Frank D'Angelo's 'Sicilian Vampire' to open Big Apple Film Festival

Loyalty And Trust Is Everything

There's always room for another vampire film. Here's another one for horror fans to sink their teeth in to. 

"Sicilian Vampire," Frank D'Angelo's fourth feature film, has been selected as the opening film of this year's New York City 12th Annual Big Apple Film Festival taking place November 4-7, 2015.

Big Apple Film Festival has been named one of MovieMaker Magazine's '25 Festivals Worth The Entry Fee' and '25 Coolest Film Festivals'. "And we're ecstatic to have our film be chosen to open the festival," says Frank D'Angelo. "It's ironic that I started my first business selling apples and now here I am 30 years later producing and directing movies and showcasing it in the Big Apple."

"Sicilian Vampire" stars notable actors James Caan, Daryl Hannah, Paul Sorvino, Robert Loggia, Armand Assante, Robert Davi, Michael Paré, Eric Roberts, Daniel Baldwin, Tony Nardi, Frank D'Angelo, Art Hindle and Phil Esposito. Having just been completed and entered into a few film festivals, the film has also been selected to showcase in the 2015 AOF Festival XI in Monrovia California where it has been nominated for several categories including best director.

Written, directed and produced by Frank D'Angelo, "Sicilian Vampire" from In Your Ear Productions, is equal parts "Goodfellas" and "From Dusk till Dawn." It tells the story of reputed mobster Sonny Trafficante who was hoping to get away to the family hunting lodge for a little rest and relaxation and create some memories. Instead what he got was a night he will never forget. From there we're taken on a journey of action, suspense and drama that can only come from the mind of Frank D'Angelo.

Frank D'Angelo has written, produced, directed and acted in a total of four feature films in the last three years and is now in pre-production of his fifth film, "The Red Maple Leaf," which he plans to shoot in fall of 2015.

His other films include "Real Gangsters" (the story of the Lo Giacomo family, one of the most successful crime syndicates in New York City), which is currently in worldwide release on VOD. Another, "The Big Fat Stone" (a story of a homeless man who, simply by being at the right place at the right time, gets a chance at a new life), is now on VOD worldwide. And "No Deposit" (a story about a family man, who falls from grace through a series of downward spiraling events beyond his control), has been in theaters in Canada and USA and will be available on VOD in October 2015.

Frank D'Angelo is a modern renaissance man who excels at many things. He is a screen writer, director, actor, musician and Canadian talk show host. As a performer, he knew there was a big void in Canadian television for Canadians to promote their talents and so he created "The Being Frank Show," a late night talk/variety show which broadcasts nationally in Canada and is just about to start its 6th season. It has boasted guests and show business luminaries such as Al Pacino, Paul Newman, Tony Bennett, Graham Greene, Bill Fichtner, Kim Coates, Estella Warren, Bai Ling, Reggae Rapper Snow, Pavlo, Dan Hill, Ian Thomas, Murray McLauchlan,Missi Pyle, Kevin Hearn of The Barenaked Ladies and many, many more.

For more information you can visit the films official website.

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The Final Terror - Scream Factory - Blu-ray Review

Without Knowing They Have Awakened An Unknown Force

Released by: Scream Factory
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:23:56
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Video: 1080P (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English


THE FILM:

A group of young campers from Redwood County Youth Corps out for what they hope will be a fun-filled weekend find their plans spoiled by a disguised, merciless killer who stalks the forest in search of new victims. Soon they are caught in a terrifying web of bloodshed and murder. It is up to the remaining few to defend themselves and put an end to the terror-filled weekend.

I've been a fan of the film for about ten years since I watched it for the first time. It does not have a particularly large body count. I would say that the film probably would have benefited with a few more deaths but it still does a fair enough job in the killing department. The acting is pretty good with a number of the cast going on to larger careers after this film.

The cast includes Rachel Ward (The Thorn Birds), Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill), Adrian Zmed (T.J. Hooker), Mark Metcalf (Animal House), Lewis Smith (Django Unchained) and Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos). The film was directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive).

AUDIO:

The English DTS-HD Master Audio track does a good enough job in respect to managing a balance between the music, dialogue and sound effects, although at times, the dialogue can be a little quiet. I never encountered a moment where I was lost in what was said, just to be clear. 


VIDEO:

"The Final Terror" makes it way to Blu-ray thanks to Scream Factory via a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack. The film sports a 1080p transfer with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio.

Before I discuss the video further, I would like to mention that before the film begins a title card is shown with the following message:

"Unfortunately all of the original film elements for 'The Final Terror' - the negative, the inter-positive - are all lost. Scream Factory went through six film prints, lent to us by film collectors, to find the best looking reels to do the transfer you are about to watch. We hope you enjoy this presentation.

Special thanks to Lee Shoquist and Joshua Gravel"

With that said, I definitely enjoyed the presentation. I was very excited when this release was first announced because frankly, after waiting for and never getting, a proper DVD release for years, I assumed a Blu-ray would never happen. Color me surprised when "The Final Terror" was announced. I probably did a little dance in my chair without realizing it. I of course pre-ordered my copy and as soon as I got my hands on the package, it was torn to shreds like a kid on Christmas morning. I was truly surprised at how good the picture quality looked. After reading the title card regarding the patchwork job that Scream Factory had to perform as though they were creating Frankenstein's Monster, expectations were not very high. Well, expectations were more than exceeded. 

Yes, at times the image goes a little soft and sometimes colors may fluctuate. Even with those few minor issues, yes I am calling them minor issues because if you had ever seen the film before in some fashion, it was dark, really dark, basically all the time. Now you can see more as though some darkness filter was removed. No they didn't tinker with the contrast to achieve that. They just did a proper job using good quality film prints. Well, reels from six different film prints. During bright scenes, the picture shines and you can really appreciate the work Scream Factory put into their release.

Fans of the film are sure to be pleased with the result. It feels like the film was saved from oblivion, especially since we learn that as far as anyone knows, all the original elements are sadly gone. This is easily the best that this film has ever looked except perhaps if you saw it theatrically from a pristine print. If you are new to "The Final Terror" then you might not find the video quality quite as pleasing. But rest assured, as of now, you will not find a better version anywhere.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

As if getting the film on Blu-ray wasn't enough, Scream Factory provides some nice bonus material as well. In addition to the following, English Subtitles and a Chapter Selection Screen can be found via the Main Menu.

Commentary Track - Director Andrew Davis provides some insight on many aspects of the film as well as some interesting bits of info on the cast. My favorite purely because it made me laugh is that he mentions this film features Joe Pantoliano before he had his nose job and that Joe was a bit afraid of being out in the woods. There are many long moments of silence during the commentary and a moderator would have helped to keep up the conversation, but it is still an enjoyable track.

Post Terror: Finishing The Final Terror (22:59) - This features Executive in charge of Post-Production, Allan Holzman and Composer, Susan Justin. They discuss a variety of topics including the making of the film, what went into getting the film financed and the score. It's a fairly interesting featurette.

The First Terror With Adrian Zmed and Lewis Smith (16:22) -  Here the actors discuss their roles in the film, the production, the other actors, how they did their own stunts and also their careers. They both tell personal stories including one by Lewis Smith about how some locals gave them brownies which they later found out contained marijuana and the cast became ill. He said they probably gave them the brownies because they didn't want them there. A fun set of interviews. 

Theatrical Trailer

Behind the Scenes Still Gallery (8:59)


IN CONCLUSION

"The Final Terror" is a good backwoods survival slasher film with a very nice Blu-ray release from Scream Factory. If you are a fan of the film, buy it if you have not already done so. If you like films such as "Just Before Dawn" and "Rituals" or even slashers in general, give this one a spin as I think you will like it. Scream Factory did a great job and I can't thank them enough for releasing this. 

OVERALL RATING: 4 / 5

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