Actor/Director Interview:

LUCIEN EISENACH WEATHERS IT ALL

Owen: Glad to hear you made it through Hurricane Katrina...how did you weather the storm?

Lucien: I was extremely lucky! I live about 2 blocks away from the Gulf of Mexico and my apartment miraculously avoided any damage, while everything around me was destroyed. There are blocks of concrete left where full buildings stood and mansions ripped apart along the beaches. It is amazing to see and amazing that I did not lose all that I had. I dealt with the inconveniences as everyone else did though; I was without power and water for 2 weeks and without cable and Internet for 4 weeks. It wasn't unbearable though. Things are getting back to normal now.

Owen: Your first film role was Burke in 'Malefic'.  How did that come about?

Lucien: I had read about a movie called "Cremains" being made locally and was attempting to find more information about the production and those involved with little luck. Coincidentally, I answered an online casting call a while later and met Steve Sessions and immediately got the role of Burke in "Malefic".

Owen: You wrote and directed the deliciously demented 'Fetalboy Goes to Hell'. Can you give a quick plot synopsis?

Lucien: "Fetalboy Goes to Hell!" begins as a woman is impregnated by Satan; she attempts to abort the evil fetus, but he survives the coat hanger attack, unleashes his umbilical carnage on the city, joins a traveling sideshow, and searches for the father he never knew.

Owen: What were the biggest lessons you learned by jumping into it and directing your first feature film?

Lucien: Planning is essential, flexibility is a necessity, and sound quality should always be a focus.

Owen: As the spree killer in 'Dead Clowns' you kept some mighty good company with Racks and Razors favorites Debbie Rochon, Brinke Stevens, and Eric Spudic.  How did your role in that film come about?

Lucien: By the time production on "Dead Clowns" began, I had taken part in three projects by Steve Sessions, so I had become a regular cast member, I suppose. This time around, I believe that the character I portrayed was written with my own style, acting and appearance, in mind. For the reason, in part, I really enjoyed the role.

Owen: After playing 4 parts in 'Psycho Santa' you are back for more 'Psycho Santa 2'.  Did you feel you had gained a lot of outsider cinema experience in the interim?

Lucien: I do. I had the experience of working on "Cadaver Bay" and "Dead Clowns" and was able to see the completion of "Fetalboy Goes to Hell!" -- by this time. I was able to see the areas of filming that I had the opportunity to improve in and had a stronger vision of the final product keeping editing in pacing in mind.

Owen: Tell about your work in Steve Sessions' 'Wolfika'.

Lucien: My character of James Trench in "Wolfika" is the one I had the most fun with. He is a dark, mysterious character that allowed me to take on a slightly different look physically, gave me the opportunity to get a little bloody, and was a role that I felt I could get into, delving into the loneliness and desperation of a man cursed by the full moon. I also assisted with some casting, puppeteering, and general production assistance.

Owen: Your newest project, 'Sea Creatures from Outer Space' has been described as a sort of purposefully bad send up/homage to 50s sci-fi films.  What is the most important thing to convey when trying to parody that kind of film?

Lucien: It is most important to stay true to the era in all aspects. The tone and feel should draw the viewer into a false sense of time, as if he or she is actually watching an old movie. Then again, I felt that many of those old movies became dull about midway through he running time, so for "Sea Creatures from Outer Space"; I purposefully threw in anachronistic items and more modern plot points. I think these additions will heighten the viewing experience though, rather than distract from it.

Owen: Tell me about your work as Hamilton in Steve Sessions' ' Cadaver Bay' with Jeff Dylan Graham and Elizabeth North.

Lucien: Hamilton was a necessary character in "Cadaver Bay" to expedite the plot, but was a rather small role (in screen time). It was a fairly simple shoot to get all of the footage needed of Hamilton. I believe we got all of those scenes done in two days.

Owen: Is that movie also known as 'Southern Gothic' or are they separate features with the same cast?

Lucien: "Cadaver Bay" is also known as "Hellbound: Book of the Dead" in its U.S., but "Southern Gothic" is another movie entirely. A lot of the cast from "Cadaver Bay" did come back to be a part of "Southern Gothic" though.

Owen: You are in a lot of Steve Sessions movies...are you guys pals?  Do you hang out off set or is a professional relationship?

Lucien: Steve is a great friend. Since our meeting during the casting of "Malefic", we have maintained a strong friendship. I would think that we gained a friendship out of a professional relationship and now we work together because of that friendship.

Owen: So is the independent horror scene alive and thriving in the south?  Are you part of a major film community down there?

Lucien: There is no independent horror scene in the South, not in this area. There are a few people scattered around the area that are fans or that would like to be a part of a production, but there is no major film community. Those that are making movies are doing their own thing and don't seem to get involved with the projects of others. It is quite difficult to find locals who are willing to commit to a project for the duration of an entire shoot.

Owen: What creeps you out more and why --- werewolves, vampires, zombies, psychos, aliens, or creatures?

Lucien: Psychos. I fear looking into the eyes of an equal, someone I should be able to relate to, and seeing complete desire to kill. I fear the inability to rationalize with someone or something, but when it is a person, it is more frightening because they can more easily blend in and hide their psychotic ways.

Owen: So what is something that scares you in real life?

Lucien: Needles make my chest feel like it crumbling as a chocolate chip cookie under weight of an elephant. Rats would rate second place on account of their oh-so-creepy tales. Third, would have to be dentists...typically because they incorporate the use of my number one fear into my face. Traumatic stuff.

Owen: So where is your heart when it comes to the arts --- is it an even split between music and movies?

Lucien: Music is a constant soundtrack to my life. I always have music playing to keep me motivated or to allow for creativity or to help release some frustrations. But movies are what drive me. After viewing a movie, i feel like i have just become another individual. I walk out of the theatre taking away the good points of the characters or realizing something about myself or life or just feeling motivated to create my own stories. Movies motivate moviemakers. I consider myself a moviemaker at heart; now i must go out and make it happen.

Owen: What's something that makes you want to kill?

Lucien: Waiting...for anything. Stupidity in society. Breeding in the ignorant.

Owen: What's your dream role?

Lucien: Babs Johnson in Pink Flamingos.

Owen: Hey Lucien, why do you think so many gay men are drawn to the horror genre?

Lucien: I think that society has come a long way in accepting the different sexual lifestyles and attractions that exist amongst people, but there is always a small sense of fear that exist in even the most flamboyant of people, that fear that they may be harmed for the way they are. It is a frightening thing to think that one could possibly die because of another's inability to accept that which they do not understand. I think the Gay community is drawn to horror films because they relate to the common theme of either a killer getting revenge on those who have looked down on them or the fear that exists in horror movie victims that are stalked for reasons unknown.

Owen: What's the key to being a convincing killer?

Lucien: Some actors get too "into" the character. They take themselves way too seriously and feel the need to research serial killers, watch movies, read books, etc. to fully understand the mind of a serial killer and emulate it. I prefer to just think of the people that have irritated me in the past or present and take out that frustration through the character. It's simple really. Ex-bosses and those i have dated have been stalked many times in my acting. It's quite a release

Owen: When I was a little boy I wanted to grow up to be _________________.

Lucien: Originally I wanted to be a garbage man so I could hang on the back of those great trucks, but the created better trucks that don't require that intense position. Then, I considered being a circus clown, so I could basically act like a child and get paid for it, but wasn't up for the traveling. Deep down though, I always wanted to be a biker. Perhaps one day I will realize this possibility.

http://www.b-horror.com/lucien
http://www.myspace.com/luci13