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The Making of Raiders of the Living Dead

Scott Schwartz & Tim Ferrante
Lou McMahon & Sam Sherman

Raiders of the Living Dead was an experience I will never forget. If there was ever a time in my life when I should have kept a diary, it was during the filming of this movie.

The color photo is of myself and the star of the film, Scott Schwartz. Scotty is probably best known for his famous scene in A Christmas Story, for it is he, as the character "Flick", who gets his tongue stuck on a pole in the schoolyard. You may also remember him as the miserable brat who played opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in The Toy. This photo was taken on August 7, 1985. He's holding one of the two prop laser guns used to shoot zombies. Scotty and myself were always messing about and we became friends during the shoot. I had already known his Dad, Danny Schwartz, from the various NJ film collector shows we all attended, but this was the first time I got to know Scotty. The Schwartz family are wonderful folks who moved from New Jersey in the late 80s and now reside in Southern California.

I shot the black and white photo the day before on August 6, 1985. On the right is the film's director, Sam Sherman, with his good friend Lou McMahon. It was the first morning of the "second shoot" for Raiders. Lou McMahon wasn't working on the picture, but he certainly was qualified. One of Lou's B-movie credits is as camera operator on the amazing I Spit On Your Grave.

Sam is one of the nicest, most talented and genuine people I've known. His sense of humor is second to none. He enjoys a photographic memory. Ask Sam about something that happened 25 years ago and he'll recount it as if it were last week. If you're lucky enough to befriend him, my advice is that you stick around. He is a brilliant individual; I will always admire him.

Hope to add more here, but this is enough for now. And do me a huge favor, don't be a knucklehead and steal these images. They're the property of Independent-International Pictures and are fully copywritten.

email Tim Ferrante and you'll be granted a wish (in the year 2099)