LOBSTEROIDS was filmed in Maine in 1989. A giant
waterfront warehouse was converted into what was called "Lobster Central",
a mini movie studio. Work was begun building intricate sets, props, acquiring
wardrobe and setting up production offices. LOBSTEROIDS was conceived in a
brainstorming session where three of the most popular news stories were combined
into one great idea. Steroids, Maine Lobsters and Rock & Roll music -
all cooked up together in a rich plot.
"Lobster Central" housed many sets for the film, including the mad doctor
lab & apartment rooms. There was also a special effects miniature department
that built intricate small scale models of entire city blocks, propped with
state of the art explosives. In another room, we went "upscale" shooting
scenes with "truck sized" lobster claws that could grab onto the actors.
The soundtrack was an enormous effort, bringing together fifteen of New
England's premier acts to create "Lobster stylized" songs for the movie's
score. As well as producing the music for each band, music videos were produced
& edited for each song, which can be seen intact as part of the storyline
in the director's cut of the movie, or on the "special features" menu of
the DVD of the producer's cut. Among the bands included is Bebe Buell (Liv
Tyler's mom & former agent and the inspiration for 'Penny Lane' in "Almost
Famous") with The Gargoyles.
Production continued for another 2 months, shooting all over scenic Portland,
Maine. From the studio of Maine's premier Rock & Roll radio station
WBLM, to television stations and the city streets themselves. Many local
news & radio personalities appear in 'bit parts' of the film, adding
to the local cult celebrity of LOBSTEROIDS, and the engaging story line
is narrated by well known Maine Humorist, Kendall Morse. A massive "Lobster
Beach Attack" scene was filmed with the popular all-girl rock band The Brood
and hundreds of extras on East End Beach, one of LOBSTEROIDS most talked
about scenes. This required dozens of production assistants wrangling lobsters
& days of shooting local extras running for their lives. LOBSTEROIDS
was the 1st independent film made in the state of Maine.
THE STORY: There is a serious threat on the horizon. Driven by the frequency
of Rock & Roll music, wild steroid-injected mutant lobsters are on the
rampage, growing and getting closer every second. Dr. Walter Frobish, a
scientist working out of his Casco Bay island laboratory discovers the secrets
of electro-stimulation in lobster species, and with the help of his daughter
Phoebe has found a way to "super size" the lobster specimens. Phoebe dreams
of life 'on the shore' away from the island, and often finds release in
heavy Rock & Roll music, suppressing her anxieties and providing a much
needed escape from the stench of the "lobster lab".
One foggy night, an enemy of the experiments breaks into the lobster lab
and injects the lobsters with a dangerous heavy steroid. On his way out
of the lab, the intruder accidentally bumps a radio off the shelf and it
falls into the lobster tank he had just doused with steroids. The radio
was tuned to a rock station playing the latest local hit song, and as the
saboteur disappears into the foggy night, the steroids - combined with electro-stimulation
& rock music - mutate the lobsters into giant sized killing machines
that bust loose from the lab into the murky waters of Casco Bay and the
Atlantic Ocean! Over the next few days, a fisherman is reported missing,
and a major attack takes place along the waterfront where The Brood are
playing a beach party.
Famous oceanographer Denty Moore is called in to investigate. Dr. Frobish
& Phoebe join forces with Denty to find an answer to what drives the
lobsters to kill. With an entire city in panic, and the lobsters moving
on shore, the clock is running out for Denty and his assistants to stop
the rampage of the mutated monstrosities. When it is discovered that the
lobsters are driven by the high frequency noises of rock music, an all out
"Rock & Roll" counter-attack is devised by some of the hardest-hitting
rock acts around. It's crunch time! What follows is an intensity driven
finale that will make you think twice about going into the ocean again.
The LOBSTEROIDS soundtrack is just as vital to the film as the giant lobsters
that attack the city. Fifteen of New England's top acts were brought in
to create "lobster themed" songs for the films score. The bands & musicians
produced the tracks in cooperation with the film's producer John Lane &
director Jim Peterson.
The songs in the film in order of appearance: CAROL & THE CHARMERS-
"Warning, Warning"; LETHAL CREED- "T.K.O."; SILENT PROPHET-
"Into Danger"; THE BROOD- "Surfin' Eyeball"; STREAMLINER-
"All About Lisa"; HIGH RYDER- "Once In A Lifetime";
THE WILD HEARTS- "Rock N' Roll Started With Eve"; MR. THING- "Summer
Vacation"; LOST LATINOS- "Personal Grooming"; THE KOPTERZ-
"3D"; PRIVATE TOYS- "Living Dangerously"; THE WHIGS-
"We're Just Friends"; NEVADA BEACH- "Rough House"; BOOM
SHANKA- "Dragster From Outer Space"; STEVE HOWELL & THE WOLVES-
"Toy Guns"; THE GARGOYLES- "Claw Bite"; MR. THING- "Lobsteroids
House Rock".
Available as an exclusive 2-DVD-R Set, you get the Rare full-length Director's
Cut by Jim Peterson, PLUS bonus PBS-TV interview (1 hour 55 minutes total
time). The other disc is the Producer's Cut by John Lane (pre-release edit
w/ no time-code & no closing credits, just outro song), plus Interactive
menu w/ full song selection. (1 hour 25 minutes).
Both programs as a 2-DVD-R Set $50
