NFTS

My thanks go out to Jason Stephenson of Not For The Squeamish Productions for letting us promote his latest cinematic horror outing: 'Strip Club Slasher.' A pro at making the best out of a meager budget, Stephenson and his crew at NFTS have been nothing short of prolific in cranking out some of the goriest splatterfests in the great state of Minnesota - and we are definitely looking forward to what they have in store for 2011!

If you're looking for something new on your weekly horror night, why not stop by the NFTS site and check out what they have to offer - you just might be surprised - plus you'll be helping to support independent film, which is always a good thing! You ain't squeamish...are ya?

http://www.stripclubslasher.com

http://www.nftsproductions.com

Collapse

What's next for the duo behind 'Legend Has It?' How about an epic zombie movie called 'Collapse!' Filmed in Iowa and starring Chris Mulkey and Karen Landry, the plot goes a little something like this:

The normal worries of a struggling small town farmer are blown away when the world is suddenly overrun by undead monsters. How can a good man protect and provide for his family in a hostile world without becoming a monster himself?

Sounds sweet (those of you who know me know that I'm a sucker for a zombie movie)! Currently in post production, we'll have all the news of 'Collapse' when a release date nears - stay tuned!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=139963900906&ref=ts

Groovy.

Don't know much about The Disco Exorcist, but it's got one bad-a** poster that has a look straight outta vintage Hammer! From what I've heard it's a horror/comedy - which is just fine with me - and it's listed as a film that will be making its big-screen debut some time next month. More on this title as we hear it...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1680119/

Scary

The scariest drive-in theatre in the world!
Originally uploaded by rhiannakelly

Cool pic - and I like the person's comment, too:

"The scariest drive-in theatre in the world! Not really, but at the time, it definitely felt like it. Total middle of nowhere N. Georgia, some dude's house that's in the middle of being built and absolutely noone else there but us. Yeah. The movie sucked, but the atmosphere was terrifying and perfect for Halloween weekend."

1st Annual Ozoner Awards

Don't forget to stop by on February 27th to see who Drive-In of the Dead picked for best horror picture, best horror actor, etc. in 2010 during our first annual Ozoner Awards (or, 'The Ozzies' if you prefer). We'll also be awarding a digital statue to one lucky horror icon who made the biggest splash in the last year. Forget the Oscars - don't forget to tune in to The Ozzies!

The Corral?

Drive-In Theater
Originally uploaded by chi_cowboy

I chose this picture today because it reminded me a lot of the drive-in that I grew up with in my old home town in Iowa (not counting what look like mountains in the background). The Corral Drive-In had a similar screen and was situated in a grass field behind a few rows of trees, just like this one - at least as far as I can remember; although there would have been a barb-wire fence running along the property just past the big tree on the left at The Corral. It closed in 1989, and most of the property was taken over by a parking lot for the vacuum cleaner factory next door, but I imagine this is pretty close to what it would look like if it were still standing today...

Get Your Prescription Filled

My thanks to Jason Bolinger and the rest of the crew from the Iowa-based PRESCRIBED FILMS for allowing us to showcase their horror send-up: 'Legend Has It.' Part comedy, part horror film, part zany nonsense, 'Legend Has It' was an ultra low-budget pseudo-slasher with loads of potential - some great one-liners, and plenty of ambition. Plus it was made in Iowa (go Cyclones!) As a film-buff who grew up in the middle of all that corn, I can appreciate the imagination and ingenuity it takes to create a film there. Check it out if you get a chance:

http://www.prescribedfilms.com

NFTS

Just got this update from Not For The Squeamish Productions founder Jason Stephenson. I'm liking what I'm hearing so far - looking forward to more updates on this groovy ghost story! I've already talked to Jason about covering this picture through all of its phases of production, so hopefully we'll have some exclusives heading your way in the coming months! Here's what he had to say:

"Hey gang... NFTS Productions is currently in the writing stages with author S.D. Hintz for a down and dirty (of course) in your face scare flick we are calling A HAUNTING ON EERIE STREET that will harken back to classic chillers like THE ENTITY (1982) and THIR13EN GHOSTS (2001) but 3 fold with our own twisted blend of Minnesota made horror!!! Another notable point of interest is my partner in crime Kevin Myhre will be taking over Directing duties while I sit back and reap the rewards of chilling out on set as just a Producer for thee 1st time ever!!! Yes, NFTS Productions has an all new beginning underway so get set for yet another bad ass ride into horror history hopefully sooner then later!!! cheers and blood drenched hailz... Jason"

The Raven

Another pic of John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe in the upcoming thriller 'The Raven' has popped up online (for those who don't know, this isn't a biopic, rather a fictional serial killer suspense picture based off of Poe's stories). Currently filming as an independent production in Budapest, 'The Raven' also just picked up a distributor in Relativity Media. I'm not completely thrilled about this, as Relativity's pretty new in the distribution field - their first film released was the nutty Nic Cage's medieval clunker: 'Season of the Witch.' But then again, who am I kidding? It's about Poe, so I'll be there on opening day with three roses in hand and a half a bottle of Cognac hidden in my coat!

P.S. I'm also not happy about Cusack's facial hair. Poe scholars will be the first to tell you that the poet didn't have a mustache until late in his life, and NEVER - as far as we know - EVER sported a goatee. C'mon! This goes against every known daguerreotype of Poe known to exist! Do your homework, people!

Across the Border

Abandoned drive-in theatre
Originally uploaded by Splurge

A decomposing giant from our friends to the North. This one was the Border Curry Hill Drive-In located in Ontario - another ozoner that didn't make it out of the '80's...

Happy Birthday

It's hard to put in to words just how strongly I connect with the greatest American writer and poet of the 19th century - Edgar Allan Poe. A true master of words and weaver of fear in prose, it's perhaps Poe's poetry that really resonates with me the most. If you've never read any of his poetry, why not take a minute on your break from work to stop by the Barnes & Noble in the skyway and pick up a copy? It just may change your life. Happy birthday, good sir - you were a misunderstood genius gone before you time and you deserve to be toasted each year (I will be raising a pint in your honor tonight), even if the Poe Toaster is no more...

http://www.startribune.com/nation/114184339.html

One of my favorites:

ALONE

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.

Hobo With A Shotgun

Came across this amazing poster art for the upcoming indie flick (starring Rutger Hauer!) called 'Hobo With A Shotgun.' Apparently this is the film that won Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's 'Grindhouse' create-a-faux-trailer contest a few years back - and now it's getting the full-length feature film treatment. Based on the awesome 1970's throwback artwork - I'd say this one is going to be good!

Yeti Blues

Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life (1968)
Originally uploaded by erik_mona

We are covered with so much snow - like drifts up to my chest, with another five inches forecast today - that I'm getting a serious case of cabin fever. I've started looking for Yeti tracks in the snow just to make the monotony of winter more interesting. They're out there. God knows they're out there - watching...waiting...I've heard 'em holler - did I ever tell you that? That was back in '07 - summertime that was; I remember because I was holding my baby boy in my arms - he was only a week old. God awful yell loud enough to wake the dead. Sure scared the pants off of ME! Those things made a sound you only hear in your nightmares - a sound I never care to hear again. True story.

Quote of the Day

"I am most proud of the name Lon Chaney. I am not proud of Lon Chaney, Jr., because they had to starve me to make me take this name."

--Lon Chaney, jr.
(Creighton Chaney)

Beat

drive-in movie outside Buena Vista
Originally uploaded by shauna | glutenfreegirl

Not only is this a great picture, but I love the person's comment beneath it - it sounds like a little piece of poetry - something by Kerouac maybe. Imagine the great Beat poet racing down the highway, fueled on caffeine and Lord knows what else; jazz blaring on the radio as they tear past this giant screen off in the distance...

"We drove by this in a dream, going fast
toward Cottonwood Pass.

I'd like to see movies there some day."

Now Playing

I'm planning on going to this tomorrow. I grew up watching re-runs of 'The Green Hornet' on TV, with my older brother and I arguing over who got to play Cato ("You always get to be Cato - you be The Green Hornet this time!") Been looking forward to this movie a lot, which is nice since there's been a looooooong drought of films that I've been truly excited for. Hope to have a review up this weekend!

Quote of the Day

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. During these fits of absolute unconsciousness, I drank--God only knows how often or how much. As a matter of course, my enemies referred the insanity to the drink rather than the drink to the insanity. I had, indeed, nearly abandoned all hope of a permanent cure, when I found one in the death of my wife. This I can and do endure as becomes a man. It was the horrible never-ending oscillation between hope and despair which I could not longer have endured, without total loss of reason."

--Edgar Allan Poe

The Cape

Caught this show on NBC the other night (the series premiere as it turns out). I'm not a big TV watcher, but 'The Cape' looked like it was right up my alley, so I tuned in to a little bit of it. For the most part I liked what I saw - plenty of action (and a surprising amount of blood for television) with an interesting story and pretty cool characters - particularly the villain. Here's the lowdown:

The Cape tells the story of Vince Faraday, a good cop on a corrupt police force, who is framed for a series of murders and presumed to be dead. Forced to leave his wife and son and go into hiding, Faraday assumes the mantle of The Cape, his boy's favorite comic-book superhero, and begins taking the law into his own hands.

The two hour series premiere was on Sunday, Jan. 9, but I think its regular time slot will be at 9 p.m. Mondays starting next week. Catch it while it lasts - this is one of those shows that almost certainly won't be around for long...

Unfiltered Entertainment

I am very excited to announce the first feature film from the Nebraska-based film company Unfiltered Entertainment. Sporting an extremely professional crew, UE has recently released their freshman effort: 'Wake The Witch.' After chatting with Chad Haufschild, one of the film's producers, I immediately got a sense of the enthusiasm and dedication their team had for this project. Filmed in Lincoln, NE - far from the glitter of Tinseltown - it can't be easy to capture movie magic; but UE gives it everything they've got to make a sincerely creepy picture. This one's worth checking out folks - if only to inspire the rest of us would-be filmmakers that anything is possible when it comes to independent film and it's high time we got off our duff and woke our own witch!

Stay tuned to Drive-In of the Dead in the months to come as we follow the progress of Unfiltered Entertainment's next film: 'Blood Rites.' We hope to give you plenty of inside scoops and 'you-heard-it-here-first' information about this exciting film as it happens! For purchasing information on 'Wake The Witch' and more on Unfiltered Entertainment, please stop by their websites:

http://www.wakethewitchmovie.com

http://www.unfiltered-ent.com

Flea Market of the Gods

North Carolina, Wentworth, Midway Drive-In Movie (10,705)
Originally uploaded by eleatherberry

An ignominious end for a once-mighty landmark.

Ghost Adventures

Be sure to check out tonight's new episode of 'Ghost Adventures' on the Travel Channel - it will be featuring Kane (Jason Voorhees) Hodder and R.A.(Leatherface) Mihailoff as guest investigators. I'm kind of a reluctant fan of this show. On the one hand they seem to get some pretty compelling evidence - using some really questionable methods - but on the other hand, it's really over-the-top in its presentation and the lead investigator is kind of a knob. See for yourself tonight. Meanwhile here's a link to the show:

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Ghost_Adventures

Dead Or Alive?

Drive-In Movie Theater Screen
Originally uploaded by KB35

Not much info on this pic other than it's an old drive-in movie on historic Route 66 near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. I would presume this old boy is sadly another dead relic based upon the overgrown look of the lot - but looking at the condition of the screen and ticket booth, it looks like it could still be showing double features - both are in really good shape - just waiting for that right investor to come along with a little bit of nostalgia and a lot of money in his/her pockets to open it back up to its former glory.

Bradbury

Picked up a hard-cover first edition of this incredible book for $1 at a local library book sale. I had no idea what it was about - I only saw the name 'Bradbury' and the amazing cover artwork and snatched it up. What a great find! I was mesmerized from page one - and, with the exception of Christmas break (when I accidentally left the book on my nightstand...d'oh!) I tore through the book with ghoulish glee. A wonderful ode to the author's Halloween memories - 'From The Dust Returned' is a darkly poignant novel that is written in Ray Bradbury's luxurious prose. This one is worth searching out if you've never read it, if you're a fan of Bradbury, or if you just love gothic, macabre settings in general - it's really that good!

Halloween 3-D

Looks like Michael Myers may have finally met his match: Hollywood. What once was my favorite franchise (until around H20 or so...) has been put on the back burner indefinitely for a reboot of 'Hellraiser.' Here's what the website Horrorbid had to say:

"Both Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer were signed on shortly after Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN 2 (H2) released in 2009 to pen the script for the third installment when production came to a halt. Since that time rumors of the film have swirled from the film being officially "dead in the water" to production starting this year. Sadly for those of you looking forward to a third film it is bad news."

Read more here:http://www.horrorbid.com/blog/blog1.php/2011/01/04/it-s-official-halloween-3d-will-not-begi-2012

Action!

Naturally after getting excited typing up yesterday's post, I couldn't wait to get started on production of Drive-In of the Dead's first cinematic endeavor. It all began innocently enough: I just wanted to get some opening credits knocked out in Photoshop - and it kind of snowballed from there. What next started out as simple location scouting turned into taking a few pictures - which turned into shooting a few very basic shots on video. Making a rough edit just to flesh out some ideas turned into cutting together a one minute trailer that, while crude, could basically be used to pitch a low-concept horror movie idea.

All in all it was a ton of fun and a great way to spend the last day of Christmas vacation (even though I almost got frostbite on my fingers doing it!) Work will continue on this project as we re-work it and refine it - and shoot more scenes once the piles of snow melt! More to come...

Lights, Camera...

So my partner in crime, MetDeath, and myself were talking over the holidays about how much fun it would be to create our own little horror short to show on our screen. We hashed out the difficulties presented in such an endeavor (with two kids a piece, doing anything creative is always a strectch...) But in the end we agreed that this is something we should definitely move forward with. As movie buffs and fans of the horror genre, this seems like it would be a really fun project. I've already started jotting down a few ideas and might even storyboard a few shots that I know I'd like to achieve (but don't expect Kubrick here - more like Ed Wood I would say!)

This is nothing to be taken seriously - simply a cool little experiment in filmmaking that, if nothing else, will serve to illustrate just how complex making a motion picture can be - and will give us a better appreciation of the movies we review here at the Drive-In. This 'no-budget' project can't possibly begin until late spring, and as we're hip-deep in snow at the moment, I can't even attempt at getting a head start. Stay tuned for more updates on this project as we move forward in the coming months.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from the staff at DRIVE-IN OF THE DEAD!

We're looking forward to a great 2011!