Live Evil (film)
Encyclopedia
Live Evil is a 2009
independent action horror film
directed by Jay Woelfel
, produced by Mark Terry and starring Tim Thomerson
, Ken Foree
, Mark Hengst and Tiffany Shepis
.
), who leaves a note on the bodies of slain vampires in the form of a playing card inscibed with the words "Live Evil". In order to survive both their race's own fierce infighting and the biological pollution found in human blood, the group desperately seeks out Max (Ken Foree
), a "blood pusher" who steals from hospital blood bank
s to offer the freshest and purest blood around. But they may not have time to enjoy it, because the vengeful Priest is hot on their trail.
in mind. Principle filming on the feature began in November 2006, six months after the first scene was shot. Filiming took place on weekends and lasted several months The film was screened at various film festivals in order to attract the attention of potential distributors.
wrote that the film "is a throwback to the gory, tongue-in-cheek monster movies that dominated video rental shelves in the 1980s and early 1990s and were produced by Charles Band’s Full Moon Pictures
or Lloyd Kaufman
’s Troma Studios." They noted that the film was what one might expect as a first effort, and that it contained structural issues caused by the film's erratic production schedule, but wrote that considering its limited budget, "The script shows flashes of promise, and the special effects are impressive", and that as an action/horror film, "it more than meets the criteria required by fans of low-budget, Grindhouse-style frightfests".
DVD Talk
, while praising actor Tim Thomerson
's work in the film, noted a few problems with the production itself, writing the film "would have been more consistently successful had some further editing been done. A vampire party at a blood dealer's home (the dealer is played by character actor Ken Foree
, who also executive produced) was a clever idea but runs on far too long." They made note of the film's inclusion of public domain footage from the silent
horror film classic Nosferatu, but expanded that simply because such footage is available "doesn't mean that every other low budget vampire movie needs to find a way of jamming footage from that film into their narrative." They also noted that the film's "climactic battle between the Priest and the vampires also feels too-long, and a surprise 'twist' at the end isn't all that surprising." In noting the film's perceived flaws, they concluded that the film "has more creativity and a sense of schlocky fun than the majority of its low-budget ilk. And it's good to see Tim Thomerson up to his old tough guy routine. Given its generous extras (more on these in a bit), I'd give this release a mild recommendation for horror and cult film fans." Of the film's video, the felt that the film's use non-anamorphic widescreen format revealed "artifacts, aliasing, and a general lack of clarity." Of the film's sound, the wrote that opposite of the visual quality, "the sound comes across strongly," in that its dialogue "was always clear, and sound effects well-represented."
Bloody Disgusting
made note of the film's "Clearly taking advantage of America’s approval of vampire worship as the new national religion," and that with a plot of vampires finding good human blood more and more difficult to find resulting in infighting among the survivors, the film felt related to the Blade film franchise. They also felt that although the film was "Slightly reminiscent of Near Dark
, it brought "enough blood and boobs to the table to entertain even the most jaded horror fan." They praised the productions special effects team for pulling "out all the stops when it comes to bringing the syrupy wet work." They made note of the film's introduction of vampire babies (“Goddamned vampire babies”, intones Thomerson, “they’re the worst.”)" and praised the writer/director: "[Jay] Woelfel slams down the creative gas pedal and doesn’t let up until the end credits roll." They concluded that for those viewers "willing to ignore sub-par production values, Live Evil pays off in spades."
by Warner Brothers in 2009, followed by a DVD
release in 2010 by Rivercoast Films. The DVD contains a widescreen transfer with 5.1 Surround Sound, and extras include an audio commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel, producer Mark Terry, and acor MarkHengst, Deleted scenes with commentary by Woelfel, a video clip of the Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
's Q&A with Thomerson and Woelfel, a promo video clip of the film's debut at "Weekend of Horrors", Thomerson introducing the film at "Flashback Weekend", the featurette Stunts: Behind the Scenes”, the original theatrical trailer, and a bonus short film Night Demons with an introduction by Mark Terry. BSX Records released composer Austin Wintory's motion picture soundtrack to "Live Evil" in July, 2010.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
independent action horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Jay Woelfel
Jay Woelfel
Jay Woelfel is a writer/director of independent films, and with producer Johnnie J. Young, a partner in Young Wolf Productions.-Credits:* Closed for the Season...
, produced by Mark Terry and starring Tim Thomerson
Tim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
, Ken Foree
Ken Foree
Kentotis Alvin "Ken" Foree is an American actor probably most famous as the hero Peter in Dawn of the Dead and Kenan & Kel as Roger, Kenan's dad.- Early life and career :Foree was born in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Mark Hengst and Tiffany Shepis
Tiffany Shepis
- External links :...
.
Plot
Vampires are finding their own undead bodies being mutated by the pollution of the host's blood, tainted with hard drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol, diabetes, anti-depressants, and cigarettes: substances that change the blood and makes it undrinkable for vampires. The scarcity of good blood has incited an underground civil war between various groups of vampires. A clique of 4 vampires, led by Benedict (Mark Hengst), struggle to find sustenance by seeking victims with untainted blood. The group is being stalked by a samurai sword-wielding vampire-killing Priest (Tim ThomersonTim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
), who leaves a note on the bodies of slain vampires in the form of a playing card inscibed with the words "Live Evil". In order to survive both their race's own fierce infighting and the biological pollution found in human blood, the group desperately seeks out Max (Ken Foree
Ken Foree
Kentotis Alvin "Ken" Foree is an American actor probably most famous as the hero Peter in Dawn of the Dead and Kenan & Kel as Roger, Kenan's dad.- Early life and career :Foree was born in Indianapolis, Indiana...
), a "blood pusher" who steals from hospital blood bank
Blood bank
A blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a division of a hospital laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where proper...
s to offer the freshest and purest blood around. But they may not have time to enjoy it, because the vengeful Priest is hot on their trail.
Production
When producer Mark Terry moved with friends to Los Angeles from Florida, he was contacted by an alleged investor wishing a film to be made and whose caveta was that the film had to be a vampire film. Terry and his friends wrote the first draft of the film and the original investor pulled out. After shooting the film's opening scenes in March 2006, and feeling the production would never be completed, the friends lost interest. When told by them that they wished to quit the production, Terry and another producer signed a script option for the screenplay and opening scene, found a new investor, had a script rewrite done by Jay Woelfel specifically with Tim ThomersonTim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
in mind. Principle filming on the feature began in November 2006, six months after the first scene was shot. Filiming took place on weekends and lasted several months The film was screened at various film festivals in order to attract the attention of potential distributors.
Partial cast
- Tim ThomersonTim ThomersonJoseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
as The Priest - Ken ForeeKen ForeeKentotis Alvin "Ken" Foree is an American actor probably most famous as the hero Peter in Dawn of the Dead and Kenan & Kel as Roger, Kenan's dad.- Early life and career :Foree was born in Indianapolis, Indiana...
as Max - Gregory Lee KenyonGregory Lee KenyonGregory Lee Kenyon is an American actor who has starred in numerous independent films and plays.The actor has worked many times with director Sam R. Balcomb who cast him as the lead in the fantasy film Ancanar...
as Vampire Baxter - Tiffany ShepisTiffany Shepis- External links :...
as Spider - Mark Hengst as Vampire leader Benedict
- Osa Wallander as Vampire Sydney
- Jeff BurrJeff BurrJeff Burr is an American film director, Writer and producer best known for his work in horror sequels, such as Stepfather II, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Puppet Master 4 and 5, and Pumpkinhead II....
as Bathroom Trucker - Mark Terry as David
- Lee Perkins as Officer Hicks
- Sean Cain as Severin
- Eva Derrek as Vampire Yael
- Elissa Dowling as Jerry
- Dan Glenn as Chad
- Mike Meadows as Mac
- Sebastian Saraceno as Clyde
- Cherrae L. Stuart as Cee
- Hawk Younkins as Officer Fowler
- Jenny HendrixJenny HendrixJenny Hendrix is an American entrepreneur, model and former pornographic actress. Hendrix began her career in 2004 at the age of 18, and has since been featured in over 100 movies....
as Naked Party Girl #1 - Ann Marie Rios as Naked Party Girl #2
Critical reception
The Tampa TribuneThe Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune, published in Tampa, Florida, is one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area, second in circulation and readership to the St. Petersburg Times. The paper's tagline is "Life...
wrote that the film "is a throwback to the gory, tongue-in-cheek monster movies that dominated video rental shelves in the 1980s and early 1990s and were produced by Charles Band’s Full Moon Pictures
Full Moon Features
Full Moon Features is a motion picture production and distribution company headed by B-movie veteran Charles Band. It is known for the direct-to-video series Puppet Master and Subspecies, as well as the innovative VideoZone featurette at the end of films through 1989 to 2000.-Full Moon...
or Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman
Lloyd Kaufman is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and occasional actor. With producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including The Toxic Avenger and Tromeo and Juliet. Kaufman also serves as...
’s Troma Studios." They noted that the film was what one might expect as a first effort, and that it contained structural issues caused by the film's erratic production schedule, but wrote that considering its limited budget, "The script shows flashes of promise, and the special effects are impressive", and that as an action/horror film, "it more than meets the criteria required by fans of low-budget, Grindhouse-style frightfests".
DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
, while praising actor Tim Thomerson
Tim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
's work in the film, noted a few problems with the production itself, writing the film "would have been more consistently successful had some further editing been done. A vampire party at a blood dealer's home (the dealer is played by character actor Ken Foree
Ken Foree
Kentotis Alvin "Ken" Foree is an American actor probably most famous as the hero Peter in Dawn of the Dead and Kenan & Kel as Roger, Kenan's dad.- Early life and career :Foree was born in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, who also executive produced) was a clever idea but runs on far too long." They made note of the film's inclusion of public domain footage from the silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
horror film classic Nosferatu, but expanded that simply because such footage is available "doesn't mean that every other low budget vampire movie needs to find a way of jamming footage from that film into their narrative." They also noted that the film's "climactic battle between the Priest and the vampires also feels too-long, and a surprise 'twist' at the end isn't all that surprising." In noting the film's perceived flaws, they concluded that the film "has more creativity and a sense of schlocky fun than the majority of its low-budget ilk. And it's good to see Tim Thomerson up to his old tough guy routine. Given its generous extras (more on these in a bit), I'd give this release a mild recommendation for horror and cult film fans." Of the film's video, the felt that the film's use non-anamorphic widescreen format revealed "artifacts, aliasing, and a general lack of clarity." Of the film's sound, the wrote that opposite of the visual quality, "the sound comes across strongly," in that its dialogue "was always clear, and sound effects well-represented."
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
made note of the film's "Clearly taking advantage of America’s approval of vampire worship as the new national religion," and that with a plot of vampires finding good human blood more and more difficult to find resulting in infighting among the survivors, the film felt related to the Blade film franchise. They also felt that although the film was "Slightly reminiscent of Near Dark
Near Dark
Near Dark is an American vampire/Western horror film, written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow, and directed by Bigelow. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires...
, it brought "enough blood and boobs to the table to entertain even the most jaded horror fan." They praised the productions special effects team for pulling "out all the stops when it comes to bringing the syrupy wet work." They made note of the film's introduction of vampire babies (“Goddamned vampire babies”, intones Thomerson, “they’re the worst.”)" and praised the writer/director: "[Jay] Woelfel slams down the creative gas pedal and doesn’t let up until the end credits roll." They concluded that for those viewers "willing to ignore sub-par production values, Live Evil pays off in spades."
Release
In September of 2008, the film had both its festival premiere at the Valley Film Festival in North Hollywood, and it theatrical debut at the The Beach Theater in St. Petersburg Beach, and was released to Video on DemandVideo on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
by Warner Brothers in 2009, followed by a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release in 2010 by Rivercoast Films. The DVD contains a widescreen transfer with 5.1 Surround Sound, and extras include an audio commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel, producer Mark Terry, and acor MarkHengst, Deleted scenes with commentary by Woelfel, a video clip of the Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Weekend of Horrors is a tri-annual traveling convention which focuses on horror films. Formerly produced and operated by Fangoria Magazine with its name and likeness owned by Creation Entertainment, the convention is now produced solely by Creation.The convention also deals in areas of the horror...
's Q&A with Thomerson and Woelfel, a promo video clip of the film's debut at "Weekend of Horrors", Thomerson introducing the film at "Flashback Weekend", the featurette Stunts: Behind the Scenes”, the original theatrical trailer, and a bonus short film Night Demons with an introduction by Mark Terry. BSX Records released composer Austin Wintory's motion picture soundtrack to "Live Evil" in July, 2010.