Samurai ghost haunts his family’s ancestral home.
Built-in 1500s… The family is loaning out many rare historical artifacts to Metropolitan Museum. Ms. Jones is a graduate student in Japanese art and history. She is assisting her professor in cataloging the items to be shipped. The Samurai ghost is an angry hostile entity, especially towards foreigners. He was wrongly accused of betraying his family and had to commit seppuku /hara-kiri too save his family’s honor.

The Samurai will not rest until he finds evidence to clear his name… all information about him was destroyed to wipe the shame from the family… it’s as if he never existed… there is a painting of several Samurai in battle, he is one of the subjects astride a white stallion in the foreground.

On her first day in the family home, Nancy is tired, but keeps working late into the night… she sleepily looks at the painting… walks over and stares at the Samurai on the horse, Nancy walks back to the swords… pauses, her hand reaches out to stroke the handle of a black Katana… her hand is slapped! “ Hey ouch!” A deep Voice in Japanese swears at her, then a pause the voice says “DO NOT TOUCH !!!… The girl looks around to see who just yelled at her…. nothing, no one is there…

A deep unfriendly laugh booms from the dark…Ms. Jones takes the sword out of the scarab,…even in the dim light the black sword seems to come alive and makes a singing sound as she pulls it free. A deep voice “Girl, do not touch that!” I’ll touch what I like, I don’t know how…” at that moment the Samurai appears directly in front of her, grabbing the arm holding the sword. “Girl,” “What do you think you’re doing? …Let go of me”…she cannot move, his grip is too strong, his other arm is around her waist… “Girl,” “You better let me go I swear I’ll report you for sneaking into this house… what are you, a dressed up as Samurai thief…” Her words really anger him… he pushes her down on the floor and takes the sword. She cannot move…some force is holding her down and she struggles to get up. The Samurai puts the sword back into its’ scarab (saya), gently sets it back into the display rack.

Slowly he turns walks over to her, kneels down, his nose is almost touching her nose…. “I am Hiroyuki – Suagawa son of Suagawa Hashiba head of our clan, he was a high ranking official to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.” The Ghost glares at her, in English says, “NO one touches my sword especially girls, get out!” Her eyes fill with tears, “I’ve worked so hard to get here and I can’t fail, this collection must be perfect or I’ll…Oh, you, you big bully.” The Ghost sees her tears, “Don’t do that…I cannot rest in peace until my name and sword are cleared.” “You help me clear my name, I’ll help you with your work.

March of 1969 held a major event in my life. Before I tell the story about meeting director Sam Peckinpah, you should know a bit about me.

One cold morning, sitting on a barstool in the Apacheland Saloon having a cup of coffee, waiting on the director and crew to set up for “The Ballad of Cable Hogue,” I listened to gossip about the director firing several people in Nevada, and that he had a bad temper.

Two men walked in and sat at the end of the bar to my right. One was a big fellow with wavy hair down to his shoulders, mustached and bearded—he looked like he’d seen better days. The other man was smaller, also bearded and mustached, and wore a bandanna on his head. I asked the big fella, ”What’s your name?” “Frank Kawaloski,” he smiled. “Are you guys with the film crew?” They nodded. I looked them over and said, “I hear the director is a Little Cesar and when he says jump, you ask how high?” The smaller man asked, “Do you want a shot of brandy in your coffee?” “Yes,” I replied, as it was freezing in the saloon. Frank  asked if I was afraid, and I said, “NO! That guy better not try pushing me or…” and I raised my little fist and shook it. Frank looked at the smaller man and said, “Do you see that SAM? You better behave, or this little girl will part your hair!” “Really? I’m Sam Peckinpah.” We stared at each other for a bit then I said, “Gotta Go”, finished my coffee, jumped off the barstool, and skedaddled.

Sam worked the crew to 3 AM. There was always tension on the set, but that night electricity was in the dry cold desert air. Sam looked at me and said, ”You walk by with that cowboy over there and be happy and gay.” “No, I’m tired, find somebody else.” Lucian Ballard looked at me pleadingly. “Ok”, I said, and picked a cowboy from our street shows, walked past the camera, turned, looked into the camera, and said, “Ha. Ha, Ha,” and kept walking. Sam softly said, “Cut… you, my dear are a rotten, rotten, Rotten actress!” “Do it again, Goddammit!” The second time I did do it perfectly. In the film.

At the barn where the wranglers kept their horses, one black horse was a true beauty. When I looked down the set, I saw Sam standing in the middle of the road giving orders to the crew. You’ve heard of road rage, well, I had horse rage. Before I knew it, I was up on that black horse leaning down his neck and said, “You see that man? He called me a rotten, rotten, rotten actress. Let’s kill ‘em.” I kicked that horse and we thundered down the road hell-bent for leather. Sam saw us coming, didn’t move a muscle, and just stood there. Luckily the horse was smarter than me, sidestepped at the last instant so that my leg hit Sam’s arm, and twisted him into the direction we were going.

Pulling up the horse, I looked back and saw Sam standing there looking at me with a Mona Lisa smirk on his face. I rode back to the barn and got yelled at by the wrangler.

The movie wrapped, the crew was packing up, and everyone started to leave. Sam came over to me and said, “Nancee, I hear you worked in hospitals, and, well, I tend to hyperventilate when stressed and can’t sleep. Would you stay with me and help me if I get ill?” Tilting my head sideways I said, “NO funny business, and just tonight.” “ We leave tomorrow. Go get your things and I’ll wait for you,” Sam turned and headed for his car. I walked and walked and walked around for maybe 30 minutes, thinking he’s going go. What was I thinking when I said “yes”? At night in the desert with no moon, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. It was very dark as I approached the Apacheland’s main gate, and there he was, waiting in the station wagon. Sam’s driver opened the door, I got in, and Sam grumbled, ”It’s about time.”

At the Inn, we went to his room, he took a shower and as he walked past me naked, I was surprised to see he had a nice physique. Meanwhile, I kept all my clothes on except for my jeans. I sat on the edge of the bed near the bathroom wearing my glasses and shoved a book in my face. “Put that light out and go to sleep”, Sam said. I put out the light and lay down on my left side facing his back. Sam turned toward me, and we were nose to nose. He looked deeply into my eyes and I looked back. I wanted him so much but froze like a hunted animal. Finally, he turned away and I wanted to die as if something had been ripped out of me; I felt so empty. Sam’s right arm reached behind, and he pulled me firmly to his back. He then took my right arm and wrapped it around him.

The next morning, we dressed and walked out to the parking lot. Sam looked at me. took off his bandanna and folded it into my hand. He left in his car and I was driven home.

“Treading Water” 

A Martial Arts Dramatic Romantic Comedy

Based on a true story that takes place in the world of Martial Arts. A woman overweight and depressed about her marriage is tired of defending herself against her in-laws. To cope she starts a Kung-Fu class and falls in love with the Asian instructor. She is frightened to leave the only home she’s ever had and must find the strength to leave her husband.

BERYL GOLDEN-ROUSH is a pretty childlike woman in her 40’s and overweight.  The story begins with her self-transformation.  Her journey starts when Marcus Wing, (Master of Kung Fu), rejects her and Beryl learns that his current girlfriend is pregnant.  Beryl leaves her platonic marriage of twelve years, divorces her husband, and then moves away from New York.  She heads for an uncertain future in San Francisco.  During a suicide attempt, Beryl is put on hold and cut off three times by a Suicide Hotline volunteer, who can not understand what the problem is, “…so you’re forty-something and employers don’t want you, so you have no money, so you have no job that pays you enough to live on.”  Beryl is given the name of a mental health clinic; the absurd situation actually makes her laugh. 

Beryl walks home through Japan Town, past the community center.   She hears this high-pitched yelling, and as she enters the center’s gym, her senses are assaulted by shouts, pounding bodies and the singsong snap of the bamboo Shinai (sword).  The warrior figures seem to dance about each other, then attack with explosive action.  This is what she needs to discipline her-self and to distract her from the never-ending ache.  She approaches Sensei (teacher) who tells her that she’s too old and too heavy for Kendo.  Beryl tells him defiantly, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Attraction builds between the Sensei and Beryl.  Fighting their feelings, Ichiro (the Sensei) tries to get her to quit, and Beryl just wants to prove herself as a Kendo Swords’ Woman; annoying him is frosting on the cake.  After an exhausting four-hour class, friction changes to a different kind of heat, and they fall in love.  Ichiro is asked to demonstrate his Kendo swordsmanship at a Martial Arts Tournament in New York, and Beryl accompanies him. Marcus confronts Beryl at the tournament [his girlfriend lost the baby and he is free]; she now stands between the past and the future.  She feared that Ichiro was a replacement for her past love.  She rejects Marcus’ marriage proposal, turns away, and moves towards a life with Ichiro. 

‘Puddletown Kids’

A group of kids working together change the fate of a small town headed for oblivion.  They battle an evil warlock, defy aliens, face impending doom, and use their combined talents to decipher ancient puzzles, riddles and maps.

“Trouble in Puddle Town”

Puddle Town was a major fishing village, but the fish are disappearing and the town is slowly loosing its other businesses and population.