Gory Girl Power Continues To Reign Supreme At Fangoria
While we're all patiently waiting for the first issue of Fangoria to arrive in our mailboxes come October - courtesy of former BMD contributors Phil Nobile Jr. and the magazine's newly appointed Managing Editor Meredith Borders - the guys and gals at Cinestate have been busy setting the wheels of their brand's motion picture production arm into motion. First, they produced a new Puppet Master picture (which ruled), then they hired up-and-comer Chelsea Stardust to helm Paperbacks From Hell author Grady Hendrix's pizza delivery girl v. cultists romp, Satanic Panic.
However, the big screen isn't the only place you're going to see Fango's revamped, Bond-influenced logo come to animated life, as Barbara Crampton is going to continue her long legacy as one of the great women in horror history by joining Ghoul Gang Slumber Party, from co-creators Suki-Rose Simakis & April Wolfe. For those who aren't hip to what this sleepover is setting out to accomplish, here's the official synopsis:
"The concept involves four women brave enough to spend the night in a famous haunted house while getting tipsy on wine, communing with the spirits, and learning about witchy traditions. Light and fun with a dash of double, double toil and trouble, Ghoul Gang Slumber Party channels all the hilarity of childhood sleepovers mixed with the likes Queer Eye and Drunk History, with ghosts!"
Joining Crampton, Simakis and Wolfe as a co-host will be popular personality Dani Fernandez, with comedian Jamie Loftus being their first guest on the pilot. Personally speaking, I can't wait to cuddle up on the couch with my own libation and watch all of these talented women throw down in spooky style.
Not content to slow down anytime soon, Fango made moves out of Toronto by acquiring Laura Moss and Brendan O’Brien’s original screenplay After Birth, which will see Moss - who lensed the truly terrific Ted Bundy-centered coming of age short Fry Day - make her feature directing debut. Per Deadline, After Birth is said to revolve around:
"A morgue technician who successfully reanimates the body of a little girl, but to keep her breathing, she will need to harvest biological materials from pregnant women. When the girl’s mother, a nurse, discovers her baby alive, they enter into a deal that forces them both down a dark path of no return."
To my tired eyes, this logline reads like a little bit of David Cronenberg, and a little bit of Mary Shelley. Give it to me now. Mali Elfman will produce, along with Dallas Sonnier and Amanda Presmyk for Fangoria and Cinestate. Phil Nobile Jr. and Clay Neigher will also EP for Fango.
Beyond being incredibly excited for my good friends, there's something really special happening at Fango right now that they're (quite graciously) not making a huge deal about. In almost every area of the company, women are helping to steer the ship. From Meredith being appointed Managing Editor of the mag, to two of their three cinematic projects being directed by female filmmakers, to their TV show owning a distinctly "feminist" mode of entertainment (not to mention all being supervised by Cinestate’s in-house producer Amanda Presmyk), it's really neat to see this famous banner becoming a true agent of change in the industry. They're not just saying they support women in entertainment, but putting their money we're their mouths are, and hiring in correct fashion. Hats off to all involved at Fango, especially Cinestate honcho Sonnier, who's becoming one of the most fascinating voices in the world of genre filmmaking. If everyone followed this course of action, our media landscape would continue to evolve for the better.
Now, take a look at Fry Day below, and tell me you can't wait to see just what Moss does with a feature budget and runtime. Something tells me After Birth is going to be really amazing.
