New York, NY (September 23, 2011)—New Yorkers can now celebrate Halloween a few days early. The Museum of Arts and Design hosts the 3rd edition of the short film fest Daggers, featuring 12 exquisitely creepy films that will share the spotlight on October 20, 2011, at 7:00 pm, and on October 22 at 3:00 pm [...]]]>

New York, NY (September 23, 2011)—New Yorkers can now celebrate Halloween a few days early. The Museum of Arts and Design hosts the 3rd edition of the short film fest Daggers, featuring 12 exquisitely creepy films that will share the spotlight on October 20, 2011, at 7:00 pm, and on October 22 at 3:00 pm in the Theater at MAD. Curated by noted critic Peter Gutiérrez, the all-shorts Daggers showcases work by up-and-coming talents, as well as contemporary classics by renowned filmmakers such as Denis Villeneuve and Jason Eisener. This mini-fest sports a macabre mix that is sure to please horror-hounds of all stripes.

“Horror is a much richer and more diverse genre than it is often given credit for,” observes Gutiérrez, who founded Daggers in 2008. “With Daggers we get to show off that range of artistry. In this year’s lineup, for example, we have surrealism, gothic mystery, psychological horror, a silent film, a musical, Cronenberg-style body horror, stop-motion animation, an experimental dance piece, and even gore-comedy. The goal is to represent the unsettling, the poetic, the thought-provoking, and yes, the stomaching-turning.”

Unspooling its dozen films in about two hours, Daggers will screen some of the best short-form horror from around the world, giving local audiences a chance to enjoy titles that are typically accessible only via major film festivals. Shot on the streets of Prague, “Prahands” recalls classic avant-garde cinema while “New Born” is an early effort of Israel’s Navot Papushado, co-writer and co-director of this year’s Tribeca favorite “Rabies” (“Kalevet”). Tasmania is represented by Briony Kidd‘s “The Room at The Top of The Stairs,” which makes its New York premiere. And of course there will be films by American, Canadian, and British filmmakers.

These include the H.P. Lovecraft adaptation “The Other Gods,” Matthew Garrett‘s “Beating Hearts,” Firas Momani‘s Fantasia-winning “The Adder’s Bite,” and the world premiere of “(Baby) It’s You,” a fun twist on the archetypal “mad scientist” film. Also making its New York premiere is Jerome Sable‘s acclaimed Sundance hit, “The Legend of Beaver Dam.” As always, the programming strategy seeks to combine fresh titles, many of which are new to Big Apple audiences, with ones that are well worthy of encores. Faye Jackson‘s “Lump” was shown directly before “Pan’s Labyrinth” at 2006′s New York Film Festival, and Jason (“Hobo with a Shotgun”) Eisener‘s “Treevenge” won the audience award for best short at the 2008 edition of the New York City Horror Film Festival. Moviegoers will know “Next Floor”‘s Denis Villeneuve as the director behind the Oscar-nominated “Incendies,” but may not have been able to catch this short, a prize-winner at TIFF, Sitges, and Cannes, not to mention a recipient of the Genie, Canada’s highest filmmaking award. The lineup also happens to boast another Genie-winner, Pedro Pires‘s unforgettable “Danse Macabre.”

“From last year’s Zombo Italiano and Jodorowsky series to this fall’s Sion Sono retro, MAD is proving itself to be a force in bold yet offbeat genre programming,” explains Gutiérrez. “That’s an approach that appeals to New York’s cinephiles and horror fans alike. It also happens to be very close to Daggers‘ sensibility, so I couldn’t be happier that this unique event has found such a great venue.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

Daggers will screen in the Theater at MAD on October 20, 2011 at 7:00 pm and on October 22, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

Both screenings $10 General
$7 MAD Members and Students.

Daggers is curated by film critic Peter Gutiérrez, frequent contributor to Rue Morgue and TribecaFilm.Com.

For more information, or to order tickets, please visit: http://www.madmuseum.org/series/daggers

THE 2011 DAGGERS LINEUP
All films will be projected digitally.

The Adder’s Bite (2010)
Dir. Firas Momani
9 min

(Baby) It’s You (2011)
Dir. David Cowles, Jeremy Galante, and Brad Pattullo
3 min

Beating Hearts (2010)
Dir. Matthew Garrett
11 min

Danse Macabre (2009)
Dir. Pedro Pires
9 min

The Legend of Beaver Dam (2010)
Dir. Jerome Sable
12 min

Lump (2006)
Dir. Faye Jackson
12 min

New Born (2006)
Dir. Navot Papsushado
14 min

Next Floor (2008)
Dir. Denis Villeneuve
11 min

The Other Gods (2006)
Dir. Mike Boas
6 min

Prahands (2007)
Dir. Charles Pieper
5 min

The Room at the Top of the Stairs (2011)
Dir. Briony Kidd
15 min

Treevenge (2008)
Dir. Jason Eisener
16 min

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design explores the blur zone that characterizes so much of art, design, and craft today. The Museum focuses on contemporary creativity and the ways in which artists and designers from around the world transform materials through processes ranging from the artisanal to digital. The Museum’s exhibition program explores and illuminates issues and ideas, highlights creativity and craftsmanship, and celebrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by gifted and innovative artists. MAD’s permanent collection is global in scope and focuses on art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day. At the center of the Museum’s mission is education. The Museum’s dynamic new facility features classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families, and adults. Three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work and enhance the exhibition programs. Lectures, films, performances, and symposia related to the Museum’s collection and topical subjects affecting the world of contemporary art, craft, and design are held in a renovated 144-seat auditorium.

UNMASKED
Mike Russo and I found ourselves making another 72 Hour film for the Mind 2 Movie Challenge. This year’s improv elements: a closet clown, a bunch of bills, and a [...]]]> It’s only been a short time since my last compilation post, and already I’ve got new projects to sum up.

UNMASKED
Mike Russo and I found ourselves making another 72 Hour film for the Mind 2 Movie Challenge. This year’s improv elements: a closet clown, a bunch of bills, and a hostage situation. We’ll be premiering the film (along with the 9 other contest entries) on Monday, March 7, at the Little Theatre.

ANIMATUS IN THE PAPER
The D&C did a great article on Fred Armstrong and Animatus Studio, featuring a few pictures of yours truly working on the latest Buju & Ziggie cartoon for Wegmans and Crustal Pix. Read it online, or see the scan from the paper (with additional pictures) by clicking here.

THE MITZVAH
I’m providing post production assistance to this short film from writer/director Rose Jurman. It’s a piece about doubt and regret, set during WWII.

ZOMBIE INTERVENTION
Franklin Kielar wrote and directed this horror/comedy. It’s essentially a silent short, in which I play an undead father figure confronting a young vegetarian zombie. It was a fun shoot, done in one morning (but with two cameras) back in the fall. Now it’s on YouTube, complete with outtakes.

I’ve heard many questions regarding Croquet The Musical lately. Questions like “Hey Mike, when do I get to see Croquet?” and “Are you going to put Croquet online?” and “Would you stop talking about Croquet already?”

Well, here’s your chance to see it streaming right to your browser. But before you click, think about [...]]]>

I’ve heard many questions regarding Croquet The Musical lately. Questions like “Hey Mike, when do I get to see Croquet?” and “Are you going to put Croquet online?” and “Would you stop talking about Croquet already?”

Well, here’s your chance to see it streaming right to your browser. But before you click, think about how great it would be if Mike Russo and I were to win top honors in an online short film contest… Got that mental image in your head? Good, now follow the link below to experience our absurd little film.

Watch Croquet The Musical at Bigstar.TV

New link! Watch it here!

Then sign in with Facebook Connect (using the login link at the top of the Bigstar page) and vote with all your heart. A vote for Croquet is a vote for ART!

Thanks for your support! Remember, I cried real tears for this film.

The last two years, I’ve taken part in the Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts Challenge. Two summers ago, I helped with a film called X-Girlfriend, and last year worked on The Wingman and Virgin Fang.

This year will be my first time directing a summer short, one called [...]]]>

The last two years, I’ve taken part in the Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts Challenge. Two summers ago, I helped with a film called X-Girlfriend, and last year worked on The Wingman and Virgin Fang.

This year will be my first time directing a summer short, one called “The Interrogation” written by yours truly. In the writing phase, I decided to keep my characters and locations to a minimum to make it easier — especially since one of my characters is ANIMATED.

I’ve been wanting to try a live action / animation combo project for a while now. The process will be similar to how films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit or The Phantom Menace were shot. I’ll have an actor on set playing the cartoon character, and we’ll shoot his scenes two ways. One version with the actor, one without. That way I’ll have a performance to mimic in the animation phase, but I’ll also have a clean shot to use when I want to composite the character in. (No, I won’t be doing motion capture. That’s overkill for what I have in mind.)

It was a fun script to read to an audience, which is what went down at the March meeting of Rochester Movie Makers. We read 15 (!) screenplays that night. When everyone voted and the dust cleared, it turned out I was the winner of our script competition. It doesn’t mean the movie itself will be the best, but it’s nice to be loved.

Soon I’ll be finalizing the cast, crew, and picking some dates to shoot this thing. At the same time, I’m working on designing props and the cartoon character known as Mad Monster.

Read the latest version of the script here.

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition [...]]]> Behold!

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition and Awards Ceremony

The Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue Rochester, NY.
Social hour in the cafe: 6pm.
Showtime: 7pm.
Awards: 8pm.

Tickets are available now at the Little Box Office to see all 10 films for $5.00.

If you’ve been following my Facebook feed ( http://facebook.com/mikeboas ) you’ve probably seen some cryptic messages about croquet in the last week.

It all came about because writer Mike Russo and myself headed up a team for the Rochester Movie Makers 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Challenge. As you can imagine, this [...]]]>

If you’ve been following my Facebook feed ( http://facebook.com/mikeboas ) you’ve probably seen some cryptic messages about croquet in the last week.

It all came about because writer Mike Russo and myself headed up a team for the Rochester Movie Makers 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Challenge. As you can imagine, this involved writing, rehearsing, shooting, and editing a complete short film in 72 hours. At the start of this event, our team (dubbed TEAM AWESOME) was assigned a line of dialogue, a character, and a prop.

The line: “We are not the doctors. We are the disease.”

The character: Uncle Billy from Utica — a secret drinker.

The prop: A CROQUET MALLET.

Naturally, this suggested the title, “Croquet The Musical.” How could we go wrong?

I’ll be posting a trailer soon. In the meantime, enjoy the following absurd pictures.

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods, which previously had a home in the “demented” area of the media site, has a new address at http://www.awntv.com/videos/the-other-gods

There’s plenty of other great independent animation at AWNtv.com, so head on over [...]]]> The AWN’s media website has changed its name to Animation World Network Televeision, or AWNtv for short.

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods, which previously had a home in the “demented” area of the media site, has a new address at http://www.awntv.com/videos/the-other-gods

There’s plenty of other great independent animation at AWNtv.com, so head on over and check it out!

There’s a new feature over at Unfilmable.com (the world’s greatest news site for Lovecraftian films). In the upcoming months, guest writer Tom Sullivan will be sharing his “Reviews of the Infinite Abyss.” I’m proud to say THE OTHER GODS is the subject of his first review.

Here’s a sampling of what [...]]]>

There’s a new feature over at Unfilmable.com (the world’s greatest news site for Lovecraftian films). In the upcoming months, guest writer Tom Sullivan will be sharing his “Reviews of the Infinite Abyss.” I’m proud to say THE OTHER GODS is the subject of his first review.

Here’s a sampling of what Mr. Sullivan had to say:

“The story is an accurate and unsettling warning about tempting the Gods, and although short like the original story, it is just as effective. When Barzai gazes upon the face of Nyarlathotep, Rhodes gives us a psychedelic experience generations ahead of his time.”

For the entire review, click here.

Tom Sullivan is an artist whose otherworldly paintings have been published in a number of H.P. Lovecraft publications. I first came to know him as the designer of “The Book of the Dead” from the Evil Dead series. It’s an honor to be reviewed by Mr. Sullivan, as the Evil Dead movies were my gateway into the world of Lovecraft.

For future reviews, keep an eye on the news section at http://www.unfilmable.com

I’m pleased to announce H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods will be screening at the 2007 Eerie Horror Film Festival. Come out to the Erie Playhouse October 11 at 6:30 PM, when The Other Gods will play ahead of the new Lovecraft inspired feature, Cthulhu.

For more a complete list of films playing, [...]]]>

I’m pleased to announce H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods will be screening at the 2007 Eerie Horror Film Festival. Come out to the Erie Playhouse October 11 at 6:30 PM, when The Other Gods will play ahead of the new Lovecraft inspired feature, Cthulhu.

For more a complete list of films playing, visit http://www.eeriehorrorfilmfestival.com

To see a trailer of Cthulhu, visit http://www.cthulhuthemovie.com/

The AWN Media Center is a new, comprehensive online video portal devoted exclusively to animation and showcasing the work [...]]]> “H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods” is now featured on Animation World Network’s “That’s Demented” channel. AWN is a website catering to animation artists and fans worldwide, and I’m happy to be a part of their website.

The AWN Media Center is a new, comprehensive online video portal devoted exclusively to animation and showcasing the work of independent filmmakers from all over the world . When I submitted “The Other Gods,” I wasn’t sure what category it would fall under. “That’s Demented” seems like a good match.

To see mine and other “freaky, fun, and frightening flicks,” visit http://media.awn.com/popup/thats-demented

Along with The Other Gods, the following subjects also played, courtesy of This past weekend in H.P. Lovecraft’s hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, a new festival dedicated to literary and film fandom took place. The Other Gods screened during PULP UNCOVERED‘s “Afternoon of Lovecraft” at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Along with The Other Gods, the following subjects also played, courtesy of Lurker Films

• The Music of Eric Zann by John Strysik (1980, 17 minutes)
• Out of Mind: The Stories of H.P. Lovecraft by Raymond Saint-Jean (1998, 56 min)
• The Call of Cthulhu by Andrew Leman & Sean Branney (2005, 47 min, silent film)

This is one festival I wish I could have attended, but my work schedule made it impossible. Hopefully, I’ll get another opportunity next year!

That’s what the generous Brooke from the Supernatural Things blog had to say about H. P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods.

As far as compliments go, that’s a pretty nice one. Thanks, Brooke!

—–

In addition, Jason Olshefsky of jayceland.com had this to [...]]]> “Delicious, occult eye-candy for the darker sensibilities of the soul.”

That’s what the generous Brooke from the Supernatural Things blog had to say about H. P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods.

As far as compliments go, that’s a pretty nice one. Thanks, Brooke!

—–

In addition, Jason Olshefsky of jayceland.com had this to say about the screening at the Little Theatre:

The films were generally very good but I particularly liked H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods by Mike Boas which Mike had “restored” a formerly “lost” shadow-animation… all plausible and rather spooky, actually.

For [...]]]> I want to extend a hearty thanks to everyone who braved the cold weather for Monday night’s Emerging Filmmakers series.  It meant a lot to have family and friends there for The Other Gods’ first local theatrical screening.  I had a great time talking movies and seeing what other indie artists had to show.

For those who missed it, don’t fret!  I now have the entire short online for you to watch and share with your friends.  Visit http://www.maddogmovies.com/theothergods/video.html

-Mike

“H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods” is a five minute short produced by yours truly, Mike Boas. This horror adaptation tells of a prophet [...]]]> Just a reminder for all Rochester film fans to come out this Monday night to the Little Theatre. Two pieces produced at Animatus will screen as part of the Emerging Filmmakers series.

“H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods” is a five minute short produced by yours truly, Mike Boas. This horror adaptation tells of a prophet of the Dreamlands who scales a forbidden mountain to look upon his deities. This silent film is animated in silhouette style, with a score by Rochester musician Keith Handy.

“The South Africa Stand” is an animated short from one of my Animation Workshop students, Adrian Esposito. It tells the story of an American family that moves to South Africa in the 1970s in the midst of apartheid. Appalled, they eventually become involved in the anti-apartheid struggle. I’m especially proud of Adrian, who is expanding beyond animation exercises to produce personal stories with social content.

So come out to the Little on Monday night. Adrian and I will be on hand to take comments and questions.

EMERGING FILMMAKERS SERIES AT THE LITTLE THEATRE
240 East Avenue Rochester, NY
Monday, February 26, 2007, 9:15pm

For the entire line-up of films, visit
http://www.little-theatre.com/moviePage.php?filmID=447

A NIGHT OF HORROR is a new film festival premiering in Sydney, Australia this coming March. In their call for submissions, they specified three entry categories: general horror, animation, and adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft. So I had to enter, didn’t I?

Today I learned that THE OTHER GODS has been chosen to screen [...]]]>

A NIGHT OF HORROR is a new film festival premiering in Sydney, Australia this coming March. In their call for submissions, they specified three entry categories: general horror, animation, and adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft. So I had to enter, didn’t I?

Today I learned that THE OTHER GODS has been chosen to screen at the festival. The organizers received 180 short films from horror filmmakers in 20 different countries, so it’s rewarding to know my film made the cut.

To learn more about A NIGHT OF HORROR, visit http://www.anightofhorror.com or check out the Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/nightofhorror

For you residents of Rochester, NY, “The Other Gods” will be screening as part of the Little Theatre’s EMERGING FILMMAKERS series.

Come out for a night of short films Monday, February 26 at 9 PM. The Little Theatre is at 240 East Ave, Rochester, NY.

Find out more at http://www.little-theatre.com/emergingFilmmakers.php

The interview is featured in episode nine, now online (in three parts) at http://poc.graveworm.com

To listen, visit the POC site, [...]]]> I recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Powers, who hosts a podcast entitled “Podcast of Circadia.” We had a great time discussing writer H.P. Lovecraft and the challenges of adapting his work.

The interview is featured in episode nine, now online (in three parts) at http://poc.graveworm.com

To listen, visit the POC site, click each link and download the MP3 files to your computer. If you use iTunes, the POC feed is http://poc.graveworm.com/pocrss.xml

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods has been selected to play at this month’s Tromadance Film Festival, presented by Troma Entertainment.

As someone who has read and re-read Troma president Lloyd Kaufman’s books on filmmaking, it’s a thrill to be part of this festival devoted to the independent spirit.

The 8th Annual TromaDance [...]]]>

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Other Gods has been selected to play at this month’s Tromadance Film Festival, presented by Troma Entertainment.

As someone who has read and re-read Troma president Lloyd Kaufman’s books on filmmaking, it’s a thrill to be part of this festival devoted to the independent spirit.

The 8th Annual TromaDance Film Festival will be held from January 22nd to 27th 2007 in Park City, UT.

http://2007.tromadance.com

If you love Lovecraft and can translate (accurately) into Spanish, French, Italian, or German, we need your help! If you’d like to donate your time and expertise, please write [...]]]> As the Special Edition DVD of The Other Gods takes shape, a vital component is lacking… We’d like to include subtitles for non-English speaking persons.

If you love Lovecraft and can translate (accurately) into Spanish, French, Italian, or German, we need your help! If you’d like to donate your time and expertise, please write to us at info(AT)maddogmovies.com.

Not sure if you can take on the whole project? It’s a short film, so there’s only about 25 lines of text. Check it out here:

The Other Gods – English text
(Right-click and save to your computer.)

During my weekend in Portland for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, I spoke to a few people who would be missing Sunday night, the night my short was playing. The last night of any film festival usually has less attendance, since many film-goers cut out for travel reasons or out of sheer exhaustion. I [...]]]>

During my weekend in Portland for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, I spoke to a few people who would be missing Sunday night, the night my short was playing. The last night of any film festival usually has less attendance, since many film-goers cut out for travel reasons or out of sheer exhaustion. I steeled myself for a “light” attendance that night.

Instead, the main theatre was mostly full as usual! Not sold out, but a respectable crowd of a few hundred. Now I had a new concern: could I avoid hyperventilating as the film played before so many sets of eyeballs?

Well, I survived. “The Other Gods” was received well. My colleagues all had incredibly supportive things to say.

Thanks to everyone at the festival for a great experience. I loved every minute of it, and I hope to attend next year.

See the Mad Dog Blog for more about the festival.

Visit YouTube to see it yourself.

I received a “telegram” from the festival announcing the utter horror the projectionist suffered at having seen the film, which was a [...]]]> It’s official! After many delays, work on “The Other Gods” is now complete. Not only that, the film will be screening at the 2006 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland Oregon.

I received a “telegram” from the festival announcing the utter horror the projectionist suffered at having seen the film, which was a real nice touch. (Click the pic below for a close-up view.)

I’m quite thrilled, and will be attending the festival to represent the animated short and hobnob with other Hobb’s End lurkers.

See you in October!

This sparked a bit of controversy among the fans. See some discussions on the Horror Channel Boards and over at MovieManiacs.net

Another discussion: Call of Cthulhu Forum