Overlooked Crowd Funding: Portal to Hell

Recently, my attention has been drawn to one of the many ugly truths about Hollywood and the film industry; big studios mainly fund movies that will most assuredly make their money back. Seems logical, they're putting money in because they want to make it back. But in the long run, it creates some disheartening trends, like the blending of lines that differentiate films from each other and filing down of most outstanding aspects. Movies are starting to follow the same formula because it has worked before. And this isn't a new development, it has just gotten a step closer to epidemic proportions. And it's not for lack of new or original ideas, there is simply a dwindling number of the right people willing to take a gamble on them.

Thus, crowd funding is on the rise! Now cool concepts don't have to be at the mercy of studio restrictions and all it really takes is a fan base to raise some money. The problem now is that anyone can start a campaign and many great projects don't get the attention they deserve. This is the reasoning behind this new segment: to highlight and summarize projects that stand out. I'll keep you guys updated on the projects you need to know about. And we're starting on a high note with Portal to Hell!!! which is still active on Indiegogo.

Portal to Hell!!! is a short film starring WWE's Rowdy Roddy Piper as Jack, a solitary handyman who finds two cultists opening the gates to R'lyeh, home to the great Cthulhu, in the basement of the building he manages. The responsibility of closing the doors and saving the earth from the mythical monster falls on his shoulders. The Lovecraft themes are endless and sound amazing. This film has some huge support already (for good reason!) and is planned for a full length film as well. 

There are 9 days left to support this movie! The goal has already been met for this campaign but you can still add on and get some very cool perks. Here are some highlights from the awesome perks you could get if you support the film: 

Affordable: 

• $15 gets you an HD download of the completed film. This is the bare minimum donation that will get you a copy of the movie.

Under $100:

• $66 gets you an exclusive Portal to Hell!!! crew shirt designed by Ghoulish Gary, a very prolific and sought after horror artist. Check out his site and bask in his talent.
• $75 gets you a numbered poster, also done by the amazing Ghoulish Gary. This one is limited to 100, so get it while you can!

Break the Piggy Bank:

• $120 gets you all of the limited essentials: an HD download of the movie, the crew shirt, and limited poster. 
• $150 gets you the Ghoulish Gary crew shirt and a blu-ray copy of They Live signed by its star, Roddy Piper.
• $275 and you get the essential collector's pack, which includes a Portal to Hell poster signed by the entire cast, Steve Kostanski (who is responsible for the special effects), and Ghoulish Gary; a year subscription to Rue Morgue and a Rue Morgue tshirt; a copy of the Portal to Hell script signed by the cast, director, and writier; a blu-ray copy of They Live signed by Roddy Piper; a download of the Voyag3r album Doom Fortress; the crew shirt I mentioned before; an HD download of the completed film. This bundle has it all, as far as I'm concerned, though it is pretty pricey. The upside is that the goal has already been met for this project, so you don't have the uncertainty of whether or not you'll actually get the perks.

Unrealistic but Interesting:

• There are usually a couple of these thrown into the perks list, but this time there is just one. For a whopping $4000 you get an executive producer credit; a ride to the set and back home/to your hotel; to visit the set; your own chair on set; an invite to the preview screening where you can voice your opinions and notes; and you get to yell ACTION! on one take. All of this comes on top of the essentials (HD download, t-shirt, signed poster and signed blu-ray).

You can see the rest of the perks on the campaign's Indiegogo page, along with all the people associated with this project. Check it out and support!

- Huntress