bronchitis

Whoo hoo! I have Bronchitis! It started out like a sinus infection last week but has now moved into my lungs. I'm so happy to be the host of yet another infection. At work i'm pretty damn cautious and wipe down my phone,keyboard and mouse with alcohol every day but I have no defense for airborne germs. One person who sits across from me ended up with pnumonia. I blame her for the germs vacationing in me now.

Shoot day 6

Shoot day six was a breeze. It was the one day that seemed to cause the most anxiety. I was overthinking how to rig a prop to appear to have impaled someone. It worked out fantastic. We were a little concerned about the actors take on the scene. The overall impression you get from reading the scene is that this could be verging on porn. That was cause for concern . Ya don't want to spook people by having their imagination take over. You have to trust in the director and know he wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. The scene was the fastest one we have ever shot on this film. Jason Carter of Dixon Maison:Mystery at Hillyard Manor (and Babylon 5) was brilliant as always. He and Elena Vardis did a spot on job in the scene. We had a little trouble with the camera package this time. The camera gear was not all there. The mounting plate for the tripod was missing and we had to do what anyone would do in that situation... Duct tape. In the end most of the scene is handheld which works very well for this kind of scene.
Teeth teeth teeth. Vampire teeth are not as easy to apply as you may think. We have been experimenting with all types of teeth on this production. We finally settled on a type that seem to work for everyone. Great we have the teeth but how the hell do they stay in! We tried all sorts of denture adhesives and finally found one that works like a charm Polygrip Dental Strips. These work so well for our type of shoot. They are economical and available at any drugstore! Thank you polygrip. Scott is on his way over with a rough cut of the scene right now. Again this is a key scene in the film so I cannot post any pictures ... yet. If ya dont see it here that means its pretty bitchin' and we want to keep it a suprise!

*update* The rough cut is fantastic. We added some sound effects this afternoon and it is truly a dark scene! It is the opening of the film and its a whopper!

Its a wonderful life.

Yes that is the wife of Sony executive Thomas E. Rothman singing that song.

The lyrics in my head right now.

You know, the sun is in your eyes
And hurricanes and rains
and black and cloudy skies.

You're running up and down that hill.
You turn it on and off at will.
There's nothing here to thrill
or bring you down.
And if you've got no other choice
You know you can follow my voice
through the dark turns and noise
of this wicked little town.

Oh Lady, luck has led you here
and they're so twisted up
they'll twist you up. I fear.

the pious, hateful and devout,
you're turning tricks til you're turned out,
the wind so cold it burns,
you're burning out and blowing round.
And if you've got no other choice
you know you can follow my voice
through the dark turns and noise
of this wicked little town.

The fates are vicious and they're cruel.
You learn too late you've used two wishes
like a fool

and then you're someone you are not,
and Junction City ain't the spot,
remember Mrs. Lot
and when she turned around.
And if you've got no other choice
You know you can follow my voice
through the dark turns and noise
of this wicked little town.

It walks among us.

I remember him now as he was then, crimson-mouthed.
Like the lion I had seen on wild kingdom the night before. A red mouthed killer who had just feasted on the innocent. A predator who lied dormant until his brut strength killed a much cuter animal. The monster towered over the screaming babies that surrounded him on all sides. The ones forced to do whatever he said. In this arena he would be the one to tell them what to do. He would call the shots. They sometimes cried but, mostly they screamed.
His dark teeth flashed beneath that stained mouth. Skin pale like the monsters I saw on the Saturday afternoon Fright-Fest. His eyes, like Lugosi’s, black and soulless. When he spoke the voice seemed like it mocked humanity. A monster with the ability to charm children with his voice. To captivate and entrance them.
Those who were seen in his presence never returned.
I would watch morning after morning and once you had seen the children you’d never see them again especially if you were chosen.
Chosen to perform a trick for him.
The one trick I recall being the most cruel was “The Balloon.” He would select his victim from the pack and draw the child to the center of the ring. There magically were several floating balloons. Beautiful balloons. The ones you would ask your mother to tie tightly to your wrist as not to have it float away like the one before it. The same type of balloon you learned will not survive if it hit the grass after you punch it. The same balloon you wanted to keep safe for as long as possible. The one you would hope would stay afloat forever. He would hand the victim one of the longest sharpest needles I have ever seen. Why are there needles in the world made that large? For what reason? He would tell them to select one of the balloons and force the child to pop the one that was chosen. I still to this day cannot see how you can pick something to be destroyed. AHH but he found a way to convince them to pop the balloon. The demon would tell the child that inside the balloon MAY be a wonderful prize.
It’s a trap!
Everyone knows balloons are filled with air! The demon explained: If you pop it and a card comes out you are given the fabulous prize written on the card. With that the child chose and popped a balloon. The looks on the faces as they thrust the needle would be the same look as an adult pulling a trigger for the first time. As the monster flashes his dark teeth the child winches and thrusts the needle. A horrible act committed for greed. Sometimes a card would fall and the kid would be handed a spirograph and sometimes they were sent “away” with nothing. Either way the children never returned.
Ever.
I hated him. I hated him for what he did to those kids. I don’t know what it was but it must have been horrible. They NEVER CAME BACK!
His voice is what I remember most. That sickly sweet voice. The voice I now associate with pedophiles and child murderers.

A few years ago I worked for a post production house in Hollywood. That facility had a commissary where they would serve lunch to clients and the poor saps who were forced to work thru lunch to appease the whims of these clients. It was a normal day. I was getting my salad and diet coke when I heard "that" voice.
IN THE ROOM.
Not in my head as I had heard for so many years. That voice was the narrator of my nightmares. It was real, and in the same room as me.
I knew that voice. I knew instantly it was the monster. The demon. The killer of children. The baby eater.
I wanted to scream. I turned and saw the voice coming out of a kindly, living human. That was more than I could handle. To know that the monster is among us freely was overwhelming. He could have been right next to me at anytime in my life and stabbed me with that giant sewing needle and eaten my bleeding insides.
If he just stayed quite I’d never know it was him.
I know now.
I’ve seen his face.
I know the monsters true face and his name.
He calls himself Larry Harmon.

The world knows him as BOZO : The Clown.

I would, one day, like to write him and tell him how much his show frightened me and colored my perception of the world but this post will have to do for now. If you know Larry and want to send him to this page I’d like to hear what he has to say for himself. Please do not have him call.

Fangoria the magazine for the descriminating horror fan

Before THE DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS there was a little film called THE MACABRE PAIR OF SHORTS. TROMA films is now releasing that film on DVD on 6/6/6. Here is what Fangoria has to say. While not nice... at least people will know its out there.



Macabre Pair of Shorts in Fangoria

The dream:

I’m lying in bed in the old house in the West Valley. Not the best home in the world but the one I have spent the most time in. I’m just waking up. Confused. Jane and Jerry are there outside the door. I can hear them talking but cannot understand them. I call them in and tell them that I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that we had moved into and apartment and that Mum had died and I went from place to place. I dreamt I had AIDS and was dying. It was so nice to be back in my old room. The house was clean and bright as if we were never there. I got up and the backyard was beautiful. Green lush and full of life. I went to the kitchen and there were two refrigerators. Jane explaines that we had to bring in the extra fridge for today. People are coming in from New Zealand and Australia .
“When” I asked.
“Now” she says.
Holy cow I just woke up! I need to get ready. Jane pulls me out of the kitchen and into the dining room She says I don’t have to worry I’ll be fine.
I believe her.
She is wearing a beautiful beaded vintage 20s black flappers dress with what appears to be a scarf but is actually a hood. Interesting design.
Jerry finally appears and he is holding his outfit up on a wire hanger. It’s the oddest vinyl suit I have seen in years. Black oversized alligator print . It looks like a costume from the film ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE with a matching oversized vinyl cop hat . Just plan odd. Jerry seems to be enjoying the prospect of wearing this.
Ok ? fine.
I realize that I have somehow laid back down again but this time where the dining room table should be.

Oh shit.

I hate open caskets.

Todays secret word is: INFECTION

I'm at home with a sinus infection that creeped up into me yesterday. I felt it happen. Within a matter of two hours I went from sarcastic and annoying to sarcastic annoying and SICK. I've never had something hit me so fast. So Now I'm at home doped up and hoping it will jump to another host. Perhaps the Mailman who seems to be DROPPING the mail. I found yet another outgoing bill from a neighbor on my lawn. since the last time I found that I do not mail anything of importance from the house. Hey the cold and sinus stuff is kicking in! I'm getting loopy!
Have a great day folks!

Shoot day 5

I'd love to post pictures of shoot day five but sad to say I cannot. We are shooting a key scene and any images from that scene will give the plot away. We are filming tonight and I'll try to take pictures that don't give too much away.
*update*
Shoot day 5 was spectacular. I'm sorry to say that I cannot post pictures. Everyone did a wonderful job. Considering the heat in the location and the close quarters. Troopers each and every one. I've said it before and its worth repeating...
This is one helluva great cast. All the actors are focused and bringing a reality to this that is astounding. John Laaks is fearless. He is so damn gung ho that I want to cast him in the lead for SHOWGIRLS 3: SHOWGUYS. He'll do anything and put his all into it. He's the MAN! Last night was a fight scene and he was throw around the room like a beat howler monkey. He knows what we need to get the shot done and he does it everytime.

I love this movie! Cant wait to see it when its done!

It looks easy in the movies!

I have been constructing a rig to have a prop appear to impale an acrtress. Remember kiddies, the easy way is not always the best way!

It's a rather complicated rig for such an easy idea. Just remember when you see it on screen it just may be the real thing!

Shoot Day Four

John and Tony rehearse just before the scene
Shooting on an an evening with a full moon
Ah... dear ol' Red
Cynthia Harmon in her all her unholy Vampire glory
Vampire kills her prey
"Red" and "Bob"

detail of another body bit

This is a close up of one of the severed hands in the film. You'll most likely never see it this close but I wanted to show the detail. Its very gooey looking without actually being wet or sticky. I'm digging the way this one turned out.

That will be the last of the severed body parts I'm going to post.


You'll have to see the film for the rest.

But that would leave you with one?

A little peak at the dead hand I've been working on for the film.

The Secret Pump.

I have located the secret pump that dispenses gas at a fraction of a cent per gallon. Here is a picture of the price.

BEHOLD A MISTAKE THAT GOD HIMSELF WOULD NOT DARE TO MAKE! How long this will last I do not know. All I care about is that I got to fill my tank for less than a buck!

Jimmy's lil hat

Funny. I thought this happened only in America. Well so much for my next Disneyland Photo trip.

Bad Girls with a Z

I don't know which aspect of this I find funny and which I find tragic.

Thanks Luke!

“Don’t ever forget”- Lois Lane to Superman in Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN II

*updated*
Recently Warner Brothers has announced the release of a new ultra-set of Superman DVDs. This set is to include the Richard Donner version of the film.
For those of you who don’t know the history of Richard Donner with this film let me give you some cliff notes.

Richard was hired by the Salkinds to direct Superman and Superman II. The two films were to be shot simultaneously with Donner at the helm. The Executive producers, The Salkinds, agreed that Dick Donner should direct both films. But lurking in the shadows was another Dick. Hiding under the title Associate Producer was Richard Lester Director of A HARD DAYS NIGHT. Lester was present on set during the filming. Lesters’ only true job was to report back to the Salkinds on Richard Donners progress. When the production fell behind schedule and began going over budget it was Lester who suggested they halt production on SUPERMAN II and finish SUPERMAN in order to meet their release date.
The first film was finished but The Salkinds didn’t like what they had heard from the mole, Richard Lester. The Salkinds fired Richard Donner and hired a NEW director to finish the second film.
Who did they hire?
Richard Lester, the mole.
This caused a huge disruption on set. The news of Donners termination was not well received by anyone on the project (except for Lester and the Salkinds who only talked to Lester.) Gene Hackman walked off the set never to return. Lester had to complete the film without him by using photo doubles and voice impersonators.
So Richard Lester goes on to finish the second film using the footage Donner had shot and reworked the Mario Puzo penned script in order to get the second film out in time for its release date.

There has been much speculation on who REALLY did direct SUPERMAN II. So much so that a project was started a few years back to locate all the existing footage from this movie and assemble an ultimate version if you will. This was a massive undertaking. When all the footage was brought together from all over the world the answer was clear.

WHO DIRECTED SUPERMAN II?

With all the footage put together including the main and end titles, Richard Donner’s footage falls short of 50% of the film by minutes. All the footage that can be used to make a coheasive story that is.
Richard Lester must be billed as the Director.
While I would much like to see the movie Donner envisioned I dont think it is possible. Unless you fill in the missing action with storyboards or animatics and that cannot be considered a final Donner approved version... can it? Oh wait...
There is a way...

Donner directed and completed two key segments that were never shown to the public. Segment one is an alternate version of Lois Lane figuring out Clark is Superman. Instead of it happining at Niagra Falls it happens at the Daliy Planet. By her drawing a hat and glasses onto a picture of Superman that appears on the front page of the newspaper. She confronts Clark and jumps out the window in the hopes Superman will save her. Instead Clark simply puckers up and does a super blow to ensure that Lois lands on something safe... a fruit vending cart instead of the sidewalk full of pedestrians. (LOIS IS NUTS )

The second and most interesting Donner scene never shown is the Marlon Brando scene. After Superman gives up his powers just so he can screw Lois Lane he returns to the fortress of solitude to regain his powers. He finds the green crystal and activates it. JOR EL, his father, appears in the flesh. This reinforces the fact that these are not recordings of his parents but indeed their essence. JOR EL can and does transfer all his power Cal El, Superman. In a sense he commits suicide to give his powers to his enfeebled son. The interesting thing is that the original Donner version did not have Superman give up his powers simply because he wanted to fuck Lois. The original way he lost the power was quite different. Remember back in Superman:The movie where Superman saves Lois by somehow reversing time and saving her from being buried alive in the earthquake? There was a Big Marlon Brando floating head that said "It is forbidden for you to interfere with human history" Well, he wasn't kidding. In the Donner version of the sequel Superman is stripped of his powers because he saved Lois. He is forced into the chamber as punishment for what he had done. I dont believe that sequence was ever completed.

So there you go.Those two sequences alone could bring the total Donner footage up to the 70% mark. But again these scenes can not be put in without taking away several plot points filmed by Lester.
With all that footage reinserted this may indeed tip the scales and a Donner version may be possible.

It just wont make any sense thats all.

Whats wrong with this picture.

I have been watching the most abysmal of James Bond-style films NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN for one reason, to listen to the score.
While this film is in no way part of the Bond franchise as Sony would like you to think, it does have … something.

That something can be called a BAD score.

The music is horrible. Well... I can't really say that. The music alone taken out of context is ok. Within the films It is used at inappropriate times. While I do think that it is interesting to watch a fight scene or car chase with no score certainly the addition of music may have enhanced the mood of the scene. Now that’s not really the problem I’m having with the score.
The problem is when there is music its jarring and off-putting. The music does not seem to match the action.

The biggest problem I have is that it comes from the person who composed the music for THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. The best film in the world.
So I had to listen again. How could this composer do such a hack job?
It is apparent that this is indeed music of Michel Legrand when you watch the tango scene in NSNA. The music is suited for a much more romantic world. Not the world of James Bond. I began to yearn for hyper-colored brightly lit sets. Not the faux opulence of a limited crapfest Bond rehash. Its as if someone gave the producers the rights to a score that was prerecorded from another film. The music seems to just drop in at EXACTLY the WRONG time. The Director, Kirshner, must have walked away from this project. How the hell could this music be approved? So ends another wasted night searching for something redeeming in what I already know is crap.

Now for those of you that think NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is a real James Bond film I have one name that proves it is not:
HERB ALPERT. The main title is done by Herb Alpert. You may recall another James Bond-esqe film that he worked on.
CASINO ROYALE.

I found myself putting in Umbrelllas instead. NOW THATS A MOVIE!