This list is by no means comprehensive, but off the top of my head, these 30 movies have influenced me over the years. They’ve all had an everlasting effect on me, including films like Sally Potter’s “The Gold Diggers”, which I only saw once in film school (at Pitzer College), only to never ever find or see the movie again.
So they’re also in no real particular order, but here goes:
1 ) THE GOLD DIGGERS (Sally Potter)
2 ) 8 1/2 (Federico Fellini)
3 ) JACOB’S LADDER (Adrian Lyne)
4 ) THE SHINING (Stanley Kubrick)
5 ) UN CHIEN ANDALOU (Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali)
6 ) WILD STRAWBERRIES (Ingmar Bergman)
7 ) GUMMO (Harmony Korine)
8 ) PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (Alan Parker)
9 ) LOST HIGHWAY (David Lynch)
10 ) MYSTERY TRAIN (Jim Jarmusch)
11 ) TETSUO: IRON MAN (Shinya Tsukamoto)
12 ) KOYAANISQATSI (Godfrey Reggio)
13 ) VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock)
14 ) SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG (Melvin Van Peebles)
The day after “the day of atonement” (aka. Yom Kippur) is the perfect day to pick up this transformative and transcendent film, which is loaded with amazing extras.
Quite possibly the best dvd you’ll pick up this whole year!
When you make a hand-crafted film with all of your resources, money, friends, contacts, and know-how, make sure that you hold onto everything. Every contract, every piece of paper, and stay in touch with everyone from your film, because you never know when that might be important later. I’m glad that I did, and that I made sure to hold on to the physical masters, the contracts, and so much more.
The other thing is to always make sure that you REALLY know everyone that you’re involved with, even if it’s an actor or actress in your film.
You never know when someone might be setting you up to steal your own movie away from you. Doctored documents, false claims, extortion tactics, and manipulation are all tools of the Con-Artist’s trade.
Beware, and hold on tight.
It’s your movie, and it’s your dream. Don’t let anyone take that away from you, no matter how frightening, how seemingly professional, or how overly sly they might be.
The ultimate truth exists in what exists in the material realm, and if the elements and people are on your side, then everything else is just words and symbols signifying nothing.
Stay strong, and keep at it… And always make sure you like everyone that’s on the movie’s set with you when you’re making the film.
Because if you don’t, that person you didn’t get along with, could very well be the person who is trying to sabotage you the entire time.
I’ve learned my lessons the hard way, but I’ve also held onto my work.
Like Charlton Heston said, you’ll have to pry it “from my cold, dead hands”.
The struggle for TRULY independent art continues, and wins.
Thanks so much! I promise you won’t be disappointed!
And remember, this is THE ONLY ‘Black Dahlia’-themed movie with Masuimi in it, and the only OFFICIAL one directed, produced, and owned by hard-working, no bullsh*t-taking indie film director and producer, Ramzi Abed~!
“THE TUNNEL” is a puzzling and surreal Super 16mm short film from the long gone year of 2001, by award-winning filmmaker, Ramzi Abed (“The Devil’s Muse”, “In A Spiral State”). After playing as an Official Selection of over 40 film festivals worldwide, the film became popular with bootleggers and videotape trading enthusiasts. Its shorter incarnation, a 15 minute cut of the film found its way onto several short film format dvd anthologies, including one distributed by CMV Laservision in Germany and all over Europe. However, the film, which stars, among others, Lloyd Kaufman (“The Toxic Avenger”, “Poultrygeist”), Mark Borchardt (“American Movie”, “Cabin Fever 2″), Masuimi Max (“The Devil’s Muse”, “Inland Empire”), and Casey Wickson (“In A Spiral State”, “Blood On The Highway”), slowly moved into the ether of memories and disappeared for years. Now, thanks to the impending release of Abed’s latest feature-length film, “IN A SPIRAL STATE”, the long-awaited and much talked about short film will see a re-mastered release as one of the special features on the dvd.
“IN A SPIRAL STATE”, which will be released widely by arthouse genre distributor, Halo 8 Entertainment, on September 29, 2009, is already making news for its groundbreaking visual style, electronic musical score (by first-time composer, Ken Cravens), and the overall meaning behind its complex storyline. Abed continues to explain, “Having something so seminal but also special to me as The Tunnel on the dvd, and along with it an even older short called, The Interview, makes the journey more interesting for the buyer of the dvd. It will give them a glimpse into a completely different world, and a mise-en-scene approach and overall design that I’m still very proud of to this very day. It all brings back memories, and makes me feel like I’ve grown as a filmmaker since those days too.”
Halo-8 Entertainment’s releases include the award-winning drug-infused horror POP SKULL (which Variety called “distinctive, visually powerful, and uncompromising”), and the award-winning hardcore-punk thriller THREAT (which Urb Magazine said “makes KIDS look like an after-school special”). Upcoming releases include Ramzi Abed’s erotic-art documentary THE NEW EROTIC (featuring XXX-auteurs Eon McKai, Kimberly Kane, Dave Naz, Jack The Zipper, Alejandra Guerrero), and the iconoclastic hero’s journey GODKILLER (which Fangoria called “a genre-star-studded opus”).
Depeche Mode has been making popular music for over 20 years, and it has had an effect on millions of fans worldwide, but award-winning filmmaker, Ramzi Abed, believes he is the first fan to make a movie inspired by the band’s lyrics, music, and personal lives.
“IN A SPIRAL STATE”, which stars young upcoming starlets, Juliana Fine (“Goa”, “Anything For You”), Lizzy Strain (“The Devil’s Muse”), Elissa Dowling (“Dread’), Bianca Barnett (“Albino Farm”), and Mae Moreno (“The Boys And Girls Guide To Getting Down”), focuses on the path of two Earthbound angels, played by Israeli actors, Ofri Fuchs (“The Ungodly”) and Adam Meir (“Waltz With Bashir”) who watch over the lives of numerous Los Angeles residents, who are battling issues of addiction and heartbreak. Their main mission is to guard and guide the path of a particularly troubled young woman, Maya (Juliana Fine). The film centers around universal themes of love, loss, addiction, and salvation, all of which are central themes in the music of synth-pop sensation, Depeche Mode.
When asked about the topic and its meaning, the Director, Ramzi Abed, had this to say, “Depeche Mode has been a huge inspiration to me since I was a teen growing up in the late 80s. Martin Gore’s powerful and sometimes religious lyrics, as well as the trials and tribulations of David Gahan’s own personal life, have found their way into my head in a big way. When I came up with “In A Spiral State”, certain lyrics and music videos became subconscious cues for me emotionally, especially with songs like “Personal Jesus”, “Walking In My Shoes”, and “In Your Room”. These songs, and the feeling behind them took me to a world of angels, drug addicts, and meditation.”
The film, which will be released widely by arthouse genre distributor, Halo 8 Entertainment, on September 29, 2009, is already making news for its groundbreaking visual style, electronic musical score (by first-time composer, Ken Cravens), and the overall meaning behind its complex storyline. Like Depeche Mode, “In A Spiral State”, brings forth imagery that is religious and at times controversial. In one scene in particular, a drug dealer, high on hard drugs, makes the shape of a cross in a doorway. In the opening scene of the film, the two angels converse in Hebrew, as they float in outer space. Abed continues to explain, “Faith is a big part of our lives. Much like Martin Gore’s incredibly personal song-writing, I want to bring something near and dear to me to viewers, and make them feel the most important emotion of all, empathy for others.”
Halo-8 Entertainment (www.halo8.tv) is a Hollywood-2.0 movie studio using bleeding-edge strategies to create and distribute daring new films and lifestyle videos. Recent releases include the award-winning drug-infused horror POP SKULL (which Variety called “distinctive, visually powerful, and uncompromising”), the new arthouse cult classic, THE DEVIL’S MUSE (which Rue Morgue magazine called “intoxicating and sensual”), the legendary NY hardcore documentary N.Y.H.C. (which Cinematical called “smashing… a terrific, well-told, engaging story”), the award-winning hardcore-punk thriller THREAT (which Urb Magazine said “makes KIDS look like an after-school special”), and the campy, interactive horror-DVD-game SLUMBER PARTY SLAUGHTERHOUSE: THE GAME (starring Tiffany Shepis, Joanna Angel, Melissa Bacelar, Masuimi Max). Upcoming releases include Ramzi Abed’s erotic-art documentary THE NEW EROTIC (featuring XXX-auteurs Eon McKai, Kimberly Kane, Dave Naz, Jack The Zipper, Alejandra Guerrero), and the iconoclastic hero’s journey GODKILLER (which Fangoria called “a genre-star-studded opus”, and stars Danielle Harris (Halloween) Davey Havok (AFI), and horror movie legend, Bill Moseley).
I wrote, directed, produced, and shot this OFFICIAL music video for the title song, “Drama” by Bitter:Sweet (featuring Serj Tankian, from System Of A Down).
Costumes and styling by designer/styling guru, Nina Tahash.
Makeup and hair by the world-renowned Allan Avendano.
DIRECTOR’S CUT OF CULT HIT, ‘THE TUNNEL’ FINALLY HITS DVD!