Category: *Horror
Deck the Halls with Winter Slashers
Another Halloween has come and gone and we are getting ready to jump into the wonderful world of winter slashers here at Slasher Studios. Which brings us to the question, why aren’t there more winter slashers? With the exception of the delightfully cheesy “Shredder” and a few other 80’s slashers like “Iced,” how many winter slashers can you name. Even something like the awful but entertaining “Black Christmas” remake has a wealth of atmosphere. Something about seeing Christmas lights and blood on the snow that makes the gore fan in all of us light up with cheer. Movies like “Silent Night Deadly Night” and “Don’t Open til Christmas” are entertaining for their sleaziness but this slasher fans has never found either particular film to be very fun. The question I have for you slasher fans is what would you like to see in a winter slasher and why do you think winter slashers aren’t more popular? Let’s have a slay ride this Christmas and see the blood bath begin..
Tuesday Knight (“A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master”) is Ready to Scare Again in “Delusional”
Tuesday Knight, star of “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master†teams with fellow actress Kim Kopf, star of “Zig Zag†and “Witchcraft 8: Salems Ghost†to form Apple Road Films. Their first film slated for production is the horror/ thriller, “Delusional†which was written by Kopf. Horror is a genre that both actresses know a lot about and they are very excited to get back to their roots.
Knight and Kopf have had successful careers in television and movies. They are long time friends who worked together on the thriller, “The Theory of the Leisure Classâ€. “I am excited to be working again with my great friendâ€, says Kopf. “It seems like only yesterday that she was so excited to get the role of Kristen in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Masterâ€. “We have been great fans of each others work for years†says Knight.
Not only are Knight and Kopf reuniting, but they are also drawing from their talented friends to join the cast of “Delusionalâ€. Lisa Wilcox, a friend of Knights, and star of “A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child†is set to star along with Kopf’s friend Tracy Brooks Swope, star of “Inner Sanctum 2†and “The Big Pictureâ€. Swope is also on board as one of the films Producers, along with Executive Producers Cammie Pavesic and Gary Winterholler of “The Sanguinarianâ€.
“Delusional†is about an asylum run by Dr. Miranda Simms (played by Kopf) who is using the mental patients, headed by Mia Miller (played by Knight) to test the unsuspecting girls with an experimental drug. The project begins filming in Sacramento in August and will be released by Apple Road Films in time for the Halloween season.
“We can’t wait to share this film with our fans†says Knight.
For more information and updates on this project LIKE “Delusional” on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/DelusionalMovie
A Legacy of Exorcism: “The Exorcist” Turns 40
Hard to believe “The Exorcist” is now 40 years old! The movie that shocked audiences around the world and spawned a slew of imitators is just as terrifying as ever. Today, we have our guest correspondent Alex Smith joining us with his take on the movie that changed the face of horror forever.
“The Exorcist at 40”
-Alex Smith
Most horror fans will tell you the same thing: “The Exorcist” is probably the single most important horror film ever released. Some of them might even try to convince you that you’ll be hard pressed to find one that stands up to the scare factor of the classic itself.
Debuting in 1973, “The Exorcist” is still the only movie in the horror genre to have been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Ever. Add that to the handful of iconic scenes recycled from this movie through the history of the genre and you have a picture that isn’t easy to challenge on the top of the throne of horror.
Historically, films in the horror genre prior to “The Exorcist” had tended to fall on the side of b-film production units and weren’t taken very seriously by general audiences. “Rosemary’s Baby”, released in 1968, began pushing the idea of horror into the public sphere, while tackling issues that were less superficial and solely gore based, but it wasn’t until director and film auteur William Friedkin adapted “The Exorcist” that the genre realized its full potential.
Based on the William Peter Blatty book and adapted to screen by him as well, the film tells the story of a young girl possessed by demons and the attempts of two priests to exorcise her ghosts at the urging of the young girl’s mother. Forcing audiences and critics to rethink the idea of horror was no easy task, but that’s exactly what Friedkin managed to do with “The Exorcist”. Through his splendid use of his cast and their strong performances, the film was nominated for an unheard of 10 Academy Awards.
In addition, the interesting backstory of the making of the “The Exorcist” still makes horror fans shrug and wonder if the film wasn’t cursed from the start of production, which was shrouded in tragedy and mystery on and off the set for the cast and crew.
Max von Sydow’s brother died a week following Max’s arrival in New York for taping scenes as Father Lankester Merrin.
Then one week following the taping of his scenes for the film and just a month before its release, Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Dennings, died of influenza.
Jason Miller’s son was hit by a motorcycle and nearly killed. While filming the scene where she is thrown violently across the room as she approaches her child, Ellen Burstyn suffered a permanent spinal injury after landing on her coccyx. Legend holds that a gaffer on set lost a toe and a carpenter somehow cut off a thumb. With a laundry list of problems like that, it’s no surprise that many horror fans still consider “The Exorcist” a cursed production.
But deeper than the intrigue of the surface level excitement and fear induced by “The Exorcist” are the religious themes that the film really draws its value from. The film elevated horror as a genre not just because of its visual splendor, but because, unlike many horror films before, it actually gave viewers plenty of ideas to think about. How do we relate to religion and the unknown? How do we really live with ideas like the devil and evil infiltrating our world in a tangible way? What does Linda Blair’s portrayal of Regan MacNeil say to us about how we view purity in our society? What would we do to save that purity?
These questions are just the start of what Friedkin begins to propose in “The Exorcist” and why it remains a great film today; we can constantly find something new to pull from the material. While many modern-day horror film fans and critics may argue that the film has lost its edge on a technical level, there is no denying that it still hits home emotionally and intellectually.
Author Bio: Alex Smith is a freelance entertainment blogger for www.directtvdeal.com and a horror film addict. He remains in good health despite the many small heart attacks he has had during his regular film screenings of classic horror films, particularly slasher flicks from the 1970s and 80s.
Indie Chiller “Sader Ridge” Plays For Psychological Thrills
From writer/director Jeremy Berg and The October People, comes Sader Ridge. This independent thriller was shot on location in California and Washington on a very modest budget of around $11,000. The story revolves around Samantha, who recently inherited a country property. She and a few friends decide to take the road trip and check out her new place. Upon arrival, they meet Samantha’s childhood playmate, Eric. This psychological thriller plays out over the course of 82 minutes and as Samantha must come to terms with not only the present, but the past as well.
D’Angelo Midili, the actor playing Eric, steals the show with his laid back and natural performance. The line delivery was spot on and I would be very surprised if Midili is not picked up for another film in the near future. Trin Miller takes on the character of Samantha and has a solid performance as our leading lady. Although the bar was set high by Midili and Miller, the rest of the cast, although not at their level, did get the job done.
The locations selected for this film were pretty much perfect. Old country house and the surrounding property helped set the tone. With that said, the cinematography lacked any real wow factor that cold have been easily reached with the forest and house and camp fire. The static shots are too frequent and lasted too long. The movement within the frame is well directed, but the movement of the camera itself is something to be desired for. Just cutting some heads and tails in the edit could help with this as a few scenes/shots seemed to drag.
If you are looking for gore, sex and violence, then take a rain check on this one. But, if you are into the psychological thriller type films, then go out and find Sader Ridge. The acting is above par and the story will make you think. Although this is a low budget indie film, the passion that comes through from the filmmakers is evident and should be well noted.
Universal Pictures Delivers Killer “The Purge” Prize Pack
Would You #SurviveTheNight? The Purge is coming!
If, on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do?
In an America wracked with crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity–including murder–becomes legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It’s twelve hours when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this particular night in 2022, plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.
When an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear his family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.
The Purge follows one family over the course of a single night… From sundown to sunrise, for 12 hours, all crime is legal. Four people will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the danger of the outside world invades their home.
Hits theaters everywhere on June 7th.
The question is… Would You #SurviveTheNight? Take the quiz to find out! Warn your friends The Purge is coming! One lucky winner will receive a special prize pack including t-shirt and mask.
Attention Filmmakers! Submissions Open For Oshkosh Horror Film Festival (OHHF)
It’s that time of year horror fans and filmmakers! The Oshkosh Horror Film Festival is now accepting submissions! We will be playing there this year with our very own Don’t Go to the Reunion, so you should as well! Follow the link below to download a submission form. It is FREE to submit so you really have nothing to lose at all. They are wonderful supporters of indie horror and we hope to see you all there. Straight from their site: “The objective of the OHFF is simple: showcase independent horror. Both feature length and short films will be shown. There will be no awards for the films and no contests held. We are not a flashy festival (if you can’t tell by our site). The OHFF is a clear cut event to do nothing more than celebrate independent horror. If you have an ego, this fest might not be for you. Sincerely.” How awesome is that?! It’s going to be a bloody good time.
To submit your entry today:
Oshkosh Horror Film Festival
R.I.P. Roger Ebert (1942-2013)
I’ve been trying to type this memorial to the life of Roger Ebert for the last two hours and haven’t been able to write down a single word through my tears. As many of you now know, Roger Ebert is no longer with us after a battle with cancer for the past decade. He did more for film criticism and the art of independent film than anyone else who came before him and anyone else that will likely ever live. Ebert was the kind of guy who loved films more than just about anything in life. The kind of guy who wasn’t afraid to love a trashy bad movie (he gave 3 1/2 out of 4 stars to the delightful B-movie Anaconda) and wasn’t afraid of going against the norm (check out his review for the original Last House on the Left).
I didn’t always agree with Ebert but there is no doubt in my mind that he truly loved film and loved his profession. How many of us can honestly say that about what we do? Not very many that’s for sure. I grew up watching Siskel & Ebert. Staying up late on Sunday nights was a joy for me to see two people I loved and truly respected talk about the new releases I was curious about seeing. They played an enormous role in my childhood and shaped me for the better as to how I approach film.
When Siskel passed away in 1999, I was devastated. When I found out that Ebert passed away this morning, I couldn’t stop thinking of the great memories I shared with him and that I will never be able to read another one of his “new” movie reviews again. His bad movie reviews were always entertaining and, without him, there are dozens of indie films that I probably would have never even heard of, let alone check it.
He changed the way the world looked at film and his importance to the medium cannot be understated. He will be forever missed.
Ebert Remembers Gene Siskel