"We've Strayed Out of a Safe Line Somewhere." Wayne Spitzer's Adaptation of "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood Steps Into A Larger World

Wayne's scriptment for a feature-length film based upon Algernon Blackwood's The Willows has, at last, moved to the next level. Wayne's vision of the material includes elements of Blackwood's The Centaur as well as The Man Whom the Trees Loved, The Temptation of the Clay, and The Glamour of the Snow. Stay tuned for future updates as the project continues to transcend its micro-budget origins! ABOVE: Wayne's "Proof of Concept" poster design, conceived before Al Gore climbed into the cherry-picker!

SHADOWS IN THE GARDEN VHS Box Art

"DEAD OF NIGHT: A TASTE FOR TERROR" (1995)

Would have been the best episode of Dead of Night, probably, had Wayne and Andy cut it down to a single episode rather than two parts.

Andy Kumpon as the creepy "Golem." The idea was to capture a little of that '70s horror film vibe in which the imagery torments the eye just enough to, well, give one that creepy '70s horror film vibe.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) and A.K. (Andy Kumpon) approach the monolith via an old-fashioned "glass shot." The object and the episode were inspired by Kronos (1957), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and "The Cage/The Menagerie" (Star Trek). Not bad aspirations for a zero-budget cable-access program.

The Golem (Andy Kumpon) tilts his head curiously at the people inside the RV.

A.K. (Andy Kumpon) lets loose a scream after discovering a human heart in his "Uncle's Little Box."

The Golem (Andy Kumpon) as viewed through the RV's rearview mirror. Again, the '70s influence of directors such as Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows, Trilogy of Terror, Burnt Offerings) is evident.

Gratuitous image of Status (Wayne Spitzer) researching an inter-dimensional life form (Tammy Tobin). From the opening credits of "A Taste for Terror," itself from the lost episode "Metal," which Wayne and Andy may complete someday, for fun.

Since we're on a roll: Status (Wayne Spitzer) adds a ghostly girl (Cheryl Gline) to the VictorCorp database. If your inspiration is classic Trek, your heroes know those dimensions aren't going to explore themselves. From Dead of Night: "Introductions" (1994). Image gallery forthcoming.

"DEAD OF NIGHT" / "DON'T LOOK UP" DE-MOTIVATORS

"DEAD OF NIGHT: THE INFECTION" (1996)

Stills from Wayne Spitzer and Andy Kumpon's "The Infection," widely considered the best episode of Dead of Night.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) isn't sure what to make of A.K.'s (Andy Kumpon) uncharacteristic behavior.

...nor a sudden headache and nosebleed while investigating a massacre.

A.K. (Andy Kumpon) finds the powers of his vampiric friends intoxicating...especially their ability to bring Seattle rain to rust-brown Spokane!

Status (Wayne Spitzer) is awakened by a psychic plea from A.K. (Andy Kumpon)...and knows what must be done.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) drives a stake (okay, a tent stake) through the heart of one of the vampires.

If looks could kill, Status would be like, way dead. Fortunately he's already out the door, enroute to save A.K.

You might say that the indomitable A.K. (Andy Kumpon) has "ripped the lid off a can of Whup Ass." If you, er, spake Spokanese.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) is running out of time as the angry sun sets.

"SNAKEMAN" (AMERICAN FILM PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL, 2004)

Because virtually nobody demanded it, here are some stills from Ron Ford's Snakeman, shot in and around Spokane in 2003. It stars Wayne Spitzer and Mitch Tiner (among others) as the Snakeman and was shot by a variety of photographers including Ron Ford, Eric Gollinger, Andy Kumpon and Wayne Spitzer. No official DP was hired. It was edited mostly by Ford himself, with help from Eric Gollinger and others. The movie was written and directed by Ron Ford.

Above: A two-bit hoodlum (Andy Kumpon) is about to get some Snakeman justice. Wayne Spitzer shot this in Ron Ford's basement; it is one of Spitzer's favorite shots (of his own) from the film, as it "manages to bring some ambience to bear on what is obstensibly a horror movie." Spitzer adds with a wink, "It all starts with looking through the view-finder."

Another of Wayne's shots with Mitch Tiner in the snake getup.

Another shot by Wayne Spitzer; again, Tiner is in the snake-up. Spitzer wanted the shot to recall Cornelius and Zira watching television in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). Ford wanted his shots fast, and Wayne gave them to him fast.

Gary (Wayne Spitzer) can't seem to stop stratching since being stabbed by an "infected" syringe. Andy Kumpon shot this in Ford's basement.

Gary (Wayne Spitzer) discovers yet another patch of scales, this time on his back. Could have been a great "mid-life crisis" subtext running through this thing, what a hoot.... Oh, nevermind.

Gary (Wayne Spitzer) doesn't look so good as he confronts the evil doctor. Could be any number of reasons.

Gary (Wayne Spitzer) transforms into the Snakeman. Wayne's suggestion that he be spritzed by a spray bottle (to suggest sweat; to suggest pain and trauma, oh, nevermind) and to get up close on the contact lenses (which he had never worn before and had to be forced into his eyes) were unceremoniously dismissed (water isn't cheap, after all!). Regardless, Wayne lobbied for this role knowing it wouldn't be easy. He and Kumpon looked at working with Ford, who had just moved to Spokane and needed a crew fast, as an investment. Alas, you have to know when to walk away...and know when to run.

"SIREN'S SONG" (1998)

One of the "lost" episodes of Dead of Night, meaning, as was once the case with Roddenberry's "The Cage," it exists in a variety of forms, many of them incomplete or tentative.

Above: "Siren's Song" Episode Title Card. Sent to find a missing survey team, Status (Wayne Spitzer) and A.K. (Andy Kumpon) "flux" into an alternate world.

Having ripped out a survey team member's heart (and ate it!), the Forest Siren (Kris Tiner) howls at the moon.

The alter-world that Status and A.K.'s boss, the mercurial Viktor, has dubbed: "Moreland."

Status (Wayne Spitzer) always seems to be getting some, at least, when he writes the story. In this case he isn't lip-locking with who, or what, he thinks he is! Note how he has begun to take on some of the forest creature's characteristics. He'll be glad for A.K.'s interruption in the morning!

While negotiating a treacherous mountainside, Status (Wayne Spitzer) reaches for a rock that isn't a rock. In reality, Spitzer is about two feet off the ground. Note that because of intense time and budget pressures, the composition of the shot isn't really contributing to any sense of height (You can't always get what you want / but if you try sometimes / you might find / you get what you need). A sense of height was nonetheless achieved via cutaway.

The Forest Siren (Kris Tiner) bends to her meal. The cool make-up effects are courtesy of her husband, Mitch Tiner, who also worked on Spitzer, Kumpon and Gollinger's Dead of Night: "TOOL" (1998), and Ron Ford's TIKI (2006).

A.K. (Andy Kumpon) finds it's raining skulls.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) negotiates one of "Moreland's" numerous swamps. The cool laser rifle was built by Bob Schleufer from a design of Wayne's, himself influenced by the look and feel of Gene Roddenberry's second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1966). Trivia for the Trivial-minded: Yes, yes, it is a split infinitive! How sophisticated of you to notice! Gold star!

The only surviving survey team member (Bob Schleufer) greets Status with a severed head. We try to avoid showing graphic images here as a rule, but this one's pretty hokey.

Before Status and A.K.'s arrival, a survey team member (actor unknown) wonders if that's a beautiful woman approaching, or a mirage. Unknown Actor seems way too studly to be on Dead of Night.

"DEAD OF NIGHT: BASILISK" (1994)

Stills from Wayne Spitzer & Andy Kumpon's 1994 Dead of Night episode, "Basilisk." In spite of the insipid dialogue and poor pacing, Spitzer cites the episode as being "probably the closest we ever came -- atmosphere-wise -- to my original vision for the show."

The Basilisk, an "inter-dimensional reptile," rears its really not so ugly head. Spitzer and Kumpon built the full-size prop from a design of Wayne's. Its central elements are a dryer hose, the head of an Aurora T. Rex model from the '70s, and bubble-wrap.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) squares off with the Basilisk in a slightly over-produced shot. Pretty slick for two guys (all the early Dead of Night episodes were performed, shot and edited by the two alone) with no time, no money, and no Hollywood connections.

One of the cool blue crabs. Remember Rodan? (1956) How the big birds ate the creepy catapillar things? Same idea.

A.K. Fleet (Andy Kumpon) is about to "make contact," and how! This shot was inspired by the Plesiosaur attacking the U-boat in Samuel Z. Arkoff's The Land That Time Forgot (1974).

Another neat shot of the Basilisk, close enough to its prey to strike! The prop was essentially operated as a giant marionette. Note that location is of paramount importance to the success of these shots; it is, in a sense, a character in its own. Spitzer and Kumpon will only say that they "secured" a functioning aluminum foundry for two nights.

Status and A.K.'s mercurial employer, "Viktor," is about to do a vanishing act. The character was named after and performed by Dr. Victor E. Buksbazen (The Jewish People in a 'Christian World: An Examination of the History and Development of Anti-Semitism in World History). Who says academics are all smug, insecure, fear-driven sociopaths? The big difference here is Buksbazen has a sense of humor.

The Basilisk shows us her pretty profile.

A.K. Fleet (Andy Kumpon) hurries to the rescue of his police partner and friend, Status (Wayne Spitzer). Compositing in the Viktor Corp. signage took more valuable edit-time than Spitzer cares to admit.

"Who goes there?" A.K. Fleet (Andy Kumpon) thinks he sees something in the fog. Or maybe he's standing there because both he and Spitzer know that flashlights in the fog just look cool.

A.K. Fleet (Andy Kumpon) emerges into yet another long corridor. The idea was to make the night-world of Dead of Night as labyrinthine as possible; also to save time by turning wide-shots into close-ups without changing camera set-ups.

Status (Wayne Spitzer) descends yet another set of stairs. In the story they are trying to flush out the Basilisk by making noise. In reality the idea was to take up screen time. Spitzer and Kumpon had to deliver a new program every two weeks (for which they were allotted only a few days of camera and edit bay usage) in order to keep their time-slot.

Again, Status (Wayne Spitzer) seems to be asking the time-honored horror movie question, "Who goes there?" John Campbell might know, but he's not around to help Spitzer with manuscripts, much less basilisks!

A.K. Fleet (Andy Kumpon) takes a break from wrangling basilisks to pull himself together. Now where'd he put that sack lunch?

Status (Wayne Spitzer) has cornered their prey. Or has it cornered him?

The Dead Men (Wayne Spitzer and Andy Kumpon) show the Basilisk the door...back to its own dimension!

Which happens to be at the bottom of a very deep pit.

The fluxcore opens and closes again...taking our scaley nemesis with it. Time for some grub at Noodle's Chow Stand!