Your new movie Easter
Holocaust - in a few words, what is it about?
My
latest film Easter
Holocaust is about the coming of the
apocalypse and the antichrist that happens to come in an unlikely form -
the Easter Bunny. The film takes place in a small town where the demonic
creature in the guise of the Easter Bunny begins to kill the townspeople.
One by one the hearts of its victims are torn out and collected in a
basket for it to feast upon. The surviving members of the small community
eventually band together to send the beast back to Hell before a portal
opens to welcome the apocalypse. Basic
question: Why Easter, and why choose the Easter Bunny as your monster? While
coming up with the concept for the film, I realized that were are a
handful of horror films set during Christmas and other holidays, but very
few having pertaining to Easter. So choosing Easter became an easy
decision as it had not been really tackled. I chose the creature to be the
Easter Bunny because I have always found it creepy when people dress as
mascots or even the Easter Bunny during the holiday season. Not knowing
who is inside is such a scary thought. Yet people place their kids on a
strangers lap for a picture. I also selected the creature to be the Easter
Bunny because I find fairy tales fascinating, as they are usually far more
gruesome than the versions we read as children. I thought "what if
the same concept applied to the Easter Bunny?" What if everything we
knew of the mythology of the bunny was actually darker and we had been fed
a happy, safe version as children? From there I decided that the Easter
Bunny did not really bring baskets of eggs and treats to kids, but
actually tore out people's hearts and collected them in a basket for it to
eat. With
Easter Holocaust
being a monster movie, is that a genre at all dear to you, and some of
your genre favourite? And what do you think will make your movie stick out
of the crowd?
I have always loved the 80's genre of horror, as I am a child
of the 80's and it is what I grew up with. I love all horror, especially
slasher films. So with this film, I tried to do something different, thus
having the creature instead of a killer. I was careful to have the
creature kill with its hands instead of weapons. I think I tried to
approach the feeling of the creature from an It perspective.
The original It is definitely an influence in this film.
I think what makes this film stand out is the
layering of events that occur. The creature is at the center of the story,
but all of the characters involved have their own events taking place. We
also utilized practical effects as opposed to CG. I really wanted to bring
that 80's feel to the film via the effects. I just think practical effects
seem more real, because there is something actually there in the scene. I
only used CG to enhance the practical effects, such as blood splatters and
smoke as needed. Do talk about Easter
Holocaust's approach to horror! Easter
Holocaust approaches horror by paying homage to various horror
classics such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
Poltergeist, Evil Dead, and
Jason Goes to
Hell, just to name a few. We tried to
create our own formula though. With the story being multilayered,
there is not always a clear path to where the characters or story are going. I think this creates a lot of interest.
The film is not predictable, yet it still has plenty of nods in
scenes to classic horror films many of us love. You really have to pay
attention. And the creature is not the only one killing in the film. So
that also is interesting. I think and helps the film in being unique. You of course
also have to talk about Easter
Holocaust's funny bits for a bit, and the film's brand of humour? I
don't think I could ever make a serious horror film, as I tend to find
humor in everything. Humor has always been my own coping mechanisms for
the horrors I have experienced in my own life. So I think that is one the
reasons humor tends to end up in my films. I have also never forgotten the
late Wes Craven's theory on the valuable relationship between horror and
comedy. If you can get your audience to laugh in between scares it allows
them to relax and then sets them up to be scared again. I always keep that
in mind while writing the script for each of my films. In Easter
Holocaust the events are often ridiculous and hard to believe. So I
found it important to have the characters express their own disbelief
through humor. I felt that if the characters were having fun and
expressing what the audience might be thinking, then the audience would
feel more drawn into the film. Overall, I just love crazy, over the top
humor. My favorite death is that of the character Kandy Palmer played by
Lisa Neeld of Playboy Magazine. She plays a hooker that attempts to fend
off the creature with a dildo from her purse and in the process is impaled
through the back of the head with it as she runs away! Who doesn't think
that's hilarious?
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What
can you tell us about your overall directorial approach to your story at
hand? I try to give the actors as much control of their characters
as possible. I find that if you do that, you get the best and most
original performance from someone. They become more in tune with the
character and story and they tend to be more natural in their acting. I
generally only ask specific actions from the actors if it is required for
the scene, dialogue, and shots. Otherwise I let them decide on mannerisms,
ect. I know all of the actors and select them for each part because I know
what they can bring to the part. I also keep in mind the chemistry between
the actors as many of them have been in previous films together. That also
gives a lot to the performances as those bonds are already there. Above
all, I try to keep things as fun as possible on set while still keeping
the overall end result in mind. You also appear in front of the
camera in Easter
Holocaust in not one but two roles - so do talk about your
characters, what did you draw upon to bring them to life, and did you
write either or both with yourself in mind from the get-go?
I always enjoy and welcome new challenges with
each film that I create. Easter
Holocaust was no different. I
originally only set out to play one character named Millie, who is an
elderly waitress in a diner. During production the actor that was set to
play Mike Hardy, a monster hunter, was unable to film due to family issues.
So out of necessity, I took on that character as well under short notice.
I figured it would be another challenge. Indeed, playing both characters
and directing was a true challenge. Especially when I played both
characters in the same scene! For the character of Millie I endured more
though. I wore a full face prosthetic, fat body suit, and wig. None of my
real skin was showing except for my hands. It was so hot that in between
takes our makeup artist had to keep applying liquid latex to re-adhere the
face prosthetic, as I would just be drenched with sweat. It was a fun
character to play, but not comfortable at all during filming. So when I
played Mike it was a welcome relief. Just a mullet wig and trench coat to
complete the look. I think both characters materialized from a combination
of real people I have known and various films I have seen. I tend to take
in everything I see and experience, so it is difficult to pinpoint exactly
how they came to be. As I write, the characters seem to take on a life of
their own and sometimes I find it challenging to stay on track with the
story as some of them have so much to say at times. In some ways, the
characters and script seem to write themselves. Strange, I know.
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What
can you tell us about the rest of your cast, and why exactly these people? So much of the cast I have worked with in other
films over the years and I have developed great friendships with. We all
just enjoy working with each other and have fun bringing these crazy
stories to life. We are like a theatre family in a sense that we all play
off of each other and depend on each other. Everyone brings their own
talents and ideas to the table. The actors are also some of the most
dedicated people I have ever met. They always show up and bring their best
to the production on the days of shooting. In general we all just play
well together. A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? The
filming of Easter
Holocaust was a long process. Over a year to
be exact, as we filmed on weekends in order to accommodate everyone's busy
schedules. We also filmed around the seasons, meaning we filmed the
interior scenes during the fall/winter and then the exterior scenes in the
spring/summer. Travel was also a consideration in the duration of filming,
as some actors were local, and others came from other states to film their
scenes. But, we were all dedicated to making the film in spite of the
number of months we filmed. The atmosphere was always kept light and fun.
There were times when a shoot went longer than expected, but everyone
always remained professional. If anything, as we got more tired, we would
end up laughing and having more fun. Because at the end of the day, that
is what it is all about. Having fun. If it isn't an enjoyable experience
to make the films, why do it? That's how I feel. Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Easter
Holocaust? People really seem to be enjoying the film. I
have had great feedback and reviews. I am so thankful for those.
It is doing well on Amazon Prime, as is streamed regularly. The
film is also being added to more and more ROKU streaming channels, so that
has been great. Any future projects you'd like to
share? I
just completed the script for my next film and I am currently in pre
production for it. The film is titled Attack of the Radioactive
Zombies. It is basically Willy Wonka meets Return
of the Living Dead. Much of the cast from Easter
Holocaust is set to return for this film. I am also filling a few
cameo roles with known actors from various horror films of the past. If
all goes well, filming will begin this coming August with a fall 2021
release. Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever
else?
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All
of my films can be found and streamed from Vimeo on Demand. Although many
are available on Amazon Prime, including Easter
Holocaust. All
of my films can also be found on various ROKU streaming channels such as GayBinge,
Revry, StreamGoMedia, BingeHorrorTV, to name a few. If anyone
has any questions or would like to reach out to me concerning my films or
upcoming productions, they can reach me via email at
Malachistitch@hotmail.com or at our Glamboy Productions
Facebook page. Anything else you're dying to tell us and I have
merely forgotten to ask?
Easter
Holocaust includes actor cameos from Ari Lehman (the original actor
to play Jason in
Friday the 13th), Charity Rahmer (formerly played
Belle Black on the soap Days of Our
Lives) and Lisa Neeld of Playboy Magazine. There
are also Easter eggs throughout the film. Audiences may be
able to spot items, props, and film posters from other Glamboy Productions
films such as My Deadly Playmate,
Stillborn, and The Murderous Rampage of Malachi Stitch. Thanks for the interview!
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