Ted: I read this article about prehistoric seed pods being found, thawed and grown. I thought, wow, what about finding a meteor with a dormant seedpod in it! Of course I forgot about the Blob... I thought I came up with a novel idea! I wanted to start my own film producing company and contacted John Dods to see if he wanted to make a movie with me. He said yes and the rest is history.

Owen: 'The Deadly Spawn' looks so good for the miniscule budget you had at the time.  What was the most important thing you learned from that experience as a cost cutting tip you would like to pass on to indie filmmakers?

Ted: Surround yourself with talented people. Tim Hildebrandt, John Dods…and we had a large group of people who just wanted to work for screen credit. It took over a year to film and the real budget was a bit under $20,000.

Owen: I have got to know about the creation of that creature and what was used.  So could you give me a little run down on the construction?

Ted: Of course! For most of us, this was one of, if not, the first film. The first Spawn head was so heavy it broke the wood supports. The armature had to be made of metal. John Dods figured it all out. I had an idea for the creature, similar to the one finally used, but a man in a suit. You can find the original art on my website www.deadlyspawn.net Anyway, John said he would prefer to do something that wasn't an obvious man in a rubber suit. We threw a few ideas around and finally just lowered the thing to the ground and made it a big toothy glob. The arms with the fingers on the end actually worked, but the cables snapped early on, so that was that! I could go on, LOL, but you might as well read the book when it comes out.

Owen: That’s exciting! We’ll chat about your upcoming book in a bit. So what was the toughest part about directing/producing/and writing the 1995 sci-fi comedy 'Vampire Vixens from Venus'?

Ted: Man! Where to begin. Very little budget for a film with prosthetic and CGI effects. My DP turned out to be, er, a little less than what he said. The editing was bad. The film had to be turned over early because the video jackets were being created for the video screeners. The editing wasn’t finished, but, as per contract, I turned over the film. In retrospect, I should have taken the heat and waited till it was finished right. The whole thing was a mess, but it did pretty well on USA Up All Night. We got good ratings. That is one film I'd love to go back and re-do!

Owen: What favorite memory do you have of working with Michelle Bauer, Teresa Lynn, and J.J. North in that feature?

Ted: They were fantastic! Michelle is a good friend and a VERY talented actress. Always knows her lines, is on time and helps everybody on the set. All the girls were top notch; I'd love to work with them again.

Owen: What is your overriding memory of directing 'The Regenerated Man' (1994)?

Ted:  That was another low budget film. Under $75,000 I believe. I came off a much bigger film (Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor), which was supposed to be a sequel to Spawn. I had two partners and the whole thing was a terrible experience. (laughs) I STILL have knife wounds in my back. Anyway, I just wanted to get away from that and make a very small sci-fi film on my own. The film is ok, but it's hard with that kind of budget.

Owen: Tell me about 'Destination Fame'.

Ted: My friend Paul DeAngelo (Sleepaway Camp) wanted us to get together and make a hip-hop film. I'm not a big fan, but figured it might be fun. We produced and directed the film and it had a small theatrical release. We're still looking for a distributor. It has a great cast, AJ Gil from American Idol, Jordan Knight (New Kids On the Block), Joe Jackson (Michael’s father), Cuba Gooding, Mario, Ricky Aiello...and a bunch of very talented artists. The kids seem to like it.

Owen: Looking back to when you were a kid, is there any incident that you can pick out and say, "Yup, that kid was destined to grow up involved in sci-fi/horror flicks"?

Ted: I ALWAYS liked monsters. When I was very young I was home alone when The Thing came on. I was so scared I had to hold pillows around my ears because I couldn't even LISTEN to the music. Finally, during a commercial, I ran over and shut it off. Boy, I couldn't wait till my parents got home that night!

Owen: Tell me about your work as a ghoul in 'The Amityville Curse' (1990).  How did that role come about?

Ted: Oh, that whole thing is a 20-page chapter in itself. A friend asked me to get a special effects crew together for a film being shot in Canada. They fired their guy and I had 2 days to get a crew and get there. I did it and designed a bunch of effects shots for them. Most ended up on the cutting room floor...deemed too intense! In one of them I was a ghoul and kept spitting this gooey stuff onto the actresses face. (laughs) We told her the goo was being sprayed from a mechanical service contained in the mask. I just loaded my mouth up and spit. The film turned out boring. I'd love to get the effects stuff we shot!

Owen: It's interesting - you direct, produce, write, and do special FX as well.  Which brings you the most satisfaction to do and which is the greatest challenge?

Ted: Well, I don't do special effects. I design the effect or creature, but I don't make the thing. I love the whole filmmaking process, but as I get older, writing is the best. I can do that without leaving the house! The most fun you can have is when you finally see everything put together...the film, sound effects, music and special effects.

Owen: So speaking of FX what's your stance between on-set vs. computer generated effects?

Ted: I love them both and I use them both. All these things are just more tools for the artist to use. Can you overuse them? Sure! (laughs) I'd love to have the money to overuse them! If and when I do Deadly Spawn 2, I'll probably have a combination of live action prosthetic creatures and a CGI Spawn Mega-Monster!

Owen: Ted, do you have anything else you want to brag, plug, or inform the www.racksandrazors.com readers about?
 

Ted: I have a film coming out on March 7th from Maverick Ent called This Thing Of Ours. It's a “mob film” I made with Danny Provenzano. We have some top names in it such as James Caan, Frank Vincent, Vincent Pastore, Pat Cooper, Chuck Zito and a great ensamble cast. We've gotten some really good reviews on this one. It had a small theatrical release a few months ago. I also just finished a film called Hell On Earth. It's a fun film filled with prosthetic and computer effects. Hopefully it will be ready in February. Lions Gate is waiting to give it a look. I'm also going to finish my book this year...Making Low-Budget Science-Fiction Films: A Real Horror Story. With some detail it tells the story of putting together a feature film using all my films as a guide. And hopefully, Deadly Spawn 2 and a film called Fountain Avenue for 2006.

Owen: You sound busy. So Ted - what does it for you and why - creatures, aliens, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, witches, psychos...?

Ted: As I said, I love monsters and sci-fi. I'm not a huge fan of the magic stuff such as Harry Potter. You know, if you can make a desk fly across the room, why don't you just make the bad guys heart explode. I can buy a total bullshit story as long as they explain and stick to the rules.

Owen: We are pulling the jalopy into the Ted A Bohus Drive-In Theatre --- what three horror flicks are on the triple bill?

Ted: If you are asking what my favorite films are, it might surprise you. It’s a Wonderful Life, Citizen Kane and Gone With The Wind. A great triple bill. My favorite sci-fi films are: Forbidden Planet, Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing, War Of the Worlds, Shrinking Man, This Island Earth...you know, the usual suspects.

Owen: What scares you in real life?

Ted: Not too much. What I would do to someone hurting a child or animal.... that sort of thing.