2011-A Dickens of a Year

Self-Portrait.

"It was the Best of times, it was the Worst of times"
-Charles Dickens

…and on that note, Happy New Year!

Looking back, it's been a strange & conflicting year, one with major highs…and some significant lows as well. No real need to focus on the negative (I dwelled on it plenty over the last 12 months if you were anywhere in my near vicinity) as we forge into a new year and add a "T" to forgeT the misgivings, stumbles & regrets of the last. Ooh, I like that. If anything, I gots a career in greeting cards.

One of my biggest regrets of the past year dropping the ball on the website and blog; truth be told, I've had little time to sit down and be as detailed as I usually prefer, and since a major part of doing "Le Blog" is to be able to look back fondly (or frankly) on memories from my perpetually crazed life, and now I have major holes in the plot that need more recollecting to reminisce on. Sorry to both of you who read it and I'll try to do better, even just for myself when I gotta start writing PATRICK DUFFY STOLE MY BURRITO & OTHER SORDID TALES (my memoirs).

That's probably a reason I've decided to bring back the 'Shot of the Day', a little project I did back in 2009 (and did for the shooting of KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM) that was simply a slice of my life, captured by whatever photo device I have on-hand. They can be professional or personal, you never know till the shot is taken & the moment captured. I can assure that there will likely be a lot of pictures of my family, the dog, various foodies, some strange shots of foliage, maybe a bowel movement or two, you never know. You've been warned. But, with 2012 looking even busier than '11 (if that's even possible), this might be a good way to keep up as we near the apocalypse. At least I know we're going out with a bang!

Its has been an eventful year to say the least, so I thought we'd just peek back at a few notables as we put this year to beddy bye and look forward to '12. This could get ugly. Or boring. If you're still with me at this point, at least I can offer more pictures.

(Off-Screen: Frozen testicles.)

Sundance:

Back in January I got to go with the KNIGHTS producers and company (IndieVest) to Utah for Sundance, which I haven't been to in 10 years. I had a silent vow back in 2000 that I wouldn't come back to Park City until I had a film to screen, so that the party IndieVest was throwing was on behalf of KoB (which was and is still being worked on), I thought "why not, that kinda counts" and to meet many of the investors and supporters for the film was a lot of fun. Not only were the two parties a real blast (Hey, Dinklage and Brett "Gunther" Gipson from KoB showed up! Hey, is that Tommy Lee spinning?!) but I got to "enjoy" the crisp Park City air and see a few movies too, including one of my top films in a year (but we'll get to that). All in all, Sundance seemed to be a success and I'm glad I got the chance to go amidst the hustle and bustle of the new year.

The Duran Duran album cover from Hell. Mock-up poster design for ZOM-B-MOVIE by Phil Roberts.

CHILLERAMA:

Yup, we unleashed the beast. What started out as a goofy side project between horror collegues turned into both a dream come true (Plan: Make the most outrageous, disgusting, insane joke-movie we could and get away with. "Mission Accomplished" as Ethan Hunt says…) and a nightmare as well (Im not gonna hurt anyone's feelings here, sorry).

What we gained in creative freedom and fun amongst friends turned into a lot more drama, stress and struggle than anyone ever anticipated, but that most of us walked away better friends for it was probably worth the battles and lost sleep. I'm really proud of what we accomplished with no money, time and with only family and friends to help, and I know the other guys are too. Im extremely proud of my contribution to CHILLERAMA, both ZOM-B-MOVIE (I got to shoot in a drive in! With Sex Zombies!! Dante, Jackson and Romero, eat your dicks off!!) and DEATHICATION (I got to swim in the ultimate movie taboo! And introduce Fernando Phagabeefy!! Your welcome). Going guerella style on this was not only a necessity but also a nice change of pace between bigger films and creatively reinvigorating too. And yes, my Mom loved it. It was so satisfying being able to "purge this urge" with CHILLERAMA, to be set free to shock and pillage people's senses and sense of taboo in this fun-spirited way, and now I feel like I can at least move into (slightly) more mature fare. Opportunities like this come rarely, and again, despite the speed bumps, I'm so SO glad we did it.

The manic anthology also allowed us to travel quite a bit with the film upon its completion in August; I never thought I'd be going to Berlin, Hamburg and then the UK in the span of 8 days in one trip. Never in a MILLION years thought we'd be premiering this putrid little flick in the Hollywood Cemetery! Really!?! Or show it to film students at USC? WHUT?? That the film hit as many film festivals and theaters across the nation and world as part of our "roadshow" plan was staggering, it was truly like touring with a punk band.

We knew from the start that this pastiche of perversity wasn't for everyone, but that it was both loved and hated so vigorously to me is a win win. People saw it, that's what mattered and that to me is art…or, "fart", pending your opinion. That it was under as many christmas trees this season from what I heard scares me a little….

Many thanks to everyone at ArieScope, Image Entertainment (Mark Ward, you are the man), Sue Procko PR and Click Media for all their help getting the word out, big hugs to the fellow directors, the producers, cast and crew for sticking with us through thick and thin…and to all of you sick, twisted fucks who bought/rented the film and especially came out to the screenings, then told the world online? Uncle Cecil thanks you with a big sloppy Demon Semen kiss.



Viva Chillerama! Buy the film HERE!

311 & Beastie Boys mashups:

As a kid, I would always find strange pleasure in hooking up two VCR's and my stereo together and create visual "remixes" (the kids today call them mashups) using favorite movie scenes set to different music and cut to the beat and the tone of the scene. I've always enjoyed that process (Which is probably why I love editing) and in the spring I found myself up at 2am cutting and recutting footage at home whenever inspirado would strike. Next thing I know Im furiously recutting scenes from some childhood favorites (in this case Joe Dante's INNERSPACE & the Dabney Coleman cult classic SHORT TIME) with music that's been rolling in my head the last few weeks…and voila, we have these odd little pop-art pieces that feel like a sample of the inside of my brain. What's truly gratifying is the surprising response; for the Beastie Boys video I got the thumbs up not only from MCA from the Beasties to post it (which they reposted!) but also from Joe Dante who insisted the video be put on the next version of INNERSPACE that gets released. For 311, it was a response to the frustration of coming up with a compelling idea for a video to promote their new album with limited funds (welcome to the new way, according to the record industry) so after submitting about 4 different treatments, I just took the song I was writing on and the idea for using one of my favorite childhood action films, SHORT TIME, digitized the movie and the next thing I know its 3am and I'm cutting Dabney Coleman's manic driving to the band's frenetic beats. To me it was like making a music video for Metallica's "One" with an obscure 70's Jason Robards flick….see what I mean? It was a match made in heaven to me and the band fully embraced it as well, actually promoting it as their first video on the website.

Check out both videos below! Hopefully more to come...

Beastie Boys vs. Joe Lynch: "Pop Your Innerspace"


311 vs. Joe Lynch: "Short Time Bomb"



The view from Hall H. Photo courtesy of Shannon Robles.

Comic-Con:

What more can I say about Comic-Con that I haven't expressed ad nauseum in the previous blogs (when I actually wrote more than 140 characters)?
If you want the long story, check out a few HERE & HERE but in a nutshell, I was there in San Diego three-fold:

One, KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM (which was and is still being worked on…deja vu!) was accepted to be part of the big panel series in Comic-Con's Hall H, which is pretty much Geek Ground Zero…and we chewed bubblegum for sure. Arguably one of the best moments in my life, on that stage with my KoB cohorts, chanting "Huzzah" with my foam sword Edith. That whole Saturday was a glorious blur but one I'll never soon forget….so it was more like a well-executed whip pan in a PT Anderson film.

Two, CHILLERAMA had it's first screening there (which you can also read HERE) which, despite some massive tension just to get the movie there, was an eye and ear opening experience, one Im glad we had since the film dramatically changed after that preview thanks to the audience response. It was our first taste of "Wow it works!" and also "Oh shit, what have we done!?". But the crowd was great and the buzz was positive so it was well worth the hassle and anxiety. Plus I got to meet Roddy Piper that night, which felt serendipitous.

Three, due to the fact that both films were low budget without major studio backing to support the PR blitz, I had to pay my own way to Comic-Con (…or sleep on Larry Zerner's floor. Hmmm). Ah, independent cinema, huh? So I hooked up with my old pals at G4 and I since I had supervised Comic-Con for the website in the past, they hired me on to help them out for a few days, which basically paid for my room and board over the course of the weekend and allowed my family to come out and support. Don't think Larry would have appreciated Remy's diaper changes on his hotel bed. So sure, it was a more than a little strange/annoying to be on one side of the camera working as media one day, then hand the camera over and be on the other side of the lens the next, but hey…don't anyone ever tell you humble pie will get you nowhere. It got me to Comic-Con, and one of the most memorable times ever. Suck it up, take a bite, move forward. Im so glad I did it. Did I mention I slept for a week after? Damn you nerd Flu!

Thank you so much to everyone who made Comic-Con special: Mark, Matt, Kevin & everyone at IndieVest, the cast and LARP family from KOB who came out on their own accord to support the flick, everyone at Team Chillerama (Image, ArieScope, etc), both ID PR & Procko PR for their amazing work on the films, the coordinators at Comic-Con for taking a chance on us, the ever-cool peeps at G4 for helping the cause, my very patient family for putting up with my mad schedule and Luke for being my wingman throughout the weekend. Of course…all the new friends I made there over the course of the weekend and I dunno if I'll ever get the same chance like I did that weekend, and Im glad I cherished it for a change.

Um, what?

Entertainment Weekly:

Not for nothing, and say what you will about the magazine itself, but I've been subscribing to EW for 20 years and to have an image from my film displayed in it as an exclusive (with a sound bite from me!) was unbelievable. Plus, my Dad's old business, Automotive Trik, had it's logo in full display emblazoned on Kwanten's T shirt, so it was a nice tip of the hat to my dad, someone who never gave up on me and even said "Someday, you'll be in that magazine. Now quit daydreaming and go pull those tires!" so that my film with HIS logo was in full display in a national entertainment magazine was a major highlight for sure. Hope it's not the last! (hint hint)

Where the hell are we NOW?

FrightFest/Fantasy Fest:

As I mentioned in our CHILLERAMA section above, that film provided some Indian Summertime travel to promote the project pre-release. Each of the directors, pending their schedule, got to travel with the film to hype its November 29th street date (and the soft VOD opening before it). Thankfully, Image and their PR team were into letting us screen the film the world over, from Germany to Hawaii to Chicago and beyond, which I think really helped get the good (or bad) word out on the flick.

One of the highlights for me was the last week in August when Green and I, in the middle of prepping HOLLISTON (we were 10 days from filming the first episode!) we dropped everything and travelled to Hamburg & Berlin, Germany for the Fantasy FilmFest (where shockingly, CHILLERAMA was well received…Green made it out of Germany alive!) and our old stomping ground of London for FrightFest, where we got to see our UK family again and screen CHILLER that Saturday at Midnight, as well as show a clip and the trailer from KOB (which went over gangbusters). Truth be told, the reaction in the UK was mixed, and not to make excuses but of all the times we've screened the film…midnight on a Saturday night with a crowd who has been bombarded with the latest horror for the past 12 hours might have had their fill by the time they got to our screening (and going after Lucky Mckee's stupendous THE WOMAN likely didn't help! Fist Shake to you Lucky!!) but again…CHILLERAMA isn't for everyone, but those who dug it loved it and those who didn't HATED it, and didn't have a problem telling us. That's what I love about FrightFest and the family we've acquired there; they make no bones about being honest, and I love them for that.

Best review from all of this? A large German fellow (no offense but I actually think his name was Thor or Gunter or something cliche-like, my bad buddy) came up to me after the Midnight UK screening and seemed any to discuss his thoughts. I asked him "So, Dieter (or something like that), what did you think?" and he simply replied: "Yes. Fiiilm" and just walked away. I wish we could have put that on the poster.

We did a ton of press while abroad but here was one of the highlights, a mock interview with Green and I playfully ripping on one another; it was a little taste of what's to come...



A God's eye view of some of the Holliston Gang, Wrap Night 2011

HOLLISTON:

Wow.

I really don't know where to begin, especially since we're still in the thick of finishing the show as I type for our April launch on FEARnet. This is something we've been working on for a few years now, ever since Green asked me to be part of this 13 year long endeavor to get his first film COFFEE & DONUTS transformed into a TV sitcom. There were quite a few stops and starts even before I happily came onto the project, where I would be co-starring with Green as two roommates who aspire to be horror directors (and the situational comedy that ensues) as well as executive producing and be part of the writing process. But this year, the show we pitched to Peter Block at FEARnet went from "Hey, this MIGHT actually happen!" to "Holy schnikies, this IS HAPPENING! I got lines to memorize, crap!" in the span of 3 months.

In that time, the four main cast members-Adam, Corri, Laura and myself-hunkered down and rehearsed our asses off in the sweltering valley heat and in the middle of our already busy lives, and from that time we truly became a family, a band of brothers and sisters, and when we were on-set months later…that passion, dedication and hard work paid off in spades. Having Dee Snider and Oderus Urungus in the mix was equally exciting and surreal, and in the short time they were with us, like the day we were all together for a photo shoot, to soak it all in was like a sensory overload…I might have OD'd on awesomesauce. Between the close-knit cast who supported each other through thick and thin to the dedicated crew to everyone at FEARnet who also supported our whacked out vision and gung-ho work ethic, the 6 weeks we shot were some of the most fun and gratifying times I've ever had on set. Now, that's not to say any of us worked less on our other endeavors-we worked our asses off every day and night with nary a day off-but to be with such a wonderful group of misfits and madmen(and women), every day was a blast and we all said we never wanted it to end. Who knows…let's just say part of that is in YOUR hands. We fought hard to make a TV sitcom for "you", cause having seen everything semi-finished thus far, I know we damn sure made a show for "us". Hope you enjoy it as much as we loved making it.

Post Script in this section: Probably one of the most significant moments of the whole HOLLISTON experience was one that happened a few weeks AFTER we shot our last take on Stage 6. It was 7am and I get a a message from Dee, who left the most heartfelt message about how if my Dad (who Dee was good friends with and who died in 09 from cancer) could see us now…how happy and proud he'd be at this most unlikely convergence of worlds in the strangest of ways. It was the best wrap gift I could have received. Thank you Dee…and thank you Adam, Corri, Laura, Dave, Becker, Will, Wilcox, Cory, Jason, Sarah, Peter and EVERYONE who spent time with us in our little neck of the woods.

So…yes, I'm on a sitcom. Let that sink in for a moment. Crazy, huh? See kids, anything CAN happen out in showbid'ness. Stranger things have, huh?

See you in April on FEARnet! (I hope!)

Drew Daywalt beating "Final Cut" out of me.

G4 FILMS EPICTOBER FILM FESTIVAL:

Continuing a long-standing relationship with my friends at G4, I was approached by Rob Juster (the G4tv.com overlord and dear friend) to produce a series of short films for their "Epictober" Halloween campaign & was happy to help. I wanted to get back into doing more short film stuff but, this coming along at the same time as finishing CHILLERAMA, prepping HOLLISTON, continuing on KNIGHTS & developing EVERLY to shoot in '12…I was a little short on time and resources. But the idea of working with 3 directors I admired and pay it forward a little was the hook for me, to see 3 different visions for the idea we were playing with as our thesis for the series; the fusing of horror movies and video games. Seems trite and predictable, right? I keep thinking of BRAINSCAN or that Emilio Estevez segment in NIGHTMARES, but it was a fun challenge to find and foster 3 new and classic games and blend them with the tropes and techniques of the horror/thriller genre.

Each of the directors I had known from their previous work and had loved; Sam (THE HUNT) Balcomb and his FX team at Rainfall FIlms directed the spectacular ZELDA parody trailer for IGN, Gregg (BIRDS OF ANGER) Bishop blew me away with his low-budget/high-concept zombie comedy DANCE OF THE DEAD & Drew (KART DRIVER) Daywalt's work on short viral horror is already the thing of cult legend. I had a great time working with each and all of these guys and frankly, they defied the odds and expectations with each of their finished mini-films. I even got to squeeze in a little time to do the opening (look for "Breakdancing Joe" as an easter egg there) with Bear providing the 8-big homage theme song. The shorts did very well too and got some considerable notice in the media, so here's hoping we get to do it again next year with 3 new visual voices! See you next Halloween! Bleep bloop.

Thanks to G4 (Rob, Paul, Eric, Derek, Ernie, etc), Bear for the theme song & of course Sam, Gregg and Drew for their considerable talents under pressure and under budget along with their respective cast and crews…it was great working with you guys!

If you haven't seen them yet, well...here you go!

THE HUNT by Sam Balcomb

Game Reviews - E3 2012

KART DRIVER by Drew Daywalt

Video Games - E3 2012

THE BIRDS OF ANGER by Gregg Bishop

Game Reviews - E3 2012 - Angry Birds

What the hell are we doing? ...in Austin?

A VERY GREEN & LYNCH CHRiSTMAS:

While I was bummed we couldn't make it for the Alamo Drafthouse's FantasticFest this year with CHILLERAMA or KNIGHTS, Green and I were blessed with the chance to kill two birds with one screen; Conduct an "Evening with" to help benefit a good cause (namely, The American Legion Hall, which needed an elevator) and also promote our forthcoming projects to a crowd we knew who would appreciate it. So Green and I concocted "A Very Green and Lynch Christmas" where we'd festively show clips from our wares (in this case, our contributions to CHILLERAMA, a preview of HOLLISTON, 2 clips from KNIGHTS and other shorts we've done together), give some presents out, tell some stories and a few bad jokes and basically ring in the holiday season with the best movie crowd around. It was a quick turnaround thanks to everyone at the Alamo pitching in (including Tim, Chase & old pal Scott Weinberg who came up with the idea) and the event went great, the near capacity crowd (for a Monday night with little promotion is impressive) seemed to dig our stuff and even got the "grand finale" where we showed the "exciting" climax of JACK-O with the commentary, which you just have to experience for yourself. A strange, sublime evening for sure and a highlight of the year too.

Cryptic much? Jeez.

EVERLY:

Not sure how much I can say right now, other than how utterly excited I am to introduce you to my dear friend, Everly, very soon.

We've been working hard on this story-HER story-for close to 5 years now, between Luke and I coming up with the story and the strategy, to bringing in Yale to help deliver a solid, intense script, then having the script go out, raise a few eyebrows and land on the famed "Black List" at the end of last year…till now, with our Everly this close to being cast and on the cusp of filming this spring with a great producing combo of Crime Scene Pictures (who just finished the Coen Bros' GAMBIT scripted remake) and Anonymous Content backing my ideas. There should be news about the cast (or some of it) VERY soon as we head into 2012 full tilt boogie on bringing this hardcore flick to life and to say this will be a challenge is the understatement of the year thus far. But Im ready. Ready for action.

The Three Amigos.

What Im proudest of, all in all, is my family is (as of this writing) safe, sound and happy to jump into a new year together. If I learned anything this year, its that family is the way…and so worth fighting for. This is a theme Im sure Ill be delving into a LOT with the next adventure, so I could technically write it off as a work expense, no? Kidding! But without them I'd be just the latter part of that Dickens line, for they are my rock. Thank you Bri, Remy, Banzai and the whole gang, I love you so much and promise good things (and better moods) this year. Swearzies.

Wicked Mint Poster. Totally.

I usually end these (or compose separate posts) with my top 10 movies of the year but to be honest, I've missed so many that Im currently playing catchup so I might post that later this week. It was easy to pick a #1 (Nicholas Windig Refn's electric DRIVE) but the rest? Tough calls…you know its a good year when too many films made an impact enough to hit the list! But thanks to screenings and screeners Ill be sure to revise the list by end of the week so check back...

I don't have much by way of "Best in Music" other than one album that I listened to incessantly for almost 12 months, and that's Middle Class Rut's intense, immensely hooky self-titled album. If you haven't heard the first single "New Low" or the whole album, you'll be doing yourself a favor. Amazing, potent aural pleasure...and I love this video too:





…actually, that's not a fair assessment; Foo Fighter's WASTED LIGHT was also a revelation. Having been a fan since the demos, it was a great return to form. The documentary that came out around the release, BACK AND FORTH, is a must see for any fan. I dare anyone to claim its not a masterful rock album we'll be catching our kids listening to.



Best Book? This time last year I was finishing Stephen King's overlong but engrossing UNDER THE DOME and deja vu time, here it is I'm finishing his NEW overlong but even better 11/22/63, which follows an ordinary schmoe as he travels back in time to save Kennedy from being assassinated. Addictive as always, King gets away with a book so massive in scope and page-count, and while Im not finished yet…its been a hum dinger of a ride. Would make an amazing mini-series for sure. You've done it again Uncle Stevie!

So, to anyone and everyone I might have crossed paths with this year, be it business or personal...thanks for being part of the grand production, come back for the next scene and hope you signed a release form! To those I might have hurt, insulted, offended or just plain pissed off...My bad. Honestly, it wasn't malicious. Well, maybe that ONE time, but you were being a dick. Anyway, my apologies and hope I can make it up to you in the new year, or we can just agree to disagree. Either or.

I truly feel 2012 is gonna be one for the books, and not the Mayan kind. dI got my Blogger app, my 8.0 megapixel iPhone (and a few, more powerful backups) to "get the shot" as Mr. Vega once said, and Im all outta bubblegum.

Are you ready? Let's do this, 2012.

2011. Hasta Lasagne.

My alter ego. Pray he doesn't resurface.

Joe