EXCELSIOR / SMH: Greetings Dan, and welcome to Spider-Man Hype!

Dan Poole: Thanks for the opportunity. You guys are doing an awesome thing with your web page . . .

SMH: When did you make THE GREEN GOBLIN'S LAST STAND and how much did it cost?

DP: Between October, 1991 and November, 1992. It cost about $400 (give or take 50 cents)

SMH: How long have you been a Spider-Man fan?

DP: Approximately 26 years. I have always been into Spidey. I was climbing as soon as I got out of the womb and haven't stopped since. Also the acrobatics and poses always struck me as incredibly dynamic, and when I started drawing at age 12, he was my first subject! The books always evoked such imagery in my head beyond what was drawn and I always thought I needed to express it to folks who didn't read comic books.

SMH: The actors, were they friends of yours?

DP: I scouted local community theater and thought Jimi Kinstle was perfect for the dual role (of Spidey). Allison Adams was the first blond that was excited about doing it. (Hence my first lesson in patient casting - no offense, Alli!) I desperately wanted someone else for Peter Parker, but no one could or would do what I needed in the costume, and I needed the audience to believe they were the same guy, so I gave it my best shot (as Spider-Man).

SMH: What did you hope to accomplish with Green Goblin's Last Stand?

DP: I had made 3 smaller live action Spider-Man videos up to that point. They were all intended as visual resumes to exhibit any and all the creative talents necessary to pull off 'ol web head on the screen. I wanted to be involved in the feature film more than anything. I had all but given up, what with the legal entanglements hamstringing it for so long. Then one morning in 1991 I see Stan Lee on "Good Morning America" talking up the project and announcing that JC (Cameron) himself was on board. I froze and my mother screamed at me for making us late for work. I realized that my best work had not even been shot yet. I went to my buddy Eric Supensky that night and told him he had to make me a Green Goblin mask, and off we went. I guess the short answer to the question is: A JOB!!!

SMH: What are your feelings about the current SONY film?

DP: My feelings about the current SONY film are the same as they have been about every other literary MARVEL adaptation to the screen, "DON'T F*** IT UP". (that's with a period, son.)

SMH: What do you make of the attention after all these years your film is getting now?

DP: Wild. Absolutely wild. With the obvious exception of the disdain and fury I hold for the parasites out there making a buck off of it, I find the attention to be not only flattering, but vindicating. (It should be noted that a few unscrupulous people have been "selling" Dan's film at various on-line auctions without his permission) Plus, e-bay specifically has forms you can fill out to protect your "intellectual property", which my lawyer and I are filing. As for Yahoo! Auction - they have (also) been informed.

SMH: - How long did it take to shoot the film?

DP: Too long. Collectively about one month of actual shooting. But with only so much actual cash and non-paid help and conflicting schedules . . . 14 months from adaptation to finished edit.

SMH: Where did you shoot it?

DP: It was shot in Baltimore (where no one would follow me onto Francis Scott Key Bridge to shoot, so I had to settle for a rooftop!) With no permits and a lot of passion.

SMH: What kind of video format did you use?

DP: It was shot and edited on regular VHS. I spent a summer moving office furniture to earn the money for my Panasonic PV-430 with digital effects, and then I was like a bull out of the chute. Between friends at Towson State University and the National Aquarium in Baltimore, I did the visual and soundtrack editing days and nights for weeks.

SMH: Why this particular Spider-Man story line?

DP: To get the attention of James Cameron (which never happened), I figured I better have the most dynamic action I could achieve. To this end I did storyboards for fight scenes with Venom, The Lizard, Craven, and the Green Goblin. The intent was just (to shoot) several minutes of a high-energy action montage, using all the characters. I also wanted to use the most significant (Spider-Man) battle I could find with each . . . well, I got all too into the Goblin/Spidey story once again and it wouldn't let me go! I read it over and over again, until I focused totally on telling that story and coming away with an action trailer as well. I just HAD TO SHOOT IT!

SMH: Were there any "Spidey" moments during shooting?

DP: Chris, let me tell you something: I will NEVER forget the day I got the Goblin and Gwen on that rooftop for the first day of shooting. And I know it's just a home video. I know its small time. I always knew it was a big gamble. I didn't care. I looked through that lens and saw the Goblin holding Gwen over the edge, and I got "Goosebumps". I turned to my cameraman and said, "Look what I've done." But he just didn't get it. You have to be a fan to get it. But I got it. It was cool and it remains cool to me.

SMH: Who made the costumes?

DP: Dear 'ol Ma (Bea Poole) made the first one and all repairs since, including the NEW one we're putting together. A friend at a local theater put the stunt one together as well as the Green Goblin's.

SMH: How many Spider-suits did you go through?

DP: Just two. There was one I was kind of attached to since I had been through so much with it! But the other had to be made to show the McFarlane styled "damage" a hero can go through!

SMH: And the props?

DP: Eric J. Supensky; a very close friend and exceptional artist, did that Goblin mask that I love so much as well as assisted in all R&D with pyrotechnics and web making (and was there for it ALL). Another friend at the same theater (Center Stage) made both Bat Gliders, and yours truly did EVERYTHING else as far as pumpkin bombs, life-size Gwen dummy, well, you name it!!!

SMH: Any future Spider exploits on the horizon?

DP: Actually, yes. A friend in New York has convinced me finally to do some current stuff and beef it up with some digital eye candy. Another friend in LA says that he may be able to get it in front of Sam Raimi, and I thought: "What the hell - I've come this far." I'm not sure I'm prepared to buy a ticket to see the Hollywood version of my boy without knowing I did everything I could to secure a spot within its creation. Somewhere.

SMH: What is Dan Poole doing these days?

DP: Since I stopped climbing cell phone antenna towers for a company 3 years ago I have been freelancing full time at a local production company. Mostly writing and producing local TV commercials, I also DJ on weekends and get involved in all kinds of event work around town.

SMH: How can "fans" see your film?

DP: Good question. I hope Marvel thinks so, too! Not that I think that an 8 year old home movie is worth clamoring over any more, but surely fans want at least a peek . . . Perhaps Spider-Man Hype.com can help with a solution. (At press-time I am working with Dan on getting the "fans" what they want.)

SMH: On behave of all of us here at Spider-Man Hype! Thanks for your time and for making such a cool film. Thanks Dan.

DP: Thanks Chris.

If you have any questions for DAN POOLE or would like to know how & when you can get a copy of the film please contact me EXCELSIOR and I'll pass it along to Dan. And if you missed it check out my review of the film.

Excelsior - www.spidermanhype.com

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