How
did you become interested in horror?
I have to thank my mom for that. She’s always been a fan of genre films, but
no one would ever watch them with her. So she would make me. I have very fond
memories of sitting up late at night watching old scary movies with her.
Who are your major influences?
Wow. I have a laundry list of influences. In the world of horror I am always
very moved by Takashi Miike, Raimi, Polanski, Cronenberg and Lynch. But I draw a
lot of influence outside of horror as well. I’m a big John Casevettes fan. Love
me some Kubrick. Gotta have my Jarmusch. A sprinkle of Jan Svankmajer and a
heaping portion of Jonathan Glazer.
What is one of the first horror films you can remember seeing?
It happens to be one of my favorite memories. I was maybe seven or eight
years of age, and the old sound and picture box (nowadays referred to as a
television) was showing
The Creature From The Black Lagoon in 3-D! My entire
family went out to the local food barn (nowadays referred to as grocery stores)
and purchased whatever item it was you had to buy to get the special 3-D
glasses. The glasses ended up being a bust, but I will never forget the thrills
I got watching the creature swim around.
What is the scariest horror film you have seen?
When I was young,
An American Werewolf in London scared the pants off me.
It’s pretty difficult to actually get scared these days.
Session 9 creeped me
out, as well as
A Tale of Two Sisters. And I still don’t like watching the
scenes in
Pet Sematary with Zelda.
The Exorcist.
The Changeling.
Blair Witch. I
don’t think I could pick just one horror movie I’m scarred the most of…well
actually,
Open Water. I have a thing with not being able to see what’s below me.
That movie was nothing but pure torture for me.
What are some of your all-time favorite Horror Films?
Evil Dead 2,
The Tenant,
Night of the Living Dead,
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(original),
Eraserhead,
Dead Alive,
Audition,
The Fly,
The Others,
Hellraiser,
Jaws,
The Shining,
Begotten,
Rosemary’s Baby…to name a few.
What is your all time favorite B rated horror film and why?
The Evil Dead. Real talent + zero dollars = magic.
Favorite
Seasoned Horror Director:
That delightful Takashi Miike is tied with Mister Lynch and Lord Cronenberg.
Directors that are constantly pushing the envelope and trying new things.
Which up and coming director do you see flourishing is the horror
industry?
I really like Lucky McKee.
If you could pick one horror film to have been yours, which would it be?
Evil Dead 2. I turn into a child every time I see it. But then if I made
Evil Dead 2, I wouldn’t admire it as much as I do. It could no longer be such a
great influence on me and that would be sad.
Favorite ongoing horror series:
Friday the 13th. It’s so ridiculous that it cannot be denied.
If you could be slain by any horror creature who or what would it be and
why?
Cool question! Hmmm….I like the idea of someone extracting revenge on me
through means of a monster. So I think
Pumpkin Head would be cool. I wonder what
I did to deserve such a death?
Which murder weapon makes your skin crawl?
A cheese grater. A rusty cheese grater. A rusty cheese grater with rubber
grip handles.
Current horror film you are most excited to see.
The Descent. I loved
Dog Soldiers and have heard some amazing things. Also
The Woods.
Travis,
your storyline for Joshua is beautifully twisted. Where do you draw your dark
ideas from?
I have no fucking idea. The premise for Joshua came to me at the most boring
and random moment ever. I was walking from the kitchen to my bedroom…and it hit
me. Once the idea was planted I started playing with different ways to tell that
story. I find inspiration strikes whenever it damn well feels like it. My
grandma recently asked me, “why can’t you come up with a nice story?” It’s not
that I can’t…in fact sometimes I do…but I can’t seem to deny that charming
scream inside my head. I have a lot more fun opening the forbidden doors.
As you probably know, you wrote and directed Joshua. How did the film
change from script to screen? What surprised you the most?
Since this was my first film I was really caught off guard at how things
change so dramatically. When I first wrote the script I had so many ideas and
themes I wanted to get across. I had the characters burned into my brain. What
they looked like and how they reacted to each line. Then came the auditions.
Funny thing. I saw no one that fit my brains description of these characters…but
what I did see were new ways of looking at the character. Aaron Gaffey, who
plays James, came in and sat down next to Ward Roberts (Kelby). Immediately a
weird chemistry was born.
Suddenly it became a love story. An angle I hadn’t
explored enough of in the early writing stages. Once on set, shots and ideas
changed in the blink of an eye. Budget and time forced a lot of improvisation
and re-imagining. Editing was the biggest surprise. Things I was dead set on
working were the things that ended up being most detrimental to the film. We did
a lot of playing around with the dream sequences and even did some re-shoots. I
resisted all these elements at first, but slowly began to realize that films
evolve. My single cell script eventually become a homo erectus film…how’s that
for a metaphor!? Eh? Eh? Eh.
Where there any films in the back of your mind during the writing process
of Joshua?
The Evil Dead. Not that I think Joshua is anything like that film
in story or mood, but the inspiration is undeniable. I had just finished reading
Bruce Campbell’s, If Chins Could Kill. It lit a fire under my ass and burned my
pants right off. It was exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to go into the
woods with my good friends and make a film. I wanted the highs and lows of indie
filmmaking (and I got plenty). I wanted to shove the stories and the visuals out
of my head and
The Evil Dead helped me push. I also need to give some credit to Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I love the atmosphere of the film.
How
much human flesh did “Joshua” consume during filming?
A lot. I sat down with my producers one night and we wrapped our brains
around how we were gonna do this legally…or at least not get caught. We ended up
sending our PA’s out on the streets and rounding up as many prostitutes as they
could find. Prostitutes. So untraceable. So very untraceable….
Two years is a very long shoot. Could you talk a little about the
challenges you faced during your production schedule? Was two years the plan?
Sweet God, no! We were very ambitious in the beginning. And when I refer to
“we” I am speaking of my two producers, Jessica Petelle-Slagle and Jeremiah
Jordan (who also plays Wally) and my lead actor, Ward Roberts. Without them it
may have taken even longer. We started out very strong…but very broke. When we
began shooting we didn’t even have half our budget. It seems like every day we
were begging, borrowing and stealing to raise more money. Mid-way through the
shoot we had to sell the documentary camera to buy more film. When I got back to
Los Angeles all we had was a stack of undeveloped film and miles of credit card
debt. The patience game began. When a little money was found, we’d do a little
more work. We repeated this process until lady luck gave us a big ol’ sloppy
kiss. We crashed a party for Universal at last years Sundance Film Festival.
Jessica dropped our business card into a fish bowl contest. Next thing I know
they are reading our name over a loud speaker as the grand prize winners of the
drawing. $20,000 in post-production services.
What is the first thing you did when you found out that Fangoria was going
to distribute your film?
Got myself good and drunk.
Let’s talk about the girls in Joshua. Christy and Alexa are very
attractive young ladies, even tasty if you don’t mind me saying so. Where did
you find these two horror vixens?
We found both through auditions. Alexa came
in and read for the part of Amelia, but had noticed the sides for Trish while
she was waiting. She expressed an interest in the character and asked if she
could read for her. After I agreed, she vanished for about five minutes. When
she returned she was dressed like a trashy whore. A good actress is always
prepared.
Amelia was harder to cast. Non-union, deferred pay, Indiana shoot. These
elements generally keep talent away. One girl we saw actually added the
valley-girl word “shaw!” to the scene. It looked dismal. But then Miss Jackson
rode in on her white steed, dismounted and gave us what we wanted. A calm,
natural performance that would balance out all the crazies she would be
surrounded by.
The
scene when Alexa is on the counter wearing the long shirt drinking a beer was
rather entertaining. How did that come about?
You dog you! Well, Ward, Alexa and I sat down to discuss their relationship
as estranged brother and sister, and fill in a few holes. Since there is little
screen time between them, we wanted to come out of the gate strong, without ever
spelling it out for the audience or giving any real exposition. So we
played
with the idea that maybe, JUST MAYBE, they had been sexually active when they
were kids. Nothing like some early morning incest to start your day!
What was your budget for Joshua?
We shot it for around $75,000. With post it ended up close to $200,000.
While I would have loved to have a little more money, I was (and always will be)
happy to work with a challenging budget. I’m a firm believer that less money
will equal greater creative choices.
What size crew did you have during filming?
30…ish.
Did you by any chance offer brains at your craft service table?
Funny you mention that, because I know the scene you are referring to, and
we pulled off that effect with the crews left over breakfast. Denny’s! Pancakes,
eggs, bacon, syrup and strawberry jelly. We made the actor lay on the floor with
his head immersed in that combination for almost an hour. Personally I enjoy the
Moons Over Mihami.
As you know, finding investors can be a grueling experience for an
independent filmmaker. Can you talk a little about that experience?
Raising the funds is such a difficult thing to do when you have no proving
ground below your feet. It was our first real film so no one wanted to take a
chance. I remember talking to one production company who was considering giving
us a large sum, but in exchange we would have to cast their guy in the lead
role. Another company kept telling us we needed tits in the film (yes, he
actually said it like that). Nobody wants you to make the movie you want to
make. Money should never compromise quality.
What came the easiest during your experience making Joshua?
The script. It may have been my first film, but it wasn't the first thing I
had ever written, so I was most comfortable in that aspect. It was the least
nerve racking.
What element of filmmakers was a true bitch during your Joshua experience?
We didn’t do dailies cause we couldn’t afford them. So we shot Joshua very
blind. We had no idea what was going to turn out and what wasn’t. It was
terrifying. The hardest thing I ever did was almost a full year after we shot
the film. I finally got to see my footage. I sat there all night on pins and
needles watching every single tape, waiting for shots or scenes that (for
whatever reason) got all sorts of fucked up. I was amazed when everything (for
the most part) seemed to come out. Then when we went to match audio we
discovered that we were missing an entire DAT tape (we later discovered it had
been taped over). So now we were missing the sound for three scenes. That’s what
I call a true bitch.
One of my favorite shots in the film is about twenty minutes in when Kelby
enters his family home. We see the camera pull back from the front door to
reveal the creepy house in all its glory. Then we are treated to a time elapse
shot. Can you talk a little about how you approached this shot?
Oh, I’m glad you liked that shot. My D.P. and I fought to keep it in. The day
we were scheduled to shoot it we ended up running way late. By the time we got
to the shot it was already getting dark, therefore the time elapse wouldn’t
really work. So we shot something very different as a safety, but it had no
lasting effect. I wanted that shot because it was a fun way to have time pass
for the characters without having to show what they were doing. Instead it would
fill the viewer with dread. It allows you to sit with the house for a bit. The
house that Kelby has avoided for so many years. Each set piece becomes its own
character, because everything around Kelby is a reminder. The next day we tried
to be as efficient as we could with our schedule so that we might get a second
chance at the shot. The day went smoothly enough, and we found ourselves
finished just before the magic hour. Quickly we set everything up. Backing away
from the house, we then rested the camera on some sandbags in the lawn and the
entire cast and crew sat around and watched the sunset while drinking slurpees.
It was a nice moment.
Your alternate ending was rather humorous and instantly reminded me of
Umberto Lenzi’s Nightmare City – it was all just a dream. How did this mock
ending originate?
Ooo…that. Yeah. Hmmm. What happened was this; My editor (also Jeremiah) and Ward
were fooling
around with some ADR. The next day I came in for another rousing
day of editing. Jeremiah said that he had tweaked the ending and he thinks it
works much better now. He and Ward had put together a joke ending…very shticky,
complete with a clock wipe. I thought it was very funny and I decided to put it
on the DVD for a laugh.
We are very much looking forward to your next project. Do you have
anything in the works?
I do, I do! While Joshua was in post-limbo-hell, I got a little itchy and
shot an experimental love story (see grandma, I can make nice things). I wanted
to make something small, intimate and completely different from Joshua. There
are only two cast members and two crew members involved with the shooting, so it
was a very liberating experience. The film is called Sunday. We currently
finishing the sound mix and music. Also on the slate is my next horror film,
Potter’s Field, in which we are currently looking for funding. We hope to shoot
this winter. I’m very excited to sink my teeth into this one!
One last question… can Joshua come over Friday night for a Dr. Mario
tournament?
Joshua has swim lessons on Fridays. How’s Saturday?
What do you love most about the horror genre?
You can get away with anything. It’s the one genre that allows true artistic
experimentation. It is the one genre that can have elements of every other
genre. It is the oldest genre known to man. (Wo)Man* has been spinning tales of
terror ever since his conscious mind awoke. Fear is powerful in every facet of
life. It can be used to control a nation, create false idols and keep you alone
at a table on prom night*. Horror allows my imagination to explore questions and
ideas to their full capacity. No rules. Horror is chaos. Horror rocks!
• (Wo)Man: implying that both men and women are equal in shaping all things.
• Prom night: A traditional dance thrown by the educational system for young
teens to “cut loose”. An excuse to drink and have naughty sex.
How important are sex and gore to the success of a horror film?
I love it! Love it! Love it! Sex has always been a concept that is closely
related to death. Sex is used as a scare tactic by many religions and there is
always the obvious imagery of “stabbing”. The French even refer to orgasms as
“La Petit Mort”, which means “the little death”. Gore reminds us just how
delicate our bodies are. The mysterious inner-workings that keep us alive…and
shut off when they decide it’s time to die. These are the bread and butter of
horror…but they should not be required. Sometimes it feels people are too
concerned with sex and gore that they lose the story and characters along the
way. I think horror fans are more intelligent than they are given credit for.
They would not deny a great horror film because it lacks sex and gore.
Originality and passion first, sex and gore second. And if you can combine the
two, please do.
How do you feel about the current state of the genre?
It’s tough. There’s so much good stuff out there at the moment. So many die
hard indie horror fans that now (thanks to digital) have the means to make a
film. With independents on the rise, it’s creating a new breed of horror, much
like that of the seventies when the actual filmmakers controlled their work.
There’s a lot to be excited about.
On the other hand, I’m concerned. A few years back horror
got a swift kick in
the ass and become a hot ticket. This has brought greed back into the genre.
Mindless sequels and pointless remakes are now flooding theatres and slowly
suffocating the genre back into a disrespectful state. It’s hard enough for
those involved with horror to get the kudos they deserve. We don’t need these
big studios to kick us down a few more notches. I don’t want to sound like a
hypocrite. I do love films like
The Fly and
The Thing. Two excellent remakes.
The difference there is they were made by filmmakers with a real passion, who
put characters and story over eye candy and grinding metal music. And they
weren’t going out looking for anything and everything to remake. They were
carefully selected projects. Projects they wanted to do. Not guns-for-hire
looking for a quick buck. I’m not trying to bash on remakes and sequels as a
concept, I’m just saying…no SCREAMING; how about something original and daring
every once in awhile?!?!?
Where do you think the Horror genre is headed?
I’m excited for the future of horror. There’s some great original talents
right now that are doing some amazing work. Lucky McKee, Eli Roth, Neil
Marshall, Ti West, James Gunn. No matter how watered down the studios make the
genre, there will always be people to fight for it!
If there were one misconception of the horror genre what would it be?
That it is not considered “important” work.
Any final comments or thoughts?
I love you...
