Paris Catacombs article on K-W.

It's one of the most popular destinations in the City of Lights, but you'd never know it from the lack of publicity.

In December 2005 my wife & I were in Paris to celebrate her birthday. After a delightful lunch at the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower we took the Metro to the Denfert-Rochereau station. Crossing the street we entered a black door and descended into the Empire of Death.

Nothing says "I love you" like holding hands while strolling past 6 million stacked up skeletons. The things she does for me!
Killer-Works article

TCC & Workshop at Kitchener festival.

The Crypt Club was invited to help kick off the inaugural 10.22 Media Short Horror Film Festival in Kitchener, ON.

As if that weren't honour enough, Festival Director Eddy Velasquez [top photo, on left] asked if I could present a workshop for indie filmmakers based on my years of filmmaking experience which spans indie, studio, and network productions.

How could I refuse? Especially since my friend Marc Lougee [bottom photo, on right] would also be presenting an animation workshop based on creating The Pit and the Pendulum. The weekend was a hoot.

We videotaped the resulting info-laden, tip-crammed 2 hour workshop, entitled Indie Production Planning: Getting Your Day.

With a little time and fancy editing the workshop will be soon be available in book and DVD formats.
10.22 Media Short Horror Film Festival

Toronto Zombie Walk article on K-W.

Sometimes you have to go undercover to get the real dirt on a story. This time I donned whiteface and a red riding coat to become a zombie ring master. That's me in the photo with TZW founder Thea Munster - before the carnage began.

You don't really lead a herd of more than 1,000 undead. You just get in front of them and stay out of their way.

Great fun was had by all - except those who were eaten along the way. (burp!)

Lots of surprised looks from Toronto residents as a tidal wave of zombies swarmed the streets en route to the Bloor Cinema for a special zombie screening.

This year Toronto. Tomorrow... the world!
Toronto Zombie Walk
Killer-Works article

At the Toronto After Dark Film Festival

It was a week of dark chills and thrills as the second Toronto After Dark Film Festival swept the city. I was at many of the screenings and events to wave the AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits banner.

Our ad in the festival program drew enquiries from fans and filmmakers alike. Seems a lot of folks just cannot get enough horror in their diet.

The TAD festival's films came from around the world and showcased a diversity of horror genre visions.

Part of the fun in attending is supporting fellow filmmakers. Mark Lougee's stop motion animated short film The Pit and the Pendulum wowed the crowd as the opening film for Uwe Boll's In the Name of the King. [top photo, from left: Marc Lougee, Miguel Gallego, festival director Adam Lopez, Uwe Boll]

And then there's the chance to meet Troma Films' head honcho Lloyd Kaufman for a chin wag, and a thumbs up photo op. [bottom photo, on left] His film Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is a crowd pleaser with a message (don't tell anyone) and a catchy theme song.

Looking forward to next year's festival.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival

TCC Wins Tabloid Witch Award.

The Hollywood Investigator's managing editor Thomas M. Sipos announced the winners of the 2007 Tabloid Witch Awards, including my own The Crypt Club as Best Dramatic Short Horror Film.

Sipos hailed the film as "a welcome return to classic, ghostly horror. A morality tale set in a creepy cemetery on a snowy night."

This year's Hollywood-based festival demonstrated the worldwide appreciation of horror films with winning entries from England, New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, and the USA.

This is the 18th award for The Crypt Club, which is an official selection of over 45 international film festivals.

This award places The Crypt Club in some pretty good company as Mike Flanagan's Oculus and Christopher Alan Broadstone's Human No More are both past Tabloid Witch Award winners and AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits participating films.

The premiere screening of this year's award winning films will be at the Santa Monica Public Library on October 27, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The screening is free and open to the public on a first come first seated basis. There will be a filmmaker Q&A.
2007 Tabloid Witch Awards

Carnival Diablo article on K-W.

On September 15, I was at the 15th Anniversary performance of Carnival Diablo at the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Ontario. I'd heard about this show for years, but was never in the right place at the right time to attend one of their macabre performances.

Finally, we coincided. And I was pleasantly surprised that a dear friend of The Crypt Club - Hearsella's mom, Thea - is now part of the Carnival Diablo troupe. Small (twisted) world, indeed.

I wrote my thoughts on the performance and the state of the disappearing carnival sideshow for the latest Killer-Works newsletter. Enjoy, and remember to tip your server generously.
Killer-Works article

The Crypt Club screens at SharpCuts.

The first SharpCuts - Guelph Indie Film and Music Festival featured The Crypt Club as part of its Friday Fright Night line-up. I was on hand to introduce the film and answer post-screening questions. Also screening that night were local filmmakers and festival organizers Thomas Gofton (Mind's Eye) and Nick Montgomery (Summoned) [top right, left & right, respectively].

The three-day festival included world premieres and filmmaking workshops. Florida's own Alex Ferrari (Broken, Cyn) presented several insightful workshops for eager filmmakers and cinephiles. [Bottom photo, filmmakers from left: Thomas Gofton, Marc Lougee, Gabriel Teran, Alex Ferrari, Miguel Gallego]

Organizers plan a bigger, better event with increased industry sponsorship for 2008.
SharpCuts

JTR Walk article on K-W.

This time, instead of being the subject of a Killer-Works article I'm the author of a special Friday edition piece.

Regular newsletter subscribers have the chance to score a prize package by guessing the reason for this irregular edition, dated Friday, August 31. The main clue is the article's subject matter: a review of the the most celebrated of London, England's Jack the Ripper Walking Tours.

You may have been a winner if you guessed that today, August 31, is the anniversary date of the murder of Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, believed to be the first victim of the notorious Whitechapel killer (a.k.a. Jack the Ripper).

Last February my wife & I did the tour, hosted by world famous Ripperologist and author of The Complete Jack the Ripper, Donald Rumbelow [pictured, left]. Little did I know then that I was doing research for an article. Always pays to take notes and photos.http://www.londonwalks.com/
London Walks
Killer-Works article

Scouting Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear

This weekend I attended Rue Morgue Magazine's annual Festival of Fear horror convention in Toronto. Accompanying me was Jill Cooper of Killer-Works.com, on her first foray into the FOF. We're here partly to gawk and be fans, and partly to do scope it out to get a dealer table for FOF 2008.

For the uninitiated, the FOF is part of the monstrous Fan Expo Canada convention that covers Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, Gaming, and Animé. An estimated 40,000 bodies crowd through the turnstyles during the 3 day weekend.

I'm not sure if that number represents just those in the horror section or all sections combined. But that's a lot of serious geeky fanboy/girl types all under one roof. Feels like home. Tons of dealer booths, celebrity autograph opportunities, screenings, games, costume contests, and more.

My convention highlight: meeting legendary Famous Monsters of Filmland cover artist Basil Gogos [pictured, right]. Lovely man. Way too many memories bubbled up while going through his decades of artwork.

Can't wait until next year.
Basil Gogos
Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear

AAAAAH!! profile on K-W.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits is the subject of this week's featured newsletter article on the newly christened Killer-Works web site.

Killer-Works.com is a unique on-line recommendation site for the best in dark and disturbing media, artifacts, and events - both new and old.

You can read the article and/or subscribe to receive future articles.
Killer-Works article

New film submission deadline announced.

While agreements are coming back from the first wave of filmmakers selected for AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, a new film submission deadline is set for: Friday August 31, 2007.

Films sent with completed submission paperwork will enter the screening queue in the order received.
www.aaaaah-films.com

Filmmaker agreements on their way.

Licensing and Distribution Agreements are on their way to the first group of filmmakers selected for AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits.

The talented filmmakers hail from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Sweden, and the USA. Congratulations!
www.aaaaah-films.com

AAAAAH!! on Facebook.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits now has an on-line group on Facebook.com.

Sign in to join our group and grow your own personal contact network.
AAAAAH!! Facebook Group

First submission deadline is a hit.

The number of films received to date is overwhelming.

Thanks to all the filmmakers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Sweden, and the USA, who submitted films for the first AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits deadline.

Those films received by March 30, 2007 are in the screening queue, and the filmmakers will be contacted soon.

If you're a filmmaker who's still thinking it over, get it together and send in your film ASAP. You'll be in some pretty good company.
www.aaaaah-films.com

World Horror Convention in Toronto

As part of my tireless efforts to seek out the best in short horror films and to expand awareness for AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, I attended the World Horror Convention this weekend in Toronto, ON with Killer-Works prez Jill Cooper.

We sat in on panel discussions, story readings, horror film screenings, bought t-shirts, books inscribed by the authors, and bid on artwork. I scored a complete collection of the Canadian -themed short story anthology series Northern Frights. All in all, it was pretty full weekend when you add the after hours libations at the hospitality rooms upstairs.

I ran into my film festival friend Robert Pratten, director of London Voodoo. He's here taking a break from intensive post production work on his new film MindFlesh. Can't wait to see it.

In addition to meeting acclaimed horror authors such as Mort Castle, Nancy Kilpatrick, Joe R. Lansdale, Don Hutchison, Sephera Girón, Kelley Armstrong, Edo van Belkom - and way more...

My convention highlight: I met a long-time personal favourite: illustrator & cartoonist Gahan Wilson (in the photo), who graciously signed and doodled in a couple of my books. Very cool!
Gahan Wilson
World Horror Convention

Crypt Club now on MySpace

Crypt Club Productions Inc. is now on MySpace. Send a friend request to spread the word. See who's friends with whom.
www.myspace.com/cryptclubproductions

AAAAAH!! is on-line with open call.

Crypt Club Productions Inc. announces an open call for film submissions for its short horror film compilation AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Volume 1.

This is the first volume of a planned series of releases showcasing the wide variety of short horror films from independent filmmakers around the world.

"There are so many great short horror films out there that the world will never get a chance to see", says filmmaker and CCPI president Miguel Gallego. "Our goal is to resurrect these films for the mutual benefit of horror fans and filmmakers alike."

"Our basic theme is: 'Great horror stories, well told.' We’re looking for as many submissions as possible so we can create satisfying volumes of short horror films. The films can be straight horror, horror-comedy, documentary, animation, you name it. If it’s horror-themed we want to see it."

The first film submission deadline is Friday March 30, 2007.
AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits
Crypt Club Productions Inc.