TWISTED SISTER's DEE SNIDER: The Quintessential Update!

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider has posted the following update to the "Dee Speaks" section of his official web site, www.deesnider.com:

"VAN HELSING'S CURSE: VAN HELSING'S CURSE is a Widowmaker Productions production. 'Widowmaker Productions' is myself, Joe Franco, Al Pitrelli, and the guy who signed TWISTED SISTER, Phil Carson. It's a Halloween version of the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. We (Joe, Al and I) are performing on the record, but we will not be performing out with the live show. VAN HELSING'S CURSE is a production, an experience, a show — it is not a band. Even though what you will see is very much visually a musical entity. There's a string section which will be clothed in Ann Rice-ian goth wear, an electric session that will look like Edward Scissorhands meets Marilyn Manson, and a choral section which will look like druids. We will put out an album on Lava Records for release this fall/Halloween. We'll endeavor to not only provide an additional entertainment for the masses who want to extend their Halloween experience, but also to provide one of the first soundtracks for the holiday. It's the second-biggest holiday, and the fastest growing. Except for 'Ghostbusters' and 'I Put a Spell on You' by SCREAMING JAY HAWKINS there is virtually no real soundtrack for the holiday.

"It's not just originals, it's a lot of famous pieces. It's kind of mixed together. The opening we have right now is called, 'Tubular Hell'. It's 'Tubular Bells', mixed with some original elements. There are also fully original songs. It's dark and really cool and fun. When I came up with the idea I called upon my friends and business associates who I thought would get it and lend something to it. It's storyline based. There's a narration that goes through the album (which is being recorded now). There's a story being told. We're currently pitching a treatment for an animated special — dark animation. The show is very much a PG-13 show: it's for the masses, but definitely not for little kids. You know, dark animation along the lines of 'Spawn' or 'Batman Beyond' or some of these darker, gothic animations. We'll also be pitching another Halloween special, which will be an actual performance piece. I'm the writer and the creative force behind it. It will be billed as, 'Dee Snider presents VAN HELSING'S CURSE'. I'll be the main promotional arm as well, which will allow me, when they perform on (for example) 'Jay Leno', to sit down with Jay afterwards and talk about it. This fall you will see me doing radio and TV to promote the album. It will be too early to send out an actual touring entity, since people don't even know what it is yet, but during October this year at Universal Studios Orlando (in the Sinbad Theater),VAN HELSING'S CURSE will perform a 20-minute show, four nights a week, five times a night. It's going to be a pretty cool experience, because it's a visual and musical experience, but also we want the audience to be pulled into this thing. What's great about Universal is that we can take things to the next level.

"People are just embracing it. Everyone wanted to sign it. It's bizarre in this very slow time for industry-wide signings, we were fighting people off for VAN HELSING'S CURSE. So…it's happening!

"TWISTED SISTER: No new updates. We've got a few dates set up. There will be makeup and costumes. Keep an eye on TwistedSister.com for any further details.

"'House of Hair': 'House of Hair' is going stronger than ever. We've got 134 stations around the country and climbing. There's really nothing to say about it other than that it's doing very well.

"Morning Radio: I had a major, top-five market offer me a morning show, but it required that I move to that town. I'm adamant about not uprooting my family and moving. Radio isn't the only thing I do, so it's not like I have to go wherever the business is. Hopefully I will get a radio show that will allow me to work from home because I really enjoy doing radio.

"Writing: I have a new screenplay that I'm working on, an action film, but I stopped when I decided I had a bunch of old business I had to clean up before I get new business. I've been cleaning up all kinds of detail shit that I had to do so I can focus on it. I've outlined the whole thing and done my index cards. Once I get some research done, I'll start writing.

"Moving Music: This is a sort of behind-the-scenes project that Phil Carson and I have created, a record label called Moving Music. We have the exclusive license on a new technology called DVD+. The patent is controlled by Dieter Dirks, our old friend who produced 'Come Out And Play' and many SCORPIONS albums. It's the simple idea of taking one disc and putting the CD on one side and the DVD on the other side, and allowing it to play in either machine. Dieter came to me with the property, and I flipped. Phil and I licensed it and created a company with Dieter and his partner, and now everyone and their mother wants this thing. Album on one side, concert footage on the other side. Or: a compilation with your favorite songs on one side, the videos on the other side.

"SMFs: We played our last show in December. I still wouldn't be surprised if, somewhere down the road, a one-off comes up and it's not a TWISTED SISTER situation, and I put the call in to the boys. But it's essentially over. Right now it's inappropriate since I'll be working with TWISTED.

"'Strangeland II': I am at my wits end with the ongoing litigation to recover the rights from the bankrupt 'Shooting Gallery'. We can't get answers. It's a process that's taking its sweet-ass time.

"More Stuff... I've got some television things I'm working on, too. VH-1 Classics is re-starting 'Metal Mania', and they want me to host. Nothing is final, we're still talking about it.

"MTV did a show recently on 'Ultrasound' on rock stars' kids, and they did a whole piece on my son Jesse. My younger kids friends are all driving them nuts with how cute Jesse is. I hear Tommy Hilfiger is trying to get a hold of him to do some modeling. He's also going to work with Ric Wake's production team. They just produced the Kelly Osbourne record, and hopefully we'll soon see the first Jesse Blaze record.

"In January, in Orlando, there was a grand opening of 'The Vault', which is the Hard Rock Hotel and Café's museum. They invited a whole bunch of rock stars down for the grand opening, red carpet shit, and I went down with [my wife] Suzette. We had a nice time! We hung out with Slash and Duff, Brian Johnson, people from PANTERA, DISTURBED, Simon Kirk from BAD COMPANY, Little Steven from the E STREET BAND, Bo Diddly, Nikki Sixx. It was a real who's-who list. The interesting thing is that they've all caught up to me: they're mostly clean, sober, married and have kids now. So I'm now thinking about doing heroin! No, really, we're now sort of on the same page, so we had a nice time."