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Joined: Jun 05, 2004 Posts: 628 Location: Boise, Idaho
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:12 pm Post subject: Press Release: Raising the Stakes on DVD Available Now!
Raising The Stakes, the award-winning film from West Virginia’s IWC Films, 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 will soon be available at the film’s website, www.raisingthestakes.co.nr.
After producing around twenty short films and learning the craft and with the oncoming 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 WV and other areas.
Since the film’s completion, Raising The Stakes has gained acclaim from critics and support from people like Tom Root, the head writer of Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken, the animated program on the channel’s Adult Swim lineup, which was co-created by film star Seth Green. Also giving support is Trent Haaga, writer of Troma’s Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Pt. IV, Full Moon’s Hell Asylum, Shock-O-Rama Cinema’s Feeding The Masses, and the MTV show Damage Control. Haaga also recently posted information about the DVD release on his official website.
The film also won first place at the West Virginia International Film Festival’s Student Competition and as the writer and director, Channell just recently received an Outstanding Art Achievement award from the Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission.
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 Chris Seaver’s Low Budget Pictures and Andy Copp’s 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
• Trailers _________________ Duane L. Martin Webmaster - B-Movie Central Editor / Webmaster / Staff Writer - Rogue Cinema
Joined: Aug 04, 2004 Posts: 29 Location: Detroit, Michigan
Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:06 am Post subject: This is a great movie
In case you didn't read the review I did a while back, this is a great movie. It's well written and just plain funny. It's a bit rough around the edges but Justin freely admits that, but it's still well worth the ten bucks to check it out!
Brian _________________ Remember what Dino DeLaurentis said when he was asked to add an 'after story' to his 70s remake of King Kong..."When Monkey Die, Everyone Cry, The End"
Joined: Jun 06, 2004 Posts: 131 Location: Louisiana, US
Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:00 am Post subject: Re: This is a great movie
badmovieguy wrote:
In case you didn't read the review I did a while back, this is a great movie. It's well written and just plain funny. It's a bit rough around the edges but Justin freely admits that, but it's still well worth the ten bucks to check it out!
Brian
Next time I have some cash and I'm looking for a little low budget flick I might check it out, sounds interesting - and got to love the packed special features Indie filmmakers know what gets us in the buying mood _________________ Josh Samford
Webmaster - Varied Celluloid
Staff Writer - Rogue Cinema
"I've thought about things that Kings and Queens cannot spell." - Gary Busey
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Indie filmmakers know what gets us in the buying mood 