By MICHAEL GINGOLD
A seasoned horror writer, a longtime genre actress and an actual haunted locale are also involved.
Producer Susan Curran sent along exclusive stills and behind-the-scenes pics and she and her collaborators gave us the lowdown on OMINOUS, a new Canadian web series currently in production. The three tales are based on popular urban legends from the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario; George Mihalka of the original MY BLOODY VALENTINE is directing, and the screenwriter is Tony Burgess, whose many credits include PONTYPOOL. The synopsis: “Three unnerving ghost stories linked by a shared world and a shared fate, revealed in the final episode. Each of the tales refers to a legend from the Golden Horseshoe, presented in a contemporary context, thereby changing the lives of characters in various meaningful ways. In ‘The Screaming Tunnel,’ a tormented ghost comes to the aid of a trans teenager. In ‘Lover’s Lane,’ a delusional romantic with thoughts of ending it all is pulled back from tragedy by a ghost with a unique sense of humor. In ‘Radioactive,’ a DJ tries to rid her airwaves of an unwanted demon, only to expose her entire audience to supernatural peril.”
“The Screaming Tunnel” (pictured above and below) recently completed shooting at and around the titular structure in Niagara Falls, said to be inhabited by the ghost of a girl who burned to death (and previously used for a key scene in David Cronenberg’s THE DEAD ZONE). Canadian horror veteran Lesleh Donaldson (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, FUNERAL HOME, DEADLY EYES) and Adam Kenneth Wilson (THE BREACH) star, and the DP was VALENTINE’s Peter Benison. “Shooting at the real Screaming Tunnel was, to say the least, exciting in many ways,” Mihalka tells RUE MORGUE. “We heard so many weird stories from the locals, who told us about their experiences as they came out to watch us film the culminating scare sequences. We had a great time shooting, with a wonderful young crew full of energy and enthusiasm, along with my great friend Peter Benison, with whom I have worked regularly for the last 35 years around the world.
“Another major highlight was collaborating with the super-talented Renaissance man Tony Burgess, the master storyteller whose great dialogue and characters made my job so much easier,” he continues. “It was also a joy to finally work with Susan Curran, a very collaborative and gracious producer, and I am very much looking forward to shooting the next two episodes in early November!”
Donaldson (pictured above) says she very much enjoyed working with Mihalka and the rest of the team, as well as the opportunity OMINOUS allowed her to play a different kind of role. “I relish playing outside my comfort zone, and Wanda is a free spirit who does her own thing; she doesn’t care for formalities. My brand is batshit crazy, so I like to jump in and swim on characters like Wanda. Also, it’s fun to get made up pretty for a role,” she laughs.
Wilson (pictured below with Mihalka) appreciates “The Screaming Tunnel” for more personal reasons. “I fell in love with the script,” he recalls. “Not only is it concerned with the often-unexplored world of local Canadian folklore, but it couldn’t be more timely or meaningful in its subject matter. Through the narrative and some of the characters, it explores different temporal and cultural outlooks on transphobia and the ways it can be manifested. With so many of our enbys, others, sisters and brothers facing oppression, marginalization and violence as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, I’m proud to be part of a project that recognizes the struggles they face and serves to connect with the conversations we need to have.”
He adds that he considers Mihalka his mentor, having been introduced to the filmmaker by BREACH director (and RUE MORGUE founder) Rodrigo Gudiño. “I’ve loved George since I worked with him on the series 24 HOUR RENTAL, where I learned he has twice the energy of any person half his age,” Wilson praises. “It’s hard to phone it in when the captain of the ship is going full steam ahead, to be sure. Let all productions learn this lesson.”
“I have so much gratitude for the hardy little crew and feisty cast that made George’s, Tony’s and my vision of ‘The Screaming Tunnel’ come to fruition,” Curran (pictured above) says. “The segments in OMINOUS are all stories I grew up with, and as a teenager I visited all the sites with friends to catch a glimpse of something, anything paranormal. I had a great time researching the stories for this series. It was difficult to choose the first three; Southern Ontario is so rich with many fabulous ghost stores!”
We’ll keep you updated on OMINOUS as it heads for its debut!
