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PAST NEWS & EVENTS September 2001 News ArchiveWhat happened in the Light & Dark universeSeptember 27, 2001 -- The final pictures in the Spring Life series are now posted in Danielle Russo's section in the Light & Dark Gallery! Congratulations Danielle! And, a few new pictures for Fear of the Dark, courtesy of Harmony Nichols, have made their way into the Fear of the of the Dark Photo Gallery section. Once the movie is out for a while we'll sneek some more in so keep checking back! September 26, 2001 -- Congratulations to Danielle Russo!! She gave birth to Timothy James on September 23. He was born at 3:12 PM. He weighs 7 lbs. and 3 oz. and is 19 inches tall. Look for the final addition in the Spring Life series later this week. In other news, I have been told that The Family Tree and Fear of the Dark will both receive Certificate of Merit awards (the latter being a plaque for best storytelling in a feature length narrative) from the Putnam County Film and Video Festival which will be held on October 6 and 7. Check out the NY Film Groups section of the web site for details regarding the festival. And, Fear of the Dark will be shown as well after having sent shockwaves through the festival committee. It was deemed too intense and shockingly realistic to be shown at first. They also felt that the nudity was excessive. Much to my dismay they called for a special cut version of the film before it would even be considered. Let me take a moment to express my opinion on this. The last time I checked we were in America and if the horrible tragedy of the World Trade Center has not reminded us of that then I don't know what will. One of the things that we pride ourselves on in this country is that we have such freedoms and liberties that most countries don't. Requesting a cut version of the film is blatant censorship. What's next? Do we start taking paintings off the walls of art galleries because someone does not approve of them? Film is an art form. A film festival is a celebration of the arts. Censorship does not and should not have a place in a film festival. If a judge cannot view a movie with an open mind then they have no right judging films for the festival. There is certainly nothing in my movie that can't be found on network television between 8 and 11 PM. NYPD Blue was one of the first shows to have nudity. Swear words are almost common on these types of shows. Is it right? It's not for me to say. But, if you don't like it, turn the channel. The point that most miss is that dark subject material cannot be handled with kid gloves. It just isn't reality. It's sad that we live in a chaotic world but to depict it in any other way especially in the case of a thriller or horror movie would not be justifiable. Speaking of which, I think that a good reason for the festival opposition stemmed from the fact that Fear of the Dark is seen as a horror movie. It is more of a psychological thriller than anything else but that should not make a difference. It's sad to say but have you ever noticed that horror and sci-fi movies never really get any credibility at the Academy Awards? Most people are quick to dismiss them. Take movies like Silence of the Lambs or Hannibal. They can be categorized as horror movies and both have had critical acclaim. Hannibal has someone being fed their own brains - a scene which I feel is far more gut wrenching than anything in my movie. I would like to give a huge round of applause and special thanks to Maryann Arrien who fought for Fear of the Dark to be shown at the festival. She called an emergency meeting together on Sunday afternoon to discuss the entry of my movie. As a result of her efforts, the movie will be shown. Unfortunately, I had to agree to a few cuts. A large portion of the disembowelment scene had to be removed and a few frames of the nude scene. It will have no impact on the story but that's not the point. The full version of the film will be available for purchase online as well as at the upcoming Chiller Theatre convention. As a result of the wave of panic that the movie caused, the festival schedule has been revised so that any films that suggest parental guidance be shown after 8 PM on Saturday, October 6. The Family Tree is scheduled to be shown at 8:30 PM on Saturday, October 6 and Fear of the Dark at 11 PM. A special thanks also goes out to Al J. Vermette from Blood Moon Rising magazine. Fear of the Dark was featured in an article in their Halloween issue. Below is a transcription of the article: BLOOD MOON RISING Interviews Movie Director/Producer Glen Baisley of "Fear of the Dark" By Al J. Vermette I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Glen Baisley, director of the upcoming film, "Fear of the Dark", at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in New York City. Blood Moon Rising: Before this film, how many films have you directed and what were they? Glen Baisley: This is the first individual film that is a full feature. I worked in cable and local free-lance commercial video. Blood Moon Rising: Can you briefly describe your latest project? Glen Baisley: It's more of a psychological thriller than a slasher-type film. The film is currently being edited, then will be marketed to film festivals. Blood Moon Rising: Where is the movie being filmed? Glen Baisley: It was shot in Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester Counties in New York State. Blood Moon Rising: How long was the shooting schedule? Glen Baisley: Pre-production was last May, for about a 2-week time period. Blood Moon Rising: Who are some of the stars in this production? Glen Baisley: Mike Lane, Rosemary Gore, Glen Baisley (bit part), featuring special effects by Anthony Eikner from Death Head Productions. Blood Moon Rising: When released, where can our readers see this film? Glen Baisley: Check out the website for the latest information on pre- and post-production: www.LightandDark.net. Finally, congratulations to Richard Redmond who will be playing Dr. Wyatt in the Yorktown Community Players, Theater Works Presents "Agatha Christies Witness for the Prosecution". The dates are November 30, and December 1, 5, 8, 9, 14 and 15 at the Van Cortlandtville School Theater Route 6, Mohegan Lake, New York. Please check back soon for the forthcoming newly discovered Fear of the Dark behind the scenes pictures. Be sure to also check out the schedule listing for the Putnam County Film and Video Festival in the NY Film Groups Local Events section. September 20, 2001 -- I didn't think that this day would ever come. I have finished Fear of the Dark. It has been a long journey. It was just as weird watching the complete movie as it was the first day I stepped onto the set. I actually got teary-eyed when I cut one of the last scenes. It's like "this is it." It felt like letting go of something really precious to me. It's time to move onto bigger and better things. Phase two is promotion and distribution. And . . . planning for the next movie. Never a dull moment. I have my hands tied with all my projects. The creation of the Mid-Hudson Film & Artists Group is one of them. Check out the link on the NY Film Groups section. It will take you to a forum for the group on America Online. This is where you will find even more announcements about local events in New York. September 10, 2001 -- The new Mid-Hudson Film & Artists Group officially has its own page on the site now. The group will be hosted by myself (Glen Baisley) and Maryann Arrien. The first meeting will probably be in November. September 9, 2001 -- I am getting down to the wire now. With 19 pages of the script left to edit, September 25th is fast approaching. I'm trying to get the movie finished to make a late entry into the Putnam County Film and Video Festival. On Monday, October 1 at 9 AM Maryann Arrien (the festival organizer) and myself will be on News 12 Westchester promoting the festival as well as our own independent films. In addition, we will be making a formal announcement regarding the formation of our new Mid-Hudson Film & Artists Group. In other news, I would like to give warm welcome to Sal "The Mayor of Rock and Roll" Sirchia. Sal is kind enough to let us use one of his songs entitled "What You Do In The Dark" for the Fear of the Dark soundtrack. Sal will be a featured extra on this upcoming season of HBO's Oz. Be sure to check out his web site to see behind the scenes pictures from the set. Speaking of Fear of the Dark, some new behind the scenes pictures have surfaced courtesy of Harmony Nichols. They should be online sometime this coming week. Finally, congratulations to Rosemary Gore. As previously mentioned, she landed a principal role in both the print and televised ads for Paxil. The commercial will begin airing nationally on September 17th. For More Information Contact:
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