The Holiday season happened upon us once again and things, did indeed, get weird.

The Ghost of Christmas Present brought the SILENT NIGHT remake. This was undoubtedly the proverbial tie that nobody wanted. The Ghost of Christmas Past re-gifted RARE EXPORTS, Finland’s insanely original indie hit from 2010 that insists on turning our white Christmas red with its twisted take on the legend of Saint Nick. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Lastly, there was the Ghost of Christmas Future. And that’s yours truly: donning a friendly ghost setup and bearing an ulterior motive. I’ve joined this jolly band of misfits to share the splendor of my latest short film, GUITARMAGEDDON. It’s an absurdly comedic tale about love, loss and blazing guitar solos gone awry. While light-hearted in nature, it does feature a few homages that any horror fan should appreciate and I’m proud to share it here with my fellow Fangorians.

Proud as I may be, the post-production process for this project has also left me a bit conflicted and angry. For me, GUITARMAGEDDON is like a rotting holiday ham: glazed with frustration and sweet with hints of nasty bitterness. For me, this gift has been a harrowing curse. GUITARMAGEDON has formally introduced me to the depths of the cutting room floor and the Pandora’s box of video editing. Editing is like assembling a puzzle without a reference picture. It’s like assembling a puzzle *with a reference picture, but instead of making Natalie Portman, you’ve made Keira Knightley. In technical terms, editing can drive you fucking insane. The possibilities are nearly endless and you’re constantly stuck at good and always chasing that elusive greatness. Nevertheless, have a look for yourself...

And as far as editing nightmares are concerned, HALLOWEEN 6: THE PRODUCER’S CUT is a prime example of how editing can change *the shape (pun intended) of entire feature film. THE PRODUCER’S CUT is the original and unreleased version of HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS, a film loathed by fans for the enormous liberties it took with the franchise and its continuing storyline. But, if you are unfamiliar with THE PRODUCER’S CUT, I implore you find it and bask in the glow of its superiority. It contains 43 minutes of alternate workprint footage (which makes it very easy to detect), delves deeper into the Cult of Thorn mythos and features the film’s intended finale. An amazing film THE PRODUCER’S CUT is not, but it does solidify many of the holes left gaping by the theatrical release and retains a much darker and more sadistic Michael Myers. And isn’t that everything a rabid HALLOWEEN fan could ask for? But THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS was plagued with trouble from its onset and the resulting cut was the culmination of studio interference, rewrites/reshoots and the untimely loss of Donald Pleasence (a follow-up to the film’s original ending would have relied heavily on Dr. Loomis… Just watch the damn movie already).

I hope you enjoyed the holidays, and be sure to check out GUITARMAGEDDON. And check out RARE EXPORTS. And check out HALLOWEEN 6: THE PRODUCER’S CUT. Maybe don’t check out SILENT NIGHT. I jumped on that grenade and saved Christmas for all of you… you’re welcome.

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