Interview with Calabrese

Interview with Radu of Dead Rites

POSTED BY: shanediablo

POSTED ON: 05/14/08 19:35:44

http://www.deadrites.com Greetings and welcome. We're sweating our balls off in the deep south and digging up a few bones with Radu, frontman of Dead Rites out of Atlanta Georgia. Q: Well first off, can you tell us a little bit about Dead Rites? Current line up, when did you guys form and where did you get the name from? R: Of courseThe name of the band came from a Fallen Wisdom song (my previous band) that I wrote the lyrics too. The song had a line that I liked a lot and the name came from there. The band formed in the middle of 2005. This was sort of my solo album while my previous band was on hiatus. That transformed into this. The solo album was to be called Radu and it was to have most of the songs that made it to "In the Midst of Malevolence" When THAT band broke up (FALLEN WISDOM) I thought that I had all of these songs that I could release somehow and I started searching for musicians to get this thing rolling. Then as I started writing for this some songs that were a tad complicated were written and I cast them aside and kept the simpler ones, which were in the album. Then we had some label interest and I thought well lets keep this up for a while and see what happens. As usual with the music business most of the things that you want do not come to fruition so the album was released independently. After all of that we moved on to tour which is my favorite part of the band experience, But I am digressing on the question..... The current lineup has Radu (me) on vocalsBuzz on guitars Jursh on the bassJoe on the drums Dylan on guitar Q: Now, you guys recently did a small tour of Japan, how did you guys hook that up? R: The same way we do everything, independently we did recruit a PR agency for it and they were awesome. We are planning on returning to Japan next summer.... They are called www.justrockpr.com Q: How does the crowd differ from the US and Japan? R: Well the coolest thing about Japan was that the crowds there would watch every band; so we did not have to worry about playing in front of 2 people. Most of the shows had a ton of people and they all watched all of the bands. Here well you have the first three songs to catch people's attentions or they are gone hahaha. They were awesome and they treated us great up there, I am looking forward to return to Japan, because its an amazing experience. I do have to say that the crowds in the US have been amazing since we started touring the states so we are very proud to say that our fans treat us well. Q: Now you released "In The Midst of Malevolence" on Hedonism Records a year or so ago, how’s that been selling? How did you come up with that title? R: It's been selling great! The fans have seen us with Buzz and Jursh for over a year now so they have been clamoring for a new album, I think its time that we took a break and we released some new material. We have been on the road non stop for a year and a half. Wait I lie, we took almost the whole month of september off but other than that we have been traveling wherever they would have us and playing in front of as many people as we can. So this year we are planning on releasing two or three albums. In the midst of malevolence the name, its a loooooong story let me see how I can shorten it up a tad. I had the will to do an album and no music for it. So I had two songs in the vault. One of the songs was a song that I had written for Glenn Danzig (Ritual) and I thought I could give this song to Glenn and see if he would be interested in releasing it. The other one was a song that I wrote a long time ago and I wanted to do in Fallen Wisdom I just did not know if it would be well received because it was short and to the point. It was called the "The watch in time" or some **** like that. I liked the music but I hated the lyrics. So I saw the movie "Malevolence" and i liked it so much that I rewrote the lyrics to it using that movie as an inspiration and I changed the name of it to "Malevolence" So now I had the title of that song and no name for the album. So when the album was almost done I thought to myself, all of these songs came like from the center of this song. They appeared in the midst of "Malevolence" And me being the nerd that I am....... And by the way I never did show Glenn the song, when I met him I just talked about the tribute album and left it at that Q: How did you hook up with Hedonism? R: I made it up. Seriously. I needed a label for the fucking album so we could use the distro that I had so I pulled that name out of my **** with a good friend of mine called Mark who lives in Wisconsin and is the guy responsible for all of our album arts and covers. I christened him the Designer of the dead because he is the one that made all of the shirts, cd covers and jackets. He is also the man that did the Glenn Danzig tribute album cover. He and I were throwing out names for the label and then I said Hedonism Records and he was like **** that works. He made the logo and the rest is history. www.marjasall.com hire him he is cheap and awesome Q: Now you were also a major part in putting together a tribute album to Glenn Danzig, approved by the man himself. Can you tell us a bit about that and is it still available? R: Well I am going to do you one better and copy the whole story from a blog that I just did on the page because a lot of people just joined the Dead Rites myspace page and they were asking about it. Yes its still available and you can get it at the hedonism records page www.hedonismrecords.com First things first, I owe this tribute to many people but number 1 on the list is Mary Hanson whom without her undying support it couldn't have happenedDevilman for the support and Skumlove for allowing me to meet the man AND Marjasall for bringing my dream to lifeEveryone else was just an innocent bystander while I worked my **** off for a year to make this happen and I still ended up pissing off some people in the proccess who by the way can kiss my assEven a label tried to make me add one of their bands and in turn they would sign dead rites to a deal I imagined it would be bullshit so i asked them "how long have you been a Danzig fan? or how long has your band been a danzig fan?" And their answer was "I think this will be a great opportunnitty to get our name and the band's name out there because we can offer this and that plus..." I replied with a no thank you. That is not what this is all about its not a what can you get out of the deal kind of thing is more of a this is a tribute for Glenn Danzig and his work, no strings attached and no expectations for anyone except that this is a tribute to the reason that most of us decided to pick up our respective instruments and how he became inspiration.But I digress,Since Fallen Wisdom was together I told JC that I would like to do a Glenn Danzig tribute album that was done the right way. Unfortunately the word going through the grapevine since forever was that Glenn HATED tribute albums and that there have been many tribute albums that have not seen the light of day because when he did not approve them, I believed in what I had in mind and I thought that maybe when I showed him what I had in mind he would like it. But how the **** could I show him what I had in mind if I cannot get through to him at all. I had his info and all of that and I had some sort of phone number that was given to me but I mean what the hell was I going to say? Hello Glenn My name is Radu and you have no fucking idea who the **** I am but I want to do that thing that you hate the most, you know? a tribute album? cool?hello?(I imagined that I wouldnt even hear the click on the phone when he hung up on me) Anyway I mentioned it on the Danzig fan page and Devilman told me that I should try my best to get it done and everyone believed that this was something that we should try and get done. And as for we they meant ME. So anyway I started toying with the idea in my head of what to do.So during my conversations about this I read some interesting conversations one of them was that there was a samhain tribute album that was ready for release and Glenn had completely stopped them on their tracks. Then there was a Misfits tribute album that went around from Glenn who said no to Jerry Only who of course said yes. Supposedly there is a story of a Danzig tribute album that never happened because of the same thing. Reasons why there are a million Misfits tribute album and nothing else. So I decided the followingThe only way I was making that fucking tribute album was only if and only WHEN Glenn said yesWhich was easier said than done AnywayI had my sweet tickets for the Danzig/Doyle show in Atlanta with FUCKING BEHEMOTH and other sweet bands MORTIIS before i go ahead and digress once again that show was sweet I had the chance to meet Joe Fraloub who was great to me and he took a pic with us which i have somewhere i have no idea where it is At the end of the night skummy who was working with Glenn at that time allowed me to go into the bus it was me and the former bass player for dead rites who went on the bus So the dreaded moment came and of course me in my usual non chalant manner had to start the conversation somehow and it went something like this: Radu: Its a pleasure to meet you sir this is the second time that I met you Glenn: Where was the first time? Radu: In a store in California, its on the hollywood walk...(someone interrupted the conversation I believe it was former Fallen Wisdom bass player Gonzi) Glenn: So where was it on the walk? Radu: It was a store, i have no idea what is the name of it we were coming in and you were purchasing some posters and then the guy at the register asked us if you played guitar in a band and I asked him if he was retarded that you were Glenn Danzig. Glenn: (smiles) I think I know where that is, do u remember what I bought? Radu: (I was thinking at this point would it sound too **** to say that I know exactly what you had on and that I I even counted the steps that you took out of the store and how you veered to the right to get to your car?) I answered posters Glenn: Oh yes that is Hollywood posters and the owner is a good friend of mine. Radu: Cool well the tard on the register had no idea who the hell you were Glenn: He is not my friend Radu: true . Glenn: So what can I do for you? Do u have anything for me to sign? Radu: I handed him my covers for Circle of Snakes and Danzig 1 Glenn: Is this blood? Radu: where?At this point he showed me the inside cover of my very old danzig 1 where it seemed as I had either ejaculated blood on top of his picture or I had cut my finger to make a pact with Satan so that I could meet him at this time Glenn: Here look is this blood? Radu: I don't think so. Glenn: Looks like it Radu: Yeah. So I need to ask you a question. A business question of sorts. Glenn: Go ahead Radu: So I heard that you hate tribute albums Glenn: Yup Radu: Ok well then that is the end of the conversation hahahahahha(notice how this went exactly like my phone conversation in my head) (but.....) Glenn: But anyway tell me what you have in mind (SWEET) Radu: Well, I wanted to do a tribute album to your legacy because all of these fucking bands out there are stealing your fucking image and all of that **** and i do not think that you get the respect you deserve. I want to have unsigned bands that are Glenn Danzig fans and only do a set 666 copies and let it die after that. No reprints and no changes. It should span your whole career and if possible include solo album stuff and things that you wrote for other artists. (I wanted to do a cover of "Life Fades away" for the tribute only if we didn't get many bands to appear on it) Glenn: I can dig that (insert image of Radu pissing himself, shitting himself and ejaculating all at the same time while crying uncontrollably, all on the inside) Radu: Really? Are you cool with that? Glenn: Yes I am cool with that Radu: AWESOME I will start working on it now. So I went home and I cried for a couple of months and started working on it I sent Glenn a copy of the cd of course and I sent one to his publicist. A couple of months later for the x-mas season I got a thank you from him stating Good luck with the cd GLENN DANZIGThere is only one person in the world that I called in that momentMary And she is the only person that knows exactly how I felt that day and I don't think there are words or paragraphs that I can use to describe this if you dont have your copy and you want to get one before we are sold out you can get them at the hedonism records webpage or send a paypal for 15 bucks to sales@deadrites.com If this band was not to do anything else I consider that moment the moment that I made it but i know better and we have a wonderful year ahead of us But on lonely nights and horrible days That is the fuel that keeps me going Q: You recently recorded material for a live album, care to give us a little more info on that and when will it be available? R: We should be releasing it soon (Halloween time) there were some problems with the fucking mix so we had to remix the whole thing again. It was recorded last year, on the last show of the year. Thankfully we have a master behind the mixing board in Shon Hardin. He worked on Daath and other masterful materials and he has a magnificent ear for **** like that and he can pinpoint **** that many of us would miss. We recorded a version of "Black Angel White angel" on that show and Malevolence was the second song of the set. "Malevolence" was a train wreck and we didnt want to add a cover on the album so those two may be removed from the album or we may keep them there anyway. We want to release another live album during our tour so maybe we will keep them both on there. you never know Also we are releasing it as cheap as possible. That is exactly what we want and need to do. So I am looking at cheap ways to get the album printed so we could save our fans some money. We shall see Q: We also understand that you are heading back to the studio to begin recording your follow up LP. Has a release date been set? What’s it gonna be called? R: Yes we are actually headed to the studio this Saturday and we will begin recording the first tracks from the album. tentative title "Soundtrack to my funeral" Q: I see that you are also going to be playing in Puerto Rico, How did you hook up with that? R: My home town baby!!! Should be a sweet vacation if nothing else !!! We may do the shows in december because April was a train wreck, the actual bookers were a pain in the **** to work with. Q: you recently went through some lineup changes, how has that affected the overall moral of the band? R: You know? i am very happy that you asked me this question. A lot of people believe that Radu is the Glenn Danzig wannabe that wants to run the band his way and its either the Radu way or the highway. That is not the case. All of the lineup changes that we have had in the last few months and before have all been either because they quit or because the rest of the band sat me and asked me to please find someone else. As simple as that. So now the band is happier. They want to go out and play, I am sure we lost some fans because of the changes but I am confident that the band will win over more fans and different fans. Q: What other atrocities lie ahead for Dead Rites? We are working on some women's clothing and some new dead rites shirts. Some new songs of course and some surprises for the shows, do not expect the same set on the tour that you heard last year. (insert evil laugh) Q: Can you tell us what inspires you? R: Our fans. I sometimes look at my bank account and want to cry and give in. and the someone writes me and tells me how much "deny me" means to them or how much they liked the Danzig tribute or how our album helps them through lonely nights or how many orgasms they gave their girlfriends fucking to "Ritual" (true story) or how many orgasms they gave themselves listening to the song (usually women and also true) that it gives me fuel to continue. My band members also inspire me they have faith in this band and trust me completely and that you cant buy or sell. Q: What bands currently “rock your boat”? R: Old school baby motorhead, maiden, danzig, metallica etc etc etc But I really, really enjoy unsigned gems like the Devil Bats, Skumlove, Vargotah, Dark Eden, Marra's Drug (formerly doomtree), Damn Valentines and this country ****, well Honky Tonk I believe it is what he plays called Jessee Dayton, he is amazing, simpy amazing. Oh and a lil band called Others you may have heard them. Zombeast is really good too, Prime Mover from Atlanta, Apathetic Discharge from Atlanta also. There is a band called A Lower Deep from here also that has an amazing vocalist and the guys from Eclipsed by sanity have a good power metal sound going. I am sure i am missing bands because that is all that we do play out and listen to bands i stay and listen to everyone Q: Now Georgia is filled with old superstitions and ghost stories, what is the scariest ghost story that you know? R: From here supposedly there is a road not far from where I lived where at night you can see a procession of slaves or a man on a horse sorry that I dont know this very well but there is a cemetary here where blue lights are supposedly seen at night. this damn band has not allowed me to get on these tours!!! Now I can tell you a juicy one from a long time ago... We were playing a show at the west toledo masonic temple in Ohio (of course) The moment we got there I saw Shadow beings all over the place, I got touched by a fucking shadow that was standing right beside me, I saw it by the corner of my eye as he came to touch me and when I saw the arm extend and I FELT the fucking touch of the palm of a fucking hand I turned to strike a conversation and there was no one there. that was sweet as **** Q: If you were a ghost who and where would you haunt? R: my dogs and I would fucking protect them from scum, other than that I would haunt my loved ones and also protect them from scum Q: What do you believe is true but can’t prove it? R: That the basis of christianity is not true. Q: What is your “dangerous” idea? R: To try and explain the last statement to a bunch of religious morons Q: What are you optimistic about? R: I am hardly optimistic but I do think that in the end it will all make sense Q: Any final words? R: See you on the road the tour starts in August come and see us

Interview with Mark Danger of The Rosedales / Dr. Chuds X-Ward

POSTED BY: shanediablo

POSTED ON: 02/22/08 18:05:04

We’re here rotting in the Rosedale Park with Mark Danger, Singer and Bass player for Chicago based band, The Rosedales and Bass Player for Dr. Chud’s X-Ward "Nurses and Curses Halloween Tour 2007" . www.therosedales.com / www.drchudsxward.com HP: Greetings Mark and thanks for stopping by. So, you just recently finished a Halloween tour with Dr. Chud’s X-Ward, Can ya tell us a little bit about that? MD: It was one of the best times in my life to be able to share the stage with someone I looked up to and respected. It is not everyday you can say you played with a Misfit. I would go on tour with him anytime….great times! HP: How was it working with Dr. Chud? MD: Chud is a great guy to work with. He is very professional and very funny…he cracked me up the whole tour. Behind the scenes Chud is a very hardworking and professional musician. He puts a lot of time, money, and energy into every tour and show. Chud plays every X-Ward show like it’s his last. It is nice to have that energy on stage every night.† HP: Did you know Dr. Chud before the tour? MD: Yes, my band The Rosedales opened up for the X-Ward 4 years ago in Chicago. After the show we all hung out and ate pizza. Then a couple years later I went to see the X-Ward play again in Chicago. Chud remembered me and invited me out for a drink with the rest of his band to the infamous Chicago club, EXIT. Chud and I talked about music and BS’d the rest of the night. A year later he asked me to join his tour. HP: What was your favorite show and worst? MD: My favorite shows were Springfield IL and the Halloween show in Indy. It was a great Halloween all around because earlier in the day the X-Ward did a cameo in an independent horror movie called, “It Came From Trafalgar.” What a blast! Being in a horror movie on Halloween was a day to remember. Later that night when we showed up to our Halloween gig and saw that about 90% of the crowd was dressed like us! (the X-Ward) with sexy nurses outfits and bloody doctor coats. The worst show was my hometown Chicago. A lot of my friends showed up and then left before we played because we went on sooo late. The club booked a couple opening bands that we were unaware of and the sound system just sucked. But we jammed like hell and gave everybody their money’s worth. The best part of the Chicago show was the after party we had at the best nightclub in Chicago called (again) Exit. Chud and I were the guest DJ’s of the night. We got to play anything we wanted extremely loud! We danced and drank until dawn. HP: How we’re the turnouts? MD: The turnouts were great. Chud has a lot of very dedicated fans out there that drive long distances and make tons of sacrifices to get to his shows. The best part is Chud takes time with every person and is genuinely interested in what the fans have to say. HP: If asked, would you do it again? MD: Absolutely! If Sal Bee is unavailable to tour I would be more than happy to fill in again. Just to say I filled in for Sal Bee was an honor. † HP: So what’s been happening with the Rosedales? MD: I just got great news that our new album will be out in late March 2008! No exact March date…just March is all I know. It took forever because there were some issues happening outside of the band that we had absolutely no control over. These unforeseen problems delayed our album about a year. But we are very happy and excited to release this new album. It is the best one we have done so far.† HP: How did you come up with the name? MD: We got our name from a park we haunt in Chicago. Rosedale Park. HP: How long have you been together and how did you guys meet? MD: We have been playing as a band among mortals for about 10 years. HP: How do you write your songs? MD: I write all my songs on acoustic guitar or piano. HP: You also recently moved from Chicago to Arizona. How is that working out for rehearsals and such? MD: I still work a ton in Chicago. So when I fly to town, The Rosedales will usually have a practice or two together. Usually I give the rest of the band a heads up on when I will be in Chicago so we can book a show. The Rosedales have never been a band that just gets together to jam. We usually break up our practices into different segments. Usually Rip and I get together for writing sessions and bounce ideas off one another. Then other times we might just have a vocal practice with no instruments just 4-part harmonies. I prefer that method so you don’t waste anyone’s time. HP: Is there a new album in the works? MD: Yes, it comes out in March 2008….fingers crossed! HP: Is there anything that inspires you? MD: Film, art, music, and nature. HP: Besides playing music, is there anything else you do? MD: I am a freelance producer. I work on commercials and live events. I am also in the process of finishing up my first children’s book and screenplay. I always have something going on with some crazy project in my head. HP: Are there any bands the “Rock your world”? MD: The bands that influenced me the most and made me what I am today are Iron Maiden, Misfits, and KISS. I am also a huge Type O Negative fan. I have always loved their sound and vocal textures. In the same vein I would say I am also a fan of HIM. They are a bit mellower with a very cool dark sound as well. But those are just two off the top of my head. I listen to a ton of different kinds of music from Slayer to Interpol. Most of the music that moves me does not always have to be fast and heavy like Slayer. Most people look at my band and myself and assume that all we listen to is heavy music. When I was on the tour bus with the X-Ward after a show AL-X (drummer) and I would be chilling out listening to Brazilian Girls and Eddie Cano. HP: Do you believe in ghosts? MD: Yes. HP: Have you ever seen a ghost? MD: I have not seen a ghost…yet. I have heard voices and whispers at my old house in Chicago where I used to live with my brother Christian (Drummer of The Rosedales). HP: What is the scariest ghost story you know? MD: It would have to be the ghost story of La Llorona (the crying woman) It is on old Mexican ghost story about a woman who drowned all three of her children in the river, She then killed herself. Many people still claim to see her spirit walking in the night screaming for her children "Mis hijos, mis hijos, donde estan mis hijos" meaning "My children, My children, where are my children" Many kids in Mexico do not go near rivers in fear that “La Llorona” might drown them. I have also seen a couple of movies trailers about La Llorona on the web…looks creepy. HP: If you were a ghost, who and where would you haunt? MD: I always thought it was funny that “ghosts” are always associated with haunting old houses or dark forests. I would be haunting the dorm room showers of college girls…or haunting the Playboy mansion. HP: Is there an area where you live (park, house, etc.) that is known to be haunted? If so, what is the story or legend that makes people believe this area is haunted? Have you ever visited this place? MD: Besides Rosedale park. There is a section of forest haunted by “Resurrection Mary” in Illinois that I have been to. I wrote the song about it called “It’s Midnight”. HP: What do you believe makes a good horror film? MD: A good horror film has to have a great story and a great director….and lots of low light. If you reveal everything it is not scary. I like to see movies that let my mind wander. HP: What is your favorite horror film? MD: The Exorcist. That movie has all the right elements. HP: What do you think of today’s horror movie remakes? MD: I like some of them. I think that if it is done right it can really be it’s own movie more than a remake. HP: What do you believe is true but can’t prove it? MD: Aliens. I do believe that there are other life forms in this universe beside us. HP: Can you recall any strange or unexplained events in your life? MD: Living out in the Arizona dessert you tend to see a bunch of things moving throughout the sky. I have never seen so many stars and constellations. But sometimes I look into the sky and say, “no that can’t be what I think it is…right?” Crazy stuff. HP: What do you do to relax? MD: I like to drive to Mexico on the weekends and chill on the beach. HP: Any advice that you would give to anyone wanting to be a musician? MD: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. The chance that you are going to make a full time living playing music is very slim. Concentrate on a hobby or career with the same passion as the music and you will be successful. HP: Any final words? MD: The new Rosedales album is a going to melt your faces off. † ††† Well Thanks Mark, it was a pleasure and we look forward to the new album.

Interview with Dwight Kemper author of “Who Framed Boris Karloff”

POSTED BY: shanediablo

POSTED ON: 12/16/07 05:41:00

Interview with Dwight Kemper http://www.murdermysterytheater.com We’re sitting here trying to unravel the mystery of the multi-faceted author of “Who Framed Boris Karloff”, an old style “who done it” by Dwight Kemper. HP: Greetings and welcome Dwight. Let’s get started shall we. First off, can you tell us a little about the book? DK: WHO FRAMED BORIS KARLOFF? takes real people and real settings and uses them to build a fictional murder mystery. Boris Karloff comes upon the body of a murdered Universal Studios executive on the set of Son of Frankenstein. Because he’s discovered standing over the body and his fingerprints are on the fatal lever of the Monster making electrical equipment that has electrocuted the executive, Boris Karloff is set up as the prime suspect. The studio covers it up, but Karloff refuses to let sleeping dogs lie. Basil Rathbone has just finished making his first Sherlock Holmes film, Hound of the Baskervilles, and is now playing Wolf von Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein. Karloff thinks he has what it takes to act as an amateur sleuth. Bela Lugosi goes along as the loose canon detective and together the three boogiemen go after a killer in 1938 Hollywood. HP: What inspired you to come with the idea for the book? DK: I have a photograph of Boris Karloff’s surprise birthday party on the set of Son of Frankenstein. He’s in full Monster makeup and cutting a huge birthday cake. Anyone else would look at it and think, “Isn’t that marvelous, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster cutting a birthday cake.” But when I saw it, I thought, “Everything looks pleasant now, but somewhere on that set, a body is about to be discovered.” So, the short answer is, I was inspired by a photograph. HP: What made you decide on using Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone and the set of “Son of Frankenstein? DK: The photograph of Karloff’s birthday party pretty much decided the location. I used Boris, Basil and Bela not only because they were the actors who played in the film, but I wanted the actors, and not a fictional sleuth, to be the ones to solve the crime. In fact, back then studios used to publish Nancy Drew style mysteries that were solved by their real leading ladies. My publisher actually has a copy of a Judy Garland mystery published in the early 40’s. I wanted to do something similar with Universal Horror actors, so… HP: The book was so rich in detail, it must have been a painstaking ordeal to get some of the facts for the story. How much of it is based on actual truths and how much did you improvise? DK: I’ve been a Monster Kid since the 60’s cycle. When I was a boy Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone were still alive and well and appearing on TV and films. I read every issue of Famous Monster of Filmland. So, I pretty much knew everything I needed to know just from casual reading and building Aurora Monster model kits. However, I did borrow a very tall stack of books from Binghamton University just to make sure I had my dates and facts straight. As for what’s true and what’s fictional, I have an epilogue that gives you the straight scoop about the details. But basically, whenever possible I used real people. When I couldn’t find information about them, I used their name but created fictional motives. For instance, there really was a production executive named Martin F. Murphy, and I knew how he felt about the production delays that occurred on Son of Frankenstein because of his many, many complaining memos. But I knew absolutely no personal information about him, so I had to make up things like an ex-wife. And of course, the real Martin F. Murphy wasn’t murdered on the set of Son of Frankenstein. HP: Where can people pick up “Who Framed Boris Karloff“? DK: It’s available online at Amazon.com and at midmar.com. You can also buy a copy through WSKG’s OFFTHE PAGE (ed. Local public broadcast channel out of Binghamton NY) website and not only get a great mystery, but support your local Public Television and Radio station. Go to: http://www.wskg.com/OffThepage/2007-08-21-kemper-offthepage.htm You’ll also hear my interview with Bill Jaker and Sara Karloff, who was nice enough to appear courtesy of a long distance phone feed. HP: You also have an introduction from Boris’s daughter, how did she feel about the book when you approached her? DK: She and I were friends when I approached her about the idea, so she knew I would treat her father with respect. She was also helpful when it came to suggestion how her father would react to certain situations. For instance, in a scene where Karloff is puttering in his garden in an attempt to forget his troubles, I had him very anger because he felt he was being used. Sara said her father wouldn’t have reacted like that. Boris was more of a brooder, so I rewrote the scene. I sent Sara chapters as I finished writing them via email. She was hooked early on and couldn’t wait for the next installment. Needless to say, that was very encouraging and it motivated me to write faster. I wrote the first draft in about three months! HP: Were you a fan of horror movies growing up? DK: Ohhhhhhh yes! In fact, my mother would wake me up on a school night so I could see Boris Karloff’s Thriller and The Outer Limits. Back in the 60’s WOR had something called the Million Dollar Movie. This was an afternoon movie slot that showed the same film after school every day for a whole week. Often they would show the Universal Horror films. So, in an era before VCRs and DVD, I was able to see the same Frankenstein movie FIVE DAYS IN A ROW! I was in horror heaven. I particularly remember seeing House of Dracula this way, and using my blankets to pretend I was Glenn Strange’s Monster lying dormant in mud. I was also fond of Frankenstein meets the Space Monster and would run around the playground with half my face covered in the tin foil that was wrapped around my peanut butter sandwich, pretending to be the laser damaged robot Frank Saunders. I was one weird kid. HP: Can you tell us a few of your favorites? DK: Well, definitely the first three Frankenstein films, particularly Bride of Frankenstein. It’s perhaps the best monster movie ever made. I have a great fondness for Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein (which is also the setting for my next novel, BELA LUGOSI AND THE HOUSE OF DOOM). Beyond Universal Horror, I can’t get enough of Mad Love with Peter Lorre, Curse of the Demon with Dana Andrews, the original Toho version of Godzilla, King of Monsters sans Raymond Burr, and of course, last but not least, the original The Haunting based on Shirley Jackson’s classic ghost story The Haunting of Hill House. HP: Your obviously a fan of detective stories as well, who is your favorite fictional detective and what is your favorite book? DK: My favorite detectives are TV detectives. Definitely Peter Falk as Columbo. At the time the format of those stories was so fresh! You know who the killer is and why he did what he did, but you just didn’t know HOW Lt. Columbo was going to catch them. Classic! My second favorite is Adrian Monk from Monk. I used to enjoy The Snoop Sisters, but they haven’t come to DVD yet. I don’t know if Wild, Wild West qualifies, but Jim West and Artemus Gordon rock! They also have the best villain ever conceive, Dr. Loveless played by the marvelous Michael Dunn. As far as a favorite book… well, this may sound odd, but I generally don’t read mysteries. I prefer horror. But the best mystery PLAY and also a great film, is Sleuth and no, I haven’t seen the remake yet. Actually, my favorite book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which isn’t a mystery at all. Favorite ghost story novel, a tie between Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House with quite possibly the best opening and closing lines in a novel ever conceived, and the similar themed Richard Matheson novel Hell House. Although, come to think of it, the best mystery novel I ever read is The Hound of the Baskervilles. I’ve tried to read Agatha Christie, but her prose style is a bit too dry for my taste. I prefer listening to her stories as books on tape. HP: What do you consider is the essential key to writing a good mystery? DK: A good mystery is like a well executed magic trick, you have to know how to misdirect the attention of the reader from the seeing the glaringly obvious. In culinary terms, you have to master the preparation of a fine red herring, or two, or twelve. HP: Are there any plans to write another book? If so, can you give us a sneak peek as to what it‘s about? DK: My next novel is nearly finished, BELA LUGOSI AND THE HOUSE OF DOOM. This one is turning into quite a roller coaster ride of suspense. It takes place on the set of Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein and concerns kidnapping, arson, murder and espionage. Lugosi teams up with Lou Costello as his Watson. Boris and Basil are back, but seem to be up to some strange goings on behind Bela’s back. It’s been a delicate balancing act trying to write something funny and suspenseful, as well as deal with the sometimes tragic life of comic Lou Costello, the alcoholism of Lon Chaney, Jr., and Bela Lugosi’s drug addiction. But somehow I’m managing it. I can tell you it’s been a very wild, weird ride. Frankly, I can’t wait to see how it comes out. I never know how my books end until I write the last sentence. HP: We also understand that you produce and host “Murder Mystery Theater” (a dinner theatre event that includes the audience). Can you tell us about that and what made you decide to do Murder Mystery? DK: My mystery shows present crime scenes that include dead bodies, evidence to examine, and testimony presented by audience suspects. The challenge is to present something entertaining and challenging AND something that will last for about an hour to 90 minutes. Strangely, I have found that people prefer shows that are shorter for dinner theater. Mystery weekends are wild. In the case of a weekend, where you have to sustain audience interest for two or three days, that takes work. One of my favorite formats is to take the real facts about the guests coming to the show and making up a mystery around that (similar to what I do in my novels). I also sometimes make them think they’re going to do a rather lame mystery weekend and then plant a dead body in the backyard of the bed and breakfast and then wait to see if anyone notices the body and the blood evidence I leave in the house. I did that at the Benjamin Prescott Inn, and it was the best show I ever did! Those people really worked at solving the case and even set up their own detective command center in their room, took their own crime scene photos and even went to the local library to access a flash drive with important coded evidence. God, it was a great show! HP: How long have you been doing dinner theatre? DK: Since 1989. The shows have really changed over the years. When I first started, I didn’t have a dead body to present, only a chalk outline! Now I I have seven different bodies, including celebrities Angelina Jolie and Drew Barrymore! And of course Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and a very convincing Humphrey Bogart for my Maltese Falcon show. HP: What can people expect when they come to see one of your performances? DK: Dead bodies, mostly. I recently acquired a real morgue stretcher to create a more realistic morgue scene. It comes complete with a stainless steel body pan and a cover to conceal the body. As you can tell, I’m big on detail. I was once praised by a CSI team who came to one of my shows for my crime scene accuracy. I even got to tour their lab! HP: Where can people go to catch a show? DK: I perform all over the East Coast. I’m doing shows semi-regularly at The Silo Restaurant in Greene. I also do Halloween shows at The Edge of Thyme Bed and Breakfast in Candor as well as shows in South Carolina. I’ll be appearing on Daniel Island Resort, SC in February. HP: You’re also a magician and a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians as well, can you tell us a little bit more about that? DK: I became interested in magic for a ghost show mystery. I had to be a mentalist for that show and had to learn ways to appear psychic. Then I came up with a show called The Case of the Murderous Magician and bought a bunch of magic props to decorate the set. I incorporated the tricks in the show and the next thing I knew, magic was becoming a big part of my mystery shows. Now I do bizarre magic and death defying stunts like The Knife Board of Death (actually, I could get very hurt doing it and cut myself badly once, it’s a stunt not for the faint of heart). I also execute my murderer with a guillotine. Sometimes I use magic to show who the killer is or to present a vital clue. My favorite illusion is The Haunted Glass. It also has a real mystery attached to because the glassmaker who designed the illusion actually disappeared without a trace and has never been heard from again. Now that’s spooky. HP: What magicians inspired you? DK: Max Maven comes to mind. I actually met him at a convention. As a kid definitely Mark Wilson. I never missed The Magical Land of Alakazam! I also had a big crush on his wife and assistant Noni Darnell. I actually met Mark at the Magic Castle when I was on the West Coast. I got to talk to Noni on the phone once. I also love the work of Penn & Teller. Of course, the great Harry Houdini was the guy to study as far as showmanship. HP: Your also an accomplished character actor as well. How long have you been acting and where would have people seen you before? DK: My acting career has been quite varied. I’ve been a television and radio spokes character for Agway of Owego and Endicott. I created an explorer named Commander McWay. I have two standees of myself in costume in my dining room from the ad campaign. I was a lot heavier then, so now it’s sort of my “before” picture. I’ve also been a character actor for a couple of ballet companies. I’ve appeared at Carnegie Hall for a biographical ballet I co-wrote about Anna Pavlova. I even played Santa Claus for a television ad for the Roberson Museum and Science Center. I was crowded in an elevator with ballerinas, fiddle players, and other assorted characters. They had a smoke machine and stage lights in there too. And one of the fiddlers was claustrophobic! Fortunately the “Wonders never cease” ad looked great on TV. I was also in an Emmy winning children’s special called “Common Cents” in which I played Benjamin Franklin. I have a photo of me holding the Emmy. I still remember having difficulty with a very stubborn classroom pull-down movie screen that just wouldn’t stay down. Finally, I got it to say down and the classroom students all applauded, thus spoiling the shot! HP: Is there anything that you don’t do? DK: Well, lets see… I’ve been a hairdresser, an actor, a character model, a cake decorator, an artist, a writer, a licensed practical nurse, a faith healer until I decided I really wasn’t doing anything, a newsroom intern, I took premed (top in my class), I was once asked to join the Royal Ballet Company because of my miming skills but couldn’t accept because I didn’t have a work visa, I’ve been a film critic, interviewed actors and directors, I’ve been a secret shopper, a merchandiser, a magician, a stand up comic, a nude model for art classes in both the US and England…I guess the answer is, no there really isn’t anything I won’t do. Except windows. And fellatio. HP: You seem like a busy man, when your not solving mysteries, what do you do to relax? DK: Relax? What is this thing you call relax? Actually, I relax with a glass of brandy (Christian Brothers) and pop in a DVD. Sometimes I’ll go to The Lost Dog or wherever my friend Gene Cothran is playing. I like Jazz and R&B and I really like seeing it live and taking in the whole café atmosphere. It makes me feel like James Stewart in Bell, Book and Candle. If you’ve ever seen that movie, and the club depicted in it, The Zodiac, then you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s fantastic meeting people who have different tastes and artistic interests. I also have become a gym rat. I go five days a week. I’ve gone down from 268 lbs. to 196. I can curl a 90 pound barbell. I do a whole strength training routine. I’ve been training hard for nearly two years now and if I do say so myself, I’m beginning to look pretty darn good. HP: What do you believe is true but can’t prove it? DK: Nothing, actually. I’m not a terribly faith based person. Everything I believe can be proven empirically. I find no difference between a child’s belief in an imaginary friend and an adult’s belief in a personal God. Except a child won’t try to kill another child for not believing in his imaginary friend. Only grownups do that. HP: Has anything ever happened to you that you cannot explain? DK: There have been some cell phone contracts that I’ve found baffling. But if you mean things like ghosts and psychic phenomena? No. I’ve been to some of the most allegedly haunted places on earth; Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, the temple of a Rosicrucian Lodge in Houston, TX, cemeteries, witch’s sabots, and absolutely nothing happened in any of those places that couldn‘t be explained away logically (actually, in most of those places nothing happened at all). I will say this, though, witches really know how to put on a show! You haven’t experienced Halloween until you go to a good Samhain celebration on All Hallows Eve. It rocks! HP: What is the most frightening experience you‘ve ever had? DK: I had a bad reaction to medication when I was a teenager that caused my jaw to seize up. I had to be rushed to the ER to get the antidote. I damn near bit a pencil in two. And no, it wasn’t an illegal drug. It was prescribed by a doctor. Needless to say, I don’t take drugs unless I absolutely have to. I prefer to just eat right and exercise so I don’t get sick and have to take medication. But really, after a certain age I stopped being afraid of things. After you’ve been beaten nearly to death by your stepfather because you woke him from a nap, other things seem not quite so scary. I once had a tornado touch down a scant five yards from me and the only thought I had was, “Oh, great! Every prop I own is in my car right now and I’m likely to lose all of them.” I wasn’t frightened, I was just annoyed. I’ve held snakes, I’ve been very close to tigers and other big cats, I’ve met and became friends with some of the oddest people, including one who allegedly went to jail for murder. He’s a great gym partner for spotting your heavy bench press, I’ll say that. Nothing really seems to phase me all that much. I suppose because I’m not scared to die. I accept that one day I’m going to, so once you get past that, the scare goes right out of things. HP: Any advice that you would give to anyone starting out as a writer/actor/magician? DK: Really, does the world need another writer slash actor slash magician? Pick just one, for crying out loud! Anyway, the best advice I can give a writer is write something. Did you know that most writers never finish what they start? So, write. Write every day. Finish what you start. And for crying out loud, write the actual story not an outline of the story you’ll never get around to writing because you’re caught up in writing the outline. As for acting? Well, I had to start my own production company to get acting work. After I did that, THEN people started hiring me for other productions. Advice for magicians? Practice. Join a local IBM or SAM and perform for people who can help you with your act. That’s pretty much it. HP: Any final words? DK: Yes, I’ll share with you the epitaph that I decided to put on for my tombstone one day. Maybe it seems morbid, but I like clever epitaphs. I suppose that’s because I once had a book of funny tombstone messages. You know, things like the epitaph for a hypochondriac: “I told you I was sick.” It’s sort of like putting an exclamation point on the page of your life’s story. So, I will leave you with the final words that hopefully, will actually be on my tombstone one day: “Here Lies Detective Dwight Kemper Case Closed.”

Raising the dead with Catrina Lawrence author of “Zombie Terror”,

POSTED BY: shanediablo

POSTED ON: 11/27/07 15:25:00

We’re fighting Zombies with horror writer (and Poet) Catrina Lawrence author of “Zombie Terror”, a frightful and delightful Zombie tale. See review: www.fiendlinks.com/music/members/420 Available at: www.freewebs.com/catrinalawrence - www.lulu.com/catrinalawrence HP: So, for starters, can you tell us a little about yourself? Well, I’m 27 and I live in West Yorkshire, UK. I’ve always been into horror, be it movies or books since I can remember. I read lots of horror books and watch lots of horror movies. I prefer classic horror movies than today’s horror. I also collect horror memorabilia. HP: Can ya tell us a little bit about “ZT”? It’s about a guy called Paul who goes in search of his wife Cath, who goes missing after she has been attacked as they are walking through some woods by a man. You join Paul on his hunt for his wife as he is attacked by a horde of flesh eating zombies. HP: So what inspired you to write “ZT”? I’ve been wanting to write this novel for about three years and I finally decided to write it down earlier this year. Zombie movies have inspired me to write “ZT” and the fact that Zombie’s are my favorite theme for a movie or book. HP: Do find a difference between American Zombie stories and European Zombie Stories? Not really. Both America and Europe have made some really good Zombie Stories. HP: We understand that you write poetry as well, can you tell us a bit more about that? Oh yes, I write poetry whenever I can. I love playing with words. I think that poetry is great to write as you can get straight to the point rather quickly and you don’t have to go into details about the characters or the situations. HP: I’m sure you’ve been asked this a million times but when and how did you get started in writing? I started writing poems and short stories at the age of twelve as I liked to write all the time. I used to write long answers to questions as school even if they only needed a little answer. My first short story that I ever wrote was about a haunted hotel and I still remember it, but unfortunately it got lost whilst moving when I was fifteen. HP: When your not writing or creating, what do you do for fun (besides eating brains)? Hahaha, I only eat brains at night. I read and watch horror movies. I sometimes like to draw and I like to cook. HP: What do you believe is true but can’t prove it? I believe that we are not alone, or is it that I would like to believe that we are not alone. HP: How is Halloween celebrated in your country? Very badly I think. I love Halloween obviously, but here not many really seem to bother. This year I never even saw a garden done up for it. We had no one knock on our door either, even though I bought treats for them. I would do up our garden and take kids trick or treating, if I had any. HP: Is your pumpkin still out? Nope. HP: What bands “rock” your world? A lot of music rocks my world, it just depends on what mood I’m in. It ranges from Rock to Death Metal. HP: Do you believe in Ghosts? I’m not sure about this one. I have had a ghostly encounter but I don’t know if I was dreaming or not. HP: What is the scariest ghost story you know? I’ve read that many, so I couldn’t really say what is the scariest. I’m not easily scared so it’s a hard question. HP: Has anything ever happened to you that you cannot explain? I cannot explain life never mind things that happen in it, lol. HP: What is the most frightening experience you‘ve ever had? Funny you should ask this as it was only about nine weeks ago that this happened. I was rushed into hospital with peritonitis, a cyst and a really bad infection that was causing my left leg to stop working. My veins were collapsing and I have a fever. I was poorly eight weeks prior to going into hospital, but no one could find out what it was. I was in and out of the doctors and the hospital for weeks. If I hadn’t have gone into hospital when I did, I wouldn’t have woke up the next morning. Now that was my most frightening experience of my life and I certainly don’t want to go through anything like it again. HP: Any advice that you would give to anyone starting out as a writer? Don’t hold back or let anyone hold you back. HP: Any final thoughts? Yes, go buy “Zombie Terror” its great! And thanks for taking the time to read this.