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Your upcoming movie Only Dream of Me - in a few words, what will it
be about?
Only Dream of Me is the story of a boy and a ghost, and about the moments in
our youth when innocence is slowly stripped away. It is a bit of a love letter
to monster cinema, something I have wanted to dive into for a long time.
What were your sources of inspiration when dreaming up Only Dream of Me?
It is a blend of influences. Cinematically speaking, I would draw correlations
to Let the Right One in,
Monster Squad and Virgin Suicides. The main character
has elements of autobiogrphy in him, which made writing him a rather emotional
experience. Elements of love, fear, obsession, fascination, beauty and wonder
are stirred together into a spooky stew.
What can you tell us about your movie's approach to horror (as in
suspense vs sudden shocks, atmosphere vs all-out gore and the like)? This
isn't a gratuitous picture in terms of graphic horror, although there
certainly are some grisly elements mixed with suspense, all oozing with
atmosphere. Do
talk about your film's intended look and feel for a bit! It
is a contemporary film with a rather old fashioned approach. As I
mentioned earlier, the heart of this project is rooted in my adoration for
the classic monster films like Frankenstein,
The Wolf Man and the Creature
from the Black Lagoon series. The story is rather simple, but the
emotional components are complex, like any of us. The look will be rich
with color and light. Vivid and clean. Anything
you can tell us about your Only Dream of Me's projected key cast
and crew yet, and why exactly these people?
The team I have assembled as my core is absolutely amazing. Eric Fox
and MorbX FX are a team I teamed up with for an event a few years ago, and
we hit it off wonderfully. His turn on Face Off made him a household name,
and I am thrilled to have him on board to handle the all practical effects
makeup. Composer Rob Himebaugh is another dear friend, and a jack of all
cinematic trades. His score for Silk, in which I appear, is nothing short
of gorgeous, and I am excited to hear what he comes up with for this
project. Everyone involved is a friend.
I am in the middle of casting now, and will have to get back to you on
the folks in front of the camera.
Only
Dream of Me is supposed to become part of an anthology movie
eventually - so what can you tell us about that project of yours? That
is true. I don't want to say too much just yet, but I will say the
anthology involves monsters as the theme, and that the other directors
joining me on it are up and coming talents who have each had a home run of
their own in the last year with big features. Such a good lineup. I am
excited to make announcements, but need to focus on this little opus
first. As
we're talking, Only Dream of Me is still in its fundraising stages
- so what can you tell me about your fundraising efforts? The
fundraiser is an effort to bring the audience into the filmmaking process,
which until recently has had a big veil obscuring it. People who
contribute get regular updates on the process as we shoot, as well as some
great incentive items and opportunities. I love that filmmakers can reach
out to the audience for backing and deliver a totally unfiltered piece of
art in the end as a result. Nothing between artist and audience. I am
really into that kind of approach. www.indiegogo.com/projects/only-dream-of-me/x/8123896 Once
your funds are raised, how do you plan to proceed - and any idea when and
where your movie might be released onto the general public yet?
The funds are being put to work immediately upon receipt. This is a
very short campaign, speeding along right into production which begins in
early August.
As far as release goes, Only Dream of Me will hopefully be accepted
into a few film festivals, and will then be put into the anthology
feature, where it will travel in traditional distribution channels.
Any
future projects beyond Only Dream of Me you'd like to share? I
am in development on a pet project called Blood Flower, a feature about a
writer who will stop at nothing to become what she thinks she needs to be.
I am really excited about it, and look forward to getting it into full
motion once Only Dream of Me is wrapped and out of my hands. I am in or
involved with a number of movies coming out over the next year. What
got you into filmmaking to begin with, and did you receive any formal
training on the subject? From a young age I have been
fascinated with motion pictures, and early on I was making them with
friends. The standard story. No formal training, unless you consider time
in the trenches formal. There is no better place to learn about filmmaking
than on set. Every role is crucial, and as director I want to know what
the gaffer and grips are dealing with in effort to better work with them,
and everyone else. Speaking the language of all the departments helps a
lot, and makes for a smoother operation once on set regardless of the
scale of the production at hand. Do talk about your filmwork
prior to Only Dream of Me for a bit! I have worked
on a number of documentary and narrative features and shorts in a variety
of capacities. I have produced video releases for Shout Factory and
Anchor Bay, and theatrical releases for Screenvision. I still pinch myself saying
all that. Besides
making movies, you have also written about movies for quite a few
well-known publications - so what can you tell us about your work in that
area? I am thrilled to have great working relationships
with Fangoria, my home team, as well as Horrorhound and Famous Monsters of
Filmland magazines. It is especially nice writing for these three, as they
are all distinctly different. Writing is home for me, and I am incredibly
grateful to have had the editors behind these three mags believe in me
enough to bring me into the ranks. Going through your bio, one can't help but get the
impression you have a soft spot for horror - at all true, and would you
like to elaborate? Horror has become the common thread, but
I love most all cinema. All I ask of a film is to be entertained, so that
is a pretty wide open set of doors. Horror, though, is where my cob webbed
heart beats the loudest and proudest. How would you describe yourself as a
director? Fun. Decisive. Interactive. Experimental.
Immersed. Passionate. Compassionate. Filmmakers who inspire you? This
list will be a mile long if I am not careful. E. Elias Merhige is a huge
inspiration. His perspective on art and film completely revolutionized my
outlook when we first met. We have developed a wonderful, very unique
relationship over the last few years. Carpenter, Argento, Burton,
Browning, Whale, Wynorski [Jim
Wynorski interview - click here], Lynch, Wood [Ed
Wood bio - click here], Olen Ray, Stone, Hathaway,
Hitchcock, Scott, Kubrick, Clark, Aja... I could go on and on. Your
favourite movies?
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This is another one that is impossible to
answer thoroughly, so I will just point you to the list of directors above
and suggest digging into their catalogs. ... and of course, films you really
deplore? No comment on this one. Your/your movie's website, Facebook, IndieGoGo,
whatever else?
Only Dream of Me:
www.indiegogo.com/projects/only-dream-of-me/x/8123896
www.facebook.com/pages/Only-Dream-Of-Me/690158231057175
Me:
www.facebook.com/justinbeahm
www.twitter.com/justinbeahm
www.justinbeahm.com
Thanks for the
interview!
The honor is all mine. Thank you for reaching out!
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find Justin Beahm at adultvideouniverse.com
