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Basil Belfry's Bio
Basil Belfry
Professional:
Oldest Belfry brother Basil started his career in erotic musical theatre, writing and performing in various cabaret shows while travelling across Europe. His first review, “Je Voudrais Avoir une Table pre de la Piste (de Danse)” (“I’d Like a Table Near the Dance Floor”), was a bomb with paying audiences, while critics loved the story of a transvestite waitress who falls in love with all her patrons, but it wasn’t until his fourth review, “Ou dois-je descendre?” (“Where do I get off?”), that finally got people in the seats. The story was of a lonely old man that, through a magical spell, could watch people through the eyes of the portraits that hung in his castle Bed and Breakfast. The sexual content (voyeurism) alone was a selling point, but what stood out to his audiences and critics was the use of suspense and violence (the many murder scenes) and the amount of joyous imagination (eleven dream-sequences in all) that went into it. Long-time family friend and collaborator Ferval Hill wrote the music, while Belfry was in top form both behind the scenes and performing (as in all his plays) as the musical narrator, Madame Charmalique, in Joel Greyesque semi-drag.
Upon moving back to his native Toronto, Canada, he joined up with younger brother Robyn, who had gone to film school and already had a few films under his belt. The two collaborated on a number of scripts, including an English film version of “Where Do I Get Off?” which didn’t see the light of day... rejections stating it was too strange a cross between “A Picture of Dorian Grey,” a “Scooby-doo” cartoon, and x-rated musical “Let My People Cum.”
However, his first collaborations with Robyn on the horror films “The Humidity” (1989), “Dr. Mouth” (1989), “To Kill Again and Again and Again” (1989), “Candy From a Baby” (1989) and “Ring Once For Death, Twice for More Death” (also 1992) helped to place him alongside his brother as a writer and director of the macabre in the eyes of already established Robyn Belfry fans. They followed up with the werewolf/flesh-eating acid picture “Monster in La La Land” (1989), “Hillybilly Deathmatch” (1989), “Flowers for Dracula” (1989), and the Christmas holiday classic “Robot Death Olympics.” (1989)
He and Robyn had a falling out during the summer of 1996, in which he made his first (and only) film without Robyn: the artistic mish-mash “What If Mermaids Could Drown?” The “what if” story dealt with the idea “what if” mermaids could drown. It was a flop.
After he and Robyn were both critically panned for their 1997 sci-fi horror android romance “Flesh Haters” (1996), and scoffed by critics for never having any of their vast library of films ever shown in a North American theatre (in the USA, Canada and Mexico these were only released on video, a few of the later titles even on DVD) they took a hiatus to recollect, rejuvenate their creative juices, and work other jobs that would pay off their debts.
2008 marks their comeback with the release (in 2008) of their new film, and first film in nine years, “The Screamening”, though Basil dreams of one day finally getting the go ahead to finally film his macabre musical “Where Do I Get Off?”
He still lives in Toronto with his body-builder wife Pleasance Kuebler-Belfry.
Robyn Belfry's Bio
Robyn Belfry
Robyn Belfry was born two minutes after the street lights came on one Saturday evening, sometime during the fall of 1975.
His oldest memory is of playing with a cricket on the grass, too rolly-polly and pudgy of leg to chase it as it hopped away. His second-oldest memory is watching Dr. Who and escaping into the solid comfort of the sound-blocking qualities and darkness of the hollow under a recliner chair. His third-oldest memory was some time prior to now, but not as far back as you'd think. His fourth-oldest memory is of Friday last. He does not remember at all how he got home, but attributes this to his "6th Sense".
It is not the first time Robyn has had flashes of the paranormal. If pushed, he will tell you that he was once, actually, Maximilian Curr, the lead vocalist and rock oddity in the indieband-cum-cult favourite CitrusKiss. But that only happened once, and it was only for a weekend. It took a team of doctors to revert the identity crisis and it cost the band millions of dollars in science fees and damages. CitrusKiss remain at large, and to this day there is a warrant for their arrest in fifteen nations. Should you see a large, tubular dirigible with sphere-like attachments, please contact your nearest law enforcement office with Interpol tracking #16951013-C.
Shorty later, Robyn rekindled with Basil Belfry, his brother, for the expressed interest of forming a band.
They made one hell of a movie.
Other Important TTTF People
Katydid Belfry
Katydid Belfry
Youngest, and most accidental Belfry brother sibling, Katydid Belfry grew up after her brothers Basil and Robyn had moved away. A quiet petulant girl, given to months of sulking, Katydid displayed an affection for film at an early age, debating the authenticity of Disney films.
At the age of 11, Katydid had conned her way into a film critic post at the Toronto Star newspaper, and was only too happy to destroy and rend the work of others. When she was 14, she lost her post after being revealed by her brother Basil following a particularly scathing review of “The Humidity” (1989).
Katydid fell into a post-modernist state for the remainder of her high school years, from which she only recently emerged. Taking up smoking and printmaking, Katydid drifted in and out of her classes until she graduated and headed to OCAD on her brother Robyn’s dime.
Six months into her foundation year, Katydid disappeared and was declared legally dead, before turning up, unharmed, the following year. She told everyone that she had spent the year in an artistic co-op in New York City and had been “too fucked up to contact anyone”. Robyn later discovered a return flight from LA charged to his credit card and confronted Katydid on it, to which she said nothing but cried a little before walking slowly away. Soon after, Katydid gave up all career-related pursuits and dropped out of OCAD.
Living off a trust fund since her early 20s, Katydid was able to support her artistic pursuits, which included mostly attending gallery openings for friends’ shows, and picking up and dumping boyfriends.
Katydid has recently reunited with her brothers to produce their upcoming feature “The Horror Show”, although there is much speculation this is only to secure female-centric grants.
Slate Belfry
Slate Belfry (cousin)
Slate Belfry was lost in a bear forest as a baby, and spent his early years being raised by the same bears that occupied said forest. He grew up learning the wise and silent ways of the forest bears, until he was joyously reunited with his brothers when they were location scouting for "Soiled and Vacant and Ready," a movie that, luckily enough, took place in several bear forests.
Though much effort was required to assimilate Slate into human society, he showed a natural aptitude for musical comedy and achieving multiple orgasms. Both of which were put to good use in his self-produced spoken word album, "Bear Naked, and Ready" which garnered the following critical acclaim: "An un-human sound in an inhumane world..." Oprah Winfrey, 1992.
To support his addictions to soggy donuts and cockfighting, Slate also manages his own Starbank convenience store in Ajax. In collaboration with the Belfry siblings, Slate is eager to see his screenplay, "The Invisible World Of Commander Viceroy and the Search For The Eagle Plane", hit screens in 2010.
Sean Browning
A York University film program (with a major in Screenwriting) drop-out, Sean is an actor/writer/performer/director and has been performing in Toronto since 1992. He has performed in theatre, film, television, live music and comedy – the latter earning him two Canadian Comedy Award nominations (2002 & 2005) for best sketch comedy troupe (for his duo “Reid Along With Browning” with comedy partner Matthew Reid).
He has been teaching improv for a number of years with the Bad Dog Theatre Co. (Theatre Sports Toronto) and in the past for the Hart House at the University of Toronto. He, himself, has studied with Second City Chicago’s Mick Napier, Andrew Currie (television’s The Devil’s Advocates) and screen legend Alan Arkin (Catch 22, The In-Laws, Little Miss Sunshine) and is a Second City conservatory program graduate. Reid Along With Browning also represented Ontario at the Vancouver Sketchfest in 2005.
As well, Browning co-owns horror film company Tum Tum Tree Films with Jeremy Schultz, and goes by many names.
Jeremy Schultz
Jeremy is a real piece of work. He likes to make experimental
films, but is distracted easily. He started Ryerson back in the mid 90's,
made a short, and moved on to other areas. But now the circle is complete.
Re-graduating from Film School where he made several "experimental"
shorts, and working with some of Toronto's hottest young up-and-comers
(whether the film sucked or not), Jeremy is taking his zeal for screaming
zombie flesh and throwing it into Tum Tum Tree Films. He hopes to continue
the bloodbath for some years to come.
Claire Callway
Claire Callway was born and raised in Toronto on the outskirts of Leaside, where she quickly developed a dislike of most people, places, and things. This uniform disdain was eventually replaced by a love of books, cats, bubble tea, and horror films, and only a mild dislike of most people, places, and things.
A recent graduate of Ryerson University’s film program, she often wishes she was able to say she had dropped out of the program to pursue artsy projects. But alas, she finished and has the damn paper on her wall to prove it.
With a whole mess o’ shorts under her belt (ew), her horror musical, “I Love You to Death”, played at the RUFF festival in May 2007, and, god willing, will show up in other ones too.
Kelly Manchester
Every week, Kelly delves into the high stakes world of country music videos as editor of the Chevy Cross Canada Countdown on CMT. At the same time, he develops his love of great films and is an avid filmmaker. A graduate of the Toronto Film School, Kelly has written, directed, filmed performed in, and edited over 14 independent films. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of making "The Screamening" with Mr.'s Browning and Schultz, and a special lady who was once an Ugly Girl.
Kelly is developing his film, "A Place To Stand", and also enjoys magic, and cooking at home.
Links
Photos
Music
The folks at Tum Tum Tree Films are also avid musicians:
Jeremy Schultz has been writing music, playing guitar and singing for ages under the name Maximilian Curr with his project, Citrus Kiss.
Sean Browning was a member of Snidely Whiplash (mandolin player and some-time vocals) and Schroeder (lead vocals) in the past and is now working on tunes under the name Fervil Hill (lead vocals, mandolin) for a new project, Shipwreck on Monster Island.
Claire Callway has been playing guitar, singing and recording tunes as well.
Learning to Lie – Schroeder (copyright 1998)
Based on James Morrow’s novel “City of Truth.” Lyrics by Sean Browning, Music by Mark Atkinson, David Banigan, Eilleen Thomson, Joe Ivison and Browning.
Check back on a regular basis to download new tracks as they are added!
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