Support Your Local Cinemaniac
We all see that moviemaking has filtered out most of the mid-tier titles and leaves only blockbusters to be funded by studios. But what of the other projects out there? Remember those low budget indies from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and/or ‘00s that inspired YOU to love and explore film? Where they at?
Well stop searching and start pledging because here are three very promising indie genre films that could use your support. Even if you can’t donate funds, help them out by following them on social media, posting about them on all the platforms, sending this piece to your friends so they can contribute or at least boost the signal. If we want to see weirder and more original stuff that doesn’t cost the national GDP of Luxembourg to make, then the change has to start with us.
I think living in the pre-apocalypse has only made me enjoy post-apocalypse movies more. I mean, it’s not a good thing but seeing a film that posits we actually get through this shitstorm in some form and emerge on the other side looking good in leather and with cool old timey yet futuristic weapons? It’s kind of a silver lining on the dark cloud of our present reality.
But what is XANADU HELLFIRE?
Semi post apocalyptic, action, buddy, comedy, sci fi feature film from the makers of BLOODSUCKA JONES 1 and BLOODSUCKA JONES VS. THE CREEPING DEATH.
It is about an eight year old girl who finds a way to bring her warrior comic book heroine Xanadu Hellfire from the future to the present. Xanadu's evil sister follows and stuff gets crazy. Inspired by everything from Conan to Thor, MAD MAX, and CLERKS.
Filmmaker Justin Armao and company actually shot the film and are in post-production now. Here’s the rough draft trailer:
You come into the picture by helping them with additional funds to wrap it all up (improved effects, editing, film festival costs, etc.). Pledges can get a digital download, Blu-ray, shirt, producer credit, and more to help this plucky film cross the finish line. Check out more information on this page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
NIGHT SHIFT
The retro ‘80s thing has been done to death, but any trend is allowed as long as it’s done well. How many times have zombies been pronounced D.O.A. but then some filmmaker does something different with the terrain and new life is breathed into the sub-genre? Plus at a certain point, it’s not retro…it just takes place there with stylization from that era amongst others.
No one calls LET THE RIGHT ONE IN retro/nostalgia, but it takes place in the 1980s. The execution is everything.
From director/co-writer Karlee Boon explores misogyny, feminism, small town life, high school, and more in NIGHT SHIFT.
The plot summary:
In the summer of 1985, best friends Cheryl and Darcy waste the days after high school graduation waitressing at the only diner in their middle-of-nowhere town: Myrtlewood, Oregon. Suffocated by the hypocrisy of small-town conservatism and their own reputations, the girls fantasize about the day that they can finally ditch it all for good. But after a mysterious late-night animal attack, Cheryl undergoes a strange physical transformation that may empower both girls to take charge of their futures once and for all.
Sounds like a cool idea akin to work like GINGER SNAPS or Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Plus the movie is being made with noble intentions of representation and based on the real emotions of Boon’s own personal history. Here’s the fun proof-of-concept trailer:
NIGHT SHIFT is looking for funds for its production budget as the crew prepares to shoot in fall 2022. Their Seed & Spark page has a great rundown of how money will be used as well as the various perks waiting for backers at different tiers. This looks like a wild ride from a very promising team, so I implore folks to help if you can. You can follow Boon on Twitter.
ALL THAT YOU LOVE WILL BE CARRIED AWAY
There is a really odd cyclical pattern of Stephen King adaptations. Every few decades (27 years maybe?) there’s renewed interest and people rush to adapt his short stories and novels across all sorts of mediums. This is probably linked to the fact that King’s work tends to be about larger, universal themes and fear as well as new blood coming into production spaces and being able to call the shots.
This independent adaptation of King’s story “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away” from Everything’s Eventual looks especially promising with excellent work by filmmakers Bolen Miller, Josh Leonard, Mark Pauley, and Sam Krueger—Stephen King superfans all of them.
The plot summary is as follows:
"All That You Love Will Be Carried Away" is a story we hold very near and dear to our hearts. Like a most of you, we work dayjobs. And because of that, we have to pursue our art in the after hours of earning a living.
Some people in our position never find time to pursue their art, and then, some find it, just in the nick of time...
This is the story of Alfred Zimmer in "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away."
We can already relate to Alfred.
The film stars John Ennis, of so many great things but particularly this brilliant short, which already makes for a perfect blend of performer and material. Here’s the trailer for the adaptation:
The film is actually all made and well into postproduction. So what do they need? Some more funds for postproduction efforts like color correcting, sound mixing, and more - plus travel and lodging and submission fees to bring ALL THAT YOU LOVE WILL BE CARRIED AWAY to many film festivals. Find the breakdown of what they’re asking for as well as their tiers for rewards by going here. You can also follow them on Twitter.