It was around this time that the movie bug really bit Joe, who urged several WTVT co-workers to become movie moguls and help make a low-budget drama titled "Willie's Gone." " 'Willie's Gone' was financed by WTVT employees who each pitched in $1,000," explains Larry. "Since there were ten employees, it was called 'Mix 10 Productions.' It was better than Joe's next movie, 'Satan's Children,' because it was more of a realistic drama. All the actors were local, and the production was pretty straightforward and went well, but the original ending was downbeatWillie gets killed. The test audience didn't like that so Joe had to re-shoot the ending to make it more positive. I played a redneck in the new endingI get killed by Willie. I guess that's a happy ending of sorts. Anyway, there was some kind of distribution problem and everyone lost their investment. Joe had a lot of bad luck that way. And what's more, if the management at 13 had learned about Joe's moviemaking, he might have lost his job."

In the meantime, Joe became the director of WTVT's morning program, "Breakfast Beat," with Ernie Lee, and "Pulse Midday," which later morphed into "Pulse Plus!" with anchor Scott Shuster. However, the movie bug bit Joe again in 1973. It was to be a horror movie called 'Satan's Children,' and this time Joe was determined not to lose his co-worker's hard earned wages.

"On 'Satan's Children,' Joe went it alone," explains Larry. "He created a fake corporation based in Miami to make it look more professional. Even the guy who lurked around the set who supposedly was a money man was fake."

'Satan's Children' was shot inside a hot, stuffy barn outside Gibsonton, and on location in the woods and swamps around Lutz. "We had lots of problems with bugs in the warehouse where our sets were," recalls Larry. "There was no air conditioning in there. He got the place from a friend at no charge. It probably would have turned out better if we'd spent the money to rent a place with air conditioning. The actors would be sweating in one scene and then appear dry in the next. On the locations, we had lots of problems with the sound and with airplanes flying overhead during takes."

One of the movie's most entertaining scenes involves two of the bad guys being trapped in pool of quicksand. The logistics of creating the scene still remain vivid to Larry. "I bought $150 of oatmeal for the quicksand. The guy at the store thought I was nuts. 'Why can't you use Rice Crispies? Why do you need oatmeal?' he says. I said 'cause that's what they orderedwhite oatmeal.' The pit we dug for the quicksand couldn't be too deep because we'd hit water or the sides would cave in. The place where we shot it was near a cow pasture. After we finished the cows got in there and had a feast. The owner had to keep his cows out of there in case they overate and got sick."