Many have been possessed by one; only one has been possessed by many.

Supposedly more accurate than many other exorcism fantasies, The Devil Inside was produced by (among others) Steven Schneider of Paranormal Activity fame. Though we can take claims of authenticity with a grain or two of over-dramatized salt, this proclamation smears it with a veneer of artistic verisimilitude that’s totally in keeping with the roving, first-person cinematographic techniques used. Rev. Bob Larson, Exorcism Consultant, even gave an interview on the subject of its depiction of demon eviction and I’ve included it below.

Above: Suzan Crowley is not herself

Meanwhile check out both the trailer and a special clip of a nicely creepy scene from the film.

Synopsis:

In 1989, emergency responders received a 9-1-1 call from Maria Rossi confessing that she had brutally killed three people. 20 years later, her daughter Isabella seeks to understand the truth about what happened that night. She travels to the Centrino Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Italy where her mother has been locked away to determine if her mother is mentally ill or demonically possessed. When she recruits two young exorcists to cure her mom using unconventional methods combining both science and religion, they come face-to-face with pure evil in the form of four powerful demons possessing Maria.

Trailer:

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Extended Clip:

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Being something of a fan of demonic possession films — made such not by belief but by, I suspect, the dramatic, emotional and thematic potency of that grandfather of exorcism films (and novels), William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist (US-1973; dir. William Friedkin) — I’m looking forward to this, as it seems to carry a bit more weight than some other Exorcist cash-ins of recent times.

Above: Bonnie Morgan gets twisted up by the whole experience

It’s rather interesting that though it has garnered negative reviews on IMDb, it has so far taken US$52,690,136 at the box-office in the US alone, which, based on an estimated budget of $1,000,000, represents quite a profit. The bad reviews don’t daunt me, of course. This looks like exactly the sort of film that tends to attract naysayers if it deviates from the expected path in any way at all — which I trust it does. We’ll see in March.

Above: The Exorcist, Simon Quarterman

Above: Look into my eyes: Simon Quarterman and Isabella Rossi

Meanwhile, here’s that interview with Exorcism Consultant Bob Larson that I mentioned:

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Source: Paramount Pictures; IMDb.

Life gets difficult enough when you’re a hitman just trying get the job done so you can make it to your kid’s birthday party on time. But things get worse after you stumble across an alien parasite that’s turning the extras into zombies.

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You can only hope you get Overtime (US-2011; dir. Matt Niehoff)…

Synopsis:

Raph (Al Snow) and Max (John Wells) only kill bad guys, and only after their boss Sam, a high-powered attorney, has cashed a nice paycheck for getting her sleazy clients off the hook.

When Sam sends our heroes on a routine hit, they find themselves caught up in a conspiracy they never imagined. But whatever trouble they’ve gotten themselves into is nothing compared to the wrath of Raph’s wife if he doesn’t make it home in time for his son’s birthday party.

Being a good hitman is tough; being a good dad is killer!

The Interview

To find out more about Overtime, the Backbrain’s News Hound, Avery Guerra, spoke to Brian Cunningham — the film’s Writer, Director of Photography and Producer:

Tell us a bit about yourself, Brian.

I’m a freelance director of Photography and producer working in Louisville Kentucky.  I’ve done work for clients such as GE, McDonalds and Papa John’s, but my real passion is filmmaking.  I ran a movie news and reviews blog for three years and have self-published two books about movies and pop-culture. The next project is a documentary about the Haunted House industry entitled “Monsters Wanted.”  (Check out MonstersWanted.com for more info).

Why this particular movie, Overtime?

The idea to make the movie came from my partner, Matt Niehoff.  We really wanted our first movie to be something fun and even a little bit silly. So many young filmmakers seem obsessed with creating work that is going to lead to awards and prestige, but when Matt and I talked about it we realized that the movies we loved as kids were the crazy comedies of the ’80s and the action films of the late ’90s (like Terminator 2 and Aliens).  We wanted to make those kinds of movies because we love escapist cinema, and we wanted the audience to be taken on a journey.  Plus it’s always more fun to blow things up than to shoot people talking.

Above: The movie stars WWE Superstar Al Snow, who gets bloodier than usual…

Any specific influences?

The movie draws heavily from ideas in movies like Aliens and From Dusk Til Dawn.  There’s a lot of Shaun of the Dead in there, tonally, and of course the Hit Man aspect will remind people of Boondock Saints and Pulp Fiction (mind you, I’m not comparing us to those movies … I’d never dream of going toe-to-toe with Tarantino).  What you might not think of, however, is the influence movies like Lethal Weapon had on Overtime.  When it gets down to it, this is a fun 1980s action comedy about two guys trying to balance work and family.  The zombie-alien side of things is almost incidental.

Above: Sebrina Siegel finds herself at the wrong end of a Shooter’s Party rally

Above: Stuck in a corner with blood and cake: John Wells, Sebrina Siegel, Erica Goldsmith and Al Snow

How did the project develop between you and Matt?

The idea for the movie came from Matt.  He wrote a rough draft of the script and asked me to take a look at it to see if I was interested in shooting it for him.  When I read it, I loved the whole conceit. I asked Matt if I could take a crack at changing some things, and he agreed. After that, it really became a 50-50 partnership. We went through a good twelve drafts together before shooting, and we worked together on casting, finding locations and testing out the makeup and effects. It was a really rewarding collaboration with each of us pushing each other every day.  We would rewrite entire scenes the night before the shoot, trying to make things a little more organic, a little funnier, and to take advantage of the talents of the awesome cast.

Above: Avri Ant’juan considers whether to shoot ‘em or… um… shoot ‘em

Check out this Behind-the-Scenes video:

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What are you plans for Overtime?

Our plans for Overtime are to get it in front of as many people as we can. We’ve started a pretty aggressive festival strategy (and it’s recently been announced that it will be  screening in Louisville on February 18 at the Derby City Film Festival), and we’re in the process of contacting distributors directly to try and make a deal.  We know from feedback from screenings and our website that there is a good market for this movie, and people who see it seem to have a really good time with it.

And if hitmen, alien parasites, blood and zombies aren’t enough, don’t forget there are tentacles as well!

Check out lots more pictures and a couple of alternative posters in the gallery below:

Sources: Brian Cunningham via Avery Guerra; Official website/blog; Facebook page; IMDb entry.

Addenda:

Earlier (slightly longer) Official Trailer:

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Outtakes:

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The Millennium Bug is a flat-out, gore-filled, kaiju celebration — deviant love-child of Ishiro Honda and Rob Zombie. You won’t understand the sheer perverse geek joy of this film without actually seeing it, so head for the official website and blog to check for festival appearances. Or wait for the upcoming DVD release.

While you’re waiting, you can get a feel for things from this highly amusing interview, in which some of the actors give their reactions to the film’s extreme weirdness, and actress Ginger Pullman tells all about her first day of filming, which involved a prosthetic vagina and giving birth to something nasty…

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For more on The Millennium Bug, see previous Backbrain articles on the subject.

• via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood.

Though the final cast list for the upcoming The Giant Gila Monster remake by co-directors Tony Randel and Jim Wynorski has been doing the rounds — including the interesting news that original Giant Gila Monster (1959) star Don Sullivan (above) is returning in the remake — what the Backbrain has been told by the guys from the Franklin, Indiana film festival, The B Movie Celebration, is that the SyFy Channel monster movie, currently being filmed under the title Gila! is in need of Gila Monster chow.

They are seeking 100 extras to act in the film Gila! Set in Franklin Indiana, Gila!
tells the story of a small Mid-West town that’s being ravaged by a giant mutated gila monster. (Hey! It happens all the time!) A scene to be shot in Franklin at Franklin college is a typically period sock hop that takes place at the closing of the film. (If you don’t know what a “sock hop” is, check out the 1959 version, or any number of 1950s teen flicks…)

“We are shooting 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM December 16th at the Fitness center in Franklin college in Franklin Indiana,” our correspondent told us. “We are looking for extras to dress in jeans, white t-shirt (plain) and running shoes.”

So, want to get eaten by a giant Gila Monster? Head for the Franklin college Fitness Center and you can be on the menu! The address is: The Franklin College Fitness Center, Grizzly Drive, Franklin, Indiana.

For more on the remake, see this previous Backbrain article.

The Return of Don Sullivan

At this stage we don’t know what kind of role original Giant Gila Monster star Don Sullivan has in the remake — or whether his ukelele will make a cameo appearance or even have some “lines” of its own — but it’s great to see an old veteran return to the screen in a remake of what may be his most famous — or infamous — role — 50 years on.

Don Sullivan (and ukelele) at Monster Bash 2008, where he was a guest

The whole thing is rather like the return to the screen of James Best in the remake of his own low-budget exploitation classic, The Killer Shrews, also from 1959 — Return of the Killer Shrews (US-2012; dir. Steve Latshaw). In fact, in a further synchronicity, the production company for both original The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster films had intended them to be released as part of a double feature. Maybe the remakes will play together in a double one of these days!

For completeness’ sake, the final cast of Gila! consists of Brian Gross, Madeline Voges, Christine De Rosa, Jesse Janzen, Terence Knox (seen below as the Sheriff), Kelli Maroney, Gerard Pauwels, Rich Komenich and, of course, Don Sullivan.

In the Gallery below there are a bunch of on-location production pictures, courtesy of producer/screenwriter Bill Dever.

Gallery:

• Addendum: We’ve now been told that there will be no actual reptiles involved in the creation of the giant gila monster. The monster will, contrary to previous reports, be made via digital FX.

Source: Bill Dever via Avery Guerra

I’m not sure what the title of this new film from director/writer/dp/editor Michael Rigler says about the titular beastie (… it’s a big tentacle with a claw at the end? … hmmm, maybe… stay on until the end of this article and you may find out!), but viewing the trailer will give you clear insight into its old-school, monochromatic, tongue-in-cheek referencing of classic B-monster flicks from the 1950s.

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Synopsis:

The Tentacle’s Claw is the story of one man’s quest to use the power of mind control to take over the world, and the one woman who could stop him.

Dr Demonious Horlack has set up his laboratory of horrors in a quiet, seaside town. The former Nazi scientist has devised a way to control simple creatures using the power of the mind. With the help of his assistant Gunda, he has gained power over a giant cephalopod, and is using the creature as his personal assassin.

Fortunately for the people of the planet, there is a schoolteacher, Marie LeMay,  living in the same town. As the traumatic tentacle attacks start to take their gruesome toll, Marie begins to unlock innate, psychic abilities. Her brainy scientist boyfriend, Professor Dick Goodwin, helps her recognize the potential she has deep within the recesses of her mind. The stage is set for an epic, psychic showdown. But can she prevail, or will Dr Horlack carry out his evil plans to take over the world and make Marie his psychic slave-bride?

Once completed,  The Tentacle’s Claw will be feature length (there’s approximately 67 minutes of it at the moment, Rigler tells us). “My wife Tara Manuel is the star and producer,” he said, “and we made the film on a shoestring budget. We raised about $1,200 through a Cabaret we staged to feed the cast and crew and buy a few costumes!”

Above: Smoking (and surreptitious tentacles) can be bad for you

Above: Dr Horlack attacks Marie psychically, using a tentacle on loan from Bela Lugosi and Ed Wood

Above: Never trust rabbits, children or clocks during psychic attacks

Above: the secret is out! The bad guys (and Rigler) got their monster by mail order via the ads at the back of a 1957 issue of Confidential.

And finally, a special treat! An exclusive for Undead Backbrain readers — a glimpse of the monster itself! Say “Hi!” and be nice!

Filmed on location in Corner Brook, Newfoundland with a cast of local actors, The Tentacle’s Claw is slated for a January 2012 release. More pics, cast info and startling revelations that may kill you if you read them unprepared can be found on the official website. Dare you go there?

Source: Michael Rigler via Avery.

Lizardman (US-2011; dir. Peter Dang) is a new independent B-monster flick that is rapidly heading toward release. Clearly inspired by The Creature From the Black Lagoon (and old monster movies in general), Lizardman tells a story of cryptozoological revenge and monstrous, “dragged-out-of-its-natural-environment” rampage:

Billionaire Bill Hansen seeks revenge by capturing his nemesis, the scaly crypto-creature known as the Lizard Man. Hansen wants to prove to the world that the Lizard Man really exists. A group of scientists, lead by  Professor Reeves examines this creature.  Reeves realizes he has a chance for fame and fortune and so convinces Hansen that the Lizard Man needs to be brought to Los Angeles. During a press meeting, the creature breaks out and wreaks havoc on the people of LA.

Latest Teaser Trailer:

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Written by Steve Goldenberg and Francis Abbey, produced by Steve Goldenberg and directed by Peter Dang on a small budget, Lizardman is looking like a decent homage to the famous Universal Creature.

Here is an earlier “unofficial” teaser trailer:

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Lizardman stars Michael Harding, James Lewis, Mike Gaglio, Tammy Klein, Frankie Cullen, Dylan Vox, Peter Stickles, Steve Blasini, Sherrie Box, Anthony Wade Vang, Mike Donahue, Amber McConnell, Amy Jokinen, Diana Terranova, and Yelena Savranskaya, with Matt Easton as the Lizard Man.

Check out the gallery below for loads of behind-the-scenes images, which pretty well tell you lots about the story.

There are many many more pictures on the film’s Facebook page.

Source: Peter Dang and Steve Goldenberg via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood

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In classic 1980′s fashion, Mold! is to be released on VHS tape, at least initially. This will be accompanied by a 7″ record of the band Vermefug’s heavy metal tribute to Mold! Cute, eh?

Source: Facebook; see also this Undead Brainspasm article and Avery Guerra’s interview with Neil Meschino.

Go read the review if you want to know all about the film — which features a monster with a conceptual relationship to the guy pictured below and who lives a similar life-style, albeit a bit less superhero-connected and without being an acquaintance of Howard the Duck:

At any rate the good news is that Muckman hits DVD this month:

According to distributor Chemical Burn Entertainment, Brett (Drainiac and much else besides) Piper and Mark (Splatter Beach) Polonia’s old school swamp monster movie Muckman is finally going to be released on DVD on September 20th, 2011. Besides the movie itself, the disc will also contain several special features, such as an audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a photo gallery and a trailer show.

Muckman is a charming homage to the drive-in classics of yesteryear, which was originally shot in 2009. The film, which was just shown at Germany’s renowned Weekend Of Horror festival a few weeks ago, tells the story of a sensation-seeking TV crew that hunts down a fabled swamp thing-like creature, the so-called Muckman, in the musty mires of Pennsylvania. Featuring a talented ensemble cast including the lovely scream queens Anju (Shock-O-Rama) McIntyre, Alison (Bacterium) Whitney and Danielle (Halloween Night) Donahue, Muckman is jam-packed [more mud-packed, I would've thought] with all the ingredients of a highly entertaining retro-fright fest—gruesome rubber-suit monsters, wicked stop-motion critters, accomplished practical effects, likable characters, tongue-in-the-cheek humor and, of course, a slimy, tentacle-draped fiend from beyond the surface!

Here’s the full DVD cover, back and front, which you can study in detail with a flick of the mouse-finger:

So take a look at the trailer, all you swamp-monster aficionados, and start saving your detritus for the big day!

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• Source: Brett Piper via Avery Guerra; more info about the film and the upcoming DVD release can be found on Brett Piper’s homepage (www.brettpiper.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/brettpiperofficial), as well as Chemical Burn Entertainment’s website (www.chemicalburn.org).

Addendum: Lest we forget Muckman’s old-school inspirations

Now he takes on Maggots.

As director/executive producer/producer/FX — and in conjunction with the irrepressible Fred Olen Ray in the role of executive producer/FX supervisor/FX — Bragg is bringing to the screen a new alien invasion thriller that features giant maggots … giant maggots with claws. It is the first in a slew of new genre films Undead Backbrain will be revealing to the world in coming months.

Synopsis:

A meteor blasts through space and quickly enters the Earth’s atmosphere, crashing hard and littering the area with fragments of meteorite. Two unsuspecting campers witness the spectacle and proceed to investigate. Maggots crawl from the broken fragments and start to grow as they escape the space rock. A group of youth re-habbers are on a field trip to the area as two scientists from the local university are dispatched to investigate… It soon becomes a fight to survive the giant maggots, which have acquired a thirst for human blood. Will there be maggot steaks at the local diner or human carnage, in this thrill ride of maggot mayhem!

Cast:

William Prosser – HEATH
Deone Jennings – DANI
Nikki Grill – CHRISTINA
Jesse Bragg Jacobs – LARRY
Andres Coria – CHESTER
Sarah Ashley Stringer – SHELLY
Aaron Knudson – HANK
Jerry Bell Jr. – BIG JIM
Catherine Johnson – EDITH
Theo Montgomery – RANCE
Raj Patel – STORE OWNER
Louise Stinson – WAITRESS
Sophia Brown – CAMPER
David Howarth – CAMPER 2

Stay tuned for more information…. and check out more images from Maggots below.

• Source: Bobby Bragg and Fred Olen Ray. Via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood.
• Sorotv website

Gallery:

Earlier information on the film (when it was called Dire Wolf) can be found on Undead Backbrain here.

Trailer:

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• Source: Fred Olen Ray via Avery Guerra.