What really happens to us when we die? It almost seems like a foolish question to ask because we will only get to find out when we depart this mortal coil, and we won’t be able to tell anyone what it’s like. The only thing people can seem to agree on is that they move towards a “bright light,” but that only tells us so much. Nevertheless, we still look for an answer to this question mainly because it will confirm the things we are led to believe. At the same time, thinking about the future this deeply is not much different from being stuck in the past.
Movoes like “Flatliners,” “The Sixth Sense,” and even “Heaven Can Wait” have explored this subject in various ways, but David Spaltro’s “Things I Don’t Understand” is one of the more thoughtful I have seen on in recent years. It’s not interested in coming up with some supernatural answer to this question, but instead in how our curiosity can somehow rob us of what meaning our lives have. Here we meet a variety of characters whose mind and thoughts are broken as their present lives seem unfulfilling because of physical and emotional scars, and their futures all seem relentlessly bleak.
Molly Ryman stars as Violet Kubelick, a graduate student who is working on a thesis of what becomes of us after death. Over time she has emotionally detached from the world and those around her after surviving a failed suicide attempt and has since developed a pessimistic attitude about life and what it has to offer. She lives to avoid every customer who enters the bookstore she works at and freely embraces a life of drugs, alcohol and promiscuous sex as though she is daring death to take her away from this cruel world.
Things come to a head for Violet as she and her obsessively artistic roommates, bi-sexual musician Remy (Hugo Dillon) and hypersensitive artist Gabby (Melissa Hampton), face eviction from their home in Brooklyn and have to quickly come up with the money to save it. While this is happening, Violent comes to interview Sara (Grace Folsom), a girl with end stage cancer who approaches the end with a sardonic sense of humor, and she forms a friendship with lonely bartender Parker McNeil (Aaron Mathias) who is trapped by a tragic past that won’t leave him be. All these relationships bring about a much needed catharsis for everyone as they need to break free of what holds them back.
What I really liked about “Things I Don’t Understand” is that doesn’t come to us with easy answers about the afterlife and is far more interested in raising questions about it. To define what happens when you die in a movie is tricky because you threaten to lose half your audience with your interpretation. Spaltro avoids this trap and examines how our questions about life after death come to define how we live life day by day. For these characters, it has seemingly robbed them of a positive outlook on life or frozen their emotions at a moment in time to where they may never fully thaw.
The acting all around is very good, and Spaltro has given each actor a challenging role regardless of how big or small it is. Ryman has the tough job of portraying a character that is not altogether likable, and she simultaneously (without words mind you) has to indicate that psychological trauma that has come to define her life. As Spaltro has us guessing as to what that is, Ryman gives us a deeply felt complex portrait of a woman we might easily (and thoughtlessly) dismiss as damaged goods, but who is fighting a battle within herself to find a reason to keep on living.
The best performance in “Things I Don’t Understand” however belongs to Grace Folsom as Sara. The role of a terminally ill person can be a thankless one as we have seen it so many times to where it becomes shamelessly manipulative and full of overused clichés. But Folsom fully inhabits this character with a hard won dignity and a biting sense of humor that keeps what’s left of her spirits up. Everything Folsom does here feels genuine and real, and her emotions never ever appear faked or are manipulated by the director.
Aaron Mathias also has a tough role of a man whose happiness came to an abrupt stop years ago, and the shadow of his past hovers over everything he does. As Parker, he comes across as genuinely nice but also struggling with guilt he won’t put to rest. He succeeds in capturing the complexities of his role in giving us a good natured guy whose eyes betray a deep sadness that still overwhelms him. I could have done without his line of how being a bartender is like being a psychiatrist spiel, but that’s probably because I have heard it so many times.
As for the supporting performances, they at first seem too broad for a movie like this, but in retrospect they feel just about right. Hugo Dillon and Melissa Hampton play artists so dedicated to their art that they have foolishly denied other outlets that could very well add to it. Their characters strive not just for artistic truth but for acceptance from others which they feel they completely lack. In a world which can be so cold and unfeeling to their desires, they have forgotten to respect themselves. As much as these two go over the top, they both inhabit their characters fully and are more than willing to experience their longings and horrific embarrassments (wait until you see Gaby’s play!) in order to reach a new level of understanding about themselves.
Other performances worth noting include Eleanor Wilson’s as Darla, the new to town actress who looks and sounds dumb, but who turns out to have a positive view of life by choice and not necessarily a victim of blissful ignorance. Lisa Eichhorn takes what could have been a throwaway roll as Violet’s psychiatrist and gives it a nice edge you don’t always see in characters like hers. And let’s not forget Mike Britt who gives great comic support as Parker’s good friend, Big Felix.
“Things I Don’t Understand” is one of those movies wandering around in the overcrowded world of independent film which I hope finds the audience it deserves. While it looks like yet another movie wondering about what happens when we die, it takes that question and uses it to define how we can live for today. The more I think about this film, the more it reminds me of the lyrics of one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs:
“You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, or you can come to terms and realize you're the only one who can't forgive yourself. Makes much more sense to live in the present tense.”
Greg Lamberson is a multi-talented writer and director of such cult classics, “Slime City”, “Undying Love” and “Naked Fear”. Beside writing and directing for the screen, Lamberson is also an accomplished author. He’s written three books “Johnny Gruesome”, “Cheap Scares !”, and “Personal Demons” and he’s also the founder of Fearzone.com. Today, he is here to talk about “Slime City”, which was re-released as part of the “Slime City Grindhouse Collection” from Shock-O-Rama and the upcoming “Slime City Massacre”.
Anthony T: Tell me about yourself and how you got into directing?
Greg Lamberson: I've lived in New York State all my life: grew up in a small town called Fredonia, and moved to NYC when I was 17 to study filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts, where Roy Frumkes one of my teachers and Jimmy Muro, who had worked as a PA on BASKET CASE, was a classmate. Roy and Jimmy later teamed up to make STREET TRASH, and I teamed up with another classmate, Peter Clark, and a third producer, Marc Makowski (who's been a producer on all of my films) to make SLIME CITY.
Anthony T: One of the things that I noticed in your bio, is that you also wrote three books, besides being a filmmaker, “Johnny Gruesome” “Cheap Scares” and “Personal Demons”, which is being re-released in October. What got you into writing, in both the literary and screenwriting fields?
Greg: I'm a storyteller, regardless of the medium. I wrote the screenplays for all of my films, and I wrote several other screenplays that I thought would make good big budget movies. I'm an East Coast filmmaker, so I've never had any desire to move to L.A. and beat those paths. When I moved back to the Buffalo area several years ago, it was with a plan: to concentrate on writing novels based on my unproduced screenplays. PERSONAL DEMONS was my first endeavor, and it's the best thing I've done. It was published as a limited edition hardcover and as a small press trade paperback that received glowing reviews, but the publishing industry didn't come pounding on my door any more than Hollywood did. I wrote a second novel, JOHNNY GRUESOME, and that was also published as a limited edition hardcover. But Medallion Press also acquired it as a mass market trade paperback available in brick and mortar stores, and they picked up PERSONAL DEMONS, which will be published as a regular paperback October 1st. Working with Medallion has been great; they've really supported and promoted me and my work. This weekend, I'll be their sole author guest at Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear, where they're giving away free "ash cans," limited edition mini-books with the first three chapters of PERSONAL DEMONS. They're also publishing my werewolf novel, THE FRENZY WAY, in June next year, and DESPERATE SOULS, the sequel to PERSONAL DEMONS, after that. The idea is to create a long running series of PD novels under the umbrella title, "The Jake Helman Files."
Anthony T: “Slime City” is one of Greg Lamberson’s four films to be featured in the “Slime City Grindhouse Collection”, which was released recently from Shock-O-Rama. Tell my readers about this film.
Greg: I wrote SLIME CITY when I was 19, directed it when I was 21, and finished it when I was 23. It played as a midnight movie in NYC in 1988, and came out on VHS a year later. We sold it to about 10 countries around the world, and then the bottom fell out of the straight-to-video horror market, which had become glutted, and faded into obscurity. 10 years later, E.I. Cinema re-released it on VHS, and in 2005 they released it on DVD for the first time. Last month they re-released it as GREG LAMBERSON'S SLIME CITY GRINDHOUSE COLLECTION, featuring my other films and more extras than I can list. It's a great package, really worth the money, and I'm grateful to the E.I./POP Cinema/Alternative Cinema/Shock-O-Rama people for keeping my work available to the fans.
Anthony T: How did the concept of “Slime City” come about?
Greg: More than anything, SLIME CITY was the reaction of a small town kid moving to the big city. The SVA dorm was on 34th Street, near 42nd Street. We encountered cultists, drug dealers and hookers every day, including at the diner where we ate breakfast, and I worked at a bunch of movie theatres, including real grindhouses. This was the NYC I knew - it was a lousy place to visit, but a great place to live.
Anthony T: The film came out, around the same time period as such splatter classics “Basket Case” and “The Toxic Avenger”. What films inspired this entertaining and slimy gorefest?
Greg: BASKET CASE was playing as a midnight movie when I moved to the city, and a bunch of us use to watch it regularly, so that was definitely an influence whether I realized it at the time or not. The script was already written, and Scott Coulter and Tom Lauten already hired, when THE TOXIC AVENGER came out, so none of the Troma films were influences. I managed a theatre that premiered THE EVIL DEAD and THE DEADLY SPAWN, so those were influences: 16m horror films made by fans that received theatrical releases. SLIME CITY is often compared to STREET TRASH, which cost 40 times as much, but that wasn't an influence either. SLIME CITY was based on a short Super 8 film I made called "Bad Worms" my first year of film school, and I wrote the first draft of the feature script that summer, before Jimmy had even shot the short film version of STREET TRASH. Roy and I took a night class in production management at the same time, so he could learn how to produce TRASH and I could learn how to produce SLIME; they were supposed to shoot the same summer, but my financing fell through and his didn't. I guess I should have finished that class!
Anthony T: What were the differences in raising funds for this film compared to the film’s upcoming sequel, “Slime City Massacre”?
Greg: Even though it took a year longer than expected for me to raise the money for SLIME CITY, it came together pretty quickly, partly because Peter, Marc and I put in half the money ourselves; friends and family put in the rest that we raised. But we still ran out of money, so we went to a foreign sales rep who advanced the rest of what we needed. It's much harder to raise money these days - in this economy it's next to impossible - but it was still pretty easy for me, strange to say. John Maclay, my executive producer, and Marc Makowski, producing again, committed to half the budget right away. Look, it's 23 years later, and although none of my films were big earners, I've stuck to it because I love doing this. I wrote a filmmaking book called CHEAP SCARES! LOW BUDGET HORROR FILMMAKERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS, which got great reviews and convinced a lot of my other investors that I finally know what I'm doing!
Anthony T: What were the difficulties and pitfalls that you experienced, while filming this?
Greg: The same pitfalls as one every film I've ever made - never enough time or money. Shooting the original SLIME was the greatest experience I've ever had - until I shot SLIME CITY MASSACRE.
Anthony T: One of things that this film has, is that the fact that the two female leads are both played very well by one person, Mary Huner. Tell me how did that situation come about?
This came about out of necessity. I just couldn't find anyone to play Nicole, the bad girl, and I enjoyed working with Mary, as the good girl, so much that I asked her to don that wig and step up to the plate. I think Mary is even better in SLIME CITY MASSACRE, where she plays sort of an obsessed action heroine - an Omega Woman for the 21st century.
Anthony T: Did you ever think that you’d still be talking about this film to this day, when made the in the middle part of the eighties?
Greg: Before I made it, yes! I thought it was going to be the shit! But after seeing it on VHS... no. The film was intended to be blown up from 16m into 35mm, which would have cropped our full frame image to look letterboxed. We framed it that way, but the blowup never happened. On VHS, it looked terrible and I couldn't watch it for many years. Thank God POP Cinema believed in the film enough to release it on DVD, and allowed me to supervise the telecine. I consider it very watchable, and very funny, now. No masterpiece, but there must be some reason why it's still around when other films from that period aren't, right?
After the 2005 DVD release, I thought that was it. Last year was the 20th anniversary, and I screened it at a bunch of film festivals and horror conventions with cast members, and I told Robert Sabin, the star, and Mary, "Okay, let's have a last round of fun with this, then put it away for good." Little did I know that POP had other plans! So here it is again, being discovered by another bunch of young horror fans who dig obscure flicks from the 80s.
Anthony T: “Slime City” is just one of four films that are apart of this collection. Tell my readers about the other three films that are apart of this collection?
Greg: UNDYING LOVE is a downbeat vampire flick, ala MARTIN and Larry Fessenden's HABIT. It also played as a midnight film, received much better reviews than SLIME... and sat on a shelf for five or six years until E.I. released it on VHS as NEW YORK VAMPIRE. It's my favorite of these three films, but it's dark and moody, with a real "indie" attitude, and doesn't have the outrageous gore of SLIME. Still, anyone who likes any of my stuff should check this out, because of all of my earlier work, it's the closest to what I'd like to do with horror if given the chance. I like angry characters with in-your-face attitudes, and nihilistic endings.
NAKED FEAR is a thriller, not supernatural horror, and it pits Robert Sabin against Tommy Sweeney, the start of UNDYING LOVE. We shot this one on Hi 8 during the period when everyone though Hi 8 was going to be a revolutionary format. By the time we finished it 4 years later (for a variety of reasons) Mini-DV had become that format. I like the film - the screenplay, the direction, the acting - but Hi 8 is what Hi 8 is, and this is even further from SLIME than UNDYING LOVE was. I'm proud that all three films offer my take on NYC, and I like that different people prefer different flicks over the others - each one has its supporters and detractors. At least I didn't do the same thing over and over.
The fourth film on the set is a short, not a feature: GRUESOME, an extended music video based on my novel JOHNNY GRUESOME. It features three songs from the GRUESOME rock CD and stars Misty Mundae. I think it definitely belongs on this set because the novel is a throwback to 80s horror flicks, and the make-up was deliberately retro.
Anthony T: Now on to “Slime City Massacre”. This film looks more outrageous, in the plot synopsis alone than the first film. Tell me in your own words; what’s the film's about.
Greg: It's both a prequel and a sequel to the first film, the way that THE GODFATHER II was to THE GODFATHER; this enabled me to dramatize the back-story, rather than have characters describe what happened in the first film. In SLIME CITY, there was this dead occultist named Zachary who was behind everything and possessed Robert's character, but we never saw him except in a dream and in the author photo of a book called FLESH CONTROL. In SLIME CITY MASSACRE, Robert plays Zachary, the man behind it all, and we see how he indoctrinates street people into his Coven of Flesh. The flashbacks appear throughout the film, like on LOST, and show how and why Zachary and his followers committed suicide, and their goal in possessing others.
The main body of the film takes place seven years in our future, after a terrorist bomb has leveled lower Manhattan and the U.S. has invaded Canada for oil. Horror author Kealan Patrick Burke plays Cory, an army deserter, and Jennifer Bihl Alexa, a draft dodger, who come to the NYC ruins now called "Slime City." The place is occupied by hundreds of homeless people, and it's sort of a bizarre, MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME sort of society. Cory and Alexa hook up with Alice and Mason, played by Debbie Rochon and Lee Perkins, who teach them how to get by in this dark and dangerous world. The four of them discover the ruins of Zachary's old wine cellar, with the elixir and "Himalayan yogurt" from the first film, and all four of them get possessed. At the same time, a greedy developer played by Roy Frumkes hires a team of mercenaries to wipe out all of the homeless people. And there's a race of mutant cannibals... so there's a lot going on, a lot of action.
Anthony T: What made you want to go back and revisit “Slime City” after all those years between films?
Greg: I felt I had unfinished business as a filmmaker, that I could use what I learned over the years to make something special, and that I could do some really creative things based on the simple ideas from the first film. I figured, "If I'm going to make another low budget horror film, I'm going to do one that will appeal to a fan base that already exists."
Anthony T: How did the story for that film come about?
Greg: I was looking for a way to work Robert and Mary into a tale so we could work together again. The flashbacks worked great for Robert, who is the best he's ever been in this film. Those scenes have a lot of heart and kinky fun in them, and I think people will be attached to our creepy Coven members. Mary comes into the film in the middle. She plays her "good girl" character from the first film, but much changed. She really kicks ass! But I couldn't find an organic way for them to appear together, because of the different time periods, so SLIME fans will have to be content with the hilarious joint interview they did for the GRINDHOUSE COLLECTION. They worked together for several years in an improv group after SLIME, so they're funny together and have great chemistry.
I knew I didn't want to repeat the story and scenario from the first film. Why bother? So I came up with this slightly futuristic, somber setting, sort of like a 70s sci-fi flick before STAR WARS set everything back intellectually. And I wanted four characters to be possessed this time, instead of just one, and have very different things happen to them. The film has a serious subtext, but it's also very funny, very sexy, and very comic booky. I think it's going to be a lot of fun, whether people liked the original or not, and whether they've even seen it.
Anthony T: “Slime City Massacre” features appearances from Debbie Rochon (“Tromeo and Juliet”, “The Good Sisters”), Brook Lewis (“Kinky Killers” I Murders”) Lee Perkins (“Live Evil, “Edges of Darkness”), Lloyd Kaufman (Director of “Poultrygeist”, “The Toxic Avenger”). What was it like getting talent for this film compared to your other previous films?
Greg: Well, I've always liked my actors, but this was different. Robert, Mary, Tom Sweeney, T.J. Merrick, and even Dick Biel from my first films are all much more experienced now, and felt they had a real chance to stretch with this script, and delivered in spades. There isn't one weak performance in this film, and it's a HUGE cast, a real ensemble piece. Debbie and Lee brought a level of experience and professionalism and creativity to the film that I only half expected; they really raised the bar and challenged everyone to match them. It was a wonderful experience to work out scenes involving both of them and Kealan and Jennifer, to see all four of them flesh out their characters and expand my script. Debbie has a monologue in this that will bring tears to people's eyes, or just leave their mouths open in shock. All of the actors brought moments like this to their scenes, and it was a real privilege to work with such a talented team. Brooke plays Nicole - the cult member who possessed Mary's "bad girl" in the original, and gave a fantastic performance opposite Robert.
Anthony T: Another thing that got me interested in this film was seeing the behind the scenes footage on youtube over at www.youtube.com/Scsurvivor. This seems to be the latest trend in low-budget filmmaking, with this and Full Moon’s upcoming “Puppet Master: Axis of Evil”. How did the idea of keeping a video blog about the production of the film come about?
Greg: I'm always looking for different ways to promote my novels and books, and this seemed like a unique way to enable people to discover the film while we're in post production. A young woman named Madeleine Koestner shot and edited these webisodes and did a terrific job. I get a real kick out of them because sometimes I see things that were going on out of my sight!
Anthony T: What’s the current production status on the film?
Greg: We're going to be finished by the end of this year, on the festival circuit next year, and then looking for distribution just like everyone else. I'm really happy with the amount of interest in it so far.
Anthony T: Are there any other projects on the horizon, after this film?
Greg: Well, I have three novels being published over the next two years, and it's important to me that they don't slip through the cracks. I hope to keep making films, and have a couple on the back burner, but I think my immediate future lies in these novels. And I need to nurture SCM through its release so that everyone who might appreciate it knows it's out there. It's tough, with so much big budget product in cinemas and indie films competing for limited space in video stores.
Anthony T: Good luck with "The Slime City Grindhouse Collection", which is on DVD shelves now from Shock-O-Rama and with “Slime City Massacre”.
Greg: Thank you!
You can meet up with Greg Lamberson at this weekend at Rue Mourge’s Weekend of Horror at the Medallion Press booth, as he’s promoting his upcoming book, “Personal Demons”.
To see the behind the scenes footage for “Slime City Massacre”, you can goto: www.youtube.com/Scsurvivor.
Travis B. Miller is a director from Miami, Oklahoma, who’s first feature film “Bloodstained Romance” is has been getting rave reviews from sites as FatallyYours.com and the Chainsaw Mafia. The film was also in my top 10 horror films of 2008 list at number 8. Today, Travis B. Miller is here to talk about this film, which recently was released on DVD.
Anthony T: "Bloodstained Romance" is disturbing and frightening film. Tell me about yourself and how you got into directing?
TRAVIS: I've always been a very creative person. I feel like if I'm not being creative in some way, shape, or form, I'm standing still. It drives me crazy. I fell in love with film at a young age. I always tell people that growing up I was more into The Twilight Zone then G.I. JOES. My dad would always let me stay up late and watch the old re-runs with him. Like everyone, I loved the irony of the stories. I wanted to be like Rod Sterling. Making my own stories into short films was my way of doing that.
Anthony T: Your new film "Bloodstained Romance is out on DVD shelves now from Echelon Studios. Tell my readers about this film?
TRAVIS: Bloodstained Romance is a film about a troubled young college student named Holden (Chris Burchette) who falls for a coed named Sadie. But, his anti-social tendencies hold him back from getting what he wants. With each failed attempt he begins to grow closer to insanity, resorting to a "long distance relationship" with his infatuation. Lies turn to murder throwing him into a spiraling bloodbath of ultra-violent love.
Anthony T: One of the things that I liked about the film was that this was a character study piece then your average run of the mill slasher film. How did you come up with the film's story?
TRAVIS: I came up with the idea for Bloodstained Romance just after I had just finished a short film called Cabin Seven. I was telling people at my work about it and one of the female employees asked me if I was ever going to do something besides horror films? Joking, I asked, "What, like a love story?!". BOOM! Like a lightning bolt, the idea hit me. I was going to do a love story the only way I knew how, the Travis Miller way.
Anthony T: In the film's story, what made you want to focus on the main characters state of mind, instead of focusing on his potential victims?
TRAVIS: The original script was a bigger story, focusing on all the characters. But, as I was developing Holden, it was clear to me that he was by far the most interesting character in the script. Most horror film focus on the victims and the only time we see the killer is in the shadows. I wanted to bring the killer out of the shadows and place the viewer right next to him as he kills. I also wanted to make the viewer sympathize for the killer, which I hadn’t seen in a film. I think we pulled it off perfectly.
Anthony T: The film has some really good performances here, especially from Chris Buchette, who gave the most terrorizing performance, last year. Tell me how he and other cast members became involved with this project?
TRAVIS: All the cast were in theatre at the college I was going to at the time. I had seen them in many plays there. Chris Burchette wasn’t my first choice. I originally had an actor cast for the part named Nick Lee, who had been a lead in a short film I did titled "Cabin Seven". But, the night we were filming the teaser trailer for "Bloodstained" Nick was unable to do it. I asked the people on the set if they knew anyone who would be willing to play the part and in moments Chris walked in and OWNED the part. He drop kicked it like a madman. Cameron was brought to my attention by Chris. They both had worked together in the college plays. She came in and nailed the part.
Anthony T: What was the shooting schedule and budget for your film, as this didn't feel like a typical ultra low-budgeted film?
TRAVIS: The shooting schedule was actually the hardest part of the production. I had to work on the actors time, which was understandable since I couldn’t afford to pay them. From pre to postproduction took about a year to make. But, everyone loved the script and knew it was something different, which diffidently kept them focused on finishing it. Lol! Budget? What budget? We didn’t spend a dime on Bloodstained Romance. It was independent film making in every since of the word. We worked for free, called in favors, and borrowed all the equipment from the college. Of course a bigger budget would have helped us finish it quicker but when you have no budget, that’s when everyone pulls together. I always say,” To make something out of something, that’s not hard. To make something out of nothing, that shows talent."
Anthony T: Another thing that I noticed that you're not only the director and writer of this film, but you're also the editor and producer. Tell me what is like to wear all of these different hats during the course of the production of your film?
TRAVIS: One word, exhausting. You definitely have to be focused. The thing about being a filmmaker is you have to be a problem solver. Because, in a production, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. You have to be on top of everything, from the positioning of the lights, to directing the actors. The director is what holds the production together. Now, throw writing and producing in the mix. You get the picture. It’s a lot of pressure for one person. But, I like the challenge.
Anthony T: One of the things that I really liked about this film, the way the atmosphere felt frightening and shocking. What was the mood and atmosphere on set?
TRAVIS: The set of "Bloodstained Romance", at times, was very intense. But, for the most part, it was laid back. It really just depended on the scene we were shooting. Believe me, you can watch the movie and literally feel the tension in certain scenes. It almost seems to exude from the screen. But, we all really just tried to have a had a good time. I mean, we're making horror films! What could be more fun?!
Anthony T: The DVD is in stores now. What special features can we expect on the DVD?
TRAVIS: The DVD has a teaser trailer, a full trailer, and 5 deleted scenes. If I knew it was going to get distribution I would have focused more attention on the extras. You can rest assure that my next project, "Bad Girls Burn In HELL!", will be packed full of bloody goodness.
Anthony T: Before I go, I noticed that you've all ready started work on your next feature "Bad Girls Burn In Hell". Tell me about that film and it's current status?
TRAVIS: "Bad Girls Burn In HELL!" is a film about a young married couple, David and Susan Shepherd, who seem to have the perfect life. They own a nice house in the suburbs, are well respected in the community, are on the neighborhood watch, and can be found at church every Sunday. They also kidnap young, unsuspecting "Bad Girls" and teach them a lesson in their basement. A lesson they will take to the grave...or at least the crawlspace. When the couple abducted "Bad Girl" Chloe, everything seemed to go as planned. But quickly, they find out that HELL is coming for THEM. When Trish receives a call from her missing sister telling her where she is being held captive and tortured for her sins, Trish tries to free her sister by breaking into the house. After being caught by David, Trish finds herself in the basement. As Trish fights to find out what bible thumping husband and wife did to her sister, she comes face to face with the horrifying truth. At first glance, it seems like your average torture porn flick, but it’s an in-depth look at what religion could drive someone to do, who isn’t in their right mind. It’s a very thought provoking film that I think is going to shock people.
We are currently in pre-production on "Bad Girls" and are hoping to start filming in the coming weeks. The script has been getting a huge response! Dai Green from HorrorNews.net has offered to come to the set and do the featurette for the film! I wrote her in a torture scene to seal the deal. I always jump at the chance to cover girls in bloody gore.
Anthony T: I want to thank Travis Miller for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk about his new film "Bloodstained Romance", which is out on DVD now from Echelon Studios and good luck and on the success of this film and your future projects.
Travis: Thanks for the support bud! I really enjoyed the Q's. Horror needs people like you. I'll keep you updated on “Bad Girls Burn In HELL!".
Spread the Red, Travis "Mudd" Miller
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Amy Lynn Best is an actress, director and producer that has been working, in the independent horror film scene for over 10 years, while staring in such films, as "The Resurection Game" and "A Feast of Flesh" In 2002, she made her feature length, directorial debut, with a film called "Severe Injuries. Today, she is here to talk about her second film that she recently directed and starred in, "Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut".
Tell me about yourself?
I have been in the independent film industry for over 10 years. First just acting and then I added producing and directing. I also love watching movies, reading, playing with my cats and dogs, riding my horses and spending time with my friends. The horror industry wasn't something I grew up knowing I wanted to do. I kind of stumbled into it when I met Mike Watt and started helping him with his film school projects.
This was the third film that I've seen from your production company, Happy Cloud Pictures. Severe Injuries and A Feast of Flesh, the other two. Tell my how the production company was started?
Our production company started in 1997 when Mike Watt, Bill Homan and I joined forces to make The Resurrection Game. Since then we've made five features, 4 shorts and 2 documentaries. Through the years we've added and subtracted members of our production family. We've always worked with great people and I think that's why we've survived this long. What movies influenced you to the point that made you want to be both an actress and director in the horror genre, as there not many females that do both? I don't think I was influences by any movies to start directing. Except our own productions. It seemed like something I wanted to try. I really enjoy it when working with the crew and cast I normally work with. Everyone is very helpful and supportive. So when the opportunity presented itself I jumped at it. I'm lucky that I have Mike and others we work with helping me out and not letting me fall on my face.
Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut was an entertaining and fun film with a shocking ending. Tell my readers, about this film.
Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut started while Mike Watt and I were working on another project at the Haunted House where we filmed it. While we were wandering around we decided we had to shoot there. Mike got the idea for the script and we developed it over the next few days. He decided to make it a look at the horror industry from a filmmakers perspective. It came together fast and it was fun to shoot. We didn't have to worry about equipment in the shot or anything like that. It was a great experience and one of the best shoots we've had. You'll also the main star of the film. Tell me about your character" Amy Lee Parker" that you play in the film and does the character resemble you in anyway, since a lot of the characters in the film also has the same first name with the last name being different? Amy Lee Parker does resemble me in that we're both women trying to do the traditional men's role in the industry. Amy Lee is a bit more jaded than I am and also cares less about her production. Most of the actors in the film are either playing themselves or versions of themselves. We felt this would add to the surrealism of the film. It did get a little confusing, but it was fun.
One of the things that I liked with this film was the fact that the film had an interesting structure, as Part narrative, Part Mockumentry.How did you and screenwriter Mike Watt came with the story of the film?
Mike is the one who came up with the story. The location was so inspiring that Mike had a good outline in his mind before we left there the first day we were there. The rest of it wrote itself once he had the idea and the actors in his head. This film also goes a good job at looking at the behind the scenes of low budget filmmaking and the horror genre, in general.
What made you and Mike Watt want to explore that topic with this film?
The behind the scenes aspect of the film came out of the script. It's something that we felt that a lot of low budget filmmakers would understand and it might help people who are not in the industry get a sense of what happens behind the scenes of a low budget movie. A lot of people who like this film are in the latter category. We've had people who don't really like low budget movies tell us how much they like this one because it helps them understand some of what is done on set.
Another thing that I'd like was the style of directing that you used, as at times, it felt like a real documentary with the character interviews. What made you want to shoot some of scenes in this film, like a behind the scenes documentary that you would see on a DVD extra?
Mike was trying to create a real behind the scenes feel to the movie, so he added in the interviews. It helped move the story along and give you an insight into the characters in the movie. Some of the interviews were scripted with the actors having room to improvise if they wanted, others weren't scripted at all. The film also has some great kill scenes, which I won't talk about, as I want my readers to purchase the film. When directing scenes like that, tell me what looked for, especially with this film as there were a couple of very good kill scenes? When we did the kill scenes we had Eric Molinaris, our lead effects artist, there and looking through the camera and at monitors to help direct the camera placement and movement. I think it really helps having someone who knows what they're looking for as far as seems, etc, to give another eye and be a bit tougher than I would on the effects. Having multiple camera angles helped also. It gave Mike more to work with when he edited the movie.
The film has a very good cast that underground horror fans know and well like Debbie Rochon, up and coming scream queen Elske McCain, Tom Sullivan. How did they become involved with this project?
Debbie has been in just about everything we've done since we started working in the industry. She's been a great friend and supporter of our. Elske we met at a convention and thought she would fit well with the cast and do well in this movie. Tom Sullivan we met years ago at a convention and see every April and October at Cinema Wasteland. We've been talking to him about working together and this project we were able to work out a schedule and he really added to the cast we were assembling. What was the atmosphere like on the set, as this seems like this was a fun movie to work on? Overall the atmosphere was great. We had a wonderful cast, a fantastic, talented crew and the people that owned and worked on the location were so nice and accommodating. The biggest challenge was working around the crew of the Haunted House while they were getting it ready for the upcoming season. It never did become a big issue but it was difficult at times.
Tell me, how my readers can find this film and have there been any major distribution plans for the film?
Right now we're selling the pre-release copy off of our site http://www.happycloudpictures.net/ As for distribution, we've sent it to a few places but we decided to go the self distribution route. With the state of the market now and the prices of pressings these days I think we'll do better in the long run. It'll be tough, but I think we're up for it.
You and your production company have another film coming out soon called "Demon Divas and the Lanes of Damnation", which I'm very excited for. Tell my readers about this film and when we can expect that film to come out.
Demon Diva's and the Lanes of Damnation came about when my friend Tara's Mom told us she wanted us to shoot at her bowling alley. From there Mike and I put together our dream cast and came up with an idea. Mike then wrote the first draft in a couple of days while I started making the cast and crew come together. We knew we had to do HD and contacted our friends from DiggerFilms, a canadian film company, to come down and shoot for us since they had the equipment and experience with the HD cameras. There were a few snags with our dream cast, schedules, family problems, etc, but we managed to pull together Brinke Stevens, Debbie Rochon, Lilith Stabs and Robyn Griggs to join me at the Demon Divas. Sofiya Smirnova and Nikki McCrea were cast at the plain girls who need to get things going and Aaron Bernard was cast as the nice Frat guy. Stephanie Bartoni, Rachelle Williams (another of our usual cast), Tabatha Carrick and Tara Cooper were cast as the sorority girls. Mike Barton and Jeff Waltrowski rounded out the Frat Guys. Bill Homan, Stacy Bartlebaugh-Gmys and Gwendolyn show up as a book club and we added Henrique Couto and Gary Ashley as the Pin Boys to really give ourselves and insane cast size. The feel of the film we tried to keep as an 80's film, which is my favorite time frame for low budget films, and we again had Eric Molinaris leading our effects crew. This really was our biggest production to date and our shortest preproduction time. Right now we're in post and there should be a finished project by the end of Spring 2009.
Also, are there any other future Projects that you or your production company are involved in that you can talk about?
Right now we're working on a few different projects. We have a comedy in the works as well as a western, straight out horror movie and a few other things. We're also looking at putting out some books on our films and some novels by Mike and others.
Before I end this interview, Tell me your opinion, on the state of the horror genre today.
I'm not real happy about horror these days. I'm tired of J-horror remakes, I'm tired of the nasty shock value gore movies, I'm tired of remakes and I think the consumer end of horror is really down. I'm hoping that things turn around but as long as people keep going to see Saw # whatever (get it see-saw ha ha ha) and supporting remakes I don't see anything changing.
I want to thank you Ms. Best, for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about your latest film "Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut" and good luck with this film and your future projects.
Thank you!
To purchase a pre-release copy of "Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut, you can goto the Happy Cloud Picture website at: http://www.happycloudpictures.com/.
Gary E. Irwin is director, who’s short “Of Darkness" tore up the horror film festival scene by winning awards at festivals,such as: 2007 SF Indie: Another Hole in the Head, 2007 Dark Carnival Film Festival, and the 2008 Fright Night Film Festival. Today, Gary Irwin is here to talk about that film, which is now available on DVD via his Eventide production company website.
Please note: This interview was conducted via Instant Message, not the traditional email format.
Anthony T: Tell my readers about yourself?
Gary E. Irwin: Hmmmm.....that could lead to all kinds of places... I grew up in South Jersey, went to film school at University of the Arts in Philly (Started as an animation major and became a double major my Sophomore year). Left college early to start a freelance career in the Philly Film world. Spent the next 4 or so years as a freelance grip/electric/PA and worked my way up to Production. UPM, AD, Producer. In 2003, I switched over to fulltime work, spent two years as an on-staff producer for Get-Kinetic and then another 3 years with 9.14 Pictures. All the while trying to develop my film career. Of Darkness was my first full-blown narrative short. I had done a few other projects before that, but this is my calling card film.... or so I'm told.
Anthony T: It should be your calling card film. Speaking “Of Darkness” which is available on DVD and on Fearnet on demand this month, is one of the scariest and shocking shorts I’ve seen this year. Tell my readers about your film.
Irwin: Well, it started as an idea by our writer Matt Casale. He's had a rough version of this film in his head since he was teenager. Once he pitched the initial idea to Paul (My brother/Producer) and I, we helped shape it into the film you see onscreen. I gave you more of a background story then the pitch...
Anthony T: What were your first thoughts, when you read the screenplay and found out that this story had young children being put in dangerous situations?
Irwin: Honestly, that was one of the things that excited me about the idea! Kids are often seen as untouchable in films, so I liked the idea of throwing that set of rules out the window and approaching the film with a "No One is Safe" attitude.
Anthony T: That's what makes this very shocking, when I first saw it. While we are the subject of kids, you have an interesting cast here, as it’s pretty much, all-young kids. What was the casting process like, as it had to be difficult?
Irwin: Yeah, there were two main challenges when approaching this film (Within our limited budget) the first was creating the Darkness effects and the 2nd was the casting and performances of the kids.... Casting for kids wasn't too bad. There are some really talented folks here in Philly, so I'm blessed with that. We did our casting through Kathy Wickline Casting in Philly, and we just went through a bunch of kids until some performances started jumping out as us. We did group callbacks so we could see how they would interact w/ other kids and that really helped us narrow things down. After that, we had a few months of rehearsals. We tried to get the cast to spend as much time together as possible. Besides the traditional rehearsals, we would have the kids hang out and play Xbox, watch movies, whatever.....the more time they spent together, the more natural their performance became.
Anthony T: What are the differences between directing kids and directing adults?
Irwin: That's a great question. I'd like to think there aren't any. At least that's the way I directed our cast. I've always felt that if you talk to a kid like a kid, they'll respond as a kid. If you treat them as an equal or peer, they'll respond that way. Now I'm not saying we didn't have our share of minor problems, but it was all manageable. Let's just say, I'd work with kids
Anthony T: The production level was first rate for a short, like this. How was pre-production like with regards to location, budget and shooting schedule?
Irwin: Well, we had a limited budget, but I never wanted to use that as a crutch. I didn't want people to see this film and say "That was good...given their budget." So Pre-Production was extremely important. We planned everything! I Storyboarded all scenes (Tech boards as well) and I worked with Paul and my first AD Ben Hickernell on trying to create an ambitious yet realistic schedule. In the end, we ran over schedule most days....but the performances and production never suffered because of that.
Anthony T: Tell my readers, what special features and audio commentaries, they can find on the DVD, which is available on your production company's website at eventideproductions.net?
Irwin: Well, we tried to jam-pack that puppy. It's got multiple audio commentaries (Production, Story, SFX) "The Other Side of Darkness" Featurette, Storyboard to film Comparisons, multiple trailers (Including a little teaser for our next film, Indigo Falls) and a Photo Gallery
Anthony T: Tell me about your next film "Indigo Falls", if you can?
Irwin: Well, there's a few things I can chat about. It's based on an idea of mine, and I'm developing it with Paul and Matt Casale (Of Darkness writer) - Matt's also writing the script. It will be our first feature film. It's a blend of science-fiction and supernatural...and we'll be working with kids again.
Anthony T: Finally, Back to “Of Darkness” The film is also playing on Fearnet, this month. How did that deal come about and what was your reaction when they picked up the film for their network?
Irwin: The FEARnet thing had been brewing for a while. Our Co-Producer Amy Roy introduced us to a friend of hers over at FEARnet, so we sent the film over and the rest is history. I'm really excited about that deal. I went to FEARnet on Demand last night and watched it. (well, I didn't watch the whole thing...I've seen it way too many times.)
Anthony T: I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule and good luck with the success of this film and your future projects.
Irwin: It's been a pleasure talking with you. Thanks for taking an interest in our little movie. Here's hoping we're doing this again in a few years for a bigger film.
Anthony T: Hope so too.
To purchase a copy of “Of Darkness, you can goto the Eventide Production official website at: Http://www.eventideproductions.net You can also catch “Of Darkness” on Fearnet, through the month of January. Check your local cable provider, for information and availability.
In the next edition, of the Independent Film Corner, I’ll be talking to Amy Lynn Best, about her new film “Splatter Movie” The Director’s Cut. Until next time, my name is Anthony Thurber. Have a good day.
Scott Phillips is a Writer/Director from New Mexico, who has written films for Full Moon Entertainment and is a staff writer for the upcoming kids series, Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, which will have its sneak preview on the CW Network, December 13th, before the series airs in January. Today, Mr. Philips is here to talk about his latest film Gimme Skleter, which is was released by Halo-8 Entertainment, just this past August.
Tell my readers about yourself?
I'm just a guy who grew up watching movies and wanting to make 'em. I think I started making short films on Super-8mm when I was 8 or 9 years old and just never stopped working at it. After a lifetime of that, I'm completely unemployable so if the writing career dries up I'm doomed.
Gimme Skelter is a shocking and entertaining horror film. Tell my readers, about your film.
The whole notion of the illegitimate children born to the Manson Family was something that had been kicking around my head for a long time, but it didn't really gel until Scott Spiegel, Eli Roth and Boaz Yakin at Raw Nerve saw my earlier no-budget flick, THE STINK OF FLESH, and wanted me to pitch 'em a new movie. I drove out to L.A. and met with Boaz, and more-or-less made up the story of GIMME SKELTER on the spot. He dug it and for awhile there was talk of Raw Nerve producing it, but they were going through some difficulties on another movie and it just sort of fell by the wayside.
At any rate, SKELTER is a bit of a statement (although I feel like an asswipe for saying a cheesy no-budget horror movie is "a statement" of any kind) on the sort of people who idolize serial killers as if they were movie stars or something. I find serial killers to be as fascinating as the next guy does, but I've never been comfortable with the idea of wearing t-shirts sporting the face of Richard Ramirez or whoever. When I see that, I always think, how would I feel if someone I knew had been one of his victims and here's some tool wearing his face on a t-shirt like he's Jim Morrison.
At the same time, I wanted to explore the idea that no matter how frightening or psychotic someone is, there's always gonna be someone worse. That's not a huge part of the story, but it's definitely in there.
The film's title "Gimme Skelter" has this retro 60's feel to it. How did you come up the film's title?
Originally the title was gonna be "Live Freaky, Die Freaky," which is a quote from one of Sharon Tate's neighbors after the initial murders, but I found out there was an animated movie with that title. I called my buddy Don Adams, who was the music supervisor on the movie, and asked him to come up with a new title. He didn't even stop to think about it, he just said "Gimme Skelter."
One of the things that I liked about your direction was that it looked professionally made. Tell me what was the budget like for this film?
The budget on GIMME SKELTER was a whopping $5000. I actually went through a short period where another production company in L.A. wanted to make the movie on a $100,000 budget, but they wanted changes to the script that I didn't agree with so I turned it down.
What challenges did you face when shooting some of the interiors and exteriors in Albuquerque, New Mexico especially when the film's story is set, in a small town?
There were an insane number of challenges, not the least of which was framing the shots so you couldn't tell there was a city of a half-million people just over to the left of Gunnar Hansen.
What other challenges during production that you and your crew faced besides that?
Well, there's never enough time or money and that makes it hard to do anything that's worth a damn. We lost a couple of locations just before we were scheduled to shoot at them because the owners thought that since we were making a movie, we must have had money, so they wanted to bleed us for some cash after telling us we could shoot there for free (or a small payment to cover electricity use). It took some real scrambling to replace the gas station, in particular -- we lost our original location two days before we were gonna shoot there. Our location guy, Peter Fishburn, stumbled across a guy who collects old gas station memorabilia and he offered to essentially construct a gas station for us, and that's where we shot those scenes. He really saved our bacon.
This film has a grindhouse feel to it. Tell me, how you came up with the film's story?
Well, as I said, I'd had the idea kicking around my head for awhile. There was no real effort to ape the grindhouse look and feel -- I was raised on those flicks at the drive-in so it's just the way my brain works. When you're 8 years old and your brother takes you to see VANISHING POINT, that stuff sticks with you!
The film has a very good cast that includes Trent Haaga, Elske McCain (whom I've recently interviewed), and Gunnar Hansen. Tell me how each of these people, became involved with the project?
I had tried to get Trent into THE STINK OF FLESH but it didn't work out. We stayed in touch and I wrote the part of Luther for him. Gunnar's niece Kristin Hansen played Sassy in STINK, and she showed that flick to Gunnar. He dug it and said he'd like to be in the next one, particularly if I wrote some scenes for he and Kristin together. Elske I had met at Tromadance NM, and she wanted to read for Erika even though I had told her I needed to cast a local actress. She offered to pay her own way to Albuquerque and put herself up, which was really cool of her.
What was it like working with each of those people?
They were all great -- aside from delivering a hell of a performance, Trent is incredibly useful on a set. He was building tents, handling the boom, all kinds of stuff. Gunnar was super-freakin'-cool, and it was a revelation to watch him work. There aren't many movies that really give him a chance to show off his acting chops, and he's very, very good at what he does. Plus, I mean, he was Leatherface, for Christ's sake! Elske was a real champ, too -- she had to do a lot of nudity and that sort of thing can be uncomfortable, both for the actress and for the people shooting the movie, but she made everyone feel at ease and really did a good job playing a Russ Meyer-esque role.
Another thing, I've noticed from this cast that Kurly Tlapoyawa. Kristin Hansen and Billy Garberina also appeared in your last film, the very entertaining and weirdest zombie movie ever, "The Stink of Flesh". How did you come to know each of these people?
I met Kurly back around 1990, when he was a kid. I used to own a video store that specialized in psychotronic movies and he'd come in and hang around forever. I met Kristin through Devin O'Leary, who played Walter in SKELTER. And I met Billy in 2000, when I moved back to Albuquerque from Los Angeles.
According to your commentary track, you were depressed about the rough cut of the film. What was the editing process like and what challenges that presented itself during the process?
There were a lot of factors involved in the depression that resulted from the rough cut of the movie. Long story short, though, I just felt like I hadn't gotten what I wanted from the movie and it was a very difficult shoot in a lot of ways, and I think I was just worn down by the whole process. I avoided looking at the movie for several months, then went back and re-invented entire sequences, mostly the kill scenes where I felt like I hadn't gotten the coverage I had wanted on the set. I started experimenting with the editing and came up with an approach that I liked, and after that I started to feel like the movie wasn't so bad after all, and in fact is quite a leap beyond THE STINK OF FLESH. I still can't watch SKELTER without seeing all the stuff I did wrong or could've done better, but that's normal, really.
What's next for you, either directing or writing wise?
Well, I'm a staff writer on KAMEN RIDER DRAGON KNIGHT, a TV series that begins airing on the CW Network soon (I think there's a "sneak preview" on December 13th, then the show begins in its regular time slot in early January). Beyond that, I'm working on some comic book projects, including a four-issue mini-series called THE CENTERFOLD that I'm doing with Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH). I'd like to do more comics work, if I can worm my way into it. I'm also working on a movie project with Don Adams, we've just begun writing the script but that's all I'm gonna say about it right now. At the moment, I'm not planning to direct anything unless I can raise a little more substantial budget, say in the range of $60,000 to $100,000.
What advice would you give to any director that is looking to make his own film?
There was a time not that long ago where I would've said "Get on out there and make a movie, even if you don't have any money" but I'm not sure I'd offer that advice after making a couple no-budget movies myself. The market has changed a lot and it's nearly impossible to make any money on no-budget flicks, unless you get very lucky. I mean, we expected to do pretty well with SKELTER after the response THE STINK OF FLESH received, particularly with Gunnar being in SKELTER. However, at this point things don't look good for making that $5000 investment back within the next five years -- and it might not happen at all. Of course, you should never just do it for the money, but aside from the fact that it's really difficult to land decent distribution for a no-budget movie, you're also faced with the reality that almost no one in Hollywood will take movies made at this level seriously. Most people can't see past the lack of production value (and name actors) to see that there's a script happening there.
If you're determined to make a feature despite not having any money, then I say more power to you and I wish you luck. Just don't get your hopes up that somehow making a no-budget movie will kick-start your Hollywood career. Something like the Raw Nerve guys seeing THE STINK OF FLESH and wanting to produce my next movie is like winning the lottery, it almost never happens -- and besides that, I had already been working in Hollywood for ten years so I had a track record as a screenwriter. The days of even something like CLERKS or EL MARIACHI getting picked up by a major distributor are over, unless you're one lucky son of a gun.
I don't want to be a downer, but honestly, if you want to direct you're almost better off writing spec scripts and getting them out there on the market -- then refuse to sell them unless you get to direct. That's a tough path to walk, believe me -- I've been walking it since 1995, although focusing more on writing than on directing -- but if you have any hope of making a living as a filmmaker you either need to take that approach or move to Los Angeles and get work crewing on movies, try to work your way up. I've worked in all kinds of capacities on movies, from being an extra on RED DAWN to being a production assistant to doing makeup effects to being Lemmy's stand-in on a Motorhead video, and I wound up getting my first paid screenwriting work by meeting people that way. If you really want to do this stuff, you have to be willing to work your ass off and be perseverant even when it's hard to maintain any optimism, or you're not gonna make it.
I want to thank you, Mr. Phillips, for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about your latest film “Gimme Skelter which is available on DVD now from Halo-8 Entertainment” and good luck with this film and your future projects.
Dav Kaufman is a writer/director, who’s debut feature film “13 Hours in a Warehouse” has won awards at such film festivals as the Indie Spirit Film Festival (Best Horror Film) Crypticon, Seattle (Best Traditional Horror Film) and Worldfest, Houston (Gold Remi Award) and have this film distributed by a major film distribution company, all in a ten-month period. He’s also an acclaimed writer, with his 2003 book “Lake Desire”, which he independently distributes himself with his publishing company Crotalus Publishing. Today, he is here to talk about his latest film, “13 Hours in a Warehouse”.
Tell my readers about yourself, for those you don't know?
I’m a filmmaker, author, and reptile fanatic. I share my home with 24 snakes, and 3 lizards. I’ve been into them since I was a kid, and written many magazine articles about them. I have given talks on their conservation and husbandry from Elementary Schools to Universities. Movies and reptiles occupy 99% of my time. The other 1% I try to get some sleep.
After watching your film "13 Hours in a Warehouse" three times, it still holds up as one of the year's best horror films. Tell my readers about your film that's in stores now.
Thanks. “13 Hours in a Warehouse” was originally, in my mind, only to be a simple rung in the ladder, but it turned out to be so much more. I have an arsenal of scripts that are currently in various stages of development, but I needed to start with one that could be done for almost no budget, have a simple plot line, a handful of characters and yet still captivate an audience with it, let alone attract a major distributor like Maverick Entertainment. I accomplished those goals and more. By the end of it’s marketing/film festival tour, the film won three awards including the prestigious Gold Remi Award, received great reviews (and a few bad ones), and got a global distribution deal with one of the largest direct-to-DVD companies in the world…all within 10 months of wrapping production.
One of things that stood out for me in the film was the acting. How did each of the main actors and actresses become involved with this film?
We held an open casting call here in Minneapolis, and while I sometimes think I got really lucky, which I did, I also chalk it up to the incredible talent this city has to offer. Most directors loath the audition process, as do I to a degree, but with this film, it was one of the easiest parts of making it. I knew who I wanted cast after they read the first line.
What was it like shooting this film on a small budget that you had to work with?
It wasn’t as difficult as you may think. When working with a tiny budget, which “13” was made for under $75,000, organization is the key to its success. We had a fantastic crew both in the office and on set. Our SPFX department, production and post-sound department was phenomenal not only in the respect of their talent, but also that they all worked for a lot less than their rate because they believed in the project. We all knew going into the project that we were making a low-budget indie horror flick. We weren’t bogged down with the fantasy that the film would be a breakout box-office success, or get international critical acclaim that would plant our faces on the cover of Variety. We simply set out to make the best film we could with the financial recourses we had.
One of the things in my mind that made this film very haunting was the location. Tell me about the location that you shot film in?
It was filmed in a then vacant warehouse in NE Minneapolis. I had conducted an art show for local artists in the building some time ago, so I was familiar with the location before I ever thought of the story. That whole area of Minneapolis is alive with history, and I just love it there. There are still buildings there that have the old horse stables still intact and attached to the buildings.
The film has some very good ghost and blood curling effects. What was the effects process like?
I credit all of that to Crist Ballas, our SPFX make-up master, and Danny Kimura of ADFX who did all the digital effects. The only direction I gave them was “make ‘em creepy” and their individual talents took over from there.
I noticed on the film's official website that you are also a critically acclaimed author with the book "Lake Desire". Which is more difficult as a writer, writing a novel or writing a screenplay?
Writing a novel is far more difficult than writing a script. In a script, all you have to write is something like “She slowly walks down the hallway, stops, looks to her left, then screams”. In a novel, you have to describe the way she’s moving, what she’s thinking, what she expects to find at the end of the hallway, and how she feels when she feels when she discovers the horror that awaits her…let alone describing what exactly that horror is. However, having said that, I find writing novels a much more intimate process than writing a script, and that’s what attracts me to it.
The film to seems to be influenced by many crime and supernatural films. What films influenced you, when writing the screenplay?
It’s funny; some of the criticism of the movie compares it (some even calling it a rip-off) to movies I have never seen. I like the high action crime thrillers that most seem to shrug their shoulders at. I also like horror films with a story over blood and gore. I suppose “13” was a cross between those personal tastes.
One of the things that I found interesting was that the film found distribution so quickly as it world premiered back in February of this year, where most of these festival films take awhile to find distribution. How did you find distribution that quickly and tell how you approached by Maverick Home Entertainment?
Right after we premiered the film and it screen at its first film festival; the Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC, I did something that I think a lot of filmmakers are afraid to do; I got on the phone, and called the distributors directly. It’s a common theme I hear from other filmmakers that they think distributors will either hang up on them, or ask for materials they don’t have making them look like morons. But the bottom line is distribution companies don’t make money unless they have product to distribute. Most distribution companies will welcome filmmakers pitching their work to them, and will work with you to fulfill deliveries. It’s not as formidable as people think it is.
Before I end this interview, what projects that you are currently working on that my readers should be on the look out for?
My newest movie is a feature documentary titled “Herpers” which explores the huge reptile culture in our country with segments featuring Henry Lizardlover, Chad Brown of the NE Patriots, and Slash among a host of others. I am also going into pre-production on another film titled “The Psychosis of Ghosts”; a psychological thriller that follows a psychology student who takes a job as a night guard in an abandoned state hospital that is in the process of being converted into condos. He finds that its lingering residents are far from cured, and discovers that after the physical state is gone, the mental state continues on. “Psychosis” will film in January 2009.
Mr. Kaufman, I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about your latest film “13 Hours in a Warehouse”, which is now available from Maverick Home Entertainment. Good luck on the success of this film.
I highly recommend to all you horror fans to check this film out. This is truly one of the year most entertaining horror films.
