2009 End of the Year Wrap-Up

Another busy year is coming to a close in the ol' lab of Dr. Squid!

In the first few months of 2009, I was director of photography/sound man for writer/director John Bowker's EVIL RISING. I also helped with location work, photography, logo design & credits on top of playing a supporting role in this horror feature:

EVIL RISING was another bigger-than-expected project that took a lot of out me and was made more difficult because my wife and I were the only family caring for my father-in-law as he was dying from pancreatic cancer. That was the worst experience of my life. John postponed one big shoot, pushing it out a couple of months and for that I will be forever thankful. I've just finished a bunch of pick-up shots for John, who has a rough cut together and is looking at several months of sound work. Check stuff out at www.myspace.com/evilrisingmovie.

This year, I made more progress on my horror anthology TWISTED FATES.

I completed the video edit on the 'Welcome Sister' segment - just about done with sound effects and music.

I also finished video edit, music and sound work for the 'It Haunts'...

and the 'New Neighbor' segments! Next up, the narrator/wraparound sequence.

In the spring, I posted a ridiculously massive PLATOON OF THE DEAD production diary on my website at http://skullfaceastronaut.com/drsquid/potdblog/

The DVD was released from Tempe Video in May and included several fun extras I edited as well as a commentary track by me and John. You can pick it up on sale at www.tempevideo.com or rent it on Netflix!

We held a big premiere for it in Salem, Oregon and it was a total sell-out - the theater had to add a second showing on another screen!


Got a 90% done version of EATER together for a family and friends screening over Memorial Day Weekend. EATER is a sci-fi/horror short I've made with my son and his friends. Still need to finish that one up.

There are still just a couple of tweaks left on the DEADLY PREMONITIONS dvd.

We held a fantastic screening of it in Salem, Oregon in August and star Tom Stedham was out from Alabama for the show. A great time was had by all. Hoping my dvd guy can fix things up and I can get some copies made in 2010.


Luc Bernier and Isabelle Stephen shot the 'Beetlemaniac' segment for TRULY DREADFUL TALES up in Canada this year. I'm currently waiting on the the footage from them to edit.

Meanwhile, Matthew and Maria Aldridge are currently shooting the 'Crazed' segment in Ohio. The 'Death Nurse' and 'Treespirit' segments have been done for a bit. I am planning one more segment for this horror anthology.


In June, some buddies and I went to the Crypticon Seattle horror convention. We had a great time, saw some great screenings and met some new friends whom we eventually worked with later in the year. I posted a Crypticon Seattle 2009 trip blog on my website at http://skullfaceastronaut.com/drsquid/crypticon2009/


During the summer, John Bowker asked me to direct and shoot his latest project, a "body count' flick called BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN. Tom Stedham flew out from Alabama to star and it's the second biggest project I've ever done next to BLOODSUCKING REDNECK VAMPIRES. Tons of shooting, huge cast, lots of effects, gallons of blood. We've been shooting off an on since the beginning of August and it's about 95% shot right now - still need to line up some pick-up and effects shoots.

John hopes to start editing by next spring, once he's done with EVIL RISING.


In the fall, I was asked to play a 'honky tonk extra' in a local vampire flick, THICKER THAN WATER. I also directed/shot/edited a sequence for New York-based filmmaker Phil Herman's latest movie, SICKENED. Heard that another movie I shot & directed a bunch of scenes for called SLEEPWALKER STRANGLER is just about ready for release.

Just a few days ago, an extensive interview with me was posted over at Smash or Trash Indie Filmmaking. Check it out at http://smashortrashindiefilmmaking.com/?page_id=556

In a year of deaths in the family, relatives in the hospital, downsizing at work, and all kinds of other crap, it is good to look back and know that I have such great friends around me who really have helped me through.

Here's to 2010 - a year in which I hope to finish up some of these long-in-production movies; attend another Crypticon Seattle convention; and eat, drink and be merry at some new screenings!

Happy New Year!

New Interview at Smash or Trash Indie Filmmaking Site

Check out a new and pretty extensive interview over at Smash or Trash Indie Filmmaking: http://smashortrashindiefilmmaking.com/?page_id=556

It was originally done in 2004 but never published, then Robert was kind enough to do a follow-up a few months ago to bring it up to date. Enjoy.

THEY WON'T STAY DEAD!

Had an awesome time last night checking out a zombie-themed surf band fronted by a guy I went to high school with - They Won't Stay Dead! (http://www.myspace.com/theywontstaydeadidoo). The poster said that if you dressed as a zombie you'd get in free, so Rob and I did! Craig was a zombie santa and they tore the place up!

Unfortunately my photo's kind of dark, but look at Rob's eye!!!!





I still have crunchy dried blood remnants in my beard, but I went and got donuts this morning anyway. No one asked a thing.

What a great way to start my Christmas vacation!

ABC, You Motherfuckers Ruined Christmas!

http://www.dorktower.com/2009/12/10/an-open-letter-to-abc-from-my-friend-leon/

Almost the End of the Year

Time seems to be whizzing by as 2009 comes to an end. I'm working on my end-of-the-year wrap-up.

Here is a freelance project I've been working on:



And so it goes....

Hero Hero - 20 Years Ago

My buddy Rob reminded me today that it was 20 years ago this week that we opened Hero Hero Comics Cards and Games. It seems like a lifetime ago..and it was - the lifetime of my son, who was born the week before the shop closed in 1997.

I found a few photos up in my office - they're not a complete picture, just a glimpse of what was many years of incredible experiences.


Chatting in the shop one late night with my buddy Mitch.


We had rubber stamps made with these cartoon faces I'd drawn of the 3 owners - we would stamp our faces next to items we liked in the monthly ordering catalog.


Frank and Rob - check out Rob's cool Madman shirt!


In-store appearance by Shane Glines. Shane was just starting out when he was at the shop. Soon after this, he moved to California to work for Spumco and went on to work on animated shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Samurai Jack.


Frank, me, comic book artist (and featured actor in TRAILER PARK DOUBLE WIDE TRILOGY OF TERROR) Jack Pollock, Rob and our friend Dale at an in-store appearance by Jack celebrating the release of his Devil Chef one-shot from Dark Horse Comics. We are enjoying some celery, which according to a hilarious fake ad in the Devil Chef book is "nature's toothbrush for your colon!"


Rob watering the sidewalk on the day of Jack's in-store appearance

Taking Stock....

As the end of the year races towards me, I'm taking a look at where I am on many of my movie projects...

EVIL RISING - Writer/director John Bowker will be visiting next weekend to upload the final pick-up shots and credit files I have. Which means I need to get 'em done by then!

DEADLY PREMONITONS - Had an incredible screening back in August of a 99% done version. Just a few tweaks left to do.

TWISTED FATES - Have been working a bit on the 'It Haunts' and 'New Neighbor' segments, next up will be music & sound effects for the 'Welcome Sister' segment.

TRULY DREADFUL TALES - The 'Death Nurse' and 'TreeSpirit' segments have been done for a while now, the 'Beetlemaniac' segment has been shot and I am waiting for the footage. The 'Crazed' segment materials are in the hands of the director - hoping they can get something shot by the end of the year. Still haven't made that pool monster outfit, but am leaning back towards rewriting this is a mummy story (which I'd started to do last year).

BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN - Man oh man this thing turned in to a monster. It's going to be a hell of a flick once it's done. Still have several pick-ups and inserts to take care of as well as a big flashback kill scene. Maybe this month?

Camryn Manheim

I ran a Camryn Manheim fansite for a few years, starting back at the end of 1997. At the time, there was very little about this actress on the 'net - she hadn't won her Emmy "...for all the fat girls," she hadn't published her "Wake Up I'm Fat" book, etc. I periodically gathered photos and news items and posted them on the site. In late 2002, Camryn opened a new, gigantic official website (http://www.camrynmanheim.com) which pretty much rendered my site obsolete. I chopped mine down to just these few pix and my tale of meeting her. More recently, I've been downsizing my site and decided to move that stuff here.

Meeting Camryn
Coolness of all coolness - I met Camryn Manheim! In person! In the flesh! She was in a nearby town for a book signing and through a variety of circumstances, I was invited to spend some time with her and her brother between dinner and her signing. So, my wife and I got to spend about a half an hour chatting with the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress in a dimly lit lounge in Portland, Oregon. It was surreal! I mean, we had watched her every week as Eleanor Frutt on The Practice and here she was..."real," right across the table. We chatted about my website for her, her brother's website for her, e-mail, movies, the gruelling book tour, etc. It was so cool and she was so nice. We went outside and snapped a bunch of photos before splitting up to go over to the bookstore.

When my wife and I got to the store (after driving around in circles for a while trying to find a good parking place), there was a loooong line and we overhead that this was the "overflow line." That is, the room was already full and they had roped it off. We figured we were screwed and wouldn't be able to hear the reading. Then, through a wonderful set of circumstances, we were waved through the rope and got to spend the entire reading and signing hanging out with Camryn's friends and family behind her table! Like I said, it was surreal.

It was fascinating to stand behind her during the signing and hear all of the things fans said to her. Many brought gifts and letters. Many were moved to tears in telling her how inspirational she was. A long lost high school classmate of Camryn's even showed up! We took some more pictures and then Camryn was off to the airport to catch a red-eye to Atlanta for a signing the next day. She was a very cool, funny and nice woman and quite an inspiration to all!

Blood Creek Woodsman - October Shoot Pix

Still shooting on BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN. Shot on some private property in Dallas, Oregon for the movie's opening logging scene. The forecast was for afternoon showers, but it only sprinkled a few times! I also was very happy to have several old friends show up to act as cast and crew. Not only were they very helpful but they couldn't wait for their death scenes! True horror fans, all of them. As the day went on, we got more and more involved in squirting blood all over everyone and didn't really get any pictures, but here is what we did get.


Adam is mad...and Brent has no idea what's coming...


Bob as Jason the foreman


Craig waits with tubing up his pants while Rob prepares for rain...both water from the sky and blood from a pump!


Bob runs the blood-filled super soaker while Adam tries not to saw anything off and I try to get it all on tape!


Craig is impressed with Rob's chainsaw blade effect.


YEEEEARRRGGGGGH!


All smiles! Adam, me and Craig after a particular bloody death scene!


Rick in mid-splatter!

INSANE!!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?bl

So a 6-year-old was so excited about joining the boy scouts, he took his new camping utensil (fork/knife/spoon combo) to school to use at lunch. Thanks to a zero-tolerance policy with no allowance for discretion by the district, this kid was suspended and is up for 45 days at reform school! What the hell? If that's not infuriating enough, last year state lawmakers there tried to make disciplinary rules more flexible by giving local boards authority to modify the terms of the expulsion on a case-by-case basis, but because the law addressed "expulsion" and not "suspension," this kid was still kicked out of school for a month and a half. This poor kid is scarred for life because of a technicality!

Pissed off yet? Get this - also in Delaware, a third-grade girl was expelled for a year because her grandmother had sent a birthday cake to school, along with a knife to cut it. A year!!!! Even worse: the teacher called the principal — but not before using the knife to cut and serve the cake. WHAT?!?!?!! The teacher uses the knife to cut the cake, serves it to the kids, then calls the principal and gets the birthday girl kicked out of school for a year?!??!

I just checked and my kid's school district's policies includes this: "Under state and federal law, expulsion from school is required for a period of not less than one year for any student who is determined to have brought a weapon to school. The superintendent may modify the expulsion requirement for a student on a case-by-case basis."

Additionally, under "discipline/due process," the following is included: "Disciplinary measures are applied depending on the nature of the offense. The age and past pattern of behavior of a student will be considered prior to any suspension or expulsion."

Good. Just like most schools, my kid's school has it's fair share of kids who are just complete assholes, so I certainly want some rules, but I'm glad to see the policies allow for some discretion to avoid situations like these completely insane examples from Delaware.

AAAAAUUUURRGGGHH!!!!!

Blood Creek Woodsman - September Shoot Pix

Here are a bunch of pictures from the September 2009 shoot for BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN!


Happy campers Darla Doom and Francis Growth.


One flashlight and two headlights.


Branch through the head rig I made for Darla Doom!


Pair of fake legs I made. I should've taken a picture before I covered it all with foam and t-shirts - it's closet rods and hinges underneath.


Shooting upstairs with Mike on sound and Daren waiting for his close-up!


Shooting the "party house" scene. They are playing a game I made up called Sweet Corn!


Jaime screams for the first time in a movie...and she was great!


Annie performed a fantastic death scene!


Annie and Rob bask in the blood!


Hot chicks...kissing! Nice.


William meets the Blood Creek Woodsman.


Annie and Daren get close for a scene.


Sex and violence.


William splattered against the side of the RV.


Amanda screaming bloody murder!


Another great and bloody death scene in the can!