Update: New Chompers Website

Chompers 3D, Jesse Blanchard's 3D "critter" horror comedy, currently in development, now has a  official poster and a brand-new website. The latter is in 3D, so whip out those glasses!

Check out this previous Brainspasm article for a teaser trailer and links to more information.

Poster:

The new website can be found here: www.chompers3d.com.

Source: Jesse Blanchard via Avery Guerra.

Update: More on the Bug

The Backbrain has been busy with other things lately... you know, life. Or at least an approximation thereof. So some news items have slipped into the dark. One series I want to drag back into the light is the ongoing Behind the Scenes information being released by producer James Cran in relation to the giant monster / hillbilly horror epic The Millennium Bug (US-2011; dir. Ken Cran) -- especially in advance of the film's world premiere screening at the 14th annual Dances With Films festival on Friday, June 3 at 11:45 PM at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in Los Angeles. Tickets are available by visiting http://danceswithfilms.com/2011_listings_15.html.

Part 1: The Script looked at the development of the story and original screenplay, Part 2: The Monster revealed how the titular monster was created, and Part 3: The Storyboards showed how director Ken Cran went about creating ultra-detailed storyboards.

Since then the Crans have spilled the beans on a number of other significant aspects of the production:

• Part 4: The Warehouse. Says director Cran: "Preproduction continued, and ramped up considerably when a suitable warehouse was found in North Hollywood. Why a warehouse? Simple: cost. We considered actual soundstages for a day, but once we realized that soundstage space was way outside our budget, we committed to a warehouse."

• Part 5: The Aesthetic: "How would the effects look? The production design? The lighting and cinematography?"

• Part 6: The Miniatures Part 1. "How can you tell a man in a monster suit is supposed to be a giant unless you have something to compare it to? Simple. You build miniatures."

• Part 7: The Miniatures Part 2. "The most challenging of the models to build were the various structures comprising the ghost town of Mason's Grove. I love ghost towns, so I was really looking forward to building Mason's Grove. I had done some research while visiting the ghost town of Rhyolite in Nevada, taking lots of photos and really absorbing the atmosphere."

All fascinating stuff. So head along to the official website to get all the gory details.

Source: James Cran. Research by Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood. For more information on the film check out these Undead Backbrain links.

Night Claws Trailer is on the Loose!

There are killers on the loose and one of them isn't human. The trailer for Bigfoot horror flick Night Claws (US-2011; dir. David A. Prior) has been released into the wild.

Read more about the new creature feature on Undead Brainspasm here.

You can check out the film's website here.

Behind the Scenes of Night Claws:

Source: via Avery Guerra

Exclusive: Millennium Bug at Work Behind the Scenes

With the much-anticipated hillbilly horror / giant monster film, The Millennium Bug, about to chomp down on us, producer James Cran has sent the Backbrain news of updates to an ongoing Behind-the-Scenes video seriesthat is appearing on The Millennium Blog -- as well as some intriguing images.

Already up is Part 1: The Script, detailing the development of the script, as is Part 2: The Monster, which offers insight into the monster itself and How It Was Done.

Also recently added is Part 3: The Storyboards, in which director Ken Cran talks about his Hitchcockian approach to creating ultra-detailed storyboards that were critical in ensuring that every shot was captured correctly for compositing later. Here are some pictures relating to the process, some of them exclusive to this site:

Just up is Part 4: The Warehouse. In this installment Cran recollects finding the 700 sq. ft. warehouse that would barely provide the space needed to shoot the movie. It provides fascinating insight into this intriguing project.

• Source: Producer James Cran.

The One Warrior Hits the Trailer

Dragons, giants, wizards, heroic quests, bad guys and flying swords! This film has them all. And they're all in the newly released trailer.

The One Warrior (US-2011; dir. Tom Stout)

The film stars Jason David Frank (Power Rangers), James Russo (CSI: Miami, Public Enemies) and Dominic Keating (Star Trek: Enterprise, Sherlock Holmes).

According to the IMDb outline, The One Warrior is a classic fantasy tale in which a fighter known as The One Warrior finds himself in a mythical world where he must destroy the Evil Lord Shoukata. To do so he must fight his way through many challenges. These include dragons, the cursed swords of Damacleus, the Samurai Six, the Amazon Warriors, a giant and much more. With each challenge met, the more powerful he becomes. Sounds like a video game? Maybe that's exactly what it is.... Or maybe not?

Lord of the Rings meets Tron?

Producer Fabio Soldani tells us that the film is almost ready for distribution. "We think it will be distributed this summer on DVD worldwide and probably will be shown on US TV."

Sources: Fabio Soldani; Facebook; IMDb. Via Avery Guerra.

Exclusive: Night Claws

Whoever said Bigfoot likes to stay hidden?

There's another Sasquatch-style monster flick on the way, this one set and made in Alabama, thanks to State financial incentives -- and the inspiration of Polish producer Fabio Soldani. Soldani conceived the film and encouraged local filmmaker David Prior to write the screenplay and direct. Among Prior's 30 previous films lurk a wealth of genre B-flicks such as Deadly Prey, Zombie Wars and Mutant Species.

"Night Claws is a homage for a monster movies from the 80s," producer Fabio Soldani told the Backbrain. He noted that it was to be produced without the aid of CGI.

Night Claws (US-2011; dir. David A. Prior)

Synopsis:

A small town is being terrorized by a killer Bigfoot. One that is blood thirsty, vicious and kills without warning and without discrimination. A scientist by the name of Sarah Evans (Leilani Sarelle) shows up to help the town’s sheriff (Reb Brown) and his deputy girlfriend Roberta (Sherrie Rose) hunt this thing down and put an end to the killings. At the same time, Hunter Crawford (David Campbell) is a thug-like character who along with his two henchmen, is hunting the creature himself, for his own personal gain and he does not care who he has to go through to accomplish this. Enter Charlie Parker (Ted Prior) a tough east coast type who is on a survivalist camping trip, led by the seasoned survivalist Sharon Farmer (Tara Sanford Kleinpeter) at the behest of his young trophy wife (Alissa Koenig) and whom, by no fault of his own, winds up being used as bait for the creature, by Hunter. But there is more at work here than meets the eye. A sinister plot is afoot and at its centre is the vengeful Mister Testi (Frank Stallone). And in the end this plot takes a twist that no one will expect.

"I'm very excited about this project," Soldani told us. "Developing the storyline for it was a blast. I tried to put as much 80s in it as I could and hire some favorite actors of mine. All known from 80s." 

The cast includes genre stalwarts Reb Brown (Howling II, Ssssnake), Leilani Sarelle (Neon Maniacs, Basic Instinct), Ted Prior (Deadly Prey, Bio Force), Sherrie Rose (Killer Crocodile), David Campbell (Scarecrows), Frank Stallone Jr. (Rocky Balboa, Rambo: First Blood II,  Masque of the Red Death), Alissa Koenig (Zombie Wars) and Tara Kleinpeter (The Dead Will Tell). Bill "Splat" Johnson (The Walking Dead, Zombieland, Halloween II) and Bruce Larsen (The Patriot, Dead Birds) form the SFX team.

Night Claws was set to film at the end of March and from there will be set for a TV premiere. There are lots of production pictures on the film's Facebook page. A news piece on the film and its Alabama production appears on the WKRG News 5 website.

Sources: Producer Fabio Soldani; IMDb; Facebook page; WKRG News 5 website. Via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood.

New: The Bear

When you look into the woods, do you ever wonder
what's looking back?

Nice tagline.

Heading toward a premiere in New York City on April 30th, 2011 is the independent film The Bear (US-2011; dir. R. Jameson Smith) from Park Bench Pictures. Written by Pedro Francisco Marnoto and produced by Eamon Downey and Laurence Jacobs, The Bear is described as "a suspenseful story about the lengths a boy will go to become a man".

Synopsis:

The Bear is the story of 12-year-old Nathaniel Ford and his struggle to connect with a father who has become obsessed with a monster that has tormented him for years.

A monster that has left him crippled and alone. A monster that lives just beyond the treeline in the backyard of the Ford Farm.

With that Moby-Dick-in-the-backwoods ambiance and the effective outdoors photography of the trailer (see below), it looks like The Bear could be an excitingly dramatic coming-of-age horror drama.

Trailer:

The Bear - OFFICIAL TRAILER from Park Bench Pictures on Vimeo.

Below are some nicely evocative pictures from the film and its production:

R. Jameson Smith during the location shoot

Check out this teaser pseudo info-film on camping safety:

The Bear Official Teaser from The Bear on Vimeo.

Poster Gallery: (click to enlarge)

Sources: Official Facebook page; Jameson Smith's site. Via Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood.