We are back with my partner in crime here at Slasher Studios, Steve Goltz, discussing his ultimate Inspired Scare. The director of Teddy, Blood Brothers, and Popularity Killer learns it is not only safe in the woods…but it often makes a great horror movie.

Friday The 13th may not have been the first horror film that I ever saw, but it sure did make the biggest impact on myself. This 1980 slasher classic was directed by Sean S. Cunningham and began one of the most influential and loved horror franchises of all time. Growing up, I had seen countless movies and had a passion film since I can remember. But, the night I watched Friday The 13th, everything changed. I was instantly hooked. The story, the setting, the characters and of course the score, pulled me right in. Where had this classic been all my life?

The story is simple and to the point. We have a group of camp counselors that are being preyed on by an unknown killer. The simplicity is what I adore about it. Far too many times, filmmakers try to cram unneeded stories, characters and twists and turns into a film. There way of being unique and creative can sometimes come across as pretentious. But, Cunningham was able to deliver an easy to follow story that was fun to watch and more importantly, fun to rewatch! Personally, this is my go to movie to watch at anytime during the year and of course on any and every Friday that is lucky enough to be the 13th of the month.

The woodsy camp setting is my all-time favorite movie setting. Whether its Friday The 13th, The Burning, Cabin Fever, Teddy (shameless plug) or any of the other great films set out in the wilderness, the outdoor surroundings always add a nice little touch. I think for many people, being out in a forest can be scary thing. Add in a night scene and a character in the woods all alone, and the primal fear of the unknown starts to come out in the minds of the movie goers. Plus, the addition of some amazing landscape shots with beautiful and natural scenery can help add some production value to a low budget film that would otherwise be shot in a apartment with bare walls and not much set design.

The actors and the characters they played were another great part of the film. The young actors playing the campers were very believable in their roles and we even get the young Kevin Bacon featured in the film as Jack. Adrienne King is our final girl and may be the nicest person in the entire world. So, if you have a chance to meet her, please do not hesitate. Steve Christy is the man in charge of re-opening Camp Crystal Lake and has a mustache that goes perfect with his cut-off jean shorts. Crazy Ralph was a great character with a needed role as the one to warn the campers of the upcoming danger. And my favorite character in the film and one of my top characters of all time is, drum role please…Sandy! Sandy was the waitress in the diner scene and only has a few lines and is only on screen for just a short time, but her presence within the movie made a impact on myself that not many characters have matched. It’s weird, but I’m sure we all have that one odd character that we just love to death. Her glasses, her hair, her voice: gold, gold, gold.

The score found within Friday The 13th is such an amazing piece of art, that this may have single handedly been the reason of the incredible success of the film. Harry Manfredini, the man behind the music, managed to create a single track that is recognizable all over the world. Just a note or two in and you already have Friday The 13th playing in your head. It has such a great hook and there are many very interesting attributes within, that this would be a first selection to anyone’s horror music hall or fame.

This little film was the perfect storm story, setting, characters and score. When these main aspects of a film are working together, there is not much that can go wrong. I always have a great time with Friday The 13th and I owe much to the film. So, I must say, thank you Mr. Cunningham.

Watch his first slasher, TEDDY, below:

I’ve been waiting the better part of a month to write this entry for Inspiring Scares but here it is. My love for Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is revealed in all its gushing glory. If you want to check out any of the work I have done check out the tabs at the top of the page for Teddy, Popularity Killer, or Blood Brothers or my two features: Don’t Go to the Reunion & Dismembering Christmas.

I will never forget the first time I watched Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. I begged my parents to take me to the theater to see it but that, sadly, was a no-go. It wasn’t playing within an hour of where I lived and by the time my local theater received it, it was in and out in a week. The reviews I read (at the age of ten, I was a subscriber to Entertainment Weekly…whether that is awesome or sad can be left up to your own judgment) were very mixed. The critics that loved it (The New York Times, Roger Ebert, USA Today) hailed the film’s praises but the critics that hated it (Entertainment Weekly being one of them) called the film a pretentious mess. I had no idea what to expect going in but I know for certain I didn’t expect it to be the one movie that would change my life for the better part of two decades.

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare tells the story of what happens when the evil that is created in any work of art (in this case, the Elm Street films) is released into mass media. It is the first mainstream horror movie to truly ask the question as to what effect the art being made has on the audience that views it. It is a powerful question and it has been the surface of debate ever since the medium of film was created. What New Nightmare does so spectacularly is it takes it to the next “meta” level of having the actors and filmmakers of the original Nightmare in on the phenomenon. What should come across as convoluted is strangely thought provoking.

But..let us start back at the beginning. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare begins with a scene that is a direct homage to the original Nightmare on Elm Street with “Freddy” working on building a new glove. Little do we know that this is just a tease as we are actually watching the behind-the-scenes work on a brand new Nightmare film complete with Wes Craven and the very beautiful Heather Langenkamp. An effect goes wrong, the Freddy glove comes to life, and two special effects guys are brutally murdered. The film takes another turn by revealing this to be only a dream of Langenkamp, a foreboding warning of what is yet to come. We meet Heather in her everyday life. She appears to be happily married to a special effects guy named Chase, and has a young boy named Dylan. But her life is about to change as a series of harassing phone calls threaten her sanity. When her husband dies in a car accident and her son starts exhibiting some “Freddy like” behavior, her world is turned upside down and she is forced to confront the question of whether or not Freddy has entered into her “real life.” The only way to stop this “new Freddy” is to appear in another Elm Street film effectively putting the Genie (Freddy) back in the bottle (The film series).

To me, New Nightmare is that rare horror film in which everything works. The performances are pitch perfect, lead by a tour-de-force performance by the amazing Langenkamp (she has never been better than she is here). The script is full of twists and turns and the movie is quite possibly the best looking of the entire series. What starts out as a maze of mirrors becomes something much more than your typical nightmare. As I said before, the film brilliantly examines the role film plays on those who watch it. Something that Wes Craven’s Scream would play out to great effect two years later and something that I myself toyed with in writing Popularity Killer. I really can’t say enough about this film and homages to the original are expertly placed. I think about this film on a nearly daily basis and I hope one day to create a work on art that has the same merits of this film. It really is something special.

A trailer for my first short film TEDDY:

Are you horror fans ready for a brand new Inspired Scare? This one comes from the co-writer and co-directer of the post apocalyptic thriller DEAD WEIGHT, the one and only John Pata. After countless film festivals, Pata has become a dear friend to us here at Slasher Studios. If you haven’t checked out DEAD WEIGHT, do yourself a favor and buy a copy NOW. It is well worth the $15 and features some of the most beautiful cinematography you’ll see in a horror movie all year. And now a little bit about the madness behind the man who helped create one this year’s finest horror films.

“Jaws. With a single word, moviegoers, young and old, shudder in terror. Well, at least I do. Jaws not only gave me an absurd fear of water (which didn’t truly develop until I was twenty… Yeah, I don’t get it either), but it introduced me to the idea of filmmaking. I was lucky enough to grow up with parents who frequented the worlds of horror, sci-fi, and other types of films younger kids probably don’t get to experience. Can’t say I recall my exact age when I first saw Jaws (six or seven would be my guess), but I was informed about all the production misfortune the crew faced, including how Bruce (the shark) hardly worked during filming. Wait a minute… You mean there’s actually stuff happening behind the camera?!?! For the first time in my life, it occurred to me that there’s so much more to films than what you see on the screen.

A few years later I discovered a TV show called Movie Magic which, well, was all about movie magic. Here you’d get to see how creatures were made, how the animatronics were controlled, how small miniature sets actually are, and so much more. The household I grew up in was a movie household, so we all huddled around around the tube for Movie Magic, and my love for genre filmmaking continued to grow by seeing it created right in front of me.

However, it wasn’t until the ripe age of ten that my love and desire to make films, especially in our beloved genre, became cemented. Going off a recommendation from a video store clerk, my best friend and I returned home with a VHS tape labeled, The Evil Dead. Those next eighty-five minutes became life defining. At that point in life, I was a horror fan, but the horror I knew was the studio horror; the Nightmares, Fridays, Halloweens, etc. The Evil Dead was a kind of horror I was not familiar with. It was raw, dirty, and honest. It was even more ruthless, relentless, and gruesome. It was the best fucking thing I ever saw, and still is to this day. Between the camera work, the horrific turn of events, your friends becoming the evil, how nothing is safe, and it’s powerful grip never lets go once it grabs hold… I lost my mind. Sure, people say that phrase quite often, but I feel confident in saying that’s what happened. I hopped on my bike and flew to an estate my mom was running, and words exploded out of my mouth about a blood-soaked bliss I am positive made absolutely no sense to her. But I tried to explain what I just saw, and instead of trying to reiterate how unbelievably amazing it was, I sped back home to watch it again. From that point on, I wanted to see everything the genre had to offer. I was possessed, and there was no turning back. Obsession is probably the most fitting way to describe the last eighteen years of my life.

The Evil Dead represents everything I love about filmmaking (even if I wasn’t aware of this when I was ten); it wasn’t about money, it wasn’t about fame. It wasn’t about anything more than wanting to create a project out of passion and dedication. It’s true independence in the form of raising the money on your own, heading into the woods with the cast and tiniest crew imaginable, and spending months (which quickly turns into years) grinding away to make something you don’t know if anyone will ever see. It’s the attitude of not caring about anything else than what matters to you. Over the years (and tons and tons of reading later) I realized this, and it’s always been my biggest influence and inspiration, I know it will always be. No remake will ever be able to comparable (sorry, had to get that in there).”

To buy a copy of DEAD WEIGHT or to check out the film at an upcoming horror festival (there are three happening this weekend, hint hint):
http://carryingdeadweight.com/

We are back at Slasher Studios with a taste for zombies as we look at horror editor Derrick Carey’s pick for his Inspired Scares installment. Carey is the editor behind such awesome horror documentaries as “Sleepless Nights: Revisiting the Slumber Party Massacres” and “Screaming in High Heels: The Rise & Fall of the Scream Queen Era”, both are which are must sees for fans of 80’s slashers. Are you ready for a zombie party?

“Augusta, WI isn’t particularly the most notable place on the map. Rural farming community, home of a Bush’s Beans plant, the towns pride is the high school football team (the BEAVERS) winning state in the early 90’s. Being someone from an early age that wanted nothing to do with anything listed above, having been born and raised until 11 in the lower suburbs of Chicago, often my time was spent in a world of my own, or actively find ways to escape into someplace else. Movies were that place in many ways.

My family lived on a farm 5 miles from town. Down the street from us was a church, and further down the road was a cemetery on the hill. In all the times I passed this cemetery did I ever once think of it as anything more than a bunch of rocks on grass. Sure, I had family members die and such places held symbolic significance, but this particular place really felt like nothing more than another view on the way down the road; a picture, not a place of the dead.

Late one night, all alone, as my family often left my brother and I on the weekends they would travel up north to a cabin they owned, I popped in the original Night of the Living Dead in on VHS.

To those that have never lived in a rural setting, or in a country farm house where your nearest neighbor isn’t within shouting distance, it’s hard to explain the type of isolation you feel at times. When night hits, and it’s overcast, it gets dark….really dark, and vice versa on clear nights when the moon is in full swing. As normal, all the lights were out, and the sound was cranked. I had seen the film a few times at that point, but this time was different. It’s claustrophobia became increasingly real, sending my mind into thoughts of my own environment. The cemetery down the street became eerily similar to the one that Judith O’Dea frantically escapes from Bill Hinzman in the classic first scene of the film. Slowly, as the impending doom of the cast set in, my mind wandered to thinking of locking windows, shutting blinds, and flipping on all the lights. The film really affected me that night. Little did I know, it would live with me well beyond it as well.

After that memorable viewing, I read up on the film feverishly. Found out through documentaries how they made the film and in turn how film was made. I no longer found film to be something that I passively viewed. I found it to be something I actively deconstructed and thought about well beyond it’s superficialities. My obsession became much stronger and I devoured, much I am sure to my family’s chagrin, as many films as I could. From that point, the seeds of filmmaking were born in me.

Little did I know then, I would stumble across yet another George Romero film that would stick with me all the way into my late 20’s when I was pursuing actually trying to make films. Document of the Dead, the behind the scenes documentary on the making of Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, contained a portion of the film that illustrated his particular style of filmmaking through the fact that he edited everything he made. This section showed as an example the opening scene to my favorite Romero film, the hugely underrated Martin. In this section, they showed how meticulous Romero was about the amount of coverage shot and how he took all these shots and made them work within his edit to create the tension filled game of cat and mouse Martin plays with his first victim on the train, and the flashbacks he is haunted by in his head. Up until that point I had never thought of editing. Now as an editor of feature horror films and horror documentaries (Swamphead, Sleepless Nights: Revisiting the Slumber Party Massacres, and Screaming in High Heels: The Rise and Fall of the Scream Queen Era), I firmly look back at this one small section of Document as the spark that began my obsession and love with the editorial process.

There is no doubt, even now when we look at the lackluster films Romero basically has delegated himself into making to sustain life, that George A. Romero turned me into a filmmaker. These two movies alone made me who I am and showed me what I aim to accomplish with my work.”

Carey’s Video page: http://vimeo.com/rabidchildfilms
Carey’s IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3295437/

We are back with a brand new Inspiring Scares here at Slasher Studios. Today we are talking a look at the Inspired Scare of Lori Bowen, an award winning writer-director of six short films and two music videos. Her film STELLA BUIO, starring legendary Scream Queen Linnea Quigley, is currently on the festival circuit. She is currently in development on her first two features. Slasher Studios is proud to present her Inspired Scare, a favorite of the horror genre which inspires the dreams and nightmares of horror filmmakers everywhere….

“When I was a little girl, I used to have pretty bad night terrors. They were so bad that I put myself on a kind of schedule where I would wake myself every so often, every few hours or so, to avoid them. The dreams weren’t caused by horror films. In fact, horror films have created dreams for me, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

In the mid to late 80s, there really weren’t many role models for girls like me. I don’t identify with princesses. They make no sense to me. My favourite films growing up were The Explorers and D.A.R.Y.L. and The NeverEnding Story and The Goonies and The Last Starfighter, Flight of the Navigator, Enemy Mine…but, do you see the problem with those films? None of them have a girl in the lead roles. The girl always needed saving or protecting. So, while I identified with the characters, they weren’t me.

Then, when I was eight, I saw A Nightmare on Elm Street and met Nancy Thompson (played by Heather Langenkamp.) Here was a girl not that much older than me having a hell of a time with her dreams, just like me, and was an ordinary girl, just like me, and while she asked for help, no one could help her. She had to save herself. And she did.

As I grew up, I knew that I wanted to work in horror, but even so young, I knew that girls didn’t direct or write or anything like that. That’s crazy talk. So, I decided that I wanted to be an actress. My greatest dream was to work with Heather Langenkamp and be in an Elm Street movie. Even after they killed Nancy (don’t get me started on that…), I wanted to be in the Elm Street movies. The girls fought back and kicked ass!

Eventually, as I got older and opened my eyes, I realized that I’d been fed a bunch of lies and among them was that women DO write and DO direct, even in horror. And while my ideas about heroes and villains have certainly changed over the years, the core of my being, my Nancy-ness, if you will, has remained.

I view horror as a mirror for our society to look into, so we can face the ugly things about us, recognize them, and (hopefully) change for the better. It’s also a way of dealing with our fears and desires in a safe environment without anyone getting hurt. I write horror as a release, to explore and examine things that I’ve felt or thought about, to inspire others and make them think. And hey, maybe some little girl somewhere will see one of my characters and it’ll help her to stand up for herself or to know that she’s not alone. Perhaps someone watching my films or reading my stories will be inspired to tell their own tales.

Very soon after I turned ten, I had my final nightmare. It started out fairly typically, except I was in my old bedroom which was empty. My bedroom door slammed on it’s own and I started screaming as I was being sucked into the ground. I got to about chest depth when my bedroom door opened and Nancy Thompson walked in. It was Nightmare 3 Nancy, by the way, she was wearing the grey outfit that she wore when she met Kirsten for the first time.

She walked over to me and crouched near by and said, “This is your dream. You do what you want to do.” Then she stood up and left.

It was like a lightning bolt, that realization that it was my dream, my LIFE. It’s my choice. So, I repeated what she said to me and the next thing I knew, I was floating out of my floor, the door swung open, and I walked out. I haven’t had a nightmare since, but I’ve had plenty of dreams and more besides, all thanks to A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Lori Bowen
writer, director
Kimyoo Films
http://kimyoo-films.blogspot.com