Nominations for the 2012 Fright Meter Awards have been announced. The Cabin in the Woods leads the nominations with ten, including Best Horror Movie, Best Director, and Best Ensemble Cast. The winners will be announced on the official Fright Meter Awards website (www.frightmeterawards.com) on January 12th, 2013.

Now in their sixth year, The Fright Meter Awards are presented annually by the Fright Meter Awards Committee, an organization dedicated solely to honoring and recognizing excellence within the horror genre. The nominations and winners are determined by members of the Fright Meter Awards Committee.

This 30 member committee consists of horror fans, bloggers, actors, producers, directors, and others involved in the industry. The passion of the Fright Meter Awards Committee makes this award truly prestigious, as all honorees are selected and nominated regardless of budget, means of release, or popularity. An award for the horror community by the horror community.

For the first time, the Fright Meter Awards are scheduled to be presented live at the New Orleans Horror Film Festival in September, 2013.

Below is the full list of the 2012 Fright Meter Award nominations.

BEST HORROR MOVIE
Cabin in the Woods
Detention
Excision
Sinister
The Loved Ones

BEST DIRECTOR
Drew Goddard
Joseph Kahn
Richard Bates, Jr.
Sean Byrne
Ti West

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
AnnaLynne McCord
Elizabeth Olsen
Gretchen Lodge
Robin McLeavy
Sara Paxton

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Daniel Radcliffe
Ethan Hawke
John Cusack
Neil Maskell
Vincent D'Onofrio

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alexandra Holden
Jodelle Ferland
MyAnna Buring
Suzan Crowley
Traci Lords

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Fran Kranz
John Brumpton
Matthew Kennedy
Michael Fassbender
Richard Jenkins

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Chained
Excision
Lovely Molly
The Cabin in the Woods
The Loved Ones

BEST SCREENPLAY
Absentia
Detention
Excision
The Cabin in the Woods
The Loved Ones

BEST MAKE UP/SPECIAL EFFECTS
Excision
Prometheus
Silent Hill: Revelation
Sinister
The Cabin in the Woods

BEST SCORE
Excision
Silent Hill: Revelation
Sinister
The Cabin in the Woods
The Woman in Black

BEST EDITING
Excision
Sinister
The Bay
The Cabin in the Woods
V/H/S

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Prometheus
Sinister
The Cabin in the Woods
The Raven
The Woman in Black

“Excision” is one of those films that I’ve personally been waiting for. The film is based on the short film that Richard Bates Jr. did back in 2008. That short film earned rave review including one by yours truly. It also played at many film festivals. When I saw the first trailer for this film, I was blown way. I had lot of expectation going into this film, considering it played at Sundance and Fantasia this year

The film follows Pauline (AnnaLynne McCord), an unattractive high school girl, who hates her mother (Tracy Lords) with a passion while caring for her chronically ill sister (Ariel Winter). She always dreams about losing her virginity to one of the school’s popular classmates. This leads her down a road of psychological fantasies that deals with her performing graphic surgery. Soon, Pauline is willing to make her delusional dreams become reality to save her sister. The film also features appearances from Roger Bart (Hostel Part II, Law Abiding Citizen, American Gangster), Malcolm McDowell (The Artist, A Clockwork Orange, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, HBO’s “Entourage”) and cameos from Ray Wise, director John Waters, and Academy Award® winner Marlee Matlin.

Going into this, I was going in wondering if this was going to expanse on the short film that I watched two year ago. Would it bring more depth to the story and makes this worth watching it as a feature film? Thankfully, the answer is yes. “Excision” is one of the most shocking films that I’ve seen this year.

The first reason that this film succeeds on all levels was writer/director Richard Bates Jr. and his direction. This film has a lot of scenes that are very gory and disturbing to watch. One of things that he does very well, he carefully makes sure that visuals are very twisted and frightening. Bates Jr. does that to make you see the main character’s state of mind from a visual perspective, as it comes off as very sick and flat out demented. It helps the film feel more different and more ambitious than the film’s original short.

The other thing that I really liked about the direction was the acting. I was truly surprised that the main performances were excellent. It’s something that I can’t say for many of these horror films that I watch. Bates Jr. does a very good job making the film also be about the performances. It takes the film to another level. I truly though AnnaLynne McCord and former adult film star Traci Lords did great jobs in the way that brought emotional depth into their performances. It made them stand out from the film’s story. Also, they did a very good job working well with each other. It made the troubled mother/daughter dynamic work so well, which also helped the overall film.

Bates’ screenplay does a very good job developing the main character from the original short. One of the things that makes this screenplay different, it spends a lot of time on the main character’s state of mind. I liked, the way that he goes into the various delusions that are running in the main character’s head. It makes the character interesting and also focuses more on her obsessions and her thoughts. The other thing that makes this very good and different was the fact that the story also focuses on the main character’s troubled relationship with her mother. It was briefly touched upon in the original short, but it’s expanded very well here. It led to some very good dramatic moments between the characters that kept my interest in the story considering that I already watched the original short film.
Don’t be surprised to see this film pop again, if I decide to do a year- end list.

“Excision” is a great feature film debut from director Richard Bates Jr, as is one of those directors that horror fans should keep their eye on. This is one of those films that horror fans should check out, as this has shocking visuals and great performances from AnnaLynne McCord and Traci Lords.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Official 2012 Fantasia and Sundance Film Festival official selection "Excision" makes it's Blu-Ray and DVD debut. Anchor Bay Films announced today that Richard Bates Jr's first full length feature "Excision" will be shocking homes this halloween. The film starring AnnaLynne McCord (The CW’s “90210,” Transporter 2, Fired Up, FX’s “Nip Tuck”), Traci Lords (Blade, Zack & Miri Make a Porno), Ariel Winter (ABC’s “Modern Family”), Roger Bart (Hostel Part II, Law Abiding Citizen, American Gangster), Malcolm McDowell (The Artist, A Clockwork Orange, Rob Zombie’s Halloween) will be shocking store shelves on October 30th.

Bonus features on the Excision Blu-ray™ and DVD include an audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette and collectable O-card packaging (for the DVD).

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.excisionmovie.com/

Press Release:

On October 30th, Anchor Bay Films presents the harrowing coming-of-age horror film Excision from writer director Richard Bates Jr., which Sundance Channel deemed “Without question the most mind-blowingly grotesque film to screen at this year’s fest.” Boasting an eclectic cast including AnnaLynne McCord (The CW’s “90210,” Transporter 2, Fired Up, FX’s “Nip Tuck”), Traci Lords (Blade, Zack & Miri Make a Porno), Ariel Winter (ABC’s “Modern Family”), Roger Bart (Hostel Part II, Law Abiding Citizen, American Gangster), Malcolm McDowell (The Artist, A Clockwork Orange, Rob Zombie’s Halloween) and cameos including director John Waters, Marlee Matlin and Ray Wise , Excision comes to Blu-ray™ for an SRP of $24.99 and DVD for an SRP of $22.98. Pre-book is October 3rd.

Excision turned critics’ stomachs as well as heads, garnering much attention at festivals this past year. Noel Murray of AV Club calls it “One of the damnedest ‘adolescent misfit’ movies you'll ever see -- for those who can stomach the splatter, that is” and Chris Bumbray of JoBlo exclaims
“While it's more than a little sick, and will likely leave you queasy by the time the credits roll, EXCISION is nonetheless a truly unique horror ride into the scariest of all places- the mind of a teenaged misfit.” Excision holds a 94% “want to see” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Based on a short film of the same name, Excision follows a disturbed and delusional high school student, Pauline (AnnaLynne McCord), with aspirations of a career in medicine, goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother (Traci Lords). While dealing with being an outcast teenager and obsession over curing her sister’s cystic fibrosis, Pauline becomes continually deranged as her fascination of the surgery and the human flesh grows into something abysmal and demonic.

Bonus features on the Excision Blu-ray™ and DVD include an audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette and collectable O-card packaging (for the DVD).

"Excision" is a film that we've previously showcased during our Sundance 2012 coverage. Since then, the film was picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Films and a couple of new stills and the film's poster was released. AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, John Waters, Marlee Matlin, Malcolm McDowell, Roger Bart and Ray Wise.

"Excision" will be screening at the Concordia Hall Theatre on August 4th at 9:35. If you can make it to the screening, "Excision" is slated to hit theaters in limited release sometime this year. Director Richard Bates Jr. and AnnaLynne McCord will be hand to host the screening.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.excisionmovie.com/

BXR Productions has released stills for their film "Excision", which is playing at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The film is debut feature from director Richard Bates Jr. It's based on the short film that Bates did back in 2008. "Excision" features an interesting cast that includes AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, Jeremy Sumpter, John Waters, Ray Wise and Malcolm McDowell

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.excisionmovie.com/


Plot Synopsis:

Pauline isn’t your typical teen. She picks scabs, dissects road kill, and fantasizes about performing surgery on strangers. Her fascinations disturb her parents and her classmates. Pauline reserves special disdain for “the church” and her “therapist,” Reverend William, who, in Pauline's mind, is in no position to judge, or indulge in, her psychosexual fantasies. No one understands Pauline except for Grace, her younger sister, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. An outcast at school and at home, Pauline decides she is ready to lose her virginity. . . and this is when the weirdness really begins.

Upcoming Screenings:

1/28/2012  Midnight    Egyptian Theatre      Park City      Box Office Only

Excision
Year: 2008
Director: Richard Bates Jr.
Stars: Teresa Rose Ferrer, Karen Tiegren, Carley Hobson
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 19 Mins
Official Website: http://www.excisionfilm.com/





“Excision” is a short film that won various awards, at some of the top-tier horror film festivals, such as 2008 Shockfest International Film Festival (Best Mini-Short Film, Best Actress), Eerie Horror Film Festival (Best Short Film, Best Actress) and 2008 Sacramento Horror Film Festival (Best Short Film).

The film is about a teenager named Pauline (Teresa Rose Ferrer), who doesn’t get along with her parents (Karen Tiegren, Paul Fahrenkopf) and has a sister (Carly Hobson) that suffers, from a disease called cystic fibrosis. It commands all of her parents’ attention, which makes her feel that they’ve neglected her. Pauline realizes that her sister would eventually need an operation done to correct the problem. She thinks that she can perform the operation herself, so Pauline begins to set forth a chain of horrifying events that may either save her sister’s life or turn into one big nightmare for her.

“Excision” is a very demented and interesting character study piece. Writer/Director Richard Bates’s Jr. does with making this film and story twisted. He does that by using surreal imagery, while taking a look at a character that is tormented with teenage life. This style helps made me very interested in the film’s story, as the shock value was very high here. Bates also does a very good job with the direction of his actors, especially with lead actress, Tessa Rose Ferrer. She did a great job making her character very demented, as her character was tormented and mad scientist like.

The main thing that I liked about this film was the fact that Bates makes this story more of a character study. He does that fact, by developing why the character acts, in a weird state of mind. Bates explains that by doing two things, First, he goes into the rocky relationship that his character is having with her parents. That was done, to show that she had parents that really treated her like a person, who didn’t exist. Finally, he also examines the character through the weird dreams she has at night. That was done, to help build her obsession with wanting to become a surgeon and wanting to do the procedure herself. Another thing that he did well was to develop the relationship between the main character and her young sister, as it gave another reason to the main character’s madness with wanting to operate on people. All of those were explained effectively, which makes this a very interesting and twisted horror film.

Excision is a twisted short film that might make you want to think twice before going into surgery.


Review Rating: Five Stars