Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors Chicago
By: R. O'Donnell |
Sunday April 02, 2006 |
| Fangoria magazine brings the Weekend of Horrors to Chicago. Two days of horror movies, horror movie stars, and horror movie directors. Dare to read? |
| Photo L to R: Mick Garris (Masters of Horror on Showtime), Phil Nutman (writer, zombie classic Wet Works), Rusty Nails (George Romero Documentary), James Zahn (writer), Gary Sherman (writer/director, Death Line, Dead & Buried), R. O'Donnell (R. Productions), Michael Reiter (writer/director), Ellen Sandweiss (actress, Evil Dead), Tim Sullivan (director/writer, 2001 Maniacs, Driftwood), and Stuart Gordon (director/writer, Re-Animator, Body Snatchers). I'm not a big fan of horror films of late. I just don't like subjecting myself to hours of gory mutilations done by broken, dirty finger-nailed freaks. Not my thing at all. I enjoy the dark psychological thriller that scares me with more probable conditions. I'm more likely to get anxious watching a psycho imprisoned in a grimey basement spouting eloquent luminosities (Silence of the Lambs) or by a raging bipolar frump imprisoning her favorite author (Misery), than, say, lopping someone's head off. I mean, they're doing that in the Middle East right now. With that said, however, I recently hung-out with several seasoned horror god-almighties while attending the Fangoria Horror Convention in Chicago. I spent time with writer/director Mick Garris (Masters of Horror, Showtime), writer Phil Nutman (zombie classic Wet Works), writer/director Rusty Nails (Dead On: The Life and Cinema of George A. Romero) director/writer Gary Sherman (Dead and Buried, 39-A Film By Carroll McKane), director/writer Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs, Driftwood), director/writer Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, King of the Ants), and I even shook hands with the "king of the Dead" Mr. George A. Romero. Of course I had nightmares, but that was a small price to pay to hear the candid opinions of some of the more prominent players in the field. Tim Sullivan is three movies into the game and thinking about his fourth. He has the endearing personality of a seasoned Carney barker. Tim electrifies a room with his passion, charm, and fanboy witticisms. But make no mistake about it, this guy likes his splatter theater. That's why he plays the sport. His tongue and cheek approach with 2001 Maniacs (starring Robert "Freddy" Englund) was a laugh riot, and his next offering is a thought provoking, character-driven story that spooks. Now Tim has opened up before. Like many new directors with a vision, he received the painful sting of showbiz-nezz helming his first feature. "Yeah, 2001 Maniacs is splapstick gore," he says, feeling better, more relaxed than the last time we spoke. "But thanks to the DVD from Lion's Gate, it finally gets its due." When last he poured out his soul he had just rapped 2001 Maniacs, and it was still a movie "misunderstood". "They wanted a remake like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I wanted something new, completely different - right? My vision came from somewhere else." Tim had a short film that he sent everyone for Christmas last year, and it was a horror vignette, a satire of the holidays that was sidesplitting. I remembered that. Now he gets all fired-up, "Yeah, the DVD is wonderful, man. The menu's perfect, really campy, with lots of extras that support the film. Can't wait for the fans to see it." Tim's all happy. He's having a blast running around meeting and greeting all his horror cohorts. "It's supposed to be fun," he says, "not to be taken seriously," as he chuckles, handing out free autographed 8 x 10s of him holding a plate of severed heads. His latest film Driftwood, from Dark Horse and Image, is an adolescent ghost story whereby "Nothing's in-your-face," he reports, "This film is character-driven, atmospheric, and eerie in a way that will surprise some fans of Maniacs. I want to make interesting films, period, not just horror, but films that creep into your soul, make you think and maybe scream. Inside. Where nobody gets to go." And then there are the Maniacs! You know, tribe to Sullivan's vaudeville splatter-show, like gorgeous Christa Campbell (The Wicker Man and Playboy cover gal this November) and dazzling Wendy Kremer (actress and new mommy with son Jack). Both are real beauties, sure, its still showbiz after all, but these gals are pretty sharp, nudging each other, whispering about the line of fanboys grappling to take their pictures. They both treated me as if I were part of the family, like an honorary Maniac of sorts. "I grew up in the theater," Wendy whispers, "My mother, you know?" She suddenly turns toward a camera that flashes, and then comes right back, saying, "Yeah, characters, accents, song and dance. You know, theater brat?" Christa was surprisingly timid for a cover girl. A gentle spirit asking me, "What picture do you want?" I asked her which one she liked best, her headshot or the full-body fishnet pose with her looking sultry over her shoulder? She pointed to the fishnet. I blushed. Who wouldn't? I had a brief encounter with 2001 Maniacs' star Dylan Edrington (Shiver). He's got a great sense of humor, knows how to throw the jokes. As we briefly chatted, Dylan watched this sexy Asian gal dressed all Goth. She was distracting everyone jumping up and down. Dylan smiled, rolled his eyes, panted, and shook his head. I asked if he was having fun? "Sure. Promoting a horror film is like nothing else. It's..." More cameras' flash away. He's taking group photos now. Bye-bye. Another splendor was actress Ellen Sandweiss (The Evil Dead, Satan's Playground). She had her own fan-base plus everybody else wanting to chat it up because, well, she's bright, funny, and enormously sexy. Ellen was there promoting her role in the scary film The Dread (DVD from Anchor Bay). She also signed headshots, representing one of the "Ladies of the Evil Dead" which include cast members Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly (sorely missed). So, what's the most important thing in your life? "My daughters," she says. More than anything else, Ellen loved to talk family. We spent most of our time together swapping misadventures. Eventually, I asked her for an autograph. For my son. I announced he was a huge fan of Evil Dead. "A huge fan?" she scoffed, "Where is he?" I shrugged, not wanting to tell her he blew me off for his first ever girlfriend romp. I'm not as popular as I was. Phil Nutman, is a gifted writer that brought to the horror genre a new twist on zombie-lore with his impressive first novel Wet Works. Praised by horror writers Stephen King and Clive Barker, Wet Works was the 28 Days Later of the literary world, but somehow got lost in the big zombie shuffle of 2004. His British accent buries his discontent, "Everyone loved the book, yeah, lots of praise. But then all these zombie films hit the screen and everyone was coming up to me saying that they borrowed from my book. Maybe they did, I don't know, but Wet Works does explore similar worlds." I have Wet Works (a gift from Tim Sullivan) and re-thinking it, the book did launch a sort of zombie renaissance. It's still available. I encourage you to get it, and then we'll discuss its relevance at a later date and time. Rusty Nails is a cult director, writer, actor, producer, and event promoter; among other things I'm sure. A real bonefied individual. He was running around the convention whisking away horror directors left and right, positioning them in front of his camera to discuss the "Dead King" George Romero. His documentary's been getting buzz for sometime now. Rusty's horror spoof Acne is out on DVD and I wanted to discuss it with him, but since he was working the room, we only exchanged glances and middle-fingers now and then. He even stole a french-fry Mick Garris was graciously handing me on a plate; Rusty just plucked it between dirty fingers, and like the Grinch elegantly plopped it in his mouth. Michael Reiter's the new kid on the horror block. A Chicago native, he's studied film production at New York University, shot second-unit in Chile for the political documentaries Labyrinth of Truth and In Father's Name, Produced the Mickey And Nicky DVD that earned a "Critic's Choice" in The New York Times, and is packaging his first feature I, a physiological horror thriller. Okay, not SO new. Mike's eye for dreadfulness is more along the vision of say a Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Doppelgänger, Séance, and Pulse) and like him he appreciates the unnerving slower-paced narrative prominent in Japanese horror of late. "It's just got to be done all the way-fearless. If you're going to splatter, splatter, and if you're going to reflect, do it 'til they squirm." Director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Masters of Horror on Showtime) was someone I was looking forward to meet. I had followed his career since his Organic Theater days where he oversaw dozens of original plays, including David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago." I remember reading about his inevitable migration to LA. It was the subject of a cover story in the Chicago Reader. It was a sad goodbye. I inquired, of course. "If you're making cars, you go to Detroit," he told me, "If you're making movies," he gestures. "But Chicago is where I truly feel at home. I feel centered here." Stuart's a big man, football player build. That night over dinner, he delicately held Wendy's baby over his shoulder with one hand while talking with his writer pal Dennis Paoli (Re-Animator, Dreams in the Witch-House). Needless to say, little Jack was one happy baby boy. It was heartwarming, especially since his latest film Dreams in the Witch-House shows a baby getting pierced by a knife-yikes. More than anyone else, I got to hang with prolific filmmaker and horror leader of the pack, Mick Garris. He was engaging-lots of natty stories. This guy hangs with all of the Masters of Horror and pals around with Stephen King. C'mon. Garris looks like he's 35-tops. I won't say his age, but I think he has a painting in the basement soaking up the winkles. "It's about doing what you love," he says, "That keeps the body young." Yes it does. But then, Mick needs his energy. This guy produces, writes, directs and shows no signs of slowing up. With him executive producing his brainchild Masters of Horror, promoting his horror featurette Chocolate (DVD, Anchor Bay) while endorsing his latest TV mini-series, Stephen King's "Desperation" starring seasoned vets Tom Skerritt, Ron Perlman, and Charles Durning. I don't know how he's got the time. "I'm giving up meat," he tells me. "Not for health reasons. I'm against the senseless slaughtering of animals. It takes awhile for me to find something on the menu that I like though." Especially since we were sitting in a hotel restaurant with limited fare. Did I say limited? He finally orders a cheese sandwich with fries. Gary Sherman sits with us talking about his oldie but goodie original thriller Vice Squad (DVD, Anchor Bay). Watching the two pros talk shop was unbelievable. It was film school over lunch. To be honest, I was eyeing the plate of steamy French fries. The one thing that impressed me the most about Garris was that he wasn't approaching horror like anybody else. He wanted to bring more story less gore to the screen. Just watch his very personal celluloid dream Riding the Bullet to see that in fruition. More character driven than most, it is ripe with disposition mixed within sinister ups and downs-a real roller coaster ride. It was like going to an odd Carnival, circa 1920's, whereby you got a lot of story and variety for the buck. The bottom-line, Mick Garris is lifting the tired mug of horror. He's taking chances like a rebel out of film school, who's been given the keys to the shop. He doesn't like the rules, and so he wonderfully breaks them one by one. I urge you to pay attention to his work. Then I got to meet Mr. George A. Romero, folks. A real tower of a man. He stands tall at six foot four. Can you say ectomorph? No wonder he became a director. George could just give directions as actors respond, "Yes, Dad." He wasn't feeling too well, so we thought he might be a no-show for the cocktail party stuffed with golden ticket holders. Without warning though, an ominous shadow loomed over me. I looked up, and there he was. Sonofa...I stumble to my feet. "How you doing, Mr. Romero?" "I'm good, thanks," he says, pointing a finger at me. "Love your movies, man." "Thanks." "Can't wait for more." "You bet." And with that he winks, and moves on to more adoring fans. And that was it. He was gone, a mere shadow in the crowd. Suddenly it all comes rushing back: me sitting in a noisy theater, with half a dozen candy bars stuffed in various pockets; this skinny geek's Saturday matinee ritual with 3 horror movies back to back. The terror fete that time forgot. I mean I grew up watching Romero's "Dead" before video and DVD. Hell, he WAS Mr. Halloween. So believe me when I say that I was mesmerized. Now I remembered why I loved the horror film. Now it all makes sense. Last, but not least, there's our host, Fangoria's Tony Timpone. He's about one of the most gracious individuals in the biz. He always says hello, proudly shakes your hand, and pats you on the back. And he really threw quite a fete, folks. Yep-not a bad weekend all in all. Thanks to him I hung with all these Horror hotshots, mingled with the good, the bad, the beautiful, and pressed palms with the lord emperor of the zombie flick. What a horror show. |
