While I was bummed by the recent sudden demise of Cramps mainman Lux Interior, I was doubly bummed when I realized that last month saw the passing of another of my heroes, film maker Ray Dennis Steckler. Steckler was one of the coolest, crazed z-flick auteurs around, making a string of vastly entertaining movies in the early/mid-60s (and some less awesome ones in the decades following). Wild Guitar, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies, The Thrill Killers, Rat Pfink A Boo Boo... the titles roll off the tongue, the mind boggles and then melts...
His early movies are the cinematic equivalents of classic garage rock. They look great, but have a somewhat DIY, homemade feel to them. A talented photographer himself, he is noted for hiring the future living-legend cinematographers Vilmos Zsigmond, Lazlo Kovacs and Joseph V. Mascelli to help lens Incredibly Strange Creatures.
He also had some stellar talent involved in his projects in front of the cameras: Cash Flagg (his acting alter ego), Carolyn Brandt (his then-wife), Arch Hall Jr., rockin' rollin' Ron Haydock, stunt legend Gary Kent, worm-eatin' Herb Robbins, Bob Burns (aka Kogar the Swingin' Ape), sexbomb Liz Renay, 60s Hollywood scenester Titus Moody... the names roll off the tongue and the mind melts...
Back in 1995, I was lucky to have the chance to meet Mr. Steckler on his home turf in his Las Vegas business establishment, Mascot Video. He was friendly, seemed to loved shootin' the breeze and he autographed my VHS of Rat Pfink. My mind melted.
He also had free fluro-pink give-away hats that said "Mascot Video" on them.
