The Hell Street Journal

The Revenant (2009): Horror Comedy That Doesn’t Suck

2012-05-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

The Revenant © Putrefactory

Definition: A revenant is a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorize the living.

Rarely is it that a horror so completely entertains. The Revenant is a revelation, a soot-black comedy that begs, borrows and blatantly steals everything from its Tarantino inspired set-pieces to its quick-fire funny-as-all-hell dialog...

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The Revenant (2009): Horror Comedy That Doesn’t Suck

Viscera Film Festival - 2012 Official Selections

2012-05-21T19:19:00.003-07:00

(18 May 2012) The Viscera Organization is pleased to announce that the official selections have been made for the 2012 Viscera Film Festival Carpet Ceremony and Tour.

Featuring the best new short horror films by women, the Viscera Film Festival’s carpet ceremony is taking place on July 7th at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

A fantastic lineup, consisting of 13 shorts, was carefully selected by Viscera’s special guest judges and staff to provide the audience with the most original, innovative, and dynamic horror films being made by women today.

Fresh Blood, Viscera’s newest category, features the best shorts made by girls 18 and under. These films provide a promising look at some of the horror genre’s up and coming filmmakers.

In addition to the amazing short film lineup, the audience will also be treated to a very special sneak peek screening of Danielle Harris’ directorial feature debut Among Friends, starring Alyssa Lobit, AJ Bowen, and Jennifer Blanc-Biehn.

Among Friends. This dinner party’s gonna be KILLER.

Among Friends is a twisted film about a dinner party gone wrong. Set against an 80s backdrop, the good time takes a dark turn when one in the group hijacks the evening in an attempt to help the others come clean about their secret betrayals against one another–and is willing to cut through the bone in order to expose the truth.

Viscera’s carpet ceremony will kick off an international tour for the selected short films with a curated program of a whopping 73 shorts, including a fantastic lineup of selected films that aren’t screening at The Egyptian Theatre.

The Viscera Tour landed in 25 venues in the past year, ranging from movie houses to universities, screening an eclectic program of shorts that have been curated since 2007. Viscera will be screening in Toronto with Fangoria Entertainment’s Fright Nights with Curio-Media, as well as co-hosting a 2 day symposium and screening at UCD in Dublin, Ireland.

The July 7th carpet ceremony is a co-presentation brought to you by the American Cinematheque and Viscera Film Festival and they intend to make it one hell of a party. Tickets will go on sale in late May. For now, visit the Viscera Organization’s website for more information.

2012 Los Angeles Official Selections

Shorts Program:

Baby Face - Kate Shenton
Barbie Girls - Vincianes Millereuu
Bloodtraffick - Jen Thym
Escape From Hellview - Hadas Brandes
How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You - Nadia Litz
Jump - Louise Fielden
Nice Guys Finish Last - Kimberly McCollough
Sibling Rivalry (Under 18) - Tara-Nicole Azarian
The Dump - Rebekah McKendry
The Halloween Kid - Axelle Carolyn
The Morning After - Jen Moss
The Night Caller - Donna Thorland and Peter Podgursky
The Third Eye - Caroline du Potet

Feature Sneak Peek:

Among Friends - Danielle Harris

2012 Tour Official Selections

Apple Head - Rebecca Thomson
Baby Face - Kate Shenton
Barbie Girls - Vincianes Millereuu
Bloodtraffick - Jen Thym
Dead Friends - Katelyn D. Mann & Stephen W. Martin
Escape From Hellview - Hadas Brandes
Hawkins Hill - Sarah Seligman
How to Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You - Nadia Litz
Jump - Louise Fielden
Locked In - Valeria Appel
Monster Slayer - Valorie Caskey Ebeling
My Mom and Other Monsters - Kate Tsang
Nice Guys Finish Last - Kimberly McCollough
Neighbors - Robyn Simms & Stephen Johnson
Red- Maude Michaud
Road Rage - Barbara Stepansky
Sibling Rivalry (Under 18) - Tara-Nicole Azarian
Sheeties - Paula Haifley
Smothered - Unn Lilleaas
Sylvie - Valerie Khoudari Ratner
Summer of the Zombies - Ashleigh Nichols
The Provider - Brianne Nord-Stewart
The Dump - Rebekah McKendry
The Halloween Kid - Axelle Carolyn
The Morning After - Jen Moss
The Night Caller- Donna Thorland and Peter Podgursky
The Third Eye - Caroline du Potet
Undetected - Kristen Anderson-Suave
Zeke - Dana Buning

Among Friends. This dinner party’s gonna be KILLER.

2012 Viscera Sponsors

FEARnet, Final Draft, Curio Media, Inc., Wirtshaus, LyzArts, Bloodcurdling Baubles, Rotten Cotton, Irene Langholm, Matt Orsman, Desert Pinups, KC SoapsNMore, Jessica Grundy, Starfruit Productions, Laughing Vixen Lounge, Humphrey’s Handmade, The Poisoned Apple, PlanetFury.com, PlanetEtheria.com, thechainsawmafia.com, Fangoria Entertainment, mrfrights.com, Rude and Reckless, Emerald Angels, Bob's Imagination, The Spooky Bones Company, Crye's Creations, Cherry Lock, Hot Chick Physics, Vena Kava, Last Blog on the Left, Devour the Blog, Friendly Misanthrope, Scary Art, Blood Bath, and Red Covers Me.

Viscera’s Official Awards Sponsor: Silver Shamrock Lab

Barbie Girls by Vinciane Millereau

If you would like information on how to become a Viscera Sponsor, please contact:

stacy@viscerafilmfestival.com

If you have questions or would like information about marketing, please contact:

jamie@viscerafilmfestival.com

If you have questions about the Viscera Organization, please contact:

Shannon@viscerafilmfestival.com

Witness "The Uninvited Visitor" at the Door...

2012-05-15T16:06:00.002-07:00

Check out episode three in the increasingly creepy Midnight Horror Show YouTube series of killer shorts: Christian Guzman’s "The Uninvited Visitor".

When you have a midnight visitor knocking at your door would you answer?
Does curiosity always kill the cat?

Directed by Christian Guzman
Executive Producer Rudy Gold
Produced by Gold Standard, DIY Productions, and J Martin Films

Starring: Katelin Peterson
Guest Starring: Christian Guzman
Edited by Cristian Guzman, Rudy Gold
Sound design by Christian Guzman
Original Score by Erin Powell

Visit the Midnight Horror Show Facebook Page [HERE]

Twitter Links

www.twitter.com/therealrudygold
www.twitter.com/funkygraffish

SoundCloud (Erin Powell)

[REC]3 – Genesis Set to Cast its Scabby Grip Over NZ Cinema

2012-05-14T16:38:00.001-07:00

A [REC]koning is Coming – Official Press Release via Vendetta Films

The third instalment of the hugely popular horror movie franchise [REC], is coming to selected New Zealand cinemas May 31st. [REC] Genesis gives a new twist to story as the horror is unleashed at the wedding of Clara and Koldo, miles from the confined claustrophobic horror that the house from the first 2 films offered.

[REC] Genesis runs parallel to the first film in the series and reveals that there is more to the mysterious “virus” than originally thought. On what is meant to be the most special day of their lives, Clara (Letica Dolera) and Koldo (Deigo Martin) find themselves surrounded by flesh hungry relatives as they try to fight their way out alive.

Co-director of the of the first two [REC] films, Paca Plaza takes sole charge of directing duties and takes the horror outdoors and into the daylight. Plaza’s former directing partner, Jaume Balagueró, will take the helm for the fourth and final instalment [REC] Apocalypse, set to release in 2013.

The [REC] franchise, which has already spawned a Hollywood remake (Quarantine, 2007), continues to lead the way in creative scare mongering and [REC]3: Genesis won’t disappoint fans.

Vendetta Films is a subsidiary of GDE, a New Zealand Owned and operated entertainment company.

With over 1600 titles, Vendetta Films has been responsible for bringing quality independent cinema to New Zealand and Australia for over five years.

[REC]3: Genesis is rated R16 – Contains violence, offensive language & horror.

Bereavement (2010)

2012-05-09T16:59:00.002-07:00

Those unfamiliar with the “Malevolence” of director Stevan Mena’s first installment in this proposed trilogy of sharp edged carnage need not worry. “Bereavement” is a prequel to the life and crimes of knife enthusiast Martin Bristol, and proves again to be an 'almost' competent poke at the hackneyed slasher template. Though it is one probably best enjoyed as a standalone study of murder most manic, knowing what and who young Martin grows to become suckling more than a little of the shock value from this particular films final reveal...

Read Full Article at:
Bereavement (2010): Martin Bristol Returns.

VHS 1987 Directed by Rudy Gold

2012-05-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Be careful what you wish for after blowing out your birthday candles, you might get it...

Do yourselves a nasty little favor and check out this 50 second horror short, one hacked with bloodied glee from a domestic scene known well to us all. The carefree and laughter ridden mayhem of a children’s birthday party is here snapped and twisted before it is stuffed back into the lens… a short and very sharp shock!

Cast and Crew

Starring

Araya Gallegos
Azura Gallegos
America Gallegos
Aroura Gallegos
Lupita Cabrera

Guest Starring Christian Guzman

Directed by Rudy Gold (funkygraffish@gmail.com)
Produced by Gold Standard, DIY Productions and J Martin Films
Executive Producer Rudy Gold (goldrudy@gmail.com)
Edited by Rudy Gold Visual
Efx by Rudy Gold
Sound design by Christian Guzman
Original Score by Steven Moreno

http://funkygraffish.blogspot.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/MidnightHorrorShow

http://www.youtube.com/MidnightHorrorShow1

Fighting Owl Films Indie Horror/Comedy 'The Night Shift' Makes Some Noise

2012-05-06T14:17:00.002-07:00

PRESS RELEASE: "The Night Shift" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Now Available!

The Night Shift" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Fighting Owl Films has released the official soundtrack for "The Night Shift," the independent supernatural-adventure-comedy that follows the adventures of undead cemetery caretaker Rue Morgan, his skeletal sidekick Herbie West, and their bumbling band of zombies as they face off against demons, wolfmen and other creatures of the night.

The instrumental score, composed by Soren Odom (also the director of photography and voice of "Herbie" for the film), captures the film's tone through creepy, fun, exciting, romantic and adventurous themes that will stick with you. Featuring 21 original tracks, relive the adventure of "The Night Shift" through this fantastic film score.

Full track listing:

1. Prologue
2. Main Titles
3. Closing Time
4. Herbie West
5. Captain Roderick Blake
6. I Want A Life
7. A Quiet Night
8. Rue’s Investigation
9. Rue vs Trigger
10. A Large Dog That Does Impressions
11. The Wolfman
12. A New Watch
13. Confronting Roderick
14. Hog-Tied Residents
15. Fired
16. On the Run
17. Very Patton
18. Clash of the Undead
19. Management
20. A New Day
21. End Credits

The soundtrack is available exclusively through Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Shift-Official-Soundtrack/dp/B007ZIH99U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336313241&sr=8-1).

"The Night Shift" is also available on DVD at Amazon.com and many other online retailers.

For the latest news and announcements from Fighting Owl Films, "Like" us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fightingowlfilms).

Thomas Smith
Fighting Owl Films
info@fightingowlfilms.com

Win Lars von Trier’s Melancholia – Courtesy Madman Entertainment (NZ)

2012-04-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

It Will Change Everything

From acclaimed director Lars von Trier comes the most stunning and compelling film of the year. Winner of the European Film Award for Best Film and the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress (Kirsten Dunst), MELANCHOLIA is a beautiful film about the end of the world.

Justine (Kirsten Dunst, SPIDER-MAN) and Michael (TRUE BLOOD's Alexander Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg, ANTICHRIST), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland, 24). Despite Claire’s best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco, with family tensions mounting and relationships fraying. And as Claire tries to maintain the party's celebratory spirit, Justine struggles against her own dark demons. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth…

Melancholia DVD Giveaways

Win one of two copies of Lars von Trier’s latest assault on the mainstream by answering the following question:

In which European Film Festival was Kirsten Dunst awarded a Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Justine?

Forward your answer to hellstreetjournal@gmail.com to enter the draw*
Competition closes Monday May 14th, 2012.

* Due to the dvds regional coding this competition is only open to New Zealand residents.

Visit Madman: Madman Entertainment New Zealand
View Trailer: Melancholia

Win Roger Corman Presents: Camel Spiders on Dvd

2012-04-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

Long-time Roger Corman collaborator Jay Andrews (AKA Jim Wynorski, Arch Stanton, Tom Popatopolous, Harold Blueberry, H.R. Blueberry, Jamie Wagner, Bob Robertson, Salvadore Ross, J.R. Mandish & Rob Robertson ) dishes up yet another putrid slice of sensationalist cinema in MADMAN New Zealand’s latest face-gnawing horror release “Camel Spiders”.

Win one of two copies of this freshly baked insectsploitaion creature feature – courtesy of Madman Entertainment (NZ) – by answering the following:

Name the previous ‘Roger Corman Presents’ title that fused the head of a shark with the body of an octopus?

Forward your answer to hellstreetjournal@gmail.com to enter the draw*
Competition closes Monday April 30th, 2012.

Roger Corman Presents:
Camel Spiders Official Synopsis
Kill-a-thon… it’s sure to get under your skin!

Based on actual creatures that for years have tormented our armed forces in the Middle East, these creatures have now invaded the southwestern deserts of the United States. The Camel Spiders now freely hunt for prey, unafraid of any predator – including man. No place is safe; no one is beyond their paralyzing sting. In the end, a small band of hearty fighters are forced to make one last stand against the creatures.

* Due to the dvds regional coding this competition is only open to New Zealand residents.

Shark Night 3D (2011): Horror Sinks to New Depths

2012-04-02T19:44:00.003-07:00

The murky depths have never seemed so safe in this bland amalgamation of all those things that make bad films so irredeemably bad.

The work is almost finished, the dismantling is all but complete… yes, the cheese smelling cliché schlock that once proudly strutted its horror homage driven wares with such carefully aimed satire and wit is dead. Mauled and gleaned to the bone by a digitally projected shark and a script that stinks up the place more a week old bucket of chum on a hot summer’s day...

Read Full Review at:

Shark Night 3D (2011): Horror Sinks to New Depths

VLOG (Film Review) – Madman New Zealand

2012-03-20T02:02:00.002-07:00

This choppy little horror introduces itself with the somewhat hollow proclamation that it has the producers of SAW at its back. Whatever that means? Perhaps, it is that the bean-counters, those who financed that most perpetual of box-office torture porn franchises, threw a few dollars together and thought they might squeeze just a few more drops out of a premise that have already flogged and pummelled beyond all recognition. Or, maybe they just ‘saw’ a great and fresh new script and decided to give it the chance it deserved…

Win One of two “VLOG” DVDs courtesy Madman Films (New Zealand)

Simply forward Brooke Marks’ characters name in VLOG to hellstreetjournal@gmail.com to enter the draw*.

Competition closes Saturday March 31.

* Competition Open to New Zealand Residents (18 years +) Only.

Read Full Review at:

VLOG (Film Review) – Madman New Zealand

A Horrible Way to Die (Film Review) – Madman New Zealand

2012-03-13T14:36:00.001-07:00

Serial killing flavor of the month Garrick Turrell, played with brutally subtle precision here by AJ Bowen, is a criminal that we meet on both sides of the jail cell door. The director chopping and changing the films narrative timeline, so that we are never quite sure were, or when, it is that this shark is prowling...

Win One of Two “A Horrible Way to Die” DVDs Courtesy Madman Films (New Zealand)

Simply forward the name of the actor who plays serial killer Garrick Turrell to hellstreetjournal@gmail.com to enter the draw*.
Competition closes Saturday March 31, 2012.

* Competition Open to New Zealand Residents (18 years +) Only.

Read Full Review at:
A Horrible Way to Die (Film Review) – Madman New Zealand

Thesis (Tesis): Retro Horror Review, Spain – 1996.

2012-02-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Researching her graduation thesis – on cinema violence – Angela’s character at once occupies a morally motivated high ground. That plateau from which many of us lay our scorn, those who admit to it at least, toward that which we find impossible not to at least glimpse at; as we peek into the car wreckage and the celebrity open coffin.

Thesis fantastically portrays this in its opening act, in which Angela cannot resist the urge to glance at a suicide victim as he sprawls beneath a train in full public display. This is a reflex that is again displayed when she uncovers a videotape that contains the graphic torture and mutilation of a young ex-student. Angela forces herself to turn away but drinks in the audio as if it were visual...

Read more at Suite101:
Thesis (Tesis): Retro Horror Review, Spain – 1996.

Horror Review – Caged (Captifs) 2011

2012-02-23T02:44:00.000-08:00

This aptly title film lives out most of its running time behind bars, but never comes close to fully capturing its audience.

Caged is a strange hybrid of fast-food gore (cartoon bad guys and the odd bucket or two of fake intestines), promising unfulfilled premise (three foreign doctors find themselves in fear of forcedly donating various parts to medicine) and a slightly higher than average level of acting...

Read more at Suite101:
Horror Review – Caged (Captifs) 2011.

The Woman – More Horror Less Ordinary From Director Lucky McKee

2012-02-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

A mysterious woman is snared in the forest and dragged home as a trophy, but the evil that awaits far exceeds the demon she appears to be.

The works of Jack Ketchum, both in their literary and film adapted form, court controversy with very much the same doom laden ease that Lindsay Lohan courts courtrooms. The worlds he creates; these tainted reflections of the very one in which we all live, pay rent and die, are at once damningly familiar and bitterly repulsive...

Read more at Suite101:
The Woman – More Horror Less Ordinary From Director Lucky McKee.

Chrome Skull: Laid to Rest 2 (2011) – DVD Review

2012-02-07T01:02:00.000-08:00

Workaholic special effects makeup artist, Robert Hall, again takes to the director's chair in this follow-up to his 2009 slasher, Laid to Rest.

This is not a film; it’s a long slow walk through the scattered debris of a massive, high impact, motorway pileup. The vehicle carrying the plot (there were sadly no survivors) must have borne the full force of this tangled wreck, as there is precious little here that even comes close to an engaging narrative framework…
Read more at Suite101:
Chrome Skull: Laid to Rest 2 (2011) – DVD Review

Retro Horror DVD Review – Undead (2003)

2012-02-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Directors Michael & Peter Spierig do everything but donate their own internal organs to this entertaining exercise in independent zombie movie-making.

It might seem that fledgling filmmakers, they whom decide to churn out yet another installment of zombie themed comedy, have a relatively easy job ahead of them. How hard can it really be to slap on a bit of gooey latex and douse your set in barrel after barrel of fake blood and entrails? But it is a hard cocktail to perfect, and with notoriously diligent fans of the genre ready to maul all pretenders to the iconic, these are films that must have their tone set just right...

Read more at Suite101:
Retro Horror DVD Review – Undead (2003)

AFTER DARK ORIGINALS 2 (2012)

2012-02-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

After Dark Films is at it again, fresh news has just surfaced that their inaugural “AFTER DARK ORIGINALS” series of original horror is to get a sequel. AFTER DARK ORIGINALS 2 (ADO2), is set to roll with Paul Soter’s DARK CIRCLES being the first of 8 films in the new series.

Official Press:

BACK WITH TWICE THE TERROR AND TWICE THE SCARES
AFTER DARK ORIGINALS 2
IN THEATERS 2012

First came 8 FILMS TO DIE FOR, then AFTER DARK ORIGINALS, now the #1 Horror Brand in the World is proud to announce the second installment in the AFTER DARK ORIGINALS series (ADO2), and it’s first film from this series, DARK CIRCLES

Los Angeles, CA (February 2, 2012) – With the success of the After Dark Films Horrorfest "8 Films To Die For" brand, and the unanimous success of the first installment of After Dark Originals (ADO), ADF, in conjunction with Lionsgate and IM Global, is proud to announce that they will be bringing another set of 8 terrorizing films to theaters in 2012 -- After Dark Originals 2 (ADO2).

“We’re very proud of this new line of horror films and DARK CIRCLES is the perfect film to set the tone for our ‘newest brand of fear’.”
-Courtney Solomon, CEO of After Dark Films

After Dark Films kicks off After Dark Originals 2 with its first chilling feature of the new series that will send shivers down your spine. DARK CIRCLES, written and directed by Writer-Director Paul Soter (of Broken Lizard infamy, the team behind CLUB DREAD, SUPER TROOPERS and BEERFEST) and starring Pell James (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do), will have its blood-curdling theatrical release in 2012.

“Hopefully this will serve as some kind of cinematic equivalent of birth control.”
-Paul Soter, Writer/Director of Dark Circles

Synopsis:
When new parents Alex and Penny retreat from the city and move into a place outside town, the stress and massive sleep-deprivation caused by their infant has both of them seeing things in the house that may or may not exist. Persistent sightings of a strange woman has each of them wondering if they are suffering from hallucinations, or if their new home holds a dark, supernatural presence. As their fragile grasp on reality spirals into delirium, Alex and Penny find themselves nearly helpless to deal with the horrific truth of what is really going in this house.

After Dark Films has made yet another unprecedented commitment to the production of eight original horror films this year under the After Dark Originals “A New Brand of Fear” label, continuing the Company’s mantra of supporting first time independent film writers and directors. The creation of the second AD Originals slate is just another example of the Company’s commitment to the Indie film industry.

Continuing the success of After Dark Originals, the second installment will uphold the tradition of giving After Dark fans the scare they crave. The ADO 2 slate will make the genre proud, with supernatural demons, psychological killers, gruesome mysteries, and even a sci-fi sector fully equipped with aliens and a killer leprechaun. Beware horror fans, After Dark Films is giving the fans exactly the type of horror movies they asked for! Come and see for yourselves. We dare you…

Skew: Sevé Schelenz's Subliminally Haunting Debut Horror (2011)

2012-02-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Ever ambiguous, Skew is viewed through a smeared and soothsaying lens, one perpetually obsessed with the need to capture all.

Canadian Director Sevé Schelenz opens his complex – this one will have your brain itching for days – debut horror “Skew” with a quote by French novelist, playwright and Ron Jeremy body-double, Honoré de Balzac. Dispensing entirely with such superfluous padding as an opening credit sequence, or any mention of the film’s title at all for that matter, we are instead tempted by what may or may not have been the first of many veiled clues to come...

Read more at Suite101:

Skew: Sevé Schelenz's Subliminally Haunting Debut Horror (2011)

The Messengers: DVD Horror Review (2007) – Pang Brothers

2012-01-30T19:01:00.000-08:00

The evocatively named Pang brothers, Oxide and Danny, teamed with producer Sam Raimi to mold this mostly forgettable tale of ghostly infestation.

Kristen Stewart stars alongside Dylan McDermott and Penelope Ann Miller in what proves to be a numbing and soulless husk of a film. Stewart, here pre-Twilight, sadly adds very little to the turgid soup, save for presenting completests the opportunity to add to their collection of all things even remotely associated with the ‘Saga’ that seemingly never stops.

Read more at Suite101:
The Messengers: DVD Horror Review (2007) Dir. The Pang Brothers

Dead Snow (2010) – Norwegian Horror DVD Review

2012-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Defined as a special honor or respect shown or expressed publicly, Homage is a word that has now in many ways morphed into a horror sub-genre of its own. The self-referencing Scream franchise is perhaps the most obvious example of this, though countless others have also now stuffed their cinematic endeavors with nods and curtseys to the iconic game-changers of horrors past.

It is admirable for a filmmaker to be enamored and inspired by the work of others, but here, caught in the isolated bite of the Norwegian Dead Snow, an expectant audience is not given even the slightest hint of original interpretation upon which to chew.

Read more at Suite101:
Dead Snow (2010) – Norwegian Horror DVD Review

Hidden (2005) – Independent New Zealand Horror DVD Review

2012-01-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hidden is production pocked with low-budget independent film-making cliché: Shot for a mere $7,000 (NZ) during the winter of 2001, it would ironically toil in post-production purgatory for four years before finally finding a release date. But this strange little film, cobbled together, written and shot by first time director Tim McLachlan was one that ultimately struggled to find an audience...

Read more at Suite101:
Hidden (2005) – New Zealand Horror DVD Review

Magnum Motion Pictures Presents: "The Dead Hour" (Season 2)

2012-01-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

"The Dead Hour" (Season 2)

Press…

The indie horror anthology series, "The Dead Hour" has begun to roll out its brand new season online at www.thedeadhour.com. The word has slowly been spreading about the 15 minute, dark and amusing tales since a successful first season.

Now the show looks to take it's audience on a more sinister and entertaining ride with a brand new season of horror.

The series centers around a mysterious and sexy radio DJ who brings her audience dark and twisted stories each episode. All webisodes from Seasons 1 & 2 can be seen for free at www.thedeadhour.com.

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

About the Filmmakers...

Collaborating on film projects for almost ten years, creators Daniel B. Iske and Scott Coleman delve deeper into the dark side with The Dead Hour. With this new project, Iske and Coleman aim to pair the success of their award-winning films The Wretched (2007) and New House (2005) with the ambition of Evan’s America (2002), one of the first web series.

Veterans of no-budget filmmaking, Iske and Coleman have learned to harness what’s available to them when creating their projects — from accessible locations like creepy abandoned barns, to a talented and dedicated local film network. They look to expand this network with The Dead Hour and reach even more filmmakers beyond the Omaha area.

The Dead Hour Crew...

Creator/Director: Daniel B. Iske
Creator/Writer: Scott Coleman
Executive Producer / Art Director: Wendy Iske
Executive Producer / Cinematographer: Michael Lang
Executive Producer / Camera: Ryan Long
Assistant Directors: Amy Lechtenbeg & Shawn Watson
Gaffer: Mason Kenton
Special Effects: Spider and the Fly
Hair & Makeup: Suzanne Golden

Down By The Riverside (2007) – NZ Horror DVD Review

2012-01-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

New Zealand Independent horror that fumbles what could have been a chilling and truly haunting tale of ghostly neglect.

‘They found the wife easy enough, that was no problem, she was in the living room with 18 stab wounds to her chest, it was the children they couldn't find’.

There is a reason why very few will had heard of this independent Kiwi attempt at film noir tinged horror. It’s terrible, and not in a good way. Never adept enough to even accidentally fall into the ‘it’s-so-bad-its-good’ vein, Down by the Riverside proves a painful watch...

Read more at Suite101:
Down By The Riverside (2007) – NZ Horror DVD Review

Blood Creek (2010) – Supernatural Horror DVD Review

2012-01-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

American film director, producer and screenwriter Joel Schumacher has often impressed whenever he is taken to shy away from the Hollywood millions that have at times been bucketed into his production coffers (Batman & Robin, 1997). These smaller, more modestly budgeted, productions (see Tigerland (2000) and Phone Booth (2003)) showcase an eye for suspense, both emotional and situational, that seem orchestrated by an entirely different man. Gritty and invariably highly watchable, they are a million miles from the directors dogged penchant for overblown nonsense, a nasty trait that culminated in his 2007 Jim Carrey crash n’ burn stinker – The Number 23...

Read more at Suite101:
Blood Creek (2010) – Supernatural Horror DVD Review