This year has seen a lot of great re-issues and new packaging for a number of horror gems released from a variety of distributors. One such film is 2015’s ‘Abandoned Dead’ It stars scream queen Sarah Nicklin [Sins of Dracula] and Judith O’Dea [Night of the Living Dead].

I caught up with the film’s Director Mark W. Curran, who not only directed and produced the film but also wrote the screenplay. While doing promotion for the anniversary release of Abandoned Dead, he is also putting the finishing touches on another recently completed horror film.[Hoodman, due out in March of 2021]

“Abandoned Dead tells the tale of a security guard, trapped in a run-down inner-city medical clinic,” Curran recounts. “She’s terrorized by supernatural forces which threaten to overtake her. It’s got a real eighties vibe, with a bit of Lovecraft thrown in,” he teases.

What was the experience like?

“With a supporting cast of talented unknowns and a very small but dedicated crew, we worked for six three-day weekends to get the film completed, much of it done in one location. Things went wrong and we had to improvise, including building an operating room out of plastic trash bags! The teamwork and the innovation that went into completing the film was pretty extraordinary.”

He cites John Carpenter and Brian DePalma as his two greatest influences, with John Carpenter’s “Halloween” and “The Fog” as two of his favorite horror films of all time. And of course, George A Romero’s 1969 game-changer ‘Night of the Living Dead.’.

What was it like working with veteran actress Judith O’Dea of ‘Night of the Living Dead’ fame?

“I was nervous at first. A first time director with very little experience, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. She came on board on the strength of the script, which she loved. I picked her up at the airport and on our drive to the set she is telling me wonderful stories about working with George Romero, the meager conditions under which they worked in Pennsylvania making the movie, and how the film almost didn’t get made. Let alone released. I said “Wow I’m not alone!”’

“I explained to her how Night of the Living Dead changed my life, the impact it had on me as a teenager, and how that stayed with me for the rest of my life. She also said “I’m excited about working on ‘Abandoned Dead!’ Here’s a horror icon telling me she is excited to work with me. She was so great and very easy to work with. It’s really a dream come true to have been able to work with her.”

Curran recalls the excitement of cast and crew at the premiere screening at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro.

“It was the most amazing and most exciting day of my life when those lights went down and the movie unfolded on that huge screen. I looked out at the people mesmerized by the movie sitting there in the dark. I said to myself. “This is it. This is what it’s all about.”

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The new color-corrected and digitally enhanced Director’s Cut of the 2015 indie horror film Abandoned Dead is now out on Amazon Prime and IMDB TV. It is being distributed by Los Angeles-based distributor Indie Rights. It is available on the following Streaming Platforms: Amazon • IMDB tv  • Apple – i-Tunes