Through a series of events too convoluted to talk about here, I was put in contact with Doug Robertson, the director of the 1991 slasher film: HauntedWeen. The film was shot in my hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky and Doug was very kind to consent to an interview for Doomed Moviethon. Before I go, I’d like to thank him for being my first interviewee. Because of this interview, Richard doubled has my pay and promoted me to 2nd Executive Senior Corespondent. Enjoy!

Brad Hogue: What was the genesis for HauntedWeen?

Doug Robertson: The idea came completely from my brain. I wanted to write an easy movie to make. So the scenes, dialogue, and ideas were all built around the concept of few locations while keeping camera set ups to a minimum. We knew we only had three weeks to shoot a movie.

Had you shot any short films before this or was this your first plunge into directing?

I directed a scene in college. We shot 16mm film for a 2 minute project. I also directed many projects we shot on video. I also made a dozen or so commercials on video. But this was the first big project.

How much did knowing that John Carpenter had lived in Bowling Green and referenced locations in Bowling Green in the film Halloween play on the development of Hauntedween?

John Carpenter’s success put BG on the horror film map. But he had little to do with my movie. I wish I could have made the connection with him during the late 80’s when we were filming. His name alone could have been a big boost for HauntedWeen. He was very big back then and on his way up the film ladder. I do know that he and I had the same creative writing teacher at WKU. Mary Ann Miller said the he wrote THE FOG, the short story, for one of her classes.

How long did it take you from script completion to start filming?

You can’t really measure that time line in days. The script took about 10 weeks to write. We put another 2 weeks in re-writing. Pre-production was about three months. We made few changes in the shooting script. We allowed for ad-libs if we had enough film that day to shoot. We shot the movie on a 4 to 1 film stock ratio. In low budget filmmaking, you have to conserve film stock . We did lots of practice takes before we opened the lens. The actual filming took 23 days. Then it took two years to get it into video stores.

Was it all filmed in the Bowling Green area?

The four locations were, Woodburn, KY (The Burber House). This is where we did all of the exterior Haunted House shots. WKU was the locale we shot the exterior campus shots and old SAE house on college street is the fraternity we used. There we shot interior and exterior shots. It was the only house on campus that looked like a classic fraternity house and was large enough to use film equipment. The third location was Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, TN. We shot the lake scenes there. The interior Burber House shots were filmed at an old warehouse on lower college street. We converted it into a small studio for interior shooting and it was also our production office.

I recognize some locations at Western Kentucky University. Was it difficult to get permission to film there?

I am an alumni of WKU and at the time and Cory Lash our DP was a professor there. He is retired now. WKU was very helpful. They even let some of our cast a crew stay in the dorms during filming. We couldn’t afford hotels.

Sometimes Hauntedween is mistakenly referred to as ‘shot on video’ (which is probably due to old VHS copies.) What was it shot on?

Every scene of the movie was shot on 16mm film. We used a Nagra recorder for the sound so we used a clapper for syncing the film. It was them developed and transferred to one inch video tape. Then we color corrected the tape and edited the master onto a Beta SP format.

I liked the special effects and the scene at the end is (I won’t spoil it) quite nice. How much input did you have in the effects?

Dave Snyder, a budding SFX guy from Evansville, IN, who also worked at his local TV station as a field camera guy, answered the call. He actually found us through our incredible media onslaught. He was very interested in doing our movie. He came down and interviewed for the position. He was very impressive. I’m glad he was able to help us, he was the only SFX guy that interviewed. He did a great job.

As with all good slashers, there is a bit of nudity in the film. Did you encounter any trouble with the locals about this?

All of the nudity was filmed at a private location around Old Hickory Lake. All of the nudity took place within a 50-foot area diameter. We even kept the set semi-private for those scenes. We didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable.

What was your biggest challenge in making the film?

I cannot remember any one thing. The entire movie process was a challenge. I’m not sure if I would ever take on a project like that again. It was a small movie but we had nights of 150 people working on the film. I look at movie making as a continuum of challenges. It’s like eating a elephant. As long as you have a plan and take small bites you will eventually finish. But it’s not easy. To date is by far my biggest accomplishment.

Hanks is quite a character. Was that all in the script or did you encourage him to run with it?

Brad Hanks blurred the lines. I wrote scenes especially for him. I knew him from WKU and his abilities. But he had plenty of rope to make things funnier. I believe that everyone working on a movie set has a creative edge. We never squashed any ideas from the cast and crew. We rejected many ideas but we gave everyone the same voice. Some producers and directors make mistakes not listening to the workers. A lot of them had shot small projects before as well. We used ideas from everyone. It was very much a team effort.

I read that you had a policy of buying back the rental tapes if it didn’t rent and out of 2,628 tapes not a single copy was returned. How did it feel to see your film at a video store?

I remember walking into BG Blockbuster and seeing all of the copies of HauntedWeen rented. That was a good feeling. It had nothing to do with Ego. It was more a feeling of reaching a goal. So many people told us we couldn’t do it. There were bets against us. We persevered. We made our movie. That felt good to see on the shelf. Wheeeew! Finally, it was done!

Have you kept in touch with any of the cast or crew?

A few… Facebook has helped. I’m sure more will come out of the woodwork when the DVD is released.

Haunted-ween has a cult following. Were you surprised by that?

I’m still surprised by that. I appreciate its cult status. It’s cult on a small scale.

How often do you get asked or contacted about HauntedWeen?

Once you make a movie and it’s OUT THERE. People seem to want to talk about it. I’m happy to talk about our experience and the path we chose to make the film. It was very fun. I’ll always remember the feeling of being in my element while making my movie. I am very proud that we had no accidents and everyone came to work on time each day. It’s hard to say how often people talk about it but I get contacted at least once per quarter… and lately, about every week as we get closer to the DVD release.

Have you ever considered making a sequel?

Sequels are usually reserved for financially successful films. 90% of ALL movies lose money. Haunted-ween is in the top 90%.

When will the DVD come out?

We are looking at late summer for the DVD release. We want WKU students around when the release it’s the streets since WKU was a big part of the movie.

What kind of extras will be on the DVD?

The original trailer, The music video, a photo album, Producer and Director commentary tract, The Making of Hauntedween (a 45 minute documentary) and of course, the enhanced Feature Film… Haunted-ween.

How difficult was it to transfer HauntedWeen to DVD?

About $7,000 worth of difficult. That process was beyond my area of expertise. I just funded the creation of the DVD. I hope to generate some sales to pay myself back. But even if it doesn’t sell, the folks that were a part of the movie will have the opportunity to own a copy. I know that summer we made the movie was special for a lot of folks. It was a realized dream for a lot of us to make a movie. The DVD is the proof.

You recently had a 20th anniversary screening at Western. How was HauntedWeen received?

We set up the screen and everyone that passed us asked about it. No one knew about the screening. There wasn’t much press or the event. Also, we were competing with Halloween parties and everything else that goes into Halloween. We had fun.

What are you up to these days?

I work in the medical field. I work for a specialty pharmacy as a sales rep. And since 2004, I own and operate a hot air balloon ride business in Nashville and Bowling Green. I have been a balloon pilot for 10 years.

Hauntedween is available for purchase right here.

Since her character Linda was drilled to death in Slumber Party Massacre, Brinke Stevens has executed her duties as Scream Queen with beauty, grace, and enthusiasm. Her acting career spans over 30 years, she has over 100 film credits to her name, and she continues to work almost exclusively in the horror and cult movie genres. Luckily for me, Miss Stevens took a little time out from her busy schedule to answer some questions for Doomed Moviethon.

Doomed Moviethon: One day, much to my surprise, I spotted you in The Time’s 1984 music video for “Ice Cream Castles”. Do you have any memories from that gig and should your fans be keeping their eyes peeled for other hidden and uncredited gems like this one (music videos, TV commercials, etc.) from your body of work?

Brinke Stevens: In the early 1980’s, before I became known as a horror star, I did a lot of small parts in big movies. I also worked on many music videos, which were so popular in the 80’s. My all-too-brief appearances led one friend to label me “Don’t Blink” Brinke. Sometimes my background roles were fun and glamorous. For “Ice Cream Castles”, I wore my own vintage, scarlet, ruffled Flamenco gown from the 1920’s. We shot at a fantastic faux castle in the Hollywood Hills. I rocked out with the uber-cool Morris Day and his band, who all have great dance moves. And then… Prince (their producer) stopped by the set to hang out with us! It was truly a magical day. For the eagle-eyed, I’ll reveal that I have small, sometimes uncredited, appearances in movies like: Private School, Body Double, Fatal Games, The Naked Gun, Spinal Tap, Three Amigos, Psycho 3, and The Man Who Wasn’t There.

DM: Before I delve back into the past, what are some of your current projects and festival appearances that we can check out?

BS: Right now, my writing career is going very well. I’ve got a new science fiction anthology, “Dangerous Toys, Vol. 1” (co-written with DB Story) on eXcessica.com; it’s a “print on demand” book that debuts July 16, 2010. I also wrote about my adventures in horror for an upcoming book by David Boyer, “Rock & Roll Party of the Dead” (due out in 2011).

My latest movie releases include: The Ritual and Post Mortem from Fleet Street Films (I play a serial killer’s mother), Joe Castro’s Summer of Massacre, The Boneyard Collection (Irina Bell Films); a horror comedy called Demon Divas (Happy Cloud Pictures), and Psychosomatika in Oct 2010. I also did the voice-over narration for a new documentary, The Many Faces of Cleopatra; it’ll be released on DVD and may even get a television run.

Next year, I look forward to shooting Deadlands 3, a new zombie thriller. And I’ll reprise the Vampira role in the upcoming Plan 9 from Outer Space remake from Darkstone Entertainment.

DM: Since the year 2000, you have been in over 60 films (!) and you consistently make appearances at horror and sci-fi conventions, how would you compare the horror and cult movie scene in the new millennium to the 1980s?

BS: In the 1980’s & 90’s, there were dozens of independent studios churning out hundreds of B-movies with fairly decent budgets. And so, we actually had catered meals and our own private trailers! But those days are long gone. Now, it’s all about being self-sufficient. I usually have to provide my own wardrobe and do my own make-up. The revolutionary home-video boom democratized filmmaking. Eventually, the technology was available for anybody to cheaply make a movie in their own backyard. By a happy accident, I was in the right place at exactly the right time — Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, and I were the first true “Scream Queens”. I doubt if it’s even possible to follow in our footsteps anymore, because the indie studio system no longer exists.

The 1980’s were more known for horror-comedies than now. In my opinion, the films I did then were more innocent and fun-loving. Later, horror got much gorier and even went into the “torture-porn” realm.

In the past decade, I’ve shot a half-dozen new movies each year — as budgets constantly lessened and film-making spread into grassroots America. Some of my previous micro-budget shoots in rural areas were a real lesson in patience. (It’s a bad sign, for example, when the crew has to consult their camera booklet — and still cannot agree on the settings.)

DM: I think that one of your most unnerving performances occurs in Grandmother’s House (produced by Nico Mastorakis). In this rather unusual film, your character, known only as Woman, quietly hitchhikes into town and appears to fall victim to the evil grandparents in the film. Then, out of nowhere, this soft spoken and unassuming character explodes into a lunatic filled with murderous rage. Do you enjoy getting to tap into the darkest aspects of the human experience? And is it okay that I’m still just a little bit afraid of you?

BS: I have a soft spot for Grandmother’s House. It’s creepy horror in broad daylight. I hardly speak any words in it, yet it’s one of my most unsettling roles. It was nicely directed by Peter Rader (who also wrote the screenplay for Waterworld). In my 140 or so movies to date, I’ve been a killer and a victim in equal measure. However, I most enjoy it when I am both — and can do a Jekyll & Hyde switch. I love to start out “plain” and suddenly transform into a dangerous character, as I did in this movie, as well as in Haunting Fear and most recently Demon Divas.

DM: One film of yours that is criminally obscure is the 1990 anthology, Dark Romances. In it, you play a radio DJ that introduces seven tales of horror and later, you star in “What Comes Around…” as Diana, a woman who inspires artists to create their finest masterpieces right before she kills them. Do you remember anything special about the production of Dark Romances that you’d like to share?

BS: In many ways, Dark Romances is a brilliant anthology. Although it seemed like we were shooting it forever! Fortunately, much of it was filmed at a small studio (EZTV) in West Hollywood, close enough that I could walk to it. We’d shoot for a few hours at a time, every so often, over endless evenings and weekends. It was fun but challenging to be in nearly every episode, and to play so many different characters. I especially liked wearing my own collection of Victorian clothing for one story, and a blonde wig for another one. I was fond of the radio DJ role because I could “act” with my voice… all you ever see are my red lips. There’s a Grand Guignol sequence, where only my bare feet are shown on-camera while I’m supposedly being tortured — so my feet had to do all the acting in that scene (I was told I have talented feet.). Sadly, one of the producers, Mark Shepard, has since passed away. I doubt it will ever be released on DVD, though I still hope so.

DM: I consider your makeup in Haunting Fear to be an iconic image of you. I kept running into your maniacal visage from that film long before I had the pleasure of viewing it. In it, you play Victoria, a woman driven to madness by her callous and greedy husband (Jay Richardson). Little does he know that in a past life, Victoria was buried alive and her soul just ain’t gonna take it anymore! On the trivia page for Haunting Fear, IMDB says that Haunting Fear is one of your favorite of your performances. Is this still true of the 1991 film and what is it about this particular role that is so special for you?

BS: Haunting Fear was my first major leading role, and the biggest part I’d had so far. When director Fred Olen Ray asked me to read his script, at first I thought he had me in mind for the smaller role of a sexy secretary. But he wanted me for the lead, a woman whose cheating husband tries to drive her crazy to collect her inheritance. It’s a very complex role. On any given shooting day, I always had to first ask myself, “How crazy am I today?” By the end, I’m playing it totally insane. It was an amazing opportunity to stretch my range as an actress, and I’m grateful to Fred for his faith in me.

DM: During your career, I notice that alongside your prolific acting credits, you have also done some screenwriting (Teenage Exorcist) and producing (Shock Cinema) on various projects. Do you enjoy these other aspects of filmmaking and do you see yourself sitting in the director’s seat in the future?

BS: I accidentally became the assistant-director on a movie called First Loves in the mid-1980s. Originally, I was hired by the Italian director to rewrite his script. Later, I helped him to audition the actors by reading scenes with them — and sometimes offering my own suggestions to improve their performance.

The director, Antonio, was so impressed that he invited me to their shoot in Salt Lake City, Utah. He lacked a certain confidence in his ability to speak English, thus to clearly communicate with the cast and crew. In Utah, Antonio would take me aside to explain what he wanted. Then I’d step on-set to block, rehearse, and ultimately “direct” the scenes. Unfortunately, after five weeks of shooting, I came in one morning to find the stage-doors locked — they’d run out of money, and everyone was sent home. I’m not sure if it was ever completed and released.

It was a great experience for me, and gave me a good taste of how to direct a movie. So far, the offers just haven’t come in — but I’d love to do it again someday.

DM: Before I let you go, I’d really like to know which film actresses or actors from any genre that inspires you.

BS: I’m such a big fan of Christopher Walken and would love to work with him someday. Same for Bruce Campbell… we’ve met many times over the years, yet we’ve never worked on a film together. I imagine that would be a lot of fun; he’s so crazy. I’d also like to work on a Rob Zombie movie someday.

This interview with venerable scream queen Tiffany Shepis was conducted in June of 2011. If it sounds like my voice is a few octaves higher than it should be it’s because I am extremely nervous.