Three interconnected tales of terror set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse…
- A young vampire couple struggle to survive as the zombies eat up all their food.
- An obsessed writer powers his computer with a chip that runs off the life force of others.
- A survival nut takes in a woman and her child who are on the run from a group of renegade priests hell bent on destroying the child.
…Welcome to The Edges of Darkness.
Currently in post-production, the indie horror thriller is written and directed by Jason Horton and Blaine Cade, with makeup effects by Tom Devlin. Actor Lee Perkins plays a renegade priest battling the anti-christ in one of the tales of terror.
Jason was kind enough to chat with us about his work.
With Rise of the Undead and Edges of Darkness, you seem to have a flair for “end of the world and zombies, too” movies. Why is that?
I’ve always been fascinated with end of the world stories. Extreme circumstances seem to bring out the “real” in people and I don’t think there is anything more extreme than an apocalypse.
As far as the zombie thing goes, one of my earliest cinema memories is of my older brother taking me to see a midnight showing of Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. It moved me like no other film had. Ever since I had a thing for zombies. So when it came time to do my first movie (ROTU) it seemed like the only choice. Having them be a part of Edges was sorta my way of making up for some things that weren’t so right about Rise.
How did you become interested in independent filmmaking?
I always wanted to make movies. Exploring that in the realm of Independent moviemaking made the most sense to me. I’ve worked on a few bigger features and just didn’t fancy working another 15 or 20 years in the trenches before I got a shot to direct, and then have to do it under someone else’s thumb. When you’re doing it all yourself, you have only yourself to answer too and only yourself to blame if things go wrong (or your co-director.)
What is it about horror filmmaking that draws you to it?
I love movies. All kinds. But there’s something especially fun about working in horror. You get to explore more of the human experience. Create new and unique worlds that could never exist, and see how real people would react in them. Plus there’s just something about the visceral fun in watching a woman shove a bowling ball through a zombie’s head.
What challenges did you face making Edges of Darkness and how did you meet them?
I suppose money is the cliché answer, but it’s so true. When you’re doing something for little money, no one gets paid what they’re worth. And even though most of the people who worked on it are friends, it’s still a pretty big favor to ask someone to invest so much time into something that may only compensate them months or years later. I overcame that with preparation. Being prepared keeps things moving, that way no one thinks I’m just wasting their time figuring out what I want.
Which directors influence you the most and why?
Romero: To me he’s created the definitive view of an apocalyptic world, and did so with rich character work and social relevance. Peter Jackson (especially his earlier work): His love for movies shows in every frame. Tarantino: He opened my eyes in ’92 to a whole slew of things. Hong Kong Cinema, Walter Hill, Peckinpaw, French New Wave, Blaxploitation. Joss Whedon: For really nailing home the notion that you can make a joke in your work without making your work a joke.
Did you have to compromise between your role as co-writer and co-director on Edges of Darkness?
Not really. The only compromises that were made were due to time or physical limitations of the sets and locations. Even though the three segments intertwine, they also very much stand on their own. I wrote and directed Undone (the anti-Christ segment, and Overbite (the vampire segment) Blaine wrote and directed Entanglement.
What’s next on your list of projects?
Next for me is most likely a prequel of sorts to Edges. Following the earlier exploits of the Vampire Couple. It’s larger scale and should be a lot of fun.
Can you share with us any funny or interesting stories regarding the filming of Edges of Darkness?
Don’t work with animals. There was originally a dog in Blaine’s story. He brought the dog to the set. It was a huge, horse of a thing. It sh*t all over the warehouse and wouldn’t do anything we needed it to do. The cast and crew were complaining so Blaine decided to axe the dog. He replaced it with a rat. It works better than it sounds.
How did Edges of Darkness come about?
I was working in LA. Shooting and cutting ultra low budget features for several different companies and getting pretty burned out. I was watching these cats turn out pretty shoddy work for next to nothing, turning it over and making quite a bit. It was disheartening. I was tired of working for people who were really only in it to make a buck.
I met Stephen Kayo while camera oping on a project of his. Convinced him that quality work could be done for little money, and started work on Edges.
What advice can you give to independent directors just starting out?
First, watch more movies. You can never see enough. Love movies. If you don’t love movies, don’t direct. Go work at a bank. I’m sick and tired of running into directors and producers in Hollywood that don’t even like movies. They don’t watch them. WTF?
Second. Make movies. Work on someone else’s. I went to film school. I wouldn’t give that time back for anything. But my real education happened on sets. I did Rise of the Undead right after film school. I did Edges after working a few years on sets and in post production. You only have to glance at the trailers to see the difference.
What’s the one question you would love to be asked and what’s your answer?
What’s you’re favorite color? Blue.
Can you give us a “day in the life of an independent horror director?” What’s it really like?
Get up. Work on something else. Making your own flicks doesn’t always pay the bills. Then put every other waking minute into finishing your current project or prepping the next or watching a movie.