Exclusives
Miller Elaborates on ‘Banshee’ Production
Bloody-Disgusting recently caught up with director Steven Miller, who is currently putting the finishing touches on Scream of the Banshee, part of After Dark’s 8-part ORIGINALS series arriving this October. Penned by Anthony C. Ferrante (Boo!), the pic is an “old school” creature feature (more info) that stars both Lance Henriksen and Lauren Holly.
“After Dark called me this past November and said, ‘Hey, we have this movie for you,’” Miller tells BD. “They were a fan of my first movie, which was AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION. It was really quick. They got the script and then they handed it to me. From getting the script to shooting was literally a month or less. We shot in Louisiana in Baton Rouge. They’ve got some crazy stuff going on down south. It’s a great place. Everybody there is really cool and the crews are really nice. We shot this movie in 12-15 days, depending on how you look at it. It’s very quick, very hectic, but a lot of fun.”
To tell his tale about a shrieking Banshee that dooms all who hear her scream, Miller was able to score two impressive leads in Lauren Holly and genre icon Lance Henrickson. “Lauren is one of those actresses that is amazing to work with,” says Miller. “She’s worked in TV before on CIS, which was important when you’re shooting on this tight of a schedule and only doing two or three takes.”
“Lance is rad,” adds Miller. “Any time you get to work with the man, Bishop, he’s awesome. He’s one of those dudes that just comes in and kills it every time. You don’t have to give him much direction at all. I talked to him on the phone before we got there, which was fun, and just kind of went over his character and what we wanted him to be. He got there, put on a wig and just knew what he was doing. He kicks in some doors, tries to blow away some Banshees like they’re aliens. It’s fun.”
Miller hopes banshee will be a return to fun monster movies of the ’80s such as 1985’s FRIGHT NIGHT, which the director says he looked to for inspiration. “I really love Fright Night. We looked at that movie a lot because it’s fun. It’s not crazy scary, but it’s fun. And that’s where we were trying to take BANSHEE. Yeah, it’s going to have its scare moments, but ultimately it’s a monster movie. And so, especially for kids nowadays who’ve seen everything, we really just wanted to make it fun and cool and more of that kind of atmosphere.“
Exclusives
New Documentaries Explore the Cult Legacies of ‘The Keep’ and ‘Wolfen’; Watch the Trailers Now [Exclusive]
Undersung werewolf gem Wolfen and Michael Mann’s The Keep get the spotlight in a pair of feature documentaries acquired by Antenna Releasing.
A World War II Fairy Tale, which covers the infamous production of and reception to The Keep, will receive a limited theatrical release in October, followed by a TVOD release on Apple/Amazon. The Keep will also screen as a double feature for some showings.
For Uncovering Wolfen, Antenna eyes a limited theatrical release for 2027. Both films are currently available for booking via Antenna prior to their theatrical and digital releases.
Both documentaries are directed by Stewart Buck, who co-helms with Stéphane Piter on A World War II Fairy Tale.
“We at Antenna are obsessed with film history,” said Chief Acquisitions Officer Billy Ray Brewton. “Stewart has done such a remarkable job of really diving into the deepest recesses of how these films were made and, in doing so, has created the definitive histories of both projects.”
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Antenna Releasing!” said director Buck. “It’s refreshing to see a filmmaker-friendly approach to distribution with people who know what it’s like to be in the trenches with independent projects that struggle to find a home in the crowded marketplace.”
Check out our exclusive trailer and poster reveal of both documentaries below.
Released in 1983, Michael Mann’s The Keep was a notorious box office bomb, critically lambasted and all but forgotten for years, save for the fascination with Tangerine Dream’s iconic score. In recent years, the film has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence and is widely considered a cult classic, though director Michael Mann and many cast members refuse to acknowledge it.
Wolfen, on the other hand, was critical success but was overshadowed heavily by its flashier 1981 siblings An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. It’s also a trailblazer for socio-political horror, and the doc will explore that via the craftspeople who made it.
Look for them both in theaters soon. Stay tuned for more as it arrives.
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