An interview with JASON TROST

With his latest film ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE finally being released here in the UK on 7th October, I caught up with writer / director / star Jason Trost to get the lowdown on this low-budget gem. (I also just had to ask him about his experience acting in HATCHET III). But before that I asked him to cast his mind back several years to when ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE (ASMD) was but a glimmer on the horizon...

Going back to that time, you were offered $20,000 to make the film and given a ridiculously tight timescale in which to get the film made. Did you even think for one second - this is madness, it's impossible?

Yeah of course I did. But just for a second. I didn't have any more time to think about it if this was going to work. I was in a tough spot. I'd just made The FP and another small test movie. It seemed like neither were going to be released and I was desperate. Film financing is really hard to come by so you really can't turn it down when it falls in your lap.

Did you already have the basic elements of the script in mind - or was it literally a case of starting with a blank sheet of paper?

I had an idea for THE RUNNING MAN with superheroes but that was it. The next week was a mad dash to see how to make that work and flesh it out so we could get into pre production.

One of the aspects I really admired about ASMD was the way you 'cut your cloth accordingly' in terms of your budget. Rather than try to pull off impossibly elaborate CG and special effects sequences you 'tailored' the script to your means, i.e. stripping your heroes of their powers right from the beginning. That must've taken some discipline?

Yeah it was definitely a challenge. And that seems to be the thing most people hate about the movie. Which I don't understand. People always complain about wanting something different and then you give that to them and they hate that too. I don't think low budget movies are conceptualized right from the get go a lot. You can have the best camera in the world but if you have a crappy set with a crappy actor it's still going to look like crap. And I always think you should write for what you know you have, not what you hope you'll have. I can't tell you how many low budget movies I've seen fail because they wrote a 5 million dollar script and tried to make it for 20 bucks. Production value doesn't just show up on the day. Know what you're up against. Know what you have and exploit it smartly.

For ASMD you listed as the writer, director, co-producer, star and editor. Obviously this saves you money but doesn't this place an enormous burden on you personally - or do you actually prefer it that way?

It can be a real pain in the ass but in order to make something like this work you need to have everyone be on the same page. And with a movie like this I couldn't afford to hire people who were on the same page. So long story short, I knew I was free. And in the end I did prefer it. It saved time and money. And if anything failed I could blame myself instead of someone else. Which I'd much rather do.

From the credits of ASMD it's clear that the wider 'Trost' family also helped out considerably with the production. Can you describe how that works out?

Well, my sister is a costume designer and my dad is a special effects man. Knowing I could use some of their expertise definitely helped me shape the script and idea because it's something I knew I had. Also it's easier to push family and get favors from them. They'll take a lot more punishment than random people will.

The filming schedule was incredibly quick. Inevitably you must have encountered a number of obstacles along the way, what were the most challenging problems you faced and how did you overcome them - was it just a case of ripping pages from the script?

Ripping pages out of the script is a real bummer. So great moments that would help clear up some confusion were definitely left in the dirt somewhere. But when you have no time you just have to think "what's the least amount we can shoot that will still progress us to the next scene." And that's what we did. We didn't have time to get the costumes or sets finished either so Lucas and I would be sewing and patching up costumes while also painting and building sets on the day. It was intense. I'm glad I was only 23 when it happened. Don't know if I'd have the energy if I was older.

Once the film was locked and loaded and ready to go, did you have doubts about how the film would play?

Yeah. I never thought this movie would see the light of day. They it accidentally did in a big way. Which was great but also frustrating because it was released in a way where it was being compared to movies with a 100 million dollar budget, which really wasn't fair. I remember thinking if people saw it they'd probably think it was neat. I never thought it'd spawn so much hate and make countless "worst movie ever made" lists.

The film premiered at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2011. Can you describe how you felt both before and after the screening?

I felt great before. There was a lot of excitement. It was like, "wow our little movie is being played at this cool festival in Canada against all these bigger movies." And everyone who ran the festival seemed to really enjoy it. So I expected people to like it. Then after the screening was a very dark time for me. My little movie that I was so proud of, got pounded. Everyone and there brother hated it. Hated me. Hated me for even trying to make something different. I might as well have just made an Adam Sandler movie. I was public enemy #1. It was a weird adjustment period. But finally some people crawled out of the wood work who actually liked it and got what it was, so that felt nice.

The film is clearly a response to the production-line Hollywood superhero films that are being churned out. But which one (past or present) is your favourite?

That's tough. Because no matter how much I love SPIDERMAN 2 and BATMAN BEGINS, I would have to say UNBREAKABLE is my favourite. It's just so subtle and awesome. It beat all the "real world" superhero movies to the punch and it's still better. And in the end of the day it's about what most superhero movies seem not to be about these days, saving people. It's just a guy who wants to save people. Simple, amazing and relate able. 

Your seem to have a 'core' group of actors that you regularly work with. Is that because they work cheaply? (joke).

That's no joke. The answer to that is yes.

How did you get James Remar to join the Trost troupe?

I've been friends with him since I was 10. My parents were in the middle of a divorce and I was living with my dad in England while he was working on Mortal Kombat Annihilation. I was bored on set playing Tetris on my Gameboy. James was also bored and liked Tetris. We bonded over that and 13 years later he was in my movie.

Amongst that group you have the wonderful Sean Whalen whom all horror fans fondly remember as 'Roach' from Wes Craven's THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS. But you've also recently worked with him on HATCHET III.  Was that just a pure coincidence?

Yes and No. We got hired separately but we both know and are friends with the director BJ McDonnell. So it was a great almost coincidence. I love Sean. He's one of my favourite people to work with so it was an awesome surprise.

You meet a suitably gruesome demise at the hand (or rather the hatchet) of Kane Hodder's Victor Crowley in HATCHET III. It must have been quite an experience seeing Kane Hodder loaded down with make-up appliances bearing down on you?

Yeah it was pretty great. I remember we had to do 10 takes of the shot where he comes at me with the hatchet. He's bling in the suit because of all the makeup and I'm wearing an eyepatch backing up in the dirt. Both of us blind guys trying to hit our mark over and over again must have looked pretty funny. Then I realized oh wait, didn't you sign a "Jason" poster on my wall from when I was a kid, awesome!

Having recently interviewed the director (BJ McDonnell) he mentioned that the filming conditions were hardly ideal. Do you have any horror stories about bugs or other unpleasant encounters on the set?

Nothing crazier than what anyone else got. I had three layers of clothing on with bug spray applied and I was still getting bit. But, whatever. The movie looks way cooler than the other ones and I think that's in large part to actually shooting in the swamp.

Is it hard to adjust to working on a big-budget film compared to the micro-budget given to you to make ASMD?

Well, when I work on a big budget film I'll let you know!

If you were offered a huge budget by a major studio would you see it as a gift or a curse?

A curse mostly. Sure it's a gift because I'd make a lot of money. But I'd also be selling my soul. Directors don't actually get to make the movie on big budget films. There's so many politics involved. When you're making a 200 million dollar movie you have to make it for everyone somehow, which just isn't possible. So you have 10-20 guys in suits on set that have never been on a film set in their life but their parents are rich and they just sit there behind the monitor saying things like, "if there's a little more dirt on his chin this would sell better in India". I've heard the horror stories from friends who worked on the first AMAZING SPIDERMAN that though the director was just a PA. Because the producers and visual effects guys were calling all the shots. Last thing I want to do is be responsible for making a shitty movie that I didn't get to call any shots on. If I'm going to make a shitty movie, my hands better be all over it.

You're currently in the process of looking to raise $50,000 (double the budget for ASMD but still an incredibly modest sum) via a crowd funding indiegogo campaign to make A WORLD WITHOUT SUPERHEROES. Is it accurate to describe it as a sequel to ASMD?

Yeah it's definitely a sequel. But it will be a sequel like TERMINATOR 2 where you don't really need to see the first one to understand it or enjoy it. I'm sure if you've seen the first one you'll get some good nods and call backs, but it really isn't necessary. And last thing I want to do with an obscure indie movie is make an equally obscure indie movie sequel with a "2" on it that alienates everyone from watching it.

Jason, I wish you the all the best with ASMD and I look forward to hopefully seeing it's sequel in the very near future.

Well thanks a lot. This was fun!

ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE was released by Monster Pictures in the UK on DVD, Blu-ray &iTunes on 14th October 2013.

Interviewed by Paul Worts

DEADLY VIRTUES: LOVE.HONOUR.OBEY (2014)

“When the pupil is ready to learn, a teacher will appear.”
(Zen proverb).

This psychological thriller for the art-house crowd film opens with our home-‘invader’ calmly letting himself in with a key and removing his shoes. As he softly climbs the stairs he is accompanied by a hint of ominous music and the increasingly vigorous grunting sounds of fornication coming from the upstairs bedroom. Straight away we are presented with contrasting visual cues. On the one hand we have the tropes of a generic horror film; the prowling steadicam following the intruder up the stairs; the unsuspecting victims making love, oblivious to the impending danger. But on the other hand, this is offset by the fact our intruder has a key; and he removes his shoes before ascending the stairs – neither of which are traits psycho-slashers are known for. Nor is their common weapon of choice a finely crafted rope ball fashioned into an instrument for bludgeoning: and an effective one at that.

Director Ate de Jong’s psychological thriller twists the staple genre conventions as finely as the intricate Japanese inspired bondage knots used to bind our married couple. Having been walloped on the head, Tom (Matt Barber) finds himself bound and gagged in the bathtub. His wife, Alison (Megan Maczko) finds herself strung-up in the kitchen. It’s a striking image – as is the intruder played by Edward Akrout, handsome, cultured, and charming - but at the same time unflinching when employing a pair of pliers to remove a finger (or two).

Over the course of a weekend, our grand-inquisitor / marriage-guidance counsellor from hell will explore and exploit Alison and Tom’s relationship, uncover uncomfortable truths and ultimately act as a catalyst for extreme liberation.  

Edward Akrout plays the tightrope role of the hypnotic seducer / torturer beautifully. In a genre film the character would have been a fixed, deluded domestic bogeyman ala Terry O’Quinn’s ‘Jerry Blake’ in Joseph Ruben’s 1987 thriller THE STEPFATHER.

But the combination of Mark Roger’s clever multi-layered screenplay - coupled with director Ate de Jong’s willingness to let the actors performances breath - gives Akrout the chance to bring a more complex reading to the surface. The dynamic between him and Megan Maczko’s ‘Alison’ reminded me at times of the charming (Big Bad Wolf) huntsman’s seduction of Sarah Patterson’s (Little Red Riding Hood) ‘Rosaleen’ in Neil Jordan’s magical 1984 film THE COMPANY OF WOLVES.

Also benefitting from her director’s open approach, US actress Megan Maczko delivers a stunning performance (not to mention a faultless English accent) as ‘Alison’. In some ways her character arc is related (albeit in a far darker context) with that of Phoebe Cates ‘Elizabeth’ in Ate de Jong’s cult comedy DROP DEAD FRED. Both female protagonists are victims of abuse and trapped in dysfunctional situations. Both undergo a journey of enlightenment; Elizabeth through the guidance of imaginary friend ‘Fred’, and Alison through her persuasive intruder. Maczko brings a gamut of facets to the table from naked vulnerability through to her character’s chrysalis into empowerment.

As husband ‘Tom’, Matt Barber spends a considerable length of the film’s running time bound in the bathtub and assaulted in varying ways - both physical and psychological - by the intruder. However, as with so much about this film, ‘Tom’ is far from just a victim and he too emerges as a catalyst as the film’s powder-keg denouements ignite to create emotional and psychical carnage.

Zoran Veljkovic ‘scope cinematography enriches the intense contained drama, infusing it with arresting images and a varied visual palette. Almost abstract-like close-ups of a dripping tap, and a pivotal wine-drinking scene played out largely in shadow complement and enhance the narrative. The score whispers menace without resorting to bombastic cues, and melodic phrases hint at redemptive possibilities.

DEADLY HONOURS: LOVE.HONOUR.OBEY is the first film produced by Raindance Raw Talent, the film production arm of the Raindance Film Festival. Financed in part via indigo crowd-funding and made for an incredibly modest budget, the film is a testament to the true spirit of independent filmmaking. Everyone involved in the film; from Director Ate de Jong; writer Mark Rogers; the actors; producer Elliot Grove, and all the team involved in its making should feel justifiably proud.

**** (out of 5)

Paul Worts

An interview with ATE DE JONG

DEADLY VIRTUES: LOVE.HONOUR.OBEY,  a contemporary thriller directed by cult director Ate de Jong, will have its world premiere at the 2013 Raindance Film Festival in London.  Ahead of the premiere, Ate kindly agreed to meet with me to discuss his new film, and the two films for which he is widely regarded as a ‘cult’ director: HIGHWAY TO HELL, and a personal favourite of mine: DROP DEAD FRED. But before I indulged my love of all things FRED, I asked Ate how his path into films began...

When I was 17 I went from a very remote area in Holland to Amsterdam to go to the Film Academy. And during the Film Academy I really didn’t know anything – I had literally seen only one film at that point – which I didn’t understand! But everyone was older than me and everybody knew so much so I thought the only way to know things is to write, so I started writing for film magazines. It’s that simple, I needed to catch up, so I went to see every film I could. So the whole print thing was to get to know people and to sharpen myself in film. It was always with the intention of making films.

Was it always your ambition to be a film-maker then?

To be honest: no. I had an enormous desire to express myself for a variety of reasons, but that it became film is an absolute coincidence. It could have been theatre; it could have been journalism, writing (novels or whatever). It could have been a variety of things. The fact it became film is a very lucky circumstance because I can’t imagine anything else anymore. But no, I did not want to make films when I was 5 or 6; I didn’t know what film was. I’d seen one film in the cinema.

And that was...?

It was a sex education film - the only film my parents allowed me to see (so that they didn’t have to tell me) – and I didn’t understand it! There was a scene – actually I still remember it very vividly. A boy of 15-16 was lying in bed and then you saw the sheets moving a little bit, and his father came in and started to hit him! I thought: why’s he doing that? I didn’t know what masturbation was – I had no idea.

And so from there you eventually end up moving to Los Angeles and directing an episode of the TV series MIAMI VICE (featuring James Brown and Chris Rock no less). How?

It sounds all so naive but it was also a stroke of luck. I went to America having made 6 feature films in Holland (which was exceptional for my age – I was 32). I’d always wanted to go, and then my relationship ended so I went – with 2 suitcases: one with video tapes of my films. I got an agent and after about 9 months I got a request to do an episode of MIAMI VICE. And I absolutely doubted if I should do it because I’d only made feature films: never TV. And then my agent said it’s a good career move so I did it: it’s that simple. And as for the casting of James Brown and Chris Rock, I had no influence on that whatsoever. And then I made an enormous mistake afterwards because you could laugh a lot with Don Johnson, but he was an absolute prick. So when they asked me if I wanted to do some more episodes I said: no, I’m not masochistic enough. And that’s been a mistake, it would’ve been better for my career if I’d done it...
But then along came DROP DEAD FRED...

Absolutely! But first HIGHWAY TO HELL – it was released later but I made it first. Hemdale [Film Corporation] was going into bankruptcy and they couldn’t release the film. And then DROP DEAD FRED came out – was a success – so on the coattails they released HIGHWAY with 7 prints (which was nothing) but if they hadn’t released it theatrically they couldn’t have released it on video. And the video they attached it to I believe was TERMINATOR 2, and therefore they sold an enormous amount of videos!
I’m not surprised! So let’s talk about HIGHWAY TO HELL. For a horror fan, this film boasts an extraordinary range of genre talent. For a start your ‘Hellcop’ is played by C.J. Graham, who had previously donned the infamous hockey mask to play Jason Voorhees in FRIDAY THE 13^TH PART VI...

Oh he was an absolute darling to work with. He has this whole face mask with scriptures of the bible etched in – and he was claustrophobic – so he could only do it so many hours a day. He was in make-up for at least 2 hours a day and they adjusted it to make it feel more comfortable. He was extremely withdrawn, barely spoke – a very nice kind man – but I think he felt very isolated. So perhaps it was more psychological why he stepped away from films.

Your scriptwriter, Brian Helgeland later went on to win an Oscar for his LA CONFIDENTIAL screenplay. Patrick Bergin on the other hand - somewhat ironically - has more recently made another film called HIGHWAY TO HELL (originally titled ELDORADO). But I somehow suspect he wouldn’t see that as being particularly lucky for him or the film’s makers...

You know speaking of titles, my HIGHWAY TO HELL was originally called ROUTE 666, but ‘ROUTE 666’ was a protected title in America so we had to change it to HIGHWAY TO HELL. Then, having done that, we naturally tried to get the song of the same title from AC/DC but they asked an astronomical amount of money.

Now you had the character of ‘Charon’ (sadly in his last role before his untimely death) played by Kevin Peter Hall who had previously played ‘The Predator’ in both PREDATOR  and its sequel – and ‘Harry’ in BIGFOOT (HARRY) AND THE HENDERSON’S...
He was over 2 meters tall I think. He was enormous.

And following on with the horror connections, you have the cinematographer Robin Vidgeon who worked on HELLRAISER and HELLBOUND, NIGHTBREED AND THE FLY 2. Todd Ramsey, editor of THE THING... Such an embarrassment of riches, how did you end up with such an esteemed crew for your first Hollywood feature?

Well, Hollywood, I adored it there, I can’t say differently, I absolutely adored it. I liked it more than any other place I’ve ever lived. The main thing is you live in a community that adores film. Holland’s film industry is virtually completely subsidised – which means people don’t really allow each other the light of day. If I have a success it means I’m going to get subsidy – and you won’t get it - so you hate it. That’s one of the reasons I went away. I went to premieres of films my friends had made and I went there thinking: oh god, I hope it’s going to be a shit film. And that’s no way to live (!) And I realised that and I said that in interviews at the time and people were embarrassed because they all thought the same. But in Hollywood, even if you don’t like a film, you’ll like the success because it helps everyone. They may not like each other’s films but they don’t begrudge the success – and that was so refreshing.

So I think my crew did the film because they liked the script. I think Brian wrote a phenomenal script. Let’s say it was a little bit more intelligent than your average horror film - it had references to Greek mythology for example. The budget for those days wasn’t bad but it wasn’t extraordinary – I believe $6million.

What was it like working with special make-up artist Steve Johnson?

He was pretty damn good. It was early on in his career but you felt he had a talent that was extraordinary. He came up with the idea of the scriptures on ‘Hellcop’s’ face and other ideas.

We need to get this film released on Blu-ray, with you doing a feature-length commentary...

I’d love to! I have good memories about the making - but not the post-production. We made the film for Hemdale [Film Corporation] who gave a lot of directors a chance early on in their careers; Oliver Stone and James Cameron for example. But they, and by ‘they’ I mean John Daly [co-founder of Hemdale] – god rest his soul - had the bad habit of always re-cutting the films. So he re-cut the film and I thought: Oh man... So I wanted to take my name off it. So I went through the whole director’s guild, I got the letter now that said it’s an ‘Alan Smithee’ film and Brian [Helgeland] said don’t do it, don’t do it, it’s still a good movie. I got the letter from the guild and at the last minute and I thought:  I worked so long on the film - oh fuck it - and I left my name on it - and now everyone thinks it’s a cult film! That shows I don’t know anything!

So did the final cut vary greatly from your originally vision?

Well you know in retrospect, time is a great thing – probably not as much as I believed then: except for the ending. We shot an ending where Charlie goes to the airport and they don’t stay together. They separate, Rachel goes and plays violin somewhere else, says I still love you and we’ll stay in touch, but you know they basically separate. And none of that is left...

In fact, the pre-end credits caption states that Charlie and Rachel get married with their parents’ blessing!

I was in LA recently chasing the rights for the film (now owned by MGM) because the film has never been released on DVD. But now MGM wants to release the film because Ben Stiller is in the film –

His whole family is in it!

Absolutely, and I just want the film to be seen. You know there were only 7 prints? Well I bought one of them and I gave it to the Dutch Film Museum, so at least there’s one print in pristine condition safe.

That’s comforting to know. Now, it’s about time we got onto one of my all-time favourite films: DROP DEAD FRED...

It’s so funny you say that because you know I did this film [LOVE. HONOUR. OBEY], well when I first read the script I thought it was brilliant - so good in fact I thought it could attract a much bigger director than me. But when the writer, Mark Rogers, heard this it turned out DROP DEAD FRED was his favourite film also!

When I ask people whether they’ve seen DROP DEAD FRED and if so do they like it – if they say no they don’t like it: I do think less of them! There’s a lot of love for the film now, but I suspect you didn’t feel there was a lot of love for it when it was released...?

No, because the film when it was released was not greatly reviewed, particularly in England. I haven’t read reviews for the last 35 years but you know, people tell you. But the whole generation that saw the film were 8 to 14 years old then – they never read the reviews – so  they are now all in their 30’s or more and they adore the film.

When I first saw it in the cinema (and I was a lot older than 14) when it had finished I just sat there and wanted it to start all over again. I thought: that’s a perfect film. So how did you get involved with it?

When I first came to Hollywood I didn’t know anyone and I sublet a house in Santa Monica from a writer who was gone for 3 months working on a film. When he came back I moved out but he invited me for a dinner party as a thank you for taking good care of his house....The two writers of DROP DEAD FRED (Carlos Davis and Tony Fingleton) were there. A few days later – because I’d met them there - and I’d probably given them a tape of my Dutch films – they suggested me for the film. You know you have 5 dinner parties a week in LA!

Was it based on a novel or an actual story by Elizabeth Livingston?

It was an article, and I’m not sure if it was the New York Times or The New Yorker. The writers certainly took a lot of freedom in adapting it and then when I came onboard I also took a lot of freedom; together with the writers. The whole foray into the past was actually non-existent in the original script – not the script that we filmed - but the script I first got, and I felt that the thing in the past was so essential in understanding her [Elizabeth - Phoebe Cates].  Actually, this next bit might ruin your liking of the film...

No: nothing can do that.

There is an underpinning in the film which is actually extremely serious – because basically she is an abused child. We did it in a way that it wasn’t disturbing but there is a serious undertone in the film. And this psychiatry organisation in California actually used it a lot for therapeutic means – which to be honest I had never thought that could happen. But to me the whole reason for doing the film was this underlying tone.

Well people who don’t like the film just see Rik Mayall flicking snot at people –

Which is funny in itself!

Exactly, and there’s nothing wrong with that! So speaking of Rik Mayall, were you aware of Rik prior to the film?

Yes, because of THE YOUNG ONES.

How much of Fred’s antics were in the script and how much was improvisation on Rik’s part?

Not that much improvisation. Rik had to approve me. I lived in Hollywood so I flew to London because it was a British company, Working Title, and this was their first American film. So I talked to Rik and told him my ideas and apparently he liked me and I got along with him marvellously I must say. I certainly encouraged him to improvise – but within pretty strict boundaries – we set up very specific rules for what Fred could do and what he couldn’t do. And we stuck to that. And then sometimes, for instance when he smears the dog poo on the carpet, I said Rik maybe you should jump on the chair and then he does that, but the way he does it is of course something I could never tell him because it’s so much better. The studio made us cut out a few things because he did a few more things which I thought were marvellous...like he spits into a cup of coffee and Elizabeth’s mother drinks it and says; hmm...but the spitting got thrown out – they didn’t like it – it was too much for them.

It’s got a ‘12’ certificate in the UK, and I was watching it with my young daughter and we came to the “cobwebs!” scene and I thought: please don’t ask me to explain that joke...but she didn’t.

But kids have the great quality that if they don’t understand something – they just don’t understand it. It’s the moment when they almost understand it that they then ask the question.

Well she actually gave me two questions to ask you – but don’t worry, neither is about cobwebs...Does Fred remember all the children he’s helped?

In our discussions – yes, he does remember all the kids he has helped, but once he’s with a new child he doesn’t care about the previous case – so when he’s there at the end, he might recognise Elizabeth, but he’s not interested so he doesn’t pay her any attention.

Ok, and the second question: was Fred trapped in the box for all those years or was he off helping other children?

No, in our opinion he was trapped in the box. There’s one scene which explains a little bit about that first question, it was a scene of about 8-10 minutes, and they cut it out. At some point Fred goes away from her towards the end and he goes back to Drop Dead Fred Land.

Oh yes...

I must have it somewhere on a videotape. If I find it I’ll send it to you – I know it exists. They go to Drop Dead Fred Land; all the other characters you see in the psychiatrists’ office are there too all having fun. And there are loads of doors and each door represents a new assignment but Fred says: no, I have to go back – I can’t leave her like that...

Once again – this film deserves a Blu-ray release with extras...

We did shoot a new ending also, because the original ending finished with Elizabeth telling her mother that she needed a friend. But we felt the film needed a more upbeat ending.

So only Rik Mayall was attached to the film when you came on board. What was it like working with Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher?

I adored her. (I was not extremely close to Phoebe to be honest, I mean we could work together) but I adored Carrie. The writers hated her because she made up her own dialogue very often and she was so, so sharp with the dialogue (you could see the writers grinding their teeth). I’m still in touch with the writers and still in touch with Carrie. You know she even once did a scene where she said: “May the Force be with you”. I laughed; but I cut that out – it was a bit too campy.

Bridget Fonda doesn’t appear in the end credits...

No, she did it as a favour for Phoebe, they were good friends and she did it as a cameo.

Your Director of Photography was  Peter Deming – who’d lensed Sam Raimi’s EVIL DEAD 2 prior to DROP DEAD FRED and who has since gone on to work not only with Raimi several more times, but also David Lynch, Wes Craven etc...

We started with another DP, but after 3 days I said to our producer Paul Webster: Paul, this isn’t working, we’re only making 6 shots a day. So Paul had to fire her and Peter, who we’d already met, came back – and he was a great guy.

And the animator on the opening credits, Steve Segal [no not that Segal] went on to work on A BUG’S LIFE and TOY STORY...You’re a human four-leaf clover Ate!

(Laughs) I’ve never thought about it. I hope so!

We spoke a little about the script and the certificate it received here in the UK, was it difficult to know who to pitch the film to, and how far to go with some of the more ‘adult’ references and jokes?

We personally anticipated a slightly older audience than it got. The film was finished, and there were test screenings in different cities. The results of the tests were that this film is ‘particularly good for women over the age of 33’. The film was going to go out with 150 prints (which for an independent film was great).  So they test-released it first in 5 cities. The audience was all kids (kids and their parents). The weird thing was, in the evenings, when they weren’t any kids; there were couples – generally on the younger side – but couples; lots and lots of couples. It was a date movie! (Which we never expected).  The film did so well over that first weekend of the test-release with the 5 prints that they said okay, not 150 prints – 950 prints! And instead of spending $1.5million on publicity and advertising: $7million – more than the actual film’s budget.
Which was...?

$6.5million.

Bargain.

So for me it was like a dream come true. But when we made the film we thought that it was actually more for kids, and that we made the adult jokes for their parents. And then the tests all said no; but ultimately it was more or less true.

Now I’ve indulged my passion for DROP DEAD FRED long enough, let’s talk about your Raindance feature film DEADLY VIRTUES: LOVE.HONOUR.OBEY, which I’m eager to see, particularly as I contributed to the crowd-funding campaign to finance it. 
Are you coming to the screening?

Oh yes!

Well as a horror fan I don’t need to warn YOU...

Warn me...?

I had a test screening in Holland, and there’s one guy in Holland who knows everything about horror films. He has a particular liking for ‘despicable’ horror films – and he said: oh god, there are things in this film that even I have never seen. So be ready for that!

Wow! I’m looking forward to it even more now!

You know Paul, as with DROP DEAD FRED, it has a rather serious undercurrent. It starts as a genre film – and it is in a way a genre film – but it’s a genre film that has slightly more ambitions. You know there is actually an analogy with DROP DEAD FRED. At the centre of DEADLY VIRTUES there is a woman who is in a marriage where basically she isn’t being treated very well. An intruder comes in...I don’t want to give anymore away than that...but ultimately she stands up for herself. She’s never stood up for herself before (like Elizabeth in DROP DEAD FRED) and in that sense there’s a link in content between DROP DEAD FRED which was a comedy and DEADLY VIRTUES which is a psychological thriller.      

And I adore it, it’s become a film I’m extremely fond of – fond of in the sense that I think: god, I don’t know if there’s going to be a big audience for it...I’m always nervous! We made it without a distributor, and now we have to find one, and apart from the test screenings, no one has seen it yet.

Are you happy with it?

Yes, absolutely. I think it is stunning what a quality the film has for the amount of money we did it for. But I think money is never an excuse – so I shouldn’t even say that. But it is a film that has an enormous undercurrent of power. The acting is phenomenal. The writing is phenomenal. I think the directing is like – well it’s not the least part – but it’s the less important part. The two best things are the script and the actors. And then I think I’ve been a very good servant for both, well I’ve done a bit more than that – I’m not belittling myself – but you know, if the script and the actors hadn’t been so good, you can direct what you like: you’re never going to get it. I love actors, and on this film we had the luxury of rehearsing for 5 days in the actual location (Watford) –

Near the Harry Potter Studio Tour!

Yes, everyday we’d see the bus to it go by full of witches and wizards...

We should have a DROP DEAD FRED WORLD tour!

Yeah! You know since I’ve done DEADLY VIRTUES: LOVE.HONOUR.OBEY, so many people have told me they love DROP DEAD FRED its been a warm bath for me.

A warm bath at Raindance – a lovely image to end our chat on.

Interviewed by Paul Worts.

R.I.P.D. (2013)

Director: Robert Schwentke. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Jeff Bridges, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak. USA 2013, 96 mins. This film was well and truly R.I.P.P.E.D. to pieces when it was released (eventually) in the US. Completed back at the end of January 2012, its release date was pushed back to June 2013 - with no advanced critic screenings...Was the ripping unfair? Yes and no. To put my review in context, I viewed R.I.P.D.(3D) on the August Bank Holiday Saturday at 9pm on the massive Empire One screen as part of FrightFest 2013. The audience put on their 3D glasses and with popcorn buckets in hand, prepared to meet the film at least half-way. Based on the inevitably darker 'Rest In Peace Department’ comic book by Peter M. Lenkov (Dark Horse Entertainment), R.I.P.D. shamelessly rips off M.I.B. Such is the extent of this 'wholesale borrowing' you wonder whether the creators have had their own memories of MEN IN BLACK  wiped by neutralizing pens - or perhaps they think the audience has...? Instead of hunting down aliens, the R.I.P.D. (consisting of deceased law enforcement officers) track down "Deados", spirits that have failed to cross over and are trapped on Earth as ghost monsters. Grumpy old grizzled Agent K - erm, I mean grumpy old Sheriff Roy Pulsipher, (Jeff Bridges), a former US Marshal from the old Wild West, is partnered with newly recruited and newly deceased Boston Detective Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds). Bridges delivers his dialogue as if chewing a gob-full of tobacco whilst sucking on a Willy Wonka everlasting gobstopper. It must have been tempting to add subtitles in post-production - but it's worth pulling your ears back as he delivers some real gems. I can't recall many other mainstream 12A's which include a character relaying how he watched a coyote pleasuring himself with his dead skull, to which his partner replies: "I hope he got both eyes Roy".  Another nice touch is that the two deceased cops are assigned avatars back on Earth. Ryan Reynolds appears as an elderly Chinese man (played by James Hong) and Bridges is perceived as a stunning blonde (Marisa Miller) - who keeps getting wolf-whistled by workmen. Mary-Louise Parker (in the Rip Torn role) pulls off a deadpan interview with newly arrived Detective Walker, nicely juxtaposing the spectacular preceding sequence when he is sucked up into the clouds and plonked in the stark white interview room.  But, apart from this set-piece, the CG ghost monsters are somewhat ropey, surprisingly ropey given the film's alleged budget - and the majority of the effects work on screen looks very run-on-the-mill and clichéd. The post-conversion 3D is intermittently effective - the aforementioned 'heavenly-calling' sequence being particularly striking - and there's a few in-your-face: duck! moments thrown in for good measure. Ultimately however, R.I.P.D. doesn't amount to a great deal, with the seriously unimpressive finale almost single-handedly deflating any goodwill the film has previously built up. The underlying feeling is that there are promising elements jumbling around within the vortex of this film - but rather than them fusing together into a cohesive whole, they shoot off at tangents - sometimes hitting the target - and sometimes flying well wide of the mark. But on that Saturday night at FrightFest it provided an undemanding and largely entertaining 96mins - not enough to justify the zero's in the budget - but certainly worth a carton of popcorn. *** (out of 5*) Paul Worts

THE ASSASSINS (2012)

Directed by Linshan Zhao, Starring: Chow Yun Fat, Liu Yi Fei, Tamaki Hiroshi, Historical Drama, China, 2012, 103mins approx, cert 15.
Released in the UK on Blu-ray and DVD by Universal Pictures (UK) on the 9^th September 2013

First-time director Zhao’s historic tale opens underground with an ant scrabbling towards the surface to investigate a disturbance in the earth above. The cause is a young boy and girl running to escape the clutches of horse-back riders. Both are swiftly captured and find themselves herded into a vast cavernous ‘place with no sunlight’ together with scores of other children. There they will spend years being mercilessly trained to be assassins. As time passes, our two ant-disturbers Mu Shun (Tamaki Hiroshi) and Ling Ju (Liu Yi Fei) grow up to become lovers. But the course of true love most certainly does not run smooth. Ling Ju is (somewhat unwillingly) castrated and Mu Shun is dispatched to the Bronze Sparrow Tower to become the concubine of Chancellor Cao Cao (Chow Yun Fat) – “the most powerful man in the world” – the man they have unknowingly been training all those years to assassinate...

I cannot lie, my knowledge of this period in Chinese history - known as the ‘Three Kingdoms’ - was (and still largely is) non-existent. It’s by no means a prerequisite in order to enjoy the film, but you will need to pause and rewind the end title cards of historical facts which flash up so quickly that they’re impossible to read on first sight.

What isn’t possible to miss is the superb Chow Yun Fat. The film sets out to portray the infamous warlord Cao Cao in a more sympathetic light than in previous incarnations, and Chow Yun Fat’s performance is subtle, majestic and mesmerising. In fact he is so good in the role, that the scenes in which he doesn’t feature seem relatively flat in comparison.

HATCHET III (2013)

Director: B J McDonnell. Cast: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Zach Galligan, Caroline Williams, Derek Mears. USA 2013, 81 mins.

After watching HATCHET III it is my sincere hope that the ghost of Victor Crowley is now finally at peace because I cannot imagine a better send-off for the deformed swamp monster than HATCHET III.

Picking up right where HATCHET II left us, Danielle Harris’ Marybeth is caked in Victor Crowley’s blood having shot-gun blasted his deformed head to pulped jelly. Kicking his trusty hatchet away into the swamp grass she staggers exhausted toward the camera, collapsing onto her knees, bloodied fists still clenched. After a moment’s pause she rises and moves off at the exact same moment Victor (Kane Hodder) sits bolt upright in the background ala Michael Myers in Carpenter’s original HALLOWEEN.

Yes we’re back in those swamps, but this time we’ve got a new swamp-tour guide at the helm, Steadicam / camera operator extraordinaire BJ McDonnell, making his directorial debut after being given the directing reins by HATCHET creator / gatekeeper Adam Green. Having been involved on both previous instalments and boasting an awesome resume of previous film credits, the choice of giving McDonnell his first directing gig was a shrewd – as well as incredibly generous – decision. McDonnell rewards Green’s faith in him with a thrilling juggernaut of a film. Lensing duties rest with another HATCHET veteran, Will Barratt, who together with McDonnell present Victor’s swamps in glorious widescreen ‘scope.

Green’s script is a splatter cake sprinkled with crowd-pleasing in-jokes and cameos. His own cameo follows on from the previous two instalments to form a (drunken) character arc – and there’s a fine gag involving his own writing abilities. The director doesn’t miss out either as he’s briefly glimpsed holding a roll of toilet paper alongside Green during a quick camera pan across a prison cell. I won’t spoil any of the other goodies, but given that the two previous outings have included cameos from the likes of Robert Englund, John Carl Buechler, and legendary Lloyd (Troma) Kaufman, you can be sure the writer has a few bunny rabbits up his sleeve.

But with all these fan-spoiling nods and winks going on in the background, there’s still a story to tell here, and in Danielle Harris’ portrayal of Marybeth with have yet another outstanding performance from the genre’s most consistent and reliable actress. Harris is a gift for directors and McDonnell is smart enough to invest generous screen time in her. He is also given strong support from genre favourites Zach Galligan as Sheriff Fowler and Caroline Williams as Crowley expert Amanda who both throw themselves into their roles with unabashed gusto.

And then we have Derek Mears’ no-nonsense SWAT officer Hawes, nonchalantly flicking a pair of severed testicles dangling from a tree, who of course is in those swamps to provide us with the much anticipated (albeit brief) Jason vs. Jason showdown with Hodder.

The Crowley make-up is more defined this time thanks to a switch from traditional foam latex to silicone – allowing more expression in Hodder’s performance. The total weight of Kane’s make-up appliances added up to a staggering 50 pounds, which when coupled with the sweltering Louisiana swamp conditions meant Hodder suffered for his art like never before on this shoot.

But despite all those layers of silicone, Victor’s gory un-rated hands-on mayhem is still all present and correct – complete with arterial geezers – although the actual kills are snappier and less lingering than in the previous outings.(The one exception being the protracted punishment suffered by Crowley himself both at the hands of Marybeth and by an unfortunate misplaced and fully-operational chainsaw).

The finale where the remaining participants attempt to lay the spirit of Victor’s ghost to rest for good brought, I must admit, a touch of moisture to my eye. Not so much out of sentiment, (although there is a startling moment of pathos amidst the gory-soaked resolution) but more so out of shear relief that Green and McDonnell hadn’t f*cked up at the end but had instead given the legend of Victor Crowley a truly worthy and satisfying send-off.

Having been in the 2006 FrightFest audience when Adam Green first came to London with HATCHET (which had the rather daunting task of playing immediately after the UK premiere of Guillermo del Toro’s PAN'S LABYRINTH), I’ve always felt an affectionate affinity for the HATCHET films. Clearly created by someone with a genuine love of the genre - and by a genuine fan of the genre – and I’m very pleased to report that HATCHET III is no different.

***** (Out of 5)

Paul Worts

PARA ELISA (FOR ELISA) 2012

Director: Juanra Fernandez. Cast: Ana Turpin, Ona Casamiquela, Luisa Gavasa, Jesus Caba, Sheila Ponce. Spain, 2012. 80 mins. Spanish with English subtitles. MISERY meets THE BABY (1973) in this creepily effective Spanish shocker. In order to raise the 1,000 Euros needed to pay for her post-graduation trip, student Ana (Ona Casamiquela) answers a job advert pinned to a post outside her university for a temporary nanny position.  Arriving at the apartment, Ana is offered a cup of tea by Elisa’s mother Diamantina (Luida Gavasa), a former professional pianist who reminisces about playing at the Royal Albert Hall and is fiercely protective of her collection of antique dolls. Unbeknown to Ana, this is merely the prelude to a nursery-rhyme nightmare in which she will soon find herself trapped as a living doll for Diamantina’s daughter, and Elisa (Ana Turpin), has a tendency to play rough... Writer/director Juanra Fernández’s debut feature is a strikingly assured piece of work. Richly photographed in ‘scope, from the mesmerising opening credits sequence through to Ana’s ascent into the foreboding shadows of Diamantina’s apartment, it’s a visual delight. The lead female trinity are all superb, bringing subtle detail to their respective and equally challenging roles, adding a layer of conviction which helps to accentuate the madness which eventually surfaces in Diamantina’s demented dolls house. Fernández orchestrates the increasingly bloody playtime within apartment 3B with such panache that the interwoven scenes involving Ana’s drug-dealing boyfriend Alex’s increasingly desperate attempts to locate her become almost unwelcome distractions. FOR ELISA (PARA ELISA) boasts a relatively short running time (80mins), but it’s a deliciously disquieting and ultimately disturbing tale which lingers long in the memory. **** (out of 5) Paul Worts