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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 9, 2014
Editor’s Note
Top 4 Scariest Movies So, as Halloween approaches, seemingly every cable channel is offering their horror movie marathons and horror film specials. I’ve done plenty of my all-time favorite horror movies in the past, so I figured I’d do the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. Now, fear and horror aren’t always one in the same. Being from Texas, “Texas
Mac & Me 1988 This blatant E.T. rip-off features an alien kid (Mac) who gets lost on Earth and his naked alien family goes all over town looking for him. In the process of reuniting, Mac, dressed as a teddy bear, shows off his break dancing skills at a party in McDonalds, his family blows up a supermarket, and everyone in this cinematic world only drinks Coke, which has healing factors for the aliens. The alien design gave me nightmares as a child.
Chain Saw Massacre” is, of course, my all-time favorite horror film, but it’s not the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. The thing that really makes my heart skip a beat are aliens, giant monsters and being put in any situation where I can put myself in any real plausible (sometimes not) situation with no way of escape.
Cloverfield 2008 Now, this may hit upon my ridiculous fear of giant anythings attacking Earth. The reason I find it so terrifying is that, no matter what we do, we can’t win. We can bomb the hell out of the giant monster, but in turn they will more than likely destroy of the city. The fact that the film was shot with a hand held camera from the streets looking up at the creature only made it that much more frightening for me.
contributors PAUL GONZALES
DAPHNE GARCIA
Paul does things and then writes about them. That’s pretty much it. Now, sometimes, he gets to do really fun stuff and still manage to have a job when he returns to his office. Maybe they’re just not on to me yet?
Daphne has been playing video games since her mother bought her an Atari when she was 4 years old. When not killing zombies or raiding caves, Daphne can be found creating weapons and clothing for her Steampunk character.
Some people laugh at my fear of the most likely impossible scenarios that make me afraid, but there are my fears nonetheless. Here’s my all time top four scariest movies. – Paul Gonzales Editor
Gravity 2013 Space is a scary place. And getting lost in it seems even more terrifying. Watching it in 3D only added to the fear as I began to believe I was there with Sandra Bullock (not the ideal scenario I was hoping to be stuck with her in) as she floated through the blackness above Earth. I love space and will probably never be an astronaut, but I put myself in that position, and it scared the hell out of me.
127 Hours 2010 I like to think I could get myself out of any situation I get myself in. I’m a pretty crafty guy and not too out of shape, but would I be able to saw my hand off with a dull pocket knife while slowly loosing my mind trapped in a deep crevice literally between a rock and a hard place? I don’t know. And, hopefully, I’ll never have to know. The real reason the film’s so terrifying for me is because it actually happened. The fact that someone lived through this is far more scary than a dude in a hockey mask chasing me through the woods.
editor Paul Gonzales email Paul@stxscene.com phone (361) 343-5207 website stxscene.com twitter @stxscene facebook facebook.com/stxscene Published bi-weekly by Beeville Publishing Co.
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indie film 50 years ago. I want to tell the ‘Origins’ story of the modern zombie, in a way that my father wasn’t able to do so back in 1968.” The duo is trying to raise $150,000 and have only about 20 days to do so. For donating some cash, you’ll get everything from “Origins” lunch boxes and FX gore maestro Tom T-shirts to a walk on role Savini as well as multiple as a zombie and be killed sequels such as “Dawn in the movie. So now lifelong fans of the Dead,” “Day of the Dead” and “Land of the of “Night of the Living Dead” have a chance to Dead.” help tell the next chapter of the zombie franchise while gathering all sorts of goodies.
The godfather of the modern zombie enlists his son to explore the ‘Origins’ of the Living Dead ight now, you can help get the next George A. Romero zombie film going via online crowd sourcing site indiegogo.com.
are seeking funds for “Origins” which will take place before the seminal zombie film and explain exactly where the walking dead came from.
“If you’re a zombie fan... this is the definitive answer to your questions about the creatures as told by two generations of Romero. This is the zombie film sanctioned by the Godfather of Modern Horror and brought to life by his very own blood.”
George A. Romero, of course, is the father of the modern zombie. Back in 1968, George wrote and directed the now classic horror film “Night of the Living Dead” which paved the road to many, many zombie films all over the world since then. Even the hit TV show “The Walking Dead” based its zombies’ actions and mannerisms on the film’s undead creatures. Well, now, George’s son, George Cameron Romero, is taking the helm, and the father and son team
Cameron wrote on the film’s fundraising site about the new film, “‘Origins’ is the story in the Romero universe of how the first ‘Zombie’ strolled across that cemetery and into lives of those in the ‘dead’ series almost 50 years later.
And, also, due to the fact of a copyright snafu, George doesn’t own the rights to the original film which cause it to be listed as “public domain.” So now there are tons of fan remakes and non-related material that share the same name as well.
“This is a project that But now the father and will re-define the genre… son team are trying to set as well as the monster things in order. and everything that Cameron wrote on the scares you about them.” site, “I want to take back “Night of the Living the zombie genre in the Dead” has spawned a name of the legacy that 1990 remake by special my father created almost
To check out more of the perks you get for donating and to help fund the film, head over to indiegogo.com/projects/ origins-the-next-generation-romero-zombie-film and keep track of the project at Facebook.com/ RomerosOrigins.
The original “Night of the Living Dead” was released upon the masses on Oct. 1, 1968, and the George A. Romero directed classic became one of the highest grossing independent horror films of all times. With a budget of just $114,000, it grossed $12 million in U.S. theaters and $18 million internationally. It was originally written as a horror comedy titled “Monster Flick” about a group of alien teens who visit Earth and befriend human teens. The second version of the script involved a teen who runs away from home and discovers rotting human corpses the aliens have been using for food. The final draft was written by Romero in three days and focused on reanimated corpses he called ‘Ghouls.’
Entertainment magazine Variety even labeled it an “unrelieved orgy of sadism.”
He later admitted that Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend was a huge inspiration.
The film spawned several sequels directed by Romero and a whole lot more that weren’t, including remakes and prequels. You see, because of a mistake by the distributor, the film is in public domain, so anyone can remake it, copy it or sell it for free. Amazon.com lists 52 versions on VHS, 181 on DVD and 9 on Blu-ray.
When it was released, it caused an uproar for it’s violence and gore, which was pretty intense for the time.
But, no matter your age, the film is still terrifying and deserves it’s place amongst the classics of cinema.
Going on tour? Let your fans know where you’re going to be. Tue. Mar 18 - Vancouver, BC with the Boondocks
Wed. Mar 19 - Seattle, WA with Wildlife & Peter Rabbit
Thu. Mar 20 - Portland, OR with Dire Needs
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call (361) 358-2550 or email Paul@stxscene.com
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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 9, 2014
movie review
Harry Potter may have some new
powers, but he still can’t save ‘Horns’
T
by Paul Gonzales
he film “Horns,” which is based off Joe Hill’s novel of the same name, has lots of problems. Hill is the son of famed horror write r
Did you know: • Shia LaBeouf was originally cast in the lead role, but he was replaced with Daniel Radcliffe. • When Ig’s brother, Terry, is driving Marrin home from the diner, his license plate is seen as “GEN 138,” (Genesis, 13:8), which reads, “And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brothers.” • Terry’s license plate “GEN 138” is probably referring to Genesis 1:38 “Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.” This because of his envy of Ig being with Merrin.
Stephen King, and ing him their most watching “Horns” secret, animalistic only left me wanting desires. to read the novel. Ig also discovers Daniel Radcliffe that if he makes skin(“Harry Potter” films) to-skin contact with plays Ig Perrish someone, he can find whose girlfriend was out everything about raped and murdered, that person, and soon and though there is he begins to use his no evidence he com- powers to find his mitted the crime, the girlfriend’s killer. entire small town he The premise is very lives in blames him, interesting, but the and he can’t leave his way it’s handled is apartment without pretty sloppy. The being followed by the pacing is way off media. as the film tries to Then, one morning decide if it’s a slowafter a night of binge burn thriller or a hordrinking to which ror comedy. he has resorted, he There really is no awakens to find character develophorns sprouting ment beyond what out of his fore- each person says head. Everyone about the other, he runs into which seems odd doesn’t even because the film seemed fazed by drags at many points this and immedi- and gives us unnecesately begins tell- sary story elements
‘Horns’ director:
when it should be focused elsewhere, namely on the characters. Most of the supporting actors seem just there to take up space on screen.
hits, but they just seem tossed in and never blend with the film. They’re more of a distraction with even some playing as jokes alongside the film.
Now, it’s hard seeing Radcliffe as anyone other than Harry Potter, but he’s a pretty good actor, just not in this movie. He’s too small and too boyishly handsome to play such a weighted role. Plus, his diminutive stature surely doesn’t help create the illusion that he’s menacing at all. Most people would laugh if he was ever wanted for murder in real life.
Overall, “Horns” was a disappointment that I’ve been waiting all year to watch. The tone and cheap-looking sets, and even cheaperlooking special FX, quickly take you out of the movie, and you’re left wondering when it’s going to end instead of who the killer is. But, as I mentioned before, it made me want to read the book.
“Horns” is availOne more thing of note is the pretty able On Demand and awful soundtrack. on VOD. It hits select Sure, it’s chock full theaters Oct. 31. of late ’80s, early ’90s
Alexandre Aja
French director Alexandre Aja first caught my attention with 2003’s “High Tension” (original title “Haute Tension”), a brutal, gory French film that put him on the map. But since then, he seems to have written better movies than he’s directed. He’s the man behind such excellent genre fare as “P2” and the recent remake of “Maniac” starring Elijah Wood which is a fantastic horror film that you may have missed in 2012 but should seek out. To his credit, Aja did quite well with his ‘Tension’ follow-up “The Hills Have Eyes” remake, but it still had it’s problems. “Mirrors”, starring Kiefer Sutherland, was just a mess of a picture, and, of course, “Horns” just followed that trend. And while he did remake the ’80s tongue in cheek “Jaws” rip-off film “Piranha”, it’s in its own category because it was made for laughs and filmed in 3D to give it more of a schlocky, campy, nostalgic feel. Hopefully, Aja can rebound from these failures because deep down inside he’s a great writer and a decent filmmaker, and I can’t wait for him to bust out and make a film truly worthy of his talents.
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local film
Two Corpus Christi filmmakers bring their horrific vision to life in the new anthology film
interview by Paul Gonzales early a year ago two men started out making their feature film debut titled “Dreadtime Stories.” It’s an anthology film that features short stories within the main body of the movie that all connect to one another. The film wrapped principle photography in May of this year, and now they’re prepping the final product to have it’s world premiere at the South Texas Underground Film Festival on Nov. 15 at the Art Center of Corpus Christi. The film was executive produced by Sal Hernandez and directed by Jacob Grim; both of STX Media Studios. We had a chance to chat with the two filmmakers and find out what we have in store when the film premieres in a few weeks.
STXscene: Can you explain the origins of ‘Dreadtime Stories’ and how the project came to be? Sal Hernandez: Jacob and I were just hanging out, reminiscing about our recent success with our short called “The Roommate,” which somehow teetered off into a discussion on how we both love horror anthology films and how there should be more of them. When we began to entertain the idea of doing our own, and what the vignettes might be, we realized we each already had written several scripts and treatments that could be utilized. We also realized that this would be a great opportunity to work with some of the best talent in the coastal bend, so as far as we were concerned that night, we decided to do our first feature film. STX: What was the
most difficult part of making the film? Jacob Grim: Probably the hours we kept, with a full-time job and family, it was a challenge to juggle and balance responsibility, but we did it. Shooting exclusively on weekends also took its toll, but the advantage SCREAM TEAM Director Jacob there was that, most Grim (left) and Executive t i m e s , we didn’t Producer Sal Hernandez are have to go to work STX Media the next Studios morning. It’s hard to label any part of the production as “difficult”; we welcomed every challenge; we overcame them and are better film makers for it. Sal: I would have to say it was definitely difficult doing this film with no money. We paid for everything out of our own pockets. But it was for sure our discipline, innovation, business sense and the passion of all involved that made this film look like we had budget. STX: Why did you decide to make a horror film? Jacob: We love horror films and never considered making anything else. It’s the one genre that you can combine any other elements, like comedy, drama or action. It’s also the only type of film that has been scientifically proven to burn calories while you watch it.
STX: I know Sal travels to a lot of horror conventions, so what are some of your favorite horror icons that you’ve met? Sal: Actually, we both travel and work con-
ventions; we recently became agents for two original cast members of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” Teri McMinn and Ed Guinn, as well and Barbara Magnolfi who played “Olga” in Dario Argento’s “Suspiria.” It’s a hard question to answer, because everyone we’ve met has been pretty cool. STX: Do you have any interesting/funny production stories? Jacob: I would have to say the most remarkable part of the production would have to be when we filmed the vignette called “Punishment.” The entire short was completed in
like 40 degrees, and it was technically Monday morning. By this time, it didn’t matter what anybody said; we just could not stop laughing. It’s hard to remember what exactly set it off, but I vaguely recall something about Chiclets and chicken tenders.
one 18-hour day, which STX: How did the test included extensive makescreening go, and what up and a full body suit. did you learn from it? SAL: For me, the funJacob: The test screenniest time was when we were on our 16th hour ing was very positive; it of filming the installcontinued on pg. 10 ment “Distention.” It was
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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 9, 2014
cover story ALL IN THE FAMILY Stiles Jr. would take two of his four children, both born with his genetic disfigurement, on the road with him and tour as the Lobster Family.
story by Paul Gonzales
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Lobster Boy Grady Stiles Jr. was one of the best known sideshow attractions for years, but away from the circus tents and laughing children he was a murderous alcoholic who’s brutality laid the path to his own violent death
O
n Nov. 29, 1992, in Gibsonton, Florida, sat a dilapidated, run-down silver trailer. And in that trailer sat a 55-year-old man, dead, with three .32-caliber bullet holes in the back of his skull. His hands were misshapen and resembled those of a lobster’s claws. He was wearing a sweatstained wife beater and tighty whities, his short, stubby, disfigured legs draped over the end of his seat as the TV program he had been watch-
ing continued on without notice. The deformed man was fat, old and balding and had died instantly from the gunshot wounds. This was the end of Lobster Boy. Born Grady Franklin Stiles, Jr. in 1937, he was the fourth generation of his family birthed with ectrodactyly or ‘Lobster Claw Syndrome’, a deformity in which the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. His father, Grady
Stiles, recruited his son at the tender age of seven to join him as a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival. Stiles Jr. became known as Lobster Boy and grew to be quite popular amongst the crowds that gathered around to gawk at the malformed misfit. He eventually became business savvy enough to manage other traveling sideshow caravans, which led to him running his own show. He
married
three
times, twice to the same woman, having four children—two of which were born with ectrodactyly— and the group, though both children were from different mothers, would often tour together as The Lobster Family. Stiles Jr. began abusing alcohol early. His drink of choice was a double Seagram 7 with a splash of Coke. Once drunk, he became an abusive monster, threatening his wife and children constantly. Cathy, who had the same family disfigurement and would tour with her father, described him as “Satan himself” during her courtroom interview. When she was seven months pregnant, her drunken father knocked her out of her wheelchair while she was protecting her mother. The next morning, she was rushed to the hospital and had an emergency Caesarean section. Her daughter, Misty, was born prematurely with the same claw hands as she and her father. In 1978, his oldest daughter, Donna, who was not born with the family defect, ran off with her boyfriend when she was 17. She told Stiles Jr. that they planned to wed, and even though he wasn’t happy about it, he still wished to meet the man for a private chat. Stiles Jr. blew the boyfriend away with two shotgun blasts to the upper torso the day before their wedding. He died in Donna’s arms.
“My dad was just sitting up on the porch, smiling,” Donna recalled. “He said, ‘I told you I would kill him.’” In 1979, Stiles Jr. was convicted of third-degree murder but ended up being sentenced to 15 years probation because no state institution was equipped to care for an inmate with ectrodactyly. His first wife, Mary Teresa, returned to Stiles Jr. after the promise of his sobriety, and the two wed again in 1989. “Two weeks later,” Mary Teresa said, “he was back to the same old Grady.” During this time, the family was still hitting the road perform-
ing their show and were now accompanied by a Human Pincushion, a Human Blockhead, some Burmese Pythons and many other oddities. But the abuse continued and Stiles Jr.’s drinking became increasingly unmanageable. It got to the point where he would show up on stage drunk and taunt the audience and head-butt unruly spectators. Mary Teresa even woke up in the middle of the night with her drunken husband holding a knife to her throat saying, “One of these days I’m going to kill you and your family,” before dropping the blade and crawling off. Mary Teresa said at this point she knew
AGE OF INNOCENCE A photo of 9-year-old Grady Stiles Jr. taken in Pittsburgh, Pa., shows his acceptance at an early age of his disfigurement which would eventually become his livelihood.
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cover story prison. During a recent interview with Stiles III, he has said about his father, “Thank you for showing me who not to be, and maybe you can appreciate who I became because of that.
POSTER CHILD Carnival banners promoting Grady Stiles, Jr.’s popular traveling freakshow character Lobster Boy. He was traveling the circuit at the age of seven with his father who also had ‘Lobster Claw Syndrome.’
something had to be done. She enlisted the help of her son, Harry Glenn Newman III, from her previous marriage and supposedly gave him $1,500 to hire a killer. Newman III then asked his high school classmate, Christopher Wyant, to do the deed, and the plan was hatched for the murder of Stiles Jr. A few days later, Wyant hid in the back of the silver trailer and waited for Mary Teresa to leave. She said she was going to visit some relatives up the road, and when she left, Wyant stepped out from the shadows and
killed Lobster Boy without a second thought. But according to Stiles Jr.’s son, Grady Stiles III, that’s not what really happened. Stiles III claims in an interview that: “What actually happened was my mother and my dad had gotten in another fight as usual, and my mother had made the comment that something needed to be done. “My brother had overheard that and went to the neighbor kid and told him that something had to be done. “My brother (Newman III) thought that meant
“You were a drunken bastard, but you were my dad.” And that is the tale of Lobster Boy.
LOBSTER BOY
scaring him or beating [my dad] up or something to make him realize that he was going to lose his family. “A little while later, my dad was shot.” Either way, Wyant was convicted of seconddegree murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison. Newman III was considered the mastermind behind the plot and was convicted of firstdegree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Mary Teresa was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 12 years in
The Legacy of
CLAW OF THE LAND An autographed photo of Lobster Boy from his early days as a performer. He would later start his own traveling show and tour with other circus performers.
The fourth season the “American Horror Story” anthology series, subtitled ‘Freakshow’, features a lead character based off of Grady Stiles Jr. named Jimmy Darling. He shares the same stage name of Stiles Jr. which is ‘Lobster Boy’ but only has clawed hands and not malformed legs. He’s also a little better looking and doesn’t seem to have alcoholic fits of rage, but it’s still early on in the series. He supplements his income by offering unique sexual services to the desperate local housewives, which is what Stiles Jr. was reported as doing as well. The new season centers around a group of circus performers as they deal with each other as well as outsiders who mistreat the pack.
SHOWTOWN USA
Gibsonton, Florida, aka Showtown USA, has been home to sideshow freaks since 1936 after Al “The Giant” Tomiani (7’11”) and his wife Jeanie the Half-Girl (2’1”) moved there to start a fishing business. The region’s warm climate soon made it the place sore carnies and sideshow acts would wait out the winter months. Percilla the Monkey Girl, Edward Anato Hayes the Anatomical Wonder, Stanislaus Berent the Human Seal, Grady Styles, Jr. the Lobster Boy and more called the place home. The city embraced their unique opportunity to welcome their guests with new zoning laws that would allow them to keep their circus animals in their yards; including elephants and amusement rides. There’s also a 52,000 sq. ft. museum featuring rare photos, show
wagons and other circus memorabilia. Though many of the attractions have fallen into disrepair, it still attracts many curious visitors as well as unusual future residents. It also has the only post office in the United States to feature a shortened counter for dwarves. Showtown is located about 15 minutes southwest of Tampa off U.S. Hwy. 41.
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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 9, 2014
film review
Cinema Paradiso
The new documentary ‘Out of Print’ showcases the famed New Beverly Cinema in L.A., the people that make it special and it’s fight for 35mm film.
J
ulia Marchese’s new documentary of the famed New Beverly Cinema movie theater in L.A., “Out of Print”, has a ton of heart and is a very fun and genuine love letter to the movie house. Marchese, who was an employee of the theater until recently (read sidebar) was a huge fan of the cinema long before she was an employee. “I asked Sherman Torgan – then the owner – for a job that first day and every time I returned for five years,” Marchese wrote in her blog. “I knew I had to work there. I would wait as long as it took.” And soon she became the face of the theater which featured guests, and fans, such as Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), John Waters (Pink Flamingos), Joe Dante (Gremlins), Edgar Wright (Shawn of the Dead), Rian Johnson (Brick), Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille) and many, many more filmmakers, actors and notto-mention L.A.’s interesting other half. Filmmakers were frequently asked to program blocks of films which inspired them or formed their careers. Tarantino booked two months of films when invited to do
so. “Here was a place that was never about money or power but solely about the love of cinema,” Marchese also mentioned on her blog. One of the things that define the New Beverly Cinema is the fact that they only show 35mm prints of films. In a world where movie studios are doing their best to make digital projection of films the norm, the New Bev is fighting the good fight to keep film prints available and preserved. The documentary is chock full of interviews from famous directors, actors and employees who feel that film is only way to enjoy some movies. And they all make an interesting case for film, which can be expensive and cumbersome but is also the perfect way to preserve our rich cinematic history. In the documentary someone relates film to digital as why keep the Mona Lisa at the Louvre? Take it down and smash it on your knee because we have a digital image of the painting anyway. And I completely agree with the comparison. We’re also actually discovering that some early films shot and preserved in digital format have been corrupted and may
be lost forever, whereas movies on film, if preserved correctly, can last for decades. “Out of Print” is a fantastic retrospective of the New Beverly Cinema as well as a time capsule of films’ lasting impact on filmmaking and film appreciating. Do you want to watch the doc? Well now you can. For free. Head over
to her blog juliamarchese.wordpress.com and, under her post ‘I Will Not Be Censored’, you’ll find the link and password to Vimeo.com where you can watch the feature documentary for absolutely nothing. Trust me when I say it’s a fantastic voyage that you should truly experience if you’re a fan of films. Tarantino’s house for a meeting. Turns out that he was going to be taking over ownership of the New Bev, and Marchese would be a co-manager.
W
hen the previous owner of New Beverly Cinema in L.A., Sherman Torgan, passed away unexpectedly, the movie theater was left in flux. He owned the business but not the building which it was located in, a strip mall of sorts. The owners were quick to make plans to turn the space into a Chipotle’s Mexican restaurant and a Supercuts. These chain restaurants and gaudy superficial businesses were exactly the opposite of what the New Bev stood for. Quentin Tarantino, an enormous fan and supporter of the theater, stepped in and bought the building, allowing the employees to run things as usual. Well, in mid-July, Julia was summoned along Quinn, who had run Grindhouse nights for
Marchese with Brian the their years, to
was a feeling, a soul to this place that she was only going to crush? Couldn’t she see that?” Marchese left the job she loved so much soon after.
On Marchese’s blog she wrote, Her final words? “You’re going to “You can imagine how I felt—per- turn this place into a f*cking multisonally hand-picked by Quentin plex, and it’s a goddam drag.” Tarantino to run his movie theater And though she lost not only in Hollywood! A dream come true!” her job but livelihood and dear Her pay would also go up, from friends, she holds nothing against $14,000 in 2013 to nearly four times Tarantino personally. that. “I think Quentin Tarantino is an She was ecstatic. incredibly talented filmmaker with But the excitement didn’t last his heart in the right place. He’s long. She was immediately muz- been my personal hero for several zled and not allowed to blog, insta- years—here’s a man who uses his gram, tweet or facebook anything celebrity in the best possible way— about the theater, something she to insure 35mm will be around and did regularly to promote the New to save a theater that both of us Bev. Also, her emails, phone calls see as something extraordinary.” and texts to management were But, nonetheless, she was left ignored. Any request to personally talk to Tarantino about her con- with $47 in her bank account and cerns were brushed aside, and a documentary she made about cameras were installed all over the the cinema, “Out of Print.” theater. She decided to release the doc“We weren’t being protected; we umentary film for free on her blog. were being watched,” Marchese “I hope you will see firsthand the wrote. “When I asked to know who enthusiasm I had for that place was watching the monitors, I was and the passion I will always have ignored.” for cinema. No matter what you Having only held her manage- think of the film, you can’t deny ment position for two weeks, Julie that my love for The New Beverly McLean, the new general manag- Cinema shines through.” er of the New Bev and Tarantino’s Go to her blog at juliamarpersonal assistant, called her into chese.wordpress.com and, under a meeting to let her know she was her post ‘I Will Not Be Censored’, being demoted to snack bar with you’ll find the link and password to no shifts guaranteed. Vimeo.com where you can watch “In layman’s terms: I won’t fire the feature documentary for free. you, because then I would have Don’t forget to show your supto pay unemployment, but I simply port on her page at facebook. won’t schedule you—which forces com/julia.marchese.52. It’s good resignation. to know that someone is fighting “My last gasp was pleading with the good fight for not only film but her—couldn’t she see that there also it’s fans.
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video games
It’s that time of year again where the ghosts and ghouls roam the streets and bite-size candy bars await behind every door. That’s right, it’s Halloween. And that makes it the perfect time to curl up in a dimly-lit room and play some games that are guaranteed to scare.
Maybe you are one of those people that really can’t handle things too scary, or maybe you want the thrill of the scare without the lasting impression that gives you
nightmares. If that this case, I recommend these games. – Deadlight is a side scrolling zombie survival game that allows the atmosphere and zombies to bring the horror, but you are left with a sense of hope instead of dread by the game’s conclusion. – Left 4 Dead is another great game. This FPS (First Person Shooter) zombie survival game is the right amount of high octane action and scares. “Left 4 Dead” is also a great co-op game that has you working with other people in order to survive. – The final game in the lightweight category is The Walking Dead. This interactive
Records. W h i l e it never reached the commercial success of Resident Evil, and Silent Hill did, the game still has a strong following, and a new entry to the series is expected sometime next year.
drama adventure is filled with zombies and hard choices as you try to survive. This game has an amazing story where your decisions will haunt you long after the game has concluded. If you are a fan of the Walking Dead TV series, then there is no The next two entries are reason why you shouldn’t more modern games that play this game. I give high recommendations, and I imagine they These are older games will leave imprints on the that defined the horror horror games that follow. genre that we as gam– Dead Island is a first ers know today. Each of person survival horror these games held scares game. This zombie infestand suspense around ed open-world game put a every corner, and their major emphasis on melee influence is still present combat unlike most modin more modern games. ern horror games that – Resident Evil is put emphasis on shoota survival horror game ing. Dead Island will see that made its debut in its first true sequel in the 1996. Worried about it spring of 2015. success, the first level – Last of Us is an was given as a free action adventure surdemo and boxed with vival horror game that the original Tomb was meet with critical Raider. Since then, acclaim. This is a must the Resident Evil play game and is considseries has spawned ered by many critics one multiple video of the greatest games of games and five big all times. There are not budget movies. enough words I can say – Silent Hill about this game other is a psychologi- than “just play it.” cal survival horror game that puts the players into the shoes of an ordinary man, unlike main rival Resident Evil, For those gamers wantwhose protagonists ing to get away for the are trained in combat zombies that seem to be and weaponry. arriving in droves on the – Alone in the market today, try looking Dark is an older at the sky. classic that was – Dead Space is a sciawarded “First ence fiction survival hor3D Survival ror game. Ok, so techHorror Game” by nically you are fighting the Guinness World reanimated corpses in
this game, but at least you’re in space and have cool antigravity sections between the scares. – Alien: Isolation is a recently released first person survival horror stealth game. The game is set 15 years after the events of the movie “Alien” and follows Amanda Ripley investigating her mother’s disappearance.
ments and jump-out scares. When I played this in a group, we were constantly screaming. At one point a person’s head may or may not have been punched when they opened a door. Sorry, Dead by Day.
– The Evil Within is a survival horror game that was also just released. Critics are raving about this game which is guaranteed to send chills running down your spine. Although, in this case, These last two games you might want to play are guaranteed to make your heart stop and with the lights on. This list is only a small a scream escape your throat. sampling of horror games – Outlast is a first out there for the adrenaperson survival horror line junkie. So, hunker game that takes place down with the light on in a psychiatric hospital low and prepare to be scared. with homicidal patients running loose. This game Now go forth features claustroand game on. phobic environ-
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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 9, 2014
local film
‘Dreadtime Stories’ cont.
definitely needed to happen to get a stronger grasp on the audio mix. It also allowed us to include the cast and crew in the last phases of post-production. The bi-product of having a public test screening was that even in its incomplete stage, we learned that many were still on edge and genuinely scared. STX: The film is premiering Nov. 15 at STUFF, so what’s next for the film after the premiere? Sal: We are excited that the STUF film festival will be our official premier for “Dreadtime Stories”, and the event will launch the film’s national film festival tour. After the movie runs its circuit, we will be
exploring some options in regards to distribution. STX: What’s next for STX Media Studios? Jacob: We are currently in pre-production with the horror-clowns Shivers & Quivers on a full feature film. The original plan has changed with our recent connections to the horror industry, which has created a whole new avenue to making this production bigger and better. Sal: We want to thank everyone involved in this production. We got to work with some of the best local veteran actors in the area and discovered some new talent in the process. We had the best crew, our sound engineer John
Rosales, our intern/2nd camera operator/behind the scenes videographer Jake Gonzalez, our make-up assistant and go to person Sam Mata. We also want to thank Dark Dimensions Haunted House, Psychotic Productions and Wicked Pissah FX for their contributions as well. We are overwhelmed with the amount of support and enthusiasm we have received from everyone, we appreciated all the hard work and sacrifices and we look forward to producing a film all can be proud of. We can’t wait to do it again. You can keep tabs on all things STX Media by heading over to Facebook. com/STXMedia and liking their page.
“Dreadtime Stories” will premiere Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. at the Corpus Christi Art Center, 100 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi. The filmmakers will be in attendance to answer any and all of your questions.
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Oct. 11 – Nov. 1 • The Rocky Horror Show at Aurora Arts Theatre: Get ready for one of the most mind melting musicals of all time as it comes to Corpus. Performances are every Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. (Halloween will also have a performance at 11 p.m.) and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. until Nov. 1. It’s only $20 to laugh and sing the night away. 5635 Everhart Road in Corpus Christi.
Thurs. Oct. 30 • Smile Empty Soul at Boneshakers: Sean Danielsen, lead singer of Smile Empty Soul, will be performing an acoustic set starting at 10:30 p.m. As always, there’s no cover for the show, and it’s 18 and up. 4522 Weber Road Ste. A in Corpus Christi.
Fri. Oct. 31 • Zombie Prom at The House of Rock: The Electotypes and DJ Johnny Hotcakes will be jamming all night for the undead who arrive to celebrate prom. The event
open at 8 p.m. with the music kicking off at 9 p.m. Tickets are only $20 at the door. 1724 Tancahua St. in Corpus Christi.
Fri. Dec. 12
starts at 9 p.m., and it’s just $5 to come in and check the best zombies this side of the grave. 511 Starr St. in Corpus Christi.
at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9 p.m. It’s just $8 at the door, and make sure to bring your dancing shoes. 12516 FM Road 622 in Goliad.
Sat. Nov. 1
Thurs. Nov. 13
• Slipknot at The American Bank Center: King 810 and Korn will be setting the stage for thrash metal superstars Slipknot. The gates open at 7 p.m. It’s sure to be a loud, fun-filled night. 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi.
• Cher at The American Bank Center: Oh, man. This is gonna be one heck of a show. Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will open up for one of the world’s biggest names in pop music ever. The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. 1901 N Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi.
• Jake Penrod at Schroeder Hall: Traditional country music artist Jake Penrod will be making an appearance at the Hall. Doors open
• Cody Johnson Band at Brewster Street Icehouse: Jon Wolfe and Cameran Nelson open the show for the Austin-based Texas country crooners
Need to promote your band’s new album? The
Do it with us and pay only $48 for an ad this size or just $60 for full color for ad sizes and specials
Lou
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call (361) 358-2550 or email Paul@stxscene.com
Ran
ard
dom
Nam
es
Cody Johnson Band. The doors open at 8 p.m., and it’s $25 at the door. 1724 Tancahua St. in Corpus Christi.
Nov. 14 – 16 • South Texas Underground Film Festival at Art Center of Corpus Christi: Come celebrate three days of awesome films, panels, workshops and even a casting call for a feature
film. The international festival kicks off Friday at 10 p.m. For more information check out facebook.com/STUFtx. 100 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi.
Thurs. Nov. 27
• Inner Demons Screening at Art Museum of South Texas: Director Seth Grossman will be in attendance at the screening. The film follows an intervention style reality crew as they encounter a 16-year-old girl who may or may not be possessed. 1902 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi.
• Roger Creager at Brewster Street Icehouse: Clayton Gardner will be opening the show for Roger Creager, and the doors
Need your awesome event listed? Drop us a line at Paul@stxscene.com or send us a Facebook event invite at facebook.com/stxscene.
Wanna be in a MOVIE? CineMachina Studios will be holding a casting call for their 2 nd feature film called
“A Funny Girl” at
Corpus Christi Art Center • 100 N Shoreline Blvd Friday Nov. 14th from 4pm-6pm Saturday Nov. 15 from 12pm-5pm We will be looking for: 1 FEMALE LEAD-mid to late 20s 1 MALE LEAD-early to mid 30s 4 MALE SUPPORTING-early to mid 30s OTHER SUPPORTING ROLES-various ages The film is written and will be directed by Paul Gonzales (SCUM 2010)
and
Hea
for more info email Paul@stxscene.com or visit Facebook.com/afunnygirlfilm
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OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 9, 2014