It can be easy to bond over shared experiences, be they good or horrific. In Esther’s case, her new friendship with Melanie is bolstered by the latter: they both lost a child. But as they grow to understand each other’s pain, they delve further into dark secrets that could unleash more horror than they have already known. Zack Parker’s Proxy is bringing its psychological twists home via Blu-ray and DVD this August with a handful of special features in tow.
Proxy comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on August 12th with the following special features (thanks to Blu-ray.com!):
Audio Commentary Behind the Scenes Featurette Original Trailer
“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on,...
Proxy comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on August 12th with the following special features (thanks to Blu-ray.com!):
Audio Commentary Behind the Scenes Featurette Original Trailer
“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on,...
- 7/15/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
From a filmmaking standpoint, you can’t help but admire the cojones it took to attempt Proxy. Running at a long-winded two hours, writers Kevin Donner and (director) Zack Parker cram surprise after surprise into a dramatic revenge thriller that starts simply as a young mother’s horror story. Nothing is Ever as it seems though, as two different movies are shown through each hour, divided halfway by a cataclysmic event Parker could have just as easily ended Proxy with. Shifting gears faster than Vin Diesel in The Fast And Furious, blind ambition takes Parker as far as it can, but a faltering execution downplays dark, genuinely confounding storytelling that movies just won’t risk on today’s audiences. What a shame, because Parker gains brownie points by shoving Hollywood normalcy straight back into The Man’s face – there’s just a lack of “walking the walk” after “talking the talk.
- 5/7/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Lonely people will certainly do crazy things to get attention.
Director Zack Parker presents a dark thriller with twist and turns in “Proxy.” Latino-Review had an exclusive telephone interview with Parker to discuss the storyline and ideas behind this gory and violent movie.
Here’s the synopsis:
Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) feels alone in this world. When she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant after leaving her Ob/Gyn, it almost seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group, especially from the kindly Melanie (Alexa Havins). The two women strike up a close friendship and Esther’s life of sadness and solitude is opened up to understanding and even acceptance. However, their bond gets increasingly dangerous as they can no longer tell what’s real and what’s in their heads.
Anchored by a trio of strong female performances from Havins, Rasmussen, and...
Director Zack Parker presents a dark thriller with twist and turns in “Proxy.” Latino-Review had an exclusive telephone interview with Parker to discuss the storyline and ideas behind this gory and violent movie.
Here’s the synopsis:
Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) feels alone in this world. When she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant after leaving her Ob/Gyn, it almost seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group, especially from the kindly Melanie (Alexa Havins). The two women strike up a close friendship and Esther’s life of sadness and solitude is opened up to understanding and even acceptance. However, their bond gets increasingly dangerous as they can no longer tell what’s real and what’s in their heads.
Anchored by a trio of strong female performances from Havins, Rasmussen, and...
- 4/21/2014
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
Director/writer Zack Parker‘s plot-heavy thriller Proxy opens on Esther (Alexia Rasmussen), a young, expecting mother at her doctor’s appointment. Good news follows her down the street and into an alley where bad news finds her. She’s knocked unconscious, and her pregnant stomach is savagely attacked by someone with a brick, and it’s exactly as shocking and uncomfortable a scene as you’d expect. The entire first hour of the film relies on the pure dramatic value of this scene to keep your interest, and, to be fair, it does. It’s a challenge though as Esther’s character develops painstakingly slowly, meandering around her apartment until she finally reaches out at a support group where she meets another mother, Melanie (Alexa Havins), who has lost her son. About halfway through the film, a major plot twist reveals that the two women are alike in that they have some serious, underlying...
- 4/18/2014
- by Emily Estep
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
*an online screener of this film was provided by IFC Films. Director: Zack Parker. Writers: Kevin Donner and Zack Parker. Cast: Joe Swanberg, Kristina Klebe, Alexa Havins and Alexia Rasmussen. Proxy is the second thriller this film fan has seen from Richmond, Indiana based director Zack Parker. Parker continues to tackle difficult material. His first film, Scalene (2011) dealt with rape and a handicapped man. His second film is a little more fatalistic as two women participate in murder. Proxy is a psychological thriller, with a lot of surprises. An unconventional script switches protagonists at the mid-way point of the film and the result is somewhat confusing, but also unpredictable. Proxy is a serious film, which will leave many wondering: what just happened? The story begins but does not end with the character Esther (Alexia Rasmussen). Esther is desperately lonely and she becomes pregnant to validate herself. However, she does not actually want the child.
- 4/18/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Seeing director Zack Parker’s new thriller Proxy will undoubtedly represent two of the most unforgettable hours you spend in the cinema this year — if, that is, you can get past the first five minutes. In the film, Alexia Rasmussen plays a heavily pregnant woman named Esther who loses her baby as the result of a brutal beating, which takes place in the aforementioned opening minutes, and subsequently befriends another bereaved mother called Melanie (Alexa Havins) at a grief support group. But is Melanie quite what she seems? And, for that matter, is Esther?
We can’t tell you any...
We can’t tell you any...
- 4/17/2014
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
In "Proxy," a young pregnant woman named Esther (Alexia Rasmussem) leaves the clinic and gets knocked unconscious by an unseen assailant who pounds a brick against her victim’s abdomen; when Esther opens her eyes again, she’s in the hospital, bearing witness to her stillborn child being torn from gaping abdomen. The ensuing two hours include further child death, shootings, drownings, tattooed lesbian criminals and perverted fantasies. Director Zack Parker, working from Kevin Donner’s screenplay, never hesitates to sacrifice his characters’ happiness for a relentless grab bag of grotesque surprises. Increasingly silly even as it maintains a grave tone, "Proxy" doesn't always work, but its commitment to unpredictable twists and pushing beyond morbid extremes bears the stamp of showmanship sorely lacking from many other examples of the genre. Rasmussem's petite, sullen look gives the impression of a broken young woman with nowhere to turn, but her apparent fragility represents the first.
- 4/15/2014
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In his latest movie Proxy (review), indie filmmaker Zack Parker takes on some pretty brutal subject matter – the murder of a late-term fetus, lesbian obsession, secrets, lies, and stalkers. And that’s just for starters! Read on to see what Parker has to say about all this and more.
Dread Central: You've been making films since you were a child... What's the enduring fascination for you?
Zack Parker: I don’t think it’s something I can necessarily pinpoint. I’ve just always had a connection to movies. Almost felt I understood them in a strange way. My parents divorced when I was pretty young. My mother worked, so I was just one of those generation of kids that grew up in front of the television. That was the world I knew.
My dad bought a small Hi 8 video camera when I was eleven, and I just started making little short movies with them.
Dread Central: You've been making films since you were a child... What's the enduring fascination for you?
Zack Parker: I don’t think it’s something I can necessarily pinpoint. I’ve just always had a connection to movies. Almost felt I understood them in a strange way. My parents divorced when I was pretty young. My mother worked, so I was just one of those generation of kids that grew up in front of the television. That was the world I knew.
My dad bought a small Hi 8 video camera when I was eleven, and I just started making little short movies with them.
- 4/9/2014
- by Staci Layne Wilson
- DreadCentral.com
Following Proxy‘s screening at Tiff last September, IFC acquired the movie and they’ll be releasing the movie to theaters and VOD in April. Here’s a look at the movie’s new trailer:
“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on, she decides to make efforts to re-assimilate herself into society. She seeks comfort in a local support group and it’s there that she meets Melanie, a sweet woman from the neighborhood. Forming a new bond, Esther is hopeful that she can move on and start a new life with new connections. This of course falls apart one day when she makes a startling discovery that will change everything.”
Proxy was directed by Zack Parker,...
“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on, she decides to make efforts to re-assimilate herself into society. She seeks comfort in a local support group and it’s there that she meets Melanie, a sweet woman from the neighborhood. Forming a new bond, Esther is hopeful that she can move on and start a new life with new connections. This of course falls apart one day when she makes a startling discovery that will change everything.”
Proxy was directed by Zack Parker,...
- 3/13/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Following Proxy‘s screening at Tiff last September, IFC acquired the movie and they’ve just announced plans for an April VOD and theatrical release:
“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on, she decides to make efforts to re-assimilate herself into society. She seeks comfort in a local support group and it’s there that she meets Melanie, a sweet woman from the neighborhood. Forming a new bond, Esther is hopeful that she can move on and start a new life with new connections. This of course falls apart one day when she makes a startling discovery that will change everything.”
Proxy was directed by Zack Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Donner. The movie stars Alexia Rasmussen,...
“On her way home from the doctor’s office one morning, expectant mother Esther is brutally accosted by a mysterious, hooded attacker. Disturbed, she retreats into a solitary life, keeping a safe distance from the outside world. As time goes on, she decides to make efforts to re-assimilate herself into society. She seeks comfort in a local support group and it’s there that she meets Melanie, a sweet woman from the neighborhood. Forming a new bond, Esther is hopeful that she can move on and start a new life with new connections. This of course falls apart one day when she makes a startling discovery that will change everything.”
Proxy was directed by Zack Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Donner. The movie stars Alexia Rasmussen,...
- 3/4/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Zack Parker's new horror thriller 'Proxy' is set to be unleashed on VOD and into select theatres across the Us from 18 April thanks to IFC Films. The movie revolves around Esther (played by Alexia Rasmussen), a pregant woman, whom after suffering a brutal attack finds solace in a support group only to find herself opening up to the wrong kind of people. The unsettling and bleak new feature from Parker stars Joe Swanberg ('You're Next'), Alexa Havins ('Torchwood'), Kristina Klebe ('Nymph'), Faust Checho and Erika Hoveland. Parker directs from a script he co-wrote alongside Kevin Donner. Check out the poster below....
- 3/4/2014
- Horror Asylum
Stars: Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, Joe Swanberg, Jim Dougherty, Faust Checho, Erika Hoveland | Written by Zack Parker, Kevin Donner | Directed by Zack Parker
Attacked and beaten by a hooded assailant after seeing her gynaecologist, pregnant Esther seeks consolation in a support group where she meets Melanie, a mother who lost a child. But nothing is as it appears in Proxy, because one of these damaged women is a psychodrama queen, the other seriously deranged. However, which one is which and where to draw the line?
And that’s the central, rather twisted premise of a film which actually reminded me a lot of the Frightfest 2012 film Crawl, in so much as it which builds situation upon situation, ever increasing the sense of dread until pervades every inch of the film – so much so that even the moments of quietness feel too quiet and you end up expecting something...
Attacked and beaten by a hooded assailant after seeing her gynaecologist, pregnant Esther seeks consolation in a support group where she meets Melanie, a mother who lost a child. But nothing is as it appears in Proxy, because one of these damaged women is a psychodrama queen, the other seriously deranged. However, which one is which and where to draw the line?
And that’s the central, rather twisted premise of a film which actually reminded me a lot of the Frightfest 2012 film Crawl, in so much as it which builds situation upon situation, ever increasing the sense of dread until pervades every inch of the film – so much so that even the moments of quietness feel too quiet and you end up expecting something...
- 3/2/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
It's only because the phrase "the horror version of Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia" popped into my head three or four times during the excellent new horror film Proxy that I feel comfortable bringing it up here. That certainly sounds like a glib and lofty piece of praise for a bizarre indie thriller that starts out darkly compelling and slowly grows more unpredictable every fifteen minutes, but the surface-level comparison seems to fit. Much like the strange and challenging Magnolia, Proxy starts with one offbeat story -- and then branches off into a variety of darkly fascinating directions.
We open with the sad story of Esther Woodhouse, a very pregnant woman who is brutally beaten on her way home from a doctor's appointment. Following her physical recuperation, Esther is advised to attend a support group for women dealing with child-related tragedies, and that's where she meets Melanie Michaels, who was...
We open with the sad story of Esther Woodhouse, a very pregnant woman who is brutally beaten on her way home from a doctor's appointment. Following her physical recuperation, Esther is advised to attend a support group for women dealing with child-related tragedies, and that's where she meets Melanie Michaels, who was...
- 9/21/2013
- by Scott Weinberg
- FEARnet
New York City-based distributor IFC Midnight announced today from the Toronto International FIlm Festival that it is acquiring the North American rights to Zack Parker's "Proxy." "Proxy," directed by Parker and co-written with Kevin Donner, stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Joe Swanberg. Parker's thriller follows a pregnant young woman, Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen), wrestling with the trauma of being brutally assaulted. With time and the help of a support group, Esther begins to feel mildly consoled, though she soon realizes that nothing is as it seems. The film premiered in the Vanguard section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and is set for an additional screening at the 2013 Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. IFC Midnight has yet to announce a theatrical and video-on-demand release date, though Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, commented that the company was "thrilled by the twists and turns of 'Proxy' and we.
- 9/12/2013
- by Ramzi De Coster
- Indiewire
We have news of another Tiff horror acquisition. IFC announced that they have acquired North American distribution rights to Proxy and will release it under their IFC Midnight label:
via Deadline: “IFC Midnight announced today from the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival that the company is acquiring North American rights to Zack Parker’s Proxy. The film, with a screenplay by Parker and Kevin Donner, stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Joe Swanberg. Proxy was produced by Parker and Faust Checho and executive produced by Mike Khamis. The film made its world premiere in the Vanguard section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and will play next at the 2013 Fantastic Fest. IFC Midnight is planning a theatrical and VOD day and date release for the film. In Proxy, a pregnant young woman seeks consolation in a support group after she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant. Gradually she...
via Deadline: “IFC Midnight announced today from the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival that the company is acquiring North American rights to Zack Parker’s Proxy. The film, with a screenplay by Parker and Kevin Donner, stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Joe Swanberg. Proxy was produced by Parker and Faust Checho and executive produced by Mike Khamis. The film made its world premiere in the Vanguard section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and will play next at the 2013 Fantastic Fest. IFC Midnight is planning a theatrical and VOD day and date release for the film. In Proxy, a pregnant young woman seeks consolation in a support group after she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant. Gradually she...
- 9/11/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
IFC Midnight has acquired North American rights to “Proxy,” writer-director Zack Parker’s thriller that premiered in the Vanguard section of the Toronto Film Festival, the distributor announced Wednesday. A day-and-date theatrical/VOD release is planned for the story of a pregnant woman who’s attacked by a hooded assailant and seeks consolation in a support group, where she begins to realize that no one in her life is as they seem. Also read: Toronto: Eli Roth’s Cannibal Movie ‘The Green Inferno’ Gobbled Up by Open Road Parker produced with Faust Checho and co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Donner.
- 9/11/2013
- by Josh Dickey
- The Wrap
Toronto -- IFC Midnight has acquired North American rights to Zack Parker’s thriller Proxy, which was written by Parker and Kevin Donner. Proxy made its world premiere Sept. 10 in the Vanguard section of the Toronto International Film Festival and will play next at the 2013 Fantastic Fest. IFC Midnight is planning a theatrical and VOD day-and-date release for the film. Video: 'Proxy' Trailer Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Joe Swanberg star in the film, which centers on a pregnant young woman who seeks consolation in a support group after she is viciously attacked by a hooded
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- 9/11/2013
- by Tatiana Siegel, Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Watch the trailer for Proxy, an a new horror film co-written and directed by Zack Parker. It seems Parker has found his niche in creating character-driven thrillers verging on the edge of horror, as seen in his last film Scalene and now Proxy. The story is centered on a pregnant woman who is subjected to an extremely violent assault and a certain friendship she forms in the aftermath that may not be what it seems.
“As a very-pregnant Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) walks home after a doctor’s appointment, she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant. In the wake of this traumatic event, the quiet and lonely woman finds some consolation from kindly Melanie (Alexa Havins), whom she meets at a support group. At first, Esther’s life of sadness and solitude seems to be finally opening up to the possibility of a real friendship. That is, until a chance...
“As a very-pregnant Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) walks home after a doctor’s appointment, she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant. In the wake of this traumatic event, the quiet and lonely woman finds some consolation from kindly Melanie (Alexa Havins), whom she meets at a support group. At first, Esther’s life of sadness and solitude seems to be finally opening up to the possibility of a real friendship. That is, until a chance...
- 8/28/2013
- by Jemma George
- DailyDead
Zack Parker‘s latest movie, Proxy, is one of the titles that will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. Described as a shocking and challenging thriller, this (let’s just call it) horror pic revolves around a young woman who, after a vicious attack, realizes that nothing in her life is as it appears. What’s so shocking about that? Head inside to find that out, and check out the very first pics and posters for the movie… Written by Parker and Kevin Donner, the movie stars Alexia Rasmussen as “a very pregnant” woman named Esther Woodhouse who is walking home after her latest Ob...
Click to read original and full article: Isn’t Life Grand? New Poster (Plus Teaser Poster) For Zack Parker’s Proxy on http://www.filmofilia.com...
Click to read original and full article: Isn’t Life Grand? New Poster (Plus Teaser Poster) For Zack Parker’s Proxy on http://www.filmofilia.com...
- 8/17/2013
- by Jeanne Standal
- Filmofilia
Back in June we got word that Zack Parker had begun working on the European-style suspense-thriller Proxy, and today he sent over the first batch of stills from the upcoming film.
Synopsis:
Directed by Zack Parker, Proxy stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg. The screenplay was penned by Parker and Kevin Donner and is being produced by Parker’s Along the Tracks Productions and Faust Checho’s Fsc Productions.
A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment, when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.
Synopsis:
Directed by Zack Parker, Proxy stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and Joe Swanberg. The screenplay was penned by Parker and Kevin Donner and is being produced by Parker’s Along the Tracks Productions and Faust Checho’s Fsc Productions.
A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment, when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy. Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.
- 2/19/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Alexia Rasmussen (pictured), Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe and Joe Swanberg have joined the cast of Proxy, directed by Scalene helmer Zack Parker. Parker and Kevin Donner penned the script.
A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment, when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy.
Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.
Read more...
A very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Rasmussen) is walking home after her latest Ob appointment, when she is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. When Esther seeks consolation in a support group, she finds friendship and empathy in Melanie (Havins), another mother scarred with tragedy.
Esther soon begins to believe that the horrific event might be a bittersweet act of fate. However, friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.
Read more...
- 6/26/2012
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Zack Parker's Scalene met with a great deal of acclaim so we've been looking forward to his next project. Today word has come that he's working on the European-style suspense-thriller Proxy and has thus far gathered an impressive roster of stars for the film.
From the Press Release:
Named one of the “Seven Fresh Faces of Sundance 2012” by Gen Art, Alexia Rasmussen (Our Idiot Brother, The Comedy, and Mary Not Seen – the short film that would become Martha Marcy May Marlene) has joined the cast of the indie thriller Proxy. Directed by Zack Parker of the critically acclaimed Scalene (review here), which releases everywhere on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD on July 31st, the film is being produced by Parker’s Along The Track Productions and Faust Checho’s Fsc Productions (The Fields). The screenplay was penned by Parker and Kevin Donner and is also set to star Alexa Havins ("Torchwood", 27 Dresses,...
From the Press Release:
Named one of the “Seven Fresh Faces of Sundance 2012” by Gen Art, Alexia Rasmussen (Our Idiot Brother, The Comedy, and Mary Not Seen – the short film that would become Martha Marcy May Marlene) has joined the cast of the indie thriller Proxy. Directed by Zack Parker of the critically acclaimed Scalene (review here), which releases everywhere on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD on July 31st, the film is being produced by Parker’s Along The Track Productions and Faust Checho’s Fsc Productions (The Fields). The screenplay was penned by Parker and Kevin Donner and is also set to star Alexa Havins ("Torchwood", 27 Dresses,...
- 6/26/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
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