Talents in Terror

Many Kentuckians may not realize that the Commonwealth practically brims with creators of grim and gruesome flicks. Probably the best known of these is horror movie icon John Carpenter, who was born in upstate New York but moved to Bowling Green as a 5-year-old and attended Western Kentucky University prior to becoming a filmmaker.

Jackson native Jeffrey Reddick, screenwriter and director of the Final Destination film franchise, posed questions to some of the best and brightest working in the horror film genre in Kentucky today, gaining insight into the joys and challenges of filmmakers P.J. Starks – writer, creator and producer of Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories; Cherokee Hall – writer, director and producer of Terror at Crimson Creek; Tim Ritter – writer, director and producer of Reconciled Through The Christ; Nathan Milliner – writer and director of The Confession of Fred Krueger; Claude Miles – writer, director and producer of The Wrecking Crew vs. The Zombies; John Holt – director, cinematographer and editor of The Dooms Chapel Horror; George Bonilla – director of Monstrosity; Chris Bower – actor and co-producer of Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories; and Eric Huskisson, actor and producer of Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories.

Q. What is it that drew you to the horror genre? 

Starks – My grandmother, Almeda. She’s a real horror fan at heart and passed that on to me. Growing up, I consumed a steady diet of Dawn of the Dead, Halloween and Friday the 13th. Honestly, she’s the reason that our horror anthology franchise Volumes of Blood even exists. I have to give some credit to my mom, Alicia, as well. She allowed me to rent horror flicks, and that helped.

Hall – Horror is the only genre that transcends cultures, meaning what’s scary here in America is also scary in Japan and other countries around the world.

Ritter – I’ve always loved horror. The TV broadcast of Halloween cemented the deal … I found something I could emulate with my super-8 movies—point-of-view shots, rubber knives, masks and victims. To some degree, I’m still following that protocol nearly 30 years later!

Q. Do you plan to stay in the horror genre, or branch out to other fields?

Starks – I’ve branched out to other genres. Nevertheless, horror is my true passion. Volumes of Blood gave me a series of films that I feel defines me as an artist. It’s also given me what I call a “film family.” For the foreseeable future, horror wins the day.

Ritter – I’ve been making low- and no-budget horror/sci-fi features for over 33 years in Kentucky, and then Florida, where I grew up, and now in Kentucky again, and I see no reason to change. I just add my latest movie obsessions into the horror and sci-fi stuff I make.

Q. What are some misconceptions you’ve found that people have about filmmakers who work in the horror genre?

Ritter – Mainly this notion that you’re a crazy, drug-fueled degenerate! I think it’s interesting when people meet you and find that you’re a normal, down-to-earth person. And this is a business—in order to do movies, we have to raise funds, get investors and go through a lot of red tape, so if we were so out there, we’d never get through the business side of the business.

Milliner – That we’re disturbed psychopaths or only love horror films. I want to tell all kinds of stories, but after recently making a big action fantasy, I realized I missed the horror genre. I enjoy creating atmosphere, suspense and tension, and creating dread in the audience. The way you move the camera, sound design, misdirection and the manipulation of your audience is rewarding. And as far as how disturbed we are? I always say, “Think of it as the safe part.” We’re all capable of thinking of horrible things, but thinking it and doing it are totally different. I hate real violence. I have too much empathy.  

Miles – The more collegiate film groups do not seem to take anything in the horror genre seriously. The misconception seems to be that horror isn’t art, which is followed by a marginalization of anyone they see as coming from a horror background.

Q. Since Kentucky is part of the Bible Belt, has it been a hindrance to making horror films?

Ritter – Absolutely not! My beliefs are actually the same as most of the Bible Belt folks, so we have something in common right away. I made a movie about my religious convictions in Kentucky called Reconciled Through The Christ, and we incorporated loads of religious color into the story by just filming what was around me. It was a great experience, and everyone who participated was very respectful and cool with the material, whether they believed what I did or not.  

Hall – I just don’t tell my church that I’m making a horror film. 

Holt – I consider myself very lucky to be a Kentucky filmmaker. It has never been a problem. I’ve experienced great support from this great state. Whether it’s a project with Red Band or working with a crew out of town like Blood Moon Pictures, the people everywhere in Kentucky have been welcoming. Growing up, it seemed as if filmmaking was on Mars. The idea of it was that far away. “People don’t do that here,” I was told. Making movies only happened in LA. Now all has changed. I love making films here.

Bonilla – The only attitude we ever experienced was from the local arts community. We went to an event to support local arts. One lady walked up and asked for my info. I gave her a card, and she said, “Oh, horror movies,” and dropped my card and walked off! Ironically, I saw she is now part of the film commission.

Q. What is one of the best advantages of filming in Kentucky?

Ritter – The right people will work extremely hard, and for very little, if they believe in what you’re doing. Awesome locations—you can have great city shots with skyscrapers, drive two hours and be smack in the middle of wilderness! I love the woods in Kentucky and try to incorporate them into my movies. I’ve shot everything from alien invasions to Bigfoot attack scenes in these woods, and they are beautiful. 

Miles – The tax credit is the new big advantage to filming in Kentucky. Though the real advantage lies in the boundless myriad of locations and people that are so freely available.

Bower – There are endless free or nearly free resources such as locations, props, permits and many others here in Kentucky. This state is filled with talented people, and they are each connected with someone that has a resource to help a production out. It’s an indie filmmaker’s paradise.

Q. What would you like to see happen in Kentucky to help bolster the film industry in the state? 

Hall – Raise the tax incentive and lower the minimum budget amount down to $100K.

Miles – I would love to see a larger union presence in the state. Currently, there are no SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) franchised agents in the state due to the arcane rule that a franchised agent must be located within 100 miles of a local (office of the SAG-AFTRA). Additionally, background actors have no union protections. The films are finally coming, thanks to our tax incentive. Now, we need unions and the protections they offer workers more than ever.   

Bonilla – Get Dian Knight back in the (Kentucky) Film Office. She believed in independents. The attitude of the new regime is: “If it’s not Hollywood, we don’t need it.” That’s a shame, as we have one of the most vibrant and prolific film communities in the country.

Holt – Organization. There’re filmmakers tucked into so many places in this great state. We need to network and grow. It takes support to make films, and I believe we can do that for one another. Whether it’s hiring someone for a job or giving simple advice, we can be there for one another to help keep telling our stories.

Q. What piece of advice would you give a filmmaker who lives in Kentucky and wants to get into making movies?

Hall – Don’t wait until you get the latest and greatest camera. Use your cellphone if you have to. Learn to tell a story on film first, then buy all the equipment you want.

Ritter – Just start making movies and making contacts. Social media is a great place to meet folks locally and nationally. My last few movies came together on social media by people contacting me who lived close by and wanted to participate. I’ve found that one thing leads to another, and if you’re persistent, it’ll happen.  

Bonilla – First, get a good story. Then, as Bruce Campbell told me, “preparation, preparation, preparation.” Many filmmakers get tied up in raising funds instead of getting a good story. Money makes a movie, not a good movie.

Huskisson – Just do it! If it’s your passion, don’t hesitate. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you. Get onto different media avenues and network with others like yourself. Above all else, have fun.

Q. Talk about your project—what you did on it and how making it in Kentucky made it special. 

Starks – Our newest installment, Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories, was recently released on DVD and VOD through Dark Cuts. I do a lot of the main scripting, but my producing partner, Eric Huskisson, and I share duties on set. He handles most of the business, while I tend to be more on the creative side. When I conceived the VOB films, I wanted to create a viewing experience that was horror fans making horror films for horror fans. We never anticipated it would take off like it did, and now we have the big boys of horror like Fangoria (horror film fan magazine) saying it’s “the best anthology film in years,” iHorror.com stating it’s “an anthology powerhouse packed with terror,” and Blumhouse Productions calling it a “cult hit franchise!” It’s special because Kentucky is where we live and work. We’re getting to live out our dream here. My films are set in my hometown of Owensboro. I’m proud of the foundation we’re creating here. These grassroots productions have helped build a tight-knit Kentucky network and given those who are interested an avenue to spread their wings. It has become the ultimate collaboration between Kentucky-based artists, and that’s very special indeed. 

Hall – For Terror at Crimson Creek, we got an entire school for a weekend at no charge. In Mountain Mafia, I was able to blow up a car with help from the local police, fire department and EMTs, and all it cost me was 4 gallons of gas. I couldn’t have done that anywhere else in the world legally.

Ritter – I’ve been making movies in Kentucky, Ohio and Florida my whole life, so … I’ll pick just a couple. Reconciled Through The Christ was a great project. The actors were so perfect and the way I was able to integrate the local color—the Bible verses posted on walls and signs in small towns—was wonderful, free set dressing! You can see it for free on YouTube. The guy I had doing special effects—Ohio native Todd Pontsler—delivered Syfy B-movie level CGI (computer-generated imagery) with very little money. With I Dared You! Truth or Dare 5, filming with local actors was outstanding; they are so enthusiastic. Another actor I met years ago, Thomas Kindler, opened up his home and property to us. We shot a short with him called Dealers of Death, and people will see how great he is when it’s released in the sequel to Hi-8.

Miles – I have worked as an actor on many projects here in Kentucky—horror and otherwise. It is hard to single out one in particular, but here are a few locally made independent horror films I really enjoyed working on: Deadly Dares: Truth or Dare IV, Red River, Terror at Crimson Creek and 6 Feet Below Hell. All of these projects draw from the unique locations and talent available here in Kentucky.

Q. Anything else you’d like to add? 

Starks – When we made Horror Stories, I had the pleasure of working with some of the most passionate artists I’ve ever met. The insanely talented costume designer Barbie Clark helped us create iconic looking characters like The Harvester. John Holt and Austin Madding served as DP (director of photography) and cinematographer, giving the film a professional look that took it to the next level. Cassandra Baker, our special effects supervisor, gave us more than 25 incredibly visceral on-screen kills that will stand the test of time. Christopher Bower played the role of Mr. Stine and brought that character to incredible life. We had great production assistants such as Brian Storm, who sadly passed away last November, but was an integral part of production and is sorely missed by everyone. My wife, Katrina, stepped up and took charge as production manager and rocked the role! I could go all day about all the incredible people who helped bring Horror Stories from script to screen.

Ritter – Creating alternative realities and so forth is what I live for—love doing this stuff, and it’s the only time I feel alive! I love collaborating with like-minded people who feel the same and do it for the joy of doing it, leaving their egos at home. And if you can get paid for doing what you love in some way, that’s just icing on the cake.

Miles – Currently, I have the privilege to be working on a SAG/AFTRA pilot, Square Brains, a science fiction comedy variety show. I say “privilege” because it certainly isn’t for the cash! Square Brains is my dream project and to make the pilot here in Kentucky is priceless. This project is a deep dive into my twisted mind. The story of two human/mice spliced nihilist detectives, their television show and the network executives who don’t understand any of it. 

Bonilla – Never ever, ever quit. Keep storming the gates. Q