Exclusives
Director Harrison Smith Talks ‘Death House’, The “Expendables Of Horror”
Yesterday, we posted about Death House, a film that we stated sounds like the Expendables of horror. The IMDb page listed an all star cast of some of the biggest names that the genre has to offer. While many of you were fascinated by what the film supposedly offered, others were a little more skeptical.
But what was most important was that director Harrison Smith himself commented and stated that the information provided by IMDb was inaccurate and out of date.
So, in an effort to provide you with accurate information, I reached out to Smith and we spoke in detail about the film and what can be expected.
Smith explains that the story is based upon a script written by Gunnar Hansen (“Leatherface” from Texas Chainsaw Massacre), which was created years ago. Smith rewrote the script that features a story that is radically different from the IMDb story posted yesterday. Smith pitches the story as “Assault on Precinct 13 meets Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs.”
In fact, Smith states that the story takes elements from some rather incredible films and stories, including Silence Of The Lambs, The Wizard Of Oz, Alice In Wonderland, and even Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”.
But what’s most important here is that Smith understands the skepticism of horror fans when it comes to a film that features a ton of icons, such as Robert Englund. He specifically states that this is, “…not a gimmick film of “hey look it’s….!” throughout.” Additionally, he emphatically insists, “…we are making a solid horror piece…dark, nasty and gore soaked. It will not be satire or tongue in cheek.”
I was given the opportunity to read a detailed synopsis and, I gotta tell you, if this is done well then we might have a very, very cool horror film on our hands. There are tons of opportunities to create truly atmospheric situations, loads of horrifying characters, and many, many opportunities for vicious violence and graphic gore (god, I love alliteration). Even though Smith states that the film will not be tongue-in-cheek, there’s still plenty of chances for some dark humor that could be added in very nicely.
At the end of the day, Smith stands by his story: “I think I delivered a powerhouse horror script and it will be a kickass horror film.”
Out today in select theaters and on digital platforms is heartfelt and playful documentary Mockbuster, which sees a director cold call a studio and ask to helm a lost-world dinosaur epic.
Inexplicably, they say yes.
Our exclusive clip below highlights both the comedic nature of this bizarre scenario as well as the pressures of shooting dino feature The Land That Time Forgot in a mere six days, with no real feature experience.
A dino attack scene causes friction on set in this scene.
In the documentary, “A struggling filmmaker’s opportunity collides with chaos and compromise when Sharknado’s notorious studio, The Asylum, invites him to direct a ‘mockbuster.’ With six days, a micro budget, and mounting pressure, Mockbuster is a comedic, behind-the-scenes documentary exploring the balance between low-budget filmmaking and creative ambition.”
More than just an inside look at filmmaking via low-budget film studio The Asylum, it doubles as one man’s pursuit of his dreams to charming, humorous effect.
“Mockbuster is a documentary about my own journey, but it’s also a love letter to one of the last grindhouses still functioning in Hollywood. We get to meet the characters and creators of some of the most infamous (and most hated) B-movies of the last few decades. People who make movies purely for profit – no pretension, no artistry, just monsters, C-listers, and chaos. A film that both genre fans and cinephiles can enjoy. But Mockbuster isn’t just about filmmaking, it’s about losing sight of your dreams, and reclaiming them in your own twisted way,” Director Anthony Frith said in a statement.
From Executive Producer and famed documentarian David Farrier, Mockbuster opens in select theaters and on digital platforms beginning July 10.
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