HORROR POSTS
Heidi's Horror Post Newsletter
Heidi Martinuzzi
Feb , 2006
happy Valentine's Day. That is, have a
fucking happy Valentine's Day.- I'll be spending Valentine's Day in Rochester New
York, where I'll be a part of the last shoot for The
Karaoke Kid, the new Low Budget Pictures short I'm
producing with Chris Seaver
(www.lowbudgetpictures.com), who also directs. The
days after shooting will be spent in a grueling,
nightmarish mix of coffee and cigarettes as I edit the
fuck out of the short with Chris over a computer. The
frozen northern wasteland of Rochester New York (I
imagine a grassy tundra of sorts, with reindeer,
woolly mammoths, and large-toothed albino
saber-creatures) will not allow me to wear my
customary ripped jeans and heels, so I have to pack
some ugly big clothes and keep warm. You can watch the
trailer for Karaoke Kid here:
www.hackmovies.com let us know
what you think.Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking,
"Doesn't Heidi have anyone to spend Valentine's Day
with? How is it that she's so retardedly lonely that
she is going to Rochester, on purpose, from
California, to make this short film that isn't even a
horror film?". That is what you're thinking, isn't it?
Well, I DO have someone I could spend Valentine's Day
with. Only I just don't give a fuck about Valentine's
day, and from what I can glean, neither does he. I
know that I am just way too jaded and emotionally
twisted to accept a Teddy Bear/heart-shaped box of
candy/bouquet of ugly flowers without either A) making
some kind of sarcastic comment or B) assuming that the
man was somehow making fun of me in a way I couldn't
figure out. So no, I don't care about Valentine's Day.
And I am not making anyone a fucking valentine out of
lace and cardboard and red glitter, either. I am not
baking valentine's cookies in the shape of hearts with
his name on them in red and white frosting, I am not
going to walk around cooking dinner in heels and a
French Maid's outfit, and I am not going to buy
lingerie and wear it so that it can be ripped off of
me in two seconds without him even looking at it. I
have a film to make. And you know the best thing about
Valentine's Day? I have guy who totally won't care if
I spend it editing a movie rather than thinking of new
and embarassing ways to make sex interesting or even
palatable. That's better than a fucking fancy dinner
or contrived holiday seduction Any Day, in my book.
Also, Chris hopefully is in the same situation because
his wife will have to suffer the evening alone as well
while we work like two agitated, yet dedicated,
weirdoes who don't have real jobs.- That aside, I'll be in NYC on Friday the 17th, for
the Mingle Mangle mixer run by Susie Adrianson.
www.minglemangle.com If you're in the area, come out
and play. I promise I'll be really really really nice.
By nice I mean I'll be drunk. By drunk, I mean I'll
probably be mean.- Check out the new horror-themed entertainment TV
show "Secret Society of the Macabre" which was shot in
Los Angeles December 2005. www.macabresociety.com It
stars Spooky Dan and DWF as hosts, plus yours truly as
a yellow bikini-clad interviewer in Spooky Dan's hot
tub. I interview hot ladies of horror in our natural
habitat; hot water. Watch the Trailer on the website.
Give us Feedback. We're really prod of it...- The Texas Frightmare Weekend
www.texasfrightmareweekend.com was a HUGE SUCCESS.
Thanks to Lloyd for making it a wonderful experience
for all the guests and fans. I was on a "Scream Queen"
panel with Brinke Stevens and Debbie Rochon, and the
lovely Caroline Williams ("Stretch" from TCM 2). I am
not a Scream Queen, but I am a girl, and people like
me to talk about stuff, so they put me on the panel.
Brinke got the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work
in the horror field, and we all clapped loudly. After
the panel, a few people came up to me and said that
they found my "honesty" very refreshing. By "Honesty"
they meant "Self-Deprecating, Unfeminine Humor".
Whatever works. Then Caroline Williams told me that I
look just like Cameron Diaz. I think she had had a few
drinks, maybe. The convention screened The Ancient,
which stars my good friend Steven Grainger, and also
two of my favorite female-directed horror shorts ever,
Confedrate Zombie Massacre and Teenage Bikini Vampire
by Devi Snively. www.deviantpics.comWatch some footage of the Texas Frightmare Weekend on
a local Dallas/Ft. Worth news site. The reporter is an
old friend of Joe Bob Brigg's, which is why the
segment is all about how cool Joe Bob Briggs is.footage:
http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_036200143.html- I'll be producing an as-yet-untitled feature for 4th
Floor Pictures this spring/summer. It will have ghosts
in it and will be shot entirely in Pennsylvania.
That's because Pennsylvania is cheaper than Los
Angeles. I'll bet you can buy a mansion in
Pennsylvania for like, 200,000 dollars. In my part of
town that same house would be about....2 million. So,
I did some preliminary math and couldn't really figure
it out but what i think is right is that the shoot
will be much cheaper if we do it out there.
http://www.4thfloorpictures.com/- check out the new man of the month at
www.pretty-scary.net, it's Spooky Dan.Now, for some of YOUR news....
I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW, Alan Rowe Kelly's awesome
horror film, is now available in All Stores....
www.hereticfilms.com buy it.
BACKSEAT CONCEPTIONS NEWS:
BACKSEAT FILM FESTIVAL 2006 PHILLY DATES AND FEATURES
ANNOUNCED!
Now in its fourth year, The Backseat Film Festival
returns to Philly with a loud
drunken crash! The Rock N’ Roll Film Fest is back in
town, this time with a full
week of programming guaranteed to leave you
breathless, or passed out depending
on how drunk you get! Join us February 28th through
March 6th at the Triangle
Theater (1220 N. Lawrence Street, Btwn 4th and 5th St,
Philadelphia, PA 19122),
and we’ll bring the free booze! Log onto
www.backseatfilmfestival.com for a list
of the feature films that will be screening, full
program to be announced soon!Backseat Film Festival Philadelphia Schedule of
Events:
(Each screening block is $5 each, Afterparties are
FREE, Package tix prices TBA)
Tuesday, February 28th- BFF Opening Ceremony, Special
Events TBA
Wednesday, March 1st- 2 Film Programs, After Party TBA
Thursday, March 2nd- 2 Film Programs, After Party TBA
Friday, March 3rd- 2 Film Programs, After Party TBA
Saturday March 4th- 2 Film Programs, Awards Ceremony,
After Party TBA
Sunday March 5th- "Special Bonus" Screenings, Special
Events TBA
Monday March 6th- Special Event TBABACKSEAT FILM FESTIVAL ON MYSPACE.COM!
Now you too can be drinking buddies with the Backseat
Film Festival! Join us on
Myspace.com for up-to-minute updates, as well as
preview clips, rockin’ music
and more! (As soon as we can figure out how to add
that stuff to the page!)
www.myspace.comRE-PENETRATOR AND THE XXXORCIST CANADIAN PREMIERE ON
FEB. 14th!
Re-Penetrator will have its Canadian Premiere at the
Sexy Film Festival on
Valentine’s Day, February 14th as well as a special
sneak preview of The
XXXorcist! Also featured is the world premiere of
latest film from our good
friend Lee Demarbe (Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter), the
Killer Bee Movie Epic,
BZZZZZZZZ! It all starts at 9pm at Barrymore's Music
Hall (323 Bank St., Ottowa,
Canada) for a measly $10!
www.barrymores.on.caBACKSEAT REUNITES WITH TROMA SUPERSTAR JOE
FLEISHAKER!
We’ve worked with Troma Superstar Joe Fleishaker for
years during our Troma
days, but we never quite found a Backseat Conceptions
project we felt would do
an actor of his stature justice….until now! Next week
we will be shooting with
Joe for a top-secret project, we’ll give you the full
scoop once it’s complete!
In the meantime, check out Joe’s site at:
www.joefleishaker.comwww.backseatconceptions.com
www.backseatfilmfestival.com
4th Floor Pictures News:
DEAD BODY MAN re-released
JAN 17th DEAD BODY MAN was released solo through Brain
Damage/Razor Entertainment. Please tell your friends
to order a copy from AMAZON.COM Right now it's only
$10.00. Since it was re-released today, the numbers
went through the roof on the Amazon rankings. So, run
and tell your friends to order a copy.
Thanks
Ryan
4th Floor Pictures
www.4thfloorpictures.com
B-Fest Update:» Your patience is now rewarded: the B-Fest 2006
lineup is now available at
B-Fest.com!
Cultcuts Magazine:Hey folks! Our new url is
http://www.cultcutsfilms.com
For the past couple of months after someone got into
our website and wiped
everything out, we've been in constant turmoil to get
everything up and running
again. It's been chaotic, stressfull, but always
worth the time. Genre films
are alive and well and we are seeing more and more dvd
and theatrical releases
than ever before. Theatrically, it's like the early
80s again! Granted, we
have to take the good with the bad, the unecessary
remakes with the surprising
ones, original with the not quite so original and so
on. With all that in mind,
I want to thank everyone who has stuck with us through
this crazy transition!
I've personally received emails daily from genre fans
and Cultcuts readers, all
who seem concerned and/or wanting to know what's going
on with the site! Those
people I want to specifically thank. We have readers
out there that not only
care about the genre, but care about everything that
supports our favorite
mindbending world of cult movies, whether they are
classics, to the latest
theatrical outing. In otherwords, you want to read
about movies you've seen,
movies you may never have heard of and ripe for
discovery and so on. Thank you
for your support!New changes have also gone into place. We've lost a
couple of writers and have
gained a couple in the past year. We have a new
layout along with a new policy
of putting up three reviews every couple of days
rather than hitting you with 10
every week or two. This will hopefully and eventually
keep things more timely
and even get more reviews up. No worries about
flooding your emails with
newsletters everytime we get an update! Will still
average about one a week now
that we are back and up online! I hope you will
continue to bare with us as we
replace the old reviews that are still missing while
we continue to add new
reviews. With that said and the many thanks to all
our supporters, onto the
latest reviews and contest info!!!NEW DVD REVIEWS:
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005) from MGM/Sony
THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS from 20th Century Fox
SEASON OF THE WITCH/THERE'S ALWAYS VANILLA from Anchor
Bay
A STRANGER IS WATCHING from Warner Bros.
RAZOR BLADE SMILE from Anchor Bay
SHAOLIN DOLEMITE/BLACK SAMURAI from BrentwoodNEW DVD RELEASES to look out for this week:
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, CORPSE BRIDE, VIRGINS FROM
HELL, TAMARA, Takashi Miike's
BLACK SOCIETY TRILOGY and more Just click on the DVD
covers at
http://cultcutsfilms.com to see all of this week’s
genre releases!DARK SKY and CULTCUTS MAGAZINE DVD GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to the support of our sponsor DARK SKY FILMS,
we've got five copies of
the genre classic THE FLESH EATERS and TERROR BENEATH
THE SEA! For more
details, head on over to http://www.cultcutsfilms.com
Also visit our sponsor at http://www.darkskyfilms.com
Friends of Wicked Pixel Cinema:
Here are some interesting bits of news about friends
of Wicked Pixel
Cinema. These rumors may be unsubstantiated and could
have been spread
by questionable (drunk) sources. Still, if the rumors
are true, you saw
it here first...Chris Grega's feature AMPHETAMINE is coming to DVD
soon. Be on the
lookout for this gritty crime drama starring Stephen
J. Heffernan (BUZZ
SAW), Travis Estes, Julie Layton, Derek Simmons
(INSANIAC), Joseph
Palermo (ICE FROM THE SUN), Tim Stamps, and Spence
Harrison. The movie
features music by Shawn Donoho. Director Chris Grega
is currently in
production on a WW2 drama called RHINELAND.Jason Christ (THE UNDERTOW) and Emily Haack
(SCRAPBOOK) star in HOW WAS
YOUR DAY?, a short film included as a bonus feature on
the DVD release
of CRASH TEST (available at the end of this month
...pre-order today at
amazon.com!) HOW WAS YOUR DAY? is directed by Mark
Cange, who recently
worked on the DEADWOOD PARK production crew. Cange
also recently
directed his first feature, STUDENT OF LEISURE,
starring Paul Wendell.
At this time, Wicked Pixel Cinema Top Dog and caffeine
addict Eric
Stanze is slated to be the editor on STUDENT OF
LEISURE.This spring, check out the DVD release of the medieval
goof-ball comedy
THROG. You'll discover on this disc a very special
treat created by Gus
Stevenson, who recently acted in Wicked Pixel Cinema's
DEADWOOD PARK.
(You can pre-order this DVD at amazon.com today!)ELECTRIC ZOMBIES, directed by John Specht (INSANIAC),
has recently
completed post-production and is on it's way to DVD
release. Check out
Specht's most recent release, ABSOLUTION, now
available on DVD.Jessie Seitz is in pre-production for her debut music
video. The song
is ZOMBIE '79 and the band is goul-punk trio Crypt 33.
You can give
Crypt 33 a listen by checking out the ultra-vicious
revenge flick I SPIT
ON YOUR CORPSE - I PISS ON YOUR GRAVE... Crypt 33
provided both the open
and end credit music. Be on the lookout for ZOMBIE
'79 as well as
Seitz's short film ANTON'S ANGEL (now in
post-production). Both works
are sure to emerge as bonus features on a future DVD
release. Jessie
Seitz recently completed production designer duties on
Wicked Pixel
Cinema's DEADWOOD PARK.Ron Bonk's SATAN'S CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (tentative
title) is slated to
begin shooting this spring, helmed by director Jim
Wayer. SATAN'S
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST will be Wayer's debut feature,
though he has directed
and edited numerous shorts. Wayer was also on the
production crew for
Wicked Pixel Cinema's DEADWOOD PARK.Wicked Pixel Cinema friend (and one of the stars of
SAVAGE HARVEST 2:
OCTOBER BLOOD) Eric Spudic wrote a campy, gory horror
flick called
CREEPIES, which hit DVD last summer. Spudic also
wrote the successful
b-movie AQUANOIDS. Spudic went on to act in the
recently-completed Fred
Olen Ray movies THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL,
BIKINI CHAIN GANG
(aka BIKINI ROUNDUP), and THE LEGEND OF WILLIAM TELL
(with Cindy
Williams and Ed Begley, Jr.). Eric Spudic is the
writer, director, and
star of the campy and sadistic KILLERS BY NATURE, now
available on DVD!Wicked Pixel Cinema is currently in post-production on
SAVAGE HARVEST 2:
OCTOBER BLOOD and DEADWOOD PARK.
Cinema Nocturna:
Finally, we are back with a new update! Five new
reviews to read over the next
few days. First off I would like to introduce our
newest contributor to Cinema
Nocturna, Christopher Neill. He has contributed his
first review for the Tartan
region 1 DVD release of THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER.
Please, give me a hand in
welcoming him to the team and sharing some thoughts on
his first piece here at
the Underbelly of Film! Next, we move onto a review
from Kit, who brings us a
look at the Nocturno/Raro release of VACATION FOR A
MASSACRE. Sean looks at the
Japanese DVD release for Umberto Lenzi's giallo, KNIFE
OF ICE. Myself, I have
two reviews to offer up. The first being the recent
Italian DVD release of
RADICE QUADRATA DI TRE (THE SQUARE ROOT OF 3), A low
budget horror film that is
certainly on that will mark the early career of
LORENZO BIANCHINI. Lastly, I
have a look at the Sony region 1 release of the superb
French action/thriller
EMPIRE OF THE WOLVES! Enjoy!
Steve
http://www.cinema-nocturna.com
CINEMA NOCTURNA-THE UNDERBELLY OF FILM!!!FORUM
http://cinema-nocturna.com/nocturnalforum/index.php
Zero Hour Trailer:
Zero Hour is a new film by Chris and Erin MacMillan. I
love a film in this genre directed by a woman. Watch
the new trailer:http://www.nocfilms.com/trailers
Horror Zone fun:
Here you go! This is the fantastic effort that
Christine Parker and her demented crew are putting
together in Sanford, NC. I would like to thank her
for allowing me to help with effects and a small
acting role. Everyone check this out and watch for my
on set write up coming soon!P.S.:
I am the guy at the campfire getting my throat ripped
out, and then the guy with the hammer!http://www.hyper-zone.net/~evyl/boards/showthread.php?s=&postid=371#post371
RIP
Mike Jones
www.horrorzone.be
Here's the latest article from the Horror Literature
site at
BellaOnline.com:Stephen King’s "Suffer the Little Children"
The idea that evil can come from the most unexpected
of places is truly
terrifying, and horror writers like Stephen King
examine this intriguing
philosophy regularly in their work.http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40306.asp/zzz
Please visit horrorliterature.bellaonline.com for even
more great content
about Horror Literature. To participate in free, fun
online discussions,
this site has a community forum all about Horror
Literature located here -I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the
forum or in response
to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!Have fun passing this message along to family and
friends, because we all
love free knowledge!Justin D. Davis, Horror Literature Editor
http://horrorliterature.bellaonline.com
DJ Perry, one-time scary stud of the month at
pretty/scary, has this to say:Friends & Peers,
Here is the most current interview I did that covers
"The 8th Plague," "An Ordinary Killer," "Judges," "Off
Track," "GPS," "Supermodel Showdown" and much more..http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_5346.html
Pass it on and thank you!
DJ Perry
BV-ENT NEWS:
The actual altar prop from Kenneth J. Hall's cult hit
THE HALFWAY HOUSE has been put up for sale on ebay.
Based on a design used in Roger Corman's Lovecraftian
thriller, THE DUNWICH HORROR, the piece was
hand-crafted out of a lightweight dense foam,
plastic-coated, and painted to look like aged bronze.
It is one of several large props created by Hall's
company Total Fabrication currently being auctioned
but the only item used in the film."I hate to get rid of it considering the number of
beautiful women who have appeared topless on it," says
Hall. "It just got too big to store. Hopefully,
someone else will give it a good home. I will look
great up on someone's wall!"The 10-day auction will conclude Friday, February 3.
The starting bid is $250 For further details, click
here.Released on DVD earlier last year year, THE HALFWAY
HOUSE continues to receive rave reviews from critics
and fans alike. Starring cult queen Mary Woronov (ROCK
N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, EATING RAOUL) as an evil nun, it
satirizes drive-in cinema, from women-in-prison films
to slasher flicks.
Live in Los Angeles? Then come out for the Premiere of
Slaughter Party (starring me, Heidi) and a teaser for
the Heidi Martinuzzi-produced horror film Evil Ever
After...Saturday, February 25th , 6 PM
A night of underground cinema for free!
For one night only you have the chance to see three
different underground horror films for absolutely
nothing!
Here’s the current schedule of events:
6pm: Trailer for the midget killer epic “Slaughter
Party”, followed by a first look at the Joe Bob
Briggs, Brinke Stevens, Felissa Rose “Evil Ever After”
about a fat gay man in a dress on a rampage with a
samurai sword! (trailers might start a few minutes
before so we can be sure the rest of the films have
all the time they need)
Then it’s time for our first feature, ZOMBIEGEDDON.
This is the first time this version, the final version
has been seen. Cameos by Uwe Boll and Tom Savini—need
we say more? See it once on the big screen before it
comes out on dvd this summer!
7:30pm: A sneek peak at the upcoming “Dahmer vs Gacy”
from Eamon Hardiman.
Then it’s time for the second feature VAMPIRE WHORES
FROM OUTER SPACE. When a spaceship full of female
vampires lands on Earth, it's up to a couple of
high-school sweethearts, a pair of back-alley
abortionists, and a ton of demented law enforcement
officers to stop them. Pig fetuses, racial slurs, hot
vampire chicks, alien pimps, disco dancing, torture,
bondage, and a shitload more!
Get a chance to win free dvd’s and more!
All filmmakers are currently planning on being in
attendance. Cast members in the area of the showing
are being invited.
Address and Phone Number:
Studio/Stage is located at:
520 North Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Direct: 323.463.3900
Fax: 323.463.3933
Happy Cloud Pictures News:
Happy Cloud Pictures is proud to announce the
completion of their long-awaited “zombie-noir”
feature, The Resurrection Game. As most know, The
Resurrection Game was the first feature film produced
by the Pittsburgh-based Happy Cloud Pictures group.
Shot on 16mm color film, this is a fast paced tense,
gory adventure which is as much mystery as it is
horror.
Set in the near future, The Resurrection Game tells
the story of a world where the dead have begun to
walk. The streets are littered with the shambling
undead. After the screaming stopped, people just got
used to them. Now commercials use the zombie
“Infestation” to sell soft drinks, and the most
popular nighttime talk show is hosted by a zombie
puppet named Necro-Phil. But one night, a
down-on-his-luck ex-police detective, Jim Campbell,
receives a mysterious video-call from the
world-renowned horror author, Christopher Pope. Pope’s
sales are plummeting. “Who wants to read about
vampires when there are zombies outside on your lawn?”
He makes Campbell an offer: one million dollars to
discover a cure for the Infestation.Campbell’s investigation leads him to the doorstep of
the reclusive scientist, Dr. Emily Zarkoff, whose
former patients, years ago, actually became the first
reported zombies— unbeknownst to her. Their meeting is
cut short by an attack from a mysterious man. A fight
ensues. Campbell and Emily barely escape, and now the
chase is on! Teaming up with Sr. Bliss and Simon
McForman, a pair of bickering zombie exterminators,
the pair becomes a quartet against the insidious
forces behind a true conspiracy. But who’s holding the
cards? Is it the government? Or could it be the global
conglomerate Godcorpä, the vast network producer of
consumer goods, bent on putting its trademark on the
world? Zombies are now the least of Campbell’s
worries.
It took nearly seven years to bring this film to
completion for the simple fact that it was shot on
film. Filmed between 1998 and 2000 on 16mm, the
filmmakers then struggled to pay for the
post-production. To cut corners, writer/director Mike
Watt (Dead Men Walking) hand-cut the work-print on an
upright Moviola and, with co-producer Amy Lynn Best
(Severe Injuries), also physically cut the negative
for transfer to digital. From there, Watt recut the
film digitally, matching the images to the temp
dialogue mix track, then remastering the audio from
the original nagra masters. Within a week of
completion, The Resurrection Game won its first award:
“Best Film” at the First Annual Pittsburgh Film
Workers Association Film Festival.
While seeking distribution, the producers are making
the movie available on a limited basis. Interested
reviewers should contact the producers at the above
address to request a press kit. Interviews with the
producers, including co-producer and star Amy Lynn
Best can also be arranged. One of the co-founders of
the popular website, www.pretty-scary.net, Ms. Best
was recently profiled in Sirens of Cinema magazine.
For more information, please visit
www.happycloudpictures.com
Other critics have said:
“One of the most original twists on the zombie flick
I’ve ever seen!”– G. Cameron Romero, son of George A.
Romero and the director of The Screening.
“The two movies I can’t help but associate the look
and feel of “The Resurrection Game” with are John
Carpenter’s “Dark Star” and Peter Jackson’s “Bad
Taste.” Mostly “Dark Star” because, just as John
Carpenter’s cult classic, this is a film with a sci-fi
edge that doesn’t let budgetary constraints bring the
show down. Mike Watt and crew take what they have and
they make it work. And then there’s the “Bad Taste”
connection, not only because of the hardcore monster
mash going down here, but because it has that same
kind of punk rock spirit, the same balls out sense of
fun that makes Jackson’s movie such a classic. But
“The Resurrection Game” is entirely its own movie.
It’s an original entry into the zombie sub-genre that
these filmmakers so obviously love and it’s one of the
more fun indie zombie flicks I’ve seen.” – Eric
Campos, Film Threat
“The Resurrection Game is a refreshingly witty and
wickedly funny take on the zombie genre.” – Mike
Haushaulter, Secret Scroll Digest
“So you might be out there asking yourself, is there
really anything new someone can bring to zombie
movies. Mike Watt delivers the answer and it’s yes.
Resurrection Game is loaded with plenty of blood and
gruesome makeup FX horror fans crave. The movie is
well paced and has enough twists and turns to keep the
viewer’s attention [with] a mix of Film Noir with a
zombie killing good time. If you are a zombie movie
fan it is a must see film.” – Patrick Desmond,
Creature Corner
· “In the future zombie infestation has become
the norm. They are more of a nuisance than a real
threat. Just remember that you need to keep your
distance and they won't eat you. Enter former
detective, James Campbell. Burnt out and doing dirty
little jobs since his wife became zombie chow,
Campbell has pretty much hit bottom. He doesn't think
so, but he's fooling himself. That's when world famous
horror author, Christopher Pope, calls him with the
offer of a lifetime. Find the reason for the zombie
infestation and he will receive one million dollars.
The motivation? In a world filled with the walking
dead a horror author is kind of unnecessary. What is
necessary, you might ask? Exterminators.
In THE RESURRECTION GAME, our two freelance
exterminators are Sister Mary Bliss of The Church of
Perpetual Motion and her nemesis, Simon MacForman.
Whenever she gets a call to destroy a few of the
walking dead, Malformed is not far behind. And when
she's not killing zombies she's a marriage counselor.
Outfitted in tight leather and a Harley definitely
makes Sister Bliss my kind of nun.
Meanwhile, Campbell's investigation has led him to a
Dr. Emily Zarkoff. (I know, there are hundreds of
little homages to cinema in this film forcing you to
watch it repeatedly to get them all. I've watched it
three times and still haven't caught them all. This is
a good thing.) Dr. Zarkoff may be the key to the
zombie infestation. It's during the course of his
investigation that Campbell discovers that all is not
as it seems. And when you add the most powerful
conglomerate in the world, Godcorp, into the mix,
well, let's just call it biting off way more than you
can chew.
THE RESURRECTION GAME is the most fiercely original,
absorbing piece of hardcore science fiction, disguised
as a zombie movie that I've ever seen. Mike Watt has
managed to show a true love for the genre with
constant nods to Romero and other greats of cinema.
Using the basic concept of the zombie flick, but
making it his own. In his view of the future the
zombies are such a nuisance that a special squad has
been formed. NOE (National Organization of
Exterminators) is an elite squad that do what they
want, when they want. Able to get away with murder,
which is shown in the movie, and make it look like
they are doing their patriotic duty, the NOE are
nothing more than Hitler's SS. Of course, they have
zombies to help back up their stories so they might be
worse than the SS.
Amy Lynn Best as Sister Bliss is the perfect blend of
cute, sexy, smart and deadly. without having to go the
topless route as so many actresses do in low budget
fare, Amy gives us a woman who does the right thing
all the time and has God on her side to boot. Really
hard to go wrong with that combo and Bliss knows it.
She's carting a portable arsenal that would put Dirty
Harry to shame and she knows how to use it. In the low
budget arena you very rarely get a stunt double. Best
is fantastic in this role. Not surprising to me when I
have already praised her work in her directorial
debut, SEVERE INJURIES. I knew she had it in her.
Speaking of Amy, her co-star from SEVERE INJURIES,
Bill Homan as MacForman shows the unique chemistry
that they have onscreen. While they are opposed to one
another throughout most of the film, you can tell that
they really do like each other and make the perfect
movie couple. She's the pure and innocent ass kicker
and he's there to make her remember that she is just
human.
Ray Yeo, as the burnt out Campbell, is dead on, film
noir perfect. He's lost all sense of patriotism and
morality. He's in it for the money and then something
happens to make him want more. Forgetting all the
previous pain in his life he tries to be a better
person. Whether or not he'll make it is left up in the
air. He's a good man who's seen too much and is losing
his true sense of humanity. Easy to do when you're
surrounded by the undead.
These performances are what makes THE RESURRECTION
GAME stand out in the field of horror. First of all I
don't look at it as horror. It's pure science fiction.
The intercutting between subplots, spiced up with cuts
from various television broadcasts, give the entire
film the feel of a Phillip K. Dick novel. Dick knew
that the only way to connect with his audience was to
bring his ideas down to the human level. Watt does the
same thing with THE RESURRECTION GAME. Using the
zombie genre as a smokescreen and filling it with the
best, well rounded characters I've seen in quite some
time Watt delivers one of the greatest flicks I've
ever seen. Even some of the smaller characters are
well done. Mike Watt plays one of the henchmen for the
mysterious Godcorp and delivers a performance that
could only be referred to as Gary Oldman's psycho
younger brother.
Now, this was a screener and Mike tells me that there
are sound issues that have to be dealt with before
releasing the final product. I can see what he's
talking about, but the amazing thing is that it
doesn't affect how good this film is. He could release
it today and I don't think anyone would complain.
Finally, I had mentioned the multiple television spots
that are peppered throughout the film. Necro-Phil is
the undead host of his own talk show and definitely
needs his own show . That puppet cracked me up and
provided some much needed comic relief in a film that
deals with so many things.” - Cult-Cuts.net - Douglas
A.Waltz
Thanks guys! I appreciate your ears.... without you
I'd have no outlet for all of my emotional
outbursts...-heidi
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