Within the last maybe five years or so, the increasingly popular home invasion horror film sub-genre has really taken off due to the success of such films as The Purge, The Strangers and You’re Next. These modern thrillers owe it all to such classics as Wait Until Dark, Straw Dogs and Panic Room. Now there’s a new kid on the block who wants to get in on the home invasion action. Director Richard Schenkman’s (Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies) Mischief Night will be knocking on your door and hitting theaters this coming October 30th, the actual Mischief Night, how cool is that? Read on for all the details.
From The Press Release
SpectiCast, the fastest growing all-digital distribution company in the world — distributing film, cultural arts events and alternative content programs to both theatrical and non-theatrical venues around the globe — has acquired theatrical rights for Richard Schenkman’s MISCHIEF NIGHT. The recently completed home invasion thriller will premiere on screens everywhere on October 30, 2013 (popularly known as “Mischief Night”), for a one-time theatrical event on the very same night the film takes place.
MISCHIEF NIGHT tells the story of a terrifying home invasion on the evening before Halloween. Emily Walton, a young woman suffering from psychosomatic blindness ever since the car accident that took her mother’s life, must summon every instinct at her disposal to protect herself and her loved ones from a mysterious intruder.
The film’s talented ensemble cast is led by experienced young actress Noell Coet (Cowgirls ‘n Angels, 5 Time Champion) and also includes veteran actor Daniel Hugh Kelly (Cujo, Someone to Watch Over Me, The Good Son), Charlie O’Connell (Dude, Where’s My Car, Cruel Intentions, “Sliders”), Erica Leerhsen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Anything Else), Ally Walker (“Sons of Anarchy,” While You Were Sleeping, Universal Soldier), Stephanie Erb (The Ring, Starship Troopers), Richard Riehle (Bridesmaids, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas), Adam C. Edwards (Flight, The Quiet Ones) and Ian Bamberg (Second Time Around, Warrior Road).
“When we were putting this project together, our hope was to land a good home video distributor to release the movie and were excited when Image / RLJ Entertainment acquired the picture before we even began production,” says Richard Schenkman, who co-wrote, directed and co-produced the film. “But once we completed the film, we felt we had something very special that exceeded all our expectations, something that went beyond just a direct-to-video movie.”
Co-producer Eric D. Wilkinson agrees, “We ended up creating something that my fellow producers, Richard, Jesse [Baget] and I all felt should be a shared experience in a dark theater with an audience. We are thrilled that SpectiCast, a leader in event cinema distribution, has become our theatrical partner.”
Mark Rupp, Co-founder and President of SpectiCast, concurs, “When I saw the film, I just loved it. These guys had made a sharp, suspenseful, edgy thriller that was a throwback to some of the legendary horror films of the 1970’s like Wait Until Dark and John Carpenter’s Halloween.” Rupp is equally excited for the timing of the theatrical release, adding, “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Carpenter’s classic than going to the theater on October 30th and reliving the communal experience of seeing a scary movie on the eve of the scariest holiday of the year! Plus, as a guy who grew up perpetrating – I mean enjoying – Mischief Night, I want to spread the word.”
Following the film’s theatrical release, Image Entertainment plans to release the film on DVD, VOD and Digital in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Watch the Mischief Night trailer here:
