Round-Up: CARRIE THE MUSICAL Q&A, Screamfest 2015, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN Season 2, APOCALYPSE SWORDSMAN

Put down your buckets of pig's blood kids, it will not end well for you. In this round-up, we have a Q&A with Emily Lopez from Carrie the Musical which opens on October 8th. Also: more details from Screamfest 2015, From Dusk Till Dawn season 2, and Shawn Scott's novel Apocalypse Swordsman.

Carrie the Musical Q&A: Press Release: "(Los Angeles, CA – August 19, 2015) Producers Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman and The Transfer Group have announced that CARRIE THE MUSICAL will return to Los Angeles at the historic Los Angeles Theater, the first theatrical musical at that venue.

Tickets are available beginning Monday, August 24th at www.ExperienceCarrie.com. CARRIE THE MUSICAL begins previews on October 1, 2015, and officially opens on October 8, 2015. Performances are on sale through November 22.

Directed by Brady Schwind and choreographed by Lee Martino, this immersive staging of CARRIE takes the legendary musical off the stage and puts the audience right in the middle of the action, back in the rooms and hallways of high school and, of course, with a prime seat at the prom. This production is based on the acclaimed run this past spring at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, with most of the original La Mirada cast.

Stephen King’s original novel has sold over 4 million copies, was the basis of an Academy Award-winning film and four remakes, and is both one of the most beloved thrillers and one of the most banned books in United States schools. The story of 17-year-old Carrie White -- tormented by classmates at school and her bible-thumping mother at home – are continually relevant to audiences today as when the book was first published.

Carrie has a mind-bending secret, and no one to share it with. When she's pushed too far, she turns a high school prom into a terrifying display of bullying gone wrong. Audacious, controversial and completely thrilling, CARRIE comes to the Los Angeles Theatre in this blazing one-of-a-kind production, which puts the audience in the high school gymnasium where blood drops, Jesus flies, people levitate and moving bleachers pull the audience deeper into the heart of the story.

Based on the novel by Stephen King, CARRIE features a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film), music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), and lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose).

The cast includes Carly Bracco, Adante Carter, Misty Cotton, Valerie Rose Curiel, Bryan Dobson, Kevin Patrick Doherty, Rachel Farr, Jennifer Foster, Jonah Ho’okano, Jon Robert Hall, Ian Littleworth, Emily Lopez, Lyle Colby Mackston, Garrett Marshall, Chris Meissner, Tiana Okoye, Jane Papageorge, Kayla Parker, Jenelle Lynn Randall, Amy Segal, Michael Starr, Kimberly Ann Steele, and Victoria Strong.

Calendar Listing for CARRIE THE MUSICAL

Venue: Los Angeles Theater, 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Dates: Performances begin Thursday, October 1, 2015, Opening Night Thursday, October 8 Performances on sale through November 22.

Playing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday evenings at 8p Saturdays Oct. 17, Oct. 31 (Halloween), and Nov. 14 at 6:30p and 11p Saturdays Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21 at 2p and 8p Sundays at 2p and 6:30p.

Tickets: Online at ExperienceCarrie.com

Prices: Tickets start at $40.00."

Q&A with Emily Lopez:

Thanks for taking the time to converse with us today, Emily. Were you a fan of Stephen King’s novel Carrie or its film adaptations prior to playing the titular character in Carrie The Musical?

Emily Lopez: I had seen the movie as a child and was severely freaked out by the ending. I was scared out of my wits for months. I don't know what I thought was going to happen to me. I did not often find myself placing flowers over the rubble of burnt down homes but had I been, I'm sure a bloody hand would have come up and grabbed me. I hadn't read the book until auditions for the project started! I definitely consider myself a fan now after reading it. Mr. King sure knows how to make a gal's hands sweat!

What elements of Carrie The Musical will make it an immersive experience for the audience?

Emily Lopez: Oh, so many things!! The seats, the sights, the smells, the sounds, the songs. What other "S" words do I know...? The show has been so brilliantly put together by the cast and creative team that virtually every aspect of the show is immersive in one way or another. It's the kind of thing you have to see to believe. If I had passed creative writing in high school maybe I'd go into more detail about it. Experience it for yourself, you won't regret it. If you do regret it, (which you won't) come to the show again and try to figure out what it is about the show that made you regret it. Continue to do that until you've seen the show 300 times and at that point we'll be close friends and you'll care about my feelings too much to say anything other than "I loved it!!"

What has your experience been like so far portraying a character as unique and heartbreaking as Carrie White?

Emily Lopez: Playing Carrie is exhausting/rewarding /challenging/everything an actress looks for in a role. It's an opportunity to throw 100% of your soul into a character to try and give it the life it deserves. Carrie White deserves to have her story told every night and I can't believe I get to use my body to help tell that story. That poor girl acquires so many scratches, bumps, and bruises. I gladly bear them on my body in her honor!  It's the first show I've ever done that really feels like work, but it's work in the absolute best sense of the word. I really honestly can't believe that this is my life right now.

What is your favorite scene of the production that you can’t wait for audiences to witness?

Emily Lopez: Ummmm hmmmm... I dunno, that's a really hard question... JUST KIDDING OBVIOUSLY WHEN CARRIE WINS PROM QUEEN. It's so magnificent and so heartbreaking. Everything you're expecting it to be and even more. It's an incredible example of what the magic of musical theater can do to bring such a technically ambitious moment to life... It's so exhilarating to get to experience that turn of events every night and have the feeling that maybe things will all work out for Carrie this time. Who knows? Maybe they will one day! Wouldn't that be great? People would either cheer or ask for their money back.

Did you look back at previous versions of Carrie White to help construct your portrayal?

Emily Lopez: I've always loved how Sissy Spacek's Carrie seems almost like an alien. She's so beautiful in such a bizarre otherworldly way, so I have tried to cultivate my own "otherworldly swag" for Carrie. Angel, alien, I don't quite know what she is, but I'm pretty sure Carrie doesn't know either.  I have also taken inspiration from Linzi Hately's hairstyle from the original Broadway production of Carrie. I just ADORE it. She's so darn sweet in those YouTube bootlegs!  There is something inexplicably sad/charming about a severely un-coiffed hairstyle, and I don't really feel like Carrie until my hair looks odd. In my day-to-day life, it looks absolutely perfect and flawless. HA (not).

With Carrie The Musical kicking off October 1st at the Los Angeles Theater, what projects do you have on deck that you can tease for our readers, and where can they find you on social media?

Emily Lopez: Well, I'm always posting videos on YouTube. Not really sure how to explain them, I guess you'll just have to watch them and come to your own conclusions. Search the phrase "Cute bunny learns to use a straw" to find my channel. I'm on Instagram under emilylopezinternational and I'm warning you now it's the dumbest thing ever. I do put up pictures of my face sometimes, though, so in the event you need to remember what I look like, that's a good source to check. I also just recorded my new EP "Scary Bear," which will be available for free on Soundcloud at the end of the month! Check it out if you'd like to hear what the inside of my brain sounds like! What else...? Maybe someday I'll get into puppetry! I'll keep you posted.

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Screamfest 2015: Press Release: "HOLLYWOOD – Sept. 22, 2015 – America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, will celebrate its 15th year in Hollywood this Oct. 13 through Oct. 22, 2015. Screamfest will open the festival with the critically acclaimed anthology film “Tales of Halloween” on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the screening are currently available for purchase at www.ScreamfestLA.com. Tickets are $10.

“Tales of Halloween” tells 10 horrifying tales penned and helmed by Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate), Andrew Kasch (Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy), Neil Marshall (The Descent, Game of Thrones), Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red), John Skipp (A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child), Lucky McKee (The Woman, All Cheerleaders Must Die), Mike Mendez (Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider!) and Ryan Schifrin (Abominable); also written by Clint Sears and directed by Adam Gierasch (Night of the Demons), Paul Solet (Grace) and Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III and IV).

The film has an ensemble cast including Lin Shaye (Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2), Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Pat Healy (Cheap Thrills), John Savage (The Deer Hunter), Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), John Landis (Director of Animal House), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, We Are Still Here), Greg Grungberg (Heroes, Star Wars), Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes), Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga), Keir Gilchrist (It Follows), Noah Segan (Looper), Pollyannna McIntosh (The Woman), James Duval (Donnie Darko), Kristina Klebe (Halloween), Marc Senter (Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival), Jose Pablo Cantillo (The Walking Dead), Grace Phipps (Fright Night), Sam Witwer (Being Human) and Graham Skipper (Almost Human). Cameo appearances are made by celebrities and horror icons including Joe Dante, John Landis, Adam Green, Adam Pascal, Adrianne Curry, Mick Garris and Lombardo Boyer. The film was produced by Carolyn, Mendez, Patrick Ewald, Shaked Berenson and Tada Chae, and is distributed by Epic Pictures.

“Tales of Halloween” brings you Halloween night like you've never seen it before. Eleven directors, self-dubbed “The October Society” and renowned for their contribution to the horror movie genre, have joined forces to create a series of interconnected stories. Ghosts, ghouls, monsters and the devil delight in terrorizing unsuspecting residents of a suburban neighborhood on Halloween night. This creepy anthology combines classic Halloween tales with the stuff of nightmares.

"We're kicking off the festival with ‘Tales of Halloween,’ a fun anthology to get everyone in the Halloween spirit," stated Rachel Belofsky, founder of Screamfest Horror Film Festival. "This year is extraordinarily special because it's our 15th year in Hollywood. In celebration, we have some exciting appearances, Q&A's and premieres that we'll be announcing with the festival lineup very soon!"

Screamfest Horror Film Festival will run Oct. 13 through Oct. 22, 2015. For more information, visit www.ScreamfestLA.com.

Among Screamfest, sponsors are Destination America, Birns & Sawyer Inc., Write Brothers, Dapper Cadaver, Inktip and Verena King Public Relations via King Social, LLC. Screamfest is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and is a member of Melies d’Or European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation."

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From Dusk Till Dawn Season 2: Press Release: "Like father, like son! Jesse Johnson makes his debut appearance for the sixth episode of El Rey Network and Miramax's supernatural crime saga 'From Dusk till Dawn: the Series' on Tuesday, September 29th at 9 PM ET. Tune in as Jesse takes on the role of young Sheriff Earl McGraw (played by his father Don Johnson), a lawman who is obsessed with catching the Gecko brothers after their bank heist leaves several dead.

"Bizarre Tales" - Episode 206 - Premieres Tuesday, September 29
Written and Directed by Carlos Coto

Following the trail of the mass grave, Freddie and Kate uncover epic secrets and confront Oculto, a reclusive and dangerous Lord. Seth and Richie take the girls on a double date, and Carlos lets go of the past.

"From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series"
In Season Two, of El Rey Network and Miramax's® supernatural crime saga, "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series," the show travels between Mexico and the edgy, tricked-out Texas of Robert Rodriguez. It also deepens and complicates the core relationships between the characters, while adding new faces and new dynamics. Our characters are all living in very separate worlds - Santánico and Richie are outside Houston, doing their best Bonnie and Clyde; Seth and Kate are scraping by South of the Border; and Freddie Gonzalez is protecting his wife and young daughter in the suburbs. Carlos Madrigal and Scott Fuller emerge from the Titty Twister, changed men. They will all come together once again - this time facing off against an even bigger threat.

Returning cast members D.J. Cotrona (Dear John, G.I. Joe: Retaliation); Zane Holtz (Wind Walkers, Holes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower); Jesse Garcia (Quinceañera, "Sons of Anarchy"); Eiza González (True Love); Wilmer Valderrama ("That '70s Show," To Whom It May Concern); Madison Davenport ("Noah,""Shameless"); Brandon Soo Hoo (Tropic Thunder, Ender's Game, Incredible Crew)  and guest star Jake Busey (Motorcycle Gang, Contract) are joined in the show's sophomore season by Danny Trejo (Machete, Machete Kills) as "The Regulator;" Esai Morales ("Criminal Minds," "NYPD Blue") as "Lord Amancio Malvado;" Jeff Fahey ("Lost,"  "Justified," "Texas Rising") as "Uncle Eddie Cruickshank"  and Briana Evigan (Step Up 2) as "Sonja Lam".

"From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" is a Miramax® production in association with Rodriguez International Pictures, FactoryMade Ventures, and Sugarcane Entertainment. Executive producers are Robert Rodriguez, showrunner Carlos Coto, writer Diego Gutierrez, FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, and Miramax's Zanne Devine and Daniel Pipski.

Miramax® is distributing "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" internationally in all territories.

To find El Rey Network in your area please check out the channel finder at http://bit.ly/ElReyChannelfinder.

"From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" social media: 
Facebook: facebook.com/DuskElRey
Twitter: twitter.com/DuskElRey
Instagram: instagram.com/DuskElRey"

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Apocalypse Swordsman: "Hunter already has enough horrors in his head after suffering years of combat in the Airborne Infantry. But nothing he's seen can prepare him for what he's about to encounter. A soldier with more than ten years of experience, Hunter will put his training to the test when he confronts the undead. After seeing a gruesome zombie attack on TV, he quickly discovers that the danger lurks right outside his front door. He must swing into action in a hurry if he doesn't want to be dinner.

That isn't all. His wife and son are trapped in Washington, DC, and their survival depends on his ability to defeat the enemy and reach the nation's capital. Time is of the essence as a mysterious group of subterranean creatures unleashes the virus in order to take over the surface.

But it will take more than swinging a combat knife and a sword to win this battle. Are his skills up to the test?

Find out in Swordsman Apocalypse, a military science fiction novel by author Shawn M. Scott, who applies his own combat experience to a simple question: how would a real soldier stack up against a plague of zombies?"

For more information, visit the novel's Amazon page.