Mark Nunziati

When I was 14 in high school, I got together with some older buddies of mine and created a few independent comic books. Attending some conventions, I really started to get a feel for the entertainment atmosphere and realized, I wanted to eventually do something within the field of multi-media entertainment. I met people like Kevin Smith, Ralph McQuarry, even pre-House of 1000 Corpses Rob Zombie and post Misfits Glen Danzig. As I grew up, my intrests shifted from drawing science fiction to writing horror. The Horror genre just became a more comfortable setting for me. It even opened the door to me getting into Metal and bands like Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Slayer and the Misfits. Maybe it was me growing up with the 80s cornucopia of slasher flicks, but it just seemed like the more interesting genre. People say comedy's the toughest because it's hard to make people laugh. Well I think it's even tougher to make people scream. I love the Friday the 13th films for all their craziness, but films like the original Dawn of the Dead and Texas Chainsaw or Suspiria and Hellraiser will always be at the top of the list for me. Other faves of mine are any Hammer film, anything with Vincent Price (or black and white for that matter), even light hearted spooks like Monster Squad and The Goonies inspired me growing up. Lesser big names such as Joe Dante, Tom Holland and Tobe Hooper inspired me just as much as the bigger ones like Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Wes Craven and my all time favorite, simply for his 'less is more' approach, John Carpenter. As I grow older, I become more and more facinated by the Horror genre. Now at 31, I feel I'm at my most creative peak. Working for a living and having barely any time to write doesn't help getting finished work under my belt, but little by little, I'm almost ready to get my stuff out there...

Thoughts...
What's with all these massively used computer effects in horror flicks. Using the digital stuff for death scenes and stuff. I mean, a lot of the times, they do a pretty good job, but what ever happened to great makeup and special effects, especially for this genre? After seeing a digital death scene, even if its done well, I still am left kind of flat, like it was too easy or something...Tom Savini, Rick Baker, Stan Winston, Robert Kurtsman...these guys that go in there and get their hands dirty- they rock!

Favorite Quotes
"Back off man, I'm a scientist." -Peter Venkman in 'Ghostbusters' "What does that mean, huh? China is here...I don't even know what the hell that means...!" -Jack Burton in 'Big Trouble In Little China' "Since when does a man dressed up as a bat take all my press?! This town needs an enima!" -The Joker in 'Batman' "Councilor...You're WEEELLLLLL within 500 yards...!!!" -Max Cady in 'Cape Fear' "What would you say to someone who hasn't seen Evil Dead 2?" "I would say first that you are a cinematic idiot..." -John Cusack and Jack Black in 'High Fidelity' "You don't know what death is...!" -Doctor Loomis in 'Halloween 2' "That's what I love about high school chicks man, I get older and they just keep staying the same age...yes they do..." -Mathew McConaughey in 'Dazed and Confused' "Listen!! You *smell* somthing?" -Ray Stanz in 'Ghostbusters' "Smile you son of a BOOOMMMM!!!!!" -Roy Shnieder in 'Jaws' "This is prime time bitch!!!" -Freddy Krueger 'A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Favorite Talent
John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Tobe Hooper, Neil Marshall, Tom Holland, Joe Dante, The Cohen Brothers, Walter Hill, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Bella Lagosi, Vincent Price, William Castle, David Lynch, Ridley Scott, David Cronenburg, Tim Burton, David Fincher, Rob Zombie, Wes Craven, Clive Barker, Peter Jackson, Tommy Lee Wallace, Lance Henriksen, Bruce Campbell, Jeffery Combs, Tom Savini, Danny Elfman, Jim Henson, Neil Gaimen, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Jeff Smith, Steve Miner, George Romero, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Martin Scrosese, Robert DeNiro, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft...I'm sure I'm leaving out a whole bunch...

Favorite Movies
Ok, I'm updating my list of faves and I'm leaving the obvious ones aside like, GOODFELLAS and STAR WARS and CASABLANCA and so on...Being a film enthusiest was what got me turned on to the horror genre in the first place. Since I've basically just let horror run every nook and cranny in my brain, I'll stick with that genre and list my faves in the horror universe, we may be here a while...

A Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and 3, Friday the 13th 1-4, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 and 2, Candyman, Hellraiser 1,2 and Bloodline, Pumpkinhead, Saw, Child's Play, Re-Animator, Phantasm series, Jeepers Creepers, Scream, Halloween 1-3, Fright Night, Near Dark, Vamp, Interview With the Vampire, Innocent Blood, Dog Soldiers, Ginger Snaps, Wolfen, J.C.'sVampires, The Howling 1 and 2, An American Werewolf in London, Dawn of the Dead (Orig.), Night of the Living Dead (Orig.),Land of the Dead, Shock Waves, Raiders of the Living Dead, Street Trash, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, House of 1000 Corpses, Devil's Rejects, Wolf Creek, Hatchet, Strangeland, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Hostel, The Hills Have Eyes (Both Versions), Dr. Giggles, Sleepaway Camp, Unhinged, The Wizard of Gore (Orig.), American Gothic, The Hitcher, Tourist Trap, Last House on the Left, Silent Night Deadly Night, I Spit On Your Grave, I Drink Your Blood, My Bloody Valentine, Prom Night (Orig.), Slumber Party Massacre, Fade to Black, One Dark Night, Dead Silence, The Exorcist, The Ninth Gate, Seven, Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight, Evil Dead 1 and 2, Army of Darkness, Night of the Demons, Demons, Creepshow 1 and 2, Cat's Eye, Pet Cemetery, Silver Bullet, Christine, Carrie, Witchboard, Bones, Blair Witch Project, Ghost Story, House on Haunted Hill (Bothe Versions), House 1 and 2, Amityville Horror (Orig.), FInal Destination, Poltergeist, The Faculty, Slither, Feast, They Live, Critters 1 and 2, Night of the Comet, Killer Clowns From Outer Space, Dead and Buried, Dead Heat, People Under the Stairs, The Descent, Mimic, The Relic, Cronos, The Hand, J.C.'s The Thing, The Fog, Black Christmas (Both Versions), Theater of Blood, Tales From Beyond the Grave, The House that Dripped Blood, Graveyard of the Dead, Zombie, Zombie Holocaust, City of the Living Dead, The Beyond (The Seven Doors of Death), House by the Cemetey, Deep Red, Inferno, Suspiria, Phenomena, The Church, Cemetery Man, High Tension, Bad Taste, Dead Alive, Uzumaki (Spiral), Black Cat, Dracula (Lagosi), Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula, The Brides of Dracula, Kiss of the Vampire, Night Creatures, Terror Island, Freaks, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, The Evil of Frankenstein, The Curse of Frankenstein, Them (French), Burial Ground, 30 Days of Night, In the Mouth of Madness, Maniac Cop, Flesh Eater, Madhouse, Lost Boys, The Prowler, Return of the Living Dead 1 and 2, The Gate, Waxwork...I Know I'm missing a whold butt load...anyway...That's what I can think of at the moment as being some of my favorites...

Partners...
Looking for someone local to work with on my ideas and scripts... Someone who's on the same level as me...not much experience professionaly, but wants to make something happen...trying to get studios to look at these ideas and I need someone to buddy up with who loves horror and likes my ideas...not to steal them...So if you are interested in just having some fun and want to help try to get my stuff budgeted by someone, somwhere, somehow...conntact me... If you're an agent, sure, why not... :)

Interests and Activities
I work full time at a super market in Burlingame, California. I do a lot of crap there that tires me out, so I rarely have time or energy to sit around and really go at it with my writing. When I do, it usually flows pretty smoothly. My work schedule is really @#$!ed up due to it being so erratic. I close, I open, I work graveyard, my sleeping is all screwed up. So, in other words, I don't really go out much. Granted, when I was younger, I partied a lot. I was always out. I started a band with my friends. I even had a studio with another band for a while right next door to The Donnas. We would rock out till' sun up every weekend. I'm 31 now and that life style just got old and I needed to concintrate on work. I have a fiance whom I live with and plan to really settle down and start a family. Writing my ideas, my stories, scripts and brainstorms are almost an escape for me after a long week of work. On days off, I usually try to get a few pages done here and there, or a least write a few ideas down. I've gotten pretty serious in the last year or so, I really want to make these ideas happen somehow. When I'm not writing or drawing, I'm usually out with my long time best friend and fiance, Brandie. I've known her now for almost 17 years. She's a big part of my life and she has always been very supportive of me. She is also a huge horror and metal fan just like me. Halloween is our Christmas and we always have a horrorfest of our own the entire month of October. We take a lot of drives. Living here in the Bay Area, we have the ocean and we have the forrest. Scenic routes are everywhere. A few of my scripts are based on areas located around my home town. Lately, I've been taking location photos related to my scripts. I'm a huge SF Giants fan. I'm also a fan of the 49ers and The Golden State Warriors. I'm a big rock and roll fan. Metal, punk, alt-rock, grunge, stoner rock, classic rock, jazz, blues, old school rap. I think I've covered most of it, I'll leave the rest for my other headers...

Favorite TV Shows
I don't watch much TV anymore, but Seinfeld is all time for me. It may seem cliche, but holy $#!T its funny! Growing up I watched a lot of Cheers and it ranks up there for me with Seinfeld. I also watched a lot of Rosanne and I hate to admit it, Home Improvement and Full House. I never heavily for some reason ever got into The X FIles. Right now, Monk, for some reason always keeps my attention. Great show. A show I loved as a kid, which a lot of people don't remember, was a show called Amazing Stories. Spielburg created it or something, but I loved it. Another show I remember, that nobody I know, except for my older sister, was a very scary one for me growing up. I think I was only 5 or 6 when it was on, maybe younger, but it was called The Dark Room. It was like Tales From the Dark Side, which I also liked, but it had a very short stint. I remember watching Freddy's Nightmares growing up. Man those were bad. Another all time favorite for me was The Twilight Zone. I could still to this day watch them all day long...

Favorite Books
Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy was such a great book. The movie was such a piece of crapolla! But the book, what a classic. Of Mice and Men is another classic for me. A short one, but effective. To KIll a Mocking Bird, great book, great movie. I remember in high school I read A Tale of Two Cities. I was actually suprised at how much I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the first three Timothy Zahn novels he wrote for the Star Wars saga. I felt he captured the Star Wars universe better than most. Another Star Wars book I really enjoyed was Spliter of the Mind's Eye. It takes place just after A New Hope and is quite a darker read than usual. It may not count as a book, because it was a play, but I read McBeth my senior year and loved it. Anything from Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe and HP Lovecraft. And this may make everyone laugh, I know I would, but when I was a kid, this book was the best damn it! Bunnicula! It was the story of a cat and dog who thought their master's new pet bunny was actually a vampire. Sounds outrageous...and it was...

Favorite Music
Favorite music usually consists of rock. Pink Floyd, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Dead, Deep Purple, UFO, Blue Oyster Cult, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Motorhead, Metallica, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Sonic Youth, Melvins, Fugazi, Pixies, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower, Cat Power, Queens of the Stones Age, Kyuss, Misfits, Ramones, High on Fire, Tool...I could go on...Big metal fan. And yes, I love "Grunge". There's a lot more to the early 90s Seattle rock scene than MTV's manufactured, flannel bull poop...