Saturday, July 31, 2010

To the (Horror) Extreme, Part One



We, much like elephants, do not forget. When someone has been kind enough to support us and our work, you bet we remember you. Such a beloved deviant is "Hellbound Heart" of Extreme-Horror.com. When given the opportunity to talk with our friend, we jumped at the chance and couldn't have been happier.

When we talk, we talk. A lot. The in depth interview has been divided into two parts. Part one is now available for your viewing and reading pleasure HERE. Part two is coming at you soon! A special thank you to Hellbound Heart for not only supporting us and our work, but for this amazing opportunity to have a much loved chat.

Stay tuned for part two, boys and grrls!!

xo,
Jen

Big Gay Horror Fan Sizes Up Our Dead Hooker!


The dead prostitute is at it again, showing up at reviewers' homes (probably in something scandalous). We were fortunate enough to have avid horror and comic fan and reviewer extraordinaire, Brian Kirst, take the time to watch 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' and give his thoughts. Who is Brian Kirst aka The Big Gay Horror Fan? Let me introduce you in his own words -

"I am a queer writer - cofounder of Racks and Razors - a horror site devoted to women, a member of and frequent writer for Horror Society.com. I am also the host of Horror Society Live every Wednesday night."

He has biting wit and intellect in his work. If you want to check out a fresh, smart take on horror reviews you should definitely check out his work on Horror Society and his personal blog, queerfearscarewithatwist. What did he have to say about the film? Here's a little delicious piece --

"Like the perfect combination of a hard balled femme Tarantino and a grape kiss-me pump sporting Eli Roth, these adventurous gals have created a world where a bouncing eyeball, a ripped off arm or a picturesque visit from a hipster god doesn’t stop their characters from achieving their ultimate goal – finding out just who exactly is trying to frame Badass (Sylvia), Geek (Jen), Junkie (Rikki Gagne) and Goody Two-Shoes (C. J. Wallis) by placing a murdered whore in the trunk of Badass’ car."

Ok, now go read the whole thing and be happy that you did! Brian, thank you for the lovely writeup. You are a friend to dead hookers everywhere.


In other, slightly related news, it's the Vancouver Pride Parade tomorrow! The route is from Robson St, to Denman St, to Beach Ave. There's going to be all sorts of rad festivities and a beer garden for the grown ups. Come out and support people's right to love one another without pathetic medieval hate. Now is a time to be socially responsible and show our support for one another. In years, we'll look back at this time and be proud to have stood beside one another - and how many times can you do something so important and have a fucking rad time? See you there!

~Sylv

Friday, July 30, 2010

Search THIS Trash and Find a DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK


Now, the trash seems like an obvious place for a Dead Hooker, a dumpster, preferably, I guess. But in this scenario, the Dead Hooker is none other than our beloved film, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, and the "trash" is, in fact, the trendy and wickedly written film site, SEARCH MY TRASH. We got in contact with writer, reviewer, and interviewer, Mike Haberfelner, from Vienna, Austria, via fellow femme fatale, Tara Cardinal. It was an absolute pleasure talking with a gentleman from our own homeland (if you're joining the class late, we are, indeed, Hungarian, and damn proud of it).

Treat yourself to the gore~geous interview HERE and get to know your friendly neighborhood Twisted Twins just a little bit better.


Film review coming soon from Search My Trash! Stay tuned, boys and grrls... something wicked this way comes...

XO,
Jen

Anything, Anytime for Everything Horror


The horror scene is made up of a lot of incredibly rad individuals - we all have our love of horror in common - so, it's only natural to meet some folks that you can't help but totally dig. We had the film, 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' reviewed by Scott Shoyer earlier this month (read his review here, read our blog about it here) and we loved his review. It was an extreme pleasure to get into the nitty gritty of Hooker in a sweet interview we were invited to do with Scott. How sweet was the interview? Here's a yummy bit --

"AH: I wanna thank you on behalf of all my readers and on my behalf for doing all the special f/x practically, using no CGI. The f/x looked great and were really effective. How did you find it working with special f/x? Did it make the production more difficult? Would you ever consider using CGI in the future?

Jen: Oh, no. Thank YOU! I feel that filmmakers owe a service to their audience. Without an audience and fans, we’d be nowhere. We really hate CGI. Even when it’s well done and there’s a big budget set aside for it, it really takes you out of the film. I hated the CGI in the HULK movies. Why oh why didn’t they try something practical for the remake/sequel. It’s insulting to the audience.

Aside from Gondry, the film that really blew us away for effects was THE THING (remake). The way they used an amputee for the stomach eating arms bit was breath taking! There is no substitute for the real deal. JACOB’S LADDER was also great for that. I have great respect and admiration for Prosthetic Artists. The things they make, it’s unbelievable. Just to think they could dream up some nightmare of a creature and then make it the next day is incredible. I want to do effects practically as much as possible. CGI would be a last resort. I’d consider cutting the effect from the film before doing it CGI."

But, Sylv - you say, What was your answer? It's here with all the entirety of the fucking fabulous and in depth interview. We discuss the process and the team that came together to make the film possible a lot in this interview, so check it out. It takes a lot of good people to make a hooker be her best!


Thank you to Scott for taking the time to chat with us about the film. Looking forward for those drinks when we hit up Texas. It's been a goal to get down there for a visit and hang out with the State's incredibly cool inhabitants. I've got a feeling the Hooker might be in town very soon...

~Sylv

Horrorphiliacs have Necrophilia over Dead Hooker In A Trunk



"When I first heard the name Dead Hooker in a Trunk I didn't really know what to expect besides..well..a dead hooker in a trunk. You see gang, what Dead Hooker in a Trunk is, is the debut film of twin sisters Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska who are collectively known as The Twisted Twins. As I finally got the chance to see the movie I realized it's a lot more than just a one trick gimmick of a dead hooker in someone's trunk.

It's apparent by watching this movie that these sisters just have to love the old school gory horror films of the past. They also have to have one hell of a sense of humor as well. Those are both things I can appreciate and I do appreciate this movie as well." ~Chuck Conry, horrorphilia.net

That's just a little appetizer of what "Zombies Don't Run" writer, Chuck Conry, has to say about DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK.

Feast on the full review HERE.

Blood soaked embraces,
Jen

Sunday, July 25, 2010

This Is What A Hooker Fan Looks Like

'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' or any film - indie or studio - would be absolutely nothing without fans. With the word 'fan', I am referencing the blood and heart that gives life to a film. It crosses countries, it fills the viral world, it makes a film soar.

We can never thank you enough for telling your friends, blogging, and passing on the Hooker good word. What we can do is promise you that we will always appreciate you and never take you for granted. That is why when we see an awesome shout out for Hooker, we shout right back. Here are a couple of pics of the Hooker hardcores. You rock!


Emilie Croteau Blair looking lovely in black and Hooker.


Did you like the music in Hooker? Lead singer for Fake Shark-Real Zombie! (soundtracking for Hooker), Kevin James Maher, getting his Hooker on.

Do you have a Hooker pic? Pass it on! Do you want Hooker swag? Check out the store on our main page.

~Sylv

Thursday, July 22, 2010

DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK ONE NIGHT ONLY IN VANCOUVER!!!



Hello, dear friend(s) of Twisted Twins and Dead Hookers everywhere!

Due to popular demand, we will, for one night only, be screening the film, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, in the city where it all started, beautiful Vancouver. The screening will be at 9pm sharp on August (appropriately) Friday the 13th at the gothic Rio Theatre with to be announced special guests, exclusive DHIAT and Twisted Twins merchandise, and a never before seen sneak preview of what's next from the Soska Sisters. Tickets will be $10 and available through us (info@twistedtwinsproductions.net).

Your help and support getting the word out on this event would mean the world to us and we would be eternally grateful for any mention or promotion of this event. In addition, we will happily supply the preview of our upcoming project after the screening.

Thank you for all your continued support of us and our work!

Bloody Best,
Your friendly neighborhood twisted twins,
Jen and Sylv

NEWS RELEASE FOLLOWS:

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Monday, July 26th, 2010

ATTENTION ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS AND MOVIE FANS

UNDERGROUND LOCAL FILM SENSATION, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, TO PLAY IN VANCOUVER *ONE NIGHT ONLY*

The film that's been blowing away audiences at film festivals around the world makes it's Vancouver debut at the gore~geous Rio Theatre!


The Rio Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada July 26th, 2010, 9pm SHOWTIME --
"You should check out the Soska Sisters, who made a film called Dead Hooker In A Trunk. They're on MySpace. They made it low budget and it's fucking awesome. It's really violent and the stunts are superb. They are two Canadian twin sisters who made a feature that they wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. And it's fantastic."
~Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever)

After traveling the world, winning multiple awards, and appearing in numerous film festivals, film makers known best as the Twisted Twins, Jen and Sylvia Soska, bring their critically acclaimed, underground sensation DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK back to the city that started it all, beautiful Vancouver. For one night only, the film will be showing for the first time open to the public. The film has been demanded by fans to be brought back to the city where it was created and the Soska Sisters couldn't be happier to, at long last, give the people what they want!

Audiences can get their fill of the film that's been wowing audiences, festivals, and reviewers everywhere on August, Friday the 13th at the beautiful and gothic Rio Theatre located at 1660 East Broadway, 9pm SHOWTIME. Sharp. Tickets are a mere $10 and can be purchased through the Twisted Twins. You can contact them through their site, http://www.twistedtwinsproductions.net/, or by emailing them directly at info@twistedtwinsproductions.net.

The venue is, yes, licensed, ladies and gentlemen. In addition to a nicely equipped bar, there will also be exclusive Twisted Twins and Dead Hooker In A Trunk merchandise for sale, to be announced Special Guests, Cast and Crew present, and a special, never before seen sneak preview of what's coming up next from the Twisted Twins!



DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK is a triumph in independent film making. In the vein of Robert Rodriguez and his infamous debut feature, El Mariachi, the Twisted Twins set out to make a film with little more than an unconventional idea, a ton of ambition, and a few dedicated friends. The result is a throw back to and revitalization of the glorious and gore~geous grind house films of the past.

Never backing down from a challenge, the Soska Sisters persevered despite overwhelming criticism that their vision was too grand, their action too complex, and their proposed budget was too modest to achieve such an ambitious goal. The result of their and their team's efforts is an underground sensation that is a beautiful blend of the best aspects of horror and action with a compelling story line and memorable characters.


"Dead Hooker In A Trunk" has unapologetic violence handled with whimsical humor and creative story telling. Their greatest ambition is that their film will inspire others to set out and make their own dreams happen for themselves, not just limited to film, but in any and every part of their lives.

"It's the most disturbing feel-good movie I've ever seen. Funny, violent, gory, unsettling, gratuitous, excessive, and kick-ass, the flick the Soska Twins have delivered is the unlikely combination of utterly derivative and wholly original. At various points, I was amazed, amused, appalled, grossed out, disgusted, delighted, confused, and restless - but never bored. It's nice to know that women can make a film that is as bizarre and fucked up as anything made by a male. It also disproves the conception that all Canadians are nice and normal."
~Theron Neel, theronneel.com

So for ONE NIGHT ONLY, come down the Rio Theatre on August Friday the 13th and see the film that audiences and reviewers have been raving about!

"Insanely entertaining punk rock gritty mayhem by badass twins who know how to unfold a twisted tale."
~Hannah Neurotica, Ax Wound

"I was totally hooked by the dialogue and the sheer 'where-the-fuck-is-this-goingness' of it all."
~Andrew McQuade, Gorezone Magazine

"The Soska Sisters surely could re~ignite the horror-exploitation genre with their performance in their film and then some!"
~Keri O'Shea

"Sassy, hilarious, genuinely entertaining film making done with a genius cinematic eye. These chicks have bigger balls than the male auteurs they just put to shame. And they would probably flash them at you."
~Elisabeth Fies, Bleedfest Film Festival

"A cult classic in waiting and a hidden gem in indie film making. I was pleasantly surprised by the insanity of it all."
~Jeff Atencio, thejadedviewer.blogspot.com

"This film delivers in every sense of the word; this is an extremely fun film that has witty dialogue, strong (female) characters, and enough “grindhouse” attitude to satisfy even the hardcore lover of exploitation flicks."
~Scott Shoyer, anythinghorror.com

"To say Dead Hooker In A Trunk is a demure title for a film would be an understatement, and a flat out lie. It's a supremely polarizing title. You can assume you will either love it or hate it just from the heading. The point to be made is, Dead Hooker In A Trunk is one of the best films this year. From start to finish it holds its own. There's no pithy Diablo Cody dialogue or half-ass attempts at moral constitutions. It is a full on assault of your senses, eviscerating any stereotypes that may have sprouted from those unenthused over the title, Dead Hooker In A Trunk."
~Kristy Jett, dreadcentral.com

"As entertaining as it is completely ridiculous."
~John Gholson, cinematical.com

"Irreverent comedy perverted by a love for the red stuff and characters free from the shackles of civility and morality."
~Peter Hall, horrorsquad.com



But, don't take their word for it. Come out and experience DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK for yourselves. Don't miss out on the night that everyone's going to be talking about!!


Contact:

Jen and Sylvia Soska

Twisted Twins Productions
http://www.twistedtwinsproductions.net/
info@twistedtwinsproductions.net


"Dead Hooker In A Trunk" is the debut feature film written, directed, and produced by identical twin film makers, Jen and Sylvia Soska. With little more than an unconventional idea, a few dedicated friends, and a whole lot of uncompromising ambition, they set out against the odds to make their dreams a reality.

Twisted Twins Productions is known for bringing audiences edgy dialogue, gore~geous effects, beautiful cinematography, and memorable characters, all for their viewing pleasure.


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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Anything Horror Is Everything Dead Hooker



I know we've been throwing a lot of awesome at you, boys and grrls, but wait, there's more. How can awesome get any more awesomer? Easy. The wicked awesome review by Scott Shoyer of AnythingHorror.com. A mere exert gives you a taste of what's to come...

"I’m sure everyone’s heard the commercial, “With a name like Smucker’s, it’s gotta be good.” Can’t the same thing be said about titling your movie DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUCK … how could it possibly be bad?!!? But in today’s world full of unnecessary remakes, unoriginal plots, and uninspired genre offerings this film could have easily been one of those projects that has a kick ass title but which totally falls apart in it’s execution (I’m looking at you DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR). Well I’m happy to say that this film delivers in every sense of the word; this is an extremely fun film that has witty dialogue, strong (female) characters, and enough “grindhouse” attitude to satisfy even the hardcore lover of exploitation flicks."
~Scott Shoyer, anythinghorror.com

Now, first and foremost, let me say, I respect anyone with the balls to make a film. Bravo, good on ya, I take my hat (not literally, I look bloody, God awful in hats) off to you. However, I do dislike when a film comes with an ulterior motive, a hidden agenda, or an "I'm a woman and therefore whatever I make is better than the work of a man because I hate men" message. DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK was created with an agenda, but that agenda was simply to make a film that would be pure enjoyment for our audiences. We wanted to deliver "what-the-fuck" moments, we wanted people to say, "where the fuck is this going", we wanted "LOLs", we wanted "oh, no she didn'ts". When a reviewer sees the film and sees all the time and care we put into just making a film that was a whimsical, joyous throw back to the glorious grindhouse films of the past, it makes our twisted little hearts sore.

Mister Scott Shoyer doesn't only get what we were going after, but understands there are rules to making a grindhouse flick. His review is in depth, playful, and intelligent.

Treat yourselves and take a little looky loo at it HERE.

XO,
Jen

Hey, Mikey! He Likes It!


Now go ask your parents kids for what the blog title means. Or, better yet, keep your seats planted and check it out here... Ah, nothing starts your day out right like ancient advertising.

Now, onto the gooey center of this blog. You may be asking yourselves, "what the hell does cereal have to do with anything?" Well, you should be asking yourselves, "who is Mikey?" To be accurate, we aren't speaking of "Mikey", but rather "The Mike". Now who is this mysterious and wonderful entity? He is a writer for FROM MIDNIGHT, WITH LOVE. An introduction to the author...
"The Mike began his youth by demanding ghost and monster stories, and was soon given three VHS tapes by his parents - The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Lon Chaney's The Phantom of the Opera, and 1958's The Blob. Since then, he has embraced the wide world of cinema, and has always kept the bizarre, fantastic, and macabre close to his heart."
He is also a Gemini, ladies.

Now, we don't expect anyone to just hear about Dead Hooker In A Trunk and say, "dammit, that title rules. Clearly this is the greatest cinematic work that has ever graced this world." The title is just there to steer people in the right direction and we hope for the film to speak for itself. The Mike is a smart man. He clearly saw the cuteness of our title and, as a clever man, hoped that the title wouldn't be the best part of the film. We're happy to say that it wasn't. His review of the film is thoughtful, detailed, and we couldn't be happier to have won him over.

"I'm almost shocked to say how much I enjoyed Dead Hooker in a Trunk." ~The Mike, From Midnight, With Love

Check out his fantastical review of Dead Hooker In A Trunk HERE.


But don't stop there. The Mike is a man that knows his shit. Check out his blog and you'll be happy that you did.

Bloody best,
Jen

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Freddy (In Space)'s Female Intuition Speaks Hooker Well

We are two of the fucking luckiest chicks around. Not only did we have an amazing cast and crew that created an very well-received film, 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk', but we have had the film reviewed, talked about, and passed along by some of the coolest horror personalities out there. Even luckier, we are proud to say that we have made with some of these personalities whose kindness and radness never seem to run low. Today, I want to take a moment to express our gratitude and gal-paliness with horror aficionado and publicity power-house, Kristy Jett.


There was this crazy notion that we horror chicks, instead of being at each other throats as we claw our way to success, should help one another out. Seriously, how many dudes in the boardroom are pissy to one another because some unimportant, inbred bitchiness? Kristy loved the idea of women helping women out. She has gotten so many folks on the Hooker bandwagon that you'd think she was threatening them with a sawed-off shotgun.


She writes for Dread Central, whom we have given a Hooker clip to whore out. She also writes for The BloodSprayer, TheDreaminDemon, FreddyInSpace, FOTD-online, and Wreckhouse Magazine. I believe she may have an article for the upcoming Ax Wound, a personal favorite, in the works. She also works for Fright Rags, the greatest Horror t shirt company in the known universe -- I met an alien dude at a bar once and he totally confirmed this fact. Jen and I love her to pieces. She's smart, opinionated, and always has something insightful to say that will make you dig her writing and what she is writing about even more. Here are a couple blerbs from her article about Hooker for Freddy in Space.

"To say Dead Hooker In A Trunk is a demure title for a film would be an understatement, and a flat out lie. It's a supremely polarizing title. You can assume you will either love it or hate it just from the heading. The point to be made is, Dead Hooker In A Trunk is one of the best films this year. From start to finish it holds its own. There's no pithy Diablo Cody dialogue or half-ass attempts at moral constitutions. It is a full on assault of your senses, eviscerating any stereotypes that may have sprouted from those unenthused over the title, Dead Hooker In A Trunk.

The women who made the film, Jen and Sylvia Soska, star in the film as Geek and Badass, respectively. Their names are characteristic of, well, their character. That is clear from the start. Badass has a hard night of partying with her bff Junkie, played by Rikki Gagne, resulting in madcap escapades when they realize that they partied a little TOO hard the night before and there is a dead hooker in the trunk of their classic car. Along for the ride are Geek and her love interest Goody Two Shoes played pitch perfect by CJ Wallis. If you don't crack a smile every time he is on screen you're probably missing something."

If you haven't read any of Kristy's work before, then you are missing something. You're missing out on some hip articles about flicks you already love and/or hate. Kristy, keep on taking over the world with your ambitious work and take-no-prisons attitude. We and our dead hooker are glad to be here for the ride!

~Sylv

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Bloody Good Time at Bleedfest




In conjunction with the Viscera Film Fest, Bleedfest was a festival in which features from female film makers could be featured (this sentence was brought to you by the letter 'f'). Bleedfest was brought to everyone by Elisabeth Fies - director, writer, producer, actor extraordinaire.
"Bleedfest is a one-day Los Angeles, California event screening three feature length horror/thriller films directed by women! On Sunday, July 18th 2010 at the Two Roads theater, you can see The Commune (directed by Elisabeth Fies), Dead Hooker in a Trunk (directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska) and Amanda Gusack's rare In Memorium as an all-day triple feature."




These Fies women intrigue me. Let's get a closer look. Their shorts - 'Consumed' (Elisabeth Fies' short) and 'Distraught' (Brenda Fies' short) - both won awards at the Viscera Film Fest. You know the old stereotype that girls like cute and cuddly things. Well, if there is something cute and cuddly in either of these provocative film makers' films - it most likely will be dead and mutilated by the time the credits role.



Three features were shown that day in a fabulous triple bill - 'In Memorium' by Amanda Gusack. Which is a paranormal thriller shot via surveillance camera as a young man with his live in girlfriend capture his last days as he dies from terminal cancer. However, the motion sensitive cameras don't just catch the couple, but something else. Something very fucked up. This gem is ultimately what 'Paranormal Activity' ripped off. This one is actually really creepy. You'll find yourself looking over the footage with our doomed hero wonder what in the fuck is going on.

Next was Jenine Mayring's short 'Simone.' Check the trailer --



The second is play was 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk'. Sitting in a darkened theater, watching the final cut play in front of an audience for the first time is beyond stressful/exciting. When the first laugh happens, I feel calmer. Thank you to the audience that laughed, gasped, and cheered. While you were watching the movie, I was stealing glances at you. The film was followed by a Q & A session where we - Jen Soska, CJ Wallis, Loyd Bateman, and myself - answered questions about the film and the making of it.



The third film was 'The Commune' directed by Elisabeth Fies. It is a sexualized, psychological thriller about a young girl, Jenny, who is forced to spend time with her estranged father at his Commune. Shitty custody deal, eh? But her dad seems nice enough and she meets a total emo babe, so the summer should rock. It does not rock for her. The film however, does rock. Elisabeth's portrayal of Jenny's mother is raunchy and amazing. This lady is ballsy and there is one scene (I'm not going to spoil it) that I had to turn to her in the theater to be all like 'DAMN, girl.' It was that rad.


It was a cool fest. Cool folks were in attendance - including our scream queen pals, Tara Cardinal and Devanny Pinn - and very radly, Brea Grant came by to check our hooker out and, yay team hooker - she liked it! We brought a box of Hooker swag. Pimped our wares, pimped the film, and pimped our friendship. It was a great event.


Thank you to the Two Roads Theater for housing all the festivities and the Fies for having us at their party!

xo
~Jen and Sylv

Twisted Twins Love Viscera Film Fest


fem·i·nism [fem-uh-niz-uhm]
the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.*

*sometimes it means we (male and female feminists) need to fuck some shit up. Artistically - that's where the Viscera Film Festival comes in.

"Viscera: A collective of soft internal organs in the body, particularly those within the abdominal cavity.

The Viscera Project was created by women to facilitate the advancement of females reaching for more powerful roles within the horror genre. Now, more than ever, women are running their own horror production companies and directing, producing, writing, branching out into cinematography and even creating special FX.

The mission of the VISCERA Film Festival is to give recognition through participating sponsors, awards, and distribution for today's female horror filmmakers making a difference in the genre."


We, Jen, CJ, and myself, had the incredible honor of being invited as guests to the festival by festival heads and mistresses of horror, Heidi Martinuzzi and Shannon Lark. Hell, they even asked us to bring our trailer for 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' to screen at the festival. The following day, the feature length Hooker would be screened at Viscera's sister festival, Bleedfest - we were invited by the incredibly talented and darkly humored Elisabeth Fies (but we will give her her proper props in a following Bleedfest post).




There were many talented gentlemen and ladies at the event, some fab celebrities (OMFG Amber Benson was a presenter and Hooker followed the trailer for her new film, 'Drones'). There were a lot of hip, edgy, and creative projects shown and lots of wicked folks - but here are some that really stood out that we would like to share:

'Mockingbird', a Viscera Film Fest Winner, directed by Marichelle Daywalt. We met Marichelle at the 'Mistresses of Horror Gathering' the night before the festival. She knows horror. She knows it well. She's one of those rare personalities that never makes you feel dumb despite the fact she knows her shit inside and out. As you may have guessed, she's also a completely wonderful human being. Her husband and sometimes collaborator, Drew Daywalt, is fucking awesome too. They're that cool couple you just want to hang with for hours. In related news, we (not being from LA) could not find our car and she kindly drove around in circles for at least half an hour while we muttered helpful things like: "I think that is was on 3rd or was it 4th." "It definitely had a sign near the parking lot entrance."



'Side Effect' directed by Liz Adams. This gem won the Audience Award at Viscera and it was well deserved. You know how sometimes you watch something and you think of something utterly disgusting and horrific that could happen but probably won't because the film maker isn't ballsy enough? Liz doesn't have that problem. The groan from the audience during the big reveal of her film said it all.



'Legend of the Red Reaper' starring Tara Cardinal. You know what I love other than badass actresses who do their own stunts and kick major ass? Beautiful and talented redhead actresses who do their own stunts and kick major ass. Too often you have stunt performers doing even the running for lazy-ass actors, so when you see the lead of a film getting bruised and bloodied to make something memorable, you tend to be impressed. With her passion and skill for stuntwork, I think we found ourselves a new shitkicker.



'Song of the Shattered' starring Devanny Pinn. Do you like horror? What about ladies covered in blood driven to the edge of sanity? Then have I got something fun for you. We were fortunate enough to catch the extended trailer for this flick and it was awesome - intercut between a very sweet scene, drinking what I assume was cocoa and completely gruesome, bloody insanity. Looks like a very good one.



When 'Women in Horror' month had its blood drive, Tara and her scream queen partner in crime, Devanny Pinn, took it upon themselves to collect blood from the citizens of sunny California. And, boys and girls, they collected gallons. They are also two of nicest, most hard working, and completely fun to hang out with chicks on the planet. But their trailers are dead giveaways for that.


'We Will Bury You' is a comic about a zombie outbreak in the 1920s written by Brea Grant (Heroes, Battle Planet, Rob Zombie's Halloween 2) and her brother Zane Grant. It's awesome. If you like comics like Preacher, you'll love it. Very graphic but done in a dark humor kind of way. Very dark or maybe I just laugh at things that no one else does. She did a great introduction to the 'scary' portion of films at the festival and the killed it with her comic. Also, she came out to Bleedfest to check out Hooker. After she watched it, she came over and told us that she dug it. We really dig her, too! And in total six degrees of Kevin Bacon, Rikki Gagne (who plays Junkie in Hooker) has been Brea's stunt double before. I know that has nothing to do with Kevin Bacon.


Speaking of bacon, 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' brought home some bacon -- in the form of a Viscera Award! It was a huge honor. They were also filming a documentary on the festival as we were there, so I believe there will be more videos and pictures in the future. It was really cool to hang out with so many horror folks and get our 'girl power' on. It was also cool to see so many guys at the event getting their feminism on. It was one of our first big festivals of that sort and it was sensationally orchestrated. Heidi and Shannon are hard working ladies.

Their shorts - 'Wretched' and 'Lipstick' were beyond hardcore. These ladies go places in their art that most film makers would shy away from because of the extreme content. It is so refreshing to see how fucked up and haunting their projects are. When you can see the audience squirm in their seats, you know a good job has been done. Thank you so humbly and kindly for having us at your event. It will always be a very special memory and we hope to be invited again.






Thank you for all the ladies and gents who came out to support 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' and indie film making. It was sweet getting to meet y'all and chat y'all up! If you have now heard about Hooker, but still haven't had the chance to check it out - hit us up (use the 'contact' option on the webpage). We are still diligently working to have it screened everywhere and anywhere. News just in today that we will be having an upcoming screening in Brazil - details to be posted soon.

xo
~Jen and Sylv

Friday, July 16, 2010

Hear ye, Hear ye - Tis Twisted Twins Week!


No, we haven't gone narcissistically insane. This is a proud proclamation made by our friend, Theron Neel, of Slammed & Damned. Starting July 12th, Theron took an in depth look not only at 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' but all of our other projects, as well as a review of the film and a very fun interview with Jen and I. He says it best himself.


"Welcome to a very special week here at Slammed & Damned. In honor of Jen and Sylvia Soska, those kickass Canadian twins responsible for the recent grindhouse film phenomenon known as Dead Hooker in a Trunk, I hereby declare this to be Twisted Twins Week. Over the next few days, we’re going to be taking an in-depth look at Jen and Sylv’s work. On Wednesday, I’ll be reviewing the new, final cut of Dead Hooker in a Trunk, and on Friday, I’ll have an exhaustive interview with these two vixens from Vancouver. But today, I want to take a look at three short films the Soskas made before their Dead Hooker came to light."







There are been shorts and PSAs that we have worked on. Theron has taken an in depth look at these projects in the first part of his three-part article.


Next, Theron (who has seen the final cut of Hooker, and its previous cut - at the DOA BloodBath Film Fest) goes into a lock, stock, and barrel review of the final cut. He has plenty of lovely things to say that would make even a deceased prostitute blush.

"Over the years, Canada has produced some of the most interesting voices in horror. Bob Clark, David Cronenberg and John Fawcett are just some of the directors to emerge from the Great White North with singular voices and cool films. And with a forceful little flick called Dead Hooker in a Trunk, Vancouver-based filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska have pretty much grabbed the indie horror film community by the collar and demanded admission to this boys club. Word to the wise: If I were you, I wouldn’t argue with them. I’ve seen what they can do.

I first saw Dead Hooker in a Trunk a few months ago at a horror film fest. I’d never heard of the movie or its makers, but when I saw that title, I knew it was the one film I had to see that day.

As we sat in the darkened theater and this steamroller of a film plowed over the audience, my companions and I were overwhelmed by the action onscreen. The auditorium filled with gasps and nervous giggles from people that kept peeking at each other with wide-eyed looks that said, “Did they just do that?” When the movie ended, there was a slight pause while everyone oriented themselves, then the room filled with raucous applause. I left the theater knowing I’d just seen something that was as much a statement of purpose as it was an entertainment."

Okay, now go read everything he says in his article and get re-excited about the film! It's reviews like this that reignite one's excitement in film making. I'm very proud to be a part of something that gets people to talking this way. It's a great review for those of you who haven't yet had the chance to see the film or if you are trying to describe it to your friends.




Lastly, comes the interview we had with Theron. 'But, Sylvia' you say, 'I've read your interviews before and you always yap about the same shit. I feel I already know you and Jen well.' To that I say, 'No, I don't!' (defensively) But in all truth, we do talk about some personal stuff that we haven't before so I think you're getting too smart for yourself and should just read the fucking interview already. Here's the juicy intro.

"The Canadian filmmaking team Jen and Sylvia Soska are a pair of identical twins who have made one of the most talked about independent movies of the year. The tale of four people with a cool car and truly terrible luck, Dead Hooker in a Trunk is a bloody, brutal and often funny flick that takes more twists and turns than a snake on hot pavement. With little more than a provocative title and a handful of friends, these two scrappy young ladies went on to write, direct and star in one of the most impressive feature film debuts in recent memory. Recently, during a rare break, the Soskas sat down with Slammed & Damned for a talk about lighthearted violence, creating things you might not expect and, of course, the movie they lovingly refer to as “our Hooker.”"



Mad, crazy, high-fiving, fist-bumping props to our man, Theron Neel, not only for his phenomenal articles, but also for seeing the words 'Dead Hooker in a Trunk' and thinking it was his kind of film. A little hooker can go quite far, but it can only travel the world with support and spreading the word like Theron did. Respect, sir, respect.

xo
~Sylv