Super Hot Filmmaking Duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhed, Interviewed by Viewer Discretion Advised on their New Film Resolution!!

Every now and then, through the joys of the good old internet...we meet individuals just like ourselves.  People who we should have been BFF's with since childhood...growing up together and scaring all the other kids!!  One such person to me is the lovely Heather Seebach, a Marylander after my own heart!!  Is that what you call people from Maryland??  Huminah.  :)  

(Pictured above - Heather getting ready to scare the local kids!!)

(Pictured above - A less scary Heather with the ultimate in crazy awesome...Mr Charlie Day!)

Anyhoo, when Heather told me a while back about this new directing duo that had the potential to be our new James and Leigh...that is Saw creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell...I was instantly curious!!  Now fast forward a few months and today Heather posts her first video interview for her super rad site Viewer Discretion Advised, featuring said duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.  Now I will put my hand up and admit that my first thought was yowsers to the super hotness of Aaron Moorhead.  They are both extremely attractive young men but Aaron has a total LOST Hobbit vibe about him, and we all know how much I looove my LOST Hobbit!!  Bwah! :)

(Pictured above - Aaron Moorhead)

Gore~geous'ness aside however, Justin and Aaron have the full nerdy support from Heather for being amazing directors/everything'ers when it comes to making a movie.  Their new feature Resolution both looks and sounds fanfuckingtastic...and they have the full high 5 of support from Miss Seebach, a chick~a~roo whom I have a whole lot of respect for and whom I know has shit hot taste in films!!  When it comes to men, basically I'm Jax...she's Chibs!!  Although we've agreed to share Jeremy Renner, bwahahaha.  ;) 

(Pictured above - Justin and Aaron looking super cute!!)

You can read Heather's review of Resolution over at Viewer Discretion Advised and below you can watch her interview with the super nerdy hot awesome duo of Mr Benson and Mr Moorhead. :) 

And once you've watched the above interview, you'll have gathered that there had to have been some hilarity with these two BFF's and my American sista in crime, and lo and behold, here are the outtakes...

Resolution is out on VOD and iTunes this Wednesday - 23rd January, and is out in select theatres from 25th January.  Unfortunately (for me, haha), a UK release date is still to be announced, however I am sure that with all of the critical acclaim that this film is receiving, we'll have it in no time.  *fingers crossed*

Find the guys on Twitter - @JustinHBenson and @AaronMoorhead

And you can also find Heather on Twitter @VDA_Net

Ooooh, and finally, check out the fucking awesome trailer for the flick and be sure to support it by either purchasing it on iTunes/VOD, watching it in theatres or awaiting the DVD/Blu-Ray release.  Remember people, support independent film!! 

New Terminator Flick Nabs the Super Awesome Patrick Lussier!!

It is with immense fucking pleasure that I have just discovered that Patrick Lussier is writing the new Terminator movie, along with Shutter Island writer Laeta Kalogridis.  Holy. Fucking. WOW.  

As one of my favourite people working in Hollywood today, this handsome Canadian has a wicked imagination and a keen sense for detail.  I have complete trust in him to take one of my most beloved franchises, and do something absolutely wonderful with it...even if on the surface and to the "norms" he does seem like an odd choice at first. 

He's been working in film and TV for over two decades, progressing from editor, to writer, director and producer on a vast array of projects.  Whilst largely known for his work in horror and B movies, and as the partner in crime of frequent collaborator Todd Farmer (a duo that in my humble opinion, single handedly own the title of 3D Gods), I think that this fresh writing partnership has the potential to wield amazing results!!  

It will be interesting to see what director they are going to go with this time round.  Personally I actually think that the My Bloody Valentine/Drive Angry director Lussier would make a great director for this project.  And whilst I normally grimace when I hear the words 3D...if I hear Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer with the words 3D, I think, shit...this is gonna be wicked!!  Those two just have the perfect grasp of how to use 3D, not only well...but REALLY WELL.  They make it an enjoyable experience, and not a just a gimmick.  So yay, with Lussier's involvement in the project, I'm sure his BFF Farmer will somehow manage to get his ass involved...quite literally!!  Hahahaha...actually, I just thought, Farmer (who frequently acts in his movies) would make a great Terminator...he loves getting his kit off!!  Take note Hollywood!! ;)  

And Patrick, high fucking five dude!! :)

An Open Plea to ABC to NOT Cancel 666 Park Avenue - The Reason...Terry O'Quinn in the Perfect Role as the Devil!!

The first time I really noticed Terry O'Quinn was rather perfect...it was in The X Files episode Aubrey. For the casual X Files viewer, this was the episode where victims were appearing dead with the word SISTER carved out on their chest. Aubrey is the very definition of classic X Files and the dark and twisted nature of this episode made it truly perfect for Chris Carter to then cast Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts, in his sister show to The X Files, Millennium.

Millennium tells the story of freelance forensic profiler and former FBI agent Frank Black (Lance Henriksen), a man who assisted the shadowy Millennium Group hunting serial killers and murderers using his unique ability to see into the minds of these monsters. Terry O'Quinn played Millennium Group member Peter Watts, former assistant director of the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force...a dark and mysterious man of very few words who like Frank, left the FBI to join The Millennium Group in the hope of gaining a better understanding in such a dark and chaotic world. Peter Watts later becomes a senior member of the group and works with Frank Black on a number of group Group assigned cases, however we are never completely sure of his motives and whether to trust him.

Millennium was a much darker show than The X Files and I remember reading years ago that Chris Carter said he had the idea for the show when he did The X Files episode Irresistible. Irresistible featured “death fetishist” Donnie Pfaster (pictured below), played with absolute menacing relish by Nick Chinlund and was based on my ultimate most fascinating serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. The network wouldn't allow for the character of a necrophiliac so Chris Carter had to go with a death fetishist, which in my humble opinion, worked just as well...and was actually possibly even creepier!!  Nick Chinlund's appearances in The X Files playing such an epic character, it meant that when he appears in 666 Park Avenue playing a nemesis of Terry O'Quinn, it is impossible to not get a massive X Phile grin on my face!!  :D

It was playing Peter Watts that I absolutely fell in love with Terry O'Quinn and I loved it that he was in The X Files movie, and later in Season 9 episode Trust No One. 

 Years later when LOST was first announced and I read that not only Mr O'Quinn, but also Dominic Monaghan (yay to Hobbits!!) were going to be in a show from Felicity and Alias creator J.J. Abrams...I had to check it out!! From the very first second I was hooked. And like the devoted nerd that I am...I stayed hooked and true, right till the very end!! With LOST, Terry O'Quinn played yet another of my all time most favourite characters...John Locke!! A man who, like Peter Watts...has numerous layers to him. BWAH!

So anyhoo, fast forward all these years later, past Millennium and The X Files...past LOST...and we come to the present where Terry O'Quinn is playing yet another wickedly awesome character, Gavin Doran.

666 Park Avenue centers around young couple Jane and Henry who move into The Drake building at 999 Park Avenue as resident managers.  Henry is a lawyer who works for the mayor and right from the outset when after hiring Jane and Henry, Gavin turns to his wife Olivia (played with equal relish by Vanessa Williams) and says that through Jane, that's how they get Henry...we know that Gavin is out for political gain.

Gavin isn't your usual millionaire building owner though, and the residents of 999 Park Avenue aren't your usual tenants.  The Drake is a building in which living in, your dreams can come true...if you are willing to pay the price!!  To me, 666 Park Avenue is like, if Hitchcock did The X Files.  You know, dark and mysterious men.....sexy blondes, smart and stylish and then with that demented twist that you would expect from standalone X Files episodes.  :D  Which is pretty fucking awesome!!  And the scenes with Terry O'Quinn and Nick Chinlund, they make me want to scream with delight, they're absolutely wonderful!!

Terry O'Quinn is without a shadow of a doubt, perfectly cast as the devil.  I mean, he has the charm and charisma, he's handsome and he is wonderful at portraying the darkest impressions of the human soul.  He has spent his career playing characters that always had so much more than initially meets the eye.  ABC were onto a surefire certified pile of awesome when they gave the go ahead for 666 Park Avenue, and to think that now they have cancelled it, despite the fact that it's proving to be popular, it's ridiculous!!  You don't cast Terry O'Quinn in such an amazing role and then cancel the series after it's only been airing for like 6 episodes or something, that's absurd!!  

One of the main problems that is hitting 666 Park Avenue, is that people are recording it to watch later.  ABC does not count those viewers, which, to me...is completely ridiculous.  Even if they counted the viewers that watched it within a week and averaged that out...I bet the numbers would be a lot higher and they'd realize that there is a fan base for this wicked awesome show!!  

Terry O'Quinn ‏@OQuinnTerry

It's great that you love it, the only problem is DVR doesn't help the ratings, so unfortunately we're only doing 13 eps.. ever...

 Terry O'Quinn ‏@OQuinnTerry

 There are, I assume, several episodes of 666 still to be aired. How about everybody watch them live and see what happens! Just curious...

 

So what can we, as the fans do about this whole cancelled situation??  Should we sit back and do nothing...just accept it!??  Hells NOOO!!!  

Tonight when it airs, at 10pm on ABC, let's get everyone to watch it live!!  Now, as I'm in the UK, my viewership on any American/Canadian show doesn't count...unfortunately!! :/  Does that stop me from annoying the heck out of the networks....of course not, haha!!  There are various ways you can help get this campaign to save the show noticed.  First and foremost, obviously watching it when it airs at 10pm on Sunday nights.  You can also LIKE and support the Facebook group Save 666 Park Avenue.  

Another way to bring attention to the show is to get it trending on both GetGlue and Twitter.  By using the hashtags #Save666Park as well as #Save666ParkAve, we can all let ABC know that we love the show and want more episodes.  The official ABC Twitter for the show is @666ParkAve_ABC and their hashtag for the show is simply #666ParkAve  By checking into GetGlue, not only can you get exclusive sticker from the show, you will be helping to have it trending in a place a show this awesome should be!! :D  

Whilst looking for all the ways to help save the show, I came across this article that has more ways, including snail mail to ABC and links to petitions as well, go check it out.  :) 

So yes people...let's do this!!  We can't let ABC drop all this awesome without a fight, nope, nope, nope!!! 

The Lost Boy Shines a New Light on Peter Pan and Wendy!

You may remember a while back I did a post on a wee Scottish film called One Day Removals...possibly the sweariest film of all time.  Haha.  This film is an absolute cracker and a rarity in the fact that it doesn't matter how many times I watch it...I still end up with my stomach killing me from laughing so much. :) 

Anyhoo, One Day Removals introduced me to the wonderful Scott Ironside...one of the most genuinely funny people I have ever seen on the screen.  Ever since then I've been following what he's been up too and it was with great delight that the other day he posted a link to the trailer for his new film, The Lost Boy.  

Based on the masterpiece from J.M. Barrie.  The Lost Boy is a modern day adaptation of the novel Peter Pan and Wendy, set in contemporary London.  

Set one night in a club called Neverland, the story follows a 19 year old boy called Peter as he meets a girl (Wendy) whose introduction into his world sets off a chain of consequences that force him to reevaluate his entire lifestyle. 

Directed by Adam Hales-Walker, The Lost Boy is one of the graduation films from BAF06 at Metfilm School...and a pretty damn wicked looking graduation film if you ask me!! :) 

To follow the film and share the love, you can find it on both Facebook and Twitter. 

Support Team Cooper on their Trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal!!

You may remember back in December, I wrote a blog article regarding my parents undertaking the arduous task of trekking to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.  Whilst funding this trek themselves, they have decided to use this amazing opportunity to raise money for charity.  The charities chosen were The British Heart Foundation and Afasic Scotland, which is a speech and language charity for children and young people with communication problems.  These charities were chosen due to my Granddad dying from heart disease and because in mum's nursery, she comes across children with speech and communication problems on a regular basis.

The time for this trek is almost upon them, and in one week's time, they fly out to Kathmandu from where a 3 week trip shall then commence. :)

In order to get in shape for this epic trek, they have spent the past year doing lots of trekking and hillwalking throughout the UK, and documenting their adventures on their blog - Team Cooper Take on the Mount Everest Base Camp.  Their last outing before Everest was two Saturdays ago when they climbed Ben Nevis with some of our family.  This included my auntie Corinne and her partner Steve along with Team Cooper mascot, Alistair McAlistair who I introduced you to in my blog last December.  

(Pictured below - Alistair showing Team GB spirit with the Olympic Torch!!)

Also my cousin Dom and her boyfriend Kev, and their Border Terrier Pippa, and members of the Canadian side of my family Jim and Annie Szpajcher who on a tour around all the French and Belgium battlefields, made Ben Nevis their first stop!! :D  What made this all the more freakin' epic was that Nevis was the first summit completed for a number of the group, how many people get to say that!?!! ;)  

(Pictured below - the gang at the summit of Ben Nevis)

Anyhoo, after climbing Ben Nevis, mum said that they didn't even feel like they'd climbed anything...which is definitely a good sign for Everest when climbing the highest peak in the UK is a walk in the park!

(Pictured below - the Parentals at the summit of Ben Nevis)

Now obviously Ben Nevis is like baby steps in comparison to Mount Everest...even to the Base Camp.  One of the most dangerous things about this trek happens before you've even pretty much started.  That comes from having to fly into Lukla Tensing-Hillary Airport.  According to a documentary entitled World's Most Extreme Airports which aired on The History Channel in 2010, Lukla was rated the most dangerous airport in the world...and when you watch the video below, you can see why!!

When it comes to actually trekking to Base Camp, obviously one of the biggest dangers comes from the ever changing altitude, which is why there are days set aside for acclimatisation to help individuals get used to the thinning air. Mum and Dad might have been getting in tip top shape, but even climbing Ben Nevis which has a true height of 4, 408ft, it's just no where near high enough for them to have gotten used to the air quality at such a height above sea level!  And to be at that height for such a long period of time as well.  

These are just a couple of the dangers, and I think I'll stop there as I think that's enough to put most people off...well, if the actual distance and fitness levels needed didn't already, haha.  

(Pictured above - Dad at Vindolanda)

This is why I think it's such a great idea to use this trek to raise money for charity as well.  I mean, the point of a really good fundraiser is to do something different right...something that has you in the minority.  Between the JustGiving pages and sponsorship donations they've been receiving from colleagues and for example, kids parents at my mums nursery etc., they are currently sitting on £1376.  This is totally amazing, but let's see if we can raise the bar all that higher and see just how much more we can raise!! :)  

In this blog post I have linked to previous blog articles, as well as various websites etc.  Please do add @EverestBunny on Twitter for on the trek updates, where and when a signal is available of course.  Also please LIKE the Facebook Page, follow their blog and Flickr accounts.  If you could retweet their posts, and share their Facebook page and blog, that would be totally rad as well.  And think, you can feel happy in the fact of knowing that you helped out, and didn't even have to leave the comfort of your sofa, haha.  

You can donate via the Team Coops Just Giving page or via Paypal.  

You can also donate via text message by entering the following details - 

FSCK63 *insert amount in £* to 70070 for BHF

i.e. text - FSCK63 £5 to 70070 if you want to donate to the British Heart Foundation

QJDQ52 *insert amount in £* to 70070 for Afasic

Ooh, and last but not least, have a wee nosey at the little slideshow I've put together of  pics from some of their various training treks. :)  

Thank you! xo

Piracy - Robbing the Lives of Underground Film Makers!!

Okay, so once again my views on pirating movies seems to have hit a raw nerve with some people!!  This came about after I realised that indie horror V/H/S (pictured above and below) was making it's way around oil rigs.  

I live in an area where a large percentage of people work off shore, so this is obviously gonna be one of the most noticeable areas where pirated movies are shared.  Another would be the forces, they're terrible for it too!!  Getting off track though, seeing that a film that was made within a community of my some of my closest friends was getting passed around for free, it obviously got me on my soapbox!!  

I think when it comes to piracy, be it pirated DVD's, or downloading/streaming movies for free, the majority of people don't give a second thought for the film makers, the people that gave their blood, sweat and tears to make the movie.  I mean, could you imagine, giving your all to something and then getting pretty much nothing back from it...it wouldn't feel that great would it?!!  Getting movies funded in this day and age isn't as easy as what most seem to think, even the big studio's, they're wary to fund films unless they know that it's gonna make them a fortune right from the get go!!  It frequently baffles me why certain big Hollywood studios will put a shit ton of money into a film like Green Lantern, or Battleship, or god forbid any Michael Bay movie (that's a whole different rant though, haha), yet they won't fund smaller independent movies that would take a teensy tiny fraction of the cost to make...and then go on to make millions.  A perfect example of this would be Saw, or Insidious.  James Wan and Leigh Whannell (pictured below), you are both geniuses!! :)  

Because the big studios are usually unwilling to fund smart, intelligent and original films, the film makers often have to largely fund the film themselves, or to have fans help to raise funds for them.  This is something that is largely evident in the horror industry. The big studios will fund utter wank like the Nightmare on Elm Street remake, or The Omen remake...actually, pretty much any remake...yet they won't fund anything original as they usually don't have the balls too!!  Many film makers are using sites such as KickStarter and IndieGoGo to fund their projects with the help of fans.  So fans are helping to fund these movies, yet "casual movie watchers", like the people who watch stuff just for the sake of it and couldn't give a fuck about the people who made the film, they're stealing from the true fans as well.  Yet they don't seem to get why this grinds my fucking gears!!!

When it came to looking for the moohlah to fund their follow up to their grindhouse self funded Dead Hooker in a Trunk, American Mary...Jen and Sylvia Soska's parents Agnes and Marius Soska mortgaged their freakin' house to help finance it!!  This money then made other financier's feel more comfortable about getting on board this darkly twisted and fucked up little beauty!!  How cool is that, I mean, how many parents would be willing to do that for their twisted little children? :)  This was obviously a very risky move, but it turned out to be a great one!!  Now Universal Films have acquired distribution rights for many international territories including the UK and Germany, and are looking to acquire world rights.  

Dead Hooker in a Trunk however was funded entirely by the two of them working their arses off in their day jobs, and then totally maxing out their credit cards.  Again, a move that worked to their advantage but could have completely backfired, as so many other film makers have found out.  The success of Dead Hooker in a Trunk was largely due to the support from the underground film industry, and especially the Women in Horror Month movement...which I am proud to call myself a part of. :)  This backed with support from Eli Roth and things started really started to move forward for Jen and Sylvia...but it took a whole lot of clever networking and support from horror film nerds for them to get to the point where Eli Roth asked if they had any more scripts...the point from where American Mary was conceived. :D

We live in a society where it's deemed okay to pirate films, but what people seem to forget, is that this is these people's livelihood's that are being messed with.  The whole thought that "all film makers are loaded and don't need the money anyway", that's a heap of crap!!  Some of them work day jobs and then film in their evenings and weekends.  They basically have no life, and then for people to just download or pirate these films without a second thought, I said it before, and I will say it again, they're just raping the fucking film makers up the arse...and they couldn't give a fuck about it!!  

My thoughts and opinions have caused a lot of controversy among people close to me, but I don't fucking care.  And my graphic depiction...sometimes one needs to be so graphic to get a point across.  Rape is taking something without any regard for the other person, it is an action where you couldn't care less about the other person's feelings, or life.  And I'm sorry, but that is exactly what pirating these underground films does.  You could ruin a film makers career, and even life, just because you have no regard for what they do, or them as an actual person.  

I then got into an argument where the prices of cinema tickets came into it, yet, most of these underground films don't make it to the cinema....and why...because people fucking pirate them and then the film company doesn't see the point, I mean, where's the money to be made!?!!  A point that was made very clear when desperate to see Adam Green's Frozen, I had to go to Edinburgh to the Cameo Cinema, the only cinema in the whole of freakin' Scotland that was showing it!!!  (Pictured below - Me showing my support from indie horror at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgers)

At the end of the day, I know I'm never going to win this argument with everyone, but if people could at least think about what they're doing, and if they enjoy these the films at least then buy them on DVD/Blu-Ray, or watch them through LoveFilm or Netflix.  Just let the film makers know that you appreciate their work and support them in their journey to bring more great films to you.  All films suffer as a result of piracy, but it's the smaller budget independent films that suffer the worst, and that's just not cool!!  So don't be a dick and contribute to destroying a world of decent fucking movies!!  

And this was never aimed at any one person, it was aimed at society in general.  The End.  

Monster Pictures, A.K.A. Universal Pictures, Officially Have Distribution Rights for Jen and Sylvia Soska's American Mary...WOOT!!

So it is with great pleasure that I can finally unzip my mouth and announce to y'all that American Mary, the second feature from my twinnie Canadian sista's has been bought by the one and only, Universal freakin' Pictures!!!  This is such unbelievably downright fucking rad~core news, for both Jen and Sylvia, the team behind American Mary...and for horror fans the world over!!  At the moment they have distribution rights for a number of international territories including the UK and Germany, and are currently battling it out to aquire world rights too!!  :D  The fact that such a big distribution company have picked up an indie darling of a film, that is beyond downright fucked up, is a huge step forward for the independent horror movie industry.  It's proof that the big guys are sitting up and paying attention.  That they appreciate a downright good movie, and have perhaps decided that the time has come to support films that aren't just manufactured churned out garbage!!  Because let's face it, American Mary most certainly is NOT that!!

American Mary is the story of medical student, Mary Mason as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with the surgical world she once admired.  The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries, which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so called 'freakish' clientele.

American Mary is a wonderful look into the world of body modification, a world that is often frowned upon by mainstream society, and wrongly at that.  We live in such a judgemental society that these individuals who get enveloped in this world, they can be some of the sweetest and most loving people you could ever meet.  It's the so-called "normal" people, the professionals, the conventionally attractive people, these are the people that can be the real arseholes of society!!  With American Mary, Jen and Sylvia have really brought a sense of humanity to these so-called "scary and weird" people and have brought to light some of the horrors behind "normality".

With a downright wicked script, a superb cast and an amazing team behind the film, this really is testament to girl power at its strongest!!  They have taken on the sausage~fest world of horror and raped it up the ass with a great big fucking dildo...in the best of ways of course, haha!!  Just check out the first trailer for the film, I mean...HERRRROOOOOO!!!!! ;)

And speaking of the cast, one of the most amazing things to have come out of this is the absolutely gore~geous and fucking amazing Tristan Risk.  Tristan was originally brought in to work on dance routines and it was after meeting her that Jen and Sylvia realised that she WAS Beatress!!  She embodies the character of Beatress Johnson so much, it's totally freaky that the girls actually wrote this part without even knowing her.  It's a match made in freak~tarded heaven!! :)

After such a positive screening at the Cannes Film Festival, Universal have obviously seen the brilliance that lies before them.  People in England can also witness this genius on Monday 27th August at the 13th Annual Frightfest Film Festival in London where both Jen and Sylvia, along with stars Katherine Isabelle and John Emmet Tracy will be in attendance.  

For a nerd~gasm of a look at the look at the full cast then check out my post I did before which you can read here.  To follow all the latest Mary updates and going on's then please be sure to LIKE the American Mary page on Facebook!