Jekyll and Hyde announce the 2009 Claw Awards
The Terror Film Festival Claw Awards (popularly known as “The Oscars of Horror”), took place in all of its austerity on October 24, 2009 at the historic Ethical Society Building on the famous Rittenhouse Square of Philadelphia.
The 4th season brought in the most astounding talent from all over the USA, as well as, the world. The assemblage of fans, filmmakers, screenwriters, and industry professionals, waited in anticipation, and all bets were on, as the illustrious Claw and the beautiful Princess Horror stood onstage, envelopes in hand, to present the coveted awards.
And the winners are…
Evil Angel – A steamy and heart-pounding story based on the ancient myth of Lilith, the first wife of Adam, who has roamed the Earth for centuries as a sexy and seductive villainous, and proudly holds the title of the world’s first serial killer. Written and directed by the iconoclastic Richard Dutcher of Utah, the film garnered several awards, such as, Best Feature Film, Best Original Music Score, and Best Supporting Actress. The multi-faceted and talented Richard Dutcher (with the reminiscent genius and mystique of Orson Welles as writer, actor, director, and producer), and his film Evil Angel, both received thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
The technically superb film also showcases the many talents of Bill Butler as Director of Photography (Jaws, Grease, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest), Digiscope FX (Van Helsing, Terminator, The Mummy Returns), and a commanding performance by Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible, Pulp Fiction, Dawn of the Dead) as the tough private eye, exuding the same anschauung as the subtle Detective Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb) from The Exorcist.
Scare Zone – Written and directed by Florida native Jon Binkowski, captured Audience Favorite, Best Editing, and Best Actress. A well-crafted concoction of horror and humor, it is a clever spin on the horror movie formulae, with twists and turns that keep us guessing until the very end.
Dead Creek – Best Director awarded to Mike Turner of New Hampshire. A pristine, precise, and visually stunning work of art that borders on masterpiece. Mike is defining his style with elements of elegance and romanticism, and is ready to join the ranks of Francis Ford Coppola, Joel Schumacher, Ron Howard, and Guy Madden.
Downriver – Best Director of Photography awarded to Chris Freilich. Downriver was shot on glorious 35mm film and is one of the most intelligent, apocalyptic zombie films to come along since Night of the Living Dead and Zombi 2. Written and directed by Joseph J. Greenberg of New Jersey, Downriver is scary, humorous, and inspiring all at the same time, with a philosophical take on the human existence.
The Curse of Micah Rood – Best Drama Short Film awarded to Alec Asten, with a five star rating in writing, technicality, and most especially, five stars to Ron Palillo for an incredible dramatic performance involving obsession and tragedy.
From a Place of Darkness – Best Supporting Actor awarded to John Savage for a chilling and unsettling performance in this disturbing, noirish film written and directed by Douglas A. Raine. And an honorable mention also must go to Bronson Pinchot for a very creepy character portrayal.
The Institute of Séance – Best Horror Short Film, written and directed by Kevin Corcoran. Not new to Terror Film Festival, Kevin pays full tribute to the silent film era with pure genius, and he has raised the art form of editing to a new level. To see his evolution and progression in craft is both gratifying, and a privilege.
A Far Cry From Home – Written and directed by Alan Rowe Kelly, and also winning Best Actor for his strong and engaging performance as the lead, and Best Special Effects for some of the most exquisite, realistic and mind-blowing creations I have seen in a long, long time.
Let Me Go – Best Thriller Short Film awarded to writer and director Alex Raskin, for a deliciously wicked and sardonic tale of the incessant proclamation of love from an obsessive, fatalistic one-night stand, even after death.
Wade – Best Sound Design awarded to Haynze Whitmore for this spectacular blend of horror and science fiction, a nostalgic salute to the 1960 b-movies. Authenticated with grainy imagery and shot on 16mm film, Wade is a charmer and quickly became my personal pet this year. A gem of a performance by Andy Whitmore made this film a hit at the festival, and Haynze delivered a project representing, as the Greeks say, teleios pneuvma, or perfect spirit, with an entire Whitmore clan from several different states throughout the country flying in to attend the screening and show their support.
These were some of the highlights at Terror Film Festival this year, and of course, there were many more. Such as, X-Mess Detritus by Aurelio Voltaire (Best Fantasy Short Film), Two Miles Below The Surface of the Earth by Blake Houston (Best Science Fiction Short Film), The Baby Shredder Song by Mark Nutter (Best Original Music Theme), Marcello and Sofia by Heather Henderson (Best Cinematography), The Rocking Horse by Keith Pillow (Notable Distinction for script and actor), and Cold October by Andrew Gilbert and Mikel J. Wisler (Best Screenplay).
And for the screenplay competition component of Terror Film Festival, the winners are…
In the Feature Length Screenplay category, 1st Place was awarded to Brood 19 (David Altman), 2nd Place to Stand Up & Die (Dominic Pereira, Demetri Panayotopoulos), and 3rd Place to Dead Winter Run (Jake Hart, Mike Brown, Raven Solomon).
In the Short Length Screenplay category, 1st Place was awarded to Fourth Floor Seige (John Riddlebaugh), 2nd Place to Love’s a Drag (Kirk Bierbauer), and 3rd Place to Investment (Rick Tobin).
Notable Distinctions were bestowed upon Couchsurfing (Jenny Krumrine), Shadow People (Fernando Ortiz), and Shadow War (Jerome A. Dolan).
The 2009 Claw Awards were also heightened by an inspiring and theatrical rendition of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, performed by veteran opera singer John Rudolph and Princess Horror. Their presentation served as a metaphor of transformation, transition, and transcendence of Terror Film Festival, its filmmakers and screenwriters, and the entertainment industry as a whole.