The Halloween season is quickly approaching and soon the creaky doors of haunted attractions across the country will be open for business. Pittsburgh's ScareHouse is no different. Continue reading for full details on the event's themes. Also in today's Highlights: a Q&A with Terror Toons 3 director, Joe Castro, info and a teaser for the Bill Moseley-starring Crepitus, and release details for Blood is Blood.
Pittsburgh's ScareHouse Details: Press Release: "PITTSBURGH, Pa (August 22, 2016) – The fear experts from “One of America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions” (Travel Channel) know what scares you, and they have packed their 100-year-old haunted building with a hellish army of clowns, demons, and pure nightmare fuel. A team of veteran designers, artists, and performers has spent the last year committed to one ultimate goal.
Their goal is to drop you to your knees and make you scream. “We asked fright fans what scared them the most,” states ScareHouse Creative Director Scott Simmons, “and they foolishly told us. Creepy Dolls? Check. Demonic Possession? You bet. Clowns? Oh yeah. There are soooooo many clowns in ScareHouse this year.”
ScareHouse exists within a 100-year-old haunted building where designers, artists, and veteran fear experts combine genuine history with modern technological magic to create a haunted house experience unlike any other attraction anywhere. “Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Haunted House” is only open on select dates from September 16th through October 30th.
Admission into ScareHouse includes three terrifying haunts for one price:
The Summoning is an elaborate haunted attraction with a masterful blend of art and the macabre set in October 1932.
Nocturnia is a terrifying tale of wild creatures, twisted illusions, and a final circus of shadows.
Infernal is a climax of exquisite torment filled with demons, dolls, and the damned.
Simmons says, “If you and your kids are looking for some family-friendly Halloween fun for the entire family, you need to go someplace else. ScareHouse is for the grown-ups.”
ScareHouse’s notorious and world famous immersive attraction, The Basement, also returns this year with more extreme and outrageous encounters than ever. Guests will be touched, blindfolded and restrained. This attraction contains high voltage effects involving electricity, very low lighting, tight spaces, strong scents, profanity, moments of complete darkness, water, physical contact, violent situations, and high impact scares. Additional ticket purchase is required and all guests must be 18 or older and must sign waiver before entering The Basement.
Tickets and more information about “One of America’s Scariest Haunted Houses” is available online at www.scarehouse.com
TICKET PRICES
ScareHouse - General admission tickets start at just $14.99 and include admission into The Summoning, Nocturnia, and Infernal. RIP admission for $39.99 allows guests to skip to the front of the line, and also includes admission into all 3 haunts. The Basement: $32.99 for one guest to enter alone, $46.99 for two guests to enter together.
WHERE:
ScareHouse is located in Etna, just minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Parking and free shuttle service is available at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.
WHEN:
September 16-17, 23-24, 30 and October 1-2, 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, and 27-30. 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on other nights of operation.
ScareHouse is ranked as one of America’s best Haunted Houses by Travel Channel, writer/director Guillermo del Toro, and Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood. Save time and money when you purchase tickets online from www.scarehouse.com
Warning: This attraction may be too intense for children under 13 years old. Guests must be 18 or older to enter The Basement."
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Terror Toons 3 Q&A with Joe Castro: "Cinema Factory Inc. presents TERROR TOONS 3 - a shocking, gore filled blood epic which will be available on iTunes August 26th.
A twisted & disturbing tale starring the "Godfather of Gore" Herschell Gordon Lewis (Blood Feast, Two Thousand Maniacs, Wizard of Gore) and directed by his protégé Joe Castro (The Summer of Massacre, Terror Toons 1 & 2), the film is not for the weak at heart or those with a sensitive stomach.
Two sisters, Cindy (Beverly Lynne) and Candy (Lizzy Bordon) fight to save the world from destruction by the hands of the insane Dr. Carnage and his henchman, Max Assassin, once again! Meanwhile, corrupt, homicidal cops unjustly serve some law to a group of young teenagers as they fight for their lives in this twisted, gory story. With so many twists and turns, that only Castro can direct, this story is truly wild and completely unpredictable, bizarre, horrifying, and blood-soaked on an entirely new level.
Special appearances by Brinke Stevens (Teenage Exorcist, Scream Queen Hot Tub Party), Schroeder (Cult Movies Magazine), Robert Rhine (Girls and Corpses Magazine) and Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!, Tales of Halloween)."
Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us today, Joe. What was it like for you to get behind the camera for the third entry in your Terror Toons franchise?
Joe Castro: That is a very good question. I can tell you what it is exactly like. To get behind the camera and create another sequel that picks up exactly where the original film left off, it's like visiting with old great friends. The cast of the original TERROR TOONS has become my family, literally. I truly enjoy filmmaking but even more so, with people that I love and being able to continue telling a story that so many people found truly original and were inspired by, has been a great gift. I have been told by countless budding filmmakers that the original TERROR TOONS film inspired them to make their own movies. We made the first TERROR TOONS for $2,300 (that costs less than one day of craft service on most feature films) and we shot the entire movie in one weekend. That was not the case with TERROR TOONS 3, but still, ultra-low budget compared to most standards.
My partner / Executive Producer, Steven Escobar, and I literally handcrafted and created this movie with our own two hands. While Steven made sure that everything behind the camera was first class and meeting all the state of the art technical specs that were necessary to make the movie look and sound like a cool, slick motion picture—this included all of the post-production editing and sound mixing and mastering—I was responsible for everything in front of the camera including set design, costumes, special effects and the like. Principal photography lasted only 12 days, but then the real work began. Steven and I spent the next year after we had wrapped principal photography producing all the special effects shots with second unit photography. Steven and I built a small studio in our backyard and in the garage to make this happen. Sometimes only shooting one shot a night. I used every trick I knew to make the special effects in this film all practical. There is quite a bit of CGI in the movie and there is an equal amount of practical effects and special-FX makeup. There is definitely something for everyone in there. You might as well say we threw in the kitchen sink!
The “Godfather of Gore” (as well as your good friend) Herschell Gordon Lewis plays a key role in Terror Toons 3. What was your experience working with the legendary Lewis on this movie?
Joe Castro: Talking with Herschell, working with Herschell, and learning from Herschell Gordon Lewis is a great honor. I'm not sure if most people know that Herschell Gordon Lewis invented "the slasher film scenario," a deranged killer stalks innocent victims one-by-one, killing them and then dying a horrific demise at the end of the film. Herschell invented this back in 1963 with his splatter epic, BLOOD FEAST. I had the honor of creating the special effects for the sequel, BLOOD FEAST 2, which Herschell also directed in 2002. Herschell taught me how to put the gross in my gore and red-blood curdling color in my blood. We use the original blood formula from the original 1963 BLOOD FEAST film in TERROR TOONS 3. We also had the honor of recreating a special effects sequence that Herschell made for his film WIZARD OF GORE that never made it into the final cut. Herschell also wrote the lyrics for the TERROR TOONS 3 theme song that were performed for the movie by Graham Psilopansophy Tate.
What new twists and creatures can fans of the franchise expect this time around?
Joe Castro: There are many new twists and some new creatures in TERROR TOONS 3. Dr. Carnage and Max Assassin definitely make a big comeback. Also, we have a fire-breathing werewolf and some of the original characters that were 2D animated characters in the first film are now three-dimensional practical effects, like the “green creepies” that popped out of Dr. Carnage's split head at the end of the first film. I really don't want to divulge too much detail because I think the story, the twists, and turns of this film is what really makes it ultra-special this time around. There are a lot of surprises that will keep the audience guessing what will happen next from scene to scene.
Looking back at your time on set, what was your most memorable moment from filming Terror Toons 3?
Joe Castro: Most definitely my favorite part about TERROR TOONS 3 was working with the original cast: Lizzy Borden, Beverly Lynne, Fernando Padilla, Fernando Gasca, Kerry Liu, and Scott Barrows. Being altogether on-set was amazing, it was like a real family reunion. Also, working with new cast members: Jonah Nemetz, Brashaad Mayweather, Lizet Garcia, Grahmn Mackie Sr., Robert Rhine, Schroeder, Mike Mendez, Brinke Stevens and many other talented people made this film my favorite of all three. Nothing compares to working side-by-side with my partner of 19 years, Steven Escobar, tirelessly night after night trying to perfect each special effect sequence to make sure we give the audience exactly what they're looking for: over-the-top, unfiltered, unrated, bloody, gory, and special-effects entertainment.
With Terror Toons 3 hitting iTunes on August 26th from Cinema Factory Inc., what projects do you have on deck that you can tease, and where can our readers find you on social media?
Joe Castro: We have already wrapped principal photography for TERROR TOONS 4 and we are currently in post-production. TERROR TOONS 4 will be a directorial debut for Scream Queen Brinke Stevens. That's right, Brinke writes and directs for TERROR TOONS 4! I'm very excited about this project. We are hoping to have a release of this film in 2017. Readers and fans of the film can find us at our TERROR TOONS 3 Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/terrortoons3/ and https://twitter.com/terrortoons
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Crepitus Teaser Trailer: "Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth and her younger brother, Julian are thrust into circumstances more terrifying than life with their abusive, drunken mother when they are forced to move into their deceased Grandfather's house.
Frightened beyond belief, they are forced to learn horrible things about their family history. Never mind the ghosts in the house, there is something far worse that takes an interest in them ... a cannibalistic clown named Crepitus."
Directed by Haynze Whitmore from a screenplay by Eddie & Sarah Renner, Crepitus the Clown stars Bill Moseley as Crepitus, Mike Hard as Sheriff Jed, Jackey Hall as The Mother, Raiden as Julian, Caitlin Williams as Eli, and Lance Paul as The Deputy.
To learn more about Crepitus the Clown, visit:
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ThrillGoreTV's Premiere Details for Blood is Blood: Press Release: "Los Angeles, Calif., Aug. 18, 2016 - Content distribution powerhouse Multicom Entertainment Group is releasing BLOOD IS BLOOD, its first ever “digital original” acquisition under its horror channel banner ThrillGoreTV. First-time writer/director Stuart Sauvarin delivers a deftly handled slashing, slaying, and disturbing psychological thriller debuting on HD DIGITAL AND VOD EVERWHERE September 1st, 2016. BLOOD IS BLOOD treats viewers to a twisted and bloody game of sibling rivalry, murder mythology, and time-shifting madness that promises to have you writhing in your seat… or on your couch.
For privileged siblings Brie, Daniel, Crew, and Jess, family has always come first. But when Crew (Danile DiTomasso) invites his girlfriend Sara (Kate French) into the family, distrust begins to bubble between the siblings. Seeing Sara as a threat, Brie grows spiteful and suspicious that she is being replaced… That is until the night Crew attempts to murder her in their family house. Traumatized, Brie is sent to a mental facility where she is tormented by hallucinations of Crew from the night of the attack. But when the visions begin to bleed into reality, Brie starts to fear that it's not just her sanity that’s in danger, and she flees the facility. In a frantic attempt to return to her remaining siblings and warn them, Brie begins to uncover a trail of gory, sinister secrets that leads her to question whether she knows her family as well as she thought.
BLOOD IS BLOOD weaves the threads of a layered and complex tapestry of murder mythology, Japanese origami lore, and a twisted family game that never has to end as this sinister story sets the stage for a BLOOD IS BLOOD franchise. After all, it runs in the family. And a family that slays together, stays together.
Website: http://www.bloodisblood-movie.com/"
Written and directed by Stuart Sauvarin, Blood is Blood stars Fiona Dourif (True Blood, Curse of Chucky, Dirk Gently), Andrew James Allen, Daniel DiTomasso, Kate French, Caitlin Harris, and Teni Panosian.
Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.
The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).
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