Texas Blood Bath Film Festival Returns For A Second Helping

They say that if you love something you should set it free. If it comes back to you then it's yours. If it doesn't come back to you: a) it never was yours; or, b) hunt it down and drag it back kicking and screaming. The choice is yours.

Well, speaking of things that we love that come back, it's time for The Texas Blood Bath 2: Film Festival this Saturday and Sunday, November 13 and 14 at The Texas Theatre
231 W. Jefferson Blvd, in lovely Dallas, Texas. The screenings begin at noon on Saturday and wrap up with Sunday's 8:00 pm show.

There's lots of cinematic gore in store, brought to you by my blood buddy Andrew Rose and DOA Entertainment.

Featured guests include Debbie Rochon, Reggie Bannister, April Burril, and many, many others.

Now, I hear you asking, "Is there an Opening Night Party?" You bet your sweet entrails! DOA wouldn't leave you hanging. The Opening Night Party is Friday November 12, starting at 9:00 PM at Muddy Waters Bar, 4314 Live Oak Street, also in lovely Dallas, Texas. Remember: you must fortify yourself for the onslaught of films ahead of you this weekend.

And, yes, there's also a Closing Night Party on Sunday after the last show - because you must fortify yourself for the onslaught of Monday ahead of you. AAAAAH!!

Details about The Texas Blood Bath 2: Film Festival are available at their website (below).

Tell 'em Mighoul sent ya. It won't get you anything, but the puzzled look on Andrew Rose's face will be priceless.

LINKS:
Texas Blood Bath 2: Film Festival

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Hanging at the BAZAAR of the BIZARRE

I'm a sucker for cool handmade items.

Mass-production is all right for heavy duty stuff, like refrigerators. But for other things - those that add beauty, curiosity, and fulfillment to your life - there's nothing like the care and attention to detail of an artisan's touch.

And then there's the weird & wonderful. I like when artisans and the weird & wonderful round the same corner and smack into each other. The result is often far more satisfying than a mere chocolate/nut-paste confection.

And that leads me to the Bazaar of the Bizarre.

I discovered the Bazaar of the Bizarre last spring on the recommendation of artist David Irvine. It's a Toronto showcase for artisans, created by Plastik Wrap boutique's Adriana Fulop.

Here's how she describes the now twice-annual one-day event:

If you have not attended the last bazaar and do not know what to expect, you are in for a real treat! It is a marketplace filled with amazing vendors. Artists, designers, craft-folk, publishers, and other independent makers of all things exotic, whimsical, and macabre are assembled to attack all of your senses.

Sounds like my kind of market place.

Last spring we picked up several very cool items, including a pair of skull cuff-links to add some macabre pizazz to a business suit.

Then it hit me: I'm an independent maker of macabre stuff.

So, we have a booth at the next Bazaar of the Bizarre on Sunday October 10th to add some "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits", Cryptwear, and Black Widow Hearse Club swag to the Bazaar's mix.

Scare you there...

LINKS:
Bazaar of the Bizarre
Bazaar of the Bizarre Facebook event page
Plastik Wrap
David Irvine's MySpace page

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NOW AVAILABLE: "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Vol. 2" DVD

October!

My favourite month of the year is here!

And to celebrate October we're announcing the DVD release of "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits - Volume #2".

It's available right now at our web site: http://www.aaaaah-films.com.

And, as an added bonus, our checkout is now also PayPal friendly!

Why am I so excited?

There are nine-plus reasons.

We're calling volume 2, "More Killer - No Filler". That's right, 'more' because... well, there's more on this disc.

We're featuring 9 - count 'em 9 - great short indie horror films on this DVD, for a total running time of 122 minutes - over 2 hours of terror-inducing cinema - plus Extras!

So, you'll pardon my high adrenaline level.

In alphabetical order, the great short horror films on volume 2 are:

"GNAW" by Frank Merle
"HELL'S HABIT" by Mike Jackaon (also "The Veil" from vol. 1)
"HUMAN NO MORE" by Christopher Alan Broadstone (also "My Skin!" from vol. 1)
"THE KOOKY KASTLE" by Paul Carty
"LEGEND OF THE SEVEN BLOODY TORTURERS" by Conall Pendergast
"OUT OF THE DARKNESS" by Nicholas Rucka
"THE ROOM" by Diego Meza-Valdes
"THE STRAIN" by Mike Doyle
"TRICK OR TREAT" by Oliver Pearce

We premiered advance copies of the DVD at Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear during FanExpo in August. And the response was huge! Folks who bought volume 1 the first time around now snapped up volume 2 sight unseen. Thank you!  Your feedback is invaluable!!

It's going to be a full month with promo events. Hope you enjoy all of October as it twists and turns toward a Happy Halloween.

Dim the lights and enjoy!

LINKS:
AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits

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New AAAAAH!! Vol. 2 Trailer Unveiled

Greetings fans of indie horror...

BREAKING NEWS!!

The wait is finally over!

We've got the "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Volume 2" DVD ready to roll out in a month. Stay tuned for more about that right pronto.

In the mean time, feast your squinties on our achingly new trailer.

It features a greatest hits of clips from the nine (yes, nine!) short horror films on volume 2, as well as the fang-tastic "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits Theme" by Adrian Ellis.

If you like the trailer, wait till you see the films themselves. Until then, enjoy this tasty morsel.



To see the trailer a little bigger and clearer you can watch it here.

And - for you eager readers - I'm at FanExpo in downtown Toronto this weekend (Friday Aug. 27- Sunday Aug. 29) with an advance pre-sale box of DVDs and ghoulishly cool CryptWear swag. I might even have some Black Widow Hearse Club gear with me too.

So, if you can't wait for the official DVD release... claw your way to Booth #715 in the Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear section at FanExpo, North Building (Front St. Entrance) of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Scare you there.

LINKS:
FanExpo
Adrian Ellis
AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits

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Bill Plympton Doc Seeks Assistance

Two very cool people are involved in one extremely cool project. Performer & Filmmaker Alexia Anastasio is creating a documentary about renowned, Academy Award nominated indie animator "Bill Plympton called Adventures in Plymptoons!"

Why make a documentary about Bill Plympton, "King of the indie animators"?

Well, here's what some people you probably recognize say about Mr. Plympton and his doc-worthiness.

"Bill is an extraordinary animator. He has an extraordinary mind....He seems to get right to the depth of the human condition." - Terry Gilliam

"Bill Plympton's imagination, and the way that he was able to deconstruct animation....was something I'd never seen before." - Matthew Modine

"I think he's one of the few guys who does what I say people should do, which is your own films....Bill's a great animator." - Ralph Bakshi

"You don't want to meddle with genius...Bill's just amazing." - Weird Al

“Bill has an impossible ability to carelessly marry the absurd with the profound. I’ve always just loved his stuff.” - Seth Green

"Bill Plympton just keeps on creating his amazing cartoons, a true American artist." - John Landis

The film is currently in post-production and needs dinero to get it done.

And that's where you and www.kiskstarter.com come in. Alexia has set a $10,000 donation challenge. If good folks (like you) donate that amount by the deadline then the film gets the money. If donations fall short (by even one dollar!) then nothing happens and pledges are dropped.

If you can lend a hand to help create a lasting documentary about one of the world's great indie animators... just think how cool you'd be too. Every single dollar counts.

The nail biting Donation Deadline is October 12, but why wait to act on a good impulse?
LINKS:
Kiskstarter page
Alexia Anastasio Bill Plimpton page
Alexia Anastasio web page

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Zombie Car Wash - Suds of the Dead

It's late in the summer and your trusty ride is looking tired & grungy. What do you do?

You can take it to an automatic car wash and let the machine do the work, or you can break out the sponge & hose and do some environmental damage yourself...

OR, you can let the un-dead do your menial automotive beautification work for you.

Sounds like a no-brainer to me... (mmm, brains...)

But where can this magical act transform my wheels into a gleaming object of both transportation and envy?

The Bloods 'n Suds Zombie Car Wash, brought to you by the thoughtful, gentle, and caring ghouls of the Toronto Zombie Walk.

ONE DAY ONLY! Saturday, August 21.

Come and support one of Toronto's top events. And be sure to look your best (beast?) for the cameras from SPACE TV. Yep, they're coming to cover the car wash.

NO CAR? NO PROBLEM. Bikes, Hearses, Wagons, etc. are most welcome! If it has wheels the TZW zombies will wash it.

Here are the details of the TZW's final "fiendraiser" before the 8th annual big event on Saturday, October 23 - more info on that soon. And, thanks for all our past support.

BLOODS 'N SUDS
The Zombie Car Wash in support of the Toronto Zombie Walk

Saturday, August 21 form 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Classic Coin Car Wash
1247 College St. (one block East of Lansdowne Ave.)
Toronto, ON

"You'll feel like a KING/QUEEN (of the dead) when you sit back, relax, and let these hideous flesh eaters clean your automobile in un-dead automaton fashion -- that is, if you can make it through the initial blood curdling fear!"

Car Wash (no blood) $10.00
Car Wash (with blood, full zombie attack) $15.00

Let the un-dead help you come clean so you can ride out the summer in style.

LINKS:
Toronto Zombie Walk page
Bloods 'n Suds Facebook page

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Official Toronto Zombie Walk's Brain Drive Is In High Gear

[The following information from Thea Munster (a.k.z. The Zombie Queen, She Who Must Be Obeyed - Or Else) is being re-transmitted by us - with liberal editorial content, and only a few nasty bruises. BTW, that is neither Thea nor me in the photo. That's the last zombie who failed to, well, you know... Now he has to eat his brain rations through a twisty straw. Heartbreaking really. But I digress...]

Yikes!! Only 4 months to go before the dead rise and invade the streets of Toronto!!! Yes boys & girls, the official Toronto Zombie Walk is back for 2010.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 23.

It's going to be bigger and better than ever. Will we break last year's attendance estimate of 5,000 undead souls? Come on out and count heads for yourself.

We have some new things this year, including FREE Toe Tag registration.

TZW REGISTRATION

Now, you're probably saying to yourself, "I've never had to register before. What gives?" Or, maybe you're standing there shaking your fist saying, "F*** you. You'll never take me alive (undead?)!"

Indeed. In either case, why should you register for this tremendous grassroots success? Well, success brings new challenges. And this is one way that we can get some stats so we can go for bigger events... As the undead Martha Stewart would say, between bites of brain tartar, "It's a ghoul thing."

And, did I mention there are tasty incentives to registering? Yep. We're going quid pro quo, baby.

Here's how it works:

You register either in advance on-line, or on the day at the TZW starting point with one of several TZW Registration Volunteers with clipboards. Trust me, It's better to register in advance and avoid the line-ups and hassle of a last minute rush.

When you register on-line you'll receive an e-mail with a registration number. Print out the registration e-mail and bring it to the TZW starting point and trade it for your very own keepsake, commemorative TZW TOE TAG. The Franklin Mint ain't got squat on this baby.

Each TZW Toe Tag is numbered and eligible for special prize draws. Flashing your souvenir TZW Toe Tag also gives you the special Zombie Discount at the Bloor Theatre screening following the TZW.

You can register now on-line. Just click TZW FREE On-Line Registration

2010 BRAIN DRIVE IS IN GEAR

Our 2010 Brain Drive has begun! Why? Because this year's TZW operating costs are well over 3,000 bones!! (Ay caramba!)

[By the way, I believe it's called a Brain Drive because zombies need brains to survive, and the not-for-profit TZW needs public support to keep on keeping on. We're like PBS for the ambulatory undead.]

Fortunately, some amazingly generous sponsors have donated a number of fiendtastic prizes. And we've created some awesome prize packs that YOU CAN WIN when you help out The Toronto Zombie Walk.

Brain Drive Tickets are available for a donation of $5, or 3 for $10! We also have a ghoulishly amazing MYSTERY PRIZE - you get a chance at that one for a donation of $2.

To check out the prize pack contents click TZW Brain Drive You can Enter/Donate securely through PayPal.

Fiendtastic prizes include:

*a stay for 2 at a Niagara on the Lake Hotel
*a Flip Camera
*art prints from Christopher Zenga
*jewelry from Jeanie Schlegel
*zombie goodies from Zombies and Toys
*jewelry from The Krafty Kreep
*creepy ghoul basket from Horrors Unlimited
*gift certificate from UV Kitty
*2020 Haunt Calendars by Hector Turner
*merch from Crypt Club Productions Inc.
*passes to Scream Fest
*merch from Black Widow Hearse Club

And much, much more!!!!!

Then, on July 31, 2010 we'll choose random donors to each win one of our seven awesome prize packs. The more you donate to the TZW, the better your chances to take home some sweet swag!

We will be announcing other BRAIN DRIVE events shortly, so keep your eyeballs peeled!!!

CALLING ALL SPONSORS

We are always looking for prize donations for future fiendraising raffles and as giveaways on TZW day events.

Got an idea or something concrete for us? Let us know at info@torontozombiewalk.ca

We are very GRAVE~ful for all your help and support!

[And that's all she wrote.]

LINKS:
Official Toronto Zombie Walk Site
TZW Help The Walk
TZW Registration
TZW Brain Drive

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30 Day Film Fund Raising - Or Else!

Time and Money. That's all it takes to make a film. Ask my filmmaking friend Mike Flanagan, creator of the awesome film "Oculus".

Well, okay, maybe that's not all you need. You need talent, perseverance, and, among many other things: a way with people. But Time and Money are required no matter what. And I don't know anyone who has too much of either commodity.

So what's a filmmaker to do...?

Enter Kickstarter.com a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers... anyone who has an idea or an endeavour can use it to search for their cabbage patch full of leafy greenbacks.

Mike is prepping "Absentia", his fourth feature film, and his first horror film since the multiple award winning "Oculus" (featured on "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Vol. 1").

He's raising funds in "pledge drive" style, with a project page and both a funny pitch video (you gotta see it) and a scary trailer. If you've seen "Oculus" you know Mike can do scary. For me, the revelation was that Mike can also do funny. Good on ya!

Filmmakers and fund-seekers should check out the project page - AND PRONTO! As of today he's got 25 days left to raise the funds.

If I'm reading the site correctly, unless he raises 100% of his goal by the deadline the pledges go away. You can pledge as little as $5, or go whole hog. Don't worry, you won't be the first to pledge. So far over 80 film friendly folks have put their shoulders to the project's wheel.

Here's a taste of the info about "Absentia":

"Absentia" represents a rare kind of horror movie: one that doesn't rely on gratuity, gore, violence, and cheap shocks. Instead, it operates under the philosophy that if you combine fleshed out, realistic characters with a thought-provoking storyline, and then weave in elements of universal psychological fear, the result is what makes great horror films like "Let the Right One In," "The Descent," "The Exorcist" and "Session 9" possible.

After all, what you DON'T see is always scarier than what you DO....

The film also represents the inaugural feature film of Fallback Plan Productions, a company formed by Justin Gordon and Morgan Peter Brown to give creative opportunities to writers, directors, and actors still laboring on the fringes of an industry that can be impossible to infiltrate. The philosophy is simple ... if you're having a hard time getting your foot in the door, make your own door!

Shot on the revolutionary Canon 5D Mark II, "Absentia" will begin principal photography on June 21, 2010 in Glendale, CA.

Katie Parker (“The Young and the Restless”), Courtney Bell (“Step Up 2: The Streets”), Dave Levine (“Charmed”), Morgan Peter Brown (“Nailed”), and Justin Gordon ("What's Bugging Seth") are attached to star.

Lots more info about the film and the pledge funding model on the site links.

Enjoy. Benefit. And let 'em know Mighoul sent ya...

LINKS:
Mike Flanagan Film
Absentia Kickstarter page
Fallback Plan Productions

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A Haunting We Will Go

If you're into haunting for fun, profit, or even no-for-profit then you owe it to yourself to come and hang out at the Canadian Haunters Convention taking place Friday May 7 to Sunday May 9, 2010 at the Parkway Convention Centre in Saint Catharines, Ontario.

This is the first Canadian event of its kind - and it's a... wait for it... FREE EVENT! (Why should our Southern neighbours have all the haunting fun?)

So, bring the kiddies. Just be sure you leave with as many as you brought.

To celebrate this inaugural event we're taking a ghoulish road trip of sorts. Some of the members of the Black Widow Hearse Club will gather at the Canadian Haunters Convention to showcase a handful of our club's coaches on the trade show floor.

Not only can you see these vintage beauties up close, but you'll be able to talk to their drivers. Now that's scary.

So, bring the kiddies. Just be sure you leave with as many as you brought.

One of our BWHC founders, Wayne Mallows, is one of the weekend's VIPs. He'll be presenting a practical seminar on "Creating Memorable Characters". Check the event web site for all the gruesome goings on.

Apart from being rather memorable himself, Wayne has a new novel, "Whitechapel Road - A Vampyre tale", that will be available for purchase and autographing during the weekend at his booth (#203), conveniently located near the Black Widow Hearse Club exhibit.

So, bring the kiddies. Just be sure you leave with as many as you brought.

And, of course, I'll be at the hearse display with copies of our fear-bulous DVD collection: "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits", and some creepy cool Crypt Wear...

Check the convention website for all the events & times. There's a whole lot of planned for the weekend. The trade show floor is open to the public. The seminars are paid/ticketed events.

Scare you there on the trade show floor.

Trade Show Hours of Operation:
Friday, May 7 from 7 pm - 10 pm
Saturday, May 8 from 8:30 am - 5 pm
Sunday, May 9 from 9 am - 2 pm

And bring the kiddies. Just be sure you... aw, you know.

LINKS:
Canadian Haunters Convention
Black Widow Hearse Club
AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits
Wayne Mallows

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The Romance of Zombie Building

Need a unique Valentine’s Day gift?

Perhaps something on the creepy, slimy side of the romance meter?

Mom always said she preferred hand-made gifts to store-bought presents.

So here's your chance.

Why not give your boo-loved a ghoulish, hand-made Zombie Puppet in your own disfigured image to remember you by while you're out on the prowl for brains...

Better yet, why not give each other a Zombie Avatar?!

Well, your slurred prayers have been answered.

Matt Ficner presents a Creepy Puppet Project WORKSHOP!

BUILD-A-ZOMBIE!
Saturday February 13th 2010
At Matt’s home studio, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Join in the one-day workshop fun of making your own rod-style zombie puppet.

Participants will be given a puppet rod rigged skeleton base to build up gooey bits of flesh and stretch rubbery skin over. Eyeballs, teeth, tattered clothes and other rotten bits will also be provided!

$350 per participant
SPACES ARE LIMITED!

For detailed directions and bookings contact:
workshops@mfproductions.ca

KEEPING IT CREEPY!

LINKS:
Matt Ficner Productions

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The Paranormal Show at the Paper Mill Theatre

It's that time of year again. Time to shake off the new year's cobwebs and turn to face the long, dark nights and wonder, "What's out there?"

My close fiend Scott McClelland (Carnival Diablo) has just the thing to focus your other-worldly ponderings: The Paranormal Show is back!

As Scott puts it,

"The Paranormal Show is a Spectacular assortment of Supernatural experiments and a bizarre twist on Sideshow Feats that will make you question everything you thought you understood about REALITY.

Take a trip down the rabbit hole and into a world of the Supernatural, a world unlike your own. Witness experiments that will bend and warp reality, giving you a glimpse into a world where science has no place.

Loaded with audience participation and laughs galore, this show is a unique experience for everyone. Mind-boggling mysteries abound... you may have paid for an entire seat... but you'll just be using the edge of it during the Show!

Join Vladimir Eisengrimm as he attempts to contact the ghosts that haunt Todmorden Mills and unveils Edison's Machine to Talk to the Dead!

Don't miss this astounding show!"

PLAYING THREE NIGHTS ONLY

Thursday January 21st, Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd at The Paper Mill Theatre (Todmorden Mills) in deepest, darkest Toronto, ON.

Doors open at 8pm. The show starts at 9pm sharp!

Tickets are $30.00, available at the door on the evening of each performance.
No Reserved seating, so arrive early to get a good seat!
PARKING IS FREE

The Paranormal Show
at The Paper Mill Theatre
67 Pottery Road (Todmorden Mills)
Toronto, Ontario

For more info, check out www.theparanormalshow.net

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Keep Your Eyes Peeled for AAAAAH!! Shorts on Tonight's "Crash & Burn"

Tonight's episode of "Crash & Burn" (10 pm EST on Showcase), entitled "Lawyers, Guns & Money", is special for so many reasons. This episode re-unites Enrico Colantoni ("Galaxy Quest", "Flashpoint", "Just Shoot Me") with his co-star from "ZOS - Zone of Separation", Michelle Nolden, as a couple with an extreme approach to marriage counseling.

Without giving away the episode, let's just say that Enrico's SWAT buddies from "Flashpoint" aren't far away. Nuff said.

The series' 8th episode also marks the broadcast licensing debut of not one -- but two -- of the short horror films from "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits, Volume 1".

Eagle-eyed indie horror fans will catch glimpses of Christopher Alan Broadstone's "My Skin!" and Anthony Falcon's "The Ninth Entry" as part of a background montage on Enrico's editing console early in the episode.

If you like what you see and want more indie horror from indie filmmakers check out the collection at www.aaaaah-films.com - now on sale for $9.95.

If you miss tonight's airing check Showcase's show listings for re-broadcasts on Friday and Sunday evenings.

And, keep watching "Crash & Burn" because in episode 10 there's a cameo appearance by a certain 'Twisty Mustache Man' in the opening spot from Protected Insurance. Snidely Whiplash ain't got nothin' on me...

LINKS:
Crash & Burn
AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits

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PRETTY SCARY BLOOD BATH FF ANNOUNCED

Who says Women aren't as scary as Men?

Certainly no one that I know. That's fer sure. In fact, I'd say that Women can be a whole lot scarier than Men.

If you don't believe me you can check out the following for empirical proof on screen.

And in the mean time, have yourself a Happy Grue Year!

PRESS RELEASE: 26 December 2009

IN HONOR OF WOMEN IN HORROR RECOGNITION MONTH, DOA BLOOD BATH ENTERTAINMENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH PRETTY/SCARY PRESENTS: THE PRETTY SCARY BLOOD BATH FILM FESTIVAL.

In response to Hannah Neurotica’s call for the “Women in Horror Recognition Month” in February of 2010, (www.womeninhorror.com) DOA Blood Bath Entertainment will hold The Pretty Scary Blood Bath Film Festival the 27th of February, 2010 from 11 AM to 6 PM at the Studio Movie Grill in Addison, Texas.

DOA Blood Bath Entertainment is also proud to announce the sponsorship and support of Heidi Martinuzzi of Pretty/Scary.net (www.pretty-scary.net), the web community of women of horror, by women of horror.

The Pretty Scary Blood Bath Film Festival will showcase a selection of independent feature and short horror films that have been written and directed by women. These films are to be selected by Dione and Andrew Rose and announced in January of 2010.

Eve Blaack, owner and editor-in-chief of Hacker’s Source, the guide to independent horror, (www.eveblaackpub.com), will serve as the Pretty Scary Blood Bath Film Festival’s Mistress of Ceremonies. Eve Blaack, as a woman in horror, truly appreciates independent horror cinema and has spent countless hours and dollars promoting independent film through the publication of her magazine; The Hacker’s Source.

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available by contacting Dione or Andrew Rose at info@doabloodbath.com.

More information can be found at www.doabloodbath.com.

DOA Blood Bath Entertainment is a sole-proprietorship of Dione and Andrew Rose, who seek to provide fans of horror opportunities to view independent horror films through film festivals and special screenings throughout the year.

Pretty-Scary.net is the creation of Heidi Martinuzzi, a film and entertainment journalist based in Los Angeles, California. It is the premier web-community dedicated to the promotion and support of women in horror entertainment.

Contact: Dione Rose
PO Box 643
Farmersville, TX 75442
214-207-9530
Info@doabloodbath.com

LINKS:
The Pretty Scary Blood Bath Film Festival

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