Episode 41 - Adam Green Afterthoughts

I typically write my little afterthoughts for this blog days before I post them. I do so while I am mixing the show. A way for me to spit out what I didn’t remember to when we recorded. This post was going to be no different as I had written it a week or so ago. It comes as no surprise that there have been two more updates to include just since then. As we discussed on the show, the fandom with Mr. Green is ever-evolving directly because of his hard work, exhaustive outreach, and the interesting work he creates. While there are no updates on Digging Up the Marrow at the moment (coming this week) there are two others to mention. One item is that Mad Chann got me a Movie Crypt T-shirt for Christmas and it came in recently so I just got that from him. Quite excited that the money goes to those guys and to rep it proudly! Secondly, many of you may already be aware that Mr. Green basically blew our minds this week. Not only did he take the time to listen to our show that was almost two hours long but then proceeded to react on our comments section with a lengthy response that shows perfectly who he is. It is a proud, sincere, and honest response and we are so very flattered to have received it from him. It is one thing to retweet our show or acknowledge it in a small way (which we would have appreciated regardless) but this is a whole different stratosphere. If you have not taken the time to read his thoughts then please do so. Very rarely is there something like this to look over where fans create something about someone they admire and then have that person respond directly to it. Pretty special if you ask us. Below I will still include what I had originally written. Thank you all for listening, including you Adam. It means the world to the three of us.

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This blog for our show normally isn’t a very involved one; rather just a place to throw some final thoughts that fit naturally into the flow of the show. However, this entry will run a little longer than normal because it is a person I want to speak more on than normal because he is today. He matters right now in the pantheon of horror and independent directors.

Green’s transparency has become his legacy of late and that in no way diminishes his films. It is just an honest observation that I note because his growth in the podcast and social media world have been vital in my fandom. Sure in recent years I had become very fond of some of his work such as the Hatchet films or Frozen. However, the emergence of his candid thoughts shared with fans along with the depth found in his unique television show "Holliston" has just put him in a unique place for me, and I celebrate it throughout my free moments. His podcast “The Movie Crypt”,  co-hosted with director Joe Lynch,is very much a special thing. It covers so much in its weekly show but its main objective is to talk all things film industry. An informal crash course in the unpredictable navigation through the blind faith of trying to make it in Hollywood is the focus but there is so much more there that comes through organically because of the type of guys that they both are. Personally, I have no desire to make a movie or be in that world, but nonetheless it is fascinating. And at the end of the day the principles they discuss for that world are very applicable to other uphill battles that we all face at points in our lives.  I would find it surprising if there wasn't a lot of inspiration given to many outside the Hollywood hopefuls as well. We all face woes. Which is where the transparency comes in. Through this podcast we have experienced first hand how hard 2014 had been for this guy and through all of this where did he run? Nowhere.

 

He shared it with the world, and not in a self serving way. It was just part of the discussion in these podcasts. In turn a large community of people continue to dedicate themselves to his corner. Frequently, I find myself pining for a return of Holliston for a third season because I just think there would be an elevated special experience there at this point. We will all keep crossing our fingers.

In the summer of 2013 I volunteered at Days of the Dead in Indianapolis. Adam made an appearance there along with Dave Brockie and Will Barratt. I was quite excited to meet him as I already admired his work but my experiences with him are when my support changed dramatically. We all have had those experiences at conventions where we sour on someone we admired because of how nasty they were in person, and people share those stories a lot. I am happy to share the opposite here. I realize I have shared it in the past on the show, but telling a positive story more than once cannot hurt.

I initially had to wait at his table for about 15 minutes (which was ok because I got to speak with Mr. Barratt about shooting Hatchet 3 in the elements, wonderful guy) because he had caught word of fans who could not afford to pay the admission to get in and was outside talking to them and signing things for them. Please note, he was already signing for free that weekend as well. Still, he took the time to do that. I was more than happy to wait. The next morning I was there as a volunteer on Sunday. I was there early and just hanging out at my post for the day helping run line control for Danny Trejo. Extra early, as I am sitting there well before the doors are to open, I see Adam heading down with a soda in hand. He proceeded to meet up with a younger guy to do an interview for a podcast. Needless to say I was again impressed with his kindness and generosity. That day was a blast, and although I did not have much more interaction with Adam, I did get to spend the day right by Dave Brockie which was so much fun and for obvious reasons means so much to me now. A kind, funny, and unbelievably intelligent man who is missed by all.

Those are just a few moments from my brief time spent around him. It is all genuine. And here is the best part, his movies don’t suck! We are lucky as fans to have Adam and Joe in our lives through these various platforms. A source of entertainment rich in sincerity, talent, and humor they are.

In closing, if you have not watched his films or Holliston then do so. I doubt for most of you that is the case but if this is so, then correct that! The Holliston Nation/Hatchet Army is quite strong at this point and we are all pulling for Adam to have a happy and fruitful 2015.

Digging up the Marrow will be out soon folks. Look for the details and if it travels anywhere near us in the Midwest, you will see us there.

Until next time….

Beware of the moon

The Professor

 

Episode 41 - Adam Green

One of our longest episodes thus far because it is two shows combined! So much quickly evolved with Mr. Green's career and our fandom almost immediately after we recorded the first one  in the summer of 2013. So we tucked it away and let things grow before revisiting it, resulting in our now longest running show. We certainly think Adam was worth it. We hope you will too.

Episode 41 - Adam Green by Midwestmonsterspodcast on Mixcloud

Episode 40 - Horror Comedy Afterthoughts

Something must get into the air when Vinny sits in with us because the two times he has appeared I have been utterly shocked with opinions voiced. Not that these opinions are of any less merit than my own, they just surprise me. If you recall the Werewolf episode, Vinny sat in with us. During this episode we learned that I was the only one of four at the microphones that truly liked The Howling. I still have not recovered. Well it happened again, as I am sure you know from listening. The Grizz just does not get much from Young Frankenstein. Oh man, I better move along because I am getting dizzy thinking about this all over again.

Horror-comedy.

 An interesting marriage of film genres that have more in common than we sometimes realize.. Gallows humor is largely the reason for making these films so great. By laughing in the face of something upsetting, stressful, or flat out scary we in turn as viewers become engaged in the film. Additionally this process makes us at times, attached to the funny characters in a horror film (although the guy in Friday the 13^th Part 3 is an exception. I think we all wanted to see him go first, but I digress).My point is that by laughing a little it gives the viewer a chance to breath and absorb the intensity of many dark storylines. Something like An American Werewolf in London works so well because it entertains in a big way. It never goes too far into the laughs but it never turns away from the gruesome dark nature of its story.

The key to the magic is in the balancing act. Let me apologize in advance to Vinny and other Nightmare fans. Personally,as a viewer and fan, the Nightmare on Elm series was done after part 3. The two sequels already were dabbling more into the humor than the

horror and by 4 and beyond it was just a waste of a terrifying concept/character. I know many will vehemently disagree with me on this, but it is how I see them. Even as a youth I would quickly loose interest in a Freddy flick because there were too many distractions from the fear because of endless lowbrow puns. That balance was unfortunately too uneven for me to be taken seriously. Some of the most revered horror comedy films are quite aware of their identity and that is half the battle. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein or Young Frankenstein certainly are more grounded in comedy and never try to actually be very scary. Shaun of the Dead stays right in the middle of the legit zombie films and British humor. It is why these films are great. Tell us what you think of Comedy-Horror films! Favorites?  Worst ones? DO you enjoy them in general?

Lastly, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Vinny and Brian for joining us. We had a wonderful time with them and hope you as listeners that you did also.

Be sure to check out their work at: https://www.facebook.com/freakhouseflicks

Until next time

Beware of the moon

The Professor

 

Episode 40 - Horror Comedy with special guests Brian Blair and Vinny Landfert

A new year is upon us and so is a new Midwest Monsters episode! This time we tackle the topic of horror comedy. A round-table discussion on the marriage of these two genres and some of the highlights of horror-comedy that have been put forth over the years. We are glad to have you with us as we rip into 2015! We hope you enjoy.

Episode 40 - Horror Comedy (w/ special guests Brian Blair and Vinny Landfert) by Midwestmonsterspodcast on Mixcloud

Episode 39 - A Very Merry Midwest Monster Christmas Afterthoughts

FACT: I love Christmas. Always have and always will.

This season is obviously different for many and for me it is not so much a religious time, but rather a frame of mind. You are aware of yourself and trying to be in general a little better. Blend this with finding yourself reminiscent of past holidays and you cannot help being a little swept up in the wonder of it all, even if you will never admit it.

It is the one time of year that I slow down on my diet of steady horror.

I stress the word SLOW because my horror intake doesn’t halt! We had the pleasure of covering 5 movies for this episode and to be perfectly honest my holiday horrors do not go much further than what we covered in this episode, but nonetheless it was fun to cover them. Especially Black Christmas, which remains one of my all-time favorite horror films in general and not from just a seasonal standpoint.

I just deleted words written on our personal experiences relative to this episode, because it just doesn’t seem appropriate. This is a happy hobby and a union of fans who find happiness in the macabre and each other’s company.

So I will just leave it at this.

It has not been the easiest year, but I am glad we are still here doing this and that you have joined us in some capacity, large or small. I look forward to that journey continuing.

Happy Holidays,

The Professor