When you've seen to much .....

A few weeks ago I had the experience of watching MARTYRS directed by Pascal Laugier. 

Now my personal taste in movies does lean to the extreme side of things. Fulci and Ferrara take up a lot of space on my shelves. The cover of NECKROMANTIC will soon be tattooed on my leg  and I can watch CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST while eating pizza. Not much phases me these days in terms of gore. 

However in the last five years, these incredibly mean torture films have been flooding the market. Some I have liked and some I'm rather neutral on .... but something about them continues to bother me. I wasn't able to put a finger on it for a long time. Then I saw MARTYRS.

Before I really get into this let me just say; MARTYRS is an exceptionally made film. It is beautifully shot and extremely well acted. The FX are flawless and Pascal Laugier has much to be proud of. Most people who read this blog will probably like this movie. It was just the end of the line for me personally.

The movie starts out with a young girl, named Anna, chained to a chair. She escapes and finds her way to a orphanage where she befriends another young girl, Lucie. Their adult lives are consumed with finding Anna's absuser and when they do, the movie takes an extreme twist. (Which I will not give away) The combination of the powerful performances given by Morjana Alaoui and Mylene Jampanoi with completely brutal human on human violence made me ill. By the end of the movie I was having an anxiety attack. 

Then it hit me: These movies have no supernatural element. There isn't any real revenge. No moral to the story. No historical basis. Just humans doing horrible things to each other for 2 hours straight. And I've simply had my fill of it.

Do I think these movie are wrong? Of course not. I am a huge advocate of free speech and self expression. These types of films just effect me in a very negative way and I can no longer watch them. For several days afterwards, I found myself super sensitive to any gore or violence. I started to get a little worried ... Had this movie pushed me to far? Was I completely done with all things horror? Would I even be able to do a violent photo shoot again?

Deciding to test myself a couple days ago I chose the Fulci's ZOMBIE. As soon as the classic score started to thumb through my speakers, I was home.  

"I was cured all right" and I haven't  been able to wipe the evil grin off my face since.

STAY DEAD!

Nos

Why do vampire films ...suck?

So when I'm not writing in my SCARS blog, trolling for hot chicks on myspace, and telling you my every waking move on twitter, I'm hanging out on BlueBlood.net. Blue Blood is a pretty interesting alt community that has some amazing members on the forums. 

Now I can't remember how the subject came up (it was probably on twitter) but the question of zombie vs. vampire films had been invading the on-line world.  My stance on the matter is that vampire films have a great potential but often fall short .... however zombie films tend to nail it. (Most of the time.)

But why? Shouldn't the "creatures of the night" be at the top of the horror food chain ?

I posted the question on the Blue Blood forums and got some great response. Two opinions that really stuck out to me where: 

From Aza:

"I'm not sure if the two can be compared. I mean, what exactly was the last Vampire flick that actually tried to be a "horror" movie? Nowadays, vamps just aren't monsters anymore; they're porn stars. Seriously, who do you know who's still afraid of vampires? My guess is no one, because thanks to White Wolf and "Underworld" and other institutions that over-theorized vampire culture, people either want to be vamps or fuck vamps... or both.

Nobody I know personally wants to be a zombie, and no one in their right mind would ever want to fuck one. Zombies have no culture, no politics, no romantic tendencies; there's nothing to detract from their image as monsters. Zombies can still frighten people because they haven't been over-pussified.

My personal opinion: Zombies all the way!"

 

From keiko:

" Vampires haven't been scary since Bella Lugosi. But there also hasn't been a GOOD vampire movie since him either. Way too cheesy. Hell they've started marketing the blood suckers to teeny boppers. bleh. 

I still have nightmares about Zombies. Especially when my roomie is playing Left for Dead on the other side of the drywall. Runners scare the bejeesus outta me. Shamblers at least you can out run... or at least out run the slowest of the other survivors. 28 Days was properly freakifying and as always there's Romero zombies that make going to the mall too often a little harrowing, esp on Saturday afternoons."

It's a very sad truth that we've taken the monster out of the vampire. I'm sure when Twilight premiered, Bram Stoker turned over in his grave. 

Filmmaker Eric Stanze also pointed out that vampire movies tend to not have much in the way of special effects .... whereas even bad zombie movies have amazing makeup work. 

*sigh*

Guess I'm just gonna have to make a real vampire movie someday ......

Till then, might I suggest these films of the bats that don't ....err...suck.

1. Martin by George A. Romero 

Funny how the zombie king could also make one the most innovative vampire films.

2. Shadow of the Vampire by E.Elias Merhige

A great sleeper film that goes into the legend behind the film Nosferatu.

3. Nosferatu (both the 1922 and the 1979 versions) By  F.W. Murnau and Werner Herzog

Both stunning films .... and the first may have even stared a real vampire!

4. Near Dark by Kathryn Bigelow

My personal favorite of the 80's vampire boom.

5.  Ravenous by Antonia Bird

Some don't see see this as a vampire film . I do. You should watch it and report back to me.

6. Last Man on Earth by Ubaldo Ragona

Sorry kids ... Vincent Price does in better than Will Smith any day!

Honorable mentions go to the 1990's Interview with the Vampire and Dracula.

STAY DEAD!

Nos

Mother's day

Hello SCARS readers!

Mother's day has nothing to do with this post, except for the fact the I'm writing it from my mom's house. It's in a haunted town in Illinois... pretty cool huh?

Well if you've been keeping up you know that Wicked Pixel was representing at the TEXAS FRIGHTMARE.Everyone made it back, only slightly hungover. This week director Eric Stanze and actor/producer Jason Christ drove out to Philly for the FINIAL shots of RATLINE. which means soon Eric will be diving into what we like to call "post-production hell".

-Which is where I'm at right now with FIVE.

Good times my friends, good times.

But really this month is all about making it to next month, so bring it on! June ushers in the summer and we all have to be ready for it ....

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It looks like I'll be performing 2 nights this month at the WAY OUT CLUB in St.Louis. It's been way to long and I'm so pumped for these shows! I use to get gigs in front of bands like 45 GRAVE. Once after a show I guy came up to me and said "I just want you to know, you hit me in the head with an entrail and it was totally hot."

I miss those days! But that's what happens when you make a movie and then go back to school.


STAY DEAD!
Nos

House bound.

Hello SCARS readers ....

No, I'm not on house arrest but it sure feels like it.  I have one more month left at school and it's time to "buckle down" and get shit done. Only it seems I'm missing out on fun things ..... things like traveling down to Texas with Wicked Pixel Cinema for FRIGHTMARE WEEKEND and meeting Dick Miller. 

Best to look at this time as the calm before storm. I do have many things in the works and in a few months I'll probably be sad that I'm not sleeping anymore. So today I'm cleaning my house and stalking people on myspace. Later this week I will be working on FIVE and hopefully put a big dent in it.

It looks like my gory burlesque show will be making a triumphant return to The Way Out Club this month! I'm so happy to be on stage again and show my new sets .... it's been almost 2 years! Then it's on to NASHVILLE to shoot with the amazing John Donegan. 

STAY DEAD!

Nos

What turns ya on?

Hello SCARS readers!

This Friday, I had the honor of grossing out the owners/students of the hair school I attend. You see we had a hair show going on with a "circus" theme. I chose to step outside of the box and add a slight element of gore to the mix. Nothing crazy, just some bloody eye bandages and painted on stitches - over all pretty tame. But since it was not a bright happy ray of sunshine ... there were some neigh sayers. (I do after all live in the mid-west.)

However the models I fired to do the show seemed overly thrilled to be made into my creations! One of the models had never done anything even close to gory and she just lite up! I mean she acted like freakin little girl during her first Halloween!

First she wanted the biggest, baddest mohawk up do. Then she wanted to carry one the manikin heads around with her. (The school owner shot that down, since apparently we are in middle school and it's not like I, you know, PAID to be there or anything.) Lastly this model got the amazing idea to fake choke me during the final walk of the show. Amazing.

This lady normally impersonates Julia Roberts at big corporate parties ... now she's pretending to choke me in front of yuppie bankers, dressed like a corpse. Truly, fucking, amazing.

But this isn't the first I've seen the phenomenon. In fact it happens every time we get someone new on set and ask them to get gory. They LOVE it. I mean really love it. So much in fact, that when we try and wipe them down before they go home, they insist on staying gory so they can freak out someone in the drive-through. 

So what is it about the red, red kroovy that makes people so damn happy? 

I was talking with Eric Stanze about this and he suggested that people love it so much because it lets them deal with their own mortality in fun, safe environment. I agree that plays a major part of it ... but I think it's filling the need for something else. That something else being chaos.

Most humans, whether they admit it or not, thrive on some level of chaos. It makes us feel needed and alive. Like there is a fucking purpose after all. When you choose to be covered and in fake blood and run around ... you are choosing chaos. You are choosing something out of the normal rat race. It's liberating.

So in a way ... we horror filmmakers our offering a public service. *wink*

I tell the owner of my school to put that in her pipe and smoke it! 

(That was my 4:20 joke for the day.)

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Other things you must look at after reading this blog:

http://www.fearnet.com/blogs/surviving_cinema/index.html

Mr.Stanze writes about my movie FIVE and the amazing UGLY SHYLA.

http://www.gobstoppermovie.com/

Fucking amazing.

http://www.hank3.com/

A Nos favorite.

STAY DEAD!

<3>

Easter 2009

Hello SCARS READERS!

Easter, the day of our Lord, is always a strange time for me. I remember really liking it as a kid and nowadays it's normally just awkward. Unlike Thanksgiving, when every ones eating, or Christmas, when every ones getting presents, Easter is the sobering holiday when you have to deal with loved ones head on. - I hope yours went without a hitch.

It was also a sad day because we lost Marilyn Chambers. She's been an inspiration of mine and my heart goes out to her family.

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Today I'm getting ready for my RATLINE interview. I can't believe we have one day left of shooting (Friday) and we're already doing recap interviews. this project has moved along really quick. Which is kinda nice for a change. 

We added some great people to our team during RATLINE. Trevor Williams has done a kick ass job stepping in as production designer and B.T.S. director! Bob Nealon has done so much for the FX department and overall "watching out" for us it's amazing. It takes most new people a few projects before they really fit in. These guys felt like family from the start. 

I also wanna brag on Mr.Jason Christ. He's not new to Wicked Pixel. In fact he's one of the "originals". But in the last few years Jason has been stepping out from behind the camera and getting in front of it. He's the lead in RATLINE and has done nothing short of a stealer performance. I'm so happy for him and I can't wait for all of you to see him shine! 

RATLINE also stars Emily Haack, a personal favorite. She won me over with her first film SCRAPBOOK and continues to amaze me on RATLINE. Her fans will not be disappointed!

And I can't end this blog without giving mad props to the charming Sarah Swofford.  She is an actress you've got to keep your eye out for! I'm so happy she joined us for RATLINE and I know she's got great things coming her way ....

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A big CONGRATULATIONS to my Friend Philip Warner A.K.A. LITHIUM PICNIC for his picture getting the cover of BIZARRE MAGAZINE! You should pick up a copy for yourself and stare at the beautiful MOSH.

STAY DEAD!

Nos

Age old question ....

Greetings SCARS fans!

I'd like to dedicate this blog to a question I so often get: "Why do you watch and participate in exploitation and horror films?"

Actually it seems this question is coming up more and more these days. Strange, given the most people aren't very happy with the state of things and have a lot of rage. So one would think horror movies would be a given for entertainment.

But people seem to be rather confused about the business.

So allow me to clear my throat: To understand my "obsession" you must first drop the notion that these movies cause the problem. Horror and exploitation film are a response to the problem. Murder, rape, violence, and overall cruelty were around long before the motion picture was invented. To sit there and say that these films have anything to do with what is going on in the real world is ignorant.

Now on to why I like them. Very simply, it's stress relief. 

There are very few honest emotions left in this world. Political correctness has seen to that. Most go through life never showing our true selves. - We just walk were we are suppose to walk and say what we are suppose to say. All the while rage is bubbling just below the surface of our skin.

Horror and exploitation movies are a release from that. For around two hours we can sit and experience real human emotion. Unforgiving and unflinching.

-Well at least that's how it's suppose to go down. There are watered down pieces of shot that call themselves horror films that should never, EVER, see the light of day. But that's another blog for another day .....

As for as me participating in them ... it's because I enjoy it. Yes, that's right .. I do enjoy re-living my own death over and over. It's soothing to me. -You either get that or you don't. These films have saved my life more than once.

STAY DEAD!

Nos