Mane Entertainment Gears Up for Penance Lane

Penance Lane is the new horrifying feature coming from Mane Entertainment. The film, written by Munier Sharrieff (Battle Chasers, Battle of the Planets) is the second motion picture from Mane Entertainment, the production house founded by Tyler Mane and Renae Geerlings.

Their first film, Compound Fracture has just secured domestic distribution so look for more information on that coming very soon!! The film which starred Tyler Mane, Muse Watson, Derek Mears and Renae Geerlings just wrapped up screening tour where it has received stellar reviews (check out mine here).

Now they are back at it with Penance Lane. Check out the synopsis:
The population of Chesterton just grew by one. Crimson Matthews, so fresh from the joint you can still see the cuff marks, just dropped his hitch-hiking boots onto Main Street. His car bomb temper has left a trail of shattered windows and broken jaws but Crimson is ready for a fresh start… perhaps wishful thinking considering his weakness for women in trouble.

Chesterton, however, could be a challenge. A ghost of a town since the mine shut down, Chesterton takes care of its own, and Crimson, with his glare and web of tattoos, is definitely an outsider. Then, Father John, guardian of the town's hopes, who owns a dilapidated property on Penance Lane, extends a kindly hand and offers Crimson the job as handyman. Crimson eyes the once-beautiful estate and realizes this is a second chance for the both of them.

But when Crimson uncovers something hidden and long-buried within the walls of Penance Lane he unleashes a world of dark secrets and violent intent. With the threat of being dragged into its hellish depths, will Crimson finally learn when to walk away? Or will he drag the town of Chesterton into this nightmare prison greater than anything he's ever known or even imagined?

The film will star Tyler Mane, Leslie Easterbrook, Renae Geerlings and most recently added, Muse Watson. They have some great perks for donating so be sure to check out their Indiegogo campaign. Donate if you can or share if you can't. Everything helps when you're making a film! You can also keep up with the progress of the film there.

Hatchet III (2013) - REVIEW

Adam Green is at it again with another installment of Hatchet.  I am a fan of the Hatchet series but not really sure how much they could really do with it.  It was not one of the movies I was really looking forward to coming out.  Today I was a Best Buy and saw it for a pretty fair price so I decided to take a chance on it.  I had heard good things about the movie but have also heard some negative reviews as well.  I had some time to kill today so what the hell.

Picking up right were Part II left off with Mary Beth (Danielle Harris) pumping shotgun shells into the face of Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder).  As she is walking away she finds a chainsaw and tries to get it started but Victor is not dead and picks her up by the throat.  Mary Beth frees herself and Victor falls onto the chainsaw being chopped into halves.  She grabs a piece of his face and heads to the police station with a shotgun in hand.  She is not really welcomed into the police station very friendly being covered in blood, holding a shotgun and the piece of Victor Crowley's face.  Sheriff Folwer (Zach Galligan) gets the situation under control and takes Mary Beth into custody.  Mary Beth is now locked up having told her story, the Sheriff not believing her still sends a team out to the swamp to take a look.  What they find is the corpse party that Victor left behind.  Amanda (Caroline Williams) is the sheriffs ex wife and she is a big believer in the Crowley legend.  She knows he is not dead and she also knows the way to kill him once and for all.

The Hatchet movies have always been one for gratuitous gore but this one really out does itself.  The shear blood splatter and innards spilling out is really enough to make this movie enjoyable for me.  You also have to respect the fact that there is no CGI used.  All of the effects are natural and the way they should be.  CGI really can ruin a movie for me.  I have alot of respect for Adam Green for refusing to use CGI.

Ultimately aside from the gore what I really like about this is the cast.  Danielle Harris returning as Mary Beth and also some genre veterans like Caroline Williams, Derek Mears and Sid Haig has a cameo as well.  I think part III is the best of the series by far.  The movie is just a ton of fun to watch for any hardcore horror fan.  I would rate this 7 out of 10 stars and suggest you get out and at least give this one a shot.  Stay twisted everyone!

New Release Date Set for Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

1428 Films, Panic Productions and Hutson Ranch Media have announced that the release date for Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th has been moved to Friday, September 13th, 2013. The documentary was originally slated for release on August 27th.

"Because of the scope of the show and in order to craft the best, most interesting and entertaining look at the films and TV series, it became necessary to give the post-production process a bit more time,” says producer Thommy Hutson. “Ultimately, though, we are thrilled with the show and can't wait for fans to get back to camp - and we think Mrs. Voorhees and Jason would be happy with the new date!"

"Having spent well over a year in production on Crystal Lake Memories, we wanted to take a little more time to give fans the definitive Friday the 13th documentary they've been waiting for," explains writer/director Daniel Farrands. "Not only were we able to line up a couple of last-minute interviews for our bonus disc and record a full filmmaker commentary track, it just made more sense to wait a couple of weeks and release Crystal Lake Memories on the ‘unlucky day’ it celebrates: Friday the 13th."

The three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of the documentary, which runs a staggering 400 minutes, can currently be pre-ordered exclusively via the film’s official website. An exclusive bonus disc containing approximately 4 hours of extended interview material will be included with orders placed on the website. After the soft release on September 13th, the film will be available to the general public on October 8th.

Corey Feldman (star of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter) narrates Crystal Lake Memories, which features interviews with approximately 150 cast and crew members from all twelve Friday the 13th films and the syndicated television series, many of whom have never before appeared in on-camera interviews. Interview subjects include Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, Tom Savini, Danielle Panabaker, Sean S. Cunningham, Derek Mears, Betsy Palmer, Wes Craven, Robert Shaye, Alice Cooper and many more.

Crystal Lake Memories promises to be the definitive retrospective on the unstoppable Friday the 13th franchise. The film is written and directed by Farrands and produced by Hutson, who previously teamed up for the award-winning Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.

Pre-order Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th now at www.CrystalLakeMemories.net

Compound Fracture 2013 - REVIEW

I had the pleasure of attending Texas Frightmare Weekend for the fourth year in a row. It's probably one of the best conventions I've been to. Not only is it very well managed but it's local which means once a year our little (read big) family of horror lovers get to reunite and hang out and have a great time. For me, it's becoming less and less about the guests and more about being with friends. This year we decided to get an early start and headed up on Thursday, which gave us the opportunity to go to the Compound Fracture screening at The Texas Theatre. Stars Tyler Mane and Renae Geerlings were on hand signing posters and posing on the red carpet with fans. It was really a great time.

Michael (Mane) left home when he was a teenager and never looked back. Now, after the death of his sister, Chloe (Susan Angelo), he's returning home with his fiancee Juliette (Geerlings) and his angst ridden nephew Brandon (Alex Saxon). On arrival, they realize that home isn't exactly what it used to be. With high walls surrounding the house and security cameras in every nook and cranny it's more of a military compound than anything else. Enter Gary (Muse Watson), Michael's estranged father who, while happy to be reunited with his son and grandson, seems more than distracted by other things. As the strange family reunion commences, an uninvited guest shows up and we learn bits and pieces about the real reason behind Chloe's death and why Brandon is so closed off from Michael. This fractured family will have to come together to fight the ghosts from their pasts and make it out alive.

I could talk about this cast all day long and I still wouldn't be able to express how phenomenal they were in this film. To have four iconic serial killers on one screen is more than epic casting. Mane, better known as the sadistic Michael Myers in Rob Zombie's Halloween films, shows us a softer side in Compound Fracture and delivers a performance that enables horror fans to see what an amazing actor he truly is. He brought depth and believability to family man Michael. Derek Mears, AKA Jason in Friday the 13th, returns to his roots as a tormented evil spirit determined to exact revenge on the Wolffsen clan. As we all know, Mears knows how to do tormented, twisted and evil and he knows how to do it well. Watson shows that his talents go way beyond just stalking teenagers in I Know What you Did Last Summer. His portrayal of the a father with a rapidly diminishing mind struggling to make everyone believe he's still lucid is both touching and impressive. Let's not forget Mother Firefly herself Leslie Easterbrook who does a complete 180° with this character. She's soft and sweet and meager in Gary's shadow but also his rock during the bad spells. Her life in turmoil, she wants nothing more than to keep her family together and she plays it to perfection. Geerlings and Saxon also give stellar performances as the two clueless newcomers. One longs to be part of the family and the other just wants to get away. With this cast of characters, it can only be amazing.

Where most films of this type fall apart is where Compound Fracture flourishes. Writers Mane and Geerlings made sure they had strong, solid characters that their audience would care about. As each layer of the film is peeled back, the viewer is drawn deeper and deeper into the story itself. Director Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein also does a great job propelling the story forward at the right moments. In the end, Compound Fracture comes together nicely and ends up being an impressive supernatural tale. This being the first production from Mane Entertainment, I see nothing but grand things in their future.

Tyler Mane's Compound Fracture to Screen at The Texas Theatre

To coincide with his appearance at Texas Frightmare Weekend, Tyler Mane will be hosting a special presentation of his new film Compound Fracture and YOU are invited!! The event is taking place at The Texas Theatre on May 2, 2013. As an added bonus, purchase your tickets through Eventbrite using this link, 10% of your ticket sale will go toward our annual fundraiser, Twisted Tails Film Festival, benefiting Paws in the City.

From the press release:

Dallas, TX (April 5, 2013) – Tyler Mane (HALLOWEEN, X-MEN, TROY) brings his new supernatural horror movie COMPOUND FRACTURE to Dallas, Texas during a double feature event that also includes Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN at The Texas Theatre on May 2, 2013 for ONE NIGHT ONLY.

Hardcore horror fans will have the opportunity to meet the actor and watch the film with Mane, who played Michael Myers in both Rob Zombie films HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN II and now stars in the next-level horror production COMPOUND FRACTURE.

Ticket buyers will be able to choose between three levels of access: the General Admission Ticket to view COMPOUND FRACTURE, the VIP Silver Ticket to view the Double Feature which includes meet and greet with Mane and Geerlings, special collectible wristband, and automatic entry into the nightly prize drawing, and for those who want more one on one time with Tyler Mane, the VIP Gold Ticket will give all the perks of the VIP Silver plus a full-sized movie poster and access to the private after party with the horror superstar. The Grand Prize nightly drawing winner will continue to the final drawing at the end of the multiple-city tour and will be eligible to win a host of prizes, including the chance to be killed by Mane in his next film, PENANCE LANE, or to win the actor’s screen-worn Michael Myers HALLOWEEN jumpsuit.

Tickets are now on sale at www.CompoundFractureTheMovie.com

COMPOUND FRACTURE is a bone-chilling, independent, supernatural horror movie that brings three iconic killers together on the big screen like never before. It will take you deeper than the normal horror-thriller fare, down into a world of family secrets, crazy obsession and unimaginable dementia – and just when it seems you might escape the mad house, you find that it’s the only thing keeping you alive. Watch in horror and admiration as a shattered family comes together when it is faced with complete and utter extinction.

With consistently positive reviews, COMPOUND FRACTURE stars Tyler Mane (HALLOWEEN, X-MEN, TROY), Muse Watson (Ben Willis from I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, NCIS), Derek Mears (Jason from FRIDAY THE 13th, HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCHUNTERS), Leslie Easterbrook (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN), Todd Farmer (DRIVE ANGRY, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, JASON X) and Daniel Roebuck (LOST, Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN I and II, FINAL DESTINATION).

Be sure to check out the video interviews with producers of the film as well as the audience reviews from the Greensboro, NC screening on March 28, 2013.