WPX Redux

Horror movie 'Wisconsin Project X' DVD Release July 5, 2011 through Brain Damage Films

"Over the next few months, Missoula movie-maker Christian Ackerman's film, "Wisconsin Project X," will be seen by audiences around America and possibly even around the world. And nobody, but nobody, is more surprised by this development than Christian Ackerman...he's altogether shocked that "Wisconsin Project X," made on zero budget with outmoded technology in the outlands of America by people with no connection to the film industry, has been picked up by Brain Damage Films. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based international film distributor released the film this week via video-on-demand services offered on cable services run by Verizon, AT&T and Bresnan, with a planned DVD release in the coming months."--Joe Nickel, Missoulian

Missoulian Article Link: http://missoulian.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_9197fa8a-7ccf-11e0-bfa4-001cc4c03286.html

Wisconsin Project X is a SciFi movie that will take you on a wild ride and scare you along the way. An experiment goes wrong at a local lab in Wisconsinville, Montana during the creation of artificial humanoid organisms. These man made creatures break free from the lab and create chaos for everyone in the town. Now the small town underdogs have to save their home before it is too late. The movie is slated to be released on July 5th 2011 by Brain Damage Films world wide, Coming Soon! So spread the word and Keep your eyes open for the release!

Christian says, "I got this idea of a zombie movie when I was in high school and called it 'Wisconsin Project X.' The movie was completely different then and I never ended up making it. But, then 10 years later, now I wanted to make that movie. And, after a couple of drafts, the movie became this whole new story. I got my friends and family involved and we had a blast making a great horror monster movie. Somethings to look for when you see the film; the makeup effects of the zombies are a combination of duct tape and traditional makeup effects. I really don't lie when I say the movie was made with no budget. We basically made it out of duct tape, spray paint, and cardboard. I also, shot the entire movie on a small Digital Hi8 Camcorder -- it is all I had at the time. And man it really works."

For more information contact Christian Ackerman:

actormime@gmail.com
www.christianackerman.com
www.fastcoastproductions.com

Unhappy Birthday

Pennywise is back! How cool is this? Stephen King's awesome novel IT is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In honor of the occasion Cemetery Dance Publications has put together a limited, special edition of the novel.

While the rarest editions have already sold out (of course!), there are still copies of the deluxe oversized hardcover gift edition to be had if you've got an extra wad of cash laying around. The cover art is pictured above. It's limited to only 2,750 copies and will cost you dearly at $125 a pop, but it has some pretty nifty features to make it worth your hard earned deneros. They include:

• New afterword by Stephen King detailing why he wrote the book
• Deluxe oversized design (7" x 10") featuring two color interior printing
• Wrap-around full color cover artwork by Glen Orbik
• Nearly thirty pieces of interior artwork by Alan M. Clark and Erin Wells
• High-quality embossed endpapers and fine bindings

FYI...This version of the book will NOT be available at retailers like Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc., but you can pick up a copy directly from Cemetery Dance!

http://www.cemeterydance.com/

Woolite?

I don't know about you, but when I think of Rob Zombie, I think WOOLITE fabric whitener! Rob Zombie directing a 30 second spot for Woolite? Sure - why not! From RZ's official website:

Rob Zombie sat down for an exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino about the commercial, touring with Slayer, The Lords of Salem, and what he keeps learning along the way.

Q: Did you get to apply a lot of your personal storytelling techniques to the Woolite commercial? You have to tell a story in about 30 seconds so it's not that different from what you normally do.

RZ: "Somewhat! It was an interesting situation to handle. It was just one of those projects that came to me. I wasn't searching out shooting a commercial. A lot of directors do commercials, but most of the time they don't talk about it so you don't realize it. I just thought it was cool so I'd been mentioning it. I was on tour in Australia when it came up. I got a call that this ad agency had pitched this crazy idea to Woolite, and they wanted me to direct it. They essentially wanted a commercial that the first half resembled a horror movie trailer. They needed something along those lines, and they thought I could handle it. It was fun. We shot it over two days in Vancouver. My director of photography who worked on Halloween II came in and worked with me. I like doing things like that for the experience. It was like when I did CSI, I wanted the experience of doing a television show. You just want to have it under your belt. Also, the more direct gigs I can get between films, I always learn something from everything."

Bane

It was all over the news the other day, but just in case you missed it Warner Brothers has revealed a secret image featuring Tom Hardy as Bane in Christopher Nolan's upcoming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. The photo, which was unlocked by deciphering an audio code on the film's official website, captures the brutish character from the behind, exposing his muscular back (or is this pre-Venom?) and his Hannibal Lecter-like mask.

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

Must Read

http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Nation-Behind-Scenes-Americas/dp/1589806808

Just Wait 'Til Next Year!

I'll tell you what, Harold Camping aside - if the end of the world in 2012 is as lame as yesterday, there's going to be a whole lot more disappointed wackos, weirdos, prophets, and soothsayers. Just saying...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_apocalypse_saturday

Apocolypse

Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

The following was originally posted on CDC Public Health Matters Blog May 16th, 2011 by Ali S. Khan.

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.

To read more: http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

Help

A worthy I cause that I thought was worth sharing from our friends at Midnight Syndicate. Here's their press release...

Win Midnight Syndicate CDs and help the American Red Cross in our Helping Hands Sweepstakes

Win an ultra-rare autographed Midnight Syndicate self-titled debut CD, signed by all the artists, or a set of any other eight (8) CDs and help the American Red Cross in the process during our Helping Hands Sweepstakes. To enter, simply click here. For every new "Like" the Midnight Syndicate Facebook Page receives between now and the end of the contest (May 30th), we will make a donation to the American Red Cross. Another great reason to tell a friend!

Additionally, Midnight Syndicate has been authorized to accept donations on behalf of the American Red Cross. For every donation over $30, we will send you an autographed, personalized Midnight Syndicate CD of your choice (self-titled excluded). 100% of ALL monies received go to the Red Cross. Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal are accepted. See contest for more details. For more information about the American Red Cross, please call 1-800-HELP NOW or email info@usa.redcross.org.

Anniversary

Happy anniversary to my lovely wife! My haunting career has coincided with my marriage, and my ever-patient wife has been there for it all (talk about for better or for worse!) Celebrating the darkest of nights in October - not mention my other macabre interests throughout the rest of the year - wouldn't be nearly as fun without my best friend sharing it with me. Here's to another 15 years on our haunted honeymoon, sweetheart - and many more years after that.

I love you!

Terry's Ghost

Terry Drive-In
Originally uploaded by mdt1960

The overgrown drive-in in Terry, Montana. A beautiful photo of a classic ozoner.

GARAGE SALE

It's finally here! After four months of work, Drive-In of the Dead's first film (well, the fake trailer for it anyway...) is finally here! GARAGE SALE is its name, and it is our little tribute to all those great slashers from the 80's that we grew up with. It's with a tremendous sense of relief that I finally get to say it's finished, for this has been a troubled production to say the least. I started work on this back in February with the hope that Spring would be right around the corner. It didn't quite happen that way. Instead, we're only a couple of weeks removed from snow covering everything and the temperature is STILL dipping below freezing mid way through May!

Shot on my little hand-held camera, our faux trailer for GARAGE SALE was edited on Microsoft's crappy MovieMaker program (I don't recommend it). We have since upgraded to an Apple and will be making all of our future productions in Adobe Final Cut Pro. In the end, the basic features of the program somewhat benefited the look of our movie, since we were going for a dated, vintage look that was a throw-back to movies of the late 70's and early 80's. To help achieve this effect I used a red filter in many shots as well as an aging filter that put in film grain in post production.

But what really sells GARAGE SALE is the music. Set to the tune of 'Veiled Hunter' by the incomparable Midnight Syndicate, this song can be found on their album 'The 13th Hour.' We can't say enough about this band - and this trailer is just as much dedicated to them as it is to the slashers of our youth. We strongly encourage you to visit their website: www.midnightsyndicate.com to pick up your own copy of the album!

Well, mother nature aside, assembling the trailer for GARAGE SALE has been a great learning experience for me - and I tip my twisted psycho mask to all the filmmakers who are able to put together a full length feature film. It isn't easy! Anyway - I hope you enjoy watching GARAGE SALE as much as I enjoyed making it. It was made with a lot of respect and admiration for the horror genre and for Midnight Syndicate!

Stop on by...we're open for business!

http://www.driveinofthedead.com

Coming Soon

Gemini

Wisconsin, Eau Claire, Gemini Drive-In (10,746)
Originally uploaded by eleatherberry

The beautiful Gemini Drive-In in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Tilt/Shift

I read about this nifty little procedure you can do in Photoshop called 'tilt/shift' photography which tricks the eye into making your subject matter look miniature. Thought I'd give it a try, although I didn't really have the right kind of picture to work with (ideally you want to use an overhead shot, or subject matter photographed from an elevated position). Still, I thought these pics from our last visit to the pumpkin patch turned out kind of interesting. I will definitely being taking photos this Fall from rooftops...

Trial By Fire

Found this posted on Pumpkinrot's blog and thought I'd share as the pics are so eerily cool. These are from the set of Rob Zombie's next cinematic outing: THE LORDS OF SALEM. For the record, I'm on my last thread of patience with Mr. Zombie as a director. Musically, the guy is on the money - theatrically, my patience is running thin. I have been disappointed with his last couple of films (HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN II) and didn't think his two before that lived up to the hype. Zombie needs to impress with SALEM, so let's hope he gets this one right. To see pics from the set, visit here:

http://www.caughtonset.com/photo-gallery/3537/6/set-lords-salem/

Carte Blanche

NEW BOOK. NEW LOOK. PURE BOND.

Thriller author Jeffery Deaver has announced on his official website the tour dates for his US book-signing tour in promotion of CARTE BLANCHE, the new 007 novel that is slated to hit bookshelves on June 14th from Simon and Schuster. Visit his website to check it out:

http://www.jefferydeaver.com/Schedule/schedule.html

Available X

Just received this message from independent filmmaker Christian Ackerman regarding his terrific zombie film: WISCONSIN PROJECT X, which we featured here at the Drive-In late last year. Check it out:

As of now, my horror film "Wisconsin Project X" is available on demand!

As of May 1st 2011, Bound By Blood, Die Cheerleader Die, and WI Project X are now available on VOD with the following cable/Satellite/IPTV operators, but for Verizon FiOs, these programs will start on 5/11. This list is sorted in descending order with affiliates with the largest VOD subs at the top. Note that CCSA refers to a consortium of cable companies based in Canada. For Verizon FiOs, these programs will start on 5/11 and will be carried for 150 days.

For List of providers: http://www.angelfire.com/film/acksflicks/wpxondemand.html

The main message to push here is that these titles are now available On Demand starting May 1st and will run for 90 days with the following operators: Verizon FiOs (5/11 and for 150 days), Charter, AT&T U-Verse, Rogers (Canada), Dish VOD, Mediacom, Cogeco (Canada), Suddenlink, RCN, Eastlink Communications (Canada) and Bresnan. There isn't really a channel per se. It's going to be the OnDemand Channel for whatever operator. Most remotes now have a button that say "on demand" and it immediately takes you to the correct channel for the operator. In many cases it's going to be channel 0 or channel 1 or channel 1000. But it could be different throughout the country.

Thank you and let me know if you have any questions.

Christian Ackerman

Tex

Twin Ranch Drive-In Movie Theater, Cleveland, Texas 0804090901BW
Originally uploaded by accent on eclectic

Waiting for that show to start at the Twin Ranch Drive-In Movie in Cleveland, Texas. I wonder what plays on that ghost screen when the sun goes down?

Fair Warning

There's been a week-long tribute to my favorite album of all time: Van Halen's FAIR WARNING, over at the Van Halen News Desk. Stop by and check out all the dirt on =VH='s 4th - and darkest - studio album in honor of this landmark record's 30th anniversary...and give it a spin if you've never heard it before - but fair warning - you might have to pay for a plastic surgeon to put your melted face back together once the album is done...


http://www.vhnd.com/2011/05/04/kicks-like-you-aint-never-seen-van-halens-fair-warning-album-and-tour/

AND SOMEONE SAID 'FAIR WARNING'
LORD STRIKE THAT POOR BOY DOWN
TURNED FROM HUNTED INTO HUNTER
WENT TO HUNT SOMEBODY DOWN...

Star Wars Day!

Happy Star Wars Day! Not long now until the countdown on the official Star Wars site reveals what the Star Wars Blu-Ray DVDs will contain. In other Force related news, the "Star Tours" ride at Disney World in Orlando has received a make-over. On May 20th, STAR TOURS 3D opens with a brand new look. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and check it out! Here's Disney's official press release:

'Star Tours: The Adventures Continue' Brings Star Wars' Thrills in 3-D to Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. The power of the Force and the magic of Disney have combined to create 'Star Tours: The Adventures Continue,' a new 3-D attraction set to open at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park on May 20, 2011. The attraction also will open at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., on June 3, 2011.

Based on the Star Wars films, Star Tours will take Walt Disney World Resort guests to multiple Star Wars destinations where they will interact with characters from throughout the Saga. And it will all be in 3-D.

With eye-popping 3-D digital filming, a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology, guests will be immersed in the Star Wars galaxy like never before on a theme park attraction. Walt Disney Imagineering worked with Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Industrial Light & Magic (the groundbreaking visual effects division of Lucasfilm) to bring the out-of-this-world attraction to life.

Star Tours, which had thrilled Disney Parks guests since the 1980s, was 'powered down' at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2010 so Imagineers could begin work on the new attraction.

And in a new twist, guests may be able to enjoy the attraction multiple times without ever experiencing the same adventure. More than 50 story combinations are possible for guests to experience aboard Star Tours.

Just as the Star Wars films immerse movie-goers in storylines that keep them on the edge of their seats, Star Tours will feature multiple stories and scenarios that will hurtle park guests throughout the Star Wars galaxy. And all of the storyline's twists and turns will be random, affording guests the chance to ride the attraction multiple times.

Whether it's a battle with Darth Vader and his legion of stormtroopers or a plea from Princess Leia to help her save the Rebellion, guests will find themselves in the middle of the action literally in the 3-D, multi-sensory attraction.

http://maythe4th.starwars.com/countdown.php

Giant

Attack Of The 50ft Woman star and ex-Playboy model found mummified in her Beverly Hills home

By Daily Mail Reporter - 2:41 PM on 3rd May 2011

The mummified remains of the actress who played the femme fatale in Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman has been found in her rundown Beverly Hills home. The state of the body indicates Yvette Vickers, 82, who was once a Playboy centrefold may have lain there for a year. The badly decomposed corpse was discovered at the Californian home where Vickers had lived for decades.

For the actress whose film credits include Attack Of The Giant Leeches, the story of her final moments reads like a grisly plot from one of those films. The grim discovery was made by neighbour Susan Savage who noticed that letters stuck in Vickers' mail box were yellowing around the edges and that cobwebs had gathered in the doorway.

Savage had to push her way through a mountain of uncollected fanmail and boxes to find the body; a small heater was still been running next to it. At least one window was broken at the home. 'She kept to herself, had friends and seemed like a very independent spirit,' Savage told the Los Angeles Times.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1382937/Yvette-Vickers-Ex-Playboy-model-mummified-Beverly-Hills-home.html?ITO=1490

400

For our 400th post here at Drive-In of the Dead, we're honoring one of those goofy schlock-fests that we love so much: BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA. A weird little movie that features our main man Bela, this was billed as a horror/comedy - but it's really just a comedy (and a not very funny one at that). Cashing in on the goofy Jerry Lewis team-ups with Dean Martin, this film tries to capture that vibe with mixed results. This one's worth checking out for the gorilla scenes alone - but probably won't be remembered as one of Lugosi's greatest...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_Lugosi_Meets_a_Brooklyn_Gorilla

Moon Zombies