We're back with another installment of Horror Highlights! Today, we have a look at the Von Bach comic book series, release details and the trailer for Evil Takes Root, news of the In Another Room podcast, and photos from Come True:
Classic Monsters Live in Hammer Comics' VON BACH: "Horror Fans Find “Von Bach” Frighteningly Funny. Parody of Classic Monster Movies Has Laughs, Drama and a Few Genuine Scares.
Horror nerds all know that Bela Lugosi Jr. successfully sued Universal Pictures for the right to control his famous father’s image. Now imagine that Dracula himself counter-sued both of them! That was the inspiration writer Owen Hammer had for Von Bach — the story of an undead monster who sues a major Hollywood studio for making a horror movie about him.
In “Von Bach” chapter 1, the unnatural works of a mad scientist VON BACH are compared to Hollywood movies.
Von Bach is a graphic novel about DOCTOR HEINRICH VON BACH — the nineteenth-century scientist resurrected from the dead by his own ungodly invention. For a hundred years, world cinema has made as many films based on the bloody life and un-death of Von Bach. Today, a major studio is finishing a big budget Von Bach movie, but suddenly, the real Von Bach returns to life in Hollywood and he is going to teach them the true meaning of “Development Hell.”
In chapter 2, MINNA TSENG is hired to write a Von Bach horror film and the job is so stressful that she feels as persecuted as her protagonist.
Von Bach began as a play produced by L.A.’s The Next Arena. After its critically acclaimed multi-year run, Hammer adapted it into a graphic novel with art by Mariano Navarro and Hernán Cabrera.
Navarro has worked on Protocol Orphans, Cloaks, Descendant, Damaged Universe, Fallen and Sophia; and has co-created Argentinian comic Red Knight.
Cabrera has worked for Nuclea, Soleil and Paquet Editions (Europe), Class Comics (Canada), Avatar Press, Titan Comics, Tokyopop (USA), and is currently working on a new mini-series for AfterShock. Hammer says he is lucky to have such talented and experienced artists bring his work to life. “Making this comic has been nothing but fun upon fun,” said Navarro, “Imagine reading it.”
Owen Hammer is a veteran of TV and movie production and his frequent collaborator Lance Lanfear — an accomplished producer and director — serves as executive producer. “I loved the play and even though I’ve never done comics before I jumped on board in a heartbeat,” says Lanfear, “someone has to keep Hammer from screwing this up.”
Minna and Connor fight over their differing ideals of the monster Von Bach — serious tragedy or goofy horror?
The story will cover the original, incredible events that happened in Bavaria in 1888 and also the events in present-day Hollywood. Additionally, we will see clips from all the famous “Von Bach” films that have shaped the culture of the main characters. “It’s a great opportunity to spoof all the horror movie clichés — I mean all the clichés from 1920 to 2020,” says Hammer, adding, “There’s the silent, German Von Bach, the classic Universal-style black and white Von Bachs, the ‘60s Hammer Films Von Bachs and many more.” Hammer Comics is unrelated to Hammer Films.
Based on Universal Studios classic Frankenstein and Dracula films, we learn about the real Von Bach through the fictional Von Bach films produced during the 20th Century. In this 1940 film, Von Bach is played by INUS KRUPA (think Boris Karloff) whose ancestors would vex the studio in the future.
Chapter 3 of “Von Bach” has just been released at www.hammer-comics.com/von- bach.html. “Habeus Corpus” tells the story of screenwriter MINNA TSENG’S battle against CONNOR KRUPA — a lawyer who, like Bela Lugosi Jr., owns the rights to his famous ancestor’s image. Like most of Von Bach the exciting tropes of horror films are used in contrast to the mundane and wearying work of legal wrangling. “It’s about how real life conflict, which seems dull to an outsider, is a life or death struggle for the participants,” says Hammer.
A lot of the humor comes from the fact that Von Bach, an undead entity, is just an ordinary guy and the high-strung movie professionals are the real freaks. Hammer says that Von Bach is mainly a comedy, but there is a serious story at the heart of it. “Who gets to tell your story? Who gets to decide what your legacy will be. Like all good horror and all good satire, the book addresses some serious questions.”
Von Bach issues 1, 2 and 3 can be purchased at www.hammer-comics.com/von- bach.html. Hammer can be contacted for more information at contact@hammer-comics.com."
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Watch the Trailer for EVIL TAKES ROOT: "Minneapolis, MN (June 11, 2020) Mill Creek Entertainment, the recognized leader in the independent home entertainment industry is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of EVIL TAKES ROOT: THE CURSE OF THE BATIBAT on September 15, 2020. This gripping horror/thriller will be packed with special features and available for the first time in stores and online for $19.99 MSRP. EVIL TAKES ROOT: THE CURSE OF THE BATIBAT will also be available to stream digitally with a simultaneous day-and-date release.
From the acclaimed team at Genre Labs and Elevate Pictures comes the captivating tale of Felix Fojas, a paranormal investigator, and his journey to investigate the mysterious loss of his old lover, Amanda, in a sleepy midwestern town. Quickly, he discovers she fell victim to the Batibat, an ancient evil that followed her home from the Philippines. Felix must now battle the forces of evil and unravel the mystery of the Batibat in order to save Amanda’s daughter, Sarah, from its hellish grip.
“We wanted a fresh take on the classic demonic possession tale,” states writer and producer Aaron Mack. “Along with jarring terrors, we wove in elements of police investigation, tortured family dynamics, and elements of the occult that is layered onto the ancient batibat folklore.”
Genre Labs teamed up with award-winning writer/director Chris W. Freeman to make Evil Takes Root: The Curse of the Batibat in their home state of Ohio which served as the perfect backdrop for this small-town thriller. Cast includes Nicolas Gonzalez (The Good Doctor), Stevie Lynn Jones (Nancy Drew), Sean Carrigan (Ford v Ferrari), and Adetokumboh M’Cormack (Battle Los Angeles).
“We at Mill Creek are excited to bring this unique, engaging horror film to market as well as working with the talented group at Elevate Pictures,” says Jeff Hayne, SVP of Content Acquisitions for Mill Creek Entertainment. “We are thrilled for this release and future collaborations with their team!”
EVIL TAKES ROOT: THE CURSE OF THE BATIBAT will premiere at the Cinema Columbus Film Festival in July 2020. "
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IN ANOTHER ROOM Podcast: "THE VIOLET HOUR, a premium scripted horror podcast network will premiere its first show on Monday, August 10. IN ANOTHER ROOM will feature scripts written by seasoned screenwriters, a diverse cast of professional actors, and original scoring and sound design by Emmy Award-winning composers and audio engineers.
Adapted from E3W Production's ground-breaking, LA-based immersive show of the same name, IN ANOTHER ROOM is a collection of interlocking ghost stories, each one taking place in a different room of a notoriously haunted house. These ghost stories span the entire history of the mysterious home—from its troubled construction in the 1870s to today—and recount the tragedies of the various souls that have lived, and died, within. The first three episodes of the podcast will drop on its premiere date of August 10, with five subsequent episodes released weekly on Mondays.
Listen to the IN ANOTHER ROOM trailer HERE."
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First-Look & Poster for COME TRUE: "High school student Sarah (Stone) is at her lowest point yet when she runs away from home and finds herself with no one to rely on and struggling with recurring nightmares. She chances upon a university sleep study that offers the promise of safety and money and brings her an unexpected friend and confidant in the overseeing scientist Jeremy (Liboiron). But there's something curious about proceedings, and being under observation seems to make Sarah's disturbing dreams even worse. As the darkness begins to close in, it's soon clear that Sarah has unknowingly become the conduit to a horrifying, new discovery…
COME TRUE is the newest feature from acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, visual effects artist and musician Anthony Scott Burns (OUR HOUSE, HOLIDAYS Father’s Day segment) and executive produced by cult filmmaker Vincenzo Natali, director of CUBE, SPLICE and Netflix’s IN THE TALL GRASS. A dark exploration into a world of nightmares, fears, and the monsters within, the film is a Copperheart Entertainment and Angel Entertainment production. Burns wrote, directed, and shot the film, with music by Electric Youth (DRIVE) and Pilotpriest.
Produced by Steven Hoban (GINGER SNAPS, SPLICE), Mark Smith (IN THE TALL GRASS, Darknet), Brent Kawchuck (IN THE TALL GRASS), and co-produced by Nicholas Bechard (OUR HOUSE). Andrea Hatzinikolas, Chris Wallace, Bob Crowe, and Karyn Nolan served as executive producers, in addition to Natali.
COME TRUE will world premiere as part of the upcoming Fantasia International Film Festival, running August 20th - September 2nd digitally"
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