Michael A. Hoffman first caught my attention back in 2008, when he directed the very suspenseful horror film “Reunion of Terror”. Two years later, he would return with his homage to 80’s camp horror film “Spring Break Massacre”. Today, he is here today to talk with me about his latest film “Girls Gone Dead”, which is currently in stores courtesy of E1 Entertainment.
Michael A. Hoffman: Well, “Girls Gone Dead” is more of a throwback to the T+A comedies of the 80’s more than anything else. It’s about a girl, Rebecca, who’s raised by her ultra-religious mother (we were satirizing “Carrie” here a bit) that is home for her first Spring Break from college. She kind of escapes her mom and ex boyfriend to head to a supposed party town near Daytona Beach called Manatee Creek. While there, she meets up with her old high school cheerleading squad for a long weekend of debauchery. The girls then run into some guys at a bar (my favorite scene in the film), one of whom wants to be a camera man for Crazy Girls Unlimited - a topless video company owned by Sal Governale of Howard Stern (Beetlejuice plays his camera-man). However - before the guys head to Daytona - they stop over at the girls’ house for a private video session/pool party - and, unbeknownst to them, a killer who has shut down the Crazy Girls Party has now zoned on their festivities.
It’s very tongue in cheek (or tongue through cheek - depending on how you look at it).
AT: One of the things that I’ve heard about the film was that this was originally supposed to be the sequel to “Spring Break Massacre”, which is an earlier film of yours. How did the story and concept evolve into “Girls Gone Dead”?
MH: Quickly. LOL. I had pitched the “Girls Gone Dead” concept to the executive producer, Paul Tarnopol, before we started pre-production on a sequel/reboot of “Spring Break”. The original concept was to make a small film to get acquainted with the South Florida film community (I directed “Spring Break Massacre” in Illinois and “Reunion of Terror” in Los Angeles - despite being from Florida). However, less than 2 months into pre-production, Paul decided to add in some elements from my concept for “Girls Gone Dead” into the script. It changed everything - and we had to start from scratch on hires/crew/equipment because it raised the film from micro to low budget. Not to mention, re-write a large majority of the script. However, I’m glad we did - because I was able to turn in more of a comedy/homage than straight horror picture (I’ve been dying to do a spoof!).
While this film doesn’t execute the full idea of the initial “Girls Gone Dead” concept; it retains a LOT of the vision; and there’s some very funny stuff in it. I consider it “Slumber Party Massacre” meets “Piranha 3D” meets “Club Dread” meets David Lynch. It became a VERY weird fucking movie!
AT: The film is also written by Meghan Jones, who also happens to be your wife. What was it like working with her during the screenwriting process and on-set during the making of the film?
MH: Interestingly enough; Meghan and I worked for months together on the script, with my partner, producer Ryan Dee - and it was a blast. We had a LOT of fun satirizing cliches - and wrote in a lot of subtleties I’m worried may go over peoples heads (she’s very clever like that - and is also very adept at writing dialogue for girls). The cool thing about writing with Meg is; no matter how cheesy my idea - she usually buckles and throws it in there (though she’ll tame it down a bit).
However - she’s a full time veterinary technician - and was only on set one day of shooting - so I can’t really answer part two of your question.
I will say; it’s always great when you go to your wife (or fiancee at the time) - honey - we need more tits in this scene, don’t you think? And she’ll agree :-)
AT: I’ve always wondered what goes on in an auditioning process, when nudity is involved. What was the auditioning process like trying to find actresses that were willing to go topless?
MH: We had a casting agent, the legendary Brad Davis (The “Porky’s” movies; “Police Academy 5”) - so he got the movie and the tone right away. He understood the nudity in the film is playful (there’s no sex scenes); and ran ads to find the best girls possible in Florida (we cast in Miami and Orlando).
As far as the reads went; it was always a shame when there’s someone PERFECT for a part; but won’t show the goods. Sometimes we were ready to drop the topless scenes for a certain read; but that took away from the movie’s charm (it is an homage to the 80’s after all - which was, in all aspects, a funner more care-free decade when it came to T+A in low budget feature films) and we held to our guns. We were very lucky to have assembled the cast we have; as there were many stand outs in the pack (a few were first timers). I think we were all VERY excited to have an experienced actress with a bit of a following take one of the leads (Caley Hayes - who plays the air-headed Kelly - has a large, sexy supporting part in “Sex Drive”).
It only gets uncomfortable when, during the casting, you HAVE to ask them to show the goods. If they won’t do it there - they won’t do it on set. And usually; I’m the most embarrassed one.
AT: The film features cameos from 80’s scream queen Linnea Quigley, WWE hall of famer Jerry “The King” Lawler, Porn actor Ron Jeremy, Bettlejuice and Sal the Stockbroker from the Howard Stern show. How did these cameos come about?
MH: Well; I’ve known Linnea for years (she was in “Spring Break Massacre”) - and I was itching to work with her again. I really wanted her to be able to have fun; and we wrote her a ridiculous character (complete with intentional fake accent - when you see you’ll know what I mean) she could sink her teeth into (hell - she sings). She’s a sweetheart and I love her to death! Ron Jeremy came from one of our make-up artists, Shelby McIntyre (who also was a writer on “Bloody Bloody Bible Camp” - out this week - fucking awesome). The executive producer, Paul Tarnopol knows a lot of the Howard Stern crew. Apparently, back in the day, he was set to produce an album of covers sung by Hank The Angry Drunken Dwarf. Paul left him a deposit and then Hank died - so Paul was out of luck. True story. However - things were better here and Beetlejuice and Sal the Stockbroker survived the shoot. Paul also produced some wrestling DVD’s and had a connection with an agent, hence “The King” appearing the movie (I’m a big Andy Kaufman fan - so that was truly an honor). A few names you didn’t mention - Nicko McBrain, the drummer for Iron Maiden, came on from Rob Roy (whom I work for at Bongiovi Entertainment). Rob operates Power Station Studios in South Florida and has worked with Nicko in the past. Shawn C. Phillips had reviewed two micro budgeters I directed (“ROT: Reunion of Terror” and “Spring Break Massacre”) - and dug them - so he expressed interest in working with us. Meg, Ryan and myself wrote the role for him exclusively. Ryan Keely (a Penthouse Pet and adult film star), who plays one of the lead roles, came from my co-director Aaron Wells.
AT: In a follow up, what was it like working with each of these people?
MH: Hmmmm. Well - Beetlejuice is a riot. He’s also a lot sweeter than I expected. Sal was a pleasure - he turned out to be a generally great and very funny guy. Jerry Lawler had wonderful stories to share (I put his interview on the “Girls Gone Dead” DVD - as well as Nicko’s); and Ron Jeremy is one of a kind. He’s a lot funnier than you’d expect. The nicest guy was Nicko McBrain, I’d have to say (what a true English gentleman - and a damn talented drummer - one of the greatest EVER). However, one name I didn’t mention in the above answer was Al Sapienza, who plays the retired sheriff in the film. He played Mikey on “The Sopranos” (you may also recognize him from “Saw V” and “Prison Break”). Man, is he a talented actor - and a true joy to watch.
AT: I would not be remised if I didn’t talk about the film’s main cast. They were very fun to watch, as I had a fun time with this film. How did the main cast come about and can you tell us about them?MH: Well, as I’d mentioned above - Brad Davis was our casting agent. He helped secure most of the girls. Caley Hayes came from him (who was perfect for Kelly); as did Krysyna Ahlers (they both flew in from Los Angeles - as they where one time South Florida locals). We were so nervous about asking Krysytana to perform her role (when you see the film - you’ll understand why) - but she did so with true professionalism. We found Shea Stewart (who plays Missy) at an audition in Orlando. While I hate to play favorites; she just blew me away in her audition and is literally like hanging out with one of the guys. Our lead, Katie Peterson, made her debut performance in this film (she was later in “Step Up: Revolution” and the sequel to “The Collector”). As I’d also mentioned, Ryan Keely; who plays the slightly bi-curious Jessie came from Aaron Wells. The final girl, Brandy Whitford, who plays Mandy (Rebecca’s best friend) was a supporting actress in a very cool slasher flick called “Beware” that Ryan Dee and myself had worked on in 2009.
AT: Another thing that I’ve noticed, this is the first time you’ve shared directing duties with another person. What was it like directing a film with a partner compared to directing a film by yourself?
MH: Wow. That’s a tough question. In all honesty; with our deadlines and limited pre-production (less than 3 months) - I NEEDED someone to help me out. Aaron never stepped on my toes; and was willing to lend all the direction to talent while I worked with the camera department. Of course, he’d give his input on camera as well (and vice versa) - so it was an easy marriage. It really wasn’t too much different than anything before, because while there is always one vision on a film; it requires a team to get it done.
AT: I’ve also noticed from your two previous films there was hardly any nudity compared to “Girls Gone Dead”. What was it like co-directing all these topless scenes?
MH: I’d love to say fun - but, not to sound like too much of a shrew - I rarely ever noticed! All the girls were objects in the frame; and the nudity was just part of our job as filmmakers and talent. To be honest; it was when I was going through the dalies that I first noticed they were naked on set (I kid you not). Ask anyone - when I get shooting, I get into the zone!
AT: The shooting process must have been fun to shoot, as it translates very well on screen and you see that in the performances. What was the production like for this film compared to your other films?
MH: Well, first off - While I SUPER appreciate the opportunity - the majority of the shoot was just anything but fun. It was a VERY small film (with high aspirations) - that included lots of people on camera. I slept very few nights; and would live with my head buried on the monitor (about half was shot one camera - and I had to be a stickler for continuity to get it to cut). There were also many freezing cold conditions that made it uncomfortable for cast and crew (check out the Making Of on the DVD); and we had some severe time windows with the celebrity talent with no chance for re-scheduling or re-shoots. This film took about 45 days to shoot; which is more than the last 3 features I directed combined(!). Not to mention; there was a lot of stunt work (live burn; balcony falls; high jumps; fight scenes) that always had me so nervous on set - I could barely watch the monitor when they were going down (special thanks to Chris Hadley - our amazing stunt coordinator for making it all go down so smoothly and without incident!).
This really was nothing like the other films I’ve directed; blocking things for 30’ cranes; Steadicam; process trailer; etc. were all new experiences. While I can’t say I did everything right (I made a LOT of mistakes along the way); it was a hell of a learning experience.
AT: This film had to have had some crazy stories on the set. What were a couple of those stories that you can recall?
MH: Hmmm...I don’t want to sound like a sell out here - but the funnest story is on the DVD as a special feature. It involves Sal, a pair of scissors, a bucket of chicken and Beetlejuice. Enough said!
AT: I’ve recently managed to listen to the film’s commentary track. One of the things that I’ve noticed in commentary track on the DVD, the original cut’s running time came in over two hours. What was the editing process like considering that you had a lot of footage?
MH: Tricky. So tricky. It was a matter of literally dropping a line here that didn’t sell; or a joke that didn’t play out - or even entire scenes. Hell - half of the scenes in our buyers’ reel are missing in the final edit. Essentially; despite what I’ve read from some critics; every scene left is out of importance. The A story with the girls is very clever how it plays out - and I wanted to do the script justice. We wanted to ensure the characters were developed; as was what turns out to be the weapons for the Final Girl; as well as the layout of the property for the conclusion (the film has a HUGE 25 minute climax). It was during this process I decided - “Look. This film has Beetlejuice; Jerry Lawler; Ron Jeremy and Nicko McBrain. No one’s expecting a horror picture.” Ryan Dee and myself made the choice to drop a LOT of the atmospheric shots and make it a comedy with lots of gory scenes. I don’t think we were ever going to scare anyone; though I left in some jump out of your seat moments.AT: The film has a killer soundtrack that features bands like Amber Pacific, A Day to Remember, Hawthorne Heights and more. What was it like to get he rights to use their music for the film?
MH: Not too hard. First off; I have to give a shout out to our amazing VFX artist Benjamin Budzak (who not only did a large majority of the effects inserts - but the kick-ass opening and closing titles sequences). I had worked with Ben in L.A. a few years ago when I was an editor on the feature “Forget Me Not” (that job got me my career essentially - it landed me a card in the editor’s guild). He had connections with Victory Records (he did some still photography for them) that were beyond kick-ass. Matt from Victory was more than accommodating (despite our budget limitations); and saw the bigger picture in the project. He was willing to work within our price range to help our small, local Florida film score some major artists!
Some of my favorite bands are featured in the film as well, like the Planet Smashers. They (along with artists The Creepshow and The Brains) came from Stomp Records, who I’d used in the past for another project. Wonderful, eclectic record label with so many good artists! (I’m a huge Streetlight Manifesto and Catch 22 fan).
Splack Pack (“Shake That Ass Bitch”) and many of the incidental pieces of background jazz/bar music came from and/or were negotiated by the executive producer Paul Tarnopol.
Because I work for Bongiovi Entertainment (yes - THE Tony Bongiovi who produced The Talking Heads; Ramones and, of course Bon Jovi) and Avalon Recording studios; we were able to find some great local artists to fill out other key parts of the soundtrack - like Nine Trey Hooch and Dynamic Destony.
The score was done all in house (on no budget) by my long time friend Ryan Copt (who did an amazing job) - and our sound mixer, Joseph Butera III, did the dub-step for the interior house fight scene (awesome!). Joe’s long time music partners Jim Wells and Joseph Beaty filled out the rest of the incidental rock pieces.
AT: “Girls Gone Dead” is being distributed in US by E1 Entertainment, which has distributed horror films such as “Suck”, “Night of the Demons (remake)” and William Malone’s “Parasomnia” in the past. To me, this is step up in distribution compared to your other two films. What was it like to having your film being distributed by a well know company and can you report the success of the film so far?MH: When we landed E1 (thanks wholly to the executive producer, Paul Tarnopol); I had never been as excited. What an honor! This is a very small, independent regional film from Palm Beach County that has now secured distribution alongside the ranks of the titles you mention above (in which - I own all of them). I know since we released - we are FAR and away the #1 independent movie on Amazon (hitting #2 in overall horror for two straight days) - which is an amazing accomplishment. Many thanks to the cast and crew for this achievement!
As far as sales; I’m not sure on numbers - but they have to be better than anyone was expecting. I just hope the general public can just lean back; relax and appreciate the amount of time and care we put into this little film to ensure it contains ample laughs; nudity; gore and silly situations (not to mention big camera moves for this size of film). It was never meant to be mind blowing; but I swear - if you look deeper - it’s a lot smarter than it lets on and everything has a relevance.
I am proud to say; we are in-store at such fine location as Family Video; Hastings; Best Buy; FYE and more! That's a VERY difficult task in today's market - in which brick-and-mortar stores are disappearing.
AT: One final question, what is next for you?
MH: Temporary (or permanent) retirement from directing. I’d like to sit back and see how the film is digested; and how it performs. This really was a hell of an undertaking for me (I essentially was a large majority of the post production team - with insane deadlines over the past year); and I’d like to take some time off before jumping into another project again. It was a very long two years - and I’ve had so little time to dedicate to my (new) wife and family. I’ve lost two grandparents this year - and would like some family time as well.
That being said - I will continue to work in post production and as a local coordinator on commercials; shoots and events in South Florida. If the opportunity arises; I always look forward to RED Technician, Camera Operator and DIT jobs as well :-)
AT: Thank you very much for your time and good luck with your projects!
MH: Thank you, as well! I hope I was candid enough for you and didn’t ramble on too much :-)
“Girls Gone Dead” is available at stores and online retailers.
For more information on this film, you can visit the “Girls Gone Dead” official website at: http://girlsgonedeadmovie.com
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