Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

Greetings.

My first post here. Absolutely think Ligotti is marvelous. Been reading weird fiction my entire life. Have trod upon Caerleon and walked in St. John's Baptist graveyard. Mark Samuels book THE WHITE HANDS has recently fallen into my own and I am also enraptured by this brilliant talent.

Am boldly below listing a link to two short films I directed, DYING BIRDS and HELP IS ON THE WAY (pethaps the more Ligottian of the two) . While not based on any works specifically, they reflect my dessicated aesthetic, and I've long wanted to share them with the few who may appreciate them most. Would not post just any clip, but I feel these will find a spot in some of your hearts. I would love to hear what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=...sSchneiderfilm

Kindest regards

Charles Schneider

Re: Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

Look forward to checking them out.

Jacob

Re: Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

Charles,

These films are wonderful! I also enjoyed the song by The Centimeters. Where did the asylum shots come from? Were they shot on location, or superimposed? I hope you do not mind stylistic comparisons, as the films are wholly original in their own right, but I am reminded of the films of Guy Maddin. Tales from the Gimli Hospital is a favorite of mine.

The original link you provided was not providing access to your films, therefore I corrected it to direct to your YouTube channel. A little known TLO feature is that offsite multimedia files can also be directly embedded within posts by typing the following code:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsjCH8uOywchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJQc6kd0SzU

SPOILER ALERT !!





Hello Charles Schneider. Your film--the first one above that Dr. Bantham posted--is deliciously haunting. I like the music and the black and white aspect, as well as the camera angles.

When I saw the vice grips (or whatever tool that was going in her mouth), I absolutely cringed. You do not show specific horror, but it's there.

Impressive, Charles, to say the least.

Re: Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

Charles, HELP IS ON THE WAY is astounding! I fell asleep last night in a room away from the computer waiting for it to load, but watched it upon my bleary awakening in the wee hours of the night. Your short film had the effect of three cups of coffee. My mind was stirred, and it took me quite a while to get back to sleep. Despite your disclaimer, the influences of Thomas Ligotti's "Dr. Locrian's Asylum" and "The Troubles of Dr. Thoss" seem most evident. I will watch this again soon in a fully wakeful state. Thank you, Charles!

Re: Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

Help Is On The Way is fantastic. I was reminded of the Brothers Quay.

Best wishes,

Waff's

Re: Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

I just saw these two videos; I really liked "Help is on the way". I'm not a film student or anything, but it's very professionally made, and synchs perfectly with the song, could pass for its music video.

Really great stuff, keep them coming! And thanks for introducing that band, I had never heard of them; I'll be checking them out soon.

By the way, I loved the doctors with cone hats; they reminded me of a sketch by Goya I saw held at the Prado, in Madrid

I liked the cone hats too. I forgot to mention that.

Thank you for your comments. Coming, as they do, from this elite group..well, such words have an effect and power I can barely...articulate.

A few neat facts about HELP IS ON THE WAY

I was certainly aware of GIMLI HOSPITAL, and cast KYLE McCULLOCH, the star of Maddin's epic, in the role of a bearded, screaming inmate with a deck of erotic playing cards. He was in town at the time and weird kismet is the only explanation for his appearance in it.

DAVID J, of Bauhaus fame, is featured as the Doctor with the odd forceps. He has a very Cushing-like close-up. He also COMPOSED the original tone-like music that begins around the time she "escapes" the place.

The ASYLUM shot was 100 percent fabricated as an in-camera Matte shot. (it was all shot in 16mm)
The lawn was Pepperdine University Campus, the house was from a Charles Addams reference book....and the sky was also pure artifice. (added digitally later)

The cone-hats image was boldly appropriated/swiped from an old illo I saw in that great Peter Haining edited book of the history of Horror illustrations. A chilling image of inquisitors... I feel like the illo appeared in Blackwoods or some similar old periodical....not handy to reference it


Also, the great gothic cartoonist DAME DARCY appears in the video as a writhing patient in a silken slip....

Thanks for sharing these, Charles. I agree with the other high praise that has been offered here, especially for HELP IS ON THE WAY. I don't know if this will seem an odd comparison, but for many years I've been a rabid fan of the original CARNIVAL OF SOULS. Despite the obvious amateurishness and cheesiness of a lot of it (most especially the actors' performances and the clunky camerawork, pacing, and editing), it contains a power that few films can match. When the various hallucinatory segments start playing, I'm helplessly mesmerized. Something really profound and darkly electric shines through in those scenes.

As I watched HELP IS ON THE WAY, I felt like I was receiving a pure dose of whatever that electricity is. So in short: very, very nice work. I'll look forward to seeing more if you choose to share it.

Re: Two short films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

I was pleased to find on the web an ancient link intact to a film I shot eons (over twenty) years ago and am only now completing. It was an adaptation of Lord Dunsany's THE THREE INFERNAL JOKES and featured Lin Carter in what must be one of his only film cameos. He dies of laughter in the film. (a literary concept that far precedes both Monty Python and Lord Dunsany, by the way. ) There is a high-contrast picture of Lin Carter up as the judge here:

http://www.clare.ltd.new.net/cryptof.../review031.htm

(The above was published in Price's zine, for I had pilgrimaged as a young gent to Providence on a literary whim. Met and befriended the great, budding Lovecraftian scholars through sheer kismet. I spent time wandering late at night and visiting the hallowed sites and Poe-trod graveyards in those decades past with Rbrt Price, Marc Michaud, Joshi, Jason Eckhardt Though I was only breifly part of that gang, as resident ghoul, I fondly recall the autumnal energy and complete, manic love of all things Lovecraftian and weird that these fellows had!
They lived it.

I will post when the Dunsany film is ready to be seen. It is B & W, short, and was inspired by old films and the paintings Caspar David Friedrich, amongst others. It was an honor working with Lin Carter, in his final days. His editorial choices forever changed our dreamscapes.

Enough. Will write about the incredible, chilling writer L.A. Lewis elsewhere.

More films directed by a Ligotti enthusiast
 

Friends

Long since I have posted here. I've put two very short experimental little films - made of stills....up on the web recently. One is entitled RICHARD'S DREAM and the other ICE AGE GARDEN. Both were produced in late night fugue-states with very simple technology and a visit with camera to a local recreation of an ancient garden. Not as ambitious as former works posted. Y:eek:et, I am pleased with the results, and thought to share these with you.