Your new movie Talk of the
Dead - in a few words, what is it about?
The zombie apocalypse has finally happened and all hell breaks loose on a TV
news show, tongue-in-cheek style.
How did you get involved with the project in the first place?
My agent Eirian Cohen [Eirian Cohen
interview - click here] called me one day and told me she was producing a zombie flick with
this Austrian dude and I was directing it. I'm a big lover of direct action.
With Talk of the
Dead being a zombie movie of sorts, is that a genre you're at all
fond of, and some of your genre favourites? My fav zombie
flick is Day of the Dead, the original
Dawn of the Dead and
Return of the Living
Dead, the creepiest is Zombie
Flesh Eaters. I think there are a
lot of zombie geeks killing the scene that were not even born when
classics were about but think because they dress up like a cunt they know
something I don't. This bores me and the modern zombie genre has some
class acts like The Horde, Versus and
Shaun of the Dead and
28 Days/Weeks Later. My fav genre is dark drama where the hero is a anti-hero,
Wild At
Heart comes to mind. Action films like To Live and Die in LA, anything by
Spike Lee, Michael Mann, twisted horror with a bit of action in it, I love
aliens and sci fi, oh and Kevin Smith films - BOOM!!!
You of
course also have to talk about Talk
of the Dead's brand of comedy, and to what extent could you
identify with it? It has a classic slapstick British comedy
feel to it, I am a massive slapstick zany comedy fan, Monty
Python and the Holy Grail, Airplane
and Kingpin are my faves but to be honest anything by Monty Python and
Police Squad teams have me laughing all day long. I also can imagine Peter
Sellers making a cameo on Talk of the
Dead, that is the style I was going
for. What can you tell us about Talk
of the Dead's writer/producer Michael Haberfelner [Michael
Haberfelner interview - click here] [and watch your mouth, since he's
actually me ;) ], and what was your collaboration like? He
listens to my ideas and we work like a team, he writes something down and I
like to have scope to analyze every option and go full steam ahead , he
lets me do that. I'm not a sit down “action” type of director, I'm a
jump up get into the cast's head with my passion director. Me and Michael
will soon be working on a big budget film together, I know it's on the
horizon, a four month lockdown with me that's when this collaboration will
kick ass.
with Lynn Lowry |
What
can you tell us about your directorial approach to the story at hand? I
loved it because I had as I said above the freedom of creating the vision
of the script. I wanted every scene to look Hollywood. And I wanted
deadpan newsreaders - what a amazing casting in Alexander Fernando [Alexander
Fernando interview - click here] and
Rachel Brownstein [Rachel
Brownstein interview - click here]. I
wanted lo shots for the newsroom and I needed slapstick for adverts - I got
what I wanted as all directors demand, the original divas, lol. Talk
of the Dead stars horror legend Lynn Lowry - so what was it like
working with her? Amazing!!! Yeah a true bucket list moment
for this 40 something from the streets, a true talent a professional. What can you tell us about the rest of
your cast, and why exactly these people? I already
mentioned the news team and Lynn. Martina McClements and Paul Sutton [Paul
Sutton interview - click here] were both
excellent, in fact 10/10. The advert clip zombies Rosalie Bottley, Gavin
Voorzta and Rami Hilmi [Rami Hilmi interview
- click here] rocked and Rudy Barrow [Rudy
Barrow interview - click here] and Eirian Cohen [Eirian
Cohen interview - click here] smashed it, the scene with J.
Robert Byam and Layla Randle-Conde [Layla
Randle-Conde interview - click here] was
over schedule and they had no prep time but we nailed it as I wanted
- shit cast shit film, but I had a top draw cast so you fill the rest of the
sentence.
Do talk about
the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? I'm to
passionate to give a fuck about the on set atmosphere if it don't go with
what I'm directing, when we shot this we had problem-solving obstacles and
I'm in the zone, I always want one-on-one discussions with all cast, and if
you dare interrupt me when I'm directing or not go with me flow then yeah,
I can be blunt rude and shout but I don't give a Tommy about that, passion
for direction is my atmosphere, I want I want everyone in the zone of film
making , it's a way of life, the only one. As for
now, the film's still making its festival rounds - so anything you can
tell us about audience and critical reception of Talk
of the Dead yet? Fuck no, it's a award winning piece
of class, go see it find out for yourself. Nothing like anticipation. Since Talk
of the Dead, you've made First Impressions Can Kill with
pretty much the same cast and crew - anything you can tell us about that
one yet?
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Yeah, it's dark as hell and I'm loving it, shorter film and a lot more
uncomfortable for the viewer, lol. Any other future projects you'd like to share? This
Car Rocks, a mini dark musical featuring bands Hobo, Howlin Black
Soul, Johnny Gunner and The Salt Demons This year should see Twisted and
Essex Warriors released. Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?
www.esgmedia.org
IMDb: Eddie Bammeke
Twitter: ebammekeactor
Facebook: Eddie Bammeke
Anything else
you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Yeah,
this year I'm directing Undercover and Vegas Dirt, two
dramas that are going to rock your world.
Thanks for the interview!
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