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NJ Director Readies Debut Feature Film “TRAP”

“You never really know who anyone is.” It’s the tagline for the upcoming dark thriller, TRAP, but no one knows the saying better than the film’s director, Anthony Edward Curry. Growing up in a generation where the youth of America is more concerned with social media and lackluster pop culture icons, Anthony focused his attention on art and film-making, which culminated in a refined, if not grungy style that is sure to speak to indie horror fans and grindhouse cinema viewers alike. When other kids in his age bracket were busy taking selfies and get triggered by ideas like work ethic and overcoming adversity, Anthony was putting in hard work, learning a dozen or more behind-the-scenes jobs that would make him capable of tackling every position – from cinematographer to producer to director. Now, his years of dedication are about to pay off with the release of TRAP, an amalgamation of different stories. Having learned from other creators like Adam Ahlbrandt (Hunters, Cross Bearer) and William Hellfire (Bikini Girls on Planet Dinosaur), and mixing his own personal flair and original inspirations into the story, TRAP is about to be a brutal story that you won’t soon forget.

Anthony says on the movie, “I’ve invented a new kind of cinema. It is not following any sort of rules. I want the time in TRAP to be free, sort of like a liquid narrative. The film is supposed to mimic some type of drug experience. To push you into something further rather than a simple articulation. It’s more about chasing an emotion or mood rather than a plot. I hate plot. I am a story/character driven writer. It’s not a traditional narrative and the movie almost moves like poetry. Like a trap poetry. The movies should be a big margin that is undefinable. In this film, I am showing the lowest depths of urban culture. Most films are told from the outside-in. I’m showing it from the inside-out. I wrote the screenplay when I was 17, but I let my films find themselves during the production. I was re-writing constantly, everyday I was changing… because the characters were changing in front of me.”

If the style and direction of TRAP isn’t enough to get potential viewers excited, then the currently announced cast members should strike a cord. TRAP will see performances from Tina Krause (Sorority Slaughter), J.D. Brown (Smoke Pot Till You Fucking Die), Ava Serene Portman (“AP Life”), Adam Ahlbrandt (The Cemetery), Loretta Vendetta (Blood Slaughter Massacre), Brandon Howland, Dylan Andresen, Fallon Vendetta and Curry himself. Perhaps the biggest name appearing in TRAP, as far as mainstream recognition goes, is Marissa Jade. As much as I can poke fun at the generation beneath mine, I’m still a sucker for an entertaining reality television show and Marissa Jade has starred in two – VH1 favorite “Mob Wives” and recently cancelled “Celebrity Big Brother UK.” Not only is Marissa breathtakingly beautiful (and has a solid punch, too), but she’s recently set her sights on becoming a full-fledged actress. She has several projects on the horizon, including a horror feature titled The Gathering and a short film called La Octane. Here’s hoping we get to see her in TRAP first!

TRAP is nearing completion and, as of this writing, the entirety of the film was shot in New Jersey. This has made way for some interesting, naturally built locations that closely mirror underground scenes of New York. A lot of these primary locations are showcased on Curry’s official Instagram page, which you can scroll through here. The most basic synopsis of TRAP can be summarized as the morbid and mesmerizing adventures of a street gang in Asbury Park, a once Queen city that crumbled under hard times only to see a rebirth years later. While TRAP isn’t defined by typical horror film troupes, Curry assures the masses that TRAP isn’t filled with slashers and ghosts, yet it is still completely horrific in its own right. Perhaps it’s a case of how real life trauma and damaging psychological effects are often worse than facing pure evil in the flesh. Either way, TRAP will be seeing future updates in the coming weeks, and I encourage you to keep an eye on this film. Even if the combination of talents involved with this production and the cinematic decisions don’t strike your fancy, it’s still important to support an up-and-coming director. Anthony Edward Curry is one of the last in a dying breed of new film-makers, and for that reason alone I hope he receives tremendous success with TRAP.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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