----- June 19, 2009 -----

** More FRIDAY THE 13TH on DVD: Deluxe editions of the last two from Paramount will be available to own on the 15th of September. Here's the covers and full specs.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII THE NEW BLOOD
2.0 Surround, Mono, 5.1 Surround
English, French, and Spanish audio/subtitle options
Portuguese subtitles
Commentary: - Killer Commentary by director John Carl Buechler and actors Lar Park Lincoln and Kane Hodder
Jason's Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII
Slashed Scenes with Intro
Mind Over Matter: The Truth about Telekinesis
Makeover by Maddy: Need a Little Touch-Up Work, My Ass

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII JASON TAKES MANHATTAN
2.0 Surround, Mono, 5.1 Surround
English, French, and Spanish audio/subtitle options
Portuguese subtitles
Commentary: - Killer Commentary by actors Jensen Daggett, Scott Reeves, and Kane Hodder
New York Has A New Problem - The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Slashed Scenes
Gag Reel

** ZOMBIELAND: The extremely cool trailer is now online!

** John Carpenter's THE WARD: Danielle Panabaker (FRIDAY THE 13TH remake) will star opposite Amber Heard (THE STEPFATHER remake) in John Carpenter's film for Echo Lake Entertainment and A Bigger Boat says The Hollywood Reporter. The story follows a girl (Heard) who is admitted to a psychiatric ward, meets other girls there with distinct personalities and discovers a mysterious girl haunting the halls at night. Panabaker plays a patient in the institution, a snobbish girl who flirts with orderlies and faces electroshock therapy. Mamie Gummer also has been cast as a patient. Michael and Shawn Rasmussen wrote the script, with revisions by Jim Agnew and Sean Keller. Shooting kicks off next month in Spokane, Washington. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)

** Park Chan-wook's THIRST: Here's the Red Band trailer for the highly anticipated vampire film. (thanks to IGN.com)

** H2: Here's a new still, not sure what it is exactly, from the upcoming Rob Zombie film. (thanks to Apple.com)

** SORORITY ROW: On October 2nd Summit Entertainment releases Stewart Hendler's R-rated remake of THE HOUSE OF SORORITY ROW. Here's two new stills. (thanks to MTV.com)

----- June 18, 2009 -----

** BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN: Universal and Imagine are developing a remake of the monster classic BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN says The Risky Biz Blog. Elsa Lanchester starred as the titular bride in James Whale's 1935 feature which follows on from the classic 1931 FRANKENSTEIN. In 'Bride', a chastened Henry Frankenstein abandons his plans to create life, only to be tempted and finally coerced by the Monster, encouraged by Henry's old mentor Dr Pretorius, into constructing a mate for him.

The Bride rejects the Monster however, resulting in her death, that of Pretorius, and apparently the Monster's own death, when he destroys Henry's laboratory. THE ILLUSIONIST filmmaker Neil Burger will direct and co-write the script with Dirk Wittenborn. Brian Grazer and Sean Daniel will produce. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)

** MACHETE: Actor Danny Trejo has revealed that he'll start shooting Robert Rodriguez's film in five weeks. (thanks to Gordonandthewhale.com)

** Park Chan-wook's THIRST: Focus Features released the official domestic one sheet for Park Chan-wook's THIRST, which is the exact same thing as the Korean poster, inly they chose to go with the amended one, as opposed to the banned version (featuring a little more skin and a lot more cross). Arriving in theaters July 31, yhe story finds Korea's leading man, Song Kang-ho, as a much-loved priest who becomes a vampire after a failed medical experiment; he becomes a tortured and depraved soul. (thanks to AICN.com)

** THE STEPFATHER: Here's the trailer for the upcoming remake.

** CONJURING: Summit Entertainment has picked up the thriller pitch CONJURING from Chad and Carey Hayes (WHITEOUT) says Variety. The deal includes life rights to the Perron family, whose experiences in their Rhode Island home informs the film, and Ed and Lorraine Warren, experts in paranormal activities who investigated and battled the activities occurring in the Perron household. Ghosts and demonic possession are at the center of the plot but actual story specifics are being kept quiet. The work of the Warrens inspired films such as THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)

** Director Ti West has signed to direct the sequel to THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT. The film is based on the true story. Once moved into their modest home situated on what was once an Old South plantation, a young couple grows concerned when their daughter begins encountering mysterious strangers that no one else can see. Their fear is heightened when they themselves become witness to terrifying phenomena in and around the house, giving clues to unlock a chilling mystery that has remained a closely-guarded secret for generations. (thanks to Bloody-Disgusting.com)

** THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake: Here's the covers for the Warner Home Video will release the remake on both DVD and Blu-ray August 18th.

----- June 17, 2009 -----

** Dark Sky Films announced that HENRY: PORTAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER will have its hi-def debut September 29, while Universal Home Entertainment issues the modern zombie-comedy classic SHAUN OF THE DEAD (previously available on a now-out-of-print HD-DVD) on Blu-ray September 22. Contents have yet to be announced, but presumably these will contain all the previous DVD special features; retail price for each is $29.98. Speaking of Dark Sky, the company also let us know that it has bumped its release of the British gorefest GNAW to October 13, and confirmed that the much-lauded DEADGIRL will hit disc September 15. (thanks to Fangoria.com)

** COMBAT SHOCK: Troma has updated the cover art for its two-DVD Tromasterpiece Collection release of Buddy Giovinazzo’s COMBAT SHOCK. COMBAT SHOCK arrives July 28 with a retail price of $24.95. (thanks to Fangoria.com)

** Park Chan-wook’s THIRST: Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, North American premiere screening at the Fantasia Film Festival!

The Fantasia Film Festival is proud to announce the North American premiere screening of THIRST from South Korea’s Park Chan-Wook. This film was awarded the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Fantasia Festival audience originally discovered Park Chan-wook in 2001 with his JOINT SECURITY AREA followed by SYMPATHY FOR MR.VENGEANCE in 2003, the first film of his « Vengeance » trilogy. He then achieved international recognition with his cult film OLD BOY (Grand Prize Winner, Cannes 2004) and with the award-winning LADY VENGEANCE at the Venice Mostra in 2005. He has since then become one of South Korea’s most influential filmmakers.

THIRST draws its inspiration from Emile Zola’s novel Thérèse Raquin. Blending cheerfully different genres such as horror, burlesque, romance and baroque, Park Chan-wook tells us the story of a priest going through a moral crisis. After being used as a guinea pig in a medical experiment, he eventually transforms himself into a vampire with irrepressible passions. THIRST is a Korean-American co-production. The movie will be released in the United States (fin New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco) the 31st of July and was at the top of the South Korean charts from the moment it came out, with more than one million admissions the first weekend. Alliance Vivafilm is the Canadian distributor.

** THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake: Warner Home Video will release the remake on both DVD and Blu-ray August 18th. The disc will be a BD50 (Blu-ray) and will include both the R-rated theatrical cut and the unrated cut, four minutes longer. Audio will be 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, with English, French or Spanish subtitles. Special features include: Deleted Scenes, A Look Inside (Featurette), Digital copy of the Unrated version, BD-Live My Scenes Sharing. There’s a place where evil gets what it deserves. Legendary masters of horror Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham revisit the landmark film that launched Craven's directing career and influenced decades of horror films to follow: THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT . Bringing one of the most notorious thrillers of all time to a new generation, they produce a shocking and thrilling re-imagination of the story that explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child. Includes two versions of the movie - the unrated cut too terrifying for theaters and the theatrical version.

** THE COLLECTOR: The official website was launched and features a tease of footage on the splash page! The extremely violent horror film was directed by Marcus Dunstan from a screenplay by Dunstan and partner in crime Patrick Melton, who have collaborated on the FEAST trilogy, along with many SAW sequels. The film centers on an ex-con who is in desperate need of money to pay off his ex-wife to prevent her from leaving town with their daughter. When he breaks into the country home of his wealthy employer in an effort to steal a valuable jewel, he realizes that his family has been abducted by a masked killer who has rigged the house with deadly traps. (thanks to Bloody-Disgusting.com)

** FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V A NEW BEGINNING: Here's an exclusive clip from the just released Deluxe Edition DVD.

----- June 16, 2009 -----

** GOREZONE is 11 years old!

Eleven years ago, due to the lack of horror coverage on the Internet, I started my own web site dedicated to the genre I love. Back then there was only a few horror sites; Dr.Casey, Horror Movies and House of Horror. All three were great sites, especially for their time, but none of them covered the genre with daily news like so many sci-fi and fantasy sites did. Inspired by those, Dark Horizons and Cinescape, I decided to create GOREZONE... the name was chosen as an homage to the late great Starlog mag.

And here I am eleven years later, still working on the site on a daily basis and still love doing it. I'd like to personally thank everyone who has been reading and supporting what is now the longest running horror site on the internet, thank you!

** Talking with the Movieweb site on the Chicago set of the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake, producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form spilled on the progress of various Platinum Dunes projects. First up, the sequel to this year's hit FRIDAY THE 13TH remake. "We want to have fun. We want to present something that audiences haven't seen before. One of the things they haven't seen before is Jason in the snow" said Fuller. The pair said they've no real plans to make the film in 3D due to cost and time restrictions, but they like the idea. No script is yet in place but if they can get it moving fast enough, they'd like it ready for release on August 13th next year. The pair also admits that their planned remake of THE BIRDS is still very much stuck in development - "We keep trying. I don't know. That is so hard to get the script right. We struggle with it. I won't have anything to say until the script is finished." (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)

** Dario Argento's GIALLO: The director was in person this past Sunday at the NY Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors Con and during a stage interview with Maitland McDonagh (author of BROKEN MINDS BROKEN MIRRORS), Angento answered questions regarding his latest film, GIALLO and the news doesn't look good. Argento said that he doesn't know about the current status of GIALLO and if the film will be released here in the US or anywhere else this year. He lost contact with GIALLO's producers who are not answering his calls about the film and Dario said that he's not that enthusiastic about the film either since contrary to his other films, he didn't write or produced the film and he was simply a director for hire on GIALLO. But he did had great things to say about Adrian Brody, his lead actor in the film. (thanks to IMDB.com)

** Takashi Miike's AUDITION: Disc company Shout! Factory released the first peek at the cover art for a new two-DVD release of Takashi Miike’s AUDITION, as well as content info. Featuring a new high-definition transfer from the internegative (with a fresh digital stereo soundtrack) of Miike’s notorious chiller, about a widower (Ryo Ishibashi) who holds “auditions” for a new girlfriend and winds up hooking up with a beautiful psychopath (Eihi Shiina), the set will street in October, along with a double-Blu-ray edition.

Both versions will include an impressive array of original special features; the lineup includes:
New audio commentary by director Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan
New video introduction by Miike
Over 90 minutes of new interviews with the cast, including Ishibashi, Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi
Trailers
Liner notes by Tom Mes, author of Agitator The Cinema of Takashi Miike
Retail price is $24.98 each for both the DVDs and the Blu-rays.
(thanks to Fangoria.com)

** WORLD WAR Z: QUANTUM OF SOLACE and MONSTER'S BALL director Marc Foster says that the anticipated film adaptation of WORLD WAR Z may have to wait a little longer. Speaking with Migros Magazin, Forster says the film's script still needs a lot of development and is "still far from realization". As a result he's likely moving forward with another project entitled DISCONNECT which is 'ready to go'. DISCONNECT is said to be about how humans deal with new technologies and the changes it causes to interpersonal relationships. WORLD WAR Z, based on the novel by Max Brooks, is a series of interviews conducted with various people about the events that transpired when a zombie pandemic swept the globe. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)

** Sam Raimi's DRAG ME TO HELL took the number 10th spot at the box office with $3.9 million for a total of $35.1 million.

** Rob Zombie's H2: The official web site has been completely revamped and looks great!

** THE FINAL DESTINATION: Here's an updated version of the poster for the upcoming sequel.

** CHAW: One day in a small and peaceful village Sameri, boasting no criminal cases for 10 years, a terrible accident happens. Ecologists studying wild animals on a nearby mountain, discover a collection of dismembered body parts. Policeman KIM Kang-su just transferred to Sameri from Seoul takes the case. The victim turns out a grand-daughter of Chun il-man, who was once a legendary hunter. Chun is convinced that it wasn’t a human that murdered his granddaughter but a man-eating boar, Chaw. Terrified, the people of Sameri invite one of the most famous hunters Baek to catch the Chaw. Baek leaps at the chance hoping it will prove himself to be the best ever hunter. Baek, Chun, detective Sim in charge of, ecologist Soo-ryun and KIM Kang-soo (whose mother is also missing) head into the deep dark mountains to confront the beast. Check out the theatrical trailer.

** A taste of the 13th edition of the 2009 Fantasia International Film Festival!
Opening film: Takashi Miike’s YATTERMAN

Fantasia Film Festival, the largest genre film festival in North America, will be returning to Concordia University’s Hall Theater in Montreal for its 13th edition from July 9th to the 27th. This year, the delirious YATTERMAN, from Japanese director Takashi Miike will mark the opening of the festivities. This eagerly awaited Canadian premiere will plunge its audience into a kitschy psychedelic universe taken straight from the popular ‘70s manga. Fantasia is the first North American festival to screen a Takashi Miike movie in 1997. The director went on to receive international renown with such films as AUDITION and ICHI THE KILLER.

This year, over 100 feature films mainly from Asia, the United States and Europe but also from South Africa and Brazil, will be presented. A diversified, entertaining, original and innovative line-up gives center stage to a display of eccentric and biting humor intended for a wide audience ranging from reinvented pop culture to cinema d’auteur and speculative fiction, horror flicks to martial arts and grand epics.

JAPANESE CINEMA AT ITS BEST
With an imposing selection of 35 feature films, Japanese cinema is making a great impact at this year’s festival and showcasing the vitality and diversity of the country’s film industry. Sure-fire hits and delightful discoveries await you. One of the great masterpieces of this year’s selection will undoubtedly be the exquisite LOVE EXPOSURE, an extravagant and touching four-hour opus to love from Sion Sono. This film has received several prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival, including the FIPRESCI prize.

VIBRANT QUEBEC SHORT FILMS
The Quebec movie scene will once again be featured with the return of the FANTASTIC WEEKEND OF QUEBEC SHORTS, which will screen more than a hundred creations over three days, starting on July 24th through the 26th, from established talents and up-and-comers alike. In this way, the festival is hoping to encourage new trends and local young filmmakers by giving them a prestigious stage and an opportunity to develop precious contacts within the movie industry. Many feature-length films from Quebec will also be shown throughout the festival, including Robin Aubert’s second film, an existential road movie filmed in the heart of modern-day India.

THIS YEAR’S EDITION WILL ALSO FEATURE A HAND PAINTED POSTER, PRIZES, TRIBUTE, CONFERENCES AND OUTDOOR SCREENINGS

HEIDI TAILLEFER CREATES THE 2009 POSTER
Artist and painter Heidi Taillefer is the creative force behind the official 2009 Fantasia poster. Her artwork is recognized internationally. Inspired namely by figurative art, surrealism and mythology, her extraordinary universe harmonizes perfectly with the spirit of the festival. In fact, this is the second time that Heidi Taillefer has lent her talent to Fantasia as she previously created the 2006 poster. Her work can currently be seen in an exposition in New York and her pieces were recently published in Metamorphosis Volume 2.

PRIZES AND PANELS
Several panels composed of artists, artisans and various members of the Quebec and Canadian film industry will be on hand to award the following prizes:
- Best Feature Film: Jean-François Rivard (Director), Patrick Sénécal (Author and Screenwriter), Malajube (Musical Band), Jean-Philippe Duval (Director) and Sophie Cadieux (Actress)
- Best First Feature: Denis Héroux (Director), Scott Weinberg (Cinematical, Fear.net), Guy Danella (Producer), Ryan Bruce Levey (Cinemavault), Larry Kent (Director) and Brenda Leiberman (President of the Calgary Underground Film Festival)
- Best International Short Film: Dennison Ramalho (Director), Colin Geddes (Toronto International Film Festival), Nicolas Renaud (Co-Founder of Hors Champ), Roadkill Superstar (filmmaking collective) and Jovanka Vuckovic (Editor in Chief of Rue Morgue Magazine)
- Best Quebec Short Film: Natalia Wysocka (Journalist and Critic for Ici Montréal), Geneviève Brouillette (Actress) and Vincent Morriset (Director)
- Best DIY Short Film: Al Kratina (Journalist for The Gazette), Alain Fournier (Director) and Jeanne Ostiguy (Actress)

TRIBUTE
The festival will pay tribute to director and novelist Buddy Giovinazzo and to his powerful, honest and uncompromising body of work, and is honored to present the world premiere of his most recent film LIFE IS HOT IN CRACKTOWN as well as the original 16 mm work print of COMBAT SHOCK from the director’s own private collection.

CONFERENCES
In response to public demand, four conferences will be held between July 24th and 26th. They will discuss Stage Direction, Video Game Creation (presented by Ubisoft), Movie and DVD distribution, and Micro-cinema or How To Do A Lot With Almost Nothing.

OUTDOOR SCREENINGS
Fantasia Under the Stars is back this year for six days at the Parc de la Paix (St-Laurent boulevard between Ste-Catherine’s and René-Lévesque). These free presentations will give you the chance to rediscover old Fantasia favorites or discover new ones you may have missed. A Diet Pepsi Max presentation in collaboration with La Société des Arts Technologiques.

FANTASIA AT THE CINÉMATHÈQUE QUÉBÉCOISE AND AT THE FRINGE FESTIVAL
The Fantasia Film Festival is proud to present, in association with the Cinémathèque Québécoise and Ciné-Asie, a retrospective of the most memorable Japanese erotic films or pinku eiga (“Pink Movies”) of the ‘60s and ‘70s, a genre that allowed many internationally respected artists to take their first steps in the world of cinema.

Fantasia is also pleased to present during the Fringe Festival, two incontestable musts of any genre cinema festival, ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE UNDEAD, from Jordan Galland, on June 16th at 9:00 p.m., and THE LAST AMERICAN FREAK SHOW, from Richard Butchins, on June 18th at 9:00 p.m. A great start to the summer.

----- June 15, 2009 -----

** PREDATORS: British director Neil Marshall (DOG SOLDIERS, THE DESCENT, DOOMSDAY) is close to signing on to direct Fox's PREDATORS remake/reboot. Robert Rodriguez is producing the feature and penned an old treatment which was used by scribe Alex Litvak as the basis of the script. (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)

** NIGHT OF THE CREEPS: One of the most beloved horror films of the 80's is Fred Deker's film, which follows a group of teenagers fighting against alien brain parasites that enter humans through the mouth and turn their host into a killing zombie. A brand new transfer of the film screened at the Alamo Draft House in Austin, Texas, where AICN was on hand to host. The big news is that writer-director Fred Dekker hinted that he might have written down some ideas for a potential sequel, while AICN was able to piece together the following extra features for the forthcoming DVD release.

- Release date is October 20th, 2009
- Sixty Minutes of Behind the Scenes featurettes:
- "Birth of Creeps" featuring Dekker talking about the origins of the project
- "Cast of the Creeps" featuring Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow
- "Creating The Creeps" featuring interviews with SFX creators David B. Miller and Robert Kurtzman
- A special Tom Atkins centric piece called "Tom Atkins: Man of Action"
- "Escape of the Creeps" a detailed look at the post-production.
- Deleted scenes
- Fred Dekker solo commentary
- Cast commentary featuring Atkins, Whitlow, Marshall and Lively
- The original theatrical ending
- And footage from the Cast and Crew reunion screening at the Alamo Drafthouse.

** Guillermo del Toro's FRANKENSTEIN: The Sci-Fi Squad web site writes some really interesting news that comes in via a new interview with Guillermo del Toro on BBC Radio, "Del Toro let loose that he's already cast friend (and collaborator) Doug Jones as Frankenstein in his planned adaptation of the classic tale, and will begin testing things like make-up within the next few weeks -- though he admits (to the Digital Spy web site) that he's "not in a hurry" and is perfectly fine shooting the film five or six years from now. 'You have one shot in your lifetime at these things and I don't want to do it the wrong way.' " (thanks to Bloody-Disgusting.com)

** Kevin Smith's RED STATE: At the Monster Mania convention in Connecticut, Jason Mewes who is best known as Jay in Kevin Smith's comedies told the audience that the Weinstein Company has passed on Smith's horror script RED STATE, adding that the project is on hold indefinitely as there are two movies already planned to go before State. (thanks to Bloody-Disgusting.com)

** ZOMBIELAND: Here's the very fist still from ZOMBIELAND starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. (thanks to AICN.com)

** Texas Frightmare Weekend: Here's the second report from the Gorezone.net Texas team is of Jimmie Parker and Fred Skanse.

LAID TO REST

Directed by Robert Hall
Starring Bobbi Sue Luther, Kevin Gage, Sean Whalen, Nick Principe
Review by Jimmie Parker

It was the first night of Texas Frightmare Weekend 2009, and the third screening of the evening when I finally watched LAID TO REST in its entirety. After initial positive buzz, I had purchased the DVD the week it came out, but the busy schedule of a student had not afforded me the opportunity to watch the film beforehand.

At this point, I assume most interested parties have already watched this film, so I’m not going to get into a lengthy review. What I want to say is this: After promising a new slasher film in the vein of the 1980’s greats for years, Anchor Bay has finally delivered.  The real credit goes to the filmmakers, but Anchor Bay came in with a negative pick up which provided the necessary funding to complete the film, so they deserve a big “thanks.” After the almost-right MALEVOLENCE, the obnoxiously post-modern BEHIND THE MASK, the frustratingly misfired HATCHET, LAID TO REST is the film we’ve been waiting for Anchor Bay to release. The direction is skilled, the acting is good, the characters are likeable enough for you to care about their fate, the gore FX are amazing, and Chrome Skull works as an original modern twist on the slasher gods of yesteryear. And best of all, it does not try to set itself up for a sequel. Whereas FRIGHT FLICK and UNTITLED HORROR COMEDY struggled with striking a proper balance in tone, LtR had just the right kind of occasional laugh to let the audience relax enough to be jolted by the next thrill.

If you have not yet witnessed the carnage, I urge you to see this film soon.

As an update to the previous report, some of the people responsible for Untitled Horror Comedy are:  Co-written by Michael Charron and Lauren Matyis, Directed by Michael Charron, Starring: Lauren Matyis, Melissa Rentrop, Erik Anderson, Jason Konopisos, Ryan Wickerham, Melody Chase Featuring: Robert Z'Dar, Larry Thomas, Joe Estevez

Tobe Hooper Q&A
By Fred Skanse

There is a small club of American horror directors that came out of the ’70s and ’80s considered to be “the Elite.” Certainly one made the biggest impression on me — Tobe Hooper. He’s best known, of course, for giving the world the most terrifying horror feature ever, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But in the shadow of that monument, not only to the genre but American cinema, people often overlook exactly how many other great films he’s helmed. Such as favorites of mine (probably even before I realized he was behind them): classics like Salem’s Lot, The Funhouse, Poltergeist, Lifeforce and yes, even his own sequel to Chainsaw (which, for my money, is the only sequel to do the Chainsaw brand justice). What they all have in common is a look, an attention to detail, that harkens back to the classic gothic horrors of the Hammer and Universal eras, even though they’re all set in modern times. At the Texas Frightmare Weekend, held May 1-3, I had the opportunity to talk with Hooper about that inimitable Tobe style.

When comparing your work to other contemporary horror filmmakers, like Romero, Craven or Carpenter — all of whom I greatly admire — I find your films to have the most consistent, competent horror feeling, atmosphere-wise. Can you tell me a little bit about how much the atmosphere comes into play when you’re making a horror feature?

Well, you know the atmosphere is really created by the attention the actors give their space. It’s really an emotional connection that you’re feeling between the actors behaving the same way you would behave in that situation. It becomes interactive and contagious, like laughter. So a lot of what you’re experiencing is their behaving the way you would, and somehow that transcends the screen, and makes it more real.

Oh, absolutely. But the space surrounding the actors is also a big factor.  I’m always quick to notice the amazing set designs in your films that give them a very dark, brooding and classic horror feeling. Is it always a conscious decision of yours to keep these films in that tone with the surroundings?

It is. That, and to always go with the best production designers, like John Graysmark on Lifeforce — he won the Academy Award for Ragtime. And Cary White, who is incredible, for Chainsaw 2, and Les Dilley (Invaders from Mars), who worked with James Cameron — he did The Abyss. So I find the best person, and I try not to repeat myself. Every film has a different but familiar look.

If you had the opportunity to go back and re-visit and re-cut some of the projects you’ve worked on that were maligned by studio interference, are there any features that you could salvage excised material from and bring closer to your original vision?

Yeah. But you know, I’ve moved on. It’s best for me not to hold on to things, and let them have their own life. If I continually re-hash that, it’s kind of retro thinking. And hell, I’m still a film student in many ways. I mean, every film is a learning experience and requires its own separate world. So I like expanding forward, rather than looking backward.

Right. And sometimes, even with the mistakes or with the situations where you didn’t get to do things exactly your way, you still pick up a big cult following, like with Lifeforce or Chainsaw 2. So it kind of works out for you anyway.

Yeah, there’s always something special there.

Speaking of things not always working out exactly as you might have planned, lately I’ve noticed your name pop up a lot on IMDb as being attached to a feature, and a month later, it will disappear. Considering what has happened on a lot of past projects, are you hesitant to get involved or fully commit to a film until all the red tape is cleared or pre-production is more finalized.

Yeah, exactly, because those things will pop up without a contract being finished. The next film a lot of directors intend to do, another film will come in before that happens, before a contract is finalized. So you just go with the best choice. I mean, I’ll know the next film I’m going to make, but it is possible the lines of destiny will cross and the one I’m supposed to make will happen.

The last thing I’ve seen on IMDb associated with you is Stephen Kings From a Buick 8. Is that gonna happen?

Well yeah, we’re casting that and that’s already been signed off on.

Will that be intended for a feature or a made-for-television project?

No, it’s about a medium-sized budget feature.

Great! I’m very excited to hear about that. But in general, at this point in your career, are you more open to doing more television based projects, like Mortuary or Masters of Horror, than you are doing theatrical features? Or would you be fine making a feature film if the right thing came along?

Oh no, I jump back and forth deliberately. There’s a reason that I’ve gone back to television so often. I’ve done quite a few TV pilots, and you have to do them quickly, so you have to learn how to think a different way. You take that economy of thought into the feature world, and that gives you more time then, really, to get your feature made. So I love jumping [back and forth]. But I think my next thing is a feature.

Last question, Tobe: Outside of your successful debut feature film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, what would you say is your favorite film, strictly from the artist’s point of view?

You know, it’s weird. It’s always the last thing I’ve done!

** PIRANHA 3D: Here's some sexy behind-the-scenes stills of Riley Steele and Kelly Brooke on the set of the upcoming remake. (thanks to Spoilertv-movies.blogspot.com)