Charles Pinion - Killbillies

At long last, the never-before-published screenplay for Charles Pinion’s intended second feature film. After an initial burst of creativity, Charles and his Screw magazine coworkers completed a super 8 trailer, and around 30 minutes of footage was shot on 16mm and unfortunately lost to time. Inspired by various factors, Killbillies soon ballooned into something far larger; full of potential, excitement, and ultimately frustration, this is a quintessential story of independent filmmaking at its rawest. The film was slated to feature numerous alternative culture personalities like Deborah Harry, Joey Ramone, Gibby Haynes, and many more, not to mention numerous recognizable names from the film world. Killbillies is one of the great what-ifs of the American underground film scene, a fascinating story that has only been told in part in the past. Now for the first time ever, you can visit the bizarre world that Charles and co. created and experience their unfiltered vision.

Killbillies may not have come to pass, but in these pages you will find many ideas later adapted into Charles’ 1996 feature We Await: Psychedelic fungus, a boy who chose to be a dog, and the infamous Spirit Drive. Also present are a score of unrealized details like an unorthodox police/postal system investigating a series of grisly roadside murders and a startling ritual climax. Killbillies stands strong as its own distinct vision, and Charles’ unique, literary writing style makes for an eminently readable screenplay.

This first-time publication of the sixth draft includes dozens of never-before-seen Polaroids and 35mm photos from the set of the super 8 shoot, assorted ephemera, a reflection on the production from Charles, and pages of color inserts. This full package offers a fascinating time capsule of Charles’ career in the years between Twisted Issues and Red Spirit Lake, while also capturing the creative energy of his stint in NYC. Now’s your chance to check out what would have been one of the great underground cult films of the early-1990s. Terror Has Some Strange Kinfolk indeed.