The Magic of the Knight

From the looming mountains surrounding a little bustling tourist town affectionately called Sin City, to the vast and varying landscape of the the Nevada desert, it is not surprising that film production studios have taken an interest in the state's unique resources.

However, immersed in the middle of it all are the local creatives who seek an opportunity to give authentic representation and be part of the magic that is often reflected back to them on the screen. 

That is where Kight Studios comes in. Spearheaded by the intelligent, ambitious, and talented Alissa Knight and her wife, Melissa Knight, the studio has given actors, production crew, and others alike an opportunity to establish and secure themselves in the entertainment industry.

According to various interviews, testimonials from those who are a part of the Knight world paint a picture of support, creative freedom, and hard work - a place to develop their skills and learn from one another, all in a safe and team-oriented environment.

Moreover, the studio's website (https://www.knightstudios.co/) states it provides a training ground for those seeking a career in film production. That would make it an amazing opportunity for students and other Las Vegas locals to gain hands-on experience with a studio that is ever-evolving and expanding with each new project. 

Because of her professional background in cybersecurity, Alissa Knight has utilized her expertise in telling stories about computer hacking and other cyber crimes as witnessed in Underdog Games, Catastrophe Inc., Heat, Ransom, Dark Ops, Scorched Earth, and the up-and-coming Shadow Unit. 

Like most people when they are busy, sometimes my focus and attention are on the projects I am personally involved in at the time, but regardless of that, word of the studio had been buzzing in my ear because of the awards they have been receiving. It wasn't until recently, however, that I had a chance to learn about the company. I must admit, that, whether it's a fault or a blessing of mine, I tend to geek out when I see people that I've worked with in the past on new productions. In this case, actress Johanna Gordon and actor Andrew Chan, (who I appeared with on Space Grandma back in early 2023) have joined the KS team on the series Dark Ops. And, although the episode that Chan appears in hasn't yet been released, I found myself hooked and binge-watched this past week every title KS has released to the public thus far. As a new viewer, I can safely say that I've been pulled into this world that Alissa Knight and her cast and crew created and I look forward to more. 

Also, check out The Alisa Knight Archives on YouTube.

SIDE NOTE: As you may have noticed this blog is undergoing reconstruction. In the last couple of years, my interests have expanded (some revisited like an old friend) and I have decided to include them to reflect what is important to me alongside TV horror hosting (particularly The Super Shock Show). I thank all of you for your support from the very start of this venture and to those who are discovering the show for the first time. 

Voodoo Dolls in the Sick-Shack!

After refusing to give her a raise, that pesky art director of mine, Betsy Lutes-Eadeh, made these freaky voodoo dolls for the Sick Shack. She said one of them was me! (Sigh) She's always trying to control me.... Oww!!! Quit that! (Sicko-Psychotic TV series) 

Cast & Crew: Rehearsals!

Demosthenes Papaeliou (cast), Reslie (cast), Earl Quinn Pridgon (crew), and Johnathon Dunn (cast) meet in a parking lot to rehearse before heading off to the filming location. (Sicko-Psychotic TV Series)

Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Demon!

This Halloween, the gang and I will be indulging in the festivities with traditional games, like Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Demon. 

Art director Betsy Lutes-Eadeh designed this game for us to play with. So thoughtful of her. (Sicko-Psychotic TV Series)

Outside the Sick Shack!

The completed miniature set of the Sick Shack's exterior. It actually came out looking a lot like the real shack we film the live-action in. (Sicko-Psychotic TV series)

Building the Sick-Shack Miniature!

Look who showed up to the Sick Shack! I jest, I jest... as I was working on building a model of the Sick Shack's exterior, I couldn't resist throwing in some action figures and taking some pics. Heheheh.... I'll post images of the finished model set soon (without action figures). (Sicko-Psychotic TV series)

Sicko-Psychotic & Crew

It's not commonly known, but GHOULS also live in the desert. The show's DP and assistant puppeteer couldn't resist taking an US-ie of us during a filming break.

I always say that laughter is great for the complexion! (Sicko-Psychotic TV series)

Sicko-Psychotic's Supporting Cast of Wacky Puppets!

You'll find all kinds of kooky characters at Sicko-Psychotic's Sick-Shack!

The puppets were designed by Jim Childs. Lucia Estrada built the puppet of Silky Harlot the Spider and Betsy Lutes-Eadeh built the puppet of Cameo the Talking Camera Obscura. (Sicko-Psychotic TV Series)

King Kong Volkswagen 411 Commercial (1972)

KING KONG VOLKSWAGEN 411 4-DOOR SEDAN COMMERCIAL 

 Cascade Pictures; 1972

Producers: Volkswagen of America

Director: Phil Kellison
Original concept by David Allen

Cast: Victoria Riskin (Ann Darrow); Rick Baker (King Kong)

With his ladylove in one paw, the world's favorite giant ape -- King Kong -- stands high atop the Empire State Building swatting off troublesome airplanes. Having captured one, Kong takes his new toy and the frightened beauty down to the streets below where he encounters the enormous Volkswagen 411 4-Door Sedan. The automobile proves quite roomy when he places the young woman on the passenger seat and his toy plane inside the trunk (located at the front of the car). After beating his chest in satisfaction, the great ape drives off with the Sedan, waving "farewell" to the good people of New York.

BITS & PIECES:

Although this popular commercial only aired on television for a brief period during the early 1970s, it has become a favorite relic of yesteryear among monster fans and stop-motion enthusiasts. David Allen (The Howling; Willow), who would soon go on to become one of Hollywood's most respected visual effects experts, created the animated model of King Kong at the start of his career while working for Cascade Pictures. At Cascade, Allen also animated many of television's favorite commercial characters, including Mrs. Butterworth, Little Hans the Nestle Chocolate Man, Mr. Peanut, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Swiss Miss. As a fan of the B&W classic King Kong film of 1933, however, Allen was inspired to film a re-creation of the movie's climactic sequence in color. Originally titled "Fay's Friend," the commercial test footage was filmed around March of 1971 on 35mm and, oddly enough, did not include Fay Wray's character in the scene. It wasn't long after that the Volkswagen of America company snatched up Allen's idea for marketing their Volkswagen 411 4-Door Sedan model. Cascade's effects department head, Phil Kellison (The Giant Behemoth; The Time Machine), took charge of directing the commercial, while Allen focused on the animation aspect of the project. Favorite special make-up effects artist Rick Baker (Octaman; The Exorcist) was brought in to provide Kong's arm and paw for the live-action shots where the giant ape places his struggling sweetheart on the passenger seat. The damsel in distress was actually played by Fay Wray's daughter, Victoria Riskin!

IMAGES & STILLS:

The following photographs feature behind-the-scenes images as well as pictures of David Allen, Dennis Muren, Bob Burns, Phil Kellison, Victoria Riskin, and Marcel Delgado. 

 

  

  

  

Below is a 2004 Volkswagen Polo ad by DDB London . 

Alfred Hitchcock: Film & TV List

For decades the Master of Suspense had movie audiences riveted on the edge of their seats, all the while, pioneering many of the visual and storytelling techniques cinematographers, scriptwriters, and directors use today. Although Alfred Hitchcock is considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, his early contributions to the film industry exhibited very little of the artistic license we've come to associate him with in his later and superior works. They did, however, provide the British filmmaker an excellent training ground and opened further opportunities. The ambitious director eventually achieved commercial success in 1927 with his very first thriller, The Lodger, which proved to be a sign of things to come. As Hitchcock's distinctive style of filmmaking began to mature, the intricate use of frames to enhance the psychological profiles of the characters, the voyeuristic camera work, and the frequent use of the 'McGuffin' as a plot-moving device, all came to define the 'Hitchcockian' film. Despite having made numerous cameos in many of his films, it wasn't until Hitchcock hosted the popular television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) that he truly reached the peak of the public's consciousness and became a cultural icon. Today, when we think of the great Alfred Hitchcock, his gallows humor and unmistakable profile immediately come to mind. Also, as a result of the successful TV show, we cannot help but associate Charles Gounod's musical composition 'Funeral March for a Marionette' with Hitchcock.

Appearances (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film

The Bonnie Brier Bush (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film
The Call of Youth (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film

Dangerous Lies (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film
The Great Day (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film

The Mystery Road (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film
The Princess of New York (1921) -- as title cards designer; lost film

Love's Boomerang (a.k.a. Perpetua) (1922) -- as title cards designer; lost film
The Man from Home (1922) -- as title cards designer; lost film
Number 13 (a.k.a. Mrs. Peabody) (1922) -- directorial debut; unfinished film; all footage is lost
The Spanish Jade (1922) -- as title cards designer; lost film
Tell Your Children (a.k.a. Protect Your Daughter; Reckless Decision) (1922) -- as title cards designer; lost film
Three Live Ghosts (1922) -- as title cards designer
Always Tell Your Wife (1923) -- uncredited as co-director; half of the film is lost
Woman to Woman (1923) -- as writer; lost film
The Passionate Adventure (1924) -- as writer
The Prude's Fall (a.k.a. Dangerous Virtue) (1924) -- as writer; partially lost
The White Shadow (a.k.a. White Shadows) (1924) -- as assistant director, writer, editor, and set designer; only half of the film survives
The Pleasure Garden (1925)
Die Prinzessin und der Geiger (a.k.a. The Blackguard) (1925) -- as writer

The Mountain Eagle (a.k.a. Fear o' God) (1926) -- lost film
Downhill (a.k.a. When Boys Leave Home) (1927)

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)

The Ring (1927)

Champagne (1928) 

Easy Virtue (1928)
The Farmer's Wife (1928)

Blackmail (1929)
Juno and the Paycock (a.k.a. The Shame of Mary Boyle) (1929)
The Manxman (1929)
An Elastic Affair (1930) -- lost short film
Elstree Calling (1930) -- directed a segment
Murder! (1930)
Mary (1931)
Rich and Strange (a.k.a. East of Shanghai) (1931)
The Skin Game (1931)
Lord Camber's Ladies (1932) -- as producer
Number Seventeen (a.k.a. Number 17) (1932) 

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
Waltzes from Vienna (a.k.a. Strauss' Great Waltz) (1934)
Sanders of the River (1935) -- directed part of the film

The 39 Steps (1935) 
Sabotage (1936)

Secret Agent (1936)

Young and Innocent (a.k.a. The Girl Was Young) (1937)

The Lady Vanishes (1938) 

Jamaica Inn (1939)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Men of the Lightship (1940) -- editor of U.S. version; documentary short

Rebecca (1940)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
Suspicion (1941)
Target for Tonight (1941) -- editor of US version; documentary short
Picture People No. 10: Hollywood at Home (1942) -- appearance; documentary; lost film
Saboteur (1942)
Forever and a Day (a.k.a. The Changing World) (1943) -- as one of the writers
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Show-Business at War (a.k.a. The March of Time Volume IX, Issue 10) (1943) -- appearance; documentary
Aventure Malgache (1944) -- short film
Bon Voyage (1944) -- short film
The Fighting Generation (1944) -- documentary short
Lifeboat (1944)
Spellbound (1945)
Watchtower Over Tomorrow (1945) -- uncredited as one of the directors; lost short film

Notorious (1946)

The Paradine Case (1947)

Rope (1948) 

Under Capricorn (1949)
Stage Fright (1950)

Strangers on a Train (1951)
I Confess (1953)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Lux Video Theatre: 'To Each His Own' (a.k.a. Summer Video Theatre) (1954) -- guest appearance; TV series episode
Rear Window (1954)
What's My Line?: 'September 12' (1954) -- guest appearance; TV game-show episode
The Red Skelton Show: 'Look Magazine Movie Awards Show' (1955) -- appearance; TV series episode
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) -- as host; TV series

Cinépanorama: 'July 27' (1956) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode

Lux Video Theatre: 'The Night of January Sixteenth' (a.k.a. Summer Video Theatre) (1956) -- guest appearance; TV series episode
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Wrong Man (1956)
Suspicion (1957-1959) -- as executive producer; TV series
Vertigo (1958) 

North by Northwest (1959)
Tactic: 'unknown episode' (1959) -- appearance; TV series episode
Psycho (1960)
Ford Startime: 'Incident at a Corner' (a.k.a. Lincoln-Mercury Startime; Startime) (1960) -- TV series episode
Alcoa Premiere: 'The Jail' (1962) -- as executive producer; TV series episode

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962-1965) -- as host; TV series

The Birds (1963)
CBS: The Stars' Address (1963) -- appearance; TV special

Marnie (1964)

Monitor: 'Huw Wheldon Meets Alfred Hitchcock' (1964) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode

Telescope: 'A Talk with Hitchcock' (1964) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode

Cinema: 'Alfred Hitchcock' (1966) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode

Today: 'July 6' (a.k.a. NBC News Today; The Today Show) (1966) -- appearance; TV news episode

Torn Curtain (1966)
The 40th Annual Academy Awards (1968) -- appearance; TV special
Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1969) -- appearance; documentary
London Aktuell: 'Episode #1.1' (1969) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode
The Mike Douglas Show: 'December 30' (1969) -- appearance; TV series episode

Topaz (1969)

The Dick Cavett Show: 'June 8' (1970) -- appearance; TV series episode

Samedi Soir: 'January 16' (1971) -- appearance; TV series episode
Aquarius: 'Alfred the Great' (1972) -- appearance; TV series episode
Camera Three: 'The Illustrated Alfred Hitchcock: Part 1' (1972) -- appearance; TV series episode
Camera Three: 'The Illustrated Alfred Hitchcock: Part 2' (1972) -- appearance; TV series episode
The Dick Cavett Show: 'Alfred Hitchcock' (1972) -- appearance; TV series episode
Film Night: 'The Master of Suspense' (1972) -- appearance; TV series episode
Frenzy (1972)
V.I.P. - Schaukel: 'Episode #2.4' (1972) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode
The Men Who Made the Movies: 'Alfred Hitchcock' (1973) -- appearance; TV documentary special

The 46th Annual Academy Awards (1974) -- appearance; TV special

The Tomorrow Show: 'December 24' (a.k.a. Tomorrow Coast to Coast) (1974) -- appearance; TV series
The Elstree Story (1976) -- appearance; TV special
Family Plot (1976)
La Nuit des Césars: '2ème Nuit des Césars' (1977) -- appearance; TV documentary series episode
The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1977) -- appearance; TV special

CBS: On the Air (1978) -- appearance; mini-series

NBC: The First Fifty Years - A Closer Look, Part Two (1978) -- appearance; documentary

The American Film Institute Salute to Alfred Hitchcock (a.k.a. AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Alfred Hitchcock) (1979) -- appearance; TV special

The American Film Institute Salute to James Stewart (a.k.a. AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Stewart) (1980) -- appearance; TV special
Memory of the Camps (1985) -- as editor; previously unreleased documentary made in 1945

Gas (2006) -- based on a 1919 story written by Alfred Hitchcock, which was never used