Indie Horror News – August 27, 2010
by Marc Patterson
It’s Friday and that means it’s time for another indie horror round-up. This ongoing feature attempts to shed some light on all the great shit that’s happening outside the churn and burn studio system by focusing on the guys and gals who are pouring their blood, guts, and wallets into carving out cinema for die hard fans of the genre. It’s DIY or Die baby!
This past week featured some rather cool happenings from the land of the independents. We’ve got news, trailers, clips, and more from folks such as DJ Deveroux who is a young up and coming filmmaker and DJ from the UK, as well as a nasty new clip from Song of the Shattered, and a brand spankin new trailer for Toetag Pictures’ latest – Sella Turcica. Want more? Read on…
First up is some exciting news for us. You MAY be reading this article first, but you may not. Sound cryptic? Well, who am I to predict your behavior? I’ll just come out with it then… Cory J. Udler, director of such disgusting and horrifying cinema as Incest Death Squad, and Incest Death Squad 2 (soon to premiere online at HorrorSociety.com) has, as those demons from hell softly beckoned, joined us. We’ve been talking to Cory for a bit and this guy exhibits a punk rock spirit that encapsulates true independence in horror. I reached out and asked if he’d be interesting in scribing a regular column focused on the trials, tribulations, joys, and “what the fuck were we thinking” moments that define low-budget filmmaking. After hashing out some details he said yes, and today marks the debut of our newest column – It Came From Underground. When you’re done with the round-up make sure to check it out! You’re guaranteed to like it, or your money back!
Just as soon as I hit “publish” on last weeks article Toetag Pictures goes and posts a brand new trailer for their latest film Sella Turcica. That’s a funny and somewhat tricky name for a film that highlights a soldier who comes back from the war, sickened from being exposed to some sort of chemical. As you’ll see from the trailer, things get pretty nasty. Considering the low budget origins, I found the trailer oddly profound. Directed by Fred Vogel, the film stars industry vet, and fan favorite, Camille Keaton, along with some other great cast members that include Damien Maruscak and Jade Risser. While it’s certainly not the first film that has focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, it might just be the first to look at it in such a light as this… Sella Turcica will be available on DVD this October.
Moving on… we have another trailer premiere that might have gone unnoticed. We certainly don’t want that! Take a moment to pause and get out your favorite cutting razors. It’s time for a little bit of emo styled horror. The film is called The Melancholy Fantastic, and is already being compared to Lucky McKee’s cult classic (I can say that right?) – May. The Melancholy Fantastic looks abhorrently creepy, disturbing, but also really fucking good. Like… I don’t want to really admit how good it looks. The best way I can describe it? It’s about a girl and her doll, and it’s plain weird. Directed by A.D. Calvo, an Argentine filmmaker who reportedly has two more of these creepy films lined up in what’s being called (get this) “the gothic mental illness trilogy”. The film stars Amy Crowdis, Robin Lord Taylor, Josh Caras, Geneva Carr, David Pirrie, and Shirley Knight. It’s slated for a 2011 release. If you like the trailer then you can “like” the film over at Facebook.
Want more? Of course you do! The twisted folks behind Song of the Shattered just released a clip from the film. It’s bloody. It’s brutal and it’s NOT SAFE FOR WORK! In other words, just our kind of stuff. If you haven’t been following our steady coverage of “SOTS”, (as we like to call it), then let’s catch you up. Song of the Shattered centers around a young woman who one year after she kills her abusive husband in self-defense finds herself starting to exhibit his violent behavior. It’s a close look at the psychological trauma an abuse victim goes through, taken to obvious bloody extremes. The film stars Devanny Pinn, Deneen Melody (both of whom are featured in this clip, along with Brandon Slagle, Tara Cardinal, Joe Hollow and Jess Weber. It’s directed by Wolfgang Meyer and is slated to start hitting the big screen next month. (FYI to those in Northern California: Make sure to hit up the Sacramento Sci-Fi/Horror Convention where the film will get its premiere screening) As an additional note (because I don’t know when to shut-up) you’ll be starting to see a steady stream of interviews from the folks behind this film. They’re collectively doing a FUCK TON (that’s official journalist speak by the way) for indie horror, and you’re going to be hearing much more from them right here!
Okay – so you’ve been forewarned. Now check out the clip!
Last up this week is a video from DJ Devereux, a young 19 year old aspiring filmmaker from the UK. Admittedly, this clip is a little rough around the edges, but but you know what? We’re supporting this guy because he, and all the others out there like him, are the future of the genre. They are the new up and coming crop who have passion for filmmaking and are anxious to impact the genre. Mostly, they’re just getting off their asses and doing something. Yeah, he’s got a way to go, but at just 19 Devereux has founded FrankenScope Films, a collective of young directors, cinematographers, editors, make-up artists, and actors/actresses that all hail from the South Coast of England. Devereux takes his inspiration from films such as Pyscho, Being John Malkovich and newer stuff like Inception, though the below video is a nod towards more cultish cinema such as Faster, Pussycat Kill! Kill!
The clip below features a song from UK techno outfit Dirty Inc. entitled aptly enough, Dirty. The set up is simple – a couple guys enter a club for some female companionship and what they get is something they didn’t expect.
As always if you’re a filmmaker, promoter, or just someone who has a lead to share on indie horror drop us a line at editor@brutalashell.com. We’ll get your film or event plugged into our mix.
