First off, I really don’t like Gyke as the Zodiac. But I do think that any and all leads should be followed up on until he can be 100% ruled out. A while back I was researching a 1969 movie called House of Zodiac and then happened upon another 1969 movie, this one was called Naked Zodiac. It was a short film by Ben Van Meter, who was well known amongst the hippie crowd in the bay area. Van Meter was an artist, an "experimental" psychedelic film maker (he made several short films) and he also filmed a lot of the hippie music festivals and he would use the footage for various things. Van Meter was a pioneer of the psychedelic scene in San Francisco, introducing his "light shows" at rock concerts at Fillmore Auditorium as well as the Avalon Ballroom. He created colorful images as well as using his own footage (of things such as protests and naked women dancing) at these concerts and he covered the entire venue with these things. The band was covered, the crowd was covered, the walls were covered etc. I was going to post a video of some of his work, but he must have deleted his Youtube channel which featured some of his short films and the S.F. Trips Fest. I’m a fan of this guys work, and if I were alive back then, I definitely would have been dropping acid with him!
Anyways, I think there is a pretty fair chance that Gyke was influenced by this guy. There were a lot of "up and coming" film makers and a lot of them seemed to have a little circle that they belonged to. I’m sure most or all of them loved Van Meter’s work. Perhaps a Gyke-o-holic (or Voigt groupie, whichever you prefer) can reach out to Van Meter and see if he knew Gyke. If anything else, everyone should still go to his website and read about his life. Very interesting guy!
Also worth mentioning is that Van Meter moved into a flat on Sutter Street (San Fran) in 1963, the same time that Fred Manalli lived on Union St. They lived half a mile-three quarters of a mile away from each other. Van Meter was a double major in Film and Poetry and graduated from San Francisco State (now San Francisco University), where his wife (ex-wife not long after) was an art student. Wasn’t Manalli a student there as well in 1963?
A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….
The Naked Zodiac movie was talked about ages ago at Tom’s, I think it was before Gaik was his suspect. I found an ad in the Chronicle for the movie back then. Funny, looking through the link you provided for Ben Van Meter, I didn’t see the movie discussed there at all. I guess down the road he wasn’t all that proud of the production!!
The link was interesting and I see he has an obligatory Manson related story. Everyone who was in San Francisco or LA around that time seems to have one. I am surprised though that he did not make mention of the Zodiac Killer, too. Have you ever contacted him to ask about the Zodiac Killer?
Here’s the ad from the Chronicle. December 19, 1969.
The bit at Van Meter’s webpage that talks about Kenneth Anger and Manson associate Bobby Beausoleil says that Van Meter did the light show for Kenneth Anger’s tribute to Aleister Crowley’s birthday is a bit off. Anger may have done a show that night, October 11th, but that is not the night that Anger had his film Lucifer Rising stolen.
To be fair, I would be hard pressed to remember what the heck I was doing very nearly 50 years ago. It just goes to show that memories are fallible and can’t always be depended on.
Van Meter’s company Northern American Ibis Alchemical Co. did do the light show September 21st the night that Lucifer Rising was stolen and Bobby Beausoleil’s band, The Magick Powerhouse of Oz, played there that night though it wasn’t a show to commemorate Crowley’s birthday. I have an original poster for that show, Van Meter’s light show is on the bill.
Excuse the glare.
Furthermore there was an article in the Berkeley Barb September 29, 1967 that reported about Lucifer Rising being stolen. Yes, I do see the hood that that person is wearing in the photo! Lot’s of Zynchro where the Family is concerned.
A guy that posts at my site says he has a suspect who has lived in Atlanta for the last 30 years and was a member of the Church of Satan and was good friends with Kenneth Anger. He won’t post the suspects name or anything about him though. I did e-mail Van Meter months ago, but he never responded. I wanted to talk to him about his work because I am a fan and I planned on asking him about the Zodiac Killer later on if we got a conversation going. It is a little strange that he never mentions Naked Zodiac on his site. I also wish I could contact anyone who worked on the House of Zodiac movie. Van Meter had nothing to do with that, but the main character was called "the Zodiac Killer" so I am very interested in that as well.
A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….
I’m not surprised you have a poster that has Van Meter’s company listed on it. I can throw out names all day and you will have something on them lol.
A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….
A guy that posts at my site says he has a suspect who has lived in Atlanta for the last 30 years and was a member of the Church of Satan and was good friends with Kenneth Anger. He won’t post the suspects name or anything about him though. I did e-mail Van Meter months ago, but he never responded. I wanted to talk to him about his work because I am a fan and I planned on asking him about the Zodiac Killer later on if we got a conversation going. It is a little strange that he never mentions Naked Zodiac on his site. I also wish I could contact anyone who worked on the House of Zodiac movie. Van Meter had nothing to do with that, but the main character was called "the Zodiac Killer" so I am very interested in that as well.
Knowing seagull, she is looking up the House Of Zodiac right now , that is too much of a coincidence !
One of the License plates I have for my poi was GA REBEL (Atlanta perhaps? )
Gyke was a "humanitarian" and probably knew many people from Calif. to Ireland , so there is a pretty good chance that he knew and even interviewed Van Meter ? We should look for that in the Good Times newspaper.
I found a few people that Gyke interviewed in Ireland when he was thought to be killing people here in Calif. I don’t think that he is a good suspect, he was a very interesting man who cared about helping people, from what I read in his many articles. The stuff about the police being disliked, was what a lot of people thought back then, the police were brutal to many people.
A guy that posts at my site says he has a suspect who has lived in Atlanta for the last 30 years and was a member of the Church of Satan and was good friends with Kenneth Anger. He won’t post the suspects name or anything about him though. I did e-mail Van Meter months ago, but he never responded. I wanted to talk to him about his work because I am a fan and I planned on asking him about the Zodiac Killer later on if we got a conversation going. It is a little strange that he never mentions Naked Zodiac on his site. I also wish I could contact anyone who worked on the House of Zodiac movie. Van Meter had nothing to do with that, but the main character was called "the Zodiac Killer" so I am very interested in that as well.
Ophion, do you have a link to his post?
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS
A guy that posts at my site says he has a suspect who has lived in Atlanta for the last 30 years and was a member of the Church of Satan and was good friends with Kenneth Anger. He won’t post the suspects name or anything about him though. I did e-mail Van Meter months ago, but he never responded. I wanted to talk to him about his work because I am a fan and I planned on asking him about the Zodiac Killer later on if we got a conversation going. It is a little strange that he never mentions Naked Zodiac on his site. I also wish I could contact anyone who worked on the House of Zodiac movie. Van Meter had nothing to do with that, but the main character was called "the Zodiac Killer" so I am very interested in that as well.
Ophion, do you have a link to his post?
http://zodiackiller.forumotion.com/t234 … om-georgia
He won’t even give me the suspects name in a PM, though.
I’m pretty sure House of Zodiac would have been written in 1968 or maybe early 1969. The main character was actually called the Zodiac Killer so that interests me quite a bit. I have emailed a couple guys named Gary Crutcher (writer of the movie), but have not gotten a response from either. But I don’t know if those email addresses were for the right guy.
Some info on House of Zodiac… http://zodiackiller.forumotion.com/t325 … odiac#1153
I also posted a thread about it here in the "Zodiac Media" section I believe.
Also worth noting is that Ben Van Meter lived close to Fred Manalli and they may have been at the same college at the same time. Nothing big.
A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….
A guy that posts at my site says he has a suspect who has lived in Atlanta for the last 30 years and was a member of the Church of Satan and was good friends with Kenneth Anger. He won’t post the suspects name or anything about him though. I did e-mail Van Meter months ago, but he never responded. I wanted to talk to him about his work because I am a fan and I planned on asking him about the Zodiac Killer later on if we got a conversation going. It is a little strange that he never mentions Naked Zodiac on his site. I also wish I could contact anyone who worked on the House of Zodiac movie. Van Meter had nothing to do with that, but the main character was called "the Zodiac Killer" so I am very interested in that as well.
Knowing seagull, she is looking up the House Of Zodiac right now , that is too much of a coincidence !
One of the License plates I have for my poi was GA REBEL (Atlanta perhaps? )
Gyke was a "humanitarian" and probably knew many people from Calif. to Ireland , so there is a pretty good chance that he knew and even interviewed Van Meter ? We should look for that in the Good Times newspaper.
I found a few people that Gyke interviewed in Ireland when he was thought to be killing people here in Calif. I don’t think that he is a good suspect, he was a very interesting man who cared about helping people, from what I read in his many articles. The stuff about the police being disliked, was what a lot of people thought back then, the police were brutal to many people.
A lot of good people STILL dislike police. I can’t stand ’em myself!! Good idea about looking through Good Times, I will do that very soon.
A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….
Not to get off topic too much, but there was also a DePalma film in 1974 called Phantom of the Paradise, same year as the Red Phantom letter, of course. I didn’t see this posted anywhere else and wasn’t sure if it deserved it’s own thread. I’m gonna post a thread now that I think about it because this has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071994/
And here is the House of Zodiac thread:
viewtopic.php?f=91&t=2713
A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….
