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[Closer to Death] ‘Rites of Spring’ And The Tara Grinstead Coincidence

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Posted by John Marrone on July 29, 2012 @ 10:06am
Category: Movies / Exclusives

The opening of Rites of Spring claims:

“In the spring of 1984, five teenagers went missing, including Mississippi Beauty Queen Tara Grinstead. Then suddenly, it stopped. The following Spring, it began again with the disappearance of a string of young girls, most notably Wendy Mullins, honor student and valedictorian of her graduating class.

For the next 24 years, the disappearances continued.

No bodies were ever recovered.”

While we know (or are pretty sure) that Wormface doesn’t actually exist, and while the film never claims that this is “based on a true story”, is any of this legend connected to reality?

Coincidentally, YES.

See how below, and at the same time, perhaps assist in cracking open a cold case that has yet to be solved…. READ MORE

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Rites of Spring

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Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on July 27, 2012 @ 12:00am
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A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.

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[Interview] ‘Rites Of Spring’ Director Padraig Reynolds On Switching Genres And ‘Rites Of Spring 2′

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Posted by EvanDickson on July 26, 2012 @ 11:38am
Category: Movies / Exclusives

Writer/director Padraig Reynolds‘ mixed genre kidnapping slasher/creature feature Rites of Spring plays kind of like a modern day From Dusk Till Dawn in that it totally switches gears midway through (not a spoiler, the film tips its hat to this early on). But it’s much more serious, and there are some downright harrowing moments in this kidnapping heist turned creature feature starring A.J. Bowen (A Horrible Way To Die, Hatchet 2, You’re Next) and Anessa Ramsey (The Signal, The Devil’s Knot).

I recently hopped on the phone with Reynolds to talk the brutal moments early in the film as well as what it was like for him as a director to switch genres mid-movie. We also talk a bit about Rites Of Spring 2 and how that planned sequel will build on the mythology seeded in the current installment.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.” The creature, “Wormface”, was designed by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing).

IFC Midnight releases Rites Of Spring July 27 on VOD and in limited theaters. Head inside for the interview! READ MORE

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‘Rites of Spring’ Clip Introduces Wormface; Free Tix To Friday’s Screening In NY!

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Posted by MrDisgusting on July 25, 2012 @ 2:31pm
Category: Movies / Editorials

This Friday, July 27, IFC Midnight kicks off a VOD and limited theatrical run for Padraig Reynolds’ kidnapping slasher Rites of Spring, which stars genre faves AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2) and Anessa Ramsey (YellowBrickRoad, The Signal). It also features creature design by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing).

Inside we’ve landed an exclusive clip where “Wormface” makes an appearance, while we’ve also scored a pair of tickets to this Friday’s screening at the IFC Center (323 6th Avenue New York, NY 10014). The event takes place Friday July 27, 2012 @ 11:59pm (EST) followed by Q&A with filmmaker Padraig Reynolds. If you’d like to attend all you have to do is put RITES OF SPRING in the subject line and E-mail us your name. Winner will be chosen today.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.” READ MORE

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[Interview] Anessa Ramsey On Subverting Genre In ‘Rites Of Spring’

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Posted by EvanDickson on July 25, 2012 @ 11:00am
Category: Movies / Exclusives

Writer/director Padraig Reynolds’ mixed genre kidnapping slasher/creature feature Rites of Spring plays kind of like a modern day From Dusk Till Dawn in that it totally switches gears midway through (not a spoiler, the film tips its hat to this early on). Of course, there aren’t any vampires and the film is much more serious than that early Tarantiono/Rodriguez collaboration. An early kidnapping segment really struck me with its unflinching brutality, as did some of the film’s more “sacrificial” moments. Star Anessa Ramsey (The Signal, YellowBrickRoad) is tied up and forced to hear (and later see the outcome of) that unnerving moment, which you’d think would be as bad as it gets for her character… until it gets much worse.

I recently hopped on the phone with Ramsey to talk about defining her character amongst the chaos of the film as well as what it was like to be forced to hang in a sacrificial barn for what seems like an awfully long period of time. Also? She gets to run through a corn field while being chased by a monster – always an iconic horror moment.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.” The creature, “Wormface”, was designed by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing).

IFC Midnight releases Rites Of Spring July 27 on VOD and in limited theaters. Head inside for the interview! READ MORE

1-Rites-of-Spring
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[Interview] AJ Bowen On Mixing Genres In ‘Rites Of Spring’, Considering Found Footage And Laughing At Joe Swanberg In ‘You’re Next’

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Posted by EvanDickson on July 24, 2012 @ 3:00pm
Category: Movies / Exclusives

Writer/director Padraig Reynolds’ mixed genre kidnapping slasher/creature feature Rites of Spring plays kind of like a modern day From Dusk Till Dawn in that it totally switches gears midway through (not a spoiler, the film tips its hat to this early on). Of course, there aren’t any vampires and the film is much more serious than that early Tarantiono/Rodriguez collaboration. An early kidnapping segment really struck me with its unflinching brutality, as did some of the film’s more “sacrificial” moments. Rites stars AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2, You’re Next) who plays embattled kidnapper Ben Geringer.

I recently hopped on the phone with Bowen to chat about how his character in Rites was a welcome break from some of the more thoroughly evil types he’s played. We also talked about his upcoming film Silent Night Of The Living Dead as well as the status of You’re Next. Oh, and we find out if he’s reconsidered his longstanding aversion to doing a found footage film.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.” The creature, “Wormface”, was designed by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing).

IFC Midnight releases Rites Of Spring July 27 on VOD and in limited theaters. Head inside for the interview! READ MORE

Rites-Of-Spring

‘Rites of Spring’ Slashes To VOD/Limited Theaters This Summer

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Posted by MrDisgusting on June 21, 2012 @ 11:10am
Category: Movies / News

IFC Midnight has announced a July 27 VOD and limited theatrical run for Padraig Reynolds’ kidnapping thriller Rites of Spring, which stars genre faves AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2) and Anessa Ramsey (YellowBrickRoad, The Signal). It also features creature design by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing).

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.” READ MORE

IFC Midnight Picks Up ‘Rites of Spring’ Slasher!

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Posted by David Harley on December 15, 2011 @ 8:18pm
Category: Movies / News

IFC Midnight Picks Up Rites of Spring Slasher!

IFC Midnight – a distributor that is definitely in tune with what genre fans would call “films of interest” – has acquired U.S. rights to director Padraig Reynolds’ kidnapping thriller Rites of Spring, which stars genre faves AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2) and Anessa Ramsey (YellowBrickRoad, The Signal). It also features creature design by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing). Color me intrigued (whatever shade that is).

No release date has been announced yet. Judging from the trailer, which you can check out after the break, it looks like a killer scarecrow flick, but I could be way off-base.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.” READ MORE

‘The Signal’s Anessa Ramsey Hides From ‘Rites of Spring’ Slasher

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Posted by MrDisgusting on October 18, 2011 @ 5:56pm
Category: Movies / News

The Signals Anessa Ramsey Hides From Rites of Spring Slasher

Premiering Saturday, Oct 22 at 12:00 PM (get tix here) at the Screamfest Film Festival in Hollywood, CA is Director Padraig Reynolds’ Rites of Spring, which stars genre faves AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2) and Anessa Ramsey (YellowBrickRoad, The Signal).

Reynolds has supplied Bloody with a new look at the monster flick that had its creature designed by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Hills Have Eyes II , 30 Days of Night, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing)! The clip features star Anessa Ramsey hiding from said creature.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.”
READ MORE

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Screamfest ’11: World Premiere of ‘Rites of Spring’ Trailer!

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Posted by MrDisgusting on October 10, 2011 @ 3:35pm
Category: Movies / Exclusives

Screamfest 11: World Premiere of Rites of Spring Trailer!

World Exclusive: One of the most anticipated films premiering at this month’s Screamfest Film Festival in Hollywood, CA is Director Padraig Reynolds’ Rites of Spring, which stars genre faves AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2) and Anessa Ramsey (YellowBrickRoad, The Signal).

Premiering Saturday, Oct 22 at 12:00 PM (get tix here), Bloody Disgusting has the world premiere of the trailer for the monster flick that had its creature designed by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Hills Have Eyes II , 30 Days of Night, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing)! The trailer does not disappoint!

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.”
READ MORE

Old Sales Trailer for ‘Rites of Spring’ Uncovered

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Posted by MrDisgusting on January 28, 2011 @ 8:01pm
Category: Movies / News

Just the other day we brought you the first sales posters for Padraig Reynolds’ Rites of Spring (set report), his creature feature selling at the upcoming EFM in Berlin. While an official sales trailer is forthcoming, inside you’ll find an old sales promo that leaked. It was used to find financiers for the film back in 2008, it’s pretty cool stuff if you ask me.

Teased as in the vein of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn, “After kidnapping the nine-year-old daughter of a wealthy socialite and hiding out in an abandoned school, the kidnappers fall prey to a recurring terror in this place, a bloodlust that comes every first day of spring.”

Aj Bowen (House Of The Devil, A Horrible Way To Die, The Signal), Anessa Ramsey (The Signal, YellowBrickRoad), Sonny Marinelli (Fallen Faithful, “ER”) Marco St. John (“Treme,” Monster, The Punisher), and Shanna Forrestall (The Last Exorcism) all star.
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Two Vintage Sales Posters for Creature Feature ‘Rites of Spring’!

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Posted by MrDisgusting on January 27, 2011 @ 4:44pm
Category: Movies / News

I love a good creature feature, which is why I’m insanely excited for Padraig Reynolds’ indie Rites of Spring (set report), which rocks the all-star cast: Aj Bowen (House Of The Devil, A Horrible Way To Die, The Signal), Anessa Ramsey (The Signal, YellowBrickRoad), Sonny Marinelli (Fallen Faithful, “ER”) Marco St. John (“Treme,” Monster, The Punisher), and Shanna Forrestall (The Last Exorcism).

Teased as in the vein of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn, “After kidnapping the nine-year-old daughter of a wealthy socialite and hiding out in an abandoned school, the kidnappers fall prey to a recurring terror in this place, a bloodlust that comes every first day of spring.”

I so cannot wait to see what the creature looks like; even the exclusive posters inside keep everything under lock and key! I personally enjoy when the creature is kept under wraps. It still drives me crazy that Fangoria stuck the Creeper from Jeepers Creepers right on the cover of their magazine all of those years ago. There should be something to look forward to going into a movie. No?

Become a fan on Facebook, gander at the first images, and then check out two pretty badass sales posters inside!

Two Vintage Sales Posters for Creature Feature Rites of Spring!

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