Your upcoming movie Go Straight to Hell - in a few words,
what is it about?
Go Straight To Hell is in a nutshell
about three recently deceased characters in purgatory awaiting a sin
cleansing that will allow them to enter heaven. They are greeted by a
mysterious "guide" who makes them review their most heinous sin
committed on Earth. Go Straight to Hell sounds a
bit like a classic anthology movie - am I at all right with that
assumption, and why choose that format then? It is a
classic anthology horror film. I grew up during the heyday of Hammer
and Amicus
films [Amicus story - click here]
when they were doing those great anthology movies like The
House That Dripped Blood, Tales
from the Crypt, Asylum,
many many others. I do believe I was inspired by those and Mario Bava's Black
Sabbath [Mario Bava bio
- click here] while writing Go
Straight To Hell. Do
talk about Go Straight to Hell's co-writer Ron R. Anand, and what's
your collaboration like? Working with Ron is great, he has
the same degenerate, demented sensibilities I possess when it comes to
horror. When collaborating it is sort of like two musicians riffing on one
another - I have a solo, pass it over, he takes a solo, and the piece is
born with very little disagreement. You of course also have to talk
about Go Straight to Hell's director Edward G. Norris, and what has
working with him been like so far?
Edward G. Norris is a
nihlistic prick, and I am saying that as a compliment. He is probably the
only director I know who wouldn't flinch at least a little as we deliver
our script. Ed was the chief editor on a handful of projects for the great
Peter Bogdanovich, and has directed an anthology film himself previously
based on the tales of Guy de Maupassant, which starred Debbie Rochon [Debbie
Rochon interview - click here] (who was so magnificent in my
first film Axe to Grind). As far as I know, Go
Straight to Hell is still in pre-production - so at what stage is the
film exactly, and when will shooting start? We've just
entered into an agreement with Americana Films and Michael Z.
Gordon to join forces with my Seraph
Productions to co-produce the film. I'm presently scouting two
locations, one in Santa Rosa, and the other in LA. We are on a fast track
to film in October. Where do you
see the main challenges in bringing Go Straight to Hell to the
screen from a producer's point of view? The most
challenging aspect of this project as a producer will be depicting all of
the nasty horrific material on a fairly tight budget. I'm putting my faith
in some very talented up-and-coming effects professionals. Anything you can
tell us about Go Straight to Hell's projected cast yet, and why
exactly these people? We have Bai Ling cast in a central
role; she's got tons of experience in the industry, is a gas, and very
theatrical, which is what I'm looking for in the project. Ed is a casting
guru (let me list you the names of previously attached talent to Go
Straight To Hell from his personal outreach and cajoling:
Teresa Russell, Traci Lords, Sid Haig, Laura Harring) and has Emmy award
winning and Golden Globe nominee Amanda Plummer in a small but integral
part. Amanda has more range than any actress in her generation (note the
contrast of her great performances in The Fisher King and Pulp
Fiction). I've also recently made cyberspace acquaintance with a
marvelous lady and actress Laurene Landon (All the Marbles, Maniac
Cop), who is also an incredibly gifted writer. I am certainly going to
cast her in Go Straight to Hell and I hope we can develop a project
we can collaborate on. Intelligence and compassion are very stimulating
and this woman possesses both in spades. I can't wait to work with
her. I'm also dying to get Linda Blair onto the project as The
Exorcist is my all time favorite film and she's such a great
humanitarian. Selfishly I want to compare her stories about The
Exorcist with Eileen Dietz [Eileen
Dietz interview - click here], who was in our film Axe
to Grind! Any idea when Go Straight to
Hell might be released, however tentatively? There is
no set release date for Go Straight To Hell,
we hope to have it in the marketplace by Halloween 2018. Any
future projects beyond Go Straight to Hell? In the
near future I am co producing Jim Devaults Triptych: The Story of a
Girl Named Arizona that stars Devanny Pinn [Devanny
Pinn interview - click here] and Debbie Rochon [Debbie
Rochon interview - click here]. I continue to push forward
with developing, optioning, finding good directors and homes for my non-horror
scripts (Periphery with Rebecca DeMornay, Shirley Knight and Stacy
Keach, The Last Saint of Market Street, a San Francisco based crime
thriller, Heated Rivalry, a sports comedy, and others).
|
Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
|
|
|
Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else? Creating the
movie website is one of our top priorities as we enter pre production. Anything else
you're dying to mention and I've merely forgotten to ask? And
please, anyone reading this: Help the victims of HARVEY in any way you
can. Those of us more fortunate may need help in the future. Thanks
for the interview!
Thanks Michael!
|