Welcome to The Independent Film Corner. Jay Lee is a director and writer from California. He is an up and coming horror director, who burst on to the horror scene in 2006 with the very entertaining horror film, “The Slaughter” which was a hit on the festival circuit. Today, he’s here to talk about his latest horror film “Zombie Strippers!” which stars Adult film star Jenna Jamerson and horror legend, Robert Englund.

Tell my readers about yourself and what made you want to go into directing?

Well, I am one of those rare oddities in Los Angeles – a native. My parents were novelists so I grew up in a very creative atmosphere. When I was very young my mother took me to see a re-release of Fantasia in the theaters, for the dinosaurs. I remember holding a red ticket stub in my hand. The things I saw that day blew me away, the colors, the motion, the stories, for two hours NOTHING was impossible. After the movie my hand was red – the ticket stub had dissolved in my palm. From that point on, which was pretty much my whole life, all I ever wanted to do was make movies.

I was going through the official website and imdb.com, when researching for this interview, I noticed that your sister, Angela Lee is the producer for this film. Give me a perspective of what it's like to work with a family member on set?

She’s my older sister, and the good thing is she supports me as if I were a little brother, being that I am. There’s also no issue of trust or backstabbing or personality conflicts that I have seen split companies apart, we’ve gone through that already at home as kids. The bad thing is that she’s my older sister, so if I don’t do what she tells me she’ll beat me up.

Tell my readers about your latest film, Zombie Strippers!, and how came up with the film's unique title?

We were making “The Slaughter” which we were catering towards being a shamelessly marketable horror film, hitting all the clichés and stereotypes. So I made a joke “at least we’re not making something like Zombie Strippers.” I got a laugh. But then it hit me like a ton of bricks – why not make Zombie Strippers? The title sells itself, it would be fun, and being that absurd and low-brow we could hide a fair amount of social commentary like we used to in our non-horror films. So I based the script on classic French absurdist literature, specifically Ionesco’s Rhinoceros which is a commentary on the dangers of conformity, something I find strikingly relevant right now, but coated it with enough zombies, gore, nudity and humor to make it more than anything just a good time.

I noticed, in your first film "The Slaughter" (which is available on Lionsgate) that the film went for more of a straight horror approach, in scare value. What made you want to go, the grindhouse route, for this film?

Actually there’s been a big misunderstanding. “The Slaughter” was made to be more or less a campy tongue in cheek parody of “bad horror movies.” We DO like to think of it as a comedy, just done straight up with a good dose of suspense, eeriness and horror with respect to the genre. When the film was advertised at the film festivals as a comedy we did very well, great audience response, we even won a few awards. When Lionsgate marketed the film as straight horror the film didn’t go over so well. People thought it was a bad movie, when it is, just an intentional parody of bad horror movies. Zombie Strippers was geared to fix some of that misunderstanding by making sure NO ONE could mistake this film as a serious film. Funny thing was that of all people who did take it too seriously were our producing partners and the studio who at one point had their own cut of the film trying to make it a “kick-ass zombie movie.” It didn’t work. So the grindhouse tone was more or less restored, some of the humor and political commentary put back (but not all) and now it’s the movie it is today.

One of the things that is done very effectively, you takes shots at the current President of the United States and the religious right, to name a few. What made you want to focus on those elements in the film's subplots?

I just very much would like to make relevant films, films with a message, challenging films, offensive films to shake things up and maybe some day important films. I try to put some subtext in everything I do. The political and social commentary of Zombie Strippers was instrumental in conceiving the film.

The film features a very good cast that horror fans will love, including adult-film superstar Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street). How did both Jameson and Englund agree to be aboard on the project and what was it like to work with each of them?

Well, with Jenna it was Angela who somehow got the script to her. Jenna read it, saw three things she wanted to do - horror, comedy and a political statement. So she agreed to do the film. Then when we had “Zombie Strippers!” starring Jenna Jameson Sony saw the dollar signs and picked up the project. It was then we went out to horror icons for the Ian role. Our stunt coordinator had just worked with Robert and got the script to him on a personal level, and shortly after he was on board too. Both are total pros. They were there to get the job done and not make any problems doing it. They were behind the project 100% and gave it their all. Robert is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He spent many days sitting with the other actors and extras regaling them with tales. Both Robert and Jenna didn’t need much direction at all, being who they are, but they were always very open and respectful whenever I did have direction for them. It was a joy to work with both of them.

What is your favorite Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund story on the set?

With Jenna it was the day we shot her big dance number. She didn’t want to choreograph anything and we just talked about something that needed to be mindboggling sexy yet twisted and unnerving. So we just set up two cameras and let her do her thing. She improvised her dance three times. Most of the people in the room had never seen anything like that in their lives before, including me. She was graceful, horrifying, unnerving and sexy as hell. For me I’m sure it was something akin to George Lucas hearing the Star Wars theme for the first time. I knew no matter how bad I screwed the rest of the film up we had a hit on our hands. My favorite Robert story was the last shot we did of him for the film was at the end of one of our longest nights, it was probably pushin 4 A.M., everyone was tired and grumpy, and Robert had to do a face-slide through Blavatski’s blown-up remains. 2 takes of Robert diving and sliding face first in guts across a hard stage. He then stood up covered in blood and latex and said “What, and quit show business?” And he was wrapped him for the film. But that was Robert in a nutshell, positive and nothing but support. Thanks, Robert. You’re the best.

Also, most of the cast who are in this film, including Jessica Custodio, Penny Drake, and Carmit Levite, to name a few were also in your first feature film, "The Slaughter". When casting this film, what made you want to use, most of these actors again, for this project?

They paid me cash. Not really. “The Slaughter” was a no-budget film and the cast busted their ass for free to make that film happen. We used “The Slaughter” as a calling card to get “Zombie Strippers” off the ground, so not only was it just the right thing to do to bring everyone with us, we actually wanted to. We’ve stayed very close friends with that group of very talented people and will work with them again and again.

You also did the film's cinematography, along with the writing and directing of this film. Why did you do your own cinematography and what made you want to use a music video style approach, when shooting the film?

I shot the film myself mainly because I’m cheap. Seriously. Personally I love doing it. So I did it for cheap. Free, you might say. It also saves a lot of time for me not having to explain what I need to another DP, and on a shoot as fast and furious as Zombie Strippers was that helped get a lot more accomplished. I think you could say some of the dance sequences came off music video style, each dance was stylized visually and conceptually to match the characters. Roxy Saint’s dance was very music video because she’s a rock n roll star, and the style fit her character best.

Zombie Strippers! was released back in March theatrically in limited release and video on demand from Columbia Pictures and Stage 6 Entertainment. Tell me how Columbia Picture became involved in your project to the point that they decided to give the film a limited release and what was the mood over at your production company Scream HQ, when you and team heard the news that they were giving the film, a limited release?

Sony Pictures paid for the film, and ultimately owns it. During the time of going back and forth with my and the studio’s cuts of the film we screened the versions a few times at the studio. There were many at the studio very eager to see the film and would sit in the screenings. Someone from marketing must have been in one of those screenings and saw the potential for the film. We were all ready for a straight to DVD release, had recorded the commentary and everything, when we got the word of the theatrical release. We were stunned, then crazy with excitement, then quickly overwhelmed by the hype and pressure. But all in all it was an amazing experience.

Tell my readers about the DVD extras that my readers can expect when it hits stores, on October 28th.

The Unrated DVD has more gore than the theatrical release. I was able to include extended versions of many of the scenes, mainly containing more humor and political satire, and a couple deleted scenes. I think the film makes more sense with those available. There are two making of videos, one about the film, the other about the make-up. There’s a commentary by myself, Robert, Jenna and comedian Joey Median who plays Paco. Since the film was inspired by and parodies a lot of French existentialism, the Blu-Ray has a trivia track where those references will be pointed out. But for all who watched the film on TV the DVD will be the wide-screen 2:35 aspect ratio, make sure you take a look at it the way it was intended to be, it looks MUCH better.

After having the dishonor of watching horror remakes, such as, "The Eye" and "One Missed Call" (aka, One and a half Missed Hours of my life. Had to throw that punchline in there, since it's true). Your film was a refreshing relief to all that dreadful crap, as I had fun watching this film. What is your opinion of the horror genre, as the endless remakes that seem likely to continue?

Well, the thing about the re-make is it’s all about the business. Some call it “built in audience,” some “laziness,” some “lack of creativity.” But the fact of the matter is is the studios are run by accountants now, so the numbers are what matters, be it a remake of Halloween or Get Smart. Now all that is good for the film industry, films need to make money. But more often than not a purely business venture can loose the creative and artistic venture of the original film. That is not always the case as there has been some re-makes I’ve actually really liked. Well… two, to be exact. I am very happy you liked my film. But I’m hoping that that’s a reflection on me as a filmmaker, and if I was to do a remake I’d do just as good a job. Hopefully.

Are there any current projects that you're working that you want to share with my readers?

Right now we’re developing a serious horror film with Roxy Saint, who played Lilith in Zombie Strippers. We have a slate of films ready to go, more horror-comedy and more straight-up horror, and as soon as this actor’s strike is resolved hopefully we’ll hit the ground running. You can keep updated at screamHQ.com if you like.

Is there any advice that you would give to any director, looking to make his/her own film?

Yes. Do it yourself. Just get whatever you can together and make the damn movie yourself. But then remember the days of being discovered overnight are on hiatus right now. So individual films are stepping stones towards a career. It may take a few. You may not make a whole lot of money, if any, for a while. But don’t give up, just keep making them, and punch your way through this wall of marketing and catalogs and accounting that is the film industry today. Someone will notice you and your work.

Mr. Lee, I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about your recent film "Zombie Strippers!", which hits DVD stores tomorrow, from Columbia Pictures.

You can read my review of Zombie Strippers at: http://www.filmarcade.net/2008/06/reviews-from-horror-chamber-diary-of.html

On the next edition of The independent Film Corner, I will be talking to an up and coming scream queen in the independent horror film scene, Elske McCain.

Until then, my name is Anthony Thurber. Have a good day.

Welcome to Reviews from the Horror Chamber. I am your chamber keeper, Anthony Thurber. Love to rant, but I have three big movies this week to review, so on to the reviews.


Diary of the Dead
Director: George A. Romero
Stars: Joshua Close, Michelle Morgan, Scott Wentworth
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Dimension Extreme
Running Time: 95 Mins
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/diaryofthedead

Diary of the Dead is the latest film in the zombie saga from director George Romero. The film is about a group of filmmakers who are shooting a student film in the middle of the woods. Everything is going fine until they hear the news that there are zombies are terrorizing people everywhere to the point that nowhere is safe. The director of the student film starts to become obsessed with documenting all the events that are taking place. Along with his crew, they try find a place of safety, as the zombies have returned to walk the earth and it’s all there to be documented.

After watching this film, I can clearly say that one of the true masters of horror is back and better than ever. This film also serves proof that if you let your director that can direct without any interference, the product of the film will be great, like this film.

Diary of the Dead is truly one of the year’s best films both horror wise and in general this year. Writer/Director George A. Romero truly directed a cult classic here. One of the things that I personally liked about this was the fact he focused on a lot of things with the current events going on today and integrating it into the story. His direction was great. I liked how Romero uses different types of filming methods like the hand held cams, surveillance footage, and fake news footage to describe and to capture the action on film. It helps the plot of a story that you’ve seen before become original, all of a sudden. His direction of the actors was very good. Romero makes sure that his actors come off as frighten and scared in front of the camera. It helps add to the hysteria that is taking place around them. Also, Romero was also good in the tone in which the narration dialogue was delivered. It helps add to the gloom and doom atmosphere that this movie is projecting. The lead performance from Michelle Morgan was very good. Her performance comes off like Sara Connor like, especially in the narration of the film.

Romero’s screenplay focuses on the various issues that help bring the darkness to this film. He does a great job integrating the issues that haunt this country today. Romero covers everything from Katrina, the media and everyone’s obsession of documenting everything on camera and then posting themselves on the Internet like on youtube and myspace. Also, he takes shots on George Bush and Texas alike, as one of the characters in the film is from that state. While amidst on trying to focus these issues, he also does a good job developing the filmmaker’s obsession with trying to get everything on film. Romero’s shows how his obsession is losing touch with his girlfriend and his friends through out the film, as the project has taken over his life to the point he’s just a passer by who stops and observers the chaos. Also, I liked how the story is told through the character’ filmmaker’s girlfriend instead of the filmmaker. It brings another person’s view to the events that were occurring in the film and it makes the view of the film compelling.

Diary of the Dead is truly a cult classic that can be added into the legacy of one of the greatest horror filmmakers ever, George A. Romero.

One Missed Call
Year: 2008
Director: Eric Valette
Stars: Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, Megan Good
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: Warner Brothers
Running Time: 87 Mins
Review Rating: Zero Stars

(Please take this Review as a Public Service Announcement)

Well, I gave you’ people a list of films to choose from, in which I would review the winning film. Here are the results, in last place with no votes is the remake to April Fools Day (thankfully I’m glad, because that was probably going to suck anyway). In fourth was Teeth with one vote. There was a tie for second as both Botched (which I’ll review next week and Zombie Strippers (which is in this edition as I couldn’t turn down a film with that title) received two votes. So that means you guys have chosen and decided to torture me with One Missed Call as the film that received the most votes with three.

One Missed Call is a remake of 2003 Japanese film called Chakushin Ari. The film is about several teens that are starting to receive mysterious phone calls from a mysterious source. In these phone calls, the calls themselves include some mysterious details that include the date, time, and the details in the way they die. A psychology student (Shannyn Sossamon) and a detective (Edward Burns (yes that Edward Burns that burst on to the scene with the Brother’s McMullen)) must find out the causes of these strange deaths as one of them has received that mysterious phone call that might put both of their lives in jeopardy.

First off, I would like to know the three people who asked for me to review the film, so that I could ask them if they wanted me to review it so I could rip it up to shreds. Because if that's what you wanted me to do, then you got it. One Missed Call should be One and a Half Missed Hours of My Life because this film has no logic and is un-releasable. This film is one of the WORST FILMS IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN CINEMA and it’s also the first to receive the dreaded Zero Stars. Director Eric Valette should have his fucking head examined because according to the film’s trivia on IMDB.com he has never seen the original and had instructed the film’s cast not to see it either. Hello, this is a remake; the original is supposed to be used as a tool so it can help the actors in their preparation. His direction of the actors was horrible as the actors made their character uninteresting and very boring and yes that’s on the director. So fuck you Eric Valette for directing a piece of shit. Also why the fuck is Edward Burns doing in this film. Isn’t there any other independent projects that he could act or direct instead of doing this piece of shit. For fuck sakes, you were in such high profile movies like 15 Minutes and recently in 27 Dresses. Why are you associated with this film?

The screenplay is even worse. I have five words for the writer Andrew Kalan’s screenplay for this piece of crap. Dreadfully Awful and Worst Screenplay EVER. This is the guy that wrote the screenplay to A Shock to the System back in 1990 and wrote the books Don’t Say A Word and True Crime? Hello, did you forget to write a coherent story because there is none here, without an attempt to write one. Kalan also doesn’t spend time getting to know any of the characters, as once you get to meet them they end up getting killed off five minutes later. He also neglects spending any time trying to develop a backstory, as he only spends and I quote “one minute on the backstory before he has kill off his first character two minutes later that’s just there to get killed off." And Mr. Kalan your film had no suspense what so ever, as all the character deaths were unsuspenseful and very predictable. Before I end this fucking review, I just want to say that the last ten minutes of the film is the worst ending to a horror film ever. It was very anti-climactic and very boring. So fuck you Andrew Kalan for writing this piece of crap.

Before I end this review Eric Valette and Andrew Kalan, you guys both owe me $3.99, the price of the on-demand rental, because I should be refunded for watching this trash. You can contact me at anthonythurber@filmarcade.net. Please pay me and I hope to never see you two near a film again because One Missed Call is one of the worst films of all time. It’s simply just fucking piece of un-releasable crap. [Editor's note: Which explains why it was the first film released in 2008, eh?]

Zombie Strippers
Year: 2008

Director: Jay Lee

Stars: Robert Englund, Jenna Jamerson, Roxy Saint

MPAA Rating: R

Studio: Sony Pictures / Scream HQ

Running Time: 94 Mins

Review Rating: 5 Stars
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/zombiestrippers

Yes, I’m not kidding. There is actually a movie that was just recently released in theaters and currently playing On Demand with the title and I quote Zombie Strippers! It’s the follow-up film from director Jay Lee, who directed The Slaughter (which I recommend, you check from Lionsgate) back in 2006. The film takes place in the not so distant future where a virus gets released into an ultra-conservative state, where the town’s underground strip club is run by a slimy owner (Robert Engund). Soon the virus starts spreading into his strip club where it turns the beautiful women into super zombie stripers. Soon the women and the employees, who work at the strip-club must try and fend off these zombies before they end up getting infected and joining these super zombie strippers (sorry about that, had to say one time). Hopefully this film will be better than I tried to make it, in the plot synopsis. Oh, by the way Adult Film superstar Jenna Jamerson co-headlines this film with Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Behind the Mask).

Check your brain at the door because Zombie Strippers is great grindhouse fun. This is one of those films that I had very little interest going, but enjoyed this film for what it was worth Writer/ Director Jay Lee does it again, as this was very fun to watch. He does a great job with the direction and the screenplay, as they were both were very good. Lee does a good job keeping the action moving with good special effects and good camera movement. The acting is this was good considering the material here, as this felt like one of those exploitation horror films with humor added in.

The screenplay was very good here. Lee does a great job spoofing the current political climate here, as it takes shots at a lot of thing including the current president, corporate greed and the stupidity of our government. He added some very surprising good humor, as they were funny and helped make this film fun. Also, the thing that surprised me most was film. I was actually a little surprised that happened because it the fact; Lee spends developing the story before the fun and cheesiness kicks into this showed me that amidst the fun that goes with grindhouse films like these, you still can develop an effective story because it was at least a good fifteen minutes or more before we actually get into the strip club.

I hope there’s an unrated version for this film, as Zombie Strippers will make want to hang out with these girls, as it blood curling effects and hot luscious babes.

If you’re a filmmaker and interested in having your horror film reviewed in the horror chamber, you can reach the Chamber Keeper himself at horrorchamber@filmarcade.net or if you have any film in any genres that you want Film Arcade to review, send us an email at screeners@filmarcade.net.

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I’ll be back next Sunday with a new edition containing my reviews of Botched and Timber Falls. Until then, have a frightening day.