The Shriven

Writer/director Brian Schiavo’s low-budget horror film The Shriven. The Shriven tells the story of Ben (played by Schiavo), who suffers constant nightmares about killing people. When he meets the beautiful Nina (Sienna Aldridge), Ben discovers that he is actually a creature called a Shriven (pictured at left)—and that Nina is one too, with the two of them destined to be together. “It’s all about obsessive love played out against a horrific background—kind of like Fatal Attraction meets The Howling,” Schiavo tells us. How romantic!

Filmed for the usual “under a million dollars,” The Shriven also stars Daniel Berkey, Amanda Rising, Martin Dove, Helene Taylor and Maria de Jesus Castellon. “The film is about 75 percent of the way shot,” Schiavo notes. “It’s been a pretty difficult shoot. We’ve endured gunfire at aQueenswarehouse location, a stress fracture to the lead actress’ arm, stray hypodermic needles, dead cats, disappearing actresses, grueling makeup sessions and more. Stay away fromSpringfieldGardens, that’s all I have to say. Indie filmmaking is not for the faint-hearted.”

If all goes right, the movie won’t be for the faint-hearted either. “The Shriven is a return to horror’s true roots—the monster movie,” Schiavo says. “The centerpiece of the film is the prosthetic work created by Christina Atkin and Holli Martinez. There is the requisite amount of disembowelings and brain-eating, plus plenty of naked women traipsing about.” Schiavo feels fright fans will be pleased with the subtext as well: “It’s about the horror of learning that you’re not what you thought you were—that underneath you’re something ferocious that you may not be able to control.” —Jessica Leibe