FEBRUARY'S FILM: "DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE" (2002)

I've rolled the film of the month over to February because a number of stories I wrote about it got pushed out of January. (I probably should just schedule a post per day as there are so many stories backing up here on the old blog).

So, the February film again is DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, released on DVD in 2002.

I don't know how long this sale is on, but the cheapest is this offer HERE. The DVD is only $3.99 (for $13.97 you can get the DVD and an 11x14 poster HERE). But maybe the best deal is this boxed set (pictured, left above), where you can get the film and nine other films on DVD for about $9.98 plus shipping. Check it out HERE.

But please don't download the movie for free on-line (it's not legally available as a download anywhere). That would be greatly appreciated!

VICTOR BUONO: THE FAT MAN'S PRAYER

The popular and ubiquitous Victor Buono, born February 3, 1938 in San Diego, was everywhere (and everyone!) on TV and in films in the 1960's.

Beginning in theater in California, his first break came when director Robert Aldrich cast him as Edwin Flagg in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, opposite Bette Davis.

Playing countless heavies and villains on television, Buono is remembered chiefly for two recurring villians; King Tut (on Batman) and Count Manzepi (on The Wild, Wild, West).

In the 1970's, Victor Buono released a few comedy albums, and would recite his poetry on talk shows. One of his fans favorites was

The Fat Man's Prayer
by Victor Buono

Lord, my soul is ripped with riot,
Incited by my wicked diet.
We are what we eat, said a wise old man,
And Lord, if that's true, I'm a garbage can!
I want to rise on Judgment Day, that's plain,
But at my present weight, I'll need a crane!

So grant me strength that I may not fall
Into the clutches of cholesterol.
May my flesh with carrot curls be sated
That my soul may be polyunsaturated.
And show me the light that I may bear witness
To the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

At oleomargarine I'll never mutter,
For the road to hell is spread with butter.
And cake is cursed, and cream is awful,
And Satan is hiding in every waffle.
Mephistopheles lurks in provolone,
The devil is in each slice of bologna,
Beelzebub is a chocolate drop,
And Lucifer is a lollipop!

Give me this day my daily slice -
But cut it thin and toast it twice.
I beg upon my dimpled knees,
Deliver me from Jujubees.
And my when days of trial are done
And my war with malted milks is won,
Let me stand with the saints in heaven
In a shining robe - Size 37!

I can do it, Lord, if you'll show to me
The virtues of lettuce and celery.
If you'll teach me the evils of mayonnaise,
The sinfulness of hollandaise
And pasta a la milanese
And potatoes a la lyonaise
And crisp fried chicken from the south!
Lord, if you love me, SHUT MY MOUTH!


L.

'NEVERMORE' WITH JEFFREY COMBS BOOKS TWO PLAYDATES IN SAN DIEGO

Writer Dennis Paoli, actor Jeffrey Combs and director Stuart Gordon at Poe's Monument and grave in Baltimore, the weekend of the East Coast premiere of NEVERMORE. (photo: Mark Redfield)

After the stellar weekend and sold-out houses in Baltimore, NEVERMORE, starring Jeffrey Combs has booked two new playdates for February, 2010 in San Diego, at the North Coast Rep. Ticket info and details can be found: HERE.

NEW PRESS FOR 'NEVERMORE'

Chris Kaltenbach of the Baltimore Sun interviews Jeffrey Combs and Stuart Gordon HERE:


Lee Gardner of the Baltimore City Paper talks with Jeffrey Combs HERE:


Jessie Lilley at Mondo Cult Magazine gets the inside scoop from Mark Redfield HERE:

SPECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR 'NEVERMORE' IN BALTIMORE, COMING THIS WEEKEND

UPDATE: JANUARY 21, 2010--THE DISCOUNT OFFER HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED! COUPONS ALREADY DOWNLOADED WILL BE HONORED AT THE BOX OFFICE ON SUNDAY!

THE EDGAR ALLAN POE HOUSE AND MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE

Proudly Presents

THE EAST COAST PREMIERE of

JEFFREY COMBS in

NEVERMORE: AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE

SATURDAY JANUARY 23, 2010 at 7pm and

SUNDAY JANUARY 24, 2010 at 4:30pm


Tickets are $35 per person (cash or check only at the door)

With SUNDAY DISCOUNT COUPON (for Sunday's performance only, see below) $20


NEVERMORE - SUNDAY DISCOUNT COUPON!

SAVE $15!
We are now offering a DOWNLOADABLE COUPON for the Sunday January 24th, 4:30pm showing of NEVERMORE!

VISIT www.poebicentennial.com to download the discount ticket flyer!!


If you will be purchasing tickets at the door on the day of the show, print out and present the coupon to our ticket attendees and save $15!


(Cash or check accepted. Sorry, no credit cards. Reserved seating. SRO not allowed. Children age 9 and under not allowed. Performance runs 90 minutes without intermission. This offer may be withdrawn at any time. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Coupon cannot be used for groups. One coupon per person. Valid on Sunday, January 24, 2010 only. This coupon does not guarantee a seat nor does it reserve a seat. Cannot be applied to tickets already purchased.)


Children under 9 not permitted.

Performance runs 90 minutes without intermission.

We can no longer accept advance ticket orders.

Tickets are STILL AVAILABLE at the door for BOTH PERFORMANCES.

Please plan to arrive AT LEAST ONE HOUR before performance time when the box office opens to purchase a ticket the day of the event. BOX OFFICE OPENS 6PM SAT. JAN 23RD AND 3:30 PM SUNDAY, JAN. 24TH.

Sorry, we cannot take reservations. Tickets sold on a 'first come, first served' basis. If you're planning on coming Sunday, January 24th, take advantage of our DISCOUNT COUPON for that performance, and download and print the coupon to bring with you! Sunday ticket discount available ONLY with printed coupon presented at the box office.

For more information visit www.poebicentennial.com

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND THE STARS: The March on Washington, 1963

The Mall, Washington DC, 1963.

Dr. King.

Dr. King.Sammy Davis, Jr.

James Baldwin, Marlon Brando.

Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Charlton Heston.

Ossie Davis.

Judy Garland, Eartha Kitt, Marlon Brando.

Joan Baez, Bob Dylan.

CARTOONARAMA: "STUART GORDON"

"STUART GORDON" (2010) by Mark Redfield. Acrylic on canvas panel. (16x20).

In this cartoon of director Stuart Gordon, he's flanked by muses H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe.

I'm very proud to have helped bring NEVERMORE, AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE to Baltimore and the East Coast after its successful run in Los Angeles last year. The one-man play stars Jeffrey Combs (who played Poe in the Masters of Horror program The Black Cat, also under Gordon's direction).

Gordon and I have been working to get NEVERMORE to Baltimore since August of 2009, originally as part of the October Poe funeral festivities. The pressure was taken off when the play's run was extended to mid-December at the Steve Allen Theater in LA, and I suggested that the play would be perfect as the centerpiece of the January, 2010 birthday celebration.

Tickets for the East Coast premiere of NEVERMORE in Baltimore can be obtained at www.poebicentennial.com

Plans for a limited tour are in the works.

CARTOONARAMA: "COUNTY HOSPITAL" (2010) by Mark Redfield

'COUNTY HOSPITAL' (2010) by Mark Redfield. Acrylic on canvas. 24x18.

Another recent Laurel and Hardy cartoon commissioned by a fan of The Boys. This one is suggested from the 1932 short County Hospital, featuring the wonderful Billy Gilbert as the doctor.

JANUARY'S FILM "DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE"

A new decade.

And what better month than January (named after the Roman two-faced god of gates and doors, suggesting exits and entrances) and feature Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Particularly poignant as our cameraman for the film, Karl Devos, passed away last month.


Originally released on DVD in 2002, a new, multi-disc edition will be released later this year. The new print of the film will be dedicated to the memory of Karl.

I dedicate the film, and the entries regarding the film this month, to him.

KARL E. DeVOS 1972-2009

Karl DeVos, my cameraman for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, died on December 12, 2009. He was 37.

Words fail. I'm still absorbing the shock of the news.

When we embarked on the adventure of Jekyll and Hyde earlier this century, digital filmmaking was an iffy proposition. Festivals and distributors weren't embracing them. Karl's background was in commercials and industrials as a shooter and an editor. He embraced the mad notion of doing a period feature film, and gave it everything he had. He created beautiful images on a tight schedule and budget. One of the greatest compliments I ever heard regarding the look of the film came from filmmaker and artist Frank Dietz, who saw the film projected at the State Theater in Modesto, California. After the screening Frank wondered if the film was shot on 35mm film.

Karl researched and plotted the light design carefully. He studied classical American film composition of the 1940's based on my design notes. Karl fought with the primitive composite software that was available to us to create images, designed the main titles and edited the montage sequences for the film. Karl was responsible for researching and assembling our first edit suite at the studio. His contributions were enormous and invaluable.

I enjoyed every moment of our collaboration. We worked on other feature projects together, as well as a few industrials and informational films for other clients. Karl loved old movies. He collected vintage cameras. He loved my mother's fried chicken.

Watching this trailer on a computer doesn't do his work justice or show it in the proper "light', but I put it here as homage and thanks. Because words fail.

CARTOONARAMA: "FIN AND THE BOYS"

"FIN AND THE BOYS" (2009) by Mark Redfield. Acrylic on canvas. 18x24.

This cartoon of comic actor James Finlayson, flanked by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, was a recent commissioned piece.

THE EAST COAST PREMIERE of JEFFREY COMBS in "NEVERMORE, AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE"

THE EDGAR ALLAN POE HOUSE AND MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE

Proudly Presents

THE EAST COAST PREMIERE of

JEFFREY COMBS in

NEVERMORE, AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE

Written by Dennis PAOLI Directed by Stuart GORDON

East Coast Premiere Produced by Jeff JEROME and Mark REDFIELD

TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY! ORDER YOUR TICKETS BEFORE WE SELL OUT!

WHEN: SATURDAY, JANUARY 23^rd, 2010 at 7pm (doors open to the public at 6pm)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24th, 2010 AT 4:30pm (doors open to the public at 3:30pm)

The performance is 90 minutes without intermission. Children under 9 years not allowed.

WHERE: WESTMINSTER HALL (the burial place of Edgar Allan Poe) 519 West Fayette Street (corner Fayette and Greene), Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Tickets are $35.00 (Order your tickets HERE). Tickets are transferable, but not refundable.

Celebrate Poe’s birthday with us this January as we go beyond the bicentennial and present this astounding tour de force! You’ve heard about this remarkable one-man show and your friends who have seen it agree with the LA Times, calling Jeffrey Combs work “a landmark performance”!

Stay after the performance for our famous Birthday toast to Poe, and an after-show discussion with star Jeffrey Combs and director Stuart Gordon, moderated by Mark Redfield.

About the play, NEVERMORE, An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe

The Poe House and Museum is proud to present the East Coast premiere of this exciting work which debuted in Los Angeles at the Steve Allen Theater on July, 2009. Sold-out houses and multiple extensions brought the run in Los Angeles to a close on December 19, 2009. Hundreds of fans have seen the show and raved about Jeffrey Combs portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe.

NEVERMORE, An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe recreates the public recitals that Poe presented during the last few years of his life. This is Poe in his own words. The text is taken from his letters and essays.

“A landmark performance” –LA Times

ABOUT JEFFREY COMBS : Combs has appeared in over 75 stage productions during his long and successful career. He has performed at numerous theaters including the Old Globe, the Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and the Arizona Theatre Company.

He has starred in over 50 films and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Herbert West in the cult classic RE-ANIMATOR. He also starred in FROM BEYOND, LOVE & A .45, the recent remake of HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL and Peter Jackson’s THE FRIGHTENERS among many others.

Over the span of his career, Jeffrey has also guest starred on many TV series including THE 4400, COLD CASE, and CSI. He appeared in almost 50 episodes as three different recurring roles within the STAR TREK franchise. He has also portrayed Poe on film in Stuart Gordon’s THE BLACK CAT, a highly acclaimed episode of Showtime’s MASTERS OF HORROR series.

“A must-see” - Metromix

ABOUT DENNIS PAOLI (playwright): Paoli has written screenplays and plays, many of them adaptations of the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe (RE-ANIMATOR, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM) many of them collaborations with many other writers (BEACH BUMS, BODYSNATCHERS), most of those with Stuart Gordon (DREAMS IN THE WITCH-HOUSE, THE BLACK CAT, FROM BEYOND). He teaches Gothic fiction (among other literature) and academic writing at Hunter College in New York City, and is Director of the Heidi Paoli Fund, to support cancer patients.

“Beautifully directed” – LA Weekly

ABOUT STUART GORDON (director): Gordon has been collaborating with writer Dennis Paoli since their high school comedy group called The Human Race hit the boards nearly 50 years ago and with actor Jeffrey Combs since they joined forces on the cult film RE-ANIMATOR almost 25 years ago. In 1969 Gordon and his wife Carolyn founded Chicago’s Organic Theater Company, where as artistic director he produced and directed over 35 original plays. These included the science fiction trilogy WARP which was performed on Broadway, the world premiere of David Mamet’s SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO, and POE, his first exploration of the life and works of the tormented writer.

Stuart Gordon is also known for his film adaptations of the works of H.P. Lovecraft which include FROM BEYOND and DAGON; as the co-creator of Disney’s HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS and as the director of EDMOND, the film adaptation of David Mamet’s play.

Order your tickets NOW at www.poebicentennial.com

THE GAME COMES HOME now on SNAGfilms

From filmmaker Jeff Herberger:

Dear Friends,

The Documentary Film “THE GAME COMES HOME –THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL IN WASHINGTON DC”, a film that Willy Meaux & myself, Jeff Herberger, started almost 4 year ago is finally going to get to be seen by a larger audience other than the local Washington Film Fests its been in.

Washington Capitols owner Ted Leonsis has personally screened our film, and now Longthrow Multimedia Int. has signed an Internet Distribution Contract with his Documentary Showcase Website SNAG FILMS.

Check out the terrific Narration by Mark Redfield.

Check it out http://www.snagfilms.com/films/hot/recent

Never thought Id see this day…

Jeff

DECEMBER'S FILM: 'COME HELL OR HIGH WATER'

Lots of posts to post this December.

The wonderful Karloff Blogathon pushed some posts back into December, as did other work (new scripts and the recording of the audio book The Terror of Fu Manchu that I'm in the middle of); and other stuff that got in the way of proof-reading posts I'd written some time ago, including a couple of items on my film COLD HARBOR.

The film of the month is COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, a western that I star in, directed by Wayne Shipley, and I'll kick off talking about making it with a story called My First Western on Wednesday.

Mark Redfield as Justin Gatewood in the western 'Come Hell or High Water' (2009)

Anyway--December promises to be busy, so I hope you've been enjoying the blog and please, feel free to leave comments or make suggestions or criticisms! All are welcome!