His Website
Witchmaster General
Grave Danger
Interview by Peter Syslo
Infernal Dreams: Jim, could you tell me a little bit about your background? How did you go from film school, to "Jim Haggerty’s Rock 'n Roll Party", to directing your first film, THE SLASHER?
Jim Haggerty: Well Peter, I was actually not in film school, I was majoring in film at Hunter College in New York . Hunter - while being a really fun school to attend, didn't really have much of a film program - at least not while I was there. We really didn't have the resources to even watch a lot of films let alone make any. So this contributed to me losing interest. I was also becoming much more interested in music. I finally realized Hunter wasn't for me, so I finished up at SUNY Old Westbury in Long Island and received a degree in communications. By the end of college I was doing this cable access show called 'Jim Haggerty's Rock N Roll Party' where I would interview a lot of 80's rock bands that were no longer getting much MTV airplay and show their music videos and have them perform live on the show. This went on for four years through my graduation from college and on through my first real job in the music industry.
But at some point I woke up and said, 'wasn't I supposed to make films?' and started exploring those interests again. I started a small project that didn't really get off the ground, but then I decided we should do a real feature film. A guy I was bullshitting with told me you could shoot a movie on SVHS and get it distributed on video. At the time you probably could (this was 1999) but by the time we finished it was almost impossible because everything was going digital. But that movie ended up being "The Slasher."
ID: What drew you to the horror genre and who/what are some of your horror influences?
JH: I'm a huge fan of horror movies. I love all kinds of movies, but horror movies are probably my favorite. I would definitely say my favorite era for horror movies was the 70's. It was the first time movies were starting to feature gore and it was effective. By the 80's it was overused and thus lost its impact. But movies in the 70's had a real punch to them. All those gory movies I used to watch on WOR-TV Fright Night growing up really made an impression on me - movies like "Nightmare Hotel," "The Night Evelyn Came Out Of the Grave," and "Don't Look In The Basement" are still movies I watch today.
In fact, "Don't Look In The Basement" I count as one of the all-time greatest horror movies ever. S.F. Brownrigg is one of my favorite film-makers and really a guy I wish I would have met. I read an interview with him in Fangoria at some point in the late 80's and I can honestly say that that interview taught me more about making films and doing the things I do than any of the film classes I took at Hunter. He was a master craftsman of atmosphere and suspense and could really shape something creepy out of the most modest budgets. Definitely my hero. If you watch my films, there are always references to "Basement." I cringe at the fact they're remaking that. I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to watch. I'll have to sit it out like I did with the "Planet of the Apes" remake.
"Night of the Living Dead" was another big movie that really made me want to make horror movies. Seeing this back in the mid-80's when movies were much more over-the-top with the gory effects and big budget, I found it amazing that this little black and white bargain basement production from Pittsburgh could pack so much more a whallop than all these latter-day gorefests. Romero and Russo were brilliant. It was truly what separated the men from the boys in the genre and is a big reason why I've ever made a movie.
ID: In your first film, THE SLASHER (2000), you and Jae Mosc (and the rest of the cast) had some great chemistry. One of my favorite scenes was when you and Jae were interrogating Maria Bolaris – it was a perfect mix of humor, horror, and crime drama. When you are filming a scene like that, do you adhere closely to the script or do you allow some improvisation to come into play?
JH: It's interesting - when I made "Slasher" it was done for no money on the weekends. None of the cast were professional actors. I worked in music, so everyone I worked with was some sort of creative type. So when folks heard I was making a movie, they all started asking to be in it. I don't think they fully believed I was really going to make the movie, so I think many were surprised when they'd be summoned to my place on a Saturday morning.
But I have to say I love most of the performances in "Slasher". I think they really ring true. I feel like the cast brings a certain sense of authenticity to their roles. There are things I'm unhappy with, but I blame that on myself - as a first-time director I really did not know at the time what it takes to get a good performance from your cast. I've gotten better at that in subsequent films.
But that scene you mentioned - that's a ten minute dialogue scene. And yet, it works. And I'm proud of that. Basically it's a cheap-thrill kind of movie - straight up tits and blood. But how many cheap-thrill movies do you think could have a ten minute dialogue scene without getting boring or losing the momentum?
We generally adhered to the script, but Maria came in with some dialogue she'd written for herself that she thought should be added. I liked some of it, some I thought was a little over the top, but I let her do it. In the end I think the whole scene worked.
ID: In THE SLASHER, you include a lot of the staples of the slasher film, but you seemed to bend the rules a bit. Specifically, the daylight kill-scenes are one aspects of the film that goes against the rules. Was it a greater challenge to make the scenes scary and unique, in the daylight, as opposed to filming at night?
JH: That's an interesting insight, as far as the daytime vs. night time scenes for the action. I never really thought of it that way. Really we were trying to show how bold the killer character had become that he was no longer creeping in the dark, but doing things in broad daylight in fairly well-populated areas. It showed how empowered the character felt and how he had no fear of getting caught. I guess that makes it scarier, since we tend to all feel safer in the daytime when it's bright out and there's people around. But here's a seemingly safe scenario and bad things still happen. I guess that can certainly make it scarier.
But I definitely did try to bend a lot of the rules and horror conventions. I'm a guy who's seen so many horror movies I can watch a horror movie and pick out everything that's going to happen before it happens. It all becomes very cliched after awhile. That's why I tried to set up as many cliches and then NOT do them. That's what I think is one of the biggest strengths of the movie. Horror movies always tend to have 'safe' characters that nothing happens to and 'victims' that are just set up like bowling pins to be knocked down. That's why a lot of the safe characters get killed and a lot of the people you would expect to die make it to the end. That's pretty much the way Hitchcock played "Psycho" - the lead actress got killed only 25% into the movie - who expected that? And people are still talking about it.
Bottom line is, the more you can take people by surprise, the more scary and effective you can be in horror. If people see it coming they won't really let themselves be scared - they've had too much time to brace themselves for it.
ID: Another aspect of THE SLASHER, that really grabbed my attention, was the ending. The last few scenes of the film really blew me away (I don’t think I have ever seen a slasher ending like that) and I thought of it as sort of an epilogue to the usual slasher story – the finality that you don’t see. How did you come up with the idea for the ending and what inspired the story, in general?
JH: Well, the ending was necessary. I hate movies that are anti-climactic. You have a great set-up and you're gripped all the way through, and then...a lame ending. It ruins it. You have to go out with a bang. The grand finale is what everyone remembers.
Actually, it all comes back to "Don't Look in the Basement" yet again. I always felt that was the most startling, slam-bang finale to a horror movie ever. I always said if I ever made a horror movie I'd have to end it along those lines. I don't want to give away the ending of either movie for folks who haven't seen either one, but I'm sure those who have seen both will certainly see the similarity.
But if you create a monster, people want to see the monster die - violently. And the fact that people like the ending proves the movie works. I mean, the ending is really violent and gory. I think of you showed that scene completely out of context to most sane people they'd find it repulsive and sick. But when you see it as a culmination of the story, after we see who the killer is and all the things he's done - especially to characters we came to like - we find ourselves applauding this really violent, brutal scene. It brings out the savage in us.
ID: I DREAM OF DRACULA (2003), your second film, seemed to be in the spirit of the classic vampire tales – it had a very literary feel to it. Who and what were some of your influences on the story and what made you decide to make Priscilla (Michellina Shaffranski) a willing vampire victim?
JH: Well, I love vampire movies. Vampires are the coolest of the monsters. Bela Lugosi is my favorite actor ever. I've always had a fascination with classic monster movies, but particularly vampires.
I will at some point do another vampire movie - there's certainly more that I can do with the genre. I don't think 'I Dream of Dracula' is the best vampire movie I can make, but it's fun. I had written it as a short film. I'm not sure why, since I've never been a fan of short films - I feel like if I'm going to make a film it might as well be a feature. What can you really do with a short film?
But I wrote it and forgot about it and came across it in a drawer a year or so later. Someone was telling me the best way to get your independent horror film distributed is to do a vampire movie because there's a huge market for it. So I thought, I had this written, all I had to do was to extend it a bit and there we were.
It was written as a comedy and meant to be very campy and over-the-top, but I guess in a way I'd sold the story a bit short. People have said they felt the actual story and the original aspects of the story - such as the idea of a vampire as a species rather than something one becomes from being bitten - were good enough that we could have played the story straight and not for laughs.
ID: In I DREAM..., I really loved the street shots. You always hear directors saying that NYC (and the surrounding area) has a life all its own; it’s almost like another character in the film. From your experience, what is it like filming in and around NYC?
JH: NYC definitely has a life all its own. It's a lot harder to film there now - you really need permits for everything in Manhattan . But of course a lot of sneaky bastards like myself with no money tend to do things well enough on the sly.
But I don't generally film very much in Manhattan . Most of my films have been done in Long Island and Queens . The last scene in 'Dracula' (with the Empire State Building ) was actually filmed from a corner in Queens . It was actually a replacement shot, but it worked perfectly - and the fact that we could get the Empire State Building in the shot was beautiful. It tells you that Priscilla is going to take Manhattan next!
ID: In THE SLASHER and I DREAM..., you have very exciting and visually vibrant scenes. You really seem to know what a horror fan wants to see – scares, blood, the lovely female form, etc. How do some of the kill-scenes develop, during filming, and how much input do the cast members have in creating a horrifying/erotic scene?
JH: Well, I tend to make films for myself. I think that's the key. I make a movie that I would want to see. You have to be true to yourself like that. If you don't like your own film why should anyone else? If no one else digs it, YOU do and that makes it valid. If no one likes it - not even you - then what was the point?
I like a movie that's great to look at. I feel my movies are very visually exciting. I like bright colors, I like interesting locations, and yes, I enjoy the female form. Even though we're making a horror film doesn't mean it has to look ugly and unpleasant, I think anything you can do to make a film more visually appealing is the way to go.
I tend to think that the gory effects in my films are generally not that good. We don't put much thought into that because that's really not what I concentrate on. I feel like gore should be the exclamation point, not the whole sentence, so I concern myself more with the plot and characters and acting and locations and whatnot. The gore I always tend to think will take care of itself and it doesn't always. But the gory effects often do come down to a committee on set. I'm always willing to use any ideas that anyone on set can come up with.
ID: Let’s talk about some of your upcoming projects. You are currently wrapping up GRAVE DANGER; could you tell me a little about that film?
JH: Well, "Grave Danger" was shot last year - as usual, it's post-production that holds everything up. My editor is still finishing that one up and even the rough versions I've seen look really good. That one is an anthology - three funny/scary tales wrapped together with one basic premise. That was a really fun movie to shoot and I met a lot of great new people who have carried over to the next project.
"Grave Danger" stars Cathy St. George - she's a legendary Playboy Playmate from the early 80's that a lot of people remember. She's also been in "Star 80" and bunch of other films. I met her a few months before we started shooting and I was so happy we could get her for the project. She plays the psychiatrist in one of the stories and she's really really good and she looks great.
We've also got Vic Martino - who needs no introduction to all the 'Sopranos' fanatics out there. He, of course, played Muzzy Nardo on "The Sopranos" and he plays Jeff Jones, the husband from hell. It was really great - Vic actually came on shortly before we shot and in very little time he really had the character down and really knew what we were going for - not entirely comedy, but not deathly serious either. He really had that 'over the top' element we were looking for and he was great to work with.
A lot of other really talented people that I'd never worked with before - Charlie Parshley, Rebecca Rose McCain, Debbie Kopacz, Kaitlin Owens, David Tapias, Jeff Cusimano, Ann Marie Yoo, Kate Webster, Craig Bergen - a really good cast. And many of those folks went on to the next movie, "Witchmaster General."
ID: You also have WITCHMASTER GENERAL coming out in the near future and admittedly, I’ve been dying to ask this question (without sounding like a shameless fanboy) – How did working with Phil Lewis of L.A. Guns come about?
JH: Well, I've always been a huge fan of L.A. Guns, since I was a teenager. When I got older I got to know the guys in the band - and then doing the 'Rock N Roll Party' show I'd had the opportunity to interview the guys several times and they were always really cool.
"Grave Danger" was our first opportunity to have some real star power onboard with Cathy and Vic - "The Slasher" and "I Dream of Dracula" starred people who were either friends or friends of friends. So I thought if we want to widen the audience we need more familiar names. So when it came time to do "Witchmaster" we wanted a really big name. My initial thought when I was writing was Angus Scrimm of the "Phantasm" movies, but somewhere along the lines some guy I'd met in a restaurant said that an actor from an 80's television show might do the movie. However, that turned out to be a dead-end.
So I was actually at an L.A. Guns seeing the band in Long Island and the whole time I'm there I'm racking my brain - 'who can I get for this movie? I need someone charming and charismatic, but who can be menacing and dark too and who's really well-known'. And the answer was right there in front of my face - of course it didn't dawn on me for about another day or two when I was reflecting on how good the show was. So I made some calls and got Phil the script and he was interested.
It was great - he was great. Total gentleman, total professional. No attitude, no ego, he was there willing to roll up his sleeves and do what needed to be done and he really cared about everything being right. I mean I can think of people who no one’s ever heard of who have egos out of control and then in walks Phil - the singer from one of my all-time favorite rock bands, and he has no ego and he's just really eager to make the movie work. It was great. And he's such a good actor - he's so theatrical and dynamic. It's funny how the other two people that I considered for the role were such polar opposites from Phil (or from each other, for that matter) but Phil IS Dr. Gorgon.
ID: I also saw that you are working on a film called FROM THE INSIDE; I read that it stems from a very dark period in your life. Could you tell me a little bit about it?
JH: Well, "From The Inside" is kind of my lost movie. I was unemployed back in 2002 which was a bad time to be unemployed - jobs were pretty thin on the ground at that point. Unemployment is never a good thing because when you have too much time on your hands you tend to think too much and as your life is sort of in this forced unproductive mode you aren't thinking very clearly or optimistically. I became very cynical and unhappy. I took a job as a cashier just to make ends meet and give myself something to do until something better came along, but it didn't help much because now I was suddenly a grown man doing a job that a high school kid would normally do. Add to this the fact that my personal life was a wreck and I was really at a low ebb. That was when I wrote "From The Inside".
"From The Inside" isn't autobiographical or about that time in my life, but I think the tone reflects it real well. It's a very dark, cynical movie where things don't always the way we'd like them to. Unlike the other four films I've made it is completely bereft of humor which is entirely not me. But it's a really good movie, very powerful. I can't really say what it's about without giving too much away because there are a lot of twists and the story sort of shifts its focus more than once. I think that makes it really interesting, plus it's one of those movies that draws you in and makes you ask yourself questions - what would I do if this happened? Not just questions of survival, but questions about morality and trust. It's probably my best written film.
Unfortunately, after we shot I had some things go on in my life so I couldn't get right to post-production and that held it all up. After that, we moved ahead briskly and now it's about 95% complete but the editor seems to have lost all interest in finishing it. I've been trying to get him to finish it but for some reason he refuses. Frustrating since it's pretty much done. And as it's on his system, the only way to get it moving would be to start from scratch with someone else and with two other movies in post-production I don't know when I can do that. Very frustrating.
Hopefully someday it will be seen. It annoys me, not only because I'm so proud of the movie I made, but all the great work the excellent cast has done and they've never been able to see the fruits of their labors. Hopefully at some point he'll pull his head out of his ass and finish up.
ID: You have a very diverse and interesting background - currently, you are doing some standup comedy. Was comedy always an interest that you wanted to pursue? Out of directing, acting, writing, music, and comedy, what is truly your favorite trade?
JH: No, I was never really interested in doing comedy. I always felt I was funny - not to be arrogant or anything. I don't claim to be good looking or smart or in good shape, but funny I've got down. And I always understood the art of comedy. When I was a really young kid I used to listen to a lot of comedy records instead of music - I was a weird kid! But growing up hearing so much of it, and 80's was kind of a renaissance period for comedy - HBO always had a lot of standup comedy on, so I saw a lot of that and instinctively started to pick up on why it all worked as far as timing, delivery, set-ups, etc.
I used to see comedians with friends and afterwards I could dissect why the comics were or weren't funny in a very technical manner - it was like watching a magician and being able to figure out how they do their tricks. My friends would tell me I should become a comedian since I understood it so well. But I never had any interest in it.
It wasn't until recently, my fiance and I often go to the local comedy clubs because they keep sending us free passes and it's a nice night out with some other couples. But whenever we leave, I'd be sitting there thinking I'm funnier than at least some of these other people. So I got my balls up and decided to hit an open mic night and try it out. And I really liked it. I always enjoy making people laugh and there's a real satisfaction in winning a crowd and really working the room.
I also like it because it's all me, the only person I have to count on is myself to do my act - except for the clubs that require you bring people! But when you make a movie you have to corral so many people and depend on everyone showing up and being up to the task and you really can't control what other people do. And then - like in the case of "From The Inside" they screw you over and there's nothing you can do. With comedy it all comes down to me.
That being said, directing is my first love. I LOVE being on the set of a movie, I LOVE watching my visions come to life right before my very eyes. It's truly the best feeling in the world, slightly better than sex, and I could not live without it - I'm totally addicted.
ID: This seems to be a question that I ask everyone in a creative discipline. What is your view on criticism? Do you think that society has strayed towards uninformed, "trashing" just for the sake of "trashing"? Do you see a "liking"/"hating" trend out there – like some critics may bias their opinions in favor of communal/societal acceptance rather than in favor of an informed and honest evaluation of a work?
JH: Well, I don't have a problem with criticism, personally. I always said you need to create art for yourself. If you like it then that makes it valid. If everyone else on the planet hates your art and you like it, that's one person that you're guaranteed likes it. If you make art that you don't like in the hopes that other people will like it, what if they don't? Then you can't defend your work. But if you're happy with what you did, that's all that matters. Everybody has an opinion and none of them are necessarily right or wrong. They're just opinions.
I think if you make movies you want them to be seen and you want people to have opinions on them, so I always am interested in hearing what people think either way. I've read some really good reviews of my films - like yours - and I'm very happy that you got my movies and got what I was doing, so that's cool. But I've also read really terrible reviews of my stuff. I generally laugh it off. I mean, it certainly doesn't make me want to quit. If you read a bad review and decide you're going to stop movies you probably weren't thick-skinned enough to be doing it in the first place.
Funny story - I came across Geno McGahee's review of "The Slasher" online at Scared Stiff Reviews and he HATED it. I mean he totally savaged it. My fiance's brother and I laughed our asses off at it. Then when I was sending out press releases for "Witchmaster General" I sent one his way and said something like 'maybe you'll like this one a little better'. He said he thought I was writing to curse him out or threaten him with violence. I told him I got a kick out of his review. We actually became good friends from that point on, we talk endlessly about old horror movies and different projects we're working on. I mean just because someone doesn't like your film you shouldn't take it personally.
I will say I haven't heard from Geno since I started doing comedy - he must hate my comedy and doesn't want to break it to me! lol
ID: What do you think about the current horror genre and what direction do you want to go in, with your future projects? Any advice for a beginning filmmaker?
JH: Um, current horror like current music just doesn't seem very interesting. I mean, every now and then I see something cool, but there's too many remakes. I don't know what's worse - people trying to remake timeless classics that don't need it, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "Halloween" or "The Hills Have Eyes" or people remaking movies that were pretty crappy the first time around like "The Fog" or "When A Stranger Calls" or "The Amityville Horror." I guess those can only get better, I suppose.
My advice to a young filmmaker would just be to follow your heart, follow your dreams, don't let anybody tell you you can't do something and go for it. Make the movie you want to see. As I said, if only you like it, it's still valid. And you'd be surprised how many people will come around to your way of thinking and like your stuff too. If you're doing it for the right reasons - a way to artistically express yourself and create something, not just looking for money or chasing fame - there's no reason any person of average ability can't do it. Hell, I did!
ID: Finally, tell me about some of your others hobbies/interests. What do you like to do in your spare time? What’s your favorite band/type of music? Any pets? What is Jim Haggerty like on his day off?
JH: Day off? Oh yeah, I suppose some people have those. I'm getting married next week, so between planning a wedding, being a daddy, directing films, doing standup, and working the 'day job' there isn't much downtime. But I like it that way. I am a truly lucky and blessed individual. I'm madly in love with my fiance Susan (who'll be my wife by the time most people read this), and my beautiful and hilarious daughter, I'm very close with my parents and my uncle who also acts, and I like spending time with Susan's family, too. I think I'm a pretty family-oriented guy. I have a dog named Sammi who I love and a cat named Klaus who I hate lol. Beyond that, I like collecting movies. I love all kinds of music - though mostly hard rock stuff. I guess I'll say L.A. Guns is my favorite band (cheers, Phil!).
Thanks so much for taking the time and interest to interview me for the site. It's a great site and it was gratifying that you enjoyed "The Slasher" and "I Dream of Dracula" so much! Good luck in all things!