Horror Highlights: Q&A with PRIMAL RAGE Actor Marshal Hilton, Screambox’s Horror Host Search, LADY FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MUMMY’S BRAIN

The legend of Bigfoot is reborn in Patrick Magee's new movie Primal Rage, and to celebrate the movie coming to theaters for one night only on February 27th, we've been provided with a Q&A with one of the film's actors, Marshal Hilton. In today's Horror Highlights we also have details on how you can enter to become Screambox's first horror host, as well as info on the new comic book Lady Frankenstein and The Mummy's Brain.

Q&A with Primal Rage Actor Marshal Hilton: "Marshal Hilton (Bunnyman Vengeance) is back on the big screen this month in Patrick Magee’s frightening Bigfoot thriller Primal Rage.

Looking at your filmography, it’d seem you gravitate towards horror and sci-fi. Fair to say? 

Marshal Hilton: I wish I could say something eloquent and thought-provoking, but the reality is sometimes they just fall in your lap, and sometimes you get what you can get. I think as an actor you will gravitate to the types of genres that you are connected with creatively. I’m not a rom-com and sketch comedy guy. Vanilla characters and stories don’t inspire me. My creative sensibilities are harder and darker in their essence, so I tend to be attracted to dramatic stories. I seem to be more comfortable operating in a place of pain rather than joy. The horror and thriller genres have been staples in Hollywood’s indie film world for years. There’s a lot of it out there. There’s also been resurgence over the last number of years of the sci-fi genre. It too has always been in the mix in one form or another. The internet has really given a platform for all the niche genres to go directly to the fans of genre. For me, it’s not a genre choice, but rather one of character. I seem to be able to tap into emotional pain. Characters that have endured pain, and are struggling to manage the anger of pain, seem to fit my spirit. I’m not afraid to dig into the dark places that we all have and bring them to the surface for display. It’s a cleansing process for me, both creatively and emotionally. In life some people are genuinely happy people. Their lives are a history of balance and love. Some folks, like myself, come from a different condition. We constantly have to work on ourselves to quell the darker sides of ourselves. We have to knock off the patina of guilt and envy from time to time of those who live blissful and balance. I’m fortunate I have the craft of acting to give me that place of exploration.

And is there a character you’ve enjoyed playing the most in the genre?

Marshal Hilton: There have been several. And to be honest, if there isn’t something I like about them, or that I find interesting, or a character I have yet to tackle, I’ll generally pass on the project. And it’s not a commentary on the heart of the project, its more a function of inspiration. If I can’t find a way to connect, get excited and curious about a character, its not going to bring out the best of me, and a director and your fellow cast mates deserve your best. It’s a respect thing with me. So with that said, all the characters that I’ve been blessed to explore have been my favorites in one way or another. 

How was the experience of working on Primal Rage?

Marshal Hilton: Amazing. Working on this film was one of the best experiences I’ve had working on a film in 20-plus years in this business. I’ve always said that its not the size of the movie, it’s the size of the heart in the movie, and this production had a very large heart. Everyone in the cast and crew were into it 100 percent. Patrick’s passion, attention to detail, and commitment to his vision were extraordinary, and it plays in every frame of the film. When a director is that prepared and knows exactly what he wants, it makes the filming process easy and enjoyable.

Patrick is a Master creature creator. He’s also one of the most unassuming and humble guys I’ve met in Hollywood in a very long time. The list of superlatives for his work in my eyes would be endless. I knew when I saw the creature in his studio that it was special. The level of detail was insane. I think it took him and his team three years to make it by hand. His Bigfoot creature had actual fingerprints on the fingers and toes. No one in the audience would ever see that detail, but it didn’t matter to Patrick; he knew it was there, and that’s all that mattered. But when I saw the Bigfoot actually sneaking around in the woods on the first day of filming, I knew it was going to be revolutionary with regards to the Bigfoot myth. It was just plain freaky. I mean, we all knew it was Patrick in the suit, but there is such a suspension of reality when a 6’10” snarling beast is coming at you in full stride, that it's hard to explain.

 How did you get involved?

Marshal Hilton: I actually read for the role. It was a typical audition situation. I met Patrick Magee, the director, Angela Lee the producer and Angela’s bulldog at some place in Hollywood. I got a call that Pat wanted to meet at his studio the next day. When I walked into his studio and saw all his amazing work lining the walls and ceiling, I just looked at him and said, "I’m in." I hadn’t even read the script. His work was so stunning and so detailed, I knew I was going to work with a guy that was not only passionate, but an artist that had supreme skills. He showed me the concept trailer and said we were going to shoot in the redwood forests of northern California and Oregon, and when I saw his Bigfoot creation, it was a no-brainer.

Could you relate to B.D.?

Marshal Hilton: Well, I’m not sure that I can relate to B.D. on a personal level. In real life, I’m a rather reserved guy. I prefer quiet places. B.D. was anything but that. Don’t get me wrong, I like to have a good time, but having a bunch of “yes men” around me isn’t my thing. So I really didn’t have a lot of details on B.D. as far as scripted elements. I just tried to look at the actions of what the character actually does, his scripted actions. In life, people are what they do, not what they say. B.D. is most definitely an enigma. We don’t know much about him, but we certainly get a sense about him. His pace, his style, his cigar, his jewelry, they all say something about him. I think what says even more about B.D. is how his crew reacts to him. No one ever challenges him, so you never know for certain if he’s just a narcissist, or a guy that could possibly be dangerous. And that’s the key to B.D., the element of uncertainty. The only person that dares to get in his face is Ashley. And there’s a moment when he doesn’t take kindly to her attitude, and he puts his foot down. But in another moment he also offers her his coat as a sign of grace and empathy. And yet another moment when he feels kind of like a pervert. He’s just hard to figure out and that’s his power. So that’s how I took him, unpredictable… 

“B.D.” is the leader of a group of cantankerous and somewhat hostile locals that Max and Ashley have the unpleasant pleasure of crossing paths with while they are making their way back to town. He’s a bit of a blowhard and definitely full of himself. Kind of like a Politician. He’s the mouthpiece of his crew. He wasn’t a “Bad Guy” per say, he just found pleasure playing mind games with people. Patrick and I figured that he was the kind of guy that probably owned the local Hardware Store, the car dealership, the liquor Store, and his band of merry men were most likely guys that worked for him. He’s definitely the Alpha dog in his town.

Tell us about working with Bigfoot. Was he a team player? Did he knock you around a bit?

Marshal Hilton: Working with Bigfoot was awesome. Fun fact: Patrick Magee, the director and creator of Primal Rage, was the man in the suit. He was Bigfoot. The beauty of working with practical FX verses CGI FX is the visceral and physical reality that is in front of you, not on a green screen behind you. We were actually in the forest. Bigfoot was in front of us. It’s much easier to be in the fantasy when it’s in front of you rather than an image in your mind, in a studio, in front of a green screen. Patrick is 6’ 10”. In the suit he was almost seven feet of hairy, snarling, angry beast looking to chew your face off. It was also interesting to have Bigfoot direct you in a scene. Patrick is standing there in a full Bigfoot costume, looking down at you, telling you what he needs us to do in a scene. It was pretty funny.

As for Bigfoot’s workplace etiquette, he wasn’t terribly concerned with his reputation. Being a “team player” was the last thing on his mind. And yes, Bigfoot took his pound of flesh from everyone.

What’s next for you? Primal Rage 2, maybe?

Marshal Hilton: Well, without giving too much away, Primal Rage is ripe for many more stories, that’s all I can say. As for upcoming projects, I have a number of projects in various stages of post-production, but these are the nearest to completion:

I just finished shooting a dramedy episodic pilot titled Flicks that will be pitched to FX, Netflix, Amazon, and all the usual suspects. It’s a quirky character-driven story about a struggling screenwriter who's been bumping around town for 10 years and just cant seem to break through Hollywood. I play his agent, Elan, a rough-and-tumble, foul-mouthed, bull-in-a-china-shop talent agent. He’s an animal. It very much has the indie feel of a show like The Jim Gaffigan Show. It’s a small, intimate slice-of-life piece. My description of the story theme is something along the lines of Entourage, except the main characters are still eating top ramen and can’t seem to catch a break. It’s about all the insanity and failures people deal with on the “lower levels” of the Hollywood swamp. There’s definitely no lack of storylines.

I co-starred in a sci-fi adventure drama feature with Gary Daniels, titled Astro, co- written by Asif Akbar and Bernard Selling. It was directed by Asif Akbar and the film is in the final stages of post-production and should be released sometime this year. We shot it in Roswell, New Mexico. Also in the ensemble cast are Louis Mandylor, Michael Paré, Randy Wayne, Dominique Swain, Max Wasa, and others. I play Alexander Biggs, a mysterious billionaire space entrepreneur who recruits an old friend and colleague to help him discover the mysteries of an extraterrestrial life form he’s discovered in another solar system.

I also had a chance to hook up with an old friend, writer/director Jesse V. Johnson with a little cameo appearance in his upcoming action drama, The Debt Collector, starring Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor, produced by Deborah Del Prete and Charles Berg. It also features Tony Todd, Vladimir Kulich, and Michael Paré, and true to Jesse Johnson fare, I’m certain that it will be a kick-ass movie!

I also will have a supernatural thriller film hitting the festival circuit mid-2018 titled Echoes of Fear. It’s a supernatural thriller by the husband and wife team Brian and Laurence Avenet-Bradley, the creative team behind Ghost of the Needle, Dark Remains, and Malignant. I can’t give you too much here, other than to say I play David, a kind-hearted yet nosy next-door neighbor who Alysa (Trista Robinson) keeps running into as she confronts the haunting of her grandfather’s house.

It’s been a pleasure and thank you for reaching out. Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew, I just want to say thank you for supporting this film. It was a passion project for everyone involved. I hope you and your readers enjoy the film. And remember, be careful when walking in the woods…

You can keep tabs on what’s going on by following any one of my social media profiles. We’re constantly putting up news and info."

Official Desktop Site: http://www.marshalhilton.com/

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385288/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshalHilton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marshal.hilton

Instagram: http://instagram.com/marshalhilton

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Enter to Become Screambox's First Horror Host: "Screambox is looking for our first “Scream J.” (a.k.a. Scream Jockey). One lucky fright fan will take over Screambox programming and create a Guest “Scream J” Playlist from our 500+ collection of macabre movies. They’ll also get a free year of Screambox (or have their current membership extended by a year) and be featured in a short video highlighting the movies they chose and why they chose them.

This contest is open to everyone -- you do NOT have to be a Screambox subscriber to enter. No purchase necessary.

HOW TO ENTER

Submit a 1-minute (or less) video here: http://try.screambox.com/screamj

Show why you would make the perfect “Scream J.”

Get creative! Use visual effects, music, make-up -- whatever you think will surprise, scare, and excite your perverse peers.

Show us your personality, or put on a costume and create an entirely new one. Let the little demons inside your head come out to play.

Deadline for video submissions is February 20th at midnight.

HOW TO WIN

We’ll post our favorite videos then open up voting to the public -- and the Screamer with the most votes, wins!

Vote for your friends. Vote for your enemies. Vote for the lunatic screaming incoherently during the entire video. Vote for whoever you think would make the best “Scream J.”

We’ll announce the winner in March.

After that, it’s out of our hands. (Romero save us all.)"

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New Horror Comic Book Lady Frankenstein and The Mummy's Brain: Press Release: "Los Angeles, Calif., February 13, 2018. Indie horror comic label Scary Tales Publishing has announced the highly anticipated release of their newest horror comic, “LADY FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MUMMY'S BRAIN”. Just in time for the spring comics conventions at both Long Beach Convention Center in California and Kansas City’s Bartle Hall in Missouri, this new 20-page comic book - Chapter One in a six-book limited series - is a definite departure from the publisher's short-form, self-contained anthologies and kid-centric adventure fare. This saga for mature readers is a horror mash-up of the Frankenstein and Mummy legends, and features artwork from legendary international comic artist Manuel Martin.

Manuel has been part of the Scary Tales Publishing family from the start. A regular artist for both Fractured Scary Tales and Monster Smash-Ups, he has worked in comics for over 30 years. Published in Europe, his native Mexico, and here in the US, Manuel is a master of nuance, shadow, and atmosphere - the man can rock a comic image like few others.

Publisher Kevin M. Glover said: "After nurturing the premise for nearly a decade, I’m very proud of this comic. We're turning the classics on their head in unexpected ways that I think readers are going to love. Besides the gender bending aspect of a female doctor, there’s some great locations and intrigue from the Egyptian consortium who hire her. It’s a wild, globe-trotting ride, I can’t wait to share!"

Each issue of this newest title is a full-color comic book, and retails for just $5.00. Like all of Scary Tales Publishing's titles, it can also be purchased online at: www.FracturedScaryTales.com.

Visit www.longbeachcomicexpo.com or www.plantetcomicon.com for more information on the conventions!"