The Digital Dead Issue 12

PLUS WIH: FILMS:

Liane Langford SQ: Emily Kirk GRSC: Toxic Tutu Film Cowboy Zombies, Dead House, Killer Pinata & Much More!

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If you are a fan of all things gruesome and gory then you are in for a truly ‘bloody’ treat as The Digital Dead Issue 12 has arrived. With exciting horror stories, world class interviews and spot on reviews, it promises to satisfy even the hungriest of horror appetites.

In this issue we have excited even ourselves with some great interviews, including an exclusive interview with Dominic Brunt about his new film Attack of the Adult Babies.

Plus interviews with Scream Queen Emily Kirk and women in horror legends Liane Langord and Phyllis Spielman.

Our screaming corner regular Genoveva Rossi talks about the intriguing film Toxic Tutu.

So, if you want to know what’s going to be big in the dark world of film, book or gameplay allow The Digital Dead to take you on this terrifying journey and let’s keep indie horror alive... or should that be dead!!!

Thank you for supporting The Digital Dead Magazine.

Jason EDITOR IN CHIEF

So whether your horror tastes are in the extreme, classic, indie or mainstream, our wide range of everything horror will have something to quench the thirst of even the blood thirstiest fan.

And for those with a much more upmarket palette, there are regular features on dark arts, novels and music. With in-depth interviews from some of the world’s leading macabre writers.

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CONTENTS

06 EDITOR IN CHIEF

Jason Wright

FEATURED DEAD

ART DIRECTOR

LEAD WRITER

06 Attack of the Adult Babies 14 Dominic Pace Actor Interview 82 Interview with Director Matt Stuertz 88 Interview with Director Domonic Smith

WRITING TALENT

WOMEN IN HORROR

Jason Wright ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kirsty Richardson Clare Nixon Kirsty Richardson Jenna Storrar Michael Dedman Jones SJ Lykana Genoveva Rossi David Sellicks Baron Craze Damien Colletti Gary Andrew Hindley Austin Wood Jim Morazzini Ashley Lister Leigh Walker James Pemberton PHOTOGRAPHY

Jason Wright Lance Miller

50 50 Deadly Beauty Liane Langford 84 Phyllis Spielman

SPECIAL THANKS TO

CRYPT TV

SUPPORTING THANKS TO

Walker Stalker Con Popcorn Horror Zombie Rising Magazine Weird Tales Magazine Sanitarium Magazine

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DEADLY FILM REVIEWS 22 Cowboy Zombies 74 Dead House 94 Killer Pinata

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Genoveva Rossi Screaming corner 44 Toxic Tutu

Gore Games 36 Agony

36 44 HORROR HISTORY 100 Horror 101 Part 2

SCREAM QUEEN 58 Emily Kirk

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Blast from the Past 28 Mortal Kombat

100 Contact the magazine via the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thedigitaldeadmagazine

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The Digital Dead is a Silent Studios publication.

All photography Š in the magazine is held by the individual photographers concerned. All rights reserved. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, modify, plagiarise, transmit or exploit any of the materials in this publication.

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Dominic Brunt talks Attack of the Adult Babies Interview by Jason Wright Our editor in chief Jason Wright interviews Dominic Brunt about his new film Attack of the Adult Babies.

1. Firstly, thank you for returning for another interview with The Digital Dead magazine.

You’re welcome! I’ve been a reader of The Digital Dead Magazine for years now. It’s an honour.

2. As a director what draws you to horror films and have you thought about directing any other film genre?

The first films I ever got into were horror films when I was 13. My friend’s dad owned Accrington Video on Burnley Road. We watched every horror video we possibly could. We were really into the special effects and the scares. I watch all sorts of films though. My favourite is Whistle Down the Wind which is as far away from a horror film as you can get. I’m not so much a fan of the body horror side of things or the more spiteful horror films knocking about. Our next film isn’t a horror, as such, but it is an incredibly tense thriller. I’m not sure if Bait is a true horror film but it definitely is a thriller.

3. Attack of the Adult Babies is now the third feature film you have directed. Can you tell us a bit about your approach and style to directing horror films?

I try and approach every scene in terms of pacing and who is actually at the centre of that particular scene. I always make camera plans rather than story boards. I’m quite rigid once the script is locked and I always ask that the actors stand, sit and move where I say and they can do the rest. I have a definite design and layout for each scene and I like to stick to how I imagined it. If we cast the film correctly then the actors will bring their performance, gimmicks and tricks to add to it all, but I am quite strict. I always use the same editor, musician and dubbing mixer as I think we all understand each other now. I trust them to do their thing as professionals and I’m always delighted by what they do.

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4. Who came up with the concept of Attack of the Adult Babies?

I came up with the title and scrawled it on the wall in the office. It’s still there. Jo had a treatment for a home invasion script which she adapted to build a story with Adult Babies and a mansion house with monsters, incorporating the animation segments later on in the process. This was then passed to Paul Shrimpton, who also wrote Inbred. He then added his take on the whole thing, and that’s what we filmed. It’s basically a movie version of the old EC pre-comic code pulp kids comics. A huge mansion house with baddies inside and a monster in the cellar.

5. Casting this film must have been fun. How did you go about that?

We already wanted to work with some people who had been in Bait and Before Dawn and our short films. We pre-cast about 50% of it, then held auditions for the other parts. Not everyone wanted to be involved as you can imagine. There’s not much dignity in running around wearing a nappy when you get to a certain age. All the actors and supporting artists who became the Adult Babies were really game for the whole thing. Adult Babies forever!!!

6. Who came up with the process of how to care for the adult babies? Was there any research required or was it just made up?

We made it up. We didn’t want to reference what real Adult Babies do in real life. We weren’t commenting on or judging what they do. Adult Babies are such a broad entity. There are so many sub identities and quirks. Some of it can be very, very dark and some of it is just dressing up and playing. We didn’t want to point a finger at the Adult Baby community and suggest that they were wrong or perverse in any way, because most of them are not. We live in a day and age (or we should) where you can be who you want to be without prejudice as long as no one is getting hurt or exploited. Just be careful when doing an internet search on the subject.

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7. Location wise, you had a stunning manor house to work in. Can you tell us how you got that?

We were looking at another manor house in the run up to the shoot but a BBC drama had gone over by two weeks so we had to look elsewhere. We had a locations manager with us from early on who then went out and did her thing. I was convinced we would be stuck, but then Broughton Hall came along in the nick of time. We made a deal which meant we could live there, film there, eat, use all the surrounding locations and buildings within the grounds, and safely store all our gear. After two days of filming one of the groundsmen came along and said, “We notice you haven’t used the outdoor heated swimming pool yet”!!!!!

8. Some of the Sfx were amazing. We loved the shot through the head and the knitting needles.

Can you tell us a bit about who did those, and the process and time involved on set?

Shaune Harrison designed all the prosthetic effects. He worked closely with Graham Taylor and his team who are the blood experts. Neale Myers then augmented a few of the effects digitally.

There were 70 odd digital effects within the film but every gore effect was done with prosthetics and pumps on set.

9. Things never go smoothly on film sets. What blooper moments can you share with us?

We were halfway into cutting Sally Dexter in half and the chainsaw broke. It was a 50 year old trusted machine which had never gone wrong but we could not get it working again. We had to abandon the shoot for the night and come back at the end of another day. Horrifically stressful but couldn’t be helped. Time is always the enemy on any shoot and I always find the last couple of hours quite tense.

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10. There was a lot of reference to poo in the film. Can you let us know what your team made it out of?

There was a little bit of scatalogical humour in there, especially when the adult babies blow up.

I left the mixture to Graham and his team. I do know he had three different consistencies.

11. Have to mention the animation sequence as we all loved it in the office. It took us back to the Morph times. Can you tell us a bit about the process, and who was the genius behind it?

Lee Hardcastle is a unique voice in animation. I love animation. I really want a shadow puppetry segment in our next film in the style of Lotte Reiniger or the early oriental approach. For me, animation holds emotion and expresses it in a way that live action can’t. I like drawn animation or model animation. I really loved a claymation feature from years ago called The Adventures of Mark Twain (which no one has seen) and I know that film from back to front, every word. Lee Hardcastle is incredible, and me being both a horror and animation fanatic, he’s an animation god. We shared an office in Leeds for a while and we are friends. I’d really like to have him involved in everything we do. He is also an actor in Bait and now Joanne’s short film Sybil which will be screening at FrightFest this year.

12. What film festivals has it been to so far? And how has it been received?

Sales agent AMP International represent the film and they slung it around the world last summer. Jo went to France where she said they all took it very seriously and held a very long Q&A at the end of the screening. The Hyde Park Cinema screening as part of Leeds International Film Festival was a highlight. We screened at 9.30pm when everyone was utterly off their trolley’s. A huge, rammed, raucous showing with people shouting at the screen and laughing along. Madness. FrightFest is always a special place to screen any film. A big, friendly community with the biggest screen in Europe. You simply can’t beat a Leicester Square Premier at FrightFest. Derby Quad was great fun and Razor Reels in Bruges.

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13. So what’s your next project? Can you give us any details?

We’ve been buying the rights to an American comic book for the past two years with the help of a production company. The legal wrangling and costs have been scary and we were lucky to have help from someone with a legal team behind them. Very meticulously done by the American agents, lawyers and attorneys but it’s done and sealed now. We will announce very shortly. I know it’ll be the best thing we’ve done so far. It’s such a good story. https://teaser-trailer.com/movie/attack-of-the-adult-babies/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5871318/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Attack-Adult-Babies-Limited-Blu-Ray/dp/B07BN6TRS4

Interview by Jason Wright

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ACTOR dominic pace Interview by SJ Lykana Dominic, it’s an absolute honour to have you here with The Digital Dead. You have graced our television screens, we have watched you in movies and we have seen how incredibly talented you are as an actor playing so many different roles. Now that you have a number of horror themed projects under your belt, we welcome you to our world. Thank you for joining us.

You have appeared in many crime dramas playing the role of a police officer or detective. How have you found the switch from crime drama to action thriller and horror?

I joined Tim Robbins’ Actors’ Gang back in 2004.

His theatre deals with The Commedia. It’s a style performance with heightened states... the oldest form of theatre. I think that would be the best explanation with switching from Crime Dramas to Action/Thriller/ Horror... “Heightened States.” It’s a gift for the actor as you have more to work with. Crime Dramas on Television are pretty straight forward so your performance is not given as much “juice” as I call it. I jump at every opportunity to join the Action/Thriller genre as it gives you a chance to flex your muscle as an artist. The physical setting is also new and exciting versus a detective office or prison.

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In 2017 you played Clergyman John in Rick Vargas’ ‘The Demonic Dead’. I’ve been able to track down the trailer for this movie and was rather impressed. It looks like ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ meets ‘The Evil Dead’. Can you tell us about your role in this movie?

Yes, there’s a very long history to this female demon, Maria Cruz. The role was played beautifully by actress, Ronee Collins. I play her abusive husband from an earlier century. So many young actors are eager to begin working as soon as they can. I’m happy to have received a role like this in later years, as I think a male or female artist has so much more to choose from in their deviant, artistic arsenal. Ronee is such an amazing talent, that it was easy to feed off her energy in the scenes that we had. I’d also like to mention what a privilege it was to be in the same billing as the legendary Eric Roberts.

Eric was such a gentleman on set, and it was a privilege to meet him. This filming experience was sentimental to me, in that we filmed it at a location which was a restaurant/night club I used to manage. It was called The Geisha House, owned by Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderamma. It is now a two storey Escape Room experience, which provided the perfect creepy setting for director Rick Vargas. The filming was a reminder to me how far my journey as an actor has come. To come from survival jobs, to doing what I love... you can’t beat that and I’m so grateful to be working consistently now as an actor.

Has ‘The Demonic Dead’ been released worldwide yet or do you know of plans for distribution?

The last I heard it would be a Video On Demand release later this year.

I have read that you are lined up for another Rick Vargas movie which is in pre-production at the moment, ‘A Chance Before Hell’. What can you tell us about this spooky thriller?

It was a privilege working with Rick Vargas on The Demonic Dead. There’s no better compliment to an actor than to be invited back for their next feature. A Chance Before Hell will be a deep, psychological thriller, which revolves around a couple who encounter a series of strange events. Rick is known for writing solid, three-dimensional characters so I’m really excited to be a part of this with him as well a very talented cast and crew.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience?

The Geisha House, now The Escape Room, has had a long history of strange energy. I was truly freaked out to hear some of the The Escape Room employees talk about strange occurrences, as Geisha House employees had similar experiences when I managed it. The location is at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue in the heart of Hollywood, CA. Allegedly it used to be a pharmacy almost 100 years ago where a series of murders were committed. I didn’t pay much attention to the story when I began working there, initially as a server.

Employees would tell me stories of seeing apparitions.

Three instances really stuck out for me during my time there. When I began working there, I was of solid mental health, i.e., no anxiety, panic attacks, etc... Now one could argue anxiety could stem from anything. However, I only received panic attacks and dizziness while working there. I went on to much more stressful jobs after my time there from 2005-2008. I never had any issues. One night I was closing up the restaurant but waiting for a VIP, Lionel Ritchie and his two friends, to finish. When a friend of Ritchie’s was heading out, he asked me if the place had a history of violence. He said he felt a very cold energy downstairs.

Another night I was closing up with a small part of the staff.

The main dining room has sensor cameras, so when a person is in the dining room, the cameras go on. All the doors to the restaurant were locked. Two of us were downstairs in the office closing out paperwork.

My bartender and bar back were upstairs by the bar which is adjacent to the main dining room. I could here a loud crash as if someone was throwing plates and glasses. Looking back at the cameras, you could see both my bartender and bar back startled as they had no idea what happened.

My assistant manager and I rushed upstairs to find one of our VIP tables empty with all the plates and glasses shattered on the ground. The rest of the dining room was fine as there was no earthquake. The dining room camera would’ve gone on had a person done this act. The camera did not go on. The only thing we had taped were the bartender and bar back’s reaction to the sound.

On the night of New Year’s Eve of 2009, we also had footage of a balloon. Now one could argue it was just the vents taking this balloon in certain ways, but all the air was shut off and the path of the balloon was so direct and specific, it seemed as if it was being controlled. I just completed filming another film there opposite Tyler Mane, (Psychosis). I texted an old employee that day as, coincidentally, I was not feeling well. We went as far as burning Myrhh or Frankincense in the basement when I managed there. One of my waitresses said it was supposed to help with any bad spirits.

What do you think about horror movies? Are you a fan and do you have any favourite scary movies?

Personally, I enjoy when horror movies are campy and fun. I’m more of a fan of Freddy, Hostel, or Saw, as opposed to straight up, disturbing, or just death. I was pretty traumatized by Tobe Hooper’s, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as it was more real than fiction. Those I tend to stay away from. Unfortunately, I find jump scares more annoying than pleasurable. The ones I’m attracted to are the ones with less gore, and more of a story, or ones that make you use your imagination by hiding the demon or beast. I was really impressed with films like Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity, and even more recently Unfriended, and Friend Request. With Blair Witch, Unfriended, and Paranormal Activity, I was so impressed both directors were able to create such a fear and intrigue with such a small budget. That’s also fun for the actor as they need to create more within their craft versus relying on special effects.

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A few months back I read that you were set to film a new horror movie with X-Men’s Tyler Mane called ‘Psychosis’.

Have you any news on this to share with us?

I’ve had the privilege of working with Producer and Writer, Jessica Soss, on a few occasions now. The experience professionally has been priceless as she’s not only a solid talent across the board, but at the same time such a professional in that she gets things done. She collaborated with a solid young talent, Paul Stevans, to write this film. What really stands out is a modern horror, attached to social media, and filming with our phones some things we weren’t supposed to see. I would like to give mention to a young actress who stars in the film, AlexAnn Hopkins. Keep an eye out for her, as she not only has the looks of a young star, but also the talent to back it up. It was a true privilege spending a couple of days with Tyler Mane. He’s very down to earth and a true professional in every sense of the word. Director Gino Raphael Payne is going to slice this one up filled with suspense and a solid arc. Will definitely have a following on this one as from cast to script, I believe they’ll put forward a solid slasher/thriller.

Personally, I have loved zombies for as long as I can remember. I am completely ecstatic that the world has gone somewhat crazy for zombies with the success of shows like ‘Z Nation’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ franchise along with the many zombie movies being released. What do you think of the whole zombie scene and would you ever consider going down that road?

Absolutely. The only catch with those two projects is that they film out of California. A lot of producers like to hire locally but if ever given the opportunity, I would love to be a part of it. Personally it’s not my genre as a viewer, but I respect and appreciate the artistic style, along with the connection to solid relationships of the characters within those films. Both projects you mention have tremendous story development and I believe that’s where the texture and quality comes from.

Imagine this, a diabolical disaster has struck and you find yourself in a real life horror movie scenario. What iconic movie character would you choose as your survival partner?

Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. Lol.

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In terms of acting, what or who has had the biggest influence on your career?

I wouldn’t compare myself to him, but I’ve always been inspired by the Alpha strength and talent of Harrison Ford. Back when men could be unapologetic on screen. He took complete control of his characters. From Han Solo, to Indiana Jones, to Jack Ryan. The pitch of his voice, his command, his presence… Priceless. Forever a true Hollywood Movie Star.

You are a man of many talents. Myself and our readers have seen you very successfully play a variety of roles. What has been your most challenging role to date?

SyFy’s Megalodon has been the greatest challenge. We filmed 100 pages in 8 days. There was a heightened level of intensity throughout every page. This film was not even 1% of the budget of Warner Brothers, The Meg... so a majority of the entertainment has to come from the actors including myself. We have to create that suspense and intensity. I gave everything I had, and I’m so excited for the world to see the film this August.

Ok, the big one. The one that has us creature feature fans on the edge of our seats. Megalodon! Not only am I a creature feature fanatic, I am also a huge fan of The Asylum and SyFy. A huge congratulations on the role. Can you give us a brief rundown of the plot?

I play the Captain of the U.S. Navy where we are about to set voyage in the Pacific for standard surveillance. We end up tracking a Russian Submarine trying to tap into our Allied Forces/ Southern Pacific Communications Cable. The Russians have drilled too deep awakening a horrific beast from the bowels of the Ocean. It’s a fight against the Russians, along with attempting to destroy the Megalodon. Non stop excitement from start to finish.

You play Captain Streeper, what can you tell us about your character in the movie?

Streeper is a true leader who is firm, but cares about his crew, along with the love of his country. A very talented actress, Caroline Harris, plays my second in command, Commander Lynch. Streeper is a mentor to Lynch, who’s very close to becoming a Captain in her own right. There’s a solid chunk of the film which deals with our relationship together. It’s one of the most important aspects of the film for me as there’s a beautiful, three-dimensional element to our relationship which I’m confident will draw the audience in.

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I have seen and read interviews with yourself in the media and you are always a complete gentleman. You have had so much praise for your Megalodon co-star Michael Madsen. What was it like being cast in a movie with the iconic Mr Blonde?

It was a dream come true working with Michael. As an actor, we respect and honour those legends of iconic roles who came before us. I love Tarantino, and Madsen has always been a staple of his films. There’s a genuine moment we share in Megalodon together, which would’ve played just as well in real life. We had a little down time on set and he invited me back to his room on the ship where we just shot the breeze about film, marriage, and life. It was a dream come true and I hope to work with him again.

You quite often do your own stunts; did you do any of the stunts for Megalodon?

Oh yes, and without exaggerating I was an inch away from serious injury. My Russian co-star, Ego Mikitas, is a former Russian Special Ops Soldier. We were both very passionate about our fight scene in the film. Ego has literally been trained to kill, so there was a bit where we were both in the moment, and his kick landed on my neck as opposed to where it was supposed to be, my chest. The kick was at about 80%, and if he was an inch closer it would’ve been a lot worse than what it was. Ego and I are very good friends, so it was simply an accident, but it did put the fear of God in me that day. We only took a five minute break after that. Enough to catch my breath as both of us were really passionate about giving our director, James Thomas, a solid fight scene. I enjoy doing my own stunts, however much respect is given to the real Stunt Men and Women who risk their lives for our entertainment on a regular basis.

My dream is to win an award where a stunt double is involved, and to bring them up on stage with me. They deserve recognition from the Academy more than anyone. No other nominee is putting their life on the line for a film. They do regularly and deserve all the accolades and respect in the world.

When is Megalodon released worldwide?

August 31st is the official Worldwide Release. Amazon will have it then available for purchase or rental.

The Asylum and Syfy have an enormous following and a strong presence at Horror and Comic Cons. After your role in Megalodon do you plan on appearing at any of these?

Yes. I’m proud to announce I will be appearing at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. I will be signing autographs of a Megalodon Promotional Photo for free, as well as photos with fans. My booth will be in the Sails Pavillion of the Convention, and I am scheduled to appear Friday, July 20th from 2pm to 7pm, and Saturday July 21st from 10 am to 2 pm. Please stop by as I’d love to meet anyone who plans to attend this year.

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You’ve dipped your toes into the ocean that is horror. Do you think we will be seeing a lot more of you in horror movies?

I’m 6’4” and 255 pounds. I’ve always looked up to Kane Hodder, and any roles similar in the future for big, imposing men would be most welcomed.

Before we part, there are a couple of very important zompocalypse questions we need to ask. You are famous for playing a tough guy (bouncer, henchman, cop etc), what do you think your reaction to a real life zombie apocalypse would be?

I think when it comes to protecting our loved ones and family we all have our inner beast come out. I certainly wouldn’t go down without a fight. I have some fishermen in the family, so hopefully I can hop on one of their boats to avoid immediate extinction.

If you had to choose between battling a giant shark or a horde of brain munching zombies which would you choose?

Giant shark for sure. Possibility you could position yourself on a Navy Ship and have the high ground to attack.

Dominic Pace, it has been a pleasure to interview you.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you so much, and thank you to all your followers for tuning in to Megalodon this August.

Interview by SJ Lykana

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Blood Drive _ Season 1

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Cowboy Zombies

By Ashley Lister Cowboy Zombies (2016) aka Walking Dead in the West Directed by Paul Winters.

Written by Gahan Wilson and Paul Winters Starring Paul Winters, Greg Bronson and Jean Paul Turgeon.

Out now on UK DVD from Left Films “A new frontier of fear.”

Crumpit, Arizona Territory, 1876. A meteor hits the earth and reanimates the dead.

Given that the pioneers who genuinely westernised the west had to rely on incredible survival skills, it seems apposite to present them here as characters with the challenge of surviving a zombie apocalypse.

It also seems like an innovative way of remembering the achievements of the brave and resourceful frontiers-folk who shaped the America we know today because, as adversaries, zombies are seldom perceived as undeserving when it comes to frontier justice.

There’s some dark humour in this film, especially in an early scene where a pair of criminals, rustlers and murderers, are being hanged just as the meteor strikes. One of them cries, “God, please, give these people a sign. Don’t kill the innocent.” As soon as he’s said the words there is the boom of a meteor striking earth and the criminal says, “See! I told you. A sign from God almighty.” And, whilst this might look like divine intervention to some, the criminal is still hanged. In the moment of their deaths the two criminals are transformed into zombies and then spend the remainder of the film, dangling from the ropes that killed them and growling hungrily whilst their legs tread air.

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Paul Winters (Nate and the Colonel, The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud), gives a convincing performance as the NRA-prototype Marshal Frank Wilcox. Wilcox gives expository voice-over narration throughout the film. He is a character who solemnly intones: “I learned early on in my life that the only thing that can stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun.” By the end of the movie, Wilcox is leading a ragtag collection of survivors who seem to represent a broad spectrum of the west’s cultural diversity.

And, for me, I think this was one of the film’s major flaws. The Wild West, according to my understanding, was not known as an exemplar that embraced its rich cultural diversity. The Wild West was a brutal conflict between cultures of the indigenous native Americans and the invading pioneers. Whilst this film allows members from those cultures to band together and kill zombies, it seems like it’s glossing over some key issues on the bloody truth of the west’s westernisation.

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And it is fair to say that this is a very diverse team. Calion Maston (Atomic Shark, The Coldest Kiss) plays the black US Army Sergeant Bale. Lee Whitestar (Nate and the Colonel, The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud) plays the old Apache, Warrior Chief Datanta. Mark Trombino (The Dog Wedding, Men Cry Bullets) plays Jasper the barman. Although Jasper is a person of short stature, he’s a key character in the film and, in one of Winters’s gravel-voiced narrations, we are told, “He could shoot a pistol real good. Back in those days, that was the difference between you living and you dying.”

Together with a handful of others, including the excellent Greg Bronson (Western X, Hot Bath an’ a Stiff Drink, Coyote Requiem), the likeable Sam Keller (Mimi and Mo, A ‘K’night Lost in Transition) and the lovely Sandy Penny (Trial 2020, Re-Do), these characters form a cadre determined to get out of Crumpit’s Double Peach Saloon and find a safe haven away from the threat of zombies. It’s entertaining and fun for anyone who enjoys kicking back and watching cowboys and zombies with maximum hijinks and minimal gore. These are the sort of slow-moving zombies that we’d all like to encounter if/when the apocalypse happens – but only because they’d be easy to shoot and relatively easy to outrun.

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I came away from this film thinking that it worked, less like a stand-alone movie, and more like the pilot for a proposed TV series. Given the success of Deadwood and The Walking Dead I could understand how this would be a zeitgeist idea to be pitched to the studio bosses behind the big box sets. Maybe it could even have been called The Walking Deadwood.

And, having said all of that, who doesn’t love cowboys and zombies?

Article by Ashley Lister

Score: 7.0/10.0

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Mortal Kombat

Article by Damien Colletti

Get over here and check out the Award Winning MORTAL KOMBAT: FATES BEGINNING Movie!

Kano ripping someone’s heart out for pure bloody pleasure! Scorpion making his opponent extra toasty by burning him alive! Fatalities are some of the reasons why we love the Mortal Kombat video games!

Both of these are included in “Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning” and a whole lot more! The film is based on Mortal Kombat’s first arcade game (1992) and movie (1995) so it stays true to it’s origins!

After winning the Award for best Mortal Kombat fan film at the 2015 Urban Action Showcase Film Festival and Expo at the AMC Theater in Times Square, New York, Saturday November 7th, “Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning” is now officially released for the world to see!

“Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning” has a special appearance by Daniel Pesina who played the original Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, and Smoke in the first two Mortal Kombat arcade games.

Daniel plays Shang Tsung in the film. The film also Stars: Damien Colletti as Kano, Victoria Simone as Kitana, Basil Masters as Johnny Cage, Johnny Alicea as Scorpion, Richard Lounello as Raiden, Irina Gorovaia as Sonya Blade, Immanuel Chang as Lui Kang, Lance Bilodeau as Reptile, Robert Bilodeau as Sub-Zero, Raw Leiba as Goro, and Al James as Shao Kahn Guard #1.

Written and directed by Chris Barcia. Cinematography by Mathew Wijatyk. Animation by: Scarlett Menendez.

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I asked writer/director Chris Barcia what made him want to make a Mortal Kombat film and what can fans expect from it? He said, “I and the people involved are such huge fans of the game and noticed that people have not tried to capture the original game on film since 1995. We wanted to bring homage to film for ourselves and fellow fans. Fans can expect a new take on the original Mortal Kombat from our film. It also has echoes from the original film and a lot of homage to the 1992 game from the arcades.”

When I asked Daniel Pesina about his experience working on “Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning” compared to the Mortal Kombat arcade games he said, “It was completely different. When we filmed for the Mortal Kombat arcade games John Tobias and I did not know what we were doing. We each knew our role but we had to make it fit into a video game. On “Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning”, we had some seasoned actors and our camera team were spot on professionals so I was confident in the project’s success. I already knew Chris could handle directing the film, and I was very impressed with Damien Colletti (Kano) and Johnny Alicea (Scorpion)’s Acting Reels. That charged my enthusiasm for this project. It was a total ‘Friendship’ move!”

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I also asked Daniel what can fans expect to see from his performance in the film, he had this to say: “When we shot the Mortal Kombat video game we let each person perform and create to their ability. I was in charge of keeping martial arts ideas authentic and help making special moves into a physical thing.

This was very similar to “Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning”, we were allowed to play with our characters which made the whole project very fun. Chris knew we had a short window and allowed for a lot of input so we could finish filming on time. He was brilliant on the fly. People should enjoy the work for what it is.

Chris’s vision! Keep in mind that Mortal Kombat fans hold the 4th generation version of Mortal Kombat in high regard. I refer to the movie. This is because they are unfamiliar with the original origin. It was a very loose concept as far as story goes. We were only going to make 200 arcade cabinets and it was never intended for home. We created a lot while actually filming. People should just enjoy it because that’s the real concept of Mortal Kombat, FUN!”

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So sit back, relax, and enjoy the final Mortal Kombat tournament that is now upon us. Choose your side wisely though, because you can either show some respect to Lord Raiden, the God of Thunder and Lightening, or get Kaned by Kano mate! Fight! “Mortal Kombat: Fates Beginning� Movie: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFSqXl_F1xM IMDb page: www.imdb.com/title/tt5124244 Photo credits: Dark Mind Productions, Mathew Wijatyk, Rebecca Oliva, Jeff Smith of ReflectionsNYC, and Damien Colletti.

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DamienColletti Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/DamienColletti Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DamienCollettiOfficial

Article by: Damien Colletti

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http://www.weirdtales.com/ https://www.facebook.com/weirdtalesmagazineonline https://www.twitter.com/weirdtales Page 34

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Review BY popcorn horror

Madmind Studio’s controversial and hyped up first person horror game, Agony, has been released after being often delayed. The game came about through a Kickstarter fund which proved successful, and relied on a great marketing campaign to build up the hype. Facebook was flooded with visually stunning trailers showing a gruesome vision of Hell, along with the hype of possibly hitting that dreaded ‘AO’ rating. How did it hold up? Read on to find out.

I’m going to be honest here. I delayed writing this multiple times in the hopes that a patch would be released for Agony, and as the days turned to weeks, it became evident this patch wasn’t coming for a while. PC received a patch, while consoles didn’t. I wanted to give Madmind Studios and Agony a fair shot, rather than reviewing something that felt completely broken and unfinished. Unfortunately, time ran out and I think it’s time to be honest about the product. For clarity, I played the game on an Xbox One X.

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Let’s start with the gameplay. Frankly, it’s boring. While seeing what Hell could look like was interesting, the actual gameplay was slow, tedious and felt like a chore. This is a walking simulator dressed up as a stealth game. The idea is that you need to make your way through Hell to a Red Goddess, but along the way you will encounter demons that will kill you instantly. That’s fine. I enjoyed Alien Isolation, which has the same premise. Get spotted and die. Got it. The problem is, that, at no time did I feel any sort of fear from encountering these demons. Instead, it was just annoying and frustrating, due partly to some glitches I encountered.

Once you die, however, you become a spirit and you must possess another character in the area within a certain amount of time. This effectively acts as lives in the game. Unfortunately, the tutorial for this abruptly closed, and I had to experiment with various buttons to see what was what. Then later in the game, the possession mechanic seemingly just stopped working. This made the game 100% more frustrating than it needed to be. One final gripe, and this is minor, but why is there a breath-holding mechanic? You play a dead character in Hell. Holding my breath just seems trivial.

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I’m fine with walking simulators, but they need to be engaging. Engaging, Agony is not. There’s definitely a story tied into the game, but it’s poorly written, and I can’t say I remember anything about it. All I know is that I needed to find the Red Goddess, and then I found her.

Then I had to find her again. And again. So the story was bad, but surely the environment had to pull me in, right? While the initial shock of Hell was great, it quickly wore thin.

You can only see the same moist, blood covered walls and floors so many times until it becomes background noise. The game praises itself on the brutal description of Hell, and it delivers. But like watching an ultra-violent film multiple times, you will eventually become desensitized to the violence, and it will lose it’s impact.

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Finally, let’s talk about glitches. I mentioned earlier that Agony is broken, and that’s the only way I can describe it. My entire playthrough was plagued by this awful sound glitch that was just pulsating static. I had to play with the volume turned off. There’s constant screen tearing, and some pretty bad frame rate drops, not to mention the various glitches I had with the gameplay where I wasn’t able to interact with something of importance to the objective.

Agony is just another game in a long list of titles that come out unfinished, because it’s easier to just release a patch than to fix it before the game comes out. While I would like to go on and on about games being released unfinished as a norm, that’s a topic for a different day.

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Madmind Studios, I’m not mad at you for releasing Agony in this state, and I’m not mad at you for making a game that just did not captivate me. I am disappointed, however. The hype was real, and the trailers were incredible, but the actual experience of the game left so much to be desired. While I hope that you can release a patch and make this into something more enjoyable, just like my character in the game, I’m not going to hold my breath. Check out the trailer below, and let us know what you think? Have you played Agony yet?

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Review BY popcorn horror

Score: 4.0/10.0

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MORE NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION COMING SOON

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genoveva rossi’s Screaming corner

TALKS aBOUT toxic tutu

“A look at Toxic Tutu with the “mop boy” Mark Torgl and Remembering Director Joe Nardelli” by Horror Queen Genoveva Rossi.

I met Joe Nardelli through my acting in Toxic Tutu. Mark Torgl put me in touch with him after Mark and I were guests at a convention in Virginia. Joe and I shot one day in the East Village and became fast friends. He was kind, supportive and a true collaborator. Joe is deeply missed by all that knew him, but he has left Toxic Tutu as a gift to those that love b-rated gems.

Toxic Tutu screened at FANtastic Horror Film Festival in Oct 2017 in San Diego where it won: Best Actor in a Feature Film: Mark Torgl, Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film: Lloyd Kaufman, and Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film: Genoveva Rossi

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1. Firstly Mark, I want to congratulate you on getting distribution for Toxic Tutu. When and where can fans find this film?

Lol, thanks for your encouragement. Toxic Tutu right now is in limited release playing theatrically as the second part of a double feature with Toxic Avenger, at certain Alamo Drafthouse Theaters. We are still in the need of an actual distributor. I had a good talk with the guys from Mad Monster Party about their possible involvement as they’re just getting into the distribution game.

2. Tell readers about what inspired you and Joe Nardelli to create Toxic Tutu?

I did my first ever monster convention 5 years ago at the Mad Monster Convention in Charlotte NC. Eben McGarr of Mad Monster set me up with flights and hotel and table full of Toxic Waste barrels. I invited my best friend Joe Nardelli who I went to film school with to come and document the experience.

Toxic Tutu had it’s start there, first as a documentary and later as a mockumentary.

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3. What is your fondest memory of working with Joe Nardelli on this film? Director Joe Nardelli unfortunately passed recently.

We did a scene at the abduction site trailer in Runyon Canyon, we burst a water main and almost set the trailer on fire.

4. Please tell readers a bit about Joe Nardelli.

Joe was a force of nature, he had a million things on his plate at all times, he didn’t really sleep or eat. He was like a manic hurricane. Toxic Tutu would never have been completed without him. He was a great guy that will truly be missed.

5. Toxic Tutu was inspired by Troma’s classic cult film The Toxic Avenger. In fact, they have both been playing together as a double feature at select Alamo Drafthouses in NYC and Texas. How did you come to play Melvin the mop boy?

I was at film school at NYU, that’s where I met Joe. I answered an ad Troma Films had put on our Job board to come work on a feature film. The film was “The First Turn On” I was hired on at no pay to be the script supervisor. One day the actor for a major role, the camp counselor’s boyfriend, didn’t show up and Director Lloyd Kaufman asked me to step in and do the role. I played Duane, a totally over the top misfit nerd. Troma liked the way I did this character so much that the following year when they were casting for Toxic Avenger, they called me up and asked if I wanted to play Melvin, a socially awkward misfit who transforms into a super human monster. I said I can do that. The rest is history.

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6. What unanticipated ways has playing Melvin impacted your life?

Playing Melvin made me a minor cult celebrity, the fans that love the movie know me, the general public doesn’t know me, I kind of like it that way.

7. What will fans of Toxic Avenger love about Toxic Tutu?

Toxic Tutu is an homage to Toxic Avenger. “Whatever became of the Toxic Avenger’s Melvin The Mop Boy” Mark Torgl. There are many actors from the original Toxic Avenger, Bozo, Slug, “Melvin’s Mom” and Skippy the boy in Toxic Avenger who’s head gets smashed in the car chicken game.

8. What’s next for you and Toxic Tutu?

I need Joe to come back from the dead to make the sequel to Toxic Tutu like he always wanted to do.

Acting roles and movie work always seem to fall into my lap. I also have a cameo in Troma’s new “Return To Return To Nukem High” 9. It was really an honour that you, Lloyd Kaufman and myself all received acting awards for Toxic Tutu at FANtastic Horror Film Festival in San Diego. How was attending that film festival?

Really fun being given The Best Actor In The World Award.

10. Any final thoughts to leave us with?

Always go for it full tilt, life is short, burn that fuse and take off! I love all of my rabid fans, there’s nothing like the monster fanbase crowd.

Cheers!

Yours in Screams, Genoveva Rossi

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Fancy having a zombie portrait done and be published in the magazine.

Well contact Jason Wright Photography and become a zombie tomorrow.

Email: jason@silent-studios.co.uk

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DEADLY BEAUTY: HORROR’S SCREAM QUEENS AND RISING TALENT: SIX QUESTIONS FOR LIANE LANGFORD “Liane was born in Los Angeles. Her family emigrated from Russia, running from the Bolsheviks, finally coming to rest in the Hollywood hills of California. Sometime between Aunt Edna opening her famous pastrami stand in Santa Monica and her grandmother Ann’s celebrated family market, the “shermart” in West Hollywood, Liane was born. Raised in the Hollywood tradition, as a child, Liane’s playground was the back lot of universal studios and A&M records. Weaned on the tijuana brass and emma peel, Liane tried to wrap herself in her mother’s black chiffon scarfs in an attempt to walk like Mortisha, but found that moose and squirrel came easier. Fade to black………”

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1. How did you get into the industry?

I grew up in Los Angeles, and I was raised in the film/music industry, not to mention all we did as kids was performing. I really wanted to dress in my mother’s black chiffon scarfs and play the Adams family. Hmmm, begs some questions! Hahaha. I always loved film, my mother made sure I danced and I was forced to sing in the school chorus from 3rd grade to 7th, when I was allowed to join Drama. In my teens I was modelling professionally. I had the funniest agent in Hollywood called “YES!” Agency. I never knew a time in my life that I wasn’t doing something in the industry.

I became a centerfold on a dare, worked for National Lampoon (those guys are wack!), dated very famous musicians and actors etc…I was very cavalier about the whole thing, really like everyone in LA at that time. I became a stylist at Fred Sagal in Hollywood. I landed in Pacific Grove, Monterey, and Carmel… became an Art Director and Curator, still modelling on the side, working in theatre. I evolved and started to produce art events and exhibitions, I found myself in New Orleans doing an art exhibition for Katrina, and NY for 911. All of this was as natural as a skill set. Then in 2013 I turned to film and acting once again.

2. What woman in horror inspired you most?

All women inspire me!!! I have so much respect for women in any horror genre. It takes guts to walk in that direction. But I will say Jessica Lange in AHS! The latest beyond amazing performance of Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place.

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3. What horror film hooked you on the genre and why?

I have always found horror attractive and alluring. Wow!! Umm really? Hahaha ok ‌Alien, Blade Runner (not horror), Chainsaw Massacre was deeply disturbing and The Shining. I could go on and on. Dracula at the very first blush. Bella is one scary guy!

4. When you are presented with a script, movie concept, model shoot or article idea, what are the things that draw you to certain projects and away from others?

The writing, the idea is very important to me. Originality, where is it coming from. I love the edge!

Most of my modelling shoots are my concepts first. I also love origin stories; where is it coming from?

I think I love certain directors because they don’t dumb it down, they rely on the fact that you have the mind to figure it out. Can it intrigue? Can it leave a real impression?

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5. The evolution of women in the genre continues to change almost daily, so what are your thoughts on how things have changed and what do you see coming for the current and future women of horror?

Lead roles? We will be just fine. But if you think about historical film women have had great roles in horror. We are evolving. I am so happy to see a younger generation coming into this genre. We need to care for it! It’s our duty! There is no age appropriate anything anymore, we all are welcome to work. I do believe we need to always be working on our craft. I have an issue …I blink too much and as a result I’m starting ”Blinkers Anonymous” with 12 steps and everything!! Step 1: We admit that we are powerless over our blinking!” Hahaha!!

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6. What are the next couple of projects you are working on?

Oh, so happy to announce I will be in Phillip Trickey’s Film “The Bread of Wickedness”. It’s a very dark film about the elite and the food they love to eat! We are currently doing an Indigogo campaign to raise funds, so please give what you can. I have a few others that are in the works right now and will be posting soon. As you know I went through a year of hospital visits with Crohn’s Disease and I have decided to do a Facebook Live about once a month so please tune in. I will be talking about my experiences. My film Meathook Massacre 3: First Hunt will be officially released this summer.

See you in the movies and in the shadows.

Photo Credits to Lance Miller and Artwork Credits to Jeff M. Carlisle IMDB Page - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5386876/ Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/liane.langford Instagram Page - https://www.instagram.com/lianelangford007/ Saints and Sinners Film Festival - https://filmfreeway.com/SaintsandSinnersFilmFestival A World Gone Mad Trailer - https://vimeo.com/266436442

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Scream Queen Emily Kirk AUSTIN WOOD INTERVIEWS EMILY KIRK ON THE HORROR NIGHT PODCAST SHOW. Austin: We would like to welcome Emily Kirk to the show.

Emily: Hello… thank you for having me guys.

Austin: What is your favourite horror movie?

Emily: Oh man, it’s kind of tied, because I love Bride of Frankenstein because I’m a fan of the classics but I also really love Carrie because I think Sissy Spacek is an incredible actress and I think being the picked on character, the weirdo… it’s nice to see them getting their revenge.

Mike (Co-host): What did you think of the re-make of Carrie?

Emily: It was fun…you know, I watched it. I didn’t dislike it, it just kind felt like I was watching it in a different colour.

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Mike (Co-host): Right, it was good. It stripped a bit, because of the different actress but like you say it was just a different colour.

Emily: For sure, and also Julianne Moore, she’s incredible.

So, yeah it is hard to pick a favourite one… I guess for this I would say Carrie but Bride of Frankenstein’s very, very up there.

Austin: All of my fans will know that my favourite horror movie is Zombie Strippers… I mean when a hot girl turns into a zombie and then becomes a stripper afterwards – it’s kind of attractive.

Emily: You’re into that?

Austin: I’m into that. When a hot girl turns into a zombie while becoming a stripper now that’s… *All laugh* Emily: Did you ever see Zombeavers, about zombie beavers that kill people?

Austin: Yes, I’ve seen that movie and um, I liked it.

Emily: That’s what it made me think of when you said zombie strippers.

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Austin: What is Vengeance about?

Emily: Oh man. Vengeance is really, really cool. It was a concept that Brialynn Massie came up with, also director and writer. She came up with this concept in a basic way. This girl has been tormented and she has this awful bullying event happen to her and she’s very torn down and very upset. She loses self-control and she’s debating hurting herself and she gets this crop up that pretty much tells her do you want your revenge, like, here and it goes through this weird thing, where it’s almost as if she has this voodoo doll of herself and anything that happens to her happens to her bully. So is she hurts her knee her bullies knee hurts, if she cuts herself the bully’s bleeding. So it’s this whole thing of how far will you go to hurt the other person even if it is hurting yourself.

Austin: Oh wow.

Emily: So it is a horror film, but I think there is a lot more depth to it that people are typically expecting from a horror film.

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Austin: What was it like working with Brialynn in that movie?

Emily: It was really cool. I’ve actually worked with her a couple of times now. We met for a horror web series a couple of years ago and she always has a really clear vision of what she wants so she is very direct with you. She’s been an actress herself so she is good about knowing that an actor needs to prepare, get into that headspace… so she’s very good at giving you that time and helping to accommodate you to get you ready for that. She’s always ready to go hard… like all the blood, all the gore – like anything to make the story where it needs to be.

Austin: What is it like being in a horror movie?

Emily: Oh man, it is so fun. Ever since I was younger my dad would show me classic horror movies so I grew up with Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon and then I was able to graduate to Halloween films and seeing all that. I love the campiness of horror films, I love how over the top they can be, but also how terrifying. It’s just interesting how this film genre can go in so many different ways. We just recently saw Hereditary and I had a hard time sleeping that night but then we can talk about movies like Zombeavers or Zombie Strippers and it’s hilarious so I think it’s so cool how versatile horror can be… and being able to go over the top and go crazy and be bloody or be weird.

Austin: I have yet to see Hereditary, would you say it is a good movie to recommend to watch?

Emily: Oh, I think it’s incredible. Toni Colette, and also the score by Colin Stetson and the whole film is so eerie and it kind of goes in a lot of ways you’re not expecting. Colin Stetson is also the same composer who did 12 Years a Slave. With Hereditary, even if you think you’ve pinned down what is going on, you won’t. It’s going to surprise you. So, I would recommend it, but I had a hard time sleeping that night.

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Austin: What future projects are you working on?

Emily: We are finishing filming Vengeance in August which will be really great. Hopefully, ideally, we are going to get some distribution with the awesome cast, the stellar crew, Robert Bravo does all of the effects and make-up and it’s incredible, like all of the burns and the blood and the scars are really great. Michelle Gernon is my leading lady and it’s going to be really cool and that’ll be coming out soon. Then I recently, I worked with Michelle in another thing, we recreate a scene from the film Closer, which is more of a dramatic take, than a horror thing.

Then I’m always doing comedy, I like to try and get to as many shows as I can, so doing shows, I did a women’s comedy festival this year. I’m always submitting for things and always trying to find new opportunities. Oh I have another short film I’m going to be doing… it’s more of a drama/comedy so more of a funny comedy type thing. So, yeah the future is always open so if there’s anyone that has any great ideas hit me up.

You can check me out on my website: www.emilynkirk.com Interview by Austin Wood

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Tell us a little bit about you and how you got into making films?

I grew up entertaining in front of groups of people from cheerleading, playing in the band, performing in high school theatre and then competing in sports. I graduated and went to a University then joined the Army. Had the opportunity to travel while being stationed in Friedberg, Germany and travelled around Europe. After getting out of the Army I worked in Banking and then in the Defense Industry and decided to follow my passion for film.

Every time I watched movies in a theatre, I would think how I would play that character and what kind of stories I could share about my life as well. The failures and the triumphs that have led me to where I am now.

In 2014 I decided to audition in Denver for a short film that I found online. I went to the audition for “Sirens” and landed the lead role after I received the call back. Unlike auditions I’ve experienced since, this audition called for improving a situation. There was only a one sentence direction and it was “Tell your 8 year old daughter her father died” and then “go”. I wasn’t expecting that but I immediately put myself in that situation and I delivered the performance. My experience in life truly helped me with the performance. I knew what it was like to have children through the good and the bad and how tough it was, as well as what it felt like to lose a father. Luckily I had two. (haha) I then fell in love with film.

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Out of all the characters you’ve portrayed so far, which has been your favourite and why?

The hardest things about answering these types of questions, especially after portraying multiple characters, is deciding which one was my favourite. As I find out what characters I enjoy playing, I also find out which ones I’ve done and wouldn’t like to do again. HAHA! I enjoyed playing the Mother/wife who turns into a ghost in Ghosthunters 2016 directed by Pearry Teo, but it was more of a character performance. I was creepy and when I pulled out an organ on the day of filming, the crew and director weren’t expecting the type of ROAR I let out.

Nobody had ever seen me do this before, it was fun to surprise people with a performance like that. But my fans didn’t like me playing a ghost covered in almost unrecognisable make-up and being mean. Haha. My favorite character had to be Sister Mary in “Come to Me Sister Mary”, which is in the film festival circuit now in the United States. I got to show my acting through facial expressions and movements with very little dialogue.

Which film would you say has given you the biggest challenge as an actress?

I have to say my first film “Sirens” was the most challenging, not because I was new to film but because of the change my character underwent during the course of a story. And the performance as the reporter in “Day of the Dead: Bloodline”.

“Sirens” was challenging because I had to learn sign language, basic ballet, and cut 10lbs in less than 2 months.

I accepted the role and then upon reading it discovered my character would be speaking to her daughter in sign language and that there were scenes that cut back and forth between a ballerina and a provocative dancer. I hadn’t taken ballet except for about 6 weeks as a kid and I hadn’t ever danced in 8 inch heels with a pole (there isn’t COMPLETE nudity in this) but it is rated R. Then to start out at 136lb on day one of filming to drop to 126lb by the time we shot the provocative dance scene was challenging to say the least because I was also still working a day time job and needed to ensure I was dropping weight while maintaining energy. Then after being involved in a serious car accident after a weekend of filming (unrelated to the film), it took me 9 months to recover and we had to resume the filming. It released into the film festival circuit in August 2015, then became available on Amazon Prime in the U.S. The next challenging film was a toss up between filming the two features currently world wide on Netflix; the SCI-FY “Stasis” and the horror film “Day of the Dead: Bloodline”. For “Stasis” we were on a short filming schedule and were lucky to get more than 2 takes per scene. As an actor I had to just deliver my performance and move on but since I was playing a mother and had already raised 3 kids in real life it wasn’t really much like acting. It was just challenging to work on such a tight schedule. “Day of the Dead: Bloodline” was challenging because the one scene I was asked to do was added about 2 days before shooting and the night of shooting at the Nu Boyana Film Studios we got a terrible rain storm that was a cross between rain and snow and since I was called in on a re-shoot we had to pretend it was summer. Now that was challenging. It was freezing outside and luckily for me the director wanted me to be frantic so it actually worked with the deliver. We only did 3 takes, each one getting more frantic and then that was a wrap.

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It’s interesting because when I thought about challenging before I started in the film world I only thought about the character and possibly how to portray an emotion when in actuality what is challenging to me is delivering a performance under extreme conditions, like arriving on set at 9am and not delivering your monologue until 1:30am like I did during one of my scenes in “Stasis” or in unpredictable outside shoots where you are on a schedule and the weather takes a toll on you like in “Day of the Dead: Bloodline”. It’s these unpredictable situations that also make being an actor intriguing and always changing. I love it!

Is there any particular scene you’ve filmed that you found particularly difficult on an emotional level?

There was a scene in “Sirens” where there was an attempt at being raped, and I had to do the scene over about 5 times because something technical went wrong and doing it to the level of intensity needed was exhausting. I was being held down by 2 large men and having to try to escape as well as having a man on top of me pointing a weapon at me was emotional. I am such a method actor that in my mind I believe it is happening so it was difficult by the last take to hold up with intensity due to not having the strength. I learned that it’s important to stay hydrated and to ensure you eat well during the day. You never know how an intense scene will go or how many times you may or may not be asked to do it.

What are the kind of roles you prefer to play?

I prefer to play roles that require the character to pull from their inner strength and in the end they end up overcoming an obstacle in their own way. As well as a free spirited, independent woman that knows how to solve issues strictly with their brain. Face it, every woman is different. Some woman have to be physical to show dominance whereas others can be intellectually powerful and sometimes a mixture of both. Some would scream if they were being attacked whereas other woman like myself go into self preservation mode of fight or flight and not necessarily one or the other, but don’t panic and figure a way to get out of a dangerous situation. So with all that being said, sexy, fiercely independent, a bit devilish and highly intelligent roles are what I’d prefer to play.

To me the mind is sexy, haha, and it doesn’t hurt if you happen to be easy to look at on the big screen. If you throw me a script with those type of female roles then I’m IN!!! I bet you were expecting me to say roles like a Lawyer, psychologist, nurse, mother, investigator or possibly a spy? I’d play any of those of course.

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What was the first horror film that really scared you when growing up and why?

OH MY GOSH, HANDS down FRIDAY the 13th. I can’t go to a lake or even sailing in the ocean without thinking someone is going to come up and attack me, nor can I go camping in the woods without thinking of that movie. I was afraid to watch horror movies after that. I was only a kid and remember my mother not letting us watch horror movies and I was at a slumber party when we watched it. I had nightmares for the longest time. Which I think is the purpose of horror movies – to scare you. The fact this was based on the true story about Jason Vorhees (Born Friday, March 13, 1953) was a deformed, mentally retarded child who was ridiculed by kids and adults, then to find out he drowned in Crystal Lake on Friday the 13th in May of 1966 was truly creepy. I mean what if he lived and he was real and not just a made up horror story. Yikes, yep that is why that movie really scarred me. Also the gags in it with that scary music made me hide under covers and close my eyes to only peak through my fingers to see what happens.

What villain from a horror film that scares you the most and why?

It has to be Freddy Krueger from “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and that damn little Chucky character. I mean they don’t even wear a mask like Jason does in “Friday the 13th”. Instead you get to see them straight on. I mean who would want to run into Freddy on a dark night in an alley much less sleep in a bed where he comes up and draws you in. Both those little villains creep me out. Every halloween when I see either Freddy Krueger or a little Chucky I get scarred. I know they aren’t real but my memories are so vivid and they tend to lurk in small or dark places.

Every night before I go to bed I look under my bed and look in my closets and then close all doors. The eyes on Chucky are the kind I could only imagine seeing staring at me and then comes chasing after me. OK I’m getting a little creeped out now because it’s night time as I answer these questions and I’m looking around my shoulder and under my bed. Haha. Ok moving on to the next question.

Recently, you starred in the re-imagining of the George Romero classic ‘Day of The Dead’. The make-up on the zombies is fantastic. What was it like being chased by a zombie horde?

That scene was actually fun. The make-up artists had to put make-up on so many of those zombies then to coordinate the blood splattering from the subway was all about timing. I had to run like hell when they said action because the actors and extras were moving so fast I didn’t want to get trampled and I was in these little pumps. I remember running and not stopping until I got to the end just to make sure no blood or zombies accidently hit or tripped me.

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Another horror short you starred in was ‘Come To Me Sister Mary’. Talk us through the film and what attracted you to that role?

“Come to Me Sister Mary” was written and directed by Tory Van Buskirk. I found out later he had me in mind when he was writing it. He had seen my performance in “Sirens”, directed by Joey Spillane, as Tory was the 1st AD on that film. When Tory approached me and said he had an idea for a short and wanted me to play the lead character which was a nun I was interested. We then connected months later and he said he had finished the script and for me to take a look at it. I read it and noticed there was very little dialogue in the entire story and it was like I was in a silent movie except it wasn’t in black and white. Haha. It was about a Catholic Nun who was tempted by a man and in reality he was the devil tempting her. This was attractive to me because I had graduated from a Catholic University and actually had been around nuns for a couple of years. In real life we are all tempted by one thing or another except this psychological horror touches the topic in a manner that is non-traditional. I had sat down with him to discuss the scenes one by one and we ended up adding a few prayers and repenting dialogues in the final while filming. The emotional level I had to reach was very dark. I remember after we filmed it took me a couple of days to get the darkness out if not a week or so because it was so intense. There are some roles you can jump in and out of and there are others that the level of emotion and belief in my head causes me to believe what I’m acting out is real. People have asked how did I cry during that scene or how did I reach that emotion and all I can say is “I tell my mind it’s real and the emotion comes”.

You starred in the brilliant Sci-Fi/Action feature ‘Stasis’. Having had a career in the armed forces, did this help towards preparing for the physicality’s involved in the making that film?

It was a little bit strange at first being a vulnerable mother in that film because of the fact I was in the Army and raised 2 strong young men and a daughter. In real life I wouldn’t have acted the way the character acted in Stasis, in real life I would’ve turned into a Tiger and attacked everyone that threatened my child, but this was a movie and I had to stay true to the vulnerable character. I had to assist in throwing myself down a hallway and move myself away from a fake knife because I was a bit bigger in body mass than the antagonist. I have always been athletic but it was fun throwing myself around. Haha. However, I had to remember I was playing a mother and not an Army soldier. I truly had to pretend not to know how to do anything and show fear with my eyes. Physically it wasn’t difficult on me especially since we didn’t spend much time on the scenes. Emotionally it was difficult to play a mother that sits back and doesn’t really do much to protect her child because I would die for mine, however, there are people that are truly vulnerable and wouldn’t have a clue what to do in situations like that of my character in Stasis.

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I’m really looking forward to seeing ‘The Dark Field’. What other upcoming projects do you have and what can we look forward to seeing you in next?

I definitely look foward to playing a Vampire in “The Dark Field” written by Tony London. It’s an intriguing feature film. I’m also working on a couple of other projects at the moment. The feature “Finding Grace” written and directed by Warren Fast, making his directorial feature film debut, which is currently in production with 2 time Golden Globe nominee David Keith, Lifetime Achievement Winner Bo Svenson, and on the rise Paris Warner of Once I was a Beehive. Look foward to seeing me as a reporter in “Sever”, a horror that is slated to be released this summer. As well as, I am teaming up with the writer/director of “Come to Me Sister Mary” on another project in the works. On the opposite spectrum I am a co-producing and a co-staring in a feature in development with a working title of “A Girl Like Me” based on a real story written, directed, and co-produced by Carrie Gomez which will be her feature debut. I also am working with a production team with a potential role in a supernatural film.

I’ll just leave you all in suspense and you’ll just have to follow me on my social media sites to find out more and thank you all for watching “Stasis” and “Day of the Dead: Bloodline” on Netflix and make sure to catch me in “Ghosthunters (2016)” directed by Pearry Teo as Martha. www.IMDb.me/phyllisspielman www.facebook.com/phyllisspielmanactress www.instagram.com/phyllis_Spielman

Interview by Gary Andrew Hindley

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Zombie Chunks is an amazing series of short stories, where no two story lines are alike. With each author having such different ideas on what makes for an interesting horror story there is something for everyone within this book. Some would say a must read for any zombie fanatic.

With 13 stories inside for you to ‘feast’ your eyes on you will be hard pushed to put this down until you have managed to read every one.

We start with a trip to Atlantis…yes I said Atlantis, but there is a reason it disappeared all those years ago.

You will just have to read this one to find out for yourself. With such an interesting start to these zombie shorts what could be next! Each author not only has his or her own ideas on storylines, but they also use differing writing styles. This is just one of the many reasons to get yourself a copy of this book.

Not all of our stories will send you hiding under the covers behind the sofa, some in fact will have you laughing aloud! With such varied stories, this truly is a book that will sit well on anyone’s bookshelf.

Happy reading!

Score: 9.0/10.0

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Quick Review by Jenna Storrar

COMING FEB 2019 http://www.metrothegame.com/en-gb/

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Dead House Article by Jim Morazzini Filmed in Italy (and bearing a 2013 copyright date) under the rather ironic title BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Brini Amerigo’s mashup up of home invasion and zombie films finally reaches North American shores as DEAD HOUSE. Does this live up to the legacy of Fulci and Argento or is it another FIRST HOUSE ON THE HILL?

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Testamento (Alex Lucchesi: ALIENWEEN, EATERS), Nibbio (Danny Cutler: THE ANTWERP DOLLS), and his brother Brett (Alex Southern) are into home invasions. The film opens with them forcing a couple to have sex in front of them, and the couple’s daughter. When the results are unsatisfying they kill all three. We then see a woman wake up in a blood-smeared room and be eaten by what look like zombies.

And someone is watching it on a monitor.

After the credits, we’re introduced to John (David White: ANGER OF THE DEAD, HAUNTED) and his family. If you guess they’re next on the trio’s list you’re right. But John has a secret in his basement, one that you can also probably guess. Soon everyone will be fighting for their lives. And there’s a short sequence after the credits you might want to stick around for.

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If nothing else, DEAD HOUSE is certainly an interesting hybrid. Starting in realistic home invasion territory before moving into mad scientist/zombie territory and adding some conspiracy theory for good measure. The home invasion sequences are certainly unpleasant and squirm-inducing, if not quite up to the level of FUNNY GAMES. The zombies don’t become a factor until after the film’s halfway point, but they certainly make up for it when they arrive. The make-up on them, and the mutant creature that turns up near the end, is impressive.

There’s also some good practical gore as well. Granted there’s also the usual CGI blood spray but it’s nice to see real effects getting extensive use.

On the downside, nobody in this film is really likable which makes it hard to care if they live or die.

Granted that does fit in with the film’s grim, cynical tone and there’s an audience for that kind of film.

But for others, it makes it hard to get fully into the film.

DEAD HOUSE is available from Wild Eye Releasing. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3171784/ IMDb Rating: 4.4/10 Article by Jim Morazzini

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Score: 5.0/10.0

The Drawing | Short Horror Film

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Preacher

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https://www.amc.com/shows/preacher

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Zombie Rising Magazine is a US based, digital only, monthly magazine for zombie lovers everywhere. We have your latest updates and interviews on movies, books and zombie events around the world. We will have free poster downloads, zombie swag giveaways, zombie fashion and make-up tutorials, Fan Fiction and much, much more.

A truly global magazine and each issue is only $3.99 Get your copy today by following the link: https://www.facebook.com/ZombieRisingMagazine https://www.twitter.com/ZombieRisingMag

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http://walkerstalkercon.com

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Interview with Tonight She ComesDirector Matt Stuertz

By James Pemberton

On the final day of Grimmfest I took some time to sit down with “Tonight She Comes” director Matt Stuertz whose film had just had its premiere to have a chat about his brilliantly bonkers gore laden movie and its inception.

First of all I really enjoyed the film, it was awesome and completely mental.

Thanks. My thought was that hopefully no one going into this movie is going to predict where it’s going to go and so far everyone I have talked to has been like, “yeah didn’t think it was gonna go there!”

To start off with can you give us a bit of background of yourself, where you started off and how you got to making your first feature?

Yeah,yeah, I’m from the US, kind of the midwest, like right in the middle of the country and I made a ton of shorts before this. I met half of the people that were in “Tonight She Comes” beforehand doing horror shorts and random YouTube videos. I made a little found footage movie which stars one of the actors from “Tonight She Comes” which is coming out in a week.

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Then I was like lets do something way bigger than that, way crazier and when I was writing the film I was like, “Let me write the craziest thing possible and it’s gonna be impossible to film and I’m never gonna get money to film it....who cares lets just do it anyway,” and then that happened and I gave the script to people and they really liked it. I was, wow, I didn’t expect them to like it as much as they do and I was just talking to these regular people and they were really digging this insane script and yeah it came together really fast.

You mentioned in the Q and A after the film, an influence of 70’s and 80’s horror films. Anything in particular or was it a mish-mash of different influences from different films?

Yeah, I mean basically any big slasher film. I love the whole “Friday the 13th” series, part 7 is one of my favourites and a lot of the movies that people hate, like the middle weird franchise entries like Halloween 4 to 6. Halloween 6 in particular I love but a lot of people think it’s trash, but I like it a lot. But then I would draw some weird influence from “Rosemary’s Baby” or “House of the Devil”, these serious arty sort of movies that are fantastic and then take some tiny elements from that and throwing them into this insane, wacky slasher film.

I certainly liked the characters, they reminded me a bit of “Tucker and Dale Vs Evil” where the rednecks are the heroes, and I thought there was a little bit of the influence from that film; where the inner city folk come out to the country are technology/mobile phone obsessed, pretty ignorant and just want to get wasted and have sex..... …....and then they accidentally die. Yeah Tucker and Dale was one of the best comedy horrors of all time. I sort of wanted to take these people that are sort of standard average people, but I didn’t want them to be the bad guys so I wanted them to be the heroes for a little bit, but I also wanted to take the rednecks, though in this case there not like good natured rednecks there pretty legit bad guys but wanted to force them into a situation where the heroes and villains combine together to combat the greater evil. I always love villains in films, in slasher films you always like the bad guys but I wanted to take the bad guys and mix them up with the good guys and kind of throw things around in a weird way.

Can I ask how you got the film funded, was it through a independent funding/finance or crowd funding route?

It was independent financing, basically I talked to a lot of people who made smaller investments and was like, “hey guys I’ve made some stuff before, you can totally trust me, I’m gonna make this movie, it’s gonna be really good and your gonna like it,” and luckily they believed me, but honestly most of my investors probably would hate the movie and never watch it, but they were nice enough to believe in me and give me some money and make this thing.

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Where you sort of mentioned that the investors didn’t know what they were putting their money into other than a film, were there any who were wanting to see a script beforehand?

Luckily no. I lucked out on this and had total creative freedom and really some of them were like “Would we really want to watch this movie?” and I was like no you should never watch this. But they where like, “alright we trust you, we’re super happy for you, horror’s not really our thing but we want you to be successful at this.” So I had a lot of friends who I talked to, a lot of people I know who have been really great and could not have made this movie without them and huge thanks to those who gave me money to make this thing.

So this is your world premiere, how did you find it?

Oh man, I had a blast in the audience. This is the first time I’ve watched it in a theatre with more than two people, just hearing people laugh at the jokes. I didn’t expect it to get more laughter than I thought it would at stuff that was supposed to be kind of funny but this is what I wanted.

Some movies you want people to be quiet and not talk, I want people in this movie to be loud as possible, it was pretty amazing just the response. The Q and A afterwards was great and so was speaking to individual people after the screening.

I want to talk about the soundtrack, which carry’s on this resurgeance of 80’s themed horror synth scores particularly as you had the same composer as the previous film screened today “Beyond the Gates” (composer Wojciech Golczewski), was this sort of what you had in mind for the composition, did you want an 80’s style soundtrack?

Oh totally. I spoke to Wojciech who did the soundtrack, I’m a huge fan of synth and Carpenter is the master of that, I told him I wanted this to be a synth soundtrack and “basically don’t give me anything that’s not from an old-school keyboard.” He told me he was way into it and he was going to go as lo-fi as possible. A lot of it was from one keyboard in particular and I was like yes that’s amazing. He loved 80’s films as well but didn’t want it to be exactly like an 80’s film and did his modern twist on the 80’s and it works really well. He’s been really great to work with and I gave him a lot of freedom which he was happy with. I had a temp score for the film and the temp score sucks and luckily his score was completely better.

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I want to talk about the excesses and effects work, particularly the final part where there was so much blood and people cutting each other up bleeding over a pentagram, but this ties in that you used a lot of practical effects and no CGI. Yeah I wanted to go as practical as possible, there were a few CG elements used to just to blend things together but as much as possible I wanted it to be practical. There was gore stuff we had to cut out and it was crazy because we went through so much blood. The really funny thing was the house we filmed in was rented through someone on the crew who knew someone, and we paid them for it and they let us use it. We were coming in drawing pentragrams on the floor and covering everything with blood and hoping it washed off otherwise the owners would turn up and be like, “what the hell have you done to our quiet country home?”

After this what’s on the horizon are we going to get a sequel like “Tonight She Comes Again”?

Honestly, if someone wanted to give me money for a sequel, I would be so down for it. I have some insane ideas for a sequel which would be literally nothing like this movie at all. It would be l totally unexpected, like everything you’d expect from a sequel, I would throw that out. This would be like when you watch it you would be asking, how is this even a sequel to that film, but it is.

Then on the other hand I do have some other script’s I’m working on, some pretty crazy bloody horror stuff. It would take it in a totally different tone than this, but takes it pretty extreme with the gore and heavy, heavy effects, like as much as possible, I love effect shots and want to do that as much as possible.

As for “Tonight She Comes” are you taking it to any other festivals this year?

Yeah we’re taking it to Leeds Film Festival at the end of a night of horror and heard some of the other films on that line up which will be a blast. Then we’re taking it over to America and I will be really curious to see what the reaction is from a U.S. audience compared to a European audience, as I know certain things are considered a bit extreme by Americans, but not so over here so it will be interesting to see the response I will get from different crowds.

Big thanks to Matt Stuertz for taking his time for this interview.

Score: 8.0/10.0

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An Interview with Director Domonic Smith

By Gary Andrew Hindley Hi Domonic, speaking candidly, I would like to thank you for giving me and the magazine the opportunity to engage with you, and discuss this exciting ‘Nightmare: Return To Elm Street’ campaign.

Q: What was the initial idea behind wanting to make a new Elm Street film?

A: I worked with a friend on a Star Wars fan film some years back. I had never been a big fan film kind of guy. I always enjoyed making original content. But working with him on that film, and watching his attention to detail on the background of Star Wars made me think “What is my Star Wars? What movie do I know more about than anything else?”

The answer was ‘Nnightmare on Elm Street’. And immediately it made me remember the strong love I’ve always had for that franchise. As I thought about it more, I began to think “how would I bring the franchise back?”. That thought stuck with me long and hard, and my mind just started building a story that I felt I could relate to, that stuck with the lore, and connected all the dots. I also wanted to build something up that felt familiar, but also came with a strong story and not just focused on the stuff on the surface.

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Q: The prospect of a new film has got fans of the franchise on the edge of their seats with excitement and anticipation. Would you class the film you want to make as a reboot of the original, or is the plan to do a fresh new story?

A: It would probably end up being classified as a reboot. I actually wrote it as a continuation of the original films. So my films timeline starts immediately after Nightmare 6: Freddy’s Dead. But obviously if this got picked up then it wouldn’t be able to have Robert as Freddy, so we actually wrote it so it could also serve as a reboot, and the sequel to our film would actually then touch back to the Nancy story, keeping it in the 80’s albeit with a reimagining. We’ve gone so far as to write treatments for the next 3 films, but that’s just us being extremely optimistic.

Q: If given the proposal of developing your script and screenplay ideas into a TV series, would this be something that you would be happy to explore?

A: If I were approached to do a series, I would be OVER THE MOON! I think creating a series would be a huge challenge, especially competing with the strong stories that we already have in episodic formats. But it could also give us something we have very minimal of right now. A true slasher episodic.

Q: If there was the opportunity to develop ‘Return To Elm Street’ into a franchise, would this be something that would interest you?

A: Developing Return To Elm Street with the studio is my all-time dream in life right now. It’s honestly the only reason I created these trailers. Everyone is always looking for the many ways they can break into the industry. I’m at the point where I’ve decided to attempt them all! I’ve never done a fan film before, and this will probably be my only one. But I’m hoping and praying something comes from this.

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Q: Is there a particular nightmare that you have had personally, that has stuck with you and could be brought to life in this film?

A: I don’t think there’s a nightmare I’ve had that I would implement in this film. Maybe in a sequel down the line as we’ve established the world more. Mostly because I don’t know how it would fit. One recurring nightmare I have 8-10 times a year, freaks the hell out of me, but isn’t really slasher. I’m always doing some day to day task, and a shadow from the sky overcomes me, I look up and the moon and the sky is blood red, and the clouds are on fire. I’m usually screaming to everyone, trying to convince anyone within an ear shot that the end of the world is here. I feel this fear looming upon me, and I wake up freaked out.

Q: Your short film ‘Infinite Nightmare’, has the male lead experiencing horrible nightmares. Could any of those nightmare sequences be used as a foundation to build from in ‘Return To Elm Street’?

A: Wow, you watched that film? That was so early in my career, but thanks for giving it a watch. There’s a shot or two that’s actually very reminiscent of Nightmare on Elm Street, so the crossover would be definitely possible.

Q: Freddy’s backstory from the original film and the 2010 reboot differ somewhat in certain aspects. The original had Freddy as a child murderer, whereas the reboot had exploitation as well as murder. What elements, (if any) of the already existing backstory would you look to incorporate?

A: Honestly I would prefer to keep him a child murderer. It’s interesting how that works in our minds, paedophiles are so much worse than murderers. And no one wants publicly to acknowledge that they have posters of a paedophile hanging up in their room. Selling shirts and masks of a paedophile becomes a bit harder than just a murderer. Funny how that works isn’t it? What’s funny is he was always a child molester, even in the original script, but a bunch of stuff had come out about the catholic priest molesting the children of the church and they decided to drop the molesting aspect of Freddy. Which couldn’t have been a better move for the beginning of one of the greatest horror franchises of all time.

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Q: Throughout the campaign, there has been a show of support from director Renny Harlin and actor Ken Sagoes, who were involved in the fourth instalment of the original franchise. Did they offer any advice or support that could be valuable in making your feature length Freddy film?

A: It was more so just support from Renny, and absolute love from Ken. And having Ken, who was the first black character of the franchise show me love and support meant everything to me. He was the first character they had that looked like me. And to take it even further, he was a black man that SURVIVED a horror film! Obviously we lose him in Renny’s film, but still that was so amazing and I had never seen that before. Ken told me that I had a really bright future ahead of me, and he was impressed with my work, and he hopes to be one auditioning for me.

Q: The three trailers that you’ve written and directed have been immensely popular and appreciated amongst fans of the franchise. The reason for this being, is that it looks like we could get the Elm Street film we’ve been craving. Has there been any contact from New Line Cinema or Warner Bros. in regard to making this film happen?

A: It’s been quiet as a church mouse believe it or not. We’re rounding about 18 million views between our 7 Facebook and YouTube uploads. I’ve been trying to find some kind of connection to the studio and I’ve just been hitting brick wall after brick wall. I thought maybe they’ve seen it and have decided they’re not interested, which is totally fine. But when I had spoken to Ken Sagoes he had told me that he had just seen the trailers, even though that had already been online for about 5 months and we had totalled around 9 million views at that point. So there’s still the hope that maybe no one in their realm has come across it yet.

I’m hoping that we can get some type of statement issued from them within the coming months, even if it’s to say “great job, but we’re not interested”. I think on their end, they could gain so much from bringing a fan on to direct the franchise. That would be such a symbol to so many filmmakers that anything is possible. And also I feel like the fans would rally behind it a lot just knowing that they’ve brought on a fan to do the film, instead of someone who had never seen any.

I also work in the industry, and have for the past 6 years. So it’s not like I’m just the average Joe either.

I know what I’m doing, know my way around a set, and have hella experience to boot. So if anyone has Warner or New Line connections, you send them my way readers.

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Q: Robert Englund was ‘the man of our dreams’ in the original franchise. If he was to express an interest in doing a cameo appearance, would this be something that would interest you?

A: Yes, before he had even mentioned being interested in doing a cameo, we wrote one in the film for him.

As a fan it only made sense, and we did it in a very subtle but cool way that’s a wink to the fans, and allows Robert to basically hand the keys to the castle over to OUR NEW Freddy. He’d just serve as a regular character in the film, but someone with a repeating role for the sequels as well. I’d love for him to be our Stan Lee of the nightmare franchise.

Q: Given the choice, (Excluding Robert Englund) who would you choose to portray Freddy and why?

A: My first choice would be to continuously build with our current actor Nathan Epperson. There’s so much more footage and moments on set that aren’t in the trailer that proved to me that he was ready to wear those boots. His audition totally gave me goose bumps when he sent it in. But if the studio wanted me to stick to star power for name sake then my second choice would be Kevin Bacon like Robert Englund suggested. He has the look and feel that I would shoot for, and it’s also funny because Nathan and Kevin resemble each other a bit. But I’m a huge Kevin Bacon fan, and my bacon number is actually 3, so I’m pretty close to him at the point haha.

Article by Gary Andrew Hindley

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Killer Pinata

By Ashley Lister

A possessed piñata, seeking to avenge the savagery that humanity has inflicted on his kind, picks off a group of friends, one by one, in an unending night of terror.

There has always been a trend in the horror industry for films with titles that make us grimace.

These are the titles that we’re almost embarrassed to say aloud for fear that someone will think we’re condoning the pas complique of their unashamed simplicity. Back in 1964 we were watching Ray Dennis Steckler’s, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. In 1966 Don Weis gave us The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. More recently, we’ve sat through Sharknado and all its sequels (including Feeding Frenzy and Heart of Sharkness). And now, thanks to Stephen Tramontana, we can all sit back and bask in the glory of the title that is Killer Piñata.

I did not sit down in front of this movie expecting finesse, sophistication or subtlety. I’m stupid, but I’m not that stupid. I did not expect cutting edge special effects or award-winning acting. In truth, I went into this film with very low expectations, and I was not disappointed.

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The film opens in the Candyworld toy store and it appears there’s been an incident. The hook-handed shopkeeper (Joette Waters, The Night-Like Daydreams of Wolfgang Deedle, Dead Girls, and His Dream, His Nightmare) finds a former cashier sprawled dead on the floor. In blood, with one finger, the cashier has started to write a final message, identifying her killer.

She only got halfway through the word and we see the letters P I Ñ A. Jump forward a little in time and David Goodman (Steven James Price, I’m Fine, Welcome to Dreadville V: Souls of Mischief, and Not Another Zombie Movie) is bursting into Candyworld, desperate to buy a piñata or three for his son’s birthday party celebrations.

Obviously, he buys the one labelled ‘DO NOT SELL’, and this is how the unlikely mayhem moves from Candyworld into suburbia.

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Despite the ludicrousness of the plot, I have to admit there is something a little unsettling about the ritual of beating a piñata. Piñatas are usually pretty. They’re usually small to the point of being vulnerable. And they’re invariably filled with appetising and appealing sweets. So, given all these positive qualities of a piñata, why do we encourage children to string them up like war criminals and then take a bat to them like Robert De Niro in The Untouchables?

Clearly the Killer Piñata, seeing his kith and kin succumb to this fate, is pondering the same question. And, if we sidestep the notion of him being sentient and possessing motility, we can understand why pathological vengeance becomes his raison d’etre.

This is not a film to take seriously. It’s a film to watch with drunken friends. It’s a film to watch with people who appreciate surrealist comedy. It’s a film to watch with those who enjoy the OTT reactions of those under attack from the Papier Mache paws of a killer piñata. Given the current political climate of the world, with so many reasons to be unhappy, fearful and worried, this movie offers a chance to laugh at the absurd and embrace the notion of ridiculousness. I think it’s fair say that this Killer Piñata can’t be beaten.

Score: 7.0/10.0

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BY Gary Andrew Hindley Throughout the course of time, the Horror genre has gone through many evolution’s. From the Monster movies in the early years, the exploitation films of the 70’s, slasher films of the 80’s and 90’s, the handheld revolution of the late 90’s and 2000’s, to the zombie and paranormal films we have at present.

We all speak of the basic knowledge of Horror being ‘Horror 101’. But what are the exact 101 films that have shaped the horror genre and its many sub genres as we know it? In order of release, we will attempt to answer that question…

Here in part 2, we will look films covering the 1950’s and 1960’s.

The Thing From Another World - 1951

Director: Christian Nyby Writer: Charles Lederer (Screenplay), John W. Campbell, Jr (Novella) Cast: Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey, Douglas Spencer, Robert O. Cornthwaite, James Arness Synopsis: A scientist reports a UFO near his North Pole research base. A team is sent to investigate and they find frozen in the ice, a wrecked spaceship and a humanoid creature. The creature is brought back to an air force base, and while they figure out what to do, it accidentally thaws and begins wreaking havoc.

Film Info: The Thing was filmed on location at Glacier National Park, with its interior sets built at an ice storage plant in Los Angeles.

Filmmaker’s took full advantage of the national feelings in America at the time, to help enhance the horror elements of the story. They exploited post-Hiroshima skepticism about views of scientists who meddle with things better left alone. In the end it is American servicemen that come and save the day.

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The War of The Worlds - 1953 Director: Byron Haskin Writer: Barré Lyndon (Screenplay), H.G. Wells (Novel By) Cast: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne Synopsis: A pair of scientists are the first to arrive at the site of a meteorite crash.

Soon after, an alien war machine emerges and begins killing at random. The Marines are called in, but they’re no match for the aliens. Scientists find a way to wound one of the creatures and procure a sample of its blood.

They take it to Los Angeles where they hope, through testing, to be able to discover their weakness.

Film Info: The film is a loose adaptation of a novel of the same name by H. G. Wells. It is a modern retelling of the 1897 novel, with the location being changed from Victorian Era England to modern day California.

This adaption of the film is a commentary on the then ongoing Cold War and the nuclear arms race.

The final third of the film with the martian attack on Los Angeles, was supposed to have been shot in the new 3D process to visually enhance the attack but this was dropped because it was thought too expensive.

Stock footage from World War 2 was used for montages of destruction, in order to show the worldwide invasion, with armies of all nations joining together to fight the invaders

Creature From The Black Lagoon - 1954 Director: Jack Arnold Writer: Harry Essex (Screenplay), Arthur A. Ross (Screenplay), Maurice Zimm (Story) Cast: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno Synopsis: A group of scientists come across an animal never before seen in a remote jungle, and want to determine if what they have come across is something undiscovered.

To do this, they must cross treacherous terrain in remote parts of South America, but that will be the least of their worries, compared to the danger posed by their new discovery.

Film Info: The Creature From The Black Lagoon is another monster film made by Universal Pictures. Even though it’s from 1954, it was actually filmed in 3D as well as 2D. Only the major city theatres did showings of the 3D version, whereas the 2D version was seen by the majority in local theatres. The film was a huge influence on Guillermo Del Toro, for his most recent effort ‘The Shape of Water’.

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The Blob - 1958 Director: Irvin Yeaworth Writer: Kay Linaker Cast: Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howland Synopsis: Steve and his girlfriend Jane, try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien that engulfs everything it touches. Steve and Jane are the first to witness the blob destroying an elderly man and growing to a terrifying size. The people of the town have yet to see the blob, and the police don’t believe them.

Film Info: The film was originally titled The Molten Meteor until producers overheard screenwriter Kay Linaker refer to the film’s monster as “the blob”.

It was one of a wave of cheap teen movies released for the drive-in market. They consisted of “exploitative, cheap fare” created especially for young people in a newly-established teen/drive-in genre.

Though the budget was set at $120,000 it ended up costing only $110,000, and made a massive $4 million at the box office.

Lead actor Steve Mcqueen made his debut in this film. In his contract, he was paid $3,000 for his role, and asked for 10% of any profits made. Thinking it wouldn’t make any money it was written into his contract.

The Fly - 1958 Director: Kurt Neumann Writer: James Clavell (Screenplay), George Langelaan (Short Story) Cast: David Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall Synopsis: A scientist tests a matter transporter of his own making, with himself as the first test subject. A housefly makes its way into the transportation chamber, and things go horribly wrong.

As a result, he starts transforming slowly into a fly.

Film Info: Director Kurt Neumann discovered the story while reading an article in Playboy magazine.

The film was to be taken on firstly by the Fox-Pictures B-Movie subsidiary ‘Regal’, but was then taken on officially as a Fox Picture.

The film was big success and was one of the biggest successes for Fox at that time.

It was made on a budget of $500,000, and made around $4 million at the box office.

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Psycho - 1960 Director: Alfred Hitchcock Writers: Joseph Stefano (screenplay), Robert Bloch (Novel) Cast: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Janet Leigh Synopsis: A secretary goes on the run after stealing £40,000 from her employer. Travelling in a heavy rainstorm and on the back roads in order to avoid the police, she stops for the night at The Bates Motel.

Upon arrival, she is greeted by motel owner, a young man called Norman Bates.

A man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother.

House On Haunted Hill - 1959 Director: William Castle Writer: Robb White Cast: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Elisha Cook Jr, Carolyn Craig, Alan Marshal, Julie Mitchum, Richard Long Synopsis: An eccentric millionaire has a proposal for five guests at a haunted mansion.

The proposal, is that they spend the night, and if they survive the spooks and scares that lay waiting for them, they will each receive $10,000.

Film Info: The film had fantastic box office returns which led to overwhelming critical acclaim.

Psycho went on to get four academy award nominations, including best director.

The film set a new standard for cinematic violence, deviant behaviour and sexuality in American films, and is considered to be the earliest example of the slasher film genre.

Film Info: The 1959 release of ‘House On Haunted Hill’ had a gimmick for theatre goers that attended the late night showings of the film. The theatres would rig a pulley system near the theatre screen, that made a plastic skeleton fly over the audience during a certain scene in the film.

Legendary director Alfred Hitchcock saw the low-budget film’s box office ratings, and then went on to make his own low-budget horror film, ‘Psycho’.

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Black Sabbath - 1963 Director: Mario Bava Writers: Anton Chekhov and Aleksei Tolstoy Cast: Boris Karloff, Mark Damon, Michèle Mercier, Susy Andersen, Lidia Alfonsi, Glauco Onorato, Jacqueline Pierreux

Village of The Damned - 1960 Director: Wolf Rilla Writers: Stirling Silliphant (screenplay), Wolf Rilla (screenplay) Cast: George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens, Michael Gwynn Synopsis: The village of Midwich in England is cast into a mysterious sleep for several hours, but with no obvious consequences. It soon comes to be, that all the women of the village become pregnant at the same time. Their children are all born at the same time, and grow quickly into very spooky young people, with strange white-blonde hair and eerie eyes.

Film Info: Originally an American picture, it was to be filmed at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in California. MGM ended up shelving the film, due to pressure from religious groups, because the film depicted the virgin birth in a sinister manner. The film was transferred to the MGM British Studios and filmed in Letchmore Heath.

Local buildings such as The Three Horseshoes Pub and Aldenham School, were used during filming.

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Synopsis: The legend that is Boris hosts three separate tales of horror.

1. The Telephone: A woman is receiving numerous threatening phone calls from an unseen stalker.

2. The Wurdulak: Gorca, returns home to his family, making claims that he has killed an undead creature known as a Wurdulak, a vampire-esque monster, that only attacks those that it once loved.

3. The Drop of Water: A nurse steals a ring from a corpse in a funeral home and is then haunted by the ring’s original owner.

Film Info: Black Sabbath, directed by Italian director Mario Bava, follows numerous trends of 1960’s Italian film productions. The producers wanted more changes made, so that the film would be better accepted by audiences. These were scenes depicting graphic violence and prostitution.

Night of The Living Dead - 1968 Director: George A. Romero Writers: George A. Romero and John A. Russo Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, Judith Ridley, Keith Wayne Synopsis: There is panic on the streets as the dead suddenly start to come back to life.

A small group of survivors brought together purely by circumstance, barricade themselves in an old farmhouse in an attempt to remain safe from these flesh-eating monsters.

Children of The Damned - 1964 Director: Anton Leader Writers: John Briley (Screenplay) Cast: Ian Hendry, Alan Badel, Barbara Ferris, Alfred Burke, Sheila Allen, Ralph Michael, Patrick Wymark, Martin Miller

Film Info: The first in what what would become a series of ‘of The Dead’ films, it was completed on a budget of $114,000 and shot outside of Pittsburgh, where it premiered on October 1, 1968.

The film grossed $12 million domestically in the U.S. and $18 million internationally, meaning it had earned over 250 times its budget.

Synopsis: Six children from all over the world with dangerous psychic powers hide in a church in England after the military tries to experiment on them. Besieged, they warn the military to back off before carnage ensues.

Film Info: Children of the Damned is the sequel to Village of the Damned, released in 1960..

The film centres around a group of children with similar psychic powers to those in the earlier film, but in this case enables an interpretation of the children as being a more pure form of human being, instead of evil or from another planet.

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Rosemary’s Baby - 1968 Director: Roman Polanski Writer: Roman Polanski Cast: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy Synopsis: A couple move to a new apartment and are surrounded by odd neighbours and odder occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins to control her life.

Film Info: Paramount Pictures sent a copy of the Rosemary’s Baby novel to Polanski in the hope they could lure him into making in a film. He read the whole book overnight and called back and said he would like to write a screenplay for it, as well as direct it.

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