Fantastic Fest 2009

Director Lee Demarbre and actor David Hess Live in Person!

What do you get when the director of JESUS CHRIST VAMPIRE HUNTER teams up with Sasha Grey, David Hess and Michael Berryman to shoot a wacked-out tribute to '60s splatter pioneer HG Lewis? You get SMASH CUT, baby! Yes, Lee Demarbre, Canada's contemporary King of the B's, has just completed his biggest film to date.

Notorious grindhouse heavy David Hess ( LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, HITCH HIKE, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK) stars as notorious grindhouse filmmaker Able Whitman. Whitman's seen better days and times are tough for a struggling indie moviemaker. Audiences are jaded, financiers are taking fewer risks than ever and filmmaking itself has never been more costly, even on the most bargain-basement level of shooting. When the few fans that remain criticize his latest production for its sub-par effects work, Able loses it. And in that moment, inspiration strikes. Not only is the real thing more affordable than any prosthetic make-up effects could ever be, it's also bound to look better onscreen! With a wealth of film critics, actors and studio execs to choose from, Able sets out to ensure that his next production will be plastered with body parts of all shapes and sizes. Meanwhile his new star (iconic porn auteur Sasha Grey, currently in the mainstream spotlight as the lead in Steven Soderbergh's THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE) seems to be a good deal more than meets the eye...

In a recent interview with Twitch, Demarbre said, “Herschell Gordon Lewis has been my hero since high school. I really wanted to just shoot SMASH CUT exactly how Herschell would shoot SMASH CUT. It's a tribute to his unique vision.” And that it is. Demarbre has effectively updated Lewis' COLOR ME BLOOD RED, moving it from the art world into the rough-and-tumble indie filmmaking universe! Features appearances not only from HG himself, but also staple Lewis vet Ray Sager (WIZARD OF GORE, BLAST-OFF GIRLS, GORE GORE GIRLS, JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT), not to mention HILLS HAVE EYES' legendary Michael Berryman as an impish studio executive. (Mitch Davis, Fantasia Film Festival)