Actor Interview:

TRAVIS BOWEN WISHES YOU A DARK XMAS

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.