Interview with Jason V Brock - By David Kempf

Jason V Brock  is an American author, artist, editor, and director. He is the CEO and co-founder (with his wife, Sunni) of JaSunni Productions, LLC, whose documentary films include the controversial Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man,The AckerMonster Chronicles!and Image, Reflection, Shadow: Artists of the Fantastic.

He is also the author of Totems and Taboos, a compilation of his poetry and artwork, and an editor, along with William F. Nolan, of The Bleeding Edge: Dark Barriers, Dark Frontiers and The Devil's Coattails: More Dispatches from the Dark Frontier anthologies published by Cycatrix Press. Brock shares story credit (he was Lead Story Consultant and Lead Designer) on the Logan’s Run: Last Day and related comicbook series from Bluewater Productions. In addition, he is also a writer for the comicbook/graphic novel, Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe (again from Bluewater).

He served as Managing Editor/Contributor and Art Director for Dark Discoveries magazine for over four years. His novella, Milton’s Children, was published by Bad Moon Books in early 2013.His poetry, short stories, nonfiction articles, Introductions and essays have been widely published internationally online, in books and in numerous horror, science fiction and fantasy and scholarly print magazines (Fangoria, Dark Discoveries, Calliope [Official Publication of the Writers' Special Interest Group (SIG) of American Mensa, Ltd], Comic-Con International's Souvenir Book, the Weird Fiction Review, American Rationalist [an organ of the Center for Inquiry], and others) and multiple anthologies (Butcher Knives and Body Counts, S. T. Joshi's Black Wings series, Like Water for Quarks, Animal Magnetism, and so on).

With a large personality and gregarious nature, he is a popular panelist at many horror conventions (such as MythosCon, Orycon, Crypticon, World Horror Convention, World Fantasy Convention, and others) and film festivals (including the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival, Buffalo International Film Festival, Lovecraft's Visions, etc.) and has been compared in intensity to Harlan Ellison and Charles Beaumont by his friends and colleagues. He has received praise from Ellison, William F.Nolan and the legendary Ray Bradbury. It was very generous of him to take time out of his busy schedule to talk to Masters of Horror U.K

By David Kempf


Tell us how you became involved in all things horror?

I have been fascinated with the esoteric and macabre since I was a child. Who knows where that impulse and gravitation originates? I was sort of melancholic, I suppose, as well predisposed to a cynical and morbid worldview. I’ve had it ever since.


Did you enjoy horror movies and dark fiction during your childhood?

I loved them, but my parents divorced when I was five, and my mother had custody. Horror wasn’t her thing. She was not cool with it at all, in fact, so I was restricted to watching the old reruns of Twilight Zone and a few Hammer films at my father’s place when I visited him on the weekends and in the summer. He had a love of old EC comics and old paperbacks, too, so that’s where I was able to cultivate my interest in these things… things were scarce then, as there was no Internet or cable in the South in the 1970s when I was growing up.


What inspired you to make your documentary about the late Charles Beaumont?

Initially, we set out just to do a film about Forrest J Ackerman. At the time we began, there hadn’t been one. It veered slightly off-course when we interviewed Marc Scott Zicree (The Twilight Zone Companion) and he suggested we do a film on Beaumont as well. There was one in the works, but it has apparently been shelved; at the time, however, it was a go, and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Marc said that with a person as dynamic as Charles Beaumont, there was always more than one angle, and I felt he was right, so after a bit of thought, we decided (meaning my wife, Sunni, who is my partner on the films, and my editor for them) to pursue both projects at the same time, as many of the people we were interviewing knew them both (Ackerman was Beaumont’s first literary agent).

Beaumont was an intense, driven, fascinating man. He crammed 80 years of life into basically ten years of productivity. As I have written before, imagine becoming the top writer for Playboy in your twenties... Imagine being a mainstay for the groundbreaking Twilight Zone... Imagine verging on the cusp of a major film-writing career... Then imagine a mysterious illness stealing your mind and youth... It’s a perfect recipe for drama, but sadly it was his life: He died in 1967 at the age of 38. Beaumont will be remembered for the way he lived, I think, and the tremendous, though unfulfilled, talent he had, gifting us with Roger Corman’s adaptation of his novel The Intruder, as well as over 100 short stories, and many other films and teleplays.


Tell us about your earliest inspirations.

I love every form of literature, art, film, and music, and draw inspiration from them all. With respect to cinema, I am a student of film, and love documentary films, as well as Universal and Hammer horror flicks, sci-fi, dramas, and TV shows such as The Twilight Zone, True Detective, et cetera… Some of my favorite directors include Dan O’Bannon—a personal friend and mentor—David Cronenberg, George A. Romero, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Buñuel, Kurosawa, Stan Brakhage, Roger Corman, Oliver Stone, and Dario Argento.

In art and literature, my influences are Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Ernst Fuchs, Botticelli (we share a birthday, March 1), Wolfgang Grasse, William Blake, Beksinski, Böcklin, Vesalius, EC Comics, Francis Bacon, H. R. Giger, Minor White, and Helmut Newton. Writers include Jorge Luis Borges, H. P. Lovecraft, Kafka, Rod Serling, Bataille, Kurt Vonnegut, W. S. Burroughs, J. G. Ballard, Emily Dickinson, George Orwell, Dante, Percy Shelley, Homer, Poe, Robbe-Grillet, Richard Selzer, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Aickman, Shirley Jackson, Gabriel García Márquez, Ray Bradbury, William Blake again, Faulkner, and a host of modern masters, such as Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, William F. Nolan, and others.


How did you meet William F. Nolan?

I was interviewing the writer George Clayton Johnson (Star Trek) for our documentary about the late Charles Beaumont. We were at this place he’d picked to do the interview, a restaurant. We shot it outside, but it was what I’d characterize as the loudest place on Earth. It was on the corner of an interstate and two other busy roads. Moreover, the interview lasted seven hours! George is now a dear friend, but one of the most talkative people in history, I think. He said many great things, but it was a challenge, and I finally just ran out of tape…

At one point, however, he asked me: “Would you like to interview William F. Nolan?” I was taken aback, and said, “Sure. Is he still alive?” After George confirmed that Nolan was indeed alive, he revealed that he was living in Bend, OR—about three hours from where Sunni (my wife and editor of the films we’ve done) and I lived! George supplied Nolan’s phone number and I called to see if he was available to be interviewed regarding Beaumont. Nolan agreed and we went to his place a few weeks later: After that visitation, we became fast friends.


What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as an artist so far?

I’d have to say winning the 2014 Rondo Award for our film The AckerMonster Chronicles!, though the huge premieres we’ve had in Los Angeles are right up there. In addition, the publication of A Darke Phantastique—Encounters with the Uncanny and Other Magical Things… an incredible anthology of all unpublished or new horror and science fiction that intersects with Magical Realism. It’s over 720 pages of illustrated content, and contains an unpublished foreword from Ray Bradbury, as well as long pieces by a diverse coterie of new and veteran authors, including William F. Nolan, Ray Garton, Joe R. Lansdale, Dennis Etchison, Mike Allen, Erinn L. Kemper, Lois Gresh, Nicole Cushing, Cody Goodfellow, Richard Gavin, S. T. Joshi, Marge Simon, Paul Kane, and literally dozens of others. Fifty writers in all!

I am also very proud of my recent (2014) nonfiction collection, from Rowman & Littlefield, called Disorders of Magnitude: A survey of Dark Fantasy. This book is an overview of the horror (and sci-fi to some degree) field as it pertains to the past 100 or so years. It covers the important figures and trends of this period and delves into why these twin aspects of multimedia (comics, art, and film are covered) and literature have grown in stature during this interval from a fringe thing that mostly appealed to young men to the dominant expression of modern popular culture. It is a mix of interviews, analysis, profiles, and essays going into some theory and criticism along the way, and there is much in there for the enthusiast of Frank M. Robinson, Al Feldstein, Ray Bradbury, H. R. Giger, Forry Ackerman, Twilight Zone, Roger Corman, and other creators and their works.

Disorders is a continuation and expansion of the work I’ve done with our professional journal, Nameless Digest. We are semi-regular as a biannual publication as well as a website, and have featured outstanding scholarship, interviews, fiction, poetry, reviews, and artwork from top talents in the field. S. T. Joshi (Unutterable Horror) is my managing editor, and we’ve covered George Romero, artist Kris Kuksi, and the field of weird literature, just for starters.


Name some of your favorite books. 

Books? That’s a hard one. I feel that Dante’s Inferno, All Quiet on the Western Front, the stories of Richard Selzer, The Martian Chronicles, the works of Gabriel García Márquez, all of E. A. Poe, Borges, and Kafka, Lovecraft’s best offerings, and a large selection of poets such as Ted Hughes and Emily Dickinson are essential. Many others, of course, but that’s a good start. I also love all forms of mythology and folk tales from across the world.


Name some of your favorite films. 

I’d say a couple of my favorite films would be Freaks and To Kill A Mockingbird. In the more modern era, I’d include Carnival of Souls, Burnt Offerings, Network, Planet of the Apes (the original), Alien, The Return of the Living Dead, Jaws, The King of Comedy, Badlands, The Thing, Citizen Kane, Videodrome, Gods and Monsters, Blow Out, Dead Ringers, An American Werewolf in London, The Dead Zone, Duel, and Man Bites Dog. There are more, of course. I make no real distinction between made-for-TV and cinematic films in my favorites.

I think what appeals to me varies with what I am feeling in the moment, but the common factors are: strong characterization, great direction, respect for the audience, intelligence, good writing, tight editing, subtle music, creepiness, and mood. Atmosphere and tone are important for me. Also, I much prefer practical make-up and physical effects over CGI.


Name some of your favorite plays. 

The Crucible and Death of a Salesman are excellent, and I adore most of the plays of William Shakespeare. I think experimental theatre is interesting and have written several short plays myself.

Why do you think horror books and movies remain popular?

I think that genre fiction and other artforms in general—whether rooted in horror, sci-fi, or mainstream literary convention—have a certain relevance whether folks realize it or not, and always will. They allow us to analyze things with our preconceptions stripped away, at least while we are in the creator's world.
From a writing perspective, which could also be generalized to cinema, art, and music, I personally feel that horror is an inwardly focused form of literature. It lets us look at things that are personally threatening with a certain amount of distance to help us feel safe. Science fiction is more externally driven, its concerns encompass political struggles, the environment, social mores, and so on. Literary takes the threat/horror elements away while remaining mindful of the individual in the social context, but without the overt machinations of technology, as sci-fi would. In a way, good literary—and there's not much of it—can straddle the two parts of the self I am describing, the individual and the society that they are existing in.


What are your latest projects?

My literary agent has been after me to complete four novels, so I’m at work on those at present, and there are several other publications, including my second short story collection called The Dark Sea Within and Other Macabre Revelations, that I have pending between now and the middle of 2015, in addition to numerous appearances at conventions and film festival screening invites across the US. Things are busy, and it appears that they’ll be getting busier between signing events (we had a couple recently, in fact—one in Los Angeles on 11/6/2014 at Mystery & Imagination Bookstore in Glendale, and another in Seattle on 11/23/2014 at the University Book Shop) and industry cons, such as the World Horror Convention, local horror and S-F shows, and World Fantasy, where I frequently appear as a guest.

As to our output, people can find out more about the Charles Beaumont movie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Official.Charles.Beaumont.Documentary

As well as the Forrest J Ackerman film: https://www.facebook.com/AckermonsterChroniclesMovie
Our third documentary, on Fantastic Imagery, entitled Image, Reflection, Shadow: Artists of the Fantastic (showcasing H. R. Giger, Alex Grey, Roger Dean, Robert Williams, and about twenty other artists from all over the world): https://www.facebook.com/FantasticArtDocumentary

A Darke Phantastique: https://www.facebook.com/DARKE.PHANTASTIQUE.BOOK 
And our digest and website, Nameless: https://www.facebook.com/Nameless.Digest


Please in your own words, write a paragraph about yourself and your work.

I hope to continue for many years as a writer, editor, filmmaker, composer, and artist. I’ve been fortunate to have been published in a wide array of venues—online, in comic books, magazines, and anthologies, such as Qualia Nous, Simulacrum and Other Possible Realities (my illustrated fiction/poetry collection), Fungi, Weird Fiction Review, Fangoria, S. T. Joshi's Black Wings series, and many others.

From my time as Art Director/Managing Editor for Dark Discoveries magazine for several years, I decided to stick with publishing by expanding into the pro journal called [NameL3ss], which can be found on Twitter: @NamelessMag, and online at www.NamelessDigest.com. We also run Cycatrix Press (our books include A Darke Phantastique, and The Bleeding Edge, to name just two anthologies, and we are planning several collections and novels in the next couple years in addition), as well as our technology consulting business.


Of course, there are the film and music projects, as I mentioned, and the various personal appearances, signings, film festivals, and conventions. Along the way we make time for our friends, and our family of reptiles/amphibians, travel, and vegan/vegetarianism. Folks can keep up with our travels and appearances on social sites such as Facebook and Twitter (@JaSunni_JasonVB), and our personal website/blog, www.JaSunni.com

TV News (UK): Adam Green “thrilled” to see Victor Crowley stalk Horror Channel as Hatchet 3 gets UK TV premiere

Hatchet 3, the third gore-gantuan installment of Adam Green’s modern slasher franchise gets a UK TV premiere of Horror Channel on Dec 20 at 11pm.

Adam Green said today: “I am thrilled to see the Horror Channel broadcasting the UK television premiere of HATCHET 3 on December 20th.  For those of us behind the gory scenes, this trilogy was a decade long journey that never would have happened without the extremely passionate fans that cheered us on while we slashed, laughed, and blew up everything in our path”

He went on to praise the UK horror fans in particular: “"I’ve always said that HATCHET’s UK FrightFest premiere was really Victor Crowley’s birth into the genre stratosphere as that was the first time that the film specifically played for the very audience that we made it for. So it’s great to see Victor back on UK TV screens, courtesy of one of FrightFest’s biggest supporters”.

Made in 2013, Green’s script picks up immediately after the end of the last film and Marybeth (Danielle Harris) uncovers the true secret to stopping the voodoo curse that has left the ghost of deformed maniac Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder) haunting and stalking the New Orleans bayou for decades. Cue an entire police department face off with the infamous slaughter-machine in this action-packed, explosive sequel full of splatter stunts - all adhering to Green’s strict no-CGI rule. The first of the series to be filmed almost entirely on location in New Orleans, this marks the directing debut of cameraman B J McDonnell (The Walking Dead). This masterful montage of mayhem also stars Zach Galligan, Caroline Williams and Derek Mears.

Last word with Crowley’s creator: “Are the Hatchet films sick?  Perhaps.  But they certainly are fun and the long, long road in creating them was worth every difficult step.   I hope the UK horror fans enjoy the television premiere of HATCHET 3."

Other Film highlights for December include the network TV premiere of David Cronenberg’s enigmatic body horror eXistenZ, starring Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Willam Defoe and Ian Holm and there are four other UK TV premieres over the festive season to satisfy the cravings of the true horror fan: L. Gustavo Cooper’s psychological supernatural thriller CURSED, Scooter Downey’s powerful, award-winning HAUNTED, Tyler Oliver’s teen occult slasher FORGET ME NOT and Kohl Glass’ fantasy horror ORC WARS.

Saturday 27 December @ 21:00 – eXistenZ (1999)  *Network Premiere

Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, who has long been fascinated by the ways new technology shapes and manipulates us, is in familiar territory with eXistenZ, a futuristic thriller which combines elements of science fiction, horror and action-adventure. eXistenZ is a new organic game system that, when downloaded into humans, accesses their central nervous system, transporting them on a wild ride in and out of reality.  A leader is the field is game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh) but when she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt during a demonstration of a new game, eXistenZ, she finds herself on the run with a marketing trainee (Jude Law). In a race against time and many unseen enemies, they must try to prevent the pod, which contains the only copy of the eXistenZ game, from being stolen. But what is the game and what is reality?

Fri 5 December @ 21:00 – CURSED (2013) *UK TV Premiere

Newlyweds Holly (Graci Carli) and Trevor Davidson (Rod Luzzi) are on a road trip to celebrate their honeymoon in Miami when their new life together takes a surreal turn. A whimsical pit stop in a tourist trap goes horribly wrong and they find themselves forced to face an ominous new presence in their lives and an ambiguous threat. But is that threat coming from Trevor's family, Holly's dark past, or something far more sinister and otherworldly, such as the ancient curse of the Copiii Pierdere? Directed by L.Gustavo Cooper.

Sat 6 December @ 21:00 – HAUNTED (2012) *UK TV Premiere

Russell (Lance Henriksen) and his son October (Sean Elliot) venture into the woods to salvage their relationship, but face a gruelling struggle against a powerful force of evil while grappling with their tragic past. Subsequently stranded in the forest after an accident renders Russell immobile, October vows not to give up on him as a terrifying onslaught of phantoms and monsters emerge from the trees. Are these horrors mere figments of his imagination, or the baleful harbingers of an encroaching darkness that's about to make itself known? Directed by Scooter Downer, this was originally released as It’s in the Blood.

Sat 13 December @ 21:00 – FORGET ME NOT (2009) *UK TV Premiere

It's graduation weekend, and Sandy Channing (Carly Schroeder), the popular class president of her small-town high school, should be enjoying the time of her life. But when her friends start disappearing, Sandy discovers they have unwittingly awakened the vengeful spirit of a girl they wronged long ago. Fighting for her sanity, Sandy must unlock a dark secret from her own past before it's too late. Directed by Tyler Oliver

Fri 26 December @ 21:00 – ORC WARS (2013) *UK TV Premiere

John Norton, a battle-weary ex-Special Forces Operative (Rusty Joiner) buys a ranch in remote American West to flee from the world, But far from finding the peace he craves, he encounters a strange series of trespassers, including a beautiful elf princess (Masiela Lusha)  and Orcs. When the Orcs invade his property, John must give up his isolation to become a hero, before the Orcs unleash their dragon god onto our world. Directed by Kohl Glass.

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

TV News (UK): Horror Channel gives UK Premiere to Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Tree

THE WICKER TREE, which reunites director Robin Hardy with legendary actor Christopher Lee for a horror fantasy in the style of the 1973 landmark cult classic THE WICKER MAN, gets its UK TV premiere on Horror Channel and will screen on Sat 22 November at 9pm.

Synopsis: Based on director Robin Hardy's own novel ‘Cowboys for Christ’, a Texas gospel singer Beth (Brittania Nichols) and her boyfriend Steve (Henry Garrett) both devout evangelical Christians, are sent to Scotland on a mission to spread the word of God. After a concert in Glasgow Cathedral the pair are invited by Sir Lachlan Morrison (Graham McTavish) to preach in his remote border village, but soon the horrifying reality dawns on the couple as they learn the true significance of the Celtic pagan rites. Directed by Robin Hardy and co-starring Honeysuckle Weeks and Christopher Lee.

Plus on Friday 7 November at 10.50pm, there is a UK TV premiere for 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS, Tim Sullivan’s gory, madcap remake of the infamous Herschell Gordon Lewis 1964 Drive-in classic.

Synopsis: A blood-soaked sequel to director Tim Sullivan’s ‘2001 Maniacs’, ‘Field of Screams’ sees the residents of Pleasant Valley take their cannibalistic carnival on the road and head to Iowa where they encounter spoiled heiresses Rome & Tina Sheraton and the cast and crew of the "Road Rascals" reality show. Performing "The Bloodiest Show on Earth", our Southern Maniacs, headed by their maniac one-eyed mayor, (Bill Moseley), prove more than ratings killers. Also starring Trevor Wright, Lin Shaye, Christa Campbell, Ahmed Best , Nivek Ogre and Andrea Leon.

 

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

Interview with David Kempf - By Jon Donnis - The Horror Of It All

In what is a very proud moment for me, we can announce the publication of The Horror Of It All.

The Horror Of It All is a collection of interviews spanning all facets of the horror genre, including novels, film, horror hosts, dark fiction, cover art, and special effects. With a forward by the incomparable Jonathan Maberry, this book is sure to engage, inform, and enlighten every true-blue, horror enthusiast.

For the past few years I have been lucky enough to not only publish short stories by David Kempf but also publish interviews he has done with some of the biggest and best names in the Horror genre, and now those interviews are all part of a great new book called The Horror Of It All So I sat down with David to discuss this book, his motivations and ALS (in the UK this is known as Motor Neurone Disease)

Bio
David Kempf has written over fifty short stories, many of which deal with themes of horror fiction. He has won several writing awards including first place in the short story competition of Millersville University’s Lemuria magazine. Two of his short stories were selected in the 2007 publication of The Grackle, his graduate school’s literary magazine. David is featured on two short fiction websites, one American and one British. He holds an M.S. from Chestnut Hill College and a B.A. from Millersville University. David resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his wife and his son.

Interview with David Kempf - By Jon Donnis

JD Tell us about THE HORROR OF IT ALL.

DK Well, I thought it would be a good idea to take all the best of the interviews I have done for your site and combine them in one book.

JD That was a good idea. What excites you most about doing these interviews?

DK I get to interview many of my idols, people I have grown up with. Horror writers, special effects artists, film directors, actors, horror movies hosts, etc. I essentially get to write about what I’m excited about. My childhood was filled with horror movies and books. I’m very proud that I got the opportunity to speak to some of these people and, of course, to write fiction of my own. 

JD What did you chose to have all of the profits from the book go to ALS research?

DK That’s a good question, Jon. I interviewed Rocky Wood who is president of The Horror Writer’s Association and an author in his own right. While I was fascinated with how he works closely with Stephen King, the story of how he struggles with this disease moved me. I did some research and found out just how devastating ALS really is.  

JD Did you need permission from the people you interviewed to include them in the book?

DK Yes, I did and they all said yes. They’re all good hearted people who genuinely want to raise money for a good cause. And causes don’t come better than this. 

JD How did you get Jonathan Maberry to write the forward for the book?

DK I am very fond of Jonathan and his excellent novels. He is a great talent and a genuinely really nice guy. He’s friends with Rocky Wood and expressed a desire to do it when I asked him. Jonathan wants to raise money for the cause and I think that his name on the book adds a lot to it.

JD You were very proud when he endorsed Dark Fiction.

DK Yes. I was floored because I didn’t really expect it. Here is one of my favorite authors and here I am a completely new guy publishing his first novel. The blurb was the validation I was looking for as a writer. Jonathan helps a lot of writers because he has an eye for new talent. He is very well read and a good person to know. We miss him in my home town. Jonathan moved from Pennsylvania to California. Several of his projects might be adapted into movies. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised. 

JD Speaking of blurbs, this new book has a ton of them. All of them are excellent.

DK Yes, sir.

JD You must feel very proud of that.

DK I’m very proud of the blurbs. These are the best blurbs I’ve ever received.

JD Which one is your favorite?

DK I really shouldn’t single anyone out but if you want to put me on the spot…

JD I do.

DK Then I would have to say William F. Nolan.

JD Why?

DK I’ve been a fan of his work my entire life. He’s mainly known for the Logan series but his work is so much more than that. His short stories and books on writing are second to none. They’ve always been a great inspiration to me.  

JD I see. 

DK Now that I have blurbs from Maberry and Nolan I’m a happy man (laughs).

JD What do you hope to accomplish with this book?

DK I hope to raise awareness for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). I hope we can all do our part to end the suffering of many people who are in great pain right now.

JD Did you take the ALS challenge?

DK I did.

JD Who challenged you to do it?

DK My friend Lucas Mangum did. Lucas is a great writer and all around nice guy.

JD Please tell us about Infliction Press.

DK It’s a small publishing company I started with my friends Jennifer Mills and Steve Kirby. This book is the first one we’re publishing.

JD Will there be other books coming out from Infliction Press?

DK I think so. This could be the first of many. Time will tell. I’m open to publishing some of my fiction. We’re going to be open to submissions from other authors in the future as well.

JD That’s really good news. I also hope that you continue to write for Masters of Horror U.K. for a long time to come. 

DK This site has been very good for me and my growth as a writer. I hope this trend continues. I still have a lot to say and the format of Masters of Horror U.K.is a great way to have my voice heard. 

JD Thank you for your time David and I wish you all the best for the future

DK Thanks

You can buy the Kindle version of the book at the following link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OKILRDM

All proceeds go to ALS research.

About ALS/MND

MND and ALS are different descriptions of the same disease.

The MND Association, which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the ALS Association, which operates in the USA, do the same type of work. The only real difference is what we call the disease.

The UK use MND – motor neurone disease – and in the USA they use ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Both refer to a fatal, progressive disease that can rob people of the ability to speak, move and breathe. There is no cure.

The reason there is a difference is that there are several forms of MND. ALS is the most common type.

MND is an umbrella term for all forms of the disease. In the USA, ALS is used as the umbrella term (they also sometimes refer to it as Lou Gehrig's disease).

The MND Association in the UK and The ALS Association in America work very closely together on numerous projects, especially around global research into a cause of MND / ALS

Links

http://www.mndassociation.org

http://www.alsa.org

 

FILM NEWS (UK): FILM4 FRIGHTFEST ANNOUNCES LINE-UP FOR HALLOWEEN ALL-NIGHTER

The FrightFest All-Nighter 14 returns to its spiritual home, The Prince Charles Cinema, on Saturday October 25, with five killer titles, including the world premiere of Anthony DiBlasi’s LAST SHIFT.

We kick off with a special preview of The Vicious Brothers EXTRATERRESTRIAL, a fine blend of ‘Close Encounters’ and ‘Communion’ with some of the most extraordinary special effects and camerawork you’ll see in 2015. Next up, THE ABCs OF DEATH 2, needs no introduction. The first was a huge draw at FrightFest Glasgow and now we can scream along to 26 more deaths by 26 handpicked filmmakers. This is followed by the world premiere of Anthony DiBlasi’s demonic horror LAST SHIFT, which had to be dropped from the August line-up because of altered release and completion dates as did our next attraction - the highly anticipated sequel THE PACT II, which has its UK premiere. And Giallo fans will not want to miss our last presentation - the ‘Airplane’ of the Italian thriller genre in the sublime Astron-6 homage THE EDITOR.

Guests attending include The Vicious Brothers, Anthony DiBlasi and Andy Nyman, So, be sure to be part of our terror tribe for the night-ride of your lives

Horror fans around the country can join in the fearsome fun on Saturday 1 November, when the event travels to the GFT Glasgow and the Edinburgh Cameo. On Friday Oct 31, the event hits the Watershed Bristol.

London line-up:

21:00  EXTRATERRESTRIAL (Special Preview)

Five teenagers party in a remote cabin in the woods unaware the region has become a hot bed of bizarre events, military activity and space invader sightings. Then a UFO crashes in the forest and driven by curiosity they decide to investigate. This ambitious second feature from The Vicious Brothers is a wonderfully effective sci-fi fantasy; a close encounter of the shocking kind, which delivers thrills and terror in a surprising special effects package

Director: Colin Minihan. Cast: Brittany Allen, Freddie Stroma, Melanie Papalia, Jesse Moss, Michael Ironside. 106 mins. US 2014

23.40  ABC’s OF DEATH 2 (UK Premiere)

Get ready to learn your ABC's again with 26 new directors and 26 new deaths. Some of the talent in the impressive mix include Vincenzo Natali (SPLICE), E.L. Katz (CHEAP THRILLS), the Soska Sisters (AMERICAN MARY), Aaron Keshales and Navot Papushado (BIG BAD WOLVES) and Larry Fessenden (HABIT). The follow-up to the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived, Provocative, shocking, funny and confrontational, it’s another global celebration of genre filmmaking.

Directors: A lot. Cast: Andy Nyman, Tristan Risk, Mark Grossman, Ryan Winsley, Conor Sweeney. 120 mins. US 2014

02:15  LAST SHIFT (World Premiere)

A rookie cop’s world is turned upside down when she comes face to face with Paymon, King of Hell. From Anthony DiBlasi, director of the past FrightFest presentations MISSIONARY, CASSADAGA and DREAD, comes a new frontier in fear. Officer Jessica Loren has the last shift at a transitioning police station, assigned to wait for a crew picking up bio-hazard waste from the armoury. But unbeknownst to her, cult leader John Michael Paymon has haunted the department ever since he committed suicide in captivity. Jessica is about to find out how dangerous he still is, now alone on the graveyard shift.

 

Director: Anthony DiBlasi. Cast: Juliana Harkavy, Natalie Victoria, J. LaRose, Joshua Mikel, Amber Watson. 90 mins. USA 2014.

 

04:30 THE PACT 11 (UK Premiere)

Surpassing the original movie by going into deeper psychological areas to stir up its scares, directors Patrick Horvath and Dallas Richard Hallam's latest episode in the Judas Killer saga once more unfolds a murder mystery linking two intriguing realities that skirt the fine line between being paranormal supernatural and entirely plausible. This time a trauma scene cleaner learns she's the adopted daughter of one of the maniac's past victims and now she's the target of a possible copycat murderer. How an FBI profiler and her cop boyfriend fit into the creepy picture make for neat twists and jolting shocks. 

 

Directors: Dallas Richard Hallam, Patrick Horvath. Cast: Caity Lotz, Camilla Luddington, Scott Michael Foster, Patrick Fischler, Mark Steger. 96 mins.  US 2014.

 

06: 15  THE EDITOR  (Special Preview)

From Astron-6 (MANBORG and FATHER’S DAY), comes the AIRPLANE of Giallo. Editor Rey Ciso is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the four wooden fingers on his right hand a reminder of the dangers of exhaustion. Then the lead actors from the Giallo he’s cutting turn up dead…A brilliant homage to 1970s’ Italian thrillers mixing crime with horror. Watch out for big hair, bad dubbing, inappropriate nudity, ‘hysterical blindness’ and a terrific Claudio Simonetti soundtrack.  

 

Directors: Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy. Cast: Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Paz de la Huerta, Udo Kier, Laurence R. Harvey. 106 mins.  Canada 2014.

 

Alan Jones, co-director, said today: “Thank you all for making our August Bank Holiday event so wildly successful – the reviews were the best ever and our move to the Vue, Leicester Square, couldn’t have been better received. So we felt it was now an appropriate time to celebrate our roots and the interactive community that makes FrightFest unique amongst global genre festivals.The Prince Charles Cinema is where it all began 15 years ago and this Halloween you can join us for an intimate trip down memory lane and an ultimate shock around the clock experience”.

 

Passes for the London event cost £40 and go on sale from Friday 3 October. To book go online http://www.princecharlescinema.com/events/events.php?seasonanchor=fr1ghtf3st

or call the Prince Charles Cinema on 0207 494 3654

Tickets can also be bought at the cinema

 

For details of regional screenings please visit www.frightfest.co.uk

Note that the regional venues may not be playing all of the titles screening at the London event so please check local listings

Interview with Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford

Ahead of the Horror Channel’s UK TV premiere of the acclaimed THE DEAD, on Sat 27 Sept@ 22:50, the Ford Brothers relive the drama of the malaria-stricken shoot in Africa, revealing the budget for the first time, and talk of revenge in their next movies!

How do you two write? For example, does one pace the floor whilst the other types?

 

Jon: Ha that's funny! You hit the nail on the head! Normally you will find Howard frantically writing away while I pace the room acting out the scenarios and shouting the lines like some demented theatre actor on steroids. The writing stage is one phase of the project where we work together very well. We are almost never in conflict with each other, each jumping in where the other got to in a particular scene but also bringing together our differing perspectives and weaving them together. We can't always say the same for the actual shoot, but on The Dead there was normally some life threatening situation taking place, which does tend to add a bit of additional pressure.

 

Where did the idea for The Dead come from and why set it in a foreign location?

 

Howard: Jon had started writing script for The Dead, in the mid to late 1980s but we didn't really push forward and finish the script until about 20 years later shortly before shooting the film. So in essence it is genuinely and old school zombie movie that just took a lot longer to reach the screen.

 

It was originally going to be shot in Morocco or somewhere like that but for those who don't know The Ford brothers shoot TV commercials in between films. Anyway, while we were out on location in West Africa we came across places of unbelievable beauty and danger in equal measure. We realised the opportunities of setting this film in a place where no one has ever been or seen before, where there are no safe places to hide in or lock down, where survival is as dangerous as the zombies themselves. Also parallels can be drawn with starvation poverty and events like the Rwandan massacres, while investigating how other religions and cultures would react to such a pandemic.. That was when we realised we could make something really special and different.

 

The shoot for The Dead has been well documented and is famous for what went wrong as well as what went right. What is the most enduring memory you have form the making of it?

 

Jon: Yes the shoot itself has become quite famous for all the problems, but for me the more pleasant enduring memory is the driving. Even though I had contracted malaria and had what seemed like endless bouts of food poisoning and other tropical illnesses, so had lost about a third of my body weight. In fact I didn't know if I would leave this place alive or not. Still as I drove across Ghana and Burkina Faso I will never forget the vast beauty of almost everywhere you look, words or even pictures cannot describe how stunning those places actually are. I though to myself if I die now, It was still nice to have seen such beauty.

Howard: For me it was the journey back from Ghana to Burkina Faso after the whole crew had flown out from Ouagadougou airport and I felt like ‘at least no one had actually died’ and suddenly the pressure was off my shoulders. It had felt like I had been carrying a crippling weight, no disrespect to the fantastic cast and crew but even though we were out of cash, food, without even enough fuel to get back to Ghana where I had to fly out from with the remaining cans of film, that journey was like entering heaven..

 

The actors are just superb and add much to the story, how did you go about casting the movie?

 

Jon: Thanks, yes the actors are great but all the more so for doing it in high stress and dangerous situations, or while actually suffering from malaria or typhoid while doing their art. I fondly remember Halimata, the woman with the baby, being so kind and supportive while actually dressing the fake baby and doing her costume herself, then with seconds left of light, delivering one of the greatest performances of terror I have ever seen!

 

Howard: We cast Rob Freeman in the UK where he was living at the time. In fact he lived virtually down the road from us which was nice as we were able to get to know him a bit and rehearse scenes together before flying out to Africa. We like to ‘know’ our key players personally rather than just meeting them in a casting session as it’s a big commitment to work together like this. We asked an ad agency we had worked with in Ghana to look for actors matching our description and Prince David Osei was one of the first we saw, It took all of one milli second to chose him. Strangely, we had worked with Prince before on an ad but just didn't know it until he told us. We had both had our heads and shoulders covered during the commercial shoot in the heat of Africa and he thought we were Arabs so was very confused when we turned out to be Brits!

 

What sort of budget did you have as the effects are quite something?

 

Howard: We haven’t revealed this before but The Dead was actually shot for $150,000 which is ridiculously small for a movie shot on film in exotic locations around the world and we were advised not to mention this and others claimed the movie was shot for several million hence we missed out on any kudos for getting it in the can (literally the can, not a digital drive) for so little. To put that in context, another film that has been publicised on the basis it cost very little; ‘Monsters’ which is praised for being a low budget miracle shoot. It was apparently shot for $400,000 on digital with just 2 pro actors with a well-established production company lining things up and local support in each location as they went, which, don't get me wrong, is still very impressive, but we had absolutely no back up at all and were trying to use as many physical special effects and real stunts as much as possible. Plus we were using our own money (life savings). It was a battle all the way financially and physically without any safety net at all.

 

Jon: The special effects are a big thanks to Dan Rickard and Max Van de Banks. What makes it really impressive is the total lack of budget resources and time. Most of the time the effects were created on the spur of the moment. It makes us laugh sometimes when you see awards being given to people who had all the money time and resources in the world. What Dan and Max achieved on virtually nothing is truly amazing! And this was after most of the fx materials had perished due to the 5 weeks we waited to get our equipment and props out of customs in Accra whilst they melted in the daily heat.

 

The Dead is being shown on the Horror Channel, you must be pleased?

 

Howard: We're thrilled to have the Dead shown on the Horror channel. After watching so many other great movies there, to have our own movie played is a real honour! We can't wait! We are also very appreciative of the support the Horror Channel has shown us so we will always be fans of the channel and we hope many will join us on the perilous journey across Africa when it airs on September 27.

 

The Dead 2 is a stunning sequel which continues the story but in a different country, how did you stop yourselves from treading the same ground?

 

Howard: Thanks. With The Dead 2 we did talk about continuing with Murphy's journey and even developed how it would continue, but eventually felt it best left for The Dead to stand on its own, if you excuse the pun. So new audiences could watch ‘The Dead 2’ without the need to have seen part 1. The film does continue time line wise and has other connections. but we also wanted to take people somewhere new , but equally beautiful and intriguing so following the pandemic as it spreads over from Africa to India intrigued us. The eagle-eyed viewer will notice there are some direct links to both films.

 

Jon: Also, by continuing in another continent we have the opportunity to enter into a different Culture, religion, characters and landscape. Neither of us is interested in repeating ourselves. It's still a Ford brothers Dead movie which was made with heart, soul, sweat, blood and tears. We hope the audience appreciate that we risked our lives for both Dead movies and went to the limit and beyond. Whenever there is talk of a third Dead instalment we're reluctant because we worry that if we keep throwing the dice our luck might run out. If there is enough support we’ll consider it but right now, unless people REALLY want us to go and possibly kill ourselves doing another, the poster in our heads has the tag line: ‘The Dead 3; Perish the thought…

 

It looked stunning on the big screen at FrightFest last year, how nervous do you get before one of your movies are shown at a festival?

 

Howard: We do get a bit nervous when our films are shown especially for the first time. You just have no idea how audiences will react. I think it's quite bad for us as we have so much personally invested in the film. Not just financially but the physical hardships that go into making a Dead movie are just off the scale! so it is a bit nerve wracking. However, we were delighted to see it at FrightFest and honoured to be the opening film. It’s such an incredible and important festival and we will be forever grateful for the support of all at FrightFest, it was a great Launchpad for ‘The Dead’

 

Which writers and directors inspired you when you were growing up?

 

Jon: There are films that inspire us more than directors I think, as sometimes you love a movie from a certain director but their other films are not so good, or don’t connect with you as powerfully. However someone like Sergio Leone was consistently good and was a master of composition.

Howard: It's funny as sometimes a film can be great, only because of the script and not because of the director, yet that film still inspired you. I think as filmmakers you are more able to see if it's the material or the director that's good. On the flip side of that, a bad director can kill a great script just as easily. Knowing how hard it is to make a film, even one set in a room, we have great respect for anyone who actually gets one made. Even bad films are hard to make!

 

Which do you prefer running zombies or walking ones?

 

Jon: Running or walking zombies? Yes we get asked that quite a lot. We prefer slow but actually like both. They are so different that you almost can't compare the two. Running zombies are action orientated and the scene will almost only ever be an action scene. With slow zombies you can build up a lot of suspense and tension which is ultimately more satisfying. I think the younger audience like the fast zombies as it gives instant gratification but later in life will grow to appreciate the slower ones. I suppose the sexual equivalent would be fast zombies cut straight to the orgasm while slow zombies ultimately build up to greater heights with plenty of foreplay.!

 

So what are you both working on at the moment?

 

Jon: I’ve written a revenge script that will shock and possibly offend in equal measure. It should be going into production within the year. The Dead was written and made because we wanted to see the film and the revenge movie has been written with the same philosophy. After watching film after film and being constantly unsatisfied you realise that sometimes if you want it done the way you like you have to do it yourself.

 

Howard: I’ve written a brutal thriller called ‘Never Let Go’ about a woman stopping at nothing to find her abducted child whilst on holiday in an unfamiliar location. I start shooting mid-September in Morocco, Spain and the States.

 

Jon: Hopefully whatever we do we can hit people in the heart and we will be supporting each other in these ventures and come together for other Ford Brothers Films too.

 

 

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

 

Film News (UK): Horror Channel goes under the bed for Oct premieres

Horror Channel’s film highlights for October include the UK TV premieres of three outstanding supernatural thrillers: UNDER THE BED, Steven C. Millar’s nightmare of all nightmares, THE GATHERING, starring Christina Ricci, and the haunting LOVELY MOLLY, from Blair Witch co-director.

Here are the details:

Friday 10 September @ 22:55 – UNDER THE BED (2012) - *UK TV Premiere

From Steven C. Miller, director of THE AGRESSION SCALE, comes a supernatural suburban nightmare. Neal Hausman knew there was something under the bed, but no one believed him until his mother lost her life in the resulting conflagration. Sent to stay with an aunt in Florida while his father got over the tragedy, now Neal has come back home. However, what was under the bed is still there, still angry and has set its malevolent sights on his younger brother Paulie. Can Neal convince his family there really is something evil lurking in the netherworld under his bed?

Fri 3 October @ 23:00 – THE GATHERING (2003) *UK TV Premiere

Directed by Brian Gilbert (Wilde), this supernatural thriller stars Christina Ricci as Cassie Grant, an American traveller who suffers amnesia when hit by a car.. After accepting sanctuary from the family of the car that hit her, Cassie starts hallucinating that terrifying strangers are following her. Is it concussion or second sight? And what do her frightening visions have to do with an ancient church? A riveting performance by Ricci is supported by a stellar cast including Ioan Gruffud, Stephen Dillane and Kerry Fox.

Fri 24 October @ 22:55 – LOVELY MOLLY (2011) *UK TV Premiere

Lovely Molly is the story of a young married couple, Molly (Gretchen Lodge and Tim (Johnny Lewis), who go to live in Molly’s childhood home. Tim works away from home and Molly is forced to spend large amounts of time alone at the house – it soon becomes apparent that she is a disturbed young woman. With a history of drug abuse and mental health problems, as well as an abusive father and dead mother, Molly soon begins to exhibit disturbing behaviour. Is she heading for another break down, or are sinister supernatural forces at work?

Plus there are daytime network premieres of three PLANET OF THE APES TV movies from 1981 – BACK TO THE PLANET OF THE APES (Wed 15th, 16:20), FORGOTTEN CITY OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Wed 22nd, 16:20) and TREACHERY AND GREED ON THE PLANET OF THE APES (Wed 29th, 16:20).

 

 

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138

www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

British Horror Sci-Fi Hungerford named as 'Official Selection' for 14th Annual Shriekfest

British Sci-Fi horror Hungerford, has been chosen as an official section at this year’s Shriekfest Horror Film Festival, the oldest continually running genre festival in Los Angeles, California. Hungerford had its World Premiere at the British Film Institute (BFI) this year as part of the SCI-FI-LONDON film festival. Its 19 year old director Drew Casson, went on to make history by becoming the youngest on record to have a feature screened there.

Shriekfest Horror Film Festival was founded in July 2001 by Denise Gossett, to showcase emerging horror filmmaker and screenwriter talent. They receive well over a thousand submissions and have a staff of 40 judges, selecting just 10 or 11 features and 35 shorts.

Produced by talent incubator Wildseed Studios, Hungerford paints a thrilling and visceral portrait of a small English town taken over by aliens, which descends into violence and carnage. Watch the Hungerford trailer here http://ow.ly/vALpK

Hungerford’s teen protagonist is Cowen Rosewell (played by the director Drew Casson), is a media student whose first assignment is to record everything in a week of his life. The random acts of violence he films go largely unnoticed, dismissed as the type of trouble to take place in small English towns. However, when one of his best friends is savagely attacked by a stranger a more disturbing reality emerges.

As events escalate, Cowen and his friends discover that the town has come under a mysterious evil influence which is somehow controlling organised gangs to round people up and take them to a nearby disused factory. The friends hide, hoping to escape, but their sanctuary is discovered. As Cowen makes his way alone to the abandoned factory in search of his loved ones, the malicious force that awaits him there threatens not Cowen, but the entire world.

Hungerford is due to be screened at the 14th Annual Shriekfest at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave., in Hollywood, California, at 10:40pm on Friday 3 October 2014. Shriekfest tickets for Hungerford are now on sale here: http://www.shriekfest.com/entries/2014/hungerford/


Jesse Cleverly, co-founder of Wildseed Studios said: “Hungerford is striking a real chord with sci-fi fans around the world and we’re thrilled to be part of this year’s Shriekfest Horror Film Festival. Drew is typical of a new wave of filmmakers we’re investing in – a generation who have grown up on genre movies and are utterly fearless and highly proficient with the tools of production and post-production in the pursuit of excitement, scale and an audience. We’re thrilled to have produced Hungerford and thanks to the ingenuity of Drew, the crew and excellent special effects this micro-feature achieves a sense of scale more fitting for a film with 100 times the budget.”

#HungerfordFilm
@HungerFordFilm
www.facebook.com/HungerfordFilm

TV NEWS (UK): FIRST TIME ON UK TV: RE-MASTERED EPISODES OF DOCTOR WHO TO APPEAR ON HORROR CHANNEL THIS AUTUMN

For the first time on UK television, Horror Channel viewers will be able to watch re-mastered episodes that were only released on DVD by BBC Worldwide last year. There will be more from the Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee eras with additional stories featuring Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy.

Following the success of the Who on Horror season, that saw 30 classic Doctor Who stories broadcast on Horror Channel, to over 3.8 million viewers since April, BBC Worldwide and Horror Channel have agreed to an additional set of 17 re-mastered episodes, starting on Monday, 13 October.

The iconic adventures continue with the ‘Doctor Who and The Silurians’ serial, starring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor and his Edwardian roadster, Bessie. The series then leads into weekday double-bills in daytime and evening slots. Available to watch from October are such stories as ‘Inferno’, ‘Carnival of Monsters’, ‘The Time Warrior’, ‘The Sontaran Experiment’, ‘Sunmakers’, and ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’.

Alina Florea, Director of Programming for Horror Channel, said today: “It’s been great to be able to offer our regular fans the classic Doctor Who content, but it’s equally exciting to see Time Lord devotees flock to Horror Channel in greater number and take part in the various on and off air activities that resulted in a surge in viewership and social media interaction. With the newer batch of re-mastered episodes, there will be even more reasons for our viewers to tune in and stick around for more fright, thrill and shock.”

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
 www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel | #WHOonHorror

AMC released today the official Season 5 poster for “The Walking Dead”

AMC released today the official Season 5 poster for “The Walking Dead,” featuring Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the accompanying tagline, "Hunt or Be Hunted." The fifth season of television’s most watched drama for adults 18-49 premieres Sunday, October 12 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC. Key art photo credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC.

Before the fifth season begins, fans can catch up on “The Walking Dead” season four on VOD and AMC.com.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, “The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, and follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes; Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon; Steven Yeun as Glenn; Lauren Cohan as Maggie; Chandler Riggs as Carl; Danai Gurira as Michonne; Melissa McBride as Carol; Michael Cudlitz as Abraham; Emily Kinney as Beth; Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese; Sonequa-Martin Green as Sasha; and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Bob Stookie. The series is executive produced by Showrunner Scott M. Gimple, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse.