“King of Underground Cinema” Eric Stanze is a huge SKINspiration to all of us here at Skin Central. A lifelong cinema devotee, Eric knew from a very young age that he wanted to become a filmmaker. And with an independent spirit that would make his childhood idol, Dawn of the Dead (1978) legend and creator of the modern zombie film George Romero , proud, that’s exactly what he did. Eric founded his own production company, Wicked Pixel Pictures , when he was in his early twenties, and has gone on to direct six films and produce many more under the Wicked Pixel imprint. Though he’s best known among horror fans for transgressive films that push the limits of cinematic violence and sexuality, Eric’s films span a wide variety of horror and exploitation genres from atmospheric ghost stores ( Deadwood Park , 2007) to rape-and-revenge films ( I Spit on Your Corpse, I Piss on Your Grave , 2001) to brutal serial-killer flicks ( Scrapbook , 2000). His newest film is Ratline (2011), starring his frequent leading lady Emily Haack as a fugitive who stumbles into the dangerous world of Nazi occultism while on the run from a botched drug-money heist. Ratline has been praised by critics for its unique vision and intense thrills; Popmatters.com calls it “One of the most original horror experiences of the past decade” . We caught up with Eric at Wicked Pixel HQ in St. Louis, where he talked with Skin Central about his cinematic inspirations, the state of indie filmmaking in the Internet age, and what’s coming next: Skin Central: You directed your first movie, Savage Harvest , when you were only 21. When did you decide you wanted to be a filmmaker? Eric Stanze: I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t want to be a filmmaker. I was probably 10 years old when I started down the filmmaking path, becoming obsessed with movies, and shooting 8mm films in the back yard. I was 20 when I started treating it as a career instead of a hobby. Savage Harvest wasn’t my first feature, but it’s the first I took seriously, and the first to have a shred of competency in its making. Before Savage Harvest , I wrote, directed, shot, and edited a 90 minute feature when I was 18. It secured its own distribution deal eventually, and was released around the world. It sounds like a very impressive achievement for an 18 year old …until you see the movie, of course. It is truly terrible. SC:Was there any one movie in particular that got you into genre films? ES: George Romero’ s Dawn of the Dead , Night of the Living Dead , and Creepshow all had a huge impact on me when I was a kid, as did Don Siegel’ s Invasion of the Body Snatchers , Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.’ s The Blob, Sam Raimi’ s The Evil Dead , S.F. Brownrigg’ s Don’t Look in the Basement, James Cameron ‘s The Terminator, and Sean S. Cunningham ‘s Friday the 13th – plus many more. I don’t know if I can narrow it down to one film, but I would say that Romero likely had the most influence on me when I was young and impressionable. As I got older, I continued to explore the horror genre, but other kinds of films started to influence me as well, from Citizen Kane to Full Metal Jacket. SC: I read an article you did for FEARnet in which you say “It is my opinion that filmmaking enjoyed its zenith as an art form in the period of 1968 through 1982.” What’s your Top 5 from this period? ES: To elaborate, I think this golden age of cinema began with 2001: A Space Odyssey a nd Night of the Living Dead in 1968, and it came to a close with The Thing and Blade Runner i n 1982. I may have a different opinion next week, but right now, off the top of my head I’d say my top five are, in order of release, The French Connection (1971), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Network (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), and Apocalypse Now (1979). SC: What is the one movie you really, really wish you could have seen in the theater when it was first released? ES: Probably Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (right). I’ve seen it on the big screen [since], but I discovered it on video. I’ve never seen Black Sunday or The Road Warrior or Quest for Fire or Paths of Glory on the big screen. Those would have been cool too. SC: OK,’70s cinema lightning round. Lucio Fulci or H.G. Lewis ? ES: H.G. Lewis films are fun, but I’m gonna have to go with Fulci. SC: Roger Corman or David F. Friedman ? ES: I’m a fan of Friedman, but I have to pick Corman. SC: Thriller: A Cruel Picture or I Spit on Your Grave ? ES: These are tough questions, dammit! It’s close, but I think I Spit on Your Grave . SC: Who’s your favorite “scream queen” of all time (besides your frequent collaborator Emily Haack , of course)? ES : I’m a big fan of Adrienne King ( Friday the 13th ), Barbara Crampton ( Re-Animator ), and Laura Gemser ( Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals ). Adrienne was attached to the movie I was going to direct after Deadwood Park (2007), but the funding fell apart and the project evaporated. She’s intelligent, creative, and exceptionally nice, so I’m hoping our professional paths cross on another project in the near future. I would also be thrilled to work with Barbara Crampton. Last November she wished me a happy birthday. That makes me cool, right? [Yes. Yes it does. -SC] SC: Wicked Pixel Cinema started at the tail end of the VHS era and the beginning of the Internet era. How have things changed for you as an independent production company since the Internet became ubiquitous? ES: As far as the internet is concerned, this is still a period of exploration and discovery for the film industry. Nobody’s really figured it out yet. VHS had a long, comfortable run, which we were able to ride near the end, starting with our first release, Savage Harvest , in 1995. We did pretty well with DVD too, releasing our bigger titles through Image Entertainment during the peak of the DVD boom. Today there’s Amazon Instant Video and new internet marketing avenues to explore. It’s been pretty cool, watching everything evolve over the past two decades. Compared to when I first started doing this, distribution and funding options are an alien landscape today – and I believe things are getting better, in most ways, rather than worse. There is much less power in the hands of distributors and retailers. What we needed a distributor for just a few years ago, most indie film producers can do themselves – and often do more competently. Plus, the days of an indie film’s success or failure hinging on the elusive Blockbuster or Best Buy deal are long gone, and that’s wonderful. In short, today there is a more direct route, and fewer roadblocks, between indie filmmakers and the film fans. SC: What do you have coming up in 2012? ES :Good question! I have multiple projects cooking; all, some, or none of them may take root and actually get made. While I still intend to collaborate with a few of my past partners-in-crime, my focus is on working with new people who can bring fresh options, talent, resources, and perspectives to the table. My last two movies, Deadwood Park (2007) and Ratline (2011) were completely different movies in tone, narrative, and visual style, but they were kinda built in the same factory, so to speak. I’m looking for a new factory – or exciting ways to gut and rebuild this one. I’ve never settled into a rut, and now is not the time to start. Keep up with Eric Stanze as he writes his next chapter on his Facebook and Twitter pages, and be sure to check out his newest movie Ratline (2011) at the Wicked Pixel store and right here at MrSkin.com!
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