Exclusive Artwork from The Demon’s Rook (Part II)

Channeling the relentless work ethic of practical effects gurus like Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero, a team led by James Sizemore crafted old-school zombies and hellish creatures galore for The Demon's Rook, a fright film now available to view on VOD platforms. Earlier this week we showed you exclusive artwork provided to us by Tribeca Film and we're back with another look at the movie's ghoulish goods.

"It was clear that these were never going to be "scary" creatures in the classical sense, so we went more the route of Nightbreed than Alien," said producer Tim Reis. "Lots of screentime. With designs as incredible as these, it felt wrong to keep them off screen. It may not exactly be an excercise in restraint but that was never the intention. We want you to see these monsters."

"The process of making the demon masks was especially tricky," said co-writer/director/star James Sizemore. "First, I'd take a lifecast of the actor."

"Once I had a plaster bust of the actor, I had to mold it in silicone and fiberglass," said Sizemore. "From that mold, I would cast out a hollow fiberglass positive of the actor's bust."

"Then I would sculpt my demon onto the fiberglass bust," added Sizemore. "Once finished sculpting, I would mold it in fiberglass."

"After cleaning all the clay out of the mold, I would inject silicone into the fiberglass mold, and out comes a silicone mask ready for me to paint and apply to the actor," said Sizemore. "There are so many details I'm leaving out of that process, but that's it in a nutshell."

"With all the trial and error, inhalation of toxic chemicals, and no sleep incurred over those 2 and a half years, I'd say I probably knocked off several years of my lifespan," Sizemore said. "But I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. The creation of practical effects is somewhat of a lost art, and I'm proud to be so involved in that world."

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“Chaos descends upon a quiet town when Roscoe, the pupil of a wizard monk from an ancient race of demons, unknowingly opens a portal that allows an unspeakable evil to travel freely into our world. When three grisly beasts cross into our dimension, the living are possessed and the dead rise to destroy everything in their path. Armed with demons’ magic, Roscoe is the only fighting chance to put an end to their eternal path of destruction. An ode to the DIY creature-feature classics of the 1980’s, THE DEMON’S ROOK is a “gut-flinging monster mash” (Dread Central) that you won’t soon forget.”

Directed by James Sizemore and written by Sizemore and Akom Tidwell, The Demon’s Rook stars James Sizemore, Ashleigh Jo Sizemore, Josh Gould, Melanie Richardson, John Chatham, Sadé Smith, and Dustin Dorough. The Demon’s Rook is now available on VOD platforms.