DARKNESS: THE VAMPIRE VERSION dvd & theatrical screening news!
For Immediate Release: DARKNESS: THE VAMPIRE VERSION theatrical and dvd distribution news!
A BARREL full of DARKNESS!
Barrel Entertainment, the company that brought the 70's cult classic LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET and the infamous German made NEKROMANTIK series kicking and screaming into the digital realm, is proud to announce that it has acquired the underground/vampire/splatter/epic DARKNESS with plans for a huge special edition dvd release in 2005 -- just in time for the film's 13th Anniversary! "Since 1998 we've had six companies make us offers to release DARKNESS onto dvd, but we always held out for someone who had a desire to do a true re-mastering and saw eye to eye with us as to how the film should be released and promoted." said the film's director Leif Jonker. "Keep in mind, all previous release versions of DARKNESS came from a transfer we did in my friend's kitchen using a camcorder and an old movie projector. We realized no one was really aware of how good the Super 8mm movie could look when professionally mastered so we joined forces with Evolution, put together the initial re-mastering ourselves, and the end results were extremely impressive." A workprint screener of the new version was circulated several months ago and 13th Dream/Evolution received another round of offers, some from very prominent well known companies, but still, none of the deals satisfied the filmmakers. "We had been disappointed with some of our previous releases and had decided to simply hold out till we found a company that would agree to handle and package the film exactly as we wanted." the director recalls. "We had actually spoken with Barrel sometime back, but at the time they were knee deep in finishing what would become the truly amazing double-disc release of LHODES and the discussion got back-burnered for a while."
After several months of talks with other companies, all resulting in debates over creative control on the release, the filmmakers had gotten to a point when they were considering self-distribution. It was about this time that they luckily received a call from Brian Krueger and John Szpunar at Barrel checking on the status of the film. "We had only previously talked with Brian and John in very broad terms as to how everyone saw the release, so things were never crystal clear for either of us as to what the other group was thinking." continues Jonker. "Once they had the time to really get down to brass-tacks and finally dig into the details, we realized it wasn't a situation where he had to fight for control, these guys actually totally agreed with us." Jonker was on the phone with Brian Krueger when he downloaded and opened one of the filmmakers proposed artwork designs allowing him to hear the distributor's initial reaction first hand when he exclaimed "Oh kick ass man, that's f-ing great!" It was after that producers Jonker and Rick Pour realized their search was over and that it was time to put the deal together. "Unlike all the other companies we had talked to, it was obvious that John and Brian were simply on the exact same page as ourselves so there was no need to fight for certain rights, we were all wanting the same thing for the film already." says Rick Pour, executive-producer of the VAMPIRE VERSION, "And believe me, Barrel's really going all-out for this release even to the extent that the purists/hardcore fans of the film will not only get to rock out to the entirely remastered, definitive director's cut of the underground classic, but they'll even have the opportunity to get the original version of the film, completely unchanged and untouched, exactly as it was first released, all packed into a special edition 2-disc set. People are going to see this film in a whole new light."
"I've always been a big fan of DARKNESS," says John Szpunar of Barrel Entertainment. "And I've always been a fan and supporter of the guys who don't give in -- the guys who make films the way they want to, using whatever means necessary. DARKNESS more than fit the bill for my sensibilities. When Leif first talked to us about releasing the VAMPIRE VERSION, I decided to do whatever I could to make the disc a reality. Believe me, this disc is going to be the last word on DARKNESS. We're really going to deliver the goods." Brian and John were up at the Chiller Con over Halloween weekend promoting all of the Barrel Entertainment titles while handing out free promo-posters for DARKNESS: THE VAMPIRE VERSION and were very encouraged by the public response. "The fan reaction to the news of the DARKNESS DVD release at Chiller was amazing," says John. "People were very excited about the upcoming disc. They wanted a copy right then and there. Everyone was very excited to see the new cut, and I can't blame them. They're going to see a version of DARKNESS that they've NEVER dreamed of."
But that's not all. Encouraged by the amazing audience response at the theatrical test-screening of the work-in-progress at the Cucalorus Film Festival back in March, Pour and Jonker decided to pursue some additional movie house showings before the movie is re-released to video. The final edit of the film just had it's World Premier on Friday, October 22nd at the Warren Oldtown theaters in Jonker's hometown of Wichita Kansas to an absolutely fantastic response. "The 10PM premier had completely sold out by 8PM and we were told the midnight shows this weekend were the biggest turnouts they had ever had for the late show time slot." chuckles Jonker. The film ran all week at the Warren Oldtown with 10PM shows every night through Thursday, October 28th, with Friday and Saturday midnight shows on October 29th and 30th -- making more in it's limited showings than some of the other mainstream Hollywood fare in the other theaters! "I looked the week up on a couple of box office lists and if the run in Wichita had been included in the regular charting system we would have made it into the top 100 even though we only had 11 screenings." Jonker enthuses "In fact, if we were going by per-screen-average or single day showings, we would have made it into the top 50 and that was with almost no advertising!" Not bad for a shot on Super 8mm horror flick that was filmed and directed by a 19 year-old with what was a primarily teenage cast & crew, made originally for a cash-out-of-pocket budget of around $5000.00!
And on Saturday, November 6th the film also enjoyed a sold-out theatrical screening at the Fine Arts Theater in Asheville, NC as an official selection of the Asheville Film Festival, a general independent film event, followed by a rollicking 20 minute Q&A with director Jonker following the film. "There were a few folks there who were wondering what the hell they were watching and why a full-tilt splatter film was showing at this type of regular indy film fest." producer Pour admits, "But the majority of the audience were either hard-core horror fans or serious cinephiles who recognized the true indepedent spirit with which it was made and they all enjoyed the hell out of it -- screaming, laughing, hootin' and hollerin' through the whole thing!"
Fans can next check it out on the big screen early next year at the Carolina Theater in Durham, NC as an official selection of the 6th Annual Nevermore Horror Film Festival running from January 21st - January 23rd, 2005. And yes, the filmmakers are pursuing even more showings on the silver screen before DARKNESS: THE VAMPIRE VERSION hits the silver disc!
For more information on the upcoming dvd release go to:
Barrel Entertainment
http://www.barrel-entertainment.com/...r_darkness.htm
To see the new Barrel Entertainment trailer for DARKNESS: THE VAMPIRE VERSION, complete with shots of actual audience reactions taken at the Cucalorus Film Festival test-screening, go to:
13th Dream Entertainment - (NOTE: The trailer aint over till you see the Barrel logo!)
http://www.13thdream.com/
For more information and updates on future and past screenings go to:
Evolution Digital Studios:
http://www.evolutiondigital.com/
Cucalorus Film Festival:
http://www.cucalorus.org/film_detail.asp?id=272
Warren Theaters:
http://www.warrentheatre.com/ot1022.asp
Asheville Film Festival:
http://www.ashevillefilmfestival.com...urelength.html
Nevermore Film Festival:
http://www.carolinatheatre.org/nevermore
Fangoria article with the original remastering announcement:
http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=1620
