Shadows Over Florida

by David Goudsward & Scott T. Goudsward

For a brief time at the start of the 20th century, Florida was poised to be the film making Mecca of North America. Jacksonville had suffered a devastating fire and the rebuilt community enjoyed a wealth of architectural styles that allowed films set in exotic locations such as Egypt, Italy or Polynesia - all for the cost of shipping the cast and equipment on the train from wintery New York. But racial tensions, religious concerns and epidemics drove the blossoming film industry into the open arms of Hollywood, California. Florida became the second unit place you filmed if you needed jungles for Tarzan or a more accessible stand-in for an Amazonian Black Lagoon.

In the 1960s and into the 1970s, if you made films designed for general release, you filmed in Hollywood. If you made grindhouse films, nudie cuties, exploitation extravaganzas or straight to drive-in obscurities, you filmed in Florida. Films shot in Florida range from Blood Feast, the landmark film by Herschell Gordon Lewis that paved the visceral way for Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to the less influential but memorable (for all the wrong reasons) Blood Freak with its pro-Christian, anti-drug message starring a mutant turkey vampire motorcyclist.

Switching from film to print, the Floridian horror story reflects an intrinsic Floridian compulsion to bulldoze the past beneath a new shiny future. But beneath that overpriced fa?ade of new construction is the Florida of old, the one the mouse-bound tourists conveniently overlook, a hellish landscape of swamps that range from brackish to f?tid, flora and fauna that range from deadly to carnivorous and locals that range from surly to anthropophagous.

So be careful about which star you wish upon, and phrase that wish very carefully. You never know if a were-turkey biker, a giant leech or a mutant gator will answer it.

For a brief time at the start of the 20th century, Florida was poised to be the film making Mecca of North America. Jacksonville had suffered a devastating fire and the rebuilt community enjoyed a wealth of architectural styles that allowed films set in exotic locations such as Egypt, Italy or Polynesia - all for the cost of shipping the cast and equipment on the train from wintery New York. But racial tensions, religious concerns and epidemics drove the blossoming film industry into the open arms of Hollywood, California. Florida became the second unit place you filmed if you needed jungles for Tarzan or a more accessible stand-in for an Amazonian Black Lagoon. In the 1960s and into the 1970s, if you made films designed for general release, you filmed in Hollywood. If you made grindhouse films, nudie cuties, exploitation extravaganzas or straight to drive-in obscurities, you filmed in Florida. Films shot in Florida range from Blood Feast, the landmark film by Herschell Gordon Lewis that paved the visceral way for Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to the less influential but memorable (for all the wrong reasons) Blood Freak with its pro-Christian, anti-drug message starring a mutant turkey vampire motorcyclist. Switching from film to print, the Floridian horror story reflects an intrinsic Floridian compulsion to bulldoze the past beneath a new shiny future. But beneath that overpriced façade of new construction is the Florida of old, the one the mouse-bound tourists conveniently overlook, a hellish landscape of swamps that range from brackish to fœtid, flora and fauna that range from deadly to carnivorous and locals that range from surly to anthropophagous. So be careful about which star you wish upon, and phrase that wish very carefully. You never know if a were-turkey biker, a giant leech or a mutant gator will answer it. "Tourists think of Florida as beaches, sun and fun. Few know that blood, guts and monsters prospered during the Grindhouse days of Florida film making. Shadows Over Florida vividly captures the history of these films and credits a lot of my crazy friends that gave birth to independent film making. After making over a dozen films in Florida since the late 1950's, I thought I knew film history. After reading Dave and Scott's book, I feel like a novice. I highly recommend Shadows Over Florida." -- William Grefe, Writer/Director/Producer "A Florida gardener, his finger pricked by an aggressive hedge, once told me, "down here, dammit, everything bites!" Here's proof that he was right. He might also have added, everything spooks...and lingers." --Jack Ketchum, author of The Girl Next Door and Off Season "Whether you read it from beginning to end or skip around through the fascinating entries, Shadows Over Florida is a wildly entertaining look at horror in the most insane state in the union! Even if you're scared to visit Florida itself, this book is highly recommended!" -- Jeff Strand, author of Pressure and Benjamin's Parasite