Horror Interviews

Reviews and Interviews

Jasper Bark

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Final Cut banner

Bio Of Author Jasper:

I’m a former film journalist and stand up, turned comic writer and horror novelist. I’ve written five novels, three short story collections and a whole bunch of comics and graphic novels. I’ve also won a ‘This Is Horror Award’, an ‘Educational Reader’s Award’ and a ‘Preditors and Editors’ award. One of my arms is fourteen inches longer than the other, I can make fish magically appear from my nostrils and I’ve tried twenty times to get into the Guinness Book of Records for telling the most number of lies in a biography, but so far they’ve yet to believe me.

Q&A:

– What is the story about?

I actually have three books coming out at the moment. The Final Cut is a novel and it’s already out. It’s a genre-busting mash-up of crime, horror and urban fantasy. It’s about two indie filmmakers who plan to build their next movie around a real life snuff film, but find their ‘leading lady’ is actually ‘leading’ them astray. Taking in everything from ancient myth, to modern atrocity, the novel will entrance, mystify and appall you in equal measures, haunting you long after you reach the last line.

Run To Ground is out on June 10th and is also published by Crystal Lake Publishing. It takes place in an ancient rural cemetery and features an entirely new breed of monsters that have possessed the very ground beneath cemetery keeper Jim McCleod’s feet. The answer to Jim’s survival might just lie in an ancient heresy that stretches from the beginning of time to the end of the world as we know it.

Bed of Crimson Joy is being published by Knightwatch Press on July 1st. This novella is a mash up of quiet horror and erotic horror, it tells the story of two sets of neighbors, one elderly, one rich, who are haunted by an erotically charged four poster bed.

– Where did the ideas for the stories come from?

Each idea came from a different place. I had the idea for The Final Cut while working on a completely different novel and quickly jotted it down. I thought it was going to be a novelette but it kept growing until it was a novel. Run to Ground came to me in a flash while thinking about one of the worst little peccadilloes, that’s ever occurred to me. The idea behind Bed of Crimson Joy hit me while I was leaving to go on holiday and I’d left my keys with a kind, elderly neighbor, so she could feed our cats and water our plants. For a brief moment, I wondered what I’d do if I found out she and her husband had taken the opportunity to have wild sex on our bed while we were away, knowing we’d probably never suspect. This became the seed for the rather disturbing opening scene of the novella.

– What is it about these stories that made you want to write the book?

In the case of Run To Ground and Bed of Crimson Joy, it was the fact that the ideas got under my skin, they unnerved and disturbed me until I had to write them down. It was a bit like lancing a boil and bleeding off the poison. I know that if I’m disturbed by an idea, I can disturb my readers too. In the case of The Final Cut, not only did the idea grab me, but I realized it would be a perfect vehicle for exploring a lot my ideas about why we write, read, watch and film horror fiction, not to mention my ideas about the importance of storytelling in general.

– How long did the books take to write?

Each one is a different length, so took a different amount of time. On average I tend to write around 1,000 to 1,500 words a day. So a long novel takes me about three months for the first draft. Then I’ll spend at least another month redrafting. Novellas, because they’re shorter, tend to take a little less time.

-What other upcoming projects do you have in the works?

I have a graphic novel called Parassassins coming out later this year that collects the on-going series I wrote for Aces Weekly. It’s a political sci-fi thriller and is drawn by the Indonesian artist Alfa Robbi. I also have another graphic novel coming out with Markosia called Beyond Lovecraft drawn by the multiple award-winning artist Rob Moran. It’s a portmanteau horror story featuring four stand alone tales and one linking tale all based on the work of H. P. Lovecraft. In addition to that I’m relaunching my website, and launching a webcomic, a YouTube channel, and a Patreon page.

– What is the scariest moment in the books?

Well, I don’t want to give too much away, you’ll have to read them yourself to find out. Plus, you’re always surprised, as a writer, at what people find scary and don’t find scary. Some readers are terrified by the mildest things, while other’s have cast iron stomachs and merely smile at your goriest scenes.

– What is your favorite horror book?

I read voraciously and love so many books it’s impossible for me to say. Psycho by Robert Bloch was one of the first horror books to ever grab me and make me fall in love with the genre. I was 11 years old when I read it and I’ve never been the same since.

Again, there is way, way too many for me to list. Briefly though, when I was a young teen, Robert Bloch and the H. P. Lovecraft circle (Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Frank Belknap Long and others) had a big influence on me, as did Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker, Robert Aickman, and Lisa Tuttle. Those writers formed my early views about what horror could and should be.

In later years horror writers like Adam Nevill, Jack Ketchum, Poppy Z. Brite, Kathe Koja and Michael McDowell gave me a lot of inspiration.

– Would the books work as movies?

The Final Cut is set in the world of indie filmmaking, so it might make an interesting film, it would need a fairly good budget for the special effects at the end, though. For some reason, I can’t help thinking Richard Stanley, director of Dust Devil and Hardware would be an ideal director for the film of this book. Bed of Crimson Joy and Run To Ground would be a little cheaper to make, I think, and would lend themselves rather well to the budget of a top rank independent film.

Actor Jimmy Dempster Interview

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jimmy

Q&A Interview With Actor Jimmy Dempster

1) What is the movie One Night Of Fear about?

One night of fear is based on actual events a serious of mysterious murders that took place in the Ocala National Forest in Florida. Our film is a nice little throwback to the eighties slasher films that we all love. I play the character of Rob he’s the male lead and all I want to do is take my friends backpacking and hiking in the forest when things go horribly wrong and we’re stalked by a vicious brutal killer and I try to do everything in my power to save my girlfriend and my friends.

2) What was the scariest scene?

It’s tough to choose just one scene there are several scenes of fear and tension and all out just Blood and Guts throughout the film.costars (Jessica Sonneborn & Suzi Lorraine) both do an amazing job as well as the rest of the cast of keeping the tension High and the Thrills and kills legit !!

3) Do you do anything special to prepare for a role in a horror film?

As far as preparing for a role for a horror film I try not to think about it too much I just try to be as real and organic as I can and just let it flow on set and hope it translates..really I’ve grown up on all these films and I just think unconsciously take a little bit of what I’ve seen in films over the years and I try to put it into my performance. And my two horror films that I’ve done “The Last One” I’m playing a cannibalistic vicious killer which is really fun to do and really fun to play and at the same time my next horror film I did right after that “One Night Of Fear” I was actually the protagonist so it was neat to be able to switch back and forth between the hero and the villain.

4) If you had to rank which genre’s you prefer to act in how far up or down the scale would the horror genre be?

Horror is for me ranked way up at the top of the list not only in projects that I like to do but also I think my favorite genre of film. As far back as I can remember being a kid my first love of film was horror films and of course martial arts film Bruce Lee and all that
So yeah it was definitely a steady diet of horror films and martial arts films as a kid growing up and they definitely had a big influence on me professionally as well as personally.

5) How did you get the part?  Do you have an agent that got you the audition or a past history with the filmmakers?

Actually had a past history with the filmmakers. My first year when I was starting out I was doing a lot of smaller roles and some extra work and I did two or three projects with them small parts and just built a good relationship with them. And when it came time for their feature film to be made and they reached out to me we had a meeting they offered me the role and showed me the script I read it and of course I jumped on it right away not only being a fan of the genre but also because I knew I was in good hands having worked with them before.

6) You seem to have done a few slasher/ serial killer rolls?  Is typecasting something you get concerned about or embrace?

Yeah, when it comes to actors being typecast that’s not necessarily a bad term in my opinion.I think there’s something worse than being typecast and that’s not cast. Basically, if I get booked I don’t care what they call me haha.

7) How did you get your start as an actor?

I saw one day that they were casting extras for a zombie film in Florida. I submitted and was cast and simultaneous to that it was another film going on that was doing shoots during the day so I was literally working all night on the one film and then going to work the next morning working on the other film not getting paid for either one of them by the way my very first thing I did through all that chaos and craziness I met some of the coolest people that I probably ever met in my life and I just got the bug so to speak and I always remember listening and learning from everyone on set paying attention to every aspect of the process especially keeping my eye on the principal actors and saying to myself you know this is fun and all but Im sure if I wanted to I can do what they are doing I have too much personality to kind of just be standing around or shuffling around you know I want to do what they’re doing (the principals) I said to myself I could do that. So as cool as an experience it was I knew right away that’s not what I was going to be doing with the rest of my life.extra work I think is a great way to get into the business but I think it’s up to the individual that determines whether or not you stay there or move on to bigger things.

8) If you could play and villain or horror icon which one would it be?

Man take your pic haha I think either one of the slasher/horror icons from top to bottom and in between I’d be more than happy to play.I’ve met all these guys at conventions and parties and stuff like that and they’re all just the warmest kindest people you’d ever want to meet and they’re just having so much fun doing what they’re doing. I can only hope I’m lucky enough to have portrayed a character that resonates with people for as long as the others have.

9) What’s your favorite horror film of all time?

Oh man is that really fair? Does anybody really have one single favorite horror film of all time or anything for that matter haha… I get asked this question a lot and my go-to answer is always the same so I have to go with the Exorcist the original Exorcist to me is the greatest horror Thriller of all time  for many reasons  for one it’s the perfect setup  because  as crazy and Supernatural as the film can be seen it’s still at the same time  incredibly real you know even with all the crazy things going on at no time do I ever stop and-and question could this really happen the whole time you’re just saying to yourself of course it can because it just looks and is portrayed so incredibly real.it always felt like more a documentary to me than a film William Friedkin coming from that documentary background I mean the film doesn’t feel like so much of a film it feels more like a document of real life events happening right before you. And having two daughters myself also adds to it I couldn’t imagine being in that position one Reagan is bad enough..but imagine two Haha

Links:

One Night Of Fear – Facebook Page

The Last One – Facebook Page

Torrent – Facebook Page

IMDB Profile

 

 

MeltDown

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Synopsis:
Meltdown is a feature length Zombie/Sci-Fi/Comedy that is a stylistic mix of Clerks, Shaun of the Dead and the Road Warrior. Meltdown follows Zeke, Callie, Les and Hunter on the eve of Hunter's 29 th birthday as they share in a few drinks on a seemingly dull day in their hometown of Somerset, PA. The day takes a turn for the worse as everyone they have ever known are suddenly transformed into aggressively murderous flesh-eating freaks. The four comrades are forced to hack and slash their way through the reanimated corpses of their closest friends and loved ones, only to find themselves on the precipice of a post-apocalyptic wasteland littered with monsters and the looming threat of their fellow survivors.
Links:
What’s the logline or tagline?
Kill or be Killed
How did you come up with the concept?
I originally wrote the Meltdown short while finishing my BA at the College of Santa Fe. It sat on the back burner for years while I taught film in California. When I arrived in Pittsburgh, my sole purpose was to focus on my own films, so I dug it up and filmed it. I won filmmaker of the year through RAW artists in Pittsburgh and received my budget through a private investor for the feature. When I wrote the feature, I had grown tired of horror films that were either rip-offs of Japanese films or over the top CGI films featuring witches or demons, lame shit like that. I wanted to do a film that utilized practical effects and was a film that I could, even though it was mine, sit down a get stoned to and simply enjoy, like the B-movies I was raised on, or the films I watched in college with my friends. I think that there is too much emphasis on meaning, and not enough on simply being able to laugh at and relax during a movie. I wanted people to get a few good laughs, some jolts and simply have a good time.
How many days did it take to film?
We shot the film in two weeks, taking a week off to edit in between, in total, we shot for fourteen days.
How did you decide on the location?
I wanted to do a film in a smaller, rural town and take the second and third acts into an isolated location. Given that the film begins as an almost spoof or comedy of errors and moves into a post-apocalyptic motif that focuses on the evolution of the characters, I wanted to have locations that were a far cry from the predominantly urban or big city setting that is most commonly used. I had some friends in Somerset, Pa and they encouraged me to check it out. The town was perfect and the people were great. I actually re-wrote the whole first half of the film to fit Somerset. Out the second location was a dear friend that lived off the grid, that, knowing that I needed to burn down/blow up a house, invited us to film out on his property. I was really lucky throughout to find people that were as twisted as me.
How did you do the special effects?
The special effects were done by an independent Pittsburgh-based FX artist named Cody Ruch. I wanted to do a film using only practical effects. It was the classic use of latex, corn syrup, food coloring, clay, all of the good shit that made some of the most iconic horror films really pop. Using these effects during production added a completely different edge. In terms of the behind the scenes goings-on, there is a need and pressure to nail the shot, given that a great deal of FX set ups, especially with a low budget and fixed time frame, take a good chunk of time to set up. That sense of urgency is intoxicating and led us to get all of our major gore shots in one take. It is also great on the performance level, because having a fake head filled with all kinds of cottage cheese and nasty kitchen items mixed with fake blood, really lets the actor feel the gross-out factor, especially since they are the ones covered in the muck. I feel it makes for a better and much more believable performance.
What kind of budget did you have to work with?
$20,000
What was the highlight of making the film?
The whole process, in terms of being on set, was a great time. Citizens of Somerset, our first location, were so jazzed to have a Zombie flick filming in their town, they really rolled out the red carpet for us. We killed the President of the Chamber of Commerce, ripped the arm off of the mayor, turned kids into Zombies, ate dogs and covered the streets in blood. The highlight though, if I had to name one, was during our week two location of filming. Our final day, we burned down a house and then went tubing down the river, cast, crew and neighbors with various beers and liquors and passed by as the final embers went out. Great final day of shooting. In terms of the first week, I had a van with a bunch of murdered extras in it. We were driving back from set, all of us, including the windows of the van, were covered in blood. We were a true gory mess. Well, on the ride back from set, some old farmer called the state troopers and told them that there was a guy driving down the highway with a bunch of corpses. The State Trooper that pulled us over was cool will everything, and let me off with a warning about driving around with newly mutilated corpses.
What was the most aggravating moment of shooting the film?
Shooting wasn’t really aggravating, sure there was the extreme lack of sleep, my editor shitting the bed after filming, but I was prepared for these kinds of things and had made contingencies. The truly aggravating part came later when I sold the thing. There is a dogma in film that sums the whole process and industry up best, “hurry up and wait.” The process of getting the movie prepared for various platforms, dealing with contracts, lackadaisical distributors who, even though the filmmaker can be penalized for not meeting deadlines, have a very nonchalant approach to releases, mine, for instance, was released on some platforms two weeks early and released on others two weeks late, which hurt release marketing strategies; these things were frustrating. Given that this was my first feature and, obviously the first one that I had sold, there was a huge learning curve. The business end was and continues to be, the most frustrating. I shot the thing and had a cut done in less than two months, but it took over a year for it to finally be released. Also, managing expectations. Everyone on the independent level is super excited during the filming process, but very few, and I was lucky with a majority of my core performers, understand the time that a film takes and how truly fortunate the film was in terms of getting picked up so quickly.
Any specific movies or stories that influenced the script?
There were certainly a few, but more specifically in terms of the dialogue, performance, cinematography, and lighting. I wanted to really play with the cross-genre aspect in terms of the flow of the film, but in terms of the rest, I would have to say: Big Trouble in little China, The Hills have Eyes, Clerks, Shaun of the Dead and Mad Max.
What type of reaction did you get from its release?
I did a few screenings in and around Pittsburgh and used them predominantly as focus groups. I would take notes of the audience’s reactions in each screening. When they talked, checked cell phones, laughed, became silent, etc I took notes and re-cut the film until it had the pacing that I desired. Younger audiences are difficult because they have such a shorter attention span given how plugged in they are to various social media outlets, etc, so pacing and time were important. I think with most modern audiences, even doing a film over 90 minutes is risky and too long. For the most part, I got the roller coaster reactions I wanted. Laughter, gasps, shocks and cringes.
Any other horror projects currently in the works?
Outside of horror, I am finishing a documentary about the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and working on a full-length horror about an old eccentric titled, There’s no Place Like Home.
Final Thoughts From Director Jacob Mulliken:
The thing I miss most is the filming, specifically when the day finished. There could be arguments, difficulties, perhaps even murder plots, but there was that feeling of success and the notion of, “hey we got it done”, that I miss the most. That is the most difficult aspect of filming, especially a film that was lucky enough to find its own way, is that it ends. The time, the blood, the effort; living all of that in real time and then having to squeeze the experience off screen and make it part of a 90-minute film. That is tough. Simply because, at the twilight of the project, there is no better high than finishing something. However, when it’s done, that profound feeling of joy and accomplishment turns into a powerful feeling of loss brought on by the reality that the battle is over and there is boring work to be done. At the end of the day, the whole process was a gift.

Jacob is also a professor of Cult Film at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.

 Poster Blair creep house burning last day Jacob Mulliken on Right Ara Madzounian on left Chuck

THE ECSTASY OF ISABEL MANN

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“The Ecstasy of Isabel Mann” is the story of troubled teenager Isabel Mann (Ellen Mullen – ”Children of a Darker Dawn”) who is seduced into an incredibly violent sect of day-walking vampires. Her classmates start to go missing and two detectives; Witham (Neill Fleming – ”Game of Thrones”, ”A Christmas Carol”, ”Portrait of a Zombie”) and Barrett (Matthew Toman – ”Don’t You Recognise Me?”) believe her to be the prime suspect. Nothing is quite as it seems for those about her as the disturbed teenager runs amok killing at will in the woodlands by her home; aided by her vampire guides Mirjana (Mirjana Rendulic – ”Amber”) and Alejo (newcomer Karim Elgendy) who are training her in the art of the kill – with horrifically bloody results for those closest to her.
POP TWIST ENTERTAINMENT Presents An
OCTOBER ELEVEN PICTURES Production
MEET THE CREW:
Writer/Producer/Director – Jason Figgis
Co-producer – Matthew Toman
Executive Producer – Doug Zwick
Executive Producer – Mark Holmes
Line Producer – Jason Shalloe
DoP – Alan Rogers
Score – Michael Richard Plowman
Editor – Jason Figgis
Sound – Mark McLoughlin
Make-up – Catherine Wrigglesworth and Sarah Shiels
2nd Unit Make-up – Tori Campbell and Elaine Campbell
THECAST:
Ellen Mullen … ISABEL MANN
Neill Fleming … INSPECTOR JOHN WITHAM
Saorla Wright … JAY
Adam Tyrrell … AARON
Gerry Herbert … DAVID MANN
Matt Toman … SGT. PAUL BARRETT
Darren Travers … ACACIUS
Mirjana Rendulic … MIRJANA
Karim Elgendy … ALEJO
Niamh Geaney … DAMARIS
Laurence Foster … SUPERINTENDENT MIKE RIDGEWAY
Kevin Buckley … MARCUS MANN
Killian O’Farrell … JOSHUA MANN
Michelle Miley … SUSAN DILLON
Jason Sherlock … LUKE
Sorcha Kerins … SKYLAR
Jenny Dixon … VICE PRINCIPAL JANE BURRELL
Emily Forster … SAM

Copyright OCTOBER ELEVEN

PICTURES 2015
BEHIND THE MIND Q&A WITH ITS CREATOR:
How did you come up with the concept?
I had previously worked with the kids at the Mill Theatre Drama School in Dublin and wanted to develop an interesting feature film with them. Vampires were something that intrigued us all. But, we wanted to have a vampire film that never mentioned the word “vampire” and treated the subject in quite an art house and vicious way.
How did you decide on the location?
Living in Dublin, we had access to many beautiful places that lent themselves to an eerie mood. It soon became a no-brainer to film at the myriad locations available to us and to put an Irish spin on the vampire idea – after all, Dracula (as a novel) was born in Ireland from the pen of Bram Stoker.
How did you cast it?
From the kids at the Mill Theatre Drama School in Dublin. I based the characters around the personalities of the children themselves and worked from there.
What was the highlight of making the film?
Working with such a talented and inquisitive cast and crew. They were all incredibly open to exploring new ideas in the vampire genre and pushing to some emotional extremes for certain scenes. They were all deeply committed to the realization of the film.
What obstacles did you face while shooting?
Really just finding the perfect locations. This was a challenge. Sometimes we had to double up at a single location as two separate homes. Thanks to my great Art Director, Catherine Wrigglesworth (only 20 at the time), this challenge was met and overcome with great relish and determination.
Any specific movies or stories that influenced the script?
I am a huge admirer of Hammer Films, Roman Polanski, Kubrick, Argento and social-realists such as Ken Loach.
What kind of reaction are you expecting upon its release?
I am hoping that people get some enjoyment from the film and see it as a slightly different and vaguely unique skew-ways look at the vampire myth.
Any other horror projects currently in the works?
Yes. I am almost completed (awaiting the original score from Canada) a violent revenge thriller called Don’t You Recognise Me? which looks at the lengths a family will go to in order to bring a cold-blooded killer to “family justice”. I am also in the edit of a psychological horror feature called The Paper Child and in development of several others.
MORE ABOUT JASON:
JASON FIGGIS – WRITER / DIRECTOR
BIO&CREDITS:
Award-winning writer/director of October Eleven Pictures, Jason Figgis has an
extensive background in the entertainment industry. His work has been selected
for many national and international film festivals including: Austin Film Society
(Avant Garde Cinema Section), Irish Film Institute Roadshow, Boston Film
Festival, Darklight Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, Belfast
Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, Charlie Chaplin Film Festival, European Union
Film Festival, Minneapolis Int’l Film Festival, Arcana Europa Film Festival, Toledo
Film Festival, Clones Film Festival, Navan Film Festival, Underground Film
Festival, Metro Arts Festival, Dublin Culture Night, and Venice GPO Exhibition.
His well-received feature documentaries have been commissioned – or acquired
for Sky One (BSkyB), Discovery Channel, SVT (Sweden), RTE (Ireland), KSM
(Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Spentzos Films (Greece, Cyprus), Von Lederer
(Hungary), Sky Arts (BSkyB) and Double 4 Studios (Slovenia).
Figgis started out as an actor, studying at the Brendan Smith Academy in Dublin
before joining up with Shakespearean theatre company Illyria touring schools
and colleges where he played the roles of Hamlet, Romeo, Petruchio and
Othello, amongst others. Other roles include that of Valmont in Choderlos De
Laclos’ Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Player’s Theatre in Dublin and more
recently the role of Nicky Gallagher in the feature film Don’t You Recognise Me?
(2016). Figgis also appeared in Peter Chelsom’s Hear My Song (1991) which
starred Ned Beatty and Adrian Dunbar as well as Milk and Money (1995).
Having worked creatively on two seasons of Murakami Wolf’s hugely successful
TV animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) he went on to work for
Roger Rabbit creator Richard Williams on the cult feature The Thief and the
Cobbler (1991) – featuring the voice talents of horror legend Vincent Price and
Sean Connery and for Steven Spielberg on Amblination’s American Tail 2 – Fievel
Goes West – (1991) featuring the voice talent of Hollywood legend James
Stewart – where Jason contributed special effects to key scenes.
Since moving to directing Live Action in 2002, Jason has directed double IFTA
award-nominated and critically acclaimed The Twilight Hour (2003) – described by
Discovery Civilisations as ‘Awe-Inspiring’ during its three-year run. This film – with
narration from Oscar nominee John Hurt – went on to be distributed to 100
countries and gained a cinema release at Real Art Ways in the USA.
His second feature (starring controversial paranormalist Uri Geller) titled Uri’s
Haunted Cities: Venice (2005) was distributed by BSkyB and screened on Sky
One and Sky Two over three years. It was also distributed on DVD in Europe
through Spentzos Films and KSM as well as with Hollywood Studio, Lionsgate
through its Asian arm, Tigergate for Pay TV.
Jason’s third feature A Maverick In London (2005) which looked at the history of
Islington’s famous dinner theatre venue, the King’s Head was acquired by BSkyB
and screened for three years on Sky Arts 1 and 2. It was also chosen by Toby
Young (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) as one of his favourite
documentaries of the year. It is available on DVD from The National Theatre in
Figgis won Best Feature Film at the Navan Film Festival – Ireland in 2006 for his
second documentary feature in collaboration with Geller called A Curious Incident
in the Life of Uri Geller (2006). This film is distributed on DVD through KSM
(Germany) and Spentzos Films (Greece).
In 2008, Jason was invited to direct a segment of Darklight Film Festival’s Dublin:
The Movie – which was curated by Oscar-nominated director Lenny
Abrahamsson (Room). This film was distributed in Ireland through Darklight.
Figgis was invited to take part in a Q&A panel at the Irish Film Institute with
Abrahamson to discuss the making of the film.
Jason was executive producer, editor and director of photography on Bernadette
Manton’s debut feature film Blood (2011) which headlined Wildcards – premiering
at the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh to excellent reviews as well as producer
and editor of Manton’s second film The Wake (2013) – which premiered at the
Boston Film Festival.
Jason’s narrative feature film debut 3Crosses (2010) has been distributed in the
USA and Canada through MVD Entertainment Group in the United States and
Video Services Corp in Canada under the new title Once Upon a Time in Dublin.
The film stars Karl Hayden (Da, Patriot Games), Emmett J. Scanlan (Guardians
of the Galaxy, The Fall), Bill Fellows (Broadchurch, Downton Abbey) and
Jonathan Hyde (Titanic, Jumanji). This film made the Best Seller list of US
distributor MVD as well as a nomination in the category of Best Feature Film at
Ireland’s Underground Cinema Film Festival. Further distribution is via Google
Play, Amazon Instant, Vimeo on Demand and Hulu.
Jason’s feature documentary Cathnafola (2011) – in collaboration with Haunted
Earth (UK) has been released along with short documentary Leap Into Darkness
(2010). These films are available in a Double DVD presentation from MVD
Entertainment Group in the USA and through Video Services Corp in Canada
with further distribution via Google Play, Amazon Instant, Vimeo on Demand and
Jason’s feature film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale of redemption, A
Christmas Carol (2012) which stars Bryan Murray (Holby City, The Bill), Brendan
Grace (Father Ted) and Brendan O’Carroll (Mrs. Brown’s Boys) with a score by
Michael Richard Plowman (A Lonely Place to Die, Age of Heroes) and Moya
Brennan (King Arthur, Titanic) was picked up for distribution by UK outfit Guerrilla
Films and on DVD and VOD through distributors MVD Entertainment Group in
the United States and Video Services Corp in Canada. This film ranked in the
Top 50 within the DVD horror category on Amazon.com. It was also released in
the USA by Google Play, Amazon Instant, Vimeo on Demand and Hulu.
Empire.com called it ‘a wonderfully atmospheric adaptation’.
Figgis’ feature film Railway Children (2013) was picked up by Los Angeles Sales
Agency Pop Twist Entertainment Inc who have successfully placed the film for
distribution in the US/ Canada market under the title Children of a Darker Dawn
where it was released through distributors MVD Entertainment Group in The United States and Video Services Corp in Canada. It is available through
Amazon, Tower Video, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Amazon Instant and Vimeo
on Demand (amongst other retail outlets and VOD platforms). This horror thriller
has been voted by US reviewer The Conduit Speaks as one of his Top 20
Darkest Arts and the Blood Guts Film Awards in the UK nominated the film in the
categories of Best Independent Feature Film and Figgis as Best Director. It has
also made Amazon’s recommended list for horror films available from the retail
Figgis’ latest feature film The Ecstasy of Isabel Mann (2015) – which has been
picked up by Pop Twist Entertainment for distribution – was nominated in the
categories of Best Independent Feature Film, Best Independent Screenplay and
Best Actress (Ellen Mullen) in the Blood Guts Film Awards in the UK.
Figgis directed a segment for Bodybag Films’ anthology feature film Grindsploitation (2016) as well as a segment for their upcoming release 12 Slays of Christmas (2017).
Jason is also a director of photography, stills photographer, editor and member of
the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland and the Irish Film and Television Academy.
VIDEO LINKS:
Trailer:
Theme Song Music Video:
https://vimeo.com/90162061
Outtakes, lead actress Ellen Mullen:
https://vimeo.com/85830087

The film is being released in the September 2016 in the USA and Canada first with Europe a bit later. It will be available to rent or buy on Amazon, amongst other retailers.

Be sure to keep an eye out for The Ecstasy Of Isabel Man, trust us when we say ” This Is One you Don’t want to miss.” GoreHor.com wishes Jason and his crew the Best Of Luck with Your upcoming
release, “Cheers”
TEOIM 1 Isabel and Aaron Is4

Vintage Blood (2015)

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Gorehor.com goes behind the screams with writer/director Abagail Blackmore on her latest creation, due to launch online May 30th, 2016 @ 12pm
The Making Of Vintage Blood:
Vintage Blood is a short comedy-horror starring Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther), Sophie Thompson (Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt.1, Detectorists), Finlay Robertson (Doctor Who “Blink”) and Michael Rosen (former Children’s Laureate).
Synopsis:
The owner of a quirky vintage clothes shop discovers her fiancé’s life is in danger when a cursed Ouija board comes into her possession.
“There are moments of Vintage Blood that are hilarious in some of the
darkest ways imaginable” – cinemaslasher.com
Q&A Interview with director Abigail Blackmore:
Partnership
How did you come up with the concept?
I was in “Cha Cha Cha” (which was our main location) talking to the owners Ruth and Megan about their experiences with weird customers (they have lots!) and the idea came to me about a customer passing a cursed Ouija board to them. I built the story around that idea.
How many days did it take to film?
The original shoot was four days and we did a day of pick-ups a couple of months later. That pick-up day was wonderful because we were fixing problems and adding finishing touches, which was very satisfying.
How did you decide on the location?
Owners Megan and Ruth are friends of mine and I was originally planning on shooting a straight-to-YouTube sitcom in their shop (the Ouija board idea was going to feature in an episode) but I also wanted to make a short horror film, so I asked if I could shoot it there and luckily they agreed. They’re wonderful people, everyone should go to their shop immediately! http://www.cha-cha-cha.co.uk/
What was the highlight of making the film?
Everything! The shoot itself was great fun. Showing it for the first time was a highlight. We turned the shop into a cinema and screened it for cast, crew and friends. We handed out popcorn and champagne. That was a lovely night.

What was the most aggravating moment of shooting the film?

I don’t think there were any aggravating moments during the shoot. Some in the edit, but not the shoot.

Any specific movies or stories that influenced the script?
I’ve been a horror fan since childhood and I’m influenced by eighties horror, Stephen King, Twilight Zone, Tales Of The Unexpected, but I’m also a big comedy fan. Things like Spaced, Mighty Boosh, Roseanne, Steve Coogan, The Office, Arrested Development, to name just a few.
What makes this film stand out among others?
Ha! You know I’m British, right? I have to fight deeply ingrained modesty to answer this question.
Here goes… I think the reasons it seems to stand out are that it’s funny and irreverent, and we have a magnificent cast. Indira Varma, Sophie Thompson, Michael Rosen, Finlay Robertson and Tracy Whitwell have all been in big films and TV shows. Tracy’s ad-libbed line “Shit the bed, woman!” always gets a huge laugh and is often quoted back to us.
And Ruth Syratt, who plays the bitchy friend, is outstanding in her film debut. So I would say good casting helps a lot.
Any other horror projects currently in the works?
Yes, I’m in pre-production on my debut feature, currently titled Tales From The Lodge. We have a very exciting cast lined up but I can’t say too much about it yet. Watch this space…
Written & directed by Abigail Blackmore
FESTIVALS:
World Premiere, Film4 Frightfest, London
Award Wins:
Audience Choice Award – TriForce Film Festival 2015
Best Screenplay – Unrestricted View Film Festival 2016
Award Nominations:
Best Short Film: Buried Alive Film Festival, Atlanta 2015
Melies d’Or: Abertoir Horror Festival, Wales 2015
Best Actor, Indira Varma: Underwire Film Festival, London 2015
Best Woman Director: London Short Film Festival, 2016
Best Short Film: Stranger With My Face Film Festival, Tasmania 2016
Best Short Film: Unrestricted View Film Festival, London 2016
vintage2 Vintage

Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse

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Who Is Jack Strange? That is what we wanted to find out, so we contacted the author of ‘Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse’ which is due out on May 28. Published by Kensington Gore.  Available in e-book and paperback from Amazon.  Here is what we were able to pry out of him.
Jack Strange 2 (2)
Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse is the story of the dead celebrity chef Floyd Rampant, who rises from his grave aiming to create a zombie army of chefs who will rule the world, using the human species as the main ingredient in their cordon bleu meals. It is dark, original, and so funny it should carry a government health warning. A gourmet feast, an unmissable read, and a black poignant joke. Part horror story, part political and social satire, it gives the reader a fast-paced entrée of dread, a main course of panic and a dessert of distress. CCZA, as it’s known for short, has a cast of unforgettable characters, most of whom meet with gruesome ends. The action begins in Croydon, moves to London, and reaches its explosive, climax in the author’s home town of Huddersfield. This smart, witty and profound modern day classic works on many levels.
1-Bio 
I’ve had a very chequered career like all the best writers.
Its included working in a morgue, digging holes for a living, shifting heavy things onto trucks and off them again, selling advertising space, writing press-releases, and  being a Solicitor of the Supreme Court (in America you’d call that being  a lawyer). I’ve done other stuff too.
I’ve indulged in my fair share of recreational drugs, purely for research purposes you understand, to enable me to write accurately about the experiences of people who take them.  
Trouble has found me from time-to-time, I won’t pretend it hasn’t.  Those experiences – let’s be honest here – those physical confrontations – have been very helpful to me when it comes to writing about fear and fronting up to fear.
As far as sports goes, I was an amateur boxer for a while and I fought for Kent University against Oxford University. (I won that match in the second round by a TKO if you’re wondering; I lost another bout against a far more experienced fighter than me in much the same way); I’ve also done a lot of Judo in my time. I like to keep fit. I can still do pull-ups from a dead hang up to touching my throat to the bar with no bounce or momentum, even though I’m not in the first flush of youth. I love trekking in mountainous areas.
My first dark, comedic horror novel, “Celebrity Chef Zombie apocalypse” is due to be published May 28th, 2016 by Kensington Gore Publishers. It’s a tale of true love, zombies, sex, cooking, cannibalism, depraved sex, and chasseur sauce.
2 – What’s the story about?
The story concerns a dead celebrity chef called Floyd Rampant who’s turned into a sex-crazed flesh-eating zombie when a scientist’s experiment, which is intended to raise him from the dead, goes wrong.
Rampant realizes that he’s the only zombie on the planet and he doesn’t have a chance against humanity, as the odds against him are 7 billion to one. He decides to recruit other celebrity chefs to the zombie cause to level up the odds. He creates an army of celebrity chef zombies. Their aim is to enslave humanity and use people as ingredients for their cordon bleu dishes – which of course they eat with relish.
3 – Where did the idea for the story come from?
I was thinking one day that zombies always behave in a really stupid way.
 
They eat anyone they can get their hands on, or turn them into zombies by biting them.
 
Logically, that should mean that if the zombies succeeded in taking over the planet, then sooner or later there would be no people around, only zombies, and the zombies wouldn’t have anything to eat. They’d have guaranteed their own extinction.
 
Then I thought: what if you had intelligent zombies? What would they do? They wouldn’t want to eat everyone, or turn the population of the entire world into zombies because they’d know that if they did, there’d be nothing left for them to eat except each other. They’d probably work out that their best course of action would be to enslave people and farm them for the table.
 
Then, after I’d come up with that idea, it occurred to me that the ideal cross-section of people to have as zombies would be a group that was involved in the food industry. I settled on chefs because I could see how I could have a lot of fun with that idea – I could describe how they enjoyed cooking people in elaborate ways before eating them. I don’t think that’s been done in zombie literature before.
4 – What is it about the story that made you want to write the book?
 
I thought I’d enjoy writing it and that I could introduce some new ideas into zombie fiction.
Zombies don’t cook their victims and they don’t have sex with them in the existing body of zombie literature – but they do both of these things in my novel.
I thought these were two really exciting ideas that I’d love to write about and that other people would love to read about.
5 – How long did the book take to write?
It depends on which way you look at it. I’ve written an awful lot of fiction and non-fiction in my time. Taking all my experience into account, you could say it’s taken me 7 years. On the other hand, start to finish after I’d had the idea, it only took me about 4 months. The words just seemed to flow out of me, as if it was the book I was born to write. (But I’m sure I have a few other stories to tell – including at least one sequel).
6 – What makes it a horror story?
 
That’s easy!
It has all the ingredients of a good horror story. That’s to say, many of the characters make bad decisions and pay a price for their errors of judgment. The price is always paid in blood and suffering. On top of that, there’s the supernatural element of zombies. They are the ones who exact the price, often in inventive ways. Finally, there is a black humor which runs through the novel, which is a feature of many, if not all, of the best horror stories.
7 – What’s the scariest moment in the book?
I’d say that for a guy the scariest moment is reading about what happens to one of the male characters who has sex with a female zombie. I’ll leave it at that.
8 – What is your favorite horror book?
 
That’s a tough one. There are so many great horror books out there.
I think my all-time favorite has to be ‘It Happened in Boston’ by Russell H Greenan. It features a likable psychopath, a twisting (and twisted!) plot, a series of grisly murders, some supernatural encounters, and a gobsmacking denouement.
9 – Who is your favorite horror writer?
Given what I’ve said above, it’s going to have to be Russell H Greenan.
10 – Would the book work as a movie?
Definitely.
Like any classic movie, it has a beginning, a middle and a more than satisfying end.
Within this structure, there are numerous set-pieces involving zombie attacks which could be used to spectacular effect on the big screen.
There are also numerous sub-plots – a love-story, a detective story, and one or two others. Each sub-plot follows the classic story structure – I.e., there is a status quo, the status quo is upset (by the zombies), and the characters concerned either survive the onslaught of the zombies or they don’t.
The ending leaves scope for a sequel, so the movie could develop into a franchise! (Hollywood, I’m waiting by my phone!)
Side-Note; if you are looking for a solid read that offers Blood, guts and Food. This twist of comedy and zombies is surely for you.

 

Mirrored

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Behind the Screen: Q&A with the creators of Mirrored
Mirrored is the story of a hellish journey which ends in a frightful manner.
The Following were answered by both Nicole Bird (Writer and Producer) and Ryan Shovey (Director, Editor, Cinematographer) 
What’s the logline or tagline?
When a depressed gamer gets a new mirror installed in his bathroom, he quickly discovers the mirror is actually a portal to hell.
What do you think was the scariest moment of the film?
The climax of the film contains the scariest moment — the demon has fully actualized, the walls of the bathroom close in on Dylan and he is beyond salvation.  When there is no hope for ye who enter here, that is the height of fear, in our eyes.
How many days did it take to film?
It took 2 days of principal photography, then 1 day of reshoots.
How did you do the Special Effects?
The FX were a mixture of practical and digital FX. We built a set for the bathroom, with a duplicate bathroom on the other side of the mirror, so that the demon and Dylan could interact at the same time. Besides that, many years of After Effects training really helped.
What was the highlight of making the film?
The highlight of every film is experiencing the audience’s reaction when seeing it on the big screen. When we premiered at the Chinese Theater, people laughed at the precise moments and are terrified at the precise moments, which makes filmmaking and that dance with the audience members so gratifying.
What was the most aggravating moment of shooting the film?
It’s hard to say what’s aggravating because of how organic putting a film together is. We had some issues with the green screen when we did not get to film the reverse footage to match, and, instead, we had to adjust to make the scene make sense. We really had to think on our feet.
Any other horror projects in the works?
We have several potential feature films in the works. The first investor to deposit the funds gets the first amazing horror flick made.
What was the budget?
A magician never reveals the secrets behind his tricks, nor do filmmakers reveal their budgets 😉
Any specific movies or stories that influenced the script?
The tone of Mirrored is inspired by classic 80’s horror/comedy films such as Evil Dead 2 and Re-Animator
What was the first horror movie you watched and at what age?
      Ryan: I’ve seen so many, but the first film to really leave an impact, and is my favorite to this day, is A Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s the only movie that helps me sleep.
      Nicole: The first horror movie that I saw as Psycho at age 11.  I would argue that Psycho is the first slasher movie with a psychological thriller intertwined. It was amazing to me that Hitchcock had the juice to kill his main character halfway through the movie. It was innovative, so unique and scared the crap out of me. I still get creeped out when I’m showering, haha.
Bio:
Carpenter Hill Productions is the joint efforts of Nicole Bird and Ryan Shovey. Nicole is an LA based Screenwriter and Producer, She has gone through several film schools, like Full Sail and UCF in Orlando FL, and has Masters Degree in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute. Ryan has been directing, editing, and creating short film content since graduating film school in 2007. They both met in Los Angeles, CA, and instantly/naturally began collaborating on genre content based off of their love of the classics my Hitchcock, Polanski, Kubrick, Carpenter, and Craven. They decided to name their company after two of their most influential filmmaking icons, John Carpenter, and Debra Hill. They have since created 5 horror short films, which have all played in numerous festivals, including Mirrored which premiere at ScreamFest 2015 at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA.
 
If you’re in the mood for few laughs and chills, then Mirrored is the right choice for
you. ” A Witty, Wicked, Good Time “

Contact Info
– nicole.e.bird@gmail.com
– @birdthewriter (on twitter)
Ryan Shovey
– rdshovey@gmail.com
@creepycoolpics (on twitter)

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 Trailer:

Blood Thirsty

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Behind The Ink: An Interview With Writer Mark Landry
Author Mark Landry had  a vision as a child which turned into reality with his comic book turned novel, ” Bloodthirsty. ” We had the pleasure of speaking with Mark concerning his journey. Here’s a little Q&A we conducted.
1-About Mark
I grew up in Southwest Louisiana – in a town called Lake Charles. In college, I studied film and media at LSU, then Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. My first internship was for Lucasfilm on Skywalker Ranch (nerd heaven), and then for the Donners’ Company, which as a Superman and Goonies fan, was like a dream. I’ve been writing stories since I was a wee lad, and professionally for about seven years now. “Bloodthirsty: One Nation Under Water” is my first comic book (if we don’t count the doodles and false starts as a kid), and the story brings me back to Louisiana.
2 – What’s the story about?
It’s about a (fictional) Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Virgil, who loses everyone he cares about in Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. When he uncovers a group of blood-sucking disaster capitalist hemovores (non-supernatural vampires) that are sucking New Orleans dry, he wages a one-man war to take them down before a new hurricane hits.
3 – Where did the idea for the story come from?
The ever-present fire under my ass to write anything is a deep hatred for anyone who oppresses or otherwise victimizes someone else – one could call it a passion for justice. It’s why I write anything. Luckily for me, there’s an infinite number of ways to treat this in stories: funny, melodramatic, thrilling, scary, etc. What got me going on “Bloodthirsty” was this idea that so many people were so helpless for so long in the Katrina crisis that it didn’t feel like it could happen in the USA. It felt like some far-flung, low-tech backwater kind of disaster. And that really pissed me off. I got frustrated about it, and also felt guilty (because what did I do to help?). So the story started working on me, telling me what it wanted to be – to express and rid myself of this constant anger. I suppose like most stories, it was an exorcism.
4  – What is it about the story that made you want to write the book?
What lit the fuse in my head was this idea of “bloodthirsty” – as the term is used to describe greedy people – marrying greed with the literal blood thirst of vampires. Except that I didn’t want the villains to be supernatural – at all – for one important reason: I didn’t want to let humans off the hook for being assholes. The villains in this story are human beings who happen to have a mutation that keeps them looking youthful while requiring them to drink blood. They treat their victims in pretty much the same way that greedy humans treat other humans in real life – as fodder, cogs, or as a meal. This concept got the green light turned on in my head, and from there the work became about shaping both the villains’ plan and the everyday heroes who would rise up against them.
5 – How long did the book take to write?
The script took about two years, as I was working on other projects off and on during that time. Once it was written, the art took another three years. Fortunately, Titan Comics picked up the book in the meantime. They published it as five monthly comic book issues starting last September (10 years after Katrina hit); the issues are being collected and published as a single volume (graphic novel) this June.
6  – How did you create the characters?
Having started with the villains (which I already kind of discussed), my focus then shifted to the heroes. New Orleans is a very diverse city – Louisiana is a diverse state. So I didn’t want the heroes to all be your standard-issue general white guys. I see that every time I look in the mirror, so it gets a little old. I also knew that I wanted to pull the main character from the U.S. Coast Guard because they were such a positive force during the Katrina crisis that so many people seem to have forgotten about. That’s why Virgil LaFleur – the main character – is both racially mixed (just like his city) and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. To me, he represents the best of humanity to have emerged from the Katrina disaster. Along the way, he develops allies from the homeless community, a street kid, a corrupt cop, and a doctor – a diverse group of people who come together for a common purpose.
7 – What’s makes this story stand out from others?
Back when I wrote the story, the BlackLivesMatter movement hadn’t really gotten started yet. It was the Occupy Wall Street movement – that summer – when I outlined the script. If I had actually gotten it published back then, it might have been ahead of its time. But now, we’re seeing a much stronger push in pop culture for more diversity in our storytelling. And I’m not just talking about race – gender, age, religion, occupation, and even a diversity of scenery. Audiences want to see more of America than just L.A. and New York every time they turn on the TV, go to the cinema, or open a comic book. What I hope makes “Bloodthirsty” stand out is its no-nonsense reflection of America. I hope people will read it and recognize it as their country – not just an idealized, commercial version of real, but a tough-love kind of real.
8 – What is your favorite horror book?
“The Shining,” by Stephen King. I also love the film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick.
9 – As a writer, who is your biggest influence?
As a writer of comics, my biggest influence would be Frank Miller. I was a kid in the ‘80s when he was really nailing Batman, and “The Dark Knight Returns” was the first comic I ever fell in love with. I think I was 10 when I first read it. I’m sure I’ve stolen a ton from it unconsciously for “Bloodthirsty.” As a screenwriter, I would say my two greatest influences have been Stanley Kubrick and Paddy Chayefsky. “Dr. Strangelove” and “Network,” respectively, are two of the most perfect pieces of any art I’ve ever experienced.
10 – Would the book work as a movie?
Absolutely. Honestly, I don’t think there are many stories that couldn’t be adapted into other media. The trick is in doing the work it takes to adapt something properly. I think that’s where many adaptations fall short. Kubrick said that – and I’m paraphrasing here – a film is a film, and a book is a book. You can’t shoot a book; you have to shoot a film. To me, that means that the intense work of boiling down a story to its essence and then re-sculpting it for whatever new medium you’re working within is essential in order to get an adaptation right. I think “Bloodthirsty” would be a rather easy piece to translate into a screenplay. It’s about the right length.
11 –  Any other projects in the works?
Yes: I’m currently working on a script for the Disney Channel; also an R-rated vampire screenplay for a different set of producers. I think you guys would love that one once it’s set up and produced; I certainly do. There are three or four other scripts in the outline phases (comics and movies), as well. I’ll never stop.
12 – What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
There’s very little about it that I don’t enjoy, but I would have to say what I enjoy most is being able to sit in quiet, focus, and construct a creative expression of thoughts and feelings – the craft of it. It’s the thing that feels the most to me like freedom, and that’s pretty much the best feeling there is.
Mark Landry, writer/creator of “Bloodthirsty: One Nation Under Water”
Release Date for Graphic Novel: June 8, 2016

Titan Comics/Random House

 

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The Divine Tragedies

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GoreHor goes behind the scenes with Indie Film-Maker Jose Prendes on his latest project.
The Divine Tragedies is an existentialist serial killer film on crack. It starrs Graham Denman, Jon Kondelik, Hannah Levien, Sean Whalen, Ken Foree and Barbara Crampton.
 What’s the logline or tagline?
Two brothers with a warped sense of reality decide to try and pull off the perfect murder.
What do you think was the scariest moment is in the film? 
Well, I can’t really answer that without giving away a major plot point. All I can say is that it involved a rock and a face.
How did you come up with the concept?
I had been intrigued by the Leopold and Loeb murder trial of 1924 for a while now. It was a case that inspired some great films already, like Hitchcock’s Rope and Compulsion starring Orson Welles, so I didn’t want to approach the subject matter head on, I wanted to take it in a very David Lynchian/ David Cronenbergian direction. I knew I could use the concept of these two whacko guys who thought they were better than everyone else and play with reality, which made for a very trippy and unique movie.
How many days did it take to film? 
We shot for 14 days, believe it or not. It was a whirlwind shoot, and yes I wished we had much more time, but my crew was stellar and we nailed it. The fact that our shoot was so compromised also informed the way we shot the film in long takes, but it only enhanced and added to the this aura of dread that this movie was going for.
How did you do the FX stuff?
We had an FX team. It was a two-girl team, Roxie and Caitlyn. They handled all of it, even the beauty makeup. Yes, I wish we could have afforded more people, but they did a bang up job and the FX works looks pretty great.
What was the highlight of making the film?
The highlight was being able to work with Ken Foree and Barbara Crampton, who turned in unbelievable performances. They blew us all away.
What was the most aggravating moment of shooting the film?
Time. Time is a constant aggravation, and every moment dealt with time, so all I can say is time was our enemy.
Any other horror projects in the works?
This film was so draining physically and spiritually and mentally, that I made the decision to step away from horror for a while. My new film is a comedy, actually. It’s titled Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy, and just like the excellent Room 237, my film takes a critical look at the hidden meanings of Ed Wood’s magnum opus Plan 9 From Outer Space. However, I wrote a very popular book a few years ago titled Sharcano, which involved sharks from hell erupting from volcanoes and wrecking worldwide devastation, and thanks to popular demand I finally forced myself to sit down and start working on the sequel Sharks of the Living Dead. Both Plan 9 and Sharks of the Living Dead will be out in 2017.
What was the budget?
The budget was under a million, as my producers would have me answer.
Any specific movies or stories that influenced the script?
The film was influenced by the work of Cronenberg and Lynch, and by the Leopold and Loeb case, as well as the movies that were inspired by their savagery.
What Is the release Date?
The film will be released Fall 2016, most likely October, but no set date just yet.
Filmmaker Bio:
Writer/Director Jose Prendes has recently dedicated his life to finding Bigfoot and making it wear a top hat. However, before this obsession kicked in he was the writer/director of The Monster Man starring Denice Duff (Subspecies); Corpses Are Forever starring Richard Lynch (Puppet Master 3); The Haunting of Whaley House starring Lynn Lowry (The Crazies); The Divine Tragedies starring Ken Foree & Barbara Crampton (From Beyond); Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy starring Joe Dante (Gremlins).Despite his busy schedule as an iconoclast, he has also written the best-selling novels Sharcano and Elementary, My Dear Watson, as well as the non-fiction books The High-Concept Massacre: Genre Screenwriters Tell All! and The Are You Afraid of the Dark? Campfire Companion, a guide to the beloved kids horror series. If Bigfoot doesn’t kill him, he plans to make a musical.
Credits:
Written and directed by Jose Prendes
IMDB:

On The Brain

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What’s the logline or tagline?
A small-town Sheriff discovers there is something wrong with the sleepy town of Golden Torch, and he quickly realizes he may not get out alive.
What do you consider to be the scariest moment is in the film?
There are several moments that will make you jump in the film, “On The Brain”. In this film, the zombies are not the traditional slow moving, thoughtless creatures that are portrayed in most films. Rather, these zombies have cognitive abilities and can do things, such as opening doors. In fact, a zombie breaks through a car window in one scene which was inspired by the cinematography in “Cujo”. I was actually reminded of that film’s sequence involving a car when I read “On The Brain’s” script written by Brandon Trask. In that sequence, CUJO attacked the main characters who were trapped inside a vehicle. The sense of dread was deafening, and I think our film “On The Brain” has similar qualities.
How did you come up with the concept?
The concept of “On The Brain” has an interesting genesis. The film was adapted from the novel “The Dangerous Season” written in the 1970’s by Ina Gay Trask. After her passing, her son Brandon Trask found a chest in her closet full of manuscripts and stories. Covered in dust, he discovered a stack of his mother’s writings weathered and torn. And one of those stories was particularly scary. It moved her son Brandon Trask to adapt a screenplay out of it in 2009 in honor of his mother.
How many days did it take to film?
We were scheduled to shoot 13 days. But on the 13th day, the town of San Jacinto, CA had a heavy sandstorm as it turned out. With gale forced winds, it was impossible to shoot our exterior scene so we had to end our shoot early. Later scheduling 2 more pick up days. So, in total, it took 14 days film.
How did you do the FX stuff?
The Visual FX was achieved with the help from Red Giant’s “Magic Bullet Suite” and Adobe’s After Effects. Their DIY software made the worms under the infected zombie’s skin and color grading effects possible.
How did you decide on the name?
The title “On The Brain” was conceived days before filming. It had the pulp noir feeling we were after.
At what age did you watch your 1st horror film and which film was it?
The 1st horror film I watched was “The Blob”. I remember being 7 years old and watching it with my cousins around Halloween time. Looking back, the movie itself was rather insignificant, but the fact I was able to watch my first horror film at the age of 7 was. Since then dark films including horror, drama, and film noir have been my interest. Most likely where I get the inspiration for my twisted film concepts.
Any other horror projects in the works?
We have 3 other films we are working on. “Cuddle Buddies” is about an agoraphobic painter who loses her touch with reality and has imaginary friends. It all seems harmless until those friends become foes. “Knife” is about the black market organ trade. And the third project is “Bubbles and Stones”, (a film adapted after an unpublished sci-fi time-traveling novel.)
What was the budget?
We had an initial budget of 10k for pre-production and principal photography. After we had a 1st cut of the film, we received 8k for post-production and marketing.
Any specific movies or stories that influenced the script?
There are a handful of movies that influenced the tone, score, and cinematography of our film “On The Brain”. The tone was based on “The Crazies” and “Terribly Happy”. The Score was heavily influenced by Cliff Martinez’ work in “Drive”, “The Knick”, and “Only God Forgives”. The shots and lighting were inspired by cinematographer Roger Deakins and his work in “No Country for Old Men” and “Prisoners”.
Will there be a full-length version in the future?
“On The Brain” is a full-length 88-minute film distributed by Midnight Releasing.
FILMMAKER’S BEWARE: On a side note, this film has been a labor of love and despair. The producer/writer, Brandon Trask is in the process of a spiritual journey and has sold everything he owns to live off the grid in order in search of finding his inspiration and faith after he completed the film. Film production is not for the feint of heart or weakly determined, it consumes your life before, and after its completion.
Synopsis:
A Sheriff deals with an unusual development in his townsfolk who are attacking each other viciously. He quickly realizes, he may not get out alive.
Website: On the Brain movie
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3699572/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnTheBrainMovie
Director: Kevin Van Stevenson

Trailer:

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