From Video Game to the Big Screen: “Dead Island”

Posted by Steven Lewis on August 2, 2014

Occupant Entertainment and Deep Silver announced that they will be backing a screen adaptation of their 8-million copies sold, mega-hit “Dead Island”. Deep Silver is the video game publishing label for Koch Media, an independent theatrical and home entertainment productions company. Occupant is eyeing a Q1 production start date in 2015.

“Dead Island” revolves around a isolated beach resort over-ran by fast-paced, blood thirsty zombies. Apocalyptic zombie films have been a dime-a-dozen with today’s technology advancement relying more of CGI than practical effects, but Koch Media’s CEO Klemens Kundratitz says that “The “Dead Island” universe offers a rich and unique setting that can expand beyond the pure gaming experience. We are very much looking forward to seeing Dead Island open up to new audiences and showing off the fun everybody at Deep Silver has with this brand.”

My faith in Kundratitz’s statement is strong due to sheer fact that “JCVD”, “Before The Devil Knows Your Dead”, and “Moon” were solid, independent films in the last 5 years. Dead Island is set on a much bigger scale and in the grand scheme of things, Koch Media will have to step up their involvement and maybe help Occupant Entertainment some with more cash on the table. We’ve seen video game adaptations go south before. Of course, most failure credits reside with Uwe Boll, but there was also “DOA”, “Mortal Kombat Annihilation”, and “Max Payne.”

In June, “Dead Island 2” promo trailer was released and already has a million plus hits on Youtube and while the trailer is great and quirky, nothing out beats the announcement trailer for “Dead Island” with it’s dramatic, frightening reverse sequence.

Dead Island 2

Dead Island

Promo Trailer for Syfy’s Z-Nation!

Posted by Steven Lewis on August 1, 2014

Trying to locate the good in a Syfy television series was a difficult thing for me. I was never one for any of the “Stargate” series or it’s never-ending spinoffs (except the movie), “Farscape” just didn’t fascinate me, and “Being Human” just didn’t feel human enough with the characters or the story. It’s not as if I’m not into science fiction (I’m certainly a Star Trek geek and a Star Wars fan), but these series just didn’t get me going.

Then “Helix” came along…

Boy, oh boy, did I love “Helix”. With a feel that fits right into Syfy’s arsenal of shows, Helix had spawned something more unique with a show about being isolated in a Tundra and having a similar “Resident Evil” feel to the show that involved a mutating virus and a giant evil corporation.

On the horizon in September, a new show will debut for Syfy’s horror lineup. “Z-Nation” shows it’s razor sharp teeth in a new promo that was released today. “Z-Nation” is about an infested America three years after the shit hit the fan with a virus that spread throughout the country. A group of rag-tag individuals travel from New York to California with the only known survivor of a zombie bite in hopes to reach a blood lab that could contain the survivor’s antibodies and create a cure to the virus outbreak.

After a view of the promo, I’m reminiscing about Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” remake as the trailer has running, mean footed zombies looking for nothing less than a full meal of meat and blood. Not too forget the formidable chaos that ensues shortly after outbreak! I have a good feeling about the cast too with Tom Everett Scott (“An American Werewolf in Paris”), Harold Parrineau (“28 Weeks Later”), DJ Qualls (“Cherry Falls”), and Anastasia Baranova.

Toe Tagged: Dick Smith

Posted by Steven Lewis on August 1, 2014

Legendary Oscar Winning special effects make up artist Dick Smith died Wednesday at the ripe old age of 92. His most notable work for Amadeus in 1984 which he won an Academy Award, but in the horror community Dick Smith was known for taking a young and beautiful Linda Blair and turning her into a disgusting, decaying possessed little girl in the Exorcist. Smith also had these iconic features on his resume: Scanners, The Sentinel, The Exorcist II: The Heretic, Poltergeist III, Death Becomes Her, and House on Haunted Hill (1999).

Rob Zombie’s Fan-Backed Film “31”

Posted by Steven Lewis on August 1, 2014

With a slew of film rumors ever since his last film project The Lords of Salem, from his involvement with a remake of The Blob (that never panned out) to his rumored long hiatus from making another film, Rob Zombie has become something of an enigma, but then again, that was always the super-rocker’s persona and style. Now, Mr. Zombie is back to doing another film, this time funded by a fan-backed project website entitled simply enough as FanBacked.com, called “31” that is described as being “a fast paced, mean dirty film for those who like it rough.” Most of Zombie’s films are fast paced, mean, and dirty and some even described his style as “white trash” with his archetypes of trailer trash, profanity filled characters. Thats how we like it, isn’t it? We all know what a Rob Zombie film feels and sounds like and we dig his style of filmmaking.

The synopsis of “31” involves five random people being kidnapped five days before Halloween and held hostage in a place called Murder World – a man-made hell of a structure where survival is the key as anything goes including, you guessed it, murder. The “contestants” have 12 hours to survive, from what I can tell by the concept art, clown masked clad killers and if the hostages survive, they’ll earn their freedom.

So far there have been numerous contributors. If you would like to contribute, there are different tier to which you can grab some swag for your contributions – a signed DVD copy, a “31” T-shirt, a limited edition “Halloween” mask – just to name a few. Check out the FanBacked.com site here and have a stake in the film. Lets see if you’re hard earned cash can make “31” a gorehound’s dream.