Your film Acedia - in a
few words, what is it about?
Acedia is set on a country
estate where six priests are sent to rid a teenage girl of demons. While
waiting for the ritualistic tenth hour, the priests start to uncover demons of
their own as well as the dark secrets that haunt the estate.
Acedia has to say quite a
few things about the Church, the Devil and the like - your personal thoughts
on the subject?
I'm a very spiritual guy and my stories
have a Godly kind of meaning to them. I interput stories from the bible and
remake them in my own vision.
What were your initial inspirations when you dreamt up Acedia?
And is any of the script based on any actual myths? To
be quite honest I don't do any script writing. I scout the location and sit
there and go over the basis of scenes. It's not until the day of filming
that I have actually put it together. I get in my trance and start
creating in my mind.
As
far as I know, Acedia
was not based on a script per se but made up on the spot. Why, and how
does this work? And what are the advantages and issues of filming this
way? And how did you manage to not lose sight of your story? The
immediate disadvantage is most agents won't contact a well-known actor
without first seeing the script. I tell them flat out that we are all
actors living everyday of our lives with improv. Most people in the film
industry don't look at it like that. Most of my shoot dates to complete a
feature film are between 2-10 days, so I rarely lose sight. In
connection with this, what can you tell us about the shoot as such, and
the on-set atmosphere? Lots
of running and moving. With no script everyone has to move quickly and pay
close attention. In Acedia,
you have cast yourself as the Devil. Why the Devil, and what can you tell
us about Joe Ciminera, the actor? Ha
ha, I get asked that a lot. I thought this was one scene where I needed to
get the right person to play it carefully. I felt like the casting for
Acedia went perfectly but I
didn't have anyone to play the devil. Myself
playing this character gave me the ability and freedom to also direct the
film. What can you tell us
about the rest of your key cast? Incredible,
if you notice most of the actors have been in Purification,
Acedia and in
my new film coming out in January called The Library. I truly
respect my cast and they are all very talented and are eager to help out
and see the success of the films all the way through. In this regard I am
a very fortunate filmmaker to have talented people to help tell the story.
How would you describe Acedia's
directorial style? I
try not to do too many special effects. I like the old mind twisters of
the Twilight
Zone-school. My direction is mostly improv, so it involves a
small amount of detail right before the shoot and needs to have actors
that can relate quickly. As far as I know, Acedia
hasn't yet been released onto the general audience. Any plans on that
front, and what can you tell us about critical reception so far?
I
have waited to release Acedia
because I have decided to self-distribute
the film. I have partnered directly with theaters, retailers and VOD
outlets. The film will have a theatrical launch on Feb 1, 2013. So far the
anticipation for the release of this film has been incredible.
Before
Acedia, you made Purification,
as far as I know also made without a script - now how do the two compare,
and what were the major differences in shooting them and the like? Correct,
both with no scipt. Totally different movies, but still have the same
after-thought attached to both of them. I guess the biggest coincidence to them both is
that they tie into the sickness of greed. In both films people looked
after their own personal interest first.
The Library |
You
also just have to talk about your upcoming The Library for a bit of
course, and is that one yet another "script-less" movie?
No
script for The Library. In a small town circa 1860 small pox
takes the life of a little girl. She enters a world that will get her
prepped and re-incarnated for his next life. The library is a second
chance, a place to select a storybook life and be reborn. The evil
darkness takes the girl into lower earth. All the corners of hell are
fighting to keep her from reaching the next level. Four guardians are sent
to rescue her but they only have 30 minutes. Any
other (past/present/future) movies of yours you'd like to talk about? Yes,
I plan on making Prophetic and The Chance both
early in 2013. Your
movies are all horror movies of one sort or another - a genre especially
dear to you, and why (not)? I
have always loved horror films and psychological thrillers. This genre
comes very easy for me to create. I can plan a whole movie from start to
end in 2 days. I'm happy that I could put it into film form so everyone
can see it. As far as I know, your main
claim to fame is not as a filmmaker but as a TV-chef. So what can you tell
us about that aspect of your career?
Taste This TV |
There
are two things I love, and that's food and movies. I absolutley love cooking
and my passion for doing it on Taste This TV has had us on the
air for the past 10 years. What got you into
filmmaking eventually, and did you receive any formal education on the
subject? And did your experience with cooking on TV help you at all with
this venture? I had
admired many directors over the years for doing horror. I always thought
that I would be good at it because of the stories that I would create in
my head. I never went to school for filming or directing. The TV cooking
certainly helped me out learning about camera angles, producing, acting,
etc... I have made over 230 episodes for Taste This TV, this takes some
practice to do. The one stupid question I'm sure you've
long grown tired of but I just have to ask anyways: What kind of food
would you suggest to eat with your movies? I
love real potato chips with sour cream. I'm a simple eater... lol. How would you
describe yourself as a director? Many first time actors I
work with think my style is crazy until they see the finished product. I
don't take hours to get a shot. I walk on set and know what I want
immediatley. I'm firm on set but at the end of it all, both the actors and
crew benefit from a firm set. Filmmakers who inspire
you? God, Jesus, Walt
Disney, Rod Serling, Alfred Hitchcok, Martin Scorcese and M. Night
Shyamalan. Your favourite movies?
|
Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
|
|
|
The Shining,
Let Me In, 30
Days of Midnight, The Time Bandits. Really too many
to name... ... and of
course, films you really deplore? I
hate too many special effects with a movie. Especially when they are not
related to a scene but are used to stretch or cover up the story because
it could not be properly narrated and delivered. Your/your movie's
website, Facebook, whatever else?
www.purification-themovie.com
www.acedia-themovie.com
www.joeciminera.com
Anything else you are
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Yes.
You and others are the reasons why we can keep making movies and I thank
you for it. It's so imprtant for writers and reviewers to help spread the
word about films. There are so many hidden quality filmmakers out there
that prove to the industry that you don't need to spend a million Dollars
to produce a Hollywood quality film. Thanks
for the interview!
|