Exclusives
‘Teddy Told Me To’ – FX Artist Tom Devlin Brings His SyFy “Face Off” Creation to Life! [Photos]
Acclaimed FX artist Tom Devlin has finished production on his feature directorial debut Teddy Told Me To, which is currently in post-production, Bloody Disgusting learned today.
Revolving around the plight of a pair of haunters who set out to resurrect a shuttered Halloween haunt with a bloody past, Teddy Told Me To brings to the screen one of Devlin’s fan-favorite character makeup creations: the titular slasher “Teddy” originated in 2011 in SyFy’s popular special effects makeup reality series “Face Off”.
Topher Hansson and Kamarra Cole star as the beleaguered haunter duo, along with genre notables Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp, Terrifier 2), Trent Hagga (68 Kill), Warrington Gillette (Friday the 13th Part 2), CJ Graham (Friday the 13th Part VI) and Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master). Michael Shields portrays Teddy.
The horror-comedy, directed by Devlin from a screenplay by Vincent Cusimano and Lola Devlin, was filmed on location at his celebrated Boulder City, Nevada roadside attraction Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum. Tom Devlin and Kayla Bushell produced, with special makeup effects by Devlin and Walid Atshe.
Additional cast includes Teddy Told Me To co-writer Cusimano, Lily Devlin, Matt Osborn and Peter Stickles, professional wrestlers Papa Shango, Sinn Bodhi and Beast the Butcher, adult film actors Kiki Daire, Daisy Ducati, and Tabitha Stevens, and YouTube personalities JustinScarred, Jacob the Carpetbagger and The Grim Life Collective. John Massari (Killer Klowns from Outer Space) provides the film’s score.
“As a lifelong fan of horror films – slasher flicks, in particular – I felt it was time to tell my own story that’s a throwback to the fun slasher flicks of my youth,” says Devlin of Teddy Told Me To, the first film of an intended trilogy centering around his murderous take on the teddy bear.
“I wanted to make a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously but plays well on a spooky October night or a fun summer sleepover. We filled it with gory effects, colorful characters, and the mandatory 3 B’s. It’s a love letter to not only the films that have inspired me – and their punk rock ethos, but also to the haunters of the world, and we hope it’s a hell of a good time!”
For exciting updates and exclusive Teddy Told Me To content, visit Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum, like Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum on Facebook, and follow @TomDevlinsMonsterMuseum on Instagram.
Teddy Told Me To Photo Credit: Plan 10 Pictures.
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
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