Independent Horror Film Peelers to Have World Premiere!

March 9th, 2016 – Independent Horror Feature Film Peelers set to have world premiere at Palm Beach International Film Festival, Florida (April 6th – 14th).

The makers of the Independent Cult Horror Feature Skew (2011) step it up a bloody notch as they begin their festival run with their follow-up horror flick Peelers.

Peelers- What starts out as the last hurrah on the closing night of an infamous small-town strip club, quickly turns into a night of bloodshed when a crew of coal miners shows up and with them a deadly contaminant. Former baseball player and current club owner, Blue Jean Douglas has decided to hand over her bar to a new owner and leave town for good. But Blue Jean’s plans are thwarted when she discovers the magnitude of the epidemic that has been unleashed. With victims piling up, Blue Jean must step up to the plate to protect her family, her friends, and her bar before it's too late and she loses everything she holds dear.

Peelers destroys the cliché stripper horror sub-genre by giving us a story packed with exciting twists, baseball, strippers of unusual talents and a strong female lead. What’s being described as “Rodriguez meets Tarantino” and “Not just a great indie film, but destined to be one of the funnest films of 2016”, has Director/Producer Sevé Schelenz pretty stoked about giving genre fans a whole new ball game of horror.

Check out the website and trailer below.

Website: www.peelersthefilm.com

All American Bully - Review

"All American Bully" is a film about a young man named Devon who is being bullied by his older classmate and former best friend John. The bullying eventually escalates into Devon being forced to make some false statements on video which is then posted and shared all over social media. It's at this point that his friend and secret admirer Becky steps in to help Devon by seeking revenge against John the only way she knows how, by beating him at his own game. Unfortunately for Devon and Becky they have no idea that their plot for revenge will set into motion a series of events that none of them could have ever predicted.

"All American Bully" is a movie that surprised me. I went in expecting one thing and came out completely surprised with what I had just seen. For the first two-thirds of the film everything is setup exactly as I had expected. It's kind of like one of those ABC After School Specials only with a harder edge. We have a teenage protagonist who is in some trouble and doesn't know what he's going to do to fix it. By the one hour mark I was positive I knew exactly what was going to happen and I was completely wrong. It's the breaking of that expectation that I really enjoyed about the movie. Without giving away too much it's as if the ABC After School Special were blended with a dash of Last House on the Left. I'll just leave it at that.

As far as the other elements of the film I felt everything came together pretty well. Overall the acting is good throughout with an interesting cameo from Adrienne King as the school principal and I particularly liked the main group of protagonists (Alexander Fraser, Alicia Rose & Darren Hicks). The film also looks good and never allows its lower budget to hinder its production value. Overall I can easily recommend giving "All American Bully" a chance. It's a film that takes its time to reveal all of its surprises which is something I can always appreciate, especially when those surprises really pack a punch.

Score: 3.5/5

Ace Jackson is a Dead Man - Review

Ace Jackson is a man with a plan and he's going to make it big. Unfortunately for Ace things don’t go as planned and he ends up on the hit list of a major drug dealer. Now Ace has a few days in which to find the money he owes the dealer before he ends up in an alley with a bullet in his head.

In terms of story I guess Ace Jackson isn’t much different on paper from a lot of movies I’ve seen before. A character gets into hot water with some dangerous people and is forced to spend most of the movie saving their own ass. The difference really comes from director Sean Weathers decision to use the film as a blunt statement on consumerism and capitalism while also focusing the film on a character who happens to be both a victim of the capitalist mindset and also kind of an asshole.

However odd that may seem I think it makes sense to portray Ace as kind of unlikable. Throughout the film Weathers fills the screen with scrolling blocks of text which discuss the American mentality toward capitalism, wealth, and fame and the rabid consumerism that occurs as a result. Jackson really just comes off as a representation of that poisoned mindset. He buys into the idea that he too can make it. All he needs is a good plan to get rich and everything will work out. He too can be rich and successful. As a result he is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost, to chase something he will never achieve. I guess in some ways most of us can relate to that feeling but have accepted the fact that it's easier to accept our place in the food chain rather than be devoured by an impossible dream.

As far as the film itself goes I actually quite enjoyed it. While tonally different from "Scumbag Hustler", the last film I'd seen from Weathers, I found this one did stick with me for a while after watching it. This is in large part due to the way the film is put together. The integration of text to push a message is an interesting decision since it puts everything out on the table. Weathers isn’t interested in subtlety with this one and I kind of like that. It's not often that filmmakers are willing to put their opinions out there so blatantly. Subtlety is usually the route many take so it's actually a bit refreshing to see a director willing to literally put his thoughts out on the screen. It's also worth mentioning that the film features a great soundtrack and moves at a brisk pace of just over an hour which I always appreciate.

Overall "Ace Jackson is a Dead Man" stands as another interesting film from an independent director that's worth paying attention to.

You can find the works of Sean Weathers at www.fullcirclefilmworks.com

Score: 3.5/5

Rhiana Howell to star in ‘Diemosimine’

Deimosimine is the upcoming film produced by Legless Corpses films and is currently holding a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to help with production. I have already personally donated to the campaign and urge others to do the same. This looks like it's going to be pretty great and the more funds they raise the better it can be! Support Independent Horror!

From the Press Release, June 11th, 2015

DEIMOSIMINE, the new film from LeglessCorpse Films has cast newcomer Rhiana Howell.

Rhiana will portray Cindy Richards in the up-coming feature horror film ‘Deimosimine’. To be directed by Chad Armstrong with screenplay by Andrew Thompson.

"A heroin addict undergoes a radical new kind of treatment for her condition; but the drug 'Deimosimine' instead creates for her a world of horror and bloodshed."

Project currently has a campaign on indiegogo to raise additional funds for the creature FX.

http://igg.me/at/deimosimine/x/8730882

WTF! Begins Production June 15th

From the Press Release, June 10th, 2015

Cthulhu Crush Productions is excited to announce principal photography is set to begin on Peter Herro's WTF! June 15th around Los Angeles. The horror film sees a survivor of a mass killing on a trip with six close friends, when her nightmare threatens to begin again.

Herro is directing from a script he co-wrote with Christopher Centanni and Adam Buchalter. Callie Ott (The Horror), Sarah Agor (Hatchet II, VH1's "Scream Queens"), Andrea Hunt, Ben Norris, Johnny James Fiore, Nick Reilly and Adam Foster will star.

Three years ago, twenty-two year old girl-next-door Rachel (Ott) barely survived a brutal massacre that left her friends in pieces. Time has passed, and Rachel has moved on, but unfortunately history has a way of repeating itself. Her close friends are spending spring break in a secluded house in the woods, and they have cordially invited her to join. Little does she realize that another bloodbath will be showing up as plus one. Once Rachel and her friends arrive at the cabin, the partying, sex, and terror begins.

From girls' only pillow fights to debauchery in the bedroom, it's going to be a blast...until the stabbing, flesh melting, and castration starts. Seven friends will go into a secluded house for the best spring break of their lives, but only one will be alive to post about it on Instagram the next week, as Rachel's biggest fears become a reality once again. Will Rachel survive another bloody massacre?

Podcast Episode 39

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In episode 39 we set our focus on some independently produces features from 2014. First up is "Coherence", a movie that forces us to ask the question, "could I permanently take out an alternate version of myself". Next up is "Honeymoon", a creepy little film that had Adam and Mike revisiting some childhood fears. We round out this threesome with "Starry Eyes", a feature that many critics have praised as one of the best of 2014 but do we agree? We also talk about what we've been watching, remake news and more. Enjoy!

Interview - "Lake Alice" Director Ben Milliken

Lake Alice is a new independent horror film currently in production and the film makers have begun a crowdfunding campaign to help finance the remaining costs of production. The film's director, Ben Milliken, took some time to answer a few questions about Lake Alice and the campaign.

Could you begin by giving us some background on yourself? What was it that made you decide to pursue a career in film and how did you get started?

I was born in the U.K and raised in Sydney Australia. Ever since i can remember i have always been mesmerized by film and television. It seemed to be the only direction that i could go. I tried many other jobs and potential career paths but none of them stuck.

I originally started out as an actor. Any time i was on a set i was always very curious about what the director was doing and why. I didn't realize it at the time, but that was my education that brought to where we are now.

You began your career as an actor in various television and feature film projects with Lake Alice being your first film as a director. How did you become involved with this project?

Lake Alice was actually brought to my business partner Lamar Billups and I by producer Scott Miller. We sat down and had lunch one day and he told me about the project, asked if we would like to be involved and we jumped at the opportunity. It's always good to begin a project with people you already know and trust.

Can you provide some background on Lake Alice? What is the premise of the film and what do you believe sets it apart from other films in the genre?

Lake Alice, written by Stevie Jane, is about Sarah Thomas, a girl in her mid 20's, who brings her boyfriend home to Wisconsin for the first time over the holidays. The family head to their cabin on Lake Alice, a body of water in the northern woods of Wisconsin. While there, strange occurrences begin to happen around the cabin, and the Thomas family soon find themselves being hunted by a masked figure, and are forced to fight for survival against the harsh environment of the Wisconsin winter.

I really wanted to make a different kind of horror thriller with this film. I want to focus on the characters and the relationships that are taking place. Allowing the audience to really get to know and love our characters, making the audience experience much more engagement as they will feel as though they are right there with our characters, fighting for survival themselves.

Finally, crowdfunding can be a controversial topic for some. Can you explain why you are crowdfunding Lake Alice, what the donated monies will go toward, what donors can expect and when you predict the film will be complete?

I think crowd funding is a fantastic way to bring your audience into the film making process. At the end of the day, we make films for audiences, not ourselves, so it only makes sense to have them a part of the process. Everything that we raise through the campaign will be put right into the production and post production of Lake Alice. We will have finished principle photography just before christmas, and then will start post production in January of 2015. We plan to release the film this time next year.

You can visit the crowdfunding page and show some support for Lake Alice at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-shoot-horror-film-lake-alice. You can also check out the campaign video and trailer below.

The Upper Footage (2013) - Review

Podcast Episode 25

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For episode 25 we are once again taking a look at a couple of low budget indie productions. The first is a shot on video 80's style kung-fu action film from 1992, "Lost Faith". With shot on video productions regularly falling on the side of awful, how does "Lost Faith" hold up? The other is 2014's "Lucky Bastard". This found footage thriller is based around a one day porn shoot and features some extreme soft-core sexuality and an NC-17 rating but is it any good or just another in a long line of terrible found footage films. We also discuss Edgar Wright walking away from Ant-Man, our hesitation towards a Lifetime network rendition of The Omen and more! Enjoy!

Rent or Purchase "Lucky Bastard" on Amazon
Rent or Purchase "Lost Faith" on Cult Movie Mania

Podcast Episode 21

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In Episode 21 we review a couple of recently released independent horror films. We start with 2013's 70's throwback "Here Comes the Devil" followed by the low budget slasher comedy "Bloody Bloody Bible Camp". Before our regular reviews we take some time to air our concerns with Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the recently announced Phantasm Ravager. We also talk Pat Robertson's comments on the danger of horror films and why he's an idiot.

You can find Bloody Bloody Bible Camp at bloodybloodybiblecamp.com  and Here Comes the Devil at magnetreleasing.com