A few weeks ago, Nowhere California was introduced to the independent horror/comedy “CONJOINED” and I was quickly intrigued by this bare bones, but highly creative movie. I wrote a review for this movie and posted my thoughts to this website.
Recently, I was able to talk to one of the creative minds behind this movie and talk to Joe Grisaffi. Joe was the director of “CONJOINED” and this interview dives into the evolution of a crazy story idea. Also, our conversation takes a look at Joe’s career and his adventures in the 8-bit video game world.
It’s time to return to Burkittsville, but first we have to take a detour through the woods and take a look at one of the biggest cinema surprises in a very long time. As this year’s San Diego Comic Con becomes a memory, one of the event’s more shocking moments came from an unlikely source.
That was the teaser trailer for a movie known as “The Woods” and this movie could easily have been swept under the rug, but there were a few things that quickly stood out. First, the soundtrack and the tone that was set. “Every Breath You Take” is an iconic song, it’s a song that can have dozens of meaning and that depends on the listener. Also, the meaning could be taken to a different level by the performer and this interpretation was brought to a fitting level in the world of horror cinema.
The next aspect of this teaser trailer would lead the most wayward horror fan to see that there was going to be more to “The Woods” then just another camping trip and I’m talking about the critics comments, as the trailer begin you are quickly met with the glowing praise of this movie. The praise all says the same thing and it’s the start of something huge in the genre.
Now, this brings us to the 2016 San Diego Comic Con and a special screening of “The Woods.” The reality of the screening was revealed before the projector even warmed up, leaving the select members of the media and a few lucky Comic Con attendees pleasantly surprised. As the screening’s guests waited to enter the theater, crew members took down the promotional posters and banners for “The Woods” to replace them with the real title of the movie.
The long rumored return of the Blair Witch was a reality and it was kept off the radar of the normally spoiler fueled Hollywood. This movie was written by Simon Barrett and directed by Adam Wingard, both having blood on their hands from the V/H/S film series and modern horror classic “You’re Next”.
“Blair Witch” follows a group of college kids into the woods, as James wants to know what happened to his sister 20 years earlier and the group quickly realize the reality of this legend. As the screening proceeded and word spread, the internet was hit with a new trailer for this cult classic’s sequel.
As a fan of the original, I am excited to see the Blair Witch return and this new movie seems to stay faithful to the classic. The concept of found footage movies have become such a common place in cinema, that the scare factor has been erased and this movie looks to change that.
The critical praise seems to be legit and everyone should be ready to jump in their seats, when “BLAIR WITCH” comes to theaters September 16th
The genre of horror is like walking down a dark alley, there is excitement and a possibility of your outlook on life being changed. When you take that same scenario and bring it into the world of independent filmmaking, you can look at that dark alley and slap on a blindfold, since it’s a world where the normal rules are thrown out the window.
CONJOINED is a horror comedy that follows the hopeless romantic Stanley, who is played by Tom Long, as he prepares for his long term and long distance girlfriend Alina, who is played by Michelle Ellen Jones, move into his place. As the special day arrives, Alina reveals a small secret and that secret is her sister Alisa, who is played by Keefer Barlow, who happens to be literally attached to her. This news is a shock to Stanley, but he wants to make it work and his attempt is honorable, until one more secret is reveal is the bloodiest of fashion. Alisa has a psychotic side that will leave a body count.
The work of the cast stands out in this cross between an episode of Tales From The Crypt and Three’s Company with a few low doses of acid, but the minds behind the camera deserve the praise of the suppliers of the cinematic hallucinogens.
Joe Grisaffi was the director of Conjoined and gave this film a visual look that fit perfectly into the twisted script that was written by Chuck and Tim Norfolk. Grisaffi’s direction made this movie into a great watch, when a concept like this could have fallen off the rails fast.
As CONJOINED is not your normal movie, a review for this movie should be treated the same way. This movie should be seen with a group and enjoyed. Also, if you’re a fan of the worlds of TROMA and other strange cinema landscapes, you will be right at home with this blood soaked side show of a love story. In the end, I will give CONJOINED a 7 out of 10.
We’ve seen the images and information has been scarce, but intriguing. The time has finally arrived and the horror world has its first taste of the next movie from the brilliantly twisted mind of Rob Zombie. There will be blood and grease paint, because here is the trailer for “31”
This film follows a group of carnival workers, as they are kidnapped by a group of sadistic clowns and forced into a psychotic game of survival known as “31”. The cast includes some Zombie regulars and some new faces to Rob’s movie world; such as Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Richard Brake. These are only a few names to this stellar cast and the world needs to be ready for intensity of Richard Brake’s “Doom-Head”, as Rob has dubbed Brake’s character as the next great horror villain.
I’ve been a fan of Rob Zombie’s music and movies for years, he is the only creative mind that can unleash this type of world without destroying the film’s proper story telling path. In the horror genre, there is a fine line between snuff and fluff, Rob has always balanced that line with a delicate precision.
Saban Films and Lionsgate will be working on the distribution of this film. All the games will begin September 16th on VOD and in selected theaters on October 21st.
The following is the finale of Nowhere California’s coverage of the 2016 Los Angeles Days of the Dead convention and in this installment the guys have fallen prey to some top secret clown business, as Josh and Doug talk with horror icon Sid Haig.
Sid is a legend of the silver screen, with a list of over 100 roles to his name and an impact that can be felt in many genres of the film industry. In recent years, Sid has become a mainstay in the convention world and a familiar face to the Days of the Dead loyal.
During Nowhere California’s adventures at Days of the Dead, the guys from Nowhere have made it a point to bump into this legend and we have been lucky enough to sit down twice with the man behind the clown make up..
CLICK HERE For Nowhere California Presents Our Conversation With Sid Haig From The 2013 Days Of The Dead Convention (11:26)
(Doug Porter, Joshua Gilmore, Sid Haig. April 2016 Los Angeles Days of the Dead)
CLICK HERE For Nowhere California Presents Another Conversation With Sid Haig From The 2016 Days of the Dead Convention (6:18)
As with all of our conversations, everybody on the Nowhere California team would like to extend our thanks to Sid Haig. It was an absolute pleasure talking with this icon.
Since the inception of Nowhere California, the foundation of this project has been the world of movies and the creative mind behind those creations. The list of our personal favorites can run a mile long and the list of our favorite directors would reach the same length with the name of Quentin Tarantino holding a place near the top of the directors list.
Now, with Tarantino being near the top of our favorite director’s list, you can easily guess that most of his work holds a special place in our movie memories and Pulp Fiction is one of those iconic moments in movie history.
Pulp Fiction was released in 1994 and brought Tarantino into the world of the mainstream. This movie was a perfect storm of talent and the guys from Nowhere had the opportunity to talk with some members of this iconic cast at the 2016 Los Angeles Days of the Dead convention.
In this installment, the guys from Nowhere had the honor of talking to Duane Whitaker and Whitaker played Zed cohort in the infamous Pawn Shop scene. After that conversation, we have the pleasure to talk with the woman behind the sultry cab driver Esmarelda Villalobos and talk with Angela Jones. Finally, to close out this episode, we talk with the man behind the gimp and talk with Stephen Hibbert.
It started one year ago today, this site was launched and took the concept of Nowhere California to a whole new level.
Nowhere California started in 2011 and it was just another conversation between two friends, but these conversation started taking place in front of a microphone and unleashed on the internet. It was as simple as that, but as Nowhere California evolved, the team grew and new accomplishments were reach.
The episodes started to grow and the team ventured out of the Nowhere city limits, as they dove into the world of conventions and conducting interviews. It was with each accomplishment, the Nowhere California family stuck to their ideals of what they wanted to produce and not to become just another podcast.
It was that mindset that grew into this website and, as we mark our first year on the net, we want to simply say THANK YOU.
Thank you for following the journey of Nowhere California.
Thank you for listening to the original podcast and all of the other podcast that have sprung from this little idea.
Thank you for checking out this site
And thank you for continuing this adventure with us.
Our coverage from the Los Angeles Days of the Dead convention continues and the guys from Nowhere are crossing paths with one of their favorite campers from Camp Arawak, as Phil and Josh talk with the amazing Felissa Rose..
This conversation makes Felissa a member of a select group of return visitors to Nowhere California, as we first had the pleasure of talking with Felissa and Jonathan Tiersten at the 2014 Days of the Dead convention..
Jonathan Tiersten, Felissa Rose, Joshua Gilmore, and Philip Morgan at the 2014 Los Angeles Days of the Dead
When we first started the podcast, the idea of conducting interviews was far from a reality in our eyes. Now, with our 6th convention in the books, it definitely is a surreal moment to talk with the creative minds behind the works we love and the feeling is indescribable, when these people remember us.
It was a great honor to meet Felissa in 2014 and the entire Nowhere California team had the same feelings as we crossed passed with Felissa at the Days of the Dead convention in April.
The Nowhere California team could tell you dozens of stories from our teenage lives, but that is for a different time and when the statute of limitations expires, so we are ready to let you in on the teenage exploits of Kansas Bowling.
At the age of 15, Kansas began to develop the story of “B.C. Butcher” with her friend Kenzie and, by the age of 17, Kansas directed the feature film adaptation of “B.C. Butcher.” The production for this movie quickly picked up steam and brought some cult icons in front of Kansas’ camera, such as Kadeem Hardison (A Different World) and Kato Kaelin (The O.J. Simpson Trail).
As the film wrapped and word of mouth began to grow, the creation of Kansas caught the legendary eye of Lloyd Kaufman and he picked up “B.C. Butcher” for distribution through the Troma Entertainment banner.
At the recent Los Angeles Day of the Dead Convention, that took place in April, the guys from Nowhere had the pleasure to talk with Kansas Bowling and her stepmother, Miranda Robin. The conversation delves into the production of the film and the journey through the world of independent filmmaking.
From The Day of the Dead Convention April 2016 (Doug Porter, Kansas Bowling, Joshua Gilmore)
On a personal note, the entire Nowhere California team would like to thank Miranda and Kansas for taking the time out to talk with us. It was an honor to learn about your creative world.
At the 2016 Los Angeles Days of the Dead convention, I was able to attend a screening of the comedy/horror throwback “Getting Schooled” This movie takes place in early 80’s, as a group of students enter their high school for Saturday detention. These students are your “A-typical” John Hughes group and every high school social class is represented, from the princess to the loner outcast and everything in between.
This might sound very familiar, but you will learn quickly that this nostalgic road trip is about to hit some horrific backroads and the main speed bump comes in the form of the student’s wheel chair bound teacher, Mr. Roker. Roker is not your typical “push over” teacher, as he is a Vietnam vet and it is the ghosts from his past that unleashes hell on the session of detention and the students become the focus of this teacher’s rage.
The cast of “Getting Schooled” was an excellent gathering of talents and their character’s evolution could challenge most big budget movies. In the world of independent filmmaking, especially in the horror genre, poor character development can lose an audience and the cast of “Getting School” stay clear of that potential roadblock.
There is a fine line in a comedy/horror movie, one side is a great movie and you can’t wait to recommend it to everybody, then the other side of the line is a late night Sy-Fy channel movie that you want to quickly forget. Also, with most nostalgia movies, it’s too easy for a film to have an 80’s theme and beat the viewer over the head with this idea, with “Getting Schooled” this concept isn’t aggressively forced upon the viewer and flows with the story that is unfolding.
“Getting Schooled” is a movie that I can see growing a great cult following, as it continues to be seen in conventions and festivals, then gaining a long life through streaming services and theaters. The word of mouth on this movie will continue to grow and I am glad to be a part of that, as I cannot wait for my next chance to see this movie. 9 out of 10.
From The Day of the Dead Convention April 2016 (Doug Porter, Kansas Bowling, Joshua Gilmore)
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