So, it was in the summer of 2007 that we sat in the home office of a former magazine editor viewing a short film of mine called "Restless". At first he wasn't paying much attention to it, preferring to concentrate on lighting his next cigarette. Then he started watching it, and was surprised by what he saw. He actually liked it. We proceeded to watch it a few more times. He said that the short was quite good and that I should make a feature length film. He also suggested that it be an anthology film. Seemed like a good idea to me, that way I wouldn't have to worry about getting actors and locations for an extended amount of time... just a couple people and a day here and there. After a few more meetings with this fellow it became obvious to us that he was more interested in looking at naked girls than making films. Before we cut off communication with him, he gave us the contact info for actor George Stover (known for his work with directors Don Dohler and John Waters). It was decided that I would have to make this film alone.
I knew that I didn't have much money to spend on the project, so I had to come up with an angle for it. I decided that I would spend X amount of dollars on it, and the experiment was born. This experiment was to reference and pay homage to as many films and film genres as I could within this set budget. The budget dictated that the project would be shot on video, which I had no problem with... it would be a reference to today's trend of shot-on-video horror. In the tradition of Sam Sherman's Independent-International Pictures, I decided to take an already shot film and re-edit and add to it. This already existing film was another of my short films "Touch Of Death" (the title itself pinched from a Lucio Fulci film) that I had shot in England. This footage would serve as a flashback to the main character in this new project. I wrote three more short stories and a linking device to complete the screenplay.
Shooting took place between October and December 2007. I lost the cast and location for one of the stories, causing the film to come in way too short to be a feature. I then remembered a short that my friend Frankie Marino had made which was a tribute to 1970s Italian crime films. It was a great short and I knew that I could make it fit into what I was doing. Frankie sent me all of the uncut footage for me to re-cut and fit into my project. I shot a linking piece and it tied his work into mine very well.
After editing was completed I had to decide how to promote and market the finished film, which was originally called "Dark Delicacies". The 3 original stories all had some sort of eating of the body in them, whether it was physical or metaphyscial, and the tone was dark. The title made sense, but a threatened lawsuit from the Los Angeles bookstore (and collections of short stories) of the same name required a change and it became "Dust & Death". I didn't think anyone would get what I tried to do, so for some reason I never mentioned the experimental aspect of my stab at arthouse horror. I put it out there as a shot-on-video horror anthology. I really wish that I hadn't. I thought that maybe people would get what I was going for. They didn't. "Dust & Death" received a few somewhat positive reviews and a completely negative one from Arrow In The Head.
Positive reviews:
"What really works in this production is the love the filmmaker has for the genre. There is great use of locations (some of it shot in California, some of it on the East Coast, and a portion of it shot in England). There are creative camera angles and strong performances, especially from the likes for Stover, Zekova, and Corkadel. The movie is strong on mood and symbolism, and has a very European feel to it. The opening credits are done well and the music throughout is used to good effect. The "death" sequences has some nice visuals involving shadows." - Smash or Trash Independent Film-making
"Dust and Death is a very dark and entertaining horror film. Writer/director Vince Corkadel does a good job keeping the movie entertaining. He does that by keeping the atmosphere very dark and the characters interesting." - filmarcade.net
"What really works in this production is the love the filmmaker has for the genre. There is great use of locations (some of it shot in California, some of it on the East Coast, and a portion of it shot in England). There are creative camera angles and strong performances, especially from the likes for Stover, Zekova, and Corkadel. The movie is strong on mood and symbolism, and has a very European feel to it. The opening credits are done well and the music throughout is used to good effect. The "death" sequences has some nice visuals involving shadows." - Smash or Trash Independent Film-making
"Dust and Death is a very dark and entertaining horror film. Writer/director Vince Corkadel does a good job keeping the movie entertaining. He does that by keeping the atmosphere very dark and the characters interesting." - filmarcade.net
Now, you might be thinking "That's all well and good, but what stuff did you try to reference" and I don't blame you. I will break down each story in the film and tell you what's what.
Max:
This is my favorite part of the film. The Max character's look was a nod to both Pinhead from "Hellraiser" and the bounty hunters from "Critters". In one part that audio gets really rough for one of Alexis' lines since I used the on-set audio for it. This tiny part is a reference to the jail scene in Martin Scorsese's "Boxcar Bertha" in which David Carradine's character asks someone a question and their response is "No". This "no" is obviously taken from the on-set filming and not looped in during post, giving it a rough feel. It sounds thoroughly out of place and I replicated that in my scene. I can't go to the next section without mentioning how great Andi Sex Gang's dubbed in voice for Max is. I wasn't happy with the actor's line readings, so I asked Andi to re-record them for me. It really works and adds another quality to this piece.
This is my favorite part of the film. The Max character's look was a nod to both Pinhead from "Hellraiser" and the bounty hunters from "Critters". In one part that audio gets really rough for one of Alexis' lines since I used the on-set audio for it. This tiny part is a reference to the jail scene in Martin Scorsese's "Boxcar Bertha" in which David Carradine's character asks someone a question and their response is "No". This "no" is obviously taken from the on-set filming and not looped in during post, giving it a rough feel. It sounds thoroughly out of place and I replicated that in my scene. I can't go to the next section without mentioning how great Andi Sex Gang's dubbed in voice for Max is. I wasn't happy with the actor's line readings, so I asked Andi to re-record them for me. It really works and adds another quality to this piece.
The Hitch-hiker:
The name of the story is taken from the 1980s TV series "The Hitchhiker", a great anthology series that inspired much of "Dust & Death". The desolate shots of the countryside reference "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", as does the end of the story with the girl bound over a metal bucket. This scene also recreates a shot from "Microwave Massacre". The chase scene is a nod to the ones in the Dario Argento films "Phenomena" and "Opera". The tone was inspired by British director Pete Walker.
The name of the story is taken from the 1980s TV series "The Hitchhiker", a great anthology series that inspired much of "Dust & Death". The desolate shots of the countryside reference "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", as does the end of the story with the girl bound over a metal bucket. This scene also recreates a shot from "Microwave Massacre". The chase scene is a nod to the ones in the Dario Argento films "Phenomena" and "Opera". The tone was inspired by British director Pete Walker.
Crime part:
Frankie's short fit in since it had a downer ending and had a 1970s feel, which I wanted.
Frankie's short fit in since it had a downer ending and had a 1970s feel, which I wanted.
Linking story:
The story that links the above bits together includes the short film shot in England. The film begins with a lone girl on a beach, a reference to the works of Jean Rollin. I would have included a clock too to further the Rollin references, but all I had was a Russian pocket watch. Some of the shots are poorly lit and framed, with some dubious acting as a reference to the regional horror films of the 1970s and today's shot-on-video flicks. Keeping with the times, I also put in a little of but of computer work. The 1980s required bathtub scene is there too. The ending is a complete wink to other anthology films from the 1970s.
The story that links the above bits together includes the short film shot in England. The film begins with a lone girl on a beach, a reference to the works of Jean Rollin. I would have included a clock too to further the Rollin references, but all I had was a Russian pocket watch. Some of the shots are poorly lit and framed, with some dubious acting as a reference to the regional horror films of the 1970s and today's shot-on-video flicks. Keeping with the times, I also put in a little of but of computer work. The 1980s required bathtub scene is there too. The ending is a complete wink to other anthology films from the 1970s.
Did it work? Honestly I think some parts did, while others fell flat. I think that some people didn't get what I was going for because I didn't play it jokey (even though I did leave a flubbed line from George Stover in, I found it funny). It was made on the cheap and was a valuable learning experience that I took with me when I finally finished "Bastard Art".
That X amount turned out to be $600. That's it. You may think that the movie must be garbage then. I was also offered distribution deals from York and Brain Damage, which I passed on. Director Rolfe Kanefsky ("Nightmare Man") told me some horror stories about dealing with York, and when Brain Damage made their offer I just wasn't interested. I passed because the film is so small and wasn't really meant to be seen on a larger scale. It was an experiment and a learning tool. Every filmmaker needs to go out there and make something to start with. I did the shorts, then "Dust & Death", and then "Bastard Art".
In the tradition of "Tales from the Crypt" and "Vault of Horror", comes "Dust & Death"! Get ready for something deliciously dark when the destiny of a beautiful young woman and a stranger known only as "The Traveller" become entangled in the lives of a suicidal goth who meets the unlikeliest of new friends, a bankrobber whose plans for the perfect score go terribly wrong, and a hitch-hiker whose new ride might not be as friendly as he seems.
Starring: George Stover (John Waters' "Female Trouble" & "Desperate Living"), Eva Zekova, Scott Patrick Staab, Alexis Shea, Erica Liebman, Dave Wynn Vince Corkadel, and Andi Sex Gang (Dario Argento's "Phenomena") as the voice of "Max", with Danniella Booth, Mark Booth, Jim Rodriguez, Al Orton, Rita Akins, and Sasha.
Written and directed by Vince Corkadel.
Internet: Fangoria, Arrow in the Head, FEARnet, Bloody Disgusting, Smash or Trash Independent Filmmaking, and Evil Dread.
Print: Fangoria, and GASP.
Screenings: Horrorfind (Baltimore, Maryland), New Vision Cinema Series (Bronx, New York), and Speakeasy (Berlin, Germany).
Starring: George Stover (John Waters' "Female Trouble" & "Desperate Living"), Eva Zekova, Scott Patrick Staab, Alexis Shea, Erica Liebman, Dave Wynn Vince Corkadel, and Andi Sex Gang (Dario Argento's "Phenomena") as the voice of "Max", with Danniella Booth, Mark Booth, Jim Rodriguez, Al Orton, Rita Akins, and Sasha.
Written and directed by Vince Corkadel.
Internet: Fangoria, Arrow in the Head, FEARnet, Bloody Disgusting, Smash or Trash Independent Filmmaking, and Evil Dread.
Print: Fangoria, and GASP.
Screenings: Horrorfind (Baltimore, Maryland), New Vision Cinema Series (Bronx, New York), and Speakeasy (Berlin, Germany).
