EFM 2013: Aspect Film Catches a Shiver in Berlin

Steve Barton |

Feb 5, 2013

Post Thumb:

/may11/shivers.jpg

Julian (The Last Horror Movie, Summer Scars) Richards’ latest terror tale, Shiver, is on its way to the European Film Market, and we’ve got some new stills and more for you to dig on in the interim.

From the Press Release
British sales agency Aspect Film has picked up all international rights, excluding North America, to Julian Richards’ riveting suspense thriller Shiver for its genre division, Chiller Films. Glenn Reynolds’ Circus Road is handling domestic sales.

The film stars Danielle Harris (Halloween, Hatchet II, Stake Land), John Jarratt (Wolf Creek 1 & 2, Django Unchained, Rogue, Australia), Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers, Sleepy Hollow, The Pact), Rae Dawn Chong (Commando, The Color Purple), Valerie Harper (Blame It On Rio), and Brad Harris (Kommisar X , Hercules, Goliath and The Gladiators).

Produced and penned by Robert D. Weinbach, Shiver is based on the acclaimed novel by New York Times bestselling author Brian Harper. Harris stars as Wendy Alden, a young secretary in Portland, Oregon, who becomes the victim of Franklin Rood, a savage killer who has claimed the lives of a number of other women. Somehow Wendy finds the resources of courage to escape, earning not only Rood’s grudging respect but his twisted sense of love. He later kidnaps Wendy, subjecting her to an horrific ritual of psychological intimidation at his desolate hideout in the woods. During the course of her odyssey, Wendy transforms to a lioness in the final confrontation with the monster of her living nightmare.

Aspect Film and Chiller Films CEO Hugh Edwards says that “Julian Richards has crafted a slick, suspenseful, action-packed thriller featuring outstanding performances by Danielle Harris and John Jarratt. We are excited to bring Shiver into our fold as we look to increase our lineup of high quality genre features.”

Shiver is currently an Official Selection at 20 international film festivals and has generated significant initial buzz with the poster and trailer being universally lauded. Danielle Harris has won three Best Actress Awards for Shiver, with the film having further garnered a Best Screenplay Award and a Most Shocking Feature Award.

Synopsis
Danielle Harris turns in a powerful performance as Wendy, the girl who has to toughen up quick if she wants to stay alive. The tension and gore factor are ramped up right from the word go, and the murders are brutal, relentless and unflinching, never sparing the audience. In Rood, we have a killer as clever and complex as Hannibal Lecter and as unstoppable as Michael Myers. In his moments of lucidity, the seemingly normal façade and his warped attempts at engaging Wendy in conversation are chilling as they remind us that such people can and do live among us. The reveal of the full extent of his terrible depravity is an ingenious and truly macabre masterpiece of theatrical Grand Guignol.