Post by AlterEgoCinema on Aug 25, 2007 17:29:39 GMT -5
“Amateur Porn Star Killer” hits theatres today, Saturday (Aug 25), midnight, at the Laemmle’s Sunset 5 in Hollywood, CA with additional showings TBA. The shocking, debut feature by Shane Ryan was recently acquired by Cinema Epoch and Koch Entertainment, due in stores November 6, 2007 on DVD.
“Amateur Porn Star Killer” was shot at the end of 2004 and completed post-production in early 2005. At the beginning of 2006 the film was slightly re-cut and instantly starting making an impact in the underground world of horror. However, like true boundary-pushing films before it, the movie has already raised quite a stir. Some critics are refusing to review the film, even for its theatrical release. Many sites and papers aren’t even listing it under the film show times, while other midnight shows appear without question. One of the ads started uproar with theatre employees and supposedly actress Leslie Ann Warren (star of other boundary-pushing films like “Secretary” and the sex-fueled “Color of Night”) personally through a fit with a theatre manager about the posters.
So, if just the image and tagline from a poster can drive people into public tantrums, what will the response be from those who actually go to see it? Is this just a follow-up to the over-hyped “Captivity”; offending ads for a movie that was only offending for tricking the audience into thinking it was ground-breaking horror entertainment. “‘Amateur Porn Star Killer’ is far from entertainment, though,” assures director Shane Ryan. “You’ll experience what the victim does, and that isn’t a good thing. It’s not fun. It’s not exciting. Look to examine this film like a work of art. Not to sit back with a bag of popcorn and enjoy cheap thrills or amusing scare tactics.”
Another thing to point out is that APSK is the cheapest feature film ever made, or, at least the cheapest ever made to receive distribution. With a budget of just 45 bucks, what should one expect? “The movie is about a guy with a camera, who picks up a girl and kills her. All you need is the guy, the camera, the girl, and just act out the rest. Everybody worked for free. We had access to a camera and editing equipment. So, all that left, was buying the tapes and motel room,” says Ryan. Well, what about gore? It is horror, after all, and there is a murder. “No gore, not one drop of blood is shed. Sure, it kept the budget down, but the real reason was to see if we could make a violent film, disturb people with it, affect them, but never have to show any of it.” Did APSK succeed at this? Well, it’s already disturbed people enough that the posters were being demanded to be taken down from several of the theatres, and some employees were so outraged that they even tore the publicity material to shreds. Which, kinda sucks when each poster was practically the budget of the film. Also remember, these are the theatres that played such films as “Irreversible”, “The War Zone” and “Requiem for a Dream” – all unrated for hard core sex scenes – two of them rape movies. So, what is it about this film that has people so wound up? You’ll just have to see for yourself.
(Just added to this release: a writer for LA XPRESS felt so threatened by “Amateur Porn Star Killer” that he demands it be pulled from theatres or he will picket the screening. He claims it’s a disgusting piece, so close to real snuff that it might as well be and that the film will hurt the porn industry.)
For more info on the film and trailer, visit www.alteregocinema.com
Buy tickets online now at
laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?thid=2
Cinema Epoch www.cinemaepoch.com
Koch Entertainment www.kochdistribution.com
Alter Ego Cinema
“Amateur Porn Star Killer” was shot at the end of 2004 and completed post-production in early 2005. At the beginning of 2006 the film was slightly re-cut and instantly starting making an impact in the underground world of horror. However, like true boundary-pushing films before it, the movie has already raised quite a stir. Some critics are refusing to review the film, even for its theatrical release. Many sites and papers aren’t even listing it under the film show times, while other midnight shows appear without question. One of the ads started uproar with theatre employees and supposedly actress Leslie Ann Warren (star of other boundary-pushing films like “Secretary” and the sex-fueled “Color of Night”) personally through a fit with a theatre manager about the posters.
So, if just the image and tagline from a poster can drive people into public tantrums, what will the response be from those who actually go to see it? Is this just a follow-up to the over-hyped “Captivity”; offending ads for a movie that was only offending for tricking the audience into thinking it was ground-breaking horror entertainment. “‘Amateur Porn Star Killer’ is far from entertainment, though,” assures director Shane Ryan. “You’ll experience what the victim does, and that isn’t a good thing. It’s not fun. It’s not exciting. Look to examine this film like a work of art. Not to sit back with a bag of popcorn and enjoy cheap thrills or amusing scare tactics.”
Another thing to point out is that APSK is the cheapest feature film ever made, or, at least the cheapest ever made to receive distribution. With a budget of just 45 bucks, what should one expect? “The movie is about a guy with a camera, who picks up a girl and kills her. All you need is the guy, the camera, the girl, and just act out the rest. Everybody worked for free. We had access to a camera and editing equipment. So, all that left, was buying the tapes and motel room,” says Ryan. Well, what about gore? It is horror, after all, and there is a murder. “No gore, not one drop of blood is shed. Sure, it kept the budget down, but the real reason was to see if we could make a violent film, disturb people with it, affect them, but never have to show any of it.” Did APSK succeed at this? Well, it’s already disturbed people enough that the posters were being demanded to be taken down from several of the theatres, and some employees were so outraged that they even tore the publicity material to shreds. Which, kinda sucks when each poster was practically the budget of the film. Also remember, these are the theatres that played such films as “Irreversible”, “The War Zone” and “Requiem for a Dream” – all unrated for hard core sex scenes – two of them rape movies. So, what is it about this film that has people so wound up? You’ll just have to see for yourself.
(Just added to this release: a writer for LA XPRESS felt so threatened by “Amateur Porn Star Killer” that he demands it be pulled from theatres or he will picket the screening. He claims it’s a disgusting piece, so close to real snuff that it might as well be and that the film will hurt the porn industry.)
For more info on the film and trailer, visit www.alteregocinema.com
Buy tickets online now at
laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?thid=2
Cinema Epoch www.cinemaepoch.com
Koch Entertainment www.kochdistribution.com
Alter Ego Cinema