Eleven years ago, FX artist Tom Devlin created a slasher character called Teddy for the Syfy special effects makeup reality series Face Off. Now he has made his feature directorial debut with a movie built around that character, Teddy Told Me To! The movie was filmed at the director’s own Boulder City, Nevada roadside attraction Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum and is now in post-production.
Scripted by Vincent Cusimano and Lola Devlin, Teddy Told Me To revolves around
the plight of a pair of haunters who set out to resurrect a shuttered Halloween haunt with a bloody past.
Topher Hansson and Kamarra Cole star as the haunters, and are joined in the cast by Vincent Cusimano, Lily Devlin, Matt Osborn, and Peter Stickles, along with professional wrestlers Papa Shango, Sinn Bodhi, and Beast the Butcher, adult film actors Kiki Daire, Daisy Ducati, and Tabitha Stevens, and YouTube personalities JustinScarred, Jacob the Carpetbagger, and The Grim Life Collective. Genre icons Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Trent Hagga (68 Kill), Warrington Gillette (Friday the 13th Part 2), CJ Graham (Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI), and Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) also show up along the way. Teddy is played by Michael Shields.
Tom Devlin produced Teddy Told Me To with Kayla Bushell, and provided the special makeup effects alongside Walid Atshe. John Massari (Killer Klowns from Outer Space) is composing the score.
Tom Devlin provided the following statement:
As a lifelong fan of horror films – slasher flicks, in particular – I felt it was time to tell my own story that’s a throwback to the fun slasher flicks of my youth. I wanted to make a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously but plays well on a spooky October night or a fun summer sleepover. We filled it with gory effects, colorful characters, and the mandatory 3 B’s. It’s a love letter to not only the films that have inspired me – and their punk rock ethos, but also to the haunters of the world, and we hope it’s a hell of a good time!”
The hope is that Teddy Told Me To will be the first entry in a trilogy.
I have never watched Face Off, so I became a fan of Tom Devlin’s work through the many Full Moon productions he has contributed to, like Blade: The Iron Cross. I’m glad to hear that he is getting into directing features, and Teddy Told Me To sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.
How does Teddy Told Me To sound to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and check out these first look images while you’re scrolling down.