King Kong: The Musical

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For this, I’ll definitely fly to Melbourne.

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Seems really ambitious, with its all-Australian cast and in particular its high-concept stage effects. In terms of the latter, when you’ve got designer Sonny Tilder (who was responsible for the “Walking with Dinosaurs” exhibition) and a team of puppeteers led by puppetry director Peter Wilson, it’s definitely conceivable and exciting to imagine.

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The cast (pictured below) features, from left, Richard Piper (Captain Englehorn), Adam Lyon (Carl Denham), Esther Hannaford (Ann Darrow), Queenie van de Zandt (Cassandra), and Chris Ryan (Jack Driscoll). (Photo below: James-Morgan).

The principal cast of 'King Kong', from left, Richard Piper, Adam Lyon, Esther Hannaford, Queenie van de Zandt and Chris Ryan. Photo- James Morgan

Add to that the work of composer Marius de Vries (Music Director, MOULIN ROUGE) and a musical lineup that includes Robert Del Naja (of Massive Attack), Justice, The Avalanches and Guy Garvey (of Elbow), as well as the incredible Sarah McLachlan.

Check out this Behind the Scenes video (including incredible puppetry):

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So cool!

Sources: Website. Fangoria. Images from The Age.com.

Addendum: Esther Hannaford singing “Full Moon Lullaby” (from King Kong: The Musical)

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Posted in Giant Monsters, King Kong, News, Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Jellyfish Eyes: The New Yôkai?

Images of the cute yet bizarre kaiju (that is, monsters) inhabiting Takashi Murakami’s much-anticipated fantasy Mememe no Kurage (Jellyfish Eyes) reveal an imagination that has taken its own established aesthetic and created a weird, toy-like pantheon of creatures very reminiscent, in their own way, of the famed yôkai of Japanese folklore — yôkai being ghosts, phantoms and strange apparitions, made famous in cinema by the film trilogy Yôkai daisenso [aka Big Ghost War; Spook Warfare] (Japan-1968, dir. Yoshiyuki Kuroda), Yôkai Hyaku Monogatari [aka The Hundred Monsters] (Japan-1968, dir. Kimiyoshi Yasuda) and Tôkaidô obake dôchû [aka Along With Ghosts] (Japan-1969; dir. Kimiyoshi Yasuda), as well as in the more recent “remake” The Great Yokai War [aka Yôkai daisenso] (Japan-2005; dir. Takashi Miike). To see what the yôkai looked like in traditional lore, check out the Backbrain article Yôkai Scroll Discovered.

But before we release Murakami’s monsters into the Backbrain, here’s the first official poster for the film:

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Looks almost like live-action Miyazaki, right? Well, take a look at the full trailer — and wait for the darkness to descend:

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There’s a few suggestions there that these yōkai have daikaiju (that is, giant monsters) lurking inside them…

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Okay, meet Murakami’s kaiju:

Source: via Avery Guerra. Image source. Written by Robert Hood

Addendum: We stumbled upon a few more images from the film. One is the cute picture of the two kids being hugged by a big, furry dog-thing, that appears just above the gallery of kaiju. Here’s two more. They were all taken by Taka Koike:

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Source: Blum and Poe

Addendum 2: The international premiere of Jellyfish Eyes takes place on 8 April 2013 at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). It is presented by Film Independent.

Posted in Fantasy, Film, Ghosts, Giant Monsters, Japanese, Monsters in general, News, Trailers, Update | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Little Mechanical Critters Infest the Woods

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Here’s another take on monster infestation as seen through the eyes of participants, made in the mockumentary style of The Troll Hunter [trolls], District 9 [aliens], Monsters [alien organisms] and, most famously, The Blair Witch Project [a dead witch] (or more accurately the documentary that preceded the release of the film, “The Curse of the Blair Witch”). This one features little mechanical creatures.

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Sounds strange? Sure, why not?

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Synopsis:

Fearing an unseen threat in their woods, and facing ridicule by the local media, the small town of Farr appoints a makeshift “Monster Defense Team” to investigate and remedy the bizarre situation.

This sci-fi mockumentary film follows the efforts of  the team’s individual members, while allowing the quirky town residents to share their theories on what’s lurking in the woods, and what they think should be done about it. (Source: website)

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Check out the trailer:

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Hickory Never Bleeds is an independent film, written, produced and directed by Frank Ladner. It was filmed in the south of the US, mostly Poplarville, MS, and features an all-local cast that includes Mark Forte, Torrey Harriel, James “Sonny” Howard, and Frank Ladner himself. Actors, chosen from locals who fit the parts, were given limited snippets of information and encouraged to improvise their own dialogue, thus lending a certain realism to the documentary feel. As a major influence on his film, Ladner cites Vernon, Florida, Errol Morris’ 1981 documentary, which includes interspersed snippets from some of the titular community’s inhabitants.  This low-key approach to examining a small town’s eccentric townfolk inspired his key methodology for depicting the fictional town of Farr under siege.

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One local, Mark “Weasel” Easley, has actually lost dogs in the nearby woods and is convinced some unknown predator is responsible.

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As for what the mysterious creatures look like… well, here’s an amateur sketch that may or may not give us some insight:

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Viral clips such as those I’ve included throughout this article give some idea as to the nature of the film, though, of course, not its ultimate conclusion…. assuming there is one!

You can view more of them at the Hickory Never Bleeds youtube channel.

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Hickory Never Bleeds will be available from 23v February 2013 for purchase on DVD. Check the website for details.

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Source: Frank Ladner via Avery Guerra. Official website. Facebook page.

Posted in Aliens, Film, Independent film, Monsters in general, Mysteries, Posters, Science Fiction, Trailers | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Exciting Valentine’s Day Present For Mega-Arachnophiles

Lovers of Giant Spiders are in for a very special Valentine’s Day this year.

Retro monster flick aficionado, writer/director Christopher R. Mihm celebrates the Day of Lovers and the imminent release of his latest film by uncaging the official trailer for his epic new creature feature, The Giant Spider.

And what a spider it is! It’s hairy, it’s scary, it’s absolutely real (making allowances for some unreal trick photography, of course) — created using the sort of super-imposition technique that Jack Arnold used when filming his classic giant spider film Tarantula back in 1955. When I saw this trailer, I literally exclaimed, “Wow!” and called my partner in check it out. She commented: “That’s pretty impressive!” And so it is. On the evidence of this trailer, Mihm’s pastiche may very well surpass Arnold’s original, at least in terms of the excellence of his FX. Check it out:

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Mihm also gets two thumbs up for the skill he displays in replicating the sound and feel of 1950s’ creature feature trailers!

Synopsis:

When radiation left behind by atomic weapons testing creates a gigantic killer mutant arachnid, it’s up to a trio of scientists, an Army general, and a newspaper reporter and his fiancée to figure out how to stop the hungry beast from devouring the entire county.

For more information on Mihm and his films, go to his website at: www.sainteuphoria.com. See also the Backbrain article Giant Spider Goes Retro.

Source: Christopher R. Mihm via Avery Guerra.

Posted in Giant Bugs, Giant Monsters, Horror, Independent film, Monsters in general, News, Retro, Trailers | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bio-Slime’s on DVD at Last

Remember Bio-Slime, the pinnacle of oozingly viral horror from John Lechago? (If not, see this previous Backbrain article and follow the links).

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Well, the good news is that it will be available on DVD from Media Blasters on 26 February 2013. B-Movie Celebration Film Festival Coordinator, Avery Guerra, reports that Bio-Slime “played to a very enthusiastic crowd at our fest last year.”

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So go get it, folks!

Posted in Horror, Independent film, Monsters in general, Update, Where's the Film? | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Update: Pictures of The Giant Spider

In further multi-legged giant monster news, here are a couple of shots from Christopher R. Mihm’s upcoming retro style flick, The Giant Spider:

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No other news — but those snaps definitely make me want to see the film!

Undead Backbrain previously reported on it here: Giant Spider Goes Retro.

More news as it happens.

Thanks, Avery.

Posted in Exploitation films, Film, Giant Bugs, Giant Monsters, Horror, Retro, Update | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crabby Piper Update

Well, “crabby” in a good way…

Independent producer Brett Piper’s tireless career in low-budget monster films continues with this report that his giant monster flick Queen Crab (which Undead Backbrain reported on back in August last year) has finished principle photography and is now in the rather extensive and demanding post-production stage. Piper is currently in the exciting phase of inserting the film’s special effects — rather significant in the light of his inability to cast a certain rather prickly actress (pictured below after negotiations failed) in the role of a house-sized crab (see interview that appears as an addendum to this article), forcing him therefore to resort to his favoured stop-motion techniques and all the demanding hands-on work that entails.

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Piper reassures us, however, that everything’s looking good for a timely finish to the project and has released the following screen-shots of the human participants:

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Ouch!

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Below is a glimpse of the Queen Crab model and the miniature sets required to make her look bigger — a bit like making Tom Cruise perform on a box.

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In other related news, Fred Olen Ray’s Retromedia Entertainment has picked up Piper’s  Lovecraftian horror film, The Dark Sleep, for distribution, and if all goes as planned, the ambitious Polonia Bros production will be released on DVD under the title “H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dark Sleep” in the United States and Canada in April 2013.

“I’m pleased. I think they’re the right guys for the job,” Piper, who wrote and directed the film, said about his new partner-in-exploitational-crime. “Retromedia Entertainment specializes in low budget genre movies for the fans of our type of picture so it should be a good match.” International sales will be handled by Tomcat Films. An effects-heavy haunted house shocker, The Dark Sleep is loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Dreams in the Witch House”.

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For more, see this Backbrain article: Of Giant Crabs and Lovecraft (where you can view the embedded trailer) as well as Piper’s Facebook page.

Source: Brett Piper via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood.

Addendum: Interview with a Giant Crab

Curious about Brett Piper’s failure to cast a real giant crab in the title role, we tracked down the actress originally slated to appear as Queen Crab. Due to a legal injunction we are unable to name the actress, though she agreed to talk to us.

Undead Backbrain: So, Ms XXXXX, why couldn’t you and Brett Piper come to an agreement?

Anonymous Crab: Negotiations started badly. My agent insisted that Piper come to my house, as I know how these sleazy super-sophisticated Hollywood-types like to gain advantage over poor innocents from the Boondeeps by drawing them into an unfamiliar and daunting environment. Piper, however, refused. There was no leeway.

UB: What reason did he give?

Crab: His was a low-budget business, he said. Ha! He claimed he didn’t have the resources or the diving-bell that would be necessary for him to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench…

UB: Which is where you live?

Crab: Yes. Ridiculous, isn’t it? It’s deepest point is only 36,198 feet down. Anyway, I showed a willingness to adapt and in the end he agreed we could simply talk via submarinal Skype.

UB: So what happened then?

Crab: Honestly? Before the scheduled meeting I checked out his webpage. I saw that he used stop-motion animation quite a bit in his films. I didn’t feel I could compete with that. It made me… you know, insecure. If I took this role everyone would simply assume I was a stop-motion creation. I ask you, how would that help my career?

UB: So you do have ambitions in the film industry?

Crab: Oh, yes, in fact I already have an offer from a major producer.

UB: Really? Who?

Crab: That’s still confidential, but the role is a much coveted Shakespearean part.

UB: Oh? What play?

Crab: The Taming of the Crab. Do you know it?

UB: Um, well…

Crab: That’s okay, I know your specialty is low-brow monster pictures. Don’t feel bad.

UB: Oh, I don’t. I hope it works out for you.

Crab: Thank you. The producer said my role would be an absolutely delicious one, central to the success of the project. Those were his exact words. Apparently it’s being filmed in a fancy restaurant that overlooks Sydney Harbour. You’ll be yummy in the part, he said. He’s such a sweetie. I can’t wait.

 

Posted in Exploitation films, Giant Monsters, Horror, Independent film, Lovecraft, News, Update | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Death and Demonic Attack in the Territory

A Backbrain Exclusive

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Coincidentally similar in theme to the film featured in the Backbrain’s previous post (Transcendence), this UK production looks like a stylish piece of work and well worth your attention.

Synopsis:

Four cars lie stranded on a dark and desolate country road in the middle of the night – the aftermath of a car crash. Tensions run high as the survivors struggle to resolve the situation, but they soon realise that the worst is far from over…

Tired, cold and miles away from the nearest town, the true danger begins to dawn on the passengers as they find themselves being picked off by a group of demonic creatures, enraged by the fact that humans have strayed into their murky territory.

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Though the teaser gives only a brief glimpse of a demon/monster and focuses on the human elements, it certainly suggests a lot:

[youtube 70CnkWy6Pl4]

Territory stars Sylvie England, Karen Morgan, Dave Taylor, Eifion Melnyk-Jones, William Ashbey, Victoria Eldon, Charlotte Eldon, Steve Smith, Jon Samuel, Sharon Muiruri, Robert Maloney and Karina Sugden. It was written and directed by Thomas Saville and Robert Vassie. Thomas Saville was also Director of Photography, Visual Effects Supervisor and Sound Designer, with Robert Vassie as Camera Operator and Editor. Quite the all-round Renaissance-Man pair!

Thomas Saville and Robert Vassie met at college in 2003, and driven by a passion of film they continued to study and make an array of shorts, many earning awards and accolades. In 2009 they embarked on a journey to write and direct their first feature film together. About the film, they commented:

Territory is a horror film to its very core, and influenced by favorites such as The Thing and Alien, it shares much of the same techniques for bringing its monsters to life.

Vassie is currently working at a London-based visual effects company, and Saville is a freelance effects supervisor and animator.

Go to the film’s official website to check out the Territory further.

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Above: Karen and Sylvie warm up for their next scene

Territory Teaser Poster

Source: Thomas Saville via Demon-Hunter Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood. Official website; Facebook page; IMDb entry.

Posted in Demons, Film, Horror, Independent film, News | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Demon Attack!

Check out this clip from a new short film called Transcendence:

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Transcendence is directed by Chris Mirjahangir and it tells the story of a family who, on the last stop on their vacation, get taken hostage by survivors of a demon attack from a nearby small town.

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Its cast includes Patrick Hume (Whitney, Knight Rider, assorted uncredited pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End), Savannah McReynolds (Justified, Private Practice), Brandon Tyler Russell (Smitty), and Jeff Prewett (The Objective, Marvel One Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer). Running at 25:37 min in length, Transcendence will be released to film festivals in 2013.

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Much of the conceptual demon design work was undertaken by Matt Frank, known for his involvement in IDW’s ongoing Godzilla comic series and other Big G projects:

Conceptual Drawings of Various Demons:

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Sculpture Work (before and after texture was added):

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Making of the Demons Video:

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Transcendence is produced by Chris Mirjahangir, Julia Faye West, Brian Morales and Sam Rodriguez, with Associate Producer Michal Shipman. It is also edited by Michal Shipman and has an original score composed and conducted by Brian Morales. Listen to a sample here.

The Backbrain will reveal more about the film as we receive it.

Source: Chris Mirjahangir via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood. Official Website: www.Transcendence-Movie.com, or follow on Twitter: @TranscendenceM

Posted in Demons, Exploitation films, Horror, Independent film, Monsters in general, News, Teaser | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Black Sea: Sea Monsters and Zombies

Brazilian director Rodrigo Aragão’s first feature film was Mud Zombies [aka Mangue Negro] (2008), in which pollution of the local mangrove swamp causes zombie-like creatures to rise from the waters. He then directed the “goatsucker” epic The Night of the Chupacabras [A Noite do Chupacabras] (2011) — (see the article “New Night of the Chupacabras” on our sister site Undead Brainspasm for more information). Now he completes his thematic horror trilogy with The Black Sea [aka Mar Negro, Dark Sea]:

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Bringing together monstrous conglomerate sea-creatures, undead fish and flesh-eating zombies, The Black Sea promises to be a cult classic of the grotesque kind.

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The above critters come courtesy of an ocean-borne contaminant in the form of a mysterious Black Spot which turns fish and crustaceans into sea monsters and people into blood-dripping zombies. The contamination spreads quickly, threatening to destroy everything in the path: puffer fish, mer-men, stingrays, crabs, seagulls, fishermen and fishing nets are all drawn into its influence. The bizarre phenomenon climaxes in a tangle of severed parts — head, gills, legs, fins, hands or tines — which leave chaos and destruction in their wake. Sounds (and as you’ll see from the trailer below looks) like the sort of chimaerian grotesqueries SFX designer Rick Baker (in his The Thing mode) might have conceived.

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Synopsis:

A strange black spot approaches the coast, bringing death and destruction to a fishing village. In a desperate flight to escape the chaos, lonely Albino fights for the great love of his life at the risk of his own soul.

Black Sea is the third feature film from award-winning filmmaker, Rodrigo Aragão. The film, budgeted at only US$200,000 (which is nevertheless six or seven times greater than he had to spend on Mud Zombies and more than double the budget of Night of the Chupacabras — and is hence much more ambitious and complex, SFX-wise), is a creation of independent production company Fábulas Negras Produções. Executive Producer of the project is Hermann Pidner, with Producers Kika Oliveira and Mayra Alarcon.

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Making-Of Videos:

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Monster Conceptual Drawing by Aragão:

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Source: Rodrigo Aragão and Mayra Alarcón via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood. For an interview with Rodrigo Aragão on the production of Night of the Chupacabras, see Rue Morgue.

Posted in Exploitation films, Film, Independent film, Monsters in general, Trailers, Zombies | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments