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A burgeoning YouTuber named Lucas Page (William Magnusen) finds a camcorder tape with his name on it in his parents’ house. The tape shows him, as a child, sleeping until two men dressed in black walk into his room, wake him, place something in his mouth, then walk out. Lucas has no memory of this ever taking place. Knowing right away that something is horribly wrong, Lucas starts to dig into where the footage came from—a search for answers that starts to completely unravel his life, and seems to involve his entire town of Larkin, Texas, but especially the evangelical Reverend Endicott (John Gholson).

A camera has caught a monster. But what kind of monster it caught is the real question that Man Finds Tape is concerned with, and the answer figuratively and literally changes shape as it goes on. The film, written and directed by Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall,...

Kelsey Pribilski getting her make-up done on the set of Man Finds Tape

Paul Gandersman and Peter Hall's directorial feature debut, the fictional horror documentary Man Finds Tape, revolves around documentarian Lynn Page (Kelsey Pribilski), who returns to her family home in Larkin, Texas after receiving a cryptic phone call from her brother Lucas (William Magnuson). The discovery of mysterious video footage, Lucas' viral web series Man Finds Tape and inexplicable questions about a tragic event recorded in the small community, thrusts the siblings down a rabbit hole. Meanwhile, the pair confront an evil that has been preying for decades on their small town.

Prior to writing Man Finds Tape, with the support of Rustic Films' Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead and David Lawson Jr, Gandersman and Hall published the horror novel The Dead Friends Society, about the victims of a masked killer whose spirits are trapped in a house,...

With video surveillance and social media at a fever pitch, the time for new takes on found footage is now, and you don’t have to reinvent the smartphone to do it. “Man Finds Tape” uses a traditional lo-fi approach to an elevated horror concept when a strange presence starts zapping minds in the small town of Larkin, Texas.

Written and directed by Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman, the supernatural mystery follows siblings Lynn (Kelsey Pribilski) and Lucas Page (William Magnuson) through a playful reconsideration of the unreliable narrator. The filmmakers’ background as novelists steers their world toward Stephen King territory, occasionally to its detriment. But in the end, their thoroughly imagined script pays off as a well-constructed monster movie — one that freshly challenges the sometimes-freeing, sometimes-suffocating subgenre and format.

Scary clips presented without context can be terrifying, but “Man Finds Tape” breaks new ground by tangling up its audience...

Man Finds Tape is a faux-documentary horror show like many others…at first. A man finds a tape (duh) and begins chronicling his investigation into strange happenings, ultimately descending into supernatural madness—but familiarity is short-lived. Writers and directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall have concocted an Eldritchian ode to The X-Files or Supernatural episodes with a backroads Texas twist. It’s cryptic creepypasta for the YouTube generation, delving into an online conspiracy world of Reddit hoaxes and fraudulent celebrities. On a meager budget and with clever ideas, Man Finds Tape introduces viewers to the chaos of actually finding the truths you seek.

Everything starts when Lucas Page (William Magnuson), a nobody from Larkin, Texas, finds an ominous tape in his childhood barn. He gains notoriety after starting a YouTube series about the tape, which gains overnight popularity. The more comments he receives, the more attention he gets, the more worrisome his videos become.

“Are all monsters a hoax, or is it possible that the monsters that haunt the 21st century hide in plain sight?”

Found footage and mockumentary horror films remain wildly polarizing and they’re subgenres where only the most successful or maligned releases seem to get any attention. For some horror audiences, there’s just too much of a buy-in and suspension of disbelief to truly get lost in found footage storytelling. The subgenre’s “simplicity” and budgetary freedom means that there are endless found footage films that are completely disposable and don’t have anything new to say or contribute. However, there’s been a growing trend of reflexive found footage and mockumentary horror films, like Found Footage 3D, Something in the Dirt, Butterfly Kisses, and Antrum, that strive to use the subgenre’s storytelling aesthetic to dig deeper into the human condition.

There are many opportunities for clever subversions...

Exclusive: XYZ Films has picked up world sales rights on the supernatural thriller Man Finds Tape ahead of its debut at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Written and directed by Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman, the film stars Kelsey Pribilski, William Magnuson, John Gholson, Brian Villalobos, and Nell Kessler. It is produced by David Lawson Jr, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, and Ashley Landavazo. Executive producers are Jessica Cargill and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister). XYZ Films also executive-produced.

The film marks the latest collaboration between XYZ Films and Moorhead, Benson, and Lawson’s Rustic Films, which includes titles such as Something In the Dirt, Synchronic, and Spring. The team also worked together on previous Tribeca titles, The Endless and Resolution, both directed by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, with the latter being the filmmaking team’s directorial debut.

The official synopsis reads: After receiving a cryptic call, documentarian Lynn Page...

The Tribeca Film Fest 2025, presented by Okx, announced its full lineup of feature narrative, documentary, and animated films today. This year’s Festival, which takes place June 4-15 in New York City showcases the best emerging talent from across the globe alongside established names.

Of particular interest to horror fans may be the New York premiere of Predator: Killer of Killers. Also noteworthy is Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead, in which George A. Romero’s daughter pays tribute to his brand of zombie cinema with a “fresh, contemporary, and queer twist.” Prolific filmmaker Takashi Miike is also back with his latest, the thriller Sham.

Read on for the genre titles scheduled to premiere at Tribeca:

Escape From Tribeca

The most exciting cult movies from our galaxy: present, past, and future. Far-out premieres and nerve-shredding classics along with giveaways, prizes and fan-focused fun. Escape the ordinary and embrace the psychotronic!

Encyclopocalypse Publications is proud to bring Paul Gandersman and Peter Hall's debut YA Horror novel, The Dead Friends Society, to print on November 11, 2022: "Drew and her friends aren't like most college kids. They're dead.

Murdered in 1998 by a masked killer known only as The Fireman, their spirits are trapped in Greywood House, desperate to escape...until Abbey and her family arrive.

The new girl finds herself drawn to their haunting presence, which only makes things worse. Because the dead know what the living can't: The Fireman is coming back.

And this time the ghosts of Greywood House will have to do whatever it takes to stop the next bloodbath, even if it means the end of their afterlives...

"The Dead Friends Society was supposed to be a movie." explains authors Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman, "We started developing it years ago, when the world was very different. We...

Rest stops can be scary on unfamiliar stretches of road, and in Aaron Morgan's new horror short film Seek, two sisters unknowingly drive right into a nightmare when they pull over at a park bathroom. Ahead of its world premiere at SXSW 2020, Seek is featured in a new teaser trailer that introduces viewers to its deadly detour.

Directed by Aaron Morgan from a screenplay by Morgan and Eric Vespe, executive produced by Michaela Morgan, and produced by Paul Gandersman, Peter Hall, and Vespe, Seek stars Allisyn Snyder, Clare Grant, Steve Agee, and Sarah Anne Williams.

Seek will have its world premiere screening at SXSW on Saturday, March 14th at 9:00pm at the Alamo Lamar D. We have the short film's official synopsis, teaser trailer, and art print below, and to learn more, visit:

https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2024691

Synopsis: "Estranged sisters Heidi and Jordan have been driving all...

Directed by Julian Hoffmann and an ode to '80s B-Movie horror, Revenge of the Slasher is now available to stream on Amazon Prime. Also in today's Horror Highlighs: Do Not Reply's Shriekfest Film Festival premiere details, Fantastic Fest awards winners, and Ghost Light Anthology: Cataclysm release details.

Revenge of the Slasher Now on Amazon Prime: "Julian Hoffman's multi-award-winning horror-comedy short Revenge of the Slasher is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video worldwide and has been praised for its homage to the 80’s B-horror era.

Official Synopsis: The Autumn Hill Killer, also known as Ernie, seeks revenge against the naive virgin who beat him, as she indulges in all the sex and drugs she avoided in order to survive the massacre.

Written and Directed by Julian Hoffman. Starring: Zac Spiegelman, Catherine Brown, Michael Charles McNeil, Maddisyn Fisher, and Patrick Fedorov.

Watch Now in the USA: https://amzn.to/2m0bmcd

UK: https://amzn.

By Jacob Oller

October means witches. ritten by Peter S. Hall and directed by Paul Gandersman, Givertaker is primo witchy content for the early days of the spookiest month. After having its world premiere at last year’s Fantastic Fest, Givertaker has taken its blend of modernity and retro (think The Craft) stylings to further projects under its creatives. […]

The article ‘Givertaker’ Offers The Two Things That Make The Season: Ancient Evil and Goths appeared first on Film School Rejects.

"If the wickedness pleases you, let the window become a door..." Here's yet another excellent horror short film to watch. Givertaker, a "Dead Kids Club Story", is directed by Paul Gandersman, and written by Peter S. Hall, a movie writer who many cinephiles probably know already. In the film, Nell Kessler plays Sarah, a high schooler who decides to get revenge on the people who have been bullying her by asking for help from a mysterious wishing well. This is an impressive horror short that relies more on storytelling and strong performances than any special effects. Though I do really like the look of swirling smoke in the wishing well. There's also a fantastic old school poster for this short (made by artist Stephen Andrade) seen below. Enjoy. Thanks to Film School Rejects for the tip on this short. Description from Vimeo: "An angry teen conducts an ancient ritual to...

Hot off its world premiere at Fantastic Fest just a couple weeks back, the good folks at Arcanum Pictures (who brought you the teen genre flicks Grow Up, Tony Phillips and My Sucky Teen Romance) are releasing their short film Givertaker on the world. Directed by Arcanum's Paul Gandersman and written by Peter S. Hall, this short is the first in a larger series they're calling the Dead Kids Club. Hall had this to say: Givertaker is the first taste of the larger world of the Dead Kids Club. It's our love letter to '90s teen horror and involves a small town filled with people who routinely transgress the supernatural. Check out the short below and let the guys know over at their site if...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Here's a great short film called Givertaker that comes from a couple of filmmakers based out of Austin, Texas. It's about a teenaged girl who is convinced a couple of Mean Girls-esque classmates have ruined her reputation and made her life a living hell, so she turns to a mysterious supernatural creature called the Givertaker to enact her revenge on them.

The short serves as a proof of concept for the world of the "Dead Kids Club," which the filmmakers presumably hope to build out in future shorts or maybe even a feature film. Givertaker premiered at this year's Fantastic Fest, and I've embedded it below for you to check out. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!

Written by Peter S. Hall and directed by Paul Gandersman, Givertaker is a short film love letter to '90s teen horror of all forms. Starring Nell Kessler,...

Spurned teen Sarah turns to ancient evil to seek revenge on her classmates in Givertaker, a new short film that takes viewers into the supernatural world of the Dead Kids Club, and is now available to watch online following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest.

Press Release: Austin, TX - October 11, 2016 - Arcanum Pictures has released online the short film Givertaker, which recently had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest.

Written by Peter S. Hall and directed by Paul Gandersman, Givertaker is a short film love letter to ‘90s teen horror of all forms. Starring Nell Kessler, Caiti Ward (Rooster Teeth’s “Rwby”), Jessica Perrin (Found Footage 3D), Sharmita Bhattacharya (iGirlfriend) and John James Pepper, Givertaker is the fun genre story of Sarah, an angry teen who conducts an ancient ritual to seek revenge on the classmates she believes have wronged her.

Givertaker also serves as a proof-of-concept introduction to...

“You make a wish and then you make a special offering.”

Just in time for Halloween, it’s time to get witchy with a biting new film from budding horror maestros Paul Gandersman and Peter Hall and their burgeoning Dead Kids Club franchise. Their latest offering, a short entitled “Givertaker,” recently debuted at Fantastic Fest, and now the duo are making it available in full online to anyone looking for a nice twist on an old story.

Read More: Spike Jonze Unleashes a Totally Wild Margaret Qualley in Quirky New Kenzo Short Film – Watch

“Givertaker” introduces a familiar scenario — a talented teen witch uses her powers to take out her enemies — and then flips the entire thing on its head. Sarah (Nell Kessler, in her debut role) is a pissed off teenage conjurer who endeavors to do something super-relatable: Smote the mean girls at her local high school who spread...

Guillermo del Toro (The Devil's Backbone, Crimson Peak) has contributed two signed items, a copy of Pacific Rim and The Book of Life, to A Cause for Entertainment's auction to fight breast cancer. Also in today's Horror Highlights: Friday the 13th franchise enamel pins from Fright Rags, the list of short films at Fantastic Fest 2016, Dr. West: A Reanimated Parody sneak peek details, and info on the new poetry collection, As the Blade Cuts.

Guillermo del Toro-Signed Memorabilia at A Cause for Entertainment's Auction to Fight Breast Cancer: "Starting bid: $50.00

Oscar nominated Writer/Director Guillermo Del Toro, known for his work on Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Crimson Peak, has generously donated a signed copy of his film Pacific Rim and his book “The Book of Life” to support the fight against breast cancer.

Auction starts: October 17th, 2016 12:00 am

Auction ends: November 6th, 2016 7:30 pm...

Ready, Set, Fund is a column about crowdfunding and related fundraising endeavors for Austin and Texas independent film projects.

Local nonprofit festival Lights. Camera. Help. is changing it up a bit for the 2014 Reel Change Film Frenzy through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to support their ten filmmaking teams in sharing stories about local nonprofit organizations. Backers can become a producer of their very own cause-driven film by donating as little as $10. The goal is to raise $10,000 to be split between the teams to cover their costs.

At higher levels, backers are eligible to receive tickets to the Reel Change Film Frenzy screening at the Alamo Drafthouse, a cameo appearance in one of the films, or video coaching sessions by Lights. Camera. Help. educators. Even if the campaign does not reach its goal, the filmmakers have agreed to split evenly any funding received through January 4.

Stuntwoman Patty Dillon has taken...

Fantastic Fest is announcing all kinds of movies and events practically daily at this point. I leave my computer to get a sandwich and return to find out that Keanu Reeves is debating Tim League. Or that Errol Morris will be there, receiving an award and screening his latest film. Today I got a list of red-carpet events, giving me the chance to snap photos of celebrities from Danny Trejo to Elijah Wood.

First of all, the "whole" lineup of shorts and features has been announced, although I would not be surprised to see a few more announcements pop up in the next week. You might already have heard the news that Terry Gilliam's film The Zero Theorem will close the festival (please, let it be better than the other two Gilliam movies I've seen at Fantastic Fest), and that Metallica will be in Austin for the documentary Metallica Through the Never 3D,...

Filmmaker Emily Hagins is nothing short of an inspiration for horror fans of every age to go out there and make their movie! And that's just what this lovely young lady is doing again. You almost have to wonder how long before she's a household name?

From the Press Release

Aj Bowen (A Horrible Way to Die, You're Next) and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond) have signed on for Grow Up, Tony Phillips, the fourth feature film from writer-director Emily Hagins (pictured; My Sucky Teen Romance, Pathogen). The pair join previously attached cast members Tony Vespe, Devin Bonnée (both of My Sucky Teen Romance), and Jamie Landau (son of Jon Landau, in his feature film acting debut) in the independently-produced comedy about a Halloween-loving teenager who doesn't think childhood passions should have an expiration date.

Grow Up, Tony Phillips is the fourth feature film from young director Emily Hagins, who...

Aj Bowen (A Horrible Way to Die, You're Next) and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond) have signed on for Grow Up, Tony Phillips, the fourth feature film from writer-director Emily Hagins (My Sucky Teen Romance, Pathogen). The pair join previously attached cast members Tony Vespe, Devin Bonn&#233e (both of My Sucky Teen Romance), and Jamie Landau (son of Jon Landau, in his feature film acting debut) in the independently-produced comedy about a Halloween-loving teenager who doesn't think childhood passions should have an expiration date.

Grow Up, Tony Phillips is the fourth feature film from young director Emily Hagins, who drew an international spotlight when she set out to make her first feature, the zombie film Pathogen, at only 11 years old. Her most recent film, the vampire comedy My Sucky Teen Romance, enjoyed its world premiere at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it was acquired by Dark Sky Films for American distribution.

GeekStarter is all about highlighting Geeky Kickstarter projects, and this week we have a great one. Emily Hagins is one of the biggest film geeks, not to mention, one of the youngest/coolest film makers out there.

I had the chance to interview her for her recent film My Sucky Teen Romance, and now she is trying to raise money for her newest feature film. Grow Up, Tony Phillips is "a Halloween-set comedy written and directed by Emily Hagins (Pathogen, My Sucky Teen Romance)."

Here is some info about the film and the production:

About the Film

Grow Up, Tony Phillips may take place on Halloween, but it has nothing to do with horror movies and everything to do with that crystalline moment in time everyone has when they realize life marches forward and they’re the youngest they’ll ever be. It’s a coming-of-age story, but this isn...

By Allen Gardner

Quadrophenia (Criterion) Franc Roddam’s 1979 film based on The Who’s classic rock opera tells the story of working class lad Jimmy (Phil Daniels) struggling to find his identity in a rapidly changing Britain, circa 1965. Jimmy is a “mod,” a youth movement dedicated to wearing snappy suits, driving Vespa motor scooters bedecked with side mirrors, popping amphetamines and obsessed with the new sound of bands like The Who and The Kinks. Their other pastime is engaging in bloody brawls with “rockers,” throwbacks to the 1950s, who listen to Elvis and Gene Vincent, wear leather biker gear, grease in their hair and drive massive motorcycles a la Marlon Brando in “The Wild One.” Often cited as a worthy successor to “Rebel Without a Cause” as the greatest angry youth picture ever made, it is that and more, including a first cousin to the “kitchen sink” dramas of scribes John Osborne,...

Chicago – At age 12, Emily Hagins was literally surrounded by cameras. She was in the midst of directing her first feature, a zombie thriller entitled “Pathogen,” while a film crew chronicled her every move for their own documentary, “Zombie Girl: The Movie.” By the time production wrapped, Hagins was considered a budding sensation on the indie film circuit.

As the youngest director in the U.S., Hagins has displayed an enthusiasm, invention and craftsmanship that far exceeds that of many filmmakers three times her age. On the heels of her sophomore effort, a spooky mystery called “The Retelling,” Hagins has delved into the realm of comedy with a teen romance that deconstructs the “Twilight” phenomenon, while offering its own distinctive twist on the vampire genre. “My Sucky Teen Romance” stars Elaine Hurt as a girl looking to have a fling at the sci-fi/horror convention, SpaceCON, and ends up getting far more than she bargained for.

This is regarding the Your Highness: Swords & Sorcery Supreme event we posted on Facebook. If you’re just hearing about it now, the RSVPs are closed and counted and we will not be taking anymore. Thanks for your understanding.

Wow. We had quite a day trying to get this event set up, and due to some miscommunication, things got… well.. miscommunicated. Let’s start from the beginning! We get a lot of opportunities to bring you guys advanced promotional screenings for soon-to-be-released films. These opportunities usually come in the form of a studio request and are usually promoted via Facebook. Facebook isn’t necessarily the strongest system for managing the sheer volume of excited people RSVPing to these events, however, and this became very clear today.We are already moving forward on a new system that will allow us to announce RSVPs to our loyal Facebook followers but use...

Eighteen-year-old Emily Hagins’ third feature film debuts in the Lone Star States section at SXSW 2011. In it, 17-year-old Kate (Elaine Hurt) plans to spend her last weekend in town with her friends at SpaceCON — the local sci-fi convention they attend every year. There, she meets Paul (Patrick Delgado), a teen vampire, but their awkward teen romance goes wrong, and she’s bitten. Soon, Kate and her friends discover that Paul is not the only other vampire at the convention, and it’s up to them to stop the bad guys and find a way to turn Kate back before it’s too late. Here, Hagins writes about working with a teenage cast and crew, crowd funding her film and the difficulties of securing reliable vintage 1950s vehicles.

Emily Hagins

By Emily Hagins (writer-director of “My Sucky Teen Romance”)

(from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival)

I’ve always tried to...

Eighteen-year-old Emily Hagins’ third feature film debuts in the Lone Star States section at SXSW 2011. In it, 17-year-old Kate (Elaine Hurt) plans to spend her last weekend in town with her friends at SpaceCON — the local sci-fi convention they attend every year. There, she meets Paul (Patrick Delgado), a teen vampire, but their awkward teen romance goes wrong, and she’s bitten. Soon, Kate and her friends discover that Paul is not the only other vampire at the convention, and it’s up to them to stop the bad guys and find a way to turn Kate back before it’s too late. Here, Hagins writes about working with a teenage cast and crew, crowd funding her film and the difficulties of securing reliable vintage 1950s vehicles.

Emily Hagins

By Emily Hagins (writer-director of “My Sucky Teen Romance”)

(from the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival)

I’ve always tried to...

Before we wrap up 2010 in review (you can read all the articles here), I wanted to share some of my favorite photos with you from local movie-related events. Click the photos for articles about them. Special thanks to Paul Gandersman for our Machete red-carpet photos (including the one below of Danny Trejo) and Tate English for the Dobie photo below. The other photos are mine, for better or worse.

read more...

Last Thursday night, the Paramount was completely sold out for the local premiere of Machete, the latest film from Troublemaker Studios. The event was a fundraiser for the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund and the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (Txmpa). Director Robert Rodriguez was on the red carpet along with a number of stars and supporting cast from the locally shot film: Danny Trejo (shown above, naturally), Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Daryl Sabara, Elise and Electra Avellan, Billy Blair, Mayra Leal, and several others.

Paul Gandersman took some excellent photos for Slackerwood from the Machete red carpet, as well as a few from the intro and Q&A inside the Paramount. This was an impressive feat since the red carpet was extremely crowded that night, both with celebrities on the actual carpet and media surrounding it. Here are some of the best pictures from that evening -- mouse over them if...

A note from Jette: I'd like to introduce you all to our newest Slackerwood contributor, Paul Gandersman. Paul is an amazing photographer who attended the Predators red carpet and world premiere. My own red-carpet photography skills have come a long way since my first experience with them, but Paul's photos leave mine in the shade. He captured some great photos of Predators producers Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan, director Nimrod Antal and star Adrien Brody. In addition, red carpet appearances included a couple of actors from previous Troublemaker Studios films who Joe O'Connell tells us are about to star in blacktino, a movie produced by Avellan (that I'd love to hear more about): Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids, World's Greatest Dad) and Jeff Fahey (Planet Terror).

I'm posting these photos without any descriptions in between them -- I think they stand on their own very well. For those of you needing a hint,...