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TRAVIS
BOWEN WISHES YOU A DARK XMAS by Owen
Keehnen Erie
Pennsylvania native Travis Bowen started
off as a rapper (of all things) under the
name Naz-T and released several albums.
In 2002 he had a small role in Ohio
lensed chiller Ghost Hunt and
the rest is shall we say horror
history. In the time since he has
created and solidly established the
Youngstown Ohio horror/sci-fi convention
Dark Xmas, been in such films as
Descent in Darkness II (as
crazed Dr. Krasnovich), Silo
Jack, the zombie opus Dead
Life, Shadows in the
Woods, Slavez of the
Horrorland (as GASP! HUH?
Red Riding Hood!?!) and Goth Girls
(as an attorney!). And in these three
short years life and career have come
full circle now Travis Bowen is
one of the celebrity guests at horror
conventions! It was fast work and it all
couldnt be happening to a nicer
guy. |
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Q. Hey
Travis, can you start the readers at www.racksandrazors.com off with a visual and
describe the room where you are answering these
questions?
A. The room is covered in autograph pictures
of people I've worked with and people I've met
through the years. Also there are a few
newspaper clippings of things on the walls of
past things I've done with conventions, music,
and films. I guess it's my inspiration room
in a way or a display room, whatever.
Q. You started off as the rapper Naz-T and
released several records. How did that
transition come about - from rap to horror czar?
A. The music was always dark in nature
for the most part, so there wasn't much
transition as far as the theme of my
projects. I had always wanted to make films
but when I was younger I didn't have the
experience or know how, so I guess music was how
I expressed my creativity back then.
Q. I want to hear about how the Shadows
in the Woods trailer came out. Can
you give me a teaser for the movie?
A. Well there is an early trailer
available found on DVD copies of 2020 An American
Nightmare. We kind of rushed to get an
early version of the trailer finished. The
movie itself will wrap this summer, I've spent
close to three years working on it and I think
horror fans will really be into it. It is
also the final film for late actor Michael Sheard
who's best known for playing Admiral Ozzel in
Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back.
Q. I also want to hear about your role as
Dr. Krazonnovic in Stephanie Aldridge's 'Descend
Into Darkness 2' with Demona Bast, Suzi
Lorraine, and Gina Marie Ferraro.
A. We filmed that back in 2003 so it's
been awhile. For the role I thought of the
character being kind of Bela Lugosi like, so
that's what I went with. For the character
I changed my voice and played the character
creepy and drunken.
Q. Now
you started making movies (or being in them
anyway) after your role in 'Ghost Hunt'
in 2002. What about that experience sort of
made it a turning point for you? Did you
want to get into horror movies before that time?
A. Ghost Hunt taught me how not to make
movies, lol. I can't say it was a turning
point; I was pretty much taking any acting work I
could get back then. I think my turning
point came at Chiller back in 1999 after meeting
a few actors who turned out to be pretty
cool. That's when I first met Denice Duff
and Conrad Brooks who both ended up being in my
first movie, Denice did the narration and Conrad
played a dying old man.
Q. You're also starring as Michael Blane in Josh
Maldonado's 'Goth Girls'.
Can you give me a quick description of that
project?
A. Basically I play a lawyer and there's
some girl on girl action. The newest
project that I did for Josh and Doorway
Production is really good. I think it was
called "Kept Secret" but it's for
Creepy Clips Vault 3 and I play a character whose
a little off his rocker and Syn DeVil (from
Stakes) plays my dead girlfriend.
Q. Are Goth Girls made or born?
A. Some are made with the help of
plastic, some are born natural.
Q. And what about 'Slavez of Horror
Land'. Somehow I don't picture you
as the Red Riding Hood type and yet that's your
character's name in the horror flick.
A. Anything for my friends at Doorway
Productions, lol. Ed Wood did it in Glen Or
Glenda so I figured what the hell.
Q. Tell me all about the Dark XMas
convention in the Youngstown Ohio area.
What made you decide to start putting that annual
event together?
A. I moved to the Youngstown Ohio area
back in 1999 and it sucked pretty bad. I
decided I was going to work on changing that so I
did. The first thing I did was put together
a small film and music studio and then put out a
local band compilation CD and documentary.
Then I started working on films plus helping
other indie directors or wannabe directors so we
could start building something right here.
The Dark Xmas convention showcases the local
talent in the area plus we bring in celebrities
who without Dark Xmas wouldn't know that
Youngstown or Warren Ohio exists. I'm also
not stopping there; I recently opened a video
store in Girard Ohio called Movie Carnival that
also carries many independent films that normal
bigwig video stores like Blockbuster, Movie
Gallery, and Hollywood Video don't. My next
goal is to make Movie Carnival a store chain in
the years to come. We'll also carry more
hard to find horror films than anywhere else.
Q. What are the best and the worst parts of
organizing an event like that?
A. The best part of an event like Dark
Xmas is hearing from the fans of the event that
they loved meeting different celebrities that
normally would of never came to this area, such
as a Sid Haig or Leslie Easterbrook. The
worst parts for events such as these are that
some of the celebrities are has beens which is
alright but then you'll get some that aren't that
friendly like a certain one from an hour away
from me in Pittsburgh. My two least
favorites so called celebs are actually both from
this area, one from Pittsburgh and one who was
from the Akron area. The sad thing is that
if it wasn't for these conventions no one would
even know who half these people were if there
name wasn't on the table in front of their 8 x 10
pics that usually cost $20, give me a break,
lol.
Q. That whole area of Northern Ohio and
Pennsylvania is so fertile for indie
horror. Why do you think that is? Do
you have a theory?
A. It's because
the greatest horror movie ever made was done
here, Shadows In The Woods, I mean Night Of The
Living Dead. Maybe it's because me or Tom
Savini lives out here, I mean George Romero,
lol.
Q. Travis, do you have any other projects
you would like to plug or let the racksandrazors
readers know about?
A. Shadows In The Woods, Shadows In The
Woods, and Shadows In The Woods. That's the
project to watch for because it's a really unique
story and it has a great cast of veteran actors
and up and coming actors. Heck the one new
girl Ashley Rozzi who just had a small part
already got a starring role in Bill Schotten's
(director of Dead Life) new movie Sabbath that's
coming out soon. My vet actors for Shadows
are of course Michael Sheard who besides Star
Wars also played Adolph Hitler in Indiana Jones
And The Last Crusade as well as many UK films and
TV shows, Eric Walker who starred in the first
Star Wars Ewok Adventure movie, Lloyd Kaufman
from Troma films, 1950's Ed Wood actor Conrad
Brooks, Robyn Griggs who played on two soap
operas as a teenager, and some other
people.
Q. Okay, we're pulling the car into the
Travis Bowen Drive In. What three horror
flicks are going to be on the triple bill and
what goodies are they serving up at the
concession stand?
A. Plan 9 From Outer Space, Dawn Of The
Dead "original," and my favorite movie
of all time Tim Burton's Ed Wood. Ok, you
said horror flicks sorry, Dawn Of The Dead, The
Devils Rejects, and Bambi 2.
Q. What makes you go psycho in real
life?
A. When an actor can't make it to a
shoot because they have a headache.
Q. What scares you in real life?
A. When people I never heard of somehow
get my cell number and call and ask to be a guest
at Dark Xmas. |
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