Friday, June 15, 2018

Outpost Zeta Reviews DEMON RESURRECTION...



Justin Lewis, genre film maven and resident critic at review site OUTPOST ZETA, recently turned his attention to my film, DEMON RESURRECTION, and had some kind things to say about it...

"Demon Resurrection is a good example of a film that wants to honor its 1970s and early 1980s horror roots without mindlessly aping the surface look of those films. Too often modern ‘grindhouse’ movies think they can throw some digital film damage over their shoddily made work and call it retro. Demon Resurrection takes its plot and a few visual cues from films like Burial Ground (1981) and The Blind Dead movies but it is not interested in just copying them under the guise of homage..."

He cites Will McDonald's performance as the evil cult leader:

"Toth is a fun villain, he is the kind of robe-wearing Satan worshiping baddie that is just as much of a delight to watch as it is to see him get his comeuppance. He meets his end in a fashion that wouldn’t be out of place in an E.C. horror comic."

Laurie Miller, our Dr. Kate, is also praised...

"Demon Resurrection isn’t afraid to put its characters through the wringer, and throughout the runtime, I was not exactly sure who was going to make it to the end. I did really like Laurie Miller as Kate.... I thought she made a believably frightened and desperate character and I found myself rooting for her to survive her ordeals with the undead."

Finally, he says DEMON RESURRECTION "gives birth to some enjoyable horror."

Read the full review on Outpost Zeta: http://www.outpost-zeta.com/2018/06/demon-resurrection.html

It's good to see that, even all all the years that have passed since it was made, DEMON RESURRECTION can still get the occasional good review.

My sincere thanks to Justin for all the kind words :)

Sunday, June 3, 2018

My Screenplay for SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, the 2003 Indie Vampire Thriller

As I was rummaging though my collection of SLEEPLESS NIGHTS memorabilia, looking for possible perks to offer contributors to our upcoming Indigogo campaign, or anything that might be worth including on the eventual Blu-ray/DVD release of the film, I came across this copy of the SLEEPLESS NIGHTS screenplay.

I started working on the first drafts of this script in the late 80s. At the time there was a lot of illness and death in my family, so the idea of writing about characters who can live forever appealed to me.

This was the second vampire-themed script I'd written, the first being CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, which Columbia Tri-Star made into a film with Karen Black in 1991. Despite that modest success in the vampire genre, this script went unproduced until 1999, when it finally found its way in front of the cameras, thanks to producers Howard Nash and Frank Cilla.

My opinion of it is biased, of course, but I think it still reads pretty well. I've read (and written) worse.

Incidentally, one of the main characters in the script is named CHRISTIAN GREY, though our guy shows no sign of being into anything particularly kinky (other than drinking blood and lying around in a coffin). We had the name first, though admittedly other authors have had greater success with its use in the years since.

Read my 1999 screenplay for SLEEPLESS NIGHTS here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LUAvgEdsPRTd6-E4FQBxZwRBz2V9Wps0/view?usp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LUAvgEdsPRTd6-E4FQBxZwRBz2V9Wps0/view?usp=sharing

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

A quick update on the Blu-ray/DVD release of the new version of SLEEPLESS NIGHTS...


While producer Frank Cilla has been huddling with producer Howard Nash to iron out any remaining rights issues, I've been hard at work on the new cut of the film, and I'm very pleased with how it's coming along. It definitely looks like this will be the best presentation of the film yet.

Frank and I are still planning an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the Blu-ray/DVD release, which hopefully will go live by mid-June.

If anyone is curious as to why we've decided, after so many years, to revisit SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, a film which did not receive the Palme d'Or at Cannes or the Oscar for Best Picture the year it was released, I would refer you to this review from author Andy Boylan, which was published on his "Taliesin Meets the Vampires" blog some years back:

https://taliesinttlg.blogspot.com/2011/03/sleepless-nights-review.html

The review is not an unqualified rave by any means. Boylan cites many of the film's obvious flaws. But despite the flaws, he still finds much to like. Speaking for Frank and myself, I'd say any film that can garner such a positive review is worth revisiting. And if there's anything we can do to fix its flaws and make it better so it can reach a wider audience, then we're happy to make that effort.

Of course, no matter how much effort we put in, the new, improved version of SLEEPLESS NIGHTS will only become a reality with your help, and Frank and I thank Howard and all of our friends and colleagues for their continued support and encouragement :)










Thursday, March 8, 2018

News about SLEEPLESS NIGHTS – REVAMPED: The 2003 indie vampire epic rises again...

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 uprezzed 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."

So stay tuned, more news to follow soon about the Indiegogo campaign for SLEEPLESS NIGHTS – REVAMPED...

 


Follow Sleepless Nights on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SleeplessNightsTheMovie

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