Distortions Unlimited

The Travel Channel continues to keep Halloween alive for all us haunters each season. From covering Haunted Attractions in shows like ‘America Haunts’ to the All-New ‘Halloween Crazy’, they are also showing off many of our friends in the industry on the vendor side too.

Our friends over at Distortions Unlimited are getting their own Travel Channel Series in “MAKING MONSTERS”. This series will feature veteran Haunt Vendors, and friends to Rotting Flesh Radio, Ed and Marsha Edmunds in their workshop in Colorado. They will also be joined by Jordu Schell who specializes in creating those mad monsters we all love to run from.

Ed and Marsha have been guests on Rotting Flesh Radio many times and we have talked with them at a variety of conventions such as Transworld’s Haunt Show. This past year at the annual tradeshow, they showcased some new monsters that will be sure to terrify haunters this season. Jordu is one of Ed’s best workman and is best known in hollywood for his work on Cameron’s Avatar.

The Travel Channel 'Weekends To Die For'

This limited season series on the Travel Channel, produced by Brian Leonard, will focus on Distortion’s Animatronics, Monsters and leading the way in the Haunted Attraction Industry for over 30 years. We will see how they are made, the process, and the final results in the scares haunts love to dish out using their products.

The series is going to give all of us in the Haunt Industry, Halloween Enthusiasts and curious Haunt Lovers a look into the industry we know and live all year long. The show will premiere as part of Travel Channel’s ‘Weekends To Die For’ this October.

For more information on all the Travel Channel’s Lineup visit: www.TravelChannel.com and for more on our friends over at Distortions visit: www.DistortionsUnlimited.com

November 18, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two:

Of Pets and Monsters...

I began this log under the advice of one of my most trusted associates. Call it what you like; archive diary, Etc, but the fact remains that its purpose is entirely singular. In recent weeks I was asked to look into a rather unusual insurance claim placed by a local company regarding one of its salesmen. It seems the gentleman arrived in the town on a routine sales call and just vanished into the ether. Letters were sent to town officials and were met with the response that the man in question did indeed arrive and was quickly run out of town on a rail as the citizens of the town detested salespeople. As this was a regular occurrence in their business, this had happened very frequently and the company insisted that they would have heard from Dr. Minto by now. A claim was submitted to collect on the life insurance policy purchased on Minto but before our company was willing to pay out the Forty dollars; I am to be sent into the town, conduct interviews and investigate to bring closure to this matter once and for all.

November 19, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two:

I am currently on a carriage en route to Happy Pines, Iowa and have discovered the most incredible thing! While doing research on Happy Pines, (in preparation for my journey) I happened upon my own family name. It seems that there was a line of my ancestors that branched off some years back. They apparently moved to Happy Pines to pursue business, and shortly cut off all ties with their relatives back east. Several generations remained in the town but I could not find specifics on their whereabouts. Apparently, this trip could end up being of some interest, other than just of the monetary variety.

November 19, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two, Supplemental:

Arrived in Happy Pines the town is strangely silent and I don’t yet know what to make of it. The few people I have encountered all have a strange look to them. It’s nothing I can put my finger on. Just the occasional flash of something…recognition or…I’m not sure but there was something. Additionally, for a place called Happy Pines, the citizens could not be more cold. No one smiles on the street and even the Land Lady at the Inn I am rooming at conducted our business with a severe, ominous tone. Stranger still, at check in she insisted that I have “always been here” and it took some negotiating to secure board for the night. One highlight is that, through conversation with the landlady, I discovered my ancestral home! My family owned a large manor house on the outskirts of town. Sadly no one of my lineage still lived in the town and the house had stood deserted for years. The only people who ever go anywhere near it now are the staff, who’s salaries are paid through a family trust. I will set out tonight to investigate the home and satisfy my own curiosity before embarking on the real business that brought me to the town.

November 20, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two:

Of Pets and Monsters...Haunted Manor

Incredible! I hardly know where to begin . My trip to the manor house was more productive than I could have ever imagined. The place is incredible and far more ancient than any descriptions gave it credit for. Some of the halls seem almost cavernous, and it’s almost as though the entire place breathes with a life of its own. Everything is as it was left; all of the cookware in the kitchen. The beds are still covered with blankets and the windows with curtains. Inside the most enormous library I have ever seen, are shelves filled with hundreds and hundreds of books. It’s as if there is still someone in residence here, though I know that isn’t the case. In regards to the library it would provide a feast to a bibliophile such as myself. I know that I really need to be getting back to my vocation, but I plan on return tonight to explore this reader’s paradise.

November 20, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two, Supplemental.

A long day spent in town. No one seems to know anything about Dr. Thaddeus Minto or in the very least do not wish to discuss the matter with me. It is the strangest thing since arriving in the town, I have began to feel that at once I am a complete outsider and that everyone in Happy Pines knows me completely. I spent hours walking the streets of the town and the thing that has bothered me the most has been the whispering; which has come in two distinct forms. The first is easily recognizable but beyond my ability to explain; it comes from the people of Happy Pines. Everywhere I go people begin to talk low amongst themselves and it bares more proof of the suspicious familiarity that I have mentioned. The second form of whispers…now that’s something else entirely. It feels as though it’s coming from the town, not the people of the town but the town itself as though its alive. As though it wants something and is constantly beckoning me forward…driving me on. I have been dwelling upon it in the manor house library for hours and still have no answers. I think it’s time to rest my mind and loose myself in a good book or a few hundred. Who knows, it’s entirely possible I might discover some things about my long lost family.

The Fear of Pets and Monsters...

November 21, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two:

It’s 3 o’clock in the morning. I had to add another entry into this log. I am very thankful that the idea of a journal was given to me as I believe it will prove to be invaluable in sorting out the events I have experienced. The faceless, wordless whispering has increased to a deafening level. It began while I was pouring over the tomes in the library. I was in the midst of discovering some strange occurrence that undertook my family. The reports are sketchy, made up of diary entries and half-torn newspaper articles. There were stories of caves. Of lights from the night sky…lights from the stars and of a terrible scandal. I was beginning to uncover some evidence of the whereabouts of my ancestors and suddenly I was struck by overwhelming pain like an echo inside my mind. Then just as suddenly as it started it ceased, and was replaced by a powerful sense of purpose as if I had to carry out a long standing obligation. I was moved to explore the manor home further and discovered that more than a few secrets lived within these walls. Inside a pantry in the lower level, I discovered a false wall and after some gentle pressure I was able to get it to give under the strength of my shoulder. What was behind it I can hardly believe myself. As if I was in a serialized novel, a hall stretched before me. A hall of bricks winding into the distance, lit by torches bolted to the wall. I had no choice but to enter and to see where it led. As I began to turn what I felt was the final corner, I finally came back to myself. The cold hand of fear gripped me immediately and I beat a hasty retreat to the relative safety of the house proper. I really need to get back to my work but the events of that last few days have been a grand adventure indeed, and one I will remember to a ripe old age.

November 21, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two. Supplemental.

I have spent all morning at my desk in the hotel. Despite my full dedication I have found it impossible to work. Despite every sense of logic and common sense, I must go back to my ancestral home. I have to find out what happened to my family. The work will have to wait I wont be able to set my mind to it until I have answers.

November 22, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Two:

I finally walked the length of the hall last night and the whole thing was like a dream. The hall seemed to narrow and darken the further I traveled, and the whispers at once grew louder and somehow more clear. I walked and upon rounding the final corner it opened into a vast cavern. The room was impossibly large and it almost seemed as though you could look far enough up to see the very stars in the night sky, although the fact that I was hundreds of feet beneath my family property this was obviously impossible. Either way, this was not close to being the most remarkable thing in the room. The most remarkable thing lay at its center, nearly filling the entire room with its incredible enormity.

There was a beast…a monster laying upon the stone floor. Its size was impossible to describe. But its appearance was amazing. It was covered in red and blue fur with huge sharp yellow teeth protruding from its closed mouth. Its leathery hands and feet flexed and released in unconscious movement displaying the black and blue nails on the tip of each finger and toe. Atop its head was a shock of purple hair and two long horns. It had clearly been asleep for a long time. Asleep for ages. The entire body of the creature was covered in a heavy layer of dust, spider webs and soot. Though it lay not alive and not dead something seemed to stir as I approached, as if something within me brought life to the creature. As if I was what it had been waiting for, all these years. It began to move then and that was when I noticed the chains. Around each wrist and ankle was a shackle made of an orange material that was clearly not of this world. Imbedded in the surface of the shackles was arcane symbols of some variety. The shackles led to chains of the same bright orange color. The beast’s huge arms strained against the massive chains, forged of such heavy material no man could have created them. The longer I stood in the beasts shadow the more it seemed to waken and I noticed a weakness in the links of the chain. At the center where each shackle connected was a link that was not perfectly formed and as the beast pulled against them the chain began to separate. I was so mesmerized by curiosity and fear it was almost too late when I realized the creatures eyes were now open. As I looked up I stared into two ancient yellow eyes that tore away every pretense of every frail and pathetic façade of authority I ever falsely claimed to possess and at that moment I felt a devastating sense of servitude and loyalty to this magnificent being. Slowly a sound that words would lend no justice to began to emit from the being’s mouth; it was a call, a command and I knew that I was intended to respond. My feet began to carry me, slowly at first and then I began to run, I ran across the stone floor toward the light of the torch lit hall. I ran across bones; both human, and belonging to beings that never lived upon this planet. I ran across dirt and insects and strips of clothing and blood scattered around the destroyed remains of what used to be a Boglins sales kit. I ran until no breath could reach my lungs and no thought ignited a spark within my mind and then when I could run no more. I ran.

????

Whether it was mere moments or hours or days I can not say with any certainty. All I do know is that I am afraid. I am terrified of what I saw. Of the signs of death, of feeding and of course of the unearthly beast hidden deep with the very caverns under the house of the people who’s blood courses within my own veins. Beyond everything else I am afraid of what I know I have to do. I now know what became of those that came before me. They fell. They fell because of their own weakness. They were unable to do what was necessary, unable to carry out our responsibility. But I now know what is expected of me and I know how to take care of things. All of the things I used to think were so important I now realize were meaningless. All that matters now is that I am the caretaker. The caretaker of this estate. The caretaker of everything…of Him. And I always will be for while it may wear chains this monster is not my pet, I am his. We are all pets of the Monster.

Bulletproof Haunt's BANE

The Haunt Season for many events opens in just under two weeks. With that, many events are looking for crew, make up artists and more. And many events are ALL-NEW for 2011. One of those is the brand new event in New Jersey, BULLETPROOF HAUNTS ‘BANE’.

This brand new event in NJ, is ready to kick the scare into you this season. Alot of hard work, sweat, building and hard work has gone into this event.

Right now they are looking to fill the need to scare by searching out Scare Actors, and Make Up Artists for their staff. These positions are for your haunt actors, scare actors and halloween enthusiasts to bring their scare talent to a haunt, become part of a haunt, and get your foot into the door of the Haunt Industry. In addition, they are looking for you talented Make Up Artists out there. They need you to help bring their monsters to life during the event.

If interested contact BulletProof Haunts at: BulletProofHaunts.com

The All-New Bulletproof Haunt's BANE in NJ

Be sure to check out this new event during the 2011 Season:

Tickets:
$15.00 General Admission

$3.00 Happily Haunted
Children 12 and under and children must be
accompanied by an adult. Coupon does not apply.

$25.00 V.I.Z. (Very Important Zombie)
With this ticket you’re escorted by one of our
undead to the front of the line. And you also
get a cool gift bag. Coupon does not apply.

Hours:

6pm-7pm – Happily Haunted
7pm-12am – Main Event

ABOUT BULLETPROOF HAUNTS ‘BANE’:
In a dark desolate house deep in the woods of Livingston, New Jersey, lived a quiet family of four, the Bane’s. There was Judy Bane, the mother who worked nights at a local diner. Michael Bane, a frustrated scientist, who worked tirelessly at trying to find the cure for the common cold. Jack Bane, a young introverted boy with few friends, and last but not least there was Jennifer Bane, a beautiful girl with skin that looked like it was made of porcelain. Feeling as if red tape and lack of vision was hampering his research, Mr. Bane decided to quit his job at the local hospital and began running trial tests on animals in his lab desperately seeking a cure. One cold evening, Jennifer sneaks into the barn and starts to play with one of the rabbits her father has been testing. All of a sudden, the rabbit sinks his teeth into her and takes a bite of Jennifer’s hand. A few days go by and Jennifer has yet to tell her parents that she has been bitten, instead she has been hiding out in her room because she’s been experiencing some unusual sensations. She’s tired, feverish, and hungry…hungry for blood. One fateful morning, Mr. Bane decides to check in on his animals in the family barn and he notices that all of their cages have been opened and some of the animals have been torn to shreds. He thinks to himself that either a bear or wolves from the woods must have entered the barn at night and killed the animals, until he notices his beautiful daughter Jennifer hiding under one of his lab tables. Mr. Bane reaches out to her only to notice that half of her face is missing and she’s sitting in a pool of blood. To his surprise, Jennifer has been feeding on his test animals. As Mr. Bane tries to coax Jennifer out of her hiding place, she lunges at him and begins to feed on his body.

A week goes by and a local NJ high school decided to take a camping trip. A group of kids stray away from their group and stumbles upon the dark desolate house in the woods and notice a foul stench coming from inside. They enter, only to find the bodies of Judy Bane, Jack Bane, and Michael Bane torn to shreds, covered in flies. But where is their young beautiful daughter, Jennifer? The police thought the family was mauled by a bear or a pack of wolves, but when the saliva from their wounds was tested, there was no evidence of animal DNA, but instead the saliva was from a human…

Greetings Deadites!

For weeks now, I have been talking about phobias, what scares people. But what if we flip it around?

What would scare a monster? This question might sound simple but obviously there in no clear answer. we are venturing into speculation, guesswork, and ultimately, multiple opinions. Now think about the question.

Netherworld Haunted House's Gargoyle

Let’s start out simple… What would scare Freddy Krueger? well, we know from the films, fire. What about Dracula? Sunlight, of course. The Wicked Witch of the West? Water. Now, how about Leatherface, or Jason? Michael Myers? ( nothing seems to scare or stop him). the list of famous (and more obscure) movie monsters goes on and one. In a lot of their films their weakness is their fear.

But here’s one: The Cloverfield Monster. what could possibly scare that thing? Well, I have the answer Deadites. It’s afraid of Miniature Pinschers. All we had to do was turn loose my two Min Pins and we could have stopped that thing

Scarehouse's Creepo the Clown

Now lets leave the movie monsters behind. we are now venturing to the haunts you all work in or visit during haunt season. Think about some of the icon characters at these haunts. What might scare the Gargoyle at Netherworld? or Creepo the Clown at Scarehouse? or Charlie the Janitor at the Dent School House? The answer is in the minds of the people that created them, but we can always hypothesize, just by observing them and their environment. Does this make any of you scare-actors think?… it should…..

These were just some random thoughts that creeped into my mind earlier today.

Everyone……..is afraid of something!

Monsters. They come in all shapes and sizes. They all have different motivations but never forget that they are all very dangerous. Some monsters come from the darkest bowels of our world but sometimes they don’t come from our world at all. The history of these “visitations” has been a constant source of debate throughout society and has been largely ridiculed by those who claim to be experts in the journalism and science communities. Even the most extreme skeptics however would have to admit that there have been cases that aren’t so easily explained away. Cases that are so compelling that anyone would have to admit that maybe, just maybe, they’re true.

The Purple People Eater

Today I would like to talk to you about one such case, a case that has been suppressed by those in power over the years but at the time of “the event” caused an incredible stir. On August 2nd 1958, a young farmer by the name of Sheb Wilhelm Wooley was out in the fields inspecting his crops, picking up handfuls of dirt and letting them run through his fingers…basically doing all the things that farmers enjoy. At around 2 o’clock pm , while Sheb was adjusting his scarecrow, he noticed a flash above him, and then what appeared to be something coming out of the sky. As the object grew closer, Sheb realized it was heading directly for his farm. He was able to avoid the impact and the scattered debris, but his farm was not so lucky.

The otherworldly object tore through the middle of his land, displacing all of his carefully organized dirt and killing his scarecrow. Consumed by confusion, terror and heartbreak at the loss of his straw-stuffed friend he approached the crash sight to investigate. What had appeared to be a silver streak when in flight now looked to be a craft of some sort. Badly damaged but still structurally sound. He approached the ship and suddenly it began to hum. Then it started to rock, really rocking around. It was a crazy movement that he had never seen before and he started to quickly back away when the ship opened. A creature stepped from the shadows of the craft. An alien, a…monster. And monster was a good description according to Wooley, the creature was covered in fur from head to toe. In the center of what you would call its face, was an enormous eye and at the top of his head was one long horn. Sheb has gone on record as saying “Ooh eeh, as it stepped into the daylight it commenced a shaking, I still got me a fairly good look at it. It had the look of….well I guess the best way I could put it is that it looked like some sort of people eater. Maybe even a purple people eater but I’m not sure.” When asked if he meant the alien was purple he replied. “Well sir! I tend to be fairly vague on that particular subject. I have to admit I was horrified, I actually began to beg the creature to spare my life, and ideally not eat me” The creature seemed confused and then after possibly taking a moment to process our language said, and I can still remember it like it was yesterday, it said “I wouldn’t eat you because your so tough.” It seemed utterly ridiculous. The creatures voice was so gruff… and yet, it was also high pitched and not gruff in the least…I can’t explain it, it was a confusing time. The creature than began to fly by its own power.

(CLICK HERE TO SEE SHEB ORIGINAL VIDEO)

This one eyed beast eventually landed on a tree. It looked undeniably menacing and Sheb Wooley knew instinctively that while he might not be directly in danger,this creature would feed and WE were its food. He tried to keep the creature talking and come up with some sort of plan but the monster seemed to see right through his actions. It started to cause the tree to swing and sway all the while talking about a plan to blend in to society enough to begin a proper “harvest“. What happened next is best expressed in Wooley‘s own words “Well bless my soul that monster transformed before my eyes he began to look more and more human all the while creati’n this terrible sound kinda like a boop boop aboopa lopa lum bam boom. Now you understand that’s not word for word but it was something pretty similar.”

"The Purple People Eater" Movie - 1988

As Wooley watched in disgust, a powerful fire began to rise within him and he knew what he had to do he had to stop the people eater. He armed himself with all of the high tech weaponry and state of the art armor available to the average farmer and sought out a partner, a partner by the name of Dr. Elliot Demento. Dr. Demento is one of the most respected theoretical biologists in history and would be key to finding a weakness in the creature’s physiology and bring him down. Understandably, it took a little convincing to get Demento on board. “When Sheb first approached me I actually laughed him out of the office, I mean wouldn’t you? A one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater? Sure looks strange to me! But after seeing his persistence I finally took a real look at all of the evidence. It totally blew me away. I mean, this was real and it needed to be stopped. Not everyone believes us but we know our destiny and we will succeed.”

No one has heard anything from Wooley or Demento in many years but it is my true belief that they are still out there still hunting the monster that in turn hunts us all. I think they will destroy the creature, save us all, and go down in history finally gaining the respect and the appreciation of all of the people they have spent their lives attempting to protect.

…Tequila.

Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away…

CLICK HERE TO KICK START YOUR MUNSTERS FRIDAY

2010 marks the 100th Anniversary of Horror Cinema due to the 1910 Edison Studios release of “Frankenstein”. This is the first film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s magnum opus about a man made monster and his tormented creator.  This is a very liberal telling of the story with interesting special effects (especially for the time period) and has elements of Faust and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

The cast for this short piece are August Phillips as Dr Frankenstein, Charles Ogle as the Monster and Mary Fuller as the doctor’s fiancee. Much has been made that Thomas Edison was the producer of this film. There is no fact in that assertion, in fact he had very little to do with the film studio that bore his name.

This Thursday marks that 100th Anniversary and a restored edition out on DVD! The actors were paid $5 a day and hid the fact that they were filming in movies since theatrical theater was more respected.

The restored print on DVD was accomplished by Frederick C. Wiebel, Jr., who also managed to write a book about the film and other films of the era.

Some would argue that the 1900 film “Faust and Margariye”, based on the 3 act opera, also by Edison Studios, should have the crown. The jury is still out on that one.

The Pre-Season Sale Ends Thursday September 30th.

For more information about the Castle Blood Event Visit: www.CastleBlood.com

A few weeks ago, Kevin was a guest on RFR Show #197 1-15-2010. And their new product line for 2010 will debut at the upcoming Transworld Haunt Show in St. Louis. Well, enough from us let’s let Gore Galore tell you themselves.

Release: We have been busier this past R&D season than ever here is a proof of the catalog that will be handed out at the Hauntshow next week. And we will also have one product at the show that is not finished yet. But you will love it. It is a “Scare Box” It is a queue-line actor scare. It is a puppet built into an illusion that looks like the actor is just carrying this distressed box but really it is a puppet monster in the box ready to jump our at your customers.

We added:
5 new oversized costumes.

1 is the Rock Golem which happens to be the single biggest costume we ever built for this industry.

We also developed a track system that can support from 400 to 900 lbs for any of our costumes or huge oversized Actor operated animations we now have the capability to build to use with this system. Another costume is Cletis Slackjaw a 9′ inbred freak. Gas Mask Maniac. a 9′ techno terror, a 7′ bloody bull, and the Hollowman a form fitting latex suit made possible by Headless Horseman hayrides.

6 new my Pet zombies. We are also able to take any zombie head prop or mask from any company and make a zombie out of it for you.

Tons of new wall decor items. and bringing back some old ones.

Lost of new gory details that can all be used together as a COMPLETE SCENIC PACKAGE called the “House of Gore”

Zombie head plaques with hands to hold the weapon the zombie was killed with, or without hands. And tons of zombie heads to choose from. Plus a zombie face plaque. Again, many faces to choose from.

Barrel toppers. We developed a new product called a barrel topper that allows you to throw this panel on top of a closed drum and it makes it look like the drum is full of gore. 2 models to choose from. and several finishes to choose from to fit most any theme.

Gore pile is similar as above except you just toss it on the floor for a super easy detail.

Gore Trays. Zombie food packaged in food service trays.

Several new severed heads

Actor props: several new small actor props hatchet, wrench, mini sledge, and femur bone. We did these for a movie so it was easy to bring them to market. But the best of all these is our ability to take any one of our severed heads, zombie heads etc… and mount on a rope handle so your actors can shake in the face of your customers. We have been doing this for years but now with over 50 heads to choose from you can get several to use without them looking the same.

5 neck biters. We added 3 new neck biters to our line. Neck biters are also actor props that allow you to interact and distract your customers. Clown biter, baboon biter, and a gargoyle biter.

And a new flat backed corpse called Gnarly Natalie. It is a very detailed blank corpse we can do tons of “custom gorification”. We can detail this corpse out so many different ways you can get several and they will all look completely different. Makes a great autopsy corpse. We can even add a head.

For all the information and updates from Gore Galore visit them at the upcoming Transworld Haunt Show and always at: www.Gore-Galore.com

We still think this will be an awesome film!!! So Sit Back and Enjoy!

You can find out more about the film at: www.TheWolfmanMovie.com