Visual Vengeance, a Blu-ray label dedicated to vintage ‘Shot on Video’ and micro-budget genre independent films from the 1980s though 2000s, reveals its next Blu-ray collector’s edition release for November 2023: The lost Linnea Quigley movie ‘Scream Queen (2002).’ The movie is enjoying it first ever wide release on home video.
‘Scream Queen’ is being released on Blu-ray today, November 28. It includes such bonus features as: Commentary with writer-director Brad Sykes; ‘Once Upon a Time in Horrorwood: Behind the Scenes’ documentary; Second feature: original producer’s cut of movie; New Linnea Quigley interview; Editor Mark Polonia interview; Behind the scenes image gallery; Linnea Quigley image gallery; Original trailer; Six-page liner notes by Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine; and optional English subtitles.
‘Scream Queen’ follows horror star Malicia Tombs (Quigley), who mysteriously dies after leaving the set of her latest, now unfinished, low budget Shot-on-video shocker. Soon, an unseen masked killer is chopping and hacking their way through the cast and crew as punishment for Tomb’s death – leaving a bloody trail of revenge.
This super obscure horror thriller was shot in 1998 by indie horror filmmaker Brad Sykes, and finally finished in 2002. Considered a ‘lost’ Linnea Quigley movie, ‘Scream Queen’ is not only a solid 1990s Shot-on-Video slasher that borrows from the Italian Giallo sub-genre, but also takes swift jabs at the U.S. independent horror movie scene of the time.
Sykes generously took the time to talk about making ‘Scream Queen,’ as well as the lasting effects of such physical media as Blu-rays and DVDs, during an exclusive interview:
Q: Where’s home these days, sir?
A: Los Angeles, California.
Q: Do you make most of your films there, too?
A: Yes – I’ve made all my movies in the L.A. area since 1998, when I directed my first professional feature, ‘Scream Queen.’
Q: How has the filmmaking industry changed since you shot ‘Scream Queen?’
A: The industry has changed a lot in 25 years in terms of how we make, deliver and watch movies. When I shot ‘Scream Queen,’ physical media was huge – DVD was new, foreign sales were big, there were video stores, etc.…now most people just stream movies. In terms of production, it’s easier and cheaper to make a movie now and get it out there on a streaming channel.
But it was way harder to stand out or make a profit on your film, because there’s just such a saturation of movies, especially low budget horror movies. There weren’t nearly as many horror movies being made in 1998. So, now you have to find some way to stand out from the crowd.
Q: While digital has been leading the pack for a couple of years, do you feel that there’s a resurgence in physical media now?
A: There is definitely a resurgence in physical media, especially boutique releases like ‘Scream Queen.’ I would liken it to what the vinyl industry has been doing for years, and is still doing.
These new Blu rays and 4Ks have tons of extras, special packaging, posters, toys, etc. Often “first pressings” have limited edition slipcovers and other bonuses you can only get if you buy the initial release.
So, yes, physical media is making a big comeback with serious collectors. For me, it never went away.
Q: Was it your idea to re-issue ‘Scream Queen’ in a special edition Blu-ray?
A: I had been campaigning off and on for years to get the movie released on DVD. Visual Vengeance finally stepped up to the plate and made it happen in a bigger way than I ever expected. They approached me right away once they had secured the rights, and I got involved in delivering the best elements and creating most of the bonus features.
Q: How hands on were you in the set – in particular the extras?
A: Very hands-on. The original producer had no usable master, so I delivered the ones I had, as well as an alternate cut of the movie, a commentary, stills, etc. My wife/producing partner Josephina and I produced a lot of the extras through our production company Nightfall Pictures. I approved the final transfer and all materials that are in the package. So, I was very involved in this release.
Q: Is there anything you’d change about ‘Scream Queen’ if you were to shoot it now?
A: I wouldn’t necessarily change anything in the script. I wish I’d had more time and money when we were shooting, but every filmmaker feels that way!
Q: Can you tell us about some of your upcoming projects?
A: Right now, I am promoting my new movie ‘Hi-Fear’ (available to stream on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) and my new book, ‘Neon Nightmares: L.A. Thrillers of the 1980s,’ which is published by BearManor Media and available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many other places. I am also producing extras for some of my other films that are coming out through Visual Vengeance, and planning on shooting a new film next year.
Visual Vengeance, a Blu-ray label dedicated to vintage ‘Shot on Video’ and microbudget genre independent films from the 1980s though 2000s, reveals its next Blu-ray collector’s edition release for November 2023: The lost Linnea Quigley movie ‘Scream Queen (2002).’ The movie is enjoying it first ever wide release on home video.
‘Scream Queen’ follows horror star Malicia Tombs (Quigley), who mysteriously dies after leaving the set of her latest, now unfinished, low budget Shot-on-video shocker. Soon, an unseen masked killer is chopping and hacking their way through the cast and crew as punishment for Tomb’s death – leaving a bloody trail of revenge.
This super obscure horror thriller was shot in 1998 by indie horror filmmaker Brad Sykes, and finally finished in 2002. Considered a ‘lost’ Linnea Quigley movie, ‘Scream Queen’ is not only a solid 1990s Shot-on-Video slasher that borrows from the Italian Giallo sub-genre, but also takes swift jabs at the U.S. independent horror movie scene of the time.
‘Scream Queen’ is being released on Blu-ray today, November 28. It includes such bonus features as: Commentary with writer-director Brad Sykes; ‘Once Upon a Time in Horrorwood: Behind the Scenes’ documentary; Second feature: original producer’s cut of movie; New Linnea Quigley interview; Editor Mark Polonia interview; Behind the scenes image gallery; Linnea Quigley image gallery; Original trailer; Six-page liner notes by Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine; and optional English subtitles.
Sykes generously took the time to talk about making ‘Scream Queen,’ as well as the lasting effects of such physical media as Blu-rays and DVDs, during an exclusive interview:
Q: Where’s home these days, sir?
A: Los Angeles, California.
Q: Do you make most of your films there, too?
A: Yes – I’ve made all my movies in the L.A. area since 1998, when I directed my first professional feature, ‘Scream Queen.’
Q: How has the filmmaking industry changed since you shot ‘Scream Queen?’
A: The industry has changed a lot in 25 years in terms of how we make, deliver and watch movies. When I shot ‘Scream Queen,’ physical media was huge – DVD was new, foreign sales were big, there were video stores, etc.…now most people just stream movies. In terms of production, it’s easier and cheaper to make a movie now and get it out there on a streaming channel.
But it was way harder to stand out or make a profit on your film, because there’s just such a saturation of movies, especially low budget horror movies. There weren’t nearly as many horror movies being made in 1998. So, now you have to find some way to stand out from the crowd.
Q: While digital has been leading the pack for a couple of years, do you feel that there’s a resurgence in physical media now?
A: There is definitely a resurgence in physical media, especially boutique releases like ‘Scream Queen.’ I would liken it to what the vinyl industry has been doing for years, and is still doing.
These new Blu rays and 4Ks have tons of extras, special packaging, posters, toys, etc. Often “first pressings” have limited edition slipcovers and other bonuses you can only get if you buy the initial release.
So, yes, physical media is making a big comeback with serious collectors. For me, it never went away.
Q: Was it your idea to re-issue ‘Scream Queen’ in a special edition Blu-ray?
A: I had been campaigning off and on for years to get the movie released on DVD. Visual Vengeance finally stepped up to the plate and made it happen in a bigger way than I ever expected. They approached me right away once they had secured the rights, and I got involved in delivering the best elements and creating most of the bonus features.
Q: How hands on were you in the set – in particular the extras?
A: Very hands-on. The original producer had no usable master, so I delivered the ones I had, as well as an alternate cut of the movie, a commentary, stills, etc. My wife/producing partner Josephina and I produced a lot of the extras through our production company Nightfall Pictures. I approved the final transfer and all materials that are in the package. So, I was very involved in this release.
Q: Is there anything you’d change about ‘Scream Queen’ if you were to shoot it now?
A: I wouldn’t necessarily change anything in the script. I wish I’d had more time and money when we were shooting, but every filmmaker feels that way!
Q: Can you tell us about some of your upcoming projects?
A: Right now, I am promoting my new movie ‘Hi-Fear’ (available to stream on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) and my new book, ‘Neon Nightmares: L.A. Thrillers of the 1980s,’ which is published by BearManor Media and available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many other places. I am also producing extras for some of my other films that are coming out through Visual Vengeance, and planning on shooting a new film next year.
Film Factual 