Interview with Dominic Brunt & Joanne Mitchell

Ahead of the Horror Channel’s UK TV premiere of Attack of the Adult Babies, on Jan 5, 9pm, director Dominic Brunt and actor / producer partner Joanne Mitchell unpin the nappies…

On the 5th of January, ATTACK OF THE ADULT BABIES will receive its UK TV premiere on Horror Channel. Are you both excited?

DOMINIC: I’m over the moon. As a fan of horror, I’m also a fan of the Horror Channel. It’s an honour to have our work premiered with one of our favourite channels. The Horror Channel (along with Fright Fest and Metrodome) took Before Dawn under its wing when that was released as our debut feature film. It marked our transition from horror fen geeks to horror film makers and we were well looked after indeed.

JOANNE: We’re delighted and incredibly excited that the film will get its TV premiere with the brilliant Horror Channel. We’ve always been massive fans and the channel has always been incredibly supportive of us and our movies as well as so many other film makers.


What would you like TV viewers to take away from the film?

DOMINIC: We’d like viewers to watch it first and foremost as entertainment but to hopefully take time to reflect on any wider meanings and intentions. We’ve really enjoyed the fact that the film has been embraced as a roller coaster of gore and insanity!

JOANNE: Primarily I’d like viewers to just enjoy themselves and give in to the crazy ride. We dared to make something totally different from anything else we’ve ever made and are proud that it has been called a stand out horror movie. It’s a lot of fun, and was to make too!

Dominic, do you think your Emmerdale fans will be surprised / shocked to find you’re directing full-bloodied horror films?

I think they’ll either ignore what I’m up to, in regards to horror films, or they go along with the idea and support what we have “out there” on Netflix and Amazon etc. I’ve been involved in genre festivals in Leeds for over a decade and Before Dawn was made almost eight years ago. We’ve had clips shown on day time TV from a couple of the films so I’m not sure there’s any shock at what we do any more (although hopefully the content of our films is willfully so). Before Dawn and Adult Babies are pure fantasy without any spite, and you can’t argue that we weren’t sincere with our intentions regarding Bait.


Joanne, you’ve played four characters in Emmerdale and you’ve recently appeared in a lead role In Coronation Street. How does soapland compare with splatterland? 

Oh my goodness, they couldn’t be more polarised! However, each genre is a great platform for stories and characters, just that soaps are much quicker and very slick. With indie horror films though you can take more risks!

AOTAB, underneath all the satirical fun and gore, deals with some pretty dark issues. Was it always your intention to make a politically-motivated horror comedy?

DOMINIC: I do believe you can make an allegorical, political point without being dull or boring or preachy. Bait is incredibly political but it is clothed and presented as a thriller and (hopefully) a gripping story first and foremost. I don’t think we’ll ever make a film that isn’t a metaphor or allegorical of something other than the surface story.

JOANNE: Yes, it was our intention – the idea of big adult babies making important decisions within our society tickled us – such a great terrifying image. We wanted to see how far we could take it – and I think we succeeded in taking it pretty bloody far!


Class issues rear their ugly head. Dominic, do you feel they are just as embedded in UK society as they were in the past – hence just as topical?

DOMINIC: Always were and always will be. For one single instance, look at the laws on hunting as a microcosm of the whole of society and the laws imposed on the working classes. Who adheres to what, and who carries on regardless?  Who turns a blind eye, and in some cases actively supports the breaking of the laws passed in the same parliament supposedly enforced by the same police force created for “all of us”? The anger is hidden but it is there. I’m 48 so I’ve seen the unions crushed, raves stopped, films banned, ancient monuments cordoned off and football monetised to the maximum, traveler friends assaulted and stigmatised for living an alternative lifestyle.


The movie certainly caught the attention of reviewers, Hey You Guys called it “…the sort of deranged, balls-to-the-wall grossness that only ever seems to show up once in a generation”. How confident were you that you that the film could chime with audiences?

JOANNE: To be honest, you just never ever know. Audiences can be so different. The FrightFest audience, for example, are always very supportive, but then it went down a storm with the regional festivals too, as well as abroad. The French audience for example (Paris) was a surprise – the film had subtitles and I really wasn’t sure if it would translate well, but they had a great time watching it and really got it.  We knew it would work well within the genre festivals though as I think horror fans are open to seeking and watching something different, it is a wonderful exciting platform to keep telling stories. So hopefully the fans of the Horror Channel will enjoy it too.

DOMINIC: Well it’s hardly the new Star Wars but within its own little niche, I’m absolutely delighted. We have to be thankful for a good release in the form of distribution through Nucleus and AMP supporting us, and then people like FrightFest and The Horror Channel being there to broadcast our ideas and stories. Otherwise you’re shouting at a wall.

Its chaotic sexual anarchy made it felt quite Orton-esque in some media corners. Was Joe Orton an inspiration? Who did inspire you? Were there any films that were particularly influential?

DOMINIC: I LOVE Joe Orton but he wasn’t on our minds at all I don’t think. It’s more a visual representation of the old EC horror comics from the 50’s which I like reading. We tried to make them flesh around Jo’s story and Paul Shrimpton’s script.

JOANNE:  There was a mass of influences really, both from myself and Dominic, especially regarding political figures, exploitative male bosses and various scandals from the society we live in, with movie influences including the Blob, the stuff, all the saucy Carry On and Benny Hill farcical kinky humour too


Joanne, it was your idea to centre the film around the world of infantilism. How did you first discover this clandestine world?

It was an amalgamation of things really. I’d spent talking to a very intelligent and articulate young woman who was a dominatrix. She ran her own dungeon and was very successful doing so. She fascinated me. She spoke fairly discreetly about what her job entailed – from what I could glimpse of that world it was pretty bizarre and interesting: Businessmen who wanted nothing more than to spend the day regressing as an infant or baby, relinquishing all the pressures and stresses of their high powered jobs. It piqued my interest and my imagination.


Dominic, the acting was very strong and the casting of cult TV comedian Charlie Chuck particularly stands out. Was it difficult to get the actors you wanted?

I think at our level you have to cast and audition for the part rather than fill your film with faces and names. We were lucky to have Kate Coogan, Sally Dexter, Jo, Andy Dunn, Nicky Evans, Thaila Zucchi, Seamus O’Neil, Laurence Harvey, Charlie Chuck etc who are all character actors of much experience, but we are limited by a budget so you have to cast smart. They liked the script first and foremost (fortunately) and not necessarily the budget.


Your production company Mitchell-Brunt Films has been going for seven years and you must be proud of what you’ve achieved so far (feature films BEFORE DAWN & BAIT) What plans do you have for the future?

DOMINIC: Several folders FULL of stuff.  Also, 101 films are looking to re-release Before Dawn and Bait on BluRay, with lots of new extras. They’ve only been previously released on DVD, so we’re very pleased and flattered about that.

JOANNE: We’ve more ideas for films in the future and currently have one film in development, Lost Dogs by Jeff Lemire. I’ve also just directed my first short film, SYBIL, which is currently doing the rounds on the festival circuit.


Following the success of the LE Blu-ray edition, Nucleus Films is releasing a standard edition Blu-ray on Jan 28, 2019.

Buy from Amazon by clicking here (Opens in a new window)

Interview with Tony Timpone - By David Kempf

When did you first become interested in writing and film?

I was interested in film pretty much since I was born. My parents liked taking the kids to drive-ins and movie houses fairly regularly, and we loved watching old movies together at home too. I was lucky that Mom and Dad never took me to a Disney film. Instead, we went to Hammer and American International Pictures movies. Then studio fare like the original PLANET OF THE APES films, JAWS, THE OMEN, THE SENTINEL, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, STAR WARS, etc. Soon I started writing about the movies I enjoyed and began cutting up my valuable back issues of FAMOUS MONSTERS to create my own “Monster Book.”


How did you get involved in fantasy/horror?

During high school, I became more serious about writing about genre films. Inspired by magazines like FAMOUS MONSTERS, STARLOG and FANGORIA, I dreamed of being published someday. I created a fanzine in high school while president of the Sci-Fi Club called FANTAZINE, where I penned articles and interviews. The first one I did was with Tom Savini! As I teenager, I would attend horror and sci-fi conventions and meet celebrities. Various STAR WARS and STAR TREK actors would also let me interview them, and before I even graduated from New York University, a STARLOG knockoff called ENTERPRISE INCIDENTS bought my Anthony (“C-3PO”) Daniels interview. Legendary editor Forry Ackerman had helped me land the sale.


How did you begin your career with Fangoria?

I first joined the FANGORIA staff in July of 1985. It was my first job out of college. I had been freelancing to Fango’s sister publication STARLOG during my last year at NYU, so I got an early foot in the door. I networked my way into the job. I began as an Editorial Assistant, but within a month on the job, editor David Everitt decided to move on. Since I was fresh out of college and this was my first job in publishing, I was a little too green to take over the job myself. So I served as Managing Editor to Dave McDonnell (STARLOG’s chief), who took over as Editor until I got my wings. The following year I was promoted to Editor in Chief. Back then I thought that I would be with the company three years and move on. But since this was always my dream job, I never wanted to leave. I actually enjoyed getting up in the morning to go to work.


Why do you think horror and fantasy books and movies remain so popular?

In such a grim world, we need an escape. Horror films are a way of conquering our fears, and fantasy and sci-fi are wish-fulfillment mind trips.


Why do you think horror is so criticized and censored?

Horror is the “bad boy” of cinema. Just like parents warned their kids about rock and roll in its early days, horror was always a forbidden. Moral guardians feel they have to protect us from these films, but they only make them more desirable to their fan base.


What do you think the difference between American horror and British horror is?

British horror has always excelled in the Gothic and quiet horror. Period pieces and the like. Brit horror has been less mainstream and cookie-cutter than US studio horror. Though the recent wave of British horror hits, like THE DESCENT, 28 DAYS LATER, EDEN LAKE, the Ben Wheatley films, etc., seem to capture the flavor of the best of 1970s independent American horror. The differences are a lot subtler now, as British filmmakers aim to capture the American audience.


What are your favorite horror books?

Early Stephen King (THE STAND, ’SALEM’S LOT, THE SHINING, IT, etc.), Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, the stories of H.P. Lovecraft, Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter books, several Ramsey Campbell novels like NAZARETH HILL, Clive Barker’s BOOKS OF BLOOD, etc.


What are some of your favorite horror movies?

All the usual suspects. I love all kinds of horror movies from classic monster pictures, to the Hammer greats, to the AIP Cycle, to slasher films, to the diabolical devil movies (ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE EXORCIST and THE OMEN). There is a rich tradition and variety of horror films and I am open minded enough to embrace them all. As the new century began, I was most impressed with the horror films that began pouring out of Japan (RINGU), South Korea (recently TRAIN TO BUSAN), and Spain (THE NAMELESS).


What do you consider your greatest accomplishment during the Fangoria years?

I made FANGORIA a household name. Took it out of the underground and made it mainstream, but without losing its edgy voice and attitude. The mag became slicker, more professional. At the same time, I supervised the brand’s expansion into movies, conventions, DVD, VOD, books, TV, etc.


What was your favorite part of Weekend of Horrors?

It was always a huge thrill to welcome horror’s greatest on our stages. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would meet such childhood heroes as Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Jack Nicholson, George Romero, Anthony Perkins and countless others who appeared with us. I have always found horror celebrities to be the most friendly and normal people out there. Same goes with the fans. I am always touched when I meet fans who tell me how important the conventions were to them. My work with Monsterpalooza captures that Fango con magic and has taken it to a whole new level, in terms of presentation and scale.


What is your favorite haunted attraction?

Universal Horror Nights in Orlando is the ultimate scream. You need at least two visits to experience it all.


Tell us briefly about Fangoria Radio. 

That was one of the highlights of my career. Every Friday night, from 10 pm to 1 am, hosts Dee Snider, Debbie Rochon and myself interviewed the best in horror. Right in the heart of NYC. We had bands in the studio, amazing guests (Mel Brooks, Bruce Campbell, Robert Englund, Rob Zombie, Quentin Tarantino… the excitement never stopped!), fans calling in, crazy contests… Alas, our satellite radio show became too expensive to produce, so after four successful years, we went off the air.


Do you have any advice for new filmmakers?

Just do it. The technology to make movies is cheaper and more accessible than ever, and horror is more popular than ever. So many outlets to get your work out there, so make your dreams and our nightmares happen.


What is your opinion of the new crop of independent films?

Great stuff out there. HEREDITARY, for example, was one of the best and scariest movies in years. I also loved indie hits like THE WITCH and IT FOLLOWS. So much great work is being done these days.


What is it like to meet your heroes?

A dream come true. They are so approachable and friendly. I truly am blessed to have made a career in horror.


What are your current projects?

Consulting and writing for the relaunched FANGORIA magazine. Hosting and assembling panels for the two California Monsterpalooza conventions. Programming movies for #1 genre festival Fantasia in Montreal. Hosting horror movies screenings in NYC. Hope to be producing a few horror movies in 2019, like ZOMBIE WEDDING, as well as two- non-horror movies, PUMPING UP and GRAND AVENUE.


Please in your own words, write a paragraph about yourself & your work. 

This is my recent bio.

Tony Timpone served as Fangoria editor-in-chief from 1987-2010 before moving on to manage the company’s Video on Demand and DVD divisions. As a co-host/producer, Timpone worked on Fangoria Radio for Sirius XM Satellite Radio for four years. In the 1990s he helped guide the first three FANGORIA feature films to the screen: Mindwarp, Children of the Night and Severed Ties. In 2004 Timpone served as associate producer to Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments and was a producer on the syndicated 1990s special The Horror Hall of Fame. For 2018’s 7-part cable documentary series AMC Visionaries: Eli Roth’s History of Horror, Timpone worked behind the scenes as a writer and researcher and in front of the camera as a commentator for each episode.

Timpone has been a frequent media spokesman for the horror industry, making appearances on over 100 TV and radio shows, DVD supplements and documentaries. Since 1998, he has been the Co-director of International Programming for Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival. Currently he moderates and programs panels for LA’s gargantuan Monsterpalooza conventions; produces Blu-ray disc extras; serves as a programmer and consultant to the NYC Horror Film Festival; and runs Dread Central’s screening series Dread Vision. Timpone was also hired as Vice President to the emerging Horror Equity Fund (www.horrorequityfund.com). You can follow him here: @tonytimpone1

Horror Channel goes nuts in January with a BLOODY CRAZY SEASON

Madness, mayhem and adult babies! Horror Channel goes nuts on Saturday nights in January with a BLOODY CRAZY SEASON, a celebration of out-there modern horror, headlined by the UK TV premiere of ATTACK OF THE ADULT BABIES, directed by Emmerdale star Dominic Brunt. This outrageous and hilarious satire stars a whole host of TV favourites including Andrew Dunn, Kate Coogan, Joanne Mitchell, Charlie Chuck and Sally Dexter. The season also includes the UK TV premiere of Lowell Dean’s blood-soaked werewolf caper ANOTHER WOLFCOP and the channel premiere of wacky zombie rom-com IBIZA UNDEAD, starring Cara Theobold and Emily Atack. Topping off the season with copious amounts of slimy gore is Jacob Vaughan’s comedy horror BAD MILO!



Sat 5 Jan @ 21:00 – ATTACK OF THE ADULT BABIES (2017) *UK TV Premiere
The aftermath of a shocking home invasion forces three frightened family members to break into a remote country manor and steal Top Secret documents. Little do they know that the stately pile is also the clandestine venue where a group of high-powered elderly men go to take refuge from the stresses and strains of daily life by dressing up in nappies and having abevy of beautiful nurses indulging their every perverse nursery whim. Nor do they realise this grotesque assembly is compelled to refuel the world’s economy by very sick and monstrous means.  As the bodily fluids hit the fan, the bloody carnage and freaky weirdness escalates.

Sat 12 Jan @ 21:00 – IBIZA UNDEAD (2016) *Channel Premiere
Three best friends, Alex, Az and Jim, head to Ibiza for their first lads holiday. Unfortunately, tagging along is Alex's unimpressed ex-girlfriend Ellie. Arriving on the island, the lads dump Ellie and head to San Antonio to start their week of sun, sea and debauchery. Soon they end up in a club, run by local gangster Karl, where the attractions aren't all alive - they're zombies! Due to Jim's drunken antics the zombies escape, and soon all hell breaks loose and no one on the party island is safe.

Sat 19 Jan @ 21:00 – ANOTHER WOLFCOP (2017) * UK TV Premiere
Alcoholic werewolf cop Lou Garou springs into action when an eccentric businessman with evil intentions seduces Woodhaven's residents with a new brewery and hockey team in this outrageous horror-comedy

Sat 26 Jan @ 21:00 – BAD MILO! (2013)
Duncan Hayslip leads a pretty normal life. But trying to start a family with his wife and being demoted has led to severe stomach pains. As his anxiety mounts, he consults a New Age hypnotherapist, who immediately discovers the cause of his problem. A cute bloodthirsty creature is living in his lower intestines and every time Duncan gets stressed, it crawls out of his rectum to feed on the flesh of those riling him up.


Other channel premieres in January include: Cody Calahan’s shocking body horror LET HER OUT, starring Alanna LeVierge, Kevin Smith’s brutal action thriller RED STATE, starring John Goodman and Ti West’s The Shining slacker-style indie sensation, THE INNKEEPERS.


Fri 11 Jan @ 21:00 – LET HER OUT (2016) *Channel Premiere
Twenty-three years after her hooker mother tried to kill her in the womb Helen (Alanna LeVierge) remains damaged psychological goods, a mind-set that worsens when she suffers a traumatic head injury in an accident. Awakening in hospital, it’s discovered that Helen has a tumour in her brain causing her to experience dark visions, disembodied voices and the omnipresence of a strange young woman. Soon, lost in a walking nightmare, it becomes clear that whatever is inside her cracked psyche will stop at nothing to get out.

Fri 18 Jan @ 21:00 – RED STATE (2011) *Channel Premiere
Responding to an inviting online invitation for sex, three teenagers travel to Cooper’s Dell However, their schoolboy fantasy turns sinister as Christian extremists, led by a twisted preacher (Michael Parks), hold them captive in a compound. As the Pastor and his congregation embark on a reign of terror, forcing the boys to witness executions before being prepared for their own death, Federal Agent Joseph Keenan (John Goodman) and his team arrive, armed, dangerous and ready to bring them all down.

Fri 25 Jan @ 21:00 – THE INNKEEPERS (2011) *Channel Premiere
After 100 years of silver service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees – Claire and Luke – are determined to uncover proof that the hotel is haunted. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of amateur ghostbusters begins to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the establishment’s long unexplained history.


Horror Channel: Be Afraid

TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138

Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrorchannel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/horror_channel

First look at CURSED The Series!

A teaser has just been released from the pilot episode for a new paranormal comedy titled CURSED, from Head Above Water creator Connor Fairclough and award-winning producer Tristan Barr.

Ever been interrupted by an interdimensional force of evil whilst on the toilet? Or had to take responsibility of a possessed doll when you haven’t even mastered personal responsibility? Had to distance yourself from a clingy demon spirit in the form of a clown? Isaac and Ned have, and they're not overly thrilled about it.

CURSED is a horror-comedy series that parodies the clichés and techniques typically found in the horror genre, similar in style to Shawn of the Dead. Shot with the intention of an online release, CURSED draws influence and satirises such horror films as The Conjuring, IT, The NUN, and Annabelle.

The story follows Isaac (Kyle McCallion), who releases a curse on himself after fiddling with a Ouija Board one drunken night. Through each episode, he and his useless housemate Ned (Omar Al-Sobky) must deal with countless paranormal hauntings whilst managing their daily mundane lives.

“The show was born out of my amusement when watching various horror movies and placing myself in scenes, begging the question, what would I do if faced with different entities of evil?” creator and writer Connor Fairclough says.

Connor reunites his “Head Above Water” cast that can be seen on Channel 9 and Stan, including Elliot Loney who plays ‘Perry’ an unassuming but aspirational entity and Neel Kolhatkar who plays “Charles D” a pompous real estate agents assistant.

Official premiere date of CURSED to be announced soon via the CURSED social accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @cursedshow and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CursedShow

Festive fright aplenty in December as Horror Channel serves up Zombies elves, Xmas demons, a deranged babysitter & William Shatner

A Christmas Horror Story

Be prepared for an X-rated Xmas this December as Horror Channel serves up an horrific host of premieres, leading with the UK premiere of Xmas anthology A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY. Tales From The Crypt meets Silent Night Deadly Night as zombies elves, Xmas demons and William Shatner invade UK homes on Saturday 22nd of December.

There are also channel premieres for Michael Thelin’s unnerving and superbly performed chiller EMELIE, and the star-studied jungle nightmare ANACONDA, with Jon Voight, Owen Wilson, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube and Eric Stoltz. From giant snakes we move to killer sharks and vampiric post-apocalyptic creatures – as the channel is giving seasonal first-showings to fearsome fantasy adventure SHARKNADO and blood-sucking survival thriller DAYLIGHT’S END, starring Lance Henriksen.

Plus, on Sunday 23rd December, Horror Channel is broadcasting the channel premiere of the blockbuster miniseries ARABIAN NIGHTS (Parts 1 & 2), starring Dougray Scott, Alan Bates, Rufus Sewell, Andy Serkis, James Frain, Jason Scott Lee, John Leguizamo, Vanessa-Mae and Alexei Sayle.


Full film details:

Sat 8 Dec @ 21:00 - EMELIE (2015) *Channel Premiere

When their regular babysitter calls to say she’s unavailable, the Thompsons find a last minute replacement to look after their three kids while they celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary. But no sooner have the parents pulled out of the driveway than it becomes clear that Anna is no ordinary babysitter. As the evening creeps along the children begin to realise they might be in serious danger from the psychologically disturbed woman who has invaded their home.

Sat 15 Dec @ 21:00 – ANACONDA (1997) – *Channel Premiere

A documentary film crew led by anthropologist Steven Cale (Eric Stoltz) and director Terri Flores (Jennifer Lopez) enters the mysterious world of the Amazon in search of the legendary Shirishama Indians. But when they meet Paul Sarone (Jon Voight), who is on his own dark quest to track a lethal 40-foot Anaconda, the expedition becomes a jungle nightmare and they must use every primal resource just to stay alive.

Sat 22 Dec @ 21:00 – A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015) *UK TV Premiere

Four Yule-tide stories to freeze the festive soul…In the small town of Bailey Downs, High school students investigate a mysterious homicide that occurred the prior holiday season, a couple notices their young son is acting strangely after a snowy forest trip to cut down a traditional tree and one family is stalked through a Winter wonderland by Krampus, the Xmas demon. Meanwhile at the North Pole, Santa is fending off zombie elves…

Fri 28 Dec @ 21:00 – SHARKNADO (2013) * Channel Premiere

When a freak hurricane swamps Los Angeles, thousands of sharks terrorise the waterlogged populace. And with the high-speed winds forming tornadoes in the desert, nature’s deadliest killer rules water, land, and air. This is the first instalment in the cult Sharknada film series and stars Tara Reid, Ian Ziering and John Heard.

Sat 29 Dec @ 21:00 – DAYLIGHT’S END (2016) *Channel Premiere

An unprecedented viral plague has nearly eradicated humanity, and In this desolate and abandoned world, Rourke, (Johnny Strong) hunts for whatever was responsible for slaughtering his family two years earlier. Teaming up with a band of survivors, led by Frank Hill (Lance Henriksen), they soon discover that they are not the only creatures that withstood the apocalypse.

Sun 23 Dec @ 15:00 – ARABIAN NIGHTS, Parts 1 & 2 (2000) *Channel Premiere

Told as five stories adapted from the medieval epic, One Thousand and One Nights, we follow the dramatic fortunes of two brothers, Schahzenan (James Frain) and Shahryar (Dougray Scott) as they fight for the right to rule the kingdom. Schahriar, the elder by a mere four minutes, must find a wife before the next full moon if he is to succeed...


Horror Channel: Be Afraid
TV: Sky 317 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 70 / Freesat 138
Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrorchannel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/horror_channel

Interview with David Breen

David Breen is an emerging Australian talent, fresh off work on the legendary Tourism Australia "Dundee" Super Bowl campaign. His film work is being noticed worldwide with Post Mortem Mary taking out Best Short Film at the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in Spain and winning the Atlanta Horror Film Festival and the Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival in Italy.  His latest film, Stray, premiered at Screamfest in October 2018. 

Not patiently waiting around for his big break, David is just back from LA after training with and meeting some of the industry's best.  Back home in Australia, he's worked and studied with some of the country's top film makers, constantly honing his skills and expanding his repertoire. 

A versatile talent, he began his career at his local community theatre. Since that time, he has built an enviable body of work on screen and on stage.  He has worked on projects for Channel 9, the ABC, Foxtel and starred in multiple projects funded by Screen Queensland. 


David was born and raised in Sydney.  He initially studied Biomedical Science, but these days will only be found wearing a lab coat for the right role.  His hobbies include amateur astronomy and jigsaw puzzles.


Dundee. What an experience that would have been? Who did you play?

Working on the Dundee Super Bowl ad was amazing. We knew when we were filming what the project really was but weren’t allowed to discuss it with anyone, it was hard keeping that a secret for as long as we did but it has turned out such a successful campaign for Australian Tourism. I was cast in the commercial to play Danny McBride’s double, at the time I wasn’t sure what this would involve but next thing you know we’re jet-setting all over Australia filming at some incredible locations and I’m wearing the Dundee costume standing on cliff tops, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, all once in a lifetime stuff really, it was awesome.


And it was shot in Crocodile Dundee-territory?

A lot of the original movie was shot in Kakadu, a national park in Australia’s north, we didn’t shoot there for the campaign but some of the landscapes featured in the campaign are a nod to the film. Australia is such a vast and beautiful country that the creatives were spoiled for choice for locations and we ended up filming all over the country. North, south, west, east we went there. 


How did you get the gig?

Unbeknown to me at the time the decision makers thought I looked a bit like Danny McBride. I walked into the casting knowing who I was being asked to play and thought “I don’t look anything like this guy” but that shows what I know and when an opportunity comes up to be part of such a brilliant campaign you get onboard. I didn’t do anything special, just my job. 


Was commercial work something you’d done a lot of, or was this an exception?

This was an exception to the rule for me personally. So far in my career I’ve targeted film and television work, but this came up and I got the go ahead so how could I say no? Working on a project that is so important to your country is a privilege and the commercial airing during the Super Bowl was just icing on the cake. Everyone involved from Australia and the US should be extremely proud.


Being seen all around the world, I imagine the faux film/trailer opened some doors for you?

You know you’d like to think so. The most fortunate thing to come from being involved in the campaign is the cast and crew I got to work with and the friends I made on set. The calibre of everyone involved in this shoot was world class and to be able to work with and learn from everyone I could was the biggest bonus. More than anything this opportunity confirmed to me that I can work at the top level with some of the best in the world when required.


Are you planning on tackling Hollywood?

I’m fortunate enough that I found in acting a passion that I love so heading back to Hollywood is on the list. There are so many intricacies involved with working in the industry as you know and sometimes it’s feast other times it’s famine so I’m constantly training, staying positive and getting my work done. I just became an Uncle for the first time so at the moment I’m busy spoiling my new niece as much as I can but I’m sure if I go back to stay in Hollywood she won’t mind.


Whose career do you admire the most from your home country? Anyone whose path you’d like to emulate?

Three people straight up – Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn and Noah Taylor. These guys just work and work and work and are such gritty, truthful actors. I don’t think any of these guys have ever done bad work. I do have a soft spot for Joel though because we were born and grew up in the same place so he’s my hometown hero you could say, him and his brother Nash, those guys are legends.

Interview with Isaac Ezban

10 Questions with Isaac Ezban, director of PARALLEL

Q: PARALELL is the first film you didn’t write yourself (Scott Blaszak did) but it feels so like one from your heart - dealing with the ramifications of identity, life-shattering decision-making and the possibilities of an endless universe as also explored in THE INCIDENT and THE SIMILARS?

Yes, that its right, I had many firsts on this one: first movie in English, first movie outside of my country with a completely new crew, first studio film, first film in Canada, and first film I didn´t write, and all those firsts added up to an amazing experience. After THE INCIDENT and THE SIMILARS, I really had the curiosity to do sci-fi in English, and also of doing a film I didn´t write, of jumping on board someone else´s story and bring my vision and style to it. I read many scripts and suddenly I read PARALLEL and I was like – HOLY SHIT!!! I NEED to direct this movie!  My vision was to create a FLATLINERS meets THE SOCIAL NETWORK, a movie that would feel both serious and fun, both sci-fi and drama, both classic and very modern, and that was in the script.


Q: It’s your first film in the English language, did that cause any problems for you?

Not at all. Luckily my English is good and it almost felt like directing in my own language.

Q: Georgia King (TORMENTED) is one of our favourite actors. Why did you cast her? And how did you manage to get such Hollywood royalty as Kathleen Quinlan involved?

Georgia is a force to be reckoned with! I needed an actress that could convey that strength, smartness and also beauty and innocence that Leena has and it was amazing to find Georgia for the role. It’s also a role that has some comedy to it and I liked her comedic background. For that opening role (its kind of our Drew Barrymore on SCREAM), we wanted an older actress, one that had a lot of experience and a name people could recognize. Kathleen was amazing to work with. I simply could not believe I was working with an Oscar nominated actress… she was great, so professional and talented.


Q: PARALELL is essentially a sci-fi fantasy but its serious intent is being more an exploration of the ethics of manipulating destiny?

Exactly, on one hand it’s a great, mind-blowing story where we touch the tip of the iceberg regards the ramifications of parallel universes and such, and a classic sci-fi story of playing with fire - a classic fable of characters finding a special power and playing with it a bit too much, As a metaphor on ambition it resembles films like SHALLOW GRAVE, CHRONICLE, FLATLINERS, PRIMER, but is a sci-fi version,


Q: There are some terrific alternate universe touches like when Josh comes across a DVD copy of a ‘Frankenstein’ remake starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone! You must have had fun with those?

Yes, we had a lot of fun with all that! We had stories of parallel universes before, but never through the world of intellectual property, art, gadgets, ideas you can steal, etc.), and I like how the film is mainly about these four guys who belong to the new generation of entrepreneurs that want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs, so, the premise is, what if one of those guys would find this infinite portal to infinite ideas? And that’s mainly what the film is about.


Q: What we liked most about PARALLEL is that it’s a very compelling character study beyond it progressing from the comedic to the horrific. Was that always your intention?

Yes, completely! I´m happy you say that because, for me, the film is more a character drama than a sci-fi film, and all those movies I mentioned we had as reference are all like that, great character explorations! The ramifications of the relationships between the four characters are really interesting (each has a very special relationship with the other), and those are my favourite sci-fi movies, the ones that explore human metaphor, which,  in PARALLEL, is human ambition, this great force that makes us so strong, and that can also destroy us.

Q: You shot the movie in Vancouver, how was working in Canada and out of your Latin American comfort zone?

It was an amazing experience working in Vancouver.  I love the city (I want to live there) and the producers had a great vision of bringing a DP from Toronto, a director from Mexico, an actress and an actor from the UK, an actor from Sweden and an actor from Canada and put them all together in the same building. We had a lot of fun together.


Q: Are you still involved in Sony’s plan of bringing Dan Simmons' acclaimed horror novel ‘Summer Of Night’ to the screen?

Yes, still involved and very excited about it. It’s moving slowly, as development is always complicated when adapting such a long and complex novel, but I know we will get to it soon enough! Very excited about that project.


Q: You are also in the business of film exhibition and are one of the founders of the Autocinema Coyote, the first Drive-In Theatre to open in Mexico City for over 30 years. Are you essentially making the sort of movies you want to see playing in such a classic venue?

That’s a great question… originally yes, that was the idea, although we now play all kinds of stuff as its one of the only theaters in the world where the audience choose the programming. We also opened the Drive-in to give back that experience to the people, and because it’s something we never had…


Q: Your 2010 short NASTY STUFF prompted fellow Mexican director Guillermo del Toro to say he was impatient to see you tackle a feature film. What do you think he would say now after you actually making three?

I have met him in person. He´s an amazing human being and an amazing director, and I’m trying to learn from him on both ends. I know he has seen my first movie THE INCIDENT and really liked it, gave me a quote for the poster and all, and has always supported me and knows of what I´m doing. I would love to work with him one day.

PARALLEL plays at Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween on Sat 3rd October, Cineworld Leicester Sq.

Tickets: https://frightfest.nutickets.com/52948

First Poster for Korean Zombie Film Rampant

Rampant is a 2018 South Korean historical action zombie film directed by Kim Sung-hoon. It was released on October 25, 2018.

The action story of a hero named Yi Chung (Hyun Bin) who fights against “Night Demons” to save the Joseon nation. Yi Chung is the son of the king, and the greatest martial artist in the world. Although he is given to the Qing Empire as a political hostage, he returns home when his brother, the Crown Prince Yi Young (Kim Tae-woo), calls him back after many years. And it’s because of the nightmarish monsters plaguing the country that Yi Chung is tasked to destroy. Prince Yi Chung (Hyun Bin) will be fighting the nightmarish monsters alongside Kim Ja-joon (Jang Dong-gun) and Deok-hee (Lee Sun-bin)

Interview with John Everson by David Kempf

"John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Covenant, Sacrifice, The 13th, Siren and The Pumpkin Man, all released by Dorchester/Leisure Books in paperback and by Delirium, Necro and Bad Moon Books in limited hardcover. His sixth novel, NightWhere, was a 2012 Bram Stoker Award Finalist. The Family Tree, NightWhere and Violet Eyes, his "creepy spider novel" were released from Samhain Publishing. In January 2017, Redemption, the long-awaited sequel to his novels Covenant and Sacrificewas released. His 10th novel, The House By The Cemetery will be released in October 2018 from Flame Tree Press."

When did you first become interested in writing?

I’ve been interested in writing since I learned to write! I was a voracious reader as a kid, and early on, I realized I wanted to do for other people what my favorite authors did for me – take them to a new and strange place, and hopefully put them on the edge of their seat a few times. Give them an escape from the everyday. I thought authors were the most amazing people because they could create entire worlds … and then take me to them.


How did you get involved in fantasy/horror?

While I read mostly science fiction growing up, when I began to “tell tales,” it always seemed like I came up with stories that had a dark twist at the end. Even my alien tales ended up twisted endings. I realized early on, that my natural predilection as a creative was to explore “the dark side” vs. intergalactic intrigues.  After writing some stories in a creative writing class in college (which the instructor criticized as being “too much like Stephen King”) after college I began writing some more stories on the weekends and submitting old and new pieces to magazines. When acceptances started coming in… I started writing even more.


Tell us about your first publisher. 

I published with a variety of magazines from 1994-2000, one of which was Delirium Magazine. When that publisher decided to launch an independent book line, they offered to issue a hardcover collection of the stories I’d been publishing throughout the ‘90s. The result was Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions, my first book. I went on to publish my first two novels with Delirum as well – Covenant and Sacrifice – along with a novelette – Failure. And then Leisure Books offered to reissue both of my first novels in mass market paperback… and suddenly I was reaching tens of thousands of readers rather than only a couple hundred. It was an exciting time!


Did studying journalism help you as a fiction writer?

I would guess so. It helped teach me the importance of clear description and not “burying the lead.” Get to the point early, or you lose people. So I don’t think I’m an overly “flowery” fiction writer – because I don’t spend a page describing the room. Hopefully that means I move the tale along quickly.

How did winning the Stoker Award change your life?

It helped give my work some credibility. My name was starting to become a little familiar to genre fans at that point, because I’d had dozens of stories published over the past 10 years, but the award certainly helped build on that reputation. I’m sure it helped in the decision to give my novels a shot at Leisure Books, and I know for sure the award gained me my first publishing deal in Poland – a publisher there approached me specifically because of that. They translated Covenant and released an initial pressing of 3,000 copies in Poland in 2007 – at a time when it was only available in the United States in a 250-copy limited edition hardcover. So at one point I had more books available in Poland than I did at home!

How would you classify the genre you write?

I write supernatural, erotic horror. Basically stories with demons, ghosts and dark magic, that tend to have sexual content. Because, well… you have to keep it interesting!


Why do you think horror and fantasy books remain so popular?

I wish I thought that horror books were popular. While Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery genres all have dedicated sections among the shelves of Barnes & Noble stores, horror is ignored – it’s relegated to the ghetto of the general fiction shelves… which means if you’re looking for a “horror” book in B&N, you’ll have a hard time finding it, unless you know what you’re looking for. Horror has long been one of the poorest selling genres in book form, despite its popularity in film.   


What inspires your stories?

Life! I see things and sometimes an image or a news story or the words someone says trigger the what if…? factor in my brain. I think about “what if” and suddenly I’m down some twisted story path. There’s no better answer than that really. Sometimes the mind just comes up the best “worst case” scenarios.


What are your favorite horror books?

Edward Lee’s early novels like Succubi, Incubi and Coven had me reading them in just one sitting. That’s the sign of a perfect novel to me – the book you simply can’t put down. I remember reading his City Infernal in a single day one 4th of July. Clive Barker’s The Damnation Game and Great and Secret Show were big novels for me too, as were Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour, Exit To Eden and Vampire Lestat. And of course, Stephen King’s early books like Carrie, Firestarter and Pet Sematary.


What are some of your favorite horror movies?
I’m a huge fan of European horror, so Dario Argento’s Suspiria and Phenomena are cornerstones for me, as are Lucio Fulci’s Zombi 2 and The Beyond and Jose Ramon Larraz’s Vampyres.  One of my favorite directors was France’s Jean Rollin, whose films Living Dead Girl, Fascination and Lips of Blood present some of the most poetic erotic horror films ever lensed. Harry Kumel’s Daughters of Darkness and Emilio Miraglia’s The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave are also excellent.


What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as an author?

It was a big thing for me to finish my first novel – Covenant, because I kept losing faith that I could ever finish a novel and I’d put it aside for months at a time. To have that book win the Bram Stoker Award when it was finally published… was amazing.  I think creatively the greatest thing for me was writing NightWhere. I first thought of the idea for the novel while writing Covenant… but it took me a decade before I was brave enough to write the book because of the extreme themes. So that book was a challenge to write because of what it was. And then that became a Bram Stoker Finalist and a bestseller for me in translation in Germany. So those two books are important milestones for me.

             
Do you have any advice for new writers?

Write! Everyone talks about writing, but you only produce publishable pieces – and hopefully improve your craft – by writing. Every week. Some would say every day, but I’ve never had the time to do that. I do write creatively a day or two at least every week though. It can also be really instructive to read your work aloud either to yourself in the mirror, or better yet, at open mic nights where you can gauge the reaction of the audience. There’s nothing like seeing an audience react to – or not react to – the things you think in your head are genius. It’s really instructive for the editing process. You’ll hear extraneous words or gawky dialogue in a way you never will sitting at your computer typing them.


 What is your opinion of the new self-publishing trend?

It’s easy, and instantly gratifying… but largely a dead end. Just because you can publish something on your own, doesn’t mean you should. At the end of the day, if you want to reach readers, you need credibility and a marketing machine behind you to expose your work to people. Self-publishing is great if you want to say you wrote something and it’s available. But that’s the easy part. Getting people to read your book when there are millions of book choices out there is the hard part. A vast amount of self-published work is poorly edited, with amateurish book covers, and has no marketing to get it exposed to readers… so it will wallow in obscurity, even if the story is really good work. There are exceptions, surely. But if you want a true career as an author – convince a real publisher to put money behind your work.


What are your current projects?

I’m working on my 11th novel, titled The Devil’s Equinox. I’m planning to have it turned in to my publisher by Christmas!


Please in your own words, write a paragraph about yourself & your work. 
 
You can sum me up in less than ten words -- I like hot peppers and old horror! I always say that I’m a staunch advocate for the culinary joys of the jalapeno and an unabashed fan of 1970s European horror cinema. I’m the author of ten novels, including the latest The House By The Cemetery, which takes place at a real haunted cemetery -- Bachelor’s Grove -- in the south suburbs of Chicago. My first novel Covenant, was a winner of the Bram Stoker Award and my sixth, NightWhere, was a finalist for the award.  Other novels include Redemption, the conclusion to the trilogy begun in Covenant, as well as Violet Eyes, The Pumpkin Man, Siren and The 13th. Over the past 25 years, my short stories have appeared in more than 75 magazines and anthologies. I’m also the founder of the independent press Dark Arts Books and Ihave written novelettes for The Vampire Diaries and Jonathan Maberry’s V-Wars universe (Books 1 and 3), the latter of which is currently being developed for NetFlix. I’ve also written stories for The Green Hornet and Kolchak, The Night Stalker anthologies. I have had several short fiction collections published, including Needles & Sins, Vigilantes of Love, Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions and most recently, Sacrificing Virgins. For more on my obsession with jalapenos and 1970s European horror cinema, as well as information on my fiction, art and music, visit www.johneverson.com.


Links:
www.johneverson.com

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Competition: Win Sicario 2: Soldado on DVD

Sicario 2: Soldado arrives on DVD & Blu-ray on 29 October

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies to give away on DVD

Synopsis
From director Stefano Sollima, Sicario 2: Soldado is an uncompromising, unflinching look into the ruthless world of drug cartels – and the extremes that some will go to end the terror. The chaotic narrative and unrelenting pace of the film requires a score that can keep up with the action. Hildur Guðnadóttir delivers a powerful and captivating score to beautifully compliment the gripping scenes and intriguing characters. The score succeeds in creating a constant sense of dread and danger rendering the audience unable to relax for even a moment. Sicario 2: Soldado is an unmissable movie experience.

Click here to buy from Amazon (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Send you name, address and of course the answer to competition@mastersofhorror.co.uk

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 05-11-18
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.