About a decade ago I made one of my usual runs to the local mom and pop and picked up a haul of horror films for weekend viewing. Among them was a film called “Murder Set Pieces”. Afterwards I jumped on IMDb to chat about the movie I saw, thinking the film was disjointed. Almost instantly I received a reply that the film was cut so that Lionsgate would distribute. Fast forward to a year later, when I finally got my hands on the unrated, uncut version, and man, I realized it was brutal... a whole different film, really. I've heard other horror fans telling the same story about the time they first saw “A Serbian Film” not realizing they were stuck with the abysmal cut version. What exactly are these distributors trying to shelter us from? Horror fans want blood, guts, gore and boobs. We live for that stuff. Let the tweenie-bops watch their “Twilight” and just let us keep our real horror the way it was meant to be seen.
Talking to Sean Donohue was refreshing. Not only is he fed up with film censorship for the purpose of distribution, he’s joining a growing trend of filmmakers doing something about it. He’s self-distributing. And now he is also distributing the horror films of others. One thing he will guarantee; he will never, ever distribute a mass-marketed PG-13 chopped-up abomination. Sean is a champion of the integrity of a film the way the director intends it to be seen, and he is raising his voice loud.
Talking to Sean Donohue was refreshing. Not only is he fed up with film censorship for the purpose of distribution, he’s joining a growing trend of filmmakers doing something about it. He’s self-distributing. And now he is also distributing the horror films of others. One thing he will guarantee; he will never, ever distribute a mass-marketed PG-13 chopped-up abomination. Sean is a champion of the integrity of a film the way the director intends it to be seen, and he is raising his voice loud.
Body Count Rising: Which best prepared you to be a director: film school, working in a video store, being an AV tech, or just the experience of directing your first film?
Sean Donohue: In some way, all of my experiences have shaped me into the director that I am today. Of these, I would say directing movies has been the best experience. I have learned more making movies than I ever did in film school.
And I learn something new from every film I work on. I think that is why I like filmmaking so much; it keeps me interested. Any other job I’ve had over the years never seems to hold my attention for very long. But hey, (laughing) I gotta pay bills like everybody else!
I really think I still could have achieved all the things I’ve done without going to film school. However, if I didn't go to film school, become an AV tech, work at a video store, etc… I may not have taken the same path, met the people that that have helped me along the way and I might not have become a film maker. So, it’s a lot of luck, a little bit of chance and mostly hard work that has gotten me to where I am.
Body Count Rising: What is the best lesson you took away from shooting “If I Can’t Have You”?
Sean Donohue: The best lesson I took away from that movie is to always be prepared for the unexpected. “If I Can’t Have You” was my first official movie and the start of my career. It was also the first time I worked with director, Chris Leto. It was a learning experience for everyone on set. Most of the people involved with that production were first timers, both in front of the camera and behind it! (laughing)
Body Count Rising: Plus you co-directed your first films. Any thoughts on that?
Sean Donohue: I think it really is more beneficial to be the sole director on a film. As a director you have a vision, and to keep a clear approach to communicating that vision, the project should be led by a single person who is appointed to be the director of that movie.
Body Count Rising: With that in mind, would you consider co-directing again?
Sean Donohue: Co-directing is a tricky business. At the time I thought it was a good idea, but looking back, I would not do it again. No matter how “on-board” you think you are with your co-director you are never truly going to think exactly alike. That seemed to cause a lot of discussions on set, rather than moving things forward. I don't regret co-directing because I learned from it, however I won't be doing it again.
Body Count Rising: How did your ability to think on your feet allow you to overcome obstacles?
Sean Donohue: Directing movies is all "thinking on your feet". No matter how much you plan and prepare there are things that happen on set sometimes that are out of your control. I always say "Have a plan B, and a plan C, D, E and sometimes a plan F!" And yes I have made it that far down the line to make a scene happen.
Sean Donohue: Co-directing is a tricky business. At the time I thought it was a good idea, but looking back, I would not do it again. No matter how “on-board” you think you are with your co-director you are never truly going to think exactly alike. That seemed to cause a lot of discussions on set, rather than moving things forward. I don't regret co-directing because I learned from it, however I won't be doing it again.
Body Count Rising: How did your ability to think on your feet allow you to overcome obstacles?
Sean Donohue: Directing movies is all "thinking on your feet". No matter how much you plan and prepare there are things that happen on set sometimes that are out of your control. I always say "Have a plan B, and a plan C, D, E and sometimes a plan F!" And yes I have made it that far down the line to make a scene happen.
Body Count Rising: You co-wrote the acid-fueled trip flick, “Franklin: A Symphony of Pain” with Richard Anasky and Jeremy Westrate. How many versions of the story occurred until the piece evolved into what we see today, and was it a longer process by writing collaboratively, or did it actually save time?
Sean Donohue: “Franklin” was a collaborative effort to say the least, and it was not put together like your typical Hollywood-style film. We actually shot improv-style scenes without a script for almost half of the movie. Jeremy and Richard sat down and were able to carefully weave what we had already shot into a tight knit storyline that made sense and flowed.
I basically had an idea for a psychedelic movie that I wanted to be like “A Clockwork Orange” meets “Pink Floyd's The Wall”. I contacted Jeremy about the idea and asked him if he would like to be the director, he accepted and the rest is history. The main parties involved in the early creative process were Jeremy, Richard, Nicholas Franklin, Dee Dee Seruga and myself.
Body Count Rising: Not only were you one of the writers and producers of the film, but you also brought out your camera once more as 2nd Unit Director. Which parts did you film; the psychedelic acid trips or the super groovy storyline?
Sean Donohue: The scenes I am most responsible for are a Lolita-esque scene with actor, Bob Glazier and actress, Amethist Young called "The Bus Stop". I also wrote the scene we shot in a hotel room called "Skinny Cut Hotel".
Note: These scenes referred to above are among the most depraved in the film. Just like we’ve come to expect and appreciate from Sean!
Body Count Rising: That brings me to your philosophy on PG-13 horror. Boobs and blood are a staple of the 80’s horror film, a decade that you adore. Did your distribution company evolve so that you would not need to censor your films or the films you support to get a certain rating for distribution?
Sean Donohue: The PG-13 rating is everything that is wrong with modern cinema. I’m not saying this because I need to have gore and heavy nudity in everything I see. It’s because Hollywood censors, creates or re-makes movies and then stamps on the “PG-13” just so they can appeal to the widest possible audience. Films with this mark are tailored to the status quo. As a viewer, I just feel like I am being swindled in some way. I would never make a PG-13 piece of garbage.
Sean Donohue: The scenes I am most responsible for are a Lolita-esque scene with actor, Bob Glazier and actress, Amethist Young called "The Bus Stop". I also wrote the scene we shot in a hotel room called "Skinny Cut Hotel".
Note: These scenes referred to above are among the most depraved in the film. Just like we’ve come to expect and appreciate from Sean!
Body Count Rising: That brings me to your philosophy on PG-13 horror. Boobs and blood are a staple of the 80’s horror film, a decade that you adore. Did your distribution company evolve so that you would not need to censor your films or the films you support to get a certain rating for distribution?
Sean Donohue: The PG-13 rating is everything that is wrong with modern cinema. I’m not saying this because I need to have gore and heavy nudity in everything I see. It’s because Hollywood censors, creates or re-makes movies and then stamps on the “PG-13” just so they can appeal to the widest possible audience. Films with this mark are tailored to the status quo. As a viewer, I just feel like I am being swindled in some way. I would never make a PG-13 piece of garbage.
Body Count Rising: A huge thank you to distributors like Gatorblade for being anti-mainstream and offering indies an emancipation of sorts where you don’t need to self-censor or allow your film to be chopped to get distribution. Porn actor, Evan Stone was a refreshing surprise in “Franklin: A Symphony of Pain” and he is now appearing in your latest film “Death-Scort Service”. How did you and Evan meet?
Sean Donohue: I met Evan Stone in a restaurant while working. I saw him sitting on the patio and introduced myself. He is a really nice guy! I never had a plan to include him in “Death-Scort Service” or “Franklin” it just worked out that way. I told him what I did and asked him if he would be interested in shooting some random footage that I could splice into my films for later use. We then shot a promo video for “Franklin” called by the original working name, “Sex With Devil: Feeding the Monkey”. Additional footage I shot with Evan also made the final cuts of “Franklin” and “Death-Scort Service”.
There is also a documentary called “Composing a Symphony of Pain: The Making of Franklin” by The Lavender Handle Collective.
Jeremy and I wanted to have a company name that would be suiting for “Franklin”. I said the best way to come up with a company name would be to combine two things that have nothing to do with each other… like machetes and carpet cleaner. Jeremy looked at me and slowly said "Lavender-Handle?” I replied "That's it!" and The Lavender Handle Collective was born.
Body Count Rising: You’ve been a casting director for films that require some gorgeous women. Are you just the go-to guy when it comes to beautiful female talent?
Sean Donohue: I don't like being pegged as that, but yes, other directors in the area have hit me up about actresses for their films. I get asked a lot on how I get said actresses in my movies and how I get them to do the things that they do. My answer is always the same. I meet an actress online or sometimes in person and I just talk to them for a while, see what they are comfortable with and then I offer them a part.
Sean Donohue: I don't like being pegged as that, but yes, other directors in the area have hit me up about actresses for their films. I get asked a lot on how I get said actresses in my movies and how I get them to do the things that they do. My answer is always the same. I meet an actress online or sometimes in person and I just talk to them for a while, see what they are comfortable with and then I offer them a part.
Body Count Rising: Not only did you cast and direct “Die Die Delta Pi”, but according to IMDb you had the prestigious role as “Hand Double”. (I’m getting visions of that leather-gloved hand that comes across the screen in “Boarding House”.) Can you please explain the part you played as a hand?
Sean Donohue: (Laughing) That is actually a mistake on IMDB, however I have a cameo in the film as a weight lifter. I try to do a cameo in all of my movies. It is an homage to my favorite director, Alfred Hitchcock.
Sean Donohue: (Laughing) That is actually a mistake on IMDB, however I have a cameo in the film as a weight lifter. I try to do a cameo in all of my movies. It is an homage to my favorite director, Alfred Hitchcock.
Body Count Rising: And then you had FX master, Marcus Koch improvising lines as a mohawked suitor calling on one of the sorority sisters. This film must have been a blast to shoot!
Sean Donohue: “Die Die Delta Pi” was a lot of fun and grueling at the same time. It was my biggest budgeted movie and also had the biggest cast and crew I had ever worked with at the time. Shoots were long and hot. Sometimes we would shoot for 15 hours days only to be followed up by another 15 hour day only again to be followed up by a third 15 hour day! I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish with that film, and it was another learning experience to say the least! It still to this day has reached the widest audience out of all the movies I have been a part of. I Just recently got the movie streaming on Amazon Prime. I was pretty excited about that.
Body Count Rising: Plus you’ve collaborated again in “Death-Scort Service”…
Sean Donohue: “Death-Scort Service” is an onslaught of classic gritty gore FX. I am a big fan of Italian horror and slashers from the 70's/80's and I wanted “Death-Scort Service” to be a nod to films like “New York Ripper”, “Tenebre” and “Pieces”. I don't want to give too much away, but there was a scene that we did with a baseball bat and some barbed wire that seems to be an audience favorite.
“Death-Scort Service” was a lot of fun to make. I teamed up with writer/producer Chris Woods of The Sleaze Box. And he also shares my passion for Italian horror. We joked around on set and called this our underground "Last House on the Left" because as you know, LHOTL was a teaming up of Sean Cunningham and Wes Craven. We worked well together and the actors and actresses all did a fantastic job. There is a scene (completely done on the fly) involving actress, Ashley Lynn Caputo and actor, Bob Glazier that seems to stick out with the viewers. I think it is my favorite scene in the movie.
Body Count Rising: Another success story from thinking on your feet! I love hearing it was done on the fly. I understand the majority of “Death-Scort Service” was shot in Florida, although the story is set in Las Vegas. Were you able to get in any filming or obtain footage for “Death-Scort Service” during your CES trip to Vegas, or was the film pretty much wrapped by then?
Sean Donohue: We actually bought some stock footage of Las Vegas and inner-cut it into the movie. It would have been convenient for me to shoot some exteriors on my trip but I was busy with other ventures.
Most of the movie was shot with interiors so it could have been anywhere. And honestly I don't think it is that convincing that the movie is shot in Las Vegas. That wasn't my main priority when making this movie. I wanted to concentrate more on the sleaze and gore, and that's what people will remember about it.
Body Count Rising: Your film “Death-Scort Service” will be showing April 2nd at Days of the Dead in Burbank. Where else can we find this film?
Sean Donohue: You can buy it on Amazon and anywhere that DVD's are sold.
Sean Donohue: I don't have much free time anymore but that’s OK. Most recently Gatorblade will be releasing Nick Iway's film, “Androgynym”. I really enjoyed this film because it was just so unique. Nick is really cool too, and I hope to meet him in person one day. I just want to thank everyone that has helped me along the way. You know who you are. I am not going to name drop. Expect to see a lot from Gatorblade Films in the near future. I have a lot of projects in the works!
Keep up with Sean’s future projects on IMDb, the Gatorblade Films official website or follow him on Facebook.