by Jenni Powell on February 12th, 2010
FEARnet continuts to hold its rank at the #1 Internet site for horror and thriller entertainment and news by launching today its new web series Post Mortem With Mick Garvis. On the surface, it’s an interview show featuring some of the biggest names in horror such as John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Tobe Hooper, John Landis, just to name a few. But what’s unique about this series is that its host is himself is one of the sci-fi and horror genre’s favorite producers, writers and directors and has created such chilling series as the award-winning anthology Masters of Horror. Tubefilter had a chance to chat with Garvis via e-mail about his experience being a part of FEARnet’s newest screamfest (albeit a conversational one).
by Marc Hustvedt on December 14th, 2009
Thomas Haden Church, former Wings regular and breakout star of 2004 film Sideways, is going after the one meidum he hasn’t dabbled in yet—the internet. The 49 year-old Oscar-nominated actor has signed on to star in FEARnet’s new original web series Zombie Roadkill which is set for a Spring 2010 release on the site and through its video on demand network. Henry Gayden wrote the script for the six episode horror-comedy which David Green will direct.
It’s the fourth project made for FEARnet from Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, which had crafted 30 Days of Night: Blood Trails and 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust, and Devil’s Trade for the network. Aaron Lam from Ghost House will produce the series. Also announced joining the cast is teen David Dorfman known as the little boy from The Ring flicks.
Zombie Roadkill centers around a group of college kids as they are driving on an unfamiliar road. Everything seems fit for a road trip to the lake but, when the group accidentally runs over an unsuspecting squirrel, they quickly realize there will be a price to pay. The cursed road brings the zombie squirrel back to life to haunt the kids. After the kids crash and everyone is injured except the younger brother, he is forced to set out on a journey to defeat the ancient curse and save his brother and friends before it is too late.
Just like FEARnet’s latest series Fear Clinic, which reportedly has been doing quite well this fall, Roadkill will be visual effects heavy. Quantum FX, known for their work on Watchmen and Where The Wild Things Are, are being brought on to handle creature effects.
by Marc Hustvedt on December 11th, 2009
Tiki Bar TV is back from hiatus and out with a new episode today (above) featuring The Guild’s Sandeep Parikh (aka Zaboo) as “The Commodore.” And just in time for the holidays (but not in time for out Holiday Gift Guide) the consummate merchandisers are out with a new line of t-shirts, many of which look like “Tiki Bart V.” [Tiki Bar TV]
Compulsions concluded its eight episode first season today with the release of Episode 8 “Promise Kept” today on Dailymotion. The dark thriller cruised past 118,000 views so far during its exclusive run on the video site, averaging around 14k per episode. Creator Bernie Su and the cast and crew were live last night on A Fangirl’s Guide with host Cricket Lee. [Compulsions]
SyFy Network may have ripped off the web series ClipCritics from creator Chad Sahley with its new series Outer Space Astronauts. The whole thing reminds Nalts, and us, of The Fine Brothers and the case of the eyebrow-raising coincidence that was LOST Untangled. [Will Video For Food]
London-based CAKE Entertainment has entered into a co-production deal for 52-episode short-form 3-D interactive adventure web series, If I Was…., created by young animator Junior Jesman, who was discovered by CAKE on Dailymotion. [WorldScreen.com]
by Marc Hustvedt on November 23rd, 2009
FEARnet’s new horror news series, Fear News has everything we’d expect from a decent terror flick—midriff flaunting ingénue, creepy animatronics and chase sequences. Only our young heroine is actually delivering the horror news—from within a horror set.
It’s the Rocketboom of horror. Only the young anchor-at-a-desk motif is supplanted with the darker dregs of an fictionalized horror set. Each week is different horror set theme, with last week being slasher film and the latest (above) in a ghost flick.
When this idea was first thrown around earlier this summer, I’ll admit I had my doubts. The concept seemed a little too hokey to deliver any sort of genuine tension. But so far it delivers, much the same way as any run-of-the-mill slasher flick keeps us watching to see how the inept leads somehow slip away.
The brains behind Fear News are creators Jack Conway and Matthew Mercer, known in the web series world for his Super Mario inspired There Will Be Brawl series. The duo tapped There Will Be Brawl’s stunner Ginger Marie Rogers as “The Last Girl” host—the one that somehow manages to escape alive at the end of every movie.
by Marc Hustvedt on November 12th, 2009
Can you believe FEARnet is already onto its eighth original web series already? The Comcast-backed horror hub, which recently launched Fear Clinic, is now gearing up for Post Mortem with Mick Garris. The interview series will feature five minute episodes, in a “Charlie Rose of Horror” fashion, with various horror directors and other luminaries like Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, Robert Englund and John Carpenter.
Mick Garris might in fact be the Charlie Rose of horror, having a rolodex that reads like a who’s who in the genre after creating The Fantasy Film Festival and Showtime’s Masters of Horror anthology series. “There is nobody in the business who can bring to our audience what Mick can – an unprecedented knowledge of the industry from the ground up, and a network of A-List colleagues who are happy to share with him and our viewers their experiences, stories and insights about fear-inspired entertainment,” said FEARnet’s President Diane Robina.
The series is being produced by Jetpack Media—the same shop behind comedy favorite Old Jews Telling Jokes. Jetpack’s Eric Spiegelman is producing Post Mortem and Perry Martin directing.
by Marc Hustvedt on October 26th, 2009
Just in time for Halloween week, FEARnet launched its much-anticipated horror web series Fear Clinic today. After whetting appetites back in July at Comic-Con, the Robert Englund (Freddy from the Nightmare on Elm Street films) led thriller centers around a brilliantly creepy Dr. Andover (Englund) and his unlisted clinic for curing lifelong phobias.
Director Robert Hall, who comes from the world of visual effects, is a newcomer to web series. His Almost Human effect shop was called on to produce the complex makeup and creature effects so far unseen in a web original. ”This looks like a nasty little Cronenberg film made for the web,” said Englund during our recent interview with him, referencing the venereal horror master.
“Fear is the little death that consumes you,” warns Dr. Andover in the opening episode (above) to an uneasy Lucas Till. Till plays Brett, a young guy looking to get over his hydrophobia (fear of water) in order to score his inheritance. Other episodes, all penned by Aaron R. Drane, will try to shake out a handful of other fears we all might have—scotophopia (fear of the dark), and entomophobia (fear of insects), to claustrophobia (fear of small spaces) and misophobia (fear of being contained with germs or dirt).
Joining Englund are Kane Hodder (Jason from Friday the 13th) and scream queen Danielle Harris (Halloween 2). “To have Robert Englund and Kane Hodder on board for our new series is exciting…both for us and for horror lovers everywhere,” said Diane Robina, President of FEARnet.
Ok, here’s how this one works. We’re giving away a full 12-DVD box set of Nightmare on Elm Street films courtesy of FEARnet. Better yet, we even went and got the set signed by Nightmare creator-director Wes Craven himself as a little bonus for Tubefilter readers.
by Marc Hustvedt on August 5th, 2009
At first glance the casting of FEARnet’s new original horror web series Fear Clinic seemed a bit of ploy, made to grab horror headlines with an assemblage of the genre’s popular stars—Robert Englund (Freddy from A Nightmare on Elm Street films), Kane Hodder (Jason from Friday the 13th) and Danielle Harris (Rob Zombie’s Halloween). But digging deeper it’s clear these choices were hardly a stunt, and they are horror stars for a reason.
Englund himself could just as easily be a film professor the way he can so effortlessly break down the nuances of the genre’s emotional games. “This looks like a nasty little Cronenberg film made for the web,” said Englund during our recent interview with him, referencing the venereal horror master.
This is director Robert Hall’s first time helming a web series, coming from the visual effects side of the business through his Almost Human shop which was also brought on to deliver the nightmarish makeup and creature effects.
by Marc Hustvedt on July 20th, 2009
Comic-Con week is upon us and this year, perhaps more than ever, the web series world is heading to San Diego to geek out amongst the world’s finest. Sure, every major studio and comic book company is heading down to hock their wares, everything from fall TV series to loosely-related comic book and sci-fi blockbusters. But without all those generous marketing budgets are some web content gems that are making the trip and dishing the latest on their series. Who can forget last year’s standing ovation at Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible panel?
8:00-10:00 PM: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog— The California Browncoats host a screening of the original three acts, followed immediately by Commentary! The Musical. See why Joss Whedon’s (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) first foray into webisodic “television” was the talk of the town with critics and fans alike in 2008. Be prepared for a night of singing and surprises hosted by the fans who know what you like best. Dr. Horrible stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly), and Felicia Day (The Guild) and is written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon (Dollhouse), Zack Whedon (Fringe), and Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse). Room 6A
10:30-11:30 AM: Meet The Guild— Come chat with the creators and performers from the hit online video series The Guild. Felicia Day (Codex), Vincent Caso (Bladezz), Jeff Lewis (Vork), Amy Okuda (Tinkerballa), Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo), and Robin Thorsen (Clara) talk about the series and answer questions from the audience. They’ll also give attendees a sneak peek at Season 3 coming to Xbox LIVE this fall, plus a bonus Comic-Con exclusive video! Room 5AB (See: Microsoft Re-Ups ‘The Guild’, Season 3 Coming Summer)
