Kickstart This: Black Asylum

Kickstarter is an awesome opportunity to have the ability to invest in projects that you  or me want to see happen. The talented and awesome Robert Rusler is looking for support with his new venture  – Black Asylum.  Black Asylum is a horror film for the fans and by the fans.  I think the reason why I am trying to help Robert is his earnest devotion to wanting to make a good horror film.  As evidenced by the teaser, this looks like a very promising project with lots of interesting and excellent casting choices and some great backdrops for the story. Check out Robert’s pitch and see the exciting teaser that I think will make you want to see this film be made.

Robert and Jay’s  Pitch

Teaser

 

Black Asylum Cast

• William Sanderson
• Marshell Bell
• Esai Morales
• David Arquette
• Johnny Messner
• James Duvall
• Jason Lodnon
• Keith David
• Arye Gross
• Scott Caan
• Tom Towles

Black Asylum Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/blackasylumcult?ref=stream

Black Asylum Kickstarter

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/387020587/black-asylum

Again, I hope you will consider making Black Asylum a reality! Please spread the word!

Flashback 2012: Blood at the Beach II

Earlier in 2012, I attended Blood at the Beach I in April. In November, I was fortunate enough to attend Blood at the Beach II, and I have secured a ticket to Blood at the Beach III for May.

Blood at the Beach II brought a change of venue. The event took place at The Cavalier in Virginia Beach. Unlike last time, the hotel was on the beach. It was initially a challenge to find The Cavalier, but we managed to find it after stopping and getting some assistance. There isn’t just one Cavalier hotel but two – a old brick hotel and a newer hotel.

For the uninitiated, Blood at the Beach is a 3-day horror convention that offers fans to mingle with various celebrities and vendors involved in or have connections to all things Horror.

Me and Weird Science’s Ilan Mitchell Smith

Blood at the Beach II had a variety of celebrities such as Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone), Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses), Joe Pilato (George Romero’s Day of the Dead), Zack Galligan (Gremlins, Waxworks), Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone, Weird Science), Kane Hodder, Irone Singleton and Chandler Riggs from The Walking Dead, and many more.

Besides an abundance of celebrities, there were many vendors intermingled amongst the celebrities. Vendors selling custom figures, pictures, vinyl stickers, clothing, collectibles, posters, DVDs, and handmade goods. There was something for everyone.

Location

Let’s talk about location! The convention this time was held at the newer “Cavalier” hotel located right on the Beach. The layout and building space was definitely more suitable than the previous location. There was ample space for everyone. At the first convention, the celebrity room was very packed and hard to navigate amongst the tables. On top of the vendors were through a corridor off in another area. Some vendors felt that it made it harder for people to find them.  During this convention, the organizer mixed the vendors in with the celebrities. There was plenty of room to walk around. It definitely was less claustrophobic.

Since I didn’t stay at the previous convention location, I can’t compare the accommodations, but I can tell you about my experience at the hotel. It was satisfactory. My room had two twin beds, TV, microwave, mini fridge and smaller amenities. It wasn’t fancy by any means but fine. I wish the beds were more comfortable as well as the pillows. The water pressure in the shower was heavenly, and it was nice that the ice machine was located on same floor. I didn’t have to call anybody for ice. I could get my own. This still goes on in the Carlyle Hotel in D.C. and it is nicer than this hotel.

I must say this trip was the first time I elected to use room service. I enjoyed the food, and they served food until midnight. The food was tasty, the service was prompt and courteous.

They had several bars that were available to patrons that were well run with friendly staff. The elevators were fine for me but other people told stories of being stuck in them or something else funny happening during their ride. The elevators were thought to be haunted. It made for good con tales to share.

One thing I thought was weird was the lack of trash cans. With so many people wondering around and on occasion with a drink in hand, you would think they would have more trash cans.

Celebrities

Blood At The Beach II had a decent variety of actors and actresses and other celebrities. There was someone and something for everybody. If you you liked classic character actors, there was Richard Herd and Andrew Prine. Both actors appeared in the sci-fi/horror TV miniseries, V.

Me and Day of the Dead’s Joe Pilato

Me and Weird Science’s Robert Rusler (I don’t like this picture of me but Rusler is rocking his pose).

 

Here’s is a list of other  celebrities in attendance:

• Cleve and Constance Hall
• Ilan Mitchell-Smith
• Anthony Michael Hall
• Robert Rusler
• Suzanne Snyder
• Judie Aronson
• Vernon Wells
• Dana Barron
• Jason Lively
• Alexander Winter
• Jamie Kennedy
• “Scream Queen” Elina Madison
• Vern Trotter
• Addy Miller
• Chandler Riggs
• Iron-E Singleton
• Catherine Mary Stewart
• Lance Guest
• Sid Haig
• Tom Towles
• Joe Pilato
• Zach Galligan
• Kane Hodder
• Adrienne King
• Amy Steele
• Jack Ketchum
• Zack Ward
• Brendan Fletcher

Like many people, I was trying to split my budget between vendors and celebrities.  I ended up with some awesome Dia De Los Muertos gear from LixOnline.  I picked a nice selection of movies and posters from AlternativeXchange.

Perler Bead Art

Me and Kane Hodder (Friday The 13th VII – X, Hatchet I – III)

Highlights

• Seeing friends I had made at the previous convention.
• Enjoying a conversation with Ilan Mitchell Smith about Medieval Literature.
• Meeting  Joe Pilato aka Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead.
• Getting Bear Hugged by Kane Hodder.
• Attending the Weird Science panel – Robert Rusler is one funny guy!
• Meeting Artist Joel Robinson. I have appreciated his artwork on Etsy for a long time without ever knowing who he was exactly. It was nice being able to tell him how much I love his work.
• Dressing up and expressing my love for They Live. I know the VIP Party was about zombies, but I wanted to do my own thing and it was a hit. Although, it would have been great if I could have seen half of what was going that night. My mask didn’t have adequate air vents so the eye pieces kept fogging up.
• Watching and listening to my friend Melissa banter with Tom Towles; riding the elevator with Tom Towles. He was cracking us all up with his jokes.
• Ditching the convention for a couple hours to go see Mikey Mason with my husband and friend Tim. Mikey is hilarious and is a good addition to your comedic rotation, especially if you like Weird Al.

Me sandwiched between The Zombie couple that would win King and Queen of the Zombie Prom.

Me and Legend Sid Haig

 

Game Alert! Plants vs. Zombies 2

Just like the video states….. about time for a sequel, ya think?

New! 90 Second True Blood Trailer

Giant God Warrior Appears In Tokyo

Reprinted from Twitchfilm.com:

It was all the way back in May of 2012 when word of an upcoming Japanese tokusatsu film titled Giant God Warrior Appears In Tokyo (Kyōshinhei Tokyo ni Arawaru) was met with great anticipation. And for good reason. Sure, it’s another kaiju film with a giant monster destroying Tokyo coming from a country that has already produced lots and lots of those. But it wasn’t just another kaiju film.

Take a look at the talent involved. First of all, the short was commissioned by Anno Hideaki, the director of landmark anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and to be directed by Higuchi Shinji, one of Anno’s key Evangelion artists. As intriguing as the Eva connection is, however, the real hook lies farther back in Anno’s past. All the way back to the beginning, in fact, to the days when Anno cut his teeth as a fledgling animator working under Miyazaki Hayao as a key animator on Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind.

Yes, Giant God Warrior Appears In Tokyo has a direct Miyazaki connection. Two of them, in fact. First, Miyazaki himself provided the design for the creature. And, second, the short now stands as the first live action work produced directly by Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. And I suppose there’s also the little matter of it being a direct precursor to Nausicaa itself.

But enough rambling on … originally commissioned for a museum exhibition the complete short is now available online. Watch it below.

Be A Part of the Nerd Herd!

Attention nerds, nerd lovers, nerd haters, nerd wannabes and everyone else. The Nerd Herd is introducing a virtual racing series to raise funds for StupidCancer.org. This running trilogy – because everyone enjoys a good trilogy – covers nerdy topics such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Banned Literature. Ears up! Run with the nerds and help fight cancer!

The first of the virtual 5k trilogy is the May the 4th (Be With You) 5k. Runners who register for this race will receive a printable bib via email to wear during a 3.1-mile run or walk completed at any time April 28, 2013 through May 4, 2013. Those who sign up for the race will receive a commemorative medal worthy of a wookie’s excitement.

Our second race, the Happy Birthday Harry Potter 5k and 10k, is set for July 28, 2013 through August 3, 2013. Runners and walkers will receive a printable bib via email to wear during the 3.1 miles (5k) or 6.2 miles (10k) at any time during the allotted time period. The Boy Who Lived can be celebrated by Nerds worldwide with a 3.1 mile or 6.2 mile run or walk on Harry’s (and J.K. Rowling’s) birthday and the week following. A second medal for the series will be conjured up by our in-house Hermione and distributed to registered runners who sign up.

Banned Books Week is September 22-28, 2013 and the Nerd Herd wants to celebrate it with a 5k and a Half Marathon. Runners and walkers who want to participate in our third race of the Nerd Herd Racing Series will have a week to wear the provided race bib and complete either 3.1 miles or 13.1 miles for their special bookworm medal.

Runners who have paid for all three races will then receive a fourth medal that will complete the Nerd look. The registration fee for each race is $25 or $65 for all three races. Be sure to sign up early for your opportunity to run each race.

For more information – visit here: http://www.thenerdherd.info/about-the-nerd-herd-racing-series/

Flight of the Dragons: Live Action

Back in December of 2011, I posted about my love for the vastly unappreciated The Flight of the Dragons cartoon movie that aired on ABC in the 1980s. It had a terrific voice cast including the late great Colonel Potter Mr. Harry Morgan. In fact, Harry’s passing was the reason I combed over some of things I loved as a kid growing up in the 80s. Watching Flight of the Dragons was a ritual when I went to visit my cousin. It reaffirmed a lot of things about life for me as a child, something I needed.

Well, fast forward, a reader of mine tipped me off that a Kickstarter had been created to fund a live action version of The Flight of the Dragons. The film is purely independent and will be funded by fans.

“The Flight of Dragons” unfolds in an age when magic and science coexist uneasily, and humans still walk the earth alongside wizards, unicorns, and dragons. One of the four most powerful mages on the planet, Carolinus the Green Wizard realizes that magic’s power is slipping in favor of the logic of science — a potential detriment to men, who need such magic to provide regular inspiration for themselves. Carolinus thus summons his three brothers for an emergency gathering, and suggests that they create a separate magical realm for themselves, via which they can send man the magic he needs on a regular basis. Two of the brothers agree, but the third — the evil wizard Ommadon — not only refuses to be shuttled off to this removed existence but vows to wage full-scale war on humankind with evil feelings and ideas. Because the rules of the universe forbid Carolinus and his other two siblings from going head-to-head with Ommadon, they must seek out a human hero with the power to stop him. Carolinus sends this request to the Fates. They, in turn, select Peter, who is, of all things, a man of science.

Originally an animated film, this new incarnation will include a special live-action trailer before it is released as a live-action feature in individual parts. This ambitious and passionate project adapted from the speculative natural history book The Flight of Dragons, as well as The Dragon and the George, stars legendary Seattle actor Andrew Tribolini (“A/V”) in the starring role of Carolinus. Joining him is a talented crew including Emmy Award-winning composer Carl Johnson (“Piglet’s Big Movie”), visual effects artist Mikhail E. Merkurieff (“Age of the Dragons”), cinematographer Connor Hair (“5th Street”), as well as acclaimed fantasy artist Christos Achilleos (“Willow”) to create concept designs for the creatures. A couple folks who contributed to the 1982 film are contributing their time and work as well, including artist Wayne Anderson and composer Maury Laws.

The Kickstarter for this project has 38 days to go with a goal of $18,000. [LINK]

Website: http://flightofdragonsmovie.com/?page_id=1385