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Your new movie Amityville:
Evil Never Dies - in a few words, what is it about?
The film is about the further adventures of the "cursed
monkey" from The
Amityville Legacy. A young couple purchase it from
an antique dealer (Nightmare on Elm Street
2's Mark Patton) and bring it
home. Shortly after, scary supernatural things start to happen and
Michelle believes it to be the monkey. She researches the origins and
learns she must destroy it to "ward off" the Evil. What
made you return to the Amityville-myth
after last years The
Amityville Legacy - and how are the two films connected, actually? I
wasn't 100% satisfied with the end result of The
Amityville Legacy, as there were just too many hands in the pot so to speak so
it all felt too diluted to me. I decided to go at it once more with a
follow-up, this time with more creative control in order to really make
the film I intended to the first time. It's a direct sequel, picking up
right after the events of the last film. Other
sources of inspiration when writing Amityville:
Evil Never Dies? The 90s sequels served as
the main inspiration, much like last time, but also the more direct
formula of the modern fare like The Conjuring and Sinister also played a part in it. I wanted something more
"accessible" this time, with more genuine scares.
To an extent,
Amityville:
Evil Never Dies does poke fun about all the objects that have been
under the Amityville-curse in earlier movies about the subject -
care to elaborate? Well, that was more the geeky fan
side of me trying to connect everything without overstepping the legal
boundaries of those properties. Basically every Amityville
film is treated as another sequel by the fans, so why not have a little
fun and at least attempt to create a connection, giving the
"series" more of a connecting story line? It also brings
relevance to our film referencing how this "has all happened
before".
What can you tell us about Amityville:
Evil Never Dies' approach to horror? While The
Amityville Legacy took an artistic approach to achieving
terror, I wanted Amityville:
Evil Never Dies to be just the opposite: in
your face. Lots of jump scares, obvious musical cues and an overall
feeling of urgency throughout. I think this one is a more exciting watch
for the average horror fan. A few words
about the movie's overall look and feel? I wanted
something "crisp" and mainstreaming looking so I hired my friend
Guy S. White, who does cinematography for a local news station. I made the
color treatment subtle, relying almost entirely on the natural look of the
image we filmed so it would look as modern and sleek as possible. It has a
"bigger" sound mix and the build never lets up until the very
end. It feels like a true 90s style sequel.
Do talk about
your key cast, and why exactly these people? While The
Amityville Legacy had a slew of my "regulars"
from previous films I've done, with the new look of this film, I wanted
all fresh faces as well. With the exception of Julia Farrell and a couple
minor appearances, almost everyone in the cast was a newcomer. The lead
Michelle Muir-Lewis is a veteran stage actress, who I first met as a
customer at my store Old Skool Video. She's a terrific actress who can
display a wide range of emotion and expect to see her in more projects!
Ben Gothier also had never acted for me before. He had a role in a few
shorts and a feature previously and I actually first got the chance to
talk to him at the South Dakota theatrical premiere of The
Amityville Legacy, where he showed up to show his support. He did
FANTASTIC in the film and nailed every scene. Ben is a really nice guy and
a lot of fun to work with, expect to see more of him too! Mark Patton we
all know as "Jesse" from Nightmare on Elm Street
2, he played
the Antique Dealer. Helene Udy [Helene
Udy interview - click here] from My Bloody Valentine also has a part as
a Prostitute. Dawna Lee Heising [Dawna
Lee Heising interview - click here] plays the nosy neighbor, and
The Dummy 2's
Clint Beaver plays the Exterminator.
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What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set
atmosphere? We
shot it all over 3 weekends, with a day of pick-ups. So, it was quick like
most of my productions, but everyone brought their "A" game and
the shoot was a breeze and a lot of fun! We had a friend's pet dog in an
important role, so that was the first time I really worked with an animal
that "on hands" in a movie. Also, Mark Patton's presence added
a lot of excitement in the air and I think really helped everyone take it
all more serious on set. The
$64-question of course, where can your movie be seen? Hopefully
soon on DVD/Blu. I'm in talks with Wild Eye Releasing, who are also set to
release The
Amityville Legacy soon, so more info on that once
I know it! Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Amityville:
Evil Never Dies yet?
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It's had 2 reviews so
far, both favorable. It hasn't screened to the public yet, but the cast
and crew who have seen it all seem to be proud of their work. Will you ever return to the
Amityville-myth
(from today's point of view, and however tentatively), and any (other)
future projects you'd like to talk about? No, I did
what I wanted to do this time. Time to move on to bigger and bigger
projects! Nemesis 5 is next. We start shooting in August, so I've been
busy prepping for that every day. Sue Price returns and it'll be the final
film in the series created by Albert Pyun. Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else? Official
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Amityville-Evil-Never-Dies-115694102279862/
Anything else
you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
recently directed a bunch of commercials and live videos for the band Orgy
which you can check out on their official channels and check out Troma Now
for several of my "classic" titles streaming! Thanks
for the interview!
Thank you as always!
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