Featuring Mark Borchardt, Ron Atkins, Davis Stagnari, John Goras
Directed by Chris Garetano
Distributed by Image Home Entertainment
“Let’s buy a Target, destroy it, and put up a drive-in.” So says David Stagnari, aka Slave, director of the mind-bending Catharsis and one of the stars of Chris Garetano’s entertaining, enlightening, and occasionally exasperating (damn you Hollywood demons!) documentary about indie horror filmmaking, Horror Business. Let’s just say that if you can’t relate to the sentiment behind Slave’s statement, then odds are you are reading the wrong website.
Filmed over the course of two years and finally being released on DVD following a successful run in the late 2005/early 2006 festival circuit, Horror Business details the trials and tribulations of the aforementioned Stagnari; his fellow filmmaker Mark Borchardt (best known for playing himself in 1999’s highly praised American Movie and going back behind the camera for the first time in six years); the writing/acting/directing team of John Brodie and Ron Atkins (please, guys, if you’re reading this, let me know how I can get a copy of The Sins of Government; I must witness the awful truth in its entirety); the multi-talented John Goras, who is helping keep the “art” in the horror artform with his animated skeletons and other creatures; and up-and-coming special effects man Tate Steinsiek, who has since received mucho praise for his work on Zombie Honeymoon and appears to be working steadily in the industry. The words and deeds of these six gentlemen are accentuated by pearls of wisdom regarding the “business” of the horror genre by the likes of Herschell Gordon Lewis, Sid Haig, Lloyd Kaufman, Fango’s Tony Timpone, Joe Bob Briggs, and Satan Sideshow’s Andy Gore. The director and stars of Zombie Honeymoon chime in with a few cents, too, as do Dave (The Dead Hate the Living) Parker; Atkins’ wife, Jennifer; a few fans at various conventions, and Canadian director/actor Brian Singleton. And no, things aren’t much better for the indie guys up in the Great North than they are for those who are struggling to get their projects off the ground here in the States. At the time the documentary was filmed, Brian had just moved back in with his folks in an attempt to get enough money together to film his next project.
If it’s true that all “filmmakers are dreamers and always will be,” then Garetano is no doubt seeing a pretty big dream come true with the release of this DVD. Horror Business includes a brief statement from him (whether you watch it as an intro to the feature or not is your choice) explaining that he elected to retain the March 2005 cut of the film rather than spending more time to re-edit and update it; instead he is at work on a sequel, Son of Horror Business. He’s moving on and moving up, and I’ll be happy to go along for the ride. If you’re a fan of guerilla horror filmmaking, you will be too.
Special Features
Director’s Introductions
“The Escape of Horror Business” featurette
365 Ways to Cook Chicken Garetano student film
Trailer reel
Art portfolio
3 1/2 out of 5
Special Features
2 1/2 out of 5
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