In 2004, while living in western Maine, I did special effects for the independent film "The 12 Dogs of Christmas". While this was a rewarding experience, the months spent seeped in happy, Christmassy family values left me with the uncontrollable urge to create something dark... dark and ridiculous.


I sought the Zen of Seventh Sanctum's B-Movie Generator and vowed to make a short film based on the first result to pop up, which was, of course, "The Whorehouse of Dracula". Since I had no budget and no way of convincing hot chicks to take their clothes off in front of the camera, I settled for the second random result, this time for real, "The Color of Cannibals".


The basic story came together quickly; everything seemed to fall into place except for one key factor: The protagonist. My hero was flat; nothing set him apart from the heroes in every other bad-no-budget-horror-comedy-action-adventure-chemical-waste-zombie-shot-in-maine-movie out there.


As fate would have it, late night on the set of 12 dogs, I found myself hanging out with the Lang brothers: Charlie and Carl, 9 and 14 years old respectively, killing time between takes. After the Charlie cunningly
swindled me in a heated game of Crazy 8's, I realized these kids had to be in my movie.


The next day I approached their father, Sonny, and asked if he'd let his kids swear in my movie. "If they understand it's for art then sure," he responded. I quickly asked if they'd be interested. "Can I have a sword?" Charlie responded. Dubious, I handed him a stick and asked to see what he could do. The samurai-like kata he performed impressed me so much that I went home and wrote him in as the star.


Dylan