Terrance Zdunich's Blog, page 8
July 18, 2012
On The Road Again…
I’ve always found the songs of rock stars lamenting “the road” to be corny. Just as every rap artist has the obligatory “dead hommie” dedication ditty, it seems that every longstanding rock band has a tribute song to touring… so, generally speaking, if a song’s lyrics include a list of cities, count me out.
After Tenacious D spoofed the tour blues ballad with 2001′s “The Road”, you’d think that any self-respecting rocker would know to steer clear of this tired cliché, but then again, it’s been twenty eight years since This Is Spinal Tap was released, and the film has done little to temper the excessive, gluttonous antics of many rock acts.
Stereotypes aside, I suppose my lack of fondness for travel songs stemmed from an inability to relate. As a young person, I didn’t have the opportunity to travel; my family was rather sedentary so I never experienced the cabin of an airplane, much less homesickness. On the contrary, I longed to get away, so, at the time, it was difficult to imagine why those rock dudes would bemoan what sounded like an adventure.
This all changed in late 2008, when REPO! The Genetic Opera—a film I helped create—took me on a pilgrimage across America, and then the U.K. Fueled by a desire to find an audience for our critically-panned film, director Darren Lynn Bousman and I embarked on what we called “The Repo Road Tour”.
Unsure of where the journey would lead us—and weary of the financial commitment needed to travel—we began the tour with baby steps. Our initial map, included seven cities, but audiences showed up in force, demanding more, so we kept adding tour stops, eventually visiting twenty seven cities between November 8th, 2008 and March 12th, 2009.
With our musical film followup, The Devil’s Carnival, Darren and I committed to the road again, but this time there was no baby-stepping. In April, we rented a Sprinter van and began a five-and-a-half week, thirty-four city tour, trekking thousands of miles to share our project with audiences across North America. These combined touring adventures gave me a whole new appreciation for the travel tales told by rock icons.
There’s a unique, all-consuming dizziness brought about by travel exhaustion that I wasn’t unaware of until experiencing it firsthand. I’d heard about it, but couldn’t relate. On “The Devil’s Tour” I literally begin to lose track of time and place because we were never in a location long enough to find footing. There’s also an ever-present dichotomy of feeling lonely when surrounded by people. It’s very weird. I’m not suggesting that you’ll be hearing any road rhapsodies from me, but I now understand how the experiences of a life on the road might inspire songs.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining about my gypsy career. I chose it. I’m not that whining person of privilege that would’ve made my younger self scoff. In fact, I rather enjoy experiences that shake me from my comfort zone. As a writer, I strive for moments that challenge my personal status quo. The road definitely does this.
Like Orpheus, I would travel to hell and back to share my art with live audiences. To that end, Darren and I are returning to Hades to beseech the lord of the underworld with our songs: we’re suiting up for The Devil’s Carnival Encore Tour!
This Wednesday, we’re catching a redeye flight to New Jersey where we’ll begin a twenty-three city journey. We’re visiting all new cities this time around, so if you missed The Devil’s Carnival the first time, here’s your chance. And if you’re itching to see it again, we’re changing up our pre-show to give you an entirely new experience.
Each night of “The Devil’s Encore Tour” will include live entertainment, a costume contest, a special REPO! featurette, an exclusive screening of The Devil’s Carnival, a Q&A with Darren and I, and special celebrity guests at select stops. We’ll also be screening the winners of the “Trust Me” Song Contest and debuting new tour merchandise. Get your tickets here: http://thedevilscarnivaltour.eventbrite.com/
July 11, 2012
Speak (or sing) of the Devil!
Click the links below to download the following submission materials:
July 6, 2012
A Devilish Encore!
My new musical film, THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL, is back by popular demand! The 24-city encore tour kicks off July 13th. Tickets are going fast, so hoof on over to www.TheDevilsCarnival.com!
Fri, 7/13—San Diego Comic-Con, CA—Gaslamp Theater
Thurs, 7/19—Jersey City, NJ—Hudson Cinemas
Fri, 7/20—Hartford, CT—Parkade Cinemas
Sat, 7/21—Boston, MA—Coolidge Corner Theater
Sun, 7/22—Montreal, QC—Cinéma du Parc
Tues, 7/24—New Orleans, LA—Cafe Istanbul
Wed, 7/25—Jackson, MS—Davis Planetarium
Thurs, 7/26—Memphis, TN—New Daisy
Fri, 7/27—Tulsa, OK—Hollywood Theatres – Promenade Palace 12
Sat, 7/28—Springfield, MO—Hollywood Theater – College Station 14
Mon, 7/30—St. Louis, MO—Tivoli Theatre
Tues, 7/31—Indianapolis, IN—The Irving Theater
Wed, 8/1—Columbus, OH—Drexel Theater
Thurs, 8/2—Cleveland, OH—Capitol Theater
Fri, 8/3—Jackson, MI—Michigan Theater of Jackson
Sat, 8/4—Madison, WI—Showboat of Lyons
Sun, 8/5—Minneapolis, MN—RiverView Theater
Tues, 8/7—Winnipeg, MB—West End Cultural Centre
Thurs, 8/9—Boise, ID—Egyptian Theater
Fri, 8/10—Reno, NV—Lawlor Events Ctr. – Silver & Blue Room
Sat, 8/11—San Francisco, CA—Balboa Theater
Sun, 8/12—San Luis Obispo, CA—Fremont Theater
Fri, 8/17—Santa Monica, CA—Laemmle Monica 4-plex
Sat, 8/18—Vancouver, BC—Norm Theatre
June 27, 2012
Pattern-Seeking Mammals
I just returned from a two-day camping excursion with friends. Sitting around the campfire, observing the marshmallow roasting rituals of my fellow campers, it occurred to me how bizarrely specific us mortals can be… especially when it comes to our eating habits. And not only what we consume, but the manner in which we consume.
Some of us—including yours truly—jabbed our skewers directly into the fire, letting our ‘mallows burn for a few moments before blowing out the flames. Others kept their treats a safe distance from the pyre, patiently heating their sugary provisions. Others viewed the warming of the marshmallows merely as a small step towards a larger s’mores enterprise.
Similarly, sweet-toothed idiosyncrasies occurred when Oreo cookies were the snack of the campsite. The two women in our rogue troupe habitually twisted open their cookie treats, separating the chocolate shells from the vanilla centers. They each preferred the cookie portion of their snacks over the cream, but one ate the cookie part first while the other saved the “best” for last. They each lamented how they wished Nabisco would package the chocolate biscuits without the cream fillings. I scoffed saying that without the soft centers, the cookies would cease to be Oreos. And then chomped into the cookie sandwich in my paws like a giant eating a villager.
Breakfast proved no exception with our party’s food particulars. When bacon and eggs were served, everyone had their morning meal proclivities. Eggs were gooey, firm, or scrambled, and bacon fellowships were divided into fatty, crisp, and burnt camps.
When I was a youngling, I hated tomatoes. I’d always scrape the pulpy red toppings from my fast food hamburgers, fold ‘em up in a napkin, and toss ‘em in the trash. You’d say tomato, I’d say no thank you.
Folks would point out to me how silly it was to enjoy ketchup whilst rejecting tomatoes. Over the years, I gradually began to accept their criticisms and inched tomatoes into my diet. For a long while, however, I’d still pick the red fruit slices from from my ground beef patties, eating them à la carte so not to compromise the flavor of my cow sandwiches. But now, a hamburger seems naked to me without a hunk of tow-mah-toe wedged somewhere between the meat and the bun.
As a rule of thumb, I’ve found that those folks with the wildest fashion and artistic tastes tend to have the most conservative palates. I’m not a picky eater, but I also wouldn’t describe my culinary inclinations as exotic. That said, if a plane I was on crashed into the Andes, I’d definitely eat the pilots. In fact, I’d try just about anything once, including Filipino blood pudding, chocolate-covered grasshopper, and fried chicken knuckles.
Chicken knuckles are part of certain Chinese cuisines. You put a chicken’s foot in your mouth, crack the knuckle open with your teeth, and suck out the bone marrow. I was indifferent to the taste—a rather bland flavor, actually—but the feeling of claw and bird bone between my gums was rather unpleasant.
Two of my favorite foods are mushrooms and octopus—items on a menu that regularly incite sneers and nose curls. I also like my food spicy, applying copious amounts of hot sauce and jalapeños to just about everything.
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but when I have desserts, my confectionary appetites are pretty basic. I prefer vanilla to chocolate, and if I find myself inside a FroYo saloon (as I did in my previous post “Redheads and Desserts”), I always gravitate towards a peanut butter-based composition: peanut butter yogurt with Reese’s Pieces and chopped Butterfinger toppings.
So… how ’bout you? In what bizarre food rituals do you partake? Are there any foods that you simply won’t eat? Or dishes you enjoy that others find gross? Do some of your friends have nasty eating habits that get under your skin? Chomp! Clomp! Slurrrp! Please share your dining table tales below.
June 22, 2012
The Devil Takes Comic-Con!
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Internationally Acclaimed Film Director Darren Lynn Bousman in Collaboration with Writer/Performer Terrance Zdunich Are Kicking Off A Second Tour Of “THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL” at Comic-Con!
Fusing music and film, THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL boasts a chart-topping soundtrack and star-studded cast which includes: Jessica Lowndes (90210), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Dayton Callie (Sons Of Anarchy, Deadwood) and many more.
(SAN DIEGO, CA July 13, 2012) One of Hollywood’s most sought after film directors Darren Lynn Bousman in collaboration with writer/performer Terrance Zdunich bring their groundbreaking musical film fusion event THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL to Comic-Con after-hours following 40 incredibly successful multi-city shows. THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL kicks off its second tour at the most popular fan convention on the globe with a one-night only screening beginning at 11:59PM on July 13th at the Gaslamp Theatre located at 701 5th Avenue.Tickets are now available at: http://tdc_sdcc_2012.eventbrite.com/
THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL show at Comic-Con will feature a live slideshow performance, a costume contest, never before seen footage of REPO! The Genetic Opera, and a Q&A with Darren Lynn Bousman and Terrance Zdunich.
Director Darren Lynn Bousman’s first three major films (“Saw II,” “Saw III” and “Saw IV”) opened at #1 at the box office three years in a row. After the “Saw” films, Bousman chose to collaborate on a uniquely entertaining project with writer/performer Terrance Zdunich and went on to direct and produce Repo! The Genetic Opera – a 2008 horror-rock opera musical film distributed by Lionsgate and hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as “the next Rocky Horror Picture Show”. The futuristic gothic opera, based on the original stage play which Bousman directed in 2002, starred Paul Sorvino, Sarah Brightman, and Paris Hilton. There is no spoken dialogue in Repo! The Genetic Opera, and all the actors performed their own songs. This is also true of the cast in THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL.
The circus slideshow-type performances in THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL feature twelve original songs written by Terrance Zdunich and composer Saar Hendelman. Seamlessly fusing character and story with song, the first week the THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL soundtrack was made available online it was the #4 most downloaded album on iTunes. To note, Hunger Games was at #3. A sample of each track can be found at the following link: http://thedevilscarnival.com/music.html
“I wanted to create a project that makes going to the movie theatre a more interactive, fun event where audience members aren’t afraid of keeping quiet and can sing along and shout out at the characters on screen,” explains Bousman.
THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL originated as a self-funded passion project with a cast and crew of 16 until, in true carnie-style, it organically grew to encompass a team of over 100, produced by Empire Film & Entertainment Group and Sean E Demott. Kicking off a second multi-city road tour, each show has its own carnival-like atmosphere opening with live entertainment, the music video and making-of Repo! The Genetic Opera documentary, followed by the on-screen premiere of THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL, and ending with a Q&A with cast and crew.
THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL cast includes Jessica Lowndes (90210), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Dayton Callie (Sons Of Anarchy, Deadwood), Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints), Marc Senter (The Lost), M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan (of Grammy award winning band Slipknot), J LaRose (Insidious), Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch), Victoriandustrial rocker Emilie Autumn, Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Ogre (of the legendary industrial band Skinny Puppy), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and Briana Evigan (Step Up 2).
THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL will be an ongoing project and episode two is currently being written.
“It’s the William S. Burroughs story Uncle Bill never wrote, told with all the elegant fanciful style and care for the human condition as a Neil Gaiman tale. And it is far and away the single best thing Darren Lynn Bousman has ever made.” – Ain’t It Cool News
To watch THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2hqUqsxe9w
For more information on THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL:
http://www.thedevilscarnival.com/
For more information on director/producer Darren Bousman:
http://www.darrenlynnbousman.com/
For more information on writer/performer Terrance Zdunich:
April 3, 2012
The Devil's Carnival Soundtrack is Live!
The official soundtrack for my upcoming musical movie, THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL is now available: http://thedevilscarnival.com/music.html
Hoof to the sounds from the sinful new film, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman with music produced by Joseph Bishara, and music and lyrics by Saar Hendelmen and Yours Truly.
Featuring:
Paul Sorvino as God crooning the heavenly carol "Heaven's All Around"!
Alexa Vega & her Woe-Maidens teasing and taunting in crooked concert on "Kiss the Girls"!
Emilie Autumn as Painted Doll trilling the tragic but truthful tune "Prick! Goes The Scorpion's Tale"!
Ogre from Skinny Puppy as The Twin & Briana Evigan as Ms. Merrywood melding in strange duet on "Beautiful Stranger"!
Sean Patrick Flanery as John groaning "Grief", a sorrowful solo!
Yours truly as Lucifer hailing "Grace for Sale", a horrific hymn!
AND MORE!
THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL embarks on a 32-city road tour April 5th, 2012… so pick up your soundtrack now at iTunes or Amazon, and then grab your tickets to a showing near you @ http://thedevilscarnivaltour.eventbrite.com/
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March 30, 2012
Step Right Up!
After the triumphant collaboration on 2008's REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA, a film hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as "the next Rocky Horror Picture Show", director Darren Lynn Bousman and writer/actor Terrance Zdunich had no where to go but down—ALL THE WAY DOWN… TO HELL. These showbiz black sheep invite you dive into the ashes with them on their newest groundbreaking film fusion event, THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL, an exclusive nationwide road tour featuring burlesque, celebrity meet & greets, a Q&A forum, sing-alongs, costume contests, and a whole lot of devilish behavior. Audiences will get to enjoy never-before-seen REPO! behind-the-scenes footage and bonus features, and, most notably, an exclusive viewing of THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL. Keep in mind, THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL can only be seen on this exclusive tour, so you must attend a showing to witness the madness!
THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL features twelve original songs, written by Zdunich and Saar Hendelman, directed by Bousman, produced by Sean E Demott and Joseph Bishara (Insidious), and stars Victoriandustrial rocker Emilie Autumn, Dayton Callie (Sons Of Anarchy, Deadwood), M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan (of the Grammy award winning, cult metal giants Slipknot), Briana Evigan (Step Up 2), Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints), Maggie "Captain Maggots" Lally and The Blessed Contessa (of The Bloody Crumpets), J. LaRose (Insidious), Jessica Lowndes (90210), Mighty Mike Murga (of Mini Kiss), internet star Hannah Minx, Ivan Moody (of the chart-topping heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch), Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects), Ogre (of the legendary industrial band Skinny Puppy), Marc Senter (The Lost), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and Zdunich.
In THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL, sinners are invited to a theme park where they endure the repetition of their transgressions. What chances do a conniving kleptomaniac, a gullible teenager, and an obsessed father stand when facing their own moral failings? Lucifer and his colorful cast of singing carnies invite you to grab a ticket to THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL to find out!
Get your tickets before they are gone: http://thedevilscarnivaltour.eventbrite.com/
See below for all CONFIRMED cities and theaters showing THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL.
4/5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Laemmle Royal Theatre
4/6 – Anaheim, CA @ The Ultraluxe Theater
4/7 – San Diego, CA @ Gaslamp Theater
4/8 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Scottsdale Ultrastar Pavilion
4/9 – Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Loft Cinema
4/11 – El Paso, TX @ El Paso Starplex
4/12 – Austin, TX @ Alamo South Lamar
4/13 – Houston, TX @ Alamo Drafthouse
4/14 – Dallas, TX @ Lakewood Theater
4/17 – Nashville, TN @ The Nashville Limelight
4/18 – Atlanta, GA @ The Plaza Theater
4/19 – Orlando, FL @ The Premiere Cinema 14 (at Fashion Square Mall)
4/20 – Tampa, FL @ The Tampa Pitcher Show
4/21 – Charlotte, NC @ The Neighborhood Theater
4/22 – Richmond, VA @ The Byrd
4/24 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Hollywood Theater
4/25 – Baltimore, MD @ The Charles Theatre
4/26 – New York, NY @ Times Scare NYC
4/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Painted Bride
4/28 – South Hadley, MA @ The Tower Theater
4/29 – Boston, MA @ The Foxboro Theater
5/1 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ Toronto Underground Theater
5/2 – Toledo, OH @ Collingwood Arts Center
5/3 – Chicago, IL @ The Music Box Theater
5/4 – Des Moines, IA @ The Fluer Cinema Cafe
5/5 – Kansas City, KS @ Leawood Cinema Theater
5/6 – Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
5/7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Tower Theater
5/9 – Seattle, WA @ The Admiral Theater
5/10 – Portland, OR @ The Clinton St. Theater
5/11 – Sacramento, CA @ The Colonial Theater
For press inquiries, please contact Adrenaline PR @ maria@adrenalinepr.com.
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March 26, 2012
SING FOR THE DEVIL!
Director Darren Lynn Bousman and I are looking for a few brave singers! We invite you to cover a song from our wicked new musical, THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL.
Check out "In All My Dreams I Drown", this exclusive scene/song from THE DEVIL'S CARNIAL, where trusting Tamara (Jessica Lowndes) thinks she's caught a line to pull her from the depths of her waking nightmare. But this safety vessel is manned by none other than Lucifer himself (yours truly) and is headed directly to the mouth of Hell.
Now that you've heard the song, hoof on over to Loudwire for contest rules, regulations, and to submit your entry: http://loudwire.com/the-devils-carnival-sing-for-the-devil-contest/
Devilspeed!
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March 25, 2012
Homecoming Lords
It's been over three years since I crawled on Canadian soil, that pale land to the north where I once spent the better part of a year experiencing a near decade-long dream come true. The dream was a little movie called REPO! The Genetic Opera.
REPO! was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, so the city will always hold a special place in my heart. The months of production, followed by the months of drawing REPO!'s comic book transitions from a small Canadian hotel room, made the city feel like a second home.
I was in love at the time and loving life. Sure, the work seemed endless and the schedules unrealistic, but in spite of the many sleepless nights and crippling stress of film production, the magic of my first movie stained my brain: the wine will always seem sweeter, the women sexier, and the statutory rape laws more limber in Toronto.
Earlier this year, I embarked on a film project that promised to be as magical as REPO!, a musical series entitled The Devil's Carnival. As writer and co-composer, I've been working on the project for about two years, but it's the last six months that the project really kicked into high gear. Over a hundred cast and crew members were employed and TDC swelled from what was originally conceived as a thirty-minute television pilot into something that more closely resembles a feature film with big name stars and topnotch production value.
TDC was filmed in the un-exotic land of Riverside, California. Even the magic of witnessing another dream become reality would not be enough to make this depressing, gray city charming… but Riverside was the optimal location to create a cinematic hell on earth.
The months of preproduction on TDC were largely spent within the thirty-mile radius of my Van Nuys apartment. It's convenient to work from home, but way less adventurous… so when director Darren Lynn Bousman asked me to travel with him to Toronto to work on the final mix of our film, I leapt at the opportunity. To sweeten the deal, Darren and I were also invited to speak on a panel at Toronto ComiCon while in town.
Once my passport was renewed and I touched down over the border, all the old REPO! set memories came flooding back. The chilly air. The hotel coffee. The black haired squirrels. And then of course the return to the same soundstages where REPO! was mixed to listen to the songs and score of The Devil's Carnival come to life in 5.1 surround sound.
Having learned from some of our mistakes on REPO!, Darren and I were able to nudge the engineers into cranking the volume levels of TDC's songs louder than customary movie theatre standards. Horns up, sinners! I can't wait to share the project with you in April. If you haven't yet booked your tickets to The Devil's Carnival Road Tour, get 'em now: http://thedevilscarnivaltour.eventbrite.com/
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March 19, 2012
Join me in Columbus OH for HorrorHound Weekend!
March 23rd-25th: I'll be shaking hands, babies, my moneymaker, and signing copies of my comic book series The Molting, named "Best Horror Series 2010" by Comic Related. I may even spill a palm full of devilish beans about my upcoming musical film, The Devil's Carnival. For tickets and info: http://www.horrorhoundweekend.com/
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