“as a means of delivering a message in a very personalized way,
that makes them interesting but I think may turn some people off”

In this episode of the American Cinematographer Podcast, cinematographer Collin Brazie and writer/director/producer Larry Fessenden talk about their work on the feature film Blackout, starring Alex Hurt as Charlie, a tortured man with a dark secret — he’s a werewolf — and he might be the only one who can put an end to the random acts of violence plaguing the idyllic hamlet of Talbot Falls.

Listen to the discussion with Iain Marcks

from worthplaying.com:
‘Until Dawn’ Comes To PS5 And PC In Fall 2024

Set at an isolated mountain lodge where nothing is as it seems, 8 friends try to stay alive with a killer on the loose. Players define the relationships between the characters through dialogue and experience the night from their unique point of view. Written in collaboration with famed horror writers and directors Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick, find out who will survive Until Dawn.

Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, Until Dawn has seen enhancements across the board, all made with passion and care for the original from the team of horror lovers, film fanatics, and veteran game makers at Ballistic Moon; and it’s coming to PS5 and PC this year!

Until Dawn has been rebuilt with the latest tools and techniques. New and improved animations build on the success of the original character performances. Characters, environments and VFX have been upgraded – all for a truly enhanced cinematic horror experience.

We use a broader cinematic tonal colour palette and new perspectives to make the story more nuanced and emotional. We’ve been brave enough to shine a light into the dark, unseen corners of Blackwood Mountain and added a third-person camera, which means you can now look behind the curtain of the original game, exploring enhanced and new locations with new interactions and collectables. 

Incorporating a third-person camera and adding contextual character movement animations, the game now allows the player to really feel the experience of that fateful night.

Until Dawn’s sound has undergone a massive overhaul too, featuring a new score from legendary horror composer Mark Korven.

We’ve endeavoured to keep the fantastic narrative integratory of the original, but we have seized the opportunity to expand upon unexplored emotional parts of the story.

Look out for more news on this enhanced version of Until Dawn coming later this year.

Read full article at worthplaying.com

TBT: Fessenden snaps a selfie with SFX maestro Tom Savini.

Brent began his career assisting at indie non-profit film champion IFP, and then joined Iridium Entertainment for a short period as a producer’s and development assistant. He later transitioned into film production as production coordinator and music supervisor on LIBERTY KID (Winner of Best Picture at the 2007 NY Int’l Latino Film Festival), produced by Mike S. Ryan and Larry Fessenden.

In 2007, Brent began working full-time for Fessenden at Glass Eye Pix. There he served as line producer on I SELL THE DEAD, starring Dominic Monaghan and Ron Perlman, and production supervisor on Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. He co-produced JT Petty’s short film BLOOD RED EARTH and produced Graham Reznick’s 3D short film THE VIEWER. Along with Peter Phok, Kunkle produced a slate of “pulp” thrillers with Glass Eye Pix and Dark Sky Films, including Joe Maggio’s BITTER FEAST, Jim Mickle’s STAKE LAND, (Midnight Madness award winner at 2010’s Toronto Int’l FF); and James Felix McKenney’s HYPOTHERMIA starring Michael Rooker. Brent went on to produce Rick Alverson’s Sundance dramatic competition selection THE COMEDY, starring Tim Heidecker. He is producer of Aram Garriga’s feature documentary, AMERICAN JESUS, and Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s LATE PHASES. He left Glass Eye Pix in 2014.

After Glass Eye, Kunkle worked with Morgan Spurlock (RIP) on CNN’s “Inside Man.” Since then Kunkle has become a verité driven documentary producer, who recently served as Co-Executive Producer on E. Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin’s six-part docuseries “Photographer.” Previously served as a Producer on Matthew Heineman’s Emmy-Winning Showtime Series “The Trade,” National Geographic “Explorer,” Animal Planet’s “The Zoo,” A&E’s “American Takedown” and Showtime’s “Seven Deadly Sins.”

Kunkle’s recent project PHOTOGRAPHER now streaming on Nat Geo
Watch Kunkle’s GEP Minidoc from 2016

MARS EVER NEARER

by John Jay Speredakos

Twenty millennia ago
when we made spears,
we did so, gazing at you.
We chipped flint,
scraped hides
and sang our bison songs
in soot and pigment.
We begged old bones for marrow.
Wrapping sinew, binding
stone to wood, we crouched
on red clay
inventing new vocabulary:
to stalk, to hunt, to terrify
to defend
against every sharp thing
including ourselves.

In shadow
we painted our faces
ochre, stretched skin
till it pounded,
and gathered twigs
to feed your crimson
fury. Your blood-flame
sears our eyes; we raise
our sulfured veins to you.
The white smoke rises.
We scream your fire.
Overhead,
peering through dark branches
you glowed approval,
so we made you
God of War.

You lurk in lovely places.
Like Normandy. Sparta. Hastings.
You galloped with Genghis Khan,
loaded longbows at Agincourt,
stiffened limbs at Gettysburg.
Sun Tzu wrote your biography.
In the killing fields of Khmer Rouge,
you stirred the pot, and grinned at us.
In mustard gas and mushroom cloud
and shrapneled flags you beckon;
at bloody dusk your colors flap
while both sides slip away.
When Augustus howled
for his lost legions,
demanding their return,
it was you who whispered, “Never …”

What did you think of us, I wonder,
when you crouched in the phalanx
at Thermopylae, and picked your teeth
on the Persian arrows? Were you
ashamed when we dared show
mercy? Or did you blush with pride
at the slaughter, at the wailing
and waste, the endless parade
of penetration? We remain
your eager children, grateful
for the chores. You spoil us
in skirmish, in genocide, in famine.
And if we’re very, very good
perhaps a holocaust. Meanwhile,
the Tooth Fairy tiptoes in
and leaves a hand grenade.

Your black-bearded sons — 
Phobos, Deimos — 
flash scorpion smiles,
forked tongues flicking,
while you circle closer now
than ever before.
Close enough
to revel in the embers
to sift the white ash
to splash the black puddles
to gnaw the young bones.
Close enough
to smell the charred cinders
and touch the cold stones
of every fire
we light for you.

Read at The Coil Magazine

JOHN JAY SPEREDAKOS is a New York-based actor and writer with a BA from Muhlenberg and an MFA from Rutgers. He has performed on Broadway, in film, and in TV; and he is a devoted daddy to Calliope. His poetry appears in magazines, journals, and anthologies. More information can be found at his IMDb page. This piece first appeared in earlier versions in River Heron Review and Chaleur Magazine. John has appeared in over a dozen Glass Eye Movies including WENDIGO, I SELL THE DEAD, STRAY BULLETS, BLACKOUT, and CRUMB CATCHER. For more of John (and his latest poem, Keats is Keats, please enjoy his GEP MINIDOC.)

Fessenden with Jack White and Welker White
in Martin Scorsese’s picture KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON.

by Matthew CF

Ti West is a renowned filmmaker known for his work in the horror and indie film genres. Born on October 5, 1980 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, West has made a name for himself as a multi-faceted figure in Hollywood, effortlessly juggling multiple roles within the industry. West’s unique blend of atmospheric tension and slow-burning suspense has earned him a devoted following among horror fans.

In 2024, his movie MaXXXine is looking to keep his name ascending in Hollywood off the back of his acclaimed movies X, and Pearl. With his distinctive style and wide range of creative pursuits, Ti West is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the world of independent cinema. So, here are 5 things you didn’t know about Ti West.

Ti West’s Love for Film Started at an Early Age

Ti West’s love affair with filmmaking began at a young age, and his passion only grew stronger as he pursued his dream. After studying filmmaking at the prestigious School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, West was fortunate to have Kelly Reichardt as his mentor, a renowned filmmaker known for movies like Ode, and River of Grass. Under her guidance, he learned the importance of minimalism, visionary conviction and the art of guerrilla filmmaking, which would later become hallmarks of his own distinctive style.

It was Reichardt’s influence that also led to West’s internship at Glass Eye Pix, a production company founded by the multi-talented Larry Fessenden. At Glass Eye Pix, West was able to hone his skills, writing screenplays and refining his creative voice. This experience proved to be a formative one, allowing him to develop his unique perspective and artistic vision before embarking on his own filmmaking journey…

Read full article at TVovermind.com

MaXXXine opens wide on 5 July 2024

Thanks to all who attended the screening and to Tinker Street Cinema for hosting.

BLACKOUT now streaming on your favorite platforms