New Horror Out On DVD This Week: A Weak Week, But There Are Puppets

I'll tell you what... when you don't want to pay for information, it can be a little harder to get your hands on specific stats. It's a no-brainer that the summer is a huge season for theatrical releases. However, that's because school's out. That age group, call it... 10 years old to, I don't know, 20? Generally speaking, they don't work, they don't MAKE money, but they sure do know how to spend it and they've got a lot of free time on their hands. They're the ones that love going to the movies in the summer and the studios give them what they want. Big tent-pole films that cater directly to them. Now, the stats that I want to know revolve around what this means for the other end of the spectrum. I guess there's actually a variety of different spectrum's here, but what does it mean for niche, indie horror that's NOT getting a theatrical release? Well, my thought is, it can't be good. The summer is not the time to be releasing your indie horror on DVD. Now, I can't find ANY stats to support this because I don't want to spend the money on getting a report. Having said that, this is the internet and my Google skills are top-notch. So, I'm confident that I'll find something to support this and, when I do, I'll write up a post on it. In any case, it's another fairly weak week in horror releases, but I think that's because the distributors have the stats that I'm looking for. In any case, you can click on the title and be taken to its page on Amazon, where you can buy it (if you'd like) and you can also go over to our Youtube page and check out all the trailers.

"The Kiss", written and directed by Scott Madden, actually looks pretty darned good. Apparently it's got a little something for everyone as they seem to think it spans three genres... they call it a romantic horror comedy. However, it has a hot, ravenous vampire in it. So, I'm calling it a horror. Sorry. So, it's about said vampire and the 18 year old boy that raises her from the near dead. The vampire, played by Lourdes Colon, is, like I said, quite hot and it looks like you get to see a fair bit of her. Not only that, the gore and effects look good. Blood, vampires, nudity, gore. Sold.

"Ghosts of Goldfield" is the directorial debut from Ed Winfield and it's definitely got some budget behind it, plus a few notable actors, including: Marnette Patterson ("Starship Troopers 3", "C.S.I." and "Charmed"), Kellan Lutz (upcoming "Nightmare on Elm Street" remake, "Twilight" and the new "90210") and none other than Rowdy Roddy Piper... who needs NO introduction. Apparently based on true events, it's about a group of five who set up film equipment to capture footage of the ghost of Elisabeth Walker, a maid that was tortured and killed in the derelict town of Goldfield. I can't say much about the film, as I haven't seen it, but it was made in 2007, with what looks like a decent budget, and it JUST got released, straight to DVD. So, come to your own conclusions on the quality.

"Caramelo" is a Spanish film, written and produced by Benjamin Lopez, directed by Jorge Luis Urbina. This is a 'disturbing psychological action thriller' (again with the multiple genres) about the relationship that forms between a young student and the schools janitor... who the student figures out is a murderer. If you're into Spanish psychological action thrillers, could be for you. Doesn't look to bad.

Lastly, as it's a slow week, I'm going to give props to Charles Band, Full Moon and the Puppet Master Series, as the "Puppet Master Box Set" is coming out this week. Charles Band is the brains behind Full Moon and he's produced hundreds of classics and, because of that, he ate up a large portion of my time while I went through film school... He's a director, a writer, a producer and all around good guy. However, as far as I'm concerned, if he should be remembered by ONE series of films, it's The Puppet Master Series. If you've never seen them, check them out... the films revolve around a group of puppets that were animated by an Egyptian spell. They're each equipped with their own unique and dangerous device. Each film has piles of puppets, but there are a few guys that appear more than others, such as: Blade, Jester, Pinhead, Six Shooter and Tunneler. Rumor around the campfire says that they're thinking of reviving the series, which could explain this box set release, as well as reviving various other Full Moon titles. Bring it, Charles... bring it. I'm ready to donate more of my time to puppets.

A Couple Of Competitions: The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition and The 13th Annual Slamdance Feature Screenplay Competion

You may or may not have noticed that I didn't post anything yesterday. Truth be told, I'm taking on a bit more work these days and my Thursday mornings are now shot. It's little side projects, but it's extra cash. So, I'll take it. Anyhow, what's pertinent to you and what I find funny is the fact that, when I was film school, parents, friends and, well, a lot of people, told me that the skills I was getting wouldn't have much real world merit. Like, if filmmaking doesn't work out, then what? Well, regardless, I got into marketing and advertising, but still write and make short films in my spare time (which is nominal these days) and I'm finding that filmmaking skills are actually quite useful. Why? Well, I deal with numerous businesses of varying sizes and having things like a social networking presence, full with photo's, video's and all that has become standard marketing fare. Plus, everyone wants (needs) to have short films made for their website. I mean, every company should have a dynamic webpage. So, check this out. If you're an indie filmmaker, I hope you know how to make a sharp short film. Also, chances are you're pretty f'ing good with a still camera... you probably spend a lot of time on Myspace, Facebook and reading blogs. You know your way around editing software. You can write. All of a sudden, you've got skills that almost every business needs, even though a lot of business don't know they need them quite yet. Somewhere in that clutter is where I'm finding a few side jobs and, maybe, you can, too. And side jobs are good because they pay you in money. And money is good.

There's a couple of competitions coming up, both are very cool... especially if you're into screenwriting. The first one, The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition, will require some screenwriting skills, but you need to be a filmmaker at heart. The other competition, The Slamdance Feature Screenplay Competition, is straight screenwriting, baby. Both look awesome and we'll take a closer look at each of them...

The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition is a dynamic filmmaking competition offering one visionary filmmaker a six-figure production grant and distribution deal. I've always liked competitions like this, it's like winning the lotto or something. It's sponsored by Canon, Final Cut Pro, NeoFlix, MovieMaker Magazine, Final Draft, and Filmmakers Alliance, which is a good group of sponsors. What's also really cool is that you don't need much to enter. To apply, you only need a one-page synopsis, 250 word "Why I Am a Filmmaker" essay, and a filmmaker resume. Ain't too hard. You can get that together in a few days. Fuck, I think I'm going to do it just for shits and giggles.

Everyone who enters gets a one year membership to Filmmakers Alliance Global, which is launching with this competition. The First Place winner receives, at minimum, a $200,000 USD cash production grant along with an additional $300,000 in resources to turn their proposal into a script and then into a film. The winning filmmaker will also receive a Canon HD camera, production software, and development and production guidance. And it doesn't stop there; the film will be heavily promoted, will premiere at a major film festival, and will be distributed on multiple platforms simultaneously - theatrically, on cable, and on the net - for maximum international exposure. How's that? Go check it out...

Tough act to follow, but for all you screenwriters out there, you should also be considering, one of my favorites, the 13th Annual Slamdance Feature Screenplay Competition, which boasts a great track record of success discovering and supporting emerging screenwriting talent and launching writing careers.

There's piles of success stories out of Slamdance and they're always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to assist emerging artists. This year, Slamdance has teamed with Upload Films to produce the year's prize-winning low budget feature screenplay. The top cash prize is $5000 USD, and finalists receive writer-friendly perks and goodies such as eligibility in the WGA's Independent Writers Caucus, Final Draft software, InkTip membership, Slamdance Film Festival passes, and more. Slamdance's top scripts are often requested by studios, production companies, management companies, and agencies, so finalists often secure representation and sought-after industry exposure.

That's all I've got for this week, folks. Have a great weekend, see you next week!

Interwebs Stuffs, including: Bloody Cannes, Livestock and other stuff...

I have to take back something that I said earlier this week... I mentioned that "Drag Me To Hell" did alright at the box office on its opening weekend and that it was pretty good. Well, I'm not taking back that it was pretty good, but I'm going to have to take back the comment that it did alright at the box office. The actuals came in and it was substantially lower than the projections. Not only that, after tabulations, it slipped from third to fourth, as "Terminator Salvation" did slightly better in the actuals. Oh well, you can't take away the fact that it was actually pretty good and I still suggest you check it out. Do note that this isn't to say that the world wants less violent films, either. I've come across a few links that I want to share, but check out the first one... it may answer this very question.

The Cannes Film Festival, which was founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals. Although it actually IS a festival, where films compete for the Palme d'Or, the festival has become much, much more. They have screenings, non-competitive programs, workshops, networking events, dinners, Swedish massage parties, etc... Long and short, it's one of the biggest festivals of the year... if not THE biggest. Which is why I found the article, "Cannes' red carpet is blood-soaked" from THR.com pretty interesting. By definition, indie horror has always been violent. However, it seems that violence may be 'in' these days. If you think that the festivals are leading indicators as to what kinds of films we're going to be getting in the next few years, it could be safe to say, after seeing the lineup at Cannes, that things are going to get violent.... and things getting violent usually means good things for indie horror.

Now, when it comes to the actual production phase of filmmaking and choosing which camera to shoot on, most of our readers don't really get to 'choose', per se. It's more like, what can I afford? That one? Okay... Having said that, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be on top of what's going on in the industry. So, check out this article that I found on Indieflix.com called "The Tortoise and the Hare: Being a Filmmaker in an Ever Changing World". I don't know who wrote it, but they made a film called "April Showers", I think... and they start the article out talking about the decision to shoot in 4K, then they segue into blu-ray, DVD and online distribution. If you don't know what 4K is, it's the highest res format for shooting on digital. Not much displays 4K right now, but, to demonstrate the scale of resolution... HD TV programming broadcasts at 720P, gaming consoles and blu-ray is displayed in 1080P. Digital theaters project in 2K and, lastly, there's 4K, which you can shoot on, but no one is really projecting in or displaying currently...

Okay, now it's time to help out a friend... so, do you remember "Livestock" from Christopher DiNunzio? We interviewed him not too long ago, here's a link to the interview. In any case, his film's been accepted into the Independent Features online fest, which is pretty cool. So, click HERE to be taken to the Independent Features site. Next, click on VIEW FILMS. Then, go on the left there and click on HORROR. There, you'll find three films, "Blood River", "Blood Trail" and "Livestock". Click on "Livestock". Log in, watch it and rate it. You may have to go back to the beginning at this point, then actually register. It only takes a minute, though. Anyhow, I think if "Livestock" gets enough good ratings, he can get a screening. Something like that. It's a cool site, regardless, and you can check out a few indie films. So, go rummage around there.

We always talk about the future of distribution and how we, as indie filmmakers, can benefit from what's around the corner. Most of the problem exists in the fact that the people with money and power are making their money and power in the old system of distribution, so why would the mix it up? I mean, you or I would love to have a pile of disposable income that we could dump into a new distribution system, where we'd steal audiences from the rich and give them to the poor, right? Well, there actually are a few guys with money and power out there who believe in changing things up. Take Ted Leonsis, for example. He's a former AOL executive, who stepped down from day-to-day management and started SnagFilms, a company that aims to distribute documentary films via the internet in, what I think, is a very unique way. Check out the article on him, called "Every Blog Becomes a Cinema". I really like the idea, but I wish it wasn't just for documentaries. I think that format could work really well for indie horror, as well.

Interview with Toby Wilkins, Director of "Splinter"

Ted's Note: It's not to say that Brad doesn't get excited very often. In fact, he does. However, very rarely do I see him get as excited as he did about this particular film and the subsequent fact that he had the opportunity to discuss it with the director. I will agree with him, though... this film is one of the best horror films of the year, so far. Anyhow, on to Brad...

A short while ago I rented a film called, "Splinter". After seeing it on the shelves I remembered listening to an interview Leo Quinones had with the director, Toby Wilkins. I remembered how it sounded like a pretty cool indie flick and how Leo seemed very excited about the movie as he was interviewing Wilkins.

After watching it I quickly understood why

"Splinter" is a rare indie horror that excels on every level. Not only that, the creature is amazingly well done. It's the kind of movie you want to go out and tell all your friends to rent after you watch it. And I love it when I get that feeling about a movie. I instantly told Ted how much I dug the movie, so you can imagine how thrilled I am that we were able to land an interview with Wilkins himself

I can't say enough great things about, "Splinter". It's a must see and I hope everyone that reads this that hasn't seen it will check it out and discover what I did: a renewed enthusiasm for the genre.

On a side note, Magnet Releasing is a company to watch. The last few movies I've seen from them have been fantastic: "Shuttle", "Special" and "Donkey Punch".

Dead Harvey thanks Wilkins for this fantastic interview. Keep 'em coming brother!

First off, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you into filmmaking?

I tend to be most influenced by directors who’s work spans many genres, like Ridley Scott, Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle, David Fincher. Filmmakers who manage to bring their exacting standards and individual vision to their projects regardless of the genre. As far as the inspiration for getting into filmmaking myself, I would say that it was pretty inevitable. I grew up loving movies, and took every opportunity to grab the family Super-8 camera and experiment as a child and I started really focussing on making professional short films and getting them into festivals about ten years ago.

Film school: yes or no?

No, I always hated school, got out as soon as I could.

What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome to realize your dream as a director and what steps would you recommend for those starting out?

Realize my dream? I’m definitely still on that journey, but I would pass on the same advice I got from some big name directors I had the privilege of working with early in my career in post-production: If you want to make movies, just do it. There’s nothing standing in the way of filmmakers today, you don’t need permission to pursue your dream.

What did you shoot “Splinter” on and how long was the shoot?

We shot using a pair of very high-end digital cameras from German film and camera innovators Arri and principle photography was completed in about twenty days.

Where did the idea from "Splinter" come from and how were you attached as director?

The original creature concept was something a friend and I had been toying with for several years while we tried to find the right story to bring it to life. Then, I was handed a script by one of the producers of the film, originally called “Tooth and Nail”, and it seemed like the perfect vehicle to bring the creature to the screen. I was quickly attached to the script, and after several meetings and pitches to financiers we were green lit.

Unlike many horror films, the male and female protagonists (Paulo Costanzo and Jill Wagner) seemed to genuinely care for each other and didn't have a relationship crisis to overcome. As an audience member, I instantly felt more connected to these characters (mostly because i wasn't listening to them bicker through the entire movie) and found myself rooting for them. Was this a conscious choice?

Absolutely. I think the “couple in crisis” idea is a pretty tired cliché in Hollywood films and as Kai Barry and I developed the script we worked hard to try and create something that steered clear of those tropes but had it’s own thing going on. The dynamic between these two people is quite complex, and runs a little deeper than most people expect in a horror movie I think. Jill and Paulo did an amazing job with the characters.

The origin of the creature isn't explained, which I felt added greatly to the element of suspense and fear. Was there prior version where we find out just what this creature is and where it came from and, if so, what made you decide to maintain the element of mystery?

Since the entity itself was something I was bringing to the script, there were no drafts written that explored its origins, only tiny hints, which are all in the final film. I felt that it would be more engrossing if the audience knows only as much as the characters they are watching, and any ideas put forward about how this thing behaves, or what it is, would be guesses based on exactly the same information the audience has.

I believe one of the most difficult things for a horror film to pull off is to be legitimately frightening and suspenseful. Other than a few tongue in cheek remarks from the characters, the film stayed intense from start to finish. Was there a temptation to go into an over the top camp style like so many horror films do and can you share any tricks that helped to keep the mood suspenseful throughout?

Camp is not something that comes naturally to me at all, I tend to concentrate on creating realism, even in my comedies. But there are a few scenes in “Splinter” that are really fun, and I especially enjoy watching those scenes with audiences. The scene with the running hand is one example, and that’s an homage in part to “The Beast With Five Fingers” and in part to the face-hugger chase scene in “Aliens”, but I’m not sure that sequence qualifies as camp, even taking it as far as we did.

As far as creating tension, I think the scenes where it works best have a combination of things in their favor; great performance from actors who are seeing everything the audience is seeing because we used almost all practical effects, an amazingly atmospheric score by our composer Elia Cmiral which we used quite sparingly, and months of arduous exploration and experimentation in the edit bay with myself and editor David Maurer. What I have learned is that it’s very subjective, what works for one audience member might not work for the next, but there’s no one trick to suspense as far as I have discovered, and it’s never easy or simple to achieve.

"Splinter" centers mainly on the gas station location. What were the pros and cons of filming in a one location setup? Part two of this question: what do you feel are the most important elements you utilized to keep the film captivating while dealing in one location throughout most of the film?

I knew that if I was going to ask the audience to spend most of the film, trapped in a confined space with these character that they had to be real, flawed, believable people that we would care about, and I leaned heavily on our cast to bring their characters to life in a realistic way.

On the more technical side of things, cinematographer Nelson Cragg and I worked to create subtle differences in lighting, color, and shooting style from one area of the gas station to the next. So the audience perceives a constantly changing setting for each subsequent scene, and not just more of the same. This extended into editing and sound design also, using both to create a varied sense of place within the limited confines of our single location.

It felt like there was a concentrated focus on getting great performances from the actors without losing any of the gore and action us horror fans love. This was nice to see since so many horror films out there lack in the acting department. Describe your process of selecting and directing the actors and did you allow for rehearsal time in pre-production?

On this scale of filmmaking we were lucky to get any time to rehearse at all, we would use the short break before any major scene to run through the beats and work out the tone, but we had little time for actual rehearsal. We shot almost entirely in script order, knowing that what we filmed yesterday, or before lunch that day is what had just happened to the actual characters. That made it a little simpler to keep track of mood and tone from one scene to the next. But for the most part we just had an amazing cast who really gave everything to the film. Shea Whigham (who plays Dennis) was the first to join the cast, and I think when you have someone with his charisma, and a resume like that, it really raises the bar and expands on the potential of the script.

Aside from terrific performances from all actors involved, the creature was definitely the star. Describe the process for deciding on the concept and presentation from pre to post production. Were there any tricks you used to make the creature more frightening or films that influenced its look and presentation?

As I mentioned before, the concept of an entity that attacks you from the inside was something that had been living in my head for a while. So throughout the script development process I experimented with digital animation, and artwork to show people how an infected body might move, what the creature would do to its victims. But I knew the only way to make the thing believable on screen was to do as much as possible with practical effects. So we brought in the special effects make-up and creature design experts at Quantum Creation FX to develop the final look of the thing, and figure out how to get as close as possible to what was in my head without actually breaking people’s bodies. They did an amazing job.

As for influences, we didn’t turn to existing films for the look or movement of the creature, because we were trying to create something that audiences had never seen before. But certainly the decision to do as much as possible using old-school practical techniques came from my love of movies from the ‘70s and ’80, like “Alien”, “Dawn of the Dead”, and “The Thing”.

You recently directed, "The Grudge 3" for Sam Raimi's horror production company, Ghost House Pictures. Tell us about the experience and how you became involved with Mr. Raimi.

In 2005 I had a short film making its way through the festivals, “Staring at the Sun”, it played at genre festival ScreamFest, which was founded in part by Stan Winston, and had many horror legends on the judging panel, including representatives of Ghost House Pictures. The film ended up winning the award for Best Horror Short that year, and Ghost House called me shortly after that to start making short films with them. Over the next few years we would collaborate on a number of projects, including shorts for the Grudge franchise, a FearNet original series “Devil’s Trade”, and most recently “The Grudge 3” which just hit DVD. Working with the team at Ghost House Pictures, and occasionally Sam Raimi himself, has been an absolute pleasure. They really care about the genre, and about making the best film possible.

Are there any plans for a sequel to, "Splinter" and, if so, what will the audience be in store for this time?

There has been a lot of interest, but there aren’t any hard plans in place for a sequel yet. If it does happen I would love to expand on the world a bit. Really show what the Splinter creature can do, and maybe cut off a few more limbs? There’s so much potential to explore the ways this parasite can manipulate its victims, it would be a shame not to revisit it.

Where can people find out more about, "Splinter" and, better yet, buy themselves a copy?

The official web site (including a store to buy the movie, and details of how to watch the film instantly) is SplinterFilm.com, my blog has all the latest news, events, and reviews at Splinter.Tumblr.com, and you can follow my Twitter feed at Twitter.com/splinterfilm. The film is working its way around the world, hitting theatres in several countries right now, but in the US and UK the film is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from all major stores and rental chains.

Thank you for your time! Dead Harvey gives, "Splinter" a strong endorsement and will look forward to all your upcoming work!

Stay tuned for our upcoming interview with the film's editor: David Maurer!

New Horror Out On DVD This Week: Monsturd, Retardead and Snakes on a Plane on a Submarine

Okay, so... Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" came out over the weekend and... it didn't do too badly. Not only that, as a PG-13 film, it was pretty good. Reviews are positive, word back from other horror fans is good, so... we can breathe a sigh of relief there, I think. However, it got killed by Disney's "Up", which was to be suspected. (Even though a lot of industry insiders were saying "Up" was going to bomb, but I'm not sure why) Anyhow, what I didn't expect was that "Night at the Museum II" stayed strong and came in second, with "Drag Me to Hell" coming in third. "Terminator Salvation" drops to fourth, but still had a pretty good weekend. Next week is nothing but comedies, with "The Hangover", "Land of the Lost" and "My Life in Ruins" being the big three. Regardless of all that... and more importantly, let's look at the horror that's coming out on DVD this week. If you're into the micro-cinema and indie shit, it's a week for you. As usual, click on the titles to be taken to their Amazon page and you can go to our Youtube page to see all the trailers.

I can't find anything that says this isn't a Sci-Fi original, but everything about this screams Sci-Fi original. Written by Mark Sanderson and directed by Fred Olen Ray, "Silent Venom" is basically "Snakes On A Plane" on a submarine... and you don't get Samuel L Jackson, you get Luke Perry and Tom Berenger. That and these snakes mutate... the more people they eat and kill on the submarine, the more they grow in size and ferocity. I'm a bit nervous, as I really don't know how Dylan's going to get out of this one.

What's funny about "Razortooth" is that it's apparently based on a true story concerning an exotic species of eel that are released in Asia that can breathe air and survive on land. I say that's funny because that means that "Razortooth", which is about a group of college kids that end up having to capture or kill a genetically modified super-eel that's been released into the Florida Everglades, is, therefore, based on a true story... which makes me laugh a bit. It's the directorial debut from Patricia Harrington, who was an actress in "Carnosaur", wrote "To Sleep With a Vampire" and was the executive producer of "Stripteaser".

Okay, now on to some good old-fashioned micro-cinema. "Retardead" is written and directed by Rick Popko and Dan West. I actually have a copy of this on my desk right now, which I'm anxiously hoping to get to soon. After I do check it out, we'll be putting together an interview for the site, so stay tuned for that. The absolutely genius title should sum up what you're getting with this film, but I'll tell you the plotline, regardless.... as it, too, kicks ass... the evil Dr. Stern returns, armed with a lethal intelligence serum that yields horrific results at the Butte County Institute for Special Education. "Retardead" - they're not so special anymore... Genius.

If you're releasing one movie, why not release your other movies, too? Also from Rick Popko and Dan West comes "Monsturd", which is about an escaped serial killer that falls into a sewer tunnel full of chemicals that transform him into a half human, half feces creature that goes on a killing rampage. Independent horror cinema is alive and well, people! Unfortunately, I DON'T have a copy of "Monsturd", but I'm definitely going to get my hands on it and bring it up in the interview.

Ryan Cavalline's "Stockholm Syndrome" finally comes out on DVD this week and, if you remember, we talked with him about the film a few months back. Click here to go to our interview with him. He offered up a great interview and the film is definitely well worth your time and we highly recommend checking it out.

"Tied Up" comes from Jeremy Rubin and it won the DV Award at the, uh... DV Awards. It also screened at a few other indie horror festivals, as well. It's about a group of five friends who attempt to make their lives more eventful, but end up thrown into a world of deceit, betrayal and murder that descends into a twisted tale of sexual deviancy. The trailer is VERY intriguing, may have to get in contact with Rubin and discuss the film with him.

"Elsewhere", from Nathan Hope, is about a small town where girls are mysteriously disappearing, but no one seems to care. After revealing to her best friend Sarah ("Twilight"'s Anna Kendrick) that she has been meeting men online, Jillian ("Lost"'s Tania Raymonde) goes missing. Now, the only clues to her whereabouts are her diary and a cryptic message sent from her cell phone.

The Future Of Film... Again AND Filmgo, An Online Film Fest

I was just listening to an interview about the demise of the music industry and how piracy and digital distribution killed the cash cow that was the CD. They briefly touched on it, but the film industry was the exact same way with DVD's, just a few years later. Basically, everyone fears change. EVERYONE. Anyhow... near the end of the interview, they starting drawing parallels to the film industry and saying how film is a few years behind music and, they concluded, that the film industry should weather the digital storm better due to the fact that they've seen what happened to the music industry. So, the future isn't bleak, but then they got in a bit of an argument.

It went something like this... one guy said that digital distribution devalues the product and that's going to hurt the music labels. For example, one CD is worth, for easy math, $20 and there's 10 songs on it. So, each song is worth $2. Now, iTunes sells songs for $.99. Therefore, the value of a song has been cut in half. The other guy said, that's true... however, that's not the end of the world. It should drive artists to create better music and some artists will become singles artists, while others will become album artists and, in the end, it should streamline the industry. There was lots more to it, but that was the gist. Now there was something that they didn't touch on, which I think is pertinent to both the music industry and the film industry alike and it's related to that shifting price point.

I'm going to switch this all over to film now... so, let's say that digital distribution has devalued film, as a whole, also. A DVD used to sell for $15, but now a film will sell for $5 online. Filmmakers just lost two thirds of their money... or did they? First off, you have to realize that distributing digitally has virtually no cost of distribution. No DVD, no burning the DVD, no packaging, no shipping, no warehousing, etc. So, there's a lot of money saved there. That's one side of it. The other side is, how many people would buy a film for $5, but not for $15? It would have to be more. Let's get down to straight supply and demand. In a digital world, your supply is limitless and your cost to distribute 100 films versus, say, 100,000 films, is next to nothing. However, the lower you drop your price, they more demand you'll have. People look at $4.99 a lot different than $19.99. You see, some people like to hoard films, but most people don't. Most people watch them once, then never watch them again. How many DVD's do you have sitting around that never get watched? If you're like me, hundreds... So, in my mind, if you used the price point that's used for RENTING a film, you'd get more people BUYING. That's, what? $5 - $8? So, SELL your film for that much, digitally, and you'll attract more buyers. Now, if you could get three people to buy your film for $5, at NO cost of distribution, you'd be generating more revenue than if you sold your DVD for $15 to one person. Make sense?

This is why I think the future looks bright. They talk about digital pennies, but they add up. It's just that films with budgets of $100Million+ probably won't work on this model. Having said that, films with more modest budgets will AND, with the price point dropping and the acceptance of digital distribution increasing, the audience has to increase. I've been talking to more and more filmmakers who are distributing their films online, through places like indieflix.com and filmbaby.com, and they're making money. It's not one fat check, it's a lot of small cheques... but, like I said, those checks add up. We're near the beginning, shifting slowly towards the middle of this acceptance of digital distribution. As we shift through, the audience will grow and as the audience grows, so will the revenue. We just need to tweak the revenue generation model. Is it subscription based, is it advertising based, is it per content based, a mix of all that? Who knows? The change is on... and now we're even starting to see film festivals that are using the digital distribution format. That's why I wanted to talk about Filmgo.net this week. It's a festival that's 100% online and they're open for submissions now.

Filmgo.net was launched by 545 Productions after organizers witnessed the work of too many talented filmmakers go unseen and undistributed. The entire festival takes place online and FilmGo allows distributors, producers, reps, and film fans alike the opportunity to discover independent films beyond the confines of the traditional festival circuit. Viewers can "attend" the festival, 24/7 from anywhere. With this simple but striking model, FilmGo has become an online destination for new indies, all the while supporting emerging filmmakers in the process.

Unfortunately, if you want to enter it, you better have something ready. The late, late deadline is a week away, on June 5th. Check it out, it's a great idea, and, really, this is where we're heading.

That's all I've got for this week... have a great weekend, see you on Monday!

Interview With Peter Grendle, writer/director of "This Side Of Nightmare"

We're basically at a point where the only thing holding you back from making your film is... you. This is the era of the so-called desktop filmmaker. Now, this doesn't go for filmmakers who are setting out to make a feature length sci-fi film with theatrical aspirations or something of that calibre. I'm talking about going out and making a quality short film, one that could be entered into festivals or just made to sharpen your skills, something that can be used to open some doors or just get you better at the craft of filmmaking. Hey, maybe you know nothing about the process of making a film... maybe you've been talking about it, over beers, for a while now. We should do this, we should to that... if only, if only. Well, at this point, the only 'if' is 'if' you get off your ass and do it. Life is about leveraging what you've got and if all you've got is a want and desire to make film, you better get out and make a film. Once you've made one or have bettered your filmmaking skills, leverage that... it's a cycle and you gotta keep working it.

Take a look at "This Side Of Nightmare", written and directed by Peter Grendle, for example. With loads of resolve and ambition, but short on resources, he went out and shot his 11 minute horror film for $500 in one day. What came out was a film that has a look and feel that can compete with any other short film on any stage, in any festival. Now, having seen "This Side Of Nightmare", I can tell you that Grendle is a talented filmmaker with some serious skills. In fact, I know he does a lot of work in TV, film and the like. That aside, the film impressed me, from the cinematography all the way to how it's cut together. It's a edgy piece that feels like you're getting a snippet of something bigger. You're thrust into the film and ripped out at the end. Really, it's everything that you could want in 11 minutes of horror.

I wouldn't expect that just anyone with a bit of ambition could get off the couch and make something of this quality, however... you have to start somewhere and this isn't Grendle's first time behind a camera. The point is, "This Side Of Nightmare" is a testament to what can be done with just a bit of resolve, a few dollars and some equipment. It's an achievement that I think a lot of indie and wannabe filmmakers and can look up to and, if you're one of those guys who is trying to muster up the will power to go out and make something, this is the interview for you and you should definitely be checking out the film.

First off, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you into indie horror and filmmaking?

Like everyone else, I started when I was a teenager, making scary movies in an attempt at meeting pretty girls. You know, because everyone wants to be an actress! What really got me going from there on was sitting down to “The Evil Dead” and realizing that someone else was doing the same things I wanted to. The rest is a downward spiral into becoming the ravenous Horror glutton I am today.

Tell us a bit about “This Side Of Nightmare”, what’s it about and where did you get the idea?

It’s about a lesbian college couple stuck in the middle of the desert with two sadist sisters.

You’ll find very quickly that in New Mexico (where the newest “Terminator” was shot) there’s pretty much one location you can always get for free: the middle of nowhere. Our original idea was to make a gangster drug bust short about mafia men in the desert. I was bored before writing the first word, so I replaced “police officers” with “college couple” and “gangsters” with “redneck killers”. It wrote itself.

I know you shot on an extremely micro-budget. Tell us what the budget was and tell us a bit about how you cut corners and were able to shoot it for so little.

We did it with $500. We had a crew of two people: Tyler King as the D.P., and myself as everything else. Our credit scroll is fake… but don’t tell anyone.

We paid everyone involved and that took up 80% of the cash. We own all our equipment from shooting audition tapes and commercials for local businesses and performers. The last 20% went towards our one lunch break that split the day down the middle. I did all the makeup with water, corn syrup, creamer, toothpaste, food coloring, and a $3 bottle of 3D gel. The grocery bill for this was maybe $25.

What did you shoot on and how long was the shoot?

We shot on my favorite camera for run and gun – the Panasonic HVX200. It took us ten hours, with the exterior car chase shots being filmed the following weekend.

Talk about keeping the production going with such a tight shooting schedule.

The day consisted of actors rehearsing while Tyler set the shot and I prepped the makeup and other essentials. We did one or two takes of each scene, from at least two different angles, and moved on. Everyone knew it was a one day shoot, and no one wanted to wake up at four AM to do it all again, so I think that helped the energy and dedication. There’s a lot that can be done while the shot is being set – and I don’t think enough people take advantage of that time.

For me, there were a few artistic things you did which worked really well. One was the switch to black & white, another was your use of slo-motion and another was your use of angles. All of them created a nightmarish look and feel, very well done horror stuff. Talk about those choices and creating that horror look and feel.

The black and white saturation melt was a complete afterthought, thrown in a year after we had finished cutting. I was thinking it over in the shower that the film was still missing something – suddenly it clicked. I also think it helps to hide some of the “low budget-ness” and give it a documentary feel.

I love slow motion when it’s sparse. That shot was planned before I had finished with the script. It’s the only shot I storyboarded and the only shot that divides audiences. My wife hates it, 70’s Rape and Revenge fans love it. What can you do?

As for angles they were all pretty much made up on the spot. If we had a strict storyboard we would have wasted many hours just trying to match the shots. I would show Tyler what the action was and what plot points needed to be highlighted, and he went from there – at times hanging out of a car window or lying down in the middle of a road.

I also liked your choice with sound and music. Talk about the process of scoring the film….

Scoring is always the tough part when going micro-budget. I was limited to public domain and royalty free stuff by extremely generous composers – so scoring the film wasn’t “what should I write for this scene that would make it pop?” – instead it was “what can I find for free that fits the mood, and how can I cut around it?.” It’s trying, to say the least.

You use archetypal characters: young lesbians & bible thumping rednecks. Talk about your choices in creating those characters.

When I only have $500, I have to write around what I have right in front of me. Originally the couple was straight and the sisters were just siblings. Two men and two women. But the inspiration behind the lesbians and sisters literally came from me not knowing any male actors, period.

Unfortunately none of them could be scheduled, so we were forced to do an open casting call – but stuck with the four women – because it felt different. I like the motif and I like the boundaries it betrays in terms of Horror clichés (after all, our plot is already clichéd we have to put something original in there).

The ending was abrupt, almost jarring. Talk about your choice for the ending.

I’m glad you said that. I think it’s how a Horror film should be. No happy ending. No discovery of police or friends. The best Horror should be extremely jarring and it should stick with you for a while. A life has been destroyed – let’s show it.

Have you entered the film into any festivals? If so, how did it do and would you recommend other filmmakers get involved with the festival circuit?

Yes, all the big ones – and unfortunately we didn’t get into any! But we have nailed down four different distribution deals, so I like to think that makes up for it.

I like festivals and I think the right ones with the right marketing can certainly get someone agents/job offers. But I also feel that these things can be done just as easily through the internet. I think the best way to do it is set a budget for festivals, enter into a few big expensive ones, and then enter into a few smaller cheaper ones – that way you run the gamut and meet as many people as possible without spending what could have been your next film’s budget. Because everyone wants to start big, but I think these days, with DVD and VOD being as interesting as they are – it’s much easier to start small.

But what do I know – I haven’t quit my day job yet.

Has the film opened any doors for you or boosted your career in any way?

It certainly has. Granted, we’re all still working on that “career” thing, but the next step is the feature version – and I have a million more people to send that to once its finished than I did before I made this short. And you know, half of that is just due to research and figuring out who’s looking and who’s not, and what they’re looking for as well.

How are you going about distributing the film and how is that working out?

We’re putting this out in four different ways currently. BigStar.tv and IndieFlix.com have picked it up for pay-for-play online viewing, and a huge kudos goes to IndieFlix.com for putting it out (soon, I hope) onto Hulu.com, Amazon.com, and many others as well.

American Horrors has picked it up for an episode and maybe (?) DVD later on. I’m not sure where or when that’s airing though. Finally, we’ll be on a compilation of AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits someday.

Where can people find out more about “This Side Of Nightmare” and, better yet, buy a copy?

First off, they can watch the trailer here: youtube.com/user/RLCinema

IndieFlix.com is the place to go, in my opinion. There are a few reviews floating around the web if they’re unsure if they want to make that 11 minute commitment yet: Arrow in the Head, Horror Yearbook, Fatally Yours, and Don’t Look Behind You are among the awesome sites that have posted reviews.

And they can always check our website, redlettercinema.com for updates and other projects.

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

The scene is huge and spread out. We’ve all been hearing that since the “desktop filmmaker” came along everyone’s been making crappy movies and getting them put out on Brain Damage for a quick buck, thusly ruining our reputation (and don’t get me wrong, I love Brain Damage films).

While this is partially true, now more than ever I’m seeing much more talent and dedication being put into the DTV market. What’s causing it is up in the air, but I’m leaning towards Hollywood’s lack of bravery and faith when it comes to original work – which is most likely caused by a sinking economy. As a result DTV is growing astronomically, and finally getting a bit of respect. Remakes and sequels go to theaters, original and brave films go to video. Think about the best US releases of the past months: “Alien Raiders,” “Otis,” “Laid to Rest,” “Martyrs” and the list goes on.

What was the last theatrical Horror film that anyone can remember blowing their mind, save for “Let the Right One In?” US DTV catalogs are what I peruse these days, and I don’t think I’m alone.

What’s next for you? Do you have any projects in the works?

I’m currently finishing Post on a comedy called “Lament to Roswell” about a girl living in Roswell, New Mexico who claims she was abducted and impregnated by aliens, and is now trying to wrangle up a protest against the Government’s outer space policing habits. The trailer should be up soon at our YouTube page: youtube.com/user/RLCinema.

A Look At A Couple Of Indie Horror Distributors: Cinema Epoch and Pathfinder

Yup, it's true, my fear came to fruition - "Night at the Museum II" beat out "Terminator Salvation" at the weekend box office to the tune of $70Million to $52Million. I'm not sure if that's just the weekend numbers and they're not counting what T4 did on Wednesday night and Thursday, but that doesn't really matter. Actually, it wasn't really a fear, so to speak... "Terminator Salvation" is something that I would look forward to and something that you, I'm assuming, would look forward to. However, we all know that "Night at the Museum II" had (or has) a bigger potential audience. It's something that will be playing on planes, on network TV and everywhere for years - pablum for the masses. Brainless, watered down entertainment that would entertain a five year old and an eighty five year old equally. Shit like that is always going to win, what can you do? Having said that, I'm sure both studio's are happy with their respected films performances. However, T4 had a budget of around $200Million and Museum 2 had a budget of around $125Million. So, if you're a studio looking to make money, what's your next movie going to be? Now, are you ready for next week, when the PG-13 Sam Raimi horror "Drag Me To Hell" goes head to head with Disney's "Up"?

Anyhow, I do have a post about some internet stuff ready to go and I'm waiting on getting a few interviews back. However, it's been a while since we've looked at indie horror distributors. So, I've come across two new ones that I want to take a closer look at. Well, I shouldn't say new, they're just new to me.

Cinema Epoch is a Los Angeles-based international sales, production and distribution company formed by distribution veteran Gregory Hatanaka. Hatanaka has been affiliated with distributing some pretty cool films, including John Woo's "The Killer" (which you better have seen), The Coen Brothers' "Blood Simple" and Abel Ferrara's "'R Xmas"... (I haven't seen 'R Xmas, but Ferrar's a bit of a legend, having made "The Driller Killer", "Bad Lieutenant" and "King of New York", but anyhow... "Driller Killer" rules, by the way) They lean towards internationally acclaimed arthouse films, contemporary American films and edgy cult & midnight works. It's safe to say that our readers would be looking to supply films in the 'edgy cult & midnight works' section. Now, they won't accept unsolicited submissions, but they will take an email with a brief synopsis and other pertinent information, such as cast, crew, festivals and awards, etc... you can send that email to acquisitions@cinemaepoch.com. Otherwise, click on the link at the top and go to their 'about us' page, it's all there. Recently, they've distributed the "Amateur Porn Star Killer" series, "Growing Out" and loads of other good schlock.

Pathfinder Home Entertainment, the guys who recently distributed "Beneath The Flesh", "A Bell From Hell" and "The Asylum", were established in 1998 to focus on bringing the works of emerging and established filmmakers to the mainstream and they distribute around 20-30 films annually into the U.S. theatrical, home video and television markets. In 2002, they expanded into the DVD/video distribution market and have already released over 140 titles. Further, in 2005, they formed the Circle Post Productions division, extending their services to indie filmmakers. Pathfinder welcomes films of all genres, but a film must be completed or in the final stages of post in order to be considered... send them an email at acquisitions@pathfinderpictures.com.

New Horror Out On DVD This Week

It's a long weekend and I think that most of you have a lot better shit to be doing than reading this, so I might just leave it up for a couple days, then post something new on Wednesday. We'll see... you never know. Thinking about it... I'd actually like to see some stats on DVD rentals and sales through the summer. We all know that summer is the biggest season for theatrical releases, but that's due to the fact that kids are out of school. However, I have a hunch that DVD rentals and sales may go down through the summer. First off, due to the fact that the summer season is so big for theatrical releases, this may steal some of the DVD audience. Secondly, the weather's better and the days are longer, so... there's more shit to do outside, which should mean less sitting inside and watching movies in your living room. Stats shouldn't be hard to find, so I'm going to snoop around and see what I can come up with. I'll report back after a bit of market research...

In any case, there's a couple of decent films out, but, all in all, it's not that great a week. I mean, there's only four new releases. As usual, though, click on the film to be taken to its Amazon page and/or go to our Youtube page to see all the trailers.

I shouldn't pass judgement on a film before I've seen it, but I think I know what we're in for with "The Devil's Tomb". It's got a decent cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr, Ray Winstone and Ron Perlman and it's directed by Jason Connery, son of Sean Connery... this is only the second project he's directed, his directorial debut being "Pandemic". This had a budget of around $10Million and it's about a team of mercenaries, contracted by a mysterious CIA operative to rescue a scientist working on an archaeological discovery deep under the Middle Eastern desert. The true secret of what lies beneath, a secret that's been protected for thousands of years, will be discovered... and it's not of this earth. The trailer makes it look like a supernatural version of "Aliens" with a Michael Bay flair... but, I don't know. Actually, what I really don't know is how movies like this can make money. $10Million budget going straight to DVD? The least they could do is get it on cable somewhere, then release it on DVD.

Now, I'm not sure if "Gothkill" has already been released and this is a new version or if they're just giving it a fancy name for the DVD release, but "Gothkill: Satanic Special Edition" comes out this week. We actually had the chance to review it and interview the writer/director, JJ Connelly, a little while ago. I highly recommend supporting indie film and picking this film up... definitely worth it. It's got everything that a micro-cinema horror should have. Also, you should be reading the interview, which can be found here.

"Beneath The Flesh" comes from Randall Kaplan, distributed by Pathfinder Pictures and it's a horror anthology of five short horror films, all of which are shot in black and white. Judging from the trailer, it actually looks pretty awesome. You'll get "Id", "The Basement", "The Child", "The Insides" and "Boxhead". Each film has the victim confronting a fear, which they'll have to deal with or die with it. From what I can tell, they're all short films that he's made over the last few years, ranging from "Id", which was done in 2004, to "Boxhead", which was done in 2008... and now he's compiled them all up and packaged them together for distribution. Great idea, might have to try to get in touch with him to discuss it.

Sometimes I hate it when they change titles for distribution, but sometimes it just makes sense... and I think it just makes sense here. "Carnivorous", directed by Amir Valinia and starring DMX, was originally called "Lockjaw: Rise of the Kulev Serpent". Close your eyes and think of that title... "Lockjaw: Rise of the Kulev Serpent". It almost sounds like Russian porn... doesn't sound like a horror, really. It doesn't sound like anything that I'd want to watch and it definitely doesn't sound like it's a film about a magic voodoo pen that helps a guy create a monster snake that attacks a group of reckless suburbanite teens that accidentally killed his wife in a hit and run... does it?

Terminator Salvation Finally Hits The Theaters, Revenge Of The Nerds and more...

It's not summer yet, technically... however, I feel like we're getting deep into the Summer tent-pole movies already. We've already seen "Star Trek", "Wolverine" and "Angels and Demons", but now comes the film that I, personally, have been waiting for - "Terminator Salvation". It's going head to head with "Night At The Museum 2" and as far as audiences are concerned, I don't think there's too much overlap. I'm just prepping myself for the fact that Ben Stiller could beat out John Connor, but it would only be due to the fact that "Night At The Museum 2" is a kids movie... Anyhow, I think a lot of horror fans of my generation credit the original Terminator as a major influence, although it's not really a horror. It was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen at the time and it didn't hold back on the violence... it WAS rated R. If I remember correctly, I first saw Terminator around 1986, two years after its theatrical release. I was in 6th grade and, at the time, I do remember longing for another Terminator film that took place entirely in the future. Well, a great number of years later, they followed it up with "T2" and, later still, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines", which, for the record, I thought was very underrated. Finally, now, my wishes come to fruition. I finally get the film that takes place entirely in the future... and, depending on how well it does at the box office, I should be getting a couple more. McG directs and I think it's a bit of an odd choice, considering he's best known for making "Charlie's Angels" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle", however people seem to think he did alright here. The budget was around $200Million and I think it's definitely going to be worth checking out... it'll drag me out to the theaters.

Now, on to some festival shit...

I just noticed that the Arizona Underground Film Festival is now open for submissions... and I'm not sure if we've covered them before. I'm losing track and haven't updated my festivals page in a while. I've been busier than a two-peckered gopher (as my old football coach used to say) and I really need a day to just clean everything up, but I digress. The Arizona Underground Film Fest is a fest that showcases the work of filmmakers with defiantly independent visions and they want to represent every genre of film from across the world... which is a bold goal. It's not that much to enter, early bird deadline (June 20) is only $20. I think these festivals are great to enter, especially as a networking opportunity. On top of that, you stand a far better chance of getting accepted...

Next, one of our favorite nerd fests of the year has a deadline coming up, as well. May 25 is the regular deadline for Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Fest. Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, pop culture convention focusing on sci-fi and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film in the U.S. Yeah, it's one of those ones where nerds dress up as their favorite characters and nerdy girls, usually not known for gearing down, get all sexed up in Princess Leia outfits. Seriously, I put that pic to the left in as a sample, but click here and go to any of those fan photo galleries. Crazy shit. Anyhow, the whole thing takes place at the end of the summer in Atlanta, Georgia and attracts over 35,000 people. Their film festival, which you can find out more about here, showcases short films across all genres of the imagination. Really, if you get accepted here, you gotta go. Even if you don't submit a film, you should go. I'll dress up as 'Creepy the Clown'.

Lastly, let's look at a screenwriting festival. Like I've said many a time, the screenwriting festivals are a bit of a tough one. Some are sketchy, others really are trying, but can fall short and there are a few that are the real deal and those are the ones that are wicked opportunities for up and coming screenwriters. I gotta say, though, I think half the reason that people don't trust screenwriting festivals is because they pick the shittiest names. Script PIMP? Seriously? I know it stands for Pipeline Into Motion Pictures, but... come on. And this one's not much better, ScriptShark Insider. Scary. Also, it doesn't help that their website is down at the time I type this... However, it is legitimate and it is one of the ones that you should be entering. If you're interested, they also do screenwriting evaluation, coverage and submission services. For the contest, there are cash prizes, plus the winner gets a trip for two to L.A. to take a few meetings with industry professionals and gets a private pitch-honing session. If you've got a script ready to go... or about to go, June 1st is their late deadline.

That's all I've got for this week, have a great weekend!