This flick starts out with action and chaos from the moment I pushed play!! Animal activists enter an animal testing compound with a plan to rescue the test chimps inside the ‘Cambridge Research Center’, unaware that the chimps have been injected with an inhibitor which creates uncontrollable ‘RAGE’!
The virus is extremely contagious and is spread through infected blood or saliva entering the body through an open wound, your mouth, or your eyes.
It spreads like a wild fire or a porn star-which ever phrase you prefer (No offense).
Now begins the fight to stay uninfected and escape the destruction of those who have become infected, rotting, crazed, hungry, FAST, zombies… Before the infected destroy humankind.
28 days later: Jimmy, a bicycle courier, awakes in an abandoned hospital (after a bicycle accident) alone, nude, and confused. Jimmy has a taste of luck when he stumbles across a refreshing Pepsi and a bunch of munchies from the destroyed vending machines. Jimmy, with his bag of munchies and a small jolt of caffeine, sets out on his journey outside to find out what bloody happened while he was knocked out as a patient at the local hospital.
Jimmy, now outside, gazes on the once recognizable city which has become unrecognizable. At that moment Jimmy then encounters the infected zombies running through the streets and wanting to feast on his flesh.
Another bit of luck for Jimmy: he meets two uninfected individuals, Selena and Mark. They save and take Jimmy back to their secret hideout and begin to explain the bad news of what had occurred while Jimmy was knocked out as a patient at the hospital.
Stubborn and headstrong, Jimmy wants to go to his home to check on his family. Selena and Mark are very hesitant; however, agree to go with him. Once they arrive at Jimmy’s home it is obvious that the infected have been there. At an unexpected moment, the infected zombies smash through the window and attack!
The infected get to their mate Mark and infected blood gets into Mark’s mouth. Selena has no choice; she only has 10-20 seconds to kill Mark (Selena is a bad ass female!!!).
Selena, with her large machete blade in hand, takes quick action and slashes Mark to death as blood splatters everywhere! Selena then warns Jimmy, “I will do the same to you if I have to.” They get out of there as fast as they can as Selena leads and Jimmy follows.
On their journey to survive, they meet two more uninfected; a father and a daughter (Hannah). They invite Selena and Jimmy inside their home in which the father has made as indestructible and safe as possible. They hear on the father’s radio: a broadcast telling all uninfected to get to where the broadcast is directing them (the safe zone military). Quite comical-the car they are driving to try and get to this safe zone is about the size of a full size bed.
Jimmy remarks, “This is a real Shit of an idea.”
They battle the infected and there are major action scenes while on their drive, (I’ll leave that for your imagination).
They reach a place which they consider as safe as possible to crash for the night to catch a little zzzzzz’s…and yet more luck they have ‘valium’! ‘And now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my brains don’t become a zombie flesh treat, and if I should be slaughtered and raided, I pray these ‘valium’ keep me sedated.’
They begin their journey at dawn, driving as fast as possible to reach the supposed military safety zone. They pull over for a quick break and the father enters what appears to be an old barn. He hears something above in the rafters; it is a raven eating the flesh of an infected, rotting, dead, corpse. He stands up and shouts “get outta here!” At that exact moment, as the raven flies away, a drip of infected blood from the corpse drops and lands directly in the father’s eye. (Now that is what I call some bloody bad luck)!
Selena is screaming to Jimmy, “kill him”; ironically, Jimmy was the nearest to the father at that time. At that moment, a man who appears to be with the military shoots and kills the infected father! Selena, Jimmy, and Hannah think they have made it to the military safety zone (Have they or have they not??).
I have told you way too much as a review!
I will leave you with one last detail.
There is ‘lust’ in the air; Jimmy and Selena enjoy a little uninfected tongue!
So sit back, chill, gather you munchies, and push play!
Music Score A heavily edited version of the song “East Hastings” by the post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor appears in the film, but the track is excluded from the soundtrack, because Boyle only obtained the rights to use it in the film.
28 Days Later: The Soundtrack Album was released on 17th June 2003. It features most of John Murphy’s original score and tracks from Brian Eno, Grandaddy and Blue States.
Death metal band The Rotted (previously known as Gorerotted) Included the title track 28 Days Later on their album Get Dead or Die Trying, released in 2008.
Last month, I had a celebration contest when Chaney FX reached 2000 members. I decided to have a contest where people could tell a story about themselves in the horror industry. FX work, acting, scripting, you name it. There were many amazing stories, but one really caught my eye. It was a story by Shawn French. Here is what his story was:
DVD artwork by Max M. Leon (mortalityfigure.com)
After our house was broken into, I wrote and directed,” which my wife and I play murderous homeowners who hunt down the punks who robbed them. We filmed at our own house to bring more genuine anger to our performances. The result was a deeply intense horror flick that just got picked up for international DVD/Blu-ray distribution. http://www.thewronghousemovie.com/Anyhow, I thought that was amazing. Something bad happened and they turned around and did something creative with it. But Shawn left a lot of the story out. He wont he contest and he sent me a DVD of the movie. It is really intense. Shawn and his wife plays the insane part good… A bit too good. lol!!! After watching the movie, I asked Shawn more about it, which we will get to in a minute. After all, I have until 5:00pm on Friday… So, I’m safe. Shawn and Sue, no offense, but after watching this movie, if I were ever walking down the sidewalk and saw the two of you ahead of me, I’d turn around and take off like a bat out of hell. (Checking watch) Ok, it’s 4:59pm… Still safe… This is what Shawn had to say about the creation of this wonderfully demented movie:
A little morning inspiration for you.
The Killers: My wife, Sue, and I came up with our characters almost a decade ago, in answer to the question, “If we were just a couple notches crazier, what type of killers would we be?” We came up with Steve and Susan, a couple who sincerely believe themselves to be agents of karma. They believe karma only works if there are people like themselves who kill off those who need to be killed. They pick off pedophile priests, wife-beaters, rapists and child abusers… Those society is better off without. They never kill at random. They never kill the innocent. They only prey on those whose death is dictated by Karma.
We didn’t know what story these characters belonged in, but we always knew it would be a blast to play husband-wife serial killers.
Megan Mathieu gets the Gitmo treatment in “The Wrong House”
The break-in: Fast-forward to March 18, 2008. I got a call from Sue, who had just arrived home and found the front door wide open. Our house ransacked. I had left home just 90 minutes earlier, so there was a real concern that they might have still been inside the house. The thought that kept running through my mind was, “What if she had walked in on them?” What would those kids have been willing to do to cover their tracks. We were pissed and wanted someone’s head on a stick. Having strangers defiling your home is an enormous invasion, made worse by the fact that they stole some items that belonged to Sue’s late husband Shane, who died of cancer 11 years ago.
We needed an outlet to pour that anger into. Three days after the burglary, the question surfaced, “What would Susan and Steve do?” We immediately knew we had a movie… and that we had to film it no matter what. Initially we were going to shoot it on my little Panasonic 100B, but as word spread about what had happened and what we were doing about it, help poured in from all directions. Everyone who read the script wanted in and the project quickly grew into a full HD feature film. FX artist Eric Anderson and makeup artist Kristina Ellery were huuuuuuge finds. Their work took this film to a whole different level.
Since we had so much genuine anger to work with, we decided to blur the lines as much as possible to really piss ourselves off. We filmed at our own house, had the actors break in through the same window the actual thieves used and had them trash the same areas of our house. Filming the break-in scene brought everything back to the surface. By the time we got to the torture scenes, we were beyond ready to go.
We also didn’t fake the action. We warned our actors at the first audition that everyone would be going home bruised. That we would be improvising some of the torture scenes and there would be times that they wouldn’t know what was coming next. The script was brutal to start with and we continually looked for ways to crank up the intensity. From water boarding to Donny’s (Daniel Galloway) basement beating scene, the action was going to be physical and as real as we could possibly make it. We were incredibly fortunate to find a crew of actors who really bought into what we wanted to do.
Every hit I took was real. We didn’t fake any of it. There are limits to what you can do to another actor, but I was completely willing to destroy myself. I broke three ribs in the final day of the shoot and was an absolute mess. We filmed the final few scenes sequentially, so as my character gets mangled, I do as well. It made it much easier to lose myself in those scenes. I had to sleep in a recliner for six weeks after the shoot because I couldn’t lie down. When we wrapped shooting in Sept. 2008, we knew that we had all given everything we could possibly give to bring this movie to life.
Another real perk of shooting in our house is that as I was writing the script, I could get up and walk through the locations. And we set up the basement torture room well in advance. I trained like a freak for six months to get ready for the role of Steve, dropping 30 pounds to play the former boxer. And I trained in the torture room. Pushing myself so hard and doing it in that fucked-up environment is how I really found the character of Steve.
We did the principal shoot in six days for $3,000. We funded everything out of pocket. As deeply personal a project as this was, it was vital that Sue and I not have to compromise our vision. Self-financing gave us that freedom.
I had worked minor cast/crew positions on a half-dozen movies, but this was my first time running a production. The two-plus years we spent bringing this movie to life was my film school. We’re now working on the story for a prequel that’ll show Susan and Steve’s first kill.
The DVD: “The Wrong House” is on sale at our official site (www.thewronghousemovie.com) and on Amazon.com (www.amazon.com/Wrong-House-Stacy-Ann-Strang/dp/B003IWZ1K6), as well as all Bull Moose (a chain of 10 New England record/movie stores) locations. I just finished up over an hour of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a commentary track that’ll be included on a Collector’s Edition we’ll release later this year. And we shot a music video on set for our end-credit song, Damien Zygote’s CHAOS THEORY (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl8afkk9Z-I), which will be included on that disk as well.
We’re also getting a table at the Carnival of Fright horror con in Hudson, NY on Halloween weekend. That should be a blast.
The crowds reception has been amazing. People really seem to connect to this film and it has absolutely killed at our theatrical screenings. We’re really looking forward to bringing Susan and Steve out to play again in the prequel.
Would you share a bit about yourself, for our readers and those individuals who haven’t had the fortune to step into the world of Dave Reda?
Sure… I directed the feature horror film, “BIT PARTS” and before that I produced and directed the sketch comedy show called “CLICK THIS”, for ‘3’ years!
Most recently I directed the video for ‘LUDO’S’ song ,”HORROR OF OUR LOVE” and TOMMY and THE HIGH PILOTS song, “ANYTIME NOW”… OR you just may know me as Zombie Dave on Facebook!! Ha-ha!!
To our readers, friends and fiends, Bit Parts is a film I highly recommend checking out… Once you have watched it at least one time, I know for a fact the film, Bit Parts will become part of your dvd collection… It made it to my dvd collection, which means it’s an excellent film!
Dave Reda’s first feature film, BIT PARTS, is available at BORDERS or online at Amazon and Netflix; hence, took ‘3’ years to complete… Why?
I knew, though I didn’t have a lot of money, I wanted my first full feature to be the best that it could be. Thanks to a great script by Jon Rosenberg.
I shot it on Super 16mm film, in 12 shooting days, then transfered to a digital format to edit.
The next ‘3’ years were spent finding the right editors and favors to call in to finish it right. I just couldn’t let it go without it being the best that I could do at the time.
We head a few lucky breaks along the way, like finding Steve Gilbane and the band, ‘PRIMUS’ drummer Tim Alexander to do the score for BIT PARTS.
Also, my friend, executive producer and Elftwin Films partner, Karl Schweitzer believed in me and that I was doing the right thing with the film, which helped a lot.
We have been very happy to see it on the shelf since 2007, and what it does out there.
Is film your main passion for your creative expression?
Film is my life… Always has been… My grandparents having owned movie theaters that my Dad worked in, movies always seemed so important around the house.
How do you feel about the independent film scene at this current time, as opposed to when independent/underground films in the 70’s and 80’s had a large cult following?
It’s a great time and a hard time to be a film maker now today… Now everyone and their mothers have access to HD cameras, allowing everyone to have professional looking films.
This means the market is flooding with budding new film makers and it can be a little rougher out there… Even with the saturation I still believe that cream rises to the top.
If you have a great idea, AND can tell a great story, then the technology is around now to help you!!
Where did the idea behind your latest film, “Horror of Our Love” originate?
Completely from the song, a friend of mine asked me to listen to the song and just wasn’t interested.
Finally I decided to listen to it, and as I heard the words & I saw most of the short film play out so clearly before my eyes. When that happens you just know you have to jump on it, It’s rare at least it is for me.
Photo by Dominic Wong
Do you think for the most part, individuals will really “get” your upcoming film “Horror of Our Love”?
Yes, I do… We have won awards at ‘6’ of the last ‘9’ festivals we have attended, and most of them being an audience choice or favorite award.
So great to hear an audience take to and get what the film is about, because it is definitely an interesting twist of a short film.
What your are currently working on and what you sir have in store for all of us Dave Reda supporters, fans; hence, or should I say Dave Reda groupies?
Ha-ha… My Zombie Army and fiends? Ha-ha!!
Well, we have ‘2’ feature film scripts out there in the mix right now… One, FREAK HOUSE, co-written with excellent horror novelist Fred Wiehe & then the other is UNHOLYGROUND, co-written with the very talented Craig Mcgee.
I have also been very busy writing some new short films to get out there very, very soon.
We have some music video projects up too, not to mention the crazy things I just decide to do ha-ha!!
What is your take on Yoko Ono? I follow her on Twitter but never really fully understand her tweets… Don’t get me wrong I love Yoko Ono, she is quite interesting!
I am not sure Yoko understands Yoko, but it’s funny ya can’t understand her when she sings or when she tweets… Ha-ha!
What is your motivation, as far as a film Director, Actor, Producer, Editor, as well as a Writer; hence, and is it the same as when you first started?
I started out as an actor just looking for that next part.
Directing allowed me the chance to create my own opportunities and play the parts I always wanted to play.
I find I keep wanting more and more the more I grow as a film maker. So much more to learn, and ways to be better.
Now I want to make films that are like roller coasters… I want my audience to laugh and scream, walk out of the theater talking about the fun ride!!
What’s in your cd player right now?
The Ramones Best of
AWESOME!!!
Since you first started, how have you grown?
Learning all sides of the film making process has made me a better actor; I like to think anyway… Ha-ha!!!
I can just do things now, because I know how I am going to edit them or realize just how really important continuity is to a scene.
All of it helps, all of it makes you grow or you are done, I would think.
“Horror of Our Love” is a short film featuring the song by the same name, by the band LUDO.
Would you share with myself, our readers and your fans about LUDO and your experience collaborating with them on your film?
Well honestly, I didn’t get I touch with them until after I had made the film.
I believed in the idea so much I took a chance and made it hoping they would be cool with it, something I don’t suggest for anyone!!
We got lucky!
After I had made it, I luckily got a hold of them over Facebook and sent them the short… That was a very nervous 15 minutes there waiting to hear there response, and was so relieved to hear they loved it!! Whew!!
Since then, we have become great friends, I even directed the video, ANY TIME NOW, for the band TOMMY & TE HIGH PILOTS, who has Ludo’s drummer Matt Palermo.
They are really cool guys with great sense of humor, we have become great friends, it’s been awesome!
You know I LOVE Debbie Rochon… Debbie Rochon to me is an Icon!
Would you share your experience working with her?
I haven’t had the pleasure of working with Debbie Rochon other than getting to do an interview with her and Dee Snyder on FANGORIA RADIO.
She was SO supportive of my film “BIT PARTS“ and me, and honestly has looked out for me ever since.
She has also been a great supporter of my latest,” HORROR OF OUR LOVE”… A SHORT FILM too, she is just such an inspiration to all independent film makers and actors.
She is an Icon and I truly believe it is an honor to have her as a friend… Got nothing but love for Debbie!
Photo by Dominic Wong… Photo of Dave Reda
I love that you are like me in the way of creating your own opportunities: hence, by forming the sketch comedy group, CLICK THIS!
Would you share your experience and the effect it had in your life?
Wow… So many little problems happened in the three years of filming CLICK THIS.
Solving each of them either right or wrongly prepared me more than I could ever know for the battle that was to come ahead in making a full feature.
Learning story telling and how to write and edit, CLICK THIS was an invaluable impromptu crash course in film making 101 and was a total blast!!!
Dave you have teamed up with writer Craig Mcgee on a new horror script, Unholy Ground.
Would you elaborate on your collaboration and possibly share a small peek in what we can expect?
For example, is it a splatter, zombie, psycho, thriller film and will this be a short film or will this be your first feature?
Really can’t get in to too many details as the scripts are in development.
What I can say is… UNHOLY GROUND, is a fast paced rock and roll demon horror film in the vein of films like TREMORS, and EVIL DEAD,
It’s going to be a lot of fun and is all original, which is what the public has been asking for… Gotta reward the fiend’s ha-ha!!
Craig & I met up after he had seen my film and reviewed it for his website the CHOPPING BLOCK.
We just kept in touch after that and met up in a festival in San Jose where I got to see his and our friend Michelle Fatale’s short film, “The CLEANER”.
I really liked the style and we just kept talking and kicking ideas around… Craig had had the idea in pieces and I together we were able to put it together solid and construct some juicy horror goodness… Ha-Ha!!
I love Michelle Fatale and her short film, The CLEANER!
Michelle Fatale, Dave Reda, Phil Grasso
I love Sam Kinneson… Do you have an all time favorite comedian?
So many, I am a huge fan of comedy… When I was a little kid I always loved Bob Hope, he was a big influence in my early comedy.
Gotta a lotta love for Sam Kinneson as well and Mitch Hedberg too, sad to see them go.
One of my all time favorite films is, “So I Married an Axe Murderer”!
It has that whole beat poetry theme going on and the famous Mike Myers.
You were a diner patron in that 1993 film… Would you reflect back to that time and share that experience?
Ha-Ha yeah… It was cool… It was my first set EVER… I was so green ha-ha!
I was standing outside just trying to stay out of the way of the speeding film crew; I was so amazed by the whole process.
I began to get lost in my own head just thinking about how much this was really what I wanted to do.
I wanted a sign that this was going to be my path when out of no where Mike Myers walks up to me interrupting my thoughts with…“Do I know you?”
I was shocked and had been so lost in my own thoughts, being so green and just a little extra, ha-ha, I wasn’t even sure he was talking to me.
He asked me again if he knew me, and I assured him he didn’t, trying not to stammer… He laughed and walked away, and I remember thinking… Ok yeah… That is a pretty good sign.
Later on, I found myself sitting across in the table next to Mike Meyers, and since we had spoken and broken the ice earlier we got to talking between shots.
He told me all about how he got on SNL and stuff like that, was just really inspiring to a little dude just starting out… It was a really cool way to start this whole crazy ride!!
How was the auditioning experience when you landed the role on HBO as Luke Perry’s ass double in Indiscreet Luke Perry’s ass double in Indiscreet?
So, you have a FABULOUS ass! Everyone I’m messing with the amazing Dave…
Dave did land the role as Luke Perry’s body double in “Indiscreet”, on HBO. In which scene were you Luke Perry’s body double?
The Audition was easy, for this, ha-ha!!!
All I had to do was look like Luke Perry in a long shot, and they picked me from Central Casting.
It’s much cheaper to get some dude who looks like a star to be in long out of focus establishing shots than paying the star to be there that day.
There is a scene right before the lead actress tries to kill herself in the ocean, Luke Perry is supposed to be a photographer and he is above on a cliff face taking shots of her.
I think that scene is the most obvious it’s me and not him, ha-ha!!
Most recently you teamed up with horror novelist Fred Wiehe for the new script and horror film, “FRIGHT HOUSE”.
How did the collaboration come about?
Also, will you be doing a little or a lot of acting, producing, editing, and writing; hence, or do you have a primary role your focusing on?
Fred and I also met at the San Jose Silicon Film Festival… I was a fan of his novels and he liked my film BIT PARTS, and so we kept talking about movie ideas.
I had a part of the idea and he had the other part. Like peanut butter and chocolate the ideas mixed well. From that point on it was a lot of back and forth until we had something very different and dark. This film is much darker than the horror comedies I usually make, but sometimes you have to get the dark out of you.
Fred rocks and wrote some twisted things, especially to the character I play, ha-ha!! Don’t piss off the writer or you will die horribly in the script, ah, lesson learned, ha-ha!!
For Fright House I do plan on directing and acting in it too…We crafted it in such a way that my character can be done later and I can focus mostly on everything else going on first!! It’s going to be quite a horror ride, lot’s of craziness, ha-ha!
Photo by Dominic Wong
Any SHOUT OUTS?
Yes… Have to give a shout out to my wonderful cast and crew on my last film, Horror of Our Love: A Short Film… They were so wonderful, truly an amazing crew!!
They are all a huge reason why the film has the awards it does, and I can’t thank them enough for their hard work.
Always lots of love for Debbie Rochon too and you Raven!!
All my love and support always Dave!!!
XOXO~RaVeNX
Find out more about the amazing Dave Reda at the links below…
RaVeNX Spends Time with Brigitte Handley & The Dark Shadows
BRIGITTE HANDLEY & THE DARK SHADOWS: I’m listening to them now! Push play and hear kick-ass songs such as, PESTICIDE, IDENTITY, STAND OFF, DAVE LIKES DOLLS, ALIEN MOVIES, GONNA GETCHA, LAMENT OF A LOST SOUL… FREEDOM OF CHOICE, TIME TO FIGHT BACK, SLEEPING with a VAMPYRE, & BITTER TASTE. They RAWK! Enjoy…
RX: I saw BRIGITTE HANDLEY & THE DARK SHADOWS at The Plea For Peace Center in Stockton, CA. Brigitte Handley kicked me down their ‘Stand Off’ EP and the ‘Identity’ EP & put mymate/assistant (Irene) and me on the guest list. They are an amazing all female trio hailing from Sydney, New South Wales Australia. I have their entire live show on video tape & hope to post it on YouTube in the very near future.
BRIGITTE HANDLEY & THE DARK SHADOWS are bloody amazing!!!
BH: The Stand off video was filmed in an alley way in the back streets of Brisbane, Australia. We originally had an all ages show booked that was canceled at the last minute so our friends racked together some amps and a PA and someone borrowed their dad’s generator for electricity and we set up in this alley and played a show. One of the guys filmed it and made it into a video clip for us. It was really fun day and I think the clip really captured the energy that was there.
RX: That’s cool you turned a negative into a positive and got a great video out of it as well! How many time have you toured the U.S.?
BH: Actually that was our 5th US tour. Our first was in 2007 with the Quakes and The Rezurex, then 2008 with Mad Sin and Koffin Kats, 2009 we had 2 tour of the US and so far 1 in 2010. We love touring in the US and try to make it there as much as we can.
RX: I love the Koffin Kats. You kicked off your US tour 1st show in Hollywood, CA at ROMPER STOMPER, didn’t you?
BH: Our first show of this tour was presented by legendary DJ, Rodney Bingenheimer and KROQ FM. It was at a new night called ‘Romper Stomper’ in Hollywood. We played with the Woolly Bandits and it was a great way to kick off our tour. Rodney has been spinning our discs since some mysterious person from Australia sent a CD to him. He’s been very supporting of the band and we were really happy to play the show for him.
RX: A shout out to DJ, Rodney Bingenheimer and KROQ FM and the mysterious individual that sent him your CD! Where did you perform your last live show on this 2010 U.S. tour?
BH: The last show of this tour was in Gloucester City, New Jersey at a place called Heavy’s on the Harbour. It was a really cool diner/bar and we set up in the corner of the room. It was a really fun vibe and the people were really cool. A great way to wind up the tour.
RX: I was reading your bulletins that you had some bad luck with transportation right at the end of your US tour.
BH: The volcano eruption in Iceland left a cloud of volcanic ash and dust all over Europe so our flight was canceled and the earliest flight we could get on was a week later than planned which meant we’d miss all of our first UK tour. We waited a day whilst the airport was shut down and as soon as it re-opened, we went there to try and get on a flight as we had shows in the UK that we were determined to make. The problem was that there was 5 days backlog of canceled flights out of JFK New York to Europe so you can imagine the amount of stranded passengers in NYC, let alone the world. So we get to the airport at the crack of dawn to line up for the waiting list after a night without sleep on the town in Williamsburg. We waited for 14 hrs straight that day, only to be told that there were no more seats left and to try again the next day. It was totally disheartening as we knew we had people waiting for us in the UK for our first tour there and this was our last chance to make it there in time for our first 2 shows in Peterborough and Durham. We went back to our friends apartment totally exhausted and deflated, had a decent sleep and cabbed it back to the airport the next morning to do it all over again. Fortunately the airport people remembered the stranded passengers from the night before and did their best to try and get us on the next flight to Frankfurt, Germany. The Rock’n’Roll Gods were on our side and we managed to talk our way onto the next flight out…. Landed in Frankfurt, Germany, took the train to Dusseldorf to pick up our gear and driver then drove to the Calais, France where we were to take the ferry to Dover, UK. The UK immigration took their sweet time checking our work permits even though we were the only people there, so we missed our 11pm ferry and had to wait 2hrs for the next one in the freezing cold. Finally got it and spent the trip on those tacky arcade dancing games to try and warm up. Drove to London and our GPS took us to Buckinham Palace instead of the promoters house… So we had to backtrack to Sth London, arriving at 5.30am the morning of the London show… It was like a Lord of the Rings epic but we made it. We were totally bummed we had to cancel our 1st 2 UK dates but were glad we didn’t have to cancel the full leg of the UK tour. Phew!
RX: That’s so horrible. What did you do with your time while waiting?
BH: Well we had absolutely no sleep the night before, so we tried to sleep on our suitcases while waiting in a line… It was great fun! >;-)
RX: I’m sorry to hear you had that experience!
RX: Brigitte, what is your equipment set-up? It’s bloody amazing!
BH: I play a Danelectro U2 guitar through a Fender Hotrod Deluxe guitar amp. Carly plays a Fender P bass through an Ampeg Bass amp, Nerida played a DW drum kit although, we’re all using hire gear on tour at the moment.
RX: Would you please name three to five HORROR films that have left an impression on you?
BH: Carnival of Souls, Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Metropolis.
RX: Would you share about your soon to be released vinyl?
BH: We’ve just released a limited edition 7” single in green vinyl. It’s a new unreleased track ‘Denial’ from our forthcoming release b/w ‘Sleeping with a Vampyre…’ So far it’s only available at our shows on the UK/European leg of our tour.
RX: AWESOME! Are you are a vinyl collector Brigitte?
BH: Yeah, I love vinyl. There’s something really special about sitting on the floor of your room, staring at the artwork and reading the liner notes and lyrics of your favorite bands while the record’s spinning around. I just collect stuff I like and stuff that has cool artwork. I’m not one of those avid rare vinyl collectors.
RX: I agree, that is what makes vinyl so great. How long have you as a trio been playing together? Your chemistry on stage is so obvious to the ears and eyes. You play fabulously together!
BH: The band has been together in it’s current form for about 3 yrs.
RX: If you are reading a book currently, what is it about & it’s title?
BH: I love reading but I don’t really get much time to indulge these days. I’ve just re-read Edgar Allen Poe’s short story collection. Started reading At the Mountains of Madness & Other Tales of Terror by H.P. Lovecraft before I left on this tour but couldn’t fit it in my suitcase so have to get back into it when I return.
RX: Would you mind sharing with our readers & all your fans that moment you first picked up a guitar?
BH: I was a singer before I played guitar. I started playing piano as a kid and forced myself to learn rhythm guitar out of necessity when I was at school. I was sick of trying to find a decent lead guitarist for the Dark Shadows who had the right sound so I ditched the idea and did it myself and have never looked back.
Hafenklang, Hamburg, Germany.
Photo by Sven Peterson
RX: Joan Jett was my inspiration. Who was/were your inspiration(s)?
BH: Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Adam Ant, The Quakes, Siousxie & The Banshees, Iggy Pop, Poelcats, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus… The list goes on.
RX: I love all those bands. Will you be back in the US before 2011?
BH: Hopefully.
RX: I really hope you can make it back. I play your music everyday and, with no doubt, I’ll be a life-long supporter & fan! Thank you so much Brigitte Handley (Lead Vocals & Guitar), Carly Chalker (Bass & Vocals) & Nerida Wu (Drums & Vocals) for taking your time to indulge me in this Q&A! I give BRIGITTE HANDLEY & THE DARK SHADOWS five chainsaws; The Chainsaw Mafia’s highest music review score!
Shout out to Irene who helped me at the BRIGITTE HANDLEY & THE DARK SHADOWS live show!
You Tube – Dark Shadows Music Videos
Libertalia Entertainment – Bookings USA
Weird World Booking & Promotion – Bookings Europe
Dark Shadows Online Store – Official Dark Shadows Merchandise
iTunes – Download albums online
Since you are so multi-talented and have professional experience as a writer, actor, director and producer, which do you, have the most passion for and why?
Thank you so much. I think I write out of necessity. I write the story for me, a character that I can see my self in. It engages my creative side, and I like that. Acting is alright. It’s not my forte, but I think I can pull off the character; at least I do in my mind. But most of all, I like directing. It is another way I can express my creative side. And, whatever the outcome of the finished product, good or bad, I am responsible from start to finish.
You are highly recognized as an expert in the Martial Arts, which style or styles of Martial Arts were chosen for the fight scenes in, “Hand 2 Hand“?
I do like being in front of the camera to display martial arts and tell the world about Hapkido, my main discipline. However, “Hand 2 Hand” is a Mixed Martial Arts film, so I incorporated many different styles in addition to Hapkido, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, and Wushu. Most of these Martial Arts have been portrayed in many films but the latest craze, which I think is here to stay, is MMA/BJJ.
For the fight scenes, I wanted to show it all without being too unrealistic like flying around like a bird. I believe Hapkido, which already incorporates most styles I mentioned, has the cinematic appeal to the masses. If you recall in the 70’s “Billy Jack” films were the first films to showcase Hapkido. The late great Master Bong So Han doubled as Tom Laughlin for the Martial Arts scenes. I believe it had a tremendous impact on the screen and to the people worldwide. Hapkido has the hard strikes and flashy kicks of the Korean and Japanese systems and devastating joint locks and throws of Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido (made famous by Steven Seagal).
FlyingKick
Was there a collaboration with you and the Martial Arts community of San Francisco, CA which led to the production of your MMA film,“Hand 2 Hand“?
Yes. As I was researching the materials for the film, I got involved with the renowned Charles Gracie of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, as well as other luminaries like “Judo” Gene LeBell, Armando Ramos (Muay Thai world champion), and MMA fighter, Tim Lajcik (UFC veteran) and many up and coming fighters. With Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, I thought I was going to learn some moves for the film and that would be it, but I got entrenched in the intricacies of the ground game, and now I’m studying it on a regular basis (I just received a brown belt). In fact, Charles Gracie and I partnered up and are teaching the Art at my school. We also teamed up with the Muay Thai community and teach this discipline at my school as well.
NIke_Jino and Andrew
After years of studying the various Arts, I founded a style known as Hapki-Jitsu which incorporates Hapkido, Judo, BJJ and Muay Thai.
I am currently teaching Hapki-Jitsu at my school, Hapkido USA, in San Francisco, CA and the UFC Gym in Concord, CA.
Jino teaches adults
How and when did you come up with the story line?
I came up with the storyline in my early days training under Charles Gracie. I was inspired by the Art and the MMA/BJJ community.
Why did you choose the title of your film to be ‘Hand 2 Hand”?
You’ll have to watch the film to get it. There are many hidden references to it in the film.
‘Hand to Hand” premiered on July 25, 2010 at Regency Theatres, in Pasadena, CA.
Would you share with myself, our readers, and your fans what that experience was like?
I really didn’t know what to expect, since this was my first film festival experience. But it was really exciting to be invited to the festival since most Martial Arts films never get in. Action on Film International Film Festival caters to independents like me and we were very fortunate to be involved with them.
There were many filmmakers, producers, directors and actors. Some of them were just like me, who wore many hats. They had many informative seminars and social gatherings for networking and getting your film out there. I came away with more knowledge and new friends in the field. This was an extremely valuable experience that I will always cherish.
Hand 2 Hand won 2 awards out of 5 nominations, Best Action Sequence Martial Arts Feature and Best Villain Feature and the nominations were Breakout Action Star Jino Kang, Best Fight Choreography and Female Performer of the Year Michelle Choi.
Why did you choose Bill Duff, (“Human Weapon“) to be the villain and what was it like working with him?
Bill was filming the “Human Weapon” series, I believe it was the Korea episode, at the time he auditioned (via airmail/DVD correspondence) for the film. I really liked his personality. Despite his enormous stature, 6’5” and 275 pounds of hulk, I was actually a little worried because he was “too nice” and the character “Tokyo Joe” is a vicious, sociopath. But he did great. When he came on the set he was prepared like a true professional, and his performance earned him the award for best villain.
“Hand 2 Hand” won, ‘Best Action Sequence Martial Arts Feature’ at The Official Selection Action On Film International Film Festival 2010, as well as Bill Duff winning ‘Best Villain’!
When you reflect back to the beginning of writing, “Hand 2 Hand” did you think it would have the success which it has?
Jino Directs Bill and Jim at Solano Prison
I knew I had something special when we were filming, but I didn’t expect to win any awards. I just had to get it to the right people and get it shown. Del Weston from AOF was gracious enough to call me when he saw film and congratulate me on acceptance. I was thrilled by the news and I’ll never forget that moment. I had given myself one year of entering film festivals despite all the standard rejections. I’m glad that I stuck with it. I think it was my martial arts discipline of never quitting that helped me through the tough, agonizing times.
Because of the accolades, we just secured international distribution, and are negotiating US and Canada distribution rights.
Since your film was shot in San Francisco, CA do you plan on having a screening in the near future in San Francisco?
Hopefully by the end of this year.
What is your philosophy as a filmmaker?
Never give up, die trying. If you don’t have what it takes to be a success, “Don’t Do It!” If you have the talent and tenacity, finish your film and seek distribution. Even if you don’t get a traditional distribution contract, nowadays there are ample methods of getting your film out there. Most importantly, do your homework.
When did you begin practicing Martial Arts and who was your inspiration?
I was born into it. My father is a Grand Master and it was his legacy to pass down Hapkido to me. I used to wake up in the studio in Korea when I was a toddler with my gi already on. I mimicked his disciples. Twenty-one years later in the USA, I was running my own school and I never looked back.
Would you share a brief synopsis on your Martial Arts training and titles?
MARTIAL ARTS TITLES:
California State Championship – Grand champion
San Francisco Karate Championship – 1st Place
Interstate National Championship – 1st Place
All California Dynamic Open Championship – 2nd Place
Hapkido – 7th Degree Black Belt
Tae Kwon Do – 1st Degree Black Belt
Kyokoshin-Kai Karate – 1st Degree Black Belt
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – Brown Belt
How do you feel you have grown as a filmmaker from your first film, “Blade Warrior”, to your latest film, “Hand 2 Hand”?
I have learned so much, with every film I feel that I’m getting better. I’m learning from people like my Co-Producer/DP, Kurt Nangle and Editor, Tony Urgo. Every film is a milestone and I believe I still have a lot of room to grow. I am ready for my next challenge!
What do you feel “Hand 2 Hand“ delivers to the viewers?
The discipline of Martial Arts provides me with a strong background for filmmaking, emphasizing perseverance, courage and self-sacrifice for the needs of the process.
I want to tell a good story with exciting visuals and authentic Mixed Martial Arts. My life-long training as a Martial Artist, beginning in my youth when my father taught me Hapkido in Korea, won’t allow me to point the camera at ‘fake fighters’, actors taught just enough for each shot. or “shaky camera method” to hide the inadequacies. So that an editor can later cut together a ‘fight’.
Every character in “Hand 2 Hand” who fights is played by an experienced Martial Artist, a seasoned competitive fighter, or has been trained by me to fight at the level appropriate to their character.
If the audience enjoys what I have created, I believed I have achieved my goal as a filmmaker.
Do you have any current projects which you are currently working on?
I do have two finished scripts, “Trained to Kill” and “Tenderloin”, which are slated for much bigger budgets. I’m also scripting “Hand 2 Hand II“. I would like to start pre-production early next year, depending on the funding.
To find out more about the amazing Jino Kang, please view the links below!
How does it feel to be one of the many talented actors in the up-coming film “Final Destination 5“?
It feels great!! The cast is amazing, there are a wonderful group of producers, a super sharp director, and I get to work with New Line again. I have no complaints!!
Would you share your experience shooting in Vancouver; hence, as well as your experience shooting with people you have never worked with before?
Vancouver has been super fun. I’ve made myself at home via a barbershop (ice kol kut barbershop) owned by B. Kenyon. I celebrated my first Canadian Thanksgiving with another barber (Zack) from the shop. As far as shooting with actors I’ve never worked with before, the transition was easy. We all share mutual friends, so we would have eventually met at one time or another. Also, the chemistry was immediate. I think we all play off of one another well!!
What is it like working with director Steven Quale who I read was the (protégé of James Cameron) as well as working with producers Warren Zide and Craig Perry?
Steve has been on his game super tough. He’s incredibly focused and talented. I think he was built for the business. I’m glad that I get to be part of his flagship film. Craig Perry, Warren Zide, and all the producers are true class acts and have really made my experience a wonderful one. As much work as we have to get done, the set has been just as much fun, laughs, and smiles. I’m definitely gonna miss the FD5 family when we finish up.
Do you think “Final Destination 5” will be the best out of all of the“Final Destination” films?
I’ll leave that up to the audience to decide. I will say that everyone on the call sheet is aiming for the stars on this one!! Our goal is to make the best FD movie ever!!
How do you feel about “Final Destination 5” being shot in 3-D?
I think the 3-d idea is super cool! It’s my first time working in 3-d, but I also think it will add another layer to an already successful franchise.
Is the release date of “Final Destination 5” set for August 2011?
As far as the release date, I am not sure. Release dates change often, but we are definitely on schedule for delivering a great film.
Were you a fan of Jason and the “Friday the 13th” films prior to being cast as ‘Lawrence’ on the latest “Friday the 13th”?
I’ve always been a horror fan, but Jason and “Friday The 13th” are definitely up on my list for sure.
Can you share how you felt inside when you were cast in the latest“Friday the 13th” film?
I was so excited!!!! I felt like I had really won the lottery, I was extremely humbled to know that I was going to get the opportunity to get killed by Jason Vorhees…
Do you feel that your breakout role was in the independent drama, “American Gun“?
I think American Gun was more of a milestone for me. I’ve tried to not hope or wish that a film or tv show will break me out. I’ve rather tried to view every job as an opportunity to widen my circle of friends. If I do right by that, I should have a healthy career both in front and behind the camera.
Working with both Forrest and Marcia on American Gun was wonderful. I wanted to do a great job in the film, as well as just observe and soak up as much knowledge as I could. American Gun was truly a blessing.
You have quite an extensive resume in the TV genre. Do you feel your role as Sam Walker on ABC’s; “American Dreams” series is the role you are most known for at this time in your career?
In lots of ways I hope that people will know me most for playing “Sam Walker” on American Dreams. I am extremely proud of the life obstacles that we were all able to portray and tackle while working on the show. Jonathan Prince (the creator), and Dave Semel (Director and Producer), as well as every crew and cast member are due nothing but accolades across the board. It was a magical time working on the show. I owe everyone involved a huge thank you!
What pimped out work have you done to your 1964 Volkswagen Beetle or are you keeping it all original?
My ‘64 VW bug is my baby!!! I’ve done a little bit of everything to keep it up. Chrome porche alloys on the wheels, a ‘58 W Decklid, early turn signals, an original ragtop cut and welded into my own VW roof, Honda prelude seats covered in vinyl and tweed…lol!! The list goes on. My bug is my daily driver, so it’s all about comfort and style for me.
Who or what has been your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration has always been my mother and my family.
Have you always wanted to be an actor?
No, I just knew that I didn’t want a regular 9-5. Acting became a passion after I did a play in the 4th grade. Doing the play made me feel good about myself.
Would you share with myself and your fans some of your up-coming creative endeavors?
I have a wonderful film called “Brotherhood” that will be released in early 2011, as well as some voice over work in the animated feature “Norm of the North”. I’m also in another horror/film noir movie called “Midnight Son” that is in its final touches as well.
Find out more about Arlen Escarpeta at the links listed below…
~RavenXTheLivingDeadGirl 
