A Twisted Twins Addams Family? Theron Neel scores the FIRST Interview

Wait a minute... aren't we smack dab in the middle of our AMERICAN MARY production? What is this craziness about wanting to take on yet another film right now? And what madness would make us want to take on a huge franchise that's has its rights owned by the powerful people at Paramount?

Well, we've always been a tad on the ambitious and insane side. After all, the very best of us are.

Yes, we are in the midst of our next highly anticipated project, AMERICAN MARY, which we've been rather tight lipped about. And yes, we absolutely do want to have the opportunity to make a Addams Family film. A remake? Oh, no. We don't care for those. Another story that encompasses everything we've all loved about the Addams that pays great tribute to the outstanding and timeless characters created by the late and great Charles Addams? That's the game plan.

Maybe you've heard rumblings about it in the inter~world. It's very true. We even sent out a formal press release saying we want to make this happen and need your help and support to make it possible.

We had the opportunity to speak with our dear friend and outstanding writer, reviewer, and interviewer, Theron Neel, on the subject. If you don't know, you really ought to know the man. He knows his shit and is a brilliant writer. Be sure to check out his kick ass site, Slammed & Damned, and catch him writing on a site we just adore, FanGirlTastic, run by the wonderful femme fatale, Heidi Honeycutt of the Viscera Film Festival.

The result? The kick ass interview and the first we've made talking about this venture.

Check out our FULL ADDAMS FAMILY INTERVIEW here on FanGirlTastic and Slammed & Damned.

And if you would see an Addams Family film made by us, please "like" the group and spread the word. After all, together we're an army.

Bloody Best!
Jen

Frederic Courtin is Wicked Awesome

Frederic Courtin is a dear and wonderful friend of ours. He has long been a supporter of our work and when we announced that we want a piece of the Addams Family, he was right behind us, believing in our ambitious dream.

Today, he treated us to this very thoughtful video. It made our day. Please enjoy.

And thank you, Frederic, for being so good to us.



Bloody Best!
Jen

Sex Gore Mutants Interview with the Twisted Twins

They had us from "Sex Gore Mutants".

Three wonderful things come together in this outstanding site's name. We had the esteemed pleasure of chatting with Stu Willis of www.sexgoremutants.co.uk recently about our beloved DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK being released over the pond in the gore~geous UK. We chatted about our journey that brought us to where we are today, how we found and brought on our amazing cast and crew, our inspirations, what it's like to work with your own personal doppelganger, the grindhouse genre, our best and worst festival experiences, and much much more.

Please enjoy our FULL INTERVIEW here!

And a very special thanks to Stu Willis for taking the time to chat with this Twisted Twosome.

Bloody Best!
Jen

There's No Crying in Horror Reviews

"You know, as much as I enjoyed writing for Examiner.com as National Horror Examiner (which I still do, from time to time), I have to admit that I felt fettered and held down each and every time I went to write a review or article for them. I'm not even completely sure why, but I never felt like I could be myself, which is why I started D'Ment'D Cinema, and thus, began cutting back a great deal on my work for Examiner.

That being said, there are a few reviews that I wrote while writing for them that I'm pretty proud of, so I've decided to move a few of those from Examiner over here to D'Ment'D.

By now, everyone who reads my work on even a semi-regular basis is aware of how much love and respect I have for Jen & Sylvia Soska, those lovely Twisted Twins from the Great White North, so really wanted to make sure that my review of the Soska Sisters' debut feature film, Dead Hooker In A Trunk, was one of the first reviews that I moved to D'Ment'D. Without any further ado, I give you my review for DHiaT, originally published at National Horror Examiner on December 14th, 2010..." -Scott Ruth

Why is Scott Ruth so rad? No man can know. Might as well ask heaven what it sees. But in all seriousness, Scott Ruth's piece on DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK has a dear place in my heart. He saw the movie and saw the people dedicated to it. His words not only speak of what occurred on screen, but also the tireless efforts of a group of folks who gave their everything to the film for free because they love making movies. You may have seen/read/heard/etc my referring to Scott as 'making me cry happy tears', this below excerpt is the main culprit --

"Nearly every actor and actress who appeared on screen in DHiaT also served the film in other areas, from camera operators and stunt coordinators to editors and cinematographers. This film is a work of art, and it's a labor of love. Love from fans of horror, and of film in general, who took that love and put it to work, creating a film of their own. And the love and respect that these men and women have for the the genre, as well as for movies as a whole, is very evident throughout the entire film. This is how a movie is supposed to look, sound and feel! There are many filmmakers out there, especially in Hollywood working with billion dollar budgets on films that no true fan of the cinema even cares to see, who could all stand to learn a great deal about the art of filmmaking, and the love that is required when making a movie, from Jen & Sylvia Soska, C.J. Wallis and everyone whose blood, sweat, heart, love and tears went into making Dead Hooker In A Trunk!"

But would the film and the story behind the film remain intact. Scott decided to revisit his screener and had this update on his thoughts --

"As I mentioned in the review, at the time I was less than a month away from my 40th birthday, which has come and passed. Something weird has happened since that time. I've become less cynical about a great deal in life, however, for the most part, when it comes to my love, and respect, for movies, nothing has changed. If it's shit, I'll still call it shit. If it's amazing, I'll still sing it's praises. I recently popped my screener of DHiaT in the DVD player, to give it another watch. You know what happened? I didn't love it the way I did when I first watched it. Nope. I actually loved it even more this time around! I am still in awe of what Jen, Sylvia, C.J. and the entire gang at tWISTED tWINS Productions did on such a small budget. Hell, I'd be equally amazed had they been working with a huge budget. Dead Hooker In A Trunk is one of the greatest modern horror/pulp/grindhouse movies that you'll ever see, so be sure to check it out, when it's released in your country! You won't be sorry!"

I'm not crying right now, but I am deeply touched by the kindness and consideration by this wonderful reviewer, Mr. Scott Ruth. Thank you for enjoying not only the flick, but the people who are an intricate part of making said flick cool.

For those of you you haven't had a chance to check out the rad D'Ment'D Cinema reviews and brilliant writing style of Scott, please click here and be swept away into awesome.

~Sylv

Tell Paramount You Want to see an Addams Family Movie by the Twisted Twins

In the last couple of days, I asked a public question in hopes of striking up a conversation about films and the current trend of remakes. To be absolutely clear, I do not like remakes. It's unoriginal and, I feel, a disrespect to those who worked so hard to make the original. There is nothing wrong with paying tribute to an original, but it is ridiculous to me to make something again, the same old way, when there are so many untold stories out there just waiting to come out.

But I got to some thinking... Even the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake has value in the way that it is, for some, the only NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET they know. There are people out there that saw that film and it is how they met Freddy and that's special. I LOVE classic cinema, but what about the next generation? What if no one tells a new GHOSTBUSTERS story? I shudder to think of a world where you can say, "If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!" and no one gets the reference. There are characters, stories, ideas, and franchises that I would hate to see disappear from the world. One in particular that has been close to our hearts our entire lives.

Yes, the Addams Family.

I love the Addams Family. I love the original comics that brought them to us through The New Yorker in 1938. I love the stories that have been told through these comics, the television shows, and films. I have been asked if I would ever do a remake and I have said most likely not. I would, however, love to have a chance to tell a great Addams Family story. And I believe we can.

A movement has started to make this ambition a reality. Jeff Miller and Andrew Rose have started a facebook page as a petition to tell Paramount, owners of the rights to make such a film in the franchise, that they and a whole bunch of other people would see that movie. It's as simple as that. Would you like to see us make an Addams Family film? Then please help us out and give the page a "like". If we can get enough people to say that they would see the film, who knows? We now more than ever live in a day where we have the power to make things happen. Together, we're an army.

Now let's tell 'em you want to see what we'd do with an Addams Family film. I can guarantee it would be fan~fucking~tastic.

And these things take time. Let's get shit happening, shall we?

Please check out the petition page HERE and simply click "like" and we're off.

Thank you to all the wonderful people who have believed in us. The horror community is filled with the best people anywhere and we love you all to death. Please help spread the word.

Bloody Best!
Jen

Purgatory: The Car May or May Not Be It

I just got this from our very good friend and fellow filmmaker, Adam Barnick and it made my day. His documentary, for those of you who haven't already heard about it - WHAT IS SCARY? - looks fucking stellar. Check a preview here.

Is the car purgatory? You decide.

~Sylv

Subtitled Online Dot Com Talks With The Twins

Canadian sisters, Jen and Sylvia Soksa are making waves in the world of indie horror. With their debut, Dead Hooker In A Trunk, only just reaching its release on DVD in the UK, they are already working on their next project, American Mary. Luckily, the Soska Sisters were able to take some time out of production to talk to subtitledonline.com…

And the wonderful Dave O Butnu of subtitledonline.com was kind enough to take some time to talk to us. It was a very cool chat as we got to speak about the newly released DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK (it was released in the UK and Australia this past May 23rd by Bounty Films - world release is a'coming), the issues of duality that come from being an identical twin and how that is explored in our work, and all sorts of goodies. Here is a tasty morsel --

DOB: Have there been any issues with censors around the world, now that the movie is being released? Did Dead Hooker… get banned or cut anywhere?

Sylvia: We got extremely lucky with this film in the respect that we maintained creative control over the entire project without having to fight for our content. I'm actually surprised it didn't get more backlash. The only banning happened over the title without the film being watched, so I think people don't have a problem with the content. It got an 18+ rating, but it has extreme language, violence and full frontal male nudity, so that was expected.

Jen: The film is available in its entirety and I am so happy about it. I absolutely detest censorship. I feel that not only is it bulls**t to tell someone what they can or cannot watch and remove the opportunity for them to even decide for themselves, but it breeds ignorance. Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. How are we ever supposed to deal with real horror in our lives? If someone is attacked and raped, they can't just cut to the next day. They have to be there. Art imitates life. When violence and horror disappear from reality, then it would be appropriate to remove those aspects from film.

If anyone under 18 is reading this, I'm sorry we couldn't lower our rating so you could grab a copy of DHIAT or see it. I hope you still find a way and I hope it inspires you to go out and make your own films. I sincerely mean that.

Still have a literary appetite and you're hankering for more? Click here for the full interview of rad. A huge humble thank you to Dave for taking the time to talk to us and for getting the word out there about us and our work! Thank you for reading, boys and girls.

~Sylv

John Ginder takes the Hooker T in Style!

"My wonderful dead hooker t shirt!!! Thanks girls!!" - John Ginder

Our experiences in the horror community have taken us from the weird horror-loving twins that had problems finding that place to fit in to a group of people who passionately love the genre - and there's nothing weird about that. One gentleman that we had the pleasure of meeting is John Ginder who is looking homicidally chic in his black Hooker T, there's even an excited volunteer victim happily hopping in the background.



A guy as cool as John who really digs horror has to be working within the business. He recently started writing for our good friends at Horrorphilia and we couldn't be more stoked. There are people who dig horror and people who dig horror. John digs horror. There is an honesty to his work because, like us, he is a fan first and foremost. But, don't take my word for it (cheeky bastards), click here for a look at his reviews.

Thank you for the support and the friendship, John. You are a wicked awesome guy! Thank you to everyone who has opened their lives to DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK and given us your support. It means the world to us. Please send us your pics because we love us some Hooker pics!

~Sylv

Happy Birthday, Joss Whedon! (PS I Love You)

Today is June 23rd, a special day. Joss Whedon, the creator of a collection of unforgettable, iconic characters, heroes, and villains, celebrates his birthday today. And if you've ever met me, you know I love me some Joss.

Mmm-mmm.... that's some good Joss.

For those of you who don't know why Joss is the man, allow me to tell you.

For starters, if you're an avid reader of our lil' Penny Dreadful Diary, you may recall this year's Women In Horror month article where I wrote about the ONLY fictitious woman to make the list, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (If you missed it, catch up with my Buffy article HERE) I grew up one year behind Buffy, according to the time line of the show when it was in full swing, and that could mean only one thing. Yup, I wanted to be her. So, Joss is in part to blame for the woman I've become. He broke the stereotype that we were all getting used to. Buffy was his take on the typical horror movie victim; beautiful, slight, blond, unassuming, and seemingly helpless. Instead, Joss made Buffy Summers a girl who was strong, capable, confident, and the kind of girl we all wanted to be more like.

Now, anyone who's anyone should know that Joss is the genius behind Buffy. That's a given. It's like knowing vampires don't sparkle in the sunlight, they blow the fuck up.

Something you MAY not know about my hero? Joss started off writing for Roseanne. If you grew up in the 80's, this was probably a show you watched religiously. I always loved how it went from comedic to deadly seriously in a matter of seconds. Any time Dan (brilliantly portrayed by the genius actor, John Goodman) put his fist through the wall or grabbed his coat and keys and left the house angry? Whoa. You'd better believe you've gotta watch the fuck out.

He also breathed life into a show that is something of a guilty for me.

Glee.
Yes, I said it. I watch Glee. At season one, I looked on with hope. It's a great concept, but its execution left something to be desired. So many plot holes, so much character in-continuity, it just makes the writer in me cringe. Being a fan of Nip/Tuck until the crazy took over fully (if you've seen the show, you'll understand what I mean), I felt that Glee desperately needed a fresh pair of eyes. Guest directors would be a Godsend for the show. Better yet, celebrity guest directors (who wouldn't tune in for the Tarantino episode?). My prayers were answered when it was announced that Joss would be stepping in for an episode.
Better yet, he brought not only his stylistic perception, his carefully planned and crafted story telling ability, witty dialogue, and incredible ability to have us laughing one moment and then tearing up in the next, he brought a powerhouse. When Joss came in, he brought Neil Patrick Awesome... er... Harris as a special guest star, a close personal friend of his and the star of his hilarious Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. And NPH is on a hit show on another network, so you can imagine that that in itself was no easy undertaking.

Something Joss is known for? Planning storylines far in advance for all his television series, allowing for remarkable long-term continuity. And that is exactly what Glee is lacking. His episode, DREAM ON, is easily one of the top three episodes they've ever done, if not the best.

Joss Whedon has given us tv series after tv series that quickly reached cult status with their unusual, unique, and downright lovable characters.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel

Firefly

Dollhouse

Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog
And where does a man who's already had such a profound affect on pop culture and television? To the movies, of course. Fellow comic nerds can rejoice knowing that the Avengers are in Joss' very capable hands. With his writing and directing, you know the heroes and villains many of us have grown up with will be paid the proper respects and will actually resemble the characters we love. You don't get enough "happily ever afters" like that.

In closing, as I must close or I fear I'll never shut up, I love you, Joss Whedon. Have a wonderful birthday.


XO,
Jen

Kevin Greenough is Awesome!

I have the very distinct pleasure of having the uber talented and brilliant Katharine Isabelle in the title role of our upcoming feature, AMERICAN MARY. Added to that distinct pleasure, I have gotten to known incredible people who - like Jen and me - really dig her work - incredible people like Kevin Greenough.


Kevin is one of the administrators of the always informative and always awesome KATHARINE ISABELLE WORLD on facebook and if you want to know what's happening in the now with this lovely Katie - join the group and the radness.


Kevin and us have become good friends and naturally - you hook friends up with hookers - that's a pun on the title of our film. lol. We sent a screener over to the gentleman and were stoked to get these pics back.

WE WANT ALL YOUR PICTURES -MWA HA HA HA! But seriously, send us your hooker or twisted pics because we would love to see them.


Kevin, you are simply wonderful - thank you for the friendship and all the kindness. Looking very forward to sharing AMERICAN MARY with you and all us other Katharine Isabelle fans!

~Sylv

Dead Hooker On A Television

There are firsts in this life that you never forget.

You remember your first drink, your first date, your first kiss, your first time on a plane, your first pet, and your first crush, among numerous others. We have had the esteemed honor of achieving a number of unforgettable firsts with our first film, hope you've heard of her, our beloved baby, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK. We remember our first day on set, our first draft, our first fan email, our first film festival attended, our first film festival ever (sadly unattended), our first premiere, our first edit, our first review, our first interview, and so many others. We will always remember May 23rd (2011), the first day that DHIAT was ever released on DVD anywhere, simultaneously in Australia and the UK.

And now, another first that we will never forget. Our television premiere, the VERY first time DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK will ever be seen on TV. It is, to say the least, a momentous occasion that we are absolutely blown away by.

The Horror Channel is responsible for this outstanding occurrence.

On Friday July 29th (a lucky number for us as we were born April 29th), at 22:55 in the beautiful UK, the Horror Channel will be premiering DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK on television. It will be the first time it has ever graced the small silver screen and we couldn't be happier. Here's what they got to say...

"Dead Hooker In A Trunk – Friday 29th
Twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska are behind the brutal and shocking independent flick Dead Hooker In A Trunk, which must earn itself the “It Does Exactly What It Says” title of the month. The movie concerns four disparate friends, the Badass, the Geek, the Goody Two Shoes and the Junkie face a fight for their lives when a dead hooker is inexplicably found in their car."

We hope you will watch DHIAT and hope to hear from each and everyone of you. It's always been our most sincere hopes to make a film that was pure enjoyment for our audiences and then to share that film with as many people as possible. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and our work. We simply adore the Horror Community and everything we do, we do for you. After all, we our selves, are just fans of horror, too.

Be sure to tune in!!

Bloody Best!
Jen

Junkie Tube

"Gagne is a veteran stunt person who delivers a wonderful lead performance as Junkie. She actually makes you care about a character with few redeeming qualities". -Theron Neel

Rikki Gagne is a brilliant actress and phenomenal stunt woman. She was our beloved Junkie in our first film, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, and gave that faulted character an undeniable charisma and warmth. After the film wrapped, Rikki went on to work on another horror project with our key makeup artist and co-producer, MaryAnn Van Graven - a werewolf flick called DARK MOON RISING. She returned home to Vancouver only to fly out to Toronto with CJ Wallis to film his dramatic short entitled LAST FLOWERS.



A person who is such a gifted actor, you wouldn't expect to have that person be an equally gifted stunt performer. Rikki could give Spidey a run for his money with her acrobatic antics - plus she could do it while set on fire. Just saying.


Don't believe me? Course you do, but it felt like the most stereotypically sensational way to start this next paragraph, so moving on... Ta-da! Rikki Gagne's YouTube channel. All Rikki, even some Farley (he played Billy in DHIAT) videos too!



Now click here and check it out, boys and girls.

~Sylv

Vancouver Vigilante Justice

Last Wednesday, shit hit the fan.

After an outstanding season, the Canucks lost to the Bruins. Do I care to comment on the playoffs? No, not really. Not here and now. Buy me a drink and maybe I'll give you my complete thoughts on the wins and losses of the playoffs, but that's not what I'm writing for. In 1994, we lost and it wasn't a clean loss. There were some fairly shitty calls in that game and it was damn close. I don't agree with a riot, but I can see why it happened way back when.

This loss was a less pretty one. Tim Thomas played wonderfully and, as much as I love my Canucks, the Bruins won game 7 fair and square. No reason for a riot.
Do I know what really went down? Being a Vancouver resident I've heard so many stories. Ask any of us, we all have our tales to tell. Am I ashamed to be a Vancouver citizen? Nothing could be further from the truth. Allow me to digress...

A long time ago, there was this story I read about that just stuck in my mind and really got to me. It was the story of Vince Weiguang Li. Maybe some of you know this one, but for those of you hearing about this for the first time, let me take you through it.

On July 30th, 2008, Li committed a horrible act. He boarded a Grey Hound bus in Winnipeg and about 10 kilometres east of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, he stabs a man he's never met to death brutally. He stabs him in the neck, cuts off his head, and mutilates his body, even eating portions of it. He was stabbed over 50 times. Tim McLean was only 22. Now why would I bring up this horrible event? I've never been able to get over one fact...

There were 37 passengers on that bus. 37. Not one attempted to intervene? I understand the fear for one's own safety, but if we all were heroes, if we all stood up, what kind of world would we have? A place where someone snatches a purse and everyone turns in pursuit. A place where kids can get on a bus and if some monster comes on with a knife, someone will try to pull them off, a place where you don't riot and vandalize for absolutely no fucking reason without someone standing in your way.

I now come back to the riots in question.

Was it a Vancouver riot like that of '94? No. It was a few shitty people that intentionally went in there to blow shit up and take advantage of a cover of 100,000 people to get away with vandalism, theft, and violence. It has been revealed that gutted vehicles were brought in with the specific intention of burning them, regardless of whether or not the Canucks won or lost. Some people got swept up in the crowd mentality. Most people didn't think they would be seen in a wave of fans, so they made some stupid choices. But I am proud to be a citizen of Vancouver as most people decided to be heroes.

There were 1,000s that photographed and videotaped the rioters. I heard an incredible story about a group of football players that went into London Drugs after rioters smashed in the windows (with terrified staff still inside) and began to steal merchandise that grabbed said rioters and tossed their shameful asses out on the street until Vancouver Police were able to arrive and block off the store. If you kept an eye on twitter on the night of the riots and the next day, people were giving instant updates to the VPD and sending them photographs and video of the bastards who thought it would be cool to tear our beautiful city apart.

A lesson to every idiot out there, don't commit a crime with 100,000 witnesses.

The photographs I've included are from an outstanding local freelance photographer and are some of the best I have seen from the riots. Her name is Tijana Maria Marguertia Martin and you will certainly want to keep an eye out for her breath taking and powerful work. You can see her official site here.

I want to extend my humble gratitude to everyone who risked their safety to help. Everyone that stopped a vandal, every photographer, everyone who tweeted to the VPD. Vancouver became a city of heroes more than ever. And wouldn't that be an incredible world to live in?

I am proud to say that even more heroes came out Thursday to right wrongs and tidied up our town. People wrote beautiful inspiring messages on the boards covering broken store windows and those boards will now be kept as a reminder.

I love you Vancouver. And don't sweat it, Canucks. We love you, too, and will start next year saying and believing, "this is our year."

Bloody Best!
Jen