Bobby Canipe is a guy that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting through the wonderful world of VHS obsession. Ever since I’ve come into contact with him, he’s represented himself as an extremely enthusiastic and involved individual in the VHS collector culture. We’ve geeked out many a time about obscure flicks and analog awesomeness, especially a little flick called Lunch Meat. So, when he announced that he was going to be creating his very first full-length feature that would champion the 80s VHS Horror aesthetic, I just had to know more about it. Read on, Videovores, and let your brain chow down on some truly independent passion…
Mr. Bobby Canipe looking pro.
LM: You conceptualized BLOODY BONES and I believe you are co-writing the screenplay. Could you fill us in on what this flick’s all about?
BC: Actually, I gave up on co-writing the screenplay; I found that I am not the most talented when it comes to providing dialogue. It is being written by my executive producer Mike Hill and my assistant director/executive producer Blair Hoyle. I provide input on all revisions, but
let these guys, who are unbelievably talented, take the
reins for the most part.
BLOODY BONES is the tale of five young adults straight out of high school. They decide to go on the obligatory "trip across the US" that so many of us talk about in our youth. They're all going to different colleges so they feel this is their last time to really bond as friends. They end up staying the night in an abandoned house and find out that BLOODY BONES, a cursed man without skin dwells in the basement. Bloody Bones has to eat five bodies between the hours of sundown and sun up to regain his skin completely and be able to leave the property. The curse is explained in the film in detail and there
are several neat side plots.
The inspiration behind BLOODY BONES is to just re-create that fun and unbelievably gory 80s feel that was so prevalent in my childhood. I feel we’ve assembled a team that has a passion for the genre and is committed to making an awesome film for the fans.
Early artwork for the film. Looks like it hurts, man!
BLOODY BONES is rooted in homage to retro 80s and VHS horror. What are some movies that you’re really trying to channel with this project?
Definitely
Night of the Demons and
Cannibal Campout. Both films encompass exactly what the 80s meant to me. Hot chicks and wild party atmosphere (
NOTD) and ridiculous practical gore and inventive ideas (
Cannibal Campout). We're striving for BLOODY BONES to have that same overall feel. I also made a point name the three main characters after my three favorite directors of the 80s: Tim is named after Tim Ritter (
Truth or Dare), Kirk is named after Kirk Alex (
Lunch Meat), and Jon is named after Jon McBride (
Cannibal Campout). Also the (for lack of a better term) "sexpot" of the movie, Cassandra, is named after Cassandra Peterson AKA Elvira.
Inspirational? You're damn skippy!
You’re going with no CGI for this, straight-up all old-school effects. We see real gory glory in teaser trailer for BLOODY BONES. Who’s handling the SFX?
Gore is number one in this flick. Our budget consists of A) Gore/SFX and B) Everything Else. We have the incredibly talented Elizabeth Dennis and Brandon Boone handling our SFX and I am absolutely stoked to have them on board. If you guys liked what we did in teaser, the gore FX in the full length will blow your mind!
A gloriously gory still from the teaser for BLOODY BONES. Talk about a facelift, right!?
How are planning on filming? Are you going to be adding someVHS-esque effects like wonky tracking, sound drags, etc.?
We were originally going to shoot entirely on video using late 80s VHS camcorders. As we started looking into editing, we saw that for what we were trying to do, it was going to be a major pain in the ass and ultra-time consuming. We decided to go with shooting digitally and applying all of the effects and filters you mentioned. I believe that although we're shooting digitally, the old school feel that genre fans love will still shine through.
Another still from the BLOODY BONES teaser featuring a really nasty throat slit. Gotta love those!
On a contrary note, the teaser trailer begins with some really striking, Hi-Def photography skills. Who’s behind the camera for BLOODY BONES?
We are lucky to have Nick Black as Director of Photography on this flick. He was my first and only choice and to be quite frank; without him, I wouldn't have made this movie. He shares the same passion as I do for this genre and is working with me side by side to ensure that this flick pays homage to all those 80s classics that we enjoyed growing up. He is talented as hell and this is just a step for him. Guaranteed you'll see him in big budget stuff in the (very) near future.
What’s the plan for the release of the film? Are you going to release it VHS? DVD? Maybe BETA?!
We are going to release BLOODY BONES on unlimited DVD and 50 individually numbered Limited VHS. I would love to release BLOODY BONES on BETA but honestly I don't even know who we could get to do that or who would even buy it
. People that donate 20 bucks or more our Kickstarter also get a special edition of the DVD with unique hand drawn cover art by the crew of the film. These are only available to those that donate and will never be made again!
What do you think of the current VHS / retro horror resurgence? Has its reawakening played a part in your inspiration for the creation ofBLOODY BONES?
It was never resurgence for me really, as I have been collecting and buying as long as I can remember. I am happy with the resurgence, though, as I believe it has allowed film makers, us included, to be able to put a product out on the market without the fear of nobody watching it. I speak on behalf of the rest of my crew when I say that if only 10 people buy this flick and enjoy it, we have done our part. A lot of the current VHS releases (The Basement Big Box, The Sleeper, The Turnpike Killer, and the upcoming Slaughter Tales by 7 year old Johni Dixie) have been incredible and we are doing everything we can to make sure BLOODY BONES delivers on the same level of quality.
Groovy, man. I couldn't agree more. Anything else you’d like people to know about BLOODY BONES?
We have a Kickstarter up! Check it out here: (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/americanhorrorhouse/bloody-bones)
We could use any help we can get. We have the teaser available on YouTube:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TITR-6nEDho)
And you can find us on Facebook:
(http://www.facebook.com/bloodybonesthemovie).
Please tune in to our Facebook page and let us know what you think about the trailer. LIKE/SHARE/COMMENT! Without the genre fans, independent films cannot be made. Support 100% Independent American Horror!
Clickity-click the title card for a peek at teaser trailer!
Interview by Josh Schafer
A gloriously gory still from the teaser for BLOODY BONES. Talk about a facelift, right!?
Another still from the BLOODY BONES teaser featuring a really nasty throat slit. Gotta love those!