Meet Kip Weeks. Husband, father of three, and owner of not one, but two successful businesses that produce all-natural art supplies, food coloring, and sprinkles. He does it all out of the comfort of his home in coastal Maine. Around town, Kip is a family man, activist, and entrepreneur.

Kip and Gus Weeks prepare for their big finale.

But Kip has a secret little-known to his neighbors: he is also an actor, and it’s been over 4 years since he starred in the blockbuster horror film THE STRANGERS. Since then, Kip has caught a glimpse of the impact his role in the film has had on the horror community and is now ready to do it all again. But he doesn't live in Los Angeles anymore. Can he return to the film industry, work within the genre, and do it all in New England?

Hi guys, Stacy Buchanan & Jessica Barnthouse here. We’re the founders of the Boston-based production company WICKED BIRD MEDIA. We’ve built our business to create entertaining digital content and video production solutions that keep up with the demands of a constantly-changing media landscape. We’re clever. Creative. And WICKED fun. We’re also very passionate about filmmaking and want our business to help increase independent production in New England. So... we thought it’d be a good idea to make a movie about it! And we need your help.



SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES will be the first-ever exploration into the connection between contemporary horror culture and New England. The film will dissect popular conventions within the horror genre and identify how they're driven by the history, eerie settings, and social issues of the area. And through discussions with genre luminaries, local directors, actors, horror fans, and New England natives, this film will also help us to discover if the area's history and passion for horror are strong enough to help grow an independent film industry.



SOMETHING WICKED IS ALREADY HERE.



So, why horror? Good question. For starters, its popularity propagated from an independent production boom in the 1960s. Directors like Roger Corman and George Romero took advantage of the fact that independent films weren't bound by production codes or MPAA ratings and grew the genre's popularity and loyal following by creating horror classics that couldn't be shut out by the studio system.



And time and time again, horror has proven it’s capable of generating massive interest and revenue from its independent films. In fact, Paranormal Activity, one of the highest grossing horror movies of all-time, was made for $15,000 and grossed $195 million. How's that for a return on investment?



Then there’s New England. The area is no stranger to horror, lending its history and eerie landscape to many of today's most popular television shows, movies, and books. And being called home by several of horror’s notable luminaries, including two of the most influential novelists of all time - H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King - has turned it into one of the most significant characters in the genre.

Psst, you'll get a digital download of this poster with a $1 pledge.

But despite New England's cultural relevance, local talent and productions are still fleeing for the Hollywood Hills, and other various locations, to make their horror films. Why is this? Is it due to lack of production support in the area? Tax credits to entice more micro-budget movies and independent productions? Studio resources to absorb out-of-state production costs? A strong-enough horror community? This is what we intend to find out.



SOMETHING WICKED CAN BE YOURS.



Even if you’re not from or living in the New England, even if you can't tell the difference between Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES is still your film. From the beginning to the end, this project will be a fun and informative case study for independent filmmakers and movie fans from all over the world, and an opportunity to learn how to create a homegrown film industry through a local community.



We chose Kickstarter as our funding platform because it echoes our mission, as well as the statement that independent productions are only as strong as the community that supports them. Your pledge is more than just a dollar amount; it’s a measurable action supporting the creativity of independent film production!

To thank you for your contributions, we've designed one-of-a-kind pledge packages full of content that is hyper-involved, KICKSTARTER-EXCLUSIVE, in limited supply, and can only be traced back to one source: YOUR support.

Pledge $50, and this wicked cool shirt is all yours!

Project funds will used for filming and finishing expenses that include: destination shoots, local staffing, licensing, pre and post production processing, self-distribution, and of course -- Kickstarter pledge fulfillment. We did our homework and can guarantee that you will receive the incentives your support earns you, even if we go beyond our $10,000 goal. In fact, if we do that, we will use the additional funds to make the documentary available on a larger scale and will send everyone who pledges a private Kickstarter-exclusive code to VIEW THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES BEFORE THE WORLD PREMIERE!



So please join us and support independent film production. You’ll learn some mind-blowing stuff about the horror genre and culture in New England and how we can influence the industry. Score some fun pledge incentives, be a part of something big. Let's change this media landscape together.



Stacy & Jessica



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Follow the project: SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES on FACEBOOK & TWITTER

WICKED BIRD MEDIA on FACEBOOK & TWITTER





P.S. We'd like to thank our amazing friends Give Zombies The Vote for letting us use their song Black Hole. Does it sound familiar to you? Perhaps seeing this viral video of Give Zombie The Vote's Shaun Callaghan singing to his cat Bill Murray will help jog your memory.