I'm about to be FROZEN!

It's official, word is on the street, and I can finally talk about it! For now, here's the press release...

Much more info to come...

A BIGGER BOAT LAUNCHES FROZEN AT THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET


SANTA MONICA, CA (November 11, 2008) Peter Block's A Bigger Boat announced today that it has greenlit the chilling thriller FROZEN, written and to be directed by Adam Green (HATCHET, SPIRAL). The company will produce the picture with Green's ArieScope Pictures.

GreeneStreet Films International (GSFI) is selling the film worldwide and has already closed deals at the American Film Market with the United Kingdom's Momentum, Spain's Aurum, France's Metropolitan, the Middle East's ECS, Brazil's Playarte, Israel's United King, Scandinavia's Svensk, and Turkey's Medyavizyon.

The story revolves around three skiers who are stranded on a chairlift and forced to make life or death choices that prove more dangerous than even freezing to death.

"FROZEN is the perfect first project for A Bigger Boat," said Peter Block. "A high concept thriller with a talented young filmmaker on board. HATCHET proved that Adam can direct fun horror comedy and attract an audience but this project will show his ability to create a realistic, tension filled thriller. I couldn't be more excited to work with him and his team at ArieScope."

"Anyone who has skied before knows the fear that rushes through their heart when the chairlift momentarily stops," said Adam Green. "FROZEN will build on such primal fears as 'heights' and 'freezing to death' and take them to terrifying new levels. It's an honor to be working with GSFI and Peter Block, a producer who truly gets the horror genre and who knows how to do it right."

ArieScope's Cory Neal added "To have FROZEN be the flagship production for A Bigger Boat has us excited beyond words."

"The response to Adam and FROZEN has been overwhelming," said GSFI president, Amy Beecroft. "It shows that when you have a strong concept and people who know how to deliver this particular genre, there's a marketplace. This has been a great way to launch A Bigger Boat's partnership with GreeneStreet Films International."

Principal photography is scheduled to commence early next year and casting is already underway. Green is represented by Endeavor Talent Agency and Industry Entertainment.






ABOUT PETER BLOCK/A BIGGER BOAT
A Bigger Boat runs in partnership with GreeneStreet Films and has a domestic distribution deal with Overture Films and Alliance Films. Most recently, Block completed production on the box office smash SAW V. This year he is also overseeing production on RAMBO, THE EYE, THE BANK JOB, MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, the upcoming DAYBREAKERS, and the Gold Circle true-life horror film THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT, while also serving as Co-Executive Producer of the NBC series "Fear Itself". Under Block's leadership, Lionsgate acquired or produced over 1,000 films including the box office sensations CRASH, SAW, OPEN WATER, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, as well as such art-house hits as THE COOLER, LANTANA and SECRETARY. Block spearheaded the company's foray into theatrical genre pictures with the acquisition of CABIN FEVER, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, HARD CANDY, and HOSTEL, as well as expanding the genre's international focus with Neil Marshall's DESCENT, Peter Jackson's DEAD ALIVE, Guillermo del Toro's CRONOS, Takashi Shimizu's JU-ON: THE GRUDGE, Alex Aja's HIGH TENSION, and UNDEAD from Australia's Spierig brothers. In addition, Block was the primary production executive on the Academy nominated GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, the Bobby Darin bio-pic BEYOND THE SEA directed and starring Kevin Spacey, NARC, Rob Zombie's DEVIL'S REJECTS, and the surprise hit CRANK.

ARIESCOPE PICTURES
ArieScope Pictures is a production company formed by writer/director Adam Green, producer Cory Neal, and director of photography Will Barratt. The company has produced the horror/comedy HATCHET, the Hitchcockian psychodrama SPIRAL, and recently wrapped production on the chilling thriller GRACE. Currently ArieScope is producing the comedy web series FAIRY TALE POLICE for Xbox Live. For more information contact www.ariescope.com.

GREENESTREET INTERNATIONAL
GreeneStreet Films International (GSFI) is the international sales company under the GreeneStreet Films banner. GSFI launched six years ago to expand GreeneStreet's domestic presence overseas through its foreign sales of GreeneStreet's titles, as well as third party acquisitions. In addition, GSFI will sell worldwide rights to films produced by Peter Block's newly launched company, A Bigger Boat. GSFI introduced A Bigger Boat's first picture, FROZEN, a suspenseful thriller written and to be directed by Adam Green (HATCHET, SPIRAL)at this year's American Film Market. Other GSFI titles include Matthew Reeves' (CLOVERFIELD) upcoming picture INVISIBLE WOMAN; and TENDERNESS (Lionsgate) directed by John Polson (SWIMFAN) with Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub and Laura Dern.

"THE TiVO" - 10 years of Halloween short films!

Ten years ago this month, ArieScope Pictures was born.

I had just gotten out of college and I had taken a job working on local cable commercials in the Boston area. On my first day of work, I was paired up with Will Barratt and we were sent off to Nashua, New Hampshire to shoot a commercial for a car dealership. By the time we were driving home we had hatched plans to get us out of cable advertising, break us in to Hollywood, and have us making "real movies".

And I had only known him for a few hours at that point.

That weekend we "borrowed" the cable company's equipment to shoot a short film that we could entertain friends with at an upcoming Halloween party. With a Super8 film camera and Time Warner Cable's three lights, we rounded up some friends and set out to make COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND. The premise of the short was that Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers had stalked the same group of teenagers by mistake and the whole point of it all was really just to make our friends laugh. Little did we know how many people would actually wind up seeing that short film and what it would ultimately lead to for us.

But before I go any further, here are some funny stories from the making of COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND while I am getting all nostalgic and thinking back to the beginning here…

We needed a location with lots and lots of woods, so I contacted a childhood friend's parents who lived on the edge of a forest back in my hometown of Holliston. For those of you who are HATCHET fans- it was Scott Barnes' parents. You know the line in the movie where Misty randomly checks her cell phone and says "Ew, Scott Barnes called me?" That was a shout out to this guy. Anyway, Scott's parents were kind enough to give us full reign over their property. Their one and only request before they went out for the night?

"Whatever you do… don't let Dusty the cat out of the house."

"No problem, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes!"

I swear, you could still see Mr. Barnes' break lights driving away down the street… and Dusty had already gotten out of the house. For the next 3 HOURS we tried everything possible to capture this filthy creature and get it back in the house, but we had no luck. Finally, in an act of desperation, I grabbed Dusty by the tail and pulled him out of the bush he was trying to hide in.

"Got him!" I yelled.

That's when Dusty proceeded to try and scratch my eyes out. Literally. The first claw hooked the inside of my right eye socket and sliced my skin wide open. My eye was bleeding everywhere.

But hey… at least I got Dusty back in the house and we could start shooting.

"Dude… you need to disinfect your eye." Will said. Not able to find ANY rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide in the Barnes household, Will pointed out that we had a bottle of cheap Tequila on set that was being used as a prop in the film. Before I could think it through, Will was pouring TEQUILLA straight into my bleeding eye.

It hurt. It hurt BAD. But finally, we were ready to begin shooting our short film. All I needed to do was find a towel to wipe the liquor out of my eyes with. So I went back into the house and when I opened the door… I let Dusty out again.

Needless to say, we didn't get much actual shooting done that night. Other problems we had were the fact that we forgot to bring enough extension cords to get the lights in to the actual woods… so instead we had to shoot the whole movie in Mr. and Mrs. Barnes' backyard… where we proceeded to build a campfire and burn an enormous hole in the center of their lawn.

I should also point out that for some reason we loaded our camera with the wrong kind of film and the footage was completely unusable when we got it back from the lab. Luckily, we had also been rolling with Time Warner's Betacam next to our film camera as it was recording the audio for each scene. So we were able to salvage the short by using the Betacam tapes. Sure, every shot was off kilter and framed wrong as the Betacam was never meant to be shooting the actual scenes- but at least we still had a little movie we could show our friends.

In editing we realized that we needed a production company name. With my birthday being March 31st and Will's being April 2nd, we somehow came up with the name "ArieScope" as it combined "something film sounding" and "something we had in common". Yes, that's literally how we came up with the name.



10 years later, ArieScope Pictures is a real Hollywood production company producing theatrically released feature films and our own original content. And though we've grown substantially and gone on to great success… two things have remained the same after all of that time. First of all, we are still laughing even though (with us) whatever can possibly go wrong WILL always go wrong. And second of all, no matter what big projects we are working on, at this time every year we still drop everything and make a new "Halloween short film".

In honor of how we got our start, every single Halloween since 1998 we have gotten our "family" of creative artists together and made a short film in one night (OK, so we've started cheating and spreading them out over two nights because we're getting old, wanna fight about it?), with absolutely no budget, and all in the name of FUN. So last week a group of us got together and we made "The TiVO" which I'm proud to unveil for you all today.

This year's short is by far the most "out-there" one that we've done yet. With inspirations coming from The Thing, The Shining, Single White Female, and a few other classics… this entry into the "ArieScope Hallowen Short Film Catalogue" is as weird as they come. I don't know how many of you have TiVO at home or how many just rough it out with DVR, but hopefully you know enough about TiVO to understand how absolutely amazing it is for your quality of life… but how entirely creepy it can be at the same time. Regardless, I can say that I've never laughed so hard on a set as I did when we were shooting this film's climax. 10 years later… I still love what I do and I can still appreciate how lucky I am to be doing it.

If you are new to all of this, be sure and click over to the official ArieScope Pictures website (www.ariescope.com) and click the link that says "View The Short Films" to see what you've missed over the past decade. Which reminds me, some of you may have noticed that the same two people who started our website for us 10 years ago are still the same two designing and running it for us now. John and Nicole Anguish are "lifers". I guess that most everybody who gets involved with ArieScope winds up in it for life. And that must be why 10 years later, ArieScope Pictures is still alive and growing beyond anything we ever hoped for.

To EVERYONE who is a part of ArieScope, from the other folks who work here alongside me, to the extremely talented pool of cast and crew that work with us regularly, to the friends and fans all over the world that have supported our work over the years… happy birthday, happy anniversary, and most of all… HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

If someone could have told us then- while we were sanding off a girl's face with a power sander and throwing spoiled meat all over another- that we'd eventually make a living… sanding off a girl's face with a power sander and throwing spoiled meat all over another…I never would have believed them.



So without any further adieu, here's the 2008 Halloween short film..."The TiVO".

-Adam

Wanna see something REALLY scary?

I can't believe it's been this long since I've posted a full-on blog, but being this busy is a good thing, right? Where to begin? Where to begin?...

This is gonna be jam packed- so don't make any plans for the next hour, folks.

In a year that almost "never was" for much of Hollywood (the strikes, the economy crashing, studios and distributors drying up) I've thankfully been able to keep busier than ever, so for that I am extremely lucky and grateful. The year started with a huge bang with the ArieScope Pictures production of Paul Solet's GRACE (see previous blogs for all of those stories) which will be out later next year. During that time I wrote a brand spanking new horror script (which you'll hear more about later on in 2009) and as most of you know by now, I wrote an animated AQUAMAN movie for D.C. Comics/Warner Brothers (which you'll hear more about in a few months). As if that wasn't enough, throw in the hours and hours of development on the new films, a series of 5 shorts made exclusively for UK Fright Fest, and a full-on light saber fight with gorgeous half naked chicks...



But the year is hardly over and in many ways I'm just getting started, so I'll save the complete wrap up for a later date. As far as this mysterious "light saber fight" you've heard rumblings about... it's still in post-production as there are a lot of FX that need to be done when you are using light sabers. But the gist of it is that I like to shoot my own short films and projects for fun, even around the bigger more mainstream stuff that pays the bills. Call it a hobby, but I just love working so much that when I'm not working I find more work to do while I wait to work again. Rileah came to me one day and said she and our friend Clare Grant wanted to shoot some sort of light saber battle "just for fun". JUST FOR FUN? Because you know...there's um, ANYTHING more complex than that?! So I did what any loving boyfriend would do and I told her that if she could arrange a threesome between me, her, and Clare that I would consider writing and directing it.

Actually, that's just what I THOUGHT. Instead, I told her that if she and Clare could produce the whole thing, I would be in to do it. To be totally honest, I thought that would be the end of it- but low and behold these two took the bull by the horns and put the whole project together on their own. And as much as a threesome would have been awesome and I'm still holding out hope, there is no greater turn-on than watching the girl you love get ambitious, kick ass, and take names. But more on all of that when I can actually show everyone the project in a few weeks. Point is, I'm damn proud of these girls and I love my girlfriend to death.

But enough of that. Let's get to the funny.

In an effort not to make this the "eternal blog" I'm gonna limit my stories severely and just focus on the "greatest hits" of summer. Let's start with Comic Con.



This was my fourth year in a row at San Diego Comic Con. In previous years I was always there on some sort of panel, signing, promoting something- you name it. But this was my year off. In fact, I've taken great joy in NOT being at the conventions and festivals this year because I literally spent 2 straight years at ALL of them around the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a geek at heart and I truly love getting out there to meet the fans and promote whatever project it is I'm working on... but it's also nice to take a break from public appearances and come back swinging harder the next year. So about 6 months in advance the email went out through my group of friends saying "Who's going to Comic Con?" EVERYONE said they were skipping it this year. The traffic, the lines, the same old crap- who needs it. Cut to July 24th- and everyone I knew was down there. Including me.

And you know? I was right. It was the same old bullshit. Hours in line to sit in the back of a room and watch actors talk about the next season of their TV show, a dealer floor that resembled the worst flea market crap and prices I've ever seen, over priced food, the worst B.O. you can smell on human beings, and lots and lots of dorks like me. But you know what? Despite all all of that- after awhile I found myself able to shed the "work glasses" that I have become accustomed to seeing these conventions through and I was able to blend in and be a fan again. But no sooner had I been able to forget that I am any sort of "celebrity" in that world- that it came to bite me in the ass. Cut to the WRATH OF CON party at the Hard Rock...



This was a party hosted by the various horror websites such as Bloody-Disgusting and Anchor Bay which has become like a home away from home for me in the fact that I have about 400 different projects going with them at any given time. So to say I could let my guard down here and just have fun is an understatement. I knew everyone at this party and all of my friends were there. It was an exclusive list so there were no fans, no journalists scooping for info- just good, clean, social fun. Oh, and did I mention an open bar? Cool, cause this is where it gets interesting.

I approach the open bar and order a drink. A Bud Light, to be precise. As the bartender is cracking open the delicious ice cold watery goodness, I reached into my wallet and found that I did not have any one dollar bills. Now, to any normal human being, they probably would have just said "oh well" or (sad to say it, but) not even thought to tip in the first place since it was "free". All I had were 20's. I looked at the tip jar and it was EMPTY. (Welcome to the cheap asses that are the horror crowd, folks. I love them all- but they are cheap as fuck.) So I couldn't even ask the guy for change- which already would have been weird. "Here's a $20... can I um...have $19 back?" Ugh. So I did the typical generous Adam Green thing to do, and I just tipped the guy $20. Screw it, I can afford it, right? Besides, had I actually had to pay for the drinks- it would have been far more costly, so I felt completely justified. The guy looked at me and with great appreciation gave me a "thanks man, thank you so much". I was feeling good about myself and bad for him as this was clearly his first party serving drinks for horror 'celebrities' who are usually one step away from stealing the salt off the tables and using coupons for a buffet.

So I go and mingle with some friends and before I know it, it's time for another drink. I go up to the same bartender and ask for a Bud-Light. He gives me the nod (knowing I had already tipped him $20) and quickly hands me the beer. I nod back and walk away... only to hear the woman behind me declare: "THE ASSHOLE WHO DIRECTED HATCHET DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING TIP FOR HIS BEER!" I shit you not, WHISPERS went through the line! "You'd think he could afford to tip the bartender." "What a douchebag." "He must have spent all his money on drugs and contracted HIV." OK, maybe not the last accusation- but the point is, you'd think I just spit on the cross at the Christmas Day parade this line of people was so offended. So what did I do? In typical Adam Green/Larry David fashion I turned around and actually began to try and explain myself to these assholes.

"No, you don't understand. I'm actually a very good tipper. In fact, I'm an OVER TIPPER and my friends give me shit about it all the time. I didn't have any singles so I-"

She interrupted. "-So you should ask for change."

"No, no- there was no change in the little jar the last time I came through the line, so I gave him a 20."

She didn't believe me. "Sure you did."

"No, really! I gave him a 20. That's why he gave me the nod. Didn't you see him give me the nod? He gave me the nod."

I looked back to see that the bartender was now gone and had been replaced by someone new for the remainder of the night. There was no winning this. I briefly struggled with the thought of rummaging through the tip jar and finding my 20 at the bottom... but I knew that if 'Bartender 1' had any brains he would have pocketed that shit as soon as I walked away the first time in an effort to not have to share it with his co-workers at the end of the night. Plus, the last thing I needed was photographs of me dipping my hand into the tip jar and the way this night was going- it would have happened.

I was defeated and could do nothing but sulk away from the line of people talking smack about me while I enjoyed my 2nd of two $20 Bud Lights. Seriously, it ain't easy being Green. The lesson learned here? Next time you only have a $20 at the open bar? KEEP IT. And take as much free table salt as you can fit in your pockets before you leave. The horror crowd is on to something...

Before I get too far off subject, I do want to add that I am actually not exaggerating one bit about the cheapness of the horror community. It's a proven fact. We have a whole crew of us who go out together from time to time, and I've actually chosen to stop going all together if it involves eating. Now I just show up for drinks wherever they are going AFTER dinner. Why? Because I'm sick of ordering a cheeseburger and a beer and then having to throw in $100 because a few assholes skipped out on their bill. (Some of which have MILLIONS of dollars to their name and some of which have no business eating anything besides Top Ramen and shouldn't have come out to dinner in the first place.) Case and point, there was a lovely woman in our circle celebrating her birthday at a fairly nice restaurant at the end of August. I said "See ya at the after party around midnight, suckers." Sure enough, the first few people to walk in to the after party were LIVID that the bill had come up almost $1,000.00 SHORT. So let that be a lesson to you. If you ever find yourself dining with people who make a living working in the horror business... ask for a separate check. Call me an asshole, but I tell it like it is.

And that brings us to UK Fright Fest and the A-story of this blog. Fright Fest was a good time...



But the real story starts a year earlier. After 2 years in a row appearing there (HATCHET and SPIRAL both had their UK premieres at Fright Fest) I knew that it would be a bit before I had another horror film ready to contribute to the line-up. So in a selfless act of good will, last year (on stage) I declared that not only would I come back in 2008, but that I would return with a short film made exclusively for the Fright Fest audience. And in the cheers and clapping I also enlisted Joe Lynch and Neil Marshall who had no choice at that point but to say "Alright, woo-hoo!" Cut to Neil 9 months later "Dude, I live in the UK. How the fuck am I supposed to help out on this?" Buuut... we found a way to keep Neil involved as you will soon see.

Well, Lynch and I went to work brainstorming ideas and ultimately we came up with the concept of making Fright Fest promos to randomly play throughout the 5 days of the festival. We thought that would be more special for the festival than just making a short film that could be played and appreciated anywhere. To say making these shorts together was fun would do it no justice. It was literally one of the best times I've had all year and watching them surprise the UK horror fans in the theater each night was more gratifying than watching an actual movie I had made play before them. Though they were literally just meant as a "fun little gift" to Fright Fest- the promos wound up becoming one of the hits of this year's festival. Each time our "Douche Brothers" logo would randomly appear on screen, the audience would roar and Lynch and I would just say "holy shit". No joke, we came to the festival prepared to hear that Episode 1 got a weak reaction and we were going to PULL the remaining 4 Episodes from being shown. So it was with great relief that we got to the Odeon and heard that Episode 1 had brought the house down.


(Me, Joe, and Axelle Carolyn Marshall at Fright Fest)

Just a little more info before I post these here. The way these worked is that they played once a night before what was considered that day's "main event" film. (At Fright Fest EVERY film is a main event, but some sell more tickets than others.) These were never intended to be watched one after the other like you are about to do, so try to imagine a 24 hour break between episodes. Also, I realize I have a lot of readers on here who are NOT actually horror fans and for whom many of these jokes will fly completely over their heads. Again, understand that these were made with ONLY the Fright Fest crowd in mind. We initially weren't even planning on ever putting them on-line, but popular demand made it so. In fact, when we first put Episode 1 up on the ArieScope site, it was watched close to 14,000 times in the first 48 hours.

For those of you who are not horror geeks... I HIGHLY suggest you take the time to watch this classic film clip before you go any further. Any horror fan worth their machete knows this famous movie intro well... but if you have never seen it or don't remember it, re-watching this first will help you appreciate what Joe and I did:



Now sit back, clear the next 30 minutes of your schedule, and enjoy THE ROAD TO FRIGHT FEST by Adam Green and Joe Lynch...

EPISODE 1 "Horror Themes"



EPISODE 2 " Favorite Fright Fest Moments"



EPISODE 3 "Favorite Deaths"



EPISODE 4 "Favorite Directors"



EPISODE 5 "Adam & Joe Are Dead"



If you REALLY want to see what it was like to be at Fright Fest with the greatest audience in the world, you can click over to my website (www.ariescope.com) and watch EPISODE 5 with the LIVE AUDIENCE TRACK behind it. Quite the experience, and thanks Miss Sian for bootlegging it from the back of the theater, you sneaky girl.

Alright. What else do you want to know? Isn't that enough for one blog? Alright- how about some hints of what's to come over the next few weeks?

1. People keep writing to me asking if there is going to be a Halloween short film this year. Well, after 10 years of doing them- I decided that with the year I've already had and having already made the 5 Fright Fest shorts... OF COURSE I'm gonna make you all a Halloween short film this year! In fact... we start shooting in just 24 hours. It'll be done and available in time for Halloween, as always.

2. Have you guys heard about that XBOX project going on where some masters of horror were hired to create short comedy web series' for XBOX LIVE and MSN? James Gunn, James Wan, Marcus Nispel, David Slade, Lucky McKee, Andrew Douglas, John Clisham? Well I was recently invited to play and I can't fucking WAIT for you to see what I have in store for you all. More details very, very, very soon and THANK YOU to my friend James Gunn for extending the warm invitation. It's nothing less than an honor.

3. For those asking about the status of the other projects (God Only Knows and the sequel to that slasher movie I made) everything is GREAT. This year has been a bitch between my schedule and the fact that the industry was in the shitter with strikes for most of it- but I am happy to say that both projects are on track for next year. Sadly, until I know actual schedules and production details I still cannot say if I will be returning to the swamp with Victor Crowley... but I'm doing everything I can to make it possible. Regardless, in 2009 he's going to kick your asses again- and you can count on it.

Halloween is in the air! Can you feel it? More blogs and way more news to come. I promise I won't be a stranger for more than a few days before I'm back with more news.

Peace, love, and gore.

Adam

She should have gotten naked, but...

Hey everybody,

I know, I know... I am long overdue for an update and a blog about what's been going on. It's coming, I swear. I'm just under some pretty heavy deadlines right now and working my ass off.

By now, hopefully most of you have heard that the short films that Joe Lynch and I made for London FrightFest are becoming available on line. Episode 1 is now up and the rest will follow EVERY Monday through early October. You can watch them at www.ariescope.com - but more on that in my NEXT blog.

For now, real quickly- I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be doing an in-store signing for a new book called THE BOOK OF LISTS: HORROR which features a collection of "Top 10 Lists" from folks like me, Stephen King, James Gunn, Ray Bradbury, Joe Lynch, Eli Roth, and more.

Just a heads up, my list is "The Top 10 Horror Movie Actresses That Should Have Gotten Naked, But Didn't..." Want to know who's on it? Well, order the book now on Amazon.com and find out! It's great bathroom reading, really.



You can meet me THIS coming Saturday, September 20th at Dark Delicacies Bookstore in Burbank, California at 2:00pm. I will be there signing with a whole group of authors from the book, including James Gunn, Victor Salva, and many more.

Of course, feel free to bring any of your HATCHET, SPIRAL, or other "Adam Green" stuff, too.

DARK DELICACIES BOOKSTORE
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505
1-888-DARKDEL

Major blog coming wicked soon.

-Green

LONDON CALLING (again)

I will officially be appearing at this summer's FRIGHT FEST in the U.K.

For those unfamiliar with FRIGHT FEST, it is pure and simply the world's greatest all-horror film festival which runs from August 21st - 25th in London's Leicester Square at the West End Odeon. I've gone on record numerous times stating that FRIGHT FEST is my personal favorite of all of the genre film festivals out there and I am keeping good on my promise to the UK fans that I would return this year.



For tickets and info on FRIGHT FEST, click here: FRIGHT FEST WEBSITE

Most importantly to note is that this will most likely be my only personal appearance in 2008.

Now before I start getting a barrage of letters calling "bullshit" on the fact that I am an American filmmaker and yet I am only doing one appearance all year and it is in the U.K.... let me just say, I hear you. But I literally toured for almost 2 years straight in 2006 and 2007 supporting both HATCHET and SPIRAL. I appeared at every convention and festival that I could physically get to and my BLOOD AND BELTSANDERS tour took me to many different countries in the process. I had a blast doing it and I look forward to doing it again the next time I have a horror project about to be released. Many of you have written asking me to come to your local convention and many of the conventions have invited me to appear- and I SO GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT! However, I just can't possibly hit them all, especially during a year when I have so many new things cooking. I know how pissed I get when a band that I like doesn't tour for awhile and then they announce one show all year and it's in fucking Bulgaria - so I understand how some horror fans can get irritated. But please don't be mad. In fact, be HAPPY that I couldn't hit the conventions and festivals this year as that means I'll have new stuff for you sooner rather than later.

To the U.K. fans attending FRIGHT FEST, I will be there for the run of the festival and I will be around and available all weekend as I plan on watching every single movie that I can with you sick bastards. If you've got DVDs, posters, or anything else you want signed- bring them and feel free to walk right up and ask. Also be warned that even though I am not returning to FRIGHT FEST with a new finished film to screen for you... I am certainly not returning empty handed. There will be surprises galore- in fact Joe (WRONG TURN 2) Lynch and I have cooked up some fun stuff exclusively for YOU.

A few of you have also written asking if I will be unveiling anything from Paul Solet's GRACE which I produced this Spring. Hmmm... will I?

See you soon, London!

Oh...and one more thing! Do you guys remember the Dr. Zaius blog I posted a few weeks back? Well 20th Century Fox just announced a new PLANET OF THE APES: 40 YEAR EVOLUTION BLU-RAY COLLECTION which will be available in November.

If you look closely, you may recognize someone you know in the packaging...



Peace, love, and gore-
Adam

P.S. Austin's Fantastic Fest will be showing my short film THE TIFFANY PROBLEM on the big screen during their festival this September. If my schedule allows- I may add just one more appearance to the year. We'll see.

BECOMING DR. ZAIUS

About 2 weeks ago I got a call from my friend Robert Pendergraft (one of the FX artists from HATCHET and the guy who was responsible for Mrs. Permatteo's glorious face-ripping death). He wanted me to come down to Make Up & Monsters and try on an old costume. As it turns out, Brian Penikas (the FX genius behind too many of your favorite movies to list and the owner of Make Up & Monsters) was involved with a super secret project that involved a photo-shoot recreating the characters from 1968's PLANET OF THE APES- in full detail and in the original costumes and molds worn by the cast.

Yeah, I know- RIGHT?

So the next thing I know I am trying on the original DR. ZAIUS costume worn by Maurice Evans 40 years ago... and it fit! Kinda surreal. Actually, to fully let my geek banner fly- it was fucking AMAZING!

Yesterday was the photo-shoot for FOX. Including short breaks for snacks (and for me to roll an obscene amount of business calls concerning other projects)- I was in the make-up chair for close to 5 hours before I was actually posing on the set...

















(Gotta love the Chucks, right? What? Dr. Zaius didn't wear Converse?)

A huge thanks to FOX and to Brian, Rob, and Sonny from Make Up & Monsters for taking such good care of me and doing such an incredible job. And a HUGE extra bit of thanks to Rob for thinking of me for this and letting me come and play.

It's funny, but in the midst of what has been an extremely hectic week dealing with the trials and tribulations of this business and the bullshit that fuels this industry (note: see the photo above where I am having a troubling conversation with my agent and a producer while halfway through an Ape make-up appliance)... this project was a huge reminder of how lucky I actually am to be where I am. This was a surreal opportunity and not a second went by where I wasn't grateful for the experience and the chance to be a miniscule part of the PLANET OF THE APES world.

Forgetting the semantics and the business side of working in Hollywood... I love movies. And I have more respect for film and the people who came before me than some religious people may even have in their own Gods. The fact that I got to be made up in the actual costume worn by Maurice Evans in one of the most iconic roles and important films of the past century is nothing less than mind blowing for me.

Which is why it was so important to me that before the costume came off, I got to take this picture with Mr. Evan's make-up test photo shot in 1967...



Maurice Evans died in 1989. But yesterday, for a few hours at least, I got to bring Dr. Zaius back to life.

Hooray for Hollywood.

-Adam

Good Questions

Interview: Adam Green - the creator of Victor Crowley.
Posted in June 7th, 2008 by The Bludgeoner in Interviews

Ask me what I think of Adam Green I'll reply with two words - "fucking legend".

Adam Green is the creator & director of the insane horror film Hatchet and co-director of the very disturbing Spiral with one of Hatchet's stars David Joel Moore.

Adam Green was nice enough to take the time out of what seems like a very busy schedule to answer some questions in great detail and is even nice enough to repost this interview in his blog with a link to www.HorrorMovieFans.com!

Enough intro - check out this interview with the creator of Victor Crowley himself, Adam Green-

1. Victor Crowley, a legend from the beginning. What do you see for the future of this amazing character?

I purposely left a lot of information about Victor Crowley out of HATCHET as I always intended for there to be sequels and I wanted those sequels to actually propel his story. For instance… why is he deformed? Is he a ghost or did he never really die? Where was his mother growing up? What was up with that look he shared with Marybeth in the middle of him killing Shawn with the shovel? Do they know each other? There's a lot more to him that will be revealed, and I'm excited because it was all planned out from the very first draft.

When there is a HATCHET 2 or 3- they will be films that actually count. They won't just be "Victor Crowley kills new tourists". The first one was a tremendous success for Anchor Bay and we have been going back and forth for months trying to figure out how to best go about doing the sequel. Unfortunately, my schedule is now so jam-packed that in order to get HATCHET 2 completed and out there for the fans quickly enough- there's a chance I may have to pass the torch to someone else. Ideally I'd love to stick with the HATCHET series as it's mine and I love it dearly, but not if it means that I'd have to half-ass a film because I couldn't fully dedicate my life to it or do it the right way. HATCHET fans are extremely passionate and so many of them are personally attached to not only the characters, but the people behind the scenes who made it happen (thanks to that amazing UNRATED DVD package with all of those documentaries). I want those fans delivered to. I want everyone who loved and supported HATCHET to get what they deserve when the sequel happens. Not something that's thrown together with no soul because the title "HATCHET 2" alone will make some distribution companies richer. So if it's not me at the helm, you can bet it will be someone whom I personally think can deliver the goods.

In terms of tone, I went very heavy on the comedy the first time around as it was my way to set the film apart from generic slasher films and to try and inject some life into characters that are typically just a 'body count' in this genre. But as you could tell from the bleak and 'what the fuck?' ending of the first one… things are going to get a lot darker. If I write and direct the next one, you can bet my sense of humor will still be there in places- I mean, come on… we're dealing with a deformed madman who uses things like a gas powered belt-sander to kill people! But it's heading into a dark and twisted place, no doubt.

2. Which horror movie first got you into the genre?

I think the first one that my older brother ever showed me was FRIDAY THE 13th PART 2. But oddly enough, it was the films I sought out immediately after that one that really developed my love for the genre. For instance, John Carpenter's THE THING was a marvel of movie making that had me dissecting the actual production ("how did they do that?") and it really started whetting my appetite for potentially making a horror movie some day when I grew up.

It's the same for a lot of people my age. You start with the slasher films. But then the addiction kicks in of wanting to find a movie that will actually SCARE you and you search far and wide in the video store. It's like drugs- always trying to beat that first high. You search long and hard, you uncover a ton of turds, and then all of a sudden you find THE SHINING and you rejoice in the afterglow of shitting in your pants and you say "YES! That's what I was talking about!" Or you find THE EXORCIST and you are never the same. For me personally though, my holy grail or horror is still Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. One of the few flawless films ever made and it STILL stands the test of time. I know every word, I watch it several times a year, and it gets better every time.

3. What is your favorite horror movie kill?

Oh man, that's tough. John Buechler's "sleeping bag" kill in FRIDAY THE 13th PART 7 was always the reigning champ until they tried to re-hash it in JASON X and ruined it's cool factor for me. Check Russell's "human puppet controlled by veins" in NIGHTMARE 3 is an all-time classic, too. Most recently I really dug Joe Lynch's "body split in half" at the opening of WRONG TURN 2 and Ryan Schifrin's "face-bite off" in ABOMINABLE. Those are all deaths that make me want to cheer and they didn't rely on bad CGI to pull them off.

But is it bad if I also say "Mrs. Permatteo in HATCHET"? I mean, I could try and be cool and keep throwing out other movie kills- but I'm sorry. That whole one-shot head torn in half with no CGI is one of the coolest things I've ever seen done- even if it is in my own movie. It's one of the very first things I thought up for HATCHET back when I was just a little kid and to see it realized on the screen is just a boner-inducing experience every time. I could rip HATCHET to shreds around that scene- but for those 10 seconds at least, I am always at ease when watching the movie.

4. What is your favorite band?

That's even tougher. At this point, after 30 years of listening to music and going to concerts, I have narrowed it down to 5. TWISTED SISTER, METALLICA, AEROSMITH, MARILYN MANSON, and GUNS N' ROSES. But I will tell you this- I have never missed a MINISTRY show when they were anywhere nearby. It is a godly experience. Thankfully, last month's show here in Hollywood is supposed to be part of their "farewell tour". I sincerely hope that they don't ever come back because I don't know how much longer I can sustain the abuse. Every year I go and I say that I will hang towards the back and just watch…and every year I come home bloodied and bruised up for days.

5. At a concert - mosher or stadium seats?

I never really know. I actually prefer to be seated slightly far away from the stage so that it SOUNDS right. For instance, I've seen AEROSMITH in the front row a few times now, and as cool as it is to have Steven Tyler spitting all over you- you can hear Joey Kramer actually hitting his drums- and then the sound of his drums through the amps a split second later…and it's tough to follow.

I also like to be able to move from side to side of the stage. For instance if I am at a TWISTED SISTER show- there are songs I want to be on front of Mark Mendoza for (like when he beats the shit out of his bass on "Shoot 'Em Down") and songs that I want to be in front of J.J. and Eddie for (like "The Price").

I've seen MARILYN MANSON in the front row enough times to never have to do it again. It's just too much "bare dude ass" in the face for me. Now I try and hang towards the middle, especially when they launch into "Great Big White World" which is still one of the greatest live songs of all time. I've seen MANSON over 20 times now and that song still gets me right in the heart.

When it comes to moshing, I always say I am not going to do it. But much like MINISTRY shows- I don't keep my word. I went to GWAR last year and came home covered in purple shit and wearing only my jeans and one boot. I have no idea where the rest of my clothes went. All I know is that my girlfriend made me change outside before I could come in the house. Depending on the band, I can come home pretty beat up sometimes.

It's also gotten weird now that people tend to recognize me. At an AEROSMITH show, the chances of being seated next to a fan are slim to none. But at a GWAR show in Hollywood? It's not as easy to blend in and it can get annoying fast once the sweaty dude next to you is like "Holy shit! Are you the HATCHET dude?" I just say my name is Bob Balls and I have no idea what he is talking about.

Sometimes it works.

6. Favorite place or way to party?

I feel like I am away from home so much that when I do get time off I prefer to stay on the couch or just go to the movies 4 or 5 times a week. I invested in the most bad-ass home theater stuff they make and I put it to damn good use. To me, when I can shut off the phone and just watch movies alone with my girlfriend- I'm enormously content. Though I hate to admit it, I've even become quite the XBOX gamer and I've been known to spend up to 8 hours at a time on Halo with my friends. There's this whole circle of writers, actors, and directors who are on-line almost nightly- and no, I'm not giving out any gamer tags!

I know for some people it's a let down to hear, but I'm actually not much of a partier in terms of going out or drug intake. For my 30th birthday, I was given so many bottles of booze it was ridiculous. And 3 years later- almost every single one is still in my bar, un-opened. In fact, aside from the basics like having some drinks or the occasional smoke- I've never even tried any serious drugs. And I've had fans actually get HURT when they hear that. They're like "Say it isn't so! You're the guy who made HATCHET and you don't even do [insert drug here]?!" I've got 2 things to say to that. First of all, why do you care what I put in my body or not? And second of all, I never admired artists/musicians/directors/writers who tried to sell their drug use off as a defining thing that makes them "cool" or something that makes their work better. I've got a lot of young fans and if I can be appositive example- that's great. I don't knock it, I just chose not to do it. (And if I DID, I probably wouldn't celebrate it publicly or brag about it.) That being said- I've seen HATCHET with audiences that were completely stoned or drunk…and man is it fun. Our last night at Tribeca- there was a cloud of pot smoke over the line of kids waiting to get in. It was at that point where we all sorta knew the movie was working.

What's funniest about this subject is that we have this whole "Fright Club" of horror directors/actors/writers who hang out on a fairly regular basis. People are always like "Holy shit- I'd love to be invited to one of those parties- it must be crazy!" It's so not. We all meet up, go support whatever horror movie is out that weekend (even if we know it isn't good or if we have already seen it), and then…I don't know…play ROCK BAND? Don't get me wrong- it's not like we're completely straight-edge or anti-everything…it's just not a big part of our scene. (Or if it is…I'm too oblivious to know it.)

Though the parties and drugs may not be as glamorous as people like to assume, I will say that we horror filmmakers have some damn fine girlfriends/wives. How these beautiful girls wound up with such a motley crew of dudes is beyond me. And in every case, it was well before we ever had any success. I guess hot chicks just dig geeks.

When I'm touring and doing conventions or festivals- I'll make the best effort I can to go out, do it up, and hang-out all night. In fact, one time I remember being at a bar in Dallas and realizing I was sitting with 6 of the dudes who played "Jason". I wanted to tell the waitress but I assumed she wouldn't believe me. On the flight back from that convention I was sitting amongst all of the Jason's, some Hills have Eyes mutants, Elm Street victims, Victor Crowley, 2 Leatherfaces, Candyman, Freddy…it was surreal.

But at those weekend conventions- as soon as I feel uncomfortable or like I am getting cornered and interviewed by a fan- or even worse, solicited with their pitches or ideas- I flee. So remember that. If I wind up hanging with you and your buds at 4am at a horror convention drinking beers and telling stories- don't ruin it for everyone else by trying to hand me your screenplay or asking me personal questions about my girl.

Lastly, how's this for lame- I've probably hung out with James Gunn 4 or 5 of the weekends for the past 2 months. You're probably like "holy shit- that must be crazy! Green and Gunn!" But what do we do? Eat cheese, maybe drink some wine, and tell funny stories to whoever else is around that given night and isn't tired of listening to us yet.

When Dee Snider and I went 'out on the town' in San Diego at Comic-Con- we went out for ice cream. Have I ruined the dream enough for you all yet? This is fame, folks.

7. James Gunn - what a genius - what did you think of Slither?

SLITHER is one of my favorite movies of the 2000's and is America's biggest cinematic shame in the fact that so many horror fans didn't show up for it. Yeah, you guys will go see fucking PROM NIGHT or WHEN A STRANGER CALLS in droves- but something as massively entertaining as SLITHER or GRINDHOUSE and you "fans" are too busy standing in-line for the next remake to come out and support it.

When I do appearances I like to call "fans" out on their bullshit. I'll ask "who in this auditorium saw THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2?" and all of these hands will shoot up. Then I'll say "Who here supported BEHIND THE MASK when it was in theaters?" Not a hand will remain in the air- and it will be in a city where the movie was most certainly available and playing. They'll try and give me bullshit excuses like "There were no TV commercials" or "I didn't know"…you know what? For the majority of America- yes, you are right. Anchor Bay does not advertise their films like the major studios do- so yes, the average movie-goer does have an excuse. But if you paid over $100 for a ticket to a goddamn horror convention and you are sitting there in your "FULCI LIVES" T-shirt- you have no excuse that you "didn't know BEHIND THE MASK was out". You're either a poseur or a sell-out. Don't complain about the state of horror on your precious message boards if you're one of the ones contributing to what the studios are doing.

Guess what folks- they don't keep hitting you with PG13 remakes because they LIKE them. They keep making them instead of original R-rated horror because YOU keep supporting them. All they want is your money. The fans control what gets made. Remember that the next time you line-up for a cheesy remake that you know will suck. You're pulling the switch on the gas chamber of our genre.

8. I have to ask - what do you think of Platinum Dunes and their films?

Platinum Dunes are a good bunch of guys and I actually think they have made some really good films. Here's why I can say that- they don't pretend to be anything they are not. They openly admit that they are making their fortune on the remake craze and they are cashing in while they can- and I can respect that because they really do try and put a lot into their films. The TEXAS CHAINSAW REMAKE? I loved it. FRIDAY THE 13TH? I'm looking forward to it! I am not anti-remake at all. Where I draw the line is when the rest of us can't get a fucking original movie green-lit simply because it doesn't have a "pre-packaged title that fans will definitely pay to see" according to the studio's research.

The rejection I got from a major studio for the script for HATCHET that said "we love this, but unfortunately it will never get made because it's not a remake, it's not a sequel, and it's not based on a Japanese one" sums it all up. In fact- I put it on the festival poster for HATCHET because I thought it was a great statement about the state of our genre and I thought that it was a great way for the movie to wink at itself and let the audience know in advance that it had a sense of humor.

But Platinum Dunes is trying and they do actually care about the movies they are putting out. Yes, so far it's all remakes- but at least they try and make them worth it which gives me faith that when they dive deeper into originals- they'll hit a few home runs. The bottom line is- because of all of the financial support the fans have given the remakes…they will continue to be made. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET? Sorry folks, it's getting made whether we like it or not. And if Platinum Dunes came to me tomorrow and asked me to do it- I would. I'd rather gamble on myself trying to do it justice than anyone else out there- and I know at Platinum Dunes it wouldn't be a heartless joke. They're gonna try to do the best they can. And don't lie- even if DREAD CENTRAL and AIN'T IT COOL and BLOODY-DISGUSTING all condemn it…even if you spend 20 hours a day on your message boards saying it's gonna suck…you're all gonna go see it.

9. What cartoons did you watch growing up?

I spent 90% of my time playing with my Star Wars toys when I was a kid. TV didn't do much for me. But I still love Tom & Jerry to this day. How awesome is it when Tom does that specific yell? You know, like when he burns himself or drops something heavy on his foot? But goddamn do I HATE it when they are friends! Whatever TV exec came up with that idea needs to be shot. It's like you're enjoying yourself some violent cat and mouse action, and then all of a sudden they're FRIENDS for an episode? Fuck off.

One of my favorites that few remember were the Mighty Heroes. It was a short cartoon that showed up during Mighty Mouse every so often. I had a punk band in the mid 90's called THE MIGHTY HEROES PART 2. We had songs like "Hairless Rats", "Stabbing At My Bleeding", and "Now I'm Naked."

10. Who is your favorite director (horror or non/horror)?

Steven Spielberg- hands down, across the board, no question. It may be cliché since he's pretty much everyone's favorite director in my age group, but the man is responsible for so much of who I am and the film's that shaped my life. Not only is he the man who made E.T. (my favorite movie of all time and the reason I make movies today) but he's also always presented himself as an honorable and tremendously good "soul". That's who and what I want to be.

Others who have hugely influenced me are Alfred Hitchcock (probably the most talented filmmaker of all time) and John Landis because he was able to cross genres and cross them WELL. If I could have the career that Landis has had and get to jump from comedy to horror to drama…I'd be one happy filmmaker.

Ideally I just want to make what I feel like making and never be put in a box where I can only be allowed to do one thing. That's why you've seen me be very careful with my projects. I followed up HATCHET immediately with SPIRAL- a night and day difference. My next film is a ROMANTIC COMEDY. Sorry folks- I gotta do what I want. There's plenty of more horror coming eventually though.

11. What is generally the most difficult part of a film shoot?

Getting to the point of shooting. Every movie has it's pitfalls on set, but if you can actually get to the point that you are standing there shooting your film and the coffee on set is hot…? You are one in a million. Even if you have a great script, a good track record of films behind you, and a name actor attached- you still have to jump through flaming hoops to get to the point of shooting.

The development process can feel as if you are walking through landmines. Here you have your vision and your goal- and then everyone just gets in your way and tries to put their own imprint on it or stop it from moving forward. It's like football. You have the ball and you run it into the end zone. Maybe you'll make it and score a touchdown, but chances are you'll take some major hits and get some unappealing bruises along the way in. Very few running backs get a flawless run from one end of the field to the other.

The major flaw in the system is that the "suits" who make the financial decisions are not filmmakers. They are people who went to business school and who got into their positions by answering enough phones for enough people to eventually get promoted to "development executive". I've met plenty who don't even LIKE movies anymore. And these are the people making the crucial calls in Hollywood!

If you can navigate all of that and still keep your vision somewhat in tact- you're in a great place. When it comes to the shoot- you just do the best you can with what you have. If you only have a few days to shoot and a little bit of money- embrace it and do what you can. To stand there and whine that you don't have enough time and money is just lame. You're getting the chance to make a movie, dude! Do what you can and try and enjoy the process!

The biggest hurdles and problems are all in getting the movie up and running. But no one talks about those issues. When you watch the special features on a DVD, they show you how they shot stuff…not the years and years of struggling to get it made. The meetings where nothing gets accomplished, the conference calls where 10 people talk over each other but say nothing, the deals where you get completely ripped off, the times that you were lied to and the movie never even got shot, different links in the chain that all lie to you about how much money they have actually made or spent, and the endless waiting for things to move. That's where the true frustration lies.

Or what about when the producers want you to direct a movie for them- but the studio executive says "no" because this movie is a comedy and your last movie was a horror movie. OK- so you're telling me I can pull off 7 hour shoot days, with no money, make-up FX, fire stunts, under water shots, boats, kids, animals, at night in a parking lot I turned into a swamp…see it through to win awards, get rave reviews, get a theatrical release…have it make a shit load on DVD…but that I couldn't possibly manage to direct a 10 million dollar movie where cute people say cute things in front of the camera? Oh no, that makes total sense.

Development is wicked hard.

12. Where is Adam Green heading for the future? Any new projects up your sleeve?

I just produced a horror film called GRACE that newcomer Paul Solet wrote and directed (in theaters in 2009), I am currently writing the animated AQUAMAN movie for D.C. Comics/Warner Brothers, and I am in pre-production on my romantic comedy GOD ONLY KNOWS which Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures is producing with my company ArieScope Pictures.

As if that's not enough to kill me- I just finished a new horror screenplay that I can't talk about yet, I'm attaching myself to a really fucked up horror movie that I can't discuss yet, I am negotiating HATCHET 2 which I can't discuss yet, I'm working on a top secret horror project with some other horror heavy hitters, and I'm also doing some short films on the side for fun. One of which includes a full-on light saber fight between my girlfriend Rileah Vanderbilt ("Young Victor Crowley" in HATCHET) and Clare Grant ("Valerie" from VALERIE ON THE STAIRS). Hot.

So basically I'm heading to either the hospital or the asylum with a nervous breakdown. But this is how I like it. What was the name of the Ozzy album? NO REST FOR THE WICKED? Or was it NO MORE TEARS.

I'll take both.

A very big thanks to Adam Green for taking the time out to do this interview for HMF.com - it's most appreciated. You can check out Adam Green's most entertaining and informative blogs @ http://www.myspace.com/ariescope.