22 April 2011

Hell Cometh to Launch Extended Excerpts


Indianapolis, IN – April 22, 2011

8 Publishing will release (four) extended excerpts prior to the first limited hardcover printing of Hell Cometh in May 2011 as demand continues to increase more than anyone involved with the project had anticipated.

“If you had told me we would end up having this much interest from readers, excited over an unknown author’s first novel, I never would have believed you,” said Renee Richardson, founder and senior publisher at 8 Publishing. “And if you had told me Todd Card would personally sign each and every hard cover copy sold in the first edition print run, I really wouldn’t have believed you!”

Hell Cometh’s hardcover first edition limited print run will open up for presale in the coming weeks. Readers will be permitted to place their orders for copies of this very first limited edition hardcover print, which will be run once on Todd Card’s website at www.hellcometh.com while supplies last. The price for this first edition print will run significantly below the cost of other retailers, if purchased from Todd Card’s website.

“Due to all the zombie enthusiast frenzy over this title’s release, Todd Card and 8 Publishing have worked out a deal to make Hell Cometh’s initial limited addition print run available to all readers signed by the author personally,” Richardson said. The mass-market hardcover edition will launch in May with this one-time online event, prior to paperback print releases of Hell Cometh going on sale through HellCometh.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other retail distributors. The e-book versions of Hell Cometh will follow soon.

***An added bonus*** 8 Publishing will authorize the release of (four) extended excerpts to post on a secret page of HellCometh.com. Each Saturday for the next four weeks, 8 Publishing will post a new five chronological page excerpt before the official general release date announcement of Todd Card’s horror novel Hell Cometh.

Readers who are interested in experiencing each of the four hidden excerpts are invited to submit their name and email address below. Once their information is submitted, they will receive the unpublished URL address to enjoy each week’s new sample posting.

*They will also be automatically entered to receive advanced notification of the official release date of Hell Cometh.

*They will receive an exclusive presale link to reserve their limited first edition hardcover copy of Hell Cometh, signed by Todd Card. Each one of these books offered through this exclusive link will be available for purchase ahead of the general public, only while supplies last.

*One lucky participant in this special promotional event will be chosen to receive a FREE limited first edition hardcover copy of Hell Cometh, signed by the author.

8 Publishing is a small, but growing, publisher of a wide variety of quality books. We help our writers bring their vision to market in the best possible light while treating each individual talent with the respect they deserve. This is the reason we only publish a few superior books each year. Instead of losing sight of each author's vision and treating them like an assessed earning potential, we work to ensure writers succeed in this digital age. One dream at a time. 8 Publishing feels this helps redefine the reader’s expectations with our final product. These authors include Todd Card, Arthur J. Michaels, Jennifer Leigh Richards, and more of the best new writers of their genres.

Contact:
Alex Jordan, Marketing Director 8 Publishing
P.O. Box 521
Carmel, IN 46082
317-324-8861

inquiries@8publishing.com

www.8publishing.com

Scream 4 2011 - REVIEW


It goes without saying that the Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson changed the face of horror in the 90's. Gone were the traditional slashers like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. It was a new era with new rules and Craven and Williamson used those rules to re-invent the horror experience. Together they entertained and shocked us with films that spanned the tail end of the 90's. Scream 3, considered by most fans to be the black sheep of the franchise, introduced us to writer Ehren Kruger who lacked Williamson's talent for blending horror and humor but still delivered a good story (IMO). I may catch some shit for that but as usual, I don't care. So, now that we're all caught up, let's take a look at the newest installment.

Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courtney Cox), who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately, Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger.

The opening sequence of every Scream has always had a "big name" celeb(s) that's tormented by a Ghostface phone call then ends up getting slaughtered in some form or another. Scream 4 seems to be the latest horror film to fall victim to the WB/ABC Family casting craze. Unless you watch shows like Pretty Little Liars, 90210 or Gossip Girls it's likely that the only recognizable face for you will be that of Anna Paquin (True Blood). Does this pose a problem... I guess not but it does go to show that most horror films are being geared toward teenagers these days. Scream 4 also reunites franchise veterans Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox who are without a doubt, the glue that holds these films together. Unless every "hero" in a horror film is killed off, it makes no sense to me to try and replace them with someone else but I'll save that argument for a different blog. That said, the film is very well acted and the only problem I saw chemistry wise was between Arquette and Cox. I'm certain it has something to do with their impending divorce BUT they definitely didn't gel like usual. Plus they're married in this one so the love/hate relationship that brings so much to the previous films wasn't there. Culkin's character was the horror film buff in this installment and he was convincing at it. On the other side of the spectrum, I wasn't convinced that Panettiere's character was a horror lover. Yes, it's possible for a preppy teenage girl to love horror films but the fact that she could match wits with the geeky cinema club dude was a stretch for me.

Story wise, it's the same 'ole Scream. Ghostface stabs this one and then stabs that one and oh yeah, he/she stabs the other one too. Some viewers had a problem with the constant slice and dice but for me it's just the way of Ghostface and I didn't mind it at all. The cops are just as inept, if not more so, as they were in the first one. I don't know if Williamson wrote them that way or if it was Kruger's rewrite that did it but it was overkill in a major way. I enjoyed Sidney's new found empowerment. I liked that she was no longer the "victim" and was prepared at every turn to face her fear or conquer her demons, however you wanna say it. Her character was given a maturity that she didn't have before and it worked well. What I didn't like was the constant horror film references. Williamson always managed to write in a mention or two and again, I can't say if it was his doing or Kruger's, but overboard would be an accurate description. There was very clever and well written dialogue and it seemed as if the magic of the first one was back. At least until the second half. Everyone knows there was switch up with the writers and it was like Williamson wrote the first half and then Kruger came in and butchered the second half. Not sure who wrote what but the wit was there one minute and gone the next.

The motive for all this murder and mayhem was pretty clever, I thought, and if you stop and think about it, it makes sense. Now, can I say that I approve of the motive but I don't approve of the reveal? They kinda go hand in hand don't they? It's definitely a slippery slope. As everyone is getting killed, Ghostface towers over them but when it's revealed who the killer is, this person is 5'6" at best. It's inconsistent to say the least. The last 15 minutes or so could've been done away with leaving the audience with one hell of a cliff hanger. But alas, we're forced to watch a showdown that is predictable and forced. HOWEVER, it does give us the best line of the film and I'd love to give it to you but I'm not. You'll know it when you hear it.

Overall, I found Scream 4 enjoyable. Hell, I saw it twice... ok, I fell asleep the second time but I was tired! It's entertaining and if you're a Scream fan, you'll definitely like it. Despite it's flaws, it's a good addition to the franchise and a much, much, much better film than Craven's disasterous My Soul to Take. I'm curious if this is the final installment or just the first in a series of reboots. Only time will tell.

16 April 2011

New Stills From Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen

Michael Worth's Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen brought in a whopping 20K in fundraising, doubling the goal that he'd set in the beginning. Now that the campaign is over, the fun can begin. With a cast of icons including Lance Henriksen, Tim Thomerson, Adrienne Barbeau and George Cheung to name just a few, shooting has started in the Los Angeles area. I've come across some stills and got the ok from Michael to offer them up to you guys! From the look of it, they're having a blast filming. I think it's a great project and I hope this fun, classy mockumentary shines a much brighter light on ageism in Hollywood!




14 April 2011

Corey Allen Jackson to Score Animated Feature The Littlest Angel


Corey Allen Jackson (I Spit on Your Grave, War Wolves, Left in Darkness, Sasquatch Mountain, It Waits) will bring his scoring talents to The Littlest Angel, an animated feature based on the 15th best-selling hard copy children's book of all time written by Charles Tazewell.

Synopsis: Having recently arrived in heaven, 5-year-old LITTLEST ANGEL wants to return to Earth with his friend HALO, a dog angel, in order to retrieve his treasure box. While on Earth he is abducted by the creepy owners of a traveling freak show. LITTLEST is finally rescued by his angel friends and returns to heaven just in time for their Christmas Party at which LITTLEST offers up his treasure box as a Christmas present. The Littlest Angel is directed by Dave Kim (2012, The Golden Compass & Australia) and produced by Mr. Kim and Lance Thompson. (Attack of the Sabertooth & Elf Bowling the Movie)

Look for a DVD release, Christmas of 2011.

Jack Falls Selected For The London Independent Film Festival


Following on from the success of Jack Falls since its release just over three weeks ago, it is now in official selection for Best Film at the London Independent Film Festival.

Jack Falls, the independent film noir thriller starring Tamer Hassan, Simon Phillips, Olivia Hallinan, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemyng, Alan Ford, Adam Deacon, Doug Bradley, Zach Galligan and Martin Kemp, is screening at 21:00 on Monday 18th April at the Roxy Cinema, SE1. The feature will be followed by a screening of the prequel animated short Jack Falls: Sid's Story and a Q&A with the Directors and Producers about the film.

Jack Falls: Sid's Story is also screening as part of the shorts block of the festival on Friday 15th April, beginning at 18:00 at the Shortwave Cinema, SE1.

Our Director/Writer Paul Tanter says: "We are extremely proud to be in contention at this years LIFF. Independent film making in the UK is a huge challenge, and the quality of films this year is a testament to the strength of the industry and skills of those working in it. To have our feature, Jack Falls, and our animated short, Jack Falls: Sid's story, both in competition in their respective catagories, is very exciting, and we look forward to seeing them and all the other entries up on the big screen."


Tickets can be booked from the LIFF website.

Alpha Video to Distribute The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special

April 12, 2011
Nashville, TN

Alpha Video has announced that it has obtained U.S. home video distribution rights to the 2010 made for television movie ‘The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special’. After winning rave reviews following its broadcast last Halloween, the film will be released on DVD April 26, 2011 .

The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special pairs TV horror hosts Penny Dreadful (Danielle Gelehrter) & Dr. Gangrene (Larry Underwood) together. The duo finds themselves readying for the upcoming Halloween season when suddenly all things go awry. It’s up to the physician of fright, Dr. Gangrene, and the eerie enchantress, Penny Dreadful, to set things right and save Halloween for everyone in this half hour special. Narrated by Washington DC’s legendary horror host Count Gore De Vol, this Halloween treat is packed with fright.

The DVD retails at $7.99 and will include the extended cut of the film with footage not aired in the original half hour broadcast version. In addition to ‘The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special’ the DVD will include an all new half hour special entitled ‘Trailer Terror’ hosted by Penny Dreadful & Dr. Gangrene, which has the hosts introducing some of their favorite classic horror film trailers.

Dr. Gangrene said "It is a privilege to work with Alpha Video, a favorite of mine for a very long time, so I was glad we could make this happen. We can now reach a larger audience with the Dreadful HallowGreen Special at an affordable price for our fans."

DVD bonus features include a gallery of artwork, trailers, bios, shorts, bloopers and outtakes. In addition the dvd will contain rarely seen Penny Dreadful footage from her live Holiday Specials and eight public service short films from the Emmy nominated series “Go Green With Dr. Gangrene”.

The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special is a co-production of Shackle Island Studios and Peculiar Productions. Cast and crew members from Dr. Gangrenes Creature Feature, and Penny Dreadful’s Shilling Shockers produced segments in both Massachusetts and Tennessee, as well as California and Washington D.C.. The film was co-directed by Cameron McCasland and Rebecca Paiva.

In celebration of the DVD release ‘The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special’ will be making a special big screen appearance at this years Wonderfest during the Saturday Night Chiller Cinema Live Event hosted live by Dr. Gangrene and Penny Dreadful on May 15th 2011.

Alpha Video is an entertainment company based near Philadelphia, PA specializing in the release of Classic Hollywood films from the Golden age, as well as interesting and unusual contemporary motion pictures and television productions. For more information please visit www.Oldies.com

Wonderfest will be held may 14-15th 2011 in Louisville, KY. Wonderfest is an international hobby event now in its 22nd year that celebrates the art of movie monster artists, and model makers. For more information please visit www.wonderfest.com

Penny Dreadful’s Shilling Shockers, set to premiere it’s 8th season, is based in New England and airs in over 150 cities. Penny Dreadful is portrayed by Danielle Gelehrter, two time recipient of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Favorite Horror Host.

Dr. Gangrene’s Creature Feature airs on its home station WNAB CW58 in Nashville TN. Dr. Gangrene is portrayed by Larry Underwood. The Good Doctor has been shocking the Scare-waves since 1999. His programs have won countless praise and have been nominated for two Emmy Awards for Public Service.



For more information on Dr Gangrene or Penny Dreadful please visit www.drgangrene.com and www.shillingshockers.com



Format: DVD
Genre: Horror
Label: Alpha Video
Originally Released in: 2010
Video: Color
Region: Region 0 encoding; Can be played worldwide, NTSC-format.
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Item Number: ALP 1067D
UPC: 089218106797
MSRP: $7.99
Bonus Features Include:
Trailer Terror - An all new half hour horror special.
Thumpers - Short Film Winner of the Unlucky 13 moviemaking challenge with special introduction by Dr. Gangrene.
Clips from Penny Dreadfuls Holiday Specials Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Day Of The Dead (2009)
Trailer for the Dreadful Hallowgreen Special
Bloopers & Outtakes from Dreadful Hallowgreen Special
Biographies from Penny Dreadful, Dr. Gangrene, & Count Gore Devol
Eight Public Service Short Films from the Go Green With Dr. Gangrene Series with new introduction by Dr. Gangrene including
Two Lane Trash Stop (2008)
Bonehead (2008)
Trash Day Of The Dead (2008)
Werewolf Of Nashville (2009)
Summer Of The Mummy (2009)
Butt-Head (2010)
Watered Down Wolfman (2010)
The Frank-Can-Stein Monster (2010)

09 April 2011

PRODUCTION NEWS - Andretti Dante's Exit 13

From the mind of Andretti Dante, the man that brought us Book of 1000 Deaths, comes Exit 13.

In this chilling, psychological horror, five friends embark on a road trip but something goes terribly wrong, setting off a series of terrifying events that forces them to Exit 13, an exit that’s hauntingly familiar. Soon after, an unforeseen event occurs trapping the group inside an abandoned cabin. But this isn’t just any cabin, and it seems the dark and evil past has been re-opened.

With the recent passing of his mother and desertion of his father, Adam Payson is drifting into a dark and dangerous place, isolating himself from the one who loves him most, his girlfriend Madison. Unable to get through to him, she turns to Adam’s best friend Brandon for help.

Jealousy and rage begin to spread like a deadly virus as tensions run high, and through many twists and turns, secrets unravel and relationships are pushed to their breaking point. As a result, Madison experiences a disturbing encounter but when she awakes, the real nightmare has only begun; A member of the group is suddenly missing and in a race to find them and escape the demonic evil that is tormenting its new occupants, a shocking and deadly secret is discovered, one that could make this exit their last…

For more information about this upcoming road trip horror, you can visit exit13movie.com or follow them twitter. You can also catch up with them on Facebook or Myspace. If you are interested in supporting Exit 13 you can do so by visiting the Kickstarter page.

07 April 2011

INTERVIEW - Actor Chad Lindberg


I'm not going to start off by thanking Chad Lindberg for taking the time to call in and chat with me. I'm going to start off by apologizing that he called me a month ago and I'm just now getting this interview posted to the site. I know, I know. I would fire myself if I could but I can't so... For anyone who hasn't been fortunate enough to meet him or talk with him, let me just tell you that he is one of the coolest guys EVER and he has the most infectious laugh! Just replaying the interview and hearing the times that he busted out laughing made me giddy like a school girl. Anyway... here is our little discussion.

TC: How long have you been on twitter? (lame ass question)
CL: I have been doing twitter since like the tail end of 2009. I’m not sure when it came out. It was out for a while and I paid no attention to it. I didn’t even know what it was and then a friend of mine told me “Hey man, you should really get on twitter, it’s a great way to communicate with your fans.” I signed up and all of a sudden, low and behold I had all these followers and of course the Supernatural fans were on it immediately. It’s been a good thing. It’s been a really good tool.

TC: I wanna talk to you a little bit about I Spit on Your Grave. (DUH) I know you don’t have a lot of time so I’ll try to make it quick.
CL: No, we’re good, we’re good. Ask me whatever you want. I’m wide open.

TC: I read a lot of your interviews because I was trying to avoid asking you the same old questions. I thought maybe you’d be tired of answering this stuff.
CL: It’s ok. I enjoy doing it.

TC: They had originally offered you a different role.
CL: What happened was my previous representation had sent me sides, which is what we get before we audition for the role that Daniel Frazese actually ended up getting. Then I read the script and I was like, no effing way man, (this is to my previous representation) how can you not see I’m suppose to go out for Matthew? Matthew is shy, mentally challenged. I was just immediately pulled towards that character. I just, loved him. Some characters you just meet and right away you just fall in love with them.

TC: Definitely, even just watching him, you have this sympathy for him right away. What did you do to prepare yourself for that?
CL: Man, that’s a good question. It had been about 2 ½ weeks since we got cast and in my mind, that whole 2 ½ weeks, I was terrified because I was like… I have to go play a mentally challenged man… I wanted to do it very truthfully and I wanted to do it with respect. I just tried not to panic and I just sort of kept it close to heart and kept him childlike. I also watched some YouTube videos of people who stutter to kind of help me with that. Other than that I really didn’t do any research. I just kind of kept it close to the heart if that makes sense. Once I got on set it just felt really natural and I wasn’t panicked anymore and I had one of the best filming experiences of my life. It was incredibly, creatively gratifying.

TC: I just talked to Steven R. Monroe on Tuesday. I was so embarrassed because my recording messed up and it didn’t pick up any of the interview.
CL: That’s ok, he’s so cool. Steven is such an awesome guy. He doesn’t even seem like a… you know some directors carry that air of “directorness”, he doesn’t. He’s just a cool guy and a great director. I love Steven.

TC: Yeah, I really enjoyed talking to him and I know he told me that it was really hard for all of y’all on set during “the scene”.
CL: [laughs] I like that, “the scene”, you don’t even have to tell me and I get it, I know exactly what you’re talking about.

TC: Is it true that you got physically ill during or after the scene?
CL: Yeah, I was dry heaving. After Matthew would rape her, I’d get up and I’d go outside into a little corner and I my body would physically heave a little bit which is exactly what should happen. It’s a normal reaction you know. It was just insane. It was a trip. It was just a bonafide trip. That was probably my favorite part of the movie because there were so many levels that we all hit and there were so many things that Matthew was feeling. He went through so many emotions so fast. I remember distinctly having a very visceral moment with every actor in that scene. You know, after my character climaxes and there’s that moment and I remember looking up and Danny and he was looking at me and we weren’t acting. We were so tripped out. I mean I’m getting goose bumps just talking about it. You have these moments with actors where you don’t get to reach that a lot. If you’re able to get to those moments and have them with other actors, that’s what you aim for. That’s what you hope to get and I remember having one with everybody. That one just sticks out. We just looked at each other and were like “What the fuck?” [laughs] Excuse my language. It was insane and then having the sheriff come over and cheer in my ear. He’s like “Do it! Do it!” It got me charged up and there was just so much going on and then I get up and Matthew vomits. It was at that moment when reading the script where he chokes her then falls on her and gets up and vomits that I was like “I can do this.” Even watching it now, my heart gets racing and I’m in it.

TC: I think I’ve watched it about four times since it came out on DVD and I’ll still say it’s my favorite movie of 2010.
CL: Wow, and why is that?

TC: It’s just so well done as far as the direction. Steven R. Monroe did a great job. It’s so raw and visually it’s stunning. You guys did a fantastic job on the acting. I know Steven is very defensive of anyone who gives you guys a bad review but I also like that he chose not to put really big names in there. I think that gives it more of a fresh feel. (lame)
CL: Totally. Yeah, you can’t put really recognizable faces in that movie it wouldn’t have worked. He did a wonderful job finding Sarah Butler, she’s gonna have a great career. She was a trooper. She made it where we were able to do what we needed to do and not feel bad about it. We gave her the appropriate space when she needed it to collect herself. We would do “the scene” and I would look over at her and give her the thumbs up and she would give me the thumbs up and that was all that we needed to do and say to each other and we’d go back and do it again. We shot that scene pretty fast once we started shooting and it took a couple of days but after that we all bonded pretty quickly. It’s just such a personal, intimate thing. To this day we all still hang out and see each other quite a bit.

TC: You’re not a big fan of remakes right?
CL: You know it’s a funny thing. They’re always gonna remake them and at some point we have to accept it to some degree. I completely understand anyone who is a fan of the original that was up in arms right away and we totally knew that going in as actors and filmmakers and we wanted to honor that. We all understand that. We’re the type of people that feel the same way. I also thing that we won over quite a few fans of the original now they’re like “This was pretty kick ass.” That’s pretty cool.

TC: I think it stuck close enough to the original that it didn’t really lose that appeal that audiences had. I also like that he didn’t focus as much on the rape as the original and went more into the revenge which was the best part for me.
CL: Well yeah once it starts, it does not let up and the revenge was a very interesting to watch in the theater with people. I wish it would’ve had a bigger run in theaters where audiences could watch it together because it provoked so many reactions. Of course the first half provoked a whole different reaction and then once the movie gets going with the revenge we had people clapping and cheering. I’ve never heard that much before. There’s a lot to be said for movies that provoke those kinds of reactions. I can say this… my mom liked it. I took my mom and my girlfriend to the premiere. My mom brought one of those Japanese fans to cover her eyes and I would just kinda give her a little tap on the leg and she would cover her eyes but once the rape scene started and I took my clothes off she just covered her eyes. She kinda covered her ears a little bit but she enjoyed the movie and she was proud of me. Its mom approved! [laughs]

TC: That was one of the questions I had as well. I’ve seen pictures of you and your girlfriend at the premiere and I was kind of curious of her reaction.
CL: It’s funny. Sarah Butler and my girlfriend have become great friends. They go hiking and out to lunch. She liked the movie too. She thought it was great. She thought it would be a little more uncomfortable than it was. She’s become friends with pretty much everyone.

TC: Did you see the original before reading the script?
CL: No, I didn’t know it was a remake until after I got cast. I’d never heard of I Spit on Your Grave (1978), believe it or not. When the breakdowns came out they came out as Day of the Woman. The day I got the part I came home and typed in Day of the Woman and all these things came up and I was like “Oh my God, this thing is a cult phenomenon. It’s the most notorious rape/revenge movie of all time.” I was so excited to go do a cool movie and this just added the frosting and the cherry and the sprinkles on top.

TC: Were you worried about fan reaction at all because it was such a notorious movie?
CL: Yes, I was worried about the hardcore fans of the original only because I understand the feelings about remakes. But I also knew that I was in good hands and I felt that it had a great cast and once we got there we felt that magic and you don’t have that every time. Sometimes you feel it and you know you’re making a good film. We always took how fans would feel into consideration and into our performances. We went in there and we killed it because we wanted to honor the fans.

TC: I’m not a remake fan and to say that this one, a remake, is my favorite film of the year is probably pretty hypocritical but…..
CL: No, that’s fucking awesome!

TC: You’re not really into horror are you?
CL: Not really. I mean I enjoy horror films, all kinds of films I usually don’t just stick to one genre necessarily. I definitely have a deeper appreciation for it now. I would imagine we’ll probably do conventions for this movie at some point… if it catches on. I do a lot of Supernatural conventions but that and horror are completely different.

TC: I have to admit I’ve never actually watched Supernatural. (I'm ashamed)
CL: Really? You’re one of the few interviewers that haven’t. That’s awesome.

TC: But I know you have a big campaign going to bring Ash back.
CL: When I first got on twitter I sort of made it happen with the fans. I led a campaign and got it going and it actually worked. The producers brought me back on the show for one episode in season 5. Now a lot of people ask “Hey, is Ash coming back?” I really don’t know. I’ve come full circle with that you know, I’ve died and then I came back. I’m really cool with it. I would love to if they asked me. I’ve seen a lot of petitions on twitter and I’ll retweet them but I’m not really making a serious push for it. I just kinda leave it their hands. If they come my way I’d be grateful but I don’t put a lot of thought into it. I just kinda go onto other things.

TC: Which leads me to Criminal Minds. You just finished up a guest role on that right?
CL: Yes I did.

TC: Can you give us any hints on that one?
CL: Um, what can I say that I’m playing…. I’m a guest star… um, I’m a guest star [laughs]. What can I say without giving anything away? I had a great time shooting! The cast was fun. It’ll be out in about a month. Um… yeah. I always worry because certain shows they don’t want you to say anything and maybe I’m a little jaded about it because with Supernatural I had to keep my lips absolutely sealed. I’m always scared about saying what I’m doing.

TC: You just wrapped up two films, Should’ve Been Romeo and Black Velvet right?
CL: Yeah, Should’ve Been Romeo, Paul-Ben Victor is a good friend of mine, who is the lead in the movie and he just asked if I would come on and do a little bit. Black Velvet is an Indie film and I did a little cameo there.

TC: I read on IMDB that you’d done some short films. Would you still do those if the right one came along?
CL: Oh absolutely. I’m working on that now with my buddy Josh Cowdery. We do these little short films of our own and put them on Funny or Die.

TC: Like Sniff?
CL: Like Sniff! That is an epic film. [laughs] That’s the first thing we put together and from there it’s been a running joke between us. There’s like a whole hour of behind the scenes footage for Sniff on Funny or Die and the movie is only like a minute long.

TC: It’s hilarious though.
CL: [laughs] That’s awesome! I’m glad you appreciate that it’s like a minute long, and we put this mocumentary together. But that kinda started our creativity for it. We wanna make these weird, qwirky short films. We’ve made a few of them along the way and I wanna continue doing that and make my own shorts and submit them. I have this flare for sort of odd and funny and if you get them, cool because we just wanna make you laugh.

TC: You’ve been a pretty busy guy.
CL: I have, I have. You know, I feel like 2011 is gonna be a great year for me. It’s been a long road and I finally feel like there’s a lot of momentum behind me that I haven’t felt in a long time and I’m so excited to see what’s around the corner.

Thanks Chad!! Everyone go out and see and support I Spit on Your Grave!! You'll love it!!

Ron Purtee and Garry Charles Team Up on Inside

Racine, Wisconsin, United States of America

April 6, 2011 --

What happens when the author of Hammerhead: A Summer of Massacre and the creator of The Social Media Massacre get together? You get a look INSIDE.

INSIDE is the story of Christie. Her past is catching up to her and this time, the truth won't set her free.

"Oddly enough, we have Joe Lynch to thank for this.". Purtee said. "I won a contest through the Knights of Badassdom twitter and one of the prizes was a signed copy of Hammerhead. Garry and I became friends and I knew I had to work with him."

Charles added, " Having kept an eye on his Social Media Massacre I was honored when he proposed we work together on a project, something that attempted to mindf**k the audience... And so we have "INSIDE" a slice of horror that will hopefully wedge itself in your mind and keep you asking questions long after you've watched it."

INSIDE will begin shooting in June and is starring Deneen Melody (Slices of Life, Songs of the Shattered) as Christie

You can see the teaser trailer at the shorts new site, http://insidetheshortfilm.weebly.com/

04 April 2011

It's Gray Skies for Director Ron Purtee

Racine, Wisconsin, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) April 1, 2011 --
Coming this Summer from creators Shaun McGregor and Ron Purtee (The Social Media Massacre) comes a brand new web series that gives a new look into the world of hired killing.

GRAY SKIES follows Chuck and Shaun as they go from job to job, leaving a pile of bodies in the process. The only problem is now they have to contend with a spunky reporter and her camera man following their every mood and picking up on the fact that these may not be the most together hitmen on the planet.

"Shaun and I went through a few different things that we could do with this project", Purtee said. "and we couldn't figure out a way to describe the project in a fresh in way. Then we decided that based on the characters, this is like if Deadpool and The Punisher teamed up to do hits and just happened to be on The Office."

Production on the series starts in May, with the main characters already being cast. Chuck will be played by Charlie Bussian from The Social Media Massacre and Becoming Undead, while Shaun will be played by series creator Shaun McGregor. Episodes will be co-scripted and directed by Ron Purtee.

In the coming weeks you can find out more about GRAY SKIES at theycallmeron.com

Prowl 2010 - REVIEW

Occasionally I get the opportunity to lock myself in the bedroom for the entire day to catch up on screeners or randomly purchased DVDs. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't. Yes, yes I know. I've berated myself a million times for buying DVDs before actually seeing them but, like everyone else, I never listen to myself.

Amber (Courtney Hope) dreams of escaping her small town existence and persuades her friends to accompany her to find an apartment in the big city. When their transportation breaks down, she and her friends gratefully accept a ride in the back of a semi. But when the driver refuses to stop and they discover the cargo is hundreds of cartons of blood, they panic. Their panic turns to terror when the truck disgorges them into a dark, abandoned warehouse where blood-thirsty creatures learn to hunt human prey, which, the friends realize, is what they now are...

For the most part, the acting here was decent. Hope gives a performace that's pretty consistent with her level of experience. I was extremely excited to see Bruce Payne but even his performace seemed stiff. Maybe it was that ridiculous southern accent he was trying to pull off. He normally does the creepy bad guy thing really well but it just didn't work for me AT ALL. Saxon Trainor pops in and out a few times and does a great job commanding the screen while flawlessly rattling off the little bit of drab dialogue she was given. I'd comment on the other performances but the only other cast member that has more than 10 minutes of screen time is Ruta Gedmintas and I guess she did okay.

I'd like to say premise wise director Patrik Syversen and writer Tim Tori had some good ideas but I'm not convinced they did. It just seemed like a jumbled, unfinished, unpolished mess. Once the action finally kicks in the entire cast, save for two of them, is obliterated within 5-10 minutes and not even on screen. After that it's mostly shots of vampires scaling walls and victims hiding/running for their lives but if I wanted to see that, I'd watch an action film. I wasn't a fan of the camera work. The film is riddled with scenes of the main character running... where and for what reason I'm not entirely sure but the jolting camera at times made me want to vomit. The cast was so one dimensional and unrelatable that you really didn't care who survived. In fact, I wanted them all dead. It was your stereotypical horror film cast... the good girl who is the moral compass of the film, the everybody likes me even though I'm a slut, the lovesick, out of luck geek dude and the stoners. Why do the majority of filmmakers think that "going cliche" makes a film better. It doesn't. It makes it predictable. You know from the beginning who will live and who will die and you can pretty much bank on the fact that they'll throw in some ridiculous twist ending. Let's make it predictable.... but not.
I'm over it.

When did making bad horror films become okay? This is why no one (meaning Hollywood) really takes horror films seriously. It's the only genre that you can literally sleep your way through filming, piece it together like an aging Hollywood starlet and still get distribution. In this day and age, half ass just doesn't cut it. When you have great films out there like Leslie Vernon and Pontypool that push the boundaries of their subgenres to compete with, it's time to step up the game. Wake up and smell the decomp... they're laughing at us.

I wouldn't recommend this film unless you just wanna see it for the gore, which is pretty minimal for a vampire flick. The effects are the only good thing I can say about this one even if they did look similar to those of 30 Days of Night. Watch it before you purchase it... hell, if after you've seen it you decide you wanna buy it, let me know and I'll send you mine. I don't even like it enough to give it a spot on my shelf.