Delve Deeper

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Whisperer in Darkness is finished...


Sean Branney sends word that the HPLHS's highly anticipated film The Whisperer in Darkness is finished! The film will screen at the Belfast International Film Festival in Northern Ireland in early April, and at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in San Pedro, CA this September...

Check back for further screening announcements and DVD release news...


(Thanks to Sean Branney)

Jeffrey Combs and Steve Niles producing Nevermore comic...


Nevermore, an Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, the one-man play from Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli and Jeffrey Combs that had a phenomenal run last year is coming out in graphic form thanks to fan-favorite comic writer Steve Niles! At least part of the "graphic adaptation" will be illustrated by the incredible Bernie Wrightson with other artists yet-to-be-announced...

Dread Central reports that IDW will be publishing...


(Thanks to steveniles.com and Dread Central)

New Poe anthology Requiem for the Damned coming soon...


The new Poe anthology Requiem for the Damned is coming out on DVD (and will be available on VOD) July 5th from Hannover House, according to shocktillyoudrop.com. The film consists of five adaptations including The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell Tale Heart, The Black Cat, The Pit and the Pendulum and Murders in the Rue Morgue...

Johnny Bones, Tony Baez Milan, Aaron J. Shelton, Anthony Vingas and Tinnell directed from screenplays written by Robert F. Keith and directors Milan, Shelton and Tinnell...

Click here for details...

(Thanks to shocktillyoudrop.com)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Beautiful new one-sheet for The Captured Bird...


Writer/director Jovanka Vuckovic has revealed a beautiful new teaser poster for her Lovecraftian horror short The Captured Bird, painted by Richard Raaphorst (Worst Case Scenario and Frankenstein's Army) and artist Sander Brouwer! The film, inspired in part by one of Jovanka's childhood nightmares, the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, and the paranormal phenomenon known as The Shadow People, will be executive produced by Guillermo del Toro...

About the film: THE CAPTURED BIRD is a darkly poetic fable that begins with a little girl drawing figures of people with chalk on the cement of a playground. She takes notice of an unusual crack in the pavement that is seeping a mysterious black fluid, which she follows to an ominous building. Inside, she encounters several bizarre phenomena, including walls that bleed black and tentacles that emerge from the ceiling to touch her. She then witnesses the birth of five terrifying supernatural beings that threaten the existence of her world...

Head over to the official site for concept art, interviews, storyboards and more...


(Thanks to Jovanka Vuckovic)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Lovecraft live on stage...



New York City's RadioTheatre will be presenting six H.P. Lovecraft tales live on stage as part of their upcoming H.P. Lovecraft Festival! The festival takes place March 17th through April 3rd at NYC's Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street, between 2nd and Bowery)...

Program A consists of Dagon, From Beyond, The Beast in the Cave and Pickman's Model, and takes place March 17, 18, 19, 31 and April 2 at 8 PM. There is also a performance March 20 at 4 PM...

Program B includes The Dunwich Horror and The Music of Erich Zann, and takes place March 24, 25, 26 and April 1 at 8 PM, with another performance March 20 at 4 PM...

Tickets are $18 ($15 for students), or $30 for both programs...

All told, 50 of Lovecraft's works have been adapted, and will be performed throughout 2011-2012...

Click here for further details...


(Thanks to fangoria.com)

MovieScore Media to release La Sombra Prohibida soundtrack...


For Immediate Release:

MovieScore Media to release La Sombra Prohibida
Sequel to La Herencia Valdemar

Soundtrack Features Dark Orchestral Score By Gaudi Award-Nominated Composer Arnau Bataller

(January 31, 2011- Los Angeles, CA) – Moviescore Media (www.moviescoremedia.com) hears the call of Cthulhu with La Sombra Prohibida -- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The film is the sequel to 2010's La Herencia Valdemar and features the original music composed Arnau Bataller (Héroes, La Herencia Valdemar). The films are based on the H.P. Lovecraft universe and feature an appearance by Cthulhu.

Arnau Bataller was born in Alzira, Valencia. Thanks to the influence of his parents, he had an early interest in music, theater and reading. At the age of seven, he began studying music theory and violin at the Alzira Musical Society. After getting a professional degree in violin in 1998, Arnau decided to concentrate his efforts on the world of composition. He had always been attracted to the union of music and image, so he decided to specialize in music for film. For this reason he decided to pursue his studies in composition at USC in Los Angeles.

Since his days at USC, Bataller has composed music for several feature films, including 14 Days With Victor, Héroes, Ouija, and La Herencia Valdemar. He has also written concert music, including the chamber piece "Tre movimenti alla Rosini", which was recorded by Josep Fuster and Isabel Hernández. Bataller has been nominated for several awards including the Jerry Goldsmith Award and the Il Gaudi Award for Héroes.

Four days ago, Lúisa Llorente, a farm appraiser, had the formidable task of going to evaluate the home of Lazarus Valdemar, but she's not been heard from. Two expeditions go out in search of her: the first is Nicholas Tramel, a detective hired by Maximilian Colvin, head of Inmoverance, the company Lúisa works for, and the other comprised of coworkers Ana and Eduardo, who travel by car with the idea of joining forces with the detective, but something happens.

Composer Bataller utilizes some of the themes he created for La Herencia Valdemar, but has created a new sound for La Sombra Prohibida. He described, "The second part has more action than Herencia. Furthermore, we now learn more about some of the characters that become crucial to understand the story, and therefore we needed new motivic material. For example, Cthulhu, the cosmic entity created by H.P. Lovecraft, has music that tries to depict his grandiosity and his menace."

To achieve this, Bataller worked with a symphonic orchestra and a choir. "I invented the lyrics trying to use words that had a lot of consonants, so they had more phonetic impact," said Bataller. "I looked to some writings of Lovecraft with some old texts he invented as a guide to create the lyrics. In addition, I codified some messages in the lyrics that only few people who worked in the film can appreciate."

Universal Pictures International and LA Cruzada Entertainment present La Sombra Prohibida, in theaters in Spain on January 28, 2011. La Sombra Prohibida – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from Moviescore Media will be available digitally and CD on February 1, 2011.

Visit MovieScore Media for audio samples...



(Thanks to MovieScore Media)

H.P. Lovecraft finds a new writer...


According to bloody-disgusting.com, John August has been hired by Universal Pictures to do re-writes on The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft. The project first gained buzz when Ron Howard expressed interest in directing. Mac Carter and Jeff Blitz, co-creators of the comic, wrote the previous draft...

John August is a frequent collaborator of Tim Burton's, and is currently working on Frankenweenie and Dark Shadows for the director...

About the comic: Toiling away as a timid and eccentric writer of pulp horror stories, H.P. Lovecraft, is powerless in the world...in love with a girl who doesn't love him back, mired in a profession that inspires no respect and frozen in the grip of a terrible writer's block. Until one day when everything changes. Lovecraft comes in contact with an ancient book that passes onto him an insidious curse: whenever he sleeps, his darkest nightmares come true and are loosed on the world. Suddenly, this shy and bumbling writer becomes both an unwitting god of destruction and the only man who can fight the wickedness he unleashes. It's a fantastical revision of the life and work of H.P. Lovecraft, a story in the mold of the classic Universal horror movies. A weird tale indeed...


Sunday, February 20, 2011

Survivor Films investigate Arkham Sanitarium...


London based Production Company Survivor Films are aiming to improve on the formula started by Brian Yuzna with Necronomicon: Book of Dead, namely, the Lovecraftian horror anthology! The film, Arkham Sanitarium, will consist of three faithfully adapted shorts based on HPL's The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House and The Thing on the Doorstep, each set in 1930's New England. Each segment will be connected by an original 'wraparound' story, set in the 1950's, in which Alice Crow investigates strange stories surrounding the infamous Arkham Sanitarium. Shooting is set to begin in May 2011...

Check out Dave Wood's amazing poster art below, and watch this space for more...

About the film: The Haunter of the Dark - Robert Blake, author and artist returns to Providence to research a shadowy cult for his new book – against the warnings of his friend Ambrose Dexter he tracks down the old church where the cult performed their dark rituals – in the dusty, decrepit ruins he finds an ancient device that summons a monstrous creature intent on destroying him...

The Shunned House - Phillip Whipple, a Miskatonic University medical student returns to Providence to help his uncle Elihu move house. Phillip finds his uncle's notes on 'The Shunned House' – an old, crumbling place with a bad reputation. Phillip was trapped there once as a child and saw something he couldn't explain so with his uncle's assistance, the pair seek to uncover why an alarming number of people have died there...

The Thing on the Doorstep - Edward Derby, a poet and fantasist, falls for Asenath, a cold but hypnotically beautiful student at Miskatonic University – the pair wed shortly after despite Edward's close friend, Daniel Upton having concerns about the marriage. Daniel's worries are well-founded - Asenath is the daughter of Ephraim Waite – an old man rumoured to be a practitioner of black magic before his recent death...



(Thanks to Survivor Films)

Saturday, February 19, 2011

20 Minutes of Oxygen...


Lovecraftian rockers The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets are quite simply the greatest band on this or any other planet, and they've just released an amazing music video for their song "20 Minutes of Oxygen" off the Spaceship Zero album...

The video was directed and edited by Mike Jackson (who also did the visual effects), of Steam-Powered Films, and stars Toren Atkinson, Jordan Pratt, Merrick Atkinson and Warren Banks...

Check it out below...


(Thanks to Toren Atkinson)

Fantastic Factory presents Beyond Re-Animator...


Arrow Video is taking pre-orders for a new UK DVD featuring several Fantastic Factory releases including Beyond Re-Animator! Scheduled for April 18th, the Region 0 DVD contains Faust: Love of the Damned, Arachnid, Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt and the afore mentioned Beyond Re-Animator, plus original artwork, fold-out posters, collector's booklets and extras including interviews, commentaries, deleted scenes and more...

Beyond Re-Animator special features include: audio commentary with director Brian Yuzna, a 'All in the Head' Brian Yuzna on the Re-Animator Chronicles featurette, the original trailer, a double-sided fold-out poster featuring new artwork, a collector's booklet featuring 'World of Lovecraft' and an interview with star Jeffrey Combs by author and critic Calum Waddell as well as an extract from H.P. Lovecraft's original story 'Herbert West: Renimator' and a reversible sleeve featuring brand new and original artwork...

All features are presented in both English and Spanish and include English subtitles. Retail is £49.99...

Click here for more info...


(Thanks to James Raynor)

The Colour Out of San Pedro...


Die Farbe, Huan Vu's adaptation of The Colour Out of Space, will screen at the 2011 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in San Pedro, California! The HPLFF will take place September 16 & 17...

Watch for further details in the coming weeks and months...


(Thanks to Aaron Vanek)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

DangerHouse presents The Festival...


For Immediate Release:


The Foot of the Mummy
HP Lovecraft's The Festival
with LIVE MUSIC, and LIVE accompaniment
by Paloma Ceballos and Brittany Greentwalt

Playing at:
2438 Commercial St
San Diego, CA 92113

Show starts at 8pm (Feb. 17,18,19), doors open at 7:30p
Tickets: $10

Featuring black light art by Lola Connelly

Technomania Circus/Center for Amusing Arts is an open-air venue, so dress warmly....although there are heaters and blankets and hot chocolate! The audience section is tented.

Come early to find parking space,
or better yet, take the Orange Line Trolley
for easy access!


(Thanks to dangerhouse13.com)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Imagi-Movies announce H.P. Lovecraft Films...



The Imagi-Movies Festival, sponsored by Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine, has announced many of the films set to screen at the upcoming event, including those in the H.P. Lovecraft block! The festival is will take place April, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA...

The Lovecraft films announced so far contain classics and new favorites, shorts and features, and looks to be an interesting overview of Lovecraftian cinema that should satisfy fans who are only familiar with the more readily available Cosmic Horror titles…

- The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu by Henry Saine (2009)
- AM1200 by David Prior (2008)
- Frank DanCoolo: Paranormal Drug Dealer by Andrew Jones (2010)
- Dagon, The Canal, Recognition by Richard Corben
- The Outsider (1994), Return to Innsmouth (1999), My Necronomicon, Call of Tutu (2006) by Aaron Vanek
- A Shoggoth on the Roof
- The Music of Erich Zann by John Strysik (1980)
- An Imperfect Solution: A Tale of the Re-Animator (2003), Experiment 17 (2005), Dunwich (2006), Experiment 18: Das Hexenhammer-Projekt (2007) by Christian Matzke
- Late Bloomer by Craig Macneil (2004)
- Cool Air by Brian Moore (1999)
- The Call of Cthulhu by Andrew Leman (2005)
- Strange Aeons by Eric Morgret (2005)
- Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown by Frank H. Woodward (2008)
- The Shunned House by Ivan Zuccon (2003)
- Colour from the Dark by Ivan Zuccon (2008)

Details can be found here...


Updated: Twitch interviews The Last Lovecraft...


Interested in learning a little more about The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu before you pick up the DVD, out today courtesy of Dark Sky Films? Then head over to Twitch for an interview with actors Kyle Davis and Devin McGinn (who also wrote the screenplay)...

"A lot of people have asked us about coming out with a comic and we are meeting with a few people. It's something that I'd love to do. I don't know how involved or uninvolved I'd be, but I'd love to see something like that. It seems like in the last few years there's been a lot of print work of Lovecraft appreciation in graphic novels and things like that. So, I would love to see a comic book come out. 

I would still like to do second film--I mean, my gosh, if I didn't have to use my own money and we had a little bit of a bigger budget. I mean, I have an outline for two more films [and] I would love to see where these characters go, especially Jeff's character. Really, I have a lot in mind, even beyond what I touched in this film. It would be fun."

- Devin McGinn


Update: Check out fangoria.com's very favorable DVD review here...


(Thanks to twitchfilm.com)

Paul Giamatti talks John Dies at the End...


Paul Giamatti talks John Dies at the End with Quint from Ain't It Cool News! Check out several quotes below, and click here for more...

"It looks great. It looks really great. I'm so excited about that film. I'm so looking forward to the movie. I think it's going to be great. It looks amazing what (Don Coscarelli)'s already put together."

"Yeah, we were helping him produce it. No man, it's almost like an embarrassment of riches, that thing. It's almost going to be like what's going to be tragic is what's going to have to go, because stuff is going to have to go and it's like it will kill me whatever goes because you want it all to be in there and you've still got to have this stuffed bag of stuff. I mean I saw the bratwurst scene, which is so hilarious, and the guys that he got, Chase Williamson who plays Wong is… He's got the tone so perfectly. He's fantastic in it, that kid. He's really good. Don cast it brilliantly. The actors were so good. 

The guy who plays the Rastafarian is amazing and that's one of my favorite things in the movie, that speech that that guy has about the dreams and the thunder and all of that stuff. The guy does it… It's fantastic."

- Paul Giamatti



(Thanks to aintitcool.com)

H.P. Lovecraft: Reanimated...


For Immediate Release:


Friday, April 15 9:00 PM (8:00 PM doors)
H.P. Lovecraft: Reanimated : Lovecraft / Reanimated

at Horse Hospital, England - London

The UK's first live cabaret celebrating the eldritch works of H.P. Lovecraft

Debut Live Show!
• Date: Friday 15 April 2011, 8-12pm
• Venue: The Horse Hospital, London WC1N 1JD
• Tickets: £12 early bird, normal price £14.45

Dare you enter the dark, twisted cabaret of H.P. Lovecraft: Reanimated
– the UK's first live show devoted to the eldritch works of New England’s dreamer of unspeakable terrors?

In this humdrum modern world where adolescent vampires, brutish werewolves and dumbass zombies dominate mainstream horror – and our beloved creatures of the night have been reduced to bit-players in garish movies and TV dramas – H.P. Lovecraft: Reanimated
flies in the face of convention to celebrate the absurd imaginings of the man who unleashed From Beyond, The Call Of Cthulhu, At The Mountains Of Madness and other tales of cosmic dread, and plays fast and loose with the mythos, magic and monsters he created.

Live Lovecraft readings: performed by The Fitzrovia Radio Hour – direct from the West End and featured many times on BBC Radio 4.

Laughs with Lovecraft: HP Lovebox – a tentacle-headed crooner wearing a natty suit and belting out indie hits… like Frank Sinatra from Lovecraft's darkest nightmare.

Lovecraft book launch: SelfMadeHero's latest graphic novel based on the short stories of H.P. Lovecraft, The Lovecraft Anthology: Volume I. With exclusive guests!

Exclusive film screenings, quiz and great music!

Hosted by Chris Lackey, H.P. Lovecraft expert and co-host of the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast

FOR MORE DETAILS -
H.P. Lovecraft: Reanimated on Facebook

Tickets can be purchased here...

(Thanks to Christopher Lackey)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Under Lovecraft's Shadow...


During a recent interview with GeekTyrant, prolific actor/producer DJ Perry revealed that writer/director Jeff Kennedy is working on an original horror script called Lovecraft's Shadow! Read on for more...

"A "LOVECRAFT'S SHADOW" horror script is being penned by my CDI partner director/writer Jeff Kennedy. He wants to throw his hat back into the horror genre and he loves his H.P. Lovecraft. I'm excited to see the final script and if it plays anything like the treatment fans will be very happy. I will play an investigator who discovers some mysterious happenings that are usually contained to the small East Coast fishing towns. Something has made its way to the Great Lakes."

Check out the full interview here...


(Thanks to geektyrant.com)

The Temple awaits...


Back in September of last year we told you about an exciting new project from Eldritch Animation based on HPL's The Temple, and today we have an update! Doug Simon, the driving force behind EA's previous projects The Terrible Old Man and The Statement of Randolph Carter, sends word that a first draft of the storyboards was completed last week, and a voice actor will be working on Karl Heinrich's narration in the coming weeks...

According to Doug, the film will be larger in both scope and length than their previous films, so a Kickstarter page will be set up to help cover the costs involved...

Check out some of Doug's pre-production art below, and check back here for fundraising info and news of a second, secret project that may be announced soon...

Background concept 2 - Doug Simon
Background concept 3 - Doug Simon

(Thanks to Doug Simon)

Stuart Gordon to adapt The Men...


Pre-production is underway on Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna's latest collaboration, The Men, based on a screenplay written by the late Dan O'Bannon! The film revolves around a woman who discovers that earth is captive to an alien race that took control of the planet half a million years ago...

Watch this space for more...

(Thanks to Dread Central)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Curse of Yig slithers closer to completion...



It's been aeons since we last covered Paul von Stoetzel's The Curse of Yig, but that doesn't mean its fallen off our radar (is that The Bloop I see?), in fact, I dropped Paul a line the other day and he came through with an update and two new images from the film...

According to Paul, a full, polished and completed edit of Yig should be ready by next month, with picture lock almost in place, and once the sound mix has been finalized, Scott Keever will provide an original score. Indy filmmaker Jason P. Schumacher (The Telephone Game) has been enlisted to help with editing, and Paul-Michael Carr has joined Killing Joke Films as their new post production manager, with The Curse of Yig being his first project...

One image, which you can see below, reveals the amazing snake girl effects created by long time professional makeup artist Nate Courteau. When talking about the effects, Paul had this to say, "We've held off showing a lot of the effects for YIG, which were over 90% in camera, which also we're extremely proud of. The old fashioned prosthetic effects really add to the atmosphere  of the film and give a classical feel to a story steeped in a folktale type world."

If all goes as planned, look for the film to premiere at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Los Angeles...



(Thanks to Paul von Stoetzel and Tim Uren)

Updated: Voices from the Dead...


According to shocktillyoudrop.com and numerous other horror sites, J. Michael Straczynski's Voices from the Dead has been optioned by DreamWorks. The film is based on the friendship between magician Harry Houdini (for whom Lovecraft ghost-wrote Imprisoned with the Pharaohs) and Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who were actually friends, but the storyline is a fictional account of how they teamed up with a psychic to solve bizarre murders in 1920's New York...

The film might be just what is needed to rescue the long rumored adaptation of Thomas Wheeler's The Arcanum (featuring Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Marie Laveau and H.P. Lovecraft) from development hell. The last I heard, that film was being set up at Gold Circle Films with Randall Wallace at the helm...

Update: Arrow In The Head is reporting that the SyFy channel is developing a series based on the graphic novel Among the Spirits by writers Steve Valentine and Paul Chart (which was inspired by Houdini's book A Magician Among the Spirits), that sees Houdini and Doyle solving mysteries in 1920's. Click here for more...

(Thanks to shocktillyoudrop.com, bloody-disgusting.com and Arrow In The Head)

New clips from The Last Lovecraft...


The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu has been getting a lot of press lately in anticipation of the February 15th DVD release, including several new "exclusive" film clips provided by Twitch Film and fangoria.com! Dread Central also has a cast and crew Q&A video from the LA premiere that can be found here...

It the Q&A video, writer/producer and actor Devin McGinn talks the potential of a Lovecraft trilogy, a comic book film tie-in and more...

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Doctor Glamour needs your help...


Filmmaker Andrew W. Jones has started a Kickstarter page for his ambitious follow-up to Frank DanCoolo: Paranormal Drug Dealer, Doctor Glamour! Described as an epic, genre-smashing, gender-bending, musical, Doctor Glamour revolves around peerless science student Walter Gilman who meets his match in Eve Walpurgis and promptly falls in love. But when Eve is taken by an extra-dimensional terror, Walter is forced to summon a demon of his own: the anachronistic Doctor Glamour! Together they embark on a rock-and-roll journey through the realm of dreams, filled with action, adventure and some unexpected romance...

Individuals interested in contributing can check out the interactive script linked on the Kickstarter page, complete with finished digital sets, final visual effects shots and songs recorded with the actual cast...

Click here to see how you can help...


(Thanks to Andrew Jones)

Tom Cruise still interested in Madness...


Straight from the mouth of James Cameron:

"Tom does want to do the picture," Cameron said of Cruise's continued interest. "I don't think we have a deal with him yet, but we're hoping to get that closed soon. Guillermo is madly working on a new draft of the script," he added. "Hopefully we'll be shooting by June or July."

Click here for more...

(Thanks to moviesblog.mtv.com)

Re-Animator: The Musical dates announced...



For Immediate Release:

WHAT: "Re-Animator - The Musical." World Premiere engagement.

WHO: Book by Dennis Paoli, Stuart Gordon and William J. Norris. Music and lyrics by Mark Nutter. Adapted from the story by H.P. Lovecraft. Based on the film "H.P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator" produced by Brian Yuzna. Musical director: Peter Adams. Choreography by Cynthia Carle. Directed by Stuart Gordon. Produced by Dean Schramm and Stuart Gordon.

WHERE: Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027. Parking lot behind building.

WHEN: Previews February 18- March 4. Opens Saturday, March 5, 2011, runs through March 27th. Fridays through Sundays at 8 p.m.

ADMISSION: $25. Previews $20. Student preview tickets $10 (with I.D.).

RESERVATIONS: 1-800-595-4TIX (595-4849).

ONLINE TICKETING: www.steveallentheater.com

* * * * * *

In 1985, Stuart Gordon directed his first feature film and created a sensation. It was "Re-Animator," a smashing popular success based on a horror story by H.P. Lovecraft. The film delivered as many laughs as it did screams making it a cult classic among horror fans and winning a Critic's Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Now, Gordon is back with his co-writers Dennis Paoli and William J. Norris and composer/lyricist Mark Nutter to turn "Re-Animator" into a musical for the stage.

"RE-ANIMATOR" tells the story of Herbert West, a brilliant young medical student who has created a glowing green serum that can bring the dead back to life. What should be a medical breakthrough results in hideous monstrosities and ghastly consequences. "I guess he just wasn't fresh enough," is West's constant refrain as his quest for fresh subjects results in the murders of half the faculty of the medical school.

The cast stars George Wendt, best known as the affable Norm from "Cheers" but now playing the Dean of the Medical School who West transforms into a mindless zombie. Chris L. McKenna, the star of Gordon's neo-noir thriller "King of the Ants" is Dan Cain, Herbert's hapless roommate who finds himself drawn into the mayhem. And operatic Jesse Merlin, who played the President of the United States in the long running "The Beastly Bombing" is Dr. Carl Hill who loses his head for Meg, the dean's beautiful daughter (Rachel Avery) only to actually lose it at the hands of Herbert West. But thanks to the glowing re-agent, Dr. Hill is still able to take his curtain call with his head tucked underneath his arm. Rounding out the cast (in alphabetical order) are Mark Beltzman, Cynthia Carle, Brian Gillespie, and Liesel Hanson, and introducing Graham Skipper as Herbert West.

Special effects are being done by the same guys who did them for the 1985 movie: Tony Doublin, John Naulin and John Beuchler. And the blood will flow so freely that the first row will be designated as a "splash zone." Laura Fine Hawkes, who last designed "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" at the Taper, will provide the creepy sets, Joe Kucharski the moldering costumes and Jeff Ravitz the cadaverous lighting. Stage managing the madness is the unflappable Joe Begos.

Needless to say, the show is not for small children.

Mark Nutter is composer and lyricist and his cheerfully disturbing songs have been compared to Tom Lehrer. His previous stage credits include the international hit "The Bicycle Men"; "Christmas Smackdown" (created with the equally demented Cynthia Carle); and "Wild Men." He's also known for his work on "3rd Rock From the Sun," "Saturday Night Live.") His recent CD "Twisted Songs for Twisted Sophisticates" has been banned from the airwaves.

Stuart Gordon directs. Prior to the "Re-Animator" movie, he spent fifteen years as the founder and artistic director of the Organic Theater of Chicago, where he co-created the original production of "Bleacher Bums," produced and directed the world premiere of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago," presented Ray Bradbury's "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit," and would later direct the feature film adaptation. Gordon has also directed four more films based on Lovecraft (among them "From Beyond" and "Dagon".) Gordon's most recent stage credits include the award-winning "Kabbalah: Scary Jewish Stories" and the long-running and critically acclaimed "Nevermore," with "Re-Animator" film star Jeffrey Combs as Edgar Allan Poe.

(Thanks to fearnet.com)

House of Black Wings screening...


David Schmidt's House of Black Wings will be screening next Friday at Capricon 31! The screening will take place at 2 PM in the Ravinia A/Anime Room. Writer/director David Schmidt will be in attendance...

About the film: After a tragic act of violence cuts short her music career, Kate Stone is returning to a city full of ex-fans and ex-friends. Taking shelter with her last friend, a struggling artist named Robyn Huck, the two women work to restore the aging courtyard apartment building Robyn has inherited. But a terrible secret infests the venerable structure, and soon Kate will be haunted by horrific dreams, sinister apparitions, and the sounds of something moving in the walls. She will be dragged into a confrontation not only with her own dark past, but the unspeakable nightmare that lurks beyond the walls...

 

(Thanks to David Schmidt)

Guillermo del Toro to judge HPLFF short films...


Filmmaker and Lovecraft fan Guillermo del Toro confirmed that he will be the final judge for the winner of the short film contest for the 2011 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, held at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, California, September 16 & 17...

(Thanks to Aaron Vanek)

Friday, February 4, 2011

Monsters

I know a while back I said I'd be reviewing films of possible interest to cosmic horror fans, and so far I've only done one. Life has been iffy so I've been unfortunately distracted.


But special effects man turned director Gareth Edwards lovely little Indie film Monsters hit the shelves this week so it was an opportune time to do something (especially since the darn ice storms are keeping me trapped inside).

The story begins 6 years after scientists send a probe to Jupiter because they think they've discovered life on Europa. The probe breaks up on re-entry, scattering much of Mexico with alien spores (or something). It eventually becomes known as the Infected Zone because the trees are covered in alien eggs (which look suspiciously like bracket fungi). Once the eggs hatch the aliens head out to sea via rivers, only returning to land to procreate or for reasons known only to them. The problem with this is that as adults they are 100 meter monstrosities, and due to chemical warfare by the U.S. military they tend to react viciously to humans. The result is a massive stone wall on the U.S.-Mexico border that possibly dwarfs even the Wall of China.

This could be the perfect setting for a sort of cosmic horror story, but the director instead opts for a combination of a road film, romantic drama, and post apocalyptic commentary on humanity. Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is a professional photographer employed by an unnamed American company to keep a record of the fighting between the Mexican military and the creatures, and to hopefully get some live action shots of them. Unfortunately for him he always manages to get there in the aftermath, and then even worse Samantha (Whitney Able, playing the daughter of the company owner) needs an escort to get back home to California after getting stuck behind the border. The only ferry costs a steep price, and the night before they are to leave Andrew gets drunk and picks up a woman who robs them of their money and passports. So now if they wish to get back to America, they have to cross the Infected Zone, which means dodging joint bombing raids/chemical dumps by the USAF and Mexican forces, and the aliens themselves.


According to IMDB and other sources the director had a budget of only $800,000 dollars, and two principal actors. Everyone else was just someone who happened to be there when they were filming, and all locations (except the obvious photoshopped stuff) were actual locations sometimes used without asking prior permission, and the crew was limited to only a handful of people using off the shelf equipment. If this is true what Edwards has done is fairly spectacular considering the film looks much more expensive to make, and the creature effects are pretty darn good. Alas it had a very limited release in the states, and will hopefully make it's money back in DVD sales. It's inspiring to see a film made on a shoestring come out so well in an age of 100+ million dollar crap that has an enormous budget yet still can't make a decent monster or tell a story. It gives me hope for the Legendary Pictures Godzilla remake since Edwards has been tapped to direct it.

A note for horror fans: this is not strictly a horror film although it has moments. It's more about two average people thrown together in an extraordinary situation, and developing feelings for one another (it doesn't hurt that the main actors are supposed to be a real life couple). It's not an action film, and the story moves at a slow, dreamlike pace. So if you want a traditional horror or action film look elsewhere. But if you want something different it's worth checking out. This should have gotten a much larger release, and it's kind of sad it's been pushed into a corner.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

New Grabbers images...


Bloody Disgusting and Shock Till You Drop both got exclusive first looks (how exactly does that happen?) at the new Irish horror comedy Grabbers, which you can see here and here, directed by Jon Wright and written by Kevin Lehane. The film stars Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley and Russell Tovey...
About the film: Ciarán O'Shea, the handsome though washed up policeman of sleepy Erin Island, has a daily routine consisting mainly of hanging out at the pub with the local drunks and various other charmingly eccentric characters. But his day is about to go horribly wrong.

Teamed up with the unwanted help of Lisa – an uptight workaholic policewoman from the Irish mainland – they suddenly find themselves dealing with dead whales, decapitated fishermen and weird alien creatures or "grabbers". Like a giant squid with tentacles, fanged jaws and a three-foot barbed tongue, they’re making mincemeat of the locals.

Faced with another imminent attack, O'Shea and Lisa figure out that the only person to survive the last onslaught only did so because he was so drunk his blood was literally toxic to the monsters. So there is only one thing for it: They have to get the entire village as drunk as possible in order to survive the night ... a task that the villagers apply themselves to with gusto.

But one person must remain sober so for the first time in years O'Shea has to face up to things without a drink. When things don't go to plan, an extremely drunk Lisa and a very sober O'Shea have to reconcile their differences and somehow save the day.


War With the Newts...



Based on the novel Valka S Mloky by Karel Capek, War With the Newts revolves around the discovery of a sea-dwelling race in the Pacific who are enslaved and exploited, until they rebel, leading to a global war for supremacy. Currently in pre-production, the film was to be directed by celebrated Polish director/screenwriter Agnieszka Holland, who has since moved on in favor of director/producer Thomas Krejci...

With a budget of around 7.5 million euros (about 10 million U.S.), Newts will be shot in Germany, Poland, Thailand and possibly the Czech Republic, with actors still to be named...

The producers are looking for a 2013 release on a yet-to-be-decided Czech TV station, with no mention of a DVD or international release...

Check out the teaser trailer and concept art below, and click here for more...


 


(Thanks to Constantin von Hoffmeister, twitchfilm.com and topzine.cz)

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

At the Mountains of Monsters...


The New Yorker has published an epic 13 page article on Guillermo del Toro (written by Daniel Zalewski), and contained within are some very revealing descriptions of the 'monsters' and city from At the Mountains of Madness! Check out some excerpts below...

"Let's say that creature A [a Shoggoth] turns into creature A-B, then turns into creature B, then turns into creature B-C. And by the time it lands on a guy it's creature E. It's like when you grab a sock and you pull it inside out. From his mouth, he extrudes himself."

"A coral reef is a shitload of skeletons fused together, right? All the technology those creatures have, all their technology is organic. You and I use metals, plastics. These creatures don't have weapons or chisels. They create other creatures as tools."

The above quotes are just the tip of the iceberg, so head over to The New Yorker for more, but beware, there are some surprising spoilers contained in the article including the ultimate shocker at the end...

(Thanks to newyorker.com)

Black Goat on location...


Filmmaker Joseph Nanni revealed several location shots from his latest project Black Goat on his facebook page, one of which you can see below! The film, a period piece that will shot in the gray, frozen landscapes of Canada, will develop and expand the myth of Shub-Niggurath, including the revelation of a unique geographical area where Shub calls home...


(Thanks to Joseph Nanni)

Giger's aliens in Prometheus...


According to Sky.com, citing an unnamed source, the classic Giger aliens will be part of Ridley Scott's Prometheus, a film that started out as the Alien prequel, but morphed into something...different. They've also revealed that the show-stopping 'space jockey' from the original film will also make an appearance, and that part of the film will be shot in Morocco, where "some sort of archaeological dig where they discover alien DNA takes place...and that DNA gives them the coordinates for an alien world. "

 Hit the above link for more...


(Thanks to sky.com)

Alex Winter talks The Gate 3D...


It's been awhile since we last mentioned Alex Winter's 3D remake of The Gate, and in that time, nothing seems to have changed, but during a recent interview with Icon vs. Icon, Alex had some pretty encouraging things to say about the production...

 "...I'm working on a remake of a movie called "The Gate" from the mid-'80s which I'm really excited about. It's a 3D movie. We've been working with great, great 3D people to make it look fantastic. We have a really great effects team assembled. So I'm working on that right now, which I'm really excited about," He tells the site, "For me "The Gate" is a good story to tell the kids today. And that's the way I'm addressing it. It's a template. Let's be honest. The notion, the general schematic of that story of kids unleashing something and then having to conquer it is pretty broad. It's been done in different stories over and over and over … it's basically a fairytale. So I think this kind of story, we're not going to ruin the original. The themes to me that make the original "The Gate" special are never going to go away. I mean the work that those guys did with stop motion, the foreground miniature work they did, the strange, weird theater camp uniqueness to that movie is going to live on in there, you can watch it whenever you want. I certainly feel like we're gonna make a movie that we have heart and believe in and that's really what counts!"

Look for The Gate 3D in 2012...


(Thanks to iconvsicon.com)