scrapmetal7 HORROR BUSINESS is a series of interviews with, and an advertisement for, some guys who call themselves "independent film-makers" when they're feeling mellow, otherwise they use terms like "guerilla", or "subversive". More than anything else, this is a documentary about lost souls, about people who rarely, if ever, understand how far it is that their reach exceeds their grasp.All of these guys are under the spell of a handful of horror classics from the '60's and 70's, and they seek to further develop these films and their concepts. But this is misguided thinking. Films like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or DAWN OF THE DEAD make pretty complete statements all on their own. Making one or several imitative efforts, however flattering, adds nothing of value to the original, and does not make any meaningful contribution to the genre, or to film-making at all.Secondly, it seems that these unwashed youths, for all of their angry, bitter worshipfulness of these original films, don't really understand the films to begin with. For example, THE Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE is about far more than some maniacs and some lost teens; it is about the ability of limited, wrongheaded personalities to destroy more developed ones, and the tendency of the devouring mentality, as it appears in its many forms, to consume things of value while contributing nothing in return. For another example, it is only on the surface that NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is about shambling revenants; the soul of the film is far more about the how people react to widespread disaster and the destruction of their status quo by turning on each other. Both of these films ask the viewer to consider to what degree have predatory, merciless tendencies saturated human societies.All of this is apparently lost on the hapless, vaguely aggravated personalities that are the subject of HORROR BUSINESS. They imagine themselves as subversives preaching the gospel of grindhouse horror, when there's nothing subversive about that. Such films as they honor have already been acknowledged to be fine, worthy films by the movie critic community. There are no forces massing up to denounce or attack the original Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE. The fact that there ever were is simply a testament to the shocking nature of the films.It is really only these guys' own paranoia, and their natural status as superfluous, ineffectual people that causes them to frame their perspectives in such "us vs. them" terms. While they may like to think that they have made some dramatic choice and went down some dangerous, subversive path, they haven't turned away from mainstream film-making, because mainstream film-making never wanted them to begin with. They do not see that they have nothing to offer in terms of innovation, because their perspective lacks the stipulation that someone in entertainment, or any kind of story-telling capacity, should have to have anything to offer in the first place. They hold mainstream film-making and filmgoers in contempt for not embracing some horror classics from 30 years ago, and it is lost on them that if these films had been accepted outright and loved universally, they themselves would not be obsessing over them today.If they really wanted to be subversive, they would try to make the most intelligent films they could. They would study endlessly and mine the world for worthy material that would teach people things they didn't know. They would seek to make intellectual films about little known historical events, or scientific concepts. They wouldn't make an endless stream of bad zombie films, whose ultimate purpose is merely to fill out the empty spaces on the new release shelves at Hollywood Video.But these are men who hold to their illusions with a death-grip; one guy still wants to have long rock star hair though he's basically bald on top, which is a metaphor for how these guys avoid facing the truth; that they are not great filmmakers waiting to be discovered, but rather mere obsessives with eroded imaginations. Balding Guy even throws a hissy-fit like a prima donna rock star, except that it is directed at at some fast food guy in a drive-thru window. It is exactly like the Tenacious D. drive-thru skit, but he is actually serious.Warning: while Joe Bob Briggs and Sid Haig are featured in the credits, they are only in the film for a few seconds each.

carriehesse Written by Ilise S. Carter of NEWYORKCOOL.COM Not for the Faint of Heart! Horror has long been the unwanted mutant under the stairs of the film industry and, despite the occasional break out hit, has remained a largely marginalized genre since Nosferatu flickered across silent screens. As a result, horror films have long had a reputation for being cheap, low class and accessible to everyone with a home movie camera, a twisted dream and some prop blood – and oddly enough this is mostly true. Perhaps more than other type of film-making, horror is truly directed its fan's appetites.This fan phenomenon is lovingly documented in Christopher P. Garetano's Horror Business with interviews ranging from horror legends to homegrown visionaries and every sort of fan in between. Shot with hand-held cameras in the collectors' conventions, the backyard sets and the living rooms where fans and filmmakers gather, the film gives its subjects ample room to explain their personal connections to the world of violence, the occult and fantasy that make up the oeuvre.This mix of objectivity and affection are what makes Horror Business so much fun. Whether it's drive-in film critic, Joe Bob Briggs, explaining the three pitfalls of amateur filmmakers (i.e., too many zombies, don't cast your friends, and lesbian vampires); or Long Island filmmaker "Slave" lamenting the current vapid state of pop culture; or designer Andy Gore showing off his line of serial killer pillows, you can't help but share in their enthusiasm – even if you do feel a little cooler.

horrormag Indeed, this is a good movie. In fact, it's downright refreshing. The decision by filmmaker Christopher P Garetano to focus his film on the new breed of horror movie makers was truly an inspired one. And by "new breed" I don't mean the likes of Eli Roth, Rob Zombie or Alexandre Aja. I'm talking about guys like Ron Atkins, David Stagnari and Mark Borchardt. Who? Exactly, these are the grassroots filmmakers, the guys the general movie-going faithful don't even know – save for maybe Borchardt who was the subject of the 1999 film 'American Movie'.Director Garetano skillfully inter-cuts lively moments of a handful of these "new breed" filmmakers struggling to get their flicks made with clips and sound-bites from classic films of a sadly bygone era. Seeing newspaper one-sheets and hearing radio spots for old films like 'Torso', 'Last House On The Left' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' brought a nice nostalgic touch to the film, and it's hard not to want to pick-up a handy-cam and join these fellas in their plight to make the next low budget masterpiece.Most of the guys spotlighted in this doc come across as likable, everyday kids who just want to make something different – something anti-establishment, anti-Hollywood…maybe even something a little bit dangerous; kudos to them all! The doc is also peppered with small interview clips from the likes of Sid Haig, Joe Bob Briggs and the master of no-budget spat-fests himself, Mr. Hershell Gordon Lewis who all give their take on what it takes to make it in the world of horror cinema. The general consensus seems to be this: entertain people. Hallelujah!

Killerhell Horror Business Review by George A. Romero (director of Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, Creepshow, and Day Of The Dead) " Horror Business is a terrific flick. Christopher Garetano has completely succeeded in describing the passions, the adventures- and the misadventures- of crazy people like me who, somewhere along the way, decided they... needed to make movies. Anyone who wants to write or direct should see this film. Those who have never dreamed of being filmmakers should see it for its humor and its pure entertainment value. Two thumbs up- both of them mine because, like the others Garetano has portraited, I basically work alone." -George A. Romero