Thursday, April 29, 2010

FULL MOON FUN INVADES NASHVILLE


HELLO, FRIENDS…


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear And Scout Taylor Compton (ROB ZOMBIE’S HALLOWEEN).

The Full Moon Tattoo And Horror Festival (Nashville, TN) has come and gone, once again, in a flurry of activity. This is, traditionally, one of the most fun conventions of the year and the 2010 show did not disappoint.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear, Terrance “Graverobber” Zdunich (REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA, and Daniel Taylor (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING).

The show started for me on Thursday night when my friend Terrance “Graverobber” Zdunich (REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA) flew into town early. We grabbed some dinner and caught up before both of us had to take off to other meetings planned for the night. One of those meetings, for me, was with a friend I hadn’t seen in probably 17 years, Bryan Wilson. Bryan was a co-producer with me on a television show we created 20 years ago (UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT) that ran for a couple of years in various markets. Being the 20 year anniversary… it was time to “get the band back together,” as Jake or Elwood might say. We were going to use the Full Moon convention to start working on a new documentary about the television show, appropriately titled UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE, and film as much as possible between convention events. But, I digress… more about this film in a different blog at a later time.


ABOVE: Caroline Williams (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2) Finds A New Toy To Play With.

This year’s event included appearances by Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER, STRANGELAND), Scout Taylor Compton (ROB ZOMBIE’S HALLOWEEN), a TEXAS CHAINSAW 2 reunion with Caroline Williams, Bill Moseley, and Bill Johnson, Scream Queen Debbie Rochon, Ari “Jason” Lehman (FRIDAY THE 13TH), Richard “Jason” Brooker (FRIDAY THE 13TH 3), Terrance Zdunich (REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA), Daniel Taylor (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING), horror artist Billy Tackett, Doug “Pinhead” Bradley and Ashley Laurence (HELLRAISER), Ken Foree (DAWN OF THE DEAD, DEVIL’S REJECTS), wrestling legend Al Snow, and many more. Of course, as usual, the event also included lots of tattoos and horror film screenings.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear, Ari “Jason” Lehman (FRIDAY THE 13TH), and Bryan Wilson.

Before the show began, Bryan and I sat down for lunch with Ari Lehman (FRIDAY THE 13TH) and the always pleasant Robert Logue (CYPOCRYPHY), swapping funny stories… especially one where Ari gave us the TRUE history of Jason Voorhees (watch for more in UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT). After a great lunch it was time for work!


ABOVE: A zombie has lunch! Where’s the brains???

Friday got off and running as guests and vendors arrived for set up. The ramp-up to events on Friday is a nice, even build which allows you, as a guest, to get settled in and have a chance to greet old friends (thank you for the BIG hello hug, Ashley Laurence!). David Polk, another member of the UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT cast/crew, helped man the table as we greeted show attendees and began filming the documentary.


ABOVE: Dee Snider (STRANGELAND), Jim O’Rear, and Debbie Rochon (AMERICAN NIGHTMARE).

After a hectic Friday, it was time to unwind. And, what better place than Waffle House!!! Yes… in honor of Gunnar Hansen (a die-hard W.H. fan)… Bryan Wilson, Daniel and Ami Taylor, Billy and Heather Tackett, and myself went to grab a late-night snack. Before crashing for the night, however, we were treated by Daniel Taylor rapping out his favorite Lil Jon song and, I must say, Daniel has mad skills!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear with the cast from TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2… Bill “Leatherface” Johnson, Caroline “Stretch” Williams, and Bill “Chop Top” Moseley.

Saturday we woke up to weather reports of severe thunderstorms and tornados. Great! When were these storms predicted to hit Nashville? Exactly when the show was scheduled to open for the day! Great, again! Although the storms did sweep through during the day, they weren’t all that bad… only leaving us without power for about 1.5 hours. The blackout may sound like a bad thing, but it gave convention attendees the rare opportunity to be in a dark room with Pinhead, Leatherface, and Jason… a nightmare come true, for some!


ABOVE: Scout Taylor Compton taunts Ken Foree (DAWN OF THE DEAD) with her artwork, which demands he dance!

One of the events scheduled on Saturday was a screening of REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA (a brilliant film, if you haven’t seen it already) with a live shadow cast… as in the tradition of ROCKY HORROR. This event was packed and they had to bring in more chairs from the hotel to seat the crowd. Gotta love REPO!


ABOVE: Bryan Wilson, Daniel Taylor, and Jim O’Rear are THE TRINITY OF PAIN.

As things got goofier during the day it was time for the Trinity Of Pain to make their Full Moon debut. The Trinity (a trio of characters created for a future show) consists of Arch Bishop Bryan (Bryan Wilson), Reverend Jim (myself), and Rabbi D (Daniel Taylor) who go forth and help you with your personal problems… whether you want their help or not! Shenanigans ensued once the Trinity arrived on the scene (of course this was filmed for UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT, as well). Here are a few photos from the Trinity’s brief appearance at the Full Moon show…


ABOVE: The Trinity try to drive the demon from actress/model Stacey Dixon’s body.


ABOVE: The Trinity kidnap Scout Taylor Compton (ROB ZOMBIE’S HALLOWEEN)


ABOVE: Caroline Williams (TEXAS CHAINSAW 2) wants to know what’s under skirt!


ABOVE: The Trinity are available to save wrestling legend Al Snow.


ABOVE: The Trinity interrupt Sideshow Bennie’s show, as his material was objectionable in their eyes.


ABOVE: The Trinity loves zombies!

It was a full day of film screenings, tattooing, performances by Sideshow Bennie and Aron Houdini, belly dancers, costume contests, tattoo contests, and more. It was also my pleasure, on Saturday, to do an interview with Infernal Dreams (www.infernaldreams.net) and run into old friends from Macabre Mansion (www.macabremansion.com).


ABOVE: Wrestling legend Al Snow shares nuggets of wisdom.

After 12 hours on the showroom floor it was time to unwind. Several of us went to the bar to hang out for awhile, including Terrence Zdunich, Al Snow, Daniel and Ami Taylor, Billy and Heather Tackett, Bryan Wilson, David Polk, the fine folks from Macabre Mansion, and others, and were met there by Ken Foree and Scout Taylor Compton who were, of all things, discussing strip clubs! Al Snow entertained us with knowledge he’s collected over the years about women… making sure that my son, Brandon (whom Al refers to as his “traveling companion Bucky”), understood all of the complexities involved. This brought about loads of much needed laughter after a busy day on the convention floor.


ABOVE: Ken Foree (DAWN OF THE DEAD)… new spokesperson for Chop Top!

Sunday (known as “The Hangover Day” among conventioneers) allowed us to shoot more footage for UNDERGROUND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOVIE (with brilliant performances delivered from Caroline Williams, Scout Taylor Compton, Bill Johnson, Jeff Preston, Ari Lehman, Terrance Zdunich, Daniel Taylor, Doug Bradley, Al Snow, and many others). Debbie Rochon and I also did an interview with Macabre Mansion. The day flew by, bringing with it lots of fun.


ABOVE: Daniel Taylor (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING) does his Highlander impression.

Unfortunately, all good things must end. As the show closed everyone said their goodbyes as Debbie Rochon and I packed up and headed out to film cameos in two different movies (DARK WOODS and THE ZOMBIE MOVIE… more info to come in a future blog). I’d like to thank Ben & Stacey Dixon for asking me to appear at their show again this year. It’s always a great time and a wonderful show! Can’t wait to see what surprises it brings next year.

Thanks for reading,
Jim
www.JimORear.com



Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The GOLDEN COB AWARDS Have Arrived



FRIENDS...



ABOVE: Previous Golden Cob Winners - Jim O'Rear, Lola Wallace, & Nic Brown

The Golden Cob Award nominations have just been announced. These awards celebrate and recognize excellence in independent cinema. I have been fortunate enough to be selected as a nominee in the category of "Best Leading Actor" this year. There are some very strong and exciting nominees this year, so please take a few minutes to vote.

Here's a list of this year's nominees:

BEST SCREAM QUEEN:
Debbie Rochon - Slime City Massacre
Victoria Maurette - Bulletface
Kristina Klebe - Zone of The Dead
April Monique Burrill - Chainsaw Sally
Brooke Lewis - Slime City Massacre

BEST LEADING ACTOR IN B MOVIES:
Jim O'Rear - The Dead Matter
Brian Krause - War Birds
Ken Foree - Zone of The Dead
Jeffrey Combs - Dark House
Bill Moseley - Repo The Genetic Opera

BEST B MOVIE SOUNDTRACK:
Chuck Cirino - Bone Eater
Moon-Rays - The Ghastly Love of Johnny X
Steven Gutheinz - Infestation
Terrance Z’dunich - Repo: The Genetic Opera
Tony Riparetti - Bulletface

BEST B MOVIE SPECIAL EFFECTS AWARD:
Joelle Troisi - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead
Switch VFX - Repo The Genetic Opera
Fred Aldeschulte- War Birds
Kristin Hellebust - Dead Snow
Jerry Constantine - Infestation

BEST B MOVIE DIRECTOR:
Tommy Wirkola - Dead Snow
Ivan Zuccor - Colour from the Dark
Darren Lynn Bousman - Repo The Genetic Opera
Kyle Rankin - Infestation
Albert Pyun - Bulletface

BEST B MOVIE RELEASE:
INFESTATION
WARBIRDS
REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA
DEAD SNOW
MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS

LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD:
Herschell Gordon Lewis
Fred Olen Ray
Ted V. Mikels
Charles Band
Tom Holland

SUPERFAN AWARD:
Avery Guerra - undead brainspasm/Monster Guru
John Bender - Silver Age Soundtrack Guru
Duane L. Martin - Rogue Cinema
Vince Rotolo - Host of the B-Movie Cast
Dan Roebuck - House of Horror

BEST EMERGING B FILMMAKER:
Stuart Simpson - Demonsamongus
Alan Rowe Kelly - The Blood Shed
Elisabeth Fies - The Commune
Neil Marshall - Doomsday
Darin Wood - Monster From Bikini Beach

BEST HORROR HOST:
Wolfman Mac
Svengoolie
Penny Dreadful
Dr. Shocker
Joe Bob Briggs

RISING B MOVIE ACTRESS:
Kayla Gill - Monster Cruise
Jessica Cameron - Absolution
Pollyanna McIntosh - Offspring
Americo Olivio - Bitch Slap
Brooke Lewis - Slime City Massacre

RISING B MOVIE ACTOR:
Chris Massoglia - The Vampire's Assistant
Johnny Simmons - Jennifer's Body
Shay Baker - Monster Cruise
Paul Wallace - Monster Cruise
Corey Landis - DinoCroc Vs Supergator

THE B MOVIE HALL OF FAME:
Jacques Torneur
Dick Miller
William Girdler
Kroger Babb
F. Gordon Murray
Earl Owensby
Ed Wood
Janet Leigh
William Castle
Larry Cohen

BEST DOCUMENTARY ABOUT B MOVIES:
Daniel Griffith - The Wonder World of K. Gordon Murray
Clay Westervelt - Popatopalis
Michael Kallio - Heart of Dorkness: Behind the Scenes of 'My Name Is Bruce'
John Paul Kinhart - Blood, Boobs & Beast
Andrew Deemer / Jason Foulke - Poultry in Motion: Truth Is Stranger Than Chicken

Please visit the link below to vote and pass along the link to all your friends. Let's support everyone involved in independent cinema!!!

www.goldencobawards.com/index.php?sid=47479&lang=en

Thanks for reading,
Jim
www.JimORear.com



Saturday, April 10, 2010

RESURRECTION Is Coming!


HELLO, FRIENDS…


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear as “Dr. Tim Neilson” uncovers an ugly corporate plot in the fields.

I’ve just returned home from shooting the sc-fi film RESURRECTION, directed by the great Jeff Burr (TEXAS CHAINSAW 3, PUMPKINHEAD 2, STEPFATHER 2). Extra special thanks to Bill Dever, Jeff Burr, Joe Gaudin, Kayla Gill, Ervin Ross, Shay Baker, Jordan Paley, Jessica Winchell, Dale Capellanio, and Daniel Emery Taylor for making this shoot such a fun and enjoyable experience.


ABOVE: Someone got an extra dose of “crazy” in their cornflakes!

RESURRECTION is a story about genetically modified corn that causes a town to go crazy. When a couple of college kids return home over the Easter holiday weekend, they find themselves caught up in a world gone mad. The film features Kayla Gill, Ervin Ross, and Shay Baker as the kids fighting for their lives against a town full of crazies. I play Dr. Tim Neilson, a scientist who uncovers the genetic plot and tries to stop the epidemic before it spreads further… kinda like the “Dr. Loomis” character from HALLOWEEN. The film also features the legendary Richard Lynch (INVASION USA, ROB ZOMBIE’S HALLOWEEN, BAD DREAMS) and a special appearance by Lloyd Kaufman.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Richard Lynch.

This was a long, hard shoot with constant weather changes from hot to freezing to tornadoes… making it extremely difficult to schedule shots. No matter, though, the cast and crew hung together and made every situation work. One of the primary keys to filmmaking is flexibility and everyone on this cast and crew adapted quickly to anything that was thrown at them.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear gets Steve Christopher a bit messy!


ABOVE: The cast and crew work under very windy conditions while completing a highly dramatic scene.

It was a pleasure to have my good friend Daniel Emery Taylor (RETURN OF THE SWAMP THING) join me on set. Dan is always great to be around. Although Daniel and I have been in several of the same films, we rarely get to work on screen together. However, RESURRECTION allowed us the rare opportunity to share some screen time in a really fun scene.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Daniel Emery Taylor clown around between set-ups.


ABOVE: Uh Oh… Daniel Emery Taylor may be screwed!

I want to thank the entire cast and crew for their kindness, dedication, and teamwork that contributed to this being a great project. I wish I could name them all, but there are just too many to list here. You know who you are!!!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and the extremely talented Kayla Gill.

This film has quite a few special effects in it, so it will be awhile before you will get to see the finished product, but until then…I’d like to leave you with a few more sneak peek photos from the set.


ABOVE: Shay Baker gets ready for action.


ABOVE: Oooohhhhh… creepy!


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and Dave Dewise take a break between scenes.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear and director Jeff Burr after a very bloody afternoon.


ABOVE: Jim O’Rear, as Dr Neilson, confronts a guard in front of the Gen-Man plant.


ABOVE: Ervin Ross tries his hand at some gunplay.


ABOVE: Someone is a little MAD!


ABOVE: Shay Baker contemplates a world gone mad.


ABOVE: Preparing for some green screen work.


ABOVE: Between takes, Ervin Ross and Shay Baker try out some Jedi mind tricks.


ABOVE: Surprise, Kayla!

Thanks for reading,
Jim
www.JimORear.com