<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
Back in the halcyon days of devouring Famous Monsters of Filmland<\/span>, Cinemagic<\/span><\/strong>, and Fangoria<\/span><\/strong> hot off the newsstand, one of the most fascinating staples for me in their pages was the behind-the-scenes images of special effects make-up in progress, whether or not an explanatory article went with them. It became a popular topic in certain circles and products dedicated to inspiring beginners and instructing artists, such as Fango<\/span>\u2019s Horror FX<\/span><\/strong> one-shot with Robert \u201cFreddy Krueger\u201d Englund<\/strong> on the cover, Imagine, Inc.<\/strong>\u2019s reissue of FM<\/span>\u2019s Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-up<\/span><\/strong> by the legendary Dick Smith<\/strong> (THE EXORCIST<\/strong>), and the same imprint\u2019s Grande Illusions<\/span><\/strong> by the equally legendary Tom Savini<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (DAWN OF THE DEAD<\/strong>), were prized possessions. I even cobbled together a kit of application tools, Ben Nye<\/strong> cosmetics<\/a><\/span>, and liquid latex rations based on what I\u2019d read. The effort dried up, so to speak, as I didn\u2019t get very far in my dabbling.<\/p>\n Being an astute observer from that point on, it became clear the publications nearly always highlighted men as the primary creators of creatures and gore in Hollywood. Women mentioned in the same spaces were either assistants or, rarely, the head of a department, and we weren\u2019t shown them at work very often. I knew they contributed on set, seeing their names fly by deep into the end titles of various science fiction, fantasy, and horror flicks, and soon we\u2019ll get to meet a select group of them front and center in MONSTER GIRLS<\/strong>, the upcoming independent documentary from the locally-based producer and effects artist Jessie Seitz<\/strong> (JAKOB\u2019S WIFE<\/strong>) of Capricorn Rising<\/strong> and, with Marcus Koch, 93\/93 Pictures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Announced to appear in the film, for which Seitz is currently running a Kickstarter<\/strong> campaign to raise finishing funds<\/a><\/span>, are Oscar<\/strong>-winner Ve Neill<\/strong><\/a><\/span> (ED WOOD<\/strong>), Emmy<\/strong>-winner Jennifer Aspinall<\/strong><\/a><\/span> (PAM & TOMMY<\/strong>), and an appreciation of Milicent Patrick<\/strong>, the visual artist and actress who created the look of the \u201cGill Man\u201d made famous in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON<\/strong> in 1954 and did not receive an on-screen credit for it by Universal International<\/strong>, as it was typical back then to attribute only the lead craftsperson of a team and, yes, they were almost always men. Seitz has yet to hint at what other surprises will be had in this necessary look at women professionals in the field, although Aspinall and Neill are key inclusions for the sake of learning about their lengthy careers and respective work on a number of genre favorites like STREET TRASH, BEETLEJUICE, THE TOXIC AVENGER<\/strong>, and THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Seitz is gamely following in these ladies\u2019 footsteps, both as an artist-for-hire on productions with her husband Koch and in control of their own slate of projects, and MONSTER GIRLS<\/strong> hits close to the beating heart of the matter for her, especially once she realized that no comprehensive account like this had existed before now. \u201cAs you research and look into this history,\u201d Seitz relates in a Kickstarter video, \u201cyou find that women have been creating some of the most iconic monsters since the 1950s. How different would that be for little girls growing up, who are trying to figure out what they want to do and who love monster movies, if they knew that they [can be] part of a legacy?\u201d After consulting with the local pros at Shatterglass Studios<\/strong> on logistics, she set out across the United States<\/strong> to record conversations with working makeup artists and to construct a timeline that accounts for major contributions by women.<\/p>\n As Seitz moves to complete MONSTER GIRLS<\/strong>, more is seeping forth from her and Koch\u2019s lair in an undisclosed corner of central Illinois<\/strong>. BEYOND HORROR<\/strong>, a talking-head rumination on the \u201cred film,\u201d or a kind of extreme horror cinema that is marked by a heightened visceral and emotional content, will be released on limited-edition DVD<\/a><\/span> by Vile Video Productions<\/strong> on Wednesday, July 12<\/strong>, with a bonus interview featuring the directing duo. FUKD<\/strong>, an anthology horror coordinated by Seitz and with segments created by women who hail from this same underground movement, is coming soon after a late 2021 festival premiere<\/a><\/span>. CHUM BUCKET<\/strong>, the couple\u2019s entry in the AMERICAN GUINEA PIG<\/strong> series perpetuated by Unearthed Films<\/strong><\/a><\/span> as a tribute to the infamous Japanese entries of the same name, is shot. These are an acquired taste for a crowd with adventurous sensory organs, so, it\u2019s up to you if you go taking a look; I feel BEYOND HORROR<\/strong> will be a valuable entry point to the \u201cred\u201d horror novice for providing context.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Other projects may be easier to digest as an introduction to what fires up Seitz\u2019s sensibilities as a storyteller, makeup effects designer, and a committed fan of the fantastic. One is an upcoming Nineties-era slasher set in the dusty farmlands of the Midwest called OBSIDIAN<\/strong>, for which she and a small team including actors Haley Madison<\/strong> (IN MEMORY OF<\/strong>), J. B. Beverley<\/strong> (THE KILLER AMONG US<\/strong>), and Jim VanBebber<\/strong> (LAST AMERICAN HORROR SHOW<\/strong>) produced a short film a few years ago<\/a><\/span> as proof of concept. Seitz also made the hour-long DEVOTION<\/strong>, a fragmented tale of a crime<\/a><\/span> that is recounted via hazy looping memories and stars Madsion and Linnea Quigley<\/strong> (THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD<\/strong>), and the short subject FIVE<\/strong>, a family drama with tinges of dread<\/a><\/span> that features VanBebber and Amanda Pemberton<\/strong> (RATLINE<\/strong>). All have a rough and tactile edge that eschews many a mainstream tendency.<\/p>\n In the near future, we\u2019ll be able to look back at this time period in horror culture and be thankful it has opened up considerably to be more respected, accepting, and challenging. Today\u2019s children of the night may grow up to share with their own children the dog-eared copies of books and other media that inspired them to create darkly. Instead of Savini, it could be Monster Squad: Celebrating the Artists Behind Cinema\u2019s Most Memorable Creatures<\/span><\/strong> by Heather A. Wixson<\/strong> from BearManor Press<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, which includes Jennifer Aspinall. Instead of Smith, it might be The Lady from the Black Lagoon<\/span><\/strong> by Mallory O\u2019Meara<\/strong> from Hanover Square Press<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, all about the pursuits of Milicent Patrick. And, instead of any old home video or internet stream about doing make-up effects in movies, it absolutely can be something specific and affirming like Jessie Seitz\u2019s MONSTER GIRLS<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. By all means, ladies, keep \u2018em creeping and crawling!<\/p>\n ~ Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n p.s.<\/em> Have you supported MONSTER GIRLS<\/strong> yet? Even though Seitz\u2019s campaign has already hit the initial goal of $5,000, more is merrier in ways that non-filmmakers might not appreciate. Kickstarter will end their drive early in the morning on Saturday, July 1<\/strong>, so click right here and don\u2019t miss out!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n p.s.2<\/em> As a somewhat-late-to-the-mad-monster-party Monster Kid in my youth, I\u2019m compelled to give props to at least one fine fellow in this post. Ricou Browning<\/strong>, the expert stuntman who played the \u201cGill Man\u201d in underwater scenes for the CREATURE<\/strong> series, passed away on February 27<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n In her newest project and Kickstarter push, Decatur-area native Jessie Seitz sets out to course-correct monster movie history in MONSTER GIRLS, a salute to women makeup effects artists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[374,2125,2011,2144,53,376,2093,10],"tags":[2587,2594,1734,2593,2590,2596,2585,1410,2591,2595,2589,2584,2592,2588,2586],"class_list":["post-15404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-matters","category-cinema-discourse","category-crowdsourcing-du-c-u","category-documentary","category-educationclasses","category-gone-hollywood","category-how-you-can-help","category-production-updates","tag-beetlejuice","tag-beyond-horror","tag-capricorn-rising-films","tag-creature-design","tag-creature-from-the-black-lagoon","tag-fangoria","tag-jennifer-aspinall","tag-jessie-seitz","tag-makeup-artists","tag-marcus-koch","tag-milicent-patrick","tag-monster-girls","tag-special-effects-makeup","tag-the-toxic-avenger","tag-ve-neill"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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