'RAVEN' IN THE PRESS
Updated 10/31/06

"Under the Raven's Wing" Best Boy John Dunphy is a staff writer for the Jersey Journal, and contributed the following article to today's paper.

(Minor corrections: Brian & Susie met on the set of The Blood Shed, not Prison of the Psychotic Damned, and Dragon Rider Productions is in Passaic, not Paramus - but we'll forgive John for those minor details!)

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Here's the article:

http://www.nj.com/living/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1162278892145090.xml&coll=3

LIVING HORROR

Though horror films have changed over the years, they have always played a major role in entertaining generations of Americans - as well as opening doors for young filmmakers trying to break out onto the scene.

Susan Adriensen of Union City has experienced this first-hand and is using it to her advantage as she shoots her latest film "Under the Raven's Wing," a suspense/horror feature about a cult of three girls that "transcend" people to other dimensions by murdering them, mostly by stoning. Many of the movie's scenes were shot in New Jersey and some even involve a lighting factory based out of North Bergen.

"I think the macabre and dark things are pretty and are beautiful. I don't know why that is," said Adriensen. Originally from Carlstadt, Adriensen is a graduate of Montclair State University and has been living in Union City with her husband, Meric Adriensen, for the past seven years.

After graduation, Adriensen started off in production.

"My first job right out of college was for a TV show in Secaucus for WWOR-TV," she said. She then went on to work freelance for an HBO interactive show based off of the Tin-Tin comics.

After that though, her production career seemed to come to a halt as she took on what was supposed to be a temporary job working as a secretary for industrial and commercial real estate.

"In the meantime at night I was taking acting classes. I eventually wanted to get back into my field, but it was very difficult," she said.

When she married her husband, a man who was already working in television and had a passion for movies as well, she was able to get back on course and finally start her movie-making career.

"I always had an interest in horror films. I grew up with four older brothers. I think that does it to you," she said, laughing.

More than just making films, Adriensen wanted to share her passion for these B movies with others. It's with that thought in mind that she created Mingle Mangle.

"We talk about independent and low budget horror films. It's a free organization where people come together to network and talk about the joys and 'horrors' of making horror movies."

She has also thrown herself fully into the creative process. Having acted in movies like "The Blood Shed" and "Prison of the Psychotic Damned: Terminal Remix," Adriensen is tackling all areas of production in "Under the Raven's Wing." Being billed as writer, director, producer and actress in the film, Adriensen has taken on a huge chunk of the responsibilities.

Not to mention that the entire process is going extremely quickly. She met co-producer Brian Jude, of Dragon Rider Productions based out of Paramus, on the set of "Psychotic Damned" in late March. By May, the script was done, casting began in late June, and the movie is scheduled to finish shooting by Nov. 25.

In terms of casting, three out of the four lead roles in the film come from New York. But the fourth fit Guttenberg's Kamilla Sofie Sadekova.

When shooting is over, the production team will move on to the editing with a tentative date for completion of spring of 2007. Afterwards, the future of the movie is slightly up in the air.

"I think like most filmmakers we want to be seen and get recognition. No. 2, we hope to get money so we can get to make more movies."