Help Support CURSE OF THE PHANTOM SHADOW

CURSE OF THE PHANTOM SHADOW is a nifty film project which is a throwback homage to the serials and pulps of the 1940's.  The film is over 75% completed but is need of completion funds and you can help out by donating a few bucks through the film's Kickstarter page  and getting some cool rewards back in return.
By donating you help keep the pulp and serial genre alive and get some cool swag.  It's win-win!

Synopsis snipped from the Kickstarter page:
There is only one man to call, Agent 236, an elite government agent. Agent 236 has been dispatched to launch a rescue.

Along the way, Agent 236 is befriended by a spunky, sarcastic, gas station attendant who just happens to have pinup girl good looks. She also just happens to be looking for a little action,and excitement. Luckily, Agent 236 is the man of her dreams. Agent 236 puts the station attendant and her tow truck into service in pursuit of the Phantom Shadow.

Pics and more details here.

"Best Worst Movie" Director Searching for a Few Good Spooks

Today, Michael Stephenson and Magic Stone Productions, have announced their next documentary which will focus on home haunters.  The doc is going to be called HOMEMADE HORRORS and the casting call information can be found here.  This is a great opportunity to show off your haunting skills and be gain some bragging rights.

For those who don't know Michael Stephenson is the director and co-producer behind BEST WORST MOVIE which centers around TROLL 2 the cult film that he starred in as a film.  The documentary has gone on to garner wide attention and praise and no doubt this next project will have the same success.

Here is the trailer to BEST WORST MOVIE:

Inspiration: A Treasure Trove of Behind the Scenes Videos of Ghostbusters 2

Much like the Steve Johnson Ghostbusters video are three more vids making the rounds  This time around for the sequel..  The first video showcases some optical effects alongside miniatire work and a bit of bluescreen puppeteering.  Not to mentiom a peek at Vigo.
The second video showcases the puppeteering involved with a far different made Slimer puppet.

The third video showcases how the Vigo painting effect was pulled off along with the real voice of the actor who played the film's main villain.

Check it out:

IMFDB - Internet Movie Firearm Database

I always wanted a replica of this. 
It's so damn purty!

Has there ever been a film which there is a character who has a very unique firearm that you wish you could own a replica of, if not the original?  Yet you don't know what make and model of the gun was or any idea as to where to find it on the intertubes. 

Well, now there is a site just for you; IMFDB.org (Internet Movie Firearm Database) is a wiki database of the thousands of guns and other assorted firearms used in films.  Now you can spend hours on this site looking up everything from the guns used in Blade Runner to Hellboy's Samaritan and more! 

Go here to see for yourself.

(h/t to Boing Boing)

Friday Link-o-rama: 1-7-10

Here are a few links you may have missed from the Lost in Schlock Facebook page and elsewhere:

The Frugal Filmmaker asks the question, "Should we self-distribute?"

Five words that you can cut.

Prop maker Dave Lowe made relics for his family this past Christmas.

Here is a crafty way of making a replica Ghostbusters sniffer from found parts.

As fun as making props is, it is important to follow safety regulations for your own health and those around you.

Learn how to build a free roaming crank ghost.

Kenneth Strickfaden: A Movie Artist for the Ages

You may not immediately know the name Kenneth Strickfaden but if you are a hardcore horror and sci-fi movie geek or TV nut then you have surely seen some of his work in some incarnation or another.

Snipped from Wikipedia:

Ken Strickfaden, short for Kenneth Strickfaden (1896 - 1984) was an electrician, film set designer, and electrical special effects creator. He created the science fiction apparatus in more than 100 motion picture films and television programs, from 1931’s Frankenstein to The Wizard of Oz and The Mask of Fu Manchu to television's The Munsters.

Propnomicon has a fantaastic mini write-up on Strickfaden and his prop and set contributions to genre cinema and what had happened to many of the pieces of props and sets that he had made which found their way unto Ebay a few years back via Forrest J. Ackerman.

Go here for more details including some cool pics of his work

Inspiration: The Making of the Visual Effects for ALIENS

Here is a cool set of vids that I discovered a few minutes ago on the visual effects that were created to bring ALIENS to the big screen.  It's awe inspiring on what can be done without the need to go the CG route.

How to Build a Jason Vorhees Mask

It's Friday the 13th and to celebrate here are a a couple of tutorial vids on how you can build your very own Jason Vorhees mask:





If I learned anything today it's that there are tons of vids on Youtube of people showing off their Jason masks.

Godzilla on the BBC

Here is a neat BBC documentary on the history and behind the scenes look at how Godzilla came to be and was made:















Huge h/t to zillastyledotcom for uploading this doc.

Prop Inspiration: Gingerdead Man 3

Dave Lowe, who is an amazing and highly creative prop designer, had the unique opportunity (and challenge) to create a few props for the Full Moon movie, GINGERDEAD MAN 3. 

The budget given to him was only 200 bucks which proves that Full Moon is really a b-movie kind of company.  Go here to see more pics of the cool props that Lowe helped design and create.

How To Build A ALIENS Powerloader Costume

Really, the title of this post says it all.  Go here for the full tutorial. 

My only complaint is that the costume could use some weathering to it.

How cool would it to have one of your very own Powerloaders? It might not be fully fuctioning yet it would look pretty in the living room.


Powerloader Costume - featured on G4 from FlamingPele on Vimeo.

Inspiration: CROPSEY

I don't know why but I truly and dearly love any film that is shot with that "Blair Witch" style POV. Maybe because to me it's like riding a dark ride at a state fair or walking through a haunted house attraction.

It just seems more spookier when you get that feeling that you are there with the filmmakers.  Case in point, here is a spooky film that I feel anyone should put on their must see list. More after the jump.