New Zombie Film Offers More Than Just Scares and Thrills
HERD
In Theaters + on Digital/VOD October 13th
Special Screening + Panel at New York Comic Con October 12th
"It has been 38 years since anything has shaken up the genre quite like Herd." - EYE FOR FILM
Using film as his medium, Director Steven Pierce made it his mission to explore what can happen when small, insular communities come into conflict with larger society. In his multilayered film HERD, a woman trying to outrun her past ends up trapped between a zombie outbreak and warring militia groups while back in her hometown and must fight for love and survival.
With a blistering pace that never lets up, HERD examines how group-think or “herd-thinking” drives otherwise normal people to incredible and sometimes heinous acts. It updates the horror genre while satisfying the needs of the dedicated horror audience.
OFFICIAL FILM SYNOPSIS:
When Jamie Miller and her wife, Alex Kanai, try to save their failing marriage by going on a canoe trip in rural Missouri, they find themselves stranded after an accident. Alex breaks her leg during a canoe flip and they must slowly make their way to the nearest small town for help. Upon arriving they find it has been overrun by virus-infected “Heps” and extreme right wing local militias who are battling them.
The leader of one of the groups, "Big John Gruber", shuttles them to safety at his bunker where they are welcomed by a seemingly friendly group of locals, but after witnessing personal and gruesome horrors, the women know they must escape.
Jamie and Alex now find themselves on the run, caught between the group that saved them, a competing militia, and the growing infected Hep threat.
HERD
Directed by: Steven Pierce
Written by: James Allerdyce & Steven Pierce
Produced by: James Allerdyce, Matt Mundy, Steven Pierce, Lori Kay, & Bret Carr
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Genre: Horror, Action, Independent
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Run Time: 97 minutes
Cast: Ellen Adair (The Sinner, Homeland), Mitzi Akaha (Modern Love Tokyo), Jeremy Holm (House of Cards, Mr. Robot), Amanda Fuller (Starry Eyes, Last Man Standing), Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Brandon James Ellis (Iron Fist), Jeremy Lawson (TV's Walker, TV's The Real O'Neals), Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law, Major League, The Dentist) and Timothy V. Murphy (Sons of Anarchy, Criminal Minds)
RELEASE DATE INFORMATION
Theatrical / Special Screenings:
Midnight Theater - New York, NY: October 12th
New York Comic Con Screening: October 12th
Laemmle Monica Film Center - Santa Monica, CA: October 13th
Galleria 6 Cinemas - St. Louis, MO: October 13th
Gateway Film Center - Columbus, OH: October 13th
Screenland Cinemas - Kansas City: October 13th
Rogers Theatre- Poplar Bluff: October 21st
Material Culture - Philadelphia, PA: October 23rd
Hi-Pointe Theatre - St. Louis, MO: October 23rd
Digital: October 13th (all of the below)
iTunes / AppleTV
Google Play
Microsof Movies & TV
Prime Video
Vudu
Cable VOD: October 13th (all of the below)
DirecTV U-Verse
DISH
Vubiquity
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
I grew up in small-town America. I used to joke that my best friend was a rope swing because where I lived was so remote. But we had a tight knit community of people that deeply cared for each other. To be on the inside and feel that sense of belonging was magically comfortable. But I also saw first hand what happened to the people on the outside.
When I was 17, one of my close personal friends came out to his parents. They disowned him, throwing him out of their home and forcing him to become fully self-sufficient.
As a director it is my mission to tell the story of small communities clashing with big society and with "Herd" we examine the power of herd mentality and how it can cause good people to do bad things.
"Herd" uses horror and action in a high-paced love story to engage and entertain. And when the film ends, the audience is left to think about when independent thinking takes a back seat to group action, suddenly people begin to condemn and destroy, rather than accept and understand.
- Steven Pierce
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING...
"It's a fresh approach that brings new ideas to the genre, highlighting the drama and grisliness while making pointed commentary about people who would rather fight than help each other."
- SHADOWS ON THE WALL
"HERD may be a zombie movie in essence, but its the other concerns that make this far more interesting than the usual horde of cannibalistic apocalypse movies." - THE GEEK SHOW
"In a cinematic landscape saturated with zombie films that tend to look too much alike, Herd is a bold, introspective addition that raises pertinent questions about human nature, relationships and societal norms. Pierce's direction, combined with a compelling script and strong performances, creates an experience that lingers long after the credits roll." - MULDERVILLE
"Herd is a fine and fascinating watch that will create many musings worthy of discussion."
- HORR
