Fearmakers

"Very entertaining!!!" - Independent Flicks review of Dismal

2011-12-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

Yet another great review of Fearmakers cannibal flick Dismal. The author gives the film a 6 out of 7, not too shabby for a little indie. "This film never gets boring," the author writes, "If you like redneck, incest mutant killer movies this one is for you!" And we're sure by "this one is for you" he means EVERYONE, because who doesn't like redneck, incest mutant killer movies?

Once again a reviewer gives props to the stellar cast lead by superstar in the making, Bill Oberst, Jr. Oberst has gained a lot of traction since playing the creepy ranger Dale in the film and has gone on to appear in many movies and TV shows, but probably none has gained him more attention than the viral Take This Lollipop web video. Many of our other cast members continue to work in the industry, all which helps keep the momentum of Dismal going.

And today is Jade Arnold's aka Jamal birthday, so Happy Birthday to Jade and a nice review to boot!

You can read the entire review from Independent Flicks HERE.

Dismal on Showtime Tomorrow!

2011-11-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

Catch Dismal on Showtime Next tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11:30 PM. If you are hungry for some good ol' fashion slice and dice horror then grab a fillet knife and a friend and dig in. Make sure they gots enough meat on their bones though.

And if you want to catch some behind the scenes action you'll want to pick up your copy of Dismal at our Facebook Fan Page. The DVD is LOADED with extras you won't want to miss out on. Just click on "shop now" when you pull up the page!

"scenes that will shock you" - Horror Palace

2011-11-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

BillChete of Horror Palace took a peek at Fearmakers' Dismal and liked what he saw. He called the film "outstanding" and added there were things in this movie "you've never seen". BillChete told his fans to check out the film, giving it an 8 out of 10.

Watch his entire review HERE on episode 003. The review comes in around the 50 minute mark.

You can also check out the interview with Bill Oberst, Jr. of Dismal in the following episode 004. Check it out by clicking HERE.

Half Off Week!

2011-11-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

Did Halloween come and go too quickly? Did you not get your fill of horror flicks and could use a little more? Are you alive or considered "undead"? If you said "yes" to any of those questions then you need to pick up a Fearmakers DVD this week while we're running a half off sale. Okay, we had trouble figuring it out too so let us walk you through our process.

Let's say you're into movies set in the swamp that have a hot, young cast, creepy bad guys who happen to be cannibals and love low budget gore. You pop in Poltergeist and you feel betrayed. Okay, never fear, just add Dismal to your shopping cart. Now the hard part:

Dismal originally prices at $10 ...

Half off sale...

Carry the 1, move the decimal 2 places and POW!

Dismal is now only 5 bucks!

After you copy comes in the mail you toss out that poor-excuse-for-a-cannibal-flick Poltergeist and watch a REAL cannibal, swamp, hot, young cast, creepy characters flick. Enjoy!

And if you're really feeling froggy you can pick up one of our other DVDs or merchandise too. To order a Fearmakers DVD just go to our Facebook fan page and click "shop now". Half off deals end Sunday Nov. 13, 2011. Get them NOW!

This deal is exclusive to all our Facebook fans so in order to get the deal you need to "like" our Facebook fan page. We're assuming you already have but if you haven't you can "like" us and we'll pretend you "like"d us all along.

Savage in Rue Morgue

2011-10-17T03:33:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Rue Morgue magazine includes a review of Savage and an interview with the filmmakers. The editor worked very hard to put together a great piece that really promotes the film positively so please show your support and check it out.

Oct. 2011 issue #116 is available now online and at many outlets where you buy magazines such as Barnes and Noble.

Get SAVAGE and a FREE gift

2011-09-30T06:52:00.001-07:00

Today is the television premiere of Savage (Chiller TV @ 8pm). In honor of this big event we're having a special on all Savage DVDs. Order one today for only 5 bucks AND get a Bigfoot charm necklace FREE. What is this mini wonder, you ask? Imagine if someone discovered a Bigfoot print, took a cast of it, shrunk it down to just under 2 inches and turned it into a necklace. Well imagine no more. That's EXACTLY what it is. And you can get one free. Just buy the Savage DVD by going to our Facebook Fan Page and clicking on the "shop now" tab on the left.

** offer expires Oct. 3, 2011 **

** while supplies last **

Get Savage TODAY

2011-09-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

As we anticipate the official DVD release of Savage tomorrow, we are offering up a special. Buy any Fearmakers DVD, that's right ANY, and get it for only 5 bucks! What a steal. Our DVDs offer content not provided by the official release including commentary and behind-the-scenes footage and making-of segments. You won't find a better DVD out there, you must get it from us directly.

Tomorrow you'll be able to grab up Savage from Netflix and a number of other outlets, but the real deal is here. Just go to our Facebook Fan Page and click the "shop now" tab on the left. Any Fearmakers movie (Death4Told, Dismal or Savage) for only $5. Own it today.

**shipping and handling not included in price**

Savage Premieres on Chiller This Month!

2011-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Now is your chance to catch Savage on TV. The Fearmakers creature feature will premiere on Chiller TV September 30 @ 8pm! Don't miss the stunning performances by Martin Kove (The Karate Kid), Tony Becker (TVs Tour of Duty), Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm St. 4), Shane Callahan (The Mothman Prophecies), Anna Enger (TVs The Vampire Diaries) and Jack Harrison as The Bigfoot!

And if your cable provider doesn't offer Chiller TV, don't worry. The official DVD is releasing on Sept. 20th! Now you've got two chances this month to catch the movie cryptozoologists are calling "the best Bigfoot movie" they've ever seen!

Fearmakers Scares Us... and Teaches Us?

2011-09-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

A friend, who ironically worked on Fearmakers' first feature Death4Told, is now a web designer. He recently told me about a class he took and particularly about a book he had to get for that class. The book was Motion Graphic Design: Applied History and Aesthetics by Jon Krasner. In the companion DVD there was something interesting, the opening titles were there as examples of professional work in motion graphic design. Pretty cool that the work appearing in the film was being used to teach others. Steelcoast Creative, the designers of the opening title sequence, did a tremendous job and have been working on our projects ever since. In fact they've worked on EVERY project ever since including our sub-division Strange Stuff.

So if you're thinking about going into graphic design or web design or filmmaking, you could learn a thing or two from a Fearmakers movie. But when the instructor asks you to buy the book just nod politely and say, "thanks, but I'll just get the movie instead." We'll appreciate that you did.

More Showtime Dates Announced for Dismal

2011-09-05T14:38:00.001-07:00

If you haven't had a chance to see Dismal by now (and there's no reason you shouldn't) Showtime has added more dates. Look at the listing below.

Remember if you go to the Facebook fan page and order a DVD you'll get all the great DVD extras including the making of the visual fx, the makeup fx, bloopers and outtakes. It's great stuff to watch along with the movie.

Showtime's October Schedule

Sat	10/15	@1:40 AM on	SHOWTIME BEYOND
Mon	10/24	@4:00 AM on	SHOWTIME BEYOND
Thu	10/27	@3:45 AM on	SHOWTIME BEYOND

The Making of an Icon

2011-07-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of Bill Oberst, Jr., first it means you're not quite yet a fan of Fearmakers and have not seen Dismal and secondly, what the hell have you been watching, mainstream Hollywood horror flicks? Boooorrrriiinnnggg. Oberst is quickly making a name for himself in the horror genre. With his distinct look, scary presence, and most importantly, his love for the genre, he's someone who will one day be spoken about in the same breath as Chaney, Karloff, Lugosi, Englund and other great cinema legends of horror.

Oberst is on the cusp of greatness, having appeared in dozens of independent films, usually as the head baddie, and many television shows as well, namely True Blood and 1000 Ways to Die. At one point he was being looked at as the next Freddy Krueger for the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. Soon you'll find him getting that breakout role in a major horror flick, and we can say we got him first.

Sincerely, if you are a horror fan you MUST look up Oberst's work and check out as many movies as you can. Can't say all the movies will be great but I can assure you Bill is great in them. Do yourself a favor, horror fans, and get to know Bill Oberst, Jr.

See Oberst's latest interview at GeekTyrant.com. You can also see him in Dismal, Oberst's first horror film, tomorrow (July 12th) at 2:30am on The Movie Channel Xtra.

Savage gets US release date

2011-07-01T11:42:00.001-07:00

Boy, it seemed like it was never going to get out there, didn't it? Well the wait is over, Savage has an official DVD release date here in the US. Drum roll, please......

Sept. 20, 2011

Mark your calendars. Now we still don't know what DVD extras will be included, if any, but we do have a sneak peak at the DVD artwork, which we think you'll like. Check it out. Also, Savage is releasing on DVD in the UK this month on July 11 and stay tuned for all you Chiller TV viewers, Savage will be airing on there later this year.

You got Bill's word on that

2011-06-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

From folks that make horror stories, you'd be surprised at the REAL horror stories that goes on behind the scenes. Tales of disgruntled crew, diva cast and nightmarish directors just to name a few, it's no surprise to read the rumors of actors being recast in once-in-a-lifetime roles for being hard to deal with. Friends in the business tell me how certain actresses were diva witches (you know which letter to replace) on set and made life unbearable. If people really took time to reflect and realize that their ability to work in this industry, and be successful, is a gift built on the world's use of expendable cash for pure entertainment, not a necessity like food, clothing or shelter. They are not saving they world, they are giving us a needed laugh, a hair raising thrill or even a good ol' fashion scare, but it's not a necessity.

Perhaps they should listen to Bill Oberst, Jr., the talented actor who played the psychotic cannibal, Dale, in our feature film Dismal. Not only is Bill terrific in the movie, he's probably one of the nicest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. Bill not only works hard at what he does, he embraces each and every moment and seizes every opportunity he has, because Bill knows tomorrow is promised to no one.

A few days ago, a neighbor whom I had never met came to my door and asked if I would sign an autograph for her daughter. I had appeared in a kids' show back in the day and for those of you who do not know, you shall remain none the wiser, but somehow this child had learned that I had been in one of her favorite shows. Mind you this was about as trivial of a part in the show as one could get enough so I didn't even get credit, but to this young girl I was somehow important enough to get an autograph. I was as humbled as I was embarrassed and I gladly signed the paper for her. Now I'm just a guy who produces little movies and sometimes get shown and people get to see them. When that happens I am humble and grateful to have had that opportunity. When I read Bill Oberst's blog and see how grateful he is to have had the chance to play Dale in Dismal, I am once again humbled by his words. And anytime I'm asked for my autograph, whether it be on a copy of a movie I wrote / produced or on a spiral pocket notebook, I am humbled, because in my eyes the people I'm giving it to are much more important than I am, and you can see that is the same way Bill is. No one owes it to us to do what we do, we are just thankful we have been given the opportunities.

If all actors / filmmakers could be as humble and loyal as our dear friend, Mr. Bill Oberst, Jr., this world of filmmaking would be a kinder, gentler place.

Please read Bill's latest blog entry: Actor Bill Oberst, Jr.

Dismal back on cable

2011-06-27T08:16:00.001-07:00

Dismal is getting another run on Showtime and The Movie Channel so if you've missed your chance to see this gory, swamp flick in the past you've got several more chances to watch.

Here is the schedule provided by Showtime:

Fri	07/01	10:00 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Fri	07/01	1:10 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Sat	07/02	1:05 AM	SHO NEXT
Tue	07/12	2:30 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Fri	07/15	1:10 AM	SHO NEXT
Mon	07/18	2:55 AM	SHO NEXT
Tue	07/26	3:40 AM	SHO NEXT
Sat	07/30	4:15 AM	SHO NEXT
Sat	08/27	10:30 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL

Savage gets UK release

2011-06-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

Savage will release on DVD in the UK on July 11, 2011. If you're in the UK you will be the first to see the film released to a wide audience. Here's a preview of the DVD jacket you'll be looking for.

Fear not US citizens, a DVD release is coming for you later this year. And if your cable provider offers Chiller TV you'll be able to catch the cable premiere later this year as well.

"I enjoyed Dismal more than the original Wrong Turn" - MoreHorror.com

2011-05-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Dismal was the second feature reviewed by MoreHorror.com recently. While they may have taken a liking to Savage, there is no doubt they found a gem in the more grisly horror flick, Dismal.

Most audiences rush into a horror flick wanting KILL, KILL, KILL every second and every other second it's BOOBS, BOOBS, BOOBS. Okay, maybe that was us shouting that at the last horror flick but we're SURE other fans out there do the same. And while Dismal gives you a healthy dose of kills and your gratuitous boob shots, director Gary King and writer Bo Buckley felt all good stories come from its characters.

MoreHorror.com reviewer Jason Lees writes, "when the carnage finally does start..., I actually found myself caring about who was getting clubbed, and that’s a rare thing these days." On a low budget that's what really helps a film, well developed characters and strong acting, and Dismal delivers both. "Again, I was surprised by how much I cared when certain characters bought it," Lees adds.

Distributors around were concerned that there needed to be more blood in the first 1/3 of the film, but the filmmakers believe the added character development is what will set the film apart from other low budget horror indies. If you're not just looking for a shallow, hack 'em up horror flick Dismal is a good choice. While you'll get your share of creative deaths and grisly horror, there's so much more to the film.

Read the full review HERE.

"good monster movie with genuine indie appeal" - MoreHorror.com

2011-05-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

FINALLY, a review we can get behind. One that looks at the depth in which we wove the characters, the effects, the stunts and combined them to form a different kind of monster flick. Not your typical straight-to-SyFy, too much CGI monster and bad story flick, and unfortunately, that's what some want, however, Michael Pickle at MoreHorror.com really appreciates a movie like Savage.

Director Jordan Blum wanted a monster movie rich with characters and based on Pickle's review he understands the many levels of the characters. "I quickly fell in love with the many interesting characters and their carefully woven stories that were just intricate enough to still leave room for the many subtle nuances as well as heart-racing and well filmed action sequences and gory kills," writes Pickle. When you watch Savage you won't get a kill a minute like most gory monster flicks try to throw at you but rather a story of characters and their relationships and how they all end up in this mess that is a savage Bigfoot terrorizing a park.

Another of Blum's choices was to keep the monster hidden and menacing, a philosophy lost in this age where horror films get lost in over-the-top effects rather than story and suspense. "Bigfoot doesn't make an appearance in every scene, but it's menace hangs in the air and saturates every other story building tension throughout," adds Pickle. That's what the filmmakers were going for and it's nice to know that it resonates with people. So we hope we left this reviewer wanting to see more of Bigfoot, but still pleased we didn't overdo it.

To read the full review go HERE.

"All good stuff" - Ain't It Cool News reviews Savage

2011-02-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

Ain't It Cool News is all about the Bigfoot movies, so we're glad Savage was able to be included in their review section on Bigfoot movies. Ranging from Bigfoot (1970) to Legend of Boggy Creek to more recent indie flicks like Clawed and yours truly, AICN runs the gamut of reviews from the pretty bad to the super good. Savage is somewhere in between with scenes "I haven't seen before in a Bigfoot film," according to AICN. They give it 6 foot and 5 toes (who has any idea what that means).

"The highlight of the film", for AICN, was the Bigfoot. With costuming by Toby Sells and a stand out performance and stunts by Jack Harrison, the combination created a Bigfoot "with menace and power".

AICN sets it apart from other Bigfoot movies for "a cool premise, some decent acting from some, and more than a few nice Bigfootin’ scenes". They checked it out. Shouldn't you?

See the entire review HERE.

"A fun jog through the woods" - Hell Street Journal

2011-02-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I must admit I've never been to New Zealand or Australia and from what indie horror flicks actually make it to the States, the movies are pretty good. I'm sure they have their own brand of "local" flicks that are equally as bad as our own run-of-the-mill garbage, so it's refreshing to know, if there is some saving grace, that Dismal was above that heap that leaves a sour taste in horror viewers' mouths.

When a viewer says, "We very much look forward to seeing what you guys have in store for the future," (from personal email), it's a much better feeling than when they tell you, "please don't send us anything else." We believe the peeps at Hell Street would welcome another project from us, and that's a good thing.

Hell Street admits, Dismal "ticks all the boxes" in terms of hitting the genre staples, hot girls, sex, teens, creepy locations, deranged, backwoods killer(s). And it also, as so many have before, appreciates the performance of one Bill Oberst, Jr. "Madder than a sack of rabid weasels his performance alone is worth navigating the films easily consumed 90 minutes." Bill proved in this film why he has been so busy working in Hollywood since. A must see performance.

Many thanks to the folks at Hell Street Journal for taking the time to review Dismal, although, unfortunately it's not yet available there for the public. Hopefully soon.

You can read the full review of Dismal HERE.

Bill Oberst Interviewed by Horror News

2011-01-31T06:20:00.001-08:00

Bill Oberst, Jr. is quickly becoming a name for himself in the entertainment world, mainly as a genre actor. Like so many icons present at conventions across the country each year, Bill is moving up the ladder with every role he takes. Starting as the creepy cannibal ranger, Dale, in Fearmakers' own Dismal, Bill has be in numerous other scary flicks since then and each one gives us another disturbing look at Bill's ability to scare us with talent.

"The incredible thing about Bill's ability," says Dismal writer / producer Bo Buckley, "is he can create the feeling of dread through a performance without the need for gore or props." Bo adds, "Bill comes into a scene and it immediately heightens the tension."

It seems with each new project, Bill moves up another rung on the horror ladder, working with genre icons like Linda Blair and other actors who have appeared in large Hollywood films. Bill recently worked with Danielle Panabaker (The Crazies, Friday the 13th) on The Shunning directed by Michael Landon, Jr. Even on non-horror projects like the family film, Princess and the Pony, Bill wows audiences. In a recent review of the film by Observation Notes, "but it's the performance by Bill Oberst Jr. as the despicable carnival owner Theodore Snyder that steals the show." With each project, it seems Bill is always stands apart from the crowd, and for those that know the business of Hollywood, it's a large business but a small world, and word of mouth is key when it comes to getting that next role.

Read the entire interview of Bill Oberst Jr. for Horror News HERE. Bill suggests everyone check out Dismal and so do we. Thanks Bill!

"Buckley's writing develops the bait and switch... to hellish delight." - 28 Days Later Analysis

2011-01-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

Now that Dismal has been officially released on DVD by Cinema Epoch, many people have scooped it up and posted reviews on their sites. While reviews for the film have been far from "raving" there have been lots of impressive comments, and sometimes those leave you to wonder. Many have found different elements that they find enjoyable about the film, the acting, music, unique kills, story, setting, cinematography and then there are others who are quite the opposite, and find those are the exact things that pulled them out of the film.

Who can say what one opinion means over another. It's safe to say you're pretty much on your own when it comes to a film and to each his/her own.

Here is yet another review, this time from 28 Days Later Analysis. The critic appears to be a fan of the acting by Bill Oberst, Jr. and Tim Morris and not so much for the rest of the cast. He likes some of the twists and dialogue which are delivered with "charm" and "hellish delight", but finds the movie mostly derivative and cliche. He takes points off for the music and the "wtf" ending.

Now if you find another review it might say the complete opposite and it seems rather than have a general concensus Dismal is a film that satisfies different tastes for each reviewer. Instead of posting yet another review without comment and saying "here ya go!", I felt the need to summarize nearly every review the film has received.

28 Days Later Analysis gives the film 5.5 out of 10. You can read the full review HERE.

"some truly frightening scenes" - Phantom Reviews

2011-01-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Here's another review of Dismal, this time from Phantom Reviews of the UK. Once again they really enjoyed several performances and some of the gruesome scenes and one particular line "out here if you want some sushi you better catch you some fuckin' fish." We like that line too.

Read the entire review HERE.

Bill Oberst Interviewed by 28 Days Later Analysis

2011-01-03T18:08:00.001-08:00

Bill Oberst, Jr., played his first baddie in Fearmakers' indie horror flick Dismal and now his resume is full of nasty characters... and he loves it. Check out his recent interview with 28 Days Later Analysis where he talks about many of his scary roles and how one of his all-time favorite characters is still good ol' Dale from Dismal. You got Bill's word on that.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE.

Bzzzline.com makes Bill Oberst, Jr. 1st featured artist

2011-01-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

The new site bzzzline.com was developed to bring attention to up-and-coming artists who appear in somewhat obscure and maybe even scarcely seen movies and shows and bring them to the forefront where they deserve. Artist #1? None other than Dismal's own Bill Oberst, Jr.

Bill has long been known as the fabulously disturbing Dale in Fearmakers' swamp cannibal flick Dismal to the thrones of fans who have followed the film's progress from the first premiere at Horrorfind Weekend as it gathered up more fans via its run On Demand and airings on Showtime and The Movie Channel. Now out on DVD, a whole new world of fans has opened up to Bill Oberst, Jr. We always new he was good, now so does everyone else.

Bzzzline.com says, "[Bill's] ability to scare an audience makes him a rising star in the cult film scene, and he will definitely break through that glass ceiling soon." We think so too.

Check out Bill's kick ass performance in Fearmakers' Dismal on DVD now.

"I enjoyed the hell out of Dismal" - Horror News

2010-12-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

Take in the latest review of Dismal from HorrorNews.net. Enjoyed the performances and loves a good backwoods cannibal movie. Well who wouldn't, right?

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW HERE

"Keeps it old school and does everything well" - Video Views

2010-12-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

Video Views got a sneak peek at tomorrow's DVD release of Dismal and seemed to enjoy it, giving it 3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars. They called it a "horror film that fans are going to want to check out." Impressed by the cinematography and setting to the production value and effects, but reviewer recommended it to horror fans, but what really pushed them over the edge was the acting. The acting "came as a pleasant surprise," and the reviewer really enjoyed the "stand-out" performances by leads Lydia Chandler as Dana and Bill Oberst, Jr. as Dale. He says Bill "does deranged perfectly".

Get on over to VideoViews.org and read the entire review. And pick up your copy tomorrow (Dec. 21).

"Backwoods horror that hits all the beats" - McBastard's Mausoleum

2010-12-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

McBastard took some time at his mausoleum to snag a copy of Dismal and give 'er a look see. What he found was nudity and killin' aplenty in a good ol' fashioned backwoods horror flick. He adds, Bill Oberst, Jr.'s character Dale is "a foreboding and demented son-of-a-bitch". Now that's some good stuff! Everyone wants a great bad guy and you can find more than one of them in Dismal.

To read the full review go HERE.

Dismal covered in Fangoria

2010-12-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

After a long wait, Dismal finally received its due with an exclusive in Fangoria, the world's leading horror mag. "We were anxious to get a piece in Fangoria and who wouldn't," remarks Dismal producer / publicist Christopher Cook, "but they wanted to wait until we had a DVD release date. It was a long wait." Dismal scribe and producer, Bo Buckley adds, "The movie (Dismal) had a run On Demand, it aired on Showtime and then The Movie Channel and we still couldn't get a mention. Now it's like the monkey is off our back."

As an added bonus there were mentions of Fearmakers' upcoming Bigfoot thriller Savage and their sub-division, Strange Stuff's zombie / comedy Death of the Dead. "It's cool," says producer Justin Soponis, "Having your film mentioned anywhere is cool, but Fangoria takes it to a whole new level."

The team at Fearmakers is proud of the films exposure and grateful for the entire cast and crew who braved the elements to make it happen. "We've built some wonderful, lasting relationships from that film," reflects Buckley. Some of those relationships followed Fearmakers to their next effort, Savage, including the producing team of Freezer Locker Films, VFX QuadraHelix, composer Ken Lampl, design team Steelcoast Creative, actor / stuntman Jack Harrison, DP Shawn Lewallen and others. They also reteamed with executive producer Jack Abele and director Gary King for Strange Stuff's Death of the Dead. "We worked with so many talented, passionate people," observes Soponis, "it would be foolish of us not to work with them again."

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

Dismal is now available for pre-order through many places including Amazon.com, Blockbuster.com, Walmart.com and more. Make sure you get your copy. Official DVD release is Dec. 21, 2010.

MTI Acquires Savage

2010-11-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

AFM 2010 was eventful for Fearmakers. Savage will soon be available on DVD from MTI Home Video. MTI has been bringing you genre entertainment since 2004. Fearmakers is excited to be partnered with this company to bring you our beloved Bigfoot movie SAVAGE!

We'll keep you posted when we learn more details of an official release date.

Fearmakers Black Friday sale starts early

2010-11-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

Go to the Facebook Fan Page, click on the "shop now" tab and buy one of our great titles for an ultimate low price! Individual titles for only $6.99 plus shipping or buy our three pack for only $20 and FREE SHIPPING. You'll never get a deal like this again. Order them now in time for the holidays. They'll make a great gift for the horror enthusiast.

Savage stars Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, Rambo), Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm St. 4&5) and Tony Becker (TV's Tour of Duty) and was called "the best bigfoot... ever" by Rue Morgue.

Dismal has appeared On Demand through Time Warner and Charter and aired on Showtime and The Movie Channel.

Death4Told stars Margot Kidder (Superman, Amityville Horror), Tom Savini (fx guru), Alicia Goranson (TV's Roseanne) and KC Armstrong (Howard Stern Show personality) and introduces Rich Sommer (Emmy® Winning actor of AMC's Mad Men) and Nar Williams (host of Science Channel's Science of the Movies) in their first feature roles!!!

And don't forget to pick up your official Fearmakers.com T-Shirt for a mere 7 bucks! Limited quantities. Don't be the one without it.

Order now. This offer ends when the weekend does.

FEARMAKERS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Veterans Day Sale - 50% off DVDs

2010-11-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

Until midnight tonight, order any Fearmakers DVD and get it at HALF PRICE! That's right, in honor of Veterans Day and all the folks who protect us on a daily basis, Fearmakers is selling their DVDs at 50%. But you must place your order by midnight. Go to the Fearmakers Facebook fan page and click on "Shop Now" to place your order.

Fearmakers would like to thank the men and women who have served or currently serve in the armed forces. You are the ones who keep our nation safe and free and allow us to make movies and follow our dreams. We salute you.

Dismal On Demand

2010-11-09T07:15:00.001-08:00

If you are a The Movie Channel subscriber and have On Demand you should be able to check out Dismal any time you want until Nov. 11. Don't miss an opportunity to see this gruesome flick from Fearmakers.

If you don't have TMC On Demand but are a TMC subscriber you can still see Dismal a few more times before it arrives on DVD. See the schedule below.

Fri	11/12	11:35 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Fri	11/12	2:35 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Mon	11/15	2:35 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL
Sat	11/20	3:20 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA

If you're anticipating the DVD release you can preorder now from Amazon.com and secure your copy. Or you can order from the Facebook fan page right now and get it before the public does. Click on "Shop Now".

Halloween Nights 13 of 13: Vampire Killers

2010-10-31T09:31:00.001-07:00

On our last night in honor of Fearmakers' sub-division Strange Stuff, actor / director / writer / producer, Jack Abele, reviews the horror / comedy Vampire Killers.

Vampire Killers
by Jack Abele

The boys at Fearmakers asked me to watch a movie and write up a review. They said since I've been producing and starring in their new Strange Stuff movies I should watch this film called Vampire Killers. I did, and boy what a movie. Now I like serious movies. Dramas and movies with substance. This movies was neither a drama nor did it have substance. Instead it's a movie full of nudity, lesbians and juvenile humor. Don't get me wrong, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but this isn't the kind of movie I'd generally watch for myself.

The movie is about this town cursed by a vampire queen and these two down-on-their-luck guys from London take a trip there after the lead guy, Jimmy (Mathew Horne), gets dumped by his on again, off again girlfriend for the 8th time. So they go to this remote town looking for girls and low and behold they find a van full of hot, young women looking for a good time. They all wind up at a cabin and party into the night. Pretty soon these lesbian vampires start seducing the girls and turning them into lesbian vampires too. So Jimmy, and his wise-cracking buddy, Fletch (James Cordon), have to save the town from the curse.

Okay, so the good. The script didn't have deep dialogue, but the acting from the main cast was pretty decent. The script was intentionally silly so not much can be expected in the way of deep, emotional performances. Aside from some of the breast baring girls, the acting was acceptable. Probably the best performance was by James Cordon who has good comedic timing. He made me laugh on several occasions. The girls were pretty and plentiful and most of them were topless, so if you're a guy and like that in your horror movies you'll like this one a lot. I guess if you're a girl who likes that you'll appreciate this movie too. The settings were nice and creepy although the movie isn't scary at all, and the editing was creative and played into the fun theme of the movie.

Now the bad. The story is too convenient. These guys happen to go to this cursed town. A bus load of hot girls just happen to be college student studying folklore, and Jimmy just happens to be a descendant of the guy who started the curse and subsequently the only one who can defeat the vampire queen. I understand it's a silly comedy but I felt the story could have been better woven. Most of the movie has good visual effects but there were a few moments where you can tell it's bad computer animation, particularly the blood. I've produced a few movies where CGI blood was used and I know that's hard to make look real on a low budget, so I don't fault them, but it wasn't all that good either.

Overall not a bad movie. I understand there is an audience for this kind of movie, a big audience, but if you like to drink wine with your dinners and prefer serious dramas to slapstick comedies this is not the movie for you. If you like fart jokes, gratuitous nudity, ridiculous situations and over-the-top gore, this movie is right up your alley.

Jack gives Vampire Killers

Jack Abele was the EP on Dismal and has starred in Strange Stuff's Death of the Dead and the upcoming Attack of the Alien Jelly Monsters From the Depths of Uranus. He has several more Strange Stuff projects slated to film next year. Additionally Jack writes, directs and produces his own films. His film Integro is available on DVD. You can find out more about Jack and his movies by going to his WEBSITE.

To see Jack in Death of the Dead, go to the Strange Stuff Facebook fan page and click on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 12 of 13: The Haunting (1963)

2010-10-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Actor / Producer, Harley Kaplan, finds the classics to be where true horror lies with his review of The Haunting (1963).

The Haunting (1963)
by Harley Kaplan

THIS IS HOW HORROR FILMS SHOULD BE DONE!

Robert Wise's THE HAUNTING is a chilling masterpiece that holds up incredibly well almost five decades after it was filmed due to the amazing craftsmanship of a remarkable director and cast. The plot, which involves a group of amateur psychics gathered together in an eerie, supposedly haunted mansion, was adapted from Shirley Jackson's gothic novel "The Haunting of Hell House." As Eleanor "Nell" Lance, an unstable young woman with a disturbing past, Julie Harris anchors the the story. Her tormented, no-holds-barred performance reveals a character who in the process of trying to flee her past ultimately crashes head-on into her destiny. In many ways, Eleanor is the "Hell" in Hell House. The film's other central characters, the questionable Dr. Markway (Johnson), the hipster Luke (Tamblyn), and the haughty clairvoyant Theodora (Bloom), orbit Nell until their combined powers push her into an unfathomable terror.

Wise's taut direction allows the film to build suspense cerebrally without the use of major Hollywood special effects. He allows the film to build at a novel pace, taunting the viewer to find the terror is his own mind. Remarkable sound effects supercede what is shown on-screen and the viewer is left shocked and terrified by the film's conclusion.

Today's filmmakers take note: DO NOT OVERDO IT! And, by all means, skip the 1999 re-make!!!

Harley gives The Haunting (1963)

Harley is still acting in New York, and when he's not acting he's casting others in movies. You'll be able to see him in the upcoming film, You Have the Right to Remain Violent. If you can't wait that long, check him out in Death4Told. Purchase your copy by going to the Fearmakers Facebook fan page and clicking the "Shop Now" tab.

You can find Harley on Facebook.

Halloween Nights 11 of 13: House (2008)

2010-10-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

Visual FX wiz, Jerime Kenne, reviews a movie with heart, soul and some nifty visuals, House (2008).

House (2008)
by Jerime Kenne

House (2008) Is the story of one couple with some marriage issues and another couple with just plain issues. Both couples have car trouble and end up in the same backwoods B&B one dark and stormy night. Soon they are introduced to the residents of this creepy B&B. Adding insult to injury they soon find out they are locked in with this overly odd family while a psychopath waits outside for them to fulfill his request of one dead body by morning. During the course of the movie you find out each person is dealing with their own personal hell due to their past transgressions and how they try to work through them. The movie ends with people dying and a twist that you will probably see coming.

I picked house for a few reasons, it’s considered an independent and because it has a nice marriage of practical and visual effects (VFX). This movie has about 150 VFX shots, and for the most part all of them are pretty good. Like any marriage sometimes there is trouble and this film is no different. I’m not going to bore you with a nerd rant about VFX so you’ll just have to see for yourself. Michael Madsen, Leslie Easterbrook, and Bill Moseley do make great additions to the cast when they are on screen making House a fun watch. I would RedBox it or Stream it from NetFlix if you get a chance.

Jerime gives House (2008)

Jerime continues to do visual FX for film / TV. He has another project coming up with Strange Stuff called Attack of the Alien Jelly Monsters From the Depths of Uranus. You can see his other work in Fearmakers' features Dismal and Savage as well as their sub-division Strange Stuff's Death of the Dead by going to the Facebook fan page and clicking on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 10 of 13: A Nightmare on Elm St. 3

2010-10-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Beauty conquers the beast this night when the lovely actress Christina Rose reviews the third installment of the Nightmare series, Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
by Christina Rose

So Halloween weekend is coming up, and I figured what better time then to watch a ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ Marathon. I ended up watching four out of the series. In the end I ultimately decided to write my review on ‘Nightmare on Elm Street 3-Dream Warriors (1987)’. I didn’t choose this film because I think it’s the best out of the films that I watched (The best one in my opinon is the very first ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984). The reason I’m going to discuss the third film is because I loved certain parts of the film, and was so disappointed with others.

The film stars Heather Langenkamp, as Nancy, who returns to the third film after the second film bombed. I was happy with the fact that the producers brought her back as I enjoyed her performance in the very first ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’. Her character is quite a bit older in this film and instead of in high school she is now a professor at the Mental Institution in which the majority of this film takes place. The film opens with Kristen Parker played by Patricia Arquette being sent to the mental institution after it looks like she was about to commit suicide. That’s what’s so great about this movie!! Freddy attacks the children in their dreams, and makes their deaths look like suicides. The survivors get sent to the mental institution and continue to be haunted by Freddy in their sleep. What a brilliant way to start a horror film by having the film take place in a mental institution!

Some of my favorite Freddy deaths happen in this film. Totally disgusting and amazing at the same time is the death of Philip (Bradley Gregg). I loved the special effects of the ligaments getting pulled from every part of his body as Freddy uses him as a puppet to walk him all the way to an open window where it appears he jumps out the window to commit suicide.

There is great character development, and I thought each of the characters were interesting and unique. Some of my favorite performances were by Patricia Arquette, Heather Langenkamp, and of course Robert Englund as Freddy Kruger.

Once we get to the middle of the movie things start to get rough for me. In my opinion ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ is supposed to be scary, and yet still have a cheese factor to it. However, this film got way too cheesy towards the middle. The characters all enter a ‘Dream’ together to try to fight Freddy as a team. While in the dream they notice they all have “special Powers”. One character can backflip, another has the power of a loud scream, another is strong enough to bend a chair, another becomes a wizard, while the last one becomes beautiful? Wow! This is where the movie loses me. I don’t need to see special powers especially if they are dumb, uninteresting, and won’t do anything to save them from Freddy. And yet, some of the special powers actually do catch Freddy offguard for a brief second. They are no match for him when he actually ends up killing quite a few of them (which I enjoyed). Once again, I believe that the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ films should involved lots of deaths and not kids with special powers. I will watch ‘KickAss’ to see a film like that. In the end Freddy finally kills Nancy, and the kids eventually kill ‘Freddy’. However, In true Freddy Kruger fashion Freddy of course…lives on. (for severeal more sequels plus a reboot) :)

Christina gives A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Christina Rose is a dedicated actress with her credits listed on IMDb.com. You can visit her site at Christina-Rose.com and follow her social networks on Facebook: and Twitter. To see her in Fearmakers' sub division Strange Stuff's Death of the Dead simply go to the Facebook fan page and click on the "Shop Now" tab.

Weeee're Baaaack!!!!

2010-10-26T18:33:00.001-07:00

Showtime has added Dismal for a second run, this time on their sister network, The Movie Channel. If you missed it the first month, well here you go. You get a chance to watch it on cable one more time before the big DVD release Dec. 7, 2010.

Here is the upcoming schedule for Dismal airings.

Sat	11/06	10:35 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL
Sat	11/06	1:35 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL
Fri	11/12	11:35 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Fri	11/12	2:35 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Mon	11/15	2:35 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL
Sat	11/20	3:20 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA

Halloween Nights 9 of 13: Halloween 2 (2009)

2010-10-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Actor / Stuntman and Fearmaker bad guy, Jack Harrison, reviews the first remake by our review staff with Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 (2009)

Halloween 2 (2009) by Jack Harrison

Obviously a Rob Zombie film, and that alone will draw someone into  watching it. You put the DVD in thinking two things: first - this is  another remake, and second - how good is this going to be with a rock  star as a new found director. It's not like just anyone can jump into  the director's chair and do a good job. However, I have to tell you that  I was really impressed with the direction and choices made on this  film. I love the use of the young Michael Myers character in the set up.  It takes the character out of the supernatural and humanizes him a  great deal. After all, most people who suffer from some mental disorder  or psychosis usually have early warning signals as a child. I understand  the need for the Momma Myers character, but would love to see this guy  take on the whole movie by himself. Norman Bates, Jason Vorhees, Michael  Myers, etc... are all driven by some weird unnatural relationship with  their mothers. I think too much back story on a villain degrades some of  their fear factor. You could tell that Rob Zombie wasn't holding back  at all on his interpretations of the Halloween franchise nor would he  appear to make any apologizes for it either. Near the beginning of the  movie a young lady is being prepped for operation in the ER. The  cinematography, sound design, special effects, and of course the acting  will bring you as close as possible to one woman's suffering. It sets  the tone for the movie and prepares you a little for what's in store for  you as a viewer.

As an action actor / stunt coordinator, who has  also played my share of villains in horror movies, I admire the choices  made with the main character Michael. Played by a much bigger and more  muscular Tyler Mane (known for Sabretooth in X-Men), the character has  an effortless walk and strength about him. I also liked the departure  from the white mask and the use of the hooded cloak jacket with a full  beard in the traveling scenes. It did kind of remind me of Kane in Kung  Fu though... traveling around fighting bad people he encountered. But  this grasshopper was 7' tall and carries a monster hunting knife. 

I  really didn't see many huge stunts in the film. It was a physical film,  but not anything too dangerous to shoot. The death scenes were done  very well, but relied on great story telling and special teams, like  amazing special effects and superior editing. My favorite kills in the  film occur at the strip bar and also with actor Danny Trejo; who I met  at HorrorFind 2009. He is a terrific guy that I later had drinks with  that night at the hotel bar. He told me I should contact Steven Seagal's  people about stunt doubling for him. I said, "Steven's getting a little  older now, I may have missed the boat on that one." As usual, Danny  does a very good job with his character.  Rob Zombie succeeded with his  vision of Michael. That's the way it's suppose to be done! Also, I like  how Michael is unbiased in targeting victims. Man, woman, good, bad,  friend, foe, it's all good... you're dead!

The only change I  would have made is to lose so much of the dead mother's ghost with the  flash back and dream sequences.  Also, I wanted a much more mind blowing  ending. But I'm a stunt coordinator and action junkie.  Of course I  think everything should be over the top. Otherwise, it was a great  roller coaster ride of a horror movie and well worth the time to buy it  and watch it.

Jack gives Hallowen 2 (2009)

Jack is very active as an actor, stunt coordinator and performer and keeps busy with his On 3! Stunt Team. You can see their stunt work HERE. Also check out Jack's Facebook page. If you want to see his work in the movies, catch all the stunts and Jack as his own horror icon Idiot in Fearmakers Dismal and the beast in the Fearmakers Bigfoot movie Savage by going to the Fearmakers Facebook fan page and clicking on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 8 of 13: Predators

2010-10-25T17:29:00.001-07:00

Fearmakers Producer and marketing specialist, Christopher Cook, chimes in and reviews the most recent film yet by our review staff, Predators.

Predators
by Christopher Cook

BAM! You wake up in free fall and have no idea how you got there and what's going on. Where are you? Do you have a parachute? Will it open? Talk about a piss-you-pants loosen-your-bowels moment. Welcome to Royce's (Adrien Brody) world.

PREDATORS, released in July of 2010, is the story about killers who are dropped on an alien planet so they can be hunted by the Predators. Who kidnapped them and how did they pull it off? We don't know.

The killers are clueless as the audience, but they build on what little they know to gain an understanding of the situation and survive. This is the springboard for a story that results in.not much of a story. Who lives? Who dies? Who cares!

One highlight of the movie is when Noland (Laurence Fishburne) makes an appearance. It's a small part, but he knocks it out of the park. GO LARRY!!!

PREDATORS doesn't have much of a story, but it's still pretty fun if you don't have anything else to do and it's on cable anyway. What the hell. Don't buy it on DVD, don't buy it On Demand, but watch it if there's nothing else on. Meh!

Christopher gives Predators

Christopher has produced on all three Fearmakers features. To see them simply go to the Fearmakers Facebook fan page and click on the "Shop Now" tab and order your copy today!!!

Halloween Nights 7 of 13: Martyrs

2010-10-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

High Tension may have put the modern French horror film on the map, but composer Ken Lampl reviews perhaps a lesser known, but very powerful film in Martyrs.

Martyrs
by Ken Lampl

MARTYRS (2008) Directed by Pascal Laugier is described as “One of the most ferocious horror films ever made”. That my friends is a gross underestimation of one of the greatest horror films of our time. I kid you not. I walked into my local Blockbuster Video and pulled Martyrs off the shelf looking for some simple horror snuff. I had no idea of the visual and psychological onslaught which was about to begin. It takes the graphic violence of Eli Roth’s HOSTEL, combines it with the metaphysical philosophy of Bergmans THE SEVENTH SEAL. The end will knock your socks off!

MARTYRS is more than a horror film, it is a philosophical and religious journey into then nature of existence. The plot twists and turns in a completely unpredictable fashion. What begins as a typical “torture snuff ghost” film turns into an existential crisis that Kierkegaard would have been proud of.

This is not a movie for the faint of heart. If you want horror film making at it’s best, this is it.

Ken gives Martyrs

Ken is a fantastic composer who has worked on a number of Fearmakers projects including Dismal and Savage and also completed the score for Strange Stuff's Death of the Dead. He's worked with director Gary King several times. You can check out his website at www.KenLampl.com. To hear his work on DVD you can purchase Dismal, Savage or Death of the Dead by going to the Fearmakers Facebook fan page and clicking on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 6 of 13: Dark Night of the Scarecrow

2010-10-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thespian Mark Van Fossen, who played Billy in Death4Told, reviews a forgotten made-for-TV gem in Dark Night of the Scarecrow.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow
by Mark Van Fossen

It might seem unusual when you find a film that spans the vast cosmos of time and still creeps you out (just by thinking about it) long after the film has gone into the realm of forgotten works.

No reruns, no reminders in idle movie conversations with old friends or in books or articles, nothing.

Especially when that film was a made-for-TV movie that is currently approaching its 30^th birthday.

Many years have gone by and many good, mediocre, and bad horror films have gone by with them but Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) is one of those rare gems that, surprisingly, doesn’t come up in horror chats too often. It should.

It’s a film that has stood the test of time, for me anyway, ever since it aired as a CBS prelude to Halloween back in the day. I recall watching this film in a strange living room in a strange house in a long-ago era where it seemed most houses lacked a sufficient supply of lightbulbs, almost like a horror film itself… (I wonder as I write this if I’m the only one who thinks of the late 70’s and early 80’s as some sort of half-assed Dark Age? Probably. But everything just seemed dim, and it wasn’t my outlook on life, I can promise you that.)

Directed by novelist Frank De Felitta and written by screenwriter J.D. Feigelson (whom by the looks of his imdb.com photo could’ve been just as comfortable plowing fields as wielding a pen), Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a simple story of revenge set in the equally simplified landscape of rural, cow-infested, corn-overdosed America.

It follows the story of Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake), a mentally handicapped man who is wrongfully accused of attacking a little girl, then subsequently hunted and murdered for it by several ignorant townspeople.Consequently, Bubba’s ghost comes back in the form of a scarecrow (in which he was hiding at the time of his death) and exacts swift revenge on the four men who gunned him down. Simple enough, right?

Also starring Charles Durning, Lane Smith, and Jocelyn Brando (Marlon’s sister) as Mrs. Ritter, the film really is a strange and terrifying look at themes and elements that still stand strong today. Themes of paranoia and mistrust, hate-crimes and disillusionment. These elements just happen to be shrouded in a really kick-ass, yet eerie, horror story.The film, by most standards, is considered a B-Movie and has remained forgotten over the years until a sudden surge of popularity (thank you Internet) has thrust it back into the public eye. By most standards, it’s also considered tame. So if you’re expecting Saw or Wolf’s Creek or something really gruesome and bloody, you might be a little disappointed. The film was finally released for DVD and re-released on television in 2009. (Thankfully George Lucas had nothing to do with the re-release or Bubba the scarecrow would probably have been riding a Dewback… but I digress - again.)

Watching this film again recently, I can immediately see why I loved it as a kid, and still do. The acting is excellent and really sucks you into the story and the elements of terror and suspense are compelling enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. (Thinking about it now, this could very well have been the film that made me a die-hard fan of horror movies and started the imaginative ball rolling - or as some people like to say, “screwed me up in the head”.) Feigelson weaves the tale together with enough suspense and dark sinister qualities that keeps you biting your nails, if not at least thinking about your nails. Or somebody else’s nails. Or somebody else biting you. And the cinematography (for TV-movies of that generation anyway) could possibly be viewed as “ahead of its time”. It was shot beautifully and there are some moments in the film, regarding photography, that still catch me off-guard.

Originally planned to be a feature for the theaters, CBS bought the script and decided to produce it for the small screen under the now defunct Wizan Production Company. (This probably irritated Feigelson, though it shouldn’t, because someone will surely come along and remake it into a crappy feature in the coming years. Reminders of The Fog and The Hitcher come to mind.)

Dark Night of the Scarecrow may not be considered a classic, even with its reemergence and growing popularity, but if you haven’t seen this movie (but love those old creepy movies shot on grainy film) then do yourself a favor and see it. You won’t be sorry, I’m sure. It’s a fantastic little piece with great characters played by some surprisingly familiar faces and carries that air of suspense that may just reach out and stab you with a pitchfork. It’s also a movie that might just “stick” with you. I can confidently say that since watching this movie all those years ago I have never once driven the back roads of Ohio on late Autumn afternoons, past cornfields and farms, and hadn’t thought of Bubba the scarecrow lurking somewhere just off the road, his beady eyes following me, hoping for an engine failure... After all, Feigelson wasn’t dubbed the creator of the “Killer Scarecrow” sub-genre for nothing. So, go see Dark Night of the Scarecrow to find out why and have a Happy (and creepy) Halloween!

Mark gives Dark Night of the Scarecrow

Mark Van Fossen continues to act and is actively writing and developing his own projects. You can see him in Death4Told by going to the Fearmakers Facebook fan page and clicking on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 5 of 15: The Human Centipede

2010-10-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Fearmaker founder, Bo Buckley, dissects one of the most talked about horror film in recent history, The Human Centipede.

The Human Centipede
by Bo Buckley

I really had no desire to watch this movie for entertainment value. It was out of pure intrigue over the widespread discussion the movie has generated that I just had to see it. What I found was after you get past the shock value that is three people being sewn ass to mouth there really isn’t much left.

The movie starts out like many movies we’ve already seen. Take your pick, two American tourists break down in a remote part of Germany on their way to a club. A creepy foreigner rolls up and spouts obscenities, because, let’s face it, all foreigners are creepy, right? At any rate there is no cell service and instead of driving on the rim until they find civilization they decide to hike to the nearest residence… THROUGH THE WOODS! All right, all is forgiven. I mean, it’s not like we’ve never seen people do dumb things to get the horror film rolling. So let me wrap it up. It starts raining and they find a house owned by a retired surgeon; but no ordinary surgeon, the leading specialist in separating conjoined twins. Well he’s a cuckoo bird now and he wants to make a human centipede so he finds a tissue match and sews them up. The rest of the movie involves having the surgically stitched travelers trying to escape.

As I mentioned, the squeamish part of the film is going through the play by play of how the doctor intends to attach the victims. Once you get through that 10 minutes you’re really left with not much else sans a terrific performance by Dieter Laser who plays the mad doctor. Dieter portrays the creepy kind of madman I saw out of Bill Oberst, Jr. who played Dale in Dismal, the film I wrote and produced. Dieter was very good and unnerving. The rest of the cast consisted of two actresses who, apart from a few scenes of being lost and repeating each others names (I’ll touch on this later), spend much of the movie with their faces shoved into a rectum, and a Japanese actor who literally screams the entire film and two German cops who are in the movie for 5 minutes. Thankfully Laser’s performance keeps you watching but in the end you’re left kind of empty.

There’s really no point to this movie other than shock value, and as I said, that’s just a few minutes of the film. But the story lacks the depth to make it more than just shock. What made the doctor go mad? Why does he want to attach 3 innocent people (other than his line “I hate human beings”)? What scientific discovery will he make? It’s definitely not like the Frankenstein-type films where there’s something to be discovered for science. But I did rent it from Redbox so maybe I got a cut version and there’s another version out there that explains it better. My other grip is the writing. Apart from the lack of story depth, one of my biggest pet peeves is when characters, who obviously know each other repeat the other character’s name every time they speak. Two girls taking a European trip together should know each other well enough not to say their name before every line. Listen to yourself talk to someone close to you today, how often to you say their name outside of talking about them or calling out to them? Probably not a lot. And stuff like that immediately draws me out of the experience.

Overall Laser’s performance and the 10 minutes of shock could be enough to check this movie out, but the dollar Redbox rental was about all it was worth to me. Although, I am curious to hear interviews with the two actresses about what they thought when they were going to spend 75 percent of the movie muffling into a stranger’s ass with no shirt on. That must have been an interesting discussion.

Bo gives The Human Centipede

To see Bo's work as a writer, producer and / or director, you can pick up one of his many titles by going to the Fearmakers facebook fan page and clicking on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 4 of 13: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

2010-10-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

One of the seminal works in modern horror history is reviewed by one of the writers of Death4Told, Jim Palmquist.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
by Jim Palmquist

Being a child of the 80s, I frequented the mom and pop video star in my small hometown near Cleveland, Ohio. I took extreme delight in perusing the cover art of the VHS tapes in the horror section. It was not until I was 12, however, that my mom finally relented and allowed me to watch them. To this day, I have no idea why she agreed to such a pact as she hates horror films, but she did and boy did I take advantage. I watched every Friday the 13^th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, Phantasm and anything else I could get my hands on. Watching those films though, there was one figure that stood out more than Jason and his machete, Freddy and his glove, Pinhead and his puzzle box and the Tall Man and his spheres. It was Leatherface and his chainsaw.

From the opening scroll voiced by John Larroquette telling of the heinous events that we are about to watch all the way to the iconic end with Leatherface swinging a chain saw wildly over his head, terror, fear and dare I say awe will grip your very being. Before The Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity, here was a movie claiming to be based on true events. And who could argue? We didn’t have the internet to verify such claims. And even though we do now, I still have people swear to me it is a true story.

Tobe Hooper, with a combination of skill and luck, gathered a group of unknown actors and filmed his masterpiece during the hottest four weeks of the Texas summer in 1973. Very common at the time, he shot his independently financed movie on 16mm film (some of the funding which came from the profits of a little movie titled Deep Throat). Not so common, he shot the script in chronological order. Both choices proved incredibly effective. The saturation and grain of the film, not to mention the excellent cinematography becomes a character itself. You can also feel the anxiety grow as the film pushes forward, both a product of the tension naturally built into the script as well as the cast’s exhaustion at the filmmaking process itself. Often overlooked, I also have to appreciate the sound design of the film. At times very annoying, but extremely effective, the senses are overwhelmed to the extreme with clangs, squeals and chicken sounds while our brain tries to process the visuals presented to us. As an audience, we are thrust into the macabre. And in the end, just like Sally, we can’t believe what we have just witnessed is happening.

Jim gives The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Jim currently writes and produces for the weekly blog Nerdlocker.com which discusses all things nerd including movies, comics and video games. And if you want to snag some of Jim's movie writing work, pick up Death4Told at the Facebook fan page. Just click on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 3 of 13: Blood Gnome

2010-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Aaron Moorhead is the talented DP of Strange Stuff's Death of the Dead and a cinephile at heart. He prefers the ugly to the good and the bad and it doesn't get much uglier than Blood Gnome.

Blood Gnome
by Aaron Moorhead

Today I'm going to talk to you about one of my favorite visual travesties: Blood Gnome. This was introduced to me by a friend who found it in the dusty corner of Blockbuster's preowned bin. He paid six dollars. I paid the same to own it. I had to.

Blood Gnome is a horror movie that is about an eccentric reporter who is hunted by a group of interdimensional goblins that are invisible to the eye until you look at them through a video camera or you taste their blood, and they only attack if you're having strange bloodsport sex, or if you're the main character. They attack you by knocking things over or putting tiny cuts on your arms or legs. Damn, I just made this movie sound good.

Put simply, this movie has no redeeming qualities except for the occasional boob. The main character discovers everything by talking to himself, the cops are always "plainclothes with badges", and rarely does one event logically lead to the next. But even greater is this: the production values are the absolute rock bottom that I could possibly find on a movie with relatively mainstream DVD distribution, which is the whole point of my purchase and this review.

The whole work is shot on some kind of low-end digital camcorder, but not like Paranormal Activity where it's a choice. It's shot with standard setups: over-the-shoulder, reverse, wide, that is to say, it's not meant to be verite. It's the camcorder they had lying around before they decided to pick it up and make a movie. The lights are often in the frame. They are 500 watt worklights from Home Depot. The composition is never good, the sets are definitely the apartment buildings of the producers, the actors are their buddies, and this was shot on free weekends on-and-off for, oh, my bet is three weekends. It looks and plays like the movies that you shot in high school. For ninety minutes.

Here's why this is important. This movie is on the shelves, being watched by people who saw the cover art and decided to buy and/or rent, and is being reviewed by condescending losers like myself. It's visible, it's accessible, and at least two people have bought it, probably completely offsetting their production budget. But seriously, they made this movie quickly and haphazardly, unlikely to have made a film before, and with the worst possible final product, they still got a distributor to throw some money at it and the world can now see their work.

It's not as easy as it was to get distribution when this was made, but one will have to work hard to make something this bad anyway. They had a helping hand up to distro by throwing some boobs and blood, but ultimately the lesson to be learned here is this: if Blood Gnome did it, so can we all.

Aaron gives Blood Gnome
for taking the effort to actually complete the film

You can check out more of Aaron's work at PLP Films and pick up a copy of his beautifully shot horror / comedy / action masterpiece Death of the Dead by going to the Facebook fan page and clicking on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Nights 2 of 13: Boy Eats Girl

2010-10-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Justin Soponis is a producer, a writer and recently a feature film director. Who better to give you an opinion on a horror flick than a guy who's done it all. He checked out the 2005 foreign indie flick Boy Eats Girl.

Boy Eats Girl
by Justin Soponis

I've seen the preview for this movie a hundred times and thought that judging by the trailer it could be an interesting and funny take on the zombie genre. When I finally decided to watch the movie though, I was disappointed. What originally looked like a new idea turned out to be chock full of old ones. In the end I was barely interested in how I could already see the movie was going to turn out.

The first problem I found with the movie was how long it took to get to the action. By trying to tell a story about high school love within the zombie movie, it felt like there was just too much focus on high school drama, and not enough on the fact that zombies were soon going to be eating people. In addition, all of the high school drama was incredibly cliche'. There was the standard love interest between the main character and the girl he's loved since they were very young (but of course he's been too scared to ever tell her that), the class bully, the class slut, the class joker who is the best friend of the main character, etc. Because the movie was populated with such basic movie cliche's I found myself not really caring about any of them, or what happens to them. The acting was adequate most of the time, and bad at others.

Once the zombie outbreak occurs the majority of the zombie action was basically the same old recycled gags we've seen for the last 20 years in zombie movies. Once the viewer knows that zombies are eating people the impact of slowly revealing a zombie eating someone to the characters in the movie is lost. One sequence that was clearly supposed to pack a lot of punch involved the main character's love interest, a group of zombies, and a tractor with large, spinning blades attached to arms on the tractor. Unfortunately, much like the rest of the movie, the scene falls flat. There are a lot of zombies being sliced and diced in the scene, but a lot of awkward cuts make it almost impossible to tell what is happening besides that, and the awkwardness of the tractor itself make it seem unlikely that the zombies would have stood still throughout the scene so that the girl could puree' them. And of course, after mastering the ultimate zombie killing machine, the girl inexplicably gets out of the machine at the end of the scene so that she can be with her unarmed friends as they run away from more zombies.

All in all I didn't feel cheated after I watched the movie, I just didn't really care about it. There are some opportunities in the movie for it to move in a new and interesting direction, but every time there was a brief moment of potential it would just be overrun by tired zombie or high school drama cliches.

Justin gives Boy Eats Girl

You can check out Justin's work and pick up a DVD or two of your own by going to the Fearmakers' Facebook fan page and click on the "Shop Now" tab.

Halloween Night 1 of 13: Frankenstein (1931)

2010-10-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Okay we're going to kick off our 13 Halloween Nights with an oldie but a goodie, the dawn of Universal Horror, the spawn of a career and major studio... Frankenstein (1931), reviewed by Dismal baddie Bill Oberst, Jr.

FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
by Bill Oberst Jr.

I met Sara Karloff (Boris' daughter) at an old bookshop in Hollywood this year. She was nice enough to chat and to autograph a glossy of her father as Frankenstein's Monster. In flowing script she wrote on it “Bill, that's not a scary face!”

She was being kind. We had talked about my own career in horror films like DISMAL as the guy with the scary face, and she sweetly reassured me that I didn't look scary to her.

But looking at the photo now (hanging in its place of honor beside the lobby card from DISMAL's screening at Horrorfind and my signed pic of the late great Forrest J. Ackerman) the inscription seems to me an eloquently concise review of the film that made her family name forever synonymous with horror. There is her father's starkly bony face peeking through Jack Pierce's make-up, artfully lit for maximum menace by the Universal Studios Publicity Department. Yet through the layers of cotton and collodion, just beneath that great massive brow, there are those eyes; those watery, sad eyes; both haunted and haunting; those lonely human eyes set deep within a monstrous visage. I see it and I love that monster. I think to myself, “No, that's not a scary face. The scary faces belong to the ones who created you, the ones who hated one and the ones who hunted you.” And therein lies the genius of the original 1931 version of FRANKENSTEIN.

It isn't a great film. James Whale, a stage director at heart, uses medium and wide shots for major scenes so often that you want to strangle him while screaming, “Punch in for a closeup, damn you, punch in!” Tod Browning (director of FREAKS and Lon Chaney's lost vampire film LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT) was Universal's original choice when Chaney was up for the role, but when The Man Of 1,000 Faces died suddenly, Browning left the project and moved to DRACULA, which arrived on screens first. One salivates thinking of the darker atmosphere Browning would have created had he helmed FRANKENSTEIN. Browning hated comic relief bits like the silly toast Baron Frankenstein makes at the end of the film. So did Chaney. Their collaboration on Mary Shelley's self-proclaimed “little ghost story” might have been less ripe for ridicule and fresher, even after 80 years.

But then, we wouldn't have Karloff. He is the reason to invest a little over an hour of your time this Halloween to a jerky old black & white artifact of 20th century cinema. Forget the others' overwrought performances (excepting Dwight Frye, who is quite good as Fritz.) Forget the ensuing decades of satire and parody and sequels that destroyed the character of The Monster. Forget it all. Turn out the lights, turn off the phone, and wait. Wait for Karloff to appear. And look into those monstrous, hating, pleading, frightened and ever-alone eyes.

And ask yourself, “Is that a scary face?”
Bill gives Frankenstein (1931)

Bill gives Karloff's performance

Bill Oberst, Jr. is one scary badass. You can see him in one of his finest roles playing the uber creepy Dale in Fearmakers' flick Dismal. To get your copy of the DVD just go to the Fearmakers Facebook page and click on the "Shop Now" tab.

You won't be disappointed! You got Dale's word on that!

Coming: 13 Halloween Nights

2010-10-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

The Fearmakers team has decided to do something special this year for our favorite month. We are reviewing 13 films and posting one review a day from Oct. 19 through Oct. 31. We will be covering the old, the new and the obscure. Real movie reviews by the people who make them, the actors, the directors, the writers and the crew of horror films in their own words.

Buy a DVD, get a free shirt

2010-10-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

While supplies last, buy any Fearmakers DVD and get a FREE official Fearmakers.com Tshirt. Just go to the Fearmakers facebook fan page and click on the "Shop Now" tab to place your order.

Tshirts are limited so once they are gone so is the offer.

Get yours today. Go to the FEARMAKERS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE and click on the SHOP NOW tab. Make sure you mention what size you'd prefer in the notes when you pay through PayPal.

Interview with Producer Justin Soponis

2010-09-28T20:18:00.001-07:00

Producer Justin Soponis got his day in the sun with horror reviewer and podcast host, Gruesome Hertzogg. Soponis gives you his take on the making of Dismal and Savage and his "baby" Lance Steel. Find out all the bloody details in this interview.

Gruesome Hertzogg interview with Justin Soponis

Lisa Wilcox Interview

2010-09-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

Check out Savage darling Lisa Wilcox of Nightmare on Elm Street fame as she talks about her life as a horror icon. She has some wonderful things to say about working on Savage and the folks behind it (that's us). You can hear it all on Gruesome Hertzogg's podcast.

(a faux prego Lisa Wilcox with producer Bo Buckley)

Looking Good!

2010-09-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

You wanna look good? Impress all your friends? Get your own Fearmakers.com shirt now. People will see you and ask, "hey, what's that cool shirt you're wearing?" and you'll tell them, "why that's my new Fearmakers.com shirt. You should check them out. They make cool horror flicks." And they'll say, "I like horror movies." And you'll say, "then you should DEFINITELY check them out." And they'll say, "I will." And you'll say, "you should." And they'll say, "I said I would." And you'll say, "I'm just saying, you should." And they'll get frustrated and say, "dude, I freakin' said I would now knock it off." And you'll get defensive and say, "lighten up, man, I'm just saying if you like horror movies you should check them out." And they'll stop being your friend. BUT you'll look good in our T-shirt!
Get your own Fearmakers T-Shirt by going to our Facebook fan page and click on "Shop Now". Don't forget to "like" us. We'll be your friend.

LAST CHANCE to see Dismal!

2010-09-27T07:01:00.001-07:00

Tonight is the last airing of Dismal on Showtime. Don't miss it. 10pm on Showtime Beyond. Who the hell wants to watch Green Bay vs. Chicago on Monday Night Football anyway? Lame.

Making Dreams and Nightmares Come True

2010-09-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

Now through the end of September, you can help make a child's dream come true every time you purchase a Fearmakers or Strange Stuff DVD. $5 from every DVD sale will be donated to Scares That Care! which supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

There are all kinds of goodies to get for your collection including the uber violent Dismal or the creature feature Savage. Just go to one of two Facebook fan pages for Fearmakers or Strange Stuff and click on the "Shop Now" tab. Every penny of the donation goes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

So get over to our fan page, click that you "Like" us and show your support by buying a DVD... or two... or three and know that you are helping make a child's wish come true.

Bo Buckley Interviews With The Independent Corner

2010-09-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what goes into the thought process behind a Fearmakers' film? Okay, so maybe "thought process" is used a little loosely, BUT, there are decisions to be made and pieces that have to be put in place when a movie is made. Check out the interview Bo Buckley did with Jonathan Moody at The Independent Corner and find out where it all started, how the movies came to be and where it's going.

Bo Buckley's Interview With The Independent Corner

Will Triplett on Being Gary (in Dismal)

2010-09-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it's like to be bruised and bloody, chained to a table while deranged cannibals boil a pot of swamp water waiting to add the main ingredient... YOU? Well I'm sure it's no thrill and acting like that's going to happen is no thrill either (even if you're really not going to die). Check out Will Triplett's interview with Gruesome Hertzogg where he talks all about Dismal and the shit he had to go through to make the character believable.

Gruesome Hertzogg interview with Will Triplett

Make sure you check out Dismal all month long on Showtime.

On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/15/10 at 11:35 PM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/17/10 at 1:40 AM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/21/10 at 11:15 PM
On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/23/10 at 8:40 PM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/26/10 at 3:10 AM

Bill Talks Dale, Dismal and More...

2010-09-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Gruesome is at it once again, this time talking to our beloved bad guy, Bill Oberst, Jr. aka Dale from Fearmakers' Dismal. Bill offers a lot of insight about the movie like where the accent for Dale came from to never before heard behind the scenes stories. You absolutely must check out this interview.

Gruesome Hertzogg interview

And now there are even more opportunities to check out Dismal on Showtime.


On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/07/10 at 1:05 AM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/11/10 at 4:15 AM
On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/15/10 at 11:35 PM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/17/10 at 1:40 AM

You don't know Jack... but you will!

2010-08-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

(Jack Harrison plays the super baddie, Idiot, in Fearmakers' Dismal)

Jack Harrison talks with Gruesome Hertzogg about the cast, the crew, stunts and playing a serious bad ass in Fearmakers' swamp cannibal feature, Dismal. Take a few minutes to find all the behind-the-scenes goodness that made up this fun flick.

Gruesome Hertzogg interview with Jack Harrison

And don't forget to check out Dismal on Showtime in September. The dates and times are below.

On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/02/10 at 1:15 AM
On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/04/10 at 8:35 PM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/06/10 at 12:35 AM
On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/07/10 at 1:05 AM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/11/10 at 4:15 AM

Dismal on Showtime

2010-08-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Dismal will be airing on Showtime this month. See below for the official schedule.

On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/02/10 at 1:15 AM
On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/04/10 at 8:35 PM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/06/10 at 12:35 AM
On SHOWTIME BEYOND 09/07/10 at 1:05 AM
On SHOWTIME NEXT 09/11/10 at 4:15 AM

A Little Dead Review of Dismal and Savage

2010-08-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest review from Darryl at A Little Dead Podcast episode 62. He enjoyed the films very much and gave each a solid "borrow" on his scale.

Cinema Crazed Thinks Fans Will "Love What They See"

2010-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

"Strong performances, engrossing characters, and a very exciting finale..." are just a few of the kinds words from the peeps at Cinema Crazed, who took a look at our film Dismal. They run a review site for genre based flicks and had seen some of Gary King's (director) previous work. Surprised by the 180 degree turn from his other stuff they decided to check out our film. And you should check out their full review at Cinema Crazed's review of Dismal.

Make sure you visit Cinema Crazed often for more reviews.

Fearmakers on The Parafactor LIVE

2010-04-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

Listen LIVE Tuesday, April 20th at 11PM as Fearmakers joins the crew from The Parafactor to discuss Bigfoot, Savage and a bunch more. Click on the link and listen online. THE PARAFACTOR SITE.

New SAVAGE Trailer

2010-03-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

As we approach a distribution date, we have uploaded a new SAVAGE trailer for fans to view. More action and more monster than before. We think you'll dig this one.

LANCE STEEL teaser

2010-03-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Haven't seen the full Lance Steel prologue yet? Let this little teaser we put together whet your appetite.

After you get done salivating over that, you can watch the full 13 min prologue to the upcoming creature feature right here at FEARMAKERS.com.

"A true hidden gem..."

2010-03-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yet another review from Vault of Obscurity. This time they saw our film, Dismal. Read what they had to say about it. Oh, and we suggest you take their advice.

"Definitely some of the best you will see..."

2010-03-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Vault of Obscurity posted their review of Savage. Short but sweet. Check it out for yourself.

Back by Popular Demand

2010-03-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

After a successful run On Demand through Time Warner and Charter cable providers, Dismal is back and in markets not previously available. Thousands of customers viewed Dismal during it's 15 week run On Demand and we hope thousands more catch it the second time around.

Soon we'll have DVD news to announce and cable TV that will include a run on Showtime and possibly Starz!

Positive Reviews for SAVAGE

2010-02-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

Dave Coleman, author of "Cine Du Sasquatch" recently contacted us praising the film for its unique take of Bigfoot. Coleman received and advance screener of the film in order to complete deadlines for the book. Anxious to be a part of the book, we sent the screener right away, and even more anxious to hear his thoughts. We were not disappointed. "Definitely one of the more spectacular visualizations in recent Bigfoot movie history!" writes Coleman, "artistically a smashing success". The book, and the full review of Savage, will be published later this year by McFarland Press and Coleman adds, "you'll be pleased with the review." I think we will.

Happy Birthday, Christopher Cook!

2010-01-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

the hypnotic stare of Christopher Cook

Producer and Director of Marketing, Christopher Cook, is celebrating a birthday today. He won't give out his real age, and rumor is Christopher Cook is a stage name anyway, but he does confirm that he is FINALLY legal and wants all the sexy young women and men to know that.

Few people know this but when Christopher was born he was dropped on his head... twice... on purpose. But that only partly explains the way he is. Christopher has been with Fearmakers for 7 years now, back since the early days of Death4Told (please don't bring that up). We saw him roaming the streets looking desperate so we decided to bring him in. And like a lost puppy, he hasn't left us since.

In the time he's been with Fearmakers, we've seen Cook move to California, get married, kick three drug habits and get a tattoo near his sphincter that says "Exit Only!" It has been quite a run and we're glad he's part of this dysfunctional team. He fits right in. Happy Birthday, Christopher!

Dismal Makes Top 20 Horror Films of 2000 Decade. Really?

2010-01-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

I know, right? Dismal is one of the top 20 horror films of the 2000 decade? I didn't believe it either, but there it was in black and white. I mean we know it's good, we just expected it to be like, oh, top 10 or better. Karl of ComicsOnline.com reviewed Dismal last year and has now rated it as one of his top 20 scary flicks of the decade. Not too shabby. Karl, if you're reading this, thank you, and let us know where to send the check. See the official review HERE.

Lance Steel Prequel Now Online

2010-01-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Check out the mini prequel to the upcoming feature film, Lance Steel. See it right here on the Fearmakers website. Pay close attention to the info at the bottom so you can view the prequel properly. Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Exclusive Lance Steel Monster Hunter Sneak Peek

2010-01-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

Hey gang. You should have received an email with a link for your exclusive LANCE STEEL MONSTER HUNTER mini-prequal sneak peek.

Some people didn't get email due to technical issues with Google beyond our control, so we are posting the link here.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR LANCE STEEL MINI PREQUEL SNEAK PEEK!

Do you love it or what?

Lance Steel Sneak Peek

2010-01-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

Fearmakers has a new project coming up and we thought you would like to get a first look at the madness we've cooked up this time. The film is about a sarcastic, ass kicker named Lance Steel and he's a monster hunter. Yeah, that's right--a monster hunter. Want to see the mini-prequel?

Get an exclusive sneak peek of the Lance Steel mini-prequel before anyone else. Here's how you do it in one easy step:

1. Become a follower of Fearmakers Blog BEFORE Monday, January 11th.

It's just that simple. There are no coupons to cut out and no box tops to mail in. All blog followers as of January 11th will be sent a Web link to view the prequel online. This is an EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK at the main character, Lance Steel, for our next feature film LANCE STEEL only available to our blog followers.

Here's how to sign up (for free) as a Fearmakers blog follower:

-Go to http://www.fearmakers.com/news.html

-Look on the RIGHT side of the page, about HALF WAY down the blog for the FOLLOW (with Google Friend Connect) button in WHITE.

-CLICK on the button and sign-in or sign-up as needed.

Don't forget, the deadline is Monday, January 11th. In fact, you better sign up RIGHT NOW so you don't forget...we know how you are.

http://www.fearmakers.com/news.html

Don't make us point and laugh at you when miss out on this one. Remember that time when we told you to do that thing, and you didn't, and you felt like an idiot afterwards and ran crying to your room while your best friend became a teen werewolf and single-handedly won the big game and was the most popular kid in school and you were the big loser? Yeah, we thought so. Don't let that happen again. Be one of the cool kids and follow our blog.

-Go to http://www.fearmakers.com/news.html

-Look on the RIGHT side of the page, about HALF WAY down the blog for the FOLLOW (with Google Friend Connect) button in WHITE.

-CLICK on the button and sign-in or sign-up as needed.

Wrapping up 2009!

2009-12-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

Another wild year for Fearmakers is about to end. 2009 saw the release of Dismal, the premiere of Savage, the start of a new division in Strange Stuff and a glimpse into the future with Lance Steel.

We'd like to thank everyone who supported us this year. We feel very honored and grateful to have people who appreciate our movies and we plan to deliver even more in 2010.

From Fearmakers to all of you, Happy Holidays!

More Dismal Updates

2009-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

Just found out some info on the Showtime deal. Dismal will air on Showtime September of 2010. I know, long time, huh? Well never fear Dismal fans, the movie will be out on DVD before then. As we're told, DVD has to come out before pay TV, and as soon as we know the dates we'll pass them along to you. No word on Comcast or additional On Demand dates.

Savage Appearing in Upcoming Book

2009-11-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

**note: book does not reflect actual image but is a poor attempt to put our own artwork on a fictitious cover

Author Dave Coleman is writing a book called Sasquatch Cinema, an in-depth reference to every Bigfoot movie ever made as well as T.V. appearances. The book will include pictures, reviews and interviews with the cast / crew. The book is being published by McFarland Press and should be available in 2010.

On the Set of Death of the Dead

2009-11-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

Full into production for the feature film, Death of the Dead, the zombie / action / comedy / thriller / sci-fi / horror masterpiece from Strange Stuff Productions. With lots of action, blood, sex, gore, violence and language, it will be a film everyone can enjoy!

Gary directs the talented cast including William Lee as the Evil Sensei and Michael Blaustein as Donnie (pictured above).

Happy Halloween From Fearmakers

2009-10-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

This has to be our most favorite time of the year. It's the season that shaped us as kids and turned us into the scary movie making madmen that we are now. From watching Double Chiller Theater with Fritz the Night Owl to hiding behind the door to literally scare the shit out of our mothers, for us there was no better time than Halloween.

Now we're all grown up in body, but the mind and spirit still plays like a kid in a candy store every time the holiday approaches. So whether you're getting dressed up like a bloody psycho or a sexy nymph (hopefully for a party) or curling up with a loved one to watch a scary movie *cough* Dismal *cough*, the team at Fearmakers hopes you have a terrific Halloween.

Kicking Ass and Taking Names

2009-10-29T13:05:00.001-07:00

Don't let the innocent eyes fool you. This girl will kick your ass. Meet Christina Rose, star of Strange Stuff Productions' upcoming zombie flick, Death of the Dead. Christina plays Wanda, the awkward geek turned zombie-butt-smashing-bombshell with the help of a little magic.

Production is about to kick off and the cast includes model Alex Del Monacco and scream queen Debbie Rochon. We'll keep you posted on all the brain eating details right here and maybe even sneak a picture or two in.

FEAR CLINIC Begins

2009-10-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Make sure you tune it tomorrow to see Lisa Wilcox from our upcoming creature feature, Savage, in a new show called "Fear Clinic" on FEARnet. The show also stars her Freddy Kreuger co-star Robert Englund. Should be a good one!

It's Showtime®, Baby!

2009-10-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Fearmakers just received word from our agent that Dismal has sold to Showtime®! No word on when it will be airing or whether it will list on the main channel or one of the sub channels a al Showtime Extreme, but either way, it's good news for us.

For all our fans looking for the DVD, here's the update. We have struck a deal with Comcast to have it play On Demand. Our agent is waiting on the dates and as soon as we get them we'll pass them along. Agents are notoriously bad at delivering information so don't be surprised if we get the info second hand from a fan with Comcast rather than our agent. Also, the Time Warner On Demand deal has expired, however, our agent is looking to renew an On Demand deal with TWC. Our only assumption is that the On Demand has done well which is why then want to renew the title.

Bad news is, everyone waiting for the elusive DVD release might have to wait a little longer. The good GOOD news is, if Dismal does well in the domestic and foreign markets, it mean Fearmakers might just be around a little longer to make more movies. I like the sound of that.

Dismal at AFM

2009-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is our first move for world domination. AFM (American Film Market) is one of the largest market and brings international buyers from all over the world to peruse the mounds of screeners and select a chosen few to take to their audience back home. Dismal will be well represented with a screening, listing in the official AFM program and plenty of screeners and swag to hand out. Our goal is to be available to everyone in the world. "You got Dale's word on that!"

Tweet Tweet

2009-10-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

We have officially joined the 21st century. Fearmakers is now on Twitter. Follow us as we learn all about tweets and twitting and twhatever else we can do with this new social toy. Be patient. We're slow learners.

SAVAGE in Fango

2009-10-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

The industry leading magazine Fangoria did a piece on Savage for their website. It was a really cool piece with exclusive photos and comments from the producers and cast. Unfortunately they misspelled producer Justin Soponis' name wrong, but we'll forgive them. Bigfoot may not, but Fearmakers will.

SAVAGE Premiere at Horrorfind

2009-10-01T07:14:00.001-07:00

(Fans gather around to meet the cast of Savage and watch the trailer)
Lines forming almost an hour before showtime. Standing room only. Filled to capacity. Many people had to be turned away, disappointed that they were going to miss the premiere screening of our latest film Savage. Cast and crew were on hand for the premiere, including Martin Kove, Lisa Wilcox, Jack Harrison and Tony Becker who plays hero ranger Owen in the film.

The screening was a success. Many horror fans coming up to us afterward complimenting us on the movie, asking "how'd you do that?" and telling us their favorite part. One fan even told us it was the best Bigfoot movie he'd ever seen and he'd "seen them all". Pretty nice compliment considering the company our movie is in.
(Tony Becker talks with fans of Savage)
We also had a reprise of Dismal fans, unveiled our Strange Stuff label, reunited with cast of Death4Told, Margot Kidder and Tom Savini, and previewed our upcoming feature Lance Steel with great response and enthusiasm. We will be bringing the Lance preview to everyone in the near future.

In all, another successful representation for Fearmakers at Horrorfind Weekend. We hope to keep making the movies and bringing them back to our growing fan base at Horrorfind.

Wilcox, Buckley to Judge "Makeup Wars"

2009-09-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Lisa Wilcox, star of Nightmare on Elm St. 4&5 and Fearmakers' creature feature Savage, and Fearmakers' own Bo Buckley will be on a panel to judge the Makeup Wars at the Horrorfind Weekend 11 convention. There will be 6 teams of makeup artists competing. Each team gets the same makeup kit, same parameters and one hour to complete their creation.

Bo has plenty of experience in makeup fx, having graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh specializing in makeup fx. And Lisa is no stranger to the makeup arts, having appeared in a number of horror flicks including working side by side with THE Freddy Krueger himself. She knows good monster makeup when she sees it.

Dismal Ranks High on IMDb.com

2009-09-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dismal is up nearly 19,000 % in popularity this week. That's right. NINETEEN THOUSAND PERCENT! Out of over 500,000 films Dismal is ranked #173 in popularity. Pretty outstanding stat for our little film. Kudos to everyone who helped make it possible.

If you've seen Dismal, please click on the link and rate the movie. If you're not registered with IMDb.com it's simple and free and no spam. And if you feel inclined give the movie a review. We'd love to hear your take on it.

New Site Unleashed

2009-09-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Lots happening this year for Fearmakers. First we release Dismal to the world and everyone knows "You've got Dale's word on it". Then we added a new logo and name (no longer using "Studios"). Now comes the latest for Fearmakers in 2009, the new website. All the movies, all the pictures, the news and even games! I know, it's crazy talk. But that's what we've done. With the help of the fine developers at Mad Hatter Design Studio we have a brand new site with tons of content. A one stop shop if you will. Check it out. And we'll be adding more soon. More games, more swag and of course, more movies.

They Call Me Lance

2009-09-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

The man, the myth, the legend, Lance Steel is one badass monster hunter. In the upcoming weeks we'll unveil a short preview of Lance Steel full of menacing monsters, hot women and smoking guns. "This film is going to be a lot of fun," says Producer Bo Buckley. "For everyone else it's going to be a lot of work, but I sleep mostly during production."

Lance Steel will mark the directorial debut of Fearmakers producer Justin Soponis. "I'm not nervous at all about directing my first film," says Soponis. "But just to be sure I've ordered my own personal honeywagon (aka movie set toilet) to be near me at all times."

Lance Steel: the prequel will premiere at the Horrorfind Weekend Sept. 25-27.

Scotchworthy Calendar

2009-08-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

The talented and demented gang over at Scotchworthy Productions did the practical effects on our film DISMAL. Not content to slave over hot guts all day, they have created a 2010 Scotchworthy Girls calendar for your buying pleasure. Pick up their calendar and tell them what nice guys we are for sending you over.

Savage Cast Attending Premiere

2009-08-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

There will be quite a few folks on hand for the premiere of Savage at the Horrorfind Weekend in September and we just got word that Martin Kove, Lisa Wilcox and Tony Becker will be coming all the way out from LA to join us that weekend. They will be sitting at our booth helping promote the film and joining us on stage for a little Q&A after the screening. We're thrilled to get to hang out with these fine folks one more time, and we're sure the thousands of horror fans that will be in attendance will appreciate them too.

Local News on Set with Lance

2009-08-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

(LtoR Joe Stauffer (camera op) Chad Oliver (AC) Shane Callahan (as Det. Robeson) and Nate Panning(as Lance Steel) in a scene for the movie Lance Steel:Monster Hunter teaser. Courtesy Mike Spencer / Star News)
The Star News in Wilmington, NC printed a story about indie filmmaking with the Red One camera and peeked their heads on our set of the Lance Steel teaser. It's a nice little piece with many quotes from Fearmaker Justin Soponis and fellow colleagues like DP Shawn Lewallen (Dismal, Savage) and talks about the uses of the Red in comparison to Hollywood made features and indies from years ago.

When Fearmakers began, the idea of shooting on film was pretty much a dream. While several indie producers had found short cuts to shooting movies on film, it wasn't practical. When we set out to do our first feature, Death4Told, we chose to shoot standard definition digital. High def wasn't even common language at that time. By today's standards, everyone with a few grand can pick up a digital camera that shoots HD and Death4Told looks as antiquated as a B-movie sci-fi feature of the 50s. But as many filmmakers and critics say, a good, entertaining story will outlive the medium on which it was told. As the Red One becomes the norm and indie filmmakers become the first to shoot IMAX features on over-the-counter cameras, it's the story and entertainment of the movie that will set itself apart.

That said, we will try to shoot the latest technology whenever possible because it's just so freakin' cool!!!! You can read the Star News articles here.

Goodbye John Hughes

2009-08-07T07:04:00.001-07:00

John Hughes died on August 6, 2009 of a heart attack. If you don't recognize the name, you'll certainly recognize his work as a writer, producer, and director. Here are a just a few of his credits:

Uncle Buck (director, producer, writer)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (director, producer, writer)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (director, producer, writer)
Weird Science (director, writer)
The Breakfast Club (director, producer, writer)
Sixteen Candles (director,writer)
Home Alone (producer, writer)
Christmas Vacation (producer, writer)
National Lampoon's Vacation (writer)
Pretty in Pink (exec producer, writer)

Talk about a slew of classics! John Hughes was too young to go at 59. He will be missed.

Monsters Beware!

2009-07-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

Fearmakers went into production today on teaser to the highly anticipated horror / comedy Lance Steel. The teaser is a 10 minute prequel into the world of fantasy, monsters and, oh yeah, Lance himself. "Lance is kinda like Dog the Bounty Hunter if Dog was the coolest dude on the planet," says writer / director Justin Soponis. Actually, Steel is a quick witted bounty hunter who specializes in monsters and fortunately has a high tolerance for pain.

Stick around as we bring you more updates on Lance Steel including behind-the-scenes info, photos and the teaser. Lance Steel, the feature, is expected to go into production in 2010.

Strange Stuff Introduced

2009-07-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Things are changing all around. Logos, movies, a new website later next month and now information on a new division and movie. Drum roll please.........

Welcome a whole new world of Strange Stuff.

Under the Strange Stuff label we'll be giving our fans some over-the-top, outrageously fun films full of gore, sex and humor. To kick off this new division we are currently in pre-production on Death of the Dead, our toxic charged zombie flick which we describe as Night of the Living Dead meets The Karate Kid. We know what you're thinking, Oscar® nom!

As we progress we'll keep you posted on all the gorey details.

Showin' the Love

2009-07-23T07:42:00.001-07:00

Fans everywhere have been contacting us this week, telling us they watched Dismal and had a great time. One even sent us a pic from their phone of the On Demand listing in their area. We even heard some disappointment for some who couldn't get the movie in their area or through their provider. All we can say is keep checking. Dismal is rolling out to new areas regularly and will be available to Comcast customers soon. The movie runs On Demand through mid-October so check back often to see if you have it.

Many thanks to all those fans who have watched the movie! If you really want to help you can go to IMDb.com and rate the film. You can also post a message on the message board and even write a review of the movie!! Go ahead, be a critic. Signing up for IMDb.com is quick, easy and best of all FREE. Plus no spam like other sites. Thanks for showin' the love, now spread the word!!!! Demand Dismal!!!

Demand Dismal!

2009-07-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, so last night everyone is in a mild panic. Can't reach the agent and there is absolutely no info, zero, nada, zilch, about the upcoming On Demand release of Dismal for Time Warner and Comcast customers. We've been pimping this date (today) for a long time now and what a disappointment it would be to wake up and not have Dismal listed in the On Demand selections.

So I finally reach the agent and he's like, Hey, if the distributor said it would be there it should be there. Well that's no help. We're two hours out before my inbox is flooded with "Where's the movie, Bo?" I've learned in my years that it's best not to get too excited over things you cannot control. So after a final attempt to contact Time Warner directly, unsuccessfully I might add, I figured I'd just wait it out till midnight and hope for the best. Then what to my wondering eyes should appear? The clock strikes midnight and there she blows!!! DISMAL with a beautiful orange circle next to it, the most beautiful orange circle I have ever seen in my life! Apparently the orange circle means new release or something, but whatever it officially denotes it was glorious.
(Producer Justin Soponis knows Dismal showed up Right On Time!)

Okay, so they recut the trailer for the preview and the sound is a bit off, TWC used a poster for another movie and they put the cast in order of IMDb.com listing not by any real preference which means the movie stars one actor who didn't make the final cut (but will be on the DVD deleted scene) and another who gets whacked in the first 3 minutes, while the heroine gets nary a mention. Well life's not always fair and sometimes it downright sucks, but the movie is there and that's all we were hoping for.

** NOTE: It appears Dismal is not available to all TWC or Comcast customers. Not sure why this is but the movie has been popping up in different markets at different times. Keep checking and we'll keep you posted

New Movie, New Look

2009-07-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Just three days shy of the Dismal On Demand debut (say that 5 times fast). Probably about time to purchase your microwave popcorn, get your favorite blankie by the sofa to hide your eyes and cancel any important business scheduled that day.

To kick off the new movie, as you can see from above, we're releasing our new logo as well. We've dropped the "studios" from our name. We're kinda like Madonna... or Prince... or... Branjelina. One name says it all. We'll follow this up with a revamped website later next month and a premiere of the monster flick, SAVAGE, in September. Damn, we're busy.

Oh but we're not done there. We've got plans for another movie hopefully lensing later this year. Not really sure what movie that is just yet, but we promise it'll be a helluva ride! Seriously, though, we have to thank everyone who has supported us. We couldn't have done it without you. Well, we could have, but no one would be watching our movies.

Fan Up, Bitches!

2009-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

We would LOVE for you to check out our Facebook fan page and become a fan. Then sign your friends up. There's all kinds of cool shit on the fan page, behind the scenes photos, comments from people who have worked on or seen the movie. Leave your mark, say something poetic and FAN UP!

And for those of you who have seen the movie already either at the Horrorfind Weekend premiere or one of the several screenings, please visit our IMDb.com page and rate the movie. And if you're feeling really froggy, write us a review on the site. We'd love to know what you think of the movie. And if we don't like what you have to say... well... mornin' sunshine new days a-breakin'... you know what that means.

Heilige Scheiße! Düster in Deutschland

2009-06-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

German horror lovers (and we know there are a LOT of you!) are preparing to feast on the indie American horror flick, Dismal. They released their own fine artwork (see above) of a body double for Jack Harrison aka Idiot carrying the severed head double of one of our female cast members (we won't say who). Very classy work, fellows! And they even changed the name of the film! BLEED! Hmm, how do we feel about that? Well, it's not much different from some of the titles we nearly used for the US release like I Bleed On Your Grave, or The Bleedened or If It Bleeds We Feeds, and my favorite Tubs of Blood. Not sure Bleed is as catchy as those titles, but who cares as long as our German horror friends enjoy the movie.

Deutsche Grausigkeit lockert Felsen auf!

3 Rules of Independent Movie Making

2009-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a pretty good little article by guy named James Stern. It's about little indies competing with the big boys and what we need to do to stay in the game. What I like about his article is it's not pretentious like some many other independent cinema articles, which talk about art and message and all that bullshit. This guy says, fuck it, you wanna make cheesy horror pics or raunchy teen comedies, go do it, just know what you're getting in to before you shoot your first frame. He says there are 3 rules to filmmaking...
#1 Make Smarter Movies. Again, he's not talking about being a director with some rule-breaking vision of cinema, but rather knowing your audience and understanding the ENTIRE process of filmmaking from fiance to distribution and marketing, so you can create a solid, smart product.
#2 Respect the Money. Such a great rule to live by. For starters, if you have investors you have to treat it like a business. They want their money back, maybe even a profit. Lose sight of that and you might as well make movies while filling out fast food applications 'cause you won't last long. Also, even though you're spending someone else's money, act like it's your own. Don't spend it on frivolous shit that can be done with a little more hard work or ingenuity.
#3 Before the Camera Rolls.... Think 'Market'. This basically means knowing you have to drive people to your movie once you make it. Hey, this isn't Field of Dreams If-You-Make-It-They-Will-Come shit. Most likely if you make it no one will know unless you market the hell out of it.
This is good stuff here, guys. Even though we current apply all these rules we never really set them as "rules". But now I understand that many people do NOT apply these rules, so this article is a perfect read.