I was 18 in 1998, studying "Film and TV Directing". In the "Television Production" class, we had to create a pilot for our dream TV show. As a horror fan, and a fan of hosts like "Elvira", "Vampira", and the unforgettable "Peter Vincent" from "Fright Night" (1985), I wanted to pay tribute to them. But it had to be genuine, so a coffin was not just necessary, it was mandatory! Where on earth was I going to get a coffin with such a meager budget and so little experience?
It turned out a funeral home a few blocks from my school had one they could give us. Yes, give us! It was a casket that had flown in from the United States and didn't meet Argentine requirements to be used (it was too big), so they couldn't sell it. It was just taking up space! We were doing them a favor by taking it away!
There was a small problem, though: the casket had flown in from the United States... with a dead person inside! During four days, that box had been "inhabited" by a decomposing body. Would that be an obstacle to my creative ambitions? OF COURSE NOT! I steeled myself and, as this video testifies, I climbed inside without vomiting once. All for art's sake.
This Week's Visual Dump
Before you say anything, you should know that this is a super dark movie. With this poster, it's easy to think it's a bland sequel to "Wizard of OZ" (1939). But you'd be so wrong! Many of its scenes still plague my nightmares! Especially the one with the headless queen... oh dear. "Return to Oz" is a hidden gem of world cinema that everyone should know. If movies like "Labyrinth", "The Dark Crystal" and "The NeverEnding Story" are among your favorites, this dark adaptation of the sequel to "The Wizard of Oz" won't disappoint you. It's a great movie that, possibly because of its scary content, Disney never promotes. Too many traumatized childhoods!
