The Hills Are Alive

Inside a tiny workshop in Canoga Park, California, just off Alabama Ave. of all places, something big is taking shape. It's only clay, plaster, and paint at the moment, but little by little, a layer of laytex here and a clump of fake fur there, the pieces are coming together to create something big, something powerful, and something that will hopefully scare the bejeezus of everybody that comes into contact with it.

Or at least the ones who pay to see it.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. This is my first attempt at creating a monster, so you'll have to forgive me if I get a little excited. This all started back in February, when I wound up writing a script for an action/horror movie called "Footprints." A throwback to the horror movies of the 70s, "Footprints" is sort of a cross between "The Breakfast Club" and "Jurassic Park." A group of 7 teenagers are sent to a work camp far off in the woods during what would normally be their Spring Break. But instead of working off their punishment for acting up in school, the kids are attacked by violent creatures living in nearby mountain caves. Think "Jaws" on land with Bigfoots instead of sharks, and you get the idea. Not the normal kind of stuff I tend to write, but it was fun to do and turned out better than I hoped. And now, in just a few weeks, a very talented group of individuals will be turning this little Bigfoot idea into a full-blown trailer, with stunts, special effects, and all the bells and whistles. Sort of a sales pitch demo reel, to sell the idea to studios and other interested parties. But the coolest part of this whole process has been seeing the creature come to life. This clay model was designed by Gary Tunnicliffe, a Hollywood make-up artist responsible for Pinhead in the Hellraiser movies, the vampires in Blade, and a ton of others. Over the next couple of weeks, hair and paint will be added and a full-blown BIGFOOT will arrive. Stay tuned...