Indie Spotlight

2014/02/23 19:15:38 +00:00 | Tamika Jones

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today's feature includes an exclusive clip from the film, The Case of Mary Ford, first details on The Three starring Lew Temple from The Walking Dead, a new candle line from Horror Decor, a review of The Poisoning and The Returned, a Q&A with artist Naisa Gomez, and much more:

Exclusive Clip from The Case of Mary Ford: "Greece, 1910. Maria (Tamar Karabetyan) is a young Greek girl in a fishing village on the Black Sea. The village match maker betroths her to a young fisherman Adonis (Branko Tomovic), who is in partnership with the true object of Maria's affection, Giorgos (Yannis Stankoglou). One stormy night Giorgos and Adonis's boat capsizes and Adonis is lost at sea. With no source of income Giorgos sets of for America promising Maria he will return for her. She does not believe him. But instead, Adonis comes back from the dead - a Vrykolakas - a Greek revenant sea vampire. The creature claims he is not Adonis but a stranger.

The Case of Mary Ford is currently doing the film festival circuit and recently premiered at the prestigious Aesthetica Film Festival, Van d’Or Cannes In A Van, Busho, CineArt Film Festival and also won awards at the Cyprus International Film Festival and Peloponnesian International Film Festival.

The Clip shows the resurrection of the Vrykolakas, the Greek revenant sea vampire."

For more information, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2169546/

---------

I Spit on Your Grave Documentary Details: "36 years after the making of the controversial 1978 cult classic I Spit On Your Grave, actress Camille Keaton will appear on screen with director Meir Zarchi in upcoming documentary.

Day of the Woman a.k.a. I Spit On Your Grave was inspired by Meir Zarchi’s experience with a victim of rape. After stumbling upon a teenage girl in a park in the aftermath of a violent assault, Zarchi began to imagine how a woman in this situation might fantasize about revenge. Moreover, he wanted to depict to the audience the real horrors of rape.

The story follows Jennifer Hills, (played by Keaton), a magazine writer from New York City, as she retires to a secluded cabin in the woods to write her first novel. While there she is brutally assaulted, raped and left for dead. But Jennifer is alive. Emotionally destroyed, she no longer writes her novel; instead she finds herself choreographing a horrific revenge scheme to inflict punishment on her assailants.

Now in production, the I Spit On Your Grave 1978 Documentary will reveal some insight into the madness and the man behind it all. Created by Terry Zarchi (son of Meir Zarchi, who also played a small role in the film), this project will deliver both a personal and informative view that only someone who grew up with this movie can provide."

To learn more about the upcoming documentary, go to: http://www.ispitonyourgrave1978.com/category/documentary/

---------

L.A. Slasher Teaser Poster: "A biting, social satire about reality TV and the glorification of people who are famous for simply being famous, “L.A. Slasher” explores why it has become acceptable and even admirable for people to become influential and wealthy based on no merit or talent – purely through notoriety achieved through shameful behavior. Incensed by the tabloid culture which celebrates it, the L.A. Slasher publicly abducts a series of reality TV stars, while the media and general public in turn begin to question if society is better off without them."

For more details on L.A. Slasher, visit:

---------

First Clip from Dead Sea: "This globe-spanning story follows a Marine Biologist who is thrust into the violent paranoia surrounding a town preparing for the return of an impending sacrifice to a legendary serpentine creature, in this case being a giant LAMPREY, said to have surfaced from hell during an earthquake.

The film stars Britt Griffith (Syfy's Ghosthunters, Ghosthunters International), James Jw Wiseman (The Deadliest Warrior), Devanny Pinn (The Black Dahlia Haunting, Truth or Dare), James Duval (Donnie Darko, Independence Day), Alexis Iacono (The Penny Dreadful Picture Show, World of Warcraft), Tawny Amber Young (Wonderland), Chanel Ryan (Bad Kids Go To Hell, BASEketball), Candace Kita (Barb Wire, Two and a Half Men), KJ McCormick (Syfy's Ghosthunters), Frederic Doss (Transformers, GI JOE The Rise of Cobra) and was directed by Shockfest 2012 "Best Director" Award Winner Brandon Slagle."

You can get more information about the film at its Official Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/DeadSeaMovie or on IMDB at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663222/

---------

First Details on The Three: "The Three is a sci-fi/horror film about extraterrestrials and one man's frightening journey to discover balance and what it really means to be human. It is the first film that will explore the relationship between three different classifications of extraterrestrials: the insectoids, the reptilians and the greys.

This film will not only explore what it means to be alien, but also what it really means to be a human being. It shows that in times of peril and uncertainty, humans can actually be more monstrous than monsters themselves.

Set to star Lew Temple (The Walking Dead, Unstoppable) and Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer), The Three will begin principal photography in June."

To learn more, and to support the progress of this film, visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-three-an-extraterrestrial-feature-film

---------

New Episode Teaser for Lee Martin’s The Midnight Hour: "In the next all-new episode of “Lee Martin’s The Midnight Hour,” a young woman cries “rape” when caught in flagrante delictu with two young men by her insanely jealous, gun wielding husband—leading to their prison sentences.

But this tarnished victory doesn't last long. Shortly after the two young men are convicted, Regina’s lie comes to light. At first, the consequences aren't anything she can't live with. But two years later, the young men are paroled and not too happy about the courses their lives have taken.

Soon, Regina is receiving anonymous death threats by phone and before long, her best friend Cassandra is convinced someone is trying to kill Regina and make her death look like an accidental overdose of phenobarbitol.

A tight script, rich cinematography and solid performances combine to make this an exceptionally enjoyable outing for the series, now in its sixth season.

“Hard Time” premieres on Saturday, March 1 and repeats every Thursday and Saturday throughout the month."

---------

Casting Update on The Divine Tragedies: "The famous Leopold and Loeb ransom and murder case is being brought to the screen with The Divine Tragedies. This twisted tale of stalking, kidnapping and violent murder has been re-envisioned by director and writer Jose Prendes (The Haunting of Whaley House). A true tale of wits, the production team, including brothers and producers James and Jon Kondelik, are pleased to announce the attachment of actors Lynn Lowry and Sean Whalen to their terrifying tale. Actor Ken Foree has already announced his participation in the film, with more famous horror personalities set to be included soon.

The Leopold and Loeb murder case has been sensationalized in film previously. Alfred Hitchcock used this famous trial in his famous thriller Rope (1948). And, Prendes has his own interpretation of the case. In the story of The Divine Tragedies, Charles (Graham Denman) and his half-brother Thomas (Jon Kondelik) concoct a deadly game to test their superior intelligence against the dimwitted masses. This game will eventually lead to murder. And when Genevieve, a beautiful single mother, enters their lives they finally find the perfect girl for their first kill. But, problems arise when they quickly discover that Detective Homer Gaul (Ken Foree) is hot on their trail.

Director Jose Prendes and producers Jon and James Kondelik are pleased to announce the attachment of actors Lynn Lowry (The Crazies) and Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs) to their thriller The Divine Tragedies. These two actors will join Ken Foree in one of this year's most terrifying features."

For more information, visit the film’s Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/divinetragediesmovie

---------

Dark House Release Details: "“Dark House” is a thrilling and horrifying road trip, full of twists and brutal surprises; a suspenseful thriller about a young man and a chilling old house that has survived decades, awaiting the return of its prodigal son… a house that can escalate Nick’s gift to see death before it happens, but holds within its walls the origins of a dark family legacy so horrible it may have already reached out to Nick’s unborn child.

The horror-suspense feature “Dark House,” starring the iconic Tobin Bell (“Saw”), begins its day-and-date roll-out in March. Paladin will release the movie in New York and Los Angeles on March 14, with additional markets to follow. On March 11, Cinedigm launches the film in North American across cable, VOD, Blu-ray Disc and DVD.

“Dark House,” which follows the terrifying road trip of a young man in search of his dark past, is the freshman effort of LA-based Charles Agron Productions.

Headlining the cast is Tobin Bell. His portrayal of Jigsaw in the “Saw” franchise was called “brilliant and formidable” by the BBC. Up-and-coming young actor Luke Kleintank (“Pretty Little Liars,” ”1000 to 1”) stars, along with Alex McKenna (“Crossing Jordan”, “Dallas”), Zack Ward (“Postal”), and multiple award-winner Lesley-Anne Down (“Upstairs/Downstairs”)."

---------

Horror Decor's Candle Line Announced: "We here, at Horror Decor are very excited to announce the release of a new scented candle line! We neglected our candle line in 2013, so we wanted to give it some special attention by doing what we did for our pillows, infuse them with some of our favorite horror flicks! How exactly did we do that? Not only is there a visual representation with glossy full color labels, but the scents themselves have been directly inspired by the films we love so much. We are kicking off the new line with five options:

The Stuff - A sweet scent reminiscent of ice cream that will get you saying "Enough is never enough, of The Stuff!"

Tenafly Viper - This intoxicating booze scented candle will certainly freshen up your junkyard, um, room!

Stay Puft - Who doesn't love the smell of a good marshmallow being toasted by proton packs!

The Overlook Hotel - The best way to describe this candle is to say with the help of your index finger: "REDRUM, REDRUM!"

Soylent Green - If Soylent Green is people, then naturally this candle should smell like...meat! More of a beef jerky-esqe scent to be exact. This certainly is not your grandma's candle!"

To purchase these candles, go to: http://www.horrordecor.com/

---------

Seed of Evil Book Details: "From a distant galaxy far beyond our time, the most ancient of all evil awoke before descending upon our unsuspecting galaxy. The planet it reached never faced such a threat, but didn’t submit to it, either. In a final attempt to survive, a prison between dimensions was built, the last hope to hold the dark power for an eternity. The planet withered and died, and its people found a new refuge among the stars. That planet is now known as: Mars. But even eternity doesn’t last forever. Ignorance and an infantile arrogance of Earth’s nation leads to evil’s release.

Master of psychological twists, Robert Friedrich, shows again his vivid imagination, sense for suspense and original concept in a powerful story which just ignite the reader’s thirst for more.

C. J. Phoenix (main character):”…what we were flying into; made hell look like a walk in the park…”"

For more information about this novel, visit: http://robapexenterprise.wix.com/robert-friedrich#!seed-of-evil/c1hd7

---------

Thomas Tessier's World of Hurt Distribution Details: "All Channel Films, Inc. will provide domestic (U.S.) and Canadian distribution for the 2014 anthology film Thomas Tessier's World of Hurt.

All Channel Films, Inc. is a distribution company with over 26 years in North American distribution. They have successfully placed films and products in all the available distribution outlets, including all cable channels, Internet outlets as well as DVD, SVOD, and any other market for domestic distribution.

This is the first time Tessier’s short stories will be brought to the screen. Five directors (identities forthcoming) will helm the Thomas Tessier's World of Hurt anthology."

To learn more, visit:

---------

The Ghosts of Emily Gray: "Author and artist C. Keith Carpenter has recently published his new paranormal novel, “The Ghosts of Emily Gray.”

The story follows Erin, the surviving identical twin of Emily who was tragically killed exactly one year ago.

Multiple apparitions of the dead teen simultaneously haunt the family while Erin tries to cope with the guilt of Emily’s death, haunting visions, a jilted ex-boyfriend who taps into supernatural forces to enact revenge, and a family that is quickly disintegrating.

Having made a break with the occult underworld, Erin struggles with her own identity as a person while dating the high school football star who is very different from her."

For a list of locations where this novel is sold, visit the author's website at: http://www.GhostsOfEmilyGray.com

---------

First Details on Seven-X: "Seven-X is a Psychological Horror/Suspense series of books and films. The debut novel, became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon Kindle and we are in the process of prepping for a feature film adaptation."

To learn more about this novel, visit: http://www.seven-x.com

---------

Cecil and Bubba Meet the Thang Release Details: "Cecil & Bubba Meet the Thang is a full length sequel to Cecil & Bubba Meet a Succubus. The new novella takes place the very next day after the events of the first story (making it Halloween night) and this time the not so dynamic duo find themselves tying up with the Thang, which turns out to be an alien that has been buried in a small Texas town for over one hundred years. The creature has been awoken by the energy of the curse, and it is anxious to devour our world. The only form of defense we have are our two redneck underachievers who are only now starting to understand the curse that they carry and the ramifications that it will have. And while the horror/comedy tale definitely has thick Southern flavorings, West promises it is not a parody and that the humor doesn’t belittle his characters or people from the South.

West also lamented the lack of strong and positive Southern role models in horror fiction when he was a child: “Growing up, it was very rare that I read a horror story where a good old boy with a drawl turned out to be the hero. Usually when I would run across a Southern character I could identify with, that character was a victim or a villain or played strictly for comedy relief."

Cecil & Bubba Meet the Thang will be available on Amazon on March 21, 2014. A Kindle version will be offered with a trade paperback in the works shortly thereafter."

For more information, go to: http://www.amazon.com/WHAT-PRICE-GORY-Terry-West-ebook/dp/B00H9OAFQY/

---------

Indie Spotlight Review: The Poisoning

by Heather Wixson

For his feature film debut, co-writer/director Zachary Eglinton crafts together an impressive thriller in The Poisoning. Starring Matt Mercer, Kalan Ray and Brandon Walz (who also co-wrote the script), the film follows two friends named Matt and Riley (Mercer and Ray) as they travel cross-country to move to Los Angeles to get their start in the film industry. Along the way, they manage to hit a few bumps in the road (see what I did there?) by way of Chaps (Walz), Matt’s buffoonish friend who tags along on the trip and a menacing hitchhiker who begins tracking the trio when they don’t stop to pick him up during their travels.

With DNA from films like The Hitcher, Point Break (there’s an excellent reference made early on), Rabies, Bellflower, Scenic Route or even Planes, Trains & Automobiles coursing through its genre-loving veins, The Poisoning proves the old indie filmmaking adage true: sometimes less is more. Clearly Eglinton didn’t have a huge budget at his disposal but in the end, he proved he didn’t really need one. Instead, as a storyteller, he let the characters and an engaging story draw us in, and he does so rather well. By the time you’ve settled in, that’s when The Poisoning hits you hard and hits you when you least expect it.

Anchored by great performances from Mercer, Ray and Walz, The Poisoning is an unexpected little thriller that managed to surprise me more than once, especially during its exceptional third act which was unrelenting and wonderfully frenetic. Definitely a movie that benefits from you knowing as little going in as possible (just because its surprises are THAT great), Eglinton’s film does takes a bit of time to get to that point (my only real ‘gripe’ if that’s what you’d even call it), but once The Poisoning does officially venture from road drama/thriller territory into full-blown horror mode, that’s when everything really hits its stride and finishes off with a shocking finale that left me a bit of a pummeled heap by its conclusion.

Currently available on Cable VOD, and making its way onto Google Play and Amazon in March, The Poisoning is a taut and engaging thriller from start to finish and absolutely a movie I’d recommend any indie horror fan out there check out. All in all, The Poisoning is a really well-made indie film that definitely deserves to find an audience.

Movie Score: 3.5/5

---------

Indie Spotlight Impressions: The Returned

by Kristian Hanson

The Returned is a zombie film where a temporary cure has been created for those infected, but the supply of the serum is running low. The movie is a slow burn-type film with limited zombie attacks and gore. Usually this would be a negative on a zombie movie, but it helps you dive into the storyline and become invested in the main characters. The lead characters are a Doctor named Kate (Emily Hampshire) and Alex (Kris Holden-Ried,) her boyfriend who is infected and one of the returned. When Alex's supply has been stolen by a close friend, true panic and suspense kicks in.

The Returned is not your typical shoot em up zombie film and that is what makes it enjoyable. You get invested in the characters and fear the worst will happen if a cure is not found out in time. Definitely give it a watch and judge it for yourself.

---------

Indie Spotlight Q&A with Artist Naisa Gomez

by Tamika Jones

I feel as though this question is asked a lot, but when did you discover your artistic abilities? Was there an age when you realized that art was something you wanted to use to express yourself?

Naisa: Like almost every artist, I started drawing at a very young age. But as ironic as this might sound, I took it seriously at age 27. That's when I really started enjoying it and feeling passion for it. I felt the need to say through my drawings what I couldn't say out loud.

Would you mind explaining the process you go through in order to create a piece or a collection of art?

Naisa: Most of the times it all starts with a dream, then I sketch the ideas before they fade away. I need to be in a quiet place to be able to properly work on my illustrations. So no loud noises or chatter. Some folk music as background "noise" and voila, the rest is magic.

How long does it take to complete?

Naisa: It all depends on the size of the piece and the time I have to finish it. Small illustrations take just hours. The bigger they are, the more time it takes. I really don't like to rush.

A lot of the characters in your artwork have a dark or macabre feel to them... What drives or influences your style?

Naisa: Anything dark or macabre and sci-fi. Always, since childhood. Edgar Allan Poe influenced me the most when I was a teenager.

Speaking of dark and macabre subject matter, is that something you enjoy in other forms of art? For example, film/television, music, dance, etc.?

Naisa: Horror films but mostly surreal films like those of David Lynch, The Quay Brothers and Jan Svankmajer- Eraserhead, Stille Nacht II (Are We Still Married) and Alice being my all time favorites by them. Music genres like darkwave, folk and experimental. Tv shows like Tales from the Crypt. God, I could go on. I also enjoy ballet.

Do you sell any of the artwork you create? Or do commissions?

Naisa: I do sell them and I do commissions, yes.

Where can our readers find you and your wonderful artwork?

Naisa: For now people can find me on Instagram at 'darktownsally', I'm constantly updating my feed there. We're working on my website and online shop to be open soon. But for commissions and business they can always email me: arttownsally@gmail.com.