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Here They Are...Your 2012 Looney Award Winners!!!

2012 was an amazing year for Asylum movies, a year in which we saw more films than ever, and the level of quality rose to new peaks. As such, this year also saw a record number of Looney votes pour in from all over the world. So, without further adieu, here they are, your 2012 Looney Award Winners for Excellence in Asylum Films:

Best Actor

Bill Oberst Jr., Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies

Best Actress

Heather Hemmens, Rise of the Zombies

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Karl Johnson, Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Supporting Actress

Monet Mazur, Adopting Terror

Best Performance by a Non-Human

The 2-Headed Shark, 2-Headed Shark Attack

Best Cinematography

Alexander Yellen, Grimm's Snow White

Best Score

Chris Ridenhour, Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Visual Effects

Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Screenplay

Karl T. Hirsch (story), J. Lauren Proctor (story),

and Richard Schenkman (screenplay), Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies

Best Asylum Moment of the Year

Zombie Baby Stomp, Rise of the Zombies

Best Director

Joseph J. Lawson, Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Picture

Nazis at the Center of the Earth

That's a mighty fine crop of winners; interesting that the three films with multiple wins all feature zombies.

Congratulations to all, thanks to the voters domestic and foreign for making this the biggest Loonies yet, and of course thanks to The Asylum for the fun flicks! Bring on 2013!

3 Inmates Win 2012 Golden Cob Awards!!!

The Annual Golden Cob Awards for excellence in B-movies, presented by the B-Movie Celebration, were announced over the weekend, and The Asylum has not one, not two, but three inmates being honored for their work over the last year!

First up is actor Bill Oberst Jr., who is being honored as the Best Rising B Movie Actor for his work in last October's ghost flick A Haunting in Salem, in which he played the paranormally-beleagured Sheriff Wayne Downs. Oberst has also appeared in The Princess and the Pony, Born Bad and - a film sure to get recognition of its own next year - Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies.

Next there's the winner for the Best B Movie Soundtrack, The Asylum's musical maestro Chris Ridenhour. Though Ridenhour puts out, like, four dozen scores over the course of the last year, the Golden Cobs are singling out his epic and adventurous work on Mark Atkins' Dragon Crusaders as the best of the year. Ridenhour can next be heard in Shark Week, premiering on SyFy on August 4th, then the disaster flick Supercyclone, then zombie-fest Dead Walking, also set to premiere on SyFy, in October.

And last but by no means least there is director Christopher Olen Ray - of Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, Almighty Thor and 2 Headed Shark Attack fame - who is being honored with the festival's Bill Cothron Best Emerging Filmmaker Award. His next effort, Shark Week - as mentioned above - premieres on SyFy on August 4th at 9 p.m.

Congratulations to all the winners! Viva Asylum!

Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies on DVD Today!

The film destined to be one of the biggest - if not the biggest - Asylum films of the year, Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, is at last on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD as of the instant you read this sentence.

The film - whose plot the title pretty much sums up - comes from writer/director Richard Schenkman and stars the great and talented Bill Oberst Jr. (A Haunting in Salem, Born Bad) as the 16th President of the United States, who slings a wicked scythe.

For a more in-depth analysis of what I thought of the film, just scroll down a couple inches. Otherwise, go now and procure your copy of truly one of the most-unique zombie films to date; you won't be sorry, guaranteed.

observation notes: ABRAHAM LINCOLN vs ZOMBIES

As the title would indicate, the plot of The Asylum's latest offering, Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, is pretty straightforward:

"While the Civil War rages on, President Abraham Lincoln must undertake an even more daunting task: Destroying the Confederate Undead."

The results? Extraordinary. ABvZ is a nice, thick slice of revisionist history madness, a gore-weltering, zombie-emancipating, president-bolstering piece of cinematic magnificence, and to miss it would be to give up on all fun in your life.

As always, Committed's notes are spoiler-free, but certain aspects of this tour-de-force must be acknowledged, beginning with the performance by Bill Oberst Jr. (A Haunting in Salem, Princess and the Pony) as our 16th President. Holy crap. Oberst is dead-on (pun totally intended) as Lincoln, giving as textured and encompassing a portrayal as Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain, only, you know, with hella more killing. The cadence of the man, his stature, his stern resolve, moral tenderness and his limitless sense of duty; all are layered into Oberst's towering on-screen persona. There is no other actor who could have pulled this off, period. Oberst is the star here in every sense of the word, the film is his, and he carries it proudly, defiantly, and with expertise.

It is a zombie movie, after all, so something must be said of the effects, which I found to be appropriately for the era and its available kill technology. This isn't the messiest zombie flick of the year, but it is perhaps the most nuanced, and certainly the only one featuring two American Presidents (you're gonna love when you find out who the second one is, trust me).

Overall, I found ABvZ to be a glorious mash-up of Night of the Living Dead and Munich, shot kinda like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, seriously. Writer/Director Richard Schenkman has turned in a well-researched, well-integrated film that achieves perfect pitch as a period horror film, a burgeoning sub-genre sure to flood the market in the next few years.* Schenkman did his homework, and it shows. This is a smart, exciting, thrilling and ultimately righteous film-going experience. And, as a Southerner, it's possibly the best we've ever been represented in a Civil War movie - as brain-hungry, mindlessly-violent zombies. Enjoy!

* a reminder that I have called dibs on Robert E. Lee vs Bigfoot, or really any concept that involves Rebel troops fighting one or more Sasquatch.

New Asylum Tidbits

Couple new things coming out of The Asylum camp today, including the poster for Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies and the title and description of a new found-footage film.

Let's start with the poster:

That there folks is a pretty fine poster. Bill Oberst Jr. (A Haunting in Salem, Princess and the Pony, Born Bad) plays the President in question. The film is out May 29th.

Then, continuing their string of found-footage hits - The Amityville Haunting, Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes, 8213 Gacy House, Paranormal Entity - The Asylum brings us Alien Origin this summer. These are the only details provided: "Recently discovered footage from a lost military expedition exposes a horrifying truth about the genesis of life on earth. "

The film is set to street on June 12, and should be at least a thousand times better than the second X-Files movie...

ABE LINCOLN VS ZOMBIES Teaser Trailer!!!

Just like the headline says, the teaser trailer for Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies has risen over at You Tube, and this shizzle looks AWESOME. Check it out:

That's Bill Oberst Jr (A Haunting in Salem) playing Honest Abe in a film written and directed by Richard Schenkman. May 29th...that's the day your perspective on American History shifts forever...

Huzzah! First Stills From Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies!

Having just wrapped production in Savannah, Georgia on their latest masterpiece, Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, The Asylum was kind enough this evening to post the first stills from the film on their Flickr page. And in a sentiment, this looks fucking awesome.

That's Bill Oberst Jr (A Haunting in Salem) as the president in question, and from the looks of it, he was pretty smart casting. Watch these picture come to bloody life when Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies hits DVD on May 29th.

Before the Loonies are Announced, My Favorites of 2011

With the Loonies being announced tomorrow, I thought before we find out what your favorite Asylum movies and performances of 2011 were, I'd share my personal favorites. Some of these might not be too surprising (anything Salem related), and some might (anything not Salem related), but nevertheless, here we go:

Favorite Director: Jared Cohn

Born Bad was just a different kind of Asylum movie, a more realistic thriller with no skimping on the sex, violence or suspense. The brainchild of Cohn, he shoulders the credit for this taut thriller.

Favorite Cinematography: Alexander Yellen, Born Bad

This was maybe the closest category for me, as Dragon Crusaders was one of the more epically beautiful direct-to-DVD films I saw last year, but there's just something about the look to Born Bad that really made it stand out.

Favorite Creature: Witch Ghosts, A Haunting in Salem

I don't need to explain my decision here, do I? I mean, I made these guys up. Witches who are ghosts, ghosts who are witches; can't go wrong. Just sayin'...

Favorite VFX: 2012 Ice Age

This was the big category this year, in my opinion, as 2011 was a year in which we saw Asylum VFX really kick it up a notch. But when all is said and done, it was the ice-swept devastation of 2012 Ice Age that blew me away the most.

Favorite Score: Chris Ridenhour, A Haunting in Salem

Another on I probably don't have to explain, but this isn't pure favoritism. In every review I read of Salem, whether positive or negative, they all raved about Ridenhour's beautifully brutal score.

Favorite Script: Craig Engler & Zombie Apocalypse

I think zombie movies ar epretty hard to pull off at this point, as they've been done - pardon the pun - to death. But Zombie Apocalypse felt fresh yet faithful to the genre.

Favorite Supporting Actress: Jenna Stone, A Haunting in Salem

Another no-brainer. Miss Stone sold this performance so well I hope I never meet her, because it will freak me out. Scariest performance of the year, certainly scarier than I wrote it. Awesomeness.

Favorite Supporting Actor: Gerald Webb, Battle of Los Angeles

2011 was Webb's year over at The Asylum, but of his various role, it was his work in Battle of Los Angeles that really stood out, mostly because that's the film in which we got to see the most of him.

Favorite Actress: Courtney Abbiati, A Haunting in Salem

Another no-brainer, but Ms. Abbiati's work here was out-of-the-park.

Favorite Actor: Bill Oberst Jr., A Haunting in Salem

Yet another, I know, but come on, you have to admit Bill got under your skin. Impassioned, creepy and capable of anything makes for an awesome anti-hero.

Favorite Documentary Feature: Anneliese the Exorcist Tapes

Devil-shit freaks me out. And this discovered-footage freak-fest was so intimidating to me I had to watch it in the afternoon, no joke. Frightening, frightening stuff.

Favorite Film: A Haunting in Salem

Duh. But really, how could any other film be my favorite. 3 Musketeers was a fun, hip action flick, Mega Python vs Gatoroid was campy-creature brilliance, Dragon Crusaders gave me a new appreciation for fantasy and Born Bad nailed it, but for me, the screenwriter of said-haunted-house movie, it just had ot be my favorite. Forgive me.

And don't forget to come back tomorrow to see what you guys chose as the best Asylum films of 2011.

First Details on ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS ZOMBIES!!!

Man oh man is The Asylum putting together an awesome 2012 roster. Today we got the first cast, crew and plot details of the forthcoming classic Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, and the biggest and best news among all this is that our illustrious 16th President will be portrayed - perfectly, if you ask me - by the one and only Bill Oberst Jr., ill-fated hero of A Haunting in Salem.

Joining Bill in unknown roles are my fellow UNC alum Jason Vail (Guiding Light, Celebrity Ghost Stories, Gut), a lady by the name of Baby Norman, and a fellow named Don McGraw.

Dig the plot: "While the Civil War rages on, President Abraham Lincoln must undertake an even more daunting task: Destroying the Confederate Undead."

I like it, it's simple and to the point. The script comes courtesy of Richard Schenkman - who's also directing - from a story by he, Karl Hirsch and Lauren Proctor. Schenkman is a seasoned director best-know for 2007's Man From Earth, a mind-bending sci-fi flick.

That's all there is for now, but as the film's release date creeps closer - May 22nd - rest assured there will be more gory goodness to come...

RE-POST: observation notes: Born Bad

Though Born Bad made it's premiere back in March on the Lifetime Channel, it hasn't been available on DVD until this coming Tuesday, when a special UNCUT version of the film hits DVD. Until then, let's take another look at my original thoughts on the film, posted back in March.

Now, if you've read my notes before, you know I don't like to give away any spoilers; I'm not a journalist, I'm a fan, my point isn't to critique the film, it's to extol its virtues and make you want to see it even more than no doubt you already do. Therefore, I stay away from spoilers. This will be especially true in the case of Born Bad, as you're gonna have to wait a few months to get your hands on it. So the below impressions are general, and give nothing away whatsoever other than the basic plot.

Let's get that plot out of the way: when a family moves to a new town, their sweet teenage daughter (Bonnie Dennison), falls for the WRONG guy (Twilight and All The Boys Love Mandy Lane''s Michael Welch), a psychopathic drifter with homicidal proclivities, resulting in a nightmare for her parents ("Baywatch"s David Chokachi and "Dawson's Creek"s Meredith Monroe). Ah, dating.

What we have here is a good, old-fashioned thriller - no monsters or creatures or anything paranormal at all, just a fascinating and frightening look at the depths of depravity to which can sink the most terrifying beast known to man: man. Jared Cohn's script paints a terrifying portrait of a family already at a crossroads in crisis. It's an all-too believable scenario which could conceivably befall any American family, allowing the horror it generates to resonate that much deeper.

But a script is only as good as the actors who bring it to life, so in this case, it's damn good. Michael Welch as "Denny" is fierce, and not in a co-opted Project Runway sense, but in the Webster's dictionary sense: "a) violently hostile or aggressive in temperament; b) given to fighting or killing." I mentioned in my profile of Mr. Welch that in the fine, fine film All The Boys Love Mandy Lane in which he played a similar type of character, that his brutally frightening potential hadn't yet been fully-tapped - it has been now. Welch electrifies every second he's on screen, deftly balancing the suave seductor and focused sociopath every good serial killer needs be. Dude rocked it, for real.

Bonnie Dennison ("Guiding Light") as doe-eyed daughter "Bonnie" manages a fine balancing act of her own, convincingly naive while never helpless. I'll admit to not being familiar with Ms. Dennison before this, but I thought she was right for the role of a good-girl just bad enough to get in major trouble; when her name turns up on DVD boxes in the future - as it's sure to do - I'll definitely check them out.

Meredith Monroe and David Chokachi as the parents at the center of this whirlwind also excelled, and in roles I for one wasn't used to seeing them play: Chokachi as the concerned parent almost helpless in the face of primal terror, and Monroe as an unsuspectingly powerful matriarch. So for me, at least, both really showed their range, and I liked what I saw. Aces.

Other cast standouts include Donnabella Mortel as "Dana," Gerald Webb (Battle of Los Angeles, 2012 Ice Age) as "Nate" and Bill Oberst Jr. (Princess and the Pony, upcoming A Haunting in Salem[!!!]) as "Gary." Sure, I could tell you more about the characters they play, but that might stray into the territory of spoilers. Or it might not. Either way, I'll say no more.

Overall, then, what you have here is a chilling psychological thriller that rings all too true and hits way too close to home, just as all great films of this sort should do. Cohn, who also directed, has crafted a film of frightening intimacy, one that draws you into both sides of this maniacal struggle and and squeezes your heart from the first frame to the last, thanks especially to the barrage of fine performances anchored by that of Michael Welch. He's up there with Mega Shark in my pantheon of greatest Asylum villains.

Check it our for yourself this Tuesday when the UNCUT version of Born Bad erupts into being.

Take This Lollipop - Trust Me!!!

I'm not going to say too much because I don't want to spoil any of this, but take a minute and head over to www.takethislollipop.com for one of the most frighteningly-interactive uses of the internet I've ever seen. The site, designed by the older brother of Asylum producer David Michael Latt, features Bill Oberst Jr. (A Haunting in Salem, Princess and the Pony, Born Bad) in a role he was born to play and is absolutely perfect for. So go, check it out, but you've been warned...

Hey L.A. Area: A Haunting in Salem Gets a 3D Screening!

Awesome news here if you live in Southern California or plan on being there this weekend: A Haunting in Salem (written by me, directed by Shane Van Dyke) is getting its FIRST EVER SCREENING, and they're showing it in 3D!!!

Courtesy of Shannon Benna, the film's stereographer, and the fine, permissive folks at The Asylum, this horror spectacular launches onto the big screen THIS SUNDAY NIGHT at 7pm at the Downtown Independent Theater, thanks to the Stereo Club of Southern CA (SCSC). There will be a Q&A session featuring Shannon and anyone else she can round up, but the most important thing to recognize here is the FIRST EVER SCREENING - IN 3D!!! - OF A HAUNTING IN SALEM!!!

So get off your couch, cancel your other plans and see this Asylum-classic in a way it should always be seen - in giant-size 3D!!! And if you do go, snap some pix and email them to me; I'm stuck way up here in rainy Oregon and won't be in attendance.

Thanks again to Shannon Benna, the SCSC and of course The Asylum for setting this up!!!

outside the walls: October DVD Releases

I recognize that not all great films are made exclusively by The Asylum and that, in fact, there's a whole world of film outside these walls, some of which might actually interest Asylum fans - when they're not watching or re-watching Asylum films, of course. And, being as I'm only looking out for your viewing well-being, here's a peek at some other DVD releases this month which might satiate you between Asylum releases. But remember, as always, Sweet n' Low ain't sugar.

OCTOBER 4

A Haunting in Salem (!!!!!!!!!)

written by H. Perry Horton (me)
directed by Shane Van Dyke

starring Bill Oberst Jr., Courtney Abbiatti, Jenna Stone, Nicholas Harsin, Gerald Webb, Carey Van Dyke