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Hi there TZ radio fans,
Well, this week you'll hear a radio adaptation of the classic story "Once Upon a Time" which was originally seen December 15th, 1961. The TV episode was written by the great Richard Matheson and featured silent film star Buster Keaton as Woodrow Mulligan, a grumpy janitor in 1890, dissatisfied with his time and place. He works for Professor Gilbert, who has just invented a time helmet. Seizing the opportunity, Mulligan uses the helmet to transport himself to the future of 1960, which of course turns out to not be what he was hoping for.
"Once Upon a Time" was one of the Twilight Zone's comedy episodes. The portions of the episode set in the 1890s have no sound and include silent film intertitle cards (except for Rod Serling) with music provided by a saloon piano.
In our radio version of "Once Upon a Time" adapted by Matthew Elliott, the brilliant actor John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings / Raiders of the Lost Ark) stars as Woodrow Mulligan with Mike Starr as Rollo. John completely nails the role of Mulligan and of course Mike Starr hits the ball out of the park as always.
I received the rough mix on this show last week and, other than the acting, I was pretty disappointed with it. I'm a big believer that anything you can do on TV can be done on radio - and in most cases, even better because the theatre of the imagination sets a bigger stage. However, I think comedy (in general) is better represented in a visual medium. For example -- Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Red Skelton, Milton Berle and many others had more success in visual arenas. "Once Upon a Time" in my humble opinion was only an okay show on TV so there is really only so much you can do with it. And because it's a comedy episode it just doesn't translate as well to radio. After hearing the first draft I made extensive notes for the Cerny team and they went to work on bettering it. Yesterday I received the final mix and although I think it's much better now, it still has some problems. The TV episode and the radio episode have so many scene changes and jump-cuts to different character's points of view, listeners may have a tougher time following the perspective on this one than they would in the video version. All that said, I think it's still a fun radio show and I hope listeners will enjoy it. Every one of these shows is like a newborn baby to me - this baby just isn't as 'cute' as most of my others ; )
The next new TZ story will be broadcast the week of March 22nd and is already produced. It's called "Now You Hear It, Now You Don't" and stars marvelous actress Dee Wallace as Rose Lynbrook, powerful CEO of Lady Lynbrook Cosmetics. Rose is in her mid 50's and is still quite beautiful, though her best years are behind her, she is too vain to wear a hearing aid despite a degenerative hearing loss. After she's almost killed by a bus because she didn't hear it approaching, she reluctantly is fitted for a hearing aid that is a prototype for a new cutting-edge model. Recently remarried to a younger man, Rose begins suspecting he is cheating on her with her young assistant and that the two are plotting to murder her in order to take over the business. These suspicions are fuelled by the conversations she's able to overhear thanks to the powerful hearing aid.
I decided to take a stab at writing a TZ episode and this is my first. The inspiration to write this story came from my 81 year old mom Rose Amari who has had substantial hearing loss over the last few years. She never wanted to wear a hearing aid but I'm happy to say she's just gotten one and it's been a real blessing (hi mom!). I know my writing limitations so I called on Dennis Etchison to take my story and adapted it into a TZ radio script. As always, he didn't disappoint. Dee Wallace is brilliant in her portrayal of Rose Lynbrook. Norm Woodel portrays her younger, power-hungry husband Wayne Benson and Rob Riley is Rose's friend and confidant Dr. Wrightson. Jennifer Joy, who plays "Eve" in my "Word of Promise" audio Bible plays Sally, Rose's assistant and Wayne's mistress. I'm really happy with the final mix and I can't wait for you to hear it. When I think of "The Twilight Zone" this is the kind of story that comes to mind - murder, mystery, intrigue, plot twists and an element of the supernatural. I hope you will enjoy it.
Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Hi there TZ radio fans,
Well, this week is "The Walk-Abouts" a brand new story by writer Steve Nubie. As you may know, we've been producing this series since 2002 and we started with radio adaptations of the original 156 TV episodes. Because we've nearly adapted all of the 156 originals, CBS Enterprises (the owners of the Twilight Zone) is allowing us to write and produce brand new stories never seen or heard before. "The Walk-Abouts" is one of them. It's the story of a writer of conspiracy books who claims to have concrete evidence that UFO’s and Aliens really do exist. His goal is to write a best seller blowing the lid off the topic – but in doing so, he may make an enemy or two. I think you're going to love this episode -- it has some great twists and turns. My pal Mike Starr plays the lead and the supporting cast includes David Pasquesi (recently seen co-starring with Tom Hanks in "Angels & Demons"), JoBe Cerny, Richard Henzel, Linda Kimbrough and Tim Dadabo.
The first week of February you'll hear "The Invaders" starring Kathy Garver in the role of an elderly woman fending for herself against alien invaders while living in shack in the middle of nowhere. The role was played by the great Agnes Moorehead in the original TV version and she had no dialog at all. Producing a radio version of a story with no dialog for the lead posed challenges so we gave her a blind husband, played by Chicago actor Tony Mockus. Because he can't see, she describes what is happening to him and thus the listener can follow along. I think you're going to really like what we did with this classic story by the great Richard Matheson. Once again we called on Barry Richert to adapted it for radio.
Then the week of February 22nd, you're in for another treat. We'll be presenting a radio adaptation of the classic story "Once Upon a Time" which was originally seen December 15th, 1961. The TV episode was written by Richard Matheson and featured silent film star Buster Keaton as Woodrow Mulligan, a grumpy janitor in 1890, dissatisfied with his time and place: A backwater town called "Harmony" with seventeen-cent cuts of meat, two-dollar hats, livestock freely roaming the streets, and penny-farthing bicycles that frequently knock him down while going the speed limit. He works for Professor Gilbert, who has just invented a time helmet. Seizing the opportunity, Mulligan uses the helmet to transport himself to the future of 1960, which of course turns out to be a surprise with even higher prices and more noise and chaos. He meets Rollo, a scientist and authority on the 1890s, who helps him to repair the broken helmet in the hopes of returning to the past. But Rollo double crosses Mulligan and tries to go back alone, but Mulligan will have none of it and jumps on Rollo and they are transported back together. The 1890s turn out to be not entirely what Rollo expected and he's very unhappy. Mulligan, however, is relieved, and when he hears Rollo griping, Mulligan sets the helmet for 1960, puts it on Rollo's head, sending him back to his own time.
"Once Upon a Time" was one of the Twilight Zone's comedy episodes. The portions of the episode set in the 1890s have no sound and include silent film intertitle cards (except, of course, for Rod Serling) with music provided by a saloon piano. Much is made of the fact that Mulligan shows up in the 1960s with no pants due to his getting run over by a "high speed" bicycle. A running gag involves a frustrated Mulligan being chased by a policeman in both the past and the present.
Buster Keaton was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, starring in and devising elaborate stunts and gags for such classic comedies as "The General" and "Steamboat Bill, Jr." His career unfortunately hit the skids with the advent of sound films, and he spent decades struggling in Hollywood. A big fan of Keaton, Serling intended this episode to be an homage to Keaton's early work.
In our radio version of "Once Upon a Time" adapted by Matthew Elliott, the brilliant actor John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings / Raiders of the Lost Ark) stars as Woodrow Mulligan with Mike Starr as Rollo. John completely nails the role of Mulligan and I can't wait for you to hear it. John is a great friend -- he portrayed "Saul" to perfection in my Word of Promise audio Bible. He will also be heard starring in "The Time of Your Life" a brand new TZ radio drama also written by Matthew Elliott. That one is scheduled for August 2010 so don't miss it!
Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Well, this week is "The Walk-Abouts" a brand new story by writer Steve Nubie. As you may know, we've been producing this series since 2002 and we started with radio adaptations of the original 156 TV episodes. Because we've nearly adapted all of the 156 originals, CBS Enterprises (the owners of the Twilight Zone) is allowing us to write and produce brand new stories never seen or heard before. "The Walk-Abouts" is one of them. It's the story of a writer of conspiracy books who claims to have concrete evidence that UFO’s and Aliens really do exist. His goal is to write a best seller blowing the lid off the topic – but in doing so, he may make an enemy or two. I think you're going to love this episode -- it has some great twists and turns. My pal Mike Starr plays the lead and the supporting cast includes David Pasquesi (recently seen co-starring with Tom Hanks in "Angels & Demons"), JoBe Cerny, Richard Henzel, Linda Kimbrough and Tim Dadabo.
The first week of February you'll hear "The Invaders" starring Kathy Garver in the role of an elderly woman fending for herself against alien invaders while living in shack in the middle of nowhere. The role was played by the great Agnes Moorehead in the original TV version and she had no dialog at all. Producing a radio version of a story with no dialog for the lead posed challenges so we gave her a blind husband, played by Chicago actor Tony Mockus. Because he can't see, she describes what is happening to him and thus the listener can follow along. I think you're going to really like what we did with this classic story by the great Richard Matheson. Once again we called on Barry Richert to adapted it for radio.
Then the week of February 22nd, you're in for another treat. We'll be presenting a radio adaptation of the classic story "Once Upon a Time" which was originally seen December 15th, 1961. The TV episode was written by Richard Matheson and featured silent film star Buster Keaton as Woodrow Mulligan, a grumpy janitor in 1890, dissatisfied with his time and place: A backwater town called "Harmony" with seventeen-cent cuts of meat, two-dollar hats, livestock freely roaming the streets, and penny-farthing bicycles that frequently knock him down while going the speed limit. He works for Professor Gilbert, who has just invented a time helmet. Seizing the opportunity, Mulligan uses the helmet to transport himself to the future of 1960, which of course turns out to be a surprise with even higher prices and more noise and chaos. He meets Rollo, a scientist and authority on the 1890s, who helps him to repair the broken helmet in the hopes of returning to the past. But Rollo double crosses Mulligan and tries to go back alone, but Mulligan will have none of it and jumps on Rollo and they are transported back together. The 1890s turn out to be not entirely what Rollo expected and he's very unhappy. Mulligan, however, is relieved, and when he hears Rollo griping, Mulligan sets the helmet for 1960, puts it on Rollo's head, sending him back to his own time.
"Once Upon a Time" was one of the Twilight Zone's comedy episodes. The portions of the episode set in the 1890s have no sound and include silent film intertitle cards (except, of course, for Rod Serling) with music provided by a saloon piano. Much is made of the fact that Mulligan shows up in the 1960s with no pants due to his getting run over by a "high speed" bicycle. A running gag involves a frustrated Mulligan being chased by a policeman in both the past and the present.
Buster Keaton was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, starring in and devising elaborate stunts and gags for such classic comedies as "The General" and "Steamboat Bill, Jr." His career unfortunately hit the skids with the advent of sound films, and he spent decades struggling in Hollywood. A big fan of Keaton, Serling intended this episode to be an homage to Keaton's early work.
In our radio version of "Once Upon a Time" adapted by Matthew Elliott, the brilliant actor John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings / Raiders of the Lost Ark) stars as Woodrow Mulligan with Mike Starr as Rollo. John completely nails the role of Mulligan and I can't wait for you to hear it. John is a great friend -- he portrayed "Saul" to perfection in my Word of Promise audio Bible. He will also be heard starring in "The Time of Your Life" a brand new TZ radio drama also written by Matthew Elliott. That one is scheduled for August 2010 so don't miss it!
Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Hi there,
Well, this coming week I'm excited for all of you to hear "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce and adapted for radio by Matthew Elliott. In my last blog, I talked about it at length and in just a few days you'll be able to hear what I think is one of the best TZ radio dramas we've ever produced. Whatever you do, don't miss it!
As you may know, we produce 12 to 14 new shows each year with the other shows being repeats. But since we've produced more than 160 shows since the series premiered in 2002, repeats are always more than a year apart. So, after "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" the next 'new' or never-before-heard show will air the week of January 4th, 2010. It's an original story by Steve Nubie called "The Walk-Abouts" starring Mike Starr and the amazing supporting cast of David Pasquesi, JoBe Cerny, Lia Mortensen, Richard Henzel, Linda Kimbrough and Tim Dadabo.
"The Walk-Abouts" is the story of a writer of conspiracy books who claims to have concrete evidence that UFO¹s and Aliens really do exist. His goal is to write a best seller blowing the lid off the topic but in doing so, he may make an enemy or two. I think you're going to love this episode -- it has twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Mike Starr knocks it out of the park as always, as does this fine supporting cast. JoBe Cerny handled the directing chores and did a stellar job.
I just today heard a rough draft of "The Invaders" starring Kathy Garver, and WOW is she ever fantastic in it. Kathy is best-known for her starring role as "Cissy" the eldest sibling in the long-running CBS international television series "Family Affair." Kathy has garnered critical acclaim in movies, radio, voice-over animation, audio book narration and on stage. Hollywood legendary producer/director Cecil B. DeMille was one of the first to recognize Kathy's talents casting her alongside Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments" at the ripe old age of 10! To learn more about Kathy and a new "Family Affair" cook book she just wrote, please visit her official website at:
http://www.kathygarver.com/
Kathy has been in a few TZ radio dramas including starring opposite Stacy Keach in "The Fever" which airs this coming week so be sure to listen for it.
I've gotten many emails from TZ radio fans over the years asking if we're ever going to produce "The Invaders" since the teleplay had almost no dialog. If you're a TZ fan you'll remember that Agnes Moorehead starred in the famous TV episode. Moorehead played an old woman living alone in a shack far off into the woods who is attacked by invaders from another planet. Because the original TV episode was so visual and had almost no dialog at all, it posed challenges for us to bring to radio. There are similar challenges with "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" and "Eye of the Beholder" but I assure you, you will hear them on the TZ radio dramas.
In other news, Blackstone Audio has just released Volume 2 of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF MICKEY SPILLANE'S MIKE HAMMER "The Little Death" a 2 hour and 13 minute audio novel by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins that I produced starring Stacy Keach. Last year I produced Volume 1, which included two short stories written by Matthew Elliott and JoBe Cerny. In Volume 2, we decided to do one long story, written by Max Allan Collins from material written by the late, great Mickey Spillane. Here is Max's blog talking all about it:
http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/tag/the-little-death/
Like Volume 1, "The Little Death" is fully-dramatized with an incredible supporting cast and stars Stacy Keach as the hard-boiled detective he immortalized on television. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available at Blackstone Audio's website or wherever audio books are sold. Here's Blackstone's website:
http://www.blackstoneaudio.com/
I am really proud of this MIKE HAMMER series and if you don't own them and are a fan of radio drama, I highly recommend you add them to your collection -- you won't be disappointed. Like TZ radio dramas, we went 'all-out' to bring you 'a dramatic radio theatre experience' you won't soon forget.
Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Well, this coming week I'm excited for all of you to hear "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce and adapted for radio by Matthew Elliott. In my last blog, I talked about it at length and in just a few days you'll be able to hear what I think is one of the best TZ radio dramas we've ever produced. Whatever you do, don't miss it!
As you may know, we produce 12 to 14 new shows each year with the other shows being repeats. But since we've produced more than 160 shows since the series premiered in 2002, repeats are always more than a year apart. So, after "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" the next 'new' or never-before-heard show will air the week of January 4th, 2010. It's an original story by Steve Nubie called "The Walk-Abouts" starring Mike Starr and the amazing supporting cast of David Pasquesi, JoBe Cerny, Lia Mortensen, Richard Henzel, Linda Kimbrough and Tim Dadabo.
"The Walk-Abouts" is the story of a writer of conspiracy books who claims to have concrete evidence that UFO¹s and Aliens really do exist. His goal is to write a best seller blowing the lid off the topic but in doing so, he may make an enemy or two. I think you're going to love this episode -- it has twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Mike Starr knocks it out of the park as always, as does this fine supporting cast. JoBe Cerny handled the directing chores and did a stellar job.
I just today heard a rough draft of "The Invaders" starring Kathy Garver, and WOW is she ever fantastic in it. Kathy is best-known for her starring role as "Cissy" the eldest sibling in the long-running CBS international television series "Family Affair." Kathy has garnered critical acclaim in movies, radio, voice-over animation, audio book narration and on stage. Hollywood legendary producer/director Cecil B. DeMille was one of the first to recognize Kathy's talents casting her alongside Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments" at the ripe old age of 10! To learn more about Kathy and a new "Family Affair" cook book she just wrote, please visit her official website at:
http://www.kathygarver.com/
Kathy has been in a few TZ radio dramas including starring opposite Stacy Keach in "The Fever" which airs this coming week so be sure to listen for it.
I've gotten many emails from TZ radio fans over the years asking if we're ever going to produce "The Invaders" since the teleplay had almost no dialog. If you're a TZ fan you'll remember that Agnes Moorehead starred in the famous TV episode. Moorehead played an old woman living alone in a shack far off into the woods who is attacked by invaders from another planet. Because the original TV episode was so visual and had almost no dialog at all, it posed challenges for us to bring to radio. There are similar challenges with "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" and "Eye of the Beholder" but I assure you, you will hear them on the TZ radio dramas.
In other news, Blackstone Audio has just released Volume 2 of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF MICKEY SPILLANE'S MIKE HAMMER "The Little Death" a 2 hour and 13 minute audio novel by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins that I produced starring Stacy Keach. Last year I produced Volume 1, which included two short stories written by Matthew Elliott and JoBe Cerny. In Volume 2, we decided to do one long story, written by Max Allan Collins from material written by the late, great Mickey Spillane. Here is Max's blog talking all about it:
http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/tag/the-little-death/
Like Volume 1, "The Little Death" is fully-dramatized with an incredible supporting cast and stars Stacy Keach as the hard-boiled detective he immortalized on television. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available at Blackstone Audio's website or wherever audio books are sold. Here's Blackstone's website:
http://www.blackstoneaudio.com/
I am really proud of this MIKE HAMMER series and if you don't own them and are a fan of radio drama, I highly recommend you add them to your collection -- you won't be disappointed. Like TZ radio dramas, we went 'all-out' to bring you 'a dramatic radio theatre experience' you won't soon forget.
Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Hi everyone,
Well, this week we're airing "There Goes the Neighborhood" with my pal Tim Kazurinsky as star. It's a brand new story written especially for The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas by terrific writer Barry Richert. Tim plays a timid scientist who builds a device that transports a grotesque beast from another dimension. The scientist quickly learns though that the unsightly visitor has a kind, gentle nature and he must thwart his greedy wife’s efforts to exploit the creature. One of my favorite "Zoners" Meg Thalken plays Tim's nasty wife - you just love to hate her in this!
The next "new" TZ show that we've produced is one you'll be hearing the week of December 14th. It's one of the most intriguing short-stories in all of literature, "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. It's the story of a Confederate spy who is inexplicably spared death when the rope meant to hang him miraculously breaks. In 1962, the story was produced as a French short-film by Marcel Ichal and Paul de Robaix called "Incident at Owl Creek" and it won first prize for short subjects at the Cannes Film Festival that year. In 1963 it won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. That same year Rod Serling attended a private screening of the French film and he liked it so much he agreed to have it shown on his Twilight Zone TV series, with the French dialog dubbed in English so that American audiences could experience it. The February 28, 1964 telecast offered this introduction by Serling: "Tonight on the Twilight Zone, a special event. A program made outside of the United States that seems to us to be so different, so effective, and so meaningful that we offer it to you now. A haunting study of the incredible from the past master of the incredible - Ambrose Bierce. What you will now see is the French production of ... "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."
Because the short film had very little dialog, it posed a great challenge in being adapted for our radio series. Fortunately for us, British writer M.J. Elliott was up for the challenge. M.J. is a brilliant writer, who specializes in radio drama style writing. He has written a few "new" TZ stories that you will be hearing next year and recently adapted Richard Matheson's TZ story "Once Upon a Time." The televised version of that story starred silent film icon Buster Keaton. Our radio version stars the amazing John Rhys-Davies and you'll hear it the broadcast week of February 22nd, 2010.
With a brilliant radio adaptation of the Bierce classic by M.J. Elliott, I decided to leave the directing chores up to JoBe Cerny. JoBe directed my Word of Promise audio Bible - see www.wordofpromisebible.com - In the lead role of "Peyton Farquhar" I chose actor Christian Stolte, who can currently be seen co-starring with Gerard Butler and Jamie Fox in "Law Abiding Citizen." In that film Christian plays "Clarence Darby" a crazed killer that murders Butler's character's wife and young daughter. Don't worry, Butler makes him pay mightily for the crimes. Christian can also be seen as "Charles Makley" one of John Dillinger's gang in the Johnny Depp film "Public Enemies" and as "Jesse's father" in the soon-to-be-released "A Nightmare on Elm Street." In the supporting cast of "Owl Creek Bridge" we have: William Dick, Danny Goldring, Rob Riley, Gonzo Schexnayder, Susan Hart and John Hooganakker.
The incredible mix to this hallucinatory story fell to the amazing sound designer Craig Lee at Cerny American Creative. Craig never ceases to amaze me with his vivid design style (he headed up the sound design for Word of Promise) and it's evident in this story - so kudos Craig!
With all this build up you probably wouldn't be surprised if I say that this radio version of "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" is one of my favorite Twilight Zone Radio Dramas to date - and you wouldn't be wrong. I think it ranks right up there along with "Five Characters In Search of an Exit," "Long Distance Call," "Four O'clock," "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" and "Long Live Walter Jameson" which are my faves.
I hope after you listen to this episode you'll blog or email me at camari@falconpicturegroup.com with your thoughts and comments. Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Well, this week we're airing "There Goes the Neighborhood" with my pal Tim Kazurinsky as star. It's a brand new story written especially for The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas by terrific writer Barry Richert. Tim plays a timid scientist who builds a device that transports a grotesque beast from another dimension. The scientist quickly learns though that the unsightly visitor has a kind, gentle nature and he must thwart his greedy wife’s efforts to exploit the creature. One of my favorite "Zoners" Meg Thalken plays Tim's nasty wife - you just love to hate her in this!
The next "new" TZ show that we've produced is one you'll be hearing the week of December 14th. It's one of the most intriguing short-stories in all of literature, "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. It's the story of a Confederate spy who is inexplicably spared death when the rope meant to hang him miraculously breaks. In 1962, the story was produced as a French short-film by Marcel Ichal and Paul de Robaix called "Incident at Owl Creek" and it won first prize for short subjects at the Cannes Film Festival that year. In 1963 it won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. That same year Rod Serling attended a private screening of the French film and he liked it so much he agreed to have it shown on his Twilight Zone TV series, with the French dialog dubbed in English so that American audiences could experience it. The February 28, 1964 telecast offered this introduction by Serling: "Tonight on the Twilight Zone, a special event. A program made outside of the United States that seems to us to be so different, so effective, and so meaningful that we offer it to you now. A haunting study of the incredible from the past master of the incredible - Ambrose Bierce. What you will now see is the French production of ... "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."
Because the short film had very little dialog, it posed a great challenge in being adapted for our radio series. Fortunately for us, British writer M.J. Elliott was up for the challenge. M.J. is a brilliant writer, who specializes in radio drama style writing. He has written a few "new" TZ stories that you will be hearing next year and recently adapted Richard Matheson's TZ story "Once Upon a Time." The televised version of that story starred silent film icon Buster Keaton. Our radio version stars the amazing John Rhys-Davies and you'll hear it the broadcast week of February 22nd, 2010.
With a brilliant radio adaptation of the Bierce classic by M.J. Elliott, I decided to leave the directing chores up to JoBe Cerny. JoBe directed my Word of Promise audio Bible - see www.wordofpromisebible.com - In the lead role of "Peyton Farquhar" I chose actor Christian Stolte, who can currently be seen co-starring with Gerard Butler and Jamie Fox in "Law Abiding Citizen." In that film Christian plays "Clarence Darby" a crazed killer that murders Butler's character's wife and young daughter. Don't worry, Butler makes him pay mightily for the crimes. Christian can also be seen as "Charles Makley" one of John Dillinger's gang in the Johnny Depp film "Public Enemies" and as "Jesse's father" in the soon-to-be-released "A Nightmare on Elm Street." In the supporting cast of "Owl Creek Bridge" we have: William Dick, Danny Goldring, Rob Riley, Gonzo Schexnayder, Susan Hart and John Hooganakker.
The incredible mix to this hallucinatory story fell to the amazing sound designer Craig Lee at Cerny American Creative. Craig never ceases to amaze me with his vivid design style (he headed up the sound design for Word of Promise) and it's evident in this story - so kudos Craig!
With all this build up you probably wouldn't be surprised if I say that this radio version of "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" is one of my favorite Twilight Zone Radio Dramas to date - and you wouldn't be wrong. I think it ranks right up there along with "Five Characters In Search of an Exit," "Long Distance Call," "Four O'clock," "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" and "Long Live Walter Jameson" which are my faves.
I hope after you listen to this episode you'll blog or email me at camari@falconpicturegroup.com with your thoughts and comments. Well, that's all for now, I hope you'll join me next time for MORE NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Hi everyone,
Wow, I'm really sorry for missing all of September with my TZ blog! Where does the time go? The main reason for my being so crazy-busy is that I just completed a 4-year project of producing THE WORD OF PROMISE Full Audio Bible for Thomas Nelson, Inc. Here’s the resource site for it which features video and audio clips and detailed information:
http://wordofpromise.thomasnelson.com/
A few weeks ago I went to LA to tape a special on it for Trinity Broadcasting Network along with Michael York and Ernie Hudson. It’s 30 minutes if you have a chance to watch it. Here’s a link. Look for the one with (Michael York, Ernie Hudson and Carl Amari).
http://www.tbn.org/watch-us/podcast?view_all
I've never been more proud of a project than THE WORD OF PROMISE. Single reader Full audio Bibles run about 40 hours. This is a 98 hour audio Bible with more than 600 actors including Jim Caviezel, Jon Voight, Richard Dreyfuss, Malcolm McDowell, Gary Sinise, Marisa Tomei, Joan Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Jesse McCartney, Marcia Gay Harden, Stacy Keach, Sean Astin, Lou Gossett, Jr., and many other award-winning actors. It is narrated by the incredible Michael York. There is not one word of dialog being 'read' in this audio Bible, it is all 'performed' like a film with the actors interacting with each other, set to amazing music and sound effects. It's presented in 'dramatic audio theatre' style (word-for-word from the NKJ) and I promise you it will lift the words off the page. You've never experienced anything like this audio Bible.
JoBe Cerny directed it (he directed an incredible 175,000 takes). His amazing team of sound designers, headed by Craig Lee, at Cerny American Creative handed the Foley and mix. Maestro Stefano Mainetti and his 150 piece orchestra provides the original music score that was written for each scene in the Bible - no canned music here!
My friend Jim McClain and I are in the process of creating a 2-minute TV commercial for it which I'm hoping will be on national television in a few weeks. The Full audio Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) is 98 hours on 79 CDs, plus a Bonus DVD of the 'behind the scenes' making of this project, housed in a beautiful case with a travel tin. The retail is $124.99 but our special, money-back guarantee TV offer includes 5 additional CDs of The Christmas Story, The Easter Story and the epic Stefano Mainetti music score (the music score is not available anywhere else). This is a retail value of $150.00. On our TV, those that order will get the $150.00 value for two payments of $39.99. Our website will be up in a few weeks with this offer and will be at www.wordofpromisebible.com
If you want to order this for yourself or for a Christmas gift feel free to go to our website when it's up or email me anytime at camari@falconpicturegroup.com and I'll arrange to get it to you.
On the TZ front, since I last blogged you've hopefully heard new episodes of:
"Who Am I?" starring Sean Astin. Plot: A young businessman wakes up one morning and has a completely different face – but only “he” thinks it’s different from before.
"Nothing In the Dark" starring Marshall Allman. Plot: An old woman consumed with the fact that she will die one day soon, barricades herself in her cold, dark tenement apartment so that “Mr. Death” can not visit her.
"Steel" starring Lou Gossett, Jr. Plot: In the near future boxing has been outlawed and is performed by mechanical robots. The manager of a robot desperately in need of repair does the unthinkable to win a bout.
"The Amazing Dr. Kyle Powers" starring Sean Astin. Plot: A cold, unsympathetic physician is given the opportunity to change his ways when an extraordinary visitor gives him the ability to experience his patients’ symptoms. But will the good doctor change for the better?
Next up is "There Goes the Neighborhood" a brand-new original radio play written especially for The Twilight Zone by Barry Richert and stars Tim Kazurinsky. When a timid scientist builds a device that transports a grotesque beast from another dimension, he quickly learns the unsightly visitor has a kind, gentle nature. The scientist must thwart his greedy wife’s efforts to exploit the creature. I dare say it's one of the best shows we've ever produced, so I hope you enjoy it very much.
We just recorded "The Invaders" starring Kathy Garver ("Cissy" from the great TV series "Family Affair") and will be mixing it soon. I know you will be thrilled with how we pulled off a radio adaptation of the famous TV episode starring Agnes Moorehead that had NO DIALOG!
That's all for now, catch me next time with more ... NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Wow, I'm really sorry for missing all of September with my TZ blog! Where does the time go? The main reason for my being so crazy-busy is that I just completed a 4-year project of producing THE WORD OF PROMISE Full Audio Bible for Thomas Nelson, Inc. Here’s the resource site for it which features video and audio clips and detailed information:
http://wordofpromise.thomasnelson.com/
A few weeks ago I went to LA to tape a special on it for Trinity Broadcasting Network along with Michael York and Ernie Hudson. It’s 30 minutes if you have a chance to watch it. Here’s a link. Look for the one with (Michael York, Ernie Hudson and Carl Amari).
http://www.tbn.org/watch-us/podcast?view_all
I've never been more proud of a project than THE WORD OF PROMISE. Single reader Full audio Bibles run about 40 hours. This is a 98 hour audio Bible with more than 600 actors including Jim Caviezel, Jon Voight, Richard Dreyfuss, Malcolm McDowell, Gary Sinise, Marisa Tomei, Joan Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Jesse McCartney, Marcia Gay Harden, Stacy Keach, Sean Astin, Lou Gossett, Jr., and many other award-winning actors. It is narrated by the incredible Michael York. There is not one word of dialog being 'read' in this audio Bible, it is all 'performed' like a film with the actors interacting with each other, set to amazing music and sound effects. It's presented in 'dramatic audio theatre' style (word-for-word from the NKJ) and I promise you it will lift the words off the page. You've never experienced anything like this audio Bible.
JoBe Cerny directed it (he directed an incredible 175,000 takes). His amazing team of sound designers, headed by Craig Lee, at Cerny American Creative handed the Foley and mix. Maestro Stefano Mainetti and his 150 piece orchestra provides the original music score that was written for each scene in the Bible - no canned music here!
My friend Jim McClain and I are in the process of creating a 2-minute TV commercial for it which I'm hoping will be on national television in a few weeks. The Full audio Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) is 98 hours on 79 CDs, plus a Bonus DVD of the 'behind the scenes' making of this project, housed in a beautiful case with a travel tin. The retail is $124.99 but our special, money-back guarantee TV offer includes 5 additional CDs of The Christmas Story, The Easter Story and the epic Stefano Mainetti music score (the music score is not available anywhere else). This is a retail value of $150.00. On our TV, those that order will get the $150.00 value for two payments of $39.99. Our website will be up in a few weeks with this offer and will be at www.wordofpromisebible.com
If you want to order this for yourself or for a Christmas gift feel free to go to our website when it's up or email me anytime at camari@falconpicturegroup.com and I'll arrange to get it to you.
On the TZ front, since I last blogged you've hopefully heard new episodes of:
"Who Am I?" starring Sean Astin. Plot: A young businessman wakes up one morning and has a completely different face – but only “he” thinks it’s different from before.
"Nothing In the Dark" starring Marshall Allman. Plot: An old woman consumed with the fact that she will die one day soon, barricades herself in her cold, dark tenement apartment so that “Mr. Death” can not visit her.
"Steel" starring Lou Gossett, Jr. Plot: In the near future boxing has been outlawed and is performed by mechanical robots. The manager of a robot desperately in need of repair does the unthinkable to win a bout.
"The Amazing Dr. Kyle Powers" starring Sean Astin. Plot: A cold, unsympathetic physician is given the opportunity to change his ways when an extraordinary visitor gives him the ability to experience his patients’ symptoms. But will the good doctor change for the better?
Next up is "There Goes the Neighborhood" a brand-new original radio play written especially for The Twilight Zone by Barry Richert and stars Tim Kazurinsky. When a timid scientist builds a device that transports a grotesque beast from another dimension, he quickly learns the unsightly visitor has a kind, gentle nature. The scientist must thwart his greedy wife’s efforts to exploit the creature. I dare say it's one of the best shows we've ever produced, so I hope you enjoy it very much.
We just recorded "The Invaders" starring Kathy Garver ("Cissy" from the great TV series "Family Affair") and will be mixing it soon. I know you will be thrilled with how we pulled off a radio adaptation of the famous TV episode starring Agnes Moorehead that had NO DIALOG!
That's all for now, catch me next time with more ... NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Hi everyone,
I hope that you enjoyed "Passage on the Lady Anne" starring the amazing husband-wife acting duo Martin Jarvis and Rosalyn Ayres. Quite frankly I think it's one of the best shows we've ever produced. I hope you also enjoyed "Who Am I?" starring the brilliant actor Sean Astin. I will confess that the sound design for "Who Am I?" was not at the level that I wanted it to be. Unfortunately, we were faced with airing it as is or running a repeat so I let it air sub-par. That said, Cerny is hard at work remixing and making improvements/tweaks. The "Who Am I?" episode that we will sell for download and the show we air the next time around will be far better - I apologize for this.
Next up is "Nothing in the Dark" by George Clayton Johnson and adapted for radio by M.J. Elliott. This story is one of my favorites. The original 1962 TV version starred Gladys Cooper as Wanda Dunn and Robert Redford as Harold Beldon. A lonely old woman, Wanda Dunn, will not leave her dark basement apartment (in a soon to be demolished complex) because she's afraid "Mr. Death" is waiting for her outside. There is a commotion outside; Wanda peeks out fearfully. A young Police officer is lying on the ground just outside her door and he has been shot. After much convincing, Wanda finally opens the door and brings him in. While she does her best to nurse him, he talks to her about her fear, and she tells him she has seen Death before in the form of a man who took away the life of a woman on a bus just by touching her. Wanda has been afraid of death ever since and is convinced "Mr. Death" can change his appearance to mask his arrival. When there is a knock at the door, a man breaks into her apartment, and Wanda faints, thinking it's "Mr. Death." When she comes to, the man apologizes and explains he is a building contractor their to demolish the building the very next day. Soon after she meets "Mr. Death" head on and the twist ending is quite remarkable.
Our radio version stars Marshall Allman (Prison Break) as Police officer Beldon. I can't wait to hear the mixed version. In other news, my Word of Promise Old Testament and Full audio Bible will be released to the public by mid September. I just received finished goods of them both a few days ago and I must say the amazing packaging is only surpassed by the quality of the audio itself. My hope is that this audio Bible will become a helpful tool to spread the word of God in homes all over the world. To visit the resource center to learn more about this audio Bible and hear and watch audio and video on it, please visit:
http://wordofpromise.thomasnelson.com/
All of these Bible products are available wherever Bibles are sold.
Thanks everyone and I'll see you next time for more NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
I hope that you enjoyed "Passage on the Lady Anne" starring the amazing husband-wife acting duo Martin Jarvis and Rosalyn Ayres. Quite frankly I think it's one of the best shows we've ever produced. I hope you also enjoyed "Who Am I?" starring the brilliant actor Sean Astin. I will confess that the sound design for "Who Am I?" was not at the level that I wanted it to be. Unfortunately, we were faced with airing it as is or running a repeat so I let it air sub-par. That said, Cerny is hard at work remixing and making improvements/tweaks. The "Who Am I?" episode that we will sell for download and the show we air the next time around will be far better - I apologize for this.
Next up is "Nothing in the Dark" by George Clayton Johnson and adapted for radio by M.J. Elliott. This story is one of my favorites. The original 1962 TV version starred Gladys Cooper as Wanda Dunn and Robert Redford as Harold Beldon. A lonely old woman, Wanda Dunn, will not leave her dark basement apartment (in a soon to be demolished complex) because she's afraid "Mr. Death" is waiting for her outside. There is a commotion outside; Wanda peeks out fearfully. A young Police officer is lying on the ground just outside her door and he has been shot. After much convincing, Wanda finally opens the door and brings him in. While she does her best to nurse him, he talks to her about her fear, and she tells him she has seen Death before in the form of a man who took away the life of a woman on a bus just by touching her. Wanda has been afraid of death ever since and is convinced "Mr. Death" can change his appearance to mask his arrival. When there is a knock at the door, a man breaks into her apartment, and Wanda faints, thinking it's "Mr. Death." When she comes to, the man apologizes and explains he is a building contractor their to demolish the building the very next day. Soon after she meets "Mr. Death" head on and the twist ending is quite remarkable.
Our radio version stars Marshall Allman (Prison Break) as Police officer Beldon. I can't wait to hear the mixed version. In other news, my Word of Promise Old Testament and Full audio Bible will be released to the public by mid September. I just received finished goods of them both a few days ago and I must say the amazing packaging is only surpassed by the quality of the audio itself. My hope is that this audio Bible will become a helpful tool to spread the word of God in homes all over the world. To visit the resource center to learn more about this audio Bible and hear and watch audio and video on it, please visit:
http://wordofpromise.thomasnelson.com/
All of these Bible products are available wherever Bibles are sold.
Thanks everyone and I'll see you next time for more NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Hi everyone,
I hope you enjoyed "Bewitchin' Pool" starring Karen Black. It's a tough story to do on radio because it's so visual, with the kids splashing around in the water and the Norman Rockwell-esque country home of Aunt T. Even with these challenges I'm very happy with the way it came out and I hope you are too.
I hope that you also enjoyed "The Hunt" starring the incomparable Shelley Berman as "Hyder" with Karen Black as his wife "Rachel." I just love this story and what Shelley and Karen did with it. If you haven't heard this one, don't miss it, it's a heartfelt story and one you won't soon forget -- especially if you're a dog-lover.
Coming your way soon is "Passage on the Lady Anne" starring British actors Martin Jarvis and Rosalyn Ayres, who are real life husband and wife. They play "Mr. & Mrs. McKenzie" elderly travelers on the ancient British ocean liner "The Lady Anne." In this story, an unhappy American couple named "Alan & Eileen Ransome" (played by David Pasquesi and Ann Sonneville) take a 14-day cruise to England in the hopes that the trip will rekindle their marriage. They meet the McKenzies and other passengers who are ALL elderly and make it very clear that they do not want them aboard. This one is mysterious, moody and ultimately quite touching.
Martin Jarvis played "The Voice of God" in my Word of Promise audio Bible. Please see:
http://www.amazon.com/Word-Promise-Testament-Audio-Bible/dp/0718024249
He is a tremendous actor with incredible abilities. His lovely and talented wife Rosalyn has been in many films and TV programs -- you might remember her as The Bride of Frankenstein in the film "Gods and Monsters."
This Saturday (July 25th) on HOLLYWOOD 360 my guest is Radio Hall of Famer and Old-Time Radio Guru Chuck Schaden. I'll also have a recorded interview with Margot Stevenson the actress who played "The Lovely Margot Lane" opposite Orson Welles on "The Shadow." OTR shows include: The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show, The Shadow, X-Minus-One and Casey, Crime Photographer. On August 8th, Shelley Berman will be my guest.
HOLLYWOOD 360 airs on Chicago radio station WIND AM 560 from 7 pm to Midnight every Saturday night followed by two episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE radio dramas beginning at Midnight. If you are out of the area, tune in via the internet at:
http://560wind.townhall.com/
Well, that's all for now, check back for more NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
I hope you enjoyed "Bewitchin' Pool" starring Karen Black. It's a tough story to do on radio because it's so visual, with the kids splashing around in the water and the Norman Rockwell-esque country home of Aunt T. Even with these challenges I'm very happy with the way it came out and I hope you are too.
I hope that you also enjoyed "The Hunt" starring the incomparable Shelley Berman as "Hyder" with Karen Black as his wife "Rachel." I just love this story and what Shelley and Karen did with it. If you haven't heard this one, don't miss it, it's a heartfelt story and one you won't soon forget -- especially if you're a dog-lover.
Coming your way soon is "Passage on the Lady Anne" starring British actors Martin Jarvis and Rosalyn Ayres, who are real life husband and wife. They play "Mr. & Mrs. McKenzie" elderly travelers on the ancient British ocean liner "The Lady Anne." In this story, an unhappy American couple named "Alan & Eileen Ransome" (played by David Pasquesi and Ann Sonneville) take a 14-day cruise to England in the hopes that the trip will rekindle their marriage. They meet the McKenzies and other passengers who are ALL elderly and make it very clear that they do not want them aboard. This one is mysterious, moody and ultimately quite touching.
Martin Jarvis played "The Voice of God" in my Word of Promise audio Bible. Please see:
http://www.amazon.com/Word-Promise-Testament-Audio-Bible/dp/0718024249
He is a tremendous actor with incredible abilities. His lovely and talented wife Rosalyn has been in many films and TV programs -- you might remember her as The Bride of Frankenstein in the film "Gods and Monsters."
This Saturday (July 25th) on HOLLYWOOD 360 my guest is Radio Hall of Famer and Old-Time Radio Guru Chuck Schaden. I'll also have a recorded interview with Margot Stevenson the actress who played "The Lovely Margot Lane" opposite Orson Welles on "The Shadow." OTR shows include: The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show, The Shadow, X-Minus-One and Casey, Crime Photographer. On August 8th, Shelley Berman will be my guest.
HOLLYWOOD 360 airs on Chicago radio station WIND AM 560 from 7 pm to Midnight every Saturday night followed by two episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE radio dramas beginning at Midnight. If you are out of the area, tune in via the internet at:
http://560wind.townhall.com/
Well, that's all for now, check back for more NEWS FROM THE ZONE!
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