|
Your new movie The
Amityville Legacy - in a few words, what is it about, and what can
you tell us about your character in it?
The
Amityville Legacy is a
fun and thrilling throwback to how the franchise used to be with such
sequels as It's About Time, A New Generation
(a personal favorite of mine), and Amityville Dollhouse. I play the only son of Mark Janson (Mark Popejoy), and I am
traveling back home to celebrate my father's 50th birthday with my four
sisters, aunt, cousin, and senile grandma who is still living with my
father and one of my sisters. My character is gay and extremely
nervous about introducing my family to my boyfriend, Jade (played by my
real life fiancé, Jade LaFont). My sister, Julia (Julia Farrell),
gifts an antique toy monkey to our father while everyone is gathered
together one evening after dinner. The toy monkey is exactly like
one our father owned as a child - except one thing... it came from the
original DeFeo house in Amityville... and is CURSED! The cursed
Amityville object slowly possesses Mark, and he begins to see his dead
father - my grandfather - (Colby Coash) who urges him to do away with his
family. Then, without giving away too much, all hell breaks loose
when Mark starts to pick us off one by one! How did you get
involved with the project in the first place? I
have been good friends with director Dustin Ferguson [Dustin
Ferguson interview - click here] for years. I
have been a supporter of his film career from the very start, and I have
always wanted to work with him. Dustin approached Jade and I with
roles written for us, and we didn't take a moment to hesitate - especially
being the avid Amityville fans that we are. Plus, I
look up to so many of the cast and crew Dustin works with (and that we had
the pleasure of working with) - and I knew we could not turn down such an
awesome opportunity. What did
you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Tony can we
actually find in Tony?
|
|
When
you first see my character in the film, I'm composing myself in a gas
station bathroom while Jade waits for me in our car outside. I am so
nervous to have my father meet my boyfriend - so in this particular scene,
I actually channeled Betsy Russell's bathroom scene from Cheerleader
Camp (silly, I know - and totally unrelated to my scene, but I
love that film so much). It's little things like that which inspired
me to bring my character to life. Thus far, I have been told my
character was a bit "sassy" in the film and even funny at times
- which I suppose is a good thing! Haha! I simply chose a
naturalistic approach to bring my character to life and
ad-libbed/improvised whenever the opportunity arose. I believe my
character was a bit similar to myself, actually. We all have
"personal demons" that we battle, and the family in the film is
quite the dysfunctional one. Dustin Ferguson and Mike Johnson were
very supportive with suggestions on how to play the part, so it was fun to
"go there" with my character and have fun with it. In
The
Amityville Legacy you actually play the boyfriend of your real
life fiancé Jade Michael LaFont [Jade
Michael LaFont interview - click here] - so how did that influence your
performance (if at all)? And while we're at it, how did the two of you
first meet even? The
fact that Jade and I are actually a couple in real life obviously helped
our performances. It made our chemistry believable, since, well... we're a real couple! We first met as extras back in 2008, on
the set of Night of the Demons (the 2009 remake) in New
Orleans. We were best friends for two years before starting to date
- and both share a big love for the horror genre. Jade has been
acting for years, and is one of the biggest motivations to get me in front
of the camera, as opposed to just doing behind-the-scenes work. What can you tell us about your
directors Dustin Ferguson [Dustin
Ferguson interview - click here] and Mike Johnson, and what was your
collaboration with them like? Dustin
was on a very tight time schedule but maintained his composure very well.
It's amazing how fast he shoots, and I am always so excited to see
the finished product of every new project he works on. He and Jarad
Allen were also very accommodating to Jade and I while we were in Nebraska
and made our visit a very nice one. Mike had a slightly different
approach to directing, with taking a bit more time on certain scenes - and
was a big help on some of my bigger scenes in the film. He, along
with everyone else, was very concerned about our safety during certain
scenes. They were both a delight to work with, and I would do it all
over again. Mark Thimijan, our cinematographer, was also very
helpful - and I enjoyed our discussions about David Lynch. ;-) What can you tell us about
the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
|
Tony with Jade Michael LaFont |
It
was very fast paced and fun. I loved getting to meet and work with
everyone. We "kids" in the group were all taking pictures
together, Snapchatting with one another, and even partaking in some on-set
wine during down time. Everyone was great and very professional.
A very talented cast and crew, indeed. Any future
projects you'd like to share? I
will be appearing alongside Jade, in Reuben Rox's Lurking Evil
- which should be out sometime next year, I believe. I can't say too
much about the project at this time, but my character will not be so nice
this time around - and I like that. I don't wanna be typecast as the
"nice guy" or "quiet guy". I'd also love to work
with Steve Sessions (Shelter in Place) again, if given the
chance. According to my
information, your initial filmwork consisted of behind-the-camera
functions mostly - so what can you tell us about those early days of
yours? I assisted as
associate producer and writer for the documentary, Sleepless Nights:
Revisiting the Slumber Party Massacres, and moderator of
commentary tracks for all three Slumber Party Massacre films
- both projects part of The Slumber Party Massacre Collection,
released by Shout! Factory. Those films have always been a big
passion of mine, and I actually run the "official" unofficial
website for them @ www.hockstatter.com
- also, my Facebook group is
located @ www.facebook.com/groups/hockstatter
I also worked as an associate producer on Screaming in High Heels:
The Rise & Fall of the Scream Queen Era - which is a
documentary about scream queens Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, and
Michelle Bauer. I provided my friend, Jason Paul Collum, [Jason
Paul Collum interview - click here] with tons
of archival and interview footage which was used in the documentary.
You can also see me briefly interviewed in both Sleepless
Nights and Screaming in High
Heels.
Furthermore, I have assisted as camera operator for a few projects Jade
has been involved with - such as Evil Deeds: Full Circle, Indestructible
(reshoots), Reuben Rox's The Slayer, and Gory
Graduation. I also help with anything else I'm able, like
assisting with supplemental material for the Blu-ray release of Sorority
House Massacre or helping people locate obscure/hard-to-find actors
for interview purposes.
What made you pick up acting eventually, and what
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to The
Amityville Legacy? Jade
was a major catalyst in getting me involved with acting. My first
actual "acting gig" was on a still-unreleased anthology film,
entitled Terrorphobia. I play a very meek Angela Baker
(Sleepaway Camp) type character in one of the segments, and
I actually live in that one...! I am not terribly happy about my
acting in that particular film, but it was my first time having actual
lines in a movie. I was also in a short film directed by Steve
Sessions (Dead Clowns, Torment, Zombie
Pirates), titled Shelter in Place, and I am very
proud of how that turned out - you can watch that @
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve1ITb1ljrQ
Going through your
filmography, one can't help but notice that most of your movies are of the
horror variety - a genre at all dear to you, and why (not)?
Horror
has always, and always will be, my favorite genre. Horror films are
one of my biggest passions in life.
How
would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your techniques to
bring your characters to life? I
would definitely say that I utilize a very naturalistic approach. I
am still learning as an actor with every project given to me, but I just
try to perform in the most convincing and realistic way possible. Also,
I learn a lot from watching bad movies and knowing what NOT to do... haha!
I am self-taught and work to improve from one project to the next.
Actors (and indeed
actresses) who inspire you?
Tony with Línnea Quigley |
My
favorite actress has always been scream queen, Linnea Quigley. I
also love Tiffany Shepis [Tiffany
Shepis interview - click here], Linda Blair, Jennifer Connelly, Jamie Lee
Curtis, Traci Lords, and Brinke Stevens. All of the aforementioned
actresses I have either met or worked with - with the exception of Blair,
Connelly, Curtis, and Lords, unfortunately... haha! Oh, and let's not forget
Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark - in person, she's
exactly what you'd imagine her to be! I hope I'm not forgetting anyone at
the moment. I can't exactly pinpoint any male actors that
"inspire" me. I've always really had a bigger interest in
female-oriented horror films and the "final girls", therefore
explaining my love for the Slumber Party Massacre franchise and
"scream queens". I do love Robert Englund [Robert
Englund bio - click here], however. I have had
two opportunities to meet him and somehow chickened out or just wasn't
able. I'd also love to meet Kane Hodder and Tim Curry. Your favourite movies?
My
favorite movies is a list that could go on and on and on... but here
are a "few" - mostly horror and some comedy (in no particular
order): Slumber
Party Massacre (series), Sorority
House Massacre (series, including Hard to Die),
Halloween (1978 - duh), Romy
and Michele's High School Reunion, Killer
Party (1986), A
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 - again, duh), Friday
the 13th 1 & 2 (TIE), The
Initiation (1984), The
Trouble with Barry, Phenomena
(Dario Argento, 1985),
Hell Night (1981),
The Mutilator (1984),
Cheerleader Camp (1988), Chopping
Mall, Slaughter
High, Don't
Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, May
(2002),
Messiah of Evil, Suspiria,
The
Stendhal Syndrome, Final
Exam (1981),
The House on Sorority Row (1983), Night
of the Demons (1988), Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama,
Vice Academy (the entire series), The Exorcist,
The Beyond, The
House by the Cemetery, Cheerleader Camp: To the Death, Gloved
Murderess, Hello
Mary Lou: Prom Night II, Curtains (1983),
Happy Birthday to Me, Heathers, Little Darlings, The
Rocky Horror Picture Show, Labyrinth,
Jawbreaker, Mean Girls,
Just Before Dawn (1981)
Night of the Comet, Lisa
(1989),
Sleepaway Camp (1-3),
To All a Goodnight (1980), Mother's
Day (1980),
Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway,
Child's Play,
Tourist Trap (1979),
Black Christmas (both original and remake - GASP!), Sorority
Row (yup, I loved the remake, too!), Demons
(1985), Savage
Streets (1984), The
Last Slumber Party (so bad that it's good).
...
and of course, films you really deplore? The
Manipulator (1971) with Mickey Rooney is quite possibly the most
boring movie I have EVER seen. Mardi Gras Massacre is
also pretty horrible, and the only saving grace of Psycho from Texas
is an early appearance from Linnea Quigley. I have a high pain
threshold with movies, so I can't really think of many that I absolutely
hate.
 |
Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned) |
The links below
will take you
just there!!!
|
|
 |
Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?
The
Amityville Legacy (Official Facebook Page) - https://www.facebook.com/The-Amityville-Legacy-1701781906718536/
My
IMDb filmography -
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4151115/
Facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/tonyb86
Website -
http://www.hockstatter.com
Facebook group -
http://www.facebook.com/groups/hockstatter
Anything else
you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Can't
think of anything at the moment. Thanks for the opportunity, and I
hope you enjoyed The
Amityville Legacy! Thanks
for the interview!
|
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
find Tony Brown at adultvideouniverse.com
