POST MORTEM AMERICA 2021 Rough Preview Trailer

FRIENDS….

The director of POST MORTEM AMERICA 2021, a film I did with Linnea Quigley (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD) and Monique Dupree (BEAST), just shared a rough trailer of the film. Check it out below:



Look for the finished film in 2010! You can read about it NOW, though, in the new issue of SCARS MAGAZINE. Order your copy of the mag here: www.ScarsMagazine.com

Thanks for reading!
Jim
www.JimORear.com

In A Few Short Days: OLD HABITS Movie Premiere & PARANORMAL Book Signing!!!

HELLO, FRIENDS…

If you find yourself in the Nashville, TN, area this weekend (10/24 – 10/26), join me for these two fun events!



First up… on Saturday, October 24th, I will be signing copies of my paranormal book TENNESSEE GHOSTS at the Opry Mills Barnes & Noble, just across the parking lot from the historic Grand Ole Opry, from 1pm to 3pm. Here are the details:

515 Opry Mills Drive
Nashville, TN 37214
PH: (615) 514-5000

The store sold out of books the last time I was there, so plan on arriving early.


ABOVE: The cast of OLD HABITS DIE HARD

Next… something a lot of people have been waiting for… the world premiere of OLD HABITS DIE HARD, starring myself, Kane “Jason” Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13TH, HATCHET), Tricia Cast (THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS), Roger Hewlett (THE CHANGELING, DEXTER), and Stacey Dixon (SHUDDER), takes place Monday, October 26th, at 7pm in the Belcourt Theater. Here are the details:

2102 Belcourt Avenue
Nashville, TN 37212
Box Office: (615) 383-9140
Main Office: (615) 846-3150

Tickets will sell out for this event, so go online and order yours today at the following link:
http://www.belcourt.org/events?id=66586

Hope to see you there!

Thanks for reading,
Jim
www.JimORear.com

This Weekend: DEATH ROW and THE OCTOBER COMIC & HORROR FESTIVAL!

HELLO, FRIENDS…

If you are in the Nashville, TN, area this weekend (10/17 – 10/18), please stop by and join me at 2 fun locations… The October Comic And Horror Festival and Death Row Haunted House!



The October Comic And Horror Festival features a variety of multi-media guest, including actors such as myself, Brian O’Halloran (CLERKS), Dick “Michael Myers” Warlock (HALLOWEEN 2), Glenn Shadix (BEETLEJUICE), Daniel Taylor (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING), Playboy Playmate Alex del Monaco (THONG GIRL 4), and Mike Christopher (DAWN OF THE DEAD)… as well as comic book personalities and artists such as Billy Tackett, Chris Claremont (X-MEN), Jeff Preston (EXCALIBUR STUDIOS), Sean Taylor (GENE SIMMONS DOMINATRIX), Bobby Nash (EVIL WAYS), Gary Friedrich (GHOST RIDER), George Bonilla (ZP INTERNATIONAL)… and many, many more!

This show is always good time! Stop by and join us on Saturday and/or Sunday at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds for the fun. More info can be found here:
www.comiccitytn.com/hfest_info.html



Also, this weekend…. SATURDAY NIGHT (10/17) ONLY… Join me, Dick “Michael Myers” Warlock (HALLOWEEN 2), and Mike Christopher (DAWN OF THE DEAD) at one of Nashville’s largest haunted attractions, Death Row Sanitarium Of Slaughter, signing from 7pm to 10pm.

The team at Death Row always put on a great show, so come on out and get the bejezzus scared out of ya! More info can be found here:
www.deathrowhauntedhouse.net

Hope to see you this weekend!
Jim O’Rear
www.JimORear.com

THE DEAD MATTER World Premiere

HELLO, FRIENDS...


ABOVE: What lurks in the mist of THE DEAD MATTER?

The world premiere of the movie THE DEAD MATTER, featuring myself, Andrew Divoff (WISHMASTER, LOST), Tom Savini (FROM DUSK TIL DAWN, PLANET TERROR), and Jason Carter (BABYLON 5, ANGEL) was held this weekend in Cleveland, Ohio, and what a screening it turned out to be! THE DEAD MATTER, directed by Edward Douglas (MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE) and co-produced by Robert Kurtzman (WISHMASTER, SCREAM, AUSTIN POWERS) and Gary Jones (XENA, HERCULES, ARMY OF DARKNESS), tells the story of a vampire relic with occult powers that falls into the hands of a grief-stricken young woman, played by Sean Serino (THE RAGE), who will do anything to contact her dead brother.


ABOVE: The aftermath of a vampire / zombie war in THE DEAD MATTER.

As most people who follow me know, I prefer to drive to events and movie sets that I’m working on, whenever possible, because it allows me to enjoy the country and culture that I would normally miss by just flying over it. So, I hopped in the car and left for Cleveland early Saturday morning, blaring jazzy and crooner-ific tunes from Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra on the stereo. During my drive I was treated to a beautiful sunrise and, later, some of the bluest skies I have ever seen in my life.





I think these sights were casual messages from God sent to remind me that it’s not the grand, earth-shattering events that make life worth living… it’s the simple pleasures that most of us take for granted every day that really make life special. And, to reaffirm that God has a sense of humor, notice my GPS moving average speed for the journey:



I know… I know… You want me to stop messing around and get on with it. So, here ya go!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear as Vampire Junkie Ernie in THE DEAD MATTER.

I arrived in Cleveland early enough to take a look around Tower City, the location where the world premiere was being held. Wow! What a sight. It was an enormous city inside a city, basically. I was quickly amused by the mix of people wandering through the area. You see, Taylor Swift was playing a concert across the street. Looking through the crowd, you could see an interesting blend of horror fans and cowboy-boot-wearing country teen idol fans. Okay… maybe I was the only one amused at this sight.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Jason Carter.

The first person I ran into was Jason Carter (BABYLON 5, ANGEL, CHARMED). He had arrived early, as well, and was desperately needing a smoke break. We stepped outside and briefly caught up with each other on our travels before going into the theater for check in.


ABOVE: Jason Carter… vampire slayer!

Stepping into the lobby of the theater I was immediately greeted with a hug and a handshake from Andrew Divoff (WISHMASTER, LOST, CSI: MIAMI). I found out that Andy has been spending a lot of his extra time working on his yard at home. I tried to convince him that I needed some work done at my home, too, but couldn’t talk him into taking on the extra job!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Andrew Divoff.


ABOVE: Andrew Divoff as Vellich… master vampire.

It wasn’t long before Andy and I were joined by Robert Kurtzman (WISHMASTER, SCREAM, PULP FICTION) and his lovely wife, hands full of popcorn, and Gary Jones! Bob and Gary, both, have a lot of interesting things going on, right now… some of which I can’t currently mention… but, keep your eyes open for more news from these multi-talented gentlemen in the near future!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Robert Kurtzman.

Soon, I heard a familiar voice behind me calling my name. I turned around to be greeted by Tom Savini, looking great, as always. We caught up on a few things and he filled me in on the details of MACHETE, Robert Rodriguez’s new film that Tom just finished working on with Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, Don Johnson, and the list goes on. What a cast lineup!! From what Tom tells me, this film is not to be missed!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Tom Savini.


ABOVE: Tom Savini as Sebed in THE DEAD MATTER.

It was time for the movie to begin so we all filed into our reserved seats. The film was premiering to packed houses on two screens in the multiplex. Within just the first few minutes I was completely drawn into the movie as it opened with a bang… a war between humans, zombies, and vampires. It’s a movie filled with action, mystery, monsters, and a really wicked sense of humor. It becomes very apparent that this film was made for horror fans by horror fans. One thing that genre hounds will be happy with, as well, is that the movie doesn’t treat you as if you’re stupid. Forget about explaining how to a destroy a zombie by killing the brain or preaching that vampires don’t like sunlight and crosses… the filmmakers figured that if you are sitting in the theater watching this movie then you already know the history of the monsters involved. It was a fantastic and refreshing change! Not only that... the story told in this film is completely original. I’ve been watching horror movies a long time and I can honestly say that I have not seen this story on screen before.


ABOVE: One of the many zombies to be found in THE DEAD MATTER.

I can’t say enough good things about this film. Ed Douglas and the entire cast and crew really poured their hearts into it. The acting, music, cinematography, makeup, special effects… everything is top notch. I can’t wait until this one reaches the general public to see how the genre audiences react.


ABOVE: The crowd travels up the marble staircase toward the premiere’s after-party.

After the screening it was time to cut loose and have a good time with the cast and crew at the after party. The crowd moved toward the great marble staircase and headed upstairs. This was another fun-filled event loaded with food, drinks, music, slideshows, and more. I missed seeing Sean Serino (THE RAGE) at the screening so she was the first one I had to hug at the after party. Sean does a great job in this film as the female lead, carrying the bulk of the story on her shoulders.


ABOVE: Sean Serino and Jim O’Rear.

The party got started as more of the cast and crew filed in, including C.B. Spencer (ALLY MCBEAL), Brian Van Camp (NEW WORLD DISORDER), Donna Williams (THE RAGE), Al Tuskes (MEN IN BLACK 2, GODZILLA, PLANET OF THE APES), Chris Robichaud, David Greathouse (POWER RANGERS, TALES FROM THE CRYPT), comic book model Nutopia Kim, and more. Of course, there was also writer, producer, director Ed Douglas, who deserved all of the praise he was getting that evening.


ABOVE: Ed Douglas and Jim O’Rear.

I could go on and on telling you about the event, but let’s have some of the photos do the talking instead…


ABOVE: Ed Douglas greets the crowd as C.B. Spencer and Jason Carter clown around behind him.


ABOVE: Andrew Divoff and Brian Van Camp watch the events onstage unfold.


ABOVE: Robert Kurtzman and Andrew Divoff take to the stage for a duet! Just kidding!


ABOVE: Jessica Cameron and Jim O’Rear pose for the camera.


ABOVE: Sean Serino and Gary Jones mingle in the crowd.

It was a great night to go along with a great film. It was so nice to see everyone again and I hope that we all get to work together on another project in the near future. If you’d like to learn more about THE DEAD MATTER, check out the last issue of SCARS MAGAZINE (available for order at www.scarsmagazine.com) for a multi-page in-depth article about the making of the film.



Thanks for reading!!
Jim O’Rear
www.JimORear.com

BOOZE CRUISE (A Working Title)

HELLO, FRIENDS…


ABOVE: Ervin Ross (COONS), Director Jim Wynorski (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING), and Jim O’Rear (THE DEAD MATTER) taking a break from BOOZE CRUISE (working title).

I just wanted to post a couple of quick photos from a new comedy film I recently completed with legendary director Jim Wynorski (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING, VAMPIRELLA, TRANSYLVANIA TWIST) under the working title of BOOZE CRUISE. It was a blast to finally work with Jim on a film! Ervin Ross (COONS) and I play scientists in search of a sea monster… a subplot to the main focus of the film. I would equate our characters to the likes of Jay and Silent Bob from Kevin Smith’s comedies… the two idiots that the audience checks in with, from time to time, as the main story in the film progresses.


ABOVE: Ervin Ross and Jim O’Rear handle a bomb… a scene that was dropped from the original script.

Ervin Ross was great fun to work with and Jim Wynorski, really, just turned the two of us loose and allowed us to ad lib and make up a lot of our own dialogue. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to be shooting on the lake outside of Shelbyville, Indiana, and the cast and crew were gracious and kind.


ABOVE: Ervin Ross and Jim O’Rear clown around on set.

It was a great experience and I can’t wait to work with this group again in the near future! Thanks goes out to all for making this shoot a fun job! I’m looking forward to watching the finished project.

Thanks for reading,
Jim O’Rear
www.JimORear.com

The GOLDEN COB AWARDS Results!

HELLO, FRIENDS…


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear At The B-Movie Celebration.

I was asked by several people to post ASAP the results of the Golden Cob Awards. So…. Live, from Shelbyville, Indiana… at The B-Movie Celebration… Here I am! For those of you who haven’t been following the story, The Cob Awards are for excellence in low budget cinema. This year’s nominees ranged from Roger Corman to Lloyd Kaufman to Ray Harryhausen to Elvira to John Carpenter. It was a who’s-who of independent cinema!

I was surprised and honored to be nominated this year for Best B-Movie Actor. I was nominated against Monique Parent (WALKER TEXAS RANGER) and B-Movie King Bruce Campbell (THE EVIL DEAD, ARMY OF DARKNESS, BURN NOTICE). It was, basically, a given that Bruce Campbell would win this award by a landslide. Well, the results are in and the waiting is over.

What happened, you ask? Let’s just say it was one of the biggest upsets in award show history as I stole the award from Bruce Campbell! Yes, I won the Golden Cob this evening for Best B-Movie Actor! Whooo Hoooo! Here are a couple of photos:


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear accepts the award for Best B-Movie Actor from presenter Bill Dever.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear (Best B-Movie Actor), Lola Wallace (Emerging B Filmmaker), and Nic Brown (Super Fan Award).

The winners of the evening were:

Best Scream Queen: Debbie Rochon
Best B-Movie Actor: Jim O’Rear
Best Efx: Tom Devlin
Best Director: Jim Wynorski
Lifetime Achievement Award: Roger Corman
Lifetime Achievement For Horror Host: Vampira
Rising B-Movie Star: Tucky Williams
Best Writer (Screenplay): Mark Poole
Best Soundtrack: John Carpenter (Halloween)
Best DVD Release: Poultrygeist
Best Emerging B Filmmaker: Lola Wallace
Super Fan Award: Nic Brown

I want to thank everyone who voted for me and gave me your support. It was great fun to be involved in an upset of this magnitude and you all made it possible!



The B-Movie Celebration continues this weekend (Sept 25-27) in Shelbyville & Franklin, Indiana, with movies, seminars, parties, and more. Check out additional info at: www.bmoviecelebration.com

Thanks for reading!!
Jim O’Rear
www.JimORear.com

HOLLYWOOD GHOST HUNTERS Waverly Sanatorium Investigation!

HELLO, FRIENDS…


ABOVE: THE HOLLYWOOD GHOST HUNTERS - (back) Steve Nappe (JASON X), Rick McCallum (DEVIL’S REJECTS), Kane “Jason”Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13TH, HATCHET) – (front) Chris “The Miner” Carnel (MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D), Jim O’Rear (DAY OF THE DEAD), Barry Blaisdell (GEMINI).

I recently completed my third paranormal investigation with THE HOLLYWOOD GHOST HUNTERS. This time we visited Waverly Hills Sanatorium, in Louisville, KY… considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in America. It was great to be back on the hunt with Steve, Rick, and Kane (see my previous blog covering our investigations of the South Pittsburg Hospital and Sloss Furnace). This time we were joined by a couple of other great guys, Barry Blaisdell (GEMINI) and Chris “The Miner” Carnel (MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D).


ABOVE: The entrance to Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

Waverly started out as a small, one-room school house in 1883. By 1910 it was a two-story tuberculosis hospital equipped to handle 40 to 50 patients. As tuberculosis became an epidemic, the hospital was expanded and by 1926 it was equipped to handle 400 patients. Unfortunately, this still wasn’t big enough. However, the doctors and patients made it work as efficiently as possible and it was considered to be one of the most modern, well-equipped facilities of its kind. It functioned as a tuberculosis hospital until 1961, when antibiotics were invented and the hospital was closed.


ABOVE: A view of the back of the building.

Due to there being no antibiotics when the hospital was open, doctors had to rely on natural remedies and some rather crude treatment techniques. Most didn’t survive the plague and due to the methods of care available, many didn’t survive the treatment. Freezers filled up and bodies overflowed. The Waverly became synonymous with death.


ABOVE: Barry Blaisdell prepares equipment for the investigation.

We arrived at Waverly just before dark and were pleasantly greeted by the owner, Tina Mattingly, and some of her crew. After shooting a few photos and some video outside we broke into three groups to begin our hunt. Each of our groups was joined by one special female guest hunter for the evening (whom I won’t name here because I don’t know how public they want to be). These ladies were some of the bravest I have seen… but, more on that later. The first group started in the body chute and the first floor, the second group started on the second and third floor (where a child named Timmy has been known to play), and the third group took floors four and five (where numerous shadow people are seen and ugly things happen around a prior nurses room). The plan was for each group to rotate through the floors of the hospital so that by the end of the evening each group had the opportunity to experience the entire building and what it had to offer.


ABOVE: The infamous body chute.

I mentioned the body chute, earlier. For those unfamiliar with Waverly, one of the most talked about portions of the building is the body chute, also known as The Death Tunnel. The body chute was once used to transport the bodies of deceased TB patients from the hospital to the bottom of the hill, then to waiting hearses or trains. At the peak of the TB epidemic, many patients died everyday. In order to keep morale up and not upset living patients, the hospital administration decided to use the body chute to discretely send bodies away from the hill. The logical step was to transport the bodies down the tunnel that was used to carry supplies and heat to the hospital. A railcar wench-type system was used to carry the bodies. The tunnel is 500 feet long and, due to the lack of electricity, is completely dark after the first 30 feet. Each group took their turn inside the chute (and Rick even spent about 20 minutes alone in there) but only one group experienced any phenomena… the sound of a disembodied voice lightly humming a song. Hopefully it was caught on the recorder!


ABOVE: A statue of a nurse stands perched on the edge of the roof.

Stories say that in 1928, the head nurse in Room 502 was found dead. She had committed suicide by hanging herself from the light fixture. She was 29 years-old at the time of her death and, allegedly, unmarried and pregnant. Her depression over the situation led her to take her own life. It’s unknown how long she may have been hanging in this room before her body was discovered. In 1932, another nurse who worked in Room 502 was said to have jumped from the roof patio and plunged several stories to her death. No one seems to know why she would have done this but many have speculated that she may have actually been pushed over the edge. Room 502 has become a popular place for paranormal activity. At one point, Kane Hodder thought that he was touched by something just outside of this room… but we couldn’t be sure. Other than that, this room stayed extremely quiet while we were in the building.


ABOVE: Another view of the back of the building.

A bit frustrated by the lack of activity in the building on this particular night, my group decided to experiment a bit. Kane placed himself alone in the lobby of the building while I crawled into a body tray inside the morgue and slid myself inside. We were hoping this might spark some kind of paranormal reaction. I immediately received a hit on the K2 meter and the guest investigator accompanying our mini-group (who was standing outside of the body slot I had crammed myself into) saw a black figure of a man stepping through the doorway of the morgue toward us. But, as quick as it started… it ended. Even provoking wasn’t eliciting a response. However, Kane… who normally doesn’t encounter any phenomena on the hunts… finally experienced something he couldn’t explain while sitting in the lobby on the opposite end of the hall from us. The rustling of clothing and the click-click-click of approaching footsteps. Kane spoke to the unseen entity, but it would only come within a few feet of Kane’s chair. We’re hoping that the camera pointed at Kane caught the sounds and possibly a figure. We’ll know more upon review of the evidence.

I decided to sit alone in the room, as well, to see if the same thing would happen while Kane and our guest investigated the morgue. It was very silent for several minutes until I started talking to the darkness. I got a hit on the K2 meter and thought I was going to get a conversation started, but… no such luck. After a few moments I heard the shuffling of feet behind me and then the battery in the camera drained and shut off. I knew something was about to go down. The doors behind me rattled and then it was silent again. I called Kane to check the camera and after he had it rolling again our guest stated she was willing to sit alone in the room. Remember, I mentioned earlier that these girls were brave? I’ve sat in some creepy places in my lifetime, but that room was one of the creepiest! It had a strange vibe that made you realize that there was some other presence in it at all times… not, at all, comfortable. This girl had nerves of steel! Not only did she sit in there alone, but she directly communicated with whatever was in there through a series of knocking noises. I can’t wait to see what the camera caught!


ABOVE: Another view of the entrance to the building.

Impressed by the activity in the lobby, we gathered the group for a meeting to see what had been encountered and to let each member have a chance at experiencing the phenomena in the lobby. There wasn’t much to report from most of the members, unfortunately. Some heard an inhuman growling in one of the hallways and a voice that said, “We’re here,” but that was about it. We shared our experience and everyone took a turn sitting in the chair in the lobby. Almost everyone experienced the same phenomena in that room… and almost every battery we had drained each time someone new went in.

The hour was late and it was time to call it a night. I want to thank the owners of The Waverly for allowing us to have a fun night investigating. I hope we have the opportunity to go back and spend more time trying to contact the entity that resides in the lobby!

Footage from the Hollywood Ghost Hunters investigations can be found at: www.HollywoodGhostHunters.com
Stop by and check it out when you have the chance!



Thanks for reading!
Jim
www.JimORear.com