Monday, September 26, 2011

MONSTERS, MUSIC, & U.E.


HELLO, FRIENDS…


ABOVE: The CRITTER receives “The Treatment” from Jim O’Rear and Bryan Wilson.


Bryan and I just returned home for a couple of days and wanted to drop you a quick note. Thank you to everyone involved in the process of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE being screened at THE SCAREFEST in Lexington, KY, this weekend… especially Nic & Fiona Brown, Jeff Waldridge, and Cherokee Hall… and thanks to those who attended the screening and had such kind comments afterwards. A short video of some of these funny testimonials will be coming soon!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and the lovely Elvira.


THE SCAREFEST was a blast. I wish we had the time to spend all weekend there visiting with our friends and fans… such as Elvira, Danielle Harris, Ernie Hudson, Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, James & Mary Hampton, the dynamic duo of Angela & Wickedbeard, Lisa Baker, Bill Moseley, Ed Douglas, Paul Browning, John Dugan, Lance Henricksen, Ben & Stacey Dixon, Cameron, Patty, Emily, Ender…. The list goes on and on.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Bryan Wilson give Wickedbeard “The Treatment” on the red carpet!

THE SCAREFEST ran like a smooth and efficient machine with thousands of attendees. It’s a fun show with lots of excellent guests and fun events. If you haven’t made it to this show yet, plan to attend in Lexington next year…in which the new dates happen to fall on my birthday! Party anyone?


ABOVE: Steve Nappe, Kane Hodder, Danielle Harris, and Jim O'Rear.


ABOVE: Bryan Wilson, Ernie Hudson, and Jim O’Rear.


ABOVE: Bryan Wilson and Jim O'Rear outside the screening of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE, sponsored by Fear.net.


ABOVE: Bryan Wilson, Beverly Randolph, and Jim O’Rear.


ABOVE: Jim O'Rear and Bryan Wilson hamming it up on the red carpet.

After the sneak screening of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT, Bryan and I had to run to Indianapolis, IN, to appear at a benefit concert for the Make A Wish Fund. Bryan played with FOREVER THE TRIBUTE (a Beatles tribute band) and brought down the house.


ABOVE: Bryan Wilson as John Lennon in FOREVER THE TRIBUTE.


ABOVE: Forever The Tribute.

Bryan and I travelled quickly through Indiana. Since we were recently banned in Franklin, IN, due to our film UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT being too controversial for them, we weren’t sure what law offices might be out to get us. However, we did stop long enough in Franklin to snap this photo:


ABOVE: Franklin welcomes… US???

Thousands of dollars were raised at this benefit concert to help sick kids and Bryan and I were proud to be a part of this event. We don’t know that everyone was as proud, though, when a 5th Beatle was put on the stage!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear gets wigged.


ABOVE: What's on Jim's head?


ABOVE: John Lennon and the 5th Beatle.


ABOVE: Hey! Where did Jim’s hair go?

We want to thank Franklin, Indiana, and the B Movie Celebration/Artcraft Theater for banning us this weekend, as it allowed us the time to help raise a lot of money for a lot of sick kids and connect to many more UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT fans!

We’re in Gatlinburg, TN, this week for HORROR WEEKEND (www.HorrorWeekend.com) appearing with a ton of genre stars and holding another sneak peek screening of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT. We hope to see you there!!

Thanks for reading,
Jim O’Rear and Bryan Wilson
www.UETheMovie.com
www.JimORear.com
www.Bryan-Wilson.com


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT SCREENINGS UPDATE


HELLO, FRIENDS…



Just a quick update for all the supporters and followers of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE. We appreciate the support of everyone over the past couple of weeks in our fight against this film being censored and banned from screening in Franklin, IN. As a direct result from this, we’ve been approached with a multitude of offers for our little movie, including several venues who are not afraid to let the fans see it! We thought we’d give you a current list, all in one convenient place, for those who are trying to find the closest location to view the film.


SEPT 23, 2011, 9:30pm: The ScareFest (www.scarefestcon.com) – Lexington Center, 430 W Vine St, Lexington, KY.

OCT 2, 2011, 12:30pm: Horror Weekend (www.HorrorWeekend.com) – Gatlinburg Convention Center, 234 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN.

OCT 22, 2011, (time TBA): GMX (www.GeekMediaExpo.com) – Millennium Maxwell House, 2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN.

OCT 28, 2011 (World Theatrical Premiere & Halloween Party), 6:00pm to midnight: Historic Paramount Theater (www.AndersonParamount.org) – 1124 Meridian St, Anderson, IN.

MARCH, 2012 (date & time TBA): Stiletto Film Festival – Boston, MA (More info as date approaches).


Bryan and I will be present at these screenings with some exclusive U.E. merchandise! More screenings will be announced in the near future as well as a DVD release date.

For those who haven’t been following the controversy stirred up by this film, UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE, features the talents of entertainment greats Robert Englund, Danielle Harris, Tom Savini, William Forsythe, Ernie Hudson, Tony Todd, Debbie Rochon, Mel Tillis, Lloyd Kaufman, and more.

In 1990 a television series was born that was unlike anything the world had yet seen. Created by Jim O’Rear and Bryan Wilson, UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT captured the planet in its grip weekly, introducing humankind to new pleasures, experiences, and freedoms. Now, twenty years after its television debut, UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT returns with an all-star cast as a hilarious, irreverent feature-length MOCK-umentary that chronicles the creation and eventual demise of an award-winning icon in television entertainment.

UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE is the incredible true story of the little television show that influenced EVERYTHING and changed the world.

For more info, to view trailers, and to read reviews of the film please check out the official site at www.UETheMovie.com



Thanks for reading,
Jim O’Rear & Bryan Wilson
www.UETheMovie.com
www.JimORear.com
www.Bryan-Wilson.com



Thursday, September 15, 2011

THE FUTURE OF UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT & WORLD THEATRICAL PREMIERE



ABOVE: UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT’s Jim O’Rear & Bryan Wilson.

The true spirit of independent film is alive and well!

We’d like to make a few big announcements! First, though, we want to thank everyone for the loads and loads of support, articles, videos, and everything else that you have done in the wake of the recent censorship and banning issues surrounding our new film UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE. If you’ve missed out on the action, please scroll down our Facebook pages and, also, check out the movie website (www.UETheMovie.com) to get caught up on all of the scoop.

Your support has been overwhelming and interest in the film has continued to grow. We’ve been contacted by numerous locations wanting to screen the film and are in negotiations with distribution companies who want the public to see this movie. We have confirmed some future screenings, for those who have been asking when they’ll have a chance to see the film, and we have set a new World Theatrical Premiere date and location!


ABOVE: The ScareFest Horror & Paranormal Convention – Sept 23-25.

First up, we want to thank Nic and Fiona Brown and the fine folks at THE SCAREFEST horror and paranormal convention (Lexington, KY – www.ScareFestCon.com) for stepping in at the last minute when our long-confirmed theatrical premiere was cancelled by the closed-minded people behind the The B Movie Celebration. THE SCAREFEST just happened to be taking place the same weekend as our previously scheduled premiere, so they made time in their schedule to fit in a screening of the film as part of the convention on Friday night, Sept 23, at 9:30pm. This works out great because we’ve spoken to several celebrities about attending this screening and many will be able to attend with the fans. Some of those we’ve spoken with include Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN), John Dugan (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE), Beverly Randolph (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD), James Hampton (SLING BLADE), horror artist Dick Star, Chad Morin (GHOST HUNT WEEKENDS), and more!


ABOVE: GMX Convention – Oct 21-23.

If you are unable to attend the screening at THE SCAREFEST, thanks to Jeremy Miller the movie will be included as part of the GMX Convention (Nashville, TN – www.GeekMediaExpo.com). We’re finalizing the exact night and time for this now, but it will be either Friday night, Oct 21, or Saturday night, Oct 22. Check their website for updated details or www.UETheMovie.com.


ABOVE: The historic Paramount Theatre, Anderson, IN.

Now for the WORLD THEATRICAL PREMIERE news… UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE will have its World Theatrical Premiere on Friday, October 28th, in Anderson, Indiana (just outside of Indianapolis), at the beautiful and historic Paramount Theatre (www.AndersonParamount.org). This isn’t just a movie screening, though… it’s an EVENT! Check this out… Since it is Halloween weekend (the best weekend of the year), the Paramount will be screening the classic film CARNIVAL OF SOULS at 6pm, followed by a costume contest led by Joshua Hull (director and writer of BEVERLY LANE), followed by a screening of the zombie comedy BEVERLY LANE (which I am also a cast member of), followed by the costume contest awards ceremony, and then the World Theatrical Premiere of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT at 9:30pm! Cast members from BEVERLY LANE, UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT, and other films will be in attendance. Bryan and I will also be filming, throughout the evening, segments for the UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT sequel (which covers our struggles against censorship and the banning of our film). So, if you want to have a lot of fun, see some cool flicks, and be a part of the next UNDERGROUND movie, definitely plan on being there!


ABOVE: Beverly Lane Poster.

We have a lot of people to thank for setting up this premiere for the fans. Thank you Joshua Hull and Jim Dougherty for organizing this event, thank you to the open-minded owners of the beautiful Paramount Theatre for allowing us to hold the event there, and thank you to our friend Lee Vervoort who cancelled the screening of his own film, GUN TOWN, so that UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT could be seen on that night. Please show your support of Lee for helping us out by purchasing a DVD of his film GUN TOWN from the movie’s website (www.GunTownTheMovie.com).


ABOVE: Gun Town.

UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE will also be screened in Boston, MA, early next year as part of the Stiletto Film Festival. More details about this screening as well as the official DVD release will be coming soon as the final details are worked out!

Once again, thank you to everyone who has supported this movie and its recent stand against censorship. It has made it clearly visible to the public who those people are that truly support independent cinema and who those are who only pretend to support independent cinema. The spirit of the indie is alive and well and we’re proud to be a part of that community! We’re looking forward to meeting everyone at the screenings and having a blast at the official World Theatrical Premiere on October 28th!

Thank you,

Jim O’Rear and Bryan Wilson

www.UETheMovie.com



Friday, September 2, 2011

CENSORSHIP, POLITICS, AND THE 1ST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF INDEPENDENT FILM IN THE HEARTLAND OF AMERICA


ABOVE: UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT’s Jim O’Rear & Bryan Wilson.

For the past week, many have been following the story of the attempted censorship of our new all-star documentary, UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE… which, ironically, focuses on the topic of censorship. My business partner, Bryan Wilson, and I thought it was time to make an official statement concerning this and let the public know the strange details of the case and UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT’s future association with the B Movie Celebration and The Artcraft Theater.

I’ll try to keep this as brief and succinct as possible, because I’m sure you don’t want to read a book about this.

The B Movie Celebration, run by Bill Dever in Franklin, Indiana, promotes itself as a supporter of independent cinema and filmmakers, claiming a desire to advance the culture of independent movies that are made outside of the Hollywood system. But, apparently, that is only true if your film happens to also agree with their religious and moral beliefs.

I’ll start by saying this… I’ve been involved with the B Movie Celebration for the past five years. I was there from the start. Bryan and I love independent films and the people who make them. They’re edgier and make more of a statement than typical commercial Hollywood films.

Bryan and I were approached by Bill Dever several months ago. He really wanted the world theatrical premiere rights to screen our new documentary, UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT, at this year’s celebration. The film is about a television show Bryan and I created twenty years ago that broke a lot of ground for home genre entertainment. On this twenty year anniversary of the show, we set out to document our struggles with censorship and what could and could not be shown on television. Several top genre celebrities joined the film to pledge their support of the old show and give their testimonials concerning its impact on the world today… people like Robert “Freddy” Englund (NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN), Ernie Hudson (GHOSTBUSTERS), William Forsythe (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), Tony Todd (CANDYMAN), Tom Savini (PLANET TERROR), Lloyd Kaufman (TROMA King), Mel Tillis (CANNONBALL RUN), Daniel Taylor (RETURN OF SWAMP THING), James Hampton (SLING BLADE), and many others.

We had offers to screen the world premiere at much larger events, but because I had been associated with the B Movie Celebration for the last five years we agreed to screen it there… with only one condition. The condition was that the movie screen on Saturday, September 24th, at the Historic Artcraft Theater. We were guaranteed, repeatedly by Bill Dever, that this would be done.


ABOVE: The Historic Artcraft Theater – Franklin, IN

After months of advertising the premiere, promoting the town of Franklin and the B Movie Celebration, and attendees purchasing plane tickets, rental cars, etc, to attend the screening, we received a call from Bill Dever on Monday stating that the Artcraft refuses to play an uncensored version of the film and that there’s nothing he could do but offer to screen the film inside an office with twenty-five chairs or outdoors inside a tent. Of course, neither of those choices is a realistic option for a “world premiere.”

When Bill was asked if he rents the Artcraft out for his event, his answer was “yes.” So, logically, as a renter of the venue, he should be able to screen any film that he wants to for his private event. I was informed that this wasn’t the case; that Rob, the owner of the Artcraft, had certain “beliefs” and that he wouldn’t screen the film in its current uncensored cut because of the “material” it contained. Again, ironic considering the film is about censorship. What “material” is so upsetting? It’s a documentary.

Well, excuse me, but we had a deal… and the deal was that U.E. would screen on Saturday at the Artcraft in exchange for us giving him the world theatrical premiere rights. There were no conditions that an independent film had to meet a certain religious code. I thought this celebration was set up to support the independent artists and further the culture of independent cinema, not to snuff out independent films that have a voice and something legitimate to say. This is the type of irrational behavior that religious fanatics, such as those of the Westboro Baptist Church, participate in as an attempt to step on people’s First Amendment rights and further their own agenda.

When I asked Bill why he didn’t just pull his rental money away from the Artcraft and screen his films somewhere else, his story suddenly changed. Now he informed us that the venue was, actually, rented using public funds by his friend… the mayor of Franklin, Fred Paris. Really? The mayor is misusing public funds to support his friend’s private film festival? Does the town of Franklin know about this?

You see, this now complicates matters even further because not only is this a blatant misuse of public funds but it now starts to infringe on another set of rights we are promised in America. Follow me here… Why is a politician using public funds to rent a non-religious venue whose owner is making decisions based on their religious beliefs to determine what the public is going to see at a private event? What happened to the separation of church and state? A state office is using the town’s public funds to impose their religious beliefs on people by censoring the films it wants you to see at a private event. Am I the only one that sees something incredibly wrong and unconstitutional about this?


ABOVE: UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT’s “Banned In Franklin” Poster.

Due to Bill Dever’s track record of less-than-accurate information, we contacted the mayor’s office to see if we could get more clarification and a statement on this matter. We left phone messages and sent emails directly to Fred Paris to allow him to comment on this misuse of public funds and the attempt of a public official’s rented venue to censor a film and impose personal religious beliefs on attendees, but he refused to respond. Sometimes silence speaks much louder than words, Mr. Paris.

As of this date, there has been no resolution to this matter. So, unfortunately for the people who have spent money and made plans to come see the promised screening of U.E. at the B Movie Celebration, this screening is not going to take place. We hope that Bill Dever and the B Movie Celebration have the morals, like the ones they are trying to impose on others, to honor any and all refund requests of those who are disappointed with this turn of events. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help with airline refunds, and such… but at least it’s something.

In addition, due to the convictions of Bryan and I and our spotless reputations in this industry, we cannot associate ourselves with an event that operates under shifty business practices and displays these types of blatant flaws in integrity. Not to mention one that wants to tiptoe on our First Amendment rights and try to impose their religious beliefs on others by censoring films they’ve invited to screen at their festival. Therefore, Bryan and I will NOT be attending the B Movie Celebration or their sister event The World Festival Of Scream Queens. Because of this, we have also been informed that other guests and filmmakers are pulling out of the event and will not be appearing, either. Just last night we also received emails from some advertised guests who stated they were “uninvited” to the event by Bill Dever and won’t be appearing. It now has us wondering, will ANYONE be there? We understand that these guest changes and our decision may cause other attendees, participants, and filmmakers to withdraw, also, who were looking forward to this. We apologize to those people and we appreciate your support in this matter.

Finally, the last word we heard from Bill Dever, in an Email, was that it was very possible that this entire event may be cancelled and not happen at all. So, with this in mind, make your weekend plans wisely. If we hear any additional info, we will let you know. We will also be scheduling a new world premiere screening of UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE at another event in the very near future.



Thank you,

Jim O’Rear and Bryan Wilson

www.UETheMovie.com




ABOVE: UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT’s Jim O’Rear & Bryan Wilson.