Development Hell, the place many films end up. No matter how many writers, producers or directors try, these movies just never seem to escape. Whether it is a matter of money, creative differences, change of taste or a mixture of both, many movies have found themselves suffering this fate. Some movies have escaped and others still stand languishing in a sort of purgatory, not yet made but not yet in Hell.
Here’s a short list of five genre films that are residing Development Hell. Some stand a hopefully decent chance at life, though I will say the first is pretty much as dead a doornail. Some might view the first as a bit a cheat, but the concept is worthy of placement.
Title: Alien 3 Director: Vincent Ward Year: 1992
Story: Asleep aboard the Sulaco Ellen Ripley, along with Newt and Hicks, are jettisoned from the ship. The tubes crash onto a wooden, artificial planet that is controlled by an order of Monks who have made an artificial world hearkening back to the Middle Ages. Newt and Hicks are killed in the crash landing, Ripley however survives, a woman alone on a planet of men. Imprisoned by the Monks and with an alien on the loose, Ripley must find a way to destroy it once and for all.
Why It Died: Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master) had departed the project because Fox refused to invest in the massive war film he wanted to do. Vincent Ward was brought in to write and direct, his story was certainly different in its complete design. The film was almost made, sets were already being built in England when Fox pushed Ward to ditch the Monk angle and go for a prison planet. Like Harlin, Ward left over creative differences.
Fox recruited David Fincher and the script once again was rewritten, this time for a prison planet. Sets meant for Ward’s film were adapted for Fincher and the rest as they say is history.
Potential For Life: Zippo to nil when it comes to a feature film. Unless the story can somehow fit into a sequel for the Alien prequel Ridley Scott is cooking up, highly doubtful. In the grand scheme of things, I think a graphic novel will be the only way to see Ward’s story brought to some sort of life.
Title: Full Moon Fever Director: Renny Harlin Year: 2004
Story: Based on the graphic novel by Joe Casey, the sci-fi story is centered on a group of workers sent to do some routine work on a lunar base. When they arrive, they find the base deserted, except for a pack of vicious werewolves.
Why It Died: Werewolves on a moon base, its so simple its brilliant. Like many films, after initial news of its existence, it disappeared. My speculation is that it came down to a simple case of money; either the budget was deemed to large or it never came together.
Potential For Life: Compared to Alien 3, this I think has a good potential for a new life. It might depend on how Dead Space will perform when it gets released. If it proves successful, I think we’ll see a rise in space oriented horror films and hopefully this cool concept will see the screen.
Title: The Ill Director: George A. Romero Year: 2000
Story: The story focused on a college slacker that ends up getting turned into one of the bloodsucking undead.
Why It Died: What would have been Romero’s second vampire film, Ill simply disappeared from the radar, chances are financing and then Romero’s involvement with Land of the Dead killed the project. To this day, Ill has never resurfaced.
Potential For Life: The success of the Underworld and Twilight franchises along with smaller films like Let the Right One In has sparked a renewed interest in vampires. Hopefully like what happened with the resurgence of zombies and Land, someone will court Romero about his take on vampires; which would certainly contain Romero’s usual social commentary.
Title: From Buick 8 Director: Tobe Hooper Year: 2009
Story: Based on the Stephen King novel, the film focuses on the son of a police officer who discovers a Buick languishing in the police garage. The car however, is far more sinister than it appears.
Why It Died: Well, compared to other films on the list, this film is still in production to be technical. But it has a bit of a history where at one point George A. Romero and Mick Garris were at various points going to direct before it landed in Hooper’s lap. However the constant delay is because of the financing not coming together.
Potential For Life: Hard to call this one, but as it’s still listed as ‘in production’, it may stand a better chance than the other films on this list. The American Film Market is coming next month some funding might be raised via pre-sell; so hopefully we’ll hear some news.
Title: Diamond Dead Director: George A. Romero Year: 2004 now 2011
Story: Based on the script by Brian Cooper; a woman accidentally kills a 1980s metal band and feeling guilt over what happened, she signs a pact with the devil to bring them back. The band returns and becomes the hottest gig, despite the fact their zombies.
Why It Died: I feel bad including two Romero movies, however the black comedy sparked a lot of interest back in 2004. It would have marked Romero’s return to the zombie genre and would have been produced by Ridley & Tony Scott. However like The Ill, the movie was apparently put on the backburner when Universal offered to produce Romero’s apocalyptic opus Land of the Dead.
Potential For Life: Last year it came out that the project had been reborn and was apparently moving forward. However with no real news since then, hard to tell. But like Buick 8, with the AFM arriving next month, maybe we’ll hear some news.
There you go, a short list of five movies that have drifted away. There are numerous other projects, large and small that have disappeared over the years either quietly or loudly. Buick 8 and Diamond Dead so far stand as the best chance of getting made, but hopefully Full Moon Fever and The Ill also come to life.
What are some other films that folks remember that have just vanished over the past few years?
FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS Issues #2-4 (Comic Reviews)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:21 AM | From Fangoria
Freddys at it again. Theres no surprise there as the real world doesnt understand that he basically exists in both worlds, yet if you try to throw a punch at his face, youre not likely going to hit him. And if you do, you might break his jaw or peel some burnt flesh off his cheek, but a minute later after unleashing a humorous quip, hell laugh it off and slice you for the trouble. Thats our beloved Freddy Krueger though. No matter how bad you think you are... hes badder.
FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS Issues #2-4
WildStorm Comics/ Dynamite Entertainment
Written by Jeff Katz and James Kuhoric | Art by Jason Craig and Cruddie Torian
Jason Voorhees is a bad boy too. Theres no argument, no debate on who gets the last Oreo cookie. Hell cut your hands off and stomp on the cookie because he really doesnt give a frack about anything. Hes a killing machine from the get-go, and theres no rhyme or reason about it. Hes just not a people person. So what happens when you have a crazy lunatic in an offseason red and green striped sweater team up with man-made killing machine that thinks machetes are for hacking up teenagers? Hell on earth AND in your dreams. On top of that, Freddy has the power of the Necronomicon and gives Jason the gift hes been wanting since Tommy Jarvis hacked him up... a new body! Good luck in defeating this unstoppable WWE tag team champs!
THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS is definitely for the fans. Jeff Katz and James Kuhoric construct the story using the survivors from both A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and FRIDAY THE 13TH franchises, and its a little bit sweeter knowing who these characters are rather than a stereotypical teen getting a machete to the gut. Youve got the popular Tommy Jarvis back again to take Jason out, along with telekinetic powerhouse Tina Shepard from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 7: THE NEW BLOOD, almost-forgotten empath, Rennie Wickham from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 8: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, and little known Stephanie Kimble from the forgettable JASON GOES TO HELL installment. On the dream warriors side, youve got the Dream Master Alice Johnson, her son Jacob from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD, the forgotten counselor Neil Gordon from the popular A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS, and the daughter of Freddy, Maggie Burroughs from FREDDYS DEAD. All have gathered together to take down these two monsters of mayhem, but somethings missing. Someone that likes to carry a boomstick at all times.
Thrown in the middle of it all is Ashley Williams, aka The Chosen One to battle the Necronomicon. And after successfully defeating the two monster machines in the first comic book series, poor old Ash finds himself back at square one after Jason Voorhees finds out where he lives, and takes care of his girlfriend. (WARNING: Ladies, do not date Ash. Your chances of dying are pretty high and full.) So its an all out war now with FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS. But is it good amidst all this chaos in characters in and plotting?
Get the popcorn out and maybe some nacho cheese because this series is pure entertainment. Not looking to win any prestigious awards or be listed as the greatest book ever, THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS instead delivers a non-stop ride into memory lane, taking most of the survivors from each film franchise and creating something new... A finality using the final girls and guys. If its one thing that kind of frustrates me with horror films, its left wondering what happened to the survivors of each film, especially when sequels are made. Its kind of like, Why doesnt Jason go back and take on Tina now that hes back? Well, hed probably get his ass kicked again, but I dont have to wonder about that anymore because shes in this book! Katz and Kuhoric have thrown away the rule book, and have gone completely nuts with this sequel, and the fans are truly rewarded for its crazy, breakout fun. The art is catchy too, as Jason Craig loves to draw them ladies with better than perfect bodies, making tanning oil scream with delight before touching these bodies. Especially Maggie when she lets loose and Freddy starts getting sick with her. Its weird, but hey, its a comic book. And since it cant be a film, why not pull out all the stop signs and just go for it? Katz, Kuhoric, Craig, and the rest of the team sure did, and if youre not smiling at least once during this series, then go back to Sleepaway Camp.
GRADE: All Three Issues
El Guapo Spends A Day At Disneyland For The Princess And The Frog
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 1:14 AM | From Latino Review
Normally when I get an e-mail from a publicist, I have to read the entire thing before deciding whether or not I want to participate in something. Usually it's a screening for a movie that nobody will ever see, sometimes it's an interview with an actor or director no one has ever heard of. When someone from Disney e-mails me, I usually respond with a "Yes" before even reading it. In the case of this last email, all I saw was 'Princess and the Frog' and 'Disneyland' before replying. Who needs to know more? After all, it's no secret that I'm perhaps one of the biggest Disney whores I know, having gone to the park a million times (I still have my annual pass, and even went this past weekend) and loved all of the movies and shows since I was a kid. A day at Disneyland? Lemme grab my Mickey ears... So two Fridays ago, myself and a bunch of other journos spent the day doing all things Disney. We first visited the park, rode some rides and checked out some behind the scenes stuff. We even ate at the exclusive Club 33 restaurant above the Blue Bayou. We then went and visited the Disney Animation Archives before finally heading back to Disney Animation Studios and interviewing the directors of The Princess and the Frog, Ron Clements & John Musker. So here's a breakdown of our Disney day to celebrate the arrival of Disney's return to hand drawn animation.
We all met at Disney Studio at 7 in the morning. A time when not even the birds are awake. At least not the birds in Los Angeles. We all hopped into a van and proceeded down I-5 to Anaheim, home of the Angels and Mickey Mouse. We entered the park through the Cast Member location which is just off of Bell Road near the park, and walked onto Main Street through an entrance located behind Space Mountain. It's here where we met up with Dean, our tour guide.
Dapper Dean giving us the park rules. Like no smoking, drinking or raping.
Our first order of business was to check out some of the cool things on Main Street, like the train station, which is a long time staple of the park and was one of Walt's favorite attractions. Because he worked so much, his wife demanded he get a hobby. And since he had a love for trains, he decided to build a mini railroad around his property.
Sorry, Silver Spoons. Walt beat you to it.
Next we went into the Disney gallery where we saw models, paintings and drawings of various things around the park. This gallery used to be above the Pirates of the Caribbean entrance but was moved over here to accommodate the new Disney Suite, something I'll talk about later.
Walt's magical ass sat on this bench. Griffith Park authorities now know who stole it.
Always loved this picture. Only $16,000? A bargain!
After walking down Main Street and learning about forced perspective used in its design, we headed over to Tomorrowland to ride the Ghost Galaxy Halloween overlay for Space Mountain. Space Mountain is my favorite ride in the park, and I've always wanted to check out the Ghost Galaxy overlay ever since I first read about it. And lemme tell you, it's worth the wait (not that we had to wait in line, but it's worth the wait for those that do.) While Space Mountain is normally really dark, you can still make out the track and you have some semblance of what's going on. For the overlay, the ride is completely pitch black. You can't see anything but the images of a menacing spirit that flashes in front of you at various times during the ride. There's one part where it appears as if a hand is following you during one of the turns. It was not only a fantastic overlay, but it scared the crap out of me.
OH MY GOD MAKE IT STOP!!!!!
We then ventured over into Fantasyland and checked out the Sleeping Beauty walkthrough that was closed after the events of 9/11 for fear of terrorist attacks. The walkthrough originally opened in 1957, so a piece of Disney history had been missing for some time since it closed. Did you know that Disneyland was one of the possible targets of a terrorist attack? If they had blown up Disneyland, I guarantee we would have nuked the shit out of the Middle East. After installing security cameras and upgrading the dioramas to include projection and holographic imagery, the Sleep Beauty walkthrough reopened last fall. I don't have any pictures but it looks great. However, my fellow journalist buddy Todd Gilchrist, was sad when he learned about the fate of Malificent.
Todd sat unresponsive for hours. His soul crying for Malificent's return.
Next up was the Haunted Mansion, one of the most popular attractions (and arguably, the most popular next to Pirates of the Caribbean) in the park. Every fall, the Haunted Mansion is transformed into A Nightmare Before Christmas. It's always one of the coolest things to see when you visit the park in fall. All of your favorite Nightmare characters are featured in the layover.
After the Haunted Mansion, I accompanied Mr. Beaks (this was his first time at Disneyland) on Splash Mountain, a celebration of a movie Disney refuses to release to the public for fear of racism. Like nobody knew there were slaves back in the day. I will never understand why this ride was built, but they won't release the movie. I love that movie! I assured Beaks that he won't get that wet since it's cool outside and the water level on the ride was low. This was of course, complete bullshit, and he got soaked to the bone. Sorry, dude.
Next was a visit to the Disney Dream Suite, located right above Pirates of the Caribbean. The Disney Dream Suite was an idea of Walt's but was never finished after his death. From 1987 to 2007, it became the home of the Disney Gallery until its recent move to Main Street so they could finally finish the project Walt had envisioned. Even though the Dream Suite is no longer a contest prize (if you won, you got to spend the night inside the park), it's still used from time to time for relatives of Walt Disney and other big shots in the biz. The Disney Suite was amazing, with a lot of French Provincial detail to fit with the New Orleans Square theme. Here's the 2008 press release:
"Guests may enter the Dream Suite by climbing the grand staircase outside the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. An elevator will be available to accommodate guests with disabilities. Through the doorway at the top of the stairs is the Living Room, designed in a French Provincial style reflecting the New Orleans Square setting. Unusual decorative items like a full-size carousel horse, a mechanical songbird and original wall paintings of European castles will conjure up memories of Walt Disney and the inspirations that went into creating the magical world of Disneyland. The suite features not one, but two master bedrooms. In one, the spirit of early 20th century innovation and the American frontier are summoned with an earthy color scheme, leather furniture, a cast-iron stove, an electric train and vintage mechanical toys. The other master bedroom is on the side of the residence nearest Adventureland, and its lush décor and atmosphere evoke the exotic flavor of jungle adventure stories as told in the Victorian era. The bayou-themed patio, central to the Disneyland Dream Suite and open to the sky above, is filled with tropical vegetation, furnished with comfortable chaises and illuminated by Chinese lanterns. Using a type of Disney magic familiar to guests on Pirates of the Caribbean, the patio is also visited by fireflies. As guests settle in for a stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite, they'll discover special effects surprises in each room. It could be a special tune in a striking clock, a sunset or a starscape that appears when the lights go down, subtle audio enhancements, or something totally unexpected."
Here are some pictures inside the Disney Dream Suite.
John Lasseter is one of the few who signed the guestbook and stayed in the Dream Suite.
This is a $50,000 trash can. I'm not kidding.
And this was my unsuccessful attempt at stealing it.
Here's some video featuring some of the cool things that happen when you go to sleep, or relax in the tub. I used my digital camera (which I hate) to take the video so apologies if the quality isn't up to snuff.
Now it was time for lunch, but instead of slumming it at the Blue Bayou (I'm sorry, but that place is so overrated) we got to eat at the exclusive Club 33 located right above the Blue Bayou. For those who don't know, Club 33 (named after its real mailing address - 33 Royal Street) was conjured up by Walt as a place for dignitaries, celebrities, corporate sponsors, VIPs and their families as an exclusive place to eat and drink. In fact, it's the only place in Disneyland where you're allowed to drink alcohol. (Disney's California Adventure has a wine tasting place). The only way to eat at Club 33 is to be a member (or know one). But it'll cost ya - a single membership will set you back over $10,000 and the waiting list of 14 years has finally been closed. So to be able to eat in this place was something I never thought I would be able to do. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures (well, none that I'm gonna post anyway), but there are plenty online of Club 33 if you want to search for them.
When you first buzz the doorbell, you're allowed entry (after being asked who you are) into the small lobby area with a staircase to the left and a small reservation desk on the right. For the lazy, there's a lift that was recreated from a similar lift used in Paris that Walt had wanted to bring over here, but the owner wouldn't sell. On the wall were various paintings and costumes/props used from older Disney films like The Happiest Millionaire. The room we ate in had animal paintings and various safari looking items all over the walls. Microphones were installed in the chandeliers above the tables so animatronic animals could talk to the guests, but it was never finished. However, you can still see the microphones, so it wasn't like they were trying to hide it. The food was amazing, and after downing the steak, I had some Pinot and a rum flavored tropical drink. I then attacked the dessert buffet table like it was the first naked woman I had seen after 50 years in prison. I've eaten at a lot of fancy expensive restaurants and found them to be way overrated. This place however, was one of the best meals I had ever eaten and as a Disneyland nut, an experience I won't soon forget.
After lunch, we decided to relax on Pirates of the Caribbean, perhaps the most favored attraction at the park.
Mr. Beaks from Ain't It Cool and Todd from Cinematical having fun on POTC.
Did I just do a peace sign? Picture fail.
Pimp them hos!!
Next up was Indiana Jones ride. I forgot to take out my camera during this one but managed to get a holla from a few of the Jungle Cruise passengers at Indy's exit.
And that was it! After that we headed to Glendale to visit the Disney Animation Archives and interview the directors of The Princess and the Frog, Ron Clements & John Musker! You can read all about that by clicking HERE.
l to r, top to bottom - Bill, Mr. Beaks (Ain't it Cool), Peter (Slashfilm), Alex (FirstShowing) El Guapo (Latinoreview), Liz (Fandango), Todd (Cinematical, SyFy)
Thanks to our tour guide Dean, the lovely Disney Public Relations Manager Norma, and to my friends Andrew and Samantha over at Disney who made it all possible. You guys are the best.
Mickey loves to
I almost forgot. Whenever I go to Disneyland, (actually any place in public) I love taking pictures of random people for no real reason. I took this picture of a guy eating lunch at Disneyland a couple of years ago. I have yet to top how awesome of a candid moment it was. Oh sure, I have this guy picking his nose...
...and this kid with the rad little babyhawk...
...but I have yet to top Corn Dog Guy.
Source: Latinoreview
Never Sleep Again Twitterfeed Continues!
Saturday, October 17, 2009 8:21 PM | From Dread Central
It's been another jam-packed day of shooting on Never Sleep Again, and Dread Central is continuing our coverage of the documentary's Twitter feed. Come on in to find out who else has been on the hot seat!
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy officially began lensing on August 22, 2009, in and around Los Angeles. Starring and narrated by Heather Langenkamp, star of the 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street and two of its sequels (1986's Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and 1994's Wes Craven's New Nightmare), this thrilling 90-minute retrospective promises to be the definitive look at the making of the iconic horror series and the enduring legacy of its wise-cracking, razor-gloved villain: the indefatigable "bastard son of a hundred maniacs" known as Freddy Krueger.
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is being directed by Dan Farrands and Andrew Kasch, with Buz Danger Wallick serving as director of photography and Bill Philputt and our own Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton co-producing.
The horror world needs more battles amongst its icons. Universal introduced us to classic horror clashes between Dracula, The Wolf-Man, The Mummy, and Frankensteins monster. And then they sort of disappeared, rarely seen (unless you count the GODZILLA legacy) until the loveable ALIENS and PREDATOR franchises got together for war, making two very ugly babies. FREDDY VS. JASON was a nice start, but left fans wanting more, especially since the combinations could be better suited than with a dream warrior and an unkillable zombie. Why dont we see more of this type of movie rather than remakes of classics and foreign fare? Id kill kittens to see these epic battles in the theater. Until then, lets enjoy the battle of the machete, the razor-sharp claw, and the boomstick in comic book form.
FREDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS Issue #1
Theyre back!! The ultimate threesome (without sex) returns in another mega battle for horror icon superiority. Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Ashley J. Williams wont stop until everyone is dead by dawn. Or when they take Manhattan. Picking up where the first comic book series left off, Jason is back at his favorite place, the bottom of a lake, being held down by Sam Raimis favorite car, the Oldsmobile Delta 88. Finally, the world acknowledges that Jason is a killing machine that cannot be killed and now want him for military advancement. And yet, the idiots send unarmed divers to bring him. You know Jason, he loves em dumb! So he hacks them up, and with the guidance of Krueger in his head, seeks out King Ash for some major payback. Afterall, Ash cut his mask in half and sliced one of his arms off where now the machete resides, stuck in there like a thermometer in a pig. If I were Jason, Id want some payback too. Aint got much left to begin with, and sun tanning for the ladies is not in the foreseeable future.
Not only are the three icons back, battling it out over whos got the better jokes, but the creative team from the first series also returns. Dynamite Entertainment and DC WildStorm seemed to have faith in the original creators Jeff Katz, James Kuhoric, and artist Jason Craig after a mediocre run on the first series. So is the second time around better? Indeed it is! Writers Jeff Katz and James Kuhoric appear to drop the cut and paste a movie method from the first series, and create a new, refreshing start to an intriguing matchup. Issue 1 stars off with Ash, living the good life with his very young and hot girlfriend, only to learn the hard way that Jason is no deadite, and wont stop until youre deader than dead. The concentration on two of the similar characters (Jason and Ash) is the smart way to start, establishing the reality of the story, while only hinting at Freddy Kruegers role in this whole event for now. Katz and Kuhoric appear to have matured from the first series, getting their fanboy antics and clichés out of the way, and now concentrating on telling an original, new take on the gruesome battle of the bad. Thats not to say they still geek out in this world, as fans of the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series will get a treat, recognizing a familiar character chomping down on popcorn in a movie theater. And thats just issue one. Wait until issue two rolls around with another surprising character showing up from the FRIDAY THE 13TH series. Now familiar characters are the tools to use for writers and be a fanboy about in this series, and Im pretty excited to see what Katz and Kuhoric do with them.
The art continues to kick ass from Jason Craig, even though Voorhees is so messed up and damaged that it doesnt quite look like him, but thats the fun in watching Craig draw. He keeps it in check with the films, but doesnt allow himself to photocopy the image so deeply pressed in horror fans minds. He creates new panels of terror with Jason, some fun ones with Ash, and appears to have fun with the ladies. But hey, its a horror comic based on a horror film and goes hand and hand with T&A. Though Im not sure if Craig or the writers wanted King Ash to take on the Bruce Campbell traits mixed with BUBBA HO-TEP, which disrupts the characterization of Ash a little bit, its not a big speed bump in the road. What does make FREDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH: THE NIGHTMARE WARRIORS a fast, fun ride is the gory art by Craig, along with the steady and calm plotting of Katz and Kuhoric. Long live the king, the killer, and the dream master.
GRADE:
CONTINUE READING? You bet. It appears this one is on the right track so place your bets, place your bets!
Fango got the scoop from Mel House, the Texas-based director of CLOSET SPACE and the upcoming fright feature WALKING DISTANCE, that NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET sequels star Lisa Wilcox (pictured below) has joined the cast of IMAGO, the latest from from his Upstart Filmworks company. Anyone who knows me knows that Im a huge fan of the ELM STREET series, House tells us, so you can imagine how excited I am to have Lisa be a part of our team.
Wilcox (pictured), who toplined the fourth and fifth Freddy flicks, joins a cast also including WALKING DISTANCE castmates Natali Jones, Omar Adam, Sean Brison, Melanie Donihoo, Eryn Brooke and Danielle Jones, plus Parrish Randall from such Lone Star State fear fare as THE QUICK AND THE UNDEAD and THE FLESH KEEPER. DREAM MASTER and DREAM CHILD are pretty much branded on my psyche, continues House, who wrote IMAGO with director Christopher Warren and will produce. Im especially stoked to see Lisa sink her teeth into the role of Christine, which will allow her to play on both the sympathetic and antagonistic sides of the fence.
In IMAGO, Jones plays Jennifer, a woman whos trying to track down her missing brother and harbors some dark secrets of her own. She ultimately finds that theres an otherworldly presence behind her siblings disappearance. Wilcoxs Christine is Jennifers aunt, who is there to lend her support, House says, but shes also keeping a watchful eye trained on Jennbecause there have been some, lets say, issues with Jenns grasp on reality in the past. Of course, things go horribly wrong in a terribly weird way, as is the case with our movies.
Creating this weirdness will be Marcus Koch of Oddtopsy FX, who contributed to both SPACE and DISTANCE as well as the upcoming Texas bloodbath SWEATSHOP and Herschell Gordon Lewis GRIM FAIRY TALE. I cant wait to see what crazy, sick and twisted things Marcus has to throw at this film, Warren says. Marcus has a gift for taking anything you throw his way, and turning it into something even more horrific than you imagined!
Warren, making his feature debut after several short films and set work on DISTANCE, begins lensing IMAGO August 1 in the Houston, TX area. Keep your eyes here for updates, and also on the movies MySpace page and Facebook page; an official website will open soon here. You can meet House and some of his DISTANCE cast at the New York Fango Weekend of Horrors, running June 5-7.
Fango got the scoop from Mel House, the Texas-based director of CLOSET SPACE and the upcoming fright feature WALKING DISTANCE, that NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET sequels star Lisa Wilcox (pictured below) has joined the cast of IMAGO, the latest from from his Upstart Filmworks company. Anyone who knows me knows that Im a huge fan of the ELM STREET series, House tells us, so you can imagine how excited I am to have Lisa be a part of our team.
Wilcox (pictured), who toplined the fourth and fifth Freddy flicks, joins a cast also including WALKING DISTANCE castmates Natali Jones, Omar Adam, Sean Brison, Melanie Donihoo, Eryn Brooke and Danielle Jones, plus Parrish Randall from such Lone Star State fear fare as THE QUICK AND THE UNDEAD and THE FLESH KEEPER. DREAM MASTER and DREAM CHILD are pretty much branded on my psyche, continues House, who wrote IMAGO with director Christopher Warren and will produce. Im especially stoked to see Lisa sink her teeth into the role of Christine, which will allow her to play on both the sympathetic and antagonistic sides of the fence.
