Horror Business

"If you give a monkey a camera, it will go out there and shoot something" – Ron Atkins

A fitting statement from one of the featured subjects in Horror Business, a documentary on the horror film industry that has a lot of monkeys with cameras, but very few filmmakers. One doesn't have to be part of mainstream Hollywood to be considered a director, but most of the no-talent hacks showcased within this movie are shooting stuff at the level and with the same amount of care as a high school student shooting their English Media project. There are a few small appearances from accomplished filmmakers involved in the horror business, such as H.G Lewis, Sid Haig and Lloyd Kaufman, but for the most part the featured "directors" don't stand the slightest chance of ever making it in the horror business this film professes to be about.

The one exception is David Stagnari, an avid horror fanatic that is attempting to jump start a career as a director with his short film "Catharsis". Stagnari is a person a lot of horror fans could easily relate to; a fan since he was a small child, Stagnari intelligently discusses the state of the genre today, what he wants to accomplish as a director and reminisces of his past experiences watching double-features at a drive-in, which has now been paved over and replaced by a "Babies R' Us". The last is something that may strike a chord in many horror fans, as in today's day and age, repertory theaters and drive-ins, the last solace for audiences seeking independent cinema, are being driven out of business by major conglomerates like AMC and Regal. Although only a few clips of "Catharsis" are shown throughout Horror Business, you can tell that even though Stagnari will probably never break it big, due to the nature of the film industry, he is at least trying to create something of substance.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Ron Atkins, a pretentious d-bag (excuse my unprofessional terminology, but it's the most accurate description of the man) who doesn't even try to make anything remotely worth watching. Armed with a consumer camera, Atkins shoots his films without the aid of lighting, a crew, a tri-pod, a script or most importantly, a brain. Throughout the shooting of his cruddy exploitation flicks, he throws in random story lines, such as Dick Cheney taking a dog in the rear, and then begins to laugh profusely at his own terrible attempts at humor. His views that what moviegoers think of his films doesn't matter as long as he enjoys them are despicable and represent everything wrong with the film industry today, but his wife's reasoning that anyone who dislikes Atkins movies actually enjoys them, doesn't even make the least bit of sense. Atkinson even has the gall to begin trashing Hollywood films. Even the average J-horror remake has more talent, work and heart behind it. As well as absent film-making skills, Atkins also has anger issues (he cusses out a teenage Burger King employee) and a tendency to lie, one example being his claim that he's sold over 30,000 copies of his movies. Considering that none of his films have over 80 votes on IMDb, I find this hard to believe, although there is the small chance that his parents have purchased 29,900 copies of his films.

The rest of the filmmakers fall somewhere in between the two: not entirely as terrible as Atkins, but none as likable as Stagnari. There's an alcoholic who chooses his cameraman a few minutes before his shoot, two full grown men still living at home and producing schlock on par with Atkins and an animator who specializes in cheap flash animation. It's about as far from the horror business as you can get. This doesn't mean that Horror Business had to be a complete failure: if the documentary had focused on the pitfalls of the various directors and what holds them back, it could've worked. As it stands, Horror Business seems unfocused. There's no message, no story arc, no apparent point behind the film; it consists of interviews and behind the scenes set footage, stuff that would make a great special feature on a DVD, but isn't sufficient or substantial enough for a film of its own. It's interesting, but it never feels like a movie. That's the real problem with Horror Business: not that it focuses on people so far outside of the horror business, but that it doesn't know what to do with them or how to create a compelling story revolving around them.

• dyl_gon (allhorrorfilms.com)

I think most of us hardcore horror fans would agree that the state of most of the horror film industry lately…well, blows. Whether it's a studio film (and those are the worst offenders) or the indies, there is just not a whole lot out there that has made a huge impact on horror fans lately. The high expectations for recent films such as "The Devil's Rejects", "Land of the Dead", "The Amityville Horror" and so many others makes one wonder what is going on with horror these days? Documentarian and creator of the horror magazine "Are You Going?", Christopher P. Garetano has put together a fascinating, often irreverent, often deadly serious look at the world of the indie horror movie in his latest film, "Horror Business". And horror films fans should really take a look at this one.

Garetano spent two years following the exploits and film-making of such indie filmmakers as Ron ("Necromaniac") Atkins, Mark ("Scare Me") Borchardt, David ("Catharsis") Stagnari, John ("Dark Night of the Soul") Brodie, animator John ("Chirpy") Goras and SFX makeup artist Tate ("Zombie Honeymoon") Steinsiek and the results are hilarious, encouraging and depressing. Garetano also interviewed such horror veterans as Herschell Gordon Lewis, whose advice to filmmakers is to make a movie FOR the audience, NOT for yourself and "The Devil's Rejects" Sid Haig who gives his opinion on when a horror movie goes too far. Cult movie critic Joe Bob Briggs offers his three rules of film-making which are hilarious, Troma king Lloyd Kaufman stops by and "Fangoria" editor Tony Timpone gives his insight on the state of horror today versus when he first started at "Fangoria".

The film is not your typical documentary, filled with "talking heads". Garetano follows his subjects as they drive around their respective cities: Milwaukee in Borchardt's case and Las Vegas with Atkins. He visits in their homes, goes on-set, behind-the-scenes, meets family members. But the bottom line with everyone he speaks with is the drive and the passion it takes to make it even a little bit in the cutthroat film industry. He interviews some very young film fans and asks them what they want to be when they grow up and, naturally, they all want to make movies. He even opens his film with every young filmmaker's first experience – making a horror movie with their siblings or friends in their backyard with dad's movie camera.

But then it's back to the reality – he talks with Canadian Brian Singleton who has had to return from Florida to live with his parents and try to continue his dream with no money. Mark Borchardt's mom is helping him finance his film. Some of the films being made are amateurish, others a bit more polished but at the heart of "Horror Business" is the degree of passion these artists feel about what they are doing. Some of the filmmakers are egotistical to a laugh-out-loud degree while others are quiet and more grounded and realistic about the business they have chosen to be in. One thing they all seem to have in common though, is a love for such classic horror films as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Last House on the Left", both films being mentioned by all of the filmmakers as having a huge impact on them when they were young.

These filmmakers aren't poseurs or auteurs – they are regular guys who loved being scared as kids and want to scare moviegoers today. There are some brief discussions about why we enjoy being scared, how horror movies are a catharsis from the horrors of everyday life, how they show us our own mortality but basically Garetano has made a thoroughly entertaining film that takes us inside the minds of five disparate horror filmmakers and shows us what they go through to make their and our dreams (or nightmares) come true.

By Elaine Lamkin

Christopher P. Garetano/Horror Business By Owen Keehnen of RacksandRazors.com

Long Island based filmmaker Chris Garetano is known to many horror fans as the founding editor and driving force behind ARE YOU GOING? (www.areyougoingmovie.com) -- a zine focusing on all things relating to Indie Horror film-making. He's also made several film shorts -- one of which (INSIDE) was featured in the 2004 Fangoria Blood Drive series. Chris' latest project though may well be his crowning achievement. It's a fascinating documentary called HORROR BUSINESS. The movie covers the careers of five up-and-coming horror-movie loving directors – Mark Borchardt ('Coven'), Ron Atkins ('Necromaniac'), Dave Stagnari ('Catharsis'), John Gora ('Chirpy'), and Brian Singleton. It's a fascinating look behind the filmmakers and what drives them (and us) in this ongoing, crazy, and unshakable love of the genre.

Watching this documentary it's also clear that the man at the helm of the HORROR BUSINESS has an equally deep and compelling love of horror.

First, there is a lot of potential here. Through this doc, we encounter some of the most interesting people... i.e. indie horror film makers. The problem with this film is that it never settles down and really explores the people it features. We may have been better off just seeing a couple of the filmmakers and getting more in depth with them. I would have liked to learn more about a couple of these guys, but the film just doesn't take us there.

Then, there is no central theme to the movie. Yes, the theme is the making of horror movies, but there is no one, clear idea or focus that pulls us from beginning to end. You are never watching this and wondering "what's gonna happen" or "what's gonna become of this person." That is what good documentaries do. They pull you through to the end of the story. Here, there is not much of a story. It is more of a hodgepodge of ideas. And I think there are areas, such as stock footage, etc. that were needlessly put in. I know how this can be as a filmmaker. It probably comes from the fact that Mr. Garetano did every aspect of production. It is hard to be objective when you write, direct, produce, and edit. Believe me, I know.

With all that said, I applaud Mr. Garetano for his effort and passion in getting this project done. Remember, every project is a stepping stone and learning point on the way to something better. Keep plugging away!

I really enjoyed this documentary as an aspiring filmmaker and a big fan of horror. Some of the films didn't seem very good at all but it is definitely encouraging to see a bunch of independent filmmakers doing what they love the most and actually getting their films out there. It makes me feel like I can do the same.

I think that this movie is mostly meant for people who want to make movies because it really seems to be geared in that direction. All young horror filmmakers should see it and take to heart what is said in it. You might be surprised how much you learn from this little documentary. Now go watch it and enjoy.