Nosferatu's Unchained Melody
posted October 28, 2022 #
If I told you that there was an unbelievably poignant and riveting video of Nosferatu singing "Unchained Melody", would you be interested? Well, there definitely is and it's quite a sight to behold, to say the least.
The performance came about because the lead playing Nosferatu (Eric Lehning) was battling with a bout of colitis; a chronic colon disease that can result in fasting and, thus, weight loss. Despite the hardship, he was inspired to take on the performance as his gaunt physique was perfect for this absurd idea that had been floating around for years. That is to say, it's a wildly entertaining piece but it's also not without a bit of tragedy. Nosferatu himself was a bit of a tragic figure, so the backstory certainly augments the whole thing. Fortunately, I'm told Eric is recovering quite well and there's no need for grave concern.
The entire project is actually a collaboration between a group of friends that I've admired for a long time - the Lehning's and the Duensing's. Back in 2008, an indie film called Make-out with Violence was released; the result of years of collaboration between "The Deagol Brothers" and a group of musicians led by Jordan Lehning. This Nosferatu performance is, in my mind, a reunion of sorts.
As noted, Nosferatu himself is played by Eric Lehning - one of the writers of Make-out with Violence and singer for the band that would emerge from the movie's incredible soundtrack. The music is by Jordan Lehning - the composer of the films soundtrack and a marvelous songwriter in his own solo work. It was directed by Andy and Josh Duensing - Andy being one of the Deagol Brothers and Josh being an incredibly talented director on his own. The makeup is by Chris Doyle - another Deagol Brother - and is incredibly perfectly executed. The title design is by Jeremy Fetzer - a local musician and talented designer (no association with MOWV but still worthy of note).
That may all sound meaningless to you if you haven't been steeped in Nashville creative culture for 20 years but it's significant to me. It's great to see these folks all work together again and the results be so wonderful.
The performance came about because the lead playing Nosferatu (Eric Lehning) was battling with a bout of colitis; a chronic colon disease that can result in fasting and, thus, weight loss. Despite the hardship, he was inspired to take on the performance as his gaunt physique was perfect for this absurd idea that had been floating around for years. That is to say, it's a wildly entertaining piece but it's also not without a bit of tragedy. Nosferatu himself was a bit of a tragic figure, so the backstory certainly augments the whole thing. Fortunately, I'm told Eric is recovering quite well and there's no need for grave concern.
The entire project is actually a collaboration between a group of friends that I've admired for a long time - the Lehning's and the Duensing's. Back in 2008, an indie film called Make-out with Violence was released; the result of years of collaboration between "The Deagol Brothers" and a group of musicians led by Jordan Lehning. This Nosferatu performance is, in my mind, a reunion of sorts.
As noted, Nosferatu himself is played by Eric Lehning - one of the writers of Make-out with Violence and singer for the band that would emerge from the movie's incredible soundtrack. The music is by Jordan Lehning - the composer of the films soundtrack and a marvelous songwriter in his own solo work. It was directed by Andy and Josh Duensing - Andy being one of the Deagol Brothers and Josh being an incredibly talented director on his own. The makeup is by Chris Doyle - another Deagol Brother - and is incredibly perfectly executed. The title design is by Jeremy Fetzer - a local musician and talented designer (no association with MOWV but still worthy of note).
That may all sound meaningless to you if you haven't been steeped in Nashville creative culture for 20 years but it's significant to me. It's great to see these folks all work together again and the results be so wonderful.
