Jen and Sylvia Soska

Last updated

Jen and Sylvia Soska
Soska Sisters 2014.jpg
Jen Soska (left) and Sylvia Soska (right) with actress Tristan Risk (center) at Fantastic Fest, 2014
Born (1983-04-29) April 29, 1983 (age 40)
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Other namesTwisted Twins, The Soska Sisters
Occupations
Years active2001–present
Website twistedtwinsproductions.net

Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska (born April 29, 1983), [1] also known as The Soska Sisters or The Twisted Twins, [2] are Canadian twin sisters who collaborate as film directors, producers and screenwriters. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] They are known for directing often violent and visceral horror movies such as Dead Hooker in a Trunk , See No Evil 2 and American Mary . [10] [11] [12]

Contents

Biography

Jen and Sylvia Soska were born on April 29 in Canada. The twins graduated from Argyle Secondary School. Their love of horror began at an early age, when their mother gave in to their constant begging to watch Poltergeist . [13] Initially, they tried becoming actresses and extras, but were unsatisfied with the stereotypical twin roles they were being offered. They decided to work in the horror movie field soon thereafter. [14]

Dead Hooker in a Trunk

Jen and Sylvia briefly attended film school and wrote and directed Dead Hooker in a Trunk as a final project. The film was shot for $2,500 and released by IFC. It received an overall rating of 80% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes (4 fresh and 1 rotten review). [15] The twins starred in the film as twin sisters – Badass (Sylvia) and Geek (Jen). Highly inspired by Robert Rodriguez's Rebel Without A Crew, the Soskas sought out El Mariachi star Carlos Gallardo to play the character God.

An absurdist dark satire, Dead Hooker in a Trunk originated as a faux trailer the sisters created, annoyed when their film school cut the budget for their final project. The film had a screening cancelled by one movie theater in Saskatoon after the theater received anonymous complaints. [16]

American Mary

Following their first project, the twins wrote American Mary [17] [ better source needed ] which was shown at Film4 Fright Fest, Toronto After Dark Film Festival and Monster Fest. [2] [18] The twins cast Canadian horror star Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) as Mary Mason, and had special effects created by Masters FX. Wanting to be respectful to the body modification community, the sisters hired flesh artist Russ Foxx as a consultant to ensure authenticity.[ citation needed ] The film was awarded the Special Jury Award at Fantastic Fest.

Following the success of the film, the Soskas announced an "American Mary" television series, writing on social media: "I know a lot of you are excited and curious about an American Mary series, after Rabid we connected with Cronenberg's producers at Prospero who have been champions in developing the series. We are currently making a sci-fi thriller called Unseen together with Radar & Film Mode. In the meantime, we have been enjoying connecting with fans of the film and hearing what they want to see in the television series version. It's always been a passion to explore these characters and their lives more deeply. To understand their struggles and see their wins." [19]

ABCs of Death 2

The sisters directed a segment in ABCs of Death 2 titled "T is for Torture Porn", which follows an actress, Yumi, as she auditions for an adult film scene. Yumi is revealed to be a hentai monster. The film was produced by XYZ Films.[ citation needed ]

See No Evil 2

Jen and Sylvia Soska made two films for WWE Studios: See No Evil 2 and Vendetta . [20] See No Evil 2 again featured Katharine Isabelle.

Vendetta

The first film in the Lionsgate and WWE Studios Action Six Pack was the Soska Sisters' action film Vendetta, written by Justin Shady. The film stars Dean Cain as Mason Danvers, who goes into prison in pursuit of the man who killed his wife.[ citation needed ]

Rabid

The Soskas co-wrote and directed Rabid (2019), a remake of David Cronenberg's 1977 film of the same name, [21] starring Laura Vandervoort [22] and professional wrestler CM Punk. [23] Rabid had its premiere on the closing night of the 20th Annual Fright Fest in London.[ citation needed ]

On the Edge

In September 2022, the Soskas announced the premiere of their new film On the Edge, to take place at the London FrightFest Halloween festival on October 29. The film was shot and produced in Canada and co-stars Aramis Sartorio, Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska and Mackenzie Gray. The festival synopsis of the film reads, "Family man Peter gets more than he paid for when he books a 36-hour session with the sadistic Mistress Satana who seems more intent on making him suffer for his sins. Is it blackmail? Is it torture? Or is it the Devil come for his soul? Will Peter’s faith save him from his own personal Hell or is he already damned? A brilliant depiction of how Kink Culture can heal past trauma and be a source for shocking redemption." [24]

Festival of the Living Dead

A sequel to Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Festival of the Living Dead was directed by the Soska Sisters in 2023 and released on Tubi April 5, 2024. The film follows Ben's grandkids and their friends 55 years after the incident. The film stars Ashley Moore, Camren Bicondova, Andre Anthony, Gage Marsh, Christian Rose, Maia Jae Bastidas, Keana Lyn Bastidas, and Shiloh O' Reilly.

Other work

The Soskas have written for Marvel Comics, writing a Night Nurse story for Marvel's Secret Wars Journal #5 in 2015, a short story called The Ripley with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and a Deadpool story for the first annual Avengers Halloween Special. They also wrote Black Widow, which ran for 5 issues in 2019. [25] The Soskas are writing Yaira for Rippaverse Comics releasing early 2024. The Yaira #1 preorder campaign broke company records making a million dollars within 24 hours of launch.

Filmography

Film

YearFilmProducerDirectorWriterActor
2001 Josie and the Pussycats
Black x.svgN
2009 Dead Hooker in a Trunk
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2012 American Mary
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2014 ABCs of Death 2
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2014 See No Evil 2
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2015 Vendetta
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2015 Dead Rising: Watchtower
Black x.svgN
2016The Blackburn Asylum
Black x.svgN
2019 Rabid
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2022On the Edge
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
2023 Festival of the Living Dead
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN

Television

YearShowActorHostEpisode(s)
2008 Kyle XY
Black x.svgN
"I've Had the Time of My Life"
2015 Hellevator
Black x.svgN
Black x.svgN
Starring role

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katharine Isabelle</span> Canadian actress

Katharine Isobel Murray, known professionally as Katharine Isabelle, is a Canadian actress. She has been described as a scream queen due to her roles in various horror films. She started her acting career in 1989, playing a small role in the television series MacGyver. She gained fame for the role of Ginger Fitzgerald in the films Ginger Snaps, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning.

<i>Rabid</i> (1977 film) 1977 body horror film by David Cronenberg

Rabid is a 1977 independent body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. An international co-production of Canada and the United States, the film stars Marilyn Chambers in the lead role, supported by Frank Moore, Joe Silver, and Howard Ryshpan. Chambers plays a woman who, after being injured in a motorcycle accident and undergoing a surgical operation, develops an orifice under one of her armpits that hides a phallic/clitoral stinger she uses to feed on people's blood. Those she bites become infected, and then feed upon others, spreading the disease exponentially. The result is massive chaos, starting in the Quebec countryside, and ending up in Montreal. Rabid made $1 million in Canada, making it one of the highest-grossing Canadian films of all time. A remake of the same name, directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska, was released in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Holland (filmmaker)</span> American filmmaker (born 1943)

Thomas Lee Holland is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, penning the 1983 sequel to the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, directing and co-writing the first entry in the long-running Child's Play franchise, and writing and directing the cult vampire film Fright Night. He also directed the Stephen King adaptations The Langoliers and Thinner. He is a two-time Saturn Award recipient. Holland made the jump into children’s literature in 2018 when he co-wrote How to Scare a Monster with fellow writer Dustin Warburton.

Alexander Mackenzie Gray is a Canadian film, television, and stage actor. He is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Canada. He divides his time between Toronto and Vancouver.

<i>I Drink Your Blood</i> 1971 American exploitation horror film by David E. Durston

I Drink Your Blood is a 1971 American exploitation horror film written and directed by David E. Durston, produced by Jerry Gross, and starring Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury, Jadine Wong, and Lynn Lowry. The film centers on a small town that is overrun by rabies-infected members of a Satanic hippie cult after a revenge plot goes horribly wrong.

FrightFest, also known as Arrow Video FrightFest is an annual film festival held in London and Glasgow. The festival holds three major events each year: a festival running five days over the UK late August Bank Holiday weekend, a Halloween event held in London in late October, and a festival in Glasgow held around February as part of the Glasgow Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Pistol</span> American pornographic actor

Aramis Sartorio, better known by his stage name Tommy Pistol, is an American pornographic actor and director. He is known for his porn parody work, most notably as the lead actor in Evil Head, Pee-Wee's XXX Adventure: A Porn Parody, Taxi Driver: A XXX Parody, and Suicide Squad: An Axel Braun Parody.

Stephen Huszar is a Canadian film and television actor born in Saskatoon. He is first generation Canadian, his parents arriving from Hungary as immigrants when they were very young. His family tree goes back eight or nine hundred years in the Transylvania region of Romania. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan.

<i>See No Evil 2</i> 2014 American slasher film

See No Evil 2 is a 2014 American slasher film directed by the Soska sisters, written by Nathan Brookes and Bobby Lee Darby, produced by Michael Luisi, and starring Danielle Harris, Katharine Isabelle and the WWE professional wrestler Kane. It is the sequel to the 2006 See No Evil feature film. Unlike the original, which had a theatrical release, the film was released in 2014 on a direct to Blu-ray and DVD form.

<i>Dead Hooker in a Trunk</i> 2009 Canadian film

Dead Hooker in a Trunk is a 2009 Canadian horror film starring, written, produced and directed by twin sisters Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska, also known as the Soska sisters. The film is their feature film directorial debut and is distributed by IFC. The film features music by a variety of local Vancouver acts such as Craig James, Fake Shark - Real Zombie! and CJ Wallis.

The PollyGrind Film Festival, also known as simply Pollygrind and the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival, was an annual event held in Las Vegas, Nevada that specialized "in all things alternative, with a wide variety of films not shown elsewhere." Spotlighting short films, feature-length films, music videos and trailers of all genres, PollyGrind was founded by filmmaker and promoter Chad Clinton Freeman. The event prided itself on focusing on individuality, diversity, creativity and empowerment. Vegas Seven has said PollyGrind is a "celebration of all things, dark, bloody, underground and arthouse."

<i>American Mary</i> 2012 film by Soska sisters

American Mary is a 2012 Canadian body horror film written and directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, and Tristan Risk. Isabelle plays a destitute medical student who begins taking clients from the extreme body modification community to solve her financial troubles.

<i>Vile</i> (film) 2011 film by Taylor Sheridan

Vile is a 2011 American horror film directed by Taylor Sheridan and starring Eric Jay Beck, April Matson, Akeem Smith, Greg Cipes, Maya Hazen, Heidi Mueller, and McKenzie Westmore. It follows ten kidnapped captives who have 22 hours to mount an escape from a locked room, and must endure excruciating pain in order to win their freedom. It premiered at the Film4 FrightFest on August 26, 2011 before its wide release in the United States on June 24, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan Risk</span> Canadian actress

Tristan Risk, also known as Little Miss Risk, is a Canadian film actress, known for her roles in horror films such as American Mary, Ayla, and Aliens Ate My Homework. In 2014 Risk penned the script for the short film Happily Ever Evil, in which she also starred, and in February 2016 she made her directorial debut with a short film she created as part of Women in Horror Month. She has since directed Parlour Tricks and Reptile House, which she both wrote.

<i>Bite</i> (film) 2015 Canadian film

Bite is a 2015 Canadian body horror film written and directed by Chad Archibald, and starring Elma Begovic, Annette Wozniak, Denise Yuen, Jordan Gray, Lawrene Denkers, Barry Birnberg, Daniel Klimitz, Tianna Nori, and Caroline Palmer. It was produced by Black Fawn Films, MGM Productions and Scream Factory, and Breakthrough Entertainment. The plot is about a young woman who is bitten by a waterborne insect whilst in Costa Rica and suffers horrifying and transformative consequences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster Fest</span> Film festival

Monster Fest is an annual genre film festival held in Melbourne, Australia, dedicated to cult and horror cinema. As of 2017 it is the only genre film festival held in Australia to be supported by the federal screen agency, Screen Australia.

<i>Rabid</i> (2019 film) 2019 Canadian film

Rabid is a 2019 Canadian body horror film directed and co-written by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Laura Vandervoort, Ben Hollingsworth, and Phil Brooks. It is a remake of the 1977 film of the same name directed by David Cronenberg.

There's No Such Thing as Vampires is a 2020 horror film that was directed by Logan Thomas. It is based on a script written by Thomas and Aric Cushing, who also starred.

Stalker is a 2022 British horror thriller film directed by Steve Johnson, starring Stuart Brennan and Sophie Skelton.

Festival of the Living Dead is a 2024 American zombie film directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Ashley Moore and Camren Bicondova. It is a spiritual sequel to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

References

  1. ↑ Leiren-Young, Mark. "Vancouver's Soska Sisters bring the madness to Whistler Film Festival". Canada.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Twisted sisters stick the knife into their latest film American Mary". if.com.au. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  3. ↑ Torrevillas, Phylicia. "Call them the twisted sisters". Metro Vancouver. Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Whittington, James. "Exclusive Interview With Jen And Sylvia Soska, Directors Of Dead Hooker In A Trunk". Horror Channel . Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  5. ↑ Christie, Greg. "Boozie Movies! Dead Hooker in a Trunk Review". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  6. ↑ "IFC Midnight Picks Up Dead Hooker in a Trunk for Limited Theatrical and VOD Release". Joblo.com. July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Bloody Disgusting". Bloody Disgusting. July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Film Review: Dead Hooker In A Trunk". Brutalashell.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Rants and Raves". KPBS. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  10. ↑ Jett, Kristy. "Soska Sister talks "AMERICAN MARY" casting and more". Fangoria . Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  11. ↑ "American Mary". Dread Central. April 19, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  12. ↑ Freville, Bob. "Soska Twins Talk About Ass-Kicking, Hookers & American Mary". Kotorimagazine.com. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  13. ↑ Rose, Steve (January 11, 2013). "The Soska sisters are the new faces of horror". The Guardian. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  14. ↑ "About Us". Twisted Twins Productions. 2011. Archived from the original on October 5, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Dead Hooker in a Trunk". Rotten Tomatoes. December 31, 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Dead Hooker in a Trunk Banned". April 11, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Sylvia Soska - Biography". imdb.com. 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  18. ↑ "American Mary". Rotten Tomatoes. May 31, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Soska Sisters Announce American Mary TV Show". ComicBook. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Vendetta". Rotten Tomatoes. June 12, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  21. ↑ "David Cronenberg's 'Rabid' Remake: Soska Sisters Ready Their 'Continuation' of Body Horror Classic with 'Female Perspective'". February 15, 2018.
  22. ↑ "'Supergirl' & 'Jigsaw' Star Laura Vandervoort Joins Reboot of David Cronenberg's Horror Classic 'Rabid' – Cannes". May 11, 2018.
  23. ↑ "411Mania".
  24. ↑ "StackPath". www.thehollywoodnews.com. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  25. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (October 7, 2018). "The Soska Sisters to Write New 'Black Widow' Comic Book Series". The Hollywood Reporter .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.