2006年VOA标准英语-Small Film Company Screams for Attention

By Greg Flakus
Houston, TX
12 June 2006
 
watch Horror Movie report

Hollywood movies are seen around the world and the industry, based in Los Angeles, is one of the biggest in terms of U.S. exports. But not all American films are big-budget Hollywood productions. Small-budget independent films are made all over the United States and some of them meet with worldwide success as well. VOA's Greg Flakus in Houston has a story about a couple who have turned their marriage partnership¹ into a creative partnership, with some scary results.

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They may not look very menacing. But this suburban² married couple is responsible for several grisly murders.

 

Heidi and Bill Hughes  
  

Bill and Heidi Hughes are hoping to make a killing³ with a horror film they developed together, combining his talents as a veteran motion picture art director and her talents in business management.  "She watches every frame of the film and makes sure that everything is perfect. I will let things go. I always feel like, 'That's good enough.' But nothing is ever good enough for Heidi."

Heidi says she just want it to be done right which is more important than just getting it done. Bill agrees that it works out pretty well.

Bill Hughes had a successful career as an artist working with some of the biggest directors in Hollywood, but he left that behind a couple of years ago to develop his own projects and tell his own stories.
 

Sophia Martinez  
  
"I did the visual part of the storytelling and that is why we really wanted to get into the moviemaking business because we can do the whole storytelling here. I am not just stuck on the two-dimensional plane, I am dealing⁴ with emotion and character and sound and the whole ball of wax."

But this is not just a hobby for Bill and Heidi. Their Big Tex Movin' Picture Company is a business and they wanted to make a film that would make money.

Heidi says Bill ran across key information searching the Internet. "Bill researched on the Internet what movie distributors were looking for and, as it turns out, they were looking for horror movies."

 
Horror movie vampire⁵
  
So, after doing research by viewing dozens of horror movies from their local video store, Bill and Heidi came up with their own story of vampires⁶ on the loose in Houston called "The Color of Blood."

A key factor in such a film is having a compelling central character with whom audiences can identify and they found her in local actress Sophia Martinez.

In the film, she plays a woman of Aztec descent who is drawn⁷ into the world of the occult. "Color of Blood has everything in it. It's comedic, it's drama, it's horror, it's suspenseful⁸, It keeps you on your toes."

There is a huge fan base around the world for such films, many of which never go into mainstream⁹ theaters and find their audiences through specialty¹⁰ magazines and web sites.

Bill says he plans to make his film reach wider audiences. "We are designing this film so that it can be translated into different languages and be sold overseas, hopefully, in all sorts of different markets."

As to why these films are popular, Bill and Heidi have also given that some thought. "Number one, it is a cheap thrill. You can watch it and get your adrenalin flowing without actually being in danger yourself, and number two -- and this is not my theory but something I heard somebody else say (Bill, behind, grins and points to himself) -- young people like it because they are flirting¹¹ with mortality."

Bill and Heidi Hughes are confident they can turn a profit with this film and use the skills they have developed to make even more monster hits

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

5 vampire   

n.吸血鬼

参考例句：

• It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆，而是个吸人血的妖精！
• Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说，孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。

6 vampires   

n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门

参考例句：

• The most effective weapon against the vampires is avampire itself. 对付吸血鬼最有效的武器就是吸血鬼自己。 来自电影对白
• If vampires existed, don`t you think we would`ve found them by now? 如果真有吸血鬼，那我们怎么还没有找到他们呢？ 来自电影对白

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 suspenseful   

adj.悬疑的，令人紧张的

参考例句：

• If his experiences then had been carefully recorded, it would undoubtedly have made a suspenseful and moving book. 若是把他所经历的事实记录下来，那就是一部充满着大智大勇，惊心动魄的小说。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Lily is an atmospheric and suspenseful tale of love, loss and obsession. 这是一个关于爱情、失落与迷恋的故事，充满情调与悬疑色彩。 来自互联网

9 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

10 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

11 flirting   

v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't take her too seriously; she's only flirting with you. 别把她太当真，她只不过是在和你调情罢了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• 'she's always flirting with that new fellow Tseng!" “她还同新来厂里那个姓曾的吊膀子！ 来自子夜部分