A mysterious VHS tape could be the worst thing to find at a video store in Dead Format, a new horror movie from director Mike Lombardo. The teaser trailer has arrived online, giving us our first look at the film before it begins its festival run next year. Dead Format comes from Reel Splatter Productions and GenreBlast Films and centers on a collector who is already struggling with the death of his father when he discovers a strange tape at his local video store. What follows turns his attachment to the past into something dangerous.
Dead Format Finds Horror in a Mysterious VHS Tape
The filmmakers describe Dead Format as a melancholy and atmospheric dramatic horror film exploring grief, nostalgia, and VHS tapes. The story takes place during the decline of video stores and the final days of ’90s culture. The official synopsis reads:
“During the final days of the video store era, a collector desperately clinging to the past while grieving his father’s death finds a mysterious tape at his local video store and discovers that nostalgia can come at a terrible price.”
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Mike Lombardo Directs Dead Format
Lombardo previously made I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday, which marked his feature directorial debut in 2017. For Dead Format, he adapted his own short story with Nathan D. Ludwig.
The short story originally appeared in Please Don’t Tap on The Glass and Other Tales of The Melancholy and Grotesque. Ludwig, Lombardo, Samantha Kolesnik, Pat Dougherty, and New York Times best-selling author Brian Keene are producing the film.
Who Stars in Dead Format?
Dead Format features Mark Worth, Joey Cook, Austin Greene, Fia Thomson, Mia Grichendler, Henry Sirota, Chet Williamson, Matt Lake, Margot Starlux, and Sable Griedel.
The movie is currently being prepared for the festival circuit, with screenings expected to begin next year. A small Indiegogo campaign supporting the film’s post-production sound has also been announced alongside the teaser. The campaign page is not live yet, but will be at this link sometime soon.
What did you think of the Dead Format teaser trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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