Christophe Gans.

Which cameras do you use to do your photography?Nikkon D90 and Hasselblad.

How does the public react to your works?They hide they're children's eyes and ask, is that real blood? Gasps of "oh my god..." or "wow, that's deep."

Had you ever had to censored your works for any particular gallery shows, or anyone?
Of course, as an art teacher, I like to show my work and have my students show their's. Nudes, religious jabs, or reenacments of horrific situations can be quiet scary to a child, as well as some adults. I'm not out to have debates over my ethical stand point, religious beliefs or anything else... I just want people to look, think, like, and if possible, buy.

Any great advice for aspiring photographers?
Don't change your style or give yourself the overdosing guilt trip (us artists do when we think we've failed) cause you didn't make it into a "posh" Chelsea Gallery that shows artist's who make work like rows. of suburban houses. F*** them. Try other ways to get work known.

Are you working in any new works, any gallery shows in the future?
Hmm that gallery talk again.... my wallet says no, my head says... yeah as long as I can through some blood on the walls. I'm always working on something new and disturbing.

Click here on ELISABETH FARAONE to see the rest of her works. Or visit her webpage http://spyderwebb666.tripod.com/

SCREAM 4 - Another sequel in the making

2009-11-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

Let me begin by telling all you readers HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. And I'm sorry I havent been here in a while I been away in vacation in the tropics, when I got back from vacation I got very sick and it wasnt a good one... Anyways, sequels are ahead in the horizon with SCREAM 4 - the rumors Wes Craven might be back, Neve Campbell as Sydney Prescott, Courtney Cox and David Arquette are back. Kevin Williamson is writing the script. I'm I happy that they making a fourth installment? I'm okay about it, as long as they bring Wes Craven, and the original cast I'm sweet with it. As I been reading in other horror websites that they are bringing a new generation of teens and they planning to kill off the old fogies like Neve, Cox and David. Killing Sydney Prescott is such a stupid absurd idea. The Scream storylines surround all about Sydney's character. Production begins in April 2010.

HOUSE OF THE DEVIL

2009-11-22T17:39:00.000-05:00

Sweet, good girl Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) is an independent college student seeking a job. She is eager to get a job to pay off a rent deposit to an apartment she is interested in. She finds a babysitting job ad in her college campus. She calls the number and gets the job right away (sounds to good to be true). Her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig) tells her that it sounds too weird. Megan drives Samantha over to the house (an old Victorian mansion) that is located next to a cemetery. The girls are received by Mr. Ullman (a spooky Tom Noonan). Mr. Ullman explains to Samantha that is not really a babysitting job but to watch over an elderly woman. At first Samantha feels puzzled, then after some money talk hustling with Mr. Ullman, he agrees in giving her four hundred dollars.

Samantha explains to Megan about the situation, Megan runs out upset. Drives back home. On the way home by the cemetery she meets her sad demise by a killer Victor Ullman (A.J. Bowen)... For forty minutes we are following Samantha around the house, she orders pizza, she snoops around, dances around with her little cassette walkman, watches television. Her pizza arrives, she takes a bite and the slice has been poisoned. The action begins, the black Lunar Eclipse is above the clouds, the cloaked satanic cult leaders Mr. Ullman, Mrs. Ullman (Mary Woronov) and Victor Ullman come out of hiding and they are chasing Samantha, as she is weak, and the devil (One Scary son of a bitch) wants to drink her virginal blood. But Samantha battles it out with weakness and all…

HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is like an early 80’s television horror movie of the week but with a blood bath. House of the Devil is a simple horror which starts at a slow pace, then BANG - many horror films in the seventies and eighties always had the slow suspenseful pace.

Ti West did a great job throwing us into a time machine and taking us to the eighties, EVERYTHING IN THIS FILM IS 1980 - COSTUMES, ART DIRECTION, HAIR STYLES, the satanic storyline, the film credits, and the whole atmosphere. This is ten times better than the tired wanna-be PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and GRACE.

THREE STARS - GOOD OLE 80’s RETRO HORROR CREEPY FUN

Starring Jocelin Donahue, Greta Gerwig, John Speredakos, Mary Woronov, Dee Wallace Stone, Danielle Noe, Aj Bowen, Tom Noonan.
Written, Directed and Edited by Ti West
Running Time 93 Minutes Rated R

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL

2009-10-31T20:47:00.000-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND TO ALL EYEPUS READERS, MAY YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL, CRAZY COOL, SAFE HALLOWEEN - EYEPUS

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

2009-10-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to see the horror hit of the fall PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, I wanted to see all the hype, all the scariness that people are hollering about. The film was number #1 and made over the weekend $67 million and SAW 6 came in number #2. I paid the early matinee price $8.75 (the early matinee special) at my local AMC movie theater. I sat in the middle of the auditorium, a few people in the audience. So, what do I have to say about PARANORMAL ACTIVITY? Is all right, whatever…

The doom twenty-something year old couple Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) (The actors used their real first names to give it that non-fiction true story) are living in a nice two floor home. They hear noises, footsteps, ghostly sounds and all the bumps that go off at night. Micah buys a nice prosumer camera to videotape all the paranormal bumps in the night. Katie invites a psychic (Mark Fredrichs) to their house, she tells him that since she was eight years old, she feels something has been following her and she always heard things that go bump in the night. The psychic feels there is something in the house, but Micah doesn’t believe in the Psychic, he thinks he is a fruit.

For three weeks Micah places his prosumer camera in the middle of their bedroom for surveillance to capture any happenings. In the middle of the night the camera captures the door closing, noises, a shadow, Katie in a state of somnambulism staring at her sleeping boyfriend for two hours. Micah shows all the captured dailies to Katie to prove there is something really wrong in the house. Katie starts to get a little weird, Micah is trying to help her with video camera in hand to capture everything she is going through… In the middle of the night, a spirit comes in, pulls the sheet off Katie, and drags her out of the room as she screams glory mercy. Micah runs after her to help her. Katie is freaking out, but they continue to stay at the house, in which I don’t understand why this couple stayed at this house, when you hear things that go bump in the night, get up and get the fuck out.

SPOILER ALERT: Katie in another state of somnambulism, stands by Micah's side of the bed, stares at him for a while, she leaves the room slowly, she goes downstairs, we hear some creepy hard footsteps, a little while later, we hear Katie scream at the top of her lungs, suddenly waking up Micah. Micah jumps out of bed and runs downstairs. They both start to scream. Then a sudden pause. Micah gets thrown across the room, knocking down the video camera. We see Katie in the middle of the room, blood all over her shirt. Katie walks up to the dead Micah on the floor. She kneels besides him, smells him and she looks at the camera (at us the audience). Her face turns into a quick ghostly demon. The End. That’s it. Credits of the couple’s whereabouts, then the end.

Katie and Micah deliver a fine tune performance, especially Katie Featherston. Filmmaker Oren Peli did a cute job with the whole scare tactics, lets see if his next film live up to the hype, like the Blair Witch Project Filmmakers they were famous for a year and so, then they disappeared making crap, and where are they now?

I really didn’t care much for PARANORMAL ACTIVITY - the whole video camera point of view scariness and jolts is so overrated, is been done in hundreds of horror films - THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, .REC, QUARANTINE (.REC remake), DIARY OF THE DEAD, THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES, OPEN WATER and the list could go on. I do admit Paranormal Activity is ten times better than The Blair Witch Project with more suspense, more scares and spooky wild noises. But this type of film has been done already, in different million ways, with the same storylines, demon possession taking over the wife and killing her husband, or vice versa, is been done over and over and over again. Did I care for the film? Nope. What is all the hype about? TWO STARS from EYEPUS. Wait till it comes out on DVD (with its alternative endings) rent it, or buy it when it comes to the five dollar bins at Walmart.

TWO STARS - NOT A CLASSIC

DEADGIRL

2009-10-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

Necrophilia bumbling teen assholes Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and J.T. (Noah Segan) talking crass and homophobic epithets (they look like muffins themselves) go to an isolated mental hospital to drink some cheap brewskies and chill out. Out of boredom they crash the place, and stumble on a supposedly pretty girl, tight up to a gurney, which at first seems dead then hopeless and alive, J.T. starts to touch her breast rather than go get help for the poor girl. Rickie wants to call for help to save the girl. J.T. a manipulative thug slaps Rickie. Rickie thinks this all wrong. J.T. starts to rape her (a dirty zombie girl sweaty and with wounds filled with pus). The deadgirl becomes his sex slave zombie girl. The asylum isolated basement becomes a stench of dead sex odors. And then the party begins when the deadgirl is really a chomping zombie. J.T. gets one of his friends named Wheeler to join the action. Taking turns exploiting, raping, touching, and hitting the undead girl. They all keep it secret about their romps with zombie girl, but word leaks out that they have a chic tied up, free for all boys to plunge her. Once word spreads around about deadgirl pussy giveaway, all hell breaks loose, blood and gore splatters starting with zombie girl biting a jock’s cock off. This cheap, tired film is one of the stupidest films I have ever seen, I really don’t know what the screenwriter and filmmaker had in mind for this is senseless piece of shit… I DON’T HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS. If you want to see a film about necrophilia in all its glory, see the German classic, sick horrors NEKROMANTIK (1987) and NEKROMANTIK 2 both directed by German filmmaker Jorg Buttreit.

DEADGIRL unnecessary stupid - shady lines:

“We have to get her to a hospital before she bleeds to death."

“Two red blooded American studs passing on pussy."

“I got my own sweet pussy waiting for me tonight.”

“Get in line fag.” (The homophobic tag lines)

DEADGIRL gets ZERO STARS from EYEPUS.

I DONT WRITE REVIEWS FOR "SAW"

2009-10-21T21:51:00.000-04:00

I HATE THE WHOLE "SAW" Series. Why? Its so redundant, so tired - how many ways are they going to find to torture a person? I dont care if the film makes 100 million at the box office, SAW will never be reviewed here. I will never interview a SAW filmmaker here at EYEPUS. I'm over the SAW series. I saw part one and then part two and that was it for me. Tired acting, stupidity, whatever... A horror classic film like TRICK R' TREAT didnt get justice in a movie theatre, but a bullshit film like SAW 6 gets screen time. The world of film is so fucked up. ASIAN HORROR CINEMA is better than the SAW series but it ends up on DVD. But SAW gets screen time. I believe SAW gets its stolen torture ideas from ASIAN HORROR CINEMA.

FRIGHT RAGS NEW T-SHIRT DESIGNS

2009-10-21T12:06:00.000-04:00

FRIGHT-RAGS has four new t-shirt designs, my favorite and fiercest are these two t-shirt designs: PENNYWISE THE CLOWN and PUPPETMASTER. The other two are nice too, but these two are my favorites. Early in July of this year I wrote a small blog about FRIGHT-RAGS - I love their shirts, original stuff (check it out below). If you like these shirts go to their website WWW.FRIGHT-RAGS.COM check out their bloody, great shirts.

DRAG ME TO HELL

2009-10-18T10:46:00.000-04:00

DRAG ME TO HELL Starring Allison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver

Written and Directed By Sam Raimi Running Time 99 minutes, Rated PG-13

Christine Brown (played beautifully by Allison Lohman) has a good job and a good boyfriend named Clay (Justin Long). Christine works as a bank loan officer, and she is after an assistant manager position at work. One day an old, haggard, gypsy woman named Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) with one bad eye and a nasty hand with long, thick dirty nails asks Christine for a bank loan extension because she doesn’t want to get evicted out of her home. Christine refuses her bank loan extension, Mrs. Ganush gets down on her knees begging Christine for the extension, everybody at the bank starts gawking at Mrs. Ganush. Mrs. Ganush stares around her, as the people are gawking at her, she looks up at Christine and says: “You Shame Me”. Later in the evening Mrs. Ganush waits for Christine in a parking garage. Christine unaware, gets into her car with Mrs. Ganush on the back seat. Mrs. Ganush, a demonic, tough little old cookie tries to strangle Christine, both start battling it out, kicks, scratch, pulling hair, strangling, spitting. Christine kicks the old hag out of the car. The old hag rips a button off Christine’s jacket. Mrs. Ganush with button in hand and a few witchery words (a spell) all heathen hell breaks loose for Christine. Christine and her boyfriend Clay are walking by a psychic advisor, Christine decides to go in to get consulted. The psychic advises Christine that the dark spirit LAMIA is after her. Christine is after Mrs, Ganush to find a way to give her the loan, so the curse could be stopped, but Mrs. Ganush is dead. Christine goes through hell and back trying to get this curse to be stopped.

The film is full of goo, spit, slime, vomit, mucus, some blood (the unrated version), fluids, flies, eyeballs, dirty dentures, demon possessions, talking goat, flying objects, jumps, scares, spooks and slapstick humor. Director Sam Raimi take us back to his old roots of his Evil Dead films (EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN, ARMY OF DARKNESS). Some scenes remind me of EVIL DEAD 2. Christine is the female Ash (the Bruce Campbell roles on the EVIL DEAD films) where she fights down and takes it like if she was a man. The film was written by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi, both are brothers and they wrote a spectacular creepy, fun little hay ride. The cinematography was very well shot, especially the scene in the cemetery, with Christine and the dead Mrs. Ganush - a very spooky atmosphere. The cast delivered outstanding performances especially Christine (Allison Lohman) and Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) battle sequences. Sam Raimi delivered a great little horror fun ride, I wish he could continue making more horror films, back to his old roots of EVIL DEAD fame. DRAG ME TO HELL is now on DVD, rent it, buy it.

FOUR STARS. Excellent piece of work.

POLTERGEIST - REMAKE

2009-10-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

More remakes and more sequels and again more remakes (I say it again) since no one can come up with originality, but there are millions of filmmakers with original stories, Hollywood just havent scout fully or giving them a chance. Well, POLTERGEIST is yet another remake in the horizons, the film is schedule to be release sometime in 2011. According to IMDB the film will be directed by Vadim Perelman (THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG). I wonder who is going to play the sweet little Carol Anne and they better bring back that wicked stuffed toy clown. I hope is a great remake, but again, why remake a classic?

MOTHER'S DAY

2009-10-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid I begged my dad to take me to see MOTHER’S DAY at the old Cosmo Movie Theatre in 116 Street - Manhattan, NYC. MOTHER’S DAY was playing as a double bill with another horror film titled NIGHTMARE. Cosmo no longer exist, now is a clothing department store. I remember seeing MOTHER’S DAY and my dad sitting next to me staring at the screen gagging at the violent images. MOTHER’S DAY was directed by Charles Kaufman (brother of Lloyd Kaufman - Troma Films), Three college Friends reunite for a reunion, they head to the woods, where they encounter two insane, sick depraved sons and their saucy, wicked, funny, kooky, bitchin mother played shockingly and amazing by Beatrice Pons. The three college girls get violently dragged inside a rickety, broke down home in the middle of the woods. The girls get beat, abused, chase, one of them gets violently raped, slaughtered. Two of the college girls escape the mad house and they go out into the woods where they decide to seek bloody vengeance against this fucked up family. And in the most excruciating, sick way the two girls kill them one by one in graphic details. This little classic horror gem is one of the best female vindictive horror films I ever seen on the screen, aside from I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE.

Now the remake is in production, with Charlie Kaufman as the writer, and Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle) playing the wicked, insane mother. “SAW” Director Darren Lynn Bousman take us to a new setting from the woods (original MOTHER’S DAY setting) to a homestead. According to IMDB - the psycho boys and their psycho mother (De Mornay) return to their old home to torture the new occupants and their guests… Cast: Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Shawn Ashmore, Briana Evigan, Alexa Vega, Matt O’Leary and Deborah Ann Woll.

Visit the MOTHER’S DAY Remake website: www.mothersdaythemovie.com

MONITOR A Film By David V G Davies Teaser Trailer

2009-10-15T18:44:00.000-04:00

Filmmaker David V G Davies (Animal Soup) upcoming horror opus MONITOR teaser trailer is up in his website www.FILMMA.com and here at EYEPUS. Check it out below...

Monitor Teaser Fin Mpeg2video - For more funny movies, click here

WES CRAVEN LATEST MOVIE 25/8

2009-10-13T18:17:00.000-04:00

WES CRAVEN is in post production of his latest horror flick 25/8. Everyday he twitters on Twitter the latest with his new film piece. Wes Craven always direct great movies even the drama MUSIC OF THE HEART who earned Meryl Streep an Oscar nod. I hope 25/8 is rated R and he is not forced to deliver a PG-13 film like Red Eye and Cursed. The premise of 25/8 according to IMDB - A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest. I hope is a good tale and a bloody one too.

TRICK 'R TREAT

2009-10-10T21:34:00.000-04:00

The long awaited horror film TRICK 'R TREAT is finally in our video stores, a film that was supposedly be in movie theaters back in 2007, and was push away by Warner Brothers for their own shady reasons. Sadly, this film should've been in movie theaters because this is one of the best original horror films in recent years, and the best horror anthology since CREEPSHOW. We see junk tired fare on the big screen such as the redundant SAW series (in which I will never review here at EYEPUS) and stupid remakes such as MY BLOODY VALENTINE get big screen time, but an original horror to be cult classic TRICK 'R TREAT couldn't be on the big screen, I'd really don't get it.

TRICK 'R TREAT takes us to four intertwining stories full of fun, shockful of jolts, pranks, wickedness, little monsters, poisonous cheap candies, evil little masked children, spookiness, carved pumpkins, costume extravaganza and halloween madness. In one Halloween night a little sweet creepy monster (with a burlap mask) is in the prowl, a school principal is wicked as hell as a serial killer, zombie bus children take vengeance, saucy/deadly femmes, wicked pre-teens pull an almost deadly halloween prank. And all hell breaks loose in this Halloween tribute anthology. The acting by the amazing cast (Leslie Bibb, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker) delivers. Michael Dougherty’s direction of Trick 'R Treat is exhilarating and a damn real halloween treat just in time for Halloween, too bad it can't be enjoy in the big screen.

TRICK 'R TREAT Starring Anna Paquin Brian Cox Dylan Baker Brian Cox Written and Directed By Michael Dougherty Rated R Running Time 82 minutes

A CLASSIC - FOUR STARS.

ZOMBIELAND

2009-10-07T00:46:00.000-04:00

ZOMBIELAND Starring Woody Harrelson Jesse Eisenberg Abigail Breslin

Emma Stone Directed By Ruben Fleischer Rated R running time 85 minutes

An unknown "something" has taken over earth, making the dead come back to life, turning the planet into zombies. A nerdy, young survivor named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) with shotgun in hand, is on his way to visit his parents in Columbus, Ohio, in the middle of the highway he meets another survivor - Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a sadistic, funny, crazy cool looney, who loves to sadistically kill zombies in brutal ways. Tallahasse's mission is to find his holy grail - a "TWINKIE". On their way across the state, they stop at a supermarket, Tallahasse wants his Twinkie. After battling three obese zombies, Tallahassee and Columbus meet crafty sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

The sisters mission is to make it to a Los Angeles amusement park (rumor has it that is zombie free). The four journey to Los Angeles in a Hummer, weapons aboard to find the zombie free amusement park (film title ZOMBIELAND). Columbus starts having feelings for Wichita and she feels the same way for him. On the way to the amusement park, they want to rest, where they head to Beverly Hills with a star map in hand, to find a pretty home to lay low. Unknowingly, they enter the home of Bill Murray (a cameo performance), where he is dressed like a zombie, Tallahassee is a big fan of Bill Murray, and he is in shock, that he is standing next to his idol. Something shady happens in Bill Murray's home (I DONT WANT TO SPOIL IT) and is hilarious and kooky.

Though funny, the climatic ending is an edge of your seat ride, hairpuller, with an ultimate battle between the survivors and the zombies at ZOMBIELAND... A great cast - Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg are funny as hell. An amazing hilarious script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. First time director Ruben Fleischer takes us to a fun, action packed, uproarious, apocalyptical zombie on earth hell ride. Watching Zombieland is like playing a zombie video game (Left for the Dead, Fallout 3, Resident Evil series) on the big screen... What Dawn of the Dead did for malls, Zombieland does for Amusement Parks. The film had a budget of $23 million, and it looked like a 100 million dollar budget. The film was Number One in America making $25 million dollars.

ZOMBIELAND is a classic - FOUR STARS

Filmmaker DAVID V G DAVIES UPCOMING "MONITOR"

2009-10-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

DAVID V G DAVIES who brought us the nasty, gory, shady ANIMAL SOUP, now comes his next horror opus MONITOR. MONITOR is in pre-production, set in a rehabilitation clinic where the staff have developed their own sinister ways to relieve stress. The film already sounds like is going to be a scary little ride. I'll keep everybody posted on DAVID V G DAVIES new horror opus, and you can visit his website www.FILMMA.com for information on all his works and upcoming works.

"THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON" Posters

2009-09-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

THE POSTERS OF "THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON" OPENING 11.20.09. I GOT A FEELING THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN "TWILIGHT" Sam - thanks for the ads

LEGENDARY ROGER CORMAN will get a HONORARY OSCAR 2010.

2009-09-28T14:46:00.000-04:00

Legendary Director and producer ROGER CORMAN, who gave us such funky terror fares, The Terror (1963), Little Shop of Horrors (1960), The Raven (1963), The Masque of Red Death (1964) and many more will be getting a honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science at the 82nd Academy Awards. This man deserve the Oscar and is about time. Roger Corman also launched the careers of Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron. George A. Romero also deserves an honorary oscar.

"HALLOWEEN 3" in 3-D for August 2010

2009-09-26T00:44:00.000-04:00

THEY ARE NOT LETTING "HALLOWEEN" Die. More remakes and more sequels, HALLOWEEN 3 in 3-D, due out August 2010. Rob Zombie did his justice with his HALLOWEEN 1 AND 2 REMAKES, why can't they just let the franchise - Michael Myers go to sleep. Is all about money, making more miserable sequels and remakes for our hurting eyes. HALLOWEEN 3 in 3-D, tired. Michael Myers died in Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, leaving the sister cuckoo, smiling and staring at the camera via an asylum. Is the sister the new Michael Myers? or are they going to resurrect Michael Myers again? What the... Fuck! And Rob Zombie is not helming HALLOWEEN 3, he is remaking THE BLOB. ANOTHER "HALLOWEEN"... TIRED...

THE FINAL DESTINATION 3-D - REVIEW

2009-09-25T23:38:00.000-04:00

THE FINAL DESTINATION 3-D Starring Bobby Campo and Shantel VanSanten

Directed By David R. Ellis Rated R for gory, horrifying effects. Running Time: 82 minutes

All hell breaks loose when Nick (Bobby Campo) has a scary premonition - himself, girlfriend Lori (Shantel VanSanten), two friends (Nick Zano and Haley Webb) and many others die in a ghastly racing car speedway stadium accident. Nick wakes up from the premonition to find himself and friends abruptly escaping "the about to happen" disastrous event. Nick struggles to find ways to stop death from coming after him and his friends, but death seeks after them in gory details.

The film repeats itself using the same objects (cars, cranes, fire) from the last two predecessors (Final Destination 2 and 3), but with new inventive gory detailed deaths, some very explicit a la LUCIO FULCI. The opening and ending credits is visually stunning. The acting was cute, a little flat, but cute, the whole film was in some ways repetitive going from A to B and back to A. The film didnt show human emotions (Final Destination Screenwriters take note) - people are dying left and right in tragic ways, blood and gore in front of you, and the characters dont yelp, cry or scream, or even run, they stand there like metallic robots and the next day they about their business like nothing tragic ever happened. WHERE ARE THE EMOTIONS?, just flat out script characters. Come on lets put emotions in horror film characters.

THE FINAL DESTINATION was a cute, little fun 3-D joyride with the whole gore effects in your face gimmick, better than that piece of shit remake that came out early this year MY BLOODY VALENTINE, and better than the past two predecessors (FINAL DESTINATION 2 and 3). But again, why do we need another installment, and this one ends for yet another sequel. TWO STARS OUT OF FOUR.

JENNIFER'S BODY OPENS THIS FRIDAY

2009-09-15T08:57:00.000-04:00