IndieFlicks: Interview

Neil Jones is the director of the forthcoming horror film, Stag Night of the Dead. IndieFlicks got in touch with Neil to discuss the finer points of his first feature film.

IndieFlicks: How did you get started in filmmaking?

Neil: Like a lot of people I didn’t really know how to actually get in to mainstream film making so I decided to take route one and make a film myself. I wrote a ten minute short called Zero Tolerance which we shot over one weekend in a locker room in a West London warehouse. ZT was part creative and part experimental but gave me the confidence to make two further shorts, On A Plate and Reco Men.

IF: Where did the idea for Stag Night of the Dead come from?

NJ: Making shorts is all very well but you soon learn that it’s commercially unviable (although can be a useful calling card). I wanted to step up to a feature and decided to make a no budget/one character/one location/small crew production. Then I came up with an idea during the first bird flu scare about a stag party being hunted down in a secret Government testing facility and I couldn’t shake it off.

IF: How long did the writing process take?

NJ: With rewrites and script editor help the script took about six weeks to write. The ending took nearly as long as i junked the original three pages after our main shoot and decided we needed a much bigger payoff.

IF: Would you cite any films as inspiration towards SNotD?

NJ: Easy - An American Werewolf in London which ties as my favourite film of all time (with North by Northwest). I’ve also included some nods to the best TV series ever, The Prisoner.

IF: What was your favourite scene to film in the entire production?

NJ: My favourite scene to shoot was the experimental centre where Candy and Dean discover the truth behind Zomball. It was probably the only occasion we were ahead of schedule and the department heads weren’t being beaten up to get to the next set up.

IF: What cameras did you use to shoot Stag Night on?

NJ: We used Sony Z1s with 35mm adapters for 90% of the shoot and the Sony A1, which is a great camera.

IF: Would you change anything if you could go back and make the film again?

NJ: I should have got a full time caterer on set…big mistake.

IF: What do you think of the current state of independent filmmaking in the UK?

NJ: I have the highest regard for every indie film maker out there putting themselves through the sheer hell of trying to make anything in the UK. We’re obsessive, like mad dogs (who should be put down out of kindness) that chase the dream. There’s no problem with the indie film scene, it’s the incestuous, bloated and self indulgent film funding agencies that are (supposedly) there to support us that are the problem.

IF: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

NJ: Well if I can avoid divorce and bankruptcy my next feature will be a straight horror called The Sigil which is in the vein of the original Wicker Man.

IF: Do you have any advice for any aspiring filmmakers out there?

NJ: Yes, don’t wait and don’t talk about it - make it.

For more information on SNotD please visit the official website - click

Dead Cert

Dead Cert, the latest film from Black and Blue Films, has just completed principal photography. Directed by Steve Lawson, the gangsters vs vampire flick stars Craig Fairbrass, Dexter Fletcher and Billy Murray and will be released in 2010.

The trailer for the film is already up and can be seen at the official website - click

Watch The Devil’s Music for free!

The Devil’s Music, director Pat Higgins‘ latest film is currently available to watch online, for free. The horror documentary won best independent film at the 2008 Festival of Fantastic Films and for a limited time only can be streamed from indiemoviesonline.com. Online distribution is an up and coming market and it will be interesting to see whether it can take off and rival DVD rentals.

To watch the film click here

Review: Ouija Board

Director/Writer
Matt Stone

Starring
Nick Smithers, Marysia Kay, Ross Maxwell, Georgia Goodrick

Horror fans are the most dedicated bunch of film fans on the planet. They will happily plough their way through the ?5 low budget horror movie selection in their local ASDA, trying to find a gem. There’s a lot of horror out there and, more than any other genre, the vast majority of it is flat out terrible. In this digital film age you can make something for 5p, throw some ketchup on a couple of people, create an eye catching title and DVD cover, and watch the cash flow in. This is nice for the producers, but somewhat disappointing for audiences.

However the horror fan will continue in their quest for that entertaining 90 minutes. Why do they do this? Partly because many of the great horror movies have come from a low budget background. From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to Halloween and the more recent Blair Witch Project, low budget does not always mean bad. But for every one of these great films there are thousands of stinkers. These films tend to have far less gore, horror and scares that the covers claim. They will often have a lack of understanding of the basic elements needed to make a successful genre film. And most annoyingly, they will insist on long scenes of characters talking about things which we couldn’t care less about.

I would like to report that Ouija Board falls into the small group of successful horror films, but sadly it doesn’t. The basic plotline is as follows: five young friends are heading for a weekend away in the Scottish countryside when they seem to hit a girl on the road. From there a series of events occur involving spirits and possession and the (very occasional) splashing of blood.

As you will have perhaps gleaned, this is not an original film. But that shouldn’t matter. What happens on the ghost train isn’t as important as who is in charge of the ride. The horror genre is the one place where people watch and appreciate craftsmanship - be it the kills, the direction, or the performances of the actors. Plot and originality are not high on the audience’s list. But even here the film falters. You want the film to get the basics right. Get the friends together, play a game on the board and then see them get picked off one by one, but we don’t get that here. The pacing is all off and nothing approaching exciting happens until the final minutes, when everything comes to a sudden, and disappointing, head.

Director/writer Matt Stone has said in interviews that he has studied low budget chillers to see where they failed. The single most important thing about a horror film is the pacing  - it should build to a climax that people pay attention to. Usually the first third of a film is used to create atmosphere, but in this film we start with people in a car talking about nothing in particular. This can cripple a horror film. I do not suggest that you need a kill or a scare, but you do have to build up a sense of apprehension. Texas Chainsaw Massacre drew up the blueprint for low budget horror - watch how it starts on a slow burn and just piles on tension until the terror of Leatherface is revealed.

Low budget does not have to mean a lack of effort. The cover of the DVD suggests you are in for a gore fest. Sadly there is little blood and the kills are all done off camera, obviously as a cost saving measure. This could have been forgivable, if it had been done with any subtly. Showing a weapon swinging down, cutting away for a second and then cutting back shows a real lack of craftsmanship.

The actors, due to having some really awful scenes of dialogue, can’t really rise to the occasion and frankly look bored at times. Another lesson in writing in the horror genre is that no one likes to be sat down every ten minutes and have the plot explained to them. The best horror films have a forward momentum. Each crisis in the film should reveal a little more about the characters though their actions rather than having specific scenes laying out their motivations, hopes and dreams. No one cares about that. Please just scare us!

The music, which is the most interesting part of the film, overwhelms everything. There is even an attempt to use the music to elicit a scare. As a separate entity it is fine, but the way it is threaded into the film really makes it grating rather than frightening.

I was impressed by the quality of the film. It looks great for a low budget flick and should give inspiration for filmmakers wanting to do something daring and interesting on a shoe string. Sadly Ouiji Board delivers neither of these things. The fundamental problem with this film lies with the script. It is clunky and dull. Matt Stone apparently spent four years developing this film. You would have hoped that he would have put the script in front of someone who knew what they were talking about, before embarking on self financing this venture.

With Halloween fast approaching people will be looking for a scary film. Sadly this is not a scary film.

Rob Girvan

For more information on Ouija Board please visit the official website - click

Blood + Roses

IndieFlicks is very happy to learn that Blood + Roses, the debut feature from Simon Aitken, is finished and ready for release. The horror follows Jane, a young woman who spends the night with a vampire, Seth - an action that has unforeseen repercussions and leaves her with a dangerous choice. Starring Marysia Kay and Benjamin Green, the film will hopefully be hitting screens towards the end of the year. Stay tuned to IndieFlicks for an interview with the filmmakers and for more information on Blood + Roses please visit the official website -  click

The Bordello is ready for business

Pat Higgins has confirmed that Bordello Death Tales, a co directed feature from Higgins, James Eaves and Alan Ronald locked this week. The horror anthology tells three stories that take place inside Madam Raven’s Bordello and should be hitting festivals shortly.

As if that wasn’t good enough Pat has also confirmed that his previous feature, The Devil’s Music, will be hitting screens in late October and will be available on DVD and digital download. IndieFlicks ran an interview with Higgins late last year to discuss his life in film, you can find it here.

For more information please visit the Jinx Media official website - click

Not Alone enters pre-production

Not Alone is the directorial debut from special effects artist Tristan Versluis and begins shooting in September. Produced by The Scar Crow’s Andy Thompson the horror film follows Eli Rose as she attempts to confront her carnage-filled nightmares by staying in an abandoned old house on the east coast of American.

Stay tuned to IndieFlicks for an interview with Tristan as we find out what it’s like shooting his first feature. For more information on the film please visit the official website - click