Horror Unity, A Dream?

I always find it amusing when I’m talking to acquaintances and the subject of horror unity comes up. Most of the time what I get is “There never has been horror unity and never will be because the community is full of egotistical assholes who only care about themselves and their own agendas.” It is then that I correct them on this. The truth is that there was a time when the horror community had horror unity, or at least the closest thing to it.  We had it back in 1994 when I was writing my Camp Crystal Lake novels. This was a time when the nearest thing to social networking was chat room and email. Distributed films were strictly done on film and the average cost of an independent film was around $100,000. During those days filmmakers had respect for each other because making independent films was a work of love created by artist who gave their all. There wasn’t the sabotaging of productions and the bullshit dick measuring contests that we have these days. Also, we didn’t have the ego case “stars” that go from film festival to film festivals getting drunk, mugging, and acting like their shit don’t stink. We had serious, honorable, and humble filmmakers like Lloyd Kaufman, Charles Band, Wes Craven, George Romero, John Carpenter, and Tobe Hooper to name just a few. In those days you weren’t a legend or an icon, you were a filmmaker. It was hard enough to get your stuff out that you didn’t have time to get a big head. These filmmakers didn’t run around proclaiming that they are “Fucking fabulous” and that you need to worship them. These filmmakers were devoted to making films, not promoting themselves and starting ***********Army sites to stroke their egos. Also, during this time there wasn’t the bullshit politics and double standards we see now. In those days there weren’t any Horror Drux picketing theatres and telling people that anyone who watches a remake is not a true horror fan. Nor did we have Women in Horror Month screaming and whining that women get no respect in horror and how you must place their members on pedestals simply based on their sex. Also, publications like Fangoria were sources of news instead of being popularity contests. I remember when Fangoria put out a full story on a man named Frank Henelotter on a next to nothing budgeted film her was doing titled Basket Case. The sad thing is if Frank Henelotter sent a press release on Basket Case today Chris Alexander would say, “Who the fuck is this asshole?” and toss it with the trash. He would rather promote Jen and Sylvia Soska or Brandon Slagle, because they drink with him at conventions. Anyone else, fuck them.

So, in fact it is advances in technology and the internet that has, instead of improving and allowing for better films and better opportunities for our community, turned the horror community into a spoiled bunch of ego cases with the mental maturity of grade schoolers.

Horror unity in some measure is still doable, but it will take a change in the attitude of the horror community. People will need to put away their egos and start to honestly care for horror rather than their own agendas. Honestly, I’m starting to see this happen with filmmakers like Johnny Johnson and my co-host Derek Young. These are filmmakers who are not in filmmaking to make the big deals or to be worshiped, they are in it for their passion to create stories and characters that say something and do honor to the grand tradition of making horror films. The truth is it is time for the horror community to grow up and become a family again, not the bunch of dysfunctional gangs it has degenerated into. It is time for horror unity and the horror social can scream and cry foul as much as they want, but their time is coming to an end.

And here is some music to go with it....

Screenwriting: What is Wrong with these Kids Today?

Honestly, it is royally painful for me to see what crap in independent horror ends up getting distribution and what doesn’t. Mostly what I see is the filmmakers seem to act like the script is an afterthought. So many times I’ve ended up wasting my time watching stories full of stereotype characters, cookie cutter plots, and just plain boring and uninspired storylines. Even the supposedly SUPERIOR horror socials tend to push their own egos over substance, emotion strength, and backstory.

Since 1983 when I worked on Star Trek II and III with Harve Bennett and also wrote the Camp Crystal Lake novels I’ve have had a slew of budding writers and screenwriters come to me for advice and to learn the craft, and I do say CRAFT, of writing both books and screenplays. This craft is nothing to take lightly and is something that takes work to develop. It is through ignorance and a lack of understanding that bad books and films with weak plots and characters are put out on the market and cause the fans to waste money and time on lack luster stories, with lack luster characters, that tank.

Below is a list that every aspiring screenwriter needs to burn into their brains.

This list comes from experience of what doesn’t work. If certain people would get this stuff into their shallow ego case brains, I’d have nothing to say against them other than they are jokes when it comes to being human beings….LOL.

But check this out:

This list comes from Joe Berkowitz, a professional script reader. I know this myself and beat it into the minds of any budding script writer who comes to me for help.

1.The story begins too late in the script

2.The scenes are void of meaningful conflict

3.The script has a by-the-numbers execution

4.The story is too thin

5.The villains are cartoonish, evil-for-the-sake-of-evil

6.The character logic is muddy

7.The female part is underwritten

8.The narrative falls into a repetitive pattern

9.The conflict is inconsequential, flash-in-the-pan

10.The protagonist is a standard issue hero

11.The script favors style over substance

12.The ending is completely anti-climactic

13.The characters are all stereotypes

14.The script suffers from arbitrary complexity

15.The script goes off the rails in the third act

16.The script’s questions are left unanswered

17.The story is a string of unrelated vignettes

18.The plot unravels through convenience/contrivance

19.The script is tonally confused

20The protagonist is not as strong as need be

21.The premise is a transparent excuse for action

22.The character backstories are irrelevant/useless

23.Supernatural element is too undefined

24.The plot is dragged down by disruptive lulls

25.The ending is a case of deus ex machina

26.The characters are indistinguishable from each other

27.The story is one big shrug

28.The dialogue is cheesy, pulpy, action movie cliches

29.The script is a potboiler

30.The drama/conflict is told but not shown

31.The great setting isn’t utilized

32.The emotional element is exaggerated

33.The dialogue is stilted and unnecessarily verbose

34.The emotional element is neglected

35.The script is a writer ego trip

36.The script makes a reference, but not a joke

37.The message overshadows the story

You see, if Jen and Sylvia Soska understood this American Mary would not have tanked at the end or been a convoluted mess. But that is my over three decades of experience and as a writer and screenwriter talking….

YELP For The Horror Community?

You know what, people, I’m thinking about starting a site like YELP for the horror community. It would be a site where independent filmmakers, artists, authors, or anyone who gets treated to the double standard that has been taking precedence with websites and horror magazines and conventions can come and report this bullshit and make it public information so the community can see the shit that is going on. I think it is time to take a switch to the buddy network and start giving artists in horror a more level playing field so they can promote themselves and their work. Shit I just got a good dose of this just recently. I emailed my press release for Psychotic State The Novel to a site that claims they will take any submissions and promote you. Well, I sent my press release the same day that honorary Wolf Pack members Midnight Syndicate sent theirs for their interactive concert they are trying to fund. Twenty-four hours later Midnight Syndicate had their funding campaign funded and after two weeks my press release is no where to be found. But I had a feeling I should have known better because this site heavily promotes The Soskas and even devoted special section on their site for American Mary. That right, this should tell you something, that even a site that claims to promote all horror submittions can play the double standard. So what you think horror community? Do we need a YELP list site to remind these assholes that we are a community and everyone deserves a break?

Danielle Harris spits on independent filmmakers/ Alex Edwards shits on a friend.

I would like to applaud Danielle Harris for spitting on the independent filmmakers of the horror community. In her interview with The Skeleton Crew Miss Harris pretty much said that she was tired of working with low grade independent directors and would now only act for Jen and Sylvia Soska and WWE films. She said she was happy to be part of their “Family” and saw a bright future working with them on high grade productions. Nice way to treat the people who helped you become a horror icon. After saying what you did you are a good fit with those ego case hypocritical bitches, The Soskas. I once respected you as a performer, but after hearing this I don’t. That is completely and utterly fucked up.

Also, to Alex Edwards of The Skeleton Crew, who had told me he would never think of tossing an interview of mine and who said to me that he and his crew really hate Jen and Sylvia Soska. I want to say a hearty FUCK YOU!. You stabbed me in the back you asshole. You tossed my interview and are now supporting the Soskas. Guess what that is called, Alex, besides being an asshole you are a hypocrite and a liar. I’ve cut ties with you because I don’t need false friends and bullshit artists in my life. Have fun with your new allies you fucking traiter…. 

Call them Jen and Sylvia Scrooge

I have to laugh my ass off about this. Sylvia Soska just made complete and utter asses out of her and her sister. A friend of mine who is following Jen and Sylvia Soska just passed on the fact that Sylvia Soska just compared herself to Frank Cross (the Scrooge character played by Bill Murray) from Scrooged. How appropriate. She is comparing herself to a heartless, greedy, self absorbed, asshole. The way she and Jen are acting in regard to the situation with me, I have to heartily agree. It is called a Freudian slip and it is very telling, people. And so true. What wrong Sylvia you looking in the mirror and not liking what you see....

Oh, I can see the email Jen sends Sylvia after one of their butt kissers tells her about my post...."What the fuck, Sylvia? What the fuck are you doing? We are supposed to present ourselves as loving and about everyone and you say you feel like Scrooge? Are you fucking nuts, sis? We are supposed to be fucking fabulous, not self absorbed, greedy bitches. Even though we are...LOL" Yeah, I can see that confab of The Twisted Twins....LOL. The truth hurts, ladies.
So, ladies, your subconscious is getting the better of you. It even thinks you’re self absorbed, greedy, assholes. Wow that is fucked up.
Where is Carol Kane when you need her?

Update: The Soska Sisters Situation

So, as you've probably guessed the "False Friends" I talked about in the earlier blog are indeed Jen and Sylvia Soska. On August the 14th I blocked the Soska Sisters because the situation that started a year before had come to a head. I blocked them because they would have blocked me rather than being understand and willing to talk things out. Anyway, my sister, Jeanette Thompson, sent Jen and Sylvia a note saying how much it saddens her that they have decided to walk over someone who helped them and was a friend when they were starting out. She asked them to show some class and email me an apology so we could be friends again. So guess what the fabulous Soskas, that love everyone, did...They immediately blocked my sister. So much for what their "friend" Levi said on my thread about the radio show, "Just talk to them. I know they will be willing to talk. That's the way they are.". This is really telling about what the Soskas have become. I hope WWE Films is monitoring Facebook and reads this. I know several wrestlers. My dear friend Aleister Price was a wrestler. Wrestlers believe in honor and integrity. The Soskas are showing none of this. All I'm asking for is an apology for the personal hurt they caused me. That is all and they are too self center and self absorbed to do even that.

Also, I want to mention one more thing about my situation with the Soska sisters, and yes the understanding fantastic “We love you all.” Soska sisters still haven’t contacted me and apologized. Some people have said that I was wrong for blocking them and I don’t deserve an apology because I’m being childish and petty and unprofessional ect. One thing people keep forgetting is that in February Jen and Sylvia informed me that their policy is that any email they get that has any negativity in it will make them block the author of the emails. So, if I just sent them an email telling them how hurt I was and asked them to apologize and make it up to me, they would have blocked me without a reply or understanding or even trying to understand. All they care about is people stroking their egos and telling them how popular, beautiful, and talented they are. To be their friend now you have to kiss their asses or you are gone. This wasn’t always how it was, but it started after they got the big deal and started working on American Mary. Suddenly, they informed people they weren’t accepting IMs and they permanently put a do not disturb sign on their Skype account. Also, when you email them you get a message saying that they will put you on a list and you will get an appointment for your email to be answered. Excuse me. I talk to big time studio directors all the time and none of them, and they are universally more popular and famous than Jen and Sylvia Soska, have ever blocked people IMing them or tell people they need an appointment to get an answer to an email. Give me a fucking break. I IM with real stars, I won’t drop names, and they don’t act like that kind of an ego case snub. It is really telling about how much of a bloated ego Jen and Sylvia has gotten, when they pull shit like that. It’s like them saying “We are so important, powerful, and so high up now that we don’t have time to talk to you and you want to talk to us you have to make an appointment. So, don’t bullshit me with this “Oh, if you had only talked to Jen and Sylvia they would have understood and made up with you.” Sorry, the “We love you” Soskas don’t want to understand. They think they are too popular, important, and high up to have to understand. It is your fault they are that way (I’m talking to the ass kissers).
If See NO Evil 2 is a hit expect Jen and Sylvia to get worse. They will become the worst snobs in horror. You are creating tyrants. But, the truth is the chance of them making a hit with this film is next to nothing. I see Jen and Sylvia falling hard and WWE Films is building them up to that fall. They have given a $30,000,000 project to two girls who have done one horror film with so so reviews. Just to break even this film is going to need to make $100,000,000. The first film was in theatres a week and tanked. It nearly killed director Gregory Dark’s career, and he was a real artist. So, I see nothing good coming from this at all. I’m not being petty and I’m not being jealous. I’m being realistic. The fact that Jen and Sylvia along with Women in Horror demanded that the Soskas be put in Masters of Horror speaks volumes.

False Friends and Hypocrites

Some people have said that I don’t care about anyone or anyone’s feelings. This is far from true. I do care. I care so much that I can’t stand by and let something I love be dragged down into the gutter. Also, I care for people’s feelings as long as they care about mine. Why should I care about the feelings of some douch bag who fucking stomps on mine. I don’t think so. The thing is, people, I expect to be treated with respect and consideration, just like all of you. If people show me disrespect and a lack of consideration I make them and everyone aware of the fact that I don’t appreciate that and that they are assholes for doing it. Why is it so hard for people to keep their word or not act like hypocrites? I’ve mentioned the fact that certain “friends” shit on me last year on my birthday. I’ve gotten a lot of flack from people who say, “How dare you talk about ****** and ****** . They love everyone and you have no right to say such things against them.” Excuse me? Let me see? The fact that they specifically said they were busy and wouldn’t be able to do “any “ podcasts during the month of August last year answers you question in spades. These “friends” shit on me. I asked them to come on my podcast for my birthday show, my fucking birthday. In August they amazingly found the time in their busy schedule to do three podcasts during the week of my birthday. And, to be even more low life and fucked up they did one of those podcasts, which of course wasn’t mine, on my birthday. Then just to rub salt in my fucking wounds these “friends” posted on Facebook that they were doing all these podcasts on the week of August the 13th because I quote “These are our friends and we love our friends and would do anything for them…” Is that right? I was your friend. It would have meant the world to have you come on my birthday show and wish me a happy birthday. But I guess it is as some of my friends in horror have said. I was useful in that I gave you a break and helped you early on. Now you’ve both gotten such big heads that me, Chris Highland, and my podcast are crap to you. You got your big and powerful and pretty horror social buddies and to you I and my feelings don’t matter. This is obvious because you have done nothing to make up for the incredible hurt you caused me last year. That’s right horror fans, the big stars couldn’t even give me the courtesy of an apology. No they were too busy stroking their own egos and partying to even care. That speaks volumes. Think about this the next time they spit out how they love all their fans and friends. It is all public relations bullshit. If it wasn’t they would have cared enough to make up for what they did or at least say “I’m sorry.” Next Tuesday it will be the one year anniversary of them shitting on me, meaning my birthday. Guess what I expect? Nothing. You know who I’m talking about, so I’m unwilling to promote them by using their names.

The Studio Made Me Do It!

Have you ever noticed that people come up with the most fucking jackassed excuses for being insensitive asses. I recall an actor/director who said to me after he didn't show up at all for an interview on my podcast "I didn't feel like doing an interview tonight. Anyway you are just some piss ant little podcast so it doesn't matter." Nice right? Then a couple of filmmakers tried to get away with being assholes and fucking me over on my birthday by saying "The studio wouldn't let us do it.They have us scheduled to do convention after convention and we won't have time to do any podcast interviews." Well, what is funny is the studio was lightening fast in giving you permission doing that other podcast on my birthday. But of course you posted: "This was last minute, but these are our friends so we couldn't possibly say no. We love our friends so much..." I guess that tells me something. Boy does it. And, Yes, I do have a long memory. A very long memory.

 

This is dedicated to my "friends"....

 

Happy and Sad Time for The Horror Community

It is both a happy and sad time for the horror community. James Wan's The Conjuring is a hit. Unfortunately, James has stated that he is leaving horror. His next project is Fast and Furious 7. What is even more sad is that this is typical now. Any filmmaker that makes any unique film that goes against "the formula" gets burned out, mostly because most horror fans have been whiny turds, and walk away. Look at Rob Zombie and Lords of Salem. All Rob has gotten since he made House of 1000 Corpses is nothing but whining and complaining. I'd say fuck you and walk away too if I had to deal with the shit Rob had to deal with from you people. Of course, any turd, or set of turds with a gimmick get hailed by you shallow asses, only to be tossed like a piece of dirty toilet paper when it becomes clear they don't have more than two to three fairly good films in them. This is the reason horror is held with such low regard in the entertainment industry. I say we need to return to a time when being a horror director gave you some pride. We need to stop whining and mentor in the next group of great horror filmmakers. We need unity and the bitching needs to stop. Or do you really like the crap we've been getting? It is up to you....

Chauvanistic Statement Made by WIHM Board Member

Now I really don’t want to start a huge drama, but my Associate, Dr. Blood, made me aware of a rather sexist statement made by a lady who is on the board of Women in Horror. With the recent plagiarism situation regarding Lianne Spiderbaby, this person had to open their mouth on a public forum in regard to Lianne’s relationship with director Quentin Tarrentino make an incredibly sexist statement. The statement by this board member of this non-profit organization that is supposedly dedicated to promoting equality and giving women respect and recognition is I quote “If she did nail him, good for her. I hope he drops shitloads of money on her before she dumps him for someone that doesn’t make her ill to touch physically.” Not very politically smart at all. I’m sorry but for someone who is supposedly trying to promote women and garner them equal respect and recognition in the entertainment industry this is a less than complimentary statement to make in a public forum. To put it bluntly this statement is incredibly unprofessional and chauvinistic. Yes, I did say that word in regard to a female member of society. If you look at the definition of the word chauvinist it is not male specific:
Definition of chauvinist (n)
Source: Bing Dictionary
chau•vin•ist
[ shṓvənist ]
Somebody with sense of superiority: somebody with an excessive or prejudiced loyalty to a particular gender, group, or cause.

Honestly, as a friend, I would put out the suggestion to Jen and Sylvia Soska, who are the people who actually run Women in Horror,of course, once they get back from ComicCon, that they have a confab with their board about using restraint and reminding the members of the board that in public they need to represent Women in Horror in a far better light publically than what was presented in this instance. This is just a suggestion, ladies.

Screwed Over for Crystal Lake Memories Again!

It's amazing how history repeats itself. Peter Bracke did a three hour interview with me for his book Crystal Lake Memories and then edited me completely out of the first printing of the book. Then because I royally bitched about it (shit, people, I bought a copy of the book and had a party only to find I got screwed over) Bracke added a paragraph about me and my books to the second printing....How very white of him....
Well, guess what? The production company that did the documentary Crystal Lake Memories have screwed me over yet again. That's right, people. The Camp Crystal Lake novels were completely ignored and I wasn't even offered an interview (Shit I would have been jumping for joy to just be a DVD extra). They have the hypocritical gall to call this documentary the complete history. Well, here is some information that should have interested these documentarians. For fans of Friday the 13th from 1994 to 1998, when Jason X came out, the only fresh Friday the 13th fans had were my books, and because of the ignorance and lack of thought by Berkley Book, there were limited copies of these for the fans. It was a quest for a fan to get any of my books. They were like the holy grail to them during what the fans have called "the dark times". But, that isn't significant in "the complete history" of Friday the 13th. For those fans who struggled for those precious books it was very significant. I'm sorry but you are hypocrites and liars to call your documentary "the complete history". It is called false advertising and fraud.
Eric Morse and The Camp Crystal Lake novels are a significant part of Friday the 13th and deserve recognition. I think a large number of fans would agree.

My Eternal Debate: Why Fan Scripts are not Fan Fiction

There has been a long standing debate between myself and fans who do supposed “fan fiction”.  The main sore spot between me and these supposed fan authors is on the subject of what they consider fan fiction and what I consider fan fiction. When I think of fan fiction I think short stories and novels. Hell, I’ll even include fan poetry as fan fiction. But, the one thing I will not includes as fan fiction; and this causes screams of rage and foul in most forums and groups I’ve talked about this subject, is fan scripts. Give me a fucking break people they are scripts. They are meant for filmmakers to use as a blueprint for a film production and for actors to give them a quick and easy way to learn their lines. It is not intended to be used as literature.  Scripts are written in a short hand, rather than in pros and don’t even require full sentences. They lack description and only give a hint at characterization. Therefore, it takes next to no writing skill to create them.

On the other hand, short stories and novels require great amounts of descriptive skill and understanding of characterization, because they need to work with the reader’s own imagination to bring the scenes and character to life.

For the writer of novels and short stories it is a long and tedious process filling a blank pages, building locations, and creating completely life-like people with nothing but words. That kind of writing is a craft that only a few very talented people can achieve. On the other hand, writing a script takes next to no descriptive skill. In most script scenes there is a very basic description. Characters are handled mostly through dialogues and gesture notes. For example, here is a scene the way a fan script writer would write it…: We open on a boiler room with pipes snaking out of the rusty boiler. Steam  is shooting all over the place.  A blond girl (Ashley) stumbles forward and looks around. She is in a sweat soaked nightshirt. We see a sheep runs down the aisle. ….

Ok, let’s see what an actual writer would do with this scene….:  Steam shot out in every direction. There was clanking sound of metal as  the rusty, battered boiler expanded and retracted with heat. Ashley stumbled forward and looked around in shock. Her nightgown was soaked with sweat and stuck to her slender form. Her butt length blond hair was slick and stuck to her back. Beads of salty liquid slid down her face and touched her lips.

Where was she? She asked herself. How did she get here? She looked around and a sudden movement caught her eye. She jumped back. Then she heard a scream echo through the boiler room. It sounded like the scream of a child. Then, the source of the movement and clomped into view. It was a white and black dotted sheep. The animal bayed and ran down the row of pipes that fed into the boiler. What the hell, she thought to herself……

See the difference?

A writer must craft the description to the character and their perception, where as the script writer need only give basic information for the set designers to get ideas and perform their art.

It is said that writing is bleeding. A writer must go into every that he is and knows in order to build believable worlds round his characters. This takes hours of writing and rewriting scenes until they come together and flow. It is not so with a script writer. Not to say his craft doesn’t have its challenges. I know those challenges because I’ve written scripts myself. But as people have noted I can quickly knock out a scene in a script in less than an hour, where as the same scene will take me hours if I’m writing a novel.

So, I gather the ever increasing horde of fan script writers are exclaiming “Who gives a shit!” It doesn’t answer why they can’t be called fan fiction. Ok, here is the reason…because fan scripts are too easy. Fan script writers don’t bleed. They are too lazy to actually write stories, yet they have the gall to expect to be lumped together with artists that do bleed and have the privilege to call themselves authors. They expect to get the credit and admiration without putting in the work. Sorry, my mentor Harlan Ellison would have a heart attack…and don’t go there. You don’t want to suffer the wrath of Harlan. I’m a Care Bear in comparison to him.

Also, these so called “fan fiction writers” seem to think that because their scripts are so easy to write,  then writing is easy and so published authors are a joke.  Thus, we have come to the situation where convention organizers, who are mostly former fan script writers themselves, think that authors deserve no respect because they, themselves, were considered authors by their peers  and it wasn’t a big deal, so therefore these ego case, big shot, authors are no big deal ,and are a ridiculous for expecting to be treated with any kind of respect.

I recall when I was being harassed on From Dusk Till Con, a number of my harassers called me a fan fiction writer, because they were too ignorant to know the difference between a published writer and a fan fiction writer.  No matter how many times I explained they refused to see the difference.

So, in summation, remember this kiddies, an author is a craftsman who takes years of pain and bleeding to learn his art. On the other hand, writing fan scripts are for lazy lumps who want to wow their buddies with their genus, yet don’t want to have to put in the time and effort to actually use pros and write an actual short story or novel. Writing is an art form as is poetry, thus they go together. Script writing is a building tool. It is in essence an outline, that is part of an art called filmmaking. Unlike, poetry, short stories, and writing, script writing is not literature, because it is not meant to be read unless you are going to use it to create a movie. If it is not going to be used to make a movie it is a waste of time and effort. Sorry, guys but that is the truth in my opinion.

Promises, Promises....

Recently I went to three people I know asking them if they would have me on their podcast shows. Yes, well if I waited for people to put out the invitation to me I’d be laying in a pine box six foot under before I got an interview. Anyway, all three “friends” of mine said an excited “YES!” Out of those three interview opportunities two interviews were recorded. Of those two recorded interviews only one was broadcast. The other recorded interview was held back twice by my “friend” and tossed, because they didn’t like the fact that I got pissed having my interview tossed to the side for an interview with Josh Gates. Real class act, Mike. Then of course the other person who was supposed to interview me live kept rescheduling me. I would continuously promote and repromote  the show only to be made to look like an idiot because suddenly he would cancel the show. Now, finally, the third and final podcast I ask actually broadcast the interview.I love these guys.

The thing is people I’ve gotten criticized about not being very professional because I get honestly pissed and publically make the horror community aware of the fact. Well, for those who criticize me I got to ask you something. How am I supposed to feel when people promise, and I do mean promise, me opportunities and then fuck me over.  Then of course, and this really gets my ire, they act like I’m being totally unfair to them because I don’t like being screwed over. Excuse me? Oh, I’m this complete asshole and they are the innocent victim. Oh, and I’m totally unprofessional because I don’t bow down and accept that they, because they are so professional, have some kind of right to do shit like this and get away with it without a word. Sorry, fucktard, I don’t kiss ass and if you fuck me over be prepared for me to be the wrath of god and bring the hammer down on your head. Get that straight!

Well, why do you feel you have the right to do that? After all this is the horror community and you fuck with one person you fuck with their clique. Well, for one thing I’m the VICTIM. I’m the one who has actually been WRONGED. Also, after being fucked over as much as I have I’ve come to the realization that these people are complete and utter assholes and need a good  kick in the ass. As far as their cliques, I don’t sweat them. I’ve dealt with cliques in the past and what I’ve found are that they are composed of cowards and ego cases. When an actual strong person confronts them they crumble like the weak assed bitches they are.

Honestly, people if you actually had to deal with the complete and utter bullshit I’ve had to deal with you’d go on the warpath yourself.

Shit, people, like any other artist in horror I have the need to put myself out there and promote myself, but for some fucked up reason people cop the attitude that I’m  a poser, because no matter what I’ve done, am doing, or have achieved, I’m a complete and utter outsider and a nobody. Excuse me. I’m the author of five original novels in the Friday the 13^th franchise. My books changed the genre and opened up the doors for other original novels based on horror franchises. But, that doesn’t matter to these people? I’m the head man of an extremely popular grindhouse horror internet radio show (we average 4,000 listeners). Oh, but who gives a shit? And, I’ve written and acted in a number of horror films. Who the fuck cares? Yeah, that is the attitude I get.  Recently, I contacted Rebekah McKendry from Fangoria Magazine and asked her about getting a write up about me and my books. The answer I got from Rebekah as representative of Fangoria was “Oh, I’ll throw your bio to my editors and see if they care.” Real professional way to treat a six time published author, internet radio personality, actor, and screenwriter  by a major horror publication. But guess what? This is the typical response I get. Oh, yeah, independent filmmakers who have only done two films, like my friends The Soska Sisters, get the covers and articles after articles with Fangoria, Rue Morgue, and other horror publications, but the author of The Camp Crystal Lake novels gets treated like total dog shit. And you wonder why I get pissed and lash out. I wonder why?

And, of course, this discussion wouldn’t be complete without me mentioning conventions. Well, since the convention drama I’ve had a number of friends tell me “ I know such and such from such and such convention and I’ll talk to him/ her and they will assuredly have you at their convention. Hell, I’m sure they will even pay your travel expenses.” Yeah, you know how many times I’ve heard this shit? Then of course I ask them about it and they get snappy and tell me “I’m working on it.” Then months later I ask about it and they get silent and start acting like I’m an asshole. Either that or they say “What you don’t trust me?” and that will be the last word on the subject.

So, in conclusion here is something I want to remind people, When I make promises I keep my promises. You ask me for an interview on my show you get your interview. You ask me for help, you get help. I keep my promises. Why is it that I shouldn’t expect the same consideration in return? If you can’t get me into a convention don’t waste my time by saying you can. I don’t need boasting, I need to be in a convention.  Also, if you promise me an interview (especially if it gets to the point the fucking thing is recorded) don’t fucking play games, follow through. I would follow through if it was the reverse, and I wouldn’t insult you with bullshit excuses. It’s called respect  and consideration people. It’s not some impossible task.

Also, to the people who question how professional I act, I think they should look in the mirror and assess how professional they are acting toward me. I tend to return respect and consideration when it is given to me. Ask Reyna Young. We've actually started talking and are on friendly terms because she has been treating me with respect and consideration. Something to think about.


And for those who screw me over just remember that karma is a bitch and my family has a special relationship with her. People who screw over members of my family tend to find their worlds crumble around them. We don't have to lift a finger it just seems to happen.... So here is a little song to remind you....



 

Negativity and Propaganda

I was told by someone recently that I’m too negative and I have a bad reputation in the horror community. Well, the fact is that people who say that are just focusing on the negative and listening to propaganda rather than actually taking a good look at me. The truth is that I do a lot of positive things for people in the horror community and in the name of the horror community. If you were to actually take the time to look at my Facebook wall I’m always posting links to help promote people. On my radio show I’m always having independent artists on my show. In some cases these are the very first interview experiences these people have had. I’m constantly helping beginning screen writers and authors with their writing. And, on top of all that, I do a lot for charities. I’ve had my head shaved twice to get donations for cancer children through St. Baldricks. I support the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. I work with the local Harley Owners groups and The Pose on charity events for Second Harvest, Samaritan House, and other groups for homeless and elderly citizens. Also, and more importantly, in February I’m going to hosting my very own charity event for homeless and elderly people, A Taste of Terror Mini Film Festival.

The truth is most of the negative propaganda comes from a very few people with sticks up their asses about me. I won’t get into detail about some of these people because I’ve written extensively about some of the most current assholes I’ve had to deal with. One I will talk about because he is the major one and because the more recent people have used this person’s propaganda as source matter to help spur their dislike, is a gentleman named Wil Keiper. Wil is the person who runs the website Horror Yearbook.com. Wil is well known and proud that he is known as a trouble maker, a drunk, and an internet troll. He was actually thrown off Bloody-Disgusting (note: this during their nastiest time in the history of their message board), and permanently banned from that site for being amazingly too much trouble. He harassed and caused so much trouble for my friend Mandy Beltran, aka Dark Spider, that she ended up quitting horror and going into hiding. Anyway, for eight years Wil and his crew of trolls and harassers have dogged me across the internet comparing me to the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, calling me a creepy stalker that stalks actresses, and a pervert (Note: it was because of Keiper’s harassment that I added the moniker of Creepy Stalker Guy of Horror to my list to stop Wil from libeling me as such. It worked.). Why does he do this, you ask? Well, it had to do with a bitch ego case Zgrade actress named Elissa Dowling.

I had known Elissa for three years when a situation happened with me regarding the fore mentioned Bloody-Disgusting. It started when I got involved in the film adaptation of my novel Friday the 13^th: Mother’s Day. I was going around message boards posting threads about the production. Director Cory Stevens suggested I post a thread on Bloody-Disgusting. I did that and two weeks after I did I was being attacked by members of the board. I hadn’t done anything but post updates on the progress or the film and the members started getting personal and trashing the production and me personally as a writer.  Finally, I had enough and walked off the board. A week later members of the board hacked my My Space profile and erased all my information and posted Bloody-Disgusting banners. I complained to My Space and because of that the guy who ran the Bloody-Disgusting My Space profile started to attack me on my profile. He got kicked off My Space and Bloody-Disgusting banned me in retaliation, not that I’d want to go on there again. Anyway, I told my buddy Elissa Dowling about this. Soon after she started doing a lot of posts supporting Bloody-Disgusting. Also, friends of mine started telling me that a person calling themself  Razorected was going around chat rooms trashing me and Cory Stevens’ film. Hearing this I immediately suspected Elissa because her email at the time was razorected@spglobal.com. I contacted her about this and she immediately unfriended me on My Space and blocked me. Three months went by and “Razorected” continued her trashing of me and the film in chat rooms. Also, Bloody-Disgusting made Elissa one of their pinup girls and heavily promoted her films. At this point I decided Miss Z grade actress needed to be knocked down a few pegs. I decided rather than trashing her with lies I would hit her with the truth. I had known Elissa for three years and honestly she is a shitty actress (she still is). I had read a few reviews of her work and none were good at all. I decided I’d go around and pickup as many reviews I could on her films and post them in threads on message boards all over the internet under the title “Avoid like the Plague”. I found fifty reviews on the fourteen films Elissa had been in and posted them in twenty boards, including, unfortunately, Horror Yearbook. I even put up a challenge to people that if they found a good review of her work  I would close down the threads. Friends of Elissa’s started attacking my threads saying I was being unfair and acting like I actually wrote the reviews myself, which I constantly reminded them I didn’t. Finally,on Horror Yearbook, Wil Keiper came forward and offered to have his main reviewer, Dr Royce Clemins, check out one of Elissa’s films and see what he thought of her acting. I happily agreed, knowing for sure of the outcome. Initially, Dr Royce refused, saying he didn’t want to be involved, but two days later he reviewed Uli Lommel’s Black Dahlia, which Elissa stars in. His review was scathing. He called Elissa the most annoying actress he had had the dishonor of watching. I posted Dr. Royce’s review in “Avoid like the Plague” and said, honestly, I told you so. Immediately Wil and his crew started attacking me. Wil, who was also working with me and my business partner, Shane, to get us into the convention, Silicon, turned on us there and got us thrown out of the convention. Pissed by this, Shane got in on the Elissa thread and started defending me. At one point, Shane posted Elissa’s home address and phone number he found on the thread, which had been publically exhibited by Elissa herself on her website, Elissa Dowling.com. After that Wil and his crew started calling ME a creepy stalker and saying I was actually stalking Elissa Dowling, which was totally untrue. Then he and his buddies started posting pictures of John Wayne Gacy and saying because, according to them, I looked like Gacy it was proof I was a pervert and a serial killer. At this point, I’d had enough and I found a way to erase the thread and restart it. This royally enraged Wil and he and his crew escalated. I ended up leaving Horror Yearbook. I tried to delete all my threads I created, but Wil somehow stopped “Avoid like the Plague” from being deleted and he and his buddies continued to trash me on there. I just walked away.

Seven months later I was on the Horror Movie Fans message board. My friend Mandy Beltran, aka Dark Spider, had mysteriously disappeared and I had posted a thread asking if people knew anything or could help (At the time I did not know Wil Kieper and been involved). One of the people suggested that I have them interview me on their “Horror Yearbook podcast”. I told them I wanted nothing to do with anything with the name Horror Yearbook involved. This, of course, brought in Wil Keiper. He actually had the nerve to ask me what my problem was with him. After I told him, he started harassing me on Horror Movie Fans. He even tried to say that I stalked Mandy and that that was the reason she had disappeared and I was looking for her. At the time I was also working with my friend Ruhina, from The Daily Boost Coffee Bar, to do a charity event for St Baldricks, which supports child cancer research. Wil started posting that I was a pervert and child molester on Horror Movie fans. Also, after the St Baldricks event Wil and his buddies egged, shaving creamed, and toilet papered The Daily Boost because they didn’t like the fact that Ruhina served a special coffee drink at the event in honor of me called The Eric Morse Mocha. At this point, Wil crossed the line and used my personal information to start a profile on Horror Movie Fans under my real name of William Pattison (I post on message boards as Eric Morse). Using the William Pattison profile he started a series of perverted threads making me out as a lover of child porn and snuff films (which makes you wonder where he got the film titles and videos he posted on his threads). I found out because the arrogant fuck went on my Mandy Beltran thread and admitted to everything. He thought it was incredibly funny. I went to the head of Horror Movie Fans, Foo, and demanded the threads be taken down and Wil Keiper be banned. Foo, who I didn’t realize was Wil’s buddy, refused to do a thing and told me that I needed to get a thicker skin (I’ve heard that before). Then he said, “We love Wil Keiper here.” Then he told Wil that he could do whatever he wanted to me, that he didn’t care. After that I went to the FBI Cyber Crimes Unit, because as an author I am a public figure, and reported both Wil and Foo. Foo was forced to close the William Pattison profile and pull down all the threads Wil posted. Also, both Wil and Foo got served with notices that the FBI now had files open on them and if they pulled anything similar they could be put up on Federal charges.

After , Wil opened a new thread on Horror Yearbook  titled Hall of Honor: William Fattison, aka Eric Morse. On this thread to this day he continues the John Wayne Gacy bullshit, insults my podcasts, and even insults Mandy Beltran.

Also, when I had my first podcast, The Eric Morse Show, Wil kept trying to call in drunk and harass me and my co-host. He also continually disrupted my chat room. He got tired of doing this after four months and quit because I was constantly throwing him out. But to this day he and his friends keep sending me and my podcasts hate mail and letters telling me to kills myself, most of them saying “from your buddies at Horror Yearbook.”

So, here is our little moral of this blog post, don’t listen to the propaganda on the web. If you want to know me then you get to know me. I may have faults. I may be opinionated. But, I’m not the heartless monster or degenerate some of these people who have issues with me try to paint me as. You might actually find I’m light years better than what you’ve heard on the grapevine. All you have to do is give me a chance for once.

Oh, and here is a little song for those people who expect me to put on a fake happy face and pretend things are wonderful....This is for you.....