Welcome to the new home of Creepercast.com. Where we let the fear creep in with all things horror genre. News, Reviews, and more! STAFF:
J.P.: Editor (EIC - Editor in Cheif), Writer (CC - Content Contributor);
Joel Kenyon: Editor (AE - Assistant Editor), Writer (CC - Content Contributor); William S Mayfield: Writer (CC - Content Contributor)
THE AXE MURDERS OF VILLISCA from IFC Midnight is Available now!
SYNOPSIS On a June night in 1912, eight people—a mother, father, their four children, and two guests—were murdered by an axe-wielding killer in the sleepy town of Villisca, Iowa, a case that remains unsolved to this day. 104 years later, Caleb (Robert Adamson) and Denny (Jarrett Sleeper), two friends who share an interest in ghost hunting, along with Jess (Alex Frnka), the new girl in school who’s already got a reputation, sneak into the house where the infamous bloodbath occurred in hopes of recording paranormal activity. What the trio encounters is far more horrifying than anything they could have imagined. A century after the shocking crime that put Villisca on the map, a supernatural force is waiting to write the next chapter in the home’s bloody history.
Submissions have been open since Wednesday, December 7th 2016 for the October Festival
The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is excited to announce that submissions are now open for the second edition of the festival. The first deadline to submit horror features and shorts was January 15th, but fear not, the final deadline to submit for programming consideration is August 15th.
In its first year, the festival sold out the majority of its screenings, which took place in venues and theaters across North Brooklyn. Festival Director Justin Timms commented, "The reaction we received after the first-ever Brooklyn Horror Film Festival was extremely humbling and we're very excited to announce that the festival will be growing for our sophomore year. We've added an extra day and will be adding even more screenings throughout Brooklyn, in turn accepting even more films into our boundary-pushing program."
BHFF was proud to present the Best Feature Award to Lorcan Finnegan’s WITHOUT NAME, while Jackson Stewart took home the Audience Award for the retro VHS game-inspired BEYOND THE GATES.
“First-year festivals are never easy to program, but we couldn’t have been happier with this year’s lineup and, most importantly, the audience’s response,” says Matt Barone, the festival’s Senior Programmer. “As exciting as that is, though, BK Horror 2016 also set the bar sky-high. So that presents us with a new challenge: Make the second year even bigger. We’re ready to do just that and give Brooklyn another weekend-long snapshot of both where the genre's at and where it's heading. Horror is closing out 2016 in such an amazing creative space, but there’s always room for it to grow. Hopefully 2017 brings more diversity behind the camera, more original ideas, more genuinely scary films and more of the genre-blurring audacity that defined BK Horror’s program this year. We’re pumped to see what filmmakers from all around the world have to offer.”
Also, as a thank you to the local horror-loving community who helped create a spectacular first edition, the festival is offering a special discount for directors and producers who live in New York City.
Stay tuned for early bird badge sales beginning this January, and check out the festival's website for more information soon.
For full submissions details, deadlines, and costs please visit the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on Freeway, or visit our official website. The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival will run from October 12th till the 15th, 2017.
Ok what do you get when you take a failing ski resort and a toxic waste dump that is on the side of a mountain? Well you get a zombie flick that delivers on many levels just not all levels.
Directed by Dominick Hartl and tells the story of Steve and Josh, a couple of extreme sport snow boarders that are at this ski resort to hopefully sway a contract out of the resort to further they're careers. But after Steve decides to do something, not only extreme but very inappropriate, in front of some of the younger guest they get cut from the selection and so starts our spiral into zombie hell. The guys are also joined by Branka who is Steve's girl friend. They get trapped at the resort because of a snow storm, all while the owners of said resort want to impress a Russian investor, they have somehow used the toxic waist sludge to mix with the snow making machines to make snow that, if I hear right, doesn't melt as fast.
This movie moved kinda fast in the plot department and has, to be honest, been done a thousand times. Now there is a few good qualities that Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies has and its in the kill department. Some of the practical effects are top notch and are worth watching for. I think this Mr. Hartl's first trip in to the horror genre so I can cut him some slack. But as a film maker and seeing there is literally thousands of other zombie movies to get a reference from I cant give him that much. Over all I say if you like zombie movies with a capital B then this movie is right up your ally, if you lean more in the direction of The Walking dead and Dawn of the Dead you might want to stay away. I give Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies a 4 out of 10. As always please watch for yourself.
In the aftermath of an unknown catastrophe, a community left with zero living adults has descended into a modern-day Lord of the Flies, run by a small cabal of what had been the jocks occupying the athletic and social upper crust of the local high school, headed by Caleb (Patrick Schwarzenegger).
Faced with the bleak despair of their situation, Josh (Jacob Lofland) and Jessie (Sophie Kennedy Clark) strike out on a dangerous journey into the unknown to find family and hope for the future, with Caleb and his vicious underling Gentry (James Bloor) in hot pursuit.
GO NORTH is the narrative debut of Emmy-nominated documentarian Matt Ogens (MEET THE HITLERS) and was Executive Produced by Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME, RATS). Its haunting, evocative score was composed by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla.
About Gunpowder & Sky Distribution
Gunpowder & Sky Distribution, formerly FilmBuff, is part of Gunpowder Sky, a new global studio dedicated to creating and distributing video content independent of form, genre or platform. With in-house development, production, financing and distribution capabilities, combined with the subversive spirit of independent creators, Gunpowder & Sky collaborates with both emerging and established talent to generate premium video content ranging from 90 second to 90-minute stories. For more info, visit www.gunpowdersky.com.
As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
It's fascinating how some films hit you one way and other, similar films, can hit you in a completely different way. 'Circus of the Dead' was one of those films that has left me puzzled, ever since the final post credits scene ended. I can't legitimately decide how I feel about it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's unusual to walk away from a movie without having any concrete impressions of it. This one, in particular, took me on a bizarre roller coaster ride of emotions. At some points, I was wide eyed at the performance of Bill Oberst Jr (the patron saint of The Creepercast) and others, I was disgusted by his characters motivations and actions. He created something, with Papa Corn, that proves he's an under utilized talent in the larger film making community. Not too say that the man doesn't work, because if you look at his IMDB credits, it's a wonder he finds time to sleep. There were times where I feel disgusted at the actions of the main characters of the clowns. They were truly sadistic and completely un redeeming people. However, you can't take away from them, the charisma and iconic sensibilities that they possessed. It was like you couldn't help but love to hate them. Meanwhile, feeling like you needed to take a shower during most of their screen time. All of it punctuated like the claw end of a hammer, by the ring leader himself, Papa Corn. Our main 'hero' in the story, Donald, was merely a means to an end. A pawn in a violent game of destruction and violence. Sadly, despite all of the efforts of the clowns, there were so many cringe worthy performances from everyone else, that it tended to take away from the overall movie going experience. All in all, 'Circus of the Dead' was something that defies a recommendation to others to view. Rather, it garners a warning that only true deviants and horror fanatics should delve into the world of pain and suffering that director, Billy Pon, has created. Perhaps that's the greatest compliment that a film maker could hope for, but it limits your audience to a very small niche society of horror lovers that can stomach the underbelly of evil itself.
At the beginning of 'Circus of the Dead', were confronted with the thoughts of another killer clown, John Wayne Gacy. He's quoted as saying, “You know.... clowns can get away with murder.”. I didn't understand the meaning of this at first, but throughout the course of the films run time, we learn that this is the entire premise that it's based on. Time and time again, we see that this is true, as our cavalcade of circus killers just waltz their way through one murder after another. No one ever even looking twice in their direction or suspecting them of the atrocities that they are committing. Co-written and directed by Billy Pon, he quickly sets the stage for what's to come, as the film opens with the clowns already in progress. Torturing and murdering people, right before going into the center ring, to delight and entertain a tent full of unaware onlookers. During this time, we're introduced to Donald, a family man with 2 daughters and a beautiful wife. It's made apparent that maybe his life isn't perfect, but he loves his family anyway. They decide to go out and spend a night at the circus, where Papa Corn takes a liking to them and selects them as his next victims. He soon, kills Donald's wife, kidnaps his children and forces Donald to do whatever they want in order to see his daughters again. Over the course of the rest of the film, we see murder after murder occur as the clowns continually leave evidence, framing Donald for all of their horrific acts. I don't want to spoil the ending or too much of what occurs during the remaining film, as it detracts from the the finale. I'd rather you experience it, just as I did. Completely unaware of what was coming next. Not unlike Donald, himself. Also, stay throughout the entire credits.
'Circus of the Dead' is full of things you can pick apart and complain about. Poor acting, some sound editing issues and the weird transitions from one scene to the next, that feel like a commercial break is warranted. However, this shouldn't take away from the craftsmanship and firm grasp on storytelling that Billy Pon possesses. If he's capable of something on this scale, with (what I'm guessing) he had for a budget, then he's a man to keep your eye on. Granted, I have a feeling that his films won't be for everyone, but that shouldn't take away from his obvious love of the genre and desire to tell stories. He even tied in an earlier film that he made, 'Doll Boy'. However, I can't say that I enjoyed this film, but I can't say that I didn't, either. It's a unique situation where I hated what I was seeing, a lot of the time, but couldn't take my eyes away from it. Imagine a hybrid of Fred Vogel's 'August Underground' trilogy mashed up with Rob Zombie's '31' and a little Quentin Tarantino thrown in for flavor. It's something that you might not have never seen before, but feels all too familiar. I know that it feels like I'm constantly flip flopping with my feelings on this film, but that's because I am. It's like a train wreck. You want to see what's actually happened, but all the while, feeling that gut sensation that you need to look away. Perhaps, because it's all too real, in it's presentation, but yet it still has a surrealistic quality to it. My belief is that this unique sensation is partially due to the unique characterizations of each clown and the scene stealing powers of Bill Oberst Jr. No matter how much you want to hate them for the things they are doing, you can't take your eyes off of them when they're on the screen. Everything else in between feels like filler, compared to the antics of our protagonists.
At the end of the day, I'm curious to see where Billy Pon takes us next, in his already announced sequel to 'Circus of the Dead' It feels like there are many more stories to tell or nightmares to live through. Either way, this movie has already proven to have a solid base of fans and deservedly so. For me, it's a 3 out of 5 star rating. Something that I don't regret seeing, but I don't know that I ever need to live through it again. It's proof that there are still new ideas out there and iconic characters to be born. In a world of remakes and reboots, it's nice to see something we've never seen before. Not everything in 'Circus of the Dead' is an original thought, but it doesn't have to be. You're getting what you pay for and it pays off every promise that it makes. If you're blood lust lies on the more gritty and realistic side, with a dash of insanity, then maybe you should buy a ticket and take the ride, but be warned, you must be at lease this tall to ride.
If you enjoyed 'Circus of the Dead', check out: the 'August Underground' trilogy, '31' and anything featuring Bill Oberst Jr
HORRORinsidetheBOX presents Marvelous Mandy, staring Paula Marcenaro Solinger, written by Brentt Slabchuck and directed by Chase Dudley.
Down-on-his-luck single dad Harvey Fowler gets a much needed boost when he meets children's author Mandy Simpkins, author of the Marvelous Mandy storybooks that his daughter loves. Their beautifully vivacious relationship seems like it couldn't get any more perfect, until Harvey gains some disturbing insights into her fractured mental state. When cracks start to show through her dreamlike personality, Harvey learns who she really is- and just how vicious she'll become to maintain the illusion of her perfect life.
"An independent film with a class A story and actors that rivals Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer."
“Jenny Bilson, a high school senior, is the perfect student, a wonderful daughter to a veteran police detective and an all American Dream. But the one mistake she is unaware of making is about to haunt her in a very violent way, as her past returns for revenge.” (IMDB)
Ditch Day Massacre is definitely an independent film, but it follows the pattern set by Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer so well that by the end you forget the other two existed. That's mostly because it takes you a step further than its predecessors by letting you get close to the primary antagonist to the point where you'll not only empathize with him, but hope he gets his revenge and maybe even redemption in the end. Of course he's also an insane methodical killer that happens to be played by the always amazing Bill Oberst Jr. If you only know Bill by the creatures he portrays on screen you'd think twice about how close you actually get to him. But that isn't all that's worth talking about in this film.
Ditch Day Massacre is the beloved cautionary tale about the indiscretions of your past coming back to bury an axe in your head. Our perfect girl's mistake was drinking and driving and the reason she initially got away with it was because her father was a cop. Bill Oberst Jr and his family just happened to be in the car she plows into. This is all pretty obvious pretty quickly so I don't feel like I'm giving anything way. If nothing else it adds to the cautionary aspect of the film, I mean seriously, how bad aof luck would you have to have to be leaving a high school party and crash into Bill Oberst Jr? Yep, something like that only guarantees that in a couple years, before you graduate, while ditching school to party with your friends, something really bad is going to happen. But of course, that’s the whole point!
Though not exactly new, Ditch Day Massacre's director Joe Hendrick (Smiley, 2012), and writers Daniel P. Coughlin, Ryan Coughlin (Farmhouse, 2008. Lake Dead, 2007) have created a solid homage to horror masterpieces that is more than Craven worthy. The cast, besides our loved Bill Oberst Jr., consists of Katy Foley as our perfect angel with the deep dark secret, Zach Silverman as our princesses boyfriend who has a deep dark secret of his own, and a special appearance from the incorrigible veteran scream queen Lynn Lowry (The Crazies, 1973/2010. Cat People, 1982. They Came from Within, 1972) as the lonely cat lady next door. Together with the supporting cast, we have a hoard of characters that work well together and a bunch of up and coming actors that surely had lots of fun on the set! The practical effects are perfect, despite a few continuity issues, and the music definitely creates the desired ambiance.
