You don't mess with the guy in the goalie mask

By Steven Zeitchik

Adam Sandler producing horror movies might have once sounded like a one-liner -- so many people are interested in breaking into the genre that pretty soon _Adam Sandler_ will be doing it -- reminiscent of those lemming-like A-listers who start puppeteering in the third act of "Being John Malkovich."

But a joke it's not. Sandler's company Happy Madison will be getting into the chillfest business with a new label called Scary Madison, the first project of which will be a low-mid budget what's-in-the-bushes thriller called "Shortcut."

It's clearly a passion project for Adam bro Scott, who's not only producing the pic but has co-written the screenplay. Other commercial stars -- Clooney, Pitt, et al -- do the heavy drama/win awards thing their change-up; for Sandler it's about staying within a commerical realm but shifting (to) genre.

Sandler's is not the first unlikely company to take a step down the Clint Culpepper road. Spring surprise "Prom Night" came from Newmarket, whose previous production efforts spanned from global documentaries ("God Grew Tired of Us") to Chris Nolan pics like ("The Prestige.") Producer Tony Krantz went from popcorn television like "Felicity" and to create the label Raw Feed, responsible for spine-tinglers like "Rest Stop" and "Sublime." At Sundance this year festgoers were talking about "Donkey Punch," a yacht-set, dropping-like-flies splatterfest produced in part by venerable Brit banner Film4.

Horror used to be function like more of the deformed stepchild than anything you'd actually find _in_ a horror movie. Sometimes, of course, it's about the passion, but when we think of the glow from the television those late nights in the Sandler household, we picture Benny Hill and vintage SNL, not Carrie and The Omen. So why the explosion in industry popularity?

The first factor is probably cultural. With the glorification of the fanboy the last few years -- the typical one of which at least has a soft spot for old-school fare like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" -- not only is it not declasse to produce these films, it's actually cool.

But the second, and possibly more important, reason is business-related -- that the genre seems resistant to the problems plaguing all these other categories. Production budgets need to be high to draw viewers? Not here. Stars are expensive and unreliable as box-office draws? Don't need stars here. DVD sales slowing down? Actually, in horror they'e picking up. Young people deserting the movie theaters? Here they're the core demo.

The irony -- or maybe the reason -- is that it's happening as modern-day brands like Lionsgate's Saw and Hostel franchises, and labels that have been around a few years like Fox Atomic, are getting long in the tooth or simply fading. The newer entrants -- Sandler's movie could go through Overture, with whom financier Leomax has a first-look deal -- will ensure we'll be seeing a lot more of these movies for years to come. We'll leave to others whether that's funny in an Adam Sandler kind of way or just scary.

Comments

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I remember as a kid and watching Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface for the 1st time and i had nightmares for weeks and had to sleep in my moms room.