I knew from the outset that this voyage would be markedly different from the Louisville trip I took in 2000. That visit was tailored for the website -- every scrap of information I stumbled upon was processed specifically for William Girdler.com. I primarily looked for things which would translate well online in 2000. This time around I was eating for three. The website, while still in the forefront, is no longer the primary focus it was 18 months ago. Throughout this journey I would be gathering information and touching base with people for a Fangoria article, a video documentary, as well as the website.

The main purpose of the trip was to meet with the production company filming the documentary. An official meeting was set for Monday the 28th at which we'd discuss the budget, shooting schedule, production roles, etc. During the interim, I hoped to meet with Girdler folks on informal terms as opposed to "official" meetings in which I'd be fumbling with a tape recorder or frantically taking notes.

As with the last trip, I could make out Girdler movie spots from the air as the plane descended to land in Louisville. I spied the smokestack from Billy's studio in the distance, as well as the Red Barn Restaurant seen in Zebra Killer and the amusement park used for Sheba Baby. Funny thing about the Louisville airport: the landing strip is only a few dozen feet from a major highway, so when the planes land, they look like they're about to plop atop the busy street. It's just as creepy to drive under the descending aircraft. No wonder Billy was so fascinated by landing planes!!

Craig Layne, son of Abby/Zebra Killer writer Gordon Layne, spearheaded this voyage. He leads the documentary project. His friend Shawn picked me up at the airport and drove me to Focal Point headquarters. Focal Point is the production house filming the documentary. The office is actually a renovated firehouse, replete with cool movie standees, funky deco architecture, and mountains of computer equipment. After a tour of the gilt-edged operation, Craig and a Focal Point guru named Rick took me to a restaurant called Jillian's for lunch. I babbled on for a good bit about Girdler's movies, occasionally remembering to eat. Rick was quite attentive despite my rambling and seemed very excited about the project. We returned to the studio after the protracted lunch session where I viewed a Focal Point video project in progress and watched them work their magic.

We dropped off my things at Shawn's place, which was where Craig was staying. Craig invited me to crash there as well to save a few bucks, which I fretfully agreed to on the condition that if the accommodations didn't work out or started interfering with Girdler-ing, I'd move to a motel room and get a rental car. We relaxed for an hour with a Plan 9 From Outer Space DVD, then jetted off to some hipper-than-hip hipster bar called The Red Lounge for a Focal Point happy hour. The bar (painted gray, not red, on the outside) was a refurbished Jiffy Lube car-servicing center, which made for an interesting look and feel. However, I'm not much of a drinker, and I tend to retreat into my shell when schmoozing in bars. Plus, the garage quality of the structure made for a loud experience - the only way to converse was to scream at the top of your lungs, and this became even more a nuisance when the joint grew crowded. I felt like a screaming teenybopper groupie returning from an old school Beatles concert by the time we left, as my voice was hoarse and my ears were ringing.

Back at Shawn's pad, we ordered pizza and chicken wings to eat as we watched The Manitou and Abby. Craig's friends stopped by during Abby, as did my dear Tobin, whom I've not seen since my last Louisville trip. As always, the films provided heaps of social entertainment and a good time was had by all. I turned in around 2:00 am, which was a small miracle considering I'd been up for well over 24 hours - going on 48.

Saturday, January 26th
Things kicked off slowly Saturday morning as a result of me waking up with a migraine, no doubt from sleep deprivation. My whole internal clock/rhythm was now out of whack from 48 hours without rest. I was up and about by noon, at which time Craig took me to another rather chic dining establishment called Lynn's (gone were my mornings with Bubba and The Waffle House). Lynn's was a fairly crowded, gaily decorated joint with lots of animal statues and toys at every table. After stuffing ourselves silly, we picked up Tobin and headed downtown to do a bit of Girdler sightseeing.

Our first stop was Girdler's old studio, which was still up for sale and fairly dilapidated. I noticed a hint of artificial light seeping out from under the main door. I peeked through the mail slot, and to my surprise, saw a new modern office setup where Pat Kelly's digs were reported to be. The building now had a tenant!! Though the factory was locked for the weekend, this meant that a trip to the roof was a real possibility in the future.

We drove out to the west side of town to follow up on a few leads concerning the whereabouts of the Abby church. Sadly, none of the leads panned out. We decided to visit a sure-shot location: the plaza featured in Zebra Killer. The three of us checked out the drugstore James Pickett frequented in the movie, and also examined the box office Pickett fires into. We climbed to a high level of a nearby parking garage to gain a Zebra Killer-esque vantagepoint of the plaza.

The final stop was a return trip to the mall basement where Billy filmed the famed Three on a Meathook bar scene. This time the thrift store that occupies the spot was open for business. Unbelievably (and rather appropriately), the décor remained virtually untouched, hearkening back to the garish days of the 70s. Mirror-plated pillars encircled a fuzzy shag-rug center stage. It was all immediately recognizable. I bowed my head in reverence to the Girdler landmark.

After grabbing a cup of Heine Brothers' Coffee (that name still cracks me up), I returned to Shawn's so I could shower and primp for my dinner with Lynne Kelly. Lynne is Billy's older sister as well as Pat Kelly's ex-wife. I spoke to Lynne for the first time in December. She grabbed a few WG.com bears as Christmas presents for the family.

Lynne and her friend Gail picked me up at 6:30. Both women were outgoing, confident, and friendly. As we drove to the restaurant, Gail explained that she first met Billy at summer camp when he was 13 or 14. She remembered that his father Walter passed away while they were at the camp. A few years later, she saw Billy's band play at a local country club. Billy played the drums at the time, a fact that made Lynne groan and chuckle when recalling Billy practicing his music in the house. Gail recalled that she was greatly impressed when Billy picked her up in his mother's Mercedes.

We arrived at a posh Italian restaurant. The place was packed. Lynne, who appeared to be very close to the owner, was swiftly seated and offered a special menu (her and Gail's favorite dishes were recently cut from the menu).

I really enjoyed Lynne's company throughout the trip. She carried herself with a distinct yet pleasant air of aristocracy. Both she and Gail spoke their minds, and did so lightheartedly and with a candor that made me feel very comfortable around them.

Lynne spoke at length about how funny and energetic Billy was in his youth. "He was a comedian," she said. He was also very musical, accomplished on both the piano and the organ.

Lynne fondly recalled her appearances in Billy's debut film, Asylum of Satan. In addition to her cameo as a nurse in the opening scene, Lynne was Sherry Steiner's stunt double for the 'snakes in the swimming pool' segment. She explained that the snakes were shipped in from California. It was her understanding that a stunt person would take Sherry's place in the pool. When the chips were down, Billy asked Lynne to stand in for Sherry and be snake bait. Lynne amazingly complied. She said the snakes were let loose in the water and immediately beelined toward her, looking for something to climb on to escape possible drowning. She shuddered with the memory of holding the live wet snakes.

The three of us chitchatted for a good span of time. Lynne invited me back to her house to look at some family pictures; an invitation I eagerly accepted. Her house was beautiful, filled with gorgeous furniture and many images of foxes … she even had a real bearskin rug! The photographs that decorated every room were magnetic to me. Pictures of Billy and his immediate family rested everywhere. Lynne and Gail guided me through every room, pointing out photos of particular interest. I snapped a few digital shots of photos framed under glass, though for some bizarre reason, I never asked to photograph the lush interior of the house or Lynne and Gail themselves!! I guess I was just overwhelmed by the steady stream of Billy photos depicting him through nearly every phase of his life.

The resemblance shared by Billy, his father Walter, and his son Brent was uncanny based on Lynne's photo collection. There were baby pictures of Billy, shots of him as a teenager in dapper military attire, photos of him sporting a funky 70s moustache, snapshots of Billy and his children - there was much to look at.

I could have gawked at Lynne's home for hours, but time grew short. Lynne offered to make me copies of several Billy photos that caught my eye. We agreed to meet up again the following day to swap pictures and videos.

Lynne dropped me off at Shawn's place just in time to jet off to the Baxter theater to watch a special private Asylum of Satan screening. Pat Kelly unearthed the print last year and Tobin was in charge of the showing. Tobin and the Brains on Film guys (Larry, George, and Joe) greeted Craig, Shawn, and myself. Tobin and the Brains posse had passed a little too much time away at a nearby bar, and were all fueled with beer and other pungent indulgences. I was on Cloud 9 as a result of my dinner with Lynne, thus I was prepped for a good time. A small but dedicated audience of Baxter friends and co-workers was in attendance.

(VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOT BEFORE THE SCREENING: MPEG MOVIE 1.3 MB)

The print itself had turned pinkish/red with age, but it still held great insight. Several new short scenes resided in this version, most notably in the opening credits. To my slight surprise, the long-winded Satanic speech Charlie Kissinger delivers at the end was noticeably shorter, while the scenes of Carla in bondage were played out.

I wish I'd taped more of the running dialogue offered by the audience members. There was some hysterical commentary throughout the film that never crossed the line in terms of being distracting or irritating. I think it's safe to say a fun, madcap time was had by all.

When the film ended, we broke for a bit while the gracious Baxter folks prepared to show a 70s trailer reel. The Rocky Horror Picture Show played nearby, which meant there were scores of goths prancing around in fishnets and drag. Craig and Shawn retired for the evening, so I joined Tobin the Brains on Film guys on a harebrained mission to investigate the infamous Kentucky Wild. For about ten minutes, I was wholly convinced we'd die or be arrested - and we never even left the parking lot!!

We regrouped and took in the fantastic trailer reel, which included numerous promo spots for Grizzly and Day of the Animals. It was 1 am when everything was said and done. George disappeared during the trailer reel (he left to pass out at someone's house), so the remaining Brains on Film deities dropped me off at Tobin's apartment and then headed back to Lexington.

Tobin popped in his Asylum of Satan video so we could compare a few scenes while the screened print was still fresh in our memories. Then we watched a bit of This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse before calling it a night. I walked home around 2:30 am, tossed on my jammies, and spent an hour or so scribbling notes before finally drifting off to sleep.