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Jan 2012 03

by Daniel Robert Epstein

“When I see a movie, I want to be able to face the angel of darkness, to be able to see something more intense and extreme than I’’m used to having in my real life.”
– Alexandre Aja

Alexandre Aja is turning into a great horror auteur. He first broke into the American market with the disturbing thriller High Tension. Now he is releasing his first American horror film, a remake of the classic The Hills Have Eyes. This version casts Silence of the Lambs star Ted Levine as a loving father with a whole town fill irradiated mutants to fight.

Read our exclusive interview with Alexandre Aja on SuicideGirls.com.

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Jan 2012 03

Sinnah Suicide in Love Lost

  • INTO: Art, beauty, food, tea, traveling, comics, bones, books, painting, video games, internet, Akira, art nouveau, sleeping, dogs, calm, independence.
  • NOT INTO: Physical contact, cold wind, spicy dishes, New Year’s Eve parties, heat, hardcore feminism, attention whoring, dependence, loud/pretentious/opportunistic/fake people, crowded places.
  • MAKES ME HAPPY: Tattooing, friends, being busy, music, dogs, trips, sunny but not too hot days, rain, succeeding at something, drawing, a good book, being able to socialize without alcohol, Christmas with my family, chocolate, tea.
  • MAKES ME SAD: Violence, nastiness, no chocolate, being alone when hungover, Sundays, this ‘effing northern weather.
  • 5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Internet, my glasses, books, food.
  • VICES: Chocolate, sushi, food in general, tobacco, comics, internet, tea, cute pictures of cute girls.
  • I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: Drawing and/or procrastinating.

Get to know Sinnah better over at SuicideGirls.com!


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Jan 2012 02

by Zach Roberts

There are many different kinds of press that cover OWS: the citizen journalist (personal blog, CNN ireporter/scab), the streamer (Livestream, Ustream, etc.), the social media micro-blogger/tweeter, and the pros who make their living from it. This may be one of the first large stories that all four types have worked together on for the most part with a common goal – getting the word out. It’s tough, there’s many factors working against all of us – the weather, the time of day, and the biggest problem – the police. Whatever your level, I’ve compiled a list of equipment that’ll keep you and what you’re witnessing covered.

1. Like the OWS protestor, Occupy journalists are at risk from pepper spray and tear gas – but we need to keep on working through it. A face mask with full facepiece that has a large unobstructed viewing area is therefore a great accessory to have on hand.

2. Come rain or shine journalists need to be there – and so does our gear. Pics or it didn’t happen – that’s the mantra. So you’ll need some rain covers. There are more expensive ones out there, but they take up room in your bag and once they’re wet you can’t put them back in your bag. The great thing about these is once the sun is shining again you can just chuck them in the trash – or hang them to dry if you’re a hippy.

3. Whether you’re a social journo or a pro, you’ll need to be tweeting/texting your followers/editors. And unless you work off a Blackberry (I mean, really who does?), you’ll need to be able to touch your screen. If you’re covering OWS in NYC, Chi-town, Boston or Anchorage (yes there is a OWS in Alaska), it gets cold out there – so you’ll need special touchscreen compatable gloves.

4. Speaking of phones, you’re gonna need something like the Samsung Vibrant with 5 MP camera / HD 720p camcorder and GPS. And, unless you’re grandfathered in on AT&T plan like I am, you won’t have unlimited bandwidth on your phone – unless you’re on the T-Mobile network. The streamers on the ground at #OWS tell me it’s the only way to go. Also the 4G speed will give you the quickest streaming and uploads for Twitpics. Make sure you get the Ustream and Tweetdeck apps.

5. The Nikon D7000 camera body is pricey – but when compared to the rigs the big pro’s use it’s a deal. It’s what I use to get shots like these. For a pro-sumer level camera, it’s built like a tank – but most importantly it shoots photos in the dark. No, not Blair Witch Project-style with green eyes, but with real colors that are almost better than what the human eye sees. To take full advantage of the camera’s sensor though you’ll want to pick up a lens with a wide 1.4 aperture – like this excellent Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens. It’s what I used to shoot video with down at Zuccotti Park.

6. Finally you’ll need some inspiration when you get hit with a bad case of writers block. For me it’s Laurie Penny’s book Penny Red. Hands down the best protest journalism I’ve read since…well, I’m not really sure when I’ve read better.

Related Posts

#D17 – Sitting on the Group W Bench – Arrested for Committing Journalism

Occupy Wall Street: The Cleansing of Zuccotti Park

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Zach Roberts is a photojournalist for SuicideGirls, Greg Palast, and The Mudflats. His work on #OWS has appeared on The Guardian Online, in Portfolio, and now in a new book out by Alternet called The 99%: How the Occupy Wall Street Movement Is Changing America.

For more visit his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Jan 2012 02

By Fred Topel

“I have no fear of zombies breaking in here ever.”
– Ti West

Ti West is becoming a major name in horror movies. His 2009 film, The House of the Devil, harkened back to 1980s atmospheric horror, to the point where it was available on VHS in a big plastic shell case. He’s been invited to speak on numerous panels, such as the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival’s Directing the Dead one, where he joined Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer, and Cloverfield and Let Me In’s Matt Reeves, and memorably spoke about the awkward moment when you have to direct a woman to show her naked breasts.

His new film, The Innkeepers, premiered at this year’s SXSW. After continuing to play the festival circuit, it’ll finally creep into homes via VOD on December 30 (and will get a theatrical release on February 3, 2012).

The Innkeepers is a horror comedy about two clerks working at a soon-to-be defunct hotel during its last weekend in business. Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) pass the time by speculating about ghostly inhabitants and attempting to record EVP.

Claire’s slapstick bumbling and Luke’s sarcastic comments are a change in tone from the popular House of the Devil (a satanic cult movie that exploited the power of silence with nary a laugh). West has also directed The Roost and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, although he disowns the latter because it was taken away from him in editing. He also directed segments of the forthcoming films V/H/S and The ABCs of Death.

Midway through the SXSW festival in Austin, I caught up with West at a point when we didn’t have a full night’s sleep between us. I was going on three hours and he just barely had me beat. Those are the glorious moments when you just push through the exhaustion on pure adrenaline because you just have to keep up with the prevailing film geekery.

Read my exclusive interview with Ti West on SuicideGirls.com.

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Jan 2012 02

Radeo Suicide in Heliotrope

  • INTO: You.
  • NOT INTO: Weak hand shakes.
  • MAKES ME HAPPY: Costello my corgi, couch forts, surprises, superstitions, and fortune cookies.
  • MAKES ME SAD: When my remote control boat doesn’t work.
  • HOBBIES: Irony.
  • 5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Computer, sweet tea, ice cream, phone, and a little TLC. I’m easy to please.
  • VICES: I only listen to love songs.

Get to know Radeo better over at SuicideGirls.com!