Confessions From An Angry Artist #5: Making Three Lives Come Together Perfectly!

When you attend the New York Film Academy's 12 week program you are required to complete three film projects.  The first is a continuity film.  I wrote about this experience in another post a few months back.  It was my short film called, Russian Roulette.  After that first project I was really depressed and questioned many things.  Should I even be doing this?  Am I cut out for this?  Filmmaking takes time and dedication.  When you work with a crew it's all in or nothing.  But on Russian Roulette everything seemed to fall apart.  The actor I casted stood me up the morning of the shoot.  My other actor, Adrian, got sick and went home after Sid's shoot and Annie was difficult to work with behind the camera.

Should I have given up?  No.  Never.  That is not an option.

The first piece of great news came on the night that we actually reviewed all of the continuity films.  For all the drama and bullshit that played out during the making of Russian Roulette, it was actually well-received by my classmates and instructor, Billy Tyler Smith.  Aside from a few gripes everyone really liked it.  That feeling was quite good and it lifted my spirits immediately.  I took something that I didn't think had a chance to be glued together and made it my own.  And having others say positive things about it was even better for my confidence.  

The second piece of good news came after class when Billy told us that he'd be changing up the groups.  This meant that Annie was no longer in my group.  It was for the better.  We just didn't gel at all.  Fortunately, Sid and Adrian would be sticking around.  Taylor, another girl in the class took Annie's spot.  I was still kind of worried that Adrian would flake out again and come up with a million different excuses why he couldn't finish the full day's shoot and all the projects.  

Nonetheless, our second project was a music video.  Not a band playing to their music, but a video with the music telling the story.  Billy stressed that we tell our story with image and music.  Being a death metal fan I immediately went to something dark and heavy.  My first choice was Six Feet Under's Braindead, from he album, Bringer of Blood.  I wanted to shoot an autopsy scene in a hospital with the song telling the story.  My shooting and editing would've made this perfect because this was the style I was going for.  With time restraints, and location problems this just wasn't feasible.  You have to remember we only had a few days to prep for the project, because not only were you prepping for yours, but you were prepping for the others in the group too.  

I was always a huge Donnie Darko fan and fell in love with Gary Jules' version of Mad World from that soundtrack.  I listened to that song over and over again the ideas immediately started to brew.  My wife Jackie, and I, started bouncing ideas off each other.  We began storyboarding, and soon this story about three very different people living three very different lives began to take shape.  The outcome for these three lives would all be the same:  heartache, dispair, failures, addictions, and loss.

I wasn't about to retrace my first mistakes and depend on people who I knew I couldn't trust to show up and help.  This time I would use real people and challenge myself as a director.  I used Sid once again, because he was just so menacing in Russian Roulette and I knew he was dependable.  I used Jackie's cousin, Pam, and her father, Willie.  Jackie was a gimme because she was already trained as an actor from guess where?  

Did you guess New York Film Academy?  

Then you're correct.

On the first day of shooting we snuck into the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  Jackie and I had a specific location:  her father's head stone.  I loved shooting in the cemetery because it was April on an overcast day, and it just looked so beautifully bleak.  Adrian ran the camera while I just concentrated on direction.  This was perfect for me.  Adrian and I got along so well.  The first thing I noticed on this shoot was how much more relaxed I was without Annie involved.  It was just me and my little crew doing what we love best: telling stories. 

Jackie was completely natural in her ability to act.  She did go through the real loss of a loved one.  So she knew how to act and react in the scene.  She's beautiful in it.  She's also extremely organized where as I'm the opposite.  So when I got lost, she'd put me back on track and helped me keep my mind on the project.  I get Jackie's loneliness.  It seeps through the screen.  I can feel the anger, sorrow and regret through her performance.  

Willie is credited as The Guitar Player.  Jackie's father was a guitar player, as is Willie, so this was another natural element to the film.  Raw and real is what I wanted.  Shooting Willie was a breeze because he really didn't have to do much.  Looking back, I'm so honored that he was in this because he was just so good.  His scene really gets to me because for me it is really happening.  I hope Willie realizes the talent that he possesses. 

After wrapping up the shots in the cemetery we head straight to our next location, Pam's bedroom.  Pam plays the struggling artist who just can't kick the addiction or maintain self control.  She never acted before this (that I know of anyway) so I was unsure of how this would turn out.  Pam is a truly gifted artist and the work you see in the film is hers.  When I shot Pam, we used minimal lighting.  I didn't want it to be bright in that room, because the character's life isn't bright at all.  She took direction well and seemed to know the character in and out.  She was usually one or two steps ahead of me.  She knew what was going on at all times on set.  She was ready each and every time I called action.  Maybe her true calling is acting.  

That night I went home to watch the dailies and was delighted at what I saw.  I knew right then and there that I had something good.  I just needed to finish up the film with Sid's shoot in the city.  

I chose to shoot Sid right in front of the NYFA building down in Union Square.  The reason was because we didn't need a permit and had every right to shoot there.  So I just made it easy and hung out there.  Sid plays the bum in the film.  It's funny because you can see people just staring at him, and they have no clue I'm running the camera.  At one point he was actually holding out his little can and asking for some change.  Sid was method during this shoot.  He was extremely convincing.  I love the scene where he pulls out the apple from the dumpster and takes a desperate bite.  That one pulls the heart strings just a bit.  We shot different endings for Sid.  For one ending I had Taylor give him some money and he mouthed the words, "thank you."  Once I edited the film it didn't make much sense because he would've been the only character with any closure.   

I finally wrapped and went into the editing suite to finish up.  My first edit wasn't too good.  The lives of the three people didn't mesh properly.  I showed the editing teacher and he said I should cut the film again.  "This time make sure you tell the story of the three people," he said. In the first cut, Jackie's character was in it more than the others.  I re-edited the film, this time,  giving each character their time.  The second cut weaves through all three characters naturally.

It was done.  I was excited; I wanted to show it off to everyone.  I hurried home and showed Jackie that night.  I could see how proud she was of the film.  It just came together so natural and perfect.

When I showed it to the class they all agreed that it was better than Russian Roulette.  Billy had a few odd remarks about the film.  He asked about Willie's character.  Evidently, he thought he was some pervert prowling around in the graveyard.  Most of us rolled our eyes when he made that remark.  I think it's pretty obvious what Willie's character represents.  Maybe Billy wanted to see something different, I'm not sure. Other than that he thought it was a good film. One kid, two seats down, said nothing after the film ended.  At first I thought he didn't like it.  After his long, dramatic pause he whispered, "That was beautiful."

I knew then that we made something incredibly special.  Just based off of that single remark. 

This shoot was the best one for me.  It was so easy, and everyone involved just gave me 100% of their time, dedication, and talent.  This is a piece of time I'll never forget and will always appreciate.  I still get many compliments on it today.  I, along with the rest of us, deserve them.

   

Confessions from an Angry Artist #4 - Kindness for Weakness - Acrylic on Canvas

Acrylic on Canvas 11 x 14

such a nice man

he'd give the shirt of his back

to bad he's kind

they all attack

Confessions from an Angry Artist #3 - Celestial God - Acrylic on Canvas

Acrylic on Canvas 11 x 14

Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing

 by R.K. Hook

What ever happened to the video rental business?  How could a business so popular and widely appreciated just fall off the face of the earth overnight, as though it were hit by some unknown plague?  So many of these little rental stores were scattered around the small, modest town of Berwick, Pennsylvania in the 80's and 90's.  At that time in Berwick there were more video stores than grocery stores.  I specifically remember a few right off the top of my head: Take One Video, Front Street Video, West Coast Video (later known as Powerhouse), Blockbuster Video, and last but certainly not least, Hollywood Video.  That is only naming the few.  There were others, but of all them, Hollywood Video is the only one still standing and operating for business.  The rest have all dried up, long since gone; a distant memory.

Hollywood Video is special.  You always feel at home when you walk through the doors.  You're always greeted with kindness, and the men who work there know most of the customer's by name. When you walk into that store, you're greeted not only as a patron but as a friend.  And you're always apt to find what you're looking for with a smile and hospitality.  There are over 10,000 titles to choose from, most of them book-ended because you wouldn't be able to fit that quantity on the shelves otherwise.  Many video stores stock films by categories.  For example, popular comedies, Dramas, Action and Horror.  But Hollywood carries this concept a bit further having specific sections for more esoteric categories such as the Classics, Cult Classics, Film Noir, Westerns, Professional Wrestling, and even a designated spot for the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock.

Nick Miller, owner and operator of Hollywood Video (not the chain) in Berwick, Pennsylvania is above all else:  a hardcore movie fan.  You'll usually find him standing behind the counter wearing a Hawian-style shirt, khaki pants, and sometimes sporting a handlebar mustache, while some classic western is playing in the background on the screen.  His brown hair is shoulder length, his posture is confident, and he's usually smiling from ear to ear.  At the door, a bell sounds, and one hundred percent of the time, Nick's attention is always at that door, waiting to greet his next customer.  With a soft voice and a keen memory of film, you can be in his store for hours just talking about movies.  He's apt to know what director you're looking for, what actor or actress you want and how many Oscars they've won.  His mind is a film projector, constantly spinning reels of film forever within the walls of his mind.

In addition to the store itself, Nick has a personal collection of over 3,000 movies, an extensive knowledge of film and a pinch of business sense.  He's successfully run Hollywood Video since August of 2007.  "I've loved movies since I was a kid," says Nick Miller.  "My favorite movie is RoboCop.  There's a great story there, and to this day the special effects hold up."  He adds.  "My main desire in high school was to work in a video store.  My love of movies is endless.  I need to be around them everyday."

To understand Nick's story, or that of any other video store owner we must go back a few decades.

The VCR is the father of video stores.  In 1977, RCA was busy manufacturing the very first VCR's for the general public.  Customers had to dig deep into their pockets to pay the $1,000 that those initial machines had cost.

Once the VCR, although expensive for the average person, became readily available, video rental stores were peppered throughout the United States.  In L.A. Video Station was one of the very first stores opened.  And soon many others would follow.  The business was rapidly spreading like wild fire.  Mom and pop video stores continued to grow at a very fast rate.  When studios allowed easier access to their films, fans from all over the world could now see their favorite movies in the comfort of their homes.  Previously, you'd only have a chance to see the films in theaters, or play high prices for VHS tapes.  Some of those tapes averaged a hundred dollars or more.  From the late 70's, and all through the 80's, video stores thrived and grew in communities.  Instead of being out late on a Friday evening, people where at home, on their couches, with friends, or a date, taking in a movie.  Another big time competitor tore its way through the competition to become the corporate staple of the video rental business.  Blockbuster Video would eventually move into those small towns, driving the independent mom and pop shops out of business.  In 2004, at the very height of their success, Blockbuster Video employed an astronomical 60,000 employees.  Around that time Nick Miller was one of those 60,000.

In 1999 Blockbuster Video opened a store in Berwick.  But the town already had its fair share of video rental stores and most of them were independently owned.  Take One Video, Hollywood Video, and West Coast were the heavy hitters in town.  With the addition of Blockbuster, the market was quickly overcrowded.

Nick Miller's stint with Blockbuster Video started in 2003.  He remembers it well.  "It was fun at first, I loved that I was able to work with movies."  The fun wouldn't last too long and soon his opinion on his situation changed.  "Once they told me I wasn't gonna be anything more than a cashier I lost interest in working for them."  Nick wanted more than just another meager cashier position.  Management or even a shift leader would have been satisfactory, but his superiors disagreed right away.  "They said I had no business sense.  What it boiled down to was that I didn't ram the sales down the customer's throats."

His disenchantment with Blockbuster soon lead to his venturing out and looking for something new.  Their lack of commitment and drastic schedule changes, including shortening his hours to a mere fifteen a week finally drove that wedge between them.  With an undying passion for films, Nick wanted to stay in the same line of work.  He went to Bonnie Sweeney who, at the time, owned Hollywood Video.

After explaining his situation to Bonnie, she offered him a job.  Bonnie couldn't compete with the salary that Blockbuster paid, but she assured Nick that he'd have at least thirty hours a week with her.  Within a few days Nick's role at Hollywood was more demanding, and satisfactory than he'd experienced at Blockbuster.  He quickly became Bonnie's number one employee.  "I was the one that didn't have two jobs so she gave me more hours.  I learned a lot more with her than I ever did with Blockbuster."

Nick would soon realize that Bonnie was actually grooming him for future endeavors.  Under her tutelage, Nick was being modeled into a business man.  Most, if not all the responsibilities were being placed on Nick's shoulders.  Early on Bonnie started to drop hints that she wanted him to buy the store.  At first the hints seemed like a joke, but after about a year of employment, Bonnie and her husband started to really show interest in selling the store.  Bonnie loved his ambition and passion for not only the business side of the store, but his vast knowledge of the films within the store.

Nick Miller became the official owner on August 1st 2007.  It was a personal victory for Nick and one that he takes great pride in.  With him is his co-worker and fellow movie buff, Steve Havlish.  The two have been flipping schedules and manning the store on their own.  They compliment each other in film knowledge - what one doesn't know the other will - and a mutual respect for customers looking for new releases or hard to find gems.  Steve was employed with Bonnie but remained with Nick through the changeover.

With his success, Nick still has certain reservations.  "At first I was very intimidated by running my own store.  After awhile, it just becomes second nature.  It's like anything else you do in life.  You live, you learn, and you either succeed or fail.  Giving up isn't an option."

When he bought the store in 2007 some of the competition was showing signs of weakening.  Powerhouse was struggling, only grabbing the "big box office titles", and had a weak back catalog.  They were never a threat to Nick.  "I did my best to emphasize my stores strengths over theirs.  I brought in as many "B" titles as I could get because I knew they weren't making any effort to bring any in their store."

Blockbuster was more of a concern.  It had two advantages over Hollywood Video: games and copy depth.  Game sales were keeping them alive, barely.  They also had more titles of a particular new release.  While Hollywood lacked in some areas, it excelled in others.  "What they [Blockbuster] didn't have was a selection of older titles.  So that's what I focused on," says Nick.  "The classics.  The hard to find gems that other stores didn't carry."

In September 2010, Blockbuster declared bankruptcy.  This was primarily due to two other new competitors, Netflix and Redbox.

Netflix began in 1997 and launched its mailing services in 1999.  This was now more convenient to the customer because the movie would arrive in the mail.  By 2007 Netflix gained over 1 million subscribers.  Blockbuster couldn't adapt to this online streaming monster.   Netflix slowly started to gain an advantage with customers around the United States.

Redbox, a subsidiary of Coinstar, was started in 2002.  After garnishing a following, they began installing kiosks on college campuses and around supermarkets.  The two important factors that led to victory for Netflix and Redbox were money and convenience.  Their movies were cheaper to rent and neither company ever charged you a late fee.  You had the liberty at all hours of the night, and at your own leisure to return or rent a movie.  Today, there are only about 500 Blockbuster stores left in the United State ( as of January 2014 Blockbuster has closed up all stores).  Netflix and Redbox are still serving millions everyday.  They're considered the best option, for most, to rent a move.

So how does a little, independently owned video store out live the corporate machine and keep up with the more convenient Netflix and Redbox?  There are a few answers.

Hollywood Video gets their new releases 28 days before Netflix and Redbox.  The major studios:  Warner Brothers, Fox and Universal have deals with Redbox and Netflix stating that if they wait twenty-eight days, they'll get more copies at a drastically lower rate.  Netflix's selection is constantly fluctuating due to contractual obligations with studios while Hollywood Video will always have thousands of titles to choose from.  Blockbuster used to send customers to collection agencies for late fees.  Many have said that this was a devious ploy for customers to pay those late fees.  It turned many customers away.

The digital age has all but swept the days of old under the rug.  Many people don't even have to leave the comfort of their homes to purchase anything.  Everything, even a grocery list, is just a click away on your computer.

What does this say about the future of our society?  It says that we've become socially inept and just plain lazy.

Is this all just a mundane argument.  Absolutely not.  Yes, it is only renting a movie, but why is walking into an establishment to rent a film such a thing of the past?  Have we become afraid or too lazy to leave our houses?  To have human interaction and to deal with people on a human level?  I've mentioned numerous advantages of Hollywood Video over Netflix and Redbox.  Is it really a money issues?  A laziness issue?  Or just convenience?

One thing is certain.  No matter how you obtain them, movies aren't going anywhere.  Movie viewing experiences are a pastime.  Will the digital age wipe out physical copies?  Yes.  But I don't believe that will happen anytime soon.  Not as long as guys like Nick Miller continue to thrive.  He may be in the minority, but he's still standing tall and providing entertainment to Berwick, Pennsylvania.

"I'm hoping to be around another ten years," says Nick.  "You can never tell, but I have a felling I'll be around for a while.  Just last year [2012] I had my best year financially in this store.  This economy is very unstable and has been for the last few years, so you can never tell what tomorrow will bring.  If you told me ten years ago I'd own a business and beat all the competition I'd laugh at you.  But here I am and I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon."

Humphrey Bogart once said, "The only thing you owe the public is a good performance."  Maybe the secret to Nick's success is in his hospitality.  Treat every customer like he or she is potentially your last.  Make them want to come back.

Certainly, whatever the case, or secret, six years later, Hollywood Video's doors are still open for business and still serving a world of entertainment to movie lovers of all kinds.

Ed Gein's Impact on Horror and Its Notorious Characters

The heinous crimes of Ed Gein have been the subject of documentaries and narrative film since 1957.  From the time of his arrest, up until now, he's been the focus of many of the great modern day horror films.  Many of the characters that have become staples in pop culture have been inspired by the shy, mild-mannered ghoul from Plainfield, Wisconsin.  Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill are three out of the very many who have scared horror movie-goers for decades.

The youngest son of George and Augusta Gein, Ed was a shy boy with very few friends.  Many of the townsfolk thought he was weird, but harmless.  Augusta was despotic; a woman who despised women, their sinful ways, and sexual desires.  She would let her two young sons have no part in any of it.  She dictated the household and considered her husband an utter disappointment and due to his constant shortcomings with job ventures and alcoholism she deemed him a failure.  Because of his overbearing mother, and her decision to move the family in isolation, Gein had no one else in the world.  His father would end up dying of heart failure.  A few years later his brother Henry died after he and Ed went out to burn brush in the woods.  A fire broke out and became uncontrollable.  But the younger Gein was the only one to emerge from the accident.  Later Henry's body was found face down, but there where no burn wounds on his body.  There were bruises on his head, which brought up some red flags that pointed to Ed having had something to do with it, but otherwise it is documented that Henry died of asphyxiation from the smoke.  Augusta was the last to go.  She died in 1945 of a stroke.  This crumbled Ed's world.  He would never be the same again.

Far from the typical serial killer, Ed Gein admitted and was found guilty for killing two women.  

His first victim was Mary Hogan, a tavern owner, who went missing in 1954.  His second victim came three years later.  Bernice Worden, a hardware store owner also went missing.  Her son Frank Worden was the deputy sheriff and quickly Ed Gein became a prime suspect from both an eye witness and a receipt found in the store, proving him to be the last known customer in the store before Bernice's disappearance.  After a hasty investigation at the Gein residence, a grisly scene was discovered in the woodshed behind the house.  There, the body of Bernice was discovered, hung upside down and dressed out like a deer; the head missing and the body eviscerated.

Inside the home were more, barbaric, and gruesome discoveries.  A belt made from human nipples, skulls used for soup bowls, lampshades from human skin, a box full of noses.  The entire house was squalid from floor to ceiling.  The only room in the entire house that was immaculate was his mothers.  That room hadn't been touched since her death years prior.  Most of these body parts, or "souvenirs" were from the graves of the recently dead.  Ed would read the obituaries to find fresh graves and at night he'd set out to go grave robbing.

In 1968 Gein was tried and found guilty of first degree murder, however, he was considered to be legally insane and was sentenced to spend the rest of his years in a mental hospital.  The reason why he was only tried for one murder had to do with monetary budgets.   

Gein had an insatiable appetite for reading books on cannibals and the Nazi atrocities.  Many knew Ed as the weird guy, but he was hardworking and earned his keep.  Often he'd even babysit the local kids.  No one knew, truly, the horrific things he was doing.  Or how his mind spiraled into madness.  That is, not until his macabre and twisted experiments with death surfaced in the isolated town of Plainfield in '57.

Norman Bates

Robert Bloch sat at his kitchen table and read the daily newspaper, only 25 miles from Plainfield.  The details of the Ed Gein crimes were splattered in black and white.  It was then that Bloch began writing his masterpiece.  Psycho would be born and read by the masses.  His character Norman Bates is the template of Ed Gein.  The parallels between the two are undeniable.  Bates runs and operates Bates Motel.  His domineering mother lives up in the big, old house behind the motel.  Norman has to take care of her because nobody else will.  Mother hates women and hates the thought of Norman living in sin with any of them.  And soon mother has to take up a new hobby to protect her son.  Murder.

It's no secret that Norman's mother is dead.  Norman preserves her; keeps her bedroom neat and tidy, dresses like her and even speaks for her.  Ed Gein did the same things.  Moreover, he was extremely interested in the first sex change and often contemplated getting one himself.    The body parts of middle aged women, who strongly resembled Augusta, were dug up by Gein and preserved.   

Psycho is considered the god father of slasher films.  It is most certainly Alfred Hitchcock's best and most celebrated film to this day.  Anthony Perkins was almost born to play this role, even though in the book Bates is shorter, heavier, and wears glasses.  Perkins is interesting in the fact that although he's deranged, he earns your sympathy.  After all, he is doing everything that his mother commands of him.  He lives vicariously through her.  He's psychotic, reclusive and lost without the love of his mother.  It's the only woman in the world who really meant anything to him.  

Always remember, "A boy's best friend is his mother."

Leatherface

There's a false notion out there in the Internet land that Tobe Hooper's classic, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is actually based on Ed Gein.  The films ideas are in question but without a doubt Leatherface is taken right from the Ed Gein crime lab.  Leatherface was a hulking retard, who wielded a chain saw like a madman, served as the family servant, and donned a mask made of human flesh.  In the original film leatherface wore three different faces.  The first mask we see is the Killing Mask. This is the mask when... you guessed it... Leatherface is doing all the destruction and killing.  The second is the Old Lady Mask.  This mask is worn when he's home playing the made and doing the chores, like cooking and cleaning.  The third mask, which he wears in the third act of the film is the "Pretty Woman Mask", this is where he looks prime and proper for dinner.  These masks are worn to show his personality on any given day.  

Leatherface is a man of very few words, outside of the occasional grunt.  After Kirk is killed and Pam ventures into the old, dilapidated farm house, she's caught in the clutches of the massive, over-sized behemoth and carried back to the kitchen. As he carries her with ease you can hear him sometimes laughing hysterically or grunting in frustration.  Pam's end comes when Leatherface hangs her on the meat hook.  She screams as her blood drips into a bucket below her.  All the while Leatherface is prepping Kirk, with his chain saw roaring, cutting flesh, and getting the sausage ready for dinner later on in the evening.  He acts on compulsion, doing what he thinks is right.  He's clearly insane and hasn't a rational cell in his brain.  He's also protective of his family and when these young kids come snooping around he has no idea on how to control the situation.   When he kills Jerry, he panics and starts beating his head with the birdcage out of rage and frustration.  Why are these people are invading his home?  

Leatherface isn't a human being.  He's a monster, a bastard of the universe, a horrible mistake gone terribly wrong.  This is the movies, where monsters scare and entertain us.  Where we can have fun, and know that when we turn the lights on and the TV off, things will return to normal.  Life will go on as it does.  

Ed Gein is a real monster.  And our society is full of them.

Buffalo Bill

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) had a snowball effect.  It wasn't a huge success at first.  Gradually over time many of the actors and filmmakers started to earn acclaim from reviews and mover-goers.  Most of the reviews were positive which led to many claiming that the film should rank with other horror classics like: Psycho and Halloween.  

Ted Levine played Buffalo Bill, a character who kidnaps, murders and skins women.  He dresses like a woman because he hates himself and wants nothing more than to change his appearance.  He admires their skin and wants them to be apart of him.  Much like cannibal killer Jeffrey Dahmer did when he consumed his victims so they would never leave him.  Buffalo Bill is interesting in the fact that he reflects another serial killer, Ted Bundy.  His modus operandi was similar to that of Bundy's.  Playing off that he had a broken arm, or other heath issues, he gained sympathy from his victims, luring them into his trap.

The film went on to win a bunch of Oscars and became one of the few films in history to win all five major categories including, Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture.  Where the positive criticism came the negative would follow.  It was also criticized for being sexist and homophobic.  

Was Buffalo Bill gay?  

Director Johnathan said no.  He was just a tormented guy.  Does it really matter if he was gay or not?  

Was he sexist?  Yes.  He killed women.  He was a sadistic person.  Enough said. 

Ezra Cobb

In 1974 Deranged was released.  Roberts Blossom plays Ezra Cobb, a replicate of Ed Gein.  He lives at home with his oppressive mother, has very few friends and is considered a bit odd by the townsfolk.  After the death of his mother, Ezra digs her up and keeps her.   He also takes up grave robbing and uses body parts as decoration around his house.  Once that becomes a bore he resorts to killing women and quickly morphs into a serial killer.  One thing that Ezra does in the film that Ed Gein vehemently denied was taking pleasure in necrophilia. 

The film depicts isolation and loneliness very well.  Again all the characters have one thing in common, without the love and guidance of family (particularly their mothers) they have no reason.  And sometimes loneliness and depression is a recipe for disaster.

Other notable film based on the crimes of Ed Gein

Motel Hell (1980) a farmer and his wife kill people and plant them in their human garden.  Later, they're rounded up and made into Vincent's Fritters.  I'm sure it's beef jerky to die for!  Don't take the film too seriously.

Three on a Meathook (1973) here is a link to a review I wrote of the film back in 2011.  http://somethingslurking-hook.blogspot.com/2011/07/three-on-meathook-1973.html

Ed and his Dead Mother (1993)  Horror/comedy about a man who wants to reanimate his dead mother.   

Roadkill:  The Last Days of John Martin (1988) - a short film by director Jim Van Bebber. 

Ed Gein (2000)  Steve Railsback nails the performance.  The story is pretty true to the facts.

Ed Gein:  The Butcher of Plainfield (2007)  Odd casting choice putting Kane Hodder as Ed Gein.  There's quite a size difference there.  Nonetheless a great effort and really shows Hodder's acting chops.

Following his arrest there was a media frenzy.  In his own right, Ed quickly became somewhat of a notorious celebrity.  Media surrounded the old farmhouse, Ed's '49 Ford sedan was auctioned off, and later put up in a local fair.  The car was dubbed "Ghoul Car", the car used to transport the dead bodies from the cemetery to Ed's farmhouse.  Many people paid a quarter just to get a quick peek inside the car.

March, 1958, Ed Gein's farmhouse was burned to the ground.  No arrests were ever made.

"Just as well," was Ed's response after being told of the fire.

His final years were spent in the Mendota Mental Health Institute.  He enjoyed life in the facility and many staff members said he was a perfect prisoner.

Ed died of cancer in 1984.  He was buried next to his mother, in the same cemetery he once prowled. 

   

Samhain Live 1984 Stardust Ballroom DVD review

After the Misfits and before his solo career took off, Glenn Danzig fronted Samhain.  With the smooth blend of horror, punk and metal this is by far his most criminally underrated musical endeavor.  Filmed by Al Flipside, the image and audio quality are poor, but that is necessary in making you feel as though you were there. Apparently that's the way Danzig wanted this dvd represented.  Filmed in the now non-existent Stardust Ballroom, the band is complete energy and you can tell by the ruckus crowd.  Danzig is right down there with them, fist pumping in the air, and sweat pouring and flying from every pore as he belts out classics like: Samhain, Black Dream, Archangel, and I Am Misery. The band also throws in some Misfit tunes such as: Die, Die, My Darling, Halloween II, and Horror Biz.

If you're a fan of anything Danzig has done do yourself a favor and seek this one out.  It's got all the grit, horror and sonic violence you desire.  You also get yourself a neat little sticker.   I've had my copy since its release in 2005 and watch it frequently.  The running time is 48 mins.  So if you do hate it, it's only less than an hour of your life.

A complete list of songs:

Samhain
All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
Die, Die, My Darling
The Shift
The Howl
Black Dream
I Am Misery
Halloween II
The Hungry End
Unholy Passion
Horror Biz
He Who Cannot Be Named
Archangel
Moribund

Confessions from an Angry Artist #2: Playing Russian Roulette

This month marks six years since I attended the New York Film Academy.  The program was short, only twelve weeks and all evening courses.  Short, however, does not mean easy.  If you've never prepared yourself for anything, prepare yourself for filmmaking.  It is not easy.  It is not for the weak and it is not for lazy individuals.

Filmmaking is a collaborative effort.  It takes more than one dedicated person to make a decent film.  And there are so many different pieces to put to the puzzle.  As far as my fellow students were concerned, most of them (and there weren't many of us) just didn't seem excited nor did they seem dedicated.  I'm not saying they were all disenchanted.  It costs $3,500 to enroll and I'm sure that unless you're spending your parents money you're going to want to make the most of the funds you've spent. 

The teachers were good, but everything was so rushed because of the short schedule that you never really felt as though you were getting a good lesson.  In one class, they brought two cameras out and let us get the feel for them.  We marveled at the little buttons and knobs.  We looked through the view finder.  We held the piece of machinery in our hands, making sure not to drop it.  It looked like the scene from 2001 when the monkeys are examining the bone, in awe of it's... I dunno... all mighty power? The teacher then gave us a haste lesson on how to use the Panasonic DVX100.  After that class you had a feeling that we'd need to know more.  A lot more.

Our writing classes were good, and the classes on direction were good too.  I made it a point to listen intently in these classes.  The editing classes, which is what I was looking forward to the most, lacked in everything.  One guy walked around trying to answer questions from a jam-packed editing suit.  Some of the hands that were raised remained that way; our questions never answered.

This post isn't meant to undermine the NYFA, but more of the trials of tribulations of a student filmmaker.  The courses are meant for those who have no clue as to what is going on in filmmaking.  But for the wanna-be student coming down the pike go out and pick up a book or two on the subject before enrolling.  You'll be better off. 

So, the classes started on March 10th and we were out shooting our first projects in two weeks.  For our first project we were to shoot a two minute continuity film.  We were instructed that the two minutes had to have one continuing scene without time lapses.  No dissolves, fades or any other transitions were to be used.  We couldn't use sound, so dialogue was out of the question.  The night before our shoots, we were given another short lesson.  We all had mixed emotions of anxiety and excitement.  There were many questions that night.  We were also teamed up in groups picked randomly by the teacher.  Each group had four people: a director, cinematographer, AD (assistant director) and a grip.  My group was Annie Feld, Sid McAbee, and Adrian Cores Del Rio.

That weekend was busy.  We all would alternate jobs on four separate film shoots during the course of the weekend.  On Saturday we planned to shoot Sid's short first, followed by my short.  Since it was all in one location (Sid's apartment) we wouldn't have to lug around all the equipment.  I was the grip on Sid's shoot.  I set up lights and helped out with continuity.  Adrian ran the camera and Annie was the AD.  That shoot went pretty smooth.  Then came mine.

My idea was to shoot a film about a simple game of Russian Roulette.  It would meet all the requirements.  No bullshit, just one continuing scene.  Easy as pie.

After Sid's shoot, Adrian got sick and went home.  He was supposed to be one of my actors.  The other actor I casted never even showed up.  I was embarrassed and felt really lost.  I had no friends to call.  I had no backup plan.  I was alone. 

Sid and I had to act.  There was just no other way.  And Annie, who was growing very impatient by the second, took the camera duties.  Annie and I didn't hit it off at first.  She wasn't pleasant to work with.  And I'm sure I wasn't pleasant either.  She felt that I wasn't prepared enough.  She kept complaining about me not having a shot list.  I'm not sure having a shot list would have mattered for a shoot that was basically in the same room with the same clothes and the same props with the same two actors.  It all seemed unfair given the circumstances, but in filmmaking you have to understand the world.  Under the trenches it gets difficult.  It was freezing that day, no one had any experience and by the end of my shoot we were all exhausted.

This was Sid's first acting attempt.  It was mine too, but I had to direct and help set up the shots, plus make sure the lighting was just right.  The camera shots were basic enough: mostly locked shots of Sid and myself.  For the Russian Roulette scene I gradually moved the camera closer as the game went on.  My favorite scene was handheld in the elevator.  The camera looks up at Sid and myself.  We don't interact, we just look forward with stoic expressions. Those few seconds I love the most.  As far as the props, we had a fake cap gun, a screw that substituted for a bullet, and two briefcases.  Nothing more, nothing less.     

We finished the film in about five hours.  We packed up silently and headed in our separate directions.  I couldn't wait to get home.  I stood at the train station in Harlem and felt like I had failed.  I didn't see myself as an actor and I wasn't sure how the overall picture was going to look.  That night I didn't remember any redeeming qualities in that days shoot.  It all felt like a fucking train wreck.  I went home feeling as though filmmaking just wasn't going to be for me.

A few days later I compiled my footage into Final Cut Pro and started to edit.  This is when I started to get excited.  The film actually had a good flow to it.  The cutting was good and invisible.  My acting wasn't bad and Sid's was really spot on.  He looked like a genuine badass.  Annie's camera work could not have been better.  I pieced this little project together and at the next class I presented it to the group.  It was met with mixed reactions but that's fine.  I don't mind criticism.  I was just glad it was done.  I never would have thought that something good would have came from that shoot.   I was wrong.

Near the end of the film it does get bloody.  Somebody loses this battle of Russian Roulette.  I just won't tell you who.  The blood and brain matter was all my wife's idea.  She cut up some bananas and threw them into some fake blood.  The end result is pretty convincing.  She did a great job and I can't thank her enough for it.

The film sat around for a couple of years.  I actually wanted to make the film a little more presentable so I contacted Billy Slusser.  Billy and I have been friends for a long time.  We kind of have a creative chemistry when we get together.  I sent him an email detailing the scene and told him I wanted a score track to accompany the film.  He didn't see one second or image of the film.  What he created for me was magical and invaluable.  I realize now why people thought Halloween was boring before John Carpenter's simple, yet masterful score was added.  Music is everything in a film.  Billy's score is essential to this piece.  It does everything a score is supposed to do.  There's atmosphere, intrigue, depth, ominous, and something incredibly eerie to it.  I'm very proud of the end result.

Do you ever think about making films?  It is very possible and something that is fulfilling.  The destination is great but the journey is way more interesting.  If you want to do this muscle up, get out there and learn.  That is the only way.

Thanks to Annie, Sid, Adrian, Jackie and Billy.

Enjoy,

RK Hook

Death, And How He Relates

I wrote this around the time of my Grandmother's death.  It was two years ago, and some of the hardest days I've ever had to live through.  I wrote this while under my dark cloud of depression.  It's called "Death".  I know, it's a simple title, but it suits well.  Death relates to everything in life. 

"Death"

Death is the end,

Death is the beginning.

Death is selfish

But death is kind.

Death has no favorites,

And death has patience.

Death is a friend.

Death is an enemy.

Death is dark.

Death is light.

Death is all,

and all is Death.

That Feeling I Get, Only On Sunday

The following is a poem that I wrote tonight.  It compliments my inner struggles as of late and I thought I would share it with the world. 

Dawn is approaching; my mind weighs heavily
Realization and dread begin to set in,
For it is back to the grind on Monday!
And the Slavery still reigns.
The legalized plantation with their snickering smiles and judgemental eyes.

The "Man" craves the robotic feast.
So he eats and eats and eats some more,
Until his belly is full and there is nothing left.
But his consumption is never ending,
we're on "life's" belt and moving toward his awaiting mouth.

The darkness surrounds us, one by one,
In the belly of the beast we boil and writhe.
One by one they (we) continue to fall,
The belly becomes quickly overpopulated.
Crowded in the abyss, flesh upon flesh,
We are joined, we are one!

But with many minds, and only one "man",
We strive and learn to fight,
Or burn in his acidic abode.
Yes, some give up.
Others become complacent.
Most will eventually perish.

The remaining few, with the idea in mind,
begin to fight.

We scratch.  We crawl.  We climb.

Some fall, others are trampled in the riot.
The few that make it up the throat, give up and die,
Only to be swallowed again.

At long last, one warrior stands alone,
Just at the top of the "Man's" tongue.

Freedom is his.
He can sense it.
He can see it.

With one swift, and powerful motion,
the tongue, like a serpent, coils.
He's like a pinball, bouncing off the fleshy walls.

Thrown into the air.
Free falling, descending back into darkness,
Back into the belly of the beast, back into the machine.
Back into the awaiting cesspool.
There's no end to nothingness.

Back to reality now.
And the impending doom,
That tomorrow is near.

Halloween Viewing

It's coming around the corner. Quickly!

The spirit of Halloween is fast approaching. I love this time of year, as should most of you. Because if you're stopping by to see the latest write up, or just checking in period... you should also be a Halloween fan. Now, we here at Something's Lurking constantly watch horror films. It's just not an OCTOBER thing! This is life! This, to me, is the best cinema. I love horror films and I love them better when they're done right! So, this October, before Halloween approaches us, you're gonna need your fix. Here are some great movies that work TEN times better in the month of October. Of course these are in no particular order.

1. Halloween (obviously, duh!)
2. Halloween 2
3. Trick or Treat (2007)
4. Night of the Demons
5. Night of the Living Dead
6. Mad Monster Party
7. Nightmare Before Christmas (This movie gets busy around December too!)
8. House of 1,000 Corpses
9. Evil Dead
10. Devil's Rejects
11. Rosemary's Baby
12. Suspiria
13. Alien
14. Wolfman (original)
15. The Shining
16. A Nightmare on Elm Street
17. The Thing (JC's Version)
18. Psycho
19. Slumber Party Massacre
20. Flesh Eater
21. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
22. The Last Man on Earth
23. Phantasm
24. The Exorcist
25. The Monster Squad
26. The Howling
27. The Fog
28. Night of the Creeps
29. Nosferatu
30. Killer Klowns from Outer Space
31. Zombie

It's Been A Long Time.

Maybe you've noticed that I haven't written a blog for quite some time now. This is because I'm celebrating and enjoying the time with my new born son, Jason Robert Hook. I will be back shortly. I just need to watch a horror film! I'm not about to slow down -- just a short (very short) break. See you all soon.

One Year Old!

I just noticed that yesterday marked the first year of existence for this blog, Something's Lurking. For those of you who venture over here, I would like to take the time to thank you for your constant readership. My goal for the next year is to get more eyes on this blog. Help me spread the word if you will. If you don't wish to do that, then your reading this blog is all that really matters anyway. Here's to a great summer!

Films I've Bought... Recently

I've been finding some great deals on some great titles. I was in an F.Y.E the other night and found a bunch of used DVDs for great prices. I usually walk out of there with four or five films and spend about $20! I guess that's not too shabby of a deal, right? Tonight, before sitting my ass in a packed theatre to see "Insidious", I ventured over the Wal-mart and found some other gems for very low prices. Here is a list of films that I've bought within the last three weeks.

DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD, CLERKS, FREEWAY, THE LAST DAYS OF FRANKIE THE FLY, THE WILD BUNCH, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, PUPPET MASTER 1 THROUGH 3, DEMONIC TOYS, DOLLMAN, DOLLMAN VS. DEMONIC TOYS, HELLRAISER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, MALTESE FALCON.

I haven't upgraded to Blu-ray yet because I don't feel that there is anything wrong with DVD. Sure, Blu-ray might look sharper and much better than DVD, but I'm not sure I want all the grit taken out of some of these classics. Hell, if Blu-ray can make The Texas Chain Saw Massacre look like it was made yesterday, why the hell would I want to watch that? I dunno. I will purchase Blu-rays soon, but I'm not sure I'll ever stop collecting DVDs. I've got way too much money invested in them to just stop. Then again, you never know with me.

A Quick Word.

I'm going to be doing some blogs on the old Tales from the Crypt episodes. They won't be in order or anything, but I'm gonna try to do the best of the best from my personal favorite episode choices.

Keep on coming back to view more from us. You're always welcome to stop by and leave a comment if you like.

Some Films Worth Mentioning.

About two weeks ago I went home to Pennsylvania and visited with friends and family. On the first night, I stopped by my friend's video store. We chatted for a bit; just catching up, nothing more. I was shocked to see that he had Moon on sale for the cheap low price of 4.99. With wide eyes and a sense of fantastical excitement, I picked it up. Not a bad deal for a great film, huh?

That weekend also saw me walking around in Wal-Mart where I got to pick up (for only five bucks) Once Upon a Time in the West. Great western, and if you haven't seen it I suggest you do. Other than that I've been watching films like, City of the Living Dead and Werner Herzog's version of Nosferatu: The Vampyre. I enjoyed both films. Herzog's Nosferatu was astonishing. The atmosphere, lighting and Klinski's portrayal of the Count are a must see for any vampire fans.

Which leads me this next bitch. Whatever happened to vampires who sucked blood and not dick? It's beyond me, but for the past five or six years (and yes, I blame Anne Rice too!) there hasn't been any good Vampire flicks. Just goes to show where films are being taken. I'd say a negative direction. But hey, when all your fans are little kids salavating over Edward and Jacob, who am I too complain? Just a Vampire fan wanting something wicked for a change and less oriented with the sexy man-beasts taking off their shirts the entire film.

So, to the twatlight saga, Fuck YOU!

Introduction from Something's Lurking.

Hello, my name is Rob. I'm starting this blog to show appreciation for everything I love and for everything that inspires me. For the most part, my life consists of watching films, reading books, making movies, writing and sharing my personal thoughts with everyone. We all have opinions and should be encouraged to use them. This blog is supposed to be an inkling to everything I'm interested in. I will hold no boundaries to this blog and I'll write about almost anything.

So, in closing with this very brief introduction, I have to say this. If you're a fan of anything mentioned above - and then some - then look no further. You've come to the right spot.

Thanks and take care.