Sunday 20 February 2011

Donald Occhipinti-A True Clive Barker fan!


Hello Good people,
I received an email, in response to the great article on Nightbreed by Gavin Jennings, It was from a good friend of mine, Donald Occhipinti and from this write up i believe he is THE biggest Clive Barker fan I have ever met!
So read below his great story and see some brilliant pictures from his collection (Check out the certificate!!)
Donald will now be a regular contributor to the blog so i would like to welcome him to the world of Johnny's Cult Films and look forward to his future great articles.
Take it away Donald........



I really enjoyed the article that was posted about NIGHTBREED. CABAL has always been my favorite story from Clive Barker. So let me take you back to a STAR TREK CONVENTION I had attended. How does a Star Trek Convention have anything to do with CABAL you are probably asking yourself. Well being that STAR TREK was science fiction, everytime  I would go to one back then in the later 80's to early 90's (my convention years) the editor to STARLOG (the sister publication of FANGORIA MAGAZINE) David McDonell would always make a guest appearance and present a slide show of upcoming movies. At this particular convention where I got to meet Q - John DeLance, and Robin Curtis, who replaced Kirsty Alley as Lt. Savik in the movie STAR TREK III - THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK. I loved when David McDonnell would show up just to see what was new and upcoming. He talked about several movies, and one called NIGHTBREED! Which was based on the Clive Barkers novel CABAL. David would show slides of the movies that were actual pics from the movies themselves. I was like wide eyed throughout this whole presentation, and afterwards was able to have an ongoing conversation with David McDonnell about NIGHTBREED. I had heard that Doug Bradley would play as Lylesburg, which already got me excited. Now this was about a year before the release of the movie that we had this conversation. One thing, If you know Clive barkers career, you will also know how he has always had trouble with his movies being made. His first movie TRANSMUTATIONS was directed by a rock video director, and bombed big time. Then of course there was his second movie RAW HEAD REX, where Clive Barker wasn't even allowed on the set! That has to be a slap in the face.
 Finally, Clive gets to go behind the camera as the director of HELLRAISER. This was from his short novel apart from the infamous BOOKS OF BLOOD volumes, were most of his movies are actually made from. It was called THE HELLBOUND HEART. After the success of HELLRAISER, CABAL is next on the list of Barkers works. Then the curse begins! I believe Gavin Jennings did an awesome presentation of the behind the scenes of NIGHTBREED! He definitely did his homework.Clive Barker was never truly satisfied with his production of NIGHTBREED. For years there have been rumors about a remake, and a special edition release of the movie with added footage, but nothing ever became of them. I am always on watch, waiting for the day of the second coming of NIGHTBREED!!! Besides everything I have written, the movie NIGHTBREED will always be in my top ten list of horror movies. I got to meet Clive Barker two times in New York City. I never had the opportunity to pick his brain about this movie. For example, I was able to sit down with Gunnar Hanson (Leatherface - the original) and picked his brain for information for at least 20 minutes at a Fangoria convention. My all time favorite character of Nightbreed was PELOQUIN played by Oliver Parker. Also from HELLRAISER Butterball played by Simon Bamford, played as the character OHNAKA in Nightbreed! Nicholas Vince who portrayed as CHATTERER in HELLRAISER, also played as KINSKI (moon shaped head) in NIGHTREED. I need to stop here becuase I am drained!!! NIGHTBREED RULES!!!!!!!!!




I have included a picture of RAWHEAD REX too. I want to find this one picture of a monster from NIGHTBREED, that had to be from the missing scenes, because I cannot find this in the movie. I have seen the movie at least 100 times!!!! I have been a Clive Barker fan since I have read my first Books of Blood vol.1!!! I would try to collect everything I could with Clive Barker's name on it.



Many thanks again to the great Donald!!
Jonny T.

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