Nicholas Tana

Last updated

Nicholas Tana
Nicholas Tana.jpg
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Writer, director, actor, and musician
Known for Hell's Kitty
Website www.nicholastana.com

Nicholas Tana is a writer [1] [2] director, [3] actor, and musician best known for the Hell's Kitty movie and web-series.

Contents

Life and career

Before starting his own production company, Nicholas Tana was working at ESPN as an associate director in the international department. [4] [5] Nicholas Tana received much critical attention amongst the horror community through his Hell's Kitty TV Series, [6] about a writer whose love life suffers because of his possessive and possessed pet cat named Angel. [7] Nicholas Tana stars in Hell's Kitty alongside his real cat Angel, and some of the most notable actors in horror, which includes names like Adrienne Barbeau, Doug Jones, Michael Berryman, Courtney Gains, Lee Meriwether, John Franklin, Lynn Lowry, Bill Oberst Jr., Ashley C. Williams, Barbara Nedeljakova, and Dale Midkiff. [8] The film features a guest appearance by a Killer Klown courtesy of the Chiodo Brothers. [9] The Hell's Kitty comic-book series written by Nicholas Tana is based on Tana's experiences living with his very possessive cat named Angel, rumored to be possessed. [10] Hell's Kitty [11] features a host of horror icons often portrayed in parodies of the roles for which they are famous.

Nicholas Tana is also the writer, director, and producer of the sex-positive documentary Sticky: A (Self) Love Story, [12] in which he shared his nine years research findings about masturbation revealing how often an individual is involved in this activity in society. [13]

He is founder of Smart Media LLC, a production company, and New Classics Books, a publishing agency. [14]

Music and Composition

Nicholas Tana is a songwriter with over twenty published songs. He co-wrote the pop song Chainsaw Kitty with composer Richard Albert, which was featured in the Hell's Kitty soundtrack and was an American Tracks award winner. The Hell's Kitty Music Video features a host of well known horror icons who also appear in the Hell's Kitty web-series and feature film. [15] [16] [17] [18]

A musical version of Hell's Kitty was written by Nicholas Tana and produced by Smart Media L.L.C. and New Musicals Inc. where it was performed at the Broadwater Theater as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2019. The original songs for the musical were written and composed in large part by Nicholas Tana,  Alexa Borden, and Richard Albert and was based on the movie and web-series by the same name. [19] [20]

Discography

Up to May 2023 he has released following albums and singles. [24]

Albums

Album
Release dateAlbumNo. of tracksGenreLabel
2012Essential Vibe Collection, Volume 123
2018Hell's Kitty25

Singles and EPs

Singles and EPs
YearSongNote
2023Multicolored Spiked Umbrella
2023Ebb and Flow
2023See the Light
2022Hope PunkEP
2022Christmas Tree
2022Senor Pedro
2022Galactic Girl
2022Solo Song
2022Better Times
2022Gonna Kiss You
2022Rainbow Baby
2018Chainsaw Kitty

Filmography

YearTitleCredited asNotes
DirectorWriterProducerActor
2018 Hell's Kitty YesYesYesYes
2016 Sticky: A (Self) Love Story YesYesYesNoDocumentary [12]
2011–2015Hell's Kitty (TV Series)YesYesNoYes
The DirectorYesYesYesNo

Books

He has written a number of books, following are a few to mention. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venom (band)</span> British heavy metal band

Venom are an English heavy metal band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, Venom's first two albums, Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982), are considered major influences on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. Their second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the black metal genre; as a result, Venom were part of the early wave of the genre, along with Mercyful Fate and Bathory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherie Currie</span> American musician, actress, and woodcarver (born 1959)

Cherie Ann Currie is an American singer, musician, actress, and artist. Currie was the lead vocalist of the Runaways, a rock band from Los Angeles, in the mid-to-late 1970s. She later became a solo artist. Currie and her identical twin sister, Marie Currie, released the album Messin' with the Boys in 1980 as Cherie & Marie Currie. Their duet "Since You Been Gone" reached number 95 on US charts. She is also known for her role in the 1980 film Foxes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Burns</span> American actress (1949–2014)

Marilyn Burns was an American actress. She was known for playing Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper's horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which established her as a scream queen and a catalyst of the final girl trope. She was involved in two more films of its resulting franchise: a cameo in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995) and a supporting role in Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013). In 2009, she was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame at the Phoenix Film Festival.

<i>Killer Klowns from Outer Space</i> 1988 film by the Chiodo Brothers

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a 1988 American science fiction comedy horror film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only film written and directed by the Chiodo Brothers, who also created the practical effects and makeup. It concerns evil extraterrestrials who resemble clowns arriving on Earth and invading a small town in order to capture, kill and harvest the human inhabitants to use as sustenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sufjan Stevens</span> American musician (born 1975)

Sufjan Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ash Williams</span> Fictional character

Ashley Joanna "Ash" Williams is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Evil Dead franchise. Created by Sam Raimi, he is portrayed by Bruce Campbell and is the only character to appear in each entry of the series, including a post-credits and audio cameo in the 2013 and 2023 soft reboot films, respectively. Throughout the series, Ash faces off against "Deadites", evil creatures possessed by the ancient evil of the Kandarian Demon. Ash, since his debut, has been considered a cultural icon and an iconic horror hero. In 2008, Ash was selected by Empire magazine as the 24th greatest movie character of all time, and in 2013, was voted by Empire as the greatest horror movie character ever.

Sheri Moon Zombie is an American actress, model, dancer, and fashion designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sid Haig</span> American actor (1939–2019)

Sidney Eddie Mosesian, known professionally as Sid Haig, was an American actor. He was known for his appearances in horror films, most notably his role as Captain Spaulding in the Rob Zombie films House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects and 3 from Hell. Haig's Captain Spaulding, and Haig himself, have been called icons of horror cinema. Haig had a leading role on the television series Jason of Star Command as the villain Dragos. He appeared in many television programs, including The Untouchables, Batman, Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Star Trek, Get Smart, The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team, MacGyver, and Emergency!. Haig also had roles in several of Jack Hill's blaxploitation films from the 1970s.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (2003 film) 2003 slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel, written by Scott Kosar, and starring Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, and R. Lee Ermey. Its plot follows a group of young adults traveling through rural Texas who encounter Leatherface and his murderous family. It is a remake of Tobe Hooper's 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the fifth installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Several crew members of the original film were involved with the project: Hooper and writer Kim Henkel served as co-producers, Daniel Pearl returned as cinematographer, and John Larroquette reprised his voice narration for the opening intertitles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Beltrami</span> American film composer (born 1966)

Marco Beltrami is an American composer of film and television scores. He has worked in a number of genres, including horror, action, science fiction, Western, and superhero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Reedus</span> American actor and former model (born 1969)

Norman Mark Reedus is an American actor and former fashion model. He made his acting debut in the 1990s, starring in the role of Murphy MacManus in The Boondock Saints, followed by supporting roles in successful box office films 8MM,Blade II, and American Gangster. Reedus rose to prominence for his portrayal of Daryl Dixon in the hit AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead (2010–2022). Regarded as one of the show's most popular characters, he has starred in his own spin-off series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, since 2023. Reedus is the host of the AMC show Ride with Norman Reedus (2016–present). He has modeled for various fashion designers, including Prada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie White</span> Main character from Stephen Kings Carrie

Carietta N. White is the title character and protagonist of American author Stephen King's first published 1974 horror novel, Carrie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leatherface</span> Main character in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series

Leatherface is a character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. He first appeared in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as the mentally disabled member of a family of deranged cannibals, featuring his face masks and chainsaw. Created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, Leatherface was partially inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein, in addition to confessions by serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley. The character has subsequently been represented in various other media, including novels, video games, and comic books; appearing in all nine films in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Leguizamo</span> American comedian and actor

John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced various television projects. He has also written and performed for the Broadway stage receiving four Tony Award nominations for Freak in 1998, Sexaholix in 2002, and Latin History for Morons in 2018. He received a Special Tony Award in 2018.

<i>Evil Head</i> 2012 American film

Evil Head is a 2012 American pornographic horror comedy film written and directed by Doug Sakmann, and co-written by Joanna Angel. It is based on the 1981 horror film The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jump scare</span> Technique in media to surprise viewers

A jump scare is a scaring technique used in media, particularly in films such as horror films and video games such as horror games, intended to scare the viewer by surprising them with an abrupt change in image or event, usually co-occurring with a loud, jarring sound. The jump scare has been described as "one of the most basic building blocks of horror movies". Jump scares can startle the viewer by appearing at a point in the film where the soundtrack is quiet and the viewer is not expecting anything alarming to happen, or can be the sudden payoff to a long period of suspense.

Sticky: A (Self) Love Story is a 2016 documentary and comedy film by Nicholas Tana that attempts to explain why most people are afraid to discuss masturbation. The movie is one of the first documentaries to address the myths and social taboos around masturbation. The trailer for Sticky: A (Self) Love Story was selected as top trailers of the week by IndieWire.

Hell's Kitty is a 2018 American comedy horror film based on a web series and a comic book of the same name, which aired during 2011-2015. The web series is said to be based on the true life events of the writer, director, Nicholas Tana's real-life experiences living with his strange cat, Angel. Hell's Kitty makes its musical theater debut at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2019. The musical features the American Tracks award winning song Chainsaw Kitty.

Richard Albert is a German composer and songwriter.

Keith Thomas is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and author. He is best known for directing horror films such as The Vigil (2019) and Firestarter (2022).

References

  1. Tana, Nicholas (2013). Hell's Kitty. Createspace Independent Pub. ISBN   9781484984994.
  2. Tana, Nicholas (2019). The Kitten, the Cat, and the Apple. New Classics Books. ISBN   9781950033041.
  3. "Films directed by Nicholas Tana". letterboxd.com.
  4. "Meet Nicholas Tana and Denise Acosta of Smart Media – Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". July 17, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  5. "Nicholas Tana". IMDb.
  6. Decker, Sean (November 10, 2012). "Hell's Kitty Creator Nicholas Tana Chats About a Possessed Pussy". Dread Central. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  7. C, Luiz H. (February 26, 2018). "[Review] 'Hell's Kitty' Awkwardly Lives up to Its Premise". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  8. "Nerdly » 'Hell's Kitty' Review" . Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  9. Barkan, Jonathan (February 21, 2018). "Exclusive: Killer Klowns Live On in This Hell's Kitty Clip!". Dread Central. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  10. Mlynar, Phillip (June 10, 2014). "We Chat with the Creator of "Hell's Kitty," a Show Starring a Cat Named Angel". Catster. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  11. "Hell's Kitty". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  12. 1 2 Sharf, Zack (January 26, 2016). "Watch: Exclusive 'Sticky' Clip Uncovers a Defining Moment in Masturbation History". IndieWire. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  13. "Director Nicholas Tana Breaks Down The Taboos Of Masturbation In 'Sticky: A Self Love Story'". February 3, 2016.
  14. Tana, Nicholas (September 19, 2023). eJunky. Scout Comics. ISBN   978-1-63969-181-4.
  15. McNeely, Kelli Marchman (February 12, 2018). "Music Video For 'Hell's Kitty' Unveiled Ahead Of Its March Film Release". horrorfuel.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  16. "Scratch A Beat With This HELL'S KITTY Music Video | popgeeks.com". February 15, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  17. Bond, Nick (February 16, 2018). "Watch New Music Video for Horror Legends Filled 'Hell's Kitty' Titled "Chainsaw Kitty"". Dark Universe: Horror Database. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  18. ""Chainsaw Kitty" Is the Hilarious, Must-See Music Video For The Upcoming Hell's Kitty". Yell! Magazine. February 13, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  19. "HELL'S KITTY: The Musical Brings Hell Cats, Comedy, And Song To The Hollywood Fringe Festival". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  20. "New Musicals, Inc. Presents HELL'S KITTY: THE MUSICAL". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  21. "September 2018 results & winners". American Tracks Music Awards. October 2, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  22. "February 2019 results & winners". American Tracks Music Awards. March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  23. "August 2019 Official Competition". Paris Art and Movie Awards. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  24. "Nicholas Tana". Spotify. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  25. "inauthor:"Nicholas Tana" - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.