Co-scripter and associate producer Sean Clark of THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO’S POND got in touch with Fango to provide them with an update on that flick. Directed by Gabriel Bologna (who co-scripted with Clark) and starring a veritable Who’s Who of genre notables, including Robert (TERMINATOR 2) Patrick, HALLOWEEN alumnus Danielle Harris, Electra and Elise Avellan (PLANET TERROR’s “Crazy Babysitter Twins”) and James (DONNIE DARKO) DuVal, along with Nick Mennell, Mircea Monroe, Arcadiy Gulobovich and others, the flick revolves around nine friends who, while vacationing on a private island, discover an ancient game. When played, it turns them against one another in the most violent of ways.
Clark (who co-wrote the well-received documentary HALLOWEEN: 25 YEARS OF TERROR) says of BLACK WATERS, which was produced by Ray Markovich and Jason Loughridge and lensed over the course of 22 days in and around Los Angeles this past summer, “People will really be surprised by this film, because it sort of came out of nowhere. It was independently financed, and we put together an amazing cast with strong genre credits.”
Comparing the script to “an evil JUMANJI meets HELLRAISER meets BATTLE ROYALE,” Clark continues, “The most flattering comment Gabe and I received over and over again was how original it was, and that it was a really smart horror film. It isn’t just a run-of-the-mill slasher that’s all about a high body count, but involves the relationships between nine close friends and what it takes to push them over the edge into madness.”
As for the gore quotient, “It’s a pretty gruesome flick. There are a couple of kills I have never seen before that will satisfy the appetites of true horror fans.” The wet work was provided by Patrick (DARK RIDE) Magee and his FX team, and Clark says, “They pulled off some amazing stuff that was all 100 percent practical. I was in the editing room one day, and the editor [Jeff Murphy] turned to me and asked if a certain effect was CGI or not, and that was a testament to Patrick’s work and the way Gabe and [director of photography] Massimo Zeri filmed it.”
Currently in postproduction, THE BLACK WATERS OF ECHO’S POND may go before cameras again later this month, although Clark is quick to point out that it’s not for the dreaded reshoots. “We just came up with a few cool shot additions while watching the first rough cut,” Clark says. As for whether it’ll receive theatrical release or the straight-to-DVD treatment, “That’s up to the distributor, and they can’t make that call until they see the finished product.” Mum’s the word right now as to which company is attached, “although it’ll be out in 2008, and the trailer [see it below] is already getting a great response from horror fans.” To find out more, swing by the film’s official website here, and visit BLACK WATERS on MySpace here.
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