Wednesdays get weird when Late Shift hosts Ross Meyer and Joe Derderian dig up low-budget b-movies, horror and gore-fests, and camp classics for your viewing pleasure. Buy your ticket and take a ride in our Time Machine! Punch in and earn a bonus! $3 Big Grove Boomtown Ale tallboys and $2 small popcorn! PLUS — special custom trash trailer reel curated by Ross with cheap swag and prize giveaways!

“Want to make a name for yourself in the horror industry? Hitch your wagon to Larry Fessenden. No matter which hat Fessenden happens to be wearing at the moment – writer, director, actor, producer or editor – the filmmaker’s gift for blending mythology with independent horror makes him one of the most important talents of our generation.”
– Matthew Monagle, Austin Chronicle

“Larry Fessenden’s Depraved might be the definitive modern Frankenstein film.”
– Jonathan Dehaan, Nightmare on Film Street

“Moving and frightening and exciting in its intelligence,
Depraved is another standout in Fessenden’s filmography.”
– Michael Gingold, Rue Morgue

Suffering from PTSD following his stint as an army medic, Henry (David Call) now works feverishly in his Brooklyn laboratory to forget the death he witnessed overseas by creating life in the form of a man cobbled together from body parts. After procuring a brain from an unwitting victim, his creation – Adam (Alex Breaux) – is born. But it soon seems that giving life to Adam was the easy part; teaching him how to live in a dark and troubled world may be perilous. A complex, emotionally shattering tale about what it means to be human, Depraved brings Mary Shelley’s immortal fable fully into the 21st century.

From Comingsoon.net:

Exclusive Summoners Teaser Trailer Previews Witch Horror Movie

Summoners is directed and written by Krey, who wrote the script with Christine Nyland. Nyland also stars in the film alongside McLean Peterson, Larry Fessenden, Madeline Grey DeFreece, Margaret Reed, Meghan Jones, and Kate Warren. The filmmaking duo of Krey and Nyland previously collaborated on An Unquiet Grave and Distress Signals.

The New York Times talks with GEP Alumn Ti West (THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, THE INNKEEPERS) about horror, being in the two-films-in-a-year club and the newest installment to the X trilogy, PEARL, now in theaters.

Go watch PEARL, then check out the teaser for MAXXXINE, part 3 of the X trilogy.

From NYT: There’s something unusual about Ti West’s latest film, “Pearl,” now in theaters. The movie is a 1918-set prequel to “X,” West’s homage to ’70s grindhouse, but that isn’t strange. It’s not the gruesome story of a young woman who tries to slaughter her way from farm life to silver-screen stardom. It’s not the Douglas Sirk style with a slasher sensibility.

What’s peculiar is that both “Pearl” and “X” were released just six months apart, a bonanza for any filmmaker. It’s a twofer for the actress Mia Goth, too: In “Pearl,” she plays the unhinged title character; in “X” she plays Maxine, a porn starlet, and another role.

There’s more: West announced last week that Goth would reprise her role as Maxine in “MaXXXine,” the third film in West’s trilogy, which will be set in ’80s Los Angeles.

It’s not unheard-of for a director to have two films come out in one year. Alfred Hitchcock did it with “Rear Window” and “Dial M for Murder” in 1954. Ida Lupino, Steven Soderbergh, and Spike Lee did it.

But for a genre guy like West, an indie director best known for slow-burn horror like “The House of the Devil” and “The Sacrament,” it’s unicorn territory. The same for Goth.

“It was my first leading role in a movie, and then it snowballed into two leading roles in two films,” Goth said in a phone interview. “It’s become the most creatively fulfilling experience.”

Read the NYT interview HERE

Fessenden with Ti West and Amy Seimetz at the PEARL Screening Sept 13 Alamo Drafthouse, Brooklyn NY

PEARL, now in Cinemas

FROM THE BINGEFUL:

According to horror enthusiasts like you, these are the best paranormal moviesavailable to stream on Hulu, so be prepared to get goosebumps while reading this.

Even viewers who typically avoid scary or paranormal movies will enjoy the fantastic scares on our selection of Hulu paranormal movies.

On the Hulu streaming service, paranormal offers a rich library of constantly-rotating films from both the past and the present. And you’re lucky if you enjoy the paranormal as much as we do.

This list of the best paranormal movies on Hulu results from our ongoing monitoring of the streaming service’s newest spine-tinglers.

13. Depraved (2019)

Since no one has recently presented a novel interpretation of the Frankenstein story, we’re happy to announce that Larry Fessenden, a pillar of the genre, has fulfilled our longings.

Depraved, starring David Call as Henry, a PTSD-afflicted field surgeon forced to assemble a “monster” out of various human limbs and parts.

Transposes the rural Swiss highlands for the vibrant streets of Brooklyn. However, “Adam” (Alex Breaux) is brought to life after securing the brain.

Still, Henry should have foreseen the difficulties in educating his new creation about how to survive in the all-too-real world of life after death.

In Fessenden’s Depraved, there is a surprisingly high emotional gravity on the show, making for a highly engaging venture into the shared universe of B-movie craziness meets lo-fi drama. Depaved is one of the best paranormal movies on Hulu.

Read Full list at The Bingeful

From Collider: An exercise in no-frills storytelling, The Ranger is refreshingly simple in the unfolding of its plot, all while providing just enough substance before the breezy runtime reaches its climax. Levine steals the show as the only likable punk of the core group, a choice that seems wholly intentional, in order to show the fine line between a rebellious lifestyle and an outright destructive one. Taking place entirely in a stylized world that feels pulled straight from an 80s classic, The Ranger embraces its influences, and works all the better for it.

See Full List HERE

Austin Film Festival (AFF), (OCT 27—NOV 3, 2022)  has announced that The Whale will serve as the festival’s Opening Night selection. Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, BLACK SWAN, The Wrestler). 

Additionally, AFF is hosting a special screening of James Gray’s latest film Armageddon Time, with Gray in attendance to receive this year’s Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting. The festival is also welcoming a wide slate of films including Israeli filmmaker Jonathan Dekel’s Checkout and the world premiere of local Austin filmmaker Riley Cusick’s The Wild Man.

THE WILD MAN
WORLD PREMIERE

Writer/Director: Riley Cusick

Synopsis: A son takes care of his father with a deteriorating mental condition where he believes he’s a wild animal. The films cast includes Cusick, Larry Fessenden, Jenna Kanell, and Kelli Maroney. 

Check Out the Austin Film Fest Website

Horror anthology films have existed since the era of silent movies, offering a collection of at least three short horror films, each with a unique premise and a different cast. While some horror movies run out of steam as they stretch their story to 90 minutes, anthology shorts have the benefit of wrapping things up in a taut 20-30 minutes.

The concept owes much to short story books. Stephen King, in particular, has published many short story collections that have been adapted within anthology films. He even provided the screenplay for the horror anthology Creepshow. With the rise of TV shows such as Black Mirror, anthologies have found a new home on streaming services and more horror films are being produced in the genre than ever before. Below are ten of the highest-rated by critics.

‘ABCs of Death 2’ (2014) RT Score: 73%

Based on the concept that each entry must relate to a letter of the alphabet, ABCs of Death 2features 26 short horror films directed by 26 different filmmakers. There is no wraparound story, so audiences can expect to experience tonal whiplash as the films leap between grotesque, laugh-out-loud funny, and disturbing.

As well as featuring famous horror names such as Larry Fessenden, Jen and Sylvia Soska, and Vincenzo Natali, the anthology also invited amateur filmmakers to submit their films for the letter M with the winner appearing in the film. While some shorts are weaker than others, the overall package makes for a more consistent and enjoyable watch when compared to its predecessor.

‘Southbound’ (2015) RT Score: 81%

Produced by Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting fame, Southbound is an underrated horror anthology that tells five tales all centered around the same stretch of highway in the US. There is a prevailing theory that the characters are stuck in purgatory, as they face scenarios that include evil spirits, shady old people, and masked intruders.

Having the stories directly lead into each other, rather than having a wraparound segment, allows the film to avoid the massive tonal shifts that some anthologies suffer from. Southbound features segments by filmmakers who have become some of the brightest names in horror going forward, such as Radio Silence (the latest Scream) and David Bruckner (the upcoming Hellraiser reboot). Southbound is available to stream on Hulu and Tubi.

See whole list at Collider