Nightmare Sound Lab is dedicated to all things Horror and SciFi in music, art, movies, comics, and culture. At Nightmare Sound Laboratory there is a monster in every room and a robot doorman to guide the way.
Mad science is the only science studied here, and outlandish sonic experiments are the rule, not the exception.
Thoughts and observations on extreme indie film production and the collaboration bridging filmmakers from two continents to create two horror films and the documentary “HARDCORE INDIE”, a project by
Oklahoma Ward, Nikki Alonso (U.S.) and David P Baker (Scotland)
UPDATE: Project achieved 103% Funding Goal within last 24 hours of deadline!!!CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU INDIE FILM FRIENDS
WHO BACKED AND SUPPORTED HARDCORE INDIE
Over the last few years the nature of the film and entertainment industry has gone from difficult to…well, difficult. For people who truly need to make films and create art, those who are really putting their energy into it, the challenges remain the same…always daunting, but rarely insurmountable to those with the time and perseverance to endure.
While financial constraint and economies have thrown some speed bumps into the process, social media, crowd sourcing and affordable filmmaking technology have thrown out a lifeline. Talk is cheap and money may be hard to find, but what gets films made is ACTION.
Real people, beyond hype and talk, dedicated to learning and executing a craft with the caliber of storytelling and filmmaking that will make their work stand out in the minds of their audience amidst an ocean of filmmakers trying to do the same.
Amidst this ocean Oklahoma Ward, Nikki Alonso and David Paul Baker and their unique project HARDCORE INDIE has leapt out at my consciousness from the Twitterverse and other social media avenues. The Hardcore Indie project is, in its scope, more than simply a campaign to create a film.
HARDCORE INDIE brings Scottish filmmaker David Paul Baker to Tulsa Oklahoma to embark upon a project of collaboration on two independent horror films { CRAWL and SCREEN } in the spirit of the Drive-In Cinema double feature experience AND to make a transparent document of the trials and tribulations of the process.
There is an edge of danger in the mere undertaking, as everything in filmmaking can so often go in unexpected directions and money (or the need for it) is an ever-present spectre looming. I think it was that sheer level of utter transparency that I observed in these filmakers (independently at first) that led me to believe so strongly in this project.
While David was engaged with trying to move his MISSION X project to the next level, we had several brief conversations regarding the movie consistent with everything he says and his video blogs online. The combination of experience and the sheer level of honesty and transparency about his own work was refreshing and is precisely the kind of person you could trust in a filmmaking scenario where there is no room for blowing smoke rings for ego’s sake.
Meanwhile Oklahoma Ward and Nikki Alonso were posting video logs on the making of the film CRAWL which gradually shifted to an actual LIVE FEED. Here is where I was sold on Oklahoma Ward as a filmmaker. The way he dealt with vendors on the phone. As unsexy an aspect of filmmaking as that could possibly be, that was what let me know this guy might really have what it takes to get into this truly challenging industry.
Live Video streaming by Ustream
Because filmmaking is so much more than the artificial and glorified perception most people (who don’t actually work in the biz) have. It can be a horribly soul sucking endeavor for those who don’t have what it takes to tackle the business aspect of creation. It can mean seemingly endless hours of very unsexy thankless chores and months if not years of sacrifice and investment. It’s not about fraternizing with actors and walking red carpets and champagne. It’s not about becoming a star or winning awards, and it is definitely NOT about waiting around for someone from Hollywood to come around and give you permission to make your film.
Filmmaking is about taking ACTION, action that moves you toward achieving the creative and financial goals that will allow one’s art to be manifested in the world on a level that is meaningful to the individual artists involved.
So this month I pay special tribute to HARDCORE INDIE. Please support this project and these filmmakers however you can. If you are tired of waiting and wading through what Hollywood is putting out for some good fun films, then TAKE ACTION and help filmmakers themselves bring it to you directly! Check it out for yourself. If you believe in it too, donate and/or spread the word.
Suffice it to say these filmmakers have been Nightmare Sound Laboratory Approved!
Cut out the TV stations and Hollywood Studios as middlemen. Be a part of a new way of doing things where you can take direct action in bringing the films you want to see to life. Both filmmakers and fans can find a satisfaction from this approach that goes far beyond waiting around to read what’s playing in the newspaper and TV schedules.
You can hear more from these filmmakers in the replay of their 4/8/11 interview on Rex Sikes Movie Beat
Big Ups to current supporters of HARDCORE INDIE on Kickstarter
who have provided 61% of the budget as of posting of this blog:
04/08/11 - ONLY 5 DAYS left to reach Budget!!!
Please help if you can!
Many Thanks!
T. Reed – Composer/Sound Designer/Music Producer @TAOXproductions www.taoxproductions.com
T. Reed interviews Hart D. Fisher“The Scariest Man in America” - Part 2.
Hart D. Fisher is the darkly creative Horror entrepreneur behind the comic publishing company {Boneyard Press}. He is also a writer, filmmaker, an avid Martial Artist and currently the Host of "American Horrors". You can catch Part 1 of this interview at FilmCourage.com
Part Two of this interview includes more discussion about Boneyard Press, Hart’s work with Verotik and Glenn Danzig, the infamous Jeffrey Dahmer comic, and his time spent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
While not everyone knows it, it is fairly common knowledge that between Wisconsin and Illinois there is a sort of “Bermuda Triangle” of three of the most notorious serial killers of all time! Ed Gien, the real life inspiration for Wisconsin author Robert Bloch’s “Psycho” (as made famous by Hitchcock and Anthony Perkins), “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Deranged” and others), Jeffery Dahmer (who tried to make “real” zombies out of his victims through back room lobotomy), and (just to the South) in Chicago, the infamous John Wayne Gacy for whom killing was just a matter of “clowning around”.
TR:As a Milwaukee native I am of course interested in how you came to the creation of the controversial “Jeffrey Dahmer”comic biography and what your interactions in Milwaukee were like. You also “did time” at Milwaukee’s Metal Fest and had a legal conflict with Miller Brewing Company.Could you tell us briefly about your experiences (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?
HDF One of my old childhood friends, Dan Madsen, had just recently sold off his comic book company, Northstar (the original home of splatter classic Faust), but he still had the publishing itch. Since Dan knew I had just started up Boneyard Press, and we’d known each other since grade school, he called me up and suggested that I do something similar to the Nancy Reagan/Kitty Kelly bio book, only with serial killers and in comic book format. It was Dan who suggested I check out Jeffrey Dahmer.
By this point in my life, I was pretty bored with serial killers. I’d been reading about them, researching them since I was a tween. Hell, I even took some abnormal psyche classes in school, both my parents had degrees in psyche so I grew up around psycho babble, doing a piece on just another serial killer didn’t really appeal to me. So when I did get around to checking into the Dahmer case I was absolutely appalled at the distortions going on and the relentless marketing of this scumbag pedophile as some kind of handsome intriguing dark heartthrob. It was sickening. I decided I would do a very dry “just the facts, Ma’am” kind of a book and I hired a newspaper illustrator to draw the book. I did the best I could to handle a distasteful subject and handle it as tastefully as possible, while being true to the facts of the crimes.
When the book came out, a reporter in Milwaukee bought copies and then ambush-interviewed the victims’ families at their homes. I mean, this is exactly the kind of wreckless shitty behavior by the television media I was criticizing in the book. The families were very upset about my comic book. In their minds, comics were for kids. Then the “local community leaders” got into the act and started using the victims’ cache for their own political gains and to get on television. It was an awful thing to watch, let alone be in the middle of.
Hart Fisher On Sally Jesse Raphael Show 1993 - This round goes to Mr. Fisher!
I tried to have fun with this media bad guy thing but it got real ugly real fast. Death threats, vandalism, businesses refused to work with me anymore like my local copy shop. My house was robbed because the assholes in the local news broadcasted to the town that I’d left town to do a Fangoria Horror Convention. At the convention I found out that my house was robbed and now that too was on the news, in fact, it was a CBS news team that found my place busted into.
I’d been to Milwaukee plenty for conventions and promotions and always had a good time there, except for the court dates, those were humiliating. This included time at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, I mean, metal fans rule, man; they’ve always supported me all the way. That’s why I’m down with the fucking metal. When I needed them, the metal heads were there for me. They scooped me up off the ground, put a fistful of booze in my hand, and sent me back out into the fight. That means the world to me.
It’s just the last time I was at MMF that was brutal. The longer the Dahmer controversy went on, the more I was getting hunted and attacked. I had two different stalkers in Champaign, Illinois where I was living. One was a gay ex-marine who tried to spook me, stalkin’ me out at the local Goth bar hang. Another was a female stalker who liked to dress up as the killer from Brian DePalma’s Dressed to Kill, the one with Michael Caine, she’d stand across the room at Comic Conventions and stare at me.
The more television shows I did, the more death threats poured in, particularly from Milwaukee. When I came up for the last MMF show, it was the summer of ’93 and it was one week after Michele had been killed and I was out of my mind nuts, packing a .357 revolver in my briefcase. I was stone cold out of my mind crazy. Sure, I sold a ton of shirts and comics at the show, but I didn’t know who was there for the show and who had a shiv meant for me.
Dahmer Cue Pt.1 - Protest March on Comic Publisher Hart Fisher's Home
Frankly, I don’t remember much from that weekend at all, it’s just one red hazy blur.
As for Miller Brewing… Same old shit. A dick sucking reporter, looking to stir up trouble, bought a couple of my Jeffrey Dahmer: Milwaukee’s Best t-shirts and sent them to Miller Brewing to get a reaction out of them. Heehehehe… That got a reaction out of them all right, Miller Brewing sent me a cease & desist order. I was tired of being in court so I said fuck that one. Hell, I can’t deny I took the logo for the shirt right off of a case of Milwaukee’s Best and slightly altered it.
Slightly…
Man, I laughed so hard when I got the cease & desist… I had that thing taped up to my fridge for at least a year after that…
Hart Fisher with Martial Arts Trainers Gokor and Bas Rutten
HDF: I’m returning to comics sooner than you think.
Clint Scott hired me to write his new series, Splatter Saint, I’m finishing up the writing chores on the first issue right now. He’s asked me to deliver to him the HAMMER; much like Glenn Danzig did when I brought him “A Taste of Cherry” for Verotika #4, so I’m bringing him something really dark, twisted and fucked up. It’s going to damage some fan boys out there for sure...
But to answer your question about comics and movie making… When you publish comic books on a monthly basis it’s much like managing your own mini-film studio. You have creative teams on your “features”. You have monthly deadlines you have to hit, ad campaigns that you have to create, manage, and gauge how well they do or don’t do… You have to be able to manage people well. You have to be able to budget, to plan for and overcome obstacles… You ship your “Prints” to your “Theaters”, just like you do in film.
Comics is actually a merciless business full of jealous back stabbing social rejects who don’t know how to interact with each other well… Don’t get me wrong... it’s a funny world too, full of awesome people, funny guys and artists… But Jesus jumpin’ Christ, do you deal with a lot of gossipy little girls who’re afraid of interacting with real human beings, who are threatened easily, who guard their turf like it’s their own personal fiefdom, and not a lot of insight of ability to laugh at themselves… You know, Hollywood without the pussy and the big money…
Yeah, I’d say comics is a nice starting business before getting into Film and Television, but you better be ready to play rough in the entertainment business, you better be ready for fuckin’ war in the gutters and death from above… but to me, they’re weak, they’re staggered and stunned… They’re ripe for a fall, for the blade, for my fire. I’ve got high tolerance for pain and pressure just pushes me to do better work. The more you pile on the pressure, the better and sharper I function. I mean, I started Boneyard Press while going to college full time, writing & drawing the books and training six days a week, 2 hours a day for my Black Belt test in Tae Kwan Do. A guy who does that for FUN is a driven dude.
Comics, I’ll come back to comics when I’ve got money to burn and unleash bloody hellfire like they’ve never seen. One thing I truly learned from running Verotik with Glenn Danzig’s muscle behind me vs. being the Boneyard Press outlaw- Money talks. Money changes the game, changes the rules, all of them. Everything else is window dressing. Hell, I’ve been working with Glenn again as his editor, and he’s been teaching me more and more about navigating Hollyweird and the entertainment game. How’s that for an advisor? Glenn’s been very generous with his time, he’s watched everything I’ve given to him, he’s given me sharp constructive criticism of the American Horrors show that I’ve incorporated into the American Horrors Mobile Network.
You name me one other fucking horror company with a guy like Glenn motherfuckin’ Danzig giving advice. Name one… go ahead. I’ve got a lot of sharp, experienced people behind me on American Horrors. That’s a major game changer.
Boneyard Press was my one man vendetta to be the scariest publisher of comics EVER. I brought a unique voice to horror with Boneyard Press, one that slipped under the radar, touched people where they didn’t expect to be touched. I started the careers of a slew of creators (like My Chemical Romance front man Garry Way, Village Voice critical darling and foster care reform advocate Stephen Elliott, Top Ten Wizard artist John Cassaday) in comics and I aim to apply that same ability to spot and develop talent to use at American Horrors. I’ve formed alliances with the tastemakers in the horror film festival game, and they’re steering me the talent. American Horrors is backed with serious professionals who bring their wealth of experiences and business relationships to my plate. I’m being groomed for the boardroom and the media world by serious men who’ve taken an interest in me and my vision for American Horrors.
It’s a great day to be alive and walking in my shoes. I’m doing everything I want to do with all the people I grew up respecting and wanting to work with. That’s the result of hard, hard work that people have noticed, a lot of pros have been waiting years for me to find my way out of the madness and into the light so we could have some fun, make some money, and bring down the nightmares.
You can find Part One of this interview at FilmCourage.com
I am happy to present a new feature here at Nightmare Sound Laboratory! In case you haven't guessed it by now, I sort of have a thing for Horror movies, as well as Sci-Fi,Cult, Asian Cinema and, well, just movies in general. As such I have a collection of over a thousand films, including many obscure titles. From "so bad it's good" to "so good it's terrifying" and everything in-between, I'd like to present some of my favorite picks in this feature I call "Nightmare Theater". I won't be doing reviews here 'per se', but I will present some recommendations and sufficient description to solve your movie night dilemmas. The hottest picks from my private collection, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 skulls.
Today's picks are from my Asian Cinema collection. Here are a couple of my all time favorites and definitely amongst some of the wildest films out there!
Hellevator
"Hellevator" or ("The Bottled Fools") the 2004 Japanese film written and directed by Hiroki Yamaguchi is definitely NOT for the kiddies:) It is gruesome, freakish, post-Apocalyptic cyber-punk in an elevator. This film makes M. Night Shamylan pee his bed while David Lynch laughs about it. It's weird, it's tense, and it's everything I love in a film. "A Clockwork Orange" get's stood on it's head, crammed through "1984" and dropped in to a brave New Tokyo most of which occurs while a group of strangers are trapped on an elevator with dangerous prisoners. Bored with "regular" old movies? THIS IS A MUST SEE FILM! Five Skulls!
Save the Green Planet
"Save the Green Planet" (2003) is a Korean film from the mind writer/director Joon Hwang-Jang. This Dark Comedy lives up to both characteristics to the highest degree. Again, this film is NOT for children, nonetheless it can be both heartwarming AND horrifying in the same moment. Byeong-gu (Ha-kyun Shin) suspects his boss is an Alien. With the help of his adorable hapless, naive but loyal girlfriend Kang Man-shik (Yun-shik Baek) they go to extreme measures to save the world from invasion! Madcap creepy fun! 5 Skulls!
Volcano High
Another splendid Korean film by Director Tae-gyun Kim, "Volcano High" (2001) is a fun high flying fantasy FX film about violence between rivals at WanSanGo (Volcano High). This is silly comic book fun with plenty of martial arts madness, schoolgirls who kick ass and enough mystic Kung Fu to sooth the Taoist in me. Think Battle Royal but WAY cooler! Exciting cinematography and experimental tones give this a super comic book feel! The film centers around Kyeong-su (Hyuk Jang) a transfer student known for disciplinary troubles, who must unite the students to face a greater enemy than rival gangs. The DVD comes with an English version dubbed by famous rappers (Snoop Dog, Method Man, & others); DO NOT WATCH THE ENGLISH VERSION! It ruins the movie, and whether you like those artists or not, the dubbing is sub par and the entire flow and vibe of the film is lost. There is also something about the nature of the Korean language that is so critical to the actors' performances. Definitely watch the Korean version with English subtitles. You won't regret it! You guessed it: 5 Skulls!
These are three of my all time favorites so we got 15 Skulls up on the trophy wall!
Nothing like watching a good film with some great fiends!
That's all for now, till next time at Nightmare Theater,
It's Springtime! Vampire Mob has started shooting Season Two because of all of you and that is exciting. But they could still use some more funds to ensure the completion of the new season! I am still offering the bonus music reward for all financial backers of Vampire Mob, a dowloadable 70 minute CD DJ mix of original music created by TAO X Productions studio, from cinematic horror music to electronica fit for danceclub vampires. They also have the AWESOME Vampire Mob logo and "we are all famous to a few people" T-shirts available to help support the cause!
The new season has added even more cast members you are sure to enjoy. So check out the new trailer for Season Two and whether you are new to the "VMob" or a previous supporter, please think about donating to keep making this excellent Web TV possible!
Go to their site to find out more and check out the great swag you can get for becoming a supporting producer! Read the original article below and head on over to WWW.VAMPIREMOB.COM
Q: What did the Fonz say when he met Vampire Mob? A: "Heeyyyyy!
THANK YOU! Indie Film & TV Supporters
..................................................... ORIGINAL ARTICLE - Halloween 10/31/10
This Halloween I wanted to share a GREAT web series with a dedicated cast and crew working hard to bring you a quality show well worth your time. What happens when you put writer/director Joe Wilson behind the reigns of a labor of love Vampire Comedy featuring TOP NOTCH actors and quality writing?
Vampire Mob happens!
If you haven't seen it yet, you are missing out!
The premise is stunningly simple and a great vehicle for this talented cast and crew! "Vampire Mob" revolves around the life (afterlife?) of John Colella's character, the Mobster turned Vampire, Don Grigioni...and his Family!
"He’s a hitman and a vampire, and he just found out his mother-in-law is moving in for eternity."
The series, produced by Joe Wilson & John Colella, has completed its six episode run of Season One which has featured cast members from “The Simpsons,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “Criminal Minds,” and includes John Colella, Reamy Hall, Marcia Wallace, Kirsten Vangness, Chris Mulkey, Elizabeth Beckwith, Andrea Cansler, Jim Roof and Cris DAnnunzio. Members of the VMob cast have also appeared in: The Bob Newhart Show, Twin Peaks, Friday Night Lights, CSI: NY, The West Wing, General Hospital, Bowfinger and others. Season One, I came to discover, was the entirely self-financed labor of love of Joe Wilson. Now its time for Season Two! Vampire Mob could use any help they can get financing Season Two and they would love it if their Fans themselves could directly effect the outcome by pitching in what they can! They are offering many delicious rewards for contributing to the creation of this high caliber, new media monster madness. You can contribute directly at the Vampire Mob site!
To give the VMob a hand, I have donated to help make Season Two, AND I am offering a FREE music download of wonderfully horrific Halloween appropriate music I had just put together for a Flyway Film Festival Special Backer Event - A screening of Gary King's "The Death of the Dead".
Some of this music will never be released anywhere else except for these downloads available only to the Flyway Film Fest Kickstarter backers, and now YOU, VMob supporters who donate to the Vampire Mob Season Two campaign! I even provided some sassy CD art and a track list for this Halloween DJ Mix of original music from TAO X Productions !
A little or a lot, give what you've got, if you like quality entertainment...and Vampire Mobsters,
Help keep this show Undead!!!
Contribute to Season Two and get a Vampire Mob Backer Reward that consists of a 70 minute mix of some BADASS cinematic horror and dark electronic club thumping vibes by 'your's truly' Composer T. Reed of TAO X Productions created right here in my Nightmare Sound Laboratory!
Go DONATE at the Vampire Mob Website and get your access code for this FREE DOWNLOAD. Click on the CD image below to get to download site and enter your code to access your reward!
And please, spread the word...before the sun comes up!
The Story of my Race to the “Mortuary” with Horror Director - Tobe Hooper
First let me clear a couple things up –
This was not a metaphorical race to the grave, nor an actual footrace to the gates of the cemetery.
This was a race to finish a film.
But before I go on…a second point:
Tobe Hooper is NOT the Devil! (I just thought that was a snazzy title;)
But he might as well have been, to the people who wanted his horror masterpiece banned, often based on the name alone! “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” will go down as one of the most groundbreaking films in the Horror genre. The greatest irony is that, for a film with such a gruesome reputation, there was very little gore (at least by today’s standards) and precious little stage blood used, and yet it still resonates as terrifying to this day!
No small part of this was probably due to the unique score created by Tobe Hooper himself, using unconventional instruments to create the discomforting sound that was so important to creating that horrific environment. But as we know - as directors become more “in demand”, having the time to score as well as direct becomes a much less viable option (yes, even if you are John Carpenter;) So this was a rare point in his career where passion and skill had the perfect environment to converge!
Oh and synchronicity…did I mention synchronicity? (I’ll come back to that – so pay attention!) But let's just start with the fact that Tobe Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was inspired by Wisconsin's (and perhaps one of the World's) most notorious serial killers, (and human taxidermists) Ed Gein!
In any event, the art, hunger, dedication (and suffering) which usually only comes from that kind of an independent film making experience, came through in the film in an artful, earnest and terrifying way. The New York Museum of Modern Art agrees apparently, and has a copy of the film amongst their permanent collection.
But you didn’t come here to listen to me wax poetic on the virtues of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (even though I gladly could, and would) you came for a race! Ah, but first, Synchronicity! (Told you there’d be a quiz!)
Long after the original TCM struck terror in the hearts of British censorship boards (and others), long after “Poltergeist”, Tobe made a movie adapted from a short story Stephan King called “The Mangler”. The film featured Nightmare on Elm Street’s Robert Englund and Ted Levine as well as, yes, you guessed it, a demon possessed laundry mangling machine.
And here is where strange synchronicities (and your’s truly) come into the story.
Flash forward about 9 more years! (2004) I fly to San Francisco to meet with the Director of a film called Mortuary to sign contracts and have a look at the roughs on an actual telecine machine. In fact, the entire film was being edited on the very machine that was used to edit Terry Zwigoff’s Robert Crumb documentary, {“Crumb” 1994} or so I was told. It was entirely believable.
Just an aside: Terry Zwigoff (by the way) is also a Wisconsin Native and a musician/filmmaker. I hadn’t even considered that coincidence (and that his name is also Terry) until writing this article now!
10 years later the machine he used to cut “Crumb” wheezed and cranked like it had a devil in it, the kind of thing that could only happen to a machine after having born witness to the surreal expression of countless filmmaker’s projects! As Director Sean Hazelaar showed me reel one, we carried forward with the conversation we started on the phone before I arrived at his studio. He had mentioned one particular scene involving a mortician’s furnace in which all the set sound was destroyed by a bad hum generated by nearby machines. I would be expected to really make something sweet here, because it was a very important SFX scene.
When he asked me about this, I hadn’t seen the film yet. It just so happens that I have an extensive background in horror and a huge collection of horror/scifi and Asian films (on good ol’ hard copy DVD;)
I thought about the furnace scene and off the top of my head I said something to the effect that I could hear music/sound there sort of similar to that in the scenes of the evil machine in Tobe Hooper’s “The Mangler”. The Director’s jaw dropped. He informed me that the guy they hired to do that special FX scene was someone who had worked on “The Mangler”.
That in itself was wild! But there’s more…
As my team had taken the reigns of much of the post production, music and sound and were well into getting the color corrections, score and sound design under way, we discovered that Tobe Hooper, by some utterly ‘Bizzaro World’ coincidence, was in production on a movie also called “Mortuary”!
Van Hazelaar Productions “Mortuary” was nearer completion at the time, but Hooper’s “Mortuary” had a larger budget and the capacity to roll a little faster. From here the race was on!
Tobe Hooper's "Mortuary" Trailer 2005
Now we all know it didn’t really matter, as two movies can have the same title in many cases (There was already a Howard Avedis film called “Mortuary” done in the eighties.)
Howard Avedis' "Mortuary" Trailer 1983
~
In the end we had to differentiate the name for foreign and US sales anyhow, so the name of Van Hazelaar’s “Mortuary” became “Final Remains” (which, I am proud to say, was one of my suggestions). It really wouldn’t matter at all, but factually, the statistically unlikely event had occurred. Two movies called “Mortuary” would both appear on IMDB as having been released in 2005. It was just a matter of whose film would get finished first! In truth, Tobe Hooper was probably entirely oblivious to our 85,000 dollar picture, as he was likely quite busy directing, but somewhere an assistant whose job it was to pay attention to just those sort of things must certainly have noticed the site. It would have been hard to miss our use of the Mortuary Movie domain at the time (Now located at VanHazelaar Productions website).
Clip from Mortuary aka final Remains
In the end I believe we technically finished our film first, but with the clout and machinations already in place for Tobe Hooper’s film to enter a marketing and distribution stream, it would obviously be Hooper’s “Mortuary” that would make it to market first. VanHazelaar’s “Mortuary” aka “Final Remains” did however get distribution a little later, in 2006, and is currently available as a rental from: Blockbusterand for sale via Amazon.
"Mortuary" aka "Final Remains" Trailer
In the end, it didn’t matter who won in this race with the Devil. The only thing that mattered, is that for a brief time in 2005 we got to run that race right alongside horror film legend, Tobe Hooper, tiptoeing on the edge of synchronicity with one degree of separation between us and a Master of Horror! Rod Serling could have had a field day introducing this story. It certainly added zest to the project before we got to the truly terrifying (and far less glamorous) part of filmmaking – the hard work;)
Speaking of work I suppose I need to finish mastering the
Mortuary aka Final Remains - Soundtrack/Score CD
that has been sitting on my drive for 5 years now!
I recently discovered one of the finest horror filmmakers ever! Yeah, that's right, I said EVER! Drew Daywalt is the master of the horror short. There are many well known horror creators for whom I have great admiration, but none of them have had the consistent ability to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck (and include a clever twist) all in under 5 minutes! His latest effort, "Doppelganger", lives up to that benchmark handily. There is little point in giving an actual review of the piece itself, as any spoilers would probably ruin the 'creepalicious' effect. Yeah, I made that word up!
JUST WATCH IT!
Drew Daywalt and his team at Daywalt Fear Factory consistently deliver stellar examples of what can be done with short form low or controlled budget filmmaking. You can see more of his hair raising storytelling at:
And if you liked "Doppelganger", make a point to also watch "Bedfellows". Am I exaggerating by calling Drew Daywalt a Master of Horror? Judge for yourself and let me know your opinion. And for God's sake...
Greetings! I've been away from the Blog for a while but am happy to return to announce the upcoming publication of my (very) short (true) ghost story, "Her Last Seven Seconds"which will be published In "Rock and Roll Ghost Stories:" - Volume 1 edited by Stacy McArdle-Sardelli. The book is coming out this October on Charles River Press and features true Ghost stories by various bands and musicians TBA.
“Oh baby, baby it’s a wild world.” ... Cat Stevens
Or at least that’s what the Artist formerly known as Cat Stevens might have said about ‘Nekropolis’, the alternate universe inhabited by Matt Richter – Zombie Detective, and the Midnight Watch.
Somewhere between ‘Mad Monster Party’ and the alter-dimensional Hell of Clive Barker’s ‘Hellraiser’ we find ourselves on the “Dead Streets” of Tim Waggoner’s Nekropolis.
In this world filled with Frankenstein’s abominations, Vampire Lords, Half-bloods, shape-shifters, and Lycanthropes of every imaginable variety, ALL of our childhood’s favorite TV and movie monsters converge with entirely unheard of creatures, most of whom spell trouble for Zombie Detective Matt Richter and his cadre of security professionals. When the neighboring businesses are a “misfortune teller” and a “head shop" – ("new and used, all species, original size and shrunken") – you just know there is going to be more than enough humor and horror to go around in this ambitious tale that starts with a mystery and escalates into an all out monster war.
I started reading this series with “Dead Streets” (Book 2) and felt (at first) as though maybe I should go back and read Book 1: “Nekropolis” before embarking on this path, but ‘Dead Streets’ was the book I was entrusted to review, so onward I forged, to be pleasantly surprised at the ease with which Tim Waggoner brought you right into the story regardless of having not yet read “Nekropolis” already. It’s like picking up right where you left off without ever having been there! That said, ‘Dead Streets’ made me hungry to go back and see how Matt Richter became a Zombie Detective in the first place, and of course, what the next case for Matt Richter – Zombie Detective will be.
Keep tuned in for more: COMING SOON! An audio excerpt from “Dead Streets” featuring a spoken excerpt with the music of the novel’s Banshee led, all monster band ‘Kakophonie’!
As one might hear on Bedlam 66.6 Nekropolis’ favorite ghoulish radio station.
T.Reed is a Film Composer and Multi-Media Creative specializing in the realm of Horror and Sci Fi Music, Art, and Writing. http://www.taoxproductions.com
In October 2010 Charles River Press will be releasing
"Rock & Roll Ghost Stories"
edited and compiled by Stacy McArdle-Sardelli.
Stacy was the editor and chief of the music and entertainment magazine Babble and Beat. In this frightful collection Stacy brings together musicians from around the world to share their real life ghostly encounters! Some of the Artists who have provided true ghost stories include:
The Church, Tim Finn, Nosferatu,
Metropol, Screaming Mechanical Brain
Rob Zombie brought his Hellbilly Deluxe II tour to Milwaukee last night.
I missed Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures, but Nekromantix a hot psychobilly act, featured Lux, an incredible female drummer (who can give any man I know a run for his money on the double kick drum game!) This was one of my all time favorite shows! Featuring the man himself, with John 5 on Guitar (Marilyn Manson), Tommy Clufetos on Drums (Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent), and longtime Zombie bassist Piggy D. , the show was a stellar example of tight experienced performers with a great sound. Forgive the lame cell phone cam pics, but I was going to enjoy the show, not be a photographer. For those who want a bigger taste of the Zombie flavor, check out Rob's YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/robzombie And his Official Site: http://www.robzombie.com/
And no, we are not related;) We are the same age, and share similar influences, but any resemblance to any Zombies either living or now un-dead is purely coincidental.
Greetings Robot, Monster, and Music Freaks & Connoisseurs, This update is a personal note to inform everyone of the status of the Rise of the Retrobots project, TheMonster Makers Laband the Nightmare Sound Blog. I have received several excellent contacts with interested Artists some of whom are busy working hard and some even having already submitted tracks which have proven qualified to be eligible for selection. All three of these projects were launched simultaneously this June (2009) in a fit of ambition and artistic passion. There are still some communication and networking structures I need to establish to make this easier for me to communicate with all participants (and potential participants and sponsors) so that I don't have to spend all my time re-iterating the same ideas via different forums/formats and individual emails. So bear with me and please participate in the alignment as the infrastructure gets molded to make this all smooth and easy. What is in place currently is as follows:
I have already established a decent FTP solution for submissions, important file exchanges, and Artists who want to collaborate. The details of which will be provided as I get contact from the individual Artists. To help centralize communications, please send all correspondence and inquiries to: retrobots@nightmaresound.com
In addition to some duplicate Blog info and updates, some sample excerpts of the types of tracks and other media that will be on this project is available at: RISE OF THE RETROBOTS on MySpace (Currently there is 1 sample available: "Kill Robots Rise")...More examples will be added as submissions are completed and accepted.
Because of the greater scope, the uniqueness, and complexity of this multi-media compilation project, I am still in the process of honing down the best system and guidelines to bring everything together smoothly and create an enormously cool project we can all be proud of. My sincerest wish is that all who choose to participate and can contribute a quality piece and/or some assistance promoting the project will be able to use this project as their own promotional tool and have an excellent creative experience.
Of course, all my regular work and pursuit of paying prospects must continue right alongside these projects that I foster out of love for the subject matter and the collaboration involved. I am currently wrapped up in a critical phase of screenwriting with a partner where some deadlines are involved, so I may be a bit sparse with updates and communications over the next 2 weeks in July, but please sign on to publicly follow the Nightmare Sound Lab Blog to keep posted and informed, and to be eligible for contests. NEW CONTEST WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON! SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEALED I will do my best to keep things coming and keepin it fresh and exciting! Keep those submission ideas coming! Thanks!
T. Reed - TAO X Productions - Nightmare Sound Laboratory
Monster Makers Laboratory is for anyone who plays some role in bringing Horror and SciFi Monsters to life! Whether your an industry artist, media professional, or a hobbyist who likes creating monsters for fun, this is the place to be:) Every facet of Monster Making is on the table here, from creating models, sets, costumes, soundtracks, sound design, writing, acting or any other role in the production of Horror and SciFi Films, TV, Music, Comics, Toys, Literature, Art etc. This is meant to be an active forum created to pursue the mission of this group: To keep the fine art of Monster Making alive and well by fostering collaborations, promoting member projects, exchanging tips, tricks,(and tales of our trials and tribulations along the path;), and sharing appreciation of fine works in the field. I look forward to meeting you all and exchanging ideas. Happy Nightmares, T. Reed - TAO X Productions - Nightmare Sound
