Feedback / wendigo
e-mail 05/29/08
Hi Mr. Fessenden,
Just last night I watched "Wendigo" for the first time, and was really impressed. Genre work like this so often gets pushed aside by critics and film buffs alike as being "of lesser value", but I can see that you, like me, believe this to be totally false.My name is Braden Adam, and I'm a young filmmaker from Ottawa, Canada. I have diplomas in Radio Broadcasting and in Script Writing (film, TV and theatre) and am now trying to figure out "where to go from here".
Seeing your movie was a great inspiration to me, and then watching the interview with you on the special features was equally encouraging. It's nice to know that someone can use talent and skill to create a great movie, and not need the "aid" of the Hollywood studio system.
Thanks for the great movie experience.
Maybe I'll see you on a movie set one day.Sincerely,
Braden Adame-mail 04/17/08
Hi, Larry--
It was only a few weeks ago that I became a born again Fessendenfan. I have seen the dark and will follow it forevermore! Wendigo is unique, smart and it definitely packs a powerful punch. I can't wait to watch your other films, and I can't wait for your new work.
Please add me to your e-mail list if your company has one.
Thanks so much!
Yours,
Linda Olsene-mail 09/17/06
Hey Larry, Dana Stevenson, my sister, just introduced me to "Wendigo" ! It's awsome! We're on a quest to get ALL your movies. We're going to have a Glass Eye Pix night in October with some of our friends including one of our best friends......our mom. You're great. It is as if we are all from the same era. Keep up the great work. You are fantastic and so is your crew.
Best of luck, Teri Smith
P.S. "Habit" is one of my favorite moviese-mail 11/01/05
Larry, I was on a vacation to "home" last night, Halloween, with my mother, watching "scary movies" on TV. We watched Wendigo on IFC. I opted to change the channel from Lifetime Movies, no offense to Heather Graham and "Blessed", but I love Patricia Clarkson and jumped at the chance to watch your movie.I'm used to strange things happening, slight premonitions, strange dreams, things like that. Your movie hit on something a little stronger than that. Something from childhood.
I grew up on a hunt club, in the woods in rural South Carolina. All the men in my family, except for me, are avid hunters. I was never into hunting. My father and uncles would try to involve me in their deer hunting. Some of my earliest memories are of gutted deer hanging in the shed beside our trailer. Some of my earliest dream memories, recurring nightmares, are of deer-monsters chasing me. Walking deer. So so so similar to the Wendigo in your film. My mother is not such a fan of hunting either and was the one I turned to as a child with my vivid dreams and objections to my family's hobby. She was just as shocked as I was when your film showcased my nightmare.
Great movie, Mark
e-mail 11/01/05
Halloween, raining, cold, a dark room with some candles lit. That's how I viewed Wendigo, and will make it a part of a Halloween tradition hereon. Having grown-up in Western New York (Buffalo) I would go to my grandparents home that backed up to a wooded area and wonder if Bigfoot lived there. This movie (Wendigo) truly brought out some childhood terror. Thank you. -Bob
e-mail 10/05/04
Greetings, my name is John Rush, and I'm currently serving in the US Navy. I loved your movie and even purchased a copy. I'm really interested in the animated series when will I be able to see it! Thank You Respectfully, John Rushe-mail 8/03/04
Hi Larry, I wanted to write and say hi and to let you know how much I loved Wendigo.I saw it last night and it is an awesome, original and incredible horror film.I loved the storyline and characters with whom you really identified with and cared about.We all are wishing for a sequel, needless to say. I have to check out your other films like "Habit" and also enjoyed the bonus features on the DVD, Searching For Wendigo and the interview with you were classic. You are an American Original Larry -- please don't ever change. I agreed with everything you said. In closing I would like to wish all the happiness,good fortune and prosperity to you and your careers. Ian Z.e-mail 6/24/04
The movie Wendigo, I thought was very stupid. And for me to not like a movie with a name like Wendigo, is scary. I like the story line, sort o,f but the actually "Wendigo" creature needed a litte work. Like "OOOOO, I'm so scared of a tall walking deer thats chasing me! Oh no! It's gonna tear me apart with its very dull teeth! " You see what I mean?? Well, anyway, thats what I thought of it. Whitneu
e-mail 4/27/04
i watched the film - but i didnt understand any of it. can u PLEASE explain everything to me, not just the synopsis, actually the ENTIRE thing... i really didnt understand. is there supposed to be a second Wendigo to "round" everything off. please explain. Lindsay Judgee-mail 11/13/03
Mr. Fessenden, Just wanted to drop a few lines to let you know how much I enjoy your work. I am a true fan, and I thought that Habit was excellent! I eagerly anticipated Wendigo, and was not let down. I think it was superb, and now own it on DVD. I so look forward to seeing more of your work as a writer/director soon. I consider myself a "film-freak" and have an unquestionably vast knowledge of film. Every time someone asks me "What should I rent, what movie do I need to see", I always direct them to "the fantastic work of Larry Fessenden"!! I'm sure you receive accolades like this all the time, but I just wanted to throw my two-cents worth into the pot as well, and let you know that you have a fan for life here. -- KWe-mail 10/25/03
I just rented and watched Wendigo. It is the best conceived and executed movies I have seen since the Blair Witch Project. You scared the holy hell out of me. What an awesome production! Bravo! I really enjoyed the production footage. I can't believe you did so much without using CGI. I look forward to your next project. Again, Bravo! Gerard Marshall Vignes
e-mail 10/23/03
Dear Mr Fessenden, My name is Jason Figgis. I am a film-maker from Ireland. The reason that I am contacting you is because I saw 'Wendigo' for the first time last night and I was hugely impressed with it. It had all of the elements of a truely original and ground-breaking Horror Film. It was chilling too. It is very rare that contemporary horror films have the ability to grip on so serious a level. I especially like that it is a consummate tale of terror without recourse to humour. Everything; from the visual atmospherics, the performances and stylish use of imagery to the sound (both soundtrack and sound atmospherics) is cinema perfection. Yes. You guessed right. I loved it.
e-mail 8/23/03
Larry, Just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you how much I enjoyed your film. I watched it last night with the lights out, glass of wine in hand, and it freaked me out, man! Great job. Keep up the good work, my friend. Your brother in blood, Mark Pavia
e-mail 8/23/03
Mr. Fesseden I would like to start by saying that I am a big fan of yours. I managed to find a copy of Habit in a video store a few years back and thought it was one of the most brilliant works of art I had seen in quite some time. After seeing Wendigo a few months ago I realized I had been watching a film from the same man who made Habit. Since watching Wendigo I am at a loss for words. I visited IMDB to find out more about you and your work and I am looking forward to seeing "No Telling," whenever I can find a copy.I have no doubts that you are the best Independent film maker living today, and one of the best filmmakers in any financial category. I am not just saying that to warm you up either. I believe you may be the man who can put Independent films back in the race with the Hollywood main stream garbage that is constantly being regurgitated in front of the American film fans. D Bamberg
e-mail 8/23/03
Deer creators of the film "Wendigo", My associates and I consider ourselves conessiuers of independent cinema. Although "grade-b" sci-fi horror is usually met with much criticism, it is in fact a very viable form of entertainment. If it were not for these fine under-funded films, the Sci-Fi Channel would have its programming schedule cut in half. As a film student myself, I am baffled not only by the motive behind this movie, but its production as well.I ask the writer and director Mr. Larry Fessenden; at what point in the writing of the script did you say to yourself, "I have to make this movie"? Was it at the point where this kid begins hallucinating randomly (due to his therapist mother no doubt). Or was it at the point where we had waited through half the movie to see the Wendigo? But for now let's focus on your character design...yes, the charming bourgeoisie liberal family from New York. And their confrontation with the stereotype of all small mountain towns, Otis. I especially like the mandatory sex scene in which Otis is outside beating his meat by the wood pile, and George and Kim are reenacting an illustration from "The Joy of Sex" (Who the hell reads the instructions anyways?). Moreover, I was utterly shocked by George's lack in foreplay skills, not taking the bra off before the panties? Shame on you, George.
But enough talk of them; let's focus on the Wendigo, your star. I am quite familiar with the legend of the Wendigo, and I distinctly remember it being an airborne demon that would come in the night and carry you away. Yours is a deer made of sticks, or a flurry of snow, or an anthropomorphic faun; okay, I'll have some flexibility for artistic license (My writer mentions that he likes the final manifestation and its large penis). In all honesty Mr. Fessenden I'm not seeing the motivation behind the Wendigo, nor am I seeing his conviction. Is he seeking revenge for the first deer that was brutally murdered by insensitive right-wing frontier men? Or perhaps it was invoked by the old Indian man as vengeance against white people? I'm left assuming that there was definitely something in the water...
Producing this nightmare must have been must a task. Tell me, Jeff Levy-Hinte, what bar did you steal the elk head from? I think they might want it back. Was it used from the same deer model in the first scene of the movie, as the family hits the deer with their...Volvo. I'm sure the question on everyone's mind is, how much of a budget did you guys really have? And what percentage of that did you blow on...blow? I've seen drugged-up Japanese Lovecraft fans produce a better movie by using sets and props illegally and whoring out their sisters no doubt too. Surely that's motivation enough to improve the quality of your cinematography, or perhaps score some more 8-Balls.
True I am in no position to criticize your art, but at the same time you are in no position to trick me into renting this DVD by giving it a fanciful title. Which speaks to me as promising lots and lots of blood. I'm sure there's a deeper metaphor that I am not grasping, and I'm not sure if I want to. You disappoint me greatly, sirs, and I hope you are truly satisfied with your work.
Eagerly waiting your reply, and answers to these burning questions. Forever yours, Vincent Marquette, "Saturnine Films Ltd."
e-mail 7/17/03
Dear Whoever, I was recently at a video store and I stumbled across "Wendigo"..So, me and my friends rented it. I watched the whole movie and we laughed the whole time...Not to be mean, but where is the scary? It's a pile of sticks...I asked my friend Heather, "Would you run from Calista Flockhart?" and we all laughed. Also the "deer"...hmm..that looked like a guy with a deer head on. And making that guy being a peeping tom! Whoa! I hope that you make a DOUBLE-TAKE on that one. I'm not one who ever critizes scary movies, but this one took the cake....It should have been listed as "comedy", not horror. I hope that you produce movies that scare me, not make me laugh. ~Steve D.~e-mail 6/5/03
Wendigo was a great movie, I bought it right after I saw it and had all my friends watch it. When is Larry making another movie? Tell him he can afford to buy teeth now, he doesn't have to put every dime into a new project. Thanks, Michelle Blanchard
e-mail 6/5/03
I hope you get to read this e-mail because I just want to tell you how much your work means to me and most likely to others like me. The first time a film moved me so much was when I was forced to watch 'The Seventh Seal' in highschool and have wanted to be a film maker every since. A friend introduced me to 'Habit' a few days ago and I had to watch 'No Telling' and 'Wendigo' in the days since. I can't wait to get my hands on more. You tell your stories so beautifully and the cinematography is so well crafted. -- heather jackson
e-mail 5/14/03
That movie was the WORST movie I HAVE EVER seen!!!!!!! Was slow and had ABSOLUTELY no plot or meaning to it. I will tell everyone I know to not even waste their money. Vicky
e-mail 4/4/03
Mr. Fessenden, I was floored by "Wendigo". Its mournful mood and unpredictable horror; it not only frightens but it haunts. Looking forward to your next film. -- C Sorensen
e-mail 3/16/03
Dear Larry, I never write fan letters and in fact, but Ifelt compelled to tell you how extraordinary I think your film WENDIGO is. I read the incredible reviews of the film when it was released but, at the time I had just had a child and I was able to get out of the house. I waited for it to arrive at my local video store and was finally able to see the film.I found the film to be frightening, but not in the conventional horror movie sense. Without blood or gore, It gave me this increasing sense of dread that was both poetic and philosophical. I believe that truly great art works on three levels. One it entertains and delights us with a tale that is well told. Secondly, it makes a comment about our society, about how we interact with one another, about the class distinctions which separate us. Finally, great art works on a philosophical level and teaches us something about our place in the universe and what it means to be human. Your extraordinary film works on every level. Sincerely, JW
e-mail 3/16/03
Hello Mr. Fessenden: As a major fan of horror films (indie, Asian, classical, you name it), I wanted to drop a quick note and say how much I enjoyed WENDIGO.Your writing is innovative and a thoughtful fusion of the normal and the nightmare. The performances are wonderfully natural and solid, the camera work is intriguing, and the story weaves an overpowering creepy atmosphere from the commonplace.
I'm always a bit surprised by modern filmmakers and authors who are completely comfortable with silence and subtlety. At first the slow pace threw me a touch, but as the film went on I was drawn further and further into it. It's a fine change from the usual fireworks and empty bombastics of Hollywood.
Also greatly enjoyed your commentary and interview. Wish more directors had insightful comments to make on the horror genre. Best of luck on all your new projects and continued success. Sincerely,Tom Piccirilli, www.mikeoliveri.com/piccirilli
e-mail 3/4/03
Dear Sir, Thank you for your film Wendigo. As a long time cinema fan I was impressed with your self-control and preference for dread over shock. Your film has entered a small canon of works that scared the shit out of me. That sounds weird, but it's most assuredly a compliment. Also, as an artist (I'm a musician) it was heartening to see maximum effect wrung out of a low budget. It seems axiomatic that a great story will actually overcome limited means, but this is a lesson that Hollowwood often seems to ignore. I am currently searching for your previous films and look forward to any future projects you helm. Sincerely Yours, Jon Kinzler
e-mail 3/3/03
That movie creeped me out man.....all of my friends too...Mostly just that animal and the way it looked,and the twisted shots at the hospital. ...You know,I use to like deers..I'm not goin back into the catskills ever again. Freaky movie....but I'm really glad I bought it. I'm gonna pick up the others movies too...keep makin these man,we need someone to. -Gein
e-mail 2/27/03
larry - i've been meaning to write to you for about 3 months now, but have been incredibly busy. i just wanted to say thank you for sharing your incredible work with the film world. i was a huge fan of 'habit' - and after reading about 'wendigo' via rue morgue magazine, i could not wait to purchase it. i ordered a copy from diabolikdvd, (with the autographed postcard!) - and was simply blown away. i thought it was HANDS DOWN the BEST film of the year. i've watched it over and over - and i love the commentary you gave into the process of making the film (and the incredible music by michelle...wow!
i'm a musician myself, so i know the creative process well. and i swear to god - for every 'resident evil' or horrible hollywood remake (i.e. 'the haunting') - there is a gem out there just waiting to be discovered. i truly hope wendigo catches on fire...much like 'the evil dead' has done over the years. it's just THAT good.
anyway, thank you for the movie (and your others as well!) - it was simply incredible. your gift for telling it like it is is a rare one. i wish you all the success i can. brightest blessings, michael cunningham
p.s. LOVED your cameo in 'session 9'!! (another underrated gem). when are people going to wake up to REAL movies!!?!?!?
e-mail 2/15/03
Larry - I had great hopes for this movie, seeing it on the video rack. There's some wonderful stuff, but... I don't think you get it.
Sorry, but it sure seems like you've never talked with anyone who's had an "interaction" or known of them. The wendigo is not a metaphor, is not a deer-headed wind-type snowstorm deal. The wendigo is variously a doppelganger/cannibal/sasquatch type-deal, depending on who you talk to. I think you missed the opportunity for a powerful film. I mean, of course, you can make any kind of movie you want... but to name it "wendigo" - a name that, amongst those who know, is used with caution and wariness and dark awe, is presumptuous.
The woods is far more mind-bending than you presented. Given that you tossed off this film in the catskills, I sense you probably won't ever come back to deal with the notion as it lives and breathes in the vast expanses north and west of you.
I really liked Habit. I guess I just had far greater expectations for Wendgio. Andrew Rai Berzins [Toronto, Canada]
e-mail 2/8/03
Hi, Larry.. I recently bought your Wendigo, and I loved it! I looked through the Dvd thingamajiggers and I saw your face on the screen and I thought, hey, I recognize him, he was in Session 9, at the end. So I bought Habit, and I loved that also!
I love your brand of Horror. I would rather see your movies for the creativeness you put into it, no matter how much your budget was, than see a razzle dazzle show of shit that is in the theatres nowadays. Karl
e-mail 2/04/03
I just finished watching your WENDIGO, on a cold and frightening night here in Oregon. My first impression, and the one I want to get out into this critique, is that the movie is very much dependent on the viewer for so many things. The best horror films, like PHANTASM or SUSPIRA, rely heavily on the ambience in the character of the man watching the film. The Native man in your WENDIGO is correct to call the spirit a shapeshifter. The expectations of the viewer will shape the experience. Thus, I will contend that those who view the film as a crashing disappointment and who have filled Amazon.com and the Internet Movie Database with roundly negative reviews were looking for an entirely different spirit.
To those who thought that your Wendigo looked "fake" or "ridiculous," I suggest that perhaps they would be more satisfied with something that walks the world more resolutely in the presence of the flesh. On the other hand, perhaps they have had first-hand experience with their own Wendigo and could offer further insight, but feel the need to chastise rather than reveal their own experiences. Wendigo does not like to be cornered into anyone's box. I point toward Miles' reading of the Time-Life Book (?) about Native culture. My impression of your Wendigo wasn't that it was a fake-looking beast, but a man shaped by nature into an instrument of vengeance, that your Wendigo as he appeared in the final film was closer to a Native warrior in headdress that changed him into the object of the headdress' design, rather than an actual "monster."
Those who were disappointed by the film's lack of gore may be roundly dismissed as monsters themselves. The sight of blood on snow should be disturbing enough to anyone. I am routinely saddened upon seeing reviews for films meant to be truly frightening that complain about a lack of vicious dismemberment. Would more suffering have satisfied them? What is it that is being satisfied in them? Is Wendigo's hunger for vengeance the same as a callous desire for even fictional characters to meet bloody fates for the purpose of satiation?
Of the people who complain that "not much happens" in the movie, their perceptions may not run as deeply as yours or mine or Robert Frost's. I contend that any time a son loses a father, a lot has happened. I'd go so far as to suggest that any time a child discovers a new myth that finds a home in his soul, then a lot has happened. And I will contend that the movie seemed to me to be infinitely shorter than it could have been with all that happens in it so quickly and so effortlessly. Perhaps these viewers were looking for a Wendigo that more closely resembled KANGAROO JACK. I, on the other hand, thought the film was well made and told a Very interesting story about your WENDIGO.
I've seen many comparisons to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (because of The camerawork in the woods?) and THE SHINING (because of the long car ride through the snow?). These are absurd. I didn't see any similarity to either story, really. The malevolence of BLAIR WITCH PROJECT portrays a world where legend becomes reality, but they are two completely different types of legends. As for THE SHINING, the car trip is about the only similarity. I blame this upon people who cannot stretch beyond the boundaries of one-dimensional thinking to the suggestion made by your film that your Wendigo is both an illusion and a reality, a dream and a presence. I thought that it was actually refreshing the way you left the matter unresolved, despite many suggesting your ending ruins the picture by making the Wendigo creature real (?). Far from it!
I thought the camerawork was pitch-perfect, even some of the pieces that seemed like spur experiments. It all fit together into a nightmare that draws ever tighter as the story moves. A few times I was reminded not just of the works of The Brothers Quay and Svenikmajer, but of all things of THE WICKER MAN! The way you presented the normal environments in just enough of a skewed light to render them frightening was a tool not lost upon the makers of that film. Sincerely, Den Elms
e-mail 1/29/03
Dear Mr. Fessenden, Within a two week period I bought the Wendigo DVD, rented Habit, and caught Session 9 and Margarita Happy Hour on cable, all without realizing you were associated with each of these projects. I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you I really enjoy your work.
As a fan of Indie Horror it's refreshing to see a filmmaker that explores the psychological aspects of the genre. Too often I think it is assumed that fans of horror want only blood and guts without content or story. As you know, this couldn't be more wrong. It's also great to see innovation without the over-use of special effects, for example the in-camera animation and the use of a marionette instead of computer generated effects. I think CG is relied upon too much by modern horror films and actually works against the film as it distracts the audience's attention away from the story. Unfortunately, in most cases the movie becomes a showcase for the effects.
I hope you have continued success as your vision reaches more and more people. I look forward to experiencing your next project, be it directing or acting.
Sincerely, Jason Wilhelm
e-mail 1/27/03
This is a fan letter from a 36-year old. I haven't written a fan letter since I asked Donny Osmond to marry me when I was five.
I saw your film "Habit" which I liked very much, and I recently saw "Wendigo" on DVD. I loved "Wendigo" because I've always been fascinated with the transition from childhood to adulthood, and tried in my writing to capture that one specific moment that sparks that transition, if it exists.
Anyway, much as I loved "Wendigo", I was particularly intrigued when I saw the interview with you. The things you had to say about film today were very moving to me because I've felt them myself for so long. It seems like we're constantly being pressured to "write for the market", "get an agent" or "sell a script", and it's refreshing to know that there are still people out there who truly believe in writing simply because you have something you must say, something you're trying to comprehend yourself, and hoping that your work will connect with someone, instead of trying to write what you think the "market" will connect with. --V.S.
e-mail 1/26/03
The filmaking art of Larry Fessenden seems in fine form, from what may be said about his most recent film, 'Wendigo'.
The dialog of this film is completley organic, the behavior of the characters is entirely natural and their actions are based on the deepest of human instincts. There is some unusual humor observable in the editing by a use of subtitles for emphasis of sound effects, but not to an extent as to disturb or to be jarring against the seamlessly flowing underlying evocation of dread throughout the story, which is loosly based on a ghost genre.
The story of the film is about the love of a family for each other, and how that love is torn apart by random dark forces of hatred and misunderstanding, and it has a strange beauty about it. The drematic opening, a family on a journey to an unknown destination, who become lost in the wools in the night, ostensibly Freudian, conveys itself rather with more of an existential feeling of instant identification, because we recognize in an instant that we also are always children on a journey to our own destinations, and know that we also shall become lost in the forest of night and, just as does the hero of Fessenden's story, we each must face our own fear of that stranger who confronts us, and of our demons, most of all the ones that we create for ourselves in order to summon the courage we may need to face the inadequacy of our own attempts to protect ourselves, and to shelter our loved ones from the uncertainty of what the future holds in store, and from the certain knowledge of our own terror of that existential night. -Stephen DeStefano
e-mail 1/23/03
Just wanted to drop you a line & thank you for making the kinda gutsy, real movies that are worth giving a shit about. I stumbled upon 'Wendigo' at my local video store after an hour of futile wandering up & down aisles in pursuit of something good. I ended up devouring 'Wendigo' about 5 times, then re-watching it with your commentaries. I hadn't been moved by a film so much since probably seeing 'Buffalo 66' or Buscemi's debut 'Trees Lounge'. Can't specific things, but damn, you've got that Cassevates DYI feel to your films. And working in the horror genre is awesome. Cronenberg is the only other director who ever takes advantage of such a fruitful genre. Your commentaries taught me a lot abt filmmaking.
Just bought 'Habit' & have watched it twice so far. Another tour de force man. You rock. I am stuck in Nashville, TN abt to lose my stupid, pointless computer helpdesk job, & your films have kept me sane these last weeks. Anyway, just wanted to commend you for being the best 'indie' (or whatever) filmmaker out there. Take care-Shane
e-mail 1/22/03
I had seen a teaser clip for 'Wendigo' on our trailer tapes at work and thought it looked really interesting. When i threw it in tonight i knew within minutes that i was going to love it. You just have such a way with your dialogue. Very true dialogue. Great acting too. Your filming techniques were a lot of fun to watch as well. I sat for an hour and a half glued to the television and feeling genuinely scared and satisfied by your film. Great job. Martin Coull.
e-mail 1/22/03
hey there Larry - just a quick note to extend my appreciation for your work, i just finished watching "Wendigo" and was moved enough to look for you on the Internet. . . .your films have each had profound effects on me, no small feat for someone who's a movie junkie, watching upwards of 10 films a week; i encountered Habit in a Hollywood Video store out here in Seattle about 3 years ago, watched it by myself on a rainy (imagine that) night, was enraptured, please know how much i admire your vision, your empathy for the human condition, your desire to reach people on substantive issues through a genre often used for shock and titillation. . . . keep up the great work. . . .if the size of one's heart can be gauged by the timbre of their art, yours must fill an entire New York City block. . . .take care, man. . . . most sincerely, dave pomerantz
e-mail. 1/19/03
This was the sorriest movie(if you can call it that) I have ever seen.I am so angry that I even brought this satanic trash into my home,I feel like I have been violated in my own home,I will never rent or purchase any other trash from Glass Eye Pix or Wendigo productions.
You people are part of the sick Art Occult.This is not art and the actors in it are not actors,they are just part of a satanic film.
In Jesus name I bind you to your own death in the occult. - Troy Steen
e-mail, 1/04/03
I wanted to write and say thanks for the movies. I had seen No Telling on IFC years ago and found it quite interesting and my style--it had a Lovecraftian tint to it as well. Then, I happened upon your Habit (not knowing it was from you) and was "sucked" in almost immediately. I particularly was inspired by how you built in the psychological approaches and made the film work either way as a vampire film or a psychological problem. Vampires are great metaphors for relationships. The style, the directing, and your acting were very good, too. (Shame those lunkheads on Amazon.com can't see above the trash they watch.) Then, I picked up Wendigo last night. I had read the back (and still didn't know you had done this one either) and found its premise to be one more along the classics--classic horror, that is. Classic meaning 70s horror, which mostly dealt with psychological suspense and was built upon the audience's participation rather than shock and gore of the 80s (although I was there and liked it then, too). I was in for a treat indeed. Kudos to you and your crew! Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. -Cary HazelwoodP.S. The musical score for Wendigo nearly makes the film. Music is key, and--I wonder what you think about this--is at least 50% of the film experience (moreso for me, the avid soundtrack listener). Great vocals, style, and presence. It has that experimental quirkiness that scores for The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Phantasm have--but much better, more layered and developed.
e-mail, 1/04/03
Are you guys rookies? I'm no movie critic, just a viewer of this movie. So here's the real. Usually I get a little spooked by movies like this, but after showing me the visual of what this creature was in your head, I was laughing hysterically. The other parts of the movie wasn't bad, decent acting, slow but suspenseful. Try some drama stories, you'd do better. - SHAYLA
e-mail, New Year's Day 2003
Hey Larry, I watched wendigo on new years eve and it blew me away. The story was as chilling as any I,ve ever seen. The outdoor filming was topshelf, the cast was great too, but I think I could have played the character of Otis better I felt he should have been a bit larger and intense, but i got thinking it was Otises insecurity that helped make him dangerous, so he fell in place perfectly.I feel that in the future these type films will gain popularity
I think the public is reaching a state where are tiring of hollywood bigbudget big special effect films that lack the true substance that only a master storyteller like you can offer, Thanx for these great films...scott
e-mail, 12/31/02
Hey, I just wanted to say I rented Wendigo on DVD. A friend of mine who works at a video store said the style reminded him of my work and that I would like it, which I did.I would also like to say thank you, because that interview with you on the DVD lifted my spirits. I was feeling a little down, not knowing what to do with my life, and here you come all excited, talking about the magic of film. Filmmakers like you inspire me to keep going with my own projects. Thanks again. Arvid Cristina
e-mail, 12/31/02
Just finished watching Wendigo. Thanks for making a great film and in doing so telling a great story. I really enjoyed it. The mythology of the Wendigo was captivating, especially if one has actually stood in the bleak winter woods at dusk. So that's what that primal sense of uneasiness is called!I happened to watch the DVD format so I also saw "Searching of the Wendigo" as well as your interview. I found these as interesting to watch as the movie itself. It was fantastic to see the making of a film that relies on story, character and straight-up film making as opposed to CG effects and little else. The cloven hoof walkers and the giant stick puppet were very impressive. I am a big fan of making the effects happen in front of the lens instead of in the computer whenever possible. Make more. -Chris Webb
e-mail, 12/30/02
i cant believe that you would make people pay to watch this movie, you should pay us to watch this crap! my 3 and 4 year old kids could write something better. this was the most pathetic movie (if thats what you want to even call it) that i have ever seen! before you put movies out maby just maby you should sit back and watch them first and if you dont fall asleep from pure boredon or pull your hair out from pure insanity then maby it might just be good enough to sell! i had more fun making comments throughout this movie than i actually did watching it! - sarah shockleye-mail, 12/27/02
I wrote a few years ago after watching HABIT which I loved, and and writing again after seeing WENDIGO.What a great piece of filmmaking! In addition to the subject matter, the idea of the wendigo, I thought this film was flushed with artistry and care. It was a true labor of love and I am again amazed with the integrity this company brings to a "genre" so often devoid of it.
Equally enjoyable were the special features on the dvd. Just the way "making ofs" should be done I think.
Then to pull all the ideals of Mr. Fessenden together was a stellar cast I can't believe I haven't seen more of.
I have to say films like this not only give me hope for deeply personal works like this, but also as an actor it really gives me a great shot in the arm.
Thanks for making this film. Mark M. Lawson II
e-mail, 12/20/02
Hi Larry. I just got through viewing Wendigo, (finally!) and I just wanted to say how wonderful and inspiring it was. I want to thank you, sincerely, for giving a shit about the horror genre. It's like you said in your interview, so much is now focused on what you can achieve on your computer and less and less attention is paid to actual substance in most film...especially in the horror genre. (I still say that the slasher film should not even be lumped into this category as there is nothing left to be horrified by...except the bad dialogue and shoddy storyline.) But anyways...e-mail, 12/20/02
A treat to finally find "Wendigo" at my local blockbuster store here in Seattle after seeing the movie on your site for so long. I really enjoyed the movie and found myself thinking about John Gardner's book "Nickel Mountain" after watching it. That is a book I pick up time and time again to re-read. Good fortunes with your next projects. Bill Bacon.
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