Creepy Mask Film ‘SMILEY’ gets a Date

I have been following this film for some time now and that is mainly because the mask that the killer wears is so embedded in my brain. At first, it didn’t look like a mask – which would be way freakier – but after further investigation, it is definitely a mask. The press release below makes me a bit worried but I will assume that the reason why there will be a PG-13 & an R version is because the director, Michael J. Gallagher who is 24 years old, is apparently a YouTube phenom that appeals to pre-teen girls. I won’t discount the film because at least there will be an R-Rated version of the film but if he wanted to make an impression to hardcore horror fans, coming out with a PG-13 version of your film isn’t a good start – especially considering the fact that most people will be watching in via the On Demand Release. Read the below Press Release for all the dirty details.

From the Press Release:

Fever Productions announces October 11th, 2012 as the day and date release for the much anticipated horror-thriller SMILEY.  The film, which will have a highly innovative, new distribution plan, was directed by You Tube sensation Michael J. Gallagher (“Totally Sketch”), and was co-written by Gallagher and Glasgow Phillips (“South Park”). Michael Wormser (“Some Guy Who Kills People”) is the Producer. Gallagher and his You Tube partners on “Totally Sketch,” as well as the other performers in the film, have an enormous fan base to call on with over 11 million subscribers, 2.2 billion views and 4 million plus fans on Facebook/Twitter.  The trailer has accumulated over 11 million views since its debut.  

After learning of an urban legend in which a demented serial killer named “Smiley” can be summoned through the Internet, mentally fragile Ashley (Caitland Gerard from “Magic Mike” and “The Social Network”) must decide whether she is losing her mind or becoming Smiley’s next victim. The film also stars Melanie Papalia (“Endgame”), Shane Dawson (“Shane Dawson’s TV”) and Andrew James Allen (“Make It or Break It”), with Toby Turner (“The Annoying Orange”), Roger Bart (“Desperate Housewives”), Keith David (“The Thing”) and Liza Weil (“Scandal”) rounding out the cast.  

SMILEY will be made directly available to a massive global fan base by using a new hybrid approach for distribution. To see the film in theaters, the producers will be utilizing Tugg, Inc. (“Tugg”), a web-platform that lets audiences choose the films that play in their local theater. With Tugg, fans will be able to buy tickets to premiere screenings throughout the U.S. on October 11th and October 31st. Tickets for the premiere screenings will go sale on Monday, July 16th, and fans will be able to request to host their own screenings soon after.

Starting Friday, June 29th, fans will be able to pre-order SMILEY to stream on demand through the film’s website, http://www.smileymovie.com for a reduced price of five dollars. The buyers will also be prompted to select between a PG-13 or R Rated Director’s Cut of the film. At 12:01am on October 11th, audiences will receive an email notification that SMILEY is now available to stream over their computers, smart TV’s, smart phones and tablets in the U.S. and most international markets through Redux’s Artists platform, which enables artists and filmmakers to sell video content directly to their audience across every screen. The film streams exclusively on Redux between October 11th and October 31st.

In addition to the Tugg and Redux roll out, the film will be available on more traditional platforms including DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes, Redbox and cable VOD at a later date. 

On Friday, June 29th, Gallagher and the filmmakers will also be at the Anaheim Convention Center at VidCon to deliver a presentation about the release in front of thousands of fans.  They will also announce two contests, one that will give away invitations to the Hollywood premiere of the film, and a second to allow up to10 fans to make a cameo appearance in the final cut of the film, which is still in post- production.

Said director Michael Gallagher: “We wanted to ensure SMILEY would be made available on the same day to fans worldwide. The love and support for the film has given us the confidence to move forward with an innovative release strategy, which puts the audience in the driver’s seat. If they want to see the film in theaters, they can demand it. If they want to watch it at home, they can stream it on any video device. They can even choose between a PG-13 version and an R-Rated Director’s Cut. Also, because we are doing it independently, we are able to keep the costs low and the process simple. We hope to create a new model that puts the fans first and lets their interest in the film drive the distribution, not the other way around.”

For more information on the film, upcoming screenings, and to pre-order it today, go to http://www.smileymovie.com.

For more information on how Tugg works, go to www.tugg.com/howtuggworks.