HDC Idol 2008-09 [Archive] - Horror.com Forums

_____V_____

11-22-2008, 08:48 AM

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g12/ravenavi/mybanner.gif

Good morning folks,

All of you are very welcome to HDC Idol 2008-09. Over the next few weeks, or months, we will be on the hunt for the one true HDC Superstar who has the will, wit and knowledge to be a potential celebrity in his/her own right. That person will rightfully be crowned as HDC Idol Superstar 2008-09, and will boast of the title for times immemorial.

But first, the details. As you all know, the deadline for closure of accepting confirmations ends a little less than 24 hours from now. But, in order to have a rollicking start, and tend to the thirst of curiosities regarding this event, I am boosting the opening ceremony to now. All of you are vaguely unfamiliar with the events which lie in front of you, the tests, the challenges, the twists which will keep you going or eliminate you, etc. All will be explained in due time.

For now, let's have a look at the groups, under which all confirmed participants find themselves in.

Here are...

THE OGRES

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb35/evilspikestar/ogre.jpg

Bloodrayne
bwind22
Cactus
Dude Guadalupe
Freak
Illdojo
Jenna26
Roshiq

THE GOBLINS

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn194/kotll/goblin.jpg

Alkytrio666
ChronoGrl
Ferretchucker
Fortunato
MurderDoll
Painfulldeath
The Flayed One

and

THE ELVES

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo210/wootyman/1533321.jpg

Gorephobia
Miss Macabre
Novakru
Papillon Noir
Pinkfloyd45769
Posher778
Dante's Inferno

Take a close look at the groups you find yourselves in. Each one of the other members in that group is YOUR IMMEDIATE OPPONENT. Because, if you have been paying attention, you have to knock over all the others in your group and finish in the Top 3 to be guranteed a spot in the next Rounds.

Which brings me to explain to you...THE RULES!!

Rules For HDC Idol 2008-09

01 - You are responsible for your actions, and your actions only. The group will NOT be held guilty or punishable for anything which you do. The sole purpose of you being a part of the group is to fight your way into the Top 3 contention, for passage into the next Rounds.

02 - Each test will involve a lot of skill, patience, knowledge and wit. It is upto you to give each test your best effort - however if you use cunningness, manipulation, and the internet for your answers, you are permitted to do so.

03 - All of you will be under the stern gazes of your Judges, and their decision will be FINAL and BINDING. No contestant is allowed to question the judgement of any Judge, or challenge their integrity. The Judges will be fair, impartial and very strict.

04 - Over the course of the event, if you indulge in any sort of skirmishes, flaming wars, name-calling etc. with a contestant or contestants, then it will not be the liability of HDC Idol or any of its Judges. We will suggest you take it to PMs, or emails, and not cause unnecessary harrassment to other contestants.

05 - At the end of the first 3 Rounds, all scores of each contestant in each group will be added up. The Top 3 winners of each group will then advance on to the Individual Challenges, who will be joined by ONE wildcard contestant who will be selected from all the losing contestants.

06 - The decision to give all losing contestants one more chance depends solely on the discretion of the Judges and the host sponsors only.

07 - We all will have a wonderful time in our quest to finding the winner. All of you are urged to take your wins and losses in the right spirit, and keep the sportsmanship spirit alive.

The deadline is still on, so the first Test will be posted once the confirmation deadline is up. Till then, watch this thread and get prepared.

ferretchucker

11-22-2008, 09:06 AM

Sounds good.

bwind22

11-22-2008, 09:30 AM

So who are the judges?

And thanks for putting me in to such a weak group! Muhawhahahaha!

fortunato

11-22-2008, 01:15 PM

Oh, geez. Considering the company I have in the Goblins, this is not going to be easy.

missmacabre

11-22-2008, 01:40 PM

Way to stick me in a group where I love everyone.

bwind22

11-22-2008, 01:51 PM

You may love them, but now they are your sworn enemies. Let the bodies hit the floor.

crabapple

11-22-2008, 02:06 PM

Oh my GOSH! This contest looks CREEPY! :eek:

Me scaredy :(

fortunato

11-22-2008, 02:15 PM

Oh my GOSH! This contest looks CREEPY! :eek:

Me scaredy :(

You a-makin' me scared, Crabby! :eek: :o

The Flayed One

11-22-2008, 03:18 PM

Oh, geez. Considering the company I have in the Goblins, this is not going to be easy.

Yeah, I was excited when I first saw our group, until I learned that those are the people I have to compete against.

But enough of that!

*breaks, pops, does the worm and points at fortunato*

You got served!

bwind22

11-22-2008, 03:52 PM

*breaks, pops, does the worm and points at fortunato*

You got served!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Damn! You served him up somethin' fierce! Go home and change your undies now fortunato!

I'm glad I don't have to face that shit 'til the finals! Those were some mad skills yo!

My group is runnin' scared. Can't say I blame 'em but still... I expected something from someone. So far not not a peep out of any of them since I elbowdropped Roshiq.

Dude Guadalupe

11-22-2008, 04:02 PM

My group is runnin' scared. Can't say I blame 'em but still... I expected something from someone. So far not not a peep out of any of them since I elbowdropped Roshiq.

Scared? Who's scared?

*tackles bwind22, stands up and leg drops on him*

Scared? Nah.

bloody_ribcut

11-22-2008, 04:02 PM

good luck to all

ChronoGrl

11-22-2008, 04:51 PM

Oh, geez. Considering the company I have in the Goblins, this is not going to be easy.

Not for you. mwahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa

The Flayed One

11-22-2008, 04:57 PM

Not for you. mwahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa

Don't make me serve you, woman!

*puts on old school Public Enemy*

ChronoGrl

11-22-2008, 05:01 PM

*snaps fingers, breaks into running man, and then falls into a coin drop*

You got SERVED! :eek:

_____V_____

11-22-2008, 07:11 PM

So who are the judges?

And thanks for putting me in to such a weak group! Muhawhahahaha!

The Judges will be revealed once the confirmation Deadline is over.

Weak group? You are going to be very surprised.

newb

11-22-2008, 07:15 PM

this should be fun guys.....V always puts on a good show. If I had more time I would most def be involved....but I will be watching.....and rooting for my favorites. ;)

Good Luck all :D

_____V_____

11-22-2008, 07:45 PM

ANNOUNCEMENT

All Ogres are hereby reminded to report here at Noon EST tomorrow.

Your first Test in front of the Judges will begin then.

GorePhobia

11-22-2008, 09:31 PM

I really like my teammates as well but this is a competition and may the best man or women win!

bloodrayne

11-22-2008, 09:41 PM

ANNOUNCEMENT

All Ogres are hereby reminded to report here at Noon EST tomorrow.

Your first Test in front of the Judges will begin then.

We're actually going to celebrate his birthday on Sunday, because Dustin, Seri and my mother will be off work...Sunday is also my mother's birthday...When I was pregnant with Alex, my mother went to the hospital with me for the ultrasound (she wanted to see if it was going to be a girl or a boy, and she wanted to have a peek at the baby), and when they said his due date was November 23rd, you should have seen her face!...She looked at me and said, "Did you tell her to say that when I wasn't looking?"...The doctor looked confused, and my mother said "That's MY birthday"...She was pretty excited...He actually arrived 2 days earlier, on the 21st (as you know), but they still spend their birthdays together :)

Sunday we will take our whole bunch out to dinner, give my mother her presents, too...Then we will head out to the store so Alex can choose his new video cameraLooks like I'll be behind before I even get started :p

Dustin, too...

fortunato

11-22-2008, 09:52 PM

Not for you. mwahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa

Wait, it's not not going to be easy for me?
Or it is not going to be easy for me? :confused:

roshiq

11-22-2008, 09:54 PM

Weak group? You are going to be very surprised.

Never mind....he's drunk...and he has no idea what he's saying...:rolleyes:

_____V_____

11-22-2008, 09:58 PM

ANNOUNCEMENT

In view of recent developments, the first Test is scheduled to begin on Sunday night, not noon as announced previously.

All Ogres are informed to be here from 10 PM EST tomorrow night. The Test will begin shortly afterwards.

ferretchucker

11-23-2008, 02:17 AM

I'm excited to see what the first test is!

ChronoGrl

11-23-2008, 05:21 AM

Wait, it's not not going to be easy for me?
Or it is not going to be easy for me? :confused:

Ohhhhhhhhhh, the clever semantic game will only get you so far, fortune boy. :p

ANNOUNCEMENT

In view of recent developments, the first Test is scheduled to begin on Sunday night, not noon as announced previously.

All Ogres are informed to be here from 10 PM EST tomorrow night. The Test will begin shortly afterwards.

I'm not sure about the other contestants, but evenings work better for me too...

But anyway...

GOOD LUCK OGRES

fortunato

11-23-2008, 06:38 AM

Ohhhhhhhhhh, the clever semantic game will only get you so far, fortune boy. :p

Drat! Clever semantic games are all I know.
I'm in for it...:(

bwind22

11-23-2008, 10:16 AM

If we have to be here at a certain time, can we get more than a day's notice? Or does it not matter if we're late?

This site is blocked when I'm at work so the chances of me being here during working hours are zero.

_____V_____

11-24-2008, 05:49 AM

Cant do much when they break your cable in 4 places, but watch in sheer helplessness.

Sorry guys, I wanted this to open with a great opening ceremony, but the renovators around my place broke my internet cables about 23 hours ago. Sincerest apologies to all the Ogres and Judges who were online at the scheduled time. There are times when one cant do anything but sit in frustration, and watch things happening around you.

As for the first Test, we start with the Ogres, who are up again...and the time will be, tomorrow morning at 10 30 AM EST. Sufficient time for all Ogres to see this and be here then.

The deadline was up awhile ago, and since I didnt receive any more confirmations till then...the groups stay. Unless I get replies from 3 contestants who said they ll be in touch, since they havent been online since they PMed me.

As for the Judges, there are 4 of em all ready to rip you and your talents to pieces, and since the deadline is up, let me introduce them to you :-

Judge Number 01 - NeverEnding,

Judge Number 02 - Hammerfan,

Judge Number 03 - Austin316426808,

and

Judge Number 04 - Roderick Usher.

All the best, Ogres. I hope each one of you is upto their expectations!

GorePhobia

11-24-2008, 08:32 AM

So just the Ogres have to be here so I am fine until our team is called.

Awesome!

bwind22

11-24-2008, 10:11 AM

That sucks V. Tell those idiots to mind your internet cables!

I work late tonight so I probably won't get to sleep until sometime around 2 or 3am. I will not be up at 9:30 am CST but will probably be online around 11 or noon. I hope that not being here right on time doesn't end up counting against me.

Disease

11-24-2008, 12:24 PM

Ahh, I thought this was going to be something where people had to make viseos of themselfs singing dodgey Barry Manilow covers...

roshiq

11-24-2008, 01:11 PM

I hope I can be easily on line with new schedule.:)

_____V_____

11-24-2008, 07:38 PM

Announcements

01 - It is not necessary for you to be online when the Tests are being posted. However, you must turn in your entry before the deadlines expire, so that the Judges can comment on them. This will hold for all Tests which have a deadline - as regards live performances, that will require you to be online when you stand in front of the Judges.

02 - Initially, there will be 3 Qualifying tests. Needless to say, all 3 tests will have scores by all judges, and the Top 3 scorers from each group move into the Individual Elimination stage.

03 - Each qualifying test will have a deadline of 48 hours (except TG, for which we will have a break) and so, you have to be online at least once in that time period.

04 - The Judges are free to criticize you, even when they might hold any sort of admiration for your entries. Take that in your stride, or you may lose points with the Judges.

05 - A couple of surprises awaits all contestants when we start at 10 30 AM EST on Tuesday. Be online and see it for yourself.

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 07:58 AM

I'm here, V

Dude Guadalupe

11-25-2008, 08:01 AM

I'm here

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:03 AM

Hi Dustin!

Freak

11-25-2008, 08:03 AM

I'm here...

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 08:04 AM

Welcome, Dustin, Freak and esteemed Judge Hammerfan.

I guess its time so let's get this started...

Dude Guadalupe

11-25-2008, 08:04 AM

Hi Dustin!

*waves retardedly*

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:05 AM

*waves retardedly*

Thank you for humoring the old broad! :D

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 08:08 AM

I'm gonna be the Paula here - I plan on judging everyone while intoxicated...so you never know what the fuck I'm gonna say

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:08 AM

I'm gonna be the Paula here - I plan on judging everyone while intoxicated...so you never know what the fuck I'm gonna say

That means you have to have a backstage affair with bwind.

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 08:10 AM

HDC IDOL 2008-09

Howdy folks,

Welcome to HDC Idol. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be putting all of you to the extreme Tests of knowledge, innovation, imagination and wit which you possess in leaps and bounds, in our journey to find the one HDC Idol Superstar who is good enough to carve a niche for themselves in the entertainment world.

So, without much ado, let me first introduce you to your Judges. You know 4 of them already...but today, a 5th Judge joins their ranks in judging all of you!

THE JUDGES

Neverending,

Hammerfan,

Austin316426808,

Roderick Usher,

and

your 5th Judge...

Doc Faustus!!

There has been some changes in the groups too. Let's see what they are, before checking out the First of the Tests.

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 08:10 AM

That means you have to have a backstage affair with bwind.

um...

on second thought

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:11 AM

You could always be an intoxicated Simon.

Yay, welcome to the judges, Doc!

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 08:13 AM

Now, let's have a look at the groups, under which all confirmed participants find themselves in.

Here are...

THE OGRES

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb35/evilspikestar/ogre.jpg

Bloodrayne
bwind22
Cactus
Dude Guadalupe
Freak
Illdojo
Jenna26, and
Roshiq

THE GOBLINS

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn194/kotll/goblin.jpg

Alkytrio666
ChronoGrl
Ferretchucker
Fortunato
MurderDoll
The Flayed One, and
Vodstok

and

THE ELVES

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo210/wootyman/1533321.jpg

Gorephobia
Miss Macabre
Novakru
Papillon Noir
Pinkfloyd45769
Posher778
Dante's Inferno, and
Disease

Take a close look at the groups you find yourselves in. Each one of the other members in that group is YOUR IMMEDIATE OPPONENT. Because, if you have been paying attention, you have to knock over all the others in your group and finish in the Top 3 to be guranteed a spot in the next Rounds.

You already know the rules. The Judges are itching to judge you already. So let's not waste any time in going to...

THE FIRST TEST!!

bloody_ribcut

11-25-2008, 08:25 AM

man, the goblins look fierce!

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 08:28 AM

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:30 AM

Oh yeah, I can't wait to read these! And we don't have the whole list yet!

Freak

11-25-2008, 08:33 AM

So our we supposed to come up with our own ideas or pitch an actually movie?

newb

11-25-2008, 08:33 AM

I'm gonna enjoy following this......and with NO pressure :D

THATS RIGHT CONTESTANTS.....WE ARE ALL GONNA BE READING YOUR ANSWERS

neverending

11-25-2008, 08:34 AM

So our we supposed to come up with our own ideas or pitch an actually movie?

Wait to read your task, impatient waif!

neverending

11-25-2008, 08:35 AM

And too many questions anger grumpy judges....

urgeok2

11-25-2008, 08:35 AM

I'm gonna enjoy following this......and with NO pressure :D

yeah - i couldnt have answered these ... I just dont have the stuff anymore.
I've become a very lazy forum guy.

as you can tell from all of the cheap easy jokes.

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 08:36 AM

you're all too slow. You'll never make it in this business. I'm voting you all off my island

wait...

what game are we playing?

**pops a few more vicodin**

I like oatmeal

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:39 AM

you're all too slow. You'll never make it in this business. I'm voting you all off my island

wait...

what game are we playing?

**pops a few more vicodin**

I like oatmeal

It's OK, dear, just lay on the couch and take a little nappy-poo. :D

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 08:49 AM

(Continued from above)

- Freak : You are in 1974. After NotLD, The Exorcist has become a runaway huge hit with audiences screaming out of the theaters. You are a struggling actor trying to make it big on the screen. You heard that a certain young Steven Spielberg (with a great script tucked under his arm) is looking for young actors. How do you get in touch with him, and what audition will you give him to convince that one of the lead roles belongs to you?

- Illdojo : 2007. Rob Zombie has contacted you, a musician yourself, to give him an idea for a possible sequel to his version of Halloween. He is your best friend, and he wont take no for an answer. You only have a vague knowledge of the movie, and he has explicitly said that he doesnt want to do another Halloween II, but rather see a totally original take for the sequel to his remake. Do you have a possible idea to float to him?

- Jenna26 : The year is 1996. Troma, known for their low-budget gorific flicks, have suddenly decided to make a zero-budget shockfest based on cannibalism, with plenty of gore (of course!) and campy humor. As both a director and Makeup In charge, how will you go about your task of making yet another Troma "moneyspinner"?

- Roshiq : The year is 1949. You are a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare, and Universal want you to make yet another winner, a follow-up to their monster hits from earlier years. You suddenly hit upon a goldmine of an idea - The Evil Dead!! What will your cast be of, and how will you go about making it? Remember its the late 40s, era of b/w movies, shock is limited to expressions and acting, minimal gore (plenty of effects which look jaded today), etc.

All of you have 48 hours to do your researches, write down your ideas, and pitch them in front of the Judges. The Judges will be your peers in each scenario, and if you manage to win them over, you stand to score the maximum. When you are ready, send me a PM and post your entry in this thread (WITHOUT EDITING), and the Judges will read em and post their criticisms and praise, if any.

If any of you dont post your entry within the next 48 hours, you stand DQed off this Test, and dont gain any scores (or favors) from your Judges!

You have a hard task ahead of you, so all the best!!

Freak

11-25-2008, 08:56 AM

Ok so do we pitch our own ideas or something that actually happened cause I'm still a little confused about what I'm doing.

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 08:58 AM

Ok so do we pitch our own ideas or something that actually happened cause I'm still a little confused about what I'm doing.

I'm going to insert my opinion here: I would say, if you want to win, you pitch an original idea.

neverending

11-25-2008, 08:58 AM

Ok so do we pitch our own ideas or something that actually happened cause I'm still a little confused about what I'm doing.

Deducts points from Freak's score.....

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 08:58 AM

Ok so do we pitch our own ideas or something that actually happened cause I'm still a little confused about what I'm doing.

your OWN idea

this is a test to see who has the skills to make it in the horror entertainment world

Thrill me!

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 08:58 AM

Ok so do we pitch our own ideas or something that actually happened cause I'm still a little confused about what I'm doing.

Own idea, Freak. Put yourself in those shoes, and in that year. Those times. If you have a vague idea, do some research. I m sure you will do this wonderfully well. :)

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 09:00 AM

I m sure you will do this wonderfully well. :)

or make a fool of yourself in front of your peers... no pressure;)

Doc Faustus

11-25-2008, 09:05 AM

You could always be an intoxicated Simon.

Yay, welcome to the judges, Doc!

Thanks! Good to be back and good to start judging. I think my niche will be as the drunk, pill popping hot tamale train lady from So You Think You Can Dance. Or Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Ramsay rocks.

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 09:08 AM

Welcome to the Judges' panel, Doc.

Remember to keep your cataract knife out, and be a very strong critic. You are going to dissect each entry, and give an earful to each contestant.

newb

11-25-2008, 09:09 AM

Deducts points from Freak's score.....

I think we found our "Simon".:D

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 09:10 AM

Thanks! Good to be back and good to start judging. I think my niche will be as the drunk, pill popping hot tamale train lady from So You Think You Can Dance. Or Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Ramsay rocks.

Well, I can't be Paula because I don't drink or do drugs. Hmm, who could I be......I know! I can be Paula Deen! :D

*taps fingers on desk, waiting for newb to make a comment about falling down the stairs*

Freak

11-25-2008, 09:11 AM

Deducts points from Freak's score.....

If asking questions loses points then I'll be negative by the time this is over.

newb

11-25-2008, 09:14 AM

Well, I can't be Paula because I don't drink or do drugs. Hmm, who could I be......I know! I can be Paula Deen! :D

*taps fingers on desk, waiting for newb to make a comment about falling down the stairs*

nah...I'm over that

no I'm not

http://vaultmedia.ign.com/vnboards/2008/Other_fallingDownStairs.gif

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 09:14 AM

THE FIRST TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

I am here to address the Ogres. Each one of you is given a task which you have to perform to the best of your ability, wit and innovation, based upon the knowledge you have of the genre.

For the first Test, the common theme chosen is - THE TIME MACHINE.

Here are your tasks, Ogres :-

- Bloodrayne : It is the year 1955. Universal Pictures have gained a firm foothold based on their monster/iconic horror movies, and Hammer is slowly but surely getting a grasp in the genre. You are an enthusiastic producer with lots of cash, and have the best director of the moment in your pocket. Which movie would you make, and what would be your budget and cast? How will you make your flick saleable with the audiences?

- Bwind22 : You are in the year 1968. George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead looms in the horizon, and the 60s have already produced some memorable Hitchcock classics and several other wonderful horror flicks. You are a budding script writer, and get a call from Hitchcock for a possible script idea. What idea do you pitch to him, and what will your script be of?

- Cactus : It is the year 1931. Dracula has just been released and is doing well. Universal have a winner on their hands, and are already planning a possible sequel. Their rival production company wants you, their Manager, to think up of a dream project which would outscore Universal at their own game. What possible idea can you conjure up, and pitch it successfully to your peers?

- Dude Guadalupe : You are in 1987, a really talented new director who has been given a most difficult task - 20th Century Fox have been in touch and asked you to make a kickass sequel to Aliens, within 3 years, which would totally bowl the audiences over like James Cameron's masterpiece did the year before. Who would you contact to produce the movie? Your choice of scriptwriter and possible stars?

- Freak : You are in 1974. After NotLD, The Exorcist has become a runaway huge hit with audiences screaming out of the theaters. You are a struggling actor trying to make it big on the screen. You heard that a certain young Steven Spielberg (with a great script tucked under his arm) is looking for young actors. How do you get in touch with him, and what audition will you give him to convince that one of the lead roles belongs to you?

- Illdojo : 2007. Rob Zombie has contacted you, a musician yourself, to give him an idea for a possible sequel to his version of Halloween. He is your best friend, and he wont take no for an answer. You only have a vague knowledge of the movie, and he has explicitly said that he doesnt want to do another Halloween II, but rather see a totally original take for the sequel to his remake. Do you have a possible idea to float to him?

- Jenna26 : The year is 1996. Troma, known for their low-budget gorific flicks, have suddenly decided to make a zero-budget shockfest based on cannibalism, with plenty of gore (of course!) and campy humor. As both a director and Makeup In charge, how will you go about your task of making yet another Troma "moneyspinner"?

- Roshiq : The year is 1949. You are a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare, and Universal want you to make yet another winner, a follow-up to their monster hits from earlier years. You suddenly hit upon a goldmine of an idea - The Evil Dead!! What will your cast be of, and how will you go about making it? Remember its the late 40s, era of b/w movies, shock is limited to expressions and acting, minimal gore (plenty of effects which look jaded today), etc.

All of you have 48 hours to do your researches, write down your ideas, and pitch them in front of the Judges. The Judges will be your peers in each scenario, and if you manage to win them over, you stand to score the maximum. When you are ready, send me a PM and post your entry in this thread (WITHOUT EDITING), and the Judges will read em and post their criticisms and praise, if any.

If any of you dont post your entry within the next 48 hours, you stand DQed off this Test, and dont gain any scores (or favors) from your Judges!

You have a hard task ahead of you, so all the best!!

Just so The Ogres dont miss this. Link will be in my Signature, too.

neverending

11-25-2008, 09:16 AM

No answers posted yet....

Deducts points from everyone...

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 09:17 AM

as for the judging - are we ranking the submissions best to worst or just going free-form on it?

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 09:17 AM

nah...I'm over that

no I'm not

http://vaultmedia.ign.com/vnboards/2008/Other_fallingDownStairs.gif

I knew you weren't! :D

Papillon Noir

11-25-2008, 09:17 AM

Holy Crap! This looks awesome V & Judges! Very creative and interesting. I can't wait until the Elves go! :D

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 09:23 AM

as for the judging - are we ranking the submissions best to worst or just going free-form on it?

For now, free form criticism and dissection, AND judging best to worst.

Criticism in here, best to worst on PMs to me. :)

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 09:37 AM

Remember contestants, you need to post your entries in this thread for all Judges to read them.

If you PM them to me, or email them ( at [email protected]) I will still post them here. You have to be brave, and stand here for the judgement of your entry by the Judges, and defend it if you can in front of em.

newb

11-25-2008, 09:38 AM

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 10:53 AM

*hears the music from Final Jeopardy playing*

bwind22

11-25-2008, 11:01 AM

Clairification question regarding my challenge. "NotLD looms in the horizon"... so it's 1968 but that hasn't come out yet? Am I reading that correctly? Or is it looming in the rear view mirror like it has just come out and was a success at the drive-ins?

bwind22

11-25-2008, 11:09 AM

I'm gonna be the Paula here

Now the judges are fighting over me.

Ba-chika-wa-wa!

Don't worry judges, there's enough bwind22 to go around. *wink, wink*

hammerfan

11-25-2008, 11:09 AM

Now the judges are fighting over me.

Ba-chika-wa-wa!

Don't worry judges, there's enough bwind22 to go around. *wink, wink*

That made me laugh out loud! The boss came out to see what I was doing!

bwind22

11-25-2008, 11:12 AM

That made me laugh out loud! The boss came out to see what I was doing!

Getting people in trouble at work.... It's what I do best. ;)

neverending

11-25-2008, 11:42 AM

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 11:47 AM

ferretchucker

11-25-2008, 12:14 PM

Do you know what a horizon is?

Deducts points from bwind....

Usually when people say looms in the horizon, they mean it's up ahead. As in, yet to come. Honestly, they'll let anyone judge nowadays...:rolleyes:

:p

neverending

11-25-2008, 12:15 PM

Usually when people say looms in the horizon, they mean it's up ahead. As in, yet to come. Honestly, they'll let anyone judge nowadays...:rolleyes:

:p

That was my point, Mr. Obvious.... deducts points from ferrett when it's his turn.

ferretchucker

11-25-2008, 12:24 PM

So it's pre october 1968? It wasn't made obvious enough! Jeez!

Papillon Noir

11-25-2008, 12:27 PM

So it's pre october 1968? It wasn't made obvious enough! Jeez!

*nudges Ferret* Don't help him! He's competition, remember? :rolleyes: :p

ferretchucker

11-25-2008, 12:31 PM

*nudges Ferret* Don't help him! He's competition, remember? :rolleyes: :p

Sorry Butterfly (Can I call you butterfly). I'll try better next time.

Papillon Noir

11-25-2008, 01:13 PM

(Can I call you butterfly).

Yes, please. It's much better than "Paps" :)

bwind22

11-25-2008, 03:52 PM

Do you know what a horizon is?

Deducts points from bwind....

I do know whatthe phrase generally means, but I don't see how it's relevant to my question if the film hasn't come out yet.

If you checked IMDB, you would know already. :)

What confused me was the wording of the question, not anything pertaining to the film itself.

So it's pre october 1968? It wasn't made obvious enough! Jeez!

Thanks Cuz. That's what I was saying. The question just said 1968, which is the same year the film came out.

Also, what is the relevance to referencing a film that wasn't out and that no one expected to be a success before it's release? I already know how I plan on answering this question, I am just trying to figure out how/why Night of the Living Dead factors in to the question at all. (To determine how or why it should be referenced in my answer.) If this question was immediately after NotLD came out and surprised everyone with it's succes, that'd have obvious relevance, but since it's not out and no one's expecting it do anything special, I probably wouldn't be paying any attention to it.

neverending

11-25-2008, 03:54 PM

There go more points....

bwind22

11-25-2008, 04:02 PM

There go more points....

I'll get 'em all back when I drop my winning answer.

Besides I can tell that you're just jealous that you have yet to be included in my backstage affairs like Hammerfan & Roderick. Don't worry NE, like I said, there's plenty bwind22 to go around. Certainly enough for all the judges. *wink, wink*

bwind22

11-25-2008, 05:18 PM

Bwind22 : You are in the year 1968. George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead looms in the horizon, and the 60s have already produced some memorable Hitchcock classics and several other wonderful horror flicks. You are a budding script writer, and get a call from Hitchcock for a possible script idea. What idea do you pitch to him, and what will your script be of?

Even without an answer to how the looming Night of the Living Dead is relevant to the question, I'll go first since everyone else in my group is too timid. ;)

I'd pitch Sir Alfred Hitchcock one of my favorite stories from Edgar Allan Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado", for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, Poe's work is all public domain so the studio wouldn't have to worry about getting the rights to it. Secondly, adaptations of Poe's work have already proven popular in that decade with "The Pit and The Pendulum", "The (Fall of the) House of Usher", "The Raven" and "The Black Cat" all seeing big screen releases. Third, anyone familiar with the story is aware that it's a tension-filled revenge tale, which I believe plays to Hitchcock's strong suit as the master of suspense.

For anyone unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this... Fortunato, a wine afficianado, is lured into the basement of his friend, Montresor's (who is also the Narrator) basement with the expectation of finding a Cask of Amontillado (an expensive red wine) awaiting him. Once in the basement, Montresor dupes his intoxicated friend, chains him in a side cellar, then seals up the wall in front of the door, effectively burying his old friend alive inside a tomb in his own basement. As the story winds down, we learn through the narration that it's been 50 years since this event occured. Forutnato's body is still in the basement, sealed behind the wall and Montresor was never caught or punished for the crime. Obviously, that's just the paraphrased version. Secondary characters and subplots would be inserted in order to expand the short story to feature length.

I envision the role of Montresor being played by the great Vincent Price, who's obviously a fan of Poe's work and starred in three of the four films mentioned above. Ideal casting for the role of Fortunato would be Boris Karloff, although knowing what we know now, he may not have completed the film before he died in 1969 so perhaps Bela Lugosi would be the wiser choice, with hindsight being 20/20.

A story by Edgar Allan Poe, scripted by bwind22, directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock and starring Vincent Price and Boris Karloff (or Bela Lugosi) would almost certainly have been a box office success in it's time and would more than likely still be considered one of the classic films of that era to this day.

Doc Faustus

11-25-2008, 05:22 PM

Well, my friend, an important thing about working in the genre is research. If you had done your research you would know that Price had already been in an adaptation of the Cask as one of Corman's three Tales of Terror. Public domain perhaps, but you wouldn't want Price to be seen in the same Poe story twice, and neither would Poe. Nor would Roger Corman who might be less than happy to see another Cask of Amontillado with Price. In principal, pretty solid, but it couldn't happen. Sloppy.

bwind22

11-25-2008, 05:27 PM

With all due respect, those are three short stories and I am pitching a feature here. Not to mention Price is far more suited for the Narrator role of Montresor than the doomed Fortunato. Where Corman went wrong, Hitchcock could get it right.

Doc Faustus

11-25-2008, 05:32 PM

Valid point, but people already connect Vincent Price with that adaptation of the story. If he starred in a feature length Case of Monsieur Valdemar the same issue would be there.

Roderick Usher

11-25-2008, 05:34 PM

imagine this coming from the stuffy-nose, gurgling-fat-in-the-back-of-the-throat voice of Hitch

"Poe? That's for that untalented hack, Corman. I don't follow trends, I set them."

not a bad pitch, but I'll pass.

neverending

11-25-2008, 05:47 PM

bwind22

11-25-2008, 06:08 PM

As mentioned already- Price had previously appeared in Cask of Amontillado. He did a great job.

Hitchcock doing a period piece? His interest was strictly modern. I really doubt he'd be interested. Really doubt. Not to mention- there's no woman. Hitchcock needs a beautiful woman in a script. No backtracking- you didn't mention it, so you didn't intend it.

I did mention secondary characters and subplots being added. The core story revolves around 2 male leads though.

Casting Lugosi? Difficult- he died in 1956.

Poorly researched, poorly thought out, IMO. Doesn't play to any of the strengths of Hitchcock, and casting dead actors would get you laughed out of the pitch meeting right away.

Ouch! Nailed me on that one and I even looked it up. Apparently I am dyslexic, retarded or just can't count.

This will get low marks from me. Even lower for arguing with the judges.

Well then it's a good thing America is voting and not y-
*Ryan Veacrest leans over and whispers in bwind22's ear.*
Oh. Nevermind then.

Seriously though, I thought V said we were supposed to win over the judges but in looking back at the original rules I now see we're not supposed to challenge the judges integrity. Is that same thing as defending our answers?

newb

11-25-2008, 06:29 PM

yikes.....glad I opted out of this one....these judges are TOUGH.:D

bwind22

11-25-2008, 06:35 PM

yikes.....glad I opted out of this one....these judges are TOUGH.:D

Agreed. Tougher than I expected, but not tougher than I'm willing to subject myself to. (Can I borrow your glutton for punishment pic?)

Although, I am glad I went first because I suspect the beating I'm taking here could scare a few of my competitors into not submitting any answer at all. ;) (If I were a judge, I'd give me some bonus points for having the balls to go first not only in my group, but in the whole competition.)

neverending

11-25-2008, 06:38 PM

Well, not all the judges have spoken yet- you might get a softball from hammerfan.

bwind22

11-25-2008, 06:45 PM

Well, not all the judges have spoken yet- you might get a softball from hammerfan.

Good point. The super tough judges already decimated my answer with logic and common sense so there's nothing left for Austin and hammerfan to do except praise my punctuation and sentence structures. ;)

newb

11-25-2008, 06:47 PM

Good point. The super tough judges already decimated my answer with logic and common sense so there's nothing left for Austin and hammerfan to do except praise my punctuation and sentence structures. ;)

I'm thinking Hammer is gonna be the Paula of the group. She's just too damn nice to come down hard on anybody.

bwind22

11-25-2008, 06:56 PM

I picked her as the Paula right off the bat, but then Rod wanted in on the backstage affair plans I had and dubbed himself Paula.

By the way, this is all part of my master plan to make myself into the underdog early on so that I can lower everyone's expectations of me and then come on strong in the finals witha surprise victory. If I aced this question, the judges would be even more picky with my next rounds, but now as long as I don't cast a dead actor in the lead in the next rounds, they'll see it as an improvement. (Sheer brilliance!) :D

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 09:12 PM

Dude Guadalupe

11-25-2008, 10:07 PM

With the success of Predator in 1987, I'd call up Director John McTiernan to jump on as producer for my sequal to aliens.

I would bring back Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett as writers. They did a wonderful job on both Alien and Aliens, so I think it would be a good choice to bring them back.

As for stars, I would bring back those who survived Aliens. Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Carrie Henn as Newt, Michael Biehn as Hicks, and (assuming the script called for his return) Lance Henriksen as Bishop. This would be for continuity, due to the fact that I can't stand when actors are replaced and the audience is expected not to notice. Any other actors would depend upon the script.

neverending

11-25-2008, 10:31 PM

A competent but uninspired answer. No surprises.

Dude Guadalupe

11-25-2008, 10:52 PM

A competent but uninspired answer. No surprises.

I understand it's a "no frills" answer but I made choices that I thought would be best for the film.

Who knows the story better than the guys who wrote the first two?

And how would an audience react after seeing two movies with Sigourney Weaver as Ripley only to turn up for a third with someone else in the role? I think that audiences would reject it and it would bomb.

Those are just my opinions and that's why I made the choices I made.

Not arguing, just stating my case :D

bwind22

11-25-2008, 10:56 PM

The Ogre bwind22 has turned in his answer, which has been critically dissected by 3 judges already.

2 are yet to bash him, after which I will request all Judges to send me their grades for bwind's entry. On a scale from A to E.

All other Ogres, you are requested to turn in your entries before TG day arrives. We will take a break for 24 hours in honor of TG.

I have a request/suggestion, V...

Don't you think it'd be prudent to have judges wait until all the entries from a group have been submitted before sending grades in? What if someone gives me an E only to realize later that half the answers were worse than mine? Or vice versa, what if they gave me an A only to realize there were several better answers given later? I'm just sayin... Seems logical to wait until they have an idea of what I'm up against before casting their ballots.

Just my 2 cents, it's obviously your call since you are the one wearing the Ryan Veacrest outfit.

neverending

11-25-2008, 10:59 PM

How bout some new characters to spark interest? Naturally you bring back Ripley and the creative team- but aside from that- what are you bringing to the table?

I partially blame the question- you got thrown a softball this round, compared to others.

neverending

11-25-2008, 11:00 PM

I have a request/suggestion, V...

Don't you think it'd be prudent to have judges wait until all the entries from a group have been submitted before sending grades in? What if someone gives me an E only to realize later that half the answers were worse than mine? Or vice versa, what if they gave me an A only to realize there were several better answers given later? I'm just sayin... Seems logical to wait until they have an idea of what I'm up against before casting their ballots.

Just my 2 cents, it's obviously your call since you are the one wearing the Ryan Veacrest outfit.

I agree with this.

bwind22

11-25-2008, 11:05 PM

I agree with this.

Yes! I knew I could get you to agree with me on something today!

cactus

11-25-2008, 11:11 PM

- Cactus : It is the year 1931. Dracula has just been released and is doing well. Universal have a winner on their hands, and are already planning a possible sequel. Their rival production company wants you, their Manager, to think up of a dream project which would outscore Universal at their own game. What possible idea can you conjure up, and pitch it successfully to your peers?

Ok, here goes...since I'm about to be gone for 4 days with most likely no time to get on here, I'll throw myself on the hand grenade next...

Interesting scenario, to say the least. With the success of Dracula and the tapping of the well of the horror genre, it is our time to carve our niche. The way that we do that is with a little known author at the time, HP Lovecraft and his tale of Wilbur Whateley in "The Dunwich Horror". This tale is of Wilbur and his grandfather reaching out, through dark means, to the ancient race known only as The Old Ones. They are successful in bringing forth an unseen presence that grows within their farmhouse. Eventually Wilbur makes his way to Miskatonic University to obtain an original printing of the Necronomicon, from which he can summon these beings, and is killed attempting to steal the tome. Without Wilbur, the presence grows, breaking free from the farmhouse and terrorizing the countryside, only to be stopped by professors from the aforementioned Miskatonic U.

This provides the audience with good triumphing over evil, but open ended with a wealth of possibilities for future endeavors with Mr Lovecraft and the universe that he has created and will hopefully expand in the future. They are dark stories, for sure, but many of which contain underlying themes of repressed desires, dangerous and unacceptable behaviour. Primal and basic elements of great horror and of which the public would be sure to want more.

Also, we should strive to make this serious. Any attempt at showing creatures, other than the monsters of man, must be avoided, in my opinion. The fear that we should attempt to capitalize upon is the fear of the unknown, man's darkest desires come to life, so to speak.

My friends, this is our chance...do not let it pass us by.

neverending

11-25-2008, 11:19 PM

Well, it's a bold & intriguing answer... a story barely 3 years old, when Universal is bringing the great classics of the ages to life. It's hard to imagine any studio taking a risk on a little known writer of stories as strange as this. Still- if they would have, it could have changed the face of horror cinema forever.

Not to mention one writer's tragic life...

I like it.

_____V_____

11-25-2008, 11:46 PM

THE FIRST TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

- Bloodrayne : It is the year 1955. Universal Pictures have gained a firm foothold based on their monster/iconic horror movies, and Hammer is slowly but surely getting a grasp in the genre. You are an enthusiastic producer with lots of cash, and have the best director of the moment in your pocket. Which movie would you make, and what would be your budget and cast? How will you make your flick saleable with the audiences?

- Bwind22 : You are in the year 1968. George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead looms in the horizon, and the 60s have already produced some memorable Hitchcock classics and several other wonderful horror flicks. You are a budding script writer, and get a call from Hitchcock for a possible script idea. What idea do you pitch to him, and what will your script be of?

Even without an answer to how the looming Night of the Living Dead is relevant to the question, I'll go first since everyone else in my group is too timid. ;)

I'd pitch Sir Alfred Hitchcock one of my favorite stories from Edgar Allan Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado", for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, Poe's work is all public domain so the studio wouldn't have to worry about getting the rights to it. Secondly, adaptations of Poe's work have already proven popular in that decade with "The Pit and The Pendulum", "The (Fall of the) House of Usher", "The Raven" and "The Black Cat" all seeing big screen releases. Third, anyone familiar with the story is aware that it's a tension-filled revenge tale, which I believe plays to Hitchcock's strong suit as the master of suspense.

For anyone unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this... Fortunato, a wine afficianado, is lured into the basement of his friend, Montresor's (who is also the Narrator) basement with the expectation of finding a Cask of Amontillado (an expensive red wine) awaiting him. Once in the basement, Montresor dupes his intoxicated friend, chains him in a side cellar, then seals up the wall in front of the door, effectively burying his old friend alive inside a tomb in his own basement. As the story winds down, we learn through the narration that it's been 50 years since this event occured. Forutnato's body is still in the basement, sealed behind the wall and Montresor was never caught or punished for the crime. Obviously, that's just the paraphrased version. Secondary characters and subplots would be inserted in order to expand the short story to feature length.

I envision the role of Montresor being played by the great Vincent Price, who's obviously a fan of Poe's work and starred in three of the four films mentioned above. Ideal casting for the role of Fortunato would be Boris Karloff, although knowing what we know now, he may not have completed the film before he died in 1969 so perhaps Bela Lugosi would be the wiser choice, with hindsight being 20/20.

A story by Edgar Allan Poe, scripted by bwind22, directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock and starring Vincent Price and Boris Karloff (or Bela Lugosi) would almost certainly have been a box office success in it's time and would more than likely still be considered one of the classic films of that era to this day.

- Cactus : It is the year 1931. Dracula has just been released and is doing well. Universal have a winner on their hands, and are already planning a possible sequel. Their rival production company wants you, their Manager, to think up of a dream project which would outscore Universal at their own game. What possible idea can you conjure up, and pitch it successfully to your peers?

Ok, here goes...since I'm about to be gone for 4 days with most likely no time to get on here, I'll throw myself on the hand grenade next...

Interesting scenario, to say the least. With the success of Dracula and the tapping of the well of the horror genre, it is our time to carve our niche. The way that we do that is with a little known author at the time, HP Lovecraft and his tale of Wilbur Whateley in "The Dunwich Horror". This tale is of Wilbur and his grandfather reaching out, through dark means, to the ancient race known only as The Old Ones. They are successful in bringing forth an unseen presence that grows within their farmhouse. Eventually Wilbur makes his way to Miskatonic University to obtain an original printing of the Necronomicon, from which he can summon these beings, and is killed attempting to steal the tome. Without Wilbur, the presence grows, breaking free from the farmhouse and terrorizing the countryside, only to be stopped by professors from the aforementioned Miskatonic U.

This provides the audience with good triumphing over evil, but open ended with a wealth of possibilities for future endeavors with Mr Lovecraft and the universe that he has created and will hopefully expand in the future. They are dark stories, for sure, but many of which contain underlying themes of repressed desires, dangerous and unacceptable behaviour. Primal and basic elements of great horror and of which the public would be sure to want more.

Also, we should strive to make this serious. Any attempt at showing creatures, other than the monsters of man, must be avoided, in my opinion. The fear that we should attempt to capitalize upon is the fear of the unknown, man's darkest desires come to life, so to speak.

My friends, this is our chance...do not let it pass us by.

- Dude Guadalupe : You are in 1987, a really talented new director who has been given a most difficult task - 20th Century Fox have been in touch and asked you to make a kickass sequel to Aliens, within 3 years, which would totally bowl the audiences over like James Cameron's masterpiece did the year before. Who would you contact to produce the movie? Your choice of scriptwriter and possible stars?

With the success of Predator in 1987, I'd call up Director John McTiernan to jump on as producer for my sequal to aliens.

I would bring back Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett as writers. They did a wonderful job on both Alien and Aliens, so I think it would be a good choice to bring them back.

As for stars, I would bring back those who survived Aliens. Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Carrie Henn as Newt, Michael Biehn as Hicks, and (assuming the script called for his return) Lance Henriksen as Bishop. This would be for continuity, due to the fact that I can't stand when actors are replaced and the audience is expected not to notice. Any other actors would depend upon the script.

- Freak : You are in 1974. After NotLD, The Exorcist has become a runaway huge hit with audiences screaming out of the theaters. You are a struggling actor trying to make it big on the screen. You heard that a certain young Steven Spielberg (with a great script tucked under his arm) is looking for young actors. How do you get in touch with him, and what audition will you give him to convince that one of the lead roles belongs to you?

- Illdojo : 2007. Rob Zombie has contacted you, a musician yourself, to give him an idea for a possible sequel to his version of Halloween. He is your best friend, and he wont take no for an answer. You only have a vague knowledge of the movie, and he has explicitly said that he doesnt want to do another Halloween II, but rather see a totally original take for the sequel to his remake. Do you have a possible idea to float to him?

- Jenna26 : The year is 1996. Troma, known for their low-budget gorific flicks, have suddenly decided to make a zero-budget shockfest based on cannibalism, with plenty of gore (of course!) and campy humor. As both a director and Makeup In charge, how will you go about your task of making yet another Troma "moneyspinner"?

- Roshiq : The year is 1949. You are a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare, and Universal want you to make yet another winner, a follow-up to their monster hits from earlier years. You suddenly hit upon a goldmine of an idea - The Evil Dead!! What will your cast be of, and how will you go about making it? Remember its the late 40s, era of b/w movies, shock is limited to expressions and acting, minimal gore (plenty of effects which look jaded today), etc.

3 entries by the Ogres so far.

As regards the judgement on the grades, I leave it entirely to the Judges. Some of them might like to evaluate an entry impartially and individually, separate from the others, while other Judges might like comparative evaluation and analysis.

It is their decision, and jurisdiction any which way they like to do it.

Freak

11-26-2008, 02:43 AM

Ok guess I'll go ahead and throw mine up.don't really want to cause I'm not sure if it what your after but here goes.

Well first I'd call his office and try to set up a meeting and when that failed I'd find out hwere is office his.I'd wait outside all day and wait for him to either leave or come in.I'd jump in front of him and demand he give me an audition casue I am theperfect person for his new movie.

He says that I must first show him what I can do before he even thinks about giving me an audition.

I think hard and then lower my head and prepare myself.I look up and look in right in the face and I begin a piece from Citizen Kane.

There like I said not sire if thats what your looking for and probably not that good but I gave it muy best shot so let the slaughter begin.

hammerfan

11-26-2008, 04:09 AM

First, I want to say what the hell are you people doing up at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning????

Second, I've printed out the replies - give me some time to read them over.

Third, I'm going to grade each response separately.

hammerfan

11-26-2008, 04:46 AM

OK, here's my critiques - I'm doing all 4 of them in this post.

bwind: I can't say anything different than the other judges have already said, and I agree completely with neverending.

Cactus: I like your choice of both author and story for the follow-up to Dracula. The Dunwich Horror is one of my favorite Lovecraft stories, too. Good job!

Dude: I'm surprised that you didn't give more detail. It was actually pretty disappointing. I expected more from you.

Freak: If you did that for real, you would end up in jail on assault charges. Couldn't you come up with something better? Terrible!

newb

11-26-2008, 05:32 AM

hammerfan

11-26-2008, 05:33 AM

So much for the "Paula" theory ....you a mean one girl....spank me :D

And I'm in a good mood today! :D

_____V_____

11-26-2008, 06:06 AM

THE FIRST TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

- Bloodrayne : It is the year 1955. Universal Pictures have gained a firm foothold based on their monster/iconic horror movies, and Hammer is slowly but surely getting a grasp in the genre. You are an enthusiastic producer with lots of cash, and have the best director of the moment in your pocket. Which movie would you make, and what would be your budget and cast? How will you make your flick saleable with the audiences?

- Bwind22 : You are in the year 1968. George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead looms in the horizon, and the 60s have already produced some memorable Hitchcock classics and several other wonderful horror flicks. You are a budding script writer, and get a call from Hitchcock for a possible script idea. What idea do you pitch to him, and what will your script be of?

Even without an answer to how the looming Night of the Living Dead is relevant to the question, I'll go first since everyone else in my group is too timid. ;)

I'd pitch Sir Alfred Hitchcock one of my favorite stories from Edgar Allan Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado", for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, Poe's work is all public domain so the studio wouldn't have to worry about getting the rights to it. Secondly, adaptations of Poe's work have already proven popular in that decade with "The Pit and The Pendulum", "The (Fall of the) House of Usher", "The Raven" and "The Black Cat" all seeing big screen releases. Third, anyone familiar with the story is aware that it's a tension-filled revenge tale, which I believe plays to Hitchcock's strong suit as the master of suspense.

For anyone unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this... Fortunato, a wine afficianado, is lured into the basement of his friend, Montresor's (who is also the Narrator) basement with the expectation of finding a Cask of Amontillado (an expensive red wine) awaiting him. Once in the basement, Montresor dupes his intoxicated friend, chains him in a side cellar, then seals up the wall in front of the door, effectively burying his old friend alive inside a tomb in his own basement. As the story winds down, we learn through the narration that it's been 50 years since this event occured. Forutnato's body is still in the basement, sealed behind the wall and Montresor was never caught or punished for the crime. Obviously, that's just the paraphrased version. Secondary characters and subplots would be inserted in order to expand the short story to feature length.

I envision the role of Montresor being played by the great Vincent Price, who's obviously a fan of Poe's work and starred in three of the four films mentioned above. Ideal casting for the role of Fortunato would be Boris Karloff, although knowing what we know now, he may not have completed the film before he died in 1969 so perhaps Bela Lugosi would be the wiser choice, with hindsight being 20/20.

A story by Edgar Allan Poe, scripted by bwind22, directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock and starring Vincent Price and Boris Karloff (or Bela Lugosi) would almost certainly have been a box office success in it's time and would more than likely still be considered one of the classic films of that era to this day.

- Cactus : It is the year 1931. Dracula has just been released and is doing well. Universal have a winner on their hands, and are already planning a possible sequel. Their rival production company wants you, their Manager, to think up of a dream project which would outscore Universal at their own game. What possible idea can you conjure up, and pitch it successfully to your peers?

Ok, here goes...since I'm about to be gone for 4 days with most likely no time to get on here, I'll throw myself on the hand grenade next...

Interesting scenario, to say the least. With the success of Dracula and the tapping of the well of the horror genre, it is our time to carve our niche. The way that we do that is with a little known author at the time, HP Lovecraft and his tale of Wilbur Whateley in "The Dunwich Horror". This tale is of Wilbur and his grandfather reaching out, through dark means, to the ancient race known only as The Old Ones. They are successful in bringing forth an unseen presence that grows within their farmhouse. Eventually Wilbur makes his way to Miskatonic University to obtain an original printing of the Necronomicon, from which he can summon these beings, and is killed attempting to steal the tome. Without Wilbur, the presence grows, breaking free from the farmhouse and terrorizing the countryside, only to be stopped by professors from the aforementioned Miskatonic U.

This provides the audience with good triumphing over evil, but open ended with a wealth of possibilities for future endeavors with Mr Lovecraft and the universe that he has created and will hopefully expand in the future. They are dark stories, for sure, but many of which contain underlying themes of repressed desires, dangerous and unacceptable behaviour. Primal and basic elements of great horror and of which the public would be sure to want more.

Also, we should strive to make this serious. Any attempt at showing creatures, other than the monsters of man, must be avoided, in my opinion. The fear that we should attempt to capitalize upon is the fear of the unknown, man's darkest desires come to life, so to speak.

My friends, this is our chance...do not let it pass us by.

- Dude Guadalupe : You are in 1987, a really talented new director who has been given a most difficult task - 20th Century Fox have been in touch and asked you to make a kickass sequel to Aliens, within 3 years, which would totally bowl the audiences over like James Cameron's masterpiece did the year before. Who would you contact to produce the movie? Your choice of scriptwriter and possible stars?

With the success of Predator in 1987, I'd call up Director John McTiernan to jump on as producer for my sequal to aliens.

I would bring back Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett as writers. They did a wonderful job on both Alien and Aliens, so I think it would be a good choice to bring them back.

As for stars, I would bring back those who survived Aliens. Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Carrie Henn as Newt, Michael Biehn as Hicks, and (assuming the script called for his return) Lance Henriksen as Bishop. This would be for continuity, due to the fact that I can't stand when actors are replaced and the audience is expected not to notice. Any other actors would depend upon the script.

- Freak : You are in 1974. After NotLD, The Exorcist has become a runaway huge hit with audiences screaming out of the theaters. You are a struggling actor trying to make it big on the screen. You heard that a certain young Steven Spielberg (with a great script tucked under his arm) is looking for young actors. How do you get in touch with him, and what audition will you give him to convince that one of the lead roles belongs to you?

Ok guess I'll go ahead and throw mine up.don't really want to cause I'm not sure if it what your after but here goes.

Well first I'd call his office and try to set up a meeting and when that failed I'd find out hwere is office his.I'd wait outside all day and wait for him to either leave or come in.I'd jump in front of him and demand he give me an audition casue I am theperfect person for his new movie.

He says that I must first show him what I can do before he even thinks about giving me an audition.

I think hard and then lower my head and prepare myself.I look up and look in right in the face and I begin a piece from Citizen Kane.

There like I said not sire if thats what your looking for and probably not that good but I gave it muy best shot so let the slaughter begin.

- Illdojo : 2007. Rob Zombie has contacted you, a musician yourself, to give him an idea for a possible sequel to his version of Halloween. He is your best friend, and he wont take no for an answer. You only have a vague knowledge of the movie, and he has explicitly said that he doesnt want to do another Halloween II, but rather see a totally original take for the sequel to his remake. Do you have a possible idea to float to him?

- Jenna26 : The year is 1996. Troma, known for their low-budget gorific flicks, have suddenly decided to make a zero-budget shockfest based on cannibalism, with plenty of gore (of course!) and campy humor. As both a director and Makeup In charge, how will you go about your task of making yet another Troma "moneyspinner"?

- Roshiq : The year is 1949. You are a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare, and Universal want you to make yet another winner, a follow-up to their monster hits from earlier years. You suddenly hit upon a goldmine of an idea - The Evil Dead!! What will your cast be of, and how will you go about making it? Remember its the late 40s, era of b/w movies, shock is limited to expressions and acting, minimal gore (plenty of effects which look jaded today), etc.

4 entries by the Ogres so far.

ferretchucker

11-26-2008, 08:51 AM

Papillon Noir

11-26-2008, 09:42 AM

I really like Roshiq's challenge! I'm already jealous.

That was my favorite as well. :) I also really like Dude's challenge.

roshiq

11-26-2008, 11:29 AM

I really like Roshiq's challenge! I'm already jealous.
I think the judges so far have been pretty much on the ball and I haven't seen a response I disagree with. Although, they're doing their research too, so I'm pretty worried for when it comes to my turn.

That was my favorite as well. :).

Oh man....you have already made me pretty much nervous about my challenge!:( Undoubtedly...it's a great & fantastic challenge to face in this talent hunt and I like to thanks V & the judges for that.
I have already made a draft & very soon I'm going to post it here but after reading the other replies & your comments, now I'm thinking to review my answer twice before making the final draft!:o

Though it may sound a very lame excuse but I like to let you know that I have seen very few classic horrors so far...and particularly about the late 40's & 50's..I have seen only the Hitchcock films & 2 films of H.G Cluzot: Quai des Orfèvres & Les Diabolique... So I just went through some trailers & articles about the 40's & 50's horror to get an idea about the films of that great decades.

Now, be prepare to experience THE EVIL DEAD of 1949....!!!;) [:D]

Doc Faustus

11-26-2008, 11:45 AM

Cactus: Good show! A commercial risk but it would be great. I would have said Colour Out of Space, but an atmospheric Dunwich Horror possible in the hands of Florey or Ulmer would be great. People back then would be champing at the bit for new horror, so might take it up. You seem to be the frontrunner here.
Freak:Meh. Citizen Kane? Tough question, solid answer.
Dude: Neverending was right. No risks taken. Look at Resurrection. Not the best entry, but a novel voice. Yuzna? Stuart Gordon? Cronenberg?

And Roshiq, don't worry about a dearth of vintage horror experience. You might come out with something really novel for that very reason.

roshiq

11-26-2008, 01:23 PM

Roshiq : The year is 1949. You are a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare, and Universal want you to make yet another winner, a follow-up to their monster hits from earlier years. You suddenly hit upon a goldmine of an idea - The Evil Dead!! What will your cast be of, and how will you go about making it? Remember its the late 40s, era of b/w movies, shock is limited to expressions and acting, minimal gore (plenty of effects which look jaded today), etc.

Tag line or trailer speech: You'll not dare to even talk about it with anyone after experiencing this ultimate nightmare of your lifetime!
Yes..ladies & gentlemen, you have seen the monster (Frankenstein)..you have been scared about the night breeders (Dracula & Wolf Man) but the film that's going to change the face of Horror cinema forever is...

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1493/the1aj5.pnghttp://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7783/evil1ze9.pnghttp://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6132/dead1xv7.png

Keeping the later 40's & early 50's scenario, I would like to give the film a dark,Gothic & haunting look and less graphic & violent element as possible.
Story:
After receiving a suspicious letter & strange gift (a dagger) by mail from a far distant relative- "Uncle Orge" (who have been disappeared for many years), Ashley Williams & his brother Scott Williams venture into the hills and mountains of Tennessee to figure out the mystery about him. He has written that he's been very sorry for all of his 'wrong' doings in life and specially for the recent & untimely death of her wife..Martha. But the most strange thing is he has also placed a very strange request to them...to send someone to destroy all his belongings out there which he mentioned as 'Cursed & Evil'. He thinks that he'll never able to do that by himself as he has 'very short time' left for his own. But the William brothers thinks that Uncle Orge may be actually a very wealthy & rich man as they heard once that he used to travel lot of strange places around the world. So to make the trip as a pleasure vacation type, Ash & Scott also take their wives (Linda & Shelly) and their sweet sister Cheryl with them to spend a weekend in the isolated cabin at the woods where their Uncle Orge lives as he written on the letter.
When they get into the cabin they figure out the mysterious absence of Uncle Orge and discover that he used to practice demonic rituals and witchcraft type of things. While searching the basement of the cabin, they find the Book of the Dead and a diary belonging to Uncle Orge.
As Ash begins to read the diary-- which just happens to be Candarian resurrection passages translated from the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) by Uncle Orge, unleashes an evil force from the woods.
(Before the possession begins, I won't like to change anything..specially the scene where Cheryl draws the wall clock sitting besides the window and the haunting scenario... would be exactly the same as Raimi did with in the original)
The characters are then possessed one by one, beginning with Cheryl, after she is hauntingly attacked by the evil force (using the nearby branches of trees) in sequences of intense (less violent than 80's ED) and horrifying voice-overs. Cheryl makes it home to the cabin but nobody believes her. .......Like this one I would like to change few other scenes as:
1] Soon after, in the cabin Cheryl becomes a demon and grabs Linda's neck & try to kill her. But before that she already threaten everyone in Uncle Orge's voice that they have just called/awaken the evil forces that has been lurking in the woods for a long time'. They lock her in the cellar, but soon after Shelly becomes possessed and attacks Scotty who kills her with the dagger that Uncle Orge sent them...2] Linda later returns and run into Ash, but she falls on the fireplace, burnt heavily & seems she is finally dead. Ash drags her outside & bury her. She rises from the grave and then Ash hits her with the shovel and come back to the cabin. He then find that the cellar door flown open. He saw Cheryl & Linda just outside the window and tries to break in. Ash shoots them with a riffle (that Scott found on the basement), but then don't die. 3] Cheryl & Linda starts to knock on the door & call Ash with a normal voice, but now Ash get the trick, so he open the door & shoots both of them. But they still comes to attack him then he slides a bookshelf in front of the door. ....4] Ash notices that The Book of the Dead has fallen into the fireplace. He puts it directly into the flames and the demons stop and begin to vanishes in the wind as dawn breaks.
The same ending+the screen goes dark & the voice of Uncle Orge says..."I told them to send someone else rather than to come here & die and let 'them' free..!":D
Credits:
Assistant Director: Jacques Tourneur
Story Editor: Val Lewton
Screenplay: DeWitt Bodeen & Curt Siodmak
Casts:
Kirk Douglas as Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
Burt Lancaster as Scott
Julie Adams as Linda
Yvonne De Carlo as Cheryl
Lizabeth Scott as Shelly
Background narrator/voice: Boris Karloff as Uncle Orge

hammerfan

11-26-2008, 01:55 PM

neverending

11-26-2008, 02:01 PM

A very solid entry, roshiq. It will get high marks from me. I don't know about getting Douglas & Lancaster for a horror film though.

missmacabre

11-26-2008, 02:14 PM

*applause from the audience*

Roderick Usher

11-26-2008, 02:19 PM

I'm going to approach all of these like a producer who has heard everything before. I've been in the room with dozens of them on dozens of pitches.

Bwind - The pitch isn't bad, but it isn't terribly good either. Your acting choice was off and material wasn't really suited for Hitchcock.

Cactus - Pretty solid pitch. Good source material. Lovecraft was certainly an unknown back then and discovering him qwuold be quite a coup...but an "unseen force" doesn't sound very cinematic.

Freak - the first and last thing you say (write) are the thing that a producer remembers most. Upi opened tenative and closed with an apology. Negativity reaps negative results. And What piece from Citizen Kane? I'm not really seeing anything here.

Dude - all good choices, but what are YOU bringing to the table? A director needs to steer the ship and have ideas. I'm not seeing any.

Roshiq - excellent job sir. I agree with Neverending that you probably won't be able to neil down Lancaster and Douglas in a horror film, but the idea is exciting and getting a producer excited is the first step in getting a film greenlit. A Lewton/Tourner EVIL DEAD sounds fantastic. Great job!

bloodrayne

11-26-2008, 02:20 PM

- Bloodrayne : It is the year 1955. Universal Pictures have gained a firm foothold based on their monster/iconic horror movies, and Hammer is slowly but surely getting a grasp in the genre. You are an enthusiastic producer with lots of cash, and have the best director of the moment in your pocket. Which movie would you make, and what would be your budget and cast? How will you make your flick saleable with the audiences?

With an unlimited budget, I can do anything I want, so of course I would do something new and exciting...Something that hadn't been done before, that would pique peoples' curiosity...Thanks to the time machine, I have hindsight AND foresight, which should make this so much easier, however having so many perceivable opportunities makes this even more difficult for me because there is so much to choose from.

I have to keep in mind the era, the sensibilities of the time period, and possible negative reactions due to viewer sensitivity at that time.

As much as I LOVE zombies, I'm not sure that a good zombie movie would be made or received as well as when Romero made his, and I also would never want to take away from Romero what was rightly his with Night Of The Living Dead in 1968...THAT was the right time for it, and he did an amazing job.

I feel that any demonic possession related movies would be a bad idea and not received well, because America was still quite religious at that time and it could very well be seen as disrespectful, repulsive, or even blasphemous (The Exorcist hit opposition even in the 70s, when movies were becoming more experimental)

As 'new, exciting and shocking' as I would want my film to be, I would be constrained by the time period...Even in the 60s, as innovative as Herschell Gordon Lewis was, he was banned all over the place...I want my movie to be SEEN, and the 50s just wasn't the time for hardcore gore...So, how do I push the limits without stepping over the line?...That would be my motivation.

In the 50s, creature films and movies that depicted things that were larger than life were quite popular:

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
The Thing (1951)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
Them (1954)
Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956)
Creature with the Atom Brain (1956)
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
The Fly (1958)
Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman (1958)

Aliens were also beginning to take their own place in the movies...People were constantly reminded how small and powerless we are in the grand scheme of things, with the radio broadcast of War Of The Worlds still fresh in peoples' minds...Playing on those fears was paying off in the horror industry...In 1955, a time of relative peace when people were scantly remembering the end of World War 2, just 10 years before, and Russia wasn't yet a real problem (although the Cold War was just beginning to heat up, and air raid drills were common), we began to look outward to other sources for a possible threat to our human existence and security....And of course, the fear of the unknown would always be mankind's greatest fear.

Taking all of these things into consideration...I would produce a movie that combined all of these elements...A never-before-seen, giant, alien, indefinable, amorphous creature, that I would call THE BLOB!

I would be bringing it to the screen only 3 years sooner than it would have been released, but I think that people would be ready for it, curious and excited about it...Unlike the other classic films already popular by that time (Dracula, The Wolfman, The Mummy, Frankenstein, et al), I would draw in the Horror crowd AND the Sci-Fi crowd, with this amazing combination of both genres.

My unlimited budget would allow for even more spectacular effects than what the original 1958 movie contained, and of course my own personal input would crank it up a notch or two...There would be a higher body count, and more on-screen, up-close kills, with 'melting' skin, and a greater emphasis on the threat of total earth destruction...While still taking viewer sensitivity of the 50s into consideration...Pushing the limits, but not crossing the line...Walking the edge.

For my cast and crew, I must keep Steve McQueen for the lead...It was no accident that he won awards for his role in The Blob...Prior to this movie, Steve McQueen would have only appeared in small parts in the movie Girl On The Run in 1953 and a couple of TV series episodes in 1955, so I believe this would launch his career in greater roles.

As for the other characters, I would most likely keep them the same, except that I would throw in Hume Cronyn for the restaurant owner and Bette Davis for his wife, because I love them both and Hume is always endearing to audiences...They would know him, and be horrified when he died ;)...Also, Bette Davis would HAVE to be in a movie that I made...She would add some element of 'creepiness' to it (as she does with every horror movie she's been in)...There would be hints at possible issues with her sanity throughout the movie, and she would have to experience one of her famous mental breaks (actually flipping out and killing someone herself, blaming them, in a paranoid outburst, for being responsible for the blob - Can't you just SEE that scene and hear her voice as it gradually ascends and builds to that shaky, high-pitched, frenzied shrieking?) before the blob killed her...In one final, stunning actor trade-off, I would convince Vincent Price to be the crazy old man in the beginning, Price does 'crazy' sooo well, and I would never consider doing ANY horror movie without him, while he was alive...He would only be 44 years-old when this film was made, but that's what make-up and good acting is for ;)...Would Price do it? I don't see why not...All that Price was doing in 1955 was a few various TV episodes and a (rather significant) part in Son Of Sinbad...His part in my movie wouldn't take up very much of his time, and he DID add his talents to Michael Jackson's Thriller, so I think he'd humor me...Also, I have lots of money, remember? ;)...Bette Davis and Vincent Price were already quite famous and well-liked by that time, and they would increase my movie's draw exponentially.

As for the director, Irvin S. Yeaworth did a great job, but his 'thing' was religious films (he even worked with Billy Graham) and he was disappointed with The Blob...Yeaworth often struggled with his legacy as director of The Blob (much of which was filmed in his backyard in Pennsylvania), and upon his death, his wife said, "He was not very proud of it"...I want someone who WILL be proud of this movie, and who will love it and remember it with fondness, as I do.

So, my director would be (director and actor) Richard Carlson, who was already quite familiar with Horror AND Sci-fi at the time...After interrupting his career to serve in World War 2, Carlson came home and slowly began to rebuild his career, finding work in the newly emergent science fiction and horror 'B' films of the 1950s...He appeared in a number of horror and science fiction films before 1955, including three 3-D films: The Maze (1953) and the classics, It Came from Outer Space (1953) with Barbara Rush, The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) with Julia Adams, and The Magnetic Monster (1954). His success in the genre led him to the director's chair for the 1954 sci-fi film Riders to the Stars, in which he also starred.

The 1950s proved a busy time for Carlson. He also directed in television and documentary films, and he starred in the television series I Led Three Lives from 1953-1956...He was featured in The Helen Morgan Story (1957)...Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans may remember Carlson (now) from the 1960 horror film Tormented...His last film was the Elvis Presley/Mary Tyler Moore film, Change of Habit (1969)...His last acting role was in a television episode of Cannon in 1973.

Carlson would be proud and excited to direct my movie, and rather than 'stealing' a movie from someone else (like if I had taken Romero's Night Of The Living Dead), I would actually be SAVING the director of The Blob (Yeaworth) from a lifelong regret and embarassment :)

Roderick Usher

11-26-2008, 02:29 PM

Rayne - A well thought-out and meticuously detailed answer that bugs me. The Blob is a good choice and well-reasoned, but the director... Like you said he's a B-Movie director. He isn'ty a household name and neither was Steve McQueen at the time, so I feel you missed the fundamental elemnt of this challenge "How will you make your flick saleable with the audiences?"

You did a fine job, but I'm just not sold on your lead actor/director choice. I'd like to see a real A-list director like Howard Hawkes tackle this material.

bloodrayne

11-26-2008, 02:34 PM

Rayne - A well thought-out and meticuously detailed answer that bugs me. I got a kick out of that :)

But, I was relying on the film's uniqueness, basic human curiosity, the popularity (at the time) of the type of film it is...and Vincent Price and Bette Davis to hook people

On a side note: I forgot to add Tarantula (1955) when I was making my 'larger than life' point...Not allowed to edit :(

neverending

11-26-2008, 02:40 PM

bloodrayne

11-26-2008, 02:47 PM

You do answer the question of how would you make it more salable by casting Davis & Price, and spending more on special effects, but I agree with Rod on the choice of director. With so many talented directors working in sci fi in the 50s- Robert Wise, Howard Hawkes, Jack Arnold, Val Guest- the choice of a B-movie director seems odd.

Still- a very solid effort. High marks from me.

Thanks, I appreciate that :)...I just wanted a director who I felt would love this movie and appreciate it...When you love something, it shows, and the movie would benefit from it...I felt that Carlson would not only love the movie, but also the chance to get back on track after coming back from the war...I think people would also respect that he served our country bravely...I really believe he'd put his heart into it, and I like giving the 'little guy' a chance...Who knows how this might have changed his life for the better?...Those other guys had already proven themselves.

neverending

11-26-2008, 02:50 PM

When an audience is looking for a film to go see I'm not sure how much they think about the director's needs in his personal life....

bloodrayne

11-26-2008, 02:55 PM

When an audience is looking for a film to go see I'm not sure how much they think about the director's needs in his personal life....

Touché...However, many people don't even consider who the director of a film is when they go to see a movie...Especially in the 50s...The average movie goer isn't as sophisticated as some of you guys ;)

neverending

11-26-2008, 02:57 PM

Touché...However, many people don't even consider who the director of a film is when they go to see a movie...Especially in the 50s...The average movie goer isn't as sophisticated as some of you guys ;)

Exactly- so why not choose a director you know can make a really top notch film?

bloodrayne

11-26-2008, 03:01 PM

Exactly- so why not choose a director you know can make a really top notch film?

Umm...Well...Yeaworth did a great job with it, and he wasn't well-known...And in my heart, I do believe that Carlson would do a great job.

All of the greatest (of everything) have to start somewhere :)

neverending

11-26-2008, 03:02 PM

Deducts points from Rayne....

bloodrayne

11-26-2008, 03:05 PM

Deducts points from Rayne....

HaHaHa...I knew that was coming :p

I still love ya tho

hammerfan

11-26-2008, 03:23 PM

neverending

11-26-2008, 03:26 PM

Rayne, excellent! Well thought out, and it looked like you really did your research. I disagree with my esteemed colleagues on the director - I'm one of those movie-goers who don't pay attention to who the director is. What catches my attention about a movie is the story.

Nobody was saying the audience would neccessarily key into WHO the director is- but that a BETTER director would make a BETTER film. Surely you admit there are directors of varying degrees of talent & accomplishment.

hammerfan

11-26-2008, 03:41 PM

Nobody was saying the audience would neccessarily key into WHO the director is- but that a BETTER director would make a BETTER film. Surely you admit there are directors of varying degrees of talent & accomplishment.

I absolutely agree with you on that point. I was stating my point as a movie-goer. If there is a movie that has an interesting (to me) story line, even if I don't particularly care for the director, I'll still see the movie.

_____V_____

11-26-2008, 06:11 PM

THE FIRST TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

- Bloodrayne : It is the year 1955. Universal Pictures have gained a firm foothold based on their monster/iconic horror movies, and Hammer is slowly but surely getting a grasp in the genre. You are an enthusiastic producer with lots of cash, and have the best director of the moment in your pocket. Which movie would you make, and what would be your budget and cast? How will you make your flick saleable with the audiences?

With an unlimited budget, I can do anything I want, so of course I would do something new and exciting...Something that hadn't been done before, that would pique peoples' curiosity...Thanks to the time machine, I have hindsight AND foresight, which should make this so much easier, however having so many perceivable opportunities makes this even more difficult for me because there is so much to choose from.

I have to keep in mind the era, the sensibilities of the time period, and possible negative reactions due to viewer sensitivity at that time.

As much as I LOVE zombies, I'm not sure that a good zombie movie would be made or received as well as when Romero made his, and I also would never want to take away from Romero what was rightly his with Night Of The Living Dead in 1968...THAT was the right time for it, and he did an amazing job.

I feel that any demonic possession related movies would be a bad idea and not received well, because America was still quite religious at that time and it could very well be seen as disrespectful, repulsive, or even blasphemous (The Exorcist hit opposition even in the 70s, when movies were becoming more experimental)

As 'new, exciting and shocking' as I would want my film to be, I would be constrained by the time period...Even in the 60s, as innovative as Herschell Gordon Lewis was, he was banned all over the place...I want my movie to be SEEN, and the 50s just wasn't the time for hardcore gore...So, how do I push the limits without stepping over the line?...That would be my motivation.

In the 50s, creature films and movies that depicted things that were larger than life were quite popular:

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
The Thing (1951)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
Them (1954)
Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956)
Creature with the Atom Brain (1956)
The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
The Fly (1958)
Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman (1958)

Aliens were also beginning to take their own place in the movies...People were constantly reminded how small and powerless we are in the grand scheme of things, with the radio broadcast of War Of The Worlds still fresh in peoples' minds...Playing on those fears was paying off in the horror industry...In 1955, a time of relative peace when people were scantly remembering the end of World War 2, just 10 years before, and Russia wasn't yet a real problem (although the Cold War was just beginning to heat up, and air raid drills were common), we began to look outward to other sources for a possible threat to our human existence and security....And of course, the fear of the unknown would always be mankind's greatest fear.

Taking all of these things into consideration...I would produce a movie that combined all of these elements...A never-before-seen, giant, alien, indefinable, amorphous creature, that I would call THE BLOB!

I would be bringing it to the screen only 3 years sooner than it would have been released, but I think that people would be ready for it, curious and excited about it...Unlike the other classic films already popular by that time (Dracula, The Wolfman, The Mummy, Frankenstein, et al), I would draw in the Horror crowd AND the Sci-Fi crowd, with this amazing combination of both genres.

My unlimited budget would allow for even more spectacular effects than what the original 1958 movie contained, and of course my own personal input would crank it up a notch or two...There would be a higher body count, and more on-screen, up-close kills, with 'melting' skin, and a greater emphasis on the threat of total earth destruction...While still taking viewer sensitivity of the 50s into consideration...Pushing the limits, but not crossing the line...Walking the edge.

For my cast and crew, I must keep Steve McQueen for the lead...It was no accident that he won awards for his role in The Blob...Prior to this movie, Steve McQueen would have only appeared in small parts in the movie Girl On The Run in 1953 and a couple of TV series episodes in 1955, so I believe this would launch his career in greater roles.

As for the other characters, I would most likely keep them the same, except that I would throw in Hume Cronyn for the restaurant owner and Bette Davis for his wife, because I love them both and Hume is always endearing to audiences...They would know him, and be horrified when he died ;)...Also, Bette Davis would HAVE to be in a movie that I made...She would add some element of 'creepiness' to it (as she does with every horror movie she's been in)...There would be hints at possible issues with her sanity throughout the movie, and she would have to experience one of her famous mental breaks (actually flipping out and killing someone herself, blaming them, in a paranoid outburst, for being responsible for the blob - Can't you just SEE that scene and hear her voice as it gradually ascends and builds to that shaky, high-pitched, frenzied shrieking?) before the blob killed her...In one final, stunning actor trade-off, I would convince Vincent Price to be the crazy old man in the beginning, Price does 'crazy' sooo well, and I would never consider doing ANY horror movie without him, while he was alive...He would only be 44 years-old when this film was made, but that's what make-up and good acting is for ;)...Would Price do it? I don't see why not...All that Price was doing in 1955 was a few various TV episodes and a (rather significant) part in Son Of Sinbad...His part in my movie wouldn't take up very much of his time, and he DID add his talents to Michael Jackson's Thriller, so I think he'd humor me...Also, I have lots of money, remember? ;)...Bette Davis and Vincent Price were already quite famous and well-liked by that time, and they would increase my movie's draw exponentially.

As for the director, Irvin S. Yeaworth did a great job, but his 'thing' was religious films (he even worked with Billy Graham) and he was disappointed with The Blob...Yeaworth often struggled with his legacy as director of The Blob (much of which was filmed in his backyard in Pennsylvania), and upon his death, his wife said, "He was not very proud of it"...I want someone who WILL be proud of this movie, and who will love it and remember it with fondness, as I do.

So, my director would be (director and actor) Richard Carlson, who was already quite familiar with Horror AND Sci-fi at the time...After interrupting his career to serve in World War 2, Carlson came home and slowly began to rebuild his career, finding work in the newly emergent science fiction and horror 'B' films of the 1950s...He appeared in a number of horror and science fiction films before 1955, including three 3-D films: The Maze (1953) and the classics, It Came from Outer Space (1953) with Barbara Rush, The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) with Julia Adams, and The Magnetic Monster (1954). His success in the genre led him to the director's chair for the 1954 sci-fi film Riders to the Stars, in which he also starred.

The 1950s proved a busy time for Carlson. He also directed in television and documentary films, and he starred in the television series I Led Three Lives from 1953-1956...He was featured in The Helen Morgan Story (1957)...Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans may remember Carlson (now) from the 1960 horror film Tormented...His last film was the Elvis Presley/Mary Tyler Moore film, Change of Habit (1969)...His last acting role was in a television episode of Cannon in 1973.

Carlson would be proud and excited to direct my movie, and rather than 'stealing' a movie from someone else (like if I had taken Romero's Night Of The Living Dead), I would actually be SAVING the director of The Blob (Yeaworth) from a lifelong regret and embarassment :)

(Contd.)

_____V_____

11-26-2008, 06:12 PM

- Bwind22 : You are in the year 1968. George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead looms in the horizon, and the 60s have already produced some memorable Hitchcock classics and several other wonderful horror flicks. You are a budding script writer, and get a call from Hitchcock for a possible script idea. What idea do you pitch to him, and what will your script be of?

Even without an answer to how the looming Night of the Living Dead is relevant to the question, I'll go first since everyone else in my group is too timid. ;)

I'd pitch Sir Alfred Hitchcock one of my favorite stories from Edgar Allan Poe, "The Cask of Amontillado", for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, Poe's work is all public domain so the studio wouldn't have to worry about getting the rights to it. Secondly, adaptations of Poe's work have already proven popular in that decade with "The Pit and The Pendulum", "The (Fall of the) House of Usher", "The Raven" and "The Black Cat" all seeing big screen releases. Third, anyone familiar with the story is aware that it's a tension-filled revenge tale, which I believe plays to Hitchcock's strong suit as the master of suspense.

For anyone unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this... Fortunato, a wine afficianado, is lured into the basement of his friend, Montresor's (who is also the Narrator) basement with the expectation of finding a Cask of Amontillado (an expensive red wine) awaiting him. Once in the basement, Montresor dupes his intoxicated friend, chains him in a side cellar, then seals up the wall in front of the door, effectively burying his old friend alive inside a tomb in his own basement. As the story winds down, we learn through the narration that it's been 50 years since this event occured. Forutnato's body is still in the basement, sealed behind the wall and Montresor was never caught or punished for the crime. Obviously, that's just the paraphrased version. Secondary characters and subplots would be inserted in order to expand the short story to feature length.

I envision the role of Montresor being played by the great Vincent Price, who's obviously a fan of Poe's work and starred in three of the four films mentioned above. Ideal casting for the role of Fortunato would be Boris Karloff, although knowing what we know now, he may not have completed the film before he died in 1969 so perhaps Bela Lugosi would be the wiser choice, with hindsight being 20/20.

A story by Edgar Allan Poe, scripted by bwind22, directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock and starring Vincent Price and Boris Karloff (or Bela Lugosi) would almost certainly have been a box office success in it's time and would more than likely still be considered one of the classic films of that era to this day.

- Cactus : It is the year 1931. Dracula has just been released and is doing well. Universal have a winner on their hands, and are already planning a possible sequel. Their rival production company wants you, their Manager, to think up of a dream project which would outscore Universal at their own game. What possible idea can you conjure up, and pitch it successfully to your peers?

Ok, here goes...since I'm about to be gone for 4 days with most likely no time to get on here, I'll throw myself on the hand grenade next...

Interesting scenario, to say the least. With the success of Dracula and the tapping of the well of the horror genre, it is our time to carve our niche. The way that we do that is with a little known author at the time, HP Lovecraft and his tale of Wilbur Whateley in "The Dunwich Horror". This tale is of Wilbur and his grandfather reaching out, through dark means, to the ancient race known only as The Old Ones. They are successful in bringing forth an unseen presence that grows within their farmhouse. Eventually Wilbur makes his way to Miskatonic University to obtain an original printing of the Necronomicon, from which he can summon these beings, and is killed attempting to steal the tome. Without Wilbur, the presence grows, breaking free from the farmhouse and terrorizing the countryside, only to be stopped by professors from the aforementioned Miskatonic U.

This provides the audience with good triumphing over evil, but open ended with a wealth of possibilities for future endeavors with Mr Lovecraft and the universe that he has created and will hopefully expand in the future. They are dark stories, for sure, but many of which contain underlying themes of repressed desires, dangerous and unacceptable behaviour. Primal and basic elements of great horror and of which the public would be sure to want more.

Also, we should strive to make this serious. Any attempt at showing creatures, other than the monsters of man, must be avoided, in my opinion. The fear that we should attempt to capitalize upon is the fear of the unknown, man's darkest desires come to life, so to speak.

My friends, this is our chance...do not let it pass us by.

- Dude Guadalupe : You are in 1987, a really talented new director who has been given a most difficult task - 20th Century Fox have been in touch and asked you to make a kickass sequel to Aliens, within 3 years, which would totally bowl the audiences over like James Cameron's masterpiece did the year before. Who would you contact to produce the movie? Your choice of scriptwriter and possible stars?

With the success of Predator in 1987, I'd call up Director John McTiernan to jump on as producer for my sequal to aliens.

I would bring back Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett as writers. They did a wonderful job on both Alien and Aliens, so I think it would be a good choice to bring them back.

As for stars, I would bring back those who survived Aliens. Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Carrie Henn as Newt, Michael Biehn as Hicks, and (assuming the script called for his return) Lance Henriksen as Bishop. This would be for continuity, due to the fact that I can't stand when actors are replaced and the audience is expected not to notice. Any other actors would depend upon the script.

- Freak : You are in 1974. After NotLD, The Exorcist has become a runaway huge hit with audiences screaming out of the theaters. You are a struggling actor trying to make it big on the screen. You heard that a certain young Steven Spielberg (with a great script tucked under his arm) is looking for young actors. How do you get in touch with him, and what audition will you give him to convince that one of the lead roles belongs to you?

Ok guess I'll go ahead and throw mine up.don't really want to cause I'm not sure if it what your after but here goes.

Well first I'd call his office and try to set up a meeting and when that failed I'd find out hwere is office his.I'd wait outside all day and wait for him to either leave or come in.I'd jump in front of him and demand he give me an audition casue I am theperfect person for his new movie.

He says that I must first show him what I can do before he even thinks about giving me an audition.

I think hard and then lower my head and prepare myself.I look up and look in right in the face and I begin a piece from Citizen Kane.

There like I said not sire if thats what your looking for and probably not that good but I gave it muy best shot so let the slaughter begin.

- Illdojo : 2007. Rob Zombie has contacted you, a musician yourself, to give him an idea for a possible sequel to his version of Halloween. He is your best friend, and he wont take no for an answer. You only have a vague knowledge of the movie, and he has explicitly said that he doesnt want to do another Halloween II, but rather see a totally original take for the sequel to his remake. Do you have a possible idea to float to him?

- Jenna26 : The year is 1996. Troma, known for their low-budget gorific flicks, have suddenly decided to make a zero-budget shockfest based on cannibalism, with plenty of gore (of course!) and campy humor. As both a director and Makeup In charge, how will you go about your task of making yet another Troma "moneyspinner"?

(Contd.)

_____V_____

11-26-2008, 06:13 PM

- Roshiq : The year is 1949. You are a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare, and Universal want you to make yet another winner, a follow-up to their monster hits from earlier years. You suddenly hit upon a goldmine of an idea - The Evil Dead!! What will your cast be of, and how will you go about making it? Remember its the late 40s, era of b/w movies, shock is limited to expressions and acting, minimal gore (plenty of effects which look jaded today), etc.

Tag line or trailer speech: You'll not dare to even talk about it with anyone after experiencing this ultimate nightmare of your lifetime!
Yes..ladies & gentlemen, you have seen the monster (Frankenstein)..you have been scared about the night breeders (Dracula & Wolf Man) but the film that's going to change the face of Horror cinema forever is...

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1493/the1aj5.pnghttp://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7783/evil1ze9.pnghttp://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6132/dead1xv7.png

Keeping the later 40's & early 50's scenario, I would like to give the film a dark,Gothic & haunting look and less graphic & violent element as possible.
Story:
After receiving a suspicious letter & strange gift (a dagger) by mail from a far distant relative- "Uncle Orge" (who have been disappeared for many years), Ashley Williams & his brother Scott Williams venture into the hills and mountains of Tennessee to figure out the mystery about him. He has written that he's been very sorry for all of his 'wrong' doings in life and specially for the recent & untimely death of her wife..Martha. But the most strange thing is he has also placed a very strange request to them...to send someone to destroy all his belongings out there which he mentioned as 'Cursed & Evil'. He thinks that he'll never able to do that by himself as he has 'very short time' left for his own. But the William brothers thinks that Uncle Orge may be actually a very wealthy & rich man as they heard once that he used to travel lot of strange places around the world. So to make the trip as a pleasure vacation type, Ash & Scott also take their wives (Linda & Shelly) and their sweet sister Cheryl with them to spend a weekend in the isolated cabin at the woods where their Uncle Orge lives as he written on the letter.
When they get into the cabin they figure out the mysterious absence of Uncle Orge and discover that he used to practice demonic rituals and witchcraft type of things. While searching the basement of the cabin, they find the Book of the Dead and a diary belonging to Uncle Orge.
As Ash begins to read the diary-- which just happens to be Candarian resurrection passages translated from the Necronomicon (Book of the Dead) by Uncle Orge, unleashes an evil force from the woods.
(Before the possession begins, I won't like to change anything..specially the scene where Cheryl draws the wall clock sitting besides the window and the haunting scenario... would be exactly the same as Raimi did with in the original)
The characters are then possessed one by one, beginning with Cheryl, after she is hauntingly attacked by the evil force (using the nearby branches of trees) in sequences of intense (less violent than 80's ED) and horrifying voice-overs. Cheryl makes it home to the cabin but nobody believes her. .......Like this one I would like to change few other scenes as:
1] Soon after, in the cabin Cheryl becomes a demon and grabs Linda's neck & try to kill her. But before that she already threaten everyone in Uncle Orge's voice that they have just called/awaken the evil forces that has been lurking in the woods for a long time'. They lock her in the cellar, but soon after Shelly becomes possessed and attacks Scotty who kills her with the dagger that Uncle Orge sent them...2] Linda later returns and run into Ash, but she falls on the fireplace, burnt heavily & seems she is finally dead. Ash drags her outside & bury her. She rises from the grave and then Ash hits her with the shovel and come back to the cabin. He then find that the cellar door flown open. He saw Cheryl & Linda just outside the window and tries to break in. Ash shoots them with a riffle (that Scott found on the basement), but then don't die. 3] Cheryl & Linda starts to knock on the door & call Ash with a normal voice, but now Ash get the trick, so he open the door & shoots both of them. But they still comes to attack him then he slides a bookshelf in front of the door. ....4] Ash notices that The Book of the Dead has fallen into the fireplace. He puts it directly into the flames and the demons stop and begin to vanishes in the wind as dawn breaks.
The same ending+the screen goes dark & the voice of Uncle Orge says..."I told them to send someone else rather than to come here & die and let 'them' free..!":D
Credits:
Assistant Director: Jacques Tourneur
Story Editor: Val Lewton
Screenplay: DeWitt Bodeen & Curt Siodmak
Casts:
Kirk Douglas as Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
Burt Lancaster as Scott
Julie Adams as Linda
Yvonne De Carlo as Cheryl
Lizabeth Scott as Shelly
Background narrator/voice: Boris Karloff as Uncle Orge

6 entries by the Ogres so far. 2 remain.

roshiq

11-26-2008, 10:07 PM

roshiq, I'm speechless. I think it's brilliant. I like how you made Ash and Scott brothers, with Linda and Shelly their wives. And I like your casting choices, including the credits and the voice over.

A very solid entry, roshiq. It will get high marks from me. I don't know about getting Douglas & Lancaster for a horror film though.

*applause from the audience*

Roshiq - excellent job sir. I agree with Neverending that you probably won't be able to neil down Lancaster and Douglas in a horror film, but the idea is exciting and getting a producer excited is the first step in getting a film greenlit. A Lewton/Tourner EVIL DEAD sounds fantastic. Great job!

Thanks a lot! I'm truly glad that you liked it!:) Otherwise, I can't able to forgive myself...like to do any kinda injustice with this great challenge.
As we all love this timeless vintage of Raimi (personally I always hold an extra emotional attachment with this film...as it was my first viewed horror movie), so I was pretty excited as well as quite worried about how to manage this seems to be 'easy' but sophisticated job.
Besides all my routing office duties..the whole yesterday I was basically kept myself busy to conducting an 'extensive' research about the horror films & the actors of that time period. Because you may know that I have seen very few classic horrors so far...and particularly about the late 40's & 50's..I have seen only the Hitchcock films & 2 films of H.G Cluzot: Quai des Orfèvres & Les Diabolique... So I just went through some trailers on youtube & some online articles about the 40's & 50's horror to get an idea about the films & the actors of that great decades.
And yeah...I also figured that Lancaster and Douglas weren't the horror icons at all or regular actors of this genre but it was somewhat tough task for me to find more suitable actors for those roles. I was just looking for some young, popular & good looking actors & actresses (sexy also:D ) for the roles.
As they (Lancaster and Douglas) were almost newcomers on the industry at that time so I think I can easily manage to get them into the project as I'm a great producer-director with lots of cash to spare;) and obviously with the great back up from the studios. And with the solid budget Why not to make a great team of talented 'behind the scene' people to make it a ultimate success in the history of Horror cinema.
Uncle Orge character was just an imaginary creation of mine to cope with the tone of horror films & stories of classic ages. But mainly the image & popularity of Mr. Karloff have always played an influencing part in my subconscious mind & just forced me to make a fine place for him in the '1949 Original' version of THE EVIL DEAD which Sam Raimi remade on 1981.:D :D

neverending

11-26-2008, 10:18 PM

In the 40s the studio system was still very much alive and actors were pretty much delegated to certain types of roles. Even at the start of their careers, Douglas & Lancaster would have been hard to get. Still, it's a minor point to me- why noit start at the top, and work down from there.

Karloff was a nice touch. His addition alone would have sold the film to the audience.

ferretchucker

11-27-2008, 08:14 AM

Roshiq, you had a challenge I was envious of and an answer made me even more so! You are definetely going to go far in this.

Doc Faustus

11-27-2008, 09:33 AM

Roshiq: Nigh flawless, a very intelligent approach. I think I see a new leader emerging.
Bloodrayne: An interesting response, but I think Davis and Price would lend a credibility that would damage the Blob. Your Blob looks like a more serious movie and I don't know if that would do for audiences what the Blob we know and love did.

Papillon Noir

11-27-2008, 05:51 PM

Roshiq, you had a challenge I was envious of and an answer made me even more so! You are definetely going to go far in this.

Ditto :)

bloodrayne

11-27-2008, 05:53 PM

Bloodrayne: An interesting response, but I think Davis and Price would lend a credibility that would damage the Blob. Your Blob looks like a more serious movie and I don't know if that would do for audiences what the Blob we know and love did.
I actually had considered that...But, I figured they're great actors and they could play it as directed to give what the film needed...Nice input, thanks :)

neverending

11-27-2008, 11:24 PM

I have sent my scores for the first round to our esteemed host. I did not give any A grades. I want you all to have something to strive for!

Roderick Usher

11-29-2008, 09:56 AM

my report card is submitted

_____V_____

12-05-2008, 06:27 AM

LEADERBOARD FOR THE OGRES AFTER THE FIRST TEST

Bloodrayne - B-,

Bwind22 - D,

Cactus - B,

Dude Guadalupe - C-,

Freak - D-,

Roshiq - B+.

Be mindful that the grades are calculated on an average basis. We will have final grades when the third Test is over.

The First Test for the Goblins will be posted after the next 24 hours. I ll ask all Goblins to be online then.

bwind22

12-05-2008, 09:52 AM

_____V_____

12-05-2008, 05:59 PM

Did Jenna & Illdojo get F's or are they eliminated for nonparticipation?

No eliminations till the Third Test is over. They ll be noted down as "Absent" for now.

ChronoGrl

12-05-2008, 07:42 PM

fortunato

12-05-2008, 08:10 PM

Yeah, I'm definitely nervous.

ChronoGrl

12-05-2008, 08:26 PM

Yeah, I'm definitely nervous.

My knee jerk reaction was to come back with a, "Yeah, well, you SHOULD be - FOOL," but, seriously, the turnout of that first round seriously has me rattled. :o

bwind22

12-05-2008, 09:18 PM

Note to future contestants.... Don't cast dead actors. It doesn't go over well with the judges.

ferretchucker

12-06-2008, 03:46 AM

I'm confident that if I got my info (actors around at the time etc.) I could present it well, but I'm not half as knowledgable in horror as most folk around here so I reckon I'm pretty doomed. DOOOOOOOOOMED!

_____V_____

12-06-2008, 06:23 AM

THE SECOND TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

I am here to address the Goblins. Each one of you is given a task which you have to perform to the best of your ability, wit and innovation, based upon the knowledge you have of the genre.

For the second Test, the common theme chosen is - ALTERNATIVE REALITY.

Here are your tasks, Goblins :-

- Alkytrio666 : Visual media is non-existent. The only popular medium which people use to get entertained is the radio. You are in charge of a local horror radio station and desperately need listeners to tune into your broadcasts. What can you possibly do to get people tuned into your station's wavelengths and make it a popular one?

- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?

- FerretChucker : The world in which you have grown up is one without sound. People get their share of entertainment by silent, fast-moving pictures projected by huge projectors in theaters. As a horror picture-maker, you have a really awesome idea which you foresee as a potential world-wide phenomenon in horror silents. What would be your pitch to big studios, and how would you go ahead with making it?

- Fortunato : You are the casting director of one of the most ambitious horror projects ever dreamed - Aliens. James Cameron gives you full backing, but there's a glitch : Sigourney Weaver has moved on to other projects and is NOT returning back. You go ahead and contact some Cameron favorites - Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, etc. but are repeatedly turned down by all of them. Given the same plotline as the original, who would be your casting choices for all those characters in it?

- X¤Murderdoll¤X : You are in a reality where people love only vampire movies in the genre. Every other sub-genre flicks flop totally at the BO. Given the audiences' collective taste of vampires and more vampires, every known idea from literature and the medias have been exhausted. The top studios want you to make yet another vampire money-spinner. Do you have a fresh idea for a vampire flick to make a mark in the oversaturated audiences' minds?

- The Flayed One : Dario Argento has just contacted you, a musician and a composer, to do the music for Suspiria. A major point to note - Goblin doesnt exist. Which soundtracks/songs can you possibly use to impress Argento, and for the overall composition of the entire movie...and make the movie click with all gialli lovers?

- Vodstok : 1950s. After 3 continuous years of creature/monster movies which have failed to impress the audiences of the world, Universal is looking for fresh ideas and innovative filmmakers. They feel more justified in doing so when Invasion of the Body Snatchers releases to much critical reviews and flops at the BO. Can you make the audiences turn back to horror with a novel script for Universal? Who would you insist upon making your script into a movie for them?

All of you have 48 hours to do your researches, write down your ideas, and pitch them in front of the Judges. The Judges will be your peers in each scenario, and if you manage to win them over, you stand to score the maximum. When you are ready, send me a PM or post your entry in this thread (WITHOUT EDITING), and the Judges will read em and post their criticisms and praise, if any.

If any of you dont post your entry within the next 48 hours, you stand DQed off this Test, and dont gain any scores (or favors) from your Judges!

You have a hard task ahead of you, so all the best!!

ChronoGrl

12-06-2008, 06:47 AM

- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?

Couple of questions here before I dive into this...

OK. Jaws and Exorcist did not fail at the BO. This is my alternate reality. That "etc." is incredibly vague - Should I assume that all top-ranking horror films have tanked in this bizarro world? (I am Legend, The Sixth Sense) If so, what is the measure for success in horror? (Or maybe that's the nature of my challenge - Duh)

Should I assume that I'm in present day (now) when coming up with these ideas?

Also - Is the task to come up with a single treatment/pitch for the NEXT BIG THING or a series of ideas that will hopefully stimulate the movie business?

Sorry - I'm probably over-thinking this.

_____V_____

12-06-2008, 08:22 AM

Couple of questions here before I dive into this...

OK. Jaws and Exorcist did not fail at the BO. This is my alternate reality. That "etc." is incredibly vague - Should I assume that all top-ranking horror films have tanked in this bizarro world? (I am Legend, The Sixth Sense) If so, what is the measure for success in horror? (Or maybe that's the nature of my challenge - Duh)

Should I assume that I'm in present day (now) when coming up with these ideas?

Also - Is the task to come up with a single treatment/pitch for the NEXT BIG THING or a series of ideas that will hopefully stimulate the movie business?

Sorry - I'm probably over-thinking this.

I didnt put in any time-periods because I thought the theme and the tasks carried an ample number of hints. But to clarify it some more :-

Picture yourself as a young Kubrick or Polanski. In an alternate timeline where the big blockbusters of the 70s and 80s (the golden age of horror) have fizzed off the BO. You can put yourself in whichever shoes which make you feel the most comfortable - 70s, 80s, even today.

The idea here is to make horror flicks click with the audiences, and that is where the real challenge lies. It could be a single burst of brilliance, OR a series of bullseyes, either way.

To simplify the scenario - how do you sell shoes to people who walk around with naked feet? ;)

ferretchucker

12-06-2008, 10:45 AM

I have one thing to ask about mine.

Do you mean no sound at all in the world, or simply no sound when it comes to films and media?

ferretchucker

12-06-2008, 02:54 PM

Here goes.

Obviously the key point of this challenge is the fact that my world is without sound. Now, other than the fact that I will have to try to get the story across to the audiences without sound, there are several other problems this poses.

The first of these problems being that I must present the possible story to the studio. This will be especially difficult considering unlike the audiences, the executives have no moving pictures to aid them in understanding the story. To get around this, I would get together a group of friends who are artistically talented and ask them to help me create storyboards. With these simple images giving a rough idea of things, and a written outline of the story, I'm confident I would be able to get across my message to them, giving them a good enough idea of what the product should be like.

As for my story, there is another problem. As all Horror fans will know, the soundtrack is equally as important as the images, providing suspense more than anything. For this reason, I feel my film would have to be a very fast moving one, full of visually surprising and shocking elements.

Yet another problem to conquer is the characters, for without speech of some sort it will be next to impossible to give them real depth, with actions doing all the talking for them. Yes, actions do show a lot about a person but to get a good understanding of them in such a short time without sound would be very difficult. Because of this, I would try to make it full of actions and physical events. My story too would have to be quite simple, almost self explanatory.

The story itself would be something like this:

A solar eclipse causes a terrible event. After it happens, strange creatures begin climbing out of the ground and attacking people. The film would be the story of one town's attempt to survive against these creatures.

I would present my story to the studio as I said. To give you an idea of how this would go, I'll give you a brief extract of what the pitch may seem like.

I show a story board. The first few images are of ordinary people walking around. Then it shows a man and his son playing catch in the back garden. A dramatic solar eclipse happens. Afterwards, the child misses a catch. He goes to get the ball and as he does, a tentacle reaches out of the ground and grab his arm, and a serrated tube like thing reaches up to his face. This image would be a large, A2 size picture. The description would say something like:

"An unprecedented solar eclipse happens above a small town. A man and his son are playing catch and witness this phenomenon. The eclipse would be a dramatic, visually stunning image with shots of space thrown in. The son drops the ball and as he goes to retrieve it, a grotesque, slimy, terrifying part of a creature appears and brutally kills him.

The film, as I said, would be full of visual effects and visually shocking images of brutal killings, blood, flashing lights, fast moving scenes of pure action. There would be very few scenes without some action. This would be to keep the audience hooked. Also, a large part would be that without sound, nobody can help you if you are attacked, for they do not know unless they see it. This would hopefully make the audience relate to it and increase the fear they feel.

To go about making the film, I would go to many different investors, getting the biggest possible sum of money. With this I would approach ILM (assuming they exist) for the effects. Actors would have to be visually recognizable so they can be remembered throughout the film, each one looking very different from others. I think I would approach Brendon Fraiser as a main character as he can handle the action stunts and portray emotion through his facial features very well, and has experience working with "nothing", when he has to pretend something is there that will only be added in post production.

For directors, I would have to go with one who I feel could take the challenge of a fast paced yet silent film. I think Clive barker would have to be my first choice, knowing how to make things grotesque and visually shocking, and I'm confident he could pull of the action scenes.

As for a setting, I think I would have to use mainly sets, but shots of a real town for some scenes. For this I would send out scouts into America to find a small, nice looking town willing to cooperate with the film.

Hopefully, with all of this my film would work well, having elements of it the viewer can relate to and enough terror and action to keep them watching the screen, with the finished product of...

THE UPRISING

In the absence of sound, this whole process would be difficult, but I feel that wouldn't hinder the audience as they would no nothing different and so it wouldn't seem to strange to them. That is all I can come up with. Hopefully it is satisfactory.

Thankyou for your time.

Doc Faustus

12-06-2008, 04:14 PM

Commendable answer to a tough question. On the other hand, your film feels very strongly narrative and actionbased. Think of the merits of silent cinema and its strengths. I think something more experiential would have been better, particularly as one of the goals is to innovate and make these shorts new. Imagine Clive Barker's answer to Un Chien Andalou for example, or a twenty minute horror silent by Eric Red.

The Flayed One

12-06-2008, 05:48 PM

So I assume that all alternate reality time lines stick to current reality time lines?

Doc Faustus

12-06-2008, 06:00 PM

I'll say yes, but people still drink Tab and Perfect Strangers lasted 12 seasons.

_____V_____

12-06-2008, 06:17 PM

THE SECOND TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

For the second Test, the common theme chosen is - ALTERNATIVE REALITY.

Here are your tasks, Goblins :-

- Alkytrio666 : Visual media is non-existent. The only popular medium which people use to get entertained is the radio. You are in charge of a local horror radio station and desperately need listeners to tune into your broadcasts. What can you possibly do to get people tuned into your station's wavelengths and make it a popular one?

Old-time radio (for those who didn't know) is one of my dearest interests, and I spend a lot of time visiting the golden age of the living room box via radio stars like Jack Benny and Vincent Price.

Radio was a fantastic medium for entertainment because of its obvious restrictions- a listener could not see anything, so one relied entirely on the power of storytelling, and many broadcasts are still regarded as some of the finest pieces of entertainment of all time.

The obvious example is Orson Welles' dramatization of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" on radio's premium drama program Mystery Theatre on the Air. Orson realized in 1938 what filmmakers today are just discovering- that horror really becomes terrifying when it is told in a non-fiction manner. Radio was the world's form of communication, and there was a kind of literal blind trust between the citizens of the world and that brown box that sat on their mantels- the radio held them together. That is, until Mr. Welles put on the most sucessful trick in history.

For those unfamiliar with the broadcast, Orson acted as though regular programming was interrupted so that he could announce to the world that martians had landed in Van Nest Park- and they weren;t interested in making friends.

Chaos exploded as panic-stricken families called friends and families to decide what to do in the heat of this apocalypse. For 60 short minutes, Orson Welles held the world in the palm of his hand as he transformed the freedom of the airwaves into a totally three-dimensional mode of storytelling.

Adolf Hitler was cited as calling this "evidence of the decadence and corrupt condition of democracy". I call it the beauty of free speech and the power of imagination.

If it were up to me, radio would continue to supply entertainment on a more widespread level. Like in the golden age, stars could make radio a second form of expression, really utilize the power of speech rather than visualization.

As a radio station specializing in the art of horror storytelling, I think I'd bring things back to the basics, the way they were so long ago now. First of all, if I learned anything from radio shows like Suspense it's that sometimes silence can be the most terrifying element of a thriller. Unfortunately, horror movies today have gained such a strong focus on noise that it seems like an audience needs to be cheaply deafened with a bang rather than startled with a creative scare. If a story is built well enough and characters are developed on an honest level, than a climax can hook listeners in the most powerful way- via a chilling, quiet finale.

More important an element than silence is the inescapable feeling of the presence of something evil but not being able to see it with your own eyes. In the golden age of radio, imaginations were exercized far more often. If movies like Alien have taught us anything, it is that more is less- the more of the monster we see, the less we fear it. Americans fear the unknown, through fiction and war, past and future. Simply re-introducing the power of this method would hook horror fans old and young alike.

Radio is an underrated form of entertainment and expression, one that has influenced movies from Psycho to Cloverfield, and I would love to see a re-emergence of it in the world of horror.

- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?

- FerretChucker : The world in which you have grown up is one without sound. People get their share of entertainment by silent, fast-moving pictures projected by huge projectors in theaters. As a horror picture-maker, you have a really awesome idea which you foresee as a potential world-wide phenomenon in horror silents. What would be your pitch to big studios, and how would you go ahead with making it?

Here goes.

Obviously the key point of this challenge is the fact that my world is without sound. Now, other than the fact that I will have to try to get the story across to the audiences without sound, there are several other problems this poses.

The first of these problems being that I must present the possible story to the studio. This will be especially difficult considering unlike the audiences, the executives have no moving pictures to aid them in understanding the story. To get around this, I would get together a group of friends who are artistically talented and ask them to help me create storyboards. With these simple images giving a rough idea of things, and a written outline of the story, I'm confident I would be able to get across my message to them, giving them a good enough idea of what the product should be like.

As for my story, there is another problem. As all Horror fans will know, the soundtrack is equally as important as the images, providing suspense more than anything. For this reason, I feel my film would have to be a very fast moving one, full of visually surprising and shocking elements.

Yet another problem to conquer is the characters, for without speech of some sort it will be next to impossible to give them real depth, with actions doing all the talking for them. Yes, actions do show a lot about a person but to get a good understanding of them in such a short time without sound would be very difficult. Because of this, I would try to make it full of actions and physical events. My story too would have to be quite simple, almost self explanatory.

The story itself would be something like this:

A solar eclipse causes a terrible event. After it happens, strange creatures begin climbing out of the ground and attacking people. The film would be the story of one town's attempt to survive against these creatures.

I would present my story to the studio as I said. To give you an idea of how this would go, I'll give you a brief extract of what the pitch may seem like.

I show a story board. The first few images are of ordinary people walking around. Then it shows a man and his son playing catch in the back garden. A dramatic solar eclipse happens. Afterwards, the child misses a catch. He goes to get the ball and as he does, a tentacle reaches out of the ground and grab his arm, and a serrated tube like thing reaches up to his face. This image would be a large, A2 size picture. The description would say something like:

"An unprecedented solar eclipse happens above a small town. A man and his son are playing catch and witness this phenomenon. The eclipse would be a dramatic, visually stunning image with shots of space thrown in. The son drops the ball and as he goes to retrieve it, a grotesque, slimy, terrifying part of a creature appears and brutally kills him.

The film, as I said, would be full of visual effects and visually shocking images of brutal killings, blood, flashing lights, fast moving scenes of pure action. There would be very few scenes without some action. This would be to keep the audience hooked. Also, a large part would be that without sound, nobody can help you if you are attacked, for they do not know unless they see it. This would hopefully make the audience relate to it and increase the fear they feel.

To go about making the film, I would go to many different investors, getting the biggest possible sum of money. With this I would approach ILM (assuming they exist) for the effects. Actors would have to be visually recognizable so they can be remembered throughout the film, each one looking very different from others. I think I would approach Brendon Fraiser as a main character as he can handle the action stunts and portray emotion through his facial features very well, and has experience working with "nothing", when he has to pretend something is there that will only be added in post production.

For directors, I would have to go with one who I feel could take the challenge of a fast paced yet silent film. I think Clive barker would have to be my first choice, knowing how to make things grotesque and visually shocking, and I'm confident he could pull of the action scenes.

As for a setting, I think I would have to use mainly sets, but shots of a real town for some scenes. For this I would send out scouts into America to find a small, nice looking town willing to cooperate with the film.

Hopefully, with all of this my film would work well, having elements of it the viewer can relate to and enough terror and action to keep them watching the screen, with the finished product of...

THE UPRISING

In the absence of sound, this whole process would be difficult, but I feel that wouldn't hinder the audience as they would no nothing different and so it wouldn't seem to strange to them. That is all I can come up with. Hopefully it is satisfactory.

Thankyou for your time.

(Contd.)

_____V_____

12-06-2008, 06:18 PM

- Fortunato : You are the casting director of one of the most ambitious horror projects ever dreamed - Aliens. James Cameron gives you full backing, but there's a glitch : Sigourney Weaver has moved on to other projects and is NOT returning back. You go ahead and contact some Cameron favorites - Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, etc. but are repeatedly turned down by all of them. Given the same plotline as the original, who would be your casting choices for all those characters in it?

- X¤Murderdoll¤X : You are in a reality where people love only vampire movies in the genre. Every other sub-genre flicks flop totally at the BO. Given the audiences' collective taste of vampires and more vampires, every known idea from literature and the medias have been exhausted. The top studios want you to make yet another vampire money-spinner. Do you have a fresh idea for a vampire flick to make a mark in the oversaturated audiences' minds?

- The Flayed One : Dario Argento has just contacted you, a musician and a composer, to do the music for Suspiria. A major point to note - Goblin doesnt exist. Which soundtracks/songs can you possibly use to impress Argento, and for the overall composition of the entire movie...and make the movie click with all gialli lovers?

- Vodstok : 1950s. After 3 continuous years of creature/monster movies which have failed to impress the audiences of the world, Universal is looking for fresh ideas and innovative filmmakers. They feel more justified in doing so when Invasion of the Body Snatchers releases to much critical reviews and flops at the BO. Can you make the audiences turn back to horror with a novel script for Universal? Who would you insist upon making your script into a movie for them?

2 entries by the Goblins so far.

Doc Faustus

12-06-2008, 06:39 PM

Alky- Your answer is thoughtful but lacking in specificity. Others have presented specific projects. I would have liked to have seen an example of what you thought radio should be in this vein.

neverending

12-06-2008, 08:30 PM

Ferret- you outline an interesting story- I want to find out how it ends! However, you make some assumptions that I'm not sure are logical, such as this one:

Yet another problem to conquer is the characters, for without speech of some sort it will be next to impossible to give them real depth, with actions doing all the talking for them.

Remember- yours is a world where sound doesn't exist. Don't you think humankind would have developed some kind of method of communication? Certainly they'd be able to impart complex emotions and thoughts in some way. What is it? The human face is quite expressive. Expert actors can impart much with a look or expression- ditto with a gesture, or body posture. Have you watched many silent movies? It was a good answer, but not great.

Alky-
I agree with Doc. You were asked what you would do to make your station popular. I don't see that in your answer. Your appreciation of silence in the medium is notable- but you make no mention of sound effects. Sound effects artists in OTR were quite creative- a prime example is your example of War of the Worlds. They went to great lengths to find original sounds for the alien creatures ships and movements. The power of a simple sound like a creaking door, or the horrible sound of an axe being lodged into a human body- all helped radio dramas gain their effectiveness.
What kind of shows are you going to program? How and why are they going to be popular? What will be their particular strengths? Additionally, in a world with no visual media surely there would have been more resources devoted to developing new audio technologies, methods and soundscapes. How could you have benefited from that- or even pioneered it?
Another good, but not great answer.

neverending

12-06-2008, 09:58 PM

BTW V- you are quite clever in coming up with these interesting and challenging scenarios.

_____V_____

12-06-2008, 11:17 PM

BTW V- you are quite clever in coming up with these interesting and challenging scenarios.

At least the Net doesnt hold specific answers to these Tests. But yes, anyone who has a knack for research and holds some good knowledge of the genre can pull this off.

Roshiq, Rayne and Cactus have shown it.

roshiq

12-06-2008, 11:46 PM

At least the Net doesnt hold specific answers to these Tests. But yes, anyone who has a knack for research and holds some good knowledge of the genre can pull this off.

Roshiq, Rayne and Cactus have shown it.

Thanks to the judges for their appreciations & suggestions. But still I'm little bit worried about the next tests..things getting really challenging in all way.

Looking forward to see who'll get the lead in Goblins..! :cool:

ferretchucker

12-07-2008, 04:10 AM

Thankyou for the kind words, and the criticism is equally important. Doc, I see your point and probably should have looked further into silent movies. (though I was adamant this wouldn't have caption cards of what people are saying.)

Neverending - I never really thought of that. That is a very good point. Hmmm. That's got me thinking, what would people do to communicate in a world without any sound?

The Flayed One

12-07-2008, 08:26 AM

Since he just contacted me and no time frame was mentioned, I'll take a risk and assume that this was 24hrs ago.

Mr. Argento, I have an exciting style for you to listen to. It's perfect for Suspiria, and when I'm finished with my pitch, I think it will sell itself.

There are several inspirations that I have which I wish to blend together into a musical melting pot. After all, you yourself are known for casting those of different cultures and languages and having lines phonetically fed to actors who don't understand each other. This is one of the brilliant subtleties of your movies. I intend to carry on the tradition with your soundtrack.

First, I have looked to Japan to a bright young composer named Michiru Yamane. She is a famous video game composer in Japan, and her music has gothic overtones that are perfectly mixed with power rock. Listen to her brilliant soundtrack to Symphony of the Night. These are but one of the elements I wish to bring to your movie. A beautifully composed piano soundtrack intertwined with some elements of rock seem to be essential to the feel we wish to create. She can create silence when silence should be had, and then bring the audience to it's knees with a sudden surge. Here (http://www.amazon.com/Castlevania-Symphony-Night-Original-Soundtracks/dp/B0014KA1AO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1228664782&sr=8-3) are some samples from her brilliant Symphony of the Night soundtrack. Prologue is a highlight of why I have chosen her as an example.

Next I've looked to Sweden to composer Bo Hansson. His quirky instrumental music on albums such as Attic Thoughts bring a classic 70's feel to the table. This is the second element I want to bring to your film. I want to mix in the nostalgia of a time when the world opened its eyes to the genre and forever changed the face of the modern horror industry. Mr. Hanssons music always has an air about it as if it is building to something. I love the feel of constant suspense this style can bring to the table. Here (http://www.last.fm/music/Bo+Hansson/Attic+Thoughts) is a sampling of his music from Attic Thoughts.

Finally, I've looked to Germany to rock band Amon Duul II. Their crunchy rock style mixed with various musical instruments and occasional bizarre voice overs will add the final touch I am looking for. Their album Wolf City is a strong example. I strongly believe this is the final touch in the feel of your movie. An element of the bizarre gives the viewer that subtle, other worldly experience that mixes well with a the supernatural. Here (http://www.last.fm/music/Amon+D%C3%BC%C3%BCl+II/Wolf+City) are some samplings from Wolf City. Although all of their music may not seem to be a perfect fit, the track Deutsch Nepal gives a prime example of why I chose them as inspiration.

So there you have it. I can combine these three styles, and together we can create a horrible beauty.

neverending

12-07-2008, 10:00 AM

Mr. Flayed, you should have heeded bwind's admonition to avoid casting dead actors. While Ms. Yamane was not dead in 1977 when Suspiria was released, she was only 14 years old. Her first recorded work was released in 1985- making her presumably unavailable in 1977.

Your other choices- Hansson and Amon Duul are both inspired. Would have even been more inspired if you would have suggested Bo Hansson as composer, with Amon Duul recording. Hansson posseses the right feel for Argento- maybe a little on the light side- but Amon Duul could have brought an edge to the music.

An above average answer, but flawed.

ChronoGrl

12-07-2008, 06:23 PM

I’ve decided that my alternate reality brings us to now, present day and this I why: I am assuming that, in this alternate reality all horror has been panned, all “Blockbusters” leading up until now, which encompasses the aforementioned Night of the Living Dead, Exorcist, and Jaws. Of course, this will also include everything from Kubrick’s The Shining (panned in 1980), to 1999’s utter disaster The Blair Witch Project, proving that the audience as a whole is not willing to embrace pure, non-diluted horror.

In coming up with my proposal, I did some preliminary research in terms of highest grossing films of all time. In order to bring horror to a public who does not like horror, one must encompass elements of the film industry’s past successes. Titanic, The Dark Knight, Star Wars, Shrek 2, and ET: The Extra-Terrestrial are the top 5 Box Office successes of all time. Recent Blockbusters of the last five years include three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, two X-Men sequels, two Spiderman sequels, and three Harry Potter movies.

The recipe for success seems to be a combination comic book heroes and anti-heroes, adventure, and pure fantastical escapism.

So we need to take that and turn it into horror.

I propose that, in order to introduce this public into the concept of horror, we must take elements of classic fairy tales (a recipe for success year after year with early Disney as well as a baseline of familiarity) while also using the vehicle of serial comic book adaptation that proved to be successful over the past few years. As an upcoming filmmaker I propose that, specifically, we take Zenescope Entertainment’s Grimm Fairy Tales’ comic spin-off mini-series Return to Wonderland and adapt it to the screen. Since this mini-series is already a cult success amongst comic book enthusiasts, we’ll already have a base for our audience. For the rest of the general public, the success in recent years of Shrek and its sequels, shows that it is clear that the public is romanced by the concept of the redone fairy tale. I think that we can springboard off of the midrange success of 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth and push the envelope farther. Return to Wonderland possesses a decent cross-section of horror sub-genre that had been previously rejected when presented holistically in an entire film (Carpenter’s pure Slasher Halloween caused some audience members to actually vomit into their Raisinets). So, with Return to Wonderland, we introduce the audience to horror little by little: Parts of the Slasher can be found in the Queen of Hearts and her gardening Playing Cards (literally painting the roses red with the blood of their own), the Monster sub-genre can be found in the horrifying, stalking, larger-than-life Cheshire Cat, and even the sub-genre of Cannibalism and Pulp in the Lecherous Mad Hatter. The movie(s) as a whole will play delightfully with the Surreal/Fantastical horror sub-genre, which seems to be a bit more palatable to the general audience. What’s great about adapting this entire comic mini-series is that it will enable us to create a series of sequels with which to ease the public into the genre of horror while simultaneously keeping them in familiar territory with a known fairy tale.

neverending

12-07-2008, 06:58 PM

Chrono- this is a brilliant answer. By taking the "franchise" route, you can ease the audience into accepting more and more horrific elements in their movies. Starting off relatively tame, in terms of content, the audience can grow to love your characters and want to see them more, and when you start pushing the envelope, they will go right with you.

A very well reasoned scenario. High marks from me.

Doc Faustus

12-07-2008, 07:21 PM

Going for geek cred might very well work in this alternate universe. While I'm not specifically impressed, it might just work. Also, easing an audience into horror might be the answer. This world's people might be endeared by something strange in this vein. Good work. I expected something really in-your face innovative from you, but I won't let my expectations of your intellect and good taste get in the way of my judging. Next round, really make it your own and wow me.

ChronoGrl

12-07-2008, 07:33 PM

Thanks for the feedback, NE! I'm not sure if you've read the "Return to Wonderland" mini-series, but they're also a personal favorite of mine.

Going for geek cred might very well work in this alternate universe. While I'm not specifically impressed, it might just work. Also, easing an audience into horror might be the answer. This world's people might be endeared by something strange in this vein. Good work. I expected something really in-your face innovative from you, but I won't let my expectations of your intellect and good taste get in the way of my judging. Next round, really make it your own and wow me.

Thanks for the feedback too, Doc! To tell you the truth, this challenge was ridiculously difficult because I wanted to come up with something that was ridiculously edgy and "in-your-face" (my original concept when thinking this out was to go for a more subtle and macabre Jean-Pierre Jeunet-inspired surreal piece as opposed to a Guillermo del Toro-inspired surreal piece). However, what kept stopping me short was demand for "blockbuster" and "general audience appeal." Though V suggested that I put myself in the shoes of "a young Kubrik or Polanski," to tell you truth, in this alternate universe they would have already failed (if the concept is that all horror-to-date has failed, that, unfortunately encompasses Kubrik and Polanski too).

Not that I'm talking back to the judges or anything. :o I just feel like I have to at least defend it slightly as I felt as though I was selling a piece of my soul trying to think of big-budget-blockbuster horror that hasn't been done and that will appeal to the masses. I think that, unfortunately, the masses as a whole shy away from the in-your-face, never mind in a world where they've already shunned horror. Of course, this could just be my pessimistic world view, but, hey, it's my big budget horror movie, damnit! :p

...

But, regardless - You two are people whom I respect greatly and it makes me smile to read your feedback. Cheers, guys. :D

_____V_____

12-08-2008, 06:35 AM

THE SECOND TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

- Alkytrio666 : Visual media is non-existent. The only popular medium which people use to get entertained is the radio. You are in charge of a local horror radio station and desperately need listeners to tune into your broadcasts. What can you possibly do to get people tuned into your station's wavelengths and make it a popular one?

Old-time radio (for those who didn't know) is one of my dearest interests, and I spend a lot of time visiting the golden age of the living room box via radio stars like Jack Benny and Vincent Price.

Radio was a fantastic medium for entertainment because of its obvious restrictions- a listener could not see anything, so one relied entirely on the power of storytelling, and many broadcasts are still regarded as some of the finest pieces of entertainment of all time.

The obvious example is Orson Welles' dramatization of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" on radio's premium drama program Mystery Theatre on the Air. Orson realized in 1938 what filmmakers today are just discovering- that horror really becomes terrifying when it is told in a non-fiction manner. Radio was the world's form of communication, and there was a kind of literal blind trust between the citizens of the world and that brown box that sat on their mantels- the radio held them together. That is, until Mr. Welles put on the most sucessful trick in history.

For those unfamiliar with the broadcast, Orson acted as though regular programming was interrupted so that he could announce to the world that martians had landed in Van Nest Park- and they weren;t interested in making friends.

Chaos exploded as panic-stricken families called friends and families to decide what to do in the heat of this apocalypse. For 60 short minutes, Orson Welles held the world in the palm of his hand as he transformed the freedom of the airwaves into a totally three-dimensional mode of storytelling.

Adolf Hitler was cited as calling this "evidence of the decadence and corrupt condition of democracy". I call it the beauty of free speech and the power of imagination.

If it were up to me, radio would continue to supply entertainment on a more widespread level. Like in the golden age, stars could make radio a second form of expression, really utilize the power of speech rather than visualization.

As a radio station specializing in the art of horror storytelling, I think I'd bring things back to the basics, the way they were so long ago now. First of all, if I learned anything from radio shows like Suspense it's that sometimes silence can be the most terrifying element of a thriller. Unfortunately, horror movies today have gained such a strong focus on noise that it seems like an audience needs to be cheaply deafened with a bang rather than startled with a creative scare. If a story is built well enough and characters are developed on an honest level, than a climax can hook listeners in the most powerful way- via a chilling, quiet finale.

More important an element than silence is the inescapable feeling of the presence of something evil but not being able to see it with your own eyes. In the golden age of radio, imaginations were exercized far more often. If movies like Alien have taught us anything, it is that more is less- the more of the monster we see, the less we fear it. Americans fear the unknown, through fiction and war, past and future. Simply re-introducing the power of this method would hook horror fans old and young alike.

Radio is an underrated form of entertainment and expression, one that has influenced movies from Psycho to Cloverfield, and I would love to see a re-emergence of it in the world of horror.

- ChronoGrl : Several critically-acclaimed flicks have failed miserably at the BO - Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Jaws etc. all have been flushed down the toilets. For some reason, the audiences arent willing to accept any of those horror flicks. You are a talented and eccentric filmmaker who is hellbent on making the audiences turn towards horror. What ideas can you use to conquer such hard-headed audiences of the world?

I’ve decided that my alternate reality brings us to now, present day and this I why: I am assuming that, in this alternate reality all horror has been panned, all “Blockbusters” leading up until now, which encompasses the aforementioned Night of the Living Dead, Exorcist, and Jaws. Of course, this will also include everything from Kubrick’s The Shining (panned in 1980), to 1999’s utter disaster The Blair Witch Project, proving that the audience as a whole is not willing to embrace pure, non-diluted horror.

In coming up with my proposal, I did some preliminary research in terms of highest grossing films of all time. In order to bring horror to a public who does not like horror, one must encompass elements of the film industry’s past successes. Titanic, The Dark Knight, Star Wars, Shrek 2, and ET: The Extra-Terrestrial are the top 5 Box Office successes of all time. Recent Blockbusters of the last five years include three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, two X-Men sequels, two Spiderman sequels, and three Harry Potter movies.

The recipe for success seems to be a combination comic book heroes and anti-heroes, adventure, and pure fantastical escapism.

So we need to take that and turn it into horror.

I propose that, in order to introduce this public into the concept of horror, we must take elements of classic fairy tales (a recipe for success year after year with early Disney as well as a baseline of familiarity) while also using the vehicle of serial comic book adaptation that proved to be successful over the past few years. As an upcoming filmmaker I propose that, specifically, we take Zenescope Entertainment’s Grimm Fairy Tales’ comic spin-off mini-series Return to Wonderland and adapt it to the screen. Since this mini-series is already a cult success amongst comic book enthusiasts, we’ll already have a base for our audience. For the rest of the general public, the success in recent years of Shrek and its sequels, shows that it is clear that the public is romanced by the concept of the redone fairy tale. I think that we can springboard off of the midrange success of 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth and push the envelope farther. Return to Wonderland possesses a decent cross-section of horror sub-genre that had been previously rejected when presented holistically in an entire film (Carpenter’s pure Slasher Halloween caused some audience members to actually vomit into their Raisinets). So, with Return to Wonderland, we introduce the audience to horror little by little: Parts of the Slasher can be found in the Queen of Hearts and her gardening Playing Cards (literally painting the roses red with the blood of their own), the Monster sub-genre can be found in the horrifying, stalking, larger-than-life Cheshire Cat, and even the sub-genre of Cannibalism and Pulp in the Lecherous Mad Hatter. The movie(s) as a whole will play delightfully with the Surreal/Fantastical horror sub-genre, which seems to be a bit more palatable to the general audience. What’s great about adapting this entire comic mini-series is that it will enable us to create a series of sequels with which to ease the public into the genre of horror while simultaneously keeping them in familiar territory with a known fairy tale.

(Contd.)

_____V_____

12-08-2008, 06:35 AM

- FerretChucker : The world in which you have grown up is one without sound. People get their share of entertainment by silent, fast-moving pictures projected by huge projectors in theaters. As a horror picture-maker, you have a really awesome idea which you foresee as a potential world-wide phenomenon in horror silents. What would be your pitch to big studios, and how would you go ahead with making it?

Here goes.

Obviously the key point of this challenge is the fact that my world is without sound. Now, other than the fact that I will have to try to get the story across to the audiences without sound, there are several other problems this poses.

The first of these problems being that I must present the possible story to the studio. This will be especially difficult considering unlike the audiences, the executives have no moving pictures to aid them in understanding the story. To get around this, I would get together a group of friends who are artistically talented and ask them to help me create storyboards. With these simple images giving a rough idea of things, and a written outline of the story, I'm confident I would be able to get across my message to them, giving them a good enough idea of what the product should be like.

As for my story, there is another problem. As all Horror fans will know, the soundtrack is equally as important as the images, providing suspense more than anything. For this reason, I feel my film would have to be a very fast moving one, full of visually surprising and shocking elements.

Yet another problem to conquer is the characters, for without speech of some sort it will be next to impossible to give them real depth, with actions doing all the talking for them. Yes, actions do show a lot about a person but to get a good understanding of them in such a short time without sound would be very difficult. Because of this, I would try to make it full of actions and physical events. My story too would have to be quite simple, almost self explanatory.

The story itself would be something like this:

A solar eclipse causes a terrible event. After it happens, strange creatures begin climbing out of the ground and attacking people. The film would be the story of one town's attempt to survive against these creatures.

I would present my story to the studio as I said. To give you an idea of how this would go, I'll give you a brief extract of what the pitch may seem like.

I show a story board. The first few images are of ordinary people walking around. Then it shows a man and his son playing catch in the back garden. A dramatic solar eclipse happens. Afterwards, the child misses a catch. He goes to get the ball and as he does, a tentacle reaches out of the ground and grab his arm, and a serrated tube like thing reaches up to his face. This image would be a large, A2 size picture. The description would say something like:

"An unprecedented solar eclipse happens above a small town. A man and his son are playing catch and witness this phenomenon. The eclipse would be a dramatic, visually stunning image with shots of space thrown in. The son drops the ball and as he goes to retrieve it, a grotesque, slimy, terrifying part of a creature appears and brutally kills him.

The film, as I said, would be full of visual effects and visually shocking images of brutal killings, blood, flashing lights, fast moving scenes of pure action. There would be very few scenes without some action. This would be to keep the audience hooked. Also, a large part would be that without sound, nobody can help you if you are attacked, for they do not know unless they see it. This would hopefully make the audience relate to it and increase the fear they feel.

To go about making the film, I would go to many different investors, getting the biggest possible sum of money. With this I would approach ILM (assuming they exist) for the effects. Actors would have to be visually recognizable so they can be remembered throughout the film, each one looking very different from others. I think I would approach Brendon Fraiser as a main character as he can handle the action stunts and portray emotion through his facial features very well, and has experience working with "nothing", when he has to pretend something is there that will only be added in post production.

For directors, I would have to go with one who I feel could take the challenge of a fast paced yet silent film. I think Clive barker would have to be my first choice, knowing how to make things grotesque and visually shocking, and I'm confident he could pull of the action scenes.

As for a setting, I think I would have to use mainly sets, but shots of a real town for some scenes. For this I would send out scouts into America to find a small, nice looking town willing to cooperate with the film.

Hopefully, with all of this my film would work well, having elements of it the viewer can relate to and enough terror and action to keep them watching the screen, with the finished product of...

THE UPRISING

In the absence of sound, this whole process would be difficult, but I feel that wouldn't hinder the audience as they would no nothing different and so it wouldn't seem to strange to them. That is all I can come up with. Hopefully it is satisfactory.

- Fortunato : You are the casting director of one of the most ambitious horror projects ever dreamed - Aliens. James Cameron gives you full backing, but there's a glitch : Sigourney Weaver has moved on to other projects and is NOT returning back. You go ahead and contact some Cameron favorites - Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn, etc. but are repeatedly turned down by all of them. Given the same plotline as the original, who would be your casting choices for all those characters in it?

- X¤Murderdoll¤X : You are in a reality where people love only vampire movies in the genre. Every other sub-genre flicks flop totally at the BO. Given the audiences' collective taste of vampires and more vampires, every known idea from literature and the medias have been exhausted. The top studios want you to make yet another vampire money-spinner. Do you have a fresh idea for a vampire flick to make a mark in the oversaturated audiences' minds?

(Contd.)

_____V_____

12-08-2008, 06:36 AM

- The Flayed One : Dario Argento has just contacted you, a musician and a composer, to do the music for Suspiria. A major point to note - Goblin doesnt exist. Which soundtracks/songs can you possibly use to impress Argento, and for the overall composition of the entire movie...and make the movie click with all gialli lovers?

Since he just contacted me and no time frame was mentioned, I'll take a risk and assume that this was 24hrs ago.

Mr. Argento, I have an exciting style for you to listen to. It's perfect for Suspiria, and when I'm finished with my pitch, I think it will sell itself.

There are several inspirations that I have which I wish to blend together into a musical melting pot. After all, you yourself are known for casting those of different cultures and languages and having lines phonetically fed to actors who don't understand each other. This is one of the brilliant subtleties of your movies. I intend to carry on the tradition with your soundtrack.

First, I have looked to Japan to a bright young composer named Michiru Yamane. She is a famous video game composer in Japan, and her music has gothic overtones that are perfectly mixed with power rock. Listen to her brilliant soundtrack to Symphony of the Night. These are but one of the elements I wish to bring to your movie. A beautifully composed piano soundtrack intertwined with some elements of rock seem to be essential to the feel we wish to create. She can create silence when silence should be had, and then bring the audience to it's knees with a sudden surge. Here (http://www.amazon.com/Castlevania-Symphony-Night-Original-Soundtracks/dp/B0014KA1AO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1228664782&sr=8-3) are some samples from her brilliant Symphony of the Night soundtrack. Prologue is a highlight of why I have chosen her as an example.

Next I've looked to Sweden to composer Bo Hansson. His quirky instrumental music on albums such as Attic Thoughts bring a classic 70's feel to the table. This is the second element I want to bring to your film. I want to mix in the nostalgia of a time when the world opened its eyes to the genre and forever changed the face of the modern horror industry. Mr. Hanssons music always has an air about it as if it is building to something. I love the feel of constant suspense this style can bring to the table. Here (http://www.last.fm/music/Bo+Hansson/Attic+Thoughts) is a sampling of his music from Attic Thoughts.

Finally, I've looked to Germany to rock band Amon Duul II. Their crunchy rock style mixed with various musical instruments and occasional bizarre voice overs will add the final touch I am looking for. Their album Wolf City is a strong example. I strongly believe this is the final touch in the feel of your movie. An element of the bizarre gives the viewer that subtle, other worldly experience that mixes well with a the supernatural. Here (http://www.last.fm/music/Amon+D%C3%BC%C3%BCl+II/Wolf+City) are some samplings from Wolf City. Although all of their music may not seem to be a perfect fit, the track Deutsch Nepal gives a prime example of why I chose them as inspiration.

So there you have it. I can combine these three styles, and together we can create a horrible beauty.

- Vodstok : 1950s. After 3 continuous years of creature/monster movies which have failed to impress the audiences of the world, Universal is looking for fresh ideas and innovative filmmakers. They feel more justified in doing so when Invasion of the Body Snatchers releases to much critical reviews and flops at the BO. Can you make the audiences turn back to horror with a novel script for Universal? Who would you insist upon making your script into a movie for them?

4 entries by the Goblins so far.

Doc Faustus

12-08-2008, 06:52 AM

Flayed- a thoughtful answer. I don't think I will penalize you on Yamane as NE did. Six years premature is not as thoughtless as dead and she would be an asset to the production. You only take one hit for that one. I'm not the music guru that NE is, but from I did a little research and the other two you've picked look strong. Nicely done.

Doc Faustus

12-08-2008, 07:00 AM

Thanks for the feedback, NE! I'm not sure if you've read the "Return to Wonderland" mini-series, but they're also a personal favorite of mine.

Thanks for the feedback too, Doc! To tell you the truth, this challenge was ridiculously difficult because I wanted to come up with something that was ridiculously edgy and "in-your-face" (my original concept when thinking this out was to go for a more subtle and macabre Jean-Pierre Jeunet-inspired surreal piece as opposed to a Guillermo del Toro-inspired surreal piece). However, what kept stopping me short was demand for "blockbuster" and "general audience appeal." Though V suggested that I put myself in the shoes of "a young Kubrik or Polanski," to tell you truth, in this alternate universe they would have already failed (if the concept is that all horror-to-date has failed, that, unfortunately encompasses Kubrik and Polanski too).

Not that I'm talking back to the judges or anything. :o I just feel like I have to at least defend it slightly as I felt as though I was selling a piece of my soul trying to think of big-budget-blockbuster horror that hasn't been done and that will appeal to the masses. I think that, unfortunately, the masses as a whole shy away from the in-your-face, never mind in a world where they've already shunned horror. Of course, this could just be my pessimistic world view, but, hey, it's my big budget horror movie, damnit! :p

... Cheers, guys. :D
Cynicism is both an asset an a weakness when approaching tasks like this. The public will surprise you. We now live in an America that's clamoring for a Watchmen movie, where vintage horror DVD sets are commercially viable. The Deep Discount store near my home sold out of Paul Naschy box sets in two days. The heroes that change genres are distinguishing fans with unique visions like Tarantino, Dante, Landis, Rodriguez and Scorcese. Take this to heart. The above blockbuster's might have failed because of a more jaded intellectual audience or they might have failed because people want something harder. Maybe this world has hardcore porn in every newspaper so Jaws is like camomile tea. Maybe in this world Svankmajer has been hailed as the savior of film and people eat Jodorowsky Flakes. In the future, none of you should stifle your voice or be afraid to go out on a limb. Genres change when artists with grit and savvy change them and fans with grit and savvy can be artists with grit and savvy. Balls to the wall, people!

_____V_____

12-08-2008, 07:34 AM

48 hours are up for the Goblins.

I would like to request all Judges to send in their scorecards for this Test through PMs to me.

Also a reminder to the Elves to be ready for their first Test which will be posted within the next 24 hours.

The Flayed One

12-08-2008, 08:20 AM

Now that our part is officially over, I'd like to make a few comments.

The random selection god obviously had it out for me. If there was one section of a movie I was terrified of getting tagged on, it was soundtracks. I am by no means any kind of composer guru. Most of the time, I really don't even pay attention to the music in a movie.

Ironically enough, it was Suspiria that first made me notice soundtracks in a movie. There are very few movies that the soundtrack grabs me in (musicals excluded) Goblins soundtrack slapped me in the face and made me explore the musical side of the industry a little more.

Sadly, I'm still not very versed in composers and soundtracks. It took a lot of hours of research to come up with what I did (thank goodness for Pandora) Ms. Yamane was the only one of the three that I knew and loved before the research started, and I took a calculated risk choosing her. Of course, NE was my nemesis on this one, and his critique actually turned out better than I thought. To have one of the most knowledgable members in the field of music on the site give me above average remarks is a relief, to say the least.

The real success story here is that I got turned on to Bo Hansson. His music is incredible to say the least, and I'm ashamed of myself for not doing this kind of research before and discovering him. Attic Thoughts is on target for order after the holidays, and probably most of his catalogue as well. If any of you haven't heard his music, follow the link in my post. He's an incredible composer and deserves recognition.

ferretchucker

12-08-2008, 09:13 AM

I think every challenge of ours was difficult in it's own way, as were those of the other teams. I can see this will be a difficult task but one I am now very interested in. I'm curious though, will one person from each group be kicked out of each group, the person with the lowest marks?

Roderick Usher

12-08-2008, 12:43 PM

stubbornforgey

12-08-2008, 04:22 PM

Although I am not a judge
Ferret
what I would have done in your task is researched back into time when
silent movies were being made.
Audiences were captivated by the silliness of charlie chaplin..why?
How could the audience relate to a black and white,silent movie in those days
and what made this man so popular.?

It all had to do with presentation.

Even when the man cried , his facials made people laugh.
why?
I want to play the next game.

alkytrio666

12-08-2008, 04:39 PM

this challenge was evil and I'm glad I'm a judge, not a contestant!

of those of you who answered I must say good job. I am please with most answers but Alky... what's the deal? You didn't really answer the challenge. Saying radio is great is not the same thing as coming up with great radio.
Yeah, it was a lousy answer. To be honest (not that this is a legit excuse) I wrote that in about ten minutes between the third shoot for a final film and a major semester exam.

Between over 25 pages of papers, a film, and four or five final exams, I'm starting to re-think my participation in this contest--I'm not quite myself as of late, and I'm not sure I have time to commit.

neverending

12-08-2008, 04:49 PM

Stick with it, Alky- your time will free up. I figured it was school that had you at a disadvantage.

Roderick Usher

12-08-2008, 08:33 PM

Between over 25 pages of papers, a film, and four or five final exams, I'm starting to re-think my participation in this contest--I'm not quite myself as of late, and I'm not sure I have time to commit.

Drop out of school. This is clearly more important!

bwind22

12-08-2008, 08:46 PM

Drop out of school. This is clearly more important!

Haha! Nice!

In reading through the second groups answers & critiques, something occured to me... My challenge was to pitch an idea to Alfred Hitchcock, which I did (Cask of Amontillado). Casting the film I pitched wasn't part of my assignment but I made the extra effort and did it anyway, yet I can't help but believe from my D grade that my casting choice of Bela Lugosi weighed on some of the judges' scores (Even though, I did state my first choice would have been Boris Karloff for the role and Lugosi would have been my second.) What gives judges? That's like someone attempting extra credit on an exam and getting it wrong. Normally, the missed extra credit wouldn't have an adverse effect on your overall score, you just wouldn't get any bonus points for it. I ended up 2/3rds of a grade lower than Dude Guad who simply recast the exact same film and just 1/3rd higher than Freak who literally planned to stalk and assault Steven Spielberg. (No offense guys.) From what I gather based on the scores, I would have scored higher if my entire answer consisted of "I'd tell Alfred Hitchcock to make Psycho 2." Is that a fair assessment judges? Would I have scored higher if I had not mentioned anything about casting at all?

neverending

12-08-2008, 08:54 PM

Go back and reread the judges comments on your pitch. You'll see there were plenty of other reasons for grading you low.

bwind22

12-08-2008, 08:56 PM

Oh, I know. There were some great points too, but the Lugosi thing seemed to be the one most ridiculed.

So... I would have scored higher if my entire answer consisted of "I'd tell Alfred Hitchcock to make Psycho 2."? Basically, I feel like that would have gotten me a C-.

Doc Faustus

12-09-2008, 06:21 AM

I would have flunked you for that one.

ferretchucker

12-09-2008, 06:49 AM

So the people that didn't send the answers in...do they get disqualified from the whole thing or just this challenge?

missmacabre

12-09-2008, 07:44 AM

So the people that didn't send the answers in...do they get disqualified from the whole thing or just this challenge?

This challenge is just one of the qualifying rounds, so to speak. So if you don't have time to get an answer in for something you can make up points later on I guess. The top 3 move on.

ferretchucker

12-09-2008, 07:58 AM

Ah, I think I get it.

_____V_____

12-09-2008, 06:34 PM

Update

I have received the grades from all Judges but one. As soon as I get it, the grades for the Goblins will be posted.

_____V_____

12-11-2008, 02:33 AM

Looks like our remaining Final Judge had to dash to Florida, after all.

Grades for the Goblins, and the next Test will be up when I am online next.

_____V_____

12-12-2008, 05:18 AM

SCOREBOARD OF THE GOBLINS

Alkytrio666 - C-,

ChronoGrl - B+,

FerretChucker - B-,

The Flayed One - C+.

The rest have been tagged as "Absent".

The First Test for the Elves is up next...

_____V_____

12-12-2008, 05:50 AM

THE THIRD TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

I am here to address the Elves. Each one of you is given a task which you have to perform to the best of your ability, wit and innovation, based upon the knowledge you have of the genre.

For the second Test, the common theme chosen is - CELEBRITY SHOES.

Here are your tasks, Elves :-

- Dante's Inferno : You are Stephen King. Your recent novels and story ideas have met with a lot of critical and harsh reviews. You fear a bout of writer's block impending ahead, but dont want to disappoint your millions of fans. What would your next story idea be, which would prove to be a bestseller worldwide?

- Disease : You are dutch producer John De Mol. You have purchased Hammer House of Horror in 2007 under your firm, Cyrte Investments, and now plan to revive the studio which revolutionised horror through the 50s, 60s and 70s. An online serial was your first step to show today's world that Hammer Horror was back. Now you plan to make movies. Which flick would be your first, under the revived Hammer Horror banner today?

- Gorephobia : You are George A Romero. Diary of the Dead went with mixed reviews, and the newest "Dead" movie you are making doesn't have your heart in it. You feel deep inside that you are in need of a fresh idea which would make critics rave about your work and also burn the BO charts. Do you have it in you?

- Miss Macabre : You are Jamie Lee Curtis. You have become pretty fed up of movies and want to start your own horror show on TV. You watch several Masters of Horror episodes and have a brainstorm of adapting short stories/works into a TV series, which would have episodes of 1 hour each. Which short stories/literary works would you choose, and why?

- Novakru : You are Sigourney Weaver. You have noticed older stars return with a bang to the silver screen, and are desperate to give your alter-ego another go. Two problems - your age, and the two AvP flicks which have sucked the life out of the franchise you pretty much ruled. James Cameron and Ridley Scott promise to return with full funding and backup if you have a novel idea painted for the franchise. Are you game?

- Papillon Noir : You are Anne Rice. After enjoying tremendous success through the late 70s and 80s through your vampire and romance-themed novels, you have been dabbling in religious works in the past 5 years. But the inner writer in you desperately wants to churn out yet another typical Anne Rice work which would become an overnight sensation with teenagers the world over. Do you have such an idea brewing inside you?

- Posher778 : You are John Carpenter. After finishing L.A. Gothic with Sean Keller (aka our own Roderick Usher), you are raring to do another flick, which would be based on a script of your own idea. Given the recent trend of horror at the BO, what would your script be like?

All of you have 48 hours to do your researches, write down your ideas, and pitch them in front of the Judges. The Judges will be your peers in each scenario, and if you manage to win them over, you stand to score the maximum. When you are ready, send me a PM or post your entry in this thread (WITHOUT EDITING), and the Judges will read em and post their criticisms and praise, if any.

If any of you dont post your entry within the next 48 hours, you stand DQed off this Test, and dont gain any scores (or favors) from your Judges!

You have a hard task ahead of you, so all the best!!

ferretchucker

12-12-2008, 07:08 AM

Thanks judges for the kind marks, and well done to everyone else in y team, especially you Chronogrl!

novakru

12-12-2008, 09:24 AM

I would kick my old ass in shape with the Navy Seals for 3 months prior to pitch day.. AND throw out the idea that fans have been wanting for years.
Make #3 a dream and the 4th will be completely ignored.
Go back to the original theme.

Burke succeeded getting a pod to Earth because he had planted a third pod inside one of the dead soldiers that had been bagged up to take home for burial.
The opening credits would show these scenes with the original score in the background...

HANG ON

I have housework to do and kids to pick up, will finish this LATER....

Papillon Noir

12-12-2008, 01:31 PM

Early Anne Rice works had adult themes of vampires and sexuality (often bi-sexuality). The timelines are set in a combination of Ancient Egypt, Colonial America and Europe and modern-day America, with the central setting in New Orleans. Her later works deal mainly in a religious subject matter. If Anne Rice was to write another novel today, and gear it towards teenagers (no doubt from the recent Twilight craze), I think she would combine her past themes, but tone down her erotic scenes for the young adult group.

One of the easiest ways to appeal to the teenage audience is to have the story set in high school. Unfortunately, high school typically operates during the day, so the setting would have to be more the theatrical type as teenagers who perform musically or theatrically would typically have tutors. In Anne Rice’s previous works she had a rock star vampire and a theatre of vampires, performing as vampires. In this vein, a carnival side show of the 1930’s would allow of group of teenage vampires to blend in with society and also to move around (lest their feeding become suspicious). Also, the different side show acts would allude to the typical high school cliques and social standing within the group.

So begins our story: Le Carnivale Noir (The Black Carnival)

Le Carnivale Noir is a side show carnival operating in Louisiana in 1931. They are a rather unique carnival as they consist entirely of vampires masquerading as humans masquerading as vampires and other creatures of the night. Most of the vampires appear to be teenagers though many of them have been alive much longer. They have just arrived in New Orleans where they will be joined by a new and mysterious act.

Cecilia is a contortionist working for the Le Carnivale Noir and is romantically involved with Nathaniel, the strong-man. Cecilia’s on again/off again friend, Meredith is a stripper in the burlesque act.

The story flashbacks to when Cecilia and Meredith first met in then end of the 19th century. They became vampires together and have had a tumultuous relationship since as occasional lovers until they joined the carnival in the late 1920’s. Because of Cecilia’s unique flexibility, she was given a higher status and pay as a contortionist, while Meredith has resentfully worked as a stripper.

Soon after, Nathaniel joins the carnival and quickly associates himself with the trampy Meredith. Cecilia is more demure, but wins Nathaniel’s heart and the two begin seeing each other behind Meredith’s back. Meredith has fallen hard for Nathaniel and is crushed to find him in love with Cecilia.

The story flashes forward where this new carnival act is introduced. It is an Egyptian Mummy act. The headliner is Ptolemy, a mysterious brooding figure that takes an immediate interest in Cecilia, in which Nathaniel responds by attacking him.

It becomes apparent that Ptolemy and Nathaniel know each other and the story flashbacks to the 1770’s. Ptolemy (who was called Thomas then), was actually Nathaniel’s sire and occasional lover. The two had a falling out and vowed to kill each other if they ever saw each other again.

Ptolemy begins seducing Cecilia in secret, of which Meredith finds out about and encourages, hoping to win Nathaniel back for herself. Meredith plans to expose Ptolemy and Cecilia, but it backfires and Nathaniel rejects Meredith believing that Cecilia is still faithful to him.

Meredith, in a crazed rage attempts to burn the Ptolemy’s trailer with Ptolemy and Cecilia in it. Meredith ultimately exposes them and Cecilia gets trapped in the fire. Nathaniel, realizing that he’s been betrayed, still rushes in to save Cecilia, but becomes trapped himself. Both Nathaniel and Cecilia appear to perish in the blaze. The carnival quickly leaves town. The next night a hand comes out of the ground where the trailer burned, it is unclear whether it is Cecilia’s or Nathaniel’s.

neverending

12-12-2008, 07:10 PM

missmacabre

12-12-2008, 08:29 PM

For mine, are you guys looking for a whole seasons worth of episodes or just a few episodes to give you a feel for the type of stories I would choose?

roshiq

12-12-2008, 11:17 PM

Celebrity Shoes offered nice challenges to work on. But I have to admit Alternative Reality were the toughest among the 1st round of qualifying stage.

_____V_____

12-13-2008, 07:43 AM

For mine, are you guys looking for a whole seasons worth of episodes or just a few episodes to give you a feel for the type of stories I would choose?

Either of em, which makes you more comfortable.

I think the Judges have the say here.

Papillon Noir

12-13-2008, 08:17 AM

A very interesting plot Noir... quite detailed and does seem to be rather Riceish.

I'm left with a few questions, however. Why 1931? Does the year have some specific bearing on the plot? If not, why not? Is this a stupid question- why doesn't a group of teenagers wandering the country in a carnival arouse any suspicions? Like, why aren't they in school?

I like the setting of the carnival though... was there a specific reason for setting it in 1931 instead of, say, a modern day sideshow/circus like Jim Rose's?

A very good entry overall.

Thanks. :)

I picked 1931 because the 1930's were the height of the side show era and I wasn't sure when exactly it ended or started to die down. 1931 is just a year that I thought would definitely work. The movie Freaks came out in 1932 and I thought that the movie may have had some negative public reactions that may have caused low turnout for the side shows, so I wanted to have it set before then.

Also, carnies didn't typically attend regular school, but were taught by their parents as they moved around frequently. Also, because of the Great Depression and a manual labor work environment, a lot of kids didn't go into high school and dropped out beforehand.

In regards to having it set in the 1930's instead of today, is that today there is a paper trail for everything. You need ID, kids have to attend school up until 16. Back then, no one really had ID other than a driver's license, which didn't have your picture on it or anything. It was much easier to move around the country with whatever identity you wanted.

Doc Faustus

12-13-2008, 08:44 AM

For mine, are you guys looking for a whole seasons worth of episodes or just a few episodes to give you a feel for the type of stories I would choose?

Go premise first. You don't have to write a complete series bible or anything.

missmacabre

12-13-2008, 10:31 AM

Miss Macabre : You are Jamie Lee Curtis. You have become pretty fed up of movies and want to start your own horror show on TV. You watch several Masters of Horror episodes and have a brainstorm of adapting short stories/works into a TV series, which would have episodes of 1 hour each. Which short stories/literary works would you choose, and why?

Seeing as I am fed up with the current movies coming out, I would choose to have the episodes of my TV series use very little on screen gore. Doing away with theatrics, I would let the stories take precedence and present them in such a way that the majority of blood, gore and violence will be done off screen. I find this can have a much better effect than making a blood bath anyway.

Having starred in movies like Freaky Friday and Christmas with the Kranks; and given my choice of favourite movies (Spaceballs, This is Spinal Tap) and TV shows (Fawlty Towers, The Office and Extras)I clearly have quite a sense of humour and would like that to carry over to my television show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SNBO84YFWg

My pilot episode would be as follows:
Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat: http://www.1fiction.com/texts/poe_blackcat.txt A haunting story about a mysterious black cat. The story can be filmed as the confession tape of a young veterinarian, who is laid off during the current economic crisis. This can be intertwined with flash blacks from the goings on. Any violence (especially cruelty to animals) would be done off screen or through confession scenes to survive censors and let the story take the lead; with only a small amount of gore during the final reveal. I chose The Black Cat because the story can hold an audience’s attention and it is an eerie tale with a great ending that I feel will make the audience feel satisfied when the credits roll. The ending is also ironic and Jamie Lee Curtis has an excellent sense of humour and would understand that. It can also be easily modernized for a TV audience and it is short enough to fit the time constraints.

If this pilot episode went well I would choose to adapt stories like Murders in the Rue Morgue because a murderous Orang-utan is hilarious but wouldn't just be adapting Poe of course.

missmacabre

12-13-2008, 10:32 AM

Haha I totally cited my works....

_____V_____

12-13-2008, 07:39 PM

THE THIRD TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

- Dante's Inferno : You are Stephen King. Your recent novels and story ideas have met with a lot of critical and harsh reviews. You fear a bout of writer's block impending ahead, but dont want to disappoint your millions of fans. What would your next story idea be, which would prove to be a bestseller worldwide?

- Disease : You are dutch producer John De Mol. You have purchased Hammer House of Horror in 2007 under your firm, Cyrte Investments, and now plan to revive the studio which revolutionised horror through the 50s, 60s and 70s. An online serial was your first step to show today's world that Hammer Horror was back. Now you plan to make movies. Which flick would be your first, under the revived Hammer Horror banner today?

- Miss Macabre : You are Jamie Lee Curtis. You have become pretty fed up of movies and want to start your own horror show on TV. You watch several Masters of Horror episodes and have a brainstorm of adapting short stories/works into a TV series, which would have episodes of 1 hour each. Which short stories/literary works would you choose, and why?

Seeing as I am fed up with the current movies coming out, I would choose to have the episodes of my TV series use very little on screen gore. Doing away with theatrics, I would let the stories take precedence and present them in such a way that the majority of blood, gore and violence will be done off screen. I find this can have a much better effect than making a blood bath anyway.

Having starred in movies like Freaky Friday and Christmas with the Kranks; and given my choice of favourite movies (Spaceballs, This is Spinal Tap) and TV shows (Fawlty Towers, The Office and Extras)I clearly have quite a sense of humour and would like that to carry over to my television show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SNBO84YFWg

My pilot episode would be as follows:
Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat: http://www.1fiction.com/texts/poe_blackcat.txt A haunting story about a mysterious black cat. The story can be filmed as the confession tape of a young veterinarian, who is laid off during the current economic crisis. This can be intertwined with flash blacks from the goings on. Any violence (especially cruelty to animals) would be done off screen or through confession scenes to survive censors and let the story take the lead; with only a small amount of gore during the final reveal. I chose The Black Cat because the story can hold an audience’s attention and it is an eerie tale with a great ending that I feel will make the audience feel satisfied when the credits roll. The ending is also ironic and Jamie Lee Curtis has an excellent sense of humour and would understand that. It can also be easily modernized for a TV audience and it is short enough to fit the time constraints.

If this pilot episode went well I would choose to adapt stories like Murders in the Rue Morgue because a murderous Orang-utan is hilarious but wouldn't just be adapting Poe of course.

- Novakru : You are Sigourney Weaver. You have noticed older stars return with a bang to the silver screen, and are desperate to give your alter-ego another go. Two problems - your age, and the two AvP flicks which have sucked the life out of the franchise you pretty much ruled. James Cameron and Ridley Scott promise to return with full funding and backup if you have a novel idea painted for the franchise. Are you game?

I would kick my old ass in shape with the Navy Seals for 3 months prior to pitch day.. AND throw out the idea that fans have been wanting for years.
Make #3 a dream and the 4th will be completely ignored.
Go back to the original theme.

Burke succeeded getting a pod to Earth because he had planted a third pod inside one of the dead soldiers that had been bagged up to take home for burial.
The opening credits would show these scenes with the original score in the background...

HANG ON

I have housework to do and kids to pick up, will finish this LATER....

(Contd.)

_____V_____

12-13-2008, 07:39 PM

- Papillon Noir : You are Anne Rice. After enjoying tremendous success through the late 70s and 80s through your vampire and romance-themed novels, you have been dabbling in religious works in the past 5 years. But the inner writer in you desperately wants to churn out yet another typical Anne Rice work which would become an overnight sensation with teenagers the world over. Do you have such an idea brewing inside you?

Early Anne Rice works had adult themes of vampires and sexuality (often bi-sexuality). The timelines are set in a combination of Ancient Egypt, Colonial America and Europe and modern-day America, with the central setting in New Orleans. Her later works deal mainly in a religious subject matter. If Anne Rice was to write another novel today, and gear it towards teenagers (no doubt from the recent Twilight craze), I think she would combine her past themes, but tone down her erotic scenes for the young adult group.

One of the easiest ways to appeal to the teenage audience is to have the story set in high school. Unfortunately, high school typically operates during the day, so the setting would have to be more the theatrical type as teenagers who perform musically or theatrically would typically have tutors. In Anne Rice’s previous works she had a rock star vampire and a theatre of vampires, performing as vampires. In this vein, a carnival side show of the 1930’s would allow of group of teenage vampires to blend in with society and also to move around (lest their feeding become suspicious). Also, the different side show acts would allude to the typical high school cliques and social standing within the group.

So begins our story: Le Carnivale Noir (The Black Carnival)

Le Carnivale Noir is a side show carnival operating in Louisiana in 1931. They are a rather unique carnival as they consist entirely of vampires masquerading as humans masquerading as vampires and other creatures of the night. Most of the vampires appear to be teenagers though many of them have been alive much longer. They have just arrived in New Orleans where they will be joined by a new and mysterious act.

Cecilia is a contortionist working for the Le Carnivale Noir and is romantically involved with Nathaniel, the strong-man. Cecilia’s on again/off again friend, Meredith is a stripper in the burlesque act.

The story flashbacks to when Cecilia and Meredith first met in then end of the 19th century. They became vampires together and have had a tumultuous relationship since as occasional lovers until they joined the carnival in the late 1920’s. Because of Cecilia’s unique flexibility, she was given a higher status and pay as a contortionist, while Meredith has resentfully worked as a stripper.

Soon after, Nathaniel joins the carnival and quickly associates himself with the trampy Meredith. Cecilia is more demure, but wins Nathaniel’s heart and the two begin seeing each other behind Meredith’s back. Meredith has fallen hard for Nathaniel and is crushed to find him in love with Cecilia.

The story flashes forward where this new carnival act is introduced. It is an Egyptian Mummy act. The headliner is Ptolemy, a mysterious brooding figure that takes an immediate interest in Cecilia, in which Nathaniel responds by attacking him.

It becomes apparent that Ptolemy and Nathaniel know each other and the story flashbacks to the 1770’s. Ptolemy (who was called Thomas then), was actually Nathaniel’s sire and occasional lover. The two had a falling out and vowed to kill each other if they ever saw each other again.

Ptolemy begins seducing Cecilia in secret, of which Meredith finds out about and encourages, hoping to win Nathaniel back for herself. Meredith plans to expose Ptolemy and Cecilia, but it backfires and Nathaniel rejects Meredith believing that Cecilia is still faithful to him.

Meredith, in a crazed rage attempts to burn the Ptolemy’s trailer with Ptolemy and Cecilia in it. Meredith ultimately exposes them and Cecilia gets trapped in the fire. Nathaniel, realizing that he’s been betrayed, still rushes in to save Cecilia, but becomes trapped himself. Both Nathaniel and Cecilia appear to perish in the blaze. The carnival quickly leaves town. The next night a hand comes out of the ground where the trailer burned, it is unclear whether it is Cecilia’s or Nathaniel’s.

- Posher778 : You are John Carpenter. After finishing L.A. Gothic with Sean Keller (aka our own Roderick Usher), you are raring to do another flick, which would be based on a script of your own idea. Given the recent trend of horror at the BO, what would your script be like?

3 entries by the Elves so far.

neverending

12-13-2008, 09:38 PM

Seeing as I am fed up with the current movies coming out, I would choose to have the episodes of my TV series use very little on screen gore. Doing away with theatrics, I would let the stories take precedence and present them in such a way that the majority of blood, gore and violence will be done off screen. I find this can have a much better effect than making a blood bath anyway.

Having starred in movies like Freaky Friday and Christmas with the Kranks; and given my choice of favourite movies (Spaceballs, This is Spinal Tap) and TV shows (Fawlty Towers, The Office and Extras)I clearly have quite a sense of humour and would like that to carry over to my television show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SNBO84YFWg

My pilot episode would be as follows:
Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat: http://www.1fiction.com/texts/poe_blackcat.txt A haunting story about a mysterious black cat. The story can be filmed as the confession tape of a young veterinarian, who is laid off during the current economic crisis. This can be intertwined with flash blacks from the goings on. Any violence (especially cruelty to animals) would be done off screen or through confession scenes to survive censors and let the story take the lead; with only a small amount of gore during the final reveal. I chose The Black Cat because the story can hold an audience’s attention and it is an eerie tale with a great ending that I feel will make the audience feel satisfied when the credits roll. The ending is also ironic and Jamie Lee Curtis has an excellent sense of humour and would understand that. It can also be easily modernized for a TV audience and it is short enough to fit the time constraints.

If this pilot episode went well I would choose to adapt stories like Murders in the Rue Morgue because a murderous Orang-utan is hilarious but wouldn't just be adapting Poe of course.

So is your concept comedic versions of Poe stories? I'm a bit unclear- you don't ever really come out and say what the series is. I also don't see the comedy in your synopsis of the pilot episode...

missmacabre

12-13-2008, 10:01 PM

So is your concept comedic versions of Poe stories? I'm a bit unclear- you don't ever really come out and say what the series is. I also don't see the comedy in your synopsis of the pilot episode...

Adapting and modernizing horror stories that I found comedic. Not "haha" funny per say, but irony is a big part of comedy and hanging your pet from a tree and then being subjected to the gallows is pretty ironic.

neverending

12-13-2008, 10:20 PM

Adapting and modernizing horror stories that I found comedic. Not "haha" funny per say, but irony is a big part of comedy and hanging your pet from a tree and then being subjected to the gallows is pretty ironic.

And what is Jamie Lee's role in all this? Is she hostess? Does she appear in the series? Or is she producer?

So many questions left unanswered!

bwind22

12-14-2008, 08:22 AM

So the Elves 48 hours are up and they only had 3 people answer questions?

_____V_____

12-14-2008, 11:05 AM

So the Elves 48 hours are up and they only had 3 people answer questions?

Yes. 48 hours are up...and it seems like the rest of the Elves didnt want to do the hard work.

Anyway, I request all Judges to send me their grade-sheets based on the entries above.

Then we move on to the Second Test for the Ogres.

novakru

12-14-2008, 02:15 PM

...and it seems like the rest of the Elves didnt want to do the hard work.

I completely forgot about this:(

_____V_____

12-14-2008, 09:43 PM

I completely forgot about this:(

Dang...I thought you werent online from the last time you posted your half-reply.

I have grades from two Judges already. As soon as I get em all, we move to the Second Test.

ChronoGrl

12-15-2008, 05:36 AM

SCOREBOARD OF THE GOBLINS

Alkytrio666 - C-,

ChronoGrl - B+,

FerretChucker - B-,

The Flayed One - C+.

The rest have been tagged as "Absent".

The First Test for the Elves is up next...

WOOHOO! Thanks, judges!!

And good job rest of the Team... That was a tough challenge but I love seeing how brilliant and creative people are here.

Ferret - You are SO ridiculously creative. Do you do a lot of writing when you're not video-blogging?

Flayed - I have NO idea what I would have done if I had your challenge. That was a REALLY tough one. Good job.

Alky - Considering you're juggling school AND doing this challenge, that was a good essay. Can't wait to see more. Good luck with your finals! (I assume it's Finals time for you?)

ferretchucker

12-15-2008, 07:09 AM

Ferret - You are SO ridiculously creative. Do you do a lot of writing when you're not video-blogging?

I used to do a lot of writing. Not so much anymore, though my English essay which is 12 pages so long and less than half way through is on track to getting an A+

I read a lot though, and Darkness and Daggers got my creative juices flowing and I still have reserves left :p!

Doc Faustus

12-15-2008, 09:12 AM

Papillon- There are a lot of vampire circus/theater stories, but the Browningesque atmosphere might make it more unique. I'm not sure I see much that distinctly would appeal to a YA group. I would consider buying it, though it would interfere with my righteous crusade against the woman. Fairly inspired, above average work and use of setting.
Miss Macabre:For the first time ever in this game, I'm going to be frank. (Am I kidding? Nobody knows). A Fish Called Lenore lacks legs as a premise. I don't see why Jamie Lee Curtis would be heading up this project and what it distinctly has to gain from her as a participant, as well as how softened Poe really benefits an audience. I'm not especially impressed.
Novakru: I suspect you did not finish answering the question.

Roderick Usher

12-15-2008, 12:07 PM

I must bow out of judging.

Can't get into it.

I'll be away from the forum for a while... have to travel.

Sorry to all.

ferretchucker

12-15-2008, 01:41 PM

I must bow out of judging.

Can't get into it.

I'll be away from the forum for a while... have to travel.

Sorry to all.

Travel? Is something going on? Everything in your life okay?

_____V_____

12-15-2008, 07:16 PM

We are sorry to lose you, Rod. Have a good and safe journey.

Leaderboard of the Elves up next...

_____V_____

12-15-2008, 07:18 PM

Grades of the Elves after the First Test

Miss Macabre - C-,

Novakru - D,

Papillon Noir - B.

All the rest have been tagged "Absent."

Announcement :- Since Gorephobia and pinkfloyd dropped out of the Elves group, Illdojo is drafted into Elves to make each group a 7-member one.

Second Test for the Ogres up next...

_____V_____

12-15-2008, 07:31 PM

THE FOURTH TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

I am here to address the Ogres. Each one of you is given a task which you have to perform to the best of your ability, wit and innovation, based upon the knowledge you have of the genre.

For your Second Test, the common theme chosen is - SHARP CRITICS.

All of you are strong critics, and particular haters of horror flicks. You cannot wait to bash a horror movie when you see one, even when it might be one of the best in the genre. For this particular Test, you have to point out the flaws of the movies you choose, and put forth reasons why you might hate the chosen one.

In other words, you have to give a very critical and bashing review of the movie of your choice.

Ready? Here we go...

Choose from - Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Halloween, Psycho, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (All movies mentioned are the originals)

Two contestants may pick the same movie, but their scathing reviews should not be too similar with each other, or both of them stand to lose points.

All of you have 48 hours to do your researches, write down your reviews, and pitch them in front of the Judges. The Judges will be your peers for each review, and if you manage to win them over, you stand to score the maximum. When you are ready, send me a PM or post your entry in this thread (WITHOUT EDITING), and the Judges will read em and post their criticisms and praise, if any.

If any of you dont post your entry within the next 48 hours, you stand DQed off this Test, and dont gain any scores (or favors) from your Judges!

You have a hard task ahead of you, so all the best!!

ferretchucker

12-16-2008, 06:44 AM

Awww, I want that task! It sounds fun! Good luck to all contestants.

roshiq

12-16-2008, 07:30 AM

HALLOWEEN

http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4131/halloweensd6.jpg

Offers historical curiosity only to today’s horror fans, nothing more...

Among all the hypes there are two popular quotes that always tied with the highly overrated John Carpenter’s 1978 Horror slasher Halloween:
One of the best Slasher/Horror film ever made and The most successful Independent Horror film of all time

I like to agree with the 2nd one only, why?

Let’s start with the plot…Beginning on Halloween night 1968, a 6-year-old kid Michael commits the brutal murder of his 18 year old sister. Michael is committed to a mental institution and 15 years later escapes and returns to his hometown to murder again….
It may sound like somewhat funny, a derivative slasher movie fare when in fact it’s more accurate to say that everything of it since is basically a cheap imitator of Italian Gialli films. I have read in somewhere that it filmed on a tiny budget — less than $500,000 — so much so that the cast had to provide their own clothes. It’s completely lacking in special effects, uses makeshift sets and was filmed on a relatively rushed schedule. Despite all of that, I have to say it’s a good time passing slasher flick but nothing more than that.

First of all, the question is why the hell on earth a 6-year-old kid killed her sister? There was no explanation about that. I hate to compared it with the grand daddy of Slasher films… Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) but I’m going to do that now cause some of the ardent horror fans like to put Halloween before Psycho on their all time favorites list. Anyways the point is Norman Bates had a clear-cut background for his acts of crime but our beloved slasher master Mr. Michael Myers was nothing but a methodical, silent killing machine with no motivation, no root causes. While you may have theorized that he kills teens as some sort of vengeance (but what’s the story behind that?) or Michael Myers is nothing less than a force of nature, an enigma…blah! blah! blah! But to me that’s a brief response that cheapens the truth.

Carpenter didn't deliver much truck with finding a motivation or even a character for his killer - Michael Myers just puts on a mask (Hey! where he got the mask?!) and kills people, end of story. Micheal's doctor, Loomis occasionally mumbled a few well-chosen words about his "evil eyes". In the end, Michael is elevated beyond a mere serial killer when, despite having a gun emptied into him, being stabbed in the eye and falling from a balcony, he simply gets up and vanishes into the night. How comes he doesn't die? So was he some sort of devil in the flesh? Through the whole movie it seemed that he may be a maniac but bloody human being also. A mere boy killed his sister 15 years ago. Then what? His stay on a psychiatric hospital made him immortal? Definitely sounds quite silliness. Moreover, after fifteen years in a mental hospital, how can Myers drive a car so nicely? He's been institutionalized since he was a child. Did the institution also offered special driving classes for the patients so that when they goes back to normal life then they can drive properly?!

In most of the Slasher films we see that the killer always hold an advantage in terms of strength…but here in a particular scene how the knife (logically must have turned into a sword to be able to) hold a grown man stabbed, hanging from the wall?
The movie wasn’t so much about the murders (indeed, there was very little gore!), it's about the waiting in between: 'who will Michael Myers kill next? And when?' that, made "Halloween" an interesting would-be thrill-ride only.

A positive for the film is its unforgettable haunting background music, lingering camera shots and dark lighting, which able to create a frightening atmosphere. A second positive would be the character of Michael's doctor, played by Donald Pleasence was the best part, and his describing of the murderer is quite thrilling.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/8929/drloomisfk8.png http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/7932/looriku2.png

The three most influential teen slasher movies had one rising star. A Nightmare on Elm Street had Johnny Depp, Friday the 13th had Kevin Bacon, and Halloween had Jamie Lee Curtis. While the former two were just side characters, undeveloped and there for massacre, Curtis was given the lead role (her first movie role, too) of Laurie Strode and, surprisingly enough, she performs quite well, that even labeled her as the Scream Queen!

Technically, however, Halloween was good, considering its small budget. Its cinematography was almost too good for the movie itself. The importance of the movie in displaying certain exciting movements which later moviemakers used without using them up the way Carpenter did with this one. This as a result, produced a seemingly endless supply of terrible, empty, gory films throughout the Eighties. Though the premise of this movie was quite original and it breaks lots of new ground, but still- today in compare to any great horror film it's not that much scary. It has a quite dull supporting cast you don't really care about, so when they get killed you just don't care. Fans of modern horror may find it too slow and annoying at times. The movie is now a historical curiosity only. Nothing more.

Rating: 5/10

bloodrayne

12-17-2008, 02:09 AM

Given the fact that most critics review a movie as soon as they see it, and they usually see it before the general public, I'm writing this review in November 1984...I hope that's not against the rules for this test...Anyway, here goes:

I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from Wes Craven, the guy who created such drivel as The Last House On The Left, Swamp Thing, and The Hills Have Eyes...But it seems that he was actually ATTEMPTING to fail with this newest creation.

His 'stars' in this film consist of a virtuallly unknown B movie actor, who has appeared in films that almost no one has seen, such as Eaten Alive, Dead and Buried and Galaxy Of Terror...as well as a few tiny bit parts in some random television shows...I mean seriously, who has heard of Robert Englund?...And where did they dig up this Johnny Depp and Heather Langenkamp?...Maybe these people were 'friends of a friend' types, and someone owed someone a favor...Are these people even actors?

Okay, lets move past the fact that this movie has no real actors, and onto the storyline...Or should I say "stolen plot"?...A guy who kills people in their dreams, umm, excuse me, but didn't we just see this in DREAMSCAPE, and wasn't it bad enough the first time?

And to top it all off, the ending wasn't even an ENDING.

So, what was the motivation behind this movie?...Was this an attempt to jump onto the current 'teen slasher' bandwagon?...Prom Night, Sleepaway Camp and Friday The Thirteenth were bad enough, why would someone want to perpetuate this type of nonsense?...Oh well, I suppose this is what can be expected from a hack like Wes Craven.

If someone wants to make a GOOD film with a bunch of teenagers in it, that really captures the attention (and the box office receipts) of that target group, they should take a few pointers from some GOOD movies like Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Sixteen Candles

I can't even give this movie a 1/10...It has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not even a popular actor or an original plot...This was just bad all the way around

bwind22

12-17-2008, 07:00 PM

The Night of the Living Dead. If you watch this film, you'll become one of them.... Bored to death! What a slow paced, poorly acted, scored and written pile of crap this was! I'm tempted to track this George Romero fella down and demand a refund on the past 90 minutes of my life!

This film was so atrocious that I don't even know where to begin... Each and every one of these characters was so unlikable that I was crossing my fingers and hoping for them to become zombie chow. , Ben (Duane Jones. If you said "Who?" don't feel bad, so did I.), the "hero" actually kills a human in cold blood. Barbra is played by Judith O'Dey. (I hear she's making a comeback.... Talk about Night of the Living Dead!) She spends the majority of the film whining about her brother or screaming hysterically. Annoying and idiotic , we're stuck viewing hateable characters that make nothing but foolish decisions leading to their inevitable demise. One female character is even dumb enough to run foolishly from a secured house out in to the middle of a zombie vs. human brawl that happens to be taking place next to a gas pump and seek refuge in the truck. (How does she think that'll turn out well?)

Truthfully, I was rooting for the zombies in this one, which wasn't easy because due to their pitiful makeup jobs, it was difficult to tell them from the humans. Black and white may have been used to enhance the scariness factor, but my belief is that it was used to conceal the lousy special FX that seem to abound in this pile of rubbish.

The score is uninspired and cliche right from the start, which is probably why the entire Music Department chose to go uncredited. (Or maybe the film budget just couldn't afford 5 more credits.)

The story... What story? The plot is very thinly explained but evidently an asteroid has landed on Earth and the dead have risen from their grave to feast on humans. Barbra makes her way to an 'abandoned' farmhouse that actually already has 5 inhabitants hiding out in the basement. Then our hero, Ben, shows up out of nowhere to make 7 residents in a house that was supposedly abandoned to begin with. Then the humans must fend off the approaching zombie menace until the military arrives to "save" the day. Not much story there if you ask me. I got the sense that this was a film made by a bunch of college buddies that were clowning around with a camera than I did the sense that this was a major motion picture, but then I realize that, given a whole weekend, a the average joe clowning around with a camera could probably churn out something far more enjoyable than this.

I can only bring myself to recommend this to people that are allergic to NyQuil because the only thing this yawner is good for is putting the people to sleep.

Do yourself a favor, stay away from this like it's carrying some kind of flesh eating zombie boredom virus that you don't want to catch!

I give it an F-

Which stands for F-CK THIS MOVIE!

bwind22

12-17-2008, 08:08 PM

;)

Glad to see only 3 Ogres completed the mission. That ought to bump me up the leaderboard a little. :D

_____V_____

12-18-2008, 08:32 AM

THE FOURTH TEST OF HDC IDOL 2008-09

I am here to address the Ogres.

For your Second Test, the common theme chosen is - SHARP CRITICS.

All of you are strong critics, and particular haters of horror flicks. You cannot wait to bash a horror movie when you see one, even when it might be one of the best in the genre. For this particular Test, you have to point out the flaws of the movies you choose, and put forth reasons why you might hate the chosen one.

In other words, you have to give a very critical and bashing review of the movie of your choice.

Ready? Here we go...

Choose from - Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Halloween, Psycho, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (All movies mentioned are the originals)

Two contestants may pick the same movie, but their scathing reviews should not be too similar with each other, or both of them stand to lose points.

HALLOWEEN

http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4131/halloweensd6.jpg

Offers historical curiosity only to today’s horror fans, nothing more...

Among all the hypes there are two popular quotes that always tied with the highly overrated John Carpenter’s 1978 Horror slasher Halloween:
One of the best Slasher/Horror film ever made and The most successful Independent Horror film of all time

I like to agree with the 2nd one only, why?

Let’s start with the plot…Beginning on Halloween night 1968, a 6-year-old kid Michael commits the brutal murder of his 18 year old sister. Michael is committed to a mental institution and 15 years later escapes and returns to his hometown to murder again….
It may sound like somewhat funny, a derivative slasher movie fare when in fact it’s more accurate to say that everything of it since is basically a cheap imitator of Italian Gialli films. I have read in somewhere that it filmed on a tiny budget — less than $500,000 — so much so that the cast had to provide their own clothes. It’s completely lacking in special effects, uses makeshift sets and was filmed on a relatively rushed schedule. Despite all of that, I have to say it’s a good time passing slasher flick but nothing more than that.

First of all, the question is why the hell on earth a 6-year-old kid killed her sister? There was no explanation about that. I hate to compared it with the grand daddy of Slasher films… Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) but I’m going to do that now cause some of the ardent horror fans like to put Halloween before Psycho on their all time favorites list. Anyways the point is Norman Bates had a clear-cut background for his acts of crime but our beloved slasher master Mr. Michael Myers was nothing but a methodical, silent killing machine with no motivation, no root causes. While you may have theorized that he kills teens as some sort of vengeance (but what’s the story behind that?) or Michael Myers is nothing less than a force of nature, an enigma…blah! blah! blah! But to me that’s a brief response that cheapens the truth.

Carpenter didn't deliver much truck with finding a motivation or even a character for his killer - Michael Myers just puts on a mask (Hey! where he got the mask?!) and kills people, end of story. Micheal's doctor, Loomis occasionally mumbled a few well-chosen words about his "evil eyes". In the end, Michael is elevated beyond a mere serial killer when, despite having a gun emptied into him, being stabbed in the eye and falling from a balcony, he simply gets up and vanishes into the night. How comes he doesn't die? So was he some sort of devil in the flesh? Through the whole movie it seemed that he may be a maniac but bloody human being also. A mere boy killed his sister 15 years ago. Then what? His stay on a psychiatric hospital made him immortal? Definitely sounds quite silliness. Moreover, after fifteen years in a mental hospital, how can Myers drive a car so nicely? He's been institutionalized since he was a child. Did the institution also offered special driving classes for the patients so that when they goes back to normal life then they can drive properly?!

In most of the Slasher films we see that the killer always hold an advantage in terms of strength…but here in a particular scene how the knife (logically must have turned into a sword to be able to) hold a grown man stabbed, hanging from the wall?
The movie wasn’t so much about the murders (indeed, there was very little gore!), it's about the waiting in between: 'who will Michael Myers kill next? And when?' that, made "Halloween" an interesting would-be thrill-ride only.

A positive for the film is its unforgettable haunting background music, lingering camera shots and dark lighting, which able to create a frightening atmosphere. A second positive would be the character of Michael's doctor, played by Donald Pleasence was the best part, and his describing of the murderer is quite thrilling.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/8929/drloomisfk8.png http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/7932/looriku2.png

The three most influential teen slasher movies had one rising star. A Nightmare on Elm Street had Johnny Depp, Friday the 13th had Kevin Bacon, and Halloween had Jamie Lee Curtis. While the former two were just side characters, undeveloped and there for massacre, Curtis was given the lead role (her first movie role, too) of Laurie Strode and, surprisingly enough, she performs quite well, that even labeled her as the Scream Queen!

Technically, however, Halloween was good, considering its small budget. Its cinematography was almost too good for the movie itself. The importance of the movie in displaying certain exciting movements which later moviemakers used without using them up the way Carpenter did with this one. This as a result, produced a seemingly endless supply of terrible, empty, gory films throughout the Eighties. Though the premise of this movie was quite original and it breaks lots of new ground, but still- today in compare to any great horror film it's not that much scary. It has a quite dull supporting cast you don't really care about, so when they get killed you just don't care. Fans of modern horror may find it too slow and annoying at times. The movie is now a historical curiosity only. Nothing more.

Rating: 5/10

Given the fact that most critics review a movie as soon as they see it, and they usually see it before the general public, I'm writing this review in November 1984...I hope that's not against the rules for this test...Anyway, here goes:

I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from Wes Craven, the guy who created such drivel as The Last House On The Left, Swamp Thing, and The Hills Have Eyes...But it seems that he was actually ATTEMPTING to fail with this newest creation.

His 'stars' in this film consist of a virtuallly unknown B movie actor, who has appeared in films that almost no one has seen, such as Eaten Alive, Dead and Buried and Galaxy Of Terror...as well as a few tiny bit parts in some random television shows...I mean seriously, who has heard of Robert Englund?...And where did they dig up this Johnny Depp and Heather Langenkamp?...Maybe these people were 'friends of a friend' types, and someone owed someone a favor...Are these people even actors?

Okay, lets move past the fact that this movie has no real actors, and onto the storyline...Or should I say "stolen plot"?...A guy who kills people in their dreams, umm, excuse me, but didn't we just see this in DREAMSCAPE, and wasn't it bad enough the first time?

And to top it all off, the ending wasn't even an ENDING.

So, what was the motivation behind this movie?...Was this an attempt to jump onto the current 'teen slasher' bandwagon?...Prom Night, Sleepaway Camp and Friday The Thirteenth were bad enough, why would someone want to perpetuate this type of nonsense?...Oh well, I suppose this is what can be expected from a hack like Wes Craven.

If someone wants to make a GOOD film with a bunch of teenagers in it, that really captures the attention (and the box office receipts) of that target group, they should take a few pointers from some GOOD movies like Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Sixteen Candles

I can't even give this movie a 1/10...It has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not even a popular actor or an original plot...This was just bad all the way around

(Contd.)

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12-18-2008, 08:34 AM