The Demon Files (1993)

This project was originally shot over a two-week period on Hi-8 back when that was the no-budget state-of-the-art format of choice. As a writing experiment, I wanted to see if I could pull off writing a serial, like the old Captain Marvel, Dick Tracy types of serials from yester-year. So, my brother, Paul, and I hashed out a story about unrelated vicious murders with a common, evil thread. The end result was a 13 part serial called The Demon Files.

I was working at Nickelodeon Studios at the time and my television co-horts loved the serial script so much that they suggested I try to get a pilot made and in the hopes of getting it turned into a TV series. Instead of just giving out a script, I thought it might be more effective to actually shoot a "rough draft" of the first installment, Episode One: THE POSSESSION.

So, I pulled together some of my old acting cronies and got some of my Nick friends to help me out. My wife had just given birth to our daughter and was gracious enough to spend the week of shooting at my in-laws house. The entire budget of the project was $450.00. I was able to edit in the straight cut Edit 3 facility (VHS to VHS) at Nick at night (no pun intended).

Personal Note: My brother and I have always felt we were part of some sort of cosmic creative intuition, because we have often come up with story ideas only to have them made by Hollywood in some other fashion. In high school we, along with others, came up with a story called Lonely Time about a time-traveler trying to change his future by changing his past... then out came The Terminator. We made some satirical commercials on VHS, only to see similar versions on HBO.

And after having shot The Demon Files, I remember sitting in the living room and watching FOX. They had a promo for a new show, with the original episode about a man and a woman investigating unrelated murders which are mysteriously tied together... it was called The X Files. So, I called my friend Chris, who was one of the Producers of The Demon Files, and bemoaned that I was to be, yet again, a day late and a dollar short. But, we kept the name... cause... dammit, we thought of it first! Sure, The Demon Files, in the end, is nothing like The X Files, but the similarities between the original episodes were too eery to ignore.