On Friday night I watched The Burning (1981) for the very first time as part of ‪#‎80sHorrorWeek‬ together with the awesome Midnight Society crew. I own this movie on Region 1 DVD since last spring, because it never got a home video release where I live. The Burning is directed by Tony Maylam (Split Second). The Weinstein brothers had written and produced this movie through their production company: Miramax Films. The cast includes: Brian Matthews (The Young and the Restless), Leah Ayres (Bloodsport), Brian Backer (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Larry Joshua (Dances with Wolves), Lou David (Over the Brooklyn Bridge), Ned Eisenberg (Law & Order), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Fisher Stevens (Short Circuit) and Oscar-winner Holly Hunter (The Piano). A plethora of young actors made their acting debuts with this movie. The Burning has been recommended to me a lot in the past few years. As a devoted lover of 80’s horror/slasher movies, I knew I had to watch this movie as soon as possible. And I’m glad that I did, cause I absolutely LOVED it! The story is interesting enough and doesn’t feel like it tries to rehash or rip-off the concept of the original Friday the 13th. The death scenes are bloody, brutal and shocking. Tom Savini did an outstanding job with the blood and make-up effects and in that department it’s truly a step up from Friday the 13th. His creation of Cropsy is sheer genius.

If you happen to own the MGM DVD, than watch the special feature: “Blood ‘n’ Fire Memories”. You can thank me later! The murder weapon (hedge clippers/scissors) is creative and effective. The camp setting in this movie looks beautiful and I love the “upstate New York” locations. The characters are stereotype and none of them really stand out (this hurts the “final girl” aspect), but you can’t help but love these goofball characters. The camerawork is solid and the cinematography is eye-catching. I feel like the movie loses some steam towards the end, but The Burning is a purely entertaining 80’s slasher none-the-less. I also must note that the soundtrack is wonderfully composed and creates a good atmosphere. It’s truly a shame we never got to see a sequel to this movie, or even a possibility for a franchise as Cropsy is an interesting villian and I wanted to see more of him. The ending definitely left the door for a sequel wide open.

I honestly don’t want this movie to ever get remade. They’ll never manage to dethrone the campy 80’s style. If you’re a fan of horror/slasher movies, than I highly recommend you to give The Burning a chance. It shouldn’t be labeled as a clone to Friday the 13th, as both movies have plenty of redeeming qualities and are equally fun to watch.

–Ferdi Akkulak

Have you ever wanted to be a slasher star? Here’s your chance! Auditions are currently underway for the upcoming 80’s style slasher, Party Night. We here at Slasher Studios have had the chance to read the script and let’s just say…it’s to die for. Check out the requirements below and slash on!

From the official press release:

Have you ever wanted to put your screaming ability to the test? This is your opportunity! We are seeking auditions for our very first feature film, the 80’s throwback slasher Party Night. The film, which promises to be full of scares and blood, will focus on six friends who become prey for a sadistic psychopath when they decide to ditch their school’s after prom party for their own celebration at a secluded house. The film is tentatively scheduled to be filmed in the Houston, TX area June 11th-20th, 2016. Meals, transportation, and lodging will be provided to the cast. Additionally, cast will receive an IMDB credit, a copy of the final film, film material to add to their reel, and the chance to be viewed in a feature that will be viewed via a variety of outlets, including film festivals.

If you are interested in auditioning for a role in Party Night, please contact us at [email protected]. The list of roles and character descriptions are listed below. Let us know what role(s) you are interested in auditioning for, and we will send you the character sides and instructions for completing and submitting your video audition. We will accept auditions until March 1st, 2015, however, casting decisions may be made before that time depending on the submissions we receive. We look forward to hearing from you and having you potential be part of our very first feature production!

For the TEEN roles (the principal cast), we are looking for actors between the ages of 18 and 25 or those who can reasonable pull off resembling and acting like a high school senior.

Make sure to follow the film on Facebook for updates: Party Night on Facebook

Party Night Character Descriptions:

Amy Sanders: High School Senior. Quiet, an introvert who wears her shyness and lack of confidence reluctantly. She wants to break out of her shell, but feels that school work, approaching college, and her boyfriend should be more important focuses for her. Nelson’s girlfriend. (Final girl).

Nelson Hardison: High School Senior. Handsome with boy next door good looks. Slim and athletic, but embraces his intelligent and mature side first and foremost, as evidenced by the manner in which he carries himself and his attire. Amy’s boyfriend.

Andrew Messner: High School Senior. Blond, blue eyed. Verges on being a complete jock, but his jokester side and easy going nature makes him more approachable and instantly likable. Olivia’s boyfriend. (Shirtless scene and mild sex scene required)

Olivia Duncan: High School Senior. Friendly and genuine. Very attractive, but it not “in your face” about it. Has the tendency to be high strung and anxious in certain situations. Andrew’s girlfriend. (mild sex scene required; willing to go topless preferred, but negotiable)

Molly McBryant: High School Senior. Bright and beautiful and quite aware of it. Can be called a “diva,” but not overly obnoxious about it. Used to getting what she wants and can turn quite bitchy when she doesn’t. Travis’s girlfriend.

Travis Bock: High School Senior. Very handsome and mature looking; often mistaken for being quite older than eighteen. Possesses an intense and almost hard exterior, but genuinely cares about those who are close to him. Molly’s boyfriend.

Benson: 40’s-50’s. Rugged, used to a hard day’s work.

There is a forest in Japan where people are said to enter only to commit suicide. The spirits of those who die are left within. When a young woman learns that her twin sister has entered the forest, she quickly flees to Japan in order to save her. Entering the forest with knowledge of its history, she learns the legends are true. 

The Forest tells almost the same story as The Grudge 2. But there’s no real “curse” or anything. In this case, there only lies madness. The film jumps into the story immediately and we get little snippets of the twin sisters’ past. Combining that along with what the locals are telling our protagonist, it’s easy to sense that this will come into play at some point. The first half of the film is our lead Sarah going around looking for answers and hearing the same stuff over and over. It’s around the middle of the film when she’s in the forest when things actually start to happen. Unfortunately there is zero suspense or good build up. The jump scares in this film are well done if you’ve never seen a horror film before.

However, I will give it credit for its fantastic use of the forest setting. I am a HUGE sucker for horror films that take place in the woods/forest. The way they filmed certain scenes made the forest seem extra creepy and leaves you with the thought of isolation like our characters and the concept of being lost. Almost the same way Blair Witch made me feel (but Blair Witch did a much better job of course). The film also made you question what is and isn’t real along with the characters. Some of it was obvious, but then there were times where I was questioning whether it was a hallucination or not. Unfortunately that’s where it’s pros are cut off. Everything else in the remainder of the movie is Sarah running into ghosts and is completely rushed. When the ending rolls around, it ends up pretty predictable, but not entirely how I thought it was going to play out. So in that respect it was a relief. But I will say it does end with the infamous jump scare we all know and love. Yes, that one.

In terms of performances, Natalie Dormer tackles on the role of our lead Sarah, and her twin sister Jess. Quite frankly I was more interested in Jess, whom we obviously don’t get to know very well. And then there is Sarah who is very bland and uninteresting. Dormer does what she can with Sarah, but there really isn’t a lot to do with the role and no real emotional pull. Whereas when she played Jess, it actually seemed clear that Dormer has something to work with that involves acting. The only one who I thought gave the better overall performance was Taylor Kinney as Aidan whom Sarah enlists to help her. What Kinney does is leave us questioning whether or not he’s really reliable and he does a fine job at it. From the get -go he’s comes off as charming but there’s also something sketchy about him. So that at least gives some life to the story in terms of character.

Overall, The Forest has very few moments that grip you, but it’s definitely one that you won’t be missing out on if you choose to not see it. Excellent setting and good mind play were the strengths of this film but it’s not enough to make up for its many weaknesses. 

–Cody Landman

The 2015 Fright Meter Award nominations have been revealed and It Follows, Spring, and We Are Still Here lead the 2015 nominations with seven each, including Best Director and Best Actress.

The Fright Meter Awards have been presented annually since 2007 by the Fright Meter Awards Committee, a registered non profit organization dedicated solely to honoring the best in horror each year. Nominees and winners are determined by the committee, which consists of horror bloggers, actors, directors, producers, and others involved in the industry.

Without further ado, the 2015 Fright Meter Award nominations:

Best Horror Movie
The Final Girls
Goodnight Mommy
It Follows
Spring
What We Do In The Shadows

Best Director
Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead (Spring)
Guillermo del Toro (Crimson Peak)
Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz (Goodnight Mommy)
Ted Geoghegan (We Are Still Here)
David Robert Mitchell (It Follows)

Best Actor In A Leading Role
Mark Duplass (Creep)
Lou Taylor Pucci (Spring)
Ryan Reynolds (The Voices)
Kurt Russell (Bone Tomahawk)
Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Best Actress In A Leading Role
Barbara Crampton (We Are Still Here)
Taissa Farmiga (The Final Girls)
Nadia Hilker (Spring)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Lin Shaye (Insidious: Chapter 3)

Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Larry Fessenden (We Are Still Here)
Matthew Fox (Bone Tomahawk)
Richard Jenkins (Bone Tomahawk)
Leigh Whannell (Cooties)
Rainn Wilson (Cooties)

Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Malin Akerman (The Final Girls)
Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak)
Deanna Dunagan (The Visit)
Lisa Marie (We Are Still Here)
Sierra McCormick (Some Kind Of Hate)

Best Screenplay
Bone Tomahawk
The Final Girls
It Follows
Spring
What We Do In The Shadows

Best Makeup
Bone Tomahawk
Crimson Peak
Deathgasm
We Are Still Here
WolfCop

Best Special Effects
Crimson Peak
Deathgasm
Headless
Insidious: Chapter 3
Stung

Best Score
Crimson Peak
Deathgasm
The Editor
The Final Girls
It Follows

Best Editing
The Final Girls
It Follows
Spring
Unfriended
We Are Still Here

Best Cinematography
Bone Tomahawk
Crimson Peak
It Follows
Spring
We Are Still Here

Best Short Horror Film
Chomp (Directed by: Lynne Hansen)
The Confession Of Fred Krueger (Directed by: Nathan Thomas Milliner)
The Package (Directed by: Damon Rickard)
Ronald McDonald Playground Slaughter (Nominees to be determined)
Selfie From Hell (Directed by: Erdal Ceylan)

For more information about the Fright Meter Awards, visit www.frightmeterawards.com or find the awards on Facebook: www.facebook.com/frightmeterawards or Twitter: @Frightmeter.