FILMMAKER/ACTOR ALAN ROWE KELLY INTERVIEW

EYEPUS Exclusive in-depth interview with the amazing, stunning, multi-talented, authentic, fierce, Filmmaker/Actor ALAN ROWE KELLY (GALLERY OF FEAR, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, THE BLOOD SHED, I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW).  Alan Rowe Kelly took the time of his busy schedule to do this interview.  I want to give a million thank yous for Alan Rowe Kelly taking part for this interview... So lets begin...

EYEPUS: HOW DID YOUR LOVE FOR HORROR FILMS GOT STARTED?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  I had always dreamed of being in front of the camera since I was a very young kid ogling over Saturday afternoon Creature Features and late night Chiller Theater on television.  My love of horror started when I was about 4 years old, watching THE OUTER LIMITS and THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE on my parents old B&W television set (Yeah, yeah! You do the math!).

I can recall my first horror movies being ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and THE WIZARD OF OZ.  I was hooked after that.  I remember being on vacation in Long Beach Island, NJ when I was a little tot and my dad took my older brother and I to the Colony Theatre to see DINOSAURUS! I was so excited when the tyrannosaurus attacked a bus full of people and it became quite graphic - for 1964, that is! But my brother got upset and we had to leave! I was extremely miffed by that! In retrospect, what I loved about DINOSAURUS! is it was made in 1960, yet still playing in theaters 4 years later. A film is lucky to get 2 full weeks in a cinema nowadays!

EYEPUS: DID YOU GO TO FILM SCHOOL OR WAS IT SELF TAUGHT FILMMAKING?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Self taught all the way baby! 20 years as a make up/hair stylist on photo, film and commercial sets have been my schooling. I've seen it all, from great shoots, to horror stories where folks have go ballistic during productions. I would sit back, absorb it all and think, "OK, I would never do that", or, "Oh! I really like his/her approach to the cast & crew," etc. By the time I was ready to make my first film I was able to pull together all those pros and cons to form my own easy system for making movies.  I hate getting over complicated with things like to keep it what I call 'simple stupid'.

EYEPUS:  WHICH HORROR/GORE FILMS INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE HORROR FILMS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  I loved all the 70's Grindhouse fare I used to see at the drive-in as a teenager. DAWN OF THE DEAD, MANSION OF THE DOOMED, PRIVATE PARTS, EVIL DEAD, THE FUNHOUSE, SUSPIRIA, DEAD AND BURIED, ZOMBIEÉThe list is endless. I just love them all.

But those great monster /sci-fi movies of the 1950's such as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, NOT OF THIS EARTH, THE BLOB!, MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS, TARANTULA, THIS ISLAND EARTH, BEGINNING OF THE END, ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS - these were my all time favorites, and still are!

EYEPUS:  WHO ARE YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE HORROR FILMMAKERS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  John Llewellyn Moxey, Curtis Harrington, Roger Corman, Val Lewton, Mario Bava & William Castle. And I never miss a Hitchcock film, no matter how many times IÕve seen it. Something new always appears.

EYEPUS:  DO YOU PREFER HORROR OR GORE?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  I love them both and even more so when they meld together in the same film.

EYEPUS:  WHAT WAS YOUR LAST HORROR/GORE FILM YOU SAW?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  I just watched FEAST again and loved it even more the second time around. Great pacing! And I'm presently in my Euro- Zombie phase with BURIAL GROUND, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD. These are real guilty pleasure for me!

EYEPUS:  ANY FAVORITE HORROR WRITERS YOU ADMIRED?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Vincent Churchill (The Dead Shall Inherit The Earth, The Butcher Bride), Owen Keehnan (Doorway Unto Darkness) and Robert McCammon (Swan Song) have been my favorite writers. I find them very inspiring because their stories always read like a film. I can see it and am always transported to another place with their originality, intriguing plots, and great character development.

EYEPUS: CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE FILM COMPANIES SOUTHPAWS PICTURES AND TINY CORE PICTURES?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  SouthPaw Pictures is my production company based in NJ. I started it when I made THE BLOOD SHED. Tiny Core Pictures is Anthony G. SumnerÕs production company based out of the Chicago area. It's wonderful collaborating with someone who is so talented, smart and understands all the ins and outs of low budget filmmaking. So far we have combined our talents on two projects, Anthony's latest release SLICES OF LIFE, and my upcoming horror anthology GALLERY OF FEAR. Anthony is an inspiration and a real pleasure to work with.

EYEPUS:  YOU DIRECTED AND ALSO ACTED IN 3 OF YOUR FILMS THE BLOOD SHED, A FAR CRY FROM HOME/GALLERY OF FEAR AND ILL BURY YOU TOMORROW - HOW HARD IS IT TO DIRECT AND ACT AT THE SAME TIME?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Since I started out directing and acting in my own films it doesn't seem so difficult. You're already multi-tasking on a set, so the added pressure of an acting role doesn't seem so daunting to me. I also have had the smarts to have a talented AD and cinematographer on board who are also directors. So if I'm missing something on a take, they tell me right away, "bring it up, bring it down, start again try something different".  And I listen because I want the best shots possible and acting in a good horror film is crucial. If an audience thinks you're a fake or simply mailing in a performance, you just killed your film. Unlike a play where you get to experiment and reinterpret on a nightly basis to a live audience, film is a final locked performance that cannot be changed or corrected once it's complete. So you have no choice but to bring your best game to set everyday.  

EYEPUS:  LAST I KNOW YOU ARE WRITING AND CO-DIRECTING DONT LOOK IN THE BASEMENT WITH ANTHONY G. SUMMER ALSO AS CO-DIRECTOR

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Oddly enough, Director Anthony Sumner and actor Jerry Murdock approached me at the same time in 2007 and said, "you have to remake this film. It will be your crossover movie that could eventually grant you some higher budgets in the future".  I always loved this Grindhouse classic by S.F. Brownrigg and started watching it again. It hit me dead on and I thought, "Yeah, we can do this" and we would give it a new life without compromising the original, as do so many 'studio' remakes today.

Anthony and I decided to co-produce/direct it together through our companies SouthPaw Pictures and TinyCore Pictures. I rewrote the script, updated it, added new characters and came out with a very decent storyline.  We were set to shoot in 2008, but the recession killed us - as it did everyone - and our backers backed out. It was frustrating, but who could blame them? It was happening to many filmmakers at the same time. Now we have the time to build more interest and begin pre-production while assembling the most amazing cast that includes Jerry Murdock, Zo‘ Daelman Chlanda, Debbie Rochon, Caroline Williams, Jeff Dylan Graham, Raine Brown, Katherine O'Sullivan, Susan Adriensen, Douglas Rowan, Terry M. West, Carl Burrows, myself, and the lovely Deneen Melody.

The film deserves a new life and I truly believe we have the right combination of talent to give it its worth. The proof will be in the finished product, so let's wait and see then. We have so many projects in production and pre production right now that we actually have to wait and see when will be the proper time, this year or next, to make this film a 'reality'.

EYEPUS:  HOW CLOSE IS THE LOOK OF YOUR NEW FILM DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT WILL BE TO THE ORIGINAL DRIVE-IN CLASSIC?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Probably not close at all - I mean, the purpose to a remake is to bring new life to a film and still give it an original feel. Why do a silly frame-by-frame remake when you can watch the real thing? We've added new characters and new plot twists, but we're still remaining true to the original's storyline.

EYEPUS:  HOW HARD IS TO REMAKE A HORROR FILM?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Filmmaking is hard work period. And it is just as hard to do a remake as it is an original piece. I think remaking a film is a bit riskier because there are high expectations from fans of the original.  You have the raised antennas from fans and folks who will voice an immediate opinion on how bad the film will be before you even roll a single frame. That always adds pressure for you to deliver even more. My intent for remaking DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, aside from my love of the film, is simply to deliver a new life to an already terrifying storyline and gather more audience exposure. We'll just have to see how it turns out once it's finished.

EYEPUS:  ARE THERE ANY OTHER DREAM HORROR FILMS THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO REMAKE?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  FROGS! would be totally fun to redo. I love those Nature/Ecology run amuck films! I love Ted Post's THE BABY with Ruth Roman,  John Llewellyn Moxey's HORROR HOTEL, Lewis Allen's 1944 classic THE UNINVITED with Ray Milland and Cyril Frankel's THE WITCHES (aka THE DEVIL'S OWN) with Joan Fontaine.  But I would really love to take a crack at David Miller's 1952 SUDDEN FEAR with Joan Crawford. Great suspense thriller!

EYEPUS:  AS A FILMMAKER - WHICH FILM/VIDEO CAMERAS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR FILMS?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  We have pretty much run the gamut in the past 12 years. My first film was shot on Beta SP back in 1999 and then had to have the entire piece reformatted and film-looked which was extremely costly at $12,000.00 and still not very effective because it was still in it's infancy.  And at the time it was the only available resource before Final Cut Pro was born and you could finally do all your own color corrections and cinematic FX.

Then for the next few films we moved to the Panasonic DVX 100 A & B cameras and the picture was always gorgeous. And under the technical expertise and artistry of my cinematographer Bart Mastronardi, we were able to achieve a cinematic look and feel comparable to HD. Now we're working with the Canon 7D in HD.  The picture quality is even more expansive and gives you unlimited range to play and adjust for the film's needs in post. But I am a firm believer that despite whatever camera you are using it all comes down to the proficiency and knowledge of your cameraman.  You could have the best camera in the world and still come out with a poor looking film if your cinematographer doesn't completely understand how work with the equipment. You should test everything before you start shooting.

EYEPUS:  FOR YOUR ACTING ROLES, DO YOU GET TO CHOOSE YOUR OWN WARDROBE DESIGNS AND HAIR/WIG STYLES?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  In most cases I usually insist on designing the look for the characters I play. And fortunately for me, my background is one of the main reasons why I am brought onto a film because I make sure I have a complete understanding of what the director is looking for.  So this puts me in a very good situation as an actor and gives me a great comfort level on camera knowing that my instincts are trusted and actually contribute to the storyline.

EYEPUS:  HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF GLAMOROUS WITH SUCH EPOCH OUTFITS, COSTUMES AND MAKEUP?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Well, there has not been one film yet where I appear glamorous or even remotely attractive - lol! So the pressure is off and I can focus on acting and building a character instead of worrying about how I look...lol! It's like playing Halloween all year round. I stopped looking at how I appear on camera a long time ago. It's not important what I think. It's more important on what the viewer sees and accepts in your performance.

EYEPUS:  IS IT EXPENSIVE?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Not really.  I just make sure there is a certain amount of wardrobe expense in the budget and I get extremely creative from there. I know a lot about costuming and styling from years spent in fashion design school and working with stylists on fashion shoots. So I'm always able to get access to certain items if I need them for a role or when dressing my actors for my own films. Wardrobe and costuming is vitally important in my book.

EYEPUS: IS IT HARD WORK PROMOTING YOUR FILM WORKS DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Its simply part of making an independent film. Just because the film is finished and distributed doesn't mean the work stops there. You have to promote your film from its conception and well into its distribution. And you should never depend solely on your distributor to promote your film full time, they have other films to work on and once you've been released, they have to move onto their next upcoming release. So it is solely up to you to get the word out and even update your fans every few months as to the availability and whereabouts of your movies.  No one is going to blow your horn louder than you.  And there are certainly enough legit horror sites online to post articles, be interviewed, upload links, trailers, banners, etc. to keep you in the public eye. There is no excuse for lazy self-promotion when it is so easy to do  it yourself. A film has to grow and continuously be exposed to new audiences. Film is forever. It will be here long after you're not. 

EYEPUS:  HOW HARD IS THE USA MPAA SYSTEM COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTRIES WHO LET FILMMAKERS BE FREE (UNCENSORED WORKS) WITH THEIR FILM WORKS? 

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  It has never effected distribution for my films so I pay no attention to it. I make adult-themed horror that is always rated R or NC-17 if they were studio purchased or produced in the US. I make the same type of edgier, extreme horror I always looked for when I was a kid and I'll stick with it.  Seems to be my label.

EYEPUS:  WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE TO OTHER HORROR FILMMAKERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH ZERO MONEY AND THEY WANT TO MAKE THEIR FIRST SHORT OR FEATURE FILM?

ALAN ROWE KELLY:  Most importantly- DO YOUR HOMEWORK. As a beginning filmmaker, you must learn every aspect of what is going on your set and know what everyone on that set is doing. Learn about the camera you or your cinematographer are using and what you can achieve visually from it. See how far you can push your equipment. Learn how to frame a shot and make it look interesting with lighting and the correct exposures. Sound is vitally important as well - you must make sure you LEARN about sound, proper recording and all it's settings. I can't tell you how many independent films I've seen that have been ruined by this lack of attention to a VERY important piece of filmmaking.  Horror films are totally dependent on SOUND and its deep connection with your audience.

Also, the people you bring on board to work with you are crucial.  Use all the right people who BELIEVE in you and your project. (And please don't bring on all your friends because they think it will be "cool". Trust me - after one day of shooting, they all discover that it is hard work, long days and far from a glamorous profession).  One bad apple in your crew can very quickly rot everyone's attitude and enthusiasm. So treat everyone with respect for helping you out and FEED them well. This is no time for Diva antics and a temperament. As a matter of fact, there is never any time for that.

There will be times when it is so daunting you'll ask yourself if its really worth it to continue. I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW took me almost 3 years to complete.  I thought it would never get finished. But it did and the personal rewards of that accomplishment alone were amazing. You have to stick to your guns and not give up on it. You must see it through to the very end and complete it. Many of us work with miniscule budgets. So instead of thinking of this as a hindrance let that lack of funds set you free so your creativity and imagination can take over. If you are not creative, you will have a VERY boring and pointless film.

There will also be those people that tell you "you're crazy for doing it" "it's only a pipe dream", "quit while you're ahead", etc. But you have to pass all those negative people by and move on if you're to complete your dream. Because it is "your" dream. In the end it's ONLY about the film and will people like it? You can't make it a personal crusade where the film will only mean something to you, it has to reach out to a wider audience and captivate them.  (Also- watch really bad indie films made by lazy filmmakers who really don't care and you'll see all the creative and technical mistakes unravel in front of you before you make them yourself - It helps to avoid the same pitfalls.)

And last, but most importantly, leave yourself open to learn. Don't get stuck in the thought that you know all there is to know. You'll stifle your set and your film and that will show up on camera. I learned something new each time I walk onto a new set. It's a constant evolution if you're going to get any better as a filmmaker. Be open to the newness of each experience and you can accomplish anything.

VISIT ALAN ROWE KELLY WEBSITE WWW.ALANROWEKELLY.NET

SCREAM 4 TRAILER and STILLS

SCREAM 4 STILLS AND TRAILERS - Can't wait to see this film... Maybe the SCREAM 4 Ghostface killer is? Rory Culkin.  I'm just guessing...  A great cast, I'm happy Wes Craven and Kevin Willamson are back. 

DAVIDE MELINI Short Film THE PUZZLE - Review

Davide Melini short film THE PUZZLE is a mind boggling, puzzling short film.  A home alone mom is working on a puzzle, when she receives a phone call, she argues on the phone with her son.  Then, a cutaway shot of a frame picture of the mom and her son.  She continues to work on the puzzle.  As the film ascends, we follow the mom throughout the house - something shady and creepy is going to happen, leaving us with the puzzling question - Mother and son family drama and Why? 

The Puzzle is more of a thriller than a scarefest but nevertheless a good little opus.   David Melini THE PUZZLE has a very well talented cast, very well directed and well shot.  One Filmmaker to have our eyes on in the future... Can't wait for his next upcoming film THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE. 

Check out David Melini film below or go to his THE PUZZLE website at http://www.thepuzzle2008.blogspot.com/

OWEN MULLIGAN'S "LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR" WEB SERIES

OWEN MULLIGAN'S "LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR" WEB SERIES DEBUT.  RUN AND CHECK OUT HIS LATEST HORROR TALE:  TO DIE FOR - The first episode of LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR.

LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR "TO DIE FOR"  - First episode is a great little chiller - A man buys a snuff film from an underground snuff film seller -  he heads home and starts to get off all happy with the snuff film - a woman is being butchered by a masked killer in some dark basement in the film.  Suddenly, television goes blank - and the ending, well, my friends you need to go and watch it yourself because I aint telling you... All I can tell you is a scary episode, great performances, great cinematography - the filmmaker Owen Mulligan did a fine job for a micro budget that looks like indie high budget .  Owen Mulligan has done it again with another chilling story but this time in webseries format.  Great filmmaking.

CHECK OUT HIS FIRST EPISODE AT  LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR

YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE/FUNDING FOR OWEN MULLIGAN NEXT HORROR WEBISODES BY DONATING A $1, $5, $10 OR WHATEVER YOU CAN TO:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Legends-of-Urban-Horror



FANGORIA 300 ISSUE

FANGORIA 300 - ISSUE 300 - WOW - I feel like an old son of a bitch - I remember when I was 13 years old in 1984 and a friend of mine named Timothy introduced me to Fangoria.  From there on I started collecting them issues back way then.  I used to hit the FANGORIA Weekend of Horrors conventions when they used to have them at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC in the 80's.   When going around the convention dealers room you would find original FANGORIA magazines for 2 dollars,  movie horror classic posters, lobby cards, rare items so cheap, and now those items are worth hundreds to thousands of dollars.  I remembered when they were selling the original PIECES horror movie poster for about 8.00 bucks rolled up.  You would even find original Star Wars collectible action figures for 3 bucks.   Everything now is reprints.  I wish I could turn back into the past and buy them memories.  I stopped collecting FANGORIA - 9 bucks now - I can't afford it - i have to go to Barnes and Noble and read it there because is too high in price - economy is shady my friends.   But I did buy the 300 Issue.  A great issue commemorating all time horror movie classics.  I wish FANGORIA was the price of a GQ magazine $4.99.  I love you FANGORIA - because of FANGORIA i went to Film School and made some bizarre short films.  May the legendary magazine live on. 

FOUND VHS HORROR TREASURES FOR FREE

Someone at my worksite threw away this VHS Horror movies.  I never saw any of this films but I do remembered when HUMONGOUS played in 1982 at a local bijou in my neighborhood.  I never saw it.  But now I get to see them... 

DEADFI Launches Horror Anthology Web Series “LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR”

FILMMAKER OWEN MULLIGAN (THE SMOG, ROADKILL) Launches his horror webseries LEGENDS OF URBAN HORROR with his first episode TO DIE FOR.  Go and check out his horror web series.  Below is his presskit.

Legends of Urban Horror is a new anthology web series based on the most horrific urban legends. In the tradition of Tales from the Darkside, Tales from the Crypt and Night Gallery, each original episode features a singular story of the uncanny. Each tale will run between 3-5 minutes in length and will be distributed exclusively to the web.

The first tale “To Die For” will be free to watch on the Legends of Urban Horror website (www.LegendsofUrbanHorror.com) starting Tuesday, February 1st. The episode will also be available to own as a digital download for 39¢.

Episode 1: To Die For
A man watches a snuff film that unleashes an evil curse.
Starring Jeff Hatin, Giovanna Contini, Zak Frederick & Matt Sutkoski. Written, directed & edited by Owen Mulligan. Produced by Owen Mulligan & Jay Vos.

Owen Mulligan and Jay Vos run DeadFi Productions, which is a micro-budget horror outfit based in Burlington, Vermont. They’ve produced several short horror films which have played the Vermont Horror Film Fest and the Killer Film Fest in Massachusetts.

For all the latest news, please visit  www.LegendsofUrbanHorror.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / CONTACT: Owen Mulligan
contact@deadfi.com   802-355-5247

RUE MORGUE - THANK YOU SO MUCH

I would like to give a zillion thank yous to the legendary horror magazine RUE MORGUE for announcing my EYEPUS BLOGSPOT in their ROADKILL section, page 10 in the DECEMBER 2010 Issue.  The section ROADKILL is compiled by Monica S. Kuebler.   THANK YOU GUYS FOR MENTIONING MY BLOG - you guys made my day... KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORKS WITH YOUR MAGAZINE.

WWW.RUE-MORGUE.COM

YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD - Upcoming Documentary

Recently, I saw a pre-screening of a fine cut of an upcoming documentary YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD at DCTV (Downtown Community Television Center) in NYC. 
The documentary dealt with the trials and tribulations of the making of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD by George A. Romero within the year 1968 it was made.  The film was funny at times with George A. Romero telling his adventures with the making and the process of his film.  The documentary goes into why the film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is in public domain and how George A. Romero hasn't received or not getting any money from the screenings or merchandise of his classic horror film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD since the film went into public domain. 

YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD (TITLE MAY CHANGE) is still in a fine cut mode, still in the editing and sound stages but what I saw in the advanced special screening the doc is a very informative and a great piece of work.  Check it out when it gets release.

THE WALKING DEAD - A Disappointment

Being a big fan of the graphic novel I'm so disappointed where the series is heading.  Sudden unknown characters and scenes not from the graphic novel.  The first episode of The Walking Dead was the most closest to the graphic novel but the rest disappointment.  I'm tuning out from seeing the horrible show and continue my loyalty to the graphic novel.  Shame on the producers for becoming dead brainers.  The most anticipated television series of my favorite graphic novel SUCKS.   This should be redone/remake for HBO.  Keep it as faithful to the comic novel.  Read the graphic novel Volume 1 through Volume 13.  Believe me you will love the novel better.

THE WALKING DEAD #80 - COMIC BOOK DUE IN DECEMBER

THE WALKING DEAD #80 due out in December 2010

HELLBOUND:HELLRAISER 2 - A CLASSIC SHOUT OUT

A SHOUT OUT ON HALLOWEEN TO ONE OF THE GREATEST HORROR SEQUEL EVER MADE.  MANY WILL DISAGREE WITH ME - BUT THIS SEQUEL JUST WENT BEYOND ANY DIMENSION IN THE HORROR GENRE.  A DAMN GOOD VIOLENT, BLOODY SEQUEL... HAPPY HALLOWEEN 

CRYSTAL GONZALEZ - CARTOON ARTIST - INTERVIEW

This Halloween month EYEPUS interviews cartoonist CRYSTAL GONZALEZ. Here is an exclusive interview with the talented and amazing Crystal Gonzalez.  Check out her work at DEVIANT ART and NEWGROUNDS.

Can you give us a bio about you and your works?

I was always drawing since I can remember, but I probably got most serious about my art by the time I hit high school. “In the Dark” was a small 3 panel comic strip I drew for my school newspaper. The characters evolved from these first strips. Sin and Fibble were very different back then. For example Sin was very small..about the size of a mouse and had a pair of clawed hands for ears. Fibble used to have black pupils and white irises and wore a green vest ha ha. In college, I continued drawing them and the character’s plots become darker and more elaborate. I eventually had volumes of a massive 200+ page story that I wanted to tell. But the problem was that it was all doodled in pencil and scraps.

It was during my years at CCA, that I decided to really sit down and redraw the pages to make the comic really publication ready. I self-published their first issue “Gluttony” this year (2010) and the 2nd issue is now on the production table, with new pages being posted on my comic blog. http://inthedarkcomic.blogspot.com and deviantart account http://comickpro.deviantart.com But since I’m also a cartoonist, the idea of making animated shorts for them was always in the back of my mind. So in 2004 I attempted the first animated tests but nothing came from them… then as the comic started taking root in 2008, I started drawing the rough practices to flesh out the series, but again at the time my skills just weren’t there yet. It took me another 2 years of practice and fleshing out the first 4 episodes in the series to finally start seeing the light for their cartoon to become a reality and the trailer was released last month http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/546125.

Did you go to art school?

I went to a state college first, the University of Nevada to get my BA in Art. And then I attended the California College of the Arts to work on my Masters.

Since your works are very dark and EYEPUS is a horror blogzine - any favorite horror filmmakers of all time?

I love the stop motion films of Jan Svankmajer. His work is so morbid and creepy. The way he uses raw meat and dolls and taxidermy animals to create characters is really amazing. My favorite of his films is “Alice”.

Favorite horror films of all time?

Pans Labyrinth, Silence of the Lambs, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Puppet Master, The Thing, and a bunch of lesser known corny horror films like Dr. Giggles and The People under the Stairs ha ha.

Out of all the websites used for art why did you pick Newgrounds and Deviantart?

I never really knew of any other sites for art at the time. This was many years back, but I guess it all started when a friend suggested I make an account and post my art. It wasn’t a lot of viewers for the first years but I kept at it and continued to just do what I do (make art) and the viewers began to grow. Since then, I have opened a comic blog as well, but still I think a lot of my work’s exposure come from my accounts on these sites.

What was your inspiration for In the Dark?

When the strip started it was a gag strip. Basically 3 panels that ended on a joke or violent slapstick punch line. The idea behind the name “In The Dark” was meant to convey a double meaning. One that meant “unaware or clueless (which is Fibble)” and “encased in darkness (which is Sin)”. So basically the title is “Fibble and Sin” together ha ha, but I’m sure nobody read into that. Anyways while attending the University of Nevada, I began a Minor degree in Philosophy and these classes were a big inspiration to my comic. I realized that a lot of words and human expressions are not valued or judged the same (what is Love?). As a philosopher there is this drive to question everything. Many readings took the foundations of religions and the metaphysical and expanded on them into theories to see what they meant, and why, we as humanity, embrace them or reject them. It was my own theory that a common element in all religions was the concept of “sin”, or a series of constructs that were deemed taboo or forbidden. I had even written a huge thesis paper on the subject to get my degree….but again since I’m an artist, I thought that would be a very interesting element for a character. Thus, Sin is a demon meant to encase this taboo. A physical representation of a metaphysical concept that is present in every religion, and he is the original evil darkness that all the other sins in religions where born from. The main story for In The Dark has a lot to do with this idea and how Sin and Fibble will encounter Hell and its citizens and have various effects on its structure. So I’d have to say a lot of my inspiration comes from my Philosophy Minor and studying world religions (major, dead, and myth).

Did you always want to make a series such as In the Dark, or were there other ideas? Possibly any we might see in the future?

I’ve been drawing comics for so many years and I have sketchbooks full of ideas that could become bigger series’ in their own rights ha ha. But for right now the only two that might come up in the future is “Trash and Clash”-a morbidly dark and tragic comic about two outcast birds trying to find a place in the world, and “S.A.H.U.” a robot protector who is a slave entrusted with being the world’s “loved hero” whether he likes it or not.

Now that you may turn the series into an animation do you think there may be problems getting voice actors, or did everyone just came at once? How long will it take for each episode to be animated after the comics are made?

I was very lucky and grateful to have a lot of people approach my cartoon who wanted to provide the voices! I later held an audition for the voices and received 45 tryouts! Needless to say I was shocked and honored to see the great turnout. And yes the VA cast has now been set and they are awesome! As for the episodes, they are very short cartoons. Only lasting about 1-2 mins long but animated to the best of my skills, I can bet each episode will take at least 6-8 weeks to draw. The cartoon and the comic are being updated side by side so there are no dry periods for either medium. The cartoons are like bite-sized open and closed stories that don’t connect to the next, while the comic is a much meatier and grander story arch.

For how long have you been drawing and animating for?

I’ve been drawing since I was a kid…and I knew it was my passion when I was about 10 and I drew little comics for my family and friends. I started to learn animation when I was 12 and drew with a dos animation program called the Disney animation studio (DAS). When I was 16 I started learning Flash.

How different is it between being a comic artist and being the animator?

Very different. In a comic the story teller can use all the pages he needs to tell what he wants. The panels act as moments in time that can be a second long or ten years between panels. Also each picture can be drawn with lots of extra details and line work. In a short cartoon you don’t have those privileges. You need to say everything and get to the point without deviation because you’re running on a 2 min timeline. Thus the story and characters need to work harder to stay on task and the amount of drawing is increased 10 fold to make them move and talk. Then there is the issue with editing, sound, voice, and coloring in each frame one by one which takes a huge patience and determination. In the first episode alone, I’ve had to color more than 1500 individual frames of drawings.

In the Dark seems like a gruesome and macabre, but at the same time a dark comedy, how do you maintain the balance?

I remember reading in a philosophy book a theory that the horror of nature…like the animal instincts, violence, blood and flesh, are alluring to us because we suppress them from our society. We have been conditioned to think of anything with horror as a bad or taboo thing and so when we engage with it, it is exciting and alluring because it’s forbidden but natural. I think my cartoons and comics play on that line…you do see a lot of horror but it’s all so alluring to watch ha ha. Is it horror or is it comedy? Ha ha it’s interesting to note that scientists have a theory that laughter was once a method of releasing anxiety in scary situations like when our ancestors met a predator. In my cartoons you probably do a lot of that kind of laughing.

Since your amazing works is on deviant art and new grounds - are you ever afraid someone could steal your ideas and art designs?

Those sites are no different than any other place on the internet. Besides I’ve taken the measures to ensure my copyrights and my comic and cartoons are registered with the US Copyright Registry. If anyone were to try that, I at least have a good solid legal ground to sue them or contest the merit of their designs and story in court.

What is the future of In the Dark?

In the comic, I want to finish telling the whole story. I imagine it will take about 7 issues to complete and maybe in the future I will publish them as a large graphic novel. I’m still drawing issue 2 so it’s got a while to go. The cartoon is just getting started so the only future things set up for it now are the 4 episodes that are storyboarded out. One idea that is still on my mind is getting some T-shirts made, but we will have to see how funding that comes around.

Can you tell us about how are you going about promoting and doing publicity for In the Dark - are you doing it the self distribution way?

I’ve have internet ads that are shown on a number of web comic pages including Dumm comics.com and Doomcat. Blogs and journals keep people up to date and hopefully my new cartoon might bring interest and new viewers to my comic and vice versa. Also, I have an online store to purchase the comic book http://inthedark.bigcartel.com/ So that no matter where you are in the US or International, I can ship my book to you. If you live in the San Francisco area, my comics are available at Isotope Comics and Comix Experience. And lastly I also promote the book at comic cons. My next one will be at the APE in San Francisco this Oct 17-18! (Booth 540 CCA).

Any advice to give to all struggling animators and comic artists who are trying to make it?

Have a finished product to show and show it to everyone and anyone. Have confidence in your work and don’t be shy to speak openly about it. If you have a determination, you CAN get it published even if it means you do it yourself. You may have to save up to afford it or get donors to help you, but basically I have a motto in life that I live by. “A desire or dream without action, is just an illusion.” This means that if you don’t actively work towards what you want, then your big dreams will remain just that; a dream. Do research. Check out your local print shops, and comic book shops to see if they carry independently made comics. Find out how to get what you want and then pursue it with a passion. For animators, collaborate with others. Build friendships with other artists and you can make great things happen. My episode wouldn’t be complete if it weren’t for my great voice actors and music director making my soundtrack. Also check out the local film scene. See when they do screenings and propose to them with a finished cartoon.

PIRAHNA - Review

Is Halloween Month... I havent written anything for over a month - I'm very sorry to all my fans out there - I realized in writing film review blogs you have to keep it short, cute, and to the point.  From now on no more long reviews.  Is been a good Halloween month in the cinema showing horror films in movie theaters - LET ME IN (Remake), I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (Remake), MY SOUL TO TAKE, RESIDENT EVIL 5, CASE 39,

“THEY ATE MY PENIS…” JERRY O’CONNELL CLASSIC LITTLE FOUR WORD SENTENCE in PIRAHNA 3D.

Alexandre Aja remakes Joe Dante B classic film into an exaggerated fun ride of cheese.  A pirahna swallows a human penis then spits it out in 3-D.  Blood and Gore galore and so much nudity including a lesbianic erotic water dance routine you thought you was watching SHOWGIRLS meets PIRAHNA.  Premise of the story - Jurassic vicious pirahnas with razor, scalpel teeth wake up from a 200 million year old sleep to cause mayhem at a spring time resort.

Starring Elizabeth Shue, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Special appearances by Eli Roth, Christopher Lloyd and Richard Dreyfuss.

The Special Gore Effects amazing.  The film is a must see fun ride along with cheesy lines that you will need some saltine crackers to go along with them. The film got away with so much for an R-Rating it looked more like NC-17.

Best Films so far from Alejandro Aja: HAUTE TENSION, PIRAHNA 3D AND HILLS HAVE EYES. The worst film by him - MIRRORS.

THE WALKING DEAD - POSTER

PIERRE AYOTTE - FILMMAKER INTERVIEW

Exclusive interview with cool, awe-inspiring filmmaker PIERRE AYOTTE, from Canada who took the time to be interviewed for our blog.  And also to thank Mr. Ayotte for sending us a dvd screener of his grindhouse tribute, awesome, absurd, fast-paced short film MASSACRATOR for review and for taking the time to be asked questions.  MASSACRATOR 2 is soon to be release I cant wait to check it out.  Check out his trailers of his other film works - honestly, WOW - AWESOME...

EYEPUS:  Pierre can you tell EYEPUS a bio about you and your multitalented works - especially as seen in your short film MASSACRATOR?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Growing up, I was always close to one kind of art or another. At home, we watched very little TV but a lot of movies, with a jukebox in the living room (my dad was a bit fifties-oriented); so music and dancing was part of the background. I started playing guitar myself at around fourteen, but was more inclined towards sports and science in high school, although I did a few year-end shows. I went to engineering in college, spreading my free time between rock bands and hockey, but found the applied science curriculum less thrilling than I thought. I switched to the Communications Program at University of Montreal, which happened to give free access to shooting equipment and editing facilities. I flunked it twice, just to take it again and benefit from the free equipment, and made a bunch of short films and videos. At the time, I was also doing music and eventually decided to pursue it more seriously for some years. I recorded a few albums and did a couple of hundred shows. Producing music was satisfying, but I missed the overall intricate endeavor of moviemaking. I was stuck between two great passions, and I knew you can only do one thing with greatness, not two. So I chose cinema, which is what I've been doing lately. I finished Massacrator and three other short films, and am now at work on my first full-length movie.

 EYEPUS: I just found out you also do photography - Can you tell me about your fashionable black/white and colorful photography?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  I did a couple of years of glamour photography and some exhibits, but as a hobby, really. Doing camera work in movies, I found photo framing and model direction to be closely related to directing a film shot. I do like the esthetics of black and white.

EYEPUS:  Did you go to film school or art school?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Besides the free-equipment repeat sessions, I did a minor in cinema theory as part of my college degree. Very instructive in terms of cinema history but not too useful if your aim is to actually do film. For that, nothing beats slugging it on no-budgets productions.

EYEPUS:  You are from Canada - how is the horror/filmmaking scene in Canada?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  The Canadian living dead is alive and well ;) In Montreal especially, you find all kinds of very active and creative people, with some major genre festivals such as the Fantasia Festival and Toronto After Dark. I find it uncanny that a relatively small population can manage and sustain its genre community. People here are very resourceful and show great abilities at combining technical proficiency with very low budgets. There's a can-do and "will-do-no-matter-what" attitude that makes this scene a lot bigger than its parts.

EYEPUS:  Would you call your film MASSACRATOR a horror sci-fi spoof?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  It sure is.

EYEPUS: Your film features an undead Elvis Presley - are you a fan of Elvis?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  Certainly. My father playing rockabilly guitar in outdoors shows, Elvis in the jukebox, those are great memories. Like all teens, I rebelled against stuff in my teens, but managed to keep my fondness for the King alive. I understand the cheesy dimension surrounding this pop culture icon, and I play with it as well, but I have a genuine appreciation for the man and his music. At his best, he was an incredible singer and performer. The rock I play and listen to has not much to do with him, but it owes a great deal of its existence to pioneers like him.

EYEPUS:  I just found out you did a sequel to MASSACRATOR - Can you tell us a bit without giving away too much?

PIERRE  AYOTTE:  It's more of a tongue-in-cheek musical after-thought to Massacrator; it's got quite a bit of gore as well, but it isn't a narrative per se. Basically, Elvis comes backs to life after being decapitated by Massacrator, but his brain is infected with a virus. So he sings a bit, and kills a lot.

EYEPUS:  Who are your favorite horror filmmakers of all time?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  I like filmmakers who manage to blend horror/suspense with good narratives and some style. John Carpenter comes to mind, early Sam Raimi, Ridley Scott.

EYEPUS: Favorite horror films of all time?

PIERRE AYOTTE: Alien, The Thing, The Shining, Evil Dead. 200 other ones.

EYEPUS:  Your film is very outrageous and absurd - reminded me of the early works of John Waters - Who or what inspired you to make MASSACRATOR?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  A visiting friend of mine was very muscular (he's a judoka). He was here for a week, so we decide to do a Terminator 2 gory silent spoof on the weekend, starring him. Although it was a quick and dirty production, I knew I could convey a certain uncanny style in both the humor and the action by using old film and low tech tricks in this genre of movie. After sending it to a few places, I was somewhat surprised that other festivals started writing me to get it as well. It's not groundbreaking cinema, but it fits the audience for these types of showings.

EYEPUS:  So lets get technical - the making of MASSACRATOR - Which editing system did you used to cut your film?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  It was shot on Super-8 film and edited on a very old reel-to-reel manual splicer. There is no negative with Super-8, so you are basically editing your master, adding a lot of scratches and dust just playing it back and forth, so there was no need to add those scratches in post-production. After I had fooled around enough with it, I sent it for digital transfer in Toronto (Frame Discreet, excellent people) and fine-tuned it in Sony Vegas, because there's no way I could get a tight enough edit other than on a modern non-linear editing system.

EYEPUS:  What was your overall budget for MASSACRATOR?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  About 300$ for film and transfers, 200$ for gas money, fake blood, lunch, beer, etc.

EYEPUS:  Which film camera you used to make this film?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  A Bauer C 900 XLM Super-8.

EYEPUS:  Do you have any more upcoming film projects in the works?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  I'm currently at work finishing the editing of my first feature film, a whitesploitation action comedy. It's very old-school, with loud car chases, gory back alley martial arts, dynamite, peek-a-boo nudity, and very cool funk music. It stars a rock band against the forces of Evil, of course.

EYEPUS:  For all filmmakers who are struggling pushing their little films out there - Can you tell us about how are you going about promoting and doing publicity for your films - are you doing it the all self - distribution way?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  First, I made something like a five-year plan, because I understood that the publicity efforts would come from myself for the longest time. Then I made sure the films are the best they can be. I show it to friends, cut out the fat, show it some more, cut some more. Basically, I make it tight and effective, because people will have zero patience for something they don't know yet. I build up interest for it and subsequent productions by entering festivals, submitting to online reviews, putting trailers on YouTube, creating a mailing list from any and all, creating bridges to like-minded people on Facebook, Youtube, MySpace, etc. I spent a bit on Festival fees, poster expenditures, etc, and a unexpectedly large chunk of time; this is where the five-year plan helps. Meanwhile, I write scripts and keep on top of industry changes with books and online resources (The Workbook Project for instance). 

EYEPUS:  What is your best advice to give to all struggling horror filmmakers who are trying to make a film at no zero budget?

PIERRE AYOTTE:  Just do it, and make sure you finish what you start, even if you have to wing it; then move on to the next thing. Besides, if your budget is zero, then your potential for loss is inexistent, isn't it?

FOR MORE OF PIERRE AYOTTE UPCOMING FILM WORKS, MUSIC AND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKS PLEASE VISIT WWW.PIERREAYOTTE.COM

CHECK OUT HIS UPCOMING MASSACRATOR 2 TRAILER BELOW

FILMMAKER PIERRE AYOTTE - EXCLUSIVE TRAILERS

THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE SECTION FOR PIERRE AYOTTE Awesome - horror, gore, crazy cool Trailers of his film works DATE WITH A CHICKEN, MASSACRATOR, MASSACRATOR 2: ELVIS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and SATAN, JESUS & ELVIS.  Check them out and visit his website

WWW.PIERREAYOTTE.COM

DATE WITH A CHICKEN



SATAN, JESUS & ELVIS



MASSACRATOR 2: THE ELVIS CHAINSAW MASSACRE



MASSACRATOR

MASSACRATOR - A Short film by Pierre Ayotte - Review

Lately, I've been watching lots of indie short horror films and sad to say the short horror films is better than the horror feature garbage that pops in our local bijous and Netflix.  Recently, I just got a dvd screener MASSACRATOR from filmmaker Pierre Ayotte I must say it was one twisted, awesome, grindhouse, crazy ass film.  MASSACRATOR is absurd and funny as hell - Elvis Presley comes back from the dead.  Pierre Ayotte take us to experimental, grindhouse tribute via Super 8 (literally the film was shot in Super 8 - no Final Cut Pro scratchy film effects here) and an amazing soundtrack.  MASSACRATOR is getting lots of film festival notoriety and filmmaker Pierre Ayotte is one filmmaker to be in the look out for.  Following this review is a personal interview with filmmaker Pierre Ayotte.

Below is the trailer of MASSACRATOR and check out the website  www.massacrator.com 

SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD - DVD RELEASE TOMORROW 8-24-10

DONT BE AFRAID OF THE DARK - Remake - Poster and Trailer

"DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK" is a remake of the 1973 of the same name starring back then Kim Darby as she gets turned the fuck out by shady little creatures.  Scary as hell when it played on TV back in the seventies and the 80's especially watching the film after midnight in our black and white tv sets.  In this remake - stars Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes - Guillermo Del Toro produced and wrote the story.  Anything Guillermo Del Toro touches is gold, so I know is going to be great.  Maybe someone could remake TRILOGY OF TERROR someday.  Another great made for television horror film that scared the crap out of me in the 70's.

Below is the poster of the original film, the remake and the trailer of the new remake.
Enjoy...

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark in HD

Trailer Park Movies  MySpace Video

New Horror DVD releases

New Horror DVD releases today TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2010:

A film about Killer Animals BURNING BRIGHT

AND FROM SHOUT FACTORY TWO HORROR SAPPY RELEASES

DONT LOOK IN THE BASEMENT - Remake Coming Soon

Legendary filmmaker Alan Rowe Kelly and Anthony G. Summer both are directing together the seventies horror underground classic "DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT".  Above is the original poster of the classic horror film and the new version below.  I love the new version poster...