It's been a while since we've rounded up an interview for you... part of the reason is the fact that I've been pre-occupied with a couple of projects, the other part is that it's Christmas - I'm working part time over these couple weeks and I'm doing my best to catch up on some horror films, as well as finish a few video games... waste of time? Maybe, but very entertaining. In any case, we've got an interview for you today... and it's a dandy.As a lot of you know, I'm a marketing and advertising guy by day - Indie horror aficionado and advocate by night... or whenever I find time. Because of this mix, I not only sit back, crack a few beers and get entertained by watching my indie horror, I also get a bit analytical. I wonder about who the film is catering to and who its audience would be, I look at the art and website and consider how they've been marketing the film, I consider the premise and it's appeal... all before I throw the DVD in. Really, this is all stuff that every filmmaker needs to do when they set out to create something... and, 'side note' - if you're setting out to make something and are interested in my opinion, please email me... I'm more than happy to throw ideas out there, but I digress... The point is, while I was looking into "The Open Door" before I threw the DVD in, I was already thinking that this is a film that's firing on all cylinders.
The premise behind the film is as intriguing as any I've heard in recent memory - there's a pirate radio station that appears on full moon nights and callers will have their deepest wants and desires granted, but... you better be careful what you wish for. As for the site, the art and all their marketing... it's top notch. Did it deliver? You bet... the first thing I noticed was the production quality, it was on par with a film ten, twenty or even a hundred time's its budget (granted, I have no idea what the budget was, but I can assume). Then, very quickly, you realize that common hurdles for other indie filmmakers weren't obstacles - the acting was great, the story kept me entertained and flowed from beginning to end and, of course, the effects were unreal... and there was some great gore.
I'm a fan of indie and micro-budget horror and, usually, that requires suspension of disbelief... and a lot of it. Very little was needed here. The story is well crafted, the film is superbly put together and it delivers where it needs to... and horror fans should be pleased.
We had the opportunity to discuss the film and how it was put together with Clint Carmicheal, the Executive Producer and Producer of the film, and he offers up a great interview...
So, tell us a bit about “The Open Door”
The Open Door was basically three friends coming together to green-light themselves on a feature film. We are all working pros in the business, but in different disciplines, and we thought the three of us could pull together our respective resources and expertise to create a quality feature film at very low cost. It was put up or shut up...if we pulled off what we thought we could, then this would be the beginning of creating content for ourselves. All of us had come close to getting something made before, but the usual challenges of money, egos or timing had derailed those previous projects. We all felt that this particular grouping was really strong...we have our separate areas of expertise, Clint Carmichael/actor, Doc Duhame/Stuntman, Greg Hobson/Editor-DP, which we felt covered the three critical areas of a genre feature. We all write and all of us had produced or directed projects before...Me plays, Doc 2nd unit stunts and Greg episodic TV, so we really had a great deal of confidence that we could make a solid film for very little money. Of course many favors were called in and a little luck was essential in everything working out. In the end it was a tough journey, but a very gratifying one; our little film will be distributed world-wide and audiences will get a chance to see our efforts!
If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget and how did you go about securing financing?
The short answer is...more than a buck but less than a million. We have to keep that private for obvious reasons. We put up the money ourselves, hey no risk, no reward. It was an amount the three of us could share, but like all films, we spent more than we planned. Ultimately we felt very good about what we were able to achieve with limited resources, not many films at our level have the stunts and VFX that "The Open Door" has, and that's primarily due to relationships and creative choices.
I really loved the idea of the pirate radio station… and the fact that, throughout the film, it always remains a bit of a mystery. Talk about the origins of that idea?
Doc Duhame, who directed and wrote the script, had been listening to late night radio shows and heard one that always was dealing with paranormal issues and even occult topics. Doc and I had been working on an outline for a feature film which focused on a woman alone in a house being terrified by spiritual phenomena...and when Doc mentioned the radio show idea as the source of the evil, we all just loved it and went in that direction.
With that idea of a pirate radio station that grants listeners wishes, you could’ve gone anywhere and made the story about anyone, really. You opted to go with high school kids. Was this a conscious choice? As in, was it to make the film more marketable?
A little bit...we had already spent time working on the woman alone in a house idea and it didn't take much to morph into a teenage girl alone because we were always trying to think of ways to increase the vulnerability of our lead character. Once we decided to make her a younger character it just all seemed to fit really well into a high school social world. The influences and peer pressure of that time in our lives leads to some very questionable choices...and ultimately our film is about the choices we all make.
You also had some great effects and great gore in the film. Tell us a bit about your favorite effects and how they were accomplished.
My favorite effect is the burn...Doc being a stuntman and having many relationships in the stunt world (we met doing live stunt shows together at Universal many years ago) knew he was going to call in some pretty big favors. The burn in TOD is about as big a burn gag as you'll see in any Hollywood feature...full head to toe flames with the stuntman's face exposed. Zack Duhame (Doc's son) did the stunt, the first burn of his career, and he did a really wonderful job. The other aspect that I thought really rocked was the job our very young and talented make-up girls did on creating the burned face and head of Daniel Booko for the shot after he collapses. Genna Garner and Erika Godfrey were fresh out of make-up school when we found them for TOD, they won Best Special FX make-up at this year's Big Bear Horror Film Festival...not bad first time out of the gate!
Okay, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you into indie film?
Well, I've been an actor for over twenty years, but I started off in film school, and although acting is a first love I always intended to produce, write, direct or in some way partner with a team of creative people who really take responsibility and author a film. To me that means you are either producing, directing, have written or are starring in the film. Those are the people that have the most impact on how and why a film works...or doesn't. Influence wise I feel I learn from everything I see (and I try to see everything). I love old Hollywood and the work of directors like: John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, William Wyler and George Cukor. But my film school experience introduced me to a whole other world of film and filmmakers and other film cultures: Japanese, French, English and even some Latin and Bollywood product. As far as I'm concerned you learn from it all...Spielberg, Tarantino, Cameron...hey even Eli Roth. Good work and even good efforts that fail can teach us. As far as what got me into the indie movement...if you want to make something happen, if you want to tell a story on film, the only way you can guarantee that you'll have the chance is to do it yourself. I think everyone who makes film is very independent by nature...it's just that if you have a commercial ability and you're good at what you do, Hollywood will come knocking.
Film school: Yes or No?
An emphatic Yes...as I said before, the film school experience was important for me and really opened up my eyes to world cinema. I attended San Francisco State University...and Northern California has such a different perspective than Southern California and Los Angeles, which is where I'm from. It's really all about the art of cinema for them...and Hollywood is completely dominated by a commercial point of view. I don't think you need to debate them or be at odds with either...you just need to understand that the more personal and art dominated a film is...the less commercial it's prospects. Popcorn movies will appeal to the widest possible audience and have the greatest commercial potential. But there will always be a place for both. The task for any filmmaker I think is to find an audience and infuse as much of your art as you can into the projects you create. If no one cares to see your movies, if you create work that is so personal very few people are interested, then you won't be making movies very long. It's an expensive medium...if you're all about the art, you can always buy a canvas and some brushes and go nuts. Film is such an expensive proposition, even as it's become much more accessible, it is still a large scale collective art form that has large costs attached. That will always have an impact on what filmmakers decide to devote large chunks of time and resources to.
Did you enter the film in to any festivals? If so, how did it do? What are your thoughts on the indie horror festival circuit?
I think film festivals in general are great...and Horror film festivals are fantastic! It's where real fans of indie films, and those of us that make them, get to meet and discuss and watch films...what could be better! Festivals run the gamut from tiny little efforts to very cool long standing fests with following media savvy and resources. But if your a filmmaker you need to get your stuff out there and let an audience tell you what worked and what didn't. It's such a great way to learn...to improve your craft. You also get to meet some wonderful people and hopefully make a business connection or two. I studied Chris Gores book before I started submitting "The Open Door" to festivals...and it was really helpful. Let's face it, unless you have lots of money, you can really blow some budget of festival submissions as well as the costs if you get accepted and attend. "The Open Door" has done great at Horror festivals as well as some indie fests that have a horror section. So far we have been accepted into eight film festivals and have won six awards. We won Audience Choice Award at the 2008 Shriekfest F.F., Best Feature Film & Best Supporting Actor at 2009 Horror UK, Best Feature Film at 2009 Dark River F.F., Silver Screen Award at 2009 Nevada F.F., and Best Special FX Make-Up at 2009 Big Bear Horror Film Festival. We just got accepted into the Festivus Film Festival which will screen in Denver come January 2010...so the beat goes on. I can't image making a film and not participating in some selected festivals...it's just a great experience. Bravo to the indie film festival circuit which is the grass roots support to the future filmmakers of the world!
Talk about distribution. What lessons have you learned and if you could pass on any words of advice to other indie filmmakers, what would that be?
My advice is get ready for the other really tough job in filmmaking...selling your film. Get educated about the process, plenty of books out there to get you familiar with all the basics (there is no short cut, read them). The best piece of advise I can give is...go after this part of the process with the same energy and determination that you directed at getting a film made in the first place. Making a film is hard...selling a film is harder. The biggest reason that is true is that the skill set it takes to make a film isn't the same as selling...you have to talk to lots of people who are business people and don't care that you sold blood or pawned a family heirloom to get the show made. They have their own needs and problems...and this is where the art and business sides of filmmaking collide. Be realistic, be determined and don't stop till you get it done! "The Open Door" had really excellent reviews, won a bunch of awards and was liked everywhere I went with it. But I still had to talk to a lot of agents, distributors and reps to find the right fit. You can be taken advantage of very easily at this point in the process, don't rush and go to the dance with the first girl that winks at you. We have a sales agent Lantern Lane Entertainment repping the film and we just signed a deal with Moving Pictures Film &TV to handle all foreign sales. We should be able to announce a domestic distributor very soon. But this has been a process, don't rush, but don't drag your feet too much either...trust your gut and start planning the next film. Nobody should make one film thinking it will create a career...it takes a few to really learn this process and start building the relationships you need to succeed at this. My second film as producer, a short action-comedy starring Patrick Warburton "The Action Hero's Guide To Saving Lives" is creating even more opportunities as a filmmaker...but it all started with "DOOR".
Talk about the indie horror scene. Where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?
Good question, but I'm not a guy who thinks in those types of terms about any genre...or filmmaking in general. I'm a "build it and they will come" kinda guy. I think you need to be aware of what people are doing, but don't try to be too clever about constructing a project because you "think this is the new thing". To me it all comes down to making a good film. If you do good work, good things and more opportunities will happen. In general, the Horror scene keeps pushing the boundaries of taste and possibility...and certainly there is a rock solid fan base for Horror product. But you better be good...and I don't think it matters if that means bloody and gore filled or more psychological and suspense driven...good versions of both types find an audience. The best films I think are driven by artistic vision from a filmmaker who plows ahead no matter what the "market" or "scene" is doing. Really good films change the direction filmmaking is going in. Right now "AVATAR" is being talked about as a game changer...only time will tell. But if other filmmakers follow suit and start creating more and more motion capture created visual FX driven films with an "AVATAR LOOK" they'll be right. Until someone else makes something that gets everyone's attention and creates a new style. At the heart of any successful film is a good story...good storytelling no matter the medium or style, is the key.
Where can people find out more about “The Open Door” or, better yet, buy a copy?
Please come and visit the web site... TheOpenDoorMovie.com
We are hoping to announce a domestic distributor early in 2010...at which point the DVD release should be coming soon!
How about I'll check back in and let you know as soon as we hear.
What’s next for you?
Well, the short film I mentioned earlier..."The Action Hero's Guide To Saving Lives" has had a wonderful reception and we are working on a feature film version right now...either studio or indie just depending on interest, timing and money. So I plan on producing something in 2010...as well as continuing to work as an actor. A little indie film I worked on as an actor called "DISPATCH" should be coming out in 2010...and then there is the ever present process of going out there and auditioning for the next job! So look for me on Theater and TV screens near you...and please check in on the web sites every so often to hear the latest news!
My own site should be up by January 1st... ClintCarmichael.com
Well, they talk about this whole recession thing and they say that piracy and home entertainment is cutting into the box office, but... last weekend was the highest grossing weekend at the box office... ever. All time. No shit. "Avatar" pulled back less than 3% from its opening weekend and "Sherlock Holmes" had the second biggest open ever for a film that didn't finish number 1... which was only bested by "The Day After Tomorrow", which opened the same weekend as "Shrek 2". Even "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The squeakuel" raked in over $50Million. I did my part, too. I finally went to check out "Avatar" at Imax. Say what you will about the story and plot, the film is an f'ing spectacle. I've NEVER seen anything like it before and I can't wait to see something like that again. Unreal. If you haven't seen it, I suggest seeing it at Imax. It's an unbelievable experience.
". The best part about it, I don't think it'll lose a bit of its effectiveness when seen on the small screen. In fact, it may be better. Think about it, they way it's filmed, it could be even more effective... it'll certainly add to the intensity and suspense. Anyhow, if you're a reader of this site and you haven't seen it, you really ought to go pick it up and watch it. It's only the most successful micro-budget film to date, not to mention it's the most profitable film ever.
" is the follow up film for "Juno" scribe, Diablo Cody, and the film was a disappointment on a few levels. First up, it just wasn't that great. Secondly, it got slaughtered at the box office. Some of the executives blamed the marketing efforts, others blamed timing... at the end of the day, it just wasn't that good. Having said that, if you're desperate to check out a horror film with some budget and Megan Fox, go right ahead...
", which was written and directed by Alex and David Pastor. The film was completed, and actually screened, way back in 2007... it even got a lot of good reviews. Then, Paramount Vantage was going to release it last September, but I don't really remember it coming out. It must've been one of those projects that fell to the wayside when the studio's started shuttering their indie arms. In any case, it's finally coming out on DVD this week. It's about four people that are fleeing a viral pandemic that's spread world-wide and it stars Chris Pine, AKA Captain Kirk from the new "Star Trek".
" was originally called "Lesbian Vampire Killers" during it's run in the UK, where it was made. It's a horror comedy written by Stewart Williams and Paul Hupfield, directed by Phil Claydon. The funniest thing about the film is that the writers, who were both working in the comedy development department at MTV in Europe at the time, were challenged to come up with the most commercial film project and title they could to pitch as a low-budget, straight to DVD feature... this is what they came up with. It toiled around for a while, but did, obviously, eventually get made. Can't say that the reviews are good, but... with a title like that, the bar is set low. Don't know about you, but I'll be checking it out.
", directed by Tommy Brunswick and released by R Squared. The trailer that I found is in German, but the film isn't... so, it looks like the film had an overseas release. I don't know much about the plot, but the film opens with the trees and wilderness ripping two guys apart, then raping a girl. The girl then goes on to spawn some evil offspring, which go out and wreak havoc... thus the title.
The big day has come and gone, as "Avatar" has officially been released into the wild. I actually haven't seen it yet, but only because I want to see it on a particular Imax screen and it was just insane there over the weekend. In any case, the worst reviews all say the same thing, unbelievable effects and a so-so story, but, then again, if you think about it, "Titanic" had a so-so story. On the flip side, the best reviews say that "Avatar" is going to be a major Oscar contender. Either way, the film is going to easily rank in the top 10 biggest grossing films of all time (some predict that it'll come second to only "Titanic"), it's a massive game-changer as far as effects are concerned and I think it's actually going to change the theatrical experience, which will, in turn, help indie film... I think. Read on and see if you agree.
" had a budget of around $30Million, it was still, in a way, very much an indie film. First up, it was done outside of the studio system which, by definition, makes it an indie film. However, the film was shot in a pseudo-documentary style and starred non-professional actors... and it was a sci-fi film. That's a combo that you ONLY see in indie films... and usually micro-budget films. I feel that films like "District 9" are great for indie film because they attract big audiences and introduce them to a new style of filmmaking... which, in turn, should make audiences more accepting of that no-budget style. In any case, I found the film to be fairly revolutionary and if you haven't seen it, you should. Very entertaining, at least. 
" is the biggest budget horror DVD of the week, which isn't saying much because by most other people's standards, it would be called a low-budget film. "Shattered Lives" is another entry into the ever growing horror sub-genre, the kiddie-killer, which has been fairly big this year. From what I can tell, a bunch of creepy clowns start telling this little girl to start killing people. Reviews are generally good and the clowns look great... not sure I like the voice over work they did for them, though. A little overdone. Expect a big twist ending here, too...
" is shot like a rockumentary, so there's interviews and 'back stage' footage, as it follows the story of shock-rocker Erika Spawn. Really, this pseudo-documentary style is starting to become a staple for indie film. Why? Because it justifies the medium and the low-budget. Personally, I love it... as the more and more audiences accept it, the more doors will open for indie filmmakers - it's such a versatile filmmaking style. Anyhow, I digress... Erika Spawn gains infamy after her music is linked to real-life murders and atrocities... and the film follows her through a bunch of bizarre, bloody incidents and uncovers the creepy and violent truth behind her.
" is directed by Clay Liford and, quite frankly, it looks awesome. It's a low-budget horror anthology, but it looks like he switches from horror-comedy to straight horror to artsy, black and white horror. If you head over to our Youtube page, we've posted the trailer that he put together. I can't do that any justice with written word. Go check it out, it's about 4 minutes long and definitely worth watching.
", but I can tell you this... if you're in to Japanese horror or manga, you'll want to check this bad boy out. Kazuo Umess is the god-father of horror manga and six Japanese horror filmmakers got together to adapt his works into this horror anthology...
There's been a flurry of activity surrounding the indie and micro-cinema world over the last few days and it all started with Paramount announcing that they're going to get into developing and producing micro-budget films. I recently read a post from Mark Stolaroff, the guy behind "No Budget Film School" and a writer for Film Radar, that lit Paramount up. Here's 
Well, really... for all intents and purposes, it was an unremarkable weekend at the box office. The Disney animated film, "The Princess and the Frog", won the week by taking in around $25Million, "The Blind Side" dropped to second and "Invictus" debuted in third, taking in just over $9Million. If you were hunting for a story, there's a couple in here, I suppose. One being that "The Princess and the Frog" would actually be considered a success and this is amazing for a couple reasons... one, it's animated traditionally and traditionally animated films haven't fared that well as of late. Two, the main character is black. Pretty cool, really... I'm glad to see it did well. I find it a little odd that "Invictus" had a mediocre opening. After all, it is a Clint Eastwood film with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. You'd think it would do a bit better than that. Then again, it's a film about rugby that involves Nelson Mandela and South African history... not exactly stuff that's the top of people's minds in North America around Christmas time. For me, the big story is next week, as James Cameron's "Avatar" finally hits the screens... and, me, personally... I'm filled with nervous anticipation. Until then, there's a handful of decent looking horror films coming out on DVD this week. As usual, you can click on the title and go to their Amazon page, where you can read more and/or buy the film AND you can 
" is an indie horror starring Jennifer Day and David Blanchard, directed by Straw Weisman. When I first read the synopsis, I wasn't too enthralled... it looked average, at best. However, the trailer sucked me in and now I'm putting it at the top of my list for the week. It's got a great gritty looking tone, with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. The posters shows that off, as well. It's about a girl that's pushed into the trunk of a car by a serial killer and she's forced to listen to him talk about all the ways he will dispose of her... it's a view from the inside, so to speak. I'm looking forward to it. 
" is from Mischa Perez and it's got one of the creepiest looking killers I've seen in a while. However, I feel that he should've been taller... maybe move a bit slower. That could be just me, though. In any case, he goes by the name David Taggart, but his ancient Native American tribe refers to him as "the Protector" - a dark figure in the night who scavenges the grounds in search of human flesh... and he's got his work cut out for him here, when a bunch of investors try to turn a dilapidated old junk yard that sits on top of a Native burial ground into a profitable parking lot. 
" is German film, I believe, and it's being released here by R Squared Films. It's about a killer that haunts an old abandoned hospital and when a group of students head in to investigate the phenomenon of fear, they'll be given a specific nightmare each... catered just for them. Meh... 
" is the directorial debut from Giovanni Rodriguez and it's got a decent cast of actors, including the very hot Christine Lakin, "Smallville"'s Justin Hartley, "Boondock Saints"'s Norman Reedus, among others... the trailer started off quite typical, but it looks like the story will take you on a few twists and turns. It's about a brother and sister that return to the badlands of Utah to face the memory of a brutal attack... and they awaken a killing rage in a town where everyone has ties that bind.
". I can't say anything more than it's just unbelievable. Like... really unbelievable. Check out the video review we found of it that we posted on our Youtube page.
I guess everyone that wanted to see "New Moon" already saw "New Moon", as "The Blind Side" overtook it at the box office this weekend, but really only because it slipped the least. Also, the new releases didn't exactly catch on fire... "Brothers" fared best, coming in third and grossing close to $10Million. "Armored" came in sixth with just over $6Million and "Everybody's Fine" came in tenth with just over $4Million. Having said that, those three films were all relatively low-budget for Hollywood, costing somewhere around $20 to $25 Million each. Things heat up a bit next week, as "Invictus" comes out... then, the following week, comes the 800 lbs gorilla, "Avatar". As for the week in horror DVD's, it's a bit slow, I've gotta say... although there are a couple of great looking indie films in here. As usual, you can click on the titles and go to their Amazon page, where you can read more and/or buy them... and you can head over to our Youtube page by clicking 
" is my pick of the week and it's written and directed by Joseph Guzman and it's his feature debut, although he's been involved in many other projects in various roles. It's a straight throwback to "I Spit on Your Grave" and like-minded 70's grindhouse fare, but it really amps up the exploitation to eleven... as well as the nudity... and the rape. The trailer is just downright awesome and you have to check it out.
", and that means we're going to check it out. It's about four friends who set out on a road trip to catch a better view of a once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower, but end up in a cat and mouse game in backwater Texas.
" involves a complete who's who of ex sci-fi D-listers and has-beens and I can't wait to watch it. Written by, and starring, Walter Koenig (Star Trek's Chekov), it stars his own son Andrew Koenig - Growing Pains' Boner (I never made the connection), Alan Ruck - Ferris Bueller's Day Off's Cameron and a long, long list of people that were involved in Star Trek in various capacities. It's about a MAN who gives birth to an alien baby and, I think, raises it as his son... I swear, you need to watch the trailer. Wow... could be a gem.
" and "
". I can not, with a good conscience, recommend these films... but the trailer's were just unreal. If you want to see how NOT to make a trailer, go check out the one for "Cuidado Con El Angel"... it's six minutes long, has spelling mistakes in the subtitles, shows lots of useless, boring shots and the voice over is as bad as you can get.
" coming out, so if you're into Takashi Miike or just dig messed up Asian flicks, you'll want to pick this up. I don't think it's Miike's best, but it is good and I'm a big Miike fan.
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Well folks, here we are... the last day of November, mere hours before we enter the last month of 2009 and less than 3 weeks until "Avatar" comes out. At the box office, "New Moon" continued to dominate, pulling in another $42Million, boosting it's grand total take to over $230Million. "Old Dogs" came in 4th, with a take of over $16Million and "Ninja Assassin" came in 6th, with a take of just over $13Million. "The Road", which I did NOT get to go see, but really wanted to, came in at 11th... but it was in extremely limited release, only coming out on 111 screens. The good news? It DID have the highest average, per theater, take... at $13,721, which is really cool. Reviews have been great and I do hope to check it out soon. As for what's coming out on DVD tomorrow, well... you can check out all the trailers on our Youtube Page, which you can find by clicking 
" because Amazon was promoting a box set of all of them, but I just saw that it's been "discontinued by the manufacturer". So, the title links to the latest rerelease of the original... and I put it up because, well... it's December tomorrow and "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is probably the best Christmas horror of all time. Check out the trailer on our Youtube Page and tell me that it doesn't make you want to check it out again... I dare you. "You made it through Halloween... Now try to survive Christmas".
". I'm not sure what the reason for this particular rerelease is, but it was a great excuse to watch the original trailer again. Do yourself a favor and go check it out on our Youtube Page. That trailer makes me want to go shoot something... "Evil Dead" was really the birth of indie horror. Bless this film. 
", but it's a shot on HD, indie horror from Tommy Brunswick, the guy who brought you "Biker Zombies", "They Must Eat" and various other indie horror films. This stars James Russo and Daniel Baldwin and it looks like the story revolves around a guy that's in a dead-end life, where he's searching for his long lost girlfriend... when he makes a deal with the devil and becomes an unholy servant in a deadly game of evil revenge.
" stars Brittany Murphy and she plays a screenwriter that's recovering from a psychological breakdown at a remote Victorian house. Her deadline for the script is approaching, but... the place is haunted and she finds some disturbing videotapes in the attic. Really? Yawn...
" is the sequel to "Dead Country", from Andrew Merkelbach. We discussed the first film with Andrew and you can check out the interview 
" actually looks pretty good... It's from Julian Higgins and it looks like "Saw" meets biker exploitation. Basically, a couple of weekend bikers are thrown into a warped world of violence, where they're forced to follow a series of bizarre clues that include doing some crazy, psychopathic tasks, after their wives are kidnapped by a pair of psycho bikers.
" is one of those films that could only come from Asia... and I mean that in a "I wish I could see more films like this" way. So, this guy makes wigs and hair extensions from the hair of dead girls and, of course, the extensions carry the grudges of the original owners and can attack people at random. It won the Horror Jury Prize for Best Film at the Austin Fantastic Fest.
", but it's from Brain Damage and it's about a guy that returns home to uncover the truth about his family's murder.
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Well, it's Black Friday... the biggest shopping day of the year. The only thing that I'm wondering is, what are people buying? Like, we've had the year of the HDTV, we've had the year of the gaming console, people are always buying surround sounds systems, computers, camera's... but what's going to be big this year? Personally, I think gaming is going to be big again... the early adopters all own consoles and so do most casual gamers. However, now the late adopters and the masses are getting into them, as the consoles have really taken ownership of the "media center" space and, believe it or not, I think that's good news for the DVD and home entertainment industry. The studios and distributors just have to figure out how to get their content in there. Netflix appears to be blazing the trail, at this point, but watch out for companies like Sony to change the game. In any case, I'm not buying anything today... I'm waiting. Now, taking a quick look at what's in the theaters, it's a fairly weak weekend. "Old Dogs" and "Ninja Assassin" are the two big releases and, sorry... I'm never going to see "Old Dogs" and "Ninja Assassin", the Wachowski Bros produced ("Matrix") and James McTeigue directed ("V for Vendetta") 80's throwback doesn't look theater worthy... but I could be wrong. If you check it out, let me know what you think. I'm teetering on this one. For you artsy folks, "The Road" is getting a limited theatrical release this weekend and I really want to check it out. It's based on the 2006 novel, of the same name, by Cormac McCarthy, the guy who wrote "No Country for Old Men". It's about a father and son in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic wastelands...