Horror Short: Out of the Night (2013)

Written and directed by Skip Shea
Staring Gwendolyn Callahan
Director of Photography William Smyth

Lost in a sullen neighborhood a wealthy woman is lured out of her car by falling hundred dollar bills, despite the shadows she's seen skulking in the fog. Out of the Night is similar in Shea's previous short film, Microcinema, in that it uses its events as an analogy for a more deeper understandings of the human condition. As voyeurism and obsession was the topic of the former the latter helms topics of greed, desire, and how in light we view strangers. The woman in the film is lost, scared, and likely at the other end of the tracks, however her lust of money leads her out into the night to gain more wealth even with the figures hidden in the fog. Of course for those who don't look so deeply the surface level horror is done well with the fear of being lost at play as well as the sense of dislocation. We never find out where the wealthy woman has wander off too, whether it be an odd neighborhood or some city of the afterlife.

Shea has a way of taking our expectations as an audience as well as the expectations of the character to offer us a different alternative. His films have a knack for unveiling the illusions of reality and exposing the often brutal truth. Not all is so bleak as Shea's dark humor is subtly placed in the film, mostly near the end. Gwendolyn Callahan is great, her role consists of no dialogue but her often lurid expressions fill in that utter terror of being lost in a neighborhood that vastly differs from her own. The score was taunt, lucidly attendant to the chilling atmosphere that's been set. The photography is simply gorgeous, utilizing classic black and white. There's a really exceptional image of Callahan vanishing into the fog; it fluently lacing around her, dissolving her figure into the darkness. I really liked Out of the Night, however it was a film I had to watch a few times to fully grasps the concept. In that I do recommend with a little hesitation as this film will likely go over a few people's head. But if your like me and you love reading into horror with deeper meanings than I'd say don't miss it.

Out of the Night will premiere at the SENE Film, Arts & Music Festival on Sunday April 28th at the Cable Car Theater in Providence, Rhode Island. For more information you can visit - http://www.senefest.com/dramatic-short-films.html

Press Release: New Sci-fi Horror Film 'Science Team'

A bastard child of science-fiction and horror! 

 

Chip returns home to find that his mother has been brutally murdered. A sessile space alien with telepathic powers is now living in her house rent free. Science Team, an anti-alien organization, must now eliminate the extraterrestrial threat. Drama ensues. People die. Inner and extraterrestrial demons are engaged. Men in pink suits use cool-looking technology. Events culminate in a destructive orgy of violence of such an epic intensity that people's minds are literally blown out of their heads.

 

Science Team is currently fundraising for their film through Indiegogo. There you can see a three minute teaser and help them reach their goal by donating.

 

You may follow them on Twitter. Or on their Facebook page.

 

The Most Irrelevant Post Since Irrelevant Post Friday

If the title for this post and the title for the Midnight Son post got in a fight, I think this one would win on sheer stupidity. Though, it's hard to say as "How Do You Like Your Midnight Son Served?" is also fairly awful in the history of posts on this blog.

There's nothing more appropriate that to start an Irrelevant Post, that's on a Saturday mind you, than
an irrelevant comment about the titles of my blog posts going at it in a fight. This being the case as this post is really just random, most of it consisting of nonsense with a little of it actually having a purpose. I'll attend to the most important first and is that my computer went down this week and was just fixed today. I'm a little behind because of this, the two days I had off work I wasn't able to do anything constructive. But that being said it works now and I'll try to catch up as much as possible within the next week.

Next I do have five reviews for you that I plan on posting within this month and next. I also have three Horror Shorts, so check back on Sundays if you would like to read those. I'm basically just saying with this paragraph that I'm not dead, you know my usual excuse for absence. 

I've been debating about whether or not I should share this with you but you are my followers (or random google people who find me because of The Human Centipede) and I believe your opinion is just as important, if not more, as mine. I'm really considering of moving this blog. No actually I am moving this blog. At this point its the self-host vs the second party. Blogger is getting on my nerves. No, actually Google is getting on my nerves. But it's also just a matter, to be quite frank, to shit or get off the pot. Meaning that I'm serious about my writing. Not so much reviews as I do love writing them but I really need to start focusing on what I'd like to do with my writing and my own site might help this. Having a self hosted site would acquire a lot of work but I ultimately feel that I can organize it better with one. There's a lot of other reasons for it that I wont go into but this is something I'd very much appreciate input on.

Finally for some REAL irrelevancy I saw Jurassic Park 3D and you should go see it because it kicks ass. I've actually never seen a real 3D film (excluding those red and blue glasses, and the Terminator Ride at Universal Studios), so I was tripping out a bit because I didn't realize that the intent of it now is to make you feel like your actually in the film less than watching it. There's been a lot talk about this and the direction that cinema is taking, the masses are eager but us nostalgic movie lovers are in denial. I draw from it that I LOVED seeing Jurassic Park in 3D but only because I have seen it before and it was insane to watch it like that, I wouldn't watch a newer film, necessarily, because it distracts. That's just my two cents.

Honestly the intent of this post was that I felt away from this blog because of the computer breaking and just wanted to post something, even if it's just an Irrelevant Post...on a Saturday. Regardless enjoy your day and go see the new Evil Dead or Jurassic Park. Or save your money and see Zombie's Lords of Salem this week. Either or, happy Irrelevant Post Friday. Saturday.

TDHorror Retro Review

"These characters are hoot with their actor counterparts also suitably enjoyable. You'll recognize Robert Englund (!) in a pre-Nightmare and V role, Sid Haig who regally gets killed by his own arm, and veteran actor Ray Walston. I didn't care for Erin Moran or rather 'Joanie loves Chachi' as the psi-sensitive character who in turn renders useless, her ability not being remotely helpful and her character reflecting the same abhorrent tendencies from that of her TV alter ego. But it's Taaffe O'Connel as Dameia who gets the infamous, brutal, and erotic sex scene with the worm, where she dies via orgasm"

Yes I actually used the word hoot. Sue me. As usual you may read the rest here.

Holiday Horrors: 28.06.42.12

 

Happy Easter.

Press Release: Indie Horror Short “Microcinema” Named Best Short Film at Jersey Gore Film Festival

MASSACHUSETTS (March 24, 2013) - The independent short film horror “Microcinema” was selected as Best Short Film at the 2013 Jersey Gore Film Festival (http://jerseygorefilmfestival.com) this weekend at the historic Darress Theatre in Boonton, NJ. Written and directed by Harvest Tide Productions co-founder Skip Shea, “Microcinema” has received wide acclaim including the fan-based 2012 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award Honorable Mention for Best Short Film. (http://www.rondoaward.com) 

“Harvest Tide and the cast and crew of “Microcinema” are very honored and grateful to be recognized by Geraldine Winters and the Jersey Gore Film Festival,” said Shea. “This might be a spoiler but with this film, I wanted to change the formula of the revenge film after countless movies where we see a woman become a victim before she fights back and either gets away or gets her revenge. It’s a good formula, but I wanted to turn those tables. As a survivor of clergy sexual abuse I wanted to see the predator pay his karmic debt for even thinking about and planning to commit such a crime.”

Shea, whose abuse occurred in the Diocese of Worcester in Massachusetts, is an activist and his films often serve to raise awareness through horror and satire of the ongoing issues around clergy sexual abuse.

Starring Alex Lewis and Aurora Grabill, “Microcinema” (www.watchmicrocinema.com) 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.

“Microcinema” is Harvest Tide’s first online and internationally self-distributed short horror film which scored on several best-of lists and gained momentum as a cult favorite and a hit with horror reviewers. 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."

Chris Conduit of The Conduit Speaks, www.theconduitspeaks.com put “Microcinema” as the best horror short of the year giving it his Conduit Award.

“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.

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What the critics are saying about “Microcinema” 

"This is a 6 minute experience genre fans owe themselves. It’s rare these days to find full length Hollywood feature films that feel fresh, let alone 6 minute shorts made on tiny budgets." - Life After Undeath Blog.

"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, 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

Horror Short: The Prospectors Curse (2012)

Written and directed by Josh Heisie
Staring Dave Roberts, Johnny Quinn, and Robert Nolan
Director of Photography Michael Jari Davidson

When a dim-witted local and a money hungry salesman come across a dying prospector in the woods, his last wish is for a proper Christian burial. Despite the local's intention the salesman convinces him to leave the dead man in the woods and pursue his land for gold, causing a hellacious hillbilly revenge. The Prospectors Curse is the hillbilly sanction of hell where humor, horror, and the goldrush are the layers of the inferno. Josh Heisie's film has an easy flow with a natural amusement, not contrived as is often the freight with horror comedies. The production is sound with noteworthy mention to the makeup, The Prospector was both dire and delightful which tied the horror into the plot. The classic revenge of the ghost is compassed with an almost zombie like approach, as he looks more to the undead than as a spirit.

Dave Roberts and Johnny Quinn fit to their caricatures well and don't overplay the exaggeration. Robert Nolan plays The Prospector with a menacing glee, the character actor is again great in his small part and on his way to becoming the next Brad Dourif of the horror genre. Michael Jari Davidson is a talented DP, having done previous work on another film I enjoyed, Familiar, and continues the same dark but slick style in this. The Prospector's Curse is actually the first film in an anthology of films that take focus to different era's of B-horror. For a sub-genre that I'm familiar with only in part, I really quite liked Heisie's sophomore film, leaving me excited for the next installments that are genres I comfortably know. If you get a chance to see The Prospector's Curse don't hesitate as it's a fun fifteen minute watch for any horror fan.

The trailer may be seen below. You can watch for updates on the film's facebook page or at its website.