We get a boatload of news from horror filmmakers, musicians, writers, and artists each week. We unfortunately
don't have the staff to get a news angle on all of them but it's still stuff we think you'd be interested in. So as a means to
get you the same news they send us, we're going to use this place for their press releases.
November 02, 2005
Raising the Stakes Hits DVD
After producing around twenty short films and learning the craft and with the upcoming graduation of his high school friends, who made up the rest of IWC Films's regular cast and crew, writer/director Justin Channell decided that it was time to attempt to make a feature. He claims the main reason was to make a film that was somewhat substantial and would cause people to take notice and actually remember them.
What resulted was Raising The Stakes, a vampire comedy that provides a satirical indictment on high school discrimination and obsessive role-playing lifestyles. The film stars Josh Lively and Zane Crosby, who founded IWC Films with Channell in 2002, as well as Ryan Stocking, who was a new science teacher at their high school who was interested in their work. As Crosby quipped at the premiere of the film, "The title 'Raising The Stakes'... it had nothing to do with vampires, it was about Ryan Stocking's career."
Channell also managed to get cameo appearances from Lloyd Kaufman, Troma Studios co-founder and creator of the Toxic Avenger. Channell had been a fan of Kaufman's work and frequently cites him as an inspiration and has even done volunteer work for Troma's official fan-run website. Also in the film is Count Gore De Vol, the horror host alter-ego of Emmy winning television personality, who has been featured in cult classic b-movies, such as Cremains and Nightbeast. He also was able to attain music from Asian Man Records founder Mike Park and his former band, The Chinkees, not to mention music from independent musicians from West Virginia and other areas, such as Sixty Dollars, Cryptorchid Chipmunk, XAbsolute PowerX, Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and more.
Raising The Stakes is now availible on DVD-R from Ohio based independent film distributor Freak Productions, who released the infamous horror anthology Faces of Schlock earlier this year. The DVD retails for $10 at the Freak Productions website, www.freakproductions.net and more information on the film is available at www.raisingthestakes.co.nr.
The DVD release is packed with extra features and authored by Henrique Couto, Freak Productions's head honcho. His other work includes the independent releases of the films of Low Budget Pictures, 4th Floor Pictures, Dudez Productions, and Apparition Films. The extras on the disc include:
Audio commentary from writer/director Justin Channell, stars Josh Lively, Zane Crosby, and MANY other special guests!
Forty minutes of hilarious outtakes
Deleted scenes, including two rarely-seen alternate endings
Footage from various screenings
Featurette: Dubbing The Stakes
Bonus Short Film: Killing Gregory, with commentary from Channell and outtakes
Live Music from Cryptorchid Chipmunk and Jon Bolden
