NEWS ARCHIVE

FIRST REVIEW ONLINE (15th February, 2005)

Pit of Horror's Rich Carlin and John Gray joined us in Los Angeles at the Warner Brothers studio lot for a sneak peak at the rough cut of Sin-Jin Smyth earlier this month along with actors John Philbin, Gary Kasper and Eileen Dietz. Check out their review which features an exclusive prototype teaser poster for the movie.

"Even as a rough cut, Best horror film of 2006" - Pit of Horror

PIT REVIEW OF SIN-JIN SMYTH

STRAIGHT FROM THE SET… (15th February, 2005)

(left) Sherriff Stoops (Charles Cyphers) describes the haunted history and background of 'this dark character' about to be transferred... (With Roddy Piper and Richard Tyson)

(middle) Sadie (Eileen Dietz from The Exorcist) gets nervous as SIN-JIN SMYTH is removed from his cell...

(right) Piper and Tyson discuss the scene on the set, the SAME set used in the original Assault On Precinct 13.

(left) The FX Crew led by PAXTON DRANAC get ready to 'simulate' some armor-piercing rounds and wreck a couple of vehicles...

(right) The FARMHOUSE, site of a federal fire-fight, just beyond our 'fabricated' cornfield. The Production Co. shot at this location for several days...

THE CULT, GOING BACK ON THE ROAD! (14th February, 2006)

SIN-JIN SMYTH MUSIC SUPERVISOR BILLY DUFFY re-unites with THE CULT. U.S. TOUR DATES AS FOLLOWS!

March 1: San Francisco (Fillmore)
March 3: Las Vegas (the Joint)
March 4: San Diego (House of Blues)
March 5: Cabazon, Calif. (Key Club)
March 7: Los Angeles (Fonda Theatre)
March 8: Tempe, Ariz. (Marquee Theatre)
March 10: Dallas (Ridglea Theatre)
March 11: Houston (Warehouse)
March 12: Austin, Texas (La Zona Rosa)
March 14: Tulsa, Okla. (Cain's)
March 15: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
March 17: Chicago (Vic Theatre)
March 18: Cleveland (House of Blues)
March 19: Detroit (Emerald Theatre)
March 21: Buffalo, N.Y. (Town Ballroom)
March 22: Boston (Avalon)
March 24: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
March 25: Atlantic City, N.J. (House of Blues)
March 26: New York (Nokia Theatre)

THE FIRST LOOK… (23rd November, 2005)

HALLOWEEN SHOW FROM THE SIN-JIN SET! (7th November, 2005)

THE SIN-JIN SMYTH HALLOWEEN SHOW (From the set) Hits the internet with GRAVETHOUGHTS RADIO (www.gravethoughts.com) with interviews with RODDY PIPER, RICHARD TYSON, CHARLES CYPHERS, EILEEN DIETZ, MAKE-UP AND MONSTERS and MANY, MANY MORE…

OCTOBER 12th - Principle PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS… (7th November, 2005)

PRODUCTION GETS UNLOCKED OUT AT THE SABLE PRODUCTION RANCH in SNATA CLARITA, as the first (Of what will become several) week of night shoots gets underway at CEMETERY SET built out of a BOG (swamp). See the "first look" photos above!

CHARLES CYPHERS JOINS THE CAST OF SIN-JIN SMYTH (7th November, 2005)

The Sheriff we all remember from HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN 2, a member of John Carpenter’s early stock company (Assault On Precinct 13, The Fog, Escape From New York)* has signed up to join the cast. He will be working opposite the chameleon, ELIEEN DEITZ of THE EXORCIST…

*An interesting side note to this story is: Expert Camera Assistant Ty Mitchell (Who is chiefly responsible for preventing ETHAN DETTENMAIER from loosing his temper) was in THE FOG as Adrienne Barbeau’s son and Halloween 2, as the victim of trick or treat sabotage when he reports to the emergency room with a razor blade stuck in his mouth…Happy Halloween!!!

11.7.05 - A FAST FIVE QUESTIONS WITH SIN-JIN SMYTH FX TECH PAXTON DRONAC. By Chris Essex.

11.7.05 - CAMDEN TOY has joined the cast of SIN-JIN SMYTH

10.9.05 - RODDY PIPER AGREES TO TERMS AND JOINS THE CAST OF SIN-JIN SMYTH

PIT OF HORROR starts up a SIN-JIN SMYTH FORUM. Cast members LEE VING and JACQUELINE MOORE jump on to mix it up with the fans.

ETHAN DETTENMAIER talks with Bloody-Disgusting.com and has words with ReallyScary.com and then comes back to Grave Thoughts Radio.

9.3.05 - BILLY DUFFY BRINGS THE LOVE REMOVAL MACHINE TO SIN-JIN SMYTH!!!

BILLY DUFFY of THE CULT agreed to terms with SNAP KICK PRODUCTIONS INC. and saddles up with the rebel alliance behind the production of SIN-JIN SMYTH!

Duffy will contribute original guitar work to the score, (collaborating with the orchestral work of MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE), serve as Music Supervisor, and lock and load for a part in the film as a rogue government agent who specializes in interrogation and torture!

And from a Music Supervisor stand point he will be backed up by the library of the SANCTUARY RECORDS GROUP which in addition to THE CULT includes MOTORHEAD, IRON MAIDEN, ROBERT PLANT, FLEETWOOD MAC, ANTHRAX, THE WU-TANG CLAN, NEIL YOUNG, BILLY IDOL and MORRISSEY, just to name a few. So get ready, because they plan to get loud!

  Contributed by TOM HARRIS

 

8.27.05

Director Ethan Dettenmaier talks Production/Studio Politics on the air with GRAVE THOUGHTS RADIO.

 

8.21.05

SIN-JIN SMYTH interview with Slasher Mania. Director Ethan Dettenmaier has a conversation with BehindTheHorrorShow.com

MAKE-UP AND MONSTERS locks it up with PIT OF HORROR

 

8.14.05

ATROCITIES CINEMA KICKS IN A CONTEST, CHECK OUT AtrocitiesCinema.com and enter to win some SIN-JIN SMYTH hardware…

 

8.11.05

TheRejectedDevils.com speaks with Make-up and Monsters (The team behind the look of Sin-Jin Smyth) and Director Ethan Dettenmaier.

 

8.2.05 - A FEW QUESTIONS WITH PRODUCTION DESIGNER ROB HOWETH...

ESSEX: Rob I know you’re usually working around the clock so we appreciate the time…

ROB: Yeah, come on, I’ve got graveyard shift to supervise… 

ESSEX: So Rob, how does one get into this business?

ROB: One of two ways:  selling a kidney or my first born, and since I have no children… or did I???

ESSEX: How’d you find Ethan, and is he really crazy?

ROB: Ethan isn’t crazy.  Funny, yes.  And he has a dark, angry side.  I can’t say more.

ESSEX: What is SIN-JIN SMYTH gonna look like?

ROB: If I told you, he may come for me.

ESSEX: I have a few dollars here, if I give it to you will you give us some SIN-JIN SMYTH secrets?

ROB: He’s not who he appears to be.

ESSEX: How’d you like working with Tobe Hooper?

ROB: Tobe is a pro and he inspired me and made me think outside the box.

ESSEX: What can you tell us about Mortuary?

ROB: I believe it is coming out this fall.

ESSEX: Who are some of your influences?

ROB: Bob Boyle, K.K. Barrett, Dante Ferretti...

ESSEX: What other films have good production design besides the Ed Wood films?

ROB: Too many to choose, for many reasons.  That’s like asking a painter what color he uses most often.

ESSEX: How come you act like you 12?

ROB: It’s better than acting like I’m 10.

ESSEX: How come Ethan acts like he’s 10?

ROB: I didn’t know that he was acting.

ESSEX: What kind of music do you listen to when you’re working?

ROB: You’re a serious journalist, aren’t you? Different music for different moods.  I like 70s, 80s, 90s and Today.

ESSEX: What are some of your favorite films… no politically correct answers please?

ROB: ‘Sin City’, ‘Big Fish’, ‘I Heart Huckabees’, ‘Excalibur’, ‘North By Northwest’.

ESSEX: Good choices, I thought you were gonna tell us the truth and admit
you like f—king Catwoman!

 

7.22.05 - CONVERSATION WITH DETTENMAIER

SIN-JIN SMYTH director locks up with Horror Movies & Stuff (www.hms.notlong.com) to discuss goals, influences, and casting rumors.

MAKE UP AND MONSTERS start elaborate prosthetic work in construction some of the films 'darker' characters.

7.9.05 - DIRECTOR SPEAKS TO THE PRESS

HorrorMovies.ca and MoviesOnline.ca pay the SIN-JIN SMYTH Production Office a visit for the first and second of a series of international interviews....

Dettenmaier also takes a few minutes of the rapid-fire production schedule to talk with Chris Essex of HorrorView.com.

MORE ON THIS STORY TO FOLLOW

6.21.05 - THE SET GETS LOCKED AND LOADED

Documentary crews were allowed onboard the CLOSED SET for the first ‘real’ look of the landscape of SIN-JIN SMYTH as plans were executed for a B-52 WRECK to be lowered into the SWAMP SET (a bog formerly used by Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION).

“One hundred yards to the west is... the GRAVEYARD!” pointed out to select members of the press by EXECUTIVE PRODUCER PAUL GALLO (cameras were prohibited) “Where the Devil makes his midnight appearance every Halloween!”

THE WEATHER TAKES A HAUNTING TURN FOR THE WORSE

“SIN-JIN SMYTH takes place almost completely at night and the weather, including the tornado warning, are a big part of the film's aesthetics” F/X TECH, PAXTON DRONEK, pointed out moments before the crew witnessed an effective weather test which included FOG and a FLASH OF LIGHTNING. “You can feel the wind and the crash of lightning 300 yards away!”

Contributed by FRED GODLASH

6.20.05 - SIN-JIN SMYTH PLANS TO HIT THE AUDIENCE WITH 7.1 SOUND

The Director of SIN-JIN SMYTH puts extensive planning into SOUND and warned us to wait for the SOUND DESIGN WORK which will hit the audience in 7.1 Dolby (versus the standard 5.1) “We’re gonna rip the roof off this f—-ker! And blow the audience, not just through the back wall of the theatre but through the parking lot!)

MORE ON THIS STORY TO FOLLOW

THE DIRECTOR LOCKS UP WITH THE PIT OF HORROR

The Director locks up with THE PIT (www.pitofhorror.com) and talks about the effort “to put everything up on the screen,” also discusses the cast and the lasting impression good actors can make “verses the latest Teen Beat cover story!”

Contributed by THE PIT

WEAPONS SCHOOL OPENS UP

Cast members JASON HILDEBRANDT, LEE VING, JACQUELINE MOORE (a wrestler with the WWE, once known as the WWF) were on hand to get in some shooting work in with the WEAPONS MASTERS from the BATTLE CRY ADVISORY GROUP (who provided the weapons for UNDER SIEGE and UNDER SIEGE 2). No one was hurt, although some lawyers were rumored to come close!

6.15.05 - GUNFIGHTERS PROVIDE INSPIRATION FOR DESIGNERS

EXTENSIVE COSTUME DESIGN WORK by Charles Winston begins on a look “that would warrant bad men moving on a mission through the Kansas Badlands.” The inspiration for the ‘high-plains look’ of the federal agents was that of a gunfighter out of the wild west. (In fact, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST was screened by the director for the Costume Department to help inspire certain aspects of the look.)

Contributed by FRED GODLASH - MORE ON THIS STORY TO FOLLOW

ON THE LINE WITH APEX DIGEST

The Director talks production logistics in the private sector with APEX DIGEST (www.apexdigest.com) and explains how he had to operate outside the studio system to maintain the film’s creative independence and build the production from the ground up...

Contributed by JASON SIZEMORE

6.5.05 - A HAUNTING LOOK AT THE ART

The first haunting glimpse of the film can be seen through the work of storyboard/concept artist TONY BLASI (an artist who has done extensive work for Disney). Most of the art is CLASSIFIED, but some will be displayed on the SIN-JIN SMYTH official website (including the MIDNIGHT TRANSFER SEQUENCE).

“SIN-JIN SMYTH is a movie that is genuinely scary,” said Blasi, “That script scared me to the point that I couldn’t read it at night, it’s not a series of jump-scares tied together in some sloppy way, it reflects real suspense!”

As Ethan walked us through some of the artwork, he said, “The shooting style that influenced the way we mapped this film out (from a storyboard stand point) was THE SHINING. A slow drawn-out style that seems to give a big environment life.”

5.30.05 - LOCATION REPORT

The production team wraps up extensive scouting (covering Ventura, LA and Kern counties) with a meeting and dinner with the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Mr. Rick Davis) of the KERN COUNTY FILM OFFICE. The Production team locks down (but did not announce) the final remaining locations.

THE TERROR WATCH

The team behind SIN-JIN SMYTH talks shop with TERROR WATCH (www.terrorwatch.net) about the director’s history (through the mailroom in 2001) and the hard-charging work ethic required to make things work from an independent standpoint...

Contributed by FRED GODLASH/Terror Watch.net

5.18.05 - CASTING

The casting office of Robi Reed-Humes and Associates (MALCOLM X, ANTWONE FISHER) works to lock in the remaining cast. “The director wants ‘bulletproof players,’ versus soft Hollywood types who want a manicurist on the set.” said assistant Cheryl Starr.

ONBOARD WITH SCI-FI/FANTASY WORLD

In a conversation with DAG from SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WORLD (www.sffworld.com), the production team talks about the process of mapping out the script and the history of the cast (surviving the BLACK HAWK DOWN shoot in the deserts of Morocco).

Contributed by DAG

Extensive PRODUCTION DESIGN work continues...