“It’s been a busy 12 months” for director David DeCoteau, who gave Fango the word on his latest batch of low-budget genre features. Among them is a new adaptation of H.G. Wells’ THE FOOD OF THE GODS, for which he sent along a couple of exclusive photos.

“We shot FOOD OF THE GODS in three countries,” DeCoteau tells Fango. “Puerto Rico—where we filmed on the same locations that Roger Corman did on LAST WOMAN ON EARTH back in 1960!—Malibu, California and some of the areas on Bowen Island, British Columbia where Bert I. Gordon shot his version of FOOD. Truly an international production!”

The filmmaker also provided a synopsis of his take on Wells’ classic: “As chaos and death swirl all around him, Professor Bensington laments his role in the end of the world, and reveals to us what caused the horror: His research assistant, a young college student named Redwood, traveled to San Marino to oversee Bensington’s honeybee experiments. While following the professor’s orders, Redwood inadvertently unleashed a global biological disaster in the form of giant zombie killer bees!” The film stars newcomers Derek North, Jillian Nelson, Darren Thomas, Alberto Frezza, Carey James, Tanner Novlan, Raine Wright and Jarrid Balis.

DeCoteau is also continuing his string of Edgar Allan Poe-based features, having just wrapped THE HAUNTED PALACE, starring Freddy Roy, Kristen Glass, Graham Rogers, Luke Allen, Jake Madden and Zach Cuddeback. “During spring break, a fraternity built atop the burned ruins of an insane asylum is haunted by a sinister visitor,” the director describes this flick. “Expect an early 2011 release. And postproduction has been completed on the Poe-based A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM (a.k.a. SON OF A WITCH), starring Stephan White, Cody Matthew Blymire, Sara Fletcher, Mak Medovich, Myles Tufts, Judson Birza and Brant Dorman. The story concerns “a demonic young man who lures his high-school classmates to a party so that he can sacrifice their souls and bring his dead mother, killed during the Salem witch trials 300 years ago, back to life,” DeCoteau says. “A 2010 release is planned. All three of these screenplays were written by Moses Rutegar.”

Also in post is DeCoteau’s supernatural martial arts movie BODY BLOW. “That one’s about a champion fighter named Casper Logan, played by Yung Woo Hwang, who flies to Manila to find out what happened to his friend, Kelly Blake, who disappeared after going to Manila on a lucrative modeling contract. Though he’s aided by a local young cabbie played by Jearome Calica and an Interpol agent, Casper finds himself nearly out of his depth as he takes on a bizarre female crime boss who has amassed a formidable army in her attempt to find her perfect mate—and achieve goddess status. Filming took place in the Philippines during some of the most violent and deadly typhoons in decades. This was the most challenging shoot of my career, but I’m thrilled with the results. We have 13 elaborate fight scenes, including one on a skyscraper in downtown Manila and a 10-minute foot chase through the city’s Chinatown section.”

That one should be out by the end of this year, as will NIGHTFALL, a vampire thriller starring Dominique Swain, which will come out through E1 Entertainment, the company that recently released DeCoteau’s HOUSE OF USHER, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM and THE BROTHERHOOD VI: INITIATION. In addition, his terror-toy opus PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL hits DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow. “I’m so happy that Charlie asked me to direct this sequel,” says DeCoteau, who also helmed PUPPET MASTER III: TOULON’S REVENGE, CURSE OF THE PUPPET MASTER (under the pseudonym Victoria Sloan) and RETRO PUPPET MASTER (as Joseph Tennent). “Shooting in China was an adventure, and it was great being asked back to work for Full Moon.” You can find out more about DeCoteau’s movies—including the current young TV and movie stars who got their starts in his features—at his official blog.

 

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