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Your new movie Flesh
of the Unforgiven - in a few words, what's it about?
Flesh
of the Unforgiven is a dark, psychological, supernatural horror mystery
that follows Jack, a novelist and his estranged wife, Sienna, who travel to a secluded cabin
in the mountains of Quebec where Jack has a 72-hour deadline to complete a
treatment for his next book. Jack's agent seemingly sends him a VHS tape
to view, thinking this will catapult his imagination. That's when the
roller coaster ride begins! You see, Jack becomes obsessed with this
disturbing tape and gets pulled deeper and deeper into a state of phobia
and hallucination until he can no longer identify reality while Sienna
desperately tries to focus on their fragile marriage. But her secrets are
even more life-altering as she traverses the boundaries between the mortal
realm and the supernatural fray amidst the twisted games played by the
Death Dealer and his manipulating legion of demons. What were your sources of inspiration when writing Flesh
of the Unforgiven? Hard to say because I usually stumble on an
idea and run with. But, the film needed to intertwine itself with the
overall story that is the Diary of Death series that follows the Death
Dealer. This film is the first in the series so it had to really tell two
stories. The Death Dealer is a demon that exists between life and death
that some may consider a purgatory of sorts. This particular ancient evil,
if you're chosen will make you a deal, offering the chosen an opportunity
at a new life beyond death but they must first face their fears and
embrace them. This leaves the Diary of Death
series plenty of room to play with characters as the series progresses. I have heard this series
compared to Nightmare on Elm
Street and Hellraiser but it is certainly
it's own entity. So again, inspirations, hard to say but perhaps just
growing up watching great films. Those that tell
a rounded story and make you feel. Splash it with some horror and mystery
and there you have it. Flesh
of the Unforgiven is partially set in a nightmarish realm full of
absurd, abstract, grotesque and sometimes even surreal details - so when
creating such a world, how easy or hard is it to not just (literally) lose
the plot in the process? Well I try and keep each character and the elements at an even pace.
With Flesh
of the Unforgiven, the film starts with a hint of what to expect from the Death
Dealer's world. Then it begins to develop Jack, played by me, Sienna who's
played by Debbie Rochon [Debbie
Rochon interview - click here] and Vivienne who is played by August
Kyss [August Kyss interview -
click here]. Throughout this development you get to see both worlds. And being the very
first film in the series, I wanted to show who you needed to be to become
chosen by the Death Dealer. What you needed to do to hold up your end of
the deal. And what happens if you succeed or fail. With so much going on,
there has to be a careful balance playing by the rule of "show me don't
tell me". And with this first film there was so much to show. The running
time is 1 hour and 39 minutes. But I also have an uncut version that runs
1 hour and 50 minutes. So yes it can be very hard. In the end it's all
about the pacing and keeping an audience intrigued and not bored with tons
of dialogue trying to explain something. A lesson I learned through
experience and failed attempts in my early years.
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What can you tell us about Flesh
of the Unforgiven's approach to horror? And a few
words about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand?
I love the old horror movies. They have good stories and they were fun.
Now with all the new platforms on streaming TV etc. you need to be careful
with your content. Things like too much gore and nudity will turn away
many sponsors that filmmakers rely on for ads and things like that. So I
had to carefully tread through these waters when making the film. Starting
with the artwork for instance that was created by Thomas Savage. We didn't
want to go the route of how digital art is used today. Are they cool?
Sure. Some of them are quite badass. And sometimes more badass than the
movie itself. And at the same time it takes away from the overall
experience. Thomas Savage created the art by hand like it was back in the
day. You have to admit, the greatest cover arts are from the 80's. And I
wanted to create a story-driven film/series. Not one that is just
saturated with gallons of CGI blood like it's done today. It's no easy
task. Especially when we had such a tiny budget to work with. I was
fortunate to have a highly experienced cinematographer in Kevin McMillan,
who brought a lot to the table including a vast experience in old school
and new school films. So we worked together through a long pre-production.
When I'm writing the script, especially with a super low budget like this,
I'm editing at the same time. So I'm basically moving the camera around as
I'm writing the script. When Kevin joined the Flesh
of the Unforgiven family, it helped bring it to a whole other level.
You also play one of the leads in Flesh
of the Unforgiven - so what can you tell us about your character,
what did you draw upon to bring him to life, and did you write him with
yourself in mind from the get-go?
That's a great question, because, no. Originally I was not to play
Jack. But as we got closer to the potentials of filming this thing, I was
in some ways forced to play Jack. I had secured Debbie Rochon for Sienna
around the same time my producer in Canada, Anik Rompre, introduced me to
cinematographer Kevin McMillan. And Kevin was not easy to get. It was all
about making a great film. And the production value became reliant on the
locations and the beautiful wardrobes I had custom-made from Wasted
Couture in Poland and Dark Future in Germany. Painting a
canvas with as much beauty as we could. It was obvious we were pulling
something off that is very difficult with a super low budget. So the final
decision for Jack was finally made because he was a big part of the film.
Very expensive to cast and I knew the character best. The hardest part was
telling my wife that I had another wife. She was very supportive and
Debbie and I had great chemistry. It was meant to be. Debbie was well
aware of my fears and comfort zone. So we needed to show the love between
Jack and Sienna without putting myself in an uncomfortable position and
without taking away from what the film needed. Working with Debbie was
great and we pulled it off nicely. Again, it was meant to be. I actually
play three characters in this film. The other two are in costume. I played
Jack Russo, The Death Dealer and Diablo. So not only did these characters
become exactly what I wanted, we also saved a lot of money and found a way
to make this film.
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Do talk about the rest
of Flesh of
the Unforgiven's cast, and why exactly these people?
Well I can't say enough about this cast. Again, very low budget. Very
much a passion project for most of us. I don't want to scare away any
potential audience which is why I avoided it above, but, I'll go ahead and
say it. The budget was only $8,000. No way does it look like it. But that's
because of all the great work done in pre-production and the beautiful
cinematography by Kevin McMillan where we only had a few lights anyone can
buy at Walmart. With the cast, I had to be so careful because each of
these characters are very unique.
Debbie Rochon, well what can you say about Debbie that hasn't already been said.
We met many years ago and worked together on my third film Disciples. So
we have history. And upon finishing the script for Flesh of
the Unforgiven, it was decided we would shoot the film in Canada. Debbie was
the first one I thought of for the role of Sienna Russo. I know her
voicing very well. When reading through her dialogue I could both see her
and hear that beautiful warm cadence in her voice. And after watching
dozens of her films it occurred to me that areas of this character would
be something different to offer her fans. Everything just felt right. I
was hesitant because of the budget being so low, but I made the call
anyway. And let me just say, that conversation was nothing short of
electric! To me she is royalty in the class of scream queens and the
independent world. And she was amazing in the film. Her performance will
speak for itself. And for me as an actor across from her, she made me
better. She brought the best out of me. All hail the queen!
Rachel Victoria Stone, Canada based actor, came on to play the wife as
seen on the VHS tape that Jack is watching. She's such a lovely person.
But when the camera rolls, it's like a light switch. I work very closely
with all the actors during pre-production and I knew Rachel was going to
be great. But when she arrived, she really turned up the heat. Her
character was a rare form of masochist, and she had to show this without
telling us. She did this filming and in pre-production where we developed
her wardrobe and mannerisms. She put so much effort into all of this. The
amount of work and research she put into this character in pre-production
really paid off. Joannie Fournier was an actor who answered an ad in Canada. Another really
sweet girl who brought a very powerful presence to the set. She paid her
own way and brought a loving personality to our set. She takes a nice bite
out of Laszlo Szijarto's face at the beginning of the film. Literally.
These two, like Dave Andexler had only one scene a piece. But in their
brief appearance, they contributed so much to the film.
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August Kyss, Canada-based actor, was suggested to me. She has the look of
a superstar. And this character also needed to be very beautiful. After
talking with her I knew she was the one to play Vivienne. This character
had to be very diverse. Again, show me don't tell me. She had that
challenge. These were acting challenges that she had yet faced in her
previous work but I knew she had it. So basically we took a chance on each
other and I am glad she took a chance with me. Her performance was
powerful. She plays a grieving mother who blames herself for the death of
her two children. At the same time losing her husband for her lack of a
monogamous relationship. She soon finds herself on the dark side of the
Death Dealer's world. Her talent was as diversified as I expected it to be.
We built a trust that worked in our favor making this film. I can't thank
her enough for bringing Vivienne to life.
John E. McLenachan, another Canada-based actor. His character, Michael the
bartender. In many cases, these roles are fillers. But not this time. This
was a very important character that required a specific skill-set and
look. John had both. He also worked 10-15 hours a day as Kevin's 1st AC on
set. This guy is a beast. But back to the character, Michael the bartender
is an old, long time friend of Jack's. he understands and knows him
possibly better than anyone. John's dialogue is crucial in this film that
helps us understand what all is going on in Jack's life. He is to Jack
like Whistler was to Blade in the Blade franchise. And like Rachel,
August, Debbie and Adriana, John is a recurring character in this
series. So this character not only is a vital source of information and a
tool to create emotion, but he also needed to be likable.
Adriana Uchishiba. We met on social media. I had a vision for her
character Livinia from the moment my fingers hit the keypad. When we first
discussed the film, I gave her two characters to look at. I knew Livinia
was for her. But I needed to hear it from her. And as I hoped, she
instantly gravitated toward her. On the phone I discussed what I saw and
what I wanted. Instantly, she began reciting lines from her character! Her
voicing was amazing. When I say she nailed it. I mean, she NAILED IT! From
her look, her wardrobe and of coarse her performance, I can see her easily
being a fan favorite. And being a part of the Death Dealer world, she is
not a demon like the others. She is a familiar. So she is human. It makes
for a crazy twist as the series progresses. Especially when her backstory
is revealed. But I spill no wine before it's time, so you will have to
wait to see the next film. She's not only talented, she is so hard working
and full of passion. She was the beauty make-up artist on set as well. She
definitely poured her heart, sweat and tears into this film.
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A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
The atmosphere was great. With a solid pre-production comes a solid set
experience. We were all very close and felt as though we knew each other
for years when we were together. We all lived together and worked together
for 13 straight days. My partner Dave Andexler at
Primal Motion Pictures
was a huge part of keeping it all together. He worked so hard day in and
day out, working with the crew, running for this and that, cooking,
cleaning, you name it, he did it. We called him the anchor man. And with
money so tight you would think it would be hard to eat. We ate great. My
producer in Canada, Anik Rompre, was able to secure food vouchers that
helped us greatly. I believe she raised over $400 in vouchers as well as a
free meal from a pizzeria and a place where I had my first meat pie. And
she also introduced us to poutine that she had donated to us. Apparently a
big thing in Canada. It wasn't a walk in the park by any means. The weather in Canada in
February can be brutal. We had snow, ice, frozen nights etc. But the
weather gods were in our corner. Debbie and I hoped for a light snow fall
for our characters' arrival in the film. We got it. And the day we had to
shoot outside all day, well, the frozen air and snow took a break. It was
65 degrees and sunny skies. So it was rough yes, but we had some luck
along the way. It was a lot of hard work. Long days, and again, 13 straight days. The crew
worked so hard and never complained once. And as I stated earlier, for
most of us this was a passion film. Most of us were not paid. Meriem
Karachira, our special effects artist on set - the work she did was
fantastic. She refused to take a single penny for anything. It was pure
love and passion. Laszlo Szijarto, to have a guy like that doing sound who
also worked for nothing. Words can't express. He also played one of the
victims in the film. My Canada producer Anik Rompre. We talked about doing
a film together for 10 years. And we finally did it. Mary Desade Madcox,
also known as the infamous Nurse Hatchet, also donated her work to this
project. The list goes on and on. It's funny because I started back in the
day with a 100k film then a 200k film etc. I took a long leave of absence
and returned with an 8k film. I've said it before, I'll say it again, this
business, you have to love it. And I love independent film. The people on
this film and what we accomplished is a good showing of why I love it so
much. You don't need a million Dollars. With good people, positive energy
and skill, you can do anything! Independent film gives us that
opportunity. I even have my friend from work, April "Dickhead"
Lindsell in this film as the voice of Callie.
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The
$64-question of course, where can Flesh
of the Unforgiven be seen?
With thanks to Gregory Lamberson and the
Amazing Fantasy Fest, Flesh
of the Unforgiven is having its world premiere on Friday the
13th!!! How beautiful is that!!! Friday, September 13th, 2024 at Dipson
Theatres Amherst, 3500 Main Street in Buffalo.
We just finished filming about 5 months
ago. The editing is complete and the film is currently seeking
distribution. From what I know, Flesh
of the Unforgiven is only the first of a series of films set in
the same realm - so what's going to happen next in this world of yours,
and/or any other future projects you'd like to share? Dave Andexler and I at
Primal Motion Pictures are sitting on a handful
of scripts. Not exactly sure what we are moving on next but the second
film in this series is definitely on the list. At the start of Flesh
of the Unforgiven, you
will hear the voice of my dear friend Debra Lamb [Debra
Lamb interview - click here]. It's the voice of Myra
who makes her first appearance in the next film. She is a most important
character in the series. I have also spoken with actor Chris Todd about
the next film's main character. There are other casting projections which I
wish to remain silent about until the project is in motion. But I can give
a hint, she's a legend, a fan favorite and a close friend of mine as well.
Fans can expect a bigger budget and it will be amped up in many ways.
Unlike most franchises that seem to lose its fire after the first film.
The Diary of Death
series will only get better and better. And yes,
another legend, the GREAT Debbie Rochon also returns. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
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Feeling lucky?
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Flesh of the Unforgiven Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/fleshoftheunforgiven
Joe Hollow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HOLLOWBETHYNAME
Joe Hollow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joehollowfilms/
The official website for the film is coming soon along with a trailer! Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I think we covered it all. I appreciate the opportunity for the interview. I
hope we were able to make a good film for this genre we all love very much
to enjoy. The trailer is coming soon. The official website is coming
soon. And hopefully distribution for the film is coming very soon. And
most definitely, the next film in the Diary of Death
series is coming soon. Thanks for the interview!
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