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PAST NEWS & EVENTS July 2001 News ArchiveWhat happened in the Light & Dark universeJuly 26, 2001 -- Tonight I attended my first meeting of the Westchester Film Group. It was a lot of fun. What a great bunch of people. We are looking for a more formal place for regular meetings. Good news. The Family Tree has been submitted to a number of film fests. I'll let you know which ones it will appear in at a later date. Fear of the Dark may be entered and make its debut at the Putnam County Film and Video Festival. At the very least a trailer might appear there. The next 2 months will be spent laboriously getting said movie finished so that I can put the Black Rose Killer to rest and move on to something else. Plans for the Detective spin-off are still up in the air. July 21, 2001 -- The Family Tree is finished!! Look out film fest here I come! July 16, 2001 -- I'm happier than a kid on Christmas day. I just got a second Sony Mini-DV camera today. No more single camera shoots. Robert Rodriguez started out that way and so did I but it's time for a change. There are 2 new pictures in my section of the Light & Dark Gallery that I snapped with the still mode today. Be sure to check them out. You can also see a graphic of the article from the Southern Dutchess News in the The Family Tree Photo Gallery section. Below is a transcript of the article. Please note some minor errors in the facts. The Family Tree does not take place in a basement apartment and Fear of the Dark is not being entered into the Putnam County Film and Video Festival. The following is excerpted from the July 11, 2001 edition of Southern Dutchess News and was also reprinted in the Beacon Free Press:
Fishkill film focus is troubled ‘Family Tree’ By John Darcy
FISHKILL -- The dark, gnarly side of “the Family Tree” was center stage on Sunrise Hill Road here last week, and it was not a pretty sight. But it was all in the name of creativity as filmmaker Glen Baisley of Putnam Valley, actor Anthony Eikner of Fishkill and various cast members rehearsed and shot scenes at Eikner’s home at 36 Sunrise Hill Road. The 15-minute short will have its first viewing at the Putnam County Film and Video Festival in October, Baisley said. The filmmaker’s previous effort, a psychological thriller called “Fear of the Dark,” is also set to make its debut at the Putnam festival. “The Family Tree” revolves around local resident Eikner in the lead role as a distraught man contemplating suicide in a basement apartment. The dramatic role – Eikner’s first – is not really a stretch; he is well-schooled in the in the art of moviemaking, having earned degrees from the Institute of Studio Makeup in Hollywood. He has also written five film features and three shorts. “Also, the dark appeal of “The Family Tree” is in keeping with his affinity for films that go bump in the night. “Since I was little, all I can remember is loving horror movies,” he said. “I remember staying up late to watch ‘Dark Shadows’ and ‘Twilight Zone’ and any kind of monster film. I was always playing with those Halloween makeup kits, doing scars and cuts and monster faces. I took classes at Dutchess Community College so I could show what I do, which is to throw blood around on film.” He adopted the moniker “Dr. Death” and his email address is DocDeath00@yahoo.com. Eikner, 33, has worked as makeup artist and special effects artist on a number of theatrical and video productions. He’s also served as camera operator and lighting technician, director’s assistant, sound man and props maker. He is a 1986 graduate of John Jay High School. Director/producer Baisley said “The Family Tree” is both timeless and reflective of today’s society. “The message I hope people will interpret is that we a society must take responsibility for our actions and the way we raise our children. We shouldn’t be so quick to blame the media. The root of all evil starts at the family tree,” he said. Filming largely at Eikner’s Fishkill home, the piece also features local actors Vicky Cooper of Wappingers Falls and Herb Smithline of Hyde Park. Rounding out the cast are Richard Redmond, Carol DiMarsico, Mike Lane, Danielle Russo, Erica Gregory, Christopher and Nicholas Spinozzi, Doug Archer and twins Mariah and Yakira Nichols. Baisley said further information and the film and other projects is available at his production company’s web site at www.LightandDark.net. He said he is also interested to establishing a Hudson Valley film group that would allow filmmakers, actors and others from Dutchess and Putnam “to network together and to exchange ideas.”
July 14, 2001 -- Check out the latest additions to the Light & Dark Gallery. I have a new series of pictures entitled The Last Angels. Danielle Russo, now seven months pregnant, posed for a second photo session. You can also see the next picture in the Spring Life series entitled Days Gone By. I am hard at work this weekend editing The Family Tree and hope to get it done by next weekend so I can get back to working on Fear of the Dark. Lot's to do and no time to do it in. Isn't that always the case. The article featuring the making of The Family Tree came out this past Wednesday in the Southern Dutchess News. As soon as I get a copy of it I'll post it online. July 9, 2001 -- Today wrapped up the final day of shooting for The Family Tree which had been delayed for a week do to a minor illness of seven month pregnant Danielle Russo who plays Anthony's wife Jenny. Despite her condition she was a real trooper and pulled off an excellent performance. One scene involves Anthony being grabbed in the crotch. Needless to say the takes ran much longer than anticipated when the one liners started shooting by faster than bullets. Currently the first 6 minutes of footage has been edited which required a good 12 to 15 hours to put together - that includes the opening credits. The final edit should be done hopefully by July 16. July 4, 2001 -- I must be crazy for taking on so many projects at once but I have done it after all. This past Monday wrapped up the third day of shooting for my new film short entitled The Family Tree. The inspiration came about due to the Putnam County Film and Video Festival. I just had to have something to enter into the festival. The short is based on a longer work which I may eventually do. Putting a cast together last second was not too difficult. As you'll notice, most of the cast is from Fear of the Dark. The newest faces for Light & Dark are Carol DiMarsico and Erica Gregory. They were a pleasure to work with. This is the first film for irresistibly cute Christopher and Nicholas Spinozzi. With one more day of shooting scheduled for this coming Monday we should make our mid-July deadline for finishing the film. The Southern Dutchess News covered the making of the film short. The article is set to appear in the July 11th edition. Music by Ed Shelinsky is featured in a scene. Here's a bit of trivia - when you finally see the film, look closely in Ruth's bedroom and you'll see a vase filled with black roses, a poster for Fear of the Dark and music from it as well. Another piece of trivia is that actress Danielle Russo who plays Anthony's pregnant wife, Jenny is really seven months pregnant. In fact shooting was delayed a week due to a minor illness. I'm happy to say that Danielle is doing well. The Family Tree also features two original songs by the band Malice which were written and composed by lead singer, Myk Riss. Finally, in this weeks news we can add dancer to the list of credits for Judy Burrett. She is now studying to be a professional dancer. Congratulations and good luck. I hope everyone has had a happy and safe 4th of July. We celebrated my wife Diana's birthday today. I can't say her age or she'll do worse to me than the Black Rose Killer ever could! Until next time, be sure to out all the latest pictures for The Family Tree and the modeling pictures for Carol DiMarsico in the Light & Dark Gallery. For More Information Contact:
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