Clay McLeod Chapman's New Horror Play, FEEJEE MERMAID: "Drops in the Vase will present the World Premiere of FEEJEE MERMAID by Clay McLeod Chapman (The Pumpkin Pie Show, Hostage Song). Directed by Pete Boisvert, previews begin October 16 at The Flea. Press opening is set for Saturday, October 19.
FEEJEE MERMAID is set on the eve of the 19th Annual International Taxidermy Championships. Four experts of the trade gather in a hotel room. Fueled by competitive tension and a whole lot of alcohol, they spend the night vying for supremacy. Who can master the act of creation, and achieve perfection? By the end of the night, one of them proves they are willing to push the boundaries of their craft further than anyone ever thought possible.
FEEJEE MERMAID features Niccolò Walsh, Adam Files, Morgan Zipf-Meister, Duane Ferguson, Connor McNelis, Lizzie Roberts, and Colin Godwin. The production team includes Sandy Yaklin (scenic design), Ben Philipp (costumes), Nina Agelvis (lighting), Artemis Zara Gültekin (sound design), Stephanie Cox-Connolly (props & effects), Ariel Pellman (props & effects assistant), Emily Edwards (intimacy & violence director), Sydney Prince (production manager), Sarah Lahue (stage manager) and Divya Anantharaman (taxidermy consultant).
FEEJEE MERMAID runs October 16 - November 2, Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30pm, in The Siggy at The Flea (20 Thomas St, New York, NY 10007). Tickets are $30 - $45, available at www.dropsinthevase.com."
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CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS: "Dark Star Pictures is releasing Alice Maio Mackay’s queer holiday horror CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS On Digital and On Demand October 22.
The film follows transwoman Lola, a true-crime podcaster, who returns to her hometown at Christmas for the first time since fleeing and transitioning. Her homecoming takes a dark turn when the vengeful spirit of a notorious historical murderer—an urban legend—appears to start killing again.
For CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS, trailblazing trans director Alice Maio Mackay (T Blockers) enlisted fellow genre artist Vera Drew, director and star of The People’s Joker, as the editor and visual effects artist. At only 20 years old and now with five features under her belt, Maio Mackay further establishes herself as a shrewd filmmaker with a knack for fusing horror with a healthy dose of camp.
Official Synopsis: It’s Christmas, so come with us on a blood-soaked sleigh ride to the conservative hometown of trans true-crime podcaster, Lola. Worried about the town’s reaction to her transition, Lola is ready to take on anyone this holiday season! However, she didn't expect that person to be a Santa masked killer - paying grisly homage to the town’s own haunted legend, The Toymaker. Now Lola - who has her own connection to the original Toymaker murders - must put an end to these gruesome murders.
Featuring a talented cast that includes Jeremy Moineau, Dominque Booth, Zarif, Olivia Deeble, Joe Romeo, and Betsey Brown, CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS has been taking the festival circuit by storm recently wowing audiences at Fantasia Film Festival, Frameline, Inside Out, and FrightFest."
Available On Digital and On Demand October 22
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Enter the Twisted World of Horror Legend George A. Romero’s THE AMUSEMENT PARK as John Carpenter and Storm King Comics Present a Graphic-Novel Adaptation of the Acclaimed Independent Film: "
THE AMUSEMENT PARK, George A. Romero’s groundbreaking, 45-minute “lost” film from 1975, becomes an original graphic novel this spring when Storm King Comics releases John Carpenter Presents George A. Romero’s THE AMUSEMENT PARK, an all-new artistic interpretation of the unique film.
Long thought to be lost, and originally conceived as a public service announcement, THE AMUSEMENT PARK is a surreal, haunting commentary on ageism and society’s treatment of the elderly, wrapped in Romero’s signature horror style. The George A. Romero Foundation, which is dedicated to honoring the life and preserving Romero’s work, restored the film as one of its first projects, and discovered the result met with widespread critical acclaim.
As critics and audiences pored through the myriad of images and meanings found in THE AMUSEMENT PARK, the Foundation and its artist-in-residence, illustrator Ryan Carr, began working on adapting the film in a novel way—a graphic novel way. Along with writer Jeff Whitehead, a visually stunning interpretation of the film came to life on the page.
Seeking distribution for the project, the George A. Romero Foundation turned to another icon of cinematic horror: John Carpenter. Storm King Comics, founded by Sandy King, seemed the perfect publisher to help bring this version of THE AMUSEMENT PARK to readers. Storm King Comics has become the premiere publisher of horror graphic novels, and King felt THE AMUSEMENT PARK would make a fascinating pairing of the two names.
“George A. Romero’s films are legendary. They already were legendary when I was just a student, and The Amusement Parkhas a fascinating history. This is a project that’s so important to his legacy as a filmmaker, so I’m glad to lend my name to it,” said John Carpenter.
“John and George often talked about ways they might collaborate, and this project felt like a fantastic opportunity,” King explained. “We’re really happy to come together for this project, which represents George Romero’s vision through and through, filtered through the artistic lens of Ryan and Jeff.”
More than a simple adaptation, John Carpenter Presents George A. Romero’s THE AMUSEMENT PARK is also a tribute to Romero’s enduring influence on horror, as Whitehead and Carr have reconsidered the nearly 50-year-old film in ways that will resonate with new generations.
“The Amusement Park holds a special place in George's body of work because it tackles such a deeply human issue—ageism—through the lens of horror. Adapting it into a graphic novel allows us to bring his unique vision to a whole new audience. We are thrilled to collaborate with John Carpenter and Storm King Comics on this project, which honors George's legacy in such a meaningful way," said Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, founder and president of The GARF.
In John Carpenter Presents George A. Romero’s THE AMUSEMENT PARK, an impatient businessman in his 20s meets an elderly man who spins a fantastic tale about a long-gone amusement park. As the conversation continues, the younger man is disturbed to learn the story of an elderly man eager to recapture the memories of youth. Instead of pleasant memories, however, this trip to the amusement park becomes a surreal microcosm of aging and its inherent challenges as bodies and minds begin to break down. The old man finds himself abused, pushed into a horrifying series of attractions that mimic the later stages of life. Increasingly battered both mentally and physically, the man realizes he is trapped in a loop, force to relive the harrowing experience over and over. And the young man, William Lincoln, soon discovers that he and the old man have much more in common than they suspect.
John Carpenter Presents George A. Romero’s THE AMUSEMENT PARK will make its debut online and in comic stores May 7, 2025, followed by availability through all booksellers May 20, 2025."
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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