News

Cinelounge Sunset is partnering with Rustic Films to present an outstanding weekend of movies on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood this weekend, August 17 & August 18.

The lineup includes Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead movies Resolution and The Endless, as well as Jim Cummings’ Thunder Road, a shorts block, and more.

Here’s the full lineup…

‘Resolution’

Resolution. Horror/Mystery. Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead. Written by Benson. Produced by Benson, Moorhead, and David Clarke Lawson Jr.

From Rustic Films. Starring Peter Cilelloa, Vinny Curran, Emily Montague, Kurt David Anderson, Skyler Meacham, Josh Higgins.

Soon-to-be-a-dad Michael makes a last-ditch effort to save his longtime but addicted friend Chris from a foreseeable drug related death. Visiting Chris and handcuffing him to an exposed plumbing pipe, Michael forces his buddy into detox, but while watching over his friend he also discovers that all is not right within the territory Chris has drifted into.

The film is about a Texan police officer struggling to raise his daughter.

Distributor Vertigo Releasing has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Jim Cumming’s debut feature Thunder Road.

The Us indie title premiered at SXSW in March, where it won the feature film Grand Jury award. It then screened in the Acid showcase at Cannes.

Thunder Road is based on Cummings’ short of the same name - which won the short film Grand Jury prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2016 - about a Texan police officer struggling to raise his daughter.

Cummings also wrote and stars in the feature,...

Tony Sokol Feb 16, 2018

Horror favourite Fangoria magazine is to return to its pulpy roots...

Fangoria is kind of like the Ramones of horror magazines. Fun, funny, influential and completely accessible, their interviewers asked pertinent questions and the images were filled with gore, suspense and wit. Every horror fan has at least one copy, that they show, and probably a bunch buried somewhere. Quentin Tarantino has boxes of copies, I’m sure. Most covered in some kind of protective plastic like he’s preserving a dead Pharaoh for a movie he’ll never get around to making. But Fangoria Lives. Cinestate, Dallas-based entertainment company founded by movie producer Dallas Sonnier (Bone Tomahawk, Brawl In Cell Block 99) has bought the magazine, and they are set to restore it to its glory days as a print publication.

Fangoria will have a new Editor-In-Chief, film writer Phil Nobile Jr., who was Editor-At-Large for the website Birth.

Following a publishing hiatus and a change in management, the pop culture cornerstone Fangoria Magazine is being resurrected by Cinestate. The Texas-based entertainment company has acquired all assets from the last 39 years of the magazine, named Phil Nobile Jr. as the new Editor-in-Chief, and are looking to begin their new quarterly publishing run of Fangoria this fall:

Press Release: Dallas, TX (February 15, 2018) –– Fangoria Magazine is returning from its digital grave and back into print where it belongs. Thanks to a new investment, a new Editor-in-Chief, and a new Publisher, the world’s highest-profile horror movie magazine is reemerging as a collectible quarterly with the first issue set to drop this fall in time for Halloween.

Cinestate, the Texas-based entertainment company, completed the deal to acquire all the assets and trademarks of the Fangoria brand, including the magazine, from The Brooklyn Company. Cinestate CEO Dallas Sonnier diligently courted the previous publisher Thomas DeFeo for several months,...

After an unofficial two-and-a-half year hiatus from the publication world, beloved horror magazine “Fangoria” is returning to print. Texas-based entertainment company Cinestate has acquired all the assets and trademarks of the Fangoria brand, including the magazine, from The Brooklyn Company, and now intends to begin publishing again, just in time for Halloween. The magazine has also named Birth.Movies.Death. Editor-At-Large Phil Nobile Jr. as the outlet’s Editor-in-Chief, and has revealed a number of plans for further expansion into other areas of entertainment.

The last few years have been complicated ones for the publication, which has not published a full print edition since October 2015 and has been beset by employment changes that impacted even some of its most well-known writers. In June of 2016, long-time writer (and then-Editor-in-Chief) Michael Gingold was fired from the publication after 28 years of employment. Art director Bill Mohalley was also let go at the time.

Ah, August, that glorious month when summer officially overstays its welcome and everyone begins praying for a respite from the blistering temperatures. With kids staying home on summer break and working stiffs having already blown through their vacation days by mid-June, there's no better time for an extended hunker-down in the living room. Netflix teams with Baz Luhrmann for a frenetic new birth-of-hip-hop drama, David Cross gives his acerbic State of the Union address in a new special, and a recent Coen brothers masterpiece comes online. Top off that iced...

Scream Queens

A week before launch, Patrick Schwarzenegger ("Stuck In Love," "Grown Ups 2") has joined the cast of Fox's "Scream Queens" horror comedy series.

Series creator Ryan Murphy made the announcement but stayed quiet on character details beyond him playing a relative of an existing cast member. He will first appear in an episode in November. [Source: Twitter]

Inversion

Thomas Jane is in talks to join "Proxy" director Zack Parker’s independent thriller "Inversion" which begins shooting next spring/early summer in Chicago.

The story follows two polar opposite guys who are connected by their mutual desire for change. As their lives intersect, they question whether they're searching for a change in life or a change in themselves. [Source: Deadline]

Bastards

Stand-up comedian Katt Williams will join Ed Helms, Owen Wilson, Ving Rhames, J.K. Simmons and Terry Bradshaw in the Larry Sher-directed comedy “Bastards" for Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures. Filming...

Here at Dread Central we’ve been following the career of indie filmmaker Zack Parker (Scalene, Proxy) for several years now, and he just gets better and better with each project. Up next for him is Inversion, and he’s set his… Continue Reading →

The post Thomas Jane to Get Rearranged in Zack Parker’s Inversion appeared first on Dread Central.

Exclusive: Thomas Jane is in talks to headline Zack Parker's independent thriller Inversion, which tells the story about two polar opposite guys who are connected by their mutual desire for change. As their lives intersect, they question whether they’re searching for a change in life or a change in themselves. Production begins next spring/early summer in Chicago. Parker’s previous film Proxy played in the Vanguard Section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival…...

Reviewed by Robert J. Thompson II

MoreHorror.com

When I first heard about Zack Parker, being from Indiana, myself, my first thought was, “No way! Someone in Indiana makes movies for more than five grand!? And they don't sneak into locations, to do it? Get out of town!” – Because while the people of Indiana are very film-friendly, the state Government is not so welcoming.

So to hear someone goes out of their way to film in-state when they have a budget that means they don't have too, it was kind of shocking. All this said, I immediately sought out Zack's work, starting with Scalene. I must admit that I wasn't a fan. Not for a lack of quality, or anything particularly wrong with the work. Calm down. It simply wasn't this cat's meow. This happens, sometimes.

But, when I heard about “Proxy”, I was so intrigued by the story, and...

“Netflix Horrors” is a regular column in which Shock Till You Drop alerts you to the latest genre titles to hit the VOD service. Four films have been added since our previous update on August 11th. In this edition, we have an early film from James Wan post-Saw, a film from indie helmer Zack Parker, a zombie film and a torture porn entry (yawn).

The post Netflix Horrors: Recommends & the Latest Titles Added to Instant 8/17 appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

The only things that I knew about Proxy before going in, was that it featured Joe Swanberg, was directed by Zack Parker, that also directed Scalene, and that I really liked the cover art. I knew that there was a quote on the front cover from the La times, calling the film “A worthy successor to Rosemary’s Baby”, and that’s about it. I guess I can kind of see the comparison that the La Times reviewer was trying to make, but for any fans of Rosemary’s Baby, it puts an expectation in your head that Proxy will have an incredibly hard time living up to. At the end of the day, some horrific things happen in this film, but I would have a hard time categorizing it as a straight-up horror film. To set your expectations a little closer to reality, Proxy is sort of about Munchausen By Proxy.

The 8th annual Sydney Underground Film Festival is a power-packed event featuring outrageous cult films, provocative documentaries and wild short films that will run September 4-7 at its usual haunt, The Factory Theater.

Opening Night: The fest opens with Housebound, a New Zealand horror comedy by Gerard Johnstone about a woman in trouble with the law who comes to believe that her family home is haunted. The film will be preceded by a performance by Renny Kodgers and a free pizza party; and followed by an after party.

Closing Night: The fest will close with the controversial German teen sex comedy Wetlands directed by David Wendt. The film will then be followed by a late-night after party.

Highlights: Usama Alshaibi‘s must see documentary American Arab — an intimate, socially relevatory and essential film — screens at 4 p.m. on Sept. 6. Read the Underground Film Journal review of American Arab.

Jorge Torres-Torres...

IFC Midnight just sent over the skinny regarding their DVD and Blu-ray release of Zack Parker's latest, Proxy (review). Read on for artwork and details.

Synopsis

In the last month of her pregnancy, Esther Woodhouse is savagely beaten in an alleyway by an unknown assailant and loses her baby. To aid in her recovery, she attends a support group for grieving parents where she meets Melanie, who claims her son and husband were killed by a drunk driver.

Esther and Melanie develop a friendship, but soon it becomes clear that both are harboring much darker secrets than they initially let on. And when both their lives are transformed by another shocking act of violence, they find that recovery may be impossible.

With wildly unpredictable twists and turns, Proxy is a "fascinating, unnerving and endlessly unpredictable" (Inkoo Kang, La Times) psychological thriller.

Look for it in stores and online on August 12th.

It can be easy to bond over shared experiences, be they good or horrific. In Esther’s case, her new friendship with Melanie is bolstered by the latter: they both lost a child. But as they grow to understand each other’s pain, they delve further into dark secrets that could unleash more horror than they have already known. Zack Parker’s Proxy is bringing its psychological twists home via Blu-ray and DVD this August with a handful of special features in tow.

Proxy comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on August 12th with the following special features (thanks to Blu-ray.com!):

Audio Commentary Behind the Scenes Featurette Original Trailer

“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on,...

We've been following filmmaker Zack Parker's career for several years here at Dread Central, and we're pleased that his latest, Proxy (review), is such a winner. Also a winner is this new video released for the flick that wishes us all a Happy Mother's Day!

Proxy is now playing in select theaters and on VOD from IFC Films. Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg star.

Synopsis:

A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

Proxy is a...

From a filmmaking standpoint, you can’t help but admire the cojones it took to attempt Proxy. Running at a long-winded two hours, writers Kevin Donner and (director) Zack Parker cram surprise after surprise into a dramatic revenge thriller that starts simply as a young mother’s horror story. Nothing is Ever as it seems though, as two different movies are shown through each hour, divided halfway by a cataclysmic event Parker could have just as easily ended Proxy with. Shifting gears faster than Vin Diesel in The Fast And Furious, blind ambition takes Parker as far as it can, but a faltering execution downplays dark, genuinely confounding storytelling that movies just won’t risk on today’s audiences. What a shame, because Parker gains brownie points by shoving Hollywood normalcy straight back into The Man’s face – there’s just a lack of “walking the walk” after “talking the talk.

This week on Sordid Cinema, the demented stepchild to the Sound On Sight flagship podcast – we sit down and discuss Director/co-writer Zack Parker’s second feature Proxy, about a pregnant woman who enters a strange triangle of violence and paranoia. After which we review Only Lover Left Alive, which finds writer-director Jim Jarmusch adding a typically offbeat entry to the vampire genre. Joining us this week is Sos contributors Cody Lang and Deepayan Sengupta. All this and more, on the longest running genre film podcast.

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Lonely people will certainly do crazy things to get attention.

Director Zack Parker presents a dark thriller with twist and turns in “Proxy.” Latino-Review had an exclusive telephone interview with Parker to discuss the storyline and ideas behind this gory and violent movie.

Here’s the synopsis:

Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) feels alone in this world. When she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant after leaving her Ob/Gyn, it almost seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group, especially from the kindly Melanie (Alexa Havins). The two women strike up a close friendship and Esther’s life of sadness and solitude is opened up to understanding and even acceptance. However, their bond gets increasingly dangerous as they can no longer tell what’s real and what’s in their heads.

Anchored by a trio of strong female performances from Havins, Rasmussen, and...

Another clip is here from Zack Parker's Proxy (review), and while it's not as brutal as the last, it definitely serves up the goods just as we like it! Check it out!

Proxy is on VOD now.

Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg all star.

Synopsis:

A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

Proxy is a European-style suspense-thriller that promises to challenge the traditional cinematic form. Parker has reunited with The Newton Brothers to compose the...

Director/writer Zack Parker‘s plot-heavy thriller Proxy opens on Esther (Alexia Rasmussen), a young, expecting mother at her doctor’s appointment. Good news follows her down the street and into an alley where bad news finds her. She’s knocked unconscious, and her pregnant stomach is savagely attacked by someone with a brick, and it’s exactly as shocking and uncomfortable a scene as you’d expect. The entire first hour of the film relies on the pure dramatic value of this scene to keep your interest, and, to be fair, it does. It’s a challenge though as Esther’s character develops painstakingly slowly, meandering around her apartment until she finally reaches out at a support group where she meets another mother, Melanie (Alexa Havins), who has lost her son. About halfway through the film, a major plot twist reveals that the two women are alike in that they have some serious, underlying...

Lady Liars and Psycho-sexual Thrills; Zach Parker’s Proxy is a Rocky Ride

Countless blockbusters have used and abused the idea of doppelgängers and surrogates, but disturbing indie-thriller Proxy is uniquely made to amaze. Rhythmically structured around expectancy and negation, director Zack Parker proves to be well-versed in the cinematic language for predicated effects on a spectator. Beyond succeeding as an engaging twisty genre film, Parker activates mechanisms of manipulation, lulling us to complacency just before redirecting his narrative. Proxy is not stand-out cinema, but the unpredictable path makes this plucky undertaking worthwhile.

Leaving a strangely solemn sonogram appointment, Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) is dragged into an alley where her nearly nine-month-pregnant belly is clobbered with a brick until blood streams from between her legs. After the off-putting establishing sequence, which will undoubtedly empty a few seats at every screening, a detective visits her hospital bedside and asserts that such an...

Pinch-hitting: Parker’s Latest as Surprising As it is Unwieldy

With a series of continuously improving indie horror thrillers under his belt, filmmaker Zack Parker launches his most startling title yet with his fourth feature, Proxy. Opening with a scene of visceral brutality that’s as sure to get lodged uneasily in your subconscious as it is to grab your rapt attention, the film unfolds with eerie precision until a mid-point switcheroo that provides a tipping point for the film spilling from art-house worthy genre to ludicrous exercise that dwindles into ridiculousness. At times tasteless and potentially offensive (those that prize politically correct representations may find the course of events rather homophobic and undoubtedly misogynist even as Parker clues us in on the black comedy he’s going for), the film is also strikingly unpredictable, utilizing violence effectively.

Just weeks away from giving birth, Esther Woodhouse (Alexia Rasmussen) is brutally...

At a point where most horror is content to go "booga booga" with a shock cut or otherwise offer non-stop carnage, a film like Zack Parker's "Proxy" is a breath of fresh air. Indiewire critic Eric Kohn wrote about the film's surprises (and it seems to have one up its sleeve every fifteen minutes), but also that "It isn’t about the shocking developments around each corner so much as the energy and invention that it brings to them." It's a film that features throwbacks to Stanley Kubrick, Brian De Palma and Lars von Trier without feeling like empty quoting, and it goes to far-out places without careening off the rails or leaving its characters behind. Indiewire sat down with Parker to talk about his penchant for slow-burning tension, his influences, and how he planned to subvert audience expectations. "Proxy" opens today in theaters and is available to watch On Demand.

Director Zack Parker has a knack for marrying unnerving incident to shifty, hard-to-pin-down characters. His latest film, the psychological thriller “Proxy,” could sort of be described as a sociopathic lesbian love triangle… and yet it’s more than that, even. For ShockYa, Brent Simon recently had a chance to speak to Parker one-on-one, about his movie, what sort of storytelling excites and drives him, making movies in his native Indiana, being a stay-at-home dad and how the California Raisins helped lead him to where he is today. The conversation is excerpted below: ShockYa: Like “Scalene,” your previous film, it feels like “Proxy” is very invested in exploring shifting audience sympathies. Not at all in [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Director Zack Parker Talks Proxy, More appeared first on Shockya.com.

*an online screener of this film was provided by IFC Films. Director: Zack Parker. Writers: Kevin Donner and Zack Parker. Cast: Joe Swanberg, Kristina Klebe, Alexa Havins and Alexia Rasmussen. Proxy is the second thriller this film fan has seen from Richmond, Indiana based director Zack Parker. Parker continues to tackle difficult material. His first film, Scalene (2011) dealt with rape and a handicapped man. His second film is a little more fatalistic as two women participate in murder. Proxy is a psychological thriller, with a lot of surprises. An unconventional script switches protagonists at the mid-way point of the film and the result is somewhat confusing, but also unpredictable. Proxy is a serious film, which will leave many wondering: what just happened? The story begins but does not end with the character Esther (Alexia Rasmussen). Esther is desperately lonely and she becomes pregnant to validate herself. However, she does not actually want the child.

Seeing director Zack Parker’s new thriller Proxy will undoubtedly represent two of the most unforgettable hours you spend in the cinema this year — if, that is, you can get past the first five minutes. In the film, Alexia Rasmussen plays a heavily pregnant woman named Esther who loses her baby as the result of a brutal beating, which takes place in the aforementioned opening minutes, and subsequently befriends another bereaved mother called Melanie (Alexa Havins) at a grief support group. But is Melanie quite what she seems? And, for that matter, is Esther?

We can’t tell you any...

Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome is a relatively rare form of child abuse that involves the exaggeration or fabrication of illnesses or symptoms by a primary caregiver. The central idea around which everything swirls in Zack Parker's Proxy is as brilliant as it is dark, exaggerating a real medical condition in a similar fashion to what David Cronenberg did with the hysteria and outcry when soft core skin flicks were shown on local TV stations - the result was Videodrome - or how Paul Solet examined, in his film Grace, how newborn children sap the resources of their mothers and bring about an anxious protectiveness. The best horror movies exaggerate the anxieties of our times. Proxy illustrates how the egos and minds of new parents (or...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

​In an exclusive clip we've landed for Proxy, an intruder with a crowbar is spying on a home's inhabitants. What does she want? Moreover, what is she going to do with that crowbar? Check out the clip here! Proxy is getting a release tomorrow from IFC. You can check out our review of the film here. Joe Swanberg, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Alexia Rasmussen star. Zack Parker directs. While walking home from her latest Ob appointment, a very pregnant Esther Woodhouse is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. This horrible event seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group. Her life of sadness and solitude is opened up to friendship, understanding, and even acceptance. However, friendship and understanding can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

The post Exclusive Proxy Clip Follows an Intruder in the House...

The phrase "not for the faint of heart" was made for Proxy's opening sequence, an eruption of more-is-more body horror beginning with a routine Ob-gyn checkup and ending in an emergency C-section.

From there, Zack Parker's film transitions into a lumbering psychodrama with minimal staging and the utmost self-seriousness. "Everything is just pieces, fragments," the aggrieved Esther (a very good Alexia Rasmussen) tells her doctor of the attack that led to the loss of her pregnancy. "I couldn't tell you what was real or not."

Parker draws out mundane scenes in a manner that emphasizes the intermingling of dread and banality; you develop the sense early on that any sort of idyll is temporary, likely to be shattered at a moment's notice. The writer-director tries to ...

In "Proxy," a young pregnant woman named Esther (Alexia Rasmussem) leaves the clinic and gets knocked unconscious by an unseen assailant who pounds a brick against her victim’s abdomen; when Esther opens her eyes again, she’s in the hospital, bearing witness to her stillborn child being torn from gaping abdomen. The ensuing two hours include further child death, shootings, drownings, tattooed lesbian criminals and perverted fantasies. Director Zack Parker, working from Kevin Donner’s screenplay, never hesitates to sacrifice his characters’ happiness for a relentless grab bag of grotesque surprises. Increasingly silly even as it maintains a grave tone, "Proxy" doesn't always work, but its commitment to unpredictable twists and pushing beyond morbid extremes bears the stamp of showmanship sorely lacking from many other examples of the genre. Rasmussem's petite, sullen look gives the impression of a broken young woman with nowhere to turn, but her apparent fragility represents the first.

Considering that a few surprising narrative shifts occur fairly early in the narrative, it is best not to discuss any specific plot details of Zack Parker's Proxy. It is worth noting that an early scene is especially unnerving -- and debatably a bit too blunt in its brutal depiction of the violent act; it will surely scare away some viewers, especially pregnant women, pretty early on. If you make it through that scene, the payoff will soon come in the form of Parker's prodigiousness in orchestrating a perplexing variety of narrative twists and reveals. It is truly rare to find a film that is actually able to surprise the audience; and while most of the twists and reveals to be discovered within Proxy are not all that far-fetched, even the most perceptive viewers will not expect most of them (though I bet some snarky critics will boast otherwise).

Scalene director Zack Parker will have his thriller Proxy debut through video-on-demand April 18th, 2014. IFC Midnight will debut the film on various formats, with a theatrical launch also taking place, simultaneously. The film stars: Joe Swanberg (V/H/S), Kristina Klebe (Zone of the Dead), Alexa Havins and Alexia Rasmussen. Fans of thrillers can preview the launch here. The film begins with a very pregnant, young woman, named Esther (Rasmussen). Esther is attacked close to her due date, but she finds solace in a survivor therapy group. But, some of Esther's new friends have nefarious intentions. Proxy has received several positive reviews, already. Mike Pereira likes the film's straight-forward narrative style: "it unapologetically aims for the audience’s throat and doesn’t waste any time in doing so." Parker's storytelling is often terse as seen in his previous thriller Scalene. As well, Scott Weinberg of FearNet notices the film's sombre tones: "[it is] a shocking tale of.

Horror movies aren't exactly supposed to make you feel good. They're supposed to shock you. They're supposed to terrify you. And they're supposed to show you just how evil and horrifying the world can be.

If this clip from Zack Parker's Proxy (review) is any indication, it's one horror film that truly earns its place within the genre.

We must warn you that the clip you're about to see is incredibly disturbing, and it depicts a pregnant woman being savagely assaulted. Art is not safe, and this shocking opening sequence is proof of that fact. You have been warned.

Proxy will hit VOD outlets on April 18th, with a release at NYC's IFC Center on the same date. A wider theatrical rollout is expected to follow.

Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg all star.

Synopsis:

A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her...

Zack Parker had largely been known for the slow-burn nature of his films, such as 2011's “Scalene,” and he wanted to change that perception. With “Proxy,” he did just that — and then some. The film, which debuted at last year's Toronto International Film Festival and hits theaters on April 18, begins with a shocking assault. Alexia Rasmussen, playing a lonely pregnant woman named Esther, is brutally assaulted within minutes of the movie's opening, suffering a brutal beating that carries with it serious consequences both physical and psychological. Also read: IFC Midnight Scoops up Thriller ‘Proxy’ for North America “I knew I had to.

In his latest movie Proxy (review), indie filmmaker Zack Parker takes on some pretty brutal subject matter – the murder of a late-term fetus, lesbian obsession, secrets, lies, and stalkers. And that’s just for starters! Read on to see what Parker has to say about all this and more.

Dread Central: You've been making films since you were a child... What's the enduring fascination for you?

Zack Parker: I don’t think it’s something I can necessarily pinpoint. I’ve just always had a connection to movies. Almost felt I understood them in a strange way. My parents divorced when I was pretty young. My mother worked, so I was just one of those generation of kids that grew up in front of the television. That was the world I knew.

My dad bought a small Hi 8 video camera when I was eleven, and I just started making little short movies with them.

The Phoenix Film Festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Festival kicks off on April 3rd, with the 8-day festival screening Oculus, The Sacrament, Cujo, and more. If you’re interested in attending, we have more details on the festival and an opportunity for Daily Dead readers to win a pair of tickets.

Event Details: Taking place from April 3rd through April 10th, the festival will be held on seven screens at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 (7000 E. Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, Az 85054).

“The Phoenix Film Festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Festival annually screens over 150 films, holds amazing parties and provides filmmaking seminars to capacity audiences. Over 25,000 attendees enjoy the 8 day festival. The International Horror and Sci-Fi festival has something for every genre taste. From short to feature length film selections, come experience the festival in company of people who love film.

Guests scheduled include the wonderful Dee Wallace from “Cujo”. The talented...

The final one-sheet hit the Internet for director Zack Parker's horror feature Proxy (review). Look for the flick on VOD April 18 with a DVD release to follow.

Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg all star.

Synopsis:

A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

Proxy is a European-style suspense-thriller that promises to challenge the traditional cinematic form. Parker has reunited with The Newton Brothers to compose the score as well as Jim Timperman as Director of Photography to lens the film.

IFC has provided Shock with a look at the one-sheet for Proxy, a film by Zack Parker that stars Joe Swanberg, Alexa Havins,Kristina Klebe and Alexia Rasmussen and arrives on April 18th. While walking home from her latest Ob appointment, a very pregnant Esther Woodhouse is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. This horrible event seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group.

The post The Official One-Sheet for Proxy from IFC appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

"I think you're the only one who understands..." Today's indie trailer is for the psychological horror thriller Proxy, from filmmaker Zack Parker, of the indie horror Scalene before this. Actress Alexia Rasmussen plays a pregnant woman who is attacked and finds solace in new friends at a support group. But things get a bit twisted when she finds out more about new friends and their child. The cast includes Joe Swanberg, Alexa Havins and Kristina Klebe. This trailer makes the film look incredibly unsettling, focusing on the psychological aspects over the in-your-face horror. This may scare some folks more than others. Take a look. Watch the full theatrical trailer for Zack Parker's Proxy, direct from IFC's YouTube: Synopsis: Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) feels alone in this world. When she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant, it almost seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group,...

Horror films have a notorious habit of minimizing women and turning them into nothing more than victims. But the upcoming "Proxy," ensures that its female leads have a much more dominant presence. Writer/director Zack Parker, who most recently brought us another female-centric thriller, "Scalene," now takes us on another horrific journey. "Proxy" follows Esther (played by Alexia Rasmussen) soon after a brutal attack leaves her broken and alone, until she meets Melanie (Alexa Havins), a kind friend in a support group who helps provide Esther with the emotional stability she desperately needs. But it isn't long before this seemingly innocuous friendship begins to take its terrifying toll when the psychological damage with which both women are afflicted reaches its peak. The trailer gives very little away in terms of story, but the fast-paced cut of frightening images gives no doubt as to the unbearable world that each woman's attack has subsequently created,...

Proxy is a Horror movie co-written and directed by Zack Parker. He seems to have found his groove in creating character driven thrillers which dance on the edge of Horror as seen in his last flick Scalene and now his latest work Proxy. The story focuses on a pregnant lady who is subjected to a traumatic assault and a particular friendship that she forms in the aftermath which could be deception in disguise. IFC acquired the film after it's showin…...

I hadn't heard of Proxy until this trailer for the upcoming April 18 release landed in my Inbox this morning. Written and directed by up-and-comer Zack Parker, the film tells of a pregnant woman (Alexia Rasmussen) who's viciously attacked, and ends up finding comfort in a support group, though it soon proves important to be wary of new friendships. It appears Proxy premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival and has since followed that up with several festival appearances. Now IFC will give it a limited theatrical and On Demand release in mid-April and this trailer makes it look like it may be worth a once over, though the woman doing situps with a cigarette in her mouth seems a little... odd. Give it a look below along with the poster and a lengthier synopsis. yt id="arRhnf213E0" width="610" Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) feels alone in this world. When she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant,...

Finally a trailer has hit the Internet for director Zack Parker's horror feature Proxy (review). Look for the flick on VOD April 18 with a DVD release to follow. Check out the trailer now.

Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg all star.

Synopsis:

A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

Proxy is a European-style suspense-thriller that promises to challenge the traditional cinematic form. Parker has reunited with The Newton Brothers to compose the score as well as...

The official feature film lineup and guest list for the 2014 International Horror and Sci-Fi Festival has been revealed and includes special screenings of Cujo, Oculus, The Sacrament, and more. Taking place from April 3rd through April 10th, the festival will be held on seven screens at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 (7000 E. Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, Az 85054).

“The Phoenix Film Festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Festival annually screens over 150 films, holds amazing parties and provides filmmaking seminars to capacity audiences. Over 25,000 attendees enjoy the 8 day festival. The International Horror and Sci-Fi festival has something for every genre taste. From short to feature length film selections, come experience the festival in company of people who love film.

Guests scheduled include the wonderful Dee Wallace from “Cujo”. The talented Ti West director of “House of the Devil”, “The Innkeepers” and his new film “The Sacrament” screening at the festival. Also the creative crew from...

Following Proxy‘s screening at Tiff last September, IFC acquired the movie and they’ll be releasing the movie to theaters and VOD in April. Here’s a look at the movie’s new trailer:

“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on, she decides to make efforts to re-assimilate herself into society. She seeks comfort in a local support group and it’s there that she meets Melanie, a sweet woman from the neighborhood. Forming a new bond, Esther is hopeful that she can move on and start a new life with new connections. This of course falls apart one day when she makes a startling discovery that will change everything.”

Proxy was directed by Zack Parker,...

Director Zack Parker's "Proxy" has been collecting some serious travel miles. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, the horror film has stopped in fests in Austin, Sitges, Strasbourg and Portland, among many others, but now it's coming home to a screen near you. And we have the exclusive trailer for the scare flick you might want to keep an eye out for. Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Joe Swanberg star in the movie that follows Esther, a pregnant young woman who is brutally attacked by hooded assailant. She finds consolation and possibly friendship in a support group, until a chance encounter reveals that nothing in her life may be as it seems. And from what you'll see in this new promo, the effect on everyone around her is deadly. "Proxy" opens on April 18th. Watch below.

We told you months ago that director Zack Parker's horror feature Proxy (review) secured North American distribution via IFC Midnight, and now we finally have a release date for you! Look for the flick on VOD April 18 with a DVD release to follow.

Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg all star.

Synopsis:

A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

Proxy is a European-style suspense-thriller that promises to challenge the traditional cinematic form. Parker has reunited with...

Following Proxy‘s screening at Tiff last September, IFC acquired the movie and they’ve just announced plans for an April VOD and theatrical release:

“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on, she decides to make efforts to re-assimilate herself into society. She seeks comfort in a local support group and it’s there that she meets Melanie, a sweet woman from the neighborhood. Forming a new bond, Esther is hopeful that she can move on and start a new life with new connections. This of course falls apart one day when she makes a startling discovery that will change everything.”

Proxy was directed by Zack Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Donner. The movie stars Alexia Rasmussen,...

Zack Parker's new horror thriller 'Proxy' is set to be unleashed on VOD and into select theatres across the Us from 18 April thanks to IFC Films. The movie revolves around Esther (played by Alexia Rasmussen), a pregant woman, whom after suffering a brutal attack finds solace in a support group only to find herself opening up to the wrong kind of people. The unsettling and bleak new feature from Parker stars Joe Swanberg ('You're Next'), Alexa Havins ('Torchwood'), Kristina Klebe ('Nymph'), Faust Checho and Erika Hoveland. Parker directs from a script he co-wrote alongside Kevin Donner. Check out the poster below....