Interview with Warren Disbrow, writer/director of Haunted Hayride

I have to say, I hate it when we talk to an indie horror filmmaker who's just made a kick ass film and then they tell us that their next film is a comedy or that they're prepping to write a drama that they hope to sell or something. Well, I guess hate is a strong word. I mean, I don't "hate" it... or them, for that matter. Hell, a lot of people need to take that route. People do need to diversify and think about their careers, I get it. However, I DO know that I love it when we talk to a filmmaker who's made a kick ass indie horror and they love, study and revel in the genre. Warren F. Disbrow is one of those filmmakers.

Disbrow has over a dozen films to his credit, he sculpts masks from classic horror films in his part time and he's met tons of his idols. He not only contributes to the genre, but he's a fan. That, I can truly appreciate. He's an asset to the indie horror world and his latest offering to the genre is "Haunted Hayride", which Brad had the chance to discuss with him...

Tell us about your background. How did you get into film making?

I fell in love with movies when I was about 5 years old when I saw CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) on TV. It was magic. Then I saw as many other horror/ sci-fi /fantasy movies as I could and I’m still fascinated by them today.

How did I start? I just bought a camera and began shooting short movies as a teenager. As I got older and more experienced the movies got longer and more polished and sold. I’ve made all my movies independently so far but every one of them got picked up for distribution and ended up right next to Hollywood movies on store shelves.

Film school. Yes or no?

I went to Brookdale Community College in Lincroft NJ, where I learned the basics of filmmaking shooting in Super 8, and then I went to Jersey City State College, where I worked with 16mm film production. I set-up my own film production company after college. My current companies are Visual Experiences Motion Picture Company LLC and Crystal Visions Entertainment LLC.

Most of my filmmaking education was actually self-inflicted because I was obsessed about how movies were made way beyond the confines of a class room situation. When the class assignment was to shoot 2 minutes and 45 seconds of 16mm film using a Bolex RX 5, and just be able to get a properly exposed image, I’d shoot a 26 minute film with a plot instead. College became cheap equipment rental for me. That’s how John Carpenter shot his first movie DARK STAR.

What films/directors have inspired you the most and why?

Directors? Polanski, Fellini, Terence Fisher, Freddie Francis, George Waggner, James Whale, George Romero, David Cronenberg – it’s a long list. All of these people created great movies that were both exciting and highly imaginative. My dream has always been to add to what all these other filmmakers had done previously.

Movies? CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), THE SKULL (1966), BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), THE WOLFMAN (1941), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), TOBY DAMMIT (1967), SCANNERS (1980), BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960), FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967) – again the list is very long. Robert Wise’s 1963 THE HAUNTING is also excellent.

How does "Haunted Hay Ride" vary from your past work?

The other movies I made were more extreme sexually, maybe more violent, and they had more offensive social, political and religious views. That automatically reduces the size of your audience to more of a cult following. Having said that, I got incredibly positive reviews for INVASION FOR FLESH AND BLOOD and SCARLET MOON around the world and they got me in the NY Times more than once; so I guess maybe those extreme elements didn’t ultimately harm their success or my reputation because I’m being called an “auteur” and a “genius” by some critics because of those movies. But as the writer-director I find it sometimes hard to determine just how far to go with violence and eroticism.

I decided to cut back on the nudity, language and offensive content with HAUNTED HAY RIDE. It’s still a crazy, violent, fun horror movie, but within the boundaries of more mainstream acceptable limits. Fangoria promoted it on their web site and in their magazine so it’s still shocking enough for splatter fans.

My next movie to be released is DARK BEGINNINGS and it’s like the movies prior to HAUNTED HAY RIDE, so it will offend mainstream audiences. DARK BEGINNINGS was made before HAUNTED HAY RIDE but its being released after it because of all the time consuming CGI work that DARK BEGINNINGS had to have done to it.

The next new movie I’m filming will be THE HAUNTING OF HOLLY HOUSE in the spring of 2009. HOLLY HOUSE will be a further departure from my past movies. My hope is if I rein-in some of the more objectionable material, it will allow a larger audience to enjoy the movies I’m making. With HOLLY HOUSE I’m trying to scare people psychologically instead of just with graphic violence.

Describe your approach to directing.

I try to plan everything out in advance in as much detail as possible, but on the set I try to remain flexible and open to any good ideas or even creative stimulus from the environment itself. My job is to get the best possible footage out of a given situation. You always have a more perfect movie in your head than reality lets you achieve. I’ve never had the chance yet to show my full potential as a writer-director because of a lack of adequate budgets. I hope that changes soon.

"Haunted Hay Ride" features a fantastic location. How did you attain in?

I normally just approach people or places and simply tell them what I’m doing and what I need and most of the time I get cooperation.

I needed a farm to cooperate with us and drove all over NJ looking for one. Ed Brock Sr and Ed Brock Jr had two very large, very beautiful farms - one in Colts Neck NJ and one in Freehold NJ and they just gave us total support. They would just let us do whatever we had to do making the movie. Occasionally they would ask us if there was anything else we needed that they could provide. It was a dream situation.

Ed Brock Jr and I are both horror movie fans and we both love rock star Alice Cooper. When Brock Jr and Sr saw the final release print on HAUNTED HAY RIDE they both were very happy with it. They are selling DVD copies of HAUNTED HAY RIDE at their farms now and they had us do signings there. Since they supplied a big part of the movie for us by allowing us to shoot at their farms, it was a relief for me personally to hear that they both liked the resulting movie.

What challenges did you face while making "Haunted Hay Ride"?

Like everybody else making movies; time and money problems. First I had to start filming fast, because it was already at the end of September, and I needed to be able to take advantage of all the Halloween decorations everyone had up. I wrote the script in four days straight and we didn’t have time for re-writes before we started filming. I started shooting at Brock Farms without even a cast. We were casting while we were shooting. Somehow everything we needed to make the movie showed up when we needed it. In the end we got about 90% of the script as I had written it, added a few scenes along the way, and completed shooting in about three months from the time when I first got the idea to make the movie.

What gore effects are you most proud of and how were they accomplished?

I like the opening dismemberment. If I had to do it over again I’d have had the stump of the severed arm flailing more and more blood squirting out, but that scene was an achievement for me. We filmed it in about 8 hours. I described what had to be done to the cop in the script, but I improvised the special effects on the spot from whatever was available at the location. People scream when they see that murder, so it must work. How did we dismember actor Joe Justin? I think it’s more fun for people to guess! I will tell you it was 100% physical effects, not CGI.

How has the distribution been going with "Haunted Hay Ride"? Any tips or lessons you can pass on to those looking to get their movie out there?

My first suggestion is not to give your movie away to a distributor. Unless you get money upfront you aren’t likely to see any at all no matter what the contract says. There are a million ways to legally steal your profit participation money. In order to get paid from my movies I had to create Crystal Visions Entertainment LLC and become a distributor myself. I’ve made more money in just three weeks selling HAUNTED HAY RIDE myself than I’ve been paid from distributors who have had my other movies for years. Creative accounting will keep you in the poor house. Roger Corman was right when he said you need to eliminate as many people as possible between you and your paying customers. However it’s a tough road being a filmmaker and a distributor because both are full time jobs. When Corman tried it in the late fifties/early sixties with The Film Group he failed and ended up taking the movies he had made to AIP for them to distribute.

Where can people find out more information about "Haunted Hay Ride" and, better yet, buy themselves a copy?

Eventually you’ll be able to buy HAUNTED HAY RIDE at places like Best Buy, Borders, MTV, Tower Records, Turner Classic Movies, since they already carry my other movies. For the moment, however, since the movie was released only four weeks ago and those deals haven’t been made yet, buy it at my web site: warrenfdisbrow.com.

One more thing I’d like to add – our DVD releases via Crystal Visions Entertainment are mastered by us favoring the highest bit rate to the movie itself and then are professionally replicated by an outside company using a glass master and slick color inserts on the same high quality level as MGM, MCA, Columbia or any other major studio DVD release. They are not DVD-Rs with color laser inserts like bootlegs. The HAUNTED HAY RIDE DVD is only $16.95 plus shipping and comes with lots of extras. You can Google it to read the positive reviews. It’s a good movie.

Interview with Billy Garberina, writer/director of Necroville

The cards are always stacked against the indie horror filmmaker... first off, it's tough to get a shot-on-DV film into a lot of the festivals, let alone into Blockbuster, Best Buy, etc. Secondly, if you do get it in there, it's tough to break through all the clutter, as well as be able to have the general public take it seriously. Now, those are problems that exist AFTER you've shot the film, the cards are also stacked against you when you're heading into pre-production.

When you have next to no budget and you head out to make your film, you've really got two options: Try to make it 'serious', with good acting, good setups, sharp editing, etc... but, really, critics won't differentiate you from bigger budget films, so... you better be an f'ing good filmmaker to get noticed. The other route is to flaunt how low-budget you are, embrace it and not be afraid of it. However, this is a delicate balance that ALSO requires you to be a kick-ass filmmaker, plus have a sharp sense of humor and really good screenwriting abilities. "Necroville" is a film that fits right into this last category.

"Necroville" has everything that a low-budget horror-comedy is supposed to have. It's funny, it's well written, it's got gore and, of course, zombies, werewolves, vampires and two wise-cracking buddies. So, if you're a fan of the low-budget horror genre, which you probably are, this is one of those films that you need to see. We had the chance to talk with writer/director of "Necroville", Billy Garberina...

Tell us about yourself. What's your background and how did you get into film making?

I've been living in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the better part of 20 plus years. I was born on the east coast and as an adult I spent a summer in NYC and a year in LA. For now, Albuquerque is home. It's been very good to me. I was interested in acting from the time I was very young, but didn't really have any outlet till I was in the high school drama department. It was as a teenager I started to get the idea of directing plays, but it wouldn't be until I was about 23 that someone introduced me to 3 chip digital cinema and made the idea of making my own movie real to me. I got a BFA in acting from the University of New Mexico and in the spaces in between picked up a little dance, a lot of juggling, a healthy dose of martial fury and some vocal and music background. As a natural jackass, stunts aren't usually much of a problem.

Film school: yes or no?

Film school: no I never went, but I wouldn't nessecarly discourage anyone from it either. I feel that there are a great many fundamentals that can be picked up in film school...from 3-5 point lighting and composition to comprehensive lens theory and beyond. On the other hand, for the cost of about a fifth of film school or less, you could completely outfit yourself with a full HD camera, grip & electric package with post facilities as well as read a few books, make a few movies and have a much better sense of autonomy. You could also buy yourself one hell of a DVD library for research. After rereading that answer, I guess I'd encourage people to jump in the ocean and sink or swim.

What films/directors have inspired you the most and why?

Films and directors...I'd say it was Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson that finally showed me the kinds of movies I really wanted to make ala Dead Alive or Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, but some of my earliest and most enduring high water marks would definitely be Akira Kurosawa, Sergio Leone, Walter Hill and John Carpenter. Currently I'm a huge fan of Takashi Miike's stuff too. In that range of films I'd say I've been watching movies like The Warriors, Yojimbo, Good-Bad-and the Ugly, The Thing Prince Of Darkness and others FOREVER. It'd be my cinematic wet dream to one day make a movie a quarter as cool as anything I just mentioned. A film buddy of mine also pointed out I have an alarmingly complete and comprehensive knowledge of bad western martial arts movies...yikes!

"Necroville" is a fantastic title! Where did you come up with it and the idea for the film?

I wish I could tell you where we originally came up with the title. I can tell you the one thing I repeatedly hear is a comparison of that word to "necrophilia". I guess we were kicking around ideas for the name of the town/movie and it just floated to the surface...that and no one ever had a movie by that title, so voila! The idea for the movie actually started with the bit about the piano...just two idiots being chased by a vampire and unsuccessfully warding it off by dropping a piano on it. Obviously it's a much more complex and involved movie since then, but that idea for a scene was the seed that Adam J and I grew into the Necroville script. It was awhile ago, but if memory serves, I think we were kicking around some really God awful titles like Deadtown, Deadton, Zombieton, Deadsville...stuff like that. Thank goodness we came upon the idea of calling it Necroville.

The film has a great Clerks-style, buddy/comedy angle to it, as opposed to being straightforward horror. What made you decide to add this twist to the genre?

I'd say that Adam and I are definitely fans of the Tarantino/Smith concept of characters jibber jabbing and bantering with witty stabs at one another with a healthy dose of South Park style potty mouthedness. Mostly though, we sort of modeled it on our own lives. Adam and I generally abusing each other while one of us is dealing with some sort of wretched harpy we've allowed into our universe...thus, in this case art has imitated life. Also, In the world of Necroville, Alex sort of serves as an anchor to Jack's floating into the despicable world of nasty goth chicks and their ilk. All in all it seemed the right direction to go with the characters, the concept and the script. I think it would be fair to say we wanted a more comedic direction from the very start, so adding in that Clerks/Ghostbusters buddy vibe was a natural fit, methinks.

What was the budget and how did you attain financing?

The shooting budget for Necroville was a slim $5000. The post production budget ended up near $4800. So all in all it was a $9800 movie. As for financing, that's a question every single film maker asks without fail and I almost always have the same answer: you have to save it, or save some of it and have a couple of buddies come on board. You have to really, really, REALLY want to do this more than anything, not just talk about it. If you're talking about making a movie (you're off to a bad start to begin with by talking too much) you need to look at everything in your life you don't need to spend money on. Booze? Video games? DVD's? Eating out? Expensive dates? Cheap dates? A jedi craves NOT these things! Seriously...if you aren't willing to make these kinds of sacrifices, you're spending way too much money and especially time on pursuits other than making your damn movie. My first feature was all credit cards...since that horrific mistake I've learned the simple power of earning and saving. Earn, save, repeat. I know that to your average human being, close to 10 grand is no small sum, but in the larger context of life, houses, cars, major Hollywood productions and other general craziness it really isn't anything at all. Necroville was financially, actually a combined effort of Ochressandro Rettinger, myself and Adam Jarmon Brown. When you spread that 10K figure over three committed people, it becomes even easier still. I find a lot of filmmakers continually lamenting not having this piece of gear or that amount of budget. Let me tell you, after close to ten years and dozens of features, both mine and other people's, I've got to tell you that availability of your actors and crew, time and personal commitment is WAY more important than any piece of gear or dollar spent ever. So my bottom line is commit to the process, commit to committed people, make sure they're available and you'd be shocked what a little elbow grease and ingenuity can get you. Necroville isn't Citizen Kane by any stretch of the imagination, but if there's a better way to make a movie with that much stuff in it for under 10K, then I challenge and encourage everyone to give it a shot.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the making of this film and how did you overcome them?

In Necroville I had to relearn the simple lessons I threw out the window to make Necroville. When you have no budget, never use animals, never use an abundance of extras, don't need exotic locations, don't have a ton of CGI, keep the story simple, don't have a ton of SFX...yeah, I pretty much ignored all of my best wisdom. I don't know what I was thinking and looking back at the final product, I really should never have gotten away with half of what we did. That being said, I'd say that story boarding based on locations in advance of a shoot would slim the process down. A lot. I say keeping everything organized and rolling smoothly was probably the single greatest feat. That being said, I feel a lot of headaches in production and post production could be solved with better planning and thinking in pre-production...possibly even in scripting to avoid MAJOR headaches down the road. For as harrowing as those 17 days of straight production were though, the two and a half years of post were the worst. Most grueling of all, in fact if I were pushed. Again, I think I had committed people and good planning in pre for production itself, but if I had to be really honest about the process, I'd say I didn't plan enough for post either with planning or budget and it cost a LOT of time.

What are the pros and cons of making a zombie film?

Pros are obvious. People love zombies. I love zombies. It's hilarious. Everytime a mainstream movie with zombies comes out out, you'll hear some insipid reporter quipping something trite like "zombies are back" or "can the zombie craze last?". I've got to tell you, I'm not sure it ever really went anywhere. Zombies are always in because zombies are cool. Not because I say so, but because the dozens of zombie films in production or fresh on shelves and the seemingly unlimited voracious appetite for them seems to indicate it. I think it's a vile and insulting mistake however, to make a zombie movie or any low budget genre pic if you see it as an easy in to film makin' and don't really have a love or passion for them. But really? Shotguns, chainsaws and baseball bats just scream to the human need to overcome fears and trepidation about the evils in the world. The zombie genre is just one of many fine examples of the kind of movie that releases that pent up angst. Good times. Cons? Well...time is always against you. There is never...and I do mean NEVER enough time to get really good zombies and SFX without time...that or money. I know this kind of flies in the face of my previous statement but to make REALLY good zombies with REALLY good SFX takes time. When you're cramming a whole feature into two short weeks and trying to maintain good camera work and decent acting? Let's just say this is one area I will concede the time and money argument. Better zombies require better budget and WAY more time than is often afforded in B movie makin;. That being said, I am also of the opinion that a movie needs to be done before it can be good. If you shoot a movie with perfect zombies that fails to make it past three scenes and never gets seen or a completed feature with quicker, less rotted flesh eaters, who made the better movie? I'm not saying you should throw quality control out the window, but done is more important always, always, always. That being said, if you can;t inject SOME quality into your done movie, maybe you should quit while you're behind. Tricky debate to be sure. Another obvious con is organizing zombies. I got lucky...DAMNED lucky with my zombie siege scene in Necroville. I had well over 100 zombies, but they get bored and angry quick. Many wandered off the set before the end of the day. I'm of the strict opinion that zombies is a plural word that generally works best when there are PLURAL zombies. Lots and lots of zombies. Tricky. Very very tricky.

What elements, in your opinion, combine to make a great movie?

When I figure this one out, I'll let you know. If I had to take a wild stab, I'd say it starts with the script. Always the script. It's easy to have a good script save poorer production value, but nothing can salvage a crappy script. It is your foundation and can be your salvation if you let it. That being said, after your script you need good actors. Good actors can save your bacon every day of the week. Good composition, lighting and camrea moves are next. After that, the editor needs to be on the ball, pacing the movie. The the sound and soundtrack can sink or float the whole process...I guess what I'm saying is it takes EVERY DAMN THING at every damn stage to make a good movie. There's no one element that can make the whole thing, but one really bad thing can sink the whole thing. It's another tricky issue. Maybe one of these days I'll get all of them together in the same picture. I think I forgot to mention the art department...most indies usually do, unfortunately.

How has the distribution been going? Any tips you can give to upcoming filmmakers looking to get their movies out there?

I can't tell you how distro is going yet because it just got released. I'm looking forward to seeing the end of year report myself!...here's crossing fingers. I can tell you based on the coverage Necroville has received online and the ads I've seen in the places I've seen them that the great folks over at Shock O Rama are really doing their best to get this movie out there. Michael Raso is a straight shooter and brutally honest about the state of the market and conditon of products. It's the principle reason I opted to go with Shock O Rama...they did really right by the distribution of Feeding The Masses and I feel like Mr. Raso and his staff are really down to earth about what makes this system happen. I think my best advice to filmmakers is to be realistic about what they've made. I have a handful of unreleased features myself. The first thing you have to remember is that you are in competition with hundreds, if not thousands of other pictures every year. If you can't look at your own movie and be honest with yourself and others about where it's absolutely crappy you need to quit now and never look back. You need to realize that you are not God's gift to film making simply because you bothered to point a camera at something and press record. You need to take the advice and derision of other film makers and especially distributors with a grain of salt and simultaneously for the golden wisdom it can be. Lord knows I have. Ask questions, don't stop learning and expect answers you don't want to hear. If you can be realistic with yourself about yourself and your movie you're already taken your first step into a larger world. You also can't wait for distribution to come to you. You have to promote, promote, promote. YOU have to do the work. If you're waiting around for someone else to do the work for you, you're coming in last and you don't even know it yet. Also, don't be smooth talked into some kind of fluffy sounding deal because like the saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Research your distibutor BEFORE you commit to a deal. Look at the products they put out and the way they get out. Ask other filmmakers on those labels how they feel about the distribution deal they got. Be careful, be bold...just get it done. And don't forget festivals...I myself always overlook festivals and it's a damned mistake...they are great networking and promotional opportunities.

Where can people find out more about, "Necroville" and, better yet, buy themselves a copy

You can buy Necroville just about anywhere! You can order it directly from necroville.com for starters...if you do, a few extra dollars make their way directly back into my pocket. That being said, you can get it through netflix or blockbuster.com, Amazon.com or if you have a Hastings, Barnes & Noble or Best Buy in your area, I happen to know they'll have them or they'll have it in their system to order directly. Easy peezy!

I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about Necroville and I especially want to thank everyone out there who's supported Necroville and will in the future with their purchase. Movies never matter if there's no one to watch them.

New Horror out on DVD this week, basically "Hellboy II"... and a few others

It's not the best week for horror releases, but you do get the big budget, highly anticipated, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", from Guillermo del Toro. Quite honestly, it's the biggest release of the week, with "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" being the only other thing coming out of note. Anyhow, there are a few indie horror films to mention, as well. So, if you want to help us out and want to buy the films, please click on the titles and buy them off Amazon, through us. Also, you can go to our Youtube page and check out all the available trailers.

I'm not going to review "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", per se, but it's definitely a must mention... I don't really want to review it because, most of the time I'm just trying to encourage people to check out indie films that they normally wouldn't see... this, you're probably going to see. As for how it did, it had a budget of $85Million and made over $150Million Worldwide, which isn't bad at all. Further, it'll make a bunch more on DVD sales and they're extending the Hellboy brand into video games and other stuff now, so it'll make more than enough dough to warrant a third one. I will offer up that I liked it... and I'm not going to say more than that. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, but I did enjoy it. For me, it's just really cool that the original "Hellboy" was basically a dream project of Guillermo del Toro's that he managed to get made. Then, not only did it do well enough, but his other projects kicked ass and he was subsequently given artistic license to go ape-shit on this one. And that's AFTER it switched studios, which you never see happen... Anyhow, you can really see his f'ed up vision when they go down into the troll village. I think that whole scene was worth the price of admission alone, but that's just me. Anyhow, pay respect to del Toro and check out "Hellboy II", if you haven't already.

I love to see that Tony Todd is busy... and he's back, again, in "Blood Wars", directed by Tom Shell. "Blood Wars" was originally called "The Thirst: Blood War" and, as I write this, I feel like I've seen this and/or covered it before. Maybe I just read about it somewhere, I can't remember... Anyhow, Tom Shell has had a wicked career in horror, spanning from acting in "Surf Nazis Must Die", the classic Troma film from 1987, to being a producer and production designer on various horror films over the years. You should all know who Tony Todd is, but the film also has Sean Connery's son, Jason Connery in it, as well as C Thomas Howell and a bunch of hot chicks. The film is about Will, who's a hippie college student that finds himself in the middle of a battle between vampires and a group of warlocks, but when he's bitten by a seductive vampire, he's forced to come to terms with his new state.

"Mister Foe", which was originally called "Hallam Foe" in its native Scottland, came out in 2007 and managed to get nominated for 11 awards and win 8. It's definitely not one for the hard core horror fans, as it's got a lot of dramatic and romantic elements. I haven't seen it, probably won't, but if you care, it's about Hallam Foe, who's a 17 year old weird teenager that misses his mother, who committed suicide, drowning in a lake by their house after OD'ing on sleeping pills. Hallam goes through some weird twists and turns, then ends up becoming obsessed with a girl because of her resemblance to his mother... they start a strange romance and Hallam reaches maturity in a very hard way.

"Point of Contact", originally called "Ghost Hunters: Point of Contact", was written by Buddy Dolan and was directed by Hank Stone and Roy Kurtluyan. Dolan is an actor, who's been in tons of TV shows, and this is his first produced screenplay. Stone is ALSO an actor, who's been in lots of stuff and you'd totally recognize him if you saw him... and this is his directorial debut. Kurtluyan spends most of his time as a cinematographer and co-directed this with Stone. The film is about a man who wakes up after 12 years only to find out that he has an unwanted ability to see the dead. It was originally shot as a 60 minute episodic, but I guess it didn't fly. I don't know.. but the producers decided to add 30 minutes of storyline to release this version as a feature.

"Hasta El Viento Tiene Miedo (The Wind of Fear)" is a remake of the classic Mexican horror film of the same name, which came out in 1968. The original was directed by Enrique Taboada, this one is done by Gustavo Moheno. It's about a ghost that seeks revenge in a school for girls... The original has become a bit of a cult classic, although I haven't seen it. Then again, I tend to stick to movies in English. Reviews are mixed for the remake, especially from those who were fans of the original. But, whatever...

Lastly, I'll mention that Raw Feed, the Warner Premier label that does all the direct-to-DVD horror stuff for Warner Home Video is coming out with the "Raw Feed Horror Collection", which is just a three pack that contains "Rest Stop", "Sublime" and "Believers". They're all films that have come out before and, quite frankly, they all are pretty good.

Interview with Ken Daniels, founder of the Fright Night Film Fest

It's the end of another week, which means two things: 1. I'm dangerously close to getting into the sauce... and 2. we're going to talk about horror film festivals.

Just to reiterate something that we say over and over again, the indie horror film festivals are a HUGE integral part of the whole indie horror scene and if you're not submitting a film, you should get involved with or, at least, attend them. If you ARE submitting a film, or are planning on submitting a film, you should really be a regular reader of our site. Interviews like the one you're about to read offer so much insight into what you, as a filmmaker, need to be thinking about when you head into pre-production.

This week, we get to talk with Ken Daniels, founder of The Fright Night Film Festival, which takes place in Louisville, KY, but before we get to Ken, let's just throw out there that The Fright Night Film Fest is the largest genre show in the Mid South and they're starting to get a lot of recognition worldwide. They accept a lot of films and they really are a true supporter of indie horror. So, at the end of the day, if you're going to submit your film to, or attend a festival, this one needs to be on your radar...

Please tell us a bit about yourself… how’d you get into indie horror?

I've always loved the grindhouse movies. I go way back into film actually. I started as an 8 year old who loved the movies, all kinds of movies. Especially horror movies. The escapism of it all is what got me started. I became a filmmaker at 12 years old. My dad showed me how to use his 8 mm camera. My first feature was "The Menacer" a killer lurked in our neighborhood and it got us into lot's of trouble. My sister played a victim while all the kids in our neighborhood pitched in and did something. Jeff Dobrow, now a successfull, 3D animator for major Movie studios, was one of our collaboraters. He came up with the name. I went on to produce and direct 3 more films for my grade school. My teacher, Ms. Sharber, let me make movies out of the books I read, instead of writing essay's. I hated writing essay's at the time. So I made "A Really Weird Summer", "War of the Worlds Part 2" and another film called "The Taking". After a dry period I went into hibernation for a number of years. The world of business got ahold of me and I faded out of the fan scene for a couple of years. Then in 1997 I got back into it and started working with festivals in New York, Lake Placid, Woodstock, Las Vegas, San Francisco and more. After I started working for a while I accidently got into the world of Celebrity Booking. I've been lucky to work with good people in the field. Along with Gunnar Hanson, I was able to bring Teri McMinn and Bill Vail, of Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fame, to their first show in May of 2008. I've been the agent for Michael Myers, from the first Halloween to Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Sci Fi Ghosthunters to Leatherface 2 and more. Right now, my partner and I have a stable of about 30 people at our website: hollywoodconventionconnection.com. We work with promoters to help their show become more successfull. That's fun, but I really didn't get into it for that reason. Eventually I won't do that and I'll give it to my Joint Venture partner. Right now, I'm helping out with about 5 shows. I'm directly involved in helping them become more successfull. You'll also find me Producing films. My recent one, "The Lucky Break", got a standing ovation at our show. It blew me away. I rode in a limo with other celebrities who just made my night by telling me how good it was. I've got 3 more films in the works. They'll be ready in 2009 and 2010.

Tell us a bit about The Fright Night Film Fest… when and why did it get started?

Well, actually it started over 6 years ago when I was living on the West Coast. Then in 2005 we rented a small screen with about 125 people and had our first one. 2006 was our second one with a convention added. 2007 we really hit it big. 2008 couldn't have been any more magical as I say. We had over 35 celebrity guests. That will be the last time we ever have that many guests.

From the perspective of the film, why should indie horror filmmakers try to get their films into festivals?

The right festival can launch a career. Getting your film seen by others and critiqued is one of the best way's to get notice and create a buzz. The internet is great for buzz. It can't match the experience of sitting in a room filled with all kinds of people laughing at the funny parts of your film and getting scared at the parts you want them to get scare at.

From the perspective of the filmmaker, what can I expect to get out of having my film screen at the festival?

You can expect to get the respect you deserve, a nice laurel, fun times, possibly an award and a lifetime of memories you will never forget.

As a horror fan, what can expect to get out of attending the festival?

Horror fan's can shop for anything imaginable, artwork, sculptures, collectibles, hard to find movies, autographs and more. What else couldn't be any cooler than to be able to rub elbows with the best filmmakers and celebrities around.

When you’re accepting films, what are you looking for?

We look for something unique. I always tell individuals I would rather see a good short film then a crappy full length feature.

The judges are looking for story or concept, sound design, lighting, acting, editing, direction. We would appreciate it if more filmmakers take the time to fix their sound and work on their lighting. We've turned down a lot of films because of this.

Does budget come into play when you’re considering films?

No way. This is an independent film festival. I know a film that cost $200 that won a category a couple of years ago.

As a filmmaker, what can I do to make my film more festival friendly? Should I even be thinking of that?

Absolutely you should be thinking about that. Watch for what I said earlier. Your sound, lighting and acting. Get good actors. Don't use the same actors for every film and then submit it. This might help out some filmmakers.

At what point in the filmmaking process should I be thinking about the festivals?

Right away. Festivals are one of your best bet's for getting your film scene by others in a large group setting.

Are there any particular success stories from films that screened at The Fright Night Film Fest?

Yeah, Nightmare Man won at our festival and was picked up for national distribution in 8 Films to Die For. "Bad Reputation" hit off and secured National Distribution with Maverick Entertainment. Then you have "Dead Moon Rising", "DeadLands". "Woman's Intuition" Won Best Short Film last year and then recently Won and Emmy Award.

What advice can you give to an up and coming filmmaker in the indie horror genre?

1.Learn to tell a good story.
2.Shoot a good short film first before you shoot a full length feature. Some people could have avoided the tiem and money spent if they would have practiced with a short film.
3. Never give up.
4.Always find your genre festival like Fright Night Film Fest to support.
5. Find personalities over actors for your films. Sometimes this is more entertaining.
6.Don't make a Zombie film.
7.Don't make a Slasher film.
8. Don't copy another person's idea.
9. Don't kid yourself, remain humble. Nobody likes a jackass.
10. Help as many people as you can make a movie and they will help you. Your odds are better that way.
11. Submit to Fright Night Film Fest

Tell us about the future of indie horror, where do you see it going?

That's a tough question. I think it's gonna always be there in some capacity. It's kinda hit a small saturation level today. Everybody who has a camera today wants to make a horror film. Let's all be realistic. There aren't enough customers to go around for everybody to make a living or make any money for that matter. I do think the internet will definitely be an area to look into. I do disagree with a few people who say theatres will be gone in 10 years or so. I've heard them say even 5 years. It ain't gonna happen. People love gathering. That's the reason why it won't happen as long as I'm alive. It's the escape, the smell of the popcorn, the chattering of people next to your or just the loud burst's of laughter of someone in the theatre. So I'm sorry to disagree with some people who say we will be watching our movies on a mobile phone or computer. The naysayers have been saying it since the dawn of the VCR. It's only gotten bigger for the theatre industry. Now, will there be changes in the future. Sure, but what they really are remains to be seen.

What’s next for you and The Fright Night Film Fest?

We want to grow toward a true industry show. The age of having a show survive on celebrities alone isn't going to cut it. We want to scale back on celebrities. I've been saying this for a while. If you make your show about any one thing such as celebrities or whatever else. That one thing will be the downfall of your show.

Where can people find out more about The Fright Night Film Fest and how can they go about entering their film

They can go to frightnightfilmfest.com

linkapalooza - November 6, 2008: Hellraiser in Capable Hands

I sometimes wonder how our kids or grandkids will think of the era that we're living in right now... I mean, think of the amount of change that we've seen... seriously. I remember being a kid and my Dad setting up a projector in the basement to watch home movies, I remember when he brought home a "VCR", I remember video games when they could only be played in an arcade, I remember not having an email address. Hell, I remember getting our first microwave. Think about if you were born in 1890. By 1920, how many changes took place? I guess there's two ways to look at it, either we're living in an era that will forever be remembered as a time of massive change OR... we ain't seen anything yet. All this and I'm not even touching on the fact that we just saw the first African American voted in as President of the United States - a mere 50 years after he wouldn't have been able to drink out of the same water fountain as his Vice President elect. Crazy. Anyhow, right now, I just care about the changes and news that effects indie horror filmmakers. So, here's some shit that's going on out there...

'Hellraiser' redo in Laugier's hands on THR.com: Remember how the Weinsteins originally announced that they were going to have Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury remake Hellraiser? Then that fell through after investors saw "Inside", their latest film, and decided it was too fucked up and got worried about what they would come up with for the new Hellraiser? Granted, "Inside" WAS messed up... and awesome. Side note: if you haven't seen it, you should. That's not my point, though. My point is that they've now announced that Pascal Laugier will helm the remake, whose last film was MORE fucked up than "Inside". His film, "Martyrs", was not only compared directly to "Inside", it's been called the "new yard stick against which all forms of extreme genre films should be measured against." So, maybe the rumors that what Bustillo and Maury brought the Weinstein's were false and it was some other reason that they left the project. Maybe Laugier brought in a more friendly version, I don't know. Either way, it looks like the film is STILL in good hands. It'll be interesting to see how this does... are American audiences ready for a big budget gore flick? We'll find out soon enough.

MySpace top site for young filmgoers on Variety: Here's a shocker... filmgoers are going to Myspace to research films. Here's what surprises me... a lot of indie filmmakers do NOT use Myspace. When I'm looking into a film, there's only a few places I look. IMDB.com is one, I use Amazon.com a lot, but Myspace could be tops. It's free, it's easy and I'm surprised at how many people don't use it. If you're going to get into this whole space, you need to know how the digital world works. Please, if you're unsure or weary, go set up a basic account under a fake name, such as "Labia DeVulva" or "Fuk Yue", and just play around with it before using it. Set a few hours a week aside to learning and maintaining and you'll be surprised at how quickly you can get the word out about your film, meet other filmmakers, network and all that. Anyhow, people... please. If you're not using new media like social networking sites, please start.

Hollywood may not be recession-proof this time on LAtimes.com: Once again, what's bad for Hollywood can be good for you, the indie horror filmmaker. Okay, the article is SUPER long, but I can summarize it for you here pretty quickly. This whole recession thing is here, it's not going anywhere for a bit and when we do come out of it, it's going to be a different world. How different? Who knows... but people are going to be spending less money and doing some budgeting, that's for sure. Now, during the great depression, Hollywood and entertainment, as a whole, didn't suffer. In fact, it flourished. They found out pretty quick that people needed little escapes and entertainment MORE in times of crisis. Makes sense, right? Because of that, they've always said that Hollywood is recession-proof. Well, it's not this time around. Why? Because in 1930, they didn't have many choices, did they? Now, they do. In fact, how many of you could disconnect your cable and live off of streaming video and pirated DVDs? My bet? A lot. So, how does this help you? Well, as people turn off network television and stop going to the theaters, they're going to turn to the internet and other digital video resources... and guess what? That's where indie filmmakers should be living... So, you've got a whole new audience coming your way soon, be ready for them. And, please, give them a good deal if they want to buy something.

Vampire tale stalks FearNet on Reuters.com: This is about a music-driven vampire-themed series that will air on multiplatform horror-thriller network FearNet, written and directed by Mary Lambert. A little background on Lambert, first... she's done a ton of music videos, but she also helmed a few horror classics, including: Pet Sematary, Pet Sematary II, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge and Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. So, she's been around the horror block a few times. What interests me is that she's a decent name attached to an innovative project and it has absolutely nothing to do with network TV or the studios... aside from the fact that FearNet.com is owned by Comcast, Sony and Lionsgate. My point is this series will only be available on the FearNet website and on the FearNet VOD network. Read my last paragraph on the recession, then this one... there's new platforms coming, folks. Make sure your project can use them!

Interview with Dav Kaufman, writer/director of "13 Hours in a Warehouse"

When I head to the theaters or I rent a big budget horror film, chances are I'm not going to be surprised. Now, I don't mean 'surprised' as in getting a jump scare or shocked at some scene... a horror film better do that or else it really sucks ass... I mean, surprised by the film as a whole. That's one of the reasons that I love indie-horror. You never really know what you're going to get and I get shocked at how good, new or 'out there' indie films are all the time. "13 Hours in a Warehouse" is one of those indie films where I was shocked at just how good it was.

It really sucks that a lot of people don't get that there's a difference between studio films and indie films. A modestly budgeted studio film has a budget in the 8 figures range... and that's the VERY low end. A modestly budgeted indie film can be the cost of film stock. If you check "13 Hours in a Warehouse" out, then read this interview and see what Dav Kaufman put the film together for... I think you'll be amazed. "13 Hours in a Warehouse" is a well put together film, with great acting, great effects, a great story and it's well worth getting your hands on. It's screened at 5 festivals as of right now and it's won 3 awards... and there's more screenings coming. It's a great piece of indie filmmaking and I really suggest checking it out.

We had the opportunity to discuss the film with writer/director Dav Kaufman...

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a filmmaker, author, and reptile fanatic. I share my home with 24 snakes, and 3 lizards. I’ve been into them since I was a kid, and written many magazine articles about them. I have given talks on their conservation and husbandry from Elementary Schools to Universities. Movies and reptiles occupy 99% of my time. The other 1% I try to get some sleep.

What are your influences and what brought you into the world of indie horror filmmaking?

I love the horror genre. I have since I saw films like Salem’s Lot, Burnt Offerings, and Halloween when I was a kid. I also read tons of horror books (including Halloween before I saw the movie). The horror genre is much more forgiving than any other genre. You can get away with a lot more in terms of bending realism and sometimes even logic which, of course, gives me as a filmmaker more freedom to get as creative as I’d like. I also love the films Hitchcock made, but I fear that his subtly is lost on the more sophisticated and bloodthirsty audiences today. I used a lot of that subtly in “13 Hours” and I think it worked pretty well.

Film School: Yes or No?

It’s funny, when I moved out to LA in ’98, one of my first jobs was with UCLA’s Film School. I produced film after film, and essentially got paid to go to film school, but I was never officially enrolled.

Where did the idea for “13 Hours in a Warehouse” come from and what was your motivation to actually go out and get it done?

The idea came from a simple, personal test. I set out to write a script that took place in one location, had a handful of characters, could be done on a micro-budget, and could still captivate an audience. I guess I pulled the story line from somewhere deep inside the dark recesses of my “weirdo oblongata”.

The motivation to get it done was always there. When I graduated from college in Minneapolis in ’97, I set out to put my life-long ambition of making movies into overdrive, so I sacrificed everything in my life to make that happen…everything. I sold everything I owned, moved to LA, struggled almost more than I could stand to make something happen, and it took me ten years to achieve this goal. Even though in that time I was running a successful publishing company and living off the royalties of my novel and my other book, I never saw my life as having any kind of success until I accomplished what I set out to do.

First off, I thought it was a very well written script – interesting characters, good plot, a decent amount of scares and gore… Talk about the process of writing a script that you know you’re going to direct on a low-budget.

Thanks. Writing anything is a difficult endeavor because the tools you have only exist on a mental plane. You have to invent your own inspiration, but eventually, I’ve found that once you get to a point in the script, it begins to talk to you and tell you what and where it wants to go. Writing a script knowing it’s going to be low budget is more difficult than it sounds. You have to keep your run-away impulses on a pretty short leash. On the other hand, it forces you to be much more creative.

How did you go about securing financing and what was the approx budget?

The budget was around $75,000. I met our investors at a festival I organized in 2006. We had two investors in this film, and because I was asking for a little bit of money to make something that I felt could go pretty far, they took a chance with me, and now not only does it look like their risk has been significantly minimized by the film’s global release, but we’re doing two other movies together, one of which we just wrapped, and the other is in pre-production right now.

What did you shoot on and how long was the shoot?

We shot on the 200. Our production schedule was set for 28 days, but we came in at 21 days or something like that.

I thought the ghost effects were particularly effective and well done… talk about the look of the ghosts and how the whole effect was achieved.

I credit all of that to Crist Ballas, our SPFX make-up master, and Danny Kimura of ADFX who did all the digital effects. The only direction I gave them was “make ‘em creepy” and their individual talents took over from there.

I thought the acting was another high point, as well. Talk about your directing style and how you worked with your actors…

As a director, you are essentially a tour guide for your actors and thus your audience. Actors are actors for a reason, and they will dissect, investigate and get to know their characters more intimately than a writer and/or director ever will. Knowing this, I give my talent a lot of room to create and explore and even scrutinize their characters to better bring them to life. Actors will see things in the text that could be delivered better, different, or sometimes even opposite to what is written. It’s a good director that listens, and considers every suggestion, but at the same time is not afraid to say no. I also think that a director’s most important job is to establish trust with his/her talent early in production, as there is a natural tendency for distrust between actors and directors. Going into a project with a director they have not worked with before, an actor may distrust that the director is going to make them look bad, and therefore they will never get cast again. On the other hand, directors don’t trust that their talent will give them the performances they desire. Constant and open communication, and respect for each other’s craft is the cure to that.

Tell us about some of the hurdles you overcame to get the film done. Any advice you can pass on to other indie filmmakers who might be just setting out to make a film.

With this film, the only real hurdles were things like fire codes we had to abide by in the warehouse. We couldn’t have real fire, so all of that was added later with CGI. For the most part, it was a pretty smooth shoot. Advice to other filmmakers? Easy. Never give up! This is a very cruel life choice we’ve made, but also one with the most rewards. Don’t get discouraged by investors leading you on, or by the nay-sayers telling you that you can’t do it. Use it as fuel to motivate yourself. On the other hand, once you do get that success, don’t forget about the struggles you went through to get there. Also, don’t take any reviews personally (and that includes your work) especially those written on the IMDB. Anonymous public forums give soured idiots license to say whatever they’d like, and most posts on the IMDB are by kids and by envious people who want to be in your position. Once you find yourself believing what they say, you’re dead in the water.

Not only did you enter a bunch of festivals, you actually won the Gold Award at WorldFest Houston. Talk about the festival circuit… is it something that every indie horror filmmaker should consider doing?

YES! Only because they are a ton of fun and a good excuse to take a road trip (as if an excuse was needed in the first place). They are also a great place to network, get ideas on how to become a bigger and better filmmaker, and possibly win awards which help considerably in your marketing and attracting a distribution deal.

Tell us about the process of finding distribution. How did that go and what insight could you pass on to other filmmakers who are looking for distribution?

Right after we premiered the film and it screened at its first film festival; the Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC, I did something that I think a lot of filmmakers are afraid to do; I got on the phone, and called the distributors directly. It’s a common theme I hear from other filmmakers that they think distributors will either hang up on them, or ask for materials they don’t have making them look like morons. But the bottom line is distribution companies don’t make money unless they have product to distribute. Most distribution companies will welcome filmmakers pitching their work to them, and will work with you to fulfill deliveries. It’s not as formidable as people think it is.

Where can people find out more about “13 Hours in a Warehouse” or, better yet, buy a copy?

It’s available in all rental and most retail locations throughout the world. Our official website is 13hoursmovie.com

Talk about the indie horror genre. Where do you feel it is now and where do you see it going?

I firmly believe that the studio system should just quit producing horror films. In the past few years, I have been greatly disappointed by all but one horror film produced by the studio system. I think that they are afraid to take any real chances with the material, and they are too married to producing a formula rather than a good, scary story. Instead, they should send buyers to all the horror film festivals to purchase their horror catalog for the next year from indie filmmakers who are not only fans of the genre themselves but can afford to take chances and strive to bring something fresh and unformulaic to the genre.

What’s next for you? Do you have any projects in the works?

My newest movie is a feature documentary titled “Herpers” which explores the huge reptile culture in our country with segments featuring Henry Lizardlover, Chad Brown of the NE Patriots, and Slash among a host of others. I am also going into pre-production on another film titled “The Psychosis of Ghosts”; a psychological thriller that follows a psychology student who takes a job as a night guard in an abandoned state hospital that is in the process of being converted into condos. He finds that its lingering residents are far from cured, and discovers that after the physical state is gone, the mental state continues on. “Psychosis” will film in January 2009.

Tales From the Micro-CinemaTrenches: Eric Gosselin on Making, "Psycho Sleepover"

A few weeks ago I was treated to an underground screening of Eric Gosselin and Adam Deyoe's, "Psycho Sleepover". The event was in a downtown L.A. loft that looked like one of those huge apartments you see in the movies. It was also packed with booze which I certainly appreciated. More so, though, I was thoroughly impressed at just how entertaining and well cast this micro film was.

For what their budget was these guys did a stellar job with the production value, gore effects and coaxing great performances out of their actors. They also did something I appreciated even more: they kept the pacing snappy. Now, that's something that's really rare for micro. They knew exactly what kind of movie they wanted to make and scored a home run, proving that money is not the answer to making a great movie.

After watching the movie, I told Eric and Adam how impressed I was and asked if they could do a behind the scenes article on making a micro film, what kind of challenges they overcame to get it in the can, etc. Hopefully, there will be many more to follow. If you're an indie filmmaker and would like to send us an article about the making of your film please send it our way and we'll post it. Better yet, you'll become a part of dead harvey's film school archives and save people an s-ton on college tuition!

Thank's for the article, Eric! Readers, be on the lookout for Eric and Adam's upcoming work and check out their previous flicks: "Yeti: A Love Story" and "Street Team Massacre"!

BEHIND THE SCENES ON "PSYCHO SLEEPOVER"

By Eric Gosselin

Making no-budget movies is probably one of the strangest things you can do. One minute you’re mixing fake blood, the next you’re making quesadillas for the cast and whatever crew you can scrap together, the next you’re trying to convince an actor to drop his drawers and pretend to masturbate on camera (true story).

If you’re really serious about making movies and you have almost no money, be prepared to wear many hats. I’m not taking cool Samuel L. Jackson-style Kangol hats, or even a tasteful fedora. I’m taking that stupid beanie with a propeller on the top. Sorry. I’m getting a little carried away with my metaphor here. What I mean to say is you may be credited as “Writer/Director” on your movie but when you’re working for no budget that really means “Writer/Director/Craft Service/Production Designer/Production Assistant/Coffee Maker/Pizza Orderer/Punching Bag/Insomniac.”

So far my filmmaker partner Adam Deyoe and myself have made 3 features together: YETI: A LOVE STORY, released by Troma Entertainment, STREET TEAM MASSACRE, and PSYCHO SLEEPOVER. All three of our movies are no-budget horror comedies. We chose to make silly horror movies for two reasons: we love schlock cinema, and when you have no money horror is way to go. Horror always has a built in audience who are usually very forgiving of budgetary restraints.

Think about it: if someone said to you “Hey, check out this drama I made for $2,000 with all of my friends” you would probably nod politely to them and say “Sure, I’d love to watch that,” but unless their friends are Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John Malkovich, you would probably really be thinking “Oh please God, make me have a stroke so that I don’t have to suffer through the next 90 minutes of my life.”

Now what if someone (me) said to you “Check out this ridiculous horror comedy I made for $2,000. It has lots of blood and boobs in it”. You’d probably be thinking “Sign me up, handsome stranger.”

Our newest movie, PSYCHO SLEEPOVER, came about when we were finishing up the as-of-yet-unreleased STREET TEAM MASSACRE (any buyers?). We enlisted the help of friend/sexual deviant Kurt Kroeber to write up some of the ideas we were tossing around. There were many, many script revisions—probably upwards of 50. Maybe more. We all know that your script is your baby—your precious, precious baby. Well, always be thinking of ways to cut little pieces off of your baby so that your baby isn’t bloated and boring. Werner Herzog once said to me (well, he said it to a theater full of us, but it sounds cooler if I pretend he was addressing me alone) “If you bore your audience for 4 seconds you have lost everything you have built up to that point.” Nothing could be truer. You should always be revising, even well into shooting. One example of this is when part of the way into shooting our main location fell through. The people who lived in the house gave us two more days to shoot about 60 pages of script. That simply would not work. We went back to the drawing board and not only rewrote scenes to take place in different rooms that we could use other locations for, but we also added a bunch of new jokes and even an entire subplot. I guess the point of what I’m saying is: Always think on your feet and be open to changes. Nothing goes as planned.

Adam and I work very quickly (a necessity we’ve come to enjoy). We don’t storyboard, and hardly ever block scenes out before hand. Usually we come onto set, one of us works with the camera people (unless we are the camera person ourselves, which happens frequently) the other works the scene through with the actors and blocks everything out. We shoot a master, figure out our coverage and move on. Our actors and us would love to have millions of dollars (hell, even hundreds of thousands) at our disposal so that we could have a bunch of rehearsals, and shoot less pages a day, but we take what we can get.

How do we keep budgets so low? We do everything we can to get everything we can for free. In college we “borrowed” cameras from the equipment house. Now we “borrow” from friends and places of employment. None of the actors are paid (except for those who contributed nudity). We even got some people you may recognize in the movie (SLEEPAWAY CAMP’s Felissa Rose, Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS’ Paul Rust, and rap-star CHINGY), and they all did it out of the goodness of their generous, beautiful hearts. One necessary item is food. You have to get food for the cast and crew who are putting in long hours for your movie for no money. Our actors are all very talented individuals, and we would love to pay them, but we simply cannot afford to. Instead of money, we pay them in pizza and Cheez-its. At the end of the day none of our movies wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of everyone involved, so we try to make it as comfortable for them as possible.

Our special effects are a bit rudimentary, sure, but they get the job done. Most of it is accomplished by running fake blood through plastic tubing hooked up to syringes for all the various blood splatters and squirts. One piece we’re particularly proud of is a cheap and safe alternative to squibs: an insecticide pump that you can buy for about $15 at Home Depot and some tubing. You take the tip off of the sprayer that controls how much liquid comes out (this way everything comes out in one blast), pump it about 40 times, attach the plastic tube to it, fill the tube with blood, press the button and voila! A giant spray of blood that can be taped under someone’s shirt, or behind their head for a nice headshot. It’s not like we’re making SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Our violence doesn’t need to be completely realistic. In fact it adds the comedy and schlockiness if it looks a little stupid.

So to summarize: It IS possible to make a movie for little to no money. Don’t take yourself too seriously; be willing to roll with the punches and make changes. And most importantly of all, DON’T MAKE A BORING MOVIE!

New Horror out on DVD this week, including the long awaited return of Robert Hiltzik to the "Sleepaway Camp" franchise

Ahh... the week AFTER Halloween. Just a little slower, however there's some great titles out this week, including the long awaited return of Robert Hiltzik to the "Sleepaway Camp" franchise. As usual, if you're looking to buy the films and want to help us out a bit, click on the titles and buy them from Amazon, through us. Also, you can go to our Youtube page and check out all the trailers. However, I can't get to that right away, but should get to it in a few hours....

Most of you should remember the 1983 cult hit, "Sleepaway Camp", which was written and directed by Robert Hiltzik. The fourth installment in the series comes out this week, called "Return to Sleepaway Camp". The cool thing about this installment is that it's, once again, written and directed by Hiltzik, even though it was done a few years back. Hiltzik let other people write and direct the second and third installments, while he went to law school and then became a partner in a NYC law firm. The funny thing is that he only found out that "Sleepaway Camp" had a big cult following in 2000, when someone contacted him to do a commentary on the Anchor Bay release. So, I guess he said, "F it", and came back to do this one. He also has another one in the works called "Sleepaway Camp Reunion", which is currently in production.

I feel like I should know about "Moscow Zero", but I don't. I believe it's a Spanish film, as it's done by Spanish director, Maria Lidon, and it's written by a Spanish writer, Adela Ibanez, AND it was filmed in Spain. However, it stars Vincent Gallo, Val Kilmer and Sly Stallone's kid, Sage Stallone, which is why I can't beleive I don't know much more about it. Anyhow, reviews are mixed and it's about an eerie multilevel system of caves and catacombs that exist under Moscow and are filled with zombies and evil demons.

"The Craving", which was originally called "Death Valley", is an indie-horror monster flick from Sean Dillon, released by Brain Damage. It's about five young people on their way to a summer festival who run into a mysterious man in a remote part of the desert... and after they unleash the man's deadly secret, they must decide who they can trust as they struggle to escape or just survive. The film is done by a collective of artists known as Biscuits & Gravy and it's their first feature length film. Judging from the trailer, it looks like it's really well put together. I'm going to have to check this one out...

"Chill" is written and directed by Serge Rodnunsky, who's directed a whole bunch of stuff. It won a few awards, including the commendation award at Festival of Fantastic Film in the UK and the Gold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Fantasy/Horror at WorldFest Houston. After that, it was picked up and released by Lions Gate. It's being called a 'classic retro horror thriller' and has a pretty wicked plot - Sam, an aspiring writer, takes a job as a clerk in an L.A. inner city grocery market owned by the sinister Dr. Munoz, a former scientist who claims to have a rare skin condition that forces him to live in sub-freezing temperatures. However, Dr. Munoz actually died some time ago, but has kept himself alive through occult measures and the flesh that he harvests from kidnapped victims.

There's a bunch of Spanish horror films coming out this week, too. My knowledge of Spanish is limited, so here's what I can find out about them... "13 Miedos: Primera Temporada", appears to be a compilation of some sort. I can only guess that because it's 287 minutes long. I know nothing more than that. "El Nominado" is about 'the most extreme reality show to date' where you and 9 strangers are dropped off by a helicopter in a mountain range and have to survive in a bunker 40 meters below ground. "La Brecha" is about a broken clock that can predict the time in which people will die.

Lastly, I have to mention "Autopsy: A Love Story", which is actually a few years old now, but I wanted to mention it because I love the title. It's and low-budget indie horror, written and directed by Guy Crawford and it's about a morgue worker who falls in love with one of his female stiffs. It's low budget, but if there's one reason to check it out, check it out because Joe Estevez is in it... Bless that guy.

An Interview With Slamdance Executive Director, Drea Clark

You're an indie filmmaker or an indie film fan, right? If you're reading this, I'd have to assume so. Then, when you think of Utah in January, what comes to mind? Drawing a blank? Okay, I'm not talking about snowboarding or anything like that. Let me narrow it down... think Park City. Think festival. Think indie film. Yeah, you got it... SLAMDANCE. The TRUE representation of independent film, not like that other festival thing that goes on at the same time in the area. I can't remember what it's called... I'm drawing an f'ing blank.

I'm not sure that there's much I can say about Slamdance that hasn't already been said. Slamdance is the festival that's by filmmakers, for filmmakers, and has the balls to do it in the industry's favorite wintery stomping grounds. Although they're not specifically horror, the festival gets a lot of horror submissions. Long and short, this is a festival that you don't want to miss and you need to know about. So, to help you along on your quest for knowledge, we had the distinct pleasure of talking with Slamdance Executive Director, Drea Clark, and she's going to tell you about all the goodness that is Slamdance...

Please tell us a bit about yourself… how’d you get into the indie horror scence?

I guess I got into the indie horror scene as a direct result of working at Slamdance and programming films for so many years, although I’m a huge fan of the genre anyway. A lot of my favorite films growing up were horror films, and they also happened to be my introduction to indie films: Evil Dead, Re-Animator, Last House on the Left, Dead Alive.

Tell us a bit about Slamdance. When was it founded and why?

Slamdance was founded in 1995 by a bunch of losers. Actually, just four losers – four guys whose films were rejected from Sundance, anyway. (Um, sorry, Co-Founders That I Just Called Losers.) They made films on their own: their money and their talent and their friends. So when they got turned down, they decided the next step in an indie revolution would be to show the films anyway – they made them on their own, so why not show them on their own? We’ve grown a lot from that, this will be our 15th anniversary year, actually, but at the heart that’s still our focus. Our feature competition films are ONLY open to first time directors working with less than $1 million, that don’t have distribution. Other would-be losers; those are our people.

From the perspective of the film, why should indie horror filmmakers try to get their films into the festival?

We’ve had great success with their films getting stellar reviews, great audience reaction (and subsequent word-of-mouth) and solid film sales with our indie horror selections. Last year alone we had Paranormal Activity, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and Trailer Park of Terror. Those films were some of my favorites overall – we even had to add an additional midnight screening for Trailer Park, which was batshit fun. Plus, I got to meet Robert Englund (who stars in Jack Brooks), and that’s about the only kind of celeb encounter worth blogging about, in my estimation. People that check out Slamdance films are looking for raw talent and a good ride, and I think filmmakers taking on horror independently bring both to the table.

From the perspective of the filmmaker, what can I expect to get out of having my film screen at the festival?

I might’ve answered some of this in the first question, but the other thing that comes into play is that often Slamdance will be the first stop in a whole season of touring festivals with your film. Once you’re in the circuit, interacting with other filmmakers is a great way to gain insight to other fests and Slamdance is big on camaraderie. We really encourage our filmmakers to be all BFF with each other, to check out each other’s films and take part in all our activities. Plus, you’re in Park City! With a film! That town is swarmed with industry people and other filmmakers and parties and seminars, it’s like the most fun film boot camp you’ll ever attend.

As a horror fan, what can expect to get out of attending the festival?

Programming some great horror films is just a natural part of our slate (we call it our Twilight Series, and I don’t mean teen vampires in love with mortal girls... Unless someone submits something like that; I dig vamps). Along with the films I mentioned above, we’ve also had some foreign horror pics that you might not be able to catch elsewhere, like Cold Prey. So there are a lot of options at our fest, and Sundance has had some great flicks, as well. A couple years ago I was crushed because one of the films that we offered a position in our line-up also got into Sundance and played there instead – but it’s so good I’m totally fine pimping them out here: The Signal. You broke my heart, The Signal!

When you’re accepting films, what are you looking for?

Something that keeps my attention, that makes me think that the person (or the team) behind it all is someone who is doing something great AND has it in them to make more and more great movies. I like a consistent tone, I like a recognizable voice (and I mean directorial, not stars – we don’t care much about stars). I like being taken by surprise; if you knew how many films start with a white dude in bed as his alarm goes off and then he gets up and brushes his teeth... Kill me. (Or kill him! That keeps my eyes open.)

Does budget come into play when you’re considering films?

Budgets come into play for us because they have to be under $1 million to be eligible for competition. Other than that, not so much, although I do like having at least a couple REALLY low budget bad boys in there. Two years ago we had a feature in narrative competition with a budget of $547 (tape stock). People that craft solid stories with no money are all right in my book... Biggest problem there often ends up being craptastic performances.

As a filmmaker, what can I do to make my film more festival friendly? Should I even be thinking of that?

I don’t know if that’s really anything you can do, because when you’re making a film you should primarily be thinking about the film itself. Think of how many big budget films suck ass, largely because you can just hear the executives’ notes while you’re watching it. I think what you CAN do is concentrate on making sure it’s as solid as it can be – there isn’t money for re-shoots when you’re shooting independently. Get smart people that you trust and that are blunt with you to a) read your script and tell you what doesn’t work and b) watch your edit and be brutal. I want to trim about 20 minutes out of 78% of our submissions.

At what point in the filmmaking process should I be thinking about the festivals?

I’d say when you’re in post, but I’m a purist (and down with artists) so I’m sure others would say differently.

I’d like to also mention that you have a screenplay competition. A lot of new screenwriters are weary of sending off their scripts, what can you tell them to put their mind at ease?

We actually have four writing competitions: feature screenplay, short screenplay, teleplay (comedy, drama and unscripted) and horror screenplay. We effing love writing competitions. I totally get being freaked about sending your script out, in some ways it’s kind of like a diary – like it’s more personal than sending out your film. You send the film and there’s other people to blame, but a screenplay is just all raw and you. What I can say is that we take our submissions seriously; most of the people who work at Slamdance (staff, programmers, readers, festival bitches) are filmmaker alumni – we’ve been there, many of us are still there in the off season. And we WANT your scripts to be good, we want you to have careers, we want you to win or to get good notes back and build a name for yourself and then someday thank us from some imposing podium. So we’re not reading things hoping to cut them down, we’re hoping for them to excite us – and they often do. (In a non-pervy way.)

As a screenwriter, what can I expect to get out of submitting my screenplay?

If you’re just submitting for the competition, then you’ll be in the running for a variety of prizes (money and the various option deals that we’re always developing and building on for the writing competitions). However, you can also check “Coverage” when you submit, which means you’ll get back comprehensive notes on what is working, what isn’t working, how you can improve it – we offer year round coverage outside of the competitions, as well. Either way, your script is read all the way through (I know this; I read a lot of our submissions) and given full consideration.

Are there any particular success stories from films that screened or the screenplays that were submitted to Slamdance?

We’ve had great films picked up at Slamdance, like Mad Hot Ballroom or King of Kong or Wassup Rockers. However, I think our biggest legacy has been in the directors who showed their first film at Slamdance and developed a career as a result: Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace), Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), and Greg Mottola (Superbad) all started at Slamdance, which is kind of a mindfuck. That’s really been our niche, launching talent. Our screenplay competition’s biggest breakouts have probably been Maria Full of Grace and The Woodsman.

What advice can you give to an up and coming filmmaker or screenwriter in the indie horror genre?

Just do it! Craft a good story, flesh it out on the page (or de-flesh it if that’s part of your narrative), make it interesting and tight, where every minute is worth watching. That’s the free part, when you’re writing, so really get in there. Then find some money, drag in your most talented friends, bring it to life. Indie horror is great because it can be irreverent or scary or allegorical or hilarious, there are so many options.

Tell us about the future of indie horror, where do you see it going?

I think people always want to be scared, it’s such a pure form of escapism. Indie horror films are fun, there’s opportunities to shock and provoke thought and be a little sexy or creepy or both. Some of the best original horror films had great metaphor to them, and I think that’s easily interwoven – I would love to see more of that. I always love to see more blood, either way.

What’s next for you and Slamdance?

We are just starting our programming process now, submissions are closed and I’m watching about 15 movies a week, gearing up for the festival. We’ll be in Park City from January 15-23, 2009. We’re at the top of Main Street, if you’re going to be in town – check us out. I’ll probably be in the office, yelling at someone, but pop in and say hi.

Where can people find out more about Slamdance and how can they go about entering their film?

Slamdance.com is the way to keep up with all our happenings, activities, clam bakes, screening series, blah dee blah. And they can enter their films there next year (closed for this year) and find out more about the writing competitions and those dates, as well!