"Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no Star Wars." - George Lucas
"The Lord of the Rings is my 'Ray Harryhausen movie.' Without his life-long love of his wondrous images and storytelling it would never have been made — not by me at least." - Peter Jackson
Ray Harryhausen, the greatest and most influential stop-motion animator of all time, has passed away at age 92. His passing comes not long after that of his life-long friend (and fellow Ray) Ray Bradbury.
If you don't know his name, you may know some of the films he worked on. Films such as The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and The Argonauts, Earth vs The Flying Saucers, Mysterious Island, and the original Clash of the Titans.
If those don't ring a bell (and you've got some film-watching to do if they don't!) you may know some of the filmmakers he inspired through his work.
Filmmakers such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Sam Raimi, Terry Gilliam, Nick Park, Peter Jackson, John Lassiter, Rick Baker, and Phil Tippett. Anyone currently working in the visual effects industry owes Mr. Harryhausen a huge debt of gratitude. He was a one-man Industrial Light and Magic, and paved the way for all the science-fiction and fantasy visionaries to come.
He's the father of a legion of unearthy creatures. Mighty Joe Young. The Rhedosaur. The alien Ymir. Armies of the living skeletons. Talos, the bronze giant. Bubo, the robot owl. The Hydra. Kali. Medusa. The Cyclops. The list goes on. Ray imbued the clay and wire armatures with realistic movements and personality. These weren't simply mindless creatures, but living characters. You would always end up rooting for Ray's monsters over the bland forces of humanity they were decimating.
I discovered Harryhausen's work in grade school. My VHS tapes of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Jason & The Argonauts were nearly worn out from being watched so many times. All I wanted to do at that age was find a way to make stop-motion animation. I really haven't changed too much since my early years; there are a few creatures in my current project Sticky Fingers: The Movie which are most definitely Harryhausen-inspired, and the film will also feature several wild stop-motion effects in the big climax.
Here's to Ray! His brilliant and monster-filled legacy will endure.
Jason Roth is the founder of Bargain Basement Productions, a Michigan-based film and animation company. He has been creating live-action & animated short films and commercials for over a decade. Roth recently completed the horror/comedy feature TOO DEAD TO DIE, produced the ghost hunter comedy AMERICA'S MOST HAUNTED, and is currently in production on the animated feature film STICKY FINGERS: THE MOVIE, which features voice work from Fred Williamson, Lloyd Kaufman, Josh Becker, and Asia Argento. He is also developing the live-action feature ONE MAN'S VENGEANCE from a storyline by Fred Williamson (who will star). Roth can be seen in a rare acting role as “Dorito Guy” in the international indie sensation APE. You might also like: Interview with filmmaker Jason Roth about his indie horror comedy 13 years in the making! Too Dead To Die. Click the photo to READ MORE . . .
April 15th comes but once a year, or does it? If you're a movie lover, or a taxpayer, you'll find lots of love for the accountants, and consequences for the tax evaders any time of year.
In March 2013, word broke that the United States internal revenue service has a movie studio of its own. Not to be left out of the game, the IRS in-house movie studio made some lame, badly acted training videos, like this one: IRS STAR TREK PARODY. Yeah, that's worth 60 grand.
NO THANKS. We prefer Hollywood's stories that actually entertain us, thank you very much.
We've scoured the movie landscape to bring you these
5 TAXING LESSONS
learned from Tax Evaders and Movie Accountants
1.) The Blues Brothers (1980)
The classic story of Jake Blues, just out from prison, who puts together his old band to raise funds to save the Catholic orphanage where he and brother Elwood were raised. It will leave you humming to Lady from Ipanema in the elevator all the way up the Daley Center tower to the County Assessor's office to pay your bill. The music and the action are as good as the comedy in this sizzler starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd of SNL fame.
LESSON LEARNED: A “Mission from God,” and the need to pay back taxes, are really good excuses to get the band back together. Orange whip, anyone?
2.) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Who can resist the scene where outlaw Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn) shows up unannounced with one of the King's protected deer slung over his shoulders. He tosses the dead deer on the King's dinner table, then proceeds to eat the king's food, spit on his table and make a broad pronouncement in favor of his beloved Saxon's as “overtaxed, overworked, and paid off with a knife, a club, or a rope.”
LESSON LEARNED: Don't mess with the working class. Taxation without representation is always a bad idea. Working class payback to the upper class is a cathartic experience for the average moviegoer and Errol Flynn is just the adventure king to take you on that journey.
3.) Breaking Bad (2011, Season 4 episode 11, “Crawl Space”)
Meth cook extraordinaire Walter White has finally let his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) in on the action and now she's an accomplice in the money laundering and tax evasion part of the Bad Man's crime drama. When Skyler gets her former boss and lover Ted Beneke (Christopher Cousins) out of IRS trouble by playing dumb blonde with the auditor and pleading ignorance to proper accounting practices, Ted still won't pay. He leases a new Mercedes instead. A decision he'll come to regret.
LESSON LEARNED: Don't cook the books. And stay away from the Bad Man's wife lest you suffer a horrible TAX-ident.
4.) Midnight Run (1988)
Charles Grodin is Jonathan Mardukas an accountant on the run from the Mob from whom he embezzled $15 million. Robert De Niro is Jack Walsh, the bail bondsman on his tale, who keeps him safe from both the FBI and la cosa nostra. Mardukas is afraid to fly so they are naturally chased all the way there on their drive from New York to L.A.
LESSON LEARNED: You can steal from the Mob and Robert De Niro will get you out of it. Don't let your agoraphobia lead to fistaphobia from the man who played Jake LaMotta. Face it, you need dog the bounty hunter to ward off Vito Corleone and lead you not into temptation with The Good Shepherd. Ouch!
5.) Say Anything (1989)
John Cusack plays Lloyd Dobler, a slacker, kickboxer with a heart of gold who wins the affections of the hottie, valedictorian Diane Court, whoa, (Ione Skye) in the summer following high school graduation. They won't stay together if her Dad (John Mahoney) has anything to say about it.
Fortunately, Dad doesn't have anything to say about who his daughter dates because his little embezzling scam gets him in hot water with the IRS. Good thing too, because Lloyd Dobler is one of the greatest characters ever put on celluloid. Take that, slacker haters. So he's a late bloomer, so what? Like you had it all figured out at 18. Stop lying. Remember: the IRS is watching.
LESSON LEARNED: Joe lies, but, embezzling is way worse. It's THE worst if you pull the scam on a bunch of senile elderly whom you are pretending to care for, daddy-o. The fly swatter you use to keep the losers off of your hottie brainiac daughter is less accurate from behind the walls of Federal Prison. So, if you want to be around to keep your daughter from marrying who, you think, is the wrong man, pay your taxes and keep your hands off other people's money. If you don't, you'll give her your heart, and she'll give you a pen . . . to write the whoa-is-me longing-to-be-let-go letters of the incarcerated.
Still not convinced to do what's right at tax time?
Here's a few whistle-while-you-work Songs of Accounting that you can hum on your way to jail:
Thriller! Chiller! International Genre Film Festival presents DEAD OF WINTER 2013 Season Launch Screening to be held February 1st to Benefit the Wealthy Theatre
Grand Rapids, Mich. – January 16, 2013 Thriller! Chiller! International Genre Film Festival opens its season on February 1st at the Wealthy Theatre with two 90-minute short film showcases featuring a director's choice of great films from the Thriller! Chiller! archives. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with two shows starting at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door with all proceeds benefiting the Wealthy Theatre.
All sales are being donated to the Wealthy Theatre. Event proceeds benefit the theatre's initiative to achieve sustainability by reducing energy costs, carbon footprint and technology enhancement.
“It's become a Thriller! Chiller! tradition to open our season by hosting a benefit for the Wealthy Theatre," says festival director, Anthony E. Griffin. "We're glad to be able to continue to lead by example in support of our neighborhood venue.”
Highlights of the Thriller! Chiller! Dead of Winter event include:
*2 screenings for one low price!
*Get an extraordinary deal on Your 2013 Festival Pass!
*Benefit for the Wealthy Theatre!
*Popcorn and cold beer!
*Submissions for our fall festival are Now Open!
Submissions are Now Open!
Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival is currently accepting submissions through Withoutabox for its annual film festival in October. Now in its eighth year, the festival screens movies from around the world in the genres of action, sci-fi, suspense, and horror and takes place this year on Thursday evening, October 24th, and all day Friday and Saturday, October 25th & 26th at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
About the company
Thriller! Chiller! is Michigan’s premier genre film festival focusing on the best of world class independent sci-fi, action, suspense and horror. We’re true independent cinema that thrills and chills. Thriller! Chiller! is owned and operated by festival directors Anthony Griffin of UnSAFE Film Office and Chris Randall of Fulvew productions . Marketing and PR are powered by Shirley Clemens at Twain Girl.
"Low End," Directed by Scott Baisden and Todd Lewis
“Low End” is a nearly silent movie that takes you inside the terrifying real-time ordeal of a hearing impaired little girl as she fights for her life against a man, who has trapped her alone inside her apartment.
1) I've heard you say that the goal was to make a silent film, but, in doing so, come up with a reason for why you're telling it silently. You accomplish this by putting the audience into the mindset of the main character who is deaf. Talk about how you accomplished the goal.
TODD -- When I came up with the idea for LOW END about 7 years ago, my desire was to create a silent film that was more than a gimmick. I wanted the lack of sound to be a way to help the audience to identify with, empathize with, and ultimately feel like our lead character.
SCOTT -- When Todd approached me, he had this kernel of an idea. It was this great concept; it really spoke to me as a filmmaker. I’ve never used non-diagetic music in my films, because I like the challenge of telling a story without emotional “cheats” -- a good score tells you how to feel and when to feel it and, yeah, great scores make classic films. Could you imagine “Star Wars” with electronica, the way Lucas had originally conceived it? But a silent film, good and truly silent film, forces the audience to pay attention.
TODD -- However, despite our original concept of having there be absolutely no sound in the film, we found it more interesting and engrossing, through extensive experimenting with what we called “body sounds,” to have the audience perceive some sound, but only as it pertains to the way she would FEEL vibrations through her body.
SCOTT -- We’d written in some directions here and there in the shooting script about things we thought Eva could hear or feel; during the writing phase, we started calling it “body musicology” or “body sounds,” and talked a lot about the circulatory system, the nervous system, vibrations Eva could perceive in her skull and what that would all sound like.
TODD -- With only one exception, the only sounds in the film are the sounds that are happening within Eva’s own body.
SCOTT -- Todd was worried that the audience would check out without some sound to latch onto, absolutely rightly worried... He tried a full musical score at one point --
TODD -- That didn’t last long, but we had to try it.
SCOTT -- The brilliant compromise was to go back to the “body sounds” in the screenplay -- make Eva severely hearing impaired instead of fully deaf, which opened up the sound design in every direction.
2) Tell us how you found your terrific lead actress and what it was like working with and directing a younger actor.
SCOTT -- Julia was a cousin of a friend of mine. During the audition phase, my friend Lydia sent me a message on Facebook, asking if we were still looking for a girl. She told me about her cousin, this little kid with no formal acting experience, but incredibly intelligent. We contacted Julia’s mum and arranged for her to come out.
TODD -- We eventually met with a number of young actresses for the role of Eva, and in the end, we were fortunate to find two who we felt could play the role with great depth and passion.
SCOTT -- It was a good dilemma to be in.
TODD -- The two actresses were very different, and both brought unique things to the table, but in the end, both Scott and I agreed that Julia had a blend of innocence and wisdom and strength that simply WAS Eva.
SCOTT -- The other girl was great, don’t get us wrong. But Julia’s acting choices were really unique. She made Eva bratty and bright and vulnerable and weird.
TODD -- Directing her was a dream, as she was open to trying, and more importantly feeling, anything. She was truly fearless, and what more can anyone ask for in an actor?
SCOTT -- She had more energy than us, that’s for sure. We would be dead on our feet after a couple of ten hour days, and she’d be jumping up and down and asking if there was anything else we could shoot before we wrapped.
3) Please talk about the title, LOW END, and what it means to the story thematically.
SCOTT -- What’s funny about the title is that it came from an early outline, while we were still trying to break the story open. Originally, it was going to be a period piece, taking place in a 1970s Hell’s Kitchen analogue, where the deaf child was going to be menaced by two criminals. They break into her apartment to silence her after she witnesses an alleyway murder. The title was a double entendre on Eva’s family being on the low end of the economic spectrum and her ability to hear only low frequency vibrations.
TODD -- We were working on that version of the story for the first several weeks and kept running into variations of the same logical conundrum: why would these two men agree to continue to chase and terrorize this little girl as soon as she started putting up a fight?
SCOTT -- At some point, wouldn’t they just get the hell out before they got caught?
TODD -- One day, like three weeks in, I called Scott and asked, “what if it was one guy... and what if... she was the reason he was there in the apartment...?”
SCOTT -- I remember giving him a moment of silence and saying, “... are we really going to make that movie...?” It was sitting right in front of us, but neither of us wanted to deal with it unless we knew we were absolutely not making an exploitation film.
4) One of my favorite bits is the lead character putting her ear to the stereo speaker to feel the vibrations and seeing what pleasure that gives her and also how she uses this memory later to help herself survive. I enjoyed how the main character, who is deaf, confronts her attacker by temporarily blinding him. The juxtaposition of the loss of senses is very clever as is how that gives her an advantage over the intruder. Especially after we've seen her act out her frustrations with her situation earlier on in the story. What was your process to get to that moment in the story?
TODD – These moments were born from the challenge of telling a gripping story without any dialog and virtually no sound at all. We’d always intended this to not become a story about a girl suffering from hearing loss who becomes a victim. We wanted it to be so much more than that. When I first told Scott about this idea, I told him how important it was that her deafness become a weapon -- an advantage for her during the story. The leveling of the playing field through both of those examples allowed that to happen. We also had a moment in the original concept where she turned the stereo up loudly in order to hopefully draw attention from others in the building. Later, that evolved into her using it to also “take away” the man’s ability to hear -- again, to give her an advantage, as she’s been learning to live with impaired hearing, and he has not --
SCOTT -- Especially after she blinds him. She takes away not just his advantage, but actually reduces him. She’s got the advantage of sight and of knowing where the furniture and appliances are.
TODD -- As for the moment with her in front of the speakers, feeling the vibrations, it was important for us to have moments in the film where Eva is happy, where she finds joy.
SCOTT -- I think that was the first solid image I really argued for: the speaker sitting in the frame and Eva’s face coming in from the other side, her pressing her cheek against it and feeling pure joy. It was important to establish that she felt safe in the vibrations, that she could use sound as a comfortable blanket. I think we had that shot in mind before we had an actress to do it.
TODD -- The way those vibrations connect her to a time when she could hear – it just brings a tear to my eyes every time I see Julia in that scene.
SCOTT -- She nailed the complexity of emotions in that shot. It’s heartbreaking to watch.
5) Todd and Scott, you are both co-writers and co-directors of an award-winning film, and yet you've told me that you two used to be rivals yet found an opportunity to put that behind you and combine your skills in collaboration. That's a wonderful example to set for other artists who might be going through similar feelings or frustrations. How did that come about and is Low End your first project since you decided to collaborate?
TODD -- I remember running into Scott constantly at auditions for theater productions here in GR. We would often be up for the same roles, and every time I saw him, I knew I had to bring my “A” game!
SCOTT -- He was the guy I circled in my brain. I’d go, “that guy. I have to beat that guy.” Although, now that I think about it, I don’t think we ever actually read together that whole time.
TODD -- I don’t think so -- been at the same audition, but never actually read together.
SCOTT -- And we’ve never been in a production with each other. When I found out he felt the same way as me, though, that we had this mutual respect / “jealousy,” I couldn’t feel that way anymore. I instantly loved him. Plus, he was a Joss Whedon fan!
TODD -- Scott’s an amazing performer, and I’ve lost plenty of roles to his talent over the years.
SCOTT -- (laughs) I can’t even think of one! I know Todd walked off handily with Hamlet. Man, I wanted that role. It was the reason I hated him for years. He walked into the audition and I was like, “pfff -- welp, there goes that.”
TODD -- (laughs) So about a year-and-a-half ago, I ran into him at a book store, and we started talking, and we realized we both had a passion for film. We talked about the possibility of collaborating on something, and after throwing a few ideas around, we decided we might want to try something “small” to make sure we could work together well – as co-writers and co-directors. That’s when we decided upon LOW END. It seemed a good project to test the waters with.
SCOTT -- We referred to it as a “calling card” project, something to introduce our team to the local film scene.
TODD -- I have to say, not only has working with Scott been incredible every step of the way, it has exceeded my expectations many times over. With Scott, there has never been a sense of ego -- just a sense of wanting to create the best film possible. I hope he’s felt the same from me.
SCOTT -- Absolutely. Absolutely. I’ve worked alone for years. I’ve shot for other people as cinematographer, but when it came to my own scripts, I’ve very rarely worked with more than one or two necessary people. I direct, shoot and edit. Todd’s the first I’ve felt comfortable working with as an actual partner. He’s generous and thoughtful. He can read when I’m not feeling 100% on something or when I’m blue or hurt, and will have a voicemail on my phone before even I’ve figured out I’m feeling raw, saying how much he genuinely cares about our work and our friendship. He’s a lovely guy.
TODD -- Ego, in my opinion, is one of the greatest destroyers of great cinematic art. Films are not created in a bubble, and not by one person. We need each other, and each others’ creative forces.
SCOTT -- I’ve done it, but it sucks. (laughs)
6) Let's talk about the sound design in the movie which is a critical component to its thematic and is quite deliberately unique. Talk about how you came up with those ideas that ended up in the film.
SCOTT -- Todd’s sound design came about after a lot of wrangling. We scripted the “body sounds” stuff, abandoned it briefly when we tried to go full silence, tried the score on for size, and came back around to the internal whine of tinnitus and the persistent throb of her circulation.
TODD -- I probably spent nearly as much time on sound design as I did on the actual editing of the film, creating sounds that were very subtle, but added a level of tension and character to the film. It was a long process of trial and error. I hope that what is in the final film worked for viewers.
SCOTT -- He’s being modest. Todd agonized over the audio. After the movie was cut and he started working on the sound design, I’d come over and we’d just listen to sound files he’d dug up. We’d tinker, I’d fuss, he’d correct, he’d fuss, I’d potzer and push things around. Then we’d come across a spot in the cut where we’d need to smooth or tighten the edit, and it’d knock the audio out of whack and poor Todd would spend hours finessing things back in order. What was the final sound file you slowed down for the “circulation” background thrum?
TODD -- I ended up taking the sound of a subway, slowing it down to about 1/100th of its speed and reversing it. Then I added some slight flange effects, and reverb. Tweaked it out, and came up with that sound.
SCOTT -- What’s great is that it has an actual rhythm. And the original file has some people noise, which, when it’s slowed down that much, becomes ghostly audio aberrations. Todd’s and my philosophy became “as little as possible,” but it was a TON of work, almost all on his part, like 99%, to make “sound” sound like silence.
7) Often when an artist does something as unique as you two do with the sound in this film, a certain portion of the audience will misinterpret it as a mistake rather than an artistic choice. What are your thoughts on the risk you took in doing that? Also, are you doing anything to inform the audience, or does that not concern you?
SCOTT -- We talked about it and realized that if we did anything differently, if we selectively chose sounds to keep or take away, that we’d be cheating the audience.
TODD -- It had to be all or nothing. We couldn’t create a “normal” soundscape and then only take it away when we wanted to surprise the audience or mislead them. That would have been a cheat; it would have cheated the film out of its internal logic. It was either, we have a traditional audio design or go all out, pull everything out, even when a few extra sounds here or there would have made for a couple of good jump scares. We had to trust our audience, that they were either going to “get it” or not. We knew some people were going to be surprised when the sound goes from 100%, with all the car and traffic noise, to 1%, but in editing we found that the walkthrough of the apartment served the dual function of introducing the audience to the geography of the space --
SCOTT -- You know, which was its original intended purpose --
TODD -- but I realized it also allowed them to get used to the sound design before Eva and Mother started interacting. That was incredibly helpful -- to have that comfort zone built right into the movie. The whole opening of the movie was kind of a sticking point for us.
SCOTT -- We didn’t know how to start it. We tried some exteriors looking out through the window, but there... wasn’t anything outside the window. The actual apartment building is on a sort of secluded street. There isn’t a lot going on outside the building. We could try to shoot downtown out a different window --
TODD -- We flirted with the idea of shooting random city scenes, but that didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the picture, how we stay pretty close to Eva and her perspective through the whole rest of the movie --
SCOTT -- It was important to us to stay with Eva, to not stray too far from her. We just kept working around the fact that the opening would eventually come to us. I cut the full two and a half minute trailer and wanted to start it with a startling amount of piercing noise, in black with a lot of layered city noise, cut straight to Eva’s ear, where she swipes the hair behind her ear -- cut the sound completely out --
TODD -- And that became sort of the template for the actual opening of the movie. We agreed that we were just going to throw you in. It worked great. We didn’t quite shoot the movie to work that way, but it worked out a lot better than anything else we were trying to sort out, both during production and into post.
Co-director Scott Baisden, Producer Jenny Lasko,
Co-director Todd Lewis, and Actor Lisa Mueller
at the 2012 Thriller! Chiller! awards ceremony.
8) Low End is the first Michigan made movie to win one of our international awards at Thriller! Chiller! It's very exciting for us as a milestone for our festival and thrilling to see our film community competing on this level. We'd like to congratulate you on making a terrific film and on becoming a part of Thriller! Chiller! history. We'd love to hear your thoughts on your part in this Thriller! Chiller! legacy.
TODD -- I feel so honored to have been part of Thriller! Chiller! to begin with, and to win the Best Thrill! award was a huge surprise! Knowing that all films that were in the festival were up for this award, including many that I saw during the festival, and LOVED, it never occurred to me that we could win this award. It’s wonderful to see Thriller! Chiller! getting so many submissions from all over the world, and to be part of that legacy is something I’m extremely proud of. The fact that our little film connected in any way with attendees and judges of the festival makes this whole experience that much more rich and creatively satisfying.
[Editor's note: 62 movies from 17 countries screened at Thriller! Chiller! 2012. Sixteen of those films were nominated for awards. There are five categories of winners for the Groovy Awards: Best Feature, Best Short, Best Thrill, Best Chill, and Best FX.]
SCOTT -- Um... Exactly what he said. (laughs) I didn’t expect the attention we got. I think we all knew we were making something special, but you can’t predict how anyone else is going to react to it. Before we started shooting, I thought, “well, we’ll finish this in a few months, show it to some people, and get some work out of it.” It wasn’t until we’d put nearly a year of our lives into it that we started saying, “this has festival potential,” and my first instinct was Thriller! Chiller! I had a history with the festival, I loved the people who ran it and the local filmmakers who entered it annually, and “LOW END” felt like a good fit. But... you know, still, how can you predict how something you’ve made, something you’ve been living way too close to for way too long, is going to be perceived? I saw some really great movies at the festival this year. I was blindsided that we won anything, much less that we got called up twice! I remember suggesting sitting in the back because I didn’t think we’d need to make the walk! It’s an honor. It’s an honor to be recognized by people you respect and look up to.
"Too Dead to Die" The legendary indie horror comedy 13-years in the making **Update** Encore screening Saturday, April 20, 8 pm SOLD OUT! Saturday, December 15, 8 pm
A gang of low-rent mobsters pull off one last heist, only to be forced to confront radioactive evil from beyond the grave!
It's mafia scumbags versus the living dead in a fight to the finish! In the grand tradition of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films, and a dash of Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, Too Dead to Die is a kick-your-guts-out horror holocaust! Not to be missed!
The notorious grindhouse version of Too Dead to Die premiered at Thriller! Chiller! year two, in 2007. It is one of the most legendary screenings in our history, and its 52 minutes of pure unadulterated pleasure left the audience frothing at the mouth, cheering and screaming for more.What is new about this version of the movie and how will you convince your audience to come see this updated (longer?) (scarier?) (more zombies?) version of the now cult classic?
There will be many sequences which were not in the "Grindhouse Cut" of the film. Lots more zombies, gore, explosions, foxy strippers, and weird comedy. Also, the unseen "Meep Hallucination" will be present in this final version.
Is 13 your lucky number? Tell us about this movie's 13 years in the making and the challenges you faced as well as what kept you perservering?
Haha, #13 is all right by me! I first came up with the concept in 1996 after watching "From Dusk Till Dawn." It was basically, "Let's slam together Reservoir Dogs and Dawn of the Dead!" Serious planning began in 1999, and shooting began on my friend Chris Pelton's wedding day in 2000. It was supposed to be my senior thesis at Grand Valley State University. It was incredibly difficult to coordinate scheduling to get the actors together. After 4 years of working on it I'd become pretty disillusioned with it and had all but abandoned it in 2005. (Thriller! Chiller! Festival Director) Anthony Griffin convinced me at Thriller! Chiller! 2006 (the first T!C!) that it was worth going back and finishing. That led to the infamous "Grindhouse Cut" at Thriller! Chiller! 2007. That screening went amazingly well, but there was so much footage that didn't make it in that "Too Dead to Die" still felt unfinished.
The continued interest in the film is what convinced me that I should see it through to completion. After 13 years I still have random people coming up and asking about it. I'd like for all the actors to see the final product and have a copy, and I'll feel good starting into my next feature knowing that I finally finished this one.
Jason Roth actor in "Too Dead to Die."
Yes, he found the prize inside.
You've conceived of and completed many other movies since the genesis of "Too Dead to Die" in 1999. Tell us about your resolve to carry on with it instead of focusing on moving on to other projects?
It was always the nagging albatross around my neck. "Finish the @#$%ing movie Jay!" has been a mantra among a certain portion of my friends for ages now. I don't like having loose ends. It may take me a while to tie them up, but I always get back to them eventually.
Anyone who writes a horror comedy with a chainsaw wielding hero must be a Sam Raimi fan. Tell us about his influence as well as the other influences that inspired and perhaps influenced changes over time in regards to your perspective about the story and filmmaking of Too Dead to Die?
Remington Steel.
Sam Raimi's films are what made me decide to take up filmmaking. The "Evil Dead 2"/"Army of Darkness" double feature changed my life. The kinetic energy of his style and the blend of horror and comedy was unlike anything I'd seen up to that point. Other films and filmmakers that influenced "Too Dead to Die" are George Miller ("The Road Warrior" in particular), Guy Ritchie ("Snatch"), and Stanley Kubrick ("The Killing"). I'm not too hyped about Tarantino these days, but he was a major influence back when I began. Robert Rodriguez is another influence, but book "Rebel Without a Crew" was more inspirational than any of his films. Bruce Campbell is still the king.
Jonny and his crew.
So, it goes something like this: There's a mob boss named Moroni, a bigger boss named The Viking, and a moronic nephew named Delmar who goes berserk on Viking's errand boy named McGurk who was sent by the grocer to collect on Moroni's bill. Meanwhile, a small time thug named Jonny is pretty much kicking ass all over town. So I figure the zombies have to show up next because Jonny's just about run out of pathetic human ass to kick and I haven't seen the chain saw yet that I was promised in the trailer. Word to your mother, Jason. Rockin' storyline. I feel like I'm watching an episode of TV's "Deadliest Warriors." How did you come up with this story idea of mobsters vs. zombies and why aren't there 60 episodes of it for us to enjoy by now?
It was pretty much just me trying to think of a genre mash-up as cool as "From Dusk Till Dawn" (criminals vs vampires) but execute it so it wasn't a straight rip-off of that film. If there ends up being demand (and financing!) for a "Too Dead to Die" TV series I'd be more than happy to pursue it. Not a bad idea!
Delmar.
Can we concede that it's all Delmar's fault or are we leaving that for the fans to arm wrestle over beers after the show?
Some of it's Delmar's fault, some of it was just the cruel hand of fate. Arm wrestling over beers is always encouraged.
As a multi-talented fellow, you write and direct live action films, obviously, but are also an animator. What's your first love as a filmmaker?
It's hard to pick, because I think my sensibility is the same in either live-action or animation. It's either cartoons or live-action cartoons. Sometimes I like working with actors, sometimes I like getting carpal tunnel spending hundreds of hours drawing on the computer. It's a toss-up.
Up next:
You have a series called THE INCREDIBLY TRUE HISTORY OF AMERICA for which you've released the first of I assume many installments to come? Tell us more about this?
The "Paul Revere vs The Chupacabra" segment of The Incredibly True History of America was basically a spec short to try to get interest in a series. It would be a bunch of minute-long shorts, each showing a warped version of famous events in American history. It was my first collaboration with Leah Vukovich ("Abed,""America's Most Haunted"), and we're both chomping at the bit to do more of them. Loads of fun to make.
You are currently in production on your first animated feature, Sticky Fingers The Movie. It's an action packed road movie starring many hot screen legends such as Fred "The Hammer" Williamson. Tell us about the genesis of that project, maybe a sneak peek of a part of its storyline and when we can expect to see it.
Jason Roth and "The Hammer" on the set of
"Sticky Fingers: The Movie."
"Sticky Fingers: The Movie" has been in the works for two years now. I usually describe it as "Ren & Stimpy" meets "Pulp Fiction" at the intersection of "The Road Warrior." That seems to get the point across. Fred "The Hammer" Williamson recorded the voice of "Boss" for the film, and also shows up in a live-action cameo. That was a phenomenal experience. Fred is a legend and super-supportive of independent filmmaking. Lloyd Kaufman from Troma Entertainment is the voice of "Prisoner #666." Lloyd is another filmmaking hero who bends over backward to support indie film. In January, I'll be recording Asia Argento as the voice of "Nyx."
Animated Asia Argento. She's the latest voice actor
to sign on to "Sticky Fingers: The Movie."
Right now I'm still courting a few more name actors and looking for a bit more financing. The film is a bit hamstrung by lack of funds right now. All the proceeds from the "Too Dead to Die" screening will be put right back into the production of "Sticky Fingers: The Movie." If all goes well, it should be ready to screen in time for Halloween 2013.
Thriller! Chiller! International Genre Film Festival, which took place October 18-20, 2012 at the Wealthy Theatre, is Michigan’s premier film festival celebrating the genre movie. The festival screened films from the U.S. and around the world in the categories of sci-fi, action, suspense and horror. Sixty Two films from 17 countries were represented at this year’s festival.
The Groovy Awards Selection and Awarding Process
All submissions to Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival are pre-screened for submission by a minimum of 3-5 people and rated for excellence in storytelling as well as technical skills in filmmaking. Top rated screeners during the submission phase are suggested for entry into the festival and are programmed according to the festival directors discretion of available screening time as well as marketability to our projected audience. Accepted films are then further differentiated into the highest rated films which become nominees in all categories and are given to a panel of independent judges for award consideration.
Thriller! Chiller! Groovy Awards are presented in the following categories:Best Feature, Best Short, Best Thrill!, Best Chill! and Best FX. Award winners are chosen by a committee of independent judges whose criteria are to examine a movie’s content as a whole and attempt to quantify its visceral impact as a story and how it best represents its particular genre.
Best Thrill: “Low End.” USA. Directors: Scott Baisden and Todd Lewis Best Chill: “Zero Killed.” Germany. Director: Michal Kosakowski
Best FX: “Nervo Craniano Zero.” Brazil. Director: Paulo Biscaia Filho
Best Short: “Odokuro.” USA. Director: Aurelio Voltaire
Best Feature: “Empty Rooms.” USA. Director: Adam Lamas
O1 Radical Films Award for Best Zombie Movie: “Abed.” USA. Director: Ryan Lieske
Thriller! Chiller! sponsor O1 Radical Films has created a special award in 2012 representing the best movie with a post apocalyptic and/or zombie theme of 2012. This Groovy award is also known as “The Radical!”
The Boomstick! Award! : “Low End” Grand Rapids, Michigan. Directors: Scott Baisden and Todd Lewis
The Boomstick! Award! has quickly become Michigan’s most unique and sought after accolade on its film festival circuit. This sweet baby could only be presented by Thriller! Chiller! in Grand Rapids and is awarded to the Best Michigan Movie!
The Storey Award : Joseph L. Voss, Clark Hill Entertainment Law
The Storey Award is a community award created by Thriller! Chiller! and is presented in honor of journalist, friend, and community activist Drew Storey who passed away unexpectedly in 2009. The recipient is awarded based upon their body of work, their selfless contribution and its impact on building community relationships which promote and connect Michigan’s artists to a larger audience around the world.
The Storey Award Winner & Festival Directors
Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival Directors celebrate with Joseph L. Voss, winner of the 2012 Storey Award. The award was presented during the festival’s Groovy Awards ceremony on October 20,2012. Shown here [ L to R]: Festival Director Anthony Griffin; Joseph L. Voss, 2012 Winner of The Storey Award; Festival Director Chris Randall.
2012 Thriller! Chiller! Groovy Awards
The Groovy Awards
Presented annually by Thriller! Chiller! International Genre Film Festival in the categories of Best Thrill, Best Chill, Best FX, Best Short, and Best Feature. The award trophies are unique to each festival year. The trophies are individually handcrafted works of art created in 2012 by Michigan artist Paul Bosen. This year’s award is in the shape of a mask that lights up with glowing eyes and mouth.
Adam Lamas Thriller! Chiller! 2012 Best Feature Winner for "Empty Rooms"
Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival presents the 2012 Best Feature award to Director Adam Lamas for his movie “Empty Rooms.” Shown here [L to R]: Festival Director Anthony Griffin, Adam Lamas, Director of “Empty Rooms,” 2012 Winner of Best Feature, and Festival Director Chris Randall. “Empty Rooms” was presented the Best Feature award during the festival’s Groovy Awards ceremony on October 20, 2012. “Empty Rooms” synopsis: A single mother and her mute, autistic son are terrorized by supernatural entities in this haunting story of love, loss and the occult.
Scott Baisden and Todd Lewis Thriller! Chiller! 2012 The Boomstick! Award! Winners for "Low End"
Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival presents The Boomstick! Award! for Best Michigan Film. Shown here [L to R]: Co-Director Scott Baisden, Producer Jenny Lasko, Co-Director Todd Lewis, and Actress Lisa Mueller of the movie “Low End,” the winner of The 2012 The Boomstick! Award! The award was presented during the festival’s Groovy Awards ceremony on October 20, 2012. “Low End” is a nearly silent movie that takes you inside the terrifying real-time ordeal of a hearing impaired little girl as she fights for her life against a man, who has trapped her alone inside her apartment.
Ryan Lieske Thriller! Chiller! 2012 O1 Radical Films Award Winner for "Abed"
Thriller! Chiller! sponsor O1 Radical Films has created a special award in 2012 representing the Best Zombie Movie of 2012. Shown here [L to R]: Presenter Joe Osborne of O1 Radical Films; Ryan Lieske, Director of “Abed,” the winner of The 2012 O1 Radical Films Award;. The award was presented during the festival’s Groovy Awards ceremony on October 20, 2012. “Abed” synopsis: The dead have risen ... and in one small, Midwestern town, the residents have learned to cope as best they can. The film by Thriller! Chiller! Alumni Ryan Lieske, is based on the controversial zombie story by Elizabeth Massie. O1 Radical Films is a startup company dedicated to the promotion, distribution, and support of independent films.
Meet Murphy Dunn a private detective from the Valley who’s down and out and on the fringe after his best friend/business partner is killed and his marriage fell apart. To solve the case, Murphy must learn the difference between growing up and selling out.
What exactly is a fuzz track? Is that a common term in the music industry or is that a Steve Hicks original term?
It comes from an old school guitar pedal called a "fuzzbox", which was an early form of distortion invented in the 1960's. The classic fuzzbox sound was how I wanted the song to sound, so I called it the Fuzz Track. It just sounded cool and made sense story wise. Any word with two z's in it is just a badass word.
I've always been a 'guitar god' enthusiast. In high school, I was all about Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck...etc. There's just something about lead guitar players that drew me in. I wanted to BE that guy. Movies like 'The Song Remains The Same' and 'The Kids Are Alright' had a terrific impact on me. Even though I was in high school in the late 80's, the music and films of the 70's resonated far deeper with me. Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page were so much larger than life and the music they created was just so spectacular. It was the score of my youth. When I began writing Fuzz Track City, I made a list of things that I wanted the movie to have in it. I knew I wanted a 70's vibe, an old school private eye protagonist and a lot of great music. I was listening to a lot of 70's rock while writing and it dawned on me to make the music in the movie part of the story. To make one of the main characters a 'guitar god' a (Zack Lee) just seemed like a perfect fit. A hard rock mystery was something I hadn't seen before.
How did the infamous song come to be? I love how it is used thematically in the story as well as in practical situations. For example, it's even used as a cell phone ring if I remember correctly? Did you write the story around this super catchy tune that you had in mind or did the story idea evolve first?
The story and script evolved first --the script described the song "Ricochet" as being an old school chunky guitar lick that would definitely be on a Jock Jams compilation. And we shot the movie without even knowing what the song would sound like. When it came time to actually write/produce the tune there was a lot of pressure! I felt like it had to be so many things. I analyzed a ton of iconic riffs ("Walk This Way," "Whole Lotta Love," "Back In Black," etc) and the one thing so many of those classic licks have in common is that they're really quite simple. "Walk This Way" is like five notes. So, I sat down with a guitar (I am NOT an accomplished guitar player at all, either) and wrote "Ricochet." Then spent another year finding the right musicians to actually record it. Nick Maybury, an incredible guitar player and master shredder, ended up playing the guitars on the recording. He crushes it. Every time I hear it, it brings me right back to high school.
Same car. Same hair. Same diner. Same coffee. Same life? I think a lot of us can relate to your main character's sense of comfort in the sameness of things he grew up with. And as adults we learn that if you don't roll with the changes, life will leave you in the dust until you grow up and become the next version of you.
I want to thank you for making a comedy that's about characters with whom it is easy empathize. So much of what exists in movie comedy is vitriolic anger-based interactions of characters who are in a mad race to spitball each other. “Fuzz Track City” is the opposite of that because it's situationally-centered around a character who is genuinely likable. You start thinking that this 70s wannabe private dick may not really be stuck in the past but instead the future went nuts and he's the sane one who stayed behind. Do you have a background in comedy? What type of comedies inspire you?
I don't really have a background in comedy, although I like to think I have a decent sense of humor. Tonally, my favorite films are ones that are very, very funny, but you wouldn't necessarily find them in the 'Comedy' section of a video (if there were still video stores). Quentin Tarantino does this extremely well. His films are hilarious, but they're not categorical comedies. Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" is a favorite, as well. "Three Kings." I think "Fuzz Track City" is more of a comedy than those films, but if anyone asks me what genre it is, I just say it's a mystery or a detective movie. And if they ask if it's funny. I say yes.
The movie premiered in June 2012 and it's already won awards in most of the major categories: directing, acting, editing, cinematography. Congratulations on the recognition! There are so many elements of the filmmaking process done well that serve to elevate this film. How do you go about finding the talented people you work with and putting together your team?
I'm extremely lucky to know a lot of people who are very good at what they do. I went to film school at NYU in the early 90's and met a bunch of very committed and talented actors and filmmakers. After college, most of us moved out to Los Angeles and remained close. My NYU friends have been an amazing resource and foundation.
Based on the previous question, obviously, we think this movie is hitting it on all cylinders, but let's talk about your actors specifically. The performances of Todd Robert Anderson and Josh Adell really pull those characters off the page and turn what might have been quirky oddballs in the hands of lesser talent into real breathing people we care about. Is directing actors part of the collaborative process that you enjoy?
Working with actors is probably my favorite part of filmmaking. I know Todd from NYU and so we have a long history together. We're very close friends. Before the script for FTC was even written, I'd invite Todd over, we'd dress him up in the full Murphy Dunn costume (I knew what I wanted Murphy to look like before I started writing) and I would film him driving all over the San Fernando Valley. We'd talk about the character, improvise, spitballing funny things he could do or say. I've got at least ten hours of footage with Todd in costume years before we shot the film. By the time we got to the set, I didn't really have to direct him at all. It was already in place. Todd's one of my very favorite actors. He's a special guy.
I've known Josh since I was ten years old. We met in sixth grade and bonded over our love for "Caddyshack" and "Stripes" and became inseparable friends. Much of our youth was spent writing scripts and making Super 8 films and videos. We roomed together at NYU for all four years--he was a drama major, I was in film. I've made more projects with Josh than I can count. I wrote the part of Ziggy specifically for him and he just ran with it. Josh is the real deal. He's so committed and so focused and creative. I would never make a film without him. A helluva an actor. And my best friend.
Lastly, the question every fan boy has been waiting for … How did you talk Dee Wallace into play the hot cougar teacher who drops her robe and gets naked with her former student?
I wrote the part with Dee in mind (as a part of my dream cast), but I never thought she would actually do it. Todd's wife's mother used to take an acting class with Dee (years ago) and she helped us get the script to Dee's manager. Dee was about to get on flight from New York back to L.A. and she realized she had nothing to read on the plane. So, she called her manager and asked if there were any projects she hadn't read yet. Her manager emailed the "Fuzz Track City" script to her and she read it on the plane. She called us personally the next day and said she wanted to do it IF she liked the director (me). We set up a lunch date (I was nervous as HELL!) and talked film and other things. Dee is a very direct person. She doesn't bullshit. At all. At one point she asked me point blank, "Do you know what you're doing?" And I, of course, said, "Yes" (with every ounce of confidence I could muster). She bought it and and we made the movie together. Fanboy heaven!
