Roadside America Features Joey's Haunted Barn!

Joey Vento's link to classic monster movies was forged before he was born -- much like an ancestral curse -- when his father briefly appeared in the 1953 film Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. "My father was a longshoreman," said Joey. Someone on the New York film crew handed him a broom and told him to sweep while the cameras rolled. "He was 'the sweeping guy'," said Joey of his father's uncredited role. "He was paid with a bottle of scotch."

Fast forward 60 years and Joey is mysteriously compelled to own and curate the Haunted Barn Movie Museum, his personal shrine to horror, science fiction, and fantasy films.

The large, weathered shed sits next to his family's home, much like any other house in the woods until you spot a Victorian hearse and fake cemetery. Duck your head under the shed's decorative cobwebs at the door and enter a space filled with monsters (along with twinkly Christmas lights and eerie music played over hidden speakers). Giant spiders hang from the ceiling; props from films and TV series fill the walls, pack the shelves, and crowd the floor......

Check out the rest of the article here!!!

Joey and Donald in Joe's haunted yard, posing in front of his giant inflatable screen!
August 2012

Congrats, Joey on your article in Roadside America - and the
best of luck wherever the barn ends up next!!!

Night Of The Living Dan

Oh the HUMANITY!!!

Like those movies where someone wakes up from a nightmare only to find himself in ANOTHER nightmare - apparently I'm stuck in a similar vortex... just noticed one day recently that the YaHoo Media Player stopped working. No warning - no notices from YaHoo - just went to look at the Out Of Bodies music page and noticed all the little yellow play buttons were missing. That was just the beginning of a series of ongoing nightmares.

In the following days every message board on the internet which announced a "fix" turned out to be a temporary tease - as YaHoo seemingly yanked their player pages altogether, throwing millions of music pages, blogs and other media pages into a flaming heap of OH NOOOO!!!...

Now this has happened once briefly before only to resurrect itself without explanation - but I smell long term abandonment this time, don't ask me why. YaHoo, once the king of the internet could very well be headed straight for the shitter this time - so what do I do? Do I scramble around for an alternative music player script, or do I wait things out - like our own partial government shut-down - and hope somebody out there has a brain - a sense of decency - some compassion! Do I wait for the powers to be at YaHoo to walk into their offices one morning, hoping they decide to flick their switch back on? Or are they all too busy throwing nooses over their ceiling fans? I don't know.

I know I'm not the only one out there stuck in this very same conundrum... just as in every story about the beginnings of a zombie apocalypse, I'm the guy who creeps out of his basement with his transistor radio - desperately hoping to catch another news report about his chances of survival. Until then, until they find a cure - the Out Of Bodies music page will no longer play non-stop streaming Out Of Bodies radio - - but instead play one selected song at a time. No fancy player, just your default - and you'll have to hit "back" each time just to return to the music page.

Any techies out there with helpful alternative solutions, I'm all ears...

Looking For Yul

The Companions
Joe Mendoni (left), Mike McLaughlin (center), Richie Green (right)
and my uncle Gilbert Cruz (crouching down with the bongo)

Many years ago my Uncle Gil had a Doo Wop group and they called themselves The Companions. Just the other day I decided to look for them on the internet - hoping to find some digitized versions of the two songs I remember he played for my family and I off a 45rpm record in his living room. I remember hearing that they may have enjoyed some modest airplay with their two novelty songs "Dorothy My Monster" and "I Want A Yul Brynner Haircut". They might have even recorded other songs, I'm not sure - but these two seemed to stick out in my head - and so I set upon trying to find them.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the Yul Brynner song (which is what I was really looking for - I recall being quite amused by that one!) but I did end up locating and purchasing a Doo Wop Halloween novelty-song compilation on CD called Halloween Is A Scream, which features "Dorothy, My Monster"! Someone had even uploaded the "Dorothy" song to YouTube - which my cousin Lisa pointed out to me - but oddly enough, no "Yul Brynner" - go figure!

Super rare... "Dorothy My Monster" b/w
"I Want A Yul Brynner Haircut" by The Companions
Dee Dee Records #1047.
I just noticed the record credits The "Campanions",
not The "Companions" with an "o"....
yet ANOTHER mystery...

UPDATE!! UPDATE!! UPDATE!!
 

Yul Found!!!

A little something for Flashback Friday!

Joe Vento discovers a surprise guest (Donald Jefferes) clawing at his front door.

I'm imagining Vento up there, swinging from a grappling hook...

Even my buddy Joe, who absolutely LOVES all things World's Fair related, would NEVER go quite as far as THIS guy did. I can't imagine risking breaking and entering charges as well as bodily harm (and perhaps death) just to get a peek at what things look like today from the decaying decks of the World's Fair Observation Towers ...

Dan's I Wonder Video Remix

After a visitor to our website mentioned that The Out Of Bodies "I Wonder" sounded much like a Donovan song, Dan created this... ENJOY!!

The Outofbodies - I Wonder REMIX from Dan Ban on Vimeo.

Mysterious Out Of Bodies photo sparks conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories are circulating once again as to the legitimacy of the so called "band" who call themselves the Out Of Bodies, after a supposed "death" photo went viral on the internet last week. The photograph appears to show three of it's founding members, Donald Jefferes, Joe Vento and Dan Banic (circa 1986) sprawled out in the middle of College Point's busy 20th Avenue - a well known spot for frequent hit and run fatalities.

Music critics, who've previously grappled with the validity of the band's existence in the first place are now further perplexed as to how this group could possibly have continued to make music well into the 90s after their alleged demise in the late 80s. Conspiracy theories abound - some say while they believe the three may have indeed been dead, it could've been the marketing prowess of the two other Out Of Bodies members Lloyd Goldfine and Mark DeGross who carefully crafted the band's most prolific (albeit postmortem) musical period, through an extensive backlog of unfinished tracks, photo manipulation and hired "look-a-likes".

Forensic experts lean heavily on the side of the story that paints this photo as one of the most ingenious hoaxes of the 21st century. Tyrone Johnson, a graduating student from the John Jay College Of Criminal Justice, has studied the photographic evidence extensively - and without being able to determine any telltale signs of vehicle tire marks, the absence of trauma to the bodies or any signs of blood or entrails has forced Mr Johnson to come to the conclusion, "I don't see shhhheeeeeit!".

Another theory circulating is that out of the three, only Dan survived - and even though he's never discussed the event he did appear to include secret messages in his music video, "Death".

 

Opposing conspiracy theorists counter-theorize that Dan sings "Death is just a passing in the night", but the photo appears to have been taken in broad daylight. But the original theorists who claim this "Death" video does indeed show Dan's brief addressing of the event, and further claim that so distressed was he at the loss of his two buddies that he actually took the melody of this song and revamped it completely, changing subject matter and mood into the upbeat Out Of Bodies tune "Time Mind", never again referring to it's earlier composition.

Attack of the Royd's!

My nephew Andrew and his band, The Royd's, are playing THIS FRIDAY at the Attic Lounge in Douglaston, NY - part of a FREE Battle Of The Bands event! Fun begins 11pm - and yes, it's FREE!

zzzzzzzZAP!!!!

"Donald, I remember many times when I use to record on my 4-track and sometimes I would get the whammy feedback loud sound in my headphones because the switch was by accident on. I remember twice I got you by accident , 1) When we were recording at your house and the switch turned on and you and Lloyd freaked out and threw off the headphones , you & Lloyd then just fell to the bed like freaked out dead zombies , Ha Ha !!! 2) The other time was when we were recording at my house and we had the headphones on and boom , we got hit hard , the expression on your face was hilarious even though we were in pain , Ha Ha , do you remember that?"

- Dan, on the subject of headphone feedback, via Facebook March 11, 2013

The Royds

I've never asked my nephew Andrew about the name of that band he's in, and he's never asked about the Out Of Bodies. It's probably best that way, not to get up all in his business and one thing he doesn't need to hear about is some old hippy dippy band that "might've" existed in the 90s before his wisdom teeth came in. But he's a clever kid so I think I'm safe to assume "The Royds" may be a loose reference to meteoroids, his band's logo being of one hurling towards a dinosaur... perhaps suggesting some heady awareness that, like the dinosaurs, we're all just a meteor away from being extinct. Perhaps it's also a statement of the types of musicians they're influenced by - the old timers from a different era such as The Beatles, Hendrix, Clapton and so on...

Then there's that other theory I have that The Royds simply refer to hemorrhoids...

Meet The Royds:
Robb Hall - Guitar/Lead Vocals, Matt Shea - Bass/Backing Vocals
and Andy Jefferes - Drums/Backing Vocals

Made temporarily semi-homeless by Hurricane Sandy a month ago my wife Lori and I (and our two cats) were taken in by my brother Paul and his lovely wife Joan, while we waited out the storm with their two boys Douglas and Andrew. It was sometime during our stay when I spontaneously asked Andrew to play "anything from the Nightmare Before Christmas" - I thought I was throwing him an impossible curve ball - he answered with a few chords from "Sally's Song" which I began to sing. Then it got awkward and we both decided to stop before it got any worse.

This might've been the most interaction between a member of The Royds and a former member of the Out Of Bodies - as the most I'd usually get when visiting would be a nod and a mumble ("howzitgoinn...") and it's off he goes with a few friends down into the basement - only to be followed by these sounds emanating through the kitchen floor. It does me proud to see that unlike the fellas I know, these guys may actually go somewhere - - so please check out my nephew's band and tell him The Out Of Bodies sent you...

One Of Us

This is something I forgot about until Joey posted it to his Facebook page... it's worth millions on eBay now!!

 

Let It Ride!

Dan and Joe clowning around - borrowing from a favorite Odd Couple episode...

Submitted to the OOB Blog by Mark! Thanks, buddy!!

It's all fur and zippers with you, ain't it, Joey?

Lights, Cameras .....Action!!

Some cast and crew from the Dayís shoot with the location hosts. Back row, from the left: Jason Kalmanowitz, grip; Dee Wassell, key grip; Jillian Phipps, script supervisor; Scott Klein, creator/director; Arlene So, audio tech; Colleen Conroy, actor; and Stavros Adamides, actor. Front row: Jessica Vento, Diane Vento and Joey Vento of the Haunted Barn Movie Museum in Monroe.

 Read all about how Things go Haywire at Joey's place!

Out Of Bodies Joey goes Haywire!

Click to enlarge.

Our Out Of Bodies brother Joey is in the local papers again!! This time not for his mobile "Movies To Go" events, or his Monroe vicinity monster movie and memorabilia museum, "The Haunted Barn" - but for his upcoming involvement with an independent film company and their horror/sci-fi web series, "Haywire"! One of Haywire's producers, fellow Monroe resident Scott Klein, put an add in the paper seeking local businesses looking for exposure and wanting to be a part of the series. One of the first to answer the call was Joe - who evidently has recovered somewhat from another potentially life-changing opportunity he answered a long time ago! Hopefully we'll be seeing more of Joe in the upcoming months!

Game Over

Joe's near abduction as explained in the previous OOB Blog post,
"Remembering Adventurer's Inn"

Remembering Adventurer's Inn

Remember Adventurer's Inn? That surreal, almost dreamlike amusement park (now long gone) that still resides in the subconscious minds of many who have been there? Well, the OOBs do - and here are some remembrances culled from the Out Of Bodies archives - set in motion by Donald's dentist when he innocently commented...

"what a well done website!
a tribute to a better(?) time. does anyone remember golf city and adventurer's inn?
- toothman68

The Batman slide.

Lloyd remembers:

Adventurer's Inn was one of my favorite places in the world! My grandmother used to live in the apartment buildings right around the corner from AI, and she used to bring me there all the time. When I was in elementary school I had many a birthday party there (remember Don?!). As I got older, Adventurer's Inn grew with me! They kept expanding - from a kiddie park to a full blown amusement park (I believe they got a lot of their later attractions from New Jersey's Palisades Park, which closed around the time they expanded). Later, after High School, long after the amusement park was shut down, Don and I would go to the arcade at night and play Popeye and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom! We got so good at the Popeye Arcade Game that we could play all night long on one quarter!

The Adventurer's Inn sign that sat atop the arcade.

Donald remembers:

Although the rides and restaurant closed around 1978 or so, the arcade remained open for at least another 10 years or so, I believe - and even though the concrete landing at the top of the arcade entrance way was sinking, and the circular mosaic design of the Adventurer's Inn Pirate was nearly obscured in a perpetual puddle of water - I can still remember visiting this place with fondness. I do actually recall at least one of Lloyd's birthday parties there, when the park and the rides were open - and regarding Lloyd as some type of celebrity. But the longest amount of time I've spent there in one stretch was in 1985 when the union at the company I had just started working for went on strike for three long months. I couldn't have been too worried... Instead of walking picket lines I spent much of that time plunking quarters at the arcade, being I lived just moments away in College Point. By the end of the strike I was a Popeye/Indiana Jones Master. I also vividly recall (much to my horror) one of the long term employees at the arcade who you'd get your quarters from. Lloyd and I nicknamed him "Quasi" (for his uncanny resemblance to Quasimoto). With his change belt straining around his enormous girth, Quasi would be the guy we'd have to contend with before playing our favorite video games. With our hands extended we'd patiently wait - as he'd pinch out one quarter at a time. This up close encounter was horrifying. Quasi's one eye would leer down at his belt, while the other was fixed on us. He would never speak, but his breathing would be loud and laborious. It took us every ounce of courage not to forget the whole deal and bolt for the doors.

The "Fligth To Mars" ride. Perhaps even more frightening than the ride itself, is the fact that someone spelled "flight" wrong - and then decided to just leave it like that.

Joe remembers:

Yeah, Adventurer's Inn was quite a place in the mid seventies, and you guys are right, it started to go downhill from there. Many of the rides, as Lloyd states, were leftovers from Palisades Park, but some were also from Coney Island and the garbage cans around the place were from the 1964 World's Fair, right down the road in fact!! I remember in it's later incarnation as an arcade, walking through with friends dressed in full ape make up and freaking out all the little kids!!!! The bad thing I remember is that giant cat-sized rats use to chase us back to the car when we left. Not fun!!! Regards to my old friend and fellow film guy Lloyd Goldfine, who, as a young zombie tried to kill me!!!

The bumper car ride - just before the bulldozer.

Remember Adventurer's Inn? Add YOUR comments...

Ape over apes

My buddy Joe has an ape obsession. Planet Of The Apes and King Kong are two of his most favorite movies of all time. He's been made up several times by professional make-up artists to look like several ape characters from the Planet Of The Apes movies - General Urko, Dr Zaius, and of course Cornelius. He's been known to throw on a gorilla costume for almost any event much to the horror and/or delight of his attending audience. On the surface one might guess that his love for apes originates from the alluring and almost magical processes from which they've been brought to his attention - the pre-CGI make-up effects of John Chambers (Planet Of The Apes, 1968) or over 30 years prior to that - the stop motion animation of Willis O'Brien which brought a fur and rubber Kong to life in 1933. Two creative methods which have also become favorite pastimes for Joe.

But I see another, more cerebral layer to his anthropoid primate affections... these apes of fantasy, whether as wild as Kong or evolved as Cornelius, sport a truer, more profound core than man. Kong was better off left on Skull Island, where for no logical reason I could think of he lived amongst creatures thought long extinct. He had to contend with the likes of Tyrannosaurus, a cave serpent and a pit spider (in a scene cut from the film and never found to this day) - but they were no match to the fighter pilots who took Kong down from atop the Empire State Building at the film's end. Kong was thought a monster, and yet he gave his life trying to protect the beautiful Fay Wray, who fit in the palm of his hand. By the closing credits, one would assume, there was not a dry eye in the house.

The apes in Planet Of The Apes are perhaps a much more headier conundrum. Joe would need to explain this to me - although I have seen the movie several times. While all along we are believed to be descendants of apes (putting aside, of course, the religious Adam & Eve explanation) - it is the film's surprise ending which suggests we've somehow gone as extinct as our cave dweller ancestors - and somehow apes rule the world. Although some of the apes in the original movie appeared outright horrifying to me, it was the portrayal of the two kindly husband and wife simian scientists (Cornelius and Zera) who showed the most compassion. Once again, it was man - not ape - who managed to screw things up. Astronaut Taylor finds out at the films end, that he's been on this strange planet before.

Perhaps Joe knows that somewhere behind an apes eyes lies more truth than man will ever know. Embedded in our DNA and theirs the answers lie mostly undiscovered. One day, perhaps over a hot cup of java in some late night diner, Joe and I will once again discuss these things. I need to know in that one instance when he visited the Chimpanzee cage at the Central Park Zoo - if he got any closer to the truth as he ran scrambling from the hurled feces.

"Poo Fling" cartoon courtesy of Mark DeGross

Out Of Bodies' Strange but True! Stories of the bizarre, super natural, and vividly imagined!

 

 

To kick off this new addition to the OOB site here are a few stories culled from Joe's Facebook page. They're short little blurbs, not really stories - but some of these will definitely raise the hairs up on the back of your neck! Not all of the Out Of Bodies stories that we'll be featuring are scary - fact some are downright hilarious - and we'll be posting more of them as we go along. Very often one story reminds one of us of yet another one! You know how it is - kind of like we're all gathered around a campfire! So be prepared to be thoroughly entertained - or perhaps confused...

SCARY BUT TRUE STORY #3.....Dan Banic and I were para-normal investigators for a spell in the early 90s...one night we get a call...my neighbor is watching bottles of 7-up and Coke UNSCREWING themselves in her fridge and popping open...I VIDEOTAPED IT!!!!! Now you know why we need para-normal psycho therapy.

SCARY BUT TRUE STORY # 4....another neighbor told us that every night before she goes to bed, a little man can be seen sitting on her bedpost smiling at her. She said it was a little rabbi with a long beard...that's how she described him.
We never saw it even with a video camera left there all night{the woman was 70 ok} but tape recordings documented voices and the pitter-patter of little feet.

SCARY BUT TRUE STORY # 6...Dan Banic and i watch a meteor shoot RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS one sweltering summer night at 3am at my house....THEN we saw lit up in the night sky a huge devil-like face the size of a battleship, just watching us.

SCARY BUT TRUE STORY #9....1973...My aunt telephones my Mom in terror at 10:00pm...she just watched a man who looked like Jesus Christ walk right through her kitchen wall and reappear in the next room..smiling at her before vaporizing into thin air. On her death bed, she swore it was true and told us that now she would be going to find out...

SCARY BUT TRUE STORY #13...Dan Banic and I witness the "little elephant".
We were driving Dan home one late, late night in the Bronx..passing below the Bronx River Underpass when we saw a brightly lit, a small baby elephant...glowing.
When we turned round to backtrack and to take a photo, it was gone...

SCARY BUT TRUE STORY #12....I was one of 4 friends who saw something that to this day haunts my dreams and will always be the most incredible thing I've ever seen, if it's true... While returning from the funeral mass of our good friend Anna {she got hit by a bus on a street near my house and the accident scene was too much for anyone to take}...we went back to her Mom's house to help sort through stuff and to lock up and suddenly Anna comes walking down the stairs and tells us she is fine and we are all blessed. SCREAMING HORRORS!!!!! WE ALL SAW IT AND BROKE THE SCREEN DOOR DOWN TRYING TO ALL GET OUT OF THAT ROOM. I WILL NEVER FORGET IT ..AND TWO OF US STILL TALK ABOUT IT TO THIS DAY!!!!