RESURRECTED VIDEO Re-Animates the Homemade Rick Fusselman Trashterpiece HOLY SHIT... ZOMBIES! with some Limited Edition Video Vindication!
As perpetually demonstrated and celebrated within the pages of LUNCHMEAT, the video format possesses the distinct power to preserve otherwise unavailable flicks, keeping them visible to those staunch Videovores who crave the outer limits of trashterpiece cinema. And in these recent revival times, the format has now become a vessel to re-animate out-of-the-way entertainment and deliver even more obscure slices of cinema to your VCR. Such is the case with RESURRECTED VIDEO’s first analog discharge: HOLY SHIT… ZOMBIES! Filmmaker and avid analog junkie Rick Fusselman and RESURRECTED VIDEO main main Rich Dalzotto are bringing this film back for its five year anniversary via magnetic magic at the upcoming SEVERED SHORT FILM NIGHT & VHS COLLECTORS UNITE CONVENTION in a limited edition of 53 copies… Why 53 copies? WHY NOT, MAN!? Read on, tapeheads, and get yo' ass Resurrected...
Also, I made Jim & Jake (Gator & Bubba) wear hunting gear when there was a heat advisory out. We were unaware of this. The news told people not to go outside and not to wear heavy clothing. When we found out, they weren't too happy. But it was still funny.
The vagina eating scene... a window slammed shut while we were filming and shattered all over the floor. Probably one of the scariest creepiest things to happen during filming. Jim kept calling that room the "Stanley Kubrick" room, cause he said it was creepy as shit.
Final scene... big zombie scene of the movie was filmed at the park near my house. There was a baseball playoff game or something going on. We are walking through with a bunch of zombies, 2 guys in dress clothes, and a hillbilly. They all just stopped and stared. We go into the woods, film, come back out and everyone is covered in blood.
slowly been talking about expanding into the convention circuit with other things. And with the recent popularity of VHS growing we kept wanting to do something with it, didn't know what. Then we came up with the idea of Resurrected Video. Basically saying we are bringing videos back from the dead. We wanna put out things that people either wanna see or cannot see. So with that being said, our first release is Holy Shit...Zombies. I put the movie "out of print". People always ask about it, so I pitched the idea to Rich about it being our first release. So he agreed that it would be cool since it's the 5 year anniversary of it being released.
I doubt it, but it'd be nice to see if people really wanted special editions of these piles of crap I produced and made with my friends.
You gotta HAND it to 'em... this logo pretty much says it all. Eh? Eh? Aww, fuggit.
LM: Rick, can you tell us a little about HOLY SHIT... ZOMBIES? How did it come about, what inspired you to shoot it, etc? RF: Holy Shit... Zombies actually is deemed the "unofficial" sequel to a movie I did probably about 7-8 years ago called, Toxic Shock Zombies. I came up with the idea after my cousin went to the hospital cause she got toxic shock from leaving her tampon in too long. We kept getting asked to do a sequel to TSZ, but I really didn't want to. Cause the characters story ended and all that. So I felt no need. But people kept asking, so we decided to do another zombie movie and bring new life to a story that was already told, but this time change it up a bit, make it longer, and way more offensive. Which I hope we accomplished.
A wheelchair-bound arm-sniffing undead child. Offensive? Yeah, I'll buy that.
I assume this was a totally indie adventure. How was the shooting experience? Any funny ass stories?! RF: It was very indie. We spent probably spent about $300-400 to make the movie. Did all the effects ourselves, used all friends, all local locations, my friends did the music. We basically couldn't afford anything when making this movie. But from previous movies we learned what to do. And because of that we learned where to spend the money when needed. There are so many funny ass stories, I can probably babble on for days. I'll give a few stories: We were going to do a lot of Bubba/Gator scenes in the woods. And I almost shit my pants. I had to give the camera to Fu and asked him just to film some pick up shots of the zombies walking. I ran back to my house, stopped and shit in the woods, cause I wasn't going to make it. Then had to change my clothes cause they were covered in sweat.
Rick himself getting his guts ripped out (and not getting the pizza he ordered).
Rich, this is RESURRECTED VIDEO's first release, right? What was the impetus behind starting up the label? Have you had any previous production experience? RD: This is Resurrected Video's first release. The impetus behind this label starting are the fans of VHS. You see so many people excited about searching for their favorite films on VHS and guys like Louis Justin bringing back long lost films to the public. Rick and I are the same type of fan and wanted to provide our own personal touch to the VHS world. I have no previous production experience but Rick does from his filmmaking background. How did you guys get hooked up to do this release? What inspired the collaboration? RD: Rick and I have been friends for quite a few years now. A big part of our relationship has been built on collaboration. When I started the Horror Realm Convention a few years ago with some friends I wanted to provide a movie room that was different than other shows. The idea I came up with was a VHS viewing room with nothing but VHS movies that haven't been put out on DVD. The first person I thought of to run this for me was Rick. He had the collection and I knew I could count on him to take care of it while I took care of 100 other things during the convention weekend. Not only did he come through for me, he created an atmosphere at the show that people look forward to and is probably the most popular event at the convention. This is just one example of our previous collaborations. The latest collaboration, Resurrected Video, came from our desire to do something new and exciting. We work well together and trust each other so it made sense to get into business together. That's my perspective on it. Rick might have a different take on why we decided to do this together... RF: Rich and I became friends through mutual friends and stuff like that. He then asked me to help out at Horror Realm doing the VHS Room, which I thought was awesome of him. And it turned into a big hit. Then from there, we
The full artwork for the upcoming release. Hillbillies, Avon and the ravenous undead caused by chicks. DIG IT.
The groovy flyer by Earl Kess for this weekend's super-killer SEVERED SHORT FILM NIGHT & VHS COLLECTORS UNITE CONVENTION. Be there or beware, people!!
Rick, I know you're an ardent VHS collector. What's your take on the whole culture expansion? What are the pros and cons in your view? RF: I like how it's expanding more people are getting involved in the scarce and hard to find gems that we all grown too love. The con is the amount of flipping for insane prices that is happening. I can't believe some prices these tapes are going for. Rich, do you collect? What do you think of the burgeoning resurgence of VHS appreciation and celebration? RD: I do collect. I don't have the collection a lot of other people do but it's not bad. Every week I'm at the local flea markets, thrift shops and garage sales trying to find some gems as well as scouring the internet. I have a lot of opinions on why we have seen a resurgence of VHS. I help run a local movie theater and the most popular films we show are from the late 70's and the 80's. Seems to be a lot of nostalgia in the age group that saw those movies as new releases. That is the same generation that first had the chance to rent movies and watch them at home. So I think a lot of them are nostalgic about VHS and their days visiting the video store. The younger fans of VHS that may not have been born until late 80's or early 90's are an entirely different animal in my mind. They have similar nostalgia for the video stores but I find a lot of them are true film fans and want to see these films that have never been made available to them, something I took for granted until I finally realized that the studios would rather put out their 7th edition of Evil Dead in 5 years rather than some old films never before released on DVD. They only way to do that is to hunt down the VHS of these films. The lack of films from the 80's to make it from VHS to DVD is pitiful. I'm glad so many people are preserving these films and making them available again. Last opinion, as I mentioned I have many, is art work. I think all of us appreciate the effort put into the artwork for VHS tapes. The DVD era really let us down. Thank goodness for Scream Factory; they are making a good effort to provide cool artwork. Rick, you've done a couple other films in the past, too. Can you tell us a little more about them? Do you plan on putting these out on tape, too? RF: I have done some other movies like Retards Shouldn't Run With Chainsaws (our first really, really bad movie), Toxic Shock Zombies, Slashing Prices, and a superhero sex comedy called Hot Justice: The Second Cumming. Also did a movie called Incest Bernie: Legend Of Blood Forest. Which I deem the "long lost DSK" film. People wanna see it… maybe one day. I would say that either Toxic Shock Zombies, Incest Bernie, or even HJ: Second Cumming would have a shot to be released. But the need and want would have to be there. So maybe an online petition would start up?
Annnnd another still from Holy Shit... Zombies! for good measure. Rick had this to say about the still: "Don't piss off your girlfriend on her period." Rick is a wise man.
Rich, do you have any other releases in queue? What's in the future for RESURRECTED VIDEO? RD: We do have some releases in the queue. One for sure and a couple of others almost completed. At this time we are keeping them secret but are very excited to see the reaction to them when we can reveal the releases. We will have one for sure at our table in October at Cinema Wasteland. Short term our future is to put out some cool releases that make the fans happy. We have discussed some other ideas that will keep with the original plan but also make us a little different than everyone else. But for now our primary focus is putting out a quality product and building a base of fans and friends. Okay, dudes: you're going to be shot into space and all you have room for is a VCR, three tapes and some choice munchies. What's in your space satchel? RD: Rick's answer to this will be so much more interesting than mine. If I'm stuck in space the nostalgic old guy in me tends to lean towards what I rented as a kid, I wore out my local stores copies of Day of the Dead, The Video Dead and Motel Hell. Give me those three movies and a bag of popcorn and I feel like I'm a kid again. RF: A lot of my video gems have been getting released to DVD & blu-ray! But anyways, I would say my top 3 would have to be Abomination, Video Dead (yes, I know it's on Blu-ray. The damn VHS makes the movie way more effective!), and because it's sweet and it was my most wanted tape forever: Blood Diner. I can never get enough of those 3 movies.WHAT?! No snacks, Rick?! Damn, man... Guess you'll be eating your foot, dude... which is also pretty cool. Get on down to the SEVERED SHORT FILM NIGHT & VHS COLLECTORS UNITE CONVENTION this Saturday, May 11th to grab yourself a copy of Resurrected Video's first release and experience Videovore Pandemonium slash Indie Flick Bliss. And be sure to mosey on over to Resurrected's Facebook site and give them some love!
Groove On and Watch VHS Tapes. Everyday.
Interview by Josh Schafer