JOHN POLONIA 1968-2008

This week I was hit with some shocking news. John Polonia who is better known to most indie cult fans as one half of the duo the Polonia Brothers has passed away. He died suddenly of a heart aneurysm on the morning of February 25th at the very young age of 39. He leaves behind him a wife, a young son, his brother Mark, and family members and friends who will greatly miss him.

As a superfan of the Polonia Brothers I was struck hard by the news. I had spoken to him a month or so ago and he had mentioned several projects that he wanted to do including a homage to the old school Hercules flicks. And even though I did not know him on a personal level he was always a kind, outgoing, and very supportive guy. A true friend.

He was also a hero in my eyes, a champion of indie filmmaking, a true lover of genre films - a schlockhead. He alongside his brother could crank out a film on a weekend and despite the ridicule and rants that film would receive on this world wide web, he never once quit.

When others in his shoes would write retorts in the comments section of a blog defending their flicks, or even worse, just surrendering and never returning. He just kept writing and planning on the next project with his brother. In fact he and Mark would be the first to laugh at their films before critics could. For John to be able to do all of that just makes him one even more of a hero in my book.

I pity those who never knew him or the work he did with Mark, never once knowing how brilliant of a person he was or the long list of films made. Not to mention loss of the fantastic pulp he would've created. As far as I am concern the indie microcinema world has lost a large amount of it's heart. If there is one thing that we can do to honor him that would be to finally get off our asses and do the things we want to do whether that be make a movie, draw for a living, or whatever our heart desires.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, son, Mark, and family and friends. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten as the friend, hero, and one of the best damn schlockheads out there that the world has to offer.

There are other numerous websites that are now offering their memories and parting words concerning John Polonia's passing. Please take a moment to check them out to get a better understanding of who he was and how much of a loss this is to all of us schlockheads out there.

John Oak Dalton's Blog
Brett Kelly's tribute website
The Cult of Polonia
Microcinemascene
Camp Motion Pictures
Rue Morgue
Pulp 2.0
B-Independent
Retromedia Forums
Pretty-Scary
Dread Central

FROM THE SKETCHBOOK: 2-25-08

Here is another very-very rough sketch from one of my pads.

MINIGOAL #1 MET - SORTA

I did indeed write five pages this week as I wanted too. But it was just not on one project. It was all over the map. I wrote half of a film review, three pages to one script, and two in another. So I did write, but didn't really accomplish much. Next week I am going to have less time so my minigoal is to crank out three pages or more. Stay weird!

LINKS TO SHARE: 2-21-08

• Discover the top ten most haunted places in the world.


• Want to know what the seven strangest conspiracies are? Check it it out here.

WANNA BUY A SCRIPT FOR $550,000?

Are in search of a supernatural flick to direct or produce but don't have the time to write the script? No problem! Apparently someone on E-Bay is selling such a script at the reasonable price of $550,000. 00 It even includes free shipping! And they say you can't find bargains on E-Bay anymore. What a steal!

If $550,000.00 is a bit too rich for you, then there is another that can be had for only $500 which is actually far more reasonable and has the marketable title TURN ME ON DEADGIRL. To be honest the plot seems even more durable and easy to sell on a audience than the first does.
(tip of the hat to the awesome blog Your Video Store Shelf)

I just can't help but to wonder if the pricing of the script was done by mistake. I really hope for the sake of the writer it is.

Speaking of selling scripts on E-Bay has anyone ever tried to do the same and what were the results?

PAGE FIVE

I'm back to page five of the weird sci fi serial project script and come to a complete halt. The cause is not so much writer's block, but the lack of the ability to be able to express what I see in my head versus what gets written.

I can see the serial being weird, surreal, and hot rod fast. Yet I can't seem to get that straight on page. I have trimmed certain scenes and even removed dialogue that to me seemed windy. I guess what I want is a fast talking and even faster shooting pulp kind of script.

Anyway, I plan on setting myself mini goals each week and during the next five days my plan is to crank out five pages. This would equal a page a day. I'm going to start small again and just take baby steps for a few months at least. Besides as broke ass as I am there is no sense in rushing this project. Stay weird!

BELIEVE

I NEED TO QUIT PISSIN' AND MOANIN'

I thought that my financial crisis was bad until I saw this. Man, when you think you are at your worst in life there is always someone who is six levels below you who is far worse.

BLOOD FEAST: THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING!!!

FILM RANCH INTERNATIONAL presents

The 45th Anniversary of the Granddaddy of all slasher movies!

"BLOOD FEAST" to carve up the GASParilla Film Festival in Tampa Florida !

RARE SPECIAL APPEARANCE by titans of terror HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS and DAVID F. FRIEDMAN! LIVE IN PERSON!

Guest Hosted by St. Petersburg Times film critic STEVE PERSALL!

Before JASON...before FREDDY...before MICHAEL MYERS...there was one movie maniac to rule them all: FUAD RAMSES, splatterstar of the notorious 1963 hit “BLOOD FEAST” - the first film ever to showcase explicit gore! Cringe in gut-crunching horror as Fuad, an insanely obsessive Egyptian caterer, stalks sexy sirens for a sacrificial blood offering to blasphemous goddess Ishtar! Presented in crimson-soaked 35mm!

Special Guests of this once-in-a-lifetime event include “BLOOD FEAST” director HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS (the "Godfather of Gore") and producer DAVID F. FRIEDMAN ("The Mighty Monarch of Exploitation"). Enjoy a casual outdoor reception (weather-permitting) with these living legends, followed by an insightful Q & A session, hosted by popular film critic STEVE PERSALL of the St. Petersburg Times - if he survives! This is one event that NO horror fan should miss!

BREAKING NEWS: Beat the crowds! Purchase advance tickets for “BLOOD FEAST” online: www.gasparillafilmfestival.com

Not everyone is thrilled to death about the triumphant screening. "I remember when ‘BLOOD FEAST’ terrorized movie screens back in the Lord's year of '63", says Rev. Milford Crabtree. "This film paralyzed the city. We've never been the same since! Tongue-ripping, limb-severing, machete-hacking - I tell you “BLOOD FEAST” left our youth population in mental ruin and turned them into a doom generation of hippie psychos!" he blasts.

Rev. Crabtree is leading an effort to convince movie fans not to indulge in the gory and sexy debauchery of “BLOOD FEAST”. "It's downright disgusting - voluptuous blondes and busty brunettes attacked by a machete-wielding madman! I mean, what kind of a diseased mind comes up with this ultra-violent freak-flick?"

In parting, Rev. Crabtree issued a final statement: "BY GOLLY, I ORDER EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU NOT TO SEE ‘BLOOD FEAST’...OR ELSE!"

Good citizens of Tampa Bay and across America , show your support of “BLOOD FEAST” and help put Rev. Crabtree in his place. If you have the GUTS. A nurse will be on duty at the box office…not as an advertising gimmick, but because she may very well be needed to resuscitate collapsed ticket holders. Due to the extreme horror of this picture, FILM RANCH INTERNATIONAL sincerely warns people who are the least bit squeamish or have a heart condition to not attempt to see this picture. See this movie if you dare, but be prepared for unimaginable horror. For package ticket-holders, “BLOOD FEAST” will be followed by another made-in-Florida grisly shocker: “100 TEARS”.

Don't miss it!

“BLOOD FEAST” on the big screen in 35mm

as part of the GASParilla Film Festival "Legends of Horror" Event

Presented by Film Ranch International

Starring Herschell Gordon Lewis and David F. Friedman

Hosted by: Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times Film Critic

Saturday, March 1, 2008

8:00pm - Reception with H.G. Lewis and David F. Friedman

9:00pm – “BLOOD FEAST”

10:20pm - Q&A with H.G. LEWIS, DAVID F. FRIEDMAN and STEVE PERSALL

Tickets: $15.00 - includes all events outlined above. Screening of “100 TEARS” requires separate admission.

Location: Channelside Theaters

615 Channelside Drive

Tampa, Florida

For more information:

www.gasparillafilmfestival.com

www.thefilmranch.com

SOME HOBBIES ARE STRANGER THAN OTHERS...

As proven in this documentary about women who collect "real doll-esque" artificial babies and take said dolls everywhere they go. It's a bizarre and yet sad world that rarely is glimpsed. See it to believe it, friends. (Boing Boing)

FROM THE SKETCHBOOK: 2-12-08

Here is a quick sketch I did two years ago for everyone to dig. I am just a bit peeved at the piss-poor quality. Does anyone by any chance know how to scan in artwork where I can color it and so forth without it getting blocky?

CURT PURCELL IS THE MAN!

Leaping werewolves! Curt Purcell from THE GROOVY AGE OF HORROR (NSFW) is without a doubt the man. He has graciously uploaded a full issue scan of a rare Men's Pulp mag called BATTLE CRY.

Finding one of these issues is rare enough, but to discover a full issue that can be read online is next to impossible. So cheers and many thanks to Curt for making the impossible-possible.

THAT DARN GROUNDHOG

I had a good work momentum going last week when the weather seemed far more gracious than it is does this week. In the next several days or more I can look forward to a winter mix, sleet, cold rain, and patches of ice.

Ever since the ice storm knocked out power for almost eight days I tend to get jumpy whenever the weatherman mentions ice, freezing rain, or winter mix. Not good at all.

As if that is not enough, I got the damn cold again. My family can't seem to shake it away from us. One of us gets it and becomes well enough a week later only for someone else to take on the virus. It's like a Ebola relay race of some sort. It's a real hoot, I say with a strong hint of sarcasm.

I also can't do any latex work until the weather improves. So all I can do is write, which is not so bad, but with my head stuffed up the way it is, I can't seem to think straight. So that is where I am work-wise for the rest of the week. Stay weird!

GOOD-BYE KINKO'S

Back in the day I self-published several zines, and can remember the late nights at the local Kinko's xeroxing massive amounts of pages that would eventually be folded and stapled and delivered to any mom and pop shop that would let me sell them at their site.

But the downside to self-publishing as one quickly learns is that the costs are almost exorbitant to produce the number of issues one needs to get even barely noticed.

This brings me to this site which I learned about from Bill Cunningham's blog Pulp 2.0. The future is here my friends. We can now be the writers, publishers, and editors that we always wanted to be and more. We can now produce online zines for the world to see and read. No genre is out of reach. We can do virtually anything our hearts desire, comics, film magazines, horror zines, pulp fiction, and more. The road of our new futures is becoming far more smoother each day.

Now I just have to dig in my book of ideas and see what I can come up with. Stay weird!

MR. A.M. ARILLO

This is a puppet that I have been working on and off for the past few months. The body isn't completed at the moment, but I am working on that hurdle.

I neglected to get step-by-step photos to share which I personally regret. I like to be able to see the progression of my work and it sucks not to have those photos nearby.

Anyway, the is made from a half-gallon milk jug cut in half and the back cut out. The top spout has been cut off and for reuse. The jug was then spray painted black and with a yellow coat on top. I rigged a crude mouthpiece for the inside and cut out inner mouth shape from a sheet of black craft foam.

For the eyes I used the spout and a lid off a separate bottle and spray painted them black. For in the inner fake lens, I just got empty a 2 liter bottle of soda reused it's plastic which was spray painted a bright red and cut circles out of the new material and glued it inside the robot's eyes.

As mentioned the next challenge is to give this guy a body. So stay tune kids!

JIM HENSON - THE MOVIE

It's no secret that I am a huge fans of three people, Ed Wood, Paul Blaisdell and Jim Henson. So imagine my surprise this morning when I discovered that a biopic about Jim Henson is in the works for a slated summer 2008 release.

Sure it's not going to be your typical raunchy, drug and booze filled, breaking the law escapade as most biopics are, but in a way it's refreshing. However, with that being said, and considering how seemingly normal Henson's life was, it will be interesting on how the film will produce some sort of drama or conflict into the plot.

NINJA PUPPET THEATER

I don't really know what the word or words would be to describe the this kind of genre of puppetmaking, but I dig it 100 hundred percent. The idea behind this puppetry is that like Bunraku, the puppeteer or in this case the team of puppeteers are dressed in solid black head to toe. Also with the aid of a solid black background they are almost hidden out of view, and what you are allowed to see is only the puppets or the manipulation of props in a array of dazzling and brilliant ways.

In Japan there is a show dedicated to this called Kasou Taishou which amateur people compete with their own skits against other competitor skits. None of the skits or puppetshows I have seen can be considered weaker than the other. They are all flat out jaw dropping amazing.

Here are some of my favorites that I could find via Youtube. The last clip is a new music video from the SCISSOR SISTERS who seem to be also in love with this style of puppeteering. Also for those taking notes, this same style can be done with greenscreen and greenscreen suits to produce some wild visual effects. (via Puppetvision)

THINGS THAT I AM TRYING TO DO THIS MONTH..

• Work on the next episode of my podcast.


• Invest more time into my screenwriting.


• Start the next stage of my rod puppet.


• Work on more designs for aliens, ships, sets, costumes, etc for the GLASSHEAD project.

THE FIRST SIGN YOUR DATE HAS GONE HORRIBLY WRONG...

(via The Percy Trout Hour (sometimes NSFW))

MAN VERSUS AUTOBOT

I fixed my car's heater-sorta. I used a bit of hillbilly engineering and rigged it enough where it can now blow just fine, but I don't think I'll be able to replace the cap on the blower motor ever again. All I can say at this point is god bless the inventor of duct tape.

For those taking notes, my blower motor was on the passenger side under the glove compartment. Now imagine having to unscrew the bolts to release the motor while you are upside down, crammed inside, and only have limited mobility of your arms. Yep, it sucked! Stay weird!

BLOODSUCKING REDNECK VAMPIRES, BOOZE, AND LLOYD KAUFFMAN!

Leaping werewolves! If you are in the Salem, Oregon area looking for a bit of fun for tonight, the my friend you are in luck.

Via Dr. Squid's blog:

It's on! BLOODSUCKING REDNECK VAMPIRES shows on the big screen at the Northern Lights Theater Pub this Friday, Feb. 1 around 9 p.m.

BRV shows, followed by COONS (a b-movie about rednecks and killer racoons) followed by special guest Lloyd Kaufman, the man behind Troma films and such classics as THE TOXIC AVENGER and CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH. Lloyd plans to demonstrate no-budget fx like the head smash and the arm rip!

Did I mention the theater is a bar, too?!

Two crazy movies plus Lloyd Kaufman for $5. Such a deal. Let's pack the place and get rowdy!

Northern Lights Theater Pub, 3893 Commercial St. SE in Salem, Oregon. Directions, menu and beer & wine list at www.northernlightstheaterpub.com

LINKS TO SHARE: 2-01-08

• Freeconomy practitioner plans to walk from the UK to India without touching any money. I for one support the idea of a no money society.


• Check out the blog THINGS I KILLED TODAY if you're in search of something depressing. Seriously, there should be a NSFW-esque tag for this kind of thing. Something like Not Safe For Fragile Mental State or NSFFMS.


• YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP #5 IS RELEASED.

LIFE AT THE MOMENT COULD BE WORSE...

BLOWER MOTOR BLUES

The heater/ac in the ol' family car finally blew it's last breath yesterday. It's been sputtering off and on for weeks and fiddling with the wires would fix the problem but only for so many miles or minutes before giving out.

I tried to mess with it yesterday as it snowed but to no avail. After a bit of research I've narrowed the problem either to the motor or a need for a new condenser.

So now now we're facing a debt crisis in the household and somehow I have to repair the car's heater-life is not so great at the moment.