All The New Horror Out On DVD This Week and a look at "Jennifer's Body"

I guess I should lead off by mentioning the debacle that was "Jennifer's Body". If you didn't know, it's Diablo Cody's teen horror follow up to "Juno". It pulled in a meagre $6.8Million and the finger pointing is already rampant. Some blame the advertising, which pinned all its hopes on the lead, Megan Fox, and others blame the sub-genre itself, teen horror-comedy. Funny that no one's saying that it just, plain sucks ass and they're just saying where they went wrong in dealing with the film. I haven't see it... so, I can't judge, but I'm betting it sucks. If you did see it, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear some opinions on it.

There's a ton of horror coming out on DVD this week and I'm only going to go into detail on a few of them, as it's just too much and we don't need to bore everyone involved. You can always click on the title and go to the films Amazon page, where you can read more about it. Of course, you can also buy the films through there. As well, you can go to our Youtube page and check out some of the trailers.

Full disclosure... I'm a Rob Zombie fan. If you actually followed him back when he was just the frontman for White Zombie, you'd remember that he directed all the bands videos, he did all the artwork for the albums and even did a reoccurring spot on "Headbangers Ball", where he painted the set. In any case, you knew that he was into film, art and animation. So, it wasn't a huge stretch of the imagination to see him get into feature filmmaking when "House of 1,000 Corpses" was announced. It was also no surprise to hear about "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto", an animated film that's based on a comic book series that he created. It's about a washed-up Mexican wrestler and his sultry sidekick and sister, Suzi-X as they confront the evil Dr. Satan.

Well, we finally get the follow up to "Midnight Meat Train", which is "Clive Barker's Book of Blood" and, surprise, surprise, it ain't getting no theatrical release. (double negative aside, it's not hitting theaters) It's actually the seventh story to be adapted from Barker's collection, but, really, the second since he decided to go through all his works himself. It was adapted and directed by John Harrison and it was shot in Scotland. It premiered at Montreal's Fantasia Film Fest in July and I think it screened at a few other festivals, as well. But... alas, no theatrical release. Just DVD.

Jason Horton's "Edges of Darkness" is finally getting released on DVD and this is one for the Dead Harvey crowd. We saw it a while ago, way back in April, and we discussed the film with him. You can read our interview with Horton here. It looks like they've updated the cover art and it looks great. If you're going to check anything out this week, check this out. It's top-notch, well done indie horror.

So, also out are "Albino Farm", from Joe Anderson and Sean McEwen and starring Chris Jericho, the wrestler; "The Chosen One", a twisted fairytale from Theodore Collatos that's shot all in black and white; "Autopsy of the Dead", which looks to be some sort of unauthorized documentary on "Night of the Living Dead" (can't help but notice that Romero's not in it); and "Witchmaster General" from Jim Haggerty, starring Phil Lewis of LA Guns.

Also, it looks like there's a couple of new distributors that are dumping some titles into the mix.

First up, Psycho Junkie, and I can't find anything on them, but I'll look harder and report back. They're releasing a bunch of films this week, including: "Hillbilly Cannibal Bloodline", "Bedtime Ghost Tales", "Beware the Children", "Manson Kilmore: The Night Caller of Coal Miners Holler - Part 1 Deadly Secrets", "Mondo Psycho", "Run Run Bunny!" and "Ultra-Toxic"

The other new distributor is Screen Media / Gaiam, which is a little odd because all Gaiam distributes currently is Yoga videos and 'lifestyle' DVD's. Well, now they're adding a few horror films, including: "Vampires: Out For Blood" (with Johnny Drama himself, Kevin Dillon and Lance Henrikson) "Blood Gnome", "Demon Within", "Fear Of The Dark", "Spliced", "Satan's Little Helper", "Shallow Ground", "Gangs Of The Dead", "Severed: Forest of The Dead".

Indie Horror's New Media Landscape

There's a lot to love about this new media landscape that's forming around us. It's never been easier to create, market, discuss, find and distribute content. The ongoing problem is with monetization, but I do believe that all the tools you need to succeed are in front of you... literally, as I'm assuming you're reading this off your computer. Ever toil over something for months, or even years, only to actually get off your ass and do it... then realize, why the F did I wait so long? That shit happens to me all the time and solutions are aplenty online. It's all out there and there's plenty of ideas out there, too. So, I wanted to bring a few projects to light and maybe they'll show you something that you didn't know or even give you a new idea.

This new web series, “Helena, Hussy of Horror”, was recently brought to my attention. As for the content of the series, it's a cool throwback to that 80's style of horror commentary and, in my opinion, it's very well produced and looks great. However, what I really like about this is how they put it together. Go check out the site, see how they're integrating Youtube with their web interface. They're using a lot of simple platforms, but it fits together really well and creates a nice user experience. If you're looking at creating a web series, you'll want to check it out. Here's their press release:

Hey there, doll babies! There's a new horror hostess in town. “Helena, Hussy of Horror” has launched her new monthly web series with “Drinks With Swamp Thing,” a brief look at finding the perfect cocktail for your spring party, as well as a “review” of the 1982 cult classic, Swamp Thing. “Drinks with Swamp Thing” can be viewed here. Originally done as a one shot for last fall’s Miss Horrorfest contest, Helena soon found new life by shooting an introduction for the festival run of the upcoming Anthem Pictures DVD release, Deadlands 2 and Trapped.

New Videos will be posted monthly. On the docket are shows about the original Friday the 13th and Jaws 3. Produced in conjunction with ilikethe80s.com, "Helena" is the brain child of Cindy Marie Martin, co-owner of Ningen Manga Productions. Their first feature film, Women's Studies, will be released on DVD this fall through MTI Home Video. For more on Helena and to watch all her videos, check out HussyOfHorror.com

I've also been noticing that short film is coming back... or it's getting popular, not sure if it was ever 'in'. Anyhow, I think that people are figuring out that our current media consumption habits are making short film more popular, even more saleable. They're watched on Youtube, you can watch them on your iPod or phone, you can even watch them at work. Not only that, short films are as easy and cheap to make as ever, so... there's a perfect storm brewing for short format film. Because of that, a lot of festivals are beefing up the shorts category. So, if you're looking to make something, think about making a short film. Easy to pump out and it could get the ball rolling. Here's a press release from The NYC Horror Film Festival and Monster Mania Con:

The NYC Horror Film Festival 2009 (nychorrorfest.com), in conjunction with Monster Mania Con (monstermania.net) & sponsored by FEARSmag.com, is offering short filmmakers a unique opportunity to have their short film viewed by a live audience - THE KILLER SHORT SUDDEN DEATH COMPETITION. The Monster Mania audience will select one winner that will be part of the 2009 NYC Horror Film Festival programming. The audience will have their say on Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Submissions will be accepted via the mail from Monday, July 20, 2009, and postmarked no later then Monday, August 17, 2009. Films maybe submitted on site at the Monster Mania Convention from the opening Friday, August 21st, 2009, until 3:00 pm Saturday, August 22nd, 2009.

Lastly, as we're talking about short film, I wanted to share something that I received from friend of Dead Harvey, Alex Masterson. If you remember, we talked with him, a while ago, about his awesome, award winning short film, "Mr Video". You can read more about that in this post. He recently made another short film called "Log 159" and he sent us the link here. Great use of tension, lighting, etc. Really well done.

Indie Horror Related News And Info From The World Wide Web

It seems like we've reached a tipping point with the internet... I mean, not the news part, the distribution part. So, I'm definitely going to be posting once a week on internet and internet related things that are pertinent to indie horror or indie filmmaking. At this point, the internet is your biggest, best and cheapest tool for marketing and PR, but, soon enough, it could be your easiest and most profitable distribution channel. The internet! It's not just for porn anymore!

So, right out of the gate, here's some big news... Although the video's will be hosted by the studios, who will retain control, collect traffic and ad revenue and avoid sticky copyright problems, Youtube is now, in fact, showing Sony, CBS and Lionsgate Movies... legally. Click here to see the article on TheWrap.com called "Youtube Creates Channel for Movies, TV Shows". This is actually a pretty big deal for a few reasons... the first reason is, this legitimizes Youtube as a real distribution channel and could enable it to create partnerships and generate some real revenue. For you, it means you could follow suit. If it catches on, there's no reason that there wouldn't be a Sony channel, a CBS channel, a Lionsgate channel, a Dead Harvey channel and your channel... then people could scroll through them, mark favorites and use it like they use iTunes. The other thing that I think is pretty big here is what it could mean for the internet as a distribution channel. Currently, the internet is seen as a place where people get pirated and illegal content, plus watch videos of people getting kicked in the balls and check out tranny porn. This shit here, this is legal. This can create a win/win situation. I mean, what if the studios started teaming up with the Torrent sites next and said, fine... remove prerelease and leaked stuff, like what just happened with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (My God, what a disaster!) and we'll provide you with DVD quality releases when they're legitimately released on DVD... but we're putting in ads and we want a good portion of the revenue. Like I said, this all adds up... and one day, the internet will be your biggest distribution source and major studios and indie guys alike will both be making money off it.

So, check this out... We've talked plenty about the future of film and I've mentioned how I think that, as we progress, you're going to see more and more marketing and advertising dollars subsidizing film projects. To me, it just makes sense... it's no cost to the viewer, it helps pay for production and the advertiser gets their brand in front of an audience. Everyone wins. Well, now there's Filmmortal. Taken right from their site, "Filmmortal is a revolutionary tool which enables Filmmakers and Advertisers to bid on Product Placement opportunities in REAL TIME. The company was founded on the principle to help aspiring and talented indie filmmakers get their dream projects made by receiving financial aid in return for placing products and brands in scenes or storylines." I'm not sure when they got started, as there's not a ton of activity on it... but there is activity. In fact, there's some serious activity. I don't think it costs anything, so you should definitely check it out. Why wouldn't you try to raise some extra coin by listing your project?

Like I've said many times before, when you're an indie filmmaker, you're not just the filmmaker. You also have to be the producer, the PR guy, the marketer, the agent, manager... everything. And marketing and PR is probably the biggest thing that you need to know, it'll make or break your film. It'll make it sit on your computer or it'll put it on the shelves of your local video store. Having said that, there's always something you can learn from watching the big boys... and here's an article to check out from Adage.com called "Marketing Lessons from "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", which you can find here. Now, to be honest, after reading the article, things like The Superbowl and when you release your film aren't going to have much of an effect for you, but there is stuff you can take away from this. I think the most important thing is to try to involve your community. Get locals involved, inform the local press of what you're doing, then, once it's done, try to get a local screening, promote the hell out of it in town. Then, put together a press kit, based on everything that you did. Not only will doing all that boost your confidence and get you rolling, the press kit and the result of doing all that could help you sell the film.

Lastly... another strange clip wound up in my inbox. I think the cat's out of the bag on what's going on here, but... did you see the first one? Find it here.

An introduction to Doug Hutchison's "Vampire Killers"

One of the best perks, for me, of doing this site is people bringing their projects to our attention. First off, we're more than happy to promote any new project you're working on. If you've got something that you'd like to promote, get in touch with us, we're more than happy to write about it and, hey, more than happy to give our thoughts, if you care. Secondly, I heart checking out new projects... especially when they're doing something new and cool with it. That's precisely the case with "Vampire Killers", from Doug Hutchison, which is being distributed online and through Youtube. Also, it has hot chicks, vampires and hot chick vampires in it, of which I'm a fan of all three. I'll break out what they're doing here for you, but I'm hoping to talk with the guys behind it and give you a bit more later...

ABOUT VAMPIRE KILLERS: Armed with a skeleton crew of guerrilla film soldiers, Hutchison has created an engaging, gritty web series based on his intense vampire mythology. VAMPIRE KILLERS involves a ruthless cabal of alluring female vampires and the relentless stalkers who want to take their empire down. The midnight streets of Los Angeles are the location for this epic struggle between the righteous and the undead. VAMPIRE KILLERS features a stunning cast of 13 sexy blood-obsessed night dwellers fighting to stay "alive" at all costs. The streets of Los Angeles just got a lot less safe. Check out Hutchison's vampire epic and study up on the vampire lore that surrounds their world -- it may be your only hope for survival! You have been warned. WWW.VAMPIREKILLERS.TV is online...

And here, embedded, is VAMPIRE KILLERS, EPISODE 1:


Now, having said all that, don't go over to their Youtube page to watch the next episode, because they banned episode 2. Here's the press release that followed...

YOUTUBE CENSORS STRIKE AGAIN

Actor Doug Hutchison [THE GREEN MILE, PUNISHER:WAR ZONE,LOST] thought YouTube would be the ideal platform to share his new internet-based webseries, VAMPIRE KILLERS.

With this year's insatiable appetite for vampires [ie. HBO's TRUE BLOOD and the upcoming TWILIGHT], Hutchison's gritty sexy dark series features a coven of 13 alluring blood-sucking vixens and the four vampire killers dedicated to hunting
them down ... by any means necessary.

The question was: How to reach out to Worldwide fans?

The obvious answer: YouTube!

So Hutchison posted episode #1 of VAMPIRE KILLERS and -after a glowing reception -- followed with episode #2 ... which YouTube swiftly yanked claiming it had violated their strict "Terms and Conditions" by featuring "Graphic Material" [a scene in which a kidnapped young woman is ravaged by a vampire in a motel bathroom]apparently "unsuitable" for YouTube's global audience.

Would-be viewers are now re-directed to Hutchison's site[WWW.VAMPIREKILLERS.TV] where they can watch the series uncensored.

Fans of VAMPIRE KILLERS are filling forums with their outrage over what they're deeming: "A digital gestapo".

Hutchison is disappointed episode #2 cannot be shared with the YouTube community, but is hoping the scandal may work in his favor. "My VAMPIRE KILLERS website has experienced a significant spike in foot traffic since the ban, so I'm encouraged", Hutchison said, "but still ... without YouTube, our base is greatly compromised".

So far, subsequent episodes of VAMPIRE KILLERS have not met with YouTube's clamp down.

I watched everything that they have available and I have to say, it's a wicked idea and definitely worth checking out. So, here's some links for you.

To check out the show, go to their home page: VampireKillers.tv.
For their Youtube page, go to: YouTube.com/VampireKillersTV

Using YouTube Tools To Build Your Audience

I was going to just briefly mention this in a post with a bunch of links, but the more I started reading about it and thinking about it, the more I thought that it may be worth dedicating a whole post to. However, before I get into what these YouTube tools are all about, let me tell you why this is important.

Hollywood is a business, plain and simple. They have executives, boards of directors, investors and CEO's to answer to and all of them never went to film school, care about the process of making a film or watch many films oustide of their private jets. They're just too busy counting their money, while they're up in the Hamptons. Anyhow, those are the guys that give a 'green light' to a film, meaning the studio can go into production on it, and when they do, it wasn't just done on a whim. They've spent so much money on test audiences, analysis and market research that they could've funded every low-budget, indie horror that I've watched in 2008, so far... and that's before a single frame has even been shot. The main reason they're doing this is because they're hedging against a loser and they do this by studying YOU. They want to know who you are, what you like, how you like it, why you like it and when you watch it. That way, they take ALL that data, then try to put together a formula that pumps out films that are both marketable and have, what they call, playability. Meaning, not only does it get a big box office opening, but it's still in the theaters a few weeks later. They're not always right, either. Think about "Bangkok Dangerous", which probably tested through the roof on all fronts, yet... flop. Don't worry, though. They'll get their money back internationally, on DVD, licensing and every other place they sell it. Nic Cage has great internationally marketability and playability. Regardless... why am I telling you all this? Well, because, in your own little way, you can now do this too... by using YouTube Tools.

Okay, you're an indie filmmaker, right? If you're not using YouTube, Myspace or one of these other apps for marketing your film and networking, you need to start. Put together clips, trailers, any sort of content you can, and get it out there on YouTube... then, have it direct people to your website, your Myspace page, whatever. Now, before (less than a year ago), you just put it out there and hoped for the best. However, now, you can use YouTube tools to help increase your viewership and study your audience's viewing habits. As, just like Hollywood, the more you learn about your audience, the more you know how to cater to them. For example, if you found out that your audience was made up of males, aged 18 - 24, who lived on the East Coast of the U.S. versus females, aged 30 - 40, who lived in the UK, you may start trying to cater to your audience AND you'll know how to find them. The long and short, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have. Now, do you want to start using YouTube tools and find out how this shit works?

These analytical tools were primarily developed for marketers, as, if you haven't noticed, most brands put their ads out on YouTube. YouTube wants to make money, the marketers have it, so... let's cater to them and let them analyze how people view their content. That's when I thought, shit... if they're doing it, indie horror filmmakers should be doing it, too. Best of all, most of these tools are free. The coolest new tool (which isn't available yet) is called "HotSpots" and it allows "video creators to monitor how viewings rise and fall within a video", basically it tells you what people rewind to, where people tune out, if it's getting more viewings than average, etc. So, it's going to tell you HOW people watch it and what parts they like, which could be pretty damned powerful. It's going to be a new feature under their "Insights" application, which you'll find if you just go to the YouTube homepage and look on the right side. Currently, "Insight" just gives you more demographic based information: who's watching, when they're watching, where they're from, etc. So, there you go. Tools at your disposal. Now, go use them... Plus, do yourself a favor and read a bit more about all this... there's a whole article on Adage about it and they go more into depth, plus talk about actual case studies and examples. Here's the link to that article.

In the end, if you want, you can just go out there and make whatever film you want and hope for the best. However, if you take your time, find out more about your audience and then cater to what they like... you will be more successful, I guarantee it. I can think of thousands of examples and I'll leave you with just one. What if everyone who watches your content on YouTube lives in the Southern States? Would it then make sense to enter film festivals in California and New York only, or should you try to find more festivals down South? What if you never knew that?

Linkapalooza - July 2, 2008... making money in online distribution?

I had a day off yesterday, so I'm getting to my Linkapalooza a little late. Lots going on out there involving online distribution... check it out.

Google and Creator of ‘Family Guy’ Strike a Deal - on NY Times.com: It's still a bit of a mystery as to how to make money by distributing content online and if you're a regular reader, you know that we follow the subject quite closely. Really, as indie filmmakers, we should all be watching it closely... mainly because it means a new revenue stream for what we do down the road. In any case, new to the scene is Google, who just struck a deal with Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy. This is something to take note of for a few reasons. (1) this is original content, financed, I assume, through Google, (2) Google is distributing it through their adsense program, which means that content will pop up all over the place, (3) Google and their army of analysts have figured out how people view video content on the web and this whole program was designed around that and (4) at this point, it's 100% advertising based, so consumers don't pay. After its initial run on the web, it will, of course, get a DVD release. Either way, keep an eye out for “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" and watch it closely.

HBO joining forces with FunnyorDie - on Variety.com: Once again, interesting news from the world of distributing content online. HBO bought a 10% stake in Will Ferrell's "Funnyordie.com" site and plans on a bunch of upcoming ventures between the two, including 10 hours of content to be shown on HBO. What I like about this is that Funnyordie is not only a playing ground for Ferrell and his buddys, but it's also a place where they're actively looking for new talent. It's sort of a minor leagues for comedy filmmakers and comedians... It's easy to upload content to their site, too. It works a lot like Youtube. In fact, Dead Harvey's own Brad Paulson has his latest flick up there, here's a link. Basically, with a partnership with HBO, you never know. Make some content, be active on the site, hope your clip gets popular, which would get it some buzz, then it could make it as content on HBO, which could lead to, well... anything.

Digital delivery critical to Sony's future - on THR.com: While Google and Funnyordie are out making content for delivery on the web, Sony continues to figure out how to get that online content on to your TV. This is a brief article that talks about what Sony thinks the future of Sony is all about... long and short, between their new Bravia TV's and PS3, they think they're going to be able to bypass all the traditional content delivery systems (cable companies, etc.) and become a delivery system themselves. Anyhow, cool article.

Paramount Breaks Out the Booty Sweat - on Adage.com: I just thought this was kinda funny, as I've never seen brand sponsorship of a movie work this way. Usually, an existant brand pays to have their product integrated into a film. Here, a brand that the movie made up is being put into the marketplace. In effect, the movie created the product. It's a spoof drink that's showcased in "Tropic Thunder", the upcoming Ben Stiller movie, and you'll be able to buy it in stores.

The Youtube Screening room - on Youtube: Have you seen this? Youtube is now showing indie films in their "screening room". To quote Youtube, it "is a platform for top films from around the world to find the audiences they deserve." Originally, I heard that Youtube would be paying the filmmakers whose films made the cut, but I later heard that they went against that idea. I don't know if they're planning on monetizing this somehow or what the deal is, but I sat through a 4 minute film starring John C Reilly and didn't see any ads or anything...