We received this press release from Geno McGahee about his latest film, a horror anthology called "Scary Tales". I figured that I would just share the whole thing, so you can check out how he put it all together and, of course, read all about the film. I would like to mention that if any of you other filmmakers have press releases or want to talk about your upcoming projects, please let us know!
SCARY TALES – New Horror Anthology in the
Vein of CREEPSHOW is Set to Release in 2012
On behalf of X Posse Productions, we are
excited to announce that the Official Facebook page for their upcoming horror
thriller SCARY TALES.
SCARY TALES is a unique horror anthology featuring
five tales. When four friends reunite at a remote cabin, they share some
campfire stories, but the line between fantasy and reality soon gets blurred
and the unexplainable begins to occur. There
is something for every horror fan. SCARY
TALES features zombies, werewolves, demons, and the devil himself. The twists and surprises that were seen in
FAMILY SECRET, the last X Posse Production, are also in good supply in this new
anthology.
Written and Directed by Geno McGahee, SCARY
TALES is a throwback to the 1970’s character driven horror films.
Starring: Leeann Aubuchon, Josh Tienson,
Jaki Valensi-Lauper, Forris Day, JR., Tim Pieciak, Kate Lago, Charlotte Lewis,
Brent Northup, Savanah Lee Gauthier
One of my favorite things about having done this site for more than just a couple years is being able to watch indie filmmakers progress. There are lots of filmmakers that we've talked with multiple times and it's always interesting to check back in with them after each project. Not only is it interesting to see how their ideas, production quality and films evolve, it's also interesting to hear the lessons that they've learned along the way... and, hey, that's what this site's all about.
We first spoke with Geno McGahee after his first film, "Evil Awakening". You can find that interview by clicking here. We next spoke with him after his film "Rise of the Scarecrows" and you can find that interview here. Now, Geno's finishing up his most ambitious project to date, "Family Secret". He's put together both a trailer (which I haven't seen, but I don't think is fully done at this point) and a music video (which I'll embed right before the interview) and, from what we can tell, it looks like Geno has definitely moved on to a whole new level of filmmaking. Please enjoy the video and definitely give the interview a read, he offers up plenty of insight and lessons learned.
Last we talked, you had just finished up “Rise of the Scarecrows”. What have you been up to since then?
Well, I have been up to a lot. I completed filming RISE OF THE SCARECROWS in 2004ish and sort of gave up filmmaking after that, but then I was able to strike the distribution deal with Tempe Entertainment and my world of filmmaking was reborn. I filmed a movie called “SCARY TALES” in 2008 and I had made an effort to improve, mostly technique. With the distribution deal and success in sales of RISE and EVIL AWAKENING, I wanted to present something to investors so they can see that I’m more than a “backyard cinema” filmmaker, and it worked.
My new project is a film called FAMILY SECRET. I had a budget to hire a cinematographer, editor, brought in established actors, and acquired great locations. I wrote it not concerning myself with whether or not the actors can remember the lines. I really shortchanged myself and the audience by cutting dialogue in my first two movies because the actors could not remember the lines. FAMILY SECRET is the best thing I have ever done and I want people to know that this is what I’m about film-wise…I’m not just a backyard cinema film guy. I’m a real filmmaker, and I will prove that with FAMILY SECRET.
First off, tell us a bit about both “Family Secret” and this music video.
FAMILY SECRET concerns a journalist that reunites with his family after the death of his grandmother. As he eases back into his life without his family, he gets drawn right back when what appears to be the dead grandmother is going around killing family members.
What I did with the movie was to bring back the shock value. There is surprise after surprise and I challenge anyone to guess what will happen next. I really think that this is the next big thing in horror. I know that those that know my work will doubt when I say that this is going to be big, but today is a new day for me and I am working with totally new people and writing without restraint.
Sonora is a great band out of Brazil. I found them on line doing cover songs of some great metal songs…which I am still stuck on...and Chris Miyai, the lead singer, had such an amazing voice that I had to contact them about doing the title tune for the movie. They thankfully agreed and here’s the power of the Internet. It creates the opportunity for a great rock band from Brazil to work with a film group out of Massachusetts.
Horror films and heavy metal videos go hand in hand and I wanted to create one with Sonora, and with the help of the band and my editor, Forris Day, JR., we have a great rock video that I hope the people will like.
If you don’t mind us asking, what was the budget for this latest film and how did you secure the financing?
I entertained several investors before agreeing with Webhead Entertainment, LLC. They came in and invested into the project and that, along with my sales from my first two movies and every other penny I could get together equaled a budget of $14,000, give or take.
Your production value goes up with each film and now, I’ve noticed, you’re filming in HD, as well. Talk about your progression over the last few years.
There were some negative things that happened during RISE OF THE SCARECROWS and I was incredibly frustrated with the lack of dedication from most of the cast and crew. I wrapped in 2004 and was done filmmaking, and with all the negativity even afterwards with people saying that distribution was impossible and to give up on filmmaking, I was ready to take the advice but it drew me back and when I landed a deal with Tempe, I knew it was a new day for me. I took over the entire production and eliminated 99% of the old crew, replacing it with willing and able people. I filmed SCARY TALES and it was such a vast improvement that I knew that I could make something special if I had good equipment and the right people involved. Basically, no more bullshit.
With FAMILY SECRET, I made the decision to bring in a cinematographer, a special effects team…basically improving on all of the criticisms from the audience that watched my first two movies. They would attack the technique and acting and you know what? They were 100% right. It bothered me at first when they would say “hang’em up,” and I would say: “Do they know what I went through with zero budget to even get these produced?!!! Do they know the shitheads I dealt with?” All of that doesn’t matter, because my name is on it and I they were correct about most of the negative things that they have said and it has helped me immensely. I have turned a negative into a positive and they can attack certain things, but technique and acting will not be on the list.
I stepped out of my comfort zone and employed “real” actors and brought in all new people, and the results speak for themselves. My editor, Forris Day, JR., and my Director of Photography, John Golden, have helped me SO much with the production. I have learned so much and they have really helped bring my vision to life. I feel that FAMILY SECRET is my first film. It is the first film where there were no restrictions writing wise and that has made a giant difference in the production. What I wrote was what was said…no changing along the way, no ad-libbing, and no cutting down lines to make it easier for the actor.
I also needed to film in HD. If you don’t have HD, you don’t have anything at this point. My earlier films are forgiven because they are backyard cinema, but if I were presenting a movie in hopes of creating the next horror icon, it had to be HD…because nobody wants standard definition at this point, especially on the higher levels.
So, why a music video? Is this in place of a trailer or is this just to some sort of cross promotion to get the word out?
I actually have a trailer. You can see it on youtube, but we are working on another as we speak. The video was to work a duel promotion for FS and Sonora. It’s such a great song that it should generate interest in the movie and the movie is creating a buzz, so it generates interest in the band. It’s a win/win and I’m old school. I loved Dokken’s Dream Warriors video and song and I think that there are many out there that are sick of the remakes and “re-imaginings” and Asian transfers. They want something fresh and American…the American slasher is sadly missed. HATCHET came out and promised to bring it back and it stunk, but FAMILY SECRET will bring back the feeling that horror fans have missed. People will talk about it and it’s a throwback to the 1970s brand of disturbing and surprising horror.
Talk about some of the lessons you’ve learned over the last few years and how you’re applying them to this project.
My prior productions from EVIL AWAKENING to RISE OF THE SCARECROWS taught me a lot. I have learned mostly to believe in myself and to stop dealing with nonsense. I used to drive around and pick up cast members only to have them come out to the car and tell me that they couldn’t do it that day…frustrating. It made me deal with the new people in a more professional way. If you can’t make it to the set, then you can’t be in the movie.
Through the production of FAMILY SECRET, I have learned SO much about filmmaking…the technique and lighting and learning what to film to make sure that the editor can make it into a cohesive movie. The largest lesson that I have learned is to trust my instincts and don’t listen to those that tell you that you cannot do something. The minute I washed my hands of the doubters, the world opened up to me. I also am assertive now and there is a zero bullshit policy now. It’s a business and it’s bad business to have bad actors or dead weight on the set and unfortunately, some buddies have not made the cut, but I had to do what I had to do to make the best production possible.
I have also gotten more organized and FAMILY SECRET has been my life since December of 2008. It’s still dominating my thoughts and actions and I won’t rest until it does what I want it to do.
What’s your goal for “Family Secret”? Are you going to hit up the festival circuit?
The goal for the movie is a theatrical run and to be the next low budget horror film to take the world’s imagination. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY did it on a budget of 11,000 bucks and it was a very simple production. FAMILY SECRET is a better movie with better production value and I think that it has a legitimate chance to make it on the big screen. All of the greatest horror movies started out with a low budget and an indie status, more or less. You look at A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, FRIDAY THE 13TH, and HALLOWEEN….all three are low budget flicks that made gobs and gobs of money and there is a reason why. It doesn’t take a lot of money to make a great film. It takes a good story, presented well. I know that there are those out there that saw my first two films and scratching their heads, but FAMILY SECRET is in a different universe than my first two.
I have entered it into three festivals thus far and have my eyes on a few others. I hope to win, of course, and I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground. I had a test audience for FS and they jumped and were shocked at the right times. It was really promising. I think that will be across the board.
How are you going to approach distribution this time around?
I can’t go deeply into this matter, but I have one distributor that has it right now and it looks promising…if it comes through, then we will be going worldwide and possibly, make my dream of the big screen come true. I have spoken to two other distributors and they both expressed interest, but I’m hoping that the big distributor will run with it and give me a deal that I can accept. Through my horror site, scaredstiffreviews.com, I have met some great people and thankfully, they have pointed me in the right direction and have made distribution easier and have given me a very big opportunity that I’m hoping pans out.
Where can people find out more about “Family Secret” and/or get their hands on a copy?
At this point, they can go to scaredstiffreviews.com and click on the FAMILY SECRET cover art on the top left and it will bring them to the page where all the news is. They can also befriend me on Facebook. I have weekly updates there and sometimes I say something that some people may deem humorous….maybe not, but you can at least get FAMILY SECRET updates there. I also recommend visiting webheadentertainment.com, another great place for information about FAMILY SECRET. I’m hoping that a deal will be struck soon so people can see it and see what the new X Posse Productions is all about.
What’s next?
I am reshooting SCARY TALES at the present moment, high definition and with established actors. I will be wrapping in October, 2010. I was also hired for an Internet TV show called “JAKI’S BUZZ,” an entertainment show, and am planning on shooting FAMILY SECRET II next spring. If not, I have another movie called “SICKLE” that has a lot of potential. The point is to keep producing and improving. If you’re not growing, you’re dying, and the plan is to continue to grow and win fans and hopefully make my mark on a very large scale.
When you're an avid watcher of micro-cinema and indie horror, you'll inevitably watch a lot of films from first time filmmakers... and that means you better have a bit of tolerance when it comes to glitches and minor issues. Lord knows I do. Actually, to be honest, I'm usually entertained by fuck-ups. For example, finding a boom mic or a boom mic shadow is kinda like playing Where's Waldo - you know it'll be there somewhere, you just have to look for it. Anyhow, what sucks is that a lot of good first time filmmakers never manage to make another film... or they take close to a decade to get involved in another project. It's disappointing because it's really cool to see sophomore efforts in the indie scene. They usually have the same actors, there's a similar style in the look and/or storyline and, almost always, the film is better than its predecessor. That's certainly the case with Geno McGahee's film "Rise of the Scarecrows", the follow up film to his first effort, "Evil Awakening".
"Evil Awakening", on a lot of levels, was a stereotypical micro-cinema film from a first time filmmaker. It was shot on DV, 4:3 format, it had a few of those glitches and issues, but it was a great effort, it was entertaining and I, personally, enjoyed it. Now, having just watched "Rise of the Scarecrows", what you get is all of the positive things from the first effort, a great new storyline and a lot less of those issues and glitches. It's great to see a filmmaker progress and pump out a better film, especially when the jump is as big as it is in this case. So, if you saw "Evil Awakening", you'll definitley want to see "Rise of the Scarecrows" and, having seen both, I'm very excited to see what McGahee comes up with next. Here, we talked with McGahee about the making of "Rise of the Scarecrows".
“Rise of the Scarecrows” is the follow up film to “Evil Awakening”, when did you decide to go out and make a second film?
The decision was basically made immediately after I filmed Evil Awakening. I have always been a big fan of Scarecrows and thought they were a great topic for horror films. So in the summer of 2004, we began filming this one. Making Evil Awakening was a major learning experience for me and I think that it’s a natural thing for people to want to improve and so I focused more on the story and turning out a better production. I also had the benefit of having Evil Awakening out there and a lot of people were asking when we were going to make another movie. So locally, we were getting name for ourselves and we had a small demand for a new movie and many locals that wanted to be in it. It all made the decision to make another one a lot easier.
There’s a lot of similarities between the two, mainly in how you develop multiple storylines and that a lot of the same actors are returning. Where did you get the idea for this one?
I like the 1988 flick “Scarecrows” where bank robbers drop into a field and get hunted by killer scarecrows. When it comes to horror, the scarecrow is a great character and one that is imposing no matter what it does. It can just be hanging there and rattle people. I had the idea for this one for quite a while actually but the story didn’t really develop until after Evil Awakening was complete. I wanted to give the audience something more than a slasher or zombie movie. I wanted to give them something to chew on and I like movies with surprises and that have more to it than just a guy with a knife and a mask going around killing people. I think that indie horror can be deeper than that and I really focused to make the script as strong as possible and to focus on the filming and to fix some of the issues we had in Evil Awakening.
Did you increase your budget on this one at all?
In a way, we did. I purchased a better editing program and bought the scarecrow stuff. Overall, I still worked on nearly no budget. I would answer yes to this question, but really, I would say that the budget wasn’t that much bigger than Evil Awakening. I just knew a lot more and put forth a better effort here.
What did you shoot on and how long was this shoot?
We shot on a digital video camera that was a couple steps up from the one used in Evil Awakening. I think it was a Sony. The shoot itself was very long and frustrating, and at one time I thought that it wasn’t going to complete. We had 20 minutes of completed and edited footage in 2004, but then I couldn’t assemble the cast and my editor at the time was tied up with work, so it just looked like it wasn’t meant to be, but then we got it together and reunited in 2006 to complete it and we finished it in about 4 months.
As far as the filmmaking process is concerned, what did you learn from the first film that you could apply here?
What I think I learned more than anything else was to focus more so. We also learned some different camera angles and such to set the mood. You also never know what people will like and I will admit when I’m wrong. I think that my approach in the beginning of Evil Awakening turned a lot of people off with Sam Adams (Steven Joseph Adams) screaming profanity and running over and elderly man and then pissing on him. I think that it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Actually, I know it did from some of the emails I got…but at the time I wanted to get the audience’s attention and did so, but I should have probably started out more subtly as I did with Rise of the Scarecrows.
What I also learned from the first production was to concentrate and develop other characters rather than focusing on death count. In Evil Awakening, I think that it was Sam Adams and everyone else, although “The Geib” stands out. I love Sam Adams, but if I had to do it again, I would have done some more development on other characters. In Rise of the Scarecrows, you have a lot of great characters and you know where they are all coming from.
As far as distribution is concerned, what did you learn from the first film that you applied here?
I think that getting your foot in the door is the toughest aspect of distribution. I had a deal on Rise of the Scarecrows that I just signed last week. What I learned is the routine, I think. I know what I need to do and how to approach the matter. Thankfully, I know which distribution companies are not filmmaker friendly and will screw you hard at the drop of a hat. As far as getting distributed, I really didn’t have much of a doubt that Rise of the Scarecrows was going to be picked up. Evil Awakening sold well and the people seemed to have liked it for the most part and to see Evil Awakening outsell other titles that have better known filmmakers is a nice thing and tells me that we may be on a good track to get well known and make some noise in the horror world.
I did learn a lot from Evil Awakening to Rise of the Scarecrows about marketing of the product and that is why you see a big difference in the cover art from Evil Awakening to Rise of the Scarecrows. We are see people and in the horror world, a cover sells the movie. Thankfully I was able to do a lot of promotion and hit the newspapers locally and got them moving, but had it had a better cover depicting what was going on rather than the subtle message, we would have been in better shape I think. I hope that Rise sells well and the people give Evil Awakening a shot afterwards. It may go in that order more often than not because of the cover art factor.
Where can people find out more information on “Rise of the Scarecrows” and/or buy a copy?
They can keep up to date by going to scaredstiffreviews.com. I run the site and I try to keep the fans informed. They can email me with any questions at genobambino69@gmail.com. Tempe Entertainment will be making the announcement on the distribution date very soon, but it looks like late April. People can see the trailer on youtube and if they want updates, they can email me and I will add them to my contact list and when I send out a mass email about the productions, they’ll get the news.
What’s next?
I just completed “Scary Tales” an anthology and I think that it is the best film that I have done from a technical aspect and the best actors that I have ever used. I think that it has something for everyone and it will be making the film festival circuit (hopefully). I have never been more organized and that was the key to getting Scary Tales done in 2 ½ months. I have a great graphics guy that is working for X Posse Productions now in Jamie Swimm (Diverse Designs) and am working once again with the Putrid Flowers and Lobster Records for the soundtrack. Scary Tales is a big achievement for me and when people see it, they will probably realize why. I just finished my screenplay “Family Secret” and am set to film that in May. Family Secret is going to be special and I have some notable actors and access to many locations now that will make this one stand out. The point is to improve step by step and I think that I’m doing that.
I will be at Monster Mania in March in New Jersey and will be selling my flicks and some Tempe flicks and merchandise. I hope that everyone going to this event will stop by and say hello and then say hello, can I please buy your movies. I’m looking forward to it.
I will also be promoting Rise of the Scarecrows and hoping that the horror fans will give it a chance. I really think that it’s the best scarecrow film since the original Scarecrows and I would love to hear from the fans of that film. There have also been a lot of bad scarecrow horror films and people may have lost faith, but trust me, Rise of the Scarecrows is a great flick. I am very proud of it.
I don't know about you, but when I'm watching a big budget Hollywood horror film, I find that they all look and feel the same. Especially if it's a Platinum Dunes film. So, what differentiates them tends to be a character (maybe), a unique story (hopefully), stuff like that... Long and short, it's never about production values and they tend to be formulaic. One of the things that draws me to indie horror is that fact that I could be holding a few films in my hand, knowing nothing about them, and they could be so different from each other in all aspects, yet I'm going to dig all of them. One could be from a veteran that's done 40 films on low-budgets, one could be from a recent film grad who had a bit of funding or one could be from someone who's just getting started... Hell, I like them all. And there's something about the micro-budget directorial debuts that I really like. It's like watching the minor leagues, where people are honing their talent. For example, I recently had the opportunity to watch "Evil Awakening" from Geno McGahee and it was his first film, even though he's now gone on to make another, plus he's in production on a third.
"Evil Awakening" is the type of film that the general public wouldn't understand. However, for an indie-horror fan, it's a kick-ass, micro-budget slasher flick. Obvious budget constraints aside, McGahee puts together a great story with various interweaving plotlines. It's a great debut effort and who knows what he could've done with a bit more budget? We had a chance to discuss the film with him and if you're a micro-budget filmmaker who's setting out to make a film for pocket change, the interview is definitely worth the read.
First off, tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences and what got you started in indie filmmaking?
My parents bought this 1980’s clunky camcorder and it collected dust for the most part. I was slowly becoming a horror fan and when I was 12 or so, I wanted to make a horror short and got together with my buddy, Mike, and shot a horrible 10 minute skit about aliens, and then we shot one about a monster rising from the ground, which is where Evil Awakening stemmed from. I began filming countless skits and they were all adlibbed…and I still have them all, but they are so bad that I doubt that they will make it beyond my collection.
My influences to go into filmmaking are many but none more than the great Don Dohler and his film “Galaxy Invader.” In Galaxy Invader, I saw a no budget film that had heart and humor and it was really entertaining. Not only that, Dohler went against the grain and got a no budget film out there to the masses. He set the standard and gave me hope that I could follow in his footsteps and get out there and perhaps, get a fan base, even if it would be smaller. It wouldn’t really matter. I appreciate Dohler and I thought that people would appreciate my work one day should I get it out there.
I am a creative person...sort of obsessive when it comes to writing or filming or just about anything. I usually can’t just sit still. I have to be writing or drawing. I currently manage and write for a boxing website called Ringsidereport.com, and have been covering boxing for five years. Boxing and horror are my two loves, outside of my wife (Dani) and my son (Geno, JR., aka: “Munch”). After managing the boxing site, I started Scaredstiffreviews.com and that helped immensely with distribution of my films. I’m a little on the crazy side and my humor can be offensive, but if you see Evil Awakening, you can probably figure that much out.
Film School: Yes or No?
No. I went to college for Marketing, getting my Associate’s from Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts in the USA. Had I known then what I know now, I would have gone to film school, I think. I have been improving on the job and I think that the rawness that you see and the technical problems that you might notice in Evil Awakening have been improved in my second film Rise of the Scarecrows and improved greatly in Scary Tales the film that I am nearly done filming.
“Evil Awakening” is your first feature, where did the idea come from and what was your motivation to get this project done?
In 1996, my good friend Jeremy Weiskotten and I were at a Pizza Hut and were deciding just what we were going to do, and I had been filming stupid skits for the longest time, so I proposed filming a skit. Being a big Friday the 13th fan at the time, I thought that we should go in that back from the dead slasher direction. So we got together with several friends and filmed it and it was a blast and it was about as ridiculous…it’s also an extra on the Evil Awakening (2003) DVD. We screened it at my birthday party and everyone was laughing and asked for copies of it. I realized then that we had the skill to entertain. Well, we continued with skits but they got crazier and better and that’s when I began thinking about a full length low budget horror film.
My other buddy, Steven Joseph Adams, came to me in 2002 and said that he wanted to film something because Evil Awakening (1996) was so much fun, so I came up with the idea for Evil Awakening 2…a mere skit, but this one was not going to be adlibbed like the first one. As I wrote it, I elected to not call it a sequel and not make it a skit either. This was the moment and this was the movie that was going to be our introduction to the horror world. I wrote it in about six weeks and we filmed it in 3 months. My motivation for finishing it was basically who I am, I guess. I can’t see starting something and not finishing it and one way or another, it was going to be done. It would bug the hell out of me if I had footage of a movie that was 60% done or whatever and it was never completed.
What was the approximate budget for the film and how did you secure it?
The budget for Evil Awakening was, maybe, 500 bucks. It was basically a no budget horror film that was done with very little money and a lot of ambition. I paid for the fake blood and pizza for the crew and such, but realistically, there wasn’t a lot of money behind it.
What did you shoot on and how long was the shoot?
We used a Sony Digital Video Camera…nothing special for the first time around. Rise of the Scarecrows was the same and Scary Tales is shot on a digital video camera, but a better camera and shot better. Evil Awakening was shot in 3 months, Rise of the Scarecrows took 2 ½ years for various reasons, and now Scary Tales is nearly done and when the dust settles, it will have been 3 months of weekend shooting. I’m organized now and that has made a big difference.
I thought you did a great job of creating little storylines and weaving them all together around the main story of the Cock Monster. (I’ll assume I’m spelling that right?) Talk about keeping continuity. I’m assuming that on a low-budget and shooting out of sequence, with all the stories and characters involved, continuity can be problematic. How’d you handle that?
Thank you! The actual spelling is “The Coch Woods Monster” but it’s pronounced “Cock Woods Monster” so you are basically correct. Continuity and low budget are not friends of each other and it’s very hard to shoot when people are not getting paid and when they change their looks. Hair grows quickly, people gain and lose weight, and people lose clothing that they need for the next film. I think that I’m more in tune now and continuity is now a lot better. Evil Awakening did pretty well because it was shot quickly and most people understood that they needed to keep their look. Rise of the Scarecrows was tougher because it almost didn’t come and took over two years to complete and there are some continuity problems there but they aren’t that obvious unless you really look for them and you see continuity problems in big productions like Rocky IV when Apollo Creed is wearing boxing gloves and then pointing at Ivan Drago without a glove in the same scene. It is very tough and tough for me because I’m not as organized as I want to be, but we’ve done pretty well and I think that we’re on the right track.
What were some of your biggest hurdles in getting the film finished?
I guess just dealing with nonpaid actors that didn’t take it as seriously as I did and would often miss shooting days. Other than that, the rest is easy…time consuming but easy. Weather in New England is also difficult and can throw a wrench in the works.
Did you enter it into any festivals? If so, how did it do and what did you get out of the experience? If not, why?
I did enter both Evil Awakening and Rise of the Scarecrows into film festivals and neither one was ever allowed to compete. I don’t get it and I’m not convinced that they even watched them. I’ll be doing the same thing with Scary Tales with no expectations. I see the movies that win these film festivals and I know that my films belonged there in the running. It’s so frustrating, but it’s part of the business. They expect a certain look and sometimes want that artsy stuff instead of what I provide. So, I’m hoping that they will look at Scary Tales and give it a shot and if not, so be it. There are more than one way to skin a cat.
Talk about distribution. What was the process like for you and how’s that going?
Distribution was the toughest thing in the world. I had sent Evil Awakening everywhere and the few replies I got were either negative ones or they loved it and wanted to run with it, BUT they wanted the rights to the film, the money, and no guarantees on anything! How’s that for a deal. In other words, Evil Awakening 2 could come out without me and I would get nothing for the sales of Evil Awakening. F that. I thought that the best way, perhaps, to get a distributor was to start a horror site and interview them so that they know me when they see my submission and my chances would increase greatly. JR Bookwalter, a great filmmaker and now a distributor, gave me my shot and picked up both Evil Awakening and Rise of the Scarecrows.
I have a tentative deal for Scary Tales, which will probably be released next summer, and Rise of the Scarecrows is supposed to be released in January/February 2009. I have found that most distributors are ruthless and use filmmakers to line their own pockets while not throwing a crumb to the people that have done all of the work. I sat on Evil Awakening for five years before I found the right guy (Bookwalter) to see my work and give me a shot and a very fair deal as well.
After it’s all said and done, what would you have done differently?
I would not have put a deadline on the movie to complete. There were scenes that were cut out so we could finish and make a film festival that they didn’t allow us to compete in. I will never do that again. I would have shot it differently…fix some technical things, but all in all, for what it is, I like Evil Awakening. It’s got some problems, sure, but if you can look beyond the technical flaws, you will find the fun in it.
I would have developed more characters, rather than focus primarily on Sam Adams (Steven Joseph Adams), although I love that obnoxious and crazy guy!
Where can people find out more about “Evil Awakening” and your other projects and, better yet, buy a copy?
Anyone can go to scaredstiffreviews.com or xposse.com for details and can go to Amazon.com to purchase Evil Awakening. They can find my myspace page and become a friend with the Coch Woods Monster. Or anyone that wants to contact me directly can email me at genobambino69@gmail.com. Good or bad, I love to hear from the horror fans and any fans that I may have out there.
What’s next for Geno McGahee and X Posse Productions?
The continued promotion of Evil Awakening and the future promotion of Rise of the Scarecrows and Scary Tales are on the agenda as well as the planning for the fourth movie which will be filmed next summer. I am hoping that we can make a dent in this horror world and that the people give me a chance. You won’t regret it.
Lastly, talk about the indie horror scene. What do you think about where it’s at now and where do you see it going?
The indie film scene is pretty good, although it does get saturated with bad movies because the digital video camera and editing programs have leveled the playing field and has allowed many to make a movie when they probably shouldn’t. The Campbell Brothers are great and when they come back to horror, they could easily make their mark on a huge level, my friend Jim Haggerty is a great filmmaker and has a lot of ambition and knows how to network very well, and another friend of mine, Polly Frost, is not only an exceptional writer but she also excels at filmmaking. She has a great web series called “The Fold” that I really think is fantastic.
The fact of the matter is Indie Horror is where the heart is and where the originality is coming from. There is vision and love there and when you rent or buy a film made on a shoestring budget, you are getting something special. I think that Indie Horror now has an advantage over it in the past because of technology and we are now getting more and more indie films and I LOVE watching them because when you don’t have money, you need a good story and ingenuity. I see Indie horror going into the mainstream more than ever because it has to. How many Asian transfers, remakes, bad sequels, and PG-13 fluff horror movies will the public stand for before they begin looking elsewhere?
I do want to thank you for the time Ted, and I thank everyone that have purchased Evil Awakening and have written me to give me their thoughts. I sincerely appreciate the support and keep an eye out for Rise of the Scarecrows and Scary Tales.
to purchase Evil Awakening. They can find my