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	www.racksandrazors.com - Interview With Writer/Director Christopher Alan Broadstone By Owen Keehnen - I am sort of a jaded shit when it comes to horror - so for me to see a slew of shorts that makes me want to run through the streets wearing a sandwich board and ringing a bell is a pretty big fucking deal. Christopher Alan Broadstone's work made me (well, almost) do just that. I caught his three multi-award winning shorts 'My Skin' , 'Scream for Me' , and 'Human No More' and was AMAZED, AGAPE, and generally in AWE of this man's talent behind the camera - the cinematography, the music, the ideas, the acting - it all came together in a way that rarely happens in short film and when that happens 3 out of 3 times you know there's a unique and incredible talent involved. I went to his website www.blackcabproductions.com and contacted him pronto for an interview. I am beyond thrilled that right has triumphed and Christopher is set to direct his first horror feature called 'Retard' based on his own screenplay. He has also released his first horror novel called 'Puzzleman'. This guy is the real deal & a whole lot more - read on and hear the future of horror. R&R: Okay, first off Christopher I think we should start the www.racksandrazors.com readers out with a visual and describe the room where you're answering these questions? CAB: Lots of high tables with six chairs each, three per side; wall-length multi-paned windows; a glass-paneled garaged door with a patio beyond; a large L-shaped bar to my left; chips and salsa, the smell of Mexican food and margaritas. I'm sitting in the cantina at Chevy's restaurant in Burbank, passing time between seeing MISSION IMPOSSILE III and POSEIDON. R&R: Let me just say I saw 'My Skin', 'Human No More', & 'Scream For Me' and LOVED THEM! It was all just fantastic work! I was absolutely amazed at the sheer horror you are able to generate in those shorts. As a man adept at directing, writing, and editing, what do you see as the most essential for you in creating fear? CAB: Getting inside of the viewer by sucking them into the characters and action unfolding on screen. To accomplish that I use every available element I can: firstly, the writing and story, then the dialogue and acting, the camera and lighting, and the environment and action relative to character and story. There I make full circle, of course, and then it all comes down to three things for me: editing, color-correction, and audio. Rhythmic, well-timed editing can make a great performance a masterpiece and turn tension and action/violence into sheer poetry of movement and moment. The color-correction also serves to bolster the poetry and maintain the moment by further solidifying the environment. When I watch one of my films I want to be taken somewhere else and trapped there until the end credits roll; and even then, for me, the credits should polish out the entire film by proper rhythm of text played against music until the screen finally goes black. The audio/soundtrack, of course, is as important as everything that comes before it in creating and sustaining story, performance, environment, and action. From my perspective it really does take everything - from the first word of the script to the very last music/audio cue - to create an unnerving, tense, and/or terrifying moment on film. R&R: Sound is also SUCH a huge part of your films. Care to comment? CAB: I think I just did! Even so, audio has always been very important to me. I was a professional musician for quite a long time, first playing with my band ABOUT 9 TIMES and then THE JUDAS ENGINE. I'm no stranger to the studio environment, and I believe that experience has made all the difference in the quality of the audio for each of my films. But I can't take all the credit for the soundtracks of SCREAM FOR ME and MY SKIN, which were expertly assembled by Post Sound Supervisor Enzo Treppa, and wonderfully mixed by veteran re-recordist Marty Hutcherson. Also, I have to point out the great music of Ugly Mus-tard in SCREAM FOR ME and the potent score by Brian Sussman for MY SKIN. Brian also wrote and performed the music for HUMAN NO MORE, which I really love. The end credit track, however, is I AM A WALL, written and recorded previously by my band THE JUDAS ENGINE. As for all the other audio you hear in HUMAN NO MORE, I actually can take credit, because I did all the production recording, Foley recording, sound effects editing, and mixing myself. R&R: A theme in all 3 of your shorts was that of "the crazed watcher" - that even in our secretive moments we're being observed by some fierce force. How do you think that plays into your overall themes and/or philosophy of life? CAB: I'd say it plays strongly into most of my themes, which tend to be victim driven instead of hero driven. In many ways I feel like there's always something watching me or screwing with me, something beyond my power to control, but something that has the power to control or destroy me - all of which seems to find it's way into the minds of my characters or themes in general. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive to fate and what usually appears to be the senseless suffering so many have to endure. Even so, whether it's fate or God or the absence of God or simply entropy, I do believe that most people create the bulk of their own problems. I know I create most of mine, in spite of my best intentions. But in this way others and myself are again victims. Victims victimized by their own selves. Not necessarily a good thing, but a reality nonetheless. R&R: So tell me about how you got into directing...how did that pursuit come about? CAB: About eleven years ago I moved to L.A. with my band, THE JUDAS ENGINE. Although TJE had a CD under its belt, was playing gigs regularly, and had a new demo recorded, it was abruptly murdered by circumstances about eight months after our arrival in California. I was suddenly a lost soul and too burned out to pursue music anymore. My only opportunity lay in some good luck I'd had in meeting two professional film producers. They read the unpublished manuscript of my novel, PUZZLEMAN, liked the story, and wanted to get it into script form ASAP. I took the challenge and launched into an endless screenplay writing exercise that eventually went nowhere. I could never please two producers of different minds and myself as well. I also wrote a second feature, LOVE ME, based on an old short story I'd written many years before, but was nearly thrashed to death on that with the first draft. It was then that I realized the only way anyone was ever going to take my cinematic visions seriously, or even understand them, was if I took control and made a film myself. My first choice was SCREAM FOR ME, based on another of my short stories - a little tale that people either loved or absolutely hated. I had quite a bit to prove to the world, as well as to myself, so I wanted to shoot a movie that broke rules. In the case of SFM, that meant dealing with controversial subject matter, nudity, sexual violence, excessive language, back-to-back monologues, a one-room location, and a lead character that constantly wore reflective mirror sunglasses. Most all of those challenges are considered really bad luck for a first-time filmmaker. R&R: Do you think people who knew you as a kid would be surprised or not shocked at all to discover you're directing and writing horror today? CAB: even my parents are surprised, and they've known me my whole life. When I was young I never watched horror and what I did see scared me so much I could barely watch it with my hands over my eyes. But I came to realize something about myself; about the time I turned 21, that my brain is simply a very grim, cynical dark place. There's just something that fascinates me about the macabre underbelly of life - or maybe it's not as much of a fascination as a warped addiction to the how and why of it all. If it was up to me it would be thunder storming everyday, and I'd happily observe the wicked world from the highest tower of my castle before descending into my dungeon for a day's exploration of the deepest horrors humanity has devised - and try to understand them by living through them with writing and/or filmmaking. And having said that, I don't really consider my films horror films - at least not by typical genre standards. I don't even find my films scary, nor do I try to make them scary. I'm usually trying to get at a dark truth, theme, or philosophy inside of me and externalize it through writing a novel, screenplay, or directing a film. If some people are scared or unnerved by what oozes from my morbid imagination, well...what can I say? Cool! In all truth though, I think if Edgar Allan Poe was alive today, he'd be writing stories and making films like mine. Poe stories don't scare me, but they put me on edge - get under my skin and infuse my subconscious - while at the same time being poetic and dark as hell. R&R: When you sit down to begin penning a screenplay what usually lies at the core of your creative spark - is it the character, the plot, a vision, the theme, the mood, does it vary or is there something else entirely? CAB: It's really all of the above, but in no particular order. What I usually do is begin with a title I like, or a bit of writing, or notes on a possible scene or character portrayal that inspires me. Then I use that as nourishment to feed the beliefs and concepts I find within myself, or sometimes it works best visa versa - I use my personal philosophies to nurture the story and/or characters. But whatever the case, it's these elements that ultimately become the seeds of my stories. If I'm lucky, these seeds will take root and demand I grow them into a fully fleshed-out character, script, film, or novel. Now having said all that, a large part of my creative process is ultimately an attempt to not only entertain myself, but to seduce a viewer or reader onto the roller coaster ride of thought, sentience (be it laughter, tears, or terror), and catharsis. R&R: I also want to hear about your debut novel (horror naturally) 'Puzzleman'. Can you give the readers at www.racksandrazors.com a teaser that will make the book irresistible and follow it up with some info about where they can purchase 'Puzzleman' ? CAB: PUZZLEMAN is certainly the most difficult, tedious, and endless project I've ever worked on. Many, many years in the making. It started out to be merely a 100-page novella, but once I started writing, it exploded into what became nearly a 1000 page manuscript. The historical section was also twice as long. Over the years of rewriting, I was able to better develop and tighten the story, eventually trimming those 1000 pages of madness down to what I hope is a solid, well focused 400 pages. The writing of this book definitely required a lot of nurturing and evolution over time. Also, one of my original concepts for PUZZLEMAN was to tell a story that started very small, with simply the dialogue of a couple faceless characters catalyzing the events to come, and then quickly expanding the story to include several more characters with different outlooks and pasts, and then to tie them all together in a tale that would grow to encompass mysteries, truths, and dangers that approached an almost universal scale. But at the same time I wanted all of that to be unfolding just below the surface of what all of us call everyday life. Kind of like a shark swimming with its fin just beneath the water. The surface appears normal and calm to our eyes, but just below, just out of sight, immense danger is lurking and could strike at any moment. I think most people don't realize just how precarious their life, lifestyles, and world are. But enough philosophizing! I really hope more and more people will read PUZZLEMAN. I think it's got a lot to say, but is very entertaining as well. To learn more about PUZZLEMAN and to buy the book, I recommend going directly to my site at the link below. It's the fastest cheapest way to get the book. http://blackcabproductions.com/WordsPuzzpage.html Or, if anyone would like to pay a couple dollars more and get a money back guarantee go to Shocklines.com at http://store.yahoo.com/shocklines/punobychalbr.html R&R: I am so excited that you're finally going to be directing the feature 'Retard' from your own award-winning screenplay. Are you intent on maintaining as much control over the project as possible? CAB: I certainly hope to maintain as much hands-on as I can, otherwise people aren't going to get what they're already expecting from me. RETARD is with Christopher Webster (Exec. Prod. HELLRAISER I & II, Prod. SEVERED TIES, CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT) and he has no qualms about me directing and controlling the final edit. That's a great compliment and shows a great confidence in my abilities. But he's also seen my development, and success, over three short films and now knows I have a vision that is better nurtured than tampered with. R&R: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from directing shorts that is going to come in handy when it comes to making the feature film leap? CAB: Steal as much time as you can for pre-production, production, and post-production. Also, if you don't have time to shoot a shot exactly the way you planned, shoot it anyway you can with whatever you can. R&R: And what do you foresee as the greatest challenge after previously doing only shorts? CAB: Sustaining story, performance, and tension for a solid hour and a half or two. Yikes! Now that is scary! R&R: Do you have any other upcoming projects you would care to tell the www.racksandrazors.com readers about? CAB: Besides shooting RETARD (hopefully sooner than later), I'm currently putting together elements and loads of extras for a triple feature DVD containing all three of my films, to be titled 3 DEAD GIRLS. I hope to have the project completed and available by October. I'm also about 300 manuscript pages into writing another novel called HEATHER'S TREEHOUSE. It isn't nearly as complex of a story as PUZZLEMAN, but it's definitely as visceral and graphic. It should be a fun read, if I can ever get the time to finish it. Speaking of which, I'm also about 60 pages into a shorter novel I plan to call M, which is a very personal story and is written in first person with a stream of conscious feel to it - definitely very different from PUZZLEMAN or HEATHER'S TREEHOUSE. There are a couple children's stories I'd like write too. And the project list goes on. There's lot's and lot's to do before I drop dead. R&R: Okay - we're pulling the car into the Christopher Alan Broadstone Drive In - what three horror movies are going to be featured on the triple bill tonight and what goodies are they going to be serving up at the concession stand? CAB: My short HUMAN NO MORE with FRANKENSTEIN (1931), MY SKIN! with THE CORPSE BRIDE, and SCREAM FOR ME opening for SEVEN. The concession stand will be serving Red Baron Four Cheese and Classic Supreme pizza; and the drinks served will be Skyy vodka martinis with a side of water and fresh lemon. Cheers! R&R: What makes you go psycho in real life? CAB: When someone talks down to me or gets in my face. Also, when I tell someone to leave me alone and they just keep on coming. That's a real quick way to find out what a real psycho I am - if you push the right button, my evil side will instantly consume me and you'll find yourself staring into the eyes of the Devil himself. And you really don't want to screw with the Devil. R&R: What scares you in real life? CAB: Real life. http://www.racksandrazors.com/alan.html - - - Interview With Actor Tony Simmons - If you've ever engaged in a heated debate about the level of acting (or non-acting) in low budget horror just pop in the DVD of Christopher Alan Broadstone's work and you will see three performances that will positively knock your knickers to your knees. Tony Simmons stars in all three of Mr. Broadstone's short horror masterpieces - 'My Skin' , 'Scream For Me' , and 'Human No More'. The films are amazing and a large part of that is the result of Simmons' completely believability in these three divergent roles. He's simply one of the finest and most mercurial actors in horror (and I'm assuming anywhere) that you'll see. You've gotta wonder why this guy isn't flooded with mainstream offers - is he part of the witness protection program and eager to remain anonymous? Is he shy? Does his agent suck? Is Hollywood run by morons (no comment)? I'm convinced it's only a matter of time until this guy busts through the fame membrane and once he does back off Freddy Krueger and Sir John Gielgud. Tony is GRRRRRRRREAT. (For the youngsters reading this that was a reference to a Frosted Flakes ad back in the dark ages!) Anyway, the really GRRRRRRREAT part is Tony Simmons is here for an exclusive www.racksandrazors.com interview. R&R: Hi Tony, hope you are doing well. Can you start everyone off at www.racksandrazors.com with a quick visual and describe the room where you are answering these questions? TS: Whereas my usual abode involves lounging about a personal sized cell with simply upholstered walls (padded), smartly attired in a tasteful, canvas, wraparound blazer (strait-jacket), donning iron ankle bracelets a little too closely attached; today I find myself sitting naked in a glass house with a big pile of rocks at my side. R&R: I am so impressed - I saw your amazing acting in the 3 Christopher Alan Broadstone shorts 'My Skin', 'Scream For Me', and 'Human No More'. All are horror, but all 3 are such divergent roles - what part of a character is the first thing you put in place when it comes to wrapping yourself around a role? TS: What acting? Christopher Adam Broadstone simply came by wherever I was living at the time and brought his camera and crew. It was all improvisation based on my temperament that day. That said; please know that almost everything I say is a lie, so it's going to be difficult to get a good interview outta my ass. If you think it's tough, try being me; I can't believe a thing I think! Actually, thank you for the compliment. It really depends on the project about how the character kinda evolves. Sometimes, it comes externally as in the case of Death in My Skin. Christopher Alice Broadstone had a very specific look he was going for. The emaciation, and hairlessness and tatteredness. The bird mask also helped define qualities in the character. As far as Madman in Scream For Me was concerned, it really was a matter of who could say and do the things he does that created this guy. He really is pretty much out there for all to see. I think he really does speak his mind and that mind is just a little off center. And then for Human No More, Nemo is really kinda similar to me, I think. It was the most intimate and least theatrical role. R&R: How did you first hook up with writer/director/editor Christopher Alan Broadstone? TS: I met Broadstone outside an elementary school where he was selling crack cocaine and heroin, we hit it off immediately. (I very simply submitted my headshot-resume to a casting notice found in theatrical publication called Back Stage West (formerly Dramalogue). Christopher Albert Broadstone thought I had that leading man quality that he was looking for, I suppose and...) R&R: Have any Hollywood powers that be seen you in these films, noticed the awards you've received for your performances at various festivals, recognized the sheer horrific power of your performances (for me especially 'My Skin') and thrown offers at your feet? TS: No one has seen anything I've ever done except for friends who dread the possibility of me saying something like "Hey, check out this new thing I worked on!" Even my agent seems not to know my fucking phone number! It's a sad state of affairs. Luckily, Black CAB Productions has gotten some really good press and feedback from the horror community. R&R: You play Madman so convincingly in 'Scream for Me'. What was the first thing you wanted to get down when it came to portraying a rapist who rapes the man who kills the woman he was intent on raping? Not quite sure if that made sense, but you know what I mean. TS: I think Madman simply believes in the motto about making lemonade when life gives you lemons. As an actor, I figured that since we only had one actor to work with and if I was going to actually kill him, I'd have to at least have my lines down so we could try and do it in one take. Gabriel Sigal was such a talented actor it was a little sad to have to kill him during the filming of that movie. Of course, with all the competition in Hollywood among actors, I suppose it really was kind of a good thing. But offing Lora Cunning ham really was a waste. I mean she and I probably wouldn't have been in competition for that many roles. Oh, well. An actor does what an actor must do. The show must go on, ya know! R&R: I've read in a previous interview that you are a gay man. Me too! I must ask -- was the portrayal of gay sex (or at least male sodomy) as a horror element in the film a concern of yours? TS: Whereas the violence that occurs can be viewed in the context of sex, I see it more as an alpha male teaching a smaller male a lesson, while at the same time getting a semblance of his original intent. And without a pretty girl on his arm, or his fancy car to show off, or a pocket full of cash to impress, and of course, being just little emotionally touched, Madman uses his own technique in communicating. Sometimes, touching someone with steel can get a point across the way a limited vocabulary just can't do. Although one has to admit that Madman does have an eloquence all his own! R&R: And I must hear what was running through your mind when it came to your amazing work as The Grim Reaper in 'My Skin'? TS: While working on My Skin, my biggest concern was whether the lights were catching the glistening pools of limpid delights that are my eyes. An actor really must develop a good relationship with the Director of Photography and the lighting designer (as well as makeup and hair) or else they came make you look pretty unattractive. Luckily, my connections with those talented individuals, allowed for me to come across as handsome and charming as I truly am in my regular life. It was actually long hours, hard work and a lot of fun working on that movie. Broadstone uses a very active camera in his stuff so it can be quite methodically choreographed and timed. It was very theatrical and over-the-top and allowed for a bit of a ham-fest. There's nothing like a ham-fest to bring out the worst in an actor! Thank you Christopher Agnes Broadstone! R&R: What was the main thing about Death you were hoping to convey? TS: I think anger and unbridled fury were key elements. If you've ever seen an angry bird going after a cat that's attacked its nest, you can almost see the rage on the bird's face. Of course, birds have pretty expressionless faces, so maybe I'm projecting a little bit. Maybe I should talk to my therapist about this and not you. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, this in none of your goddamn business, thank you very much! Next fucking question! R&R: Congrats on your various honors for acting in 'Human No More'. What was the toughest part about making that long monologue of the detective so convincing without being overwrought or boring? TS: In all honesty, the monologue really was all about the writing. Plus, there was the director there to pull me back if I was too big and broad and loud. The words were there. If the words hadn't said something, it would have really sucked. I will take this moment to say that Christopher Alfred Broadstone's writing really is some good shit. When I first read the Madman stuff, I fell in love with his writing. That said, please feel free to edit out what I just said since this interview is supposed to be about me and not about that fucking asshole Christopher Alex Broadstone! R&R: Mr. Broadstone is so skilled at creating mood in the films. Is that creepy finished product we see on film apparent in a certain creepiness during filming? TS: When shooting, at least from my perspective, there's not much creepy about it. It's all technical. Can the sound guy hear what's going on? Is the makeup right? Do I know my lines? Am I in focus? Is the light catching the glistening pools of limpid delights that are my eyes? However, I do know that when we were shooting Scream For Me, there were a couple of people in the other room hearing some of the dialogue who were creeped out by what they heard. I am assuming that they were creeped out by the lines and not the crazed raving of Christopher Edna Broadstone. I'll note here that editing is extremely important in filmmaking. It's one of the skills that Broadstone excels at. Bad editing can really make some good shit look terrible and the reverse is also true. The general public doesn't realize the huge influence editing has on the final film. What he does in the editing process really makes a movie. R&R: Why do you think you are so adept at playing horror? What about it makes it a unique challenge for an actor? TS: Until I met Christopher Elmo Broadstone, I never worked in horror. It's not a genre I'm that knowledgeable of. I do think that a lot of horror is theatrical and creates a reality different than your standard melodrama. And therefore, bigger, hammier performances are often needed. In the same way that a lot of those Star Trekkish TV shows often rely on Shakespearean actors, horror is another world that demands a certain suspension of disbelief, not unlike a stage performance. R&R: Do you have any other projects in the offing you would care to tell the www.racksandrazors.com readers about? TS: In a few days, I'll be doing some work on a movie called Carnies directed by Brian Corder of ToxicShockTV.com. I'm actually going to be a victim instead of the more demented character. But, it's still a hammy part, so it'll be lots of fun. As long as they can make sure to capture the glistening pools of... R&R: Okay - we're pulling the car into the Tony Simmons Drive In. What three horror movies are going to be on the triple bill? TS: Assuming that Lucille Ball's performance in Mame, although a horrific moment in cinematic history, does not particularly fall into the category of horror, I would have to say that my faves are the original Dracula with Bela Lugosi, the Sixth Sense, and Rosemary's Baby. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? While not normally considered traditional horror is without a doubt a great movie on so very many levels. R&R: What makes you go psycho in real life? TS: People who wear too much cologne, people who have cute cat collections, and fundamentalists of any religious belief, drive me fucking nuts! R&R: What scares you in real life? TS: What really scares me are former beauty queens without a wrinkle on their faces, cat eyes, lips that look like unnaturally swollen labia, cheeks like golf balls, eyebrows that can't move, and talons instead of hands! Especially ones who tout beauty tips. I'm also very frightened by born-again Christians and recovering alcoholics or addicts. Practicing alcoholics are usually a lot more fun. I know! Also, looking in the mirror is a frightening experience. There is only so much denial in which I can wallow. http://www.racksandrazors.com/tony.html