Canadian ‘Scarehouse’ Begins Pre-Production as seen on bloodydisgusting.com

Posted by MrDisgusting on July 29, 2013 @ 9:07pm

Category: Movies / Indie

http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3246034/canadian-scarehouse-begins-pre-production
D Films announced that the new thriller The Scarehouse has begun pre-production and will start principal photography on August 20th in Windsor, Canada. The feature film, executive produced by D Films, will be directed and co-written by up-and-coming Canadian filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth.

When Corey and Elaina open a Halloween fun house on Devil’s Night, it’s all fun and games until their former sorority sisters begin to arrive. Quickly these six sisters are confronted by their past within the corridors of The Scarehouse as the night spins out of control.

The film was fast tracked following the success of Booth’s latest short film, To Hell, With Love, which has generated significant buzz and positive critical response from the Canadian film festival circuit.

Booth’s short film was most recently an official selection at the Reelworld Film Festival and has also been chosen to screen at the upcoming Fantasia International Film Festival, Mascara & Popcorn Festival, ACTRA Film Festival and many more. To Hell, With Love was co-written by Sarah Booth, who is also co-writer on The Scarehouse.

Director Gavin Michael Booth made his reputation in the Canadian music industry, having directed and produced over 50 music videos in the past two years, including working with such top artists as Third Eye Blind, Vertical Horizon, Our Lady Peace and The Dream. He is also the horror-driven brain behind Emma-Lee’s Grindhouse themed music video for “Shadow Of A Ghost” last year.

The film will receive a North American theatrical release in Q1 of 2014 by D Films with Universal distributing the film subsequently in North America through physical and digital Home Entertainment channels. D Films is handling international sales.

News Release FESTIVAL SALUTES 25 CHILLING YEARS OF MIDNIGHT MADNESS: ROCKING, SHOCKING AND SAVAGING THE SENSES

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® celebrates 25 years of Midnight Madness with a murderers’ row of wild cinematic thrills. Programmed by Colin Geddes, the international lineup aims right for the jugular with everything from an extraterrestrial gore-thriller and sinister sex-comedy, to an Asian exotic horror film and a visually-stunning reinvention of the Italian cannibal genre.

“Since its 1988 launch, the Midnight Madness programme emerged as a touchstone of cinematic shock, satiating the adventurous palate of bloodthirsty cinephiles from all over the world,” said Geddes, International Programmer for the Festival. “When the witching hour strikes and the human brain starts slipping into dream mode, the Ryerson Theatre will once again serve up a feast of phantasmagorical characters and jaw-dropping scenes, playing host to bizarre biological monstrosities, ruthless dominatrix gangs, paranormal mirrors, and the hijinks of supernatural cheerleaders.”

The programme presents films from Midnight Madness alumni Hitoshi Matsumoto, Eli Roth and Sion Sono, as well as the debut feature of Hong Kong pop singer Juno Mak.

The 38th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5 to 15, 2013.

Afflicted Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, Canada/USA World Premiere Best friends Derek and Clif set out on a trip of a lifetime. Their plan: travel to the ends of the earth, see the world, and live life to the fullest. But the trip soon takes a dark and bloody turn. Just days in, one of the men shows signs of a mysterious affliction which gradually takes over his entire body and being. Now, thousands of miles from home, in a foreign land, they must race to uncover the source of his illness before it consumes him completely. Footage of their travels meant to document pleasant memories may now become evidence of one of the most shocking discoveries ever captured on film…and may be their only postcard home.

All Cheerleaders Die Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson, USA World Premiere When tragedy rocks Blackfoot High, rebellious outsider Mäddy Killian shocks the student body by joining the cheerleading squad. This decision drives a rift between Mäddy and her ex-girlfriend Leena Miller — a loner who claims to practice the dark arts. After a confrontation with the football team, Mäddy and her new cheerleader friends are sent on a supernatural roller coaster ride which leaves a path of destruction none of them may be able to escape.

Almost Human Joe Begos, USA World Premiere Mark Fisher disappeared from his home in a brilliant flash of blue light almost two years ago. His friend Seth Hampton was the last to see him alive. Now a string of grisly, violent murders leads Seth to believe that Mark is back, and something evil is living inside of him.

The Green Inferno Eli Roth, USA World Premiere How far would you go for a cause you believe in? In horror master Eli Roth’s terrifying new film, a group of college students take their humanitarian protest from New York to the Amazon jungle, only to get kidnapped by the native tribe they came to save: a tribe that still practices the ancient rite of cannibalism, and has a healthy appetite for intruders.

Oculus Mike Flanagan, USA World Premiere Oculus is a spine-chilling supernatural tale of two damaged siblings (Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites) who, as children, witnessed their parents’ harrowing descent into madness and murder. At long last, brother and sister reunite as adults to expose and destroy the paranormal entity they believe is responsible: the Lasser Glass — a legendary mirror their family once owned.

R100 Hitoshi Matsumoto, Japan World Premiere An ordinary man with an ordinary life joins a mysterious club. The membership lasts for one year only and there is one rule: no cancellation under any circumstance. The man enters into an entirely new and exciting world which he has never before experienced.

Rigor Mortis Juno Mak, Hong Kong North American Premiere Juno Mak’s debut feature Rigor Mortis is an eerie and chilling, contemporary action- and special effects-laden homage to the classic Chinese vampire movies of the 1980s. Starring Chin Siu-Ho, Kara Hui, Anthony Chan, Lo Hoi Pang and Richard Ng.

The Station (Blutgletscher) Marvin Kren, Austria World Premiere At a climate research station in the Alps, the scientists are stunned as the nearby melting glacier is leaking a red liquid. It quickly turns to be very special juice — with unexpected genetic effects on the local wildlife.

Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (Jigoku de Naze Warui) Sion Sono, Japan North American Premiere Two men, Muto and Ikegami, hate each other. Muto desperately wants to help his daughter Mitsuko star in a movie. Meanwhile, Ikegami falls in love with Mitsuko, knowing that she’s the daughter of his foe. Hirata, a filmmaker, and Koji, a young movie-lover, get dragged into this complicated situation that heads into an unexpected direction.

Tickets to screenings for this programme will be available for individual purchase as well as through the Midnight Madness Pack, which includes all 10 screenings for $176, or $113 for students and seniors. Purchase Festival ticket packages online 24 hours a day at tiff.net/festival, by phone Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or visit the box office in person from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, until August 19.

About TIFF

TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris, Visa and Audi, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada and the City of Toronto.

The Midnight Madness programme is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Cineplex Entertainment and Space.

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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416.934.3200 or email proffice@tiff.net For images visit our media site at tiff.net/press

Social media:

@mmadnesstiff #MidnightMadness #TIFF13 and Facebook.com/TIFF

One Last Dive, a short film – Part of VICE AND ‘THE CONJURING’ PRESENT “THE 3:07 AM PROJECT”

Four directors create short horror films inspired by the devil’s hour in VICE and The Conjuring’s The 3:07 AM Project. Mission was to make a 1min 1 shot POV of something scary happening at 3:07am. See all at vice.com.

Here’s one:

Title: One Last Dive
Year: 2013
Country: Canada
Written, Directed & Edited: Jason Eisener
Producer: Rob Cotterill
Production Company: A Yer Dead Inc. Production

Follow Jason Eisner on Tumblr at Welcome to Fuck Town

Six Horror Movies with Amazing Beginnings by Evan Dickson as seen on bloodydisgusting.com

 

By Posted by EvanDickson on July 25, 2013 on Bloody Disgusting.

Last year I wrote a piece called 5 Horror Films With Amazing Endings. You guys wound up digging it so I did 5 MORE Horror Movies With Amazing Endings, along with 5 Horror Movies With Horrible Endings and 5 MORE Horror Movies With Horrible Endings!

So, having pretty much tapped out the ENDING thing for now, I figured I’d take a look at some BEGINNINGS. Some of these movies start strong and end strong but others, more often than not, never fully achieve on the promise of their initial 15 or so minutes.

Head below to check ‘em out!

DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)

Dawn Of The Dead Beginning 7 23 13 6 Horror Movies With Amazing Beginnings!!!
You knew this one was going to be on here didn’t you? While the James Gunn scripted/Zack Snyder (still his best) directed film is pretty damn good all the way through, most people would agree that it’s first 10 minutes or so are a true tour de force. From the economic, yet efficient, character introductions to Sarah Polley’s reactions to the chaos breaking out around her. This, and the opening credits, are a masterstroke.

FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

Friday The 13Th Beginning 7 23 13 6 Horror Movies With Amazing Beginnings!!!
You guys know by now that I dig this whole movie, but the first 20 minutes especially shine. There’s just something great about the quick dispatch of teens who could potentially have been our protagonists, right up until that great shot of Jason charging towards the camera smashes us into the main story.

SCREAM

Scream Beginning 7 23 13 6 Horror Movies With Amazing Beginnings!!!
While Scream is pretty much a classic at this point, I’m not sure if it ever beats the opening Drew Barrymore sequence. It’s lighter on laughs than the rest of the film, but makes up for it with a sadistic level of suspense that the remaining 100 minutes have a hard time recapturing (those 100 minutes are still pretty great though).

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

Return of The Living Dead Beginning 7 23 13 6 Horror Movies With Amazing Beginnings!!!
It’s remarkable how efficiently Dan O’Bannon sets up his universe – just a hair to the left of the Romero films – and establishes the tine of his utterly unique piece. The humor, the horror, that body in the bag twitching in the freezer – it’s all there.

SINISTER

Sinister Beginning 7 23 13 6 Horror Movies With Amazing Beginnings!!!
Not so much an opening sequence as an opening shot, whatever your opinion may be of Scott Derrickson’s Sinister – there’s no denying the power of this image.

GHOST SHIP

Ghost Ship Banner 10 02 12 6 Horror Movies With Amazing Beginnings!!!
Our contributor Wolfman wrote at length about this, and he’s d*amn right. The scene that possibly BEST demonstrates this article, it’s all downhill from here. Enjoy!

Twisted Twins Video Interview by Rue Morgue

On this episode, Jen & Sylvia Soska discuss how the collaborative process works between them and how they cast their films. They also offer advice on how to develop and finance an independent horror film.

Plus – we get a major scoop on the actor they’re trying to wrangle into their NEXT feature film project.

Vol. 1

Vol. 2

Like Rue Morgue on Facebook

American Mary Official Trailer #1 (2013) – Horror Movie HD

The Loved Ones (2009) – Director: Sean Byrne

Title: The Loved Ones
Year: 2009
Country: Australia
Director: Sean Byrne
Writer: Sean Byrne
Producer: Christopher Mapp, Bryce Menzies, Matthew Street, David Whealy       Production Company: Screen Australia, Omnilab Media, Ambience Entertainment, Film Victoria

Plot Summary:

When Brent turns down his classmate Lola’s invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.

Watch trailer:

 

Eli Roth’s 10 Golden Rules of Moviemaking by Eli Roth

Read at MovieMaker

Making over 100 short films before graduating high school and paying for his collegiate efforts by working as a part-time cyber-sex operator, Eli Roth is and has always been a man devoted to his art.

And that art has since taken a variety of eclectic forms: Roth has acted, worked in stop-motion animation, created his own haunted house in Las Vegas, and authored an award-winning PSA on animal rights. But most notable of his achievements, of course, are his directorial successes. The “Frank Sinatra of the Splat Pack” (so dubbed by fellow director and friend, Quentin Tarantino) has directed some of the most visceral horror movies in recent years, including Cabin FeverHostel, andHostel: Part II. He also took a critically acclaimed turn in front of the camera, co-starring with Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Most recently, Roth has changed hats to producer, producing five projects in the last year alone. In 2009 Roth gave us the following hard-earned wisdom.

Although I’ve only directed three features (and a bunch of short films, including a fake trailer and a fake Nazi propaganda film), I have worked in one capacity or another on nearly 150 different film productions. Even when I was the guy getting coffee or standing on the street in zero-degree weather, asking homeless crack addicts to please keep their voices down, I was always learning.

By the time I stepped onto the set of my debut feature, Cabin Fever, at age 28, I had 10 years of production experience. I knew how to run a set. More importantly, I knew how to run the set of a low-budget, indie film.

All three of my films, though widely distributed, were made independently for a total combined budget of $16 million.So my golden rules are for moviemakers who cannot afford to shoot more than 24 or 40 days, or do more than one or two takes; they’re for moviemakers who have to shoot every day as if it’s their last ever, because if they don’t make their day, the whole film will fall apart.

1. Get as much on-set production experience as possible before directing. If you want to be a doctor, you don’t just buy some surgical tools, show up at the hospital and ask who needs surgery. Yet most movie fans think that because they know movies they can direct. Boy, are they in for a surprise.

Coming up with shots is easy. It’s how you make the scene work when your actor’s in a bad mood or the neighboring building won’t stop construction—that’s directing. And the only way you can know how chaotic it can be is by working on sets.

Work in any capacity you can and make yourself indispensable. You will see every mistake in the book, and you’ll learn as much from the bad experiences as the good ones. You’ll see what happens when a director doesn’t have a clue about what he or she’s doing or what happens when he or she gets focused on one idea that clearly isn’t working. You’ll see what’s possible to accomplish in a day and you’ll see how one small error in set dressing can bring the entire production to a halt.

Making movies is so much more than coming up with shots. You are running an army and the only way to understand how to best run that army is by working your way up through the ranks. And yes, even Quentin Tarantino worked as a production assistant and shot an unfinished feature before he made Reservoir Dogs. You won’t spend the rest of your life getting coffee if you’re good, and you never know how those experiences will pay off on your own films years later.

When Joey Kern got glass blown in his eye on the set of Cabin Fever, we had an ambulance on standby, an on-set medic, a photo double ready and a whole other list of shots to get that didn’t include him so that we could film while I figured out how to rewrite the story around his injury. That kind of preparation for worst-case scenarios can only come from on-set experience.

2. Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. This is a golden rule David Lynch taught me; it was his one piece of advice for me before I made Cabin Fever. I tell it to all my actors and crew members and we use it as a mantra during the shoot.

David told me, “Eli, man, the only thing that matters to the audience is the information recorded in front of those 24 little frames per second. That’s the donut. All the other bullshit—the drama, the backstabbing—that’s the hole. And if you’re not careful, you can get sucked in. Your job is to keep your eye on what matters.”

When the union came to North Carolina and illegally threatened our Cabin Fever crew members until they signed union cards, which then sapped all our money halfway into our shoot, we raised more money and kept going. Actors will fight, they’ll sleep with each other, their agents will drive you crazy, and, if you’re not strong, you can easily get sucked into all of that stuff that never winds up on the screen. Your job as director is to not just stay focused on the end product, but to continually motivate everyone to do their best by keeping them focused on the end product, too. And it works. All my cast members still repeat it to me in David Lynch’s Midwestern twang: “Eye on the donut, not the hole.”

3. Hire really attractive stand-ins. Crew members are horny. They get frustrated that it’s not the 1980s anymore and that there are sexual harassment laws that prevent them from hitting on every girl at work. But movie sets are still kind of fair game, a place where people can openly flirt. But crew members often won’t hook up or have a “locationship” because they work with each other again and again. That’s where the stand-ins come in.

The stands-ins are crew, but they’re not necessarily there every day. And if they’re the ones standing there for 45 minutes while the crew sets up the shot, everyone wants to look cool. People may say this is sexist, but it’s very basic human psychology: When you have pretty girls on set, the boys behave. Period. You’d think it would whip them into a frenzy, but it’s the opposite. When there are no girls on set, that’s when they’re at their worst.

On Cabin Fever we had two attractive actresses and it became a real problem. (We were in the woods with 30 guys and two girls.) After the first week, we hired a bunch of female production assistants and the boys calmed down (we didn’t have money for stand-ins).

On Hostel and Hostel: Part II, I made sure that I had beautiful stand-ins and the crew loved it. They were always so happy; they just wanted to take a moment to look cool and feel like girls were still interested in them. They’ve learned not to go after cast members because they’ll get in trouble with the producers or a jealous director (ahem), so the stand-ins keep them happy. A smile from a pretty girl goes a long, long, long way.

4. Have an equal balance of guys and girls. Sorry, it does matter. Film sets are a close replication of overnight camp: You’re there for eight weeks, you live together, eat together and do activities together. It’s not school, but you still have to be there. And at the end, you all say you’re best friends and that you’ll stay in touch forever, but then you don’t ever talk to each other until the next film.

It’s so similar that you’ve got to build your crew like a co-ed camp. It makes everyone happier to come to work if there are more possibilities for hookups.

Now, I wouldn’t pick your key crew members this way—go with the best DP, production designer, costume designer, editor, etc. But get a good balance of attractive, friendly assistants for the various departments. Even if they’re not so good at their jobs, somehow their presence gets others to work harder. It’s kind of a tradeoff. I am not advocating hiring bimbos or himbos, but think of your crew like a dinner party guest list: You’ll want something for everyone. People work a lot harder when they are happy to be at work.

5. Attach a shot list to the sides. Every morning people get the sides and they read through what we’re shooting. But I always attach an extra sheet with a typed list of shots.

I have my coverage shots and then my “Time-Permitting” shots. It’s usually about 25 to 35 shots—an ambitious list—but not so overwhelming that people think it’s not doable. And as the day goes on, the crew members start to cross off their shots. Then they see how much they’ve gotten done by lunch (and you can see which shots you can combine, what’s necessary and what’s extra).

You can tweak stuff, but when crew members see they only have four or five shots left, they move faster. They see that you have a focused plan and they feel even more involved in the process, which gets the best out of people.

6. Have good catering. The crew will revolt if the food is terrible. A well-fed crew is a happy crew. Also, make sure craft services has healthy food. You can fill it up with junk food, but I usually set up two tables—one healthy and one filled with crap. That way your actors and your grips are happy.

7. Ready, Aim, FIRE. Do not be afraid to fire crew members or actors. I have fired a major crew member on every film I have made, and it was always the right thing to do. You have to be very careful and confident that this person is not doing his or her job, but you are running an army and you need the troops to respect your authority. When they tested me on Cabin Fever, I fired half my grip and electric department and promoted a best boy I liked to gaffer. Those who stayed were amazing for the second half of the shoot and all the other crew members snapped to.

On Hostel, I fired my costume designer (who was a friend of mine) and everyone else worked their asses off because they saw that no one was immune if they were not going to do their jobs. It’s never fun, but if someone’s really wrong, not doing their job or not respecting your authority, get rid of them immediately.

8. “Thank You.” Learn those words in whatever language you are shooting and use them at the end of the day. They go a long, long way. You’re paying people (or not) to do a job, so it should be expected of them to do it well. But it’s very important to let them know you appreciate it, too.

At the end of the day, what creative people want most of all is to feel valued; to feel that their input on your project made a difference and that you appreciate it. Thank them and tell them what a great job they did, how audiences are going to love it because of what they added to it. I thanked every crew member on Hostel in Czech and Slovak, and then learned how to say “good morning,” “enjoy your lunch” and “cut!” They had never experienced an American director who didn’t treat them like “the locals” and they really went the extra mile for me.
I was a PA on many films and I always remember who was nice and who wasn’t. I remember how hard I worked for the ones who said “thank you.”

The same behavior goes for screaming: If you’re going to have a temper tantrum, you better pick your moments. The crew will put up with it once or twice, but then they’ll become immune. You will not gain their respect by screaming at them, you will gain it through your ability to execute a well-organized plan and communicate your appreciation for their hard work. Screamers just get ignored and crews work slower to piss them off once the yelling becomes funny, which usually happens on day two.

9. Rock out between set-ups. Quentin does this on his sets and I started doing it on Hostel. Have some really good music ready between set-ups and rock out to it with the crew. They’ll get the shot set up faster. It’s amazing how much a crew can get done in one AC/DC song.

10. The easiest rule to forget: Have fun. From the time I was a kid wanting to work on sets my parents always told me, “Enjoy the journey.” When you’re standing out in the freezing rain yelling “roll” and “cut” for 16 hours and getting paid $90 a day, it’s kind of hard to have a good time. But if you can find joy in those moments and in the fact that you’re actively pursuing your dream, then you’ll really enjoy it.
Directing is a very, very stressful job; the entire world changes for you. Everyone treats you differently because now you’re suddenly “in charge.” The stress and loneliness can destroy you,but you’ve got to learn to enjoy it, no matter how bad things get—no matter what happens—and still retain that inner joy of being a kid, living your dream.

You have to have fun or what’s the point? And sometimes you need to be reminded of that. So go out for crew drinks. Laugh and share playback on the monitor with everyone when you’ve filmed a great kill. And do that extra take for fun, even though you know you’ve got the shot, just for the love of making movies. Directing can be the greatest job in the world, but only if you let it.

To Hell, with Love (2013) – Director: Gavin Michael Booth

Title: To Hell, with Love
Year: 2013
Country: Canada
Director: Gavin Michael Booth
Writer: Gavin Michael Booth
Producer: Gavin Michael Booth, Sarah Booth, Kelly Chmilar
Production Company: Mimetic Entertainment

To Hell, with Love premiered April 14, 2013 at the Reelworld Film Festival in Toronto as an official selection. It’s also showing at this year’s Fantasia International Festival in Montreal. More details at: http://www.fantasiafestival.com/2013/en/films-schedule/279/to-hell-with-love.

Plot Summary:

Dr. Desai is desperate to prove the existence of an afterlife. Unfortunately for one feisty prostitute, Cheri, his obsession will become her nightmare in a battle for survival.