Barking At The Vacuum Cleaner - Mini-Review Of Xerox Ferox: The Wild World Of The Horror Film Fanzine And A Lord Of Tears (2012) Update

The cover of Xerox Ferox by John Szpunar

       My advanced age notwithstanding, I somehow managed to miss out on the glory days of the horror film fanzine.  Before the internet, horror and exploitation fans discussed their more esoteric viewing choices via a slew of these do-it-yourself publications that examined the marginalized movies most mainstream press chose to ignore.  It was a grassroots movement uniting fans worldwide in celebrating movies that made their homes primarily in the drive-ins and grindhouses.

     Author John Szpunar has assembled what must currently be the most definitive examination of the fanzine phenomena available with his new(ish) 800 page release Xerox Ferox: The Wild World Of The Horror Film Fanzine published by Headpress.  Szpunar interviewed over forty of the individuals responsible for many of the most well-known and revered of the horror film fanzines - familiar names like Chas. Balun, Bob Martin, Tim Lucas, Bill Landis, Michael Gingold, and Tim Ferrante.  The author acknowledges in the book's introduction only two glaring omissions that he was unable to interview: Psychotronic's Michael Weldon and the Gore Gazette's Rick Sullivan.  Maybe we'll see a Xerox Ferox Volume 2?

Nightmare USA by Stephen Thrower

     Fret not, though.  Even taking those two omissions into account one still finds more than enough fascinating information about this largely unexamined and yet historically significant era to keep busy for a long, long while.  I generally don't enjoy books comprised primarily of interviews, but Szpunar clearly knows his topic well.  He asks all the right questions of his subjects, and Xerox Ferox successfully weaves all of these interviews into a compelling history of a pivotal era in horror journalism.  Not since Stephen Thrower's Nightmare USA: The Untold Story Of The Exploitation Independents have I felt as though I've learned as much about a topic about which I was previously ignorant.  If I have one minor quibble, it's only that I wish the images of the fanzines sprinkled throughout were all clearly legible.  I suppose that just gives me an incentive to track down some fanzine compendiums, huh?

     I believe that the horror blogging community in particular will find Szpunar's Xerox Ferox to be especially interesting.  Horror blogging is an obvious outgrowth of these fanzines, and the personal accounts of what these trailblazers endured to get their commentary out into the world before the advent of easy internet distribution is inspiring.  John Szpunar's Xerox Ferox: The Wild World Of The Horror Film Fanzine earns my highest recommendation.

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     The Dog Farm first brought director Lawrie Brewster's then forthcoming feature film Lord Of Tears to your attention way back in February of last year.  Since then, Lord Of Tears has seen release (you can order the Collector's Edition DVD or Blu-Ray here), and it continues to rack up some impressive accolades from all over the world.  It won both the Best Female Lead Award and the coveted Audience Award at the 2013 Bram Stoker International Film Festival, and it's earning a wealth of enthusiastic reviews from horror journalists all over the web.

The Collector's Edition disc release of Lord Of Tears available now at www.hexmedia.tv with Limited Edition Serial Numbers and loads of great extras!  Each package is signed by director Lawrie Brewster and writer Sarah Daly!

     Now director Brewster tells me Lord Of Tears has been named an official selection of the prestigious Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in April!  Congratulations to Mr. Brewster and everyone else who worked so hard to make Lord Of Tears an unqualified success!

     Check out the new Lord Of Tears trailer, an interview with Lawrie Brewster discussing what's next for Hex Media, and a creepy video of the movie's Owlman terrorizing video chatters on Chat Roulette!

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MADF Update: Lord Of Tears (2012)

The Owl Man Cometh!

    Lord Of Tears is gathering steam.  One particularly exciting development is that the movie has been accepted into the San Diego Comic Fest for a screening in October.  Even better news:  you can pre-order your copy here and see it months before that.  You want to be on the bleeding edge of the new hotness, right?
 
    Director Lawrie Brewster was kind enough to provide the Dog Farm with some fantastic pics of the movie's creepy Owl Man taken at a Victorian Children's Hospital.  If you really like that iconic Owl Man costume - and you know you do - it could be yours for a price.  Check out the details at the link for pre-orders  above.

     The trailer has garnered praise from some genre heavy hitters, as well.  Much to my delight, a quote from the humble Dog Farm has somehow been posted on the Lord Of Tears Kickstarter page above a quote from Barbara (Re-Animator, From Beyond) Crampton.  How can I not support a project that's done me the solid of putting me on top of the lovely Ms. Crampton?  Cheers, Mr. Brewster.

Help Lord Of Tears (2012) Find Its Audience, And Strike A Blow Against Crappy Sequels And Lame Remakes

I love this poster!  Lord Of Tears (2012)

     I was contacted at the beginning of the week by multi hyphenate filmmaker Lawrie Brewster about his new project Lord Of Tears (2012).  I've been hesitant about promoting movies soliciting coverage in the past (not that there have been that many, of course), but I was truly impressed by what Mr. Brewster had to show me.  I'm looking forward to seeing Lord Of Tears myself now, and so I'm happy to oblige with a little promotion for the project.

     Based on a script by Sarah Daly, Lord Of Tears is a British chiller inspired by classic horror films such as The Wicker Man, The Innocents, and The Shining along with a dash of the recent Slenderman Mythos. The story concerns a man trapped in a crumbling mansion, stalked by an Owl Headed monster in the misty highlands of Scotland.  Location stills and clips are gorgeous, as you'll see from the official trailer.  I hope to have an opportunity to speak with Mr. Brewster more about Lord Of Tears in the near future.  Until then, please check out the trailer, as well as the Kickstarter campaign linked below.

(Please reload the page if the Vimeo player with the Lord Of Tears trailer isn't visible initially.  There appears to be a glitch with Blogger's server.  Sorry for the inconvenience.)



Lord of Tears Official Trailer from Lawrie Brewster on Vimeo.

Lord of Tears tells the story of James Findlay, a school teacher tortured by childhood memories of a strange and unsettling entity - a figure dressed like a Victorian gentleman but with the head of an Owl and elongated limbs with sharp claws.

We have now opened pre-order sales for our film, in a bid to raise money with a Kickstarter campaign to allow us to tour the film.

Order your copy today!

Kickstarter - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lawriebrewster/lord-of-tears
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lordoftearsmovie
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LawrieBrewster


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     On a separate note, documentarian Sean Kotz is still working hard to raise funds for the production of Horse Archer Productions' new documentary The Stuff Of Legends: Inside The World Of Craft Brewing.

     Sean is a longtime time friend of the Farm, and this project will be Horse Archer Productions' ninth documentary.  Dig up a rusty Mason jar and help 'em out.  If you help enough, you could even get the opportunity to brew your own signature beer with the good folks at Legend Brewery in Richmond, VA.
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