The Trip to Blood Shed

This is Dennis Poirier, some of you may know me as Reggie. He's a lovable character. He sees the good in everyone, tough as nails, and loves to party. The road to Blood Shed for Reggie began at the Charlotte Street Art Centre, in Fredericton NB, the NB Filmmaker's Coop's new home from the crowded, upstairs setup on York Street. I have fond memories of taking equipment up that narrow flight of stairs after a long shooting day. The CSAC allowed members of the coop to book rooms all over the centre. Pierre Huard, who I consider my closest friend in Fredericton now, was that crazy guy that made a French film about cousins sleeping together. I didn't know him well then, but he had seen me in "Dead Flies" as the villain Kurt Daly and wanted to audition me for a script he had written called "The Trip". The Trip was about 2 French speaking brothers out in the wilderness. One of them is a killer. Sounds familiar? Well I met Pierre in the art room upstairs to audition for Louis. I was told I was on a short list of specific actors he wanted to act in the Trip and essentially I got the part after uttering the phrase that still survives in Blood Shed: "I just shot Pete!". I didn't hear much from Pierre until I heard Jason Shipley was on board. Jason Shipley? the guy that gave AD (assistant director) workshops? The guy from Fredericton who has worked on Trailer Park Boys, Lexx and many other shows and films I've actually heard of? Wow! how cool is that?

Apparently Pierre and Jason are buddies. Jason was lured to the camp, now surnamed: Camp Blood Shed. Pierre pitched his idea to Jason. Jason was hooked, he's a big horror fan and had just helped his AD friends Jason Eisner and Rob Cotterill concoct Treevenge. At Silver Wave 2008, Blood Shed and Treevenge made the midnight show a huge success! Anyway, I was informed I lost the role of Louis, ...to Pierre! I didn't know Pierre had acting experience, let alone professional experience, so I was going in completely blind that this experience was going to be the best experience I would ever have, and still haven't topped. Jason was going to direct. Pierre and I (mostly Pierre with suggestions from Cathie Leblanc at the Film Coop) rounded up a volunteer crew of coop members. Denis Sweet (aka Mclovin), Michel Guitard, Jessica Holt, Corena Walby, Jennifer Mawhinney, Johnathan Driscoll, Bruce Legrow, and Paul Angers, would eventually be recruited to work on this crazy ride. Paul and I met Jason at the Lunar Rogue in early pre-production. Paul was the special effect person on "They Didn't Make it" He was still learning how to make gore for film, but had questions about the effects desired. "You're doing what with a chainsaw?" In Jason's usual calm demeanor, he reassured Paul safety would never be an issue. Jason also told me to read up on conspiracies, the wilder the better. What he didn't know was that whenever I'm drunk or high, I tend to dream up wild conspiracies. There was one night in production I thought they dragged me outside the city to kill me! So no matter how tired I was, I was going to stay up until everyone went to bed! I never considered myself a method actor, but I was in a constant state of panic and ecstasy at the same time. The DoP was Jeff Wheaton, a guy the film coop has tremendous respect for, Gary Ferguson, toting a machine gun and turban, sporting a long beard, supervising special effects and gun wrangling, poncho wearing Aram Kouyoumdjian, mentoring Bruce on sound, and wrestling with lawn gnomes that were suppose to make it on camera. This was a real film set!

There was another pre-production meeting in Fredericton with Jason, Pierre, Gary and I. Jason wanted explosions. Gary reminded him he was not on a budget shoot. It would cost him upwards of 2000$, and lot of time spent rigging it to work and look good. Jason reluctantly axed the fireworks, but wanted to up the gore and sex. There was talk there would be as many as three strippers in the finale, but we were at a lost to find even one girl would would bare her breasts. Pierre knew there was only one "Scream Queen" around, Miranda Wilkins. She acted for me in my very first film "Hell Dog" (still in post/edit limbo.. grrr!) and Pete would be played by another long time friend of Pierre and Jason's, John Heinstein. With a cast and crew rounded up, we headed to the middle of nowhere NB, CAMP BLOOD SHED!

next blog: first day of production and meeting Mama