The swirly carpet in the lobby of the Darkside Cinema in Corvallis, Oregon, where we held a cast & crew double screening for EVIL RISING and A KNIFE IN THE DARK on June 8, 2024.
Amanda, Rob and Bob, all stars of EVIL RISING.
Donna and Rick
Emily and Chris
Ian and Kate from A KNIFE IN THE DARK and Caitlin from the Darkside Cinema.
15 years after we shot it, EVIL RISING is finally done and being shown on the big screen!
EVIL RISING cast and crew. After all of these years most of the cast has moved away!
Getting ready to show A KNIFE IN THE DARK on the big screen.
Cast and crew in attendance for A KNIFE IN THE DARK.
Informal pizza party after the screening. What a great day!
Earlier this year, I was asked to design some horror-themed collector pins. Three designs were ultimately chosen and I piggy-backed on the company's order to get some Skullface Astronaut pins as well (glow-in-the-dark, of course). I have several sets of 4 available for $35 (includes shipping within the USA) - check out the pic and drop me a line at skullfaceastronaut@gmail.com if you are interested! If you are interested in just the Skullface Astronaut pin, go to the bottom of this page: http://www.skullfaceastronaut.com/drsquid/order.html
More tales from the infamous lost thirteenth issue of a fictional genre magazine!
Featuring Bryn Kristi, Jackey Neyman Jones, Jewel Siren, Emilynn, Tonjia Atomic, Bob Olin, Donna Rooney, Joseph Voegele, Ruby Solace, John Bowker, Dale Wilson and many more!
Chock full of ghosts, exorcisms, demonic horror weirdness and even an adaption of H.P. Lovecraft's "Cool Air."
I was asked a few times about collecting the various H.P. Lovecraft adaptations and Lovecraftian stores that I have done into one collection and I finally made time to do it. Featuring a creepy intro by my pal John, you can find it here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thelovecraftcollection - it includes:
CARTER: Adapted from “The Statement of Randolph Carter,” a man recounts discovering weird artifacts and beings and how his partner disappeared, while questioning his own sanity;
THE CURSE OF PELICAN BAY: A writer goes to a beach house to get away from it all and write, but after discovering a box full of old clippings about a local legend of horror, she can’t get it out of her mind;
COOL AIR: Adapted from “Cool Air,” a woman rents an apartment in the city and soon meets the strange doctor living above her, and discovers the doctor’s stranger secret;
JUST BEYOND THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE: A podcaster enters the life of an expert in the occult and bizarre. Next, an ancient book arrives, along with many mysterious figures who are after it;
PICKMAN’S MODEL: Adapted from “Pickman’s Model,” a tortured artist has lost his edge and does some life drawings on the advice of his gallery owner friend. When a model disappears, her roommate digs deeper than she expected with horrifying results.
Again, these shorts are all part of previously released projects (see the VOD description for details), but for those who JUST want to Lovecraftian stuff, they are collected here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thelovecraftcollection
Greetings, my friends. You are interested in the bizarre, the odd, the strange…
Explore the sci-fi/horror universe of Skullface Astronaut in TWO BRAND-NEW COLLECTOR BOX SETS!
"The Skullface Astronaut Collection" features 6 movies s on blu-ray for the very first time, packed with extras and featuring all-new artwork, and includes
DRIFTER
ODD NOGGINS
BEYOND THE WALL OF FEAR
DARK ZONE THIRTEEN
CHANNEL 99
and DARK ZONE THIRTEEN PART TWO
You could also delve into DVD with "The Skullface Astronaut Ten Pack" dvd box set - beautiful women, horrifying creatures, and buckets of blood splashed across 10 DVDs including:
Limited edition signed & numbered big box clamshell VHS of my horror flick DRIFTER, limited to only 30 copies! - https://poserrot.storenvy.com/products/32476345-joe-sherlock-skullface-astronaunts-drifter-vhs
CHANNEL 99 is my homage to watching pay cable network Showtime in the early to mid-80s along with local tv channels with their afternoon and late might movies - it's an anthology of horror and sci-fi stories all wrapped together by a fake cable channel.
Does it have werewolves, shower scenes, hot tubs, sexy ghosts, spaceships, aliens, serial killers, witches, girls making out, zombies, monsters, Jackey Neyman Jones, Link Masters, my dog AND Mr. Birch?
It sure as hell does!!!
In fact, this is pretty much a great overview of all the wild and wacky stuff that I've crammed into all the Skullface Astronaut movies.
After seeing an early cut of this movie, one viewer commented, "This may be the most Joe of the Joe movies."
I've got packages with other dvds, my graphic novel, glow-in-the-dark baseball cap, etc. but this time around I've got 6 SPECIAL pre-order offerings…
The final story in CHANNEL 99 is called "Pickman's Model," my own modern adaption of the H.P. Lovecraft short story. In it, I play Pickman, a troubled artist who paints rather spooky artwork. I actually painted 6 paintings for the art gallery scenes, and am offering them as a part of these 6 packages.
Since they are ONE-OF-A-KIND original paintings, I am using Ebay auctions as a way to list them. The above page on my site has pics and details, but the purchase link will take you over to the auction listings.
It was a challenge to finish this with all the pandemic lockdowns. About 3/4 of it was done before the mid-March lockdowns here in Oregon. I recent months, I rewrote stories and came up with new ones that had tiny casts, and in some cases could be shot without all cast there at one time. I had to take it bit by bit, but now I'm ready to unleash my love letter to early 80s pay cable and local indie tv stations to the world.
Go behind the scenes for the making of several indie horror movies: see how things are done and how much fun is had on set! Blood fx, fight choreography, make-up, props, shower scenes, hot tubs, monsters and more! Plus some bloopers thrown in for good measure.
Peek behind the scenes of DARK ZONE THIRTEEN, DRIFTER, BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN, TWISTED FATES, DEADLY PREMONITIONS and UNDERBELLY. Settle in and get ready for blood, boobs and beasts as we take you...behind the helmet!
It's hard to believe that 2 decades have gone by since the release of the indie horror cult hit THE EVILMAKER. Starring the voluptuous scream queen Stephanie Beaton and indie girl Felicia Pandolfi, writer/director John Bowker's horror opus garnered coverage from Draculina magazine to B-Independent and countless other websites. Arrow In The Head raved, "Ambitious effort strikes chords most small budget offerings don’t try to hit...Stephanie Beaton’s best performance ever!"
This special release is the excellent double feature disc put out by Tempe Video, including THE EVILMAKER and ABOMINATION: EVILMAKER II features, plus great extras including the fantastic 44-minute documentary on the making of ABOMINATION. A new dvd sleeve, marking the 20th anniversary of the original's release, is signed by writer/director John Bowker and LIMITED TO JUST 30 COPIES and over half are already gone! As a special bonus for this limited edition, a dvd of John's other Tempe Video release, PLATOON OF THE DEAD will also be included.
The flick I shot as "THINGS 6" has been retitled and is a part of the new THINGS BOX SET - 5 blu-rays plus a special mystery dvd included. For details, message producer David Sterling over at https://www.facebook.com/david.sterling.167
So these two filmmakers do a series where they like to shit all over other filmmakers.
They'd previously said of a movie I worked on:
- Garbage
- Produced by an asshole
- How much were they smoking for this?
- Ridiculed production company name
- Ridiculed director's name
- Ridiculed actresses names
- Ridiculed actor's names
- Ridiculed actor's appearance
- Sarcastically called practical fx "really decent CG, there."
- Oh jeez, this sucks, this movie sucks, just not a good movie at all not even remotely good
- Called the production company we hired to do cgi fx 'a porno company'
- That movie really fucking sucked
- It sucks, don't watch it
- A slog to sit through, it's boring, the acting is shoddy and terrible, the picture quality is also non-existent
- the picture quality is absolutely shit
- Man, it's just terrible.
I just found out they have shit all over another film I worked on. Of this one, they said:
"Sweet Zombie Jesus, this one is fucking awful…To say this movie is a mess is like saying that water quenches your thirst…The characters have little to make them interesting, and any character development is revealed in a very haphazard way…When you add in the flat acting of most of the cast, you really don’t care if any of them live or die…The whole film is slow, confusing, and dull…neither suspenseful, nor fun. It’s a haphazard and dull mess of a film that took its gloriously awful origin, and took a big shit on it. I certainly wish I had been trapped in a happy memory instead of watching this turd."
But then, they also hope that FILMMAKERS WILL PAY THEM MONEY TO ADVERTISE ON THEIR SHOW because they also posted this: "Do you have a movie, a web series, a DVD or something to promote? Consider advertising on an episode (or two) of Terribly Awful. With affordable rates and an ever growing viewership, you can do a lot worse."
If you are a filmmaker why the hell would you EVER pay these guys to promote your project when the whole point of their series is to make fun of and shit all over other filmmakers?
The thing is, from what I can tell, these guys have made three short films, a bunch of series episodes, music videos, behind-the-scenes bits, etc., and their website lists plans for three features, more shorts and web series. I would think that by this point, they would know how hard it is to make an indie movie of any sort.
Which makes it just profoundly sad that, while knowing the miracle it often is to complete an indie film, all the long hours, troubleshooting and all the time and heart that many people have put into it, they still get their kicks by making a series that is just them shitting all over other filmmakers' work.
I'm the first to say that everyone has a right to their opinion and also the right to express it. These guys can be as harsh as they want and share their videos all over the place. No one HAS to like anything I've worked on.
One of the best comments I saw on my original post about this was, "The first thing I do when trying to break into a field is crap all over the work of my peers, or my hopeful future peers even."
No-budget filmmakers have gone on to start many of the small distribution companies, both physical and streaming. The filmmaker whose very name or production company name or wife's name is made fun of may be in charge of the film festival you submit to. They may be very good friends with any number of actors, fx people, composers or other production folks you try to hire.
When you are trying to drum up business taking headshots, doing video production, photographic art projects, commercial work, green screen or technical support, you may find that the business owner you are courting was the money man for his nephew's low-budget movie that you shit on.
When you try to drum up business on your website by saying, "If you have a story to tell, or want to be a storyteller, we want to hear from you," you may need to add, "unless you are a storyteller who has made movies that we call an 'atrocity,' a 'big DUMP,' tear to shreds and flush right down the cinematic toilet, etc."
When you do manage to get distribution for your movie or self-distribute and start posting all over FB groups trying to get other filmmakers and fans to help spread the word about your movie being available, you may find that a bunch of them tell you to go fuck yourself, either because of something you said about them or a filmmaker they consider a peer, friend or family member.
You never know.
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Updated the ol' sizzle reel with stuff I've done in the last 5 years. So hard to squeeze stuff in! But hopefully you get the vibe.
It's a ridiculous and sleazy horror comedy shot mostly on VHS and now it's on an extra-packed DVD from the fine folks at SOV Horror - http://kunaki.com/MSales.asp?PublisherId=152181
Special Features include:
Director’s Audio Commentary
Alternate Censored Version Hosted By 8-Ball Amy
Interviews Director Joe Sherlock
Interview With Cast Member Alexandra Paris
Bonus Short - Crazed
Bonus Short - The Channel 12 Movie Uncut
Blooper Reel
Behind The Scenes Stills Gallery
SOVHORROR.COM Trailer Vault
Insert Featuring Original Warlock Video Art
Available On DVD-R From SOVHORROR.COM:
http://kunaki.com/MSales.asp?PublisherId=152181
Two hot lesbian vampires are picking up victims at a local rock club and having a bloody good time! Meanwhile, Professor Bartel is mourning the mysterious death of his daughter, bugging local detectives about the case. He may be angry about their lack of progress, but is he really a “mad” scientist? Check out this deliciously sleazy shot-on-video gem from the Warlock Home Video Vault to find out!!!
Had a swell time talking with fellow filmmaker Sean Weathers about owning a comic book store, illustrating a graphic novel, making indie horror movies and all kinds of stuff! Check it out!
The snazzy folks at Poser Rot bring you this kick-ass big box clamshell limited edition signed & numbered VHS release of BEYOND THE WALL OF FEAR! This sweet release that comes with a pill bottle of beyondthewalloffearicillin, Poser Rot dvd and other swell extras. Only 25 made!
Strange experiments…Mysterious monsters…Lovecraftian horror…Telekinetic Bloodletting…Ravenous Insanity…These are merely a sampling of what lies…BEYOND THE WALL OF FEAR!
Eight twisted tales envelope you in the dark evil that whispers just below the surface of reality…
Featuring Jackey Neyman Jones from Manos: The Hands of Fate, Tom Griffith from The Alien Factor and Nightbeast, and George Stover from The Alien Factor and Nightbeast.
A film I co-produced and was director of photography on is now available to stream on Amazon Prime! MANOS RETURNS is the sequel to the 1966 cult movie "Manos: The Hands of Fate," a favorite on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Tom Neyman returns as "The Master," as does Diane Mahree Rystad as Margaret and Jackey Neyman Jones as Debbie.
In MANOS RETURNS, "Four friends get lost on a road trip and stumble on a hidden cult lead by the sinister Master and his servant Torgo. As they try to escape, they get caught up in the power struggle between Debbie, given to Manos as a child 50 years ago, her mother Maggie, and the other souls twisted by their time serving the dark god."
Hey there everyone,
Well, with events being cancelled left and right, I'm still here plugging away trying to get stuff done.
3 weeks ago was the first time, actually, that a shoot had to be postponed due to someone's fears about COVID-19. Wow. Travel plans for someone involved in a top-secret feature project (that came together so quickly I had not even mentioned it here yet) changed, then 2 people dropped out. I could tell that more would likely drop out as well, so I called the feature off for now. That weekend, the governor declared gatherings I would have done to film thing thing illegal, so I guess just as well. Hopefully it is something I can do later in the year.
So what's been going on?
THINGS 6 - So close! I shot some good stuff with director/actress Tonjia Atomic a couple of weeks back, as well as the main part of the wrap-around. Got the opening sequence finished and also a cool initial sequence that I think people will get a kick out of. I had shot it few weeks back but had skipped one shot, figuring I could pick it up later. Well, then all the new rules started up - so, a few days later, I tromped way into the woods by myself, set up the camera, put on the costume and got the one shot I needed. That allowed me to finish editing the sequence in addition to locking in the music and doing some special effects. Have done a lot of sound effects and color work. Pretty much everything I can do until I can get together with a few actors to do a day or day and a half of shooting to wrap it up.
My band ZIPSQUID (http://www.joesherlockart.com/zipsquid) had recorded 11 songs and bits of music for THINGS 6, and I'm also working in a few of our previously recorded songs. It's working out really well. Here is a short song (it was actually a recording we did as a sound check, which is why it was just part of the song) that I sweetened up and is used in the movie: https://soundcloud.com/user-762948902/calling-for-you-1
THINGS 7 - I shot part of this back in November of last year just because a few people's schedules aligned. I'll kick this into high gear once THINGS 6 is completed, and I can get together with people again.
CHANNEL 99 - Just a couple of months ago, I got the idea to gather together some of the shorts I have done in recent years into a new collection. Initially I thought of some old VHS tapes being the framing device. But then I was talking to a few actresses about their availability for some other stuff and realized I could shoot a short we'd been all set to make 2 years ago and due to last-minute scheduling conflicts had to be cancelled. So we managed to get that segment shot in one long day, and it turned out so well, I decided to add it to this collection of recent shorts.
Well, then the vibe sort of changed and I got the idea to use a fake pay-cable channel as the framing device and CHANNEL 99 was born! Having Showtime when I was in middle and high school exposed me to all sort of flicks and it's been fun to create some similar bumpers and fake commercials for Channel 99, inspired by the late-80s ones on Showtime.
Things sort of continued to morph and I've ended up shooting two more new segments to go into the movie! I'm just editing along on this while stuck at home and it's nearly done. However, there are a couple of critical scenes I need to get with an actress in Portland and she's staying at home for the time being so, I'm just kind of stuck getting the last bits I need for it. As soon as I can get it wrapped up, I'll be sure to let y'all know!!
Had fun helping my friend Floydman Sumner put together a commercial for his new self-published trading cards THE ROCKING DEAD! Check it out here: http://www.therockingdead.com/index.html
I posted about actress/director/dancer/artist Amira Lyn the other day on Facebook, and that she had been working on a film from a screenplay I wrote called BAD ILLUSIONS, based on a story by Luc Bernier. Amira gave me an update: "Still have 2 small scenes to film and once this virus goes away I can finally get it done and edited." Excellent!
This blog is movie stuff for the most part, so I'll just stick to those highlights:
Amazingly, at the beginning of January I decided to make a new movie to show at Crypticon Seattle - which was the first weekend in May!
A mere four months later, DARK ZONE THIRTEEN was done and premiered at the con. A horror anthology of stories I wrote, with 4 segments directed my me and 2 by Joseph Voegele/Jon Stone and Filip Hanzek, it was a big hit!
Extended making-of featurette about "The Doll" segment from DARK ZONE THIRTEEN (spoilers!): https://vimeo.com/359907377
I also did a cool illustrated Axemas 2 poster for director John Ward.
Also in January, I sold out of the limited edition Skullface Astronaut Box Sets!
Meanwhile, I'm sold out of DEADLY PREMONITIONS DVDs and am just about out of UNDERBELLY discs as well. Still wondering if I should get more ordered or just leave it as available on VOD only. Hmmm...
This year I was thrilled to contribute a bunch of voiceovers as well as the title character's mask for John Oak Dalton's second microcinema release, SCARECROW COUNTY.
In February, I set up the joesherlockart.com domain for my freelance illustration and design biz.
In April, my horror short feature DIMENSION OF BLOOD (shot in 1995-96!) screened at Portland, Oregon's historic Hollywood Theater as a part of their Repressed Cinema series.
DARK ZONE THIRTEEN held its theatrical premiere at Portland, Oregon's historic Clinton Street Theater on Saturday, June 29, 2020!
Also in June, I did a 90-minute google hangout interview with David Strege and it was great fun going over so many of my flicks: https://youtu.be/m6TJoazc0SM
Also in June, I made a deal for a big box clamshell release of DARK ZONE THIRTEEN from Poser Rot Productions in California, and shortly after it was released, it sold out! Working on another limited edition release with them for 2020...
In July, I started shooting my latest project, THINGS 6for Sterling Entertainment!
In August, I got THE EVILMAKER and ABOMINATION: EVILMAKER II added to the Skullface Astronaut VOD channel. Plans are afoot for DVD re-release in 2020 with a new, 20th anniversary sleeve artwork. Stay tuned!
Also in August I was a guest at Destiny City Comics' FreakyCon 5 along with indie director Tonjia Atomic and actress Jackey Neyman Jones. It was a great day! Tonjia even did a quick interview with me for her youtube series:
In August cool video shop The Gorehound's Playground in Fort Collins, Colorado showed BLOOD CREEK WOODSMAN, DARK ZONE THIRTEEN, ODD NOGGINS and THINGS 5: STRANGE MONSTERS for a cool Skullface Astronaut weekend in their theater room!
October saw the premiere of the "Homegrown Horrors" event - a Skullface Astronaut horror title each Tuesday night for 4 weeks in a row at Corvallis, Oregon's indie Darkside Cinema.
We had cast and crew Q and A, prize drawings and even gave out free posters at the last show:
Continuing the celebration of horror in October, BEYOND THE WALL OF FEAR screened at Portland, Oregon's historic Clinton Street Theater. Fun Q and A and great to see it on the big screen again.
I went to HP Lovecraft Film Fest first weekend in October and it was fantastic! Lots of fun with my buddies Mike and Rob, and special guests Roger Corman and Richard Stanley were fun and inspiring. Just plain great weekend.
Also in October, I saw Joe Bob Briggs' "How Rednecks Saved Hollywood" presentation in Portland and it was really, really great!
I am still working on THINGS 6, but a few schedules aligned in November, so I shot one segment for THINGS 7 - with lots of slime!
In December, I did Salem, Oregon's Crossroads Comic Con and had a great time.
I had some cool gigs with my garage rock band ZIPSQUID and looking forward to more in 2020.
In 2019, I got to see KISS, Iron Maiden and Steel Panther - all great shows!
So, 2020 - all I can say is I am going to try and make this a fun, successful year - making movies, making music and being thankful for great friends.
