After I posted my short film, I realized that some people might watch it and get the wrong idea about me. So, let me explain some things about the film. I’m not trying to justify anything nor am really defending my work. I’m merely just trying to explain my mindset and how and why we made the film. First off, it’s violent, okay really violent. We do horrible things to my friend, Corey, in this film. Now without getting on my soapbox too much, like it or not there will always be violence in film. Art imitates life. Argue about it as much as you want. Only watch sugar-coated Disney movies your entire life, I don’t care. The simple solution to violence in media is just turn it off. You’ll never get rid of it, watch it or don’t watch it. Secondly, it’s got “dirty” words. Okay, if you haven’t heard a curse word by now you’ve been in a coma or you’re Amish. And if it offended you because you’re Amish, what the heck are you doing on the internet anyways? But I digress. Curse words are bad, I know this. I shouldn’t say them and you shouldn’t say them but face it we do. The film is about a guy who tortures people for living and a guy who’s put himself in a situation where he’s getting tortured. These aren’t nice people. They’re criminals. They are not going to talk like nuns or your grandmother. It’s a part of their character, your grandma is not talking like a hardened convict looking to score. I hope she’s not, if she is tell me and we’ll make a movie about her.
The million dollar question is, where did you come up with such a devious story? Well that’s simple, I made it up. Does that make me a psychopath? I hope not. I’ve seen and read interviews with Stephen King and he seems perfectly normal, but he’s written some of the sickest stuff I’ve ever read.
Actually, I got the initial idea from a Stephen King short story. I honestly can’t even remember the name of it. It was basically about a guy who is getting tortured for information. After I read it I had the thought, how does one get into the torture business? What kind of personality would it take to do something like that? So with those questions, I wrote the script. That simple really. I had an idea, I fleshed that idea out and I turned into a story. I figured a guy who does that for living had to be cold, precise, almost boring. I put myself into his mindset. I thought he would look at it as a job. Plumbers fix pipes, teachers mold minds, this guy tortures people for money. It’s a dirty job…you know the rest. So now you might ask, why? Why are you making movies about a guy who tortures people? Why not! I’m not a sick person. I personally don’t torture anyone. It’s just an idea, a story, a movie. That’s it, I have an idea in my head, nothing tangible about it. I put it to paper and then I put it to film. I create something from nothing. I don’t make anything for fame or glory. As long as my friends think it’s cool, that’s all the recognition I need. I create because it’s good for me. I enjoy it. That’s the only reason I need. Ten hours in a hot garage, a few good friends, and a camera. It’s therapeutic.
Bonus round: The character Mr. Boggs in the film is NOT named after Aaron Boggs, who you’ll see in the credits. He’s named after a television producer who I was working for at the time. And to be honest I really wanted to see him tortured a bit.
