No longer will Midnight Syndicate be known only for composing dark, atmospheric scores to horror movies that exist only in your imagination: finally, after building a rock-solid rep as the most bankable name in Halloween music, the Ohio-based team has crossed over into feature film production with the release of The Dead Matter – the first full-length film conceived and directed by the group's founder, Edward Douglas. You might recall Ed sharing some interesting stories with us about this project while shooting was underway back in the fall of 2008, and the buzz has been building steadily ever since. Now The Dead Matter is being presented in a loaded three-disc Special Edition DVD/CD set, which will make its debut Friday as an exclusive at Hot Topic stores. Read on for a preview of what's inside… including some stills you won't see anywhere else!

For his first full-on cinematic venture, Douglas returned to a story he'd once committed to video fifteen years ago – literally a backyard production, shot in and around the woods near his family's home. After building a successful working relationship with makeup effects artist-turned-filmmaker Robert Kurtzman (the band had previously scored Kurtzman's horror indie The Rage), Douglas secured the financial foundation he needed to bring that story to life on a larger scale. While still working within a tiny budget by studio standards, Douglas has invested the film with slick production values, opting to shoot on film instead of video, shooting key scenes at landmark locations in his home state and drawing on the rich color palette of the Hammer horror tradition.

Ironically, as effective as the sounds of Midnight Syndicate have been in summoning rich gothic atmospheres reminiscent of those horror classics, it's in the film's more conventional locations where the story's most entertaining aspects often shine through – particularly the frequent moments of humor, and several clever genre homages and in-jokes (like a gentle jab at True Blood, for example). Adding to the film’s horror pedigree are genre veterans like Andrew Divoff and Tom Savini – who infuse their roles with just the right touch of macabre mischief – and some impressive practical makeup effects (CGI, often the bane of low-budget horror productions, is used with discretion). Ultimately it's the main characters, and their fearful but curious encounters with occult forces, that drew me into the story.

Our protagonists are a fairly likable bunch – novice wiccans Gretchen (Sean Serino) and Jill (C.B. Spencer), Gretchen's macho boyfriend Mike (Tom Nagel) and Jill's scientist beau Frank (Christopher Robichaud, a carry-over from the original version). Gretchen's obsession with contacting the spirit of her dead brother leads the quartet to ancient ceremonial ground Hollows Point to conduct an impromptu séance. They're unaware that it's also the site of a failed attempt by vampire hunter McCallister (Jason Carter) and his sidekick Mark (Brian Van Camp) to seize a strange amulet from the grip of the ancient vampire Vellich (Divoff).

[POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD]

Though lost during the scuffle – in which Mark is killed – the amulet is found by Gretchen, who discovers that the purple scarab-shaped pendant acts as a zombie remote-control, granting its wearer the ability to command the walking dead. She learns this by accident, when the deceased (and rapidly rotting) Mark suddenly shows up to do her bidding. But dreams of summoning her brother from the beyond soon give way to surreal, twisted nightmares as Vellich closes in on our heroes… and the amulet eventually reveals the full scope of its power.

[END SPOILER]

The Dead Matter is an ambitious effort for a first-time filmmaker, but I’d say Douglas and company managed to accomplish their goal of transforming Midnight Syndicate’s sense of spooky Halloween fun to a visual medium. The writing is economical, and seldom bogs down with talky exposition; the plot is revealed in stages, and it’s only baffling when it’s intended to be. While much of the humor comes from knowing winks to the fans, there are plenty of fun character moments that the actors carry off very well. While it stumbles occasionally (Serino’s performance feels overly theatrical compared to the others, and Divoff’s wig is a little too ‘80s hair-metal for my taste), it’s fast-paced and full of memorable moments, especially a creepy and well-done scene involving a bathroom mirror, some great comic bits featuring the zombified Mark, and several chilling dream sequences – particularly one in which a young student pays dearly for not paying attention in Demonology class.

The film itself is presented in pristine 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and a well-balanced 5.1 Dolby mix (including some effective jump-stingers in the outer regions), and while it clocks in at a lean 89 minutes, there's enough extras on hand to keep you busy for an entire weekend. The most inventive feature is a real-time presentation of behind-the-scenes footage, which presents the film itself in one corner of the screen while production b-roll, cast and crew interviews, concept art, information on the landmark locations used, and even clips from Douglas's 1996 video version play out in other frames, all synchronized with their associated scenes from the film. It's a refreshing alternative to the usual featurette stuff, puts the material in a clear context, and gives you a clear sense of the filmmakers' affection for the project. Other extras include a feature-length commentary from Douglas, which repeats a lot of the subject matter seen in the making-of footage, but does provide some interesting backstory on the film's origins. We also get an outtakes reel, music videos (including Lost and Dark Legacy, both of which we've featured previously on these pages), and some clever and extremely spooky fan-made videos commemorating the band's 13th anniversary.

Fans of the band would be disappointed if they didn't also get more Syndicate music in time for Halloween 2010, so the two bonus CDs in this package should take them to their dark happy place. The Dead Matter soundtrack CD contains Douglas's original score – which departs in some ways from the band's usual output, having moved behind the action for the first time (instead of being the main attraction), but there are still some superb atmospheric touches, often reminiscent of John Carpenter's memorable scores. Source music and additional songs from the film are also included, including the film's title track by metallers Eternal Legacy, and contributions from artists in multiple genres. It’s a slightly uneven collection, but there are some eerie gems to be found – standouts include two sexy goth-folk numbers by Lazy Lane, a metal-infused remix of the Syndicate track Shadows, and the haunting Noctem Aeternus, featuring the ethereal vocals of Destini Beard (who recently collaborated with the band on the EP Dark Masquerade).

The second CD contains a very cool 13th anniversary greatest-hits collection – and if you're not as familiar with the band, it's the perfect place to start, as it demonstrates how this act has managed to secure the title as the leading purveyors of spookhouse tunes. Their entire career is represented in these 22 tracks, ranging from sweeping symphonic overtures to gothic ambient pieces, complete horror audio environments, and a bombastic church-organ solo that would make Dr. Phibes rise again. Sweet lights-out listening, this one.

There’s so much to enjoy in this collection, whether you’re a long-time Syndicate fan or a curious newbie, or even if you’re just seeking a fun audio-visual horror experience. Midnight Syndicate always set out to provide a spooky good time with their music, with no other pretensions, and their first venture into filmmaking reflects that same spirit. It all makes for a solid debut, and I'm already looking forward to their next outing.

The Dead Matter: Special Edition hits Hot Topic shelves on Friday; visit their site to order a copy online.