“Come one, come two, come all to The Devil’s Carnival!” In 2012 the brilliant minds of Terrance Zdunich (Repo: The Genetic Opera and Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II) brought us a very clever, beautiful and fun film titled The Devil’s Carnival. The rock opera was taken on tour around The United Sates and quickly gathered a cult following. Upon its DVD and Blu-Ray release, it also hit the streaming waves via Netflix and the cult continued to grow. The original film, with its incredibly authentic score and phenomenal performances left the fans wanting so much more. Over 3 years have passed, but Lucifer has heard the cries of his carnies and we get the aptly named Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival:2“.
We Are Indie Horror was present for the red carpet premiere on August 11, 2015 at the gorgeous historic hollywood theatre, The Egyptian. The sequel has an all star talented cast including the returns of many favorite characters from the first. Starring Terrance Zdunich as Lucifer, the legend Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) as God, Emilie Autumn and Marc Senter as The Painted Doll and The Scorpion respectively, all return. The Devil’s Carnival alum are joined by a few newcomers 
including Adam Pascal (School of Rock) who plays God’s right hand man The Agent, Ted Neeley (Jesus Christ Superstar), the one and only David Hasslehoff, and the largest independent musician in the worldTech N9ne as The Librarian; who told us that this is his acting debut; among many others. As the film plays, the names and legends that grace the screen grow with each scene.
This time around, Lucifer (Zdunich) incites Heaven’s wrath by dispatching train cars full of condemned souls a-crashin’ through the pearly gates. God (Paul Sorvino), in response, readies his top negotiator, The Agent (Adam Pascal), for a trip down to The Carnival to put an end to the 
rebellious deeds. We also get an angelic tale of the origin of one of the favorite carnies; The Painted Doll.
We could talk all day praising this film and feat in story telling, but We Are Indie Horror is not about that. We Are Indie Horror was on the red carpet to discuss independent filmmaking with the producers and creators of the film.
First and foremost, the film was made on a shoestring budget of around $500,000. That may sound like a bit to us, but in retrospect to mainstream horror that is incredibly low; especially considering the names involved. After viewing this film, we could see how the budget was used intelligently; between the locations, the costumes, and the make-up. If you ask any of the make-up artists they would say how the make-up itself is just like any other character in the film. With the prosthetics used on multiple characters and the complexity, there is no way to disagree. Every single character in the film, including extras had to go through some sort of special make-up to create this magnificent world.
We Are Indie Horror also discussed the shooting challenges with co-producer Kimmie Yan. She informed us that they shot over a course of 14 days in Downtown Los Angeles, Riverside, and Santa Clarita. It was a challenge indeed, “but with ADs who kept us on schedule, the crew were always on point, and talent who absolutely nailed every take, we made it.” she informed We Are Indie Horror. Kimmie Yan continued with, “Everyone talks about movie magic, but we experienced it firsthand,” Movie magic occurs all the time but especially when the team comes together, and regardless of their job, they work together. Kimmie told us when she was on set there was a last minute request for some porcelain dolls that could be destroyed and as a team, actually more like a family, they pulled together and made the magic happen. The Devil’s Carnival family knows the importance of trusting in your team and working together.
The music is a key role in the film and this time it around it is bigger, more challenging and even a bit swingy. Terrance Zdunich, who not only played Lucifer but also wrote all the music with the very talented Saar Hendelman. Over a year and half together they made it happen and created something incredibly special. With Darren Lynn Bousman at the helm, the cast and crew were pushed to their creative limits and were forced to grow as artists. They were given the freedom to be innovative and try new ideas to achieve this wondrous nightmare.
As independent filmmakers, we can learn a lot from just viewing The Devil’s Carnival and its sequel. We can see that although the money was scarce, the vision was still there. The nightmare itself was not tainted and as a family they pushed through all the hard times. After viewing the film on Tuesday, we can say we were floored by everything and everyone involved. And we weren’t the only ones either. Darren Lynn Bousman even received a standing ovation after greeting the screaming audience after the screening
You can catch lleluia!The Devil’s Carnival:2 on tour. Check the website at www.TheDevilsCarnival.com for tour information and ticket purchasing. While you are there, play around; check out the incredible artwork and the promotional videos. We Are Indie Horror will be releasing a video with all these interviews and a preview of the madness that you missed at this incredible premiere event very shortly. Stay tuned to We Are Indie Horror TV for more information.
If this article hasn’t sold you on the fact that this fantastical film is a monumental superb experience, then please check out the trailer below; you will not regret it.
