Indie Horror: Bedtime Stories and More

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Ruben Rodriguez (director), dropped me a line, letting me know that three of his short films (SAWARU, CEREAL KILLERS, and IN THE WOODS) has been picked up for distribution by Troma Entertainment. The DVD is scheduled to be released in June 2006 and will feature Scream Queen Debbie Rochon (as a bloody waitress serving up the director's head on a platter) on the DVD artwork. Images, poster art and a ten minute preview for each of his three shorts can be viewed here - and I watched all three and they do show some promise.

Sawaru - After visiting the morgue for some routine photos. A rookie photojournalist starts experiencing strange visions. And soon believes that after being "touched" by a corpse at the morgue -- she has been infected with death.

Cereal Killers - In what was meant as a harmless prank , three high school girls unintentionally kill MIRANDA RICHARDS, one of Tri-Country High's most popular and adored students. The cool and calculating LISA STOKES tries to cover up the crime but is found out by school geek, NANCY KROFT.

So what are a couple of serial killers to do? Dispose of the witness...as well as some other dead weight.

In the Woods - Five friends travel to a lake in the woods for a weekend getaway, only to be killed off one by one by an unseen maniac.

Ruben has also let us know that his is currently working on his first feature length film, a horror anthology titled BEDTIME STORIES, which sounds pretty interesting.. the story overview is below.

"AMANDA RHAMES (21) takes on a babysitting job to make a few extra dollars for school. Her friends talked her into taking a babysitting gig on the outskirts of town. It's easy money, they tell her; she'll have time to study, do schoolwork and maybe even have time to catch up on some gossip with her girlfriends over the phone. However, this babysitting gig turns out to be a literal nightmare for Amanda. Everything that can go wrong does. When she makes her way to the job, she realizes that the family is a little off. As the parents leave for the night, they instruct Amanda to put the children to bed before midnight ...or else. Although, she is to have the kids in bed by the required time; she must read them a bedtime story. But it is when she meets twins LILLITH and DAMIAN that she realizes that they aren't interested in any ordinary stories. The two, peculiar children want tales of horror and gore to pass the time. Suddenly, Damian pulls out a massive book from under his bed and proceeds to read three of his favorite and most ghastly, nightmare inducing stories to the unwitting babysitter.

The first story is "AS THE WORM TURNS." This tale is about a young, overweight female, MARIKA GODISH, who wants to fit in with society's ideal of what is "beautiful." She wants to make her family, her friends and herself happy by desiring to be an A-type girl. A- types are females all women love to hate; they have perfect bodies, smiles and hair. One day, while watching television, Marika sees a commercial for a weight loss program that's 'guaranteed' to make the pounds melt away. She goes to the office of DR. JAMES WALKEN and tries his program. She soon becomes one of those A-type girls as she rapidly loses the weight. However, with extreme weight loss comes severe hunger, a hunger she can't seem to satisfy; something is inside of her, and if she cannot pacify its cravings, it may eat her alive.

The next tale of horror is titled "THE CLOSET." MELISSA PALLADINO, a financially strapped college student, finds an unbelievably cheap apartment off campus. The rent fits into her modest budget – so she takes it, despite discovering a small door in the closet that the landlord, Old Man Jenkins, said never to open. However, late at night, she hears scratching and clawing from inside the tiny door. Melissa thinks it's a rodent infestation inside the old apartment building. When she finds the key to the miniature doorway and unlocks a pathway to terror. Melissa is unprepared for what really lives inside her closet: a bloodthirsty creature with emerald green eyes and massive claws.

The third frightening story is a little gem filled with greed, murder and revenge called “Idol Threat.” ALEX GUERRA, the 70 year old owner of Guerra’s Gas, Snack and Museum, has spent his entire life collecting, what his son WILL GUERRA calls junk. When a 1966 Ford Thunderbird pulls up with five college kids looking to buy gas; they discover that one mans’ junk is another man’s treasure. The college students look around Alex’s museum of oddities including a golden Aztec idol hidden in a back room. A golden idol they must have – at any cost. However, Alex attempts to stop the youngsters from stealing his prize possession gets him a spear in the back. The young thieves dispose of the old man’s body, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. Alex comes back from the grave with one thing in mind: to get his idol back- and no one will be left alive until he does.

Amanda, now disturbed by the three gruesome stories 10 year old Damian just told her, tries to put the kids to bed. However, she forgot their mother’s warning about them going to bed before midnight. She looks at the clock in the kids’ room… and it’s unplugged. Why? Amanda looks at her wristwatch and sees that it is FIVE MINUTES PAST MIDNIGHT! As Lillith and Damian smile, Amanda notices that there is something different and unsettling about them. Something… evil. What happens next is a riveting, horrific climax that has to be seen to be believed. So, tuck yourself in -- it’s time for BEDTIME STORIES."