‘Everything is connected’
Transmission is a 2023 American horror anthology film based on terrifying channel surfing on TV late one night.
Written, directed and co-produced by Michael Hurst. Also produced by Robbie Dias and Pat Kusnadi.
The New Blood Productions movie stars Vernon Wells, Felissa Rose, Dave Sheridan, Sadie Katz, Sheri Davis, Robin Hill, Kaitlyn Dias, Ben Stobber, Jessica Cameron, Jennifer Nangle and Alan Maxson.
Plot:
As we watch TV late at night, flipping between channels we realise that a live TV news report about a home invasion, a documentary about a missing film director and an old sci-fi horror movie are all linked, and they are really parts of a much bigger, a terrifying story containing footage that must never be shown…
Reviews:
“Innovatively presented as channel-surfing screen life, Michael Hurst’s feature lives up to the puppet’s promise, as these disparate shows gradually form a composite mosaic that risks, Videodrome-style, infecting our reality with its baleful signal. This is meta-horror at its most mediated, repeatedly positing its own transmission as irresistible danger.” BFI
“While the channel-surfing concept was promising, Transmission does little with that opportunity. It takes from the archive of greater found footage horrors and adds nothing new into the mix. While so many archival horrors comment on the relationship between the viewer and creator, Transmission neglects its audience.” ★ Dread Central
“Experimental storytelling at its finest, Transmission strength of cohesion must have caused Hurst plenty of sleepless nights. His dedication to the intricate narrative structure is rewarded by complete audience satisfaction. Whilst the opening few moments feel alien and may daunt some viewers, Transmission, like late-night TV, sucks the viewer in and the end payoff is highly worth the investment.” ★★★★ The Hollywood News
” …while the meta humour is annoyingly smug and full of itself, with multiple characters finding different ways of expressing how genius the film is, this is forgivable for what it pulls off. It’s a bold, experimental collage of influences that mostly hangs together.” ★★★★ Horror Cult Films
“A scattering of familiar faces from the fringe movie scene […] suggest the insider nature of the piece, and it’s more or less a collage of homages to B pictures, pulp fiction, cosmic horror and the multi-media skit pics of the 1970s like some demented scrambling of Zeder, TerrorVision and The Groove Tube. The main films-within-the-film perfectly catch the ambience of 1990s direct-to-video snoozers, so it’s no wonder the viewer flicks away from them often.” The Kim Newman Web Site
“By blending everything together we get a much more compelling story, as the smaller chapter might have struggled in the feature format alone. This will blow your mind and leave you wanting to go back for more. Transmission blows the mind with unique originality.” ★★★★ Movie Reviews 101
“With the bigger picture coming more into focus, it becomes apparent where it is all leading towards and it becomes horrifying to see where viewers are being taken. As the seemingly disparate elements come together really well, what has been delivered is an impressive piece of channel surfing carnage.” ★★★★ The Reviewing Rodders
Release:
Transmission had its world premiere at the 2023 FrightFest on Saturday, August 26, 2023.
Commenting on the film’s selection for FrightFest, director and writer Michael Hurst said; “After twenty years making what you might call solid B-pictures such as House of the Dead 2, Pumpkinhead 4, Paradox and Room 6, as well as a few TV episodes, I decided to try and make something that no producer would ever ‘let’ me do normally.
I was determined to make a bolder and weirder and hopefully more original film, one that’s told in a format that hadn’t been done before. Because the project was so risky I decided to self-finance it, partly by using money I’d made writing a script for the legendary Roger Corman. Then I teamed up with an enthusiastic group of fellow filmmakers in LA to do it.
Despite years of hard work and stress, it was still the most creatively fulfilling time I’ve had in my career. Now I’m really excited (and nervous!) that Transmission is going to be a part of the great FrightFest festival.”
Trailer:
Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California
