Hello All!!
After so much zombie writing mayhem, I have gone back to my very first screenplay I started writing over a year ago, Dead of Night.
After all we have Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, the grandfathers of the slasher genre that took over the 80's. In the 90's we had Ghostface from Scream and the Fisherman. But as we reached the new millenium, studios decided to, instead of making direct sequels, remake famous horror films. The first started with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre starring Jessica Biel. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing spectacular, either. After its success, a flood of remakes poured in with everything from Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Prom Night, The Fog, etc..
But something happened in 2007 when Adam Green came out with Hatchet and its crazed, backwoods swamp dweller, Victor Crowley.
Hatchet was a true slasher flick, a throwback to the genre the likes of which Freddy, Jason and Michael would be proud. Victor Crowley was more than a new name in the slasher films, it was like making a new friend and, even if you don't see him for a while, embrace him with open arms when you do. After I watched Hatchet, I was inspired to create my own type of serial killer.
But how would I go about creating a character that could be in the same league as all those famous serial killers in the movies I grew up watching and loving?
Well, it all started after a weekend trip to my friends' cottage in Michigan. The second night we were there, it was fun, sitting around the fire, drinking, talking. Basically having a good time. However, we all got quite the scare that night when we all we heard was a 'Whooo!' followed by a lot of rustling in the woods surrounding us. Not sure what, or who, it was, but it scared us enough to run back up to the house. Convincing ourselves it was probably just coyotes (or maybe a demonic cult) we went back down and enjoyed the rest of our night.
But, as we sat there, I found myself drifting in and out of perpetual fantasy. I decided right then and there I was going to create my own slasher flick. One that would be a throwback to the 80's horror genre, but stand up in our modern era. So I got to writing and, after careful thinking, the character of Roy Marley was born.
Revisiting Dead of Night, it hit me that Roy was just like meeting an old friend after a long time apart. One that I welcomed and embraced with open arms.
Roy is back and he's brought his pick axe.
In other horror related news, I've decided that I should get some kind of website going. Not sure how I will go about this, but I'll figure it out...eventually. I'm hoping to have it up and running some time in the New Year.
2011 was a year that was full of excitement for me from being a finalist in a screenplay festival, to making a lot new friends on Facebook and Twitter, all of who are in the horror genre in some way, shape and form. Writers who have given me a lot of great advice and encouragement, including Gregory Blair and Todd Farmer, actors that have also given me advice and support including the great Bill Oberst, Jr., John Dugan and Emilio Estevez, and directors such as Adam Green, John Carpenter and Wes Craven that have kept me inspired.
2012 will be my year in horror.
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