I'm not going to lie, Ryan Nicholson is one of my favorite directors. He has the balls to do a lot of things that other people in the industry would never do. Nicholson's films have developed a huge cult following, and rightfully so. There is some real talent that goes into making these movies, and the fact that he's as big of a film geek as we are, makes it the perfect storm of depravity.Ryan's films include "Torched" a short rape/revenge style film that was featured in the anthology "Hell Hath No Fury" in 2006. "Live Feed" a comedic survival horror film, which was also released in 2006. "Gutterballs" is THE best homage to trashy 80s slasher films that has ever been made. "Hanger" is Nicholson's depraved take on the rape/revenge film, and is one of the nastiest movies that will ever make you laugh your ass off. This year, Nicholson, through his company "Plotdigger Films" will release "Star Vehicle" which is said to follow Dan Ellis on his trip into madness.
Ryan has spent a lot of time doing FX, and make-up for various projects, including several SyFy original movies, as well as some big name TV series, such as Supernatural, The X-Files, and Stargate: SG1. If you glance at his body of work on IMDB, It's actually quite impressive.
Mr. Nicholson was cool enough to let us ask him a few questions about his work, as well as some other things. This is another thing that makes him one of my favorite directors. He keeps his finger on the pulse of the community, and makes himself accessible to his fans. We, here at The Liberal Dead, want to thank Ryan for doing this, even though he's one of the busiest people in the industry right now. We also would like to wish him a long, and prosperous career. Enjoy the interview, and make sure to visit plotdigger.com, and pick up some merch.
LDead: Since this seems to be the hot button issue in the horror community right now, I thought I'd ask you a question in relation. If a big studio offered you an obscene amount of money to remake an obscure 80's slasher, say, “Maniac” would you do it? And if so, What would you do to make a film like Maniac marketable to this generation of horror fans?
Nicholson: I would jump at the chance to work on a studio picture. I feel that if given the chance, I could make something cool for a larger audience, even if it meant doing a remake. There's been some remakes that have worked really well. "The Hills Have Eyes", "Last House on the Left" and "The Crazies" were some notable ones that stood out as quality. With something like "Maniac", it would be a challenge because the original "Maniac" was all Joe Spinell. It was his performance and Lustig's direction, that really made "Maniac" a cult hit. The FX were killer too! To be honest, I don't really mind remakes. I like to see what the new generation of horror directors can bring to the table when taking on one of the classics. I'm a big fan of Rob Zombie's "Halloween" redux. He put his own stamp on it. I admire him for that. And who can argue that his "Halloween 2" didn't have some of the most brutal onscreen murders you'll have see in a multiplex? It was vicious.
LDead: Danny Ellis seems to appear in all of your films. Have the two of you been friends for a long time? What's it like working together, do you have to do a lot of “directing” with him, or does he usually get your vision without much coaching?
Nicholson: Dan and I are like Brothers. We both love horror and more importantly, we both love film in general. I've known Dan since he read for "Gutterballs" in 2006. We have stayed tight because we both share the common goal of making bigger pictures one day. And it takes dedication and hard work. Nerves of steel help as well! Dan knows what to expect when working on one of my movies. It's cool because he's like the veteran on our sets. Any time a newbie actor is about to get killed or bitches at the blood being poured or sprayed on them, Dan and I just laugh because they really don't have a clue. It makes it easier liking the people you work with and I dig Dan, he's just a cool guy, plain and simple. He's very determined to try and bring out better performances from his cast mates too. He thrives on an actor that has some chops. He really enjoyed acting opposite of Debbie Rochon because she has some serious skill and range. Dan's the king of improv so I just let him go and he delivers.
LDead: Your films are all similar, in that they remind the viewer of 70's and 80's exploitation. Do you make these types of movies because you felt there was a lack of decent homages to this era of film? Or is it just what you grew up watching, and what you wanted to be known for as a film maker?
Nicholson: I think it's an area that I excel in moreso than straight up horror. I am not one for the "scares". I love scary movies but when I make movies, I just can't help making them campy. No matter how straight-up I write a script, it always starts to twist into a 42nd St. kind of movie. The more outlandish, the better. I don't know how to do anything different and I don't really want or need to. My fourth feature "Star Vehicle" is about as "dramatic" as I've ever gone but in post production, I've been trying to bring it into the realm of my other stuff. The continuity is there, it's just tough when you write something one way and you can't help but film it another. It's the story of my life. I always come full circle and my circle is a sleazy one.
LDead: Hanger may have been one of the most disgusting films I've ever seen. It also made me laugh, even at it's most disgusting. Where did you get the idea for such gags as the “tea” and the “poop sack” ? Did these scene gross people out while filming?
Nicholson: The colostomy bag was a part of "Hanger" and the damage he obtained while being aborted. I knew that "hole" and "bag" would and could play into some sickness big time. I think people in general have many fetishes. Some are more slippery and smelly than others. Russell's "Tampon Tea" seemed like a logical fetish. After I wrote that, I actually came across some Asian fetish porn with tampons and tea! "Hanger" dabbles in reality and what people do when others aren't looking. The movie to me, is a guilty pleasure. It was something I needed to make at the time. As people discover it, they are really surprised at how different it is than "Live Feed" and "Gutterballs", but those two movies are very different than each other as well. I don't want to keep remaking the same thing. I like to switch it up a bit. Explore new orifices!
LDead: There never seems to be a lack of cocks in your movies. Are we seeing authentic “man meat” or do most of the gags involve prosthetic penii?
Nicholson: I will never tell! But I think you can tell the real ones from the falsies. The only real one was "Sam's" in "Gutterballs" and we cut that in half! Kidding. But seriously, I would rather to shoot real cocks...but men are very timid on film, way more than women. The women on my shows have more balls than the guys. Because the women get naked and don't make it a big deal. The guys are like "dude don't shoot my ass, I may be famous one day!" It's cool, all my cast are great and I respect their boundaries even though I give them a little nudge here and there.
LDead: One of the biggest complaints I've heard with Gutterballs were the characters. Personally, I felt like you were aiming for the audience to hate the characters, in order to make their deaths fun. Would this be an accurate assumption?
Nicholson: It's true, I wanted the audience to hate the characters. That's why the rape seems to relish in the violence. It's the characters enjoying it. Therefore, logically you'd hate the bad guys. I think overall it was the ample swearing the got to most viewers. But I do find it amusing that we have the most "F" bombs in any movie ever made other than the documentary "FUCK" which is on the word "fuck". Someone actually counted and it beat everything. It beat "Goodfellas", "The Devil's Rejects" and anything else for that matter. We should have an award for that! It wasn't intended but it's kind of cool.
LDead: I mentioned this to you on Facebook, but would you ever consider shooting a spaghetti western, casting Dan Ellis as a sort of “Man without a name” type of character? If so, what would you call it? Going over your body of work on IMDB, it seems like you spent most of your career working on Special Effects on various Television shows and films. What was the greatest special effects job you've done, and what would be your advice for someone that wants to get into the business of special effects?
Nicholson: I would kill to shoot a spaghetti western, as would Dan for that matter. I'd call it "Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump"...which is actually a historical site in Canada where the Natives use to herd the buffalo off a big ass cliff, where the buffalo's would fall to their death. And the BBQ would begin! It's also an SNFU punk rock song...I think it's a perfect name for a spaghetti western starring Dan "Big Horn" Ellis. As for Make-up Effects, I really enjoyed all of the ScFy channel creatures movies I did. Because I did them with my partner Michelle and my Father, Roy. It was just us three for a few of these "Creature of the Week" type shows and it was fun as all Hell. When you do the big Hollywood stuff, it's not as hands on, because you run a crew and spend too much time in production meetings. I like the more intimate jobs I've done.
LDead: What can we expect from Star Vehicle? Will it top Hanger's gorss-out factor? And what can we look forward to from you and your crew beyond Star Vehicle?
Nicholson:
"Star Vehicle" is more straight ahead and less crazed like my other stuff. It has some violence in it but it's not over the top. It's me restrained. "Star Vehicle" is a co-pro with "New Image Entertainment" and they were the producers. I held back. I'm not ashamed I did because I think Dan Ellis has a break-out role. I think it's the most character driven show I've made. I focus a lot of time on Dan as "Don Cardini" and has mannerisms. His dialogue and the overall script is not as campy as my other stuff. Is there dick violence though? Yes there is! Are there titties, yes there are! Is there full frontal? Yes! Is there gore? Yes! BUT it's all done more straight-up and less campy for sure. I mean after "Gutterballs" and "Hanger" where do you go? It's hard to top those movies for onscreen depravity, skin and blood...but don't worry, "The Murder Mack" is up next and we go into some very dark depraved places with that one!
LDead: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some of our questions, is there anything else you'd like to say to anyone that might read this interview? Is there anything you'd like to plug? Website? Stores? Merch?
Nicholson: Come and visit our forum over and start some threads at www.plotdigger.com and www.starvehiclemovie.com as well as our Facebook fan page, Plotdigger Films. We want some good conversation going on between us and our friends out there in the horror community. Our webstore also carries all of our movies and even some out of print items. Our new one "Star Vehicle" will be out in the Fall of 2010. We film "Famine", our school slasher movie this August and "The Murder Mack" in between everything else. Should be a bloody good time!
There you have it. The man, the myth, the legend. Ryan Nicholson. Below you will find some pics that he has supplied from both "Hanger" and "Star Vehicle" be sure to check them out, and watch the film this fall. Thanks, Ryan, for your time, and keep making weak stomachs uneasy.
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