Looking for a way to get your indie genre film made? You might wanna read this! Frontières at Fantasia Fest has some promising projects coming through those doors, including GEP producer Jenn Wexler’s directorial debut, THE RANGER.

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Fessenden steps in to highlight this week’s Cutting Room post:

“For some time at Glass Eye Pix, when I’ve encounter a promising filmmaker, I make a gift of the seminal Hitchcock / Truffaut book.

To me it is the filmmaker’s bible, for it explores with extraordinary candor the filmmaking process. Nevermind the famous set pieces from Hitch’s movies— although take notice, those set pieces were not just showmanship, but genuine expressions of his philosophy— instead check out essential advice like: don’t let the camera lead the action. If an actor is going to get up off the couch, don’t cut to a wide shot anticipating the move. That may not seem like sexy advice, but the accumulation of ideas from the master will stimulate your tiny mind and make you a better filmmaker and a better film-watcher.

Hitch/Truffault the movie is a poignant account of two filmmakers appreciating one another and a profound celebration of different approaches to cinematic expression. Read the book. See the film. Read the book again.”

Here at Glass Eye Pix we are pleased as punch to share this awesome interview at Diabolique with the always articulate John Speredakos. Can’t resist highlighting our own passages in the excerpt below, but please read on, as Speredakos knows how to wax poetic with relish about the creators and thespians behind The Mind’s Eye, The Battery, Tales From Beyond The Pale, the forthcoming Stray Bullets, and of course, Hal Holbrook.

…

Diabolique: Speaking of the “Godfather of Indie Filmmaking”, how has that relationship both personal and professional with Fessenden been? What makes him so connecting, visionary and humble?

John Speredakos: Ahh, a Fessenden question. At last! I literally don’t know how many times Larry and I have worked together, in various capacities. It’s just a great professional relationship. We met of course on Wendigo in 2000. Larry’s got you coming and going— he’s smarter than most folks, but also deeply sensitive. He’s a natural leader, but a born collaborator. He’s a showman with a hammy side, but capable of tremendously subtle, detailed work. He’s passionate about his causes and can articulate them better than anyone. He’s politically astute. He can act, write, direct, edit and play sax! He looks like the guy next door, if you live next to a Sanitarium. He’s riddled with fears, and turns those fears into action. He’s the living embodiment of an Artist.

Diabolique: Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid also; how has the radio theater Tales from Beyond the Pale been as a creative channel for you? How different is it to only be able to use the tools of your voice and personality to bring these characters to life? Was the live season more challenging then the studio sessions since you were a part of all three sessions to date? How was it working on The Ripple at Cedar Lake?

John Speredakos: Glenn and Larry created the Tales together, and it’s been a creative Godsend to many of us. I’ve always loved doing readings and workshops of new material, it’s pure performance without the anxiety of being off-book. And I was in the very first Tale with Larry, Vince D’Onofrio, Nick Damici— Man of the Ledge. We were finding our grove. But as Glenn will attest, it enabled a lot of writers with ideas to get their stories told without the usual hassle of years of fundraising to finance a movie. And yeah, it calls on some different skills as a performer. You’re not working off the other actors as readily, you’re forging a relationship with the listener THROUGH the microphone. It’s intimate. Which is what makes it such a great story-telling device. We did the whole second season live which was a blast. I played alongside James LeGros and Sean Young in Glenn’s The Crush and had great parts in Stranger and Larry’s Caper. The audience had as much fun as we did. Almost. But I wouldn’t say it was more challenging, just different. I hope we do more live Tales.

Season Three is another great one— I was in two Tales, including Glenn’s The Ripple at Cedar Lake . That was pure pulpy camp— which he happens to excel at. But it was also full of ideas, gorgeous language and imagery. And I played another mad scientist, come to think of it! We did a lot of improv on that, really letting us vamp at times. Of course then he cut it all back! Glenn is a magnificent writer— I always tell him he’s incapable of writing a boring character! It may be one line, but damn, that line will encapsulate an entire mindset and also advance the plot! Pretty nifty trick. So as long as Glenn keeps wanting to work with me I will gratefully say “Yes, Sir. Thank you Sir!”

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from Fangoria:

FANG: You have a fantastic cast of genre veterans and up-and-comers: Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, Larry Fessenden, etc. You even included former FANGO staffer Sam Zimmerman. How did you assemble such an excellent team for THE MIND’S EYE?

BEGOS: Very early on, I wrote the script with a couple people in mind, like Graham and Lauren, but we shot in Rhode Island, which is about a couple hours outside of New York, so we were sort of pulling from New York where a lot of the Glass Eye Pix family is. I’m a big fan of using kind of familiar faces but I feel like a lot of horror movies nowadays sort of use horror actors just because they’re like “Oh, this guy was in this movie,” and they’re not even particularly good. I’m pretty happy that we were able to assemble what I feel like are kind of some of the best of the best actors in the genre.

THE MIND’S EYE not only fantastic actors who embody their roles really well, but they feel like real people and they’re from horror movies. For instance, Jeremy Gardner, who I’m surprised hasn’t been in some more movies, and I can’t believe that people don’t utilize Larry Fessenden beyond beyond two minute cameos because he’s such a fucking phenomenal actor. Once I realized Larry was just going to play the sheriff, we were talking and I was like, “Dude, that’s such a throwaway role, man. I think I’m going to give you the Dad role.” I wanted to utilize him in that way he was in HABIT, so he killed it with these great takes and great references. He’s normally shoe-horned into these little roles, but I’m glad really showed up and shined through the movie.

read all at Fangoria:

watch THE MIND’S EYE on itunes!

The Mind’s Eye, the second feature from writer/director Joe Begos hits theaters tomorrow! Catch the NYC opening at City Cinemas Village East at 11:55am and 7:30pm! Check your local listings for showings near you and don’t miss out on this telekinetic nightmare starring Darling‘s Lauren Ashley Carter, Graham Skipper and Glass Eye pal John Speredakos along with Fessenden!

The AV Club – “The Mind’s Eye is punk as fuck”

Entertainment Weekly – “It’s Scanners meets Death Wish“

Dread Central – Interviews Graham Skipper

Indiewire – The Mind’s Eye trailer

Glass Eye pal Mike Gingold talks THE RANGER in this Fantasia/Frontières exclusive! 

“During this summer’s Frontières International Co-Production Market at Montreal’s Fantasia festival, RUE MORGUE got the chance to chat with several filmmakers who were there pitching ambitious genre projects to potential backers. Among the most notable were Jenn Wexler and Larry Fessenden of Glass Eye Pix, with a unique maniac-in-the-woods chiller called THE RANGER”

Read full article here