Issue 3: Supernatural

ISSUE #3

w w w. l i v i n g d e a d m a g a z i n e . c o m

Featurieeds Art Ser

Impalne Desig

paranormal Activity: The Ghostly Franchise

scarefest con: Paranormal & Horror Unite Haunted Objects : Fact or Fiction?

Celebrating the ISSUE #3

SUPERNATURAL with interviews from the hit show

issue #3

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may 2014

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www.livingdeadmagazine.com

20 Supernatural Teas

Heavenly teas based off of our favorite pop-culture film and television shows

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24 nice day for a sÉance

Haunting images from photographer / artist Brian Maze

26 interview with Jim Beaver

6 news of the dead

30 Interview With Chad LIndberg

7 Stalker’s Corner

The hardworking country boy killing it on screen

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columns

The man behind the mullet

34 featured artwork series Impale Design

40 Haunted Objects Getting the scoop from Haunted Doll’s owner Jayne Harris

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42 Interview with Travis Wester

From Eurotrip to Supernatural, why fans go crazy for this funny guy

46 Interview with Erin R. Ryan

Erin talks about her new film Haunted House on Sorority Row

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48 Paranormal Activity : The Marked Ones A change of scenery for the franchise that just won’t quit

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50 Scarefest Con The only convention that brings you horror and paranormal under one roof

52 Book Review Discover what’s haunting the town of Rosehaven in the new book by Christopher St. John Sampayo

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R.I.P. Harold Ramis Saying goodbye to our beloved Egon.

10 Indie Horror tv 12 staff movie picks 13 the gospel of gore : B-Movie Reviews 14 It Came From Kickstarter 18 Monster Makers 32 Living Dead’s : Bitchin’ Babe of the Month 54 comics from the crypt 56 galleria macabre

DEADITORIAL

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”

–– H. P. LOVECRAFT I consider myself a religious person in the truest sense of the word—a person who believes in a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sect. I just happen to believe in an older religion that has been around much longer than Christ, Buddha or any other historical figure. I follow the doctrine of science, and with that comes its own set of rules and mantras on life and death.

The scientific community in general tends to not believe in the existence of ghosts, poltergeists, entities, etc., which makes sense considering scientists want cold hard facts, not feelings or speculations. I am unique in the sense that I am open to anything. I will never say with one hundred percent conviction that there isn’t a God because I think anything in this life is possible. Whether it is UFOs, Bigfoot, ghosts or fairies, I am like Mulder, “I want to believe!” When it comes to spirits though there is no “maybe,” there is only an affirmative “yes, they exist.”

I knew from the moment we got an interview with Jim Beaver that I wanted to do an entire issue focused around the unknown, and this issue is shaping up to be our best one yet. I have loved reading about everyone’s personal experiences and interests involving the paranormal/supernatural. My family lived for years in a home that was built in 1816—and believe me when I tell you the stories we all have from living in that house are the things horror films are based off of. Some of the stories are really sweet and comforting—some others, not so much. I am much like our comic book reviewer Tim, who says, “Get me drunk and I just might tell you a story or two about my encounters with ghosts.”

From all of us at Living Dead Magazine, we hope you enjoy Issue 3: Supernatural, and once again “Welcome to the Living Dead Family! Where zombies are created from toxic waste, vampires only come out at night, women are pale skinned with big ta-tas squeezed into tiny black dresses, real men carry machetes, ghosts aren’t very friendly, and we always have someone…I mean something, cooking in the kitchen for when you arrive.”

Deanna Uutela Deanna Uutela Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief Deanna Uutela Associate Editor Roger Beckett Creative Director Miss Mandible Columnists Gary Castleberry Tim Attuquayefio Jeff Dean Erin Kerley Jesus Figueroa Michael “Dedman” Jones Matt Majeski Robert Poole Nowal Massari (ZeeGee) Queenie Thayer Melissa Thomas Copy Editor Ashley Rask Design Consultant / Onset Stylist Chelsea Bowman Contributors Lauren Steuer Kyle Yount Cover Art:

“Brother & Sister” by featured artist Impale Design Living Dead Magazine Issue #3 would not have been possible without the generous contributions and support from our fans; the design and promotional assistance of Lisa Burchell; all of the amazing photographers and models who sent us their work; and our dead sexy models, The Living Dead Girls.

Living Dead Magazine is published 6 times a year with schedule available on our website and accepts no responsibilities for unsolicited manuscripts, photos, art or other materials. Freelance submissions accompanied by S.A.S.E. will be seriously considered, and, if necessary, returned.

For Advertising Information, Contact: Deanna Uutela, livingdeadmagazine@gmail.com Entire contents copyright Living Dead Magazine 2014.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Printed In The United States By: Kenness - Homestead, PA USA

Send Letters To Living Dead Magazine 10055 NE Weidler St. Portland, OR 97220

We started Living Dead Magazine not only to showcase all of the amazing horror work and businesses being created every day, but because we are huge fan boys and girls who worship and respect horror actors and directors who have perfected their craft. So when these same celebs respond back with the same respect and love that we shower upon them, it is something to be proud of that we just have to share! And we want to hear from you too, got a fan photo of yourself with our merch or magazine? Please don’t be shy to send it our way and we will share the pic in our next issue:

l i v i ng d e ad m ag azine @ g mai l.c om

The gorgeous Debi Dutch might just be our #1 cheerleader.

Always the looker, this talented actress, starring in the new film She Wolves, was gracious enough to model alongside the issue she was featured in.

Martin Klebba shows his love of Living Dead Magazine on the set for a new graphic novel series, “The Nain Rouge Project.”

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The original “Sweet Dee,” Dee Wallace, holding the issue she was featured in along with her daughter Gabrielle Stone--”Issue 2 : Women in Horror”

With a stare that can send shivers down your spine, actor Jeffrey Combs was as serious as the characters he plays in his films at this year’s Motor City Nightmares Convention.

We absolutely can’t get enough of the television show Oddities, and Mike Zohn is a huge reason for that. We love his laidback personality and honest love of the dead and macabre. It’s no question why he was so taken with Living Dead Magazine.

a monster-sized edition of

NEWS OF THE DEAD! by kyle yount of kaijucast Kyle Yount of the Kaijucast breathes, eats and lives giant Japanese radioactive monsters. You can listen to his podcast that’s dedicated to the kaiju genre at Kaijucast.com, iTunes and on Stitcher!

On May 16th, Legendary Pictures’ reboot of Godzilla will be unleashed in theaters worldwide. Monsters (2010) director Gareth Edwards is giving the King of the Monsters a major facelift by returning him to his horrific roots. Judging from interviews, press material and the trailers, this incarnation may indeed be the most terrifying of any giant monster seen. While many people remember Godzilla grappling with other giant rubber monsters, this super-beast was the star of twenty-eight films from Japan and has left one hell of a history in his wake.

In his 60-year reign, Godzilla has adapted to both his environment and his audience. In the first decade of his filmography, he was a terrible force of destruction. But when the moviegoers’ collective ages skewed younger and younger, filmmakers (producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, director Ishiro Honda and special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya) chose to humanize the monster, leaving behind the terror and transforming Godzilla into the Earth’s protector.

In films like Monster Zero (1965), Destroy All Monsters (1968) and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), Godzilla and his rubber suited friends fend off attacks from alien invaders. In 1975, the end of Godzilla’s first run, LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM

ticket sales and abysmally inefficient budgets had taken their toll on the king and he took a nine-year sabbatical.

In 1984, Toho resurrected the monster and effectually rebooted the Godzilla series with another production simply titled Gojira. This new Godzilla film was a direct sequel to the original film. Godzilla was once again a frightening beast and Japan’s Self Defense Force had to find a way to triumph. New World Pictures bought the theatrical rights to the film, hired Raymond Burr to reprise his role from Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956) and shoot scenes that could be inserted into the American cut. They released the film in the United States as Godzilla 1985, and while the film didn’t perform well at the box office, it exposed a whole new generation of fans to the Lizard King. The subsequent films (1984 - 1995) treated Godzilla as the giant monster he was - inadvertently saving our collective asses when it was necessary to protect his turf, but he was essentially a city-smashing monster of massive proportions.

The 1998 attempt by summer blockbuster creators Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) to create a new American version

of Japan’s monster was poorly received by audiences across the globe despite a decent box office take. It was, however, inspiration enough for Toho to take back their titan, creating the most recent series of films (1999 - 2004). Once again, Godzilla’s history was restructured and Japanese filmmakers were given the opportunity to take their titular terror in new directions. While most of the movies made in this run are similar in tone to his previous Japanese excursions, one film stands apart from the rest. The 2001 film Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack literally resurrects Godzilla as a malevolent monster who turns his rage upon the Japanese.

While the movie is hardly a horror film, it’s nice to see this massive beast unleashing his fury in a more realistic fashion.

Facing a creature the size of a skyscraper should absolutely be a frightening scenario - a sentiment apparently shared both by Gareth Edwards and Legendary Pictures. Anticipation is high and this newest version of Godzilla is appearing on a lot of “must see” movie lists. The new film is just days away from opening and hopefully Legendary’s new entry will both thrill and frighten American audiences and expose a brand new group of moviegoers to the legacy of the King of the Monsters.

S TALKER'S C ORNER

by Deanna Uutela

Welcome to Stalker’s Corner where we openly creep out and obsess about what’s new with celebs, artists, shows, body parts and anything else that makes our pants tight. For this Supernatual issue, we geek out on The Twilight Zone.

Each issue maintains that classic Zone feel and stays true to the artistry and insanity that we have come to depend on when it comes to our beloved show.

You can pick up the first issue, along with issues 2-5 on Dynamite’s website.

“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge.

This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.”

It is hard to believe that it has been over 60 years since The Twilight Zone first aired. Despite all of the technological advancements and improvements made to film and television in the past 50 years horror and sci-fi fans still love and seek out the classics, and The Twilight Zone is no exception—it continues to be a favorite amongst fans world-wide. And now this August, Twilight Zone fans will have something new to look forward to with the release of six brand new action figures of characters from some of the most popular episodes: The Gremlin, Bob Wilson, Kanamit, Talky Tina, Invader, and Henry Bemis. Pre-order yours today from Entertainment Earth for only $9.99 each!

On December 31, Dynamite Entertainment in conjunction with writer J. Michael Straczynski released “The Twilight Zone: #1” the first of 12 in three fourissue arcs. This will be Stracynski’s second time writing about The Zone, with the first time being as a story editor for the final season of the 1980’s relaunch of the iconic television show.

This first issue’s synopsis is as follows, “Trevor Richmond is a Wall Street investor who embezzled millions and is about to tank the economy. Again. Desperate to avoid the consequences for his actions, he goes to Expedited Services, Inc., which offers to help him disappear and enjoy a life of leisure in a new life. But what exactly is this new life, how much is freedom worth, and what happens to the old life when someone else shows up to claim it? This is the first installment of three interlocking stories that will push the boundaries of The Twilight Zone into new and uncharted territory, a journey that will travel into the past and the future, into murder and revenge and the sunrise of nuclear Armageddon.”

In 2004 and 2005, all three seasons of the highly successful 1985 revival series were released on DVD. Now RLJ Entertainment’s Image brand is planning a July 1st release of The Twilight Zone - The Complete ‘80s Series, a 13-DVD set with all three seasons compiled together in one package.

Cost is $59.98 SRP, and a Photo Gallery, an exclusive Wes Craven Video Interview, and over a dozen Audio Commentaries by the creative forces behind the show. Nothing out there has ever come close to the brilliance that is The Twilight Zone and we doubt anything ever will, so the most you can do is own sets like this and watch them over and over until they are so ingrained in your brain that you can repeat every episode line-by-line and see each image with your eyes closed.

That is a true TZ fan!

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SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR BELOVED FANGS & FANGBANGERS For some of you the end of True Blood will be a hard goodbye—no more hot bods, no more steamy supernatural sex scenes, and now to top it off, you are going to have to find a new show that gives you that “happy ending”. Or if you are like me, who stopped watching the show a long time ago after all of the fairy crap started, you might be thinking, “Finale? Didn’t that show end years ago?” Either way, True Blood has run its course and Sookie and the rest of the Hee-Haw gang begin their seventh final season Sunday, June 22 at 9pm. I am sure some of us will be glued to our seats (literally).

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It was a warm day in Indianapolis back in September of 2012 and HorrorHound Weekend had invaded the town and filled up three ballrooms at the Marriott Hotel.

After spending some time checking out the mask vendors and the celebrities, I found myself in the screening room watching some great films. These films, submitted to HorrorHound through their resident film screening coordinator Jason Highnite, included some short films that were mind blowingly different than anything else out there These films brought a fresh new voice to horror, and it made me really excited to talk to the directors. These were filmmakers who spent days, weeks and even years putting these projects together, and their drive and passion showed in their final products.

They took time off of work, often unpaid, and spent every penny they had in their personal savings accounts. Doing what they do to simply express their love of the horror genre. Their passion for filmmaking, for storytelling, was infectious. You could tell they had a hundred more stories like the ones they had told on screen just waiting to be unleashed if they had the funding.

Filmmaking, specifically low to no budget independent filmmaking, can sometimes be a thankless task, and one where the rewards are fairly limited. You spend every dollar just to complete production, but usually cannot pay cast and crew, and often ask them to work a stressful amount of hours in a day in exchange for some food and the credit you can offer on their IMDB page. After the release, you often get ripped to shreds by reviewers—some who make a habit of being overly harsh to play up an internet persona for traffic they need to use to monetize their sites. Then there are “reviewers” who leak copies of your film to torrent sites and cut deeply into your revenue streams. This is capped off by film festivals who charge growing submission fees that you do not receive back, even if your film is not chosen, or as some filmmakers have discovered recently, not even viewed by the festival’s selection committee at all. Adding that up makes for thousands of dollars you didn’t anticipate having to spend in the first place, only to get very limited exposure.

total viewers and without a distribution deal, all of that hard work just hit its endgame.

So how does a filmmaker get the word out about what they’ve done, without having to travel all over the place, spend a ton of money and be introduced to a community of fans that might enjoy their work even more than a mainstream horror fan would?

I went to my room on Saturday night with my head spinning from all of this—all of the stories and real personal connections I had made. These filmmakers weren’t Hollywood divas griping about the millions of dollars they didn’t get to play with on a film. These people were wondering if they’d come close to making back the money they spent on gas for the trip, or curious about how to fund the next project. Mostly though, they were just looking to reach people and get genuine fan feedback.

I started asking myself, “what can I do to help?” and I started thinking about it. I had promoted live events in the past. I had done on demand and live video streaming. I had a marketing background. Why am I not helping these filmmakers? That night I went and bought IndieHorror.TV as a domain, and set the wheels in motion. I started building out a backend and reached out to every filmmaker we could get in touch with, starting with the directors from that HorrorHound Film Festival. On November 1, we launched the channel by airing John Pata and Adam Bartlett’s terrific film Dead Weight (2012). The plan for the channel was simple: give filmmakers exposure and help to promote them while building a community they could rely on for feedback and possibly even crowdfunding funders in the future.

“We do what we do for the love of the genre and the love of the fans—nothing more, nothing less.”

When it’s all said and done you’re lucky to have gotten your film in front of 500-1000

Since we launched, we’ve aired around 350 new original films and had around 70 live chats with filmmakers and even expanded the series out to include legends (we call the series “Influencers”) like Dee Wallace, Adrienne King, Mark Patton, Linnea Quigley and more.

We air from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. EDT every Thursday through Sunday evening, and continue to expand our programming.

We also continue to add experiences for our viewers to participate in live, including sponsoring film festivals that are beneficial for filmmakers or do not charge submission

fees, and we even had our own live film event back in November at our anniversary party where we showed some of the best films we’ve aired to a live audience and provided a live concert from Harley Poe. This June, we expand that experience out to our Friday the 13 weekend in Eagle River, Wisconsin, where we have a cabin resort working with us to provide a pretty amazing Jason-themed experience for all.

There are other channels that air films online and usually do so for their own profit rather than to help the filmmakers grow their audience or give them any real exposure. As of writing this, we have never placed a paid ad on our site and never made a penny off of the filmmakers. All expenses have been paid personally out of pocket. That’s my commitment to the people whose passion inspired what I created for them. We do what we do for the love of the genre and the love of the fans—nothing more, nothing less.

Some of the films we have shown were funded in the past year thanks to contributions from the channel, and also from our viewers helping with their crowdfunding campaigns. Some film collaborations between filmmakers have come together solely from the filmmakers meeting, thanks to our channel. We’ve also sponsored contests that have spawned brand new horror short films. I feel as if we’ve been able to help create an environment suited towards the creative content producers, and giving them the opportunity to always have a place for their work.

That’s the kind of community horror has always needed, and you as the viewer are the vital piece to this. Come join us, and check out some amazing horror content you may have never had the chance to see earlier, and be a part of this growing community. Together we can provide the voices these filmmakers need to hear, and maybe we can even quietly become a small crowdfunding bloc that can help get the films we really want to see made.

Hollywood might only care about remakes, sequels, prequels and retreads, but here at IndieHorror.TV, we have the opportunity to guide the creative process and push the genre in the direction we want it to go in.

IndieHorror.TV—the next wave of horror starts here!

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM

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staff

flick picks

FAVORITE FILM DEALING WITH PARANORMAL SUBJECT MATTER

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Deanna Uutela

Miss Mandible

Poltergeist (1982)

Christine (1983)

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Directed by John Carpenter

A family’s home is haunted by a host of ghosts.

A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.

Erin Kerley

Queenie Thayer

It (1990)

Event Horizon (1997)

Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace

Directed by Paul Anderson

Outcast kids fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. 30 years later, they must fight him once again.

A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned with someone (or something) new.

Jeff Dean

Tim Attuquayefio

Night of the Demon (1957)

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Directed by Jacques Touneur Dr. John Holden ventures to London to attend a paranormal psychology symposium to expose devil cult leader, Julian Karswell.

Directed by John Carpenter A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world.

Gary Castleberry

Michael (The Dedman) Jones

The Ring (2002)

Compound Fracture (2013)

Directed by Gore Verbinski

Directed by Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein

A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause death to anyone within a week of viewing.

Something truly evil is lurking outside the house and won’t stop until it kills off every last member of the family.

Nowal Massari (ZeeGee)

Jesus Figueroa

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Trick or Treat (1986)

Directed by Oren Peli

Directed by Charles Martin Smith

After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.

Sammi Curr was a famous, devil-worshipping rockstar who died under mysterious circumstances and wants to come back to life.

Matt Majeski

Melissa Thomas

Hellraiser (1987)

Hatchet (2006)

Directed by Clive Barker

Directed by Adam Green

An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, who’s being chased by demons after escaping sado-masochistic hell.

A group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour find themselves stranded, and their evening turns into a nightmare.

GOSPEL OF GORE WITH THE REVEREND JEFF JUGULAR Join Reverend Jeff Jugular as he praises the virtues of living a life filled with subversive cinema. He will help cleanse your soul of the boring megaplex madness by suggesting the very best and worst in horror/ cult cinema.

Hot Buttered Sleeze I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.

Sleazy is the new sexy.

Lucky for me, ‘cause I’ve been feelin’ the sleaze lately, I’ve been lurking around town with my sleaze hangin’ out for all the world to see. For seven years I worked as clean up boy in a Tijuana brothel, so I know a thing or three about sleaze. It’s not necessarily a look, but more a state of mind. I believe everybody has a sleazy side, the question is if one wants to shake hands with that side of themselves. You just need to let yourself give in. Grab it by the hair. Give it a little slap on the ass. I think you’ll find a new, more natural side of yourself. You can start your journey to becoming a full fledged filth fanatic with this easy to follow suggestion; avoid those family friendly blockbusters currently in theaters and instead check out a few of these fine films.

Edge of Sanity (1989)

Anthony Perkins never escaped the long shadow of Norman Bates.

After Hitchcock’s seminal film in 1960, Perkins spent the last 30 years of his career playing any number of freaks, geeks, baddies and genuine odd balls. This picture finds Perkins again portraying a character exploring dual personalities, playing the distinguished Dr. Jekyll and the naughty Mr. Hyde, who in this film happens to be Jack the Ripper. There are a lot of fun elements in this film, first and foremost is the performance of Perkins.

He can convey so much with a facial tic and raise of an eyebrow, he has mastered the art of the ‘disturbed’ individual. The

film takes place in the 19th century but when Hyde roams the streets, everyone he encounters seems to be plucked from the London punk scene of the 1980s. There are a number of perverse goodies here as well. Such as when Hyde has a sleazy rendevous with a prostitute on a rooftop of an old motel. As they are watched by a man in a neighboring building, Hyde makes the girl masterbate with his walking cane as he manhandles her breasts. After she climaxes and the voyeur turns away, Hyde then “gets off ” by gutting the girl like a fish. Lots of gore and sex make this one of my favorite film versions of the Jekyll/ Hyde tale.

The New York Ripper (1982) The films of Lucio Fulci appeal to deviants like myself. The director of The Beyond, Zombie and The Gates of Hell has always loaded his films with gutchurning gore, but with this film, he upped his game.

Fulci took a fairly rudimentary story about a New York detective on the trail of a killer who has a fondness for slicing up young women, and splattered it with a huge helping a nastiness that only Fulci could be guilty of. Among the juicy treats on hand are, nipples being sliced off, eyeballs cut open, footsex and death by broken bottle shoved up a vagina! Oh, and the killer quacks and talks like Donald Duck. It’s pretty ugly stuff but recommended viewing for sleaze hounds and Fulci fanatics.

The Sinful Dwarf (1973)

They don’t make trash like this anymore. This exercise in bad taste concerns the exploits of Olaf the dwarf and his wicked mother. They like to abduct young women, drug them, strip

them naked and chain them up in a dirty old attic. They then make a little green by letting the locals partake of the poor lasses.

Torben Bille giggles and snivels his way through the role of Olaf, the dirty little dwarf. When he’s not tormenting the women, he’s playing piano for his mother, who enjoys guzzling gin and putting on song and dance acts in her living room. This is a nasty little bugger of a movie, chock full of nudity, rape, flogging, murder and bad acting. It’s grade A sleaze. After viewing this film, you may feel the need to take a shower, or if you’re like me, hit ‘Play’ and watch it again.

Flesh For FrankensteiN (1973) This Eurotrash cult epic stars Udo Kier as Baron Frankenstein, who resides in his castle with his wife/sister and their two children.

He spends his days trying to build the perfect man and woman to mate and produce a new master Serbian race. I adore this messy masterpiece, it’s impossible to resist Kier barking orders in that wonderfully thick German accent and the scenes of him getting turned on by fondling the innards of his female creation are priceless.

The film features decapitations, impalements and oodles of guts and body parts.

All courtesy of special effects maestro Carlo Rambaldi, who would later work his magic on Alien and E.T. The film is ripe with copious amounts of nudity, humping and good old fashioned necrophelia. “To know death, Otto, you must fuck life in the gallbladder!” Dr. Frankenstein declares in the film’s most famous line of dialogue.

Amen.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM

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film feature

by michael “Dedman” Jones of Horror Society Kickstarter and Indiegogo have become the voice for fundraising for many indie film makers, who normally have to pull every cent from their own pockets in order to see their project made. Director Jeremy Hull is looking for backers for his fantastic new film, Back from the Grave, which takes us back to the ‘80s—a time when horror and comedy went together like knives and nudity! Set in the year 1985, Back from the Grave tells the story of Jack, a rebellious teenage outcast, as he returns from the afterlife seeking two things: reconciliation with his ex-girlfriend Diane and answers to the event that brought about his death.

Living Dead Magazine: The love interests in your film are named Jack and Diane. Was it a pre-determined decision to name the main characters after a reference to the song by John Mellencamp, and what other pop culture references from that time period helped you to sculpt the characters and plot?

Jeremy Hull: Believe it or not, I actually came up with the concept for Back from the Grave while I was listening to that song. It was just playing on the radio, and I guess my brain just went, “What if this guy was singing about some teenage couple and the boyfriend was actually dead?” A bit morbid, but I thought it might make for one hysterically twisted motion picture. So I just ran with it and let it evolve.

Back from the Grave is going to be loaded to the brim with pop culture references. It’s impossible to avoid.

However, I want these references to reflect the time period and not stand out as flashy centerpieces. If a song is playing in the background, it’s because that song was popular in the fall of 1985. I don’t want something to be there if it’s just going to jump out and scream at the audience as a gimmick. I’m not a fan of gimmicks.

LDM: In your Kickstarter statement you state that, ‘Our goal is to capture the thrill of 1980s adventure films by telling our cinematic tale with old school techniques and in-camera illusions (miniatures, forced perspective, rear projection, compositing, practical makeup, etc.).’ With so many advances in cinematic technique, how extensive has your research been for recreating these techniques, and what do you expect to be the most challenging part of making the film?

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JH: In this day and age, the best research always begins with DVD bonus material. It’s like having your own film school with the cheapest tuition possible. I continuously go back to the making-of material on films like The Terminator, Poltergeist, An American Werewolf in London and the original Evil Dead. There was no such thing

as a computer generated effect back in the ‘80s, which meant you had to find creative ways to sell your vision to an audience using only the physical elements you had at your disposal.

But my research doesn’t stop there—it can’t. If you want to go for authenticity, you have to go to the people who grew up in the ‘80s and talk to them about their experiences. You have to see pictures of them when they were teenagers. You have to figure out why they listened to a particular genre of music, or what movies they ran out to see. That’s the important stuff. Otherwise our efforts as filmmakers would be nothing more than a cheap imitation of something audiences have already seen. That to me is going to be the most challenging element. Can we make this feel like a genuine ‘80s movie without becoming a cheap imitation? I guess we’ll see.

LDM: On the Back from the Grave website you mention, “When people hear indie film, their mind typically jumps to small scale movies that are more intimate and emotional.

But can’t an indie film present audiences with something large in scope but still make you care about the characters?” It is refreshing to see a director acknowledge those ideas in the beginning of a project. How are you looking to provide that intimate and emotional content with the film, and how are you looking to interlace those aspects with the horrific elements of the film?

JH: If you were to ask someone what Back to the Future was about, they would probably say something like, “It’s about this kid who goes back in time, and has to figure out a way to get back home.” Well, that’s the plot, but really the movie is about an adolescent’s attempt to reconcile with his parents. Marty can’t figure how his mom and dad ever came to love each other; given the fact his life is a total bore. But when he goes back in time and connects with them individually, he begins to see how much he has in common with them. That’s the secret to great storytelling. You want to find something people can relate to.

In our case, Back from the Grave has this reoccurring theme of regret that encapsulates every character in our story, especially Jack and Diane. Nobody can relate to being dead and coming back again (at least I hope not), but everyone does have something they regret in life— something they wish they could go back and fix. That’s the underlying theme of this motion picture. This is a representation of what would happen if you got that second chance. The results will be both hilarious and horrifying.

LDM: The importance of cast and crew can never be understated when making a project of any kind. With looking to keep the film in the same scope of other films from that time period, who are you looking towards as your Special FX artist for the project, and how important is it that they use that more organic look and feel for the film?

JH:It is of the utmost importance that the visual effects in Back from the Grave resonate the tone and details found in the movies of the ‘80s. No detail can be overlooked. That’s why I’m hiring as many young and ambitious collaborators as I can possibly find. I want to go back to the old school way of doing these things, not only to effectively create the look and feel of an ‘80s horror/adventure film, but also to prove that these skills are still more effective than the digital alternative. Nothing looks better than what you can do in camera and on set.

LDM: Indiegogo and Kickstarter have become the backbone for many indie films to have a stage to help get fund-

ing. Social media has also become a crucial element into getting the word out. What are your thoughts on how fundraising and social media are impacting indie films today, and what are your thoughts on larger studios and directors using fundraising to get their projects made?

JH: Kickstarter and Indiegogo are great tools to gain exposure and resources for your projects—not only that, they attract an audience and get people interested in what you’re hoping to achieve. These resources are helping to transform Joe Schmo into the next Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese. They’re powerful tools, and I don’t think Hollywood studios or established filmmakers should be stealing the spotlight from the young and ambitious. The way I see it, Hollywood studios and established filmmakers should be aiding the young and ambitious talents that are out there in order to help them achieve their dreams.

After all, these lesser known artists will one day be taking their place as Hollywood’s biggest and brightest.

LDM: Perks have been an important part of any fundraising project, and your film is no exception. With perks that include bands being able to get their songs in the film, having small acting cameos, naming the high school (and keeping the sign) as well as being listed as executive producer, there is a wealth of great things that people can get for helping fund the film. How did you guys come up with some of the innovative perks, and how did the idea of some of the retro perks come about (copies of the film on VHS and the soundtrack on audio cassette)?

JH: I did a lot of research by sinking my teeth into a wide array of various Kickstarter campaigns, and I kept coming back to the same conclusion. I felt that a lot of productions were offering a lot of really cool prizes, but nothing that was genuinely getting me involved with the project. Even if I were to donate I still would’ve felt like an audience member and nothing more. So I wanted to change that, which is why we’re offering so many incentives for people to be in the movie or be a part of the filmmaking experience.

As an added bonus, it just isn’t the ‘80s without high quality VHS and audio cassettes. We just felt the whole vintage idea would be a fun idea to attract the hardcore ‘80s fans out there. I originally thought about putting the soundtrack on vinyl, and the movie on laser disc, but I’m frightened to know how much that reward may have cost us to create.

LDM: What advice would you give to up and coming young filmmakers, and other talent in the industry, and what would you like to say to all of your fans and horror lovers everywhere?

JH: There is no idea too big or too imaginative for you to pull off. You are the maker of your own circumstances, and the only person who stands in your way is you. Don’t settle for second best and don’t let the scope of something frighten you. If you believe you can pull it off and you’re determined to do it, then forge ahead. Don’t let anything—including yourself—stand in your way.

And for all my fellow horror junkies out there, long live the ‘80s and long live horror cinema. Thank you for all your support. I can’t wait to see all of you at the movies.

Funding runs through June 8, 2014, so make sure to head over to www.kickstarter.com/ projects/662948626/back-from-the-grave to see the amazing perks and help make the horror revival of the 80’s something to remember!

S R E K A M R E T S N O M

Int

e

w rvie

By

T

CAS Y GAR

Welcome to our monster makers, supernatural edition.

In each issue, we shine the spotlight on the monster makers who have truly mastered their chosen craft. Some do it for hobby, some for profit, but whatever the reason, these artists have a touch of magic in their blood that helps them bring our favorite monsters to life. From mask makers to sculptors, model kit builders and special effects makeup artists, we cover them all for a behind-the-scenes look at how monsters are made for scaring us to death.

In this issue, we go across the pond to the U.K. and welcome Mr. Richard Kearne to our dead little family. Once you see his life-size pets, you will see why he fits right in.

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RY

ER LEB

mall just like something out of Dawn of the Dead. The show The Walking Dead is a really big in the U.K., and we are only one day behind you guys.

Living Dead :

Welcome, Richard, tell our readers a bit about yourself and what type of monster maker you are.

Richard Kearne : Well, I have always been a fanatical model maker from a very early age and have always loved horror of any type, but my favorites have to be werewolves and zombies. I think it all started when I was about 10 years old and a friend of mine had a comic book, Werewolf

By Night. I borrowed it one day and that was it--I was hooked. I used to hassle my mom, asking her to get me werewolf things like posters, toys, or games, but there was never much around back then, so I was always on the look out for new stuff. I am still the same way now, but I now make full size props as a hobby. I guess you could say my models have grown with me.

LDM : What drives and inspires you to make these beasts and creatures of the dead?

RK : It all started a few years ago. I had raved on to my wife about doing a big Halloween party--fancy dress, of course--but I wanted to do something different, so I made two rotting corpses to start with and then I thought I would have a go at a full-size coffin to house one of them.

I had a lot of people mention how good they looked, so I added some grave stones that I had also made in my garden, and things just took off from there. Because the fascination with werewolves was still with me, I wanted to go as a werewolf at the party but could not find a costume I liked, so I though, “Hey, why not make my own?” It was a bit daunting, as I had no idea where to start. But I knew the look I wanted, so I just went for it, and I’m pleased with how he and all his rotting friends ended up.

LDM : In the U.S., television shows like The Walking Dead and a large array of zombie movies have spiked the public’s love of zombies. Has the same thing happened in the UK? RK : Definitely. There seems to be a

big zombie incursion in the U.K. at the moment. Everyone is going zombie mad. There are zombie walks and zombie air soft games--in fact I went on one just after Christmas. It was a present from my wife, and it was in an abandoned shopping mall

LDM : All legends have some basis in fact, and the legend of the werewolf was very dominant in the U.K. in smaller towns in the rural areas of your country.

Does this still exist or has time brought this horrible legend down to more urban legend status?

RK : I think there are still some sort

of legends going around. You still get the odd little village out there where there are secrets behind closed doors, but on the whole, the legends have been watered down and are not so scary anymore. But you can never be really sure, can you?

LDM : Richard, what movies or other sources have motivated you in your monster making? Tell our readers some of your favorite monster films, old, new, or both.

RK : Well, with my werewolf, (Wilberforce, as I have called him) it has to be The Howling. I just loved the look of them in that film, and I would like to think it shows in my work. I did add a little bit of An American Werewolf in the mix as well, although it is a totally different type of beast.

I think there was something more savage and less human about those werewolves.

With my zombies, I wanted the rotting look, like decay had set in and was taking its toll on them. I loved the zombies in Zombie Flesh Eaters, and now the ones in The Walking Dead.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 19

LDM :

What goes into the making of a full size 6’5” werewolf and the flesh eating zombies? Where do you get your fur and other materials?

RK : Believe it or not, most of the

things I have used have been thrown out as rubbish. I have been known to raid the Skip Tip for items. The framework on nearly all of my props has been made out of old broken wooden pallets, broom handles, and fenceposts. My mom was throwing out some old sun loungers that were broken and the springs had gone. I asked her keep the badding, which I then cut up and used to build the torsos. I also used old pool noodles, carving and shaping them to give muscle tone. I also use cotton wool and PVA glue to mold the faces on my props, and when it sets, it is rock hard and waterproof. Sometimes I do need to buy things though, like the fur on the werewolf I bought from a local market. All of my props are made in my living room, mostly at the dinner table--and yes, my wife does go mad sometimes.

LDM : Here in the U.S., Halloween is a huge celebration with hundreds of haunted houses for us to walk through and get the daylights scared out of us by creatures just ike yours. Does the U.K. have a similar scene during All Hallows Eve? 20

RK :

Not to the scale you guys do.

There are things around, but on the whole the Brits are a bit boring, and that’s why I wanted to do big parties for Halloween. By my third party and with all the new props I had made, my little house was something of a major attraction.

We had trick-or-treaters come back with cameras to get photos, and over a hundred guests.

LDM : Richard, what will your next monster project be, and how do you plan for it? Do you work up a drawing phase and then move onto the production phase, or do you just free form it and jump right in?

RK : I’m a jump in guy. I get an idea

in my head and just work from that.

I like the way my props develop as I work on them. I might be working on them and a new idea will pop into my head,that I think will look good, so I add as I go along. Sometimes I will complete a prop, then go back to it a few days later with a new idea.

The werewolf, for example, has undergone a few changes over time-changes of an arm position, turn the

head to the side, that sort of thing--it all just comes out of my head.

I am currently planning a second werewolf--one on four legs like in An American Werewolf, and a demon with really big wing--I just need to raid a few more Skips first.

LDM : Richard, Living Dead Magazine wants to thank you for your time and for sharing your ‘pets’ with our readers. How can a reader contact you should they have any questions about your monsters or want to know more about what you do?

RK : Thank you for this opportunity to show off my work. you can contact me any time through my Facebook page @richard.kearne. I am also friends with Living Dead Magazine--you guys are so cool!

Supernatural Teas

by Erin Kerley

Tea drinking is no longer just for the uptight Brits—with a ton of exciting flavors available, huge health benefits and an entirely new, hipper fan base (including celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, George Clooney and even Lady Gaga). Tea has even crossed into the pop culture realm with the Etsy shop Beastly Beverages, owned by a man we simply call Magnus. Beastly Beverages combines a love of tea with fandom and a generous dash of geekery. The shop brings you unique tea blends based off of popular films and television shows like Doctor Who, Marvel, Pacific Rim and of course the uber popular Supernatural. Magnus makes it clear that this isn’t your grandma’s teashop.

Living Dead Magazine : Magnus, tell us a little about your Etsy store and what you offer.

Magnus : I have always loved Etsy as I thought it was a wonderful way for people to make a living out of crafting.

Or at least make a little money on the side. My little corner of Etsy is my Tea Shop. It started off small with only three Sherlock teas just over a year ago. But people seemed to be just as excited about my little project as I am and it has steadily grown from there. I now offer teas from fandoms such as: Sherlock, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Hannibal, Rise Of The Guardians, Marvel, Pacific Rim and coming soon are: Firefly, The Hobbit, Game Of Thrones, Teen Wolf and Attack On Titan.

LDM : How did you get involved in making teas and how did you learn to do it?

M : I was really into Japanese Culture as a teenager and it followed me into my 20s. Especially the tea ceremonies. Coupled with my love of the old English tradition of Afternoon Tea, my love and interest took on a bit of a life of its own. I started out experimenting with tea bags and different spices, cutting open the bags and adding my own chopped ingredients and seeing what things tasted like. I grew a little more adventurous and began buying packs of loose leaf and mixing various black teas together to see if I could create an entirely different flavour. Those first few attempts were awful. I’m not going to lie, it took a lot of practice and trial and error before my teas were something I’d consider drinkable. It took a year of experimentation and practice before I felt confident enough to have a go at selling them.

LDM : What inspired you to make teas based off the show Supernatural?

M : Supernatural is one of my favourite shows and it has a lot of characters which all have very unique personalities-not one character is even slightly the same as the other.

This gave me a lot of room for experimentation and having fun with lots of different flavours. Matching up ingredients to personality types is a lot harder than it looks, but certainly a lot of fun. From a business point of view, Supernatural was a good choice because it is so popular. And having so many characters and such a long running series, I am unlikely to run out of character based blends any time soon.

LDM : Which or your teas goes best with pie and why?

M : The Righteous Man, my Dean Winchester tea. Mainly because I made it so that it would go well with pie. It has a warm almost coffee-like scent and the notes of chocolate

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and coconut compliment pies such as apple and cherry. In fact, if you add a dash of cinnamon to your cup of Righteous Man, it goes absolutely perfectly with apple pie.

LDM : If you could have one actor from the show try your tea, who would it be and why?

M : I’d really be over the moon if Misha Collins tried ‘Angel Of The Lord’ because I remember watching a clip on YouTube of him at a convention and he mentioned that he is more of a tea man than coffee. So, I think that he’d enjoy the tea I made based on Castiel. I would also love for Mark Sheppard to try ‘Exit Stage Crowley’ as well. I would be interested to see what he thought.

LDM : Do you believe in the supernatural?

M : Yes and no. I think there there is definitely something out there other than just us--whether that is ghosts or simply energy left behind, I am not sure. But there are so many stories about different supernatural creatures that I believe that it definitely comes from somewhere.

LDM : The artwork on your tea is amazing please tell us a little about the artist that does all your drawings and how you two met.

M : I have many different artists for my teas, but the person

who did my Dean, Castiel and Sam labels is Amy Learoyd [who you can find] at http://sangluna.deviantart.com. We have been friends for years and I am very lucky to have her as as a flatmate. We met by chance at a convention and have been inseparable ever since. When I first had the idea to start this business, I knew that I wanted Amy’s artwork for my labels. She has such an eye for detail and does the best watercolour work I’ve seen in a very long time.

LDM : What is your personal favorite blend of Supernatural themed teas?

M : Castiel is my favourite character, so I wanted to make his tea very special--and so both versions (Castiel - ‘Angel Of The Lord’ and Endverse Castiel - ‘It’s The End Baby’) are my favorites. I love the calming quality of Angel Of The Lord, I think I have managed to make a blend that is refreshing and comforting--whereas with ‘It’s The End Baby,’ it has a very decadent blend with a high caffeine kick and a touch of spice.

LDM : What do you consider the best way to enjoy tea?

M : Every person and every blend is different, so you do have to taste and try to see what is best for you. My particular favourite is a strong, spiced black tea, brewed for three minutes with milk and two sugars. Add a slice of cake or a packet of biscuits and a good book and I am one happy tea Monster.

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What an Excellent Day for a SĂŠance!

A Photo Series by Brian Maze of Maze Studios

Featuring the brave models who nearly died of fright during the making of these photos : Cori Dials, Kristina Kreep, Joey Kundler, Ginger Flohr, Carolyn Fikani, RevFranke Deth Feige, and MUA / Stylist Cori Dials

JIM BEAVER EXPLORES HIS DARK SIDE

BY DEANNA UUTELA

A southern boy and a cowboy at heart, Jim Beaver feels the most at home when jumping on a horse for roles in shows like Deadwood or Revolution than he does killing demons with holy water in the wildly successful sci-fi/horror series Supernatural. Even though this talented, down-to-earth actor from Texas never intended on getting into the horror and sci-fi genre, his fans are sure glad he did. No matter what name he goes by—be it Bobby, Sheriff, Clint, Lawson or even Whitney— fans can’t get enough of Jim Beaver.

Living Dead Magazine : You have been in this business for a very long time and your success has just grown and grown, especially with your starring role in Supernatural. How do you feel about the place you are at in life, and has success been a welcome development, or do you find it more difficult to maintain a normal life now?

Jim Beaver : I’m at a great place in life. I work steady, which is every actor’s dream, and I can pay my bills. Everything that has happened, career-wise, in the past decade has been wonderful. I travel more than I did, and that’s difficult in terms of being a good dad for my daughter. But otherwise, all is grand. I don’t have the kind of public profile that makes it difficult for me to go places. I’m rarely recognized on the street (or at least people rarely make it known that they’ve recognized me). There’s nothing hard about being who I am.

“Being on Supernatural is kind of like being in the carpet-cleaning business. When a carpet cleaner gets home at night, the last thing he’s interested in is cleaning the carpet!”

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LDM : Your acting career didn’t start out in horror/fantasy. Is this a genre you had hoped to eventually get into, or did it just kind of fall into your lap by chance?

JB : No, I never had any particular interest in horror or fantasy and probably wouldn’t have chosen it if i’d been offered a choice of genres. (I’m more of

a Westerns and crime drama kind of guy.) There was no seeking it out. I was given the part of Bobby Singer by a producer I’d once played a cop for, and I was happy to have the job. That’s pretty much it.

LDM : Are you a blood and gore type of horror fan into films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Hostel, or are you more into suspenseful horror films like Hitchcock style or even Halloween?

JB : I don’t care for horror movies, as a general rule. I very much like the really old ones from the 1930s, and I thought The Exorcist and Alien were brilliant horror movies. But being on Supernatural is kind of like being in the carpet-cleaning business. When a carpet cleaner gets home at night, the last thing he’s interested in is cleaning the carpet! I’m sort of the same way with horror movies. I like a good suspense movie like the original Cape Fear, for example, but I’m not a horror fan particularly.

LDM : Can you name one actor you have worked with that has been the most exciting for you?

JB : I’ve been blessed with the chance to work with a great num-

ber of really fine actors, some whom I’ve admired for a long time, some whom I’ve only gotten to know by working with them. The most exciting? That’s a tough one. It was very exciting to get jobs working with Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Whoopi Goldberg, Nick Nolte, Maggie Smith, Julianne Moore, and David and Keith Carradine. And I dearly loved working with Mark Harmon, David Warner, Edward Asner, Dylan Walsh, and Timothy Olyphant. But to pick the most exciting? I don’t think I could.

LDM : Supernatural is going into something like the 9th Season now, which is so mind blowing and wonderful, why do you think the show still resonates so well with fans for this long?

JB : I think Supernatural works so well because the writers never forget that ultimately the show is about human relationships and behavior, and not merely about monsters. I’ve had fans tell me they would watch the show even if there weren’t any monsters, just to see how Sam and Dean and Castiel and Bobby get through life together. I think that’s the key to its success.

LDM : You are starring in Guillermo del Torro’s new film Crimson Peak, which as you know automatically puts you on the list of one of the luckiest actor’s ever. Can you tell us a little bit about the film and your role in it?

JB : It’s a gothic ghost story in the Henry James Turn of the Screw vein, set in Boston and England in 1900. I play a wealthy Boston industrialist whose daughter, played by Mia Wasikowska, gets involved with a haunted house and some angry spirits. While the atmosphere will be a familiar one to those who know those great Henry James/Daphne Du Maurier stories, the execution will be state-of-the-art scary! Should be great fun to make and a joy to see, as Guillermo’s films seem always to be.

LDM : If you had to be stuck in an abandoned house and you

had to flee from one villain who would you prefer it be and why: Dexter, Mr. White, George Hearst, Lucifer, or Boyd Crowder?

JB : I’d probably pick Boyd if I were stuck in bizarre choice like that. Boyd’s got a pretty rational, reasonable streak, something none of those others have, I’m afraid. I might be able to talk him out of hurting me if he caught me!

You can catch Jim Beaver on Supernatural every Tuesday at 9/8c on the CW. Also watch for his roles in the new films The Frontier and Crimson Peak, both being released within the next year.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 27

THE DOCTOR IS IN : AN INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR

CHAD LINDBERG

BY GARY CASTLEBERRY Living Dead Magazine: Chad, everyone here at LDM applauds your great success in the film industry. We know you began at an early age, but at what point in life did you stand up, wide-eyed and say, “I’m going to be an actor!”

AS ASH IN SUPERNATURAL

Chad Lindberg: I was always being a ham and making home movies as a kid. I always had a camera in my hand, and it was always rolling. I was a sophomore in high school when I started doing plays and being active in acting class. I got a small part in our high school production of “Guys and Dolls,” and I caught the bug. I continued doing plays and knew I was good at it. It felt natural. At that point I knew I wanted to be a professional actor, so I looked in the local hometown newspaper in the classifieds for any auditions that were happening in the area. I found an ad for a talent agency in Seattle called “Kid Biz.” My mom drove me down to audition a few days later. They signed me right away and sent me out on my first movie audition the next day. It was for a big movie called Born to be Wild that was filming in Seattle from LA. The role was as a Burger Boss with two lines. I had booked my first audition ever. Since then, it’s been a steady and patient climb over the past 20 years.

LDM: Were there any actors or movies that inspired you to dive right into acting at such an early age?

Chad Lindberg has been acting most of his life.

When you view his long and impressive filmography, your mind is boggled that he is only in his mid-30s. Chad began acting as a teenager, and has built up quite an impressive body of work.

He has appeared in huge movies such as October Sky (1999), Mercury Rising (1998), The Last Samurai (2003) and the ever popular The Fast and the Furious (2001). On the small screen of TV, he has appeared in major series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), ER (1994-2009), The X-Files (1993-2002) and plays the lovable recluse Ash in the hit show Supernatural (2005– ). And if he wasn’t busy enough, when Chad is not busy rocking it on screen, he is rocking it in real life as a paranormal investigator—yes, he is a ghost buster. We are pretty sure we have officially found the perfect man, ladies and gentlemen. Yep, much like his character in Supernatural, there is nothing boring about Chad Lindberg (not even his hair).

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CL: Leonardo Dicaprio’s performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. After I saw him in that movie, I knew right away that I wanted to do that. He’s been my favorite actor and most inspiring since I started. When I was in high school, there was an actor from Mount Vernon making a name for himself—it was Jim Caviezel from Passion of the Christ. He had just booked a small part in Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner, and it was news all over my hometown. I remember seeing the newspaper article about him and I was like, “Hey, I can do that too.” His success definitely played a part in me wanting to pursue acting, and knowing that it was possible.

LDM: You have been in many major motion pictures and also many TV series as well. What differences do you find in making movies compared to working on a television series? Is there a big difference in the two?

CL: I feel very fortunate to be able to have done both over the years—the processes are very different.

When you create a character, whether it be for film or TV, it’s the same. You have an inner instinct as to who the character is. In film you have more time to develop your character—the process is much more spread

out. When working on TV, you don’t have as much time to prepare for a role. When you book a guest star you have about a week to prepare, as TV moves very fast. Typically it takes ten days to film an episode of an hour show. Films usually take from three weeks to three months, depending on the scale and budget of the film.

LDM: Chad, our readers just have to know how you earned the nickname Dr. Badass.

CL: We have Erik Kripke and the amazing writers of Supernatural to thank for that. My character in the show was named Ash—basically a mullet wearing, beer drinking, computer geek, demon hunter. He had a secret lair that he did all of his business in.

No one was allowed inside but him. On the door to Ash’s lair, there is a wooden sign that says, “Dr. Badass is in.” Dr. Badass stuck, and is now a household name in the Supernatural fandom world. It’s also what a lot of fans on Twitter call me. It’s fun.

Dr. Badass is always in.

in Los Angeles. I would tell any actor to watch this movie and then ask yourself if it’s still for you: mybigbreakmovie.com LDM: Out of your great body of work, what are two of your favorite roles you feel you were at your best?

CL: I would say my role in I Spit on Your Grave. It was by far one of the most amazing creative experiences of my career. One of my other favorite roles is when I played a deaf transvestite in The Velocity of Gary. I did a killer lip synch to Patsy Cline’s “Walking after Midnight.” I also look good in a dress, I might add.

LDM: On top of all your movie and television roles, you are also a paranormal investigator. How did you get involved in ghost chasing?

CL: I’ve always had a huge passion for the paranormal my whole life. I’ve been a huge fan, and have a major respect for the Ghost Adventures. I was very fortunate to become friends with the guys and they had me on their show as a guest investigator on the “Return to Linda Vista” episode. The experience was life changing, and I’ve been investigating seriously over the past few years, going to extremely haunted locations. I’ve gotten to meet so many people in the paranormal community, and it’s changed my life. It’s become a huge part of who I am.

GHOST HUNTING IS SOME SERIOUS BUSINESS ON GHOST ADVENTURES

LDM: Chad, you appeared in a very interesting film called Rise of the Zombies, filmed in Alcatraz. This was such a cool but eerie concept about being on an island with zombies and nowhere to run. And for a paranormal investigator, it must have been a double treat considering Alcatraz has been known to be one of the most haunted places in the USA. Can you tell us about the movie, and any experiences or weird happenings you may have run into there?

CL: It was such a fun movie to film. It was my second time working with director and friend Nick Lyon. We first worked together on a movie years ago called Punk Love. He called me up and asked me if I wanted to kill some zombies in a film. Of course I do! A little movie magic here for ya—we actually filmed ROZ in Los Angeles. They just made it look like Alcatraz.

LDM: What sort of advice would you offer to actors, such as yourself, who are young and want to break into the tough business of movies and television? Are there any do’s or don’ts you can offer the rookie trying to get a break?

CL: Only get into the business if it’s who you are and you love acting and performing 110 percent. This business is tough.

You have to be in it for the long haul. Being in the business 20 years still has its challenges. It can be a harrowing process at times, but extremely rewarding as well. I’ve been very lucky to have been able to work as I have and recognized for it.

Bottom line is you have to believe in yourself and work very hard. I was in a documentary called My Big Break. Anyone who is looking to get into acting and move to LA needs to see this film. It’s a real look at what it’s really like to be an actor

IN RISE OF THE ZOMBIES

LDM: Chad, it’s been our pleasure at Living Dead Magazine to talk to you, and we all wish you the very best for the future in acting and in your paranormal activities and investigations. Do you have any projects or events you would like our readers to know about in closing?

CL: Thanks so much for the amazing interview. I’m very proud to announce I’ve just been cast in Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story. It’s a music biopic about The Allman Brothers and their life. I’m playing the legendary “Red Dog.” Joseph “Red Dog” Campbell was one of the roadies for The Allman Brothers. He was the band’s roadie for 32 years. I’m honored to play him. And I am also honored to be featured in Living Dead Magazine. I appreciate you having me and I look forward to coming back soon.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM

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bitchin'babe of the month Living Dead Girl : Jes Atomic Age : 23 Location: Portland, OR Occupation: Full-time archaeology student and works at a Science Museum.

Favorite Paranormal Themed Film: House on Haunted Hill. It was the film that made me fall in love with the genre. There’s hardly any gore or scare tactics, but Vincent Price will forever be my King of Horror. Watching that for the first time when I was 11 gave me nightmares for weeks.

Favorite Paranormal Themed TV Show : I’m currently digging Being Human. Just don’t make me choose between the UK & US version.

Tell us about your love for the Paranormal : I grew up reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and that kickstarted my love for it all. As a kid, I read every book about paranormal / supernatural that I could. Most of the stories are passed on through generations. The details change, but the esscence is the same.

I don’t really remember a time where Ghostbusters wasn’t a big part of my life. I fell in love with the movie and that love transferred onto the cartoons and later the graphic novels. It reached a point where I decided to get “I ain’t afraid of no ghost” permanently etched onto my ribs.

Favorite Ghostbusters Character : This may be the hardest question I’ll ever answer. At the end of the day, being the science girl I am, I’d go with Egon. I also named my cat after him, but let the record show that Venkman was my first crush.

If you could write an episode of Supernatural, what would the synopsis be? : I’d love to do a Ghostfacers episode. Or better yet, a spinoff series. As I said earlier, I really love the stories that have been passed down for generations, so having them go after Bloody Mary or Carmen Winstead would be great.

Sam or Dean? : I adore Dean, but I’ve always felt like Sam has battled so much more. And what can I say? I like the nerdy sweethearts over the “bad boys.”

Photography by Pirateology Studios LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 33

IMPALE DESIGN

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Impale Design is the artwork of self taught graphic designer, visual artist and musician, Billy Ludwig. He is known for dark, nightmarish imagery, much like the theme of Ludwig’s art gallery and bizarre boutique, Thirteenth Floor, located in the heart of the Canton Arts District in Canton, Ohio. Ludwig takes the gallery on the road, traveling the US to sell his artwork at numerous comic cons and horror conventions.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 35

The name Impale Design is loosely derived from Billy’s family heritage. His Great Grandmother, on the Ludwig side, was a witch from Transylvania. So he decided to pay homage to the vampire myth that surrounds the country. “(Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is based off of the real person Prince of Wallachia, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler (or simply Dracula). He received that moniker for impaling his enemies.)

His pieces are certainly influenced or possibly even inspired by the paranormal and supernatural. “Since I was a young boy,” says Ludwig, “I’ve always been “in-tune”, so to speak, with my surroundings and those who are still lurking about after death. By all means, I believe, there is life after death in one respect or another.”

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I Lit The Fire in Hell This typography piece is highlighting a line from the chorus of a song Billy wrote called “Phyction�. You can buy prints and posters of his unbelievable work on his website at www.thirteenthfloor.us, or check out his convention schedule and see this talented artist in person. But believe me when I say you had better go early to his booth, his artwork sells like hotcakes!

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 37

Uncover your home's deadly past '

by Lauren Steuer

www.DiedInHouse.com Want to know the history of that house you fell in love with before you purchase it? Maybe if an entire family were brutally murdered at the hands of a crazed ax man? Or maybe you are just curious if those moans and knocking sounds you keep on hearing in your home at night might be more than just your imagination? Well, then we have just the website for you. Died in House founder Roy Condrey can tell you the true history of a house. Whether or not you still want to buy after that, well, that is entirely up to you.

The Original Amityville House

The Mansion Amy Passed In 38

Winehouse

Living Dead Magazine: We love your website. It is such a brilliant idea. Can you tell us what it is all about?

Roy Condrey: Thank you. Diedinhouse. com is a first of its kind, web-based application that helps customers find out if someone has died at an address before they sign an offer letter to buy or a lease to rent. Using a valid U.S. address, Diedinhouse.com instantly searches millions of records to determine if a death has occurred at that location.

LDM: What got you interested in the business of haunted real estate?

RC: Diedinhouse.com provides no representation as to the presence of any ghost, haunting or any other paranormal activity—or the nature of any such future activities. The purpose of the site is to simply try and provide customers with instant information regarding a death at an address.

I got the idea for Diedinhouse.com when I found out that someone died in my house before I bought it. I assumed it was part of the disclosure process, but unfortunately found out that it was not. I discovered that most states do not have any laws to disclose a death occurrence in a property no matter how it occurred (murder, suicide, accident, illness or natural). What I also discovered is that there is not a single place to go, and that the research is very time consuming.

LDM: Do people typically still purchase even after finding out that the place is haunted?

RC: It depends on the person. I can basically break down our customers into five groups: people interested in the paranormal, people who want to know their home’s genealogy, people who fear ghosts, people who don’t care but don’t want the stigma (of a death in the home), and people who want to use a death for leverage to get a better price. A 2007 Associated Press poll found that one third of Americans polled admit to believing in ghosts. I wonder how many just don’t admit it. A Realtor.com survey stated that 62 percent of home buyers polled would

be open to cohabiting with ghosts. If that number is true, now they know 38 percent are not. According to RealtorMag. com, stigmatized properties make a tough sell—they typically sell for 3 percent less and take 45 percent longer to sell.

LDM: What are the most atrocious monstrosities documented within a single home?

RC: In this business, I learn about deaths occurring in homes every day. There are tons of horrible stories. The ones that involve children really bother me, such as Andrea Yates' house in Houston, Texas where she drowned her five children one by one in the bathtub back in 2001. That event has to be one of the worst. There are tons of bizarre stories, such as the house in West Alis, Wisconsin where a man was found in 2012, four years after he committed suicide in 2007—and the house in Jackson, Michigan where the girlfriend of a man that died in 2010 kept his corpse sitting in a living room chair for nearly two years, while she continued to cash his benefits checks. She would speak to him and watch NASCAR.

LDM: Is there any advice you would like to give our readers out there who are looking to buy a house in the near future?

RC: I recommend that before anyone purchases or rents a home, to ask their agent, seller or landlord to purchase them a DiedinHouse.com report. Also, ask the seller if they are aware of any deaths, speak with the neighbors, search the address online and check local government records. I believe that a buyer should have all the information that is available on the property before they decide to purchase. By law you are to be informed of the material facts such as water leaks and aged roofs, but you are not required to be told if a murder or suicide occurred at the address. Even if you think you really do not care, why turn down the information? You never know what you might find out.

You can learn more about diedinhouse. com on their website, and read more of Roy’s horrorific finds at facebook.com/ pages/Died-in-House/138819152943127.

learning the truth

behind haunted items WITH HAUNTED DOLL’S OWNER JAYNE HARRIS

BY QUEENIE THAYER IMOGEN

Horror has many wonderful elements, but none as mysterious, compelling and strange as that of the supernatural. Hauntings, possessions and spirits have a long history in media—they goes back to antiquity, and can even be found in the Bible. It’s part of why the priestly exorcisms just keep cropping up in film. We want to see what happens to people when they become possessed, and the effects are startling, sometimes downright terrifying to witness. What happens though, when an object gets haunted? Objects are blank vessels—a clean canvas for any mischievous ghost or demon to play with, so that leaves a lot of wiggle room for a nasty entity to get comfy in.

BELLA DONNA

One of my favorite movies, Event Horizon, deals with a ship that gets lost in space. When it comes back, the people sent to retrieve it realize the ship has come back with...something. What I love most about this film is that it takes the haunted house idea and twists it so hard, it doubles back on sci-fi. Plus, it contains elements of classic gorehorror with its shots of the tortured crew looking like they got caught in Clive Barker’s version of Hell.

While there are many different spirit talismans in horror, the best mileage comes from the vessel of a doll, and none is more famous than Chucky from Child’s Play. Of course, Charles Lee Ray is a living being that places himself inside the Good Guy Doll, not exactly a spirit from beyond the grave. A more traditional ghostly example lies in The Conjuring. That movie has several haunted objects in it, but the doll is one of the creepiest. The Annabelle doll story is based on a personal account, said to have been a gift given to a nursing student named Donna that ends up having some serious horrific consequences. People who encounter haunted items live with these memories forever, and for them, the events are completely real.

The experiences self-proclaimed paranormal expert Jayne Harris of haunted-dolls.com had as a teen led him to believe without a doubt that there is “indeed another level to our existence.” He has been a paranormal investigator for the last 16 years, and for him, it has become more than just an obsession. He helped shed some light for us on the mystery that shrouds haunted objects.

IRIS

40

BETSY

Living Dead Magazine: How long have you been dealing with paranormal experiences? Did something happen to you to draw you into this career?

Jayne Harris: I have been working in the paranormal field for 16 years now. It started as a hobby really. I had always been fascinated with learning about the afterlife following the death of my cousin and boyfriend in the same year when I was 16. I visited psychic mediums, some of whom gave me some wonderfully insightful messages, which proved to me beyond doubt that there is indeed another level to our existence.

LDM: How many haunted items have you come across in your line of work?

JH: It’s impossible to say exactly how many objects with paranormal connections I have been in contact with over the years. Obviously most of the items we are asked to study turn out to have nothing paranormal associated with them, but I’d say for every 20– 30 items we study—and we’re quite selective when it comes to accepting items for study— we will get one or two that give us some excellent readings, and proof of the afterlife. In my own private collection, I have around 30 items.

LDM: What is the most memorable haunted item you’ve encountered?

JH: That’s a difficult one. We had a Dybbuk box a while ago that had been discovered in a garden in Worcestershire. The owners were so troubled by

TWINS OF DAMBALLA

it and its negative effects that we were very cautious when agreeing to study it. The experience of working with it definitely has stayed with me since.

LDM: How does an artifact become haunted?

JH: Haunted is probably a bit of a subjective word. By haunted we can mean literally ‘possessed’ or inhabited by the soul/spirit of someone who once lived on earth, or we can mean that an object has simply absorbed positive/negative energy from its environment. For example, items used regularly for dark purposes can retain negativity and in some cases have been shown to bring about bad luck.

There are several reasons why a spirit may choose not to pass over to the other side, and to remain on our side of life. Over the years we have encountered spirits who have a personal attachment to the vessel they are ‘inhabiting,’ either through previous ownership (i.e. the doll/object belonged to them in life), a child or someone they were close to. Not all spirits, however, choose their vessel for this

reason—some may have simply chosen a doll for its physical appearance. Indeed, many spirits we have encountered have told us that the doll they have anchored to looks very much how they did in life, and so they feel it the best physical representation their soul can take. There’s no real one-size-fits-all answer.

LDM: Do dolls make the best vessels for hauntings?

JH: Dolls seem to be most frequently chosen by spirits for many of the reasons mentioned previously. However, there is no reason why a spirit cannot be just as successful at attaching to any objects, and indeed they do.

LDM: Can you remove a spirit once it’s latched on to an object?

JH: Yes, a spirit can be removed, but usually a spirit has chosen an item themselves as a way of remaining on our side of life. There have been occasions whereby our psychic mediums have had to send over a spirit that has become ‘trapped.’ A simple ceremony enabling a doorway to be

opened is all that’s needed.

The spirit can then pass over to the other side, and is a type of clearance that should only be performed if it is what the spirit wants. If someone owns an object they feel is paranormally active, but they wish to keep it and remove the activity and attachment it has, a spirit transference can be performed. However this isn’t always successful, and can take several attempts. This process transfers a spirit or paranormal energy from one object to another.

Besides giving advice on what to do if you believe an item of yours is haunted, testimonials from people all around the world and case studies, the Haunted Dolls website also has actual dolls and items available for ‘adoption’ that all come with their own backstory and words of caution in some cases. So for those fascinated by the spiritual world, here is your chance to possibly communicate with the dead. Or, who knows, maybe you already have a haunted item in your possession and don’t even know it.

Some items may carry more than just memories, and finding out the truth might give you more than you bargained for.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM

41

An Interview with

Travis Wester

(of Ghostfacers)

by ZeeGee Hpi & Deanna Uutela Legend has it that every leap year, beginning at midnight, a ghost who used to be a janitor at a local hospital kills people and keeps their corpses at the Morton House as companions. Leap year is closely approaching, so who you going to call on to join you on your hunt for paranormal activity? Definitely not the uncomfortably sexy demon hunting Winchester brothers who bicker more than a group of elementary school girls. No, the only real men for this job is a duo we all know simply as The Ghostfacers.

Being a paranormal investigator myself, The Ghostfacers are absolutely my favorite part of the hit series Supernatural (2005– ). I’ve always been of the mind that the field of paranormal research doesn’t need to be so serious all of the time, and there is nothing wrong with a little humor on an investigation. When you get right down to it, we’re all adults running around in the dark and, for all intents and purposes, talking to ourselves.

Recently, I had the enormous pleasure of meeting Travis Wester and AJ Buckley, the dynamic duo that makes up The Ghostfacers, at an event in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and I couldn’t have asked to be in the company of nicer gentlemen. Despite a full schedule—between filming, gaming, writing and being a dad—I had the extreme pleasure of sitting down with Travis and picking his brain about ghosts, work and everything in-between.

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Living Dead Magazine: Travis, you obviously shine when playing comedic roles, and got your start doing roles in feel-good dramas like Beverly Hills 90210, Dharma & Greg, Felicity and in the popular teen flick Eurotrip. It is interesting to see the progression of your career, and your switch to working on more serious drama, thriller and horrorbased shows like Six Feet Under, CSI, Justified and of course the incredibly popular Supernatural, and in films like All Souls Day, God Bless America and Zombie Hamlet. Was this a conscious choice to seek out roles that were in these genres? Or are you like Jim Beaver, who stated in our interview with him for this issue that “roles working in horror and thriller just kind of fell in my lap.”

Travis Wester: Yeah, I just kind of audition for things and either the director and producer like what I’m doing, or they don’t. Comedy is a lot easier for me because I use humor reflexively to deflect things that make me uncomfortable, and maybe that idea is at the core of what makes it easier for me to transition from comedy to drama to horror. For me, it’s all really coming from the same place.

When things are really, really funny, it’s because inside I’m absolutely writhing in agony. I think that’s true for a lot of comedians, and for me, the challenge is to let go of that edifice and simply be honest about the terror I’m feeling, instead of using comedy as a release valve. When I do it well, I book a job on Justified.

LDM: You and AJ Buckley made your first appearance on the first season of Supernatural, working as paranormal investigators for your website Hell Hound’s Lair. Your role as Harry Spangler is definitely of the nerdy funny guy who is enthusiastic about science and the paranormal, but clearly couldn’t handle encountering an actual supernatural being.

What is it like playing Harry? And, like Harry, do you have any real interest in the paranormal?

TW: Playing Harry reminds me of a toy I had as a kid. It was part of the Masters of the Universe collection, and it had these different faces that you could spin around—Man-EFaces I believe it was called. When it’s time to flip into Harry mode, it feels like I’m just holding down a button on the top of my head and a

slightly different personality spins to the fore. I have a real interest in expanding the limits of human comprehension, so I suppose if you walk that back a little, you’ll arrive at an interest in the paranormal. What I find fascinating is the disparity between how much we think we know about the world, and how much there is yet to discover. I think we’re instinctively uncomfortable with the idea that there is so much stuff out there that we will never be able to perceive, given our limited senses, and it seems that most “ghost hunting” is mainly an effort to push the boundaries of human perception. EMF readers, white noise filters, infrared cameras, so on and so forth—they’re all instruments designed to increase the amount of information available to our senses. So yes, inasmuch as I have an interest in figuring out where quarks go, or what lies beyond the sphere of radiation created by the big bang, I have an interest in the paranormal.

LDM: We don’t see you and AJ again until the third season of Supernatural, and this time you guys are stepping it up with your own reality television pilot called Ghostfacers. Your characters on the show really blow up after this episode, and you and AJ have the same amazing chemistry on screen that Dean and Sam have, and it is no wonder Ghostfacers was turned into its own spinoff web series. Can you tell me about the experience of being recognized now as a Ghostfacer, and what it has been like to have your own web series?

TW: It should come as not much of a surprise that The Ghostfacers are our favorite characters.

They are near and dear to both our hearts, and the chemistry AJ and I have isn’t something we’ve ever had to practice or rehearse—it just sort of happened. So consequently, it’s been an amazing experience getting to help write and direct the web series. The best part was having the material signed off on by Eric Kripke himself. It’d be like writing a Spider-Man story that Stan Lee reads and decides is good enough. We worked really hard to

make sure everything [in] the web series was cannon within the Supernatural universe, and to have our work validated by the creator of the show was really incredible.

LDM: In this issue, we are also lucky enough to have interviewed your fellow cast members from Supernatural, Jim Beaver and Chad Lindberg.

What is it like working with these guys? Can you tell me any funny or interesting stories while on set?

TW: I never got work with either of those guys on set, but I did get to hang out with Chadley in London for a while. We were staying at an old hotel near Buckingham Palace, and it was Halloween. So Chad decided to take out his spirit box and see if anything would come through.

He also has this proximity detector that lights up when something gets near it. We turned the stuff on, and nothing came through so we just hung out drinking scotch and talking about sour candy. Then, suddenly, the proximity detector thing just started going crazy, and I seriously felt a... weight? Presence?

Something. Something else was in the room, and I get goose bumps just thinking about it. We left the room to people watch in Leicester Square and almost got into a fight with a couple East Enders.

LDM: We really want to hear about what is next for you, because you are personally on our list of actors to watch out for.

TW: Aw, thanks! Right now I’m writing full-time, trying to get my first novel finished before the end of the year. The working title is Altar of the Equinox, and it should be out in the autumn. A prelude to that work, a novella titled Circle of the Keepers, is available as a free download at windvale.net, the website that will be a host for a new epic fantasy series of novels called Legion of Windvale. I’ve been working on the story for the last seven years (almost eight now), so I hope you put your eyeballs on it.

Be sure to watch Supernatural (now in its 9th season) every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on the CW and pick up a copy of Travis’ novella Circle of the Keepers.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 43

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SURVIVING SURVIVING THE THE

HAUNTED HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW An An Interview Interview with with

Erin R. Ryan

by Matt Matt Majeski Majeski by

Horror films love their sorority girls. Maybe it’s their barely legal status, the fact that they take lots and lots of showers, their low IQ or the fact that they are easy pickings stuffed together in one huge mansion like chickens in a hen house. Whatever the reason, fans love to watch sorority girls scream.

Following in the footsteps of such greats as The House on Sorority Row (1983), Sorority House Massacre (1986) and Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988), comes a new film that takes the sorority massacre theme to an entirely new place by adding in a supernatural, haunting element to terrify the unsuspecting boobs‌I mean, newbs. Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014) stars actress Erin R. Ryan from the popular indie slashers Babysitter Massacre (2013), Easter Casket (2013) and Midsummer Nightmares II: Summer's End (2014).

We got the chance to talk to Erin about the film, and her experience journeying into the more paranormal side of horror.

Living Dead Magazine: Erin, thank you so much for taking the time to talk about Haunted House.

Erin Ryan: Oh, thank you. I'm very flattered. If you want to talk about any of my films, I feel flabbergasted.

LDM: You're absolutely welcome. So, since this is one of your most recent films, can you tell people what it's about, and a little bit about your character?

ER: Yeah, sure. It's a supernatural story involving a young woman who decides to start her own sorority chapter, and she basically takes her band of misfit friends with her in the process. She rents this kind of spooky

house with a very spooky history behind it, and let's just say mayhem ensues when the ghosts start coming out. Not just the ghosts of the house, but the ghosts of the residents' pasts.

I play Sherrie, who's a very nervous girl. That's an understatement there.

She's super concerned about her friends, very caring, but she's also so full of angst, and is completely aware of her surroundings. She senses the creepiness of the house, so she's a little more sensitive about that kind of thing. She's the first to notice that things are a little askew.

LDM: Great teaser! How did you become involved with this project? You collaborated with director Henrique

Couto on two previous films, Babysitter Massacre and A Bulldog for Christmas, correct?

ER: Yes. I was going to have dinner with Henrique, and he called me up beforehand saying, "I have a new project I want to talk to you about."

He was super excited and very vibrant about the project, which made me really excited about it as well. I'm a sucker for supernatural horror—it's my favorite subgenre of horror, so I was really ecstatic to see what was going to go on [and] what we were going to accomplish with the special effects. To simply put it, I was hooked right from the beginning.

LDM: Now, from listening to the behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD, you and the rest of the cast and crew shot this in four and a half days. Because you work under these kinds of time crunch situations most of the time as an indie actress, do you find these quick shoots frustrating in trying to develop a character, or do you find them helpful?

ER: You know, it's kind of amazing, really. When you look at it objectively, you say to yourself, 'how am I going to have time to think about this and develop a character?' as you said.

'How am I going to maintain my level of energy when you have a 16-hour day?' It's quite daunting, initially. But what is cool about it, is that once you get in there, you always have somebody else to talk to—to bounce ideas off of. We're all working at such a fast pace, facing the same challenge.

Just knowing that actually helps me out a lot—puts my own personal anxiety at ease. I'm getting goose bumps just talking about it. But it really is all about teamwork, people rallying together, having the same

mindset, which is to make an awesome film. There's something about it that really is truly inspiring for everyone. The energy from that kept us all going strong, especially me.

LDM: Your character has to go into some really dark places, and I think it's probably the strongest performance in the movie. Was it difficult to explore those areas for yourself?

ER: First of all, thank you! You know, I love acting because it allows me to use negative experiences—to revisit them, face them and present them in a unique way. It's very therapeutic in that regard. But, it's all hard. I've had a past with bullying. I was bullied mercilessly in junior high, and a little bit in high school at the beginning. So going to that dark place with Sherrie was sadly pretty easy for me. You never really lose those past feelings—they sort of scar you. Having to reopen those wounds to get a good performance is always difficult, but necessary. I try to take something from a personal, painful place and turn it into something of beauty, which helps me out, psychologically speaking.

LDM: A really interesting story that was brought up on the behind-thescenes features was about the dead ladybugs on one of the days of shooting. What was that about?

ER: Yes, lots and lots of dead ladybugs everywhere. It's interesting because it wasn't even the first weekend of shooting—it was the second. We came back, and there was just ladybugs everywhere. We weren't sure how they got in there.

It was just one of those creepy things. A production assistant had to sweep them out of the living room

because you could just not ignore that they were there. There were just blankets of them. Also, there were canning jars in the cellar that had been completely smashed. We don't know why that happened—just random stuff had been moved, and we were all creeped out by that. Really strange stuff. But it all added into the atmosphere we were trying to create in the film.

LDM: This movie was a lot different than the original, The House on Sorority Row, because it deals with ghosts and the supernatural/paranormal. What do you think is peoples' fascination with the subject matter? It seems to appeal to those who aren't even into horror, strangely enough.

ER: I think that fascination is hard to say. I don't know what it is for other people. For me, personally, the possibility of another mystical, fantastic world is quite alluring. The mystery just keeps us coming back for more.

That may be my interest in it because I loved stuff like that growing up early on. For me, it's a personal ballet.

LDM: Very insightful! It’s been a pleasure speaking with you, Erin.

You can watch the trailer and find out more about Erin and all of the cast members of The Haunted House on Sorority Row on their Facebook page: facebook.com/sororityghoststory. Be sure to pre-order your copy of the movie at amazon.com, and try not to stay in any haunted sorority houses while you watch it! Or do.

Hey, it's your life!

"Cold. So cold!"

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 47

THE FRANCHISE CONTINUES

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

BY JESUS FIGUEROA

The newest installment to the Paranormal Activity franchise, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), proves once again that no one is safe from this ghastly curse. The story reaches out into the urban streets this time and captures the attention of an entirely new group of people.

“One of the big things we wanted to start teasing about with the prior films is that the mythology, the phenomenon, is bigger than what anybody knew—that it was happening all over the world, which we establish with this film,” explained writer/director Christopher Landon. “We wanted to imply that there are other chapters of this coven that are all working together for a greater good, or a darker good.”

From the franchise’s chilling beginning in 2007, writer/director Oren Peli introduced the world to a suburban family haunted by beings way beyond their control. Peli said that he concentrated on the first film, and could not have imagined the mythology that would spawn from that original film,. He was unsure if the film, was going to get a big release and when it was, he was thrilled.

Then the studio wanted to make a sequel and he didn’t know how it could be done with the way the first film’s story went. The sequel, Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) ended up being a prequel and with it the mythology just grew. With the following film,s continuing to revolve around the same location and twist, it seemed a change was needed that writer/director Christopher Landon was excited to bring to the franchise. Giving it a new Latino storyline, Landon took the original Paranormal Activity (2007) story and found a way to mesh it together with the previous story lines.

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“I felt I had somewhat of an advantage,” Landon said. “When they called me in to talk about Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, my first reaction was like ‘me? Really, me?’ But my best friend was Latino growing up, and I spent a lot of time in their house. So there was already kind of an understanding, some ground work there. But I do think having an outsider’s point of view has helped too.”

The newest film reaches out and grabs hold of different cultures and people helping to make the curse a worldwide phenomenon. With all the superstition and religious belief that Latino culture has, Landon thought it was a no brainer to take the franchise in that direction.

“The Latino theme for me felt fresh,” Landon said. “We were tired of being in the suburbs, tired of feeling we were in the same world, even though we were always doing something different. Also, I think the Latino culture really lends itself well to what we do in these movies.”

With more films on the way, the franchise looks to keep on making it have the worldwide feel. The films look to expand on the mythology and keep bringing more and more people into it, while still keeping that initial strong foundation.

“I think what we really try to do each movie is keep with what we first did, but bring new elements in,” said producer Jason Blum.

“Whether that is other cultures or other mythology, we just stay open to anything.”

More films are in the works to bring the franchise together. Blum joked around that the franchise will all come together after a James Bond type franchise emerges, going on to make 20-25 films.

“He [Blum] is the type of producer you want,” Landon said. “He lets filmmakers make movies.

He trusts the people that he works with, which is a rare and beautiful thing in this town.”

A combination of good storyline, dedication to the mythology and a great cast and crew brings the Paranormal Activity franchise to another level of found footage films. With the mythology expanding, and the thrill of including more people and cultures into the films, moviegoers and horror fans alike can look forward to more of the exciting story to come.

Released January 13, 2014 Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is currently available through Netflix and on Blu-ray and DVD.

LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 49

little blog of

HORROR

Melissa Thomas (above) is the lovely ghoul running Little Blog of Horror where she features the latest in horror-related news including movie, book, video game, and comic reviews, giveaways, articles on haunted locations and urban legends, and upcoming events.

http://littleblogofhorror.com / Contact her via Facebook or at littleblogofhorror@yahoo.com

Scarefest 7

Who : You & Horror / Paranormal fans and tons of celebrities including Cory Feldman, Sean Astin, Sid Haig, Sean Whalen, Bill Moseley, Chip Coffey, John Zaffis and so many more awesome people What : A convention for fans of horror and paranormal When : September 12-14, 2014 Where : Lexington Center

430 West Vine St.

Lexington, KY Why : To celebrate the things that scare us most!

How : Buy your ticket at ScarefestCon.com 50

Horror & Paranormal Unite at

Scarefest 7

Pop culture themed conventions are as sought out as ever, and a new one seems to pop up every year. Whatever your poison—be it comic books, magic, video games or horror— you can find a convention that will give you your fix, and allow you to let loose in a nonjudgmental environment where everyone there gets you and your addiction. ScareFest, out of Lexington, Kentucky, is not a new convention by far—it is actually going on its seventh year, but it is the first and only convention focused around horror and the paranormal together in one location.

Since this is both a horror and paranormal convention, things work a little differently than at most conventions, and the guest list is separated into different categories on the website—they are categorized as horror, paranormal, portal, artists and entertainers. The guest announcements are already trickling in fast, and believe me, it is shaping up to be one stellar show.

The names representing the horror community at this year’s event are names we all know and respect. There is a reunion on the list that includes Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander, a.k.a. the Frog brothers from The Lost Boys (1987). Huge names like Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley and Sid Haig will be there causing trouble I am sure. There are many others yet to be announced, but the ones already confirmed are certainly ones to get fans excited.

Don’t worry paranormal fans, the list of paranormal guests are just as exciting. The Syfy hit series Ghost Hunters (2004– ) is very heavily represented this year. The Atlantic Paranormal Society members that will be on hand this year include Grant Wilson, Steve Gonzalvez, Dave Tango, Amy Bruni and Adam Berry. One incredible lady that will be on hand this year is a huge addition to the list of paranormal names—the fantastic Patti Starr. Psychic medium Chip Coffey will not only have a booth, but he will also be doing a gallery reading. Tickets for the reading will be available at his booth. Much like the horror side, there are many more guests to be announced.

Aaron Goodwin of the Travel Channel’s hit series, Ghost Adventures (2008– ), has been on hand at past events, and there is a good chance he may be added to this year’s lineup as well.

As if the guest lists are not enough to be excited about, there will be plenty of other extra events going on that will be free or discounted for ScareFest fans. On Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., Bastard Booking will be sponsoring the

second annual ScareFest concert. Bands on the list include: Them! featuring Eerie Von, The Big Bad and Dead Dick Hammer. Along with the concert on Saturday night, there will be a costume ball that is free for ScareFest fans.

For all of you film enthusiasts, there will be midnight movies playing on Friday and Saturday night at the Kentucky Theater. Admission for the films will only be $7, cheaper than an average movie ticket. Movie nights will not be the only events held at the Kentucky Theater—there will also be ghost hunts for select winners.

Another great exclusive for this event are Wicked World and ScareGrounds. They will be open Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. until midnight for ScareFest fans only. Tickets will be $15 and can be purchased from the Wicked World and ScareGrounds booth at the convention. Advanced tickets must be purchased at the booth for access to Wicked World. Admission will be free for golden and platinum ticket holders.

Tickets are already on sale at scarefestcon.com. Platinum tickets are sold out and golden tickets are very limited. For further updates on ScareFest 7, visit the official site, scarefestcon.com and follow ScareFest on their Facebook page: facebook.com/thescarefest.

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reviews

Haunting of Rosehaven Book Review By Gary Castleberry

Haunting of Rosehaven begins the way many of the best books do—with a young man moving begrudgingly with his family to a seemingly quiet small town filled with salt-of-the-earth folks who seem boring enough, except for the whispers, the nightmares and the secrets they keep about the children of Rosehaven.

Legend has it that in the 1930s or '40s, a tragic accident occurred on some railroad tracks, leaving a bus full of students and their bus driver dead. To this day the residents swear the tracks are haunted by the spirits of the children that were killed all those years ago—tales of tiny hand prints on cars who travel over those same tracks, and vehicles moving by themselves if stopped at the tracks.

It's these stories—and the mystery behind them—that is perhaps the one saving grace for teenager Justin Tolbert, who hates everything about this small town, and misses the hustle and bustle of the big city he once called home.

Author Christopher St. John Sampayo said Rosehaven is based on the actual small Louisiana town he grew up in, and the basis of the story comes from a real San Antonio, Texas urban legend where a train hits a school bus that broke down on the tracks, and killed the children and driver in it. Sampayo said that after reading about that urban legend, he wondered what kind of legacy this kind of tragedy would leave on a small towns' generations after the event. It inspired him to write Haunting of Rosehaven.

“Haunting of Rosehaven is about a small town that had a huge tragedy occur in it, and the long shadow that tragedy has cast.

For me, the book is about being haunted—how sometimes the past follows us,” said Sampayo on the J. Ellington Ashton Press website.

In the case of the town of Rosehaven, the past has manifested in some very spooky, and sometimes terrifying ways.

Sampayo is a great storyteller, which probably stems from his background writing plays for a local theatre in San Antonio called the Renaissance Guild. He said it taught him the discipline he needed.

The book is hard to put down and when you do, your mind still thinks about the children of Rosehaven, and the fatal accident with bus #9. If you want the perfect blend of teenage nostalgia and wonderfully creepy supernatural storytelling, you will really enjoy Haunting of Rosehaven, as I did.

In a ten skull rating system, I would give this book a solid 8.5 skulls, and folks, that's almost the amount of children on bus #9.

8.5 / 10

skulls 52

by deanna uutela Hot pin-up girls gyrating to surf/rockabilly music is the thing that wet dreams are made of, and we can guarantee The Alder Kings’ music is definitely responsible for several pregnancies each show. I mean, who doesn’t love some amazing surf music that mixes in horror, sci-fi and pop culture references into their songs? Squares that’s who! And I know our fans aren’t a bunch of squares, so therefore, I know you all are going to love The Alder Kings. I am personally a huge Godzilla size fan of theirs.

Besides just giving us a fantastic surf, rock sound, I love that this band— much in the tradition of the Misfits, The Cramps, Rob Zombie and Creature Feature— utilize cult film clips in their tracks to further emphasize the wonderful theatrics and fun this band brings to their music and to each show. And with all the crappy music that is out there nowadays, it's refreshing and so welcoming to hear some good old surfabilly from an actual local Portland, Oregon band.

2013 with a third release planned for summer 2014. Our favorite song of theirs, “Tokyo Stomp,” is all about our favorite giant monster—Godzilla. Talk about fun, mayhem and some hardcore surf sound.

The band’s guitarist, Graves, said that the thing he loves most about this band is, “There isn’t any egos. We work very well together and have a lot of fun doing it.” His inspirations musically are Fu Manchu, Bongripper, Guitar Wolf and Jungle Rot mixed with old school stuff like Dick Dale, Duane Eddie and Link Wray. You can catch Graves, also known as jerky guitarist guy, along with the rest of the trio touring in the Illinois area and beyond all year long, and pick up a copy of their EP or download any of the tracks from their website at thealderkings.com

The most interesting thing about this band is definitely their music, but the second most interesting thing is their personas. They wear strange masks that they say are representative of a being— a type of apparition having what appears to be a green face. They say that these apparitions haunt and steal the souls of travelers with their unique blend of instrumental surf rock music. The band’s name for instance is based off the legend of the alder king, which depicts the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being, the Erlking or "Erlkönig" (suggesting the literal translation "alder king") who steals the souls of travelers. That’s pretty impressive considering I didn’t even put as much thought into naming my child as they did their band. Dedication!

The Chicago trio said, "If Godzilla had a surf band, it would sound like The Alder Kings, who are known to many as the black sheep of surf!” Well welcome to the family Alder Kings, we are a flock of black sheep.

In 2012, they released their debut EP "Who Goes there."

The follow up, "Mister Creeper," was released in October, LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 53

Locke and Key The supernatural is a favorite subject of mine, and growing up I think I had about as much interest in the supernatural as any other kid. Okay, maybe I had a bit more. I mean, I’ve always had a love for the weird, so an interest in the supernatural was a natural progression for me.

Much like most of the folks I knew at the time—and even today—I hadn’t experienced anything spooky firsthand, but boy did I secretly want to. Something that might serve as a catalyst of sorts, morphing mere interest into knowing conviction. It wasn’t until much later in my life that I had a real encounter with a ghost that couldn’t be brushed off as too much to drink, or a result of being half asleep, and I saw this same ghost more than one time. I kid you not, and if you buy me a vodka tonic, I might just sit down with you and tell you all about it.

Needless to say, from that point forward I looked at the supernatural—and those who told of their experiences with the supernatural—a bit differently. I could no longer simply dismiss their claims, certainly no more than I could dismiss my own. Are there charlatans out there spreading outright lies about their experience with the supernatural? Absolutely. Although, I also like to think there are just as many, if not more, who are sharing their experiences in a way that is accurate—at least as accurate as their sense allowed. Like myself, many of them come to discover that these experiences aren’t rare at all—they happen every day, all around us—we just often blow them off as being a result of our overactive imagination or forgetfulness. Children in particular, whether it be in film or real-life, are never taken seriously when they speak of the boogeyman in the closet, or their little friend who no one else has ever seen or talked to. Take the young boy Bode, a character in the comic book series Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft—despite all of the horrific things his family has dealt with (or maybe because of them), no one believes Bode when he tries to reach out to them all to tell them about the strange encounters he is experiencing in their new home.

Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft is a bit different from the type of comic I typically read. That’s one of the reasons it has taken me so long to get around to reading it, but I’m really glad that I finally did. Like many of the best supernatural stories, it’s about a house and from the title your first guess might be that it is involved with something “Lovecraftian” as well (so did I, so did I). As I settled in and prepared to read the first issue, I clapped my hands together and unconsciously licked my lips. As I cracked open issue one, I relished the thought of being assailed with a story that would try the very limits of my sanity.

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is going through the minds of each family member, particularly the kids. Each member of the Locke family eventually reach some sort of resolution that helps with their recovery, and while I was happy to see the progression of the story in that respect, I wanted to know oh-so-much more about the houses and the keys that would reveal their secrets. I am very excited to read the rest of this comic, superbly written by Joe Hill (who just so happens to be one of Stephen King’s sons). He’s done his father proud and certainly has a bright future ahead of him.

Welcome to Lovecraft A violent home invasion ends tragically with the death of Rendell Locke, loving husband to Nina and devoted father to Tyler, Kinsey and Bode. In the aftermath of his death, Tyler manages to attack and beat his father’s killer, Sam Lesser, unconscious. Meanwhile, his mother faces her own attacker, Al Grubb, and is able to get the upper hand and kills him. In an even more tragic turn of events, it just so happens that Tyler went to school with both of the attackers and feels responsible for everything that has happened. Wanting to put as much distance between themselves and the horrible memory of Rendell’s death, Nina accepts Rendell’s brother’s offer of coming to live with him at his home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. But of course, nothing in a story like this could be that easy. The aggressor, Sam Lesser, has survived the beating Tyler gave him and awaits trial at a juvenile facility.

The Locke family, after making a cross-country trip, arrive in Lovecraft, Massachusetts.

You know you’re in trouble when the house you’re going to be staying in has a name—the Keyhouse. While the Keyhouse doesn’t necessarily come off as ominous, it does sound odd enough to at least raise an eyebrow. The reason why it’s likely called the Keyhouse is seemingly revealed to the reader early on, but is never explicitly stated. The thing that surprised me early on though was this: not a single character ever asked why it’s called the Keyhouse—they all just take up residence and begin trying to get on with their lives. But quickly enough, they will find out the reason for the name of the house and all the secrets that lay hidden inside. And it all begins with Bode finding a little black skeleton key.

Without giving too much away, it turns out the house possesses many keys, and using these keys upon a particular door will invoke their power. The one Bode finds turns the unsuspecting key holder into a sort of spirit, walking around without its body. You literally leave your passed out limp body laying by the door. What a fantastic image to imagine your mother or sibling walking by and seeing your passed out body on the floor, unresponsive and with no pulse, and then you find your way back to your body hours later, only to awake in a body bag. Trippy stuff.

Bode also discovers another smaller house on the property, the Wellhouse. The Wellhouse encloses a well (imagine that), whose waters we learn are poisonous. Bode is forbidden from going into the house, but what’s a young kid to do when your own echo starts talking to you. Yes, the echo caused by his voice in the well begins to communicate with him. Cue creepy music.

The first three issues of the story arc deal primarily with the Locke family adjusting to their new home and surroundings, while at the same time trying to cope with all that has happened. Nina has turned to alcohol (we rarely see her without a drink), Tyler and Kinsey are suffering from PTSD and while Tyler becomes suicidal as he works through his seeming involvement in the death of his father, Kinsey does a lot of soul searching trying to rediscover and recapture her lost self. Bode, the youngest, has occasional nightmares, but his discovery of one of the house’s many secrets helps him to more easily cope with all that has happened.

The artwork was not as much of a win for me.

It’s beautifully drawn, don’t get me wrong, but the style and colors seem to clash with the tone of the comic. Please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying here—Gabriel Rodriguez is a very talented artist (his detail is amazing and his style has flashes of Frank Miller, whom I adore), but at times his characters exhibited a cartoon, caricature and anime-like quality (and sometimes all three at once) that just didn’t seem to quite fit with the copy. That, and the generally bright, at times, pastel coloring created a weird dissonance between what I was reading and viewing. Who knows, maybe it will grow on me as I continue to read the rest of the series, but every time I see Bode in ghost form I find myself humming the tune from Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Overall, this is an excellent start to the series. I hope you have enjoyed our issue dealing with the supernatural as much as me. I shared stories with a lot of friends, detailing my own experiences and forays into the unknown. I hope we do get to chat one day and have that vodka and tonic. I want to share a story or two with you, and hear your own as well.

Listen to Echoes The latter half of the first arc provides us with a few more details about the house, its power and Bode’s echo. His echo appears to be a powerful being of some sort, trapped within the Wellhouse, seeking out the right key to unlock it from its prison. If all of this wasn’t creepy and miserable enough, Sam Lesser escapes from the juvenile detention center and immediately sets out to find the Locke family, and put an end to what he started. All of this comes together in a rather satisfying conclusion that you won’t want to miss.

The story itself is engaging and interesting.

It offers us a very honest portrayal of a family coping with a senseless tragedy. While it never crosses the line into melodrama, it does provide us with a clear picture of what LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM 55

model : huxley / photo : vesma puharte mua / concept : shashonna knecht

GALLERIA MACABRE

models : bob morley, thomas dekker photo : amanda rebholz

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model : layne fawkes / photo : fotoartworx

model : lucy emter / photo : fotoartworx

in memory of

harold ramis

By Nowal Massari

Previously featured in & Written for website

Paranormal Pop Culture and revised for

living dead magazine

As humble and jolly as they come, many probably don’t even recall that actor, director and writer Harold Ramis was responsible for writing and directing some of the best comedies ever made, including Caddyshack (1980), Groundhog Day (1993), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Year One (2009) and many episodes of The Office (2005–2013). He also wrote Animal House (1978), Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984). To say the man was a comedic genius— besides being our beloved Egon—is an understatement.

The death of Harold Ramis at the age of 69 came on very suddenly, and left his fans devastated and asking what happened. According to the Chicago Tribune, Ramis’ wife, Erica, revealed that his death was caused by complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease of the blood vessels that Ramis had been suffering from since 2010.

Ramis began his career in comedy in 1969 as a member of Chicago’s improv troupe, The Second City, alongside future greats John Belushi, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. Celebrities have taken to social media to express their grief at losing such a phenomenal human being. Dan Aykroyd took to his personal Facebook page to say, “Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend, co-writer/performer and teacher Harold Ramis. May he now get the answers he was always seeking.”

Bill Murray said in a statement, “Harold Ramis and I togeth-

er did ‘The National Lampoon Show’ off-Broadway, Meatballs, Stripes, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. He earned his keep on this planet, God bless him.”

Comedian Patton Oswalt brought it home with the humor that Ramis was known for by tweeting, “If a Twinkie represents the amount of grief I feel when someone dies, Harold Ramis’ death would be a Twinkie 35 feet long weighing 600 pounds.”

In 1983, Paul Weingarten of the Chicago Tribune wrote about Ramis, “More than anyone else, Harold Ramis has shaped this generation’s ideas of what is funny.” In 2004, The New Yorker published an article by writer Tad Friend that compared Ramis’ impact on comedy to that of Elvis Presley on rock and Eminem on rap.

Harold Ramis is survived by his wife Erica Mann Ramis, his three children and his two grandchildren.

Speaking on a personal level for a moment, I can honestly say that Harold Ramis as Egon was one of my first crushes, and is responsible for my love of brainy nerds. While my cousins all fought over who got to be Venkman when we played Ghostbusters, I was always the first (and only) to claim the role of Dr. Spengler.

We love you, Ramis. Your joyful spirit will be missed, but never forgotten!

issue 4 coming this

august

a special

legends

of horror edition with

john carpenter jack ketchum svengoolie sara karloff michael berryman adrienne king & so much more!