"American Mary is a criminally under seen black comedic horror film set in the world of body modification. The film is the sophomore feature from Canadian twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska who blew away audiences with their low budget grindhouse riot girl epic Dead Hooker in a Trunk and just wrapped production on See No Evil 2. The film follows Mary (Katharine Isabelle from Ginger Snaps), a surgical student who ends up performing body modification surgeries as a way to get herself out of debt and ends up becoming a rock star in the field. As much as I loved Dead Hooker, the Soskas blew me away with this film. It’s funny, disturbing, and even heartbreaking. These two lovely ladies are two of the best new voices in horror and I will be following their career for years to come. This is an absolute watch and one of the best films of the year in any genre." - Project Shanks (full piece)
"American Mary
I've been waiting for a full year to put American Mary on my top five list! Released very late last year, thus qualifying for 2013 consideration, American Mary oozes style. Jen and Sylvia Soska grabbed their sophomore effort by the throat and didn't let go until they had a fantastic film. Audiences have fallen in love with not only American Mary but the highly marketable Soska sisters as well. The Twisted Twins nabbed Katharine Isabelle to play the deliciously devious Mary Mason, and the star brought viewers on a fantastic ride of pain, disillusionment, revenge and some of the craziest body modifications you've ever seen. Fantastic music also adds to the thick atmosphere in the movie. American Mary officially put the Soskas on the map, and with their next film, See No Evil 2, already in the can, these girls have the world by the surgically modified balls." - Dread Central (full piece)
"Katharine Isabelle in American MaryCount me as a huge fan of The Soska Sisters’ latest cinematical endeavor, American Mary and a huge part of that is due to the breakout performance by Katharine Isabelle. Isabelle’s always been pretty great, but she proves in American Mary that she’s truly a star with a remarkably engaging and heartbreaking performance that I fell in love with. The Soska’s themselves serve up some powerhouse material with their tragic story of a medical student working outside of the system, but make no mistake, it’s Isabelle who knocks it right out of the park in American Mary." - Daily Dead (full piece)
"American Mary
I was lucky enough to catch “American Mary” before it’s 2013 release. The Soska Sisters ( Dead Hooker in a Trunk) take their bizarre style of film, and take it to the next level. Katherine Isabelle is great as our title character, and you really feel her breakdown to sociopathic behavior. This is a 4 star effort from the sisters ( who even have a cameo in the film)." - Horror Movies.ca (full piece)
"07) AMERICAN MARYOh, Beatress. This was a look that could have very easily worn the actress, but Tristan Risk owned this character design and made it her own. I was very impressed with the plastic look of the living Betty Boop, and the attention to detail of making a woman look like an actual cartoon character was on point. In comparison to the "Ruby Real Girl" character, Beatress didn't look like the typical 'overly plastic-Jocelyn Wildenstein' character, she really looked like Betty Boop." - Day of the Woman (full piece)
"4. American MaryA solid follow up for the Soska sisters. I enjoyed Dead Hooker in a Trunk, but I loved this. Katharine Isabelle steals the show. Unique and full of great gore and body mods, as well as the sexiest Betty Boop looking lady ever." - Guts and Grog (full piece)
"American MaryDirected by twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska, American Mary has been popping up on a ton of best of lists and for good reason—the original premise and convincing performance by Katherine Isablelle, star of the Canadian hitGinger Snaps, helps American Mary rise above many of the independent horror films released in 2013. American Mary is just twisted enough to satisfy horror fans bent on the films of David Cronenberg and Takashi Miike." - PopShifter (full piece)
"American MaryJen and Sylvia Soska, two confident women of horror, gave the genre a standout film with the well-crafted “American Mary”. While the scares may be scarce the character development and dread filled atmosphere keep the film compelling. The narrative makes interesting comments about self-identity and the manipulation of it both physical and psychological. These two budding directors have offered an exceptional horror film." - Daily Dead (full piece)
"9. American Mary - Ginger Snaps’ Katharine Isabelle gives a great performance in this, the second film from Jen and Sylvia Soska (the “Twisted Twins” and directors of Dead Hooker in a Trunk). Mary finds Isabelle as the eponymous character, a young med student who falls into performing illegal body modification surgeries to support herself financially. When a violent incident sends Mary spiraling into madness, the film’s heroine slowly transforms into the (admittedly sympathetic) villain of the piece, racking up a body count even as her sanity erodes. This film’s strong lead performance, offbeat subject matter, and beautiful photography make this a must-see." - Dread Central (full piece)
"2. American Mary (Xlrator Media) - The Soska sisters are becoming a name that is really synonymous with horror. American Mary is proof that these women can stand tall in a genre that is led mainly by males."
"6) American Mary (Xlrator Media) - This applause-worthy sophomore effort of the Soska twins features the bodaciously babely female antihero that the modern horror genre desperately needed and teaches us an important lesson in recognizing self worth, wreaking vengeance upon those who have wronged us, and the dire consequences of crossing the sometimes dangerously thin line between malice and madness." - Cinesploitation (full piece)
"2) AMERICAN MARY (Dir. Jen & Sylvia Soska)Like Kate Chopin’s The Awakening was adapted into the world of underground strip clubs and body modification. Surgery is a messy thing, and this film captures both the fascination and the terror associated with the performance of it and the surgical profession itself. Any one filmmaker – or, in the case of the Soska sisters, two – that can offer something this bold and subversive deserves to be on everyone’s radar." - Diabolique Magazine (full piece)
"On our Best of 2013 Show we run down the Top 5 Movies, including my pick for #1.... Jen & Sylvia Soska's American Mary!" - Mike Wendt (full piece)
"1) American Mary:Taking inspiration from the works of David Cronenberg and Takashi Miike, American Mary is a low budget feminist horror film that takes the viewers into the world of body modification with excellent practical make up effects and a potential future horror icon role for Katharine Isabelle of “Ginger Snaps” fame delivering an equally scary, funny and kooky performance." - Snake Bite Horror (full piece)
-Sylv
Yay we made IGN's The Top 10 Movies You May Have Missed in 2013 by Chris Tilly! Lots of good stuff on this lis that you might not have checked out this year.
Check the article here!
-Sylv
"When it comes to film awards, everyone looks towards the Oscars as the pinnacle of achievement. The only thing wrong with the Oscars? Our beloved genre of horror is often or completely overlooked! That's where the Fright Meter Awards comes into play. Along with myself, there's 35 plus committee members made up of genuine horror fans, bloggers, actors, writers, directors and producers "making the Fright Meter Awards truly the most prestigious horror award given."
From mainstream to independent, big names to newcomers, popularity or form of release, nothing is overlooked and if it's worthy of a mention, we consider it. So without further ado, here are this year's nominees…"
American Mary is up for Best Makeup, Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble Cast Performance, Best Supporting Actress - Tristan Risk, Best Actress - Katharine Isabelle, Best Director(s) - Jen & Sylvia Soska, and Best Horror Movie. Fucking amazing to have such an honour!
Check out the nominees and vote here!
-Sylv
Very cool American Mary fan video to Kevvy's Loser from the film. SPOILERS and more SPOILERS, enjoy!
-Sylv
Jen and I are coming to Marble City Comicon and it's because you guys demanded it (& because Thomas L. Phillips was cool enough to get us on board) - the Twisted Twins are coming to Knoxville, Tennessee!!!
-Sylv
Jen and I are so fucking stoked to be going to Texas Frightmare Weekend this coming May 2, 3, and 4th!! See you beautiful people there #twinning
-Sylv
Thank you for all the well wishes and congrats on tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS' five year anniversary in ten minutes - December 11th; it means a lot to Jen and me!
-Sylv
BTS at New York Comic Con for the WWE Studios panel with Zach Lipovsky, Jen, and me. Please enjoy!
-Sylv
One day until tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS' five year anniversary on December 11th!!
Thank you for all the wonderful support for the last few years from the bottom of our twisted, black hearts. If you would like to celebrate with us - it would mean a lot if you joined us with this cover photo to celebrate the big day.
Massive love and respect to you that have been here along the way and have stood with us during our struggles and our successes.
-Sylv
TWO DAYS until tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS' five year anniversary on December 11th!!
"We're very lucky to be able to have Halloween every day, but there is something undeniably special about Halloween. We've almost religiously dressed up every year. It makes me sad to hear "grownups" say that they don't like Halloween and haven't dressed up since they were kids. Where is it written or said that once you reach a certain age you have to stop having fun?" - Jen Soska
"We've been acting since we were little girls. It's an extremely difficult and often disappointing industry and, as we got older, the roles that we were offered consisted of twin girl, stereotypical, sexpot roles. Not that we have anything against that - just in a proper time and place with some justification in the script. It got to the point that we were just going out for roles that we didn't really want in the first place and we realized that we needed a change." - Sylvia Soska
-Sylv
Jen and I love the WWE. Been watching for years - and it was the thrill of a lifetime for the Superstars & Divas to return to our hometown to kick some serious ass!!
For those of you that missed it - here's what you would have seen from our POV.
-Sylv
PS
Check out the flickr album HERE!
Three days til tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS' five year anniversary - December 11th!!
"I think the first career path I was dead set on following was super hero." - Jen Soska
[which twin is older] "Me! But I sort of cheated, I guess. I am nineteen minutes older, and came out at seven pounds. Jen was only about three. Apparently, I tried to eat her in the womb. Womb combat - point Sylv." - Sylvia Soska
-Sylv
Jen and I are going to be at the Annual Calgary Horror-Con!! Haven't been there in years. Looking forward to seeing you beautiful people there. Here is a video explaining what happened the last time we were there.
-Sylv
Four days until tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS's five year anniversary on December 11th!
"You have to go after what you want in this life. Women have been long encouraged to be actors or singers or models. I want to tell them they can be anything they want. You can be a director, a writer, a producer, the CEO of your own company." - Jen Soska
"Jen and I are born collaborators, we have always had one another and worked together as a team, so the team comes very natural to us. Jen is, in many if not all ways, my better half. She's got this beautiful outlook on the world, a wonderful quirky sense of humor, and she is brilliant with people." - Sylvia Soska
-Sylv
Five days until tWIStED tWINS PRODUCtIONS' five year anniversary on December 11th~!
"No one is going to make it happen for you. I firmly believe you've got to set impossible goals. That way even if you get close, you're doing pretty fucking good." - Jen Soska
"We never really set out like, we're going to be writer/directors now. We were just pissed at the roles we were being offered, then pissed that the film school that we decided to attend was a complete embarrassing rip off that pulled our funding." - Sylvia Soska
2010 Massive Blood Drive PSA from Twisted Twins Productions on Vimeo.
-Sylv
Trevor Whaley is so awesome
Festive American Mary. That's my grrl.
-Jen
6 DAYS TIL TWISTED TWINS PRODUCTIONS' FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY ON DECEMBER 11TH!!!!
"Back in highschool, we did a little directing. We loved acting, but had already taken every single other acting class available, aside from their directing and screen writing class. Was it heavy in theory? Nah. We basically got to run an acting class and put on plays as final projects. That was by far our favorite part. I did an adaption of an excerpt from Stephen King's The Green Mile. I started it when Wild Bill gets brought in and I ended it on a low note when Del gets electrocuted with the dry sponge. I was especially proud of our electrocution effects. I had a strobe light, a smoke machine, off stage guttural moans, and electric sound effects. The result? Admittedly, some not so impressed parents. Mine, however, were beaming."
- Jen Soska
"The only reason why I am here today is because the people in the horror community have made it possible. When I was a little girl, I was at the fish market with my Grandfather. I decided in my little girl way that I was going to use my spending money to buy a fish for my cat. He told me to ask the fisherman myself. I went over, explained that I'd like to purchase a fish for my cat please and thank you. The man smiled and got me a fish - free of charge. I was shocked - that's not the way the world works. I went to my Grandfather to find out why that would happen and he told me something that I carry on today - 'If you treat people with kindness and respect, the whole world opens up for you.'"
- Sylvia Soska
-Sylv
