The Dead Matter

COMING JULY 30, 2010

A relic with occult powers falls into the hands of a grief-stricken young woman named Gretchen, whose desire to reconnect with her dead brother draws her into the supernatural world of vampirism and the living dead. Drenched in the dark and shadowy tones of Halloween music legends MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE and co-produced by Robert Kurtzman ( Producer From Dusk Till Dawn, co-founder KNB FX) and Gary Jones (Xena, Ghouls), The Dead Matter is a supernatural thriller inspired by EC Comics, Creepshow, and Hammer Films, featuring a mix of classic horror themes with modern twists that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The movie stars Andrew Divoff (Lost, Wishmaster), Jason Carter (Babylon 5, Angel), Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th), and legendary television horror hosts Dick Count Gore DeVol Dyszel and Big Chuck Schodowski.

A history of The Dead Matter project

Before forming Midnight Syndicate, Edward Douglas directed, scored, and produced a feature-length horror film entitled, The Dead Matter (1996). Driven by a strong belief in the story, the film was shot for under $2000 and released with the intention of remaking the film later on a larger scale. Many of the tracks and song ideas from Douglas' score to the film would become early signature Midnight Syndicate tracks (Nightstalker, Forbidden Crypts, Eye of the Storm, Born of the Night, Vampire's Kiss). Midnight Syndicate graphic designer Mark Rakocy shot and helped produce the film and Midnight Syndicate voiceover artist and contributor Christopher Robichaud co-starred in the film.

In 2004, Douglas reunited with co-writer Tony Demci to begin what would be a two year long process of re-writing The Dead Matter script and then preparing it for production, with the help of Ethan Dettenmaier of Snap Kick Productions. "It's a great story that we've been waiting over ten years to be able to share once again," said Edward Douglas in 2006, "we're very excited to be on the road to making it a reality."

In 2007, the newly created Midnight Syndicate Films partnered with Hollywood-FX legend Robert Kurtzman, his company Precinct 13 Entertainment, and producer/director Gary Jones to begin pre-production on The Dead Matter film. Production ran from August through September of 2007.

Headlining the cast is Andrew Divoff of ABC's Lost, television star Jason Carter, and horror film veteran, Tom Savini. Divoff (Vellich), most recently known as the eye-patch-wearing rogue Mikhail Bakunin on ABC's Lost and the dastardly Ivan Sarnoff on CSI: Miami, has starred in numerous films including Wishmaster, Air Force One, and The Rage. In addition to films, Carter (McCallister) has appeared in television shows including Babylon 5, Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed. Savini (Sebed) is a 30-year veteran in the horror film genre with roles in Dusk Till Dawn, Dawn of the Dead, and most recently Lost Boys 2 and Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse. The Dead Matter also features memorable performances by two television horror host legends, Dick Count Gore DeVol Dyszel of DC's Creature Feature and Cleveland's Big Chuck Schodowski.

Additional lead actors include Sean Serino (Gretchen), Tom Nagel (Mike), CB Spencer (Jill) and Brian Van Camp (Mark). Midnight Syndicate's voiceover artist Christopher Robichaud reprised his role of Frank from the 1996 version of The Dead Matter.

In August of 2008, Midnight Syndicate released a CD of music inspired by the film entitled The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates. The CD was a hit for Halloween 2008 and earned the band high praise from critics and fans alike.

The score to The Dead Matter was composed by director Edward Douglas and will be released in conjunction with the movie. The soundtrack to the movie also features music from Lazy Lane, Midnight Syndicate, HipNostic, UV, Denny Carelton, Quanta, and Gavin Goszka.

In May of 2009, The Dead Matter wrapped post-production completing the journey that started over fifteen years earlier. "I am absolutely thrilled with how the movie came out," says Edward Douglas. "I think it's exactly what fans would expect from a Midnight Syndicate movie. Classic horror themes...very atmospheric, very creepy... and loaded with twists and turns that really pull you into the dark world we try to create on all our discs. It's definitely a fun ride for fans who enjoy a good story and an old-school edge to their horror films."

The movie will be released on July 30, 2010. Production on an interactive website that allows fans to delve deeper into the world and characters they will encounter in the movie is set for release in late March. A set of 3 trailers is also in production, along with behind-the-scenes featurettes and a mini-documentary produced by Smudgeline Productions. All of these items and more special additions yet to be announced will be included on the July DVD release.