Exclusives
‘Grave Encounters’ Directors The Vicious Brothers Talk Possible Next Project
The “found footage” supernatural horror film Grave Encounters, which premieres later this month at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival prior to a brief theatrical run and VOD premiere, was helmed by up-and-coming filmmakers “The Vicious Brothers” (nee Stuart Ortiz and Colin Minihan) in their feature-length debut as writer/directors. In a recent interview with B-D reporter Chris Eggertsen about the upcoming film, the Brothers spoke very briefly about one of their hoped-for next projects, a vampire flick that’s set in a pretty unique location.
“We’ve got three other scripts right now that we have written, so we’re trying to get money together for the next one,” said Stuart about future collaborations. “It may not be the next one, but we have a script called ‘The Clinic’, which is a sort of modern-day vampire story that’s set in a drug rehab clinic.”
I’m a sucker for original ideas – particularly in the ubiquitous vampire sub-genre, where there seemingly aren’t many original ideas left – so I’ll be interested to see if this one comes to fruition.
Check back soon for the full interview!
Grave Encounters Synopsis:
“LANCE PRESTON (Sean Rogerson) and the crew of “Grave Encounters”, a ghost-hunting reality television show, are shooting an episode inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, where unexplained phenomena has been reported for years.
All in the name of good television, they voluntarily lock themselves inside the building for the night and begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera.
They quickly realize that the building is more than just haunted – it is alive – and it has no intention of ever letting them leave. They find themselves lost in a labyrinth maze of endless hallways and corridors, terrorized by the ghosts of the former patients.
They soon begin to question their own sanity, slipping deeper and deeper into the depths of madness, ultimately discovering the truth behind the hospital’s dark past… and taping what will be their final episode.”
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