CURSE OF CHUCKY (2013)

Director: Don Mancini. Cast: Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, A Martinez. USA, 2013. 90 mins. Chucky's back in this darker sixth instalment in the CHILD'S PLAY franchise. As someone who could never take Chucky remotely seriously I really enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek approaches of both BRIDE and SEED OF CHUCKY. But this time creator/writer and director Don Mancini has instead chosen to appease those fans who wished for Chucky to be 'scary' again. Picking up after the events of CHILD'S PLAY 3, a package is delivered to the unsuspecting Nica - wheelchair-bound since birth - and her mother, who live in a gothic old house in the woods. A house which features one of those antique lifts, with metallic sliding shutters, which operates excruciatingly slowly and is guaranteed to fail just when the heroine needs it most... Mancini builds a nice atmosphere of dread and expectation in the early sequences when Chucky first arrives.  He holds back from revealing Chucky's true-nature as long as he possibly can - initially offering us little more than a widening glimmer in the doll's eyes. The arrival of Nica's family following a funeral provides everyone's favourite mannequin-from-hell with a sprinkling of potential victims and there's much fun to be had guessing whose going to be on the receiving end of Chucky's wrath first. (There's also an outrageous crowd-pleasing character revelation which is inspired). The anticipation builds until finally Chucky can hold back the torrent of venomous profanities bubbling up behind those deceptively inanimate plastic lips no longer. The mayhem that ensues is fairly lack-lustre (with the exception of an early spectacular gore set-piece), but Fiona Dourif (daughter of Brad) throws herself into her role as Nica and her tussles with Chucky are carried off with a reasonably convincing menace. A special mention is in order for the show-stealing turn from Danielle Bisutti as Nica's pantomime-villain sister Barb. And it almost goes without saying that Brad Dourif's voice-work is reliably on the money as always. The denouement is surprisingly dark and the extended post-credit coda throws fans two delicious cameos and a lip-smacking pay-off which is arguably worth the price of admission alone.  ***(out of 5*) Paul Worts

THE DEAD 2: INDIA (2013)

Directors: Howard & Jon Ford. Cast: Joseph Millson, Meenu, Anand Goyal, Sandip Datta Gupta, Poonam Mathur. UK 2013, 90 mins. In 2010, the Ford Brothers gave us the award-winning and critically acclaimed African-based zombie apocalypse road movie: THE DEAD. For the sequel they've swapped continents and plonked our new hero, British wind-turbine engineer (now that's a phrase you don't regularly see in print) Nicholas Burton in India. In fact we are firstly introduced to him as he's suspended half-way up a wind turbine fiddling with some wires trying to phone his pregnant girlfriend Ishani several hundred miles away. The dead begin to rise, unsuspecting bystander’s arms begin to get bitten, and soon the hospital is swamped with incoming 'bite' victims. As if that wasn't enough, Ishani's father has forbidden her from continuing the relationship with the Westerner whilst her mother lies in the next room feeling decidedly under the weather as a result of a random bite attack on the street... The Ford Brothers are not covering new ground with this film, although it has to be said the ground they do cover is strikingly photographed. The wind farm sequence when Nicholas (Joseph Millson, the convincingly compassionate action-hero) looks down on a slow-motion zombie attack, a nightmarish motorbike ride through the dark wilderness and a field of freshly dug graves being notable visual highlights. The slow shuffling white eyed zombies are eerily effective and the actual attacks are grim and hard-hitting. This isn't a film to cheer on the gut-munchers - or indeed our hero - particularly when he's faced with a dilemma involving a mother and child trapped in a crashed car with the undead surrounding them. There is an emotional core to the film which threatens at times to lapse into over-sentimentality. However, the performances of the key players are genuine and raw and this authenticity adds credibility to their plight. The Ford Brothers DEAD films are not easy shoots - conditions are challenging at best, and potentially life-threatening at worst - but the results are impressive. THE DEAD 2: INDIA is an assured and confident piece of film-making from a double-act which on this evidence provide much promise for the future. *** (out of 5*)  Paul Worts

RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 (2013)

Having happily munched their way through the free consignment of ‘healthy’ luminescent green tacos, Tromaville High School’s much maligned and bullied glee club mutate into a vicious (yet still harmonising) gang called The Cretins.

You either get Troma films or you don’t.

The fourth instalment in the CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH series is essentially a re-telling of the 1986 original, re-vamped with a high quota of self-aware in-jokes and nods and winks to contemporary culture. It's slapstick meets splatstick - frequently puerile - and with a far higher fart joke quota than MAN OF STEEL.
Following Quentin Tarantino’s suggestion, director and Troma Supremo Lloyd Kaufman has split the film into 2 volumes à la KILL BILL. It’s a bold move for sure, but it does result in a somewhat abrupt ending (albeit with a memorable final image which sets up an intriguing possible direction for volume 2...).

Kaufman also steps in front of the camera to try his hand at some good old-fashioned Laurel and Hardy-type slapstick which nicely counterpoints the more explicit gags and gross-outness.

Asta Paredes (working-class badgirl Chrissy) and Catherine Corcoran (rich-girl Lauren) acquit themselves very well with their ‘opposite’s attract’ scenario and it’s a measure of their likeable performances that they aren’t drowned amid the films tsunami of gory goofiness.
Speaking of gore, Kaufman pulls off some memorably moist moments; one sequence involving a copulating couple that melt into a steaming pile of gloop being a particular highlight. ‘Kevin the Wonder Duck’, whose appearance fee was financed by a Kickstarter campaign, may well think twice about signing up for further Troma productions given the hilariously ludicrous onscreen indignities he is made to suffer (all simulated folks, Mr Kaufman is a active PETA supporter). Then again, I strongly suspect he will return for Volume 2, and make it a double-bill appearance (sorry).

Will this film suddenly convert the uninitiated and the unconvinced into becoming fully paid up members of the Troma fan club? I doubt it. But then again, does MAN OF STEEL have ‘Kevin the Wonder Duck’ – hah – I think not!

****(out of 5*)

Paul Worts

An Interview with LLOYD (Troma) KAUFMAN

Lloyd Kaufman was enrolled at Yale University in the late 1960’s working towards a degree in Chinese Studies. Thankfully for Troma Entertainment Inc’s legion of world-wide fans, Lloyd was sharing a dormitory with two film fanatics whose passion for cinema soon rubbed off on him. Together with fellow Yale student Michael Herz, Lloyd co-founded Troma in 1974, and began producing independent films on tight budgets - as well as acquiring films from outside sources.

From early raunchy comedies like SQUEEZE PLAY!, STUCK ON YOU! and WAITRESS! to their breakthrough hit THE TOXIC AVENGER (1984), and onto offerings such as the CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH trilogy, SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD,  TROMA’S WAR, TROMEO AND JULIET and POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD; Troma Entertainment, Inc is today still going strong after nearly 40 years and has amassed a catalogue of nearly 1,000 films, cartoons, TV shows etc).

Lloyd Kaufman was recently in London at the Prince Charles Cinema (PCC) for the UK premiere of his latest directorial offering: RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH VOL.1. and on a surprisingly hot Sunday afternoon I caught up with this independent auteur of exploitation in the welcoming surroundings of the PCC’s air-conditioned bar...

First of all Lloyd I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to give me this interview...

LK: Well thank you Fleapits and Picture Palaces!

What made you choose a degree in Chinese studies at Yale?

LK: (A Diet Coke please and I’m happy to pay for it).Well I come from the traditional (do you want me to pay for that?) No, oh thank you. Note that the Prince Charles Cinema has given Bruce Springsteen AKA Lloyd Kaufman a free diet coke!

Duly noted.

LK: Deeply appreciated and what a nice cinema it is. You know I’m old. I learned French as a child at home because French was a useful language – it is no more of course, it’s a totally useless language...

Are you sure you wouldn’t like a seat?

LK: No I’m good, but you sit down.

Thank you

LK: ...and I felt that since my high school years were devoted to Western society, American and European history and culture, I should spend my Yale university years on China and Africa. I discovered there were lots of people and there must be some reason for all those people there, so I studied Chinese! I was recently in a movie - in London - yesterday in fact! I was in a film in London, a small part just because they were fans, and I was playing a Chinese pousse-pousse (pedicab) driver and that guy who they got the pousse-pousse from was Chinese and he could not speak English. Luckily I could speak a little Chinese and translate for the movie director (who was a non-male by the way – which is rare in our business). 
   
Is this a bad gesture in China? [Raising pinkie finger in the air – my 7 year-old daughter suggested this question].

LK: I don’t know. My daughter speaks fluent Chinese – she would know – and she has just done by the way the first Troma Meltdown in Beijing! Throwing up green fluid at The Great Wall - first time ever! 

Is it true that the first ‘film’ you shot was footage of a pig being slaughtered - which you then screened for your family?

LK: Yes, well it was kind of a short film.

Pork snuff!

LK: Pork snuff for sure. I spent a year in the Republic of Chad, with no electricity, no phones, no nothing. Because I went to all-boys schools for 20 years basically, I was very immature in my attitude toward women so Chad had lots of naked young women running around and they slaughtered animals right in the market place - so sex and violence in my beat all thanks to the Republic of Chad!

(We raise a toast to the Republic of Chad)    

I went to see THE TOXIC AVENGER when it first hit UK shores purely on the basis of a review in a London magazine called Time Out -

LK: Ah, thank you Time Out. You know I became friendly with that critic Nigel somebody or other...

Floyd?

LK: Yes! Nigel Floyd, a lovely guy, how is he? I haven’t seen him in years. He’s a good guy. He didn’t really get our movies – but he wanted to because we were independent - whereas the other guy from The Guardian, er...

Derek Malcolm?

LK: Yes! Derek, he got it immediately, he liked it, and I think he got ‘em. But Nigel was a wonderful guy; do send him my best...

Did you have any inkling whilst making THE TOXIC AVENGER that it would achieve the success it did?

LK: Every time we make a movie I believe it is a great film because I only make movies that I really believe in – which is why I haven’t yet started shooting TOXIC AVENGER PART V because I cannot write a script that I really believe in. It’s been four or five years and I haven’t gotten there yet so I don’t want to make it. I think RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH is fabulous, and in a fair world... And POULTRYGEIST is a great movie -

Agreed.

LK: - And in a fair world it would be a huge hit, it’s just that we’re independent. You know, Billy Friedkin just made an independent movie: KILLER JOE - he can’t get arrested with that – it’s a masterpiece - it’s a masterpiece - and because it’s independent it’s playing shitty movie festivals and not Cannes or you know whatever...

Back to THE TOXIE AVENGER, is it true that grandparents in the US unwittingly bought uncut copies of the film as presents for their grandchildren mistaking it for the far tamer and more wholesome TOXIC CRUSADERS animated TV series?  

LK: That did happen many times; the grandmother would go into a video store and take home the uncut video cassette of TOXIC AVENGER. The cover is a drawing - it’s a painting, so it looks like a cartoon, but it always says: “gross and disgusting scenes” or “this movie contains scenes of an adult nature” or something.  Once, Blockbuster actually put a sticker on THE TOXIC AVENGER movie saying: “Blockbuster family recommendation” – so things like that did happen, yes.   

Is life easier or harder now for independent filmmakers with digital technology, the internet, YouTube, crowd-funding schemes etc? 

LK: I think it’s the democratisation of the making of cinema – you can make a movie with no money, money is not the issue anymore. Everyone can make a movie - and that’s wonderful. But, how do you live off your art, that is almost impossible unless you’re in with one of the cartel, one of the elite, one of the Rupert Murdoch’s vassals otherwise you can’t survive. Which is why I’ve given away 250 of our movies on YouTube for free. I never went into this business to make money, and I think its better that people share our art and our fans will take care of us because I think there will be some kind of a new model, even though maybe the AVATAR’s continue to charge too much money. I think that the smaller films will have to either be shared or the fans will have to decide how much to pay because there’s a consumer rebellion. So, to answer your question, the miracle of the technology has liberated us from the expense of making a movie – you used to need a lot of money to make even a Troma movie. $500,000 is nothing compared to a typical American movie. RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH was $500,000, but that’s less than one half of one percent of a typical US conglomerate made movie. That’s still a shitload of money – you can start a lot of dress shops for that money – but now with digital cinema you just need to be talented. The problem is the distribution system has not kept up with the progress of the making of the movies – that’s the problem. That’s why we are filming OCCUPY CANNES documentary about the Cannes film festival because we want to underscore how Cannes doesn’t really understand that there’s thousands of talented young filmmakers who they’re ignoring because they don’t know about them because the big conglomerates are smothering everybody with their advertising dollars and their McDonalds-ization of art.

And presumably the TromaDance Film Festival was created in response to this?

LK: Yes. Trey Parker, the South Park guy, suggested we put a festival in Sundance because we were so disgusted by Sundance’s unpleasant atmosphere. So he said let’s put a festival in the same town at the same time but don’t charge people to submit their movies; don’t charge people to see the movies and no VIP policy: no snotiness. And we’ve been doing that for 15 years, although we’ve moved it as Tromadance outgrew Park City Utah, so we moved it to New Jersey, home of THE TOXIC AVENGER. And obviously Tromadance has no revenue so our fans help us; crowd-sourcing has helped TromaDance and somehow it keeps going. It’s very warm and idealistic and we’ve shown some marvellous movies.  

Many contemporary film directors have quoted Troma as being an inspiration to them. Take Guillermo del Toro for example. Having seen the trailer for his upcoming PACIFIC RIM; to me it’s basically a re-staging of the classic sequence from Troma’s CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH PART II: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN when giant mutant squirrel Tromie trashes Tromaville – albeit this time with a budget of approx. $200 million dollars.

LK: [Ha-ha]

So which directors, contemporary or otherwise, do you admire?

LK: Well I’m inspired by the classics, the auteur. Chaplin, Keaton, Samuel Fuller, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Jean Renoir, Warhol and Stan Brakhage   – they were my film school pretty much. And today, actually I’m influenced by Takashi Miike, he was a big Troma fan but I’m a fan of his and when we made POULTRYGEIST, his film THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS influenced me – the singing and dancing – and gave me the courage to do it because I’ve always wanted to have a musical. Quentin Tarantino is a big Troma fan now he suggested we make RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH into 2 volumes sort of like KILL BILL because there are so many movies today made for the small screen and our movies are made for the big screen. You know we have thousands of people in our films and it’s very hard for us to get any big screens so I said we’ll make an event out of it and I think it’s a good idea. (Except we got no money).

Who’s your favourite actor / actress that you’ve worked with over the years?

LK: I think my favourite cast is THE RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH cast. We’re a starting off part for actors so I don’t get to work with them very often.

But you have worked with some really big names early on in their careers though haven’t you?

LK: Yes, but they don’t stay with us - and rightfully so - we’re their stepping stone.  But the cast of RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH - Asta Paredes, Catherine Corcoran, Clay von Carlowitz, Mark Quinnette – the central cast are brilliant. They’re smart and the two female leads (Asta and Catherine) are terrific, they created a relationship between the two characters and they really took it seriously – and you see it. We’re still editing volume 2 but I’m seeing how – even though we don’t shoot totally in sequence – how they made the relationship between them develop.

Speaking of big names – one name in particular who’s most certainly not still in the early stages of his career – Arnold Schwarzenegger –has been linked to a remake of THE TOXIC AVENGER: is that really going to happen?

LK: I don’t know, but apparently they’ve signed him...

He’s not going to play TOXIE of course.

LK: Oh no, he plays an insect killer (an ex-terminator) [!], but I haven’t read the script. They said they’ve paid him...By the way; the director is very good for this remake, Steven Pink. He directed HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, and wrote the screenplays for GROSSE POINTE BLANK and HIGH FIDELITY. They’re going to spend $150million dollars on it; he’s a big Troma fan. I’ve met him a few times; I think he’s going to do a good job.

Given the genre and subjects Troma tackle, you’ve obviously had run-ins with the MPAA. Is there any particular experience that stands out for you?

LK: Well the problem with the MPAA is that I think they put a lot of independent movie companies out of business because they have a double-standard. They permit Bruce Willis’ DIE HARD to have all sorts of serious violence like exploding knee-caps, but then we come along with TROMA’S WAR and they made us cut out just punches and cartoon violence. TROMA’S WAR was emasculated by the MPAA unfairly. Any other company would’ve been put out of business. They really f*cked us on that one. Also, TERROR FIRMER, we actually put out an ‘R’ rated version based on the MPAA edits, but I would step into the picture for the ‘R’ rated version and I explain to the audience: “...Now here, the reason we have a little kitten here is someone in the movie says the word ‘pussy’ and the MPAA made us cut out the word ‘pussy’. And then each cut I would come and visually or verbally explain what it is. But now the MPAA and the major conglomerates have won because there are no independent studios of any longevity. Lionsgate is doing well and doing a good job and that’s it, there’s no one else, and they haven’t been around that long. We don’t even have our movies rated anymore because there are no theatres. POULTRYGEIST played in 300 theatres you know in the United States, one at a time, and mainly in theatres that don’t care about the ratings.

Adam Green’s HATCHET 2 was initially released in selected theatres unrated but it got pulled almost instantly –

LK: I’m in HATCHET 2! – He’s very talented.

Yes you were, now according to IMDB you’ve had 226 acting roles to date, (50 less than Sir Christopher Lee – but he’s had a considerable head-start on you!) Are you really a frustrated thespian stuck inside a very successful independent filmmaker’s body?

LK: (Ha Ha) No I do it to help young filmmakers because if I’m in a movie (and thank you for watching) our fans will maybe go and buy the DVD or at least support it. My business partner Michael Herz, who never emerges out into the daylight, he and I sincerely want to help independent cinema because it’s really under assault (and it’s also under a pepper). You don’t have to laugh at that. Those kind of jokes are a sign of dementia.

They’re puns. Hitchcock said puns are the highest form of wit.

LK: They’re a sign of dementia - I’ve read articles about it.

Well in that case let me remind you of just a smattering of some of the roles you’ve played to date. You’ve played Hitler, God, Satan, a character called ‘The Homo Killer’, Thomas Edison (in THONG-GIRL 4), Bram Stoker, President Obama, the Pope and a character called ‘Captain Orange-Piss Lawyer’. I actually think you’ve therefore got one up on Sir Christopher Lee!

LK: Well when I started I was only playing doctors and drunken bums. Tomorrow I’m going to be in a little film called...well I’m not supposed to talk about it so don’t say anything.

[It’s a small part in a very big, very cool film].*

Is there a question that you’ve always wished someone had asked you during one of these interviews but hasn’t to date?

LK: No...I don’t think so...Well I think your questions are great.

Oh thank you!

LK: And that question is a good one but honestly I don’t really think in those terms. I’m amazed anybody’s interested quite frankly. I’m always astounded that anybody turns up at 4pm in the afternoon on a Sunday to see a movie made in 1985 – and pays no less! We’re giving away by the way 250 movies on YouTube at this very minute to our fans to thank them – including this one!
And finally, my 7 year old daughter has got a concept for a film which she’s asked me to put to you to see if Troma might be interested in developing it in the future. [At this point I pitched the concept to Mr Kaufman and he’s response was...]

LK: Tell her I will consider stealing her idea, give her no money whatsoever and then suing her for plagiarism.

(My thanks once again to Lloyd Kaufman for taking the time to talk to me. Thanks also to Mr Kaufman’s assistant, Regina, for setting up the interview in the first place, and to the staff at the Prince Charles Cinema for being really cool.)  

For more info on Lloyd Kaufman, visit his website HERE 

For more info on Troma, visit their website HERE 

And for the Prince Charles Cinema's listings, visit their website HERE

P.S. (*the film was: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY)

 

Interview by Paul Worts

THE CONJURING (2013)

Director James Wan is rapidly becoming Hollywood’s go-to man for superior supernatural fright flicks. Sandwiched in between the genuinely creepy INSIDIOUS - and the eagerly awaited sequel INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 - we have THE CONJURING, a film which delivers such a proficient stream of jolt shocks you could strap it to Baron Frankenstein’s monster and bring it to life.

Based on the case files of the real-life married demonologists / paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), the film gives us an interpretation of the alleged events which occurred when the Warren’s were called upon to help the Perron family (mum and dad played by Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) who encounter ‘bumps in the night’ on an increasingly threatening scale in their secluded farmhouse in the 1970’s.

Once again Wan demonstrates his clinical affinity for staging spooky set-pieces and he pulls off some genuine spine-tingling moments and real jump-out-of-your-seat scares. In this he is aided considerably by a sound mix which infuses proceedings with an insistent dread and then cranks the ‘boo!’ cues up to ‘11’ on the volume dial.  Director of photography John Leonetti (INSIDIOUS) provides a crisp widescreen canvas in which to judiciously cloak the screen in the kind of primal darkness where you just know that lighting a match or flicking on a torch will suddenly reveal something unholy.

Despite the almost relentless barrage of bangs, crashes, self-slamming doors and worse...the cast hold their own and present us with credible and, most importantly, sympathetic characters. And when the you-know-what really begins to hit the fan in the film’s final third, the impact of these scenes is helped immeasurably by the performances of Wilson, Farmiga and Lili Taylor who throw themselves heart and soul into the maelstrom of events. 

It has to be said that the film does at times have a feel of being a slick, efficient compendium of the ‘Greatest Moments from Previous Supernatural Films’. (For spoiler reasons I can’t go into detail here but trust me, if you were to go into the cinema with a pencil and a checklist of spooky clichés to mark off, you’ll have ticked practically every box by the time the end credits roll - assuming your pencil hasn’t flown out of your hand during one of these actual moments that is).

But Wan pulls these off with great assurance, and there are some unique touches in there too, so by the time the house lights come back up you won’t feel cheated by the quota of quality ‘boo!’ moments for your money.

****(out of 5*)

Paul Worts

An Interview with HATCHET III director BJ McDonnell

On board the good ship HATCHET there’s a new captain on deck for the third instalment in the franchise. Previous captain, and creator of swamp slaughterer Victor Crowley, Adam Green, has this time entrusted able shipmate and camera operator BJ McDonnell from the previous two instalments to take the helm on HATCHET III. On the morning after the Hollywood premiere, BJ very kindly found the time to talk to me about his fascinating career path to date and his experiences navigating through Victor Crowley’s swamps on his feature film directorial debut.

My first question is one that probably every horror fan in the UK wants the answer to BJ: Is Adam Green a complete c**t or what?

BJ: He’s a massive c**t!

I thought so, the truth will out.

BJ: No, he’s cool. It was pretty cool of him to give me the chance to do a directing gig – cos he knew I wanted to direct. It was really very thoughtful of him to do that and I’m really thankful for that opportunity, it was a great stepping stone for me. 

So what was your immediate reaction when Adam told you?

BJ: I was really excited when he asked me to do it, and he knew that because I was the camera operator on the first 2 that I knew the drill and knew what to do. I was really excited about it until later on when I thought: you know, this is kind of a tough gig. On the one hand you’ve got the diehard fans that are expecting it, and then you have the people who aren’t the fans that don’t like it at all and you’re already being ridiculed by the fact you’re just associated with it. So I said: Ok, I’m gonna try and make this as best as I can and to make it as fun a movie as I can and hope to get some people who hated the HATCHET movies back or the ones who got discouraged from part 2 and have them come back with this one. I hope I did my job.

While you were filming in the tough swamp conditions was there ever a time when you thought:  I wish I was just back doing my band stuff with Lick 57?

BJ: (Laughs) I don’t think there was ever a time when I thought that because honestly sitting in a hot stinky tour van with a bunch of punk rockers was basically just as sweltering hot and nasty as a swamp could ever be.

What did you want to be when you were a kid (before wanting to be in a punk rock band that is)?

BJ: When I was a little kid I wanted just to be Dracula.

Excellent!

BJ: That was my first career that I wanted and then I realised that would never happen...You know it was funny cos I’ve always been big into arts and music and movies. My grandfather was an actor [Leif Erickson – who worked with amongst others, William Castle on STRAIGHTJACKET, and ON THE WATERFRONT with Marlin Brando] and going with him to movie sets was always really inspiring to me – he was great, a wonderful man.

And then the whole music aspect thing, I just loved punk rock and metal. I didn’t really know where I wanted to go but right out of high school I went straight into being in a punk band and that was that. Crazy right?

Living the dream. And then you changed career paths and moved into the film industry as a grip, a camera operator and steadicam operator. Looking at your hugely impressive résumé, you’ve worked on an incredible range of films with an incredible roster of directors. Which film would you say was the best experience you’ve had to date on set as a camera/steadicam operator?

BJ: There’s a couple. Definitely all the Rob Zombie movies have always been amazing because it’s just a unique way of shooting movies and it’s just amazing to be involved with someone that’s so visual and has a great eye for things and knows how to visually tell a story. He’s just an artist and he knows his shit – the guy is truly passionate about every little thing he does – he’s not just Rob Zombie the rock star who wants to be a director: he truly is a director. 

The other director who was just crazy to be around and was just truly inspiring to work with was William Friedkin [on KILLER JOE]. He was just unbelievable. I’ve never seen someone so ready and so having his actors prepared. You get one or two takes and that’s it, you move on; and it’s amazing the performances he would get out of his actors. I would love to go in the trenches with that guy again any day.

So he didn’t pull a gun out on you like he did to the cast during the filming of THE EXORCIST?

BJ: He DID pull a gun out and he DID shoot it in the air – I’m not gonna lie! (Laughs) He did pull out a gun, I will say he did. It definitely got a response: it was pretty great (!)

Okaaaay...And what was it like working on the lens flare with J.J. Abrams on STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS?

BJ: It was fantastic. We were using Panavision Millennium XL’s with the anamorphic lenses and IMAX cameras. I was only on it for a little bit doing some of the 2^nd unit stuff. I did some crane work for the opening with the tribal people running through the forest on that planet. And then I did some stuff with the ship to ship sequence where Khan and Kirk go flying through the airlock – that was pretty intense. We had some stunt guys on wires going 50mph in this long Howard Hughes air plane hangar building which was really impressive. And as for J.J. – he’s just the nicest guy in the world – he’s just a cool dude. I wish I could’ve stayed there longer but then I had to get down to the swamp and start prepping for HATCHET 3.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS was post-conversion 3D. How do you feel about 3D both as a camera operator and as a cinema goer?

3D is just a hard thing to work with; the cameras are so big; you have to have all the lenses in synch – you lose your day with the workflow of 3D. I think that the converting process has got so good now there’s no reason to shoot things in 3D – and from a director’s standpoint I think you waste time waiting for everything to work – it’s a pain in the butt. But I mean that’s not to say I don’t enjoy watching 3D movies, I do enjoy them, but working with 3D cameras it’s just too time-consuming and you just don’t get what you want out of the day.

So there was no chance of HATCHET 3D then?

BJ: Nope, not in my books.

No 3D then, but unlike the previous two instalments, you did shoot HATCHET III in the widescreen ‘Scope format. Any particular reason for that? Do you just prefer ‘Scope or was it perhaps to make the film look like it had a bigger budget than it actually had?

BJ: That’s exactly it. I don’t like 1:85. If you’re going to shoot a feature film and you’re going to try to make it look more epic or bigger and you have cool locations to shoot in then why not shoot it ‘Scope? Why not make sure you can get everything into the lens that you’re shooting. If you’re gonna shoot in a real swamp this time let’s take it in and shoot the scenery. Let’s see it. Plus it does make the movie look way bigger, way more cinematic than the previous two.  You know I’m a big fan of the first HATCHET, I love the first film still to this day, but I’m really happy with what we did with the third one by just making it look bigger and with less of a budget than either parts 1 or 2.

How easy or hard was it to let go of the camera and give it to cinematographer Will Barratt?

BJ: Well Will’s always been in control of it with the lighting and everything. I did all the steadicam in it because I couldn’t afford a steadicam operator. And then my buddy Brian Sowell and my other friend Eric Leach were the camera operators (Eric also did 2^nd unit DP and directing for me). It was one of those things where I’d rather be behind a monitor watching the performance than actually trying to compose a shot. It was hard you know for me to let go of those things and I definitely worked with Will closely and I pushed him pretty hard on this. I definitely was a little more adamant about camera and angles and things like that than Adam ever was on the other ones. And I know Will’s really proud of it and I think he did a killer job you know with the amount of time we had and things we had to accomplish. Will came through and was just amazing to work with.           

Did Adam get in the way and interfere like Spielberg did on Tobe Hooper’s POLTERGEIST?

(Laughs) No, Adam didn’t get in the way at all. He was definitely there on location with us and every now and then he had to ‘put out some fires’ (as a producer should). It’s tough shooting in a place where you don’t know the crew and things like that – and I think he really got to experience how tough that was as being a producer like that. But honestly it was really refreshing for me the fact that Adam wasn’t next to me all the time and wasn’t looming over me because it just showed me he trusted in what I was doing with the film and knew I would do a good job. So to me I take that more as a compliment than anything. He would definitely show up to see the gore. If he knew we were killing someone he would love to show up and see that and then he’d take off. So that was cool, and it made me feel good that that was the way that went.

Speaking of the gore, is it all physical effects: no CGI?

BJ: There’s no CGI although we did have to do some ‘touch ups’ on some things. Cos the way we did this and what was in the script from what me and Adam actually came up with, there’s just no way we couldn’t not touch it a little bit with some computer help. Not being that we CGI’d anything but we definitely shot everything real. We shot all the gore stuff and then if things didn’t work we had to use computers to stitch what we had shot onto certain things to make it work. So it’s not really CGI but yes there was some computer work in there. I’m not gonna lie about that.

Is it correct that Kane Hodder’s make-up as Victor Crowley weighed in total 50lbs?

BJ: Yeah, it was all silicone this time. It was tough for him to move around in that you know, but Kane’s such a trooper, he’s just so good. When he gets that make-up on he IS Victor Crowley, and he is ready to just go for it. You know what you’re gonna get with Kane, he’s amazing, and the fact we used silicone as opposed to latex means you can see emotions in his face. He looks mean man! And I said to Will, look, when we shoot Victor Crowley let’s make it dark, let’s make this movie dark and gritty like almost a lot of grain to give the film a look like a late 70’s - early 80’s movie. I wanted to take Victor Crowley darker also.

But he’s not scary to direct then?

BJ:  On man I’ve known Kane for a long time and the more I know Kane the more just a prankster he is and a jokester. For me that’s the way I know him and I love the guy, but I guess for other people who don’t know him he can be a little bit intimidating. He definitely loves to scare people and that’s kinda fun on set too. He just sneaks up on people and freaks them out or hides in the bushes and jumps out at them.

He’s had quite a bit of practice at that hasn’t he?

BJ: He’s had tonnes of practice at that! He’s a pro!

And Derek Mears has also had some practice at that too...

BJ: Yeah, Derek definitely has too. The thing with Derek on this one though he’s not behind a mask. You know, he’s a really good actor and Derek’s a really funny guy, he’s more of a comedian than anything – really quick and funny. Being on set with him he had great ideas, and when you work with him he’s like a kid that just wants to give you the best thing ever: the best performance and really make you proud. It was a pleasure working with Derek - even though he was playing a pompous arsehole in the movie - he’s just great. I don’t want to take away the allure of him being a mean or big bad guy but I love Derek Mears to death, he’s a genuinely great human-being.

He was brilliant in HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS as Edward the giant troll. In fact I thought he was by far the best thing in the film.

BJ: I do too.

And you’ve got one of my very favourite actresses returning from HATCHET II, Danielle Harris. Now of course she knew what she was signing up for having already faced Victor in the first sequel. But then you have HATCHET virgins like Zach Galligan who presumably didn’t know quite what he was letting himself in for?

Zach Galligan and Derek Mears brave the swamps.

BJ: Zach was super cool. I’d already worked with Danielle and so was very comfortable with her. Zach was someone I’d chose who I wanted to cast. I told him, look man I’m not going to sugar-coat this whole thing, it’s going to be absolutely horrible. The worst experience of your life. It’s going to be gators and rain and mosquitoes and bugs – it’s going to be like going to war. But when all is said and done it’s going to be a really cool movie; and I’d love to have you! I didn’t bullshit him and he signed on. He was a true pro; the guy always knocked it out of the park, very professional and just a pleasure to work with. I look forward to working with him again.

And presumably you didn’t have any issues or problems with your head of make-up department, Adrienne Lynn? [BJ’s real-life partner]

BJ: Oh of course not, no (laughs). She actually helped me through the whole thing, even in the pre-production by finding me boats, locations and everything else. She was just a godsend to have helping me.

And of course with make-up comes effects, and with effects comes gore, and with gore comes problems with the MPAA...

BJ: This time around, believe it or not, we didn’t have that much of a problem. We got an NC17 – which I don’t care, I think it’s kinda awesome.
It basically means you’ve done your job!

BJ: That’s exactly what it means and I have no problem with that. It’s just the deal with trying to get the movie into certain theatres. We did have to do an R rated cut, which isn’t really much different you know. There’s a couple of things which are cut out but it’s not as bad as you think and I didn’t have to deal with the same thing that Adam had to deal with in HATCHET II. But I didn’t do the kills – I tried to make them a little bit less...well I can’t say less they’re pretty graphic. I honestly don’t know what I did to make them [the MPAA] be a little happier, maybe it was just the fact that I directed it and Adam didn’t – maybe they have a thing for Adam because of what happened, I don’t know.

Well he had no such problems over here in the UK with our BBFC I’m proud to say, so fingers crossed it will be the same for HATCHET III. I also hope we get a chance to see it here in the cinema on the big screen.

BJ: I hope so too man, the sound is killer on it - Mat Walters [sound re-recording mixer] killed it! If you get to see it make sure they turn that sound system up in the theatre!

Is there anyone you haven’t worked with yet that you’d love to work with – and any dream project you’d like to do?

BJ: As a camera operator I’d like to work with Christopher Nolan – I’m a huge fan. Also, Michael Bay, even though a lot of people say run away from Michael Bay. I’m an action guy also, I love action films.

Directing-wise I’d love to work with Tom Cruise again, he’s super-cool. I worked on JACK REACHER and just watching him in the car doing his own stunts was just like there’s a reason why you’re Tom Cruise – and that’s why. The guy is a genuinely awesome dude. He’s a pro, he’s always on time, ready to go, knows his lines, nice to the crew, nice to everybody and you watch him work and he’s amazing.

Now I’ve heard mutterings already among some fans that maybe you’re the guy to direct the next FRIDAY THE 13^TH sequel. How would you feel about that?

BJ: Really? People have been saying that? Phew, that’s a big task! You know, I would love to do it, it would be amazing to do it, but it has to be a good script. It’s hard to do franchises, even this alone as HATCHET III it’s tough to actually take someone’s baby that they created and really go with it - keep it the same but also put your touch on it.

Personally, apart from Derek Mears performance as Jason, I thought the FRIDAY THE 13^TH reboot was pretty poor.

BJ: Derek was awesome. The only thing I thought was weird was there was like a bat cave for Jason Voorhees – I was like: what is that? I just kinda like seeing Jason pop out of nowhere and just kill. And that just goes with the old school environment of liking the old ones.

It felt more like a Texas Chainsaw Massacre film to me.

BJ: I liked the remake of the TCM – I thought it was really well done.

Agreed. So back to HATCHET III which has had some amazing reviews and reactions already – but then you’ve had those f*ckers at Fangoria...

BJ: (Laughs)  It’s tough whenever you have a magazine you grew up loving and you get a rough review, but you know what, there’s gonna be bad reviews. Every movie isn’t gonna be glowing. It’s just opinions and I honestly think it’s even fun to post the bad ones, it’s like why not? Sam Zimmerman over at Fangoria, the guy that did that review, I like the guy I think he’s great. We did karaoke at Comic Con and he’s a fantastic dude, but he’s opinion is his opinion and I respect that and I can’t expect everyone to love it. You can’t win them all.

Indeed. Just look at the genre you’re working in. The most maligned genre going.

BJ: Yes, exactly.

Thank you so much BJ for taking the time to talk to me. I wish you all the best for HATCHET III - I hope to see you over in the UK at some point – and I look forward to interviewing you on your next movie.

BJ: Awesome, I’ll look forward to it, thank you so much. 

Interviewed by Paul Worts

SWEET VENGEANCE (AKA: SWEETWATER) 2013

Directed by Logan Miller, Starring: Ed Harris, Jason Isaacs, January Jones, Eduardo Noriega   Western, US, 2012, approx. 91mins, cert 15.
Released in UK on DVD by Entertainment One on the 3^rd June 2013.

In the late 1800’s, newlyweds Miguel (Educardo Noriega) and Sarah (January Jones) are struggling to cultivate their piece of land in the unforgiving dusty plains of the Old West. Times are tough, and it doesn’t help when sheep from the nearby flock of fundamentalist preacher Prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs) stray onto their land and nibble away their meagre crops. The townsfolk aren’t remotely supportive either; the bank manager siphons half their savings; the local shopkeeper is a peeping tom; whilst Sheriff Kingfisher is more than happy to turn a blind eye to all manner of wrong-doing.
But that’s not the half of it in this deliciously twisted tongue-in-cheek take on the Western...

The Prophet Josiah’s moral code is as flexible as a double-jointed contortionist, and no one is seemingly above judgement in his deluded world-view. On top of this there’s a new sheriff riding (and waltzing) into town to replace ineffectual Sheriff Kingfisher. Enter Cornelius Jackson (Ed Harris), a maverick law keeper destined to lock horns with Josiah. “You’re a queer man” remarks a nonplussed Josiah, to which Jackson replies: “Unusual, I prefer unusual: never queer”.  

Compared to Tarantino’s near three hour long DJANGO UNCHAINED, director Logan Miller unfurls this rip-roaring romp in an admirably succinct 85 minutes (the end credits bump the running time up to 91 minutes). The narrative shifts faster than a thoroughbred colt bolting from a glue-maker, and corpses soon start to pile up as revenge becomes the order of the day.

Miller injects unexpected moments of casual violence like mule kicks which punctuate the ripe dialogue and even riper characters. Against this backdrop the main leads are clearly relishing the chance to play along with the deliriously over-the-top screenplay. Ed Harris’ barnstorming performance as quirky Sheriff Jackson is simply extraordinary, and he pulls off several jaw-dropping scenes which practically steal the show. Not that he hasn’t got some stiff competition from Jason Isaacs. Delivering lines such as: “Now you will hang there in shame until the sun dries your scrawny testicles into leather hide...” Isaacs gives us a character which makes Lucius Malfoy from the HARRY POTTER franchise seem positively cuddly in comparison. And at the heart of the story we have January Jones’ Sarah, who strides convincingly through her challenging and pivotal role with measured assurance. 

Compared to the events which precede it, the dénouement in comparison feels a tad conventional and downbeat. But perhaps this is just a testament to how much fun the twin brother team of director Logan and writer Noah (Miller) have provided us with in the interim.

This review was originally published by FrightFest.

****(out of 5*)

Paul Worts