Lady MFX artists make MONSTER
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Back in the halcyon days of devouring Famous Monsters of Filmland, Cinemagic, and Fangoria hot off the newsstand, one of the most fascinating staples for me in their pages was the behind-the-scenes images of special effects make-up in progress, whether or not an explanatory article went with them. It became a popular topic in certain circles and products dedicated to inspiring beginners and instructing artists, such as Fango’s Horror FX one-shot with Robert “Freddy Krueger” Englund on the cover, Imagine, Inc.’s reissue of FM’s Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-up by the legendary Dick Smith (THE EXORCIST), and the same imprint’s Grande Illusions by the equally legendary Tom Savini (DAWN OF THE DEAD), were prized possessions. I even cobbled together a kit of application tools, Ben Nye cosmetics, and liquid latex rations based on what I’d read. The effort dried up, so to speak, as I didn’t get very far in my dabbling.
Being an astute observer from that point on, it became clear the publications nearly always highlighted men as the primary creators of creatures and gore in Hollywood. Women mentioned in the same spaces were either assistants or, rarely, the head of a department, and we weren’t shown them at work very often. I knew they contributed on set, seeing their names fly by deep into the end titles of various science fiction, fantasy, and horror flicks, and soon we’ll get to meet a select group of them front and center in MONSTER GIRLS, the upcoming independent documentary from the locally-based producer and effects artist Jessie Seitz (JAKOB’S WIFE) of Capricorn Rising and, with Marcus Koch, 93/93 Pictures.
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Announced to appear in the film, for which Seitz is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise finishing funds, are Oscar-winner Ve Neill (ED WOOD), Emmy-winner Jennifer Aspinall (PAM & TOMMY), and an appreciation of Milicent Patrick, the visual artist and actress who created the look of the “Gill Man” made famous in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON in 1954 and did not receive an on-screen credit for it by Universal International, as it was typical back then to attribute only the lead craftsperson of a team and, yes, they were almost always men. Seitz has yet to hint at what other surprises will be had in this necessary look at women professionals in the field, although Aspinall and Neill are key inclusions for the sake of learning about their lengthy careers and respective work on a number of genre favorites like STREET TRASH, BEETLEJUICE, THE TOXIC AVENGER, and THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER.
Seitz is gamely following in these ladies’ footsteps, both as an artist-for-hire on productions with her husband Koch and in control of their own slate of projects, and MONSTER GIRLS hits close to the beating heart of the matter for her, especially once she realized that no comprehensive account like this had existed before now. “As you research and look into this history,” Seitz relates in a Kickstarter video, “you find that women have been creating some of the most iconic monsters since the 1950s. How different would that be for little girls growing up, who are trying to figure out what they want to do and who love monster movies, if they knew that they [can be] part of a legacy?” After consulting with the local pros at Shatterglass Studios on logistics, she set out across the United States to record conversations with working makeup artists and to construct a timeline that accounts for major contributions by women.
As Seitz moves to complete MONSTER GIRLS, more is seeping forth from her and Koch’s lair in an undisclosed corner of central Illinois. BEYOND HORROR, a talking-head rumination on the “red film,” or a kind of extreme horror cinema that is marked by a heightened visceral and emotional content, will be released on limited-edition DVD by Vile Video Productions on Wednesday, July 12, with a bonus interview featuring the directing duo. FUKD, an anthology horror coordinated by Seitz and with segments created by women who hail from this same underground movement, is coming soon after a late 2021 festival premiere. CHUM BUCKET, the couple’s entry in the AMERICAN GUINEA PIG series perpetuated by Unearthed Films as a tribute to the infamous Japanese entries of the same name, is shot. These are an acquired taste for a crowd with adventurous sensory organs, so, it’s up to you if you go taking a look; I feel BEYOND HORROR will be a valuable entry point to the “red” horror novice for providing context.
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Other projects may be easier to digest as an introduction to what fires up Seitz’s sensibilities as a storyteller, makeup effects designer, and a committed fan of the fantastic. One is an upcoming Nineties-era slasher set in the dusty farmlands of the Midwest called OBSIDIAN, for which she and a small team including actors Haley Madison (IN MEMORY OF), J. B. Beverley (THE KILLER AMONG US), and Jim VanBebber (LAST AMERICAN HORROR SHOW) produced a short film a few years ago as proof of concept. Seitz also made the hour-long DEVOTION, a fragmented tale of a crime that is recounted via hazy looping memories and stars Madsion and Linnea Quigley (THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD), and the short subject FIVE, a family drama with tinges of dread that features VanBebber and Amanda Pemberton (RATLINE). All have a rough and tactile edge that eschews many a mainstream tendency.
In the near future, we’ll be able to look back at this time period in horror culture and be thankful it has opened up considerably to be more respected, accepting, and challenging. Today’s children of the night may grow up to share with their own children the dog-eared copies of books and other media that inspired them to create darkly. Instead of Savini, it could be Monster Squad: Celebrating the Artists Behind Cinema’s Most Memorable Creatures by Heather A. Wixson from BearManor Press, which includes Jennifer Aspinall. Instead of Smith, it might be The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara from Hanover Square Press, all about the pursuits of Milicent Patrick. And, instead of any old home video or internet stream about doing make-up effects in movies, it absolutely can be something specific and affirming like Jessie Seitz’s MONSTER GIRLS. By all means, ladies, keep ‘em creeping and crawling!
~ Jason Pankoke
p.s. Have you supported MONSTER GIRLS yet? Even though Seitz’s campaign has already hit the initial goal of $5,000, more is merrier in ways that non-filmmakers might not appreciate. Kickstarter will end their drive early in the morning on Saturday, July 1, so click right here and don’t miss out!
p.s.2 As a somewhat-late-to-the-mad-monster-party Monster Kid in my youth, I’m compelled to give props to at least one fine fellow in this post. Ricou Browning, the expert stuntman who played the “Gill Man” in underwater scenes for the CREATURE series, passed away on February 27.
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