Stygian (lost James Wan debut horror film; 2000)
Leigh Whannell as Clown
Status: Lost
Stygian is an Australian short-budget indie horror film produced in the year 2000 by Hybrid Films, the producion company of the co-filmmaker Shannon Young[1].
Debuting the first credits for director, writer, and filmmaker, James Wan,[2] Wan is the creator of prominent horror franchises of the current generation, such as The Conjuring, Insidious, and Saw franchises which are generally credited for putting the sub-genre of torture-gore films into mainstream.
Premise
Stygian is a story about a young couple who become unintentional targets in a life-or-death situation. They come into possession of a powerful talisman that is being sought after by the evil 'Reapers Brothers'. As a result, they find themselves trapped in a different realm.
Jamie must navigate this unfamiliar world to find Melinda, but he soon realizes he is not the only one in this predicament. It serves as a "gutter punk" purgatory for deceased villains called 'Exile'[3] containing mad scientists, killer clowns, gory zombies and mayhem galore.[4]
Availability
James Wan's film project was initially shown at the some Underground Horror Film Festivals around the year 2000[5], and even obtained a few AWARDS on those, but it never been released in any forms of public nor physical media, and has disappeared since then.
A Reddit user alleged that the co-director Shannon Young has pronounced that he has the movie in his personal archives but stated that he has no intention to release it.[6]
Awards received
- 'Best Use of the Guerilla Aesthetic' by Melbourne Underground Film Festival, 2000;
- Official selection by Dead By Dawn Horror Film Festival in Scotland, 2000;
- Melbourne Fringe Festival, 1999. [7]
Cast and Characters
- Ryan Gibson as Jamie
- Lorna Pettifer as Melinda
- Leigh Whannell as Clown / Punk Kid[8]
Gallery
James Wan on the set of STYGIAN in 2000
References
- ↑ Hybrid Films Retrieved 27 Sep '23
- ↑ Stygian description Retrieved 09 Sep '23
- ↑ THE SCREEN GUIDE STYGIAN. Retrieved 09 Sep '23
- ↑ Muff’s Melbourne Underground Fashion Festival. Retrieved 27 Sep '23
- ↑ Australian DIY Feature: A Burning Future. Retrieved 09 Sep '23
- ↑ Help me find Stygian (2000). Retrieved 09 Sep '23
- ↑ Co-writter Shannon Young's bibliography. Retrieved 27 Sep '23
- ↑ Stygian . Retrieved 09 Sep '23