Dan Schaffer News Feed

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:12:57 GMT

One last UK DOGHOUSE review...

Jake West's Doghouse is an inventive and bloody take on the zombie genre that packs a gruesome and hilarious punch. Rare is it that a horror-comedy actually delivers laughs and thrills but Doghouse does so throughout. Danny Dyer finally gets to give his cockney wide-boy style of acting some much needed charm, creaming every ounce of wit from Dan Schaffer's ever engrossing script which is far deeper than some cinema goers will appreciate. But let's not forget that this is a horror movie at heart and the effects from Karl Derrick really do impress with the Zombirds outdoing each other in the gross-out stakes! It's a battle of the sexes that deserves multiple viewings.
JAMES WHITTINGTON - DARK SIDE

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:51:21 GMT

Some DOGHOUSE reviews -

You wait ages for a horror movie in which beery, unreconstructed blokes are set upon by sexy man-eating women, and then two come along. However, the contrast between Horne and Corden's bloodless, laugh-free Lesbian Vampire Killers and Jake West's gory, funny 'splatstick' comedy could not be more stark. The magic ingredient here is Dan Schaffer's sly script, which constantly undercuts the film's inherently sexist premise. The crucial difference is, while 'LVK' celebrated its protagonists' leery lad-mag misogyny, Doghouse points up the Neanderthal blokes' deep Freudian fear of being castrated by women... West sails dangerously close to indulging the sexism he aims to mock: many of the Zombirds are dressed like strippers or porn fantasy figures. But then Schaffer throws in an ironic line like: 'Now is not the time to stop objectifying women' and the dick swings the other way. And you'd have to be barking mad not to cheer when the lairy lads risk life and limb to save their gay pal Graham from the Zombirds' nest.
NIGEL FLOYD - TIME OUT

This laddish but smart horror-comedy is a breakthrough for director Jake West -- it's a major leap forward from his ramshackle earlier pictures. As in the lamentable Lesbian Vampire Killers, a bunch of blokes on a weekend boozing trip in the country fetch up in a village entirely populated by angry female monsters, but this is much more cutting (and funny) in its depiction of fallible dolts whose regulation sexism gets them in hor water, and offers a novel spin on the zombie virus concept as a bioweapon turns all women into feral cannibal creatures. In the village, which has a creepy League of Gentlemen feel, the action escalates, the blokes find the time to raid a toyshop and improvise weapons out of water-cannons and fuel or a distraction from a remote-control car and a severed head. Contemporary British icons like Danny Dyer, Noel Clarke and Stephen Graham gamely suffer a series of humiliations at the teeth, claws, scissors and axes of the frothing harridans, with Dyer's repeated catch-phrase 'the ladies love me' setting up his mates' decision to use him as live bait.
KIM NEWMAN - VENUE

Gory, funny, nicely acted and a terrific slant on zombie movies. Think a stiletto heeled Shaun of the Dead. It's easily Jake's best movie.. It couldn't be more typically British either, one aspect that is really going to make it popular internationally.
ALAN JONES - FILM FOUR FRIGHTFEST

A nicely gory comedy-horror flick that is a diverting bit of lads' entertainment. Dyer, Clarke and Graham are fine (and amusing) as the booze boys who get their comeuppance as blood-hungry women hit the mean streets. Far better than Lesbian Vampire Killers, it has great gore gags.
SUNDAY MIRROR

Stylishly directed, wittily scripted and deliciously gross in parts. And it's better than Lesbian Vampire Killers... exactly what you want some Saturday nights.
HEAT MAGAZINE

Must-see movie... Danny would bring out the beast in any woman! You're in for a treat this week, assuming comedy-horrors full of blood-thirsty zombies is your thing! The yummy Danny Dyer and five friends head into the country... well worth a look of you're in need of a good giggle.
WOMAN

Low budget, deliberately sexist, stupid, gory and funny as hell! If you like horror-comedies and British film make sure you get yourself down to your local cinema and check it out.
FILM CHAIR

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:55:33 GMT

Dyer on Doghouse. Not for those of a nervous disposition.

Don't ever change, mate. You're a national treasure.
- Dan

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:47:45 GMT

"...the contrast between Horne and Corden’s bloodless, laugh-free ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ and Jake West’s gory, funny ‘splatstick’ comedy could not be more stark. The magic ingredient here is Dan Schaffer’s sly script, which constantly undercuts the film’s inherently sexist premise."

DOGHOUSE review, by Nigel Floyd - TIME OUT.

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:01:59 GMT

"Writing a satirical piece in this genre was always going to be risky. If your audience misses the irony or takes this film at face value as a celebration of laddism, then what they're going to see is the opposite of what its really about."

Dan on DOGHOUSE. Exclusive interview on Zone Horror, (includes info on his new film project STINGERS).

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:59:10 GMT

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:15:24 GMT

My DOGHOUSE post for today (for the hard of hearing).

IRONY
- noun
a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.

See also: SATIRE.

- Dan

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:34:12 GMT

GOREZONE Magazine - July 2009, Issue#45.

Makeup effects by Karl Derrick and his team.

Left: Emily Booth as "The Snipper".
Right: Joelle Simpson as "The Hoodie".

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:34:40 GMT

With the marketing people pitching DOGHOUSE as the ultimate Lads' movie, anyone following my work will no doubt wonder why I've switched sides. Anyone following my work - and paying attention - will probably suspect that I'm being satirical. Here's a quick interview with Jake at Cannes where he talks about some of the subtext in the script.

- Dan

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:29:50 GMT

Official revamped website finally up and running here - doghousethemovie.co.uk

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:26:13 GMT

The first ten minutes of DOGHOUSE appears to be online at empireonline.com

Thu, 28 May 2009 18:56:29 GMT

The DOGHOUSE Limited Edition Alternative Poster.

Unveiled this week exclusively at Fangoria. Please link it and spread it around.

Bigger version here

Wed, 13 May 2009 10:57:55 GMT

DOGWITCH: The Whole Shebang.

The complete series in one fat book. I'm putting this together now for a scheduled print date at the end of the year. I need some suggestions on what to include. Just the complete eighteen issue series, or everything - the pinups, the Special Features book, all the extras?

Bearing in mind that one will be cheaper than the other.

Wed, 06 May 2009 08:18:53 GMT

And the official trailer from Vertigo -

Tue, 05 May 2009 08:18:08 GMT

Apparently, this is the official UK quad poster.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:17:44 GMT

Cult film journalist MJ Simpson's sneak peak at DOGHOUSE - article online here.

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:10:46 GMT

So, that premiere last night? The other end of the film industry from where I usually work. In the dusty bowels of the East End of London, glitz, glam and trash, strobing flashbulbs, Paparazzi, FHM and NUTS models all over the place, celebutantes and chauffeurs and guest lists.

I want to bleach myself.

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:47:45 GMT

First moment of free time. Some updates due.

The BETTY job is in the bag. BETTY's new CD will be called "Bright and Dark" and should be out sometime in the near future. Schaffer art completists will want it for the fully painted eco-wallet art and design. Normal people should pick it up for a fresh blast of true independent musical spirit. I'll chuck the cover image up on here as soon as I'm allowed to show it.

You ever noticed how all my collaborators are innovators, risk takers, and non-compromisers? Betty, Katiejane, Jake. People who aren't scared to fuck with the grid. It's the reason I keep coming back around to work with them.

Film news - DOGHOUSE is coming out on June 12^th in the UK. The post-production schedule is very nearly complete. There's a press screening next month so I'm guessing it should be fully cooked by then. I just finished the final piece of design work for that film, and now, at last, I can finally retire my paintbrushes for good. Again.

You should also look out for another film being released in June. It’s called MOON, directed by Duncan Jones, co-written with Nathan Parker, starring Sam Rockwell. We crossed paths with the filmmakers many times during the production of DOGHOUSE as we were running parallel for a while, and we've all ended up with exactly the same release date (so does that now make them rivals?) They’re nice people and if you like old school seventies sci-fi - Silent Running, 2001, Dark Star - then I suggest you give this one a go. But, y'know, see mine first and drop in on this one the following night.

For the last nine months or so I've been working with Scanner-Rhodes Productions on another feature which I will talk about properly as soon as the financing is secured. Scanner-Rhodes have just released their latest film, CITY RATS, starring Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan, and Susan Lynch. In fact, the premiere for that is tonight, and I'm supposed to be there, so gotta go and iron a shirt. But it'll be out on DVD pretty soon too so have a look at it if you like gritty, urban, multi-threaded ensemble pieces about love, death and redemption. It's a bit heavy, but it's twisted too. It’s the dark side of quirky. Worth watching to see Danny playing against type and for Susan Lynch's standout performance as a disabled prostitute.

Wait a minute, do I even own a shirt?

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:21:31 GMT

UK nationwide release date for DOGHOUSE is JUNE 12th.

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:39:20 GMT

The interview question that drives you nuts (and when I say you I mean me) always used to be, "Where did you get the idea?" like you're going to tell them you stole it from some guy in the pub.

Now it seems to be, "What's the biggest difference between writing for comics and writing for film?" There are ten different answers to that, but the best one is "the politics".

The politics in film are brutal, unforgiving and frustrating. The politics in comics are, I dunno, sort of whiny and irritating. In comics, there are lots of little things. Like ants. Individually, they're easy to deal with, but en masse they can be formidable. You have to learn to step on the right ones and navigate the rest. In film, the politics come at you from behind with a single sledgehammer death blow. You need to be pretty swift on your feet to avoid a brain haemorrhage.

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:47:15 GMT

I'm currently working for BETTY. I've got so much respect for this band. They've been rocking to their own vibe for twenty-plus years without ever compromising, and they're constantly active in raising awareness for Gay Pride, AIDS, breast cancer, and human rights issues. Working for them is like serving a greater good and always a great privilege.

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:23:44 GMT

To all those people who keep posting "this is a rip off of Jack Ketchum's LADIES' NIGHT" under every news report about DOGHOUSE - shut up ya cunts. I've never even heard of Jack Ketchum and "all the women get infected and turn evil" is hardly the most clever or original idea anyone has ever had, is it.

Dan

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:25:48 GMT

Snip! Snip! DOGHOUSE website here - doghousethemovie.co.uk

The synopsis is full of spoilers so don't read it if you don't want to know.

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:16:59 GMT

Diablo Cody on writers -

"There's never been a great writer that wasn’t fucked up. Writers are fucked-up drunks, that’s just they way it goes. Embrace it."

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:10:47 GMT

PRESS RELEASE FROM SCANNER-RHODES PRODUCTIONS.

Scanner-Rhodes Productions signs Dan Schaffer's STINGERS.

Scanner Rhodes are pleased to announce that they have signed the option to produce Dan Schaffer's STINGERS. Dean Fisher of Scanner-Rhodes states, "Dan is one of the brightest new talents the UK has to offer. His first feature film DOGHOUSE stirred a bidding war on the UK distribution rights, with Sony taking the prize, so we are delighted that Dan has chosen us to produce this very special screenplay. STINGERS left a mark on everyone who read it and we are looking forward to presenting it to the industry."

Lawrence Pearce, director of Scanner-Rhodes' NIGHT JUNKIES is set to direct the frenetic and twisted comedy-noir - for anyone who loved Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, Kill Bill, Blood SImple and No Country for Old Men.