Red Hill Movies LLC released the first trailer for Johnny Gruesome, the upcoming horror thriller based on the award-winning novel by Gregory Lamberson (Slime City, Killer Rack), who directed the film adaptation in Western New York last July.
Johnny Gruesome is the story of a murdered high school student, Johnny Grissom, who returns from the grave for revenge in classic E.C. Comics’ fashion.
Anthony De La Torre (Lords of Chaos) stars as the title character in makeup created by Craig Lindberg (SNL, Boardwalk Empire). The trailer looks raw and boasts footage that feels unfinished. While the character Johnny Gruesome looks cool, the footage feels like a Troma film and carries some questionable special effects. I cringed a few times…
Byron Brown II (The Romans) co-stars as Johnny’s guilt-wracked best friend, singer-songwriter Aprilann portrays Johnny’s girlfriend, and Michael DeLorenzo (star of TV’s New York Undercover and Resurrection Boulevard) plays his grief-stricken father. The cast also includes Chris Modrzynski, Kim Piazza, Richard Lounello and Madison Amey.
Lamberson co-produced Johnny Gruesome with Tamar Lamberson and John R. Renna, who has a role in the film. De La Torre serves as associate producer, and Erin Elizabeth Heald is the executive producer. Chris Cosgrave and John Vincent (Freaked) created the visual effects, and Armand Petri and Joe Rozler are composing the score. The soundtrack includes songs from the Gruesome rock CD created by Dean Italiano and Giasone Italiano to promote the novel, which was based on the original screenplay Lamberson wrote in 1984.
