My Interview With James Saito

I am very honored to say that I completed a second interview.  This time it was with filmmaker James Saito. He is a business partner of Herschell Gordon Lewis, and actually just produced a movie called "Herschell Gordon Lewis's Bloodmania."  In this review, I asked Saito about his career, and his love for the genre. 

Ryan Gavalier: You are obviously a pretty big fan of horror films. What movies and filmmakers inspired you to be part of the genre?

James Saito: It was actually the genre as a whole that inspired me rather than a particular film or director. I grew up watching the classic Universal Films, my favorite still being “Frankenstein” 1931. By the time Hammer moved to the forefront I was of age to see these films in an actual theatre, so I would go to as many as I could. I still watch the Hammer Dracula films with Christopher Lee regularly. During that same time period I fell in love with horror anthologies that were the specialty films of Amicus Productions. Amicus anthologies such as, “The House That Dripped Blood”, “Tales from the Crypt”, and “Vault of Horror” were a major influence on “BloodMania”. Over the years I became fascinated with gore, Herschell’s films and “Dawn of the Dead” 1978 steered me in that direction. Today I watch, what are considered by most to be, the most vile, disturbing films that I can find. It is with more curiosity than anything that I watch such films as “The Vomit Gore Doll” trilogy, The “August Underground” films, “A Serbian Film”, etc. I guess I’m jaded, I don’t find anything that the major studios put out particularly horrifying or interesting.

RG: What was your first project in the movie business?

JS: My background is mostly in television, marketing, and celebrity management. My first on set film experience was playing a zombie extra in a local Canadian film called, “The Dead Mile”. 

RG: You have a business partnership with Herschell Gordon Lewis.  How long have you two been working together?

JS: The answer to this is making me shake my head in wonder. I have known Herschell now for two years. Sometimes the passage of time takes me by surprise. It is my sincerest wish that we continue to do so for many years to come. I wish I would have met him 25 years ago, having him as a mentor is singularly illuminating and joyful.

RG: Lewis has had quite of body of work. What was your favorite of his movies?

JS: I like all of Herschell’s films for various reasons, but over the years the one that I consistently return to is “2000 Maniacs!” I do have great affection for “The Wizard of Gore, as it was the first of his films that I watched, and “She-Devils on Wheels”.

RG: You have produced a new film called "Herschell Gordon Lewis's BloodMania." Are there any comments you would like to make in light of the project?

JS: BloodMania is a horror anthology consisting of four stories, each with its own different flavor:

- Brewster Bricabrac is having a very bad day. He has botched a hostage taking, is on the run from the law, and worst of all is possessed by a demonic prosthetic hook he wears because…well you’ll just have to watch to find out why. This screenplay was written and directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis, and contains the wit, violence, and satire that his fans have come to associate with his work.

- Another is a story of suburban terror, a family moves into a new home unaware that they will be sharing it with something that they weren’t counting on. Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis.

- When used deceptively the words, “I love you” can kill a person, as a young woman discovers in a tale of psychological horror that will keep the viewer guessing until the very last frame. Directed by Melanie Reinboldt.

- An all-female 80’s tribute band shooting their first big music video get more than they bargained for after they decide to fire their longtime Manager. They soon find that he harbors a secret past of his own in this insanely hilarious and bloody homage to the slasher films of the 1980s. Directed by Kevin Littlelight.

Mr. Lewis introduces each segment much like Rod Serling did in “Twilight Zone” and “Night Gallery”.

RG: Of all the movies you've watched, what is the greatest horror movie you've ever seen?

JS: You’re asking me some tough ones. It used to be “The Exorcist”, there is something in that movie to scare everyone. Now though I would have to say that because of its darkly humorous overtones, pop references, performances, and disturbing visuals the greatest would have to be “The Devil’s Rejects”. It’s all subjective, that’s the glory of horror – different films scare different people.

RG: Do you have any other ventures aside from filmmaking?

JS: There are certainly other of life’s avenues that I wish to explore in future years. But film producing is such an all encompassing task, each one takes up two years between pre-production and post release marketing, that I have time for little else. I still try to write zombie movie reviews for my website, “James and Steve’s Zombie Movie Rating Guide” when I can, and I have a site where I write the occasional humorous essay called “A Sober Perspective”.

http://zombiemovieguide.blogspot.ca/

http://www.asoberperspective.com/

RG: Are there any other movies you have begun working on yet?

JS: I am currently reading scripts. I pretty much know what stories are going to be included in the next HGL anthology, and yes Herschell’s script for ‘Mr. Bruce and the Gore Machine” AKA “The Stainless Steel Butcher” is one of them. We will be shooting several features over the five years that I have signed on for, and I have to decide on the proper projects. I have a script for a film based on what is widely considered the most disturbing horror novel ever written. It is precisely the kind of film that I would, as a horror fan, be proud to attach my name to, but it poses a problem for me as Diabolique Film’s Vice President of Development/Production. Despite this being a dream project for me, I must decide whether its subject matter would be a detriment to profitability. If Herschell has taught me anything, it is that we work in an industry called Show Business, at the end of the day it is about profit, nothing else. I am accountable to investors.

RG: Do you see a great future for the horror genre? Will it stay alive and be as relevant as it has been the past century?

JS: Horror films, like comedies, will always have their place in cinema because they both address an essential human need. We collectively need to have an outlet that allows us to laugh, and with horror, to feel fear without personal consequence. So for me the burning question is what will constitute a horror film fifty years from now? In 1931 it was reported that some women fainted when they saw King Kong onscreen, today kids laugh when they see him. At its best the horror genre should be a reflection of our fears as a society, as the society evolves so should the films. But here we wander into tricky territory, all parents fear the idea that their child should fall prey to a pedophile serial killer, but should a responsible film maker depict it graphically for the sake of doing so? Do we make films about Muslim extremists committing acts of terror and further exacerbate a volatile situation for art’s sake? As long as future film makers remember that the horror films that have had enduring success owe it to a number of elements coming together in such way that is entertaining to a broad cross section of movie goers the genre will continue to flourish.

I would like to thank Mr. Saito for all of the cooperation in this interview, and I hope the best for the rest of his career. Be sure to check out more information on "Bloodmania." Below is a link that will give a sneak peek of the film, and which also serves as a very interesting article all about it. 

http://www.horrorsociety.com/2015/02/03/horror-society-world-exclusive-video-sneak-peak-herschell-gordon-lewis-bloodmania/

My Interview With Herschell Gordon Lewis

Today I was given the great opportunity to interview a legend in the horror business; Herschell Gordon Lewis.  Lewis has been the director of cult classics like "Two Thousand Maniacs," "Wizard of Gore," and many other films spanning from his fifty-six year career.  I got the honor talking to him about this life of his, and a new film he is releasing called "Herschell Gordon Lewis's Bloodmania."

Ryan Gavalier: For decades now, you have influenced filmmakers, but what were the movies and directors that inspired you?

Herschell Gordon Lewis: The original "Dracula" seized my attention, and the early Hammer films made an impact on me, but I can't isolate a single film or director.

RG: Your were one of the pioneers of gore in horror.  What were your techniques and motivations for such an outrageous practice?

HGL: I was determined to make a film the major companies either could not make or would not make. The live "Grand Guignol" show in Paris showed me the path: a single outrageous effect could overcome the penalty an independent production faced -- minuscule budget, lack of star names, and no distributional network. I was determined to produce a niche-market film with a  budget so low I wouldn't take a major hit if it died at birth.

RG:  With such a body of work, you must have met many interesting people in your casting. Were there any that were particularly intriguing?
HGL: Shooting "This Stuff'll Kill You" in Oklahoma City, I chanced upon Tim Holt, who had starred in "Treasure of Sierra Madre.” He was selling radio time and hadn’t been in a movie for years. I wrote a part -- not a major one -- for him, because I remembered what he had been. Somehow, his professionalism rubbed off on the other actors.

RG: You have been part of the movie business since 1959.  Your films have been in the genres horror, exploitation, and children's. What do you see as your best works?

HGL: My personal favorite, of all the films I've made, is "Two Thousand Maniacs." Looking at footage from the new movie ("Herschell Gordon Lewis's Bloodmania") I may retire "Two Thousand Maniacs" to an emeritus position.

RG: In the 1970's you retired from the movie business for some time.  What were some of your other ventures during these years? 

HGL: I was and still am a writer, specializing in direct-to-consumer and direct-to business marketing. I've written 32 books and numerous magazine articles in that field, and lectured in many countries. Until my multiple personalities became common knowledge, the worlds didn't collide.

  

 RG: You have a new anthology of films coming out called "Bloodmania."  Would you like to give some teasers to what the premise of these movies are?

 HGL: Don’t confuse the title with a 1970s “quickie” with that title. This one is titled “Herschell Gordon Lewis’s Bloodmania.” The producer, James Saito, structured the premise on four episodes, each one representing a different facet of “splatter.” Some inject a big chunk of humor and some extend the reach of splatter with effects no one has dared to test before. I wrote one of the four and directed two. Canadian screenwriters and directors created the other two. We shot it digitally, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and I was totally impressed by the professionalism, cooperative spirit, and enthusiasm both cast and crew displayed. I’ll happily shoot another movie in Canada as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

          
RG: Do you have any other projects on the writing board?
HGL:  I have a script – “Mr. Bruce and the Gore Machine.” I’m trying to convince James Saito to produce it. If that doesn’t happen I’ll shop it around until some enterprising producer catches the fever of my fervor.

RG: The horror genre has really had a rebirth in the past few years. Have there been any modern films that caught your eye?

HGL: That’s an unfair question because I view films competitively, with a jaundiced eye. Outside my own territory, “The Imitation Game” is bright and intelligent.

I would like to again thank Herschell, and James Saito for making this interview possible. I am beyond happy to have been able to do my first interview ever with such a big figure in my field.  Below I will have a link that gives more information about Lewis' new film. I highly recommend checking it out, because you will get to see a sneak peek of the film. 

http://www.horrorsociety.com/2015/02/03/horror-society-world-exclusive-video-sneak-peak-herschell-gordon-lewis-bloodmania/