'Welcome to the Bubs' Interview

First off I'd like to thank all involved in this project and how welcoming they all are, great bunch of guys! They really deserved their project to be successfully funded!

Can you tell readers a little summary of 'Welcome to the Bubs' and what you hope to accomplish in the future with this project, as I know you are already an award winning filmmaker?

Tony – Welcome to the Bubs is a story about what is the difference between survival and living, and do we as people deserve to live after something like a Zombie Apocalypse.

Where did the idea spring from for 'Welcome to the Bubs'?

Tony – The idea came from a joke we had about seeing Zombies in odd situations, and originally we toyed with a situation comedy and a groan track instead of a laugh track, but soon realized that would be funny for about 30 seconds… so then we morphed that into a story we thought would be a little different and fun to see.

How will your zombies be set apart from zombies we have seen in media in the past?

Kyle - Our zombies will be different in that some have been "domesticated". We've only seen a glimpse of such in past films ie. Day of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead.

Tony – I am a George Romero fan and so my goal is to fit in that world, I loved what Tom Savini did in Day of the Dead, and the spirit of those zombies.

What is your involvement with Welcome to the Bubs?

Anissa Matlock - I play ZL19, the one with the end-goal in mind at all times. I also do a little behind the scenes work: Choreographing fights, assisting with Zombie recruitment, and I'll also be assisting our Key SFX Makeup Artist with the zombification process.

Josh Milligan - I'm an executive producer, location scout, script editor/contributor and many more jobs. Basically if Tony needs something, I make it happen, **cough** squirrel dinner.

Kyle Moncrief - My involvement with Welcome to the Bubs is making Tony's vision a reality, with a few surprises dropped in. I'm the "Key SFX Makeup Artist".

Tony Reames – I am the Director, and the guy with the camera.  I am the one that comes up with crazy ideas and present them to these guys and they go, yeah let’s do it even BIGGER…

What interested you about this project?

Anissa - I see it as a great opportunity to gain experience in my field. I also really love Zombies.

Josh - The word zombie, what else do you need more than zombies. As a group we morphed a simple commercial contest into a short.

Kyle - My interest in this project is to do the very best I can to make the audience believe what they're watching! Maybe get noticed and .... I'm with Josh, "Zombies! What more do you need!"

Tony – Personally I love shooting shorts, and I went to school in Pittsburgh so I still go back to the
Monroeville Mall when I am home (from original Dawn of the Dead), it’s like a zombie mecca.  

Why do you think it's important to support indie film?

Anissa - Indie filmmaking is what is bringing about our future big-time filmmakers. I think the world wants more than just cookie-cutter-Hollywood-style films and the way to get them is to support independent filmmakers and their craft.

Josh - Indie films are important because they keep the movie industry moving. Indie films do not need heavy backers in order to create something everybody wants to see. Indie films helps the dedicated film maker's dreams going and it shows the film industry that the dedicated can make things happen just as well if not better than the larger muggles.

Kyle - It's important to support indie filmmaking as the most innovative and imaginative ideas spring forth from the simple passion and drive to see a project to fruition! No constraints of public opinion during preproduction. I mean, what would Netflix do to fill their libraries without Indie films, can I get an "Amen"!?

Tony – I grew up on B-Movie/Grindhouse/Indie movies.  Anything from Motel Hell all the way to El Mariachi, and I think the most inventive creative people come from situations where they had to do more
with less.

When is “Welcome to the Bubs” being released?

Tony – We are still finishing up principle photography then we have editing and post, so we are hoping to have it ready to screen in the late Spring.

How is this different from other Zombie movies?

Tony – Well this story take place long after the apocalypse, and is about a small group of survivors who want to stop surviving and go back to living.

It was a great idea to place the outcome in the hands of the backers, why did you trust the fate of the survivors in their hands?

Tony – This is an experiment. I always hear people say that they like this ending or that ending, and 9 times out of 10 it is the typical ending where everything is summed up nicely and makes the audience feel better about the whole journey. This time I want the people to tell us, we want it to end this way…. We wrote two endings, and one is a nice neat ending, and the other is dark and left open… we shall see what people want.

Who do you admire in the field of special effects and make up and what has drawn you to it?

Kyle - Frankly I have many influences and mentors. Dick Smith, Rick Baker and Stan Winston are idols! I was making paper masks and hats as early as 4 yrs. old, the rest is history.

Tony – As a kid I LOVED ILM and applied for an internship every year.  And got very cool rejection letters every year.  So I would say pretty much the same as Kyle, but maybe add Ray Harryhausen, I LOVED his work too.

  

Who are your favourite horror characters and what makes them iconic and memorable to you?

Kyle - Predator, an intergalactic hunter. Raw, primal, yet intelligent! H.R. Giger's Alien, much like zombies, yet faster and you're completely aware of the infestation and pain! And Ed Gein, he is a real American freakshow!! Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs and Psycho were all based on Ed Gein's real life!

Tony – As a kid of the 80’s I have to say Jason Voorhies, Freddy Kreuger, and of course Ash from Evil Dead.  I love that time period for film.  Growing up they just seemed larger than life.

  

Why after so many decades do you think zombies are such a popular sub-genre?

Tony – They say that zombie movies gain popularity in times of economic crisis, I am not sure how true this is, but the good movies have always had something to say about the current climate in our culture.  I think its popular now because of Walking Dead and the fact that they are telling it from a different perspective and making it about life’s struggles.  Like my wife says to people, I love Walking Dead and I am not one of those people that likes Zombies, blech.

What was your first horror movie that had an impact on you and what was the movie/film maker that drew you into the love of filmmaking?

Tony – Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and not because I liked it.  My dad rented it for me when I was a kid, and I will never forget I was eating a Dairy Queen hamburger and the scene where the guy gets into the van and starts acting all crazy, I got nauseated and sick.  To this day I remember it, and I am not sure if it was food poisoning or that horrible creepy guy.  But it stuck with me, so kudos to you Tobe Hooper.

What would you list as your top 3 movies of all time?

Tony – Empire Strikes Back, Army of Darkness, and Hitchcock’s Rope.  Odd choices huh?

My top 3 Zombie movies of all time:

1.>   Dawn of the Dead (original)

2.>   Night of the Comet

3.>   Dance of the Dead

And do you have a list of Guilty Pleasures?

Tony – I don’t watch much TV, but I do watch two shows EVERY time, Psych and Colbert Report, do those count?

Of course tv counts, and those are pretty awesome shows nothing to be guilty about there... I play spot the pineapple too. Favourite zombie kill in a comic/tv show/movie?

Kyle - Favorite zombie kill has got to be the recent head stomps on Walking Dead S3!

Tony – hmm.  I think the Scene from Friday the 13th when Jason jumps through the window after the woman.  I remember this because I remember levitating off the couch

Where can we learn more about the project and what can movie fans do to help now?

Tony – you can visit us on the web:  http://www.WelcomeToTheBubs.com, Twitter @Welcome2TheBubs, and Facebook:  http://fb.com/WelcomeToTheBubs

We are going to need help getting the word out once its complete, and hopefully we can get some screenings at festivals.

And if all goes well, we can shoot the sequel “Greenville 66” which is both a prequel and a sequel.



Lets support indie movies... you don't like what the studios churn out year after year... well help the little guy, where they don't need to stick to a formula or aim at money off certain demographics... its all about creativity!

One last thing... Needed to post this too, these guys are so awesome that the Fake Shemp that is Bruce "The King, Baby" Campbell retweeted them.

Hasta Luego

@Fake_Shemp

'Sledge' (2013) Interview - Kristian Hanson

SLEDGE INTERVIEW-KRISTIAN HANSON

SLEDGE: A True American Horror Story from John Sovie II on Vimeo.

-First off, I'd like to thank you for your time, so secondly would you like to tell readers a bit about your project 'Sledge'?

I appreciate your time as well. When it comes to SLEDGE, I wanted to create something that brings us all back to the golden age of slasher films. I know people say that they wish the 80’s were still here, but instead of living in the past, why not start making films for now? Sledge fits the storyline of a slasher, but is a lot of fun and I think fans of horror or even comedy films will get a kick out of what we have made.

                -Did you draw any inspiration from the plethora of slasher killers?

If I said I didn’t, I know that would be a lie. I grew up with slashers like Freddy, Chucky, Leatherface, etc. When I was creating Adam Lynch, I wanted him to be different from those guys in the way his personality was but at the same time, bring fear into people that don’t watch horror films.

                -Who is your personal favourite slasher killer?

Personal favorite would have to be Freddy Krueger. When I was six years old I had my tonsils out, and my father took me to the toy store. He told me I could buy any toy for $30 or less, so I found a pull string talking Freddy Krueger doll. The one question I remember him asking me was “How do you know who this guy is”, and being six, I said “mom showed me” and a fight probably ensued, but I left with my first ever horror collectible that I still have to this day.

                -What is the most memorable kill in a slasher film, and how do you propose to do something either as effective/out do it?

I am a huge Adam Green fan and love Hatchet, so it has to come from that film. It is where the lady gets her head ripped off from the top of the jaw. BJ McDonnell who was the lead camera operator did a phenomenal job filming that scene that you can’t see the separate cuts of the film.

                -Where did you get the inspiration from for the character of Adam Lynch?

Honestly I just wanted to create something that was fun and that was my own. I sat down to write the script after my wife gave me the idea to fly up to upstate New York to film Sledge with my Co-Director John Sovie II. As I sat and began to type, I had this character flash in front of my eyes who loved horror films, comic books, video games just like myself. What if he believed he was inside that world, where once he kills the kids, they get reset kind of in a way all of the Friday the 13^th films do.

                -What sets him apart from generic slashers and will make him, as I hope, a legend like Freddy or Jason?

The jokes and comments he makes. Adam Lynch is someone that I think fans will actually enjoy and will hopefully enjoy his one liners. He makes a lot of original jokes but at the same time he recites lines from previous films or makes sounds from video games when killing people. I really believe gamers, horror fiends and comic book geeks will enjoy it. I honestly say that because I am all of those and I know it’s something I would enjoy.

                -Where do you think the horror genre is headed?

The genre is headed in a positive direction when it comes to the independent crowd. There are films constantly coming out that are amazing like Martyrs, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and others. These are not big studio movies but fans are finally getting to see them because of ON DEMAND. As for the big budget industry, we can all see that Remakes are their bread and butter.

               

-How much has the internet and social media helped you as a filmmaker?

Internet and Social Media has made it easier for fans to reach out to their heroes and help them. Adam Lynch is named after Adam Green and Joe Lynch as a thank you to the both of them for helping me out when I wanted to make a film. I had met them both on a few occasions and when I decided to make Sledge, I contacted them via Facebook and Twitter and they were kind enough to write to me and give me incite on what to do and what not to do. Also, it is a great way to promote yourself when you are an Independent film maker because you don’t have that publicist or agent that will do those things for you. With the voice of the fans is how Sledge is getting out there and I cannot thank them enough.

                -I'm sure like many other horror fans you have an opinion on remakes, care to share?

When it comes to remakes, I do not hate them and I do not love them. I say that because I do really enjoy some of them, like the Texas Chainsaw remake with Jessica Biel. I honestly love that film besides the creepy kid with the screwed up teeth. Now, I have to admit, I really didn’t like the Nightmare on Elm Street remake because of the lead characters and their Emo frame of mind. I honestly say enjoy what we get and if you don’t like it, say so. If you do enjoy it, like I am hoping to enjoy the Evil Dead remake along with Carrie, go out and say so. Don’t be ashamed to say you like a horror film because you think you won’t be considered a real horror fan, unless you say you like Twilight, than just keep that to yourself.

                -What are your favorite old school horror movies, and what are your top horror movies from the last decade?

My all-time favorite film horror or not is An American Werewolf in London, followed by Jaws. When it comes to 80’s films, I love John Carpenters The Thing (not the crappy prequel that was really a remake), Hatchet, Halloween, The Nightmare on Elm Street series, Hellraiser series. You name it, I more than likely have seen it and enjoyed it.

As for the top horror films of the last decade, I would have to say Hatchet 1 and 2 are the top of the list along with Frozen. Yes, they are Adam Green films, but again, I am a big fan of his and what he does. Next, I would have to say Martyrs is another film that I enjoy thoroughly because you just don’t know what to expect through it all, and finally, Paranormal Activity 1, 2 and Insidious. I think those three films were amazing when they came out, but as I have seen with 3 & 4, I lost interest. The Saw series was also great with its many ups and downs, but I overall enjoyed that series too.

                -Who were your early inspirations, was horror your first love?

My early inspirations would have to be John Landis. He is the perfect blend of Horror and Comedy when it comes to An American Werewolf in London. Also, I love Wes Craven and what he was able to create along with John Carpenter. Mr. Craven was one of the first people I had the pleasure of meeting when I moved to California, and he couldn’t have been nicer to a nervous fan boy.

                -What was your first horror movie, how did that effect you wanting to see other horror movies and be a part of the genre?

The first horror movie I saw was Chucky when I was five years old. I still remember the nightmare where I woke up and saw Chucky everywhere inside of my room. However, according to my oldest brother, I have been watching horror films since I came home from the hospital after I was born. I have loved horror since I was born and will always be my first love.

               

-I read that you bang out a script in 4 days, very impressive. Could you give us any information on future projects?

My future projects are kind of up in the air. We have some surprises to throw at people with a new take on Vampires (they don’t sparkle) along with Zombies and a werewolf script I wrote off of my book Fat Kid’s Wolfy Revenge: Not for the Weak hearted or Mature minded. My book is a horror comedy that I wrote as if I was still seventeen and ran into a werewolf tearing all the dumb girls apart at my high school. I would love to be able to make that into a feature film with all of the intricacies that are inside of the book. I created a lot of memorable death scenes that I would love to display on screen, including a breast implant regurgitation from the werewolf as he talks crap to her and kicks her. That is my kind of humor, and I hope you are all ready for a fun ride. Please feel free to contact me on twitter at @CraptasticWritr or LIKE us on facebook at www.facebook.com/Sledge If you like the page and message the page I will respond. Thanks again for the time, I do appreciate it.

SLEDGE: Full Trailer from John Sovie II on Vimeo.

Hasta Luego
-Fake Shemp-