by Anglia M Walpool | awalpool49@gmail.com

If you’re looking for a thrill on Halloween tune into Facebook as the Central Valley’s horror guru, Michael Rodriguez will be showcasing his new sci-fi thriller ‘Terror at Station Thirteen’. It will stream live for 24 hours on October 31.

Although ‘Terror at Station Thirteen’ is a short film, Michael promises exceptional special effects, realistic makeup, and a captivating storyline.

The Kerman native has been writing and directing independent horror films for five years. The love for the grisly genre traces back to when his father took him to see ‘Dawn of the Dead’ at the drive-in. Rodriguez is well known for ‘Lamb Feed,’ ‘Night of the Sea Monkey,’ and ‘Home Wrecked.’

Relentless and determined, Rodriguez often finishes one project and then immediately prepares for another. Joseph D. Greenwood – actor, director, and producer with Candles & Wine Productions – says of the local filmmaker, “The dedication and determination that Michael Rodriguez demonstrates in his craft is inspiring and a good example for independent filmmakers to follow.”

“Terror at Station Thirteen was written, produced, and directed by yours truly and is my ghoulish gift to horror fans for this Halloween season,” says Rodriguez about his new film. “If you look up Premiere of Terror at Thirteen Station’s event page, I’ll also have my feature film ‘Last American Horror’ available.”

The culmination of the filmmaking process is all about sharing it with fellow fans of the horror genre rather than seeing the completed film himself.

“Every moment of bringing a thought or an idea to life is fun and exciting to me. My least favorite part of my work is in post-production (editing). When I watch my work so many times to [cut it together] somehow, it just loses that luster… by the time the movie is finished I’m already sick of watching it,” Rodriguez laughs.

Even as a horror guru, fans would be surprised to know that Michael is not a Halloween fanatic. The director usually enjoys a quiet evening at home on most Halloween nights with a horror classic on the TV as he waits for trick-or-treaters to knock on the door.

Lonnie Pelley, a local comedian who has a walk-on role in the film, said the opportunity was a pleasant surprise, “I met Michael over the summer at the weekend blender held in August 2017, we both came in as a guest. He was promoting his movies, and I was promoting my comedy/ both live in Kerman. I told him if he ever needed an extra for any of his movies, I’d like to be one. Well, low and behold Michael got in touch with me and asked if I would like to be in his new movie? I did not hesitate and replied back with ‘yes, I’d love to!’ … This is the first time I’ve acted in a scary movie. I had a lot of fun filming with all the other actors, and I can’t wait for the movie to come out.”

So if you are a fan or just curious you can view Michael Rodriguez’s new masterpiece “Terror at Station Thirteen” for 24 hours on Facebook, October 31, absolutely free.