Welcome to The Underground – Cory J. Udler
Editors Note: Cory J. Udler, director of such disgusting and horrifying cinema as Incest Death Squad, and Incest Death Squad 2 has, as those demons from hell softly beckoned, joined us. We’ve been talking to Cory for a bit and he exhibits a punk rock spirit that encapsulates true independence in horror. I reached out and asked if he’d be interesting in scribing a regular column focused on the trials, tribulations, joys, and “what the fuck were we thinking” moments that define low-budget filmmaking. After hashing out some details he said yes, and today marks the debut of our newest column – It Came From Underground. Without further introduction… Welcome to the underground!
by Cory J. Udler
I should probably take a few moments to introduce myself to you. My name is Cory J. Udler. For 12 years I was a radio DJ (I guess they’re now called “on air talent” – pretentious fuckers). I have, throughout the course of my 34 years, spent time as a pro wrestling manager, I’ve been on the Jerry Springer show, been a musician, a TV producer, and now a writer/director of low- and no-budget horror films. As many times throughout my life as I’ve pined for a normal existence, I have found it impossible, unfortunately. This is who I am, this is what I do. Welcome to the Underground.
In the fall of 2008 I began pre-production work on what would be my first feature film, Incest Death Squad. Originally titled Moonshine, it is the story of an incestuous brother and sister who kill tourists in the name of God. I had written the script about 6 years prior to my beginning work on the feature. Of all the things I had ever written, it was the only thing that kept popping back up and tapping me on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m still here.”
My reason for writing Incest Death Squad came from doing a script for a company out of Costa Mesa, California called The Frontier Production Company. I wrote The Jitters for them, only to find out two months after submitting the final script that they had sold off all of their assets to go into their philanthropy endeavors. They are from California – it is another planet and nobody there makes sense to anyone not from there. I was a tad disenfranchised with the process, so I sat down and wrote something for me. That was Incest Death Squad.
Since that time, I have completed the sequel which will premiere live online September 17th for free. I have also tried to gain funding for my next feature that I was hoping to shoot in October called Mediatrix. Hell, I even got Debbie Rochon to sign on! But, lo and behold, the struggle of the super low budget indie filmmaker only gets harder. I’ve raised $500.00 of a $5,000.00 budget.
I have been on a major Hollywood movie set. For an extended period of time. I was an extra and stand in on Michael Mann’s Public Enemies with Johnny Depp. And yes, I did meet Johnny Depp, and yes, he’s a super nice guy. Great lips, too. Very supple. Gentle when wrapped around my….ahem. Nevermind. $5,000 on Public Enemies I believe took care of one dinner or lunch. Or maybe the bottled water budget for the day. Guys like me make entire films for $5,000. Actually, Incest Death Squad 1 and Incest Death Squad 2 cost about $5,000 a piece to make. Probably a little less. Two movies for less than $10,000. And people have really seemed to enjoy the movie from all corners of the world. I think the reviews of Incest Death Squad were better than the reviews on Public Enemies.
The plight and the struggle of the indie filmmaker is two fold. One, you have a story to tell. A movie to make. You need money. It doesn’t grow on trees. You need to eat. Maybe you have a family to feed. That’s first and foremost on your list of priorities, AS WELL IT SHOULD BE! Two, you want people to see your movie, to know your name, to experience your art. Guess what you need for that. Distribution. Guess what you don’t get when you have distribution? Money! I’ve always said to any young person who wants to make a movie that you only do this at this level because you have a burning desire to tell a story. If you do a movie for the “fortune and glory”, you need to stop right now. There is none. You do this because it’s just what you do. HG Lewis once said, “You either make art or you make money”. Well folks, I make art. Nobody gives me money to do anything. So, until that day arrives, you and I are going to dwell way down here in the underground. It’s not so bad. At least down here we don’t have Twilight, or the Kardashians, or American Idol. Hell, we don’t even have remakes down here! We can’t afford the rights. All we have down here in the underground is our art. There are some super fun and talented folks here, too, but I must warn you. We tend to get ornery. Sometimes we get depressed. Many times we’re very bitter. But the one thing we won’t do is bullshit you. Never. We won’t insult your intelligence or lead you astray. We’ll tell you who we are and what we do, and we won’t apologize for it or pretend to be something we’re not.
Welcome to the underground. Oh, and you’ll get used to the smell. I promise.
