Shock 'Em Dead
Encyclopedia
Shock ‘Em Dead is a 1990
comedic horror film directed
by Mark Freed.
) has just made the deal of a lifetime. Fame, fortune and beautiful women will all be his - for a price. To become a rock star Martin must give his soul, and to survive he must feed on the souls of others. But Angel wants to possess more than just the soul of the woman of his dreams.
Lindsay Roberts (Traci Lords
) is the manager of a rising rock band that has a talented new band member. When Angel Martin joined the band she suddenly had her hands full with concerts, contracts--and private meetings with Angel. But success isn't the only new thing in her life: their recent concerts have been marred by a series of brutal killings, which remain unsolved. As Angel lures Lindsay further into his dark mysterious world--the lines are drawn for a terrifying black magic battle... against the ultimate evil.
When we finished writing the script, it was obvious that the movie was going to need more than just an average guitar player to emulate the role of Angel Martin. This ‘character double’ needed to be a heavy metal, highly skillful guitar player with a dynamic stage presence. The producers and myself agreed that the best man for the job would be Michael Angelo Batio. Two years earlier, I produced Michael in a Star Licks Productions
instructional guitar video – hence, I knew of his incredible style and technique.
I called Michael to see of he’d be interested in reading the script; he said his schedule was busy but he’d make time for it. Soon afterwards, he said he’d love to get involved – e.g., doubling the guitar shots on film, playing the role of the demon in Martin's dream sequence and overdubbing the guitar tracks for the film’s concert scenes in advance of principle photography.
Many fans have asked me if Michael's guitar parts were sped up in the film. The answer is no, what you see in the film is in fact Michael playing with no special effects.
Robert Decker, Music Producer
I recorded the band tracks in my Santa Monica
studio utilizing a Korg
01/W workstation, Emax
8-bit sampler, and a Roland
R-8 rhythm composer – recorded on a Otari MX one-inch 16-track.
For the session, Michael showed up with a Dean
, twin-necked guitar, which I plugged into a Rockman
then direct into the board. Preferring a bit more distortion, I patched in a stomp box
that Michael brought as well. I don’t believe that he had heard the band tracks prior to the session – so, as a result, Michael took time to work out the main solo and harmony on a single-neck but would refer to the double-neck to verify that the two parts could be performed in a dual-necked fashion. In our quest to get precision solos in one short studio evening, Michael performed his parts on a single-neck for instant accuracy. Overdubs were added for a fatter sound.
Additional music FAQs...
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
comedic horror film directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Mark Freed.
Plot
Angel Martin (Stephen QuadrosStephen Quadros
Stephen “The Fight Professor” Quadros , is an American broadcaster specializing in play-by-play, color commentary and interviews for the combat sports genre on cable, pay-per-view and DVD...
) has just made the deal of a lifetime. Fame, fortune and beautiful women will all be his - for a price. To become a rock star Martin must give his soul, and to survive he must feed on the souls of others. But Angel wants to possess more than just the soul of the woman of his dreams.
Lindsay Roberts (Traci Lords
Traci Lords
Traci Lords , also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress, producer, film director, writer and singer...
) is the manager of a rising rock band that has a talented new band member. When Angel Martin joined the band she suddenly had her hands full with concerts, contracts--and private meetings with Angel. But success isn't the only new thing in her life: their recent concerts have been marred by a series of brutal killings, which remain unsolved. As Angel lures Lindsay further into his dark mysterious world--the lines are drawn for a terrifying black magic battle... against the ultimate evil.
Cast
- Traci LordsTraci LordsTraci Lords , also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress, producer, film director, writer and singer...
as Lindsay Roberts - Troy DonahueTroy DonahueTroy Donahue was an American actor, who was active between the late 1950s and late 1990s.-Life and career:...
as the Record Executive - Aldo RayAldo RayAldo Ray was an American actor.-Life and career:Ray was born in Pen Argyl, PA, to an Italian family of five brothers and one sister. His brother Mario lettered in football at USC in the years 1952-54...
as Tony the Pizza Shop owner - Stephen QuadrosStephen QuadrosStephen “The Fight Professor” Quadros , is an American broadcaster specializing in play-by-play, color commentary and interviews for the combat sports genre on cable, pay-per-view and DVD...
as Angel/Martin - Michael Angelo BatioMichael Angelo BatioMichael Angelo Batio also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is a guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. His work has encompassed many genres, notably metal and its subgenres. Batio was voted the "No. 1 Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003...
> Stand-in guitarist for Guitar Playing close-ups
Michael Angelo Batio’s participation
Mark Freed, Director/Producer/WriterWhen we finished writing the script, it was obvious that the movie was going to need more than just an average guitar player to emulate the role of Angel Martin. This ‘character double’ needed to be a heavy metal, highly skillful guitar player with a dynamic stage presence. The producers and myself agreed that the best man for the job would be Michael Angelo Batio. Two years earlier, I produced Michael in a Star Licks Productions
Star Licks Productions
Star Licks Productions was an instructional music publishing company conceived by Mark Freed and co-founded by Andrew Cross and Robert Decker...
instructional guitar video – hence, I knew of his incredible style and technique.
I called Michael to see of he’d be interested in reading the script; he said his schedule was busy but he’d make time for it. Soon afterwards, he said he’d love to get involved – e.g., doubling the guitar shots on film, playing the role of the demon in Martin's dream sequence and overdubbing the guitar tracks for the film’s concert scenes in advance of principle photography.
Many fans have asked me if Michael's guitar parts were sped up in the film. The answer is no, what you see in the film is in fact Michael playing with no special effects.
Robert Decker, Music Producer
I recorded the band tracks in my Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
studio utilizing a Korg
Korg
is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
01/W workstation, Emax
E-mu Emax
The Emax was a line of samplers, developed, manufactured, and sold by E-mu Systems from 1986 to 1995. Sold alongside their more expensive Emulator II and III samplers, the Emax line was conceived after the release of the Akai S-612 and Sequential Prophet 2000, and was designed to compete for the...
8-bit sampler, and a Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
R-8 rhythm composer – recorded on a Otari MX one-inch 16-track.
For the session, Michael showed up with a Dean
Dean Guitars
Dean Guitars is an American manufacturer of guitars. It was founded in 1976 by Dean Zelinsky in Chicago, Illinois and is currently under the ownership of Armadillo Enterprises in Tampa, Florida.- History :...
, twin-necked guitar, which I plugged into a Rockman
Rockman (amplifier)
The Rockman is a headphone guitar amplifier. The original Rockman was developed and built by Scholz Research & Development, Inc., a company founded by Tom Scholz, who is also the founder and a key member of the rock band Boston. Scholz Research & Development was sold to Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc....
then direct into the board. Preferring a bit more distortion, I patched in a stomp box
Effects unit
Effects units are electronic devices that alter how a musical instrument or other audio source sounds. Some effects subtly "color" a sound, while others transform it dramatically. Effects are used during live performances or in the studio, typically with electric guitar, keyboard and bass...
that Michael brought as well. I don’t believe that he had heard the band tracks prior to the session – so, as a result, Michael took time to work out the main solo and harmony on a single-neck but would refer to the double-neck to verify that the two parts could be performed in a dual-necked fashion. In our quest to get precision solos in one short studio evening, Michael performed his parts on a single-neck for instant accuracy. Overdubs were added for a fatter sound.
Additional music FAQs...
- The band music and guitar solos were prerecorded except for the final concert scene in which Michael performed live on film
- Supplementary solos were prerecorded and performed live on film by David Celentano
- There is no guitar notation available for these guitar tracks that I know of
- The band cues (except for of course, Purple HazePurple Haze"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
) were written by Mark Freed and Robert Decker - but for the most part by Mark Freed - There was no backup guitar on the recorded tracks or rhythm guitarist in the film
- The lead vocalist on the band tracks is Rick Livingstone