Exclusives
UPDATE: Another Body Drops at USC ‘Grace’ Screening
UPDATE: CHECK OUT PHOTOS INSIDE! Back in January it was reported that two theater attendees had fainted at a Sundance Film Festival screening of Paul Solet’s Grace, a report that created instant attention amongst horror fans. While I’m always a bit skeptical of such news, this evening I received an e-mail where a fan claimed to have had a similar incident at this weekend’s screening at USC here in California. Read what he had to say, and what director Paul Solet responded with when we checked in with him.
Producer Adam Green forwarded me an e-mail from “Chris W.” who claimed to have had a hard time getting through Paul Solet’s GRACE at the USC screening this weekend.
“First of all, I wanted to thank you for the great “Before I Wake” score. It was a pleasure to cut in and mix, it made the movie come alive.
I also wanted to congratulate you on the fantastic score for “Grace” – I didn’t see the whole movie (we’ll get to that) but what I heard was really haunting and perfect for the film.
Like I said, I didn’t see the whole thing. This is because I, horror film aficionado and splatterpunk enthusiast, was defeated by “Grace.” I got up to get some air because the movie was getting to me, and wound up passing out in the bathroom and escaping home with a couple of broken fingers and a busted chin.
I wanted to personally pass this information along to the director, if I could, so I was wondering if you could hook me up with his e-mail address. I know the whole “it made people pass out at Sundance!” thing has been a big thing for the movie, so I figured I’d let him know that it wasn’t just Sundance.
Thanks!”
Now, we’ve e-mailed Chris requesting photos and maybe even some proof of a visit to the E.R., if that comes you’ll be seeing an update immediately.
UPDATE: Chris e-mailed Bloody-Disgusting with photos and the follow:
“I was about an hour into the movie when I started feeling uncomfortable, so I got up to get some air. I went to the bathroom to splash water on my face – when I got to the sink I noticed I was very light headed and unsteady. The next thing I know, I was waking up on the floor.
A friend drove me to the ER. I had gouged a chunk of skin under my chin that required a few stitches, and broke two fingers of my left hand, both of which are currently in splints. I’ll be seeing a hand specialist in a couple days, hopefully it won’t require surgery (as you can see in the X-ray, it’s a nasty little break)
I’m usually fine with horror movies – I love them, watch them all the time, I’ve even made a couple. I watched “Dead Snow” the week before and had a blast. But like the singer that hits the high note that shatters the glass, “Grace” found the frequency that broke my resolve. I just graduated USC film school – I should be able to see through the special effects, but I couldn’t convince my brain that it was just a movie.
Some friends asked me if that meant I don’t endorse the film – on the contrary. It’s a damn fine film – unsettling, creepy, uncomfortable and terrifying on a base level. I’m actually sad I didn’t get to see the rest of the movie. Maybe when it comes out on DVD – on a tiny screen with crappy sound and fast-forward capability.
Here are some pictures of the damage:”
After reading the e-mail, we dropped writer-director Paul Solet a line to see what he had to say about the event.
“It sounds like he really hurt himself, I’m glad he’s alright,” Solet tells Bloody-Disgusting. “I’m really surprised to see people passing out, particularly horror fans. I’d be lying if I said it isn’t really gratifying to see the film getting under people’s skin enough to cause them to have to check out like this. People should know, though, this isn’t a movie with tons of graphic violence, it’s just proving extremely viscerally and psychologically unnerving. This movie isn’t a gut punch, it’s more of a soul punch. I’m really glad he’s okay. If he still tries to watch the rest of the film later, it’s a true victory. ”
GRACE revolves around Madeline Matheson, an eight months pregnant woman who is determined to deliver her unborn child, Grace, naturally. When an accident leaves Grace dead inside her, Madeline insists on carrying the baby to term. Weeks later, when Madeline delivers naturally, the child miraculously returns to life…
Anchor Bay is looking to release the film in limited theaters this fall before it hits DVD and Blu-ray.
A gnarly infection threatens to claw its way out of a moving camper in the first trailer for Shudder’s claustrophobic Hellcat.
The feature debut of writer/editor/director Brock Bodell, who previously edited the Fantasia title Ultrasound, makes its debut on Shudder on August 14.
In Hellcat, “Lena wakes up in a moving camper trailer with a horrifying wound. She’s warned by the driver that they have one hour to get to a doctor, or she’ll succumb to an unimaginably awful fate. As the pain sets in and reality begins to fray, who should really be afraid?”
Dakota Gorman (Natural Disasters) leads the cast that also includes Todd Terry (“Breaking Bad”), Liz Atwater (The Other People), Jordan Mullins (The Bikeriders), and James Austin Johnson (“Saturday Night Live”) in a voice role. Bodell also produces alongside Andrew Duensing and Nate Eggert.
Hellcat made its world premiere last summer at Fantasia. I wrote in my review, “Hellcat is a bit of a Trojan horror that defies easy classification, by design. Bodell’s sneaky debut feature is occasionally too sparse in its worldbuilding in its bid to preserve the mystery, but not enough to detract from the thrilling road thriller that transforms into a completely left-field type of horror we don’t get nearly enough of. The stripped-down tribute to a classic horror staple catches you off guard in more ways than one, marking Bodell as one to watch.”
In other words, there’s a lot more than meets the eye to Hellcat‘s simple infection setup, delivering plenty of surprises along its bumpy road of horrors.
Check out the trailer and poster below and add Hellcat to your watchlists asap.
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