Ryan Schifrin is a name you're probably not familiar with, but you will be once you see his first feature film. Combine the suspense of Hitchcock's Rear Window and the love of old-school monster movies and you've got Abominable. Ryan speaks about the film and his thoughts on the horror genre as-of-late. The film hits DVD shelves on October 3rd, so in the mean time why not sit back and enjoy the interview!
CONDUCTED BY: Dan AKA Master of Horror
EDITED BY: FrighT MasteR
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: 9/21/06
Tell us a bit about Abominable?
ABOMINABLE is a creature feature take on REAR WINDOW. Instead of seeing a murderer in the next apartment building, you've got a remote cabin in the woods and a guy witnessing Bigfoot killing off hot chicks. It stars Matt McCoy, Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace, Tiffany Shepis, and Rex Linn.
How has it been doing in screenings and what were the ratings like when it aired on the Sci-Fi Channel?
Fangoria premiered the film in New York in April at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater. It was sold out, and ABC's Nightline was there to film it -- the whole thing was surreal and incredible. When we opened in Los Angeles, the premiere was just as amazing -- sold out, incredible audience reaction -- it is the best feeling in the world after all our hard work to see that. When it aired on SCI FI a month later, it was the #1 rated show on the network for that week.
What inspired you to do a Bigfoot film?
I was going through a list of my favorite monsters, in trying to think of a setting for a REAR WINDOW creature feature, and I've always been so fascinated by Bigfoot. I checked, and there hasn't been a theatrical movie about Bigfoot since HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS. I couldn't believe it -- with Hollywood wanting iconic, marketable concepts, you'd think something as popular as Bigfoot would have been exploited already. And, it's public domain. Combine that with my love for man-in-a-suit movies, and there you have it!
Rumor has it your famous composer father Lalo Schifrin composed a completely original, full-length score for Abominable. True?
Yes, my father composed this amazing score for the movie, which was performed by a 90 piece orchestra! It's the kind of score a major studio film would have, for this little indie horror movie. I'm so honored he agreed to do the score, especially since it's my first movie. That's really special. The CD is in stores everywhere, and on Amazon.com. The artwork is by Drew Struzan -- I look at this thing and I can't believe it!
What was it like being able to work with so many wonderful actors in one movie? Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace and Tiffany Shepis are all amazing actors.
It was an embarrassment of riches to have Lance, Jeff, Dee, Tiffany and everyone else -- I really do believe that 50% of directing is casting... To see the characters come to life, being portrayed by these great actors -- people I grew up idolizing -- was incredibly gratifying. They were all a joy to collaborate with, and I would work with every single one of them again in a heartbeat. I thought it was fun to give Lance the kind of character you're not used to seeing him play -- almost the kind of guy Bruce Campbell might play, which was a chance to show off Lance's great sense of humor. Jeff was amazing, he's so brilliant with crafting these unique characters, and he’s just a genius. I could go on and on about all of them, but the bottom line is that they were at the top of my wish list to have in the movie, and I'm still amazed they said yes!
Will there be an Abominable 2?
It's very possible there will be an Abominable 2. I honestly wasn't planning it that way, even with the way the film ends, but I've got an outline for a sequel that would be cool. I just think there's no point in doing a sequel unless you can make it BETTER than the original. It would be great to have a larger canvas to paint on, and to expand the scope of the story - similar to how ALIEN went to ALIENS. That's the kind of sequels I like.
Can you elaborate on your ideas for the sequel?
Well, I don't want to give too much away in terms of the story, but I will say this much: I'd like to bring back Jeffrey Combs's character.
Will you remain in horror or will you be moving on to "greener" pastures?
I love horror movies, and I am proud to be a part of the genre. Sure, I'd love to do action-adventure, dark comedy, sci-fi, fantasy films - I have other interests, but I definitely plan to keep making horror movies. They're so much fun to make and to watch!
When will Abominable be hitting DVD in the U.S. and what extras can we expect from Anchor Bay?
ABOMINABLE is coming out on Oct. 3 on DVD... just in time for Halloween! We've got some really cool extras - there is an almost 40 minute documentary on the making-of, a commentary track with Matt McCoy, Jeffrey Combs and myself, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, storyboard and art gallery, photo gallery, the screenplay on DVD-ROM, one of my USC student films, trailers and this awesome holographic foil O-ring with Drew Struzan's artwork.
Is horror lacking films like Abominable? Do we need more latex creatures and original scores?
The great thing about horror is that there is so much diversity. You've got your hardcore torture films like SAW and HOSTEL, your PG-13 teen girl films like WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, your J-Horror like THE GRUDGE, your horror comedies like BEHIND THE MASK - it's a good time to be a horror fan. But yes, I'd love to see more creature features, and some man-in-suit movies and less reliance on CGI all the time. When something is successful, Hollywood tends to repeat it a lot, but I know there is a huge audience for monster movies, so hopefully they make a big comeback.
What are some of your influences? Films & Directors?
STAR WARS, RAIDERS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, JAWS, and E.T. were my favorite childhood movies. Spielberg has always been a huge influence. In horror, I'd have to go with HALLOWEEN and THE THING by John Carpenter, EVIL DEAD 2 by Sam Raimi, RE-ANIMATOR by Stuart Gordon and DAY OF THE DEAD by George Romero. I'm also a fan of the Coen Brothers (THE BIG LEBOWSKI). I also love ENTER THE DRAGON, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA -- these things make a huge impression on my young mind. My guilty pleasures are movies like REVENGE OF THE NINJA, and LASERBLAST.
In your opinion, where is the genre right now in terms of quality?
Horror is in a great place right now, due to the success of films like SAW, HOSTEL, THE GRUDGE -- it means bigger budgets, bigger stars, wider releases, and more opportunities for everyone, from the DVD market on, to get to make horror movies. That means you'll see a wide range of quality, but compared to where the genre was in the 90's, I think it's a Renaissance for horror right now.
Special thanks goes out to Ryan Schifrin for the Interview, and my buddy Brian "Horror Pimp" Harris.
