Victor Mathieu [Interview]

Welcome to Day 11 of Trainwreck’d Society’s Annual Month of Horror Showcase! We have a fully loaded month of all things horror for you fine folks! October is our favorite month for this very reason, and we are so excited to share 31 full days of film showcases and interviews with some of the finest folks from the world of horror, just as we have been doing for the last 6 years. What started as a simple 5 day showcase, has now blossomed into a full blown month long event. You’re going to love this! Enjoy!

Hello Folks! We have an incredible interview for you fine folks which we have wanted to have on the site for quite a long time. In fact, I believe our guest was meant to be on last year, but schedules permitting, he was unable to make it. But, we are so excited that he is with us here today to grace our digital pages. It’s Victor Mathieu! Victor has worked in a plethora of fields in the world of film and television, and in several different genres. But his work in the world of horror has been especially compelling. And that is essentially what we are here for this month, amiright? In recent years, he has developed two extremely compelling horror flicks that I truly cannot say enough great things about. Those would be The Monster Project and Dead List. The latter being distributed by our friends at High Octane Pictures, who regular readers will recognize as a company we have featured so much work from over the years.

Victor kicked off his career as production assistant on such amazing projects like An Inconvenient Truth and Mamma Mia, and has worked his way into our hearts as one of today’s finest talents. And we are so excited to have him finally be a part of our Month of Horror series. So Folks, please enjoy some wonderful words fro the great Victor Mathieu!

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What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment and filmmaking? Was it an early aspiration you can always remember having since your youth, or did you just find yourself in this world one day?

I discovered a love for the arts through music at an early age. When I was young, I was in a band and fell in love with being on stage, so I pursued acting. Through that, I discovered a passion for directing. I went on and directed a few films and other content, until just about two years ago during which I closed that door to produce full time.

What was your first paid gig in the world of entertainment? And were there any kind of lessons learned from this project that still affect your work today?

My first gig in LA was working for Lawrence Bender at A Band Apart. I was a part time production assistant on an Oscar winning documentary he produced at the time called An Inconvenient Truth, and through that, I discovered the rush to succeed in the world of cinema at that time and have been addicted to it ever since.

I am very intrigued by a TV mini-series, according to IMDb, that you did in 2017 entitled The Smiling Man. Can you tell us a bit about this project? What made you want to tell this tale?

The Smiling Man is a creature that evolved tremendously during the post-production phase of The Monster Project. The creature was never meant to be shown in any shape or form in the film, hence why you really only see him in the form of static throughout The Monster Project. We all kind of fell in love with the terrifying look of this demonic character, designed by special effects guru Jim Beinke. We explored the idea of launching a viral marketing campaign for the film and with that came the mini-series. If you watch the Smiling Man on its own, it may not make sense during some moments since the goal of the viral marketing campaign was for the ‘participant’ to unlock videos as you attempted to crack codes and riddles on a viral website we had created to promote the film.

In your own personal opinion, what do you believe it is that makes the horror genre special? What sets it apart from other genres you have worked in?

I’ve always loved feeling the adrenaline rush that I get from watching a horror film. Frankly, it makes me feel alive. Not falling asleep because I watched Paranormal Activity? Or Insidious? Well, that’s part of it too. I love that feeling, and I hate it too. In some ways, the reason why I love the horror genre (particularly supernatural horror) is because demons, ghosts, spirits etc. No matter how scary they are, logically, if those entities exist, that must mean there is life after death. I personally find that comforting and reassuring.

What is your favorite scary movie?

I’d have to list two: Evil Dead II, and The Shining.

Do you have any plans for this coming Halloween? And fun traditions that you try to stick to every year?

I do. I’ll be releasing a VR Horror Series which I wrote, directed and produced called Scary Nights. Think Tales Form The Crypt meets Creepshow in VR with an all new iconic character who greets and leaves you at the top and tail end of each episode. If you like witches, scarecrows, clowns, etc… and if you’re a Goosebumps fan, then you will want to check it out.

As for Halloween traditions, I throw an intimate horror film viewing every year with close friends, for which I pick 4 horror films. We start with an old classic (generally Nosferatu or The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari), then move closer towards more recent horror films. Everyone cooks horror themed meals (hand meatloaf, eye popping soup, puking guac pumpkin).

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers? 

I’ve made the switch into full time producing nearly two years ago. I’ve started my own production company, CineWorld Pictures, and focus primarily on producing dramas. Surely can sound disappointing to some horror fans, but I haven’t forgotten about the horror genre. Maybe I’ll return to it when I find a horror script that I fall in love with.

As for plugging projects…though I would love to share, I unfortunately cannot at the moment. But I am working on some very exciting dramas with some extremely talented people that I cannot wait to share with the world.

What was the last thing that scared the hell out of you?

A supernatural nightmare I had last night.. Something about a possessed veiled old lady inside an old Victorian style mansion. Most definitely too scary to share. Proves however that the world of horror cinema quietly whispers for me to come back to it at night. And one day I shall, and I’ll make sure it’s a very good one, not found-footage, and more sophisticated than the ones I’ve done so far. Something more to the likes of The Shining or The Exorcist.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My Border Collie sitting by my side as I’ve been writing my answers to this interview.