Even if we have talked about it at length before [click
here], could you once again fill us in on the concept of your In
Fear of-series?
Sure. In
Fear of
is an anthology series in the tradition of Tales From The
Crypt, Tales From The Darkside, and The Twilight Zone about our most basic
of fears, our phobias, done with a collective team of independent
filmmakers. Each filmmaker is given a phobia as an assignment and has to
deliver a 5-15 minute episode showcasing that phobia. While many know the
common phobias such as Arachnaphobia or Clownstrophobia, what’s
interesting is that there are hundreds of clinical phobias out there that
just show how easily we can be frightened. So what prompted you to make
season 2 in the first place? A
second season was always in the works from day one, from the first day of
shooting Monophobia: Fear Of Being Alone. The first season was successful
in that it got the word out and had a lot of people and filmmakers
interested, which personally was my goal all along. The first season
served as a great test to see if a concept like this could work and it
did. The response overall has been tremendous and we haven’t even begun
tackling the many phobias that inhabit us.
What phobias are you going
to tackle in this season 2, and why these?
Scotomaphobia: Fear Of Blindness |
We’re
doing 13 episodes this time around (maybe more) and we’re going to
tackle some common phobias and not so common phobias. I’ll go more into
detail on them as each director chose a phobia because they either knew
someone who related to the phobia or had the phobia at some point in his
life themselves. For me, some phobias I found intriguing to do and in the
case of one, I had an old script that I realized fit into one phobia
perfectly. The phobias are so varied yet some are going to be surprised
that some of these phobias do exist. Related to
this, do you have any pet phobias you'd love to bring to the screen but
haven't/won't yet?
Well,
I recently (and currently) am dealing with conquering one fear which was a
Fear of Dentists, as I had a tooth abscess that got so infected I was
hospitalized for a brief period last week and had a tooth removed (and
infection still drained). For years, I was afraid to go to the dentist
after a few bad experiences when I was younger and now am regretting it
because had I gone regularly this probably wouldn’t have happened. Live
and learn.
One
phobia that I’d love to do and am thinking about it because it
fascinates me that someone would have it is Chromophobia: Fear Of
Colors.
There’s an idea I’ve written but need a little money to fulfill that
one if I’d like to.
As with season 1, you direct a fair
share of the episodes of this season yourself - so what can you tell us
about your own episodes?
I’m
directing five this season, originally it was three but there were a few
ideas that I really liked and wanted to direct them, so am looking forward
to doing all of them.
First
is Gerontophobia: Fear Of Aging, which was written specifically for Suzi
Lorraine [Suzi Lorraine
interview - click here], who I enjoyed working with so much on Thanatophobia: Fear Of
Death, that I knew she’d be perfect for this. Suzi has a good knack for
comedy and I thought the idea of an aging lothario meeting a woman he
stood up 30 years earlier who hasn’t aged a day quite interesting.
It’s a spiritual successor to Monophobia in terms of its humor and
through Suzi, I cast Doc Dougherty as the male and am looking forward to
working with him. He’s a good natured, naturally funny dude.
Suzi
referred me to Rachael Robbins, who worked with her on Captured Hearts,
which Rachael co-wrote and also starred the legendary Robert Loggia, Tony
Tood of Candyman-fame, and the late Charles Durning in his last role, for
an episode and I gave Rachael a list of phobias to choose from and I would
write a script for her. Rachael chose Dementophobia: Fear Of Insanity and
from there I came up with a really cool idea that Rachael responded to
immediately. Suzi is producing with me and it’s one of those
collaborations that’s been enjoyable.
Dysmorphobia:
Fear Of Deformity is a script that was intended as a stand alone short
film and came close to making it last year, but when the series started to
take shape I put it on hold. However, upon looking at the script again
(originally titled Fragile) I realized it fit into that phobia and added
it to the series. Personally, this was a script I really wanted to make
and am happy to have it part of the series, as it is going to be the one
closest in tone to the episodes of the first season: no dialogue, visually
stunning, emphasis on action. Heather Drew is a great actress I met
recently who will be starring in it alongside actress/contortionist Miss
Ekaterina, whose work is mind blowing. The combo will make for a
completely unique film that will fit right into the series.
One
episode that will be talked about is Merintophobia: Fear Of Being Bound Or
Tied Up, which is completely opposite from the others in that it will be
very intense. There is a fear of being helpless and not being able to do
something while watching someone you love get killed before your eyes.
It’s a very horrific episode and one that will be a challenge without
bordering on that line between fear and fetishism. We had that with
Podophobia: Fear Of Feet, but I feel it is one of the stronger episodes of
the first season.
Finally, I am directing Autophobia: Fear Of Abandonment, which
is still in development but will be going to Texas. It’s the first film
I’m directing off an idea that’s not my own and filming with a new
crew and in a place I’ve never been. The idea and locations will make it
unique and I can’t wait to make it in the summer.
Scotomaphobia: Fear Of Blindness |
Do talk about your co-directors and their episodes for a bit, and
why exactly these people?
I’ll
begin with Jeremiah Kipp [Jeremiah
Kipp interview - click here], who is returning from season 1 and chose
Scotomaphobia: Fear Of Blindness for his season 2 episode, which is
currently in post-production. It was an intense six day shoot and
chronicles a downward spiral of Emily (Susan Adriensen) after she
discovers she’s losing her vision. Some of the images conjured by Kipp,
Adriensen, and cinematographer Steven-Mark Glassner [Steven-Mark
Glassner interview - click here] are just stunning and
overall will be a strong fever dream of a film. I love working with
Jeremiah especially on set because he just knows how to get the best out
of his actors.
Thomas
Norman is a filmmaker who I met on the set of Apehephobia: Fear Of Being
Touched (he was one of the hands), and his film Just Like You played in the
same block as my film Something Just at the Terror Film Festival last
year. I believe it was at that festival where he proposed an episode about
being poisoned - Toxiphobia - because he has a friend who actually has that condition. It
was fascinating and immediately had him aboard. We just completed two days
of filming with Kelly Rae LeGault (also returning from season 1) [Kelly
Rae LeGault interview - click here] and Pete
Mizzo and are ready to shoot the final day soon, but the shoot so far has
been great. Thomas is a fantastic director and I am proud to work with
him.
Toxiphobia: Fear of Being Poisoned |
Hydrophobia:
Fear Of Water is a script written by cinematographer and series producer
Steven-Mark Glassner and he hired his good friend Sean N. Ihne to direct
it. Sean works as an editor for Time Warner and the NHL but has made a few
good short films that Steve showed me, Reclaiming The Spirit and Faint By
Numbers. Steve is a professional and has a great attitude, and Hydrophobia
is his first attempt at horror. It’s a very intricate episode and might
be one of the longest but it was a concept that Steve presented the very
first time I met him. The concept began on an actual shipwreck on Long
Island that we wanted to film, and he’s taken it to a whole new level.
Agraphobia:
Fear Of Sexual Harrassment was a phobia chosen by Bradley Creanzo, after
working with him on Scotomaphobia (and giving a terrific performance).
Bradley is a great guy and a product of the 1980s. Everything about him is
1980s. Look, hair, film style, wardrobe, and in his house he has one of
the most impressive VHS collections I’ve ever seen. What sold me on his
episode is that it’s going to look like a slasher film and a lost
episode from one of Brad’s favorite series (and one that is often
overlooked), The Hitchhiker, and that I feel will bring his talents to the
forefront.
Stolis
Hadjicharalambous is a director I’ve known for several years and have
been friends with. At the age of 20 he directed a feature film, Crossed,
and he has a ton of experience in addition to being a great director and
editor. I hired Stolis to direct a script given to me by a good friend, PJ
McIlvaine, who has sold a few screenplays, including one directed by Eric
Stoltz and starring Karen Allen of Raiders Of The Lost Ark fame. The
subject chosen was Taphaphobia: Fear Of Being Buried Alive, and Stolis
wanted the challenge of making a straight horror film. It’s going to be
fun working with some of his team again, as they did a great job with me
on Insatiable.
Alfredo
Salvatore Arcilesi [Alfredo
Salvatore Arcilesi interview - click here] is a filmmaker I met at the Macabre Faire, and upon
seeing his film For Clearer Skies, I just knew I had to work with him.
Steve Glassner [Steven-Mark
Glassner interview - click here] had proposed an episode for Mnemophobia: Fear Of
Memories,
and originally I was going to direct it but felt it was too much to handle
so when we looked at directors we wanted, Alfredo was at the top of the
list. Alfredo comes from Canada and will be filming on Long Island so
it’s a new experience for us all, but recently we had a production
meeting where he pitched his episode idea, and it literally gave me goose
bumps. Alfredo is a filmmaker definitely to look out for.
One
filmmaker making a return to filmmaking is Robert L. Brodmerkel [Robert
L. Brodmerkel interview - click here], who many
know simply as Horror Bob from his website Horrorreview.com since 1999.
Robert is also a filmmaker who took aside the time to raise a family but
is looking to get back into the business. He wrote an idea for
Agoraphobia: Fear Of Leaving The House for the series, and it’s a script
that Rod Serling would be proud of. I am proud that Robert chose In
Fear of
to make a return to directing and we are in the process of putting that
together. I hope to have a few surprises about that as well.
David Marancik, Debbie Rochon in season
1's Monophobia |
Finally,
while there is no director announced yet for the last episode mentioned,
it is a concept that was written by Debbie Rochon [Debbie
Rochon interview - click here], returning from season
1, and was pitched to me at last year’s Buffalo Screams Film
Festival,
where Monophobia won the award for
Best Horror Comedy Short Film. It’s a
really cool idea and one to be happy to collaborate with Debbie on, as she
is just a joy as an actress and person. An announcement will be made on
that shortly.
Anything
you can tell us about your casts yet?
Aside
from those mentioned above, there are a ton of great talents on board for
Season 2.
Returning
from season 1 is Debbie Rochon in an episode she wrote and I'm looking
forward to working with her again. Debbie has become a good friend and
this is another episode that will showcase her talents not just as an
actress, but as a total filmmaker. She’s one of a kind and it shows. Her
episode by far will have the largest cast assembled for one episode and
will be a great time.
David
Marancik will be co-starring not only in the episode with Debbie but in
another episode, Merintophobia, with Kaylee Williams, who I’ve wanted to
work with for a long time and am thrilled to be working with her on this.
We’ve been in some good discussions on the role and she’s ready for
it. She’s very sweet, talented, and brave to take on such a commanding
role. There’s a third pivotal role yet to be cast but am in the final
stages of doing so.
Susan Adriensen in Scotomaphobia: Fear Of Blindness |
Jeremiah
Kipp’s Scotomaphobia has a terrific cast, with Susan Adriensen, a
good friend since I met her in character as Sno-Cakes on The Blood
Shed,
leading. Susan gives such a powerful performance, particularly in one
scene where she just let all her demons come out of her and it was like
filming a real life exorcism. Starring with her are Bryant Pearson,
powerful as her husband, Genoveva Rossi as her best friend, also great,
Bradley Creanzo who plays pure sleaze well, Shane B. Kulman, Edward X.
Young, Missy Heather, Bob Socci, Patrick Brancato, and Jacki Garthwaite.
All deliver fine performances and I am having fun sifting through the
footage. However, with respect to all the actors, the most fun to work
with were Mud the Dog and Puppy The Parrot, both pets of Susie and
delivered top notch performances, especially one in naturally spooking
Bryant… all on camera.
Both
Bradley Creanzo and Genoveva are appearing in Agraphobia (with Brad
pulling double duty as director), and they know each other so well that it
will come natural to them. Genoveva is not only a terrific actress but a
genuinely sweet person who brings 110% to everything she does, and in Agraphobia she’ll get to play the prototypical heroine who kicks ass.
It will be fun.
Thomas
Norman’s Toxiphobia: Fear Of Being Poisoned has Kelly Rae LeGault
[Kelly Rae LeGault
interview - click here]
returning as a wife who believes her husband is poisoning her by means of
a deceptive witch, and Kelly and Pete Mizzo as the husband both deliver
great performances. Playing the witch is horror icon Manoush of Barricade,
The Super, and other extreme horror films, and both Thomas and I are
looking forward to working with her. She’s not bringing the
stereotypical witch to her character and added a part not written in the
script that will be both haunting and beautiful at the same time. Fans of
Manoush will be surprised.
In
Mnemophobia: Fear Of Memories, starring are Macabre Faire founders and
overall great people Adam Ginsberg and LC Macabre [Elsie
and Adam Ginsberg interview - click here], who are both very
excited to be starring in this episode. They played season 1 of In Fear Of
at the Macabre Faire twice and we received a standing ovation, but upon
seeing their work as actors, both are very good and felt they had to be a
part of the series. Steve Glassner [Steven-Mark
Glassner interview - click here] put the episode together and all
involved will make it a virtual dream project.
Dysmorphophobia:
Fear Of Deformity stars Heather Drew, a great actress I met recently who
will be starring in it alongside actress/contortionist Miss Ekaterina,
whose work is mind blowing. She sent me a picture when I was looking to
cast originally that just amazed me. For Heather, it will be a challenge
as it’s a film that has no dialogue so she has to rely on her emotions,
but I'm looking forward to direct her in that. She’s someone I dub Lady
Awesomeness and she has earned that moniker for sure.
We
are still casting one part for Dementophobia: Fear Of Insanity, but it will
be starring Rachael Robbins. Rachael is a natural comedienne and I based
the episode out of a personal experience from my interviewing days, so am
really looking forward to working with her on this episode. From the
conversations we’ve had, it will be a fun shoot and she’s a gifted
actress. We are shooting that one soon.
Hydrophobia,
Taphaphobia, and Agoraphobia have yet to be fully cast but are in the
process of putting it all together and hope to make some MAJOR
announcements about them soon.
In
Fear of's first season was very eclectic in tone, ranging from
comedy to atmospheric horror to sheer terror and whatnot. Is there any, I
don't know, overall-tone for season two, and any way to describe the look
and feel of the diverse episodes? Season
2 will be even more diverse than the first season mainly because of the
styles of the many talents involved. One of the main goals of In Fear Of
is to show that and that no two episodes be completely alike. We’re
showcasing individual talents in a group effort to showcase their skills,
and the directors have a lot of control over their episodes. All they have
is the basic formula to stick to, choose a phobia as the film’s title,
and let the imagination flow (as long as you stick to the confines of the
budget).
Gerontophobia: Fear Of Aging
|
As far as I know, you
have already done a bit of filming for In
Fear of's season 2 - so what can you tell us about the shoots so
far?
Three
episodes have been shot in various stages thus far. We wrapped Jeremiah
Kipp’s Scotomaphobia in December after 6 fun days of shooting at
different locations around New York and New Jersey and none of the days
were very long [Jeremiah
Kipp interview - click here]. It was a very fun experience with DP Steven-Mark Glassner
[Steven-Mark Glassner
interview - click here] and Kipp directing such a large cast. One location was Pilgrim State and
we shot in two consecutive days. The first day was freezing, overcast, and
20 degrees. The second day was sunny and 65. In December! On Long Island!
Pilgrim State is an abandoned mental hospital that is open and looks
post-apocalyptic. It was an awesome shoot.
We
did a teaser shoot for Gerontophobia: Fear Of Aging with Suzi Lorraine [Suzi Lorraine
interview - click here] for
the campaign that was quick, fun, and was good to get the overall tone of
the series. Steven-Mark Glassner again did a great job with the photos and
Suzi LOVES getting bloody. Now how can you not like an actress who loves
being doused with blood?
Toxiphobia: Fear Of Being Poisoned |
Thomas
Norman’s Toxiphobia wrapped the first part of shooting with Kelly and
Pete recently, and it went as good as you can possibly think of. Kelly was
great to work with on Fear Of Being Touched, and in
Toxiphobia, she goes all
out as a woman who believes she’s being poisoned and got into the zone
for some truly riveting moments. Since we shot in my house, she was
concerned about breaking anything but I told her that people in my
neighborhood expect this from me. I live in Amityville for God’s sake.
We’re shooting the scenes with Manoush next month.
Autophobia:
Fear Of Abandonment will star Larry Carrell, star of the soon to be
released Jacob on DVD and Blu-Ray April 16, and will be filmed in Texas.
The idea came from Carrell who mentioned an abandoned part of Beaumont,
Texas which would be perfect for filming. Larry is a terrific filmmaker,
great actor, and all around awesome person and I'm looking forward to
making this episode with him and producer Nick Nicholson. We are still
writing the episode but will have more cast from Texas very soon. For me
personally, it’s going to be such a new and wonderful experience.
Coming
up next is Fear Of Deformity followed by Gerontophobia and
Agraphobia. We
expect to finish all shooting by August.
As far as I know, In
Fear of - season 2 is still in its fundraising stages. So what can
you tell us about your fundraising efforts?
Yes.
We are currently raising funds via the wonderful site IndieGoGo to
complete the entire season. We have a few already in post-production and
are shooting two before the campaign ends but we need help to finish the
season so that all these great episodes can be released.
We’re
asking for $5000 and so far we’ve raised $1760 in just over two weeks.
So far the word out has been great and so many people have been spreading
the word but we hope we reach our goal in time. I’ve also received
generous donations personally from friends so we’re closer to $2000.
You
can contribute and check out the series at
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/in-fear-of.
You’re not just helping me out, you’re helping over 50 talented
actors, writers, producers, and directors make quality films for a web
series that won’t disappoint.
Any idea yet
when and where the series will be released onto the general public?
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Too
early to say that but I can say that it won’t be on YouTube like
season
1, and we'll shop it around for a website or network to pick it up. I
can’t comment on it but we have had interest so far.
Provided
season 2 goes down well with fans (and it will), will there ever be In
Fear of - season 3? And any other future projects?
I
think there will be a third season but it depends on how this season goes
and we reach our goal in the fundraising effort. The good thing is that so
many filmmakers have responded and want to do an episode that I hope this
goes on for many years to come.
Personally
though I think in future seasons I'll spend more time as a producer and
will be developing other projects as a director. Nothing set in stone yet
but in the summer I'll start pre-production on a feature film that I’ve
been developing for about a year now with a few names already attached.
Right now am focused on making this season of In
Fear of
a memorable
season that horror fans will enjoy and cherish for quite some time.
Your/your
series website, Facebook, IndieGoGo, whatever else?
http://www.facebook.com/InFearOf?fref=ts
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/in-fear-of
Thanks
for the interview!
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