Throughout movie history the masked killer has been a staple of the horror genre. From titans such as Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Ghostface, to the likes of lesser known villains like the trio from The Strangers, they are everywhere. As prominent as they may be there has been a distinct lack of diversity behind the mask. Director Bill Posley, and his co-writer Jonathan Colomb spied a gap in the market and have created a character who, to their extensive genre knowledge, may very well be the first black masked killer.
Black antagonists in horror are nothing new, the most iconic being Tony Todd’s Candyman, but he doesn’t hide behind a mask. When researching their idea, Posley and Colomb uncovered the lack of black masked killers and so set about creating their very own monster. The result of that work is Bitch Ass, a gentle-giant-turned-torturer with a passion for creating warped variations of classic family board games.
The year is 1980. Young Cecil is bullied by kids in the 6th Street gang for being fat, shy, and always playing board games. They all pick on him and call him Bitch Ass. On a gang initiation night, they jump him and leave him for dead. Fast forward to 1999. No one has seen or heard from Bitch Ass since, and he has become an urban legend. Now, a new crop of 6th Street recruits are gearing up for another initiation night. They get tasked with robbing a house, but little do they know they’re walking into Bitch Ass’ house, and he has been plotting his revenge by building deadly versions of the childhood games they bullied him for playing. The rules are simple; win and you live – lose and you die. Let the games begin! Bitch Ass is directed by Bill Posley (Cobra Kai) & written by Jonathan Colomb (Sweet and Sour Chicks) & Bill Posley. Starring Teon Kelley (Tyler), Tunde Laleye (Black Panther), Sheaun McKinney (Boss Level, The Neighbourhood), Me’lisa Sellers (To and From) and the legendary Tony Todd (Candyman).
Ahead of the UK digital release on Monday 19th December, THN sat down with Posley to talk about his creation. Watch the video below to learn how Bitch Ass came to life, what working with Tony Todd is like, and how one goes about twisting a classic board game into a device of ultimate torture.
FrightFest Presents & Signature Entertainment release Bitch Ass on Digital Platforms 19th December.
