NEWS

Press Release
For Immediate Release

Contact:
Joseph M. Monks
Joe@sightunseenpictures.com

February 24, 2009

Blind Filmmaker Nixes TV Deal
Lack of trust, transparency lead to Monks pulling film from
American Horrors project

CAPE CORAL, FL—Writer/director Joseph M. Monks, citing a lack of trust and an ongoing lack of communication, has announced that he is withdrawing his feature film, The Bunker, from the American Horrors project, originally announced in 2008. Among many rifts in a steadily-declining relationship with show producer and colleague Hart Fisher, Monks revealed on February 20th through his blog at www.sightunseenpictures.com that contracts still had not been tendered and that Fisher had claimed on his blog to have ‘laughed off’ an offer from a distributor without consulting Monks, the owner of the property as well as the copyright holder.

“Finding out that a distribution deal had been not only turned down, but done so in so unprofessional a manner alone would have been enough for me to want to pull out,” said Monks. “I hadn’t gotten a contract yet, I hadn’t signed off on any of the changes Hart was trying to ram down my throat, and finding out he was entertaining offers for my film and bragging about it on his blog totally eroded any trust I had in both the long-delayed TV deal, and Hart himself.”

The Bunker, the first feature film written and directed by a blind filmmaker, has been in limbo since April of 2008, when Fisher approached Monks with the idea of using the feature as the program’s premiere episode. Since then, however, progress lagged or was nonexistent on the final cut of the film.

“The screener version I received in the Fall was, quite frankly, embarrassing,” Monks noted, adding that, “I was promised a DVD with a naked version of my film.  I didn’t want the TV version because I wanted to show the movie off for what it is, a film and not a TV pilot. But, not only was the cut formatted for the program, my promo reel had been left off in favor of Hart’s director’s reel and a music video. I directed this film, not Hart Fisher. Finding that he’d put his director’s reel onto a DVD that was to be hand-delivered to a staffer for Late Night with David Letterman was the final straw. I’ve no desire to work with somebody who I cannot trust.”

Of The Bunker’s future, Monks already had changes in the works. “I’m dropping the wraparound, which is no great loss. It looks good, and the performances are all right, but it’s an afterthought shot only to make the film fit the format—like a Tales from the Crypt framing sequence. I’ve written something that better fits the story, and we’ll be shooting that sometime this summer. The process will be time-consuming, since I have other projects lined up in the interim, but I’ll be much happier with the final product than I would be given the alternative. I’ve got five years invested in this baby, and it’s been met with positive reviews by virtually everybody who’s seen it. I wasn’t about to let one guy step in and mangle it because he was too egotistic to accept my decisions.”

Monks, who recently completed his first novel, Torn to Pieces, and is agent-shopping, expects that The Bunker will be revised and ready to make the distribution rounds by early 2010.

For more information on The Bunker, or director Joseph M. Monks, please visit the official web site at:

Thurdsday, February 14

Zacherley Weighs in on The Bunker

Legendary horror host John Zacherley has posted a review of The Bunker on his web site:

http://www.zacherley.com

Click the RECOMMENDATIONS link on the home page to read it and see why the Cool Ghoul himself gives the film an enthusiastic two claws up.

For those of you unfamiliar with Zacherley, the site is chock full of information on a career that spans more than 50 years, including his most recent convention schedule and recent film appearances. Chanting Monks Press has released three issues of Zacherley’s Midnite Terrors, in which the late-night legend reprises his role as host, introducing all-new tales of the macabre. .

For more info on the three volumes, visit: http://www.mediasi.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=comics

Tuesday, October 2

Bunker Cast Member Co-Produces New Horror Short
Ken Hall's NIGHT VISIT to screen twice during Oct. 6,7 weekend

Mike Gaglio has teamed up with Puppetmaster creator Ken Hall to co-produce Hall's latest short, Night Vision, which will premiere this coming weekend in San Jose and Los Angeles. The film features Lynn Lowry (David Cronenberg's SHIVERS, George Romero's THE CRAZIES, and Paul Schrader's CAT PEOPLE), Chuck Williams and David Lee Brown. The director of the critically acclaimed film, The Halfway House, is currently lining up several new projects, which he plans to announce shortly. If you are in the San Jose or Los Angeles area this weekend, you can catch NightVision at:

SiliCon Short Film Festival
Friday, October 5, 8pm
San Jose Double Tree
2050 Gateway Place, San Jose , CA


Shriekfest Film Festival
Sunday, October 7, 12 noon
Raleigh Studios
5300 Melrose, Hollywood , CA

Friday, September 27
Frank Forte announces DTOX Trailer now online

The first online trailer for DTOX: SPECIAL BIOHAZARD EDITION No. 0 has gonelive and you can view it by clicking:

http:// www.dtoxcomic.com


There's also a full color preview, character descriptions, concept art and more on the web site. Check it out and let Frank know you're gonna be ordering it so your comic book store will have a copy waiting for you this December.

August 10, 2007

Hacker's Source showcases Bunker star Terry M. West; Bunker Review by
Franklin E. Wales


One of our fave publications, The Hacker's Source, covers both The Bunker and its star, Terry M. West, in their latest issue. It also showcases Chiller regular Debbie Rochon and is chock full of other goodies, though of course we're partial to The Bunker coverage. Go check it out at:

http://eveblaackpub.com/hackerssource/

where you can order a copy for yourself.

July 13

The Bunker to be shown in Jacksonville, FLA
JaniCon to host screening at convention

If you missed the pair of screenings sneak-previewing Joseph M. Monks' feature film debut, The Bunker, last month in Ft. Lauderdale, you're going to get another chance if you're in the northern part of the state this November. JaniCon, being held the weekend of November 2-4, will be hosting a special screening of the movie with Monks in attendance, with date and time to be announced. Monks also plans to add another Florida screening to the schedule in the next few weeks. Keep checking back for exact times and dates.

For more info about JaniCon, please visit:

www.JaniCon.org

July 2
Monks, Koneful added to JaniCon Guest Line-up

Writer/Director Joe Monks and penciller and frequent collaborator Mike Koneful (Gory Lori, the upcoming Seppuku Sisters), have been added to the list of guests who will be appearing at this year's JaniCon, being held in Jacksonville, Florida November 2nd thru 4th. The show, which focuses on anime, will also be the first where fans can get a look at Monks' latest creation, the demon-fighting Seppuku Sisters. Monks, Koneful and Gory Lori artist Jeff Salisbury will be teaming up to unleash the newest characters to enter the Chanting Monks Press universe, exclusively at the convention. For the occasion, Koneful and Salisbury will be working together on a special art print, and other Seppuku Sisters artwork will be available as well. More information on the Seppuku Sisters is forthcoming, and a web site will be launched shortly where fans can whet their appetite for the two new horror heroines.

The 2007 JaniCon is being held at:

Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk
1515 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 904-396-5100

For more information on the convention, please visit:

http://www.janicon.org

Monday, June 11

The Bunker Special Sneak Preview
Monks to introduce film; hold two Q&A sessions


As both festival and distributor interest in The Bunker heats up, director Joseph M. Monks will hold two advance previews of the film at the upcoming Florida Supercon, taking place this month in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Monks will introduce the film and hold a pair of question and answer sessions, with the Friday night showing taking place at 10:30 p.m., and the Saturday evening showing beginning at 9:00 p.m.

The Florida SuperCon takes place June 22, 23 and 24th at the Marriot North hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. Monks will be appearing at the convention all three days, and will have a limited number of copies of The Bunker and the Making of... documentary available for sale. For more information about the Florida SuperCon, visit:

http://www.FloridaSuperCon.com

Friday, June 8

Monks Set To Pen Original Story For New Horror Anthology
Longtime friend, collaborater Frank Forte set to illustrate


Having recently agreed to terms with a UK publisher to include a story of his for publication in a January 2008 horror omnibus, Joe Monks has announced that he plans to supply an original story for Forte's upcoming Asylum of Horrors project. No release date has been set, but it looks likely that the publisher has his eye on a Fall release date.

Monks and Forte have worked together numerous times in the past, beginning with Monks publishing one of Forte's short comic tales in an issue of Cry for Dawn in 1991, and Monks later writing several vampire short stories for Forte's indy title, The Vampire Verses, among other projects. While everything is in the early stages, Monks expects to have the story to Forte by July 1st, and more information about the project is forthcoming.

You can check out the official Asylum of Horrors site at
http://www.asylumofhorrors.com
for updates, and the official Asylum Press home page at:
http://www.asylumpress.com