I did a fun little interview with a new channel over at Youtube called The Madbluds, talking about my monster kid origins, how I got started, etc. Check it out below, and thanks, Raul for the interview -
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8
Monday, March 18
Unwrapping the Mummy's Rage with Dennis Vincent
Dennis Vincent is a multi-talented artist and filmmaker who is perhaps known in horror circles for a pair of award-winning documentaries he produced/directed, The Witches Dungeon: 40 Years of Chills and The Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped the World. I first got to know Dennis when he illustrated a poster for my director Cameron McCasland’s short film, Tailypo. I was so impressed with his work that I asked Dennis to illustrate the cover of my collection of short stories in 2013, Tales from Parts Unknown. Dennis has since turned to narrative filmmaking, and just wrapped his first feature film, Rage of the Mummy. I invited Dennis into the lab to unwrap the details of his new movie and much more…
Hi Dennis, great to talk to you again! This was your first feature film, but you made a couple of documentaries before this. Can you tell folks about those?
Sure! Well, the first film I ever made was a 2-hour documentary entitled “The Witch's Dungeon: 40 Years of Chills” (2006). It centers around a museum that housed life-size figures of classic movie monsters and its founder, Cortlandt Hull. There are interviews with the museum's supporters and it covers the history of the museum. It features interviews with people like Christopher Lee, Dick Smith, Tom Savini, Basil Gogos, Ricou Browning, Bob Burns, Ben Chapman, June Foray, Michael Ripper and others. The entire presentation is very colorful and has good pacing. The interviews are insightful with plenty of photos to accompany them. Dick Smith told me when he received the DVD he'd only planned on watching twenty minutes because he was really busy that day. He laughed and said he ended up watching the entire thing. That was a real compliment. The movie did quite well and sold lots of copies. But I think it's out of print now.
When it came time to do my second documentary, Cortlandt and I decided to collaborate. We wanted to create a series of documentaries about Hollywood moviemaking that was to be called “Legends of Film and Fantasy”. We had interviews and footage with Hollywood prop houses, costume makers, and special effects departments. Interviews with Mark Hamill, George Romero, Bill Mumy, Rick Baker, Julie Adams, Leonard Maltin, Don Sullivan, Lori Nelson, and many others. Mark Hamill even pitched it for us in a preview trailer. And if you go to YouTube and search for The Witch's Dungeon channel under Dungeonghouls13 (no spaces), you can see that trailer. Unfortunately, those documentaries never got made. What did happen though was while at WonderFest in KY, we were talking with Donnie Waddell and Dave Conover. They told us that we should make a documentary on the Aurora Monster Model Kits simply because no one had done it. We thought it over and decided to do it because all the details for the “Legends of Film and Fantasy” series had not been fully worked out yet and doing a documentary on model kits would probably be easier. And that's how “The Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped the World” (2010) happened.
We really wanted to get James Bama in the documentary, who was the artist who painted the artwork on those original Aurora Monster Model Kit boxes in the early 60s. The only person that we knew who was in contact with him was the “Jaws” movie poster artist, Roger Kastel, whom we knew from the Chiller conventions. Roger didn't think Bama would do the interview because he had done an interview back in the 70s with a major network. Bama hated it and swore never do another one. Apparently everyone from “60 minutes” to “Good Morning America” had tried over the years to get an interview with him and failed. So Roger sent James Bama a copy of my documentary because he said he was a fan of the classic monster movies and it might pique his interest. A month passed, we left LA and we were back in Connecticut. Then I get a call from James Bama. He tells me he just watched the “The Witch's Dungeon” documentary and loved it. He said he'd do the interview if I did his interview just like that. I said, “Absolutely”. We were thrilled.
Somebody at WonderFest got us in touch with Andrew Yanchus who was the project manager for Aurora Plastics when they were in existence. So we went to NYC to do an interview with him. He was so helpful and generous. He let me make copies of his personal collection of photos, artwork, blueprints, concept art, comic inserts, and ads that were used in the movie. We wouldn't have had those without him. Then he told us that he was still in touch with Ray Meyers, one of the original sculptors who sculpted The Bride of Frankenstein, Ghidrah, Godzilla and others for Aurora. We would have liked to have interviewed Bill Lemon as well, but he had passed away in 1994. Andrew arranged the interview with Ray. I think we ended up having several people tagging along with us for that interview because they wanted to meet him. It was a fun interview and Ray didn't really understand why we were so interested. He thought that his claim to fame were these cars that he once sculpted for The Franklin Mint. He had the ads cutout from a magazine and framed on the wall. He pointed out to us that his name was in the ads. He couldn't grasp the concept that the Aurora kits were hugely popular and that there was a convention called WonderFest that would love to have him as a guest. We also tried to get James Bama to attend WonderFest, but no one could get him to do it.
Things were arranged and Ray's son brought him to the next WonderFest convention in May 2010 where he was the guest of honor and was inducted into The Monster Kid Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend because I was back in Connecticut editing the final cut of the movie. People were disappointed that the DVD would not be ready in time for WonderFest. So I told Cortlandt that we could print 100 copies of the movie to where it was at this point to satisfy the people who couldn't wait. Frank Winspur from Moebius Models caught wind of it and said that he would add a special Frankenstein monster model figure to go along with that special Aurora Monsters DVD. That was such an amazing and generous thing Frank did for us. So Cortlandt and Bill Diamond went to WonderFest and assisted Ray and his son. I sent Disc Makers hot off my computer, a Special Aurora Monster DVD master disc. And they quickly duplicated 100 copies of it, and shipped them over to WonderFest where Cortlandt and Bill nervously awaited their arrival. There they sold and promoted that Special Aurora Monster DVD. Then about a month later, I officially finished the final cut of the movie and it sold like hotcakes.
I was personally financing these films on a school bus driver's salary. So it was difficult. I think we lived on chicken everyday for 4 years while I made that movie. We were doing a lot of on-the-road traveling to get those interviews. Especially the James Bama interview. From Connecticut where we lived, to Bama's house in Wyoming and back again. Not to mention the drives to Hollywood to get those interviews. But it was worth it. Back then, Cortlandt and I worked well together. We'd get to the location and he'd talk to the talent while I set up all my equipment, lighting, camera, sound, etc. I can't be involved in conversation when I'm getting sound calibration, camera settings and lighting. I need to focus, otherwise I'm going to screw something up. Cortlandt would ask the talent the questions during the interviews and I would man the production from behind the camera. It was a one camera setup on the talent. It was better that way because it gave more screen time for them. So you never saw or heard Cortlandt asking the questions. We told the talent to repeat part of the question in the first part of their answer. For example: “When did you first become a contract player for Universal?” They would answer “I first became a contract player for Universal back in...” and so on.
Do you think the experience of working on those documentaries helped prepare you for shooting a feature film?
Those two documentaries only prepared me for postproduction work. Preproduction and production work for “narrative” filmmaking and “documentary” filmmaking are two different animals. That is unless you're doing some reenactments in your documentaries, but even the script writing is very different. When I was preparing to make my first monster movie “The Cosmic Creature”, I knew I was going to have to direct actors. I'd interviewed a lot of actors, but I didn't know anything about acting. So I took acting from an acting coach when I moved back to Denver for about four and a half months. Ironically, we had interviewed Brett Halsey years before, and he actually gave me my first acting lesson. I asked him about the craft of acting and he told me a few things. But the one thing that he said to me that I never forget was that he hated when a director would tell him, “I just want you to say no”. He would tell the director “But I can say no fifty different ways. I can make ‘no’ sound like ‘yes’”. Studying acting can really help you as a director, and many actors respect directors who have done some acting. Let me make it clear, I'm a fair actor, but I'm not great at it. But you don't have to be a great actor to understand and communicate effectively with other actors. It just really helps if you've done some acting yourself.
Tell me about working with the legendary John Zacherley in the Aurora Monsters documentary. Knowing Zach, I’m sure that was a blast.
Before we got started with Zacherley, I pulled out my checkbook and began to write him a check. He looked over and saw what I was doing, and in that classic voice he said, “Put that away, this is for fun”. What could I say? Zacherley was loved and respected by everybody on that set. There was a lot of dialoge that Cortlandt and I had written for Zacherley, and Bill Diamond who was the puppeteer for Gorgo. Bill was under the desk so he had the script in front of him. But for Zacherley, Cortlandt took a black Sharpie and wrote his lines on blank 8x10 sheets of paper and held it up for him just out of frame. He would glance over to it every now and then. Some of the lines he got, some of it he improvised. And what he improvised was always better than what Cortlandt and I wrote. Zacherley was a hoot, and he was in his element whenever you called “action”. What a legend, what a gentleman, and what a privilege it was to work with him.
You won a Rondo Award for Best Documentary for the Aurora documentary and were inducted into the Rondo Hall of Fame a couple of years later! Congratulations! Can you talk about what that meant to you?
Thank you. Actually, Cortlandt and I were inducted together, into The Monster Kid Hall of Fame for 2007, in 2008, first. Then the Rondo Award for best Documentary for 2010, in 2011 happened later. So, yes, “The Aurora Monsters” did win best documentary for 2010. But I was unable to attend the ceremonies and I never received the Rondo Award statuette.
But, The Monster Kid Hall of Fame Rondo Award 2007 plaque, hangs on my wall in my bedroom. I'm very proud of it. To be in the company of people like George Romero, Rick Baker, Uncle Forry, Paul Blaisdell, Ray Bradbury, Joe Dante, Greg Nicotero and Roger Corman, just to name a few for crying out loud! Real giants, and who am I? Yeah, it's a big deal to me. And believe me, I work damn hard every waking day to uphold that honor.
Funny thing, the night they presented the Rondo Awards, Cortlandt and I couldn't make it to the ceremony to accept the award because one of us got sick and I don't remember who, but we were fine the next day. So, David Colton and the coordinators at WonderFest held another event the following evening just for us to accept the award. I couldn't believe it. It was the nicest thing and one of the most surreal moments in my life. When I was 8 years old I saw “2001: Space Odyssey” at a neighborhood theater a few years after it was released. That movie blew me away and has always been a huge influence on me. So, who was in the audience sitting at a table applauding as Cortlandt and I went up to the podium to receive our Hall of Fame Awards? Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, who were guests that year at WonderFest. A moment I will never forget. There's a photo somewhere on the Internet of Cortlandt and I getting that award, and I laugh because I look like a deer in headlights, as they say. I was such a different person back then, painfully shy and awkward. Today, I couldn’t be any more opposite.
So tell folks a bit about Rage of the Mummy if you would.
Well, “Rage of the Mummy” is about a group of occultists who steal thirteen sacred relics from a mummy's tomb. The occultists believe the relics will empower them with supernatural powers they themselves do not have. The mummy, of course, leaves his tomb to seek out the thieves and brings deadly vengeance upon them. It's really a revenge story with subtle humor like “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”. For my first time, I really wanted to make a fun and simple monster movie that could be enjoyed with a family. I didn't want to shoot something too serious where I would get bogged down with heavy drama, very elaborate gore makeup effects, or holding actors hands and trying to get them through complex scenes. I know I'd be dealing with all the technical issues on the set. The camera, the lighting, storyboards, set design and dressing, costumes, makeup effects, props, you name it. Many times I had to shoot the movie while in the mummy suit. I shot this movie fast. The principal photography was shot in three months, mostly on the weekends in the Summer of 2016. The average time spent on set with the actors was between 4 and 5 hours. The longest shoot was the gathering scene with all the occultists at Greyson's house. That was 8 ½ hours. The rest of it was second unit stuff, pickups with the mummy and mostly postproduction all of which took me up until 2018 to complete.
It’s interesting that you set your mummy movie in modern times, but then so did the Universal films when you think about them. Of course, nowadays it feels different, with cell phones, computers, and modern technology.
I would love to make a period film, but it becomes too expensive. And hats off to indies like Joe DeMuro’s “Tales of Dracula”, Larry Blamire’s “Dark and Stormy Night”, and Eben McGarr’s “House of the Wolfman” and others who've done it.
Are you a big fan of the old mummy films, and if so what are some of your favorites? (I’m partial to the Hammer Mummy movie with Lee and Cushing, personally).
I like all monsters in general without favoring any one particular monster type per se. However, I find myself drawn to creatures or mutant creatures like, “The Hideous Sun Demon”, “The Monster of Piedras Blancas”, “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Octaman” and all of Paul Blaisdell monsters. But I do love mummies as well. My favorite mummy movie is “The Mummy's Shroud” second to that is “Blood from the Mummy's Tomb” and that one doesn't even have a mummy in it. Maybe I'm just in love with Valerie Leon? And after that, all the Chaney mummy movies, “The Mummy's Hand”, “The Mummy's Tomb”, “The Mummy's Ghost” and “The Mummy's Curse”.
What were the biggest challenges in making Rage?
The same for all indies... money. And when you don't have enough to pay skilled professional people to help you through every phase of production, then you're still going to need some money to do it yourself.
In addition to producing and directing, you also played the monster in your film! Did you enjoy that?
No, I did not. I did it because I had already made a mummy mask for another feature I was going to make but lost the funding for it. It was called “Creepy Island” and there were supposed to be 8 mummies breaking out of their sarcophaguses towards the end of the movie. I needed to see how I was going to make the mummy's headpiece first. So like most makeup artists, I experimented on myself first. I did a build up of the mummy's face over an ultra cal casting of my face. So the mummy mask only fit me. I had only a few weeks before shooting began for “Rage of the Mummy” and I didn't have enough time to find an actor who would be available to do a new casting, a new build up plus fabrication, and then tailor the fitting of the suit. Then have them come back to my house when their schedule permitted, for me to do final fittings and final touches on the suit. Not to mention, all the pickup shots needed to complete the film. It was just easier for me to do it. However, there were two shots in the movie that are my nephew in the suit, because I had to do the camera work and I didn't trust anyone else to do it. If you don't see the mummy, then I did the camera work. And even then, there were other times where I had to shoot myself in the suit because I didn't have anyone available to help me. I usually got the shot I wanted after 60 takes. I'd run in my house to my computer to upload the shots and see if they were good. If they weren't I'd run back outside and do them again. Neighbors would watch this mummy running in and out of the house carrying a camera. That's indie filmmaking.
Which phase of filmmaking do you like best? Writing, shooting, editing, etc.?
Editing, and all the postproduction work that goes with it for sure. It's exciting because it's where you really meet your film for the first time. And it is there where you decide what to keep and what to leave out. And what you need to add in order to get something that you feel is going to work best, because the film is no longer what you thought it was going to be.
What piece of advice would you give to other newer filmmakers who are taking the leap to shoot their own feature film?
I think the same stock answer that most filmmakers give. Just get out there and start shooting. But I would start with small, simple projects that are manageable. I've seen people take on huge projects and become overwhelmed, get discouraged and then never finish. There's a lot of free help on YouTube to get you started, but the best teacher is direct experience.
What’s next for you, do you have another film in mind?
It's an anthology of murder and the supernatural, with ghosts and demons, for which I'm already writing. It will be a far cry in tone from “Rage of the Mummy”. I'm interested, at the moment, with the Italian “Giallo” films of Argento, Bava and Fulci. That doesn't mean that I'm done with classic monster movies. I just want to try something new right now.
Thanks again for chatting with me. Where can folks find Rage of the Mummy?
Thanks for having me Dr. Gangrene! It was fun! You can see “Rage of the Mummy” at Amazon. Available on DVD to buy, rent, or stream on Prime. And you can go to rageofthemummy.com or the Facebook page of Rage of the Mummy for more photos and behind-the-scenes content.
Hi Dennis, great to talk to you again! This was your first feature film, but you made a couple of documentaries before this. Can you tell folks about those?
Sure! Well, the first film I ever made was a 2-hour documentary entitled “The Witch's Dungeon: 40 Years of Chills” (2006). It centers around a museum that housed life-size figures of classic movie monsters and its founder, Cortlandt Hull. There are interviews with the museum's supporters and it covers the history of the museum. It features interviews with people like Christopher Lee, Dick Smith, Tom Savini, Basil Gogos, Ricou Browning, Bob Burns, Ben Chapman, June Foray, Michael Ripper and others. The entire presentation is very colorful and has good pacing. The interviews are insightful with plenty of photos to accompany them. Dick Smith told me when he received the DVD he'd only planned on watching twenty minutes because he was really busy that day. He laughed and said he ended up watching the entire thing. That was a real compliment. The movie did quite well and sold lots of copies. But I think it's out of print now.
When it came time to do my second documentary, Cortlandt and I decided to collaborate. We wanted to create a series of documentaries about Hollywood moviemaking that was to be called “Legends of Film and Fantasy”. We had interviews and footage with Hollywood prop houses, costume makers, and special effects departments. Interviews with Mark Hamill, George Romero, Bill Mumy, Rick Baker, Julie Adams, Leonard Maltin, Don Sullivan, Lori Nelson, and many others. Mark Hamill even pitched it for us in a preview trailer. And if you go to YouTube and search for The Witch's Dungeon channel under Dungeonghouls13 (no spaces), you can see that trailer. Unfortunately, those documentaries never got made. What did happen though was while at WonderFest in KY, we were talking with Donnie Waddell and Dave Conover. They told us that we should make a documentary on the Aurora Monster Model Kits simply because no one had done it. We thought it over and decided to do it because all the details for the “Legends of Film and Fantasy” series had not been fully worked out yet and doing a documentary on model kits would probably be easier. And that's how “The Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped the World” (2010) happened.
We really wanted to get James Bama in the documentary, who was the artist who painted the artwork on those original Aurora Monster Model Kit boxes in the early 60s. The only person that we knew who was in contact with him was the “Jaws” movie poster artist, Roger Kastel, whom we knew from the Chiller conventions. Roger didn't think Bama would do the interview because he had done an interview back in the 70s with a major network. Bama hated it and swore never do another one. Apparently everyone from “60 minutes” to “Good Morning America” had tried over the years to get an interview with him and failed. So Roger sent James Bama a copy of my documentary because he said he was a fan of the classic monster movies and it might pique his interest. A month passed, we left LA and we were back in Connecticut. Then I get a call from James Bama. He tells me he just watched the “The Witch's Dungeon” documentary and loved it. He said he'd do the interview if I did his interview just like that. I said, “Absolutely”. We were thrilled.
Somebody at WonderFest got us in touch with Andrew Yanchus who was the project manager for Aurora Plastics when they were in existence. So we went to NYC to do an interview with him. He was so helpful and generous. He let me make copies of his personal collection of photos, artwork, blueprints, concept art, comic inserts, and ads that were used in the movie. We wouldn't have had those without him. Then he told us that he was still in touch with Ray Meyers, one of the original sculptors who sculpted The Bride of Frankenstein, Ghidrah, Godzilla and others for Aurora. We would have liked to have interviewed Bill Lemon as well, but he had passed away in 1994. Andrew arranged the interview with Ray. I think we ended up having several people tagging along with us for that interview because they wanted to meet him. It was a fun interview and Ray didn't really understand why we were so interested. He thought that his claim to fame were these cars that he once sculpted for The Franklin Mint. He had the ads cutout from a magazine and framed on the wall. He pointed out to us that his name was in the ads. He couldn't grasp the concept that the Aurora kits were hugely popular and that there was a convention called WonderFest that would love to have him as a guest. We also tried to get James Bama to attend WonderFest, but no one could get him to do it.
Things were arranged and Ray's son brought him to the next WonderFest convention in May 2010 where he was the guest of honor and was inducted into The Monster Kid Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend because I was back in Connecticut editing the final cut of the movie. People were disappointed that the DVD would not be ready in time for WonderFest. So I told Cortlandt that we could print 100 copies of the movie to where it was at this point to satisfy the people who couldn't wait. Frank Winspur from Moebius Models caught wind of it and said that he would add a special Frankenstein monster model figure to go along with that special Aurora Monsters DVD. That was such an amazing and generous thing Frank did for us. So Cortlandt and Bill Diamond went to WonderFest and assisted Ray and his son. I sent Disc Makers hot off my computer, a Special Aurora Monster DVD master disc. And they quickly duplicated 100 copies of it, and shipped them over to WonderFest where Cortlandt and Bill nervously awaited their arrival. There they sold and promoted that Special Aurora Monster DVD. Then about a month later, I officially finished the final cut of the movie and it sold like hotcakes.
I was personally financing these films on a school bus driver's salary. So it was difficult. I think we lived on chicken everyday for 4 years while I made that movie. We were doing a lot of on-the-road traveling to get those interviews. Especially the James Bama interview. From Connecticut where we lived, to Bama's house in Wyoming and back again. Not to mention the drives to Hollywood to get those interviews. But it was worth it. Back then, Cortlandt and I worked well together. We'd get to the location and he'd talk to the talent while I set up all my equipment, lighting, camera, sound, etc. I can't be involved in conversation when I'm getting sound calibration, camera settings and lighting. I need to focus, otherwise I'm going to screw something up. Cortlandt would ask the talent the questions during the interviews and I would man the production from behind the camera. It was a one camera setup on the talent. It was better that way because it gave more screen time for them. So you never saw or heard Cortlandt asking the questions. We told the talent to repeat part of the question in the first part of their answer. For example: “When did you first become a contract player for Universal?” They would answer “I first became a contract player for Universal back in...” and so on.
Do you think the experience of working on those documentaries helped prepare you for shooting a feature film?
Those two documentaries only prepared me for postproduction work. Preproduction and production work for “narrative” filmmaking and “documentary” filmmaking are two different animals. That is unless you're doing some reenactments in your documentaries, but even the script writing is very different. When I was preparing to make my first monster movie “The Cosmic Creature”, I knew I was going to have to direct actors. I'd interviewed a lot of actors, but I didn't know anything about acting. So I took acting from an acting coach when I moved back to Denver for about four and a half months. Ironically, we had interviewed Brett Halsey years before, and he actually gave me my first acting lesson. I asked him about the craft of acting and he told me a few things. But the one thing that he said to me that I never forget was that he hated when a director would tell him, “I just want you to say no”. He would tell the director “But I can say no fifty different ways. I can make ‘no’ sound like ‘yes’”. Studying acting can really help you as a director, and many actors respect directors who have done some acting. Let me make it clear, I'm a fair actor, but I'm not great at it. But you don't have to be a great actor to understand and communicate effectively with other actors. It just really helps if you've done some acting yourself.
Tell me about working with the legendary John Zacherley in the Aurora Monsters documentary. Knowing Zach, I’m sure that was a blast.
Before we got started with Zacherley, I pulled out my checkbook and began to write him a check. He looked over and saw what I was doing, and in that classic voice he said, “Put that away, this is for fun”. What could I say? Zacherley was loved and respected by everybody on that set. There was a lot of dialoge that Cortlandt and I had written for Zacherley, and Bill Diamond who was the puppeteer for Gorgo. Bill was under the desk so he had the script in front of him. But for Zacherley, Cortlandt took a black Sharpie and wrote his lines on blank 8x10 sheets of paper and held it up for him just out of frame. He would glance over to it every now and then. Some of the lines he got, some of it he improvised. And what he improvised was always better than what Cortlandt and I wrote. Zacherley was a hoot, and he was in his element whenever you called “action”. What a legend, what a gentleman, and what a privilege it was to work with him.
Thank you. Actually, Cortlandt and I were inducted together, into The Monster Kid Hall of Fame for 2007, in 2008, first. Then the Rondo Award for best Documentary for 2010, in 2011 happened later. So, yes, “The Aurora Monsters” did win best documentary for 2010. But I was unable to attend the ceremonies and I never received the Rondo Award statuette.
But, The Monster Kid Hall of Fame Rondo Award 2007 plaque, hangs on my wall in my bedroom. I'm very proud of it. To be in the company of people like George Romero, Rick Baker, Uncle Forry, Paul Blaisdell, Ray Bradbury, Joe Dante, Greg Nicotero and Roger Corman, just to name a few for crying out loud! Real giants, and who am I? Yeah, it's a big deal to me. And believe me, I work damn hard every waking day to uphold that honor.
Funny thing, the night they presented the Rondo Awards, Cortlandt and I couldn't make it to the ceremony to accept the award because one of us got sick and I don't remember who, but we were fine the next day. So, David Colton and the coordinators at WonderFest held another event the following evening just for us to accept the award. I couldn't believe it. It was the nicest thing and one of the most surreal moments in my life. When I was 8 years old I saw “2001: Space Odyssey” at a neighborhood theater a few years after it was released. That movie blew me away and has always been a huge influence on me. So, who was in the audience sitting at a table applauding as Cortlandt and I went up to the podium to receive our Hall of Fame Awards? Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, who were guests that year at WonderFest. A moment I will never forget. There's a photo somewhere on the Internet of Cortlandt and I getting that award, and I laugh because I look like a deer in headlights, as they say. I was such a different person back then, painfully shy and awkward. Today, I couldn’t be any more opposite.
So tell folks a bit about Rage of the Mummy if you would.
Well, “Rage of the Mummy” is about a group of occultists who steal thirteen sacred relics from a mummy's tomb. The occultists believe the relics will empower them with supernatural powers they themselves do not have. The mummy, of course, leaves his tomb to seek out the thieves and brings deadly vengeance upon them. It's really a revenge story with subtle humor like “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”. For my first time, I really wanted to make a fun and simple monster movie that could be enjoyed with a family. I didn't want to shoot something too serious where I would get bogged down with heavy drama, very elaborate gore makeup effects, or holding actors hands and trying to get them through complex scenes. I know I'd be dealing with all the technical issues on the set. The camera, the lighting, storyboards, set design and dressing, costumes, makeup effects, props, you name it. Many times I had to shoot the movie while in the mummy suit. I shot this movie fast. The principal photography was shot in three months, mostly on the weekends in the Summer of 2016. The average time spent on set with the actors was between 4 and 5 hours. The longest shoot was the gathering scene with all the occultists at Greyson's house. That was 8 ½ hours. The rest of it was second unit stuff, pickups with the mummy and mostly postproduction all of which took me up until 2018 to complete.
It’s interesting that you set your mummy movie in modern times, but then so did the Universal films when you think about them. Of course, nowadays it feels different, with cell phones, computers, and modern technology.
I would love to make a period film, but it becomes too expensive. And hats off to indies like Joe DeMuro’s “Tales of Dracula”, Larry Blamire’s “Dark and Stormy Night”, and Eben McGarr’s “House of the Wolfman” and others who've done it.
Are you a big fan of the old mummy films, and if so what are some of your favorites? (I’m partial to the Hammer Mummy movie with Lee and Cushing, personally).
I like all monsters in general without favoring any one particular monster type per se. However, I find myself drawn to creatures or mutant creatures like, “The Hideous Sun Demon”, “The Monster of Piedras Blancas”, “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Octaman” and all of Paul Blaisdell monsters. But I do love mummies as well. My favorite mummy movie is “The Mummy's Shroud” second to that is “Blood from the Mummy's Tomb” and that one doesn't even have a mummy in it. Maybe I'm just in love with Valerie Leon? And after that, all the Chaney mummy movies, “The Mummy's Hand”, “The Mummy's Tomb”, “The Mummy's Ghost” and “The Mummy's Curse”.
What were the biggest challenges in making Rage?
The same for all indies... money. And when you don't have enough to pay skilled professional people to help you through every phase of production, then you're still going to need some money to do it yourself.
In addition to producing and directing, you also played the monster in your film! Did you enjoy that?
No, I did not. I did it because I had already made a mummy mask for another feature I was going to make but lost the funding for it. It was called “Creepy Island” and there were supposed to be 8 mummies breaking out of their sarcophaguses towards the end of the movie. I needed to see how I was going to make the mummy's headpiece first. So like most makeup artists, I experimented on myself first. I did a build up of the mummy's face over an ultra cal casting of my face. So the mummy mask only fit me. I had only a few weeks before shooting began for “Rage of the Mummy” and I didn't have enough time to find an actor who would be available to do a new casting, a new build up plus fabrication, and then tailor the fitting of the suit. Then have them come back to my house when their schedule permitted, for me to do final fittings and final touches on the suit. Not to mention, all the pickup shots needed to complete the film. It was just easier for me to do it. However, there were two shots in the movie that are my nephew in the suit, because I had to do the camera work and I didn't trust anyone else to do it. If you don't see the mummy, then I did the camera work. And even then, there were other times where I had to shoot myself in the suit because I didn't have anyone available to help me. I usually got the shot I wanted after 60 takes. I'd run in my house to my computer to upload the shots and see if they were good. If they weren't I'd run back outside and do them again. Neighbors would watch this mummy running in and out of the house carrying a camera. That's indie filmmaking.
Which phase of filmmaking do you like best? Writing, shooting, editing, etc.?
Editing, and all the postproduction work that goes with it for sure. It's exciting because it's where you really meet your film for the first time. And it is there where you decide what to keep and what to leave out. And what you need to add in order to get something that you feel is going to work best, because the film is no longer what you thought it was going to be.
What piece of advice would you give to other newer filmmakers who are taking the leap to shoot their own feature film?
I think the same stock answer that most filmmakers give. Just get out there and start shooting. But I would start with small, simple projects that are manageable. I've seen people take on huge projects and become overwhelmed, get discouraged and then never finish. There's a lot of free help on YouTube to get you started, but the best teacher is direct experience.
What’s next for you, do you have another film in mind?
It's an anthology of murder and the supernatural, with ghosts and demons, for which I'm already writing. It will be a far cry in tone from “Rage of the Mummy”. I'm interested, at the moment, with the Italian “Giallo” films of Argento, Bava and Fulci. That doesn't mean that I'm done with classic monster movies. I just want to try something new right now.
Thanks again for chatting with me. Where can folks find Rage of the Mummy?
Thanks for having me Dr. Gangrene! It was fun! You can see “Rage of the Mummy” at Amazon. Available on DVD to buy, rent, or stream on Prime. And you can go to rageofthemummy.com or the Facebook page of Rage of the Mummy for more photos and behind-the-scenes content.
Monday, March 14
Top 10 John Agar Films
Greetings Fright Fans! I'm happy to post my latest video, a top 10 countdown of the films of Sci-fi action star JOHN AGAR!
I had the pleasure of interviewing John's son, John Agar III, for SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE back in 2011. You can READ THAT INTERVIEW HERE,
I had the pleasure of interviewing John's son, John Agar III, for SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE back in 2011. You can READ THAT INTERVIEW HERE,
Wednesday, November 18
Interview with Tom Savini
Quick interview with makeup guru/actor Tom Savini from the 2003 Monster Bash Convention.
Thursday, June 11
Off Script with Indy Director Henrique Couto
"Money is just a problem to be solved, filmmaking is all about problem
solving. If you only have 200 bucks, then make a 200 dollar movie" - Henrique Couto
Greetings Henrique! Welcome to the lab here - great speaking with you again!
So happy to be here sir!
You and I first met years ago when you were hosting a television show as "Dr. Freak," the world's youngest horror host, at an all-night movie marathon being held in Dayton, hosted by A. Ghastlee Ghoul. Tell me about that experience, making a show at such a young age.
Cult theater was absolutely a labor of love, I was just 12 years old when I started shooting episodes, I was learning a lot about how to make videos and cobbling together a crew. Between finding crew, trial and error, and needing my mother to shuttle me around to get things done it was really quite the undertaking.
What lessons do you think you learned doing that show that carried over to Indy film making?
The biggest lesson to be learned there was how to schedule a shoot, call up all your crew and get started first thing in the morning. For a pre-teen that’s a pretty impressive thing, to be so motivated. But I made some mistakes, huge mistakes, luckily most of those are lost in the cable access ether for no one to find.
So how long after the horror host show did you make your first film, or was there an overlap?
My first short films were a few years after I started doing cable access TV shows, along side the Cult Theater show I also dabbled in a variety show and a talk show. All of these were great training grounds along with having filmmaker Andrew Copp as a mentor during that time. I had managed to purchase my own video equipment at 15 so from there I spent less and less time on TV shows and more and more time learning how to make movies.
What is the main difference in the two ventures?
In those days TV shows had a lot less permanence to them, they weren’t likely to be kept by the audience unless they taped them off of television. It was easy to spit a show out and not look back. When I was making short films I had to factor in that people would own copies of them. It made me want to try to up my quality to really give people value as best I was capable.
Who were your inspirations, creatively speaking, as both a horror host and a film maker (I am sure Barry Hobart, aka Dr. Creep, played a big part, as well as Bob Hinton, A. Ghastlee Ghoul)?
Barry and Bob were huge parts of my creative beginnings, they inspired as well as encouraged me to work hard and keep creating. By far my biggest influence as a young man was Andrew Copp, he had a huge hand in guiding me through technical and artistic elements of video and film production.
Your first movie was HEADCHEESE. Tell me about that. You wrote, directed, shot, edited - even starred in it. Was that out of necessity?
I think that was my first movie that was over 60 minutes long, but it was most certainly a backyard zero-budget affair. I did as many jobs as I could on it because I was the only one with the time to dedicate, so I would pull whatever weight had to be pulled to get the film done. Some call it tireless work ethic, I call it insanity. I gathered a group of my friends together for 4 days during spring break and we just filmed every single day. No script, some fake blood, and a lot of energy. That’s how we made that flick.
What are your thoughts looking back on it 12 years later?
I think the movie showed a lot of promise, it showed a lot of talent starting to be cultivated, but at the end of the day it was a 16 year olds movie that literally took place mostly in the backyard. I am proud of it because I remember how much fun it was realizing I had found something I loved so deeply.
So your next project was an anthology, FACES OF SCHLOCK, in 2005. Was the decision to work with other directors for individual segments born out of the experience of Headcheese? Or perhaps a way just to get the project finished quicker?
Faces of Schlock was about wanting to make a feature length project quickly and cheaply with filmmakers I had become great friends with. We loved being packaged together and worked tirelessly to bring it together. We loved it so much, we did it a few more times in fact! That first one had Andrew Shearer and Chris LaMartina on it, after that we brought on Justin Channell and really went over the top.
Talk about the pros and cons of working with other directors.
The pros are without a doubt getting together varied voices. Each person and their team brought a totally different voice to the project which made it much more interesting. The con of course is just keeping everything on track, so much can happen in people’s lives myself included. Any one of us having a major life issue could halt production.
Your next films were SATAN'S HOUSE OF YOGA, and FACES OF SCHLOCK 2, both also made in 2005. Then you took a break until 2011. Why the long break between projects?
Satan’s House of Yoga was actually never completed, but I can’t get that IMDb page taken down. That was the only film I never quite managed to pull together. Faces of Schlock 2 was actually followed by my first full blown soley directed feature film Marty Jenkins and the Vampire Bitches.
After Marty Jenkins I got a job for a film studio call Alternative Cinema and moved across the country, from there I spent a few years learning the business and trying to get new films off the ground. In 2008 I produced a reboot of Faces of Schlock with the original directors that was more high quality and marketable. Then in 2009 I began production on Bleeding Through, which got stuck in Post-production hell until nearly 2011.
The reason for this break is very simple, I fell into a serious crippling depression. I had no job, no money and had completely lost my desire to do anything that made me happy. I spent months on the couch feeling sorry for myself, feeling like a failure, and trying to pull myself back up. Which I did, and I haven’t stopped since.
Your next project was a short film called COMPLETELY DEFECTIVE, 2011. This was your first film working off someone else's script. How was it working with another writer's material?
Completely Defective was a short film I did with Faces of Schlock alum Andrew Shearer, it was a fun experience and Andrew was on set with me so it was very easy to get the film up to both of our visions. He and I have very similar attitudes on story and humor so it was a perfect fit.
This was also your first HD film, shot widescreen. I assume you upgraded your gear during the break between films?
Actually Bleeding Through was my first film shot in HD, but it came out on home video later than this short was released. That being said, I actually shot Completely Defective on the equipment I bought to make Depression: The Movie. I saved every dime I could, got a job, finished Bleeding Through, premiered it, and started to realize people wanted to see what I had to say. After I rolled camera on Depression: The Movie, I never stopped.
BLEEDING THROUGH deals with the subject of suicide, a tough subject. The following year Andy Copp committed suicide, and I know it was a huge blow to the Dayton movie scene. Talk more about Andy Copp if you would. I met him at that Dayton movie marathon when I first met you. Extremely talented guy, don't know if anyone knew how troubled he was.
Andy was my best friend. He was my main male role model growing up, he was my mentor, and frequent collaborator later on. When I came back to Dayton Ohio Andy got me a job with him working at an access station, I saw him every day for 2 years, then one day he was gone. It was the most heartbreaking moment of my entire life, I saw him the day before he died. Everyone that knew Andy knew he had struggles with bi-polar disorder, but he had kept secret just how bad thing had gotten when he finally decided to take his own life. For all of his problems he was generally a funny and light hearted person, very very giving and sweet. I miss Andy every single day, I never knew that you could actually miss someone every single day until Andy died. Nothing has ever been the same for me or the many many people who he touched with his work and his good nature.
Your next film was DEPRESSION, also in 2012. You wrote both BLEEDING THROUGH and DEPRESSION - what do you feel led you to explore such dark subject matter at that point in your life?
When I wrote Bleeding Through in 2008 I didn’t realize how depressed I was, I wouldn’t figure that out until years later. I had done a horror-comedy before that and I wanted to explore something darker and more experimental. I made a movie about a woman who ruined her life via crippling anxiety and depression, and after it was shot I started ruining my life with crippling anxiety and depression.
Depression: The Movie was my comeback film, after Bleeding Through had gotten great reviews and national distribution I realized that if I got up off the couch and believed in myself I could accomplish amazing things. I spent every dime I had in the world and made Depression. It was a humorous look at sad elements of life. I had so much I wanted to get off my chest when I did it, I think it’s possible my best work simply because I was working so much sickness out of myself at the time.
Depression: The Movie was life voodoo, depression had harmed me so much over the years I changed what the word meant. Not when I heard “depression” I don’t just think of misery, I think of a movie that I couldn’t be more proud of.
Your next film was a return to the slasher genre, BABYSITTER MASSACRE, 2013. I was looking at the message boards on IMDB and the headline for the first post says, "Excellent Movie." The next one says, "Terrible Movie." Any time you put a work of art into the world, it's tough, as you are exposing yourself as a creative individual. How do you feel about critics, fans, and criticisms of your work, both positive and negative?
Babysitter Massacre was me getting back into the game, ready to make films and get them out into the market. Babysitter Massacre was the last independent feature to be on the shelves of Blockbuster before they closed, so I think I did something right. Alternative Cinema financed and distributed the film shortly after releasing Bleeding Through. It was my first film that started me on the path to really being a film professional.
Critics are tough, they can be wonderful and supportive and completely make you feel like you have done everything right in your life. They can also take everything you love about your work away and make you feel like you don’t ever deserve to flip burgers. No matter how long I do this job every single negative review breaks my heart a little, but I can handle it because that’s the job. I just prefer when they are constructive rather than destructive. Luckily the fans have been amazing, they love the work and are so kind and generous with their support.
Talk about your next film, A BULLDOG FOR CHRISTMAS. I haven't seen this one, but am intrigued. Tell me about that one, and how was the reception for your first non-horror feature?
I did Bulldog immediately following Babysitter Massacre with the same cast and crew but boy was it a world apart.
This wasn’t my first non-horror feature, Depression: The Movie was, but it was my first family friendly film and I was worried no one would want it. The response was HUGE on it, it was my first film shot entirely on professional industry standard cameras and lenses and it sold HUGE. It went to Wal-Mart, Family Video and even played Sony Movie Network in the United Kingdom!
I wanted to make a marketable Christmas movie that satisfied my desire for sentimental drama and broad comedy, so I wrote a script that was full of heartfelt family dynamics and a talking dog. It was the first film I made after Andy Copp had died and it is completely tinged with it. The theme of Bulldog is loss, it is about a family who misses their grandfather and how some of them cannot function properly without him. You wouldn’t expect so much depth for a talking dog movie, but that’s what I did and I am so proud of that film.
You are now working full-time as a film maker, supporting yourself solely through your work. How difficult was that leap to make, and how does that feel?
Being a filmmaker for a living was incredibly scary, it isn’t a very stable job but it is what I love to do the most in the world. I was fired from a job I hated in cable access television suddenly and kind of pushed into it and I am so glad it happened. I haven’t looked back and my first year had ups and downs but it is going great.
All of your newer projects have bigger budgets. Do you use crowd funding to raise those, or have you found investors? What are your thoughts on crowd funding, and what advice do you have for other filmmakers on raising money for features?
I crowd fund about one feature film per year, and I always make it something special, like a heartfelt comedy or an intense offbeat drama. Something that isn’t easy to market but that I want to make solely for the love of filmmaking. It’s been incredibly humbling to see people support my work so tirelessly. Most of my other features are financed by investors or studios, but sometimes I pull out my check book and put my money where my mouth is.
If you want to raise money to make a movie you are getting too far ahead of yourself. You need to make a movie to prove yourself before anyone should be expected to shell out their hard earned money. Money is just a problem to be solved, filmmaking is all about problem solving. If you only have 200 bucks, then make a 200 dollar movie. Get out there, start working and get yourself noticed. Never let anything stop you.
What's your favorite part of the film process? Writing? Shooting? Editing?
My favorite part is by far shooting/directing. I don’t hate writing or editing, but I truly love producing and directing. I love being on set and the speedy spontaneous creativity that we get to experience. If I could be on set every single day, I would totally go for it.
Your most recent two films are both Westerns, JESSE JAMES: LAWMAN and CALAMITY JANE'S REVENGE. I'm a huge Western fan, and really glad to see the genre receiving something of a renaissance lately. What were some of the challenges of shooting a period piece?
I didn’t direct Jesse James: Lawman, but I was a director of photography on a it.
Shooting a western had lots of challenges including horses, costumes, props, makeup, and weather. Weather was the worst by far, shooting mostly exteriors gave lots of chances for us to get rained on and we did a few times. The biggest problem with a period piece was hiding power lines, modern roads, and airplanes in the sky. But you just go out there and shoot and do the best you can on the limited funds and schedule you have.
You always screen your films in a local theater for cast and crew when they're finished for their WORLD PREMIERE. That must be a great experience, watching your work projected on the big screen with an appreciative crowd.
Nothing will ever beat showing your work to an excited crowd, hearing them laugh or scream where you want them to. That is how you really get the chance to feel like a successful director.
Do you enjoy the marketing side of the business, promoting the films and going to conventions?
I have always enjoyed marketing my work, I love the movies I make and I love connecting them with the people who would enjoy them. I think all of my success could be attributed to my promotion and marketing efforts which I have always taken into my own hands.
Finally, what are some projects you have lined up or would like to pursue in the future?
I am shooting a romantic comedy called Making Out in about a month, I can’t wait! It’s a story I have had bouncing around my head for several years and I just love hitting new genres. I have two other films lined up but I just can’t talk about them quite yet.
Thanks for spending some time here in the haunted lab, Henrique. Watch our for the vampire bats on the way out, they haven't been fed lately.
Damn bats always get in my hair.
Showoff! To find out more about Henrique look him up on Facebook or find him on YouTube
Thanks again, Henrique.
Greetings Henrique! Welcome to the lab here - great speaking with you again!
So happy to be here sir!
You and I first met years ago when you were hosting a television show as "Dr. Freak," the world's youngest horror host, at an all-night movie marathon being held in Dayton, hosted by A. Ghastlee Ghoul. Tell me about that experience, making a show at such a young age.
Cult theater was absolutely a labor of love, I was just 12 years old when I started shooting episodes, I was learning a lot about how to make videos and cobbling together a crew. Between finding crew, trial and error, and needing my mother to shuttle me around to get things done it was really quite the undertaking.
What lessons do you think you learned doing that show that carried over to Indy film making?
The biggest lesson to be learned there was how to schedule a shoot, call up all your crew and get started first thing in the morning. For a pre-teen that’s a pretty impressive thing, to be so motivated. But I made some mistakes, huge mistakes, luckily most of those are lost in the cable access ether for no one to find.
So how long after the horror host show did you make your first film, or was there an overlap?
My first short films were a few years after I started doing cable access TV shows, along side the Cult Theater show I also dabbled in a variety show and a talk show. All of these were great training grounds along with having filmmaker Andrew Copp as a mentor during that time. I had managed to purchase my own video equipment at 15 so from there I spent less and less time on TV shows and more and more time learning how to make movies.
What is the main difference in the two ventures?
In those days TV shows had a lot less permanence to them, they weren’t likely to be kept by the audience unless they taped them off of television. It was easy to spit a show out and not look back. When I was making short films I had to factor in that people would own copies of them. It made me want to try to up my quality to really give people value as best I was capable.
Who were your inspirations, creatively speaking, as both a horror host and a film maker (I am sure Barry Hobart, aka Dr. Creep, played a big part, as well as Bob Hinton, A. Ghastlee Ghoul)?
Barry and Bob were huge parts of my creative beginnings, they inspired as well as encouraged me to work hard and keep creating. By far my biggest influence as a young man was Andrew Copp, he had a huge hand in guiding me through technical and artistic elements of video and film production.
Your first movie was HEADCHEESE. Tell me about that. You wrote, directed, shot, edited - even starred in it. Was that out of necessity?
I think that was my first movie that was over 60 minutes long, but it was most certainly a backyard zero-budget affair. I did as many jobs as I could on it because I was the only one with the time to dedicate, so I would pull whatever weight had to be pulled to get the film done. Some call it tireless work ethic, I call it insanity. I gathered a group of my friends together for 4 days during spring break and we just filmed every single day. No script, some fake blood, and a lot of energy. That’s how we made that flick.
What are your thoughts looking back on it 12 years later?
I think the movie showed a lot of promise, it showed a lot of talent starting to be cultivated, but at the end of the day it was a 16 year olds movie that literally took place mostly in the backyard. I am proud of it because I remember how much fun it was realizing I had found something I loved so deeply.
So your next project was an anthology, FACES OF SCHLOCK, in 2005. Was the decision to work with other directors for individual segments born out of the experience of Headcheese? Or perhaps a way just to get the project finished quicker?
Faces of Schlock was about wanting to make a feature length project quickly and cheaply with filmmakers I had become great friends with. We loved being packaged together and worked tirelessly to bring it together. We loved it so much, we did it a few more times in fact! That first one had Andrew Shearer and Chris LaMartina on it, after that we brought on Justin Channell and really went over the top.
Talk about the pros and cons of working with other directors.
The pros are without a doubt getting together varied voices. Each person and their team brought a totally different voice to the project which made it much more interesting. The con of course is just keeping everything on track, so much can happen in people’s lives myself included. Any one of us having a major life issue could halt production.
Your next films were SATAN'S HOUSE OF YOGA, and FACES OF SCHLOCK 2, both also made in 2005. Then you took a break until 2011. Why the long break between projects?
Satan’s House of Yoga was actually never completed, but I can’t get that IMDb page taken down. That was the only film I never quite managed to pull together. Faces of Schlock 2 was actually followed by my first full blown soley directed feature film Marty Jenkins and the Vampire Bitches.
After Marty Jenkins I got a job for a film studio call Alternative Cinema and moved across the country, from there I spent a few years learning the business and trying to get new films off the ground. In 2008 I produced a reboot of Faces of Schlock with the original directors that was more high quality and marketable. Then in 2009 I began production on Bleeding Through, which got stuck in Post-production hell until nearly 2011.
The reason for this break is very simple, I fell into a serious crippling depression. I had no job, no money and had completely lost my desire to do anything that made me happy. I spent months on the couch feeling sorry for myself, feeling like a failure, and trying to pull myself back up. Which I did, and I haven’t stopped since.
Your next project was a short film called COMPLETELY DEFECTIVE, 2011. This was your first film working off someone else's script. How was it working with another writer's material?
Completely Defective was a short film I did with Faces of Schlock alum Andrew Shearer, it was a fun experience and Andrew was on set with me so it was very easy to get the film up to both of our visions. He and I have very similar attitudes on story and humor so it was a perfect fit.
This was also your first HD film, shot widescreen. I assume you upgraded your gear during the break between films?
Actually Bleeding Through was my first film shot in HD, but it came out on home video later than this short was released. That being said, I actually shot Completely Defective on the equipment I bought to make Depression: The Movie. I saved every dime I could, got a job, finished Bleeding Through, premiered it, and started to realize people wanted to see what I had to say. After I rolled camera on Depression: The Movie, I never stopped.
BLEEDING THROUGH deals with the subject of suicide, a tough subject. The following year Andy Copp committed suicide, and I know it was a huge blow to the Dayton movie scene. Talk more about Andy Copp if you would. I met him at that Dayton movie marathon when I first met you. Extremely talented guy, don't know if anyone knew how troubled he was.
Andy was my best friend. He was my main male role model growing up, he was my mentor, and frequent collaborator later on. When I came back to Dayton Ohio Andy got me a job with him working at an access station, I saw him every day for 2 years, then one day he was gone. It was the most heartbreaking moment of my entire life, I saw him the day before he died. Everyone that knew Andy knew he had struggles with bi-polar disorder, but he had kept secret just how bad thing had gotten when he finally decided to take his own life. For all of his problems he was generally a funny and light hearted person, very very giving and sweet. I miss Andy every single day, I never knew that you could actually miss someone every single day until Andy died. Nothing has ever been the same for me or the many many people who he touched with his work and his good nature.
Your next film was DEPRESSION, also in 2012. You wrote both BLEEDING THROUGH and DEPRESSION - what do you feel led you to explore such dark subject matter at that point in your life?
When I wrote Bleeding Through in 2008 I didn’t realize how depressed I was, I wouldn’t figure that out until years later. I had done a horror-comedy before that and I wanted to explore something darker and more experimental. I made a movie about a woman who ruined her life via crippling anxiety and depression, and after it was shot I started ruining my life with crippling anxiety and depression.
Depression: The Movie was my comeback film, after Bleeding Through had gotten great reviews and national distribution I realized that if I got up off the couch and believed in myself I could accomplish amazing things. I spent every dime I had in the world and made Depression. It was a humorous look at sad elements of life. I had so much I wanted to get off my chest when I did it, I think it’s possible my best work simply because I was working so much sickness out of myself at the time.
Depression: The Movie was life voodoo, depression had harmed me so much over the years I changed what the word meant. Not when I heard “depression” I don’t just think of misery, I think of a movie that I couldn’t be more proud of.
Your next film was a return to the slasher genre, BABYSITTER MASSACRE, 2013. I was looking at the message boards on IMDB and the headline for the first post says, "Excellent Movie." The next one says, "Terrible Movie." Any time you put a work of art into the world, it's tough, as you are exposing yourself as a creative individual. How do you feel about critics, fans, and criticisms of your work, both positive and negative?
Babysitter Massacre was me getting back into the game, ready to make films and get them out into the market. Babysitter Massacre was the last independent feature to be on the shelves of Blockbuster before they closed, so I think I did something right. Alternative Cinema financed and distributed the film shortly after releasing Bleeding Through. It was my first film that started me on the path to really being a film professional.
Critics are tough, they can be wonderful and supportive and completely make you feel like you have done everything right in your life. They can also take everything you love about your work away and make you feel like you don’t ever deserve to flip burgers. No matter how long I do this job every single negative review breaks my heart a little, but I can handle it because that’s the job. I just prefer when they are constructive rather than destructive. Luckily the fans have been amazing, they love the work and are so kind and generous with their support.
Talk about your next film, A BULLDOG FOR CHRISTMAS. I haven't seen this one, but am intrigued. Tell me about that one, and how was the reception for your first non-horror feature?
I did Bulldog immediately following Babysitter Massacre with the same cast and crew but boy was it a world apart.
This wasn’t my first non-horror feature, Depression: The Movie was, but it was my first family friendly film and I was worried no one would want it. The response was HUGE on it, it was my first film shot entirely on professional industry standard cameras and lenses and it sold HUGE. It went to Wal-Mart, Family Video and even played Sony Movie Network in the United Kingdom!
I wanted to make a marketable Christmas movie that satisfied my desire for sentimental drama and broad comedy, so I wrote a script that was full of heartfelt family dynamics and a talking dog. It was the first film I made after Andy Copp had died and it is completely tinged with it. The theme of Bulldog is loss, it is about a family who misses their grandfather and how some of them cannot function properly without him. You wouldn’t expect so much depth for a talking dog movie, but that’s what I did and I am so proud of that film.
You are now working full-time as a film maker, supporting yourself solely through your work. How difficult was that leap to make, and how does that feel?
Being a filmmaker for a living was incredibly scary, it isn’t a very stable job but it is what I love to do the most in the world. I was fired from a job I hated in cable access television suddenly and kind of pushed into it and I am so glad it happened. I haven’t looked back and my first year had ups and downs but it is going great.
All of your newer projects have bigger budgets. Do you use crowd funding to raise those, or have you found investors? What are your thoughts on crowd funding, and what advice do you have for other filmmakers on raising money for features?
I crowd fund about one feature film per year, and I always make it something special, like a heartfelt comedy or an intense offbeat drama. Something that isn’t easy to market but that I want to make solely for the love of filmmaking. It’s been incredibly humbling to see people support my work so tirelessly. Most of my other features are financed by investors or studios, but sometimes I pull out my check book and put my money where my mouth is.
If you want to raise money to make a movie you are getting too far ahead of yourself. You need to make a movie to prove yourself before anyone should be expected to shell out their hard earned money. Money is just a problem to be solved, filmmaking is all about problem solving. If you only have 200 bucks, then make a 200 dollar movie. Get out there, start working and get yourself noticed. Never let anything stop you.
What's your favorite part of the film process? Writing? Shooting? Editing?
My favorite part is by far shooting/directing. I don’t hate writing or editing, but I truly love producing and directing. I love being on set and the speedy spontaneous creativity that we get to experience. If I could be on set every single day, I would totally go for it.
Your most recent two films are both Westerns, JESSE JAMES: LAWMAN and CALAMITY JANE'S REVENGE. I'm a huge Western fan, and really glad to see the genre receiving something of a renaissance lately. What were some of the challenges of shooting a period piece?
I didn’t direct Jesse James: Lawman, but I was a director of photography on a it.
Shooting a western had lots of challenges including horses, costumes, props, makeup, and weather. Weather was the worst by far, shooting mostly exteriors gave lots of chances for us to get rained on and we did a few times. The biggest problem with a period piece was hiding power lines, modern roads, and airplanes in the sky. But you just go out there and shoot and do the best you can on the limited funds and schedule you have.
You always screen your films in a local theater for cast and crew when they're finished for their WORLD PREMIERE. That must be a great experience, watching your work projected on the big screen with an appreciative crowd.
Nothing will ever beat showing your work to an excited crowd, hearing them laugh or scream where you want them to. That is how you really get the chance to feel like a successful director.
Do you enjoy the marketing side of the business, promoting the films and going to conventions?
I have always enjoyed marketing my work, I love the movies I make and I love connecting them with the people who would enjoy them. I think all of my success could be attributed to my promotion and marketing efforts which I have always taken into my own hands.
Finally, what are some projects you have lined up or would like to pursue in the future?
I am shooting a romantic comedy called Making Out in about a month, I can’t wait! It’s a story I have had bouncing around my head for several years and I just love hitting new genres. I have two other films lined up but I just can’t talk about them quite yet.
Thanks for spending some time here in the haunted lab, Henrique. Watch our for the vampire bats on the way out, they haven't been fed lately.
Damn bats always get in my hair.
Showoff! To find out more about Henrique look him up on Facebook or find him on YouTube
Thanks again, Henrique.
Sunday, April 18
Talkin Rondo with David Colton
David Colton is the creator of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. He graciously agreed to do an interview with me to talk all things Rondo, which turned out to be a pretty fun one - I think you guys will really enjoy this…
Doc G - Hi David – thanks so much for spending some time with us. I want to congratulate you on another excellent Rondo Award season. This was the 8th annual Rondo Award – pretty impressive..
DC: Thanks, Doc. I think back to the first Rondo Award voting way back in early 2003, when we were thrilled -- literally thrilled! -- to have 186 votes come in. And now to routinely have almost 3,000 votes a year, yes, we've come a long way. Eight years is a long time and there's no sign of Rondo stopping.
Doc G - How would you explain the Rondo Awards to someone who had never heard of them?
DC: The Rondo Awards are an effort to honor and recognize those people and projects that keep the classic horror genre alive and vibrant. It is not so much about 'favorite actor' or 'favorite monster' but about the latest scholarship in books and magazines, the fun and creativity in writing, art, music, special events and horror hosts like yourself, and in the efforts to preserve the classic films.
Every vote is our attempt to thank and recognize all the creative people -- fans and pros alike -- who work so hard, often without any pay at all -- to keep the classic monster genre young and vital.
As a journalist, I was especially struck by the in-depth research that went into the books and articles exploring the background stories of the classic horror films.
The voluminous and meticulous research surrounding Bela Lugosi, as just one example, from his roots in Budapest to his tragic final years, by people like Gary Rhodes, Richard Cremer, Gregory Mank, Arthur Lennig, David Skal, Tom Weaver, Frank Dello Stritto, Leonard Kohl, Richard Sheffield, Richard Bojarski and so many other writers and historians ranks right up there with the Kennedy assassination in attention to detail and passion -- and obsession!
Every vote is our attempt to thank and recognize all the creative people -- fans and pros alike -- who work so hard, often without any pay at all -- to keep the classic monster genre young and vital.
As a journalist, I was especially struck by the in-depth research that went into the books and articles exploring the background stories of the classic horror films.
The voluminous and meticulous research surrounding Bela Lugosi, as just one example, from his roots in Budapest to his tragic final years, by people like Gary Rhodes, Richard Cremer, Gregory Mank, Arthur Lennig, David Skal, Tom Weaver, Frank Dello Stritto, Leonard Kohl, Richard Sheffield, Richard Bojarski and so many other writers and historians ranks right up there with the Kennedy assassination in attention to detail and passion -- and obsession!
It was my feeling that recognizing that kind of 'monster' journalism was long overdue.
Doc G - Any other horror icons you considered naming the award after before deciding on Rondo?
DC: Back in 2003 on the old horror board at AOL, a bunch of us, people like Gary Prange, Kerry Gammill, Tom Weaver, Tim Lucas, John Clymer, Mirek Lipinski, a bunch of us, were wondering if the horror board should give out awards. Gary and Susan Svehla had been giving out "Laemmle Awards,'' named after the legendary Universal producer, at their Fanex conventions, and that was clearly an inspiration for our more fan-based idea.
So we kicked around a bunch of possible names -- the Fritzes, the Ygors (I still like that one), the Belas, the Dwight Fryes, but none seemed right. We wanted it to be obscure and not so obvious. Someone (maybe me, but I'm not really sure), mentioned Rondo Hatton, then someone said 'the Rondos,' and wow, it sounded absolutely perfect!
So we kicked around a bunch of possible names -- the Fritzes, the Ygors (I still like that one), the Belas, the Dwight Fryes, but none seemed right. We wanted it to be obscure and not so obvious. Someone (maybe me, but I'm not really sure), mentioned Rondo Hatton, then someone said 'the Rondos,' and wow, it sounded absolutely perfect!
And then when we realized that in 'House of Horrors,' mad sculptor Martin Kosleck makes a giant bust of Hatton, that felt right, too.
Still, it was all just fanboy talk until Kerry Gammill -- a terrific artist who has drawn Superman for DC, Star Wars art and lots more -- e-mailed a sketch of what a miniature version of that bust would look like.
I remember e-mailing back, 'You can do this?' A week or so later he e-mailed photos of the prototype busts and it was like, 'Wow. We HAVE to do this now.'
And I have to say that I have believed from Day One that the true allure of the Rondos is to a very large degree that wonderful Rondo Hatton statuette. You hold it and it just looks and feels perfect, and even people who have won Oscars and Hugo awards are eager to have one. So all props (as the kids used to say!), to Kerry Gammill for making a crazy idea real.
And thanks, too to Tim Lindsey and Byron Salisbury, two very talented model makers and artists who have cast the more than 150 Rondo statuettes that will be out there by the end of this awards season. It is no small task and they do a great job (as does my wife, Eileen, who paints them one by one!)
And I have to say that I have believed from Day One that the true allure of the Rondos is to a very large degree that wonderful Rondo Hatton statuette. You hold it and it just looks and feels perfect, and even people who have won Oscars and Hugo awards are eager to have one. So all props (as the kids used to say!), to Kerry Gammill for making a crazy idea real.
And thanks, too to Tim Lindsey and Byron Salisbury, two very talented model makers and artists who have cast the more than 150 Rondo statuettes that will be out there by the end of this awards season. It is no small task and they do a great job (as does my wife, Eileen, who paints them one by one!)
Doc G - I was pleasantly surprised to see District 9 win Best Movie this year (although I personally voted for Drag Me to Hell). D9 was a great movie, but I really didn’t expect it to win. Every year seems to bring about surprise results – what category surprised you the most this year?
DC: I was surprised that Avatar only ranked fifth in the voting (I voted for Star Trek, myself; yes, I get a vote!), and more than surprised that Monsters from the Vault's cover by Daniel Horne won even though MFTV had two covers entered. The beauty of Horne's work just captured voters when they saw it on the ballot.
Doc G - The focus of the Rondo Awards has always been classic horror first and foremost. But of course we live in the current age, so more modern genre entries are naturally going to creep into the ballot, and even win in some cases. Case in point was Rob Zombie’s Halloween winning best movie a few years back. How do you balance this juxtaposition of old vs. new, classic vs. current, in an award named the Classic Horror Awards?
DC: That's probably the toughest thing we have to face every year.
Because, let's face it, to most of the fan base today, FRIDAY THE 13TH and the original HALLOWEEN and Freddie and Chucky and most of the '80s splatter horror cycle are as "classic'' to them as Frankenstein and Dracula were to us growing up.
After all, Halloween came out in 1978, 32 years ago! In 1960, when I was mesmerized by Zacherley on TV in New York, Frankenstein had come out only 29 years earlier. So classic depends on when you're looking, I suppose.
Still, we have tried to keep a 'classic' feel to the awards. We recognize the HALLOWEEN remakes and the like, but things like the SAW sequels and some of the rougher stuff we don't include. It's controversial, but FANGORIA, a fine magazine, is no longer nominated because there is almost no classic horror content anymore, as opposed to RUE MORGUE and HORROR HOUND, two modern magazines that do salute the classics each issue so they are included. It's not perfect, that's for sure.
But I guess my best answer is that "classic horror" -- which can also include sci fi and fantasy -- is a feeling, a sensibility, a common thread that stretches from NOSFERATU to DISTRICT 9. It's a shared collective, a nod and a wink that every nominee, even if blood-filled or CGI-based, nonetheless have a Saturday afternoon at the movies, "monster kid" soul, deep down.
Classic means it has to have a good heart, in my view.
Doc G - Every year there are new categories added to the Rondo Awards. This year was the “Fan Artist of the Year “category. What prompted this new category, and what exactly differentiates a “fan” artist from a “pro” artist?
DC: At the Classic Horror Film Board we have an art folder and some amazing fan art has been posted there. I noticed in previous Rondos these artists received a lot of write-in votes, so it seemed a good way to recognize them.
There was some bleed over in the two categories -- some fan artists were voted as pros, as vice versa -- so we're still sorting that out. You kind of know it when you see it (though I fear a pro artist objecting if they win a fan category!)
We've kicked around having a pro panel of artists nominate five or 10 fan artists for the ballot rather than a free-for-all write-in category so we may tweak the category a bit.
Doc G - I thought it was a very nice gesture to name the Fan Artist Category after Linda Miller. Can you tell me a little more about who Linda Miller is?
DC: Linda Miller was a fan artist who painted black-and-white watercolors of all the classic monsters, many in unusual poses taken from stills and off moments from the films. Her faces and especially eyes had an intensity that was quite striking. She died last year at the age of only 48. People may remember her online name: Meek. Naming the category after her seemed the right way to honor her memory, and the category.
Doc G - Any new categories we can look forward to next year?
DC: Hah. People say there are TOO MANY categories already. But we're open to suggestions. There's been talk of horror fiction novels, but I'd need a lot of help on that since I don't read many.
Doc G - Unlike most awards of this type, the Rondo Awards are a fan voted Award, and have been from day one. I’m sure when you began this award you must have weighed whether to open it to voting. What was the ultimate reason that made you decide to go this route?
DC: I think having fans vote, as imperfect as it might be, remains another key to Rondo's success. The results aren't always what one would expect, but no system is perfect. It has truly become a fan's award, and the nominees and winners respect that. A lot.
We initially kicked around a different system: have fans e-mail nominations, and then have a panel of 5-10 "experts" decide who wins. Given the internecine warfare that too often infects fandom, I can guarantee that "bestowing" awards in some closed-door star chamber would be far more controversial than any other method! So having an open vote seems the fairest. And the most fun!
Doc G - This voting method sometimes leads to controversy. I know you have a policy against open campaigning from nominees in an attempt to keep the awards fair. Early on you even rescinded an award from one winner who had openly solicited votes in a blatantly unfair fashion. However, people are naturally competitive, especially creative folks - I see candidates campaigning every year, sometimes in not so subtle ways. I have mixed feelings about this - On the one hand it brings more notice to the awards and more votes and voters, which is the ultimate goal. On the other hand, it goes against the spirit of the award. How do you balance these two aspects of campaigning, and what steps if any do you take to ensure the voting process is fair?
DC: Every year it's a challenge.
There are two ways to go at it: Have it just be a free-for-all, American Idol style, whoever can round up the most votes wins.
Or very strictly monitor each and every vote to avoid duplication and the like.
I've chosen a middle ground. I rarely throw out any votes (only when the same person starts voting more than once, or obvious duped votes that make no sense). But it's rare. The vote is the vote, you know?
Some categories are unavoidably open to campaigning, truth be told. Any time a Horror Band is nominated, they get their fans to vote, Myspace-style. Similarly with horror hosts, various write-in campaigns. That's all fine, and as you say, it does boost the totals and spread the word, and that's good too.
At the same time, I do step in every so often if I see an effort going too far. Usually a gentle e-mail to a nominee saying, I don't know if you know this but I'm getting 20 votes an hour from the same basement in Boise (or whatever), is enough to calm the waters.
The downside is when people go too far. We've had entire ballots filled out, in every category, then e-mailed to people to then send to me as a vote. We've had dozens of AOL ballots come in (which are impossible to trace and easy to change names), all in the same font and typeface. We count them all, but it's obvious to see what's happening.
It's one thing to get an "I vote for Crabby Appleton" as best band (obscure 60s reference), but another to have that vote carry along 29 other categories, from some voter who doesn't know any of it. That's unfair across the board.
So I always prefer that anyone who wants a vote to say, "hey, I'm nominated, please vote for me. To do so, go to the rondoaward.com site and get a ballot there."
That's all fine, and it spreads awareness and hey, it's a popular vote so why wouldn't someone ask a friend to vote for them? Just try to keep it real, people.
Doc G - Speaking of voting, you currently have folks email their ballots in. Are there any plans in the near future to use an online ballot with radio buttons voters can click to vote to make the process easier, or will it continue as an email voting process.
DC: I think we'd all agree that it is amazing, literally amazing, that almost 3,000 people actually cut and paste and make check marks or highlight or type in names or otherwise wrangle with the impossibly long, furshlugginer ballot every year. You have to be a REAL fan to do that, and maybe that's why I kind of like it.
There's no doubt we'd get double, maybe three or four times the number of votes if it was read and click, read and click, More than 30,000 visits were made to rondoward.com in the last seven weeks.
As for automated voting, as you know, Doc, we experimented over the summer with that, using a variety of automated voting programs. Even with the huge size of the ballot, it does seem possible. I remain reluctant, though.
While those programs do prevent you from voting twice from the same machine with the same name, it's easy to vote many times from other people's machines or whatever. And maybe easier to convince a friend to click and vote than convincing a friend to e-mail me a ballot.
What I do know is that when I can actually see each e-mail, it's way friendlier, I have a much better idea of what's going on, and I also think the clumsy system we use now prevents fraud or skullduggery better than an automated system.
But again, a vote is a vote, and maybe opening it up all the way through automated voting is worth a test one year. The folks at People's Choice or American Idol WANT people to vote as many times as possible. Maybe Rondo should too? Nah, I don't think mass numbers are worth losing the feel of a classic horror community coming together and voting.
But I struggle with this all the time and would love to hear what other folks think.
There's no doubt we'd get double, maybe three or four times the number of votes if it was read and click, read and click, More than 30,000 visits were made to rondoward.com in the last seven weeks.
As for automated voting, as you know, Doc, we experimented over the summer with that, using a variety of automated voting programs. Even with the huge size of the ballot, it does seem possible. I remain reluctant, though.
While those programs do prevent you from voting twice from the same machine with the same name, it's easy to vote many times from other people's machines or whatever. And maybe easier to convince a friend to click and vote than convincing a friend to e-mail me a ballot.
What I do know is that when I can actually see each e-mail, it's way friendlier, I have a much better idea of what's going on, and I also think the clumsy system we use now prevents fraud or skullduggery better than an automated system.
But again, a vote is a vote, and maybe opening it up all the way through automated voting is worth a test one year. The folks at People's Choice or American Idol WANT people to vote as many times as possible. Maybe Rondo should too? Nah, I don't think mass numbers are worth losing the feel of a classic horror community coming together and voting.
But I struggle with this all the time and would love to hear what other folks think.
Doc G - How did the counting process go this year as opposed to previous ones? It seemed like you announced the winners quicker than before.
DC: I was able to keep up with the count better than in past years, so except for the final crazed weekend, I was usually current with the count. There can be 250 or more votes on the heaviest days. Not all are full ballots, though, so that helps. I count a few at work (shhh), and finish up at home each night or morning,
The biggest delay is just getting the winner's list ready, downloading art, etc. But we closed on Saturday and announced on Monday night. Then I slept.
Doc G - Your wife Eileen is a real trouper to put up with this craziness. How does she feel about this and how much time it consumes?
DC: She's the best. She jokes every year that this is the last year she'll paint the awards (it takes at least three coats), or at least I think she's joking, but yes, she's been incredibly supportive. She's a photographer, so her photos of the ceremony at Wonderfest are always a highlight.
Two of my favorite photos from the ceremonies are you, Doc, looking at your Rondo with admiration, and of Zacherley holding his Rondo in triumph. Eileen took them both, so thanks for mentioning her.
Doc G - My favorite aspect of the Rondo Awards is the fact it spotlights many deserving websites and creative individuals. Every year I discover something new on the ballot. This has to make you feel proud as well.
DC: Yup. Many people complain about the length of the ballot, and every year I try to trim it.
But I also want the Rondo ballot to be a true representation of what is happening out there. I get many e-mails from even the most obscure nominees saying they don't expect to win but they've noticed an uptick in clicks to their website, in book or magazine orders and or just plain interest in whatever their project happened to be. That really makes me feel good because it means the Rondos are helping lift all boats, or trying to.
Doc G - Every year the Rondo Awards grow larger and attract more media attention. I see this as both good and bad. It is good in that it grows the awards and brings more voters; bad in that the larger it gets the more difficult it is for the little guys to win. You see that with Rue Morgue sweeping the categories it’s nominated in, and I foresee the same thing with Famous Monsters Magazine once it gets cranking up full steam - anything with Forry Ackerman’s name attached to it seems to be an automatic win. What are your thoughts on this?
DC: As I type up the ballot I sometimes have an instinct on what will win. Yes, anything with Harryhausen, Ackerman, Bob Burns, Lugosi attached to it always has a better chance out of the box. But name recognition isn't enough, the project truly has to be worthy, too.
As for the "little guys" being overwhelmed, that's something to deal with at some point. There's no doubt that Rue Morgue and Horror Hound, coming out so regularly and appearing so prominently on magazine racks, have a built in fan base, but nothing wrong with that. Their support is earned by the work they are doing. Rue Morgue has been on a particular roll (Horror Hound has yet to break through but has become a real factor).
But Monsters from the Vault, Scary Monsters, Filmfax, Screem and the rest still draw very sizable numbers from what I like to call the "classic horror electorate.'' And then there's Video Watchdog's fans. So I think it evens out.
We've kicked around splitting the magazine category: Modern vs. classic, perhaps, and maybe now that there are more, not fewer as people believe, magazines out there, that's a possibilty. But I kinda like the simplicity of 'Best magazine' so I dunno.
In the end, I think the way to keep the "little guys" in the game is to keep the awards as intensely "classic" and wonderfully crazy as we can. That's where the little guys have an advantage!
Doc G - One of my favorite categories is the Hall of Fame. This category is a bit different from all the rest, in that it accepts six new entries every year. It is sort of a lifetime achievement award for promoting classic horror. I have to admit though that I am a bit confused on the criteria for acceptance. On the one hand fan favorite actors such as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi are not in the HOF, but on the other hand German Robles (Mexican actor) and Ben Chapman (Creature from the Black Lagoon land creature) are. Can you explain this category and the criteria for inclusion?
DC: The Monster Kid Hall of Fame selections are bestowed based only partly on votes, but also the opinions of a few of us at the CHFB.
The idea is not to include folks like Lugosi, Karloff and James Whale, but to honor the second and third generation of pros and fans who kept the "Monster Kid" in all of us alive.
So it includes people like Ackerman, Zacherley, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Basil Gogos, Don Glut, the Svehlas, Dick and Nancy Klemensen, William K. Everson, Joe Dante, the sculptors of the Aurora models, etc. -- those folks who helped inspire or craft horror fandom into what it is today.
It also includes some pros -- Ben Chapman, for example -- who became part of the fabric of fandom by attending conventions, cooperating with biographers and the rest. And on a few rare occasions -- the aging Mexican vampire portrayer German Robles, for example, on his rare visit to Monster Bash -- it's a chance to honor someone for taking the time to meet fans.
It's a truly impressive list. I hope to build an online area at the Rondo site when I get a chance, and some help, to honor all the inductees.
Funny sidenote: A few years back we got a flood of write-in votes as Monster Kid of the Year and Monster Kid Hall of Fame for young Daeg Faerch, who was in Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN. He was a true monster kid, after all.
I had to explain that Monster Kid is not an age, but a state of mind. But even this year he got some votes. Probably someday he'll get in. When he's old enough!
Doc G - The controversy of the year category is obviously a joke, like the old Marvel no-prize they would give away in their comics. I heard one group that “won” got upset they didn’t receive a statue. Any thoughts on that and I assume this is one category that will continue to stay on the ballot?
DC: Last year's controversy "winner'' was the claim by Sid Terror that he had once held in the 1970s or 80s a reel of LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT in his hands.
And yes, his website angrily denounced the Rondos for not giving Sid a statuette. But that's not that kind of category, obviously. Yes, it's a "no prize."
Happily, I ran into Sid at Monsterpalooza a few weeks ago and he asked about it, saying even he didn't think it was that kind of category, and I explained that he was right. He seemed satisfied.
Just shows how coveted the little heads are!
Doc G - I’ve heard you mention before that you would love to see the Rondos televised. A live webcast of the award ceremony at Wonderfest could easily be arranged. Is this something you’d be interested in?
DC: If possible, yes. We'd probably have to work on the lighting, but the Wonderfest people have just been great, so one of these years.
Doc G - In your day job you are the front page editor for USA Today. Are your coworkers there aware of the Rondo Awards and your involvement with it, and if so what is their reaction to it?
DC: Yes, they know and it's fine, professionally. There are no conflicts and I don't use USA TODAY to push the awards or anything (although our Pop Candy online columnist Whitney Matheson has happily taken to mentioning when the voting begins).
As for colleagues and such, it's like anyplace else. Some people get it totally, vote, ask me when the ballot will be out, reminisce about horror films, think it's cool. Others look at me like I'm nuts. The same reaction we all get, I suppose, wherever we work and we bring up, um, monsters.
Doc G - There is no way one person could possibly know about every worthy nominee for every category, so you naturally rely on fan input for more information. Tell my readers about the nomination process and how they can nominate their favorites.
DC: One of the recurring questions I get is, do you read and see all that stuff? And no, of course I don't, no one could possibly have seen or read or own everything on the ballot.
That's why nominations and suggestions are so important so I can at least check them out, see what other people have said about a suggestion, before deciding if it makes the ballot or not. As Doc knows, I ask dozens of fans before the voting begins to take a look at certain categories, give me input, help out. So it's just not me.
Anyhow, if you want to suggest something for next year's Rondo ballot (Rondo IX!!!), you can make a nomination in the Rondo folder at classichorrorfilmboard.com, or, easier, you can e-mail me at taraco@aol.com.
The Rondos really do depend on everyone, so all help is appreciated!
Anyhow, if you want to suggest something for next year's Rondo ballot (Rondo IX!!!), you can make a nomination in the Rondo folder at classichorrorfilmboard.com, or, easier, you can e-mail me at taraco@aol.com.
The Rondos really do depend on everyone, so all help is appreciated!
Doc G - Well David, thanks again for agreeing to do this interview. This was a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing you again at Wonderfest next month.
DC: Yes, and I look forward to the return of your Chiller Theater Live this year! And Nurse Moan-eek, your beautiful and blood-challenged co-host. Thanks so much for taking the time to ask about...Rondo.
To find out more about the Rondo Awards and a complete list of winners from previous season go to: http://www.facebook.com/l/1bf63;www.rondoaward.com
DC: Yes, and I look forward to the return of your Chiller Theater Live this year! And Nurse Moan-eek, your beautiful and blood-challenged co-host. Thanks so much for taking the time to ask about...Rondo.
To find out more about the Rondo Awards and a complete list of winners from previous season go to: http://www.facebook.com/l/1bf63;www.rondoaward.com
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