Do you love being scared silly at the cinema? Enjoy the moments when the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and your flesh creeps in anticipation of the next toe curling blood hungry scene? Then this is for you. Melbourne’s Monster Movie fest by Melbourne’s iconic Cinema Nova and Monster Pictures is offering ten days of Horror, science fiction, action and erotica from every corner of the globe to tantalise and thrill.
As well as all the flesh feasting fun, there is plenty on offer from the masters of B movie filmmaking, including Q@A sessions and a master class on movie making from the master himself, Larry Cohen.
Larry will be showcasing his movie “The Stuff,” and will be holding a master class for all those budding movie makers out there. I spoke to Larry Cohen about the Monster Fest, his Movie “The Stuff” and where his ideas come from.
According to Mr. Cohen, the movie The Stuff premiers at the Monster Fest. The story line is that delicious goo bubbles up from the earth and is soon marketed as a dessert.
“It becomes hugely popular but in reality it is a parasite that destroys from within. I read it is a warning on commercialism.
It definitely is. There are many products on the market that are dangerous to health or dramatically destructive to one’s survival, not only food products not only cigarettes but also medications.
You see a commercial about medications then they tell you about the side effects, the side effects are much worse than the ailment that’s being treated. Yet they advertise them on TV with cheery good nature and beautiful people walking on the beach holding hands.
They don’t have any guilt about selling you anything. That’s the market place, and the buyer has to beware you have to be constantly on the alert what your putting into your body. But on the same token, if I made a movie about that probably no one would go and see it. So I made a movie that would entertain people, a movie that has regular life, a lot of humour, suspense, action and special effects.
Something you would call a really entertaining night out and at the same time it’s become a way of getting the message across that industry not only American industry but industry all over the world is only interested in profits, and they’re not interested in your survival you have to be the one responsible for your own survival.”
Can you give us a little background what you are offering at your master class on movie making?
“Well I’m going to go into the science of making motion pictures and try to cover all the bases. I’m going to give them the primaries, things to do if there’re going to make an independent picture if you’re going to do a film in which you want to make a trademark, or name for yourselves or gain a reputation and get into film festivals. The thing I can help share to them is a couple of details, what to do first and last, what the priorities are what the best preparation is for everything.
I think movie fanatics will enjoy the class and they will have a good time doing it. I’ve done this before and it’s usually been entertaining and informative. I will also emphasise the screen writing aspect of movie making, because you can’t make a decent picture unless you have a good script to start with. Many people start off without a good script. They just start off thinking somehow along the way the projects gonna get better. But it doesn’t. You have to have a good foundation before you start, preparation is everything.”
Who doesn’t love Larry Cohen movies, with classics like Maniac Cop “you have the right to remain silent…..forever” and the invaders, well Larry has some very exciting news for Cohen Fans and talented film makers.
“I’m hoping someone in Australia will decide to make a Larry Cohen Film over Australia because I’ve got plenty of good scripts and I’d love to shoot something in Australia. How many American film makers have come over and made a film in Australia that’s what I’m talking about, an American movie in Australia.
The only thing that everyone likes are movies from America. Everybody else’s products are equally good or better than ours but the movies seem to be better from America. The audience seems to respond better to American films all over the world in every country, Asia, Europe and even Russia. So American pictures are what people want and there’s no reason why American pictures can’t be made over in Australia, if you have an American writer/director.
Australia has a wealth of talent and I would like to use some of that talent and make some pictures.”
Halloween lasts for 10 glorious nights this year in Australia and you can be a part of all the gory action, head to the site for programme of events, after party’s and ticket information.
I haven’t finished with the Monster Fest yet, coming up next is an interview with Eoin Macken premiering his nail biting movie the Inside at the festivals’ Night of the Irish. Some of you may know him better as Sir Gawain from the popular TV show Merlin.
Be prepared to be scared and head too,
