Based on the book of the same name by author by Adam Rockoff GOING TO PIECES is the definitive look at the gut wrenching sub genre we love so well.
The show is just crammed full of clips from just about every slasher film you can think of and also features interviews and insight from todays genre headliners. There are interviews with Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Tom Savini, Rob Zombie, Tony Timpone and that is just naming a few of the folks that take you by the hand and lead you through your worst nightmares.
And to up the cool factor even more legendary Friday the 13th composer Harry Manfredini scored the show.
I really enjoyed this program and highly recommend you call your cable or satellite provider and demand that they sign you up. The version I viewed was a rough cut and even at that it kicked major ass. I loved seeing clips from some of the films I cut my teeth on. Films like PIECES and MOTHERS DAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, the list is damn near endless. Remember PROM NIGHT and TERROR TRAIN, they are covered in depth and it is great fun to see them once again.
GOING TO PIECES is yet another piece of must see Halloween viewing so get to your phone and start dialing. Don’t worry, there is going to be plenty of other horror programming on STARZ for you to stare at. The GOING TO PIECES docu is part of their FEARFEST 06 which feature an impressive line up of classic and modern day classic horror films.
You can click here to head on over to the STARZ site for all the details. There is also a cool little game called Picture Asylum that is sure to waste away a few hours of your day. It’s all at the STARZ site so click the link above and go check it out.
Keep on reading for the official press release from STARZ:
Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers – oh my! It’s Starz Entertainment’s original new film entitled GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM. The film provides a comprehensive and original look at the importance, prominence, and legitimacy of the "slasher film." The feature-length documentary contains an abundance of clips from classic films of the genre, as well as many current hits, and interviews with pre-eminent actors, directors, and producers, many of whom are themselves founders and masters of the genre, such as directors Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Rob Zombie and special effects wizard Tom Savini. Harry Manfredini, who did the score for the Friday the 13th films, has composed music for the special. Based on the book of the same title by Adam Rockoff, the film premieres on Starz, October (Friday the) 13th at 9:00 p.m.
Rockoff’s book studied and lauded such seminal films as Halloween, Friday The 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Psycho, Prom Night, Sleepaway Camp, Last House On The Left and Black Christmas. GOING TO PIECES is executive produced by Michael Ruggiero, vice president of programming for Starz Entertainment. "Slasher films’ have always been extremely popular with audiences," said Ruggiero. "Everyone has their favorite film with each having a fan base. These films are intricately explored for every nuance in magazines, websites and blogs. But there has never been a stand alone tribute documentary until now. It’s also interesting to note how the socio-political climate at the ‘80s had it’s affects on the genre. Truly a sign of the times, everything from Reaganomics to the AIDS epidemic found its way into these films in one form or another."
Those appearing in GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM include John Carpenter (dir. Halloween), Bob Clark (dir. Black Christmas), Wes Craven (dir. The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream trilogy), Sean S. Cunningham (dir. Friday the 13th), Amy Holden Jones (dir. Slumber Party Massacre), Jeff Katz (prod. upcoming Friday the 13th sequel and exec. producer Snakes on a Plane), Harry Manfredini (composer Friday the 13th and all sequels), Armand Mastroianni (dir. He Knows You’re Alone and Friday the 13th television series), Gregory Nicotero (special effects/makeup Day of the Dead, Evil Dead II, A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Child, Scream, Kill Bill Vol. 1-2), Betsy Palmer (actress Friday the 13th – "Mrs. Voorhees"), Tom Savini (special effects/makeup Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th, Maniac, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II), Robert Shaye (Chairman and CEO of New Line Cinema – prod of A Nightmare on Elm Street and its sequels), Joseph Stefano (screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho), Anthony Timpone (editor of horror magazine Fangoria), Stan Winston (dir. Pumpkinhead, special effects/makeup Friday the 13th Part III, Aliens), Joseph Zito (dir. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Bloodrage) and Rob Zombie (dir. The Devil’s Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses).
The film is produced by Candy Heart Productions’ Rachel Belofsky and Rudy Scalese and directed by Emmy®-nominee Jeff McQueen. Rachel Belofsky has come to prominence in the industry as the Founder and Director of LA’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival, arguably the world’s most important horror festival. Belofsky and Scalese both felt the time had come for a comprehensive study and tribute to the films that had made such an impact upon them, their colleagues, and their festival participants.
Damn, I love October.