Showing posts with label gore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gore. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

15 Years of DEMON RESURRECTION...

As September, 2019 comes to a close, I wanted to make note of a certain anniversary...

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO this month, in September of 2004, in a remote area of Long Island, I found myself working with a very talented team of actors and artists on my second feature film, the indie zombie epic, DEMON RESURRECTION.

While the shoot was a terrific experience, the film itself was not a great commercial success in it's initial release, coming out just as the home video market began to change, video rental stores began to close and the demand for low-budget, shot-on-video productions – especially those shot in standard definition – began to decline.

But then streaming video became a thing, and DEMON RESURRECTION, in a new HD widescreen version, took off and has continued to thrive online to this day, reaching a wider audience worldwide than ever before and showing every sign that its viewership will continue to grow.

On this, the 15th anniversary of the film's production, I want to thank our wonderful cast and crew for bringing to it all their talent and dedication. I realize that for many people who aspire to success in the film business (or any business), coming to be associated with low-budget horror – which generally isn't regarded as a particularly reputable genre - may not be the most desirable career development. So to those on our team who have continued, through thick and thin, to stand by us and voice their support for the film, I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation.

Thanks should also go to all those critics, bloggers and fans who have continued to express their enthusiasm for DEMON RESURRECTION online. Many of these reviewers have discovered the film on Amazon Prime or other streaming platforms and come to it without any prior awareness of it or preconceptions about it, so their positive response is especially heartening.

(Incidentally, if you're interested in reviewing DEMON RESURRECTION for your website, blog, vlog or publication, please message me on Facebook or on Twitter for a free screener.)

As I write this, Halloween is not far off and, needless to say, DEMON RESURRECTION is an excellent choice for holiday viewing...

AMAZON PRIME members can watch for free here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT

You can also rent or buy DEMON RESURRECTION in a special deluxe package which includes the full film in 1080 HD/Widescreen and SD/Standard Screen versions, an audio commentary track with the film's director and co-producer, a 30-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette, and over 30 minutes of interviews with cast and crew. Get the deluxe package here: https://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Copies of the 2010 standard definition DVD of the film's original cut can still be found here: https://ebay.us/U8Docg

THANKS AGAIN to everyone who has contributed to the success of DEMON RESURRECTION!

– William Hopkins
Director, DEMON RESURRECTION

PS: For those interested in taking a further trip down memory lane, the film's complete production blog can be viewed here:

https://www.williamhopkinsfilms.com/p/making-demon-resurrection-working-in.html

#demonresurrection #williamhopkins #edwardwheeler #bashirsolebo #lauriemiller #horror #zombies #supernatural #supportindiehorror


Wednesday, October 31, 2018

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2018 from DEMON RESURRECTION...

As befits the season, DEMON RESURRECTION has been enjoying an upward bump in viewership on Amazon Prime recently, so thanks to all those who have been checking the film out. While Amazon Prime members can view the film for free as part of their Prime subscription, we do get paid a small royalty from Amazon when you watch, so you get to see the film for free and we get to see a small return on our investment. A good deal all around. http://a.co/d/bTQJaZf
The Amazon Prime presentation of DEMON RESURRECTION is, if you'll pardon the expression, bare bones. It's just the film, with optional English subtitles, and it's DRM-protected, which may reduce picture quality somewhat. It comes with no extras, and is only available to viewers in the US and the UK.
For those who aren't crazy about these limitations, there are other options. For just a few dollars, you can rent or buy the film on VHX/Vimeo. This is a good bargain actually...
  • There's no DRM, so image quality is as high as it will ever be for this film...
  • It's available to viewers worldwide
  • It includes optional English and Spanish subtitles..
  • It comes with a ton of extras, including two versions of the film (the widescreen, HD version as well as the original SD, standard screen version), the director's audio commentary track, a 30-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette, over 30 minutes of interviews with cast and crew, an MP3 file of the score and a hi-rez copy of the poster art.
You can rent all this for just $2.99 and revel in it for 3 full days. Or, for $4.99, you can buy it, download it, and immerse yourself in the screwy, spooky world of DEMON RESURRECTION as much as you want, any time you want, for the remainder of your natural life.
DEMON RESURRECTION is, as one discerning reviewer put it, the "perfect one to pop in on Halloween night," so what are you waiting for?
Watch DEMON RESURRECTION on VHX/Vimeo: http://dresurrection.vhx.tv


Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Catching up...


I recently came across a couple of very nice reviews of my film, DEMON RESURRECTION, that I somehow missed when they were first published online several years back...

First up is this review by Andrew Liverod, writing on his Tormented Imp blog...

DEMON RESURRECTION ★★★½ Review by Andrew Liverod, August 10, 2015

A young ex-cult member gives birth to a demon, whilst all around her zombies threaten the lives of her friends.

Demon Resurrection was shot on digital but has a real SOV feel to it. Maybe it's down to the 4:3 aspect ratio, but you could really imagine this being shot in the 80's. Where a lot of low-budget underground horror films take the easy route of cheesiness to counter any claims that the film is silly, Demon Resurrection has the balls to take itself seriously. There are no crappy jokes, no over-the-top performances, no gross-out scenes for the sake of it. Instead writer/director William Hopkins takes several elements from other films to create a decent and believable plot, builds atmosphere, and gives us a nice pay-off at the end. This is a film that wears it's influences on it's sleeve, from the one building location of Night of the Living Dead, the impregnation and subsequent birth of Rosemary's Baby, to the feel of Hammer's "Witchcraft" films The Devil Rides Out and To the Devil a Daughter. The influences don't stop there, there's also the cosmic horror of Lovecraft and even a Cthulhu-like beast makes an appearance, admittedly in book form, but it all adds depth.

Sure the film looks amateur but the director has a real feel for film making and there are some really nice shot choices. Occasionally you can tell that he was limited by lenses when he has trouble framing several subjects in an interior shot, but really, who gives a shit. The editing is nice as well, I have no idea if more than one camera was used but it really feels like there were several just like in a more expensively shot movie. The performances are well above the standard of usual low-budget films and no-one stands out as being particularly crappy. The sound can get a little muffled and fuzzy in places but otherwise it's nice and clean. The soundtrack is subtle, unobtrusive and adds to the creepy enclosed atmosphere. The video effects were minimal and well used; pretty much all the special effects were practical with CGI being limited to a green fuzz that surrounds the zombies and a couple of other scenes.

On to the blood and guts. The zombie creatures were really quite good. Sure you can tell they were wearing rubber masks and but they had a sort of endearing Rawhead Rex feel to them. I loved them! The blood was standard corn syrup and the guts were either good latex or pig innards. We've got some typical disembowelling (a windowpane evisceration was a stand-out), a broken zombie arm piercing a neck, the demon baby birthing scene (reminiscent of Alien), some boob chewing, and something you don't see in many films... someone pissing their pants. There are a couple of naked scenes but these are handled well and don't come over as softcore porn shoehorned in to sell DVDs.

Demon Resurrection has a good plot, decent effects, tension, jeopardy, and a nice twist at the end. Overall, really good fun for SOV junkies but glossy Platinum Dunes multiplex horror fans should stay clear.

You can read this and other reviews on Andrew's blog: https://tormentedimp.blogspot.com/2015/08/demon-resurrection-2009.html

Next up is this review from comic artist Reed Waller, of Omaha the Cat Dancer fame, originally posted on Amazon:

DEMON RESURRECTION ★★★★ Review by Reed Waller, April 12, 2017

They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore?

I didn't know anything about this movie, but took a chance. It has a zero-budget look and feel, but I didn't realize at first that was on purpose. Bunch of very assorted "friends" drive to isolated cabin to perform an intervention on girl with weird boyfriend. They're a pretty self-righteous lot. But they quickly discover that drugs are not the problem here. He has been pursuing a dangerous satanic cult and she was taken as a member. And they want her back! What follows is a classic cult-of-the-dead movie that rises above its budget, with taut direction, plenty of plot twists, taut cinematography that keeps all the nasty action close-up and personal and genuinely upsetting, surprisingly good acting, and some very effective practical effects helping the cast and crew build the familiar material to a fever-pitch, all-out scream-a-thon with some truly nasty gory kill scenes and -- most of all -- peak moments of true hair-raising in-your-face horror, the likes of which I haven't seen since the original Night of the Living Dead or Evil Dead. I was impressed.

You can read this and other reviews by Reed on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RVTFWM6XX74DG?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_srp

You can also find complete collections of Reed's comics on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Omaha-Cat-Dancer-Volumes/dp/1561636010

My belated thanks to both Andrew and Reed for their very kind words about DEMON RESURRECTION.

The film is available for streaming here: http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

It's also available on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): http://a.co/d/gngXlm4

BTW, if you’d like to review DEMON RESURRECTION on your blog, vlog or website, please contact me and I’ll get a free online screener to you.

– William Hopkins, Director, DEMON RESURRECTION

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Sleepless Nights – Revamped: The 2003 Indie Vampire Epic Rises Again in 2018...

Sleepless Nights – Revamped... Funding on Indigogo Soon

If you like gothic horror like DARK SHADOWS or DRACULA... if you support INDIE HORROR... or if you're just an all-around VAMPIRE fan, then please consider giving SLEEPLESS NIGHTS your support...

 
I'll soon be launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for a new Blu-ray/DVD edition of my first film, the 2003 indie vampire epic, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.

But rather than just putting out a new disc of the same old film, I'm planning to do a major reedit, utilizing alternate takes and some newly shot footage, while also replacing most of the film's special effects, commissioning a new score, and making a bunch of other changes and improvements. And of course, everything will be up-rezzed to HD.  


I'm hoping I'll be able to raise enough to do a complete overhaul of the film and make the new release the "Ultimate Edition" – totally restored, remastered and REVAMPED. But I'm going to need your help to make it happen. Please go to Indiegogo right now and sign up to be notified by email when the SLEEPLESS NIGHTS REVAMPED fundraising campaign launches. And help me get the word out about SLEEPLESS NIGHTS REVAMPED by sharing the Indiegogo pre-launch page with all your horror and vampire film fans on Facebook, Twitter or wherever you hang out...

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sleepless-nights-revamped-horror--2/coming_soon/x/11545292

Also, please join the SLEEPLESS NIGHTS Facebook page to get all the latest news about the Indiegogo campaign and the Blu-ray/DVD release: 

https://www.facebook.com/SleeplessNightsTheMovie/

Thanks :)

– Bill Hopkins




Thursday, December 7, 2017

Cinema Macabro reviews DEMON RESURRECTION






































On his Cinema Macabro YouTube channel, genre aficionado Jason Artiga recently turned his attention to my film DEMON RESURRECTION and found it to his liking.

DEMON RESURRECTION is "highly ambitious for a low-budget film," he says. "You can see that the whole cast believed in this project one hundred percent."

Jason says that for him, the film brought back memories of the kind of movies he remembers seeing on late night television shows like Chiller Theater back in the 80s.

There are "plenty of shocking death scenes," he says, "there's plenty of gore and nudity," and the film's creatures are "genuinely scary."

Instead of "jump-scares," Jason says the film relies on "pure atmosphere" to make it "rewatchable," mentioning he's already up to three viewings himself.

Finally he says "DEMON RESURRECTION entertained me and left me wanting more," adding that the film is a "must watch."

With his great knowledge of the horror genre and his expertise in the area of low-budget indie filmmaking, Jason's enthusiasm for the film is especially encouraging. He has my sincere thanks for all his kind words and support.

You can watch Jason's review of DEMON RESURRECTION here: https://youtu.be/22GaOGTmk_s

While you're there, be sure to subscribe to Jason's Cinema Macabro YouTube channel. You'll also want to join the Cinema Macabro Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629684327205191

As for DEMON RESURRECTION, you can watch it right now at: http://dresurrection.vhx.tv 

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT 

It's also available on Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966 

And on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Will have exploitation and horror fans foaming at the mouth in delight: Horrorscreams reviews DEMON RESURRECTION

Read HorrorScreams Review of DEMON RESURRECTION here.





































Next month it'll be 13 years since we started shooting DEMON RESURRECTION, and even after all this time, the film still occasionally gets new reviews – and mostly good ones, I'm happy to say. The latest is from film critic Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins (no relation to me, or to the 17th century witchfinder, I assume), who recently gave our film a very nice write-up on his HORRORSCREAMS review site.

Peter gives DEMON RESURRECTION three out of four stars and writes that the film "will have many an exploitation and horror fan foaming at the mouth in delight."  It shows, he says, "what can be done with a modest budget and a hard working team."  The full review can be read here: http://www.horrorscreamsvideovault.co.uk/2017/08/film-review-demon-resurrection-2008.html

In his review, Peter also mentions my first film, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, which gives me the opportunity to pass along a bit of news. As we're coming up on the 18th anniversary of that film's production, Frank Cilla, my frequent cohort, is working toward getting it reissued on DVD. He's tasked me with the job of remastering the film for the new release and I'm hoping it will be the best presentation of SLEEPLESS NIGHTS to date. I'll keep you posted on that project's progress in the weeks to come.

My sincere thanks to Peter for all his kind words. I encourage everyone to visit his excellent HORRORSCREAMS review site and like its page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorrorscreamsVideovault

You can watch the newly remastered version of DEMON RESURRECTION in 1080 HD & Widescreen at: http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT

DEMON RESURRECTION is also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064 

Monday, May 29, 2017

Forty million views for DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube channel...

Just this past October, the DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube channel passed 20 million views. Now, just eight months later, that number has doubled to 40 million, with 23 thousand subscribers.

Thanks to all our friends and supporters, all around the world, who have helped make the DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube channel a success. 

You can rent or buy the full film, newly remastered in 1080 Widescreen, at: ‪http://www.dresurrection.vhx.tv

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): ‪http://a.co/aEZvGLr 

DEMON RESURRECTION is also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064


Saturday, December 31, 2016

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1080...

2017 brings with it the release of the remastered 1080 HD Widescreen version of DEMON RESURRECTION on three big VOD platforms and I'm hoping all my fellow horror film fans will help me spread the word... 

I previously posted about the deluxe package being offered on VHX... http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Now I'm happy to announce the 1080 remaster of the film is also available to rent or buy on
Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT
DEMON RESURRECTION is also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064 

And there are plans in the works to expand to still more VOD services in the coming months, so the year ahead looks like it'll be a big one for us. Not that 2016 was so shabby... the DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube channel passed 31,000,000 views in the course of the year and now has over 19,000 subscribers... https://www.youtube.com/DemonResurrection

So my sincere thanks to all our friends, fans and followers for their support in 2016. Here's hoping everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!



___________________________________

The Deluxe Package available for rental and purchase worldwide only on VHX includes:
– The new 1080 HD Widescreen presentation
– The Standard Definition/Standard Screen (4x3) presentation
– Optional Spanish and English subtitles
– All extras from the 2010 DVD release, plus several new supplementary features, all in HD.
– Director's commentary track from the 2010 DVD release
– Poster art
– MP3 of the film's score

Remaining copies of the original 2010 standard definition DVD are still available from the DEMON RESURRECTION website... http://www.demonresurrection.com

Sunday, December 25, 2016

DEMON RESURRECTION - Now in 1080 HD & Widescreen



While it may seem more appropriate for Halloween viewing, DEMON RESURRECTION does involve the birth of a rather unusual child so it might be okay for Christmas too. There's no frankincense or myrrh, or herald angels singing, but there is plenty of blood and slime and shrieks of horror in the night, which to many, myself included, is distinctly preferable. 

So I'm happy to be able to announce on this Christmas Day, 2016, the official release of the the newly remastered 1080 HD Widescreen edition of DEMON RESURRECTION, an upgrade which I think represents by far the best presentation of the film to date.

The deluxe package is available online for rental and purchase worldwide, and includes:

– The new 1080 HD Widescreen presentation
– The Standard Definition/Standard Screen (4x3) presentation
– Optional Spanish and English subtitles
– All extras from the 2010 DVD release, plus several new supplementary features, all in HD.
– Director's commentary track from the 2010 DVD release
– Poster art
– MP3 of the film's score

Best of all, the film can be GIFTED, so if you haven't completed your holiday shopping yet, you now have a new option. And, as we all know, nothing spreads Yuletide cheer better than gory horror movies. 

Happy Holidays to all : )


Saturday, October 1, 2016

21 Million Views on DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube Channel...

It's been some time since I posted about DEMON RESURRECTION, so here's the latest news...

The DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube channel recently passed twenty-one million views – the exact number as I write this is 21,693,248 – and the channel now has over fourteen thousand subscribers.

I realize these numbers are not in the Beyoncé range, but they're still pretty impressive for a low budget horror film from twelve years ago, and it may suggest that there's still enough interest in the film to warrant a new release – which brings me to my next piece of news...

Over the past several months, I've been working on a new version of the film, upscaling it from standard definition (720x480) to high def (1920x1080) and from standard screen (4x3) to widescreen (16x9). I've also been working to improve picture quality, to make it as sharp, detailed and vibrant as possible, while also fixing some of the weaker optical effects, refining the edit and, in general, sanding down as many of the original film's rough edges as possible.

Obviously, upscaling an SD film to HD is never going to give you as good an end result as shooting in HD to begin with, but that wasn't an option for us when we were making the film way back in 2004, and I've been pleasantly surprised by how well the upscaled version of the film is turning out. It's certainly going to be a a great improvement over any version of the film released so far.

I'm hoping to make this newly remastered version of DEMON RESURRECTION available for streaming online via YouTube, Amazon and VHX before Halloween of this year, and I'll be posting here as soon as it's up.

I'd also like to release the remastered HD version of the film on disc. The film had a standard def release on DVD many years ago (a few copies of which are still available) but the film hasn't yet been put out on Blu-ray. Issuing the film on Blu-ray would involve a fair amount of expense, and I've been considering mounting a Kickstarter or IndieGogo campaign to raise money for such a release – offering some nice perks in return for a donation, of course. I'll keep you posted. 

As always, my sincere thanks to all our subscribers, friends, fans and supporters all around the world!


– Bill Hopkins, Director, DEMON RESURRECTION
*************************************

UPDATE 11/18/2017: The newly remastered version of DEMON RESURRECTION in 1080 HD & Widescreen is now available at: on these platforms: http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT

Also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064






Wednesday, April 6, 2016

DEMON RESURRECTION in HD on YouTube - With a New Trailer!

To celebrate over 16 MILLION views of the DEMON RESURRECTION YouTube channel, we've cut a NEW TRAILER...


*************************************
UPDATE 11/18/2017: The newly remastered version of DEMON RESURRECTION in 1080 HD & Widescreen is now available at: http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT

Also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064


The DEMON RESURRECTION channel on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/DemonResurrection

Thursday, October 1, 2015

A Demon Resurrection Anniversary...

I didn't want September to slip away without acknowledging a certain anniversary...

Eleven years ago, in September of 2004, in a little house in St. James, Long Island, Frank Cilla, Edward Wheeler and I had the pleasure of working with a talented group of young people in the production of the film, DEMON RESURRECTION.

For the members of the DEMON RESURRECTION cast and crew, I'm sure 2004 must seem like a very long time ago. And, as the years that have passed since have been filled with change and growth as families were raised and careers were pursued, those few days spent working on a little low-budget horror film in a house overlooking Long Island Sound are now probably little more than a distant memory. But distant though it may be, I hope it's also a pleasant memory. It is for me.

I wanted to take the opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who helped make the film what it is. I also want to thank the reviewers who had such kind words for the film and the many fans who offered their enthusiastic support.

For those interested in taking a trip down memory lane, the complete 2004 DEMON RESURRECTION Production Blog, which includes dozens of candid, behind the scenes photos and videos can be found here:

http://williamhopkinsfilmmaker.blogspot.com/p/making-demon-resurrection-working-in.html


*************************************

UPDATE 11/18/2017: The newly remastered version of DEMON RESURRECTION in 1080 HD & Widescreen is now available at http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT

Also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Give the Gift of DEMON RESURRECTION...

Now when you buy the DEMON RESURRECTION Special Edition Package, you also get 3 free rentals of the film to send to your friends....


Share, Share, that's Fair.




































How Does It Work?

Head over to dresurrection.vhx.tv and click on the BUY MOVIE button at the bottom of the page to purchase the DEMON RESURRECTION Special Edition Package.

Once you make your purchase, you'll see an alert in the receipt that you have received 3 free rentals to share with friends. It will also be noted in your email receipt.

Click that link in the receipts to go to the free-gifts page of your VHX account. You can share the free rentals right from there! Just copy and paste one of the redeem URLs from that page to a friend, or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or via email. 

Once your friends click the redeem link and start watching, they will have 3 days until the rental expires. You will also receive an email alerting you that the gift was redeemed. 

The DEMON RESURRECTION Special Edition Package includes:
– the full-length, unrated, uncut, uncensored version of DEMON RESURRECTION
– optional, downloadable SPANISH and ENGLISH subtitles
– an audio commentary track with the film's director and co-producer
– a 30-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette
– over 30 minutes of interviews with cast and crew.
Watch online in your browser or download the high-quality MPEG-4 files and watch on the computer or device of your choice. Files are DRM-free.

DEMON RESURRECTION is unrated and contains scenes of gory violence and nudity. Intended for adult audiences.

*************************************

UPDATE 11/18/2017: The newly remastered version of DEMON RESURRECTION in 1080 HD & Widescreen is now available at http://dresurrection.vhx.tv

Or stream it on Amazon (Prime members watch for free): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXWKBT

Also available on...

Vimeo-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/102966

and on Pantaflix: https://www.pantaflix.com/en/movie/Demon-Resurrection-watch-online-pm741064