Sterling Anno
- what motivated you to get into the film world? Growing up as an unpopular kid in school, normally bullied by peers, cinema was my primary means of both escape and social connection with others. Many of the stories told allowed me to better understand familiar issues through another's lens, expand my knowledge of other cultures and realize that things do get better with time. Eventually finding others who understood this provided a cathartic means of community that I otherwise lacked. It was through this sense of familial connection that I realized how common a story like mine really was, affording me a voice of which I never had.
However it wasn't until I began volunteering with the Temecula Valley Film & Music Festival in the late 2000's that I realized I could potentially assume an active role in offering others the voice they needed as well. It was this gathering of like-mindedness that motivated me, as since these times I've worked with a multitude of film festivals across the SoCal region in the areas of both programming and general operations. Helping filmmakers be heard by those who genuinely want to listen is a true joy that I place an utmost importance in. I mean, film saved my life, thus in return, I chose to dedicate the remainder of mine to it. I think that's a pretty fair trade. - Who were some of the film icons you looked up to as a kid? Definitely first and foremost it was Haruo Nakajima, Ishiro Honda, Jun Fukuda and all the wonderful people who helped bring the Showa era of Godzilla to life. Growing up, Godzilla was my hero and to be honest, still very much is. Although most of the films in this portion of Big-G's legacy deterred from the allegoric & antagonistic force of nature the original outing presented, I'll always prefer the heroic characterization of Godzilla to the more villainous redirect that the also fantastic Versus series gave us. Aside from this iconic Toho team, Sam Raimi & the late James Horner were two others who influenced my greater appreciation for cinema as a child. And side note on my final entry for this question, the fact that neither "Higgins" nor "Benjean", the original dogs to portray Benji, ever received an honorary Oscar for their incredible performances is truly criminal.
- What are some of you favorite horror films? As unoriginal an answer it may be, Evil Dead 2 remains as THE horror film I can rewatch eternally without pause and never truly tire of the process. The laughter to legitimate jump ratio is as perfectly balanced as the seasoning on a dish from a Michelin Star winning restaurant. For me, it is an impeccable experience and one I've cherished since I was 8. Also since I was 8, Dead Alive (aka, Braindead) is to this day one of my favorite undead flicks. How Jackson managed to perfect such an intricate final set piece as the iconic house party is a testament to his genius. And to this day, the baby in the park scene remains the only scene in a movie to ever make me laugh so hard I briefly lost consciousness. Only The Greasy Strangler(at our own 2016 screening, mind you)would come close to tying with this accomplishment. Other genre titles I can endlessly revisit would be Whale's Frankenstein, Fulci's The New York Ripper and Kim Jee-Woon's I Saw The Devil.
- I noticed you have done some acting, writing, and producing. Do you prefer one over the other? Writing. You can probably tell due to the fact that I am doing far too much of that at this very moment! But I've always found a lot of peace in sitting down to explain what one may love about the latest short or feature I've been lucky enough to experience for myself. Though I've written for a couple independent blogs in the past, I keep most of my writing nowadays to Letterboxd. Yep, I'm one of those people!
- Tell me about the Horrible Imagining Film Festival. Founded in 2009 by festival director, Miguel Rodriguez, Horrible Imaginings(or HiFilmFest as it's abbreviated)is predicated on the idea that film's seen through the genre lens can be a healing experience on both a personal and communal level. At our core, we focus on any and all films that lend themselves to the macabre experience, but with an added emphasis on stories that contribute to a greater discussion of our fears and anxieties. This is because we see horror as a personal expression of our deeper emotions, as well as an effective vehicle to promote change, empathy & inclusivity through the stories we tell. It's a mission and value statement I identify with all too well and proudly uphold alongside our talented team of core operations staff and volunteers.
Now on our 12th annual edition, we look forward to returning to our home at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA for our first hybrid festival. We run September 2nd - 5th at The Frida with our virtual platform, Eventive, taking over from September 6th - 12th, for those who can not make it in-person due to work, distance or our modern age of travel restrictions. If anyone wants to learn more, they can always visit us at hifilmfest.com for our event dates, schedule, admission, lookbacks on past editions and much more! - What projects, festivals, etc do you have planned for the future? In addition to HiFilmFest's main festival dates each year, we also produce a quarterly screening series known as Campfire Tales. As a direct extension of our festival each year, this showcase presents a minimum of 4 editions leading up to the next September festival that following year. Sunday, October 3rd will see our Halloween Themed Edition commence both at The Frida Cinema and virtually on Eventive. We'll also have another edition this year in December, as well as two more in February and June of 2022. In addition to this and outside of my role at Horrible Imaginings, I am also Co-Director of Programming at the Oceanside International Film Festival, which will kick off in-person on February 22nd - 27th, 2022 in Downtown Oceanside, CA. That being said, I organize and program film events year round with no end at all in sight. And you know what, Brandon? I wouldn't dare live my life any other way.
Christopher Bickel
All right my interview with the super talented director of “Bad Girls” Christopher Bickel is up now on all podcast platforms.
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1717906.rss
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1717906.rss
Jay Kay
Check out my interview with the super talented Jay Kay. Jay is a horror Jack of all trades. He writes and works for Horrorhound magazine, he hosts HorrorHappens radio. Also on top of all of this Jay is also a film maker with his upcoming project “Within The Frame.”
Adam Egypt Mortimer
My interview with the very talented director of “Archenemy” “Daniel isn’t Real” and “Some kind of Hate” Adam Egypt Mortimer. We talk about everything from cats to horror. I had a really great time chatting with Adam and I hope you enjoy the interview.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4008890/
https://www.adamegyptmortimer.com/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4008890/
https://www.adamegyptmortimer.com/
Vicky“MakeupBilly”Clerici
I am really excited to share this interview with the super talented FX artist and monstrous mask maker Vicky “MakeupBilly” Clerici. She is also the owner and monster behind Macabro Productions. I highly recommend you check out her site www.makeupbilly.com and order yourself something scary for the new upcoming year.
1.What motivated you to get into the makeup effects/mask making world?
I was always into watching spooky movies since a very young age. Me and my sister have 7 years difference so she definitely helped by renting some classics like "The Making of Thriller" that I would watch on repeat almost religiously! Also, great films like "Summer School", "Scream", "Halloween" ect. I originally wanted to go into filmmaking. I would do the FX for all my short films in highschool and cegep(college) and then I soon realized that filmmaking is hard work and you need a literal team to make it happen. By this point I had already begun an obsession over Michael Myers. I loved his character and of course his mask. I began collecting Myers masks- lurking forums like Michael-myers.net and the Halloween mask association and realizing that, I wasn't the only one this interested in masks. I knew this is what I wanted to do. I always loved sculpture art and working with my hands. Montreal doesn't really have any specialized schools like this so that is when I literally took a year off and just worked 3 jobs saved up for Vancouver Film school's Makeup FX for Film and Television program and boom. Came back to MontreaI. Over the years I was able to experience working on films, in fx shops, behind conventions booths and working in my workshop. Here I am now 9 years later, exactly where I want to be, making masks for other fans, directors and collectors!
1.What motivated you to get into the makeup effects/mask making world?
I was always into watching spooky movies since a very young age. Me and my sister have 7 years difference so she definitely helped by renting some classics like "The Making of Thriller" that I would watch on repeat almost religiously! Also, great films like "Summer School", "Scream", "Halloween" ect. I originally wanted to go into filmmaking. I would do the FX for all my short films in highschool and cegep(college) and then I soon realized that filmmaking is hard work and you need a literal team to make it happen. By this point I had already begun an obsession over Michael Myers. I loved his character and of course his mask. I began collecting Myers masks- lurking forums like Michael-myers.net and the Halloween mask association and realizing that, I wasn't the only one this interested in masks. I knew this is what I wanted to do. I always loved sculpture art and working with my hands. Montreal doesn't really have any specialized schools like this so that is when I literally took a year off and just worked 3 jobs saved up for Vancouver Film school's Makeup FX for Film and Television program and boom. Came back to MontreaI. Over the years I was able to experience working on films, in fx shops, behind conventions booths and working in my workshop. Here I am now 9 years later, exactly where I want to be, making masks for other fans, directors and collectors!
2. Who do you look up to or draw inspiration from in the FX world?
Definitely Tom Savini. I've always loved his view of it being like magic, because it is. What you see on screen looks terrifying but when you break it down or have someone take a pic of it on set its silly sometimes to see how we can recreate these crazy effects!
Definitely Tom Savini. I've always loved his view of it being like magic, because it is. What you see on screen looks terrifying but when you break it down or have someone take a pic of it on set its silly sometimes to see how we can recreate these crazy effects!
3. What’s your favorite part of the mask making process?
Ouf, all of it. haha! I love creating new things. My brain loves to just be in front of a lump of clay and work at creating a shape and a new nightmare. Also, it's so relaxing to sculpt. I get to a point though- where I am simply just doing minute detailing and the creativity is kind of over. That's when I love having other projects next to me drying so I can step back and take a break while I paint up my other masks. Painting them to me is super exciting also so much fun to share with folks online because you see the transformation of a character coming alive on a faster scale! Sculpting takes me time and it's hard to share that whole process with the online world but that's also the most satisfying moment where you patch together all the photos from the lump of clay to the finish product, best feeling in the world seeing it all unfold and come to life.
Ouf, all of it. haha! I love creating new things. My brain loves to just be in front of a lump of clay and work at creating a shape and a new nightmare. Also, it's so relaxing to sculpt. I get to a point though- where I am simply just doing minute detailing and the creativity is kind of over. That's when I love having other projects next to me drying so I can step back and take a break while I paint up my other masks. Painting them to me is super exciting also so much fun to share with folks online because you see the transformation of a character coming alive on a faster scale! Sculpting takes me time and it's hard to share that whole process with the online world but that's also the most satisfying moment where you patch together all the photos from the lump of clay to the finish product, best feeling in the world seeing it all unfold and come to life.
4. What’s the most challenging aspect of mask making?
I have found two tough things. 1. Being able to step away from a sculpture and simply get it done! Clay can always keep being re-worked. A big thing is, I find myself constantly trying to make something perfect or re-working it to make it better and better and there's moments where you need to slap your own hand and say lol step back its done!
2. I would say the end, taking photos of them to convey the characters. I am very used to simply finishing a mask then getting a dm or a sale right away online so I haven't spent much time photographing them. I practice here and there but I love leaving this part up to other artists/ photographers and directors to take my character and put them into a setting that not only is terrifying but creates a mood. This is a skill I plan on working on for sure since my brain loves creating scenarios for them but I definitely struggle with the techniques behind a camera.
I have found two tough things. 1. Being able to step away from a sculpture and simply get it done! Clay can always keep being re-worked. A big thing is, I find myself constantly trying to make something perfect or re-working it to make it better and better and there's moments where you need to slap your own hand and say lol step back its done!
2. I would say the end, taking photos of them to convey the characters. I am very used to simply finishing a mask then getting a dm or a sale right away online so I haven't spent much time photographing them. I practice here and there but I love leaving this part up to other artists/ photographers and directors to take my character and put them into a setting that not only is terrifying but creates a mood. This is a skill I plan on working on for sure since my brain loves creating scenarios for them but I definitely struggle with the techniques behind a camera.
5. Do you have a favorite mask that you have made?
I love my "split" mask, this is an original design with two expressions stitched together. Also, my "him and her" masks which are not for sale, simply my characters I play with. They are both so sinister yet simple looking.
I love my "split" mask, this is an original design with two expressions stitched together. Also, my "him and her" masks which are not for sale, simply my characters I play with. They are both so sinister yet simple looking.
6. What goals have you achieved so far and what goals do you have for the future?
Achieved/continuing
I've finally created my brand/name for myself. Originally, I began wanting to make films along with my masks so I stuck with a production vibe with my art. It was my company selling to people where I realized, Vicky, as much as you have a mask making business, it's YOU making these, people want to see you creating the whole thing. It took me a lot of courage since I'm not a fan of being on camera lol and again this is my art, my passion, my bebe. I put any kind of doubts aside and just began sharing with the world more and more of my life of mask making and all other kinds of shenanigans on social media platforms like awesome groups on fb, reddit and on my own instagram and i've been super stoked to continue growing in the horror community! Everyone is so supportive and positive and that has always been my vibe too. It's an amazing feeling when you meet someone and they say wait, you're that makeupbilly person that makes spooky shit! I'm like heck ya bud, that's me, I ain't no alter ego, what you see is what you get!
Amazing feedback and quality- I have yet to have someone message me after a sale saying they were upset with what they have received. I want to always stay true to this even though it means not mass producing my masks. Over the years, I see that more and more people understand that I'm using major attention to detail, high quality products and legit my love for it to create each mask I think proves this. I would never rush through a mask and fail on quality to just make more sales. I'd rather take my time and make sure whatever I am creating is a piece that even I would purchase for myself.
Working on film and in fx shops I was lucky enough to jump right into the industry after being out of school. I was able to see basically all the different sides to the makeup fx industry and this made me quickly realize what I wanted to specialize in. Actually, I will correct myself there-It confirmed to me that I still wanted to be that guy making masks in my own little studio and selling them to other amazing artists/collectors or just straight up halloween fans!
Future goals
Get quicker at sculpting
The more you sculpt, the more its practice the quicker you get. I would love to continue getting better and better at my sculpting techniques so I can keep creating more and more pieces! I've been challenging myself this year with new pieces and I would like that to continue big time! I don't have a number off the top of my head as to how many new masks I want to create but, I definitely I want to push the envelope and create a lot more this year than I have in the past years!
Create new things aka toys/collectables/ shirts
My convention time is usually from March until Oct 31. During this time i'm basically pouring and pumping out masks I already have moulds for. The time after that, I usually spend finally creating and sculpting new creations. Covid has this all backwards this year lol so Right now, I'm going to be diving into using new materials. I've already got my silicone materials ready to go to make new masks and, I want to be making some fun miniatures/deco type of creations. I will be making new horror t-shirts as well since I do love sporting horror just like all ya'll other horror fans do! I think each of these fun new creative channels will help me towards my end goal below.
Mask making and creating full time- I am still doing this part time. Covid has had us on lockdown yet again here. Lock down has been rough for a lot of us out there but I'm looking at this as a blessing since it makes it feel a bit more like I am mask making full time. Juggling two jobs has always been a thing in my life. Or like I mentioned above, even 3 jobs at a time haha. I've always been someone that could tackle this many jobs at once in order to reach whatever goals I have but, I know i'm ready for this to be my full-time gig and, I know if I had the full 80 hours in a week to put solely into this, I would kill it. I've always wanted my mask making to grow organically because hey, It's quality not quantity. I have never paid for followers nor do I ever want to. I want people to follow and get into my art because they genuinely love it. The last two years I've spent really sharing my art with a lot of different social media networks and traveling to a lot of shows and, my business has shown a steady growth which is awesome but, this is my final goal. I would love to have the time to be sharing videos all the time with folks, going to shows to sell, meet and greet with folks, creating more content and far many more masks since the creation of a new mask from a-z takes the most time. I'm definitely on my way to this and cannot wait until I can finally be solely in the spooky zone. I have a Patreon for those who don't want to purchase a mask but still want to be a part of my journey and help towards my end goal but, I am looking into other channels and options to help to be able to share with those other serious folks that can also help me make this leap.
Achieved/continuing
I've finally created my brand/name for myself. Originally, I began wanting to make films along with my masks so I stuck with a production vibe with my art. It was my company selling to people where I realized, Vicky, as much as you have a mask making business, it's YOU making these, people want to see you creating the whole thing. It took me a lot of courage since I'm not a fan of being on camera lol and again this is my art, my passion, my bebe. I put any kind of doubts aside and just began sharing with the world more and more of my life of mask making and all other kinds of shenanigans on social media platforms like awesome groups on fb, reddit and on my own instagram and i've been super stoked to continue growing in the horror community! Everyone is so supportive and positive and that has always been my vibe too. It's an amazing feeling when you meet someone and they say wait, you're that makeupbilly person that makes spooky shit! I'm like heck ya bud, that's me, I ain't no alter ego, what you see is what you get!
Amazing feedback and quality- I have yet to have someone message me after a sale saying they were upset with what they have received. I want to always stay true to this even though it means not mass producing my masks. Over the years, I see that more and more people understand that I'm using major attention to detail, high quality products and legit my love for it to create each mask I think proves this. I would never rush through a mask and fail on quality to just make more sales. I'd rather take my time and make sure whatever I am creating is a piece that even I would purchase for myself.
Working on film and in fx shops I was lucky enough to jump right into the industry after being out of school. I was able to see basically all the different sides to the makeup fx industry and this made me quickly realize what I wanted to specialize in. Actually, I will correct myself there-It confirmed to me that I still wanted to be that guy making masks in my own little studio and selling them to other amazing artists/collectors or just straight up halloween fans!
Future goals
Get quicker at sculpting
The more you sculpt, the more its practice the quicker you get. I would love to continue getting better and better at my sculpting techniques so I can keep creating more and more pieces! I've been challenging myself this year with new pieces and I would like that to continue big time! I don't have a number off the top of my head as to how many new masks I want to create but, I definitely I want to push the envelope and create a lot more this year than I have in the past years!
Create new things aka toys/collectables/ shirts
My convention time is usually from March until Oct 31. During this time i'm basically pouring and pumping out masks I already have moulds for. The time after that, I usually spend finally creating and sculpting new creations. Covid has this all backwards this year lol so Right now, I'm going to be diving into using new materials. I've already got my silicone materials ready to go to make new masks and, I want to be making some fun miniatures/deco type of creations. I will be making new horror t-shirts as well since I do love sporting horror just like all ya'll other horror fans do! I think each of these fun new creative channels will help me towards my end goal below.
Mask making and creating full time- I am still doing this part time. Covid has had us on lockdown yet again here. Lock down has been rough for a lot of us out there but I'm looking at this as a blessing since it makes it feel a bit more like I am mask making full time. Juggling two jobs has always been a thing in my life. Or like I mentioned above, even 3 jobs at a time haha. I've always been someone that could tackle this many jobs at once in order to reach whatever goals I have but, I know i'm ready for this to be my full-time gig and, I know if I had the full 80 hours in a week to put solely into this, I would kill it. I've always wanted my mask making to grow organically because hey, It's quality not quantity. I have never paid for followers nor do I ever want to. I want people to follow and get into my art because they genuinely love it. The last two years I've spent really sharing my art with a lot of different social media networks and traveling to a lot of shows and, my business has shown a steady growth which is awesome but, this is my final goal. I would love to have the time to be sharing videos all the time with folks, going to shows to sell, meet and greet with folks, creating more content and far many more masks since the creation of a new mask from a-z takes the most time. I'm definitely on my way to this and cannot wait until I can finally be solely in the spooky zone. I have a Patreon for those who don't want to purchase a mask but still want to be a part of my journey and help towards my end goal but, I am looking into other channels and options to help to be able to share with those other serious folks that can also help me make this leap.
7. What advice would you give to future effects artists?
Understand that constructive criticism is stupid helpful. Don't be shy to post your art and don't get down from what people may say. The fx world is pretty big now since there is so much more awareness of it thanks to awesome shows like face off. I think all artists suffer from this fear of being put down, or not feeling good enough. Remember that art is subjective and an ever growing talent. Please know that I went to my first Comicon convention with only 4 masks at my booth. I had nothing, I wasn't even selling shirts at that time. I was doing zombie makeups and showing people my 4 pieces of art and showing people hey, I love horror, this is just some stuff I have so far and I can't wait to make so many more. I was scared too but that's just our egos being lame. Change is good. Embrace it and dive in head first. Even I have made tons of mistakes on the way, but like Bob Ross would say, happy little mistakes lol that in the end helped me towards my goals and decisions. Be industrious, create your OWN work while you're maybe looking for makeup gigs too. Constantly research and have fun pushing yourself out of your comfort creative zone. Plain and simple, do what you love most.
Understand that constructive criticism is stupid helpful. Don't be shy to post your art and don't get down from what people may say. The fx world is pretty big now since there is so much more awareness of it thanks to awesome shows like face off. I think all artists suffer from this fear of being put down, or not feeling good enough. Remember that art is subjective and an ever growing talent. Please know that I went to my first Comicon convention with only 4 masks at my booth. I had nothing, I wasn't even selling shirts at that time. I was doing zombie makeups and showing people my 4 pieces of art and showing people hey, I love horror, this is just some stuff I have so far and I can't wait to make so many more. I was scared too but that's just our egos being lame. Change is good. Embrace it and dive in head first. Even I have made tons of mistakes on the way, but like Bob Ross would say, happy little mistakes lol that in the end helped me towards my goals and decisions. Be industrious, create your OWN work while you're maybe looking for makeup gigs too. Constantly research and have fun pushing yourself out of your comfort creative zone. Plain and simple, do what you love most.
8. Last question, what are 6 of your all time favorite horror films?
Ugh this is always tough. I feel like it varies but these are my all times that I can legit watch over and over and still get those warm gushy spooky vibes!
-Halloween (1978) John Carpenter
-The thing-John Carpenter
-Maniac-Willam Lustig
-City of the living dead
-Demons-Lamberto Bava
-Tenebrae-Dario Argento
Ugh this is always tough. I feel like it varies but these are my all times that I can legit watch over and over and still get those warm gushy spooky vibes!
-Halloween (1978) John Carpenter
-The thing-John Carpenter
-Maniac-Willam Lustig
-City of the living dead
-Demons-Lamberto Bava
-Tenebrae-Dario Argento
Charlie Steeds
I am really happy to share this interview with the talented horror director/producer/editor Charlie Steeds. Charlie’s films include”‘A Werewolf in England”,” Death Ranch”, “Vampire Virus”, “The Barge People”, and many others. There is a link below to his IMDB page to check out some more of his work and upcoming projects.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6840460/
1. What motivated you to get into the film industry?
I’d known I wanted to make films since a young age. It first properly occurred to me around age 10 or so, not just as a vague interest, but making movies was the only thing I wanted. Nothing in life was more important!
I started making shorts at age 15, 5 years later I’d made 20, many of these were as long as 30-45 minutes. Luckily I’ve managed to turn it into something I can do full time, through my company Dark Temple Motion Pictures, but in some way, there’s no difference between me filming with my friends as a teenager and me doing what I do now.
2. Do you draw inspiration from other directors and writers, if so who?
Absolutely! I’m interested in all films, not just horror, but the Italian directors Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, and Dario Argento are a huge influence on me. As a teenager, it was Tarantino, Lynch, and the Coen Brothers who were my main obsessions. Tarantino is definitely still a major influence, maybe the only director who’s films properly surprise me and blow me away. I also adore John Carpenter, but a lot of these directors have their own specific styles, that I love as a film fan, but as a filmmaker, you don’t want to borrow from them, you want to find your own style. I’m a huge Italian westerns fan too, and you’ll see that influence in many of my movies if you look for it. One of my favorites is Death Rides a Horse, and the opening scene of that film is pure horror movie material, spectacularly shot. Westerns are very similar to horror movies in many ways, you’re waiting for the violence to erupt, and the Italians made them extremely gory. So Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Leone too.
3. What are your top ten favorite horror films of all time?
Phantasm 1-3, The Shining, The Devil’s Rejects (I love this movie, I’ve watched it 1000 times), Hellraiser, The Fog, The Thing (and a handful of other Carpenter flicks), Suspiria (and a few other Argento movies), Carrie (and many other Stephen King adaptations, even the bad ones, and especially the mini-series), The House by the Cemetery (and a few other Fulci movies), Black Christmas (scariest movie ever), The Changeling and Day of the Dead. That’s not ten but it doesn’t matter!
4. I had the pleasure of checking out your new film “A Werewolf in England” and reviewing it. What inspired the werewolf designs and story?
When I was approached to make a werewolf film my first thought was how the hell am I going to do the wolves! Obviously, my budget is very limited, I can’t make a wolf-like 2010’s The Wolfman, or even the classics like The Howling (best werewolf ever by the way). But my film is a pure horror-comedy, inspired by the likes of Evil Dead 2, and has a very camp/theatrical old Hammer Horror style to it, so that afforded me some leeway with the realism of my wolves. I searched the internet and eventually settled on the werewolf suits made by Midnight Studios FX, they just look incredible! Budget-wise, I knew right away we weren’t going to get animatronic wolf heads for this little movie, so I knew I had to make up for that with all-out blood ’n' guts action. There’s three wolf suits used in the movie, and the final 40 minutes is basically pure werewolf action, there are truly very few werewolf movies that can offer that.
The story came as a last-minute decision, I deviated from a whole other plot outline actually. I love single-setting movies, and the investors loved the idea of a Victorian setting, so a creepy Victorian Inn seemed a fun location to set the film. We built the set from scratch, in a barn, so I wrote the scenes for an 8 room set (plus air duct tunnel). You can’t really reveal the werewolves too early, so I knew I needed something horrifying to occupy the first half of the film, so it became half Victorian- era slasher movie about these psycho murderers, and the 2nd half is a werewolf siege movie.
5. I’m a big fan of practical effects. Do you prefer practical over CGI?
I hate most CGI. It’s not film to me, its video games, it looks fake, and subconsciously I know it’s not there. In older movies, there’s such a thrill to seeing an actual car stunt, an actual explosion, an actual creature in a suit, animatronics etc. Now when I’m watching all this CG stuff, I’m not in the least bit thrilled, so it doesn’t work for me. I don’t think ‘how did they do that!’ I think ‘ugh, computers’... And don’t even get me started on CGI werewolves, they simply don’t count! There’s a place for CGI in buildings and backgrounds, static objects... the use of CGI in the Netflix series Mindhunter springs to mind, that is ‘invisible’ CGI that is sometimes appropriate. Everything in my films is practical and always has been, although the demand for cheap (bad) CGI in straight-to-DVD movies is always getting stronger.
6. You have a ton of killer horror films under your belt. Do you have a favorite out of the bunch?
Thank you! Death Ranch might be my favorite, I had full creative freedom to make a story that I’d wanted to shoot for years. Its totally to my own tastes, and also the shoot in Tennessee was one of the best times I’ve ever had. This werewolf movie is also very close to my heart though, its a more ambitious film than any other, more work went into it, and the shoot was pure hell at times, it was a battle. Its a bit more rough around the edges than Death Ranch but the story and the character journeys are all there for me, there’s so much crammed into those 85 minutes. An English Haunting remains my highest technical achievement, but is a very different style of movie though, slow and subtle, which (no matter what anyone says) is very easy to shoot compared to action. Filmmaking doesn’t get harder than action.
7. What advice would you give to young directors?
If you haven’t already, get out there and start making movies! There is nothing stopping you, no matter what you think. Nothing’s coming along to help you, you’re on your own, just you driven by the movies you love... You only learn by making movies and they don’t come out perfect, that’s OK. 20 short films down the line I was 20 short films better than my 1st, but still far from perfect, same goes for my feature films. Ignore anyone who criticizes your journey along the way (including yourself), obviously, some fools are under the illusion Ridley Scott walked into his first ever job already a cinematic genius.
Make what you love and what you most want to make, there’s no point trying to emulate what’s already out there. I had to face the fact, when I got asked to make this werewolf movie, that I’m competing with other werewolf films that have 100 times my budget, so I had to make it my own, I had to be sure nobody else would make a werewolf film like mine. You make it your own.
And trust your own instincts, don’t listen to anyone’s advice if it feels wrong to you, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.
8. What are some upcoming projects we can look forward to?
I can’t say, but there’s lots in the works, my schedule is full for the next 12 months. Maybe more werewolves...
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6840460/
1. What motivated you to get into the film industry?
I’d known I wanted to make films since a young age. It first properly occurred to me around age 10 or so, not just as a vague interest, but making movies was the only thing I wanted. Nothing in life was more important!
I started making shorts at age 15, 5 years later I’d made 20, many of these were as long as 30-45 minutes. Luckily I’ve managed to turn it into something I can do full time, through my company Dark Temple Motion Pictures, but in some way, there’s no difference between me filming with my friends as a teenager and me doing what I do now.
2. Do you draw inspiration from other directors and writers, if so who?
Absolutely! I’m interested in all films, not just horror, but the Italian directors Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, and Dario Argento are a huge influence on me. As a teenager, it was Tarantino, Lynch, and the Coen Brothers who were my main obsessions. Tarantino is definitely still a major influence, maybe the only director who’s films properly surprise me and blow me away. I also adore John Carpenter, but a lot of these directors have their own specific styles, that I love as a film fan, but as a filmmaker, you don’t want to borrow from them, you want to find your own style. I’m a huge Italian westerns fan too, and you’ll see that influence in many of my movies if you look for it. One of my favorites is Death Rides a Horse, and the opening scene of that film is pure horror movie material, spectacularly shot. Westerns are very similar to horror movies in many ways, you’re waiting for the violence to erupt, and the Italians made them extremely gory. So Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Leone too.
3. What are your top ten favorite horror films of all time?
Phantasm 1-3, The Shining, The Devil’s Rejects (I love this movie, I’ve watched it 1000 times), Hellraiser, The Fog, The Thing (and a handful of other Carpenter flicks), Suspiria (and a few other Argento movies), Carrie (and many other Stephen King adaptations, even the bad ones, and especially the mini-series), The House by the Cemetery (and a few other Fulci movies), Black Christmas (scariest movie ever), The Changeling and Day of the Dead. That’s not ten but it doesn’t matter!
4. I had the pleasure of checking out your new film “A Werewolf in England” and reviewing it. What inspired the werewolf designs and story?
When I was approached to make a werewolf film my first thought was how the hell am I going to do the wolves! Obviously, my budget is very limited, I can’t make a wolf-like 2010’s The Wolfman, or even the classics like The Howling (best werewolf ever by the way). But my film is a pure horror-comedy, inspired by the likes of Evil Dead 2, and has a very camp/theatrical old Hammer Horror style to it, so that afforded me some leeway with the realism of my wolves. I searched the internet and eventually settled on the werewolf suits made by Midnight Studios FX, they just look incredible! Budget-wise, I knew right away we weren’t going to get animatronic wolf heads for this little movie, so I knew I had to make up for that with all-out blood ’n' guts action. There’s three wolf suits used in the movie, and the final 40 minutes is basically pure werewolf action, there are truly very few werewolf movies that can offer that.
The story came as a last-minute decision, I deviated from a whole other plot outline actually. I love single-setting movies, and the investors loved the idea of a Victorian setting, so a creepy Victorian Inn seemed a fun location to set the film. We built the set from scratch, in a barn, so I wrote the scenes for an 8 room set (plus air duct tunnel). You can’t really reveal the werewolves too early, so I knew I needed something horrifying to occupy the first half of the film, so it became half Victorian- era slasher movie about these psycho murderers, and the 2nd half is a werewolf siege movie.
5. I’m a big fan of practical effects. Do you prefer practical over CGI?
I hate most CGI. It’s not film to me, its video games, it looks fake, and subconsciously I know it’s not there. In older movies, there’s such a thrill to seeing an actual car stunt, an actual explosion, an actual creature in a suit, animatronics etc. Now when I’m watching all this CG stuff, I’m not in the least bit thrilled, so it doesn’t work for me. I don’t think ‘how did they do that!’ I think ‘ugh, computers’... And don’t even get me started on CGI werewolves, they simply don’t count! There’s a place for CGI in buildings and backgrounds, static objects... the use of CGI in the Netflix series Mindhunter springs to mind, that is ‘invisible’ CGI that is sometimes appropriate. Everything in my films is practical and always has been, although the demand for cheap (bad) CGI in straight-to-DVD movies is always getting stronger.
6. You have a ton of killer horror films under your belt. Do you have a favorite out of the bunch?
Thank you! Death Ranch might be my favorite, I had full creative freedom to make a story that I’d wanted to shoot for years. Its totally to my own tastes, and also the shoot in Tennessee was one of the best times I’ve ever had. This werewolf movie is also very close to my heart though, its a more ambitious film than any other, more work went into it, and the shoot was pure hell at times, it was a battle. Its a bit more rough around the edges than Death Ranch but the story and the character journeys are all there for me, there’s so much crammed into those 85 minutes. An English Haunting remains my highest technical achievement, but is a very different style of movie though, slow and subtle, which (no matter what anyone says) is very easy to shoot compared to action. Filmmaking doesn’t get harder than action.
7. What advice would you give to young directors?
If you haven’t already, get out there and start making movies! There is nothing stopping you, no matter what you think. Nothing’s coming along to help you, you’re on your own, just you driven by the movies you love... You only learn by making movies and they don’t come out perfect, that’s OK. 20 short films down the line I was 20 short films better than my 1st, but still far from perfect, same goes for my feature films. Ignore anyone who criticizes your journey along the way (including yourself), obviously, some fools are under the illusion Ridley Scott walked into his first ever job already a cinematic genius.
Make what you love and what you most want to make, there’s no point trying to emulate what’s already out there. I had to face the fact, when I got asked to make this werewolf movie, that I’m competing with other werewolf films that have 100 times my budget, so I had to make it my own, I had to be sure nobody else would make a werewolf film like mine. You make it your own.
And trust your own instincts, don’t listen to anyone’s advice if it feels wrong to you, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.
8. What are some upcoming projects we can look forward to?
I can’t say, but there’s lots in the works, my schedule is full for the next 12 months. Maybe more werewolves...
Bill Weeden
I am really excited to share this interview with a living legend of stage and screen Bill Weeden. Bill is an award-winning actor/writer/composer/performer and jack of all trades. You may recognize him from his roles with Troma films (Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV, Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D) and countless Tv and film roles. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I do.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917253/
1. What got you into acting and show-business?
From the time I could form words, the first and only thing I ever wanted to be was an actor. But fate stepped in. As a child, I had a debilitating stutter which made it difficult even to get a simple sentence out. So I gave up my acting dream and became a writer and musical composer, writing funny songs and comedy with a collaborator I met at prep school. We continued our writing through college and in New York City after graduation. I wrote songs for Manhattan cabaret shows and for celebrities like Carol Channing and Lily Tomlin.
Then one day a friend of mine asked me and my writing partner if we’d like to perform our songs in a nightclub he was managing. We jumped at the chance. I was scared because of my stutter, which had persisted, but we did it and got good reviews. Over time and more public performing, my stutter, miraculously, more or less went away.
When my 18-year marriage broke up, I decided to make a go of the acting career, and answered a casting notice for a movie I thought sounded like a Troma production. I loved Troma already, so I took a shot. And what do you know? I got the role of “Reginald Stuart,” the villain in “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” It changed my life. I remarried and in April we celebrated 25 years..
2. Who were some of your idols growing up that you looked up too?
I had two major idols, neither of whom may be well known to your audience, but hey, that’s okay. One of them was Tom Lehrer, the singer-songwriter of such hilarious ditties as “The Vatican Rag” and “The Old Dope Peddler.” My other idol was the comedy duo of Bob and Ray. If you don’t know them, seek them out. Just to provide some more contemporary context, the “Bob” of Bob and Ray is Bob Elliott, father of Chris Elliott (“Schitt’s Creek” and “There’s Something About Mary”). I guess these choices make it clear I was into comedy—and still am.
3. What are 6 of your favorite horror films of all time?
One of my all-time favorite movies of any genre, and I guess it’s “horror,” is Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” I saw it when it first came out, and it totally freaked me out.
I also love “The Toxic Avenger,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Poultrygeist,” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” and, although this may sound like a shameless plug, my upcoming feature “Psycho Ape!”—which is outrageously gory and outrageously funny.
4 .Do you prefer your stage performances over film roles or do you appreciate both the same?
That’s an almost impossible question to answer. What I like about doing both screen and stage work is that stage acting is almost a different animal altogether. If you do on screen what you do on stage, you almost always look like you’re hamming it up. And if you do on stage what you do on screen you would wind up phoning it in. Of course, there’s the occasional job where hamming it up on screen is the way to go—as witness “Psycho Ape!” and “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” I could never be accused of underacting in either one of those. And I love it.
5. I know you from your work with Troma. Do you have any crazy stories working with Lloyd and crew?
You know, a lot of people have crazy stories about working with Lloyd—and Lloyd is undeniably a “character.” But both Lloyd and I went to Yale and we’re approximately the same age, so he respects me and treats me like a sort-of-equal. He’s also, quite surprisingly, a very good director. So although I have had a lot of laughs with Lloyd, I have never experienced the “crazy” with him the way a lot of folks have. But I love him—and his wife Pat, who I credit with getting me the job in “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” because she noticed that I resembled movie big-shot Jack Valenti, who was Lloyd’s nemesis at the time of shooting, and she thought that would enhance Reginald Stuart’s villainy.
6. What are some of the most memorable moments of your stage and film career?
I was featured in the final year-and-a-half of the 42-year run of “The Fantasticks” in Greenwich Village, which still holds the record for longest-running show in the history of the American theater. I got to sing one of my songs I composed with movie stars George Segal and Tony Randall, when the third member of the trio, Jerry Orbach, was temporarily unavailable. Last October I traveled to South Korea to perform “I Love You,” a comic play by the brilliant playwright/actor Nick DeSimone. (I’ll be doing the rewritten version, retitled “The Thing About That,” as soon as COVID permits.) And of course, there is “Psycho Ape!” In which I co-star with iridescent Kansas Bowling as directed by young auteur Addison Binek and photographed by genius Greg DeLiso (“Hectic Knife”).
7. What upcoming projects can we expect from you?
There’s a movie coming as soon as moviemakers Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein can complete it (fuck the coronavirus!!!) called “The Once and Future Smash,” In it I star with Michael St. Michaels (“The Greasy Strangler” himself) as two highly competitive dudes. About the plot the less said the better, but it promises to be epic. Also "The Thing About That," the play I talked about earlier. And there’s a long-delayed project called “Special Needs Revolt!” In which I would play (ahem!) a narcissistic, sociopathic POTUS with major hair issues. It’s the brain child of independent filmmaker Adrian Esposito. I co-wrote the screenplay with him. Wish us luck!
8. Do you think that the film industry will recover after all this craziness 2020 has given us?
Yes, I do. That may be wishful thinking, but yes, I do. And I hope to be a major part of the party when the party resumes.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0917253/
1. What got you into acting and show-business?
From the time I could form words, the first and only thing I ever wanted to be was an actor. But fate stepped in. As a child, I had a debilitating stutter which made it difficult even to get a simple sentence out. So I gave up my acting dream and became a writer and musical composer, writing funny songs and comedy with a collaborator I met at prep school. We continued our writing through college and in New York City after graduation. I wrote songs for Manhattan cabaret shows and for celebrities like Carol Channing and Lily Tomlin.
Then one day a friend of mine asked me and my writing partner if we’d like to perform our songs in a nightclub he was managing. We jumped at the chance. I was scared because of my stutter, which had persisted, but we did it and got good reviews. Over time and more public performing, my stutter, miraculously, more or less went away.
When my 18-year marriage broke up, I decided to make a go of the acting career, and answered a casting notice for a movie I thought sounded like a Troma production. I loved Troma already, so I took a shot. And what do you know? I got the role of “Reginald Stuart,” the villain in “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” It changed my life. I remarried and in April we celebrated 25 years..
2. Who were some of your idols growing up that you looked up too?
I had two major idols, neither of whom may be well known to your audience, but hey, that’s okay. One of them was Tom Lehrer, the singer-songwriter of such hilarious ditties as “The Vatican Rag” and “The Old Dope Peddler.” My other idol was the comedy duo of Bob and Ray. If you don’t know them, seek them out. Just to provide some more contemporary context, the “Bob” of Bob and Ray is Bob Elliott, father of Chris Elliott (“Schitt’s Creek” and “There’s Something About Mary”). I guess these choices make it clear I was into comedy—and still am.
3. What are 6 of your favorite horror films of all time?
One of my all-time favorite movies of any genre, and I guess it’s “horror,” is Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” I saw it when it first came out, and it totally freaked me out.
I also love “The Toxic Avenger,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Poultrygeist,” “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?,” and, although this may sound like a shameless plug, my upcoming feature “Psycho Ape!”—which is outrageously gory and outrageously funny.
4 .Do you prefer your stage performances over film roles or do you appreciate both the same?
That’s an almost impossible question to answer. What I like about doing both screen and stage work is that stage acting is almost a different animal altogether. If you do on screen what you do on stage, you almost always look like you’re hamming it up. And if you do on stage what you do on screen you would wind up phoning it in. Of course, there’s the occasional job where hamming it up on screen is the way to go—as witness “Psycho Ape!” and “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” I could never be accused of underacting in either one of those. And I love it.
5. I know you from your work with Troma. Do you have any crazy stories working with Lloyd and crew?
You know, a lot of people have crazy stories about working with Lloyd—and Lloyd is undeniably a “character.” But both Lloyd and I went to Yale and we’re approximately the same age, so he respects me and treats me like a sort-of-equal. He’s also, quite surprisingly, a very good director. So although I have had a lot of laughs with Lloyd, I have never experienced the “crazy” with him the way a lot of folks have. But I love him—and his wife Pat, who I credit with getting me the job in “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” because she noticed that I resembled movie big-shot Jack Valenti, who was Lloyd’s nemesis at the time of shooting, and she thought that would enhance Reginald Stuart’s villainy.
6. What are some of the most memorable moments of your stage and film career?
I was featured in the final year-and-a-half of the 42-year run of “The Fantasticks” in Greenwich Village, which still holds the record for longest-running show in the history of the American theater. I got to sing one of my songs I composed with movie stars George Segal and Tony Randall, when the third member of the trio, Jerry Orbach, was temporarily unavailable. Last October I traveled to South Korea to perform “I Love You,” a comic play by the brilliant playwright/actor Nick DeSimone. (I’ll be doing the rewritten version, retitled “The Thing About That,” as soon as COVID permits.) And of course, there is “Psycho Ape!” In which I co-star with iridescent Kansas Bowling as directed by young auteur Addison Binek and photographed by genius Greg DeLiso (“Hectic Knife”).
7. What upcoming projects can we expect from you?
There’s a movie coming as soon as moviemakers Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein can complete it (fuck the coronavirus!!!) called “The Once and Future Smash,” In it I star with Michael St. Michaels (“The Greasy Strangler” himself) as two highly competitive dudes. About the plot the less said the better, but it promises to be epic. Also "The Thing About That," the play I talked about earlier. And there’s a long-delayed project called “Special Needs Revolt!” In which I would play (ahem!) a narcissistic, sociopathic POTUS with major hair issues. It’s the brain child of independent filmmaker Adrian Esposito. I co-wrote the screenplay with him. Wish us luck!
8. Do you think that the film industry will recover after all this craziness 2020 has given us?
Yes, I do. That may be wishful thinking, but yes, I do. And I hope to be a major part of the party when the party resumes.
Jill (Sixx) Gevargizian
I am really excited that I got the opportunity to interview the very talented Jill (Sixx) Gevargizian. Jill is a badass Producer, Director, and Writer who is about to release her full-length version of “The Stylist.” I checked out the short film version of “The Stylist” on Shudder and it really blew me away. Jill’s other works include One last Meal, Watch if You Dare, 42 Counts, BFF Girls, Dark Web, Grammy, The Luhrmanns, and a ton more. You can check out the stylist at the following festivals: Fantastic Fest 2020, Frightfest (October 22-25) Knoxville Horror Film Fest (October 23).
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5514001/
https://www.sixxtape.com/
1.The first time I checked out “The Stylist” it was on Shudder and I was blown away. What gave you inspiration for the short and soon to be full length?Well, I’m a hairstylist in real life too! I’ve been doing that for over 15 years. I always wondered how a film about a killer hairstylist didn’t already exist - and took that as a sign that I was the one to do it. It was always my intention to tell this story in feature length form, but at the time the idea first came to me, I knew I needed more experience filmmaking. So, we made the short first, and used it as a way to pitch the idea for the feature.
2. What are some of your favorite horror films of all time?
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Candyman (1992)
Scream (1996)
The Hunger (1983)
The Descent (2005)
May (2002)
Maniac (1980)
3. What got you into directing and filmmaking?
Honestly, I made fun and silly videos with friends when I was a kid, but never realized it could be something I could do on a serious level until I met others who did — specifically James Bickert (Dear God No!), Daniel DelPurgatorio (OTHER), and John Pata (Dead Weight, Pity) - who I work with now! John edited both the short and feature of The Stylist.
4. Who do you draw inspiration from in the movie making world?
It’s case by case for each film I make. For The Stylist my focus was on psychological-thriller filmmakers like David Fincher (Seven, The Game), Brian De Palma (Sisters, Carrie, Blow Out), Igmar Bergman (Persona), Robert Altman (3 Women), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Nicolas Winding Refn (Neon Demon).
5. How stoked are you to have “The Stylist” premiere at Fantastic Fest?
It’s a dream come true. The short film version played there in 2016 and Najarra Townsend (who plays Claire) won a Jury Award for best performance in a short film! It feels like fate to return for the world premiere of the feature!
6. Do you have any crazy stories to share from behind the scenes of “The Stylist”?
There are a lot — but first that comes to mind is, we shot an incredibly involved sequence of scenes at recordBar in downtown Kansas City the night before the Chief’s Super Bowl Parade. We shot overnight, 6 PM to 6 AM. The city shut down all the roads anywhere near the parade route 24 hours before. We had to get special permission from the police to shuttle our cast and crew to the location. To make it even more complicated - it was a night where we had 40 or so extras on set, on top of our already pretty large crew. The next morning, before the parade began, most of the cast and crew were shuttled out of the area. But about 10 of us, who are crazy, me included, stayed behind and went directly to the parade. It didn’t start until 11 AM…. I was worried about what state we would be in by then! Haha! But our love for the Chiefs kept us going and we had the best, craziest time that day!
7. What kind of advice would you give to future film makers in these crazy ass times?
To not give up — easier said than done. I can understand the inability to psychically be together, to experience movies together, is detouring people from creating. I also understand this state of the world weighing on someone and causing lack of inspiration. But I also know we need escape through stories and art more then ever! So we need to push on.
8. What are the release dates for “The Stylist” physical and digital?
We don’t yet know!
9. What should we expect from you in the coming years project wise?
To venture outside of horror. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE horror. But I also love thriller, crime, and drama. The Stylist for instance, to me, is a drama-thriller-horror. I love when you can’t pinpoint what something is.
Below are some photos from “The Stylist”
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5514001/
https://www.sixxtape.com/
1.The first time I checked out “The Stylist” it was on Shudder and I was blown away. What gave you inspiration for the short and soon to be full length?Well, I’m a hairstylist in real life too! I’ve been doing that for over 15 years. I always wondered how a film about a killer hairstylist didn’t already exist - and took that as a sign that I was the one to do it. It was always my intention to tell this story in feature length form, but at the time the idea first came to me, I knew I needed more experience filmmaking. So, we made the short first, and used it as a way to pitch the idea for the feature.
2. What are some of your favorite horror films of all time?
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Candyman (1992)
Scream (1996)
The Hunger (1983)
The Descent (2005)
May (2002)
Maniac (1980)
3. What got you into directing and filmmaking?
Honestly, I made fun and silly videos with friends when I was a kid, but never realized it could be something I could do on a serious level until I met others who did — specifically James Bickert (Dear God No!), Daniel DelPurgatorio (OTHER), and John Pata (Dead Weight, Pity) - who I work with now! John edited both the short and feature of The Stylist.
4. Who do you draw inspiration from in the movie making world?
It’s case by case for each film I make. For The Stylist my focus was on psychological-thriller filmmakers like David Fincher (Seven, The Game), Brian De Palma (Sisters, Carrie, Blow Out), Igmar Bergman (Persona), Robert Altman (3 Women), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Nicolas Winding Refn (Neon Demon).
5. How stoked are you to have “The Stylist” premiere at Fantastic Fest?
It’s a dream come true. The short film version played there in 2016 and Najarra Townsend (who plays Claire) won a Jury Award for best performance in a short film! It feels like fate to return for the world premiere of the feature!
6. Do you have any crazy stories to share from behind the scenes of “The Stylist”?
There are a lot — but first that comes to mind is, we shot an incredibly involved sequence of scenes at recordBar in downtown Kansas City the night before the Chief’s Super Bowl Parade. We shot overnight, 6 PM to 6 AM. The city shut down all the roads anywhere near the parade route 24 hours before. We had to get special permission from the police to shuttle our cast and crew to the location. To make it even more complicated - it was a night where we had 40 or so extras on set, on top of our already pretty large crew. The next morning, before the parade began, most of the cast and crew were shuttled out of the area. But about 10 of us, who are crazy, me included, stayed behind and went directly to the parade. It didn’t start until 11 AM…. I was worried about what state we would be in by then! Haha! But our love for the Chiefs kept us going and we had the best, craziest time that day!
7. What kind of advice would you give to future film makers in these crazy ass times?
To not give up — easier said than done. I can understand the inability to psychically be together, to experience movies together, is detouring people from creating. I also understand this state of the world weighing on someone and causing lack of inspiration. But I also know we need escape through stories and art more then ever! So we need to push on.
8. What are the release dates for “The Stylist” physical and digital?
We don’t yet know!
9. What should we expect from you in the coming years project wise?
To venture outside of horror. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE horror. But I also love thriller, crime, and drama. The Stylist for instance, to me, is a drama-thriller-horror. I love when you can’t pinpoint what something is.
Below are some photos from “The Stylist”
Sonia Campbell
I am really happy I got to pick the brain of the super talented writer, producer, make-up artist and actress Sonia Campbell. You can check out her production company at https://www.crownchimp.com/ Also below is a link to Sonia’s IMDB page to check out all the killer work she has done.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1806655/
Enjoy 🤘🤘
1.What motivated you to get into film?
I've always been a movie nerd, since the moment I saw a film in the theater (around age 3). I wanted to know how movies were made, especially when it came to the fantasy genre. Who controlled the puppets and how? Who did the voices? What was real and what wasn't? I remember the first thing I wanted to be was a "Muppet creator". I thought that sounded like the coolest job ever. Over the years, I grew more interested in horror films and naturally gravitated towards special fx makeup - where all the cool shit happens! I took up fx makeup as a hobby, then eventually found indie films looking for makeup and by the time I was in an illustrious community college (ha ha), I was starting to work as a freelance makeup artist. I was lucky enough to apprentice under some awesome people in the industry and work on several shorts and a handful of features. As was always the case, I was still interested in other aspects of filmmaking - mainly art direction/production design, and screenwriting. When you're working on indie films, you can just kind of see what you're good at (or want to be good at) and head towards different goals. I think that's what's great about indie filmmaking - all of the possibilities to explore the craft.
2. Growing up did you have any actors or directors you idolized?
I always have actors and directors I idolize. It's kind of embarrassing how much I spaz out of filmmakers and actors I love. If we're talking about when growing up, specifically actors and directors - then I would say for directors Cronenberg, Carpenter, and Ridley Scott. For actors, the first that come to mind are: Gary Oldman, Isabella Rossellini, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Downey Jr, and River Phoenix. I wouldn't take any of these off the list now really!
3. What are your top ten favorite horror films of all time?
Brandon, I kind of hate this question. Haha! And that's because I would say it's unfair for me to rank my favorites, as they have varying reasons and subcategories that don't make any answer I give very accurate. However, I can give you a generic answer and list ten favorite horror films that I will love forever: Carpenter's THE THING, Herzog's NOSFERATU, BLOOD DINER (Jackie Kong), Coppola's BRAM'S STOKER'S DRACULA, NEAR DARK (Kathryn Bigelow), DEAD ALIVE/BRAINDEAD (Peter Jackson), NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (Fred Dekker), SUBSPECIES (Ted Nicolaou), MANDY (Panos Cosmatos), THE HUNGER (Tony Scott).
4. You have worked in front of and behind the camera. Do you prefer one over the other and if so why?
Behind, hands down. I really respect actors and what they're capable of doing. It's an incredible skill, and one that I do not have. Occasionally friends have written a character that's basically me, and force me in front of the camera. So that wasn't really acting!
5. Can you tell me a bit about your production company Crown Chimp?
We are a small, independent film & commercial production company based in Tucson, AZ (though we shoot anywhere). There are three of us, and we work with a variety of super talented freelance filmmakers, depending on what the projects call for. Nickolas Duarte is the owner and director, Frank Armendarez is also a director and a producer, and I am primarily a producer and writer. We all write. Crown Chimp develops and produces projects in drama, elevated genre, and documentary. We've earned over 75 industry awards for work with partners like HBO, Coca Cola, Adidas, BMW, and Sony.
6. What projects are you working on now during the apocalypse lol and what are some future projects we can expect from you?
I am working towards pre-production on DENTURE FANGS, my feature script. We made a short film based on it called "Old Man Forever" which is currently being sent out to festivals. It premiered at the Women in Horror Film Festival in Atlanta earlier this year. Besides that, I'm writing a horror series pilot called "Blue Eyes" and co-writing two horror features - one is a modern folk horror that I'm writing with Nick (Crown Chimp) and the other is a sci-fi horror-comedy that I'm writing with Jacob Ryan Snovel (Perm Machine). As far as what can be expected, I have no idea. Does anyone know? You just gotta keep working towards goals. I also want to make an ultra-low budget film with Nick, here in Arizona. We're working through some ideas now.
7. Lastly, do you have any crazy stories to tell from on set?
I do have some from a horror-western I worked on, but ... well, probably better not to tell them on the Internet! :) Yeehaw.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1806655/
Enjoy 🤘🤘
1.What motivated you to get into film?
I've always been a movie nerd, since the moment I saw a film in the theater (around age 3). I wanted to know how movies were made, especially when it came to the fantasy genre. Who controlled the puppets and how? Who did the voices? What was real and what wasn't? I remember the first thing I wanted to be was a "Muppet creator". I thought that sounded like the coolest job ever. Over the years, I grew more interested in horror films and naturally gravitated towards special fx makeup - where all the cool shit happens! I took up fx makeup as a hobby, then eventually found indie films looking for makeup and by the time I was in an illustrious community college (ha ha), I was starting to work as a freelance makeup artist. I was lucky enough to apprentice under some awesome people in the industry and work on several shorts and a handful of features. As was always the case, I was still interested in other aspects of filmmaking - mainly art direction/production design, and screenwriting. When you're working on indie films, you can just kind of see what you're good at (or want to be good at) and head towards different goals. I think that's what's great about indie filmmaking - all of the possibilities to explore the craft.
2. Growing up did you have any actors or directors you idolized?
I always have actors and directors I idolize. It's kind of embarrassing how much I spaz out of filmmakers and actors I love. If we're talking about when growing up, specifically actors and directors - then I would say for directors Cronenberg, Carpenter, and Ridley Scott. For actors, the first that come to mind are: Gary Oldman, Isabella Rossellini, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Downey Jr, and River Phoenix. I wouldn't take any of these off the list now really!
3. What are your top ten favorite horror films of all time?
Brandon, I kind of hate this question. Haha! And that's because I would say it's unfair for me to rank my favorites, as they have varying reasons and subcategories that don't make any answer I give very accurate. However, I can give you a generic answer and list ten favorite horror films that I will love forever: Carpenter's THE THING, Herzog's NOSFERATU, BLOOD DINER (Jackie Kong), Coppola's BRAM'S STOKER'S DRACULA, NEAR DARK (Kathryn Bigelow), DEAD ALIVE/BRAINDEAD (Peter Jackson), NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (Fred Dekker), SUBSPECIES (Ted Nicolaou), MANDY (Panos Cosmatos), THE HUNGER (Tony Scott).
4. You have worked in front of and behind the camera. Do you prefer one over the other and if so why?
Behind, hands down. I really respect actors and what they're capable of doing. It's an incredible skill, and one that I do not have. Occasionally friends have written a character that's basically me, and force me in front of the camera. So that wasn't really acting!
5. Can you tell me a bit about your production company Crown Chimp?
We are a small, independent film & commercial production company based in Tucson, AZ (though we shoot anywhere). There are three of us, and we work with a variety of super talented freelance filmmakers, depending on what the projects call for. Nickolas Duarte is the owner and director, Frank Armendarez is also a director and a producer, and I am primarily a producer and writer. We all write. Crown Chimp develops and produces projects in drama, elevated genre, and documentary. We've earned over 75 industry awards for work with partners like HBO, Coca Cola, Adidas, BMW, and Sony.
6. What projects are you working on now during the apocalypse lol and what are some future projects we can expect from you?
I am working towards pre-production on DENTURE FANGS, my feature script. We made a short film based on it called "Old Man Forever" which is currently being sent out to festivals. It premiered at the Women in Horror Film Festival in Atlanta earlier this year. Besides that, I'm writing a horror series pilot called "Blue Eyes" and co-writing two horror features - one is a modern folk horror that I'm writing with Nick (Crown Chimp) and the other is a sci-fi horror-comedy that I'm writing with Jacob Ryan Snovel (Perm Machine). As far as what can be expected, I have no idea. Does anyone know? You just gotta keep working towards goals. I also want to make an ultra-low budget film with Nick, here in Arizona. We're working through some ideas now.
7. Lastly, do you have any crazy stories to tell from on set?
I do have some from a horror-western I worked on, but ... well, probably better not to tell them on the Internet! :) Yeehaw.
John Brennan
John Brennan is a triple threat of talent, he produces acts and plays music. I was introduced to his talents on one of my favorite shows The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder. He is the music supervisor and production manager for The Last Drive-in. John is definitely one of a kind and I hope you enjoy this interview.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2674743/
1. You are definitely a jack of all trades. You produce, act, and play music. Do you prefer one over the other if so why?
Music comes easiest to me. I've written over 700 songs! Most of them arrive in quick bursts of inspiration. Some have even been delivered to me in dreams. It's really cool when that happens. My favorite dream song delivery happened in 2005. In the dream, I was sitting in a backyard with a bunch of scrap metal parts spread out over a lawn. It was a beautiful summer day. A 1950s style portable radio was nearby playing a song by Van Morrison that I'd never heard. I woke up remembering the melody and some of the lyrics. After searching through Van Morrison records and not finding the song, I wrote it myself. It was originally called "Hamilton" but the musical came along and of course ruined that title. I retitled it "Wasteland." There's a demo of it somewhere on YouTube.
Producing and acting are great, but they take A LOT more work and are a little less enjoyable.
2. What were your inspirations growing up that got you into the film and music world?
My major film inspirations as a kid were the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. I was born in 1979, so I was the perfect age for those movies and the toys and all the hoopla that surrounded them. I was lucky enough to see "Temple of Doom" and "Return of the Jedi" in theaters. Unforgettable experiences. Say what you will about George Lucas. The man is a God to me. I wish Disney had let him finish out The Skywalker Saga the way he intended it, for better or worse.
With music, my parents had excellent taste and started me out young on excellent stuff. I had a 45 of Stevie Wonder's " Sir Duke and played it on repeat for years using my Fisher-Price vinyl record player. It's still my favorite song. When I grew up a little and got to grammar school I became obsessed with heavy metal. It was the heyday of MTV. My favorite show was "Headbangers Ball." In middle school, I got really into rap. Cypress Hills, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest. Music is the best. My top six favorite musical acts are: Ween, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Wu-Tang Clan, Stevie Wonder & Madonna.
3. I found out about you from The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs. Can you tell me a little bit about what goes into preparing for an episode?
I usually hear from Austin Jennings, director of "The Last Drive-In," a couple of months out from our shoot dates. He tells me what Joe Bob is writing, what movies are being featured, and places where songs can possibly fit. Sometimes Austin and Joe Bob have fully formed song ideas that I flesh out. Sometimes I pitch them ideas. I just pitched a couple of songs for Season 3, and if approved, they will definitely be the best yet! Fingers crossed!
4. What’s one of the craziest moments you had on The Last Drive-in that we the audience don’t know about?
Yuki is like the Forrest Gump of Production Designers. I don't mean that he's a slow learner, or physically disabled, or anything like that. I mean that he has so many amazing stories about all the celebrities and artists he's worked with over the years. The guy met Pope John Paul II! He helped set up some sort of stage for him. Yuki claims that when the Pope was giving his sermon he actually saw his glowing aura! So, to answer your question, the craziest moments are when Yuki breaks into stories about his career in the movie business. He always blows my mind!
Yuki is also my roommate when we shoot the show. I enjoy sleeping with him.
5. What should we expect for season 3 of The Last Drive-in?
Season 3 is going to be absolutely incredible. I work on the show, but I am also a fan. If I weren't involved in production I'd still be watching. Knowing the movies in advance takes away a bit of mystery, but I'm still there every Friday night watching and Tweeting along. The line up for Season 3, and the upcoming marathons, is stellar. Fans will not be disappointed!
6. What’s it like working with the great Lloyd Kaufman and Troma films?
During my time as his assistant and producer, Lloyd taught me the entire process of making a film, from the dawn of an idea all the way through post-production. Invaluable. Besides this, Lloyd is a skillful improviser, a fantastic on-the-fly joke writer, and a master punster. Gleaning bits of his Uncle Lloydie persona - observing the way he handles situations from crafting a promo to interacting with fans - without a doubt, helped sharpen my skills as a performer and a writer. Lloyd is one of the funniest people I've ever met. I laughed every day I worked at Troma. I'm sure I cried, too, but the tears were worth it!
7. What are some of the most insane stories you have working for Troma?
Something that was really fun was getting to go to the AVN Awards in Las Vegas a couple of years in a row, which is basically The Academy Awards of pornography. Bad Dragon, a company that creates fantasy sex toys, invited us to join them there. They're huge fans of Troma and wanted The Troma Aroma at their AVN Expo booth. They paid our way to Vegas, so we took the opportunity to shoot an hour-long special "Kabukiman's Cocktail Corner: Loaded in Las Vegas," which is available to stream on Troma Now (watch.troma.com). Lloyd Kaufman, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, The Troma Team and I in Vegas? Some of the best times ever! To top it all off, we were surrounded by gorgeous porn stars. Everyone we met there was super nice and positive! I guess having sex for a living makes people very happy.
8. What are your top 10 horror films of all time?
In no particular order (and the originals where appropriate, not the remakes): The Exorcist, The Thing, Cannibal Holocaust, The Lost Boys, Frankenstein, The Haunting, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alien, Evil Dead 2.
9. Do you have any upcoming projects coming out in the near future pending the Imminent apocalypse lol?
#ShakespearesShitstorm, Lloyd Kaufman's latest masterpiece, which I produced with Justin Martell of "The Last Drive-In," is having its world premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival Saturday, August 29th. Tickets will go on sale in early August. I can't wait for audiences to see it! This is the movie the world needs right now; an irreverent comedy that tackles such themes as the evils of big pharma and the dangers of mob justice on social media. I won't say it's the same quality as "Blazing Saddles," because that's for others to decide, but it does share a kinship with that film, a spirit. No one is making movies like this right now except Lloyd Kaufman, and I'm incredibly proud to be part of it!
Besides that, you can find more of my work on www.badtechno.com or @badtechno on social media.
Thanks for having me!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2674743/
1. You are definitely a jack of all trades. You produce, act, and play music. Do you prefer one over the other if so why?
Music comes easiest to me. I've written over 700 songs! Most of them arrive in quick bursts of inspiration. Some have even been delivered to me in dreams. It's really cool when that happens. My favorite dream song delivery happened in 2005. In the dream, I was sitting in a backyard with a bunch of scrap metal parts spread out over a lawn. It was a beautiful summer day. A 1950s style portable radio was nearby playing a song by Van Morrison that I'd never heard. I woke up remembering the melody and some of the lyrics. After searching through Van Morrison records and not finding the song, I wrote it myself. It was originally called "Hamilton" but the musical came along and of course ruined that title. I retitled it "Wasteland." There's a demo of it somewhere on YouTube.
Producing and acting are great, but they take A LOT more work and are a little less enjoyable.
2. What were your inspirations growing up that got you into the film and music world?
My major film inspirations as a kid were the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. I was born in 1979, so I was the perfect age for those movies and the toys and all the hoopla that surrounded them. I was lucky enough to see "Temple of Doom" and "Return of the Jedi" in theaters. Unforgettable experiences. Say what you will about George Lucas. The man is a God to me. I wish Disney had let him finish out The Skywalker Saga the way he intended it, for better or worse.
With music, my parents had excellent taste and started me out young on excellent stuff. I had a 45 of Stevie Wonder's " Sir Duke and played it on repeat for years using my Fisher-Price vinyl record player. It's still my favorite song. When I grew up a little and got to grammar school I became obsessed with heavy metal. It was the heyday of MTV. My favorite show was "Headbangers Ball." In middle school, I got really into rap. Cypress Hills, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest. Music is the best. My top six favorite musical acts are: Ween, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Wu-Tang Clan, Stevie Wonder & Madonna.
3. I found out about you from The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs. Can you tell me a little bit about what goes into preparing for an episode?
I usually hear from Austin Jennings, director of "The Last Drive-In," a couple of months out from our shoot dates. He tells me what Joe Bob is writing, what movies are being featured, and places where songs can possibly fit. Sometimes Austin and Joe Bob have fully formed song ideas that I flesh out. Sometimes I pitch them ideas. I just pitched a couple of songs for Season 3, and if approved, they will definitely be the best yet! Fingers crossed!
4. What’s one of the craziest moments you had on The Last Drive-in that we the audience don’t know about?
Yuki is like the Forrest Gump of Production Designers. I don't mean that he's a slow learner, or physically disabled, or anything like that. I mean that he has so many amazing stories about all the celebrities and artists he's worked with over the years. The guy met Pope John Paul II! He helped set up some sort of stage for him. Yuki claims that when the Pope was giving his sermon he actually saw his glowing aura! So, to answer your question, the craziest moments are when Yuki breaks into stories about his career in the movie business. He always blows my mind!
Yuki is also my roommate when we shoot the show. I enjoy sleeping with him.
5. What should we expect for season 3 of The Last Drive-in?
Season 3 is going to be absolutely incredible. I work on the show, but I am also a fan. If I weren't involved in production I'd still be watching. Knowing the movies in advance takes away a bit of mystery, but I'm still there every Friday night watching and Tweeting along. The line up for Season 3, and the upcoming marathons, is stellar. Fans will not be disappointed!
6. What’s it like working with the great Lloyd Kaufman and Troma films?
During my time as his assistant and producer, Lloyd taught me the entire process of making a film, from the dawn of an idea all the way through post-production. Invaluable. Besides this, Lloyd is a skillful improviser, a fantastic on-the-fly joke writer, and a master punster. Gleaning bits of his Uncle Lloydie persona - observing the way he handles situations from crafting a promo to interacting with fans - without a doubt, helped sharpen my skills as a performer and a writer. Lloyd is one of the funniest people I've ever met. I laughed every day I worked at Troma. I'm sure I cried, too, but the tears were worth it!
7. What are some of the most insane stories you have working for Troma?
Something that was really fun was getting to go to the AVN Awards in Las Vegas a couple of years in a row, which is basically The Academy Awards of pornography. Bad Dragon, a company that creates fantasy sex toys, invited us to join them there. They're huge fans of Troma and wanted The Troma Aroma at their AVN Expo booth. They paid our way to Vegas, so we took the opportunity to shoot an hour-long special "Kabukiman's Cocktail Corner: Loaded in Las Vegas," which is available to stream on Troma Now (watch.troma.com). Lloyd Kaufman, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, The Troma Team and I in Vegas? Some of the best times ever! To top it all off, we were surrounded by gorgeous porn stars. Everyone we met there was super nice and positive! I guess having sex for a living makes people very happy.
8. What are your top 10 horror films of all time?
In no particular order (and the originals where appropriate, not the remakes): The Exorcist, The Thing, Cannibal Holocaust, The Lost Boys, Frankenstein, The Haunting, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alien, Evil Dead 2.
9. Do you have any upcoming projects coming out in the near future pending the Imminent apocalypse lol?
#ShakespearesShitstorm, Lloyd Kaufman's latest masterpiece, which I produced with Justin Martell of "The Last Drive-In," is having its world premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival Saturday, August 29th. Tickets will go on sale in early August. I can't wait for audiences to see it! This is the movie the world needs right now; an irreverent comedy that tackles such themes as the evils of big pharma and the dangers of mob justice on social media. I won't say it's the same quality as "Blazing Saddles," because that's for others to decide, but it does share a kinship with that film, a spirit. No one is making movies like this right now except Lloyd Kaufman, and I'm incredibly proud to be part of it!
Besides that, you can find more of my work on www.badtechno.com or @badtechno on social media.
Thanks for having me!
David Howard Thornton
David Howard Thornton is an amazing actor and Voice actor. Some of his roles include Gotham, Nightwing: Escalation, and The Exigency. He made one hell of an impression on me the first time I watched the killer horror film Terrifier. David played the role of the evil bloodthirsty homicidal “Art the Clown”. This role for me will forever go down as one of the best horror villain performances ever filmed. David is a true master of his craft and I hope you enjoy this interview.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7476686/
1.What got you into acting and who were some of your idols you looked up too growing up?
I got into acting at a very young age doing church theater of all things since my parents were very involved in doing that. I later progressed to doing community theater during my 8th grade year due to my mom's encouragement. I was bullied a lot in school and was very quiet because of it, but was always goofy at home. She thought the theater would be a great way for me to break out of my shell and for all of my classmates to see that other side of me. It worked and for once people were laughing WITH me instead of AT me. I was hooked from then on.
As for idols, I had many. I would say my biggest were Mel Blanc, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Doug Jones, and Rowan Atkinson. They all had some impact on me in one way or another either from voice work, comedy, or physicality. I say learn from the best and adapt to make it your own.
2.You are definitely a triple threat of talent with your involvement with voiceover work , stage work, and film. Out of the the three mediums which do you prefer the most?
That's like choosing between all of my babies. They all have their own things that make them great. With voiceover, I love being able to play characters that I could never physically play as well as do characters that are very over the top vocally. I also love that I don't have to worry how I look or worry about memorizing all of my lines. Stage work is great because you have instant feedback from the audience about what works and what does not work, and you can feed off of the energy from the audience. You can also modify your performance from show to show because of that. As for film, I enjoy being able to do bigger and more grandiose things that you could not get away with on a stage. Plus I enjoy being able to do multiple takes in case of mistakes. I really can't choose which one I like over the others.
3.What are your top ten horror films of all time?
In no particular order and excluding my own work: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen, The Exorcist, Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Halloween, Scream, Saw, The Shining, Nightmare On Elm Street 1, Poltergeist.
4.I was made aware of you from the killer horror film “Terrifier” and your monstrous performance as Art the Clown. What and how did you draw inspiration for that insanely diabolical role?
I pulled from my love horror icons for starters. I see Art as an amalgamation of all of the greats that came before him. There's a bit of every slasher icon in him, from the comedic charisma of Freddy to the silent but deadly ways of Michael Meyers. I then blended that with my love of great physical comedians and silent clowns from Chaplin to Atkinson, and added a bit of my favorite villain of all time, The Joker, in for good measure. I look at Art as being the bastard child of Freddy Krueger and Harpo Marx.
5.Do you have any strange dreams or nightmares after the role of “Art”?
Not yet. Who knows what the future will bring though.
6. Do you have any crazy stories to tell from the set of “Terrifier”?
Probably the best one was a late night on set where we were filming Tara's death. They were filming her angles so I was waiting in the makeup room for them to need me. I heard an argument on the street below between 2 women and thought I would go watch for my own amusement. I forgot that I was in full makeup and covered in blood and waved when one of them looked up and saw me in the window. They both took off screaming. About 10 minutes later, Damien and our production crew excitedly came in the room and told me that there was someone outside that wanted to meet me. I figured it was a fan so I went to go meet them but waited for them to tell me to come out since they wanted me to surprise them. When they told me to come out, I opened the door and was greeted by a terrifying butt puckering sight... about 15 of New Jersey's finest in full on riot gear ready to go to war. I squeaked out a high pitched jovial "What's up guys?!?!" to try to diffuse the situation and was met by, what seemed like, an eternity of silence. I thought I was about to die. They all started laughing then and told me that I better be glad that I was not the one that came out when they arrived. I was. I ended up having a bunch of pictures taken with them except for one of them who was terrified of clowns, which everyone made fun of him for. It was a fun night!
7. I can’t wait till the sequel to “Terrifier” comes out. Can you say a little bit on what to expect from the second film?
I can't wait for everyone to see what we have been up to. I like to call it "T2" as a reference to another great film sequel of the same name that improved on everything from the first film, Terminator 2. We have a much bigger budget this time, so it has allowed us to be more ambitious with the film this time. Everything is bigger and better from the kills to the story and characters. We kept everything that the fans loved about Terrifier and built upon that as well as addressed the criticisms of the first film and added a more narrative tale this time building up our new protagonist, Sienna (played by the wonderfully talented Lauren LaVera) and how she comes to grips with her destiny in her fight against Art and his rampage throughout her town. I think we have out done ourselves this time. It's such a fun film!
8. What other projects are in the works for you in the future?
After we finish Terrifier 2, I am set to work on the first installment of a new horror franchise called "Stream" with some of our crew and cast members from Terrifier 1 and 2 at Fuzz On the Lens Productions. I wish I could say more other than they have a really cool idea for a new horror franchise. After that, I am set to work on a horror western called "Spirit Reckoning" where I will be playing the protagonist for once, a cowboy that is brought back from the dead to seek vengeance on the outlaws that murdered him. It is going to be one hell of a ride and has some amazing kills in it.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7476686/
1.What got you into acting and who were some of your idols you looked up too growing up?
I got into acting at a very young age doing church theater of all things since my parents were very involved in doing that. I later progressed to doing community theater during my 8th grade year due to my mom's encouragement. I was bullied a lot in school and was very quiet because of it, but was always goofy at home. She thought the theater would be a great way for me to break out of my shell and for all of my classmates to see that other side of me. It worked and for once people were laughing WITH me instead of AT me. I was hooked from then on.
As for idols, I had many. I would say my biggest were Mel Blanc, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Doug Jones, and Rowan Atkinson. They all had some impact on me in one way or another either from voice work, comedy, or physicality. I say learn from the best and adapt to make it your own.
2.You are definitely a triple threat of talent with your involvement with voiceover work , stage work, and film. Out of the the three mediums which do you prefer the most?
That's like choosing between all of my babies. They all have their own things that make them great. With voiceover, I love being able to play characters that I could never physically play as well as do characters that are very over the top vocally. I also love that I don't have to worry how I look or worry about memorizing all of my lines. Stage work is great because you have instant feedback from the audience about what works and what does not work, and you can feed off of the energy from the audience. You can also modify your performance from show to show because of that. As for film, I enjoy being able to do bigger and more grandiose things that you could not get away with on a stage. Plus I enjoy being able to do multiple takes in case of mistakes. I really can't choose which one I like over the others.
3.What are your top ten horror films of all time?
In no particular order and excluding my own work: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Omen, The Exorcist, Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Halloween, Scream, Saw, The Shining, Nightmare On Elm Street 1, Poltergeist.
4.I was made aware of you from the killer horror film “Terrifier” and your monstrous performance as Art the Clown. What and how did you draw inspiration for that insanely diabolical role?
I pulled from my love horror icons for starters. I see Art as an amalgamation of all of the greats that came before him. There's a bit of every slasher icon in him, from the comedic charisma of Freddy to the silent but deadly ways of Michael Meyers. I then blended that with my love of great physical comedians and silent clowns from Chaplin to Atkinson, and added a bit of my favorite villain of all time, The Joker, in for good measure. I look at Art as being the bastard child of Freddy Krueger and Harpo Marx.
5.Do you have any strange dreams or nightmares after the role of “Art”?
Not yet. Who knows what the future will bring though.
6. Do you have any crazy stories to tell from the set of “Terrifier”?
Probably the best one was a late night on set where we were filming Tara's death. They were filming her angles so I was waiting in the makeup room for them to need me. I heard an argument on the street below between 2 women and thought I would go watch for my own amusement. I forgot that I was in full makeup and covered in blood and waved when one of them looked up and saw me in the window. They both took off screaming. About 10 minutes later, Damien and our production crew excitedly came in the room and told me that there was someone outside that wanted to meet me. I figured it was a fan so I went to go meet them but waited for them to tell me to come out since they wanted me to surprise them. When they told me to come out, I opened the door and was greeted by a terrifying butt puckering sight... about 15 of New Jersey's finest in full on riot gear ready to go to war. I squeaked out a high pitched jovial "What's up guys?!?!" to try to diffuse the situation and was met by, what seemed like, an eternity of silence. I thought I was about to die. They all started laughing then and told me that I better be glad that I was not the one that came out when they arrived. I was. I ended up having a bunch of pictures taken with them except for one of them who was terrified of clowns, which everyone made fun of him for. It was a fun night!
7. I can’t wait till the sequel to “Terrifier” comes out. Can you say a little bit on what to expect from the second film?
I can't wait for everyone to see what we have been up to. I like to call it "T2" as a reference to another great film sequel of the same name that improved on everything from the first film, Terminator 2. We have a much bigger budget this time, so it has allowed us to be more ambitious with the film this time. Everything is bigger and better from the kills to the story and characters. We kept everything that the fans loved about Terrifier and built upon that as well as addressed the criticisms of the first film and added a more narrative tale this time building up our new protagonist, Sienna (played by the wonderfully talented Lauren LaVera) and how she comes to grips with her destiny in her fight against Art and his rampage throughout her town. I think we have out done ourselves this time. It's such a fun film!
8. What other projects are in the works for you in the future?
After we finish Terrifier 2, I am set to work on the first installment of a new horror franchise called "Stream" with some of our crew and cast members from Terrifier 1 and 2 at Fuzz On the Lens Productions. I wish I could say more other than they have a really cool idea for a new horror franchise. After that, I am set to work on a horror western called "Spirit Reckoning" where I will be playing the protagonist for once, a cowboy that is brought back from the dead to seek vengeance on the outlaws that murdered him. It is going to be one hell of a ride and has some amazing kills in it.
Joe Russo
Joe Russo is a man of many talents, that includes producing, directing, and writing. I was first made aware of Joe from the Fangoria Network podcast “Post-Mortem’ that he produces with the great master of horror and host Mick Garris. Joe also produced one of the best horror anthologies to come out in a long time ‘Nightmare Cinema’ with Mick Garris that you can check out right now on the Shudder streaming service. Just recently I had the opportunity to review Joe’s first full-length directorial debut ‘The Au Pair Nightmare” which I really enjoyed and is available on VOD and Lifetime. I am really happy to have the opportunity to ask a few questions and pick the brain of the rising talent Joe Russo.
1.What were some of your motivations growing up that got you into film and writing?
Growing up in Connecticut, I was so far away from Hollywood that I never considered making movies as a viable career, but I LOVED them. We weren’t really a “sports” family, we were a movie family. My parents instilled that in me at an early age.
With them it was a steady diet of Amblin, Disney, Star Wars, and Black & White classics, but being a kid in the eighties and nineties there were so many awesome R-rated flicks to consume when sleeping over at friends’ houses. Movies like Predator and Judgement Night left scarring impacts — a feeling I hope to pass on to some other poor ten-year-old with my movies someday — but really and truly, my love affair with cinema began with Ghostbusters. I was obsessed. I still am. It’s my favorite movie. It was also my gateway into horror.
It wasn’t until transferring to Arizona State University that I felt close enough to Los Angeles to start to really consider a career in filmmaking. At the time, though, there wasn’t a film program as ASU, so I went into journalism and started writing movie reviews. That’s when I met the film club kids who were petitioning to start a film school. I got involved and we were successful. I stuck around to get a second degree in film, and at the time there was still a lot of production work coming through Arizona, so I got to work just about every position on set. One of my favorite memories was running gatorades to stuntmen on the set of Peter Berg’s The Kingdom — with crashed cars still on fire all around me — it was awesome, and I was hooked. Four years later, I was in Los Angeles.
2. I’m a huge fan of the “Post Mortem” podcast with Mick Garris and you of course. Who would you say was your favorite guest so far?
This is a really tough question. Doing the Post Mortem podcast I’ve had the chance to meet so many of my horror heroes, it’s like asking a parent to pick which one of their children is their favorite. We’ve had some of my favorite writers and directors on — I mean two weeks ago I got to speak with Guillermo del Toro! And, obviously, meeting John Carpenter was a big moment for me personally.
If I had to pick ONE episode as my personal favorite, though… It would be our Mike Flanagan Doctor Sleep show. Because of Mick Garris and Mike’s connection to The Shining, this was an interview that — literally — could only happen on Post Mortem, and I think it gave listeners a deeper understanding of both Mick’s mini-series and Mike’s Doctor Sleep. I’m really proud of coming up with the idea for that episode and booking it. Plus, Mike stayed for an hour after to talk with us, and I just love the way he thinks about movies and storytelling.
3. What are your top 6 horror films of all time?
It’s so hard to pick just six, and the titles and order could shift on any given day, but these are some movies that get re-watched multiple times a year, every year. I love them:
1. Halloween
2. Scream
3. The Thing
4. The Exorcist
5. Evil Dead 2
6.The Shining
4. Do you have any interesting stories to tell about the making of the killer horror anthology “Nightmare Cinema”?
Oh, man. That’s a can of worms. There are so many! It was an incredible journey that stretched over five years from meeting Mick Garris to release. I saw it morph from a television pitch, to a potential web series, to feature film. And I got to follow around five GREAT genre filmmakers as they did their thing. It was the best directing masterclass ever.
Here’s an interesting story I don’t think many people know…
Right before we started shooting, we got a call from one of our filmmakers, David Slade. He’d been greenlit to direct an episode of Black Mirror for Netflix, and, contractually, that was going to take precedent over shooting his segment in Nightmare Cinema, THIS WAY TO EGRESS. So we actually had to delay shooting David’s segment until AFTER wrapping our main principal photography.
Our financiers were very leery about this. There were costs associated with the delay, and they were worried David might not circle back to us. They wanted us to come up with a contingency plan, or cut the story altogether, but Mick and I never lost faith in David. We knew how important EGRESS was to him personally, and how important his segment was to the movie.
Our other producer, Nancy Leopardi, did a phenomenal job managing the logistics of the delay — of which there were many — and we were able to bring back a sizable portion of our crew for EGRESS and Mick’s wraparounds, almost two months later.
I’m really glad Mick and I stuck to our guns, because I think THIS WAY TO EGRESS is a really special segment, and for many, one of their favorites in the anthology.
5. I really dug your first full-length film “The Au Pair Nightmare.” How was the experience of finally getting to do your first feature film?
Thank you. I really appreciate that. I’m so happy people are enjoying it. It was a labor of love. We never had enough money, and we had to shoot it in fourteen days — I always joked that it was my Roger Corman experience — but we got it done.
Prior to Au Pair, my writing partner and I had been having some success on the screenwriting front, but financiers don’t like first time directors, so I was never in serious consideration for any of these projects. It’s almost as if you can’t direct a feature until you’ve directed a feature — it’s a catch 22. That alone is arguably the biggest challenge in making the jump from shorts to features.
Luckily, my producing partner from Nightmare Cinema, Nancy Leopardi, took a chance on me. She liked our writing and my short films, and she said “Why don’t you come write a domestic thriller for my company to produce, and we’ll let you direct it?” Two weeks later we pitched her a concept based on a loose idea my friend came up with, and it was a whirlwind from there. We were in production in less than a year from that initial conversation. If only more movies could work at that speed!
As far as the experience making it — overall it was great. I had a really hardworking cast and crew. Despite some crazy production hurdles, we managed to keep things moving, and we had fun doing it. I think everyone knew we were making something pretty good, despite the crazy schedule, and that kept everyone motivated.
You know, it’s surreal. You spend years telling yourself you can do it — that you can lead this small army of artists to make a movie — and you hope you can do it. It’s nice to finally have the validation that I actually CAN do it. Then it’s over in what feels like the blink of an eye… and you’re onto the next.
6. Do you have any advice for up and coming filmmakers/writers?
READ. That’s the advice I always give up-and-coming writers and directors. Too many just focus on watching movies… And some don’t even do that!
The more you read, the better you will understand character, story and themes. And not just produced screenplays... Find scripts that are in development. Good AND bad ones. See what’s selling. Find out what works and what doesn’t. What resonates with you emotionally and what doesn’t. Read books. Magazine articles. As a writer and director you have to be able to put yourself in any character’s shoes and empathize with them. The more ideas and points of view you can expose yourself to, the better a filmmaker you’ll be.
7. What projects can we look forward to from you in the future?
Right before the pandemic struck, our action screenplay, OPEN SOURCE, went into production with Bruce Willis starring. Luckily, they finished shooting, so that will be the next movie out with my name on it. It was more of the classic writer hands off a screenplay and then the director and producers take it from there — so I'll be as surprised by the finished product as you are.
COVID has definitely made what’s next after that tricky... For the first time in its history, ALL of Hollywood is trying to figure that out. There were a few movies I’m on as a writer or a producer that we were hoping would have gone this year, like the Hulk Hogan biopic from Todd Phillips — and we’re still hopeful to make all of those pictures. As far as me directing again, I’m working with the producer of Kristen Stewart’s LIZZIE on one of my BloodList scripts as a vehicle for me to direct, and we’re starting to explore cast ideas, but again, until we figure out how to make movies with COVID out there, or there’s a vaccine, it’s all hypothetical at this point. So… we’ll see!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2349665/
1.What were some of your motivations growing up that got you into film and writing?
Growing up in Connecticut, I was so far away from Hollywood that I never considered making movies as a viable career, but I LOVED them. We weren’t really a “sports” family, we were a movie family. My parents instilled that in me at an early age.
With them it was a steady diet of Amblin, Disney, Star Wars, and Black & White classics, but being a kid in the eighties and nineties there were so many awesome R-rated flicks to consume when sleeping over at friends’ houses. Movies like Predator and Judgement Night left scarring impacts — a feeling I hope to pass on to some other poor ten-year-old with my movies someday — but really and truly, my love affair with cinema began with Ghostbusters. I was obsessed. I still am. It’s my favorite movie. It was also my gateway into horror.
It wasn’t until transferring to Arizona State University that I felt close enough to Los Angeles to start to really consider a career in filmmaking. At the time, though, there wasn’t a film program as ASU, so I went into journalism and started writing movie reviews. That’s when I met the film club kids who were petitioning to start a film school. I got involved and we were successful. I stuck around to get a second degree in film, and at the time there was still a lot of production work coming through Arizona, so I got to work just about every position on set. One of my favorite memories was running gatorades to stuntmen on the set of Peter Berg’s The Kingdom — with crashed cars still on fire all around me — it was awesome, and I was hooked. Four years later, I was in Los Angeles.
2. I’m a huge fan of the “Post Mortem” podcast with Mick Garris and you of course. Who would you say was your favorite guest so far?
This is a really tough question. Doing the Post Mortem podcast I’ve had the chance to meet so many of my horror heroes, it’s like asking a parent to pick which one of their children is their favorite. We’ve had some of my favorite writers and directors on — I mean two weeks ago I got to speak with Guillermo del Toro! And, obviously, meeting John Carpenter was a big moment for me personally.
If I had to pick ONE episode as my personal favorite, though… It would be our Mike Flanagan Doctor Sleep show. Because of Mick Garris and Mike’s connection to The Shining, this was an interview that — literally — could only happen on Post Mortem, and I think it gave listeners a deeper understanding of both Mick’s mini-series and Mike’s Doctor Sleep. I’m really proud of coming up with the idea for that episode and booking it. Plus, Mike stayed for an hour after to talk with us, and I just love the way he thinks about movies and storytelling.
3. What are your top 6 horror films of all time?
It’s so hard to pick just six, and the titles and order could shift on any given day, but these are some movies that get re-watched multiple times a year, every year. I love them:
1. Halloween
2. Scream
3. The Thing
4. The Exorcist
5. Evil Dead 2
6.The Shining
4. Do you have any interesting stories to tell about the making of the killer horror anthology “Nightmare Cinema”?
Oh, man. That’s a can of worms. There are so many! It was an incredible journey that stretched over five years from meeting Mick Garris to release. I saw it morph from a television pitch, to a potential web series, to feature film. And I got to follow around five GREAT genre filmmakers as they did their thing. It was the best directing masterclass ever.
Here’s an interesting story I don’t think many people know…
Right before we started shooting, we got a call from one of our filmmakers, David Slade. He’d been greenlit to direct an episode of Black Mirror for Netflix, and, contractually, that was going to take precedent over shooting his segment in Nightmare Cinema, THIS WAY TO EGRESS. So we actually had to delay shooting David’s segment until AFTER wrapping our main principal photography.
Our financiers were very leery about this. There were costs associated with the delay, and they were worried David might not circle back to us. They wanted us to come up with a contingency plan, or cut the story altogether, but Mick and I never lost faith in David. We knew how important EGRESS was to him personally, and how important his segment was to the movie.
Our other producer, Nancy Leopardi, did a phenomenal job managing the logistics of the delay — of which there were many — and we were able to bring back a sizable portion of our crew for EGRESS and Mick’s wraparounds, almost two months later.
I’m really glad Mick and I stuck to our guns, because I think THIS WAY TO EGRESS is a really special segment, and for many, one of their favorites in the anthology.
5. I really dug your first full-length film “The Au Pair Nightmare.” How was the experience of finally getting to do your first feature film?
Thank you. I really appreciate that. I’m so happy people are enjoying it. It was a labor of love. We never had enough money, and we had to shoot it in fourteen days — I always joked that it was my Roger Corman experience — but we got it done.
Prior to Au Pair, my writing partner and I had been having some success on the screenwriting front, but financiers don’t like first time directors, so I was never in serious consideration for any of these projects. It’s almost as if you can’t direct a feature until you’ve directed a feature — it’s a catch 22. That alone is arguably the biggest challenge in making the jump from shorts to features.
Luckily, my producing partner from Nightmare Cinema, Nancy Leopardi, took a chance on me. She liked our writing and my short films, and she said “Why don’t you come write a domestic thriller for my company to produce, and we’ll let you direct it?” Two weeks later we pitched her a concept based on a loose idea my friend came up with, and it was a whirlwind from there. We were in production in less than a year from that initial conversation. If only more movies could work at that speed!
As far as the experience making it — overall it was great. I had a really hardworking cast and crew. Despite some crazy production hurdles, we managed to keep things moving, and we had fun doing it. I think everyone knew we were making something pretty good, despite the crazy schedule, and that kept everyone motivated.
You know, it’s surreal. You spend years telling yourself you can do it — that you can lead this small army of artists to make a movie — and you hope you can do it. It’s nice to finally have the validation that I actually CAN do it. Then it’s over in what feels like the blink of an eye… and you’re onto the next.
6. Do you have any advice for up and coming filmmakers/writers?
READ. That’s the advice I always give up-and-coming writers and directors. Too many just focus on watching movies… And some don’t even do that!
The more you read, the better you will understand character, story and themes. And not just produced screenplays... Find scripts that are in development. Good AND bad ones. See what’s selling. Find out what works and what doesn’t. What resonates with you emotionally and what doesn’t. Read books. Magazine articles. As a writer and director you have to be able to put yourself in any character’s shoes and empathize with them. The more ideas and points of view you can expose yourself to, the better a filmmaker you’ll be.
7. What projects can we look forward to from you in the future?
Right before the pandemic struck, our action screenplay, OPEN SOURCE, went into production with Bruce Willis starring. Luckily, they finished shooting, so that will be the next movie out with my name on it. It was more of the classic writer hands off a screenplay and then the director and producers take it from there — so I'll be as surprised by the finished product as you are.
COVID has definitely made what’s next after that tricky... For the first time in its history, ALL of Hollywood is trying to figure that out. There were a few movies I’m on as a writer or a producer that we were hoping would have gone this year, like the Hulk Hogan biopic from Todd Phillips — and we’re still hopeful to make all of those pictures. As far as me directing again, I’m working with the producer of Kristen Stewart’s LIZZIE on one of my BloodList scripts as a vehicle for me to direct, and we’re starting to explore cast ideas, but again, until we figure out how to make movies with COVID out there, or there’s a vaccine, it’s all hypothetical at this point. So… we’ll see!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2349665/
Bill Oberst Jr.
Photo credit ( Anne de Haas)
Bill Oberst Jr. is by far is one of the hardest working actors in tv, film, and theater. I was made a fan of Bill from his killer performance in Billy Pon’s ‘Circus of the Dead’. His portrayal of “Papa Corn” the psychotic murderous clown will leave you traumatized. I was really happy to get the opportunity to interview this amazing actor. Be sure to check out his IMDB page and go watch some of his killer work.
www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/
Q: What got you into acting?
A: Loneliness. Misfit kids, in my day, had few options for happiness in a world made for normals. Thank God Forry Ackermonster and Ray Bradbury grabbed my little hand and said "This way!" SciFi books and horror movies were my dearest friends, so a career in the fantasy business was sort of inevitable.
Q: Top 5 horror films of all time?
A:
1. The Exorcist (because I believe)
2. The original Nightmare On Elm Street (for the body bag in the hallway)
3. The first Hammer Dracula (because Christopher Lee is ferocious and totally fresh in the role)
4. The Wolf Man (for Maria Ouspenskaya's performance alone)
5. The Lon Chaney silent Phantom Of The Opera (for introducing the world to The Wounded Monster concept)
Q: What was it like working on the set of “3 From Hell?
A: It was horror heaven. Rob Zombie's love of our genre is as obvious in person as it is onscreen. And it's always amazing to work with Bill Moseley.
Q: You are definitely one of the hardest working actors around from tv to film and beyond. What are a few of your favorite roles?
A: I am very into the idea of what I call The Wounded Monster. I suppose the closest embodiment of that character concept so far is my serial killer on "Criminal Minds," the deformed product of Adrienne Barbeau and Tobin Bell's teenage sibling union. Director Mark Savage has a dream project to which I'm attached as a classic wounded monster, a man who literally becomes a monster to save one, in Mark's underground freak show epic "Circus Of Dread." I also like playing taciturn bastards with an 'honor among thieves' moral code (Papa Corn was a corkscrew-twisted version of this type) and Chris Eska gave me my best non-horror opportunity to do so as Burrell the bounty hunter in his "The Retrieval." Wow, now I'll bet you're sorry you asked! I'll stop there. As you can tell, I love my work.
Q: My favorite performance of yours would have to be “Papa Corn” from “Circus of the Dead. How and what did you draw inspiration from for that role?
A: Oh that was a tough role, Brandon. Anything good that comes across onscreen in that one is all Billy Pon all the time. Billy was not only my director, he was my lodestar. Papa Corn is the most nihilistic man I've ever played (second only to Father Simon in Jourdan McClure's "Children Of Sorrow") and playing those guys - people for whom there is no meaning in life or existence at all - it always gives me nightmares (I mean literal nightmares.) I think they bother me so much because I fear that somewhere inside me is a bit of them. Which, of course, is true, or I couldn't play them. That clown scares the hell out of me.
Q: What projects can we look forward to in the future from you?
A: Well, "Circus Of The Dead" is getting a relaunch and a fresh introduction to the public with a new distro deal, according to Billy Pon. With proper exposure, I would not be surprised to see that movie move into true cult status over the next year. I've just wrapped Mark Savage's feature "Painkiller," ripped from the opioid epidemic headlines, and I think Mark is busting tail in post to get that one out by the fall because it is so topical. And an experimental artistic extreme horror movie I'm in, Adrian Corona's "DIS", has won top prizes at festivals in Europe and Mexico. It was picked up by Stephen Biro's Unearthed Films and is out in the USA now. I'm not interested in normality; either in roles or in filmmakers. My sympathies are with the misfits and the freaks. That's where I belong, thank the Lord.
Painkiller trailer: www.facebook.com/mark.savage.948/videos/10219649247093470/
www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/
Q: What got you into acting?
A: Loneliness. Misfit kids, in my day, had few options for happiness in a world made for normals. Thank God Forry Ackermonster and Ray Bradbury grabbed my little hand and said "This way!" SciFi books and horror movies were my dearest friends, so a career in the fantasy business was sort of inevitable.
Q: Top 5 horror films of all time?
A:
1. The Exorcist (because I believe)
2. The original Nightmare On Elm Street (for the body bag in the hallway)
3. The first Hammer Dracula (because Christopher Lee is ferocious and totally fresh in the role)
4. The Wolf Man (for Maria Ouspenskaya's performance alone)
5. The Lon Chaney silent Phantom Of The Opera (for introducing the world to The Wounded Monster concept)
Q: What was it like working on the set of “3 From Hell?
A: It was horror heaven. Rob Zombie's love of our genre is as obvious in person as it is onscreen. And it's always amazing to work with Bill Moseley.
Q: You are definitely one of the hardest working actors around from tv to film and beyond. What are a few of your favorite roles?
A: I am very into the idea of what I call The Wounded Monster. I suppose the closest embodiment of that character concept so far is my serial killer on "Criminal Minds," the deformed product of Adrienne Barbeau and Tobin Bell's teenage sibling union. Director Mark Savage has a dream project to which I'm attached as a classic wounded monster, a man who literally becomes a monster to save one, in Mark's underground freak show epic "Circus Of Dread." I also like playing taciturn bastards with an 'honor among thieves' moral code (Papa Corn was a corkscrew-twisted version of this type) and Chris Eska gave me my best non-horror opportunity to do so as Burrell the bounty hunter in his "The Retrieval." Wow, now I'll bet you're sorry you asked! I'll stop there. As you can tell, I love my work.
Q: My favorite performance of yours would have to be “Papa Corn” from “Circus of the Dead. How and what did you draw inspiration from for that role?
A: Oh that was a tough role, Brandon. Anything good that comes across onscreen in that one is all Billy Pon all the time. Billy was not only my director, he was my lodestar. Papa Corn is the most nihilistic man I've ever played (second only to Father Simon in Jourdan McClure's "Children Of Sorrow") and playing those guys - people for whom there is no meaning in life or existence at all - it always gives me nightmares (I mean literal nightmares.) I think they bother me so much because I fear that somewhere inside me is a bit of them. Which, of course, is true, or I couldn't play them. That clown scares the hell out of me.
Q: What projects can we look forward to in the future from you?
A: Well, "Circus Of The Dead" is getting a relaunch and a fresh introduction to the public with a new distro deal, according to Billy Pon. With proper exposure, I would not be surprised to see that movie move into true cult status over the next year. I've just wrapped Mark Savage's feature "Painkiller," ripped from the opioid epidemic headlines, and I think Mark is busting tail in post to get that one out by the fall because it is so topical. And an experimental artistic extreme horror movie I'm in, Adrian Corona's "DIS", has won top prizes at festivals in Europe and Mexico. It was picked up by Stephen Biro's Unearthed Films and is out in the USA now. I'm not interested in normality; either in roles or in filmmakers. My sympathies are with the misfits and the freaks. That's where I belong, thank the Lord.
Painkiller trailer: www.facebook.com/mark.savage.948/videos/10219649247093470/
Jordan Downey
I was super fortunate to interview the very talented Jordan Downey director of The Headhunter and Thankskilling. Besides directing these two killer films Jordan has also done some killer short films like Techno Western, Craw Lake, Hackjob and Critters: Bounty Hunter. The Headhunter was the first film ever reviewed on this site and its also one of my favorite films of the past 10 years. Keep an eye out for anything Jordan Downey does because it will definitely be killer. You can find his work on all VOD sites or buy some physical copies were physical media is sold. Last but not least you can find The Headhunter on the best streaming site for horror Shudder.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2006573/
1. What got you into filmmaking?
It’s hard to say any single thing did it, but I grew up in a small town in Ohio and was obsessed with movies at a very young age (especially horror and science-fiction). My family never had a camcorder, but my uncle did, and there was always this odd draw to wanting to mess with the camera. I never really got the chance until I spent the night at a friend’s house and their parents had a camcorder which we spent the entire night making little movies with. After that, I was hooked. I saved up to buy one of my own, and for the rest of middle school and high school I was making home movies on the weekends, experimenting with horror makeup, and generally combing IMDB or any behind-the-scenes videos I could find.
2. What are your top 5 favorite horror films of all time?
- Critters
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - The Fly
- Tremors
And lastly, it’s not a movie, but as far as horror that’s influenced me perhaps more than anything else:
- The X-Files
3. The Head Hunter was one of my favorites of the year. Do you think there will be a sequel/prequel?
Never say never! While making the movie, we definitely started to realize the larger world we were creating was rich enough to tell more stories, so you never know. It’s something we’ve certainly thought about.
4. What inspired you to make The Head Hunter?
Kevin Stewart and I were very inspired to make another feature film ourselves and to do something daring and original. So with that mindset, we started pitching each other ideas that we could shoot in Portugal at this great location Kevin had access to. Eventually, we had this concept of a medieval monster movie, this ruthless warrior, and the black tar he uses that could provide a re-animation aspect to really cement it as a horror film. We just liked all the ingredients there which meant we had unlocked the most important thing to me — make movies you want to see.
5. I’m a big fan of Shudder and a member since the beginning. Did you notice a big difference once they picked up The Head Hunter in new fans?
We were thrilled because, like you, I love what Shudder is doing. And yes, I think Shudder absolutely breathed new life into The Head Hunter when it first hit. You know, it’s a very tiny movie that relied heavily on word of mouth and notable writers or platforms in the horror community helping give it a little push forward. So I feel very grateful to the horror community and am just glad that places like Shudder are giving it a chance to be seen by as many people as possible.
6. There is no way I can forget the Thankskilling films in all their gory goodness. Do you see yourself possibly doing another entry into the series?
I love that we get asked about ThanksKilling still. I’m serious because it was such an important movie to me on my journey and we had such a good time making it. Right now I can’t imagine doing another anytime soon, but maybe one day!
7. Lastly, what are some future projects you are working on and what can we expect in the years to come?
I’ve got a body horror script with elements of science-fiction and war that I’d like to do next, so we’ll see if that takes off. The Head Hunter has opened a lot of doors, so I’ve been writing and pitching and looking for the thing to get going against all odds. Getting back behind the camera in 2020 is the goal.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2006573/
1. What got you into filmmaking?
It’s hard to say any single thing did it, but I grew up in a small town in Ohio and was obsessed with movies at a very young age (especially horror and science-fiction). My family never had a camcorder, but my uncle did, and there was always this odd draw to wanting to mess with the camera. I never really got the chance until I spent the night at a friend’s house and their parents had a camcorder which we spent the entire night making little movies with. After that, I was hooked. I saved up to buy one of my own, and for the rest of middle school and high school I was making home movies on the weekends, experimenting with horror makeup, and generally combing IMDB or any behind-the-scenes videos I could find.
2. What are your top 5 favorite horror films of all time?
- Critters
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - The Fly
- Tremors
And lastly, it’s not a movie, but as far as horror that’s influenced me perhaps more than anything else:
- The X-Files
3. The Head Hunter was one of my favorites of the year. Do you think there will be a sequel/prequel?
Never say never! While making the movie, we definitely started to realize the larger world we were creating was rich enough to tell more stories, so you never know. It’s something we’ve certainly thought about.
4. What inspired you to make The Head Hunter?
Kevin Stewart and I were very inspired to make another feature film ourselves and to do something daring and original. So with that mindset, we started pitching each other ideas that we could shoot in Portugal at this great location Kevin had access to. Eventually, we had this concept of a medieval monster movie, this ruthless warrior, and the black tar he uses that could provide a re-animation aspect to really cement it as a horror film. We just liked all the ingredients there which meant we had unlocked the most important thing to me — make movies you want to see.
5. I’m a big fan of Shudder and a member since the beginning. Did you notice a big difference once they picked up The Head Hunter in new fans?
We were thrilled because, like you, I love what Shudder is doing. And yes, I think Shudder absolutely breathed new life into The Head Hunter when it first hit. You know, it’s a very tiny movie that relied heavily on word of mouth and notable writers or platforms in the horror community helping give it a little push forward. So I feel very grateful to the horror community and am just glad that places like Shudder are giving it a chance to be seen by as many people as possible.
6. There is no way I can forget the Thankskilling films in all their gory goodness. Do you see yourself possibly doing another entry into the series?
I love that we get asked about ThanksKilling still. I’m serious because it was such an important movie to me on my journey and we had such a good time making it. Right now I can’t imagine doing another anytime soon, but maybe one day!
7. Lastly, what are some future projects you are working on and what can we expect in the years to come?
I’ve got a body horror script with elements of science-fiction and war that I’d like to do next, so we’ll see if that takes off. The Head Hunter has opened a lot of doors, so I’ve been writing and pitching and looking for the thing to get going against all odds. Getting back behind the camera in 2020 is the goal.
Todd Jenkins
I was really stoked when my friend Todd Jenkins agreed to do a short written interview for my website. Todd’s film Cherokee Creek was one of the first reviews ever for my site. Todd is a true badass in the film industry, he is an actor, director, writer, producer, and jack of all trades. Some of the many films under his belt that he has acted in and produced include Howlers, Ghost-Note, The Lucky Man, and many more. Todd is a force to be reckoned with and you should definitely keep an eye out for him. Go get you a copy of Cherokee Creek at https://screamteamreleasing.com/products/cherokee-creek--collectors-edition-blu-ray
Todd Jenkins IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1309123/
1. What got you into acting and filmmaking?
I got into movies when I was very young. I'd say around 4 or 5 my Aunt Shirley would show me all kinds of films I wasn’t supposed to see. Some of my favs were Jaws, Nightmare on Elm Street, and First Blood. From then on I was hooked on wanting to watch as many movies as I could and when VHS came out I had a huge collection. The filmmaking/acting thing happened much later in life by a total accident. I was about 27 I think and my current job was doing those interview things as they did in the movie Office Space. Soon after our company was bought out and we had nothing to do anymore. While at work I would check out dating sites and an extras casting director stumbled on to my photos and asked me to work on a Chuck Norris movie called BELLS OF INNOCENCE. I thought it was a joke but it turned out to be a real thing and I got hooked after only working a day on set and the rest is history. I fell in love with every aspect of the business that day and spent all my time learning about the whole process. To this day almost 20 years later I've never taken an acting class or filmmaking class but I do work on my craft every day.
2. What are 5 of your all-time favorite horror films?
Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Scream, The Thing, Halloween
3. Do you think there will be a sequel to your killer film Cherokee Creek?
When CHEROKEE CREEK was kicking ass I was all about thinking about making more films and a sequel but with all the drama that's currently going on in the industry with filmmakers getting their revenue stolen, I'm not sure what I'll do. CHEROKEE CREEK has taken up almost 5 years of my life and to find out we can't do anything about our money being stolen by the digital business partners Go Digital/Distribber it's super disheartening. I just hope somehow things will change in the future.
4. What are some of the upcoming projects you are working on?
The last feature film I acted in was SOUTHLAND staring Bella Thorne directed by Joshua Caldwell. It's about Two young lovers robbing their way across the southland, posting their exploits to social media, and gaining fame and followers as a result. I'm super excited to see it and had a ton of fun working on it.
Todd Jenkins IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1309123/
1. What got you into acting and filmmaking?
I got into movies when I was very young. I'd say around 4 or 5 my Aunt Shirley would show me all kinds of films I wasn’t supposed to see. Some of my favs were Jaws, Nightmare on Elm Street, and First Blood. From then on I was hooked on wanting to watch as many movies as I could and when VHS came out I had a huge collection. The filmmaking/acting thing happened much later in life by a total accident. I was about 27 I think and my current job was doing those interview things as they did in the movie Office Space. Soon after our company was bought out and we had nothing to do anymore. While at work I would check out dating sites and an extras casting director stumbled on to my photos and asked me to work on a Chuck Norris movie called BELLS OF INNOCENCE. I thought it was a joke but it turned out to be a real thing and I got hooked after only working a day on set and the rest is history. I fell in love with every aspect of the business that day and spent all my time learning about the whole process. To this day almost 20 years later I've never taken an acting class or filmmaking class but I do work on my craft every day.
2. What are 5 of your all-time favorite horror films?
Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Scream, The Thing, Halloween
3. Do you think there will be a sequel to your killer film Cherokee Creek?
When CHEROKEE CREEK was kicking ass I was all about thinking about making more films and a sequel but with all the drama that's currently going on in the industry with filmmakers getting their revenue stolen, I'm not sure what I'll do. CHEROKEE CREEK has taken up almost 5 years of my life and to find out we can't do anything about our money being stolen by the digital business partners Go Digital/Distribber it's super disheartening. I just hope somehow things will change in the future.
4. What are some of the upcoming projects you are working on?
The last feature film I acted in was SOUTHLAND staring Bella Thorne directed by Joshua Caldwell. It's about Two young lovers robbing their way across the southland, posting their exploits to social media, and gaining fame and followers as a result. I'm super excited to see it and had a ton of fun working on it.
James Balsamo
James Balsamo is one of the hardest working men in the horror industry. He runs the killer film company Acid Bath Productions. Some of the films James is known for include Bite School, Hack Job, I Spill Your Guts, Cool As Hell, Catch of the Day and a ton more. You can find all his titles at www.acidbathproductions.com. James is definitely a true horror badass. I hope you enjoy my interview with him.
1.What got you into moviemaking?
When I was seven I saw Friday the 13th part three with my dad. Since then I wanted to play a killer in a mask in a horror movie. At a young age, my parents put me an acting school and it was the biggest mistake they ever could’ve made. It’s what lead me to cutting up big breasted bikini babes on the home video silver screen ever since. I really wanted to act in horror films, but I didn’t know anyone that made them. I took acting lessons from the time I was eight years old till I was in college. I did some background acting work but no major roles. I was working at a comic book store and somebody tried to buy the “Toxic Avenger part two” and told me Troma was hiring interns. So I called the next day and by Monday I was an intern at the longest-running independent film company Troma. While taking out Lloyd’s trash I realized I could make my own movies and star in them. So I picked up a video camera and started paying my stripper friends to take their tops off on camera, I got Oderus from GWAR to show up for a day to act and hired comic book artist Jeff Zornow to draw the movie poster. That’s how my first feature “Hack Job” happened and got me into filmmaking.
2.Who are some of your inspirations in the horror world?
I’m actually a big fan of Italian horror Cinema. Argento, Fulci, and Bava. Frank Agrama’s “Dawn of the Mummy” was a big inspiration for my first feature “Hack Job” it’s an anthology. “Hack Job” features three stories in a script from the devil. The story “Tomb of the SS” is my homage to “Dawn of Mummy” in a no-budget fashion I have multiple mummies played by one actor in a mummy suit. It’s just filmed from different angles. I’m also a big fan of monster movies from the 1950s that’s why I always try to put a big practical monster in my films. My new movie “It Wants Blood!” Stars Eric Roberts keeping a bloodthirsty giant elephant creature with a snake for a trunk and a vagina like mouth with razor-sharp teeth between its eyes. Look for the movie everywhere where DVDs are sold, or get it at acidbathproductions.com
3.What are your top 5 favorite films?
“The Exorcist” a brilliant piece of cinema. Dick Smith’s Fx still holds up and is breathtaking.
“Re-Animator” So much fun! How can you beat a movie with a decapitated head performing cunnilingus.
“Return of the Living Dead” This film has such great characters in it. I think that’s the best part about watching them die and get eaten alive.
"The Suckling" Aborted baby becomes a toxic waste giant monster with a killer umbilical cord. Come on! So good.
“Zombi 2” so many great moments like a guy fighting a toothless shark, and all those Zombies on the bridge. The one that takes the cake or should I say takes the brains for me is all the zombies on fire. That is a real stunt with burning stuntmen, so epic.
4.I know myself and my band were honored to have our music in a few of your films. What are some of your favorite band cameos in your movies?
It’s an honor to have you be a part of it. Every film I’ve managed to grab great celebrity cameos. I’ve worked with so many cool people over the years. Frank Mullen from Suffocation is one of my favorite people to work with. He has such a great energy about him and is always down for whatever wacky situation I put him in. For “Catch of the Day” he played a James Bond kind of villain called “The man with the Golden Hand” and he had a fake spray painted life casted plastic hand for the whole film. He’s a trooper to put up with my nonsense. I mean Frank Mullen is a death metal legend. Too cool really.
5.What are some future things to expect from you and Acid bath Productions?
I’ve been really busy working on a bunch of crazy things. I opened up a toy and comic store in LA called ZAPPERS! It’s on 11026 Ventura Blvd. come on down and say hey! I’m also currently in production of 4 feature films including “Killer Waves 2” “I Spill Your Guts 2” “It Wants Blood!” And “Hollywood Werewolf” I’m also in post-production for “James Balsamo’s Space Aliens & UFO’s” it’s a documentary on Alien encounters with real people. In other news, Barnes & Noble picked up my first bad joke book “Total Pun-ishment” so look forward to a new bad joke book in the near future. You can always follow me on Instagram @jamesbalsamo for updates on what’s happening or should I say @whatzappening that’s the comic store’s gram. Also, you can find Acid Bath Productions on Twitter @acidbathproduct
6.Last question, how was it working with the horror legend Herschell G Lewis In your film Bite School?
It took me six years to get Herschell to agree to be in one of my films. The wait was worth it. He was such a sweet genuine man. After we filmed the only thing he asked for was chocolate milk. It was such an amazing experience to have him play my grandfather in “Bite School”
He is a legend, and his work will live on forever.
When I was seven I saw Friday the 13th part three with my dad. Since then I wanted to play a killer in a mask in a horror movie. At a young age, my parents put me an acting school and it was the biggest mistake they ever could’ve made. It’s what lead me to cutting up big breasted bikini babes on the home video silver screen ever since. I really wanted to act in horror films, but I didn’t know anyone that made them. I took acting lessons from the time I was eight years old till I was in college. I did some background acting work but no major roles. I was working at a comic book store and somebody tried to buy the “Toxic Avenger part two” and told me Troma was hiring interns. So I called the next day and by Monday I was an intern at the longest-running independent film company Troma. While taking out Lloyd’s trash I realized I could make my own movies and star in them. So I picked up a video camera and started paying my stripper friends to take their tops off on camera, I got Oderus from GWAR to show up for a day to act and hired comic book artist Jeff Zornow to draw the movie poster. That’s how my first feature “Hack Job” happened and got me into filmmaking.
2.Who are some of your inspirations in the horror world?
I’m actually a big fan of Italian horror Cinema. Argento, Fulci, and Bava. Frank Agrama’s “Dawn of the Mummy” was a big inspiration for my first feature “Hack Job” it’s an anthology. “Hack Job” features three stories in a script from the devil. The story “Tomb of the SS” is my homage to “Dawn of Mummy” in a no-budget fashion I have multiple mummies played by one actor in a mummy suit. It’s just filmed from different angles. I’m also a big fan of monster movies from the 1950s that’s why I always try to put a big practical monster in my films. My new movie “It Wants Blood!” Stars Eric Roberts keeping a bloodthirsty giant elephant creature with a snake for a trunk and a vagina like mouth with razor-sharp teeth between its eyes. Look for the movie everywhere where DVDs are sold, or get it at acidbathproductions.com
3.What are your top 5 favorite films?
“The Exorcist” a brilliant piece of cinema. Dick Smith’s Fx still holds up and is breathtaking.
“Re-Animator” So much fun! How can you beat a movie with a decapitated head performing cunnilingus.
“Return of the Living Dead” This film has such great characters in it. I think that’s the best part about watching them die and get eaten alive.
"The Suckling" Aborted baby becomes a toxic waste giant monster with a killer umbilical cord. Come on! So good.
“Zombi 2” so many great moments like a guy fighting a toothless shark, and all those Zombies on the bridge. The one that takes the cake or should I say takes the brains for me is all the zombies on fire. That is a real stunt with burning stuntmen, so epic.
4.I know myself and my band were honored to have our music in a few of your films. What are some of your favorite band cameos in your movies?
It’s an honor to have you be a part of it. Every film I’ve managed to grab great celebrity cameos. I’ve worked with so many cool people over the years. Frank Mullen from Suffocation is one of my favorite people to work with. He has such a great energy about him and is always down for whatever wacky situation I put him in. For “Catch of the Day” he played a James Bond kind of villain called “The man with the Golden Hand” and he had a fake spray painted life casted plastic hand for the whole film. He’s a trooper to put up with my nonsense. I mean Frank Mullen is a death metal legend. Too cool really.
5.What are some future things to expect from you and Acid bath Productions?
I’ve been really busy working on a bunch of crazy things. I opened up a toy and comic store in LA called ZAPPERS! It’s on 11026 Ventura Blvd. come on down and say hey! I’m also currently in production of 4 feature films including “Killer Waves 2” “I Spill Your Guts 2” “It Wants Blood!” And “Hollywood Werewolf” I’m also in post-production for “James Balsamo’s Space Aliens & UFO’s” it’s a documentary on Alien encounters with real people. In other news, Barnes & Noble picked up my first bad joke book “Total Pun-ishment” so look forward to a new bad joke book in the near future. You can always follow me on Instagram @jamesbalsamo for updates on what’s happening or should I say @whatzappening that’s the comic store’s gram. Also, you can find Acid Bath Productions on Twitter @acidbathproduct
6.Last question, how was it working with the horror legend Herschell G Lewis In your film Bite School?
It took me six years to get Herschell to agree to be in one of my films. The wait was worth it. He was such a sweet genuine man. After we filmed the only thing he asked for was chocolate milk. It was such an amazing experience to have him play my grandfather in “Bite School”
He is a legend, and his work will live on forever.
Billy “Bloody Bill” Pon
Texas filmmaker and all around badass known for his killer films Circus of the Dead, Doll Boy and soon to be Cowboys from Hell. Billy is also known for being a killer guitar player as well as head clown and creator of Def Con 1 haunted horror attractions.
http://bloodybill.com/
http://bloodybill.com/
I’m really happy and honored that my good friend Bloody Bill will be my first “victim” interview. Billy is a great filmmaker and a super talented all around bad-ass. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I do. Also don't forget to check out the trailers below of Circus Of The Dead and Doll Boy. You can find Circus Of The Dead on VOD and Doll Boy on YouTube.
1. What were some of your inspirations for your killer film Circus of the Dead?
Honestly Sid Haig's portrayal as Captain Spaulding from House of 1000 Corpses. So I thought, what if a raging homicidal maniac had a day job as a circus clown... Papa Corn was born!
2. What got you into film making?
Seeing Star Wars at a Drive In when I was a kid made me want to entertain people by telling stories. Seeing the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre a couple of years later made me want those movies to be horror related!
3. This is always a hard question but what’s your top 5 favorite films of all time?
No particular order...
The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2)
Halloween '78
Texas Chainsaw Massacre '74
Unforgiven
Enter the Dragon
4. Do you think there will ever be a sequel to Circus of the Dead?
Absolutely! Unless I die I guess. Part 2 is already rolling forward and hopefully will be up after I complete Cowboys From Hell.
5. Can you tell me a bit about your new project Cowboys from Hell?
CFH was envisioned on the set of Circus of the Dead while talking to actor Brad Potts. We've struck up a great friendship and I wanted to write the greatest character I could come up with to give him something good to play instead of the stuff he's stereo typed with. It's very dark and deals with a man's own mortality at the end of his road.
6. Besides being a great director you also run a Haunted House. Could you talk a bit about that?
I've been doing haunts since I was in elementary. I volunteered at a haunt at my school's fall carnival and fell in love with them. That was 1980ish I think. I've been running my own since I was 13 years old. My two current haunts are Def Con 1 Haunted Warehouse which is a military themed abandoned base over run with zombies. My second one is Circus of the Dead: Murder Maze. That was where we came up with the back stories to Papa Corn and his pals!
7. What are your goals for the future (movies, haunted house, music, etc)
My first goal is to stay alive and love my wife with every ounce of my being. Then I want to make as many movies as I can. Unlike my food beliefs in movies I believe in quality over quantity. I'm a pretty slow filmmaker in those regards. I learned a long time ago that it's not what you do for yourself that'll make you the happiest it's what you do for others that will bring you the most happiness. So I want to continue helping and being good to as many people as I can.
1. What were some of your inspirations for your killer film Circus of the Dead?
Honestly Sid Haig's portrayal as Captain Spaulding from House of 1000 Corpses. So I thought, what if a raging homicidal maniac had a day job as a circus clown... Papa Corn was born!
2. What got you into film making?
Seeing Star Wars at a Drive In when I was a kid made me want to entertain people by telling stories. Seeing the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre a couple of years later made me want those movies to be horror related!
3. This is always a hard question but what’s your top 5 favorite films of all time?
No particular order...
The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2)
Halloween '78
Texas Chainsaw Massacre '74
Unforgiven
Enter the Dragon
4. Do you think there will ever be a sequel to Circus of the Dead?
Absolutely! Unless I die I guess. Part 2 is already rolling forward and hopefully will be up after I complete Cowboys From Hell.
5. Can you tell me a bit about your new project Cowboys from Hell?
CFH was envisioned on the set of Circus of the Dead while talking to actor Brad Potts. We've struck up a great friendship and I wanted to write the greatest character I could come up with to give him something good to play instead of the stuff he's stereo typed with. It's very dark and deals with a man's own mortality at the end of his road.
6. Besides being a great director you also run a Haunted House. Could you talk a bit about that?
I've been doing haunts since I was in elementary. I volunteered at a haunt at my school's fall carnival and fell in love with them. That was 1980ish I think. I've been running my own since I was 13 years old. My two current haunts are Def Con 1 Haunted Warehouse which is a military themed abandoned base over run with zombies. My second one is Circus of the Dead: Murder Maze. That was where we came up with the back stories to Papa Corn and his pals!
7. What are your goals for the future (movies, haunted house, music, etc)
My first goal is to stay alive and love my wife with every ounce of my being. Then I want to make as many movies as I can. Unlike my food beliefs in movies I believe in quality over quantity. I'm a pretty slow filmmaker in those regards. I learned a long time ago that it's not what you do for yourself that'll make you the happiest it's what you do for others that will bring you the most happiness. So I want to continue helping and being good to as many people as I can.
