by Christian Kirk
The show is one that is incredibly easy for some of us to relate; the main characters have graduated college, are not yet married (some not even close), there are no children to speak of, they're working lackluster jobs and scraping their resources together to pursue their true passion of filming a horror movie. Throw in a wannabe rock star boss that's stuck in the 80s, an ex-girlfriend that the main character is still hung up on, an animatronic cat and an abusive, imaginary alien friend that lives in the closet, shake it up - and out comes this show that mimics the 80's formula of a sitcom: Holliston.
As awesome as this very self-aware, incredibly low budget and altogether hilarious cable network show is, the very rare occurrence of witnessing a live reading with all 6 of the regular cast members is incredible. The most obvious factor that makes this opportunity so terrific is the fact that, never before this moment had the entire cast been together to do anything in front of an audience. Due to budget restrictions and schedule conflicts of the very busy stars of the show, the series is filmed much like a movie; stars arrive according to their schedule, film the segments that they're in, then go about their regular business. Filming this way limits their ability to do multiple takes, and reiterating the fact that this is a low budget show, time restrictions come into play, so shots that were originally scheduled may never get to happen. This fact further contributes to the writer's and cast's ability to work around these restrictions. Perhaps it would be easier to go about the filming in a more traditional manner, but the non-traditional filming does lend to more creativity.
The writer and executive director of the show, Adam Green, is just a cool dude all around. His insistence that he is one of "us" is made pretty evident just by looking at him. Decked out in his Metallica t-shirt, hoodie, jeans and Chucks, he more than likely could have jumped in line at the HorrorHound Weekend and gone unnoticed by a majority of people - and talked his way out of those who did recognize him. He has had enough Hollywood experience to make him knowledgeable, but has not forgotten his roots. Adam is also close friends with Dee Snider, another grounded guy who has mentored Adam for years and can certainly receive some credit for Green's levelheadedness. Not only are these guys chill, but they legitimately love what they do, and love their fans. Green realizes that doing what he does is not possible without loyal fans, so instead of simply signing autographs and charging for photos, he engages with his fans and recognizes that he is nothing without their loyalty and takes it upon himself (and imposes it upon his cast) to give back to the loyal fans by providing them with something entertaining. While the series certainly has some draw from fans of Green's directorial work including Hatchet (but probably not Frozen), the attraction to the hilarity and the ease of relating to the characters in the show can also be credited for the large fan base that the show has built in such a short amount of time.
During the HorrorHound Weekend, the live reading had a larger draw than anticipated, packing out the room and pulling fans to their feet in a standing ovation upon completion. The attention to working in details of the locale to the script was a nice touch on Green's part and added to the personable nature of the show. While the cast members give the impression that they do not take themselves too seriously, they are still serious about their work, and gave a great performance for the fans that gathered to witness this special show. Green also did not disappoint in working in special guests, including: two audience members, Sid Haig as himself, a commercial break featuring Bill Moseley as "Crazy Max" and Tony Todd as "Remake Horace Pinker". Also worked in to the script were many lines poking fun of their low budget, the other talents that were at the show, the fans of the show, the volunteers from the audience, and whatever else could be worked in to contribute to the lighthearted nature of the show.
Evident at the live reading was the passion that each artist had for what they do. There was a sincere sense of gratitude towards the fans that was continually conveyed both before and after the reading, and the idea that entertaining their audience is the number one priority was made apparent during the performance. Even Dave Brockie in his cumbersome Oderus Urungus costume continued to entertain after his lines were through by peeking out from behind banners and walking around bare-assed to coax giggles out of the already engaged audience.
The honor to witness such a rare occurrence was not lost on the audience. Although the performance does not necessarily echo the greatness of Shakespeare, everyone left feeling a bit more encouraged by seeing that: if some guy from a fictional (but not really) town in Massachusetts can achieve his dreams, so can they. Green was not shy in telling the audience members that if they really want to accomplish great things, all they really need is the perseverance and the passion (and a maybe a little encouragement from Dee Snider from time to time).
