What's up guys.. Happy almost Halloween!! So I have just wrapped up my second full length screenplay, "Hellraiser" and could not be happier with the way it turned out. I have just sent it out to my inner circle of readers for feedback, and plan on going to kinkos this afternoon to print it out so I can start going through it with a finetooth comb tonight and possibly throughout this entire weekend. After that, register at the WGA then hopefully trying to get it into the hands of someone who can get it into the thick, towering walls of Hollywood. If anything this piece of work is a great "writing sample" and proves to myself that I can improve on this venture into screenwriting. Hit me up if you want to read a sample...
Cjevy
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Savior
What's up guys... been busy the past couple days, seems like I am trying to do a thousand things at once. Anyway, I found a contest on my favorite screenwriting website www.gointothestory.com , asking for short (3 page) scripts for a halloween contest they are having. So I sat down and banged out "The Savior", the only rules of the contest was that it had to be about a girl locked in the basement with a zombie. So, I gave it a shot... let me know what you think.
p.s. It's a wee bit offensive...
Link:
http://scr.bi/9HAZpq
p.s. It's a wee bit offensive...
Link:
http://scr.bi/9HAZpq
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Top 10 Horror Movies You Probably Haven't Seen...
It is upon us once again friends... the holiday of holidays, Halloween/ Samhain/ All Hallows Eve/ The best freakin' time of the year. Celebrating the almost completion of my second full length screenplay, Hellraiser (remake, hey it's worth a shot) I took some time to put together a list of my favorite horror films of the 80's -2000's hardly no one knows about or has seen. Leave a comment if you feel I left one of your favorites off the list or you want to make fun of my selections.
10. Dr. Giggles- Larry Drake (Darkman) stars in this early 90s cheese-fest, as the son of a psychopathic doctor, who has returned to the town his father shocked years ago. There is not much to this film besides the fact that Dr. Giggles kidnaps and performs various "surgeries" on unsuspecting teens and townsfolk. While you may be thinking... lame.. it's actually pretty drop dead hilarious. Like a midget at a urinal, this one will keep you on your toes.
9. Wrong Turn 2- Starring the immortal Henry Rollins, Wrong Turn II is a fun and brutal film that totally eclipses the original in every possible aspect. Plotwise, filming a reality show has been done (Halloween Ressurection) but WT2 excels here by giving the characters a reason for entering the back-hills of West VA instead of just the typical car break down. Well, I guess since they meant to enter the woods they did not take a "wrong turn" but the characters is what makes this film memorable. Henry Rollins is a bad ass mofo in all possible aspects, if you saw last season of Sons of Anarchy you can tell that the guy can act, wether its protagonist or antagonist I just want to see him on screen. The feel of the film certainly changes during the third act from fun to serious, which can be seen as a positive or negative, but hey it beats watching the same recycled shit on network TV.
8. Leprechaun 2 or 3- Yea... you freakin' heard me, Leprechaun 2 and/ or 3. I don't know about you guys but the Leprechaun movies are money. Not much here to critique here, dialogue is laughable, production value; ehh not too bad for early 90s but there is nothing like Warwick Davis one-liners, and he drops them from downtown like LeBron from behind the arc. The best scene from Leprechaun 2 is when Uncle Morty challenges the Leprechaun to a drinking contest and dominates the little guy. Then, traps the the Lep in a safe to extort the pot o' gold from him. Unluckily, the Leprechaun gives it to him by magically planting the gold into his colon. Yea, constipation deaths should be used more often if you ask me. Now, Leprechaun 3 is a whole different monster. Set in Sin City, a dorky college kid meets the stripper/ magician's assistant with the heart of gold and wins her love by killing the Leprechaun WHILE turning into one himself. Look out Inception, you just got served on that plot line.
7. Castle Freak- This Stuart Gordon film is about a family that move to a village in Italy when they inherit a castle. First off, it is one of my life goals to own/ live in a castle. I don't care if it comes with secret monsters that live in a dungeon, I'm living in a fucking castle. Anyway, strange things start to happen and the Dad of the family bangs a hooker in the dungeon, then the "Castle Freak" kills her making it look like the Dad did it. That is an interesting spin on the usual Frankenstein like story. This film also sports good gore effects and likable characters... well worth a spot on your Netflix que.
6. Behind the Mask, The Rise of Leslie Vernon- Ok, so in all seriousness this one is actually a very well thought out film, with interesting characters and a unique premise; giving a behind the scenes tour of becoming a slasher film hero. Leslie Vernon hires a camera crew to document his training, stalking, and preparation for murdering a group of teens in small town America. Vernon is actually a likable guy; funny, witty, intelligent and in no way an antagonist. This sort of ruins the finale of the film but I do not want to ruin that for anyone.
5. Demons (1985)- Overdubbed in English from Italian, Bava's Demons, is an interesting 80's giallo film revolving around a movie theatre full of different types of characters that start getting eaten by demons emerging from the screen. Imagine "Last Action Hero" with a less epic soundtrack and more story-line and much more gore... much more. I've got a special place in my heart for the 80's Italian shock cinema that the majority of people in this world seem to lack. So I say, go out there, pick up Cannibal Holocaust or Demons or Zombi and enjoy something DIFFERENT.
4. Maniac (1980)- So I am going to go out on a limb and say that most people probably have not seen Joe Spinell and William Lustig's Maniac. This movie is no joke whatsoever. From the very onset, Joe Spinell's character is scary. Not Jason, I've got a mask on and I walk fast scary, but real life I scalp women and keep mannequins in my bedroom scary. Tom Savini played a significant role developing the special effects for this film and produces some truly disturbing imagery. My favorite has to be when he actually blows his own head off a dummy of himself with a double barrel shotgun. If that makes any sense... The film stalls a little toward the third act, but if you are in the mood for disturbing and not fun horror, check out Maniac for a different taste.
3. Phantasm II- Universal stepped up and finally released the stepchild of the Phantasm series earlier this year and I definitely grabbed this bad boy first time I saw it in the store. Phantasm II picks up a few years after the original, with Reggie and Mike tracking "the Tall Man" across the country and the towns he has ruined. This film does not quite have the low-budget feel of the original but I enjoy it because it's just a fun movie. Reggie makes a quad-barrel shotgun and kills the shit out of little midgets in brown robes like he was born to do so. 80's cheese at its finest.
2. Dead Alive aka. Braindead- An early work from connoisseur Peter Jackson, Dead Alive is chock full of gore, cheese, and lovable characters most of which make no sense. Most horror fans have probably seen this flick but I am going to go and say that the majority of everyday Americans have not had the pleasure. A few reasons to check out this film: Rat monkeys, Zombie on Zombie sex, baby zombies, a ninja priest and the infamous lawnmower scene too iconic to describe accurately in this post. I recommend you check this one out on an empty stomach with a few alcoholic beverages already in your system for the full effect.
1. Waxwork- My absolute favorite 80's horror film of all time. A group of teens stumble upon a random waxwork in suburbia, and upon entering, get trapped in a series of classic horror waxwork stories. If that isn't an interesting logline, I guess I don't know what I am talking about then. If I actually wanted a classic film from my childhood remade it would be this one, and Hellraiser :) What makes this movie so spectacular is the fact that there are like 6 mini-movies inside a single film. The climax occurs when the waxworks come to life and have an all out melee with the random townsfolk that storm inside. The actors can act (for the most part), the story is interesting, plot is well paced, and I bet you have not seen this movie. So pull up Netflix, and get this bad boy mailed to you... I recommend a good six or seven beers in your system for full affect of the film.
So, all in all I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween, enjoy some different scary movies this year instead of the same Friday the 13th ones that are going to be on AMC, and subscribe to my blog, I'll owe ya one.
10. Dr. Giggles- Larry Drake (Darkman) stars in this early 90s cheese-fest, as the son of a psychopathic doctor, who has returned to the town his father shocked years ago. There is not much to this film besides the fact that Dr. Giggles kidnaps and performs various "surgeries" on unsuspecting teens and townsfolk. While you may be thinking... lame.. it's actually pretty drop dead hilarious. Like a midget at a urinal, this one will keep you on your toes.
9. Wrong Turn 2- Starring the immortal Henry Rollins, Wrong Turn II is a fun and brutal film that totally eclipses the original in every possible aspect. Plotwise, filming a reality show has been done (Halloween Ressurection) but WT2 excels here by giving the characters a reason for entering the back-hills of West VA instead of just the typical car break down. Well, I guess since they meant to enter the woods they did not take a "wrong turn" but the characters is what makes this film memorable. Henry Rollins is a bad ass mofo in all possible aspects, if you saw last season of Sons of Anarchy you can tell that the guy can act, wether its protagonist or antagonist I just want to see him on screen. The feel of the film certainly changes during the third act from fun to serious, which can be seen as a positive or negative, but hey it beats watching the same recycled shit on network TV.
8. Leprechaun 2 or 3- Yea... you freakin' heard me, Leprechaun 2 and/ or 3. I don't know about you guys but the Leprechaun movies are money. Not much here to critique here, dialogue is laughable, production value; ehh not too bad for early 90s but there is nothing like Warwick Davis one-liners, and he drops them from downtown like LeBron from behind the arc. The best scene from Leprechaun 2 is when Uncle Morty challenges the Leprechaun to a drinking contest and dominates the little guy. Then, traps the the Lep in a safe to extort the pot o' gold from him. Unluckily, the Leprechaun gives it to him by magically planting the gold into his colon. Yea, constipation deaths should be used more often if you ask me. Now, Leprechaun 3 is a whole different monster. Set in Sin City, a dorky college kid meets the stripper/ magician's assistant with the heart of gold and wins her love by killing the Leprechaun WHILE turning into one himself. Look out Inception, you just got served on that plot line.
7. Castle Freak- This Stuart Gordon film is about a family that move to a village in Italy when they inherit a castle. First off, it is one of my life goals to own/ live in a castle. I don't care if it comes with secret monsters that live in a dungeon, I'm living in a fucking castle. Anyway, strange things start to happen and the Dad of the family bangs a hooker in the dungeon, then the "Castle Freak" kills her making it look like the Dad did it. That is an interesting spin on the usual Frankenstein like story. This film also sports good gore effects and likable characters... well worth a spot on your Netflix que.
6. Behind the Mask, The Rise of Leslie Vernon- Ok, so in all seriousness this one is actually a very well thought out film, with interesting characters and a unique premise; giving a behind the scenes tour of becoming a slasher film hero. Leslie Vernon hires a camera crew to document his training, stalking, and preparation for murdering a group of teens in small town America. Vernon is actually a likable guy; funny, witty, intelligent and in no way an antagonist. This sort of ruins the finale of the film but I do not want to ruin that for anyone.
5. Demons (1985)- Overdubbed in English from Italian, Bava's Demons, is an interesting 80's giallo film revolving around a movie theatre full of different types of characters that start getting eaten by demons emerging from the screen. Imagine "Last Action Hero" with a less epic soundtrack and more story-line and much more gore... much more. I've got a special place in my heart for the 80's Italian shock cinema that the majority of people in this world seem to lack. So I say, go out there, pick up Cannibal Holocaust or Demons or Zombi and enjoy something DIFFERENT.
4. Maniac (1980)- So I am going to go out on a limb and say that most people probably have not seen Joe Spinell and William Lustig's Maniac. This movie is no joke whatsoever. From the very onset, Joe Spinell's character is scary. Not Jason, I've got a mask on and I walk fast scary, but real life I scalp women and keep mannequins in my bedroom scary. Tom Savini played a significant role developing the special effects for this film and produces some truly disturbing imagery. My favorite has to be when he actually blows his own head off a dummy of himself with a double barrel shotgun. If that makes any sense... The film stalls a little toward the third act, but if you are in the mood for disturbing and not fun horror, check out Maniac for a different taste.
3. Phantasm II- Universal stepped up and finally released the stepchild of the Phantasm series earlier this year and I definitely grabbed this bad boy first time I saw it in the store. Phantasm II picks up a few years after the original, with Reggie and Mike tracking "the Tall Man" across the country and the towns he has ruined. This film does not quite have the low-budget feel of the original but I enjoy it because it's just a fun movie. Reggie makes a quad-barrel shotgun and kills the shit out of little midgets in brown robes like he was born to do so. 80's cheese at its finest.
2. Dead Alive aka. Braindead- An early work from connoisseur Peter Jackson, Dead Alive is chock full of gore, cheese, and lovable characters most of which make no sense. Most horror fans have probably seen this flick but I am going to go and say that the majority of everyday Americans have not had the pleasure. A few reasons to check out this film: Rat monkeys, Zombie on Zombie sex, baby zombies, a ninja priest and the infamous lawnmower scene too iconic to describe accurately in this post. I recommend you check this one out on an empty stomach with a few alcoholic beverages already in your system for the full effect.
1. Waxwork- My absolute favorite 80's horror film of all time. A group of teens stumble upon a random waxwork in suburbia, and upon entering, get trapped in a series of classic horror waxwork stories. If that isn't an interesting logline, I guess I don't know what I am talking about then. If I actually wanted a classic film from my childhood remade it would be this one, and Hellraiser :) What makes this movie so spectacular is the fact that there are like 6 mini-movies inside a single film. The climax occurs when the waxworks come to life and have an all out melee with the random townsfolk that storm inside. The actors can act (for the most part), the story is interesting, plot is well paced, and I bet you have not seen this movie. So pull up Netflix, and get this bad boy mailed to you... I recommend a good six or seven beers in your system for full affect of the film.
So, all in all I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween, enjoy some different scary movies this year instead of the same Friday the 13th ones that are going to be on AMC, and subscribe to my blog, I'll owe ya one.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Update
So I have been doing some serious writing lately, I just can't seem to get the story out of my head and new ideas are constantly flowing. Hellraiser is approximately 80 pages deep so far and I am just entering the third act (timed out perfectly I must add). I really want to just get this rough draft done so I can start reviewing it ASAP. I just read that Dimension Films has hired a new President of Production and he has listed Hellraiser as one of his projects on the "to do" list. Goal to have this bad boy done by the end of next week, reviewed and ready to try and get into their hands by Halloween. What?! Hey it's worth a shot right? What have I got to lose... it is my finest writing to date.
http://www.morehorror.com/New-Dimension-Films-President-Assures-More-Horror-Movies214105
http://www.morehorror.com/New-Dimension-Films-President-Assures-More-Horror-Movies214105
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wes Craven on Character Creation...
http://www.fearnet.com/videos/b20511_my_soul_take_interviews.html
Interesting quick video from the Horror Master himself... ehh still not excited to see this one though
Interesting quick video from the Horror Master himself... ehh still not excited to see this one though
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Disappointment
Well, Eerie Horror Fest has come and gone and to my disappointment the bitter taste of defeat. I was happy for the winner though, we chatted over a few beers after the awards and he seemed like a nice guy. Still a little puzzled why a sci-fi script won a horror competition but whatever. As for the festival, I don't think I will be attending that one again. Erie, PA is a scary freakin' town, and not in a good way. The theatre was in the middle of the city and I pretty much thought I could get stabbed at any moment walking to the hotel across the street. There were not that many vendors and the "celebrities" were D-list at best. But the part I had enjoyed most was watching the films... Some of them were pretty unique and powerful, some so laughable I can't believe people invested time and/ or money into them. My favorite short of the festival was called "Patient" and was done by the film program at York University. For only being 13 minutes long, the tension builds from the onset and cascades from start to finish. As for feature length films, my fav was "Ghosts don't exist" from Virginia. The cinematography and script were superior to all it's peers and surprisingly Chris Cooley from the Redskins was the Exec producer. So if you see that one on Netflix check it out. All in all I am thankful for being able to attend the event and nominated for an award. This defeat only fuels my inner fire for success in this business and I am determined...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
It's October...
With the greatest month of the year upon us (my birthday+ Halloween) a plethora of horror films are slated to be released in the upcoming weeks. This week "Let me In" ,"Case 39", "Hatchet II" were among the titles set upon the horror community. All of which I would rather just hang out and watch football than spend 30 bucks on seeing at the movies. I do not understand why the major film studios dump their reject horror films in October. Fans of the genre are not stupid. I can smell garbage just like anyone else can.
Other films slated for release this month...
"My Soul to Take": Wes Craven's return to the genre since his PG-13 snooze Red Eye. Honestly I can't tell what the premise of the film is from the trailer and am 90% sure I am not spending the 15 bucks to see it in 3D either.
"Saw 7": Ehh maybe... I am thinking about seeing this pretty much for the sole purpose of the finale to the franchise. The original Saw was the perfect combination of horror elements combined into one film. Scary doll, clever twist, popular antagonist. I personally don't give a shit that it is in 3D either.
And without opening up Imdb to check out a specific list, I can't think of any other good movies releasing in October. Yup, zero... This guy is not exciting for anything coming out... Oh yeah, just remembered Paranormal Activity 2, hopefully it is better than Blair Witch 2 because it is going to be compared to that dud in every form, by every critic.
Other films slated for release this month...
"My Soul to Take": Wes Craven's return to the genre since his PG-13 snooze Red Eye. Honestly I can't tell what the premise of the film is from the trailer and am 90% sure I am not spending the 15 bucks to see it in 3D either.
"Saw 7": Ehh maybe... I am thinking about seeing this pretty much for the sole purpose of the finale to the franchise. The original Saw was the perfect combination of horror elements combined into one film. Scary doll, clever twist, popular antagonist. I personally don't give a shit that it is in 3D either.
And without opening up Imdb to check out a specific list, I can't think of any other good movies releasing in October. Yup, zero... This guy is not exciting for anything coming out... Oh yeah, just remembered Paranormal Activity 2, hopefully it is better than Blair Witch 2 because it is going to be compared to that dud in every form, by every critic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)