New website finally online!
Current mood: chill
Category: Blogging

You won't see me blogging much on MySpace anymore, as I've finally launched my official website/blog after years of procrastination. Bookmark it or add it to your RSS feed today so you don't miss a single moment of thrills!

Blogging Bookwalter - My Official Website

Let the mayhem begin!

Stay sick!
JRB

P.S.: I've moved all of my MySpace blogs to the new site too, and they'll remain here as an archive.

Currently listening : Mamma Mia! Release date: 2008-07-08

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DEAD NEXT DOOR soundtrack interview on Rue Morgue Radio!
Category: Music

In what may likely be the last word on the subject, the May 30 edition of Rue Morgue Radio features an interview by Liisa Ladouceur with yours truly talking up the recent release of THE DEAD NEXT DOOR Original Motion Picture Soundtrack! It's live now for the taking:

Rue Morgue Radio interviews J.R. Bookwalter (Week of May 30, 2008)

If you're the impatient type, spin ahead to 29:05 to catch the interview, which lasts about 10 minutes.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this release!

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently listening : The Dead Next Door (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) By J.R. Bookwalter Release date: 2008-05-20

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More DEAD NEXT DOOR soundtrack plugs: Let the good vibes roll!
Current mood: curious
Category: Music

Seems like you just can't keep a good (er... mediocre?) zombie movie soundtrack down! Yes, there's been even more plugs and kudos for my inaugural soundtrack music effort, THE DEAD NEXT DOOR.

First up is an interview I did with DAWN director Jay Reel a couple weeks back which has just made its way to DeadPit.com:



And more recently, Mars over at FearZone.com gave the soundtrack CD a heck of a nice plug! Some choice cuts:

"...a very effective collection of spooky musical noise that belies its humble genesis... The fine folks at Tempe Sound have done a wonderful job in resurrecting this very personal, expressive and charming piece of horror history. I highly recommend it to any genre fan looking for something that will warm their jaded hearts in this cold , digital age. 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)"

Look for that review to go live on Monday, June 9 at FearZone.com!

More to come!

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently listening : The Dead Next Door (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) By J.R. Bookwalter Release date: 2008-05-20

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More DEAD NEXT DOOR soundtrack press!
Current mood: cooky/wacky
Category: Music

Derek M. Koch over at Mail Order Zombie sent over his show notes for this week's podcast which includes a quick review of THE DEAD NEXT DOOR soundtrack CD:

*****

When making a low-budget horror movie, the director ends up wearing quite a few different hats. The director will often times end up being the producer, cinematographer, editor, special make-up effects artist, actor and so on and so on. By the time first-time filmmaker J.R. Bookwalter completed The Dead Next Door, he had not only filled several of these roles, but he also filled the role of composer.

And he did it fairly well.

The score from The Dead Next Door has a definite John Carpenter influence. It's thick with synthesizer sound and drum machine-supported rhythms, but there's also a touch of Romero influence. That is, every once and a while, a track might sound a bit like it was influenced by music from a public domain music library ala Dawn of the Dead. I don't know if this was intentional, but given the kinds of movies Bookwalter must have seen prior to making his own zombie movie, this wouldn't surprise me.

I've heard movies scores described as being "tone poems," and this score definitely fits that description. Even if I hadn't seen The Dead Next Door, I would have definitely been able to identify this music as belonging to a low-budgetter from the late-80s/early-90s. It's obvious that Bookwalter didn't just pull out the keyboard and start hitting keys - there's a deliberate sense of escalation in some of the tracks. The tension builds not just in the individual songs, but throughout the entire CD, so when the final track "Left for Dead" hits, you feel like you've been taken a complete undead journey.

Make no mistake - this is pure 80s synthesizer stuff, and if that sort of thing turns you off, you're not going to be a huge fan of this CD. However, as a movie score collector myself, I really enjoyed it. It's technically well-produced, and will fit in quite nicely along side your soundtrack from the original Dawn of the Dead or Zombie. Mail Order Zombie gives this CD release 4 Headshots out of 5.

The CD release of the soundtrack to The Dead Next Door is available through Amazon.com, DeepDiscount.com, and will soon be available through iTunes, Napster and other online music sites."

*****

And last but not least, I had a lengthy chat with Tobias Piwek at Metal Coven in Germany via MSN the other day, and the fruits of that interview are now online. It's mostly about DEAD NEXT DOOR leading into chatter about the soundtrack.

Still more to come!

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently listening : Tusk By Fleetwood Mac Release date: 2004-03-23

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DEAD NEXT DOOR soundtrack reviews: I want some of what these cats are smoking!
Current mood: relieved
Category: Music

I speak, of course, of the bloggers and reviewers who are thus far chiming in with extremely kind reviews of my CD soundtrack for THE DEAD NEXT DOOR which hits on May 20 (and is available right now at tempevideo.com for a mere $9.99!).

Now I'll be the first to admit I was fully prepared to have my ass handed to me in the reviews for my first feature film score, given that it was written & recorded in 1988-1989 and I ain't exactly a musical prodigy. But much to my surprise, the reviews thus far have been extremely kind... and hopefully I won't jinx things by saying that. ;-)

Desmond at Dread Media just turned in his podcast review which features a couple tracks from the CD (the review is after the opening commentary and the review of THEM).

Nathan Shumate also did a mini-review on his blog and there's a link to his podcast which features a track from the CD.

My hats off to you guys for not totally tearing me a new one... the checks are in the mail! ;-)

I got a little freaked out when I saw my name in the iTunes database as a composer... the soundtrack won't be live there (or anywhere else) until May 20 but it's kind of funny to me after so many years of playing filmmaker. I've actually gotten a few interview requests to yak about the soundtrack as well, so stay tuned for more links to come...

Stay sick!
JRB

And it's out! Hit the link below to buy it on iTunes, DRM-free and dirt cheap!

Currently listening : The Dead Next Door (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) By J.R. Bookwalter Release date: 2008-05-20

2:36 AM - 1 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Oh dear God, I’m tone deaf...!
Current mood: cooky/wacky
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Ready for a blast from the past? I lost my sanity recently and decided to start digging into the Tempe audio vaults and issue a series of soundtrack releases. Now, die-hards know that the Tempe website has been selling some homegrown CD and cassette soundtracks for awhile now, but those were never intended for the general public (or people with good musical taste, LOL).

That said, being the completist that I am, I figured since I’ve almost wrapped up my years-long quest to release all of my old flicks on DVD (only the worst of the lot, ROBOT NINJA, remains), there was no harm in doing the same for the soundtrack music. Especially in these heady iTunes days where a simple click and charge to the credit card can get you fresh music!

So, I decided to go back to where it all started, with my own score for my first feature film, THE DEAD NEXT DOOR. This one has never been released in any form — not even for fun — so it only seemed natural to start at the beginning. As I mentioned in the liner notes of the CD version, John Williams it ain’t (it’s not even John Carpenter!), but fans of the movie or bad synth music in general will probably get a kick out of it.

Did I mention a CD? Why, yes I did. Although my main mission in releasing all this music is to get it into the downloadable e-stores of the world, my old-fashioned ways got the better of me so I decided to have a few CDs made as well. The CD is already available for preorder on Amazon.com (click the link below to sample the tracks!) and will soon be available at DeepDiscount.com as well as Tempevideo.com (with others to come down the road, like CDBaby). And we’ll be launching TempeSound with both barrels blazing, since the soundtrack will soon be available for download at all iTunes stores worldwide, Amazon MP3, eMusic, Rhapsody, Napster, GroupieTunes and Lala.

May 20, 2008 is the street date for THE DEAD NEXT DOOR Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and in the months to come I’ll be infesting your iPod further with my scores to ROBOT NINJA and SKINNED ALIVE (which were only ever issued on a very limited cassette version) as well as Matthew Jason Walsh’s remastered scores to THE SANDMAN, POLYMORPH, BLOODLETTING, ZOMBIE COP and KINGDOM OF THE VAMPIRE (1991). There may be a few other releases issued as well, since Tempe owns the score to John Russo’s MIDNIGHT 2: SEX, DEATH & VIDEOTAPE (which is finally coming to DVD this year from SRS Cinema) as well as the hodgepodge of music from GHOUL SCHOOL. Heck, I even have an old CD I put together for family & friends of some honest-to-God songs (with vocals!) I did back in the ’80s that I might even throw into the mix.

Beethoven would be proud.

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently listening : The Dead Next Door (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) By J.R. Bookwalter Release date: 20 May, 2008

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Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster and... Bookwalter, Ohio?
Current mood: weird
Category: Travel and Places

Long story short... when I was a kid I found this little town called Bookwalter, Ohio in an old road atlas. Situated in the "devil's triangle" of Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, I often wondered just how small it was. My grandfather, a truck driver, once told me that he went through the tiny town and stopped to talk to some of the residents.

Well, this past weekend I finally saw it for myself. And it was a good thing I didn't blink, because I would have missed it all! Bookwalter, Ohio is just one minor tornado away from being a distant memory, I'm afraid... just two intersecting country roads and a collection of ramshackle house-wannabes.

Thankfully, the only business in town is a church, so I was able to snap a few photos to prove once and for all that yes, Virginia, there really is a Bookwalter, Ohio... and don't forget to "Try Jesus!" ;-)

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently watching : The Flash - The Complete Series Release date: 10 January, 2006

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Give up your weekends and work for Tempe!
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Tempe Video is headed back to the convention scene in 2008, and I'm looking for one (or possibly more) hard-working individuals to give up their weekends and spend them at various cities across the U.S., helping to spread the good Tempe name!

The person I'm after has to be willing to travel (conventions take place in Ohio, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Texas, California and maybe more!), doesn't mind a little bit of hard labor hauling boxes of DVDs and displays, likes to talk to fans and passersby, friendly, outgoing, sharp and most of all, positive! Some background in sales is certainly helpful also, but not required.

Of course, you'll have to be over 18 years of age, a legal U.S. resident with a valid driver's license and preferably be a fan of the kind of stuff Tempe releases! Some conventions might be within driving distance, others will require air travel. Expenses will be paid for and you'll get a cut of whatever is sold at each show (sorry, no hourly fees here).

Interested parties should send an e-mail by clicking this link with the subject line "I'll work your conventions!" — I'll pore through the e-mails and get back to a few select candidates! (No MySpace messages, please!)

Stay sick!
JRB

4:51 PM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Cheap bastard alert...
Current mood: discontent
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Looks like the fine folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment (er, Starz Home Entertainment) have dropped the retail price of THE DEAD NEXT DOOR from an already-low $14.99 to a mere $9.99 (as of Sept. 18)! Now there's no excuse for the penny-pinchers among you to cough up some of your hard-earned bucks.

And if that's not enough reason, head over to DeepDiscount.com and get it for $6.05!!

http://www.deepdiscount.com/The-Dead-Next-Door-Price-Bite_stcVVproductId5736128VVcatId486751VVviewprod.htm

Oh, and Tempe Video is also dropping some prices on many of our catalog titles as of Sept. 25! Drop by TempeVideo.com and have a look! :-)

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently watching : The Dead Next Door Release date: 09 August, 2005

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End of the summer and end of an era...
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Wow, this has been a fast summer, not unlike last year! But it's been one of the best summers in recent memory, too.

Things kicked off on June 29 with the release of Appe's iPhone. Yes, I was one of the geeks who waited in line for 6 hours outside of my local AT&T store to get one (two actually, since the wife wasn't about to allow me to get just one for me!), and it lived up to (and exceeded) all of my expectations. I've actually become a more social person as a result, since I can now leave the house and still service my Internet addiction. ;-) If you haven't gotten one for yourself, go immediately to an Apple or AT&T store and hold the thing in your hand... you will want one too!

It's been an '80s retro summer for me, beginning in July with seeing The Police live for the first time ever. I was never one for live shows when I was younger, although I did manage to see folks as diverse as Billy Idol, Lionel Richie (?!) and Rod Stewart back in the day. The '80s hits kept coming in August as Stan Ridgway came to Cleveland with his 25th anniversary tour of Wall of Voodoo's "Call of the West" album. (Yes, that's the one with "Mexican Radio" on it...) I've actually hung out with Stan a bit but never managed to see him live for one reason or another, and the show was an awesome treat. I'm topping off my retro summer on Sept. 14 when Thomas Dolby comes to Akron, which should be another great show if his live "Sole Inhabitant" album & DVD is any indication.

The morning after seeing Stan Ridgway, the wife and I jumped in the car and headed west for the first real 2-week vacation I've had in... probably ever! Within 48 hours we were in Flagstaff, Arizona and spent a day at the Grand Canyon before heading to Los Angeles for a week of sightseeing and catching up with old friends & co-workers. We hit Las Vegas the following weekend on the way back, and before I knew it, it was all over and I was back home in the salt mines.

What's been keeping me busy? Well, I finally completed my long-threatened remastering of my 1991 horror/drama KINGDOM OF THE VAMPIRE, which makes its DVDebut on Oct. 30 alongside Brett Kelly's superior Canadian remake. Those who know me know that I have a strange affinity for the original KINGDOM... despite its (many) flaws, I always felt it could be done better, and now you'll be able to see for yourself. My version has been completely restored & remastered from the original S-VHS-C camera masters with a new stereo build & mix, so it looks shiny & new like many of the other discs Tempe has released in the past.

Speaking of which, following on the heels of this year's remastered DVDebuts of ZOMBIE COP, MAXIMUM IMPACT and BASIC HOW-TO HALLOWEEN MAKEUPS, KINGDOM OF THE VAMPIRE marks the next-to-last of my original films to come to DVD. The last — and most conspiciously absent — is my second feature, ROBOT NINJA (1989). There are a number of reasons why I've held off on that flick, but you'll be happy to know that I recently completed a new film-to-video transfer for ROBOT NINJA and it should be making its way to some form of DVD sometime in 2008 (I say "some form" because there are some rights issues I'm still addressing).

So what does that mean for the future? Beats me. I'm increasingly asked when I'll step back into the director's seat again for a new flick, and the release of my last 2 early films on DVD certainly marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. Stay tuned...

Stay sick!
JRB

Currently watching : Kingdom of the Vampire (Double Feature) Release date: 30 October, 2007

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