Interview with Filmmaker Adam Barnick

If you’re not familiar with the name Adam Barnick, you soon will be! Adam is the director and writer behind the short film Mainstream, which was released via Fangoria’s Blood Drive II: America’s Best Short Horror Films DVD as well as producing, directing and editing the behind-the-scenes documentaries and featurettes for the films Frozen and Grace.

Adam is a long-time fan of the horror genre, and has contributed to many horror websites, including Icons of Fright and Dread Central. He is currently working on the exciting experimental horror documentary entitled What is Scary?

Sarah Jahier: Hi Adam and thanks for joining us today! Tell us a little about your background and how you first fell in love with the horror genre. 

Adam Barnick: I grew up in a wooded, spooky area in central New Jersey that gave me a deep appreciation for mood and atmosphere, both in its isolation and in the textures of Fall and Wintertime. Being forced through years of Catholic School as a kid definitely brought room to daydream and become familiar with talks of damnation and fear. And Halloween was always a big deal in our house. But I was introduced to the fantastic through a book on classic science fiction films that my Aunt gave me when I was 5 or 6. And my diet was primarily sci-fi for the next few years, whether through books or films. But I always enjoyed scary movies, I think we’re either wired to love this stuff or we’re not. My mother is a big horror fan so while I wasn’t, say, watching The Exorcist at 7, I was definitely seeing what I could on TV growing up and nobody minded within reason.

I think I was 12 or 13 when I got to see A Nightmare on Elm Street on cable one night, which scarred me good…but then I found out there was a part 3 coming out and managed to coerce my folks into taking me to see it. That’s really when the full-on obsession kicked in. Soon after that I had the Fangoria subscription and was diving in head first to catch up on any and all forms of horror.  That’s the best time in life as a horror fan, when you first jump in and discover classic after classic.

Sarah Jahier: After falling in love with the genre, what made you want to actually get involved in the horror industry and how did you go about accomplishing this goal? 

Adam Barnick: Well what Dream Warriors did was kick off an obsessive love for horror but also for practical makeup effects. Both the execution/artistry of them as well as the surrealistic ideas they depicted. That really got my brain cooking with all sorts of bizarre distortions of reality, human and inhuman form, etc. Originally I was thinking that as a career path. I absorbed everything I could that had to do with special makeup effects; started mold making and learning…And of course I began “attempting” films with neighborhood friends. But the preparing for filmmaking, brainstorming story ideas and capturing ideas on film/video really took over. It felt right and correct, and by the time I was 16 I knew it was filmmaking, not FX, that had really become my passion. But I’m obsessed with all genres of film…horror just happens to be the favorite.

I was always a fan, went to film school and worked on sets…and began doing genre interviews on my own website and for a site named Entertainment Insiders in an effort to meet more people in that area and learn from them. But it was my short film Mainstream getting picked up for worldwide DVD distribution that creaked open the doors a bit.

Sarah Jahier: How did you come up with the idea for your short film, Mainstream? 

Adam Barnick: The idea for Mainstream (the short) came about at a time when I was working in a video store, at the start of college; because that’s a requirement if you’re going to be a filmmaker, right?  While the film did deal with a lot of the themes that obsess me as a person that has shown up in other work (conformity, individual vs. a group, artists vs. non-artists), it was the clientele from the job that inspired it. I think maybe two percent of the people who I dealt with in the store were the types who were open to anything different or out of the mainstream, or who had a good attitude towards themselves and their lives. Two percent who didn’t have an angry/powerless/victim mentality. 98% seemed like whatever had made them unique at some point had been literally drained or burned out of them, that they’d given up. Anything creative or different, they’d snap at.

One day while at home I was contemplating this and the entire short film hit me all at once. Every image, sequence, beginning to end. I think only 2-3 times in life have I had “visions” like that for a project I wanted to do where it showed up fully formed. And I became obsessed with that surgical sequence that could be interpreted as symbol, or literal. As time went by I was able to articulate/understand every image in it as it pertained to the things I was haunted by as a creative person. And it still took like seven years from when I had the idea before we actually got to shoot it.

Sarah Jahier: As Mainstream was your first short film, how did you go about getting it from page to screen? What challenges did you face? 

Adam Barnick:  It wasn’t my first short, but it was the first to get out there and do well or be distributed. I’d prefer my older student films never get out there.

We never got the budget or resources to do it anywhere near the level I’d imagined, but for next to no money we were able to shoot something on film that affected people and got them thinking. While it’s “small” for a short film, it was the most ambitious project I’d done at the time; I was barely in the film business then, didn’t really know anybody well. Going about producing something like that without the resources/aid of a school, and trying to get talented people involved for next to nothing was the big challenge. Instead of waiting several more years, can we possibly do this on what we have now? As cheap as that short is, it took years to get to where we could afford to do it. Biggest challenge was just raising the meager funds. Getting people who don’t know you excited about what you’re doing was certainly a new and vital area a director needs to cultivate.

I don’t think we had many production-related snags once we got going though, once I’d accepted it had to be done at this scale or not at all. A few props malfunctioning, a few shots that had to be cut or combined, some minor personality conflicts on crew…but other than that, there weren’t many troubles we didn’t push through. I’m happy we accomplished it after so long, but I’d make it totally differently now, even if we were stuck with the same budget again. You almost make a film to figure out the way to properly make it!

Sarah Jahier: You’ve worked on the horror journalism side of the industry with several online publications. Do you have a favorite article or interview you’ve done? 

Adam Barnick: Interviewing Guillermo Del Toro for Pan’s Labyrinth was a highlight.  That was a brief but a seriously joyous moment. I saw him the following year again at the premiere of The Orphanage; we ended up nerding out over DVDs with some friends near the coat-check room when he should have been on the main floor doing press photos! He’s the world’s greatest geek.

I’m particularly happy I was able to interview Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (Opera, The Third Mother), who’s since become a good friend. You learn a lot working on sets, but I’ve learned a lot as well with every interview I’ve done. Particularly from the interviews I did on the sets of Frozen and Grace…that’s one thing I think really helps those behind-the-scenes featurettes stand out. We didn’t settle for less when really getting into detailed questions on craft. And by then I’d worked enough in film to be able to interview actors/crew on their level instead of just asking for random anecdotes. And that was really the impetus behind getting into doing interviews in general…to get to know people and pick their brains while helping promote them.

Sarah Jahier: As mentioned, you’ve worked on the amazing special features for Grace and Frozen. How did you become involved with filming the special features for these films?

Adam Barnick: Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed them. That started when I met Paul Solet. Fangoria and Koch Vision both picked our short films to go on their Blood Drive II: America’s Best Short Horror Films DVD. That was a big break for us both, and he and I really went to town promoting that. I read and did coverage on a bunch of his scripts, so I knew about Grace. And he was gearing up to do the short-film version of it to pitch the feature. He’d asked if I wanted to work on it and suggested doing a behind the scenes doc for the disc. I hadn’t done one before, but figured between my thorough interviews and having been a DVD geek I could stumble my way through it.

It’s really rough compared to ones I’ve done recently, but it did what they’d hoped it would do. While the short-form Grace showed Paul could direct a high profile project, the BTS showed who he was, what he was about and how he could pull it off. I know it helped in Adam Green wanting to meet him in the first place about producing this. Obviously he wanted to because the script was great but at least he knew Paul was a good, smart guy from seeing him work. That BTS also helped Paul get his world premiere of the short at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in LA, since I’d already given it to the heads of Fango and they were excited to see what was coming…but we’d hoped if the feature got going that I’d come on board to do more of the same.

It was a bit of a fight to get me on board for the feature because of the Canadian tax credit issues, limiting the amount of Americans you can hire…and we had almost no resources at all to make those special features. I didn’t care. I’d been involved since the start of that project on some level, and needed to make sure I was involved at its end. They weren’t as technically proficient as I’d desired but they had the smarts/visual finesse I was hoping to have. Green gave me a great compliment after seeing them, that you could tell a film director did them and not just an EPK guy brought on the job as a random hire, and that he was dying to see what shorts/features I would do in the feature. He and ArieScope brought me on board for Frozen soon after that, and I tried to kick it up a notch even higher than Grace. The response to the Frozen DVD/Blu-Ray has been overwhelming!

Sarah Jahier: Do you have any funny stories from behind-the-scenes of Grace and Frozen that you can share? 

Adam Barnick: We had fun on set even while busting our asses, but the strangest thing I can think of from working on Grace was the one night we went out, when I was there.  (Adam Green tells part of this story on the Grace DVD commentary). On our night off, several of the crew, Paul, Green and I went to a tavern in the middle of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. We walked into this place, and quickly realized we were right in the middle of Cerebral Palsy Karaoke Night. None of that statement is a joke. But it made for a unique backdrop for the rest of the night’s quirks.

The rest of the night’s events remained offbeat to say the least. This older, Wilfred Brimley-esque guy came over to Green and asked if he was interested in fighting. Keep in mind he says it in the most kindly way…I was sitting next to him when this happened and I thought he meant it like “do you like boxing?” But no, he clarified that he wanted to know if Green was interested in going outside to fight, just for the hell of it. Green politely turned him down. Then he asked if anyone else at the table was interested in fighting…We respectfully declined. But then at the next table, he found another older man who was like, “sure, I’ll come outside and fight!” And they went outside and fought.

So we decided to try out a different bar after that, and this one was supposed to be the one where the younger folks hung out. We get to that one, there’s a dozen flat-out hammered people falling down in the parking lot, and one girl trying to open a pocketknife to attack some other guy’s girlfriend. We sidestep this and go inside and it was just a whirlwind of strange Canadian drunkenness. And a lot of people beating each other up. Set to a drum and bass beat. People are really nice up there, but they let their hair down in a very unique way on the weekends it seems.

We told this story to other crew members on Monday and one of them explained the ‘Moose Jaw handshake’ to me. You break a bottle on your bar table, stick out the jagged end and go ‘pleased to meet you.’

Sarah Jahier: That sounds like quite the experience! You are currently working on What is Scary?, an experimental documentary. Can you tell our readers about this project and where you got the idea for it? 

Adam Barnick: After Mainstream I was trying to get several other projects going while working on other people’s films and developing my own work. As you probably know, everything’s built on sand and projects often take forever to come together…What is Scary? came about from being frustrated at a lack of resources to pull off bigger ideas I was developing. And after a few lean years where even getting a camera and lights was out of the question for any no-budget ideas I was trying to think of something that didn’t need anyone else but myself, really.

I’d participated in a similar project in which I was asked to call a voicemail and answer the question “What is sexy?” which right there can generate a ton of varied, thoughtful answers. I thought about taking a similar approach and asking people to answer ‘What is scary?’ however they saw fit, and it was an idea I could begin with just an answering machine. The answers are being edited into a visual tapestry of stills and possibly animations, akin to a Ken Burns documentary but with its own offbeat approach.  I invited people in and out of the horror world to call in with the answers to their questions.

So it became a project I could do on my own but I do have photographers including Paula Burr (Killer Eye Photography, Dread) involved; she’s been featured on your site a few times. It’s still a done-for-nothing passion project but it will be a bit more polished and involved than what’s been seen. I imagine it on the wall in a multimedia art gallery with a pair of headphones where you can drop in on this little world. There’s been a terrific response, both in the answers I got and in the film community/fans who’ve seen the teaser. I think it’s unique enough to grab people in and out of horror fandom who are open to something different. It’s become a smart dialogue between myself and the callers, though I only ask one question. I was concerned at the start that it might get too repetitive, but it’s the distinctive takes on what “scary” means to people that has made it fascinating to me.

Sarah Jahier:  I know the horror community, myself included, is extremely eager to check out this project! When can we expect to see What is Scary?
 
Adam Barnick: I only recently started postproduction and I’ll know what it’s truly going to take to wrap it up by this Spring/Summer…I’m kind of letting it tell me what it needs and it could keep changing- but I hope to wrap it up by the end of the year. I’ll be making more announcements about it at that time.

Sarah Jahier: The horror landscape is always changing, but right now mainstream Hollywood seems stuck in the remake rut with the only original ideas coming out of the independent scene. What’s your take on the current horror climate? 

Adam Barnick:  I think the past decade or so of horror’s been a complete 50/50.  Which is still better than the completely stale, sterile ‘90s in which I can only think of maybe four worthwhile horror films.

I can’t shit on remakes just because they’re remakes though…we all know some that surpass the originals and will remain classics. I recently read a script for an upcoming remake that was one of the best scripts I’d read in years. Scripts in general, not just remake scripts. You can’t really scream at Hollywood for playing safer bets, it’s completely rational from a business standpoint. But the fact is, if you look at what’s making money, they’re not seeing the support financially for a lot of original genre films.

A film on 50 screens isn’t going to make a huge dent, but it can make an impact and a decent per-screen average, which counts. And there’s ways to support original films, financially or promotionally even if you’re not fortunate to live close enough to see one you’re interested in. Sure, the Elm Street redo is going to have 30 million in marketing behind it; and a smaller film can’t compete…but it’s not hard to find what’s out there these days if you’re a serious horror fan. But every horror fan/filmmaker I know went to see Elm Street opening night last year, knowing they wouldn’t like it but they went because “they had to see it.” And then they went online to complain they didn’t like it.  Why bother if you’re certain it’s terrible?  And many of them just sit and wait for DVD when something unique comes out. So Elm Street made a ton of dough and people continue to be angry because they can’t get their scripts made and they don’t see enough variety at the theater. Every once in a while we get a gem, and overseas filmmaking continues to take chances, but I still believe people can vote with their wallets. Good horror may wax and wane but it doesn’t die.

Sarah Jahier: Who are your favorite horror filmmakers that really excite you today?

Adam Barnick: Not counting friends/people I’ve been fortunate to work with that I’m fans of…well obviously Del Toro is at the top. I wouldn’t call Neil Marshall strictly a horror filmmaker, but I’m up for whatever he’s interested in. Christopher Smith is another one who’s impressed me from the start who I’ll continue to watch. I will follow Tom Shankland around for life after he kicked me in the face with his film The Children. And I’m still down to see anything that the old-school masters of horror come up with.

Sarah Jahier: What are your picks for the 5 scariest horror movies?

Adam Barnick: This changes often since there’s usually a list of 20 from various eras that rotates…so I will pick 5 that are on my mind right now…not necessarily my favorites, but ones that continually freak me out.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) – Probably where I got my fear of “a group vs. an individual” in films…you can read so much into this film regardless of the period of history you’re from. A big unconscious influence on Mainstream.  The ‘70s follow-up is equally amazing but my heart remains in the original.

Don’t Look Now (1973) – A waking nightmare. This film made me nervous from the start and didn’t really ever let up. Literally two minutes in, it was unsafe.

The Shining (1980) – No explanation needed.

The Blair Witch Project (1999) – I grew up surrounded by woods and understand the primal scariness of them, all too well. The perfect film to me to utilize your imagination to scare the crap out of you. Plus, my friends and I were obsessed with exploring abandoned houses in high school…that film’s ending is like watching us get what we deserved back then. One of the few films that truly made it tough for me to sleep at night.

The Mothman Prophecies (2002) – I don’t know how much of a following it has, maybe people avoid it because it seems like a giant glossy star-driven horror film? But it’s seriously smart, has a visual approach unlike any other studio picture, has probably the most overt yet absorbing sound design I’ve heard, and it’s conceptually daring and quite subtly subversive for a big-ticket movie. It’s seriously eerie to see this film flirt with its spiritual concepts and ideas of the bigger picture behind the curtain that no human ever sees ‘til they die.  And then it doesn’t resolve much of the questions it poses about them.

Sarah Jahier: What horror movies (besides your own!) are you excited for in 2011 and beyond? 

Adam Barnick: I was beyond over the moon for At the Mountains of Madness and will remain hopeful the stars align someday and that film happens. Aside from projects directors I know or have worked with have brewing, I’m seriously excited for Insidious.  Any kind of supernatural tale always wins over real-life psychos with me. I’ll probably have seen Chris Smith’s Black Death by the time this interview surfaces. I know I’m not alone in thinking he’s consistently underrated. Bereavement is a seriously disturbing film just coming out now, though I saw that last year. Other than that, I’m definitely down for Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark’s redo even though I love the original…and there’s a film in prep called American Mary by the Soska sisters that won’t be out till 2012 but has already got me seriously intrigued from what little I’ve heard about it.

Sarah Jahier: How do you get inspired for ideas for your films? 

Adam Barnick: Music is a big help. And just trying to remain active and interested in people and life around me. Catching bits of conversations and imagining what came before and after. Spending too much time thinking about themes and ideas that obsess me. Traveling. As for developing scripts, and adding to the ideas I start with, I generate inspiration and ideas just through the process of working. And music helps a lot at that time. I used to wait till I was fired up and inspired before doing anything or working on any random ideas, but that resulted in basically losing ten years of being productive. It wasn’t until Summer 2009 that I kind of figured my own creativity out, and how to get the most out of it and demand of myself that I put the time in daily. The more digging I do, the more I find…but I rarely, if ever, find something before I’ve started digging. I’m still not at “full strength” yet, but I’m working out all the time now, if you get what I mean.

Sarah Jahier: What are your favorite things about the horror genre? 

Adam Barnick: It has no limitations. In terms of visuals, atmosphere, sound, subject matter, depth of intelligence. You can go anywhere and there’s an audience that can roll with it.  From the nastiest slasher to gorgeous, poetic films like Eyes Without a Face, there’s so many shades to horror and how you can approach it or what you can say with it.

Sarah Jahier: Besides horror, what makes Adam Barnick tick? 

Adam Barnick: Nature, Twin Peaks, French Onion soup, being around and having smart conversations with artists of any type, kickboxing/fitness, friends, reading, learning, New York City, London, pumpkin carving and dachshunds.

Sarah Jahier: What projects are you working on next? 

Adam Barnick: Besides what I’ve mentioned, I’ve got half a dozen scripts in various stages of development, in different genres. Though the main focus has been the feature-length version of Mainstream. It’s much more story/character based than the short was but still has a layered, smart and experimental vibe. I didn’t have an idea for a feature when I did the short, but came up with a take on it last year that has obsessed me, so I’m shaping that. I’ve got two music videos I’m in various stages of planning right now, and have written two other shorts I’m hoping to get funds for so we can shoot them this year. There are a few other behind-the-scenes docs I’m supposed to begin soon, but the films they’re for still need to get started, so I’m waiting at the starting line for the trigger to go off. And there’s a few other “maybes”, in and out of horror films, that are circling. I’m just trying to make up for lost time and continually improve myself, as a filmmaker and a person.

For more info, visit www.adambarnick.com!

Interview with Author Scott Thomas

Scott Thomas is the author of the short story collections Midnight in New England, The Ghosts in the Garden and his newly released Quill and Candle anthology. His supernatural tales are sophisticated spookfests that are usually based in rustic locales that add to their creepy charm.

I was delighted to interview Mr. Thomas to find out the secrets behind his unnerving stories, how his older brother got him hooked on horror and how writing runs in the family. Enjoy the interview below!

Fatally Yours: When did you fall in love with the horror genre?

Scott Thomas: I can hardly think of a time when I wasn’t interested in horror, though in my younger days horror was not the primary focus so much as one of several major interests, the others being science fiction and fantasy. Not to diminish any fascination with the genre. It’s actually hard not to say we when referring to those more youthful times, because my interests were so interwoven with and influenced by those of my older brother Jeffrey — yes, Jeffrey Thomas the author of Punktown. My interests were our interests. We loved monster movies and Halloween, spooky old time radio classics like Lights Out, and publications such as Eerie, Creepy, and Famous Monsters of Filmland. Oh, yes, and TV shows such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits.

FY: When did you realize you wanted to pursue writing? Have you always known you wanted to be an author?

ST: I came from a home where creativity was highly regarded. My father was a poet and an artist and my mother used to have her own musing newspaper column, so, creating, whether it be art, or homemade comic books (and eventually penning stories) became a way of expressing and inventing, a way of processing and indulging interests. Story telling, in that environment, seemed to come naturally. As far back as 5th grade I was writing what I considered novels, though I don’t think the actual word counts would have justified the label. Even so, my desire to be an author goes back at least to that time.

FY: How did you start your writing career and what was the very first thing that you had published?

ST: I wrote a certain vignette, an October mood piece called Only the Night Knows, that saw print in a pagan periodical called New Earth Journal some years before being published in anything like a horror publication.

Back in the early nineties there were a lot of small press genre magazines being put out with subject matter ranging from traditional horror and sci-fi to gothic stuff and hardcore fantasy (some will remember Deathrealm, Elegia, 2AM and Eldritch Tales, to name a few). Well, I started submitting short stories to some of those markets and scored a hit with a sale to a handsome magazine called Haunts. That was in February of 1991. The story, Memento Mori, came out in May of 1993 and later was scooped up for a reprint in DAW’s The Year’s Best Horror #22. Other short works appeared in this and that little magazine before the May issue of Haunts came out, but Memento Mori remains my first fiction acceptance.

FY: Do you follow a certain routine when writing a novel? Do you put in a certain number of hours per day?

ST: Well, whether I’m working on a novel, which is infrequent, or a short story, I guess I do it when I have time and energy and I’m in writing mode or mood. I can’t say there’s an actual pattern. I’d certainly like to write more often than I do.

FY: Your collection, The Garden of Ghosts, is set in Victorian times. What interests you about the Victorian period and why did you decide to set your book in this time period?

ST: My interest in that period stems, I would say, from my interest in the classic Victorian ghost story. The classic British Victorian ghost story especially. Some decades back, I was also rather taken with the architecture of the era, though I’ve since become more fond of earlier period houses. The Victorians were fascinated with death, of course, so setting stories in that environment seems appropriate. And, in my humble opinion, stories of a ghostly nature seem more at home in a time when people rode in carriages and relied on fireplaces and candles, and women wore long picturesque skirts. With The Garden of Ghosts I simply determined to do a collection of nothing but Victorian ghost stories, though in my own idiosyncratic interpretations of the tradition.

FY: Did you have to do a lot of research on the Victorian period before writing The Garden of Ghosts?

ST: I tend do quite a bit of research when I’m doing period stories. I get obsessive, learning more than I need. Even so, the research is a way of tuning into a certain place and period, so it proves a valuable expenditure of time. Yes, I would definitely say I did quite a bit for that particular collection. I recall looking into things such things as village life in 1830s New England, and the building styles and street lay-outs of old British villages, even the kinds of plants one would have encountered in Victorian times. A great deal of research went into the Jack-the-Ripper story Mr. Pickergill’s Unusual Oak-wood Box. I aimed to capture details of the actual crimes as well as the dreary slum environs where that gory bit of history took place. I wanted that crime-infested, down-trodden part of London to almost function as a character in the story.


FY: What are your favorite stories that you’ve written?

ST: Favorites change over time, but one that I would absolutely list is The Swan of Prudence Street, which appeared in Ministry of Whimsy’s Leviathan 3. I’m rather proud of that one. Two others that I consider favorites are The Second Parsonage, from my collection Midnight in New England and the title story from The Garden of Ghosts. The collective stories of my book Westermead are very dear to me as well.

FY: How do you feel about ultra-gory horror novels as opposed to more psychologically chilling tales?

ST: I can’t say I’m much of a novel reader, but as regards horror fiction in general, I favor quiet ghost stories to gore. I’m a big fan of Thomas Harris, though, and his violent, bloody work borders on horror (but also works on a psychological level as well). It’s sort of ironic, I suppose, because back when I was in my early twenties I wanted my writing to be the most violent stuff around. Not that I’m a prude now by any means. I enjoy a good exploding heads zombie flick as much as the next guy.

FY: What do you think of the recent popularity of period-based horror novels that take established classic texts and infuse monsters in them, like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters?

ST: I looked one of those books over in a store once. While some tolerant part of me almost wants to find the concept amusing and witty, I’m really pretty disgusted by the idea. It’s so smirky and arrogant to deface antique works of literature. Would it be cute and funny to spray paint giant boobs on the wall of some historical figure’s birth place, or to superimpose party hats on the portraits of historical figures? Splice silly blips of annoying music into a Bach cello piece? No, I can’t say I care for the trend and I hope I’m not alone in that sentiment. Is it, perhaps, just another emanation of a soulless, jaded, and barbaric pop culture?

FY: Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

ST: It really varies. Sometimes elements of a story will just sort of pop into mind. Sometimes it’s an image, or a line of descriptive, or I may get inspired by reading something about life in the past and roll from there. Reading or hearing something by a skilled author can stir the creative juices, certainly.

FY: Who are your main influences?

ST: My brother Jeffrey has always been an influence. Who knows, if it were not for his early interest in writing, I might not have gravitated to that pursuit myself. I’ve been influenced by M.R. James and Dylan Thomas, the singer/ musician/storyteller Robin Williamson and I’ve always loved Dickens’s A Christmas Carol with its ghostly elements.

FY: What are some of your favorite horror books and films?

ST: My favorite horror books are collections by M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft and H. Russell Wakefield. And my brother’s work, of course! For novels I’d have to mention William Peter Blatty’s Legion. Films…The Innocents, which is a haunting 1961 black and white version of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw. The masterful The Others! Carpenter’s Halloween! Others favorites include Eyes of Fire, Ghost Story, Kubrick’s The Shining, An American Werewolf in London, Carpenter’s The Thing, Reanimator.

FY: Who are your favorite authors?

ST: Jeffrey Thomas, Dylan Thomas, M.R. James, Charles Dickens, Thomas Harris, H. Russell Wakefield, H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Hardy, Truman Capote.

FY: What was the last book you read?

ST: Devil’s Gate by David Roberts. It’s a haunting tale of true life horror and suffering, a documentation of the plight of Mormon pilgrims who died from starvation, exhaustion and freezing weather while pushing handcarts for over a thousand miles in the western wilderness of 1856. The book explicitly illustrates how dangerous religions can sometimes be. Over two hundred people lost their lives. It was the greatest tragedy in the history of western migration. Devil’s Gate, which is wonderfully written and constructed, was an odd choice of a book for me to read, as I’m not terribly interested in western history. The human drama of the event was what drew my interest.

FY: Do you have any upcoming projects you are working on?

ST: Well, my latest collection of supernatural short stories, Quill and Candle, is now available from Dark Regions Press as part of their Ghost House imprint. It features superb cover and interior artwork by Erin Wells and, like my book Midnight in New England, contains stories set in New England’s past.
I’ll soon be starting another collection for Dark Regions, more ghostly tales.

Thanks for having me by for a chat!

FY: And many thanks to you, Scott!

Buy Scott Thomas’ novels on Amazon:
Midnight in New England: Strange and Mysterious Tales
The Garden of Ghosts

Interview with Actress and Producer Katrena Rochell

Katrena Rochell co-stars in the much anticipated comic book adapted film Kick-Ass starring Nicholas Cage and Mark Strong. Katrena plays a sexy junkie in the Matthew Vaughn directed film, produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Production Company, which was recently released in the US from Lionsgate. Also in 2010, Katrena stars in the, Psychosis opposite Charisma Carpenter and Paul Sculfor. She plays “Helena” in the psychological thriller that she co-wrote and executive produced.

On the small screen in her native Untied Kingdom, Katrena will be seen this year in the made for TV movie, Casting Nina a British mockumentary about the absurdities that surround the world of the entertainment industry. She is best known for her role in television film currently airing on the BBC The Last Days of Lehman Brothers, where she plays “Ezzy” opposite esteemed actor, James Cromwell.

Katrena was just cast opposite Michelle Morrow in an untitled sci-fi thriller about the end of times directed by Michael Shelton. She also just signed on to produce and star in a new untitled film that deals with a small town family’s struggles with crystal meth addicts. Her other film credits include the independent film, Joy Division and the video short  JD Pilot.

Katrena is co-director of the British production company Kingsway Films that produced Psychosis and Joy Division. She began her acting studies at Mesa Conservatory and continues to study at the Impulse Theatre Company when in the UK. She divides her time between London and Los Angeles. In her free time she enjoys reading, painting, hiking, tennis and cooking.

Fatally Yours: What are your first memories of the horror genre and what drew you to it?

Katrena Rochell:  Friday the 13th was my first memory… I was a little girl and having a slumber party. We somehow got one without my parents knowing. I remember I felt so  terrified…and alive! Then we would all go outside in the dark and walk…Terrified.

Fatally Yours: What does horror mean to you?

Katrena Rochell: Fear of the unknown

Fatally Yours: What made you want to pursue acting as a career and how did you get your start in the entertainment industry?

Katrena Rochell: I love the stage and performing on it. I fell into it by accident really at university. I was terribly shy and when it was my turn to go on stage, I would just die….But it made me feel so alive! It also made me curious and question things….look at things differently. I did what everyone else trying to be an actor did. Moved to LA and auditioned and did as many plays and films as I could. I have been doing it for awhile, it’s just lately things have started taking off for me.

Fatally Yours: What made you want to create your own production company and what kind of films are you hoping to produce? 

Katrena Rochell: I was frustrated being in London and never being “right” for the part. I’ve always been told I’m very hard to pinpoint. I decided if I was ever going to do anything I would have to do it myself. I was lucky because I was surrounded by people who make things happen as opposed to waiting for things to come…I guess it rubbed off on me…When I started doing my own things, that is, when I started booking. What type films would I want to produce? Anything dark with shock value! I also want my films to be honest and explore the dark side to our humanity.

Fatally Yours: You are in the comic-book adaptation of Kick-Ass, a film that everyone seems to be buzzing about! Tell us about your experience working on the film with the cast and crew and your overall thoughts on the film itself. 

Katrena Rochell: The film is great! Matthew Vaughn was a dream to work for. He is so creative and willing to play to create something that fits. I also worked the two weeks with the stunt guys, which are so amazing.  It was the biggest film set I have ever been on and it was absolutely fabulous…I didn’t want it to end.

Fatally Yours: You will also be starring in the upcoming Psychosis, alongside Charisma Carpenter. You not only star in the film, but also executive produced as well as co-wrote Psychosis. Tell us what it was it like acting and producing simultaneously, as well as being a writer on the film. 

Katrena Rochell:  Reg Traviss and I had wrote Charisma’s part for me and we were only making a short. It just continued to grow and we gained amazing support along the way. I ended up playing a smaller role. It was not anymore difficult than just acting because Reg was so on top of everything. I consider that film my “film school”  as it is where I educated myself on the ways of making a film from start to finish.

Fatally Yours: Speaking of being a writer, do you wish to pursue that career more along with acting and producing? Are there any scripts, etc. you are working on now?

Katrena Rochell: I don’t consider my self a writer. I could not do it alone. I am currently working on a film about crystal meth set in Tennessee that I developed along with my partner Andrew Docker. We are also producing it and plan on shooting at the end of summer. I also have an idea that I am going to do next which is something I have wanted to do for a very long time….

Fatally Yours: We celebrated Women in Horror Month here on Fatally Yours back in February, so now I’d like to ask you a few female-centric questions. Do you think female roles in horror films have shown improvement and that there are more strong female characters being featured in films nowadays? 

Katrena Rochell: I think it is better but still has room for improvements…

Fatally Yours: Have there been any roles that you’ve turned down because you found them too stereotypical, offensive, exploitative, etc.?

Katrena Rochell:   Yes.

Fatally Yours: Do you ever get annoyed by the stereotypical “bimbo in distress” who always seems to end up naked for no apparent reason in some horror movies?

Katrena Rochell:  It has its place… but that is it…

Fatally Yours: Do you think there is a horror movie that is equally fair in terms of men being objectified or at least losing the same amount of clothes?

Katrena Rochell: Nothing comes to mind

Fatally Yours: What are your overall thoughts on how women are portrayed in horror films (or in films in general)?

Katrena Rochell:  Obviously women do not get the same opportunities as men…which is totally unfair. Now more women are moving into other aspects of film making (myself for instance) so I believe they have a responsibility to create change. Saying that, generally, women do not care so much if you have a hot man taking off his clothes…we find it cheesy… or at least I do…I suppose that is the difference in men and women.

Fatally Yours: Behind the scenes, do you think more and more women are getting involved in directing, producing, writing, etc.? Why do you think that traditionally more men have been involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of filmmaking than women? 

Katrena Rochell: I’m not sure why men have been more behind the scenes in the past, but I certainly know that is not the case anymore. I produce and act and have occasionally tried writing…anybody these days can create anything.

Fatally Yours: And now, back to some fun questions! What has been your favorite character you’ve portrayed? The most challenging? 

Katrena Rochell: I loved playing Desserick in Finding Nina. She is absolutely a lunatic…crazy alive character. We did mostly improv for that  show.

Fatally Yours: If you could play or go up against any fictional horror villain in a film, who would it be and why?

Katrena Rochell: I’ve I always wanted to play a serial killer… It is fascinating to see what makes them tick. I’d love to explore that.

Fatally Yours: What women in the entertainment business, specifically the horror genre, do you admire and look up to?

Katrena Rochell: I honestly look up to any woman who manages to have a career. It is so difficult and even more so the women who manage to keep working once they get a hand in the door. It’s easy for people to sit around and criticize and judge. I try to see the good in all.

Fatally Yours: What would be your dream role/project?

Katrena Rochell: I’m working on that one at the moment. We have just commissioned a writer to write it and as soon as I’m finished with the crystal meth project, I will focus on “my baby”.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give women who want to pursue a career in the entertainment business?

Katrena Rochell: Do it. It’s the time now… it’s just like the revolution of the 70′s. People can do it themselves now… and women have already started leading the way… [like] The Hurt Locker [Kathryn Bigelow was the first female director to win the Best Director Academy Award].

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Katrena Rochell:  www.katrenarochell.com Psychosis will be out in July!  And Kick-Ass opens this Friday [since this interview was conducted, Kick-Ass has opened in theaters across the country].

Interview with Author Jeremy C. Shipp

Jeremy C. Shipp is a weird author of Bizarro, horror, dark fantasy, and magic realism. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in over 50 publications, the likes of Cemetery Dance, ChiZine, Harlan County Horrors, Apex Magazine, Pseudopod, and The Bizarro Starter Kit (blue). While preparing for the forthcoming collapse of civilization, Jeremy enjoys living in Southern California in a moderately haunted Victorian farmhouse with his wife, Lisa, and their legion of yard gnomes. He’s currently working on many stories and novels and is losing his hair, though not because of the ghosts. His books include Vacation, Sheep and Wolves, and Cursed. And thankfully, only one mime was killed during the making of his first short film, Egg.

Fatally Yours: When and how did you fall in love with the darker genres of horror, fantasy and sci-fi?

Jeremy Shipp: In truth, I can’t recall a time when I didn’t love dark tales. My favorite movies as a kid included Dark Crystal, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Return to Oz. And when I played pretend with my brothers, our recurring characters consisted of a mummy, the grim reaper, and a floating mouth that could eat people and transport them to another dimension.

Fatally Yours: When did you realize you wanted to pursue writing? Have you always known you wanted to be an author?

Jeremy Shipp: In 4th grade, I wrote a rather long short story about a semi-friendly opera-loving alien named Chomper. That’s when I first realized how much I loved the writing process. Then, when I was 13, I wrote my first novel, and I’ve been writing about one book a year ever since. I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer. As a baby, one of my favorite toys was a pen.

Fatally Yours: How did you start your writing career and what was the very first thing that you had published? 

Jeremy Shipp: When I was 18, my high school creative writing teacher took me under his wing and encouraged me to send out my work. So that’s what I did. The first story I sent out was a horror comedy called “Love Thy Demon,” which was soon published in an online magazine.

Fatally Yours: Do you follow a certain routine when writing a novel? Do you put in a certain number of hours per day?

Jeremy Shipp: After an idea wriggles its way into my skull, I brainstorm my brains out. Then, I start writing the novel from the beginning. And I carry around an Idea Notebook everywhere I go. My novel-writing process also involves eating copious amounts of peanut butter. I try to write at least a few hours every day.

Fatally Yours: The worlds you create are usually surreal distortions of reality. How do you come up with such imaginative worlds and make their issues so relevant to our own reality?

Jeremy Shipp: When writing a tale, I let my imagination run wild and I let my muse dance a strange jig, but my mind is always rooted deeply in reality. And so, my stories are funhouse mirror reflections of my life and of our world.

Fatally Yours: Do you hope to convey a certain message to your readers through your writing? When a reader is finished with one of your books, what do you hope they take away from it? 

Jeremy Shipp: I want my readers to explore the evils of our world. Evils like racism, sexism, class stratification, factory farming, hierarchical thinking. And, above all else, I want my readers to recognize the light in the darkness. There is evil everywhere, yes. But there is good everywhere too. And that’s a wonderful thing.

Fatally Yours: Does your writing ever involve any kind of research or do you make it up as you go?

Jeremy Shipp: I’m always researching various topics and interviewing people. Even when writing a story set in unfamiliar reality, I want the details of that reality to ring true. For instance, I recently spoke to a guy who eats raw animal organs, so that I could realistically describe the taste of brains.

Fatally Yours: Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

Jeremy Shipp: I’m inspired by the wide, wide world of twisted social systems, and I’m inspired by my small world of family and friends and strangers (the stranger the better).

Fatally Yours: Tell us about Cursed, your novel that is on the Stoker Awards final ballot. 

Jeremy Shipp: Cursed is the story of Nicholas and Cicely. They’re cursed, so they decide to create a support group of sorts for cursed individuals. Together, this group of oddballs and outcasts attempt to figure out who cursed them, why, and what the heck they can do about it.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite stories that you’ve written?

Jeremy Shipp: Right now, I feel especially fond of Camp, Those Below, Dog, The Sun Never Rises in the Big City, Fungus of the Heart, Monkey Boy and the Monsters, Ula Morales, and Agape Walrus.
Fatally Yours: How do you feel about the trend of ultra-gory horror novels as opposed to the classically more psychological tales? 

Jeremy Shipp: I’m actually rather wimpy when it comes to reading and writing and watching ultra-gory tales. For instance, I could barely read American Psycho, and my soul ached for weeks after watching Martyrs. I don’t have a problem with ultra-gory horror novels, but as far as my own preferences go, I don’t like reading or writing stories where violence exists for its own sake.

Fatally Yours: Who are your main influences?

Jeremy Shipp: I started writing novels when I was 13, and back then, my main influences were Ray Bradbury, HG Wells, Alexandre Dumas, Jules Verne. These days, I’m inspired by many of my favorite writers, including Arundhati Roy, Lois Lowry, Franny Billingsley, George Orwell, Jeff Kinney, Francesca Lia Block, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Kurt Vonnegut, Amy Hempel, Aimee Bender, Haruki Murakami.

Fatally Yours: What are some of your favorite books and films?

Jeremy Shipp: Some of my favorite books: The God of Small Things, 1984, The Giver, The Mighty Book of Boosh, Wicked, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, American Born Chinese, The Folk Keeper, Let the Right One In, Slaughterhouse-Five, Like Water for Chocolate, Kafka on the Shore, Original Wisdom, Ishmael, I Was a Teenage Fairy, A Clockwork Orange. Some of my favorite films: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, Princess Mononoke, Oldboy, Memento, Happiness of the Katakuris, Fight Club, the original Star Wars trilogy, Spirited Away, Kung Fu Hustle, Lagaan, Lord of the Rings, Ponyo, Totoro, Dead Alive, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, City of Lost Children, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Up, Robin Hood, Enchanted.

Fatally Yours: What is one horror novel you think more people should read?

Jeremy Shipp: Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Fatally Yours: What was the last book you read?

Jeremy Shipp: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, which is a superb novel about family and illness. One of my goals right now is to read all the Newbery Medal winning books.

Fatally Yours: Can you tell us about any upcoming projects and/or new novels you are working on? 

Jeremy Shipp: My newest story collection, Fungus of the Heart, is coming out later this year. I also have short stories forthcoming in Cemetery Dance, Rosebud, Apex Magazine, Agape Walrus, Wicked, and other publications. In addition to this, I’m working on a new novel, a comic book series, and a short film. You can learn more about all my projects at www.jeremycshipp.com

Interview with GoreZone Magazine Editor Bryn Hammond

I’ve been a fan of the UK-based GoreZone Magazine for quite some time now and always delight in flipping through its glossy, well-informed pages. So, I was tickled blood-red when the opportunity arose to interview their mastermind and editor-in-chief, Bryn Hammond.

Bryn Hammond has been entrenched in the horror genre for quite some time now and he’s loved the genre for so long he can’t remember exactly how he fell head over heels for it. Before becoming editor-in-chief to one of the best horror mags around, he was a screenwriter, filmmaker and actor in the genre, endeavors he still actively pursues. He is currently acting in the remake of The Driller Killer as well as Monitor and hosting a TV show.

Check out our interview with the engaging Mr. Hammond below.

Fatally Yours: When and how did you first become interested in the horror genre?

Bryn Hammond: WOW. I have loved horror since forever. I can’t recall how I got into the genre but I’ve always preferred a scare fest to a romcom any day. Horror is the king of all genres and always will be.

Fatally Yours: What is the one horror film or book that most profoundly affected you?

Bryn Hammond: There have been so many. I recall my mom buying me The Lost Boys for Christmas one year and scaring the shit out of me by telling me that at the end of the movie there’s this huge monster that sucks everyone out of their beds. I was totally freaked! Of course that didn’t happen, but what did was, I became addicted to the genre even more. I’d spend every waking hour in our only video shop, a 20 minute walk away from my home, looking at the old VHS covers and renting all of them. I still love the old VHS cases; they’ve given me fond memories. My nan used to take us to car boots and I would rummage through all the old VHS tapes to find horror flicks I had yet to see. It was at one of these car boots I discovered Critters 4, which I didn’t know had been made.

I also recall the day Child’s Play 3 got released in the UK. I pulled a sickie from school as I had pre-ordered the movie to rent! I was obsessed; I really wanted a Chucky doll. That same day my mom was working late and we had a babysitter looking after us. My dad, who used to beat up on my mom, climbed the garden fence and tried to break into the house. It was terrifying and left a stamp on my brain. Now, if I watch that movie I get the jitters; I seem to get beamed back to that moment, seeing my dad in a mask climbing the fence. A horrifying situation to be in as a child. Now I think about it, maybe the need to be scared was to make me feel human. I had seen an awful lot of violence as a young child and pretty much became desensitized by it, and the only way to feel fear was to watch a horror movie. I’m sure a doc would have a field day with me!

Fatally Yours: How did you first become involved in the horror industry and how did your film, The Summer of the Massacre, come about?

Bryn Hammond: Well, I started out as a model at a young age, and was always writing stories and scripts growing up. I’d contact the names on the backs of VHS tapes, asking them if they would read my material. While most kids of 9 and 10 were out playing knock-a-door-run, I was in my room with my typewriter, creating comic books.

As I grew older my need to be involved in the industry grew. I ended up writing and producing my own TV show on a Sky channel, which lead to me having my own radio show on a station called Bridge FM.
This went on for years until I got into a really bad relationship, which kind of kicked me from pillow to post. I lost interest in everything I was doing and my passion died, which is generally the consequence of unhealthy relationships. I was working at a very well-known TV station at the time but my mental state was all over the place and I ended up homeless. I became soulless for a period, but eventually found light at the end of the tunnel by reading. If it wasn’t for turning on the TV one Saturday afternoon and watching Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire, I don’t know how my life would have turned out… I watched all her movies and surrounded myself with books about her. I just loved her get-up-and-go attitude; even through trials in life, she climbed that steep hill to reach her goals.

At this point I left my whole life behind and moved forward. I met my soulmate, got myself back on track, and my life became complete within six months. I was offered a record deal, but my self-esteem was shattered so nerves took over during the audition, and I stuffed it up by sing-talking the words. But as one door closes, another opens—this is when I revisited the Summer of the Massacre script.

I hunted for a director for ages, but they all complained that there was no budget. My partner had a camcorder in the shed and, as the story goes, I asked where the ‘on’ button was and began to film! I pulled together the cast from a website called UKSCREEN, purchased some software I found online and, well, the rest is history. I made the movie and it got picked up.

Fatally Yours: What made you want to pursue publishing GoreZone Magazine and how did you go about it? 

Bryn Hammond: Well, when I was really young I did a church magazine. It got banned as it had horoscopes in it. It was a gossip horror mag, and the first issue had Freddy on the cover as it was a Halloween special. I also did a lot of comics as a child; I just loved the whole picture selection process. I would read magazines for hours, whether it be in my room, on the bus or in the bath. When I stayed at my nan’s she would take me shopping and I’d spend hours in WHSmith and the local newsagent, who had shelves high of magazines.

Skip to age 24, I started working for a local paper and got the buzz back. I toyed with loads of names, and GoreZone Magazine stuck. We registered the name and own 100 per cent copyright so ignore what certain bloggers are saying… I can’t waste my energy on negative people; life’s too short. The rest is history.

When I held the first issue in my hands back in 2005, it was the most exciting feeling I have ever had. I make sure the mag covers everything I want to read, how I want to read it. I hate ass-licking column inches; I want a blunt read that tells me what’s happening behind the scenes and what the likes of Eli Roth do when the cameras stop rolling. Does he go home and chill with a bottle of wine, or does he go out clubbing and have midnight orgies with the girls from the Playboy mansion? I love gossip and I love horror even more. I think we balance that well in our magazine.

Fatally Yours: Can you run us through a typical day of being Bryn Hammond and exactly what running GoreZone Magazine entails?

Bryn Hammond: Okay, today has been a slow day as we went to print last night. So I got up and made myself a herbal tea. I’ll jump in the shower with R&B blasting in the background, get ready, open the mail and then head to the office. I normally have another tea and chinwag with Dean, who deals with marketing, to go over what we’ve done the night before. Following that, I go into the design studio and speak with the design team, then I head to speak with sales before I finally make it to my office to go over emails and open my mail. I look at up-and-coming movies, go into meetings and the day has gone before I know it. I head home at about six o’clock, have tea, check my two adopted kids are cool and go over their homework with them and play with my two adorable cats, Mimi and Beanie. Then I hit my home office to work on anything I have outstanding in the States. GoreZone being worldwide, my day doesn’t stop at 6pm UK time.

Fatally Yours: What sets GoreZone Magazine apart from other horror genre magazines?

Bryn Hammond: Well, I’d like to think we have a lot more passion. Everyone who works for GoreZone Magazine really wants to be here. If we have any loose screws, we fix them. My sidekick is Naila, our chief subeditor. She’s a talented, strong female and brutally honest.

I like to think we have a great balance of articles and we are slick, sexy and well-rounded. Our readers really get it that you don’t have to have a monster ripping a head off on the cover to sell copies, because the name tells them what the product is. We don’t dumb down like other mags and we are polished but we are not perfect there’s always room for improvement. I believe we are only as good as our last issue, so always work hard to make sure we get better and better and better.

I also adore the readers. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be doing the job I love. GoreZone Magazine readers are amazing and I love hanging out with them at our film festival. You can ask any of the readers; they are my extended family. I have some of them on my cell phone and call them now and then to say hi and ask what they think of the mag. If they say it stinks, I’ll find out why and make sure I make them happy in the following issue.

I also always reply to their emails. It may take a while, but I will reply—as I said above, if it wasn’t for the readers, I wouldn’t be doing the job I love. If they’re happy, I’m happy. I think that’s what makes us as a company stand out from other magazines. Not naming any names, but I remember as a child writing to one magazine and getting a nice reply, saying hey don’t give up your day job.

Fatally Yours: As editor-in-chief, how do you ensure that GoreZone remains successful?

Bryn Hammond: Well, I am very ambitious and will make sure we are always a success by keeping on looking ahead. I avoid looking back and just keep running; I don’t see the point in stopping. I will keep pushing boundaries with the magazine and keep getting better and better…

Fatally Yours: Besides GoreZone, what other magazines, websites, etc. do you enjoy?

Bryn Hammond: I love Esquire, it’s amazing. I actually bought the latest issue yesterday when on my way back from my personal doctor—Doctor Brunt, who makes me look youthful. DiCaprio is on the cover. I was disappointed that he was holding a cancer stick in his hand, as it doesn’t set a very good example to people who look up to him. I also love FHM and NME.

In terms of online, I love your website, it’s really cool. I always enjoy reading Michael Varrati material, and I really like the gossip sites as well, such as Perez Hilton and Mr Paparazzi. I have a load of love for Bloody-Disgusting, as do I for the Sun’s website. I don’t have time to pick up the paper on a daily basis, so I like to just get a quick celebrity gossip catch up during my lunch break.

I’m a pretty normal guy when it comes to the Internet. I have a healthy relationship with my computer. I don’t often go online, but when I do I go to sites that I know will be fun and not just print unhealthy, negative, self-loathing opinions. I spoke with director Jeff Broadstreet about certain unhealthy websites and we both agree on many topics. He’s an awesome guy, and I think people shouldn’t be so judgmental. Go rent Night of the Living Dead 3D—it’s a cool beer movie.

Fatally Yours: In addition to being the editor of GoreZone, you are also an actor and filmmaker, set to star in the upcoming remake of The Driller Killer among other projects. Tell us about your past roles, your filmmaking work, and any upcoming films you are working on!

Bryn Hammond: You know what, I’ve always loved acting. I think acting gives people a release and an escape from their own world.

Remember when you were a kid and you played movies? That’s what I think acting is. When I was at school, all my friends were playing Thundercats. Not me—I was playing Return of the Living Dead 2!
One thing I do hate about acting though, is that the girls always get all the best roles. I loved Mindy Clark’s role in Return of the Living Dead 3. I wanted that role! I loved  Suzanne Snyder’s awesome death scene in Return of the Living Dead 2, and I absolutely loved Beverly Randolph’s role in Return of the Living Dead. When I was a kid I’d learn their lines and practice their facial expressions in front of the mirror.

I love strong female roles. Actually, talking of strong female roles, my horror icon is not Jason, Freddy or Leatherface. It’s Amelia Kinkade from Night of the Demons. Angela is the most kick-ass villain ever.
Anyway, back to me acting. I play a tramp in the Driller Killer remake and a mental patient in Monitor. This Monday I’m filming a show for Sky TV. It’s in the vein of the best 100 horror flicks, which I’m very excited about. That’s why I saw Doctor Brunt, for a botox top-up to decrease the lines!

Fatally Yours: Horror films, though popular, are mostly viewed as subversive movies that, according to some, are only a step above pornography. For horror fans, it’s sometimes hard to convince others that the genre is much more than just blood & boobs. How would you convince someone that the genre has much more depth?

Bryn Hammond: I wouldn’t. If they can’t see beyond the fresh-faced, tight-topped talent, then they are very narrow-minded and are clearly watching The Texas Dildo Massacre. 

I think horror is one of the most diverse genres of all. It has comedy, thrills and chills. Horror also crosses over to all genres. Just look at Tim Burton’s work.

I know there is a lot of snobbery that goes on and people bitch slap horror, but it’s a genre that handles various topics with care. For example, look at A Nightmare on Elm Street’s homoerotic theme, or take a look at Single White Female’s subtext, with the character of Hedy who suffers borderline personality disorder.

People who say horror is only one up from porn clearly haven’t watched many movies, or if they have, they are picking them off the wrong top shelf. Porn of the Dead wasn’t directed by George Romero, I’m sad to inform them.

Fatally Yours: What are your thoughts on the modern horror climate? 

Bryn Hammond: I’m loving the horror climate. I think horror remakes are getting a little OTT but I am looking forward to seeing the new Nightmare on Elm Street. The trailer looks really cool.

I know a lot of my staff are gonna have a moan at me come Monday morning when they read this, but I really enjoyed the remakes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Amityville. Amityville gave me night terrors. And Jennifer’s Body was amazing—I loved the whole Clueless meets Lost Boys feel to it.
I loved Paradise Lost. It really took me back to when I was on holiday in a small Turkish town—let me tell you, it will be the last time I go back there; it was terrifying. The villa was great, but the location was just like the setting for Paradise Lost. I just watched Tony last night and thought that was really gritty, Revolver did an amazing job on that movie. Also, Black Christmas was fun.

There’s always going to be bad movies out there, but if they’re awful I just avoid them. It’s no good to bitch about them and think to myself that I’ve wasted a couple of hours of my life. Best to press eject and never speak of it again!

Fatally Yours: Is there any kind of horror film you find difficult to watch or refuse to watch?

Bryn Hammond: I hate true-crime movies. I find them extremely upsetting and disturbing. I really enjoy documentaries, but can sometimes be freaked out by them. Recently, I settled down pretty late with a bottle of wine to watch the Amanda Knox murder case. It left me having to check the doors and windows. I woke up the next day and refused to take my head from under the bedsheets, as I was terrified what I’d find when I came from under! I know, it’s strange!

Fatally Yours: What people in horror do you look up to and admire?

Bryn Hammond: Gosh, well, I really admire people who get up and go and get what they want, and don’t let anyone stop them in their path. My personal idols are Hugh M. Hefner, Iona Willis and Anna Wintour. These people are really iconic editors to me and I hope to be able to achieve just half of what they have managed. I’m still young and I’m still learning, and I hope that one day I can sit at a table with them and discuss the politics of being an editor.

Fatally Yours: Who is one person you would love to feature in GoreZone Magazine and why?

Bryn Hammond: This is a hard one. One person I have my eye on is Traci Lords; I’d love to do a cover with her. She’s so pretty and so talented. I find talent a real turn-on—I love brains and ambition.

I’d also like to do covers with Susan Ward and Sarah Buxton. Gosh, there are so many people I’d love to work with. I’d really love to do a cover shoot with Kellan Lutz, Thomas Dekker and Traci Lords. Now that would be one hell of a sexy cover shoot—both men on dog leads and Traci doing her famous lip curl!

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films of all time?

Bryn Hammond: I have so many. Return of the Living Dead 3, Pet Sematary 2 and Warlock 2 are particular favourites. I loved 90s horror, especially the period of 1992–94; there were so many amazing movies released. Okay, most were direct to DVD, but the quality of the output was just amazing. I loved Killer Tongue as well. What a crazy movie that was.

My all-time favourite horror movie is Night of the Demons though.  But, depending on my mood, my top 10 list will change ever so often.

Fatally Yours: What can we look forward to in the coming year with GoreZone Magazine? What kind of goodies do you have planned for us, Bryn?

Bryn Hammond: Loads more freebies, for one. We are currently shooting episode five and six of our FREE DVD series, Emily Booth’s GoreZone Movie Massacre, copies of which come as a covermount with the mag. We’ll also be giving the mag some new looks, adding some new columns among various other things. There are some amazing covers in the pipeline, one of which we shot just a week ago. It’s stunning. I can’t say too much at this point, but fans of Freddy and Monroe are going to love it.

We’ll be holding an awards ceremony, at our third international film festival. The whole shebang will be hosted by Emily Booth and Christa Campbell on 2–3 October, at the Prince Charles Cinema. Tickets are on sale now from our online shop at www.gorezone.co.uk/shop. There is also our music festival on 9 April. We have the likes of Die So Fluid playing, which I’m excited for. I’m having a real horror themed costume designed, as it’s a zombie night. We’ll be decorating the Roadmender like the nightclub from Hellraiser 3.

It’s all go. I want to say a huge thank you to all our readers for making my dreams a reality. I am thankful for your support as well. You guys rock.

GoreZone Magazine is on sale monthly in all good newsagents including HMV, Barnes and Noble, Spar, FPI and Forbidden Planet.

Visit: www.gorezone.co.uk

Interview with Screenwriter and Producer Brian Patrick O'Toole

Brian Patrick O’Toole is an accomplished screenwriter and producer who has had a varied career from video game designer to literary agent to Fangoria correspondent to screenwriter and producer. Brian has worked on such genre films like Cemetery Gates, Dog Soldiers and the recent indie hits Evilution and Basement Jack. Evilution and Basement Jack are part of a trilogy of films that will be completed with upcoming The Necropolitan, a film Brian is currently working on.

I had a chance to chat with Brian about his love of the horror genre, how he pushed to get Dog Soldiers made, the challenges of independent filmmaking and his passion for video games. Read on, Fatal Fiends!

Fatally Yours: What are your first memories of the horror genre and how did you fall in love with it?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: You always remember your first good scare. Y’know, that scare that defines every phobia and nightmare that haunts you all of your life. Mine happened in 1968. My parents decided that it was a good idea to take a five year old to see a horror triple feature at the local drive-in. The midnight show was Night of the Living Dead. You have to know that the only two films I can remember seeing before NOTLD were The Love Bug and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I was put on the roof of our blue station wagon alone with the speaker as the movie began. My five-year-old mind couldn’t separate between what was happening on the screen and the shuffling movie-goers crossing the gravel in front of the car. In the vehicle ahead of us, a couple started making out but all I saw was a man attacking a woman. My mother used to love to tell people how they had to pry my fingers from the bike rack after the movie. I didn’t sleep for almost three days. This was the genesis of my love of horror films. The next three movies I saw right after NOTLD were Destroy All Monsters, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave and Planet of the Apes. I was hooked. Horror was everywhere for me after that experience, even on TV where I would run home from school to watch Dark Shadows, stayed up late on Friday and Saturdays for WGN Chicago’s Creature Features where I was first introduced to the Universal Horror Classics like The Wolfman, Frankenstein and Dracula and grinded sleepovers to a stop so we could watch The Night Stalker. To date, I have yet to match the horror I felt that night in 1968 but I keep trying. The closest I’ve come was playing the original Resident Evil game. You never forget the first time those mutant dogs crashed through the hallway window.

Fatally Yours: What continues to keep you in horror’s thrall?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: The horror film is a true interactive experience. Comedy and drama are so subjective. Some people thought Airplane! is genius and others think that it is the stupidest movie ever. Some people cried at Jack’s death in Titanic and some people, like me, were wishing Rose would move her fat ass over and let Jack share that board. There was room! Some people were inspired by The Passion of the Christ and some people, like me, were yelling lines from Monty Python’s Life of Brian “He’s not the Messiah! He’s a very naughty boy!” But a scare is a scare. You can cover your eyes but you can’t cover your ears at the same time. Fear is universal. We love to be scared – in a safe environment. I love to be the puppet master that orchestrates a good scare. Unfortunately, all these soulless remakes of classic horror films are making it hard for new horror films to break through; and when one finally does, like Let the Right One In, Hollywood jumps on it and remakes it. And they usually miss the point, the heart of the original, and just make the remake bigger – not better. I’m finding the best scares lately are coming from video games not movies. The reason for that is that video games give horror fans that one thing movies couldn’t – they let the player be the hero who controls the action and his fate. Doom, Resident Evil, Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Alone in the Dark were the games that originated the gaming genre of “survival horror”. Survival horror is where the real scares can be found lately.

Fatally Yours: You’ve had quite a varied and impressive career, from video game designer to literary agent to producer and screenwriter. Tell us a little about your career trajectory and what you are doing now. 

Brian Patrick O’Toole: Up until 1977, my career plan was to be a paleontologist. I still loved horror films and disaster movies but I wanted to dig dinosaurs. Then, I saw Close Encounters of the Third Kind and everything changed. I wanted to make magic that affected people like I was after seeing that film. I actually snuck a tape recorder into the theater and taped the movie. Then, I went home and typed out the movie in what I thought the script would look like. I actually wasn’t too far off in my formatting. Next I started writing my own scripts but they all lacked something that I couldn’t put my finger on – that is, until I saw Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. That something was subtext, meaning. Dawn of the Dead changed my life and it remains my favorite film of all time.  However, I didn’t seriously think about a career in filmmaking until 1979. 1979 was the year of Alien, Phantasm, The Amityville Horror, Prophecy, The Warriors, Tourist Trap, When a Stranger Calls, Zombie and The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Biograph Theater – where Dillinger was shot and killed. I was sixteen and sneaking out to see midnight shows of films they would never show at the local mall theater.  It was the year that I swore I’d be a filmmaker and I have lived everyday since making that dream come true.

The video game designing part of my career spawned from a time when horror films were a tough sell and the company I was with, Intrazone, needed to expand their horizons. We were working with LIVE Entertainment at the time and they expressed interest in getting into the PC gaming arena. They had the video game rights to Speed Racer and a BMX magazine character called Radical Rick designed by Damian Fulton. When I was a kid I wanted to be Speed Racer so it was a special opportunity for me to make a video game based on his adventures. I met with game maker supreme Voldi Way, owner of WayForward Technologies, who came aboard to help us bring my game designs to life. We premiered the games at the very first E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) and the buzz was great. Then, as fate would have it, the CEO of LIVE and his wife were shot and killed by their two sons (you might remember those nutty Menendez Brothers) and everything changed. LIVE became Artisan and Artisan didn’t want to get into the video game business so two cool, complete games were shelved forever. Members of Guns ‘n Roses even recorded a version of the Speed Racer theme song for the game. Such a shame.

Fatally Yours: Did you consciously choose the horror genre for most of your projects or was it just coincidence? Do you have any plans to work in other genres?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: My training is actually in comedy. I attended the Player’s Workshop of the Second City in Chicago for a while. I love comedy. Actually, horror and comedy share the same rhythm: set-up and reaction. All of the films I have been involved with do have humor in them, twisted as it may be. The closest I’ve come to a comedy is with Cemetery Gates. It was originally written as a straight Jaws-in-the-woods but when I saw the mutated Tasmanian Devil suit I didn’t think it would be taken seriously. The suit makers did an awesome job but I didn’t think that they based it on the real creature but rather on a drawing I had made that was done in an Anime style. So, I decided to embrace what worked and re-wrote the script with a more outrageous twist. Let’s face it, seventeen people die in 90 minutes. It’s a party movie!

Another “comedy” I was involved in was Van Fisher’s Neo Ned. The original screenplay was slanted more toward the dramedy side and told the story of a reluctant neo-Nazi who is placed in a mental heath hospital where he falls for a black woman who believes she is harboring the spirit of Adolph Hitler. The final film slanted more heavily toward the dramatic side but I am still very proud of that movie. The film stars Jeremy Renner who is a nominee this year for Best Actor for the film The Hurt Locker. Jeremy is an amazing talent and I am so excited for him. I hope people will check out Neo Ned and see another example of Jeremy’s great work.

Fatally Yours: Can you tell us more about being involved in producing Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers. I understand people were hesitant to push that this film to get made until you came along. 

Brian Patrick O’Toole:  I absolutely put my job on the line recommending Dog Soldiers for production. Neil had been trying to get it made for eight years before I got it. The script we got moved at a glacial pace with more than a nod to Night of the Living Dead and had a lot of references to soccer embedded in it. The sad thing about script reading is that you are almost encouraged to skim. I never skim. I read the whole script because you never know what gem you’ll find in the rough. That’s how I found Dog Soldiers. I took the time and read the whole script. Everyone at the production company didn’t see the same gem that I saw so I put my neck out and staked my job on the success of the script as a movie. In 2000, horror was a tough sell because the genre had become mostly self-aware films like Scream. In fact, no one was saying horror. They were calling them Dark Fantasies at that time. We, the American production team, put a lot of time, effort, and money into Dog Soldiers to get it right. Producer Christopher Figg, who did Hellraiser and Trainspotting, was a real gentlemen and I consider him the driving force of the production. Dog Soldiers played theatrically throughout the world except in the US because we had our first screenings for distributors right after 9/11. No one wanted movies about soldiers or werewolves. We eventually sold the film to the SyFy Channel who broadcasted the movie as a SyFy Original. It is still one of their highest rated films. The fans really embraced Dog Soldiers and I really enjoyed traveling to film festivals across the US, meeting them and showing the film on the big screen. The thing I was most proud of was getting an action figure made of the werewolf. That was pretty cool! I’m looking for a company to do an action figure of Basement Jack right now. So, if you know someone…

All in all, Dog Soldiers was a very bittersweet experience for me but I’m encouraged by its fan base. Oh, and by the way, I get a lot of emails asking me why the Blu-ray of the film is so grainy. The reason why is that Dog Soldiers was filmed in Super 16mm, which is a naturally grainy film stock. So, the print used is not bad. The Blu-ray is the best Dog Soldiers can look. I don’t know why the new distributor didn’t put out a Special Edition because there is a material from the UK DVD and I did record a commentary for the North American release.

Fatally Yours: Your recent films Evilution and Basement Jack were received well and we here at Fatally-Yours enjoyed them very much! A third film that will complete the trilogy is in the works. Can you tell us what’s in store for us with The Necropolitan and where you’re with it right now? 

Brian Patrick O’Toole: I cannot tell you how appreciative I am for all the positive reviews we have received on both films. First, I’m glad that most people “got” them and had fun with them. Black Gate Entertainment is, in every sense of the word, an independent film production company. Our bosses are the fans. I never want to let a horror fan down because I am one and I know when a film is not being sincere with its audience. It was awesome that we were able to premiere the films at the Fangoria Weekend of Horror conventions in New York, Los Angeles, and my hometown CHICAGO. We took the films to the fans so their feedback was immediate and very encouraging. I’m also very encouraged by the emails asking about the third film, The Necropolitan. The Manager character has really taken off and fans are telling me that they are looking forward to his film in the trilogy. The Necropolitan script went through a few re-writes but I believe we have the story we want to tell now. It will be done in 3D. It won’t be gimmicky 3D. I want to use 3D like Hitchcock used the process in Dial M for Murder. All I can tell you now is that it is a creature feature and that all answers will be questioned. We are currently seeking financing, but the film is ready to go before the cameras – hopefully by the end of this year.

Fatally Yours: Why did you choose to make a trilogy with the three films, especially since they are so loosely connected?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: When I joined my producing partner and friend Eric Peter-Kaiser at Island Gateway Films, we wanted to start a horror division, which became Black Gate Entertainment. We planned on doing three horror films to begin and chose to do a zombie film, a slasher movie and a creature feature. Eric came up with the brilliant idea of linking them all together with a common story thread. It was tough coming up with something that wasn’t like a narrator character that bookend the movies like in The Twilight Zone, Creepshow or Tales from the Dark Side. I like the idea of a puppet master who had a hand in guiding the fates of the characters in all three films. The Manager was born but I had my doubts of it working. Eric and I wanted the stories to stand alone so I was worried that the Manager would just be a gimmick. Enter actor Nathan Bexton. Nathan completely understood the character and made him his own.  Nathan as The Manager was the perfect storm of an actor developing a character.  I’m so glad fans of Evilution and Basement Jack are embracing the Manager as a new horror icon. I hope they like what we have in store for the Manager in The Necropolitan.

Fatally Yours: You were the screenwriter as well as producer for these films, but also wore many different hats because they were independent films. What were your biggest challenges when making these films?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: The best part of independent film is that you can wear many hats. It really is a family of people working together for a common goal up against numerous odds. I’ve found that less money equals more creativity. I think audiences appreciate the honesty behind our films. As the screenwriter of both Evilution and Basement Jack, I think the toughest challenge is keeping the original vision for the movie intact. However, unless you are directing the film as well, once you hand over the shooting script your job is done and it becomes the director’s show. Evilution originally was more of a Poseidon Adventure with zombies but slowly became a smaller, more claustrophobic film. Basement Jack has to be the best time I ever had on the set of any of my films. The director, Michael Shelton, came to the production with a clear vision and brought some digital magic that we never hoped to get on our modest budget. As a producer on any film, your work really comes at pre-production and post-production. During production, once the word “action!” is yelled, it is the director’s film. You hope that every problem was taken care of during pre-production and you’re only there to put out little fires, like keeping everyone on time and on budget. I love everything about independent filmmaking and feel very lucky to be able to do what I’ve always dreamt of doing.

Fatally Yours: Has the “digital revolution” made independent filmmaking easier, more difficult or both? Why?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: Change is always good. But change always brings new challenges. When we were in pre-production for Evilution, I was totally against filming digitally. Then I met cinematographer Mathew Rudenberg and saw his reel. To say I was blown away by what he could do with a digital camera would be a great understatement. Mathew taught me that the secret of good digital filmmaking lies in the lights. He is a very talented individual and my greatest fear is that the studios will scoop him up before we can work together again. He is the next Dean Cudney.

As far as digital making everything easier or more difficult, my experience during Evilution and Basement Jack was that it made production easier but the time and money saved there was spent in post-production. Digital offers a lot more freedom and that’s what edges it up over traditional film.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel that CGI has affected horror films for the better or for the worse?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: I am totally against CGI characters. And this is coming from someone who was there in CGI’s infancy. I did a film in 1994 called Sleepstalker: The Sandman’s Last Rites and we did some computer morphing scenes that looked more rubber than sand. The thing about CGI is that no matter how talented the digital artist is, their work will never take the place of the organic. For example, let’s take the 1933 King Kong and Peter Jackson’s King Kong. Sure, the original King Kong was an eight-inch model but he was organic. There was something very real about him and the prehistoric beasts that he battled. Now look at the digital Kong and friends. There is no weight to them, nothing natural. Watch each film with the sound off and tell me which giant ape makes you believe… and cry at the end. Now having said that, we did have some digital shots in Basement Jack. The director, Michael Shelton, is an excellent visual artist and has worked on such films as The Passion of the Christ, Invasion, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Pirahna 3D, Mirrors, My Bloody Valentine 3D and the American Godzilla. Michael gave us some great shots but I remain a fan of the practical effect.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give an aspiring screenwriter, producer or filmmaker?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: When I was pitching scripts as a literary agent I had the opportunity to meet some real Hollywood movers and shakers. I once asked a famous director that same question: “What advice can you give an aspiring screenwriter, producer or filmmaker?” He said to me: “If you are good at something else, do that.” That was like a lightning bolt to my brain. Thankfully, I am a very stubborn person and challenged his advice.

Producers: Film your ending and nudity as close to the beginning of the shoot as possible. Really believe in your project because you’ll be pitching it to many, many people. Worry when a department head says, “I want to surprise you.” Learn to know when to shake hands, hug or bump fists. Your investor is the only person you need to answer to – No one else is your friend.

Screenwriters: Learn your craft. You don’t wake up one morning and say “I’m going to be a brain surgeon today” and go and do it. Anyone who is willing to read your script and give you comments is a friend worth keeping. If five people read the script and have different opinions, leave it alone. If everyone has the same comment, time for a re-write. Get people to read your script aloud (table read) – You won’t believe how that helps with dialogue. You will never sell an original screenplay but your original screenplay may be a writing sample that gets you the opportunity to write a producer’s idea. Spec Scripts are a necessary evil: Write a sample script in every genre.

Filmmakers: Everyone can buy a digital camera but not everyone has connections to talent. Casting agents are your best friends. NETWORK! Mentors are worth their weight in gold. Write emails to people you’ve met and join their Facebook/Twitter pages. Hollywood is always in chaos but remember that a wave makes all boats rise. Be brave enough to ride the wave. This is a great time for Independents because of the Internet. For very little money, you can successfully do your own marketing and sell your films on-line by personally contacting your target audience through blogs, websites and social websites like Facebook and MySpace.

Fatally Yours: What are your thoughts on the current horror climate?

Brian Patrick O’Toole: Studio remakes are killing the genre. Horror belongs to the independents. Let’s take horror back with great original material, then let the studios remake them and we can use their money to make more original films. I’m hoping that Saw VII, rumored to be the last Saw, is also the end of the sub-genre of torture porn horror films.

Fatally Yours: I know studio remakes are the bane of existence to most of us horror fans, but if you had the opportunity to remake one horror film, what would it be and why? 

Brian Patrick O’Toole: I had an awesome idea for a Dark Shadows movie that I actually had a chance to pitch to Dan Curtis before he died. Now I hear that Johnny Depp owns the rights. I had a pretty clever idea for a Planet of the Apes sequel that would take place between Conquest and Battle from the original series. But I read in Variety that Fox is doing a Planet of the Apes film called Caesar. So I’m hesitant to mention this but I have a great idea for a remake of The Car and a re-imagining of Grizzly. But I’ll look at any remake project a studio wants to throw our way.

Fatally Yours: Besides being involved in film, you’re also a big video game fan who has written a column for Fangoria. What horror-themed video game releases are you looking forward to in 2010? 

Brian Patrick O’Toole: I’ve been writing the “Horrorcade” column for Fangoria Magazine for five years in May and I really enjoy it.  It was always a dream of mine to write for Fangoria since I bought the first issue in 1979. In fact, that issue is my good luck charm. It has been with me on every film shoot since Sleepstalker. I almost lost it during the filming of Cemetery Gates when the Griffith Park cave we were using flooded during a rare L.A. rainstorm but luckily my backpack protected it.

This year has started big for horror games with the release of Dante’s Inferno and Bioshock 2. I am really looking forward to the new Castlevania reboot, The Calling, Splatterhouse and Dead Rising 2.  Aliens vs. Predator looks like it’ll be an awesome multi-player on-line game. I am always open to a challenge so if anyone wants to friend me on-line my XBOX 360 gamertag is “Dog Soldier BOT” and my PS3 gamertag is “wereBOT”.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror-themed video games of all time?

Brian Patrick O’Toole:  Hands down, Resident Evil 2 is my favorite horror game. Castlevania is my favorite series, even those Nintendo 64 3D games. I love Left 4 Dead 2 on-line. Demon’s Souls is my favorite horror RPG. My favorite horror games that no one played are Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad and Earth Defense Force 2017 for the XBOX360 and Deadly Creatures, Ju-On – The Grudge and Madworld on the Wii. My guilty pleasure is the Friday the 13^th game on the NES – there is no way to win that game but it’s always scary when Jason pops up. That game needs to be remade with this generations processing power. It would rock!

Fatally Yours: Speaking of favorites, what are your favorite horror films and books? 

Brian Patrick O’Toole: My favorite film is Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. I love B movies and watch them all. I actually just sat through Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus on Netflix. The shark put the bite on a jet airliner in mid air and bit the Golden Gate Bridge in half. Beat that, Jurassic Park IV! Godzilla movies are my guilty pleasure.

Reading so many screenplays really doesn’t allow me time for much personal reading. My favorite book is Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. The books I recommend most are Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, Mark Twain’s Letters From Earth and Barbara Ehrenreich’s Bright-Sided. I’m reading Ozzy Osbourne’s autobiography I Am Ozzy right now.

Fatally Yours: What upcoming projects can you tell us about? 

Brian Patrick O’Toole: Eric and I are developing several projects. We have The Necropolitan for which we are currently seeking investors. We are also co-producing a film I wrote called A Necessary Evil, which is a modern take on the Elizabeth Bathory story. We have a musical dramedy that I wrote with Basement Jack star Sam Skoryna. Currently, I am re-writing a ghost story called Outside the Eye of God. And, as always, we are looking at other projects. One of the great joys I have in filmmaking is the ability to give talented people their first opportunity.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak with you and Fatally -Yours’ readers.  Eric and I hope you all get a chance to check out Evilution and Basement Jack through e-tailers like Netflix and Amazon.com.  Please visit the websites at: www.evilutionthemovie.com and www.basementjackthemovie.com