Another Killer Cast Member Announced For “Dismembering Christmas”

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Slasher Studios would like to welcome Austin Bosley to the slasher family. Austin is a Writer/Director/Actor on the web-series Survival of the Dumbest and will be playing the role of Travis in Dismembering Christmas. Congrats Austin and welcome aboard!

Over the next couple of days we will be announcing the rest of the main male cast of Dismembering Christmas. Let me say first and foremost, we received a LOT of amazing auditions and these were not easy picks by any means. If you weren’t selected, that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t love to work with you in the future. Thank you all for making this decision as hard as it has been. I’ve never seen such an excellent batch of auditions!

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First Blood Lined Up For “Dismembering Christmas”

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Our second slasher feature, Dismembering Christmas, has it’s first cast member! We worked with her on Don’t Go to the Reunion as the bitchy Mrs. Sorensen and now she’s back for Dismembering Christmas. Marla Van Lanen will be playing the Miss Harris, the local woman who knows about the small town’s dirty past. We are sure she’s going to kick some ass in this flick. Welcome aboard, Marla!

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Slashed Scenes: What the MPAA Did to the Friday the 13th Series (Final Cut)

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Friday the 13th week continues here at Slasher Studios. We’ve been giving you all the bloody details behind the scenes that were deemed too “shocking” by the MPAA for you to see (view part one and two of the series HERE and HERE). More of these deleted scenes are sadly lost forever although some of made it onto the bonus features on the Friday the 13th DVDs and blurays. The following scenes were cut in order to avoid an “X” rating from the MPAA. Hope you have a bloody blast thinking about what could have been.

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Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

> Jim’s death was much gorier. Originally, Jason shoves the entire spear gun through his stomach, then rips it out, causing Jim’s intestines to slide out along with a large amount of blood.

> Suzy’s death was far more gruesome. Jason shoves the spear through her stomach and twists it non-stop. There were close-up shots of Suzy’s mouth gurgling blood and blood rapidly oozing from the spear wound.

> Tamera’s death in the original print was completely different. Originally, Jason repeatedly stabs her with a mirror shard in a shower while she’s completely nude. Blood rapidly oozes from her stab wounds and Jason keeps stabbing non-stop.

> The scene where the uncredited boxer gets the hot sauna rock shoved into his chest cavity was a re-shoot. Originally, Jason jammed two darts through his eye sockets, but it was deemed too graphic in the final cut, and the MPAA forced the crew to re-shot it.

> A close up shot of Julius’ head being knocked clean off was cut.

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Jason Goes to Hell (1993)

These scenes are included in the unrated DVD release.

– The doctor bites three more times into the heart. The following close-up is a little longer as well. He rubs the heart on his face.

– The woman in the tent is impaled by a spear and we also see her spit up blood (happens off screen in the R-rated version).

– The shot of the bar in Duke’s leg has been extended. Other than that the sound of him loosening his leg from the ground has been censored in the R-rated version.

– In the confrontation scene at the hospital, the killer is shot and a chunk of his face is blown off. Once again, this is not shown in the R-rated cut.

– As the killer pulled the woman towards him the blood spraying over his face is missing. Now after she said “Go to hell!” he pulls her closer and cracks her head. Blood gushes out of her head.

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Jason X (2002)

> Dr. Wimmer’s spearing death was slightly trimmed of bloodflow.

> An alternate, less gory take was used in Adrienne’s face-smashing death.

> A scene featuring a space warrior getting skewered by a screw which spins
around and around was slightly shortened.

> The scene of the Marine crawling after being cut in half is edited down.

> A short scene was cut featuring a female cadet posing with an immobile Jason.


I hope you enjoyed our series of slashed scenes from the Friday the 13th series. Have a gory good Friday the 13th and stay safe campers!!

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Slashed Scenes: What the MPAA Did to the Friday the 13th Series (Part 2)

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Friday the 13th week continues here at Slasher Studios. For the next three days we will be giving you all the bloody details behind the scenes that were deemed too “shocking” by the MPAA for you to see (view part one of the series HERE). More of these deleted scenes are sadly lost forever although some of made it onto the bonus features on the Friday the 13th DVDs and blurays. The following scenes were cut in order to avoid an “X” rating from the MPAA. Hope you have a bloody blast thinking about what could have been. We will be back tomorrow with last installment of Friday the 13th slashed scenes.

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Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

– Duke’s (the paramedic) line is altered when he sees Joey’s body. In the original version he says “Bunch of *******…” while in Version 2 he says “I’ll be damned…”.

– When Pam fights off Roy with the chainsaw, she hits him twice in shoulder. Only the second hit appears in the original version as the first hit was deemed “too bloody”.

– Ethel’s meat cleaver to the head was cut from the final film. In the final film, it is implied that it hits her as her head falls in the stew. In the original version, we saw the bloody impact.

– Eddie’s death was cut to avoid an “X” rating; originally blood and his cranial innards spurted out of the straps as Roy twisted them.

– When Lana the waitress is murdered with the ax, the shot of her body quivering was cut to avoid an “X” rating.

– Junior decapitated head originally “bounces” on the ground several times as his motorcycle goes fleeing off. In the final film, it only bounces once.

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Friday The 13th VI: Jason Lives (1986)

– Allen’s insides were ripped out of his body by Jason. He dragged the guts and heart out; he dropped them on the ground where his heart laid steaming.

– The triple decapitation of the 3 paintball players. The first print showed their heads being sliced right off of their shoulders.

– The two camp counselors in the car’s deaths were also trimmed: The woman speared in the water was cut of excess blood. The man was speared, lifted into the air, and then slid down the spear, leaving his insides on it.

– Jason shoved the broken bottle into the caretaker’s neck and he falls to the ground as the camera gets a close up of the blood coming out of the bottle.

– Cort’s death had a little more to it in the first print. After Cort is stabbed in the side of the head, blood begins to shoot out his head.

– The wall-to-wall blood cabin originally had a lot more blood and guts in it. There were shots of livers and hearts running down the walls, but it was all thought too graphic to have in the film.

– The backbreaking sheriff’s scene had more to it. There were more screams, more bone crushing, and his legs began to kick.

– A scene at the very end was cut. In it, a red-haired Elias Voorhees walked to his son’s grave. Knowing he wasn’t in the casket, Elias gives the camera a wicked glare.

– Sissy’s death was toned down. Originally, you could see her head torn off and dropped.

– In the original version, Nikki was supposed to have a knife come out of the RV wall after her face. Thanks Andrew for sharing this sketch!

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Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

> Jason’s face is constantly masked in shadows to avoid shots of his moldy, decomposing face. The complex make-up was made to conform to actor Kane Hodder’s face, but was later deleted from nearly the entire movie when the MPAA deemed it “a bit too grisly”.

> Judy’s sleeping bag death was cut to absolutely no gore. In the uncut version Jason slams the sleeping bag against the tree repeatedly until the sleeping bag is soaked in blood.

> Maddy’s death, which is offscreen in the wide-release version, but in original prints a scythe is jammed into her neck and bursts from the other side.

> Ben’s death is much grislier. In uncut versions, Jason smashes his head into a mushy pulp and blood pours down his face.

> Eddie’s death was cut. In the original version, we see his head drop to the floor, but in the theatrical version, we only hear it.

> Russ’s head splits open as Jason hits it with an axe. This scene was also cut.

> Amanda Shepard’s death is virtually unseen in the wide release, which only shows her get stabbed from behind for a second and then cuts to Doctor Crew’s shocked face. Uncut, she is impaled on the blade, which juts violently from her chest. Jason then lifts her off the ground on it and waits until she finally dies.

> Dr. Crews was killed with a tree-trimming saw. Originally, Jason tore into his gut, spilling out a fountain of entrails and blood that spurted up into the air.

> Melissa’s death has an ax violently cleaving her face in two, splitting it down the middle in a gruesome close-up that left her eyes still wiggling in their sockets. Jason then tossed her aside, which is all we see in the cut release.

> Dan’s death was also cut. There was a shot of Jason’s hand ripping through the front of his body with guts attached.

> Tina Shepard has a vision of her mother’s demise at Jason’s hands while driving a car. Buechler originally wanted the vision to be of Jason holding the severed head of Mrs. Voorhees, but Gulf + Western wouldn’t allow it.

> A denouement scene was filmed in which a fisherman in a boat on Crystal Lake hooks a largemouth bass, but as he’s reeling it in, Jason rises from the lake and pulls him under. The scene was removed from the final cut, because it was deemed too close to the ending of the original Friday the 13th and Part 3.

> Michael’s death was cut. Originally, Jason rammed the spike all the way through his body, causing blood to spurt out.

> Tina’s vision of Michael getting killed was also more graphic.

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Slashed Scenes: What the MPAA Did to the Friday the 13th Series (Part 1)

Goreathon 2014 banner1000

It’s Friday the 13th week here at Slasher Studios. For the next three days we will be giving you all the bloody details behind the scenes that were deemed too “shocking” by the MPAA for you to see. More of these deleted scenes are sadly lost forever although some of made it onto the bonus features on the Friday the 13th DVDs and blurays. I hope someday we get an ultimate cut that includes all the films in their gory glory. A slasher fan can dream, right? The following scenes were cut in order to avoid an “X” rating from the MPAA. Hope you have a bloody blast thinking about what could have been. We will be back tomorrow with more Friday the 13th slashed scenes.

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Friday the 13th (1980)

– Annie’s death was a little bit longer. It showed more blood come out of her throat after it was slit.

– Jack’s death was originally longer. There was an shot of Jack from a top view. In this shot, the arrow in Jack’s throat turns, causing much more blood to shoot straight at the camera, and also in his mouth.

– Marcie’s death was a little longer. Originally, the axe hits her in the face and she slides all of the way down to the floor.

– Mrs. Voorhees’ death was actually longer. It took her a little longer to fall down and blood was squirting out of her cut neck.

– A scene showing Claudette’s death was filmed, but then left out of the final cut. Claudette was actually knifed in the neck. (this one is up for debate according to the Crystal Lake Memories documentary)

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Friday the 13th Part II (1981)

– A close-up shot Jeff and Sandra being double-impaled while having sex on the bed.

– A close up shot of Crazy Ralph and the wire cutting.

– A scene at the very end where we are shown the inside Jason’s shack and see Pamela’s face. While there, her eyes open. It was cut by Paramount for looking too fake.

– A facing shot of Mark’s face being split by the machete.

– Blood was trimmed from the shot of Jason driving the hammer in the cop’s head.

– The flashback footage showing Mrs. Voorhees decapitation was trimmed.

– Blood flow was cut from the shot of Jason driving an icepick into Alice’s head.

– Additional blood flow was cut from the shot of Jason slicing Scott’s throat.

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Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)

– The death scene of Andy showed his right leg and stomach being cut apart.

– Vera’s death was longer, it included more blood and a shot of her reaction. It was cut because the board said that it looked too real.

– A different ending in which Chris, is killed by Jason. Instead of being attacked in the water by his mother, Chris axes Jason in the head and goes out to lay in the canoe. The night becomes dawn and Chris gets out of the canoe to go back into the cabin. Chris walks up to the front door and opens it. Right there in the door is Jason with an axe in his hand. He grabs Chris by her hair and slices her head clean off of her shoulders.

– Excess blood was cut from Edna’s death.

– The impaling of Chili with the hot poker was cut. Originally, the impalement was shown, along with a splash of smoldering blood.

– Debbie’s death originally showed blood spraying across her upper half.

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Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

– Nurse Rhonda was originally held up and gutted, but it ended up being cut out so that it only showed her being stabbed.

– A scene where Trish finds her mother drowned in a bathtub. (cut by the filmmakers and included without audio on the DVD/blu)

– The original death of Axel lasted a few seconds longer with more blood and more grisly flesh shown.

– Samantha death was also cut as we were to see the full impact of the blade going through her body.

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Two Weeks Left to Submit Your “Dismembering Christmas” Audition Video

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Just a reminder! There are only two weeks left to submit your audition video for Dismembering Christmas. June 15th is the deadline for all audition videos. UPDATE: We are extending auditions until June 30th for the roles of Lauren, Sam, Emma, and Katie.


About the film/auditions:

We want YOU to audition for our next slasher feature, Dismembering Christmas. We have a list of roles as well as character descriptions below. Here’s the deal, if you are interested in auditioning for a role, please send us an email at [email protected] and let us know what role(s) you would like to try out for. We will have some character sides sent to you within a few days and you will have until June 15th to send us a video audition. UPDATE: We are extending auditions until June 30th for the roles of Lauren, Sam, Emma, and Katie. We hope to make our final casting decisions by June 30th. Dismembering Christmas will be tentatively filming the second and third weeks of January 2015 IF we raise our budget goal on Kickstarter this summer. Any questions? Let’s have a bloody Christmas to dismember!!

For “teen” roles, we are looking for actors between the ages of 18-25 or actors that can reasonably pull off the look of a graduating teenager.

Make sure to like the film on Facebook for updates:
Dismembering Christmas Facebook


Character roles available:

Sam (lead role), age 17. Our lead: strong and resourceful, she is independent and very free willed. She takes her life and her friends very seriously and is willing to do whatever it takes to prove how strong she can be.

Justin (lead role), age 17. Nerdish, boy-next-door with a playful sense of humor. The runt of the group, he is often the target of a easy joke but takes it all in stride.

Emma (supporting role), age 17. Smart and sassy with a hell of a sarcastic tone. She is independent and isn’t afraid to speak her mind with a little bit of an edge to her words.

Katie (supporting role), age 17. Mark’s girlfriend and living the high life of dating the richest and most popular boy in their small down. Is unsure of her future with Mark but wants to push him to take it to the “next step.”

Mark (supporting role), age 18. Rich kid in town. Hasn’t had to work for anything in life but wants a chance to prove himself. Nice and dependable, he’s also got a bit of a playful side to him as well.

Lauren (supporting role), age 18. Slightly prissy but good natured city girl who hates the country life as much as it hates her. She dreams on going off to college in the big city and never looking back.

Travis (supporting role), age 18. Jockish and naive but not dumb, Travis is the typical small town football player with a good head on his shoulders but cares more about sports and girls than he does about anything else.

Lt. Fuller (supporting role), age 30’s-40’s. Buy-the-book hard nosed cop. Doesn’t want any trouble and willing to do whatever it takes to keep the piece.

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Indie Horror: “Tilt” (2013) Movie Review

Kickstarter comes to the rescue again for independent film and brings Phil Holbrook’s vision to life. With the help of 223 backers and a total haul of just over $15,000, TILT was filmed in Brainerd, Minnesota. As director, Holbrook was looking to tell the story of Paul and his daughter, Liz as they trudge through a tough time in their lives.

“Paul hasn’t connected with his daughter for over 10 years, but when their world is turned upside down by an unthinkable act, he has to decide what’s more important: doing the right thing or setting things right? TILT is about revenge & forgiveness, betrayal & redemption, and second chances…small town style.”

Our main cast members, Wade Dienert (Paul) and Danielle West (Liz), are solid actors and give the film some needed substance. However, the crown jewel of TILT is actress Laura Busch. She plays the odd and irritable Marlene and is able to command the screen with ease. Her facial expressions alone make me want to work with her and her acting ability is just an added bonus.

Although the acting is fairly solid and the characters are likable, the story has a tendency to drag from time to time. The film has a 77 minute running that is great for festivals and keeping the audience involved, however the scenes can run a bit long and the locations are somewhat repetitive. But the cinematography by Jeremy Doyle helps the film out in all the right places. His shots are crystal clear and the smooth movements of the camera are a directors dream. A round of applause goes out the Doyle and I would love to see him take some more chances with different angles and lighting in his next project.

So, if you are in the mood for a thriller with topped with revenge, then check out this Midwest film. And as always, support indie horror!

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Slasher Studios Commentary: Cabin Fever (2003)

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Join Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz from Slasher Studios as they provide you commentaries from their favorite horror films from the 80′s and 90′s. It’ll be a bloody good time so get out your favorites and join in on the slasher fun! Today, they take a look at the Eli Roth’s debut CABIN FEVER.

To download the feature length commentary:
Slasher Studios Commentary: Cabin Fever (2003)

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All Hype, Little Bite: “Godzilla” (2014) Review

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When a group of scientists accidentally unleash prehistoric creatures after keeping them in hiding, they realize their only hope is to awake a monster from the past. Enlisting the help of father and son Joe (Bryan Cranston) and Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the group must band together to awaken once targeted Godzilla in order for them to take down the creatures known as Mutos in order to save mankind.

Following the blockbuster (but also the highly slammed) 1998 film by Roland Emmerich, the big, scaly monster we all know and love is back. This time helmed by director Gareth Edwards. When I first saw the trailers for this film, I was immediately transported back to childhood when I saw the 1998 film and how excited I was watching it. It also helped that it was being backed by a talented cast. However, after finally seeing this 2014 summer blockbuster, my excitement was shot. The ads portraying him as the villain could not be more misleading. The film starts out with a backstory of Godzilla, as well as our two leads. Flashing forward we come back to these two characters as well as Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins as two scientists who have been studying the creature’s history as well as new species they’ve been keeping under wraps. From that point on I found myself anxiously waiting for the big guy’s big entrance (no pun intended).

Instead, I was treated to a military, family drama where the first creatures to make their appearance are two Mutos, which bare a resemblance to Cloverfield monster…with wings. It isn’t until almost a good hour and fifteen minutes into the film that Godzilla finally comes into the picture, and even then, we don’t seem to get a full scene with him until the last twenty minutes where all of the action takes place. What really downgrades the film is that the title character has less screen time than any of the main actors in the film. Even the Mutos have more screen time. There is zero action in the film until the big battle between Godzilla and the Mutos. Everything before that is slow paced drama involving the military running around carrying guns, and the scientists discussing what must be done. And since when has Godzilla become a hero instead of an enemy? I will say that the special effects were really well-done and provided a good visual treat.

While the film features a very talented cast, they have very little to work with. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as our lead character who is trying to do whatever it takes to fight these creatures and protect his family. Bryan Cranston stars as Taylor-Johnson’s father who is digging into the past order to save the present. The two actors work well together in their scenes and both could have provided excellent performances, but this all to blame on the weak characters they were given with no real emotional depth. Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Taylor-Johnson’s nurse wife in the film is the only member of cast who tries to go above and beyond with her role by at least trying to give her some depth as the worried wife and mother. Ken Wantanbe and Sally Hawkins provide the weaker performances by sleep walking through their roles. During what should have been some pretty dramatic moments, they act like it doesn’t phase them at all.

It feels horrible to tear into a film that was so well-marketed and that I anticipated. But when a poor script completely destroys a title character, as well as the human characters, more than the creatures destroyed the cities in the film, it has to be said, this version of Godzilla will leave hardcore fans of the big lizard mighty disappointed. However, the talented cast trying to work with what they’ve got, the effects, and the ultimate final battle are definitely something to give it credit for.

–Cody Landman

1.5

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