There are a few indie filmmakers that I follow just as closely as I follow the careers of some famous names, and one of them is Ohio-based director Dustin Mills, who is gearing up to go into production on his biggest project yet: SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLUMBER PARTY.
Mills just raised the largest budget he has ever had to work with through a successful fundraising campaign for SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLUMBER PARTY, which is inspired by nudity-filled classics like THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE II, and HARD TO DIE, as well as over-the-top spookfests like GHOSTBUSTERS, EVIL DEAD II, and BEETLEJUICE, presented in a documentary style like WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS.
Here's the synopsis:
A group of gorgeous gal pals are horrified when one of their friends dies in a tragic naked pillow fight accident during their annual Slumber Party. Fearing legal repercussions, the ladies dump her body in a swamp and forge a runaway letter. A year later, the girls reunite to boob it up one more time with a saucy Slumber Party for the ages, only to have their party pooped by the vengeful spirit of their dear departed friend. Trapped by magic, surrounded by evil, and very underdressed; will they survive the night? Or will this Slumber Party become a Slaughterhouse?
Mills has noted that a recent rewrite of the script dropped that one year jump. In the latest draft, the events all take place on the same night.
The cast of SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLUMBER PARTY will include Erin R. Ryan, Haley Jay Madison, Kayla Elizabeth, Joni Durian, Brittany Blanton, J. Ania Lupa, Melissa Sue Zahs, Kenzie Phillips, Roni Jonah, Ariel Jarchow, Eve Moreau, and Lucretia Sturgeon.
Special effects artist Marcus Koch is working with Mills to bring the film's "ghosts, goblins, ghouls and gore" to the screen with a mixture of practical and digital effects.
Mills intended to shoot this movie a couple months ago, before realizing it was too ambitious and would require a fundraising effort to pull off. So instead he gathered members of the cast together to shoot a faux trailer, a censored version of which can be seen below (and you probably still shouldn't watch it at work). Only contributors to the campaign were given a link to the uncensored version.
I'm a big fan of Mills' work and of the movies he was inspired by for this one, so I am very excited to see how SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLUMBER PARTY will turn out. The movie is now scheduled to go into production around the end of September, and Mills is planning to have it ready for release in January next year.