An Eric Spudic Interview

Posted on 19 June, 2007 by GabbyGoff

Somewhere, lurking behind many a horror feature, there seems to be a handsome blue-eyed devil waiting to smile when you scream... Okay, so not always blue-eyed. But here is one, and his name is Eric Spudic.

Eric loves the sweet chorus of screams and the artistry of a good scare. His turn-ons include bloody boobs, a good screaming voice, and bad angles. His turn-offs are romantic comedies, scratched lenses, and lop-sided pottery.

I'm kidding. But in all seriousness, Eric Spudic is a speculative fiction/horror writer who has dipped his fingers into the proverbial pot of everything regarding film; from producing, to directing, to acting. He comes across as very easy going and as someone who not only enjoys his horror, but loves it. Not to mention that he has a way with the ladies, to be sure! Check out the head shot with a blade! Obviously he has a way...

Come with me and walk down the dark corridors to the rooms in the back reserved for the dark, twisted creatures such as the likes of Eric Spudic. Don't be afraid, he's harmless...sort of...at any rate, I have him duct-taped to a steaming pipe and he is willing to talk.

Enjoy. But don't get too close. I hear that he bites.

°°

You have some new releases coming out. Tell us which ones and how do you feel about this?

ES: I played a masturbating peeping tom in PRETTY COOL 2, which just hit dvd June 12th. And then on July 31st, Lion's Gate is unleashing DEAD CLOWNS. That one's a real relief, as it's 4 years old and so deserves to be seen by horror fans around the world. SAVAGE HARVEST 2 is coming out this fall from Elite. That's probably my goriest movie as an actor. I also played a guard in WEREWOLF IN A WOMEN'S PRISON which comes out on dvd in the fall, too. It's a busy year!

{GG: I'll say!}

What was your first film-making experience like and what was your first acting experience like?

ES: My first moviemaking experience feature-wise was this movie I did right after high school called ATTACK OF THE BATHROOM CREATURE. We'll just skip that, though(big grin) and forward to KILLERS BY NATURE in 2002. I shot the movie for a little over a thousand dollars and Eric Stanze provided post-production for free. We shot on a 1-chip camera(all I could afford) and cranked it out on weekends over a few months. It was hot, mostly in the 90's and 100's throughout the shoot. It was like boot camp for moviemaking.

 My first acting experience was in 1999. MICRO MINI KIDS, 35mm, 10 day show, 3 lines of dialogue in that one. Got paid $750! David DeCoteau got me into the film and I also did a few days of background. Charlie Band visited the set on the 2nd day with his then-girlfriend Debra Mayer, who was the villainess of the film. That was awesome, I really didn't even want to be an actor back then. Now I'm addicted.

What is it like to act in and direct a film at the same time?

ES: A bit difficult sometimes. As an actor/director, you don't have someone stepping in to direct your own acting and to "fix" things. Plus you're trying to memorize dialogue at the same time you're setting up shots in your head. Next time I direct again, I think I'll just stick to a cameo.

How hard is it to make a feature for under $100,000?

ES: It used to be tough back in the days when everybody was shooting on 16mm and 35mm. Now with digital, the costs have come down tremendously. But qualitywise, it's hard finding people to work for cheap. Plus, if you want really good performances, you're safer going with SAG actors. That's not a GUARANTEE you'll get great actors, but the chances are better. Now they have SAG ultra-low budget, where you can pay your SAG performers a minimum of $100 a day. I shoot guerilla style for the most part and opt to usually skip out on insurance and permits. I recommend calling in favors. We got the cop car and uniforms for free on KILLERS BY NATURE. So it can be done, just with a little negotiating sometimes.

Tell us a little about your writing process. (Do you follow a formula? Do you like solitude when you are writing?)

ES: I usually write 5-10 pages a day. I don't like to overdo it too much. I also play a game where I write the characters names on index cards and throw them in a hat. As I pick them out, that character gets killed off. And writing at nighttime is the best for me. When it's a bit quiet and I'm more relaxed. I haven't written anything in nearly 6 months now. The offers I'm receiving are ridiculously low, so I'll stick to shopping my spec scripts around.

Four to six people are trapped in a house/mansion/studio/woods and they are getting picked off one by one until finally, show-down!
Why do you think this particular formula is so popular with not only film-makers, but with viewers? Is there a "formula" that you particularly like or prefer over this one?

ES: I love the one-by-one scenario! It never does seem to get old. Audiences love seeing which characters get killed off in what order. Sometimes they hate a character so much they cheer when they die. Sometimes they love a character and hate seeing them die. And the best part is finding out who the killer is. One of my favorite films of all-time, and a non-horror film at that, is BATAAN. There's a dozen soldiers fighting off the Japanese and the American unit is getting killed one by one. It's neat to see which order they killed in and who's the last to duke it out.

On that same note, there are some favorite stories and infamous icons (i.e. Dracula, Frankenstein, Michael Myers) that get rehashed and remade and revived over and over again. What are some of your absolute favorite horror icons and stories, and why do they capture your imagination?

ES: I enjoy Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface, and Freddy Krueger. Never was much of a fan of Pinhead. Leprechaun's okay, but not scary enough. I dig the horror icons because they terrified me as a kid and really made me afraid of the dark and of the woods. And scared of lakes, too! I always thought hey, some of these guys could really exist out there.

Who are some of your influences, regarding directorial style as well as writing style?

ES: Sam Raimi is probably the biggest influence. Both of the features I've directed were horror with comedic and action elements. Plus, lots of zany camerawork. I even have an EVIL DEAD style script that I so badly want to direct. As for writing, I'd say Larry Cohen is a big influence. His movies are like comic book tales with lots of humor and gore. Wild, colorful characters, too. The guy knows how to write action as well. George Romero is also an inspiration. I've written two zombie scripts thanks to the guy. I wrote a big 150 page whopper called THE TAKEOVER OF TOMORROW which is a tribute to George and his zombie world. It's never been optioned or sold to this day...

When you write a script, do you ever have anyone specific in mind when you write it?

ES: I wrote an action script where I had Robert Ginty in mind for this Vietnam vet uncle character. I sent it to him to hopefully get him attached to the project, but I think he's moved on from that kind of picture. I wrote something called MASSACRE MANSION and for the opening character, I envisioned Betsy Palmer. She'd be great.

Have you ever written anything not horror-related? If not, would you ever?

ES: Yeah, two of them so far. LITTLE TREASURE SEEKERS, which is only half-complete, is a GOONIES knockoff with these two kids hunting for a treasure. It's a PG-rated adventure/comedy. Then there's my baby, TEENAGE VIGILANTE. Probably my best script. Wrote the synopsis for it when I was in high school. It's in the vein of STONE COLD, COMMANDO, THE PUNISHER, and THE CROW. It concerns a 'Nam vet being released from prison after 30 years and he hunts down the two brothers who put him behind bars. He slaughters the first guy's family only to discover the teenaged son survives. And wants revenge. It completely puzzles me as to why this script hasn't sold!

So...there are many folks who say that a lot of horror films are nothing more than psychosexual male fantasies. I am curious, have you applied any of your own psychosexual fantasies to your scripts?

ES: I haven't really done anything like that. Not yet anyway.  ;-)

What makes something "horror" to you?

ES: Nighttime and blood! It's a combination of things. It could be zombies, it could be serial killers, it could be dinosaurs. Killer dolls creep me out the most, though.

Why do you love the horror-genre?

ES: It's a release from the real world. Well, then again, the real world is also full of horror. But I love when a regular person is thrown into a chaotic situation and must undergo a metamorphosis to become a totally different person. Plus the chicks in horror movies are generally super hot and often get naked.

One of your films has been turned into a Broadway musical. Which one would it be?

ES: Definitely CREEPIES. That one has a big following and it looks like they had a blast making it. CREEPIES: THE MUSICAL. Featuring Lisa Jay in her clunky platform shoes toting a shotgun, Eric Flenner in his green sunglasses performing breakdancing moves, and Ron Jeremy doing an operatic bit. Plus a song and dance number from the robot spiders.

On a serious note, what raises your ire about a film?

ES: One thing that pisses me off is when a company has a large budget to make a movie and they end up shooting on digital. It's fairly well-known in the business that 35mm still looks better than HD. So when you have the money to do so, please shoot on 35mm. Also, a lot of new movies are getting longer. Anything over 2 hours is ridiculous, unless it's a great film like FORREST GUMP, TERMINATOR 2, or DAWN OF THE DEAD('78). Running times need to generally be kept short. Bad audio is another hindrance.

Which of your films is your personal favorite and why?

ES: As a writer, CREEPIES. They effectively pulled off the humor of the script. The music really works and so do the models and miniatures. The 16mm material in the film looks awesome. It's a hilarious movie with tons of gore. Imagine what they could've done with a six-figure budget. As an actor, I'd say DEAD CLOWNS. Very creepy, suspenseful, gory, and atmospheric. Fun cast, too, a real who's who of b-movies.

What's new on your slab, and should we run?

ES: I was in Jim Wynorski's flick, DEVIL'S DAWN, in a small cameo. It was awesome working with one of my idols. Then I played a mentally retarded guy in TERROR TOONS 1.5, a bonus short on the TERROR TOONS 2 dvd. I played an evil pilgrim jailer guy in BEWITCHED HOUSEWIVES, now playing on cable. I like to keep busy!

There's a quote on your tombstone, Mr. Spudic. What does it say?

ES: "Please don't piss on me."

If you want to learn more about Eric Spudic and his projects, you can visit him at http://www.ericspudic.com/

He is also among the hip ranks of the MySpace crowd, he has a profile (and it isn't criminal!): http://www.MySpace.com/EricSpudic

Dead Clowns

Thank you very much for this interview Mr. Spudic, and to the "UHMN-dead" members, thank you for reading. Now run away, before he chews through the duct tape again!