Showing posts with label Mala Mastroberte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mala Mastroberte. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Friday, September 25, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
VTTPOTCW is in release!
You can find the film through Oldies.com!
Many sincere thanks to all those who made this possible. God bless you all.
The B picture is a Conrad Brooks comedy.
Friday, November 28, 2014
20 questions with Joshua Kennedy
It's a Gooey Life: The Joshua Kennedy interview
Thanks for sitting down for this interview, Josh(ua).
Sure thing; Thank YOU. To quote Peter Cushing in “Captain Clegg”: “There is nothing I like better than talking about myself…” Haha.
1)Let's start with your background. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got interested in making movies.
Well, my name is Joshua Kennedy, of the House of Kennedy: David and Ana, and sister Kathleen. I am 20 years old, born and raised in Edinburg, Texas and currently studying film in NYC.
I cant say there is a moment I can look back on and immediately think that was the Eureka moment where I wanted to do film but I do remember wanting to be a marine biologist for the longest time, but that slowly transformed into: Instead of researching cephalopods… why not make movies about them?!
2) What was your first complete film?
The first movie I ever made was IT CAME FROM THE BATHROOM when I was five-years old. It was about a man who fell into the world’s biggest toilet and through some radioactive-exposure-transformation turned into a giant rubber-bouncing ball that proceeded to destroy the nearby town. Of course, this was all done on the floor of my bathroom with my miniature plastic toy soldiers and my model Alamo toy…
3) ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE (or, AOTOP, as it's affectionately known, was your first released feature. Reportedly, it's done very well for the distributor, New Alpha, and was even nominated for a Rondo Award. Tell us how you developed that project.
It was one Christmas where I just had a string of absolutely atrocious films that I watched back-to-back. Now, usually during my couch potato marathons there are a few bad ones interspersed with the good ones I watch… but this particular time it was just a sledgehammer to the head of really bad movies. I then dreamt up a film that I would LOVE to watch, and decided to make it myself so I COULD watch it! Luckily, I had so many friends who were absolutely willing to help with the project, and in the end, they and every family member available in Texas ended up being my cast!
4) I imagine you were pleased by the film's warm reception. What was it like to hear you'd been nominated for an award?
Oh, I was on top of the world and extremely honored.
5) You followed up AOTOP with the somewhat less spoofy CURSE OF THE INSECT WOMAN. What can you tell us about the development and production of that film?
I was “The Fly” from RETURN OF THE FLY for Halloween that previous year and was dying to do something with that mask. The script ended up being a lot darker than I wanted at the time, and I was never fully happy with the final product. It was also done very last minute, and I was up until 2am the night before the premiere editing it. Looking back now, though, I think it holds up the best out of everything that I’ve done.
6) For VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN, you graduated to color and scope photography. What did you think of the change? And what can you tell us about this as-yet un-released wonder?
Well, it was the first major movie I shot with my new camera, so it was a welcome change from my $25 Target camera that shot AOTOP and COTIW. The final cut of the film (that has had about six different cuts) is a fun movie and I had one of the most cooperative casts ever: an entire bevy of beautiful cave-girls walking around in the desert barefoot, and two great co-stars wearing heavy army costumes in 115 degree weather. They were really swell.
7) What have you learned from the long journey in completing VTTPOTCW?
The amount of versions that film has had is insane (going from 45 minutes, to 65 minutes, to 55 minutes, to 35 minutes) but it has been an extremely eye-opening experience which has made me realize that the cliché “show don’t tell” is so true. No one goes to see a movie called “Voyage to the Planet of Teenage Cavewomen” and wants to see scenes about people talking about a voyage to a planet of teenage cavewomen.
8) You followed up VTTPOTCW with the fun comedy MIRANDA GRACIA MEETS FRANKENSTEIN. This one was a character-driven comedy piece, and so stood apart from the previous films (in which most of humor came from the limitations of budget). What was filming that one like?
MGMF had a smaller cast than my other films, and by some miracle everyone’s schedule lined up perfectly and we were able to shoot everything within two weeks so it was a welcome change from my other films where that seldom happened. That’s the thing that makes me stress out the most when making my films: Scheduling.
9) I must take the hit for suggesting a song for use in MGMF which turned out to be copyrighted, which is the main reason for the film's hold-up in getting released. When it does see release, how do you think people will react to it?
This is a good question. I feel it really captures the feel of a 1960’s made-for-TV “movie of the week”, but that is not everyone’s cup of tea… so we’ll just have to wait and see if it ever sees the light of day!
10) You did extensive location filming for VTTPOTCW. Did that have any impact on the construction of your next film, THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS? You again made use of the desert and included some location shooting in New York City. And what was the most enjoyable part of filming THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS?
Interestingly enough, the entire film was originally set in NYC. I hadn’t a complete script ready until the middle of that semester, so each draft included less and less location filming until the very end, giving me a chance to film back home during the summer.
Again, as with all of my films, I have been entirely blessed with absolutely wonderful friends and family that are so generous to donate their time to be in these films. It was a complete blast to work alongside my friend Ayssette Munoz who was extremely professional, and one of the best actresses that I’ve ever worked with.
11) For TMWFA, you shot in wide scope. What challenges/benefits did you find in going wide-screen?
It was mostly inspired by THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and RETURN OF THE FLY actually. I think the main benefit was that it looks so cool! Only drawback in the long run is that it doesn’t translate well to smaller screens… but that’s the problem with ANY super widescreen film.
12) You must have been pleased when Alpha released a double feature disk pairing THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS with your much earlier CURSE OF THE INSECT WOMAN. This presented an interesting contrast allowing one to see how your skills as a film-maker have grown. (Since the writing of this question, said release was honored with Mr. Kennedy's second Rondo nomination!)
Oh, yes. It’s also fun to see the actors that are in COTIW that return two years later to star in TMWFA and think back to the different experiences.
13) When you're not shooting a movie, you're mounting a stage production. Crowds have been increasingly impressed by your productions of shows like King Kong, The Ten Commandments, and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Do you intend to continue this annual tradition? And what films would you most like to adapt for the stage?
Oi, the great Summer Circuses, brain-child of my Dad which has been a tradition for 12 years. The basic premise is to bring students from all walks of life and put on a show with them in two weeks and perform it for the community. We’ve done Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Hamlet, Annie, and an adaptation of The Gorgon when I was eight! This summer we opted for an adaptation of the TV show The Gong Show with all sorts of Texas talent. As with all these circuses, it nearly killed me.
14) What's the creative process for starting a film? How do you decide what kind of a picture you want to make?
Haha, this is a great question that I really don’t have an answer for. I guess all I can say is that for the most part any movie that I want to make, is a movie that I want to see as an audience member.
15) Has your time in New York changed much to your approach?
I wouldn’t say so. If anything it has given me a sharper and keener eye on every aspect of film and theater. In that city, one is just thrown into this gigantic ocean of talent and culture and people that it is near-on impossible to not be affected by it.
16) Tell us about your most recent production, SLAVE GIRLS ON THE MOON (details must be kept in check for the time being).
A friend called it “A Stanley Kubrick-directed Quentin Tarantino science fiction script”. It is much more action-packed and modern than anything I’ve done. It’s the first film completed entirely outside of Texas, with another bunch of beautiful and absolutely angelic actresses. It’s a fun film, it was almost too fun to make, and I’m very proud of it.
17) What types of films do you eventually plan to make? Which genres are you looking forward to tackling?
I always say I want to make an adaptation of Richard III. For now, I am happy in the science-fiction, B-movie niche I have burrowed for myself but have been interested in doing a 1970’s disaster film. But if there’s a movie I’m dying to see that hasn’t been made, I’ll be looking for ways to make it.
18) Are there any Hollywood actors/producers/studios you would like to eventually work with?
Gene Wilder, if he ever decides to make movies again.
19) You're pretty much a one-man production crew. You write, act, direct, storyboard, edit, act as technician and stagehand, produce, compose, and we can only imagine what else. What job do you enjoy best?
I absolutely love editing. That’s the final stage where I can finally see what I wrote down so many months ago come to life. Ha, it’s a bit like being Doctor Frankenstein by sewing together these dead pieces of unrelated scenes and then creating a living thing and unleashing it onto the world.
20) What's next?
Only time will tell. If I can continue to keep making movies I would be entirely content!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce an exclusive! First here, J.K. offers some details about his newest film....
AIRLINE '79 is a project done for class at Pace University and is basically my experiment film; I'm trying things I haven't done before, most notably using studio lights and returning to the 4:3 aspect ratio. It's an homage (of course) to the AIRPORT films of the 70's and will have its world premiere January 3rd at Cine El Rey in Texas!
I'm certainly looking forward to seeing that! Thanks so much for your time, J.K.!
UPDATE! Feast your eyes on the inspired poster for AIRLINE '79!
When New Alpha released the opus of a 16 year old Texan named Joshua
Kennedy, the company found itself with a hot property. The back-yard
spoof ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE took off to become one of the
company's best-selling independent contemporary releases. Almost
overnight, the young writer-director-actor-etc became a noted name in
the field of under-budget science fiction fun, and the film was
immediately nominated for a Rondo Award. And it was obvious why.
Despite his lack of budget, and a pool of locals for actors, ATTACK OF
THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE displayed an understanding and affection for it's material
almost completely absent from larger budget attempts to do the similar.
New Alpha eagerly took the chance to distribute subsequent Kennedy
features, and the double feature of THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS and CURSE
OF THE INSECT WOMAN was again nominated for a Rondo. Cranking out at
least one new movie each year since ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE, Josh
continues to grow in his skills, and his films advance by leaps and
bounds. What he has achieved with no budget, makes his friends like me
anxious to see what he'll accomplish with a budget. Josh recently
allowed me to interview him, shortly following the completion of his
most recent opus, SLAVE GIRLS ON THE MOON. (At the time of this posting, Mr. Kennedy is found working on a second 2014 release, AIRLINE '79!) The result of that interview
is seen below....
Thanks for sitting down for this interview, Josh(ua).
Sure thing; Thank YOU. To quote Peter Cushing in “Captain Clegg”: “There is nothing I like better than talking about myself…” Haha.
1)Let's start with your background. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got interested in making movies.
Well, my name is Joshua Kennedy, of the House of Kennedy: David and Ana, and sister Kathleen. I am 20 years old, born and raised in Edinburg, Texas and currently studying film in NYC.
I cant say there is a moment I can look back on and immediately think that was the Eureka moment where I wanted to do film but I do remember wanting to be a marine biologist for the longest time, but that slowly transformed into: Instead of researching cephalopods… why not make movies about them?!
2) What was your first complete film?
The first movie I ever made was IT CAME FROM THE BATHROOM when I was five-years old. It was about a man who fell into the world’s biggest toilet and through some radioactive-exposure-transformation turned into a giant rubber-bouncing ball that proceeded to destroy the nearby town. Of course, this was all done on the floor of my bathroom with my miniature plastic toy soldiers and my model Alamo toy…
3) ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE (or, AOTOP, as it's affectionately known, was your first released feature. Reportedly, it's done very well for the distributor, New Alpha, and was even nominated for a Rondo Award. Tell us how you developed that project.
It was one Christmas where I just had a string of absolutely atrocious films that I watched back-to-back. Now, usually during my couch potato marathons there are a few bad ones interspersed with the good ones I watch… but this particular time it was just a sledgehammer to the head of really bad movies. I then dreamt up a film that I would LOVE to watch, and decided to make it myself so I COULD watch it! Luckily, I had so many friends who were absolutely willing to help with the project, and in the end, they and every family member available in Texas ended up being my cast!
4) I imagine you were pleased by the film's warm reception. What was it like to hear you'd been nominated for an award?
Oh, I was on top of the world and extremely honored.
5) You followed up AOTOP with the somewhat less spoofy CURSE OF THE INSECT WOMAN. What can you tell us about the development and production of that film?
I was “The Fly” from RETURN OF THE FLY for Halloween that previous year and was dying to do something with that mask. The script ended up being a lot darker than I wanted at the time, and I was never fully happy with the final product. It was also done very last minute, and I was up until 2am the night before the premiere editing it. Looking back now, though, I think it holds up the best out of everything that I’ve done.
6) For VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN, you graduated to color and scope photography. What did you think of the change? And what can you tell us about this as-yet un-released wonder?
Well, it was the first major movie I shot with my new camera, so it was a welcome change from my $25 Target camera that shot AOTOP and COTIW. The final cut of the film (that has had about six different cuts) is a fun movie and I had one of the most cooperative casts ever: an entire bevy of beautiful cave-girls walking around in the desert barefoot, and two great co-stars wearing heavy army costumes in 115 degree weather. They were really swell.
7) What have you learned from the long journey in completing VTTPOTCW?
The amount of versions that film has had is insane (going from 45 minutes, to 65 minutes, to 55 minutes, to 35 minutes) but it has been an extremely eye-opening experience which has made me realize that the cliché “show don’t tell” is so true. No one goes to see a movie called “Voyage to the Planet of Teenage Cavewomen” and wants to see scenes about people talking about a voyage to a planet of teenage cavewomen.
8) You followed up VTTPOTCW with the fun comedy MIRANDA GRACIA MEETS FRANKENSTEIN. This one was a character-driven comedy piece, and so stood apart from the previous films (in which most of humor came from the limitations of budget). What was filming that one like?
MGMF had a smaller cast than my other films, and by some miracle everyone’s schedule lined up perfectly and we were able to shoot everything within two weeks so it was a welcome change from my other films where that seldom happened. That’s the thing that makes me stress out the most when making my films: Scheduling.
9) I must take the hit for suggesting a song for use in MGMF which turned out to be copyrighted, which is the main reason for the film's hold-up in getting released. When it does see release, how do you think people will react to it?
This is a good question. I feel it really captures the feel of a 1960’s made-for-TV “movie of the week”, but that is not everyone’s cup of tea… so we’ll just have to wait and see if it ever sees the light of day!
10) You did extensive location filming for VTTPOTCW. Did that have any impact on the construction of your next film, THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS? You again made use of the desert and included some location shooting in New York City. And what was the most enjoyable part of filming THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS?
Interestingly enough, the entire film was originally set in NYC. I hadn’t a complete script ready until the middle of that semester, so each draft included less and less location filming until the very end, giving me a chance to film back home during the summer.
Again, as with all of my films, I have been entirely blessed with absolutely wonderful friends and family that are so generous to donate their time to be in these films. It was a complete blast to work alongside my friend Ayssette Munoz who was extremely professional, and one of the best actresses that I’ve ever worked with.
11) For TMWFA, you shot in wide scope. What challenges/benefits did you find in going wide-screen?
It was mostly inspired by THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and RETURN OF THE FLY actually. I think the main benefit was that it looks so cool! Only drawback in the long run is that it doesn’t translate well to smaller screens… but that’s the problem with ANY super widescreen film.
12) You must have been pleased when Alpha released a double feature disk pairing THE MENACE WITH FIVE ARMS with your much earlier CURSE OF THE INSECT WOMAN. This presented an interesting contrast allowing one to see how your skills as a film-maker have grown. (Since the writing of this question, said release was honored with Mr. Kennedy's second Rondo nomination!)
Oh, yes. It’s also fun to see the actors that are in COTIW that return two years later to star in TMWFA and think back to the different experiences.
13) When you're not shooting a movie, you're mounting a stage production. Crowds have been increasingly impressed by your productions of shows like King Kong, The Ten Commandments, and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Do you intend to continue this annual tradition? And what films would you most like to adapt for the stage?
Oi, the great Summer Circuses, brain-child of my Dad which has been a tradition for 12 years. The basic premise is to bring students from all walks of life and put on a show with them in two weeks and perform it for the community. We’ve done Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Hamlet, Annie, and an adaptation of The Gorgon when I was eight! This summer we opted for an adaptation of the TV show The Gong Show with all sorts of Texas talent. As with all these circuses, it nearly killed me.
14) What's the creative process for starting a film? How do you decide what kind of a picture you want to make?
Haha, this is a great question that I really don’t have an answer for. I guess all I can say is that for the most part any movie that I want to make, is a movie that I want to see as an audience member.
15) Has your time in New York changed much to your approach?
I wouldn’t say so. If anything it has given me a sharper and keener eye on every aspect of film and theater. In that city, one is just thrown into this gigantic ocean of talent and culture and people that it is near-on impossible to not be affected by it.
16) Tell us about your most recent production, SLAVE GIRLS ON THE MOON (details must be kept in check for the time being).
A friend called it “A Stanley Kubrick-directed Quentin Tarantino science fiction script”. It is much more action-packed and modern than anything I’ve done. It’s the first film completed entirely outside of Texas, with another bunch of beautiful and absolutely angelic actresses. It’s a fun film, it was almost too fun to make, and I’m very proud of it.
17) What types of films do you eventually plan to make? Which genres are you looking forward to tackling?
I always say I want to make an adaptation of Richard III. For now, I am happy in the science-fiction, B-movie niche I have burrowed for myself but have been interested in doing a 1970’s disaster film. But if there’s a movie I’m dying to see that hasn’t been made, I’ll be looking for ways to make it.
18) Are there any Hollywood actors/producers/studios you would like to eventually work with?
Gene Wilder, if he ever decides to make movies again.
19) You're pretty much a one-man production crew. You write, act, direct, storyboard, edit, act as technician and stagehand, produce, compose, and we can only imagine what else. What job do you enjoy best?
I absolutely love editing. That’s the final stage where I can finally see what I wrote down so many months ago come to life. Ha, it’s a bit like being Doctor Frankenstein by sewing together these dead pieces of unrelated scenes and then creating a living thing and unleashing it onto the world.
20) What's next?
Only time will tell. If I can continue to keep making movies I would be entirely content!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce an exclusive! First here, J.K. offers some details about his newest film....
AIRLINE '79 is a project done for class at Pace University and is basically my experiment film; I'm trying things I haven't done before, most notably using studio lights and returning to the 4:3 aspect ratio. It's an homage (of course) to the AIRPORT films of the 70's and will have its world premiere January 3rd at Cine El Rey in Texas!
I'm certainly looking forward to seeing that! Thanks so much for your time, J.K.!
UPDATE! Feast your eyes on the inspired poster for AIRLINE '79!
Monday, July 7, 2014
Friday, August 2, 2013
Betsy by Mala!
The newest issue of Main Enterprises PRESENTS (issue 10) find Betsy the Bookwriter in flesh and blood form, thanks to the efforts of pinup/photographer Mala Mastroberte! Here're a few shots of Miss Mala as our gal Betsy!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Mala Mastroberte IS Betsy the Bookwriter!
No, Betsy isn't starring in her own movie (yet), but the next issue of Main Enterprises PRESENTS will not only be in full color, but will also feature this very special Betsy the Bookwriter episode which features a photo-comic section starring Mala Mastroberte!
The increasingly popular internet pinup girl and photographer (who earlier supplied the potential cover art for the VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN DVD) has brought to life not only Betsy, but her blonde nemesis as well!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Seeing TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN....
 |
| The stunning poster created by Mala Mastroberte |
It was a big moment in my life, finally seeing a motion picture come to completion that I was personally involved with. As a life-long movie nut, the experience was pretty special. There was that mixture of excitement and fear anyone would feel. I finally had my name in a credit sequence, but what if the movie didn't smell too good? No need to worry about that. VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN was a terrific show! The film is a hysterical spot-on homage to those Italian space operas of the 60's.
Those who enjoyed Josh Kennedy's earlier ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE will get a kick out of this one too. The new film is much slicker (in color and scope yet), and the scope achieved with such minimal resources is truly impressive. I'm eager to see Josh's next picture (which, if everything goes according to plan, will be another screenplay credit for myself as well)!
 |
| Captain Sullivan (Josh Kennedy) and Queen Lyna (April Gomez) |
I met Josh on Facebook, through our mutual friendship with Larry Blamire. Larry has fueled a lot of excitement for B movie fans via his films, including the immortal LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA. His films have offered a lot of encouragement to others who wish to pay tribute to the kind of films that just aren't seen anymore. Among these fans is Josh Kennedy, who poured his heart and soul into a parody of 50's B pictures he titled ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE. I saw AOTOP when Josh was kind enough to send me a screener of the film. It was crude (technically speaking, although I don't say that in detriment to the film), but it was magical.
 |
| Leslie Ann Leal as Prima, the adorable youth |
Even at 16, Josh displayed a knowledge and understanding of old genre movies that seemed to surpass even my obsessive fascinations. I knew at once, Josh is going to be a cinematic force of tsunami-like proportions when he gets to work with an actual budget. His back yard epic was something unique even among this particular brand of low-budget spoof. Josh 'got' it. He wasn't out to make fun of 50's monster movies. He really wanted to make his own films in the same genre. Lacking resources to make a 'real' movie, Josh instead delivered a comedy which both parodies and tributes the efforts of the producer-of-limited-means. As in the best parodies, the film even provides a genuinely scary scene or two. Josh actually managed to have his cake and eat it too.
 |
| "Either our instruments were wrong or everyone lives underground..." |
Amazingly, Josh hadn't gotten a distributor for AOTOP yet. By chance (or divine intervention) I had seen an ad where New Alpha, the distributorship wing of Alpha Video for contemporary movies, was seeking product. I alerted Josh to this and ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE is now in video stores nation-wide! The film was even nominated for a Rondo Award! (Sadly, it lost to the horrible anthology film CHILLORAMA, yet another in a long line of awful projects to feature Eric Roberts -and not even in a starring role at that. Roberts is a good actor, why is it so hard for him to find work in decent films?)
 |
| Viviana Rodriguez as Tanna, the female warrior |
Josh was also kind enough to send me a copy of his next film, CURSE OF THE INSECT WOMAN. One could already see Josh improving by leaps and bounds, and even trying for a straighter horror feel. I knew I wanted to work with this guy, and the chance presented itself through idle conversation.
 |
| Xavier Roberto Aguilar as Tony, the first mate |
Josh and I were both puzzled by FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER. How do you come up with a title so wonderful and then make a movie that falls flat? How can you make a movie about Martians abducting bikini girls, and pitting their pet monster against a modern-day 'Frankenstein' astro-robot, and it come out sorta dull? It just doesn't compute. The film should've been right up there with THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH in delivering the cheesy goods! But it wasn't. Josh and I quickly concocted our own 60's beach invasion epic, and I wrote a script for him. That project proved to be too large to tackle, so THE BEACH PARTY TERROR got put on the back burner. Soon enough, though, Josh came to me with a new idea....
 |
| Every prehistoric planet populated by beautiful women also has giant spiders |
Having just watched BARBARELLA, Josh found himself wanting to make a sexy European sci-fi epic. BARBARELLA was just about the only 60's European space opera I hadn't seen, but I jumped at the chance to write a good pulpy space opera. Better still, we could create one of those lost-civilization-of-women-on-another-planet movies that Hollywood stopped producing with the sketch comedy AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON. Unsure how comical Josh wanted to be with the project, I decided to write a straight space opera, the kind of film I'd want to see. The result was VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN.
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| Queen Lyna and Prima confer with the earth men |
I wrote the film under circumstances that didn't allow for a page-count. The script I turned over turned out to be about half as long as it needed to be! By the time this became obvious, I was busy with other projects and couldn't devote the time to writing new scenes, although we discussed what the film needed and Josh filled in brilliantly. The finished film doesn't feel like a patch-job at all (other than where the film is SUPPOSED to feel like patch-work, of course).
In short, the story concerns an approaching "cosmic holocaust" in the shape of two rogue planets joined together by a chain of gravity. The planets have been pushed out of their orbits and are hurtling toward Earth. One of the planets, Vigus, has a human population. Dashing young Captain Matt Sullivan and the crew of the United States space ship Astros must land on Vigus and remove the natives before an atomic missile strike blows the runaway planets out of the sky. Once there, Matt and his crew discover a civilization of teen-aged amazons....
I provided a script that was cliched, but sincere. I wanted to see another film of this genre, and I wrote the picture I wanted to see. (Seeing the final film, I found some of my dialogue was a tad too flowery, but it seemed to add to the comedy.) Josh played the thing perfectly straight, and that is the source of much of the humor. The film is obviously supposed to be a fun adventure story, but one in which the limited production values make for some amusing elements (like prehistoric alien planets littered with tracks from bulldozers). Some of the gags are there because they seem so organic to the genre (such as a rocket that lands and the flames shooting out of it's tail vanish before the ship has completely landed).
 |
| Cassie Dean as Zora, the traitor |
Even so, the film looks much slicker than it could have. The landing rocket blends into the background plate (a real location) better than you usually see in these things, and the color is quite vibrant. Ultimately, I think Josh managed to deliver a picture that can be taken on its face value (as a cheesy sci-fi movie) or as sharp parody. The details are amazing. And like our model films, much of the finished product is the result of unexpected behind-the-camera circumstances.
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| Ralph Haskins intros the film and explains the science behind the picture |
Not long after finishing the script, but after Josh had started filming, I recalled that ambient noise tended to be a problem for Josh's outdoor shoots. Yet, his interior-shot footage has nice sound, and his talent at laying in music is top shelf. Since VTTPOTCW would involve so much location filming, I wondered if wind would spoil the takes. Inspiration struck, and we decided to film the picture silent and dub over it later, to further the resemblance to an Italian import. Josh jumped on this idea and embraced it. This left some footage with sync sound, but even that became a blessing, as all the scenes in question revolved around Matt's CO, Commander Mitchell.
 |
| Ismael Rivera as Cameron Mitchell, er, Commander Mitchell |
Josh handled these scenes as if they were American-shot inserts ala Roger Corman, and they work beautifully as such. Since Josh appears in one of these scenes, it even looks like the American distributor got the original actor back to shoot for a single day! There's a scene toward the climax where Mitchell makes an appearance and you (provided you've feasted on a steady diet of such films all your life like I have) instinctively think the scene was squeezed into a perfectly normal scene transition at a later date.
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| In the future, communication devices will be worn on the wrist |
As to the dubbing, it seldom matches the actual lip movements of the cast. I really like a scene where one character spouts a couple of lines with a big pause between them, during which the actor continues to silently speak! Adding to the humor here is that all this was spoken in English to start with, as were many Italian films of this sort (but Italian films also tended to be shot without sync sound and the lines looped in later at the studio). The result is an American imitation of an Italian imitation of an American movie! But the imitation is sincere. Yeah, it's a comedy of sorts, but only because it isn't a comedy. It's people with more ambition than resources trying to make a science fiction epic.
In general, the film is well-cast. Filmed near the border in Edinburg and La Joya, Texas, the actors are mostly of obvious Mexican descent. That only adds to the flavor of the film, as they often come across as looking Italian or Spanish, with a token American lead tossed in.
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| Capt. Sullivan chats with Mitchell's secretary, as played by the beauteous Gloria Salinas (who is actually one of Josh's teachers, lucky guy) |
One actor got his hair cut half-way through production, offering another fun glitch. Also adding to the fun (and in many ways grounding the film) are the Herman Stein music cues recorded for old Universal International movies. Not only is this perfect because such cues would be likely to turn up in 60's imports, but the grandness of the music gives some legitimacy to Josh's efforts.
I have to say, I'm quite pleased to have the film as my first screen credit. Hopefully, the final cut will be on sale through New Alpha sooner than later. I'd say more about the film, but I don't wish to spoil anything for potential viewers.
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| Miranda Gracia, Miss Edinburg 2012, is special guest star |
Where to next? Well, after I'd seen the movie, Josh and I were discussing various aspects of it. One thing we both wanted to do was use Miranda Gracia in our next picture. Miss Gracia is 2012's Miss Edinburg, and this added some fuel to the film when Josh hired her for a small part. As the running time needed to be expanded, Josh gave Miranda a larger supporting role. Despite never having acted before, Miranda shows some real talent just waiting to escape. I found her reactions to be very natural, and her smile nothing short of adorable. I see a potential star on the rise, and Josh and I both want to help forge that talent if we can.
I quickly drafted a script that would feature Miranda in a starring role, and the picture is set to start filming soon. Details when the time comes. For my part, the script was a complete tonal shift from VTTPOTCW. This new project, actually about the making of low-budget exploitation movies, had to be a lot sharper, script-wise. It'll be as much a test for my skills at character development as it will be for Miranda's skills as an actress. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing the final film!
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| Miranda Gracia, the rising star |
My sincere thanks and congratulations to every one involved in the production of VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF TEENAGE CAVEWOMEN. You've made a life-long dream of mine come true. I'm in the movies! Josh, I'm looking forward to many more cinematic adventures together!
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| The crew of the Astros, Michael Morales, Josh Kennedy, and Xavier Roberto Aguilar |
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| One of my favorite sequences, an encounter with an alien monster |
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| Stephanie Cisneros, a lovely source of exposition |
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