Check out this review of TWISTED FATES: http://www.roguecinema.com/article3148.html - skip the first four paragraphs if you don't want any major spoilers! "...It's the quality of the stories that really make it stand out amongst its peers...I loved the fact that each story had a twist to it...The technical aspects of the film were all rather well done...Each of the stories was just the right length for what it was, and the whole thing just came together as one nice package...They did a good job with it all and put together a very nice anthology type film all wrapped up in a fun, master story. It's definitely worth your time to check it out."
A new horror anthology that I was a producer on is now available!
ABERRATIONS serves up a new batch of supernatural revenge stories in the tradition of the original “Tales From The Crypt” and “Creepshow.”
Bestselling horror novelist Claire Huston (Dawn Duvurger) has a sure way of producing creepy story after story – she steals them from a dead master of the macabre using a Ouija board. What follows are four stories of suspense and terror...
Alice (Mona Duvera), who encounters an all-too familiar ventriloquist doll; Bobby (Amber Peach), who knows something is watching her from within the walls of her home; a crazed sniper (Eric Spudic) that uses geocaching as a lure for his latest victim (Krystal Stevenson Akin); and a man (J.C. Pennylegion) who attempts to resurrect his dead wife, stolen from the grave by two con men (Denman Powers, Kirk Jordan).
The 2012 Mid-Valley Video Festival in Salem, Oregon hosted the premiere screenings of SCENT OF THE SASQUATCH and TWISTED FATES on February 24, 2012.
Write-up about the festival in the Salem Satesman-Journal
Festival article on the Salem Statesman-Journal website
A quick introduction of TWISTED FATES
Q&A after the screening
Me and my brother-in-law, Dave
Sabrina Larivee and Dee Alsman (who were both in both movies!) make a Joe sandwich!
Alexandra Paris made a trip down from Portland for the festival!
A few friends and fans after the screening
It was really quite a swell time! Thanks to Kirk, Ross and Chuck for putting me in the 'local filmmaker spotlight,' and here's hoping for more fun next year! Get TWISTED FATES on DVD here!
A blog that I check out from time to time started putting up "10 years ago" posts every so often. I haven't had my blog for 10 years yet - I started it in late 2004. However, I find looking back at these older posts interesting because the more things change, the more they stay the same.
So looking back at the few posts I made at the end of 2004, a few things stand out... TRAILER PARK DOUBLE WIDE TRILOGY OF TERROR, which I had finished shooting about 4 years eariler, had been sitting edited, around waiting for final dvd work for 3 years. It would be done and duplicated the following spring.
I also had a short called ZOMBIE LOVE SLAVE that had been put together for a few years, but I was waiting for someone to shoot an opening sequence. That never came to pass, and I had further problems with an actress, so reshot all of her scenes. In the end, this strange 30-minute thing is still unreleased.
I had just had the "Videodrone" segment of TWISTED FATES fall through FOR THE THIRD TIME, and frankly it was exhausting me. I decided to wait until after the holidays to regroup and think about how to try and pull it together for the fourth time. While I did recast and make some plans on shooting it, I ended up shooting IT HAUNTS and decided to just replace the "Videodrone" segment with it to finish up the anthology. I finally finished editing last year and got some dvds duplicated a month or so ago.
I also had the beginnings of what I was calling "MONSTER ANTHOLOGY," with a short with my son and friend John plus a short that W.A.V.E. Video favorite Laura G had shot for me. This morphed into NIGEL CHEESEBALL'S MONSTER FILES and then changed to TRULY DREADFUL TALES, with some segments dropping off and others being added. I finally got the last segment footage at the end of last year and managed to get some dvds duplicated a month or so ago.
It feels good to know that these long-in-production projects are finally wrapping up. I have high hopes for some other years-in-the-making projects to get finished up this year. EVIL RISING which I shot and acted in at the beginning of 2009 is still in post-production with the editor. BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN, which I shot and directed in August/September/October of 2009 still needs a few insert shots done but editing won't begin until post-production on EVIL RISING is finished. I am 5/6 of the way done with a new collection of old horror shorts I've worked on. Waiting to get raw footage from someone so I can re-edit the last segment.
Hopefully once I clear out this "backlog" of stuff, and I decide what my next project is going to be, I'll try and make sure it doesn't take a decade to get finished!
In addition to my latest b-horror flick TWISTED FATES, I also now have copies of TRULY DREADFUL TALES available in the store or via credit card at at W.A.V.E. movies!
As with all my stuff lately, this one has been a looooong time in the making.
Originally this was a project called "Monster Files." There were a few stories originally intended for this that will pop up in other projects and some stories that never quite got made.
It was another of my "experiments," this time with the idea of writing monster shorts and having other filmmakers do the casting/directing/shooting, sending their footage to me to edit and score.
W.A.V.E. Video Laura Giglio stars in the "Death Nurse" segment, playing Donna, caretaker to a recently deceased millionairre. She and her boyfriend are excited about the old coot leaving his money to her, but when they start seeing the old man's ghost, they wonder if their dream has turned into a nightmare! Directed by Laura G and Johnny Monotone.
In the "TreeSprit" segment, a woman is surrounded by abuse - from her boss to her boyfriend and seeks solice in the woods. There her cries are heard by a spirit of vengeance that takes form and punishes those who have wronged the woman. Directed by Tom Shaffer.
In the "BeetleManiac" segment, Isabelle Stephen has a blind date with Luc Bernier, who grosses her out with his tales of is work with insects. Then things get really buggy! Directed by Luc and Isabelle, and Isabelle edited this segment as well!
In the "Crazed" segment, a young girl goes clubbing and awkaes the next morning with a strange mark on her neck and a growing insanity! Directed by Tim Shrum.
It's a mixed bag of monsters, psychos, strangulation, catfights and blood!
TWISTED FATES, along with my short SCENT OF THE SASQUATCH, will be screened as part of the Mid-Valley Video Festival on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. at the Northern Lights Theatre Pub in Salem, Oregon. Sweet! Here's a trailer!
As usual, I have too many projects going at the same time. Waiting for some DVDs to arrive in the mail, waiting to hear back on a potential screening, working bit by bit on re-editing some old projects, have a couple of drawing projects going. News coming soon!!!
Last year, I was talking to Tom Shaffer, who played Dr. Mobius in my half-hour sci-fi horror movie DIMENSION OF BLOOD back in 1995.
He had delivered a pizza to a woman who bore a striking resemblance to the character of Leroy the janitor in DOB, and Tom suggested that I make a sequel featuring this woman as Leroy's long lost sister or something.
(Brian, who played Leroy, along with Brenda and Tom behind the scenes of Dimension of Blood)
At the time I was neck-deep in projects and said that I just didn't have the time.
He replied, "Well, you should let ME make it."
I thought about it for a moment. I have long had an idea for a sequel or more accurately, an idea for a remake of the first one with a second and third act added. But I hadn't really made any moves towards making that and wasn't sure I ever would. Considering that it would be 'interesting" to see how he would interpret the world and mythos I had created year ago, I said, "Why not?"
Tom worked on writing, casting, directing and editing his 40-minute sequel to DOB over many months and we finally had a little premiere party for it at his house late last year.
Since then, Tom has continued to write some spin-off shorts that are set in this DOB2 world that he's created. That's kind of far out!
Here are a few screen caps from DOB 2:
Meanwhile, I spent some time last year remastering three of my early flicks, including Dimension of Blood, with the intention of putting them out on a DVD together. It's a bit of a back burner project right now, but I hope to get it done sometime in the first half of this year.
Very busy in the non-movie parts of my life, but making progress here and there. Last night I took care of some more Blood Creek Woodsman pick-up shots as well as inserts for a horror short I am remastering. Spitting blood onto a tree, my driveway and a piece of plastic - good times!!! Also gave the burned body prop a first coat of paint.
Another year has flown by. I was able to make some progress on a number of movie projects and am feeling pretty good about getting more projects wrapped up in 2012.
Twisted Fates - Mid-Valley Video Festival in Salem, Oregon screened the "Welcome Sister" segment earlier this year. Screened the trailer at the Underbelly premiere in December. Designed the DVD sleeve and imprint. Final post-production is done! Will be released on DVD in early 2012!
Truly Dreadful Tales - After I finally found out after several months that the original person hadn't shot a dang thing for the "Crazed" segment, I told them to just forget it. I set Tim Shrum (of http://kidschlocko.blogspot.com) up to shoot it. He made some cool props and shot some nifty catfighting! I spent the end of the year getting that segment edited and scored. I also did the music and sound effects for the "BeetleManiac" segment. Designed the DVD sleeve and imprint as well. Checking the final DVD master and plan to have it available in early 2012!
Underbelly - After being out of stock for years, I re-released this at the end of the year with a snazzy new cover and put together a trailer for it. Available in the store. Held a successful premiere screening/dvd release at Northern Lights Theater Pub in Salem, Oregon in December.
Blood Creek Woodsman - Shot some pick-up shots and worked on a snazzy paper mache burned up body prop. Still a few more pick-up shots left to get and then it's off to the editor!
Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires - Held a screening in February at The Club, a bar we shot parts of the movie at in Winlock, Washington. The next night, Two-Minute Miracle, who performed the title theme for the movie, played at the same bar. Good times! Copies available in the store (under distributor's new title Inbred Redneck Vampires).
Deadly Premonitions - Finally released at the beginning of this year. Cut a new trailer for it. Held a screening at Northern Lights Theater Pub in Salem, Oregon in March. Copies available in the store.
Dimension of Blood, Monster in the Garage and Crimson Heather - Planning a DVD-r triple-feature release of these older projects from 1995-98 or so. Remastering as best I can from 3/4" videotape originals and have spent a LOT of time fixing a lot of sound issues. Designed sleeve and dvd imprint, created photo gallery and edited DOB behind-the-scenes featurette. To be released in early 2012.
Beneath a Dead Moon - Started work on this anthology of some of my horror shorts. A few recent ones, a few from years ago. Have been importing old footage, tweaking sound issues, re-scoring, etc. Will be nice to get these out on DVD for folks to see! I wrote/shot/edited/scored a bigfoot short, "Shriek of the Sasquatch" this summer. Decided to go ahead and post this one online to share, but it will be part of this anthology as well.
In other people's movies news, I shot a sequence for a new monster movie from WAVE Video. I got to be a tiny part of Luc Bernier's horror anthology HATE by playing Fred, a voice heard on a phone. It was cool because I recorded myself reading the lines in my kid's bedroom, imported the footage into my computer, made a quicktime file, e-mailed it off to the editor and about 20 minutes later, I was in the movie! I'm also acting as a producer on an upcoming horror anthology (working title Abberations).
Wrote a fun horror short and finished outlining a horror comedy script I've been working on.
Did some cartoon illustration this year: a couple of t-shirt designs as well as some possible art for a horror RPG. Also did some logo design.
Spent Spring Break in San Diego visiting friends and got to check out Legoland, the zoo and SeaWorld. My sister got married this summer and I was in the wedding plus helped with a bunch of stuff and made a nice photo gallery dvd that we played at the reception. Even sold a few movie posters! http://skullfaceastronaut.com/drsquid/postersforsale.html
