GEP Pal Glenn McQuaid just wrote an amazing retrospective look at the work of director Freddie Francis for Shock Till You Drop.

In 1963, he directed Paranoiac, which marked the start of a loose trilogy of psychological thrillers Francis would direct for Hammer (1964’s Nightmare and 1965’s Hysteria followed). Paranoiac is a gothic romance of sorts – a return to the manor born for a long-lost sibling to a family surrounded by a crumbling mansion and a crumbling secret. It features a remarkable performance by Oliver Reed, who literally chews the scenery up from under his fellow actors, and his staccato, madcap delivery is something to behold. But it’s Francis, as the film’s director, who truly shines, especially in the choreography of the ever changing blocking and camerawork. His actors and camera are in a dance and not a beat is missed; it’s incredible stuff, and watching it, one is reminded of the power of the humble, single shot – moving from over-the-shoulder to close-up to wide and back again. Making it look this on-point must have taken a lot of effort.

For the full write-up, check out Glenn’s wonderful piece on Shock Till You Drop.

From Samuel Zimmerman at ShockTillYouDrop.com:

A budding tradition and must-see at the annual Stanley Film Festival in Estes Park, CO is Tales From Beyond the Pale Live, an in-flesh, festival-tailored iteration of the Larry Fessenden & Glenn McQuaid-produced horror audio dramas. One of the festival’s more experiential events, Tales From Beyond the Pale Live: The Stanley Edition is written exclusively for the Stanley and features performers in person, as well as the magic of live foley, sound and music. It’s a treat that both reveals the form and yet draws you in even further.

At the 2015 Stanley Film Festival, taking place April 30-May 3 at the Stanley Hotel, Tales From Beyond the Pale Live is entitled The Stanley Edition: Parlor Tricks. Taking place Friday, May 1st at 7 p.m. sharp at The Historic Park Theatre, Parlor Tricks is comprised of two tales: Cold Reading, written by Glenn McQuaid & newcomer to Tales, April Snellings (writer and editor at Rue Morgue Magazine and co-editor of the book Horror Movie Heroes); and No Signal by Larry Fessenden.

The show will feature the voice talents of Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, We Are Still Here) and Leon Vitali (Barry Lyndon, Terror of Frankenstein) as well as Larry Fessenden (We Are Still Here, Body, Habit). The rest of the cast will be filled by very special guests.

Check out the full article and learn more about the show at ShockTillYouDrop.com.

Glass Eye Pal Graham Reznick writes about his favorite Carpenter flick IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS on Shock Till You Drop, proposing that MOUTH was at the forefront of “Metafiction” in popular culture. Check it!

“Movies and novels that both comment on themselves and directly involve the audience are nothing new. Famous examples exist at least as far back as 1903’s The Great Train Robbery, which has, in a non-story specific scene, a bandit shooting a gun directly at the camera, implying he is able to shoot through the screen and bring the audience directly into the world of the film. H.P. Lovecraft’s classic novel At the Mountains of Madness is another precursor, as the title “In the Mouth of Madness” implies. It’s an early example of “found” narrative – the entire story unfolds through diary entries from the members of an arctic expedition that has uncovered the frozen resting site of terrifying Elder Things (it’s also a precursor to The Thing). The narrative speaks to the reader directly, urging them to stay far away. It doesn’t tumble the reader directly into the madness of the narrative (like other Lovecraft stories), but it does indicate that the world of the narrative and the world of the reader are one and the same (much like the general conceit of most “found footage” films). Part of Lovecraft’s enduring relevance is due to his ability to use these self-reflexive methods to evoke the effect of a classic campfire tale: a horror story meant to convince you the terror of the tale may cross over into your own life.”

Read the whole essay at Shock Till You Drop

From Sam Zimmerman at Shock Till You Drop:

“Mickey Keating is an up-and-comer. The young filmmaker, who got his start at NYC horror house Glass Eye Pix (headed up by Larry Fessenden), made his feature debut with the simple, stylish, Lynchian Ritual. In 2014, he completed production on two new features, POD and Darling, both of which star Jug Face’s Lauren Ashley Carter. The former, and the one we’re likely to catch first at festivals, is a paranoid, Twilight Zone-inspired tale of a family intervention gone wrong. The latter is a black-and-white chronicle of a woman in a Manhattan mansion losing it. Both have that special appearance-by-Fessenden touch.”

Check out his full list here.

Congrats to Gary Pullin for the fine company he keeps in this thoughtful and badass selection of the year’s coolest genre posters. Glad to see one-sheets for The Sacrament and You’re Next in there among many other fine graphic specimens. See all the posters at ShockTillYouDrop.com.

Check out GEP collaborator Graham Reznick’s “The Trick Is The Treat,” the newest short in Shock Till You Drop’s “Halloween Night” series.

Over the course of October, Shock Till You Drop is releasing a series of short films by indie filmmakers that all have one thing in common– each film takes place on Halloween Night. Take a look at the first two shorts from GEP pals Mickey Keating and Jenn Wexler.