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Mick Garris on NIGHTMARE CINEMA:
“Horror Films are Good for You”

Masters-of-Horror-Wallpaper-3 (3)Ever since the anthology series Masters of Horror premiered on Showtime back in 2005, the show’s creator Mick Garris has wanted to do something more international in scope. Now, ten years later, that dream is becoming a reality with Nightmare Cinema, a feature film currently in pre-production in Los Angeles.

Featuring five short films directed and written by talent from Japan, Cuba, Mexico, the UK, and USA, Nightmare Cinema promises to be an eclectic celebration of international horror and a clear sign that the anthology film remains a viable cinematic genre.

And yes, one of those five films will be a David Slade adaptation of one of my own stories.

Since the official press releases came out earlier this fall, Mick Garris has been keeping horror fans informed with a series of appearances and interviews, the first of which (in keeping with the project’s international focus) came at The Morbido Film Festival in Mexico.

7ed87e_c18c4577b0424a38b2a3f86d91ab48f2 (3)Accompanied at Morbido by Joe Dante and Pablo Guisa Koestinger (at right), Garris spoke about the genesis of Nightmare Cinema and plans for a worldwide release sometime in 2016. When asked if there was a central quality or topic that linked the five films, Garris responded, “What’s exciting about this is that they are five unrelated films. They are five stories that have nothing to do with each other except we hope they will scare the shit out of you.” You can watch a video of the Morbido announcement here.

dread_centralFollowing the Morbido appearance, Dread Central ran a lengthy interview in which Garris spoke about anthology TV shows that, like Nightmare Cinema, have featured short, standalone stories. You can read that interview here.

60MinutesWithBigLogoEven more expansive is an interview posted at the UK podcast site 60 Minutes With. This one features a conversation that covers everything from Garris’s work on Masters of Horror, Trailers from Hell, and Nightmare Cinema. In spite of the podcast’s title, this one clocks in at just under 90 minutes, and (as is the case with all of the 60 Minutes With podcasts) it’s well worth a listen. You can catch the whole thing here.

For some additional reflections on the horror genre (and an explanation of why “horror films are good for you”), be sure to check out the video below. It’s narrated in Spanish, but most of the video is in English with Spanish subs.

Check it out, then stop back here for more Nightmare Cinema updates. So far, every indication is that this show is going to rock! Until next time . . . scop on!


Image Credits
Artwork from Masters of Horror © 2005 IDT Entertainment Inc.
Joe Dante, Mick Garris and  Pablo Guisa Koestinger at Morbido Film Fest.


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