''The Ghouls'' (also known as ''Cannibal Dead: The Ghouls'') is a 2003 independent American

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 ...

that was written and directed by Chad Ferrin.

Plot

Eric Hayes (Timothy Muskatell) makes his living as a news stringer finding gruesome atrocities and filming them to sell to the media. One night, he stumbles upon some

ghoul A ghoul ( ar, غول, ') is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid. The concept originated in pre-Islamic Arabian religion, associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. Modern fiction often uses the term to label a cert ...

s devouring a young woman in an alley. After discovering that he did not have any film in his camera, Hayes convinces his friend Clift (

Trent Haaga Trent Haaga (born 1971) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for his work on independent horror films, such as '' Deadgirl'' (2008), '' Cheap Thrills'' (2013), and '' 68 Kill'' (2017). Career Haaga came t ...

) to help him track down the ghouls again.

Cast

* Timothy Muskatell as Eric Hayes *

as Clift * Tina Birchfield as Sue * Gil Espinoza as Juan * Casey Powell as Benny *

James Gunn James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker and executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1997). He then began working as a directo ...

as Detective Cotton * Stephen Blackehart as Police Detective *

Joseph Pilato Joseph Pilato (March 16, 1949 – March 24, 2019) was an American film and voice actor. He was perhaps best known for his performance as Captain Rhodes in the 1985 film '' Day of the Dead''. Early life He was born in Fitchburg in 1949 to an I ...

as Lewis (Joseph Rhodes) * Ernest M. Garcia as Mr. Wollen (E.M. Garcia) * Marina Blumenthal as Jessica * Scott Vogel as Bunuel *

Tiffany Shepis Tiffany Shepis (born September 11, 1979) is an American actress from New York City, who has been involved in film-making since the age of 16. She is popularly known as a " scream queen" in several horror films. Career Shepis got her start playi ...

as Ghoul Victim * Jessica Garcia as Prostitute * Patrick Floch as The Bartender * John Santos as Ghoul * Richard Steele as Ghoul * Carlo Corazon as Ghoul * Scott Vogel as Ghoul * Sharkey Schmit as Ghoul * Chad Ferrin as Father (uncredited)

Production

The film was independently produced and shot guerrilla style in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on Mini DV for $15,000.

Reception

''The Ghouls'' has been described as "a no-budget horror opus" and a "vicious cross between ''

Paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

'' and '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker''". The film won the 2003 "Sinners Award" at the

Saints and Sinners Film Festival In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

References

External links

''The Ghouls'' review Dread Central''The Ghouls'' review at cinemafantastique
* * 2003 films 2003 independent films 2003 horror films American independent films Films directed by Chad Ferrin Syfy original films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films American horror films {{2000s-horror-film-stub