[piano intro] - [Announcer] This episode is a production of PBS North Carolina in association with the Z Smith Reynolds Foundation.

[upbeat music] - [Presenter] Join us as we uncover North Carolina's Creative Spirit.

Meet two talented brothers who craft Hollywood's most haunting special effects makeup... [monster laughing] [monster growling] - [Presenter] To an Eastern North Carolina community coming together to make art that celebrates home.

It's all on "My Home," coming up next.

[upbeat music] [lighthearted music] - [Narrator] All across the State, we are uncovering the unique stories that make North Carolina my home.

♪ Come home ♪ ♪ Come home ♪ [lighthearted instrumental music] [eerie music] - You know, my family had big-time Halloween parties growing up.

You know, I wasn't into sports like most kids at early age.

You know, we were into coffins and witches and caskets and goblins and ghouls, and I saw the world differently growing up.

We didn't have much of a social life.

So, the television was our social life.

And you know, our Saturday nights was spent watching late-night television with these black-and-white movies.

- They used to have, on the local TV station, a show called "Shock Theater."

They would run late at midnight, these old horror movies with Vincent Price and Lugosi, and just all those films.

So we were really fascinated.

We loved those movies.

- "The Monster" always appealed to me because they were picked on, or, you know, society was cruel to them because of who they were and the way they looked.

I think I felt sort of the same way, although it wasn't hideous, this monster, I related to all that.

And then, it evolved into trying to recreate these characters with whatever crude materials I had around the house.

- And we began doing our own makeups on ourselves.

We did home movies, makeup for friends for Halloween.

So that's sort of how it started.

And then, when we were in college at UNCG, a low-budget filmmaker came to the school looking for people to work on his movie.

- I got a part, of course, it's low budget.

They're like, "What else can you do?"

Well, I got a makeup portfolio.

We had never done a movie, but we had done a lot of makeup to that point.

So from that film, I then got a phone call to interview with David Lynch for "Blue Velvet."

Of course, I get to Hollywood and what do I become?

A Hollywood makeup effects artist.

[energetic music] - My name is Star Jones.

I am a film producer.

- My name is Dean Jones.

I am a film director.

Our home is Alamance County, North Carolina.

And this is our home.

[energetic music] [eerie music] - This tent was a donation from a funeral home.

[eerie music] - But this is where we sort of vet people.

They bring each group in here into the tent.

Sometimes they find something they don't know is here that they're definitely afraid of.

And then they have to come out.

[eerie music] - [Dean] The original "Hollywood Horror Show" began in 1989.

It was the only haunted house at that time that was running on a professional level.

We've incorporated a lot of props, a lot of makeups, and costumes from the movies we've worked on in our career.

My brother has built most all the sets here you'll see from his experience on-set building.

[energetic music] - [Dean] There's a lot of detail here.

You know, we will totally immerse people in what we do as filmmakers.

And so, with our experience, you get sort of a three-dimensional experience.

You get to feel like you're walking on a Hollywood film set.

You're walking in the middle of a horror movie.

- [Detective] Unfortunately, upon arrival at the crime scene, we found two decedents.

That means dead bodies.

[actor screams] [saw droning] There was so much I've learned working with, you know, big-time iconic Hollywood horror movie icons.

Tobe Hooper, if you don't know, he created and directed the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

And we were fortunate to work with him on "Toolbox Murders."

I directed the sequel for that called "Toolbox Murders 2."

Of course, Tobe had also directed "Poltergeist," which is also one of my favorite sci-fi movies.

Here in the museum, I think we have over 20 8-by-10 glossies and photos of some of the cast members I've worked with who've been a part of cinematic history.

These heads, this is from...

This one up here is from "Night of the Living Dead."

These are actually screen-used foam-rubber pieces.

Sid Haig was the A-list actor of that genre at that time.

He was amazing to work with.

This one's from "Day of the Dead," with Ving Rhames.

Here's the Dennis Hopper head that we blew up in "Blue Velvet."

Dennis gets shot at the head at the end of the movie and the head explodes out the back.

Yeah, so I've had the honor and the privilege over the last 35 years of my career working in Hollywood and to be able to bring production back here means a lot to me.

'Cause it means I could share the education that I've gotten off of being involved in production with younger artists who are just now starting.

- A lot of people, because we do the Haunted attraction, they think that we only do horror films, which is not true.

We've done probably about 110 feature films.

There's the "Pirates of Caribbean" movies, the "Star Trek" movies.

We've worked with Scorsese, we've worked with Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Richard Gere.

And that's one of the things, for our haunted house, we have a lot of kids and young adults who get their start with us.

They're now working in the industry, in theater and film that began their interest here.

And they realize, "Hey, the idea of me working in that industry is not so far-fetched."

So that's what I'm all about 'cause I know, [sniffs] you know, life is too short to live, not doing what you want to do and not have fun at it.

[gentle music] - Hello.

- Hello.

- What's your last name?

- Sorry.

- Yeah, we're prepping people for makeup.

We're getting people as they arrive, they get thrown into makeup and wardrobe to get ready for the show.

- Welcome to the chaos.

[laughs] Some moms get to be soccer moms.

Some moms get to be dance moms.

I'm a haunted house mom, so.

- Jack of all trades.

- Yes.

- You are.

You're amazing.

[indistinct background chatter] - [Star] That's my daughter down there.

She's been part of the show since she was very small.

She was an actor, now she helping doing makeup.

It's a family affair.

- Halloween is like my absolutely favorite thing ever.

I love it so much.

There's so much comfort that comes with Halloween to me because of all of this.

It was just a big part of my childhood and a big part of my life.

I begged my dad one day for like Career Day to come in and show the class what he did.

It was like fifth grade.

And he came in and he brought in like this zombie bust and he passed it around and it was so funny 'cause people were so grossed out.

But I mean, I've learned like things about how to make the appliances and stuff, I've learned about molds and like, I really can't describe how much I love it.

It's so cool and it's just so much fun how everyone can be something different and show their true colors with like Halloween costumes.

I thought we'd wanna make it crazy, you know, she's a crazy- - I think it was just to make it like gross-looking.

- Yeah, here we go.

[indistinct background chatter] [tense music] - Thank you all for being here.

It's gonna be a great Saturday night.

Most likely, all the people that were coming last night are coming tonight, which means our crowd will double.

You've got to make sure you've got some good hiding spots.

We've set the stage with music.

We've set the stage with sound effects and a set design.

Remember to stay in character, find the dark, don't scare 'em too long.

Disappear, you know, every Jason movie where you see him for a brief second, then he disappears.

It's now you see him, now you don't.

That's how you want to be as an actor.

[upbeat music] [coins jingles] - All right, I like to look out to the original "Hollywood Horror Show."

Please, do not touch our props or our characters.

Our characters have promised they will not touch you.

[upbeat music] [monster roars] [upbeat music] [monster evil cackles] [upbeat music] - $1.

[laughs] - One of the things that I'm most proud about this production is this is original work that you're gonna see when you come through.

- [Star] The original "Hollywood Horror Show," is really an experience.

It's not just a place where you go to get scared.

It's a place where you go to see things, you might not see in other places.

- Ah!

[monster laughs] - We want the customer to have an experience all the way through the show.

It's a constant barrage of terror.

That's the way it should be.

They pay good money to come here.

We're going to give them a treat.

[indistinct background chatter] [monster screams] - Hey!

[visitors screaming] [thunder rumbles] [visitors indistinct talking] [dramatic music] - Ah!

[screams] [visitor screaming] [dramatic music] [light clicks] - [Monster] Huh!

Huh!

- Dean and I both, we have such strong memories of Halloween growing up that really are important to me and what was like to be a kid, to have the excitement of the Halloween season.

Here at the show, we like to create those same memories for people so that they come back and experience something that means something to them that they wanna pass on.

That, "Hey, when I was a kid, I came there.

I really enjoyed it, had fun there, had a great experience.

I got to see my friends get scared."

- [Actor] Hey, Daddy.

- You know, and jump because that's the fun of it.

- You know?

- where are you going?

- It's become not only an Alamance County tradition but a North Carolina tradition.

[upbeat music] - [Visitor] You're gonna love Twist.

He's a real nice guy.

[Twist screams] [upbeat music] [monster screams] - Ah!

[hooter blares] Ah!

[everybody laughing] - You never know what a place like this means to people.

And that's one of the reasons we still do it.

- [Actor] Going fast.

- Urgh.

[screams] [everybody laughing] - [laughs] That's a wrap.

[upbeat music] - [Dean] There are many levels of success in a career.

[speakers indistinctly talking over each other] Success, for me, is this show and the happiness and joy it brings to people every year, - I will be back tomorrow.

[balloon bursts] - Perfect.

- And we can drink their blood together.

- [Videographer] Very good.

[energetic music] - [Dean] Being able to share my career, my imagination, and artistic skills has been a thrill.

People driving here and making it an experience, an event to do once a year as a family, as a couple, that's a huge success to me.

[upbeat music] - [Dean] They love what we do and they keep coming back and it's terrific.

[upbeat music] [spray can clacking] [Georges speaks in foreign language] [lighthearted music] [Georges speaks in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] - I think the Washington Project, it's extremely important in multiple levels.

This might be, or this should be the first step into this accepting art into the community.

I think it's extremely important to celebrate this because it represents the Latino population and like it or not, the Latinos in Beaufort County or North Carolina or the United States, they've been there and they're doing a lot of good work.

It's a lot of hard-working Latinos making a difference into the community, creating amazing things.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] - The point of this project is to show the Latino community that there are a welcome here in our community.

Also to teach others about different cultures throughout our community.

We are very excited about this and it's a great opportunity for the City of Washington to celebrate this mural.

- Growing up here and watching the community when I was a child versus being in my 40s now, and watching the community is completely different.

People have come in, we've embraced who everybody is.

We're learning about different cultures in the area and we're learning to actually ask questions.

And I believe this mural is a big piece of that.

'Cause when I'm with my family and we ride by that mural, somebody in my car is gonna say, "Hey, talk to me about that.

What does that mean?"

And when you start asking questions, is when you start learning?

[upbeat music] [Anai speaking in foreign language] [Anai continues speaking in foreign language] [lighthearted music] - Washington's a unique community with the river.

Our geography is probably, one of our number one assets, so that's kind of a different wrinkle.

Everyone's very welcoming.

Historically, Washington was a port city.

I think there was, you know, a lot of turnover, people coming and going, traveling from all over.

And I think that has made it throughout history, kind of a more welcoming community.

Everybody knows everyone, everyone kind of a sense of community, a real strong sense of community here.

Everyone looks after each other.

And then we started looking for funding or ways that we could improve our community outreach as a whole in regards to the community arts.

And we were able to obtain the funding with the ZSR Foundation to move forward with this mural project.

- The Latino community is a huge part of Beaufort County and it has been a huge part of Beaufort County for many years.

Fifth Street is a really, really busy street.

And to show that the City of Washington wants everyone to recognize the Latino community is super important.

So our role with the project as the Chamber of Commerce was to get community input from our businesses, from our locals, from our community, from everyone in the community, we actually went out and said, "What do you like?

What would you like to see?"

And we engaged all the business owners, no matter who they were, to have their input for this project.

[lighthearted music] [paper rustling] - For me, the whole process, I was really aware that this mural had to be inclusive and the way I painted it, I tried to bring people in using colors, patterns, words to make it as inclusive as possible while still, celebrating the Latino community.

[energetic music] - We did research and we asked community members and they gave us a list of words.

Family, agriculture, faith, food, music.

So they wanted to see this words in the mural.

[energetic music] In the bottom part of the mural, there's water.

And I'm paying tribute to the ocean because Beaufort County, the culture, the history, it's based on the ocean, the water, the rivers that are coexistent there.

So water is an extremely important part of the Washington area.

[energetic music] - I think art is important because it's a reflection of how we feel.

The purpose of art.

It has to question, it has to make you think.

Art has to question.

Art has to change a point of view.

Art has to educate.

And I think that's the definition of art.

It has to question or it has to move the viewer, not only make the viewer feel good.

[lighthearted music] [machine beeping] [engine droning] [spray can clacking] [Georges speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [energetic music] [Georges speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [energetic music] [Georges speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] - These are kids that worked on this and they feel part of the process.

Well, in 25 years, they're gonna be telling their kid, "Hey, that mural, I did that."

[energetic music] - Okay, three.

- [All] Two [speaks in foreign language] [everyone cheers] - I think that's really important that it creates such a strong community.

I think that, for me, probably was the biggest day of, definitely biggest day of public art that I ever done.

[lighthearted music] - I think it's very, very important to highlight the fact that they are a part of this community and I think the mural does represent that.

But not only that but the idea that the kids were able to play a part in that.

And then you have various cultures.

I know for our particular school, we incorporated African American, Latino, Era Caucasian, just so that we can make sure that there's that sense of diversity because we're all kind of living the life.

[lighthearted music] [Anai speaking in foreign language] [Anai continues speaking in foreign language] [Anai continues speaking in foreign language] [Anai continues speaking in foreign language] [Anai continues speaking in foreign language] [lighthearted music] - I think it's very frustrating sometimes as a person out in the world to kind of see so many differences when there are so much more similarities than the difference whether the difference is our skin or the difference is our language, like I think in the heart of us, we all want the same thing.

We want to live life to the fullest.

We wanna be happy, we wanna be healthy, and we wanna make sure that our family is okay.

[gentle music] - I think one of the biggest messages I would say is that you are welcomed here and that this city is for everyone.

As you drive by the mural and you read the words, perhaps you may not understand all of 'em, but the biggest one that I see says, "Viva La Vida," meaning, "Live your life."

I think as immigrants coming to the United States, a lot of us that are living within the city, at first, we felt like we were secluded.

I think with a mural like this that the city has enabled us to be able to be a part of, I think it opens a lot of doors for that integral part, which is building that community such as the Hispanic community.

I think this will allow them to partake more in city functions and feel welcomed and feel part of the city.

[gentle music] [Georges speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [Georges continues speaking in foreign language] [gentle music] [Georges speaking in foreign language] [gentle music] [Raul continues speaking in foreign language] [Raul continues speaking in foreign language] [Raul continues speaking in foreign language] [Raul continues speaking in foreign language] [gentle music] - For the Latino community, I want this mural to make them proud.

You know, ultimately that's what it is.

I want them to see this, that they belong somewhere.

I want them to be proud.

I want them to be happy who they are.

I want them, even if it's for a few seconds, I want their day to be brighter.

That's really important that I'm trying to give back to the community that I have given me so much throughout my life.

[gentle music] [upbeat music] - Join us as we celebrate 10 years of "My Home."

As we look back at some of our most iconic stories and where they are now.

[upbeat music] [wind wooshing] - The Kindred Spirit Mailbox was one of our first stories in the first season of "My Home," and it touched so many hearts and really captivated the audience.

Folks really love the magical nature of this hidden story of Frank Nesmith and his girlfriend Claudia, who built the Kindred Spirit Mailbox out of a piece of driftwood, and suddenly, people started coming and leaving their thoughts and deepest, innermost feelings on pieces of paper.

[wind wooshing] - We were the first digital-first series that we were very excited when the audience took hold of this and started sharing it with everyone across all the platforms.

And we saw, almost like a viral sensation with the story.

People would talk about how they would go to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox every year for summers with their families.

And so it really brought together a whole community from across the country that would share memories of vacationing at Sunset Beach.

[lighthearted music] - [Jenna] Hi, my name is Jenna.

I am 10 years old.

I live in Cleveland, Ohio.

I have been going to Sunset Beach for 10 years and my dad has been going here for 40 years.

[lighthearted music] - I think the Kindred Spirit is a perfect example of what we try to achieve with every "My Home."

There's a bit of an element of surprise.

You may know about the subject, but "My Home" is bringing something different underneath, maybe a different layer of story that you've never heard of a different character and something unique and special.

And we hope we'll continue doing that for the next 10 years.

[lighthearted music] - And even though Frank is gone, the legacy of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox still lives on through those who continue to journey there and write in their thoughts and feelings.

And that's what Frank would've wanted.

[lighthearted music] [wind wooshing] [lighthearted music] [lighthearted music continues] [lighthearted music continues] [lighthearted music continues]