Indie Spotlight

2014/03/02 19:26:34 +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 photos from Utero, The Last Halloween, and Phantasmagoria, release details on The Horror at 37,000 Feet starring William Shatner, casting news for The Divine Tragedies, and much more:

First Details on Utero: "Writer/Director Bryan Coyne’s (Harvard Park and Incarnate) new film Utero started production this week in Los Angeles.

Independently financed by Coinopflix, the movie stars Jessica Cameron who is also producing along with her Truth or Dare partner, Jonathan Higgins. Former Platinum Studios Exec (Cowboys and Aliens, Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night) Richard Marincic also serves as a producer on the film.

Utero is about “an agoraphobic unwed mother who finds her psyche unraveling as she becomes convinced that her unborn child is more monster than human.”

Cameron’s latest film Truth or Dare, is playing the festival circuit and has currently won 18 awards. She is also known for such films as the Roger Corman produced Camel Spiders which is currently airing on the SyFy channel, and Steven C. Miller’s remake of Silent Night. Utero marks Cameron’s and Higgins’ second collaboration together.

Cameron had this to say about the project:

“Utero is the most cerebral script I have ever read and I cannot wait to bring it to life! It is such an intense case study on these endlessly fascinating characters. Horror fans are going to love it!”"

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The Horror at 37,000 Feet Release Details: "Suspense, thrills and screams take flight in the cult-classic The Horror at 37,000 Feet starring TV icons William Shatner (Star Trek: The Original Series), Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies) and Chuck Connors (The Rifleman). The supernatural horror film centers on a hapless ensemble of airline passengers, who are plagued by a mysterious force from within the cargo hold. It’s up to an ex-priest (Shatner) to confront this mystery, and drive out the demonic forces hell-bent on terrorizing anything in sight.

The upcoming 3/18 DVD release of The Horror At 37,000 Feet, stars William Shatner, from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution."

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The Last Halloween Trailer: "Four trick-or-treaters venture into the cold, dark October night in search of tasty snacks... but is that really all they seek? When opening your door to a stranger becomes an act of supreme courage, we could all be fast approaching... The Last Halloween.

Red Sneakers Media, the Toronto-based film-makers behind such award-winning short films as "Remote" and "The Sweetest Hippopotamus", have once again teamed up with BravoFACT in order to deliver a chill-inducing tribute to every horror fan's favorite holiday: "The Last Halloween"! Based on an original comic tale, this spooky confection serves up sufficient scares to please genre aficionados while still being appropriate for audiences of all ages. Not an easy feat in this era of cinematic excess! And yet, despite harkening back to a bygone age, "The Last Halloween" doesn't suffer from nostalgia. Rather, it's that rarest of things: a truly original take on a classic idea. With its contemporary twist, high production values and powerhouse performances, "The Last Halloween" could very well become one of those evergreen holiday classics that people return to, again and again, year after year!

"The Last Halloween" owes its success to the wonderful collection of talented individuals both behind and in front of the cameras. Writer/director Marc Roussel ("Remote") and his long-time writing partner Mark Thibodeau ("The Sweetest Hippopotamus") have crafted a taut, engaging visual experience from Thibodeau's original comic. Director of Photography Michael Jari Davidson ("Familiar", “Sick”, “Mourning Has Broken”) imbues every frame with that elusive "big budget" feel so essential to the success of any genre film. Lead actors Ron Basch ("Remote", “My Ex-Ex”) and Emily Alatalo (“If A Tree Falls”, “Fortune Cookie Prophecies” and "The Scarehouse") burn up the screen with performances worthy of a full-length drama, while a surprise turn by industry veteran Julian Richings ("Supernatural", “Septic Man” and "Man of Steel") is sure to shock and delight his many fans, both old and new. And of course there's our troop of creepy young trick-or-treaters oh, and did we mention there are MONSTERS, courtesy of The Butcher Shop (“The Collapsed”, “Familiar”, “Berkshire County”)?."

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Barbara Crampton Joins The Divine Tragedies: "The Divine Tragedies, based loosely on the famous Leopold and Loeb murder case, tells the tale of Charles Brubaker (Graham Denman, The Haunting of Whaley House) and his half-brother Thomas Lo Bianco (Jon Kondelik, Airplane Vs. Volcano), who were raised by their arthritis-twisted, alcoholic Mother (Barbara Crampton). The boys 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), a cop with a very special gift, is hot on their trail.

Writer and director Jose Prendes (The Haunting of Whaley House) and producers Jon and James Kondelik are excited to announce the casting of the eternally beautiful Barbara Crampton (Your’re Next, Re-animator). Crampton joins her From Beyond co-star Ken Foree, in their new film The Divine Tragedies.

Barbara says of the film: “I am very excited to take part in Jose Prendes’s complex and disturbing film, The Divine Tragedies; deeply exploring the nature of relationships and the influence they provide while carving out our places in the world,” she says. “I am excited to play the mother of two brothers whose torturous tendencies exact horrific carnage to people they claim to both admire and love. Being reunited with one of my favorite co-stars, horror luminary Ken Foree, is an added delight!”"

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The Sugar Skull Girls Casting Update: "The film is about three supernatural sisters who are accidentally conjured during a ritual and escape the wrath of The Pale Witch (Carmela Hayslett) who wants nothing more than to drag them back into her world by their cute little ponytails! The film is also an assembly of old school horror actors joining together to make this fun but frightful Children's film. These actors include: Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil's Rejects), and John Amplas from Romero's Martin and Day of the Dead.

We're happy to say that Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil's Rejects, The Afflicted) has joined the cast as well. The Sugar Skull Girls film being produced by Potent Media has officially released a teaser trailer featuring Addy Miller (The Walking Dead) and has jump-started it's fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.

The film will begin shooting this summer."

To stay up-to-date with this film's progress, visit: http://www.twitter.com/Sugarskullgrls

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First Director for World of Hurt Announced: "The story follows Dr. Hugo Sturgis as he accompanies his friend to the Ralls School for young ladies. They are told that a woman was attacked two nights earlier, and upon examination, they are astonished to find the woman is not only pregnant but on the verge of giving birth.

Director, design and creature creator Raymond Carr is preparing to adapt Thomas Tessier’s short story “Infestation at Ralls” from his Remorseless (Sinister Grin Press) collection. Carr is the first of five directors signed to the Thomas Tessier World of Hurt project.

“I love ‘The Infestation at Ralls,’” Carr said, “because it’s able to do so much in such a short amount of pages, without overloading the reader or convoluting the story. It’s part mystery, part demon possession, and part creature fright fest. The reader is left with the feeling that something is always lurking around the corner. I am excited to bring my tactics of creature design and story telling to this devilishly good story.”

Thomas Tessier World of Hurt is an anthology film made from stories published in his Remorseless and Ghost Music (Cemetery Dance Publications) collections. All Channel Films, Inc. will provide domestic (U.S.) and Canadian distribution. Filming will take place in 2014."

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Date of the Dead Trailer and Release Details: "Date of the Dead is an anthology film that blends different types of horror genres together, but the main course is Date of the Dead with Corbin as a man plagued with commitment issues. One night while tossing aside yet another female victim he meets a different kind of girl. Could she be the one? Unfortunately on this night the corpses of his previous relationships “rise from the grave” to reclaim him. One girl is never enough for Corbin, but by the end of the night Corbin will have his fill."

For more information on this film, visit Date of the Dead's Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/thedeadfeature

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Laurence and the Riders is Now Available: "After witnessing a murder, college student Laurence Clarke is forced into working for a gang of outlaw bikers who are hiding a centuries-old secret, and in the process finds himself helplessly captivated by the one girl he’s forbidden to love. Tempted by the money and respect an affiliation with the supernatural Paxios provides, Laurence soon strays to the dark side. Will he be lost forever?"

"Sloan Archer resides in Los Angeles. She has been penning fiction since childhood; her first works were dark short stories inspired by howling coyotes on her family's farm, penned at the ripe age of nine. When Sloan isn't writing horror, sci-fi, and paranormal novels, she enjoys travel, painting, and live music."

To purchase Laurence and the Riders or to learn more, visit:

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Teaser Poster for Phantasmagoria: "Three shocking tales of horror that takes you beyond fear. It has been recently reported that Cristina Puccinelli (L’Ultimo Weekend), Alberto Cattaneo, Sophie Pâris and newcomer Maya Dolan will star in Phantasmagoria.

Co-directed by Mickael Abbate (Creeps), Domiziano Cristopharo (House of Flesh Mannequins, Red Krokodil, Doll Syndrome) and Tiziano Martella (Legio XIII), Phantasmagoria is a vibrating tribute to William Castle’s cinema, but also introduces original visions of fear in three gripping films that encompass the breadth of the genre. The stories are written by Mickael Abbate, Davide Chiara (Nero Infinito), Raffaele Picchio (Morituris), Lorenzo Paviano, Riccardo De Flaviis, co-produced by Extreme Video snc (Morning Star, Zombie Massacre 2) and produced by M International.

The film is currently in post-production and is scheduled to hit distribution this Fall."

For more information, visit the film’s official Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Phantasmagoria.the.movie

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Hillbilly Horror Show Release Details: "From the team that brought you the award-winning film, House of Good and Evil, comes a hilarious online horror-comedy series, where Hee Haw meets Tales from the Crypt.

Join our loveable, hillbilly hosts, Bo & Cephus, and their hot kissing cousin, Lulu, for some award winning horror short films and great laughs!"

To watch the show now online, visit: www.hillbillyhorrorshow.com

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Mile Marker Seven Trailer Released: "David, an independent oil contractor, on the brink of semi-retirement, is proposed by his friend, and former business partner, Barry, with the opportunity of a lifetime. Everything is going just as they wished for, but what they don't realize is, while they are hunting oil, someone, or something is hunting them."

Released just one week ago, Mile Marker Seven stars Jamie Bernadette and Wil Daniels.

To learn more, go to the film's fan page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MileMarkerSeven?fref=ts

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Surviving Evil DVD Release Details: "In the film a television documentary crew begins shooting a jungle survival special on the remote Mayaman Island in the Philippines. Things start out casual for host Sebastian "Seb" Beazley (Zane) and his team until the jungle takes a terrifying turn. With horror they discover a local legend is all too real when a mythical creature called the Aswang ultimately descends from the trees and begins stalking them through the jungle.

Freestyle Digital Media has announced that they have set the DVD release date of February 25th, 2014 for Surviving Evil, a tense international horror/thriller starring Billy Zane, Christina Cole (Mutual Friends), Natalie Mendoza (The Descent) and Filipino star Joel Torre (Amigo, On the Job). Written and directed by Terence Daw, the film was produced by David Pupkewitz, Anton Ernst and Malcolm Kohll."

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Watch the short film 'Witchfinder': "After putting a witch to death, a righteous witch hunter finds himself haunted by a spectral curse in this award-winning horror tale.

A small community lives in fear of the satanic evil that festers within the dark forests that surround their small village. One night, a love-struck villager ventures into the oppressive woods in search of forbidden magic and ancient rites. To aid them, the townsfolk enlist the aid of William Thatcher Blake, a witch hunter whose arrival stirs a cauldron of terror that threatens to engulf them all in a bloody pit of horror!

Starring Dave Juehring (Field Freak), Valerie Meachum (Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer), Travis Worthey, Nicole Kilmer and Chloe Koneiczki. Music by Brandon Lutmer (Joie de Vivre) and Mark Gustafson and Kevin MacLeod. Director of Photography Brent Jepsen. Edited by Colin Clarke. Production designed by Arianne Clarke. Costumes Designed by Alisha Tyler. Produced by Colin Clarke, Brent Jepsen and Arianne Clarke. Written and Directed by Colin Clarke.

Witchfinder is also available on DVD from Amazon in a special edition that features a behind the scenes “making-of” documentary, commentaries, deleted scenes, production photos, and a bonus short film – director Clarke’s animated Halloween tale, Raven's Hollow."

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First Details on Orbit: "'ORBIT' is a follow up to my previous short, which was an adaptation of Poe's The Raven set in 1950's Hollywood. That short had a great festival run and has been featured on several blogs and websites and recently had over 7k new views, over 2 years after it's release! I think launching Poe even further into the future this time around will really allow a modern audience to see how timeless and amazing his work is, was, and always will be!

We've recently been featured on AINITCOOL and Filmshortage, [and] we've just launched our crowd funding campaign. We're making every effort to shoot as much of the short using practical effects as possible. We'll be using models, real gore effects, trick photography and we even have some wirework budgeted for zero gravity sequences. The teaser trailer featured on the campaign page is a zero budget production that should help give an idea of the look and feel were going for. Check out our pitch video which features an appearance by Guillermo del Toro!"

For more information on this project, visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/orbit-a-sci-fi-thriller-from-the-mind-of-edgar-allan-poe

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The Lashman First Details and Trailer: "Red Headed Revolution Pictures has unleashed a brand new theatrical trailer for the upcoming feature length horror film The Lashman directed by Cameron McCasland.

The Lashman is a tale of terror. When five friends set out for a weekend excursion, they soon realize their campfire tales have turned into their worst nightmares.

The Lashman stars Stacey Dixon, Shawn C. Phillips, David Vaughn, Jeremy Jones, Kaylee Williams, Tim Emery, Lee Vervoort, David Chattham, Terry Gragg, Todd Bush, Alea Jordan, Joe Downing and Larry Underwood. The movie was shot on location in western Kentucky.

The Lashman marks the feature length film debut of Cameron McCasland who wrote, produced, and directed the movie. McCasland honed his film making skills in television directing music videos as well as the award winning made for TV movie, The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special, and Go Green With Dr. Gangrene series of short films.

The Lashman is set for a world premiere Saturday April 19th 2014 at the 13th Annual Full Moon Horror Film Festival In Nashville, TN Members of the cast and crew will be on hand for a Q&A following the screening. The Lashman is currently booking dates on the festival circuit, and setting out for a touring roadshow."

For more information on the film, or the premiere screening, visit: http://www.fullmooninc.net

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Skinless Premiere Details: "Phantom Pain Films is pleased to announce the midnight theatrical debut of Skinless, the newest micro-budget film from indie horror auteur Dustin Mills (The Puppet Monster Massacre, Bath Salt Zombies, Easter Casket) in Cleveland, March 8th, 2014 at the Cedar Lee Theater and March 15th at the Capitol Theater.

Produced for only $2,000, Skinless follows brilliant oncologist Peter Peel as he discovers a possible cure for skin cancer in the belly of an exotic parasite. When he tests the cure on himself his world is shattered and a monster is born. Skinless is a sad tale of madness, murder, monsters, and love.

Writer/director Dustin Mills and cast members Brandon Salkil, Erin R. Ryan (Babysitter Massacre), Allison Fitzgerald, and Dave Parker (Adjust Your Tracking) will be in attendance at the Cedar Lee Theatre screening for an audience Q&A. Mills will be in attendance at the Capitol Theatre screening for a Q&A.

Skinless will be expanding to other venues throughout the country following its Cleveland premiere."

For tickets to the Cleveland screenings, go to: http://www.clevelandcinemas.com

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RAM Releasing Announces 2014 Lineup: "The coming year sees two RAM Releasing films in theaters – the second-screen techno-thriller APP on May 9, a film by Bobby Boermans that recently premiered a new US poster and trailer, and South Korean Kim Ki-duk’s boundary-pushing gore-fest MOEBIUS in late July. The sister labels will co-release an additional two titles in theaters in 2014, as both Film Movement and RAM Releasing support Wiktor Ericsson’s doc on erotica auteur Joe Sarno in THE SARNOS: A LIFE IN DIRTY MOVIES (June) and Manuel Martín Cuenca’s tense, unexpected romance CANNIBAL (July), where the titular dark act is sharply alluded to, though the majority of the violence occurs off-screen.

Rounding out the slate of titles in RAM Releasing’s first full year of distribution, Nate Taylor’s gritty psychological drama starring Christopher Denham (Argo) and Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), FORGETTING THE GIRL, comes available on home video on April 1; and Huh Jung’s South Korean box office hit HIDE AND SEEK hits DVD after a successful VOD release on June 10. FORGETTING THE GIRL is not only the new label’s premiere home video release, it also marks the first time either company releases a film on both DVD and Blu-ray."

  • Tamika Jones
    About the Author - Tamika Jones

    Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.

    The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).