Tom Holland is name horror fans know well. In addition to directing classics like Fright Night, Stephen King’s Thinner, and Child’s Play, the man was also responsible for writing genre mainstays such as Psycho II, Class of 1984, Cloak & Dagger, and The Beast Within. His latest picture, Rock Paper Dead, sees him teaming up with Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller for “a twisted serial-killer thriller dripping with ‘80s throwback atmosphere.” Best part? It’s making its world premiere this October at Columbus, Ohio’s Nightmares Film Festival!
The chilling story of Rock Paper Dead follows a woman-killer known as the “The Doll Maker” (Luke McFarlane) and the detective (Michael Madsen) sworn to make him pay. When The Doll Maker escapes justice, Madsen’s Det. Dechert tracks him down to his ancestral home, where the madness is beginning again, this time centered on a new target, young Ashley (Jennifer Titus).
The film’s classic legacy also extends to cast members John Dugan (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Tatum O’Neal (The Bad News Bears), Maureen McCormick (“The Brady Bunch“), and Ari Lehman (Friday the 13th). Several members of the film’s cast and creative team will be in attendance at the premiere, which is officially set for Saturday, October 21st, 2017 at Columbus’ world-renowned Gateway Film Center.
“Nightmares Film Festival, with its world-recognized programming, deep respect for horror tradition and lineup of truly extraordinary filmmakers is the perfect home for our world premiere,” said producer Amy Williams. “We are thrilled to debut our film where we know the audience will appreciate both the work and the legacy behind it.”
“We are so honored to bring Tom’s newest film to Nightmares,” said festival programmer and co-founder Jason Tostevin. “He is a living legend, and every one of the films we’ll be screening from around the world owe Tom’s work a debt.”
You’ve all seen me push before, both here and over on our sister site, . It’s with good reason: it’s a wonderful festival. I had the pleasure of attending its debut last year and I had the time of my life. This year already looks to be even better and the full line-up has yet to be announced.
Nightmares 2017 begins on Thursday, October 19th with one of the nation’s select few screenings of Victor Crowley, the latest installment in the Hatchet franchise. Writer/director Adam Green (Spiral, Digging Up the Marrow) will be there to introduce the film. The festival will also host one of the world’s only theatrical screenings of Inside filmmakers Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury’s Leatherface, the newest chapter in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre saga.
Nightmares will Steve DeGennaro’s Found Footage 3D, Max Groah’s Bong of the Living Dead, and James Quinn’s Flesh of the Void. That makes for a wildly varied and incredibly exciting lineup already, with only more to follow. I can’t wait!
The festival’s final feature film and short film selections are still being determined at this time, but the full slate will be announced the week of September 27th. Festival passes are currently available at GatewayFilmCenter.org and I suggest you grab yours while you can. They’re going to go quick!
Rock Paper Dead is an original serial killer thriller. It is directed by Tom Holland, from a screenplay by Kerry Fleming and Victor Miller. The film is produced by Adam S. Clark, Josh Holland, Ed Marx, Victor Miller, Kerry Fleming, and Amy Williams. It stars Michael Madsen, Luke Macfarlane, Jennifer Titus, Tatum O’Neal, Maureen McCormick, Quinton Aaron, Najarra Townsend, Ari Lehman, Natalina Maggio, John Dugan, Anna Margaret, Kimberly Russell, Gabrielle Stone, and Nicole Pierce.
