The lead of the movie, Vera Winters, is portrayed by Madison native Elena Ontiveros

By Maria Rakoczy

HUNTSVILLE – For the last two years North Alabama has been the site of production for a Hollywood quality film. Dark Entities is an independent horror film that follows the fictional Winter siblings as they cope with the sudden loss of their parents and discover that the mysterious house they have inherited has dark secrets.

The film is primarily set in 1977 and emulates the style of horror films from the era. Writer, director, and actor in the film, Brandon McLemore cites films like The Exorcist and The Conjuring as inspirations. The movie’s crew sourced true vintage clothing, props, and cars to recreate an authentic look for the time period.

McLemore got the idea for Dark Entities almost ten years ago on the heels of the release of The Conjuring. About two years later in 2015, he began conceptualizing the script for the film and wrote the script off-and-on for the next five years. The Priceville native brought the film to life along with his father Warren, who served as cinematographer and played a supporting character role. The father and son team contribute to a 16-member cast loaded with local talent. When recruiting actors for the film the McElmores looked specifically for North Alabama actors.

“We decided this would be a good thing for the area. You don’t hear a lot of movies made in the area. We thought it was a great opportunity for the talent. There is a ton of great talent in the area,” Brandon McLemore said.

The lead of the movie, Vera Winters, is portrayed by Madison native Elena Ontiveros who is joined in another main role by Decatur native Angela Moore. The local acting is complemented by an original musical score composed by another Priceville native, David Vest. Dark Entities features a cast and crew from all over North Alabama including Madison, Huntsville, Decatur, and Hartselle.

Filming for Dark Entities began in the summer of 2020 at Warren McElmore’s Somerville home, a Somerville farm, and the Hartselle Antique Mall. The film was shot in Super 35 6K on the highest quality equipment in the industry.

Filming wrapped in October of 2020, after which, over 2,000 clips were edited together in a rough cut version of the film. Now, the movie is finalized and set to be released at the end of May. McLemore says that he has already heard from Hollywood representatives and distributors interested in picking up the film for national and international distribution.

To celebrate the release of the film, the cast is holding a premiere event at Cinemark Bridge Street and XD at Bridge Street Town Center in Huntsville. The premiere is a ticketed event open to the general public. The celebration starts at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 28^th. Attendees are treated to the red-carpet entrance of the cast and will be gifted lobby cards autographed by the lead members of the cast.

After years of hard work put into Dark Entities, McLemore says, “We’re excited for it. We think it’s going to be great.”

Tickets for the premiere can be found on ticketleap.com by searching Dark Entities. Updates and trailers for the film can be found on Instagram at the username @darkentitiesfilm and on Facebook. Details, trailers, and photos can also be found on the Dark Entities’ IMDB page.