In conjunction with the Viscera Film Fest, Bleedfest was a festival in which features from female film makers could be featured (this sentence was brought to you by the letter 'f'). Bleedfest was brought to everyone by Elisabeth Fies - director, writer, producer, actor extraordinaire.
"Bleedfest is a one-day Los Angeles, California event screening three feature length horror/thriller films directed by women! On Sunday, July 18th 2010 at the Two Roads theater, you can see The Commune (directed by Elisabeth Fies), Dead Hooker in a Trunk (directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska) and Amanda Gusack's rare In Memorium as an all-day triple feature."
These Fies women intrigue me. Let's get a closer look. Their shorts - 'Consumed' (Elisabeth Fies' short) and 'Distraught' (Brenda Fies' short) - both won awards at the Viscera Film Fest. You know the old stereotype that girls like cute and cuddly things. Well, if there is something cute and cuddly in either of these provocative film makers' films - it most likely will be dead and mutilated by the time the credits role.
Three features were shown that day in a fabulous triple bill - 'In Memorium' by Amanda Gusack. Which is a paranormal thriller shot via surveillance camera as a young man with his live in girlfriend capture his last days as he dies from terminal cancer. However, the motion sensitive cameras don't just catch the couple, but something else. Something very fucked up. This gem is ultimately what 'Paranormal Activity' ripped off. This one is actually really creepy. You'll find yourself looking over the footage with our doomed hero wonder what in the fuck is going on.
Next was Jenine Mayring's short 'Simone.' Check the trailer --
The second is play was 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk'. Sitting in a darkened theater, watching the final cut play in front of an audience for the first time is beyond stressful/exciting. When the first laugh happens, I feel calmer. Thank you to the audience that laughed, gasped, and cheered. While you were watching the movie, I was stealing glances at you. The film was followed by a Q & A session where we - Jen Soska, CJ Wallis, Loyd Bateman, and myself - answered questions about the film and the making of it.
The third film was 'The Commune' directed by Elisabeth Fies. It is a sexualized, psychological thriller about a young girl, Jenny, who is forced to spend time with her estranged father at his Commune. Shitty custody deal, eh? But her dad seems nice enough and she meets a total emo babe, so the summer should rock. It does not rock for her. The film however, does rock. Elisabeth's portrayal of Jenny's mother is raunchy and amazing. This lady is ballsy and there is one scene (I'm not going to spoil it) that I had to turn to her in the theater to be all like 'DAMN, girl.' It was that rad.
It was a cool fest. Cool folks were in attendance - including our scream queen pals, Tara Cardinal and Devanny Pinn - and very radly, Brea Grant came by to check our hooker out and, yay team hooker - she liked it! We brought a box of Hooker swag. Pimped our wares, pimped the film, and pimped our friendship. It was a great event.
Thank you to the Two Roads Theater for housing all the festivities and the Fies for having us at their party!
fem·i·nism [fem-uh-niz-uhm] the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.*
*sometimes it means we (male and female feminists) need to fuck some shit up. Artistically - that's where the Viscera Film Festival comes in.
"Viscera: A collective of soft internal organs in the body, particularly those within the abdominal cavity.
The Viscera Project was created by women to facilitate the advancement of females reaching for more powerful roles within the horror genre. Now, more than ever, women are running their own horror production companies and directing, producing, writing, branching out into cinematography and even creating special FX.
The mission of the VISCERA Film Festival is to give recognition through participating sponsors, awards, and distribution for today's female horror filmmakers making a difference in the genre."
We, Jen, CJ, and myself, had the incredible honor of being invited as guests to the festival by festival heads and mistresses of horror, Heidi Martinuzzi and Shannon Lark. Hell, they even asked us to bring our trailer for 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' to screen at the festival. The following day, the feature length Hooker would be screened at Viscera's sister festival, Bleedfest - we were invited by the incredibly talented and darkly humored Elisabeth Fies (but we will give her her proper props in a following Bleedfest post).
There were many talented gentlemen and ladies at the event, some fab celebrities (OMFG Amber Benson was a presenter and Hooker followed the trailer for her new film, 'Drones'). There were a lot of hip, edgy, and creative projects shown and lots of wicked folks - but here are some that really stood out that we would like to share:
'Mockingbird', a Viscera Film Fest Winner, directed by Marichelle Daywalt. We met Marichelle at the 'Mistresses of Horror Gathering' the night before the festival. She knows horror. She knows it well. She's one of those rare personalities that never makes you feel dumb despite the fact she knows her shit inside and out. As you may have guessed, she's also a completely wonderful human being. Her husband and sometimes collaborator, Drew Daywalt, is fucking awesome too. They're that cool couple you just want to hang with for hours. In related news, we (not being from LA) could not find our car and she kindly drove around in circles for at least half an hour while we muttered helpful things like: "I think that is was on 3rd or was it 4th." "It definitely had a sign near the parking lot entrance."
'Side Effect' directed by Liz Adams. This gem won the Audience Award at Viscera and it was well deserved. You know how sometimes you watch something and you think of something utterly disgusting and horrific that could happen but probably won't because the film maker isn't ballsy enough? Liz doesn't have that problem. The groan from the audience during the big reveal of her film said it all.
'Legend of the Red Reaper' starring Tara Cardinal. You know what I love other than badass actresses who do their own stunts and kick major ass? Beautiful and talented redhead actresses who do their own stunts and kick major ass. Too often you have stunt performers doing even the running for lazy-ass actors, so when you see the lead of a film getting bruised and bloodied to make something memorable, you tend to be impressed. With her passion and skill for stuntwork, I think we found ourselves a new shitkicker.
'Song of the Shattered' starring Devanny Pinn. Do you like horror? What about ladies covered in blood driven to the edge of sanity? Then have I got something fun for you. We were fortunate enough to catch the extended trailer for this flick and it was awesome - intercut between a very sweet scene, drinking what I assume was cocoa and completely gruesome, bloody insanity. Looks like a very good one.
When 'Women in Horror' month had its blood drive, Tara and her scream queen partner in crime, Devanny Pinn, took it upon themselves to collect blood from the citizens of sunny California. And, boys and girls, they collected gallons. They are also two of nicest, most hard working, and completely fun to hang out with chicks on the planet. But their trailers are dead giveaways for that.
'We Will Bury You' is a comic about a zombie outbreak in the 1920s written by Brea Grant (Heroes, Battle Planet, Rob Zombie's Halloween 2) and her brother Zane Grant. It's awesome. If you like comics like Preacher, you'll love it. Very graphic but done in a dark humor kind of way. Very dark or maybe I just laugh at things that no one else does. She did a great introduction to the 'scary' portion of films at the festival and the killed it with her comic. Also, she came out to Bleedfest to check out Hooker. After she watched it, she came over and told us that she dug it. We really dig her, too! And in total six degrees of Kevin Bacon, Rikki Gagne (who plays Junkie in Hooker) has been Brea's stunt double before. I know that has nothing to do with Kevin Bacon.
Speaking of bacon, 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' brought home some bacon -- in the form of a Viscera Award! It was a huge honor. They were also filming a documentary on the festival as we were there, so I believe there will be more videos and pictures in the future. It was really cool to hang out with so many horror folks and get our 'girl power' on. It was also cool to see so many guys at the event getting their feminism on. It was one of our first big festivals of that sort and it was sensationally orchestrated. Heidi and Shannon are hard working ladies.
Their shorts - 'Wretched' and 'Lipstick' were beyond hardcore. These ladies go places in their art that most film makers would shy away from because of the extreme content. It is so refreshing to see how fucked up and haunting their projects are. When you can see the audience squirm in their seats, you know a good job has been done. Thank you so humbly and kindly for having us at your event. It will always be a very special memory and we hope to be invited again.
Thank you for all the ladies and gents who came out to support 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' and indie film making. It was sweet getting to meet y'all and chat y'all up! If you have now heard about Hooker, but still haven't had the chance to check it out - hit us up (use the 'contact' option on the webpage). We are still diligently working to have it screened everywhere and anywhere. News just in today that we will be having an upcoming screening in Brazil - details to be posted soon.
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. I write this with mixed emotions, and not simply because I am Canadian and am screamed out from celebrating 14 gold ones, but because today is the last day of the first Women In Horror Month. It is a sad day because it is over, but also a joyous one because it started something. An awareness that there are some just fucking spectacular ladies in the horror scene and now we have the utter pleasure of calling them our friends. Not just the ladies, everyone who participated and made a difference in the name of Women In Horror this month, we salute you.Thank you to the founder of this movement and someone who is a sister to us twisted twins, Miss Hannah Neurotica. To put yourself out there to make a difference like this is a lot of hard work, a lot of getting people involved, and it sometimes leaves you open to assholes who ignorantly bash you because it's so in vogue to do that kind of garbage when someone is trying to do something that matters. For you avid comic fans, may I take you to the pages of my all time dirty pleasure of The Preacher comics. In one panel Herr Starr says, "Kill the women first." Follow me down the rabbit hole, girls and boys. Starr is referring to what to do in a terrorist situation. He goes on to explain that if there are any women present, the only reason is because they are so utterly capable that no man could do what they do better. So, kill them first as they are the highest threat. I use that as a blueprint for my work ethic and I have the highest level of respect for women who perform with the highest level of excellence. Hannah is one of those women. Last night we were privileged to be a part of the Saturday Night Spookshow Spectacular hostessed by the horror goddess, Miss Gory Rae. For those of you kids that haven't been to a Spookshow before, let me tell you, it is a bloody treat. It was an event that concluded and celebrated the WiH Month, but also was a double feature of Repo the Genetic Opera and The Phantom of the Paradise. There was an evisceration-- a Repo Man came to collect, then a pair of Rae's Gorriors came to feast on the flesh. Later, we were invited to bath the hostess in blood as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to our Massive Blood Drive. It was fabulous. We will see you at the next one and every one that follows, girls and boys. It's a show like no other. Speaking of blood drives, we would like to thank all of you that came out to donate, donated around the world, and hostessed your own blood drives in your hometowns. Our lovely scream queens south of the boarder, Devanny Pinn and Tara Cardinal, who not only hostessed a blood drive in LA but also collected food and clothes for the victims of the Haiti tragedy. Not only are these ladies absurdly attractive (obvious), terrifyingly talented (obvious), but they also have hearts of gold (still beating from someone's chest). Even though WiH month ends tonight, the need for help in Haiti does not. You can still join these heavy-hearted horror babes, here is everything you need to know. Now go get your charity-on~! Around the world, WiH Month got female-fueled film fests fiercely on the forefront. Two of such festivals had our precious grindhouse, dark comedy flick, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK in their lineups-- the fests being 'The Ghouls on Film Fest' in Birmingham, West Midlands UK-- Hostessed by horror heroine Nia Edwards-Behi-- and 'The Damnation Books Pretty Scary BloodBath Film Fest' in Addison, Texas USA-- organized by power couple extraordinaire Andrew and Dione Rose.
'The Ghouls on Film Fest' took place last last Saturday (February 20th) and 'The Damnation Books Pretty Scary Bloodbath Film Fest' took place last Saturday (February 27th). It humbles this twisted twosome immensely with the comments and feedback that we have received from those in attendance. We made this film because we have a huge amount of respect and admiration for the genre. To go from where we started as fans to creating our own films, it was our greatest ambition. All the love and support we've received makes us feel like the luckiest girls in the world. And we really are. Thank you for digging the film, thank you for requesting it in additional cities and festivals, and thank you for making us a part of your WiH Month celebrations. Thank you from the bottom of our twisted little hearts. Thank you to everyone who made the first WiH month a massive success.
This Friday night, tune into The Independent Corner with host Jonathan Moody of Sick Flick Productions (killer name, huh?) and co host for the night Brandon Slagle (Kinky Killers, Methodic, and the upcoming sci fi horror thriller 15 Till Midnight). They're doing a Women in Horror month Wrap up Show and guests will include we Twisted Twosome, WIH month creator Hannah Neurotica, Pretty Scary's Heidi Martinuzzi, DOA Blood Bath Entertainment's Andrew Rose, and Scream Queens Devanny Pinn and Tara Cardinal.
To tune in AND call in, see all the yummy details HERE.
The show will be 10pm EST, so figure out your time zones so you don't miss this gore~geous show! Hope to you all listen and we truly look forward to all you potential callers out there!