The Fields 2011 - REVIEW

Who doesn't love a good, creepy corn field movie? It's the stuff that nightmares are made of right? Oh, the things that can come out of a corn field... scarecrows hell bent on revenge (Dark Night of the Scarecrow), aliens intent on taking over earth (Signs) or winged creatures on a 23 day feeding frenzy (Jeepers Creepers II). I remember back in '84 when Children of the Corn came out, I don't know if it was because I was little or not but that movie scared the hell out of me. Just the thought that there could possibly be sadistic kids out there like Isaac (John Franklin) and Malachai (Courtney Gains) terrified me.

A young boy (Joshua Ormond) goes to live with his grandparents (Cloris Leachman and Bev Appleton) while his mother (Tara Reid) and father (Faust Checho) fight to save their failing marriage, and makes a horrifying discovery in the corn field behind their house during the Manson Family trials. Warned by his protective grandmother to stay away from the sprawling fields, young Steven nevertheless strays into the stalks and sees something he will never forget. Meanwhile, as the nightly newscasts offer all the lurid details of the Manson murders, something begins to stir in the corn field. By the time the family dogs disappear and the threat becomes real, it's already too late to run, and Steven must face his greatest fear head on.

I don't care what anyone else says, I thought there was solid acting throughout this film. Leachman was hilarious when she was suppose to be and serious when the script called for it. The relationship between her and Appleton as a married couple reminded me so much of my own grandparents it's was scary. At times it was like they hated each other, especially since they spent half the film screaming and cursing, but when it came right down to it, they really did love each other. Newcomer Ormond is a natural and I expect we'll see a lot from him in the future. Reid, donning a really bad wig, was her normal wooden self but as little as she was on screen, it didn't really affect the film at all. Checho I thought lacked a little with his performance as the abusive, domineering husband. I just didn't get that vibe from him which is great in the real world but not so good when the role calls for it.

Directing duo Tom Mattera and David Mazzoni do an awesome job building up the atmosphere of the film and succeed at creating a stylish, classy film. However, it wasn't without it's flaws. Let me explain... Having all the information needed to understand a film is a necessity and leaving things out can definitely hurt it. That said, adding elements that aren't relevant to the story can also hurt it. There's a happy median in there somewhere that this film just didn't hit. Some viewers will find the "too much information" bothersome but for me it wasn't so distracting that it took away from the film. Another issue I had with the film has more to do with the marketing than anything else. It's billed as a horror film when technically it's not. It's an uneasy, unsettling suspense thriller but it's not a horror. I would definitely recommend this film to fans of the genre. It's a great starter film so if you know someone who really isn't that into horror and you want to ease them in, this is the film to use.

Wound 2010 - REVIEW

We've all felt it at one point or another. That stabbing pain of guilt or grief. The unabashed desire for retribution that can completely consume you. People will tell you that grief is a natural process and that over time it will subside. But what happens when someone internalizes all those emotions to the point where they can no longer function? When they are so overwhelmed by it that the lines between what's real and what's imagined completely breaks?

A supernatural horror film that explores the dark worlds of mental illness, incest, revenge and death. We follow Tanya (Te Kaea Beri) as she searches for the mother she has never met - Susan (Kate O'Rourke) who gave her up for dead after being abused by her own father. Tanya returns from the dead to confront and possess Susan with all her deepest fears and desires, sending Susan into a state of madness and gore filled retribution. Is all this real or has the line between reality and imagination finally been completely severed?

The best thing about Wound is without a doubt O'Rourke. She conveyed the emotions of a mentally disturbed woman very convincingly. Her pain throughout the entire film seemed genuine and you couldn't help but feel for her character, at least I did anyway. Beri did a fine job as the long lost daughter who apparently picked up some of Mommy Dearest's mental problems in utero. There isn't really much to say about the other characters. Most of them were just there to help demonstrate the intensity of Susan's psychosis. Were they real or were they just part of her imagination? What about Tanya? Did she really exist or was she created by Susan out of the guilt she felt for giving her up? Damn, I think this film drove me nuts!

The one consistent thing throughout Wound is that it never slows down. It plays out at break neck speeds bombarding you with visual components that for the most part don't make sense. This can be a detriment to the film or it can be an advantage, depending on the viewer  I suppose. About 45 minutes in, I was cursing myself for even putting in the DVD so I turned it off and went to do other things to try and clear my head but the more things I did, the more I thought about this film. That's when I realized, I had it all wrong. I was "seeing" it instead of "watching" it, if that makes sense. Ok let's try this, director David Blyth created something that relies heavily on the viewer being able to take a step back from what they're actually seeing and think about the story. It's not a Michael Bay film where you only need the attention span of a gnat to understand it. Parts of it are delivered through surrealistic dream like sequences that require a particular kind of fan to be able to understand it. Not everyone will get it but there is definitely an audience out there for it. 

Under the Scares 2010 - REVIEW

When I watch a Horror movie I think to myself, "I could do this.  Make a Horror movie that would be easy."  When in all actuality its not easy to come up with the money, get good actors (not your friends), and have a good sounding product.  Anyone can pick up a movie camera and film their girlfriend running around in the woods with her shirt off and boobs flopping everywhere about to be killed by a hooded figure.  It takes so much more than that to make a product that people will actually watch from beginning to end.

Under the Scares is a documentary about the inside of low budget and the independent Horror industry.  From giving tips to young filmmakers to weighing in  with their opinions about how a movie is made.  This documentary is packed full of stars from some of the best independent Horror movies such as Lloyd Kaufman of Troma, Debbie Rochon, Brinke Stevens and Horror icon George A Romero and  many more. Do you want to know what it takes to make a good Horror movie?  Then you definitely need to watch this film.

Director Steve Villeneuve did an awesome job putting this together.  It gives people the inside look of the world of Horror that you have never seen.  Almost a how to type of show from what it takes to keep your actors happy, to how important it is to have a good sounding movie.  I did not realize that if your movie did not sound good that no matter how good it looks people will not want to watch it.  Steve did a great job gathering together all the filmmakers, actors and even effects specialists.  There is not much acting to speak of except for the commentary and interviews from the stars that have made this genre what it is.  The only acting is displayed in the clips from some of the better independent films, and don't worry folks the clips are all the good scenes.  Plenty of blood and gore to go around.

I am not a huge fan of documentaries but there are certain Horror documentaries that I am a fan of.  This is now one of them.  Under the Scares is an amazing film and needs to be viewed by anyone that is a fan of the genre or has any aspirations of making their own short or feature film someday.  They show you all the ins and outs and what it takes to make it in this business.  Whats even more important is you are being told by the people who have made this genre what it is today.  My favorite section of the film that had me intrigued was the section about creating the right sound for your movie.  Explaining in depth on what not to do and what to do to make it sound as good as an expensive film at the showcase cinemas.  If you think buying a camcorder from Best Buy and have all your friends try to act in your movie is the way to go, well you may be disappointed when no one wants to watch it.  Stay twisted everyone!

Visit the Under the Scares website at www.underthescares.com, and be sure to like Under The Scares on Facebook: Facebook.com/underthescares.com, or follow them on Twitter Twitter.com/underthescares.com

The Sweet Hand of the White Rose 2010 (Short Film) - REVIEW

Since Hollywood seems intent on distributing nothing but regurgitated crap these days a lot of Indie filmmakers have stepped up to the plate to focus more on social issues. Some are more in your face than others like Travis Legge's Event Invitation, a short film that hit on the subjects of bullying and social media at the same time. There are films everywhere that document social issues around the world and this day and age there is no shortage of "issues". 

Mark (Carlos Bahos) is having a really bad day and decides he just wants to get away from it all. But one little mistake will change his life forever.

The dialogue is very minimal in this film as it relies heavily on narration from the two main characters, Bahos and co-star Natasha Machuca, at least in the beginning. Once the two characters intersect, there is pretty much no dialogue at all. But this only serves to enhance the stylishness of the film proving that sometimes less really is more. Director Davide Melini manages to take two somewhat tortured concepts and put them together creating a clever, captivating, well paced short film. While the "twist ending" is a bit predictable, it takes nothing away from the intensity of the over all story. What it boils down to is that this is a very entertaining short that's definitely worth a watch. I'm reluctant to tell you anything about the plot because anything I say about the 15+ minutes will give away everything good about it so just take the time and check it out below.

House Call 2011 (Short Film) - REVIEW

On average we receive 10 to 12 short film submissions a week from Indie filmmakers. Probably not near the amount received by the bigger sites but we're okay with that. We'd much rather cater to the Indie crowd than Hollywood because let's face it, the future of horror lies in Indie films. Now, I'm not saying that any average Joe with a camera should run out and start filming. It takes a lot of hard work to create the kind of short film that is strong enough to carry over into a feature. Take Brett Simmons and Husk for example... a solid short that made a great horror feature. Another one to watch out for is Peter Dukes with Dream Seekers Productions, a writer/director that has a way of crafting a tale, be it horror or fantasy, that I haven't seen in a long time.

Janice (Aimee Bello) is determined to do whatever it takes to escape her abusive husband Dave (Brad Egger) in order to start a new life with her lover Steve (Michael Jordan). When she finally does the unthinkable, it comes back to haunt her, literally. Some strange things begin to happen as she and Steve celebrate their one year anniversary and they may not live long enough to celebrate another year.

Bello and Jordan are the main characters and both do a good job of carrying the film. There's not a whole lot of dialogue but it really wasn't necessary. Writer/director Erik L. Wilson uses camera angles and creative lighting to create a classy, intense little revenge flick. The makeup effects are well done as well as the visual effects. There are a couple of aspects in the story that I thought could be a little tighter but for the most part, he nailed it. This is the first film by Wilson that I've seen but it definitely makes me want to see more of his stuff. Doesn't look like he's one of those average Joe's I referenced earlier and there's nothing I enjoy seeing more than a filmmaker with passion for the genre. I look forward to seeing more work from him in the future.

For more information on House Call check out the Facebook page.

House Call -- Horror Short -- Trailer from Erik L. Wilson on Vimeo.

Death Do Us Part Official Trailer

Vancouver – April 26, 2012 – Nine Worlds Entertainment is pleased to announce that the official trailer for the upcoming Horror film Death Do Us Part premiered at the Vancouver Fan Expo and is now available online. To view the trailer and find out more about the film, visit the Death Do Us Part website at http://www.deathdouspartmovie.com/, on Facebook or on Twitter: @DDUPMovie.

Death Do Us Part is about six friends who go to a remote cabin in the woods to celebrate a Jack and Jill bachelor party. Out in the middle of nowhere, things take a horrifying turn when members of the group are brutally picked off one by one. What starts out as a celebration quickly descends into a bloody nightmare. Friendships are ripped apart and accusations fly in this blood filled psychological horror with a whodunit twist.

Starring Julia Benson (Stargate Universe), Peter Benson (The Killing), Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary), Christine Chatelain (Riese: Kingdom Falling), Kyle Cassie (Lost Boys: The Tribe), Benjamin Ayres (Vampire Diaries), Dave Collette (Level Up), and Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica).

Death Do Us Part was written and produced by Peter Benson (Kits), Julia Benson (Kits) and Ryan Copple (Riese: Kingdom Falling) and directed by Nicholas Humphries (Riese: Kingdom Falling and Screamfest LA 2011 Winner for Best Short, The Little Mermaid).

About Nine Worlds Entertainment:
Founded in January 2011 by Peter Benson, Julia Benson and Ryan Copple, Nine Worlds Entertainment is a Vancouver based Production Company with many projects in various stages of development. Currently they are working with BBC Worldwide Productions on a half hour comedy series. The team at Nine Worlds has also been working with Aircraft Pictures and Dolphin Entertainment on a children’s comedy series as well as a sci-fi action series. The company is focusing on creating and producing content that is relevant and commercially viable both domestically and internationally.

“The industry is changing and more than ever it’s imperative that we generate our own work. This was the driving force behind the making of Death Do Us Part. We have such an amazing film community in Vancouver and everyone came together to create what we feel is a pretty fun ride. We’re very excited to be sharing the beginnings of all our hard work.” – Julia Benson

Press Contacts:

Julia Benson
Producer, Death Do Us Part
info@nineworldsentertainment.com

AFTER DARK ACTION RELEASES TRAILER AND STILLS FOR EL GRINGO

AFTER DARK ACTION RELEASES TRAILER, POSTER AND STILLS FOR

EL GRINGO

STARRING SCOTT ADKINS, CHRISTIAN SLATER AND YVETTE YATES

AND FEATURING AN ORIGINAL SONG FROM MANOWAR

LOS ANGELES (April 27, 2012) -- Dark Castle Home Entertainment and After Dark Films recently unveiled the new action movie franchise AFTER DARK ACTION, which showcases five original, adrenaline-pumping films theatrically as a commercial film festival in markets nationwide and on VOD on May 11. After Dark Action includes the action Western, EL GRINGO, starring Scott Adkins (The Expendables 2, The Bourne Ultimatum), Christian Slater and Yvette Yates (Without Men); and features an original song from internationally renowned U.S. band, MANOWAR, from their forthcoming new album. AFTER DARK ACTION theater tickets are on sale now. For locations and to purchase advance tickets, visit www.afterdarkaction.com/theaters.

Below are links to the brand new trailer, poster and stills for the upcoming action-packed EL GRINGO. 

In EL GRINGO, The Man (Adkins) crosses into Mexico with a satchel of $2,000,000, cash, a bloody past, and a plan to live out his remaining days on a beach.  Instead, he gets stuck waiting for a bus in El Fronteras, a sleepy desert town that’s so uninviting that – forget about the ocean – he can hardly find a glass of water.  Then, word of his money spreads to the El Fronteras underworld.  Under sudden attack from corrupt cops, gangsters, and desperados, the Man must push back his retirement plans, lock and load, and save sleepy El Fronteras through a dizzying display of spectacular gunfights. EL GRINGO is directed by Eduardo Rodriguez (Stash House) and written by Jonathan W. Stokes.

EL GRINGO also marks the first time MANOWAR have written a song specifically for a movie. The song depicts the struggle of a hero torn between his moral code and financial gain, and the challenge of being true to oneself and the real values in life, which are recurring themes in MANOWAR’s music. The band recently posted a sneak preview into the song online: http://youtu.be/2JOqDxJ5trY

"Everyone loves action movies! Our music, along with the film’s ass kicking visuals and a great story, are a perfect match. It’s exciting to see your music come alive on the big screen," said MANOWAR bassist and composer Joey DeMaio. ”EL GRINGO has been a great experience. The team at After Dark Films have been a pleasure to work with, and we are ready for more!"

The new MANOWAR album, featuring “El Gringo” and many other songs in the vein of the band's hit record “Warriors Of The World” and their classical hymns, celebrates its world premiere and digital pre-release in June 2012. MANOWAR will be headlining several European festivals this summer, celebrating their new album and the 10th anniversary of one of their most popular records, “Warriors Of The World.

After Dark Action website

 www.afterdarkaction.com

After Dark Action on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AfterDarkAction

After Dark Films on Twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/afterdarkfilms

About After Dark Films: 

After Dark Films, an Independent motion picture studio, was formed in 2006 by director/filmmaker Courtney Solomon and Hong Kong based real estate magnate Allan Zeman. After Dark Films’ first motion picture film release was An American Haunting (2006) starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. Co-founder and CEO Courtney Solomon wrote, produced, and directed this film under the newly formed After Dark Films banner.

After the release of An American Haunting, partners Solomon and Zeman formed a multiyear marketing and distribution deal for Horrorfest “8 Films To Die For®” between After Dark Films and Lionsgate Entertainment, with After Dark handling theatrical marketing & releases and Lionsgate handling the distribution of all ancillary forms of media (Home Video, Pay TV, Pay Per View). After Dark Films released Horrorfest 4 in theaters on January 29, 2010.

Building on the success of Horrorfest, After Dark released the first 8 originally produced horror films in January 2011 under the moniker After Dark Originals. Its second slate of 8 more originally produced films, After Dark Originals 2 is currently in production.

About Dark Castle Home Entertainment:

Dark Castle Entertainment was launched in 1999 by producer Joel Silver (“Lethal Weapon,” “Die Hard,” “The Matrix”) and Robert Zemeckis (“Castaway,” “Back to the Future”). One of the most prolific and successful producers in the history of motion pictures, Silver has produced a catalog of over 60 films, which have earned a combined gross of $13.5 billion worldwide from all sources.

With Dark Castle, Silver expanded his production prowess into the horror market and began with a string of hit films starting  with the record-breaking 1999 opening of “House on Haunted Hill,” followed by “Thir13en Ghosts” in 2001, “Ghost Ship” in 2002, “Gothika” in 2003 and “House of Wax” in 2005. 

Dark Castle Home Entertainment was created in 2007 to produce original horror films and sequels to Dark Castle pictures that would be released directly to the home market.  Some of the movies include “Return to House on Haunted Hill” starring Jeffrey Combs and Amanda Righetti, and “The Hills Run Red,” starring Sophie Monk.

CIRCUS OF DREAD: Director Mark Savage's New Film To Star Bill Oberst Jr. & Domiziano Arcangeli

Australian filmmaker Mark Savage's CIRCUS OF DREAD, a feature film with strong horror overtones, is now in active development at CineNature, an international production company with interests in US, Japan & Australian film production. 
CIRCUS OF DREAD's synopsis is: "Two brothers - one a priest, one a career criminal - find bloody salvation in a mysterious underground carnival." 

American actor Bill Oberst Jr, whom Savage calls "a new Lon Chaney"  and best known globally as 'The Facebook Stalker' in director Jason Zada's award-winning viral application TAKE THIS LOLLIPOP is attached to play Baker, the career criminal of the brothers. 

CIRCUS OF DREAD director
Mark Savage's influences
include the 1932 film FREAKS

The priest will be played by international genre star Domiziano Arcangeli, star of the just-released HOUSE OF FLESH MANNEQUINS & the upcoming THE BRIDES OF SODOM and a veteran of over 100 features. CIRCUS OF DREAD marks the first screen pairing of Oberst and Arcangeli (both are in the cast of the upcoming horror anthology film SCARY OR DIE but had no scenes together.) 

Oberst is tight-lipped about the film's plot but says "Mark Savage's script is brutal, explicit and disturbing; yet it is a story of salvation. I'm convinced that if Mark can film what he has written, CIRCUS OF DREAD will be a film that fans of horror and of artistic cinema will be talking about for decades. This is graphic material and the film will be controversial but he wants to make it a work that generates universal emotions. My favorite Mark Savage quote is 'despite appearances, we are all of the human race.' "

Mark Savage, CIRCUS OF DREAD's writer and director, is an Australian-born filmmaker who first achieved fame as an underground cult filmmaker specializing in brutal, gory psychological thrillers and horror movies. He directed dozens of short films beginning at age 14 before moving on to direct feature films, numerous commercials, music videos, and  industrial films. An entry on Savage and his work in The Journal Of Underground Film says: "Mark Savage is also a voracious cinephile, particularly of European and Asian cult cinema, and has written for several print publications." In 2007, Fangoria magazine ran a six-page career profile on him. 

His influences for CIRCUS OF DREAD's dark underground world of sideshow exploitation include the 1932 Tod Browning film FREAKS (in which Browning famously cast performers born with deformities in some key roles; something Savage is considering doing for CIRCUS OF DREAD,)  the long history of so-called 'Freak Shows' exhibiting 'human oddities' for profit, and an interest in the work of Japanese cult artists like Hideshi Hino, Suehiro Maruo and Toshio Saeki.

"I think the old appetite for the circus and associated 'freakery' remains, and is perhaps becoming even more popular as popular culture evolves and becomes more bizarrre," say Savage. "The circus freak is the side of ourselves we fear."

Adds Oberst "The homage in spirit to the film FREAKS is very meaningful to me, as director Tod Browning worked with Lon Chaney Sr. quite a bit and would have starred Chaney in FREAKS had not the actor died suddenly the year before. Lon Chaney is a great hero of mine and I see a lot of Tod Browning's genius in Mark. So I hope the ghosts of these two great men will forgive me if I see working with Mark Savage on CIRCUS OF DREAD as a 21st century version of their collaboration."

Second Announcement for Profane Exhibit - PRESS RELEASE

 HARBINGER INTERNATIONAL FILMS

 Grammy Award Winner, Academy Award Nominee and more added to Profane Exhibit’s Legendary Lineup of Lunatics April 25, 2012 Harbinger International is pleased to announce that Jose Mojica Marins (aka “Coffin Joe”), Ignacio “Nacho” Vigalondo, Chris Vrenna and Steven Severin have joined the PROFANE EXHIBIT team.  The legendary Brazilian king of blasphemy and terror, Jose Mojica Marins will be directing the segment “Viral”. Academy Award nominee and film festival favorite Nacho Vigalondo will be directing “Sins of the Father”. Grammy Award Winner Chris Vrenna will score the segment "Viral", and Steven Severin will also be scoring the film, as well as performing in the film as an actor. 

THE SCORE
 Chris Vrenna and Steven Severin join “Goodwife's” cEvin key (Skinny Puppy); “Mors in Tableau’s” Rune Erikson (death metal legends Mayhem); “Tophet Quorum's” Maurizio Guarini (Goblin- yes that Goblin!); “Jigoku's” Sven Erik Fuzz-Krisatiansen(Mayhem) and Eri Isaka Fuzz-Krisatiansen (Gallhamer); “Tochka's” Scott Putesky (Marilyn Manson); “Manna's” Seb Komor (Icon of Coil); and the great movie score composer Simon Boswell for “Coltan”. Boswell has received two BAFTA nominations, and has scored films for such directors as Clive Barker, Dario Argento, Jodorowsky, Danny Boyle, and Richard Stanley. Most surprisingly, he has recorded two albums commissioned by the Vatican, and he has put the current Pope to music. Will The Vatican regret its decision in light of Boswell’s decision to score a segment of The Profane Exhibit? These are the current announced composers for the soundtrack for The Profane Exhibit.

Chris Vrenna has worked as a musician, producer, and/or engineer and re-mixer for many bands. His collaborators include Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Metallica, Lords of Acid, David Bowie, Slipknot, Green Day, Pigface, KMFDM and more (including, briefly, Guns ‘N’ Roses). However, he is best known for his work in Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. He produced and played drums on the upcoming Marilyn Manson record. Since 2004 he has been drummer and keyboardist with Marilyn Manson. In 1995, as a member of Nine Inch Nails, he received a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for the NIN performance at Woodstock 1994.

He has also scored many popular video games, such as Doom 3, American McGee’s Alice, and Quake, and recently left Marilyn Manson to focus on scoring films like Profane Exhibit.

Also scoring the film is Siouxsie and the Banshees founder Steven Severin. The name “Severin” comes from the Leopold von Sacher-Masoch character in Venus in Furs, which inspired the Velvet Underground song. He has had a lengthy solo career as well, and besides creating his own music, he maintains his recording label, RE. Severin is also well known for his work in the band The Glove, which he fronted with Robert Smith of the Cure. He has worked on the Visions of Ecstasy soundtrack- a film that has not been released because the British Board of Film Classification refused to issue a certificate because of the film’s Blasphemy. Will the same thing happen to Profane Exhibit? He has also written other soundtracks and tracks for a Brazilian theatre company. He has written and released a book of erotica. He scored Delphinium, a film that has been made a part of the British Film Institute’s National Film Archive, in its ‘Beautiful Things’ archive. Interestingly, he has also composed scores to older films such as Theodore Dreyer’s Vampyr and Jean Cocteau’s silent classic, Blood of A Poet. Steven Severin has been making horror music for decades.

THE DIRECTORS
In 1963, Jose Mojica Marins created the legendary character Coffin Joe (Zé do Caixão) when he starred in and directed the now legendary cult classic “At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul.” The film’s blasphemous nature led to a storm of controversy and criticism in his home country of Brazil. This film, the first in the ‘Coffin Joe Trilogy’ is considered Brazil’s first horror movie. “Coffin Joe” was soon appearing in many films, television shows, videos, and more. He was known for his outrageously morbid personal appearance- long, curled fingernails and a midnight black top hat. The bands White Zombie and Necrophagia both sample Coffin Joe films, and the Brazilian band Sepultura sings a song that refers to him on their Roots album. He performed an infamous live ‘blessing’ of Sepultura during one of their performances. Due to half a century working in the horror genre, Coffin Joe is considered a living legend and a walking symbol of sacrilege, perversion, evil, and violence, and his sinister persona has made him into a cult icon with an international following. Because Coffin Joe’s films were so sacrilegious, he is a living profane exhibit and we are extremely happy that he will be adding his skills to Profane Exhibit. Nacho Vigalondo received an Academy Award nomination and a Best Short Film Award nomination at the European Film Awards, as well as several nominations at various festivals for his short film 7:35 de la Manana. Among the films he has directed are Time Crimes, and the upcoming Extraterrestrial (an alien invasion film generating much buzz among independent film circles). Vigalondo was recently chosen to direct a film adaption of Mark Millar’s videogame Supercrooks. A list of his many awards can be found at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1443023/awards Time Crimes was one of six films chosen by Magnet to form its Six Shooter Film Series. All of the films were picked because they represented the best vanguard film-makers from around the world. Influenced by the writings of Philip K Dick, Vigalondo makes films that deliberately confront the viewer’s sense of reality. Dick’s writing is the basis for films such as Blade Runner, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, Total Recall, Screamers, and The Terminator. Vigalondo is the director of a segment from the horror anthology the ABCs of Death and he is considered a director to watch.

“Coffin Joe” and “Nacho” Vigalondo join the following as directors of segments of PROFANE EXHIBIT: Ryan Nicholson (Hanger, Gutterballs)Andrey Iskanov (Philosophy of a Knife, Visions of Suffering)Michael Todd Schneider (August Underground’s MORDUM, I Never Left The White Room; New York International Film Fest- Winner for Best Cinematography for A Tribute to Sanity), Sergio Stivaletti (he did special effects for most of Dario Argento’s films, as well as many other giallo classics; when he began directing his first film was written by the team of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci; did the video game Dead Space), Marian Dora (director of Cannibal; and New York International Independent Film & Video Festival – Winner, Best International Feature - Arthouse for Melancholie der Engel)Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Helldriver, Meatball Machine; Fant-Asia Film Festival- Winner Best Asian Film for Tokyo Gore Police, and several more festival awards)Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil; called “the future of horror” by Dario Argento; IAC Gold Seal Award – Winner for Incidents in an Expanding Universe; has directed videos for P.I.L. and Fields of the Nephilim)and Uwe Boll (Rampage, Stoic, Attack on Darfur, Seed, Auschwitz)More directors will be announced.

The Profane Exhibit is an extreme international horror anthology film that was conceived, written, and produced by David Bond and Manda Manuel. Legendary horror writer Ray Garton (Live Girls, Bestial, Scissors) wrote the wraparound segment, and Scott Swan (Showtime’s Masters of Horror, Maskhead) wrote the screenplay. Jeremy Kasten, director of such films as the recent Wizard of Gore remake and The Attic Expeditions serves as the film’s editor. Writer / Actor David L Tamarin (Prison of the Psychotic Damned, The Gateway Meat, Nun of That, BEG) is Associate Producer, media relations and General Counsel for the film. Makeup effects by Autumn Cook. Featuring Clint Howard, Tina Krause, Monique Parent, Tina Cardinal, Caroline Williams, Eihi Shiina, Dan Ellis, AmberLynn Walker, more http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2066123/combined All distribution to be handled by Boll Worldsales. There are no boundaries. Please follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/profaneexhibit and at twitter at @ProfaneExhibit.  End For photographs, or more information, please contact David L Tamarin at ProfaneExhibit@gmail.com

Breaking Glass Pictures Looks into the Future of a Doomed Generation in “You’ll Know My Name”

April 22, 2012  - Philadelphia, PA — Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the May 29 DVD Release of the coming-of-age drama You’ll Know My Name (SRP $24.99).  The American western gets updated in this hard-hitting commentary on a lost generation caught in the decaying American dream. 

Nick is one of many teens roaming the wasteland of South Jersey. Over the course of a single evening, he sets himself on a collision course with Mike Santo; folk hero to some, psychopathic tyrant to most. At the center of the coming showdown between Nick and Mike is Christina - the final point in a deadly triangulation.

Through this tale of struggle and recklessness, we witness a subculture of young adults who are all living in the moment. None of these young men are thinking of the future, or even next week, and no one sees the consequences of their actions unfolding.  As important as it is thrilling, You’ll Know My Name is a message to an angry, entitled generation that has lost touch and can't understand why.

You’ll Know My Name is the directorial debut of Joe Raffa, who also took home the award for Best Actor at Philadelphia’s FirstGlance Film Festival. Also starring Alexander Mandell (Six Degrees of Hell), You’ll Know My Name takes a look at the direction a generation only interested in the thrill of the moment is doomed to take.

 Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEUQktqKxyM

The DVD will include a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of the film.

For more information on You’ll Know My Name including interviews and final DVD copies, please contact Justin@bgpics.com

www.BreakingGlassPictures.com

www.Facebook.com/BreakingGlassPictures

http://www.twitter.com/BreakingGlassPx

AFTER DARK ACTION RELEASES TRAILER, POSTER AND STILLS FOR STASH HOUSE

AFTER DARK ACTION RELEASES TRAILER, POSTER AND STILLS FOR STASH HOUSE

FEATURING DOLPH LUNDGREN, SEAN FARIS, BRIANA EVIGAN AND JON HUERTAS

 Los Angeles, CA (April 23, 2012)  - Dark Castle Home Entertainment and After Dark Films recently unveiled the new action movie franchise AFTER DARK ACTION, which will showcase five original, adrenaline-pumping films theatrically as a commercial film festival in markets nationwide and on VOD on May 11.

Below are links to the brand new trailer, clips and stills for the upcoming action-packed STASH HOUSE.

STASH HOUSE

 Starring Dolph Lundgren, Sean Faris, Briana Evigan and Jon Huertas.  Directed by Eduardo Rodriguez.  Written by Gary Spinelli.

 For her birthday, Dave Nash buys his wife, Emma, a beautiful foreclosed home.  Gated, serene, and surrounded by friendly neighbors, it seems too good to be true… and it is.  Dave and Emma soon discover the walls are lined with bricks of heroin.  Before they can leave, cartel thugs trap them inside.  Imprisoned in their own home, Dave and Emma withstand relentless attacks from thugs seeking to plunder the “stash house” of its riches.   As the deaths of innocent bystanders mount, and they come ever closer to losing one another, Dave decides to take matters into his own hands...

 After Dark Action website www.afterdarkaction.com 

 After Dark Action on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AfterDarkAction 

 After Dark Films on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/#!/afterdarkfilms 

About After Dark Films: 

After Dark Films, an Independent motion picture studio, was formed in 2006 by director/filmmaker Courtney Solomon and Hong Kong based real estate magnate Allan Zeman. After Dark Films’ first motion picture film release was An American Haunting (2006) starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. Co-founder and CEO Courtney Solomon wrote, produced, and directed this film under the newly formed After Dark Films banner. 

After the release of An American Haunting, partners Solomon and Zeman formed a multiyear marketing and distribution deal for Horrorfest “8 Films To Die For®” between After Dark Films and Lionsgate Entertainment, with After Dark handling theatrical marketing & releases and Lionsgate handling the distribution of all ancillary forms of media (Home Video, Pay TV, Pay Per View). After Dark Films released Horrorfest 4 in theaters on January 29, 2010.

Building on the success of Horrorfest, After Dark released the first 8 originally produced horror films in January 2011 under the moniker After Dark Originals. Its second slate of 8 more originally produced films, After Dark Originals 2 is currently in production.

About Dark Castle Home Entertainment:

Dark Castle Entertainment was launched in 1999 by producer Joel Silver (“Lethal Weapon,” “Die Hard,” “The Matrix”) and Robert Zemeckis (“Castaway,” “Back to the Future”). One of the most prolific and successful producers in the history of motion pictures, Silver has produced a catalog of over 60 films, which have earned a combined gross of $13.5 billion worldwide from all sources.

With Dark Castle, Silver expanded his production prowess into the horror market and began with a string of hit films starting  with the record-breaking 1999 opening of “House on Haunted Hill,” followed by “Thir13en Ghosts” in 2001, “Ghost Ship” in 2002, “Gothika” in 2003 and “House of Wax” in 2005. 

Dark Castle Home Entertainment was created in 2007 to produce original horror films and sequels to Dark Castle pictures that would be released directly to the home market.  Some of the movies include “Return to House on Haunted Hill” starring Jeffrey Combs and Amanda Righetti, and “The Hills Run Red,” starring Sophie Monk.

The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol 2010 - REVIEW

Have you ever been asked to describe a film that you couldn't even wrap your brain around? It's almost like trying to explain politics, taxes and death to a curious child. Impossible right?? Because let's be honest, not many people really fully understand any of it. Yes, you get little pieces here and there like... I know that most politicians are elected for the simple fact that they are great liars, but I don't know why people fall for their bullshit. I know why I have to pay taxes but I don't know why they are so high. I know that people die and that it's part of life but I don't always understand why some are young and some are old... some are violent and some go in their sleep. You have to wonder sometimes why a loving God would allow people to die such a "gruesome death" (no pun intended). Wow, that took an ugly, controversial turn didn't it? Let's get back to the point.....

All Tommy (Tommy Pistol AKA Aramis Sartorio)  has ever wanted to be in life is an actor. In fact, he's so focused on it that he can't hold a job, or pay his bills, or take care of his wife and child. For all intents and purposes, he's a loser that's going nowhere fast. Even a year after his wife took their kid and left, he's still doing nothing but sitting on the couch eating microwave hotdogs, watching porn and getting his jollies from a penis pump. Clearly exhausted from all the... pumping... he passes out with a hotdog in the microwave (for way too long) and pump in hand. In his dreams, he becomes the lead actor in a snuff film, a celebrity skin wearing killer and the director of a porn film gone wrong. In other words, he's stuck in the middle of a Troma-esque anthology.

 I'm only going to focus on Sartorio's performance as he's the main focus of the film and there are just too many actors involved to critique them all... sorry other actors. The crowing moment of Sartorio's entire performance was in the first story (10 Minutes of Fame) when Tommy climbed to the top of a ladder, spoke directly into the camera and talked about how growing up, all he ever wanted to be was an actor. I'm not sure if that dialogue stemmed from personal experience but that was the only believable bit of dialogue and the best acting in this whole entire film. He seemed genuinely hurt that he'd been laughed at for chasing his dreams and the determination in his eyes was genuine. A kind of "I'll show you" look as if he was talking to a specific group of people. Pitty this isn't the film to use if you're going mock those who made fun of you as a kid.

I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this film. From what I can tell, a lot of other reviewers quite enjoyed it however, I did not. The quality was very low, any scene with quick arm/hand movement was blurred and fuzzy, the lighting was way off and the acting was subpar. I found myself wondering, at times, if there was even a script for this film. Most of the dialogue that took place between two characters came off as forced and lagged quite a bit almost as if they were improvising and playing off one another. Being labeled as a horror/comedy, I was really expecting a lot more but what I got was gore for the sake of gore and comedy that either wasn't funny or I'm just too stupid to get. I think had it been promoted as what it actually was, which was a not so soft core horror porn, I would've been more prepared and lowered my expectations. Is there an audience for a film like this, yes... it's just not me.