Parasitic: It’ll Get Under Your Skin

Want zombies with your giant monster bugs? Well, we might just have the perfect movie for you!

We have it reliably from writer/director Timothy Martin that Parasitic, which started life a few years back under the title “Black Licorice”, is about a giant alien parasite that re-animates its dead victims and turns them into … well, the undead.

Synopsis:

After a strange meteor destroys a communications satellite and crashes into Tampa Bay, a sickly looking fish finds itself the meal of a beautiful nightclub bartender named Val. Moments later, as the bar is closed and locked tight, the infected Val becomes ill and all Hell breaks loose. Hidden from the others, the parasite she has unknowingly eaten rapidly grows, bursting from her throat and becoming the puppet master for the chaos ahead. With no possible way to reach help or escape, the trapped club-goers must fight to survive and plan to destroy the creature before it is let loose into the world.

According to the composer Brian Wherry’s website, Martin has “extensive experience with special makeup and creature effects from his work at Stan Winston Studio and Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. and thus, the quality of the creatures in Parasitic far exceed the expectations set by its modest budget.” From the trailer I’d tend to agree.

Images from the Film:

“You mean this isn’t the AC/DC concert?”

“Make-up wasn’t in this morning, so I had to do my own lipstick.”

“Sorry, I can’t stand AC/DC!”

“I was washing my hair and had an accident with the drier.”

Production Shots:

“It’s goes ARRGGGHHHH!”

“Say Cheez!”

“Okay, who made this mess?”

Commented Martin: “Parasitic was accepted for the Freak Show Film Festival in Orlando, Florida and I am awaiting news from several other festivals very soon.”

Timothy Martin’s Bio:

In the fall of 1999, at the age of 23, Timothy R. Martin moved to Los Angeles to pursue his lifelong goal: to become a Special Effects Make-Up Artist and eventually to write and direct his own sci-fi and horror films.

Working for such legendary effects houses as the Stan Winston Studio and Amalgamated Dynamics Inc., Timothy began his career as a mold technician and sculptor for such films as Jurassic Park 3, Artificial Intelligence, Spiderman, Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, and X-Men 3 to name a few.

As a child growing up on infamous US Army base, Fort Bragg, NC, Timothy was, in his youth, inspired by the high-energy, action-packed, thrill-ride movies of the mid-80s such as Terminator, Aliens, and Predator. His strict military upbringing along with his natural artistic talent has long since made Timothy a culmination of discipline, creativity and drive.

During the time Timothy worked as a special effects technician in 2008, he wrote, directed, and created the character costumes and make-up for his debut film entitled Parasitic, in which a group of young bar workers become trapped, stalked and brutalized by a terrifying creature.

Timothy’s approach to writing and directing reflects his image of Hollywood and the film industry: fierce and unrelenting. His style is dark, his pace is foreboding and his visions are unique and thought-provoking.

As Timothy looks forward to pushing the ever-changing boundaries of storytelling and filmmaking, he continues to write enthusiastically. (Press release)

Addendum: Early Teaser Trailer

And finally:

Addendum 2: Tim Martin has just informed us that Parasitic won “Best Florida Feature” at the Freak Show Film Fest last weekend (Oct 8-10). To celebrate he sent us the following picture, in response to which I can only say: “Ewwwww!”

• Sources: Timothy Martin via Avery Guerra
• Composer Brian Wherry’s website
• IMDb entry
• Written by Robert Hood