Meet the Makers: Eric Stanze

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Eric Stanze is an indie filmmaker from St. Louis. Eric writes, directs and edits his films, often producing as well. Eric formed his production company Wicked Pixel Cinema in 1995, after forming a small, tight-knit crew for various smaller productions like Savage Harvest (1994). Stanze’s films are experimental, extreme and unforgiving. One word of advice … the films of Eric Stanze are NOT intended for the easily offended and certainly not for children (as if I needed to tell you that). I wasn’t sure whether to write this post about Stanze, primarily because his films are so contrary to what the general public considers acceptable. However, I felt it was my duty to highlight a pioneer of his genre, because he is from my hometown and more importantly, because the idea here is to give unbiased attention to movies and film-makers of all kinds.

Ice From the Sun (1999) is a wild ride indeed. I enjoyed this bizarre, extreme acid-induced “my God, my brain’s going to explode” cinematic trip that Stanze first made waves with on the indie cult horror circuit. Stanze was among the first to release his films on DVD when the technology was still young on the consumer market. DJ Vivona plays The Presence and the cast includes future genre names like Todd Tevlin and Jason Christ. The story, well … I’ll just refer to the plot summary posted on IMDB.com by Stanze himself: [An alternate reality encased in ice, a woman who is turned into a dimension-hopping assassin, and a wizard’s apprentice who is so evil he is a common enemy to the angels in heaven and the devils in hell.] There, are you with me? Right. Ice From the Sun is one of those films (Lost Highway, for example) that simply cannot be explained to someone who hasn’t seen it. Personally, I don’t think Stanze has matched his achievement with Ice with any of his subsequent films. This sci-fi, fantasy, horror experimentation is one of a kind, low-budget excellence and is worth a look. Just, don’t try and enhance it with any drugs or alcohol … you may not be the same ever again.

Scrapbook (2000) is my least favorite Stanze film, but still offers an original story concept amidst a genre that tends to maintain old-hat repetition, laden with cliches. The story follows Clara, played by Emily Haack, a young woman whose been kidnapped and held prisoner in an old house in the middle of nowhere. Her captor is Leonard, played by the late Tommy Biondo, a deranged man with some serious issues regarding members of the opposite sex. Clara must fight to survive as Leonard repeatedly subjects her to physical, emotional and sexual torture, keeping photos and bits of memorabilia in his scrapbook containing similar artifacts from his other victims. Before long, Clara discovers Leonard’s weakness and begins to devise her attempt at escaping this Hell she is enduring. Scrapbook is raw, both in its content and its execution, often making the film difficult to watch. The movie reminds me of some recent French films, such as Irreversible (2002), that deal with much of the same subject matter in a similar fashion. This is likely why Stanze’s films often do well in France. I wouldn’t recommend this film to anyone who isn’t completely open to the often brutal and offensive genre, but do give Stanze credit for venturing into a realm of film-making that most people quickly shy away from.

China White Serpentine (2003) is an often abstract tale of two lost souls, played by Eli DeGeer and Jason Allen Wolfe, seduced by a supernatural evil seductress, played by Amanda Booth. DJ Vivona also plays a writer whose brother is one of the seduced victims. The movie is “like a David Lynch film” says director Eric Stanze (he co-directed this with Robin Garrels), and in some ways does hold true. I also see some elements of The Ring in this film, with much of the story centering on a mysterious DVD in this case. The script, as is common with Stanze’s work, offers an original concept that, considering the budget, is produced at the level one can expect. One thing that stands out for me with Chine White Serpentine is the phenomenal soundtrack, comprised mostly of independently produced electronic ambient and trance music. In addition, the movie does have a few very intense scenes that play well despite dialogue and acting that are again equal to the budget. Much of the film is actually ad-libbed and it emphasizes the use of experimental chaotic music video-style effects and wild in-your-face cinematography cut between scenes shot for reality, showcasing Stanze’s talent for editing.

Eric Stanze’s latest release is a film called Deadwood Park (2007), which I have not seen but have read some reviews and apparently is getting a lot of praise.