Masters FX Makes the best Monsters

Katharine Isabelle and MASTERSFX are reunited after American Mary on the upcoming SEE NO EVIL 2 Movie. Best pic ever. Mary comes back to admire her Grant handiwork.

-Sylv

MastersFX, The Thing, and Slither hit the Rio Theatre

Hey Vancouver!!

MARK THIS DATE DOWN!!! July 27th the RIO THEATRE is doing it again. Bringing you an experience you can't download. This time, it's the thing gore~gasms and nightmares are made of. A DOUBLE BILLING of practical effects at their BEST with John Carpenter's THE THING and James Gunn's SLITHER. The monster master behind SLITHER and everything awesome, Todd Masters, himself will be in the house and you can't have this much bloody fun without us Twisted Twins, me and Sylvia Soska, coming on like locusts!!

There will be prizes! There will be goodies galore! Surprises! And a Q and A with Todd Masters himself.

PLUS lots more on the way to be announced.... DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!!!!

Doors 7:00
John Carpenter's THE THING 8:00
Q&A with Todd Masters 10:00
SLITHER 11:00

Double bill pricing in effect! See both films for $13/$15 door.
Individual films are $8/$10 door
19+ w/ bar service
www.riotheatre.ca
www.riotheatretickets.ca

https://www.facebook.com/events/607686132582973/

See You in LA

Billy: Have you ever been to LA?

Mary: No.

Billy: Have you ever wanted to go to LA? Because I was thinking I need a change of pace.

"Wanna be the first to see the Soska sisters’ American Mary? 

Bloody Disgusting has 2 pairs of tickets to the Los Angeles opening night special screening in which the Soska sisters and star Katharine Isabelle will be in attendance. 

The event takes place Friday, May 31st at 7:45 pm (arrive early). The location is the Chinese 6 Theatres (6801 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA). 

Q&A to following this screening with Soska sisters and Katharine Isabelle."

Also Tristan Risk, Paula Lindberg, John Emmet Tracy, Brenda Anderson, and Todd Masters will be in attendance. DYING TO SEE YOU THERE. It's the end of a long promo tour, makes sense to end it in LA, doesn't it?

GET YOUR DETAILS HERE!

-Sylv

Women In Horror Massive Blood Drive PSA 2013

Every Women In Horror Recognition Month, we encourage people and horror fans out there to be every bit as brave as the heroines we've come to know and love in front of and behind the camera with our Massive Blood Drive, a world wide event.

You can't think horror without thinking blood. We are in dire need of donors world wide. Every 3 seconds in the USA alone, blood is needed. There is no substitute for blood. Many people rely on blood donations just to live. There has been a decrease in donors and the need for blood and donations grows every year. Please give the gift that saves lives. Each donation can save up to three lives.

After all, it's in you to give.

Blood Drive PSA BTS

Jen and I had a great time testing yesterday and shooting today with MASTERSFX for our Massive Blood Drive PSA. Video is coming soon, but here's a little BTS with us, Todd Masters, Jason Ward, Lori Sandnes, and Jennifer Latour.
            

Please enjoy! And please be brave and donate. The number of donors has steadily been decreasing and someone needs blood every three seconds. Take on the little prick and be a hero to someone. 

-Sylv

The Jaded Viewer Sees American Mary in New York

"One can't talk about American Mary without mentioning the NON-CGI effects they employed. Special effects guru Todd Masters uses stellar prosthetics and old school blood techniques to get us some ample splatter and gore. The Soska's seem adept at giving us cringe worthy scenes that have a Kubrick-esque element to them such as when Mary goes all Kill Bill on her "victims". With some clever camera work,  I have never seen such  pure torture scenes become still photos worthy of a place in the MOMA."

The first person to ever write ANYTHING about our first film, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, the fabulous Jaded Viewer saw AMERICAN MARY at her Film Society of Lincoln Centre in New York. It's really cool to that he had the opportunity to see the film. And dug it.

"Never have I seen a movie that delves into this subculture, treats it respectfully and slices in a perfect horror movie inside. I guarantee American Mary will etch it's way into cult status. It's perfect blend of sly black humor, absurd and eerie characters and torturous scenes of pain and agony that equal a milkshake of cult awesomeness. 

Horror movies have just grown up in a big way thanks to American Mary."

THE WHOLE RAD REVIEW HERE!!!

Thank you to everyone who has been going out to the screenings, the people who are telling their friends, and all the people who have been supporting the film. You, ladies and gentlemen, fucking rock!

-Sylv

Free Posters from the Twisted Twins and a Kiss from Tristan Risk

 Come to the MASTERSFX booth at the SON OF MONSTERPALOOZA Saturday October 27th and meet Sylvia Soska and me! We'll be signing FREE American Mary posters from 1:30pm to 2:30pm with the sensational Tristan Risk who will be running a kissing booth by donation for the ItGetsBetter(LGBTP) Project. Cannot fucking wait to meet you all and see old friends ♥

XO,

Jen

GET DONE BY MASTERSFX!

Hey, you monster lovers - want to get made up with prosthetics by MASTERSFX? Four looks include: Zombie, Beauty, Victim, & Party Monster.

Once in a lifetime opportunity to get professional prosthetics, the application filmed by FEARnet, and a tour of the infamous LA shop - responsible for killer FX on projects like: True Blood, Sinister, Slither, Six Feet Under, and American Mary. 

$250 donations for the email charity@mastersfx.com - which will go to Southern California Hospice Society - limited to only 25 tickets. 

Each donation will also get you two tickets to the VIP Son of a Bash, Son of Monsterpalooza after party!

-Sylv

Screamfest 2012 American Mary Q & A

Screamfest 2012 was kind enough to give AMERICAN MARY her LA premiere and in attendance were many of the cast and crew including: Jen Soska, Antonio Cupo, Paula Lindberg, Brian Pearson, Sylvia Soska, Todd Masters, and Katharine Isabelle.

                    

Here is the cast & crew Q & A following the film. PLEASE ENJOY!

-Sylv

PS A huge thank you to SINFUL CELLULOID for all the spectacular coverage!!

Beth Accomando Brings American Mary to the Masses through NPR!!

"It's the season for horror films, and one that is making the rounds of festivals called Scream Fest and Fright Fest is American Mary. The film is directed by twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska who specialize in horror films made without heavy dependence on CGI. In their latest film, they explore ideas about women's bodies as well as blood and gore."

LISTEN TO THE WONDERFUL INTERVIEW WITH JEN, ME, AND TODD MASTERS HERE!!!!!

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News.
Tis the season for horror movies, and Canadian twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska are doing their part with the new film "American Mary." It's been playing the film festival circuit at events with names like Fright Fest and Screamfest and coming soon Shudderfest. From member station KPBS, Beth Accomando reports on those two specimens of the rare species: the female horror director. 

BETH ACCOMANDO, BYLINE: When Jen and Sylvia Soska were little girls, they weren't playing with Barbies. They were playing with spiders or huddled in the horror section of their video store. 

SYLVIA SOSKA: We would go around looking at the back of boxes for the bloodiest things, with the goriest messes, and we'd be like, oh, this is a good one, and we'd beg our mom and never, never, never let us watch one until "Poltergeist." 

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "POLTERGEIST") 

HEATHER O'ROURKE: (as Carol Anne Freeling) They're here. 

ACCOMANDO: And that, says Sylvia Soska, changed her life. The film terrified her, but her mother calmed her fears by explaining the art of special effects. 

SOSKA: She told me everything I saw was systematically made by very talented artists with the intention of scaring me, and I was like, wait a minute. These people's job is scaring people? 

ACCOMANDO: That's the job the Soskas wanted. But horror tends to be male dominated, and it relies on tried and true formulas. The Soskas embrace the darkness in ways that can jolt even jaded horror fans. Their latest film, "American Mary," tackles a subject that's rarely discussed: body modification. In the film, Katharine Isabelle plays Mary Mason, a med student whose financial hardship leads her into the lucrative world of underground surgery. Her clients ask her to split their tongues or surgically attach horns to their foreheads. 

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "AMERICAN MARY") 

KATHARINE ISABELLE: (as Mary Mason) So what are we doing here? 

ACCOMANDO: Ruby wants to look like a doll but can't find a plastic surgeon willing to snip and stitch to her specifications. 

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "AMERICAN MARY") 

PAULA LINDBERG: (as Ruby Realgirl) No one looks at dolls in a sexual manner, do you know why? 

ISABELLE: (as Mary Mason) I don't know why, I guess, because they don't have all their parts. 

LINDBERG: (as Ruby Realgirl) Exactly. 

ACCOMANDO: Beatress is another character with extreme body modification. She wants to look exactly like Betty Boop. 

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "AMERICAN MARY") 

TRISTAN RISK: (as Beatress) I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to make myself look on the outside the way I feel on the inside. Fourteen different surgeries to getting to look like this, some going out of the country to find the best doctor for the job. 

ACCOMANDO: A lot of people would look at these characters as freaks, but the Soskas embrace them. For Jen Soska, what's really freakish are the more commonplace plastic surgeries. 

JEN SOSKA: If someone gets breast implants or gets a face-lift, sure, you can say it's for themselves, and it's for their self-esteem, but it's also building into what society, you know, accepts as a form of beauty. They're not doing it just because it's something they purely enjoy. They're doing it because they're fitting into what everyone wants you to look like. 

ACCOMANDO: In many ways, the Soskas' "American Mary" takes its cue from Todd Browning and his 1932 film "Freaks." 

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "FREAKS") 

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (as Character) (Unintelligible). We'll make her one of us. 

ACCOMANDO: Both films depict outcasts with genuine compassion. Browning mixed actors with real sideshow circus performers, while "American Mary" uses people with real surgical changes mixed in with actors using prosthetics. 

SOSKA: You're never going to be 100 percent sure when you're looking at a prosthetic in this film or if you're looking at somebody that actually has something physically changed about them. 

ACCOMANDO: The makeup and surgery effects in "American Mary" were done by Todd Masters of MastersFX. He says the Soskas are really savvy filmmakers. 

TODD MASTERS: They were really smart about how and when they reveal blood or blood gags. And blood gags and effects and things like this are almost like punches in a boxing fight, you know, and you want to play them at a specific time to get most impact. 

ACCOMANDO: A lot of horror films fall into the rut of remakes, found footage and CGI gore, but these twisted twins want to show that all horror needs is a woman's touch to set it on a fresh new course. For NPR News, I'm Beth Accomando. 

BLOCK: You are listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

-Sylv

25 Years of Being Fucking Awesome!

25 YEARS OF BEING FUCKING AWESOME!!!!

Like monsters, like crazy effects and character designs? Jen and I have been big MASTERSFX fans for years and it was an hour to have Todd Masters and the team bring the world of AMERICAN MARY to life.

"Todd Masters is one of the most celebrated FX wizards working in the business today. This year marks his company, MASTERSFX's 25th year in business, though Todd has been working behind-the-scenes since he was a child. In this exclusive FEARnet video, Todd tells us how he got started in the business, and highlights two of his shop's biggest clients: Fringe and True Blood."

Check out this rad interview from FEARnet.

Cannot wait for you ladies and gentlemen to see what we dive into with this fabulous team for AMERICAN MARY. I think you'll mega dig.

-Sylv

One More Sleep Til San Diego

Flying out tomorrow morning, special MONDAYS SUCK on www.RadioAmplifire.com tomorrow live from San Diego, then see you're beautiful faces at Comic-Con International in room 5AB 11am-12pm with Jen, me, Todd Masters, and Paula Lindberg moderated by Beth Accomando for our American Mary panel.

Get your first look at the film and get your American Mary Comic Con exclusive surgical masks!


-Sylv

Get Your Comic-Con Exclusive American Mary Swag!

Only days away until our AMERICAN MARY panel in room 5AB - 11am-12pm at the San Diego Comic-Con International on Thursday the 12th. Meet Jen and me, our master effects artist, Todd Masters, our Ruby RealGirl, Paula Lindberg, as moderated by the Cinema Junkie, Beth Accomando.

There will be an exclusive peek at the film and some special Comic Con exclusive swag - be there and get your horror on at the Con!


xo
Jen & Sylv

Twisted Twins Present American Mary Panel at Comic Con

I am very extremely proud to announce our panel at Comic-Con International. Come out & get a sneak peek at the new film, some Comic Con exclusive swag, and hear us cuss like sailors. First twenty people get a twin hug, just kidding, everyone gets one.

"Thursday 11:00-12:00 Twisted Twins: American Mary — Jen and Sylvia Soska (of tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS and the makers of Dead Hooker in a Trunk ) and Todd Masters (of MASTERSFX and make-up effects producer on True Blood) will discuss the use of prosthetics in horror. The Soskas will also address the challenges of working in a male-dominated genre. They will unveil a sizzle reel from their new film American Mary. Paula Lindberg (Ruby in American Mary) will also be on the panel, which is moderated by Beth Accomando (author of the KPBS blog Cinema Junkie). Room 5AB."

Please spread the word, bring your cool friends, and meet the mastermind behind the monsters and effects of countless of killer projects, Todd Masters, the phenomenal and stunning actress whose performance as Ruby RealGirl made the production of the film possible, Paula Lindberg, and the utterly crazed in ambition and film substance Twisted Twins, Jen and me.

For those of you dying to get a sneak peek at our upcoming AMERICAN MARY - this panel is your personal invite to that. Hope to meet you ladies and gentlemen there!

-Sylv

Dread Central Talks Mary Modification

"After months of speculating, head-scratching, hand-wringing and a teaser trailer that evoked more questions than it answered, the secret is finally out. Just what is the Soska sisters' new film American Mary all about? 

The answer: underground, extreme body modification. 

Dread Central was recently lucky enough to sit down with the Twisted Twins, Jen and Sylvia Soska, and discuss American Mary. To describe the experience, interviewing the Soskas is like trying to hug a beehive…incredibly intense energy, tireless activity and the sense that even though you're dealing with multiple entities, there's an overall feeling of single-mindedness and unity. The Soskas are an incredible breath of fresh air, and after the success of their unique first film, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, the ladies are looking to solidify their place in the horror community. Judging by early response, American Mary is just the film to do it for them." -Doctor Gash, DREAD CENTRAL

Jen and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with the very cool, horror aficionado Scott Hallam aka Doctor Gash of Dread Central about our upcoming film AMERICAN MARY into the wee hours of the night. People sometimes get the Twisted Twins warning before meeting us - 'they talk very fast, switching between one another, finishing each others' sentences, and use extremely foul language' - however that didn't seem to bother Scott as the three of us talked horror and the real subject matter behind the pitch of 'underground surgery' - body modification.

"American Mary follows the story of Mary Mason, played by Katharine Isabelle, as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted by medical school and surgeons she once admired," Sylvia Soska explained. "The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries that leaves more marks on Mary than her freakish clientele." 

Jen Soska added, "In a way, American Mary is a metaphor for our own journey through the film industry,", alluding to the fact that the people who look the most trustworthy and perfect are often anything but.

Having been immersed in the world of AMERICAN MARY for the last few years, writing the script, doing the background research, making the film, screening, marketing, we have been dying to say the words 'body modification' in relation to the film and what that culture and the members of its community mean to us. This was that golden opportunity.

If you're looking forward to the release and this new film, fuck, if you are interested in something very different coming out in the horror genre, please take a look at the entire piece here and see your first look at the world of AMERICAN MARY.

Fans of the Soskas' previous film, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, will certainly be wondering what similarities their second effort has to their original offering. One thing you can count on is the twisted Soska humor returning in full bloom. "You're gonna know who the sick fucks in the audience are," Jen said. "There are moments that are very laugh out loud, but there are moments where you have to be one of the dark creatures to be laughing." "I'm so passionate about this movie," Sylvia said. "I get so fucking focused on what this needs to look like and what the characters need to do, I don't see anything else. I love stories about outcasts and people who people don't usually understand. Jen and I were horribly teased growing up. We were teased, we were spat on, they called us witches, they beat us up and threw us in lockers."  

"We were not popular at all," Jen remarked. 
  

"They called us 'The Fitzgerald Sisters' so we watched Ginger Snaps," Sylvia said, "and that was the first time we saw Katie."

A very huge and humble thanks to the brilliant team at Dread Central who have always supported independent filmmakers, in particular crazed twins from Canada. Thank you for the hours of your life that you lost with Jen and me chatting like madwomen with you.

And thank you to you, the dude/chick reading this post right now. Without your support, none of this would be possible. Cannot wait for you to see the film!

-Sylv

Masters FX & Twisted Twins like to Monster Party!

“Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"” - Robin Williams

The same can be said of monsters - monster makers and horror folks coming together can only mean a few things: very interesting people, total film nerds, and a shit ton of fun. So, essentially there is no other way to end Monsterpalooza without a big fucking stupid rad awesome party. That party was Wrapalooza and the Twisted Twins were lucky as hell to be given he generous opportunity to cohost with Masters FX.

That name sound familiar? Well, it ought to - not only are they the brilliant team behind the effects in upcoming AMERICAN MARY, they are the people behind a fuckload of other great works that include - SIX FEET UNDER, TRUE BLOOD, UNDERWORLD, SLITHER, SUPER, and TURISTAS - just to name a few.

I must admit, not that I feel I give the impression of being cool but to fully clarify, I geeked out at this event. Hard. Jen and I fell in love with horror films because of the monsters and the talented artists behind them. I mean, holy fucking shit, Dick Smith was there - that man changed the world of prosthetics like no one else.

If you didn't make it to Monsterpalooza or Wrapalooza, then these pics (click this highlighted part) are the next best thing to actually being there, ENJOY!! Also, there is Son of Monsterpalooza coming up in October. A little bird told me that event is going to be fucking epic. If you trust little birds and all that shit.

~Sylv

Monsterpalooza - Where the Creatures from Under Your Bed Come & Hang Out

Monsterpalooza is a convention that focuses on the art of monster making. The history of cinema has been filled with creatures that burn their existences into our minds but quite often the talented artists behind these creature creations go unknown - which is fucking ridiculous. Luckily, many members of the horror community are well versed in their monster makers and prosthetic geniuses, but for those late to the party and those want to emerse themselves in all that creepy goodness is this convention. It is a must see for all horror nerds - from basement dweller to chic geek.

This was our first Monsterpalooza and what a fucking rad time it was. Firstly, a huge and extremely humble thank you to everyone who came out to the Convention and were kind enough to say hi to me, Jen, and our AMERICAN MARY team - Tristan Risk, Amelia Smart, Todd Masters, and some more wicked members of the Masters FX crew! It was very cool to meet you guys in the flesh and get a chance to chat. It was an amazing experience.

There was a lot of awesome had, but here are some highlights - getting to meet you folks who have been so kind to us and supportive of our work in real life, meeting Dick Smith, meeting John Landis, almost meeting Max Landis (it was so fucking close), watching the FRIGHT NIGHT panel, watching the AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON panel, and sucking ass at 1920s-40s monster trivia (like a lot but I think I won some love with my stupidity).

Hope to see you guys next year - sorry to those of you we missed, we'll catch you at Comic Con or Son of Monsterpalooza!

 ~Sylv

2012 WiH Massive Blood Drive PSA released!!

Please enjoy and share.



Fatally Yours,
Jen and Sylv

Twisted Twins rock on in The Province

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

It's a very festive time for all with that whole Christmas thing going full speed ahead since the day after our much beloved Halloween season came to an end. And today is a VERY special day. Three years ago, on December 11th, we incorporated our company, Twisted Twins Productions.

We've come a loooong bloody way to get to where we are and we have to thank from the very bottoms of our Twisted little hearts the friends, family, friends who have become family, fans, crew, and cast that we've had the esteemed pleasure of having in our lives. We are incredibly humbled to be doing what we love and cannot thank you all enough for the kindness, support, and belief you've had in us and our work.

And we promise we're just getting started...

And what better way to celebrate this gore~geous day than from the set of our new beast, AMERICAN MARY. Glen Schaefer of the Province was kind enough to come visit us on set. He's one of the few to have been on location of our newest film that we've been extremely tight lipped about.

Please enjoy the FULL STORY right here!

And check out the on set video RIGHT HERE!

If you're a fellow Vancouver-ite, go grab yourself a copy!!

And thank you all~!! We fuckin' LOVE you and cannot wait to share AMERICAN MARY with the world.

Bloody Best!
Jen and Sylv

Dick Smith & Dead Hooker in a Trunk

This just happened. Thank you to a man as kind as he is talented - Todd Masters, of Masters FX and the man behind the effects on upcoming AMERICAN MARY - who took this pic of Dick Smith, prosthetics and effect GOD - in front of the fabulous New Beverly Cinema.



If you can make it to the New Beverly Midnight screening of DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK - it would be an honor. The flick plays sick in front of a crowd, so bring your cool friends and have a blast!

OMFG - Dick Smith is the man!!

Sylv