Gilbert Interviews a Zombie from Witches' Blood

                                                                            

Yes, my little zombie snacks, I got an interview with a zombie. Well, not exactly a zombie, but a woman who played a zombie in the horror film directed and produced by Ryan Scott Weber, called Witches’ Blood. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan and actor Joe Parascand on the movie, but how many chances do you have to interview one of the not so dearly departed zombies. Joining me today is Leah Gelber-DeCicco.

                                                                   

 

Well, not exactly a zombie, but a woman who played a zombie in the horror film directed and produced by Ryan Scott Weber, called Witches’ Blood. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan and actor Joe Parascand on the movie, but how many chances do you have to interview one of the not so dearly departed zombies. Joining me today is Leah Gelber-DeCicco.

Marie Gilbert: “Hi Leah. I’m so happy that you’re a guest on my blog today and that you can give us some insight on what it’s like to be a zombie in a movie. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what prompted you to be a zombie?                                                                              

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Well, I was raised in a small town and have lived here ever since. Since I was nineteen, I’ve worked many jobs over the years in the retail and restaurant industry; going back and forth from being a stay at home mom of two daughters, Frances and Angela. But, in the last few months I found myself wanting to do exciting things; doing something different. I started going to Comic-Cons and conventions where they have celebrities, and the first one I went to was Wizard World with my husband, Frank, this past June in Brooklyn New York. My husband and I got to meet Norman Reedus and we got his autograph and his picture.

                                                                            

Marie Gilbert: Oh my God!  You met Norman Reedus? I love him.

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Yes, he is awesome and a real sweetie. I’ll tell you what happened. We were there to have our picture taken and hopefully have it autographed, but the people doing the pictures had messed up and it was time for Norman Reedus to leave the area. When he realized that we were upset because of the mix-up, Norman walked back and said, “Don’t worry about it and God bless you.” He went back to the booth so we could get his autograph. I met Anthony Michael Hall and had a picture taken with him. The convention also offered a panel with questions and answers and I was able to talk to Henry Winkler (the Fonz) and he gave great advice on helping me raise my eleven year old on helping her reach her hopes and dreams. I even had a chance to speak with Stan Lee.

Marie Gilbert: Nice!

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Yes, but I didn’t get to ask the question I wanted to ask. The girl before me asked that question first. My mother, youngest daughter and I got to see the newest preview of The Wolverine with Hugh Jackman and we got his autograph and a picture of him with my daughter, Frances, on my not so smart, phone.

Marie Gilbert: So how did you get the part for a zombie?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: My very good friend Robin MacArthur told me about the Zombie Walk that they have at Asbury Park. After the Zombie walk there was an after party Asbury Park Lanes and that’s how I met Edward X Young. At the after party they were having contests on the stage and Edward Young was at the bar and we began talking. He told me he was an actor and I asked if there was ever any chance of me being a zombie or something. I love that stuff. He said he would see what he could do. He gave me his information and we became Facebook friends.

Marie Gilbert: So, who was the actual person who contacted you for the part?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: I’m not sure if it was Edward Young or one of his friends, but I saw a post on how they needed people to play zombies in a film and to contact Stephen Ohlarik. We had to meet at Bernardsville, N.J. on a Friday night.

Marie Gilbert: So how did they get you ready for the part?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: A gentleman called Dennis Carter Jr., who I didn’t realize I’d already met at the Zombie Walk, did my makeup. We had to sign a release form because we had to fall on the ground after we were shot. The ground was hard and I don’t have a high pain tolerance, so I asked the people in charge if I could be a crawling zombie. I figured if I’m a crawling zombie I wouldn’t have far to fall.

Marie Gilbert: Were you given outfits, or did you have to use your own clothing?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: I went to a garage sale and bought clothing that I wouldn’t mind if the shoes or clothing were messed up with dirt or fake blood. I have a pair of navy blue sneakers that I used for the Zombie Walk and for this film and I call them my ‘zombie shoes’. I won’t use them for anything else.

Marie Gilbert: You’ll save them for your future zombie roles? Laughing

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Laughing…Yes and it’s no problem because they’re already wreaked.

Marie Gilbert: Did you meet Joe Parascand on the set?

                                                                                   

 

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Yes, I did and in fact, he shot me.

 

Marie Gilbert: So, Joe Parascand was the one who shot you? Laughing

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Laughing, yes, he was Sheriff Tom and he shot me and killed me. Some people when they’re playing zombies they make growling and moaning sounds, but I didn’t make a sound I just moved my mouth like I wanted to eat someone. We were there for hours, but we had so much fun. It was really cold and I was joking around pretending that I was Rose from the Titanic.

Marie Gilbert: This does sound like a lot of fun.

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: As much fun as I had playing a zombie, I always wanted to play the part of someone who screams in a movie and if they ever need someone who can scream then that would be me. I’m a good screamer. Growing up, I was a bit of a nerd, didn’t have a lot of good relationships with boyfriends, and I wrote a poem called “Ugly Duckling” and it was published in an anthology called A Break in the Clouds. I met my true love right out of high school in 1992 and we got married in 1999. He’s a truck driver and I’m a stay at home mom.

Marie Gilbert: If the opportunity comes up, would you want to become an extra on upcoming films or commercials?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Oh yes, I would love it as long as it doesn’t interfere with my eleven year old. I would have loved to have my daughter accompanied me that night I played a zombie, but she has asthma, it was cold and we didn’t start until after five. I wasn’t sure if there were sex scenes in the script. You have to be careful when you have children.

                                                                    

Marie Gilbert: Do you kept in touch with the other people who played zombies that night?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Oh yes, I keep in touch with Dennis Carter Jr. who was a zombie.

Marie Gilbert: So, the makeup guy was also a zombie. Neat! Marie is laughing.

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Laughing. Yes, the makeup guy was also a zombie.

Marie Gilbert: Do you keep in touch with the main actors?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: Yes, with Dennis, Stephen, Edward, Ryan and a few others. They’re all my facebook friends.

Marie Gilbert: A lot of great films are being made more and more by Independent Film Companies and I’m so excited that we have so many talented young directors and producers coming into their own. What is your opinion of Ryan Scott Weber, Joe Parascand and the other stars of Witches’ Blood? Were they fun to work with?

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: They were fun to work with and very nice. God bless them, because I never knew how hard it truly was to do a movie. We were out there for hours and it was cold and dark. You know…at one point a train passed us, and we were wondering if they saw the bodies and the zombies.

Marie Gilbert: I can only imagine what they thought was going on. Thank you so much for sharing your story with me and my readers, Leah.

Leah Gelber-DeCicco: I am so happy that you accommodated me and took the time to hear about my part in the movie. It was just a small part in that one movie, but you took the time to listen. There is one more thing.  My younger daughter’s friends now think I’m cool and want to hang out with me and her. My daughter had a class Christmas party that I had promised to attend, but I was recovering from a recent surgery and afraid that I would not be able to keep my promise. My daughter had told all her friends about my being a zombie in a film; her classmates were very excited to hear about it. Even though I was still in pain and had trouble walking, I went and, seeing the smile on my daughter’s face made it all worthwhile. To experience that moment is one of the most gratifying things you can experience in your life, especially as a mom.

                                                                         

Well, my little zombie snacks, I hoped you enjoyed this interview with Leah Gelber-DeCicco and maybe we’ll see her in other movies. I promise to have more blogs about zombies and the people who play them. Stay safe; run fast.

 

  

 

Life With Fred & Lucy, Part 13: Palumbo

                                                                    

During the 1940’s and 1950’s, South Philadelphia was very important for promoting pop music. New York had nothing over us as far as show business went. Hell no! Not with all the talented performers who appeared weekly at the nightclub called Palumbo. Located near to the Italian Market on 9^th Street, the building owned by Antonio Palumbo since 1884, served as a boarding house for Italian workers, but later the street level eventually under the guidance of Antonio's son, Frank Palumbo, became a nightclub, restaurant and banquet hall, which featured acts like Benny Goodman, Patti Page, Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, the Clooney sisters, the Mills brothers, Mario Lanza; the names too numerous to list here. When my Uncle Pat was alive, my father and mother went out every Saturday night for dinner and a show.

                                                                         

 
             Uncle Pat seated in my parent's kitchen. Fred preparing ham for the grocery store.

 

Uncle Pat was my father’s best friend from childhood. He was married, but I never met his wife; only the girlfriend who would join my parents for the night out. Strange the things a kid will remember years later.

Once in a while, my parents along with Pat and his lady would buy tickets for a special show that we children were allowed to attend. My father knew we would enjoy the Three Stooges. Maybe it was because we four kids always acted like the stooges.

We four kids were in our glory. We got to dress up in our Sunday only clothing and we were allowed to order whatever we wanted from the menu. When Moe, Larry and Curly came out on the stage, we went crazy. I mean we watched these guys on Television and here they were right in front of our table.            

If we weren’t bad enough for our parents before the show, we were the weeks following the show…I mean they were our idols and you know kids! We had to imitate them. I forget exactly which prank it was that landed all four of us in permanent time out. It may have been us gluing the bathroom door shut, or my brother Michael hiding in the washing machine and screaming out “Boo!” when my mother went to load the clothes, or maybe the last straw was when the four of us were playing war in the house, with fresh eggs. Yeah…I think it was that one.

We weren’t allowed to watch the Stooges for a few weeks, but we didn’t care. We got to see our heroes live. I need my South Philly friends to tell me if they ever went to Palumbo's and did they see any acts? If so, who?

Grimm, Season 3, Episode 10: Eyes of the Beholder

                                                                      

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

On the last episode of Grimm, there were secrets within secrets and Wesen coming out of the woodwork. Juliette has a friend staying with her. Alicia (Alicia Lagano) is a battered wife and at Juliette's urging leaves her husband Joe (Tom Walton) after a particularly bad beating.

                                                                        

Nick realizes that Alicia is a Wesen. She is a Fuchsbau like Rosalee.He mentions this to Juliette but tells her not to say anything to Alicia. Juliette is too excited to keep the secret to herself and tells Alicia that she knows what she is. Alicia tells Juliette that she's nuts and storms out of the kitchen. Alicia is upset, Juliette is upset and Nick just shakes his head. "Why did you say anything?".

Joe calls Juliette; he knows that Alicia is hiding there. Nick grabs the phone and tells Joe to use his head. You would think the dumb ass would keep away from his wife knowing that she is hiding at a policeman's home, but no...Wesen bullies are no smarter than their human counterparts. Joe is hiding in the bushes waiting to attack Alicia at the first opportunity.

Hank

                                                                           

The big guy is in love with his physical therapist, Zuri (Sharon Leal). He wants to be with her all the time. She feels the same way, but Hank hasn't been too lucky lately with his lady friends and is still recovering from his run in with Adalind.

Wesen Gangs

A young man, Jared (Dalpre Grayer) is at the diner flirting with the waitress who is his girlfriend. When he leaves to head home, he witnesses a gang attack on a man and woman.
                                                                 
The gang see him and are about to go after him, but another person walks out of the diner to see Jared speed off in his car, and the woman crying for help; her husband is dead. The police are called and from the older witness's description, they begin looking for Jared thinking he killed the man.

Surprise Surprise

When Nick, Hank and Sgt. Wu track down the driver of the get away car to his home, Hank is shocked to find out that Zuri and Jared are siblings.
                                                                   

Ouch! Zuri is not looking kindly on Hank when her brother is taken in for questioning. Jared finally admits that he is innocent and picks out the gang members from the police photos. Nick and Hank are puzzled about the whole Wesen gang scene and quickly head over to Monroe and Rosalee for advice.
                                                                  

So here is the second shocker! Rosalee knows everything about Wesen gangs because she went through a wild Fuchsbau naughty girl period in her life. But, the information that she has helps Nick and Hank with their investigation.  Wait I'm not done with my surprise. There's more.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
                                                             

Zuri and Jared are put in protective custody with Hank guarding them. But the Wesen gang has kidnapped Jared's girlfriend and he sneaks away to save her. While this is going on, Joe breaks into Nick's house and starts beating up on his wife.

Conclusion
                                                                

Jared saves his girlfriend because he is a Wesen....Zuri is a Wesen, too and now there are three chewed up and dead gang members. Hank finds out that Zuri is Wesen.

                                                           

 But...what about Juliette, you ask? Who knew that Juliette could fight? She beat the living shit out of Joe. When Nick walked into the room, Joe almost had a coronary because Nick was a Grimm.

                                                                   

EVERYBODY WAS OUT OF THE CLOSET!!

Nick and Juliette know that Alicia and Joe are Wesen; and they know that Nick is Grimm; Monroe knows that Rosalee walked on the dark side, but he doesn't care; Hank knows Zuri and Jared are Wesen and he doesn't care; Zuri knows Nick is a Grimm and she's not happy. The only loser in tonight's show is Hank. Zuri dropped him like a hot bun. Poor Hank.
                                                                  

I absolutely love Grimm and with Dracula following immediately after, Friday night's just got kick-ass great.   Kudos to NBC

Gilbert's Weird News from the Dark Side 1/10/2014

I've been busy with the holidays and I haven’t done a tales from the Dark Side for a while. There was and is, all kinds of crazy going on in the world; good and bad, and luckily for me, I never run out of material, for example:

Why can’t Santa and Jesus be other than Caucasian?

Why hate the poor?

What is Space X up to? I love these people.

                                                                 Weird News

And now from my favorite source of Weird News, The Huff Post, we have a man claiming that Big Foot ate his pizza.

Not for anything, but I have this problem too; it's called teenage grandsons.


Another story featured on Huff Post concerns a woman's choice of weapon storage

I don't know about you, but...a purse would be my choice of holster. Let's hope she doesn't carry when visiting her Gynecologist.  

And last, but not least, let's end the Weird News with this little gem. Always check the background of the person who is babysitting your child.

The punishment wasn't severe enough for the callous stupidity of this young lady.


Hope you enjoyed this post, my little zombie snacks, and I'll see what I can find for next week. 

Author Leo Craven talks About Hallows End

                                                                     

I have met the most talented people while writing for Biff Bam Pop and my own blog, Gilbertcuriosities. When I learn that my on-line friends have published a book, I’m eager to promote them, especially because I know from following their blogs that their stories will not only be interesting, but best sellers. I’m honored to have Leo Craven as a guest on Gilbertcuriosities and today we are going to learn more about his book Hallows End and the lead character, Sarah Chase.

Marie Gilbert: Thank you Leo for visiting my blog. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what type of stories you like to read and write?

                                                                                                                                                
                                                                 

Leo Craven: I am an author and marketing professional, living in a small, tranquil town near Pismo Beach, California with my wonderful wife and kids.  The first book I remember really enjoying was “The Hobbit” when I was about ten years old.  While I found the presence of goblins, dwarves and wizards to be exciting, it was Smaug (the dragon) that made the reading experience truly memorable for me.  My parents were huge science-fiction / fantasy fans so as I continued into my adolescent years, it was the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Edgar Rice Burroughs who shaped my literary world.

These days I take pleasure in reading much of the same, having also added the horror genre to my must-read lists (thank you Bram Stoker).  It’s not just books for me though; I love all mediums involved in the art of ‘story telling’, including graphic novels, music and movies.  As a writer, I’m primarily invested in the Sarah Chase book series along with some short stories and the occasional song.  Down the road, however, I hope to add graphic novel and movie script development to my creative endeavors.

Marie Gilbert: Tell us a little bit about the book, and your inspiration for the story and the main character, Sarah Chase.

                                                                   

Leo Craven: I enjoy stories with heroes and heroines that as a reader / viewer I can both cheer for and relate to.  ‘Boy scout’ characters like Superman and Captain America are fun to watch in action, but they’re almost flawless, making it hard for most of us to identify with.  I always find it more interesting when the hero or heroine is conflicted.  I also strongly believe it’s a shame that more lead characters in action stories aren’t female.

My primary motivation in writing “Hallows End” was to create a strong female lead through the character of Sarah Chase.  She is the ideal ‘conflicted heroine’ in my opinion, working as a police detective by day and operating as a vigilante vampire and werewolf hunter at night.  Although this first book introduces a wave of exciting characters and mythological elements, the Prophecy Trilogy is ultimately about Sarah Chase and her evolution from vigilante to heroine.

Another important facet to “Hallows End” and anything else you see published by Leo Craven is that my stories are written for adults.  I believe the current ‘YA’ (Young Adult) trend has produced some marvelous literary works, but I do wonder how long these “PG / PG-13” novels will keep the interest of adult readers in the long term.

Marie Gilbert: Is this the first of your books published? If no, list your other works.  If this is your first book published, will we be seeing more of Sarah Chase?

Leo Craven: “Hallows End” (Part I of the Prophecy Trilogy) is the first in the Sarah Chase series as well as my debut novel.  My goal is to release the second part of the trilogy on Friday the 13^th this June 2014 and the final installment on Friday the 13^th in February 2015.  I like the idea of branding myself as the “Friday the 13^th” author; plus, it gives me a nice timetable to aspire to for my book releases.  I have also published a few other short stories, poems and songs on my website, Leocraven.com

Marie Gilbert: Did you go traditional or self-publishing?

Leo Craven: I self-published.  I like to take risks and I’m more than willing to learn from my mistakes.  I figured it could take months (if not years) before a publishing house picked up “Hallows End”, and even then they could realistically require me to go through several re-writes before publishing my book.  In that same amount of time I figured I could publish the entire Prophecy Trilogy myself and allow the world to decide if Sarah Chase is worth reading about. 

Marie Gilbert. Leo, would you list the sites where my readers can find you and the link to buy your book.

Leo Craven: My official website is Leocraven.com. 

My book is currently available exclusively on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Hallows-End-Sarah-Chase-Craven-ebook/dp/B00HDIR29O/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1387306192&sr=8-13&keywords=Hallows+End

Marie Gilbert: Leo it was a pleasure having you as my guest and to all my followers out there, check out “Hallows End” and let Leo and I know what you liked best about the book.

Leo Craven: “Thank you so much Marie Gilbert for the interview and for your support!”