Suggested Audio Candy:

 

[1] Pantera “Suicide Note 1& 2”

 

Having been a fan of splatter movies since before I could say my own name, I have always had an intense fascination with grue. From an early age I was somewhat spoiled by growing up at around the same epoch that a certain Tom Savini was making a name for himself. Films such as The Burning, Friday the 13th and Day of the Dead cemented my fascination and practical FX became something which I have had a vested interest in right through my filmic upbringing. I have bared witness to a thousand throats being slashed, numerous disembowelments and umpteen decapitations and every time my first response is “how the fuck did they achieve that effect?”

Then, several weeks back, I made a pilgrimage to Los Angeles to be part of production for Matt Farnsworth’s sequel to The Orphan Killer, Bound X Blood, and was afforded the opportunity to see exactly what goes into making these scenes so horrifically wonderful. The first movie was no slouch in the gore department and had some majestic kills, each more grisly than the last. For the follow-up the intention had been to give the addressee more. Double the killers, three times as many dispatches and far more of that delicious red stuff which honks my hooter so.

We hit the ground running at full speed and, no sooner had the crew been introduced, than we were hurtling towards our first kill. Start as you mean to go on they say and we began with an absolute doozy. Savagery unbounded, the intention here was to sicken the addressee no sooner than they have booted up the disc for the first time and it allowed for my primary introduction to this man’s grotesque art. One dose of vivisectionist splatter was all it took for Keeper to be more than aware of this man’s expertise and he has continued to habitually impress me with his work ever since.

You would be forgiven for expecting him to have peaked too soon and revealed his hand, only to struggle to emulate this for the duration of the shoot but you’d be wrong to make this assumption. You see, since the first droplet of blood hit the twigs and berries, the crescendo has continued to run freely. The kills have become increasingly elaborate and ever-more gnarly as we have proceeded and one thing which has become abundantly clear is that there is no such word as can’t. Instead the words “I’m on it” have been Simpat’s response every time Matt has something horrific planned and, using the tools at his disposal and the God-given talent provided, this fellow has made it happen.

One particular dispatch which I believe tells the men from the boys is the good-old fashioned neck slice. Savini always has had a penchant for going straight for the jugular and has proven himself time and time again for knowing exactly how to create a realistic effect and open up these arteries with finesse. It’s a mainstay of slasher and enough reason for any potential victims to wear their polar necks in the midst of blazing hot conditions, and Simpat’s exclusive potential was made abundantly clear the moment Marcus’ blade found a home in its first Adam’s apple. This was to be the acid test for Beshirian and, needless to say, he passed the test with flying colors, fashioning a fissure with some deft and an astonishing eye for bloody detail.

Simpat Beshirian is a name that many folk will not yet be familiar with but that is all set to change over the coming years as this man has both the tools in his set and trickery up his sleeve to carve a name for himself in the horror industry. Keeper likes nothing more than to champion a good cause and paying it forward is my favorite pastime. However, it is more than just a little adulation here, it takes unique vision to coax an audience into believing that what they see is real and I have received plentiful testimony by now that that is exactly what they will be doing as they soak in Bound X Blood for the first time.

I have personally sat for Simpat for a number of hours while he applied his latex love to my face and upper torso and, come the end, I was suitably stunned by the heinous result. Sitting still in a make-up chair for lengthy periods is something which many would find perplexing but it is a critical part of the job when crafting something of bloody beauty. I had no idea how this would turn out and could only gage it by the rest of the crew’s reaction to the work being implemented. You can imagine my astonishment then at the point when I held up my smart phone and stared into its mirrored screen for the first time. My first reaction was to question whether it was, indeed, me under all that schlocky make-up and the following consideration was that I had just sat for a true artist.

Simpat is of Armenian origin and was born and raised in Los Angeles. His fascination with horror stems way back to his childhood and, in particular, the implementation of gore and creature effects which fueled his passion to pursue a career in Special Makeup FX. He attended Cinema Makeup School in Hollywood, CA, where he became certified in all aspects of Makeup, FX and Digital Character Design. Since graduating he has worked on numerous projects which include feature films, short films, webisodes, commercials, music videos, editorial and still photography. One thing has remained constant throughout the process and this is his keen eye for fine detail. Coupled with a creative mind and the desire to excel within his field he has began to make in-roads.

His work is already known to many through his affiliation with Girls and Corpses magazine. His creations have been documented many times already and it is easy to discern his vast ability for FX from various shoots which have featured in the publication. Nocturnal Creations is his moniker and Severed Souls the brand which has been picking up a full head of steam as he plies his gruesome trade. I believe that the name will become a household name in years to come, especially after Bound X Blood reaches its target audience. Being a humble soul, he would argue that he is still learning and far from the finished product and this just shows me that he has the determination to make it a reality going forward.

He sets up his table every day of shooting and, whatever effect is on the daily platter, he sets upon creating without fuss. Like any true artist, he disappears into intense concentration while he figures out the best way to make the crime scene resonate and, without question, he comes up trumps each time. Bound X Blood has provided him with a smorgasbord of inventive ways to skin a cat and the results speak for themselves. A number of dispatches have been a one-time deal with little margin for error and, each time, he has hit pay-dirt. There is enough in the way of gushing arteries and glugging cruor in Bound X Blood to have those of a weaker disposition reliving their last meal and he has been on-point consistently in making sure the sick bags are necessitated.

In coming weeks I bid to supply y’all with an interview with Simpat enlightening you with what makes his mind tick and where his inspiration derives. Until then, remember the name, you will certainly be hearing a lot more about Beshirian in years to come as his work finds the larger audience it so richly deserves. Vomit satchels at the ready Grueheads, this soul may be severed, but it also shines bright. The future is crimson and that just so happens to be a color he wears well.