It’s giveaway time again! Hollywood producer Edward L. Plumb of Irena Belle Films has donated a Dexter Bobble-Head, based on the lead character of the popular television series.  The rules for entering are simple: Send us an email with your name and address and it will be printed out and put into the big giveaway jar for the drawing. The actual drawing will take place on February 13th for this item. And yes, just like the last giveaway I will have to charge the minimum for shipping this item: $3.00 for US, and $7.00 for anywhere else in the world. This will be through my paypal account. It’s unfortunate that I cannot do the postage but times are really lean right now. Make sure you check out our great sponsor’s movies by clicking on the banner below!

Are you on Facebook? Well, Smash or Trash WILL be getting a page up there soon. In the meantime, Four-Fingered Films LLC wants to hear from you! They have their general information page HERE, Their movie Roulette HERE, and their other production The Devil’s Playthings HERE. Check them out and give them a holler!

The anniversary of the site is just around the corner and we are closing in on 8,000 hits! Not bad for having been up just short of two years. I’ve tried to keep this as a non-profit site but may have to go to using banner ads to keep it up and running, if you like the site and want to donate a dollar or two to keep it going strong, please press the Paypal donation button on the left – it will be appreciated! Thanks for all your support.

The About This Site section has been filled in more detail, and you can check that out by  clicking HERE. Coming up in February I have an article on affordable green-screening coming up, as well as some new interviews. Stay tuned…

I’m currently talking to filmmaker Erik Kristopher Myers of Four-Fingered Films, LLC recently about  cutting a retro 80s trailer for my cult slasher movie AS DARKNESS SETS IN. It is a typical whodunit slasher from that era that starred Tami S. Marshall, Anthony Chilla, Ann Ehlers, David Bretag, Kelly Clark, Tim Reed, Michael Gerischer, and Cliff McFerren. It was seen by 1,000s of people at various conventions, and I have hopes of eventually releasing it on DVD.

This Wednesday we wish a very happy 64th birthday to our friend and mentor filmmaker Don Dohler. There are a couple of great fan pages dedicated to him on Facebook. Don, thanks for being a fantastic inspiration. We love and miss you.

Next, principle photography on ADVENTURES OF LOUANNA LEE episode 2 has wrapped and is now in post production. Special guest stars of this episode include comedic actor Will Haza and horror host Count Gore De Vol. To order Louanna’s mystery DVDs and her upcoming Rock CD, click HERE.

Correspondent Leanna Chamish informs me that a brand new review of EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN (the life and career documentary of horror host celebrity Dick Dyszel) is up over at Horrortalk.com. The review is by Steve Pattee and includes screencaps. Find out more HERE.

Speaking of reviews I have a NEW review for the site. This month I take a look at filmmaker Pat Taggart’s indie romantic comedy 99 PERCENT SURE. To get the lowdown on this film and my thoughts on it click HERE.

And to top things off, producer/director Kevin Kangas’ sequel  to his smash hit FEAR OF CLOWNS is now available for download or streaming through Amazon.com. This action-packed gore-fest stars Jacky Reres, Frank Lama, Johnny Alonso, and Mark Lassise as Shivers the Clown. Click HERE to get it!

DEAD HUNT gets a double review! Bill Hollister and Anthony Hartman of The Bodycount Continues forum guest review this 2007 slasher thriller by Don Dohler and Joe Ripple. Check it out the results HERE.

ADVENTURES OF LOUANNA LEE: the pilot episode of this independently produced television show gets guest reviewed by Peter Bradshaw. To check out the results for CALL ME LITTLE MISS TNT click HERE.

Two years up and running strong are just around the corner for Smash or Trash! If you like the content you see and read on the site, why not make a token donation to help keep it running? Even a couple of dollars from our readers can go a long way towards defraying the cost of the website. You can help by clicking on PAYPAL DONATION and giving what you can. Thanks in advance; we appreciate it!

A happy birthday (1/9/10) to special effects artist Joseph McClurkin! We will be featuring an article by Joe on how he does some of his prosthetic magic for the movies. Stay tuned!

Mitch Klein of Tales From The Cellar.com clued me in that Art Beats – the home of stock footage – is daily putting up a new HD clip of footage that you can download for FREE. And this is the GOOD stuff too. What are you waiting for? Get it while it’s HOT! Click HERE to go to the site.

It’s going to be a busy year here at Smash or Trash, so come back often to check it out!

Hello dear readers! Well, here it is a year and a half into the site and we’re doing great! Lots of interviews and reviews up, but I still need to get a lot more how-to’s up. But I do have a really good one in the works!

I didn’t get a new giveaway up in December. Sorry – just way too busy! However come January 2010 there will be some fantastic movies and other items up for grabs!

Four-Fingered Films, in association with J65 Productions and Meridian Media, proudly presents the first trailer for ROULETTE, a film by Erik Kristopher Myers. Starring Mike Baldwin, Will Haza, Ali Lukowski, Michelle Allegra Murad, Taylor Lee Hitaffer, Jan-David Souter, Troy Russell, Frank Moorman, Dave Kalman, Leanna Chamish, Mark Kilbane, George Stover, Amy Freedman and Frank Lama. Watch the high-quality trailer HERE. Also, check out LUCK OF THE DRAW: THE MAKING OF ROULETTE, a multi-part web series from award-winning film maker Ethan Meyer. This fly-on-the-wall series documents the entire process of putting together a no-budget production in the face of obstacles of all shape and size. Check out the latest installment HERE.

We’ve got a new/retro review up too! Filmmaker Joe Sherlock of F & C Productions has been making movies since the mid 1990s, and give us some insights into the ups and downs he has encountered as a micro-budget movie maverick. This interview was originally from 2004, but Mr. Sherlock helpfully updated it for us. You can find the interview HERE.

December 12th S or T correspondents Dr. Les Bradley and Leanna Chamish attended the exclusive cast and crew screening of “99% SURE,” a romantic comedy directed by Patrick Taggart. The screening was held at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and it was standing room only. According to Bradley and Chamish, the movie held the audiences attention and went over well. We hope to review the movie here soon, and possibly interview the director.

There are so many people to thank for making this site possible, but I do need to single out the two that have always been there for me; Mitch Klein and Leanna Chamish. I am blessed with these two very talented people, and glad to have them as close friends. They have been there to kick me in the ass when I needed that – to remind me to keep at my true passion – making movies. Also, a big thank you to you – the readers, and the kind comments you have sent me. We’ll do our best to make the site better than ever!

Don Dohler’s DEAD HUNT – I can’t review it, as I worked on it. I don’t think I could be unbiased. However, I was fortunate in that two slasher film experts will be guest reviewing it for the site, and it will go up the first of the new year. Make sure to come back and check it out!

Finally, tis the season for giving, so how about sending a couple of bucks my way to help keep the site running strong? Just click HERE to go to the DONATION link, and we appreciate your support.

 Have a Great 2010!!! 

This December we lost another creative soul. Hilber (David) Graf passed on at the age of 54 due to cancer of the pancreas. He had been diagnosed with the cancer earlier this year. He is survived by his wife Rhea Leigh Graf.

     I had known Hilber since 1998, and he became a dear friend, sharing many of the same interests. I think it is important to remember those that have made a positive impact on people’s lives. Hilber was a jack of all trades in the Hollywood scene. He started doing acting on the stage in the 1970s. Early in his career he got into animation, and rendered many of the Saturday morning cartoons that children watched during the 70s and 80s.

     His artistic creativity soon led him to building special physical effects and miniatures for Hollywood, including such movies as James Cameron’s ABYSS. His work was so highly regarded that he had a regular article column in the hobbyist magazine MODELER’S RESOURCE. Here he passed on his knowledge to others on how to create more interesting, intricate models.

     He had an intense interest in literature, and wrote several manuscripts on ghost-hunting. I was honored that he asked me to help him design the covers for his books.  His creative bent also took him into the realm of screenwriting, of which he was well-versed.

     Hilber had a love of the tropics, and the condo he and his wife shared reflected that. Ancient masks, bamboo, and other island brick a brac made any visitor to his home feel as if they had been transported to the South Seas.

     He was a go-getter and a kind-hearted person disguised in a somewhat gruff exterior. Every Halloween – for years – he would convert his garage into an extensive haunted attraction for the locals to check out. Any proceeds he made were donated to charity, for the benefit of others.

     He was a cat lover, a player of video games, a fan of the Phantasm movie series, and an admirer of the original 1966 Batmobile. The parties the Graf’s threw were legendary. My prayers go out to his friends and family. He was a good man, and will be remembered by those who knew and loved him. His work will live on forever in the television shows and movies that he was part of. Rest in peace, Hilber. You are missed.

Robert Long II – 2009

Remember a while back I reviewed the holiday cult classic TWO FRONT TEETH? Well, Saturday the 12th your web horror host Count Gore De Vol is showing it on his program CREATURE FEATURE. You won’t want to miss this Christmas gorefest. Click on the image above to go to Count Gore’s excellent site for more gruesome details!

Erik Kristopher Myers gives the lowdown to filmsnobbery.com in an interview on what has been happening with his suspense thriller ROULETTE. Click HERE if you dare!

The photo above was taken by Leanna Chamish, a few years back on the set of DEAD HUNT. This week we take a moment in remembrance to filmmaker Don Dohler, whom this site is dedicated to. We lost this fine man three years ago to cancer. His accomplishments are too numerous to list here, so I will say he was a pioneer for do-it-yourself filmmakers and an incredible inspiration to many people in the movie industry. On the personal side of his life he was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, sibling, mentor, and friend to those family members and friends that were part of his life. Don, in honor of your memory I will be watching your movies this week.

The gala world premiere of Johnny Alonso’s SAFEHOUSE will be this Friday at the Historical Senator Theater in Baltimore. It promises to be a red carpet event. Everyone in the area should check it out. Details can be found HERE.

Erik Kristopher Myers brings forth his brand new actress in this new installment (Episode 13) of LUCK OF THE DRAW. Will she be able to breathe new life into the troubled production? Click HERE for all the juicy details!

In other news, did you know there is a big indie film conference coming up in March of 2010? It will be held in New York and will deal on one of the most IMPORTANT matters to modest budget movies; how to get financing! You will not want to miss out on this! Details on the speakers, event, etc can be found HERE.

Director Kevin Kangas (Hunting Humans, Fear of Clowns) brings his fans an exclusive clip from his action-packed movie BOUNTY starring Tom Proctor. Check out the scene HERE! 

Up and coming Comedian/Actor Will Haza has been busy guest-starring in the 2nd episode of the “ADVENTURES OF LOUANNA LEE.” A man of many talents, he has also produced a brand new episode of MIDNIGHT BREAKFAST starring Monty Carlos. This off-beat puppet show pokes fun at talks shows and is a blast. You can catch the latest installment HERE.

Busy shooting of the next episode of “The Adventures of Louanna Lee” is deep into production. The still above is the main cast posing “in character.” Not only does this episode feature crowd pleasers George Stover and Leanna Chamish, but the very special guest star is none other than TV’s Count Gore De Vol!!! The production promises to be great fun and highly entertaining. Stay tuned to this site for more updates.

Speaking of the “Adventures of Louanna Lee,” did you know the pilot episode is now available on DVD for the first time? Follow Louanna Lee (a Nancy Drew-like character) on her first case as she comes across a diabolical scheme that involves crooked gambling and the possible death of a beloved racehorse. It stars Louanna Lee as well as genre favorites George Stover and Leanna Chamish and guest stars Les Bradley, Robert Long II, and Wayne Shipley. The DVD comes stockpiled with extras too:
87 minutes of programs!
Episode 1 of Adventures of Louanna Lee, “Call Me Little Miss TNT”
4 Louanna Lee Music Videos:
– “Light of Love”
– “Spirit Leads Me”
– “Can’t Decide”
– “Little Miss TNT”
2 Preview Trailers
Plus Mini-Feature, “A Day At The Antique Shop”
DVD includes Mini Poster insert
Check out the new store and pick up your copy HERE.

Hey, another interview, review, and contest coming up. I’ve added five brand new links to great people and companies that can help your films in the LINKS section.

Greeting one and all and happy Thanksgiving week! I will be spending my four-day weekend doing a big update, so be looking for more come next week!

But first, I want to tell you about Ethan Meyer’s LUCK OF THE DRAW, which is an online, in-depth documentary on the making of the independent thriller ROULETTE (by Erik Kristopher Myers). Each online chapter talks about the trials and tribulations of producing an independent film, and chapter 12 is a real nail-biter. What do you do when your film is completed, and an unforeseen problem blindsides you and threatens the integrity of your whole production? To find out, click HERE! This festival-worthy motion picture stars Mike Baldwin and Will Haza, and features genre favorites George Stover (Desperate Living), Frank Lama (Fear of Clowns 2), Leanna Chamish (Dead Hunt), Lee Doll (Grave Mistakes) and Dave Kalman (Come Hell or High Water).

Out of 307 entries, I just picked the two November Don Dohler DVD contest winners. Randall Thomas of Rockville, MD won “Blood Boobs & Beast” and Anthony Hartman of Englewood, OH won “Dead Hunt!” There will be another giveaway in December. Thanks for participating! Remember to support independent films!

Robert Long II
Creator of Smash or Trash Independent Filmmaking