User:Disco dude rock/sandbox
Jeff Frumess | |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
| Website | https://www.frumess.com/ |
Jeff Frumess is an American regional filmmaker, writer, and podcaster from Westchester, NY.
Career
Film
Frumess was inspired to take up filmmaking after watching The Snowball Effect — a documentary chronicling the production of Kevin Smith's first feature film, Clerks. Frumess built off this interest by filming a series of amateur short films.
Frumess's initial breakthrough was provided by live music production and documentary work. Over time, Frumess has shifted into narrative filmmaking, producing feature films Romeo’s Distress and Gouge Away. A third film, My Shadow, is currently in production.
"They Came From Lodi"
Upon returning home to New York, Frumess began working on a documentary project recording the history of the seminal punk band The Misfits told through the eyes of those who surround the band as well as their contemporaries and notable musicians who would draw great influence from the original 1977-1983 band.
Since 2021, the project has undergone a vast revision in its scope and approach, with interviews and other materials still being gathered.
Horror Punk (2011-2017)
Conducting interviews for They Came From Lodi introduced Frumess to the Horror Punk scene and the bands it represented. Along with Sal Bee from Sardonica, they started a youtube show called Rock and Roll Cooking with Sal Bee. Bands would come to Lodi, where Sal lived and he would cook a band themed inspired meal followed by a song performance or two in the kitchen studio. Bands who appeared on the show included Doyle, Blitzkid, Nim Vind, The Jasons, The Independents, Stellar Corpses, Cancerslug, Whiplash, Cinema Cinema, Sardonica, Michale Graves, and Dr. Chud’s X-Ward. The show was to feature Mister Monster and The Undead, but ended before the episodes could be taped.
Michale Graves: Live at Europa (2012)
Michale Graves had assembled a whole new band as he was preparing to roll out new songs for his forthcoming LP. Informally dubbed the “The Dumonts,” this acoustic/electric line up was taped for a live DVD with Frumess handling production duties. The concert release was shelved over inconsistencies in the live performance itself.
Blitzkid: Return to the Living (2012)
When Blitzkid announced farewell U.S. and European tours, Frumess toured with them as a documentarian, doing 46 shows in 10+ countries from Moscow, Russia to Santa Cruz, California. The proposed documentary film that would be one part band history, one part road movie, and one part concert film but was ultimately shelved before release.
Blitzkid: Live at Conne Island (2014)
On the Hellnights leg of the European tour, Blitzkid played Conne Island in Leipzig, Germany to a sold out crowd. The resulting show was shot with four cameras and soundboard audio, which Frumess used to produce a feature-length concert film to release as a limited edition DVD for Kickstarter pledges of the Return to the Living Documentary Kickstarter campaign.