Potpourri of Indie Horror Related News

The sun is shining, it's Friday morning and I'm already thinking about happy hour. What to drink tonight (this afternoon)? Mojito? Margarita or two, for sure... Anyhow, if you haven't heard, as far as Hollywood's concerned, Summer starts tonight. Maybe that's why I'm celebrating. "Iron Man 2", the first tent-pole film of the season, opens tonight and it will, unfortunately, absolutely decimate "A Nightmare On Elm Street". It's funny how there are NO other movies opening today, the next biggest release is a documentary from Focus Features called "Babies" and it's on 534 screens. Paltry compared to the 4,380 screens that "IM2" comes out on. That, by the way, is the widest release in history. As for horror, next up is "George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead" on May 28th, which probably won't get that wide of release, and a film that I'm really pumped for, "Splice", which finally hits screens on June 4th. Not much after that... anyhow, I had a lot of interesting stuff come across my inbox this week and I thought I'd share.

First up is a great article from the Raindance Institute called Writing For No Budget Films, by James Burbidge. A lot of what he covers goes without saying, but it's pretty interesting to see it laid out this way. I mean, if you've ever written a script for a film you shot yourself, you'll know this stuff... and you probably learned it the hard way, like most of us did. However, if this is your first crack at writing something that you plan on producing yourself, definitely read this article.

Next, WithoutaBox.com did a spotlight on the 8th Annual SCRIPT P.I.M.P. Screenwriting Competition, where they "search for the best stories by undiscovered writers worldwide". Not only is the competition well organized, they offer some great prizes and they leverage their powerful network of industry professionals to help emerging screenwriters launch successful careers. Even if you don't enter the competition, you should check out their site. They offer some great services to emerging screenwriters and can really get your script out there. We, at Dead Harvey, have used them before and can't complain. Personally, I don't like the name, but PIMP does stand for "pipeline into motion pictures". They could've thought a little harder on that, but whatever...

Remember the interview we did with Mike Schneider about the film "Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated"? Well, I just linked to it there if don't. They sent out a press release and are doing something VERY cool. Their distributor, Wild Eye Releasing, will be "distributing low-end, cheaply packaged versions of Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated to—well, to anyone who wants one." Here's the highlights of the press release: Due to the unpredictable nature of bootlegging, it’s difficult to say with precision where this DVD will surface, but checking sidewalk blankets in big cities and overloaded freebie tables at genre conventions is probably a good place to start. Once fans have their own copy, Wild Eye is encouraging them to upload it to their favorite file-sharing and Torrent sites. And this give-the-people-free-content approach is in perfect keeping with the not-for-profit Creative Commons ethos that launched the NOTLD:R project in the first place. Having said that, if you want to pre-order the authentic version, loaded with extras, click here. Otherwise, search your torrent site of choice!

Lastly, you may remember an interview we did with Belinda Greensmith about a film she was in production on called, "For One Night Only". Well, we are proud to present to you, the official trailer for the film. Enjoy! Have a great weekend everyone!

Watching Wolverine and A Look At Some Festivals

I wonder if a Friday is ever going to roll around where I don't think, "Thank F'ing God". This week was particularly bad... so bad that I couldn't even get around to posting anything yesterday. I was going to rush something, then I figured that I shouldn't put up a shitty post. Anyhow, before I get into a film festival things and all that, I want to take a look at the box office.

I'm interested to see how "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" does for only one reason, it was pirated... big time. Apparently it was downloaded over 1Million times and that would translate into close to 2Million viewers, I'd think. Also, reviews weren't spectacular. So, if it bombs, they're going to blame piracy. However, if it does alright, I think it proves that piracy doesn't have that negative of an impact. I've always thought that people who pirate aren't the same people that go to the theaters. So, if you're film is good, the torrent sites can work FOR you, as those people will spread the good word and they wouldn't have paid to see it otherwise. However, if you're film is bad, those same people will be talking... and you can see how that could be bad. Anyhow, I think it'll still do alright. There's a couple of other decent looking films coming out in extremely limited release: There's the horror/thriller "The Skeptic" and then there's Jim Jarmusch's "The Limits of Control". "The Skeptic" is a haunted house thriller from Tennyson Bardwell and, I have to say, the trailer looks pretty good - click here to see it on youtube. The odd thing is, the film was finished years ago... like 2005. So, I'm not sure why it took so long. If you're a Jarmusch fan, "Limits of Control" will be a must-see. Trailer looks quite intense, check it out here. As they're both extremely limited releases, so you can expect them out on DVD fairly soon. Now, what else is going on?

The regular deadline for the Script Pimp Screenwriting Competition is today, which is to say you can still enter, but you'll have to pay a bit more. Although Script Pimp has an odd name (the Pimp actually stands for "Pipeline Into Motion Pictures"), they're actually one of the more respected screenwriting competitions out there. Each year, they match writers with top representation and offer unprecedented exposure, while pushing projects forward. They offer up to $50,000 in goods and services, including screenplay notes from Script Pimp, one-on-one consultations, screenwriting software, magazine subscriptions, and lots more. All 20 finalists receive $200 cash and the four Grand Prize winners receive $3,000 each. They accept teleplays for TV, feature scripts and... I think that's it, but what else would you be writing? They also have workshops and things like that. It's a great resource, if you want to pay for it. Go roam around their site here.

For those of you who've finished a horror short, you should think about submitting it to Fangoria for the upcoming Frightfan Filmfest. Fangoria's looking for the 'horrific best of the best' to be included at their Weekend of Horrors event in L.A. and New York, as well as to be featured on Fangoria.com. There's no prizes, it's all for pride, and there's no final deadline, as it's a rolling, ongoing call. They're looking for stuff that's four to thirty minutes long. Click here for more info.

Now, I want to mention these friends of Dead Harvey again, just because they asked me to very nicely... Having said that, if you run a festival and want us to mention you or would like to talk with us, let me know. Always open to stuff like that!

First up, Fright Night Film Fest: Coming up in Louisville, KY this August 14-16, it's the 5th annual "Fright Night Film Fest". They're the largest genre film festival in mid-America AND they're currently accepting submissions for all types of films and screenplays - click here to be taken to their submissions page. It's a wicked festival to both attend and submit to, so check it out. We'll definitely keep you posted on this one...

Next, the 1st Annual Dark Carnival Film Festival: We welcome you join us for the 1st Annual Dark Carnival Film Festival Screenplay Competition. We are excited to include a competition for screenplay writers who enjoy writing what we love to watch - HORROR. The writers start it all so we want to be part of discovering new talent.

The winner of BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY will have their script produced as a short film to premiere at the 2010 Dark Carnival Film Festival!

The film will be produced by Clockwerk Pictures and Dark Carnival Oddities, a new production/distribution company that pools the talents of a variety of indie horror veterans. THIS IS A FIRST FOR ANY INDIE HORROR FILM FEST, SO DON'T MISS THIS CHANCE!

In addition, there will be a feature length category. The winner of the BEST FEATURE LENGTH SCREENPLAY will win a cash prize up to $500!.

For the 1st Annual Screenplay Competition, the odds of becoming the top winners in the Dark Carnival Film Fest are in your favor unlike these veteran screenplay competitions. We are looking for the best-from-the best to scare us.

Accepting Entries NOW!!!! If you are a student (over 18), we have a special discount rate just for you.

For more information contact us at info@darkcarnivalfilmfest.com or visit our web site at DarkCarnivalFilmFest.com.

Have a great weekend, guys... I'm finishing up two projects today, so I'm hoping to get caught up on a few movies and work on the site a bit over the weekend. Can't promise anything, though. The weather's nice and there's lots of bars with patio's around here.