Forums Horror Movie Talk
How do you choose/decide...

aren't I just full of questions?

Can't help it. Ok, so what helps you decide whether or not to buy an independent film?

Is it the price? Who's in it? Cover art? Plot? Barometric Pressure that day?

Just what in the sam hell is it anyway?

Good thread! Well, I think for true horror to survive and keep fresh ideas moving we NEED to support indie horror. There are so many killer flicks. Theres also a ton of shit but if you pick and choose cautiously, you can score some good movies. I buy to support but I'll also get an indie if an actor I like is in it, or if I like the subject matter.

Story/plot, trailer. Good cover art and movie title will always catch your eye and make you at least take a look at the box, read the synops on the back and see if if looks interesting.

i blind bought Rise of the Dead for good cover art... never again! the cover art has absolutely nothing to do with the film.

Of course, "good" cover art means shit, but if the cover and title look good, you're more inclined to pick up the box and read the synops on the back.

I will say that cover art doesn't really mean the movie is any good, though it helps to have good cover art.

cover art does help get sells for most people price is a BIG thing also. i would never buy an independent film ive never heard of for more than 5 bucks. now if it's one i heard of b4, like Thankskilling or troma, i'd dish out the extra money to try and get it. so the price has to be good, and usually the description should make it sound interesting, if it sounds stupid i wouldn't get it. also you want critic reviews on it. so put a quote that i said on the back of ur dvd, muahahahaha.

Cover art starts it then I see the price and what it is about. I know the cover art doesn't make the movie but if I look at it and the cover looks like crap then usually the movie has been.

Cover art is a huge part of the indie horror. This goes back to the days of the "video nasties" which were soaked in gore but lacked in any other real substance. (many were great but a lot did blow) It was the job of the cover artists to lure people in to the film. Some of these covers are clascs and are highly collectible. Nothing beats a poster/cover that was hand drawn and painted. The highlights for me would have been from the 50's to early 80's. Then everything went the computer graphics way.

I have to agree with most people that have already posted. The cover art always catches my eye first. Have I been screwed by it? Of course I have, but most of us have at one point or another. Nowadays, though, I tend to read a lot of reviews(non-fangoria) and ask people if they have seen a film, before I buy it. Evan(NYGHOUL) has helped me many many times when looking for good new indy horror to buy....

take care, Tommy

I have to agree with most people that have already posted. The cover art always catches my eye first. Have I been screwed by it? Of course I have, but most of us have at one point or another. Nowadays, though, I tend to read a lot of reviews(non-fangoria) and ask people if they have seen a film, before I buy it. Evan(NYGHOUL) has helped me many many times when looking for good new indy horror to buy....

take care, Tommy

thanks bro! I try to keep a constant ear on the indy beat. As a film maker myself I want to see more people support the indy circuit. The bigger studios only seem to be offering up one kind of horror....that being ones that reflect the current trends and really don't have serious horror fans in mind. Its all about pulling in teens and dates (couples) to fill in cinema seats.

The problems most indies have is lack of funding. You lack money? then your fx and actors are second, third and fourth rate. Im on my second film now and am proud to have a guy like Brian Spears doing fx and having an icon like Lynn Lowry in my movie. That being said my budget now is 5x that of my first film.

Evan,

there is no need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you....

take care, Tommy

Dude, to be honest, knowing its independent is enough for someone like me to buy it. I dont trust cover arts, havent trusted them nce I was like 16, bought what I thought was a bad ass vampire movie, turned out to be soft core porn ... cant remember the name though ??Anyway, Independent film makers need more exposure. Short of word of mouth and places like Tromadance, you really cant get the word out. Sometimes web tes , Like HorrorBid

Most of the Indie Film Festivals now are posers. They only do independent films with big name actors who did the indie film to show there not stuck up .. grrrr



Just dont stop dude, keep it going, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, word of mouth. Post your own Amazon reviewsIt may sound corny but its not like the big names dont do it.

Long Live Independent Film, and Bravo to the people who still make movies for the LOVE of making movies !!!

Dude, to be honest, knowing its independent is enough for someone like me to buy it. I dont trust cover arts, havent trusted them nce I was like 16, bought what I thought was a bad ass vampire movie, turned out to be soft core porn ... cant remember the name though ??Anyway, Independent film makers need more exposure. Short of word of mouth and places like Tromadance, you really cant get the word out. Sometimes web tes , Like HorrorBid

Most of the Indie Film Festivals now are posers. They only do independent films with big name actors who did the indie film to show there not stuck up .. grrrr



Just dont stop dude, keep it going, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, word of mouth. Post your own Amazon reviewsIt may sound corny but its not like the big names dont do it.

Long Live Independent Film, and Bravo to the people who still make movies for the LOVE of making movies !!!well said brother! back in the day an indie film festival was exactly what it claimed to be! Nowadays the people who run these events just want to fill the seats and make money. Now Im not that naive to not know that this IS a buness and you need money to put on an event but PLEASE. I'll give you two examples.... One big film fest in the North East "prides" itself as being the biggest indi horror fest. LOL....well they invited some cool guests, but all the films accepted into the fest and screened were shit like QUARANTINE! movies that were already out or had secured screening deals!!!!! whats the sense in that?!?

Another mid west fest (to which I feel personally scorned by

Im sad to say it...but if you want TRUE indie these days? you need to go to Germany or France or somewhere else in Europe. Remember when America WAS horror?Europe still gives the little guy a chance and it was there that my 8K budget film beat out big dogs like "Tokyo Gore Police".

Long live indie horror! check out France and German films, right now they are the best. France has higher level horror but if you want balls out gore? the German splatter scene is where its at. Check out Timo Rose's BARRICADE! or Marcel Waltz's LA PETITE MORTE. Next month i'll be working on the set of a German indie called AVANTEGARDE. (filming part in Europe and here in NYC as well)

i blind bought Rise of the Dead for good cover art... never again! the cover art has absolutely nothing to do with the film.

haha same reason I bought zombie nation......hate that damn movie

This is all great feedback guys. I really appreciate it. I've been on the phone for the past 2 days calling about 90 mom&pop shops asking to do congnment. 80% of the numbers were disconnected, 10% said no thank you, and i'm working on the last 10% (3 have actually went for it!)

I chat on indietalk.com It's comprised of mainly indie filmmakers.

Of course one of the biggest subjects is how to get the material out there and sold. There's a lot of questions/answers/venting, but what I have been doing is explaining to people is that although the social networking is fine and dandy, you must get out there on foot just like a good old fashioned door to door salesman and SELL.

If you don't make people aware of your product, how in the hell are they going to know about it?

They won't.

Making a film and actually completing it are only half the battle. (i know i sound like a broken record)

Anyway, after my study of the way things are these days, I know there are adjustments to be made. That's fine by me because I want to make cinema for the consumer, not just to get rich off of people. The government does enough of that. If I can make a decent living from it, I'm happy.

I may not be able to make a blockbuster hit for all you viewers out there, but I'll damn sure do the best with what I have.Making a movie: admirable

Completing it: miracle

Getting off your ass to expose it instead of waiting for your wallet to get fat from hopes and dreams: pricelessThank you, I'm here all week.

This is all great feedback guys. I really appreciate it. I've been on the phone for the past 2 days calling about 90 mom&pop shops asking to do congnment. 80% of the numbers were disconnected, 10% said no thank you, and i'm working on the last 10% (3 have actually went for it!)

I chat on indietalk.com It's comprised of mainly indie filmmakers.

Of course one of the biggest subjects is how to get the material out there and sold. There's a lot of questions/answers/venting, but what I have been doing is explaining to people is that although the social networking is fine and dandy, you must get out there on foot just like a good old fashioned door to door salesman and SELL.

If you don't make people aware of your product, how in the hell are they going to know about it?

They won't.

Making a film and actually completing it are only half the battle. (i know i sound like a broken record)

Anyway, after my study of the way things are these days, I know there are adjustments to be made. That's fine by me because I want to make cinema for the consumer, not just to get rich off of people. The government does enough of that. If I can make a decent living from it, I'm happy.

I may not be able to make a blockbuster hit for all you viewers out there, but I'll damn sure do the best with what I have.Making a movie: admirable

Completing it: miracle

Getting off your ass to expose it instead of waiting for your wallet to get fat from hopes and dreams: pricelessThank you, I'm here all week.

Hey bro, whats your film? are you able to fill us in on it?

Yeah man, Let us know. Like I said befor, there are people like MEWho still support Indie. We start shooting my film in about 3 months, and Im gonna have a te for it when its done ..... HELL, you Indie Film Makeing Bidites out there shoot me your MySpaces, or Twitts or whatever, your tes that you put your movies up to advertise, Ill link them with my te when its up and running.

There is enough oppotion out there against us, so lets pull an Adam Green and take care of our own

my first film is THE TURNPIKE KILLER which has gotten some good reviews. Our new film which stars Lynn Lowry, Brandon Slagel, Ron "Necro" Braunstein, Raine Brown and others is called THE SUPER. check us out at:


href="http://www.hallowsevefilms.com">www.hallowsevefilms.com

facebook: Evan Makrogiannis and Brian Weaver

we haven't set up our official FB or twitter page yet.

support amongst us is vital!

I am a fan of independent films... alot of the time they are willing to go outde the box more so than what Hollywood is willing to do nowadays.

I usually pick up an independent film based on word of mouth and the reviews my friends give.

Normally I am usually on the same page as my friends so if it's good for them it's typically good for me.

Whether we are talking about an independent film or something more mainstream, I am not going to go out and buy a copy until I have rented it, and decide I like it enough that I need to own it. I support Independent films and there are many I really, really, like, but some I have rented were disappointing but at least I didn't buy them.

Combination look of the film as well as can be viewed from the cover and intriguing plot. Namely "Tony" I did not get as good as I expected however on the same principal I got a hell of a winner with The Horseman 2008 "not the Dennis Quaid disasterpiece" but the surpringly brutal Ause revenge piece that is truly the demented veron of Falling Down meets Taken.