Kids Vs. Aliens: The Director Of Hobo With A Shotgun Is Back With Another Title That Says It All
Jason Eisener, whose credits include "Hobo With a Shotgun" and the "Dark Side Of The Ring" docuseries, is directing the sci-fi horror film "Kids vs. Aliens," which centers around a house party interrupted by extraterrestrials. Of course, that title really does tell you everything you need to know.
Shooting has wrapped on the invasion movie, which was shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia and brings the "Hobo With A Shotgun" band back together for more genre fare. Eisener co-writes the screenplay with John Davies, with Rob Cotterill producing the film, as he has for several past projects with Eisener. Also producing are Cinepocalypse Productions' Josh Goldbloom (V/H/S/94) alongside "V/H/S" franchise producer Brad Miska for Bloody Disgusting. It'll be Miska's first team-up with the "ABC's of Death" contributor since "V/H/S/2" in 2013. Marc Tetreault and Jason Levangie of Shut Up & Colour Pictures and Rob Cotterill for Yer Dead Productions will also produce. Mark Ward, Adam Boorstin and Michael Schreiber executive produce for Studio71, and Tom Owen also grabs an executive producer credit.
"Kids vs. Aliens" will feature a few familiar faces and some newcomers. Dominic Mariche (of the new "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" series) and Calem MacDonald ("The Umbrella Academy") star, along with fresh blood Phoebe Rex, Asher Grayson, Ben Tector, Emma Vickers, and Isaiah Fortune. Here's the synopsis for the film:
The story follows Gary and his older sister Samantha as an all-time rager of a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing the two warring siblings to band together to survive the night.
Eisener calls the chance to bring alien nightmares to life, "a literal dream come true." Says the filmmaker: "'Kids vs Aliens' is inspired by my childhood nightmares and obsessions. Hopefully my parents will forgive me for using their house as our main location."
A New Monster Squad
Fellow parents: I know what you're thinking. A quick IMDB search of Eisener brings up "Hobo With A Shotgun," "The ABC's of Death," "V/H/S/ 2" — certainly nothing you might find on Nickelodeon. But under his production credits, you'll find that Eisener backed one of the more innovative, fun (and yeah, ultra-violent) films of the past decade, about a young comic book nerd who adopts the persona of one of his heroes to save his friend in a post-apocalyptic 1997. "Turbo Kid" is written and directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, a creative trio collectively known as Roadkill Superstars — okay, that name might not help matters. But "Turbo Kid" rules for older horror fans, and reveals a collective youthful spirit in everyone involved in its production, surely an element that will translate into something in the vein of kids-save-the-day jams like "Attack the Block" and "Vampires vs. the Bronx."
For a more direct clue as to what to expect, those brave enough to check out "V/H/S/2" will find Eisener's taut segment, "Slumber Party Alien Abduction" for their viewing pleasure, which involves... kids vs. aliens at an impromptu parent-free party. The inclusion of "V/H/S" franchise producers Goldbloom and Miska further indicates that this story is a loose expansion of that very segment, so it'll be fascinating to see where the story goes. Let's hope the dog is spared this time around.