Piracy and You

Recently I lost a facebook friend due to us differing on opinions of Torrent sites. He was completely against them, for the sake of the artists losing money due to piracy. Which I understand and respect his opinion, stealing is stealing.

However, how many of us have made mix tapes/cd's? Who didn't rent movies from video stores in the 80's and 90's and make a copy on VHS? Who didn't record episodes of TV shows, movies off television, or sporting events? Aren't all of those stealing as well?

I've always used torrent sites for rare horror films that have been lost to VHS. So many of them will never see a DVD release. With VHS collecting becoming so hip, and tapes going for crazy amounts (some well in the 1000's of dollars), how can a fan get a hold of these films any other way? Besides bootlegs at horror conventions, which is another form or piracy.

If it weren't for bootleg VHS' so many of today's cult films would have been lost as well. Think about any of the video nasties. My collection of films, hard copies, is insane. If these films were to see DVD releases, I'd gladly fork over the cash to purchase them.

Thanks to companies like Camp Motion Pictures, SRS,  and Massacre Video we've seen several SOV (Shot-on-Video) classics be resurrected. With the VHS subculture growing, it's hopeful that we will continue to see more of titles resurface.

While I understand that artists/musicians/film makers should be compensated for their work, and piracy through torrent websites can hurt them.... isn't it a theft to us the fans to have to pay insane prices for VHS copies via Ebay?

Here is an example of a film currently going for $1,699.99: EXTREMELY RARE!!!  This auction is for an ORIGINAL VHS video of WCW Wild in Sturgis 1996. This rare tape was available ONLY through the official WCW fan club of Germany and is hosted by Alex Wright.  This video was produced during Hog Wild 1996.....featuring footage and interviews with Harlem Heat, Jimmy Hart, Arn Anderson, Sting, Rey Mysterio Jr. and MANY others!  First time ever offered on eBay, and never sold in stores!  This was exclusively available only to members of WCW's fan club in Germany in 1996.  This original tape comes with it’s original box too !!

And people will pay these prices. To me this is a form of theft as well, but it happens every day.

It was disheartening to have lost this person from Facebook, and again I respect his opinion, but he had made up his mind about me before I even took the chance to explain myself. Even then, he defriended me. There are no hard feelings on my part, it's just a subject I wanted to touch on.

- Brandon

DEFECTIVE MAN!

http://www.sb-films.com/
http://www.facebook.com/dryanmowry
http://www.facebook.com/defective.man.movie

D. Ryan Mowry's DEFECTIVE MAN! contains all the TROMA and LOW BUDGET PICTURES elements a fan could want: adult humor, comic book style hijinx, nudity, and absurdity... all while managing to find it's own voice and sense of humor.


Paul Alsing, Defective Man himself, has the comic sensibility of Joel D Wynkoop (Dirty Cop No Donut, Truth or Dare, The Uh-Oh Show, and Brainjacked). Bringing this vibrant, over the top character to life without feeling forced or stiff.


TROMA regular Trent Haaga almost steals the show as motivational speaker Ronny Tobins, and the films villain Hevvy Flo's partner in crime. What turns out to be more than just a cameo, Haaga's character has more screen time than said antagonist. Giving a series of inspirational seminars, these scenes are filled with Haaga's natural energy, comedic timing, and natural charm.


The character of Hevvy Flo is brought to life by actress Haylee Nelson. Nelson has some of the funniest, and memorable lines in the film. While this may be her first feature film, Mowry was able to get a great performance without leaving the audience feeling like they were watching a freshmen to acting. I for one look forward to seeing where she goes in her career, and the diversity I'm sure she is capable of.


Spolier alert: Notable to fans of Low Budget Pictures, Billy Garberina (Terror at Blood Far Lake, Taintlight, and Deathbone) also makes a cameo as The President of New Mexico. Chris Seaver himself is given a special thanks for creating the character in the end credits.


There are a few other surprises in store for the audience in the film, and bonus features on the DVD.


While the film has a few technical issues involving audio and lighting, I felt they were so minor that they were so minimal most viewers will not even notice them. Besides, the film itself is so consistently funny and entertaining that you will be too occupied with the story and characters to take note.


Overall, Mowry's first venture into feature films is a complete success. DEFECTIVE MAN! packs the goods that any low budget, comedy aficionado hungers for. Hopefully this film will find distribution soon and be presented to the masses. 


- Brandon Bennett

The Mini-View Featuring Torin Langen

Welcome to the first Mini-View of 2012!

This week I bring you a very ambitious young filmmaker, Torin Langen. His short film TRASH has slowly been making its way around these here interwebs. Below I will include the film itself for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully you all enjoy it as well as I do. Please feel free to share and help spread the word.

Enjoy my friends!
- Brandon

1. Tell us about how your film TRASH came to be? And what kind of equipment you used?

TRASH was the result of desperation. I had just come off of finishing another short and was between projects, which is a situation I hate above all else. I was itching to get something started but didn't want to do anything too lavish, and just wanted to have fun making something cool. At the time, my buddy Zach Ramelan had been making a number of 3-5 minute shorts where he carried out every aspect of production himself, including directing, acting, camera work, editing, etc. As a result, I thought I'd give it a try myself, but what I initially intended to be a 3-5 minute project evolved into something a bit different.

The equipment I've got access to is certainly sub-standard, but for this particular short I think it worked to my advantage. I have yet to upgrade to HD, so TRASH was shot on DV tape with a 12-year-old Sony VX-2000. As far as lighting goes, I was just using a couple clamp lights and some bizarre looking thing that is supposed to emulate sunlight. However, unlike the films it's meant to pay homage to, TRASH was edited with Final Cut. I would have shot myself if I'd tried assembling it tape-to-tape!

2. How long was the process? From conception to filming, and finally editing.

I shot TRASH all over the place. I started shooting it sometime in the middle of May 2011 and finished it in November later that year. There wasn't really a conception period; like I said before, I was desperate to start work on something, so I started shooting before I even knew what it was going to be about (which by the way, is a horrible idea). Also, because I was the only one involved for the majority of the shoot, it was one of those situations where I'd set up the camera, try and frame it as best I could, start recording, then run into frame and "act". Because this shooting process was so frustrating, I'd sometimes only grab a few shots in an evening, get fed up, and leave it for another week or more. However, I edited as I went, so once I finally got all my footage together all that was really left to do was score it. The one thing I did know from the get-go that it was going to be a SOV-throwback, so while i was still shooting I contacted my friend Struan Sutherland (www.bloodthirstymelonproductions.com) to make a retro logo animated logo for my company. I also ended up running the film through a VHS tape to muck up the image quality a bit. If I'd really wanted to I probably could have shot it all over a few days, but it wasn't something that I thought would turn out well or was taking seriously at all. It was really just something to keep me busy until I started a "real" project, although ironically it seems to be the thing I've done that people have enjoyed the most!

3. TRASH truly shows your love of horror, and maybe specifically the SOV subgenre. Who are some directors, and some films that inspired you?

I started getting into SOV movies back in the 8th grade, which was when I saw Todd Sheets' Zombie Bloodbath Trilogy, Jon McBride's Cannibal Campout, and JR Bookwalter's The Dead Next Door (which, granted, was shot on 8mm film, but the spirit was the same!). I'd say the most inspiring thing about these types of films for me was simply that these guys were able to go out and make movies with limited resources, get them released, and create something cool that wound up generating a cult following. I loved the films and still do! Never underestimate the power of a few horror fans, a camcorder, and a wild imagination!

4. What has the reception been like to the film? I know you had a premier, can you tell us how that came about and what kind of response you got?

The reception has really surprised me! Like I said before, it was just a goofy project that I was doing to keep me busy, yet it's shaping up to be one of the more successful pieces I've put together! I think a lot of that just has to do with timing, seeing as it was released in the middle of this whole "VHS-revival" thing that's happening on the indie film circuit. The premiere of TRASH was awesome, the first public screening was on January 6th at one of Horror In The Hammer's Fright Night Theatre movie nights, and it was a fantastic time! I contacted them literally the day after I finished the film, sent them the link, and they booked it then and there! It screened on a double bill with James Bickert's biker-sploitation flick "Dear God No!", which was gloriously offensive and funny as hell! I'd say the best part of the whole night was the audience reaction to TRASH. Heckling is encouraged at these screenings, so luckily I was able to capture all the crowd's audio and will be uploading it synced with the film in the near future. It was really well-received and I've met a lot of great people as a result! Can't wait to do it again!

5. I have in my possession, a VHS copy of TRASH. How many of these were made, and do you plan on releasing any more? 

As VHS has become increasing more collectible, is this something you may continue to do in the the future?

Those VHS of TRASH were made specifically for the premiere as raffle prizes, but I made up a few extras and only 3 were given away at the screening. I believe that only 7 tapes were made up in total, but I'll be throwing more together with actual bonus features on them for an upcoming Canadian horror convention called Shock Stock that I'll be selling at come April. I'll also be making up copies of my other short Case Study 2: Hide and Seek, and my upcoming short Merry Christmas, Daddy, both on VHS and with bonus features. Right now, I'm thinking these tapes will only be sold at this con, but if I have any leftovers I'll have them for sale online. But yeah, the version that you have was limited to only 7 copies. I'd better not see that thing listed on eBay!

6. What is next for you? Another short film, or perhaps a feature?

The plan at the moment is to complete another couple of shorts, then take everything and make an anthology film out of them, currently titled "Scribbles". There's also a possibility that the shorts may be divided up into episodes and air on the local access channel as a series. However, I won't make any guarantees about that as of now since you never really know what might happen down the line, but things are looking good as of now! Anyway, once the anthology's finished, I've got some ideas for another very different type of short I'd like to do, as well as a "real" feature, currently titled Daisy's Daughter. There's tons I'd like to do, but I'm trying not to think too much about that right now and focus on the tasks at hand! There's lots coming though, so stay tuned!

Oh, and since this is my last question, I'd like to take a moment and thank Mickey Conde for his work on the film TRASH, Struan Sutherland for the fantastic Candle Flame Films logo he put together, and all you guys who have watched the film, shared it, or support no-budget indie cinema as a whole!

Many thanks to Torin for being joining us here at The Indie Film Revue!

365 Days of Trailers Day 27

Day number 27 brings you Bam Margera's 2003 indie film Haggard: The Movie.

Based on the true story about Ryan Dunn (played by himself) and his ex-girlfriend Glauren (Jenn Rivell) and how she cheated on him. After the break up Glauren is rumored to have been hooking up with heavy metal Hellboy (Rake Yohn). Ryan enlists the help of his friends Valo (Bam Margera) and Falcone (Brandom Dicamillo) to find out the truth. They do whatever it takes to get the evidence, even if it meant breaking into her house. Meanwhile, Ryan has run-ins with the law and even gets stabbed in the eye with a fork. The movie also includes special appearances by pro-skaters Tony Hawk, Jason Ellis, and Bucky Lasek. - IMDB

Haggard is not your typical Jackass material, as it focuses on actual storyline. Dunn truly showed off his acting abilities, it's sad that he is no longer with us and never got as much work in film as Johnny Knoxville. Dicamillo's character has always been one of my favorites in the film. While not believable, his absurd sense of humor truly stands out. Nothing in this film is award winning, but has always held a special place for me. Watching Dunn go through the mixed emotions of a breakup seemed quite true to life, as if he wasn't actually acting but truly going through those experiences.

I hope you all enjoy and actually give the film a chance.



Haggard IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298656/
Bam Margera IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0546640/
Margera's Official site:  http://www.bamargera.com/

Days of Trailers Day 26

Day number 26 brings you Rian Johnson's 2006 neo-noir, murder mystery Brick.

The lonely teenager Brendan finds his former girlfriend Emily dead in the entrance of a tunnel of sewage and recalls her phone call two days ago, when she said to him that she was in trouble. Brendan, who still loved Emily, met bad elements of his high-school trying to contact her, and when he succeeded, she told him that she was OK. He hides her body in the tunnel and decides to investigate the meaning and connection of four words, including "brick" and "pin", that Emily told him to find who killed her. Using the support of his nerd friend Brain, he successively meets the small time drug dealers Kara, Dode, Brad Bramish, Laura and Tugger, to reach the teenager powerful drug dealer The Pin. Slowly, Brendan unravels the motives why Emily was killed and plots a revenge. -IMDB


It was Johnson's directorial debut and won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Brick was distributed by Focus Features, opening in New York and Los Angeles on April 7, 2006.

The origins of Brick were Rian Johnson's obsession with the writing of Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), an author known for hardboiled detective novels, and his desire to make a straightforward American detective story. He had discovered Hammett's work through an interview the Coen brothers did around the time of the release of their 1990 gangster film, Miller's Crossing. He read Red Harvest (1929) and then moved on to The Maltese Falcon (1930) and The Glass Key (1931), the latter of which had been the main influence for the Coen's Miller's Crossing. Johnson had grown up watching detective films and film noir, and reading Hammett's novels inspired him to make a film that created the same kind of world. He realized that this would result in a mere imitation and came up with high school as the setting to keep things fresh. Of the initial writing process he remarked "it was really amazing how all the archetypes from that detective world slid perfectly over the high school types". He also wanted to disrupt the visual preconceptions that came from the film noir genre but once he started making Brick, he found it "very much about the experience of being a teenager to me". Despite this admission, Johnson maintained that the film was not autobiographical.

Johnson wrote the first draft of Brick in 1997 after graduating from USC School of Cinematic Arts a year earlier. He spent the next seven years pitching his script but none of the Hollywood studios or production companies were interested because the material was too unusual to make with a first-time director. Johnson estimated the minimal amount of money for which he could make the film, and asked friends and family for backing. His family were in the construction industry, and came into a significant amount of money which they devoted to the project, thereby encouraging others to contribute funds. After Johnson had acquired about $450,000 for the film's budget, Brick finally began production in 2003.

Brick has, to me, a very similar tone as Donnie Darko. It's a film that keeps me thinking, and I notice something new with each viewing. So many tiny nuances to pick up on. Hopefully you all enjoy as much as I do!



Brick IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/
Rian Johnson IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426059/

365 Days of Trailers Day 25

Day 25 brings you a piece of Canadian horror in Jon Knautz's 2010 The Shrine.

After a young American backpacker goes missing in Europe, a group of journalists link his disappearance to a remote village in Poland. They travel there hoping to get the story, but as they unravel the secrets behind this mysterious village, they are suddenly pursued by hostile locals. Unable to escape, they soon become the next victims of ritualistic human sacrifice. Forced into the gruesome reality of true survival horror, the journalists soon discover that this village hides a much darker secret than they could ever imagine. - IMBD

The Shrine was done by Brookstreet Pictures, the minds behind Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. Unlike the almost Evil Dead'ish humor of Brooks, this film is straight forward horror. While openly a fan of Brooks, it was refreshing to see the team do something different.

A big part of the seperation in the film is that most of the cast is speaking 'Polish', leaving the viewer wondering about the dialogue being spoken between characters. Which puts you as in the dark as the three main protagonists. (Note: As I do not speak Ploish myself, I can not tell you if they really were or if it was simply gibberish)

Check out the trailer and I hope you enjoy as much as I did!



The Shrine IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341710/
Jon Knautz IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1394062/
The Shrine official page: http://www.theshrinemovie.com/

365 Days of Trailers Day 24

It's day 24 and I bring you a bit of science fiction with Franck Vestiel's 2007 film Eden Log.

A man wakes up deep inside a cave. Suffering amnesia, he has no recollection of how he came to be here or of what happened to the man whose body he finds beside him. Tailed by a mysterious creature, he must continue through this strange and fantastic world. Enclosed, Tolbiac has no other option to reach the surface than to use REZO ZERO, secret observing cells in this cemetery-like abandoned mine. He embarks upon this journey guided by the roots of a plant, leading the way and the main subject of attention of the REZO. - IMDB

The film was Franck Vestiel's first as a director. Eden Log uses a muted palette. The film is shot with only hand-held cameras in underground locations 60 feet (18 m) below the surface, as well as in a sewer. A gray and blue multilevel set is used in Eden Log, which, according to Vestiel, was designed to "avoid the look of the usual science fiction future [...] The last thing I wanted was for Eden Log to fall into the trap of those science fiction films where the characters live in super-sterile, bathroom-like environments. [...] And I did not want people to be able to date the film by identifying the technology, which is why I have no apparatuses, no dials, no buttons." The surrealistic landscapes of Eden Log were inspired by Vestiel's favorite films, such as Escape From New York and Dawn of the Dead, and comics and literature, such as Frank Miller's Daredevil and Métal Hurlant.

Without giving away too much I will say that the story it self is a sort of a re-invisioning of Genesis and the Resurrection. It's visually beautiful and dirty. It's a film that will force you to think. Throughout the film I felt influences from films such as Shin'ya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo, the Iron man... and E. Elias Merhige's Begotten. These were always pictures that forced the veiwer to think and disect what was happening before their eyes.

Hopefully you all enjoy as much as I did.

IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1087842/

Franck Vestiel IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0895367/

365 Days of Trailers Day 23

Day number 23 brings you Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8½

Guido is a film director, trying to relax after his last big hit. He can't get a moments peace, however, with the people who have worked with him in the past constantly looking for more work. He wrestles with his conscience, but is unable to come up with a new idea. While thinking, he starts to recall major happenings in his life, and all the women he has loved and left. An autobiographical film of Fellini, about the trials and tribulations of film making. -IMDB

8½ is about the struggles involved in the creative process, both technical and personal, and the problems artists face when expected to deliver something personal and profound with intense public scrutiny, on a constricted schedule, while simultaneously having to deal with their own personal relationships. It is, in a larger sense, about finding true personal happiness in a difficult, fragmented life. Like several Italian films of the period (most evident in the films of Fellini's contemporary, Michelangelo Antonioni), 8½ also is about the alienating effects of modernization.

Its title refers to Fellini's eighth and a half film as a director. His previous directorial work consisted of six features, two short segments, and a collaboration with another director, Alberto Lattuada, the latter three productions accounting for a "half" film each.

8½ won two Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design (black-and-white). Acknowledged as avant-garde and a highly influential classic, it was ranked third best film of all time in a 2002 poll of film directors conducted by the British Film Institute and is also listed on the Vatican's compilation of the 45 best films made before 1995, the 100th anniversary of cinema.

8½ was the first film of Fellini's films I came across as a teenager. It was a bootleg a friend of mine had on vhs. I remember being up really late and just trying to digest how it made me feel. It was one of the first films that truly made me do that. It holds a special place to this day. A film I can not suggest enough to anyone interested in filmmaking. I hope you enjoy!



IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056801/
Federico Fellini's IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000019/

365 Days of Trailers Day 22

Day number 22 brings you Jack Clayton's 1983 film Something Wicked This Way Comes, based on the book of the same name by Ray Bradbury.

In a small town, two young boys named Will and Jim encounter a sinister carnival whose proprietor, Mr. Dark, lures the townsfolk to their doom by promising to fulfill their childhood desires. As Will, Jim, and Will's father, Charles Halloway, are about to find out, these wishes come at a horrific price. Will they survive? - IMDB


In 1977, Bradbury sold the film rights to Something Wicked This Way Comes to Paramount. He and director Jack Clayton, whom Bradbury had previously worked with on Moby Dick, produced a completed script. However, production never began and the film was eventually put into turnaround.

At this time Walt Disney Pictures was concentrating on films with more mature themes in an attempt to break free from their stereotype as an animation and family film studio. After the success of family-oriented fantasy pictures by competing studios, such as Time Bandits and The Dark Crystal, Disney decided to purchase the adaptation's rights and hired Bradbury to produce a new script from scratch.

The studio sought Bradbury's input on selecting a cast and director, and he suggested Clayton feeling they had worked well together at Paramount. In a 1981 issue of Cinefantastique, Bradbury stated that his top choices to play Mr. Dark were Peter O'Toole and Christopher Lee. However, Disney decided to go with a relatively unknown actor instead in order to keep the budget down. As the film progressed, two differing visions emerged for the film, with Bradbury wishing to stay as faithful to the novel as possible, and Clayton wanting to make a more accessible and family friendly film. The two became estranged when Clayton hired writer John Mortimer to do an uncredited revision of Bradbury's screenplay at the studio's behest.

Initial test screenings did not fare well with audiences, and Disney re-commissioned Bradbury to write an opening narration sequence and new ending. Disney also spent an additional $5 million on refilming, re-editing, and rescoring the picture.

Something Wicked has a strange mystique about it that I have always loved. Hope you enjoy!



IMDB Page:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/
Jack Clayton IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002338/
WIKI on Ray Bradbury: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury

365 Days of Trailers Day 20

Day number 20 brings you another film on the longs of censorship, I want to keep in step with the SOPA shutdown. So today's film is Kirby Dick's 2006 This Film is Not Yet Rated.

This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on September 1, 2006. The Independent Film Channel, the film's producer, aired the film later that year. It was rated TV-MA in the United States.

The MPAA gave the original cut of the film an NC-17 rating for "some graphic sexual content" – scenes that illustrated the content a film could include to garner an NC-17 rating. Kirby Dick appealed, and descriptions of the ratings deliberations and appeal were included in the documentary. The new version of the film is not rated.

The film discusses disparities the filmmaker sees in ratings and feedback: between Hollywood and independent films, between homosexual and heterosexual sexual situations, between male and female sexual depictions, and between violence and sexual content.

Hope you enjoy!



IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493459/
Kirby Dick IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225269/
Official site: http://kirbydick.com/thisfilmisnotyetrated.html

365 Days of Trailers Day 19

In support of the SOPA blackout, there was no trailer yesterday. I apologize to anyone who may have been watching and waiting.

In honor of censorship today's trailer is Jim O'Rear and Bryan Wilson's Underground Entertainment: The Movie.  


For now I will not say much about the film, just check the trailer out and you will understand why the film is fitting in conjunction with yesterdays blackout.



A film about censorship was hit with controversy itself right before it was to have its world premier at the  Artcraft Theater in Franklin, IN at the B-Movie Celebration. If you are interested in more details I would be more than happy to send you in the right direction.

Hope you all enjoyed the trailer!

IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781944/
Jim O'Rear IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1252668/
Bryan Wilson: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2577647/
UE: The Movie official site: http://www.bryan-wilson.com/UE_THEMOVIE.html
Jim O'Rears note on the censorship of the film: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150775234115004

365 Days of Trailers Day 17

Day 17 brings you a step into the mind of David Lynch, it's 1977's Eraserhead.

Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles. The budget was not sufficient to complete the film and, as a result, Lynch worked on Eraserhead intermittently, using money from odd jobs and from friends and family, including childhood friend Jack Fisk, a production designer and the husband of actress Sissy Spacek, until its 1977 release.
Eraserhead polarized and baffled many critics and film-goers, but has become a cult classic In 2004, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Unites States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registery. Lynch has called it a "dream of dark and troubling things" and his "most spiritual movie."

The film was created in a piecemeal fashion over 5 years, with many sets rebuilt after being torn down to make way for other work. Through all 5 years, Jack Nance's only request as far as comfort or entertainment went was "a room and a chair," and he kept his hair in the same frizzy style the whole time. The sparse, drawn-out shooting schedule is revealed when at one point, Henry opens a door, and Nance ages 18 months between cuts. 2 years in, cinematographer Herbert Cardwell, 35, died in his sleep. After 4 weeks of searching, Frederick Elmes was chosen to take his place.

Eraserhead was the first film of Lynch's I came across as an early teen. It's still my favorite. Hope you enjoy!

365 Days of Trailers Day 16

Day 16 brings you a teaser for what looks to be nothing short of phenomenal, it's Eugene Hughes (Cannibal Killer Clowns on Dope) film Get Charley.


Get Charley was shot in Houston/Spring Texas in 2010 using local talent from the Houston area.  The movie is director Eugene Hughes' second effort.

Inspired by the likes of David Lynch, Roman Polanski, and Franz Kafka, GET CHARLEY is the story of Catherine, an emotionally ill young woman who is haunted by a painful past, puzzled with her present circumstances, and fearful of an uncertain future.  As she lashes out at every "Charley" she meets, a surreal tale unfolds... a tale of anguish, loss, torment and madness.

As you join Catherine and ride along on a journey into madness, this noir-thriller promises twists and turns rarely offered by today's micro-budget cinema.  Forever haunted by her past, she vows for revenge, over and over... or does she?

Hope you enjoy this teaser as much as I did!



Official website: http://getcharleymovie.info/
Cannibal Killer Clowns on Dope official site: http://killerclowntheater.com/
Eugene Hughes on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Eugene.Hughes.Director

365 Days of Trailers Day 15

Day 15 brings you a fun little indie parody slasher, it's Bruce Dickson's 2008 film Red Velvet.


A chance encounter at a laundromat between a young man and young woman turns into an afternoon lunch date. As they get to know each other, bizarre stories begin to unfold, some fact, some fiction about each other's past. Eventually, the Young Man delves into a story about a birthday party whose guests began to be systematically killed off by a maniac in a white jump suit. The Young Woman, oddly enough, becomes more and more intrigued with the tale as the mayhem mounts. Is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship or a building block leading to a day ending in madness beyond fairy tales? -IMDB




Forrest J Ackerman made 112 cameos in his lifetime. Red Velvet was his last. The screenplay was written by Ackerman's long time friend, and care giver Joe Moe and Anthony Burns.


Enjoy!










Official site: http://www.redvelvetmovie.com/
IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1096991/
Bruce Dickson: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225712/
Anthony Burns: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0122567/
Joe Moe: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595376/

365 Days of Trailers Day 14

It Gets bad on Friday the 13th, but it gets worse on Saturday the 14th! 

That's right, it's Saturday the 14th.. day 14. So I bring you Howard R. Cohen's 1981 film Saturday the 14th!

Primarily a spoof of the Friday the 13th series, but also takes shots at several other horror films. After his family moves to a new house, a young boy discovers a mysterious book describing the curse hanging over the date of Saturday the 14th. Opening the book releases a band of monsters into the house, and the family must join together to save themselves and their neighborhood. - IMDB

The film was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by New World Pictures in October 1981. It was later released on VHS by Embassy Home Entertainment. The film was released on DVD by New Concorde Home Entertainment in 2001. This release is currently out of print.

Saturday the 14th was probably the first horror/comedy that I saw growing up, and I watched it again and again. Still do at least once a year. Growing up the bathtub scene, for those of you have seen it know what I am talking about, was the thing of wet dreams as a pre-teen. So many fond memories viewing this with my family laughing our asses off. Still holds up, in my eyes, to this day.

Enjoy!

IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083033/

Howard R. Cohen IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0169438/

365 Days of Trailers Day 13

Day 13 falls on Friday the 13th, so in honor I bring you Sean S. Cunningham's 1980 slasher Friday the 13th!

One summer at Camp Crystal Lake, a group of young counselors begin to get ready to lead campers. Unfortunately for the former, someone isn't happy about what's going on in the camp and enjoys playing Kill the Counselor. As bodies fall to the ground in the camp, no one is safe. - IMDB

The first film was created to cash in on the success of Halloween (1978), and its own success led Paramount Pictures to purchase the full licensing rights to Friday the 13th. Frank Mancuso, Jr., who produced the films, also developed the television show Friday the 13th: The Series after Paramount released Jason Lives. The television series was not connected to the franchise by any character or setting, but was created based on the idea of "bad luck and curses", which the film series symbolized. While the franchise was owned by Paramount, four films were adapted into novels, with Friday the 13th Part III adapted by two separate authors. When the franchise was sold to New Line Cinema, Cunningham returned as a producer to oversee two additional films, in addition to the crossover film with Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. Under New Line Cinema, 13 novellas and various comic book series featuring Jason were published. - Wikipedia

Enjoy some horror my friends!

365 Days of Trailers Day 12

 Day 12 brings you Henry Weintraub's 2009 Indie horror flick in the vein of 80's Troma fun. I bring you  MELVIN.


Melvin is dead... Now, three years after his accidental murder, he's finally making up for lost time. After enlisting the involuntary help of nerdy college student Norton Pincus, he's ready to take on those who are responsible for his death. Melvin's thirst for vengeance will take this dynamic dork duo on a mind-blowing streak of throat-ripping, vomit-spewing, head decapitating and much, much more.


Based on multiple short films done by director, Weintraub, the story for this was written over five years ago as a short story.
Enjoy this 531 Production!







IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334543/trivia
Henry Weintraub IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2385664/
Melvin Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/melvinmovie?sk=info
531 Official Page: http://www.531productions.com/

365 Days of Trailers Day 11

Day number 11 brings you something a little different. It's JABB PICTURES 2011 The Collective Volume 1.



10 independent horror filmmakers to participate in this unique project. The challenge was to create a 10 minute short film based on a predetermined synopsis.

There were only 2 rules: 1. Your film must be based on the synopsis chosen 2. Your film must be as close to 10 minutes as possible. That’s it. The rest was up to each filmmaker. The synopsis for Vol. 1 of The Collective is, A small town is caught in the clutches of The Meat Eater. Each filmmaker had to decide who or what this is. Though each film is based on the ‘The Meat Eater’, the story and characters in each film vary greatly. The films range from brutal to bizarre, with each filmmaker putting their own unique twist on the idea.

JABB is the brainchild of Jason Hoover. Check it out!




The filmmakers chosen for Vol. 1 of The Collective are;

JABB pictures
Jason Hoover
Spike 2009, “Polly” 2010
jabbpictures.com

Darkrider studios
Chris Jay and Kitsie Duncan
Lethal Obsession 2010
darkriderstudios.com

The Cult of Moi and Vous Film Producioni Company
Thomas Berdinski
The Italian Zombie Movie parts I and II 2009
italianzombiemovie.com

Over Analyzed Productions
David Bonnell –
Disorient 2009
vimeo.com/oapro

Quattro Venti Scott Productions
Cameron Scott
Post Mortem America 2021 2010

So So Pix
13 year old Dakota Meyer
making his directorial debut

Blood and Guts Productions
Shane Michaels – Pipe Wrench 2009, Puzzled 2010
bloodgutsproductions.com

Edward X Young
Actor -Sea of Dust, Mr. Hush, Only Go There at Night

Liberty or Death Productions
James D Mannan – To Haunt You, Wannabe, Revenant, The Burial
libertyordeathprod.com

Eric Schneider
Dead Moines 2008
myspace.com/deadmoinesfilm

365 Days of Trailers Day 10

Day number 10 brings you a film I am very partial to, as it was my first experience on a feature length film doing PA and camera work. It's Steve Balderson's 2009 STUCK! 


Stuck! was written by Frankie Krainz and treated by Balderson and Jon Niccum. It's an homage to noir women-in-prison films. Faithfully re-producing the genre with a modern, tongue-in-cheek twist, expect all the hallmarks of a classic prison movie complete with a wrongly accused heroine, hard boiled dames, diabolical alliances, forbidden love, cat-fighting cuties, a sadistic warden, and corrupt prison guards.

STUCK! stars Karen Black, Susan Traylor, Jane Wiedlin, Mink Stole, Stacy Cunningham, Starina Johnson and Pleasant Gehman, with a cameo by B-Movie star Jeff Dylan Graham. Its the story of Daisy, an innocent young woman framed for killing her mother. Condemned by the press and the public, Daisy is found guilty of murder and sentenced to die by hanging. This jazzy, finger-snapping, broads-behind-bars film is a throwback to another era, with terse Tennessee Williams-style verbal sparring, non-stop action and enough bad-girl jailhouse hi-jinks to make the audience lose the distinction between good and evil.

Enjoy!



Steve Balderson IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003931/
Frankie Krainz IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2173404/
Jon Niccum IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1425638/
STUCK! IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412338/

365 Days of Trailers Day 9

Day number 9 brings you Fred Dekker's 1987 coming of age monster film THE MONSTER SQUAD. 


The Monster Squad was directed by Dekker (Night of the Creep) and written by himself and Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Band Bang). 


Dracula is alive. In fact, he plans to rule the world and that is why he seeks the help of other legendary monsters. However, a bunch of kids regarded by their peers as losers uncover the devious plan and prepare for a counter strike. - IMDB


The film is a homage to the Universal Monster movies made from 1923 to 1960.It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987. It saw it's first and only VHS release by VESTRON in '88. The Monster Squad two-disc 20th anniversary special edition DVD was released by Lionsgate on July 24, 2007. With a Blu-Ray release on November 24th, 2009.

This has always been one of my favorite films, I remember renting it like once a week growing up. It featured, to me, very genuine young adult humor. "Kick him in the nards!" being a quote I used on a very regular basis and still sticks with me today.

If you have never seen The Monster Squad, do yourself a huge favor and get on it!

Enjoy Monster Kids!

365 Days of Trailers Day 8

Day 8 brings you all an amazing, fucked up film. It's Richard Elfman's 1982 film FORBIDDEN ZONE.


A mysterious door in the basement of the Hercules house leads to the Sixth Dimension by way of a gigantic set of intestine. When Frenchy slips through the door, King Fausto falls in love with her. The jealous Queen Doris takes Frenchy prisoner, and it is up to the Hercules family and friend Squeezit Henderson to rescue her. -IMDB


Richard Elfman, brother of Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo), wrote/direct this amazing piece of cinema. It was another one of those films that inspired me to get into film making. Such a twisted story, strange visuals, and musical numbers. 


Several family members and business associates of director Richard Elfman's appear in the film in various roles: his then-wife Marie-Pascale Elfman and brother Danny Elfman (both of whom performed with him in the Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo theater troupe); his grandfather Herman Bernstein plays The Old Yiddish Man; and the brothers' father Milton Elfman, appearing both as a factory worker and a background singer. Hyman Diamond (who plays Grampa Hercules), was Richard Elfman's real estate broker, appearing under a pseudoynm after the original actor fell through. Two of Richard Elfman's tenants from one of his real estate properties agreed to make cameos, as girls going into the classroom. Actor/writer Matthew Bright (a childhood friend of Danny Elfman's), and actor Gene Cunningham (credited as Ugh-Fudge Bwana) were themselves members of the brothers' Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo as well. 


Enjoy!

365 Days of Trailers Day 7

Day number 7 and I bring you a piece of Shot-on-video trash! It's Pericles Lewnes' 1989 film REDNECK ZOMBIES.


'A barrel of radioactive waste is lost out in the woods. Some demented rednecks find it and use it as part of their still. Everybody who drinks from the liquor they produced turns into a zombie.' - IMDB


Redneck Zombies will always hold a special place in my heart. First off it was the very first TROMA film that I ever bought. Secondly, it was the very first shot-on-video I had ever seen. It was raw, gory, shoddily shot, comedic, and at times disturbing (see the tobacco man scene). 


This past Halloween the film's 20th Anniversary 2-Disc set made it's way into Wal-Mart's $5 bin. Proving that even a big corporation can be infected!


Now go and let your eyes be raped by the wickedness that is REDNECK ZOMBIES!





IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093833/
Pericles Lewnes IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507921/

365 Days of Trailers Day 6

Today I bring you an Indie film that really inspired me to want to become a filmmaker. It's Richard Linklater's 1991 film SLACKER.

SLACKER presents a day in the life in Austin, Texas among its social outcasts and misfits, predominantly the twenty-something set, using a series of linear vignettes. These characters, who in some manner just don't fit into the establishment norms, move seamlessly from one scene to the next, randomly coming and going into one another's lives. Highlights include a UFO buff who adamantly insists that the U.S. has been on the moon since the 1950s, a woman who produces a glass slide purportedly of Madonna's pap smear, and an old anarchist who sympathetically shares his philosophy of life with a robber.

This is not a film everyone will get. It works best in multiple viewings to understand everything that is going on. But for those of us who get it, it's a thing of great beauty and honesty.

Enjoy!

365 Days of Trailers Day 5

It's day 5 and I bring you one of my favorite Indie films. It's Bryan Johnson's 2000 film VULGAR. Vulgar stars Clerks' Brian O'Halloran as a man who performs as a children's birthday party clown tries to piece his life back together after being gang-raped.

This film truly shows Brian's versatility, it's a dark comedy bordering on drama. After the first time I viewed this I had to wonder why he doesn't get more work outside of Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse. Sure he's had some bit roles, and a few staring leads.. but none of these roles have really shown off what a true actor he is.

Watch the trailer and find a way to pick up this amazing film!




IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120467/
Bryan Johnson IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0424682/
Brian O'Halloran IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0641168/
View Askew page: http://www.viewaskew.com/vulgar/about.html

365 Days of Trailers Day 4

Day four brings you all a little bit of filth, with a dash of humor in Cory Udler's Incest Death Squad.

Tom Lodewyck stars as Aaron Burg, a reporter who follows an incestuous brother (Greg Johnson) and sister (Carmela Wiese) who kill tourists to Wisconsin in the name of God. IDS features cameos from Lloyd Kaufman (Troma co-founder) and the 2009 line-up of the band Britny Fox.

Beware, this film is littered throughout with violence/profane language/and nudity (including full frontal of Greg's character)



IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430618/

Official website of Shalenn Productions http://www.incestdeathsquad.com/SHALENN_PRODUCTIONS/HOME.html

365 Days of Trailers Day 3

Day number 3 and I bring you a little piece of Indie awesomness that is THE LAST SUMMER. Imagine if you mixed Kevin Smith's CLERKS with James Merendino's SLC PUNK, this would be the outcome.

'After high school, you get a job, or go to college. But after college... then what? Do you get married? Do you get a house with friends? Do you further your education? Do you make an attempt to fall in love? All very good questions. For Chris, Matt, Seth, and Colin, these questions are all about to get answered.'

The soundtrack include The Bouncing Souls, Anti-Flag, Big D And The Kids Table, Chaser, Old Man Markley, Stroke 9, Calabrese, Teenage Rehab, Up For Nothing, All Left Out (New Zealand), Left Alone, Unit Six, The Story Changes, The Loaded Nuns, We Are The Union, and many more.

Check it out, and head over to Facebook and 'Like' the page for more info on the film and how to get your hands on a copy!






http://www.facebook.com/thelastsummer

365 Days of Trailers Day 2

Today's film is The Italian Zombie Movie Parts 1 & 2 by my good friend Thomas Berdinski. These are two indie horror flicks I have watched multiple times. Not only are they an homage/spoof of the genre itself, but to the Shot-on-Video days of the 80's and early 90's. If you have not checked them out now, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of both!



While investigating the death of his twin brother, a special forces veteran, a sexy psychic, an evil succubus, her oafish boyfriend, two mysterious aliens and the Michigan Militia inadvertently join forces in a landfill of the living dead.

Zombie Abomination http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825207/
Zombie Atrocity http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1867127/
Thomas Berdinski's IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3951145/
Here you can pick up your own copy of the double feature http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Zombie-Movie-DOUBLE-FEATURE/dp/B003CFB9A0/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1325542150&sr=1-2
Official Website http://italianzombiemovie.com/
Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Italian-Zombie-Movie/74995029596

365 Days of Trailers Day 1

As we enter into this new year I wanted to try something a little different. Each day I am going to be bringing you trailers for films I love, work on personally, are projects from friends, or that I can not wait to see.

To kick this off I give you Swamphead!

Swamphead tells the tale of an ancient relic that is found at the bottom of a local lake which resurrects the severed head of Robert Gross, aka Swamphead. A group of hapless teens come across the relic and their weekend camping trip becomes a nightmare of blood, feces, and more head than a night in Tijuana. Can they destroy the zombie head or will they die trying?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swamphead/103183713063214

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2053447/