Indie Spotlight

We return with the latest edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes release details for A Resurrection, the first teaser trailer for TEN, a review of Smiley, and much more:

First Teaser Trailer for TEN: "TEN is a collectivist, post-exploitation psychological thriller devised as a possible explanation for the events of the 1972 Spektor Island Massacre. On a cold December afternoon, ten women arrive at a mansion on Spektor Island, famed for years of reported hauntings and strange activities. Will they live through the night?

The all-female cast film is a response to exploitation, slasher, and thriller films, with particular focus on the kind of storytelling prominent in b-movies and genre films from the 1950s to the 1980s. It explores the meaning and fluidity of identity and takes a number of surprising turns, paying homage to filmmakers and producers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Roger Corman, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Jim Wynorski, Jean Rollin, Lloyd Kaufman, and Andy Sidaris.

The film was conceived by Sarah Wait Zaranek, Michael J. Epstein, and Sophia Cacciola as a two-minute trailer for the 2012 Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA) Trailer Smackdown. After selection as a "curator's choice" at the Smackdown, a successful Kickstarter campaign with 258 backers raised a portion of the budget for the production. Principal shooting took place in December 2012 with expected festival release in 2013 and wider release in 2014."

To learn more, visit: http://tenthemovie.com/

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Release Details for A Resurrection: "A down to earth school psychologist tries to help a mentally ill student who actually believes his brother is coming back from the grave for revenge on the students who killed him.

Archstone Distribution will be releasing A RESURRECTION (aka THE SIBLINGS) in theaters on March 22, 2013. The film stars Mischa Barton, Devon Sawa, Jonathan Michael Trautman and the late Michael Clarke Duncan. This was Michael's last film before he passed. The film was directed by Matt Orlando and produced by Jamie Kennedy Entertainment."

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Details on Legendary Monsters Action Figures: "Nevermore Toys is excited to announce Legendary Monsters, a new line of figures based on creatures from popular urban legends.

Each creature is created from composite descriptions found in eyewitness accounts of sightings, and each package includes a written account of the encounter. Four creatures are included in the first “Legendary Monsters” series: Mothman - a winged, man-like creature spotted by two couples in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966. The Jersey Devil - a horned, bestial biped that revealed itself to Forest Ranger John Irwin in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in 1993. The Missouri Monster - a hulking creature covered in long, blood-spattered fur, terrified two small children in their Louisiana backyard in 1972. Chupacabra - a pale, powerful creature with long claws and spikes running down its back, seen outside a woman's home in Puerto Rico in 1995."

For more information on Nevermore Toys and their new line of action figures, go to their website at: www.nevermoretoys.com

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Official Trailer for Thale: "Two crime-scene cleaners discover a mythical, tailed female creature in a concealed cellar. She never utters a word, unable to tell her story, but the pieces of the puzzle soon come together: she's been held captive for decades for reasons soon to surface.

Thale will be available on VOD March 21, 2013 and DVD April 23, 2013 through XLrator Media, and then released into theaters April 12, 2013."

Directed by Aleksander Nordaas, Thale stars Morten Andresen, Erlend Nervold, Jon Sigve Skard, and Silje Reinamo.

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New Website Explores Zombies: Artist George Pfau created "Zombieindex.us to be part of a multi-media investigation prompted by the question: what is a zombie? The website consists of a zoom-able drawing, a collection of names of people who inspired the drawing, and a network of links embedded inside the pronouns I, we, you, me, and us.

Over the past several years I have based my art practice exploring all-things-zombie and am constantly amazed by the breadth of manifestations and possibilities of what a zombie can be. This drawing depicts many of these possibilities alongside other zombie-ish entities and artworks.

Emphasis is placed on the amount information is needed to portray a humanoid figure, and thus figures range from detailed and recognizable, to iconic stick figures. Zombies provide a fascinating middle-zone between alive and dead, individual and group, inside and outside.

Therefore, my hope for this website is that it can be a celebration of inbetween-ness and the grotesque without necessarily glorifying violence."

For more information, head on over to: http://zombieindex.us

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Werewolves, Cheerleaders, and Chainsaws: "Jinx Media is celebrating its 10th anniversary!

As a thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years, we have released a full-length video about low budget horror filmmaking!

Full of useful information for budding filmmakers about every step of the process, plus rare clips from Jinx movies (including behind-the-scenes stuff), and filmed live at Horror-on-Sea in January 2013."

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Production Details for The Harrowing: "The Harrowing is a demonic, horror thriller currently filming on location in Dallas, Texas. In the tradition of Shutter Island and Jacob's Ladder, The Harrowing follows fallen-from-grace Vice Detective Ryan Calhoun. After a routine surveillance goes horribly wrong, Calhoun is accused of the ritualistic murder of his best friend and partner, a prostitute, and a corrupt Congressmen. Unhinged and tormented by demonic dreams, and bent on discovering the truth, Calhoun is admitted to a forensic hospital for observation where, his sanity slowly sipping away, he begins to uncover the darkest, most terrifying truth imaginable.

Directed by Jon Keeyes (American Nightmare, Fall Down Dead), The Harrowing stars Matthew Tompkins (KILLING DOWN, MISSIONARY MAN) as Detective Calhoun, veteran horror actress Debbie Rochon (AMERICAN NIGHTMARE) as the schizophrenic, necrophiliac Ella, Damon Carney (THE LONE RANGER) as Detective Jack Myers, Michael Crabtree (TEMPLE GRANDIN, PLACES IN THE HEART) as Lt. Logan, Robert McCollum (SUBURBAN NIGHTMARE) as Detective Greenbaum, and Ambre Lowe (PHOBIA) as Calhoun's wife, Anne. Further casting announcements are coming soon including the addition of a Horror Icon to play the head of the forensic hospital, the possibly villainous Dr. Whitney.

Filming is currently underway in Dallas with the Producers expecting to wrap principal photography in April, 2013."

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Premiere Details and Trailer Release for Sader Ridge: "The independent psychological horror film “Sader Ridge” will be having its world premiere at the 2013 Sun Valley Film Festival. The festival takes place from March 14th-17th in Sun Valley, Idaho. The film will then be having its Arizona premiere at the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival in Phoenix.

The film stars Trin Miller, Brandon Anthony, Andi Norris, Josh Truax, and D’Angelo Midili. It is the first feature film from the production company The October People and director Jeremy Berg. The film’s official synopsis can be read below.

For years Samantha has wondered about where she came from. After inheriting a house from the family she never knew, Sam and three friends take a road trip to inspect the remote property. Soon after Sam arrives old memories come seeping back to her subconscious while jealousy and unspoken tension between the friends is forced to the surface. As relationships unravel, so does Sam’s sanity. She soon finds herself unable to tell the difference between reality and the horrible visions of brutality she cannot escape. While her world crumbles, Sam discovers that the current horrors may be tied directly to her past."

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Anger of the Dead Now in Production: "Anger of the Dead has started shooting, that is, the new short movie written and directed from Francesco Picone. The independent director comes back to work after achieving success and awards for his previous short movie “I’M DEAD”. In the cast of characters we have Alex Lucchesi (Eaters), Serena Bilanceri (The Labyrinth), Federico Mariotti, Alessio Cherubini, and Beatrice Baldaccini (Shrek the Musical). There are very few details about the characters, [but they are] involved in a drama-horror plot which gets developed between the present time and a post-apocalyptic future, where all cities will be domain for the dead."

To stay up-to-date on this film's progress, go to: https://www.facebook.com/angerofthedead

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Dragon Wasps Now on DVD: "When her father mysteriously disappears on an expedition, beautiful entomologist Gina Humphries and her fiery assistant, Rhonda, set out to search the rain forests of Belize. Due to numerous robberies and assaults in the jungle, they are escorted by heavily-armed soldiers. Guerillas, lead by the infamous Jaguar, ambush the convoy and incite a bloody shootout. Just when things can’t get worse, a horde of murderous Dragon Wasps, massive flying bugs that shoot flame from their abdomens, swarms the soldiers. Now the military must defeat Jaguar’s bandits and survive the fearsome insect onslaught as they venture inside the Dragon Wasps’ hive."

Directed by Joe Knee, Dragon Wasps stars Corin Nemec, Dominika Juillet, Benjamin Easterday, and Nikollete Noel. The movie will be available on VOD services starting on March 7th, with a DVD release scheduled for April 9th.

To learn more about the film or to watch the trailer, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtF-u4q7dI4

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Review: Smiley

by Tamika Jones

There's no denying that the Internet has become an integral part of society. Even in countries where information is suppressed by the government or a militant faction, some form of web based information manages to leak through. What if a serial killer took advantage of one of the few things that connects us all and used it as his hunting ground? Smiley tries to discover the answers to that question.

Smiley, directed by Michael J. Gallagher, stars Caitlin Gerard, Melanie Papalia, Shane Dawson, Andrew James Allen, Roger Bart, Toby Turner, Mark Destorm Power, Liza Weil, and Keith David. The film follows a young college student named Ashley who lost her mother to suicide a few years ago. The incident has left her battling some psychological issues which become exacerbated when she learns about the urban legend of a serial killer named Smiley. Smiley appears when someone in a chat room types the phrase "I did it for the lulz" three times. After a night of partying with friends, Ashley discovers that the legend might just be real.

The film reminded me of an updated version of Urban Legend. It tries to discover whether or not the legend of Smiley is real, and if so, why people are so nonchalant about killing others? The audience as well as the characters in the film will find answers to those questions, but it may not be enough to keep everyone's interest. The special effects are quite good, and the movie excels in the blood and gore department. However, it's simply not enough because the acting and dialogue doesn't allow you to become invested in these characters.

Smiley has an interesting and original storyline, but I couldn't recommend it to every type of horror fan. Most of the performances and dialogue would prevent the average horror fan from really getting into this movie. However, if you're an avid slasher fan who loves blood and gore, and is looking for something new, this may be worth your time.