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AUGUST 14, 2006

Massachusetts-based comedy filmmaker Michael Legge and his company Sideshow Cinema will start working on their new comedy, THE DUNGEON OF DR. DRECK, this fall.

The movie centers around a horror host during the 60's, Dr. Dreck, and his co-host Moaner, a zombie cheerleader as they struggle to make ends meet by hosting B movies on their local TV station. However, their show is so successful, it knocks off a long running "ladies" afternoon show, "Tea with Louise". The host, Louise Morgan, used to being a little fish in a big pond, is not pleased and plots to destroy the Dreck show, or Dreck himself. What she doesn't realize is that Dr. Dreck is not just playing a mad doctor, he really is one, and Moaner is really a zombie.

Michael Legge, who is playing Dr. Dreck, says he is planning a special William Castle-like segment which will need special viewers. The viewers will be supplied with the DVD.

Michael actually has been playing Dr. Dreck for about three years now on public access station ABMI in Bellingham, MA, and is a member of the Horrorhost Network. The show is seen in 10 towns in Massachusetts and periodically across the US. Moaner is played by Lorna Nogueira, (Honey Glaze). The movie will also feature TV regular Stu, a large rubber rat whom Dreck has endowed with life. Michael says that "anyone who liked HONEY GLAZE, BRAINDRAINER, and WORKING STIFFS, should like this goofy comedy and also enjoy the nostalgia evoked of those 1960's local programs."

Sideshow Cinema

*****

Producer Debbie Attwell recently checked in regarding U.K. writer/director Alan Ronald's JESUS VERSUS THE MESSIAH. "We shot over 2 weeks, with just 5 crew members and our total budget was £350, which included petrol, food, etc. We're currently putting finishing touches to the film before we hit festivals and screenings all over the world, hopefully by October. The people we've shown the rough cut to have been really blown away and can't believe we made it on the budget we did. I think it really proves that you don't need money to make something decent."

Filmed in Scottland and staring Simon Phillips, Gemma Deerfield, and Danny Idollar Junior, JESUS VERSUS THE MESSIAH tells the story of a man who believes he is Jesus and is running from his destiny, while being tracked by a hitman supposedly sent from God, intent on making sure that Jay dies on the cross, like he should have two thousand years ago.

The trailer can be viewed on the official website.

Jesus Versus The Messiah

*****

Canadian production company The Cousin Company is thrilled to announce the complication of its first feature film, THE LEGEND OF VIPER'S HILL.

This psychological horror tells the story of Meredith Baron, a 30-something woman returning home to close the book on a dark chapter in her family tree. Years ago Meredith's Grandmother Rosie was attacked and raped by Theodore Brick. After giving birth to a stillborn child, Rosie took her own life, and since that day a curse hung over the Baron home.

Looking to make a fresh start, Cedric Plume moved his family into the empty house. Soon after he murdered his wife and children before placing the barrel of a shot gun into his own mouth.

Years later, upcoming business woman Michelle King thought the picturesque home was just to die for. Her last thought before opening her jugular with a carving knife was how right she was.

Today, investigative reporter Jackie Coulter learns that Meredith, Rosie's only surviving ancestor, is returning to the family home to try and put to rest the dark legend that has haunted the small community of Viper's Hill.

THE LEGEND OF VIPER'S HILL was directed by David A. Lloyd (A FINE MURDER, THE LAST HEARTBEAT), and produced by Norm Scanlon (A FINE MURDER). The duo also wrote the screenplay based on a story by Norm Scanlon. The music score was preformed by Dennis Williams. Alex Zander was the DoP.

THE LEGEND OF VIPER?S HILL stars Donna Henry (A FINE MURDER, tv's AMY VEE) as Meredith, Tina Michaud (THE LAST HEARTBEAT) as Jackie, David Rusk (CARL MURPHY-MAN OF LEISURE) as Larry, Tom Griffin as Clifford, Phelan Scanlon as Theodore Brick, M.J. Tedford (THE LAST HEARTBEAT) as Michelle, with Bob Griffin, Kira-Lynn Lloyd, George Spelvin, and Jay Skoid.

The Cousin Company

*****

Jeff Carney, currently working on two productions, ROAD TRIP TO HELL, about a unstoppable terror in the countryside, and ROOM 666, a horror thriller about demonic possession, written with author Michael Romkey (American Gothic, The London Vampire Panic), recently checked in to tell readers that his newest release streets on August 15 from Pendulum Pictures as part of a 6-pack dvd set titled Everlasting Evil.

Carney says "SIEGE OF EVIL is a tale about communication with the dead. Young Susan Logan decides to dabble in EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) using a tape recorder to record the voices of the dead from haunted locations. After visiting an old satanic church, she returns home to find threatening voices on the recorder. The forces of darkness are gathering, and no one is who they seem to be as her family falls under a SIEGE OF EVIL."

The movie stars Desiree Muse (THE SHADOW PEOPLE), Scott Naumann, Amelia Foster, Jerry Wolking (THE ROOM NEXT DOOR/AN AMERICAN LOVE), Patti Flaherty, Barbara Engstrom, Jim Seward, Jenaya Carman, and Denise Yoder.


AUGUST 9, 2006

OPEN CASTING CALL FOR FEATURE FILM

Seeking M/F talent of various ages for several roles in new Lyons Den Productions feature film, SCHISM, to be filmed in Erie, PA area. Previous acting experience not required.

Project type: Feature Film
Pay Scale: No pay
Role type(s): Lead, Supporting, and Extras (speaking and non-speaking)
Director: John C. Lyons
E-Mail: < info@LyonsDenProductions.net

Audition Information:
Saturday August 26th, 12-4PM, Erie Playhouse Rehearsal Hall
919 State St. Erie, PA
(a 2nd audition date and location to be announced soon)

Film projected start date: September 2006

About SCHISM and John Lyons:

Films are rarely made about the residents of an assisted living community or the elderly in general. Sadly, these people are sometimes treated like second class citizens, a burden to their families, and oftentimes forgotten entirely. Our film will center on these wonderful and colorful characters, often full of life and energy, but held back only by circumstances beyond their control. The intent of the film is not to show the staff or facility in a bad light, but to realistically portray the hard work that the staff does on a daily basis and to show the struggles that the residents experience.

The story will cover a mix of genres: drama, comedy, romance, and thriller. The focus will be on Neil, a man entering the facility with a hip fracture, as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s, and follow him from his first day in the home. Neil enters the facility unhappy with the changes occurring in his life and surroundings, but soon discovers comfort and friendship in the residents and staff. He deals with the reality of no longer being a priority in his family’s life as well as the death of a close friend in the home. As his dementia progresses Neil and the viewer may wonder if everything he’s seeing and hearing is really happening.

John C. Lyons’ last film, HUNTING CAMP, was made in and around the Erie area featuring local talent and locations. The film made seven film festivals (winning "Best of the Fest" honors at two of them), playing in cities across the country in the last year, and premiered for a weekend at the Erie Art Museum last spring to a crowd of 400+. The subject matter of this film hits close to home for Lyons as well as for potential viewers with aging family members.

Schism
Lyons Den Productions

*****

Seth Hurwitz, Writer/Producer of SWARM OF THE SNAKEHEAD, says of his new films that "Ahead of the [American Film Market], we're talking to distributors about the recently completed horror-comedy feature Swarm.

"SWARM OF THE SNAKEHEAD recasts creature feature tradition by deftly mixing terror, action, a host of offbeat characters and laughs for a cinematic experience that WJZ-TV Baltimore's Marty Bass called "John Waters-esque."

The ensemble cast includes Gunnar Hansen (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), Frank A. Lama (Fear of Clowns 2), Lisa Burdette (Liberty Heights), 2006 Miss Teen USA Maryland Jamie Linck O'Brien, Rigg Kennedy (E's The Michael Jackson Trial), Johnny Alonso (One Tree Hill) and Maxim model Oksana Mazurovsky -- over 70 CG-effects shots, an instrumental score by award-winning composer Tom Alonso and a rock soundtrack featuring million-selling artist Kip Winger, Ravyns (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Bootcamp (MTV) and Last December (Dawson's Creek).

Synopsis:

Ashley Emerson (2006 Miss Teen USA Maryland Jamie Linck O'Brien) and her two younger sisters Megan and Samantha (Maggie and Elizabeth Denning) dread nothing more than bugs and boredom during their first summer in the sleepy coastal town of Barrow Springs, Maryland. But when the Mayor's son Jake Appleyard (Tim Gilliss, Max Magician and the Legend of the Rings) blames a mysterious "Beast of Barrow Springs" for the recent spike in vanishing pets, it's just the start of a summer vacation the town will never forget. . . and may not survive.

Swarm of the Snakehead

*****
Below is an older piece of news that never made it up due to my 10 months of non-updating and I wanted to make sure people were aware of the item. EI has a big a big supporter of B-Indi over the years and I wish them success with the new direction of the company as POPcinema.

From Paige Davis:

POPcinema: THE NEW HOME OF SHOCK-O-RAMA CINEMA, SEDUCTION CINEMA, RETRO SHOCK-O-RAMA CINEMA AND RETRO SEDUCTION CINEMA

Further to our goal of the consistent release of quality independent DVD premiere feature films, ei Independent Cinema is moving forward with a new company name, POPcinema. Still home to labels Shock-O-Rama Cinema, Seduction Cinema and their retro offshoots, POPcinema will focus on the aggressive production, acquisition and marketing of exceptional independent product in the horror, sci-fi, cult and erotica genres. Via our relationships in domestic distribution, network broadcast, international markets and digital technologies, we will continue to grow our critically and commercially successful brands.


AUGUST 8, 2006

Writer/Director Mark Cange has completed production on his latest project for Optically Sound. A comedic drama that focuses on the pressures and pratfalls of higher education, STUDENT OF LEISURE is slated to begin post-production in September 2006.

STUDENT OF LEISURE tells the story of Kyle, a Ph. D candidate whose life suddenly tumbles into chaos on the eve of his thesis defense. Social obligations, emotional instability, physical fatigue, and bad luck conspire against him and his quest to simply go home and get some rest before the biggest test of his life.

The film features an eclectic cast of emerging talents from the independent film scene that includes Paul Wendell ( DEADWOOD PARK, ABSOLUTION) Jason Christ, ( THE UNDERTOW, ICE FROM THE SUN), Dick Mintzlaff (DEADWOOD PARK, BUZZ SAW), Tru Bequette (THE UNDERTOW ), Joseph R. Engel (DEADWOOD PARK), Rachel Lewis ( CHINA WHITE SERPENTINE, INSANIAC) and Emily Hacck (SCRAPBOOK, SAVAGE HARVEST 2: OCTOBER BLOOD).

The film, produced by Mark Cange and Jason Christ, has a tentative release scheduled for late 2006/early 2007.

Mark Cange's first film, HOW WAS YOUR DAY, is currently available as a bonus feature on the DVD release of CRASH TEST for SRS Cinema.

Student of Leisure
SRS Cinema

*****

Michael Mongillo of Mean Time Productions says that "right now we're in pre-production on our next feature, BEING MICHAEL MADSEN, starring Michael Madsen. The CT portion of the shoot is scheduled for early-September while the CA portion of the shoot is tentatively scheduled for mid-August. Wish us well on our first star-driven feature. We're still casting and putting all the logistics together so if you e-mail us, please forgive what will almost certainly be a long turnaround time for a reply.

"As you may already know, we recently won a "Best Science Fiction Feature" Remi Award from Worldfest Houston for our most recently completed feature, WELCOME TO EARTH. W2E was also nominated for "Best Dramedy Feature" and "Best Ensemble Cast" at Bare Bones International Film Festival. No plans to seek distribution for W2E until its festival run is completed (early 2007) and after we finish BEING MICHAEL MADSEN. We will keep you posted on any festival screenings as they occur

Being Michael Madson
Welcome to Earth
Mean Time Productions

*****

Pat Tremblay, graphic designer (CD artwork for band such as NECROPHAGIA, WURDULAK & VIKING CROWN) & video director for underground black metal acts (ROSTRUM & BODYSERPENT), has just recently completed his first self-financed feature film, HEADS OF CONTROL. A piece that took 5 years to make due in major part to the extensive visual post-production work.

The film revolves around a character named Max Bawder who is very troubled and affected with Dissociative Identity Disorder syndrome. Assuming the perspective of a drug, a quest ensues to find the source of the problem.

Shot principally with non-actors that answered a newspaper ad, they were given free reign by the director to act out any hidden side of their personality, as long as it was done in front of 3 cameras and a bluescreen.

The result was then manipulated into the film's storyline and transformed into a modern day psychedelic experimental comedic sci-fi journey.

Members from the Montreal based horror groove metal band GHOULUNATICS (Gary Lyons, Brian Craig and Francis Dubois) appear as zombies, in a horror scene rendering homage to retro italian fright flicks.

Francis Dubois also contributes musically, having written a complex, yet catchy black metal track for another segment where ROSTRUM's singer Reverend S.S. Rose (aka Stéphane Soucy), appear in a strange performance of his own.

Also, BODYSERPENT's leader, Viper (aka Jean-François Deshaies), has composed & performed the very eclectic soundtrack, which goes from jazz fusion, pop rock, epic western, orchestral & noise experimental among many other styles.

Heads of Control
Pat Termblay

*****

No-budget cinema legend Mark Pirro is hard at work on his follow-up to the recent release RECTUMA. Titled JESUS CHRIST CONQUERS THE MARTIANS, Pirro says that he is "writing, slowly and surely. Completely re-did the beginning. Still trying to make it funnier...and worth doing."

The Pirromount website contains the following plot synopsis:

After watching evangelist programs on Earth television, children of Mars are sad and depressed. They're upset because Earth has the super hero Jesus Christ to watch over them, love them and answer their prayers, and on Mars everyone has always been self-reliant and independent. On Mars, there are no Gods, Saviors, Martyrs or Idols to worship and the Martian children feel jealous and cheated. The leaders of the Martian people decide that to placate the children, they will travel to Earth of the year 33, kidnap Jesus Christ and bring him to Mars, so he can entertain the Martian children with his magic and powers. However, when Jesus arrives on Mars and performs some magic tricks and illusions, chaos ensues as the Martians stop fending for themselves, start forming religions, misinterpret every move Jesus makes and provoke wars on the once stable and peaceful planet. With more and more Jesus related cults forming on the planet, and the world heading towards total destruction, the leaders of Mars decide that Jesus either has to be immediately sent back to Earth, or killed. Which will it be? Don't ask us...we're still writing it. It's thorny crown, cross and nail biting suspense that nobody has seen on the screen in over 2000 years."

Pirromount

*****

Producer /Director Tom Schan's first feature film, MARTYR, is being premiered at the Dukes of York Cinema in Brighton, England at 11.30pm on Saturday 19th August, 2006.

The film is a modern re-telling of the biblical story of Job, but with a twist. The score for big band and electronics, by Anglo-French composer Francois Evans, is one of the first to feature spectral composition techniques.

Helstone Productions
Francois Evans


AUGUST 7, 2006

HTM Films, a northeast Ohio production company, has just released its promo trailer for the feature film, REUNION - which is now in post production.

REUNION is HTM Films' second feature film, and was shot in nine production days on the Panasonic HVX-200 in high definition.

Synopsis: A loser named "Kirk" -- who wouldn't know what to do if he saved someone's life and suddenly became the talk of the town -- is a beaten-down drunk who has no excitement in his life, except for drinking with his buddy Dave in a local campus bar.

Along comes "Twinkie", a hottie with a secret past, who's been forced against her will into a life of drugs and prostitution!

Soon, old and forgotten passions ignite between her and Kirk.

Is Twinkie merely paranoid when she tells Kirk that a deranged motorcycle gang has been following her around for the past few days - or is she being visited by a demented demon from her past; a person so perverted and bestial that his sole reason for existence is the utter humiliation and destruction of herself and Kirk?

HTM Films

*****

Tim Davis of MMJ Video Production in Stafford, Virginia is back to work filming NUDIST CAMP ZOMBIE MASSACRE. With screen credits doing special effects make-up on movies like NEW JACK CITY for Warner Brothers and TV shows like AMERICA's MOST WANTED on Fox, Davis is directing and producing his first indie feature. Co-produced by Peter Evanko of One Shot Productions in NY, who also produced SNAKEWOMAN, DARK SIDE OF THE LIGHT, will release it with their line up next year.

Started in 2005, NUDIST CAMP ZOMBIE MASSACRE went on hiatus on Jan 2006 while Tim recovered from cancer surgery. It stars Zui, formerly Zui Suicide from the Suicidegirls.com modeling web site (POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD), Bruce Rauscher (TWILIGHT OF THE DOGS, INVADER), Christine Burton, Angela Moore, Amelia Naomi, Lil Rhee, Angelina, Richard Willett, and Aylor Wells (INVADER). Director of Photography is Joe Rowe, and special effects are being handled by Tim with special zombies being created by Harry Inman.

Tim says "there is no tag line yet to the title but the story revolves around a young girl with interests in the occult who accidentally raises the dead with the help of a cursed book while she is visiting a nudist camp. She is assisted by a mysterious gypsy and an voyeuristic alien and his crew, a shaved monkey women, and a giant robot."

(B-Indi Webmaster's Note: This just might be the ultimate b-movie production to come along in years. That description alone is pure insanity!)

MMJ Video

*****

Storyboard artist Gregory Lyons checked in regarding two projects he's involved with.

"I have recently finished storyboarding LUMBERJACK for director Todd Portugal of Middle Child Productions. This is a direct-to-video splatter feature. All of the storyboards are up on the net at http://www.middlechildproductions.com/storyboards.htm. This feature is currently in post-production and should be hitting the video store shelves real soon.

"From splatter horror to family drama, right now I'm working on a family drama called MULLIGANS for Rubber Ducky Films. The film will be shot in Vancouver, British Columbia."

Described as "The Graduate meets Desperate Housewives," MULLIGANS revolves around two friends coming to grips with their sexuality, and the trouble it brings to one's family.

Mulligans
Rubber Ducky Films

*****

Tommy Brunswick reports that her company Crossbow 5 is "now shifting into our new skin as The Skeleton Factory. We still have a few more projects that will be coming out under Crossbow 5 Entertainment such as "MR. JINGLES," aka "2 S.I.C.K.," that was just released through Lions Gate Home Entertainment.

"We are working on our most recent project, THE EVIL OFFSPRING." We are in post production on that. We have [also] submitted our latest project, THEY MUST EAT, to a slew of horror film festivals.

"We hope to be pushing our format to HD on our next project in December."

THEY MUST EAT tells the tale of demonic ghouls living on Earth and feeding on human flesh. More information can be found on The Skeleton Factor website.

The Skeleton Factory

*****

Actor Joel Wynkoop (TRUTH OR DARE, CREEP says that he has recently taken over editing duties on the genre anthology "ALWAYS MIDNIGHT," and is currently shooting new scenes for the Falcon Video production. Joel states that "it will now be hosted by myself and a couple other people, including author Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc.It's now going to be like an Elvira cut away type deal."

In his recent ntoe to B-Indi, Joel also went on to discuss his busy upcoming scheduel. "I am also working next week on an anthology titled ALL WRAPPED UP with Jason Liqouri of Hocus Focus Productions. Finished BOGGED DOWN for Jason, and also JAGUAR'S BITE, all for the ALL WRAPPED UP. I appear in three of the shorts for the movie along with Debbie Rochon.

"Also, I start my film FALL OF AN ACTOR soon, I may put up a link where if anyone wants to appear in it they can. It will be a good way that they can sneak in and plug their work."

Fans will be able to meet Joel at the upcoming conventions: The Hollywood Collector's Show, The Screamfest Holloween Horror Convention, and The Carnival of Horrors.

Falcon Video
Hocus Focus Productions
Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc

*****

John Greff of Cheap Jersey Video says that "the follow up effort to "THE DRUNKEN DEAD GUY" is a trio of comedy shorts also starring DEAD GUY cutie Tina Krause. The movie will include a cameo role by Forrest J. Ackerman, the editor who started "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine back in 1958. The movie's title will be announced later. Shooting is loosely scheduled to begin in September and should be finished a month to two months after. Editing should be done early 2007."

Cheap Jersey Video

*****

Brad and Josephina Sykes’ Nightfall Pictures will release its newest feature, MUTATION, on August 15 through Razor Digital Entertainment.

A mix of sci-fi, horror, and action, MUTATION tells the tale of a long dead mass murderer who is resurrected by an experimental serum and goes on a bloody rampage through downtown Los Angeles. Only the detective who put him to rest years ago can stop the now-superhuman killer.

Written and directed by indie horror filmmaker Brad Sykes (DEATH FACTORY, the CAMP BLOOD trilogy), MUTATION stars current World Kickboxing Champion Brian Schwartz, WBC Continental Champion Eddie Croft, and Erin Holt (WITHIN THE WOODS).

The DVD includes a behind the scenes featurette titled “Blood, Sweat and Fear: Making A Mutation”, the film’s original trailer, and director/producer commentary.

Razor Digital Entertainment


RULES FOR SUBMITTING NEWS:

1) E-mail it to Allen Richards with "NEWS" as the subject.. Nothing spammed in the forums will be placed on this page. almaric@usa.net

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.
Please put your production's title in ALL CAPS, to make hypertext markup easier.

4) Keep news exclusive to this site.

5) Film Fest announcments are not news. E-mail me about our inpensive ad rates.


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