Hot Picks

- Ready for My Close Up 2019

- Talk of the Dead 2016

- Tower Rats 2020

- Script of the Dead 2024

- The Bell Affair 2023

- Easter Bloody Easter 2024

- Velma 2022

- Everwinter Night 2023

- Main Character Energy 2023

- Stupid Games 2024

- Bittertooth 2023

- 4 Minutes of Terror: Night Slasher 2024

- Apart 2024

- The Abandoned 2006

- Becky 2024

- The Evil Fairy Queen 2024

- The Black Guelph 2022

- Followers 2024

- Silence of the Prey 2024

- Battle for the Western Front 2024

- Beware the Boogeyman 2024

- Subject 101 2022

- Driftwood 2023

- The Legend of Lake Hollow 2024

- Black Mass 2023

- Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 2023

- The Manifestation 2024

- Spirit Riser 2024

- Garden of Souls 2019

- It's a Wonderful Slice 2024

- Caleb & Sarah 2024

- The Thousand Steps 2020

- The Desiring 2021

- When a Stranger Knocks 2024

- Quint-essentially Irish 2024

- Son of Gacy 2024

- Saltville 2024

- The True Story of the Christ's Return 2024

- Whenever I'm Alone with You 2023

- Jurassic Triangle 2024

- Midnight Peepshow 2022

- Offworld: Alien Planet 2024

- The Swiss Conspiracy 1976

- Sex-Positive 2024

- Here for Blood 2022

- All Over Again 2024

- The Color Yellow 2023

- Des Töchterleins Leid 2024

- I Am a Channel 2024

- The Hermits 2023

- Murdaritaville 2024

- Inheritance 2024

- The Devil's Partner 1960

- First Impressions Can Kill 2017

- A Killer Conversation 2014

- Star Crash 1979

- Strangler of the Swamp 1946

An Interview with Robert Conway, Director of Krampus Unleashed

by Mike Haberfelner

November 2016

Films directed by Robert Conway on (re)Search my Trash

 

Quick Links

Abbott & Costello

The Addams Family

Alice in Wonderland

Arsène Lupin

Batman

Bigfoot

Black Emanuelle

Bomba the Jungle Boy

Bowery Boys

Bulldog Drummond

Captain America

Charlie Chan

Cinderella

Deerslayer

Dick Tracy

Dr. Mabuse

Dr. Orloff

Doctor Who

Dracula

Edgar Wallace made in Germany

Elizabeth Bathory

Emmanuelle

Fantomas

Flash Gordon

Frankenstein

Frankie & Annette Beach Party movies

Freddy Krueger

Fu Manchu

Fuzzy

Gamera

Godzilla

Hercules

El Hombre Lobo

Incredible Hulk

Jack the Ripper

James Bond

Jekyll and Hyde

Jerry Cotton

Jungle Jim

Justine

Kekko Kamen

King Kong

Laurel and Hardy

Lemmy Caution

Lobo

Lone Wolf and Cub

Lupin III

Maciste

Marx Brothers

Miss Marple

Mr. Moto

Mister Wong

Mothra

The Munsters

Nick Carter

OSS 117

Phantom of the Opera

Philip Marlowe

Philo Vance

Quatermass

Robin Hood

The Saint

Santa Claus

El Santo

Schoolgirl Report

The Shadow

Sherlock Holmes

Spider-Man

Star Trek

Sukeban Deka

Superman

Tarzan

Three Mesquiteers

Three Musketeers

Three Stooges

Three Supermen

Winnetou

Wizard of Oz

Wolf Man

Wonder Woman

Yojimbo

Zatoichi

Zorro


Your new movie Krampus Unleashed - in a few words, what is it about?

 

Krampus Unleashed is a non-sequel follow up to the film I did last year, Krampus: The Reckoning. But in a few words, it’s a straight up monster movie. A bit retro, a but comedy, but basically a creature feature staring my favorite yuletide demon.

 

You have previously made another movie about the Krampus actually, Krampus: The Reckoning - so in what way are the two films related (if at all)?

 

Other than the obvious, they both feature Krampus, there are no real similarities. With last year’s film I was going for that Twilight Zone kind of twist ending. This year it was basically monster movie 101. We replaced the digital Krampus and went full on practical. Blood, guts, mayhem but most of all fun! Fun was the underlining theme I was going for and I think we pulled that off. There are still a few scenes that are kind of sad but for the most part, I tried to keep it lighthearted. A big influence for this was the Monty Python sketch from the Meaning of Life. The live organ donor sketch was kind of the tone I wanted to go with. Violent yes, but often silly.

 

Why did you choose the Krampus as the villain of your movie in the first place, and did you do any special research on the character?

 

I’ve been in love with Krampus ever since I first heard of him a few years ago. There are a lot of darker elements to the myth of Krampus, not least of which is dragging children to hell, but I steered away from that kind of content this time. I think my film last year presented Krampus as the punisher of people who deserve it, where this year our log line was “naughty OR nice, he’s coming for you!” Most of the research I did was for last year’s film. But it’s not Tolkien. Other than a few blurbs here and there that give a general description, most of Krampus lore in my films, I needed to come up with myself. And that was a fun exercise in its own right as it gave me a chance to do some fantasy writing.

 

(Other) sources of inspiration when writing Krampus Unleashed?

 

I wanted to make the film fun so I looked to some of the more light-hearted horrors such as Tremors. I wanted an eclectic group of characters pitted against a powerful monster. Predictable plot lines and funny one-liners are great camp that I didn’t shy away from. Another influence was the ultimate classic creature-feature, King Kong. A big hairy monster who’s out to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting and unprepared world. The 1930’s King Kong was one of my favs as a child and, as with many filmmakers, I tend to want to make films that remind me of my first cinematic influences. Decades later when we go to film school, we learn about the master works of cinema but for me at least I like to draw inspiration from the movies I saw early in life that made me a fan of film in the first place.

 

With Krampus Unleashed being a slasher movie, is that a genre at all dear to you, and some of your genre favourites?

 

Yes, slashers are a lot of fun. It’s amazing but when you introduce a bit of comedy into a film, you can make even the most grotesque violent imagery palatable. Again, going back to my childhood, I was a big fan of Friday the 13th. Dumb people doing dumb things that inevitably lead to their demise. Things one should never say if they find themselves in a monster movie such as “Is someone there?” or “I’m going to take a look around outside” are instant death sentences. But then admittedly there are some troubling death scenes. One scene that stick out is when Emily Lynne’s Amber character bites the dust. Amber is Tommy’s (Bryson Holl’s) mom and seeing her get gutted in front of her young son provides some shocking imagery. I felt this was necessary though in order to avoid the film becoming too silly and predictable. I don’t’ want to provide any more spoilers but I think we made it clear after the first few kills that anyone was fair game and it would be hard for an audience to guess who was going to live and who was Krampus food. People do things that should, by monster movie logic, lead to a quick death but they manage to survive. Others who I built up as potential leads and survivors, end up getting the ax pretty quick. So I embrace all the stereotypes then try to turn it around so the audience is left guessing.

 

No slasher movie without at least a bit of blood and guts - so you just have to talk about the gory bits of your movie for a bit, and how were they achieved?

 

Very true and all the credit for the blood and guts goes to the amazing FX team I had. Cat Bernier and Marcus Koch [Marcus Koch interview - click here] did an amazing job making the mayhem. They also did a wonderful job with Krampus himself played by Travis Amery. Cat and I have worked together on several projects but it was my first time working with Marcus and all credit for the gore belongs to them. Cat and I decided early on that this was going to be the bloodiest Krampus movie anyone has seen and I think we pulled that off. I wanted it bloody and gory and I told them just make it look as gross as possible. I’m not an FX artist and its tuff when working on a tight budget to know just what your limitations are so I deferred all the creative kills to Cat and Marcus. My only real direction to them was not to worry about what was in the script, just make it as cool and bloody as time and budget will allow. They took it from there and did a fantastic job.

 

What can you tell us about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand?

 

As a director, I more or less approach all of my films the same way. First and foremost, I tell my actors that regardless of the overall tone I am going for I want them to think of every scene they do as if it were a serious film. Keep it real and keep it credible. The humor and craziness on the page will take care of itself but I never want an actor to approach a character as if they are supposed to be funny. I don’t want them to act like they know they are in a film with comedic elements. I’m also very hands-on in the camera department. I know what lens I want to use for a particular shot and how I want the scene lit. Travis, Joe (camera department) and I start our day with  me giving them a brief rundown of how I want to film the scene and they take it from there. We’ve all worked together for a while now so it’s kind of 2nd nature. The one area I try to be very careful with is FX. As I said, I’m not an FX artist. So I listen to Cat and Marcus. I tell them what I want and then let them figure it out. Once they have a solution I ask them where I should put my camera. This is very important and you have to listen carefully to your FX team. They are the people who designed the gag and they know where you need to be to get the full effect of what they are doing.

 

Do talk about your cast, and why exactly these people?

 

My favorite part of being a film director is working with actors. I try and make sure I give them as much time as I can to discuss their character and I listen to them. I try to develop the character with the actor and listen to what their instincts are telling them. This is a process that begins in pre-production and I was lucky to have not only a great cast, but a great casting director in Tami LaRovere. This was a relatively big cast and we had the added challenge of casting a lot of people who are supposed to be related to one another so the chemistry needed to be there. Married couples, children and parents. All that meant we did a lot of chemistry reads to come up with actors who were not only talented but convincing members of this on-screen family. This was my first time working with the majority of the cast and I was very happy and proud of all of them.

 

A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?

 

For the most part it was great. We had our bumps along the road but nothing unexpected. On indies we have little time and less money to make a film so at times the shoot can be tuff on all of us. But really, overall I think we had a great time. Indie films don’t pay a lot so you know that everyone who is there is there because they love what they do. No one had it easy with the hours we were pulling but everyone gave this project their all and I am very grateful for that. For us, it’s a lot of seriousness. The film might be a corky little monster movie, but when we’re shooting a scene it’s all about making it the best it can possibly be and trying to squeeze in as much fun along the way as the situation allows.

 

Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Krampus Unleashed?

 

So far the response has been great. It’s funny because after six movies I never know what people will think of it. Last year I got beat up pretty hard by audiences and critics but the film performed well enough for us to make another go at it. I stand by all my work but it is nice when critics and audiences appreciate it. I make these kinds of films to entertain people. I want the fans to get their money's worth and I work as hard as I can to see that they do. People have so many choices in entertainment today and it’s always a compliment when fans take a chance on small indies that they end up enjoying.

 

Any future projects you'd like to share?

 

I have a film called The Covenant that comes out in early 2017. About as far from Krampus Unleashed as it gets. It’s a dark tale of demonic possession. A bit of a serious drama that addresses serious social issues. I’m really hoping people are ready for a serious film form me as I haven’t made one in a while. I guess we’ll see. But it’s a film I fought hard to get made and it’s a movie that’s very close to my heart. So look for it on VOD/DVD after the new year. Also, working with the very talented Paul Shrimpton (Inbred, 2011) on a new script that Paul has just finished the first draft on. It’s a thriller/slasher with a very gritty undertone and I am very excited about it.

 

What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal education on the subject?

 


I’ve been a filmmaker all my life. I started out as a child making films with my grandmother's VHS camcorder and kids from the neighborhood. I made a lot of little projects with my brothers and friends until the high school years. I didn’t do anything productive during that time of my life as I was big on “experimentation”. I tried drugs, partied a lot and got into way too much trouble… my poor parents L But after that crazy time, I went to college. My grades were not even close to good enough for a university but I studied film at a trade school and the local community college. This paid off as I was able to make my first feather with my film school classmates and I haven’t stopped since.

 

What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to Krampus Unleashed?

 

It started in film school. After a few shorts, I made my first feature Redemption: A Mile into Hell (2009). The film was a dark Western that I was able to do for a very small budget of about 30K because the crew were all my fellow students and I got an enormous amount of help from Wild West reenactors with everything from period clothing and firearms to horses. I live in Arizona so there was no shortage of local history buffs who wanted to help. The film went on to make a lot of money on home video but sadly for me I got screwed out of every dime by the crooked sales rep. I won’t say his name again because I think he’s been run out of the business but I learned very quickly how shady the independent film world can be. Luckily when it came to my second film, Exit to Hell (2013) I found a great company in Uncork’d Entertainment and CEO Keith Leopard and I’ve been with them ever since. My upcoming film The Covenant will be my fifth time partnering with Uncork’d and I couldn’t be happier with how my career has been going.

 


How would you describe yourself as a director?

 

I think others should do that J I hope they would say nice things. LOL. I guess what I can say safely is that I love what I do. I get to play make-believe for a living so it just doesn’t get any better than that.

 

Filmmakers who inspire you?

 

A big list… Here are a few Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Clint Eastwood, Rob Zombie, Mel Gibson, David Fincher, Michael Man, Tim Burton, John Carpenter, George Lucas and of course Steven Spielberg. Then Ridley Scott, his brother Tony RIP L Danny Boyle, The Coen Brothers, Peter Jackson… It’s a big list that goes on but here are a few.

 

Your favourite movies?

 

Again a big list. Here are a few, Silence of the Lambs, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Grindhouse (both films) Unforgiven, Braveheart, The Godfather 1 & 2, Trainspotting, Ed Wood, The Thing, Star Wars (originals not prequels), Jaws 1, True Romance… a big list.

 

... and of course, films you really deplore?

 

Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned)

The links below
will take you
just there!!!

Find Robert Conway
at the amazons ...

USA  amazon.com

Great Britain (a.k.a. the United Kingdom)  amazon.co.uk

Germany (East AND West)  amazon.de

Looking for imports?
Find Robert Conway here ...

Thailand  eThaiCD.com
Your shop for all things Thai

Yes but I never say. I think filmmakers who criticize other people’s work publicly truly suck! J

 

Your/your movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?

 

imdb.me/robertconway

Twitter: @RobertMConway

FaceBook: facebook.com/rmconway79

 

Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?

 

Just a big shout out to the amazing cast/crew of Krampus Unleashed. You guys Rock!

 

Thanks for the interview!

 

Thank you!!

 

© by Mike Haberfelner


Legal note: (re)Search my Trash cannot
and shall not be held responsible for
content of sites from a third party.




Thanks for watching !!!



 

 

In times of uncertainty of a possible zombie outbreak, a woman has to decide between two men - only one of them's one of the undead.

 

There's No Such Thing as Zombies
starring
Luana Ribeira, Rudy Barrow and Rami Hilmi
special appearances by
Debra Lamb and Lynn Lowry

 

directed by
Eddie Bammeke

written by
Michael Haberfelner

produced by
Michael Haberfelner, Luana Ribeira and Eddie Bammeke

 

now streaming at

Amazon

Amazon UK

Vimeo

 

 

 

Robots and rats,
demons and potholes,
cuddly toys and
shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

is all of that.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to
-
a collection of short stories and mini-plays
ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic
to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle, all thought up by
the twisted mind of
screenwriter and film reviewer
Michael Haberfelner.

 

Tales to Chill
Your Bones to

the new anthology by
Michael Haberfelner

 

Out now from
Amazon!!!