Nevermind the Oscars; LATE PHASES and GEP pals’ THE SACRAMENT have received nominations for Fango’s 2015 Chainsaw Awards!

LATE PHASES:

Nick Damici for BEST ACTOR

Robert Kurtzman, Brian Spears, for BEST MAKEUP/CREATURE FX

THE SACRAMENT:

THE SACRAMENT, directed by Ti West, for BEST LIMITED-RELEASE/DIRECT-TO-VIDEO FILM

Gene Jones for BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Congrats to all the nominees! Check them all out here.

Here’s how to vote:

E-mail your votes (be sure to vote in all categories, and only once per person; personal e-mails only, no mass ballots) to chainsaw@fangoria.com.

Write-in votes are acceptable in all categories. Deadline for ballots is March 10; winners will be announced in Fango #342 and at Fangoria.com in April.

From Bloody Disgusting:

“Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps sends everyone Howling holiday wishes with some exclusive behind-the-scenes images from one of their latest projects, Late Phases (review), out now on VOD and select theaters.

The film was picked as one of Patrick Cooper’s favorite films of 2014, and features some absolutely astounding practical effects work.

Take a look [here] as Kurtzman and his team work with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano on the werewolf movie that stars Stake Land‘s Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, Lance Guest, Erin Cummings, Rutanya Alda, Tina Louise, Caitlin O’Heaney, Karen Lynn Gorney, Dana Ashbrook, and the great Tom Noonan.”

From BuzzFeed:

Late Phases

Directed by: Adrián García Bogliano
Written by: Eric Stolze

There are no teenagers in peril in Late Phases, a horror film that’s as much about the fears of growing old and feeble as it is about werewolves. Nick Damici stars as Ambrose, a blind Vietnam veteran who moves into a retirement community and is almost immediately attacked by a werewolf. Ambrose is not your typical horror film protagonist, and that’s what makes him so fascinating to watch: His age and disability, so rarely seen within the genre, give the audience so much more to invest in. Because Ambrose knows exactly what attacked him and when the creature is coming back, the story itself is simple; the thrill is in watching him prepare for the next full moon, all while convincing his son Will (Ethan Embry) that there’s still a lot of fight left in him.
 

The Sacrament

Directed by: Ti West
Written by: Ti West

It’s easy to feel weary of found footage horror: The success of the Paranormal Activity series ushered in a surplus of copycat films, most of which were — much like the majority of Paranormal Activity sequels — disappointing. But there are still a few worthwhile found footage tricks emerging, as evidenced by several entries on this list, starting with Ti West’s Jonestown Massacre-inspired The Sacrament. Vice reporter Sam (AJ Bowen) and his cameraman Jake (Joe Swanberg) follow Patrick (Kentucker Audley) to utopian community Eden Parish, where Patrick’s sister Caroline (Amy Seimetz) has fallen under the sway of a Jim Jones-esque religious leader who simply goes by Father (Gene Jones). The story largely proceeds how you’d expect it to, but the found footage format gives The Sacrament an urgency that makes the devolution into violence almost unbearably stressful to watch.

Check out the full list at BuzzFeed.com.

From Patrick Cooper at Bloody Disgusting:

For his English-language debut Late Phases, Spanish director Adrián García Bogliano has done something special. He’s crafted a werewolf shocker that reads more like a revenge/vigilante flick than a horror film. All of the traditional werewolf elements are there – silver bullets, full moons, etc. – but at its core its really the tale of a tired Vietnam vet who was blinded in combat and went dark to the world, including to his family. It’s funny, brash, and exciting, but knows when to pull back and let the emotion sink in. Simply put, it’s a masterpiece of the werewolf genre because of what it accomplishes on top of the scares, which is deliver a truly emotional, heartfelt story of a father and son. And Nick Damici does badass old blind man very, very well.

Check out the full list here.

From BJ Colangelo at Icons of Fright:

LATE PHASES

I love me a good werewolf flick, and LATE PHASES was the best werewolf flick all year.  Spanish director Adrián García Bogliano (HERE COMES THE DEVIL, COLD SWEAT, PENUMBRA) debuted his first English speaking film in a big way. On his first night in a retirement community, blind army veteran Ambrose discovers his neighbor and dog are savagely attacked by a monster that he cannot see.  Not one to dismiss the weird, he soon realizes that a werewolf is living in his community. Before the next full moon arises, Ambrose prepares to fight and to figure out who the monster is among him.  Robert Kurtzman’s special effects are on display in full glory, as practicality wins out over CGI.  LATE PHASES is filled with characters I actually cared about, and Ethan Embry (we’ll get to him later) is in top form as Ambrose’s son, Will. Due in large part to the fantastic script penned by Eric Stolze (UNDER THE BED) LATE PHASES is one of the best werewolf films in a very, very long time.

THE SACRAMENT

At this point, Ti West can do no wrong in my eyes.  Proving he’s much more than the “deliberately slow paced” horror films, he presents a mockumentary about a strange cult relocated to a remote area in Africa.  THE SACRAMENT is arguably Ti West’s strongest film yet, and it’s roots in a real life horror situation just amplifies the fear factor.  We as the audience quickly realize what’s happening and know how it’s going to end, which makes witnessing the character’s travels all the more heartbreaking.  We know they’re doomed, and there’s absolutely nothing they can do to stop it.  AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, and Amy Seimetz are all wonderful (as usual), but Gene Jones as the mysterious “Father” gives one of the best performances of the year.

Check out the full list at IconsOfFright.com.

Glass Eye Pix production LATE PHASES by Adrian Garcia Bogliano makes Fango’s TOP 10 MOVIES OF THE YEAR list, along with Glass Eye Alum Ti West’s film THE SACRAMENT, produced by fellow alums Peter Phok and Jacob Jafke.

From Fangoria.com:

“LATE PHASES” (dir. Adrian Garcia Bogliano, dist. Dark Sky Films)

A throwback to character-friendly ’80s horror, LATE PHASES is not defined by it’s near-perfect mix of horror and humor, but rather by its charm, which it offers in lieu of genuine heart. And it’s in this way that LATE PHASES is much like its curmudgeonly protagonist in that there’s a lot to like, especially when looking in on the outside, even if there’s something darker and flawed on the inside. But LATE PHASES, while far from perfect, is a winning combination all around, sporting a great cast of dependable genre actors (headed by a career-best Nick Damici) and some of the best practical werewolf SFX in recent memory. Even more impressive is this was all achieved underneath a language barrier, as Adrian Bogliano undertook LATE PHASES as his first English-language production, injecting the project with attitude, confidence and just the right amount of nostalgia. Luckily, Bogliano delivered in spades, as LATE PHASES is an instant addition to the top tier of werewolf horror, and absolutely worthy of your time.

“THE SACRAMENT” (dir. Ti West, dist. Magnet Releasing)

As a longtime Ti West fan, I was highly anticipating THE SACRAMENT since it’s announcement, as his take on a Jonestown-esque scenario would guarantee some remarkable intensity in almost any case. Yet I still think I was wholly unprepared for THE SACRAMENT, which admirably treated its concept with a terrifying and heartbreaking sense of credibility. West brings his natural gift with character to the table with THE SACRAMENT, all through a first person perspective that allows him to play with the spatial nature of his story unlike ever before. But West also piles on his signature brand of unbearable dread, perpetuating it through slow stylistic and dialogue flourishes. And by the time West takes you where you want to go, THE SACRAMENT doesn’t feel like a horror film, but rather an examination of humanity at it’s most desperate, punctuated by a bloody, stark and unforgettable third act that resonates unlike any other of the year.

Check out the full list at Fangoria.com

From SUindependent.com:

“It should come as no surprise that Late Phases was produced by Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix, a studio known for ushering in unique genre talent and for shepherding horror projects that really have something to say. Father/son relationships, growing older, living with the scars of war, wrestling with religion, etc., Late Phases isn’t simply a werewolf picture. It has a lot more upstairs than your typical monster movie.“

Read the full review here.

Check out LATE PHASES in theaters, or see it On Demand and streaming services including Sony Entertainment Network, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play.

Watch right here, and get LATE PHASES to the top of iTunes Horror!

LATE PHASES, GEP’s new werewolf film directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano and starring Nick Damici, hits theaters and VOD TODAY. And the web is howling about it…

From The Village Voice:

Two key elements in horror movies are anticipation and pacing, with the latter simply the heightening and lowering of the former.

With Late Phases, Adrián García Bogliano artfully engages with those tools, crafting a narrative whose close feels a touch underwhelming only in relation to the impressive buildup. In the most entertaining tough-old-crank turn this side of Gran Torino, Nick Damici stars as Ambrose, a blind Vietnam vet who has no sooner moved into the placid retirement community of Crescent Bay than he becomes auditory and olfactory witness to a murder committed by a werewolf.

After the beast also kills Ambrose’s seeing-eye dog, Shadow, the vet vows revenge. (And how! Wait Until Dark this isn’t — file Late Phases as the best film in which a blind individual gets trigger-happy with a series of firearms.) The filmmakers wisely reveal the werewolf early, as this shifts the source of suspense from an obvious question (Will there turn out to be a monster?) to a more mystifying one (Why is there a monster?).

In addition to the careful parceling-out of information and anticipation, the film benefits enormously from Damici’s lead performance: gruff, funny, aggressive, and, of course, commanding sympathy, the character compellingly entices the audience to board this ride.

The narrative ends up working in a smaller scope than one might expect given the premise of a beast plaguing a community, but the journey getting to the finish is exhilarating all the same.

 From the New York Times:

A blind Vietnam veteran is all that stands between a hungry werewolf and the frail residents of a retirement village in “Late Phases,” a sprightly horror movie about finding new purpose for old bones.

Our gruff hero is Ambrose (Nick Damici, far from geriatric), a brusquely independent widower who’s closer to his service dog, Shadow, than to his harried son. Deposited in his new home, he quickly deflects a delegation of glammed-up grannies scenting fresh meat. They’re not the only ones: A terrifyingly gory first night will leave poor Shadow flayed and Ambrose’s closest neighbor chomped to bits.

Working in English for the first time, the Spanish director Adrián García Bogliano forgoes the veiled menace of his 2013 mystery, “Here Comes the Devil,” for something altogether less subtle. Skipping critical narrative beats — Ambrose instantly decides that “Werewolf!” is the answer to “What just happened?” — the plot favors simplicity over rationality with a cheerful insouciance that’s hard to dislike. Much of this good will is inspired by Mr. Damici, whose testy line readings and credible sightlessness give Ambrose’s neighborhood perambulations an oddball intensity. I didn’t see him blink once.

Matching the movie’s homely feel, Robert Kurtzman’s old-school effects produce an endearingly shaggy creature that’s pleasingly tactile and beholden to the laws of physics. And if the central transformation scene strains fruitlessly for the sky-high bar of Rick Baker’s groundbreaking work on “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), it’s no matter: “Late Phases” is really concerned with change of a different sort. Before, Ambrose was resigned to death’s waiting room; now, he has a reason to work out.

LATE PHASES CLIPS on Bloody Disgusting

WHERE TO SEE IT

Glass Eye Pix’s new werewolf movie, LATE PHASES, directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano and starring Nick Damici, premieres theatrically, On Demand and on streaming services THIS FRIDAY, November 21st.

“(Late Phases) has delivered a true love letter to ’80s monster-movie buffs and all those hankering for a good old-fashioned werewolf picture.” – Tony Timpone

“Nick Damici is the Charles Bronson of blind, senior-citizen werewolf hunters.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“A return to the heyday of hairy, blood-splattered werewolf cinema” – Geeks of Doom

“Do not miss Late Phases or your eyeballs will never forgive you” – Bloody Disgusting

“It’s elevated the werewolf film to a whole other level.” – Hammer To Nail

THEATRICAL PREMIERE

November 21-27 New York IFC Center
December 5 Minneapolis, MN Mall of America
December 12 Los Angeles Cinefamily
January 2 & 3 Phoenix, AZ FilmBar
January 2-4 Columbus, OH Gateway Film Center

Coming Friday to Sony, Blockbuster On Demand, Xbox, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play.

Synopsis:
Crescent Bay is not the best place to live out one’s golden years. Once an idyllic retirement community, the secluded neighborhood has been beset by mysterious and deadly attacks. When grizzled war veteran Ambrose McKinley (Nick Damici, Stake Land) moves in, the residents immediately take offense to his abrasive personality. But his take-no-prisoners attitude is just what he needs to survive as it becomes clear that the increasingly violent and patterned attacks are being caused by beasts that are neither animal nor man, and the tight-knit community of Crescent Bay is harboring something truly sinister in its midst…