Horror Highlights: Campaign to Save THE EXORCIST TV Series, PARASITES Q&A, HUNTING GROUNDS

Fans of The Exorcist TV series have rallied together to get the attention of Fox and hopefully get a second season of the show. Their latest campaign, as well as a video featuring fans from all over the world, is included in today's Horror Highlights, which also features a Q&A with the director of Parasites and Hunting Grounds VOD release details.

Details on The Exorcist TV Series's 'Fear the Feathers' Campaign: Press Release: "The Global Fandom for the FOX Television show "The Exorcist" launch[ed] their latest campaign "FEAR THE FEATHERS" on Friday, December 30, 2016, in an effort to plead with the network to renew the show for a second season.

The 10 episode series has recently ended its season one run with no news of a renewal from the FOX network. Passionate fans of the show, who have named their cohesive group the "Exorcist Congregation,” have been very vocal on social media throughout the season by hosting twitter events to coincide with the airings on Friday nights. These "twitter possessions" have brought in many new fans and had their hashtags "TheExorcist” and "RenewTheExorcist” trend worldwide on several occasions. In addition, in December, the "Congregation" released a fan-created YouTube video with fan testimonials from fans in not only the US, but the UK, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Ukraine, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and France.

This latest campaign will involve fans worldwide sending actual feathers to FOX Television headquarters in Los Angeles next week. Feathers, and in particular red ones, are symbolic of the show's demon, Pazuzu, characterized as a red bird by young Regan MacNeil (Geena Davis). A red feather is found in Regan’s bible in Chapter Five of “The Exorcist”—a palpable reminder of her possession as a child.

"We are all hoping that Fox sees the potential of this show and looks beyond its somewhat low ratings in its first season. This is a definite niche drama that is so well put together by the cast and crew. It is unlike anything currently on television. The casting is spot on, with a compelling and fresh storyline while respecting the original. Combine that with an incredible score and photography and it's a home run in our books that deserves another go." says Tim Childress, a Congregation supporter.

“They need to listen to their fans. Really listen—to their Twitter campaigns, blog posts, reviews, and their rallying cries to be given a chance to see their favorite difficult, frightening, powerful stories told. Fans of FOX’s The Exorcist have been clamoring on Twitter for weeks now to get their voices heard, using the hashtag #RenewTheExorcist to save our beloved new show from the chopping block. I’ve met some awesome people after getting involved in the fandom on Twitter. Passionate, enthusiastic, creative fans who just can’t bear to part with another brilliant horror series,” writes Jessie Thomas, another Congregation member, in a blog post.

The fans hope that sending red feathers to FOX will be a harmless yet powerful statement of their loyalty and dedication to the show. The “Fear the Feathers” campaign will be launched Friday across all social media platforms."

To learn more about the "Save The Exorcist" campaign, visit the "Fear the Feathers" page and the campaign's official Tumblr.

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Q&A with Parasites Director Chad Ferrin: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Chad. When did you first come up with the idea for Parasites, and how did the real-life story of John Colter influence you while writing the screenplay?

Chad Ferrin: I'm a big fan of Cornel Wilde's The Naked Prey, which is based on the Colter story, so doing my own version has always been a dream of mine. Years ago, I got lost driving to a party in downtown LA. The city had numerous streets torn up because of construction, so following a detour sign, I ended up under the 6th Street bridge, where to my surprise was a huge homeless encampment. Countless filth-covered men and women froze in the beams of my headlights and just stared at me. My mind raced with thoughts of them taking me out for encroaching on their land, so I threw my car in reverse and got the hell out. Parasites was conceived that night.

Where did filming take place and what did that environment add aesthetically and atmospherically to your movie? 

Chad Ferrin: We shot all around downtown LA. On skid row, we saw the homeless having sex in the middle of the street, pissing and shitting on the sidewalk, junkies shooting up, gang members tagging buildings, and finally a mob of bums chased after us for filming their tent homes. The hard-edged energy really translates to the screen.

What type of shooting schedule did you have for Parasites?

Chad Ferrin: We shot the script in sequence over nine consecutive days. It was the best experience of my career, and that’s hard to believe because it was all nights on sketchy streets, but everyone involved was so excited about the project, that they gave 110% and their energy was infectious.

It looks like Parasites has a vibe reminiscent of The Warriors. Was that Walter Hill film an influence, and did any other movies or filmmakers come to mind when you were making Parasites?

Chad Ferrin: Yes, The Warriors was a huge influence as well as the films of Carpenter and Romero. The Naked Prey, Sorcerer, Emperor of the North, Hard Times, Escape From New York, and Assault on Precinct 13 were of great inspiration.

What was it like working with actor Sean Samuels, who plays the lead role of Marshal Colter? What made the relatively new actor the right fit for Marshal? 

Chad Ferrin: Sean's fantastic, he not only nailed the character, but he brought a certain vulnerability that wasn't fleshed out on the page. We auditioned over 100 guys for the role, and that certain spark really shined through with Sean.

What was your experience working with the prolific Robert Miano? Did you write the role of Wilco with him in mind?

Chad Ferrin: Perfection! His collaboration was there at every aspect, from the script, raising money, casting, production, and editing. I can't sing his praises enough, he's simply the best. Yes, he was born to play Wilco.

When you look back at your time on set, is there a particularly funny or memorable moment that stands out?

Chad Ferrin: We were shooting a chase in the river bed where Marshal runs up the side of a concrete embankment, fights off his pursuer, then runs and hides under the bridge. Well, to escape, he needed to cross a pair of railroad tracks, and as we began to block the scene, suddenly a train horn blew and a light appeared in the distance. I yelled, “We got to get the train!”, so the crew scrambled to set the lights to film the fight plus get the train in the shot. We had to time it just right, so as the fight ends, our hero crosses the tracks, and the train passes, blocking the pursuer. With the train horn blowing and its light getting brighter and brighter. "SET! ROLLING! ACTION!"

In a flash, the fight went off perfect and Marshal crosses the tracks just as the train screams past. I look to Christian, “Did you get it?” He smiles and gives a nod. But before we can pat each other on the back, the train had turned around and come back. The conductor began yelling at us, “What the fuck are you doing! The police are on the way to confiscate your equipment and arrest you all for trespassing.” Terrified, everyone grabbed what they could and we hurried back to base camp and waited for the sound of approaching sirens. Nothing. Silence. We ate dinner, went back to the tracks, no train, no cops, so we finished shooting the scene.

Is this a world you would consider returning to in a potential sequel?

Chad Ferrin: Perhaps.

What was it like working with the late, great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in your other upcoming movie, The Chair?

Chad Ferrin: Roddy was a real pro all the way. A scene called for him to gang rape an inmate with the other guards and he said he was uncomfortable doing it. I said, "Hey, we can work around it to whatever makes you comfortable." I then gave an impassioned speech to the other actors on how this rape needed to be up there with Deliverance, Straw Dogs, Irreversible, and I Spit On Your Grave, otherwise we were just wasting film. Hearing the speech, Roddy took me aside and said, “Chad, I'll rape him, but I've got to kill him after.” I smiled and said, "You got it, Rod. Now go rape and kill him.” We filmed it and everyone was speechless. He was flat-out terrifying.

With Parasites coming out on Digital HD beginning January 24th, what other projects do you have on deck that you can tease, and where can our readers find you online?

Chad Ferrin: I'm gearing up to do Horse this year. It is vengeance / siege / chase / masculinity / morality story packed into one hell of an action-driven Western about a lone gunfighter seeking vengeance upon the men who murdered his horse. All death threats can be sent to me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chad.ferrin

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Hunting Grounds VOD Release Details: Press Release: "Uncork’d Entertainment has set award-winning creature feature HUNTING GROUNDS for a Feb 7 release.

Winner Best Sci-Fi Horror Film at the Toronto Independent Film Festival 2015, writer-director John Portanova’s acclaimed film sees a fractured family forced to go up against an angry clan of Bigfoot.

Festival audiences and horror critics have gone crazy for the story of a father and son, forced to move to an old cabin in the woods after a devastating tragedy, who unearth a tribe of Sasquatch.

Written and directed by John Portanova and produced by horror label The October People, Hunting Grounds stars Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Jason Vail, David Saucedo, D'Angelo Midili, and Emmy winner Bill Oberst Jr. (Criminal Minds).

HUNTING GROUNDS available On Demand from Feb 7.

Official Synopsis: After losing their home following a devastating tragedy, a father and son are forced to move to an old family cabin. When two old friends arrive for a weekend of hunting, what begins as a bonding trip becomes an unimaginable nightmare. This trip deep into the forest will not find wild game, but does unearth a tribe of Sasquatch that are determined to protect their land."