Good morning film fiends!
Only four more days to back Ash Mountain  Films’ home invasion horror NEFARIOUS on Kickstarter! The Ash Mountain crew have put up some amazing rewards for backers (TSL is backing the production of £200). Pop over to their Kickstarter page to check out what all the fuss is about – 

Remember any amount will help get the film into production, and the more you pledge, the more goodies you can get as reward. If you can’t afford to pledge you can also help by sharing the link on your social media channels. Spread the word!

In other news, a triple whammy of goodness for you to check out this fine morning –

A babysitter is stalked by a frightening ominous presence in THE NURSERY, creaking its doors open this June from Uncork’d Entertainment.

From filmmakers Christopher A. Micklos and Jay Sapiro comes the story of a young woman whose run-of-the-mill Saturday night quickly turns into a confrontation with unspeakable horror!

When Ranae, a college student babysits for a family with a tragic history, she finds herself stalked by a sinister presence and haunted by ghosts from her own past. Soon, she and her friends must confront the angry, evil spirit hunting them down one-by-one on a deliberate march towards its ultimate prey.

Emmaline Friederichs, Madeline Conway, and Carly Rae James Sauer star in the spookfest of the Summer THE NURSERY, available on VOD June 5 and on DVD August 7 from Uncork’d Entertainment.

 

Stunt coordinator Clayton J. Barber (fight and stunt coordinator for Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER and IRON FIST) directs leading man Eric Jacobus (PS4’s exclusive GOD OF WAR) in their latest martial arts action short feature BLINDSIDED: THE GAME!

After blind man Walter Cooke (Jacobus) prevents a local gang from shaking down his local grocer Gordon (Roger Yuan – JASON BOURNE), Walter must reckon with the gang’s ruthless boss Sal (Joe Bucaro, Marvel’s ANT-MAN). The stakes are high, but Walter’s got an ace up his sleeve.

BLINDSIDED: THE GAME pays homage to classic action films like ZATOICHI and BLIND FURY not only in its protagonist Walter, a blind swordsman, but also in that the film places heavy emphasis on storytelling combined with great action. This is no surprise with Clayton J. Barber in the director’s seat, who comes with over 20 years of experience as a stunt coordinator in Hollywood. Leading man Eric Jacobus plays Walter, a lovable cook who’s an expert gambler and swordsman. The character is the amalgamation of Jacobus’s 18-year career as a comedic action performer in the indie film arena. Director Clayton J. Barber is pushing the boundaries of modern action entertainment by bridging Hollywood with the indie action film world.

Barber notes that, “Eric Jacobus came from the indie action film realm. He was like a punk rocker of the action genre using raw filmmaking. We’re bridging these worlds together to create a totally new kind of action experience.” Jacobus echoes Barber’s sentiments: “Indie action guys have all the tools they need to showcase their skills, but the element of storytelling still has to be there. Clayton’s that storyteller who knows action. This is our LE SAMOURAI.”

Barber and Jacobus aren’t the only stuntmen involved in BLINDSIDED: THE GAME. The film features an ensemble of action stars and stunt performers both behind and in front of the camera. Roger Yuan, a veteran action star featured in action films such as SHANGHAI NOON and this year’s ACCIDENT MAN, who plays the shopkeeper Gordon, also choreographed one of the film’s major fight scenes. Producer David William No (ALTERED CARBON from Netflix, and THE MATRIX RELOADED) acts as a knife-wielding card shark and goes toe to toe with Jacobus in the climax. Veteran stunt performer Joe Bucaro (XXX, IRON MAN) plays the ruthless gang leader Sal, Nicholas Verdi (CLOSE RANGE, AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.) plays Nico and acted as director of photography, and Sal’s enforcer is played by Luke LaFontaine (SAVAGE DOG, MASTER AND COMMANDER) who also served as the sword fight coordinator.

Production company JB Productions is dedicated to delivering strong storytelling and first-rate action, created by people who truly understand action. Barber says, “This is a new approach to action filmmaking. BLINDSIDED: THE GAME is the perfect collaboration for us, and we hired great stunt performers to play the lead roles and even work behind the camera with us because we wanted to work with folks who knew action. That’s the brand people are buying into, and we’re always looking to build that brand by collaborating with talent both in America and overseas.”

Jacobus and Barber previously collaborated on the hit short films ROPE A DOPE and ROPE A DOPE 2: REVENGE OF THE MARTIAL ARTS MAFIA. BLINDSIDED: THE GAME is an expansion of the 2017 short film BLINDSIDED, which was the first title under the Jacobus / Barber (JB) Productions banner. BLINDSIDED was released to much acclaim, with fans craving a conclusion to the story. BLINDSIDED: THE GAME replays the entirety of the original BLINDSIDED and carries the story to completion, capping the film off at the length of a TV pilot.

Jacobus and Barber are confident that BLINDSIDED: THE GAME will fulfill fans’ desires for a complete film. Blindsided: The Game will be free to stream on YouTube on May 17th.    

 

Thomas Lawes’ MONOCHROME premieres on VOD and DVD this June from Gravitas Ventures.

Featuring BAFTA winner James Cosmo (TV’s GAME OF THRONES, BRAVEHEART), the killer-thriller focuses on a disillusioned young woman who becomes a serial killer targeting wealthy land-owners, forcing a brilliant detective to use his unusual neurological condition to track her down.

Jo Woodcock (DORIAN GRAY), Singer songwriter Cosmo Jarvis, Patrice Naiambana (HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE), Lee Boardman (JACK & THE GIANT SLAYER), Steve Jackson (TV’s CORONATION STREET) and Liz May Brice (ALIEN VS. PREDATOR) make up the ensemble cast.

 

On a final note –  to any aspiring independent filmmakers, podcasters or film related writers out there out there reading this, let me know if you’d like me to publicize and/or review your projects, The Stricken Land is always happy to promote new talent and ideas! And as ever, please feel free to share this post and any others on here that you like, far and wide.

Spread the Word!
Ian