Cravings, Teratomorphs, and Things Forsaken! [Giallo Julian’s Indie Spotlight: 04/15/2022]
Welcome back Gorehounds, Blood Babes, and everything else that goes bump in the night! It’s that time once more… my favorite time, as a matter of fact. Time to share with y’all what’s happening in the ghoulish realm of indie horror. Flesh contorting aliens, dark monster art, spooky storytime craft-making; these are just a few of the things in store this time around. Let’s break these coffins open and see what’s inside!
SPOTLIGHTS:
1. Craving (Feature Film)
First thing’s first, let’s talk about an upcoming flick being helmed by Jason Horton under the title Craving.
On the film, Horton says:
“Craving is a monster movie/crime thriller about a group of heroin addicts that get trapped in rural bar with a bunch of patrons. Turns out one of them (we don’t know which) is a monster and uses heroin to keep from turning. Things get a little messy after that.”
I was sold as soon as the words “monster movie” were mentioned, because of course I was. On top of a fun concept, this film is going to have good bit of practical FX. If the video above is anything to go by, they’re going to look pretty damn good, too!
“The movie is going to feature some incredible first rate SFX, I think it’s really going to separate us from the typical lower budget indie productions. This is not a backyard film. Also, we’re assembling a top-notch cast.”
And what a cast it is, let me tell you, with Bill Oberst Jr.(3 From Hell, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies), Glenn Plummer (Saw 2, Teeth and Blood), and Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp, Victor Crowley)… oh hey! Welcome back, Ms. Rose! At this rate, she’s going to show up here as much as Lloyd Kaufman. Which, I mean, I’m completely down for. It’s Felissa Rose.
As of this moment, the film is in active pre-production with plans to start filming towards the end of May. Horton says he works fast, though, and that we should expect the flick to be out by the end of the year. I’ll keep you posted whenever I’m updated on it!
Check out the (completed) Indiegogo here for more info on the film and its crew!
2. Robin Lugosi (Artist)
Next up is Robin Lugosi, a good friend of mine who makes beautiful artwork of the horrific and macabre, as you can see below!
Describing their work, Lugosi says:
“I would say I do horror art, or more so horror adjacent, however I don’t make art for the scares. I like to find the beauty in something that others might find terrifying.”
That’s a perspective I admire, a love for the genre not just for the scares or the gore or any of that, but for the splendor of horrific imagery. A more reflective view on what makes it all so morbidly endearing. Lugosi’s inspirations are numerous, spanning across music, film, comics, and manga. The biggest one, however, is life itself.
“Art is more cathartic for me… Life has always inspired my work, art has given me the ability to create work and, in the mist of dark experiences in my life, I’m able to create these pieces that are able to be therapeutic to me.”
As someone who cathartically writes in his free time, this sentiment resonates with me deep. No doubt it resonates with some of you, too.
“Monsters I will always relate to. Being the weird kid growing up, Frankenstein has always been my favorite, alongside Edward Scissorhands. People are so afraid of the ‘others’, but monsters are where I find comfort in. It’s okay to be weird and to accept yourself as such. It’s like what Guillermo Del Toro said: ‘Monsters are the patron saints of imperfection. There’s beauty and humility in imperfection.’”
Art with a passionate heart behind it has always been something I appreciate immensely, and Lugosi’s heart beats loud in all their work. You can tell that’s the case just by looking at it!
Lugosi has a few indie projects in the pipeline, including a series on Del Toro’s monsters and a German expressionism-inspired short story about a little boy that has a conversation with the king of the afterlife. As they put it, the story is a “simple allegory” about darker subjects relating to their life. Its content may be triggering, so whenever it comes out (hopefully by the end of the year), be sure to keep that in mind.
You can follow Robin Lugosi’s work on their Instagram here and Twitter here!
3. Teratomorph (Short Film)
Joe Meredith made a practical FX body horror indie creature feature, and it is abso-fucking-lutely KILLER! As we all know, John Carpenter’s The Thing is my absolute favorite movie of all time, so it’s no mistake to assume that oozing, bloody, warped, pulsating, toothy, tentacled flesh monstrosities are my vibe. Which means there was no way I wasn’t going to love Meredith’s short film Teratomorph, given that it checked every single one of those boxes.
Meredith describes the film as such:
“Teratomorph follows a young boy who is afflicted with an alien virus that has recently surged through towns surrounding the fictional setting of Lyra Bay. The boy wonders around in a ghost town… encountering necrotic things and bizarre creatures. The virus… he is infected with is slowly transforming him into a dangerous mutant creature. The virus itself, called ‘Havoc’, was created using illegal alien biotech by the company EonCorp. Since the outbreak… other entities have come seeking a sample of the alien virus, such as a Russian agent and cybernetic being whose origins and purpose… are mysterious.”
Mutagen alien viruses, necrotic things, bizarre creatures, Russian agents, cybernetic beings: there’s a lot going on, isn’t there? And y’all know I just love every bit of it. Honestly… complete honesty, no bullshit, I’m being more real than I’ve ever been… out of all the media I’ve seen this past year, this is my favorite. And I mean ALL media, major studios and indie alike, this stands on top of it all. Love for the body horror/80s monster movie genres drips in rivulets from this blood-soaked mass of gore and mayhem. What I love most about it, though, it the ab-soul-utely gore-geous creature designs created by Meredith. She said,
“I do a lot of illustrating for fun and come up with a lot of interesting creature designs while drawing… the alien creature that comes out of its head is actually a creature I’ve drawn since I was a kid… I did the creature puppets and effects myself, and James Bell also contributed effects, including the excellent cyborg in the film, as well as a lot of elaborate body part effects.”
And here’s the best part: Teratomorph is the second part in a series, with two other finished films (South Mill District, Variant) and one in production (The Pale Strain)! Each take place in the same universe, involving the malicious EonCorp company’s attempts to manage the grotesque monsters created by their experiments, from “alien embryos, to multi-headed walking corpses, sentient slime, and even ooze-dripping zombies rising from their graves.” The latest one being shot, The Pale Strain, will introduce a “new form of clown creatures”… hitting all the bases, huh?
You can purchase a DVD copy of Teratomorph here, along with South Mill District and Variant. The Pale Strain should be out later this year, so I’ll keep y’all updated. Also, follow Joe Meredith on his Instagram here for more art and updates on his films!
Fun Fact: Teratomorph was apparently shown on Russian television, complete with a Russian dub even. Meredith has no idea what circumstances led to that.
4. Things Forsaken ® (YouTube Channel)
Ferenc Gregor is regaling his YouTube audience with creepy tales while building high-quality crafts. What a combo, right? That uniqueness is part of what makes Things Forsaken so engaging.
Gregor says:
“Things Forsaken is a hybrid build/storytelling series. A bit macabre, odd, educational and at times spooky. Combining fine artisan craftworks with storytelling through character reenactment, we create works from the story. Yes, we actually are crafting these on camera. Nothing is faked off-screen, and all of our creations are available for purchase. Storytime… just got REAL! ®”
Gregor is a career artist/artisan who’s always enjoyed creating and carries a fancy for the odd, strange, and the genre of horror. He states that this channel is a “unique and fresh approach from the standard build show formats” and combines “multiple creative outlets into one project”.
Taking inspiration from historical subjects and lore, Gregor composes and records original music for his videos, does sound effects, performs the narration, and (of course) produces the craftworks. On top of all that, he creates all the storylines, films most of the footage, and acts in the videos. Basically, Gregor does most of his own production on the series, which… I mean… if that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is. That’s not to say he doesn’t bring guest artisans on from time to time, which is something else to look forward to regarding this show.
“We are at the stage that we’re interested in suitable sponsorships for our episodes and expanding. We have a good list of upcoming production ideas… We’d love to hear from viewers what YOU would like to see us create.”
Hear that? They want to know your ideas for what to build on the show, so be sure to drop a comment or two on their videos. Which, I might add, you can find on the Things Forsaken YouTube channel right here!
You can also catch Gregor as a cast member in both AWE Me channel’s Man at Arms: Reforged and El Rey TV Network’s Man at Arms: Art of War. With all that said, I’ll leave you with one final word from Gregor.
“We want to give history and education on the subjects, entertain, spread some laughs, show and make available fine artisan crafting, and of course, send a few creepy crawlies under your skin while we’re at it.”
Cheers to that, brother.
5. The Dead Record (Short Film)
Nate Thompson’s back with a brand-new short film, titled The Dead Record! For those of y’all taking notes, I covered his Cult series just last week, so it’s a pleasure to have him back here so soon.
Of The Dead Record, Thompson says:
“The story… is about everyone’s favorite slacker-style employee closing down a local record store late one night, until he’s interrupted by the delivery of a mysterious package. After opening it, nothing is ever quite the same!”
Inspired by the grunge-grit of the 90s, this tale is to be one of spiritual hauntings, with Thompson saying he kept the “opening intro for WWE’s Raw is War” in mind the entire time. I, uh, don’t know that much about wrestling, so I’ll leave that for you WWE fans to explain to me later.
The flick already had its premiere at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts on April 2nd, so a wide release shouldn’t be too far off. Thompson says he’s looking at some options, so I’ll keep you updated as I hear more about it… is what I would say if he didn’t just release it on YouTube while I was writing this. So, you can give it a watch now right here!
Also be sure to check out Thompson’s own personal website to keep up to date on his projects, and watch out for his next film, The Soul Reaper. He promises it’ll be a “doozy”!
With that, we’ve reached the end of the Spotlights! But don’t go just yet because I’d like to give some Shoutouts to several projects I didn’t have a chance to talk in-depth about, but highly recommend taking a look at!
SHOUTOUTS:
Jammin’ Dead (Feature Film): Josh McFadden is crowdfunding his new film, said to be an “eclectic slasher battle royale”! Inspired by The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, and The Return of the Living Dead, it follows a group of friends (including one played by Thom Mathews) as they rent a remote cabin to party in, only to run into “multiple different murderous psychopaths of differing origins who have all been gathered there by the undead for a mysterious reason.” Talk about a buzzkill. Check out the Indigogo here for more info!
Tin Roof (Feature Film): After a beloved summer camp is threatened with permanent closure, five adults decide to do everything they can to try and save it. Turns out, maybe there’s a reason people want to close its doors… a deadly reason. Directed by Rebecca Rinehart and written by Happy Death Day’s Rob Mello, this slasher flick starts production this June, but you can still throw some money their way to help support its production and get some killer perks at their Indiegogo right here!
Bad Brain (Feature Film): Greg DeLiso is getting ready to put his third directorial feature, Bad Brain, into production! A narcissistic Elaine Benes-theme punk band, an Ace Ventura look-alike serial killer, a Lassie-esque doggo, and more occupy this “hilariously terrifying universe” filled to the brim with 90s references. Check out the Indiegogo right here to help support its filming and to get more info!
Fountaine and the Vengeful Nun Who Wouldn’t Die (Feature Film): Assassin nuns, martial arts, sword fights, gunfights, chainsaws, gallons of blood spraying everywhere… need I say more? Catch all this action in James Dean’s exploitation-inspired flick, Fountaine and the Vengeful Nun Who Wouldn’t Die, which you can watch digitally here and get a physical copy here!
Erotomaniac (Animated Film): A animated psychological horror film in the vein of films like Misery and Play Misty For Me, animator/writer/director Sam Salerno tells the story of Mike and his interactions with a shy, innocent girl named Carli. Turns out, she might not be as innocent as he thinks, for she has a little secret that’s bound to put him in terrible danger. This flick also features actors Ari Lehman and Cristina Vee, a definite plus. Look out for this flick, coming late 2022/early 2023!
Legend Hunter Films (Website): Ryan Cavalline has a website up with a library of films for your viewing pleasure! From alien bigfoots (bigfeet?) to backwoods mutants to demon exorcisms, there’s plenty of content to peruse through… alien bigfoots… sounds crazy when you say it out loud, doesn’t it? Anyway, the “Legend Hunters” team’s mission is to introduce audience to “old folklore stories, legends from the past, treasure hunting for lost artifacts”, and much more macabre American lore. Check out their website right here!
Bathtub Shark Attack (Feature Film): From the creator of Spirit Animal comes “the GORIEST shark movie ever made!” Following a down-on-their-luck couple looking for a cheap place to live, they come across an apartment (whose landlady is played by Lynn Lowry of The Crazies/Shivers fame) that seems to be the answer to all their troubles. Unfortunately, something sinister is living in the pipes. Something that wants to take a big bite out of them… Madeline Deering sure knows how to dream up a fun premise and swim with it! Check out the Indiegogo here to learn more!
Thanks again to all the creators who shared their projects, and to all y’all for reading about them with me! The indie-horror landscape is full of new and interesting ideas being brought to life every night (since us ghouls tend to sleep during the day), and I plan on dragging as many as possible into the light.
Until next time…
Ciao, friends!
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