Seth Chatfield [Interview]

Welcome to Day 12 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 5 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 another very exciting interview to share with you all today. Try to remember back to a while ago (Tuesday) when we mentioned how damn excited we were about a brilliant horror comedy film entitled Clickbait, when we talked with the film’s co-writer Jeremy Long? Well, it only felt like the right thing to do was to tease you all just a bit more with another wonderful collection of words from another major player in the film. It’s Seth Chatfield, Everyone!

Seth is an absolutely brilliant actor who portrays the delightful oaf of a policeman, Detective Frank Dobson, in the film you will all soon know and love known as Clickbait. He is also a brilliant mind in the world of sketch comedy, dramatic acting, and will even be getting into the director’s chair for his first short film very soon. He tells us all about his time working with our dear friends Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein on their amazing new film, how he got into his line of work, and some of the awesome stuff he has coming your way soon. You’re going to love this! Enjoy!

What inspired you to get into the world of acting? Was it an early aspiration to do so, or did you just happen to find yourself in this world one day?

A lot of different threads led me into it. My first inspiration came from 70’s British television actors. I had a difficult time as a young person socially, like many creative people. We didn’t have a lot of money, so entertainment was limited – but we had PBS (public television). Which was great in the early 80’s. I spent many of my early days watching rebroadcast British television from the 70’s. Fawlty Towers, Masterpiece Theatre, the classic Doctor Who, and Sherlock Holmes. I really lost myself in those worlds – I was fascinated by the physicality and character work of John Cleese, and particularly enthralled with Tom Baker’s very Shakespearian-infouenced Doctor Who incarnation, and Jeremy Brett’s manic and brilliant Sherlock Holmes (still the best Holmes ever). I really escaped into those worlds and lost myself in those characters. I wanted to inhabit them, to see through the eyes of different characters. That idea always excited me. I was extremely fortunate to spend several years in a pretty prestigious children’s theatre here in NH called Andy’s Summer Playhouse. We had some very legendary NYC theatre people teaching us – it was and is a unique and amazing program for kids.  I kept at it by making my own no-budget horror films on a borrowed camcorder and embedding myself in drama club. In and after high school, I worked at a video store and had access to thousands of classic, foreign and cult films. I think that sealed the deal – so much daily inspiration just tipped the scales. I fell deeper in love with the medium. I just dove in, giving myself a film education, and would bring home like five films a night and just watch them all in one night. It’s been a lifelong obsession.

You have worked extensively with a couple of our dearest friends here at TWS. That would be the wonderful Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein. I am curious to know how you managed to team up with the team Sophia & MJE, even becoming an associate producer on their latest two full length feature films? And what is something unique and/or special about working on one of their sets?

I first met Mike and Sophia when we all appeared together on an episode of a fantastic Boston (and now LA)-based “reality sitcom” called Quiet Desperation, and kept seeing them everywhere at shows and on trivia nights at the old Johnny D’s (RIP) in Cambridge. Their bands, which at the time were Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling and The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library, were two of the best on the scene as well, at a time when I was playing protest prog-folk in the Boston area too. We just kept orbiting in the same circles. Somehow I wound up being a part of this web show they were making called Special Friends where I wrote and played a Han Solo-themed hip-hop/folk song for a “Star Wars Open Mic” segment. Then later they tapped me to do some VO for their first feature, Ten. And of course, things all came together when I was cast as “Grando” in Blood of the Tribades not long after Sophia and Mike saw me playing a pretty intensely bad character in another independent film. I guess they saw my villain potential, and cast me as the sadistic leader of the fascist, patriarchal vampire cult. It was the most fun I had working on a film up to that point.

When they moved to LA, I was a little heartbroken at first because we had developed such a great working relationship. But by a mixture of insanely perfect timing and serendipity, I was able to fly out to LA last winter to work on Clickbait. Something that’s unique about working on their sets is everything. Their intensity and focus is second to none. It’s thrilling to me to be in that environment where people are so creatively driven. It’s inspiring. It’s alive and moving, moving, moving at all times. They both have such a well-developed, fully fleshed-out vision and yet are willing to take chances and always find these crazy little opportunities to exploit and develop into something new. It’s a do-or-die, teamwork -based atmosphere and I can’t get enough of it. It’s hard to find anyone on earth who works harder on their art than those two. I know I’ll keep working in independent film because I’m so addicted now that I couldn’t stop if I wanted to. But I would be pretty psyched to have more of that work involve projects by Micheal and Sophia.

One of your latest projects with the aforementioned team is the absolutely brilliant film, Clickbait. It’s such a delightfully zany bit of social commentary that I have watched several times just over the last week. So how was it working on this specific project? And what would you want our readers to know about this film?

Working on Clickbait was really something different. I was about as embedded as you can get as an actor, sleeping at the rented house we used as the set. Which I loved. I love being around all the parts of filmmaking and learning as much as I can, and it helps to be the kind of actor who has done some things on the other side of the camera as well and be willing to lend a hand with non-actorly things when not on screen. I absolutely enjoyed digging into the character of Frank. He’s such an interesting and different character, and I’m so excited for people to see that and see his oddball incompetence and his trajectory. It was such a thrill to work with these incredibly talented younger actors as well – I was inspired by them on a regular basis throughout in so many ways. I feel like we all learned from each other, which is a really exciting and magical thing. Everyone was great, and fully on board, which made it a lot of fun even when things were really challenging. I think what I want people to know about this film is that it transcends what you expect from it, whatever that is. You will not see another film like Clickbait. I can very earnestly say that this film is totally unique, quirky and funny and intensely dark in all the right ways. The collective voice of these filmmakers is so special, and so different than anything you’ve seen, and I really feel like with this film  they have dug deep into the primal essence of their specific brand of cinematic insanity to the benefit of all. And there are so, so many other things I want to say and talk about, but I can’t. You’ll just have to watch the film to see.

One project you worked on that I unfortunately have not seen, but am very intrigued by is 2013’s Only Daughter. Can you tell us a bit about this project? How did you become involved with it?

Only Daughter was the second independent feature from an independent director who I got to know through playing music at a venue he used to co-own with one of the producers of the film. I appeared first in a short he did for the 48 Hour Film project, Unwound, in a tiny role as a Carmen Miranda-style drag queen, and I worked in the art department as I had on some previous stuff. I got to know this sort of ensemble of folks he was working with. About a year later, after some workshop sessions, I was cast as Billy, a bitterness and anger-driven blue collar libertarian-type stepfather stuck in a strange situation involving the girl’s quest for her real dad. The film was conceptually a sort of homage to the French Dardenne Brothers minimalist style of filmmaking, using only practical lighting with heavy realism.

Billy was a really really interesting character. I had to mine my own childhood trauma and sort of inhabit the headspace of some of my former bullies. It was pretty wild, and so “method” that I almost lost myself. We workshopped the characters for like six months, with the actual script developing out of those workshop sessions. It was a very cool process. Unfortunately, after a short festival run, the director chose to refocus his efforts on the inception of a new film festival in NH, and essentially the film was abandoned and never saw a wider release. It is a complex and at times potentially problematic film, but there are some really great and true performances in it. But this happens more often than not with independent film. Not everything works, and even things that do very often don’t go on to be seen by a larger audience.

While the world of horror is not the only one you work in, it is our Month of Horror Showcase after all, so I am inclined to ask you how you enjoy working in this genre? What sets it apart from other genres?

It’s easily the most raw fun you can have as an actor. The element of play really feels present on a horror set even more than on a comedy set, for example, because when you are on the inside of it, everyone knows and can see the things about it that are inherently ridiculous. But then when it’s complete, those moments can be some of the darkest. Which is not to say that it isn’t serious work. There’s just something for me, especially like in Blood of the Tribades, where I’m playing the villain, that is just so fun about exploring that dark side. Behind the camera, these crazy, gory things contain an element of goofiness in their execution in even the most dire situation – but if you do your job correctly, the audience will never see that. It’s really wonderful to feel that transformative moment just before the camera rolls when your mind as an actor suddenly sees this world, this script and these characters as real. When it all turns from fun unto the actual emotion and situation you are portraying. It crystallizes and becomes authentic to the childlike part of your brain that still allows imagination to thrive. I hope I get to do some work in Sci-Fi some day as well for those exact reasons, but horror is a lot of fun. And working on it is also a great way to dispel some of one’s own discomfort with fear, and the darker side of existence.

What is your favorite scary movie?

I have to cheat here: it’s a tie between Nightbreed and John Carpenter’s In The Mouth of Madness. With Nightbreed, they turned everything on its head and made the humans the monsters and monsters misunderstood. When you are a weird kid who doesn’t fit in, the idea of finding a tribal family of fellow weirdos with whom you must defend against the hordes of normalcy can’t be beat. Also those costumes and that production design was really next level for what they had to work with at the time. 

In The Mouth because it’s the best interpretation of the Lovecraft feel that I’ve ever seen, and because it has that delightfully insane, somewhat campy and often darkly funny Carpenter vibe in full swing. Honestly, watch that film and tell me you can think of something that looks like it was more fun to shoot (as an actor, at least). Sam Neill is hamming it up so hard and it’s just amazing. It really brings together everything I love about “cult” cinema and the conventions I really vibe with in horror – that sense that everything is out of our control, that dread that even transcends the known, and our universe. The sense of larger, darker, massive things just beyond the veil. That play with the very fabric of reality and the theme of perception forming so much of that reality that it might just be flexible. Thee definitely aren’t the scariest, but they are my favorite frights.

What are you plans for the upcoming Halloween? Any kind of traditions you try to uphold each year?

Every year my wife and I open these vast Halloween storage tubs, and completely deck out the yard, front porch and exterior of the house with moving stuff and screaming stuff and massive spiderwebs and themed skeleton displays for the local kids who trick-or-treat in my neighborhood. We live right in the highest traffic zone for Halloween, and we take the responsibility seriously! Halloween is still my favorite holiday. Any excuse to create a costume and a look and go really crazy with effectsy-makeup. I try to push the envelope with liquid latex. One year I fabricated a very realistic zombie thing where the top of my head was missing. But really, I just love seeing all the creativity in the costumes and seeing what’s inspiring the next generation. It’s a lot of fun.

Seth Chatfield in Awesome Fitness Couple, comedy sketch for ToniBolgna.com

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

I live in New Hampshire and travel for a lot of film work, but one of my favorite things in life is this sketch comedy series I’ve been participating in, created by stand-up comic, blogger, writer, director and actor Toni Nagy (she’s one to watch in the comedy world – take note, if that’s your thing) which she puts out through social media, youtube and her production company site, cavelightproductions.com. They get a lot of attention there and it’s an amazing outlet to tackle politics (we are rabid liberals in the age of Trump, so our work is cut out for us) and some of the crazier aspects of modern life and relations between men and women. A lot of gender subversion and patriarchy-expose stuff. It’s incredibly fun, and we have been keeping ourselves very busy with it in between our own various film projects. And I’m very excited to say that Toni will be jumping to the other side of the camera as I direct my own short film this fall, an existentialist dark comedy called Winkville, based on a script by Troy Minkowsky. It’s about a series of strange events set off by a chance encounter. It’s also about communication, and significance and where we see ourselves in our own stories. I’m very excited about it. I’ve had little tastes of directing, but this will be my first self-funded, self-produced short. I’m thrilled to be able to explore film from the other side of the camera. It’s also really exciting to get to utilize some wonderful actors and connect people I have met over the last few years working in film. I can’t wait to shoot this thing! Meanwhile I’m excitedly watching festival news for Clickbait and simultaneously trying to wrangle myself into the next acting gig.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Getting my Nuclear Celery Toot Strudels t-shirt in the mail today. Toot Strudels are the fictional product that inhabit the world of Clickbait, and as someone who loves easter eggs in production design, they are one of the things that really delights me about the weird, all-too-familiar world of the film. It cracks me up on a lot of levels.

Muse Watson [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 5 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!

I am so excited to share this interview with you folks, I can hardly stand it! Today we are featuring a brilliant actor who is not only iconic in the world of horror, but is just a damn fine character actor in general. He has done so much amazing work, it’s almost too hard to just name a few titles. We could do an entire year’s worth of Sunday Matinees on the his film and television catalogue, and we would still need many more months! It’s Muse Watson, Everyone!

Please enjoy this absolutely wonderful interview that was gifted to us by the amazing human being that is Muse Watson! Enjoy!

When did you discover that you had a passion for the world of performance? When did you first realize this was how you wanted to earn a living?  

I come from a family of story tellers so I was very young when I was feeling the need to get good at it.  The idea of making a living at it came much later…. I thought I’d go into the FBI… Not play one on TV.  I guess I was about 40, after i had failed at everything else and had very little to lose… I decided to give all to my dream.  Hmmm.

In 1999, you appeared in our old friend Scott Spiegel’s addition to the From Dusk Till Dawn world, with the From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money. We’ve spoken with him about making it, but what was it like to work in such a strange and twisted tale as an actor?

Well, this is one of the five characters I have played that my wife says are not welcome in our home.  It WAS a strange and twisted tale…. and we shot it in a strange and twisted place for the actors … we were in Capetown, South Africa.  At least for me, it was very different from home.  The character, in my mind, had to be established completely before he was “taken over with a bite” … The timing of that was complicated.  I remember asking Scott if he would let me ride in on the horse and he looked doubtful because actors lie about how good they are on a horse.  I said, Come on Scott… I can make a bad horse look good.  He agreed and I rode in. I was able to conjure the character but it came as a shook to some.  In one shot I was biting people on the neck and I started spitting.  When Scott ask me why I was spitting I told him it was because that was the bad part of the bite.

It has been 20 years since you last appeared as the infamous Ben Willis in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, a film which it and it’s predecessor defined a generation in the world of horror. And I personally think that they both aged very well. But, what do you think? If these films were released today, what do you think would be different? If anything?

I think they would be well received. With all the violence everyone is seeing in their local and national news it makes the premise of the story more believable and more possible, which would make it more scary.

While your incredible list of credits are about as varied as they come, I can’t help but notice that you have indeed done a number of horror films.  This being our month of horror, I’d like to know your obvious professional opinion, what are you thoughts on working on horror projects? What sets them apart from other genres you have worked in?

Well, first of all… you have to come to grips with whether it is a damning career move or not. The genre does not have a good reputation in Hollywood.  Then you have to treat it like any other job and conjure the character.  In Horror, that is frightening.  If you get into character …. will you get back out?  Boy could I tell you some secrets about techniques to portray the character without losing your soul.  LOL.

Being a veteran of the stage, film, and television is quite an impressive feet, in my opinion. But, I am always curious to know what some like you may prefer over the others. So, if you were for some reason only able to choose one medium to work in, which would it be?

Oh, my…. I love them all.  But if I have to decide I would choose the stage.  And it’s because I feel the joy of being a character as I am working.  Unfortunately, in film … to the see the story you have to wait til someone else interprets your performance in an editing room and puts it together for you to watch.  Ugh.

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

I’m old enough to actually allow myself to be torn.  Between doing nothing and doing 3 or 4 projects which seem to want to go.  I am close but no where near being able to release information on them.  Although, I can tell you about a story I dreamed up about an old man being diagnosed with dimentia and he decides he wants to complete his bucket list and go on a boat all the way down the Mississippi River to his home … New Orleans. It may be a tiny autobiographical.  We found a 42′ River Queen and bought it.  My buddy Mike Ross and I got a script written and we are filming some by drone now.  It seems to be a go…..

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Honestly?…. this question.  But ok, I won’t count that one…. I would have to say my daughter practicing her piano.

Jason Paul Collum [Interview]

Welcome to Day 10 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 5 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!

Today we have a wonderful interview for you fine folks as we move along this awesome annual journey you all know and love. And today’s guest is prime example of an independent filmmaker who has created some amazing work that delightfully exposes the beauty of the world of horror. It’s Jason Paul Collum! Amongst his credits are a couple of wonderful documentaries about the brilliant Scream Queens we all know and love, including our dear friend Linnea Quigley, who so deservingly deserves to be a star of said films! Jason is also the brilliant mind behind the October Moon series, which we will definitely discuss below!

So Folks, please enjoy some amazing words from the brilliant Jason Paul Collum!

What inspired you to get into the world of film and television? Was it an early aspiration to do so, or did you just happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I was a lonely child (i.e. nerd) and entertained myself with watching TV. I began watching horror films in particular at age 12 and that’s when the obsession began. Sometime around my Junior year of high school I realized I wasn’t just watching them – I was studying them. I wanted to see my name in  the end credits. I know I was watching Friday the 13th (1980) at that moment. I’d always been a story teller. So that summer I grabbed a camcorder and a few friends and made a 10 minute short called Dead Women Don’t Wear Shoes (1990). The need to tell stories on film just intensified as I got older, and I at least realized that while my films weren’t great, I knew each one was was better the the previous.  So eventually I worked myself up to writing full-length scripts and meeting actress Brinke Stevens (The Slumber Party Massacre), who introduced me to J.R. Bookwalter (The Dead Next Door), who introduced me to David DeCoteau (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama). So it was constant growth and newfound confidence.

I first became aware of your work from 2 of your amazing documentaries, Something to Scream About and Screaming In High Heels, which actually feature two of our dear friends and past guests Debbie Rochon and Linnea Quigley respectively. With that in mind, you seem to have a lot of knowledge and admiration for the legacy of those labeled as Scream Queens. Where did this admiration come from? What inspired you to document their lives in your films?

Final Girls. I loved the women in horror who survived and fought back. I found something relateable in them to childhood bullying in my own life. They also became familiar faces. That’s why in specific Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens and Michele Bauer, plus those also within that inner circle of scream queens – Debbie Rochon, Julie Strain, J.J. North, Debra Lamb, Debbie Dutch… it’s like seeing family at Christmas. Seeing them a few times a year brings a certain sense of comfort. “Old” friends. Once I actually was in the business and got to know them (having also begun writing and editing for Femme Fatales & Cinefantastique magazines), I was taken with learning they’re all just blue collar women – working to pay the bills. Only they often take a lot more physical abuse than the average woman, and are asked to do these bizarre things, like taking ice cold bathes (because those showers are NOT warm) and getting naked in front of a group of strangers (because there’s usually a crew of leering males on the sidelines). They put up with a lot of crap, and they’re not even getting the same level of recognition or fan fare that someone like Julia Roberts receives. And for that, I love them.

And speaking of Debbie Rochon, she also appears in the second installment of your incredibly original October Moon films. How did you come up with this frightening and original concept for these films? Does it stem from anything in your personal life?

The first October Moon (2005) came from a personal truth – and actual events. Sadly for fans there was no bloodshed in real-life. However, every conversation was one I had experienced face-to-face with someone else, and every character is based on someone I actually know. The lead “villain” is actually based on my father who came out as gay after being married to my mother for a decade. So it’s essentially his story (although he wasn’t psychotic). The obsession – or as fans and critics call it “Gaytal Attraction” – did happen, but was two people’s stories, not one. So while in real-life it was not a singular matching story, it was genuinely pieced together from multiple people’s true stories, obnoxious as some of those conversations and events may seem today.

In addition to the need for me to tell that story, it was deliberate from a business angle. I realized around 1998 that there had never been a “straight”-forward gay-horror film. DeCoteau began making his homo-erotic films like The Brotherhood (2000) and Voodoo Academy (1999), but those were marketed as “horror for women.” There had already been Sometime’s Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things (1972) and Blacula (1972), but those characters where either exclusively villains or comic relief in a “look at the sissies” way. So October Moon was designed to tap into a market that didn’t yet exist – gay horror with respect to lead-gay characters.  At the same time it was meant to be entertaining for straight people to watch. So it did help create the gay-horror sub-genre. However, it became more gay-erotic after that, with the men taking on the “scream queen” shower girl role and simply dying horribly – or becoming vampires. So my concept for a gay-horror genre “kind-of” worked.

October Moon itself was very successful – it was the #1 best-selling title for its distributor, Tempe Video, for 5 years. It would seem October Moon 2: November Son (2008) was a result of the money, but it had been planned as a trilogy. Some disputes with a cast member from OM 1 led me to redesign OM 2, but at its core it kept the idea of telling an alternate point of view from a gay character – a guy who didn’t want to fit into any of the gay stereotypes. He simply wanted to exist. Figuring Debbie Rochon into the script as his mother was something not originally intended, because she was too young. So we just said that she’d had him when she was 14 years old – a teenage jezebel. I just really wanted to work with her, and was so glad I did, because she was so incredibly professional. The story itself, though, was not based on anything as personal as the first film.

While the world of horror is not the only one you work in it does seem to be a focus, and it is our Month of Horror Showcase after all, so I am inclined to ask you how you enjoy working in this genre? What sets it apart from other genres?

Horror allows you to suspend reality. You get to tackle true subjects in otherworldly ways. Underlying psychological themes. I find it to be so much more creative. It’s also just how my brain is wired. I’ve attempted comedy and drama and I’m not as good in those areas. I can roll them into a horror script, but need horror as the base. Maybe it’s because I need my stories to have a certain sense of drama which can’t be done as drama alone. I’ve found both as a fan on one side of the table and the person signing autographs on the other, that horror fans are more dedicated than those of any other genre. We live, eat and breathe it. We know every last little detail and behind-the-scenes details we can find. We adore our celebrities, especially at the B-level, who we can often become “friends” with through the convention circuit. As a teen I never thought I’d have dinner at Brinke’s house, or go bar-hopping with Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), or hire Judith O’Dea (1968’s Night of the Living Dead) to be in 5 of my own films! It’s been an amazing experience as a fan and a filmmaker.

What is your favorite scary movie?

 Carrie (1976) – not because it’s a scary movie, but because it’s SO relateable to my own experiences. I knew each of those characters in my own school life. It’s also a perfectly told story from beginning to end. Plus that final shot…

My favorite movie that SCARED me remains The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). I had to watch it in 15 minutes segments which were EDITED for television because it was too intense for me. At the time I’d never seen anything like it – scared me to my core, which doesn’t happen too often.

What are your plans for this upcoming Halloween? Any kind of traditions you try to uphold each year?

Every year I watch the first 7 Halloween films, plus I partake in a “31 Days of Horror” viewing challenge moderated on Facebook by my friend Derrick Carey (Hole in the Wall). Halloween weekend my city, Racine, WI, has “Trolloween,” during which you can drink openly on city streets and a trolley or bus will drive you around with drinks in-hand. THEN two friends have a movie viewing Halloween party + trick-or-treating at my own house… so it’s always a busy season.

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

I’m always afraid if I say what I’m planning next it will jinx the project, so I’ll just say I am currently meeting with investors for 2 films and 1 documentary. I’m also still promoting my most recent thriller Safe Inside (2017), which has maintained a healthy release (DVD, Blu, streaming) since last summer. They can also check out my novella Basements on Amazon.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I was mini-golfing with my family and my niece got a hole-in-one. She was so excited I just started to share the joy with her.

Check out this trailer for Safe Inside, in which JJ (Chris Harder, (Extraordinary Measures) is a young man spending his first night alone in the home of his deceased mother (Judith O’Dea, Night of the Living Dead). The film is currently available on VOD, BluRay, & DVD:

Jeremy Long [Interview]

Welcome to Day 9 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 5 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 Everyone! We have another wonderful interview for you fine folks here today! Jeremy Long is first
and foremost and absolutely brilliant writer and stand up comedian who we are so excited to hear from today. Secondly, he is also the co-writer of one of our favorite films, horror related or not, of 2018 that happens to be co-written and directed by our favorite creative team that has been featured on the site on several occasions, the great Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein! The film is Clickbait, and it is AMAZING! We will be sharing a special on the film on this coming Sunday, so we thought we would tease you all a bit with some wonderful words from the person who conceived the idea to begin with, the great Jeremy Long!

Jeremy was so cool to share some deeply insightful and touching thoughts on everything from how he found his way into the world of comedy, his thoughts on the world of horror, and the multitude of ways he has managed to scare the shit out of kids. A past time we all know and love here at Trainwreck’d Society. So without further babbling, I hope you enjoy these great words from a truly brilliant person! Enjoy!

What inspired you to get into the world of film and television? What was it about this world that, to you personally, really drew you in?

I watched a lot of film and television as a kid. And by a lot, I mean constantly. While other kids were playing football outside, I was inside watching Three’s Company or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Which, now that I look back on it, probably made me seem very lazy and/or anti-social. Oh well, I still managed to have many friends, most of whom were not imaginary, so it’s not like I was destined to be the next Dexter or something. I think I turned out alright. I’m getting off track.

The cliché answer is the one I just gave. The fact that I have simply always loved film and television and studied it immensely. Not just by absorbing so much of it, but by studying it on my own time. Studying the actors in my favorite films and shows, what other projects they worked on, how certain things were done and what went on behind the scenes. Stuff like that. I was always interested in learning more about this crazy industry of entertainment. Hell, even as a child when watching cartoons, I would study the actor’s who did the voices! I knew all the voice actor’s names and every different voice they did in all my favorite shows, which I do not think is normal for a wee lad, but that is how my mind operated. Ask any of my family and friends, I have basically always been a walking human version of IMDb.

The more technical answer to your question is a little harder for me to pinpoint and nail down enough to give you an in depth response. Suffice it to say, I am naturally a creative person. It is in my blood and bones. That is why I did all that crazy shit as a kid and why I am in the industry today. I believe most creative people will agree (whether that creativity is acting, writing, painting, dancing, music, etc.) that it is hard to trace the origins of the feeling, yet impossible to deny the feeling. The great German philosopher Martin Heidegger (philosophy being my other other love) once coined the term “Geworfenheit” which he used to describe to describe the phenomenon of humans’ individual existences “being thrown” (geworfen), or hurled, into the world. With that in mind, I believe creatives experience Geworfenheit into this crazy world because of a natural instinct they cannot deny and because they simply can’t imagine doing anything else with their lives.

And I understand that you are an accomplished comedian working in L.A. How did you find yourself in the world of comedy? And what is it that inspires you to continue getting up whenever possible?

Well, thank you for noticing. I have always been a bit of an exhibitionist. Not a class clown. Never liked that term. And, even if I did, it wouldn’t apply to me. I never got in much trouble and I took my studies seriously. However, I certainly was an attention seeker and would always be going to great lengths to make others laugh and smile. Because that is what made me happy. I discovered early on that making other people laugh brought me joy. So, then, when I found out there was a whole career structured around this premise; well let’s just say I chose to obey Occam’s Razor. Furthermore, not to once again give the stock answer, but I did also watch a ton of stand up comedy as a child/teen as well and it very quickly became a huge part of my life.

How I actually got my start in comedy is a whole other story, however. It actually started off as a dare in my sophomore year of high school. There was a big talent show happening and a friend dared me to sign up for it and do stand-up. Well, he didn’t so much dare me as he simply said, “Hey, you’re funny, you should sign up.” But, it felt like a dare to me because even though I loved to make people laugh, I still had horrible stage fright at that time, so it was quite a challenge for me to actually sign up and get out there and do it. I often joke I was truly thrown into the deep end because most comics get there start at a open mic or bar somewhere in front of a dozen or so people while my first time was in front of thousands of my peers.

How I got from that first show to where I am now, as a working LA comic, would take far too long to explain in this interview. But, to answer your second question, at risk of repeating myself, it is the joy that I get from doing standup that keeps me getting up on a weekly basis out here. I think most comedians agree that, after you’ve been doing it for some time, it gets to a point where you feel more comfortable on stage than off. And that is where I am at. Not that it gets any easier. After all, like the age old saying goes, “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.”

I am curious to know how your involvement in our dear and personal friends, Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein on the insanely wonderful comedy horror film Clickbait?

Wow, what a story. Well, first of all, Mike and Sophia are indeed really great, aren’t they? It was a pleasure to work with them and a real joy to get to know them throughout this process.

It is interesting how the film Clickbait came to be. It actually all started back in the summer of 2016. My, now, friend Brandi Aguilar approached me on social media searching for someone to write a script. I forget exactly how she found me, but I knew she liked my writing and thought I would be the person for the job. I had done a few short films and sketches and also had some scripts floating around. I was honored that she came to me and took the job because, why not? Writing is my passion and any chance to write a new project is something I jump on. For Brandi, I know, the intent behind her getting someone to write a script for her is so that she could play the lead. I later learned from Michael that this process of actors hiring writers to write a script that the actors can then package themselves as the lead when trying to sell is a fairly common practice nowadays. If I remember correctly, I didn’t get too much specifics from Brandi. Just that she wanted it to be a horror film about a girl who is a vlogger. Long story short, I wrote it and Clickbait was born. However, it was a fairly different version of Clickbait, especially tonally and thematically, than the version you see today. However, the basis of what you see today (the characters, the dialogue, the plot, etc.) was all there.

After I wrote it and sent it to Brandi by her deadline, I heard absolutely nothing about it for over a year. I honestly got to the point where I assumed nothing was going to happen with it. Then, I believe it was September of 2017; I get a message from Michael telling me that he is interested in making the film and would like to get together with me to discuss the script. Michael and I met at a coffee shop in NoHo and discussed notes he had on the script and changes he wanted to make on it. I liked what he had to say and signed over the rights to Clickbait. From here on out I am not too heavily involved, so I would defer you to Michael for the rest of the story. I know Mike did some rewrites on the script for a while based on the notes and ideas he shared with me. Director rewrites are a very common thing and I trusted Michael’s vision, so I wasn’t too worried about my baby. Plus, Michael usually kept me fairly up to date with his process and the changes he was making if I remember correctly. Then I know they shot the film in December of 2017. I also had a small cameo in the film that I was happy about, so I was there for a few days of shooting. Then it went to post and now it’s in the festival circuit. I had a feeling my script was in good hands with Michael and Sophia and, flash-forward a year later, turns out my instincts were right! I love the finished product and couldn’t be happier with the film as a whole.

I read in a previous interview you did that you grew up in a small town as an only child, which lead you thoroughly digesting the world of film and television. Which are three things I can specifically relate to on a personal level. So with that, I am curious to know if you ever had a group of TV siblings that you always wished you lived with? Or is this just a weird thing that I did, wishing I lived with the Winslows of Family Matters?

HA! I love it! This is such a great question. Probably the coolest question I have ever been asked in an interview. Especially for the specific situation we can both relate to. Hopefully some of your readers experience the sad upbringing of being an only child in a small town and will be able to relate as well.

To answer your question, I don’t think I ever wished to be part of a TV family, but rather part of a TV friend group. For example, I recall often pondering how awesome it would be to be in the friend group on How I Met Your Mother. Or hang in the basement with That 70’s Show. Or be part of the Scooby Gang on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even if that last one involves confronting some scary demons, I was fine with it as long as I got to stand next to Sarah Michelle Gellar.

What are your thoughts on the world of horror? It’s not exactly where you work the most, but you have been involved with a couple of comedy-horror films, like the aforementioned Clickbait. So have you ever thought about getting into the world of horror? Has it ever interested you as a genre for your own storytelling?

I do enjoy horror very much as a consumer. I especially like horror movies done right, but even enjoy the cheesy ones that become unintentional comedies. And, while I have worked on some comedy-horror films (key word being COMEDY-horror), like Clickbait, I would not say it is my forte in the industry or as a writer. I appreciate that the horror medium is a fantastic way to bring attention to important issues and topics in a crazy, surreal and sometimes gory way. And, other times, it can simply be just a fun thrill ride. However, that form of storytelling is not exactly in my wheelhouse right now. That’s not to say I won’t ever write a straight up horror film, because I truly do love horror movies. But, for now at least, my brain and skill set seem to be more in the ball park of comedies and dramas and, dare I say it…dramedies.

What is your favorite scary movie? 

Oh man, probably the toughest question yet. I want to say Cabin in the Woods. Aside from being right up my wheelhouse being the epitome of a comedy-horror film, it is also just truly unique and unlike anything I’ve ever seen prior. Perhaps that is just me not having seen as many films as some (although I have seen a great deal), however I would like to believe that is because it was written by two of my favorite writers working in Hollywood today, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, whose work I truly admire, both as a viewer and from a creative standpoint.

But, just for shits an giggles let me tell you a few of my other favorites…because it is just so hard to truly pick one favorite.

I very much love a lot of the classics such as The Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween franchises. Other classic favorites include Suspiria and The Shining. I believe 1408 is not only the greatest Stephen King film adaptation of all time but also one of the best mind-fuckery films of the 21^st Century. The Final Destination franchise has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. As far as recent films, I am really digging the Conjuring franchise and, even better yet, the Insidious series. While we’re on more recent horror films, here’s three more that I believe are very original and creative and feel they didn’t get enough recognition: Oculus, The Final Girls and It Follows.

What are your plans for the upcoming Halloween? Any kind of traditions you try to uphold each year?

Oh, gee, probably just having a small gathering and watching our favorite horror films! That sounds like a good time to me and it is what I did last year, although I wouldn’t exactly call it a tradition. I used to do the whole trick or treat thing until I got too old of course, but even then I would sit on the front porch with my family and scare the kids. But, then I moved to LA where I no longer have a front porch and trick or treating doesn’t seem as popular.

I guess I would say, if I have any Halloween tradition it would be making my own costume from scratch. I have been doing that for as long as I can remember. Last year I was Wayne Campbell from Wayne’s World. Not that hard of a costume to make and also not scary unless you’re talking about how terrifyingly long it has been since Mike Myers made a new comedy film. One year I was doctor. They’re scary, unless you live in one of the literally dozens of countries with free healthcare. I remember one year though, I made this really makeshift costume where I wore a black trench coat, a V for Vendetta mask, a Rorschach hat and Wolverine claws. Ha! It was last minute but it was surprising effective. Boy, did I scare a lot of kids that year! But, then again, another year I dressed up as an old man complete with suit, grey beard and mustache combo, and cane. Look kids, how scary! If you don’t stop and sniff the roses once in a while, before you know it, you’ll turn around and you’ll be old and you won’t recognize yourself in the mirror anymore and you’ll have little to no control over your bowels. Is that what you want?! Boy, did I scare a lot of kids that year.

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

Thanks for asking. I am working on a new script. Still very much in the early stages, but that is my main focus right now. I am also working on another short film, which is a lot easier to get off the ground as I produce them myself. If you haven’t seen my first two, please look them up. They can be found on the Internet and are titled Tied to the Past and Retired Cupid; the latter of which won an award at the Global Shorts Film Festival.

Aside from that, I am continuing my stand up all over LA, and sometimes out of town as well. If any of your readers are in the area, or anywhere nearby, and enjoy comedy, I would love for you all to come see a show. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Testimonials include the time my friend Andy Dick saw my show and told me afterwards that my comedy was a mix of Jerry Seinfeld and Mitch Hedberg but not as funny as either. More testimonials: “You actually are funny, who knew?” –  friend Jim O’Heir when I told him a joke over lunch. “Great set, kid. We’ll be in touch” – Club promoter I never heard from again. “Well, what can I say, you performed tonight.” – A “friend” when asked what they thought of my show.

If you want to come to a show and possibly be added to the list of testimonials, follow me on Instagram at @jeremylong, where I post all my upcoming gigs and other humorous stuff.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Awe, what a sweet question to end on. I was at the supermarket this morning and they had a 2 for 1 deal on Peanut Butter Ripple ice cream. If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will!

Check out the trailer for Clickbait, which will surely be at a festival near you, and in VOD soon:

Debbie D [Interview]

Welcome to Day 8 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 5 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!

And we are off and running in Week 2 of our Month of Horror showcase here at Trainwreck’d Society! And we are continuing with another wonderful interview with Debbie D, who is not only a wonderful actress in general, but is a true bonafide Scream Queen! Debbie has been in the world of horror for over 25 years, and has done some extremely wonderful work. Work that has included working alongside our dear friend, and former TWS Person of the Year, Steve Sessions! We are so excited that she was willing to share a few words with us all here today. You’re going to love what she has to say, so please enjoy some wonderful words from the brilliant Scream Queen that we all know and love, the wonderful Debbie D!

What inspired you to get into the world of acting? Was it an early aspiration to do so, or did you just decide to try it out one day?

I was inspired to continue to act after my first horror movie. I went to my first horror convention and I was well received. I always knew I had the talent for acting since performing in the high school plays. I thought music was my calling but realized it was truly acting.

You are known as an absolute legend in the world of horror thanks to your amazing talent and tireless work ethic. So, what is it about the world of horror that makes you enjoy working in this genre so much?

I find that my passion for acting makes me want to keep going and to play more parts and to continue to get better roles not just in horror but all kinds of movies. I love portraying characters and telling the story through acting.

In 2010 you appeared in a film that was created by our dear friend Steve Sessions and his frequent collaborators and friends of TWS, Luc Bernier and Lucien Eisenach, entitled Dead Ink. I am curious to know what your experience was like working with this team? Was there anything that set this experience apart from the plethora of other projects you have done?

Steve Sessions is one of my favorite writers/directors and editors. He knows how to direct and shoot something exactly how he sees it and his editing is right on. The results speak for themselves. This man has what it takes to go all the way in this business. Dead Ink is by far my favorite short story to date. It was well received in every film festival it was entered in.

I look forward to the day I work with Steve Sessions again. Luc Bernier is also a very good writer and actor. I hope to work with him again as well. I have worked with many directors and producers over the years and they are all talented and passionate about their work.

Having been in the business for over 25 years, I am sure you have bared witness to a lot of changes that have occurred in the world of horror on a technology level alone. So in your expert opinion, what do you believe the major impacts have been on the world of horror in regards to technological advancements (internet, digital everything, etc.)? Is it better now, or is the business becoming oversaturated?

There is always room for good work- and good work when presented and packaged correctly will get the attention once it is viewed. That part will always remain the same. It’s like a tub of blueberries – there are always a few plump ripe ones that will stand out even though they appear to be so many together or the same- as in saturation. Technology is only as good as the talent behind it. A pretty person will always stand out through a large crowd of people. Talent will rise to the top and be most memorable in any production.

What is your favorite scary movie?

Jaws was my scariest movie- after Jaws even a pool became scary to swim in.

What are you plans for the upcoming Halloween? Any kind of traditions you try to uphold each year?

My favorite holiday is Halloween!! I think I get more excited about Halloween than any other holiday. I like visiting Salem Massachusetts in the fall. It almost feels like home there. I like to do as much as possible the month of October.

No plans as of yet-open for bookings in “2018”!!

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

I am available for movie making and am free to travel. There is always a movie being edited so keep an eye out!

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My black cat sleeping in a position that looked like she was so happy and comfortable and I’m glad I can provide this to her.

Check out this amazing photo gallery that Debbie D was generous enough to share with us all:

Susan Slaughter [Interview]

Welcome to Day 5 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 5 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 Everyone! We have an absolutely wonderful interview to share with you all today for our showcase. It is some wonderful words from the even more wonderful human being that is Susan Slaughter! Susan is truly unique actress who worked alongside our friend Sarah French (who you may or may not be hearing from family soon) in the frightening and brilliant film Ouija House. She was also heavily involved with the brilliant Ghost Hunters series, and has some pretty damn interesting things to say about this show particularly. I am so excited for you guys to read what she has to say! So much so, I’m going to stop babbling, and let Susan take the proverbial stage! So enjoy!

What inspired you to get into the world of film and television? One would assume you had a close influence in the world, but that isn’t really fair. What was it about this world that, to you personally, really drew you in?

Since I was very young I have always had a flair for theatre and drama. I was always joining school clubs or starting my own clubs around dance and theatre. I never really grew up with TV like most of the youth in America did. The only chances I had to watch TV or movies came when I was at friend’s house and it was always a treat. My mother tried to shelter me from watching horror films, and being defiant in nature, it made the genre that more appealing to me. I loved how the villains drove entire plots and became powerful, undefeatible forces that would spawn sequel after sequel. There were characters like Ripley from Alien, Sidney Prescott from Scream, Laurie from Halloween… I thought, “Damn, these women are badass!”. I feel like horror acting is extremely underrated now-a-days. I realized from a tender age that you had to have some serious range to pull of the emotions these characters demanded regardless if you were the Final Girl or the Villain. I wanted be in/make horror films so bad!