Pop Skull is a 2007 horror film directed by Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard is an American film director, editor, cinematographer, and writer whose films are known for their emphasis on horror, extreme violence, and psychedelic imagery. His dark and sometimes abrasive directing/editing style has been compared to directors such as David Lynch, Darren...

.

In 2003, filmmaker Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard is an American film director, editor, cinematographer, and writer whose films are known for their emphasis on horror, extreme violence, and psychedelic imagery. His dark and sometimes abrasive directing/editing style has been compared to directors such as David Lynch, Darren...

 approached Lane Hughes

Lane Hughes

-Pop Skull:In 2003, filmmaker Adam Wingard approached Hughes with the idea of doing a semi-autobiographical film about a recent breakup. They conceived the film as "one-part psychedelic, one-part horror and one-part romance" and made it for $3,000....

 with the idea of doing a semi-autobiographical film about a recent breakup. They conceived the film as "one-part psychedelic, one-part horror and one-part romance" and made it for $2,000.00.

The film depicts the lonely and disjointed life of Daniel, a young Alabama pill addict, as his efforts to cope with the trials of his day-to-day life collide with the increasing influence of murderous and displaced spirits that inhabit his home.

Cast

• Brandon Carroll as Jeff
• Jeff Dylan Graham as Matt Tepper
• Maggie Henry as Natalie
• Hannah Hughes as Morgan
• Lane Hughes
  Lane Hughes
  -Pop Skull:In 2003, filmmaker Adam Wingard approached Hughes with the idea of doing a semi-autobiographical film about a recent breakup. They conceived the film as "one-part psychedelic, one-part horror and one-part romance" and made it for $3,000....
  
   as Daniel
• L.C. Holt as Victor
• E.L. Katz as Eddie
• Jennifer Price as Mom
• Benjamin Riley (as Ben Schmitt) as Himself (Commercial Guy)
• Debbie Stefanov as Abby
• Adam Wingard
  Adam Wingard
  Adam Wingard is an American film director, editor, cinematographer, and writer whose films are known for their emphasis on horror, extreme violence, and psychedelic imagery. His dark and sometimes abrasive directing/editing style has been compared to directors such as David Lynch, Darren...
  
   as Raymond

Release

Pop Skull screened at several major film festivals, including the American Film Institute

American Film Institute

The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...

 and the Rome Film Festival. It won the jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival

Boston Underground Film Festival

The Boston Underground Film Festival is an annual event held in the Boston, Massachusetts area that specializes in alternative film and video. The Boston Underground Film Festival, also known as BUFF, is the largest underground film festival in New England, spotlighting short films and feature...

 and the Grand Jury Prize at the Indianapolis International Film Festival

Indianapolis International Film Festival

-Mission & General Information:Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond...

.

Region	Release date	Festival
Italy		Rome Film Festival
Italy		Rome Film Fest
United States		American Film Institute American Film Institute The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
New Zealand		New Zealand International Film Festivals New Zealand International Film Festivals The New Zealand International Film Festival is a film festival held annually across New Zealand throughout the latter half of the year.In 2009 for the first time the Festival relinquished its various regional names to be called the New Zealand International Film Festival...

Critical Response

Reviews were generally enthusiastic. LA Splash said Hughes gave a "a truly magnetic Manson vibe the entire time, allowing director Adam Wingard to make great use of the extreme close-up". The Grudge

The Grudge

The Grudge is the 2004 American remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge, and the first horror film in the Ju-on series, Ju-on 1. The film is the first installment in the American horror film series The Grudge...

 screenwriter Stephen Susco

Stephen Susco

Stephen Susco is a film and television screenwriter who is most famous for writing the hit movies The Grudge and The Grudge 2.-Career:...

 remarked that it was "unlike any horror film you've ever seen - or will ever see..." Variety

Variety (magazine)

Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...

called the movie "powerful" and suggested it created "a new genre: acid horror!"