"'I love playing women who are not ashamed to be strong. There are many of us out there, you know, and we would love to see more of us on the screen.' -Sybil Danning"
Fangoria sucks and then dies
Thu, 02/04/2010 - 22:18
apparently www.fangoria.com is dead.
http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_17518.html This dreadful site (because they do not edit for grammar!!! or spelling!!! ugh. and definitely male point of view most of the time) has a great article, basically posting a letter from a recent Fangoria employee and his rants and raves and stories of how much the company sucks and stinks.
Man, I agree and can't say I mind. Fangoria has long been a mindless pile of shit, and personally? Tony Timpone has never been anything but condescending to me, when I see him, since the day I started an interest in writing about horror.
I have had one or two articles published by them, but they HATE using me and only did so reluctantly and when they had literally no one else to go to in Los Angeles. This is because Tony never took me seriously.
That's my personal beef with them.
I also think their radio show is a boring pile, and since I saw The Tenement, from Light and Dark Pictures, covered in a 3-page spread in 2004, I have lost any respect I had for them. That film, directed by Glen Baisley, and Featuring Mike Gingold of Fangoria, is a horrible steaming pile of shit.
Okay, here is the article. Enjoy reading bad things about a bad magazine!
Fangoria Writer Responds to Fangoria.com Death
Posted By : Meh, Thursday Feb,04
Filed Under : Editorial, ,
I was sent a link to a post on Facebook by James Zahn who wrote for Facebook and is a friend of Goon and mines. He is a writer who linked to our site and gave us props and made me say nice things about Fangoria. It seems perhaps I should have said nice things about James and not Fangoria itself. Here is what he writes un-edited from his facebook page:
Over the past few days, my inboxes have been flooded with questions about the state and fate of FANGORIA. Through private emails, messages on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, I have been unable to avoid the barrage of questions, adding to what has otherwise been a very rough week. I had no intention of addressing this publicly, as I’m not a big fan of airing the ‘ol “dirty laundry” for all to see, but I guess this is the only way to end this once and for all.
First of all, I need to make clear that I quit FANGORIA almost a month ago. What has happened in the time since is mostly a mystery sans the bits and pieces that I’ve received second and third hand.
For much of the past month I’d been comfortably working on other projects, with Fango not even so much as crossing my mind. That changed last Friday when a couple of current staffers took it upon themselves to bash myself and others publicly on the FANGORIA RADIO show on Sirius/XM satellite radio in repeated, thinly veiled jabs devoid of using proper names, but easily deciphered by several within the listening audience.
By Saturday morning, apparently this behavior had struck a very wrong chord with many, including several key advertisers that had purchased placement within the FANGORIA brand. While I myself had received several inquiries met with the polite response that I was “no longer working with Fango”, I later found out second hand that things were not well in “The Land of Fang” as these same folks (and others) had reportedly threatened to pull support from the company after witnessing the radio shenanigans, on a show that some of these same advertisers had provided guests for.
While I was not necessarily “angry” by the statements made on the radio show, I must say that I was disappointed, though not at all surprised.
See, these type of statements are to be expected from folks with a history of bashing others, with targets ranging from both current and former employees and associates, competitors, and anyone else that seemingly refused to go along with the “high and mighty” law of Fango. Sadly, I must admit that I too was occasionally used as a pawn (along with others) in the same type of sad, sad, bullshit.
The “problems” with FANGORIA have been ongoing for almost a decade, with stories popping up every few years about “the demise of Fango”, etc. Regardless of the road bumps - three sets of owners since 2001, a bankruptcy, a warehouse fire - the brand has continued, with the magazine staying in continuous publication.
Prior to working for the company, I too was among the ranks of readers that had become critical of the mag and brand, bored with what had become a very stale, often outdated, and definitely overpriced brochure of hype for films that more often than not were not very good.
I admitted being critical of Fango in a January 2009 interview with Horror Society (http://www.horrorsociety.com/2009/01/13/interview-james-zahn/) but also expressed my genuine enthusiasm for the opportunity to help revive a brand that I was a genuine fan of, and like so many other readers and creatives had grown up with. In that same piece I explained the somewhat convoluted way that I ended up within the Fango fold.
My position within the company was “Director of New Media Development”, a broad job title that essentially amounted to being a “jack of all trades” by the tail end of my run. Ideally, I would oversee the digital operations of the websites, social networks, etc. and bring in new opportunities for the company to achieve revenue and expand.
One thing that I never wanted to do was act as a “journalist” or be responsible for the posting of daily news, updates, etc. on the website. Early on, I made it very clear that I would not be reviewing films for the site or mag as I felt that my association and friendship (and sometimes enemy-ship) with so many people within the motion picture industry could be looked upon as a bias, and thus a conflict of interest. Sadly, several longtime Fango staffers had a completely opposite opinion (one I will address later).
In regards to the website itself, those that visited Fango prior to the Fall of 2008 will recall that it was a seldom-updated affair. On the best weeks, you were lucky to find a handful of news items, peppered with a couple reviews and perhaps a “fearful feature” here and there. It was never really addressed as to why this was, but the lack of attention to the online world is the exact reason why sites like Bloody-Disgusting, Dread Central, Horror-movies.ca, and more recently Fearnet, Horrorbid, and ShockTillYouDrop were able to so quickly thrive, survive, and eventually surpass Fangoria in providing readers with their daily horror fix - “daily” being key, as opposed to “monthly”.
I can’t address the circumstances or working conditions of the previous team that handled the web operations because I wasn’t there and did not witness them first-hand, but what I experienced in the roughly year-and-a-half I was there was an organization met with conflict as to how to embrace what was once “the future” and had quickly become “the present” as said “future” passed them by.
The magazine editors were resistant to change in every way possible. Any constructive criticism was met with conflict, argument, and eventually hit a wall. The idea of the magazine and website working together as a unified front became an increasingly distant pipedream as communication, ego, and personal differences continued to get in the way. Most competing websites, and later the staff of Fangoria.com were frowned upon by the magazine staff as “bloggers”, effectively looked at as “scum” not good enough to be considered proper “journalists” or “writers.” Fango stopped paying for most web content, which made certain features harder to come by, and thus led to some of those same “bloggers” stepping into the Fangoria.com fold as contributors.
Many of those same folks frowned upon by the staff of the magazine they grew up on and hoped to one day contribute to were met by ridicule upon their contributions to the site. Some excellent and very well-received features (such as Brad McHargue’s “The Importance of Horror Blogging”) were scoffed at for shedding light on “hacks and amateurs.”
One of the first lengthy pieces I’d written for Fango was an event report for the 2008 Music Box Massacre in Chicago. In the piece I highlighted the “community” aspect of the event, and pointed out the staffers from other sites including B-D, DC, and more in attendance. The fact that I’d linked to those sites was a major issue, as it was “a Fango no-no.” In addition, news items announcing non-Fango events and screenings were met with angry emails and phone calls to inform me that we couldn’t “promote non-Fango events due to agreements with other studios and partners”, when in reality the mag staff didn’t want to promote them due to their own personal interests and “beef.”
For those that doubt my claims about personal conflict and general unprofessional behavior, I ask you to locate a copy of FANGORIA #278 (November 2008) and open it to page 4 - the “Elegy”. In it you will find another not-so-subtle and not-so-thinly veiled jab at Fango’s #1 online competitor in a passage complaining about how the mag’s “six to eight week lead time” is affected by the fact that “we also have to compete with the internet…”
The jab? “One sleazy website (whose initials are BD)…”
After seeing such a thing in print, you can see why I was not at all surprised by being jabbed on last Friday’s installment of FANGORIA RADIO. Competition and differing opinion is simply not welcome.
One looming question about the magazine over the past year has been in regards to it’s content and cover design. Contrary to some of the rumblings, the magazine staff did not change. Same editors, many of the same contributors, and the same art director. The iconic “film strip” was aced by editor Tony Timpone, who later admitted this on the now-AWOL Fango forums. The company logo underwent a slight modernization and was overwhelmingly well-received despite a few who didn’t like it. The rest of the mag was slated to undergo a much-needed overhaul to bring it into the present, and to better compete with the beautifully designed Canadian competitor RUE-MORGUE. As months passed, the covers got worse and the interior of the mag remained in the same outdated state that it’s been in for many years.
Upon seeing the cover to Fango #286, I told the editors that I felt it was the worst cover in the mags 30-year history. Readers felt the same, and quickly took to the message boards to express their disgust. Not one to blindly “tow the company line”, I responded on the boards and agreed. I also whipped up an alternate mock-up in less than 30 minutes to show how easily the problem could be corrected. Timpone went bonkers. Calls and emails, later followed by addressing the issue on a company conference call for “going against our efforts”, which was also the EXACT same statement he’d make about anyone, anywhere that spoke ill of Fango, constructively or not. The funny thing is, I didn’t work for Tony, I was a FREELANCE, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR for FANGORIA. Though he’d often lead others to assume otherwise, Tony was an EMPLOYEE of the company, in the position of Editor-in-Chief of the MAGAZINE.
For the past several months prior to January, EVERYTHING you saw on Fangoria.com or Starlog.com was posted by ME. Regardless of author, all of the actual (often labor-intensive) posting was done by me, right here at this desk. I’d get the text sent in, then have to locate photos, resize them, watermark if needed, and layout the articles. All of the background graphics for the site including the advertising “reskins” (when the whole site would be taken over for a DVD or film release) were put together, designed, and implemented by yours truly. This meant going back and forth with our ad sales rep and doing multiple changes/adjustments to please clients, and later swapping out date-specific image components during the time a campaign was running (Out Friday, Out Tomorrow, Now Playing, etc). In addition, we’d reached a point where the “daily film news” which was to be provided by Managing Editor Michael Gingold had stopped coming in. Mike simply stopped contributing, so someone had to step in and start fielding the press releases, talk to filmmakers, and get the news out there. Who had to do it? Once again, me.
If not for the birth of my daughter, I would’ve jumped ship months ago. I politely kept quiet, and just kept doing my job, simply due to the extra money that it provided - money that I used to establish a savings account in her name.
It reached a point where my daily life was being consumed by Fangoria. Working literally ‘round the clock for the same money, doing multiple jobs, and dealing with increasing back-stabbing and verbal abuse had taken it’s toll. I was losing time to spend with my (now 6-month old) daughter, my wife, and the rest of my friends and family. Any time to work on creative projects (acting, music, and screenwriting) was gone. The breaking point was nearing…
There were bright spots along the way, but just when it looked like things were going to change for the better, someone would manage to step in and fuck it up - largely due once again to ego. Like a season of SURVIVOR, “alliances” were formed, lines were drawn, and sides were taken.
Some may ask why I’d been hit with all the daily posting duty, and the answer to that can be described in one word: Nepotism.
It had been decided by the President of the company that all of the posting should go through one person to filter the amount of shameless plugs for projects done by friends of the “Fango Family.” As I promised earlier in this blog, I’m now addressing that others had a completely different outlook when it came to “conflict of interest.”
FANGORIA has been ripped on by readers of both the magazine and website for it’s seemingly biased reviews/recommendations and extensive coverage of films that quite frankly, just aren’t very good - many of which have never, nor ever will be available for mass consumption. The reason? If you’re friends with one of the editors, it’s really easy to get coverage.
I’m not going to call out any filmmakers, because quite frankly, I don’t blame them for doing whatever they have to for coverage. I blame the editors for their lack of ethics, and for their inability to wake up and give their readers what they want to read - as opposed to page upon page of garbage about garbage.
One of the editors (feel free to speculate) is particularly to blame for this. He’d been called out in the comments sections of several online articles he’d written (comments that I was often asked to remove), and when confronted with said accusations would become angry and belligerent.
While “friendship” (how many friends would he really have if he wasn’t an editor of a horror mag) is a big part of this, I’ll also say that it’s poor ethics to write about or to assign articles about films you’re personally involved without full disclosure. Said projects would be better included in the “Contributor’s Crypt”, or just come out and admit you’re involved with them. If you’re IN the movie, the ethical line is questionable. If you WROTE the movie, the ethical line is questionable.
And periodically, those same films would find their creators becoming contributors to Fango, further blurring things.
One such instance occurred last fall when said editor submitted a piece that started off “Independent filmmaker (name withheld) gave Fango the scoop…” , followed by a DVD review just an hour later that was written by the exact filmmaker mentioned in the previous article. No mention in either piece that there was an association. In addition to being ethically questionable, it’s just plain tacky.
If you dig hard enough, you will find a few little “cliques” of filmmakers with massive personal ties to the Fango staff. You’d have to dig even harder to actually locate one of their films for viewing, but I’ll bet you can find plenty of “Monster Invasion” articles, set reports, and reviews to tell you just how great they are, while every other horror outlet on the planet gives you the straight dirt on what a piece of shit they really are. After all, there’s probably more review copies floating around than actual copies sold in some cases.
The FANGORIA RADIO show is no different, with a long history of operating as what sometimes seems to be a massive shill for whatever project the hosts have recently been working on. Even on the recording I have from last Friday’s show, you have to sit through at least 20 minutes of babble regarding what the hosts are up to before you get to anything of interest. A three-hour snooze fest as usual, though I do like Producer/Director Chris Moore who was a guest on there. Browse the entire archive, a partial selection of which is on iTunes, and you’ll notice a pattern: People that work with the hosts on films are guests A LOT.
So you have to question, are these people in the close circle of friends always promoted because they’re friends - or is that just the best the Fango staff can do? Either way it’s a sad state of affairs.
While I could go on for ages, with enough material for a book (perhaps I should write one?) about how both Fango and Starlog have been run into the fucking ground by the very people that should’ve had the most vested interest in saving them, the final thing I will address is the rumors of non-payment to writers of the print magazine. Last year, GAWKER named “Print’s Ten Worst Late Payment Offenders” (http://gawker.com/5182487/prints-ten-worst-late-payment-offenders) with Fango making the list. While some were paid, others were not. It’s like trying to put a band-aid on a knife wound - it just isn’t gonna hold. As I type this I’m informed of a couple of telling Tweets posted by longtime UK contributor Alan Jones (http://twitter.com/alanfrightfest). Yes, people are owed money - and it seems like a lot of it. In the meantime, they’ll likely find some other sad sacks willing to work for nothing, just for a chance to say they work for “Fangoria”. Perhaps they’ll be given a fancy, yet meaning less “associate producer” title like some of the other unpaid interns Fango has slaving for them in NYC.
So is FANGORIA over? I honestly don’t know. I suspect they’ll limp along in one form or another for a little while, then completely disappear or possibly be purchased by someone else. Hopefully that someone actually has the balls to do what needs to be done and start cleaning house.
Just remember that not long ago when “Wall Street” collapsed, several firms (including a few right across the street from Fango’s NYC office), quietly made plans to close up shop as their employees stood waiting for their checks while smiling men in bad suits told them “It’s ok, just give us a little bit more time. You’ll be paid. We’ll still be around!”
While others were made to financially suffer, those men in bad suits made off with their money, and a lot of them weren’t owners of their companies either.
Ponder that.
James is a classy guy and if we actually were a big operation we would have him writing for us in a heart beat. From reading his post that he made on facebook I gotta say I have lost a lot of respect for Fangoria and what little they think of us horror bloggers and fans!
Fri, 02/05/2010 - 21:18
#2
Fri, 02/05/2010 - 23:43
#3
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 13:22
#4
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 20:15
#5
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 20:20
#6
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 00:55
#7
I have to strongly disagree with your comments Heidi as well as the references that James Zahn makes about favoritism.
As an independent filmmaker, it's been a long uphill battle to get the word out there about my projects. Unless you have a sure fire hit right out of the gate and are lucky enough to grab the attention of one of the larger distributors, you are pretty much on your own. Any accolades that have been published in Fangoria or in any other publication are due to my hard work and perseverance and in my opinion, have been earned.
Let's set the record straight. My first movie, Fear of the Dark, was completely self-funded and self-distributed. It caught the eye of a local freelancer for the NY Times, Saxon Henry, who covered the making of the movie. A full page article appeared in the NY Times. A friend of managing editor, Michael Gingold, heard about me and we started talking shop one day. I was later invited to a social event where I first met Mike and offered him a bit part in my movie.
There was never any expectation on my part for coverage of the film. I grew up being a huge fan of Fangoria magazine and thought it would be really cool to have someone from the mag involved in my movie.
Mike was gracious enough and obliged me. The movie was first self distributed in 2001 and won a film fest award for "Best Storytelling in Feature Narrative".
Fangoria never covered my movie in the magazine. In fact, about a year later when I started prep on a second and third movie, The Tenement and Sins of the Father, I inquired if they might be interested in a set visit after reading one of their "Notes from the Underground" articles. My movies are real grass roots filmmaking and I thought that an article showcasing that perspective might be of interest. I was politely turned down. I respected their decision because I respect the magazine.
It was only after my third movie wrapped and pre-production began for a fourth movie that interest peaked and Fangoria asked me if I would like to do a Notes from the Underground. It was an honor to write for the magazine. Having seen my passion and enthusiasm for all things horror, I have been asked on occasion since then to do articles/reviews for the magazine. One particular instance was for the Omen remake. I was asked to cover the press junket and interview the cast not in my opinion, due to favoritism, but because I am a huge fan of the original Omen movies/books and consider myself a very good authority on all things Omen. Fangoria was getting the right man for the job. Simply put.
To date, my movies have been distributed in over 13 countries. I have won 3 awards including an "Achievement Award for Feature Horror" for The tenement. I have been featured in many publications other than Fangoria that have given me rave reviews all of which I have no personal or social ties to.
For The Tenement:
Rue Morgue - "Director Baisley does a tremendous job of squeezing good performances out of a cast of relatively unknowns and keeping the disturbing and, at times, humorous mood consistent throughout. This is a filmmaker to watch and a film to see."
Bloody Disgusting - "I think Light & Dark Productions may have solid future in the industry."
Kevin Smith's Akew Reviews - "This movie also contains two of the greatest horror movies scenes ever made."
DVDTalk.com - "The Tenement is the kind of DVD that makes most other special editions curl up in the fetal position and weep."
PulpMovies.com - “Watch It! This is a film that should be seen and is worth making the effort to see. Get down to your local video store and pester the owners until they get it in. If they don’t, try other video stores. Beg, borrow, steal…. Whatever it takes to see this film. You won’t regret it.”
Heidi, you are certainly entitled to your opinion about my movie but at the same time you totally come off as being disgruntled. In my experience, I have never seen Tony or Mike be anything but cordial to both fans, freelancers and staffers. What great contribution have you made to the world of horror?
I can't imagine a Fangoria without Tony and Mike at the helm. There's well over 20 years of history at the magazine between the two of them. 25 memorable years to be exact of one of the greatest horror magazines out there due in part to their collective guiding efforts. Fangoria set the bar for all of the horror publications and online zines that have followed.
Again, you are entitled to your opinion but show a little respect for one of the grandfather publications in the world of horror. You probably wouldn't be doing what you do today if it wasn't for magazines like Fangoria.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 07:28
#8
I've always been of the mentality that a magazine is only as good as how they treat their writers/staff. Behavior behind the scenes always has an impact on the front end and the stories about how bad Fangoria really are many and frequent. I'm really surprised just how long Fangoria has limped along all these years they've lost so much credibility with people from what I've seen. Even way up here in the cold north a lot my friends were quick to pitch on about Rue Morgue over Fangoria, but of course we're likely biased. I thought about trying to contribute to fangoria once but when I did a little research it was red flags everywhere. I don't care how long you've been in business, shady practices aren't acceptable.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:07
#9
Dear Light and Dark,
While I understand your frustration at Heidi for bashing your film (it would probably piss me off too), your intended-to-be-rhetorical question regarding her contributions to the genre is easily answered. For starters, she runs Pretty Scary, an invaluable safe haven for women in horror. As a male in love with the horror genre, I consider female writers/directors/fans to be precious cargo - the only thing keeping my beloved genre from turning into a Bevis and Butthead sausage party.
Imagine being a woman who stumbles across the average male-dominated horror forum and is immediately subjected to a soul deadening cornucopia of "I like her tits and ass" and "she's an ugly actress" comments. Without a safe place to nurture their appreciation for the genre, most women will spook and run - to say that would be detrimental to the genre is a gross understatement.
Also, Heidi starred in what's arguably the most inventive and entertaining horror series since Tales From The Darkside - Ghostella's Haunted Tomb, as well as writing and directing the critically acclaimed short film Wretched. Besides all that, she's paid her dues as an actress in a plethora of Z-grade independent horror films.
Sorry for butting into something that's not really any of my business, but I just wanted to point that out. I respect you, lightanddark, and admire your ability to make something of yourself in the horror industry. I know it sucks when someone says something shitty about your art, but it happens to all artists sooner or later. Many of my favorite films have received horrible reviews from the critics (House of the Dead, Halloween 2, Gummo, etc), but I don't let those reviews take anything away from my enjoyment of the films.
Now, concerning Fangoria. When a magazine leaves true fans in the dust and starts catering to the multi-billion dollar corporations (which we all know is exactly what happened), it's curtains for the magazine, and it's really that simple. I think Timpone could easily maintain his lofty position while returning Fango to its glory days, but in order to do so he'll need to hire a fresh batch of (preferably underground) writing talent and then step out of their way and allow them the freedom to do what needs to be done. Otherwise, the magazine is finished - fan dissatisfaction has reached a critical mass, and there are better alternatives (Deadpit, Rue Morgue, etc.).
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:19
#10
Light and Dark, that sounded more like a plug for your movies and a bunch self-horn-tooting than any defense of Fangora.
It sounds like you are more in love with the opportunities the magazine offered you than the actual magazine yourself. We all understand that...we all are loyal to those who have given us a leg up when we needed it.
But I echo what Minerva says, and agree with what 1Kwolves says. They left the true spirit of horror behind in favor of drooling on the doorsteps of the corporations. Entertainment journalism loses it's luster once the writers are forced into tiny boxes with scripts pinned to the walls.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 15:25
#11
Cheers Wolves! Well said. Heidi's done a hell of a lot of women in the horror industry and while lightanddark might no appreciate that, the rest of us do and I think their response to her was just a complete disregard for doing even the smallest bit of research about her. So she hated your movie, chances are she isn't the only one, that's how people are, and while you seem to have gotten half decent reviews from other sources, it doesn't nessicarily mean the rest of us have to join the choir of the three page spread. You're right lightanddark, she is entitled to her own opinion, but Fangoria is not entitled to automatic respect because they used to be an industry standard. If Pepsi started putting urine in their drinks next week are we still supposed to respect them for being an industry giant? No, you're only as respectable as your most recent choices make you. Fangoria can't keep riding the skirttails of their glorydays and expect everyone to keep worshipping them.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:06
#12
Bloody Disgusting - "I think Light & Dark Productions may have solid future in the industry."
This "positive" review you're quoting gave the film 3/10. >.<
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/347/review
Again, you are entitled to your opinion but show a little respect for one of the grandfather publications in the world of horror.
If she's entitled to her opinion, then she's entitled to respect who she wishes. 
__________________
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 17:25
#13
I am disgruntled, which is why I sound that way. I'm really confused as to why Fangoria whould consider your films, Glen, worthy of a 'notes from the underground'. Your 'rave reviews' as Tristan pointed out, seem to be quotes taken (as all PR companies do) from reviews that are not all positive.
This is The Tenement trailer, which Glen was allowed to write about for about 4 pages in Fango.
torturing naked chicks, lame acting, bad FX, storylines that make little sense, perhaps no boom mike, lousy cinematography - about average for a low-budget horror film that is uninspired and made by people with zero training or talent.
Note Mike Gingold, who was assistant editor to Tony Timpone, for eons, appearing at the end of the film and actually making fun of themselves with the line 'Who do you have to blow to get into this rag?'
Apparently, you have to have one of the editors in your film. Right, Glen?
You may think I suck, Glen, but I'm not the one pimping my bad movies. I don't have to prove that I'm worth thinking your films suck. The burden of proof that they are good is on YOU, and self-distributing (5 years ago, 6 years ago when the industry was still working) is a sure-fire sign that no dist. company was interested.
And honestly, it is kind of lame of you to come on the site and blast me for blasting your P.O.S. movie, which I have every right to do so on a site I own, in a forum I created, after having watched your film and given it a fair chance at entertaining me. When Fangoris is being called out as a shitty magazine that promotes friend's films and shitty multi-billion dollar shitfests, and your name comes up from someone who has never met you personally and honestly, couldn't have an agenda because she could care less whether you continue to make films or not, you might want to think about it and wonder what that means.
I think you should consider the possibility that Mr. Gingold FINALLY relented and allowed you to promote yourself in the magazine because HE appeared in your movie.
Glad the magazine helped you, but you didn't help make them a better magazine.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 18:17
#14
Dude,
.ANNOUNCEMENT: Chris Alexander Named New Editor of FANGORIA Magazine
Written by Chris Alexander
Saturday, 06 February 2010 04:56
From Chris Alexander:
Friday, February 5th, 2010
After weeks of discussion and debate, I’m more than a little thrilled to announce my latest adventure as the new Editor of legendary NYC based horror magazine Fangoria, taking over duties from longtime Editor (20 years) and gentleman of genre journalism, Tony Timpone.
Since I was a little boy, Fangoria has been mythical; my gateway into a wild, weird world of monsters and mayhem, of sex, blood, death and general taboo bending pulp fiction delirium. Now, after freelancing for this genre entertainment institution for 2 years, I’m both honored and a little bit shaken by this new role…my dream job, actually. It’s all rather surreal…
Those of you who have followed my words in the pages of Canadian periodical Rue Morgue (where I first got my start as a film journalist) or daily Toronto newspaper Metro, or heard my endless blather on radio or television, or - Heaven forbid - had the chance to share space with me in the flesh as a student in my film history class...you all know one thing is certain: that I absolutely LIVE for cinema, specifically dark, oddball, horror, cult and exploitation cinema.
That passion, that manic, tireless energy has driven me my entire life and it's that deep love for the history and future of macabre film and fiction that I plan to harness and bring to the pages of Fangoria this year and, hopefully, beyond…
So stay tuned….it’s going to be a wild ride.
C.
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 18:17
#15
Sun, 02/07/2010 - 19:16
#16
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 09:09
#17
Have you actually seen my movie? If you had, you would have realized that the shots in that trailer with the girls are for a movie within a movie that pokes fun at the industry. The story also comments on the notion of whether horror movies influence the actions of individuals or if it begins with the family.
What bothers me most is your singling out my movie in the same post as Zahn's where he discusses favoritism.
I have had the privilege of knowing many of the indie directors that Fangoria has covered in their magazine in recent years and to the best of my knowledge I've never heard of or witnessed acts of favoritism by Fangoria. They have been in the magazine or on discussion panels because of their talent.
Both Mike and Tony are upstanding individuals and for anyone to discredit them by saying that they participate in favoritism is a slight to all of their hard work and accomplishments.
I'm thankful for the opportunities that I have had over the years. You are correct, I should have done my research more rather than quickly zing you. By the same token, you should have done the same. While you may not like my movies, there's a lot of history behind them that led to my article in Fangoria and it was most certainly not from having Mike in the movie.
Mike was witness to the struggles that I endured while creating the movies and recognized that I was quickly becoming a staple at east cost conventions. Ultimately, these were factors that led to my article being published in the magazine.
My inclusion of quotes was simply to point out that other publications that I have not ties with have highlighted my work in a positive way. My most recent movie, Sins of the Father was reviewed in Fangoria and didn't get the best review. If favoritism was an issue then it would have been a postive review or it wouldn't have appeared at all. And Mike has a cameo in that too. So you can see how that argument doesn't seem to hold water.
If I have any problem with Fangoria it is that it doesn't cover independent stuff as much as I would like to see. I understand why blockbusters are covered. Advertising helps put the magazine out there. It's tough for any print publication these days to stay in business and the fact that Fangoria has been around for 30 years is tremendous.
The problem isn't so much with Fangoria as it is with us as an audience. If we would stop paying to see the blockbuster crap and remake garbage that Hollywood keeps churning out then indie movies would have a better shot of being seen. Everyone keeps talking about the glory days of Fangoria. Think about it real hard and you'll realize that the glory days coincide with the glory days of horror. The 80s and 90s were a highlight with fresh material. Look at the recent fare - remakes of Prom Night, Black Christmas, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Origin, and a string of countless other shitters. It's frustrating when kids now don't even realize that Last House on the Left and Dawn of the Dead were remakes.
So I applaud Fangoria for having come this far. They have their hands full and it's certainly no easy feat to put out a magazine these days with the internet pressing in from all sides.
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 10:49
#18
Hey, lightanddark, I read Fango back when it first came out (sure wish I'd kept those issues). It was a great magazine back then, but now is an entirely different story.
I bought an issue about one year ago, after finding an article about Galaxy of Terror (one of my favorite 80s sleaze films). Great article, but the rest of the magazine read like recycled press releases. It was as if someone had cut and pasted PR material about upcoming movies, then put it in a magazine. Absolutely horrid and not worthy of the Fango name.
I agree, it's a bad time for horror, with audiences paying good money for lousy remakes and crap. And it is pretty sad that today's horror fans don't know that Snyder's Dawn of the Dead is a remake. But maybe, if Fangoria was doing it's job, the younger fans would know that. And, if Fango wasn't promoting some of those shameless remakes, the audience wouldn't be hyped to see such crap.
Yes, advertising does pay the bills for a magazine. But that doesn't mean you have to allow movie studios to advertise in a magazine's stories as well. Fango hasn't live up to the name it built for years now. It's isolated it's fans and (IMO) now reads like a press packet than an actual magazine.
I'm hoping Chris Alexander makes it interesting to read once again. It would be nice to have another great horror magazine on the market.
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 14:05
#19
Hey I'm no filmmakers, but I AM a film-watcher. An avid one. Nothing about that trailer compels me to want to do more than crack jokes about it.
What Bigmac says is true-- Fango hasn't lived up to the name it built, for years now. I'm too young to really remember the glory days, but as a modern reader, it lacked something major. It felt forced and regurgitative.
And reviewers make it a point to say at least one 'spin' fact in a review. that way, their publication gets press when you use that quote. I've run two review sites and reviewed for numerous others. Even if the movie is turd-a-licious, a wise reviewer puts something in it that's 'usable'.
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 14:09
#20
Oh. the wisdom of BigMac.
Look, Glen, I think we agree to disagree. I apologize for getting personal. Just because I didn't enjoy your film doesn't mean it is a bad film - simply that it isn't my cup of tea.
And my opinion about fangoria isn't fact - just an opinion. We have obviously had two different experiences with the magazine, and we both have different views on what is going on now.
As someone wgho has worked for print magazines, Fango included at times, I immediately, and always, tend to sympathize with the journalist(
because what they say speaks to me and I can understand their experiences and even comisserate on this particular issue.
You are welcome to participate on these forums, and to defend fago if you want, but let's have no more pimping/dissing of your film/films. I just happened to not think it was awesome - I am sure others do think it is.
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 15:58
#21
I agree, it's a bad time for horror, with audiences paying good money for lousy remakes and crap. And it is pretty sad that today's horror fans don't know that Snyder's Dawn of the Dead is a remake. But maybe, if Fangoria was doing it's job, the younger fans would know that. And, if Fango wasn't promoting some of those shameless remakes, the audience wouldn't be hyped to see such crap.
THIS.
and,
i don't like it when people aren't nice to heidi. heidi, i don't like it when people aren't nice to you.
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 16:41
#22
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 16:53
#23
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 20:53
#24
Tue, 02/09/2010 - 15:59
#25
Thu, 02/11/2010 - 12:59
#26
Listen Up;
I am sick and tired of reading your defense, You made a shitty movie, take critiscism with a polite bow of thanks from those doling it out, and apply it to make your next film a better one. I'm twenty years old; a fucking baby and even I know that your pathetic whining and heavy defense of both a shitty magazine like Fango and a shitty movie like yours, are just you trying to fight your way out of the paper bag of FAILURE.
Now it's time to "Nut up or Shut up"
FUCK!
I've heard they are going under reeeeeaallll fast.