The state of streaming services in the last few years has exploded, filling in nearly every niche imaginable with not just platforms to appeal to mainstream film lovers or select genre fans. While Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Apple+, Paramount, and the newly-launched Max have served those who are looking more for a general smorgasbord of content, those looking for more indie fare are left with little choice beyond specific platforms that are tailored for those looking specifically for that type of material. One service looking for a chance to offer up under-the-radar content in that mindset is the free-with-adds platform Tubi, which has originally served as the home for the bottom-of-the-barrel fare but is looking to upend that with originally-licensed material including this new Indonesian feature from Australian director Stuart Simpson.
Sleeping Beauties is screening on Tubi
Trying to make ends meet, the pregnant Cahya (Intan Kieflie) decides to look past...
Sleeping Beauties is screening on Tubi
Trying to make ends meet, the pregnant Cahya (Intan Kieflie) decides to look past...
- 5/25/2023
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Celina Yuen and Matthew Victor Pastor.
If anyone can lay claim to the mantle of Australia’s most prolific indie filmmaker – and the fastest – it would be Matthew Victor Pastor.
The writer-director-producer has churned out no fewer than six films in the past 18 months, each of the the last four on a remarkable shooting schedule of 5-7 days.
“I grew up around weird and wonderful people in the 3174 postcode [Noble Park, 25km south-east of the Melbourne Cbd] and go between suburban Australia and high-rise Asian-Australian apartment living,” says Pastor, who was born in Melbourne in the year his mother emigrated from the Philippines.
“My crazy filmmaking comes from always being from two worlds, something I used to find discomfort in until I embraced it and turned it into art. Where I’m from I shouldn’t really be a filmmaker, or one who is as efficient as me.
“I wonder, had I tried to be a director from...
If anyone can lay claim to the mantle of Australia’s most prolific indie filmmaker – and the fastest – it would be Matthew Victor Pastor.
The writer-director-producer has churned out no fewer than six films in the past 18 months, each of the the last four on a remarkable shooting schedule of 5-7 days.
“I grew up around weird and wonderful people in the 3174 postcode [Noble Park, 25km south-east of the Melbourne Cbd] and go between suburban Australia and high-rise Asian-Australian apartment living,” says Pastor, who was born in Melbourne in the year his mother emigrated from the Philippines.
“My crazy filmmaking comes from always being from two worlds, something I used to find discomfort in until I embraced it and turned it into art. Where I’m from I shouldn’t really be a filmmaker, or one who is as efficient as me.
“I wonder, had I tried to be a director from...
- 10/14/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The cast announcements for upcoming Ozploitation film The Shinjuku Five are coming in thick and fast as; with the producers announcing today that Robert Rabiah has joined the cast playing Victor Brascoiano, the owner/operator of a Japanese Av company. Rabiah joins the already announced Aussie actor Roger Ward and Aliens star Ricco Ross in the cast of the film, which comes from Black Forest Films & Lady of the Light Productions.
This is not the first time Black Forest Films has worked with Robert Rabiah, the actor previously appeared in theor 2016 film The Perfect Nonsense. Rabiah also appeared in Australian classics such as Chopper, Face to Face and the recent hit Ali’s Wedding.
Set to film in Japan and Australia, The Shinjuku Five is written and co-directed, alongside Jasmine Jakupi, by Addison Heath (Mondo Yakuza, The Viper’s Hex) and stars Yoji Yamada, Saya Minami, Cris Cochrane, Tim Jason Wicks...
This is not the first time Black Forest Films has worked with Robert Rabiah, the actor previously appeared in theor 2016 film The Perfect Nonsense. Rabiah also appeared in Australian classics such as Chopper, Face to Face and the recent hit Ali’s Wedding.
Set to film in Japan and Australia, The Shinjuku Five is written and co-directed, alongside Jasmine Jakupi, by Addison Heath (Mondo Yakuza, The Viper’s Hex) and stars Yoji Yamada, Saya Minami, Cris Cochrane, Tim Jason Wicks...
- 1/22/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
A couple of weeks ago we brought you news that Aussie actor Roger Ward had joined the cast of the film and now we can exclusively share the next piece of casting for the eagerly awaited new movie from Black Forest Films & Lady of the Light Productions – who have partnered up to make the ambitious feature currently in pre-production.
As if mining the talents of one genre star wasn’t enough, the production team have announced that Ricco Ross – who played Frost in Aliens, as well as appearing in Death Wish 3 and Wishmaster (though I’ll always remember him as Kassim in the Highlander TV show, as well as his appearances in a bunch of 90s Dtv action movies like Project: Shadowchaser and Timelock) – has joined the cast of The Shinjuku Five; and is set to play Ronny, a sleazy Shinjuku night club owner.
Says producer Lucinda Bruce:...
As if mining the talents of one genre star wasn’t enough, the production team have announced that Ricco Ross – who played Frost in Aliens, as well as appearing in Death Wish 3 and Wishmaster (though I’ll always remember him as Kassim in the Highlander TV show, as well as his appearances in a bunch of 90s Dtv action movies like Project: Shadowchaser and Timelock) – has joined the cast of The Shinjuku Five; and is set to play Ronny, a sleazy Shinjuku night club owner.
Says producer Lucinda Bruce:...
- 1/17/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Set to film in Japan and Australia, The Shinjuku Five is written and co-directed, alongside Jasmine Jakupi, by Addison Heath (Mondo Yakuza, The Viper’s Hex) and stars Yoji Yamada, Saya Minami, Cris Cochrane, Tim Jason Wicks and Mondo Yakuza star Kenji Shimada. The soundtrack comes from Queensland based The Screaming Meanies, who have provided scores for The Perfect Nonsense, Mondo Yakuza and Stuart Simpson’s kung-fu short Dragon Force.
After debuting the poster last Summer, the Black Forest Films team have announced a brand new, and very exciting, cast member has joined the The Shinjuku Five cast… the lgendary Aussie actor Roger Ward. Yes, the same Roger Ward who appeared in classic Ozploitation movies such as Mad Max, The Man From Hong Kong, Stone, and Mad Dog Morgan!
No news on what Ward’s role is as yet but the addition of such a distinguished performer only goes to...
After debuting the poster last Summer, the Black Forest Films team have announced a brand new, and very exciting, cast member has joined the The Shinjuku Five cast… the lgendary Aussie actor Roger Ward. Yes, the same Roger Ward who appeared in classic Ozploitation movies such as Mad Max, The Man From Hong Kong, Stone, and Mad Dog Morgan!
No news on what Ward’s role is as yet but the addition of such a distinguished performer only goes to...
- 1/1/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
It was back in August that we wrote about a crowdfunding campaign for writer-director-star Stuart Simpson's upcoming web series Dragon Force X. And that campaign was clearly successful because the series is now wrapped up and set to arrive at Cult Of Monster on Monday! In a seedy underworld of scum and villainy, where magic and wonder have been perverted by greed and a lust for power, assassin-for-hire Maddox Montana travels across strange and exotic lands in search of the Amulets of Fire, an ancient mystical force with the power to change reality. Desired by many, worthy of few, what begins as just another job turns into the adventure of a lifetime for Maddox and his gang of misfits, as they discover the full power...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/29/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Here's what you need to know about upcoming Australian web series Dragon Force X: Writer-director-star Stuart Simpson references Manimal on the official pitch website. Yeah, that's right. Fuckin' Manimal. But if you need to know more than that Simpson has absolutely stellar taste in cult television here's a little synopsis for you: In a seedy underworld of scum and villainy, where magic and wonder have been perverted by greed and a lust for power, assassin-for-hire Maddox Montana travels across strange and exotic lands in search of the Amulets of Fire, an ancient mystical force with the power to change reality. Desired by many, worthy of few, what begins as just another job turns into the adventure of a lifetime for Maddox and his gang of misfits,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/30/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Black Forest Films, the Auusie production company behind the awesome Mondo Yakuza and the forthcoming The Viper’s Hex, have announced their next film - The Shinjuku Five.
Set to film in Japan and Australia, The Shinjuku Five is once again written and co-directed, alongside Jasmine Jakupi, by Addison Heath (Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla, Under a Kaleidoscope) and stars Yoji Yamada, Saya Minami, Cris Cochrane, Tim Jason Wicks and Mondo Yakuza star Kenji Shimada. The soundtrack comes from Queensland based The Screaming Meanies, who have provided scores for The Perfect Nonsense, Mondo Yakuza and Stuart Simpson’s kung-fu short Dragon Force.
Check out the poster for The Shinjuku Five below:...
Set to film in Japan and Australia, The Shinjuku Five is once again written and co-directed, alongside Jasmine Jakupi, by Addison Heath (Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla, Under a Kaleidoscope) and stars Yoji Yamada, Saya Minami, Cris Cochrane, Tim Jason Wicks and Mondo Yakuza star Kenji Shimada. The soundtrack comes from Queensland based The Screaming Meanies, who have provided scores for The Perfect Nonsense, Mondo Yakuza and Stuart Simpson’s kung-fu short Dragon Force.
Check out the poster for The Shinjuku Five below:...
- 7/21/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Australia’s premier genre film festival Monster Fest wrapped its most successful edition to date last night in Melbourne with official closing film The Greasy Strangler (with actors Sky Elobar and Elizabeth De Razzo in person) followed by its annual awards ceremony acknowledging the best of this year’s impressive lineup.
The features jury, consisting of Fantastic Fest head programmer Evrim Ersoy, filmmaker Donna McRae and longtime screen critic Simon Foster awarded the festival’s top prize, The Golden Monster, to Julia Ducournau’s Raw, with Ducournau in person to accept her award, beautifully designed and sculpted by Rain Gidley Studios. Raw also walked away with an honour for best FX.
“Monsters Choice” audience awards also went to two of Nerdly’s current favourite Ozploitation filmmakers: Stuart Simpson (Monstro!, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla) for his short Dragon Force; and Addison Heath (Under a Kaleidoscope) for his new feature Mondo Yakuza.
The...
The features jury, consisting of Fantastic Fest head programmer Evrim Ersoy, filmmaker Donna McRae and longtime screen critic Simon Foster awarded the festival’s top prize, The Golden Monster, to Julia Ducournau’s Raw, with Ducournau in person to accept her award, beautifully designed and sculpted by Rain Gidley Studios. Raw also walked away with an honour for best FX.
“Monsters Choice” audience awards also went to two of Nerdly’s current favourite Ozploitation filmmakers: Stuart Simpson (Monstro!, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla) for his short Dragon Force; and Addison Heath (Under a Kaleidoscope) for his new feature Mondo Yakuza.
The...
- 11/29/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Re-enact the war against Skynet with the new Endoskeleton figure from Sideshow Collectibles and Hot Toys. Also: production details for Dead Rising: Endgame, a trailer for the horror thriller Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla, details on Laurene Landon (Maniac Cop 1 & 2) in Terror Tales, and the Scream Queen Stream.
Terminator: Genisys Figure: From Sideshow Collectibles: “In Terminator: Genisys, Judgment Day has arrived and more than 30 billion human lives have been lost in the attacks by Skynet. Survivors were captured and put into camps for extermination. In 2029, Human Resistance leader John Connor has led a final intense battle against Skynet and its menacing armies of Endoskeletons in order to eliminate the hellish artificial intelligence.
Sideshow and Hot Toys are pleased to officially present the new sixth scale Endoskeleton Collectible Figure from Terminator: Genisys.
The Endoskeleton collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of the terrifying robot from the film. It features...
Terminator: Genisys Figure: From Sideshow Collectibles: “In Terminator: Genisys, Judgment Day has arrived and more than 30 billion human lives have been lost in the attacks by Skynet. Survivors were captured and put into camps for extermination. In 2029, Human Resistance leader John Connor has led a final intense battle against Skynet and its menacing armies of Endoskeletons in order to eliminate the hellish artificial intelligence.
Sideshow and Hot Toys are pleased to officially present the new sixth scale Endoskeleton Collectible Figure from Terminator: Genisys.
The Endoskeleton collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of the terrifying robot from the film. It features...
- 2/22/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
It’s taken a while for Stuart Simpson’s Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla to make its way to our shores (Gareth reviewed the film back in November of 2014), but WildEye Releasing will deliver its treats to American audiences on DVD and VOD… Continue Reading →
The post WildEye Scoops Up a New Trailer and Artwork for Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla appeared first on Dread Central.
The post WildEye Scoops Up a New Trailer and Artwork for Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla appeared first on Dread Central.
- 2/19/2016
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Director-writer Addison Heath is such a fan of classic Japanese gangster movies his next film is entitled Mondo Yakuza.
Due to start shooting in Melbourne in August, the micro-budgeted film will star Australian-born Kenji Shimada as Ichiro Kataki, a violent Yakuza gang member in Japan.
When his younger sister is murdered in Melbourne, he sets out to wreak vengeance on those responsible and teams up with Cassidy Arizona (Skye Korvin), a lady of the night who is on her own vendetta.
Glenn Maynard will play Ryan Beckett, a sadistic, mid-level criminal with a thirst for violent torture, whose days are numbered.
Shimada and Maynard appeared in Heath.s debut feature, Under a Kaleidoscope, which premiered at last year.s Monster Fest, where it was voted best Australian feature.
For the key support roles Addison is holding auditions in Melbourne on July 4. He describes it as .a violent action film which...
Due to start shooting in Melbourne in August, the micro-budgeted film will star Australian-born Kenji Shimada as Ichiro Kataki, a violent Yakuza gang member in Japan.
When his younger sister is murdered in Melbourne, he sets out to wreak vengeance on those responsible and teams up with Cassidy Arizona (Skye Korvin), a lady of the night who is on her own vendetta.
Glenn Maynard will play Ryan Beckett, a sadistic, mid-level criminal with a thirst for violent torture, whose days are numbered.
Shimada and Maynard appeared in Heath.s debut feature, Under a Kaleidoscope, which premiered at last year.s Monster Fest, where it was voted best Australian feature.
For the key support roles Addison is holding auditions in Melbourne on July 4. He describes it as .a violent action film which...
- 6/21/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Break out the candles! The venerable Melbourne Underground Film Festival becomes a full-fledged teenager when it celebrates its 16th annual edition on September 11-20 this year.
Last year saw a stripped down Muff, focusing on local outre filmmakers and a fine selection of international weirdness — and they want more this year. The fest will also be returning to its new home, the Backlot Studios.
Sixteen years and counting, the Melbourne Underground Film Festival has shown a fierce commitment to under appreciated cinema and it’s awesome to see them still kicking it. If your film is kick ass, a little bit or a lot out there and faintly uncategorizable and possibly unloved wherever “decent” people like to congregate, then Muff might be a good home for it.
See below for submission deadlines, entry fee information, submission links and guidelines.
Deadline & Entry Fees
Deadline via Festhome:
June 30
Entry Fees:
Feature Film:...
Last year saw a stripped down Muff, focusing on local outre filmmakers and a fine selection of international weirdness — and they want more this year. The fest will also be returning to its new home, the Backlot Studios.
Sixteen years and counting, the Melbourne Underground Film Festival has shown a fierce commitment to under appreciated cinema and it’s awesome to see them still kicking it. If your film is kick ass, a little bit or a lot out there and faintly uncategorizable and possibly unloved wherever “decent” people like to congregate, then Muff might be a good home for it.
See below for submission deadlines, entry fee information, submission links and guidelines.
Deadline & Entry Fees
Deadline via Festhome:
June 30
Entry Fees:
Feature Film:...
- 1/23/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Stars: Glenn Maynard, Kyrie Capri, Aston Elliot, Louise Bremner, Benjamin Grant Mitchell, Kristen Condon, Lucinda Cowden | Written by Addison Heath | Directed by Stuart Simpson
It’s been four years since Stuart Simpson hit my cinematic radar with El Monstro Del Mar a rockabilly meets monster movie that, despite its low budget nature, was a tremendously fun flick – plus it didn’t hurt that the cast were good on the eye! Since then I’ve been following Simpson on Facebook,Twitter – you know, the usual social media outlets – and in particular the progression of his next feature, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla…
Awkward ice cream van driver Warren Thompson’s only respite from his drab existence comes in the form of gorgeous soapie star Katie George. Besotted with the young actress, Warren can’t help but imagine what life would be like with Katie at his side. After suffering another in a long...
It’s been four years since Stuart Simpson hit my cinematic radar with El Monstro Del Mar a rockabilly meets monster movie that, despite its low budget nature, was a tremendously fun flick – plus it didn’t hurt that the cast were good on the eye! Since then I’ve been following Simpson on Facebook,Twitter – you know, the usual social media outlets – and in particular the progression of his next feature, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla…
Awkward ice cream van driver Warren Thompson’s only respite from his drab existence comes in the form of gorgeous soapie star Katie George. Besotted with the young actress, Warren can’t help but imagine what life would be like with Katie at his side. After suffering another in a long...
- 10/24/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Continuing to make sure that October remains the scariest month of the year, the Spooky Movie International Horror Movie Festival returns for its ninth annual edition on Oct. 9-18 at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Opening Night: It’s a double slam bang on Oct. 9 with two exciting new entries in insanely popular horror franchises. First up is V/H/S Viral, where the gruesome series goes online with startling Internet videos directed by Todd Lincoln, Nacho Vigalondo and more. Then, that’s followed by The Dead 2: India, another tale of international zombie madness once again directed by Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford.
Closing Night: It’s retro massacre time on Oct. 18 when local horror legend Count Gore De Vol hosts a special screening of Wes Craven’s classic mutant thriller The Hills Have Eyes. This special screening will be presented just like Count...
Opening Night: It’s a double slam bang on Oct. 9 with two exciting new entries in insanely popular horror franchises. First up is V/H/S Viral, where the gruesome series goes online with startling Internet videos directed by Todd Lincoln, Nacho Vigalondo and more. Then, that’s followed by The Dead 2: India, another tale of international zombie madness once again directed by Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford.
Closing Night: It’s retro massacre time on Oct. 18 when local horror legend Count Gore De Vol hosts a special screening of Wes Craven’s classic mutant thriller The Hills Have Eyes. This special screening will be presented just like Count...
- 10/6/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes a trailer for Exists, Don’t Blink, and The Wolves of Savin Hill, an announcement of the Fifth Annual PollyGrind Film Festival, Dead Rage first details, and more:
New Clip from Exists: “For five friends, it was a chance for a summer getaway – a weekend of camping in the Texas Big Thicket. But visions of a carefree vacation are shattered with an accident on a dark and desolate country road. In the wake of the accident, a blood curdling force of nature is unleashed – something not exactly human, but not completely animal – an urban legend come to terrifying life and seeking murderous revenge.
Opening in select theaters and On Demand on Friday, October 24th, 2014. Directed by Eduardo Sanchez and written by Jamie Nash, Exists stars Dora Madison Burge,...
New Clip from Exists: “For five friends, it was a chance for a summer getaway – a weekend of camping in the Texas Big Thicket. But visions of a carefree vacation are shattered with an accident on a dark and desolate country road. In the wake of the accident, a blood curdling force of nature is unleashed – something not exactly human, but not completely animal – an urban legend come to terrifying life and seeking murderous revenge.
Opening in select theaters and On Demand on Friday, October 24th, 2014. Directed by Eduardo Sanchez and written by Jamie Nash, Exists stars Dora Madison Burge,...
- 9/21/2014
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Gearing up for another year at Sheffield's Showroom Cinema, horror film festival Celluloid Screams has announced the full line-up of blood-soaked goodies it has in store for the weekend of October 24-26 – and boy, is it Astron-omically good!
Here it comes... straight from the press release to your eyeballs:
Opening Gala: The Editor (UK Premiere)
Director: Adam Brooks & Matthew Kennedy | Canada | 2014 | 1hr 42 mins
Kicking off Celluloid Screams 2014 in fine style, we proudly present the mind-boggling new opus from Canadian filmmaking collective Astron-6 – an affectionate tribute to the Italian giallo thrillers of the 1970s and 1980s.
Rey Ciso was once the greatest editor the world had ever seen, but after a horrific accident left him with four wooden fingers on his right hand, he’s had to resort to cutting low budget trash pictures. When the lead actors from the film he’s been editing turn up murdered at the studio,...
Here it comes... straight from the press release to your eyeballs:
Opening Gala: The Editor (UK Premiere)
Director: Adam Brooks & Matthew Kennedy | Canada | 2014 | 1hr 42 mins
Kicking off Celluloid Screams 2014 in fine style, we proudly present the mind-boggling new opus from Canadian filmmaking collective Astron-6 – an affectionate tribute to the Italian giallo thrillers of the 1970s and 1980s.
Rey Ciso was once the greatest editor the world had ever seen, but after a horrific accident left him with four wooden fingers on his right hand, he’s had to resort to cutting low budget trash pictures. When the lead actors from the film he’s been editing turn up murdered at the studio,...
- 9/10/2014
- by Gareth Jones
- DreadCentral.com
The theme for this year’s Melbourne Underground Film Festival is “Evolve Or Die,” so thank God that after 15 years, the fest has decided to evolve rather than kick the proverbial bucket.
What does “evolution” look like for Muff? For starters, this year is a much more stripped down festival. It runs Sept. 12 – 19 at a single location — The Backlot Studios.
Muff usually features a healthy retrospective section, but they decided to spin that off into a separate event that will run in a month or two. Instead, Muff 15 is all about new cinema, with an even stronger focus on Down Under cinema.
Opening Night: Start Options Exit was originally conceived by local co-directors Chris Mitchell and Yoav Lester as a web series, but was subsequently edited together as this outrageous comedy about a pair of degenerates stumbling through the seedy underbelly of Melbourne.
Closing Night: Acclaimed Melbourne cult filmmaker Stuart Simpson...
What does “evolution” look like for Muff? For starters, this year is a much more stripped down festival. It runs Sept. 12 – 19 at a single location — The Backlot Studios.
Muff usually features a healthy retrospective section, but they decided to spin that off into a separate event that will run in a month or two. Instead, Muff 15 is all about new cinema, with an even stronger focus on Down Under cinema.
Opening Night: Start Options Exit was originally conceived by local co-directors Chris Mitchell and Yoav Lester as a web series, but was subsequently edited together as this outrageous comedy about a pair of degenerates stumbling through the seedy underbelly of Melbourne.
Closing Night: Acclaimed Melbourne cult filmmaker Stuart Simpson...
- 9/8/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Stars: Glenn Maynard, Kyrie Capri, Aston Elliot, Louise Bremner, Benjamin Grant Mitchell, Kristen Condon, Richard Sutherland, Lucinda Cowden | Written by Addison Heath | Directed by Stuart Simpson
Review by Scott Clark of Cinehouse
Stuart Simpson’s Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a strange but welcome kind of cathartic character study. Warren (Glenn Maynard) is an ice cream man, he lives alone with his cat and tunes in daily to his favourite soap opera. However, after an awful accident, Warren’s life begins to spiral out of control: he becomes dangerously obsessed with his favourite soap star, a local drug dealer starts muscling in on his patch, and his sanity begins to disintegrate alarmingly.
First things first, Glenn Maynard deserves an overwhelming amount of praise for his performance, considering the entire film rests on his laurels. Warren is a hop and a skip away from being a dull kind of caricatured loner, however...
Review by Scott Clark of Cinehouse
Stuart Simpson’s Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a strange but welcome kind of cathartic character study. Warren (Glenn Maynard) is an ice cream man, he lives alone with his cat and tunes in daily to his favourite soap opera. However, after an awful accident, Warren’s life begins to spiral out of control: he becomes dangerously obsessed with his favourite soap star, a local drug dealer starts muscling in on his patch, and his sanity begins to disintegrate alarmingly.
First things first, Glenn Maynard deserves an overwhelming amount of praise for his performance, considering the entire film rests on his laurels. Warren is a hop and a skip away from being a dull kind of caricatured loner, however...
- 5/17/2014
- by Guest
- Nerdly
Life is hard when you're a socially awkward icecream man and Australian director Stuart Simpson has taken that simple idea and managed to turn it into something surprisingly resonant with his Australian cult hit Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla.We've covered this one in the past but with Monster Pictures taking it to the sales market in Cannes there's a brand new trailer for your perusal below.Awkward ice cream van driver Warren Thompson's only respite from his drab existence comes in the form of gorgeous soapie star Katie George. Besotted with the young actress, Warren can't help but imagine what life would be like with Katie at his side. After suffering another in a long line of savage beatings from local thugs, Warren's fragile psyche cracks under the...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/7/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Part Taxi Driver. Part The Good The Bad And The Ugly. All ice cream man.Twitch was pleased to present the Tom Hodge designed poster for El Monstro Del Mar director Stuart Simpson's latest cult opus Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla last week and now we're even more pleased to follow that up with a first look at the trailer for the film. Soon to premiere at Monster Fest in Australia, here's how the festival describes it:Stuart Simpson is a major Australian talent. His films defy genre and expectation. Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is his best yet. A meticulously crafted journey into the fragile psychology of an ice-cream van driver, it is dramatic, black and hilarious. Glenn Maynard is incredible in the lead role. Unmissable!Check out the trailer below!...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/28/2013
- Screen Anarchy
It's a Tom Hodge / The Dude Designs sort of day here on Twitch, apparently. Just an hour ago we posted the trailer for Red Clark's Gray Matter, a short film based on the story by Stephen King also featuring typically stellar poster art from Hodge and now here we are with another Hodge design.This one comes courtesy of Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla - the new feature from El Monstro Del Mar director Stuart Simpson. Soon to premiere as part of Australia's Monster Fest we're told a trailer should follow in the next couple days but in the meantime you can check out a large version of the poster by clicking the image below. Here's how the festival describes the film:Stuart Simpson is a major Australian...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/23/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Written and directed by: Stuart Simpson
Featuring: Nelli Scarlet, Kyrie Capri, Karlie Madden, Kate Watts, Norman Yemm
The opening minutes of Aussie writer/director Stuart Simpson’s Monstro (a.k.a. El Monstro Del Mar) are great fun. Three tough broads in Russ Meyer guise — Baretta (a solid Nelli Scarlet), Snowball (Kate Watts) and Blondie (Karli Madden) — are having car trouble. Stranded on the side of the road, these tatted-up tarts sweat in the heat while they wait for help to arrive. They turn on the radio, prompting Blondie to hop up and dance on the hood of the car. Soon, two sketchy townies see the sexy trio and pull over to assist them. Through a series of tight compositions and little dialogue, an intriguing tension plays out. Will the women join these men for a “swim” after the car is fixed? Or do they have other plans?
When it...
Featuring: Nelli Scarlet, Kyrie Capri, Karlie Madden, Kate Watts, Norman Yemm
The opening minutes of Aussie writer/director Stuart Simpson’s Monstro (a.k.a. El Monstro Del Mar) are great fun. Three tough broads in Russ Meyer guise — Baretta (a solid Nelli Scarlet), Snowball (Kate Watts) and Blondie (Karli Madden) — are having car trouble. Stranded on the side of the road, these tatted-up tarts sweat in the heat while they wait for help to arrive. They turn on the radio, prompting Blondie to hop up and dance on the hood of the car. Soon, two sketchy townies see the sexy trio and pull over to assist them. Through a series of tight compositions and little dialogue, an intriguing tension plays out. Will the women join these men for a “swim” after the car is fixed? Or do they have other plans?
When it...
- 11/15/2012
- by Bradley Harding
- Planet Fury
★☆☆☆☆ Monstro! (2010), the new (supposed) antipodean shocker from the Land Down Under is just that very thing - monstrous. Selling itself as a horror-action comedy, it's heavy on the horror (if slapstick gore qualifies as horror), but non-existent on action or comedy. This gratuitous exercise in sleaze, directed by Stuart Simpson and starring veteran Australian actor Norman Yemm alongside newcomers Nellie Scarlet, Karli Madden, Kate Watts and Kyrie Capri, should carry a government health warning alongside its age rating - watching it could seriously damage your faith in independent filmmaking.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 10/30/2012
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Monster Pictures have announced the UK DVD release of Monstro! (aka El Monstro del Mar) the Australian 50s-style B-movie horror directed by Stuart Simpson. You may remember we covered the film upon it’s Aussie debut, and I’m glad to see the film finally making its way to our shores… Monstro! will be released on DVD in the UK by Monster Pictures UK on 22 October 2012.
Three gorgeously Deranged Killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community after their murderous actions attract the wrong kind of attention. But not all is as it seems in this small town. A few of the locals try desperately to warn them of the dangers of going into the water but these Crazy Vixens listen to no one and they brazenly take to the sea. Unbeknownst to them however, their seaside frolic has awakened a Horrifying Beast from the depths of the ocean.
Three gorgeously Deranged Killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community after their murderous actions attract the wrong kind of attention. But not all is as it seems in this small town. A few of the locals try desperately to warn them of the dangers of going into the water but these Crazy Vixens listen to no one and they brazenly take to the sea. Unbeknownst to them however, their seaside frolic has awakened a Horrifying Beast from the depths of the ocean.
- 9/16/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Something very nasty is happening in a remote Australian town in Stuart Simpson‘s first feature film, Demons Among Us. Seemingly normal residents are turning into fang-mouthed, blood-thirsty devils. Literally! Can the new guy in town, Joe (Nathaniel Kiwi), prevent the carnage from spreading — or, at least just not get blamed for the multiple murders?
As a first feature, Demons Among Us has a less cohesive structure than Simpson’s follow up, El Monstro Del Mar!. However, it’s that gritty inventiveness that makes Demons Among Us so very appealing. So, saying that the film strongly favors style, in the form of creative digital manipulation of the images, over substance isn’t a criticism. Simpson’s style works strongly in the film’s favor by keeping the action continually moving at a rapid clip.
And that’s not to say Simpson doesn’t inject a little messaging behind the madness.
As a first feature, Demons Among Us has a less cohesive structure than Simpson’s follow up, El Monstro Del Mar!. However, it’s that gritty inventiveness that makes Demons Among Us so very appealing. So, saying that the film strongly favors style, in the form of creative digital manipulation of the images, over substance isn’t a criticism. Simpson’s style works strongly in the film’s favor by keeping the action continually moving at a rapid clip.
And that’s not to say Simpson doesn’t inject a little messaging behind the madness.
- 9/6/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
A punk-rock throwback to monster movies of the 50s crossed with Russ Meyer-esque 70s exploitation, director Stuart Simpson’s award-winning Monstro! (aka El Monstro del Mar) will be rising from the sea to feast on UK DVD this October 22nd, courtesy of the aptly named Monster Pictures.
Synopsis:
Three gorgeously deranged killers - Beretta, Blondie, and Snowball - hole up in a small beachside community after their murderous actions attract the wrong kind of attention. But not all is as it seems in this small town. A few of the locals try desperately to warn them of the dangers of going into the water, but these crazy vixens listen to no one and brazenly take to the sea. Unbeknownst to them, however, their seaside frolic has awakened a Horrifying Beast from the depths of the ocean. It isn’t long before these sexy sirens are hip-deep in trouble as...
Synopsis:
Three gorgeously deranged killers - Beretta, Blondie, and Snowball - hole up in a small beachside community after their murderous actions attract the wrong kind of attention. But not all is as it seems in this small town. A few of the locals try desperately to warn them of the dangers of going into the water, but these crazy vixens listen to no one and brazenly take to the sea. Unbeknownst to them, however, their seaside frolic has awakened a Horrifying Beast from the depths of the ocean. It isn’t long before these sexy sirens are hip-deep in trouble as...
- 9/3/2012
- by Pestilence
- DreadCentral.com
Stuart Simpson's Corman-esque Australian gorefest Monstro! (previously known as El Monstro Del Mar) is heading for UK DVD, courtesy of the good people at Monster Pictures UK. The film has screened at festivals around the world, picking up more than 20 different awards in its bloody path, as it resurrects the spirit of Russ Meyer's Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill!, mixed in with a healthy dose of Evil Dead style splatter and black comedy. Hitting shelves on 22 October, the release boasts two audio commentaries, cast interviews, deleted scenes and two short films: Acid Spiders and Sickie.Three gorgeously Deranged Killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community after their murderous actions attract the wrong kind of attention. But not all is as...
- 8/31/2012
- Screen Anarchy
To celebrate their 13th anniversary this year, the Melbourne Underground Film Festival is going green!
No, they’re not out to save the kookaburra or anything. Instead, they’re hosting a special tribute to the New Irish Low Budget Cinema, featuring two films by acclaimed filmmaker Ivan Kavanagh, plus work by Colin Downey, Gary Kenneally and Gerard Lough.
Muff will host a repeat screening of Kavanagh’s celebrated thriller Tin Can Man — it previously screened at Muff in 2008 — as well as his latest film, The Fading Light. The three other Irish films screening all fall into the horror/thriller genres, from Downey’s The Looking Glass to Kenneally’s Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman and Lough’s trilogy-ending The Shaken 3. And, in addition, the entire fest kicks off with the opening night Irish thriller Charlie Casanova by Terry McMahon.
But don’t think Muff is all Irish all the time this year,...
No, they’re not out to save the kookaburra or anything. Instead, they’re hosting a special tribute to the New Irish Low Budget Cinema, featuring two films by acclaimed filmmaker Ivan Kavanagh, plus work by Colin Downey, Gary Kenneally and Gerard Lough.
Muff will host a repeat screening of Kavanagh’s celebrated thriller Tin Can Man — it previously screened at Muff in 2008 — as well as his latest film, The Fading Light. The three other Irish films screening all fall into the horror/thriller genres, from Downey’s The Looking Glass to Kenneally’s Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman and Lough’s trilogy-ending The Shaken 3. And, in addition, the entire fest kicks off with the opening night Irish thriller Charlie Casanova by Terry McMahon.
But don’t think Muff is all Irish all the time this year,...
- 8/17/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film has long been a huge fan of the Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival. Every year we’re extremely impressed with the way it pokes, prods, pushes and stabs the horror genre in entertaining new directions through its diverse selection of boundary breaking movies. Some of our favorite horror flicks of the past few years — such as James Eaves‘ Bane, Rona Mark‘s Strange Girls and Stuart Simpson‘s El Monstro Del Mar — came to us through Spooky Movie.
This year will mark Spooky Movie’s seventh year in existence and it should prove to be a major milestone in the fest’s history as it will move to a new home at the prestigious AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland. As the festival busily prepares for their biggest edition yet to be held on October 10-18, we thought we’d check...
This year will mark Spooky Movie’s seventh year in existence and it should prove to be a major milestone in the fest’s history as it will move to a new home at the prestigious AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland. As the festival busily prepares for their biggest edition yet to be held on October 10-18, we thought we’d check...
- 5/2/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Lausanne Underground Film Festival
The Lausanne Underground Film Festival is an epic 5-day event in Switzerland of the most outrageous movies from all over the world. The 11th annual edition will run on Oct. 17-21 at the Swiss Film Archives and will feature tons of new films, as well as retrospectives of legendary underground filmmakers. Submitting a film, as per Luff tradition, is free.
Luff typically screens a cross-section of over-the-top gross-out flicks, trippy cult movies, experimental narratives, documentaries on fringe subjects, short experimental films and a ton more.
Last year, they screened films such as the unbelievably outrageous The Taint by Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson, Calvin Lee Reeder’s experimental The Oregonian, Adam Rehmeier‘s fantastically brutal The Bunny Game, Marie Losier’s acclaimed portrait The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye and Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film’s 2011 Movie of the Year Profane by Usama Alshaibi,...
The Lausanne Underground Film Festival is an epic 5-day event in Switzerland of the most outrageous movies from all over the world. The 11th annual edition will run on Oct. 17-21 at the Swiss Film Archives and will feature tons of new films, as well as retrospectives of legendary underground filmmakers. Submitting a film, as per Luff tradition, is free.
Luff typically screens a cross-section of over-the-top gross-out flicks, trippy cult movies, experimental narratives, documentaries on fringe subjects, short experimental films and a ton more.
Last year, they screened films such as the unbelievably outrageous The Taint by Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson, Calvin Lee Reeder’s experimental The Oregonian, Adam Rehmeier‘s fantastically brutal The Bunny Game, Marie Losier’s acclaimed portrait The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye and Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film’s 2011 Movie of the Year Profane by Usama Alshaibi,...
- 3/24/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This Week’s Must Read: The guys at Stag Films have been maintaining a blog about their “green filmmaking” philosophy and, more importantly, about their latest upcoming epic, President Wolfman. Some great articles on their working process that you need to check out.The Glen Park Association has a gallery report and pictures from a new show of the late Bruce Conner’s work at the at the Gallery Paule Anglim. The show is made up of photographs that Conner took about the San Francisco punk scene.Cineflyer gives props to Winnipeg animator Leslie Supnet, whose praises need to be sung about more frequently all over the ‘net.Landscape Suicide points out a few highlights of Newcastle’s Av Festival, including work by Bela Tarr and James Benning.Luke Black posts some highlights from this year’s $100 Film Festival that was just held in Calgary. He’s got a bunch...
- 3/18/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This Week’s Must Look At: The artist book Don’t Kill the Weatherman by Martha Colburn has an online photograph preview and it looks stunning! I love Martha’s animation, but it always moves so quickly that it’s tough to savor the actual art. But, now I can! The above borrowed image is from frames from the film Spiders in Love: An Arachnogasmic Musical, the first Colburn film I ever saw way back in 2000. (If you go to the photo set, you can find details on how to purchase this limited edition.)Craig Baldwin has published issue #22 of Otherzine. You can read the whole thing here. But, two highlights are: An interview with Dominic Gagnon, who is seeking to save “censored” online videos; and curator Brenda Contreras reviews Sylvia Schedelbauer’s found footage film, Sounding Glass.This one’s for Canyon Cinema members only: But if you are one,...
- 3/4/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Here at Dread Central we Hate spiders. The tiniest of these real life monsters can bite you and either A) turn your flesh into the equivalent of chopped meat or B) kill you. Now imagine if a breed's venom can actually melt you. Dare you tango with The Acid Spiders?
In the fifteen-minute long short The Acid Spiders, directed by Stuart Simpson, a group of girls, rehearsing for their psychedelic rock band, take liquid acid to explore new sounds unobtainable by normal perception. What they didn’t count on was an invasion of evil alien spiders intent on turning their home into a nest of bloody carnage.
Karli Madden, Nick Kocsis, Luisa Tascone, Kimberly Renyolds, Lizzy Dynon, Sarah Groenewoud, Alyssa Becht, and Piers Morgan star.
Check out some stills, artwork, and the trailer below. Look for more soon. Thanks to DC reader Avery for the heads-up!
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
In the fifteen-minute long short The Acid Spiders, directed by Stuart Simpson, a group of girls, rehearsing for their psychedelic rock band, take liquid acid to explore new sounds unobtainable by normal perception. What they didn’t count on was an invasion of evil alien spiders intent on turning their home into a nest of bloody carnage.
Karli Madden, Nick Kocsis, Luisa Tascone, Kimberly Renyolds, Lizzy Dynon, Sarah Groenewoud, Alyssa Becht, and Piers Morgan star.
Check out some stills, artwork, and the trailer below. Look for more soon. Thanks to DC reader Avery for the heads-up!
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
- 12/8/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
For their 4th annual edition, the Minneapolis Underground Film Festival is pulling out all the stops, spotlighting great local and international filmmaking talent over the course of three days, Dec. 2-4, on two screens at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (McAd).
The fest opens with an ambitious Minneapolis-based move: Tyler Jensen’s 30 Films 30 Days. Working with hundreds of local participants, Jensen and his team completed a short film a day over the course of one month and this feature compiles all of them into one package. Plus, also screening on the same night is the groovy grindhouse horror flick The Disco Exorcist by Richard Griffin.
Over the course of the next two full days and nights, two of the best highlights of this year’s Muff include Usama Alshaibi‘s masterful mix of sex and religion Profane, Stuart Simpson‘s retro-sleazetastic monster flick El Monstro Del Mar!, neither of which are to be missed!
The fest opens with an ambitious Minneapolis-based move: Tyler Jensen’s 30 Films 30 Days. Working with hundreds of local participants, Jensen and his team completed a short film a day over the course of one month and this feature compiles all of them into one package. Plus, also screening on the same night is the groovy grindhouse horror flick The Disco Exorcist by Richard Griffin.
Over the course of the next two full days and nights, two of the best highlights of this year’s Muff include Usama Alshaibi‘s masterful mix of sex and religion Profane, Stuart Simpson‘s retro-sleazetastic monster flick El Monstro Del Mar!, neither of which are to be missed!
- 11/4/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 2011 PollyGrind Film Festival recently wrapped up in Las Vegas, and the madman behind the scenes, Chad Clinton Freeman, checked in with Dread Central to share with us exclusively the winners of this year's fest.
Reveling in everything from arthouse to grindhouse to everything in between, PollyGrind has quickly made a name for itself as one of the up-and-coming premiere genre fests out there due to the success of each year of programming. This year's big winners (and flicks that will no doubt go on to find audiences soon) include the highly controversial The Bunny Game, The Super, Dear God No!, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol and Ratline.
"I was very happy with the quantity of quality films and the diversity I was able to program this year," Freeman said. "Being able to world premiere films like Mondo Sexxxx: The Terry Kobrah Story and The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol,...
Reveling in everything from arthouse to grindhouse to everything in between, PollyGrind has quickly made a name for itself as one of the up-and-coming premiere genre fests out there due to the success of each year of programming. This year's big winners (and flicks that will no doubt go on to find audiences soon) include the highly controversial The Bunny Game, The Super, Dear God No!, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol and Ratline.
"I was very happy with the quantity of quality films and the diversity I was able to program this year," Freeman said. "Being able to world premiere films like Mondo Sexxxx: The Terry Kobrah Story and The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol,...
- 10/27/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
The second annual Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival has announced its film selections and schedule. In all, 48 films will screen at the five-day festival, which runs from Wednesday, October 26th through Sunday, October 30th at the Screening Room Cinema Cafe in Amherst, New York.
From the Press Release:
The festival will host a 30th anniversary screening of the slasher classic The Burning, which was filmed in North Tonawanda. Other non-competition, showcase features include Street Trash, The Definitive Document of the Dead, and Swirlee, all hosted by special guest Roy Frumkes; the stoner comedy Trippin’, which will be introduced by Alternative Cinema’s Paige Davis; and the world premiere of the zombie anthology Decayed, written and directed by Emil J. Novak, who co-founded Buffalo Screams with author and filmmaker Gregory Lamberson (Slime City Massacre, “The Jake Helman Files”).
Features competing for awards include Absentia, which just won the top prize at...
From the Press Release:
The festival will host a 30th anniversary screening of the slasher classic The Burning, which was filmed in North Tonawanda. Other non-competition, showcase features include Street Trash, The Definitive Document of the Dead, and Swirlee, all hosted by special guest Roy Frumkes; the stoner comedy Trippin’, which will be introduced by Alternative Cinema’s Paige Davis; and the world premiere of the zombie anthology Decayed, written and directed by Emil J. Novak, who co-founded Buffalo Screams with author and filmmaker Gregory Lamberson (Slime City Massacre, “The Jake Helman Files”).
Features competing for awards include Absentia, which just won the top prize at...
- 10/8/2011
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
The 2nd annual PollyGrind assaults Las Vegas during an epic length film festival that runs Oct. 8-17 at Theatre 7 with enough sleaze and violence to make Sin City residents feel right at home.
Actually, the fest does open up on the 7th with a concert at Neon Venus with local acts like Monster Zero, Creepersin and many more.
However, the film portion of the fest opens on the 8th with Stuart Simpson‘s acclaimed Australian gorefest El Monstro Del Mar!, one of the best Russ Meyer/Roger Corman mash-ups with a Down Under twist. Read the Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film review of this gem here.
Other Bad Lit favorites in the lineup are Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson‘s The Taint, which is still completely grossing out audiences on the festival circuit, and The Uh-Oh Show, the splatter-filled horror comedy by the Godfather of Gore himself Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Actually, the fest does open up on the 7th with a concert at Neon Venus with local acts like Monster Zero, Creepersin and many more.
However, the film portion of the fest opens on the 8th with Stuart Simpson‘s acclaimed Australian gorefest El Monstro Del Mar!, one of the best Russ Meyer/Roger Corman mash-ups with a Down Under twist. Read the Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film review of this gem here.
Other Bad Lit favorites in the lineup are Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson‘s The Taint, which is still completely grossing out audiences on the festival circuit, and The Uh-Oh Show, the splatter-filled horror comedy by the Godfather of Gore himself Herschell Gordon Lewis.
- 10/6/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Washington, D.C.’s Spooky Movie Film Festival presents their 4th annual A Midsummer’s Night Scream screening series. Over four weekends from July to September, they will be screening 6 horror feature films and over three hours of short films.
The half-dozen feature films come from all over the world and, for most of them, this is a rare chance to not only see them on the big screen, but to even see them at all! Most have not received distribution on DVD yet. Films include the bloody good Australian hit El Monstro Del Mar!, directed by Stuart Simpson; the necrophiliac love story Morgue Story, directed by Paulo Biscaia Filho and the return of the Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, with The Uh-Oh Show.
Plus, on August 6, horror hosting legend Count Gore De Vol will present an evening of scary, spooky, gory, blood-drenched short films, as well as an...
The half-dozen feature films come from all over the world and, for most of them, this is a rare chance to not only see them on the big screen, but to even see them at all! Most have not received distribution on DVD yet. Films include the bloody good Australian hit El Monstro Del Mar!, directed by Stuart Simpson; the necrophiliac love story Morgue Story, directed by Paulo Biscaia Filho and the return of the Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, with The Uh-Oh Show.
Plus, on August 6, horror hosting legend Count Gore De Vol will present an evening of scary, spooky, gory, blood-drenched short films, as well as an...
- 7/20/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Ready for a bit of new eye candy for a movie featuring a badass monster and hot Aussie chicks? If you said yes, get ready to take in a brand spanking new trailer for the latest import from the Outback!
Below you'll find the plot crunch, poster, and trailer for the latest exploitation film to come out of Oz ... Stuart Simpson's El Monstro Del Mar! Dig on all the goodies, and for more check out the official El Monstro Del Mar! website.
Synopsis
Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one, especially no crazy assed old fool. So the Kraken awakes! Now, along...
Below you'll find the plot crunch, poster, and trailer for the latest exploitation film to come out of Oz ... Stuart Simpson's El Monstro Del Mar! Dig on all the goodies, and for more check out the official El Monstro Del Mar! website.
Synopsis
Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one, especially no crazy assed old fool. So the Kraken awakes! Now, along...
- 7/18/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
1Up is a new microcinema based in Perth, Australia that is launching with a very ambitious slate of screenings this summer. So far, they’ve released their full schedule for the months of June and July that includes a film almost every night of the week, and sometimes two films.
These are movies that have played on the international festival circuit, but many have not been released yet. So this is a rare treat to still see many of them still in a theater setting, even a 20-seat microcinema like 1Up.
The summer screening series kicks off with one of the best films to come out of Australia in recent years: Stuart Simpson’s vicious throwback to ’60s B-movie madness, El Monstro Del Mar, which was reviewed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film last year.
Other movies that 1Up will be screening include such festival hits such as Best Worst Movie,...
These are movies that have played on the international festival circuit, but many have not been released yet. So this is a rare treat to still see many of them still in a theater setting, even a 20-seat microcinema like 1Up.
The summer screening series kicks off with one of the best films to come out of Australia in recent years: Stuart Simpson’s vicious throwback to ’60s B-movie madness, El Monstro Del Mar, which was reviewed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film last year.
Other movies that 1Up will be screening include such festival hits such as Best Worst Movie,...
- 6/3/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Director Stuart Simpson of Lost Art Films has unleashed a free web series in the vein of "The Twilight Zone" which showcases a variety of styles from the schlocky to the suspense driven in The Dark Psychosis, a blood and guts glory.
The Dark Psychosis is an anthology of short films running about 20 minutes each that are tied together with a twisted plotline involving a young man hiding from the world in an abandoned factory. Drawn to a flickering luminescence behind a small door, he discovers a chamber filled with television sets wired to a pasty, eyeless man where one wrong move awakens the demons on the screen - the maniacs subconscious. Beaten and bound, he realises his real-world troubles were nothing compared to The Dark Psychosis...
The Dark Psychosis launched on May 5th and is totally free to check out at www.thedarkpychosis.com.
Lost Art Films, the production company behind The Dark Psychosis,...
The Dark Psychosis is an anthology of short films running about 20 minutes each that are tied together with a twisted plotline involving a young man hiding from the world in an abandoned factory. Drawn to a flickering luminescence behind a small door, he discovers a chamber filled with television sets wired to a pasty, eyeless man where one wrong move awakens the demons on the screen - the maniacs subconscious. Beaten and bound, he realises his real-world troubles were nothing compared to The Dark Psychosis...
The Dark Psychosis launched on May 5th and is totally free to check out at www.thedarkpychosis.com.
Lost Art Films, the production company behind The Dark Psychosis,...
- 5/7/2011
- by Big Daddy aka Brandon Sites
- Big Daddy Horror Reviews - Interviews
Here are two completely groovy film festivals to submit to:
Melbourne Underground Film Festival
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival, which will be holding its 12th annual edition in 2011. Yes, the festival is still going on, even with the harassment by the Australian government of the fest’s director, Richard Wolstencroft. Looking on the bright side, it’s a good PR slogan: The underground festival even the government doesn’t want you to see!
Muff has been pushing for a return to glory of Australian genre cinema for the past 11 years and now with the Aussie crime flick Animal Kingdom up for an Oscar this year, that push is starting to see some results. While Muff didn’t program that particular film itself last year, the official lineup shows they did have the world-wide horror hit El Monstro Del Mar! by Stuart Simpson and other Australian films of note such as...
Melbourne Underground Film Festival
The Melbourne Underground Film Festival, which will be holding its 12th annual edition in 2011. Yes, the festival is still going on, even with the harassment by the Australian government of the fest’s director, Richard Wolstencroft. Looking on the bright side, it’s a good PR slogan: The underground festival even the government doesn’t want you to see!
Muff has been pushing for a return to glory of Australian genre cinema for the past 11 years and now with the Aussie crime flick Animal Kingdom up for an Oscar this year, that push is starting to see some results. While Muff didn’t program that particular film itself last year, the official lineup shows they did have the world-wide horror hit El Monstro Del Mar! by Stuart Simpson and other Australian films of note such as...
- 1/29/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Paul Sharits memorial website, run by his son Christopher, is looking for articles to post on art and music. Congrats to Stuart Simpson’s fantastic El Monstro Del Mar!, which has been picked up for distribution by IndieFilmNet. Careful, this one’s “dirty”: The great cartoonist/reviewer Rick Trembles covers Usama Alshaibi’s hilarious short film The Amateur. Then, Usama Alshaibi tackles the myth about Muslims not being able to render images of the prophets. J.J. Murphy tackles one of the most controversial movies of the last year or so, whether you knew it or not: Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers. Always a cause for rejoicing: Jonas Mekas announces a new film debuting in Feb.: Sleepless Nights Stories! A little background on the film from Jonas here. SXSW interviews fellow festival founder Lisa Vandever of Cinekink four questions about her upcoming interactive panel in Austin, TX. Professor...
- 1/23/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Welcome to the first Underground Film Links post of 2011! I predict it’s going to be an amazing year for these! (So, get to work…)
This week’s must read is a fine list of resolutions for filmmakers put together by Scott Macaulay of Filmmaker Magazine. This is one of those articles I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy, but they’re really great suggestions. Since the year ended, there are, of course, lots of lists going around. First, In These Times has a round-up of the 10 Best Political Documentaries, which covered some pretty big issues. R. Emmet Sweeney of TCM’s Movie Morlocks has his Top 10 Genre Movies of 2010, of which I’ve only seen The Crazies and thought was great as well. SF360 has a mess of Top 10s in its annual survey of Bay Area critics. This is notable particularly since Jonathan Marlow of the S.F.
This week’s must read is a fine list of resolutions for filmmakers put together by Scott Macaulay of Filmmaker Magazine. This is one of those articles I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy, but they’re really great suggestions. Since the year ended, there are, of course, lots of lists going around. First, In These Times has a round-up of the 10 Best Political Documentaries, which covered some pretty big issues. R. Emmet Sweeney of TCM’s Movie Morlocks has his Top 10 Genre Movies of 2010, of which I’ve only seen The Crazies and thought was great as well. SF360 has a mess of Top 10s in its annual survey of Bay Area critics. This is notable particularly since Jonathan Marlow of the S.F.
- 1/2/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
My criteria for picking Bad Lit’s Movie of the Year is simple: First, I ask myself, “What movie has stuck in my head the most this year?” Then, whatever movie pops to mind first is my selection. But, at the same time, knowing how I think and all, some consideration goes towards what little-seen film do I think could use a little extra attention and a good publicity boost.
That didn’t happen this year.
Brent Green‘s live-action animated feature film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then is about as close as an underground film can get to being a blockbuster. First of all, it had a theatrical run in NYC at the IFC Center, then Green and his live performance collaborators have been touring with it all over the country and screening the film to major audiences everywhere it goes. And it deserves every bit of attention and acclaim it has gotten.
That didn’t happen this year.
Brent Green‘s live-action animated feature film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then is about as close as an underground film can get to being a blockbuster. First of all, it had a theatrical run in NYC at the IFC Center, then Green and his live performance collaborators have been touring with it all over the country and screening the film to major audiences everywhere it goes. And it deserves every bit of attention and acclaim it has gotten.
- 12/28/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Director: Stuart Simpson Writer: Stuart Simpson Starring: Norman Yemm, Nelli Scarlet, Kyrie Nunan-Jackson, Karli Madden, Kate Watts, Scott Brennan, Steven Stagg, David Gannon El monstro del mar! starts as a brilliant black and white homage to Russ Meyer’s Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill! with three gorgeously tough rockabilly ladies -- two brunettes, Beretta (Nelli Scarlet) and Snowball (Kate Watts), and a blond, Blondie (Karli Madden). After the film’s killer opening bloodbath, the three lady killers arrive at a seaside shanty town located on Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay to cool down...and, of course, party. One of the few remaining locals of the town, an aged and crippled fisherman named Joseph (Norman Yemm), warns the ladies to never go into the water. (There is a good reason no one lives here anymore.) The rebellious young hotties do not listen to the old coot; instead, they strip to their skivvies and splish,...
- 12/7/2010
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Underground films cleaned up at the newly re-christened Syracuse International Horror, Science-Fiction & Fantasy Film Festival, with Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson’s The Taint and Stuart Simpson‘s El Monstro Del Mar! taking home top awards.
Formerly known as the B-Movie Film Festival, the 11th annual edition of the fest was held on Nov. 20-21 and screened nine genre-themed films, plus a block of shorts.
The Australian El Monstro Del Mar! has been winning awards all over the underground film circuit, including taking home prizes at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, the Sydney Underground Film Festival and the Royal Flush Film Festival. And, thanks to Spooky Movie, which screened the film in October, I was able to see this gem of a monster movie throwback and can say it’s getting all the accolades it deserves.
The Taint has had a more modest success in the underground, but its reputation appears to be growing.
Formerly known as the B-Movie Film Festival, the 11th annual edition of the fest was held on Nov. 20-21 and screened nine genre-themed films, plus a block of shorts.
The Australian El Monstro Del Mar! has been winning awards all over the underground film circuit, including taking home prizes at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, the Sydney Underground Film Festival and the Royal Flush Film Festival. And, thanks to Spooky Movie, which screened the film in October, I was able to see this gem of a monster movie throwback and can say it’s getting all the accolades it deserves.
The Taint has had a more modest success in the underground, but its reputation appears to be growing.
- 11/24/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
New Ozploitation flick 'El Monstro Del Mar!' not only unleashes the much feared sea-beast the Kraken but also 3 hot Aussie chicks named Beretta, Blondie and Snowball - played by Nelli Scarlet, Karli Madden and Kate Watts respectively (shown below). A new trailer and poster have been revealed online for the Stuart Simpson written and directed low-budget exploitation flick. You can check out the new trailer and poster for 'El Monstro Del Mar!' as well as a glimpse at all 3 hot ladies from down under below. 'Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one, especially no crazy assed old fool. So the Kraken awakes!
- 11/17/2010
- Horror Asylum
For as far back as horror fans can remember, every good monster movie has got to have a hot chick to either be his arch nemesis or the damsel in distress. Since we here at Dread Central prefer to see chicks kicking ass (thanks Ripley), we're pretty stoked about this next creature feature!
Below you'll find the plot crunch, poster, and trailer for the latest exploitation film to come out of Oz ... Stuart Simpson's El Monstro Del Mar! Dig on all the goodies and for more check out the official El Monstro Del Mar! website.
Synopsis
Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one,...
Below you'll find the plot crunch, poster, and trailer for the latest exploitation film to come out of Oz ... Stuart Simpson's El Monstro Del Mar! Dig on all the goodies and for more check out the official El Monstro Del Mar! website.
Synopsis
Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one,...
- 11/17/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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