Horror film great Jeffrey Reddick, most known for creating the “Final Destination” franchise, is a big proponent of the locally produced “New Fear’s Eve” — so much so that he helped produce and is an actor in the film. He said Blood Moon Pictures captured some of the best and most unique scenes he’d seen thus far, and hopes viewers come to the local premiere at the RiverPark Center tonight.
Reddick was originally approached by local filmmaker P.J. Starks for the Blood Moon Pictures film “13 Slays Till X-Mas” and immediately said the production quality was impressive for an indie film.
“As an independent filmmaker, you have so few resources, so it’s always about what you can do with it. When I saw ‘13 Slays Till X-Mas,’ I was like, ‘Wow, PJ and Eric [Huskisson] are really very talented,’ and it was a very ambitious project to shoot,” Reddick said.
Since then, Reddick has stayed in touch with the caveat that if he could, he’d help in some capacity for the next project. So when Starks reached out to Reddick about “New Fears Eve,” after reading the script, he knew the duo had yet another successful movie on their hands.
For Reddick, a successful horror movie has to start with characters that an audience is interested in. Otherwise, “you’re just watching people you don’t care about get killed.” He said he immediately noticed that the characters are rounded and believable in their endeavors.
He said the movie leans toward a horror comedy with some humor tending to be on the raunchier side, which Reddick finds refreshing for the horror genre. Yet, with a believable and comedic cast of characters fronting a slasher film, Reddick said it often becomes a balancing act to ensure the movie is still suspenseful.
“There are definitely some suspenseful scenes and there are definitely some death scenes that I have never seen before — and I’ve watched everything. So they found a way to deduce at least three new kills, and there’s a lot of kills in this movie,” he said.
At the center of the film is the potentially new and iconic killer, “The Doctor.” Reddick describes the movie’s antagonist as fun yet “still really creepy.”
As a Kentucky native, Reddick said he is looking for ways to return to the state’s filmmaking scene. Reddick said he was fortunate that the first thing he wrote was “Final Destination,” and it launched him into his new life but he never forgot the sprawling hills of his home state.
So when the chance arrives that he can help an indie filmmaker, especially one from Kentucky, he jumps at the opportunity.
“I’ve always been very inspired when I meet other horror fans that are really making things happen in their local communities, and especially Kentucky,” Reddick said.
He tries to pay homage to his home state where he can, through the filmmakers, conventions, or even the infamous log truck scene in the second “Final Destination” film. Reddick noted it was inspired by a memory of driving behind one on the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in Eastern Kentucky.
Regarding working on “New Fears Eve” in Owensboro, Reddick recalled Starks and Huskisson carrying themselves professionally and creating an enjoyable atmosphere for all the cast and crew.
For the effort put in, Reddick said viewers wouldn’t know how independent the film truly is. He noted that Starks’ care on set and as a writer takes the film to another level.
“It’s a really good-looking film. You would never know that it was as indie as it is. They really maximize their stuff. It was a great one. I shot my stuff, they were great on set, they knew exactly what they were doing,” Reddick said. “… The people there loved being there and were having a blast … it was a really special experience.”
The film has already been shown at several festivals and has won some awards, including Best Horror Comedy at the Wolf Media Festival.
The local premier starts at 7 p.m. tonight at the RiverPark Center, and tickets can be purchased here. The trailer can be seen here.
