Monsters Wanted is a 2013 documentary film that was directed by Brian Cunningham and Joe Laughrey. [1] The film marks the directorial debut of Laughrey and is the first feature-length documentary by Cunningham. The film, which explores the haunted house industry in Louisville, Kentucky, had its world premiere on July 27, 2013, at FandomFest in Louisville. [2] The film was also released on DVD and VOD August 27, 2013. [3]
The documentary follows Rich Teachout, a businessman who has quit his job in order to focus on cultivating a unique haunted attraction. Together with Janel Nash, the two will work on building and operating the Asylum Haunted Scream park during its first year of operation. The documentary also follows other haunted attractions in the Louisville area. [4]
Critical reception has been positive. [5] Mark L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News wrote that the end seems like "a five minute filler section out of nowhere" but that he "loved almost every second of Monsters Wanted". [6] Culture Crypt gave the film a score of 75, writing, "The story is disjointed at times, and some of the issues are artificially inflated into problems that are resolved quickly. But the film creates a fun portrayal of how disparate personalities with a similar dream find commonality in their passion. And how commitment and community are the key ingredients that bring their unified vision together." [7] Mania.com gave a favorable review, writing, "You can't help but admire the dedication that the entire staff has in the face of all the problems they encounter and days which last 20 hours. Cunningham and Laughrey do a great job of letting the people tell the story as they stay back and just record the drama. For any horror or haunted house them park fan, this is a fascinating look inside the industry." [8]
The film won "Best Documentary" at the 2013 Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival, [9] was an official selection at the 2013 Orlando Film Festival, [10] and was the opening night film at the 2014 Transworld Halloween and Attraction Show. [11]
Wesley Earl Craven was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Amongst his prolific filmography, Craven was best known for his pioneering work in the horror genre, particularly slasher films, where he mixed horror cliches with humor and satire. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural impact and influence of his work.
Robert Lawrence Stine, sometimes known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor.
Amicus Productions was a British film production company, based at Shepperton Studios, England, active between 1962 and 1977. It was founded by American producers and screenwriters Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg.
Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo that has been working primarily in the genre of neoclassical dark ambient music since 1997 and is based in Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.
A haunted attraction is a form of live entertainment that simulates visiting haunted locations or experiencing horror scenarios. They usually feature fearsome sets and characters, especially demons, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, monsters, possessed people, witches, serial killers, and slashers. Humorous characters may also be included.
The Showroom Cinema is an independent cinema, café bar and creative workspace contributing to the culture in Sheffield, England.
Horror conventions are gatherings of the community of fans of various forms of horror including horror cinema, goth lifestyle, and occasionally science fiction and fantasy. Historically the focus has been on the cinematic form rather than literature and art, but this has broadened to include all forms in recent years. People in attendance at a horror convention are traditionally known as members of the convention; invited celebrities including film directors and stars are commonly known as guests of the convention, though many professionals including directors will simply attend as members.
Lisa Morton is an American horror author and screenwriter.
Rodman Flender is an American actor, writer, director and producer.
Universal's Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween-themed event at Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan and Singapore. The longest-running & most successful iteration of the event, in Orlando, Florida, began as Universal Studios Fright Nights in 1991 as a 3-night event at Universal Studios Florida. The following year, it was re-branded as Halloween Horror Nights, advertised as the "second annual event". Since then, it has evolved into a scare-a-thon event filled with themed haunted houses, scare zones & shows that runs over the course of select nights from early September until late October/early November, inspiring offshoots at other Universal Studios locations across the globe.
American Horror Story (AHS) is an American horror anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the American Story media franchise, seasons of AHS are mostly conceived as self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters in a new setting within the same fictional universe, and a storyline with its own "beginning, middle, and end." Some plot elements of each season are loosely inspired by true events. Many actors appear in more than one season, usually playing a new character though sometimes as a returning character, and often playing multiple characters in a season. Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe have returned most frequently, with each having appeared in nine seasons, followed by Frances Conroy and Denis O'Hare who both appear in eight; Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman appear in six, while other notable actors including Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Adina Porter, Finn Wittrock, and Jamie Brewer appear in five of the seasons.
Kingseat Hospital was a psychiatric hospital that is considered to be one of New Zealand's notorious haunted locations with over one hundred claims of apparitions being reported, as of 2011. It is located in Karaka, New Zealand, south of Auckland. Since 2005 has been used as a site for Spookers. Spookers is believed to be Australasia's only haunted attraction scream park as of 2011, and "the number 1 Haunted Attraction in the Southern Hemisphere". According to stuff.co.nz, Kingseat Hospital is considered one of the most haunted locations in New Zealand.
Blumhouse Productions, LLC, doing business as Blumhouse is an American film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum.
Fright Night Film Fest, also known as Louisville Fright Night Film Fest, is an annual horror film festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was first founded in 2005 by Ken Daniels and is typically held in July at the Galt House, which is famous for housing guests for the Kentucky Derby. The focus of the Fright Night Film Fest focuses on genre films such as horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, and cult from around the world including new films from Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Europe and North America.
Jessica Cameron is a Canadian horror film actress, director, screenwriter, and producer.
Crypt TV is an American entertainment company founded by Jack Davis and filmmaker Eli Roth in April 2015, focused on the creation and distribution of horror-themed digital content with an emphasis on recurring monsters and characters in linked universes. Its creation was backed by producer Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions.
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen. It examines the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, the second installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series, and the life of the film's lead actor, Mark Patton. In particular, Freddy's Revenge has garnered a reputation for its homoerotic themes and subject material, which affected Patton, who was closeted at the time of the film's production.
Field of Screams is an American attraction, located in Mountville, Pennsylvania. They estimate that around 75 000 people visit the attraction per annum. Field of Screams is best known for its wide range of horror "theme-park" attractions and branded events such as the Extreme Blackout, Zombie Fun Run, and Friday the 13th.
American Story is an American anthology television franchise consisting of several television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX and FX on Hulu. Each series follows a different genre of fiction, with each individual season conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters and settings, and a story line with its own "beginning, middle, and end." Some plot elements of each season and series are loosely inspired by true events. Many actors appear in more than one season and series, often playing a new character.