Most leading actors demand millions of dollars to star in films.
Filmmaker Larry Blamire found one for only $98.
“The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra,” a spoof on old
B-movies, features a fake skeleton that Blamire purchased off eBay
in the title role. Blamire, who also wrote and directed the film,
says it was a way of being resourceful, just as early B-picture
filmmakers had to be.
“eBay was our prop house. We got so much of our stuff off
eBay,” said Blamire. “We used a lot of
“˜do-it-yourself’ techniques in order to follow along in
the spirit of B-movies.”
And the skeleton isn’t all he purchased from the Internet
trading company. According to Blamire, many of the props were
purchased online, such as candlesticks used as alien drinking
glasses.
But what the film lacks in budget, it has made up in word of
mouth. Michael Schlesinger, vice president of Sony Pictures
repertory sales and acquisitions, saw the film two years ago in a
small movie theater and wanted to give it national release.
“What made this film different was they tried to do it as
a re-creation (of B-movies),” he said. “(The film)
wants you to feel like it’s really real, and so the actors
had to be brilliant and terrible all at the same time.”
Originally, a B-movie was a smaller, lower-budget film starring
less-known actors that was meant to accompany a larger feature
film. Blamire says many B-movies are often overlooked as a result,
and this is part of what inspired him to make “The Lost
Skeleton of Cadavra.”
“There are really some great B-movies,” said
Blamire. “I grew up watching these films on late night
television, and I missed that.”
According to Schlesinger, unlike many other parody films on the
market today, “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” is a film
that can appeal to many different audiences.
“I think one thing about this movie that is special is
that it is a complete and total escape,” said Blamire.
“There’s always a certain amount of heartbreak and
sadness in even the most humorous films today. And this is just
totally silly and absurd … it’s refreshing.”
As for the revival of the B-movie genre, Blamire says he’s
skeptical. However, Blamire says plans to create a sequel to
“The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” are already
underway.
“I don’t think one movie can kick off a
genre,” said Schlesinger. “And I don’t know if it
signals a new trend in filmmaking, but it’s still definitely
an area that I intend to continue with.”
And while Schlesinger’s knowledge of the genre certainly
helped him make “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” feel
authentic, he doesn’t expect audiences to have the same
familiarity with B-movies.
“The great thing about this picture is that it is a
generic parody, and in that way, it doesn’t
discriminate,” he said. “Everyone can enjoy it without
knowing specific references to other movies.”
“The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” opens Friday,
Feb. 6 at the Landmark Nuart Theater and will run for two weeks.
Log on to http://www.lostskeleton.com for more
information.