LONG BEACH HORROR AND COMIC CON 2011

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29th, 2011

The 2011 Long Beach and Horror Con was a great success for BLACKSTAR CANYON.  Saturday was the mellow day-mostly networking and discussing the premise of BLACKSTAR CANYON to dozens of new fans.

On Saturday, I got to talk to one of my favorite film directors, John Carpenter.

He was premiering his new prequel comic called "ASYLUM".  Thomas Ian Griffith, the lead villain from Carpenter's VAMPIRES film, and Sandy King created the characters with a script by Bruce Jones and art by Jason Craig.  I am interested to see what the connection to the Gulf War is in the storyline.  Definitely intrigued!

The Robot Chicken panel was hilarious.  Matt Senreich and Seth Green were in top form.   Shortly after that wrapped up, Shane Black took the stage.

Shane wrote and directed KISS KISS BANG BANG, and wrote LETHAL WEAPON,  LONG KISS GOOD NIGHT, and LAST BOY SCOUT.  Shane Black is also the new writer and director for IRON MAN 3 now that Jon Favreau stepped down to do COWBOYS AND ALIENS. 

Though informative about the perils of Hollywood, Shane Black shared little info about the upcoming IRON MAN 3.  He presaged the panel with, "Do you want to know the exact time and nature of your future demise?  Exactly so let's be surprised when the IRON MAN film gets released!"  Black did solemnly pronounce the new villain as the old Don Heck character standby "The Melter"; and with Black's expert timing told the audience after several agonizing moments of uncomfortable silence that he was kidding to thunderous laughter.

What followed was an irreverent and sardonic recollection of anecdotes, and tips,

to aspiring screenwriters.  After furious note taking, I realized the panel was like

a couple semesters of film school in an hour and 45 minute discussion.

Shane Black is also developing the American version of the Japanese DEATHNOTE story.  Black claims the studio told him to lose the notebook in the story (an essential plot point), and to make the lead character "more likable-someone the teens can relate to and look up to".  Anyone who is familiar with the manga or original films will laugh at those studio notes.  Be assured though-

Shane Black is going to shepherd this compelling story adaption in the correct

way.  DEATHNOTE might turn out better than the upcoming

American film version of AKIRA!

One of the last panels of Saturday was a discussion on fundraising

by the writers of TRIGGER MEN.  Kyle and Matt formed a comics company based on a fundraising effort from Kickstarter.com.  Check out their comic’s page @triptychbooks.com

Short list of who I talked to on Saturday: Derek Easley director of the fan film STREET FIGHTER HIGH, Tim Bradstreet, Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke,

Kevin Eastman (Ninja Turtles creator), Hart Fisher of Americanhorrors.com,

Vince Hernandez of Aspen Comics, Thomas Jane, Steve Niles, Mark Waid,

and Bernie Wrightson.

I also got interviewed by several different reporters and will be posting those interview links as soon as they are available on either this blog or the tumbler.

Special thanks to Copytron.com in Anaheim Hills!

NEXT UP: SUNDAY the Halloween episode...

For a general press kit...

contact us at Blackstarcanyonfilm@gmail.com

Added a tumbler to the multimedia BSC project

You can access it here:

http://blackstarcanyon.tumblr.com/

and it has a Halloween message!

JUST REALIZED...

I haven't posted a synopsis for BLACKSTAR CANYON.  There's a couple reasons I won't discuss too many plot points (spoilers) and scene details (pitching it to studios currently) until it's in the can and screening at festivals.  I aim to produce a film that hearkens back to the milieu of 1979-1981 drive-in horror films.  Not in cinematic terms of the scratchy prints (GRINDHOUSE); I intend to produce a film that veers away from the postmodern tone of the SCREAM series or the ultra-gore of HOSTEL/SAW series.

The easiest way for me to give a sense of what the horror part of my film will resemble

is through a top 10 trailer rundown in random order.  These trailers don't share plot points with my film, but rather atmosphere.

10.  JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981) ~ Probably contains George Kennedy's finest cinematic performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1_UE5lhdEs

9. DEAD AND BURIED (1981) ~ Written by the duo of the original ALIEN (1979).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itzcuQyl8fg

8.  MOTEL HELL (1980) ~ The murderous brother/sister pair archetype was cemented here for the 1980's horror genre.  This is the German version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlH6ccngJDI

7.  ALONE IN THE DARK (1982) ~ Not the poor adaption of the videogame.  This is a potboiler involving a psychiatrist and his family trapped in his new home during a blackout surrounded by escaped lunatic patients.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-W9Roy3UMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us27RDGig30 

6.  LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM ~ Ken Russell's adaption of Bram Stoker's novel of the same title.

Great nightmare sequences-if you are a fan of ALTERED STATES you should check out this film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Q-PyZxZjw&feature=related

5. PHANTASM ~ 1979 Coscarelli film that I feel was more nightmare inducing than Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw and Friedkin's EXORCIST.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJojkFFUsdo

4. Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND (1980) (Dubbed in English from original Italian).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vltPK0IfP4M&feature=related

3. SORCERER ~  William Friedkin's suspense film didn't have any supernatural/horror elements.  There are 2 or 3 "subliminal" nightmare sequences.  Soundtrack is by Tangerine Dream (their first film score).  Unarguably Roy Scheider's best film role as Jackie Scanlon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMof5PuQF7w

2.  ROSEMARY'S BABY ~ This late 60's Polanski thriller has 3 of the best dream/hallucination sequences committed to celluloid.  To this day,  I'm amazed how true these sequences read to nightmares I have experienced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri6uUmEhN40

1. THE HOWLING (1981) ~ Directed by Joe Dante and featuring the better of the 2 werewolf transformations that year (apologies to Rick Baker...Bottin did phenomenal work for less budget).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCmIr6OgtYg

Thanks for checking out my page!

blackstarcanyon.com

blackstarcanyonfilm@gmail.com

Skipped Comic Con this year...

Although I heard the SONY PICTURES presentation was awesome and the LIONSGATE BOOTH always rocks--I did not attend SDCC this year.  As for the trailer, I decided that any hastily made teaser trailer might not convey the tone I am going for with BLACKSTAR CANYON.

Brad is currently working on the prequel comic that leads up to the events in the film (which takes place in the old timey year of 2006).

Thanks to all of your support so far in this strange road leading to the filming of my underground horror film--

especially Sinister Pointe Haunted Attraction in Brea, Cheryl , Storm, Johnny,  Adam Rhine, Britney and Brittany, Ryan; Roger Corman, Whitney B,
Ego Plum, Chris from CA SOUND STUDIOS in Lake Forest, Cyrus M, Brad and Ryan, Danielle and Spencer, Belinda Balaski and Joe Dante/RENFIELD FILMS, John Carpenter, Ty Mitchell, Tippi Hedren, John Cregan of severin-films.com (watch the trailer for DEVOLVED here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YK_iRFseqY  ), Worm Miller (Friday Night Frights @ Silent Theater http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friday-Night-Frights/147905528590983?sk=info); Kevin R, Bill A, Michael Z, both Jorge Olamendis', Jorge Garcia, Danielle Harris, Josh M, Zainab, Hanson, Ken Call Murdock, Dick and Dawne W, Lindsay T;  Doris and Jack of Dana Point Historical Society; The Real Roxanne, Marlene, Trisha, Andrea, Nancy, Jeff Rick, Bill S., Payne; Joe Turkel, Harry Dean Stanton, Alex Cox, Danzig, Kevin Nemitz and Noah H Paul Bunnell, Morris Everett III, and the whole cast and crew of GHASTLY LOVE OF JOHNNY X
(GHASTLY TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIOASpOmLkU),Dee Wallace, Eli Roth, Frances Stern,  Lance Henriksen, Ed Nunez and Anthony Morales, Sean Tyler, Fazu, Anthony T, Raffy A, Silvana, Kathleen and Alex, Kathy Brian and Austin B, RA Mihailoff, Robert K, Dave and Patricia Vanian. Ohgr, Rebekah McKendry from FANGORIA, Stuart Gordon and Bryan Yuzna, Dee Wallace, Tito Larriva, Adam and Elaine Zax, Derek Easley, AJ, Allan E, Larry Emunds Bookstore, Hollywood Movie Book and Poster, Jymie, Brian Butler and Mr. Anger for inspiring me with their innovative film styles, and my Mom and Dad/Uncle and Aunt and Jules and Grandpa Richard who have given me all the support in the world.  Thank you all!

AM voice over recording

Thank you to Mr. Plum for putting up with our shennanigans and
letting us record in his awesome home studio!  You are a gentleman and a scholar Mr. Plum!

We will post the teaser trailer just after the premiere at San Diego Comic Con 2011--

SATURDAY JULY 30, 2011

Thank you also to troopers: Belinda, Tippi Hedren,  Mikey, Shawn, Ty, Bradley,
Colin P, Joe Turkel from BLADE RUNNER and THE SHINING, RA Mihailoff,
Michael Zanetis, and Robert Kline.

Good afternoon Mr Bond

I am slowly stirring back to consciousness on a Monday morning and feel like the luckiest man on earth to be blessed with my supporting network of family and friends.
There was no time to update  the site because everyone at the Weekend of Horrors con was demanding to know more about the Blackstar comic book and film.  Although we didn’t have a finished comic book due to the printing press breaking down, my staff of artists were being asked for new sketches all weekend related to the comic book.
looking forward to Weekend of Horrors 2012 and screening the movie there!