Queen of Screams, Found Footage Incidents, and Things Forsaken! [Giallo Julian’s Indie Spotlight: 06/27/2022]
It’s been a while since the start of this Indie Spotlight series, hasn’t it, Blood Babes? Several months in fact, which makes me elated beyond words! Getting eyes on indie-horror productions was my goal and I think we’re doing a pretty good job of that so far. Mostly thanks to y’all indie creators out there for showing us your work and letting me write about it. Again, thank you for everything you’ve done and whatever you do next! With that said, I feel it’s about time we take a look back at several ventures I’ve covered before and see what’s new under their suns. Longtime readers will remember these familiar faces, bringing us new… well, news… on their projects. Let’s see what Eldritch offerings they wish to bestow upon us!
SPOTLIGHT UPDATES:
1. Malvolia, The Queen of Screams (Horror Host)
Having last appeared in the very first Indie Spotlight I wrote for Dread Central, we have the return of The Queen of Screams herself — Malvolia!
When we previously checked in on our Macabre Matriarch, she was promoting an Indiegogo for her upcoming film, Body Count. Unfortunately, the campaign only made $2,393, which is less than a fourth of the intended goal. It’s not all bad, though! To make up for this setback, Malvolia and her crew have launched a GoFundMe to “hopefully double the amount to cover location costs, costumes, props, and meals”. No matter the outcome, they plan to start filming what they can in July. You can check out the campaign here and consider supporting the film if you’re able!
That’s not all! Turns out that Malvolia has been getting some well-deserved recognition since we’ve talked to her last:
“I was awarded ‘Best Actress’ and nominated for ‘Best Director’ for my 2021 Thanksgiving Special, Thankskilling: The Guest, by the Independent Horror Movie Awards. I’m also doing a five-night special ‘Summer Screams’, where I’ll be hosting some features and short films on my channel mid-July. They will only air as a One Night Special (available on my channel for twenty-four hours), so make sure to tune in before it’s gone!”
Congratulations to Malvolia for her award and nomination! Subscribe to her channel here to keep up-to-date on her latest projects and to catch the new indie-horror showings on her “Summer Screams” event. Also, if any said showings happen to scare you, be sure to scream extra loud. I’m sure the Queen will appreciate that!
2. Little Spark Films (Website)
We have some new updates from our friends at Little Spark Films!
First up, their short film The Torturer is available to watch on the streaming service Plex, as well as Xumo and One Hub TV. It also received its first Letterboxd review, so if you give it a watch, hop on the site and join the discussion!
Next, post-production on their latest project, Vicemares, is gaining traction, with the audio almost complete and the animation being worked on. I’ll be sure to give you more updates when I can!
Lastly, they’re currently in pre-production for their next feature. They’re also working on a monthly Troma series with Studio Movie Grill in Arlington, TX, which should start sometime in July.
To keep up-to-date on what they do, be sure to check out their website here!
3. The Who Incident (Feature Film)
Ron Chevaire has written us a personal update on his upcoming found footage flick, The Who Incident, for me to share y’all’s way! Check it out:
“This terror-filled tale takes you along three days of increasingly bizarre events, as a couple plan their 20th anniversary bonfire party. Who would have known that Dad would attend, after being dead in the grave for over ten years?
Not a slow burn film, the strange and bizarre will relentlessly ramp up, leading to the climax. To deliver the terror, we will be utilizing CGI, practical and stop motion effects. We believe this will be unlike any other found footage film you’ve seen before. We spent an entire year developing our script, supporting owl lore and symbolism, while crafting the story to our home location. Surrounded by fifty acres of diverse forest for our playground, wildlife surrounds us everywhere! While scouting, we’ve already run into coyotes and turkey vultures, to name a few. Who knows what unexpected critters will show up?
One of the stars of our film is Owlie, an antique mechanical toy, who may just steal the show. This heirloom becomes a trigger device, accompanying the onslaught of terror. For anyone who adores owl mythos, we will delve into the supernatural connections to these nocturnal animals, including some things rare few have heard about.
Haunted Lodge Productions, a small Canadian grassroots company that spans from coast to coast, is prepared to deliver chills and terror! Our Indiegogo campaign is now On Demand and we welcome any support! Amongst the variety of perks available includes 1 remaining screen-used creature stop-motion puppet. Who wouldn’t want one of those! I know I do!!”
As I’ve said before, I’m really excited about this flick and can’t wait until it’s out! Visit their Indiegogo here and consider supporting the production if you can!
4. Things Forsaken ® (YouTube Channel)
Ferenc Gregor, of the YouTube channel Things Forsaken, also has some updates for us! I’ll let him fill in the details:
“We’ve been busy! We have upcoming classes and workshops with hands-on instruction on carving and how we create some of the works that you see on our show! For example, we’re deep into production of our next episode, ‘Carving the Ice Age Cave Bear Skull Pendant’ from bone. Who wants a creepy Neanderthal story! With more great stories in the planning stages, such as a World War story, an Aztec episode, and a pirate episode, just to name a couple.
We also have been traveling to offer our works at select venues and appearances, such as the Scares That Care weekend horror convention in Williamsburg, VA, The World Oddities Expo, and more! We’ve also begun to release some of our mini-minute horror shorts as we roll ideas around our skulls for our first Horror movie production!”
Follow their YouTube Channel here and Instagram here to see their latest videos as they come. Also, their “Frozen Charlotte” chocolates (inspired by their very first episode) hits shelves this fall, so be on the lookout for that!
5. Poems of Grave Importance (Book)
For those of y’all who prefer your horror to be more Poe-etic (yes I said it, no I’m not proud of myself), there’s a new project on the “poltergeist pipeline” that should quench that bloodthirst and then some — Poems of Grave Importance!
Said to be a “book of horror poetry in the spirit of Edward Gorey, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Addams, and H.P. Lovecraft”, it’s written by author Ridley Mortis and illustrated by talented artists such as Mitch O’ Connell, Jeff Carlson, IBTrav, Jeff Lassiter, and many more. “Terrible troublemakers, multiple maniacs, and clueless clowns” occupy the book, all promised to meet “their hilarious ends in the most peculiar of ways.”
Check out its Kickstarter here for more info, and help support the project if you’re able to!
As always, I can’t end this without sharing a few Shoutouts with y’all. Let’s see what’s on the slab this time!
SHOUTOUTS:
– The Sawyer Massacre (Fan Film): There’s a huge influx of Friday the 13th fan flicks hitting the net lately, which might seem like overkill to those that aren’t huge fans of the franchise (which does not apply to me). Never fear, though, because Steve Merlo is here to bring us a fan film to a different horror franchise: The Sawyer Massacre! A prequel taking places years before the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it follows a certain “cannibalistic psychopath” as he brings terror to another group of travelers with the “arsenal of violent tools at his disposal”. It currently has an Indiegogo campaign up here to help cover the finishing funds, so check it out when you get the chance! Also, watch the trailer here!
– Blood Lily (Book): Jenny Allen has a novel out named Blood Lily, which follows “NYPD independent forensics consultant Lilith Adams” as she investigates the disappearance of her uncle, only to get dragged into a supernatural “whirlwind of violence and terror that uncovers a story buried for over six hundred years.” Luckily, she’s not quite human herself, but will that be enough to save her from what’s to come? Find out by getting the book here!
– The Eye of the Beholder (Short Film): Evan Preston directed a short film entitled The Eye of the Beholder, which follows two friends as they visit the home of said “Beholder”: a mysterious figure who rewards money for completing a series of challenges having to do with “friendship”. Described as a psychological drama, it was made during the COVID pandemic and was an official selection of the Lift-Off Online Sessions 2021. Check it out right here!
As always, a huge thanks to the indie creators that shared their work with us! We couldn’t do this without you, and I can’t thank every single one of you enough. There are plenty more graves out there to exhume, so stay tuned to see what else we dig up in the teeming lichyard that is the indie horror landscape.
Until next time…
Ciao, friends!
Categorized:News
