So
Caleb, to the people who knew you as a kid and
teenager do you think it comes as a shock to them
that you are releasing a movie called 'Die
You Zombie Bastards!' or do you
thnk they pretty much expected it from you?
I think
everyone I've know since I was probably 12 pretty
much expected it from me. I directed a
"movie" in 1988 or '89 called "The
Story of Mr. NiceGuy and Dr. Death" and
another one shortly after called "Biff
Honeyflower and His Death Vaccuum From Hell"
so...not much has changed.
'Die
You Zombie Bastards!' had a
lengthy bridge from the start of shooting to the
end of production. Two years plus...Was it hard
to sustain your momentum (and that of your cast
and crew) for that period of time or did it allow
the movie to develop in interesting ways from
your original idea?
The only
people we brought back from shoot to shoot were
people I knew I could trust. I tried not to rely
on strangers to commit to something that was
going to take a year or 2. We spent a lot of
money that we probably could have avoided
spending had we shot the film all at once, but we
definitely all grew throughout the production and
stumbled upon some "happy accidents".
The film wouldn't have been nearly so unique, and
we started attacting aa lot of interest while we
were still shooting, so that by the time the film
premiered there were already quite a few people
waiting to see it...and now by the time the DVD
was released there were evern more! I wish it
didn't take so long to make...but I'm kind of
glad it did if that makes any sense...
'Die
You Zombie Bastards!' has been
receiving great reviews & picking up some
film prizes as well: Best Feature at the Lausanne
Underground Festival, Best Feature, Screenplay,
and Actor (Tim Gerstmar) at Tromandale, etc. Has
the critical success of the film surprised you?
Yes and
no. I totally believed in what we were doing..as
did (my producing and writing partner) Haig...but
you always expect a lot of people not to
"get" something like this. . I was
expecting to really get torn apart by some of the
online critics who seem to be brutal just for fun
sometimes. But every screening we've had has gone
really well. A few reviews have been a little
mediocre, but thye seem to be from people who
aren't really into this kind of movie. The only
BAD review we have received so far was on some
guy's blog who was in the audience at Fantasia
and he hated it. But all of the big guys like
Fangoria, Rue Morgue, Dread Central, Bloody
Disgusting etc. have really liked it.
And now it is
coming to home DVD in the US in January 2007 from
Image Entertainment. How does negotiating a home
DVD release deal come about...or how did it come
about in your case anyway?
Haig and
I tried for over a year to get good US
distribution...but the business is really bad
right now...there's SO much product out there,
and alot of it is being produced SO cheaply on
video that distributors are happier giving a few
thousand bucks advance to a cheapie than trying
to find something that was made with a little
more care and effort. So, we finally went with a
sales agent (Jeff Cooper of CUT Entertainment)
and he had a deal for us in a matter of weeks.
The deal wasn't all we had been fantasizing
about...but it was WAY better than anything we
came up with on our own. Jeff got us the UK deal
as well.
I also want to
hear about how you got one of my very favorite
porn dudes of the 70s Jaimie Gillis to star as
Stavros in the movie. Were you a bit starstruck?
I just
tracked him down online, which isn't hard to do,
and asked him. I made him (what for this movie
was) a pretty generous offer and he agreed. He
seemed to like the script, and I think he was a
little flattered, or at least appreciative that
someone thought enough of his acting skills to
use him in this way. Maybe that's presumptuous
but it was the vibe I got. I didn't want him in
the movie in a Ron Jeremy cameo kind of way, ie:
"Hey... look... it's that old porn star...
ha ha." I paid him because he was a name
actor... but I cast him because he is a really
good actor, he is funny as hell, and in my
opinion he was perfect for the part. Jamie was a
joy to work with. I am a big fan of his adult
stuff... and I was a little starstruck, but I
didn't want to be too much of a fanboy annoying
him with a lot of questions about his past. I did
get a couple of On the Prowl questions in (the
film Jamie directed that was recreated in Boogie
Nights). And at the time we were filming
(November 2003) the movie Wonderland (about John
Holmes) was about to come out... or maybe it was
just announced or something... and we talked
about John Holmes and the recent interest in
older porn films. But I don't have any revelatory
pearls of info that were passed down to me in
secret... just friendly small talk. I can't wait
to work with Jamie again though... the two days
he was on set were among the most enjoyable.
Now I want you
to give me an amazing teaser/synopsis for the
movie that is going to make 'Die
You Zombie Bastards!' an
irresistable must-see to all the wonderful Racks
and Razors readers.
Well...the
synopsis we've been using is that it's "The
world's first ever serial killer super hero
zombie rock n' roll road movie
romance"...we've been using the line for a
while and I don't want to sound too
redundant..but that pretty much sums it up.
Back in 2000
had a role as Dex Diaper in 'Citizen
Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part IV'.
How did that role come about?
I signed
on to the film as a Production Assistant and
there was an on-set rehearsal a week or so before
we started shooting. For some reason the actor
who was supposed to play the part couldn't come
so I stood in for him. Lloyd and Trent thought I
did a good job...and I was kind of weird looking
a too which was a plus...so when it came about
that the orignal actor could no longer do it for
scheduling reasons or something they
offered...er...I mean told me I was going to do
it...so I did and I had a blast.
And this year
your returned to the Troma family for a role as
Carl Jr. in 'Poultrygeist'.
Are their movies as much fun to make as they are
to watch?
No.
Well...depends on what you mean by fun. They are
long and hellish productions, and they invlove
MASSIVE ammounts of work and dedication. They
hire mostly amateur crew members, so most people
are learning as they work...and therefore fucking
up a lot...but everyone really wants to be there
working which is more than can be said for a lot
of producitons. So...if that sounds fun,
then...yes..they are a lot of fun. I had an
amazing time on both films. If you can handle the
work load, and you do well under pressure then
they are great. Can you give me a timecapsule
moment from your work with that studio that just
sort of explains the whole Troma experience? By
week 2 production (this is all documented in the
"Apocalypse Soon" documentary on the
DVD) of Citizen Toxie The Assistant Director,
Casting Director, Production Designer, Office
Coordinator...and other people too I'm sure had
all either quit or been fired. Lloyd:
"Fuck...we need a Casting
Director...Caleb..you're smart...you're the new
Casting Director" Caleb: "Lloyd, I
don't know how to be a Casting Director"
Lloyd: "Go ask the 2nd Assistant
Director...she'll show you what to do. Hurry up
though, we have a scene where we need 30 extras
the day after tomorrow"
In addition to
your Lloyd Kaufman (Troma) work you have also
worked in the past couple of years on two Richard
Griffin horror films -- as David Callahan in 'Raving
Maniacs' (2005) and as Big Jake
in 'Pretty Dead Things' (2006).
How did those roles come about?
Richard
and I were pretty much the only people in Rhode
Island doing this kind of thing, and we had a
mutual friend (Trent Haaga) who got us in touch.
We met for coffee, and it turns out the he was
doing re-shoots for Raving Maniacs a week or so
later. He asked me to pay a one day role so I
agreed. It was fun..we got along well and I never
heard anything from him for a year or 2. He was
gearing up to do "Pretty Dead Things"
and asked me to be Director of Photography. At
first I turned it down..cuase I am not a Director
of Photography..but then I figured I went to film
school...I direct, act and edit...I know what it
takes to make a scene...I am a good camera
operator, so I got back in touch and
accepted....and I played the role of "Big
Jake" (Richard shot the scenes where I act
himself). AND I just shot Richard's latest film
"Splatter Disco" just over a month ago.
We got along so well the first time that he asked
me back, and I was glad to do it.
Do you have
any other projects pending or a new movie in the
works you would like to let the Racks and Razors
readers know about?
I'm in
the middle of a script right now called
"They Call Her Sugarpussy" which is
something of an erotic science fiction action
film. No horror this time. I need to get away
from zombies for a bit (I think the whole world
does actually) . I just moved to Hollywood and
once I'm done writing I'm going to try to get
this one done on a bigger scale...35mm...better
equipment, more money etc. We'l see. Keeping my
fingers crossed.
What was the
first movie you saw that scared the shit out of
you?
Not too
many movies scare me. weird things scare me
actually. "Dead Ringers" scared the
crap out of me...I think "The Sentinal"
was pretty scary. Mostly I like to watch fun
horror movies, or just plain sleazy horror
movies.
Okay, we're
pulling into the Caleb Emerson Drive In. What
three horror flicks are on the triple bill
tonight and what goodies are they going to be
serving up at the concession stand?
"Blood
For Dracula", "The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre" and "The Toxic Avenger"
The concession stand will be serving
Cheeseburgers, Raisinettes and Diet Coke. And
coffee.
What scares
you in real life?
Doctors,
Sharks and Alligators
What makes you
go psycho in real life?
Human
stupidity makes me angrier than anything. Things
like spending half a day at the DMV and vising 13
different desks, filling out 8 different forms
and standing in 11 different lines to get your
license renewed. Or trying to call UPS about a
package...you get sent from one person to another
and so on so you can file a claim that they
damaged your package. I just want to fucking
scream at these people. I think in my old age
I'll enjoy sitting out by a lake with my
underwear on my head hanging out with my wife and
my dog...enjoying silence. |