SPUDS
A senile old man wakes up after falling into an abandoned potato cellar. Trapped in the pit, the old man is tortured by the voice of his long-gone wife as he desperately schemes to make his escape.
THE IDEA
When I was ten years old, I wrote SPUDS. It was my second horror story. See intro. video above for more details.
I've always been a writer and storyteller. SPUDS' themes of penance, repression, mind-slippage, absurdity, and revenge came out of some guilt I felt for playing a part in my little brother's electrocution. He survived, but so did my guilt and regret.
I dusted off SPUDS because I wanted to make a film in my living room. The claustrophobia of the story lent itself to such an exciting endeavor. I love working with After Effects, zero-budget filmmaking, no crew (other than my boys and wife), and at a thoughtful and meditative pace.
I studied experimental film direction (MFA) at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
SPUDS movie poster.
Old Man plotting his escape from the abandoned potato pit.
Old Man sitting like a king on his throne of potatos.
Looking up at cistern hole in daytime.
Old Man reaches towards the hole.
The Cistern the Old Man falls into.
The cistern hole from above.
The house where the Old Man lived with his Wifey.
Dark Tators
Fake walls I made for a set.
Green Screen Special Effects
My son plays hand model.
Mellenhead logo.
Set in my living room, NV.
Set in my bedroom.
