Screaming (2023)

If you love “Scream” and you loved “Scream VI” then you have to see “Screaming.” I mean you have to see it. I mean yes it is a fan film, but it’s such a wonderfully developed short slice of the “Scream” universe that is as meta as all get out and celebrates the inherent dissection of the horror genre from beginning to end.

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Miles Behind: A Spider-Man Fan Film (2022)

Director and Writer Tito Guillen’s short fan film for Miles Morales has a lot of feature film potential. It’s sad that it took so long for Miles Morales to garner his own animated film, but when it comes to feature films I think he could be an icon. That’s proven in “Miles Behind,” Tito Guillen’s tribute to Spider-Man that touches upon very socially relevant topics.

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The Bootleg Files: Hatter

BOOTLEG FILES 807: “Hatter” (2022 fan film short inspired by the Batman franchise).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not yet.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A fan film that borrows copyright protected characters.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Who knows

Fan films are a hit or miss affair – they’re mostly miss, IMHO – but sometimes the genre produces a genuine surprise. In this case, there is a very happy surprise coming from a pair of creative artists who’ve turned up before in The Bootleg Files series.
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The Bootleg Files: The Three Stooges in Stupor Heroes

BOOTLEG FILES 796: “The Three Stooges in Stupor Heroes” (2012 fan film).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized production that borrows copyright protected material from the Three Stooges and DC Comics.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE:
Nope.

There seems to be a surplus number of fan films based on “Star Wars,” superhero flicks, James Bond adventures and popular horror franchises. But how come there is a deficit of Three Stooges-inspired fan films?
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The Bootleg Files – The Batman: Deadly Madness

BOOTLEG FILES 796: “The Batman: Deadly Madness” (2022 Russian film).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None (hey, it just came out).

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized production that borrows copyright protected material.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nyet.

This week marks the debut of two new films inspired by Bob Kane’s Gotham City-based superhero. There is the big Hollywood film that everyone is waiting for – do I really have to identify it? – and there is the tiny Russian film that no one is waiting for but everyone should see, if only to learn an invaluable lesson on how not to make a fan film.
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The Bootleg Files: The Second Shot Kills

BOOTLEG FILES 781: “The Second Shot Kills” (1972 fan film of the 007 franchise made by Welsh teenagers).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Getting this released commercially is a bit tricky.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

This week, everyone with even the faintest connection to film scholarship has been writing articles in advance of the U.S. premiere of the new James Bond film “No Time To Die.” However, there is a more intriguing 007 film that deserves attention – one that you probably never knew existed.
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Jason Rising: A Friday the 13th Fan Film (2021)

The “Friday the 13th” property is still in legal limbo, and the odds of us seeing a sequel or reboot any time soon are slim. All we the fans have for now are fan films. Thankfully, the delivery from filmmakers that respect the property has been fantastic, and James Sweet’s own fan film is no exception. It’s a little rough around the edges in regards to the narrative, but he offers some new fodder that I hope is made in to canon someday.

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Shorts Round Up of the Week: 1/29/21

It’s been a while since I’ve delivered the Shorts Round Up of the Week as I was previously incapacitated with the flu for most of December. Now that we’re on a new year and a new chapter for the site, I thought it only fitting to unveil the first “Shorts Round Up of the Week” for 2021.

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