Tag: films

Aliens: Zone of Silence – Interview with Dir. Andy Fowler

Posted on by Lilyn G

 

Banner for Interview with Andy Fowler

Aliens: Zone of Silence

Starring Sarah Hester (Unfabulous), Peter Gesswein (A Plea for Tenderness), Jed Maheu (The Rambler),  and Vince Tula (Four Cities), Aliens: Zone of Silence follows a young woman who goes on a daring search for answers after her brother vanishes from the Mexican desert. But when she discovers an extraterrestrial presence, she must risk her life to expose the desert’s otherworldly secret.

Written by: Fidel Arizmendi, Andy Fowler
Directed by: Andy Fowler

Aliens: Zone of Silence is out today, October 24th, on VOD.

Find out more on: http://alienszoneofsilence.com/

 

 

Talking with Writer & Director Andy Fowler

Sci-Fi & Scary: You’ve got a solid background of visual effects – 300, Tron, San Andreas just to name a few- and now you’re the Director of Visual Effects at Netflix. What ultimately persuaded you to step outside the visual effects field and write and direct your own movie?

Andy Fowler: I’ve been into making films since my teens and won a couple of awards back in the UK for some shorts which fueled my interest and passion. However, soon after I found myself carried along by the creativity of commercial and graphic design production in London and cut my teeth there for a bunch of years during its digital genesis in the 80s before settling into VFX. First film was Lost in Space back in 1996 and I never got off the train. Visual Effects really helped contain my creative demons and it still does! However, when I left Disney Feature Production around 2011 I got the itch to make something of my own again.

Sci-Fi & Scary: What was it like making the switch to the writing / directing chair role? Was anything harder or easier than you thought it would be?

Andy Fowler: Making the switch felt natural for me, I really get a kick out of working with actors and the live feedback and creative interaction. After all, VFX is pretty much removed from dealing with flesh and blood, beyond what gets thrown in front of camera as FX elements for say 300 so its wonderful contrast! As a VFX Producer you get to be on set A LOT and so are used to seeing what it takes to bring a film to life, how thrilling it is and how grueling it can be and was therefore under no illusion how tough this project would be, albeit with much different challenges considering the tight budget. What was harder than I thought going in? Having the stamina to finish it. Easier? ADR. Loved ADR.

Sci-Fi & Scary: From script to production wrap, how long did it take you to create Aliens: Zone of Silence?

Andy Fowler: Had early concept for the film in 2011, started in earnest in 2012, so 5 years or thereabouts. Work got in the way!

Sci-Fi & Scary: Do you think your background in visual effects brings anything special to Aliens: Zone of Silence beyond the standard glitchy camera work one knows to expect in these films?

Andy Fowler: It certainly helped in some ways as part of the of problem with making VFX look great in films is the understanding or sensitivity of some filmmakers and knowing when a VFX shot might break, in turn pushing an effect too far at the expense of the integrity of a shot or sequence. So with Aliens: Zone of Silence (AZOS), I naturally dialed back any areas that’d take the viewer out of the experience. This is a found footage film after all, so keeping things organic and visceral was key.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Aliens: Zone of Silence isn’t a large budget production. After being part of so many films with more money poured into them than most of us will see in ten lifetimes, how hard was it, effects wise, to work on a much smaller scale?

Andy Fowler: It was hard. It was very, very hard. But the low budget forced me into finding ways, creative ways of making the shots work outside of the digital norm which in the end (I feel) helped keep the movie honest. Not that AZOS is like Scott’s first ALIEN movie, but I liken the experience of Ridley having a low FX budget forcing an approach that was more ‘in camera’ than its bigger budget sequel Aliens which (although equally amazing) was a totally different viewer experience. Sometimes having little money can work for you!

Sci-Fi & Scary: How many different cameras did you use during the shoot? I believe the main character has at least 4 on her at one point?

Andy Fowler:  I lost count! Hmmm,  2 attached to Sarah Hester’s pack (POV shot and CU),  plus a handheld that could switch between a regular camera or night vision. On top of that we utilized devices such as a motion-triggered head on which the hand-held cam could be attached. Also, Sarah had a HDR (High Dynamic Range) camera that could capture a wide range of exposure, a key story telling point! To round off we had a bunch of perimeter fixed security cameras to help ‘keep an eye’!

Sci-Fi & Scary: Regarding multiple camera use, were they actually often all running at the same time, or were you turning them on/off as need to be spare the time you’d need to sort through and splice footage?

Andy Fowler: Sometimes we had all three cameras running on or around Sarah, totally depending. We got a lot of coverage! However, when shooting action/drama specific beats we often focused on only using cameras that we felt would provide relevant material.

Sci-Fi & Scary: There’s a fair few alien-oriented found footage films released recently, most notably Phoenix Forgotten and The Phoenix Tapes. What would you tell people to persuade them to give Aliens: Zone of Silence a try as well?

Andy Fowler: Our movie is different to those films in the same way chalk is different to cheese. I’d say AZOS goes out of its way to remain fully authentic while aiming to be different from anything else that’s been out there in the ‘found footage’ space. Basically, key difference here is that the footage in our case was never actually ‘lost’ in the first place thanks to the miracle of live streaming!

Sci-Fi & Scary: What was your favorite part of filming Aliens: Zone of Silence?

Andy Fowler: I loved shooting with Sarah (Morgan), Vince (Goose), Peter (Hal) and Jed (Peter). It was great fun! BUT, after the movie had been shot and was editing, I ended up filming pick-ups in Lone Pine California with my wife Gabby and our two kids Henry (13) and Poppy (7). We had such a blast mixing family time with filming productive footage that glued parts of the film together! Very cool.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Did the plot or script of the movie change any once you actually started filming? Or was it a pretty as-it-was-written shoot?

Andy Fowler: I’d like to say it was a locked script to completion, but lets just say making this film was a fluid process!

Sci-Fi & Scary: What’s next for you? Do you anticipate taking on more directorial endeavors?

Andy Fowler: Netflix keeps my busy! I’m really lucky to be working at a studio that’s pushing the boundaries in so many creative and technical ways to help change the industry. HOWEVER, I’d be happy to direct a Star Wars movie if anyone from Lucasfilm is reading this.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Any last remarks about the film?

Andy Fowler: Yes, all my previous comments are false. This movie uses real footage I came across in a trash can in Van Nuys….

 

Our Favorite B-List Horror and Sci-Fi Actors

Posted on by Lilyn G

A banner with the words The Top Ten Tuesday List on it.The Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was a bit unsuitable for the site, so we went off again on our own less-traveled path. This time we decided to devote our time and attention to the B-list actors that make some of our favorite movies so very, very watchable. The movies might be bad, but they tend to make them at least bad-good. (True B-movie fans know what I mean!)

Feel free to chime in with your favorites!

 

 

 

Our Favorite B-List Horror and Sci-Fi Actors

 

Keith David is not on this list for the reason you probably assume he’s on this list. Keith David is on here because of the old cartoon show Gargoyles. I have a voice-crush on him. (Is that even a thing?) And so when I found out that this dude actually did movies outside of Gargoyles, I started paying attention. And then I noticed he was popping up in lots of movies I liked, such as The Thing, Armageddon, They Live, and so on. I love this man (well, his voice at least.)

John Rhys-Davies – Okay, so here’s the thing abut John Rhys-Davies, he’s been in some movies that were so bad even I couldn’t watch them all the way through. (And that’s saying a lot.) However, he won my affection in Sliders, so I at least have to try movies when I see his name in the credits list or see his face. Even if I have to groan and shut it off after ten minutes, I’ve got to try. John Rhys-Davies was also the voice of McBeth on Gargoyles

Michael Ironside is an interesting one because I can’t say that I necessarily like him but I like a lot of the movies he has been in. Remember him as the teacher in Starship Troopers? So I’ll almost always check out his movies because it’s a good bet they’re going to be fun.

Movie cover for Starship Troopers

Greg Grunberg easily made this list, even if I had to look up his name because he’s a ‘that guy’. I first encountered him, as I’m sure many did, in Heroes, but since then I’ve seen him in a few B-movies and they’ve definitely been made that much better by his presence. Specifically, I love him in End of the World (in which he plays a video store owner that’s obsessed with disaster movies and who ends up living through one of those disasters), and in Big Ass Spider (which has Lin Shaye in it!)  I think he’s a fantastic actor.

Lin Shaye is, unfortunately, the only female on my list. I think there are probably more that I pay attention to, but she’s the only one whose name consistently pops to mind. I first noticed her in the Insidious movies, but then after watching them, I noticed she was also in a lot of other movies I liked. Her role in Big Ass Spider is a small one, but oh, my god, she had me cackling. You have to watch Big Ass Spider just for the scene between Lin Shaye and Greg Grunberg.

Lance Henriksen – Uhm, is there a B-movie this man is not in? I mean, seriously! Obviously he’s been in some widely released movies as well (Aliens, for example) but it’s the ones that haven’t exactly gained critical acclaim where I love him.  Movies like Man’s Best Friend and Harbinger Down definitely benefit from Henriksen’s presence. I know he’s a favorite of Gracie’s too. He brings a much deeper level to Pumpkinhead than the movie could have thought of. He plays so well off of the Pumpkinhead you can really believe they really are two halves of the same coin.

Tony Todd – Tony Todd might not get ‘starring’ roles but you cannot deny his screen presence and beautiful, deeply frightening voice. He’s sexy and frightening in Candyman but his role in the X-Files episode “Sleepless” was amazing. I don’t think many people could forget him in Final Destination.

Brad Dourif – You can put Brad Dourif into just about any role and he still looks like Brad Dourif. However, he wraps himself so thoroughly in that role that you don’t really notice. His more memorable roles have been Chucky (Child’s Play) and Grima Wormtongue (Lord of the Rings). My favorite is as The Gemini Killer/Damien Karras in Exorcist III. The interplay between him and George C. Scott is so electric that most of the time you don’t even notice that it’s two guys talking in a room.

Tom Savini – What can I say about Mr. Savini that probably hasn’t been said regarding his amazing special effects work? Probably not much. He certainly caught my eye in From Dusk til Dawn as Sex Machine (and his badass gun belt). There are probably a lot of people who knew this already and I had no idea. I realize that the info is there on IMDB for the reading. I’m getting to that. Yes, i know who they are and their general body of work but I generally leave themselves to themselves. But then I watched his segment on Nightmares in Red, white and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film. I have to admit that his segment drew me in and made me tear up.

Before you notice that we have left one very, very important actor in the horror realm off the list we are adding him as a bonus. He really should need no introduction but it did not feel right to leave him off. The one, the only, the badass…Robert Englund. Most people recognize him with his mask and gloves on but he has been in far more movies than the Nightmare on Elm Street series. And also why the remake (excuse me, reboot) failed utterly. And can I get a glove raised for the short lived but could have been totally awesome television series Nightmare Cafe?

     

This was actually an interesting post to write because when I broached it with Gracie, it was clear it was hard to define exactly what “B-list” is. I”m sure there’s an official definition, but for me it falls in the “Hey! It’s the guy”. They might have some movies that achieve widespread fame, but their roles in them are generally small, or it was a one-off and they sank back into low-budget territory. They can be fantastic actors, but for some reason they’re just not known names, but instead are just very recognizable faces.

Press Release: The Elf ( #Horror )

Posted on by Lilyn G

Step aside Chucky, THE ELF is headed home this November!

Movie Poster for The Elf

 

This Holiday Season All Is Not Calm.

This November, warm up the eggnog, slap on a silly jumper and gather around the TV for the enchantingly frightening tale of an ancient elf doll that comes to life and terrorizes an unsuspecting family in Uncork’d Entertainment’s The Elf!

If Pennywise warmed the cockles of your heart, and if you feel Chucky is the gift that keeps on giving, reward yourself with some quality time with The Elf!

Nick is haunted by night terrors stemming from a tragic murder he saw when he was young.  After inheriting an old toy shop, he discovers a cursed elf doll sealed inside an ancient chest with a naughty list of his family’s names written on it. He soon discovers that the elf was an evil conduit meant to unleash a supernatural killing spree during the Christmas Holidays by whomever set it free.

A bloody treat arrives November 7 on VOD and December 12 on DVD with The Elf, written and directed by Justin Price (The 13th Friday) and starring Natassia Halabi, Les Best, and Joseph Daniel Ellis.

 

 

Watch The Elf trailer.

My thoughts: Okay, if you didn’t groan and then grin at the fact that someone was making Elf on the Shelf into a horror movie, we simply can’t be friends. I mean, it was inevitable, right? Creepy little dolls that way too many people pull out every Christmas. Add to it the fact that we pretend they get into mischief… That’s just a recipe for a mischievous murderous doll film, am I right?

I don’t do Elf on the Shelf. For that matter, i don’t do dolls either. After I saw Child’s Play for the first time when I was little, I tied all my  dolls to their chairs. That wasn’t good enough, so I stuffed them in a garbage bag, put them in a closet, and put a chair against the door. The next day, I threw them away. To this day I have an innate distrust of dolls. So, yeah, Elf on the Shelf isn’t ever happening in this household.  Still, I’m a sucker for evil doll films, so the trailer for The Elf had me grinning in unabashed glee!

What are your thoughts? Will you be watching The Elf this November?

PS: I got a review screening opportunity, so keep your eyes peeled!!

 

 

Press Release: The Scopia Effect ( #Horror #Sci-Fi )

Posted on by Lilyn G

THE SCOPIA EFFECT

ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FROM OCTOBER 3

Movie poster for The Scopia Effect

WRITTEN-DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER BUTLER

STARRING JOANNA IGNACZEWSKA, AKIRA KOIEYAMA and JULIAN SEAGER.

“Simply the best low-budget horror supernatural thriller to come out in the UK in years”, ★★★★★ Britflicks

“Christopher Butler’s ambitious indie sci-fi The Scopia Effect is a challenge worth taking”. ★★★ SciFiNow

“Superbly Tense”★★★★ HeyUGuys

“An impressively mounted assault on your nerves” Vodzilla

“The Scopia Effect demands to be seen”. TheHorrowShowTV

The Scopia Effect

What happens when reincarnation goes wrong? Through hypnosis, a young Polish girl opens up parts of her mind that should never be accessed, releasing a dark energy across time and space. From ancient Japan to medieval England her past lives and memories start gushing forth. Her reality becomes increasingly unstable as she repeatedly experiences past life traumas and even deaths. Only her dead mother can help her escape this perpetual nightmare. Is their connection still strong enough to fight this sinister force that seeks to destroy her?

After three years of blood, sweat and tears, first-time writer/director Christopher Butler achieved his vision of producing a Sci-Fi Horror epic against impossible odds. From first draft to final completion it was the most ambitious low budget feature film ever attempted. Spanning multiple time periods and cultures this unique film is a triumph for British Indie story-telling and leaves audiences breathless.

Watch the Scopia Effect Trailer

Pre-order links: 

Amazon: http://bit.ly/TheScopia

iTunes: http://bit.ly/ScopiaUS

My thoughts: I have to admit, I’m definitely curious about The Scopia Effect. Will almost definitely be watching a screening of it for review. The trailer makes it look like it could be a head trip, and it looks like it might actually be really well-shot for an admittedly low-budget film. I have a feeling its disjointed enough that it’s going to be one of those movies you have to pay close attention to, so timing might be something I really have to take into consideration!

What did you guys think of the trailer for The Scopia Effect? Would you be interested in watching it??

 

A Horror Movie A Day Keeps This Girl Happy & Sane (Pt. 2)

Posted on by GracieKat13

As Lilyn so rightly points out, we love Halloween around here. And, since variety is the pumpkin spice of life we’re giving you two whole lists to choose a movie or two (or ten, or twenty) from. Just like Lilyn’s my list is also in alphabetical order just to keep you guys guessing! Please let us know down below which are your favorites as well and which you plan to try.

Banner for 31 Days of Horror

GracieKat’s 31 Days of Horror List

  1. The Awakening
  2. The Blair Witch Project
  3. Blood Moon
  4. Bones
  5. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
  6. Candyman
  7. The Car
  8. Crimson Peak
  9. Deathwatch
  10. Event Horizon
  11. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
  12. Exorcist III
  13. Fallen
  14. Flatliners
  15. The Fog
  16. Fright Night
  17. GhostWatcher
  18. The Haunting (1963)
  19. Hellraiser
  20. In the Mouth of Madness
  21. Jacob’s Ladder
  22. Jeepers Creepers
  23. Ju-On: The Grudge (Subtitles)
  24. Ju: Rei The Uncanny (Subtitled)
  25. The Mothman Prophecies
  26. The Orphanage
  27. The Warlock
  28. Wicked Little Things
  29. The Wicker Man
  30. Wishmaster
  31. Witchboard

A Horror Movie A Day Keeps This Girl Happy & Sane (Part 1)

Posted on by Lilyn G

October – definitely our favorite month around Sci-Fi & Scary. We both absolutely love horror movies, and there are so many good ones out there! (Of course for every good horror movie, there’s about 20 bad ones, but it is what it is.)

We’ve been seeing “31 Days of Horror” type posts around, and decided to join in on the fun and do one of our own. Except, there’s going to be two because Gracie and I have different tastes in a lot of areas!

We’re putting them in alphabetical order just to keep you guessing on which ones are our absolute favorites.

Banner for 31 Days of Horror

Lilyn’s 31 Days of Horror List

  1. 28 Days Later
  2. A Nightmare on Elm Street: New Nightmare
  3. Arachnophobia
  4. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
  5. The Birds
  6. Black Sheep
  7. The Craft (I have doubts that this is actually a horror movie, but the internet says it is..so…)
  8. Darkness Falls
  9. The Descent
  10. Drag Me to Hell
  11. The Exorcist
  12. Final Destination
  13. Get Out
  14. Ghost Ship
  15. IT (Either one. I like them both equally)
  16. Insidious 3 (You should start with Insidious 1 if you haven’t seen any of them yet, though.)
  17. Jeepers Creepers 1 or 2 (I seriously couldn’t make up my mind which one to list.)
  18. Lights Out
  19. The Mist (2007)
  20. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
  21. Oculus
  22. Paranormal Activity (Only the first one, folks. Please pretend the rest don’t exist.)
  23. Poltergeist (The original, not the remake!!)
  24. Pontypool
  25. Rare Exports – Subtitled
  26. The Ring
  27. Stitches
  28. Stung
  29. The Thing
  30. Thir13en Ghosts
  31. Train to Busan – Subtitled

I think my list definitely shows that I favor paranormal horror movies, doesn’t it? I don’t have a single ‘normal’ serial killer type movie on it! Out of all the horror movies on this list, only a handful of them are ones I haven’t watched at least 2 or 3 times.  Some of them I’ve watched upwards of 5+ times at a minimum. And while only two foreign horror movies on the list, there are lots of good ones we recommend. You can check that list of best foreign horror movies out here.

It occurs to me that I need to rewatch a lot of these movies so I can get reviews up for them!

Talking with Barry Ward about REALIVE

Posted on by Lilyn G

Interview with Barry Ward Banner

REALIVE – Marc (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with a disease and is given one year left to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body. Sixty years later, in the year 2084, he becomes the first man to be revived in history. It is then he discovers that the love of his life, Naomi (Oona Chaplin), has accompanied him this entire time in a way that he’d never expected.

Barry Ward plays Dr. West, the pioneer attempting to successfully complete the revival of a person that had entrusted their body to cryogenics.

Talking with Barry Ward about REALIVE

Sci-Fi & Scary: First off, I just want to say that I thought the REALIVE movie was wonderful. I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I thought the fact that it treated reanimation so seriously (the details of not being able to revive 100% of a body, etc., as well as the psychological effects on the reanimated person) was fantastic. Put tears in my eyes at the end!

So, now, to the questions.

Sci-Fi & Scary:  Cryogenics is almost an evergreen topic. The idea is fascinating. Not only is the potential for postponing permanent death a great idea to some people, but the science itself behind cryogenics is downright interesting. What are your thoughts on it? Would you choose to have your body frozen if you encountered a problem like Marc, the main character did?

Barry Ward:  Thank you kindly for your very interesting questions; I am delighted you liked the movie. Like you, I find the subject of cryogenics fascinating. Though still in its infancy it does appear to be ever-growing. It is not something I had ever given much thought to before filming REALIVE, after which I know for certain that I’ll definitely not be doing it myself.

Sci-Fi & Scary: How long did it take to film REALIVE? How long did it take for you, specifically, to wrap up your scenes?

Barry Ward: The whole shoot took about five weeks, with Dr West’s stuff taking roughly half of that.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Do you think your character Dr. West, the main doctor in charge of the reanimation process, was truly regretful for all the false-starts? Or was he wrapped up in the genius of what he was attempting to do?

Barry Ward: This is a very good question. Is it possible for West to be both truly regretful and ego-driven…? This was a point of deep discussion for myself and Mateo (director). If truly regretful then perhaps West would not have continued. All scientific breakthroughs are a process of trial and error. I think West sees these false starts as necessary means to an end.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Did you do any research for your role?

Barry Ward: For research I read a lot of science books, particularly around brain malleability. I always have a book about consciousness on the go anyway, so that all came in handy. Mateo Gil was our go-to guy for everything- he is incredibly knowledgable and generous with it.

Sci-Fi & Scary: What was the most interesting part of filming REALIVE for you?

Barry Ward: The most interesting part of the job for me is always the research. Delving into cutting-edge science and technological advancements was and is endlessly fascinating.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Though you have lots of acting credits to your name, REALIVE seems to be only the second piece of science fiction you’ve appeared in. What drew you to it?

Barry Ward:  REALIVE is my 2nd sci-Fi film… Is it!? What was the first? I was drawn to this particular script owing to the philosophical questions it asked. Issue of free will, ethics and immortality were thrown up and interestingly addressed.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Well, IMDB listed The Survivalist as Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller. I guess maybe the ‘sci-fi’ slotting is open to interpretation!

Sci-Fi & Scary: Do you see yourself starring in more films in the science fiction genre in the future?

Barry Ward: I’m definitely open to doing more sci-fi in the future, yes. Often these films involve more pressing issues and interesting problems than other genres.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Where were the sections of REALIVE where your character appeared filmed?

Barry Ward: Prodigy Corporation scenes were filmed in a beautiful library near Santa Cruz in Tenerife. Surgery (reanimations etc) were filmed in studio in Barcelona.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Had you worked with any of your castmates from this movie before?

Barry Ward: I’d never worked or met anyone else involved in the film prior to filming but they are the reason I remember it as one of my favourite films to shoot.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Without saying too much – we don’t want to give away the end of the movie , after all – what did you think of West’s decision at the very end? Do you think it was it ego that drove him to do what he did?

Barry Ward: I think West sets his stall out early on in the film so the end for me is not so surprising, though I can certainly see how it will be for audiences. I think it’s fair to say West is in it to win it.

 

Look for our review of REALIVE on it’s release date, which is this Friday, September 29th, 2017!

\Our thanks again to Barry Ward for finding time in his schedule for a quick interview with us.

Check out the trailer for REALIVE now.

This is Horror, Issue 19: Friend Request, Zombie Cat, and Remake Requests

Posted on by GracieKat13

The banner for the bi-weekly This is Horror post on Sci-Fi & Scary

This is Horror, Issue 19 is a sampling of Horror News, including book and movie releases, and more. A little bit of everything to make the horror hound in you feel all fuzzy and warm. Or tingle with anticipation. Whatever works for you.

This is Horror’s Quote to Consider:

“Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?”

– Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island

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Horror Movies

Horror Movies Releasing This Week:

 Friend Request Synopsis: A popular college student graciously accepts a social outcast’s online friend request, but soon finds herself fighting a demonic presence that wants to make her lonely by killing her closest friends.

Starring:  Alycia Debnam-Carey, William Moseley, Connor Paolo

Watch the trailer on Youtube

 

 

 

 

 

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Coming Soon:

Flatliners

 

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Horror Books

Featured New Horror Release

Book cover for the Haunting of Rookward House

The Haunting of Rookward House – Darcy Coates – September 22nd, 2017

She’s always watching…
When Guy finds the deeds to a house in his mother’s attic, it seems like an incredible stroke of luck. Sure, the building hasn’t been inhabited in forty years and vines strangle the age-stained walls, but Guy is convinced he can fix it up enough to sell. He’d be crazy to turn down free money. Right?

But there’s a reason no one lives in Rookward House, and the dilapidated rooms aren’t as empty as they seem…

A woman tormented the family living in Rookward House forty years before. Now her ghost clings to the building. She’s bitter, obsessive, and jealous… and has no intention of ever letting Guy leave.

Buy on Amazon.

Personal Note: While I can’t say that Darcy Coates is one of my favorite authors, I will say that she consistently delivers a good, mildly creepy, atmospheric read.

Goodreads Horror Giveaways

Book cover for The Zombie Cat Book cover for Death Pacts and Left-Hand Paths Book cover for The Demonologist

 

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Horrorific Trivia

So, has everyone seen IT yet? What did you think? With IT remade (for better or worse) I’m kind of hoping that directors will start setting their sights on other King movies that could stand a remake. Hopefully they never try to remake the good ones like Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne or Misery. For some reason the less supernatural movies fare better than the supernatural or fantasy heavy ones. Here are a few they could redo as the originals suffered from low budgets or the constraints of television censorship.

1. Graveyard Shift: This middling adaptation really isn’t too bad. It’s not too great either, though. In fact, it’s largely forgettable. Based on a short story I think this would work better if shortened into a segment of an anthology-type movie with others from the same anthology – Night Shift.

2. Hearts in Atlantis: This is a back and forth one for me. While I do actually like the movie it isn’t a very good adaptation of that segment of the novel. They seemed to take all of the ‘supernatural’ out of it. However, with all the Dark Tower references, I can see why they did that. With The Dark Tower being an actual movie now people would get the references so they could be put back in with minimal effort. Although looking around it appears they do have a movie coming out of a later portion of the book.

3. Needful Things: I love Max von Sydow as Leland Gaunt. I love Ed Harris as Sheriff Pangborn. The movie, however, is a bit garbled and the message at the end is cringe-worthy at best. It’s not any of their fault for being greedy, no, it was the bad old devil. Ugh.

4. The Tommyknockers: If this book got the big budget (and better actors) it could be a great movie. As it is the effects have not worn well over time and some of the acting is atrocious.

5. The Stand: If there’s a book begging for a three part adaptation The Stand is it. Unlike IT, The Stand does not have a large fan following. And seriously, it would be almost impossible to not be better than the original.

6. The Langoliers: Again, the movie wasn’t bad, exactly. It was just very forgettable. It really, really suffers from being on television and the special effects were marginal back when it first came out and they have not held up over time. The acting is a bit better than most of the other television adaptations but I would like to see a big screen version with some good CGI.

Now, I could go on (and on and on and on) but I won’t. Are there any King movies in particular that you guys would like to see redone? Let me know in the down below!

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Horror on the Web

 

First Look: The Time War

Posted on by Lilyn G

October Coast just released a first look at The Time War to a few select sites, and Sci-Fi & Scary was happy to be one of them. Read on for more information on The Time War, due for release in 2018, and enjoy the released stills! A nice bit of circumstance that this is running right after our published interview with Tracey Birdsall about Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter!

The Time War

First Look: The Time War

Daniel Logan (Boba Fett from the Star Wars prequels) and Aaron Jacques have joined the cast of The Time War, the next sci-fi actioner from the team behind this Summer’s Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter.

The film, written/directed by Neil Johnson and starring Tracey Birdsall, features a superlative cast of sci-fi veterans including the aforesaid Logan, Star Trek III’s Stephen Manley and The Hobbit trilogy’s William Kircher. The late Christopher Lee provides narration for the movie.

During World War 2, the Nazis were alleged to be experimenting with Time Travel Technology.  What if they were successful?

The Time War shows the consequences of Adolf Hitler traveling through time and re-writing history.  Rather than taking a campy-cartoony stance on the notion, The Time War takes a more serious, scientific-based approach to the consequences of time travel and the theoretical multi-verse.  As Adolf Hitler starts to re-write his genetics, he learns that cause and effect are not as simple as it may seem on paper.  After dealing with multiple versions of himself, his greatest nemesis is his own daughter Dijanne (played by Tracey Birdsall) who takes on his legacy of empire building and creates an army of one, from various versions of herself from across a billion different time lines.

The resulting Time War spans thousands of years and lays waste to the earth following a devastating atomic war.  Time travel and rewriting history are heavily complex notions, and Dijanne, daughter of Adolf Hitler, discovers that she is the center of the universal destruction that threatens to extinguish all life from planet earth.

Logan, best known for his portrayal of young Boba Fett from the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II : Attack of the Clones, will play Mordred, the leader of the Rephaim  – genetically modified soldiers created by Adolf Hitler, who are attempting a military coup. Jacques, last seen in Johnson’s Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter, plays the character Ector.

Daniel Login in The Time War
Daniel Logan – The Time War

Film is currently in production USA and UK.

 

The Time War is due for release 2018.

Click any of the images below to view them full-size.

 

Interview with Actress Tracey Birdsall, Star of Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter

Posted on by Lilyn G

Interview Banner for Tracey Birdsall

Tracy Birdsall PromoTracey Birdsall was born in Van Nuys, California, the youngest of three daughters born to Ronald Birdsall and Carol Birdsall (born Carol Stone). She was raised in Southern California and is primarily of British and European descent. Bert Lewis, the famous Walt Disney composer, was her great-grandfather.

Birdsall trained in dance, singing, and musical theater throughout her youth, which later led to her studying various acting techniques. She claims her real breakthrough in her training was when working with renowned acting coach Margie Haber, who taught her to simply become the character – no matter how excruciating.

Known for her meticulous preparation, Birdsall is recognized worldwide for her diverse and challenging roles and for working across genres. In the recently released and highly anticipated Science Fiction film Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter (2017), Birdsall has garnered awards including the esteemed Female Action Performer of the Year Award at the highly regarded Action on Film Festival, Best Actress Jury Award from the West Coast Film Festival, Best Actress Jury Award from LATCA, and was the only American actress nominated for Best Actress at the 50th Annual WorldFest Houston 2017 – for her role as Sienna.

 

Interview with Tracey Birdsall

Sci-Fi & Scary: Your work over the past few years shows a definite science fiction trend emerging. What is it about the genre that draws you?

Tracey Birdsall: It’s all about opportunity! I grew up a science fiction junkie, but I only recently have had the opportunities open up. Neil Johnson wanted to start using only really good – well-trained actors (instead of the usual sci-fi trope), and all my hard work and training finally paid off in my favorite genre! The draw comes from the character development, the action, and the imagination – it’s actually a lot like being a kid again.

Sci-Fi & Scary: What’s your current favorite sci-fi movie?

Tracey Birdsall: Fairly current is Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. I love human stories told as a backdrop to science fiction films. That’s actually what I loved so much about filming Rogue Warrior too.

Sci-Fi & Scary: You have worked with director Neil Johnson on a few occasions now. A deliberate choice, or happenstance?

Tracey Birdsall: A definitive deliberate choice on both of our parts.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Clint Morris called you a flag-flyer for independent films. What is it about them that makes you support them so strongly?

Tracey Birdsall: I googled flag-flyer – just in case you meant other than the obvious, so you should see the Urban Dictionary definition! Since you obviously meant the obvious, I adore independent films because of the collaborative nature. I absolutely love bringing characters to life in an immersive nature, and independent producers and directors take advantage of that love – in a good way.

Sci-Fi & Scary: Tell us a bit about your character, Sienna, in Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter?

Tracey Birdsall: Sienna’s character has gigantic arcs not only in her life, but also in her self-awareness. On top of all of that, the worlds are being destroyed around her so the tension is high. She’s extremely deliberate in all of her actions, but also extremely vulnerable. Taking her from being so tough to feeling so vulnerable was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do – huge wonderful arcs. I learned a lot about my own humanity living her life for a while – ventured into new territory.

Tracey Birdsall - Gun Still
Rogue Warrior Still – Courtesy of October Coast

Sci-Fi & Scary: How long did it take you to film Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter?

Tracey Birdsall: Principle photography lasted three weeks. Additional principle photography with new cast members took approximately 2 weeks. Additional filming and pick-up shots lasted approximately 60 non-linear days. All in all, it took about two years of work to get it out the door – intense and constant.

Sci-Fi & Scary: How do you balance life and work when you’re putting in long hours on the set?

Tracey Birdsall: When I’m filming, it’s very much like life stops. Everything that’s not crucial gets put aside and there is no balance. Managers, publicists, and even family members (who are so used to this) are put in charge of the essentials because I can’t focus on anything else when I’m immersed in a character. The character can be very selfish of my time…

Sci-Fi & Scary: What was your favorite thing about the movie and/or filming experience?

Tracey Birdsall: Preparing for and living the life of someone I painstakingly create. I literally thrive on it.

Sci-Fi & Scary: The movie has received a lot of positive press, with sites like HorrorFuel calling it an ‘absolute win’. Did you get a sense when filming that it was going to be so well-received?

Tracey Birdsall: That’s definitely the goal… I think the hardest part is when critics (a couple of big ones) don’t watch the film (gotta love Vimeo pro statistics) and then just spit some words out without thinking of the time and effort – and love – that went into making it. At least the people who actually watch the film have had some really nice things to say about it 🙂 It makes me very happy, as our true purpose (as actors) is to entertain.

Sci-Fi & Scary: At the Edge of Time, and The Time War are both in post-production. Do you think fans of Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter will enjoy both of them, or do they aim at a different target audience?

Tracey Birdsall: They are completely different! Time travel films where my character only vaguely resembles Sienna… The Time War will be out next, and it’s a very big film – much bigger budget. The audience will be slightly different, as the film is much more complex in nature and cast. It’s really quite dark sci-fi!

Sci-Fi & Scary: Do you think if you could go back in time and talk to your younger self when she was first getting roles that she would be surprised at the direction film roles have taken you?

Tracey Birdsall: It’s funny that you should word it that way, as I refer to this all the time! Much younger to when I started getting roles, however… way back to my youth. My childhood self would be excited beyond belief. I used to cast whole scenes and shows on the grass of my childhood home – with neighborhood children for some reason playing along. My “overactive imagination” as a child would be duly proud – as I never had to put it away, so to speak. All that I have to do is work harder and longer than anyone else is willing to work, and I get to continue being that child. How awesome is that?!

Sci-Fi & Scary: Is acting in your blood, so to speak, or did you break the mold in your family?

Tracey Birdsall: It’s funny that you should ask. Up until recently, I was only aware of my great-grandfather Elbert Lewis being in the industry. He was a very famous composer that composed/scored some of the biggest films for Mack Sennet in the 1920’s (including Suzanna (1923)). He also moved to California with Walt Disney and composed scores of films for him (including Steamboat Willie (1928)).

Recently however, I was on a Facebook Page for the Birdsall Family, which hails from Birdsall, England. I have been quite fascinated with my heritage there since visiting Birdsall (during a few weeks filming in England for The Time War). As was pointed out to me, Betty Grable stems from the same ancestry line that I do. I’ll have to do some research to see that exactly how we are related, but she was the biggest actor of her time – so that was pretty cool that I wasn’t the first…

 

ROGUE WARRIOR: ROBOT FIGHTER is a Science Fiction film set in the distant future depicting the overthrow of humanity by artificial intelligence on Earth and other worlds.

Directed and Written by:  Neil Johnson

Starring:  Tracey Birdsall, William Kircher, Daz Crawford

Released by: Sony Pictures

Release Date: June 6th, 2017

Now available on Blu-Ray.

Movie cover for Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter