Interview with Julia Marchese Director of I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED

Talk Stephen King: First of all, I was really excited to learn you took a trip to actually visit the towns we all visit in the works of Stephen King.  Tell me about that trip.

Julia Marchese: Last November I took a Stephen King pilgrimage to see the towns I read so much about all of these years - the names had taken on a kind of magical quality to them - Pownal, Portland, Bangor, Ludlow - such a beautiful state, with gorgeous scenery and lovely people. I took an amazing Stephen King tour of Bangor and was in absolute heaven walking around "Derry" and seeing the canals, the storm pipe, the bird baths, Paul Bunyan, Pennywise's drain, and even Stephen King's house itself. It was like walking through one of his novels. Pure bliss. I can't wait to show the beauty of this incredible state. 

Talk Stephen King: I’m so exited to hear about your Dollar Baby, “I Know What You Need .” 

Julia Marchese: Thank you! I'm excited too! "I Know What You Need" is my favorite Stephen King short story! It was first published in Cosmopolitan Magazine in 1976, then added to the short story collection Night Shift in 1978. The story centers on Elizabeth, a popular college junior who is approached one night by Edward, an unkempt outcast whose first words to her are "I Know What You Need" - and she is shocked to discover that he does. It's a love story! But a Stephen King love story, so you know things aren't always what they seem. 

I am keeping the film set when the story was first published, in 1976, and I'm also so incredibly thrilled that the The University of Maine - where Stephen King attended and where the story is set - will be allowing us to shoot this short film on their beautiful campus!

 So that means this movie will be shot in the exact same locations that Stephen King wrote about in the story!

Talk Stephen King: Tell us a little about yourself.

Julia Marchese: I am a filmmaker, actor, film programmer, podcaster, cinephile and Constant Reader. I have been an actor since I was a kid. I programmed film and coordinated guests for the New Beverly Cinema for 8 years My first film, 2016's Out of Print, is a documentary about the importance of revival cinema and 35mm exhibition and preservation to culture. It features interviews with filmmakers such as Rian Johnson, Edgar Wright, Kevin Smith, Joe Dante, Mark Romanek, John Landis, Stuart Gordon, Joe Carnahan, Tom Holland and many more. 

Out of Print was shot half on film and half on digital, and I was so thrilled to have a 35mm print of the film made. The film won the Programmers Award at the Sidewalk Film Festival and has played at art house cinemas, universities and film archives all over the world. The film is available on DVD, Amazon Prime and streaming & the 35mm print is still touring the world, having just played the Film Archive in Austria earlier this year. The film print lives now at The Academy Film Archive in Hollywood between screenings.

I also co-host a horror podcast called Horror Movie Survival Guide, which focuses on how to survive horror films and become the Final Girls. We have over 170 episodes and A LOT of Stephen King episodes! Pet Sematary was actually the first horror film I ever loved! 

Talk Stephen King: Where will fans of Stephen King be able to see your film once it’s completed?

Julia Marchese: Because of strict Dollar Baby guidelines, the film is only allowed to be shown in festivals and in private screenings. That means the only way you are guaranteed to see the film is to back the project and be sent a link to private live stream link when the film is finished. 

Talk Stephen King:  Are you doing this as a part of an assignment, a class or just because you love King?

Julia Marchese: Just because I love King!! 

The most exciting aspect of the contract is that Stephen King asks that all finished Dollar Baby films be sent to him to view - so dig this - he sells the rights to the stories for $1, basically because he's curious to see how other people view and interpret his work - how cool is that?

Talk Stephen King: That is pretty cool!

Julia Marchese: Knowing that Stephen King himself will watch a film that you can be a part of is a pretty awesome and unique opportunity!

The fascinating thing about Stephen King adaptations is how differently people can interpret the exact same story. Although we are all reading the same version of "I Know What You Need", it will be *my* version of the story up on screen, which I am sure is very different than how a lot of other people see this story. 

Naturally, as a woman, my vision for the story is probably very different from Stephen King's, but that's why I am so interested to see it come to life - the writer of the story is male, but the protagonist is female - and now will be adapted & directed by a female filmmaker. That being said, I feel very strongly as a Constant Reader that the dialogue and feel of any film based on King's work should stay as close to the original story as possible, and I've definitely kept that in mind when adapting the screenplay. Most of the dialogue is taken word for word from the story. 

Talk Stephen King: How hard was it to get the rights to the story for a dollar? 

Julia Marchese: Stephen King actually makes it pretty easy for fans! Just go on his website, check out the stories that are available to adapt and send in an application! He has a good amount of stories to choose from. 

Talk Stephen King: What kinds of conditions come with a Dollar Baby?

Julia Marchese: The conditions are that the film has to be 45 minutes or under, non-profit and non-broadcast. That means it can't be sold, or shown on TV or online, but it can be shown in film festivals and in private screenings. That means you have to make the film for the love of it - not because it can later be sold and shown. 

But as a Constant Reader, the making of it is enough! To show *my* version of the story is a dream come true!  And honestly, all I did was ask. So you have nothing to lose, if you're a King fan - you get in life what you have the courage to ask for! 

Talk Stephen King: How can King fans participate in this project?

Julia Marchese: Go to my Indiegogo campaign, running through October 24th. Donate if you can, but if you can't please SHARE! That is the most important part of any crowdfunding campaign, spreading the word - especially with other King fans! 

Twitter: @juliacmarchese, @IKWYNfilm

Instagram: @juliacmarchese, @iknowwhatyouneedfilm 

I Know What You Need - A Stephen King Adaptation

 

Talk Stephen King: Your obviously a big Stephen King fan. What first attracted you to king?  Do you have a favorite novel by King? 

Julia Marchese: I read IT in junior high and I was hooked from there, reading more and more throughout my life. 

I realized two and half years ago that I had never tackled his master work, The Dark Tower series. This needed to be remedied immediately. So I devoured the books, loving each one more and more and starting to panic as I neared the end of the series. I didn't want the story to end!! I got to the 11th stanza in book 7 - The Song of Susannah (Constant Readers will know where I mean) where the reveal was going to be so good and I was so excited, that I needed to prolong that feeling as long as possible. 

So I decided to pause my reading there and read every Stephen King novel and short story related to the The Dark Tower (there are A LOT, over 40 short stories and novels combined!) before re-reading the Tower series (and then continue on to the Marvel comic series omnibuses and The Dark Tower companions after that). It's taken me two and a half years so far and I am still working on it. It's the most incredibly brilliant literary multiverse puzzle that I have ever undertaken, and I am enjoying putting the pieces into place more than I can say.

I can't give you one favorite so I will give you top 5: IT, The Long Walk, Firestarter, The Stand and The Dark Tower Series!

Talk Stephen King: Have you had the opportunity to see other Dollar Babies?  Do you have a favorite?

Julia Marchese: I have seen a few other Dollar Babies, yes! I contacted a bunch of the other Dollar Baby filmmakers while arranging this film, and they were all super helpful and kind. I can't say I have a favorite, but I can say how cool it is to see other people's perspective on the same story and they are all made with such passion!

I know there is another Dollar Baby version of "I Know What You Need" out there, but I am going to wait to watch it until after I finish my version. That's probably silly, but I don't want to be influenced by another version, even though I am certain it will be very different! 

Talk Stephen King: Do you have a favorite Stephen King medium?  (reading, audio, movies, comics...) What's your favorite way to let Si King scare you?

Julia Marchese: I will always choose his books as number one. That's what got me started and that's really the essence of who he is. He has a way of writing that makes the reader feel that he is almost talking directly to them, a relationship of sorts between Stephen King and the Constant Reader that I absolutely love. There are some excellent film versions of course, but I like it best when it's just me and King and no one else. :)

Talk Stephen King: When will you begin filming?  Have you already cast the film?  How did you go about that?

Julia Marchese: If the crowdfunding campaign succeeds, the film will be shot in the summer of 2021, in Maine. I haven't started casting yet - I have to make sure we have the funds to shoot the film first! Auditions will of course be virtual, and will focus mainly on actors on the East Coast. 

Lealos Delivers DOLLAR DEAL

Think you know every dusty corner of the Stephen King universe?  You don't.  And I'll bet I know at least one dark corner you know very little about -- the Dollar Baby.

I'm really enjoying Shawn S. Lealos' book, Dollar Deal: The Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers.  This is a project I've been following for some time, so the finished product is a real treat for me.  I interviewed Shawn a couple years ago, and I'm really happy to say that the finished book is a slam dunk.  I love it!

What's a Dollar Baby?  It's a Stephen King film that is made for purposes other than profit.  That's right -- they are made not to make money.  They are sheer art.  A story is given away (sold for one dollar) and the artist is allowed to work with the story all they want to make it the best movie they can.  But the movie will not appear on DVD or digital download, as the filmmakers agreed from the get-go not to make it a money making enterprise.

Those of us that have seen Dollar Babies know they are a special brand of film.  They are actually an uneven lot.  Some are great.  Some aren't.

In July 2012, Shawn told me,

The book will be formatted to allow each chapter to focus on a specific filmmaker. While I cannot see their movies (unless I already saw them at a film festival), I am interviewing each filmmaker about making their movies and will tell their stories, including what the dollar baby led to in their careers. 

I’ll also be talking to Bernd Lautenslager, who runs stephenkingshortmovies.com and maybe one or two other people outside of the regular filmmakers. This is not a book so much about the movies as it is about the fans who made them. I hope to give regular fans who never got a chance to see a dollar baby a chance to see inside the making of them. While I cannot ask to see the movies, Mr. King’s attorneys have let me know they don’t mind the book written in this format.  (talkstephenking: interview-shawn-s-lealos) 

Lealos writes in Dollar Deal, "This book includes stories of people who used their Stephen King Dollar Baby films to launch successful careers as a sci-fi film director, a television showrunner, a published true crime author, a stage show performer, an actor, and much, much more."

Here's an insight I never picked up on until Peter Sullivan (Night Surf) pointed it out in chapter 9:

Stephen King’s writing style sort of started to evolve after The Stand ,and a lot of his books afterwards became less and less about one or two characters and more about this big huge cast of characters, much the way The Stand was.

Table of contents:
Chapter 1: Frank Darabont, “The Woman in the Room”
Chapter 2: Jeff Schiro, “The Boogeyman”
Chapter 3: Jim Gonis, “The Lawnmower Man”
Chapter 4: James Cole, “The Last Rung on the Ladder”
Chapter 5: The Good and Bad of Film Adaptation by James Cole
Chapter 6: Jay Holben, “Paranoid”
Chapter 7: Shawn S. Lealos, “I Know What You Need”
Chapter 8: Doveed Linder, “Strawberry Spring”
Chapter 9: Peter Sullivan, “Night Surf”
Chapter 10: Robert Cochrane, “Lucky Quarter”
Chapter 11: Nick Wauters, “Rainy Season”
Chapter 12: James Renner, “All That You Love Will be Carried Away”
Chapter 13: James Cox, “Grey Matter”
Chapter 14: Mikhail Tank, “My Pretty Pony” and “Willa”
Chapter 15: Rodney Altman, “Umney’s Last Case”
Chapter 16: Juan Pablo Reinoso, “Flowers for Norma”
Chapter 17: Warren Ray, “Maxwell Edison”
Chapter 18: J.P. Scott, “Everything’s Eventual”
Chapter 19: Derek Simon, “A Very Tight Place”
Chapter 20: Damon Vinyard, “In the Deathroom”

Lealos describes his journey:

Not only am I a Dollar Baby filmmaker, as well as a huge fan of Stephen King and movies, but I have become a big fan of the men and women who have made Dollar Babies. These filmmakers know they may never have a chance to screen their movies for a large audience, but they made their films because they love King’s works, and wanted to create something of their own based on the worlds that he created before them.

What's fun is the behind the scenes glimpse at movie making.  It's a fast read, with each chapter offering an introduction and then interviews with the films directors.

By the way, I'm so enthusiastic about this book -- I should tell you up front: No one pays me anything to run the blog.  I did not get the book for free, I purchased it.  No one pays me to say nice stuff about their book -- I could write nasty stuff if I hated the book.  So this is the truth: Dollar Deal belongs in your Stephen King collection. It's about a part of the Stephen King universe most of us know very little about.

amazon.com/Dollar-Deal

Short Film BIG DRIVER

FROM www.kickstarter.com

Big Driver is a short film following one woman as she struggles to reclaim her life after a tragic and horrifying event.

Dollar Babies Films is a wonderful project started by Stephen King to allow up and coming filmmakers to legally option some of his short fiction. By using stories published by one of the world's greatest living authors filmmakers are given a unique opportunity to be attached to a project that has instant recognition. This is one such project.

I have been a fan of Stephen King as long as I can remember. One of my first memories was as a four year old, sitting on the edge of my brother's friend's parent's waterbed watching Children of the Corn. I was so enthralled by what I was seeing that I wanted to watch it again the moment it was over. At age eight my parents owned a video store and I would watch horror films in the back room, always loving to see a new Stephen King title cross my path. Christine, Carrie, Cujo, all were childhood favorites. In the strip mall next to the video store was an old used bookstore. Hidden away in the back row of the shop was where I found "IT" at age ten. I would sneak back there every day for more than a month until I finished the book, even if I didn't understand everything I read. I've been a constant reader since then.

It is an indescribable honor to have the opportunity to produce one of Mr. King's stories, and I want to do it justice, but it won't be easy. The money raised here on Kickstarter will go towards feeding cast and crew, renting and purchasing needed equipment, travel expenses for out of state crew, festival submission fees, and everything else that goes into making a short film. The cast and crew will be working for free on this project, but if by chance we are blessed with more than our goal we will use any extra that isn't eaten up by unforeseen production costs to compensate these hard working individuals for their time.

The script is finished and it's time to crew up.
I can't do this alone, and I need your help. Let's make a movie. Thank you.
Kyle Burnett

Join The Dollar Baby Journey

Shawn Lealos is hard at work making the Dollar Baby film.  But it won't happen without some serious support.  This is a documentary I am pretty excited about.  It seems a lot of attention is given to the Hollywood films we've all seen, but what about the work that hasn't really been examined yet?  Lealos is ready to tell some unheard stories.

Shawn made it clear to me that it's an "all or nothing" deal.  He can't operate on a partial budget, but has to raise all the money to make the film happen.

Lealos explains:

The documentary will follow three specific dollar baby filmmakers who have used Stephen King's dollar baby filmmaker deal to achieve success.    

We will fly out to Los Angeles and spend a week there with a focus on covering Hollywood director Peter Sullivan (Night Surf) as he actually works on his current project. While there, we will also do individual interviews with the filmmakers in Los Angeles including Jeff Schiro, Jim Gonis, James Cox, Mikhail Tank and more. 

We will go to Ohio to interview author James Renner and feature him as well. Renner held the first ever dollar baby film festival in America and helped get a number of those filmmakers together. If not for James Renner, I probably wouldn't have met all the dollar baby filmmakers I did. He now works as a novelist.   

We will go to Louisville to interview Warren Ray, a dollar baby filmmaker who adapted The Man Who Loves Flowers and is presently acting in another director's dollar baby film, The Death Room.   

These three men's stories will be showcased with interviews from many other dollar baby filmmakers creating the inspiring stories that resulted thanks to Stephen King's generosity.  

Lealos lists interviews he hopes to complete:

• Jeff Schiro, The Boogeyman
• James Cox, Grey Matter
• James Renner, All That You Love Will be Carried Away
• Jay Holben, Paranoid
• Jim Gonis, The Lawnmower Man
• Peter Sullivan, Night Surf
• Rodney Altman, Umney’s Last Case
• Warren Ray, Maxwell Edision (based on The Man Who Loved Flowers)  
• Mikhail Tank, Willa, My Pretty Pony (with a third on the way)
• Doveed Linder, Strawberry Spring

Check out more at: www.kickstarter.com

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Vampires are more popular than ever, thanks in large part to Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot.  A sequel to the novel is a story in Night Shift titled, "One For The Road."  Cessnock High School teacher Chris Penglaze and NIDA student Alicia Nolan are adapting the story in a film called Off the Beaten Track.  

The Dollar Baby has been "Australianised."  What's that mean?  It means that instead of a blizzard there's going to be a heat wave.  (Just a small change there!)

www.abc.net.au notes, "The movies created must be non-profit and must not use his name above the title to trade on his reputation, but acknowledge him as the source of the material."

The full story is at www.abc.net.au

Dollar Baby IN THE DEATHROOM To begin Shooting

photo  credit HERE

The Extra reports that 27 year old  Stephen Thacker has secured the rights to Stephen King's story In The Deathroom to be filmed as a Dollar Baby.

The article quotes Thacker:

“I graduated two years ago and have been working in television, but I’m always looking for things to do – this is really my calling card, to get my name out as a filmmaker. . . I’m a big fan of Stephen King, so when I noticed he was doing the Dollar Baby scheme, I jumped at the chance and wrote to him”

Filming is scheduled to begin at the end of January in Clarkston and Busby.

Lealos: Lineup For Comicpalooza Dollar Baby Film Festival

This is awesome!

Shawn S. Lealos has posted that the 2013 Comicpalooza Texas International Comic Con will have a line up of seventeen Stephen King Dollar Babies.  (17) Dollar Babies are not easy to find, as you usually have to hunt them down in the mix of other independent movies, so to have so many together at once is great news.

Lealos announced that there will be three screenings, spread over the three days of the convention, from May 24-26.

According to Lealos’ website, the line up will look like this:

FRIDAY, MAY 24
Lawnmower Man by James Gonis
Last Rung on the Ladder by Jim Cole
Boogeyman by Jeff Schiro
Flowers for Norma by Juan Reinoso
In the Deathroom by Damon Vinyard
Night Surf by Peter Sullivan
Home Delivery by Elio Quiroga 

SATURDAY, MAY 25
Grey Matter by James Cox
All That You Love Will be Carried Away by James Renner
Maxwell Edison by Warren Ray
A Very Tight Place by Derek Simon
Paranoid by Jay Holben
I Know What You Need by Shawn Lealos
Umney’s Last Case by Rodney Altman 

SUNDAY, MAY 26
Lucky Quarter by Robert Cochrane
My Pretty Pony by Mikhail Tank
Willa by Mikhail Tank
Cain Rose Up by Jeven Dovey
Strawberry Spring be Doveed Linder
Everything’s Eventual by JP Scott

Check out the full post at shawnlealos.net

Bangor Audience Screens SURVIVOR TYPE

A Bangor audience was the first to see Billy Hanson’s Stephen King short, Survivor Type.  The story is about a man stranded on an island who is pressed to incredible lengths in order to survive.

Laura Roberts at wabi.tv writes, “Stephen King's WZON helped bring the film to the Penobscot Theatre for its world premiere on Sunday.” and “Actor Gideon Emery starred in the film and joined Hanson at the premiere in Bangor.”

So what did Stephen King think of the film?  Roberts says that the film has already received high praise from Stephen King.  Quoting Hanson, the article says,

He said that we did a great job with it and his exact quote was, 'It's next to brilliant," which I mean, I feel I can die a happy man now," said Hanson. 

The Full Article Is HERE.

Shawn Lealos: News About Dollar Baby's and more

"Action" . . .
Shawn S. Lealos, a writer and filmmaker (he did the dollar baby of "I Know What  You Need") has posted some really exciting news!

Dollar Deal:

First, we have known for a while that Lealos plans to write a book about the Stephen King Dollar Baby filmmakers.  He has announced that  he will be conducting the interviews and penning the book this fall.

Lealos writes:

As many people who know me are aware of, I have been planning to write a book about the Stephen King dollar baby filmmakers for a few years now. That book will finally get underway, as I start interviewing the filmmakers at the end of August and into September. The exciting news is that I have over 20 different dollar baby filmmakers lined up to interview.

The book should be available and on sale by the end of 2012. Early in September, I will build a new website, specifically for the book, and will keep it updated as the book progresses with director bios, photos and more. Keep an eye out here at shawnlealos.net for more news on that.

What's exciting about this is that Lealos is just the right guy to write this book.  Having made a dollar baby himself, he knows the ins and outs of the process and will produce some home run interviews,  I'm sure!  I'm mean, think about it -- he has TWENTY  filmmakers who have agreed to be interviewed.

Dollar Baby Screenings

He is also posting news that Comicpalooza (The Texas International Comic Con in Houston) will be hosting a series of Stephen King dollar babies.  

Lealos says he organizing the dollar baby screening and has listed some of the films to be shown as: Night Surf, Umney's Last Case, I Know What You Need, Maxwell Edison, All That You Love Will be Carried Away, Grey Matter, Last Rung on the Ladder, Paranoid, Lawnmower Man, Cain Rose  Up, Strawberry Spring, and Home Delivery.

The full article is HERE.

Check  out my interview with Shawn S. Lealos HERE.

INTERVIEW: Shawn S. Lealos

Shawn Lealos is a journalist and film critic, as well as the director of the dollar baby, “I know what you need.”  He will also be writing a book about Dollar Babies as well as a novel– he’s very energetic!

Shawn’s website notes:

Shawn S. Lealos has been a professional writer for over 15 years, with articles published in national magazines, newspapers and websites. He has published movie criticism and news, sports articles and entertainment based content for websites as Yahoo! Movies, Yahoo! Sports, OMG.COM, Examiner.com, 411mania.com, Chud.com and The Huffington Post. He has also sold articles to magazines such as Inside Sports, Vox Magazine, Loud Magazine and The Red Zone.

Shawn has also written a handful of short stories and screenplays and has written, produced and directed six short films, including the Stephen King dollar baby, “I Know What You Need.” He is currently writing a book based on the Stephen King dollar babies, telling the stories of filmmakers from all over the world who used this program to get their foot in the door and further their careers.

INTERVIEW

Talk Stephen King: Hi Shawn! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Tell me a little about yourself. 

Shawn Lealos: I am a graduate of the University of Oklahoma where I received by Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis on professional writing. I studied mostly novel writing but also got my feet wet with journalism, mostly sports stuff. In my last year before graduating, I read a book about movies called “Adventures in the Screen Trade” by William Goldman and decided I wanted to try to write a screenplay. I liked it and stayed in school for two more years, taking film history classes.
Since then, I have worked as a journalist and film critic while also making short films.

I have written and directed eight short films so far but have neglected by original career plans to be a novel writer. I am changing that now with my non-fiction book about the Stephen King dollar babies as well as a fiction horror novel based on one of my short screenplays.

I am also working on getting my personal website going strong at shawnlealos.net and will keep it updated as I work on the dollar baby book and other future projects.

TSK: As a writer and movie maker, what are some non-King influences on your life? 

Shawn Lealos: As a screenwriter, I am really influenced by William Goldman, who wrote the book that made me start studying film. He also wrote the script for Stephen King’s “Misery.” I am also influenced by PT Anderson, the filmmaker who made “There Will be Blood” and “Magnolia.” I read the script for “Magnolia” at least once a year because I feel it is the perfect screenplay.
For novels, I was always a big fan of Dean Koontz but have not read anything by him in years. I also love the work of fantasy author Neil Gaiman, mystery writer John Sandford and I will read just about any comic book there is.

TSK: You worked for several years as a sports reporter for University of Oklahoma – is it safe to assume you have a deep love for sports? (Any favorite teams? , or are sports reporters supposed to be neutral on such things?) 

Shawn Lealos: Next to movies, football is my biggest passion. I love the Dallas Cowboys and have since the ‘70s when Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett played for them. One of my high school graduation gifts was getting to go to the Cowboys’ practice facility to meet quarterback Danny White in 1988. I am also a huge fan of the Oklahoma Sooners and loved them since I was a kid. Going to OU was a dream come true and a lot of it comes from my love for their athletic program. One of my best memories ever was standing on the sidelines, as a reporter, when OU beat Florida State for the National Championship in 2000. In baseball, I am a Texas Rangers fan and in basketball I have become an Oklahoma City Thunder fan since they moved to the state.

TSK: It looks like you also had a big part in the short film, "Les chansons." Was it difficult to act in a movie you’d written? It seems like it would be frustrating to see things not translating to film the way you imagined them! 

Shawn Lealos: It was actually a pretty small role and I hated my performance in it. I really don’t like anything I have done on film and my only memorable performance was in “Happy Holidays,” which I also wrote and directed (YouTube). That was for my film capstone class at OU. For “Les Chansons,” there was an actress named Anne Haider, who worked with us on an unfinished short film we were shooting. We thought it would be nice to produce some films by some of our cast and crew and she was the first, and only one, that we did. She wrote the script and directed it. I edited it, created the visual effects and commissioned two musicians to create the soundtrack. I am happy with the final result of the movie, especially the music (YouTube).

TSK: You’re obviously very familiar with Stephen King and his work. What has King written that’s most inspired you? 

Shawn Lealos: The book that made me a lifelong fan was the unabridged version of “The Stand.” That remains my favorite book of all time, by any author. It just blew my mind and I would recommend anyone who has not read it to do so. I also love his short story, “The Last Rung on the Ladder.” I considered directing that as my Dollar Baby but felt I could not do it justice. Other than that, other favorites include “It” and “Pet Sematary.”

TSK: You directed the 2005 Dollar Baby, "I Know What You Need." What was that like? 

Shawn Lealos: That was definitely a good experience. I asked for the rights in 1999, way before the dollar babies really broke out. At that time, there were probably under 20 dollar babies. I learned about it from the introduction to Frank Darabont’s “Shawshank Redemption” screenplay, since his dollar baby, “The Woman in the Room,” was the first ever made. Well, I got the contracts in the mail in 2000 and at that time there was no time frame on them (I heard there is a two-year limit now). Well, we tried to shoot it in 2001 and failed miserably. We worked on two more short films and then decided to try it again in 2005. We brought back the same actor we used as Edward and re-cast all the other roles. I also added a character that was not actually in the story to show things happening that were only mentioned in the short story. We hired an experienced director of photography and then I hit up about a half dozen local bands to let us use their music for free. It was definitely a learning experience.

TSK: Were you pleased with the finished results of "I Know What You Need"?
Shawn Lealos: The movie, when finished, was 40 minutes long. I have seen more dollar babies that is about that length (or longer!) but that is way too long. Film festivals book blocks of short films and long films are rejected a lot, no matter how good they are, because they don’t fit into the blocks. We shortened it to 30 minutes and I left it at that. I still think it is too long. I also feel the acting is subpar, to put it nicely. Lilja’s Library reviewed it and said as much. Since we have no time limit to making this film, we have considered remaking it a third time, keeping it around 15 minutes, and hitting the festival circuit again.

TSK: Where can we see the film?


Shawn Lealos: The problem with dollar babies and fans is that we aren’t allowed to show it to anyone outside of festivals. However, there is a film festival coming up on Memorial Day in 2013 at Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas, and Stephen King dollar baby filmmakers are invited to enter their films in that festival. There is expected to be over 25,000 people in attendance at Comicpalooza because a lot of the Battlestar Galactica cast members will be there as well. “I Know What You Need” will screen at Comicpalooza in 2013, whether it is the old version or a remade one, along with hopefully a total of four hours of other Stephen King dollar babies.

TSK: I see you plan to write a book about Stephen King dollar babies. Tell me more about this! Obviously you have some firsthand experiences with this kind of work, what kind of a book do you envision? 

Shawn Lealos: I studied novel writing extensively in college but have not put that knowledge to use since I graduated because I have been so busy writing quick journalism for money. However, I decided it was time to get off my butt and write something. The book will be formatted to allow each chapter to focus on a specific filmmaker. While I cannot see their movies (unless I already saw them at a film festival), I am interviewing each filmmaker about making their movies and will tell their stories, including what the dollar baby led to in their careers.

I’ll also be talking to Bernd Lautenslager, who runs stephenkingshortmovies.com and maybe one or two other people outside of the regular filmmakers. This is not a book so much about the movies as it is about the fans who made them. I hope to give regular fans who never got a chance to see a dollar baby a chance to see inside the making of them. While I cannot ask to see the movies, Mr. King’s attorneys have let me know they don’t mind the book written in this format.

TSK: The dollar babies are certainly some of the lesser known trails of the Stephen King universe. Do you have a favorite? (Other than I Know What You Need – of course!) 

Shawn Lealos: My favorite that I have seen is “Umney’s Last Case” by Rodney Altman. Here is how good it is. There was a TV show called “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” which was a series that featured Stephen King short stories turned into films. These were not dollar babies but were big budget TV episodes. “Umney’s Last Case” was one of the episodes and it starred the wonderful William Macey. I saw that and Altman’s dollar baby and the dollar baby is the better version of the story out of the two. That movie will also screen at Comicpalooza and I am working on getting Altman to attend and join me for a question and answer panel for the fans.

A couple of other great dollar babies include “Paranoid” by Jay Holben (2000) and “The Last Rung on the Ladder” by James Cole and Dan Thron (1987). I am hoping both of those screen at Comicpalooza as well.

TSK: I really enjoyed your posts about the importance of a well developed villain to the overall strength of a novel. Of course, Stephen King is well known for creating all out scary villains. Who are some of your favorite Stephen King bad guys? 

Shawn Lealos: I’d say my favorite is Randall Flagg from “The Stand.” That character has been in so many different King stories under different names as well. He was in “Eyes of the Dragon” and was The Man in Black in “The Dark Tower” series. He was also Leland Gaunt in “Needful Things.” The guy is just the ultimate evil. Of course, there is also Pennywise, one of the scariest clowns in history.

For minor characters, I loved Trashcan Man in “The Stand.”

TSK: So, tell me – what’s next?  What projects do you have coming up?  

Shawn Lealos: There is the Dollar Baby book as well as my first horror novel, “The Devil’s Playground.” I am self publishing both books because I just don’t want to deal with publishing houses and agents. However, I guarantee they will be the best they can be and I won’t spare expenses when it comes to copyeditors and designers.

After that, we are looking at remaking “I Know What You Need.” My next book after the Dollar Baby book is about the history of comic book movies and then I will be at Comicpalooza in 2013 in Houston, Texas, if anyone wants to come out, see my movie, check out my books and talk to me about Stephen King, comics or anything else really.

TSK: Thank you so much for taking time to do this!  I really look forward your novel
Shawn Lealos: Thanks for the interview, David.

Lealos writing "Dollar Deal"

Shawn S. Lealos is writing a book about the Stephen King dollar babies titled "Dollar Deal."  Sounds interesting, and an area that has been long overlooked.

Lealos’ website states:

He is currently writing a book based on the Stephen King dollar babies, telling the stories of filmmakers from all over the world who used this program to get their foot in the door and further their careers.  (Check it out HERE)

Lealos is also covering Comic-Con 2012 for examiner.

He recently wrote this interesting note about the strength of King’s evil characters as part of a blog entry titled, “Writing Tips: The Importance of a Fleshed Out Villain” :

Here is something to keep in mind when writing your villains. If a bad guy is boring or weak, your heroes will not have to work so hard to beat him. If the Crimson King was not so powerful, would the heroes from Stephen King’s “The Stand” be so interesting? If Pennywise was not such a scary, evil creation, would we care about the kid’s who had to face him in “It?” Sure, you can write wonderful characters but if your bad guy does not pop off the page, it is all for naught.

Check it out HERE.

The Death of Jack Hamilton to be a short film

Sunderland Echo has posted an article titledthat says 21 year old Jamie Anderson will be directing a short film “The Death of Jack Hamilton.”

Anderson says he is excited to have gotten the licence to adapt the story, as his group is the first to bring it to screen.

“The Death of Jack Hamilton” first appeared in the December 24/31, 2001 issue of  The New Yorker magazine. In 2002, it can be easily found in King's collection Everything’s Eventual.

Jamie summaries the story:

It tells the story of Jack ‘Red’ Hamilton, one of John Dillinger’s gang members, who is mortally wounded escaping from Little Bohemia Lodge, in Wisconsin.”  

“The film follows Hamilton, John Dillinger and fellow gang member Homer Van Meter from Little Bohemia, through Chicago and to Aurora, Missouri, where they seek out the help of Edna ‘Rabbits’ Murray, Arthur ‘Dock’ Barker, Ma Barker’s son, and Volney Davis as they try to save Jack Hamilton’s life.”

The full article is HERE.

Gerard Lough's THE BOOGEYMAN

I had the opportunity to watch Gerard Lough's dollar baby, The Boogeyman.  The movie stars Simon Fogarty and Michael Parle. 

Director Gerard Lough told The Irish Independent reporter, Anita Guidera, "I am not a big horror fan but I wanted to make a film that had people on the edge of their seats and not just show blood and guts. . . I was so lucky with the cast and crew that I worked with and I think we have produced a really good film."

I enjoyed the movie quite a bit.  Here's why:

1. It's not a Hollywood big budget monster movie.  I like those!  But I also enjoy simple stories.  What is awkward is when a simple, straightforward story tries to be something it is not.  The Boogeyman makes no attempt.  The film is comfortable in its own skin. . . unlike the Boogeyman himself!

2. The story shines.  Like King's short story, the movie keeps its focus on the father who claims to have murdered his children.  There are not a lot of speaking roles, as the narrator carries us from scene to scene.  This works, for a short movie! 

3. I actually found the film scary.  I didn't expect to!  The story moves with a dreamy, nightmarish feel that is unnerving.  Like the short story, the viewer finds themselves asking, "Where is this going?"

4. The story is true to King's original work.  It flows naturally, and logically, from scene to scene.  It does not attempt to build side characters or introduce subplots to extend the story. 

I look forward to seeing more from Gerard Lough.

INTERVIEWS: Last Rung Of The Ladder

Okay, this is cool.  Really cool.  Wow, I am pumped!  . . . sorry, I'm calming down now.  I feel like Richie Tozier.

I had the opportunity to interview two of the key movers and shakers in the recent dollar baby, "The Last Rung of the Ladder."  This project was filmed by New England School Of Communications.  It was directed by Lucas Stewart and produced by Mike Magilnick.  Both of them agreed to an interview.  We discussed a lot -- how the film was made, the timeline and how they went about getting permission for a dollar baby.  Their passion for this project and New England School of Communication shines through.

Talks Stephen King: Hello! I am so excited to get to do this interview. Give me a little background about you guys.

Mike Magilnick: I'm from the southern part of Connecticut and growing up Stephen King was a very house hold name. My mother is a long time fan of his longer works and I started to read some of the shorter ones when I was old enough. I watched the Film adaptation of Stephen King's "IT" when I was young and have been in love with the genre since.

I really decided that I wanted to make films at that point. I was so scared of the sewer and clowns after that but I wanted to know why.  Now knowing how it was made, how the effects are created, how the sound design and cinematography amplified the writing, I can look back and better understand what that did to my viewing of the piece.

Talks Stephen King: What lead you to New England School Of Communications?

Mike Magilnick: I was mostly drawn to the school because of the student teacher relation. When I first went for a tour I was shown a camera, which you don't get in most facilities until the upper classes or after an extensive amount of training. All around it seemed like a great place to learn. And time and time again it has proven to be not just a place that you get an education, but your really afforded the opportunity to soak up as much as you can handle and get so many opportunities and experiences.

The Last Rung on the Ladder was the first of hopefully many Pieces of this caliber to be produced from the students at NESCom.

Lucas Stewart: I was born and raised in Durham, ME, which you probably already know is the same town that Stephen King grew up in. Of course that made him a bit of a local celebrity, so his name was something I recognized from a young age.

As far as being a fan is concerned, I'll admit I don't own any of his novels, but from what I have read and seen in film adaptations has lead me to say that I am a fan. Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining is one of my top favorite films.

While attending Brunswick High School I started messing around with cameras and in my senior year took an intro to film class. By week two I had made my decision and started looking into film schools. I knew right off the bat that NESCom wasn't a film school, but figured I could start there and work my way into a film program if it was still what I wanted to do. In my freshman year I met Mike and Cory and, as they say, the rest is history.

Talks Stephen King: Why did you choose The Last Rung On The Ladder?

Mike Magilnick: One of the teachers at NESCom, Frank Welch, had actually initiated the Dollar Baby contract when he was himself in school. After gathering some dust he revived the idea of making it into a screenplay when Cory Landroche, Lucas Stewart, and myself came to the school end expressed an interest in exploring the world of digital film making. He approached us about possibly doing this and we immediately jumped onto it.

Lucas Stewart: Mike has pretty much said it all, but there was one other factor. The Last Rung On the Ladder was also attractive to us because it could be told simply, and by that I mean we wouldn't need to create fake monsters or use a large amount of special effects.

Our education in film making is more focused on proper story telling, camera work, and lighting, than things like special effects and fake elements.

Talks Stephen King: That's awesome, because King has always said his stories are driven more by characters than monsters or plot. I certainly think that is true of The Last Rung On The Ladder.  What did you look for when casting the film?

Mike Magilnick: I wasn't involved with the casting process of the film so Lucas may be a better answer for this.

Lucas Stewart: Well, we certainly wanted to find actors an actresses who fit the parts, but we were limited to the group of 60 or so people who showed up to our casting call.

I would have to say the most time was put into finding the right kids for the parts. Lillian Ashby (Kitty) was one of our first to audition and she blew us away with her ability to take direction and mold her presence on camera to what the character called for.

Dawson Tucker (Larry) came to us through one of the instructors at NESCom. He had acted in a few commercials and we tracked him down to see if he was interested. The minute I saw him paired up with Lillian, I knew we had the perfect fit.

Talks Stephen King: Sometimes shorter projects are actually more difficult! Was this a difficult movie to translate to film? What are some hurdles you’ve had to clear to make this happen?

Mike Magilnick: I feel as though the most difficult aspect to this was while writing up the screenplay and then editing the film we wanted to try to stay as true to the original work as possible. Once we had made the decision of what we were using, adding, and changing we had the hurdle of making it happen.

This was our first attempt at something this large and getting all the pieces in order to film proved to be a bit more difficult than the smaller films we have been involved with.

Lucas Stewart: Honestly we had never worked on anything with location scouts, hired actors, an actual sound team, etc.. We jumped in feet first and I would say that our biggest hurdle was keeping tensions and emotions out of the production. None of us had worked in these position before on this scale, so when it came time to make big decisions we had to make them quick and try to put the benefit of the film before everything else.

Talks Stephen King: Michael, give us an idea what the role of a producer is.

Mike Magilnick: The role of a producer is quite simple while being immensely complicated.

The producer is responsible for assembling the crew to make the picture. Lining up the auditions for the roles in the cast. Determining the schedule for what and where we will be shooting. Everything from the budget, permits, locations, actors, crew, transportation, etc... You name it and it was the producers responsibility at some point throughout the production.

Talks Stephen King: Now, did you each fill the roles in this project you hope to carry on in the future? Is directing in the cards for you, Lucas?

Lucas Stewart: I loved directing but I hated it just as much. I would say that its a job I would take if offered, but I'm not striving to be the next Kubrick or Spielberg.

Talks Stephen King: And Michael, do you hope to continue producing?
 
Mike Magilnick: I really enjoyed producing the film and the experience has definitely been influential into what I think of my future. This was my first experience producing something of this scale, whereas I had edited and Gaffed things of this nature previously, so I had really stepped out of my comfort zone and I am so glad I did. As far as what roles I'll carry in the future though only time can tell.

Talks Stephen King: I know King really likes his work to be filmed in Maine. Somehow Canada keeps getting the role of Maine! You shot on location in Maine, is that correct? What locations did you use?

Mike Magilnick: We filmed the entire thing on Location, nothing on a sound stage. Our primary location is Larry's hotel room. We filmed that at Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway in Bangor, ME. The other location we used several times in the film were various parts of a private property that we were lucky enough to be able to film at in Monmouth ME.

We had one scene that was filmed in East Hartford CT and the rest of the film was all shot in and around Bangor ME with the support of several local businesses.

Talks Stephen King: Has Stephen King seen the film? Any feedback?

Mike Magilnick: We have heard a rumor that he has. We are actually in the process of contacting him to validate that and to hopefully get some of his opinions of the final outcome of our adaptation. If rumorsare true though he did indeed enjoy it and some of our touches to the story as well.

Lucas Stewart: We had an unexpected connection to King, and were able to get the film in front of him to watch at his leisure. His review wasn't an official one, so I don't think we able to talk specifics, but he did seem to enjoy it and was impressed with our work.

Talks Stephen King: Give us an idea of how the process worked.

Mike Magilnick: I would love to answer this but for some reason I can't. There are so so many aspects of the filming that I could touch on. And I didn't have enough involvement in the other things to really give information on them.

Lucas Stewart: Well, I'll try to give you a timeline of the project. In the spring of 2010 Frank Welch approached us with the idea, but it was just a hint at the project. He had previously owned the rights to an adaptation and would just need to contact King's lawyers to make sure it was still valid. This was a Dollar Baby, so it wasn't a difficult process. When we returned to school the next fall he gave us the green light and we started preproducing the film.

The first step was getting the story to our screen play writer, Godfrey Taylor. After a few months and a few revisions we had a script and started casting.

In January of 2011 we held our open casting call at the Gracie Theater on Husson University Campus and by the end of January we had narrowed down our cast. After a month of location scouting an story boarding we had our first shoot at HollyWood Slots in March of 2011.

By April we had come to a close on our primary schooting schedule and would resume shooting in the fall for a few pick up shots. Over that summer Mike sat down with the film and began editing. He sent Cory, Joe Giordano, Frank Welch and I multiple versions and we would write back with revisions and comments. By late September of 2011 we were down to our last few edits and sent it off to be cut for sound.

On November 17th and 18th we had our first previews to an audience of roughly 150 local viewers.

Talks Stephen King: Lucas, what part of the movie are you most excited about? Any particular scene really pop for you?

Lucas Stewart: I would have to say that the rooftop scene towards the end of the film is some of our best work. Everything about that shoot was perfect, the location, the day, the crew and of course our wonderful cast, it just all went so smoothly, and when you see the film I think you'll agree.

Talks Stephen King: Of course, everyone has to be asked: What is your favorite Stephen King novel Oh, wait! You guys are making movies. What’s your favorite Stephen King movie? And when discussing Stephen King movies, it’s always fair to also ask: What do you think is the worst King movie out there? (My vote on that always goes to Sleepwalkers! Followed closely by The Langoliers miniseries)

Mike Magilnick: I would have to say that my favorite Stephen King Movie would have to be "IT". As I mentioned it was so influential to me and still love to watch it.

Lucas Stewart: The Shining, all the way. Kubrick is a genius and his adaptation in my opinion was perfect. And i'm going to have to agree that the Langoliers miniseries was, well, "terrifying". Not in a good way.

Talks Stephen King: Lucas, any advice for prospective directors?

Lucas Stewart: Yeah, run. Haha, in all seriousness though, I would have to say that it pays to know your script. And I mean know it, know every word of every line in every scene. When you know it that well it makes it easier to have the movie in your head, and when you have the movie already in your head, you can easily work with your director of photography to make the movie how you see it. And with that said, make sure you and your DOP are on the same brainwave. I was extremely happy to have Cory Landroche as my DOP, he's brilliant behind a camera and he and I saw the story extremely similarly.

Talks Stephen King: Now that you’ve had a shot at filming a short story, are there any King novel’s you’d take on if given a giant budget?

Mike Magilnick: I know that It's very recent and I haven't had a chance to read it though all the way yet, 11/22/63 seems to be a story I would love to take on. The images in my head as I read it are so clear I want to see them on a screen.

Lucas Stewart: I could see a remake of the Shining being a possibility, haha. If given the right budget I would gladly take on any story by Stephen King. I greatly admire his attention to character development, and would enjoy making any one of his stories.

Talks Stephen King: How can King fans get a chance to see The land Rung On The Ladder?

Mike Magilnick: This is actually something we are trying to figure outcurrently. We can not post the film online so as of right now it will be viewable at film festivals. We are compiling a list of film festivals that we would like to submit it to in 2012 for 2012 and 2013 viewings.

Lucas Stewart: If I could afford it I would send out a copy to every single person who wanted one, but frankly I don"t have that many blank DVD's. Like Mike said, we're working on figuring that out, but I'm sure we could work out sending a copy or two your way.

Talks Stephen King: Thank you both so much! 

A big thanks to Cory Landroche for making this possible.

Dollar Baby: THE THINGS THEY LEFT BEHIND

I saw this first at Lilja's Library

This is from the press release, as posted on Dread Central:

In 2008 great American author Stephen King released Just After Sunset, a novel featuring a collection of short stories. One story, "The Things They Left Behind", is King's approach to the tragedy that struck NYC on 9/11. Almost a year after 9/11, strange things start happening to the main character, Scott Staley, who, at the time of the attacks, is employed at 'Light and Bell Insurance' on the 110th floor of the World Trade Center. Not only is Scott unable to get rid of his survivor's guilt, but things belonging to his late colleagues start to appear in his apartment.

After a run of bi-monthly short films on their YouTube channel, independent filmmaker Pablo Macho Maysonet IV and his Shattered Dreams Productions (SDP) sought out to obtain permission to produce a non-profit short film based on a story written by Stephen King through King's "Dollar Baby" program (in which King will allow a filmmaker to adapt his story for $1). This program was originally started when Frank Darabont, director of King's feature adaptations of The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist and The Green Mile, produced the short film adaptation to The Women in the Room in 1983. This would pave the way for other qualifying up-and-coming filmmakers to produce short film adaptations of King's work.


In late 2010, after signing a non-profit agreement with Stephen King, Maysonet was allowed to produce the emotionally charged adaptation of "The Things They Left Behind".


Production began in December of 2010 on a budget of $10,000 and included shooting in Times Square as well as various locations mentioned in the book. After completion, the film was immediately sent out to over 30 film festivals around the world including Sundance 2012. The Things They Left Behind is quickly stirring up attention around the world with festival screenings in Spain, Argentina and the Netherlands.

Interview With Christopher Birk, director Willa

Talk Stephen King: Hi, thank you for taking the time to let me interview you. Please tell me more about you and your work.


Christopher Birk: My name is Christopher Birk. I've lived in New York City since 2007 and have been working as an actor. I could tell you about the things I've acted in but if you're interested in that you can check out my website, www.christopherbirk.com . WILLA is my debut as a director and I am very excited about it. I cannot even remember how long I have wanted to make one of Stephen King's stories come to life and now I am actually doing it.


TSK: Tell me a little about Alpha Tree Productions.

BIRK: I created Alpha Tree Productions in January this year so I think it's safe to say that we are still pretty young.

First and foremost I wanted to create a network of people who were actually interested in working together and helping each other out in the industry we live and breathe for.

But I naturally also wanted to prove that we could do our own productions, hence 'WILLA' and the short movie 'ALONE' we just finished shooting. The hope is that in the future we will do, not only our own productions, but be the platform for others in the network to get together to make some art happen. I started the company after years as an actor having worked with people where we always talk about how we 'should do something' and then, unfortunately, it doesn't happen. Well with this company it will!


TSK: You chose to film Stephen King’s short story, Willa. How did you obtain the rights to it? Is this a famous "Dollar Baby"?

BIRK: Yes it is a dollar baby. Stephen King is very generous with rights to his work. I simply contacted his people and after explaining my vision for WILLA I got all rights but distribution and the use of his name in my title.


TSK: Why did you choose Willa?

BIRK: I know it's cliche but it chose me I feel. The minute I read the story I saw the whole movie in my head and it hasn't left my brain since - it has only gotten stronger. So the only way to get it out of my head is to get it out to the world. Oh, and did I mention that I really love the story as well?


TSK: How difficult was it for you to write the script?

BIRK: It's not terribly hard (I feel) to adapt it when the story is already there. Since I am by no means an experienced screenwriter I have collaborated with a bunch of people who are much more experienced. With their help, notes, suggestions and guidelines I have created sub stories, more natural language and merging/creation of characters - all without sliding away from the core story.


TSK: How long do you anticipate the movie to be?

BIRK: It's impossible to say right now. I would 'like' it to be a nice 100 minutes but I'm sure MY version will be longer. It will natually be shaved down to a suitable size before I throw it out there but I'm sure I will have my own version as well.


TSK: I know you are looking to generate some cash flow in order to begin work. What kind of money do you need? Is it millions, billions or national debt type stuff?

BIRK: I tried to be realistic and were aiming at 250 million dollars! . . .
No, of course not. Actually, initially, I planned to do it 'Blair Witch' style and for no money at all but I wanted to see if I could blow it up just a little so I could do nicer camera, sound, etc. So we aimed at a budget of 20,000 dollars. An amount that makes a lot of 'serious' people laugh out loud but I really don't believe it has to all be about money when you want to tell a story.

TSK: Wow, I'm glad you didn't do it Blair With style!  So it’s the kind of thing that every contribution will make a big difference! How can someone give to this project?

BIRK: Oh definitely. Though we have an official budget we can adjust. For me the important thing is to make the movie happen even if we don't get the amount we want. I don't like to be restrained by money. Though it is necessary, of course, you can really do a lot for a little. Naturally every dollar helps and with more money people can be paid more, equipment can be driven instead of carried, etc etc etc. And anyone interested can donate right here: http://alphatreeproductions.com/Willadonations.html. This link also leads to the official website where you can read a lot more about it.


TSK: Is this a for profit film?

BIRK: My contract with Stephen King forbids me to make money (except for festival prizes etc) but he will see the finished film and in the case that he likes it enough we will negotiate the rights to distribute it in whatever form he wants.


TSK: I know you’re a big fan of Stephen King. Are you also a collector?


BIRK: Very big fan yes! I don't have everything he has written and I must admit I actually think I've seen more films based on his work than I have read his actual books. I have read a lot though and there seems to be at least one movie done of everything he has done. Maybe that's why I so clearly saw WILLA in my head.
TSK: What venue’s do you think will be open to showing Willa?


BIRK: Good question. I have not even thought of that. There are a lot of elements in the story that will appeal to almost everyone, not just fans or horror lovers. So when the time comes I certainly think we can show it in most places, provided we get ourselves a rating.

TSK: I see a great cast lined up. How difficult has casting been?

BIRK: It was difficult because there were so many who submitted and I would have loved to see every person audition. We did try to get as many people as possible to do video auditions because we simply didn't have enough space at the actual personal auditions. Both main characters, Willa and David, were found through video auditions. On the other hand it was easy. There were a lot of the roles we didn't even have to worry about. When we saw people audition we simply knew, without doubt that we had found the right person.

TSK: Do you have a favorite director?

BIRK: As with so many other things it's very difficult to naim one. If I can mention my top 3 it would be Taylor Hackford, who directed the brilliant movie adaptation of Dolores Claiborne, Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) and Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy)

TSK: Thank you so much!  I look forward to seeing Willa, as I think most Stephen King fans will. 

Interview: Mark McFarlane, I AM DOORWAY

picture: Mark McFarlane.

I was so excited to hear about a movie version of I AM THE DOORWAY that I had to contact Mark McFarlane and get some more info. Turns out he is a huge Stephen King fan, and gave a great interview. Have fun. . .

TalkStephenKing: Hi. Thank you so much for agreeing to my interview. Constant Readers are always excited to hear about a new Stephen King project. Yours looks really unique! I really do look forward to seeing your work on screen! Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Mark McFarlane: My name is Mark G. McFarlane, I come from a small mining village called New Cumnock in Ayrshire, Scotland, and I've been a filmmaker for the past three or so years. I previously worked as a graphic designer for a fashion retailer (who have since gone bust), before realising that I wasn't doing what I needed to be doing. I quit my job and eventually got my degree from the University of Cumbria. It was at university I formed Toecutter Productions with my producer David C. Box. I also met my fiancee at uni, and thanks to her I'm now I'm in Dorset, making a Stephen King film. I have a good life!

TSK: What is the expected length of the film?

McFarlane: I'm aiming to keep the film under 45mins, anything over that would keep me from showing it at short film festivals. Plus, I can't afford to make a feature. Yet.

TSK: When do you expect to release the film?

McFarlane: At this moment in time I really couldn't guess as to when the film would be released, but I'm hoping at some point in 2011.

TSK: How far are you in the process? Is the script complete?

McFarlane: I'm currently on draft 5 of the script and it's looking good. Once it has been completed my producer and I will discuss it and decide whether it's ready to be sent out to actors. I have several high profile actors in mind for the main parts, but obviously I can't comment on that any further at this time. I'm also in negotiations with the owners of what is quite possibly the most perfect location possible for my adaptation. All in all, the project is in a very good place right now.

TSK: Why did you choose "I AM THE DOORWAY"?

McFarlane: I have to say 'I Am The Doorway' wasn't my first choice! I'd stupidly gone ahead and started work on an adaptation of 'The Jaunt', before bothering to check if it was available. It was only after I ran into some creative difficulties that I got around to checking the website. I was quite relieved when I saw it was unavailable, as at the time it was giving me quite a headache. When I saw that 'I Am The Doorway' was available, the central image - a man with eyes in his hands - immediately leaped into my mind and I knew that this was the project for me. I also got an instant gut feeling of how to tell a version of the story, on a budget that was viable.

TSK: You said in a recent interview that you wanted to give Bridport exposure. What would you like people to know about Bridport?

McFarlane: Since moving to Bridport I've been genuinely taken aback by the creative atmosphere in the town. Musicians, artists, photographers, sculptors, the place is brimming with them. To make things even better, there is a fantastic support structure in place for the arts in Bridport. It is a wonderful, beautiful place to live and be creative, and I'd like others to be able to see Bridport in that way.

TSK: Do you expect the movie to be seen in the States?

McFarlane: I fully expect 'I Am The Doorway' to be seen in America. There are numerous Dollar Baby film festivals, not to mention all the other horror film festivals that will be only to keen to have another Stephen King film.
TSK: What movies have most influenced you as a film-maker?

McFarlane: Considering that my favourite director is David Lynch, his only influence on my film-making style is his use of sound. I think his use of sound and music in films like 'Wild At Heart' and 'Blue Velvet' is absolutely stunning. Visually my biggest influence has to be John Carpenter. I think 'The Thing' is just untouchable when it comes to horror cinema. And if I could make something like 'Escape from New York' in my career, I think I'd die pretty satisfied.
TSK: Are you a Stephen King fan?

McFarlane: I'm a massive Stephen King fan, not just as an author but as a person. Every time I pick up a King book, I feel like he's talking directly to me. And I could listen to the guy talk all day if I could. I'd like to meet him some day...
TSK: Which of King’s books resonate with you?

McFarlane: I tend to have a short attention span and therefore have an annoying tendency to lose interest in novels. One day I found 'Skeleton Crew' in a charity shop, found that it was full of short stories, and bought it for something ridiculous like 50p. The first story I read was 'The Mist' and it remains my favourite King story of all time. I've re-read it every few months since that day. I love the concept of the story, and that every single person in that supermarket feels absolutely real. I was ecstatic when I found out Frank Darabont was making it, and even more so when I saw it an realised it was exactly as I'd imagined it. I've even come to terms with that ending... I also have to say that I was given the Dark Tower series as a gift a few Christmases ago. I'd never really fancied it, but gave it a go to be polite. I read the Gunslinger in a day. The rest followed after that (not quite so quickly given their size). I absolutely love the Dark Tower, and when 'I Am The Doorway' eventually makes it onto the screen, some sharp eyed Tower fans may get a little surprise or two!

TSK: Other than King, what authors have impacted you?

McFarlane: Everyone's going to think this ones too obvious, but I love H.P. Lovecraft. 'At The Mountains of Madness' is an incredible story, as is 'The Dunwich Horror'. I'm also a big fan of Charles Stross, who wrote an amazing Lovecraftian Cthulu story called 'A Colder War'. It's fantastic and really worth checking out.

TSK: Have you seen other Dollar Babies? What did you think?

McFarlane: I'm sad to say I haven't seen any of them yet, but a friend of mine James Cole, who directed 'The Last Rung on the Ladder', is sending me a copy soon...

TSK: Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us. This sounds really exciting.

McFarlane: Thank you for the interview, I very much enjoyed answering your questions and I'd be happy to do so again, any time.

IN CLOSING. . . I had a great time communicating with Mark McFarlane. He did point that Frank Darabont got start as a Dollar Baby - he made The Woman in the Room - and is regarded as the first DB. Shawshank came later.