'Holidays' Horror Anthology to Feature Segments from Kevin Smith, Gary Shore, Scott Stewart and More
By Jonathan James
DAILY DEAD
February 2, 2015
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XYZ Films and Distant Corners Entertainment announced that they are producing Holidays, a new horror anthology movie that features a collection of segments from directors such as Kevin Smith, Gary Shore, Scott Stewart, Nick McCarthy, and more:
"LOS ANGELES (February 2, 2015) - Leading independent production and sales company XYZ Films has teamed up with John Hegeman's newly-launched genre label Distant Corners Entertainment to produce HOLIDAYS, a collection of subversive holiday tales from some of the world's top genre filmmakers. The film will put a twisted spin on well-known and beloved holidays, including Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Mother's Day-to name a few.
XYZ is also handling global sales.
The list of directors lined up for segments in the film includes Kevin Smith (Tusk), Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), Matt Johnson (The Dirties), Scott Stewart (Dark Skies), Nick McCarthy (The Pact), Dennis Widmyer & Kevin Kolsch (Starry Eyes), Sarah Smith (The Midnight Swim), and emerging filmmaker Anthony Scott Burns. More directors will be announced in the coming weeks.
Hegeman will produce HOLIDAYS with Tim Connors and Adam Egypt Mortimer, along with XYZ's Kyle Franke and Aram Tertzakian. Executive producers are Will Rowbotham, writers Andrew Barrer and Gabe Ferrari, and XYZ's Nate Bolotin and Nick Spicer. Shore will produce his segment through his company, ArtCastle Productions, with long-time producing partner Jonathan Loughran. Funding for HOLIDAYS was secured through James Avery of Aldwych Capital Partners.
HOLIDAYS has already begun production, and will continue to shoot in various international locations in the coming months.
XYZ Films has enjoyed success in the independent genre space, acting in a producing and sales capacity on Gareth Evans' acclaimed action films, THE RAID and THE RAID 2. XYZ will have a number of titles on their upcoming EFM sales slate, including Kevin Smith's YOGA HOSERS and Matt Johnson's OPERATION AVALANCHE. XYZ also recently executive produced and handled sales on Kevin Smith's TUSK, Toa Fraser's THE DEAD LANDS, and Justin Moorhead and Aaron Benson's SPRING. All three films world premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
This is the first project going into production for Distant Corners, which aims to launch 4-6 genre franchise properties annually.
"HOLIDAYS is a great opportunity for some of the most creative and twisted minds in the genre space today to really let loose and have fun. Audiences are going to have a good time with this one," said Hegeman. "Partnering with XYZ gives HOLIDAYS the best chance at clicking on a global level. It's great to get going on this."
Kevin Smith, Starry Eyes Directors and more for Holidays Horror Anthology
By Samuel Zimmerman
SHOCK TILL YOU DROP
February 2, 2015
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Anthologies rage on as Kevin Smith, At the Devil's Door and The Pact's Nick McCarthy and more join the XYZ and Distant Corners Entertainment-produced Holidays.
Uninterested in a specific celebration, Holidays will span the calendar, aiming for a a "collection of subversive holiday tales" to "put a twisted spin on well-known and beloved holidays, including Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Mother's Day-to name a few." Smith and McCarthy are on board, as are some truly exciting new talents, including Starry Eyes' Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer, The Midnight Swim's Sarah Adina Smith and The Dirties' Matt Johnson. Gary Shore, Scott Stewart and Anthony Scott Burns round out the slate.
Sarah Adina Smith, whose stunning Midnight Swim is one of the must-see films of this year, tells Shock Till You Drop, "Holidays are ripe territory for horror. I've always found scheduled happiness to be inherently disturbing- all these moments in the year where we're supposed to put on smiles. I'm excited to add a little darkness back on the calendar."
Producer Adam Egypt Mortimer, who also makes his feature debut this year with Some Kind of Hate, tells Shock, "I love this project because we are putting together so many different kinds of directors - from underground horror to next generation art house to big Hollywood directors - and there's so many different visions of how to make the Holidays really insane. It's also cool because it stays terrifying all year long."
Production on Holidays is already underway.
Kevin Smith, Gary Shore, Scott Stewart and more join anthology Holidays
By Eric Walkuski
Horror Movie News
JOBLO
February 2, 2015
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The resurgence of the horror anthology shows no signs of slowing down. Today it's been announced indie production and sales outfit XYZ Films is teaming with John Hegeman's newly-launched genre label, Distant Corners Entertainment, to produce HOLIDAYS, which is lining up a nice list of behind-the-camera talent.
HOLIDAYS is described as "a group of subversive tales fashioned around globally recognized celebrations like Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Mother's Day."
Among the directors enlisted: Kevin Smith (Tusk; pictured above), Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), Scott Stewart (Dark Skies), Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact), Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch (Starry Eyes) Sarah Smith (The Midnight Swim), Anthony Scott Burns and Matt Johnson (The Dirties). Even more directors are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Producer Jon Hegeman says "Holidays is a great opportunity for some of the most creative and twisted minds in the genre space today to really let loose and have fun."
Let's hope he's right!
Kevin Smith, Gary Shore & More to Direct Horror Anthology Holidays for XYZ Films
By Kenji Lloyd
FINAL REEL
February 2, 2015
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Founded just seven years ago, production and sales company XYZ Films has quickly established itself as one of the leading producers in genre entertainment, with recent efforts including The Raid and its sequel, Justin Benson's award-winning Spring, and Kevin Smith's sophomore horror, Tusk. Now the company has announced that it has already put together its first horror anthology, Holidays, with Kevin Smith high up on the list of directors for one of the segments.
Deadline reports that XYZ has partnered with John Hegeman's newly-launched genre label, Distant Corners Entertainment, to produce the feature-length anthology, which is already in production.
Holidays will be a group of subversive tales fashioned around globally-recognised celebrations like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Mother's Day, with each vignette directed by a separate indie or genre filmmaker.
Kevin Smith took to Twitter to announce that his segment will be called Hollow Ian.
Gary Shore, who's coming off the back of his feature debut with Dracula Untold, will also be taking a segment, alongside Matt Johnson (The Dirties), Scott Stewart (Priest), Nick McCarthy, Dennis Widmyer & Kevin Kolsch (Starry Eyes), Sarah Adina Smith (The Midnight Swim), and Anthony Scott Burns (Manifold).
No word yet on any casting announcements, but the film is expected to feature well-known names.
"Holidays is a great opportunity for some of the most creative and twisted minds in the genre space today to really let loose and have fun," said Hegeman.
The film is the first project for Distant Corners to go into production on, and their intent is to launch four to six genre properties a year.
XYZ will launch global sales at the European Film Market in Berlin this month.
There's no word yet on exactly when Holidays might be heading to the big screen. But if production is already underway, and each segment can shoot fairly fast and lean, then it's very possible this could be ready for Halloween 2015.
Paramount switched gears on Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension last month to push its release to October 23rd, alongside Lionsgate and Summit's The Last Witch Hunter and Universal's Jem and the Holograms. But the weekend of Halloween itself is fairly light, with only Paramount's horror comedy Scouts vs. Zombies currently opening that weekend. Assuming each segment goes according to plan and can indeed shoot pretty quickly, I wouldn't be at all surprised for this to land on October 30th this year.
Kevin Smith Joins Genre Anthology 'Holidays'
By Staff
DREAD WORLD
February 2, 2015
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In an exclusive in Deadline today it was revealed that Kevin Smith, the mind behind the recent genre fare Red State (Review HERE) and Tusk, has joined the latest anthology from XYZ Films. Dubbed Holiday, Smith joins Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch (Starry Eyes) and Scott Stewart (Dark Skies) amongst others.
From the Deadline Article : "Holidays is a great opportunity for some of the most creative and twisted minds in the genre space today to really let loose and have fun," said Producer John Hegeman. This is the first project going into production for Distant Corners, which aims to launch four-six genre franchise properties annually.
Holidays as an anthology is set to highlight tales around the globally recognized holidays of Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Mothers Day. Each director will helm a segment, with more directors to be announced in the coming weeks. Read the entire story at Deadline.
Horror Anthology "HOLIDAYS" gets "TUSK", "STARRY EYES" filmmakers
By Ken W Hanley
FANGORIA
February 2, 2015
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Isn't it crazy how much horror can change in just a few years? With so many talented people working inside the genre, the number of horror anthologies went from once in a blue moon to multiple per year in record time. And now, joining the ranks of V/H/S, HI-8, THE ABCs OF DEATH, TALES OF HALLOWEEN, XX and CHILLERAMA comes HOLIDAYS, which will bringing holiday-based horror back into the fright film fold.
Announced by Deadline earlier today, XYZ Films (also behind XX) and Distant Corners Entertainment are teaming to bring HOLIDAYS to life, which will follow closer to an ABCs OF DEATH model of anthology and will focus on genre tales about different holidays, such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and more. Yet what is even more significant are the filmmakers attached, which includes:
- Kevin Smith (TUSK)
- Gary Shore (DRACULA UNTOLD)
- Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer (STARRY EYES)
- Sarah Smith (THE MIDNIGHT SWIM)
- Matt Johnson (THE DIRTIES)
- Scott Stewart (DARK SKIES)
- Nick McCarthy (THE PACT)
- Anthony Scott Burns (MANIFOLD)
HOLIDAYS: Kevin Smith, Gary Shore, Matt Johnson And Many More Join Holiday Themed Anthology
By Andrew Mack
TWITCHFILM
February 2, 2015
Link to article
*Please note the article also ran in the following outlet:
IMDB:
As anthologies are one of rages as of late it takes something special for it to really stand out. Novel concepts like the ABCs of Death or V/H/S series have worked out well for everyone involved. But more times than not fantastic film anthologies seem to focus on Halloween more than any other season. That is not a bad thing at all, but surely we can take the piss out other holidays like Easter, Christmas and Mother's Day?
According to the announcement over at Deadline the new anthology Holidays is looking to step in to fill that void. XYZ Films and the brand new genre-label Distant Corners Entertainment have begun production on this new anthology that will take jabs at such celebrations. Why should Halloween have all the fun? Distant Corners is headed up by John Hegeman, producer of horror films like Darkness Falls and Haunt.
"Holidays is a great opportunity for some of the most creative and twisted minds in the genre space today to really let loose and have fun," said Hegeman.
And who is on board may you ask? Kevin Smith is teaming up with XYZ Films again after Tusk and Yoga Hosers. While Dracula Untold director Gary Shore looks toward his next film he will direct a segment. Matt Johnson, director of The Dirties and the upcoming moon landing conspiracy film Operation Avalanche, will have a go. Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch the directors of the Hollywood hopeful horror film Starry Eyes will combine their powers for good. I look forward to see what The Midnight Swim director Sarah Smith brings to the table. Anthony Scott Burns, the Canadian director whose short film work like Manifold has him directing sci-fi flick Alpha, under Brad Pitt's production banner, is in. Rounding off the list of directors announced so far is Priest and Legion's director Scott Stewart and The Pact's Nick McCarthy. There are still more directors to come.
XYZ Films will launch global sales at EFM this week during Berlindale.
(Todd Brown, TwitchFilm's lord and master, is also a partner at XYZ Films. Mr. Brown had no influence on the content of this article, though I am sure he appreciates the plug)