Plan 9 From Earth

From l-r: Wood Pecker (James Anson,) Cynthia (Sam Armacost,) and Redivivious (Ross Dixon,) in Plan 9 From Earth.

In Spring of 2004, I was commissioned by Dale Rauschenberg, the head of the percussion program at Towson University to create a silent movie that he would then compose a score for, so that the Towson University Percussion Ensemble could perform to the film.  The only condition that he stated for the film was that it some how incorporated the construction of the new Center for the Arts building at Towson.  In the Fall of 2004, Mr. Rauschenberg approved my script for the film, and so I began construction of the outfit for the characters Wood Pecker, and I storyboarded the script.  I was able to get the cast that I wanted (all volunteers, since this is an entirely non-profit production, and I am not receiving any money for this at all,) and on November 26, 2004, the principal photography was shot.  Due to prior commitments (read: school) I have been unable to edit the footage yet, or film the special effect sequences yet, but I plan to shortly (as all of my music courses end March 19th.)  About the film: The story is a simple, campy sci-fi story which pays homage to many classic and cult silent and/or sci-fi films.  The basic synopsis is that one day while gathering supplies with his not so evil henchman, Wood Pecker (played by James Anson,) an Evil Genus known as Redivivious (played by Ross Dixon) spies the most beautiful creature he has ever lane eyes upon, Cynthia (Sam Armacost.)  Already in the final stages of his plan to take over the Earth, he kidnaps her to prevent her from being harmed in the assuming chaos that will result.  He brings her to his evil lair, and reveals his master plan to her.  Meanwhile, The Doctor (Colby Brown) and his assistant Madeline (Bekah Krug) stumble upon the Evil Genus’ lair, and realize that they must save Cynthia, and stop Redivivious from taking over the Earth.  The title of the film comes from the worst movie ever made, Edward D. Wood Jr.’s infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space, a film so bad that it’s good, which inspired Tim Burton to create an award winning film in 1994 about the making of Plan 9 From Outer Space, called Ed Wood. The appearance of the character Wood Pecker comes from both Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990) and the German Expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).  The character The Doctor is a reference to the longest running sci-fi program in history, the BBC’s Doctor Who, which ran from 1963-1989, but is starting its 27th season this year, though there is no current US carrier of the program.   Doctor Who is a show with astoundingly bad special effects, but enough quirkiness, wit, and charm to cultivate a large cult following (which explains its long and continuing popularity and run on TV (MPT and several other PBS affiliates still show it in reruns on a weekly basis.) Plan 9 From Earth is set to premier in the Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall in the Spring of 2006, with live music performed by the Towson University Percussion Ensemble.

Stills from the film.

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