Among the new releases this week is Brian Duffield’s No One Will Save You, a home invasion with an alien twist starring Kaitlyn Dever and debuting on Hulu on September 22. With it comes the realization of how scarcely populated the sci-fi horror subgenre gets regarding the iconic Gray aliens. These quintessential aliens have emerged recently in the news, but their cinematic counterparts are rarer. That’s a shame, considering how effectively they induce terror, as evidenced by M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (on Max).
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to the quieter alien invasions. These sci-fi horror films revolve around the Grays and similar extraterrestrials that are more content to invade and toy with their prey quietly.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Fire in the Sky – Max
This film mostly plays out as a...
This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to the quieter alien invasions. These sci-fi horror films revolve around the Grays and similar extraterrestrials that are more content to invade and toy with their prey quietly.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Fire in the Sky – Max
This film mostly plays out as a...
- 9/18/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Larry Fessenden, Noah Segan, Matt Mercer, Michael A. LoCicero, Jeremy Gardner, Patrick M. Walsh, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Susan T. Travers | Written and Directed by Joe Begos
Back in 2014 first-time director Joe Begos exploded on the horror scene with Almost Human, an alien abduction movie drenched in 80s flair. Now he’s back with his second feature, Supernatural Forces aka The Mind’s Eye, another film that’s not afraid to wear its love of 80s horror on its sleeve. In this case referencing the work of David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma, and films like the Scanners franchise, Carrie and the classic telekinetic fear flick The Fury.
Confession time: I’m not the biggest fan of David Cronenberg’s Scanners. If not for exploding head scene and the final battle between Revok and Vale, the film would be a very dull futuristic thriller.
Back in 2014 first-time director Joe Begos exploded on the horror scene with Almost Human, an alien abduction movie drenched in 80s flair. Now he’s back with his second feature, Supernatural Forces aka The Mind’s Eye, another film that’s not afraid to wear its love of 80s horror on its sleeve. In this case referencing the work of David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma, and films like the Scanners franchise, Carrie and the classic telekinetic fear flick The Fury.
Confession time: I’m not the biggest fan of David Cronenberg’s Scanners. If not for exploding head scene and the final battle between Revok and Vale, the film would be a very dull futuristic thriller.
- 2/13/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
"They seem naive on the outside, waif-like" - Lauren Ashley Carter
Lauren Ashley Carter is an actress who has exhibited a nuanced onscreen presence, from the submissive housewife in Lucky McKee’s The Woman to the self-described “toxic, bitchy asshole” Lyla in Mickey Keating’s Pod. Now she is collaborating with Keating for a second time on Darling, the story of a woman who takes over caretaking duties of a large New York house. After an encounter with a friendly stranger (Brian Morvant), she spirals into madness, experiencing unsettling and nightmarish flashbacks that set the stage for this deceptively vulnerable woman to reveal a more sinister and violent nature.
Reflecting on her career thus far, Carter explained: “With the performances I have been very fortunate to pick things and to find scripts that I really love. I always try to do something that I haven't done before. It is not really a business strategy,...
Lauren Ashley Carter is an actress who has exhibited a nuanced onscreen presence, from the submissive housewife in Lucky McKee’s The Woman to the self-described “toxic, bitchy asshole” Lyla in Mickey Keating’s Pod. Now she is collaborating with Keating for a second time on Darling, the story of a woman who takes over caretaking duties of a large New York house. After an encounter with a friendly stranger (Brian Morvant), she spirals into madness, experiencing unsettling and nightmarish flashbacks that set the stage for this deceptively vulnerable woman to reveal a more sinister and violent nature.
Reflecting on her career thus far, Carter explained: “With the performances I have been very fortunate to pick things and to find scripts that I really love. I always try to do something that I haven't done before. It is not really a business strategy,...
- 10/30/2016
- by Paul Risker
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Touted as “the best Scanners sequel we never got,” The Mind’s Eye is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on October 4th! The Blu-ray cover art has been revealed by Rlj Entertainment, and the Scanners comparison is uncanny. The Mind’s Eye follows Zack and Rachel, humans born with super abilities who are imprisoned by a psychotic doctor hell-bent on capitalizing on their powers.
“Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will stop at nothing to track them down so that he may continue to siphon their gifts for his own use.”
Written and directed by Begos, The Mind’s Eye stars Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter,...
“Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will stop at nothing to track them down so that he may continue to siphon their gifts for his own use.”
Written and directed by Begos, The Mind’s Eye stars Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter,...
- 8/19/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Featuring telekinetic traits reminiscent of Firestarter and Scanners, Joe Begos’ The Mind’s Eye hits theaters, VOD, and iTunes this Friday, August 5th from Rlj Entertainment. To celebrate the release, a special screening of the film will take place at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena on Friday night, followed by a cast and crew Q&A moderated by filmmaker Mickey Keating (Carnage Park), and we’ve been provided with two tickets and a signed poster to give away to one lucky Daily Dead reader.
This special opening night screening of The Mind’s Eye will take place at 7:30pm at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 (673 E. Colorado Blvd, 91101) in Pasadena, California. Moderated by Mickey Keating, the Q&A following the screening will feature writer/director Joe Begos, cast members Graham Skipper, Matt Mercer, and Josh Ethier, and producer Zak Zeman.
To purchase tickets for The Mind’s Eye opening night screening and Q&A in Pasadena,...
This special opening night screening of The Mind’s Eye will take place at 7:30pm at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 (673 E. Colorado Blvd, 91101) in Pasadena, California. Moderated by Mickey Keating, the Q&A following the screening will feature writer/director Joe Begos, cast members Graham Skipper, Matt Mercer, and Josh Ethier, and producer Zak Zeman.
To purchase tickets for The Mind’s Eye opening night screening and Q&A in Pasadena,...
- 8/3/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Sadly, San Diego Comic-Con 2016 is over, but videos continue to roll out from some of the events from the convention, including The Mind’s Eye clip that was shown during the “Under the Radar” panel in Hall H!
Rlj Entertainment acquired The Mind’s Eye for North American distribution back in April, and the psychokinetic horror film will hit theaters, VOD, and iTunes on August 5th.
Written and directed by Begos, The Mind’s Eye stars Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Noah Segan, Jeremy Gardner, Matt Mercer, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Sam Zimmerman, and Larry Fessenden.
Synopsis: “Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will...
Rlj Entertainment acquired The Mind’s Eye for North American distribution back in April, and the psychokinetic horror film will hit theaters, VOD, and iTunes on August 5th.
Written and directed by Begos, The Mind’s Eye stars Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Noah Segan, Jeremy Gardner, Matt Mercer, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Sam Zimmerman, and Larry Fessenden.
Synopsis: “Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will...
- 7/26/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Firestarter and Scanners might come to mind while watching the killer new trailer for The Mind’s Eye, the latest film from Almost Human writer/director Joe Begos that will be released this summer.
Rlj Entertainment acquired The Mind’s Eye for North American distribution back in April, and EW reports that the psychokinetic horror film will hit theaters, VOD, and iTunes on August 5th.
Written and directed by Begos, The Mind’s Eye stars Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Noah Segan, Jeremy Gardner, Matt Mercer, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Sam Zimmerman, and Larry Fessenden.
Synopsis: “Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will stop at nothing to track them down so that he may continue to siphon their gifts for his own use.”
The post The Mind’S Eye Release Date & Trailer appeared first on Daily Dead.
Rlj Entertainment acquired The Mind’s Eye for North American distribution back in April, and EW reports that the psychokinetic horror film will hit theaters, VOD, and iTunes on August 5th.
Written and directed by Begos, The Mind’s Eye stars Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Noah Segan, Jeremy Gardner, Matt Mercer, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Sam Zimmerman, and Larry Fessenden.
Synopsis: “Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will stop at nothing to track them down so that he may continue to siphon their gifts for his own use.”
The post The Mind’S Eye Release Date & Trailer appeared first on Daily Dead.
- 6/16/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Good morning, Daily Deaders, today’s Horror Highlights starts off with a new video from Greg McLean’s The Darkness. In this new clip, Radha Mitchell discovers “what’s in the attic.” Also: a clip and music video for Hardcore Henry and clips as well as a Mondo poster for Darling.
The Darkness: “From the director of the cult classic, Wolf Creek, Greg McLean, comes the supernatural thriller The Darkness, opening nationwide May 13th, 2016. As a family returns home from vacation at the Grand Canyon, they innocently bring home a supernatural force that preys off their own fears and vulnerabilities, threatening to destroy them from within, while consuming their lives with terrifying consequences.
The Darkness stars Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, Lucy Fry, Matt Walsh and Jennifer Morrison. Directed by Greg McLean and written by McLean, Shayne Armstrong, and S.P. Krause, the film was produced by Jason Blum, Bianca Martino,...
The Darkness: “From the director of the cult classic, Wolf Creek, Greg McLean, comes the supernatural thriller The Darkness, opening nationwide May 13th, 2016. As a family returns home from vacation at the Grand Canyon, they innocently bring home a supernatural force that preys off their own fears and vulnerabilities, threatening to destroy them from within, while consuming their lives with terrifying consequences.
The Darkness stars Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, Lucy Fry, Matt Walsh and Jennifer Morrison. Directed by Greg McLean and written by McLean, Shayne Armstrong, and S.P. Krause, the film was produced by Jason Blum, Bianca Martino,...
- 4/9/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Mickey Keating’s new film Darling (review) is available now on VOD, and we have a Mondo poster and some new clips for you cats to dig on! The film stars Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Brian Morvant, Larry Fessenden, John… Continue Reading →
The post See a Darling of a Mondo Poster and New Clips! appeared first on Dread Central.
The post See a Darling of a Mondo Poster and New Clips! appeared first on Dread Central.
- 4/8/2016
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
'Darling' Dir. Mickey Keating on Being Inspired by Classic Horror to Form Highly Stylized Nightmares
Channeling some of the most legendary masters of tension and fright in cinema history, young auteur Mickey Keating takes an empty New York house and a lonely young woman and molds these two seemingly traditional tropes into a black-and-white nightmare. Plunging into the viewer’s sense with bone-shaking atmospheric sounds and cohesively deranged editing, “Darling” shatters any expectations and delivers an immersive experience of intimate horror. The film’s star, Lauren Ashley Carter is an absolute revelation. Each scream, gesture, and diabolically spoken line of dialogue compliments the elegantly designed frames inspired by 1960s genre gems. Unsettling from its opening frame to its unshakable horrifying conclusion, Keating’s minimalist creation is an alluring and elegantly diabolical vision. An exquisite genre work to be counted among the best horror films of the year.
"Darling" is now playing in NYC at the Village East Cinema and opens April 8 in Los Angeles at the Arena Cinema.
Carlos Aguilar: I made the big mistake of watching "Darling" at night. It was absolutely terrifying. It took me by surprise, because its very economical in its design, but its very powerful in the emotions that it provokes. Tell me a little bit about the inception of the project and the films that you use as references or influences that inspired its visual aesthetics.
Mickey Keating: I think first and foremost its an homage to 1960s psychological horror movies with fractured narratives told with untrustworthy protagonists. Films like "The Haunting," "The Innocents," "Repulsion," "Diabolique," "That Cold Day in the Park" by Robert Altman, which show a much more restrained, psychological decent into madness. That's what really inspired me to write this one. In terms of composition and framing and camerawork, I turned towards a lot of Haneke films and then also restrained Kubrick-ian and Hitchcock-ian type black-and-white horror movies. It was a great eclectic mix of all these insane, beautiful works of art.
Aguilar: While writing "Darling," were you certain from the start that you wanted it to be focused on a single character with a story that takes place in a single location and very economical in its mechanics?
Mickey Keating: Definitely. It was very important for me to have this movie be this way because my two previous films were really about characters that were playing off one another, really interacting, debating and fighting one another, so with this film I wanted to be much quieter. I wanted to focus on one single person predominately. From the very beginning it was this way. If we could have had no characters in the film we would have tried.
Aguilar: Can you talk about your stylistic decisions including choosing to make the film in black-and-white, the unique framing, and the evocative lighting? The film is definitely a departure from what we commonly see today in the horror genre.
Mickey Keating: I think what was really important for me with this movie was a certain level of restraint. Horror movies, especially indie horror movies, in the past 5 years, have been nothing but hand-held footage and not necessarily about anything beyond trying to capture this weird pathetic intensity and also jump scares. What I really wanted to try and do was push back and go in the complete opposite direction of that. From the get go it was supposed to be like this. The script's not very long and it was all about, "Ok, we’re going to try to make every shot a painting." We knew we were going to really fixate on how we could tell the story the best way possible with the composition, which is a much more traditional approach in terms of classical filmmaking techniques. It was very satisfying to strip that back and really get back on the same page as traditional audiences and not have to try to fool them with fake realism or anything like that.
Aguilar: Editing is a crucial part of what makes "Darling" successful. You chose to use intercuts that can be perceived as flashbacks to what brought the character to this point or as premonitions of what's yet to come.
Mickey Keating: Absolutely. While I was writing the movie, we were also watching a whole bunch of 1960s experimental films. Even the works of John Schlesinger, like "Midnight Cowboy," or especially that dream sequence in "The Exorcist."There was this really exciting notion back then that had this fluidity in editing. The editor is just as present as the cinematographer or anyone else on the film. That’s what we kind of wanted to do, create this almost liquid type of storytelling that’s very abrupt and in a weird way upsetting. I think the goal was to make the audience who endured the film really unsettled and uncomfortable and always on edge. I feel like an exciting, effective horror film for me is a horror film that I can never really see where anything is coming from. That’s what we really tried with this one.
Aguilar: What builds the unsettling atmosphere in "Darling" is the fantastic sound work that enhances the imagery on screen. This is clearly of crucial importance in horror films but sometimes it can be feel overused or on-the-nose. Not in this case. Tell me about the process of creating this other layer of emotion through sound.
Mickey Keating: Definitely. Because the film takes place mostly inside in the house, it was really important for me. Sound is a huge passion of mine, sound design is one of my favorite things in the world, and I think that it's often underutilized. Going back to that idea of pure naturalism, it just kind of exists in the space. What I wanted to do from the very beginning of shooting was give each room, each floor, each kind of location in the house its own sound and its own feeling, as if the house is its own being. Darling walks throughout its body. When she gets up to the door on the top floor, that’s like being in its brain and in the middle that’s like being in its lungs. Every single area is set up differently. It's really upsetting in a way because it makes you very disturbed. Where we looked to for that was the video game "Silent Hill." It has the greatest example of sound work in the entire world because the majority of the first game, especially, is walking around. There are very few monsters in that game, but you are so constantly horrified and on edge because you can never anticipate what’s gonna come next because that sound Is always moving, always liquid, and always changing. Very disturbing I feel.
Aguilar: "Darling" is also a period piece even though this is never specified or delved into. It's a very noticeable quality of the film that coincides with the films that inspire you, but is not a definite factor in how we perceive the story.
Mickey Keating: I think if we had decided to go full blown 1960’s black-and-white probably we would have been pushing it a little bit too far. I didn’t want tot make a movie that wouldn’t be able to get an audience on all, or at least some level. My favorite thing I’ve ever read about David Lynch is that his moves exist in a dream-time in a way. They’re very heavy handed 1950s but clearly there’s some from the 80s. All these references make all of his films very anachronistic, and that’s was my intention. While its definitely a 1960s type of horror film, we never explicitly say it. The fact that the world is all black-and-white and New York sounds very strange in the film, it almost seems like it exists on another plane, or at least that was my intention.
Aguilar: Tell me about your star, Lauren Ashley Carter, who is terrific and terrifying beyond belief. Her screams and her facial expressions are really hard to shake off once the film is over.
Mickey Keating: I knew Lauren because she was in my previous film, and in my previous film she's one of the victims. She screams, she’s terrified, and so for this movie I wanted to flip that on its head. I wanted to cast her again and see where else she, as an actor, could go. When I was talking to her I referenced a lot of movies like "The Seventh Continent" by Michael Haneke and we also talked about those old 1920s horror movies where you see those violent screams that burn in your mind. She totally took that and ran with it. It was very exciting to be able to bring her on board. She’s definitely fantastic. It was also very exciting to be able to bring Sean Young on board as well as Brian Morvant, from my previous film, who plays the antagonist in the film. I wanted to flip that again and have him play the victim in this one. It was really a total world of friends making movies with friends, which is very satisfying.
Aguilar: Her character is sort of a blend between a victim and a villain. She has this sort of duality about her throughout the film, which that doesn’t let us know what she really is until late in the film.
Mickey Keating: Absolutely. That even goes back to southern gothic literature or even a movie like "Taxi Driver." When Travis is doing the pushups and we see he has all these scars all up his back, we know he clearly has a very disturbed past, and yet somehow he's still the protagonist. Travis Bickle was always a big point of reference for that as well.
Aguilar: What would you say were some of the most difficult hurdles you had to overcome to make an independent horror film at this scale and with the particularities that "Darling" showcases? How difficult was it to get people on board with the project you envisioned?
Mickey Keating: There are plenty. Its never easy. I think that at all scales of movies there's always stuff that’s very difficult, stressful and horrible to deal with and that never really changes. If you have enough money to solve anybody's problem, then clearly theres somebody who will charge that rate. It's never quite easy. I think the main challenge on a film like this was first and foremost that I wanted to make a black-and-white movie. A lot of people, when I even mentioned it before I even shot it, would say, "Oh don’t do black-and-white because you can't sell it." Clearly that’s not the case, so it's interesting. I feel like if I had brought this to any other production company besides Glass Eye Pix it wouldn't have happened. Nobody wants to be the guy saying, "Alright, lets make a black-and-white period horror movie," but everyone wants to come on board after the fact, which is very very frustrating to me in a lot of ways. I think that’s one of the challenges, being able to step back and say, "No, we're going to find a way to make this. We're going to figure out something. No matter what anyone says we're going to make this movie this way." Another challenge that really kind of comes to mind was, shooting in New York City in November was not easy. It was raining and it was cold. I’m from Florida originally and I live in California, so it was just a nightmare. But I think what’s fortunate about these movies is that we make them for a price so we make the movies that we are excited to make. Hopefully the right people that are drawn to them are drawn to them and everybody is happy at the end of the day. Overall it was a great experience.
Aguilar: The constraints that come with independent filmmaking, whether these are financial or logistical, often force artists to elevate their creativity to new heights in order to find solutions. Of course having more money makes things easier. Creative freedom that comes with a reasonable budget would be ideal.
Mickey Keating: Absolutely, there is a difference between committee filmmaking and having an individual voice. For all these movies that we are referencing and celebrating that used to be a no-brainer. You got a lot of money and you could make something that was very personal. Now, the way that the landscape of filmmaking has changed, every cent that you get that’s more than $1 million comes with a great big asterisk. It was great to be able to do something that was very personal. I had a great support system through Glass Eye Pix, they were totally like, “Yeah, do your thing.” It was great.
Aguilar: How have audiences reacted to the film? There is, of course, a niche audiences that will probaly enjoy the elegant madness of the film. Has that been the case?
Mickey Keating: In general in terms of the movies that I make, people are either very rabidly passionate about them or rabidly hateful towards them [Laughs]. The people who have been supportive of “Darling” have been very vocally supportive. I feel like what’s so fun about a movie like this is that in the first 30 seconds of it you are going to decide whether it’s a movie for you or not. In a way that’s very exciting because people who have stayed on the roller-coaster and gone all the way through are very adamant about how they feel and the emotions that it invoked. To me it just comes down to the fact that you are creating a conversation with your audience. The more you can talk about it, it’s a sign of an effective film and there have been a lot of conversations about this one so far, which is very exciting.
Aguilar: This is a film that takes a seemingly peaceful locations and a passive character and turns those preconceived notions on their head.
Mickey Keating: Definitely, We kind of approached the movie almost like a drug trip using the chapters. I’m not use drugs guy, but I think you can see that at the beginning there is this excitement and the further you get along down the rabbit hole or down the drug trip it becomes more jarring and fractured, and then by the last chapter it’s almost something like a hangover. It was very exciting to try to tell that story that way.
Aguilar: Seems like this is a busy year for you. What is the next frightening trip you are taking us on?
Mickey Keating: I have another movie coming out soon called "Carnage Park" that we premiered at Sudnance and SXSW this year. It'll be out in the summer. I also just wrapped another film called "Psychopaths," which is an ensemble serial killers movie. It's basically a whole bunch of stories about a whole bunch of serial killers over the course of one night in Los Angeles. This film's sensibilities are a bit closer to "Darling's" because "Carnage Park" is definitely a Sam Peckinpah-esque, Neo-Western, survival type movie. "Psychopaths" is much more of a psychedelic fever dream, which we are very excited to start showing people.
"Darling" is now playing in NYC at the Village East Cinema and opens April 8 in Los Angeles at the Arena Cinema.
Carlos Aguilar: I made the big mistake of watching "Darling" at night. It was absolutely terrifying. It took me by surprise, because its very economical in its design, but its very powerful in the emotions that it provokes. Tell me a little bit about the inception of the project and the films that you use as references or influences that inspired its visual aesthetics.
Mickey Keating: I think first and foremost its an homage to 1960s psychological horror movies with fractured narratives told with untrustworthy protagonists. Films like "The Haunting," "The Innocents," "Repulsion," "Diabolique," "That Cold Day in the Park" by Robert Altman, which show a much more restrained, psychological decent into madness. That's what really inspired me to write this one. In terms of composition and framing and camerawork, I turned towards a lot of Haneke films and then also restrained Kubrick-ian and Hitchcock-ian type black-and-white horror movies. It was a great eclectic mix of all these insane, beautiful works of art.
Aguilar: While writing "Darling," were you certain from the start that you wanted it to be focused on a single character with a story that takes place in a single location and very economical in its mechanics?
Mickey Keating: Definitely. It was very important for me to have this movie be this way because my two previous films were really about characters that were playing off one another, really interacting, debating and fighting one another, so with this film I wanted to be much quieter. I wanted to focus on one single person predominately. From the very beginning it was this way. If we could have had no characters in the film we would have tried.
Aguilar: Can you talk about your stylistic decisions including choosing to make the film in black-and-white, the unique framing, and the evocative lighting? The film is definitely a departure from what we commonly see today in the horror genre.
Mickey Keating: I think what was really important for me with this movie was a certain level of restraint. Horror movies, especially indie horror movies, in the past 5 years, have been nothing but hand-held footage and not necessarily about anything beyond trying to capture this weird pathetic intensity and also jump scares. What I really wanted to try and do was push back and go in the complete opposite direction of that. From the get go it was supposed to be like this. The script's not very long and it was all about, "Ok, we’re going to try to make every shot a painting." We knew we were going to really fixate on how we could tell the story the best way possible with the composition, which is a much more traditional approach in terms of classical filmmaking techniques. It was very satisfying to strip that back and really get back on the same page as traditional audiences and not have to try to fool them with fake realism or anything like that.
Aguilar: Editing is a crucial part of what makes "Darling" successful. You chose to use intercuts that can be perceived as flashbacks to what brought the character to this point or as premonitions of what's yet to come.
Mickey Keating: Absolutely. While I was writing the movie, we were also watching a whole bunch of 1960s experimental films. Even the works of John Schlesinger, like "Midnight Cowboy," or especially that dream sequence in "The Exorcist."There was this really exciting notion back then that had this fluidity in editing. The editor is just as present as the cinematographer or anyone else on the film. That’s what we kind of wanted to do, create this almost liquid type of storytelling that’s very abrupt and in a weird way upsetting. I think the goal was to make the audience who endured the film really unsettled and uncomfortable and always on edge. I feel like an exciting, effective horror film for me is a horror film that I can never really see where anything is coming from. That’s what we really tried with this one.
Aguilar: What builds the unsettling atmosphere in "Darling" is the fantastic sound work that enhances the imagery on screen. This is clearly of crucial importance in horror films but sometimes it can be feel overused or on-the-nose. Not in this case. Tell me about the process of creating this other layer of emotion through sound.
Mickey Keating: Definitely. Because the film takes place mostly inside in the house, it was really important for me. Sound is a huge passion of mine, sound design is one of my favorite things in the world, and I think that it's often underutilized. Going back to that idea of pure naturalism, it just kind of exists in the space. What I wanted to do from the very beginning of shooting was give each room, each floor, each kind of location in the house its own sound and its own feeling, as if the house is its own being. Darling walks throughout its body. When she gets up to the door on the top floor, that’s like being in its brain and in the middle that’s like being in its lungs. Every single area is set up differently. It's really upsetting in a way because it makes you very disturbed. Where we looked to for that was the video game "Silent Hill." It has the greatest example of sound work in the entire world because the majority of the first game, especially, is walking around. There are very few monsters in that game, but you are so constantly horrified and on edge because you can never anticipate what’s gonna come next because that sound Is always moving, always liquid, and always changing. Very disturbing I feel.
Aguilar: "Darling" is also a period piece even though this is never specified or delved into. It's a very noticeable quality of the film that coincides with the films that inspire you, but is not a definite factor in how we perceive the story.
Mickey Keating: I think if we had decided to go full blown 1960’s black-and-white probably we would have been pushing it a little bit too far. I didn’t want tot make a movie that wouldn’t be able to get an audience on all, or at least some level. My favorite thing I’ve ever read about David Lynch is that his moves exist in a dream-time in a way. They’re very heavy handed 1950s but clearly there’s some from the 80s. All these references make all of his films very anachronistic, and that’s was my intention. While its definitely a 1960s type of horror film, we never explicitly say it. The fact that the world is all black-and-white and New York sounds very strange in the film, it almost seems like it exists on another plane, or at least that was my intention.
Aguilar: Tell me about your star, Lauren Ashley Carter, who is terrific and terrifying beyond belief. Her screams and her facial expressions are really hard to shake off once the film is over.
Mickey Keating: I knew Lauren because she was in my previous film, and in my previous film she's one of the victims. She screams, she’s terrified, and so for this movie I wanted to flip that on its head. I wanted to cast her again and see where else she, as an actor, could go. When I was talking to her I referenced a lot of movies like "The Seventh Continent" by Michael Haneke and we also talked about those old 1920s horror movies where you see those violent screams that burn in your mind. She totally took that and ran with it. It was very exciting to be able to bring her on board. She’s definitely fantastic. It was also very exciting to be able to bring Sean Young on board as well as Brian Morvant, from my previous film, who plays the antagonist in the film. I wanted to flip that again and have him play the victim in this one. It was really a total world of friends making movies with friends, which is very satisfying.
Aguilar: Her character is sort of a blend between a victim and a villain. She has this sort of duality about her throughout the film, which that doesn’t let us know what she really is until late in the film.
Mickey Keating: Absolutely. That even goes back to southern gothic literature or even a movie like "Taxi Driver." When Travis is doing the pushups and we see he has all these scars all up his back, we know he clearly has a very disturbed past, and yet somehow he's still the protagonist. Travis Bickle was always a big point of reference for that as well.
Aguilar: What would you say were some of the most difficult hurdles you had to overcome to make an independent horror film at this scale and with the particularities that "Darling" showcases? How difficult was it to get people on board with the project you envisioned?
Mickey Keating: There are plenty. Its never easy. I think that at all scales of movies there's always stuff that’s very difficult, stressful and horrible to deal with and that never really changes. If you have enough money to solve anybody's problem, then clearly theres somebody who will charge that rate. It's never quite easy. I think the main challenge on a film like this was first and foremost that I wanted to make a black-and-white movie. A lot of people, when I even mentioned it before I even shot it, would say, "Oh don’t do black-and-white because you can't sell it." Clearly that’s not the case, so it's interesting. I feel like if I had brought this to any other production company besides Glass Eye Pix it wouldn't have happened. Nobody wants to be the guy saying, "Alright, lets make a black-and-white period horror movie," but everyone wants to come on board after the fact, which is very very frustrating to me in a lot of ways. I think that’s one of the challenges, being able to step back and say, "No, we're going to find a way to make this. We're going to figure out something. No matter what anyone says we're going to make this movie this way." Another challenge that really kind of comes to mind was, shooting in New York City in November was not easy. It was raining and it was cold. I’m from Florida originally and I live in California, so it was just a nightmare. But I think what’s fortunate about these movies is that we make them for a price so we make the movies that we are excited to make. Hopefully the right people that are drawn to them are drawn to them and everybody is happy at the end of the day. Overall it was a great experience.
Aguilar: The constraints that come with independent filmmaking, whether these are financial or logistical, often force artists to elevate their creativity to new heights in order to find solutions. Of course having more money makes things easier. Creative freedom that comes with a reasonable budget would be ideal.
Mickey Keating: Absolutely, there is a difference between committee filmmaking and having an individual voice. For all these movies that we are referencing and celebrating that used to be a no-brainer. You got a lot of money and you could make something that was very personal. Now, the way that the landscape of filmmaking has changed, every cent that you get that’s more than $1 million comes with a great big asterisk. It was great to be able to do something that was very personal. I had a great support system through Glass Eye Pix, they were totally like, “Yeah, do your thing.” It was great.
Aguilar: How have audiences reacted to the film? There is, of course, a niche audiences that will probaly enjoy the elegant madness of the film. Has that been the case?
Mickey Keating: In general in terms of the movies that I make, people are either very rabidly passionate about them or rabidly hateful towards them [Laughs]. The people who have been supportive of “Darling” have been very vocally supportive. I feel like what’s so fun about a movie like this is that in the first 30 seconds of it you are going to decide whether it’s a movie for you or not. In a way that’s very exciting because people who have stayed on the roller-coaster and gone all the way through are very adamant about how they feel and the emotions that it invoked. To me it just comes down to the fact that you are creating a conversation with your audience. The more you can talk about it, it’s a sign of an effective film and there have been a lot of conversations about this one so far, which is very exciting.
Aguilar: This is a film that takes a seemingly peaceful locations and a passive character and turns those preconceived notions on their head.
Mickey Keating: Definitely, We kind of approached the movie almost like a drug trip using the chapters. I’m not use drugs guy, but I think you can see that at the beginning there is this excitement and the further you get along down the rabbit hole or down the drug trip it becomes more jarring and fractured, and then by the last chapter it’s almost something like a hangover. It was very exciting to try to tell that story that way.
Aguilar: Seems like this is a busy year for you. What is the next frightening trip you are taking us on?
Mickey Keating: I have another movie coming out soon called "Carnage Park" that we premiered at Sudnance and SXSW this year. It'll be out in the summer. I also just wrapped another film called "Psychopaths," which is an ensemble serial killers movie. It's basically a whole bunch of stories about a whole bunch of serial killers over the course of one night in Los Angeles. This film's sensibilities are a bit closer to "Darling's" because "Carnage Park" is definitely a Sam Peckinpah-esque, Neo-Western, survival type movie. "Psychopaths" is much more of a psychedelic fever dream, which we are very excited to start showing people.
- 4/2/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Much like with Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the job of caretaker isn’t an easy one in Mickey Keating‘s Darling. It should be: combat any prospective upkeep problems, tidy up, wait until the tenure is complete, and collect your pay. But not this New York City brownstone with its history steeped in satanic ritual. The Madame of the house (Sean Young) knows more than she lets on, dropping juicy tidbits about young “Darling’s” (Lauren Ashley Carter) predecessor’s suicide and cryptic warnings about a locked room at the end of the hall, but we think nothing of it. Strange things happen. Buildings are deemed haunted and myth trumps reality because its fun to lend the occult credence within an otherwise sane world. Sometimes, however, the Devil will arrive.
I don’t mean that literally because having someone pop up onscreen sporting horns and a tail would definitely...
I don’t mean that literally because having someone pop up onscreen sporting horns and a tail would definitely...
- 3/31/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Stars: Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Larry Fessenden, Noah Segan, Matt Mercer, Michael A. LoCicero, Jeremy Gardner, Patrick M. Walsh, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Susan T. Travers | Written and Directed by Joe Begos
Back in 2014 first-time director Joe Begos exploded on the horror scene with Almost Human, an alien abduction movie drenched in 80s flair. Now he’s back with his second feature, The Mind’s Eye, another film that’s not afraid to wear its love of 80s horror on its sleeve. In this case referencing the work of David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma, and films like the Scanners franchise, Carrie and the classic telekinetic fear flick The Fury.
Confession time: I’m not the biggest fan of David Cronenberg’s Scanners. If not for exploding head scene and the final battle between Revok and Vale, the film would be a very dull futuristic thriller. However...
Back in 2014 first-time director Joe Begos exploded on the horror scene with Almost Human, an alien abduction movie drenched in 80s flair. Now he’s back with his second feature, The Mind’s Eye, another film that’s not afraid to wear its love of 80s horror on its sleeve. In this case referencing the work of David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma, and films like the Scanners franchise, Carrie and the classic telekinetic fear flick The Fury.
Confession time: I’m not the biggest fan of David Cronenberg’s Scanners. If not for exploding head scene and the final battle between Revok and Vale, the film would be a very dull futuristic thriller. However...
- 2/27/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
I don’t know what the hell is in the air, but suddenly e’ery Tom, Dick (heh), and Scary has sent me fright flicks by the dozens… #shutupstupiditsfreemovies
Darling
• Release Date: In Theaters April 1st
• Written By: Mickey Keating
• Directed By: Mickey Keating
• Starring: Lauren Ashley Carter, Brian Morvant, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden
I really, Really love when our beloved horror biz goes and gets itself all artsy and experimental. Give me a Beyond The Black Rainbow over yet another tired 80s slasher throwback any damn day. Well, to that end, I have a real doozy of a flick in front of my eerie eyeballs today: a stylish lil’ number called Darling.
Darling starts out like a throwback to the Gothic thriller genre: a young, seemingly naïve woman comes to find herself as the caretaker of an aged grande manse (this one happens to be located in Manhattan), and of course,...
Darling
• Release Date: In Theaters April 1st
• Written By: Mickey Keating
• Directed By: Mickey Keating
• Starring: Lauren Ashley Carter, Brian Morvant, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden
I really, Really love when our beloved horror biz goes and gets itself all artsy and experimental. Give me a Beyond The Black Rainbow over yet another tired 80s slasher throwback any damn day. Well, to that end, I have a real doozy of a flick in front of my eerie eyeballs today: a stylish lil’ number called Darling.
Darling starts out like a throwback to the Gothic thriller genre: a young, seemingly naïve woman comes to find herself as the caretaker of an aged grande manse (this one happens to be located in Manhattan), and of course,...
- 2/22/2016
- by DanielXIII
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Cherry Falls, starring the late Brittany Murphy, is getting the Blu-ray treatment courtesy of Scream Factory on March 29th! Also: a trailer for Darling, The Eyes of My Mother acquisition news, Nitehawk Cinema's programming schedule for March, Baskin release details, and Everlasting at the Nevermore Film Festival.
Cherry Falls: Press Release: "Lose your innocence…or lose your life. On March 29th, 2016, Scream Factory presents teen thriller Cherry Falls in its Blu-ray debut packed with new extras including audio commentary with Geoffrey Wright and interviews with writer/co-executive producer Ken Selden and producer Marshall Persinger.
A serial killer is stalking the peaceful town of Cherry Falls. At first, it seems that he is just targeting teenagers, but after the third killing, it becomes clear that all the victims have been virgins. When the town's students hear about this, they realize that there is only one way to protect themselves and...
Cherry Falls: Press Release: "Lose your innocence…or lose your life. On March 29th, 2016, Scream Factory presents teen thriller Cherry Falls in its Blu-ray debut packed with new extras including audio commentary with Geoffrey Wright and interviews with writer/co-executive producer Ken Selden and producer Marshall Persinger.
A serial killer is stalking the peaceful town of Cherry Falls. At first, it seems that he is just targeting teenagers, but after the third killing, it becomes clear that all the victims have been virgins. When the town's students hear about this, they realize that there is only one way to protect themselves and...
- 2/13/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Admittedly, I didn’t care much for Mickey Keating’s previous alien attack, Pod, but Darling is a completely different beast. A sexy, ravenous beast contained in the eyes of lead actress Lauren Ashley Carter, who cuts through the screen like a warm knife through silky butter. She’s the reason we’re left mesmerized by a black-and-white housesitting tale with a sinister flicker, because while Keating’s technical prowess may be seizure-inducing at times, Carter’s glare just won’t let us look away. It’s like a voodoo curse or something – I could gaze into those crazy eyes all day, knowing the dark dementia that exists behind Carter’s mismatching facade. Personal intensity makes Darling more than a high-grade film school assignment, while Keating boasts a want to turn his influences into gripping tension, but this is Carter’s day to shine, and shine brightly she does.
As mentioned,...
As mentioned,...
- 10/3/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Screen Media Films has acquired worldwide rights to Darling, writer-director Mickey Keating’s horror pic about a young woman who slowly goes crazy after taking a job as the caretaker for an ancient New York home. An early 2016 release is planned after the pic had its world premiere Friday at the genre-rich Fantastic Fest in Austin. Lauren Ashley Carter stars with Sean Young, Larry Fessenden and Brian Morvant. Keating is coming off his SXSW bow for the horror-thriller Pod…...
- 9/29/2015
- Deadline
Read More: 5 Reasons Fantastic Fest Deserves Your Respect After a weekend of negations following its Fantastic Fest premiere on Friday night, Screen Media Films has landed worldwide acquisition rights to Mickey Keating's "Darling," starring Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden and Brian Morvant. "Darling" stars Carter as a young woman who goes crazy after taking a caretaker job at an ancient home in New York. "Very few movies can make me incredibly uncomfortable while fascinating me," said Seth Needle, Director of Worldwide Acquisitions, Screen Media Films. "Mickey Keating's terrific film does just that, while paying homage to some of my absolute favorite genre films. I couldn’t be happier to be involved with distributing this one." "'Darling' is a love letter to those chilling, old-school horror films that get under your skin and stay there," added Keating. "I’m thrilled and honored to be teaming up with.
- 9/29/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The distributor has acquired world rights to Mickey Keating’s genre film following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest last Friday. Separately Music Box has picked up Monster With A Thousand Faces.
Darling stars Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden and Brian Morvant, and is scheduled for an early 2016 theatrical release.
The story centres on a young woman who slowly goes crazy after taking a job as the caretaker at an old New York home.
“Very few movies can make me incredibly uncomfortable while fascinating me,” said Seth Needle, director of worldwide acquisitions Screen Media. “Mickey Keating’s terrific film does just that, while paying homage to some of my absolute favourite genre films.”
Keating said: “Darling is a love letter to those chilling, old-school horror films that get under your skin and stay there. I’m thrilled and honoured to be teaming up with Screen Media to cause some serious nightmares for audiences around the globe...
Darling stars Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden and Brian Morvant, and is scheduled for an early 2016 theatrical release.
The story centres on a young woman who slowly goes crazy after taking a job as the caretaker at an old New York home.
“Very few movies can make me incredibly uncomfortable while fascinating me,” said Seth Needle, director of worldwide acquisitions Screen Media. “Mickey Keating’s terrific film does just that, while paying homage to some of my absolute favourite genre films.”
Keating said: “Darling is a love letter to those chilling, old-school horror films that get under your skin and stay there. I’m thrilled and honoured to be teaming up with Screen Media to cause some serious nightmares for audiences around the globe...
- 9/29/2015
- ScreenDaily
Glass Eye Pix and Alexander Groupe have just released the first trailer and poster for Darling, the new film by Mickey Keating, which will have its world premiere at the 11th edition of Fantastic Fest.
The psychological horror film follows a lonely young woman who moves into an old, mysterious Manhattan mansion. Hired as a caretaker, it’s not long before she discovers the estate’s haunted reputation and troubling past. These stories slowly transform into a backdrop for her twisted and violent descent into madness…
The trailer gives us a good idea of what to expect — Mickey Keating’s Darling is edited like a nightmare and scored like a hallucination by composer Giona Ostinelli, and word is, the film accomplishes terror of a completely different kind.
Darling stars Lauren Ashley Carter (Pod, Jug Face) with supporting performances by Brian Morvant, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden, John Speredakos, and Helen Rogers.
The psychological horror film follows a lonely young woman who moves into an old, mysterious Manhattan mansion. Hired as a caretaker, it’s not long before she discovers the estate’s haunted reputation and troubling past. These stories slowly transform into a backdrop for her twisted and violent descent into madness…
The trailer gives us a good idea of what to expect — Mickey Keating’s Darling is edited like a nightmare and scored like a hallucination by composer Giona Ostinelli, and word is, the film accomplishes terror of a completely different kind.
Darling stars Lauren Ashley Carter (Pod, Jug Face) with supporting performances by Brian Morvant, Sean Young, Larry Fessenden, John Speredakos, and Helen Rogers.
- 9/21/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Stars: Lauren Ashley Carter, Larry Fessenden, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant, John Weselcouch, Forrest McClain | Written and Directed by Mickey Keating
Ed and Lyla are so worried about their psychologically unstable brother Martin they head to the family cabin in the woods to stage an intervention. What greets them is a raving paranoid individual rambling about a government conspiracy that’s threatening his life and claiming he’s holding a military issue prototype ‘pod’ in the cellar. Is the veteran soldier having the complete mental breakdown they feared? Or could it really be true?
Talk about claustrophobic filmmaking! Three people crammed into a small house in the woods, all getting in each others faces… Sound familiar? Its a premise that has been reused and revisited over and over again in the horror genre, to varying degrees of success. From the highs of The Evil Dead to the lows of… well, frankly,...
Ed and Lyla are so worried about their psychologically unstable brother Martin they head to the family cabin in the woods to stage an intervention. What greets them is a raving paranoid individual rambling about a government conspiracy that’s threatening his life and claiming he’s holding a military issue prototype ‘pod’ in the cellar. Is the veteran soldier having the complete mental breakdown they feared? Or could it really be true?
Talk about claustrophobic filmmaking! Three people crammed into a small house in the woods, all getting in each others faces… Sound familiar? Its a premise that has been reused and revisited over and over again in the horror genre, to varying degrees of success. From the highs of The Evil Dead to the lows of… well, frankly,...
- 8/28/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
A chilling and unexpected claustrophobic thriller, Mickey Keating’s Pod is a highly effective tale of terror that does a nice job of setting an unsettling tone from the onset and very rarely lets up until the film’s conclusion. Pod uses its micro-budget to its advantage and rises above some uneven performances to deliver a story that feels akin to a lost episode of The X-Files, filled with uncertainty, conspiracy and real emotional stakes.
Pod follows siblings Ed (Dean Cates) and Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) who head out to their family cabin in the middle of nowhere to check on their unstable brother Martin (Brian Morvant), a war vet who has been plagued with mental illness issues since coming home some years prior. When they arrive, they find their beloved vacation home in shambles, windows and doors covered to keep out the world around, and Martin an emotional wreck...
Pod follows siblings Ed (Dean Cates) and Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) who head out to their family cabin in the middle of nowhere to check on their unstable brother Martin (Brian Morvant), a war vet who has been plagued with mental illness issues since coming home some years prior. When they arrive, they find their beloved vacation home in shambles, windows and doors covered to keep out the world around, and Martin an emotional wreck...
- 8/24/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
There is something hiding in the basement, in Mickey Keating's (Ritual) Pod. This film was recently shown at Austin's South-by Southwest Film Festival. Now, this indie horror title is gearing up for an American theatrical launch. To coincide with its next theatrical debut, a new poster and trailer have been released for the title. The clip and graphic reveal a dark inhabitant. The film looks at a trio of siblings. A brother and sister drive out to their brother's home, only to find everything in disarray. Martin (Brian Morvant), a war veteran, appears delusional, but strange sounds emerge from below. The film's launch begins at the end of the month. On August 28th, the film will show in several theatres. A full theatrical showing schedule will come this way soon. For now, horror fans can peer into the darkness, with the film's latest terrifying trailer. Release Date: August 28th,...
- 8/18/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Pod might be just terrifying enough to become the next breakout horror hit.
The indie film took South by Southwest by storm this past spring, and is now gearing up for a Us cinema run by unveiling a mind-bending trailer.
Pod revolves around siblings Lyla and Ed (Lauren Ashley Carter and Dean Cates), who rush to their family's Maine lake house after receiving a disturbing message from their brother.
They arrive to find brother Martin (Brian Morvant) holed up with heaps of weaponry, claiming to have locked some kind of monster in the basement.
Lauren Ashley Carter previously had a small role in Premium Rush. We Are Still Here star Larry Fessenden also makes an appearance in Pod.
Pod opens in Us cinemas on August 28.
The indie film took South by Southwest by storm this past spring, and is now gearing up for a Us cinema run by unveiling a mind-bending trailer.
Pod revolves around siblings Lyla and Ed (Lauren Ashley Carter and Dean Cates), who rush to their family's Maine lake house after receiving a disturbing message from their brother.
They arrive to find brother Martin (Brian Morvant) holed up with heaps of weaponry, claiming to have locked some kind of monster in the basement.
Lauren Ashley Carter previously had a small role in Premium Rush. We Are Still Here star Larry Fessenden also makes an appearance in Pod.
Pod opens in Us cinemas on August 28.
- 8/15/2015
- Digital Spy
Fright Rags has added four new beautifully dark T-Shirts to their collection that were inspired by covers of the Idw Publishing horror comic series, 30 Days of Night. Also in this morning's round-up: release details for Mickey Keating's Pod and the horror-thriller Blood Punch.
30 Days of Night T-Shirts: In the three-issue comic series 30 Days of Night written by Steve Niles with artwork by Ben Templesmith, vampires roam the frozen landscape of Barrow, Alaska. The town lies 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle, resulting in the sun not rising there (during the Winter Solstice) for 30 days. The vampires take this annual celestial event as an opportunity to wreak havoc on the townspeople.
In 2012, the series returned with 30 Days of Night Volume 1 by series creator Steve Niles and illustrated by Sam Kieth. Volume 2 in the series was released in August of that same year with artwork by Christopher Mitten and Davide Furno.
30 Days of Night T-Shirts: In the three-issue comic series 30 Days of Night written by Steve Niles with artwork by Ben Templesmith, vampires roam the frozen landscape of Barrow, Alaska. The town lies 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle, resulting in the sun not rising there (during the Winter Solstice) for 30 days. The vampires take this annual celestial event as an opportunity to wreak havoc on the townspeople.
In 2012, the series returned with 30 Days of Night Volume 1 by series creator Steve Niles and illustrated by Sam Kieth. Volume 2 in the series was released in August of that same year with artwork by Christopher Mitten and Davide Furno.
- 8/13/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Read More: SXSW 2015: A List of Criticwire Grades for Every Feature Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Mickey Keating's thriller "Pod." The film premiered this year in the Midnight section of SXSW. The film follows estranged siblings Ed (Dean Cates) and Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) who plan to stage an intervention on their paranoid, war veteran brother Martin (Brian Morvant). Ed and Lyla travel to their isolated family lake house after receiving a disturbing voicemail from Martin, only to discover that the house has been completely ransacked. The situation spins out of control when they learn that Martin has imagined an elaborate conspiracy theory in which he believes he has trapped a sinister entity in the basement. "After the premiere of 'Pod' at SXSW, we knew we wanted to be involved in bringing Mickey's clever and captivating vision to national audiences," said Vertical Co-President Rich Goldberg.
- 4/8/2015
- by Jena Keahon
- Indiewire
A World Premiere out of last month’s SXSW, sci-fi horror Pod has been picked up for day-and-date theatrical and VOD release this fall by Vertical Entertainment. The second feature from young, stylish director Mickey Keating (Ritual), Pod stars Lauren Ashley Carter (Jug Face), Dean Cates and Brian Morvant. The latter plays a veteran holed up…
The post Vertical Takes Keating’s Sci-fi Horror, Pod appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Vertical Takes Keating’s Sci-fi Horror, Pod appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 4/8/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
The distributor has picked up North American rights to Mickey Keating’s SXSW Midnight thriller.
Vertical co-president Rich Goldberg plans to release Pod theatrically and digitally day-and-date in autumn.
The film stars Dean Cates and Lauren Ashley Carter as estranged siblings who travel to their isolated family lake house in Maine hold an intervention on their troubled war veteran brother. Brian Morvant also stars.
Morgan White, Sean Fowler, William Day Frank and Keating produced, while Ryan W Keating and Lauren Conoscenti served as executive producers.
Nate Bolotin and Mette-Marie Katz of Xyz brokered the deal with Goldberg and Vertical vice-president of acquisitions Peter Jarowey.
Vertical co-president Rich Goldberg plans to release Pod theatrically and digitally day-and-date in autumn.
The film stars Dean Cates and Lauren Ashley Carter as estranged siblings who travel to their isolated family lake house in Maine hold an intervention on their troubled war veteran brother. Brian Morvant also stars.
Morgan White, Sean Fowler, William Day Frank and Keating produced, while Ryan W Keating and Lauren Conoscenti served as executive producers.
Nate Bolotin and Mette-Marie Katz of Xyz brokered the deal with Goldberg and Vertical vice-president of acquisitions Peter Jarowey.
- 4/7/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Struggling to find a gratifying balance between an estranged group as they strive to overcome their differences in an effort to better themselves and their lives can be a harrowing struggle for everyone involved. That’s certainly the case in the electrifying new horror thriller, ‘Pod,’ which had its World Premiere at this year’s SXSW, during the festival’s Midnighters Section on March 16, at the Alamo Ritz theater in Austin, Texas. While the family in writer-director-executive producer Mickey Keating’s mystery film often relatably clash over their ideas on how to best lead their respective lives, the filmmaker and his cast and crew embraced closely collaborating together to make an emotionally exhiliratingly [ Read More ]
The post SXSW 2015 Interview: Pod’s Mickey Keating, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant and Giona Ostinelli appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post SXSW 2015 Interview: Pod’s Mickey Keating, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant and Giona Ostinelli appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/24/2015
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
SXSW 2015 Film Review
complete coverage of the SXSW Film Festival 2015
The Nymphets
Director/Screenwriter: Gary Gardner
A well-to-do 30-something man invites two rowdy young girls to party in his loft, leading to a night of provocation and cruelty, all in the name of getting laid. Cast: Kip Pardue, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jordan Lane Price, Paulina Singer. (World Premiere) (film synopsis from sxsw.com)
Overall
I consisted felt like I was stuck with oddly aggressive teenagers who spent the majority of time looking at each other and giggling. Add to that a guy who really makes ignorant, frustrating decisions, and it just feels like I’m stuck. The interesting thing is, I think that’s what Gardner is going for. There are moments of curiosity here, but they never last long enough for me. Dexter-Jones is someone I will definitely keep an eye on. She does good work. And because Gardner does create the vision he wants,...
complete coverage of the SXSW Film Festival 2015
The Nymphets
Director/Screenwriter: Gary Gardner
A well-to-do 30-something man invites two rowdy young girls to party in his loft, leading to a night of provocation and cruelty, all in the name of getting laid. Cast: Kip Pardue, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jordan Lane Price, Paulina Singer. (World Premiere) (film synopsis from sxsw.com)
Overall
I consisted felt like I was stuck with oddly aggressive teenagers who spent the majority of time looking at each other and giggling. Add to that a guy who really makes ignorant, frustrating decisions, and it just feels like I’m stuck. The interesting thing is, I think that’s what Gardner is going for. There are moments of curiosity here, but they never last long enough for me. Dexter-Jones is someone I will definitely keep an eye on. She does good work. And because Gardner does create the vision he wants,...
- 3/19/2015
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
There’s something to be said about a movie built on streamlined efficiency, but Pod takes its down-and-dirty mentality a bit too seriously. At the film’s post-screening Q&A, director Mickey Keating revealed that he’d wanted to collaborate on a horror film with a specific producer as quickly as possible, and that speed in production becomes noticeable as you watch what could be one of the more cut-and-dry creature features you’ll ever see. Some viewers will absolutely adore Keating’s ability to go from Point A to Point B with absolutely zero frills, but for others (including myself), Pod blows by like an inconsequential nightmare that’s over before it even begins.
Keating’s story follows Ed (Dean Cates) and Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter), a brother and sister team who are worried about their more unstable brother Martin (Brian Morvant), so they set out for the family-owned cabin he calls home.
Keating’s story follows Ed (Dean Cates) and Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter), a brother and sister team who are worried about their more unstable brother Martin (Brian Morvant), so they set out for the family-owned cabin he calls home.
- 3/19/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Each and every year, the South by Southwest Film Festival comes together in Austin, Texas to shine the spotlight on some of the most provocative and ingenious indie horror films from across the globe. The 2015 SXSW line-up is no exception, featuring a multitude of thought-provoking titles and genre-bending awesomeness that we could not be more excited to check out during the festival this month.
Here’s a look at several of the films from SXSW 2015 that have us excited for this year’s line-up and should stay on your radar once they’re officially released at a later date:
The Final Girls
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: M. A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie that starred Max's mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film's maniacal killer and find their way back home. Cast: Taissa Farmiga,...
Here’s a look at several of the films from SXSW 2015 that have us excited for this year’s line-up and should stay on your radar once they’re officially released at a later date:
The Final Girls
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: M. A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie that starred Max's mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film's maniacal killer and find their way back home. Cast: Taissa Farmiga,...
- 3/6/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
We're back with another horror round-up, this time turning our attention to the latest iZombie poster that puts a living dead spin on the ice cream cone, an unsettling new clip from Mickey Keating's Pod, and release details on Conor McMahon's From the Dark.
iZombie: "Co-created and executive produced by Rob Thomas & Diane Ruggiero-Wright (Veronica Mars), along with executive producers Danielle Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge (also of Veronica Mars), Rose McIver (Masters of Sex, Once Upon a Time) stars as Olivia “Liv” Moore, a 25-year-old medical resident on the fast track to a perfect life … until she’s turned into a zombie. Liv transfers her residency to the coroner’s office for access to the brains she must reluctantly eat, but with each brain she consumes, she inherits the corpse’s memories. With her medical examiner boss and a police detective, she now solves homicides to quiet the voices in her head.
iZombie: "Co-created and executive produced by Rob Thomas & Diane Ruggiero-Wright (Veronica Mars), along with executive producers Danielle Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge (also of Veronica Mars), Rose McIver (Masters of Sex, Once Upon a Time) stars as Olivia “Liv” Moore, a 25-year-old medical resident on the fast track to a perfect life … until she’s turned into a zombie. Liv transfers her residency to the coroner’s office for access to the brains she must reluctantly eat, but with each brain she consumes, she inherits the corpse’s memories. With her medical examiner boss and a police detective, she now solves homicides to quiet the voices in her head.
- 3/2/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
We cleared Sundance and Berlin, but now SXSW is upon us, bringing with it a whole slate of new movies that hope to make an impression, and make their mark as ones to keep an eye on for the rest of the year. And in the Midnighters section, "Pod" will be aiming to send a chill up your spine. Today we have an exclusive clip from the film. Written and directed by Mickey Keating, and starring Lauren Ashley Carter, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant, Larry Fessenden, and John Weselcouch, the film follows estranged siblings Ed and Lyla who head to the family lake house to stage an intervention for their war veteran brother. But when they arrive, they aren't prepared for what they find. This creepy scene provides a tease of what the pair stumble into, and the nervy tone the picture is aiming for. "Pod" will have its first screening at SXSW on Monday,...
- 2/26/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
We're back with another video round-up, this time featuring two new clips from The Lazarus Effect, the debut trailer for the upcoming SXSW Midnighter selection Pod, and a cute and creepy look at Zombie Cats from Mars.
The Lazarus Effect: "From masters of horror Blumhouse Productions - producer of The Purge, Insidious and Sinister franchises - The Lazarus Effect follows a group of researchers led by Frank (Mark Duplass) and his fiancée Zoe (Olivia Wilde,) who've achieved the unimaginable - bringing the dead back to life. After a successful, yet unsanctioned, trial on a newly deceased animal, the team is ready to unveil their breakthrough to the world. When the dean of their university learns of their underground experiments, their project is unexpectedly shut down and their materials confiscated.
Frank, Zoe and their team (Donald Glover, Sarah Bolger and Evan Peters) take matters into their own hands, launching a...
The Lazarus Effect: "From masters of horror Blumhouse Productions - producer of The Purge, Insidious and Sinister franchises - The Lazarus Effect follows a group of researchers led by Frank (Mark Duplass) and his fiancée Zoe (Olivia Wilde,) who've achieved the unimaginable - bringing the dead back to life. After a successful, yet unsanctioned, trial on a newly deceased animal, the team is ready to unveil their breakthrough to the world. When the dean of their university learns of their underground experiments, their project is unexpectedly shut down and their materials confiscated.
Frank, Zoe and their team (Donald Glover, Sarah Bolger and Evan Peters) take matters into their own hands, launching a...
- 2/18/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
This year’s South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival (SXSW 2015), which will run from March 13-21 in Austin, Texas, has unveiled the lineup for its beloved Midnighters section, which aims to showcase the best and brightest in genre filmmaking, from thriller to horror to science-fiction. Attendees will witness 11 titles including nine world premieres at Midnighters this year, with filmmakers like Karyn Kusama and Rodney Ascher in the mix.
SXSW’s senior programmer Jarod Neece commented on the Midnighters lineup, stating:
“Creepy, clever, engrossing, and frightening are just a few words that come to mind when I think about this year’s SXSW Midnighters lineup. These nine world premieres and two festival favorites are helmed by five first-time filmmakers and several SXSW alumni.”
Midnighters always introduces some fascinating genre pics, and whether there’s something here that will go on to Oculus-style success remains to be seen, but it’s...
SXSW’s senior programmer Jarod Neece commented on the Midnighters lineup, stating:
“Creepy, clever, engrossing, and frightening are just a few words that come to mind when I think about this year’s SXSW Midnighters lineup. These nine world premieres and two festival favorites are helmed by five first-time filmmakers and several SXSW alumni.”
Midnighters always introduces some fascinating genre pics, and whether there’s something here that will go on to Oculus-style success remains to be seen, but it’s...
- 2/11/2015
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Following the recent announcement of their full film lineup that includes Trainwreck, Get Hard, and Spy, South by Southwest has revealed their lineup of Midnight movies and short films to screen during the festival. Chief among them is the Sundance 2015 hit Turbo Kid (read our review here) and the Sundance ’15 winner of the Short Film Prize World of Tomorrow. SXSW runs from March 13-21. View the full Midnighters and Shorts lineup below via the SXSW website.
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
****
Midnighters
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó. (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden...
- 2/10/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
SXSW’s Midnighters selections often give horror fans the first look at indie horror’s finest releases of the year and their 2015 lineup has just been announced, including nine movies that will be making their world premiere during the festival:
“Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden
New kid in town Brodie and bad-boy Zakk quickly bond over their mutual admiration of heavy metal. But when these two metal thrashing losers unwittingly summon malevolent forces,...
“Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó (World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden
New kid in town Brodie and bad-boy Zakk quickly bond over their mutual admiration of heavy metal. But when these two metal thrashing losers unwittingly summon malevolent forces,...
- 2/10/2015
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
SXSW top brass have unveiled the Midnighters section and the complete short film line-up at the festival, set to run in Texas from March 13-21.
This marks the second year of the section and the 2015 offerings comprise 11 genre films including nine world premieres.
“Creepy, clever, engrossing, and frightening are just a few words that come to mind when I think about this year’s SXSW Midnighters line-up,” said SXSW producer and senior programmer Jarod Neece.
“These nine world premieres and two Festival Favorites are helmed by five, first-time filmmakers and several SXSW alumni. We will be screening four films a night at midnight during all nine days of SXSW, and we can’t wait to unleash them on the SXSW audiences”
The Midnighters line-up appears below including synopses provided by the festival:
The Corpse Of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men...
This marks the second year of the section and the 2015 offerings comprise 11 genre films including nine world premieres.
“Creepy, clever, engrossing, and frightening are just a few words that come to mind when I think about this year’s SXSW Midnighters line-up,” said SXSW producer and senior programmer Jarod Neece.
“These nine world premieres and two Festival Favorites are helmed by five, first-time filmmakers and several SXSW alumni. We will be screening four films a night at midnight during all nine days of SXSW, and we can’t wait to unleash them on the SXSW audiences”
The Midnighters line-up appears below including synopses provided by the festival:
The Corpse Of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men...
- 2/10/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
If you missed last year's Jugface, then do yourself a favor... fix that Immediately. Once you do, you'll be equally as excited as we are for the new film from Mickey Keating (Ritual) entitled Pod. Read on for details.
Styd got the earlier word that Keating has cast Jugface star Lauren Ashley Carter (pictured) for his latest foray into terror. She will be joining Ritual star Dean Cates, who will appear in the film with Brian Morvant.
According to Shock, the film is being described as an ensemble family drama that goes horrifically awry in the snowy confines of an isolated lake house. Keating tells the site, "It's a paranoid and violent nod to the original 'Twilight Zone' series, Frankenheimer's Manchurian Candidate, and The Andromeda Strain." Sign us up!
Morgan White, William Day-Frank, and Sean Fowler are serving as producers. Eleanor West and Benjamin Wright co-produce.
More soon!
Styd got the earlier word that Keating has cast Jugface star Lauren Ashley Carter (pictured) for his latest foray into terror. She will be joining Ritual star Dean Cates, who will appear in the film with Brian Morvant.
According to Shock, the film is being described as an ensemble family drama that goes horrifically awry in the snowy confines of an isolated lake house. Keating tells the site, "It's a paranoid and violent nod to the original 'Twilight Zone' series, Frankenheimer's Manchurian Candidate, and The Andromeda Strain." Sign us up!
Morgan White, William Day-Frank, and Sean Fowler are serving as producers. Eleanor West and Benjamin Wright co-produce.
More soon!
- 2/14/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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