A while back, I had the good fortune to be able to watch and review an independent film called Huff. It seems that film has been given a new name, Big Bad Wolf, and will be heading to DVD next month.
From the press release:
Horizon Movies is proud to announce that it will release the controversial horror-thriller BIG BAD WOLF on DVD on March 4th. Charlie O'Connell, from TV's "The Bachelor", stars as a depraved serial killer tormenting his three teenage step-daughters in this twisted take on "The Three Little Pigs". BIG BAD WOLF was shown in limited screenings at regional horror conventions and film festivals, and won the Best Special Effects award at the 2012 Fright Night Film Fest, where it was also a finalist for Best Picture and Best Actor. It was also an Official Selection at the Burbank International Film Festival and Texas Frightmare Weekend.
The DVD streets on March 4th from Horizon Movies, with a SRP of $26.95, and will feature extra interviews and the trailer.
Also in the cast are Playboy cover model Natasha Alam, Mayra Leal (Machete), and cult genre favorite Clint Howard (The Lords of Salem, Apollo 13, Evilspeak).
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
In this dark adaptation of The Three Little Pigs, Huff (Charlie O'Connell, "The Bachelor") is an abusive stepfather to three teenage girls living in rural Southern California. Huff is on the verge of a lucrative drug deal that will finally allow him to escape his miserable life and retire to Mexico in style with his sexy mistress, Laci (Natasha Alam, True Blood).
Huff's plan begins to unravel when his battered wife, Lorelei (Elina Madison), sends her three daughters away with Huff's drug money to seek better lives for themselves. This triggers a chain reaction of violence, murder and rage-induced asthma attacks as Huff attempts to locate the three runaways and recover his money. He will huff and puff and tear their lives down.
HOLLYWOOD, CA (June17, 2012)—Initial test screenings indicate indie horror/thriller HUFF will be a huge hit with genre fans. Screened exclusively at Texas Frightmare Weekend (May 5, 2012) and Philadelphia Comic Con (June 1, 2012), HUFF is receiving rave reviews and is already experiencing a cult-like following.
HUFF is a twisted adaptation of the classic bedtime story “The Three Little Pigs.” It stars Charlie O’Connell (The Bachelor, Dude Where’s My Car?, Sliders) in the unlikely role of asexually abusive, asthma-stricken stepfather (the “big bad wolf”). When Huff’s three stepdaughters (the “three little piggies”) flee with his stash of drug money, Huff “huffs and puffs” his way through a rage-induced killing spree in pursuit of the girls.
O’Connell, typically cast as the all-American jock, has definitely crossed over to the dark side as the sick, disturbed villain. Scott Shoyer of AnythingHorror.com says O’Connell gives“one of the most brutal, savage, and powerful performances I’ve seen in a long time.”
“Response has been phenomenal!” says Executive Producer Cort Howell of Windchaser Pictures. “One of the benefits of doing these early screenings is that HUFF is already developing a cult-like following.”
With no affiliation or compensation, New England-based podcasters PixelatedDimensions.com has become the unofficial fan club for HUFF, working tirelessly to promote what they describe as “a breath of fresh air in the film business. Their motivation? “We just love the film!” says co-host Phil MacManus.
HUFF also includes standout performances by scream queen Elina Madison (Creepshow 3, Chop) as the “momma pig,” Playboy cover model Natasha Alam as Huff’s sexy mistress, and Marie Bollinger as the eldest step-daughter who is forced to do battle with Huff to protect herself and her sisters. Genre fan-favorite Clint Howard (The Lords of Salem, Apollo 13, Evilspeak) makes a compelling cameo appearance as an unwitting hay deliveryman.
HUFF will next embark on a short festival circuit in preparation for a worldwide release in late 2012.
About Windchaser Pictures: Windchaser Pictures is a privately held independent feature film company in Santa Clarita, CA. HUFF is Windchaser’s first feature film. Additional films are in development.
Most of us are raised to believe in fairy tale endings. The girl gets the guy and vice versa. Good triumphs over evil and missing children always find their way home. As we grow older and wiser to the ways of the world we realize this isn't always the case and not everyone gets their happy ending. Now if you go back in history and read the original versions of fairy tales, what we grew up with is far from the way the story actually goes. The history of fairy tales began with our primitive ancestors and grew to reflect the uncertainties, traumas and dramas of the age. In the original Red Riding Hood tale, there was no Grandmother, only a ravenous wolf who misdirected Red so he could eat her. Yep, in the original tale, Red didn't escape the wolf. Some of the very early tales even have Cinderella as a murderous daughter who was punished with a life of chores for killing her first step-mother. Sleeping Beauty wasn't awakened by a kiss from a handsome prince, it was the nudging of her newborn twins that actually woke her and Goldilocks, well she became a hearty meal for the three bears. Take the Brothers Grimm for example, they were notorious for writing very gruesome tales that rarely ended in "happily ever after".
Lorelei (Elina Madison) finally realizes that she hasn't done whats right by her three daughters. For seven years she's trapped them in a home with an abusive, drug running, pedophile step-father who hides behind the Bible. Seeing the err of her ways, she decides to steal Huff's (Charlie O'Connell) drug money and send the girls off in search of a better life. The girls split up thinking it will be harder for Huff to find them. But, there's nothing worse than a pissed off drug runner with a tendency for violence. Once Huff wakes up from his drunken slumber and realizes his money is gone, he sets off in a bloody pursuit to get it back.
From the onset, the most recognizable face of this cast is Charlie O'Connell. Hell, he's been in everything from Sliders to Dude Where's My Car to 2-Headed Shark Attack. The best thing about it though, is this isn't the Charlie O'Connell we're all used to seeing. This is a much darker Charlie and it's frightening how well he pulls it off. He gives the most powerful, brutal, intense performance of his career right here and he nails it. I've always seen him as this cute, charming good guy but not anymore... nope... he's skeery! I was also surprised to see two of my favorite actors show up. Who, just in case you didn't know, are father and son, Rance and Clint Howard. Both had rather minor roles but as usual, played them to perfection. The rest of the cast were relatively unknown to me until now. Gorgeous, gorgeous girls who know how to play it up on screen. Madison is an emotional wreck (because she's supposed to be) and you instantly feel for her. A woman trapped in a marriage of convenience who only wants what's best for her girls and she makes it look effortless. Now, it's the naming of the girls where we get our first glimpse of the "Three Little Pigs" aspect of the film. Brixi (Marie Bollinger), Styx (Jenna Stone) and Shay (Elly Stefanko). Bollinger is more than effective as the self sacrificing, God fearing "good girl" quoting Bible verses to deflect the attentions of her pervert step-father away from her sisters. Stone is the rebellious one who wants nothing more than to escape the hell she's in and she's extremely convincing. Stefanko is the cute but naive baby of the family and you'd think, this being her first film, there'd be some kind of learning curve for her but she delivers a rather flawless performance. Natasha Alam is Huff's girl on the side who is trying to escape her own nightmare. Little does she know, she's stepped right in the middle of another one.
I must admit when I was first approached to review Huff, I had my doubts. I mean really, a film based on The Three Little Pigs? My perception of films is so skewed these days. However, even after reading other reviews on here, writer Cort Howell was convinced that I'd enjoy it and he was right. The thing about it is, Huff could've easily gotten very gimmicky and gone downhill fast but Howell and director Paul Morrell made damn sure it never went in that direction. The references are very subtle and if you didn't know it before hand, you'd probably never put the two together and that just makes it a more solid film. We here at Twisted Central love the Indie film circuit (when it's good) and what it all boils down to is that Huff is an intense, compelling play on a childhood favorite that is a must see for genre fans. Kudos to the Huff team and I can't wait to see what else Windchaser Pictures has in store for us!
Horizon Movies is proud to announce that it will release the controversial horror-thriller BIG BAD WOLF on DVD on March 4th. Charlie O'Connell, from TV's "The Bachelor", stars as a depraved serial killer tormenting his three teenage step-daughters in this twisted take on "The Three Little Pigs". BIG BAD WOLF was shown in limited screenings at regional horror conventions and film festivals, and won the Best Special Effects award at the 2012 Fright Night Film Fest, where it was also a finalist for Best Picture and Best Actor. It was also an Official Selection at the Burbank International Film Festival and Texas Frightmare Weekend.
