Entropy aims to make viewers uncomfortable in their own skin—at least for an hour or two. A twisty body-horror film inspired by the works of David Cronenberg, Clive Barker, and John Carpenter, this visual nightmare is a dream-come-true for brothers and co-producers Scott and Kameron Hale.
“We worked on some shorts together, but I know that, for the both of us, Entropy was nothing but firsts,” Scott explains.
The film’s story begins when the main character, Abbey, discovers she has ovarian cancer. On the same day, she visits her girlfriend’s self-help group, where an old friend has just returned from a mysterious absence. Things get strange from there, gradually showcasing the brothers’ passion for practical effects and vivid cinematography.
Multiple festivals selected and showed Entropy this year. It took home the Audience Award at the Something Wicked Film Festival, and Miranda Nieman secured Best Lead Actress at the West Midlands Nightmare Horror Festival for her performance. But showing at an international film festival or two was only the beginning.
Gravitas Ventures—known for quirky films like Bad Therapy and Changeland, and the 2016 documentary For the Love of Spock—recently purchased the film for distribution and it’ll be available digital download and streaming early next year.
Although Entropy’s story flirts with the dark beyond of cosmic horror, HaleHouse Productions, the brothers’ film company, is a homegrown and cooperative adventure. They share the responsibilities and are involved at all levels of production, and they have the added benefit of getting to work with family members (their wives and sister are frequent flyers on their sets).
“Filming in Cincinnati is great,” Kameron notes. “There’s a wealth of talent here and so many creatives that are hungry for a chance to prove themselves.”
Despite previous experience on smaller projects, the Hale brothers found plenty of surprises on their quest to make Entropy.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NATHAN HACKMANN
“From pre-to-post-production, we learned something new every step of the way,” Kameron explains. “If nothing else, we learned the value of time. Entropy was mostly shot at night, on account of the main scene being an outside dinner party, so we’d start at 9:00 p.m. and film until sunrise. And we did it in six days.”
With awards and distribution for their first film secured, HaleHouse Productions is moving forward. After all, they have too many ideas to rest on their laurels. They’re currently finishing up production on their second feature-length horror film, Free to a Bad Home, a horror anthology with a unique spin on the tried-and-true format. “We have upped our game in every way on this one and will also be taking it to festivals and seeking out distribution,” Kameron says.
The brothers founded their production company in 2020. Setting lifelong dreams in motion during a pandemic, which has had a massive impact on the arts community in general, came with risks. However, their success speaks not only to their talent, but also their approach to filmmaking.
Scott explained the social and business mores behind the brothers’ accomplishments like this: “Be a decent human being and be patient. Find your passion and the people who share that passion, and grow it. If you make movies alone, you’ll be watching them alone. It takes a village.”
Entropy’s projected release date is Jan. 1, 2022.
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