FINISHED!

My treatment for The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet is finished!  Done!  Completed!  Some other word that means finished...um...Executed!

Savage yet stylish, Sexy yet sensual.  I love how the story turned out for the most part.

Now I can't wait to turn this baby in.

Wish me luck.

Later.
-Justin

Due tomorrow...

And I'm only on page 6.

Of 10.

I can do it.  This is gonna rock.

Listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees as I write.

Later.
-Justin

Treatment

Starting on my treatment.  It's due next Tuesday.  Wish me smarts, brilliance, and sanity.

So I had class tonight...

Last class, we turned in our synopses and the professor started reading them aloud.  He'd then give us constructive criticism and invite everyone in the class to do so.

Mine was next in line for evaluation...then we ran out of time.

Darn it!

I was looking forward to hearing feedback.

The professor said if our synopsis hadn't been read, we could revise it and turn it in again.  I debated about it, but I was afraid of over-thinking everything.

Yes, believe it or not, the guy who begged on this blog to help come up with an alternate title was afraid of over-thinking everything.

I decided to leave things as is.

My synopsis was read first.  So, here's what I took from it:

Nobody said anything about the title.  I shit bricks for nothing.  The Orchid With the Petals of Velvet it is.

Going by the synopsis, the film is missing a protagonist.  Yes, the film lingers mostly on one person, but their actions are too passive.  I need to figure out how to give this person a more active role in the plot.

I need to change the name of the female lead.  I call her Gia, but the professor kept pronouncing it with the G in "gust" instead of the G in "genius."  Relatively easy fix.

The professor said my setting was fresh.  He really liked the potential of setting the story in and around a brothel.  The possibility of colorful characters excited him.

There aren't enough red herrings.  Agreed.  There's one main red herring in the synopsis, but to add others would have made the synopsis too long (we were only allowed 2 pages).  I can easily rectify this in the treatment.

The revelation of the killer comes off as a cheap surprise.  I knew this one ahead of time.  Not having 100 pages to plant subtle clues makes it look cheap.  I could have made the red herring the killer and it still would have looked cheap.  I know how to make it a genuine surprise.

The opening threw him off.  The beginning revolves around one character who dies fifteen minutes in.  I tried to use Dressed To Kill as an example, where you think Angie Dickinson is gonna be the lead...only to be killed early on.  He didn't recall that film.  Had to use Janet Leigh in Psycho.

Now that I have some outsider perspectives, I can use them for the treatment, which is due in three weeks.  Ten to twelve pages.  Wish me genius and sanity.

Later.

-Justin

Some Essential Gialli

Hey, y'all.  I dunno why but I'm anticipating somebody might be interested in gialli after reading my screenplay synopsis in class.  So I'm reposting my intro/description to gialli from my first post and writing a list of some to check out.


What is a giallo, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.

Back in the day, crime/detective novels were incredibly popular in Italy. Mainly they were penny dreadful cheapies involving murder, sex, femmes fatales, and intrigue. Not too far from noir, but with a style that was clearly its own thing. These novels were published with bright yellow covers. The word for 'yellow' in Italian is 'giallo.' So eventually this genre was known as the giallo.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much, directed by Mario Bava, is regarded as one of the first cinematic rendition of a giallo. It was released in 1963 and owes more to Hitchcock than later gialli.


Later Bava directed the first giallo shot in color: Blood and Black Lace. This film is one of the classics of the genre, and a prime example of how to make a horror film in color (to paraphrase Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas). It's beautiful, haute-couture, candy-colored mayhem.


Gialli didn't really have much of an impact until Dario Argento's directorial debut-The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. The film was such a huge hit that one theater played it in Italy for three years straight. It was even the #1 film in America for a while (Take that, Love Story!).


The Bird With The Crystal Plumage set the standard for gialli: Highly convoluted plots, unconventional camera angles, long drawn out murder set pieces, and beautiful scores (mainly by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai). Many of these films dripped with style and '70's flair.


Gialli were also known for the bevy of beauties who graced them: Erika Blanc, Barbara Bouchet, Nieves Navarro, and especially Edwige Fenech, the queen of the giallo (Google them).

Gialli have had their ups and downs, with sharp rises in the 80's. Luckily DVD has enabled the world to fall in love with them all over again. 
  


Available on Netflix:

Films by Dario Argento:

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage
Cat O'Nine Tails
Four Flies on Gray Velvet
Door Into Darkness
Deep Red
Tenebre
Phenomena (NOT the John Travolta movie)
Opera
Trauma
The Stendhal Syndrome
Sleepless
The Card Player
Do You Like Hitchcock?
Giallo

By Lucio Fulci:

Dont Torture A Duckling
The Psychic
Perversion Story
The New York Ripper
Lizard in a Woman's Skin

Other notable gialli on Netflix:

The Case of the Bloody Iris
All the Colors of the Dark
Blood and Black Lace
Hatchet for the Honeymoon (also available via streaming on Netflix)
Twitch of the Death Nerve (AKA Bay of Blood)
The Black Belly of the Tarantula
The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
Torso
What Have You Done To Solange?
Who Saw Her Die?
The Bloodstained Shadow
Seven Bloodstained Orchids
A Blade in the Dark
Macabre


If you have a region-free player, check out:
Plot of Fear
Eyes of Crystal
Iguana with the Tongue of Fire
The Vanity Serum
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
Sleepless (The one on Netflix is Full Screen.  Artisan sucked).

Also, if you have a player that does PAL-NTSC, go to www.ZddVisualMedia.com and scope out their selection.  Some of their gems include:
Nothing Underneath
Death Occurred Last Night
Eye in the Labyrinth
Libido
Rorret
The Weapon, The Hour, and The Motive
The Police Grope Around In The Dark
Death Laid An Egg
Eyes Behind The Wall

Just a word of warning.  If you're anything like me, gialli are like Pringles.  Once you pop, you can't stop.

And if you're new to Italian Lemonade, welcome!

Later.
-Justin

Assignment DONE!

Ah...gee I feel better.

Sure, it's not a staggering work of cinematic genius.  Yet.  But it's my first synopsis/character bio.

Here's a super-truncated version for y'all, minus the ending.  See if you can spot my references

The Orchid With The Petals Of Velvet

Famous porn star Ruby Rain is in New York City promoting her upcoming gig at the Melody Ranch in Nevada.  After a radio interview, she is murdered on a subway platform.

Back in Nevada, Detectives Eric Wade and Pauline Campbell are assigned to investigate the Melody Ranch and see if there were anybody who may have known anything about Ruby's death.  There the detectives meet Gia, a popular girl at the Melody.

Other girls at the Ranch start dying brutally at the hands of a murderer, and Gia is becoming the center of the case.  Will she survive the ordeal?


That's all for now.

Okay.  I'll let y'all go while I get ready for work.

Later.
-Justin

Okay. I Think I Have This Figured Out...

So...here goes.

I'm sticking with The Orchid With the Petals of Velvet.  I love the title.  Screw it.  I need to stick to my guns and edit later.

I also figured out how to do what I originally wanted to do with the female lead, which was make her the main protagonist.  The crisis is gonna be hard, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

2/3 through page one.  This is gonna be good.

Later.

-Justin

Thinking is Hard

So...I'm trying to work on this synopsis/character bio/whatever.

And I'm debating on something else, now.

For the sake of the class, and our understanding on the screenplay form, we have to choose one protagonist, and have the bulk of the story revolve around them.

Who exactly to choose?

I could go with the female lead, one of the most popular girls at a brothel.  Think Edwige Fenech in Case of the Bloody Iris...only instead of modeling, she sells sex.

Or I could go with the male lead, a detective assigned to investigate a series of murders involving girls who work in the brothel.  Only reference I can think of is Liam Cunningham in Card Player.  Only younger.

While I want this to be led by the female lead, I have a feeling the male lead is gonna be the more logical way to go for the story to propel forward.  But I think the female character is far more interesting.

I dunno.  Maybe a little sleep and a day at work, where I do my best daydreaming, will help.

In case my boss reads this, I'm just kidding.  I don't daydream at work.  I work diligently and sell like a pro.  My last name should be Credible.  Just say it aloud.  Justin Credible.  Dammit, I'm gonna make that catch.

Anyhow, off to bed.  Gotta start Halloween with a morning meeting.  Blah.

Later.
-Justin

Okay, I'll Explain

This whole title situation...

I'm in a screenwriting class.  I was anticipating a big assignment by coming up with my own giallo to write an outline and treatment for.

I've been having a hard time with a title, because I love my title for it, but I have a feeling the people in the class who are unaware of gialli (in other words, all of them) will look at me like a dumbass.

My title for the script: The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet.

I dunno why but I love this title.  Lurid yet delicate, like a lost giallo from 1971.

I've tried shortening it to Velvet Orchid but it sounds like some Zalman King Skinemax softcore thingy to me.

Anyhow, we ended up getting the big assignment about an hour after I posted the last entry.  So now I'm really debating on what to do with the title.

I'm sure I'll figure it out.  Maybe something will hit me when I start the synopsis/character bio.

If you come up with any more ideas, please let me know.  I am reading them, and I like what I've seen so far.  The first part of the assignment is due Tuesday, so I have until Monday night to make a decision.

Later.
-Justin

Need Your Answer

This one may require Babel Fish translation.  I had to use it to write this question.

You're a hip film distributor and the year is 1970.

You just picked up a groovy little thriller from Italy by some guy whose name you can't pronounce.  All you know about him is right now he's making more money than Fellini in his home country.

The film revolves around "working girls" of a brothel getting killed by someone in a trench coat and fedora.

In its original language, the movie is called "L'orchidea con i petali di velluto"

The marketing guy tells you the literal translation is gonna be too long for theater marquees and posters.  You need something shorter yet still snazzy.

What do you name it?

I'll explain after I get your answers.

Later.
-Justin

Wonderful News!

zddvisualmedia.com is back in business!

All is well in the world.

New Blog!

Come check out my new, non-horror related blog, Perro Sexivo: Becoming the Funny Sexy Guy.  It's about my trials and tribulations as I try to finally lose this weight I gained back...and then some.

perrosexivo.blogspot.com

And, yes, I WILL get to Cannibal Holocaust.

Later.
-Justin

Seriously...

Yes, I still haven't watched Cannibal Holocaust.  Yes, it is still in my possession.  Yes, it will be done soon.

I've been busy lately.  School started, work picked up, and last weekend I was a part of the F Bomb Comedy festival in Richmond.  It was my first "grown up" trip by myself, complete with the most comfortable hotel bed I have ever slept in.

As much as I wanna pop the disc in my laptop between classes, I have a feeling others wouldn't appreciate it.  But I need to watch it within the next week, because I have to return it and get my copy of Jerry Maguire for screenwriting class.  I should see if anyone wants to meet so we can watch it and go over the analysis together.

Okay.  Killing time before class.

Later.
-Justin

I haven't forgotten

I do have a copy of Cannibal Holocaust at home.  School started today and now it's gonna be hard to find time to sit down and watch it.

Especially since my Screenwriting class is gonna force me to use my movie time for, like, prestige pictures.  We gotta watch Jerry Maguire this semester.  Renee Zellweger.  Barf.

At least this week I will finally get around to watching Saving Private Ryan.  Always wanted to see it but never have.

Okay.  An hour left before class.  Gonna start reading my book and get a head start.

Later.
-Justin

This weekend...

I gotta watch the discs I have from Netflix so I can send them back and get Cannibal Holocaust (It's at the top of my list, and another Nasty is #2).

Luckily, it's only one movie (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane).  The other disc is the special features disc.  Just gotta get around to watching it.  Either tomorrow afternoon after seeing Piranha in 3D...or Saturday after work.

Okay.  I gotta shave and get all clean and stuff.  Performing tonight at Cinema Cafe in Pembroke.  If you're in the area, come see me.  It's FREE!

Later.
-Justin

BTW

Congrats to the Horror Blogger Alliance for making it into the pages of Rue Morgue Magazine!

As part of the alliance, I kinda feel like I'm in Rue Morgue, too.  Kinda gives me the warm tinglies.  But that may be the extra crushed red pepper I put on my pizza tonight (burns so good...).

So for those of you who don't know about the Horror Blogger Alliance, check them out (they are on the My Blogs list to the right).  They're a cool group and they have introduced me to a lot of cool blogs and bloggers.

What are you still doing here?  Click on their link.

Later.
-Justin

So...y'all have chosen...

Cannibal Holocaust.

It's on my Netflix.  It will be watched.  Or at least attempted.

Having a Friday the 13th weekend like USA used to have.  Taking a mini-break because I'm watching my four-year-old niece.  She got into Part 7 for the brief amount of time she caught of it.

But if my sister isn't home by 1:00, I'm sitting my niece down to watch Part 4.

Later.
-Justin

Certified Video Nasty: Don't Go in the House

Welcome back, ladies and gents.  Sorry it's been a while since my last Nasty, but Blockbuster had no selection whatsoever.  So I switched to Netflix.  On top of a better selection, their on-demand streaming is free with membership.  And they have Lars Von Trier's Antichrist.  Guess what I'm gonna be watching sometime this week...

Now if I could just get Blockbuster to quit sending me stuff...dude, I cancelled my membership.  Quit shipping movies.

Anyhow, onto my latest Nasty.

This is another one I'd been looking into since I was a wee lad.  However, I don't recall seeing this one in many video stores.  Instead I read about it in my Video Movie Guide...

Back to memory lane for a moment.

Every year my grandma would give me the latest and greatest edition of the Video Movie Guide by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter for Christmas.  It was one of the things I looked forward to every holiday season.  Ah, my grandma was always an enabler in my cinema addiction.  R.I.P. Grandma.  I miss you.

Now back to Don't Go In The House.

The Video Movie Guide gave it a low low rating.  Either one star or a turkey.  I don't remember off the top of my head.  Either way, I remember the one sentence review, which pretty much read, "Guy lures women into house and burns them to death."  Not exactly a review.  But that's common for horror movies, so I was kind of used to it.  Their review of New York Ripper simply said, "4 1/2 minutes were cut from this movie to avoid an X rating."

So my knowledge of the film was limited until I started researching the Nasties for this blog.

So the film follows Donny, a lonely duder (Richard from Doomed Moviethon, you got me using that word.  Hope you're happy).  Donny works at an incinerator.  Which is a strange occupation considering his mom used to burn him over the stove as a child.  I dunno about you, but if my mom held my arms over a stove when I was little, I'd probably choose to work for Ben and Jerry's.  Cold, flameless, and three free pints of ice cream every day.

Donny witnesses an explosion at work, standing mesmerized as a coworker runs around in flames.  See.  This would never have happened at Ben and Jerry's.  The other workers put out the fire and chew Donny out for standing and staring.  Except for one guy, Bobby, who for some strange reason wants to reach out to Donny.

When Donny gets home that night, he finds that his mother has passed away.  Something inside him snaps and he starts to hear voices.  And since this is a Video Nasty, they don't tell him to pick up some milk on the way home.

Donny reinforces a room in the house to be completely fireproof (imagine that conversation at Home Depot).  Then he lures young women into his home, strings them up, and goes at them with a flamethrower.  When they're finished toasting, he raids his mom's closet and dresses the bodies in her old clothes.

All the while, Bobby keeps trying to reach out to Donny.  Donny finally bites and goes out for the first time in his adult life...to a disco.  Inserted in between the murders and the disco scene is a strangely fitting scene where Donny goes shopping for something to wear.  This scene actually adds a bit of emotion to the film.  Here's somebody who has been locked up his whole life, who can finally go out into the world, and he's totally lost.  But that's just me.  Maybe it's really just five minutes to pad the running time to 82 minutes.

At the disco, Donny is his usual withdrawn self.  Not even the hot Farrah Fawcett haired chick Bobby set him up with will get him out of his shell.  When she tries to get him to dance, his burn scars start poking out from his sleeves, and all hell breaks loose.

Which came first, this or Maniac?  They're very similar.  Crazy abusive mommy, murdering women because of crazy abusive mommy, visions of his victims coming to haunt him.  Where the films differ is during the murders.  After the first (understandably Nasty-worthy) death in Don't Go in the House, the killings are more of an afterthought.  In Maniac, each murder is a long, choreographed exercise in tension...almost its own little short film (and most certainly nastier than anything in House).  Meanwhile, Maniac doesn't have as much of a backstory, while Don't Go In The House is more character based.

Don't Go in the House is a better film than I expected.  That said, some bits do date the film quite a bit.  First of all...Disco.  I love disco, so that doesn't bug me, but it will bug others.  Also, the scenes of Donny playing the radio and dancing after his mom's death...hmm...

Either way, this is an effective film, and a decent way to spend 82 minutes.  Would make a great double bill with Maniac.  And would also make a good remake in the right hands.

Anyhow, I'm off.  Another Nasty is on its way from Netflix.  All is well in the world.

Later.

-Justin

First Netflix Nasty...

Watching my first Video Nasty from Netflix.  I'll try to post my opinion tomorrow.

Later.
-Justin

Switching...

Switching from Blockbuster Online to Netflix.  The main reason is the selection.  I've been having a hard time locating gialli and Video Nasties lately, hence my lack of contributions to the blog.  They piled up on my Blockbuster queue, but their status hadn't changed from Very Long Wait.

Meanwhile, seems like everything I put in my Netflix queue is available immediately.

Another reason: I'm gonna be moving in a few months, and I have a feeling Blockbuster will be too far away to make in-store exchanges as convenient as they are now.  And every time I get an in-store exchange, I feel bad for the revenue they're probably losing on my free transaction and get their popcorn, pop and candy combo.  Not exactly the best way to keep weight off, is it?  Even if I get Orville's Smart Pop.

Got a good Nasty on the top of my list.  Can't wait till it gets here.

Later.
-Justin