Gore Orphanage (film)

Last updated
Gore Orphanage
Directed by Emily Lapisardi
Written by Cody Knotts
Emily Lapisardi
Produced byKirk Holman
Cody Knotts
Vince Ruffalo
Starring Maria Olsen
Bill Townsend
Emma Smith
Keri Maletto
CinematographyNicholas Carrington
Music byBenjamin Cornelius-Bates
Production
company
Principalities of Darkness
Release dates
  • July 11, 2015 (2015-07-11)(premiere)
  • July 21, 2015 (2015-07-21)(Amazon)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Gore Orphanage is a 2015 independent horror film and the directorial debut of Emily Lapisardi, who co-wrote the film with Cody Knotts. [1] The film premiered at the Sandusky State Theater on July 11, 2015 and was released as a streaming video through Amazon on July 21. [2] [3] The film was inspired by the urban legend by the same name in Northern Ohio. [4]

Contents

Filming took place in a classic revival mansion in Scottdale, Pennsylvania. [5] Lapisardi and Knotts were inspired to create the film after researching the legend of the Gore Orphanage and wondering why it hadn't been adapted into a film. [6] In February 2015 Gore Orphanage was named the most anticipated film of 2015 in the Horror Society Awards, which is judged based on reader votes. [7]

Synopsis

Nellie (Emma Smith) is a young orphan that has arrived at an orphanage run by Mrs. Pryor (Maria Olsen), a cruel woman who only sees the facility as a way to earn money. To make matters worse, the orphanage's maintenance man (Bill Townsend) appears to be even more depraved than she is. However, not all is bad, as Nellie is able to make a few friends, including Miss Lillian (Keri Maletto), who helps run the orphanage. However, as her stay lengthens, Nellie begins to realize that she may not leave the orphanage alive.

Cast

Reception

Dread Central's review stated, "Flashes of brilliance from Lapisardi are observed with a few scenes where the kids were allowed to be kids when the evil Mrs. Pryor stepped away from the sightline, and how their happiness went swirling down the hopper when she returned – something so simply shot can result in a great scene of filmmaking, I don’t care how much (or how little) dough is dumped into the project. Alas, what could have been transformed into a straight-up mental twister of a thriller slides down that slippery crap-slope into useless violence in the hopes of reeling in the crowd, and that’s where I almost tuned out." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Robertson</span>

Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She has starred in a number of films, and from 2011 to 2012 played the role of Kitty O'Neill in the Starz political drama series Boss. From 2014 to 2016, Robertson starred as homicide detective Hildy Mulligan in the TNT series Murder in the First. She also played Tina Edison in the Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion (1990–1993) and Clare Arnold in the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–1997). In 2019, she played a main character in the series Northern Rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Williamson (screenwriter)</span> American screenwriter, director, and producer (born 1965)

Kevin Meade Williamson is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is known for developing and writing the screenplay for the slasher film Scream (1996)—which launched the Scream franchise—along with those for Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 4 (2011). He is also known for creating the WB teen drama series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003), the CW supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017), the Fox crime thriller series The Following (2013–2015) and the CBS All Access thriller series Tell Me a Story (2018–2020).

<i>The Ghost and Mr. Chicken</i> 1966 film by Alan Rafkin

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a 1966 American comedy mystery film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, the town dunce and a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas. Don Knotts' first major project after leaving The Andy Griffith Show, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken uses a similar small town setting and involved a number of alumni from the sitcom, including director Alan Rafkin and writers Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. It was a box office success, paving the way for a string of other Knotts-fronted comedy films. The working title was Running Scared. The title is presumably a humorous variation of the film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Bolger</span> Irish actress

Sarah Bolger is an Irish actress. She starred in the films In America (2003), Stormbreaker (2006), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), The Moth Diaries (2011), The Lazarus Effect (2015), Emelie (2015), and A Good Woman Is Hard to Find (2019). On television, she portrayed Princess Mary Tudor in The Tudors (2008–2010), for which she won an IFTA award, and Princess Aurora in Once Upon a Time (2012–2015). Bolger also appeared on the series Into the Badlands (2015–2017) and starred on Mayans M.C. (2018–2023).

Gore Orphanage is the subject of a local legend in Northern Ohio, which refers to a supposedly haunted ruin near the city of Vermilion in Lorain County, Ohio. The ruin is a building that formerly housed the Swift Mansion and, later, the Light of Hope Orphanage, and is the subject of local urban legends, whereby the violent deaths of young adults and children are alleged to have occurred. According to the urban legends, supernatural activity has occurred in the building since its closure.

<i>The House of the Devil</i> 2009 American film

The House of the Devil is a 2009 American horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, A. J. Bowen, and Dee Wallace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Bell</span> American actress

Emma Jean Bell is an American actress, best known for her role as Parker O'Neal in the films Frozen and Hatchet II, as Molly Harper in Final Destination 5 (2011), and for playing Amy in the first and third season of the AMC post apocalyptic series The Walking Dead, and Emma Judith Ryland Brown on the TNT drama series Dallas (2013–2014).

<i>Smiley</i> (2012 film) 2012 film directed by Michael Gallagher

Smiley is a 2012 American slasher film directed by Michael Gallagher and made by Level 10 Films. The film stars Caitlin Gerard, Melanie Papalia, Keith David, Shane Dawson, Andrew James Allen, Toby Turner, and Liza Weil. The film was released on October 12, 2012, to largely negative reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristen Connolly</span> American actress (born 1980)

Kristen Connolly is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Dana in the 2011 film The Cabin in the Woods, Christina Gallagher on the Netflix series House of Cards and Jamie Campbell on the CBS series Zoo.

<i>We Are What We Are</i> (2013 film) 2013 film

We Are What We Are is a 2013 American horror film directed by Jim Mickle and starring Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, and Kelly McGillis. It was screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It is a remake of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name. Both a sequel and prequel have been announced.

<i>The Town That Dreaded Sundown</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 2014 American slasher film and serves as a metafictional sequel to the 1976 film of the same name. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in his feature-length directorial debut, the film was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy. The film stars Addison Timlin, Travis Tope, Spencer Treat Clark, Veronica Cartwright and Gary Cole and was one of the last films of Ed Lauter and Edward Herrmann before their deaths in October 2013 and December 2014, respectively.

<i>The Cutting Room</i> (film) 2015 British film

The Cutting Room is a 2015 British found footage horror film written and directed by Warren Dudley. The film was released in June 2015 and the bulk of principal photography was shot in Newhaven Fort's underground labyrinth of dark and winding brick tunnels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Cohn</span> American film director

Jared Michael Cohn is an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He has directed films such as Buddy Hutchins, Atlantic Rim, and Born Bad, among others, and has directed multiple films for The Asylum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Gilpin</span> American actress (born 1986)

Elizabeth Folan Gilpin is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series GLOW (2017–2019), for which she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also starred as Dr. Carrie Roman in the Showtime comedy-drama series Nurse Jackie (2013–2015). In 2023, she starred in the lead role as a nun who battles A.I. in the Peacock science fiction series Mrs. Davis.

<i>All Saints Eve</i> (film) 2015 American film

All Saints Eve is a horror film directed by Gerry Lively. The film stars Sean Whalen, Marc Macaulay, Katrina Darrell and Bingo O'Malley. It also stars Nick LaMantia and Mere Davis. The film's writer and producer was Elizabeth Rossi.

Maria Olsen is a South African film producer and actress known for her many roles in horror films. These include Paranormal Activity 3, The Lords of Salem, Gore Orphanage, and Starry Eyes. Non-horror roles include Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Amy Forsyth is a Canadian actress. On television, she appeared as a series regular on the Hulu drama The Path (2016–17), the second season of SyFy horror anthology Channel Zero (2017), and the NBC musical drama Rise (2018), along with recurring roles on the science fiction Western Defiance (2014–15) and the historical drama The Gilded Age (2022). She also appeared in the horror films A Christmas Horror Story (2015), Hell Fest (2018), and We Summon the Darkness (2020) and the drama films Beautiful Boy (2018), CODA (2021), and The Novice (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gigi Saul Guerrero</span> Mexican filmmaker (born 1990)

Gigi Saul Guerrero is a Mexican filmmaker and actress. She gained recognition for creating and directing the 2017 horror web series, La Quinceañera. In 2019, she directed episodes of The Purge and the anthology horror series, Into the Dark.

The Russian Sleep Experiment is a creepypasta which tells the tale of 5 test subjects being exposed to an experimental sleep-inhibiting stimulant in a Soviet-era scientific experiment, and has become the basis of an urban legend. Many news organizations, including Snopes, News.com.au, and LiveAbout, trace the story's origins to a website, now known as the Creepypasta Wiki, being posted on August 10, 2010, by a user named OrangeSoda, whose real name is unknown.

References

  1. Fogarty, Steve. "'Gore Orphanage' now available via Amazon streaming". Chronicle-Telegram. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  2. Crawley, Dave. "Local Couple Make Horror Flick "Gore Orphanage" On Shoestring Budget". CBS. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  3. "'Gore Orphanage' movie to debut at Sandusky State Theatre". Morning Journal. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  4. Fogarty, Steve. "'Gore Orphanage,' inspired by legend, premieres Saturday". North Coast Now. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  5. Crompton, Janice. "Scottdale mansion site for filming 'Gore Orphanage' thriller". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  6. Nearhood, Caitlyn. "Urban legend comes to life". Sandusky Register. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  7. Pickels, Mary. "Scottdale-filmed 'Gore Orphanage' wins online contest". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
  8. Boiselle, Matt. "Gore Orphanage (2015) (review)". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-11-27.