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Brain Damage Films is a US-based worldwide
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...
and
distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations * Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...
company. It was founded in 2001 by Darrin Ramage. A division located in the UK was launched in September 2009. The company distributes a variety of horror and
shock Shock may refer to: Common uses Collective noun *Shock, a historic commercial term for a group of 60, see English numerals#Special names * Stook, or shock of grain, stacked sheaves Healthcare * Shock (circulatory), circulatory medical emergen ...
exploitation movies An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality " B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become ...
in many formats, including
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
,
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
, and cable, satellite, and Internet
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
.


Company information

The company's films are noted for their horror aspects and
Z movie Z movies (or grade-Z movies) are low-budget films with production qualities lower than B movies. History and terminology The term "Z movie" arose in the mid-1960s as an informal description of certain unequivocally non-A films. It was soon adopte ...
budgets. They are also known for a variety of shock/exploitation films, most notably the ''
Traces of Death ''Traces of Death'' is a 1993 Z movie mondo shockumentary that consists of various scenes of stock footage depicting death and real scenes of violence. Unlike the earlier ''Faces of Death'' which included fake deaths and reenactments, ''Traces' ...
'' series, which was produced in response to the popularity of the ''
Faces of Death ''Faces of Death'' (later re-released as ''The Original Faces of Death'') is a 1978 American mondo horror film written and directed by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the pseudonyms "Conan Le Cilaire" and "Alan Black" respectively. The fi ...
'' series. The films usually contain
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
,
nudity Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to ...
, gore and graphic violence, and other elements common to
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
s. Founder Darrin Ramage is quoted as saying "everyone is looking for B and B: blood and boobs."


History

Brain Damage Films was founded in 2001 by Darrin Ramage, who claimed to have over "8 years experience in independent films to independent retailers distribution." After producing and distributing
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
horror films, including ''Death Factory'', '' Hell's Highway'', and '' The Vulture's Eye'', Brain Damage Films created a fan following which continues to grow. The fans are often referred to as "Gorehounds."


Brain Damage Music

The Brain Damage Music division was launched in 2011. Its only release so far has been Arizona metal band Reign of Vengeance's album "Disemboweling Swine".


''Gorehounds'' television show

In 2007,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
-based production company Chatsby Films filmed and produced a
reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
show, titled "Gorehounds", about the Brain Damage Films office and its employees. The show was never broadcast on a television network or released in any form.


Notable affiliations

Brain Damage Films has served as a launching pad for several people who are now well-known within the horror film genre, including: *
Ron Jeremy Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953) is an American former pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by AVN at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list. Jeremy has also made a number of non-pornographic ...
(appeared in at least four Brain Damage Films movies) * David C. Hayes (wrote, produced, and acted in Brain Damage Films movies) * Sean Tretta (wrote, directed, and produced several Brain Damage Films movies)


Horror films produced by Brain Damage Films

Starting in 2002, Brain Damage Films has produced at least six original independent horror films: *'' Hell's Highway'' (2002) *''Death Factory'' (2002) *''Goth'' (2003) *'' The Vulture's Eye'' (2004) *''The Witch's Sabbath'' (2005) *'' Zombies Anonymous'' (2006)


Controversy and criticism

On 14 December 2005, the German government banned Brain Damage Films' website from appearing on major search engines such as
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
, stating that the website was "reported as illegal by a German regulatory body". On 22 June 2005, the
British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of f ...
rejected ''
Traces of Death ''Traces of Death'' is a 1993 Z movie mondo shockumentary that consists of various scenes of stock footage depicting death and real scenes of violence. Unlike the earlier ''Faces of Death'' which included fake deaths and reenactments, ''Traces' ...
'', stating that "the work presents no journalistic, educational or other justifying context for the images shown." Films produced and distributed by Brain Damage Films are often criticized for their production value and quality.


Films distributed by Brain Damage Films

Below is an incomplete selection of films currently distributed by Brain Damage Films. * ''
Traces of Death ''Traces of Death'' is a 1993 Z movie mondo shockumentary that consists of various scenes of stock footage depicting death and real scenes of violence. Unlike the earlier ''Faces of Death'' which included fake deaths and reenactments, ''Traces' ...
'' (1993) * ''Traces of Death II'' (1994) * ''Traces of Death III'' (1995) * ''Immortal'' (1995) * ''Executions II'' (1995) * ''Traces of Death IV'' (1996) * ''Shock-X-Treme, Vol. 1, - Snuff Video'' (1997) * '' Schizophreniac: The Whore Mangler'' (1997) * ''
Paramedics A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
'' (1997) * ''Banned! In America'' (1998 - 2003) * ''Impact 911'' (2011) * ''Traces of Death V: Back in Action'' (2000) * '' The House That Screamed'' (2000) * ''Wishbone'' (2000) * ''Trees'' (2000) * '' Zombie Chronicles'' (2001) * '' Hip Hop Locos'' (2001) * ''Hellgate: The House That Screamed 2'' (2001) * ''Fear of the Dark'' (2001) * '' The Coven'' (2002) * '' Hell's Highway'' (2002) * ''
Terror Toons ''Terror Toons'' is a 2002 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Castro and written by Rudy Balli, starring Lizzy Borden (actress), Lizzy Borden, Beverly Lynne, Brandon Ellison, Kerry Liu, and Fernando Padilla. The film was followed by three ...
'' (2002) * ''Bikini Party Massacre'' (aka Joseph Clark's Massacre) (2002) * ''Machine Head'' (2002) * ''Toe Tags'' (2003) * '' The Great American Snuff Film'' (2003) * ''
Operation Nazi Zombies ''Operation Nazi Zombies'' is an independently produced Nazi Zombie originally titled ''Maplewoods'' and was recorded in 1999 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania before being released in 2003. Plot A special forces unit is sent on a mission to a researc ...
'' (2003) * ''Dr. Shock's Tales of Terror'' (2003) * ''Blood Sisters'' (2003) * ''Abomination: The Evilmaker II'' (2003) * ''Necromaniac: Schizophreniac 2'' (2003) * '' Strange Things Happen at Sundown'' (2003) * ''Addiction'' (2003) * ''
The Shunned House "The Shunned House" is a horror fiction novelette by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written on October 16–19, 1924. It was first published in the October 1937 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Inspiration The Shunned House of the title is based ...
'' (2003) * ''Vampire Sisters'' (2004) * '' The Vulture's Eye'' (2004) * ''Trees 2: The Root of All Evil'' (2004) * ''Shadowhunters'' (2004) * ''Suburban Sasquatch'' (2004) * ''Drawing Blood'' (2005) * '' Skyggen'' (2005) * ''Swamp Zombies!!!'' (2005) * ''Vampire Whores from Outer Space'' (2005) * ''DeadHouse'' (2005) * '' Silent Bloodnight'' (2006) * ''
Hell Hath No Fury Hell Hath No Fury may refer to: Literature * "Hell hath no fury", an interpreted line based on a quotation from the 1697 play ''The Mourning Bride'' by William Congreve * ''Hell Hath No Fury'', a 1951 novel by Sydney James Bounds, writing as Re ...
'' (2006) * '' Watch Me'' (2006) * ''
Cope The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colours, litu ...
'' (2007) * ''Edgar Allen Poe's Darkness'' (2007) * '' Chasing Darkness'' (2007) * ''
Being Michael Madsen ''Being Michael Madsen'' is a 2007 comedy film directed by Michael Mongillo and produced by Daniel A. Sherkow. The film takes a mockumentary approach in re-imagining actor Michael Madsen as a paparazzi-hounded movie star who hatches a revenge sc ...
'' (2007) * '' Forever Dead'' (2007) * ''Greetings'' (2007) * '' The Terror Factor'' (2007) * ''Caregiver'' (2007) * ''The Expedition'' (2008) * ''Attack of the Giant Leeches'' (2008) * ''Johnny Sunshine Maximum Violence'' (2008) * ''Taste of Flesh'' (2008) * ''At the House of Madness'' (2008) * ''
Apocalypse Rising "Apocalypse Rising" is the 99th episode of the television series ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', the first episode of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 5), fifth season. The episode was directed by James L. Conway, and written by Ira Steven B ...
'' (2008) * ''Skeleton Key 2: 667 Neighbor of the Beast'' (2008) * ''O.C. Babes and the Slasher of Zombietown'' (2008) * '' Caesar and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre'' (2009) * '' Alice in Murderland'' (2010) * ''Attack of the Vegan Zombies!'' (2010) * ''The Midnight Disease'' (2010) * ''Vampegeddon'' (2010) * ''Wendigo: Bound by Blood'' (2010) * '' Pop Punk Zombies'' (2011) * ''Sinister'' (2011) * ''7 Nights of Darkness'' (2011) * ''Skeleton Key 3: The Organ Trail'' (2011) * ''The Tale of the Voodoo Prostitute'' (2012) * ''Ridge War Z'' (2013) * '' Arachnicide'' (2014) * ''How to Kill a Zombie'' (2014) * ''Horror House on Highway 6'' (2014) * ''Ghostlight (2014) * ''Darkside Witches'' (2015) * ''Misogynist'' (2015) * ''The Conduit'' (2016) * ''The Dooms Chapel Horror'' (2016) * ''Scathing'' (2017)


References


External links


Brain Damage Films

Maxim Media Marketing
(parent company) {{Authority control Mass media companies established in 2001 Film distributors of the United States Film production companies of the United States Non-theatrical film production companies Films about school violence