Leah Cevoli has covered events for us in the past, such as Eli Roth's Goretorium, and brought us new details on The Night Visitor last week. She's currently helping out on Blood Kiss, and put together an exclusive Q&A with the team behind the project.
The movie is a vampire love story set in 1940's Los Angeles, was written by Michael Reaves, and will star Neil Gaiman, Amber Benson, Christina Moses. Continue reading to learn more about Neil Gaiman's acting debut, how everyone got together for this project, and what we can expect:
"Emmy Award winning writer Michael Reaves is creating a new film, BLOOD KISS, and new genre, Vamp Noir. He’s discovered a fresh acting talent to co-star, superstar writer Neil Gaiman. Also starring Amber Benson from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Blood Kiss revolves around detective Joe Belicek, who must solve the murder of a vampire before a deranged killer murders them to gain their power. Inspired by Film Noir, this supernatural thriller is set in Golden Age Hollywood with famous haunts like the Brown Derby making an appearance."
Here at Daily Dead we love a good Vampire story, please tell us a little bit about your vampires. Is there anything that might surprise a traditional vampire fan?
Michael Reaves: The biggest difference is that there's nothing supernatural or magical about them. Everything that makes them different is explained as biological in origin. So they don't fear religious accoutrements or have to be invited in or suchlike. (If you find this harder to swallow than magic, I suggest you Google "zombie ants" -- you'll never go outside without a hat again.)
Who's the team behind Blood Kiss? How did they assemble?
Daniela Di Mase: Well, Michael brought in Neil Gaiman and Amber Benson for the cast which in and of itself brought Blood Kiss to a whole other level. He also brought in Tom Mandrake whose art has been essential in defining the vision of the project. David Raiklen and myself came after and with David's successes with crowd-funding things have been going at an incredible speed. Then David brought in Leah Cevoli. They had worked together on Space Command and well, that project speaks for itself! For myself, coming across something this good is just an amazing ride. I have to remind myself that its actual work.
There are quite a few heavy-hitters involved in this project, why have you chosen the crowd-funding route rather than taking this to the studios?
Daniela Di Mase: Michael has come up with an extremely unique concept. It's never been done and its not comparable to anything else out there. Studios want proof of marketability and with that you end up compromising the original vision, specially when you have something as unique as what we have. We know that its something that people are going to love as long as the vision is executed without being altered. Crowd-funding is the perfect platform to do that.
David Raiklen: That's easy, freedom. Plus the studios said the vampires were the wrong kind(they don't sparkle) and the film is set in the 1940s. Once we can show there's plenty of fans for a film set in golden age Hollywood with working vampires starring Niel and Amber - they may want to help. Crowdfunding is perfect for unique projects.
Neil, What are you most looking forward to about your acting debut?
Neil Gaiman: Helping Michael Reaves realize his vision. Michael wanted me to play the part, and told me he'd written it with me in mind -- I get to be middle-aged, and British (both of which I am) and a film director (which I have been occasionally). and nocturnal (which I used to be), so I figure if I just play a gay version of me back in the golden age of Hollywood, I should be fine.
Michael, It seems that with the advancement of Parkinson's disease, you're creativity and writing are just as strong as ever, and dare we say, you're even more determined than ever to have your stories told. Can you speak to us a little about that?
Michael Reaves: I've got the same deal as everyone else: a finite time in which to tell my stories. It's harder for me than it is for most, sure, but every writer worth his salt will be reaching for a pen on his deathbed, and I can do no less.
Amber, What is the biggest difference for you when working on an Indie film versus mainstream television? Do you have a preference?
Amber Benson: I love working on indie films because they are almost always being made by people with a real passion for the material. Television is great, as well, but it's a bit more corporate - which is probably why I enjoy doing indie projects so much:they're less big business. The frenetic, we are a family, we're making this on a shoe string, run and gun/guerrilla style craziness is just really attractive to me.
Daily Dead loves to support indie films. What does the word "indie" mean to you?
Daniela Di Mase: That's easy, indie means freedom. Any kind of project can be done indie, from new artists to A-listers. The majority of films, TV, games and music will be done indie and I'm very happy to be among the first.
David Raiklen: Again, it means freedom. Indie means staying true to what you believe in. Hopefully something more than just money or safety. Indie means willing to take risks. And it often means low budget. But with the right people, the right heart, you can make a high quality film, game, book or album.
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We've included a teaser poster and artwork below. To learn more about Blood Kiss and keep updated on the project, visit:
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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