Ok, so I'm a sucky webgod, but here are a few nifty updates:
First off, our good friend, John Lurie, on top of still having an awesome book out has a show opening in Luxembourg . If you're hanging out on the Continent, be sure to check it out.
Next, another alum, Larry Blamire has a couple things coming down the pipe. First, the sequel to the beloved "Lost Skeleton of Cadavara" -- "The Lost Skeleton Returns Again" is starting to make the rounds. He's also got a swell new book out: TALES OF THE CALLAMO MOUNTAIN. Be sure to pick up a copy so you can be the coolest kid at your school.
Features alum, Larry Blamire dropped me a note to give a heads up on some cool news:
DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, our 1930s old dark house murder mystery spoof, is going before the cameras June 9th (with lens caps off and everything...and real film in the camera--only it isn't, it's HD). Now one of the things I'm most excited about here is that the amazing Bob Burns (yes BOB BURNS) is dusting off the old gorilla suit to do a cameo. How excited am I about that? Have you seen the Ghost Busters TV show? Do you marvel at how dang outright hilarious anyone can be under all that hair and suit and hair? And what's cool is, Bob's just as excited as we are. He told me one thing he always wanted to do was play the gorilla in an old dark house movie. Well, doesn't this work out nicely. I am most happy about this.
Bob's rounding out a great cast--many of them the usual suspects. There always seemed to be four main categories in these victims-gathered-on-a-nasty-night scenarios. First, nosy protagonists like Danny Roebuck and Jen "Animala" Blaire who play competing reporters, with Dan Conroy as the hapless cabby in tow who brought them out to the gloomy Cavinder estate. You've of course got the greedy gathered heirs drooling over the will, like Brian Howe, Fay Masterson, James Karen, Andy Parks, Jim Beaver and Christine Romeo. Then there's the my-car-broke-down-can-I-stay-the-night kind of saps--in this case medium Alison Martin, idiot me, and racketeer Kevin Quinn. Then there's the lurking help as I like to call it; cockney maid Trish Geiger, suspicious butler Bruce French, and deeply disturbed cook Bob Deveau.
And there are cameos by lovely Betty Garrett, alternate cop/heavy character actor Tom Reese and the most excellently funny Marvin Kaplan. And of course we have to have an unctuous lawyer, played here by actor-writer-director Mark Redfield, which just gives me a chance to use the word unctuous. H.M. Wynant shows up looking for an escaped mental patient. Susan McConnell's in this too, but she's in her own category that I can't divulge under pain of death (or death of pain--something like that).
The set by production designer Tony Tremblay (check the imdb) is a knockout--this is a complete soundstage mansion I tell you--it's like a freakin' maze in there. Costumes by Kristin Burke and Kristina West are authentic and real and vintage and wonderfully good in ways that are positive. Music by Christopher Caliendo who knows more notes than practically anyone I know. Producer Sara Van der Voort is producing in ways that haven't been produced before. And to top it off, ace DP A.J. Rickert-Epstein is shooting on one of the original HD cameras from the 1930s--think of it! And you know how big those suckers were.
Add thunder and lightning, a hooded phantom, sliding panels, secret passageways, a missing letter, lots of murders and what do you have? Why, the movie we're making of course. What a coincidence! Should be ripping good fun what? And I swear I am not biased in any way as writer-director and have absolutely no vested interest in saying this. It'll be great. Really.
Well kiddies, not much on this end other an nifty little note from Feature alum, Larry Blamire:
Just a quick note--right now I'm running around like a chicken without its head cut off. We're getting ready to shoot a sequel to THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA in late January called...THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN (in the Spring we'll be shooting DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, but that's another story).
Below are the synopsis and cast. Hope all is well with you. Take care, --Larry
Dr. Paul Armstrong, missing in the jungle for 2 years and now a bitter alcoholic because science let him down, is needed by the government to help find a powerful new rock, jerranium 90. His loyal wife Betty knows he'll probably come home when he's ready but doesn't hesitate to join the expedition. Also along is Peter Fleming, twin of the late Dr. Roger Fleming, trying to restore the family name, who finds among the stuff he inherited from his brother a skull that begins to take him over. Seems the only thing that will restore the Lost Skeleton's body is the legendary Dalp of Annacrabb, which just happens to be made of...jerranium 90.
And so, led by Jungle Brad--twin brother of the late Ranger Brad--the expedition is soon underway, encountering characters old and new as they seek to obtain the powerful rock in the only place it can be found...the dreaded Valley of the Monsters. And hot on their trail...villains who want the same thing and will stop at nothing until they get the same thing.
General Scottmanson.....................H.M. Wynant Reet Pappin....................................Frank Dietz Sandra Fleming..............................Christine Romeo Peter Fleming.................................Brian Howe Betty Armstrong.............................Fay Masterson Handscomb Draile.........................Robert Deveau Carl Traeger...................................Kevin Quinn Dr. Paul Armstrong........................Larry Blamire Gondreau Slykes............................Daniel Roebuck Lattis...............................................Susan McConnell Kro-Bar..........................................Andrew Parks Jungle Brad.....................................Dan Conroy Dr. Ellamy Royne..........................Trish Geiger Animala..........................................Jennifer Blaire Chinfa.............................................Alison Martin Bentivegitantus...............................John Stuart West
Feature alum Larry Blamire dropped me a line recently and told me about his charming little web series "Tales from the Pub". Imagine "The Twilight Zone" mixed with well, something. Maybe some cinnamon added for flavor.
