TWS Week of Horror Day 9: Daniel Myrick [Interview]

When I was just a young lad of about 14 years old, I came across a story on the internet about a  group of twenty-something who went on a literal documentary style witch hunt and died a mysterious death. And pretty soon their footage was going to be in a theater near me. I was hooked. This was REAL! I was so excited, I logged off of the internet so I could make a phone call to a friend to tell him we HAVE to see this!

This, of course, shows just how damn old I am, but more importantly how vulnerable we once were to brilliant advertising techniques. I am talking of course about the now legendary horror film we all know and love known as The Blair Witch Project. A truly classic film that, in all sincerity, could not truly be replicated, ever. “Found Footage” or handicam oriented pictures have come since, but none of them have been able to, or even tried to, convince us that this was some REAL stuff. And I feel so bad for anyone who was not able to feel that very real sense of terror. The film recently had a very successful sequel hit theaters, so we were very excited to be able to get a few words out of one of the film’s original creators, Mr. Daniel Myrick, who has gone on to do some more amazing work in the last couple of decades since The Blair Witch Project came into fruition. Besides creating one of the highest profit margins imaginable in the world of film, Myrick has continued to bring some amazing work to screen. So please enjoy a few words with the legendary Daniel Myrick!

What made you decided to enter the world of filmmaking, and more specifically the world of horror filmmaking? Was it always a dream of yours?

I’ve always loved movies. When I was a kid my mom bought me my first still camera where I learned how to start thinking in terms of telling stories visually. Eventually, that led to a video camera where I started shooting short films. I’ve always liked the sci-fi/horror/thriller genre and grew up on great films that inspired me at a young age. And yes, it was always a dream to make movies.

It really seems like today’s generation of younger audiences could never fathom the success behind The Blair Witch Project. It truly was our generation’s War of the Worlds, having us all freak the hell out about this “found footage” and going to a theatre to be scared absolutely shitless. Do you feel like something like BWP could happen again? Is it a surreal experience knowing you were a part of something so historical?

I think anything is possible. Blair Witch came along when everyone was getting pretty set in their ways in the horror genre, so it shook things up in a big way. No reason why it couldn’t happen again. And yes, it was (and is surreal) being that Blair was always a ‘small’ movie, by design. We never expected it to become so huge.

What were those initial years like coming off of the surprise success of The Blair Witch Project? Was there a feeling of like, “Well, what the hell do we do now?”

Oh, yeah. Ed and I did a 180 and wanted to go out and do a comedy. Partly out of not wanting to try and jump back into the same genre due to the inevitable comparisons that would be made. However, I consider myself very fortunate to have had such a success in my career and it makes me feel great to know it had such an effect on so many people.

While I absolutely adore The Blair Witch Project, I must confess that I have been truly impressed with the work you have helped get out into the world that may not be as historic. You are the man who brought films like Rest Stop and Sublime to us. You seem to definitely have a gift as a producer as well. So, what are you looking for when you are looking for films to bring to the world of horror? What sort of characteristic are you searching for in a film? Beyond possible profitability, of course.

I like concepts/films that challenge convention. Provocative subjects are what get me excited and I like to try and bring those kinds of stories to the screen, as well as being unpredictable. That’s when it’s really a fun ‘ride’ for me, when you’re not exactly sure where things are going to end up.

I also remember enjoying your 2008 film Solstice quite a bit. You managed to shoot a brilliantly terrifying performance from Elisabeth Harnois that was spectacular. Can you tell us how this project came to life? Where did this surreal story come from in your mind? Is it any way from personal experiences?

Solstice was based on a foreign film called Midsummer. I was approached to write and direct by producer Bill Block (one of the producers at Artisan that bought Blair) and ultimately landed at Endgame Entertainment. It was a great experience to work with Elisabeth. We hit it off immediately during the auditions and really wanted to have a character driven ‘horror/thriller’.
The full fledged reboot of The Blair Witch is now out, in which you were an executive producer for. Can you tell us anything about the premise of this film? What should an anticipating viewer prepare for?

It’s much more in keeping with the original style and mythology of the original, which both Ed and I appreciate. I really like the idea of a whole new generation of film goers having a Blair Witch film to call their own.

Do you have any big plans for this coming Halloween? Any traditions with the family and what not?

I’ve got two kids, so Halloween is a big deal every year. Fortunately, for us, the street above us goes nuts and has a massive ‘block party’ that we always attend. It’s a blast.

What is your favorite scary movie?

Good question and hard to answer. Definitely classics like The Exorcist and The Shining rank up there. But on any given day, Jacob’s Ladder and Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer are still some of the best ever.

What was the last thing that made you a smile?

My kids.

TWS Week of Horror Day 8: John Franklin [Interview]

Isaac from Children of the Corn & Cousin It from The Addams Family are the same person. If you read nothing else of this article, I just want you to know that fact.

Alright, I can only imagine that you are in hook, line, and sinker at this point. How could you not? You have a damn soul, right? Hell, even if you don’t you have to appreciate the weight of the amazing man we have hear on Day 8 of the Week of Horror. It’s fucking John Franklin! This man has contributed so much to the world of horror, and it is an absolute honor that we would even look in our general direction. But, I am pretty sure that TWS celebrates the world of horror films in a way that no one else does, that is why this genius agreed to be anywhere near us. I know that is very Trump like of me to say, but I really believe that is true.

But, enough about us, let’s talk about John. This cat is cool as a cucumber in Antartica. Such a sweet, genuine, and all around nice dude who has made a fascinating career in the world of acting and writing. You may know him for his acting, but he is also a brilliant writer. Read the collage of sentences below and you will probably release that you have always loved his writing. And if you didn’t before, I’m positive you will after this interview.

So, my beautiful Trainwreckers, please enjoy this amazing interview with an amazing and interesting man, Mr. John Franklin!

You made your big break back in 1984 playing the iconic Isaac in the very first and original film adaptation of Stephen King’s Children of the Corn. And 15 years later you reprised your role in Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return, which you also co-wrote with your writing partner Tim Sulka. So tell us if you would, what made you want to return to the insane mind of the Isaac character? And how did you become involved with the writing process?

My writing partner and I wanted to write a sequel since 1984 when the first Corn came out, but no one was doing any. Suddenly, years later 2 through 5 were knocked out. My acting manager had a connection to Dimension/Miramax. We set up a meeting and pitched Isaac’s Return and they were “Great! We were running out of ideas!” They wanted to end the series with 666, but it made so much money, they got greedy and kept kranking them out. I haven’t seen any of them after 666.

Going back to the original film, did you have any idea that Children of the Corn would be such a commercial success, as well as gathering a cult following that would lead to several additions to the saga? Was there a good feeling while shooting this one?

The first Corn was my first feature film so I was more concerned about showing up to the set knowing my lines cold and hitting all of my marks. I had no concept at the time of worrying about box office or sequel potential. I was blissfully naive! Ah, those younger days!

And in one my favorite roles of you, even though we don’t see much of you, you were freakin’ Cousin It on The first two Addams Family movies! Growing up to these films, I loved Cousin It. How was it doing this performance? And more importantly, how was it wearing that extremely long wig? I imagine a “smell” must of occurred after some time, right?

It (no pun intended) was so cool to be Cousin Itt. It was however, an endurance test. During the first film, the costume weighed over 30 pounds! They had me wear a neck brace and this sort of frame to give shape to the costume. I had a battery powered fan, but could only run it between takes. Every 90 minutes I had to get out of the suit for a break. I tried to stay in for many hours the first day, but once they turned those huge lights on, that dark brown costume just become an oven. I had a personal hair wrangler, Vance Hartwell, who took great care of me and the costume. I would drink several gallons of water every day. My complexion was the best of my life! Vance made sure the costume was fresh the next day. Great guy, moved to New Zealand and worked on the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

You also worked with some heavy hitters in those films. The likes of Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, etc. Did you manage to learn some stuff from these powerhouse, theatrically exposed actors?

Chris Lloyd was always in character on set, so you were talking with Fester. I bumped into him once on his way to his station wagon and he was very nice and very shy. Raul was SO much fun on the set, he would burst into opera or show tunes in between takes. On the last press junket there was a two hour delay and he asked me to help him practice his lines for Man of La Mancha. It was an honor and so cool to be treated as an equal with respect. Angelica taught me also to always be humble and to know that everyone has their own issues and insecurities. Arriving at a press junket in NYC, I got onto a crowded elevator to go up to my room for a needed night’s rest before the next day’s 10 – 12 hours of endless reporters. After the doors closed, a voice in the rear of the elevator said, “John? Is that you?” I turned around and there was friggin’ Angelica Huston! Almost nine months after we finished shooting the movie and she remembered MY name and what I looked like! I was stunned! I will never forget that act of CLASS and caring for your fellow actor. She is amazing, not only as an actor but as a human being. I just really teared up, I hadn’t thought of that memory for many years.

As we mentioned previously, your work has extended beyond just acting, you also have a growing list of writing credits, including the graphic novel series Prime Cuts. Can you tell us about this project? How did this come to life, and what does the future hold for Prime Cuts in other mediums?

Prime Cuts started off as a feature film script that my writing partner and I wrote years ago. It is based on the Sweeney Todd legend which was popular back in the Penny Dreadful days. We loved the concept and wanted to do a twisted teenage version of it. Years later, Tim moved to NYC, met some producers who loved it but didn’t have the bucks to make a film, but did for a graphic novel. We adapted the script and Volume One came out over a year ago. It got enough interest and sales to knock out Volume Two which came out earlier this year. You can now download Vol. I for free! Go to Indyplanet.com — hopefully you will like it and buy Vol. 2. We’d love for some producer to see the graphic novel and say, “This would be a great, funny, dark and twisted feature film!” We will then pull out the online file cabinet and send over the script! There are several parts written for me.

I have come to learn that you manage to attend a lot of Cons when you can. How do you enjoy these events? Do the become routine and standardized or are they all individually entertaining?

I wouldn’t say “a lot.” I usually only do 1 – 3 conventions a year. 2014 was Corn’s 30th Anniversary, so I think we did 5 or 6, but that is rare. I don’t want to make my living at conventions as some actors do. I don’t disparage what they do, but I have a very busy life. I do LOVE the ones that I go to. The fans are always so kind, welcoming and down to earth. I mentioned to a fan this past June in Indianapolis that I grew up with White Castle hamburgers. An hour later she came back to my table with a bag of fresh, hot sliders! She didn’t want any money or anything. I insisted that I sign a picture for her, a friend, her dog. She gave in remembering a relative. But seriously, there was nothing but kindness in her gesture. Every convention is unique, but the fans, some with all their tattoos and piercings are some of the greatest people I have ever met.

So what does the future hold for you? Any projects in the works you can tell us about? Anything we should be looking forward to?

I really want to concentrate on my writing.

1. I have written a comedy pilot for Courtney Gains and myself called Horrorfied. In it we play sort of guys like us going to horror conventions. Andy Palmer & Warner Davis, the director and producers of Fun House Massacre have just optioned it and are shopping it around town. Internet, cable, my back yard — wherever! I really love it and want it to come to life. We of course, never make fun of the fans — only ourselves!

2. I have also written a young adult/coming of age novel called, Bad Habits: Tales of a Catholic School Survivor. It really could almost be a memoir of my childhood going to Catholic school in the 1970s. It’s funny, it’s touching, it will make you cry — unless you’re a nun! (JK) I’m currently shopping it around to get a literary agent.

Acting is fun, but writing is my passion.

What is your favorite scary movie?

The answer changes from year to year, but my go to answer is always Halloween. It just hits all theotes for a great scary movie!

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Thinking about the amazing Angelica Huston! I hope I get to work with her once again, perhaps with less hair.

TWS Week of Horror Day 7: Katia Bokor [Interview]

Have you ever seen some do a performance and just feel it in your gut….this person is going to be a STAR! It’s like a rare glimpse into future. We here at Trainwreck’d have caught them before, and were fortunate to be able to grab their attention early on in their career. And today’s interviewee is no exception.

Katia Bokor is not only a beautiful actress, she is an amazingly talented actor, dancer, model, on and on and on. Most recently you may recognize her in the hit horror film Don’t Breathe which she is absolutely excellent in! Or if you are into junk food for the brain, you may remember a gossip rag story involving her and the “artists” formerly known as Brangelina based around her work on World War Z. But, that was bullshit, and should not really be acknowledged. Google it if you really care. No, we want to focus on how wonderful this woman is as an actress. She has so much to offer not just to the world of horror, but to the world of film in general. So please enjoy a few words with the lovely and talented Katia Bokor! Enjoy!

When did you decide you wanted to be an actress? Was it always something you have done or wanted to do?

I moved to Los Angeles in 1999 to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. Before that I was a professional ballerina, danced on the stage of the Bolshoi and the Hungarian State Opera. We had acting class in ballet school, which I rather enjoyed. I actually made a teacher fall of his chair from laughter at one of our acting exams. My coach at the Hungarian Dance Academy, renowned actress Zsuzsa Banki told me back then, that I have made the wrong career choice, and at the age of 24 I realized she was right: my passion is acting.

Recently you appeared in the very successful horror film from Fede Alvarez called Don’t Breathe. Can you tell us a bit about your experience making this terrifying and amazing
film?

Fede Alvarez is a wonderful director, I am very lucky to have worked with him. I am just getting back to acting after a little break of being 100% mommy, and he made me feel very comfortable in front of the camera. In this film my life was spared. I wasn’t terrified till I saw the screening!

Just for fun: If you were handed the chance to perform any strong female in world history, who would it be?

Zelda Fitzgerald

What is not as widely known is that Zelda was a writer, a trained dancer, and an artist in her own right. Some of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous lines are rumored to have been uttered by Zelda. I am a big admirer of Scott and would be honored to portray his muse onscreen.

And what does the future hold for you? Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

I will be appearing in several TV shows(http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2169138/?ref_=nv_sr_1), always playing different characters. I am proud to say, that most likely even my mother wouldn’t recognize me in some of the roles. Would love to show some photos, but not allowed until the shows air. Just as an example,  how I looked in World War Z.

In the spirit of the season, I have to ask, what is your favorite scary movie?

Gremlins!! 🙂

What was the last thing that made you smile?

The other day when I was at my Mom’s house I realized I forgot my mascara and the only one she had was blue. I figured, why not? When I picked up my 3 year old boy from school, he asked me why were my eyelashes blue? I told him, because I was Spider Woman. He replied: “No Mommy, only clowns have blue eyelashes and I don’t want you to look like a clown.” All good, I was never really an 80’s fashion fan anyway.

TWS Week of Horror Day 6: Pete Goldfinger [Interview]

If you haven’t noticed over the years, being that I am sure you are all old time fans who have been reading forever….we love writers. Writers of anything, but we definitely have a predilection towards screenwriters. These days there is a real emphasis on “the writing” on several TV shows. It really doesn’t seem to cross over to writers of films, as it really seemed to, especially in the 90’s. But trust me, they are out there. And we happened to have been given the chance to talk to one. And while “horror” may not Pete Goldfinger’s main focus, he may have fucked up by being just so damned good at it. Goldfinger is the man behind new horror classics like Sorority Row and the reboot of Joe Dante’s original film Piranha, Piranha 3D, that was absolutely fantastic and makes me laugh just thinking about it. That’s what a good horror film will do in the end, right? Make you laugh? Anyway, Pete Goldfinger is a brilliant and charismatic guy, and we are so happy to have him here on the 6th day of our Week of Horror. He’s also very professional, as you will see when I ask him about his upcoming additions to the Saw series. But he can’t hide forever! I will continue to be excited about his upcoming work to the series, and will be seriously pissed if he doesn’t end up having his words put to screen for this series that borders between genius and ridiculousness. But, we are not really here to talk about that. We are hear to talk horror with Pete Goldfinger. So let’s talk!

Sorority Row was released back in 2009 and instantly thrust you into the world of iconic horror writers, along with your writing partner Josh Stolberg. When did you decide you wanted to be in the world of horror? And what attracted you to the horror genre?

First, I would say that we were thrown into the world of “iconic horror writers adjacent.” Josh Stolberg (my writing partner) and I were mostly comedy guys who hobbied in horror, but after remakes of Dawn of the Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out to big box office in 2003/2004, Josh came to me and said, “They’re going to remake all of ‘em. We need to find some titles to try to reboot.” We went to the people who owned the rights to Sorority Row and Piranha, and suddenly, our hobby become our career.

kinopoisk.ru

Josh and you definitely make a wonderful team. What do you think it is that makes you a great writing team?

Josh and I actually met in 1987 at the University of Vermont. I played Officer Shrank in Josh’s directorial debut of West Side Story. You need to have good balance. In our case, I provide the good, and he provides the shitty. No, Josh is all about big picture stuff (kills, set pieces and the like) where I think I take point on characters and relationships. So I’ll amend my first statement to say, “He’s all flash while I’m substance.”

When you were writing Piranha 3D, how closely were you trying to keep to Joe Dante’s original script?

It was a complete reboot. We loved his, but we knew that the real star was the Piranhas.

Were you at all surprised by the runaway success of Piranha 3D? Did your words come out on the screen as you had pictured them?

I think what you mean to say is were we surprised by the critical runaway success of Piranha 3D. Alex Aja is a genius. Everything you may have liked about that movie goes to him. Although we will take credit for the fact that, at least until this moment, we are still the only horror film to ever feature Jerry McConnell having his penis eaten by fish. You’re welcome, America.

I understand you have been tagged to write the next installment in the legendary Saw franchise. So, what can we expect to see, without spoiling too much? Are you planning to stick to the original feel of the other films?

Is that what you’ve heard? Well, if it’s true, I have no comment.

So what else do you have happening? Anything else you’d like to tell us about?

We’re actively working on a 13 part limited TV series very much in the spirit of The Hill Have Eyes.

Do you have any plans for Halloween this year? Any traditions?

Yes, our family has a tradition that I dress like a rabbi while my wife and daughters dress as “embarrassed family of a guy dressed like rabbi.”

What is your favorite scary movie?

Too many to count. I’m a sucker for any crappy one from the 70s where nobody can act, but most recently I was a big fan of the first Cold Prey and Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In.

My favorite older horror film is The Shining. I know, boring, but I think I know every line from that movie.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Overheard from my daughter’s bedroom: “Cassie, if you’re ever in a Looney Toons cartoon and somebody asks you if you want one lump or two with your tea, just say none.”

TWS Week of Horror Day 5: Dom Frank [Interview]

When scrolling through Dom Frank’s credits on IMDB, you may not see too many listed. But, if you really take a closer look, you will discover that you have stumbled upon someone who may be a real god damned genius. Especially when it comes to the world of horror. I swear to you, this man will someday be the Woody Allen of horror filmmaking. His two largest offerings of note to date, The Church and Apnea, are both amazing films that are truly unique. More unique than most of the films you probably already consider unique. There has been a sort of stagnation in the horror world where there is no real yearning to come up with an ENTIRELY original story, but would rather just try to move in on an idea that has been done, and the filmmaker will make it their own. Which is fine. But, originality is not something to be ignored. And Dom Frank has done it. Twice. After you spend some time reading this great interview below, it would definitely behoove you to check out his amazing films, and I guarantee you are going to be left yearning for whatever he will do next.

So, folks, here is Dom Frank!

What made you want to be a filmmaker? And more specifically, what made you want to get into the world of horror?

Since I was a kid I have always enjoyed the art of storytelling. Also being able to let your imagination run wild and actually visualize it is one of the things that attracted me to horror.

Can you tell us a bit about Apnea? It seems like a very clever piece of art. Where did this idea come from?

Actually one of my producers is a pulmonologist and he deals a lot with sleep disorders and sleep medicine. It came from some of the crazy events that people, who are battling sleep medicine, have to deal with. We are all fans of horror so I decided to flip it into a story. At this time we are actually in the process of beginning casting so that we can reshoot the entire film, this time with a few names attached.

I am also fascinated with The Church, which also seems like a very interesting film. How was it taking on the religious aspect in the world of horror?

Very challenging. We filmed in an actual church so there were certain things we couldn’t do but , we were able to make up for it with creative additions to the script . So the filmed morphed more into a religious thriller with horror-esque elemtents and my team is very happy how it turned out. The idea came from issues that a lot of older churches face – old buildings and developers looking to gobble them up. Then sprinkle in the element of sinful humans and you have tons of issues to create a thought provoking yet uneasy environment that even the most hard-nosed religious person can grasp and enjoy. I will be announcing distribution details in the near future!

So, what is next for you? Any other future projects in the works?

Besides reshooting Apnea, I have a TV pilot that I wrote and directed that I am beginning to shop around. I have a few other films in the pipeline as well so keep your eyes out for them!
So, do you have any big plans for this coming Halloween? Any traditions?

No traditions for Halloween. I usually just people watch to catch the coolest costumes that people can come up with. And of course, hand out candy to the kids. Believe it or not, I am very easily spooked, which is why I like doing the spooking. LOL.
What is your favorite scary movie?

Jeepers Creepers. So much that I even got the same editor to edit my film. Ed Marx. I have learned so much about horror and directing just by editing this film that Apnea will be a game changer for me as far as horror presentations.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I just smiled this morning when I watched the dialog fixes for The Church because I was happy that they were able to use the production lines instead of ADR lines for a scene that we filmed in a noisy bar.

Some more stills from The Church, you have to watch this fucking movie:

TWS Week of Horror Day 4: John Migliore [Interview]

TWS Week of Horror Day 3: Sadie Katz [Interview]

Oh, we got another great one for you fine readers today! We managed to steal some words from the amazingly talented actress that this win the horror world will definitely recognize. The wonderful Sadie Katz! We will just go ahead knock this out first….she is obviously a stunningly beautiful woman, and does not shy away from on screen nudity. Alright? We got that out, now back to what really matters….she’s cool as fuck! And she is talented as all hell, in and out of the world of horror. We take a bit of focus on horror for this interview, but she is an all around delight and has contributed so much to the world of cinema, and it is an honor to have her grace these digital page. We will be forever grateful! Yes she is a beautiful person on the outside, but her wit and charisma on the inside is what really knocks us dead! She’s been the hero, the villain, the tortured, the torturer, the dying, the dead, and so much more!

So with that, let’s stop gushing over the lady and check out what she has to say! Enjoy!

When do you think it was that you first realized you wanted to get into the world of acting? And what keeps you wanting to continue on?

The first part of your question is a crazy easy one- it’s sorta silly and obvious for me but, and I hope I don’t sound like an asshole but, I’m just an actress by nature. Like, I just have alway been an actress. Like that little girl who is overly dramatic and intense and everyone in their family goes…oh that’s Sadie…she’s such an “actress.” So, as a kid when there was a talent show (I’m showing that I’m a kid of the 80’s) you’re like oh, I’m an actress I’m suppose to sign up for those. Or if there’s a community theatre play I’m like dying to audition and it’s the only thing I think about all year waiting for the annual auditions because I’ve already been identified as an “actress” the same way when a boy (or girl) grows up he’s a sports nut and knows all the baseball players and his whole room is baseball- I had Marilyn Monroe pictures and did monologues and such. I was always writing plays and forcing my friends to watch me perform. My grade school didn’t have drama so I wrote a play and asked my principal to let me have an assembly and put it on in front of the entire school. I’m sorta bragging, but not really, I was a nerdy kid. I’m a nerdy adult. Loving acting is kind of a curse. It’s something you have such little control over. You are constantly scared of never working. They call it getting the “fever.” It’s a sickness. When you’re working you’re stoked when you’re not you’re obsessing about when you’re going to be working again. My son is the only thing that keeps me kind of chill about the whole thing.

I don’t have a lot of reasons why I want to continue really except I’m in too deep. It’s like I’m a gambler and I’ve already kind of been at the table a little longer than I should have…I put all my damn chips at the table. I have like, twenty dollars in my pocket not really enough to walk away and I’m competitive I hate to lose and maybe I’m in Vegas- not like at the high end table but, broke Vegas. So, I put the $20 bucks down on double zeros because, I’m silly like that (I’m talking roulette) and I hit it…I think I’m gonna win millions but, it’s old Vegas so I get just enough to keep playing. I’m making it sound really sad but, truthfully it’s fun when you’re up. I mean I’m a grown up and my job is basically to run around playing pretend. It beats sitting at an office.

It wouldn’t be completely fair to simply label you as a “horror actress” or “scream queen”, as your work is all across the board. But, being that this is our Week of Horror, I have to ask what do you enjoy about working in the world of horror/suspense films?

Being on a horror set is really, really crazy. But, as an actor it’s so very strange. Here’s the idea at some point you are going to be doing something super embarrassing in front of a lot of people and they’re going to be hoping that you are fully committed. Let me explain- normally in a horror film you are going to be doing one of two things: either begging for your life or taking someone else’s life…this will probably involve a lot of screaming and slobbering or a superiorty complex in buckets. And let’s be honest maybe, possibly after you do this screaming and sobbing you might have to a couple scenes later [where you] maybe show a boob or two. This is weird. What’s weirder is having a bunch of people watching this happen and then having lunch with them later. A horror crew works their asses off because the commitment has got to be in such heightened levels from everyone- I feel like I fall in love with everyone on set because I’m trusting them with the rawest emotions I can bring and they act like I’m a normal person after.

Another thing…this being Week of Horror- I’ve been lucky enough to play the “evil” character on a few occasions- this is so damn fun to me because, you really have to get in the head of the other actor you’re playing opposite of or you’ve failed. You want them to believe you for a second because, ultimately that’s what acting comes down to the suspension of disbelief. Horror films are super fun because they’re normally ridiculously crazy circumstances if you can get your brain to get lost in that…it’s different than acting in any other genre. I’m not sure how healthy it is for you long term, but it’s a rush.

When I did Wrong Turn 6 I was working with a bunch of cuties fresh from very elite schools in London I fell in love with all these boys they were wonderful and well trained in theater and this was their first film I had the privilege to rape them in the woods, smother them with my vagina you know a normal day at work all while trying to play an actually sweet, broken character. In Blood Feast, I got to play against seasoned film actor Robert Rustler as the Goddess Ishtar who was the yin to my yang there’s something so strange about trying to provoke someones deepest darkest sickest side in the space of a film set and let them tweak with yours that I would say is oddly therapeutic. Hmmm…this is turning out to be a very strange reply…I’ll let you and your readers mull over that for a while.

I have recently become informed about a great little film that you co wrote with writer/director Mark Jones that is absolutely intriguing known as Scorned. I know there is an interesting back story to this one, and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind sharing a bit about that to our readers, and what are your overall thoughts of this project as a whole?

Scorned! This is my first Writer’s Guild Credit and I feel like it’s Christmas every time I get a green envelope in the mail. Here’s the real story of how it all came about that I haven’t really shared with anyone before so…Exclusive!!!

I’m feeling cheeky! Mark Jones and I were fans of Misery…we were going thru break ups and talking about crazy women. I was acting especially crazy towards a boyfriend who cheated on me – forgive me this was a long time ago and I grew from that. Promise. Anyway. I hadn’t had a lead in a film yet and truthfully it was fucking killing me. Killing me. K-ill-ing me. Mark wanted to direct a film too and hadn’t directed anything since this really cool little sleeper called Triloquist. Check it out it’s pretty weird and funny and kind of got buried.

Anyway, we had just finished writing a really cool script together we couldn’t get sold because the budget was too high so we decided to write a single location low-budget- that I could be the lead in about a girl off her meds, whose boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend and she lures them to the beach house and she tortures them and tries to teach them a lesson…kind of a Misery but with younger people. We even named the lead character Sadie. Which in retrospect was kind of embarrassing because she’s not a nice character.

Well…two years later I’m now a working actress but, nothing really has been released and it’s just sorta the beginning. We get a call and Anchor Bay picks up Scorned which is a big fucking deal. Very exciting. But, when I was there on the phone with our agent and Mark I knew that meant I wouldn’t even get a chance to audition so we are being offered a lot more money on the script from Anchor Bay but, tears are running down my face because, I didn’t care about the money I wanted to play the character… it was a strange feeling to know it’s a huge damn deal to get your script picked up as a writer by a very cool company like Anchor Bay but, to not even be in the running or considered to act in the project… Anchor Bay gets to pick the leads- their money their choice- Anna Lynn McCord ended up playing the lead and you know what? She’s fucking brilliant. She carries the film. She makes a lot of the same choices I would have made. I hope that doesn’t sound – well, whatever I mean that sincerely, Mark and I wrote that character with a specific voice and she picks up exactly in that voice. I have a feeling she understands crazy. The film is fun. It was suppose to be fun. That’s all. It’s suppose to be tongue in cheek. A lot of reviewers missed that. It’s like…What’s that movie James Franco just did? Oh, umm…Mother, May I Sleep With Danger? I loved that movie. Sue me.

And to bring it all back around, you were featured in the great horror/thriller House of Bad, created by our old friend and former TWS interviewee Jim Towns. Can you tell us a bit about your experience on this project? Was it as exciting as the film turned out to be?

I love that you asked me this question! I’d marry you but, my boyfriend would get super pissed. It’s so weird now because Towns is like a major part of my life. I mean he’s an editor producer on my doc but, when I’m not working with him I am texting him or bitching with him about something. I should include I love his wife Betty Lou too…she’s a belly dancer by the way. Anyway House of Bad. I have a lot of friends from that project because, it was a film family. For real. One of the producers, Dorota is having a birthday this weekend. I don’t remember what it’s like not to have HOB as part of my life. It was a crazy shoot because Sirah was just going thru it. Every fucking scene was so intense. We shot so fast and furious I felt like Jim and I really trusted each other in filming just naturally. When I was cast I originally read for Teig- Which would have been strange because I gave a pretty spazzy read for Teig and I think it would have made for a long ass movie. Sirah is me. I am naturally a very vulnerable person but, I’m not a dummy. I’m so proud of that film because it’s not your normal cabin in the woods film and as much as we were all working our asses off there was genuinely a lot of love and respect between the cast and crew and that’s mostly because Towns was super prepared. I’ll say too that a lot of work was put in by the producers of the film in the film’s ending to make sure everyone got it right – reshoots and just attention to detail, inserts- I mean I’ve done some “cabin in the woods” films since and my heart’s breaking because really everyone just like “moving forward, fuck it…” and I’m like why aren’t we giving it 100 percent? Sometimes when people do low budget horror they don’t really care about the finished product. I was spoiled by House of Bad because, I kind of assumed everybody would be like this. They’re not. Sorry this answer is long…Ha, so in summary – what made the process so damn exciting is when people care a lot to give 150 percent. You feel that on set and the cast and crew start to realize you may have something special, that’s how it felt on the set of HOB. That’s why it felt special.

I noticed that you are set to be an “remake”(?) of the classic Blood Feast, which was originally directed by a past TWS interviewee Herschell Gordon Lewis (Another past TWS interviewee). He even has a role in the new film, over 50 years after the original! So, is there anything you can tell us about this film? What has been your experience?

We made it! It’s out! Well it came out at Frightfest in London and then it’s coming out in New York in October! It’s got awesome reviews! Look it up on IMDB and Facebook! Okay, I know I just gushed about House of Bad…so, I don’t want you to think I just gush about everything I’m in. Or to take away from one project to the other because, these are special…Marcel Walz is the director of Bloodfeast. He’s the sweetest! He’s a genius! He’s in Germany- which is where we filmed. Herschel Gordon Lewis makes a guest appearance!!! As well as starring Robert Rustler, Caroline Williams and Sophie Monk. This film was a-ma-zing to make. And it looked unfuckingbelieveable. If you don’t like remakes…this is one film where it’s not like an insult to the original. I mean the original was made on a shoe string so, it’s like okay and cool. Marcel is very stylish- he adds a lot of glamour to a very gory, blood bath. The score of the film is just amazing. Roland Freitag is the DP and it just has this quality. I think it’s really special… I play the Goddess Ishtar which truthfully kind of scared the fuck outta me! Everyone called me Goddess on set which was funny and fun but, I was like oh god- I’m walking around basically naked and what if everyone is like, really? Goddess? But, we did something really cool with her character that is really smart- and played really well with Robert Rustler’s character that I think puts him in league with a lot of the horror villains- also Roland made me look great and for that I should send him a big smooch! Also, I should add there was a hell of a lot of love on that set. Just buckets full.

Photo by Alexander Desch

What exactly does Sadie Katz do in her down time? When you’re not playing different characters on screen as a job, what else do you do to enjoy your life?

I have a 15 year old son, Griffin who is the funniest person on the planet who I get to drive around a lot which as you can imagine is really fun. When he hangs out with me I pretend I’m 15 which I actually feel like I am most the time anyway. My boyfriend Nick who is British which means he talks a lot fancier than I do and everyone thinks he way more interesting than I am…has been making me watch the show The Magicians which I started off saying is really nerdy but, now I am kind of secretly obsessed with it’s like Buffy 2.0 (well, almost) I’m also really in to playing Rummy and Board games, cooking and a lot of stuff that makes me sound really boring. I love live theater which also means that normally I’m one of the younger people in the audience! Why don’t more people see live theater??? I like yoga and lots of other stuff too. You know, groupon stuff.

So what is new for you? You’re constantly working, is there anything we can expect to see you doing in the near future?

Yes! I’m so excited and proud of this I’ve been working on it forever…well over two years, my first directing project! I have a documentary coming out in 2017 called Bill Murray Experience about my quest to have a “Bill Murray Experience”. Please be on the look out for it and tell your friends! It’s been a passion project and I am very indebted to anyone who shares anything about it!

Here’s the trailer check it out if you will :

What is your favorite scary movie?

My answer to this sometimes changes I don’t know why but, I will say Black Swan was so damn scary to me. I watched it in the theater and I was like having serious anxiety. Cringing and freaking the hell out. My friend I was with was like why are you so quiet? And I was like: That is my biggest fear ever. He goes turning into a swan? No, like, losing yourself so much you just stop knowing what’s real or not and the crazy mom. Yeah. Mila is pretty hot in that too.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My boyfriend and my son and my dog make make smile every single day.

TWS Week of Horror Day 2: Paul M. McAlarney [Interview]

If you will allow it, the internet can be an amazing source of great entertainment and endless knowledge. It has always been a tool I have tried to use for the positive. And one of the main positives has been discovering amazing folks like Paul M. McAlarney. For long time readers of this rag of a website I call bliss, it will probably come to the surprise of no one that I discovered Paul through the amazing talent I have continuously followed from the great city of Boston, a place I have only seen digitally tossed into ruins via an Xbox. But, I find so much good shit coming from there, it’s hard to ignore.

Long story short, McAlarney has worked with two former Bostonians, Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola, who I have geeked out about over the years, and have been fortunate enough to have guested on TWS, and featured several times over. So, it only felt right to reach out to Paul to learn more about the why he awesome enough to be in good company!

Paul released the amazing horror/comedy(?) Honky Holocaust that I recommend to everyone with a pulse. He is also becoming a fixture in the Troma world, which is an amazing feat in itself. If you follow his work, you are bound to find a Lloyd Kaufman feature in there somewhere. Overall, the guy is a force to be reckoned with in the horror community. I don’t like to give too many guarantees, but I guarantee you are going to love this guy, and especially love the work he has done.

Alright, time for a digital conversation with Paul M. McAlarney!

What made you decide to become a filmmaker? And more specifically, why the world of horror? Also, would you consider yourself a “horror” filmmaker?

I’ve always been a cinephile. But even before that I was obsessed with writing. Before I could even spell my name I was “writing” books and renting them out to family members for a nickel each. My love for films led me to write screenplays, and after ten years of writing countless scripts, I realized that the only way they’d ever see the silver screen is if I put them there myself; nobody cared about the stuff I was writing and how could I blame them? Everybody thinks their movie ideas are great so why listen to me or read my scripts? But I was done wasting my time and effort. My friend Greg Lavoie and I wrote a silly web-series, recruited a volunteer cast and crew, and shot the thing. The DP we recruited was Nick Norrman, who Greg and I had previously lived and worked with, and Nick asked me to direct a short b-horror film he wanted to produce, since I had a little directing experience with the web-series. I did it because I felt like I owed him for shooting our series, but I had so much fun doing the gore and directing cheesy 80s horror styled one-liners that I abandoned comedy and went 100% into b-horror and exploitation. The latter had always been my favorite genre, even before I knew what it was called. I don’t consider myself a true horror director because I don’t make scary movies. But most people don’t know what the fuck exploitation or grindhouse style cinema is so I just call it horror rather than repeat myself over and over.

 So, Honky Holocaust. Such an amazing film, and a brilliant concept for a film. Tell us, where did the idea of this film come from, and how did it feel to have the legendary Troma pick it up for distribution?

Why thank you, Ron. Can I call you Ron? I’ll pretend you said “yes”. Ron, truth be told, I came up with the majority of the plot for Honky Holocaust while taking a shit. Nick Norrman and I had been filming stuff for my web-series one day and afterward, while we were dumping the footage, he suggested we do a feature film. He was also in the middle of showing me clips from the Italian Mondo film Goodbye Uncle Tom, and I was falling in love with the uncensored portrayal of black slaves slaughtering white slave-owning families. To me it was like, “this is what anti-racist cinema really should look like. Anything else is just watered-down white guilt.” In my opinion, white people who don’t get mad about racism are racist, and are no better than the slave owners of pre-Civil War America. Fuck people nowadays too who live in the “north”, think racism is a problem of the South, and thought Crash (2004) was a good anti-racist movie. It’s a white movie for white people. And the north is just as racist as the south. Anyway, I wanted to express my anger about the stagnant condition of the civil rights movement and i needed to take a shit too. So I went down to the bathroom, took a seat, and started thinking. Within ten minutes I had most of the plot structure outlined in my head. I told Nick the premise, he dug it, and the rest is history. From day one of production we wanted it to look like a Troma film, so having them pick it up not only felt right, it was a dream come true. We all grew up on Troma.

 And what do you personally love about this film?

Everything. I’m a whore for epic proportions. Thats why I have to struggle to write a script with less than 100 cast members. I love the Spaghetti Western styled cinematography Nick pulled off, I love the epic punk and hip/hop soundtrack and the Ennio Morricone and John Carpenter influenced score, I loved the fire on the hilltop that had us all worried we were going to burn the forest down, I loved the unnecessary topless biker, I love the maggots in the pussy and dick, I love the True Romance inspired sex scene, I love the mythological nature of Lucius the Gardener, I love the fruit-throwing mob, I love the shootout in the penthouse, I love the two cops… i could go on and on. I also love that reviewers have called it “racist” AND “anti-white liberal bias” hahaha.

I’ve noticed that you have more Troma related work in the works, what is that experience like working in that realm?

All of our films will have an unavoidable Troma feel. We can’t help it, it’s in our blood. As of right now, we don’t know who will be distributing any of our films other than Honky Holocaust, but we have featured Lloyd Kaufman in each of our features and cast Elizabeth D’Ambrosio, the head of PR at Troma, in our latest feature, The Streets Run Red. Working with Troma, both directly and indirectly, has been a trip and a half. They’re an awesome, humble, wacky bunch of guys and girls, Lloyd and Michael are both totally down to earth, and I love that they dig our stuff because we totally dig all their stuff. If Troma wound up distributing all of our films, I certainly would not be disappointed!

Can you tell us a bit about Ungovernable Films? How did this happen? And what are you most proud of about the company?

When we made Honky Holocaust, it was under the production company name “Bloody Hammer Films”, which was a short-lived (about 14 months) company that Nick Norrman and I had founded in 2012. We immediately brought on Mike Collari and Thomas Delcarpio, two filmmakers we had been working with on short films before Honky Holocaust, and then we brought on several more people while filming Honky Holocaust, but once the film was done it was clear that the group we had formed was not compatible, to say the least. We decided to more or less dissolve Bloody Hammer Films and I created Ungovernable Films, bringing Bloody Hammer alumni Nick Norrman and Alex E Edwards on board, as well as Dave Sullivan, who was an actor in Honky Holocaust and had proven himself to be incredibly multi-talented and driven. Ungovernable Films’ first task was to finish post-production on Honky Holocaust, and then we set out to produce the punxploitation film, The Ungovernable Force, my second feature. I love Ungovernable Films because the four of us really gel; we each have our strengths – Alex is the responsible one and the businessman; Dave is the people person and handles all our casting and smooth-talking; Nick is the cinematic genius and our in-house grindhouse expert; I do most of the writing and directing, and I steer the ship. But what makes me the proud daddy of Ungovernable Films is its ability to stand on its own; we’re starting to have people from all over the world contact us to tell us how much they love what we’re doing, and people in the Boston independent film industry are beginning to know the name Ungovernable Films, even though they might not know me, or Dave, or Alex, or Nick, and even though we’re a pretty young film company.

 So, our avid TWS readers may be excited to know that you have worked alongside, and seem to be pretty friendly with TWS regulars Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola. And both being so fantastic at what they/you do, it’s not really that much of a surprise. But, can you tell us how you managed to work with and know one of our favorite partnerships in the world of art?

Sophia Cacciola and Michael J Epstein are two of our favorite people in the world. They have helped us out so many times on our films and I feel like we’ve never done much in return aside from forcing Michael to film pornography and setting off their smoke detectors while filming a scene on their treadmill. While we were doing the kickstarter for Honky Holocaust, Michael and Sophia were doing their kickstarter for their first feature, TEN. Somehow they realized that TEN, Honky Holocaust, and another film called Fat all had something in common – they were socially-conscious exploitation feature films being produced in Boston that year. So, Michael and Sophia did what Michael and Sophia do best: they got the director(s) of each film together for a forum on “intellexploitation” in Somerville, MA. I mean, isn’t that what anybody would do if they found out that three films of the same broad genre were being produced in the same metropolitan area? No? Well, that’s what Michael and Sophia do. And thank god for that because we’ve been good friends ever since and they’ve helped us out a ton in one way or another with just about all of our films since. Sophia has allowed us to kidnap Michael on numerous occasions, wrote and recorded a song for our film The Ungovernable Force, allowed us to film a scene on their treadmill, and much much more. Michael has been on set with us as a cameraman or sound mixer more times than he cares to admit and has assisted in countless other ways as well. They’re a fantastic pair and I’m sure they’ll continue to involve themselves in our films and other projects much to their chagrin but our enjoyment, even though they’ve moved to Los Angeles to try and get away from us.

What else have you got in store for the future? Anything else we should be looking forward to from your amazing brain?

It’s odd because the film industry seems to move at such a slower pace than the rest of the world, since it can take years for a film to go from pre-production to public release, and Honky Holocaust is no exception. We finished filming Honky Holocaust in the Spring of 2013 and it is just now getting released on Blu-Ray, three and a half years later. So when you say “the future” it also includes the past three years, since most of what we filmed in that time hasn’t seen the light of day yet, but will soon. Anyway, to answer your question, the first thing we filmed after Honky Holocaust was 12 Rounds For The Loaded, a nihilistic “torture western” short film available for free on youtube (https://youtu.be/EGI6dXQYL78). After that we filmed The Ungovernable Force, our most ambitious production to date with a long list of b-horror and punk rock cameos and is hitting festivals as we speak (Arizona Underground Film Festival, Fright Night Film Fest, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre Horror Film Fest, Terror Film Festival, to name a few) and the official trailer is available on youtube (https://youtu.be/7EzMsKi0bw4). Then we did Gay Jesus, an anti-homophobia horror comedy short that we released for free on youtube (https://youtu.be/ebbMHYbZabA). We did two short films, Smoothie and Maul My Children, for horror film anthologies 60 Seconds to Die and Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels, respectively, which will both be available on DVD within the year. The last thing we shot was The Streets Run Red, a serial killer feature film, which is still in post production, but the teaser trailer is available on facebook and youtube (https://youtu.be/-EbdBkSFJKc). I’ve got several dozen more outlines in the works for future films, so don’t expect us to go away any time soon!

What is your favorite scary movie?

Favorite scary movie… well, most movies that I find truly scary usually aren’t movies that I like cinematically, and vice a versa. Unfortunately, in order for a movie to scare me nowadays it needs to use CGI, which I loathe, so I’m in a bit of a paradox there. So I’ll have to answer this question in a few parts. The movie that scares me the most to this day is The Conjuring. It scared the shit out of me. But there’s a good deal of CGI (ew…) and it’s not a great movie (it’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a movie I would watch for cinematic value). My favorite horror movie is Cannibal Holocaust, but it didn’t scare me at all, so I don’t consider it a scary movie. So, if I cross-reference movies I’ve enjoyed for their cinematic value and movies that still scare me, only two movies really fall into both categories: The Exorcist and The Legend of Hell House. Because practical special FX are so important to our style of filmmaking at Ungovernable Films, I can’t bring myself to respect the use of CGI. I can only really forgive its use in a small handful of movies, and sometimes it will ruin an otherwise good movie for me. My general rule is: if you can’t film it with a camera, it shouldn’t be in a film.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

When I realized that my DVD queue on Netflix included 498 movies so I could add two more movies to it before I hit the 500 movie cap again.TW

TWS Week of Horror Day 1: Jody Wheeler [Interview]

Welcome back Everyone to an all new Week of Horror! It is that magical time of year where blood and murder and chaos are not only acceptable, but preferred! And we hare kicking this off with some great words from writer, director, producer, up and coming cult leader, all sorts of things doer, Jody Wheeler. Hardcore horror fans will know him as the man behind the new classic, 2014’s The Dark Place. But, his work has spread across so many different genres, and has even been a championing of sorts of the LGBTQ community. Which is definitely something you should support and look more into, but we are hear to talk about the HORROR! Oh the HORROR! Jody has a new film, WTF, coming soon that I seriously believe will blow all of your feeble minds.

With that, please enjoy this digital conversation with Jody Wheeler!

Can you tell us a bit about the upcoming film WTF!, which you are an executive producer on, that looks absolutely terrifying, yet so much fun?

Yes! I really think it is. Classic group-of-friends go to the woods story and mayhem ensues. This time, there’s some nice wordplay, betrayal, treachery, classic video gaming, and a wonderful moment in keeping with the title of the movie, one where you question everything you’ve seen. There’s also boobs, butts, and blood. But no one ever watches a movie for that. 🙂

Your 2014 film The Dark Place has seemed to become one of those cult thrillers that I’ve heard nothing but good things about. Can you tell us a bit about why you wanted to make this film? What was your end goal, and do you feel like you accomplished what you were trying to do? (P.S. I feel like you must have, because it is so great!)

Thank you for the cult remark. I’ve always wanted to be a cult leader. That whole “hoods-in-candles-and-shadow” has always been a favorite look of mine.

The story came from a collision in my brain between a family drama and twist and turning thriller. I think I was also watching too many BBC mysteries, too. I blended that all together with some humor for flavoring and think I got a pretty good movie out of it. Even though the script is original and not based on an existing series — the car crash was in my mind after all — I imagined I was adapting the first book in a series of mystery novels, trying to set up a hero and his relationships with those he loves and the larger world. You’d want to see him in future adventures as he traveled the world, hoping just maybe you’d run into Keegan (and Wil) if you had troubles of your own that needed solving. They are great characters and I’m proud to have shared them with the world.

You have a wide range of work in your catalog, definitely not just horror and thrillers. But, given that this is Horror Week, can you tell us how much you enjoy working on more frightening projects?

I love scary movies. I’m not a big torture-porn fan, but things like Poltergeist or Let the Right One In or Bug are such a trip. The real world suddenly goes sideways and you are up to your earlobes in doom, with no good options, and no idea if you are the virgin who survives the movie, the first friend to die or, worst on worst, you are actually destined to survive until the last few minutes, and are then taken out by some other twisted fiend. That’s why I love them. Since I’m also a big scifi fan, if the horror film is also scifi or the scifi film is also horror — like The Mist or Event Horizon – even better. To that end, I have a project I’m working on now. It’s horror, with a bit of comedy and scifi added into the mix.

What does the future hold for you? Any other projects you might be working on that you would like to talk about?

With my business partner, Steve Parker, we’re working on the release for WTF!, taking a short he directed called Love, Colin out and around to various film festivals, and working to get that comedy-horror off the ground, plus working on a co-production for a YA time-travel adventure series. So basically, I’m slacking. We’re hoping to be able to announce the comedy-horror project in the next few months.

Do you have any big plans for this coming Halloween?

If that cult-leader thing comes through, I’m hoping the stars will finally be right so I can have my cult open the gate at R’lyeh and bring the Old Ones back through, destroying reality as we know it. Otherwise, I’ll just go to a party.

What is your favorite scary movie?

Oh, there are so many: Alien for the sheer epic isolation of it all. A Nightmare on Elm Street because the idea of exploding into gore after being sucked into the bed always freaks me out. Evil Dead 2 because that was the first time I realized you could laugh so hard your sides hurt while watching someone get their sides ripped out. Ben & Arthur because never has a love story between two men been more bereft of both love and a story (and skill, and talent, and visuals, and sound and…) than that film.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I smile a lot, so that’s a generally hard one. I will say my most recent unexpected smile came yesterday, on a walk through the marina near my house, when I came across a yacht with a helicopter on the back. Clear canopy two seater. Blades folded in. Lashed an attached to the ample back of this beautiful boat. It’s was right out of a Bond film. Easily stood there for ten minutes. Would have marveled longer if the bald guy with the scar and monocle, and stroking a white cat hadn’t told me to move on…