Get Ready for the Thrill Ride of the Year with Blood Moon Pictures’ New Horror Flick: New Fears Eve
The Kentucky creatives behind Blood Moon Pictures are at it again with another indie horror film in the works.
New Fears Eve is Coming
New Fears Eve is the name of the latest cinematic creation from Blood Moon Pictures. The film follows three best friends as they prepare for the annual company New Year's Eve party.
The clock ticks down and the body count rises as a psychotic murderer known as The Doctor is on the loose. This sadistic surgeon of death leaves Owensboro covered in blood as local police and FBI are forced to navigate through a maze of bodies left in his wake. Unbeknownst to the three best friends their mandatory party is about to turn deadly when the killer sets his sights on them. December 31st becomes a party to die for when Leslie, Brian, Moses and their colleagues are trapped inside an inescapable building with a blood thirsty madman hell bent on carving his way to midnight.
I had the opportunity to chat with writer/producer P.J. Starks (13 Slays Till X-Mas, 10/31 Part III), and producer/director Eric Huskisson (VOB: Horror Stories, 13 Slays Till X-Mas) about the upcoming film. Below you will find our interview as well as photos that they shared with us from behind the scenes of New Fears Eve.
How has this project been different than previous projects?
P.J.: With every production we want to take things to the next level, even if that step is a baby one. To me the most notable difference is the amount of support we’ve received. In the past, making a genre film has scared a lot of businesses and business owners away. Not this go around. The film is being Sponsored by Musick Studios. The owner LeAnne has been very receptive and supportive of our endeavor. Our other Sponsors are The Asylum Tattoo and Art Gallery as well as Fetta Specialty Pizza. I’m a big dreamer, so when I wrote the screenplay I had a bunch of locations and services I wasn’t even sure we could obtain but thanks to the Owensboro Police Department, Ohio County EMS, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro Community and Technical College, The Pub on 2nd, Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Riverpark Center, Famous Bistro, Airport Sorgho Fire Department, Wild Things and so many others, this project has come together in a way that’s made it very special. The film takes place almost entirely in an office location and they deserve an insane amount of thanks. Unfortunately, we’re keeping their identity under wraps until after we’ve finished filming to avoid having rando’s show up knocking on doors and windows, which has happened in the past.
ERIC: PJ and I have three feature films under our company and this fourth feature will be the first single narrative film we've produced. You still have different actors, special effects, and locations but you basically only have one story line to focus on.
I heard you have a more substantial budget this time. How has that improved what you’re doing?
P.J.: We do. It allowed us to attach named actors to the film. Ones with enough gravitas to potentially help from a marketing standpoint regarding distribution. It’s allowed us to up our game in the special effects department. We’ll also have a little more capital for post-production to help with the various things we need for larger promotions and finishing the movie.
ERIC: First, our filming budget graciously came from tremendous Indiegogo and local business support. Musick Studios, The Asylum Tattoo and Art Gallery, and Fetta Specialty Pizza are local companies who have all financially backed New Fears Eve. Having a larger budget has helped us take this project to a new level. We were able to procure the actors we wanted to be in the project with this budget. We've been able to rent or buy better equipment to improve the quality of our sound and picture. This budget also allowed us to do bigger and better effects as well as having props professionally made and or duplicated.
Has it created any challenges?
P.J.: Mo’ money, mo’ problems. It’s opened some interesting tax-based issues. Other than that, I think Eric can answer this best.
ERIC: I can't say this budget has really created any challenges. It did make our decision making easier at times. Before this budget we had to ground ourselves a lot because what we wanted to purchase and could afford to purchase usually didn't add up. With this project’s budget, it's been easier to just get what's needed. That takes a lot of stress off during production!
Speaking of challenges, any crazy stories from this one? Anyone sleeping in a locked room with an alarm going off when the home you’re filming in is supposed to be empty?
**(The alarm is a reference to a personal experience on the set of another Blood Moon Pictures film, Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories)
P.J.: Nothing too crazy yet, however, we aren’t finished filming. That could easily change. The night we filmed behind the RPC, we had several police cruisers, an ambulance and fire truck. We later heard there was a rumor going around that a dead body had been discovered under the bridge and that’s what was going on that night. During another take a series of pops went off from above on the bridge. Everyone started looking around, including the officers on site wondering if what we heard was a tire or gun shots. It was kind of crazy.
ERIC: We've had a lot of issues with the weather. Either it's too windy for sound, it' raining, or there's a wind chill between fifteen to twenty-five degrees. It has caused us to reschedule some shooting days but for the most part our crew and actors have been great pushing themselves through the weather issues.
The craziest thing I can think of is one night we were filming behind the River Park Center with OPD, Ohio County EMS, and the Airport Sorgho Fire Department and right in the middle of filming a volunteer fire fighter walked on set to see if he could be of assistance so we had to cut.
Are there any noteworthy names tied to the project?
P.J.: Of course, Rocky Gray, formerly of Evanescence is returning to score the movie. We’ve gotten to work with Dave Sheridan, he was Doofy in Scary Movie, Felissa Rose who is a horror icon from Sleepaway Camp and more recently Terrifier 2; Jeffrey Reddick who created the Final Destination franchise has a role in the film and Hannah Fieman from V/H/S and Shudder’s Creepshow series. For me the highlight was working with Jeffrey. He’s a Kentucky boy and we became quick friends years ago. He and I have been looking for an excuse to work together on set and this was that excuse. He’s down to Earth, very kind and just an all-around great guy. I’d say how I really feel about him, but you’d probably print that too. Seriously though, we had a green room for the actors to stay in, but both he and Hannah spent most of their time hanging out with the cast and crew.
When and how will we be able to watch New Fears Eve?
P.J.: Our original plan was to have the film completed and out before December of this year. Just in time for New Years. However, plans change and it’s possible due to changing circumstances with distribution that won’t be the case. Right now, it’s to be determined.
ERIC: We hope New Fears Eve will be out by Christmas this year, but that all depends on who distributes the film. There are a couple of distributors we haven't worked with that have reached out to us with interest. They're asking to see a trailer before they commit or make an offer to the project. Whichever distributor we get a contract with will determine when and how with this film will be seen.
How can the community support the project?
P.J.: We have an “In Demand” crowd funding campaign which is the best way for anyone to help. You can get anything from unique autographed items from the set to props, an exclusive blu ray and more. They can check it out here.