The Dead Matter

Updates

11 / 7 / 08 - New interviews on Fangoria and FEARnet posted - Check out new interviews with Edward Douglas on FANGORIA and FEARnet. Midnight Syndicate is also featured in the most recent issue of Screem Magazine (#17).

10 / 23 / 08 – Rotting Flesh Radio -

Click on the logo above to hear a song-by-song breakdown of the new release. Many more reviews have been added to the website as well. Visit The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates press page to hear what others are saying about our newest release.

10 / 14 / 08 - New reviews for The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD posted - See what people are saying about the new CD here.

9 / 13 / 08 - The Dead Matter trailer is released at T3nTh1rtyOne.com - The trailer to The Dead Matter is now available at www.T3nth1rtyone.com, a Halloween website hosted by Hot Topic stores. Click here to go there now!

9 / 13 / 08 - Win a trip to the premiere of The Dead Matter - Visit www.T3nTh1rtyOne.com to see the new trailer and enter the The Dead Matter Flyaway Contest brought to you by Midnight Syndicate Films and Hot Topic. You and a guest can win a flight to the premiere of the movie complete with hotel accommodations, limo service, and a meet and greet with Midnight Syndicate and the cast. Other prizes include a complete set of all ten Midnight Syndicate CDs and limited-edition autographed movie props hand-crafted by Robert Kurtzman's Creature Crew FX-artist Sean Rodgers. Restrictions apply. Must be 18 or older to enter. More details available on the www.T3nTh1rtyOne.com website as well as www.HotTopic.com.

9 / 3 / 08 - Interview with Edward Douglas at Festival of Fear - Desmond from Dread Media interviews Edward Douglas at Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear. The interview can be heard at Dread Media. The show is Episode No. 52 and the interview begins at 27:50 minutes in.

8 / 27 / 08 - The Dead Matter movie trailer coming September 13th - The trailer will be hosted on www.t3nth1rtyone.com, a Halloween website sponsored by Hot Topic stores. Midnight Syndicate Films and Hot Topic will also be teaming up on a The Dead Matter movie flyaway contest. More details coming soon!

8 / 26 / 08 - The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD now available -

Midnight Syndicate's The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD arrives just in time for the Halloween season. Inspired by the themes of vampirism, living dead, and occult relics explored in the upcoming The Dead Matter movie, the new CD was created in the style of Midnight Syndicate's other releases, taking listeners on a musical journey of their own creation.

"The themes from The Dead Matter movie were a perfect match," says Midnight Syndicate's Gavin Goszka. "They allowed us to expand on familiar territory as well as explore new musical ground and add to our instrumental palette."

"Although this is not the soundtrack to the movie, several tracks from this disc will be appearing in The Dead Matter," says Edward Douglas.

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates is available nationwide at Halloween stores and at other retailers that specialize in Halloween merchandise (party stores and costume shops). Visit www.MidnightSyndicate.com to utilize our store locator and find a Midnight Syndicate retailer near you and to hear samples from the CD.

8 / 8 / 08 - Interview with the Cast at Comic-Con on Rotting Flesh Radio. - Jerry Vayne from Rotting Flesh Radio interviews Sean Serino, Christopher Robichaud, Tom Nagel, and CB Spencer from the floor at Comic-Con. The interview can be heard at http://www.rfrpodcast.com. The show is Episode No. 140 (August 8, 2008) and the interview begins at 1 hour 51 minutes in.

7 / 30 / 08 - Preview tracks from the upcoming The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD Available - Two tracks (Alchemist's Chamber and The Revenants) from the upcoming The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD are now available to preview on Midnight Syndicate's MySpace page. Two additional tracks (Tear of Osiris and The Hunt) can be heard on a trailer for the CD that has just been added to Midnight Syndicate's official website at: http://www.midnightsyndicate.com/dead_matter_cd_trailer.html.

Pictures from Comic-Con as well as more production photos will be coming next week. If you missed the first The Dead Matter movie trailer at Comic-Con, you can catch it on the road with Director Edward Douglas at GenCon, Horrorfind, Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear, and DragonCon. The trailer will make it's way to the Internet in early September along with some other exciting surprises -- so stay tuned!

7 / 7 / 08 - The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates coming August. Comic-Con cast appearances announced. -

Beyond the cemetery gates the dead do not rest easily. An ancient Egyptian relic, vampires, and the living dead lurk amongst its shadowy crypts. Haunting symphonies and dark soundscape call you into the world of the undead...

This August, Midnight Syndicate will unleash its first all-original, independent release since The 13th Hour. The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates takes listeners on a journey into the dark world that inspired The Dead Matter motion picture. The CD also includes several tracks from the movie. Look for updates and preview tracks in the next few weeks!

Director EDWARD DOUGLAS and four of the main leads from The Dead Matter will be in the MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE SOUNDTRACKS booths (#4914 and #4916) at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. SEAN SERINO (Gretchen), TOM NAGEL (Mike), CB SPENCER (Jill), and CHRISTOPHER ROBICHAUD (Frank) have been confirmed and will be on-hand at the booth showing the movie's FIRST TRAILER and talking about the film.

6 / 9 / 08 - New interview with The Dead Matter director, Edward Douglas - In this new, in-depth interview posted on Revenant Magazine, director Edward Douglas talks filming The Dead Matter, what fans can expect from the film, and plans for the rest of 2008.

5 / 28 / 08 - First trailer coming in July. Director and cast to appear at Comic-Con. The Dead Matter : Cemetery Gates soundtrack CD coming in August. Picture locked. -

Plans are being made to debut the first trailer to The Dead Matter at the San Diego Comic-Con July 23-27 at the MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE SOUNDTRACKS booths (#4914 and #4916). Also appearing at the booth (soon to be confirmed) are director Edward Douglas and cast members Sean Serino, Christopher Robichaud, Tom Nagel, CB Spencer, and Brian Van Camp.

The Dead Matter achieved picture lock this past week. "The test screenings went extremely well," said Edward Douglas, "there's a tremendous amount of excitement building around here as we head into this next stage."

In addition to the Visual FX work being done at Precinct 13, work on Midnight Syndicate's The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD and the score is also underway. The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD is a disc of music inspired by the film as well as some music from the actual film that will be released in August of this year. "Just in time for Halloween," said Midnight Syndicate's Gavin Goszka. "we're really happy with how the disc is coming together. It will definitely give people a taste of what is to come."

Stay tuned for more updates!

12 / 6 / 07 - Midnight Syndicate The Dead Matter : Cemetery Gates soundtrack due out August 2008. - Although the official release date for the movie has not been announced, The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates soundtrack will be released in late-August 2008. A movie soundtrack created in the style of Midnight Syndicate's other releases, the CD will contain music inspired by the film mixed with music from the actual film.

"The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates soundtrack CD is designed to stand on its own and to draw you into the supernatural world of the living dead that we create in The Dead Matter," says Douglas. "The CD will also allow people who watch the movie to journey deeper into the world as we push further into its themes and characters." With post-production moving right along, fans can expect the first The Dead Matter trailer early next year. All we can say is that the final product will be worth the wait!

9 / 10 / 07 - Production wraps on The Dead Matter. Post-production underway - Production on The Dead Matter wrapped at 5am on September 2nd. "I couldn't be happier," said director Edward Douglas. "We got everything I was hoping for and so much more. The entire cast and crew really delivered on all levels. This movie is going to resonate with a lot of horror fans - we really have something special here."

"The Dead Matter is definitely a character-driven horror film, so a lot rides on our actors. They all really came through for us. Between the performances by the veterans and our newer faces, audiences are going to be in for a real treat," said Douglas.

Douglas credits the successful production phase to Producer Gary Jones, the FX team at Precinct 13, Director of Photography Alex Esper, UPM Philip Garrett, and an "incredibly talented and experienced" crew of film veterans mixed with an enthusiastic group of hard-working production assistants. "It's an ambitious script. We were only able to complete it on time because of the tremendous talent, teamwork, and perseverance our crew exhibited."

With a projected release date in 2008, post-production has already begun. That includes work on the next Midnight Syndicate release, The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates..

The PHOTOS section on has pictures of the cast and crew in action with MORE coming soon! Be sure to stop by this site for trailers, news, soundtrack updates, interviews, and much, much more!

8 / 29 / 07 - More production photos posted - More production photos from Weeks 2 and 3 have been posted in the PHOTO section.

8 / 15 / 07 - Behind the Scenes Trailer posted - For a look behind the scenes of The Dead Matter check out a trailer for The Making of 'The Dead Matter' feature (produced by Frank Purtiman and Smudgeline Productions) on YouTube.

8 / 10 / 07 - Production on The Dead Matter has started - Edward Douglas and the crew at Precinct 13 Entertainment started production on The Dead Matter earlier this week. Production photos are available on the Photo page.

8 / 4 / 07 - More Pre-Production Photos Available - More pictures are also available in the Photo page.

7 / 30 / 07 - The Daily Grind of The Dead Matter Blog - Midnight Syndicate voiceover artist Christopher Robichaud (Midnight Syndicate, Gates of Delirium, Dungeons & Dragons), who will be reprising the role of Frank in the upcoming The Dead Matter, has just launched his blog on the making of the film from an actor's perspective.

The blog will offer a complete, behind-the-scenes look at what transpires on the set of The Dead Matter, incorporating pictures and video to provide a real sense of what it's like to make a horror movie from the ground up. Christopher has promised to be as candid as possible, and if the first entry is any indication, persons who read the blog will be privy not only to the inside scoop concerning the making of The Dead Matter, but also to events a bit more sinister and macabre.
The blog can be found at http://DailyGrindofTheDeadMatter.blogspot.com/.

7 / 28 / 07 - The Official The Dead Matter MySpace page - The brand new The Dead Matter MySpace page (www.MySpace.com/TheDeadMatterFilm) features cast photos and links, the latest news and releases, and photos.

7 / 28 / 07 - First Pre-Production Pictures released - The production crew at Precinct 13 Entertainment is gearing up for The Dead Matter. Stop by the PHOTO section for a look into pre-production.

7 / 15 / 07 - Edward Douglas interview on Rue Morgue Radio - Check out July 13th's podcast from Rue Morgue Radio to listen to an interview with Edward Douglas featuring a discussion on The Dead Matter.

7 / 13 / 07 - Two horror host legends added to The Dead Matter lineup - Legendary horror host, Dick Dyszel better known to fans as Count Gore DeVol has been signed to the cast of The Dead Matter. Also announced was the addition of Cleveland's Big Chuck Schodowski. As one of the most recognizable television personalities in Cleveland history, Big Chuck has been entertaining audiences for over forty years. "I grew up watching his show," says director, Edward Douglas, "a lot of the movies he played were a part of my early education in horror. I'm really excited to have him and the Count on board."

7 / 1 / 07 - More Cast Announced for The Dead Matter - Midnight Syndicate Films (Cleveland, OH) has announced a new round of cast signings for the upcoming supernatural horror film, The Dead Matter.

Sean Serino will be returning to the Precinct 13 studios where she shot The Rage last year. This time around, she will be taking on the lead role of Gretchen. Gretchen's boyfriend, Mike, will be portrayed by Tom Nagel (North Mission Road, Beast of Bray Road). For more information on Tom, you can visit his official website. Cleveland-born and raised, Tom joins the growing list of Ohio natives on The Dead Matter cast and crew.

CB Spencer (Passions, Ally McBeal) will be playing Gretchen's friend and confidant, Jill. More on CB can be found at www.cbspencer.com. Fans of Midnight Syndicate will hear a familiar voice as Christopher Robichaud (The Dead Matter (1996), Midnight Syndicate) reprises his role as Frank from the original The Dead Matter movie. Christopher has been a regular voiceover artist on Midnight Syndicate albums beginning with the self-titled debut and including Gates of Delirium and the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying soundtrack.

Brian Van Camp (New World Disorder) will be playing Mark Pym, an apprentice to vampire hunter, Ian McCallister (played by Jason Carter as previously announced).

Unit Production Manager/Assistant Director, Phil Garrett, Director of Photography, Alex Esber, and Precinct 13 Makeup and FX Artists, David Greathouse (Mushroomhead) and Alan Tuskes (Cabin Fever, Hulk) are among the key crew that have been signed to the project. More information on cast and crew can be found at the The Dead Matter IMDB listing.

6 / 16 / 07 - Andrew Divoff, Tom Savini, and Jason Carter join the cast. Principal photography to begin this August - Midnight Syndicate Films has announced its first cast signings for the upcoming supernatural horror thriller, The Dead Matter, directed by Edward Douglas (Midnight Syndicate) and produced in coordination with Robert Kurtzman (KNB FX, Dusk Till Dawn) and his company Precinct 13 Entertainment.

Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster, Air Force One), who was seen most recently as the eye-patch- wearing villain, Mikhail Bakunin, on ABC's Lost and will be seen in the upcoming film, The Rage, will be joining the set of The Dead Matter as the character, Vellich, after completing work on a new, untitled, Steven Spielberg movie that is scheduled for release in May of 2008.

Vellich's arch-nemesis, Ian McCallister, will be played by Jason Carter whose career spans everything from his renowned portrayal of Marcus Cole on Babylon 5 to characters on shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Angel, Charmed, Third Rock from the Sun, and in films like Demon Under Glass.

Horror-FX legend Tom Savini (Dusk Till Dawn, Dawn of the Dead), a fixture in the genre for over thirty years and seen most recently as Deputy Tolo in Grindhouse, will be portraying the devious vampire overlord, Sebed.

After wrapping production on his upcoming film, Ghouls, in April, producer Gary Jones (Xena, Army of Darkness) and director/producer, Edward Douglas (Midnight Syndicate), began pre-production for The Dead Matter. Principal photography will begin this August in Mansfield, Ohio.

The FX team at Precinct 13 has already begun work on what promises to be a visual treat for audiences. Photos and teasers will be available in the next month.

5 / 17 / 07 - Casting underway - Pre-production officially began mid-April after the completion of The Rage. Casting has been underway for several weeks now so fans can expect big announcements early next month!

3 / 25 / 07 - The Dead Matter update - While Midnight Syndicate is in the studio finishing the score to The Rage, the crew at Precinct 13 Entertainment has begun preparing for pre-production on The Dead Matter, which is scheduled to officially begin in mid-April.

3 / 19 / 07 - The Dead Matter t-shirts are now available - The first run of the new The Dead Matter t-shirts that debuted at Haunt X and TransWorld are now available through the Midnight Syndicate Store. The new t-shirt is the first of several designs planned for the movie and was designed by Mark Rakocy, Midnight Syndicate graphic designer and co-producer of the original The Dead Matter movie.

2 / 6 / 07 - Midnight Syndicate to make The Dead Matter movie, Edward Douglas to direct. Multiple CDs planned for release with film. Midnight Syndicate will be teaming up with Hollywood FX legend Robert Kurtzman (Dusk till Dawn producer, co-founder of the KNB EFX Group) and his production company, Precinct 13 Entertainment to produce the horror-suspense film, The Dead Matter. Development has been underway for several months and pre-production will officially begin March 1st. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in Northeastern Ohio this August with a projected release date sometime in 2008. Edward Douglas will be directing the film and producing it through the newly-formed Midnight Syndicate Films division of Entity Productions, Inc. The company is currently in talks with Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster, Air Force One, Lost) to star.

"This is a really exciting time for us. One of our main goals over the past ten years has been to get into a position to remake The Dead Matter with an actual budget" said Edward Douglas who produced and directed an earlier version of the film for $2000 in 1996 before forming Midnight Syndicate. "Horror movies are at the core of what Gavin and I do in Midnight Syndicate. It's what we love and that's why we believe in remaking this particular film. Co-writer Tony Demci and I have had a lot of time to take what we felt was already a good story and develop it into something very special that we know is really going to deliver for both our fans and other fans of the horror genre." The Dead Matter tells the story of a vampire relic with occult powers that falls into the hands of a grief-stricken young woman who will do anything to contact her dead brother.

The Next Midnight Syndicate CD - Entity Productions plans to release multiple discs of new Midnight Syndicate material in coordination with the film. "As far as the next Midnight Syndicate CD goes, fans are really going to like what we have planned for the soundtrack," said Gavin Goszka, who will serve as Music Supervisor for the film. "The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates soundtrack CD will be in the style of our other Midnight Syndicate releases. Our plan is to integrate music from the movie with new material and atmospherics which will allow listeners to further explore the dark and supernatural world created in the The Dead Matter film."

Midnight Syndicate is a registered trademark of Entity Productions, Inc.