Press Release: The Seventh Annual B Movie Celebration Comes to The Chicago Area

As this is our first event in the Chicagoland area, so we need your help in getting the word out to the legions of B Movie fans. This is an annual event giving B Movies the exposure they so rightly deserve.

The Hollywood Boulevard Cinema in Woodridge Illinois will be hosting the Seventh Annual B Movie Celebration October 25th-27th. We are asking for your help to get the word out.

For the past seven years, fans of the often maligned genre of B-movies have gathered to just to watch classic and emerging B-films, but not just to passively view the films, as the name implies, celebrate them! This year — the Seventh— looks like being the biggest yet. Why? The organizers have been rampaging through the independent film underworld, ferreting out a host of new releases and soon-to-be-classics to be introduced into the Celebration’s film program. Many of the films presented will be either North American or World premiere.

The Celebration will feature screenings of over 68 B movies, including 26 feature films as well as 42 cutting edge shorts. We will also have personal appearances from such B Greats as B Director Jim Wynorski, Fred Olen Ray and Kevin Tenney . New digitally remastered versions of Wynorski's “The Lost Empire” and “Chopping Mall will be launched, Fred Olen Ray will have the World' Premiere of his film “After Midnight” and Kevin Tenney will be present during a screening of his opus “Witchboard”.

For those that are about to Schlock we salute you.

For further information please go to our website http://www.bmoviecelebration.com
or email us at info@polyscopemovies.com

Press Release: FEARnet Brings Holiday Favorite Trick 'R Treat to VOD

FEARnet BRINGS THE HOLIDAY FAVORITE TRICK ‘R TREAT TO VOD FOR THE FIRST TIME, FROM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 TO THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

The VOD Debut of ‘TRICK ‘R TREAT’ Coincides with the Linear Channel’s Fourth Annual 24-Hour ‘TRICK ‘R TREAT’ Marathon on Halloween

  

(SANTA MONICA – OCTOBER 3, 2013) – For the first time, FEARnet is making Mike Dougherty’s acclaimed genre anthology, TRICK ‘R TREAT, available to its growing community of viewers on Video On Demand (VOD). From Friday, October 25, to Thursday, October 31—the same day as the network’s 24-hour TRICK ‘R TREAT marathon on its linear network—VOD subscribers will be able to take part in the holiday festivities, as the film’s pint-sized trickster, Sam, wreaks Halloween havoc.

“We’re pleased to be able to bring TRICK ‘R TREAT to our VOD subscribers for the first time,” said Sarah Shannon, Vice President, Programming & Network Operations, FEARnet. “The Network has a large VOD following, so it’s important for our VOD content to mirror our linear content as much as possible, to give all of our viewers an opportunity to enjoy the content we have to offer each month.”

The cult classic stars Anna Paquin and Brian Cox in an anthology setting, featuring four interlocking stories about people celebrating, or shunning, the infamous holiday, and the bloody consequences they face for their actions. TRICK ‘R TREAT is the perfect complement to the Halloween season, and FEARnet is the only place you can watch it.

Also in October, FEARnet has launched the “FEARtober: 31 Days of Treats”—an online advent calendar detailing the multitude of offerings fans can enjoy as they count down to Halloween. Throughout the month, fans will be able to head to FEARnet.com for Halloween polls, free themed movies, and downloadable content featuring TALES FROM THE CRYPT and TRICK ‘R TREAT-themed pumpkin carving stencils, as well as Halloween cards and paper dolls depicting TRICK ‘R TREAT’s mascot, Sam.

Additionally, the 24-hour TRICK ‘R TREAT marathon will come packed with interstitial content created and produced exclusively for the network by Mike Dougherty. These special features include “Season’s Greetings,” the original short film that spawned TRICK ‘R TREAT, starring TRICK ‘R TREAT’s beloved Sam; Fathers’ Day, Easter and back-to-school shorts, also starring Sam; and vignettes explaining the four key rules of Halloween: Always wear a costume, always pass out treats, never blow out your Jack O’Lantern before midnight, and always check your candy.

Press Release: New Kicstarter Eco-Thriller 'Strange Nature' Takes on Unsolved Ecological Mystery

Unsolved Ecological Mystery Exposed by New Film Strange Nature

Ojala Productions, a Hollywood Special Makeup/Creature Effects company is actively pursuing funding on Kickstarter for the upcoming Eco-Thriller feature film Strange Nature by writer/director Jim Ojala. This is the first film to confront real unsolved frog deformity outbreaks in the U.S. and where they may lead.

North Hollywood, CA) Wednesday September 25, 2013- Writer/Director, Jim Ojala, President of Ojala Productions set to direct Strange Nature. The Eco-Thriller feature film is based on a true unsolved ecological mystery, where thousands of hideously deformed frogs have turned up in the waters of Minnesota and beyond.

Jim Ojala, a Duluth, Minnesota native said that he was intrigued by the Minnesota mutant frog outbreak when he saw the news story on ABC Nightline in 1996. (See Story). After watching the newscast, Jim’s first thought was what if the deadly mutations went beyond the frogs?

Ojala followed the story over the next few years, to find that thousands of hideously mutated frogs were still being discovered. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency investigated the mutation problem and derived several possible theories for the cause, but no conclusion was determined. In 2001, the U.S. Government pulled all research funding. The malformations have since spread to other states and even other countries-- most recently, reports from Argentina, China, and India.
 
For the current state of U.S. frog deformities, Ojala consulted with Dr. Pieter Johnson an Ecologist at the University of Colorado and discovered a shocking revelation. Dr. Johnson explained, “Despite reduced coverage in the media, deformed amphibians continue to be widespread and abundant in many areas. In our research in the western USA, we have described several thousand severely malformed frogs in the last three years alone, including animals with missing legs, extra limbs, and misshapen limbs. The percentage of abnormal animals at a wetland often exceeds 15% and at several sites we consistently find >80% malformed. At one pond in Oregon, every single emerging frog suffered from one or more deformities, with many animals dying before they could complete metamorphosis.” -Dr. Pieter Johnson Ecologist, University of Colorado- August, 28, 2013

The true events are the basis for Strange Nature. “It is both a thriller and a drama film of sorts”, explains Ojala, “seen through the eyes of a single-mother and her 11-year old son as the drama unfolds on a small Minnesota town which struggles to survive when the deadly mutations move beyond the ponds.” Ojala passionately believes this is a critical time for this film to be made, “it exposes a true environmental issue that has been swept under the carpet far too long”.

With the hope of attracting more attention to the ongoing deformed frog cases some U.S. Ecologists have supported Strange Nature to the extent that they have even provided live severely deformed frogs to be featured in the film which you can see in the Kickstarter pitch video.

Ojala’s goal in making this film is two-fold: 1) to bring the story to the public attention after eighteen years and 2) to trigger further research funding which could lead to finding the cause and prevent the mutations from spreading to other species.

Once production funding is secured for Strange Nature, Ojala will move forward with principal photography which will shoot in Minnesota. Currently, a fundraising campaign for the film is on Kickstarter until October 10th.

So far the film has attracted the likes of Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) and WWE Superstar Wrestler, John “Nitro” Hennigan. Both actors are set to co-star in the film.
About Jim Ojala and Ojala Productions
 
After graduating high school from Duluth, MN in 1995 Jim Ojala joined the local Public Access Station where he was given the opportunity to learn all aspects of video production. He collaborated with friends to create and direct a local cable-TV series, My Three Scums, a notorious horror/comedy series revolving around a family of misfits, freaks and monsters which continued for 3 years and garnered a large local following.
 
The success of My Three Scums, opened the door to Ojala’s first film job with Troma Studios in New York on the film, Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger 4.
 
Following Citizen Toxie, Ojala went on to work with Tim Considine of Direct Effects in the special makeup effects department. There he worked on features, commercials, photo shoots and theatre productions. While in New York, Jim also attended the Millennium Film Program under the mentorship of experimental filmmaking pioneer, Michael Kuchar.

In 2001, Jim made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles. One of his first jobs in LA, was working on the makeup/creature effects for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Shield. Subsequently, he has also worked on numerous commercials, and features including Where the Wild Things Are and Hellboy 2 The Golden Army. Ojala’s makeup/creature effects skills continue to be a strong force in the independent film world providing makeup effects for the critically hailed, Deadgirl, as well as working with Legacy Studios on Pacific Rim.

Jim’s directing credits range from short films, TV Pilots, to music videos including: The viral hit Marvel Zombies the Movie Fan Film, Harvest- a TV pilot based on a one hour Sci-fi Thriller TV series, and Deviled Egg, a music video for the popular Los Angeles Band, The Radioactive Chicken Heads just to name a few.

Press Release: Crawl or Die (Crawl Bitch Crawl) Free Theatrical Screening One Night Only

You are invited to attend A ONE NIGHT ONLY FREE EVENT of the:

CRAWL or DIE (CRAWL BITCH CRAWL) THEATRICAL SCREENING

WHAT: Domestic Title: CRAWL OR DIE International Title: CRAWL BITCH CRAWL Sci-Fi Thriller/Horror Film Theatrical Screening

WHEN: Thursday October 24, 2013 at 8:00pm PDT

WHERE: Arclight Hollywood Theater 6360 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028

COST: Free

SEATING IS LIMITED! Sign up fast - seats will go quickly.

RESERVE TICKETS HERE:

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW THE SPECIAL EVENT TRAILER

PARKING: There is an ample parking structure attached to the theater off of Ivar Ave (If you are headed east on Sunset Blvd., you'll make a right onto Ivar Ave (pass Tower Records) - the parking structure will be on your left). If you park in this structure, your parking will be validated and cost $4.00. Otherwise, there is metered street parking available.

DEATILS: This is a one night only, special screening event for the claustrophobic indie horror/thriller film CRAWL OR DIE (Internationally titled CRAWL BITCH CRAWL).

This event is open to critics and fans alike to join us and celebrate the first theatrical screening of the film.

The film will begin promptly at 8:00pm PDT with a brief introduction by Director Oklahoma Ward and Actor Nicole Alonso. Following the screening - there will be a 30 minute Q&A with Writer/Director Oklahoma Ward and Lead Actor Nicole Alonso.

SWAG: For a $20.00 donation - you can get a LIMITED EDITION poster after the screening signed by the Writer/Director Oklahoma Ward and Lead Actor Nicole Alonso. Cash only(No change will be available)! There will be a limited number of posters - once they are gone - that's it.

Press Release: "Welcome To Nowhere" Streaming for Free

SURREALIST ROAD MOVIE “WELCOME TO NOWHERE (BULLET HOLE ROAD)” NOW STREAMING FOR FREE ON NOBUDGE.COM

Exclusive online premiere is available from September 17 through October 18 on Kentucker Audley’s recently expanded indie film streaming site NoBudge.com

New York, September 17, 2013 - NoBudge.com will be presenting the online streaming premiere of the award-winning film Welcome to Nowhere (Bullet Hole Road) from Tuesday, September 17 until October 18. A surrealistic and dreamlike new take on the classic American road story, this experimental film follows the overlapping encounters of five strangers as they struggle to exist in the American desert.

Part live-action, part motion-graphics animation, Welcome to Nowhere (Bullet Hole Road) is a fractured, genre-bending road movie inspired by the gritty road films of the 1960’s and 70’s. In a series of warped, image-driven episodes, the fractured narrative revolves around a poet, a hitchhiker and three motel rooms doomed to violence and perversity.

Directed, Photographed and Edited by filmmaker and video artist William Cusick, whose work has been called “mind-blowing” by Jason Zinoman of the New York Times, the film indelibly imprints unique and stunning moments throughout its brief but intense 55 minutes.

Welcome to Nowhere (Bullet Hole Road) premiered at the LES* Film Festival in 2012, received the Founder’s Choice Award at the Queens World Film Festival in 2013, Best Supporting Actress (Cara Francis) at the 2012 Dreamland International Film Festival, and was an official selection of the 2012 PollyGrind Festival, 2013 Cinetarium Festival and the 2013 Scare-A-Con Festival. The film was featured in the inaugural issue of Chance Magazine, the most innovative art magazine about American theater designers ever published.

About NoBudge.com

No Budge covers the world of true indie films. It was started in February 2011 by filmmaker Kentucker Audley to premiere and compile true indie films. Free + no ads + no piracy. It has been called “innovative” (Filmmaker Magazine) and “indispensable” (GreenCine).

“Audley’s fierce devotion to truly independent American cinema is vital. His commitment to treating the micro-budget form with the utmost seriousness is needed now more than ever.”

- Michael Tully, Paste Magazine

Press Release: FEARtober: 31 Days of Treats

FEARnet KICKS OFF THE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN THIS OCTOBER

WITH THE “FEARtober: 31 DAYS OF TREATS,” FEATURING MOVIES, EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOADS, GIVEAWAYS AND MORE, EVERY DAY, ALL MONTH LONG

(SANTA MONICA, CA – SEPTEMBER 10, 2013) – FEARnet is taking over the Halloween scene this October, with “FEARtober: 31 Days of Treats,” serving up 31 days of movies, short films, exclusive downloadable content, polls, and prizes, highlighted by the fan-favorite 24-hour TRICK ‘R TREAT Marathon on Thursday, October 31.

Putting a unique twist on holiday traditions, FEARnet has created an online advent calendar detailing the multitude of offerings fans can enjoy as they count down to Halloween. Throughout the month, fans will be able to head to FEARnet.com for Halloween polls, free themed movies, and downloadable content featuring TRICK ‘R TREAT and TALES FROM THE CRYPT-themed pumpkin carving stencils, as well as e-cards and paper dolls depicting TRICK ‘R TREAT’s iconic pint-sized mascot, Sam. The website will also be streaming a variety of short films, including a series of shorts made exclusively for FEARnet by TRICK ‘R TREAT creator Michael Dougherty, illustrating the rules of Halloween, and the gruesome consequences that await those who choose to ignore them.

 

Additionally, with the Free Stuff FEARtober Sweepstakes, fans will be able to enter for a chance to win daily giveaways, with prizes such as DVDs of TALES FROM THE CRYPT (Oct. 2), the FRIDAY THE 13th Collection (Oct. 13), and the SAW Box Set (Oct. 26); GEARS OF WAR 3 and BIOSHOCK videogames (Oct. 24); a special TRICK ‘R TREAT giveaway (Oct. 31); and much more! There will also be a “Day of the Dead” Sweepstakes from Tuesday, Oct. 1 to Monday, Nov. 4, with a loaded prize pack featuring a 40” LED EX620 Smart TV and a Bloggie Touch Camera.

On FEARnet’s linear channel, viewers will be able to enjoy a crop of genre hits to get them into the Halloween spirit. Featured films include the beloved ‘80s classic THE MONSTER SQUAD (Oct. 6), as a group of preteens must save their town—and the world—from a team of horror’s greatest villains; the found-footage shocker THE LAST EXORCISM (Oct. 16), about a fraudulent preacher who finds the Devil in the details; DETENTION, starring Dane Cook and Josh Hutcherson, a genre-bender that mixes high school drama with slasher flick thrills and time travel; the supernatural smash, INSIDIOUS, about parents (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) whose son is trapped in the realm of the dead known as “The Further”; and TRICK ‘R TREAT (Oct. 31), the acclaimed anthology series where killers, ghouls, and werewolves converge for Halloween night mischief.

About FEARnet

FEARnet is a multi-platform programming service delivering original and acquired horror, thriller and suspense content as a cable TV movie network, a video-on-demand outlet and web portal.  FEARnet, a partnership among Sony Pictures Television, Lionsgate Entertainment and Comcast Corporation, features a robust lineup of popular titles from major film studios and independents, encompassing 300 plus movie titles a year, including 14 world television and 22 theatrical broadcast premieres. The Network is distributed to U.S. cable subscribers across the country on various systems and is often ranked as the number-one free HD VOD movie service available in more than 27 million homes. The website, FEARnet.com, ranks as one of the most popular sites in the genre category among total uniques and duration per visit. Follow FEARnet on Facebook and Twitter (@FEARnet). For more information about the company, visit www.FEARnet.com. To access photos visit FEARnetPR on flickr.

 

Horror Short: Ave Maria (2013)

Written and directed by Skip Shea
Staring Aurora Gabrill & David Graziano
Director of Photography Nolan Yee

A clergy man abides his sentence from three women in the woods, as a recording of Ave Maria drowns his screams. Skip Shea's Ave Maria is an eloquent twine of gore, music, and enacted karma. It's a pair to Shea's acclaimed Microcinema and in that the two are both lovely masterpieces that speak of violence in our society. There's no dialogue, the six minute run time a symphony of music and constructed torture. Shea as a director understands the appropriation of blood in a film and doesn't opt to show more than necessary. Though he is guilty we are never witnesses to the clergy man's crimes as Shea trusts the audience to display the revenge first and unveil the fulsome truth later. 

Aurora Gabrill returns as Missy, the white masked crusader of justice, whom is our anti-heroine, if you so will. Gabrill again plays a brave part in an unconventional female character in cinema, horror and non alike. Cinematography speaks for itself as it's balefully set in midst of the woods, the beautiful view of nature to timid the cringing horror. It will make a few squeal in its single act of violence but is a simple, beautiful piece to add to a collection of interesting works. In tradition of his works Ave Maria will not be for everyone as the religious text and the film's bizarre approach will off-put some, but for a horror aficionado it rings unique and gorgeous, leaving enough for the viewers imagination but volunteering enough visually to leave you averse and fascinated. Ave Maria is a lovely edition from the director that I suggest is best watched as a double feature to its more masculine counter Microcinema. However the feminine side of this story stands on its own and must be seen regardless if you liked the prior.

Ave Maria will be making its way around film festivals so watch for it. You can follow the director and its star on twitter for updates.