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Short Film Review: Jennifer Trudrung’s ‘Here There be Tygers’

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Here There Be Tygers

Jennifer Trudrung is an emerging talent in the world of indie screenwriters and her most recent work, a Stephen King Dollar Baby based on King’s short story Here There by Tygers, is hitting the festival circuit this year.

For those unaware, back in 1977 when King was beginning to really become a success, he decided to give back to his fellow creatives by creating the Dollar Baby or Dollar Deal program. Basically, aspiring filmmakers, theater producers, and student filmmakers can secure the rights to produce one of his short stories for a total of $1.

Trudrung chose wisely with Here There Be Tygers. It’s one of those short stories by King that never got the kind of recognition it deserved, despite being published in one of his more popular collections, Skeleton Crew. It had previously been published in 1968 in Ubris magazine.

In the original story, a young boy named Charlie is tormented by his teacher, Miss Bird. She mocks him, teases him, and in a pivotal moment, loudly corrects him in class for not asking to go to the restroom when he needs to go.

Young Charles goes to the bathroom, only to discover a tiger hiding in the shadows. To give more away would spoil the story and the short film, but its ending is chilling!

Trudrung, who has previously penned UnbearingThe Ebbing, and The Share, teams up with director Polly Schattel (Quiet River) to bring the short film to the screen while making some interesting changes.

Penny Munroe in Here There Be Tygers

Penny Munroe in Here There Be Tygers (Photo via Melissa Presti Photography)

First up, comes a gender flip. Changing Charles to Charlie creates adds an interesting dynamic to this tale that actually improves upon King’s original story. Not only does Charlie, played beautifully by Trudrung’s daughter Penny Munroe, need to go to the restroom but she has also started her period and there is blood on her skirt and leg as she stands up.

Miss Bird (Trudrung) uses the opportunity to call Charlie out further and she also, to an extent, allows another student, Susie (Selah Atwood) to mock Charlie calling her “dirty” and “nasty.”

This kind of shaming is nothing new in a world where the basic biological functions of a woman’s body are mocked and ridiculed, and while Schattel and Trudrung certainly use their platform to spotlight this behavior, they do so in a way that is both subtle and powerful by putting the words in the mouths of other women.

They also found an interesting device with which to portray the tiger, pointing to a more innately primal aspect of our own psyches in the use of an animal mask.

For her part, Munroe does an excellent job of portraying Charlie. Her fear and melancholy are both palpable as she emerges from her desk and makes her way to the bathroom as is her transformation after her experiences there.

Not only does she view her own circumstances differently, but she also sees her classmates in a brand new light.

Schattel and production designer Shane Meador filled the short film with little visual nods to Stephen King and William Blake which add an exciting layer for fans of either or both.

As a whole, Here There Be Tygers is an exciting adaptation of one of King’s less well-known stories, and one that, I think, will do quite well on the festival circuit. It is an atmospheric short film of which the entire cast and crew can and should be proud.

Look for it at horror and film festivals near you!

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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