Jack Thomas Smith Writer/Director Of Infliction

We had a chance to sit down with writer and director Jack Smith to talk about his up coming feature Infliction and whats next from Fox Trail Productions

Epic Horror-With eight years between films, what have yourself and Fox Trail Productions been doing ?

Jack Thomas Smith - That's a great question. I've been in development HELL!!! I had a verbal commitment for the financing for my action/horror feature "In The Dark", but then it fell through when the market tanked in 2008. From there, I scrambled to find

investors and dealt with two different studios to put together the project. But after endless rewrites and delays, I shifted my focus and efforts to "Infliction."

EH - What lessons have you taken away from music videos for your films and vica versa.

JTS - I always try to keep it true to the movie... And true to the artist's vision. For example, we shot a music video for my last film "Disorder." The artist's name is Purple Pam. She's a rocker from NYC. The song "Take Me Away" is a beautiful ballad and was a change of direction for her. The song dealt with suicide, so I incorporated Pam's vision and meaning behind the song with 
  the same locations that we shot the film. It really came out great and tied both the song and the movie together.

EH - With Fox Trail adding more movies to it's stable, what genre are you most comfortable with?

JTS - I love thrillers. I'm a big Brian DePalma guy. I love 
  films that have a tight story and keep you guessing... And then right when you think you have it figured out... There's a twist ending. I love complex characters and actually CARING about characters... That way it makes it so much more impactful when you lose them. With that being said, those are the types of films I like to make... Films that will keep you on the edge of your seat and will have you talking afterwards.

EH - With films like Disorder, Infliction,and your upcoming In The Dark, What do you look for in a horror movie?

JTS -  I love horror films that have a strong story and suspense. If the movie calls for gore... Awesome.  But if it's not necessary, then it's not necessary. Personally, gore doesn't scare me. Suspense is what scares me. I love when you're on the edge of your seat... You 

  have no idea what's coming next... It's the anticipation of what's to come that I find to be scarier than splatter in your face without that suspenseful buildup.

EH - Most overused horror cliches

JTS -  I hate when tension is building during a scene... And then a cat jumps out of nowhere. Can't stand that. Lol.

EH - Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that filmmaking was not just a hobby, but that it would be your life and your living?

JTS - It's something that's always been in me. Writing and filmmaking is part of my DNA. It's all I know. When I was 8, I saw "Star Wars" and that absolutely blew me away. And shortly after that, I read "The Shining" by Stephen King and that knocked me off my feet as well. At a very young age, I wanted to write and make films. And as an adult, it's the only career I've ever pursued.

EH - How did growing up shape you as a filmmaker?

JTS - As a teenager, I obsessively 
  watched films by George Romero, John Carpenter, Martin Scorsese, Brian 
  DePalma, and Stanley Kubrick. I'd practically study their films... 
  Why did a particular scene work? How did they build the tension or develop the characters? Their styles of filmmaking were brilliant and helped set the moods of their films... But their styles never got in the way of the stories. It was during that time that my father bought me a super 8 movie camera and I started shooting horror shorts and comedy shorts with my brother and friends in my neighborhood. It was a lot of fun, but I also started to learn 
  the process even on such a small scale of working with actors, shooting coverage, locations, props, wardrobe, etc. We have those

old films on DVD and every once in a while we throw them on for a good laugh.

EH - Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?

JTS - It's really hard to break into the 
  entertainment business. When I was in my early 20s, I had completed my first screenplay and shopped it around to everyone and anyone -- studios, agents, etc. I was rejected by everyone. At that time, I had been introduced to Ted Bohus, who is an indie feature film director and producer, and we talked about doing our own film for a small budget. So we did just that... I co-wrote the screenplay with Ted and he directed "The Regenerated Man",  which was a sci-fi/horror campy type of film. We made the film for a small amount of money that we were able to pull together ourselves and secured a nationwide video deal for double our investment when it was complete. But then from there, it took another three years to put together the money for the next 

film that I produced for John Russo, who co-wrote and produced the original "Night of the Living Dead." The name of that film was "Santa Claws" and it was about a guy in a Santa Claus costume running around killing people. John directed it and I produced it and we ultimately secured distribution. From there it took six years to pull together the financing for my next film "Disorder", which I wrote, produced, and directed. "Disorder" is a psychological thriller told from the perspective of a paranoid schizophrenic... So you don't know what's real and what isn't... And right when you think you have it figured out... There's a twist ending. "Disorder" was distributed on DVD by Universal/Vivendi and on PPV and VOD by Warner Brothers. After "Disorder", I was in development hell for

years with "In The Dark" as I described earlier before I started "Infliction" in 2011. It's a long-winded answer... The bottom line is that it's hard to break into the movie business and it's equally as hard to stay in the movie business. You just have to keep moving forward and pushing your projects.

EH - What was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your films? How did that lesson happen?

JTS - You learn something new with every film. I'm a firm believer in a lot of rehearsals with the actors... I storyboard every single shot and I walk through all of the setups with the DP in advance. The most important part of making a film is Pre-Production. You have

to plan and rehearse and prepare obsessively so that when you're on set you don't miss a beat. Things always happen when you shoot that you can't plan for, but if you have a solid plan in place, you can push through it. There's an old saying... "Fix it in post." And that's true to a certain extent... But you don't want to rely on post completely to make your film work. If you put in the work before you start shooting, it will make the entire process so much better and smoother

EH - What films have been the most inspiring or influential to you and why?

JTS - There's a lot. When I was a kid, it was definitely "Star Wars" and "Dawn of the Dead." For obvious reasons, "Star Wars" changed everything. George Lucas created something so original and unique... I loved the characters... The story... And the effects were amazing. It was a perfect movie. "Dawn of the Dead" is my 
  all-time favorite horror film. It was scary and the effects were off the charts... And you really wanted the characters to survive. As I got older, I realized the shot "Dawn of the Dead" took at American consumerism... We're all mindless zombies going to the malls to buy our name brands. Other films that I love and have influenced me are "Apocalypse Now", "The Crow", "Platoon", "Scarface," and "Goodfellas."

EH - “It all starts with the script.” Maybe not, but when do you know a script is ready to shoot, and what is your process of getting it there?

JTS - I guess the best way to answer this question is that I just know. When I write a screenplay, I'm conscious of the fact that there are certain plot points that need to be hit in the appropriate places and the story must flow. You're constantly tweaking 
  the script... Even when you rehearse right up to when you're on set... You can tweak and adjust the dialogue as it seems fit... And usually when I complete the script I storyboard my shots so that visually I have the film in front of me and I put together detailed shot lists so that i know the exact order how to shoot everything

EH - What do audiences want? And is it the filmmaker’s role to worry about that?

JTS -  I'm as guilty as any other filmmaker in that I want to make movies that I'd like to see and I want to tell stories that mean something to me. However, I also understand that audiences want to be entertained and that they want to see something original and thought provoking. Hopefully, the films that I make satisfy my needs as an artist, but more importantly entertain the audience and leave them discussing it and thinking about what they just watched.

EH - It is said that your upcoming film "In The Dark" was based on where you lived in Michigan, Any plans to shoot there.

JTS -  I'd LOVE to shoot there. In particular, I'd love to shoot on Grosse Ile, which is where I lived when I was a kid before moving to NJ. It all depends on the financing and Michigan's state tax credits if it makes sense to shoot there.

EH - If I walked up to an audience leaving one of your films, what would you want them to tell me

JTS - I'd like for them to tell you that they have very passionate 
  feelings about what they just saw. I want the audience to talk about my films after seeing them. We've had screenings of "Infliction" in different parts of the country followed by Q&A sessions and the discussions have been very lively. "Infliction" seems to be striking a nerve with people... especially with women... because of its disturbing subject matter

EH - One last question what can we look forward to from yourself and Fox Trail? 

JTS - I'm hoping to shoot "In The Dark" next year. That project has been a labor of love for years and I'm determined to make it happen. I'm also planning to start writing the drama "Illegals", which will be honest and unbiased in regards to the illegal immigration issue that effects us today. 

Terrortory First Look

There are many stories in the woods.......

 "Terrortory" the new horror anthology film currently in crowd funding looks to breath new life in to the anthology genre taking us back to the roots of 80's slasher films. The brain child of the folks over at Original Sin FX of Maryland. The film was born out of a

five minute "FX Reel" showcasing Original Sin FX talent in the  practical effects business, grew to include other local Maryland indie film makers. The other local indie film teams would be allowed full creative control and tell their story, as long as it keeps to the mythology of the "Terrortory". It will be nice to have a true anthology instead of 3,4, or even 26 unrelated stories under one title. With the success of the VHS series and the ABC's of death the anthology genre is having a bit of a resurgence we haven't seen since the 80's. what makes this one so special in my book is the nod too our favorite time in slasher haven, the hey day of

the genre the 80's. While "Terrortory" is not a period film set in the 80's, it will give us the gritty feel of those warm summer nights at the drive in. Written and directed by Mark Wenger with the screen play by Matt Cloude. The film has all the makings of another east coast breakout film.

Original Sin FX short is billed as a 80's Schlock-style horror comedy short about an ambiguous killer wreaking havoc on an unwitting

indie film crew in the woods of Western Maryland. And by the looks of the funding video and poster we have the basics to every good slasher pic blood, boobs, and people that should never go into the wood.  Original Sin FX along with folks like Slasher Studios and Jessica Cameron are bringing the fun and gore back into the indie slasher genre. so lets get out there a make those silly campers pay.

A Change Of Direction

Dear Fans and Readers,

I will be changing the focus of this blog from all horror movies to just indie films pacifically preproduction films in crowdfunding.

I find the filmmakers much more approachable and easier to work with. I have a great passion to see them succeed. you won't see any bad reviews here I will just not write about a movie I don't believe in. You may see an occasional film from a different genre but we are going to stay true to our horror roots, with a we want to see this movie made twist. I truly appreciate everyone that reads the words I throw down on the screen here and sincerely hope you all will stay with us for the next phase of the journey. That being said  if you hear or see anything drop me a line and we will check it out. Stay scary my friends.

Epic Horror

Wer (2013)

Wer (2013)


Disclaimer: I am a big fan of found footage films and it's so refreshing to find one that is as good as Wer
The 2013 film Wer not only redefines the werewolf movie but also saves it. I try to watch a couple horror movies a day and by doing so you see movies with a good cast or a good story or great direction, you seldom see all three in one film. Wer has it not only a very good veteran cast but excellent story that turns the

legend on it's head and a clear vision by the director that this ain't your Twilight wolf pack.  I don't go into any movie with high hopes and with the werewolf movies that have came out the last couple of years I was a little gun shy on Wer, but this one put my faith back in monster movies.

Written and directed by William Brent Bell known for The Devil Inside and Stay Alive. With Wer he not only reinvents the monster but adds just enough of the old werewolf legend to make us familiar with his new take. With nods to the legend

made famous in the Lon Chaney Jr. films. He lets us think we know what's going on up until he changes what we believe about werewolves. An excellent vision on the monster and well directed cast this just might turn out to be his breakout film. Wer also uses just the right amount of special effect that is so rare in today's CGI world and that alone is worth checking this film out.

The cast is full of recognizable faces from the TV and the big screen, and one unknown that steals the movie making it both scary and believable. Brian Scott O'Connor plays Talan Gwynek who lives a quiet life with his mother in a small hamlet in France and happens to live near where a

vacationing American family is attacked with the father and son being killed. After his arrest we find that he has a rare disease that makes him to weak to commit the crime and cause unusual hyper hair growth. But the only way to tell if he truly has the disease is a special test. The test causes him to turn and we get to see him release his inner beast. The story at this point takes a little bit of a preachy government wants to steal the land turn, but works more like a red herring to what is really going on. I'm not going to say anymore on the plot of the movie except to say "Don't Miss The Chance To See It" The rest of the cast are very good staying within their roles making the characters believable and likable. Starring A.J. Cook best known as Jennifer Jareau on the Tv show Criminal Minds along with longtime actor Sebastian Roché with great support from Vik Sahay and Simon Quarterman whose transformation in the film is astonishing. 

In conclusion if you're looking for a genre defining movie this one is it. I highly recommend searching our the film to see what can happen to an old story when it's seen through fresh eyes.

THE EPIDEMIC (2015) first Look

THE EPIDEMIC

The Beginning of the End...... or The Beginning Of A New Franchise

The new pre production film that will be filming in September 2014, The Epidemic scheduled for release in 2015 has all the makings of the next great zombie film. The 
premise giving a nod to the holy grail of of the genre has a virus coming from space but not from a satellite ala NOTLD but a

doomsday meteor that was broken up by missile strikes. That leads to thousands of small zombie stones landing everywhere and heres a nice new little twist on the zombie movie not only are the dead coming back but if you drink the water or breath the air you might get infected. It will tell the story of a group of survivors trying to outlast the outbreak.

And I must say from someone that looks at dozen and dozen of indie horror movies a week the make-up is looking top notch. With writer/director Nigel Hartwell at the helm the project should be in good hands with his extensive resume on both sides of the camera. They also have special effects whiz Michael Martin taken care of the visual effects  

And can we talk about the cast for a second it reads like a whos who of horror actors. They have Danny Trejo, Eric Roberts, Corey

Feldman, Tony Todd, Chris Owen, Larry Zerner(the person that gave Jason his hockey mask), and wrestling divas Barbie Blank and Angelina Love. 

With all that going for it what could they possibly need, well that would be you the film currently has a crowdfunding campaign on indiegogo. with a good story and great cast this would make a great investment in the zombie universe. so head on over and show some undead love to these guys.

TWD's Rick Asks For Guidance.....On christian TV

TWD's Rick Grimes Asks For Guidance.....On christian TV 


"Rick Grimes" Trolls a christian talk show.
A talk show on Revelation TV at www.revelationtv.com
had a special guest when "Rick Grimes" mailed in telling how he asks the Lord for strength when dealing with his anger.

Watch Here.................

I don't know who you are, but you sir win the internet, well played King Troll well played sir

The Rectory First Look

The Rectory

In 1937, Harry Price held the keys to Borley Rectory. He then unlocked the evil...

The most haunted house in england and a maverick paranormal investigator .......what could go wrong......            

Harry Price

The new thriller/horror movie in preproduction from writer/director Jonathan Chance, Takes a look at a true story from the area he grew up in. The story of the Borley Rectory in Sudbury, Essex UK. In 1937 Price rented the Rectory for a year

Jonathan Chance

to run paranormal experiments.  And as the plotline states " his reputation may not be the only thing he will lose" Chance has put together a veteran starting line up including Crispian Belfrage as Price. Looking over Price's career you can safely say he was thee father of paranormal investigations and without him we don't have the TV shows or movies we have today. After extensive reading on Price and  Borley Rectory, I have no problem saying "If this movie isn't made all horror/ghost fans should be ashamed".  It has all the makings of a great film:

• Based on true events
• Pre WWII England
• The most haunted house in England
• A veteran cast and crew



The Rectory

• The maverick godfather of the paranormal

The project in 

pre-production has a crowdfunding campaign going on until June 20, 2014. It has great perks for all budgets from $5 up to $2500 so it truly is something anyone can be involved in and even if times are hard so them a favor and give them a shout out on social media and have your friends a followers do the same, The sooner they get filming the sooner we can leave the lights on when we sleep.

DONATE

Z*Con (First Look)

Z*Con (First Look)

Z*Con is like "Goonies" meets "Shaun of the Dead" set in a Comic Con.

Z*Con is about 16 year old Matt Moore, and his three friends, who attend a local comic convention to get interviews for their podcast, but end up stuck in the middle of a Zombie Outbreak at the con. One convention, four teens, thousands of zombies... what could go wrong?

For Geeks, By Geeks, To Geeks.........Take My Money Now Please

Or at least that what we should be saying about the new movie Z*Con. The latest film by Writer/Director Michael C. Dougherty. If the indiegogo teaser and concept short are any indication this is a nerds nivaria, what more could we want we got zombies,cosplay, and comedy. The only way this could get any better if it had a FPS tie in on the Xbox One. Ok enough of my love fest for the concept lets have a look at the movie. 

When I'm doing these first looks at films one of the things i look at is how the behind the scenes shots look, do they look like they are having fun and all on the same page, and with this crew it looks good, they really looked like they are having fun which usually transfers well to the big

screen. Anchored by Dougherty's directing and effects and makeup by Vince Collura It looks like it's really coming together nicely. The story revolves around a zombie virus outbreak at a ComicCon. and the few remain  survivors  trapped  inside are the four teen  leads who run their own nerd/geek podcast supplying the only communication from inside the quarantined event and hilarity and zombie killing ensues. The second phase crowdfunding is currently going on at indiegogo right now with some great perks and info on the project. And are you ready for this one, strange but true fact...they want to make the movie not make money thats right you saw that right..let it sink in....They are donating any profit from the move, so you not only get cool swag but get help the American Red Cross and  Kids Need To Read.  So as I shake my magic eight ball it say's "chances are good" for a fun movie you could enjoy. 

The Crowdfund can be found here

DONATE

Red Right Hand First Look

Red Right Hand (First Look)

In a dark forest, on a lonely road, something is waiting...

Well if the teaser are any indication the new film in pre production by writer, director, and producer Stuart Lawson is sure to send chills up and down your spine. Rounding out the pre-production team are director of photography Kupa Warner and SFX makeup artist Kate Griffiths(Filmblood - Makeup Artist of the Year award in 2013.). While none would be considered "known names" on this side of the pond. This project just might change that. 

The story in itself is enough to make you think "maybe I should leave a light on tonight". Based on an urban legend from Lawson's childhood. Living in a village, as a child, Stuart heard about this terrifying story of a daughter visiting her parents and the horrific event that took place that night. After years go by, naturally it's assumed that it was just an urban legend, Until he found a newspaper clipping. The script came about after Lawson returned to his hometown for a visit and became enthralled with the story of what happen to  Catherine when she was driving down a deserted lonely road at night. 
With a kickstarter that is only asking for 6000 pounds(10000 USD) We're hoping to see the script come to life.

The Horror of an Urban Legend. In a dark forest, on a lonely road, something is waiting....

Find The Kickstarter Here

The Chair (2015) First Look

The Chair (2015)

Sanity is such an easy thing to lose.

A new kickstarter opened today The Chair, written by Peter Simeti with the screenplay by Erin Kohut. Director Chad

Ferrin rumored to be attached to the project. With a veteran cast including Eric Roberts, Naomi Grossman (American Horror), Noah Hathaway(Boxey on the original Battlestar Galactica), and Brian Thompson in the lead as Sullivan. 

Based on the graphic novel by Peter Simeti and Erin Kohut with illustrations by Kevin Christensen. It tells the story of Richard Sullivan is an innocent man struggling to escape his fate on death row. Witnessing the brutal torture and murder of his fellow inmates at the hand of the prison's sadistic and psychotic Warden, Sullivan decides that the only way to survive is to fight back. But as he matches the savagery and brutality occurring in the prison, Sullivan is forced to come face to face with his own sanity, will he find a way to survive or will the insane events of the prison finally consume him? A horror/thriller set on death row, THE CHAIR is a dark character study on the choices people make in life.

With cast and crew of this caliber and a proven story this film is destined for great things. And now is your chance to get in on the ground floor with some excellent perks planned. With the success of other graphic novels made into film, think Sin City, V for Vendetta, 30 Days Of Night, and a little TV show called The Walking Dead. The time for The Chair is now.

Donate Now

In Development Chasing Deanie: A Michigan Mystery

Chasing Deanie: A Michigan Mystery


This is a story that just begs to be made not only as a documentary but as a "based on a true story" feature. They have secured rights from numerous people involved in the case and are working on more. They are looking for any help getting this done. Lets get this made,


In February 1981 a pretty young girl walked into a middle school in an affluent suburb of Grand Rapids Michigan to watch her brothers wrestling practice and was never seen again. For over 30 years this has hung over the area like an albatross. This documentary will explore the case that have gripped people's imagination for 30 years.


Recent News Story About The Film Mlive Article
See more here WZZM Ch13 Deanie Peter's Reports
Facebook  ChasingDeanie
Twitter https://twitter.com/Chasing_Deanie
Movie Blog http://chasingdeanie.wordpress.com/

V/H/S VIRAL (V/H/S 3) New Trailer

V/H/S VIRAL (V/H/S 3) New Trailer

Fans of the film franchise V/H/S get a morsel of the latest in the trilogy

(From Epic:)
Fame-obsessed teens hell-bent on capturing the next viral video discover they are the stars of the latest internet sensation. V/H/S VIRAL is the third and most intense installment in the groundbreaking horror franchise from the world's top genre filmmakers.

Directed by: MARCEL SARMIENTO (Dead Girl), GREGG BISHOP (Dance of the Dead), NACHO VIGALONDO (Timecrimes), JUSTIN BENSON & AARON MOORHEAD (Resolution), TODD LINCOLN (The Apparition)

Roger Ebert's 1968 Review Of Night Of The Living Dead

(Epic Horror Note: It's fun to go back and see where our horror legacy had gotten it's start. Try to read this if you knew nothing about the movie. Have Fun)


NOTE (2004): This reaction to a screening of "Night of the Living Dead" is not, properly speaking, a review -- or rather, it is a review of the audience reaction. I admire the movie itself, which I have seen twice since that 1969 afternoon, and its sequel "Dawn of the Dead" got an enthusiastic review from me. I didn't assign a star rating to "The Night of the Living Dead" because the kind of article I wrote did not seem to require one, but if I were to rate it today, I'd give it 3 1/2 stars.                                                               
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This review contains spoilers.]
There were maybe two dozen people in the audience who were over 16 years old. The rest were kids, the kind you expect at a Saturday afternoon kiddie matinee. This was in a typical neighborhood theater, and the kids started filing in 15 minutes early to get good seats up front. The name of the movie was "The Night of the Living Dead." I went to see it because it's been a long time since I saw my last horror movie. I vaguely remember some stuff from the 1950s, like "Creature from the Black Lagoon" or "Attack of the Crab Monsters." They were usually lousy, but it was fun to see them. But that was 10 years ago. Since then, there's been a lot of talk about violence in the movies, and it seemed about time to see another horror film. The audience for horror movies is mostly drawn from children and adolescents. They usually play in drive-in or neighborhood theaters, and by tradition they're the most frankly violent kind of films. "Night of the Living Dead" seemed like a reasonable choice; it was selected by the National Association of Theater Owners as "exploitation picture of the month." Well, the kids came early, as I said. There were a few parents, but mostly just the kids, dumped in front of the theater for the Saturday matinee (admission 40 cents). A lot of kids were racing up the aisles on urgent missions, and other kids were climbing over the backs of seats, and you'd see a gang of kids passing a box of popcorn back and forth. Occasionally some kid would get whacked by his big sister because he wouldn't shut up. There was a cheer when the lights went down. The opening scene was set in a cemetery (lots of delighted shrieks from the kids), where a teen-age couple are placing a wreath on a grave. Suddenly a ghoul appears and attacks the boy and the girl flees to a nearby farmhouse. The ghoul looked suitably decayed, with all sorts of bloody scars on his face, and he walked in the official ghoul shuffle. More screams from the kids. Screaming is part of the fun, you'll remember. Inside the farmhouse, the girl discovers a young Negro who fights off the ghouls and starts to board up the house. Then it develops that five other people are hidden in the basement: Another teen-age couple, and a husband, wife and daughter. The daughter has been bitten by a ghoul and is unconscious. The ghouls march on the farmhouse again, and the Negro sets a chair on fire and pushes it off the porch, and the ghouls fall back moaning. Then there's an argument among the people inside the farmhouse. Should they stay upstairs or go into the basement? This was pretty dull stuff, and a lot of kids were dispatched to the lobby for more popcorn. Then things picked up. A television set is discovered, and the news commentator reports that an epidemic of mass murder is underway. The recently dead, he says, are coming back to life in funeral parlors, morgues and cemeteries. Apparently some sort of unearthly radiation is involved (some sort of unearthly radiation is nearly always involved, seems like). The ghouls attack the living because they need to eat live flesh. The people inside the farmhouse decide to escape before they're eaten, as who wouldn't, and they make a plan. The young kid will drive the truck to the gas pump, and the Negro will hold off the ghouls with a blazing torch until the truck's tank is filled. The kids' girlfriend insists on coming along. When they get to the pump, the ghouls start advancing and the torch accidentally sets the truck on fire. The Negro escapes, but the truck blows up and incinerates the teen-age couple. At this point, the mood of the audience seemed to change. Horror movies were fun, sure, but this was pretty strong stuff. There wasn't a lot of screaming anymore; the place was pretty quiet. When the fire died down, the ghouls approached the truck and ripped apart the bodies and ate them. One ghoul ate a shoulder joint with great delight, occasionally stopping to wipe his face. Another ghoul dug into a nice mess of intestines. Back inside the farmhouse, the little girl dies and turns into a ghoul. She advances on her mother. The mother tries to talk to her, but the girl takes a trowel and stabs her mother in the chest a couple of dozen times. On TV, the sheriff advises citizens to set the ghouls on fire: "They'll go right up." The Negro has to kill the little girl-ghoul, and then her father. The ghouls break into the house and he barricades himself in the basement. The next scene takes place the next morning. The sheriff's deputies are conducting a mopping-up operation, shooting ghouls and burning them. They approach the farmhouse. The sheriff looks casually into the charred wreck of the car, sees what's left of the two bodies, and says: "Somebody had himself a cook-out." Inside the house, the Negro hears help coming and looks out the window. He is shot through the forehead by the deputies. "That's one more for the bonfire," the sheriff says. End of movie. The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying. I don't think the younger kids really knew what hit them. They were used to going to movies, sure, and they'd seen some horror movies before, sure, but this was something else. This was ghouls eating people up -- and you could actually see what they were eating. This was little girls killing their mothers. This was being set on fire. Worst of all, even the hero got killed.
It's hard to remember what sort of effect this movie might have had on you when you were six or seven. But try to remember. At that age, kids take the events on the screen seriously, and they identify fiercely with the hero. When the hero is killed, that's not an unhappy ending but a tragic one: Nobody got out alive. It's just over, that's all. I felt real terror in that neighborhood theater last Saturday afternoon. I saw kids who had no resources they could draw upon to protect themselves from the dread and fear they felt.
Censorship isn't the answer to something like this. Censorship is never the answer. For that matter, "Night of the Living Dead" was passed for general audiences by the Chicago Police Censor Board. Since it had no nudity in it, it was all right for kids, I guess. This is another example, and there have been a lot of them, of the incompetence and stupidity of the censorship system that Chicago stubbornly maintains under political patronage. Censorship is not the answer. But I would be ashamed to make a civil libertarian argument defending the "right" of those little girls and boys to see a film which left a lot of them stunned with terror. In a case like this, I'd want to know what the parents were thinking of when they dumped the kids in front of the theater to see a film titled "Night of the Living Dead." The new Code of Self Regulation, recently adopted by the Motion Picture Assn. of American, would presumably restrict a film like this one to mature audiences. But "Night of the Living Dead" was produced before the MPAA code went into effect, so exhibitors technically weren't required to keep the kids out. I supposed the idea was to make a fast buck before movies like this are off-limits to children. Maybe that's why "Night of the Living Dead" was scheduled for the lucrative holiday season, when the kids are on vacation. Maybe that's it, but I don't know how I could explain it to the kids who left the theater with tears in their eyes.

Munger Road (2011)

Munger Road: Don't Leave Me Hanging Bro.......

6 Out Of 10

Let me get some things out of the way about this movie before I channel Dennis Miller and go off on a rant. I thought first time writer/director Nicholas Smith did a fine job, with good storytelling and well directed scenes. The film also boast above par acting for a low budget horror movie. Starring Randall Batinkoff and Bruce Davison who have over 70 years of talent between them and it came across on screen. The four leads played by Trevor Morgan, Brooke Peoples, Hallock Beals, and Lauren Storm all put in tight and believable performance's. Now the only really glaring plot hole was the age of the killer, the sheriff (Davison)was giving the background of the case to his deputy(Batinkoff) and the numbers would have put the killers age at about 70 give or take a few years. But that can be forgiving. The story borrows from the greats in the genre including The Blair Witch and Halloween to name a couple, and actually pulls it off.

****May Contain Spoilers****

The movie tells two separate intertwined stories till the final act when they merge. One being the hunt for an escaped serial killer and the other a supernatural tale of group of teens trying to find a urban legend. The thriller storyline is pretty straight forward killer breaks out, kills guards, carjacks a van to get home. with a nice little red herring thrown in to keep us guessing. The horror storyline is much the same cookie cutter supernatural killer fare we get all the time. Teens check out something scary,car breaks, cell phones lose signal, and one by one they go off alone. On a side note it was refreshing to see them not hate each other like you see in so many of these types of movies. What makes this movie special is the way they work the two storylines together. This is truly a case of the whole being greater than it's parts. Either part of the movie would have been mediocre at best but fit nicely together. Thought out the movie we are lead to believe that the serial killer is the one terrorizing the kids at his old killing ground. Not until the end of the movie do we find out that he was killed at 11:14 pm the night before the exact time the teens watches stopped working and the strange things started happen to them a disembodied hand leaving a print on the window. A flash in the camera of someone behind their car. Strange sounds all around them. Easy enough then right find what's keeping him here fix it and send him into the light. The End turn up the lights time to head out. Not so fast............

Now I don't want to get off on a rant here but the movie ends on a To Be Continued screen yep thats right nothing settled don't know who lived or died don't know why he came back. Nothing zip, zilch, not even a sorry. Now that premiss wouldn't be bad if and it's a big if. If Munger Road II was in the can....wait for it.....it's not and the latest news is it ain't coming. So instead of wrapping up the loose ends and if people like it then writing the sequel We'll just force a sequel and I can take it easy on the screenplay. The whole thing is ludicrous hell I sat through all the credits thinking it was a out of place joke. The movie was 86 minutes long even an extra 14 minutes you could have cleaned it up and a real good movie(I bet it could have been done in 10). But the audience was short changed and it was a bad move and you should feel bad for doing it. If you can't get it together for part II at least go shoot the end for the first one and call it an extended directors cut. All in all decent movie that you get short changed in the end.

ATM: I'm sorry you have insufficient funds for this transaction or this is a bad movie and they should feel bad for making it.

2 Out Of 10

WOW just WOW is all I can say about this little gem of a movie. While the concept would have been great for a short dragging it out to 90 minutes is just a bad idea. How could Chris Sparling follow up Buried (2010) with this monstrosity. This film had all the potential to be a bad movie that you could reveal and enjoy in it's badness but can't even pull that off. Truly the only redeeming quality is the acting of Alice Eve as Emily. But seems to be dragged down with plot holes. Rounding out the main cast are Brian Geraghty who was unbelievable as a wannabe stockbroker with a heart and Josh Peck who should really stick with voice work or see if he can get his job  at Nickelodeon back. The plot and I'm using the term loosely is Peck is the DB friend of Geraghty decides to do his best after to ruin the budding relationship between Geraghty and Eve. To start the movie we are treated to 20 minutes of Peck whining and setting up just how big of an idiot he is. Ok we get it we got it 7 minutes in the rest is just filler that adds nothing except sowing a burning desire to see the killer get him first. The meat of the movie uses so many horror cliches that it would make a B-Movie slasher flick proud but takes itself way too seriously to pull it off. I could go on and on about these but I would start to drone on like the movie did. In collusion even if we suspend belief on the glaring problems with this production were not left with enough to enjoy. 

The Good 

Alice Eve's performance is truly the only redeeming quality in a bad movie.

It has a haunting rendition of Silent Night over the closing credits (that lasted 5 min)

The Bad

Everything else

A Note To Horror Movie Producers......

An Open Letter To Horror Movie Producers

To Whom It May Concern,

  Thank You so much for all the great things you all do to make us jump and leave a light on at night while we sleep. However for the love Bella Lugosi's ghost and Bud's decaying body, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop with the "making movies counting on a sequel" nonsense. One of the major complaints I hear about horror movies today is "good movie but the ending kinda sucked though". Let that sink in you had the audience right where you wanted them only to let them slip away in the final act. Don't misinterpret this as me hating on squeals there are plenty of movie series that the second or third movie is way better than the original. But let the quality of your craft dictate what gets remade. I do understand the draw of playing for a sequel has but in doing so you short change yourself and us. This especially true of inde movies we do understand the hardships you have went though to see your vision come to life. But letting the production team take the cheap and easy way out won't help anyone. For me as I'm watching a movie that starts to play for squeal I start to feel cheated by the movie I'm watching. And it is true that horror fans will watch any horror movie that is made but don't take our love for a gerne for weakness. There are plenty of movies that beg for more of the story to be told and those will rise up above the ones that are playing they're audience for a fool. I believe it also lets your writer's and director's an easy out, your job is to challenge them not just let them go through the motions in hopes of getting an easy paycheck in the II version. We as an audience especially in horror are probably the smartest of movie goer's. Don't sacrifice what you have worked so hard to get made by hoping that you can make another, if it's good you will. Again Thank You making our nightmares real, but don't turn our nightmares into movie nightmares.

Yours Truly,

Your Audience

Follow Us On Facebook

Follow Us On Twitter