From My Inbox To You... A Look At Some Indie Horror Projects

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday. This has been a week from hell and I'm really looking forward to some beers and couch time. My God... Anyhow, the old inbox has been piling up with stuff, so I'm going to unleash some of it. Actually, you should find most of it interesting, as it's all indie horror stuff in varying stages of production... and, in some cases, pre-pre-pre-production. We all need help bringing attention to our projects, ideas and films, so I'm always happy to put this type of stuff out there. It's great for the guys behind these projects, as it gets them a bit of exposure... and it can be great for you, as it may give you some ideas for your projects.

Speaking of projects in pre-pre-pre-production, I was talking with Brendan O'Neill, a filmmaker out of the UK, about a project that he's working on called "Hell Hall". It's a very interesting project and he's already got a few key things in place, including the location. In any case, go check out the Hell Hall Facebook Page, become a fan and check out what he's got going on.

I while ago, we brought your attention to an online web series called "The Scare Game". In fact, we did an interview with Phil Hughes, the writer and director. you can find that interview by clicking here. They're now on their third episode and here's a snippet from the press release they just sent out: "Recently, the horror genre has been inundated with remakes and revamped stories that we've seen a hundred times before. Uncanny Entertainment, based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has set out to challenge this trend. Their new horror web series, The Scare Game, follows a group of horror enthusiasts who have to question their own fandom when they are thrust into a real horror situation. Premiering on youtube and Thescaregame.com, three episodes are now up and running for your viewing enjoyment. The latest of which can be seen here"

Lastly, we received an email from Sarah James, who just started up a new horror blog called "Scare Sarah". One of her prime objectives is to promote indie horror films and that means that we're more than happy to promote her. You can check out her blog at scaresarah.blogspot.com.

If you're working on something or are looking for some promotion, please do feel free to email me at ted@deadharvey.com. We're always more than happy to offer our opinion and help give you a bit of promotion.

Have a great weekend, see you next week!

Interview with Jason Baustin, Director of "Cowboy Killer"

When you think about taking a film from concept to completion on next to no budget and next to no crew, the task can seem daunting. Almost impossible. However, each year, hundreds, if not thousands, of filmmakers attempt the impossible - to make a feature. I shouldn't say impossible... if Andy Warhol's "Sleep" can get positive reviews and get watched, anything could. What I should say is, each year filmmakers set out to do what studios do each year with a fraction of the resources - to make a feature that people will watch and enjoy and THAT is a difficult task.

For me, filmmaking is like building a pyramid... or a log cabin. The bottom, the foundation, needs to be strongest - the story or concept. Next, there's the screenplay - dialogue should be sharp, characters well drawn out. After that, you should set realistic goals and figure out how you're going to deliver this project - what's the budget, what are we going to film on and will that be able to tell the story properly? From there, it gets easier and easier, until you're just executing... until you get to post-production and, subsequently, the marketing and distribution of your film, but I digress. For me, you'll set yourself up for success by having a strong concept/story and then figuring out how you're going to deliver that story. These are things that Jason Baustin and company did extremely well when setting out to make "Cowboy Killer".

"Cowboy Killer" is a throwback to 70's grindhouse... and a good one, at that. I actually saw the trailer a ways back and when I first saw it, I actually thought someone had unearthed some old flick that no one had ever seen. It's not that the story is terribly original, however the main character and his story is. I'd actually go as far as to say, given the right exposure... Roy Thompson, the Cowboy Killer, could be a cult horror icon. In the end, the film blends comedy and horror with a fantastic killer and it's delivered in a great package. In fact, about halfway through the film, you may even forget that you're watching a micro-budget feature and feel like you actually have unearthed some old gem from the 70's. We had the pleasure of discussing the film with director Jason Baustin and, to quote the film, "you're in for a damn treat".

First off, tell us a bit about “Cowboy Killer”. Where did the idea come from and when did you know you wanted to make it?

"Cowboy Killer" came from a side character which was created in Cacchiotti Productions previous film "The Life I Lived." If you check out that film you will get a glimpse of the character (Roy Thompson) who came to be the "Cowboy Killer." Ben Solenberger created the character and worked with Jaymes Camery to create the offbeat script. We decided to make it because we all had some free time and wanted to launch our careers.

If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for the film and how did you go about securing financing?

The budget was around 15k, but we only paid for the necessities.

The key to the film and what made it work for me is the killer. You did a great job of creating a believable killer and Paul Bailey played him perfectly. Talk about bringing that character to life.

Oh Roy Thompson. We knew that only Paul Bailey would be able to pull this character off. To be honest, Paul had a great sense for the story and derangement of the character, so I didn't have to direct him that much. We did some rehearsals and made sure to make him believable. What I like about Roy Thompson, is that he believes he is a good person and doesn't realize he is a psychotic killer.

You mixed comedy with horror quite well in the film. Some of the characters were goofy, like the town drunks, and some were more serious. Talk about blending horror and comedy.

I'm not going to say this part was easy, and I did struggle quite a bit with this part. I wanted to make sure the tone would come out properly and not be completely ridiculous. I tried my hardest to make sure the funny parts were humorous and the scary parts were unsettling. I think the music selection helped with this.

The film had a great retro, grindhouse feel to it. Talk about how you created that look and feel and why you shot it the way you did.

Why thank you! I guess I can thank my DP Jason Simmons and myself for Color Correcting. Shooting on Digital Video can be a tricky thing, and I didn't want it to look like all the crappy horror films in the marketplace. We shot it very traditionally with the Master Shot Technique, but I tried to edit it to make it more interesting since most of the shots were static. To do this, we did many takes...up to 25 for a single scene. As for Color Correcting, I went through each scene and tried to create a custom look that fit the tone.

Okay, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you into indie film?

I am a huge film buff. To be honest, I am interested in all genres of film. I wasn't always a horror film lover, only recently. But I really like films with suspense and tension like No Country for Old Men and Bug. I wanted to make movies to see if I could.

Film school: Yes or No?

Yes. American University. I think traditional film school is a great way to study the classics and learn the technical aspects of filmmaking.

When you set out to make the film, what was your benchmark for success? As in, what were you hoping to accomplish? Did you just want to get a film done to open some doors, did you want it to make money, were you looking for critical success?

With this film, I knew we weren't going to get any critical success. I think what Cacchiotti Productions wanted to do, is see how far we could take a horror film on a low budget. We did it more for the experience and enjoyment. We did want to open some doors and make some money...which we hope will happen.

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?

Unfortunately we spent all our money on the film so we couldn't submit to festivals.

Talk about getting distribution and what you had to do after the project was completed. If there was one thing you would do differently, what would it be? If there was one thing that you know you did right, what would that be?

Basically we had to send out hundreds of screeners to small indie distributors. We looked in video stores and found movies comparable to ours and looked up the distributor and contacted them. I think the production schedule of filming was really hard for us. We shot two weeks straight and then stopped. We rarely had extra time. I would've changed that. However, we had the right team to pull it off. Ben Solenberger, Jaymes Camery and Jason Simmons really made this movie possible.

If I was an indie filmmaker, just in pre-production on a new project, what’s the one piece of advice you would pass on to me?

Make sure your script is right. The story is the most important part. It needs to be interesting and make sense. As a viewer and I want to take away something from a film, a message. Unfortunately most low-budget indie films are so worried about the effects and look that they lose touch of the themes of the film and alienate the viewer.

Talk about the indie horror scene. Where do you think it is now and where do you see it going?

I think it is coming back. The past few years has been slammed with so many "Saw" type of ripoffs. I think Creature Features are in high demand.

Where can people find out more about “Cowboy Killer” or, better yet, buy a copy?

Please visit our website at CowboyKillerTheMovie.com

What’s next for you?

I hope to make some more short films to hone my craft and then attempt another feature. But I don't think it will be a horror.

"Ink", the weekend box office and the week in horror...

Before I even get into the box office round up and the new horror coming out on DVD this week, I need to mention a film that I just watched called "Ink". Has anyone else seen it? With all due respect to "Paranormal Activity", it's the indie film of the year, as far as I'm concerned. Go find this film. I've reached out to the guys who made it and I hope to be able to talk with them soon. Not only did they make one of the most intriguing films of the year on a meagre budget, the way they distributed it is revolutionary. Stay tuned on this. Like I said, I hope to discuss it with them and have something for you soon.

So, as for mainstream horror... Lionsgate's "Daybreakers" didn't actually do that bad over the weekend. It was the best new release of the week, even though it came in fourth overall... behind "Avatar", "Sherlock Holmes" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel". "Avatar" is just a beast... it's unstoppable and I'm predicting that it surpasses "Titanic" as the highest grossing film of all time. "Sherlock Holmes" is a bit of a surprise. I haven't given it much more than a passing thought, but I've talked to a lot of people who have seen it and some were even saying it's Oscar-worthy. Granted, without having seen it, I argued that. In any case, reviews on "Daybreakers" are good and it had a strong opening. "The Book of Eli" comes out this Friday and I don't have much of an opinion on that, either... we'll have to wait and see. As for the week in horror on DVD, it's fairly tame. As usual, you can click here and see all the trailers on our Youtube page and you can click on the titles to be taken to their Amazon page, where you can read more and/or buy the film.

So, without question, the biggest budget release of the week is Rob Zombie's "Halloween II". If you liked the first one, you'll probably like this one, but... for me, these films are so far away from what Rob Zombie's good at. Not only that, I just don't like where he's going with Michael Myers. Truth is, he's humanizing him way too much. I've always liked the fact that Michael Myers was a relentless, faceless killer that was pure evil. You never heard him mutter a word, show a reaction, grunt, spit, whatever... he was just unstoppable evil. Zombie has him grunting, talking... we see parts of his face. He's just too human. I get that you're going for that 'brutal' and 'realistic' feel and, if that's the case, you shouldn't be fucking with a horror icon, make up a whole new franchise. Those are my thoughts, disagree with me, if you will... actually, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

There really ought to be a new sub-genre title for films like "CockHammer", maybe micro-shock porn-horror? "Cockhammer" comes from writer/director Kevin Strange, who's the guy who brought you "Dead Shit", "Colonel Kill Motherfuckers" and "Stiff Jobs". There's a lot of people making films like these, but Strange is one of the best. Really, he's just doing one of those things that Hollywood won't do. There's lots of tits, ass, cock, obscenities, vomiting, poop, etc... and his films are extremely entertaining. Check out the trailer, it's not like they hold back or anything. There's definitely a market for films like these...

"The Riverman" came out in 2004 as an A&E Television movie and I actually remember watching it... and kinda liking it. It's about a series of interviews that are conducted with convicted serial killer Ted Bundy in hopes of gaining insight into the Green River Killer, who is terrorizing Seattle. It's like "Silence of the Lambs", but with real killers... played by actors. Cary Elwes actually does a bang-up job of portraying Ted Bundy.

Lastly, they're releasing DVD's of the original "House On Sorority Row" from 1983 and "Riot on 42nd Street" from 1987.

"Dahmer vs Gacy" - Midnight Screening Series: Jan. 15th & 16th at Laemmle Sunset 5 in Hollywood!

Being a member of the press does have it's privileges, including an invite from filmmaker Ford Austin to the pre-screening party for "Dahmer vs Gacy". This film looks to be a crazy ride and features an outstanding cast. Randal Malone looks so f'ing psychotic in that clown outfit and makeup, this may just be the role he was born to play - even if that means I may have nightmares after the screening. I encourage everyone to check it out and support independent cinema! And if you go on Friday, word through the grapevine is you may brush elbows with many members of the stellar cast. I'm certainly hoping to score some interviews, which should be pretty entertaining because there's more than a slight chance that booze will be involved. I hope to see you all there!

Midnight Screening Series: Jan. 15th & 16th at Laemmle Sunset 5 in Hollywood!

DAHMER vs GACY
"Just shut up & go with it!

Running time: 86 minutes - this film is not yet rated.
Producer & Director: Ford Austin
Director of Photography: Orestes Gonzalez
Writers: Chris Watson & Andrew Rausch

Underground stars Ford Austin (Slaughter Party) and Randal Malone (Hollywood Mortuary) go head to head as Dahmer and Gacy in a slaughter filled rampage that includes appearances by Harland Williams (Half Baked), Art LaFleur (The Replacements), Steven Adler (Guns ‘N Roses), Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Jerry Maren (Wizard of Oz), Bonnie Aarons (Drag Me to Hell), Irwin Keyes (House of a 1,000 Corpses), Jed Rowen (Acts of Violence), Lee Perkins (Live Evil), Brooke Lewis (iMurders) and many more!

Film Synopsis: A secret government lab has been trying to create the ultimate killer using the DNA of infamous killers Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy, but there's one
big problem: They've escaped! Bloody mayhem stretches across the United States as they go on the ultimate killing spree. Trying to stop the maniacal madness is Ringo, a hick warrior being trained by God, using only a shotgun and a bottle of whiskey. In his road trip to hell, he must first fight off his own demons, not to mention an army of Japanese ninjas! It all leads up to the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN!

Purchase tickets at Laemmle.com
The Sunset 5 theatre is located at:
8000 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, 90046

The Highest Grossing Horror Films of 2009 - A Retrospective

I did this last year, so I decided to do it again... Let's take a look at all the horror that came out theatrically last year, see how they ranked against everything else that came out and try to figure out if this tells us anything. If you want to look at last years list where we looked at all the films that came out in 2008, you can click here. If you're more interested in 2009, read on...

Before I get into it, yeah... some of these films would not be considered 'true horror' to some fans; films like "Twilight" or "Knowing", but I'm putting them in here because they're close enough and when it comes to theatrical releases, us horror fans should take what we can get. Cool? Having cleared the air there, I do think this was a good year for theatrical horror and, as I peruse this list, there's a few key interesting things that you can take away. Before we get to that, here's the list of all the horror movies that came out theatrically in 2009 and how they ranked, overall, domestically.

#5 - The Twilight Saga: New Moon
#27 - District 9
#29 - Paranormal Activity
#37 - Knowing
#40 - Zombieland
#48 - The Final Destination
#50 - Friday the 13th
#56 - The Haunting in Connecticut
#60 - My Bloody Valentine 3D
#64 - Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
#69 - The Unborn
#70 - Drag Me To Hell
#71 - Orphan
#80 - Halloween II
#82 - The Last House on the Left
#91 - The Stepfather
#93 - Saw VI
#97 - The Fourth Kind
#114 - Jenifer's Body
#121 - The Box
#132 - Sorority Row
#135 - Pandorum
#136 - Whiteout
#147 - The Collector

The first key thing to notice is the uptrend in the amount of titles. There's around 5 or 6 more horror films cracking the top 150 and that just simply means that they're making more horror films. I think there were only 18 or 19 titles last year, this year there's 24. That's a good thing. Truth is, horror is a money maker for Hollywood. Low budgets, built in audiences, good returns. Hopefully this trend continues...

The next thing that I noticed is the ratio of "sequels, remakes and adaptations" to original films. In 2008, almost 75% of the horror films would be classified as either a sequel, remake or adaptation. This year, it's closer to 50%. That's still a lot higher than I'd like to see, but it's a step in the right direction. It's definitely a good thing to see for us screenwriters who have original ideas. If you look at the top 25 films, overall, almost all of them are sequels, remakes or adaptations... the exceptions would be "The Hangover", "The Blind Side", a few star driven comedies and some animated films. So, if you're in to writing spec scripts, horror's a pretty good genre to be in...

The last thing of note is that a lot of the top spots in horror are taken by films that had relatively low budgets. Even after you take "Paranormal Activity" out, "Zombieland", "District 9", "Drag Me To Hell", "Friday the 13th" and various others had budgets that range from $20Million to $30Million. Considering their grosses, that's pretty cheap. Horror continues to be the land of low budgets and decent returns. All in all, a good place to be...

In conclusion, it's tough to look at just one year versus another, but I think it's safe to say that 2009 was a far better year for horror than 2008. Now, looking forward to 2010, hopefully we can keep the ball rolling. Taking a brief look at the release schedule, here's looking forward to: "Daybreakers", "Legion", "The Wolfman", "The Crazies", "Piranha 3D" (What?!?!), "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Predators", "Priest", "Saw VII 3D" and whatever else happens to come our way.

Box Office Round Up and a look at what's coming out on DVD this week...

Welcome, friends, to 2010! I've gotta say, I'm starting it off a bit foggy... After a week and a half of part-time working, culminating with a ruckus day at the sports bar for the conclusion of the NFL season yesterday, it pains me to have to get back to my regular schedule. Not because I don't want to work, but because I'm in actual pain... and a barely remember how to type. It's going to take a bit of a purge and a lot of coffee to get back up to speed. In any case, the big news at the box office is that "Avatar" continues its dominance. It surpassed the $1Billion mark and is currently, after only 3 weeks, the fourth highest-grossing picture, ever, worldwide. In reality, not only will James Cameron have the first and second highest grossing films in history to his credit, "Avatar" may end up surpassing "Titanic" to hold the title. Amazing. This upcoming Friday also marks the return of horror to the big screen, as "Daybreakers" finally comes out. After that, it looks like we'll be getting a major horror film every couple weeks or so, for a while. As for what's being released on DVD, it's a decent week, as well... especially if you're into indie horror. As usual, you can go over to our Youtube page to check out all the trailers and you can click on the titles and be taken to the films Amazon page, where you can read more and/or buy it.

The one big-budget film of the week is the final installment in a franchise that almost all horror fans should know about... the "Final Destination" series. What you may not know is the story behind how the franchise was born. Screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick was disappointed about an "X Files" spec script that he had written, but that was largely ignored. His buddy, television director James Wong, was inspired to make a film using the script - the original "Final Destination". David R. Ellis directed the second, Wong came back for the third... which was supposed to be the final installment and in 3D, but they axed the 3D due to budget restraints. Then, all the original players decided to get together to make one more, fourth and final installment, in 3D, which now comes out on DVD - "The Final Destination".

Now, on to the indie stuff...

"Spree", which is the first film from writer/director Mark Jones, looks awesome and I'm going to have to try to get my hands on it. It screened at the Seattle True Indie Film Festival, as well as the Fright Night Film Festival and a few others... and got great reviews. It's about a group of slacker-types who decide to go on a coast-to-coast killing spree to relieve the stress of their everyday lives. However, it's a game and there's rules... murder one person in every state they enter and the prize? The winners walk, while the losing team confesses to the crimes. Love it.

Tommy Brunswick has come out with quite a few decent indie horror films lately, including "Little Red Devil", "Evil Offspring" and "Biker Zombies From Detroit". Now, "They Must Eat" hits the shelves... and I love the concept. Basically, this guy has a bunch of demons living in his basement and he needs to keep feeding them... and it's safe to say they don't feed on organic vegetables.

"Hellweek", from director Eddie Lengyel, looks pretty good and it's a great title for a horror flick. In fact, I've got a little story about the title... I have a buddy who wrote a spec script called "Hellweek" a while back and, at the time, we were shocked to find out that the title hadn't been used. Not only that, the idea of a horror taking place during rush week hadn't really been done, either. In any case, my friends script is still sitting around, unproduced, and is quite a bit different than this. A small title change and it's still a very viable project, anyone interested? In any case, this film is about a rush week that turns hellish when a band of sadistic, masked, homicidal maniacs wreak havoc on a bunch of not-so-innocent college kids.

"Ravage" is from Dwen Doggett and it's the first film that he's directed in over a decade. He also wrote and directed "Feeding Billy", produced "Bloodthirsty Cannibal Demons" and wrote "Zombie Bloodbath 2: Rage of the Undead"... all in the mid-to-late 90's. "Ravage" is about a Shaman spirit that returns to a mid-West town to make the town pay for the sins of it's forefathers.

If you were in to "Tales From the Crypt", they have a special box set of season one and two available, aptly called "Tales From the Crypt: Season 1 & 2"

Interview with Executive Producer of "The Open Door", Clint Carmichael

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

Weekend Wrap-up and What's New on DVD, including: Lesbian Vampire Killers...

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.

As for the week in DVD releases, we've finally got ourselves a stellar week. As usual, you can click on the title and be taken to the films page on Amazon, where you can read more about it and even buy it. You can also go to our Youtube page and check out all the trailers.

For the indie crowd, the big movie of the week is, without question, "Paranormal Activity". 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.

"Jennifer's Body" 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...

I'm not really sure what happened with "Carriers", 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".

"Vampire Killers" 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.

Lastly, there's the low-budget "Evil Offspring", 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.

"Avatar" To Help Indie Film - A big stretch, but hear me out...

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.

Apparently there's a joke in Hollywood that goes like this: A filmmaker dies and goes to heaven. When he gets there, he notices a guy on a massive swooping crane, manning a huge HD camera... and he asks Saint Peter, "Hey, when did James Cameron die?" Saint Peter responds, "Oh, that's not James Cameron. That's God... he just thinks he's James Cameron". Personally, I love the guy. His biggest flop, "The Abyss", is awesome. I credit "Terminator" as one of my biggest influences and then there's "Aliens". F'ing "Aliens". What a classic. Now, 12 years after making the most successful film of all time, "Titanic", he's back... and he might just save theatrical film.

You see, the theatrical experience is dying. Sorry, it is. Really, there's no reason to go. I'm not saying that great films aren't being made, they are. However, there's no reason to go see them in the theater. The home experience is just as good... and better in some regards. I can pause the film to go take a shit or grab a beer. I can make whatever food I want. I don't have some 400 lbs sleaze bag sitting next to me. There aren't a bunch of loser kids texting constantly and, really, I've got STACKS of micro-cinema to watch, none of which gets released theatrically, and Hollywood fare comes out weeks, not months, after it hits the big screen, so... why would I pay $20 to go to the theater? James Cameron has the answer - offer something that I can't get at home.

James Cameron is a meticulous filmmaker, notoriously. And this meticulous filmmaker has decided to use 3D in a way that it's never been used before... to immerse you in the film. 3D has always been a circus act, a side show - "Put your glasses on now". Things poke out at you, jump in your lap or frighten you. Sure, "Coraline" did it, Imax does those nature films, but nothing like this. Cameron uses the technology to help you, the viewer, feel like you're in the film. To make viewing the film theatrically an experience... something you can't get anywhere else. THIS is revolutionary, THIS takes the idea of the theatrical experience to a new level, THIS is game-changing. I think people have tried before, but Cameron has now done it successfully. In the end, "Avatar" is going to pull in something close to $1Billion Worldwide... I mean, it hasn't even had its second weekend and it's already grossed over $275Million Worldwide. Seeing that, studios will try to replicate that. On top of that, eventually, all theaters will be digital and that's going to open up opportunities to immerse people further. Once that happens, you can go beyond 3D... we'll be delving into interactive film - text your own adventure. In 20 years, when we look back, I think "Avatar" will be looked on as the film that pushed the theatrical experience over the edge, much like how people look at "T2" as the film that really introduced CG effects. Oh yeah, and I also think this is good for indie film.

So, how could the film that purportedly cost half a billion dollars to make be good for indie film? Here's how - it's going to drive open the gap between theatrical and traditional film... and that's good for us indie guys. I think that if the theatrical experience gets driven further and further into being an immersive crowd experience, conventional film will become a whole other market. The theater will become a place where you can see concerts, live sporting events, big blockbuster films, all in a high-tech, 3D environment with THX True HD sound... and then there will be traditional film and traditional film's big market will be home entertainment. Sure, they'll get limited theatrical releases, but their bread and butter will be getting people to watch at home. As that happens, the existing gap between traditional studio films and independent films will shrink. They'll all be lumped together... which will change the way that the studios market and distribute those traditional films. They'll really start to look at how cable networks, video on demand and the internet can act as gateways to the living room. As they open up these new pipelines, they're essentially doing indie film a service... as those are the pipelines that we've been fantasizing about for quite some time. The studios WILL help us... but only after they help themselves.

Anyhow, that's all I've got for this week... as Friday's Christmas. Have a great Christmas everyone, we'll see you next week!

Avatar at The Box Office and the upcoming week in horror

As everyone expected, "Avatar" kicked some serious ass at the box office. It pulled in around $75Million over the weekend, which makes it the highest grossing opening for a movie that's neither a sequel, a remake nor a direct adaptation... and it was also the second highest grossing December opening ever, after "I Am Legend". The untold story here is the fact that the shitty weather on the East Coast kept a lot of people at home, so the box office tally should've been a lot higher - they said that theater attendance was down 50% in the heaviest hit areas. Kinda reminds me of that "Entourage" episode when "Aquaman" opened and there was a power outage. Complete coincedence that "Aquaman" was directed by Cameron, as well? Anyhow, on Friday, I was halfway through a big post about James Cameron, "Avatar" and how I think it'll help indie film, but I never finished it. I'll change a few things and finish that up for Wednesday. As for upcoming horror on the big screen, there's finally a couple of films in sight, "Daybreakers" on January 8th and "Legion" on January 22nd. As for DVD releases, as expected, it's a shitty, shitty week... not due to the quality of the films, but because only four are coming out. However, I want to talk about "District 9", as it comes out this week, as well, so I'll add that to my list. As usual, click on the film's title and you'll be taken to the film's Amazon page, where you can read more about it and/or buy it. Also, you can go to our Youtube Page, where you'll find the trailers.

Although "District 9" 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.

Released by Lionsgate, "Shattered Lives" 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...

"The Devil's Music" 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.

"A Four Course Meal" 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.

There's no trailer or anything for "Kazuo Umezz's Horror Theatre", 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...