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The following is how CUT's official site describes the new genre film from Australia: "1985.
The cast and crew of the horror flick HOT BLOODED are learning first hand
what it means to be stalked by a masked killer. When the director is viciously
murdered on set the production is shut down and the film locked away incomplete.
But every time the footage is screened, somebody dies... Fourteen years later, a group of enthusiastic film students decide to finish HOT BLOODED. Led by Raffy, the director, and producer Hester, they manage to track down the star of the original film who reluctantly agrees to return to Australia. After shooting commences on the eerie film location, the students start to disappear one by one. Now, they just have to finish the film before it finishes them." Certainly
sounds like the kind of movie Q: ...I'm intrigued by the plot- it sounds like a lot of fun! Where did you come up with the idea? Three of us came up with the basic idea over lunch in a Chinese restaurant. It must have been the MSG. The three were myself, Martin Fabinyi the Producer and Dave Warner the writer. I liked the idea of transference of energy. An idea starts on paper and goes through a long process and ends on film where the energy is returned via projection to an audience. I was intrigued by the cyclical nature of this energy and thought it would be great if that became the basis of the movie. The killer returns every time the movie is projected. Q It must have been a blast recreating a horror flick from the 1980's- is HOT BLOODED your take on the typical slice-'n'-dice 'em slasher flick so beloved of that era? It
is a pastiche of of those movies with a bit of extra spice thrown in.
I wanted it to be as cheesy as I could get away with. There was a fine
line in making the audience believe the movie within the movie without
giving the game away. Q Molly Ringwald plays Vanessa Turnbill- the star of HOT BLOODED; who gets to portray her character in the 1980's and the 1990's. Was it Molly's image as Queen of the 80's teen movie that made you interested in her for the part? Definitely. She was my first choice. I think it's time for her to make a comeback. Did you know she was offered the lead in Scream? She had a small part in Teaching Mrs Tingle as she is a favourite of Kevin Williamson as I later found out. Q Just as here in the UK we have a reputation abroad as a country that produces a certain type of film- usually involving a bonnet or two! There seems to be a generalisation about the type of film that usually comes out of Australia- were you excited about producing something that went against that kind of stereotyping? Absolutely.There are no bonnets or Bill Hunters(Aussie actor) in CUT. I wanted to stick it up the industry here. We also financed the film out of Europe instead of the usual way of government handouts. Q It is notoriously difficult to mix horror and humour successfully- what kind of balance does CUT have? People
say it has just the right balance which I admit is a very fine line. It's
like riding in a car on an icy road on the edge of a cliff. I wanted people
to get the scare and then laugh. I personally find that mix the best.
Q Although you've been a keen follower of the horror genre over the years I see that you "suffered some moral dilemmas over perpetuating screen violence", and maintained that CUT differed from a film like SCREAM because, "[it] is like a morality play; it's about accepting responsibility for your actions". Did you find being the orchestrator of movie violence quite a different kettle of fish to being part of the audience? It's a great deal of fun actually. Shooting these movies is the best fun you can have as everyone walks around you covered in blood etc., Horror fans understand these films but I didn't want to make a film that just had violence for the sake of it. That's why I wanted it to be funny. I think the audiences stopped watching scary movies when Hollywood made a seemingly endless stream of graphically violent brainless movies. Scream changed that. Q You cite Wes Craven, along with Brian De Palma and Alfred Hitchcock, as being one of your favourite directors- were there elements of SCREAM that you found morally difficult (with reference to the question above)? Actually
my favourite horror directors are John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Wes Craven,
Dario Agento, David Cronenburg and George A. Romero. Let's not forget
Abel Ferrara. No there were no elements of Scream that I found morally
difficult. I really don't get morally outraged otherwise I would't be
making horror movies. I just get bored. Q CUT is due for release in Australia in the beginning of March- are you hoping that it will get a theatrical release overseas? Are there any firm dates yet for International releases? It has been sold around the world with a theatrical release coming up in a cinema near you. Q Horror movies- especially those that feature deranged killers are very prone to getting future instalments. How would you feel about CUT getting the same treatment- and would you like to be involved? We have written it with a sequel in mind. I would like to do a trilogy. Q Being a bit of an aficionado of psycho thrillers from around the globe I was wondering if you were familiar with the handful of Australian slasher flicks from the late 1970's and early 1980's- like THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN (1979); STAGEFRIGHT (1982) and BLOOD MOON (1989)? Did any of them have any influence on HOT BLOODED? You know I don't have a great knowledge of them. I must check them out. I thought we were the first (just joking) Q Speaking of the humble slasher movie do you have any particular favourites from that time- or, indeed, any films of that particular ilk that you really couldn't stand?! My favourite horror/schlock horror are Halloween, Night Of The Living Dead, The Brood, The Driller Killer, Friday the 13th, Zombie Flesh Eaters, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Evil Dead ...it goes on and......don't forget Bloodsucking Freaks.
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would be mighty interested in! So, I was delighted when the film's director,
Kimble Rendall, agreed to discuss his upcoming movie...
