Press Release: The Unleashed

Dark House Films to Premiere
THE UNLEASHED
June 25th at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto

TORONTO, CA - May 31, 2011 - On June 25 the newest Dark House feature film, THE UNLEASHED, will be premiering at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto. Last week saw the release of the thrilling new trailer:

Madison Kennard, a troubled woman dealing with her dark past, must venture home after an 8 year absence following her mother’s death. Almost instantly after her return, Madison must cope with the haunting memories of a childhood best forgotten. Lindsay, a childhood friend of Madison’s with an adventurous nature, hears of Madison's arrival and has every intention of reconnecting a friendship once had. Bizarre and unexplainable events occur within the house after old friends come together and dabble with the infamous Ouija board. Lindsay, being all too curious of the board and its undeniable power, gives into the persuasion of an unknown entity and allows it to possess her. Madison must overpower her deepest fears and find a way to release Lindsay and abolish the presence that haunts her.

“The Unleashed” explores the appeal that the Ouija board
has always aroused in the masses. The exact origin of the
board has never been revealed, so the script invents its own
history through an immense amount of research and much
imagination. Diane DaSilva, (Writer/Producer) wanted to
begin the story at the point where the board was first
constructed. Instead of using your typical storebought
board, the idea was to create a story around the original
board and how it came to be in existence. As the story
unfolds, the characters soon realize by tampering with the
unknown is that dealings with the dead are never done to
the benefit the living.

“The energy of the cast the first day of shooting was so high.
Everyone was ready to dive into a great script on a subject
that has never really been properly explored”
-Manuel H. DaSilva (Director)

PreProduction

was a long and strenuous process. After the
script was edited by L.A. Lopes and the final draft was
complete, casting commenced. The first role to be cast was
“Amara Xavier” played by Suzanne Farla. The role called for
an older gypsylike woman who could be the ultimate
antagonist struggling with humanity. The other roles were not
as easy to fill. The casting directors, the director, and several
producers combined, had seen over 1200 people. But it was
worth the wait, as every actor cast became a major asset to
the production. It was not until two weeks before principal
photography that there was a fixed cast.

Principal Photography began August 1st, 2010 in Toronto,
Ontario. With 55 people on set all ready to hear the first call
of “action” that had been so long awaited, production was
off to a great start. A real sense of family was evident from
the first day. From there, 13 other locations, all over Ontario,
were taken over by The Unleashed movement. Each
destination came with its struggles and lack of sleep, but
each location was another step to completing the heart of
the film.

PostProduction had created a world of unforeseen
circumstances. With so many special effects to perfect and
blend into an action packed film, the process was tedious,
but very necessary. Using mostly Toronto talent was one of
the main objectives. To create a Canadian film that pushed
the standard of what we, as Canadians, expect was a top
priority. Canada is rich with outstanding talent in the film
industry working tirelessly to achieve cinematic perfection.
We worked through the challenge of comprising a team that
would complement each other. Once the group was
established and through many revisions, our final vision of the
film had come to fruition.

After years of research, writing, editing, casting, and an
abundance of support, The Unleashed has been a labor of
love that has transformed into a compelling piece of
Canadian Film. Our endeavor of diving into the psyche of
the human condition, and how far our curiosity will take us
into the unexplored super natural realm, has inspired us to
further question and research the subject. The Unleashed will
entice you to reevaluate what you believe lies beyond what
you know and if that truth should ever be discovered.

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