the collector

I don't care much for Feast and I'm not a fan of the Saw series but writer Patrick Melton and co-writer/director Marcus Dunstan's The Collector is definitely my cup of team and Melton recently spoke with Dread Central about the possibility of a sequel to the home invasion horror flick. He also chatted with Dread about Saw II, 3D technology, the Oscar's awkward nod to horror films and more.

The duo is penning the script for the latest installment in the Saw series (lucky number 7) and director Kevin Greutert is halfway through principal photography after a studio debacle where Lionsgate went head-to-head with Paramount and exercised an option in Greutert's contract to force him off Paranormal Activity 2 and back to the Saw series. Adding insult to injury, this happened literally a few weeks before filming. What kind of film can you expect when the helmer has been unwillingly plopped into a chair just days away from shooting? Melton is keeping the faith:

" ... If anyone can do it, it's Kevin. He's been involved in every single Saw movie, and he directed the last one so he knows the limitations of the crew and the limitations of the resources, and so he's been able to adapt pretty quickly, and it's looking good. Because we are playing with the idea that this may be the last Saw movie and we are trying to wrap things up, it's made it a ton more ambitious."

It's no surprise that writer Patrick Melton and co-writer/director Marcus Dunstan's script for The Collector was once considered for a Saw prequel film. The Feast and Saw collaborators created a raw and brutal assault on the senses with their story about a double home invasion and a masked serial killer who sets a web of traps to collect his victims.

Given its roots, it would be easy to chalk this film up to being just another torture porn fiasco, but The Collector manages to be a movie about torture without actually crossing into 'porn' territory. The film did struggle to find its place as it danced back and forth between realism and splatter film excess, but there are several elements that make the film closer to old school exploitation than pure torture porn. I'm not talking about "exploitation" in the way it has become a catch-all phrase used by lots of people who wouldn't know an exploitation movie if it sat on their face. I'm talking about something gritty, violent, low-budget and unforgiving. This is after all the same film, shot on 16 mm even, in which the director burned his own hand in order to capture the most realistic effect for a take.

Marcus Dunstan's directorial debut, The Collector, played theaters way back at the end of July (which seems like a lifetime ago at this point...). After its brief theatrical run, a quick turnaround to DVD seemed imminent--only here it is, the end of December, and we still have no clue as to when the film might turn up on disc.

Video ETA is on the case and while they don't have an official date for the disc's debut, they are listing April of 2010 as the tentative date. April 2010 is a long way away. I want instant gratification, dammit. Naturally, there are no details about the presentation or extras yet.

The Collector is another effort from Saw sequel scribes Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It was once supposed to be a Saw prequel but morphed into its own unique project somewhere along the line in the development cycle. Josh Stewart stars in the film, which is about a man who sets out to commit robbery and soon discovers that the house he's targeted is already occupied by a sadistic madman who's taken the residents hostage and booby-trapped the entire home.

The film only made 7.7 million dollars at the box office, but should find an appreciative audience in the home video market. We'll bring you the official release date once it's announced.

I'm shocked to be saying this, but The Collector is my favorite horror film so far this year. Granted, the competition hasn't exactly been stellar, but I don't think anyone at the HorrorSquad/Fantastic Fest co-presentation of the newest film from Feast and Saw sequel scribes Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton could have been more surprised to like the movie than I was and still am. I loved watching Dunstan and Melton process their success on Project Greenlight, but when Feast finally came out I was disappointed. I've also been disappointed by the Saw franchise in general, the majority of which were written by the charming duo. And that's not even covering my disappointment with the two Feast sequels, disappointment being a generous word choice.

Before the screening began, HorrorSquad honcho Scott Weinberg, who flew into Austin specifically for the event, was making stops around the theater with Dunstan in tow and it was obvious just how happy the director was to be showing off his grotesque baby. I can't deny that his enthusiasm wasn't infectious, hell, you could have made a boat the size of the Titanic out of that man's smile. So when Fantastic Fest papa Tim League took the stage to present The Collector to a room packed with eager horror hounds, I was stacking hope on top of hope that I'd finally like a Dunstan/Melton film.

I dug it. Dug it hard, even. I've got a full review up over yonder, but in a nutshell I found it to be knockout for the duo, particularly so for the first time director. And that was just my gut reaction when the credits rolled. Not until Weinberg took the stage to volley a Q&A with the creative pair did I realize just how striking of an accomplishment it was.

Remember last week when I mentioned (loudly) that Fantastic Fest and HorrorSquad were going to present a screening of a new horror movie on July 22nd? Well, that's still on. But now we can offer you a look at the very first and brand-new trailer for Marcus Dunstan's The Collector! By "me" I mean an IGN embed and a handy reminder from Dread Central. And me!

This is a fairly aggressive red-band trailer, so be sure there are no impressionable minds around once you hit play. The Collector hits theaters on July 31.

Over the course of my non-stop flick-hoppings, I've become a small and unofficial cog in the Fantastic Fest machine. (Let's say I'm half-consultant and half-cheerleader.) Tim League and his Alamo team scour the globe for the best in horror, sci-fi, action, etc., but I've been known to drop those guys a line when an interesting flick crosses my path. (Or when I'm just really bored. Curse you, caller ID!!) So here's some exciting news for those who A) live in Austin, B) love new horror movies, and C) are sure they can tolerate my presence for two consecutive hours:

Fantastic Fest and HorrorSquad present ... THE COLLECTOR! July 22nd! 10pm! Alamo Ritz! With Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton in attendance! And they're nice guys! Yes, the guys who wrote Feast, Saw 4, Feast 2, Saw 5, Feast 3, Saw 6, and The Collector will be at the theater to A) eat cheese fries, B) drink beer, C) watch their movie on the big screen, and D) stand up for a Q&A thingy! It's going to be fun. I decree it to be so.

The Collector, as you may know, was recently known as Midnight Man, but it switched titles when it jumped over from Dimension to Freestyle. The plan is for The Collector to hit theaters on July 31 (which is why they couldn't just hold it for Fantastic Fest: September is after July), and I've already heard from the likes of Ryan "Rotten" Turek, Rodney Perkins, and (yes) Tim League that this is one kick-ass horror show! And now a few words from first-time director Marcus Dunstan: "Well, we just received our R rating after four trips to the MPAA, and I'm happy to say that none of the film's impact has been lost. Matter of fact, their notes made some scenes hit even harder! We're beyond lucky to be a part of Fantastic Fest again, even if it is a few months early this time. Austin welcomed Feast with open arms, and I am over-the-moon excited to bring The Collector to a city that loves movies so much."

In response, Tim League had this to say: "This movie rocks." For more information on The Collector, check out the official site, and keep your eyes peeled on this and other fine horror sites. I'm betting you'll be hearing a lot about The Collector real soon!

How many Feast flicks and Saw sequels do you have to write before someone lets you direct your own movie? If you're Marcus Dunstan the answer is ... wait on sec ... three Feast movies, plus Saws 4, 5 and 6 ... six! The answer is six! Dunstan, who's one of the nicest horror guys you'll ever meet (and he does one hell of a Don Knotts impression), makes his directorial debut on The Collector, which used to be known as Midnight Man when Dimension owned it, but now it's being distributed by Liddell / Freestyle ... and now it's The Collector.

The flick, about an ex-con trapped in a house full of ... nastiness, is presently sceduled for a July 31 (theatrical!) release. For more info, hit up Shock and the official Collector site right here.