Twisted Pictures and RKO Team for Remake Bundle

Posted by dominie in Films, News on October 22nd, 2008

For several months now Twisted Pictures and RKO have been in talks to team up to bring fans four proposed remakes of classic RKO horror films. According to Variety, this deal will now see the light as Andy Fickman (Race to Witch Mountain) has sealed the deal between Roseblood Movie Company, the horror/thriller arm of RKO, and Twisted Pictures (Saw series) to co-finance four remakes—I Walked With a Zombie, The Body Snatcher, Bedlam, and Five Came Back—the first three of which were produced by horrormeister Val Lewton. In the deal, Fickman is also guaranteed to direct at least one of the films.

Though Fickman’s filmography of genre films may wear a little thin, his appreciation for tasteful horror seems to resonate a potential new player on the rise. “After Frankenstein and the Wolfman came Lewton and RKO, and what they lacked in budgets they made up for with atmosphere, imagination and great directors making horror with psychological flair. It was on the heels of WWII, when Nazi Germany showed that the scariest enemy might be the person who looked like your next door neighbor. It didn’t have to be some creature,” Fickman tells Variety.

RKO chairman Ted Hartley said of Fickman, “I have never met a filmmaker who has the level of appreciation and passion for films that Andy has for Lewton’s incredible creations.”

This collaboration will mark the second multi-picture deal for Fickman. His recent projects include those of Disney’s The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain, which is currently wrapped production. The four remakes are detailed below with synopses from IMDB. Keep it here for more updates.

I Walked With A Zombie (1943)—originally directed by Jacques Tourmeur; A young Canadian nurse (Betsy) comes to the West Indies to care for Jessica, the wife of a plantation manager (Paul Holland). Jessica seems to be suffering from a kind of mental paralysis as a result of fever. When she falls in love with Paul, Betsy determines to cure Jessica even if she needs to use a voodoo ceremony, to give Paul what she thinks he wants. (more…)

Motel Hell Gains Director

Posted by dominie in Films, News on October 13th, 2008

According to Bloody –Disgusting, Steven C. Miller, the man behind Automation Transfusion, is in the final stages of sealing his deal with MGM to helm the remake of Motel Hell.

The film was originally slated for a Halloween release day, however MGM made a decision to sell the rights to the franchise to Twisted Pictures.  We’re unsure at this time what will become of the film. Talks have been underway to either scrap the remake treatment or to create a brand new Motel Hell original franchise (preferably the later.).  Twisted Pictures is most popularly known for its creation of the Saw franchise, so this may have been a great move for MGM.

In the original classic 1980 horror comedy, Farmer Vincent kidnaps tourists and buries them alive, feeding them to prepare his victims for tomorrow’s famous sausage. His famous motto is, “It takes all kinds of critters…to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters.”

This horror from what I’ve heard is more enjoyable than one would speculate. If you’re a fan of horror spoofs, stay tuned for more details as they come.