For many kids, there's nothing scarier than "back to school" commercials, and with another autumn nearly upon us, the streaming service Shudder has highlighted a set of horror films that are perfect for that time of year when trapper keepers (they're still a thing, right?) and backpacks are in high demand. Also in today's Horror Highlights is another contest from our friends at COMET TV, initial details on the Windy City Horrorama, release info for Bad Exorcists, and the short horror film Lost Soul.
Shudder's "Back to School" Collection: "Pop Quiz: What's a synonym for "hell"? Answer: School - at least for the kids in these tales of homeroom horror. They've got to deal with twisted teachers, ghoulish gym classes and phantom pep rallies, all before lunch. A few hours with these scared students and you'll soon be praying for the bell to ring."
To check out Shudder's "Back to School" film collection, visit the streaming service online.
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COMET TV Con Survival Kit Contest: "On Monday, August 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible across all of North America. The whole continent will experience a partial eclipse lasting 2 to 3 hours. If you care about the well-being of Earth and you're a space-head like us, check out COMET's...
"When The Moon Throws Shade"
Ultimate Guide to Eclipsing
http://www.CometTV.com/eclipse/
Prize Details: (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive (1) prize pack from COMET, including:
How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:
1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:
https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/
2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “COMET Solar Eclipse Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am EST on August 21st. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per entry method, per household, will be accepted."
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Windy City Horrorama: Press Release: "Horror Society and the newly re-opened landmark Davis Theater want to send chills down your spine this spring showcasing the best the genre has to offer.
The first ever WINDY CITY HORRORAMA is a film festival celebrating the DIY spirit of independent genre films, from the hard working hands that make them to the enthusiastic audiences that come out in droves to see them. Chicago has such a robust film and genre fan community, those involved with this event can’t wait to be
a part of its rich tradition while presenting some kickass horror!
The festival will take place from Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29, day and night at the Davis Theater, a recently refurbished theater and bar in Chicago’s historic Lincoln Square neighborhood. Fest co-founder and Horror Society programmer Matt Storc is teaming up with Chicago International Film Festival’s After Dark programmer Alex Vazquez to put together a weekend of skin-crawling movies, filmmaker interaction, drinking, and celebrations of all things horror.
HorrorSociety.com has always been your voice for independent horror. So let your voice be heard! If you have a horror, sci-fi, fantasy, or otherwise genre-based short or feature film, WINDY CITY HORRORAMA is now accepting your entries. Submit exclusively through FilmFreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/festival/WindyCityHorrorama, and visit windycityhorrorama.com for more information.
The full Festival schedule will be announced in March 2018, along with ticket sales. We look forward to seeing Chicago’s greatest horror fans come together for a weekend they’ll never forget as Windy City Horrorama intends to be Chicago’s premiere horror film festival!
As a taste of what’s to come, we’re proud to unveil our exclusive key art for the Festival, created by artist Tommy Fleming. Be sure to check out his other art on Instagram at @tommyruddfleming.
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Bad Exorcists Trailer, Poster & Release Details: "Charlie, Matt and Dana are about to finish high school with little fanfare. In a last-ditch effort to earn their classmates' respect, the trio set out to make a horror film starring the dreamy, popular girl at school. Things go wrong when their attempt to film an exorcism scene results in the demonic possession of their lead actress. The boys are in for a raucous and hilarious weekend as they try to save the girl and somehow finish their film, all while navigating the treacherous world of high school."
Bad Exorcists will be released on iTunes, Amazon, Vimeo, Google Play, and Vudu beginning August 15th. To learn more, visit the film on iTunes.
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Short Horror Film Lost Hope: Press Release: "'Lost Hope' is a creepy new short horror film from one of the makers of the "Silent Hill: Stolen Heart" fan film and DJ Mistress Macabre a.k.a Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc who is a best selling, award winning author of Horror Sinisteria.
The short film was filmed on the Nexus Android Phone using the VHS-Cam app to mimic the look and feel of an old snuff film. Director Hamish Downie says this was "to give the viewer a feeling that they'd stumbled upon an old VHS tape in the back of an abandoned police storage holder".
Hamish and Andrea had been wanting to work together for a long time, so when she released her first music collection, "Neon Abyss" (available from Chaos Angel Music from all good online retailers), she gave Hamish complete freedom to choose any track. Hamish chose the haunting track, 'Lost Hope' because "it reminded me of David Lynch - specifically 'Twin Peaks'. So, I instantly got the idea of the last moment's of a innocent's life recorded on film - a kind of homage to the 1960s cult film "Peeping Tom", where a filmmaker kills his victims with a knife attached to a shooting camera. A minefield for any wannabe Freuds. Plus, I also wanted to homage the Andy Warhol video portraits. Hence why the film is mostly done with long POV shots."
On the casting of Elan Rie, Hamish says, "I chose Elan because she reminded me of an innocent version of Andrea - the same way Sia uses the dancer Maddy as an avatar in her videos. I had to do this as logistically, this is a zero-budget project, I couldn't bring Andrea out from the US to Japan." Elan Rie has a background in Theatre and Musicals, so this represents a big departure for her. Says Elan, "While acting on stage, as opposed to in front of a camera, is what I'm more used to, it was really fun to get back to my roots of characters who get offed. I'm glad I could be a part of it!"
Director Hamish also makes his acting debut in the short as the killer. Hamish says, "I don't know what it says about me that I could play an awkward creepy killer as well as I did. I chose myself because the price was right, not because of some vain Woody Allen-esque desire to cast myself in films so I could make love to women who were ridiculously out of my league (especially since I'm a queer director!)."
In the end, Hamish hopes that "the film gives people a creepy thrill, and some views mistake it for a real snuff film. One of Andrea's short stories was adapted into a short film, and the police ended up almost arresting the filmmakers! So, it would be cool if that happened again. That said, Elan is alive and well, and a great actress." Andrea says, "I am beyond proud that my music, "Lost Hope," was the inspiration for this brilliant piece of Avant film!!"
You can watch the film here (age restricted mode): https://youtu.be/LlEXI41utNk
You can order "Neon Abyss" from the website: http://chaosangelmusic.ecrater.com/ as well as iTunes and Spotify.
Hamish Downie is a multi-award winning Japan-based filmmaker from Australia. Notable work includes, WW2 short "An American Piano" (available on Amazon Prime), experimental short "Silence", the fan film "Silent Hill: Stolen Heart", and the music video "Never Let You Down" for world music diva Robyn Loau.
Social Media
twitter
Hamish Downie @hamishdownie
Andy Van Scoyoc @DJMistressM
Elan Rie @niji_limbo"
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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