The Orphan Killer

Last updated
The Orphan Killer
TheOrphanKillerPoster.JPG
Directed byMatt Farnsworth
Written byMatt Farnsworth
Produced byMatt Farnsworth
Diane Foster
StarringDiane Foster
David Backus
Matt Farnsworth
Music byBullet Tooth
Production
company
Full Fathom 5
Distributed by ITunes
Vimeo
Full Fathom 5
Release date
  • November 1, 2011 (2011-11-01)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Orphan Killer is a 2011 independent horror film written and directed by Matt Farnsworth. It was produced by Farnsworth and Full Fathom 5. [1] Farnsworth has stated that he has plans for sequels and a web series. [2]

Contents

Plot

The film follows the life of two children who become wards of the state in New Jersey after a home invasion results in the murder of their parents. Having witnessed the murder, Marcus is forever changed. The siblings are sent to a Catholic orphanage where Audrey is subsequently adopted and Marcus is left behind. He suffers abuse at the hands of the caretakers and as a punishment is masked and exiled. Never forgiving his sister for abandoning him, Marcus returns to his sister's life many years later in adulthood, still masked, wanting to teach her a lesson.

Cast

Release

A limited test release of The Orphan Killer was distributed through Facebook. [3] The film also premiered at the Sitges Film Festival, where it was shown in the Brigadoon section of the festival. [4] The film was also shown at the 30th Festival de Cine de Terror de Molins de Rei. In Mexico, the film premiered in three different locations across the country at the Morbido Film Festival. [5]

Awards

The film received an award at the Festival de Cine de Terror de Molins de Rei for "Best Picture". [6] [7] In Italy, director Farnsworth was honored with an Antonio Margheriti award at the Tohorror film festival for his work on the film. The award "symbolizes the birth of a new master creator in the genre and his monster". [8]

Reception

Reception for the film has been mixed [9] with Germany banning the film. [10] HorrorNews.net said that the movie is "a return to classic horror with a lethal bang". [11] Dread Central also reviewed the film, stating "It is a low-budget offering and often looks like it" but that "You're getting a new slasher, one with a lot of similarities to some of our favorite characters of the past, but with its own unique spin". [12] Fangoria panned the film, writing that "these filmmakers had everything they needed to create something special, and simply chose to go the least interesting route". [13]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for The Orphan Killer was released in February 2011 on the movie's Facebook page.

Track list

  1. First Blood - First Blood
  2. Affiance - Nostra Culpa
  3. Asking Alexandria - Someone, Somewhere
  4. Deception of a Ghost - These Voices
  5. Anew Revolution - Head Against the Wall
  6. This or the Apocalypse - Charmer
  7. Most Precious Blood - A Danger to Myself and Others
  8. A Bullet for a Pretty Boy - The Deceiver
  9. Dawn of Ashes - Seething the Flesh in the River of Phlegethon
  10. First Blood - Conflict
  11. Born of Osiris - Follow the Signs
  12. No Bragging Rights - Death of an Era
  13. First Blood - Execution
  14. Ventana - Cry Little Sister

Sequels

Farnsworth announced plans for a sequel to The Orphan Killer shortly after the film's premiere in 2011. [14] In an interview with Starburst magazine he stated that he had completed the scripts for a second and third films and that he planned to release a web series based upon the first film in 2013. [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cherry Falls</i> 1999 film by Geoffrey Wright

Cherry Falls is a 1999 American slasher film directed by Geoffrey Wright, and starring Brittany Murphy, Jay Mohr, and Michael Biehn. The plot focuses on a small Virginia town where a serial killer is targeting teenaged virgins. After being submitted to and rejected by the MPAA numerous times, Cherry Falls was screened at several film festivals in some countries in late 1999 and early 2000, but did not have a theatrical release in the United States. Finally, it was purchased by USA Films, who telecast it on the USA Network on October 20, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitges Film Festival</span> Annual Spanish film festival

The Sitges Film Festival and also translated as Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and originally the International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specialises in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost international festivals. Established in 1968, the festival takes place every year, usually in early October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabelle Fuhrman</span> American actress (born 1997)

Isabelle Fuhrman is an American actress. She is known for her breakthrough role as Esther in the horror film Orphan (2009) and its prequel Orphan: First Kill (2022). She plays Clove in the dystopian adventure film The Hunger Games (2012), Alex in the independent film The Novice (2021), and Diamond in the Western film series Horizon: An American Saga (2024–present).

Jorge Olguín is a Chilean director who works mainly in fantasy and horror.

<i>The Last Horror Movie</i> 2003 British found footage horror film by Julian Richards

The Last Horror Movie is a 2003 British found footage horror film directed by Julian Richards. On 24 August 2003 it premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival and stars Kevin Howarth and Mark Stevenson. The Last Horror Movie was released onto DVD through Fangoria's Gore Zone label on 7 December 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Méliès International Festivals Federation</span> Film festival federation

Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), formerly European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF), established in 1987, is a network of 22 genre film festivals from 16 countries based Brussels, Belgium, and dedicated to promoting and supporting European cinema, particularly films in the fantasy, horror and science fiction genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival</span>

The Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFFF) was a three day international genre film festival held annually in Seattle, Washington. MIFFF was the premiere Pacific Northwest event devoted to action, animation, fantasy, horror and science fiction cinema from around the globe. The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Cinema at McCaw Hall hosted MIFFF which resided on the campus of Seattle Center.

Matt Wall, known professionally as Creep Creepersin, is an American film director, musician, screenwriter, producer, actor, and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Lehman</span> American actor

Ari Lehman is an American performing artist, composer, and actor. He is known for playing the child Jason Voorhees in the Paramount horror film Friday the 13th, becoming the first actor to portray the horror film icon. As of 2018, Lehman performs in a punk rock/heavy metal band, First Jason.

Patricio Valladares is a Chilean film director, screenwriter and comic book writer, best known for his work in horror films, who mixes elements of both arthouse and grindhouse, with an emphasis on modern extreme violence, action and some gore. He is also involved in comics and short movies, and frequently injects black humor or homages to grindhouse movies, along with artistic cinematography, somewhat intellectual dialogue and the occasional surrealism. His serial killers tend to make repeat appearances in his movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dread Central</span> American website

Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website four times and was selected as AMC's Site of the Week in 2008.

<i>Thanatomorphose</i> Canadian horror film by Éric Falardeau

Thanatomorphose is a 2012 Canadian body horror film directed by Éric Falardeau. It was his directorial debut. it was first released on October 2, 2012, in Spain and has been shown at several film festivals since then, including the Fantasia Film Festival. Thanatomorphose stars Kayden Rose as a young woman that finds her body slowly rotting from a mysterious ailment.

<i>Hooked Up</i> (film) 2013 Spanish film

Hooked Up is a 2013 Spanish horror film directed by Pablo Larcuen, written by Larcuen and Eduard Sola, and starring Stephen Ohl, Jonah Ehrenreich, Natascha Wiese, and Júlia Molins. It was shot entirely on a Camera phone, iPhone 4S. The film is presented in the form of found footage. Hooked Up premiered at Sitges Film Festival on 15 October 2013 and has a video-on-demand release date in the US on 7 April 2015.

<i>Summer of 84</i> 2018 film

Summer of 84 is a 2018 teen horror film directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell and written by Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith. The film stars Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Grüter-Andrew, Tiera Skovbye, and Rich Sommer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ángel Sala</span>

Ángel Sala is the director of the Sitges Film Festival.

<i>The Night Watchmen</i> (film) 2017 American film

The Night Watchmen is a 2017 horror film. The film was directed by Mitchell Altieri, and was written by Ken Arnold, Dan DeLuca and Jamie Nash.

The Molins Horror Film Festival or just TerrorMolins is a horror focused film festival which takes place every year in Molins de Rei. It started in 1973 as a single event called Setze hores de cine de terror, sixteen hours of horror films, which was the first film marathon in the Iberian Peninsula fully devoted to horror cinema.

<i>Venicephrenia</i> 2021 Spanish film

Venicephrenia is a 2021 Spanish slasher thriller film directed by Álex de la Iglesia. It is the first film belonging to the 'Fear Collection' label created by Sony Pictures International Productions and Pokeepsie Films in association with Amazon Prime Video. It stars Ingrid García Jonsson, Silvia Alonso, Goize Blanco, Nicolás Iloro and Alberto Bang as a group of Spanish friends who travel to Venice as part of a vacation plan, but as soon as they arrive to their destination, they encounter with furious inhabitants who refuse to welcome them, and a deadly killer who hunts each of them down.

<i>Venus</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Jaume Balagueró

Venus is a 2022 Spanish supernatural action horror thriller film directed by Jaume Balagueró from a screenplay by Balagueró and Fernando Navarro, loosely inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's short story "The Dreams in the Witch House". It stars Ester Expósito.

References

  1. ↑ "El enmascarado y su sangriento director". Diario Vasco. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "Los seguidores del cine 'slasher' no han conocido un fenómeno así en 20 años". Noticias de Gipuzkoa. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Writer/Director Matt Farnsworth Talks The Orphan Killer Past, Present and Future…And How You Can See it for Free!". Dread Central. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "BRIGADOON 13 OCT: Asian Trash Cinema, The orphan killer & La masque de la Méduse". Sitges Film Festival. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Orphan Killer Introduces Slasher Marcus Miller Worldwide". Dread Central. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  6. ↑ "'The Orphan Killer' Acquires 'Best Picture' at 'Terror Molins De Rei'". HorrorNews.net. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "The Orphan Killer Wins Best Picture at Terror Molins De Rei". Dread Central. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "Matt Farnsworth – The Orphan Killer – Honors pour in from Europe". HorrorNews.net. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "Review: The Orphan Killer EL SERIAL KILLER DEL SIGLO XXI". Almas Oscuras. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "5 Must-Have Horror Films Banned In Germany". Yell! Magazine. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "Film Review: The Orphan Killer (2011)". HorrorNews.net. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  12. ↑ "Orphan Killer, The (2011)". Dread Central. November 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  13. ↑ ""THE ORPHAN KILLER" (FILM REVIEW)". Fangoria. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  14. ↑ "Gore Noir Magazine Issue #6". Gore Noir Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "Interview: Matt Farnsworth, Director of THE ORPHAN KILLER". Starburst Magazine. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
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.