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Tag: Frank Henenlotter

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Sci-Fi Spectacular Film Fest with Frank Henenlotter

In early March, I spent a weekend in Chicago to show my work at the Sci-Fi Spectacular and to meet director Frank Henenlotter. The Spectacular is an annual movie marathon that was 24 hours this year, screening mostly 35mm prints of classic horror and sci-fi movies. These festivals are great for meeting a lot of different people who love this weird stuff and it's always nice to meet fans in person. Not to mention seeing all my Chicago buddies!! I displayed my monster paintings new and old, art prints, shirts, knickknacks, and my new illustrated book.

Firstly, I came to the Portage Theater on Friday night as a fan. Spent time with my wife and friends watching the Basket Case trilogy with an introduction by Frank Henenlotter. How cool is that for a Friday night? Frank's also made some fun body horror flicks like Frankenhooker and Brain Damage!

Frank discussed how he really didn't have plans or ideas for Basket Case 4 until very recently. The ideas seem to be brewing in his head now, so maybe this could very well happen someday. Independent projects are really hard to get off the ground, which is something he's struggled with a lot. Of course, any horror fan will say his work is amazing, disturbingly gross and hilarious all in one, so he's definitely got our support!

On Saturday, Henenlotter was around for quite a while throughout the day meeting fans at the Spectacular and introduced Brain Damage early in the evening with a hilarious Q&A! He stressed how important absurdity in horror is for making you laugh. He uses very loose outlines of scripts and mostly wings it. He's totally into handmade horror, which is hard to do properly without at least a decent-sized budget. His movies are visceral, gross, and wildly comical. He said he got tired and bored when doing stop motion, so he'd just kick the props! But it works for him. I love no matter what he does. It was extremely cool meeting him!

Here's my BASKET CASE painting!

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"What's in the basket...?"

Man, parasitic twins are the best. Who wouldn't want one of these. Your very own Belial to carry around, watch movies with, and rip people who generally annoy you into spaghetti! Well, although I unfortunately can't provide you with your own psychopathic mutant in a basket I can and will provide you with one of these sexy prints!

This little interaction is classic:

Casey: [In the Bar] There's something I've been dying to ask you. What's in the basket?

Duane Bradley: My Brother.

Casey: Ya Brother!

Casey: [Duane and Casey both laugh] What is he, a midget?

Duane Bradley: No, we're twins. Siamese twins.

Casey: That's funny, you don't look...

Duane Bradley, Casey: ORIENTAL!

Casey: [Duane and Casey both laugh] So what happened? Somebody shrink him?

Duane Bradley: No, he's deformed. A freak, he's like a squashed octopus.

Duane Bradley: Our mother died giving birth to us. He was attached to my right side. They wouldn't let us go to school or anything. They kept us hidden. We were the 'big family secret'. Everybody hated us, except our Aunt. See, he likes the dark. He doesn't like to be seen, not even by me sometimes. And you know what else?

Duane Bradley: [Casey shakes her head] He talks to me. [Points to his head] Up here. Without words. I just hear him whispering in my brain. Sometimes he talks for hours and wouldn't shut up. I used to be able to talk to him like that, but that was when we were still connected. Our Aunt said it was our special gift. But since we've been separated, I can't do it anymore, but he can still do it to me. In fact, he's even better at it and he always knows what I'm thinking.

Casey: Duane, you're giving me the creeps.

Duane Bradley: They didn't want him to live. But he fooled them, he just got stronger. If you only knew what it was like. Duane and I kept hidden from everyone. We're both so messed up. I don't know which one of us is worse.

And now for some trailer!