We previously interviewed J.T. Petty, Clancy Brown and Clifton Collins Jr. to discuss Hellbenders, but with the movie hitting Blu-ray/DVD today, we were given another chance to catch up with J.T. to discuss the movie. Continue reading to learn about his favorite moment on set, the chances of more Hellbenders, and his work on horror video games:
We spoke with you, Clancy, and Clifton during the VOD release for this movie and you said that it's a script and project that came together very quickly. Were there any major changes from what you initially had in mind or did the movie stick pretty closely to the script?
JT: We stuck pretty close to the script. I wouldn't have minded improvising a bit more, but between the 3D and our budget, we had to move fast.
It can be very difficult to get the comedy, horror balance right, but you pulled it off fantastically here. For you, is it easier for you to write/direct the comedy scenes or horror?
JT: My instincts go a lot more naturally towards the horror end of stuff, but I also think everything I make is pretty funny. Though honestly I don't think the general beats of horror and comedy are that different. Even the grimmest horror movies, if you watch with an audience, usually have a couple big laughs in them.
Can you tell us about working with actors like Clancy Brown or Clifton Collins Jr. on this movie? Did they bring anything to their character that you didn't initially have in mind when writing the script?
JT: They were all great. I knew Clancy was really funny from just hanging out with him, but was surprised at how well that could translate to the screen. I also love Andre Royo's comedic chops, which I don't think often get a chance to shine.
Can you share with us your favorite or most memorable moment from the set of Hellbenders?
JT: There's a still shot of Clancy Brown putting the head of his member into a quart of half and half. That was a lot of fun to shoot, and the way the flash failed to sync with the exposure created a pretty crazy effect on the image. It's on screen for maybe ten frames, but it was a bunch of fun on the day.
Do you have plans to return to the world of Hellbenders, whether it be a sequel, future graphic novels, or something on TV?
JT: Hellbenders is such a Saturday morning cartoon already, it would make great sense as something episodic. Clifton Collins and his Amazing Friends.
On top of movies, you have also written for a number of popular video games. Your latest, Outlast, just came out for the PS4. What is the biggest difference for you between writing for a video game and writing for a feature film? Which do you prefer?
JT: Ideally I'll be able to keep hopping between games and movies. Writing movies is fairly standardized by now, though you're always trying to figure out a way to do something new. For writing games, there's so much difference between one game and another that it's hard to generalize. If anything, I'd say games are more experiential, and movies are more narrative. In both cases if you're relying primarily on dialogue, you're cheating.
Can you tell our readers what's next for you? Do you have your next movie or video game script lined up already?
JT: The DLC for OUTLAST will be released in a few months, and that's going to be nuts. I've got a horror game with another company that I'm not sure I can talk about yet, and a handful of TV things that should get announced pretty soon.
---------
For a chance to win the movie on Blu-ray, check out our recently launched contest at:
"Pray that you’ll never need the professional services of the Hellbound Saints of Brooklyn Parish. Resembling members of a raucous fraternity rather than the Catholic Church, this ragtag group of priests lives in a constant state of debauchery: smoking, drinking and philandering as if in a contest to top each other’s efforts in breaking the seven deadly sins as flamboyantly as possible. Fronted by Angus (Clancy Brown of Highlander and The Burrowers), their dysfunctional leader, they are the Church’s last best hope. When a regular exorcism just won’t do the trick, they’re called in to trap a demon and drag it down to hell with them.
However, in order to be ready for fire and brimstone, the men — and woman — of this stained cloth (including cast members Clifton Collins Jr., Dan Fogler, Macon Blair and Robyn Rikoon) must maintain a rigorous regimen of doing very, very bad things. Their primmest member (Andre Royo, beloved as Bubbles from The Wire) tracks their misconducts in a logbook to prove they’re round-the-clock "damnation-ready." But when a tough case tests the team’s mettle and a new Church bureaucrat threatens to shut them down, they must sin and sin again in a mad race to save the world and halt a demon’s plans to wipe out humanity."
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
