One of the key elements to a good horror movie is an atmospheric score. For over a decade, Edward Douglas and his group Midnight Syndicate have been creating music straight out of old school gothic horrors, whilst also directing his own movies. His upcoming flick The Dead Matter is set for release later this year and is an update of one of his earlier filmsEdward Douglas discusses his love of horror and his career to date...You are primarily known for your music through Midnight Syndicate, yet your new feature The Dead Matter is a remake of a short film you ...
District 9 was one of the most popular and acclaimed blockbusters of 2009, with The Los Angeles Times declaring that 'District 9 is very smart sci-fi, but that's just the beginning; it's also a scathing social satire hidden inside a terrific action thriller.' With the recent announcement that the movie has been nominated for several Academy Awards (including Best Motion Picture of the Year), now would be an appropriate time to delve into the making of a modern classic. Co-star Jason Cope discusses his experiences in District 9… How did you first come to work with Neill Blomkamp and how did Alive ...
Siblings Caroline and Eric du Potet are set to be the latest filmmakers from France to enjoy international acclaim with their upcoming thriller Dans ton sommeil (In Their Sleep). Having already been hyped on such sites as UHM and Pretty-Scary, the movie promises to follow the recent tradition of Euro horrors putting their Hollywood counterparts to shame Caroline discusses the making of the movie... Your feature debut, Dans ton sommeil (In Their Sleep), was co-directed with Eric Du Potet. What kind of problems did the two of you face, having to share directorial decisions and how did you both come to work ...
I’ve never really kept my obsession with slashers a secret. And whilst the genre seems as popular as ever these days (mainly thanks to the various remakes that have taken over the box office recently), most of them seem to be generic and aiming towards a watered-down, PC crowd. Thankfully, Adam Green’s sleep hit Hatchet had the balls to deliver the gory goods, with John Carl Buechler’s stomach-turning special effects giving fans exactly what they wanted. One of the more memorable performances came from Parry Shen, who portrayed the useless swamp tour guide Shawn. Now he's back again for the sequel, ...
Having spoken to Branko Tomovic regarding his work on independent productions for our sister site Hijack Hollywood, we couldn’t resist asking a few questions about his role in the upcoming Hollywood remake of the Universal classic The Wolfman. The movie, directed by Jurassic Park III’s Joe Johnston, stars Benicio Del Toro as Lawrence Talbot, a man who is bitten by a wolf and inherits the curse. Branko discusses his small role in the movie… Having primarily been known for your work on low budget productions, how did you manage to land a significant role in the upcoming remake of The Wolfman for ...
Working alongside his Eleven Bravo Productions partner Sheila Brothers and filmmaker Charles Stewart Jr., Shaun O'Rourke has not only co-starred, written and produced the upcoming horror flick Butchered but was also involved in the directing. Set to be released on DVD on February 9, the movie tells of a group of young friends who become terrorized by an escaped killer. Shaun discusses his experiences making Butchered... Having worked as an actor for several years, how did you manage to make your directorial debut with Butchered and how did this become a joint collaboration with Charles Stewart Jr. and Sheila Brothers? "Scheduling conflicts and ...
Although a few genre sites had given it an occasional mention, the success of Paul Solet’s feature debut Grace seemed to come from out of nowhere. Aided by a screening at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival last January, the movie has since enjoyed critical acclaim and has hailed its director as a promising new talent. Paul discusses his work on the movie and the effect its success has had on his life and career… With your first feature Grace having been screened at the likes of Sundance last year, what kind of success have you enjoyed over the last twelve months and ...
Over the last couple of years I’ve become more and more obsessed with 1970s exploitation cinema, so with the arrival of the likes of Grindhouse filmmakers too are looking back to the old days of sleaze, violence and excess. One subgenre to have emerged during that time was the ‘nunsploitation’ movie, predominantly Italian-produced films that would combine religion with such themes as lesbianism, vengeance and murder. This was what immediately attracted me to Nun of That, the deliciously titled latest feature from director Richard Griffin and actress Sarah Nicklin, the latter of whom portrays Sister Wrath. Sarah took the time out ...
Shot on an extremely low budget, The Deadly Spawn would become a cult classic amongst fans of 1980s creature features, a regular attraction at the drive-ins and late night movie theatres. Marking the debut of independent filmmaker Douglas McKeown, The Deadly Spawn told of a meteor that crashlands in the woods, prompting two campers to go and investigate. A creature emerges from the wreckage and begins to lay havoc with the locals, some strange alien monster that is more deadly than anything man has ever seen. With the movie set to be discovered by a new generation of horror fans, Douglas ...
Following on from the gallery of previously unreleased images that we published recently, cult filmmaker James Bryan moves onto discussing his x-rated 1970 adult flick The Dirtiest Game. Titus Moede starred as a politician who, desperate to win the support of the younger voters, sets out to try and legalise marijuana. Boasting raunchy humour, explicit nudity and scenes that are guaranteed to shock (such as a woman pleasuring herself with a razor), The Dirtiest Game caused much controversy upon its initial release. Now set to be released on DVD by cult label Code Red (who were previously responsible for ...
Those who have been working their way through the series of obscure and cult Italian movies that the UK label Shameless have been spewing out over the last couple of years will be aware of the awesome box set that the company have just released. Coming in a sleek steel tin, The Bronx Warriors set includes three classics from filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari (who directed Inglorious Bastards back in the late '70s): 1990: I guerrieri del Bronx/1990: The Bronx Warriors, Fuga dal Bronx/Escape from the Bronx and I nuovi barbari/The New Barbarians. Enzo discusses his cult trilogy being re-discovered three decades... Having ...
Many moons ago, a young wannabe filmmaker called JR Bookwalter assembled a group of likeminded individuals, consisting of friends and local talent, and shot an extremely low budget zombie flick called The Dead Next Door. Here’s what happened… Did you always want to be a filmmaker and were your interests always with horror or did you see this as the easiest way to shoot your first film with a low budget? "I started making Super-8mm short films with my mother's home movie camera around age 10, and from that day forward it was definitely my first love. I grew up watching Dark Shadows ...
Perhaps most famous for the 1985 creature feature Ghoulies, Luca Bercovici has spent the last three decades working as both a director and actor on a variety of cult movies such as Parasite, Frightmare and The Granny. Luca catches up with Dr. Gore to discuss his career so far.Having first started out as an actor for the likes of Charles Band, how did you make the leap to directing? "Directing was the next natural step, being a writer and an actor. Even though I have had a fairly decent career as an actor, I never considered myself a "pure actor", ...
Often referred to by his loyal fan base as the 'Godfather of Gore,' Herschell Gordon Lewis was one of the most prolific and influential independent filmmakers of the 1960's, responsible for such cult favourites as Blood Feast, Color Me Blood Red and The Wizard of Gore. Herschell discusses half a century in the film industry and his plans for the future.Having earned a Master’s degree in Journalism, what were your first steps into the world of media and what were your early ambitions? "I had planned to get an editorial job with a magazine. Instead, since one of my degrees included Honors ...
Along with Paul Verhoeven, Dick Maas is one of the most popular filmmakers to have emerged from the Netherlands. Having been responsible for such cult favourites as De Lift (The Lift) and Amsterdamned, he has remained a unique and inventive director. Dick discusses the Dutch film industry and his work to date.Having grown up in the Netherlands, what was your first introduction to cinema and at what point did you decide that you wanted to become a filmmaker yourself? "As a kid I frequented the local cinema a lot. I saw a lot of comedies, especially the Laurel and Hardy ...
The Evil Dead is one of the most popular horror movies of all time. First released at the dawn of VHS and the main offender during the 'video nasties' witch-hunt of the 1980's, Sam Raimi's low budget debut still stands as a classic blend of horror and humour. Betsy Baker, Ellen Sandweiss and Theresa Tilly, known collectively as The Ladies of The Evil Dead, discuss the making of the ultimate video nasty.How did you first meet Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapers and how did you come to be involved in Within the Woods and The Evil Dead? ELLEN: ...
Having already given horror fans a fear of mannequins with his underrated classic Tourist Trap, David Schmoeller then turned his attention to dolls with the cult favourite Puppet Master. Once again reuniting him with legendary producer Charles Band, the movie would be a huge success and launch a franchise. Twenty years on, David reminisces on the making of arguably his most successful picture to date…
Chances are if you've ever watched an Italian horror film from the 1980's then you will be familiar with Giovanni Lombardo Radice. Often credited under the pseudonym John Morghen, Giovanni's intense screen presence in such classics as Antonio Margheriti's Apocalypse domani (Cannibal Apocalypse), Lucio Fulci's Paura nella città dei morti viventi (City of the Living Dead) and Umberto Lenzi's truly repulsive Cannibal Ferox would transform him into one of the biggest stars of the era. Giovanni discusses the Italian film industry and his place in it.At what point do you feel the Italian film industry was allowed the ...
For many fans, the Return of the Living Dead series came to an anticlimax with Necropolis and Rave to the Grave. Whilst they may have failed to deliver in the same way as the original, one character that made them appealing was Becky, played with a tongue-in-cheek attitude by Aimee Lynn Chadwick. Having played both the hero and the zombie, Aimee reveals all about her experiences with the living dead.What kind of movies did you enjoy when you were growing up and how did this develop into an interest in acting? Were you ever a fan of ...



