You got Bill's word on that

From folks that make horror stories, you'd be surprised at the REAL horror stories that goes on behind the scenes. Tales of disgruntled crew, diva cast and nightmarish directors just to name a few, it's no surprise to read the rumors of actors being recast in once-in-a-lifetime roles for being hard to deal with. Friends in the business tell me how certain actresses were diva witches (you know which letter to replace) on set and made life unbearable. If people really took time to reflect and realize that their ability to work in this industry, and be successful, is a gift built on the world's use of expendable cash for pure entertainment, not a necessity like food, clothing or shelter. They are not saving they world, they are giving us a needed laugh, a hair raising thrill or even a good ol' fashion scare, but it's not a necessity.

Perhaps they should listen to Bill Oberst, Jr., the talented actor who played the psychotic cannibal, Dale, in our feature film Dismal. Not only is Bill terrific in the movie, he's probably one of the nicest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. Bill not only works hard at what he does, he embraces each and every moment and seizes every opportunity he has, because Bill knows tomorrow is promised to no one.




A few days ago, a neighbor whom I had never met came to my door and asked if I would sign an autograph for her daughter. I had appeared in a kids' show back in the day and for those of you who do not know, you shall remain none the wiser, but somehow this child had learned that I had been in one of her favorite shows. Mind you this was about as trivial of a part in the show as one could get enough so I didn't even get credit, but to this young girl I was somehow important enough to get an autograph. I was as humbled as I was embarrassed and I gladly signed the paper for her. Now I'm just a guy who produces little movies and sometimes get shown and people get to see them. When that happens I am humble and grateful to have had that opportunity. When I read Bill Oberst's blog and see how grateful he is to have had the chance to play Dale in Dismal, I am once again humbled by his words. And anytime I'm asked for my autograph, whether it be on a copy of a movie I wrote / produced or on a spiral pocket notebook, I am humbled, because in my eyes the people I'm giving it to are much more important than I am, and you can see that is the same way Bill is. No one owes it to us to do what we do, we are just thankful we have been given the opportunities.

If all actors / filmmakers could be as humble and loyal as our dear friend, Mr. Bill Oberst, Jr., this world of filmmaking would be a kinder, gentler place.

Please read Bill's latest blog entry: Actor Bill Oberst, Jr.

Dismal back on cable

Dismal is getting another run on Showtime and The Movie Channel so if you've missed your chance to see this gory, swamp flick in the past you've got several more chances to watch.

Here is the schedule provided by Showtime:

Fri	07/01	10:00 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Fri	07/01	1:10 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Sat	07/02	1:05 AM	SHO NEXT
Tue	07/12	2:30 AM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL XTRA
Fri	07/15	1:10 AM	SHO NEXT
Mon	07/18	2:55 AM	SHO NEXT
Tue	07/26	3:40 AM	SHO NEXT
Sat	07/30	4:15 AM	SHO NEXT
Sat	08/27	10:30 PM	THE MOVIE CHANNEL

Savage gets UK release

Savage will release on DVD in the UK on July 11, 2011. If you're in the UK you will be the first to see the film released to a wide audience. Here's a preview of the DVD jacket you'll be looking for.


Fear not US citizens, a DVD release is coming for you later this year. And if your cable provider offers Chiller TV you'll be able to catch the cable premiere later this year as well.

"I enjoyed Dismal more than the original Wrong Turn" - MoreHorror.com

Dismal was the second feature reviewed by MoreHorror.com recently. While they may have taken a liking to Savage, there is no doubt they found a gem in the more grisly horror flick, Dismal.

Most audiences rush into a horror flick wanting KILL, KILL, KILL every second and every other second it's BOOBS, BOOBS, BOOBS. Okay, maybe that was us shouting that at the last horror flick but we're SURE other fans out there do the same. And while Dismal gives you a healthy dose of kills and your gratuitous boob shots, director Gary King and writer Bo Buckley felt all good stories come from its characters.

MoreHorror.com reviewer Jason Lees writes, "when the carnage finally does start..., I actually found myself caring about who was getting clubbed, and that’s a rare thing these days." On a low budget that's what really helps a film, well developed characters and strong acting, and Dismal delivers both. "Again, I was surprised by how much I cared when certain characters bought it," Lees adds.

Distributors around were concerned that there needed to be more blood in the first 1/3 of the film, but the filmmakers believe the added character development is what will set the film apart from other low budget horror indies. If you're not just looking for a shallow, hack 'em up horror flick Dismal is a good choice. While you'll get your share of creative deaths and grisly horror, there's so much more to the film.

Read the full review HERE.

"good monster movie with genuine indie appeal" - MoreHorror.com

FINALLY, a review we can get behind. One that looks at the depth in which we wove the characters, the effects, the stunts and combined them to form a different kind of monster flick. Not your typical straight-to-SyFy, too much CGI monster and bad story flick, and unfortunately, that's what some want, however, Michael Pickle at MoreHorror.com really appreciates a movie like Savage.

Director Jordan Blum wanted a monster movie rich with characters and based on Pickle's review he understands the many levels of the characters. "I quickly fell in love with the many interesting characters and their carefully woven stories that were just intricate enough to still leave room for the many subtle nuances as well as heart-racing and well filmed action sequences and gory kills," writes Pickle. When you watch Savage you won't get a kill a minute like most gory monster flicks try to throw at you but rather a story of characters and their relationships and how they all end up in this mess that is a savage Bigfoot terrorizing a park.

Another of Blum's choices was to keep the monster hidden and menacing, a philosophy lost in this age where horror films get lost in over-the-top effects rather than story and suspense. "Bigfoot doesn't make an appearance in every scene, but it's menace hangs in the air and saturates every other story building tension throughout," adds Pickle. That's what the filmmakers were going for and it's nice to know that it resonates with people. So we hope we left this reviewer wanting to see more of Bigfoot, but still pleased we didn't overdo it.

To read the full review go HERE.

"All good stuff" - Ain't It Cool News reviews Savage

Ain't It Cool News is all about the Bigfoot movies, so we're glad Savage was able to be included in their review section on Bigfoot movies. Ranging from Bigfoot (1970) to Legend of Boggy Creek to more recent indie flicks like Clawed and yours truly, AICN runs the gamut of reviews from the pretty bad to the super good. Savage is somewhere in between with scenes "I haven't seen before in a Bigfoot film," according to AICN. They give it 6 foot and 5 toes (who has any idea what that means).

"The highlight of the film", for AICN, was the Bigfoot. With costuming by Toby Sells and a stand out performance and stunts by Jack Harrison, the combination created a Bigfoot "with menace and power".

AICN sets it apart from other Bigfoot movies for "a cool premise, some decent acting from some, and more than a few nice Bigfootin’ scenes". They checked it out. Shouldn't you?

See the entire review HERE.

"A fun jog through the woods" - Hell Street Journal

Okay, so I must admit I've never been to New Zealand or Australia and from what indie horror flicks actually make it to the States, the movies are pretty good. I'm sure they have their own brand of "local" flicks that are equally as bad as our own run-of-the-mill garbage, so it's refreshing to know, if there is some saving grace, that Dismal was above that heap that leaves a sour taste in horror viewers' mouths.

When a viewer says, "We very much look forward to seeing what you guys have in store for the future," (from personal email), it's a much better feeling than when they tell you, "please don't send us anything else." We believe the peeps at Hell Street would welcome another project from us, and that's a good thing.

Hell Street admits, Dismal "ticks all the boxes" in terms of hitting the genre staples, hot girls, sex, teens, creepy locations, deranged, backwoods killer(s). And it also, as so many have before, appreciates the performance of one Bill Oberst, Jr. "Madder than a sack of rabid weasels his performance alone is worth navigating the films easily consumed 90 minutes." Bill proved in this film why he has been so busy working in Hollywood since. A must see performance.

Many thanks to the folks at Hell Street Journal for taking the time to review Dismal, although, unfortunately it's not yet available there for the public. Hopefully soon.

You can read the full review of Dismal HERE.