'Mutilator 2' -- it's happening at the Crystal Coast!

 

A couple of years ago we (excitedly) posted about learning about "The Mutilator," a horror movie filmed in Atlantic Beach back in the mid-1980s. (Yes, it has it's own IMDB entry.) As we noted then: 

This movie was very much an Atlantic Beach creation. According to IMDB, the cast and crew stayed at a nearby motel, "which was owned by writer/director Buddy Cooper's family. Buddy now owns the motel. Much of the film's crew still work there" In fact, the Cooper family has a long history of town involvement. To wit, the current mayor of AB is A.B. "Trace" Cooper III.

The original cast included Matt Mitler, Frances Raines, Bill Hitchcock, Ruth Martinez, Connie Rogers, Jack  Chatham, Ben Moore, Pam Cooper and Cooper, according to the Carteret County News-Times. "Filming occurred at various locations in Atlantic Beach and Morehead City. The working title of "Fall Break" was scrapped when distributor Marvin Friedlander saw the initial ad campaign and found it lacking."

"Wanting to make 'a gore movie for gore fans,' Cooper changed the title to "The Mutilator" and had to superimpose that over the pre-printed Fall Break promo materials."

Well, Chuck Waters at the Carteret County News-Times recently did a feature on Cooper that revealed that he (and others) are making "Mutilator 2" or "M2," as the early logos called it. Oh, and it already has its own IMDB entry.

According the article, the second installment in the Mutilator series boasts a working budget of about $1 million. Cooper is "optimistic that M2 will get a better shake from the MPAA — and the box office — than its predecessor did."

"I think the environment for horror movies is more accepting of the genre now than it was in 1985. Certainly, the gore that the MPAA demanded that we remove from The Mutilator for us to get an R is tame, by today's standards. There are many new ways to distribute a movie today. In addition to theatrical release, there is DVD distribution and a host of streaming sites. Plenty of ways to get a picture out there today, especially if it has something going for it — in which case it will be in demand," Cooper said.

Good luck to another NC cinematic classic!

 

 

An N.C. cinematic classic: 'The Mutilator'

North Carolina has a long, storied history of either producing or being the setting for some great Hollywood offerings. Most everyone is aware of "Dirty Dancing," "Firestarter," "Maximum Overdrive," "Last of the Mohicans" and much, much more.

Just this weekend, my brother in law Jeff alerted me to a horror movie that I never heard of that was filmed in dear old Atlantic Beach in the 1980s: "The Mutilator." (It was originally called "Fall Break.")

This movie has the makings of a classic 1980s horror movie. Here's an IMDB.com plot summary ...

A group of teenagers decide to take a vacation at the beach house of one of their fathers. The kid whose father owns the house just happened to accidentally kill his mother when he was a child. When they get to the house, the father has mysteriously disappeared. Hmmm...

... and here's the movie poster!

This movie was very much an Atlantic Beach creation. According to IMDB, the cast and crew stayed at a nearby motel, "which was owned by writer/director Buddy Cooper's family. Buddy now owns the motel. Much of the film's crew still work there" In fact, the Cooper family has a long history of town involvement. To wit, the current mayor of AB is A.B. "Trace" Cooper III.

My buddy Banks Talley recalls this movie being included in a "Bad Horror Movie Night" during his NCSU days. "Think 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' meets 'Halloween.'"

Once again, Biltmore leads the way

Asheville's Biltmore Estate is sure hard to top. The site once again leads the list of most visited North Carolina museums and historic attractions, and for the sixth consecutive year attracted more than a million visitors.

The largest private home in America drew 1,101,413 guests during 2011, according to a press release.

"We are always honored to be recognized as a favorite destination for visitors to the Carolinas," said Bill Cecil, President and CEO of Biltmore. "Despite the tough economic conditions of the last few years, people are continuing to travel and we are honored when they choose Biltmore as a destination. We believe the variety of things to do at the estate, including Biltmore House, our gardens, the winery and Antler Hill Village, makes the visit fun and memorable."

Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach placed second in the annual survey conducted by Carolina Publishing Associates with 757,000 guests. Rounding out the top five most visited museums and historic attractions were Discovery Place of Charlotte, with 745,060 visiting, the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh with 712,313 and the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro with 694,929.

Biltmore is state's top historic attraction

Asheville's Biltmore Estate is the state's top historic attraction, according to Carolina Publishing Associates' annual survey.

Following Biltmore on the list were Fort Macon in Atlantic Beach, the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and Fort Fisher at Kure Beach.