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Reviews: Underground film for 2003 announced

August 25, 2004

MISTY MUNDAE TO APPEAR AT SUSPECT VIDEO & CULTURE IN TORONTO
Misty Mundae, star of such ‘B’ gems as Lord of the G-Strings, Play-mate of the Apes, and the innovative shocker Screaming Dead, is scheduled to appear at Suspect Video and Culture, in Toronto, Ontario, August 28th at 7:00pm to personally greet fans and autograph 8x10s, posters and merchandise including her brand new DVD EP Voodoun Blues, which contains her award-winning short horror film plus other cool extras.
A local haven for enthusiasts of eclectic and independent cinema, Suspect Video and Culture has played host to numerous talented actors and directors such as Gunnar Hansen, Dario Argento and Peter Jackson. The talented Ms. Mundae will be in Toronto promoting her upcoming Shock-O-Rama Cinema horror feature, Bite Me!, which will screen at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear.
For more information on Suspect Video and Culture visit www.suspectvideo.com
Suspect Video and Culture is located at: 619 Queen Street W, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2B7
MISTY MUNDAE SHORT FILM GETS DVD TREATMENT
PRESS RELEASE: Shock-O-Rama Cinema is proud to present VOODOUN BLUES, a unique and fascinating short-play DVD (DVD EP) featuring the titular silent short film written and directed by ‘B’ movie starlet Misty Mundae (Bite Me!, Screaming Dead, SpiderBabe). The Voodoun Blues short was conceived, created and directed by Misty Mundae during her Fall 2003 semester at college, and it won the “Best Short Film Award” at her school’s student short film competition.
The 5-minute avant-garde horror film, shot on 16mm b&w stock and inspired by the works of Czech animation legend Jan Svankmajer, features an evil black-magic practitioner placing a voodoo doll hex upon her ex-lover (Misty Mundae). The film contains provocative and nightmarish imagery, much of it achieved via stop-motion and soft-focus cinematography, courtesy of cameraman Joe Miller. The original soundtrack music produced specifically for Voodoun Blues combined with the film’s potent visuals give it an atmosphere, texture and effect all its own. The Voodoun Blues DVD project was green-lighted by Misty Mundae, who had complete creative input into its overall design, presentation and spotlighted extras. So, besides Misty’s exquisite short, the DVD also contains surrealistic shorts by fellow filmmakers Joe Miller (Sour Milk, which features Misty) and Katie Bordeaux (Night of the Whorror Hoppers). Other exciting extras include a brand new 2004 interview with Misty Mundae about the genesis and making of Voodoun Blues, a mini documentary detailing the studio recording of the Voodoun Blues soundtrack music (composed by Tim McBride) at Grisly Labs in Jersey City, NJ, trailers for recent and upcoming films starring Misty Mundae, and a full-color, 2-sided collectible Voodoun Blues postcard.
The 50-minute Voodoun Blues DVD will be a Limited and Numbered Edition release of 5,000, and it will be offered for the first time ever at the 2004 Rue Morgue Magazine Festival of Fear, August 27-29, in Toronto, Ontario (check out www.rue-morgue.com/html/content/fof.html ) where Misty will be promoting Shock-O-Rama Cinema’s October 12 release of Bite Me! Fans will also be able to get a copy by logging onto www.Shock-O-Rama.com, www.MistyMundae.com, www.SeductionCinema.com, www.amazon.com or via Movies Unlimited, where Voodoun Blues will be initially available. Voodoun Blues will likely see a retail release later in 2004 at special pricing under $9.99.

August 22,2004

MINDSCAPE PICTURES NEWS
MINDSCAPE PICTURES’ three-volume series of short movies, BENT, has made its way onto store shelves throughout the United States and Canada and is available online at just about every retailer that sells DVD’s. While online retailers such as DVD Universe, Yahoo Movies and Amazon have had the box set for pre-order since it was announced back in February, mainstream retailers have snatched-up Bent since its official release date July 13, 2004. Chains such as Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, Suncoast Video, Sam Goody, FYE, Tower Records and Newbury Comics all have the set available via their on-line shopping sites, and the 3-pack has been spotted in stores throughout the nation, including a Newbury Comics and a Tower Records in Massachusetts, a Suncoast Video in Washington D.C., a FYE store in New York City and Fry’s Electronics in Los Angeles. To see a complete list of online and offline retail outlets where you can find the Bent 3-Pack visit our STORE at www.mindscapepictures.com, and to learn more about the movies available on the set, visit the MOVIES page at www.mindscapepictures.com.
APHRODISIAC to Wrap August 29, 2004--weather permitting, MINDSCAPE PICTURES’ summer production for 2004, the sexy comedy Aphrodisiac, will wrap with a boom--a boom box, anyhow. The last shoot for the movie involves a mock rap video that will bring together about a dozen bikini-clad "babes" whose adoration is focused on a ladies’ man simply referred to as "The Gooch". The twenty-five minute movie, about an Average Joe’s ill-fated attempts to attract a gorgeous co-worker through the use of a "love potion", has been shooting in the Greater Boston area since April.
Those interested in donning summer fashions and partaking in the "The Gooch Rap Video" August 29 can send headshots to casting@mindscapepictures.com. For more information about Aphrodisiac, visit the COMING SOON page at www.mindscapepictures.com.
MINDSCAPE PICTURES to Share Bill at KILLING HAND Premiere.
How far would you go to justify your evil? How about Arlington, Massachusetts? On August 22, 2004, Mindbeside Studios (www.thekillinghand.com) will present the world premiere of their feature-length action-thriller The Killing Hand, shot in and around the area of Lowell, MA.
The story is centered around a drifter that clashes with a band of thieves and killers (called The Killing Hand) whose ruthless leader conspires to rule a city through intimidation and fear. Prior to the movie’s premiere, the award-winning MINDSCAPE PICTURES short Marisa will play alongside the short movie Intruder from Random Foo Pictures (www.randomfoo.com,) creating a program of revenge-oriented cinema. The show starts at 6:00 pm on August 22 at The Regent Theatre in Arlington MA. Tickets are $5.00. For more information about the screening, visit http://www.thekillinghand.com/premiere.html
THE PARTING Plays at Woods Hole
MINDSCAPE PICTURES is happy to announce that the short movie The Parting, its co-production with the Beverly Massachusetts-based Castaways/Stonehenge Productions, was an official selection of the 2004 Woods Hole Film Festival.
The bittersweet drama stars writer/producer Alan Langer as a grandfather who must give up custody of his 12-year-old daughter (Jennifer Lazea) when an exacerbation leaves him paralyzed from the neck down. It played on Sunday, August 1 at 4:00 pm at the Redfield Auditorium in Woods Hole. The Woods Hole Film Festival is presented in an effort to showcase independent film, emphasize the work of first-time moviemakers, and exhibit movies by New England-based filmmakers.
Visit the Woods Hole Film festival website for more information at http://www.woodsholefilmfestival.com
Directed, shot and edited by Jason Santo, The Parting is slated for release next year on DVD and VHS as part of the third and final volume of Single Serving Cinema. To learn more about the movie, visit The Parting’s section of the MOVIES page page at www.mindscapepictures.com.
LADY X Premieres at Microcinema Fest
One of the most ambitious projects in MINDSCAPE PICTURES’ history, the 20-minute version of the company’s Lady X installment set in Boston, Massachusetts, premiered at Microcinema Fest 2004 before an audience of approximately 200 people in Rapid City, South Dakota. The movie was produced in conjunction with Lady X Films, an international moviemaking collaborative boasting members from New Zealand, Taiwan, Turkey, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Finland, and locations throughout the United States. To learn more about Lady X Films, visit www.ladyxfilms.com. To read more about Lady X: Beauty, Bullets and Intrigue in Boston, and to see a new trailer for the picture, visit the movie’s home on the MOVIES page page at www.mindscapepictures.com.
APPARITION APPARENT Goes Back Into Post
An experiment in improvisational moviemaking featuring an ensemble cast of repeat MINDSCAPE PICTURES contributors, Apparition Apparent was announced as a completed production completed back in May 2004.
Alas, the written-by-castand-crew movie about the aftermath of a séance was marred by audio problems and now will be returning to post-production for additional dialogue recording. The entire cast will regroup for ADR sessions in Medford, Massachusetts over the next month with director Jason Santo taking over editing duties from Roman Berman and Stacey Monty. The twenty-minute picture, as a result, has been bumped from the upcoming Single Serving Cinema short movie collection and will be moved to a second installment in the series called More Single Serving Cinema.
For more information about the production and to see the new trailer for it, visit the MOVIES page at www.mindscapepictures.com.
SINGLE SERVING CINEMA Release Bumped to Winter
Due to a number of technical snafus and scheduling difficulties, the anticipated August release of MINDSCAPE PICTURES latest series of short movies, Single Serving Cinema, has been moved to sometime this coming Winter ‘04/’05. A compilation of short subject movies that deliver the same kind of experience one looks for in a feature-length motion picture, but packed into a lesser running time, Single Serving Cinema picks up where MINDSCAPE PICTURES' successful Bent short movie series left off.
The collection will present three new stories, A Chance Connection, Lady X: Beauty, Bullets and Intrigue in Boston, and The Quiet Day along with the bonus re-release of another Santo picture, Sex & the Model Agent. Unlike MINDSCAPE PICTURES Presents, the company's second foray into short movie distribution, the stories do not share common themes but instead are presented as bite-size tastes of different genres. For more information about the movies included on this upcoming release, visit the COMING SOON and MOVIES pages page at www.mindscapepictures.com.

FIRST LOOK LIST
New Website Lists Undistributed and Self-Distributed Films For Sale on the Web. Los Angeles, CA First Look List www.firstlooklist.com, a directory of hundreds of undistributed and self-distributed films for sale on the web, was formally launched last week.
The website is the first comprehensive directory of films that independent filmmakers are selling on the web, either through their own websites or throughretailers like Amazon.com.
Features, documentaries,and shorts are all listed, and can be browsed by category. The site encourages filmmakers to submit additional films for listing.
First Look List is operated by First Look Rentals , which rents and sells unreleased independent films on DVD.
Contact: Nick Lawrence Founder, First Look Rentals, LLC nick@firstlooklist.com TEL:323-960-9150

Neal L. Fredricks
Cinematographer Neal L. Fredericks was killed Saturday (Aug.15) while shooting the independent film CROSS BONES in the Florida Keys.
The 35 year old DP was filming aerial shots for the movie from a single-engine Cessna, when the plane's engine failed and went down in 50 feet of water. CROSS BONES writer-director Daniel Zirilli, the pilot, a co-producer and a first camera assistant escaped the sinking aircraft, but Neal Fredericks was strapped into a safety harness beneath camera equipment, and was unable to free himself before the plane sank.
Neal Fredericks was best known for his work on THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. He was a friend to this site, and had helped out a number of the B-Independent Bulletin Board members with advice and support.
He had long list of independent film credits, including the upcoming BLACK DAHLIA and ABOMINABLE.
Stephen Pizzello, executive editor of American Cinematographer, speaking about his work on BLAIR WITCH said: "People really didn't understand how integral Neal was to the visual design of that film... It was a huge movie based on the look, the lighting, the camera moves and the flashlights -- all of which he designed."
But despite the success and notoriety of record-breaking indie horror film, Fredericks struggled to find paying work in the business. He went on to shoot nearly 30 low-budget films and was excited about returning to Los Angeles this week to finish color-timing director Ryan Schifrin's ABOMINABLE, according to colleagues. "Neal was known as someone who added to the creative needs of a director and was not limited to a certain style," said Ann Luu, Fredericks' ex-wife. "He was known as a rebel who was open to unusual styles and approaches to cinema. He was a young DP out there to break the rules."
Noted Charles Lenhoff, Fredericks' agent: "BLAIR WITCH put him on the map, but he was on the threshold of breaking through. I thought of him as a young Bob Richardson (of the KILL BILL films). It takes a long time to build a career and a reputation, and a fragile event can tear it apart."
A bulletin board on the web has been set up for people who wish to share their stories, thoughts and memories of Neal. The address is: www.haxan.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=neal
This story was compiled from reports from AP, Rueters, and members of our Bulletin Board.
Rest in Peace, Neal.

THE UPDATES KEEP COMING IN

August 15,2004
THE LAST HEARTBEAT
The Cousin Company Entertainment Group, a small feral independent film and video production company, is proud to announce that it has finished production on the thriller THE LAST HEARTBEAT, starring the Tina Michaud and David Rusk. The shot on miniDV short was written and directed by David A. Lloyd.
THE LAST HEARTBEAT will be the final part of The Cousin Company Sampler DVD; A collection of four short films ranging from the somber AMY VEE (the story of the police investigation into the disappearance of 12-year-old Amy Vee) , to the ludicrous CARL MURPHY: MAN OF LEISURE (one man’s vacation at the cottage and the dangers that arise from poorly placed floor fans and crazed trout). The psychological drama AMY VEE stars Norm Scanlon, Brian Hillhouse, and David Rusk. It was directed by David A. Lloyd from a script by Norm Scanlon.
The romp CARL MURPHY stars David Rusk and was written and directed by David A. Lloyd.,
The film noirish, A FINE MURDER stars Norm Scanlon and Donna Henry. (Directed by David A. Lloyd from a script by Norm Scanlon.)
The Cousin Company, or CC, was founded in the early 1980's by cousins Norm Scanlon and David A. Lloyd, two intrepid film/video makers with very little money and a lot of free time (some might say too much free time).
For more information, visit www.thecousincompany.ca
INBRED REDNECK ALIEN ABDUCTION is complete and ready for Sub Rosa to jump in and work some magic. Adam Hackbarth (co-writer), Patrick Voss (director/co-writer/producer) and producer Donna Donahue just recently recorded their commentary track for the sci-fi gross-out comedy. It's a bizarre adventure that gets very out of hand when an alien fleet abducts a group of Arkansas hillbillies. The DVD hits the street on 11/30/04, but you can enjoy the world premiere at the St. Louis International Film Festival in early November. Visit http://www.cinemastlouis.org/ for festival updates.
"The most ludicrous, moronic, and offensive film I've ever seen. I can't wait to see it again!" - James Gunn, screenwriter (Dawn of the Dead remake)
INBRED REDNECK ALIEN ABDUCTION is a Sub Rosa Extreme production in association with Robot Monkey Lab www.robotmonkeylab.com Visit www.b-movie.com to ask more about this soon-to-be cult classic.
THE POSSESSED has just been picked up by Creative Light Entertainment/Razor Digital Entertainment.  The well-received screenplay has been making its rounds and many doors have begun opening up for its writer Adam Hackbarth (INBRED REDNECK ALIEN ABDUCTION). Interested producers can contact Adam at stlfilmwire@yahoo
BONE SICKNESS
Morbid Vision Films' zombie movie BONE SICKNESS is finished after 2 1/2 years. This ambitious project is about a woman caring for her terminally ill husband who is suffering from a degenerative bone disease. With no cure she turns to an alternative medicine--one that angers the dead.
Actress Ruby LaRocca co-stars in a movie that writer/director Brain Paulin says "is gorier than all of our past films combined and contains fully rotted Lucio Fulci inspired zombies. Our goal was to please zombie fans and we hope we pulled it off. The movie contains over the top gore, skeletal zombies, shootouts, action, stunts, nudity mulitple car wrecks and fire burns. Plus there is actually a character driven story at the core of all this carnage."
"At the moment our website is on a temp hosting page while our new host works some bugs from their program. For those who haven't seen pics from Bone Sickness yet you can view them at www.horrornewsnetwork.com/morbidvisionfilms.htm".

August 12,2004

ERIE, PA USA
Lyons Den Productions’ next film HUNTING CAMP recently wrapped production on July 25th, 2004.
The film was shot digitally on the Panasonic DVX100A mini-DV camera at Pennsylvania locations in and around Erie, Tionesta, and Edinboro. HUNTING CAMP is a short indie drama which tells the story of two men from different sides of the tracks that come together for a weekend camping trip and the everyday evil they are pulled into.
The film stars George Petrus, Karen Jeffreys, Trevor Huster, Rodney Simba Masarirambi, and Shannon Solo and features original music by Andi Wondersound, Dedloft, 5 Empty Chambers, Orphean Son, and Ron Yarosz.
Aiming for a Fall 2004 Erie premiere director/writer/actor/producer John C. Lyons is currently working on his second cut of the film as well as meeting with the artists providing its soundtrack to be recorded in September by Diecaster Studios. HUNTING CAMP is the third short film from the Lyons Den Productions team and the first since SHAKESPEARE’S DILEMMA which can be seen in full at 3btv.com and was selected for both Cleveland’s MICRO FILM FEST (2004) as well as the Motion Picture Commission of Pittsburgh’s Fall Film Fest (2003).
A teaser trailer, clips from the film, as well as the official poster should be hitting the film’s official website before the end of the month! www.the-lyons-den.com
THE DESERTER
How many people are crazy enough to make a silent feature comedy film these days? Probably only one, American actor and filmmaker, Eric B. Borgman who has finished his first feature-length film, the Revolutionary War comedy-drama THE DESERTER.
As a New England actor, Eric has been directed by some of the world's greatest directors, such as Lasse Hallstrom, Delbert Mann, Neil Jordon, Caroll Ballard, Steve Zaillian, Robert Benton, and Steven Spielberg. He can be seen in such films as Amistad, The Cider House Rules, Me Myself and Irene, In Dreams, Mr. Deeds, and Mystic River.
Years in the making, The Deserter brought together two of Eric’s great loves, history and silent, visual, comedy.
It focuses on a British Revolutionary War drummer from the 1770's who accidentally deserts his regiment and his hunted down for execution. It was shot in the style of a silent comedy from the 1920's, but in color, and without title cards. "I wanted to convey a whole story visually", Eric said.
The musical score features the music of the noted Massachusetts fife and drum corps, The Middlesex County Volunteers and the internationally acclaimed Rick Benjamin’s Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.
Eric was influenced by Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, and Charley Chase, however, the comedy in The Deserter is all his own. "I was influenced by these guys, but I didn’t copy them, there’s a big difference!"
Billed as a ‘Revolutionary Comedy’ it is actually much more. It has the most battle scenes, on American soil, in a silent comedy, since Buster Keaton's classic film, The General. These intricate battle scenes, some composed of hundreds of soldiers, were shot seriously and as authentically as possible to balance out the comedic storyline.
"I wanted to capture what it might have been like to watch one of these battles from the sidelines, though without a lot of fanfare," said Eric recently. Unlike Hollywood film, The Patriot, not one computer-generated soldier was used.
"I realize there might be a limited audience, at first, for a historical, silent comedy. But given time, I think some will be interested in the authenticity of the battle scenes and hopefully amused by the visual comedy." Eric also hopes "people might actually learn something", by watching his film.
Eric has already been asked to show his film at the Brussels International Festival of Contemporary Silent Film in Belgium in November. He plans on submitting his movie to other festivals as well.
To read more about Eric's film go to: www.geocities.com/ebbpeg/Deserter.html To contact Eric e-mail him at ebbpeg@yahoo.com
THE LUNAR PACK
Jason Liquori reports:Hocus Focus Productions has just made a deal with horror film legend and scream Queen, Debbie Rochon, to hostess THE LUNAR PACK DVD, due out in October.
Miss Rochon will be creating the character Mistress Misty, a humorous woman with a history of fraternizing with some familiar monsters...and she has the babies to prove it! The Mistress will be the cohesive force holding the three short werewolf films together.
"I grew up in New York," Director Jason Liquori stated, "and never got to enjoy those late night shows with old horror films being introduced by a colorful character on local T.V., so I decided to produce my own." Liquori feels that a horror veteran like Rochon will be able to breathe life into the Mistress and help horror fans relate to the string of monster movies.
THE LUNAR PACK is the first in a planned series of DVD's featuring Mistress Mindy and her litter of illegitimate hell-spawn. Next time around Liquori hopes to present three different looks at how to deal with the Grimm Reaper himself.
You can find out more about THE LUNAR PACK DVD and other Hocus Focus Productions films at www.hocfocprod.com
For interview requests or pictures for online use contact: hocfocprod@yahoo.com
Watch for THE LUNAR PACK October 2004
THE FUNHOUSE GOES CRAZY!
In a merger described by producer Tony Urban as "The beginning of a horrific friendship", North Carolina production company Funhouse Pictures has merged with Urban's own Crazy Ralph Films.
Funhouse currently shooting the Vampire short MIDNIGHT SNACK sought to expand their base and the chance to join forces with the Pennsylvania prodco was one filmmaker Shawn Hunt couldn't pass up. "We are ecstatic about this opportunity to be making more films through Crazy Ralph Films. Tony has already been an enormous asset to us in helping us get started and it's going to be a pleasure to work with him on a continual basis."
As part of the merger, Funhouse and Crazy Ralph Films will be producing the disease-plagued HUNTING SEASON, directed by Urban in the summer of 2004 and "The Shrieking", an intense, terrifying "creature feature" which will be helmed by Hunt and goes under the lens in early 2004. Future projects are also in the works.
Crazy Ralph Films www.crazyralph.com
EMAIL: films@crazyralph.com

INDIE ANIMATION NEWS
CONTROVERSIAL ANIMATION TAKES ON BUSH AND CORRUPT CEO'S
Mike Boas tells us: SHARKS IN THE WATER a film by Dave Puls, is a hard hitting and disconcerting look at the corporate corruption and political collaboration that plague the United States,
Distressed by ongoing reports of corporate corruption, Puls felt compelled to put a face to both the perpetrators and to the individuals whose lives they have disrupted.
"Sharks" began as a song, which Puls wrote and produced himself. The animation was accomplished with Adobe After Effects with a blend of hand-drawn imagery and photo collage. Puls chose to go with stock images, rather than caricatures, of public figures such as President Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and high profile CEO's. "I wanted them to be quickly recognizable to anyone who has seen these faces in the news," he explains.
Puls' own personal confrontation with the corporate world fueled his filmmaking. "After writing the song and working on the film for about four months it was revealed that my neighborhood was affected by a 'release' from a nearby oil storage facility. Everything was eventually resolved, but the whole experience inspired some of the imagery in 'Sharks.'"
Puls is from Rochester, New York and has been the Creative Director at Animatus Studio, since 1992. He has worked on many commercials and directed the "Derf the Viking" cartoon trilogy. His independent animated shorts have been exhibited around the world from Vancouver to Monte Carlo.
His first career as a counselor at the Rochester Psychiatric Hospital prepared Puls for the crazy world of animation. Since 1993, he has been teaching animation at The Animation Workshop at Animatus Studio and in local schools through Young Audiences of Rochester. "I love empowering the next generation with the knowledge that they can speak out through their animation."
Puls has put together a DVD of eight of his animations, which he refers to as Fresh Toones. For more information about Dave and his Fresh Toones go to www.freshtoones.com or www.animatusstudio.com/freshtoones
The four minute SHARKSa has screened at several festivals, including the Boston Underground Film Festival, the San Antonio Underground Film Festival, the Maine International Film Festival, the Boston Political Film Festival, and the upcoming DC Shorts in September, 2004. It was also a selected "anarchy" short at Slamdance.com
The short is available online in RealVideo at www.slamdance.com and Quicktime at freshtoones.com
Rochester, NY
INDEPENDENT CARTOON SKEWERS THE FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE
Rochester's Animatus Studio has completed work on their latest short, "Su and Mo: Lost in Animation." The cartoon tells the story of Su and Mo, the world's only lap-dancing wrestler/animators. Dancing at "Club Hippendale's" has finally provided the boys with enough tip money to fund their independent film. After a turbulent production period, they journey to their native Japan for a premiere screening at the Tokyo Jokio film festival. Hilarity ensues!
The twelve and a half minute LOST IN ANIMATION is currently being submitted to festivals around the world. The short can be viewed online at www.animatusstudio.com/sumo
The completion of "Lost in Animation" comes at a time when Animatus is actively seeking distribution for its library of cartoons. With Su and Mo and other shorts, Animatus has over 85 minutes worth of material, plus extras. An "Animatus Studio Collection" DVD release is expected in the next year.
Animatus Studio has been operating in Rochester, NY since 1989. The studio specializes in traditional animation for film and video, but also handles web animation, 3D and 2D graphics, and video editing. Other independent series produced at Animatus include the "Derf the Viking" trilogy and "Fresh Toones" from animator Dave Puls.
Contact: Fred Armstrong Animatus Studio 34 Winthrop Street Rochester, NY 14607 Fax: (585) 232-3949 Website: www.animatusstudio.com/sumo

August 10, 2004
Call for Independent Film Submissions to Horror Dance Film Festival
deVil Films Announces Call for Entries for Horror Dance Film Festival 2005
Houston, TX August 2004
deVil Films of Houston, Texas announces an open call for submission into the first annual Horror Dance Film Festival. Entries of all lengths are accepted, and there is no fee for submission. Films must be submitted on either VHS or DVD formats. Filmmakers can download the entry form from the festival’s website,www.horrordance.org
The deadline for submission is November 20, 2004.
Those selected to be showcased during the Horror Dance Film Festival will be notified no later than December 19, 2004. The winners of each category will be announced at the festival, tentatively scheduled for January 15, 2005. Awards will be presented for Best Film Overall, (selected from all submissions) Best Short Film, (between three and thirty minutes) Best Micro-Film (under three minutes) Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Special Effects/Make-Up, and The Scream Queen Award (given to the actor or actress who produces the most convincing and terrifying screams). This first ever Houston-based horror film festival will be held in Houston, Texas. There will be a meet-and-greet for filmmakers and sponsors the night before the festival. The festival will include a performance piece, film viewing, the awards ceremony, and a musical guest. Fans will have the opportunity to chat with the filmmakers in a separate room throughout the course of the event.
"I started this festival to bring new films to the fans", says Kevin deVil, founder of Horror Dance Film Festival and President of deVil Films, "and also to expose new talent to distribution companies."
Darrin Ramage of Brain Damage Films has scheduled a visit to the festival, and other distribution companies are expected as well.
"There are hundreds of talented filmmakers out there who have no clue how to get exposure",Kevin says. "That’s where Horror Dance comes in."

Horror Dance has a diverse sponsorship base, including La Strada Restaurant, Underworld Productions, The Hacker's Source, Sacred Heart Studio Inc., and others who love independent horror films. "We are getting a lot of positive feedback from fans, filmmakers, and sponsors," says Kevin deVil. "I really can’t wait for this event, not as the organizer, but as someone who loves independent horror."

Indie Feature Pioneers "Super-duper 8" Film Format
SLEEP ALWAYS screens in Spain and New York.
TORONTO - A new wide-screen 8mm film format had its international debut in December. SLEEP ALWAYS, the first feature film shot in the new "super-duper 8", screened in Spain at the Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia and in New York as part of the International Festival of Cinema and Technology.
Super-duper 8 utilizes traditional super 8 film but exposes the area normally reserved for the sound stripe (as with super 16). When transferred to videotape super-duper 8 utilizes 30% more image area in every frame, resulting in sharper, tighter images but retaining the small-gauge feel.
SLEEP ALWAYS, directed by Mitch Perkins and Rick Palidwor, is a noirish psychological journey inside the mind of an obsessed working class musician in his quest to rescue an alluring homeless girl.
The film boasts a wall-to-wall soundtrack by some of Canada's finest independent musicians and post-audio was supervised by Mitch's brother Jeffrey Perkins, an Academy Award winning sound mixer (Dances with Wolves).
In Sitges Sleep Always screened as part of Brigadoon, "a round-up of the most daring and interesting feature films from all over the world. A unique chance to discover the future of cult film". Sitges is one of Europe's biggest fantasy and horror film festivals.
The International Festival of Cinema and Technology is a touring festival that promotes the best of "undiscovered independent film with a strong focus on new and emerging technologies." For the New York screening Sleep Always was nominated for the best feature prize.
For more information about SLEEP ALWAYS or super-duper 8 visit www.friendlyfirefilms.ca or call 416-504-1077
PANDORA MACHINE, EROTIC SCI-FI THRILLER, RELEASED ON US HOME VIDEO
New York -- Braidwood Films www.braidwood.net announces its latest feature, the erotic sci-fi thriller PANDORA MACHINE, is now available on home video in North America.
Andrew Bellware, director and co-writer, says, "PANDORA MACHINE delivers a vision of a darker world, where our most intimate moments are constanty being watched." Producer and co-writer Laura Schlactmeyer adds "And android chicks are constanly kicking ass."
PANDORA MACHINE takes place in the not-too-distant future, when the police force has been privatized to efficiently bring criminals and political dissidents to "justice". The anti-hero, Detective Michael Kelly (Daryl Boling) must adjust to the new ways and to his new partner, Detective Jane Sikorski (Doris Hicks). Sikorski initially irritates Kelly with her by-the-book methods, but then, things begin to unravel ...and Kelly suspects his new partner is possessd by a secret that even she herself doesnt know.
Mr. Boling, who has appeared in many New York theater productions and television pilots, says, "One of the thrills of working on this film was the opportunity to enter fully into this futuristic world." Ms. Hicks, who plays Detective Jane Sikorski, has appeared on stage and on the long-runnning serial "Kaisermuehlen Blues" in her native Vienna. She is joined by Margaret Dodge, well known in New York as an actor and playwright, who appears as Athena, the mysterious and beautiful assassin android who may be responsible for the unnamed city’s latest rash of gruesome homicides.
The DVD contains featurettes on special effects along with a commentary track, the Andrew Bellware directed short film SALOME, and deleted scenes. PANDORA MACHINE is distributed on home video in North America through The Asylum For worldwide distribution, contact Doug Heller, Zia Film Distribution 505-438-9299
SHOCKING STORIES is a little "Micro-Budget-Online-Horror-Movie" from NOCASHFILM.
Get ready for 5 shocking horror stories:
"Blackout": Some memories are best forgotten…
"Angel Of Death": A sick girl gets a horrifying visit…
"The Devil": Do you know what he looks like?
"Never..Never Open The Cellar Door": But the boy just can’t resist…
"Superstition": Hidden for centuries... unknown to man...now it's coming!
Check out the movie for FREE at www.nocashfilm.com

August 9, 2004

DEMOCRAZY
Michael Legge announced that There's a preview trailer for DEMOCRAZY at Sideshow Cinema's Website
OBITUARIES
FROM: Associated Press
FAY WRAY
NEW YORK (Aug. 9) -- Fay Wray, who won everlasting fame as the damsel held atop the Empire State Building by the giant ape in the 1933 film classic "King Kong," has died, a close friend said Monday. She was 96. Wray died Sunday at her Manhattan apartment, said Rick McKay, a friend and director of the last film she appeared in. There was no official cause of death. "She just kind of drifted off quietly as if she was going to sleep," said McKay, director of the documentary "Broadway: The Golden Age." "She just kind of gave out."
During a career that started in 1923, Wray appeared with such stars as Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper and Spencer Tracy, but she was destined to be linked with the rampaging Kong in movie fans' minds. "I used to resent `King Kong,"' she remarked in a 1963 interview. "But now I don't fight it anymore. I realize that it is a classic, and I am pleased to be associated with it. Why, only recently an entire issue of a French magazine was devoted to discussing the picture from its artistic, moral and even religious aspects."
She wrote in her 1988 autobiography, "On the Other Hand": "Each time I arrive in New York and see the skyline and the exquisite beauty of the Empire State Building, my heart beats a little faster. I like that feeling. I really like it!" "King Kong" obscured the other notable films Wray made during the '30s.
They included adventures "The Four Feathers" (with Richard Arlen and William Powell) and "Viva Villa" (Wallace Beery), Westerns "The Texan" (Cooper) and "The Conquering Horde" (Arlen), romances "One Sunday Afternoon" (Cooper) and "The Unholy Garden" (Colman) as well as horror films "Dr. X" and "The Mystery of the Wax Museum."
After appearing in Erich von Stroheim's 1928 silent "The Wedding March," playing a poor Viennese girl abandoned by her lover, a playboy prince, Wray became a much-employed leading lady.

In 1933, the year of "King Kong," she appeared in 11 films, co-starring with Beery, George Raft, Cooper, Jack Holt and others. In 1980, she told of her dissatisfaction with roles of that period: "In those days, the female characters never knew who their parents were. Leading ladies were not supposed to be funny but were supposed to stand there and look beautiful. That was frustrating as an actress."
In her autobiography, the actress recalled that she had been paid $10,000 for "King Kong" (budget: $680,000), but her 10 weeks' work was stretched over a 10-month period. "Residuals were not even considered, because there were no established unions to protect us," she added.
In "King Kong," she plays an unemployed actress who agrees to take a job with a movie company that is going on location to a mysterious island. Kong is the huge ape that inhabits a part of the island. When the film company discovers him, Kong is attracted to Wray and abducts her. But he is eventually captured and brought to New York and put on display. Kong escapes and finds Wray, with terrifying results, but eventually meets his death on the Empire State Building. She was proud that "King Kong" had saved RKO studio from bankruptcy.
Of Kong she wrote: "He is a very real and individual entity. He has a personality, a character that has been compelling to many different people for many different reasons and viewpoints." She was the guest of honor in 1991 at a ceremony marking the 60th birthday of the Empire State Building, saying that if she were mayor of New York, "I would want to run the city from this building ... and get up every morning to see the sun rise." Although Kong appeared huge, the full figure was really only 18 inches tall. Miss Wray knew him by the arm, which was 8 feet long.
"I would stand on the floor," she recalled, "and they would bring this arm down and cinch it around my waist, then pull me up in the air. Every time I moved, one of the fingers would loosen, so it would look like I was trying to get away. Actually, I was trying not to slip through his hand."
By the late '30s, the actress was appearing in low-budget films, and she quit working in 1942 to be a wife and mother. Her first husband was John Monk Saunders, who wrote such air films as "Wings" and "The Dawn Patrol." She was 19 and he was 30 when they married. She discovered he was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and the marriage became a nightmare. After a divorce, she married Robert Riskin, the brilliant writer of "It Happened One Night," "Lost Horizon" and other Frank Capra films. In 1950, he suffered a stroke from which he never recovered. He died five years later.
Returning to work in 1953, Wray appeared mostly in motherly roles in youth-oriented films like "Small Town Girl," "Tammy and the Bachelor" and "Summer Love."
In 1979 she played opposite Henry Fonda in a TV drama, "Gideon's Trumpet."
She was born Vina Fay Wray on Sept. 15, 1907, near Cardston in rural Alberta, Canada. Her parents moved to the United States when she was 3, first trying farming in Arizona, and eventually returning to Salt Lake City, where Wray's mother was from. Later, they settled in Los Angeles. As a teenager she haunted studio casting offices and won an occasional bit role. Despite her mother's fears that the movie crowd was sinful, Miss Wray was allowed to accept a six-month contract with Hal Roach at $60 a week. Wray had a daughter, Susan, from her first marriage and a daughter and son, Victoria and Robert Jr., by the second. Sixteen years after Riskin's death, she married his physician, Dr. Sandford Rothenberg.
FROM THE ASTOUNDING B-MONSTER
JERRY GOLDSMITH
Prolific, multi-award winning film composer Jerry Goldsmith has died following a long battle with cancer. He was 75. Goldsmith studied music theory and composition with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and learned film composition from Miklos Rozsa at the University of Southern California. In the early 1950s, Goldsmith got a job as a clerk at CBS, which eventually led to his first assignments scoring radio and television programs. Genre-TV fans will recognize Goldsmith's work from "The Twilight Zone" and "Thriller" series.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he broke into feature film work, supplying scores for such movies as "Black Patch," "City of Fear" and "Lonely Are the Brave." Goldsmith assisted composer Alex North on the 1965 film "The Agony and The Ecstasy." When North turned down the job of scoring "The Sand Pebbles," citing the film as too violent, he recommended Goldsmith. The big budget film starring Steve McQueen and directed by Robert Wise was Goldsmith's big break.
Among the many subsequent films with Goldsmith soundtracks are "In Like Flint," "Planet of the Apes." "Bandolero!" "The Illustrated Man," "Patton," "Rio Lobo," "Chinatown," "The Omen," "Alien," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Poltergeist," "Gremlins," "Total Recall," "L.A. Confidential," "The Mummy," "The Sum of All Fears" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action." In all, Goldsmith scored over 300 film and television programs. He was nominated for Academy Awards 18 times. His score for "The Omen" won the Oscar for Best Music, Original Score of 1976. He also won four Emmy Awards and was nominated for nine Golden Globes.
Director Joe Dante offered the B Monster the following tribute to Goldsmith: I really can't put into words what Jerry Goldsmith meant to me, both professionally and personally. If I could write music, maybe I'd do a sonata.
Simply put, Jerry was probably the most talented individual I have ever worked with. His mile-long list of credits is astonishing in both its complexity and variety, from his early TV scores through his feature compositions and concert music. I used to kid him about "Black Patch," his first feature score, which I first heard when it was new in 1957, because it contains signature orchestrations and themes that run throughout his work.
We developed a sort of aural shorthand over the years in regard to which parts of a movie needed and didn't need music; where the music should come in and where it should go out. I would track in a lot of very eclectic temp music (never by Jerry) and he would glean exactly what I was looking for, responding with sonics that completely erased the memory of the temp track despite the fact we'd gotten so used to it.
I learned the severity of his illness at the first scoring session on "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," a problem-plagued project which required a great deal of mathematically precise music which would not have come easily even if Jerry had been in normal health. His dedication and exhausting work on this, his last score, was nothing short of courageous. His last days were painful and frustrating because he could no longer do what he loved best, compose music.
Whenever things got a little rocky during the shoot, I'd always say, "Don't worry, Jerry will save it." I'm sure I'm not the only director who ever said it. But now I'm the last. And the world of movies has lost one of its greatest artists. But we still have the music. And we always will.
IRVIN S. YEAWORTH
Director Irvin S. Yeaworth, best known for such cult-film classics as "The Blob" and Dinosaurus!," died in an automobile accident in Jordan. He apparently fell asleep at the wheel, according to his wife. He was 78. Born in Berlin, Germany, Yeaworth began his entertainment career in radio, singing (at age 10) on the first commercial radio station, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pa. He later became a radio and TV producer. His first feature film, "Twice Convicted," was shot in Chester Springs, Pa., in the early 1950s. He directed three sci-fi films in the late '50s/early '60s ("The Blob", "4D Man" and "Dinosaurus!"), then went back to his first love: making religious movies (including some with Billy Graham). Yeaworth made more than 400 films with religious or social themes. He went on to a career designing World's Fair and theme park displays and pavilions.
He was in Jordan completing work on the Jordanian Experience at the Aqaba Gateway, an entertainment complex that Yeaworth hoped would help bridge the cultural gap between Arabs and Israelis. For more than 25 years, the deeply religious Yeaworth led Bible tours of the Middle East. According to his wife, he hoped to bring more attention to Biblical sites of historical significance in Jordan. The Jordanian Experience was scheduled to open next month. Just a week before Yeaworth's death, promoters staged the annual "BlobFest" at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pa., where the scene of screaming moviegoers fleeing the oozing "Blob" was shot. Though it had been years since his days a sci-fi filmmaker, and he had accomplished much through his missionary wok, Yeaworth told his wife that "the Blob is going to follow me to the grave."
JACKSON BECK
Voice-over artist Jackson Beck, perhaps best known for the classic "It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" radio introduction, died from complications that followed a series of strokes suffered five years ago. He was 92. As the spokesman for such products as Sugar Frosted Flakes, GI Joe, Pepsi, Brawny paper towels, Combat insect killer and Aqua Fresh toothpaste, Beck's voice was ubiquitous to radio and television audiences. The son of silent film actor, Max Beck, he not only introduced and narrated the classic "Superman" radio show, but played various villains and supporting characters, as well, including Beany, the Daily Planet copyboy.
Beck also served as the announcer for the pioneering "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" television program. According to "Space Cadet" co-star, Jan Merlin, "Jackson became a fine friend, and was a regular at card games with various radio and TV folk. His laughter and jokes were traded with all the other well-known comedians, such as Arnold Stang, Henry Morgan and Minerva Pious. He was gracious enough to help me unload some kittens of mine to homes filled with show folk like himself. I most enjoyed working with him when he'd add to his announcement duties on the 'Tom Corbett, Space Cadet' TV and radio shows by playing roles in a few of the episodes, sometimes doubling by changing his voice for an additional role in the same episode. We had the pleasure of seeing one another after forty years, when we did an original cast re-creation of a 'Space Cadet' radio episode for the 1993 SPERDVAC Old Time Radio convention in Newark, N.J."
Personal Note: I (Tom Powers) was present at that Tom Corbett reunion (actually put on by The Friends of Old Time Radio - SPERDVAC is a West Coast group of radio enthusiasts). I also had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Beck announce "Superman" and hear him speak about the bygone days of Radio. Jack Beck was a crusty but friendly guy, easy to talk to and generous with his time.
Beck was also the voice of Bluto in more than 300 "Popeye" cartoons. He later performed voice-over for the Woody Allen features, "Take the Money and Run" and "Radio Days," and was heard on "Saturday Night Live."
Thanks to Marty Bauman at The Astounding B-Monster

BEER MUSCLES
When's the last time you had a beer? Today? Yesterday? Last week? Tasted good, right? Now, what if you could never have a beer again? That's the question posed in the 90-minute comedy, Beer Muscles. Beer Muscles was written and directed by Griffin Marks, and is the first feature film produced by Chicago-based Balls Productions. BEER MUSCLES takes place in Barleyville, a town totally devoted to beer. When an evil wine mogul destroys all the beer in Barleyville, a super powered bartender and an out-of-work busboy join forces to GET BEER BACK!
Balls Productions would like to invite you to check out the all new Official Beer Muscles Website at www.beermusclesmovie.com. Beer Muscles has screened at festivals across the country, including the Atlanta Comicon, The Bare Bones Film Festival, the B-Movie Theater Festival, and the DIFF. Upcoming screenings will include the Funnybone Comedy Club in Pittsburg, PA (TBA) and The Backwoods Film Festival in Charleston, WV (August 24). The movie has won several awards and received some outstanding reviews. More in depth information on all things Beer Muscles can be found on the website or by emailing ballsproductions@hotmail.com.
Griffin Marks, Balls Productions President Carmen Jessee, Balls Productions Vice President Beermusclesmovie.com
THE WICKED
ProfoundImages reports Sal Ciavarello's second feature length Horror film THE WICKED is officially in pre-production. Production begins in November of 2004.
Please visit Profoundimages.com for more details.

August 6, 2004

Shock-O-Rama Cinema Studios & Misty Mundae to premiere films at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear

Misty Mundae, star of the successful horror feature, SCREAMING DEAD, returns to the screen as the lead in Brett Piper's newest horror flick, BITE ME! premiering at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear in Toronto, Ontario.
Well known to underground film connoisseurs, Misty prepares to conquer mainstream cinema with this, her second feature for Shock-O-Rama Cinema studios. A full time student and film major, Misty has directed a number of short films - most recently winning her university's highest awards for VOODUN BLUES, also premiering at the famous Canadian Expo. She looks forward to meeting her North American fans and spending time with the staff of Canada's pre-eminent horror publication.
The Rue Morgue Festival of Fear will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. Hours of the Festival are:
Friday August 27 -- 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Saturday August 28 -- 10:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday August 29 -- 11:00am - 6:00pm Tickets are available at Ticket Master online, or visit the Rue Morgue website at www.rue-morgue.com for more information.

GIRL1/ZACKMASSIVE's latest production DEAD BUFFALO (a western shot entirely on location in Wyoming) has been completed. Check the site for more information. Website: Girl1Zack
August 2, 2004

PUMPING UP from Smash One Productions. A low-budget film to be shot late this fall in Queens, NY. The story revolves around three local friends who work out at an old gym. Every year is the annual "Mr.Hercules" weightlifting contest, and the film will depict how the competion will affects their lives and personal relationships.
Writer/Dir: Peter Papageprgiou. Produced by: Tony Timpone & Joe Sena.
Talent attached: Tony Lobianco as the gym owner, and Clint Howard as his nephew. Also in talks: NY's #1 Dance Radio station WKTU, with their number 1 DJ-Goumba Johnny playing himself. Looking at a 1970's & 1980's remix soundtrack. Think of Saturday Nite Fever in a gym! Investors can call: 212-613-3394

GHOSTS OF EDENDALE COMING TO HOME VIDEO FOR HALLOWEEN
LOS ANGELES, CA Lightyear Entertainment and Warner Home Video have acquired THE GHOSTS OF EDENDALE, the new supernatural thriller from THE LAST BROADCAST writer/director Stefan Avalos. The limited theatrical and film festival favorite will debut on VHS/DVD on October 19, 2004 in time for Halloween. Following the success of his internationally acclaimed feature, The Last Broadcast, Avalos moved to Los Angeles and quickly became fascinated with his neighborhood’s place in film history.
"Once upon a time, Edendale was the center of the movie world. Now, the characters in those old silent movies seem like ghosts. What if they wanted to come back? What if immortality on the screen wasn’t enough, and they were willing do to anything for a return? asks Avalos. He began writing a script inspired by the death of Tom Mix, the silent-movie star who once owned the hill where Avalos now lives. "Ghosts is the story of a Hollywood comeback from beyond the grave", says Avalos.
As Halloween approaches, The Ghosts of Edendale will be holding a "Win a Trip to Haunted Hollywood Contest" with a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles and a stay at one of the most haunted hotels in town. "Maybe you’ll see the weeping ghost of Marilyn Monroe that some say lives in the mirror of the Roosevelt Hotel," says producer Marianne Connor. "Be sure to join our mailing list at GhostsofEdendale.com, and we will keep you posted about the details."
For more information about The Ghosts of Edendale, contact Marianne Connor at the information above, or Victoria Rose at Lightyear Entertainment (212) 353-5084.

The B-Indie NEWS section is being updated after a hiatus. Tom Powers will be handling the chores, and film and video makers should send their PRESS RELEASES to him at ATOMX13@aol.com Remember that although B-Independent has a bit of a indie-horror vibe, productions of all genres are welcome, as long as they are true independents.

RULES FOR SUBMITTING NEWS:
1) E-mail it to me. Nothing spammed in the forums will be placed on this page. ATOMX13@aol.com
2) Keep the news production oriented, sales ads will be deleted.
3) Take the time to write a full press release. I will not visit your site and write up an item.
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