Seeking Distribution: Zombie Cheerleading Camp
Sorry for the delay on this article, you know how it gets sometimes, moving on:
I hear that if you can’t say anything nice, you shouldn’t say anything at all, but I feel like I would be doing the internet a disservice if I did not speak my mind about J. Fabris’ Zombie Cheerleading Camp.
It all starts off rather nicely, with an excellent storyboard montage detailing the creation of Nazi zombie goo, but, then, it quickly turns into a sort of malaise that isn’t boring, just mediocre. Without giving anything about the movie away, I will say that it has more Cheerleader in the movie than Zombie, and only two boobs.
While lack of nudity isn’t really a fundamental issue in other movies, because of the supposed exploitative nature of this movie, it really is. For over an hour, the audience is left to wonder where the hell the boobs and the zombies are before the first of either appears. All of that being said, the Nazi montage at the beginning and the squirrel fight were both really well done.
Sadly, this movie did not live up to the promise of it’s premise, but, with a little more rediculousness, it could definitely be better.
I sort of enjoyed myself here.
Interview with Jon Fabris, Director of ZCC
Seeking Distribution (SD) – How long did it take you to make ‘Zombie Cheerleading Camp’ and how did you fund the production?
Jon Fabris (JF) – The shoot was about 10 days. From start to finish the project took about 1 1/2 years. It was self funded.
SD – How long have you been involved with film production and what kind of future do you see for yourself in it?
JF – A few years. I started out doing animated films. I hope to continue to write and direct my own films.
-Sitcom dad?
JF – I hate sitcoms
-Noise?
JF – eh?
-Band, why?
JF – 16 Horsepower. Talk about intense.
SD – If you could change one scene in any film, what scene would it be and why?
JF – I hate the Raindrops Falling On My Head scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
JF – Not that I can tell you about
JF - best place is direct from out website www.zombiecheerleadingcamp.com
JF – [no response]
If you would like your film to be a part of the Seeking Distribution series, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!
Seeking Distribution: Mental Scars
Mental Scars, a strange movie indeed, a scraggly-haired freak loosed on a junkyard to kill unwitting construction workers and bitchy women with big boobs! All right! But why are so many people going to this guy’s junkyard, Joj? Simple! A company is turning it into a parking lot. The junkyard setting surrounds the killer with the corpses of cars, acting as his own haunted house to stalk his victims through.
Mental Scars’ story is not mold-breaking by any means, it is a dyed in the wool slasher, which is admirable in it’s own right. What is nice to see here is good cinematography and color saturation. The shots are not shaky, which is wonderful, and the cuts are dynamic, constantly moving to keep the pace up, although there are a few snags here and there. The junkyard’s primary colors are put to good use to bring life to the look of the film; instead of a gray or sepia-toned world (Michael Bay trademarks on both accounts), the film is almost cartoonish in how rich the color is and how there is almost no blending of the shadows, but this works to it’s advantage.
The plot was a little muddled at times and some of the actors were a bit silly, but the very professional touches on the more technical aspects of the film make it definetly worth watching.
I, once again, have thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Interview with Director Mischa Perez and Writer/Composer Richard Myles:
Seeking Distribution (SD) – How long did it take you to make ‘Mental Scars’ and how did you fund the production?
Richard Myles (RM) - It took us approximately 2 months to shoot the project because we filmed 75% of Mental Scars in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the last quarter in Atlanta, Georgia. We acquired our funding through lots of strong sales pitches to investors.
Mischa Perez (MP) – We made a short video called “Taggart the Nightmare Begins” which was the concept video of the character David Taggart. We showed it to several people. Friends of friends spoke to others about the project and soon we had investors.
SD – How long have you been involved with film production and what kind of future do you see for yourself in it?
MP – This is our first feature film and we have had no previous training of any kind in producing a film. It was a continuing learning process. I see myself directing full time as I really enjoyed it. Both Rich and I will continue to produce independent films as that is our passion.
SD – What is your favorite:
- Candy?
RM – Mischa loves snickers candy bars, and I love fig newtons!
- Place?
MP – My favorite place is Hawaii. I lived there for 13 years and it is now what I refer to as home. I do hope to have a premier in Hawaii.
RM – I love any city in Spain. I think Spanish people are very unique!
- Book, why?
RM – I love reading Fangoria Magazine because it inspires us to keep making films!
MP – Stephen Kings “IT.” Wow, what a great book. What I really like about movies is that a vision comes to the big screen and to think it was all in someone’s head!
SD – If you could change one scene in any film, what scene would it be and why?
RM – Mischa and I think Devil’s Reject could have had scarier music to set a stronger tone for the movie!
SD – Any upcoming projects to look out for?
MP – We have a [Mental Scars] part two in the works and we would like to make our other film “Unwelcomed” into a feature.
SD – Where should we go to see the movie or contact you?
MP – Please visit our web site at www.mentalscars.com for all the latest news on the film and any showings. Our contact information is also available on the web site.
SD – Any tips for those novice filmmakers out there?
RM – NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!!!!!!!!!!
The Trailer:
If you would like your film to be a part of the Seeking Distribution series, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!
Seeking Distribution: Monster From Bikini Beach
Monster from Bikini Beach…what to say? It’s possibly one of the strangest mash-ups I’ve seen. Taking the innocence of the early 1960’s and mixing in some fresh garbage, Russ Meyer, and Troma to give you, the audience, a slice of cinematic bile so good your top will pop off!
Okay, first off, what did not work with Monster from Bikini Beach is the plotting. The movie itself is filled with interesting characters and witty dialogue (“I just hate c-c-crime!”), but they’re all built into a plot that feels like two different movies. That is not to say that neither of the movies were interesting, but it really shows that the idea behind the film never could properly flesh itself into a feature film without padding, which is very unfortunate. My only other complaint is that sometimes a freeze-frame would hold for an extraordinary amount of time before cutting to another scene.
What held this movie together, though, was a combination of acting, direction, and the monster. There was not one mistake made in the casting of characters for this one, every actor played their part perfectly, I especially appreciated the woman who played Boom-Boom who took ditzy to a new level. The direction was also very strong, Darrin Wood shoots the monster with care, and the knife fight scene between “Pinky Maldenano” and the two thugs is hilarious, reminded me of Grease. Finally, the monster itself is great, although there is a scene where you can see a smiling face inside of the suit, but that’s awesome too.
I may have started this article off with heavy criticism, but I wanted to end with the positives so that you’ll forget whatever complaints I had and watch this movie, it’s completely wonderful.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
One more thing: This movie featured dubbed audio, which is a brilliant solution to having crap sound in your flick.
Interview with Christy Savage, DP and Producer on MFBB:
Seeking Distribution (SD) – How long did it take you to make ‘Monster from Bikini Beach’ and how did you fund the production?
Christy Savage (CS) – We funded the movie primarily out of pocket with one small investor. Everyone worked for free and helped out. It, unfortunately took longer to shoot than we planned…we had just started shooting in the fall when our original monster was destroyed in a traffic mishap. We built another one, but unfortunately we had to postpone the majority of exterior shots till Spring because of the trees and weather (can’t fake summertime in the winter, unfortunately).
SD – How long have you been involved with film production and what kind of future do you see for yourself in it?
CS – Darin (Wood-director) and I have been working together in one aspect or another of film and video for over 15 years now. After MFBB, We feel we’re finally in a position to really start raising money and doing legitimate movies that will get distribution. We’re in it for the long haul and are expecting to really start raising some eyebrows with our next 4 projects.
SD – What is your favorite:
-Constellation?
CS – Probably Orion, cause he’s tough and always easy to find.
-Sandwich?
CS – Gosh. I am a fan of the sandwich and while I’m fond of a lot of them, it’s hard to beat a good old-fashioned grilled cheese.
-Album, why?
CS – Ack. This one’s hard for me. Today I will go with The Cramps’ BAD MUSIC FOR BAD PEOPLE though, since Lux Interior just died this morning.
SD – If you could change one scene in any film, what scene would it be and why?
CS – Yikes! Another hard one. I wouldn’t want to mess with anyone else’s art…however, I would totally take the lame zombie baby parts out of the remake of Dawn of the Dead…an otherwise excellent film with that one stupid flaw.
SD – Any upcoming projects to look out for?
CS – Hell, yes!!! We will be raising money this spring to shoot our next feature PLANET OF THE VAMPIRE WOMEN later this year. Then, over the next couple of years, we’ll also be making a super-exciting Giant Beast on a rampage flick, an action-packed Zombie Extravaganza and a terrifying monster-infested Crime-Noir story. Scripts are done and the wheels are in motion…get in touch with me if you know any investors!!!
And of course, we’ll also be doing the 9th Annual TRASH FILM ORGY Midnight Movie Film Festival this summer (July 11-Aug. 15th) in Sacramento at the beautiful Crest (and haunted) Theatre!
SD – Where should we go to buy dvds or contact you?
CS – You can buy DVDs of MFBB directly from us at our website http://trashfilmorgy.com/
And I’m totally accessible by e-mail at christy@trashfilmorgy.com
SD – Any tips for those novice filmmakers out there?
CS – Whatever you do…don’t give up! Make your movies!!! But really…learn the business side of filmmaking, too, or no one will ever see them!
If you would like your film to be a part of the Seeking Distribution series, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!
Friday Night Feature: The Driller Killer
In this week’s Friday Night Feature, we take a look at the 1979 classic The Driller Killer starring Abel Ferrara and Carolyn Marz. At first glance this movie appears to be simply a story about a man with a power drill and a chip on his shoulder, but the movie goes much deeper than that. A starving artist is living paycheck to paycheck while attempting to complete his masterpiece, a large painting of a buffalo. He slips deeper and deeper into insanity as he meets the stress of taking care of two female roommates and dealing with a loud punk-rock band that has moved into the apartment below his. His delusions increase until one day he purchases a portable power pack and uses a drill to kill people, mostly the homeless. At this point the movie goes from a simple murder movie to explore the plight of the homeless in New York City in the late 1970s. Many of the main character’s poor victims are asleep in a drunken stupor when they are murdered with the drill. What do the police do about the homeless slayings? Nothing. This shows that society as a whole didn’t care about the homeless and was willing to have them murdered without regard to their human liberties. I am sure this movie was an important step in securing rights for the homeless.
Overall, the movie wasn’t terrible. The gore was redeemable but not over the top which is what I expected. There is a nice scene involving two lovely ladies and a shower that just pops out of nowhere but is very nice nonetheless. This movie isn’t a must see but if you have the film and the time, pop it in, you won’t be disappointed.
Seeking Distribution: Into the Woods
Welcome to Seeking Distribution, an indefinitely ongoing series that takes a look at films without distribution or that are self-distributed. Here, I will watch and give my feelings on the individual films and interview their respective directors. I don’t know what knowledge there will be to gain here, but I’m sure we will all learn something. So, ahem…
LET IT BEGIN!
Not to be confused with any other movie entitled “Into the Woods,” this film, directed by Phil Herman (dir: After Midnight) and starring Nancy Feliciano (Jacker, After Midnight) is a strange trip indeed.
This film succeeds in generating a creepy atmosphere through organic locations and a very grainy film that almost looks like video, it also utilizes sound design to the same effect. The most extraordinary scene in the whole picture is the rape, where all of the sound is cut out except for the panting of the assailant, it’s very creepy and seems to go on for a while before it’s all over. I felt sort of dirty after watching it, which I believe to have been the intent.
There were some very strange parts, though, such as Nany Feliciano’s ever-changing wardrobe on her solitary trek through the woods, and the inexplicable acting of Tiffany Sinclair who always seemed to be laying down and on the phone. Parts of the film were nearly impossible to hear because of wind on the mic, which is why in movies such as this it is sometimes a good idea just to scrap the audio and dub the film.
I didn’t really know what to expect when this arrived in the mail, but what I got did not disappoint. While you won’t find much in the way of gore here, what you do get is a whole-hearted attempt at telling a story with meaning, creepy atmosphere, and some boobs.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
The Interview!
Seeking Distribution (SD): How long did it take you to make ‘Into the Woods’ and how did you fund the production?
Phil Herman (PH): It took a year to make Into the woods. Because of tech problems, weather and injuries. It was a planned 6 week shoot but that is never a guarantee at this level of film making.
The funds came from the receipts from our previous movies. Most notably the Midnight thrillogy. It was a vampire themed 3 part anthology. My good friend Chris Kahler and editor of my features was pressuring me to make a new movie. Since my last three movies were anthologies I wanted to do a feature. This came to me when I was at the beach. I needed to relax and think of what I was doing next. I was watching the Ocean and its tranquility and said let me make a movie all outdoors that has the beach and the woods and Into the Woods was born!
SD: How long have you been involved with film production and what kind of future do you see for yourself in it?
PH: I have been making movies for over 2 decades. I have gained a cult status and with this movie getting a lot of attention. People are seeing that movies can be made an enjoyed at a microscale and make money. I have 2 scripts that are being looked that will have a budget behind them and maybe finally get the notice these movie deserve.
If things go well and I begin getting financing for making my movies it looks good. But if I have to continue budgeting these things myself … I am not sure how much longer I can go like this.
SD: What is your favorite:
-Animal?
PH: Shark
-Name?
PH: Danielle
-Song, why?
PH: Summertime by Kenny Chesney. It celebrates the best time of the year. Nothing better when summer rolls around and your free to lie lazingly on the beach and just wish it will never end.
SD: If you could change one scene in any film, what scene would it be and why?
PH: In the original Dawn of The Dead when Peter was already to blow his brains out, I felt it was a cheap tactic to have him live. It would have been more effective if he would have died and have her coming back to get him to find him dead and she died also. The movie was so dark and bleak it would have stayed faithful to the original that everyone dies good or bad. It showed a challenge to break the mold of traditional fimmaking. But it went along the basic line of movie making and the good guy made it. Oh well I still love it but that would have been cool!
SD: Any upcoming projects to look out for?
PH: I am shopping around a few scripts and the way things are looking from the feedback and receipt of Into the Woods a sequel is being written.
SD: Where should we go to buy dvds or contact you?
PH: You can go to: Into the Woods All your answers will be answered and ordering info is there also!
If you would like to have your film be a part of the Seeking Distribution series, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!
Give ‘em Hell, Malone
AWESOME … ?
Anyone out there see Tommy Jane’s movie Stander? If you didn’t, you suck!
-Joj
P.S. Happy New President Day (yesterday)
Angels in the Outfield
You know, this movie isn’t that great, but, I mean, c’mon, it’s about angels helping a baseball team. The plot is hilarious anyways, this kid’s dad says he’ll take him back if the angels win the pennant (because he knows they won’t). Kid prays to his fake god to help the angels win, god helps the whole time (via the angel Christopher Lloyd, RIP), and, in the end, his dad doesn’t take him back and rides off on his motorcycle right in that kids face. It’s hilarious until Danny Glover adopts it and it’s friend.
I guess the upside is that the old lady is left alone to die with her stitchin’ projects and her stories. The real winner here, though, is god. Because later he got a job as a writer for numerous prank shows.
As a kids movie, it gets a 7. As a movie about the mysteries of blind, stupid faith, and the nature of “god,” it gets a 10.
-Joj
