Lillian, Ohio
September 8, 1979
"Ho-ly shit!"
Sitting on his bed, Charles Kaznyk seemed to stare blankly at the certified letter he received from jurors at the Cleveland International Super 8 Film Festival. Inside, however, his heart raced as he scanned through the words, filling him with disbelief, excitement, and pride. Even though he understood their implications, and felt validated in the vision he had brought into being in his small film The Case, Charles needed to process the fact that he and his friends had impressed adults qualified to evaluate the merits of film.
Grapsing the letter and envelope, he charged out of his room, running into the Kaznyk household's large den. The rest of his family had gathered around the television, featuring an episode of Wild Kingdom about a pride of lions. Charles drowned out Marlin Perkins' avuncular narration. "I won! Mom! Dad! The Case won!"
"Oh, Charles," his mother said. "That's wonderful!"
As his mother embraced her golden child, Charles' father got up to pat him on the back. "Congratulations, son. Well-deserved for all your hard work."
"And everyone else, too," Mrs. Kaznyk pointed out.
Charles' younger siblings joined in the excitement. Peg was a bit less enthusiastic, but managed a token, "That's nice." Jen, who had gone off somewhere with Donny from the film store, would hear the news later.
"So, what's it say?" Mrs. Kaznyk asked, while Mr. Kaznyk muted the Mutual of Omaha promo.
With great flourish, Charles cleared his throat and gave the letter a crisp snap, holding it out for a dramatic reading. "'Dear Mr. Kaznyk,'" Charles began, emphasizing the salutation. "'We, the jurors of the Cleveland International Super 8 Film Festival, have decided to award your film The Case first prize in the "Under 18" category. For an amateur production by a group of adolescents, the overall effort is first class. The script is also well-done, with just enough plot development, action, and wit to maintain its flow. The zombie theme and Romero Chemical Plant was a clever…'
Charles hesitated for a moment before saying, "allusion.'"
"'The camera work, especially in the initial fight between the main character and a zombie, captures the overall tension and excitement that should be present in a scene of conflict. Furthermore, the production values are superb. The care and attention devoted to the make-up and special effects exhibit a degree of professionalism than other submissions of this type. Most remarkable is the train wreckage in the exterior scene with another zombie. The apparent presence of military equipment and personnel in the scene where John is speaking with the officer further heightens the sense of realism. The performances are also quite good, especially by the actress playing John's wife, both in human and zombie form.'
"We even enjoyed the post-film wrap-up. Maybe the monsters are 'real' after all.'"
"That's amazing." Mr. Kaznyk said.
"Wait, there's more. 'For your efforts, you and your co-submitters, along with two chaperones, will be flown on an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the American premiere of a new film on October 1, 1979. It is a remake of the 1922 silent vampire film Nosferatu. The film is in German, but it has English subtitles. You will also meet with…'
Charles hesitated again. "Never heard of this guy. Werner Herzog?" he said tentatively, pronouncing it as a small rural town Ohio boy would. "Anyway, he's the director."
"'Best wishes in your future endeavors.'"
"New York City?" Mrs. Kaznyk asked, looking at her husband.
"Are you able to come?" Charles asked, his expression changing from enthusiasm to slight disappointment.
They both looked at Charles. "We'll have to see. Maybe someone else's parents would want to go, too." Mr. Kaznyk said. "We don't want to get first dibs."
"Maybe Joe wants to go with his dad," Mrs. Kaznyk added. "Besides, Charles, you know we trust you implicitly," Mrs. Kaznyk added. "Your friends are all good people, and you don't want your parents there when you're talking with this German director."
"Couldn't you leave Jen to watch us?" Peg asked.
"No," Mr. Kaznyk replied firmly.
"Maybe one of you?" Charles suggested as a way of bargaining.
"We'll see," Mrs. Kaznyk said. "Meanwhile, you should call your friends and tell them the good news. I'm sure they'll be as excited as you are."
"Yeah," Charles said, perking up again. As he headed towards his parents' bedroom to use their phone, he added, "I just need to decide who I'm gonna call first."