Monday, February 13, 2012

Press Release: Indie Horror Short "Microcinema" Nominated for a 2012 Rondo Award

Finally...

Indie Horror Short “Microcinema” Nominated for a 2012 Rondo Award


MASSACHUSETTS (Feb. 13, 2012) – Massachusetts-based Harvest Tide Productions first online and internationally self-distributed horror short independent film “Microcinema,”  written and directed by Harvest Tide Productions co-founder Skip Shea, is nominated for the 2012 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award (http://www.rondoaward.com/). The fan-based Rondo Awards, created in 2002 by David Colton and Kerry Gammill, recognize outstanding achievements in the horror entertainment genre.

“Harvest Tide and the cast and crew of “Microcinema” are very honored and excited to be nominated for a Rondo,” said Shea. “It represents the voice of the fans and this is an important acknowledgement of our work. We stand among some of the great creators and producers of horror entertainment, media and content throughout the industry.”

Starring Alex Lewis and Aurora Grabill, “Microcinema” is the story of Peter Martell, a highly educated well-to-do young man with too much free time on his hands. He spends it watching snuff films. One day he makes the bold decision to cross the line from observer to participant, aspiring to bring a philosophical element to his own kind of snuff films. Ready to go to work, he tracks his first victim into a haunted New England wood, where the boundary between participant and observer takes a different turn.

In 2011, “Microcinema” scored on several best-of lists and gained momentum as a cult favorite and a hit with horror reviewers. Chris Conduit of The Conduit Speaks,www.theconduitspeaks.com put "Microcinema" as the best horror short of the year giving it his Conduit Award.

Danielle Holman writing for Truly Disturbing Horror, www.trulydisturbing.com listed "Microcinema" as one of the five best horror films saying, "Skip Shea’s seven-minute short film is deserving in the ranks of the big films as it’s able to accomplish more in less than ten minutes than an hour and a half feature length film." In her Bleeding Dead, http://bleedingdeadfilmreviews.blogspot.com/ she has called “Microcinema” "…one of the most important horror films of our time."

“Microcinema” wowed critics and audiences last year at several horror film festivals and screenings within the few short months of its release. Screenings in 2011 included the 1st Annual Danish Horror Film Festival: THE TURBINE at Spinderihallerne, Vejle, Denmark; All Things Horror Shudder Fest at the Somerville Theater in Somerville, MA; Short Horror Films at AS220 in Providence, RI; the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival; and before Canadian horror film fans at Fright Night Theater presents: ABSENTIA & Microcinema at the Staircase Cafe Theater in Hamilton, Ontario.

“Microcinema” was originally a storyline for one of the episodes of Harvest Tide’s new horror web series “Longreach,” written by William DeCoff. “Longreach” follows the demise of Daniel Jedrek, the sergeant at arms for the Longreach Association, an ancient global charitable organization that takes charity to extremes. The Harvest Tide production team – Shea, DeCoff, Will Smyth and Emily King – agreed that “Microcinema” stood on its own in the burgeoning new online entertainment and media arena and delivers a brutal and gruesome tale to horror film fans. 

"Microcinema” is now available on the film’s website 
www.watchmicrocinema.com for under .99 cents. “The best horror for under a dollar.”

“Microcinema” writer/director Skip Shea has produced, written and directed six short films:  “Mail;” “Video Diary: Last Entry;” “They Serve Breakfast Here All Day Long;” “Putting On Its Shoes;” “Nostalgia;” and “Choices.”  “Mail” was selected for the invitation-only 11th annual Pawtucket Film Festival. Shea’s work took the runner-up award in the comedy short screenplay competition for his script “The Bar” at the 19th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival. The film is in pre-production. He also produced, wrote and performed the very successful one-man theatrical show called “Catholic (Surviving Abuse & Other Dead End Roads)” which debuted in New York City in 2005. The show went on to have a successful run at the Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway Theater and toured the East Coast. Shea is also a published poet whose piece “Songs of Mourning,” a memorial to those killed in the September 11 attacks in New York as well as to his daughter Shawna Shea, was selected by New York City jazz musician Jon Faddis to be performed at the 9/11 10th Anniversary Commemorative Concert performed at Symphony Space by the New York Chamber Music Festival.

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What the critics are saying about “Microcinema” 

"The film is brave and unrelenting. It is a breath of fresh air to a lot of the common horror tricks that are being trotted out time and again." -Alexandra West, Scare Tactics Blog.

"Skip Shea is an adept director with equal ability to write, his short film gets more across than most full length films.  4 out of 5 Stars" - The Bleeding Dead Film Reviews. 

"You will not be expecting to see the events that unfold in this shocking short film." - The Horror Spot

"The script itself deserves kudos for completely drawing your attention to the one aspect we would expect every horror film to contain and then suddenly shocks you with an element you rarely see in this genre."  The Scariest Movies Online 

"I figured I was in for one of three things:  a really solid work, a bite size film that left me feeling nothing, or one of those that makes me want to substitute rat poison for the salt on my dinner table.  Those are the three categories all art falls into for me, always.  Yet, when it was all said and done, Shea's vignette carved a whole new icky slot out just for itself. 9 out of 10 Stars" - The Conduit Speaks

"Brilliant. 8.5 out of 10 Stars" - The Gruesome Hurtzogg Horror Movie Review Podcast.

"4 out of 5 Stars" Char Hardin 

"What I find particularly interesting about Microcinema is its plot and how it seems to blend together torture, voyeurism, and a lot of other really weird horrific topics like snuff films." - Horror Society 

"Microcinema Doesn't Disappoint" - Victor Infante, The Worcester Telergram & Gazette

"The new indie horror romp Microcinema and it is a doozy." - Truly Disturbing Horror

"Interesting short that starts as your usual slasher/serial killer fare before taking a wicked little turn." Shaun Sjolin Cenobiteme Blog

"Unicornsblud Horror Review Stamp of Majestic Approval"  Unicronsblud's Horror Reviews

“Twisted and sick but with a new vision.” - The Dr. Chris Radio of Horror


Skip is far to nice to me, he lets me in on all the Microcinema updates as well as quoted me in several press releases. I've said so many things about the film in the past that its hard to quite sum them up, but basically they all amount to it's creator. I'll likely say it till the day I die but please watch Microcinema, it needs to be seen. 

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