{"id":574,"date":"2014-07-02T15:25:47","date_gmt":"2014-07-02T19:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drfilm.net\/blog\/?p=574"},"modified":"2020-12-06T21:25:29","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T02:25:29","slug":"10-questions-with-larry-blamire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drfilm.net\/blog\/?p=574","title":{"rendered":"10 Questions With Larry Blamire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Back in 2003 or so, Mike Schlesinger<\/a> was\u00a0promoting a trailer<\/a> for a movie that Sony had just picked up. \u00a0I saw the trailer and howled with laughter. \u00a0Mike told me that it was a real trailer for a real movie. \u00a0I asked him if the filmmakers\u00a0could keep that pace up for the length of a whole feature, and he assured me that they did. \u00a0It was a little film called\u00a0The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, \u00a0<\/em>and I bugged Mike mercilessly to find me a theater where it was playing.<\/p>\n

Making a movie is a tricky thing, and independents doubly so. \u00a0It’s almost a delusional state, or a psychological malady. \u00a0You need to have a crew of at least a dozen people working together on a project that the odds say may never be seen outside of the 2am-4am time filler slot on TNT. \u00a0Most don’t make money, and most lose their investment entirely.<\/p>\n

This is why I’m often enchanted with the can-do spirit of 1950s filmmakers. \u00a0As much as we like to make fun of him, Ed Wood was a successful filmmaker. \u00a0He beat the odds. \u00a0He got films made and released. \u00a0Roger Corman was and is\u00a0a successful filmmaker. \u00a0His films hit theaters and TV. \u00a0Were they silly? \u00a0Sure! \u00a0Cheap? \u00a0You bet! \u00a0But they got made… and the directors came back to make more<\/em>. \u00a0I’d guess that 90% of movies that are started are never finished, and maybe half of those that are finished are ever released in some fashion.<\/p>\n

I sensed an immediate bond with writer-director Larry Blamire’s creation when I finally got to see it. \u00a0A lot of people don’t really understand what he was trying to do. \u00a0The most clueless critics (I’m not going to link to a clueless review… find it yourself) say that Larry is spoofing 1950s-60s movies and making a deliberately bad film. \u00a0He’s not. \u00a0He’s making a tribute to those films, and he’s even limited in much the same way they were. \u00a0Sure, it’s funny, and it’s a little more over-the-top than the originals were. \u00a0But it’s clear that Larry loves movies, low-budget or not.<\/p>\n

One of the marvels of\u00a0Lost Skeleton\u00a0<\/em>was the way Larry aped that poetic\u00a0but\u00a0tin-eared dialogue that we know so well. \u00a0Ed Wood is famous for it, but you can hear it ring through epics like\u00a0The Conqueror\u00a0<\/em>and most of the Roger Corman films of the period. \u00a0It’s the sound of “Get it done by tomorrow morning so we can shoot this.” \u00a0Larry nails it.<\/p>\n

And it takes a special kind of actor to be able to read that sort of\u00a0dialogue without sounding like he’s an idiot. \u00a0John Wayne couldn’t do it, but Charlton Heston could. \u00a0Lyle Talbot did it in\u00a0Glen or Glenda<\/em>. \u00a0But\u00a0all\u00a0<\/em>of Larry’s talented stock company does it brilliantly. \u00a0It’s a joy to watch these folks tear their way through the film, with innovative reaction shots, and clever but\u00a0not-quite-hammy portrayals.<\/p>\n

When Larry premiered\u00a0Lost Skeleton Returns Again<\/em> at a convention in Kentucky, \u00a0I drove for several hours to see it. \u00a0I did it again to see his cut of\u00a0Trail of the Screaming Forehead<\/em>. \u00a0(I even resisted the chance to throw spitballs at Mike Schlesinger when he won the Rondo award, and that<\/em> was self-restraint, people.)<\/p>\n

But now Larry is spearheading a brilliant and innovative Kickstarter campaign<\/a> to make the third\u00a0Lost Skeleton\u00a0<\/em>film. \u00a0I couldn’t let this opportunity go without talking to him about it. \u00a0Most Kickstarter campaigns are pretty static and dry (like mine was<\/a>), \u00a0but Larry has a new video or hook every couple of days. \u00a0It’s quite cool.<\/p>\n

For the record,\u00a0The Lost Skeleton Walks Among Us\u00a0<\/em>is a project I endorse wholeheartedly. \u00a0But then again, I’m that guy who has a popular blog for a TV show that he can’t sell! \u00a0Still, we all must do our part, and this is mine!<\/p>\n

I INTERVIEW NOW! \u00a0(Did you see what I did there? \u00a0Well, if you didn’t, then skip it.)<\/p>\n

\"Writer\/director\/actor\/producer<\/a>
Writer\/director\/actor\/producer Larry Blamire<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q1. You’ve done some clever satires of popular genres. \u00a0Your first picture was\u00a0Lost Skeleton of Cadavra<\/a><\/em>. That’s been discussed to death, but I’d like to talk to you about the pictures that inspired it. \u00a0It has a very Bert I Gordon\/Roger Corman\/even 50s Universal feel to it. \u00a0These pictures have a feel of “Wow, these poor guys had nothing to work with. \u00a0It’s amazing that the film even got finished.” \u00a0You seem to celebrate that spirit. \u00a0Would you discuss that feel of 1950s filmmaking and maybe give us some films that gave you some inspiration?<\/b><\/p>\n

\"LS1\"<\/a>LB: I wrote a play in the late 80s, a comedy-with-heart called\u00a0Bride of the Mutant\u2019s Tomb\u00a0<\/em>that had an Ed Wood-like director scrambling to finish his film in Bronson Canyon while everything seemed to go wrong.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t realize that would be me several years later.\u00a0 Although everything wasn\u2019t going wrong for us of course, it was still a mad scramble and that now almost seems a \u201cmethod\u201d approach to what we were emulating.\u00a0 My relationship with 50s low (or medium) budget scifi is complex; I chuckle with respect.\u00a0 That is to say no matter how unintentionally funny some of them were (and plenty weren\u2019t) I still admire that they got it done.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost heroic.\u00a0 And I love when a film like my oft-mentioned\u00a0Attack of the Crab Monsters<\/em>\u00a0conveys genuine atmosphere, a sense of doom.\u00a0 It\u2019s crazy.\u00a0 They often touch a surreal vein in me, the incongruous imagery they present, whether consciously or not.\u00a0 The reversed footage of\u00a0The Blob<\/em>\u00a0running up the old man\u2019s arm, giant eyes crawling around snowy mountaintops, even that skinny big-headed monster in\u00a0Fire Maidens of Outer Space<\/em>\u00a0lurking in a lush natural Eden-like setting.\u00a0 Unconscious strangeness is still strange.<\/p>\n

Q2. I really loved that your sequel to\u00a0Lost Skeleton\u00a0<\/em>was not just a rehash of the original, but it was a much bigger-budget production that went in a completely different direction. \u00a0From an artistic standpoint, tell us how you like to approach the idea of sequels. \u00a0I know that a lot of the 1950s sequels don’t do a good job of changing direction and become rehashes. \u00a0One particular film that does it well is\u00a0Revenge of the Creature<\/em>, which is quite a different film from the picture that spawned it,\u00a0Creature from the Black Lagoon<\/em>. \u00a0On the other hand, the Godzilla pictures really started to get old quickly after a promising start.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"LS2\"<\/a>LB: I agree. \u00a0And\u00a0Revenge of the Creature\u00a0<\/em>is a great example.\u00a0 I enjoy that film as much as the original (though every time I watch it I do want just a little more monster-on-the-loose action).\u00a0 I do dislike sequels that rehash.\u00a0 I only did the second Lost Skeleton movie<\/a> because I had a different idea, and I went from dead set against it to \u201cI gotta make this movie.\u201d\u00a0 Even the music reflects something entirely different; from the low budget scifi style production music to the Herrmannesque feel of Morgan and Stromberg\u2019s score.\u00a0 I love both but the latter reflected the matinee adventure perfectly.\u00a0 Expedition, jungle, monsters–I still love that formula.\u00a0 And guess what–it still worked for my favorite Jurassic Park movie,\u00a0Jurassic Park 3<\/em>, another example of a sequel treading different ground.\u00a0 Hell, it was more fun than either of its forerunners.\u00a0 Do a sequel if you have something different up your sleeve, otherwise don\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n

\"Legendary<\/a>
Legendary Bob Burns with gralmanopidon (Frank Ippolito) for\u00a0Lost Skeleton Returns Again<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q3. As everyone knows, you’re currently trying to finance the third\u00a0Lost Skeleton<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>movie, which I understand is a departure from the last two. \u00a0Your Kickstarter campaign<\/a> is really brilliant. \u00a0What did it take for you to get this going?<\/b><\/p>\n

LB: Well, thank you and it\u2019s taken a lot of work.\u00a0 I tried to start it up last year but I was taken away by other projects.\u00a0 Several months ago I began making the videos that I felt were necessary to try and get across that we do some wacky and different stuff.\u00a0 It started with the \u201clost\u201d footage from the original \u201csilent\u201d Lost Skeleton, which was created to be only one small part of the faux documentary\u00a0A World Without Lost Skeleton.<\/em>\u00a0 And that piece was a (something) load of work for me, some pretty intensive editing.\u00a0 But I have to say I was as happy with the outcome as anything I\u2019ve created.\u00a0 It sets up the conceit of the Lost Skeleton being at war with me, which I thought might be an amusing arc to keep the Kickstarter interesting.\u00a0 Add to that exec producer Mark Stuart’s mighty effort with the pledge incentives and you’ve got a lot of work put into this. \u00a0As to\u00a0The Lost Skeleton Walks Among Us,<\/em>\u00a0once again the story came to me and presented something very different from its predecessors; the characters living in the suburbs circa 1963, with Dr. Paul experimenting with atmosphereum while a series of \u201cradiation murders\u201d is going on, and the Lost Skeleton moving in next door as he seeks to get his full power back.\u00a0 It reaches new heights of absurdity, which is always of interest to me.<\/p>\n

Q4. You made a number of episodes of\u00a0Tales from the Pub<\/a><\/em>, which are quite hilarious. \u00a0Those are great spoofs of 1950s “spooky” shows, particularly\u00a0One Step Beyond\u00a0<\/em>and even some of the John Nesbitt shows. \u00a0I particularly like the way that you have a nasty film-like splice in the credits of every episode, just like a bad syndication print would have. \u00a0Can you talk a little about the 1950s shows that inspired you for this?<\/b><\/p>\n

LB: We were having meetings in Dan Conroy\u2019s basement pub like once a week, looking to plan our next project and it came to me as something of a creative outlet; these perfect little economical pieces that we could shoot on our own and post online just to keep ourselves sharp, and of course have fun.\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty sure I had just seen a fairly creepy episode of\u00a0Lights Out<\/em>\u00a0(I think it was) called \u201cThe Martian Eye\u201d that had something of a claustrophobic paranoia to it.\u00a0 These were infectious for me; the more I wrote the more came to me–and I really enjoyed the challenge of having to tell a story in just a couple pages.\u00a0 The cast was game and everyone chipped in wearing different hats; shooting, lighting, etc.\u00a0\u00a0One Step Beyond<\/em>\u00a0was probably the closest model, but like\u00a0<\/em>our movie parodies I hesitate to add that I really do enjoy that show.\u00a0 It\u2019s nothing like, say, spoofing something cause it\u2019s \u201cbad\u201d, it\u2019s spoofing it because it\u2019s fun.<\/p>\n

\"Production<\/a>
Production designer Anton Tremblay with his old dark house model for Dark and Stormy Night<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q5. I almost feel that your spoof of “old dark house” pictures,\u00a0Dark and Stormy Night<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>has too much material to spoof, since it’s never really been done before. \u00a0You caught everything in these pictures, from the scheming relatives to the rigged seance, the dumb “wait, that’s impossible” character identity switches, and the hidden gorillas in the basement. \u00a0I’d like you to talk about this genre a little and how it inspired you. \u00a0Give us some specific vintage titles you’d recommend.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"dasn\"<\/a>LB: I really do love old dark house pictures–Jen [actress Jennifer Blaire] and I have been known to binge on them–and it\u2019s sad to think we may be (incredibly) running out of ones we haven\u2019t seen (I\u2019m still hoping Columbia\u2019s 1933\u00a0Fog<\/em>, which sounds like an old dark house on an ocean liner, may turn up).\u00a0 I decided it would be absurd fun to incorporate every ODH setup there is (some of which you mention), combining the will, stranded travelers, washed-out bridge, curse, escaped lunatic, etc.\u00a0 When Jen and I watch them we have strict criteria; for instance if the night lasts only one act, or if the police arrive and the setting is no longer so isolated, we\u2019re inevitably disappointed.\u00a0 If there\u2019s no storm, that\u2019s a letdown–at least give us some howling wind for crying out loud.\u00a0 In fact, atmosphere might just be the most important ingredient for us.\u00a0 And even though DASN is a comedy I wanted it to have some of that.\u00a0 Just to rattle off some favorites:\u00a0The Phantom of Crestwood, The Bat Whispers, Night of Terror, Menace, Rogues Tavern, One Frightened Night, House of Mystery<\/em>\u00a0to name a few.\u00a0\u00a0The Old Dark House<\/em>\u00a0is wonderful of course, though highly atypical, and Rene Clair\u2019s\u00a0And Then There Were None\u00a0<\/em>is probably the classiest, and a wonderful film in any category.\u00a0 Of the made-for-TV movie heyday, the best would have to be the excellent but unfortunately titled\u00a0She\u2019s Dressed to Kill<\/em>\u00a0(1979).<\/em>\u00a0 Of course I love the alternate venues, like the old dark baseball stadium in\u00a0Death on the Diamond<\/em>\u00a0or old dark movie studio of\u00a0The Preview Murder Mystery.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Larry<\/a>
Larry with his wife, actress Jennifer Blaire<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q6. \u00a0I know you’d rather not be typecast as “that\u00a0Lost Skeleton\u00a0<\/em>guy” because you have a lot more ideas to offer. \u00a0Please discuss\u00a0Steam Wars\u00a0<\/em>and what you’re doing with that.<\/b><\/p>\n

LB: Steam Wars<\/a><\/em>\u00a0is my epic and it\u2019s coming into its own, starting with the first three books of a graphic novel, the first of which is almost at the printer, followed by action figures–all leading up to a movie (and possible franchise).\u00a0 I\u2019m partnered with Jerrick Ventures on this, which is Jeremy Frommer and Rick Schwartz.\u00a0 SW incorporates everything I love about big action movies, swashbucklers and cliffhangers and involves massive Victorian fighting machines shaped like armored warriors and manned by crews.\u00a0 It\u2019s steampunk, though I was developing it before there was such a term.<\/p>\n