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You are viewing the most recent 20 entries July 1st, 200911:24 pm: I met Linnea Quigley.
The honest truth is that I haven’t been able to think about much else since meeting Linnea Quigley at a film festival last weekend in New York City. And though she may not be a name in your household, a true horror movie fan’s heart should have skipped a beat reading that last sentence. From the late ‘70s on through the present day, she has starred in over 100 movies, two of which (“Return Of The Living Dead” and “Night Of The Demons”) are in my personal top ten list of all time. I had a poster of her in my school locker when I was in seventh grade. Back then, other guys were into Cindy Crawford or Janet Jackson, but my heart belonged to Linnea Quigley, a 5’ 2” blond who was quite handy with a chain saw. You’ve heard the term “Scream Queen”? Well it belongs to her. Long story short, a filmmaker I’m friends with hired Linnea (who currently resides in Florida) to emcee a festival at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC, and invited me to come up for the show. When I arrived at the theater, fans had already started gathering outside. The first words I heard as I passed by them were, “living legend”, and the cool head I’d managed to gather sitting in traffic for an hour beforehand began to thaw. I knew I didn’t want to be standing among them when Linnea arrived at the theater, lame as that sounds. The personal introduction I wanted was worth waiting for no matter what, even if it didn’t end up happening (again, lame, I know). But it wasn’t long before I was being lead over the velvet rope and into the screening room to meet the Queen. I kept switching the Ziploc bag full of items I wanted Linnea to autograph (just incase it rained, which it DID, so there!) from hand to hand so that neither would be all weird and sweaty when I went to shake hers. I stood patiently for a couple minutes as Linnea stood onstage checking the mic, going over the list of films she would be introducing, and being about 20 feet away from me. Next thing I knew, she walked over and we were introduced. I was about as collected as one would ever hope to be, and didn’t let it show that my inner pre-teen horror movie nerd was jumping up and down like some maniac. I politely asked if she had enough time to sign my copy of Jewel Shepard’s “Invasion Of The B-Girls”, a book of collected interviews with Linnea’s peers and those who came before her (a 007 “Bond Girl” or two, various ‘50s monster movie starlets and more) that I purchased at Atlanta’s long-gone Oxford Books at age fourteen. ( photos and more... )
June 18th, 200907:05 pm: This is why I sell our movies for $5 at conventions.
Monica discovered a blog entry written by a young woman who bought one of every film we had for sale at last April's Cinema Wasteland show. Check this out: http://spectresonagravenhill.blogspot.com/2009/06/go-gonzoriffic.htmlFar as I'm concerned, she gets free movies from us for life. I will gladly take this sort of recognition over the shallow, meaningless, fleeting "success" that comes from signing a distribution deal. A barcode and a sticker on another piece of plastic for the value bin? No thanks. The coolest girls on the planet dig Gonzoriffic, and that is a fact I wear proudly as the badge of honor it is. The blog made me realize I never made a trailer for I'm In The Basement, so this morning I threw a little something together. It never dawned on me just how much modern Hollywood trailers rely on the same exact set of loud sound effect cues! Anyone can do it... [BEWARE! TRAILER CONTAINS NAUGHTY LANGUAGE]Tags: diy cinema, feminism, gonzoriffic, horror film, pineapple soda, trailers, underground film
June 5th, 200908:43 pm: I'm going to meet Linnea Quigley.
I'm currently in the middle of writing our latest movie. How I know I'm completely in my mode is when I go to bed thinking about the story, dream about the story, and wake up thinking more shit about the story. I could probably go downtown and get stabbed by a guy wearing a Mister Peanut costume and still think about the story. But I'm superstitious about talking too much about projects before I've actually shot anything (you'd think after 6 years and over 20 movies I'd be over it, but I'm not), so that's all I can say on that for now. The biggest news is Monica and I are flying out to go see this in just a couple of weeks:  Like Gonzoriffic, Chainsaw Kiss is a DIY filmmaking gang of friends that produce and self-distribute all their own movies, and they're putting on a show (like we did a few times last year) featuring a selection of their stuff. Of course, we didn't have bands playing and didn't have a legendary horror star hosting ours, but then again, we're in Georgia. Home of Waffle House and 1-85. Linnea is one of my heroes, I've been a huge fan of hers since I first picked up a Fangoria way back in like 6th grade. I have often said it is my destiny to meet her, and now thanks to our friend Ruby it's going to happen. Will I faint, or will I be cool? Watch this space! Tags: chainsaw kiss, diy, filmmaking, linnea quigley, ruby larocca, underground film
March 31st, 200910:30 pm: Cinema Wasteland, Faces Of Schlock + T-Shirts
This weekend, Gonzoriffic is off to Cleveland, Ohio for CINEMA WASTELAND! We'll be at the Faces Of Schlock table, along with the other filmmakers involved in the feature-length anthology DVD release, selling our stuff and catching up with our Ohio friends. If you're anywhere near the Cleveland area, consider making the trip. We don't find ourselves out that way too often, and it's always a lot of goddamn fun. Here's the trailer for the DVD, featuring scenes from the film we made ("Blood Witch") as well as another one I wrote ("Slay Ride", starring Ruby LaRocca): Looking to display your love for Gonzoriffic across your boobies? Head over to our Cafepress store and check out the new t-shirts featuring artwork by our friend Rachael Deacon. Making shirts is expensive, so this is the best way to get one at the moment (we don't make any money off these). People are always asking where they can get a Gonzoriffic shirt - there you go. That's all for now, muddafuckas.Tags: diy cinema
February 14th, 200912:00 am: quote
"If I have to give out one piece of advice on success it would be, ‘Finish what you start.’" - James Gunn
February 10th, 200910:42 pm: Andrew + Monica answer the call of the Queen B
Apparently, the 2006 documentary Debbie Rochon Confidential: My Years in Tromaville Exposed! is finally getting released on DVD this year. Yesterday, Monica and I were asked by the queen herself to contribute to the disc! This is a very exciting and meaningful opportunity for us, as Debbie's talent and work ethic have remained our single greatest inspiration since the very beginning. We are shooting something next week (the deadline is fast approaching), and have already hatched some very entertaining ideas. Debbie Rochon is not only my favorite actor of all time, but is such an incredible human being I have to pinch myself when I speak to her to make sure I'm not imagining it. We love you, Debbie. Sincerely. Soon as Troma announces a release date, I'll let everyone know. Stay tuned!
February 4th, 200909:49 pm: GONZORIFFIC at CINEMA WASTELAND!
it's official: gonzoriffic will be returning to cinema wasteland for the upcoming show (april 3-5, 2009) in cleveland, ohio. hotel is booked, plane tickets are paid for, and we're sharing a table with our FACES OF SCHLOCK partners to promote the new DVD. http://cinemawasteland.com/show.htmlmore details will emerge as the date draws closer, but for now we are just excited to finally be going back. this will be our third-ever convention appearance, following our previous wasteland show in 2006 and twisted nightmare weekend in 2004. can't wait ;-)
January 28th, 200906:32 pm: quote
"I have always drawn my own comics, made my own zines, shot my own movies on Super-8 and video. I now know this is called DIY but we used to call it being a nerd." - John Oak Dalton
11:38 am: DIY freddy costume
my dad found this photo of me, not exactly sure when it was taken but i estimate it was around 1986. i loved freddy krueger, and dressed as him every halloween for years, but it took me awhile to be able to afford the complete costume.  i bought the mask and hat first, and improvised the rest (the following year i got the glove, then the sweater a year after that). for those who want to make your own, just use thick ski gloves and attach drinking straws (painted silver, trimmed sharp at the ends) using masking tape.
January 27th, 200910:23 pm: my 10 favorite albums of 2008
it's rare these days i can even come up with enough items to do a list like this, as i'm picky about music and tend to listen to mostly old stuff. pretty much i just stick to my favorite bands and buy their records, not often picking up on new bands. 2008 had enough good records that i was able to piece this blog together, so here we go. one of these is stand-up comedy, but i still count it because a good portion of my music collection consists of comedy albums. (NOTE: i can't write about music like i can about movies. it's difficult for me to articulate why i love what i love when it comes to music. so instead, i posted the ALBUM ART, because some of you may not realize what "album art" is anymore.) ( my top 10 albums of 2008, in alphabetical order: )
January 17th, 200901:06 am: DIY photo FX: i ruin everything.
 took a beautiful color photograph of my friend one day at her house. nice color, sharp, 12 point whatever megapixels. but i wanted this to look like a xerox someone fished out of the trash, so i did a bunch of stuff to it (including applying my homemade crumpled-up paper effect). Tags: diy, gonzoriffic, photography, xerox effect
January 9th, 200903:51 am: boy meets girl. boy and girl destroy the universe. the end.
today is a special day. it's the tenth anniversary of the night i met the woman whom most of my readers here know as monica puller. if you'd like the story, come on back to january 9th, 1999 with me. it was a cold and rainy saturday morning. up early and full of nervous energy, i went out to run a few errands that included picking up some cheap fast food breakfast for my fiancee and getting air in the tires of my toyota corolla, still new enough to have that new car smell. i was anxious because i was due in atlanta that night to play a headlining gig fronting the punk band i sang lead for back in high school, which was performing a one-off, five-year reunion show. all kinds of things were going through my head: we needed to squeeze in one rehearsal that afternoon before the gig, i had to provide transport for our bassist and his girlfriend, and i had to not get into an accident. then, a funny thing happened. a pickup truck pulled out in front of me, and smashed the right corner of my wonderful-smelling toyota corolla. my first car that wasn't a piece of shit, i hadn't had it six months and this happens. and of all the days to get in a wreck! fortunately, nobody was hurt, but everything was thrown off at that point. i had to scramble to re-arrange all transportation, the rehearsal, meanwhile dealing with the cops and insurance companies and all the other fun stuff. part of me wished i'd just been carted off in ambulance, but i digress. now, i wasn't as worried about playing a good show, i just wanted to make it there and back in one goddamn piece. so needless to say, i was pre-occupied as hell for the rest of the day. i only settled down when i finally set foot inside the club, and the rest of the band arrived safe and sound. as expected when a band that was popular in high school does a reunion show five years out, tons of people came out of obscurity to see us. i shook hands with people i hadn't seen in forever, people acted like my friend that were never my friend, and i tried my best to be as sociable and polite as possible. my job and my relationship were pretty much the only things i had going for me at the time, so the fun and nostalgia of the show were cut by some very insecure and humble feelings. though i'd been living on my own for a few years, i lived a good distance from where i'd grown up, and it was apparent to me i hadn't made any new friends. creatively speaking, i was nowhere. none of the projects i'd undertaken since that band had lasted or been as well-received, and it was a bit depressing. i was worried that the show wouldn't be as good as the last one we'd performed together during our heyday, and that my most successful times as an artist were behind me. i'd turned 22 just a few days before. i played my guts out that night, and basked in what i knew might well be the last moments of rock n' roll glory for me. we closed the set with a cover of "sweet transvestite", and i was done. one of the faces that came out of the past that night was kristi, whom i'd been best friends with at one point in my teenage life, but hadn't seen in probably a year or more at that point. always a steadfast supporter of everything i did, she was there wearing an old shirt i'd given her, completely decked out, and brought a friend along. we were introduced, but i remember next to nothing about this friend other than she had on a white t-shirt and she smoked. kristi wasn't exactly known for getting along with other females well, and during our friendship i had grown accustomed to girls appearing and then disappearing from her life, so meeting a new one that night wasn't something that i counted on making a lasting impression. little did i know, kristi's friend would end up being the key to my future as an artist. about a month later, my car remained in the body shop and it was kristi's birthday. she drove all the way out to pick me up, and we met with her friend later to hang out and go for coffee. it was there, at a little cafe on a rainy february night, that i heard the voice that would later join forces with me to shake the universe. the three of us took turns reading from our paper journals. when monica read from hers, what came out was some of the most unique, real, and unpretentious writing i'd ever heard. to say i was impressed would be an understatement. i was at a time in my life where writing was pretty much the only thing i was doing creatively. everything i'd tbeen trying to do with my old partners was fizzling and struggling. i didn't make new friends, i didn't meet people i liked anymore. she was a true revelation in that moment. all i knew was, i liked it. i liked her, and i hoped i'd see her again. we managed to stay in touch throughout the rest of 1999, one of the most insane years of my life. i had to plan and pay for my own wedding, my parents divorced (after 25 years together) mere months after i got married, my brother was battling severe mental illness, and i had no idea what this new stage of my life would lead me to. but in the spring of the following year, monica and i started our first band together, and the rest is history. awesome history that most of you know the rest of. having a band bonded us in a way that would have been impossible otherwise, filled me with renewed empowerment about my voice in the world, and let me know that my work was just beginning. the lack of control and frustration we experienced in the rock n' roll world all but dissolved when we moved into filmmaking, and here we are with so much to show for the last several years. years i can honestly say have been the most productive and satisfying i have ever experienced. everything i had done before meeting her was all leading me to this one spot, to be ready when the time came. all i'd learned, the triumph and disappointment, the friendships come and gone, for once i knew i was exactly where i was supposed to be, doing exactly what i was meant to do with the person i was destined to be doing it with. it's one hell of a feeling, and to say i am one lucky duck doesn't even begin to describe it. a decade of my life has passed since i met her that night, under the most innocuous of circumstances. what i can tell you is that you need to keep your eyes open, and your heart too. don't ever think that it's over, don't close yourself off to possibilities. you haven't figured yourself out yet if you've resigned to a place in the world. the night monica and i met, i was re-living past creative successes because the present ones didn't exist. but the more i saw her, the clearer it was that she wanted to be part of my life somehow, and i needed to pay attention. this is how friendship works: the meeting is chance. the rest, dear reader, is up to you. monica is my girl, and if i have anything to say about it, she will continue to stay. she occupies a place in my heart that i had no idea was open, and has remained there now for a very long time. we've seen and done so much together, it's kind of unbelievable when i look back at all of it. as long as we continue to have passion for one another and for what we are doing, the next ten years look bright and full of possibility. and passion is one thing i seem to have an endless supply of. happy anniversary, fucker. dinner at 7 ;-) 
January 4th, 200901:12 pm: DIY gonzo cake
publix cakes are dee-licious, but they won't "put copyrighted characters" on a cake (unless they came from their bakery's giant book of popular cartoon characters, of course). so i bought black and blue icing and did this: 
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