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 information for the Reaper Reunion Cast Special, a look at the opening sequence from TEN, photos from The Stanley Film Festival, and more:

Premiere Date Set for Reaper Reunion Cast Special: "FEARnet’s REAPER reunion special was shot on Wednesday, April 24, at the Medusa Lounge in Los Angeles. In attendance for the special—hosted by TV and web personality Angie Greenup—were series stars Ray Wise, Tyler Labine and Bret Harrison, as well as Rick Gonzalez, Ken Marino, Christine Willes and series creators Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas.

The reunion special will air on Tuesday, May 28th at 9 p.m. ET.

“I’m so happy that FEARnet is doing this,” said Ray Wise, who played the Devil on REAPER. “It really warms my heart having us all back together again.”

The quirky series focuses on the life of Sam Oliver (Harrison), a college drop-out who, on his 21 st birthday, learns that he now must work as a bounty hunter for the Devil (Wise), as part of a deal made many years ago when Sam’s parents offered up their firstborn son in exchange for good health for the ailing father. Tyler Labine (TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL) and Rick Gonzalez (COACH CARTER) play Sam’s slacker friends who help him in his new secret double-life of ‘reaping’ souls, using a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner, as well as other modern household items."

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First Look at Opening Sequence from TEN: “[Here's] a first look at our animated opening titles sequence, in which the cast, portrayed as pigs, is pursued by The Butcher. The style is inspired by the legendary title work of Saul Bass.

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.”

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Details on the Next Episode of The Midnight Hour: "In “Don’t Turn Out the Lights” (S5, Ep9), everyone seems to be having a good time except Jocelyn, Olivia’s prospective mother in law. Plagued by a nagging premonition of death, Jocelyn whiles away the night reading Tarot cards which only confirm her dread suspicions. Little does she know that the wheels of doom began turning the night before, with the brutal strangulation of one of the home’s regular tenants—now presumed missing.

But Jocelyn’s son, Chase, has every faith his parents will come to accept Olivia as quickly as his brother, Drew, did…not guessing that Drew has carnal plans of his own for Olivia, especially after hearing her noisy lovemaking in an adjoining room. Could he be the heavy breathing stranger Olivia receives calls from? Or is it someone else?

“Don’t Turn Out the Lights” boasts an excellent cast and rich cinematography. It premieres on May 3 and repeats every Thursday and Saturday night throughout the month."

For more information, visit: www.leemartinsthemidnighthour.com

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Watch the Short Film, Butcher Hill: "From the Award winning writer and directors Jason Noto and Rory Kindersley, BUTCHER’S HILL, their short fantastical film, celebrates its online premiere today Monday, April 29th 2013. The infamous short film swept the genre festival circuit with its brutal decapitation scene in 2008 garnering wide acclaim from critics and bloggers internationally. Now for the first time ever it reaches its bloody hands across the nation in all its HD glory. And furthermore, the team has decided to relaunch their efforts to develop the short film into a heart pumping, blood curdling, feature film in 2014 with the support of London based content innovation studio, Fablemaze.

Also on board, esteemed producer Brian W. Cook has joined the team as Executive Producer. Additionally, Award winning Special make-up effects studio Ill Willed Productions (The Amazing Spider Man, Piranhaconda) will provide effects for Butchers Hill.

The feature version of Butcher’s Hill is scheduled to shoot in the fall of 2014. For more information on this film, visit: https://www.facebook.com/butchershillthemovie.

To watch the short film right now, visit: http://www.fearnet.com/shorts/butchers-hill

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Casting News for Bunker: "Jordan Hinson (Eureka) and Tyler Dawson (Bellflower) have joined the cast of BUNKER, a sci-fi rom-com written and directed by Ned Ehrbar (Co-op of the Damned). Also joining the cast this week is Australian actress Ursula Mills.

Hinson, Dawson and Mills join a cast that already includes Ryan Patrick McGuffey (The Anniversary), Paul Telfer (Vampire Diaires, NCIS) and Jaime Gallagher (Red Wing). Filming commences the first week of May in Los Angeles. Bunker is being produced by Coco Quinn and Ryan Patrick McGuffey for Lonesome Jack Productions.

Bunker is a sci-fi comedy short film that tells the classic tale of boy meets girl in a bunker during the robot apocalypse. With humanity in tatters and a robot apocalypse raging outside, one survivor learns that even the bleakest of conditions can't dampen the human impulse to flirt. But getting the girl is never easy and not everything is as it seems in this bunker."

To keep up-to-date with Bunker's progress, visit the film's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/BunkerShort?fref=ts

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Treasure Chest of Horrors III Trailer: "Hot on the tails of the recent DVD release of Treasure Chest of Horrors II on dvd last week, we are releasing a trailer for Treasure Chest of Horrors III which will be the last film in the series. From Executive Producer's James Cullen Bressack and Jarret Cohen at Psykik Junky Pictures and directors Doug Waugh, Shawn C. Phillips, James J. Coker, Robert Biehn and Shane Ryan comes this HORROR ANTHOLOGY starring Dennis Haskins, Shawn C. Phillips, Brendan Mitchell, and JD Fairman. The film was recently picked up for Distribution by Wild Eye Releasing and should be out on DVD by the end of the year/early next year.

Struggling siblings discover their dead uncle's secret stash of lost horror films on videotape. The "tapes" feature demented solicitors, gruesome dares, parental murder, demonic technology, monstrous grapefruit and more. The siblings eagerly watch each of the shocking, bizarre, comedic and bloody horror films, but little do they realize that something very ghoulish and gruesome is about to happen to them."

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Photos from the Horror Brunch at The Stanley Film Festival: Food and Drink Editor, Lee Breslouer, took several photos of some of the horror inspired dishes that will be served on today at the Stanley Film Festival Horror Brunch. Just to name a few of the dishes, there's a "Here's Johnny" burrito with REDRUM on it in red sour cream, and bloody "Carrie" pancakes". The Stanley Film Festival has been taking place this week at the famous and historic Stanley Hotel in Colorado.

For more information on these horror-inspired dishes, visit: http://www.thrillist.com/eat/denver/horror-brunch-at-the-stanley-film-festival

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Watch The Walking Dead Tribute Song, Still Walkin': Zombie Metal Rap group, S.G.F. (Spewing Guttural Fragments), have released a "tribute song to "The Walking Dead". It's called, "Still Walkin'". It's supported by Gale Hurd, Vincent Ward, and Eulyn Womble."