"If you want to stay in the industry, you gotta play the game." Gravitas Ventures has released an official trailer for a documentary titled Jurassic Punk, made by filmmaker Scott Leberecht. This first premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, and also stopped by the Sitges Film Festival in Spain. "You can't revolutionize the History of Cinema without being an anarchist." Steve "Spaz" Williams is a pioneer in computer animation. His digital dinosaurs of Jurassic Park transformed Hollywood forever, but his own appetite for anarchy and disregard for authority may have cost him the recognition he deserved. This is the true story of the man who helped revolutionize the VFX industry, convincing Steven Spielberg to switch to using CGI dinosaurs for Jurassic Park in 1993 (and also T2 and The Abyss). He was a big part of Ilm, but there's more to his story. This should be playing as...
- 11/23/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: The award-winning production company and creative studio Riverside Entertainment has appointed Cynthia Graner as Head of Production and Brendon Nelson as Managing Director, as part of its continued expansion into scripted, unscripted and commercial content.
In her new role, Graner will be responsible for management and oversight of Riverside’s physical production across all business lines. As Managing Director, Nelson will be responsible for defining and executing the company’s business strategy, with particular focus on client engagement, personnel retention and recruitment, vendor relations and best practices across all business lines.
Past and current projects from Riverside include feature music docs Bluebird and Midland: The Sonic Ranch and football doc First Down, as well as such series as Magnolia Network’s Making Modern with Brooke and Brice, ABC’s On the Record and Disney+’s Disney Insider. The studio recently announced its first feature Manodrome, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody,...
In her new role, Graner will be responsible for management and oversight of Riverside’s physical production across all business lines. As Managing Director, Nelson will be responsible for defining and executing the company’s business strategy, with particular focus on client engagement, personnel retention and recruitment, vendor relations and best practices across all business lines.
Past and current projects from Riverside include feature music docs Bluebird and Midland: The Sonic Ranch and football doc First Down, as well as such series as Magnolia Network’s Making Modern with Brooke and Brice, ABC’s On the Record and Disney+’s Disney Insider. The studio recently announced its first feature Manodrome, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody,...
- 10/21/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It was an act of rebellion. That’s how Steve “Spaz” Williams saw it in the early ‘90s, and that’s how he reflects on it even more clearly now. The choice to not-so-subtly sneak the moving image of a computer generated Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton into Kathleen Kennedy’s line of vision was something he was warned not to do; something that was out-of-bounds since Steven Spielberg’s then developing Jurassic Park was already committed to relying almost exclusively on stop motion animation and animatronics. It was something that never should’ve happened.
And yet, when Kennedy, a producer on Jurassic Park, toured Ilm studios alongside Frank Marshall, there it was “in the background” on one of Spaz’s computer screens: a fully digital T. Rex walking with a fluidity hitherto unseen in giant monster movies. The industry would never be the same.
When Williams and filmmaker Scott Leberecht, the...
And yet, when Kennedy, a producer on Jurassic Park, toured Ilm studios alongside Frank Marshall, there it was “in the background” on one of Spaz’s computer screens: a fully digital T. Rex walking with a fluidity hitherto unseen in giant monster movies. The industry would never be the same.
When Williams and filmmaker Scott Leberecht, the...
- 4/12/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Scott Leberecht’s documentary opens with a note of clarification. It acknowledges that the title is often used as a slur, but that’s not the intention here. Although it was originally applied to Steve Williams in jest because of how much he differed from the type of person usually targeted with the slur (and from most people’s idea of a programmer), but it has long since just become a name – and, in some circles, quite a famous one.
“When you think differently, you’re seen as a heretic,” says Spaz, who hints that he may consider himself to be neurodivergent, even if it’s not something that he can quite pin down. Back in the Nineties he was one of the most important creative talents in the world. Now he’s unemployed and poor, bereft of everything he gained. But it was never straightforward. As an early TV interview clip here reveals,...
“When you think differently, you’re seen as a heretic,” says Spaz, who hints that he may consider himself to be neurodivergent, even if it’s not something that he can quite pin down. Back in the Nineties he was one of the most important creative talents in the world. Now he’s unemployed and poor, bereft of everything he gained. But it was never straightforward. As an early TV interview clip here reveals,...
- 3/24/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Given its subject matter, it’s fitting that Scott Leberecht’s documentary “Spaz” is so committed to throwing a middle finger to the filmmaking establishment, but in wielding awkward narrative tools, Leberecht undermines his own film’s idiosyncratic subject. The film follows Steve “Spaz” Williams, the revolutionary and rebellious visual effects designer behind “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Mask,” and so forth, to build out
“I had it all,” Williams laments in the film’s opening voiceover, clumsily calling up the wide variety of films that open with the similarly toned (and now meme’d to death) “you’re probably wondering how I got here?” query. The framing is cliche, setting up an unnecessary narrative artificiality to what’s clearly a real heartache. But once Leberecht throws the narrative back into his engaging subject’s hands to recount his turbulent life, from childhood to his time at Lucasfilm...
“I had it all,” Williams laments in the film’s opening voiceover, clumsily calling up the wide variety of films that open with the similarly toned (and now meme’d to death) “you’re probably wondering how I got here?” query. The framing is cliche, setting up an unnecessary narrative artificiality to what’s clearly a real heartache. But once Leberecht throws the narrative back into his engaging subject’s hands to recount his turbulent life, from childhood to his time at Lucasfilm...
- 3/14/2022
- by Robert Daniels
- Indiewire
In-person festival to run in Austin, Texas, from March 11-20.
A starry SXSW 2022 film line-up announced on Wednesday (2) includes world premieres of new work from Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Richard Linklater and Nicolas Cage, among many others.
The Austin, Texas, festival ran online editions over the past two years and is planned to take place from March 11-20 as an in-person event against a backdrop of declining Omicron infection levels across the United States.
The roster includes Irish filmmaker and actor Campbell-Hughes’s It Is In Us All (pictured) in Narrative Feature Competition starring Cosmo Jarvis, Claes Bang and Campbell-Hughes about a...
A starry SXSW 2022 film line-up announced on Wednesday (2) includes world premieres of new work from Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Richard Linklater and Nicolas Cage, among many others.
The Austin, Texas, festival ran online editions over the past two years and is planned to take place from March 11-20 as an in-person event against a backdrop of declining Omicron infection levels across the United States.
The roster includes Irish filmmaker and actor Campbell-Hughes’s It Is In Us All (pictured) in Narrative Feature Competition starring Cosmo Jarvis, Claes Bang and Campbell-Hughes about a...
- 2/2/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Where would many a Hollywood blockbuster be without the use of visual effects to help tell its spectacle laden stories? It's hard to imagine. Most would say its a major contributing factor in attracting the audience, thus generating millions for the studios. Yet ironically, the VFX artists responsibly for providing the "money shots" are somehow getting the short end of the deal. Directed by Scott Leberecht, Life After Pi chronicles the fall of VFX company Rhythm & Hues Studios, which won an Oscar last year for the Life of Pi. The doc offers insight on the problems the visual effects industry is currently facing. As someone who appreciates the amazing work from these talented artists, its really sad to see them losing their jobs and...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/28/2014
- Screen Anarchy
It has been almost a year since Rhythm & Hues, the Oscar-winning visual effects studio behind “Life of Pi,” succumbed to millions in debt and filed for bankruptcy. Its collapse rattled the tight-knit world of visual effects, culminating in a demonstration at last year’s Academy Awards. To help make sense of the fallout, two Hues employees — Christina Lee Storm and Scott Leberecht – created “Life After Pi”, a YouTube documentary chronicling the company’s failure which debuts online Tuesday. Also read: Rhythm & Hues Sells to Prana in Turbulent Auction “It was a coping mechanism that kicked off in me,” Leberecht said.
- 2/26/2014
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
★★★☆☆ Created just as the vogue for the trials and tribulations of vampirism exploded onto both cinema and television screens in the tail end of the last decade, Scott Leberecht's debut feature Midnight Son (2011) is a twisting and non-glamorous study of the loneliness and isolation that comes with keeping a dark secret from those around you. Made for just over $3 million and produced by The Blair Witch Project's (1999) Eduardo Sanchez, Leberecht's film is economically made and high on ideas, boosted as they are by its conscious tendency to shift focus away from heightened visions in favour of something more realistic, believable and ultimately macabre.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 2/12/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
With the plethora of vampire films out there, it’s a brave debut director indeed to tackle one of the most well trodden genres of recent small and big screen offerings. However, Scott Leberecht’s debut feature Midnight Son toys with the genre and portrays it as an affliction or aliment in his low-budget film – and it has a refreshing and intimate take made all the better for its sound directing and casting of exciting, relative newcomer Zak Kilberg as the afflicted.
Kilberg plays Jacob, a young nightshift security guard who lives his life in the shadows after being isolated by a rare skin disorder that means he cannot expose himself to sunlight. Having recently witnessed a dramatic increase in hunger, Jacob cannot understand what is happening to him. Only after a cup full of animal blood from the local slaughterhouse can he quell his strange hunger pangs.
His world...
Kilberg plays Jacob, a young nightshift security guard who lives his life in the shadows after being isolated by a rare skin disorder that means he cannot expose himself to sunlight. Having recently witnessed a dramatic increase in hunger, Jacob cannot understand what is happening to him. Only after a cup full of animal blood from the local slaughterhouse can he quell his strange hunger pangs.
His world...
- 2/11/2013
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Les Misérables | Gangster Squad | American Mary | What Richard Did | Midnight Son | Jiro Dreams Of Sushi | The Lookout | May I Kill U? | Underground
Les Misérables (12A)
(Tom Hooper, 2012, UK) Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne. 158 mins
The King's Speech director plus the globally adored musical: it's a match made in commercial heaven, a third-hand version of a 19th-century French saga, and the most epic celebrity karaoke session ever filmed. The fact that it's entirely sung, "live" on set, supposedly communicates more "emotion", but this is already oversaturated with so much melodramatic incident, the effect is numbing.
Gangster Squad (15)
(Ruben Fleischer, 2013, Us) Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin. 113 mins
Brolin's under-the-radar police squad guns for Penn's La mobsters in this exuberantly violent, but disappointingly straightforward 1940s thriller, derived more from modern videogames than vintage film noirs. Action definitely speaks louder than words here.
American Mary (18)
(Jen & Sylvia Soska,...
Les Misérables (12A)
(Tom Hooper, 2012, UK) Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne. 158 mins
The King's Speech director plus the globally adored musical: it's a match made in commercial heaven, a third-hand version of a 19th-century French saga, and the most epic celebrity karaoke session ever filmed. The fact that it's entirely sung, "live" on set, supposedly communicates more "emotion", but this is already oversaturated with so much melodramatic incident, the effect is numbing.
Gangster Squad (15)
(Ruben Fleischer, 2013, Us) Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin. 113 mins
Brolin's under-the-radar police squad guns for Penn's La mobsters in this exuberantly violent, but disappointingly straightforward 1940s thriller, derived more from modern videogames than vintage film noirs. Action definitely speaks louder than words here.
American Mary (18)
(Jen & Sylvia Soska,...
- 1/12/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
★★☆☆☆ Scott Leberecht's lo-fi horror Midnight Son (2011) follows Jacob (Zak Kilberg), an anaemic young man with a problem - no matter what he eats he is always starving. Added to that is the fact that he is plagued by a condition which causes his skin to burn upon contact with sunlight. "It's like you're a vampire," says a girl he meets, Mary (Maya Parish), which sets him to thinking of a possible solution. Because of his aversion to daylight, Jacob works the night shift as a security guard and lives in isolation in his basement flat, where he paints pictures of a sun he never sees and attempts to satisfy his hunger with junk food and - increasingly - blood.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 1/10/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Midnight Son
Stars: Shawn-Caulin Young, Tracey Walter, Larry Cedar, Arlen Escarpeta, Kevin McCorkle, Juanita Jennings, Maya Parish | Written and Directed by Scott Leberecht
Vampires! Bloody vampires! Are they still cool? As I’ve mentioned in many a review for this site, we just can’t seem to get enough of them. Every other film, book or TV series seems to be about vampires these days. I had thought this fad would have passed by now. Isn’t time some other monster got some screen time? How about a tween romance featuring fishmen? Or a sexy TV series starring a group of mummies? I guess the reason why vampires remain so popular is obvious really. As I once wrote in an essay, wonderfully entitled, ‘Pair a literary work and a film and analyse how each represents ‘gender’ and ‘sexuality’; Compare and contrast how each accomplishes this task in the specific medium,...
Stars: Shawn-Caulin Young, Tracey Walter, Larry Cedar, Arlen Escarpeta, Kevin McCorkle, Juanita Jennings, Maya Parish | Written and Directed by Scott Leberecht
Vampires! Bloody vampires! Are they still cool? As I’ve mentioned in many a review for this site, we just can’t seem to get enough of them. Every other film, book or TV series seems to be about vampires these days. I had thought this fad would have passed by now. Isn’t time some other monster got some screen time? How about a tween romance featuring fishmen? Or a sexy TV series starring a group of mummies? I guess the reason why vampires remain so popular is obvious really. As I once wrote in an essay, wonderfully entitled, ‘Pair a literary work and a film and analyse how each represents ‘gender’ and ‘sexuality’; Compare and contrast how each accomplishes this task in the specific medium,...
- 1/5/2013
- by Jack Kirby
- Nerdly
Tired of Twilight's sparkling poser asshats masquerading as vampires? Then you'll want to keep an eye out for director Scott Leberecht's sombre Midnight Son (review here), coming off of an acclaimed festival run and into UK theatres for a limited run on January 11th, followed by DVD on February 13th courtesy of Monster Pictures.
From the Press Release:
From the director of The Blair Witch Project, Midnight Son is the story of Jacob (Zak Kilberg; Zombie Strippers, Lincoln Heights), a young man confined to a life of isolation due to a rare skin disorder that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight. His world opens up when he meets Mary (Maya Parish; "How I Met Your Mother"), a local bartender, and falls in love. Tragically, Jacob’s actions become increasingly bizarre as he struggles to cope with the effects of his worsening condition.
Forced by the disease to drink human blood for sustenance,...
From the Press Release:
From the director of The Blair Witch Project, Midnight Son is the story of Jacob (Zak Kilberg; Zombie Strippers, Lincoln Heights), a young man confined to a life of isolation due to a rare skin disorder that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight. His world opens up when he meets Mary (Maya Parish; "How I Met Your Mother"), a local bartender, and falls in love. Tragically, Jacob’s actions become increasingly bizarre as he struggles to cope with the effects of his worsening condition.
Forced by the disease to drink human blood for sustenance,...
- 11/25/2012
- by Pestilence
- DreadCentral.com
The directorial debut from Scott Leberecht, who made a name for himself as a visual effects art director on films like Spawn and Sleepy Hollow, is the story of a young man with a rare skin condition, forced to stay out of the sun. His solitary, isolated existence opens up when he meets a beautfiul bartender, but his behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre and more, oh let's say...vampiric!With echoes of everything from George Romero's Martin to Tomas Alfredson's Let The Right One In, Midnight Son shows some serious potential from this new trailer. After premiering in the UK at FrightFest last year, Midnight Son is now slated for a theatrical release on 11 January 2013, courtesy of Monster Pictures. Check it out below and let us...
- 11/23/2012
- Screen Anarchy
So wait, hold the phone. You mean to tell me vampires are supposed to be scary and malicious beings, capable of inflicting devastating pain on their quest for life-saving blood? Aren’t they supposed to sparkle, look pretty, fight werewolves with bulging abs, and date actresses who only have one emotion?! No, they aren’t, and that’s why creator Scott Leberecht can be added to the list of respectable directors attempting to make vampires a bona fide horror demon yet again.
Midnight Son certainly gets to the gritty core of realistic vampire transformation, putting the softcore tendencies of Twilight to shame, but rests more on the dramatic side of horror without entering Stake Land type atrocities. Less enthralling and heart pounding than the latter without a doubt, but still a much better love story than anything Stephanie Meyer ever cranked out!
Midnight Son is parts grotesque and vile, really...
Midnight Son certainly gets to the gritty core of realistic vampire transformation, putting the softcore tendencies of Twilight to shame, but rests more on the dramatic side of horror without entering Stake Land type atrocities. Less enthralling and heart pounding than the latter without a doubt, but still a much better love story than anything Stephanie Meyer ever cranked out!
Midnight Son is parts grotesque and vile, really...
- 8/26/2012
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Producer Matt Compton says he knew the feature he produced — a “thinking man’s horror film,” Midnight Son, directed by Scott Leberecht — would eventually be pirated. “I always knew the film would end up on the torrent sites,” he writes in an email, “and that there would be nothing I could do about it. If the major studios can’t stop piracy, surely an indie producer such as myself can do nothing.” But he wasn’t prepared for his film to show up three weeks before the film was commercially available, when whatever word-of-mouth to be gained by the filesharing couldn’t lead to sales. So, Compton decided to confront the pirates. I asked Compton a few questions about his experience in the high seas of filesharing.
Filmmaker: How do you think your film wound up on The Pirate Bay?
Compton: As best as I can tell, one of the...
Filmmaker: How do you think your film wound up on The Pirate Bay?
Compton: As best as I can tell, one of the...
- 8/1/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Our Brent McKnight reviewed writer/director Scott Leberecht’s vampire drama “Midnight Son” a year ago at the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (you can read his full review here). The well-reviewed film is now getting its DVD, VOD, and Digital Download release courtesy of Image Entertainment, so look for it at your favorite movie spots. Until then, check out the cover art above, and a trailer below in case you missed it the first time around. Midnight Son is the story of Jacob, a young man confined to a life of isolation, due to a rare skin disorder that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight. His world opens up when he meets Mary, a local bartender, and falls in love. Tragically, Jacob’s actions become increasingly bizarre as he struggles to cope with the effects of his worsening condition. Forced by the disease to drink human blood for sustenance,...
- 8/1/2012
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Image Entertainment has announced that the vampire movie Midnight Son will be released to DVD this July. Continue reading for the official press release and cover art:
“Chatsworth, CA – An isolated life can create maladies and malaise…frightening conditions that will push the victim to the brink of despair. On July 17th, Image Entertainment will release Midnight Son: a twisting, terrifying tale of vampirism and humanity and how the two conditions can intertwine. Directed by Scott Leberecht, a well-known name on the Festival circuit (Seattle Film International Festival, San Francisco Short Film Festival, Dragon*Con Short Film Festival), Midnight Son squeezes new blood out of a genre that has become all too familiar. Including an audio commentary with Leberecht and stars from the film, Midnight Son will be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97.
Jacob (Zak Kilberg, Zombie Strippers!, “Lincoln Heights”) is a young man with a rare...
“Chatsworth, CA – An isolated life can create maladies and malaise…frightening conditions that will push the victim to the brink of despair. On July 17th, Image Entertainment will release Midnight Son: a twisting, terrifying tale of vampirism and humanity and how the two conditions can intertwine. Directed by Scott Leberecht, a well-known name on the Festival circuit (Seattle Film International Festival, San Francisco Short Film Festival, Dragon*Con Short Film Festival), Midnight Son squeezes new blood out of a genre that has become all too familiar. Including an audio commentary with Leberecht and stars from the film, Midnight Son will be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97.
Jacob (Zak Kilberg, Zombie Strippers!, “Lincoln Heights”) is a young man with a rare...
- 4/9/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
One flick we are ecstatic to see find a home is the Martin-esque vampire flick Midnight Son. Lord knows we've been talking about it forever, and now you're gonna get a chance to sink your teeth into it!
From the Press Release
An isolated life can create maladies and malaise…frightening conditions that will push the victim to the brink of despair. On July 17th, Image Entertainment will release Midnight Son: a twisting, terrifying tale of vampirism and humanity and how the two conditions can intertwine. Directed by Scott Leberecht, a well-known name on the festival circuit (Seattle Film International Festival, San Francisco Short Film Festival, Dragon*Con Short Film Festival), Midnight Son squeezes new blood out of a genre that has become all too familiar. Including an audio commentary with Leberecht and stars from the film, Midnight Son will be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97.
Jacob (Zak Kilberg,...
From the Press Release
An isolated life can create maladies and malaise…frightening conditions that will push the victim to the brink of despair. On July 17th, Image Entertainment will release Midnight Son: a twisting, terrifying tale of vampirism and humanity and how the two conditions can intertwine. Directed by Scott Leberecht, a well-known name on the festival circuit (Seattle Film International Festival, San Francisco Short Film Festival, Dragon*Con Short Film Festival), Midnight Son squeezes new blood out of a genre that has become all too familiar. Including an audio commentary with Leberecht and stars from the film, Midnight Son will be available on DVD for an Srp of $27.97.
Jacob (Zak Kilberg,...
- 4/6/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
On July 17th, Image Entertainment is bringing the indie vampire tale, Midnight Son, to DVD.
Directed by Scott Leberecht, a well-known name on the festival circuit, the film follows Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a young man with a rare skin disorder that forces him to avoid exposure to the sun…confining him to a life of seclusion and shadow. As his symptoms worsen, Jacob’s mental and physical health begin to crumble, forcing him to cross a barrier that few would consider: drinking human blood.
When Jacob meets Mary (Maya Parish), who is as lonely and damaged as himself, he falls in love. But hope is countered by his increasingly violent tendencies, and the local law enforcement, which is now focusing on him as a prime suspect in a series of grisly murders.
Read more...
Directed by Scott Leberecht, a well-known name on the festival circuit, the film follows Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a young man with a rare skin disorder that forces him to avoid exposure to the sun…confining him to a life of seclusion and shadow. As his symptoms worsen, Jacob’s mental and physical health begin to crumble, forcing him to cross a barrier that few would consider: drinking human blood.
When Jacob meets Mary (Maya Parish), who is as lonely and damaged as himself, he falls in love. But hope is countered by his increasingly violent tendencies, and the local law enforcement, which is now focusing on him as a prime suspect in a series of grisly murders.
Read more...
- 4/6/2012
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Director/writer: Scott Leberecht.
Cast: Tracey Walter, Arlen Escarpeta and Larry Cedar.
Very rarely can the vampire tale of legend ever get twisted around to the Nth degree so that something new can be bled out of it. Midnight Son nicely offers a new interpretation of yore, and viewers should take note: maybe vampirism is a disease. Very few tales takes this angle and it’s not an easy one to cure. Instead, this story details the metamorphosis of becoming the beast.
That transformation not only looks at the life of Jacob (Zak Kilberg) but also explores the feelings of Mary (Maya Parish). They both want a new drug, one of life and a love that they want to share for one another. But when he reveals his condition of why he can’t go out into the sun without being burnt to Mary, a wall between them is being developed.
Cast: Tracey Walter, Arlen Escarpeta and Larry Cedar.
Very rarely can the vampire tale of legend ever get twisted around to the Nth degree so that something new can be bled out of it. Midnight Son nicely offers a new interpretation of yore, and viewers should take note: maybe vampirism is a disease. Very few tales takes this angle and it’s not an easy one to cure. Instead, this story details the metamorphosis of becoming the beast.
That transformation not only looks at the life of Jacob (Zak Kilberg) but also explores the feelings of Mary (Maya Parish). They both want a new drug, one of life and a love that they want to share for one another. But when he reveals his condition of why he can’t go out into the sun without being burnt to Mary, a wall between them is being developed.
- 2/10/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Ed Sum)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Episode 2 of the badass web-based horror talk show Inside Horror is here and packing enough hot chicks to make a blind man see! That's right, kids! On tap this week - Pollyanna McIntosh and Kate Beckinsale! Need we say more?
Every week, totally live and completely uncensored, your horror hosts Staci Layne Wilson and Elric Kane not only vivisect the latest in the genre but also uncover undiscovered classics with recommendations and via decidedly undead debate. You never know what might happen when revered but certainly not reverent guests such as John Landis are on! Hotties like Kate Beckinsale recommend their fave horror DVDs, and historians like Elijah Drenner get all arty on us with talk about the lesbian vampire films of French auteur Jean Rollin. Every week we feature the hottest and the coolest film directors, actors, authors, filmmakers, documentarians and experts on the horror genre. Giving our audience a voice on the show,...
Every week, totally live and completely uncensored, your horror hosts Staci Layne Wilson and Elric Kane not only vivisect the latest in the genre but also uncover undiscovered classics with recommendations and via decidedly undead debate. You never know what might happen when revered but certainly not reverent guests such as John Landis are on! Hotties like Kate Beckinsale recommend their fave horror DVDs, and historians like Elijah Drenner get all arty on us with talk about the lesbian vampire films of French auteur Jean Rollin. Every week we feature the hottest and the coolest film directors, actors, authors, filmmakers, documentarians and experts on the horror genre. Giving our audience a voice on the show,...
- 1/19/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Last night, January 11th, Dread Central headed out to the Laemmle 4-Plex in Santa Monica for the Los Angeles premiere of the indie vampire film Midnight Son, which is set to make its debut on FEARnet later this month.
At the premiere we caught up with writer/director Scott Leberecht, who spoke with us about his excitement for Midnight Son's premiere, how he hopes his film reinvigorates the vampire genre past the Twilight fatigue of fans, and why the filmmaker will always call horror his home.
Dread also chatted with Midnight Son stars Zak Kilberg, Maya Parrish, Jo D. Jonz, and Larry Cedars about their feelings regarding Leberecht's story getting a release later this month as well as just what makes Midnight Son so different and why they think fans will enjoy the modern, unique vampire tale that was four years in the making.
In addition Kilberg caught us...
At the premiere we caught up with writer/director Scott Leberecht, who spoke with us about his excitement for Midnight Son's premiere, how he hopes his film reinvigorates the vampire genre past the Twilight fatigue of fans, and why the filmmaker will always call horror his home.
Dread also chatted with Midnight Son stars Zak Kilberg, Maya Parrish, Jo D. Jonz, and Larry Cedars about their feelings regarding Leberecht's story getting a release later this month as well as just what makes Midnight Son so different and why they think fans will enjoy the modern, unique vampire tale that was four years in the making.
In addition Kilberg caught us...
- 1/13/2012
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
It was back in February of last year when we first put up our review of Scott Leberecht's fresh take on vampires, Midnight Son, and now finally, if you live in or around Los Angeles, you can attend the film's premiere on Wednesday, January 11th, and see for yourself if all the praise it's received is warranted. We're pretty sure you'll agree!
Here are the details:
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 @ 7:30 Pm
Laemmle’s Monica 4-plex
1332 Second Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-478-3836
We have Five (5) Pairs of tickets to give away; all you have to do is send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll let you know on Tuesday, January 10th if you're a winner.
Not sure you want to take a chance on winning one of the pairs of tickets? Midnight Son will also have two special midnight screenings in Los Angeles on Friday,...
Here are the details:
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 @ 7:30 Pm
Laemmle’s Monica 4-plex
1332 Second Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-478-3836
We have Five (5) Pairs of tickets to give away; all you have to do is send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll let you know on Tuesday, January 10th if you're a winner.
Not sure you want to take a chance on winning one of the pairs of tickets? Midnight Son will also have two special midnight screenings in Los Angeles on Friday,...
- 1/4/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Midnight Son
Directed by Scott Leberecht
2011, USA, 88 minutes
You know where this is going. Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a shy and lonely young man, works a nighttime security job because of a severe reaction to sunlight, thus amplifying his loneliness. He’s constantly hungry despite a supply of increasingly raw steak. Right around the time he starts licking the moisture from Styrofoam meat trays, Jacob meets Mary (Maya Parish), a cute but damaged girl just out of a relationship. Here’s the thing, though: it doesn’t really matter that the conventions of the vampire mythos make the plot of Midnight Son easy to anticipate. Director Scott Leberecht tells the story well, at that’s what matters.
Vampires exist to be reinvented, and Leberecht’s take on some of our oldest monsters is refreshing and contemporary. Certainty, blood, isolation, and love remain part of the story. However, gone are the dusty...
Directed by Scott Leberecht
2011, USA, 88 minutes
You know where this is going. Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a shy and lonely young man, works a nighttime security job because of a severe reaction to sunlight, thus amplifying his loneliness. He’s constantly hungry despite a supply of increasingly raw steak. Right around the time he starts licking the moisture from Styrofoam meat trays, Jacob meets Mary (Maya Parish), a cute but damaged girl just out of a relationship. Here’s the thing, though: it doesn’t really matter that the conventions of the vampire mythos make the plot of Midnight Son easy to anticipate. Director Scott Leberecht tells the story well, at that’s what matters.
Vampires exist to be reinvented, and Leberecht’s take on some of our oldest monsters is refreshing and contemporary. Certainty, blood, isolation, and love remain part of the story. However, gone are the dusty...
- 11/3/2011
- by Dave Robson
- SoundOnSight
Interview Conducted By: Mark Julian Granted, you may not know the name Scott Leberecht, but if you're on this site then I'm pretty damn sure you've seen the Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special. Scott has a pretty long track record in the film industry, working at Industrial Light & Magic, attending the American Film Institute, and now directing his own features. In this interview, we discuss his latest work, Midnight Son and look back on his film dedication to The Ultimate Bastich. Scott Leberecht -Discusses his film Midnight Son which played at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival -1:45 On the process of Indy film making and when he first had the idea for Midnight Son -2:47 On the early response to Midnight Son -4:10 On his decision to leave Industrial Light & Magic and become a director -5:45 His favorite film that he worked on while at Ilm...
- 10/27/2011
- ComicBookMovie.com
Following rounds 1 and 2, this one will take us right on through the countdown to Halloween and will surely be the most actively updated of the bunch. Best to begin, then, by grounding it in a classic, so we turn to David Kalat: "Frankenstein isn't a science fiction story about an arrogant scientist who intrudes on God's domain, it's a metaphor about our relationship to God." That's his argument, and I'll let him explain, but I want to pull back to a couple of earlier sentences in his piece. Mary Shelley's novel, "and the 1910 film version, treated the 'science' of Frankenstein as just so much folderol, a MacGuffin to introduce the artificial man into the story. Whale was so good at providing a reasonably convincing visualization of reviving the dead — no, more than that, a stunningly satisfying visualization of reviving the dead — it focused popular attention on that part of...
- 10/27/2011
- MUBI
Midnight Son
Directed by Scott Leberecht
Written by Scott Leberecht
2011, USA
Jacob (Zak Kilberg) is a hapless security guard who works the graveyard shift in a downtown office building. He burns severely when he comes in contact with sunlight, he can’t feed his growing appetite despite binge eating, and his eyes turn yellow during sexual intimacy. His doctor believes he is anaemic, but Jacob has another distressing theory. Writer-director Scott Leberecht’s Midnight Son is a fresh and engaging take on the already tired and overcrowded vampire genre.
Much to his credit, Leberecht wisely avoids the typical vampire lore and rewrites all the rules: there are no bats or coffins, Jacob has a mirror reflection, and his canines are not peculiarly long. In fact, the film pokes fun at these conventions when Jacob reluctantly places a crucifix against his forehead and chuckles after it has no harmful effects.
Leberecht...
Directed by Scott Leberecht
Written by Scott Leberecht
2011, USA
Jacob (Zak Kilberg) is a hapless security guard who works the graveyard shift in a downtown office building. He burns severely when he comes in contact with sunlight, he can’t feed his growing appetite despite binge eating, and his eyes turn yellow during sexual intimacy. His doctor believes he is anaemic, but Jacob has another distressing theory. Writer-director Scott Leberecht’s Midnight Son is a fresh and engaging take on the already tired and overcrowded vampire genre.
Much to his credit, Leberecht wisely avoids the typical vampire lore and rewrites all the rules: there are no bats or coffins, Jacob has a mirror reflection, and his canines are not peculiarly long. In fact, the film pokes fun at these conventions when Jacob reluctantly places a crucifix against his forehead and chuckles after it has no harmful effects.
Leberecht...
- 10/26/2011
- by Nigel Hamid
- SoundOnSight
The unique vampire thriller Midnight Son will make its debut on FEARnet early in 2012. With both television and VOD capabilities, the FEARnet launch is an excellent opportunity for the filmmakers to get their picture out to the masses. Midnight Son is a totally original new look at the vampire genre. Read on for the deets.
From the Press Release
Midday Moon, LLC, the producer of the motion picture Midnight Son, is happy to announce that FEARnet will premiere the film in the United States in January 2012.
“I’m really thrilled that FEARnet is going to premiere the film,” says writer/director Scott Leberecht. “FEARnet is such a great way to reach out to horror fans, via both their television and VOD platforms, so we’re extremely excited for the movie to be premiering this way.” Producer Matt Compton adds, “FEARnet gives the film an amazing opportunity to be seen by...
From the Press Release
Midday Moon, LLC, the producer of the motion picture Midnight Son, is happy to announce that FEARnet will premiere the film in the United States in January 2012.
“I’m really thrilled that FEARnet is going to premiere the film,” says writer/director Scott Leberecht. “FEARnet is such a great way to reach out to horror fans, via both their television and VOD platforms, so we’re extremely excited for the movie to be premiering this way.” Producer Matt Compton adds, “FEARnet gives the film an amazing opportunity to be seen by...
- 10/18/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Great news vampire fans, FEARnet will air the world TV premiere of the indie vampire hit Midnight Son in January 2012. A fresh take on a familiar topic, Midnight Son written and directed by Scott Leberecht, characterizes vampirism as a disease. More info on the films' world TV premiere on FEARnet to come, but for now, check out the films' trailer below. More on Midnight Son at the films' official site and FEARnet's Midnight Son review here. Midnight Son is the story of Jacob, a young man confined to a life of isolation, due to a rare skin disorder that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight. His world opens up when he meets Mary, a local bartender, and falls in love. Tragically,...
- 10/14/2011
- FEARnet
The Film Society of Lincoln Center will again be offering its popular Scary Movies Film Series. And it’s not just any scary movies they’ll be showing. They’ve got classics, and they’ve got New York City premieres. They’ve even got Stuart Gordon’s live theater presentation of Nevermore starring Jeffrey Combs accompanying the screening of The Black Cat.
All right New Yorkers, check this out ... from October 27 to 31 Lincoln Center will present an ass-load of horror. Unfortunately, brevity is not one of their strong points so I’m going to sign off here and turn it over to the good folks of Lincoln Center to give you all the film titles and schedule. With NYC premieres of Ben Wheatley’s Kill List and Ti West’s The Innkeepers, along with a ton of other great titles, this is the film festival you don’t want to miss.
All right New Yorkers, check this out ... from October 27 to 31 Lincoln Center will present an ass-load of horror. Unfortunately, brevity is not one of their strong points so I’m going to sign off here and turn it over to the good folks of Lincoln Center to give you all the film titles and schedule. With NYC premieres of Ben Wheatley’s Kill List and Ti West’s The Innkeepers, along with a ton of other great titles, this is the film festival you don’t want to miss.
- 10/5/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
The official announcement for the last wave of films screening at this year’s After Dark Film Festival was made last tonight on Canada’s Space Channel. Making the list is the new film by Jason Trost titled Vs. about, “four Super Heroes who find themselves abducted by their Arch Nemesis and are forced to compete in a series of challenges in order to save an abandoned town full of kidnapped innocent civilians”. I’ve heard great things about this film from some lucky few who have already seen it, and considering I was a huge fan of the director’s previous film, The Fp, Vs. is at the top of my list of things to see. Also announced is Mike Flanagan’s Absentia, which we raved about, a while back on episode 25 of the Sordid Cinema podcast. Some Guy Who Kills People also make the cut. I highly recommend...
- 9/27/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Almost immediately director Scott Leberecht’s new horror film “Midnight Son” calls to mind George Romero’s 1976 movie “Martin”. Both are ostensibly vampire movies, but vampire movies that tweak the formula and refuse to follow conventions. Gone are the gothic, overdramatic affectations that have permeated the genre for years, and let’s put it this way, this vampire certainly doesn’t sparkle or glint like a diamond in the sun. In fact, Jacob (Zak Kilberg) can’t go outside in the daytime at all. He has a skin condition that causes him to burn—literally burn, like lighter fluid and a match—when exposed to direct sunlight. His condition has led him to a sad, lonely, isolated life where he works nights as a security guard in a high-rise office building, and spends his days sequestered in his heavily curtained basement apartment painting portraits of a sunset he can never see.
- 9/18/2011
- by Brent McKnight
- Beyond Hollywood
The Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (Mifff), a three day international showcase of genre films, is thrilled to announce its final lineup and schedule for its third annual event.
The festival is taking place September 16th-18th, 2011 in Seattle, Washington on the campus of Seattle Center. Siff Cinema at McCaw Hall will once again be the center of genre film mania in the Pacific Northwest for filmmakers and fans alike.
Mifff’s third year will debut 5 feature films and over 40 short films from 12 countries across the globe. Over 10 of the films will be North American Premiere’s while there’s 30 films that will be making either their Northwest or Seattle Premiere. Information about the films can be accessed at the Mifff website.
Several filmmakers will be in attendance.
Tickets are available in advance online. An entire festival pass can be purchased for $40. Single day passes for Saturday and Sunday are available at $25 per day.
The festival is taking place September 16th-18th, 2011 in Seattle, Washington on the campus of Seattle Center. Siff Cinema at McCaw Hall will once again be the center of genre film mania in the Pacific Northwest for filmmakers and fans alike.
Mifff’s third year will debut 5 feature films and over 40 short films from 12 countries across the globe. Over 10 of the films will be North American Premiere’s while there’s 30 films that will be making either their Northwest or Seattle Premiere. Information about the films can be accessed at the Mifff website.
Several filmmakers will be in attendance.
Tickets are available in advance online. An entire festival pass can be purchased for $40. Single day passes for Saturday and Sunday are available at $25 per day.
- 9/14/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival is, once again, set to push the boundaries of modern horror with their sixth annual edition that will run for four terrifying nights on Oct. 13-16 at the Artisphere theater in Washington, D.C.
For the opening night event on Oct. 13, Spooky Movie proves its international flair with the over-the-top Japanese zombie gorefest and action flick Helldriver, directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura, which will have two screenings, one for the early birds at 7:00 p.m. and one for the late-night crowd at 10:00 p.m.
The closing night film on the 16th is also an international affair: Joe Bauer’s The Killage, an Australian horror comedy that sends up the teen camp counselors slasher genre. Plus, there will be several Aussie short films accompanying this final feature.
Smooshed in between these two events are some of the most original and provocative terror flicks around,...
For the opening night event on Oct. 13, Spooky Movie proves its international flair with the over-the-top Japanese zombie gorefest and action flick Helldriver, directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura, which will have two screenings, one for the early birds at 7:00 p.m. and one for the late-night crowd at 10:00 p.m.
The closing night film on the 16th is also an international affair: Joe Bauer’s The Killage, an Australian horror comedy that sends up the teen camp counselors slasher genre. Plus, there will be several Aussie short films accompanying this final feature.
Smooshed in between these two events are some of the most original and provocative terror flicks around,...
- 9/8/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Mile High Horror Film Festival, running October 7-9 in (where else) Denver, Colorado, has dropped some information on us concerning their upcoming event. We have in our hot little hands the names of the first feature film and short announced to be part of the festival. Interested? Read on, Broncoville.
The first full-length film festival organizers have leaked is Midnight Son. Written and directed by Scott Leberecht, helming his first feature, Midnight Son is a really unique take on the vampire genre that promises to keep audience enthralled throughout.
Midnight Son stars Zak Kilberg and Maya Parish with support from Arlen Escarpeta (Final Destination 5, Friday the 13th), veteran actor Tracy Walter (Batman), and Larry Cedar (Constantine, The Crazies. Cedar was also "some…thing…on the wing of the plane…" in Steven Spielberg's The Twilight Zone: The Movie).
It was further announced that the short film The Legend of Beaver Dam...
The first full-length film festival organizers have leaked is Midnight Son. Written and directed by Scott Leberecht, helming his first feature, Midnight Son is a really unique take on the vampire genre that promises to keep audience enthralled throughout.
Midnight Son stars Zak Kilberg and Maya Parish with support from Arlen Escarpeta (Final Destination 5, Friday the 13th), veteran actor Tracy Walter (Batman), and Larry Cedar (Constantine, The Crazies. Cedar was also "some…thing…on the wing of the plane…" in Steven Spielberg's The Twilight Zone: The Movie).
It was further announced that the short film The Legend of Beaver Dam...
- 9/8/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
The love letter to genre films known as Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival is gearing up for its third annual event, which run from September 16th-18th in Seattle, Washington. This year promises to be the biggest yet with 5 feature films and over 40 shorts, most making their Northwest or Seattle debut.
Tickets are still available online at Mifff.org, where you can find individual screening passes for $10. Or you can get yourself an all-festival pass for only $40 and see everything that the weekend has to offer.
Check out everything Mifff at the official site, including info on all 40 short films. For now, wet your whistle with a little bit about the four already revealed features (the fifth will be announced shortly).
Feature Films:
Absentia
Seattle Premiere
Director: Mike Flanagan, USA 91 minutes
Actors: Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, and Dave Levine
A woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances,...
Tickets are still available online at Mifff.org, where you can find individual screening passes for $10. Or you can get yourself an all-festival pass for only $40 and see everything that the weekend has to offer.
Check out everything Mifff at the official site, including info on all 40 short films. For now, wet your whistle with a little bit about the four already revealed features (the fifth will be announced shortly).
Feature Films:
Absentia
Seattle Premiere
Director: Mike Flanagan, USA 91 minutes
Actors: Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, and Dave Levine
A woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances,...
- 9/1/2011
- by dougevil
- DreadCentral.com
While Frightfest is probably best known for delivering previews of prospective horror hits due for release soon, the Discovery screen (packed into the Empire’s tiny screen 4) provides a glimpse at more low-fi works from up-and-coming directors. While evidently limited by a shoestring budget, writer-director Scott Leberecht hasn’t let that get in the way of telling a compelling story with surprisingly solid direction given the production values and relatively amateur nature of the project. Open-minded horror buffs will find plenty to enjoy in this unique American low-budget horror film, Midnight Son.
Defying the typical route of detailing how the protagonist came to be a vampire, Midnight Son instead simply presents us with Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a nervous and unassuming young man who lives in a basement apartment and works a night shift as a security guard due to a rare skin condition which sees him burn horrifically with even...
Defying the typical route of detailing how the protagonist came to be a vampire, Midnight Son instead simply presents us with Jacob (Zak Kilberg), a nervous and unassuming young man who lives in a basement apartment and works a night shift as a security guard due to a rare skin condition which sees him burn horrifically with even...
- 8/30/2011
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
Year: 2011
Director: Scott Leberecht
Writer: Scott Leberecht
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
On the surface, the post-production delay of Scott Leberecht's Midnight Son could be a blessing in disguise. In 2008, the film may have faded quietly into the background like so many other indie films but with the public's current hunger for vampires, some may be much more willing to seek out Leberecht's film. They might find themselves immensely disappointed or they.ll look beyond the typically glossy and uninteresting Hollywood fare and discover an intimate tale of vampirism grounded in reality.
From an early age, Jacob has been sick, suffering from a debilitating condition that forces him to avoid sunlight and live his life in the shadows. He works, he goes out, he socializes (awkwardly) but all of it is done under the cover of darkness. After years of living his life this way,...
Director: Scott Leberecht
Writer: Scott Leberecht
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
On the surface, the post-production delay of Scott Leberecht's Midnight Son could be a blessing in disguise. In 2008, the film may have faded quietly into the background like so many other indie films but with the public's current hunger for vampires, some may be much more willing to seek out Leberecht's film. They might find themselves immensely disappointed or they.ll look beyond the typically glossy and uninteresting Hollywood fare and discover an intimate tale of vampirism grounded in reality.
From an early age, Jacob has been sick, suffering from a debilitating condition that forces him to avoid sunlight and live his life in the shadows. He works, he goes out, he socializes (awkwardly) but all of it is done under the cover of darkness. After years of living his life this way,...
- 5/11/2011
- QuietEarth.us
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Highlights from the 11th Annual Phoenix Film Festival and Int’l Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival Part I By Ray Schillaci
The best of both worlds and a real treat for film lovers was the combining of two film festivals even though it proved to be a little confusing at times. But what they had to offer was a dynamite line up of talent that may be pegged as the best yet. In fact, there was so much offered I could not possibly see it all, hence breaking this review up. What I did see throughout both festivals was very ambitious or exciting talent that blew away audiences at the screenings.
This year Live Action Shorts was a huge buzz at the festival.
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Highlights from the 11th Annual Phoenix Film Festival and Int’l Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival Part I By Ray Schillaci
The best of both worlds and a real treat for film lovers was the combining of two film festivals even though it proved to be a little confusing at times. But what they had to offer was a dynamite line up of talent that may be pegged as the best yet. In fact, there was so much offered I could not possibly see it all, hence breaking this review up. What I did see throughout both festivals was very ambitious or exciting talent that blew away audiences at the screenings.
This year Live Action Shorts was a huge buzz at the festival.
- 4/8/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
My introduction to writer/director Ben Rock came when I interviewed him for his 2009 highly-underrated flick Alien Raiders, which took themes from Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing and combined them with a little bit of “24” for good measure (hard not to when the film’s star is Carlos Bernard). Last year I had the opportunity to experience Rock’s work in the realm of live theatre with his twisted play Ba’al and quickly realized he’s someone who has an interesting perspective when it comes to genre-related projects.
I recently caught up with Rock, who's been busy working on content for a recent big-name video game release, to find out what his top five independent horror films are. Check out his favorites below!
1. Midnight Son
Scott Leberecht's debut feature about a young man turning into something he doesn't want to understand brings me back to...
I recently caught up with Rock, who's been busy working on content for a recent big-name video game release, to find out what his top five independent horror films are. Check out his favorites below!
1. Midnight Son
Scott Leberecht's debut feature about a young man turning into something he doesn't want to understand brings me back to...
- 3/18/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
The casual movie fans love their vampire flicks, to be sure: from the original Nosferatu and Dracula and their endless sequels to the Hammer renditions and the Anne Rice adaptations and the Twilights. Some could argue that the vampire has long since transcended the horror genre and has become a little, well, toothless, in the process. But for those who choose to look beyond the obvious choices on the new release shelf, there's a fairly consistent stream of vampiric cinema worth diving into. It may be a surprisingly solid studio flick like 30 Days of Night, but more often than not we'll get something "fresh" from the vampire sub-genre out of the indie circuit like Midnight Son. Scott Leberecht's low-budget...
- 3/7/2011
- FEARnet
Before writer/director Scott Leberecht embarked on the sometimes difficult journey making his latest film Midnight Son (review here), he was working as a visual effects artist for Industrial Light & Magic. He said it was while he was still working for the prestigious company when the inspiration for his twist on modern vampires struck.
“I actually had the idea for Midnight Son percolating for a few years before I wrote the script,” explained Leberecht. “I got the inspiration for the story from when I was working up in San Francisco for Ilm. There was this one house on a corner I would pass all the time that had all the windows blocked out, and there were handmade paintings in the windows. I can vividly remember just standing there, staring at this house, and found the idea of someone living like that so fascinating - like there was someone inside that...
“I actually had the idea for Midnight Son percolating for a few years before I wrote the script,” explained Leberecht. “I got the inspiration for the story from when I was working up in San Francisco for Ilm. There was this one house on a corner I would pass all the time that had all the windows blocked out, and there were handmade paintings in the windows. I can vividly remember just standing there, staring at this house, and found the idea of someone living like that so fascinating - like there was someone inside that...
- 3/4/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
In writer/director Scott Leberecht’s Midnight Son, actor Jo D. Jonz portrays Marcus, a hospital worker who meets the film’s protagonist, Jacob (Zak Kilberg), one fateful night when the young man’s desperate hunger drove him to start scavenging in medical waste dumpsters in order to satiate his need for blood. From that one meeting, both Marcus and Jacob become entangled in a twisted dark world that leaves casualties in its wake. It was that kind of gritty, unapologetic storytelling that caught the actor’s attention from the start.
“What immediately caught my attention about Midnight Son (review here) was that there was this anti-hero story going on, and most of the time you see that life glamorized on film,” explained Jonz. “There’s nothing glamorous about the world our characters were living in, and I loved that Scott trusted in himself enough as a storyteller to stay...
“What immediately caught my attention about Midnight Son (review here) was that there was this anti-hero story going on, and most of the time you see that life glamorized on film,” explained Jonz. “There’s nothing glamorous about the world our characters were living in, and I loved that Scott trusted in himself enough as a storyteller to stay...
- 3/3/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
Midnight Son – directed by Scott Leberecht Festival screening times – 3/4 @ 930pm, 3/6 @ 645pm, 3/11 @ 1230pm World Premiere If there’s one film genre that’s been done to death in recent years it’s the whole ‘sexy ballerinas engaging in lesbian shenanigans’ storyline. Hollywood needs to give that one a rest already. But close behind it are movies about vampires. From Twilight to True Blood vampires are a character type well past the point of over saturation as filmmakers seem content on milking the same weak conventions time and again. For every Let Me In we seem to get five more like Suck or Transylmania. The need for a more nuanced and interesting take on these blood-suckers is long overdue. Which makes the arrival of Scott Leberecht’s Midnight Son such a goddamn relief. Part urban horror, part loneliness drama, and part late-night romance, Leberecht’s film takes a low-key approach that avoids most of the cliches while reveling in...
- 3/2/2011
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Sometimes in the world of independent filmmaking, working on your own terms means that people have to take on multiple roles to ensure the success of a project. Such is the case for Midnight Son .
Being an ambitious project from first-time feature director Scott Leberecht meant that every cast and crew member had to come into the project with a special passion for creating this spellbinding journey about Jacob, a lonely young man struggling with his growing hunger for both blood and answers about himself.
Actress Maya Parish recognized early on that Leberecht’s unique vision for Midnight Son (review here) was something very special, and she was ready from the very beginning to take on a role bigger than the one she plays on screen.
“I absolutely believed in Scott’s story since day one because I saw just how different it was to anything going on in horror,...
Being an ambitious project from first-time feature director Scott Leberecht meant that every cast and crew member had to come into the project with a special passion for creating this spellbinding journey about Jacob, a lonely young man struggling with his growing hunger for both blood and answers about himself.
Actress Maya Parish recognized early on that Leberecht’s unique vision for Midnight Son (review here) was something very special, and she was ready from the very beginning to take on a role bigger than the one she plays on screen.
“I absolutely believed in Scott’s story since day one because I saw just how different it was to anything going on in horror,...
- 3/2/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
This week those involved with making the indie horror film Midnight Son have reason to celebrate. Their hard work some three years in the making is finally paying off as the project is making its world premiere this Friday, March 4th, in San Jose at the prestigious Cinequest Film Festival.
In honor of their perseverance in independent filmmaking, Dread Central is putting the spotlight on those involved with Midnight Son (review here) over the next several days to kick off our Indie Horror Month celebration.
For his role as the lead character Jacob in Midnight Son , it was almost like fate knocked on Zak Kilberg’s door one day. The up-and-coming actor was referred by a friend to writer/director Scott Leberecht’s website to check out a possibility of being part of a brand new independent horror film. To Kilberg’s surprise, Leberecht’s artwork had some haunting similarities to his own presence,...
In honor of their perseverance in independent filmmaking, Dread Central is putting the spotlight on those involved with Midnight Son (review here) over the next several days to kick off our Indie Horror Month celebration.
For his role as the lead character Jacob in Midnight Son , it was almost like fate knocked on Zak Kilberg’s door one day. The up-and-coming actor was referred by a friend to writer/director Scott Leberecht’s website to check out a possibility of being part of a brand new independent horror film. To Kilberg’s surprise, Leberecht’s artwork had some haunting similarities to his own presence,...
- 3/1/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
by Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com reveal
Ever since I saw the trailer for the upcoming gritty Vampire film Midnight Son, I've been looking forward to seeing it. The folks over at Midday Moon, LLC, the producer of the motion picture "Midnight Son," have just revealed the new key art for the movie, and you can check it out over on the left.
The filmmakers released the new art in celebration of the upcoming festival screenings for the movie.
"Midnight Son" will have its World Premiere screeni9ng at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California on March 4 @ 9:30 Pm. Writer/Director Scott Leberecht, Producer Matt Compton, and several cast members will be in attendance, and will participate in a Q&A after the film.
The movie will have two additional screenings at Cinequest: March 6 @ 6:45 Pm and March 11 @ 12:30 Pm. It will also screen at the Omaha Film Festival on March 5 @ 8:30 Pm.
Ever since I saw the trailer for the upcoming gritty Vampire film Midnight Son, I've been looking forward to seeing it. The folks over at Midday Moon, LLC, the producer of the motion picture "Midnight Son," have just revealed the new key art for the movie, and you can check it out over on the left.
The filmmakers released the new art in celebration of the upcoming festival screenings for the movie.
"Midnight Son" will have its World Premiere screeni9ng at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California on March 4 @ 9:30 Pm. Writer/Director Scott Leberecht, Producer Matt Compton, and several cast members will be in attendance, and will participate in a Q&A after the film.
The movie will have two additional screenings at Cinequest: March 6 @ 6:45 Pm and March 11 @ 12:30 Pm. It will also screen at the Omaha Film Festival on March 5 @ 8:30 Pm.
- 2/25/2011
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Directed by Scott Leberecht, a long-time VFX artists for films like Sleepy Hollow, is making his debut as a director in Midnight Son. The film is being executive produced by our friend Eduardo Sanchez of Blair Witch Project fame.
Here’s the plot crunch: “Jacob, a young man grappling with a dramatic physical transformation. No matter how much he eats, he suffers from malnutrition. To his disgust, he finds the blood in his steak packaging more satisfying than the steak itself. Something is changing inside him. When romance sparks with a young woman named Mary, he wrestles with the monster he’s becoming while desperately trying to keep his new craving a secret.”
The film is making its world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA on March 4th, but no word on when we can all see it.
Source: Arrow...
Here’s the plot crunch: “Jacob, a young man grappling with a dramatic physical transformation. No matter how much he eats, he suffers from malnutrition. To his disgust, he finds the blood in his steak packaging more satisfying than the steak itself. Something is changing inside him. When romance sparks with a young woman named Mary, he wrestles with the monster he’s becoming while desperately trying to keep his new craving a secret.”
The film is making its world premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, CA on March 4th, but no word on when we can all see it.
Source: Arrow...
- 2/24/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
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