New Mexico to host Horror Film Boot Camp There’s nothing new about filmmaking “boot camps” – institutions around the world have offered
short, intensive film production programs for years. Visual effects artist Lee Stranahan, with the help of other horror filmmakers, is putting a new twist on the idea, however, with his Horror Film Boot Camp, which debuts this month in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though Stranahan has organized several filmmaking and visual effects seminars in the past, this is
his first attempt at a genre-specific camp. “As an indie filmmaker, horror is a great genre to ex-
plore...and I know a lot of people who work in the horror genre and are really passionate about it,” he explains of how it came together. Stranahan’s associates include director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II to IV, Repo! The Genetic Opera)
youtube.com (search: Christopher Lee BBC4) If our Christopher Lee cover story has stoked your curiosity, here’s something you can check out for extra credit: a four-part BBC4 documentary that reunited the cast and crew of The Wicker Man for a candid, in-depth look back at the making of the cult classic and the legacy it has spawned.
inthegloamingpodcasts.wordpress.com England’s In The Gloaming theatre troupe offers a modern take on the radio plays of yesteryear by injecting large doses of black comedy into their original tales. Visit the company’s blog to down- load episodes, examine scripts for past produc- tions and track upcoming public performances. Die laughing!
horrorsociety.com Does Hollywood horror get you down? Well, the horror society, “your voice for independent horror,” has your anti-establishment tendencies covered. This horror news site features all the usual stuff – reviews, interviews, trailers, contests, events list- ings – but with a decidely low-budget bent.
litgothic.com If you’re gaga for gothic horror fiction, then The Lit- erary Gothic is an excellent launching point for your further explorations in fear. The site not only ex- tensively lists gothic authors and works, but also provides links to further online resources and of- fers a brief primer for those interested in doing their own academic research of supernatural literature.
necrosculptures.com Sculptor Nix combines plastic, bone, bark, nails, clay, moss, liquid latex, preserved insects and more to create his morbid sculptures, which are inspired by everything from Egyptian mummies to the med- ical marvels housed at the Mutter museum. Visi- tors can view a variety of his creepy creations, as well as commission one for their own cabinet of curiosities.
Compiled by MONICA S. KUEBLER Got a Roadkill suggestion? Email a link to:
roadkill@rue-morgue.com
and visual effects artist Spooky Dan Walker (Grace, Slither), both of whom will lead portions of the pro- gram. The camp will offer hands-on instruction on topics including writing and pre-production, makeup and prosthetic effects, choreographing fight scenes and selling your film. The idea is to give participants a basic, working knowledge of all aspects of horror film production in one weekend. “You can spend four years and $50,000 on film school if you want,” says Walker, “but if you are
ready to jump in and make a great horror film, on any budget, this weekend is going to be bloody great! We are not wasting your time discussing the merits of Bergman and Kubrick – you can read a book on film theory in your free time. We are getting right to the core of what makes horror work.” Horror Film Boot Camp is scheduled for May 7 to 9 and carries a $1495 price tag (early registra-
tion was $997). Stranahan is already planning a science fiction movie boot camp, and will continue to run visual effects and other filmmaking programs; whether or not the Horror Film Boot Camp gets another go will depend on the response to May’s event. Check
filmschoolbootcamp.com for updates. APRIL SNELLINGS
entrails Filmmaker Charles B. Pierce (The Legend of
Boggy Creek) died March 5 in a Tennessee nursing home of natural causes. He was 71. Pierce is widely credited with pioneering the faux-documentary gim- mick used in films such as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. His 1973 docudrama-style shocker The Legend of Boggy Creek, made for only $160,000, went on to gross $25 million, making it one of the most successful independent films ever. Pierce returned to the horror genre in 1977 with The Town that Dreaded Sundown.
Tim Burton and Night Watch (2004) director
Timur Bekmambetov have snagged the rights to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Seth Grahame- Smith’s tongue-in-cheek historical horror novel (see review on p.82) was a hot topic in publishing trades last spring, when it netted the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author a rumoured half-million dollar advance. Burton and Bekmambetov will co-produce the film, with Grahame-Smith scripting; no director has been announced. Burton is also said to be de- veloping a 3-D, stop-motion Addams Family feature that will have no connection to the television series or movie franchise. It will apparently stay closer to the wry wit and edgier tone of Charles Addams’ classic cartoons.
If your urine is particularly rank, your fifteen
minutes could be just around the corner. Thorpe Park in Surrey, England recently invited visitors with exceptionally foul-smelling urine to donate samples for the Saw Alive attraction, a ride that will recreate six traps from the Saw franchise. The pee deemed most eye-wateringly offensive will be used
to stink up the bathroom segment of the ride, in an attempt to create a “truly gut-wrenching sensory ex- perience.”
Exploitation auteur Frank Henenlotter re-
cently made his off-Broadway debut when he ap- peared in The Gloria Glitter show at New York City’s Broadway Comedy Club. The ongoing weekly production, which combines scripted scenes with anything-goes improv, stars Beverly Bonner (Basket Case, Frankenhooker) as a bargain-base- ment late-night talk show hostess blissfully un- aware of her irrelevance.
Paranormal Activity creators Oren Peli, Jason
Blum and Steven Schneider are teaming with Canada’s Alliance Films for a five-picture run of low-budget horror films. First up is Insidious, a haunted house tale that will reunite the original Saw creative team of James Wan and Leigh Whannell. (Peli, Blum and Schneider will produce.) Insidious is slated to begin shooting this spring, with Wan lensing Whannell’s script. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
Former Pantera frontman and Housecore
Records founder Phil Anselmo is penning a hor- ror blog over at
Bloody-Disgusting.com. A diehard genre fan and self-styled horror historian, Anselmo will highlight a different fright flick in each installment of his monthly column. He re- cently kicked off the feature with a list of his favourite horror films, including Evil Dead, Zombi and the more obscure Italian film The House with Laughing Windows.
APRIL SNELLINGS
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