An Interview with Indie Director, James Peniata

Lori:

What is your film, "Have Sex and Die" about?

James:
Have Sex and Die is set as a classic 70’s styled monster movie. The film follows a bunch of people who each discover an advertisement in the newspaper offering $10,000 for anyone interested in participating in a social experiment. Naturally we are introduced to a naïve bunch of teenagers on a road trip who find this as an opportunity to make some quick cash on their way to their holiday destination. At the same time we are introduced to an off duty cop named Alison, she poses as another random thrill seeker when in reality she is in search for her missing brother Tiger, who also answered the same add a few months earlier with his friends. All of which have never been seen since. The film takes place in the enormous ‘Yuterrace mansion’ of the unpredictable professor King Hung.  The mansion sits distant from civilization on a large swamp land, which is fenced off from any outsiders. Once the group of ‘test subjects’ enter the maze like mansion, they quickly realize there is more to the experiment then they thought. Soon enough they find themselves fighting their way through cannibals, an evil robot and other hideous experiments in order to escape the mansion and swamp lands, or become yet another of the professor’s disturbing experiments.

Lori:

Is this your first feature length film that you've directed?

James:

This is the second feature length film I have directed, and was definitely a really enjoyable experience. The first film I directed ‘Silent Eyes’ is also in post production, and has taken longer to complete than Have Sex and Die simply because there is a lot more tweaking involved. Silent Eyes is also a scary movie only much more of a mystery/Supernatural/Slasher. It had a much bigger budget than Have Sex and Die and was much more difficult to shoot; we’re currently looking for distribution. But that film should be ready towards the end of this year 2011. Have Sex and Die is 99% complete and days away from being submitted to absolutely every and any film festival that will have it.

Lori:
"Have Sex and Die" is a rather unusual title for a horror film; is there a backstory to it?

James:
There is actually a good story behind the name. The name ‘Have Sex and Die’ originated from the short film version of this movie. In 2009 I was with a bunch of friends who were interested in a film festival called ‘trashorama a go go film festival’ and we were planning to make three short films over the period of a weekend and submit them to this film festival. I had two days to come up with a concept, script and catchy title. While I was on the train one day I noticed a drag queen sitting opposite me, I’ve seen many drag queens before but none so trashy as this particular one. I thought it would be hilarious if an outsider visited earth and was learning about the human race. From this I was inspired to create a story about aliens who are fascinated by the human body and the sexual urges us humans get. It’s the vital part of evolution and the human race, yet it can and is often used for pleasure and fun. The problem is, if you have sex with an alien, their version of a climax can kill you. So I called the short film Have Sex and Die. Although the feature length film is significantly different, I kept the same basic storyline; Aliens come to earth and are fascinated by the human race and our sexual urges.

Lori:
Your film seems to be a bit like "House on Haunted Hill"; did that film provide any inspiration for the film?

James:
I think House on Haunted Hill had the same idea Have Sex and Die has. We are both trying to go back to the feel of the classic old school haunted house/ monster movie. I think House on Haunted hill started out great and definitely had some good moments through out, but I definitely wanted to make Have Sex and Die something you can enjoy every minute of. Whether you’re having a laugh at the banter and bickering between the naïve teenagers, enjoying the old school monster movie atmosphere I’ve tried to create, amused at the many ridiculous situations our characters fall into or jumping at the sight of one of the morbid experiments, I really want people to just sit back with their friends, eat popcorn and have fun. So I guess my main inspiration for this film was to make something less mind bending and more straight forward and enjoyable. I believe I would be every film critic’s punching bag.

Lori:
I understand that you'll be playing a role in the film much like Hitchcock did his; would you tell us about it?

James:
I really have nothing but the highest respect for Alfred Hitchcock; I truly believe the man was a genius at making stories unravel in such a unique and shocking way. So ANY kind of comparison to him is a huge compliment. Thank you so much. The name of my character in this film is Tiger Lykz, and I play the missing brother of one of the main characters Alison. Tiger is one of the former participants of the experiment; he and his friends took part in the experiment a few months earlier and were subjected to the same terror the current group is going through. Through out the film we are hinted at what kind of torment Tiger and his friends endured. I myself am an actor and acting is my main goal as a career, I do enjoy making films but I prefer to be in front of the camera performing. Any film I make I always try to give myself a small role, either as a cameo or small speaking part. I do this in order to pay tribute to my love for acting and to forgive myself for once again stepping behind the camera. I also have learned that if you are directing something it is probably not a good idea to have too big an acting role, especially if you’re also doing the jobs of various crew members.

Lori:
What was the most enjoyable part about making this film?

James:
For me, the most enjoyable part of making this film is being on set. I really enjoy the atmosphere of a film set; you work hard yet hardly feel like you’re working at all because you truly love the environment around you. One of the best days was when we were shooting the groups arrival to the mansion gates and their entrance into the mansion itself. There was no real mansion location, so we shot the actors reacting to the sight of this enormous invisible mansion and placed the mansion in much later during post production. This obviously took much imagination from the actors and it was so inspiring and enjoyable to watch them play out the sequence I had worked hard on while writing the script. Matthew Scott who is one of the actors in the film and the producer of the film worked hard to assemble a great team of actors and crew for me to lead, and I really thank him, executive producer Ben Ryan and everyone else involved for placing so much faith in me to deliver an entertaining film.

Lori:
When do you expect it to be released?

James:
The film is 99% finished, and we are currently preparing to send it off to as many film festivals that will screen it. I hate being picky about certain things but it happens sometimes. I’ll think everything is great and perfect, and then I’ll notice something that could be better and get to working on it. At some point I am just going to have to step away and stop picking at it.

Lori:
Are you working on any other upcoming film projects?

James:
I am working on three features happening at the moment. A feature film called ‘Sweet Summer Gone’ which is a dark drama, ‘Red City Blues’ which is a futuristic action film and ‘Ballistic Fury’ which is an Action/Horror film about an all girl Korean pop group teaming up with an all boy western B Boy crew to shoot the second music video for their debut English speaking album. Only to face the outbreak of homicidal monsters on the carnival location they are shooting at. All films I look forward to showing the world.

LivingDeadMedia would like to thank James Peniata for taking time to interview with us.

*Update: This film has completed principle photography and is in post production phase.

Have Sex and Die

A Film Directed and Written  by James Peniata

A bunch of friends answer an advertisement in the newspaper and agree to participate in a social experiment. As soon as they arrive at the enormous mansion of Professor King Hung they discover they have fallen into a deadly trap. Alison Lykz is an undercover cop who is trying to find her missing brother Tiger. Alison teams up with the group of friends in order to fight through the night in order to survive or risk being turned into another one of professor Hungs psychotic experiments.

The Dead Must Die

New DailyMotion comedy/horror webseries set after the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse

"The Dead Must Die" is a new comedy/horror web series set after the inevitable ‘Zombie Apocalypse’.
It  launched, the 6th of May at 12am EST as an Official DailyMotion web series.
There are 7 zombie fueled episodes, which will be appearing once a week for the next 7 weeks.
It follows two video game geeks, Steve (Stephen Russell) and other Steve (Jonny Helm) as they navigate through the wild terrain of their long awaited (and often discussed) zombie apocalypse.
Unfortunately, neither of them is really prepared for the reality of the situation…
Through blizzards, anti-zombie hate mobs, sand-eating, creepy nameless ninja chicks, crossbows, and moms, our heroes shall venture forth into this new world, where there is only one thing they can be certain of: that the dead must die!
From its beginnings as an in-character Twitter account dealing with the zombie apocalypse, The Dead Must Die has developed into a full grown monster series with the aid of its award winning creator Matthew Snyman (www.matthewsnyman.com) and Digital Media Producer Alex Barkaloff (Lionsgate) and of course the lovely folks at DailyMotion.
Each episode has original art designed by a group of select
illustrators from around the world, and will be available for download each week.


About DailyMotion
As one of the leading sites for sharing videos, Dailymotion’s network of sites attracts over 93 million unique monthly visitors (source: comScore, February 2011) and one billion videos views worldwide. Dailymotion offers the best content from users, independent content creators and premium partners. Using the most advanced technology for both users and content creators, Dailymotion provides high-quality and HD video in a fast, easyto-use online service that also automatically filters infringing material as notified by content owners. Offering 32 localized versions, Dailymotion’s mission is to provide the best possible entertainment experience for users and the best marketing opportunities for advertisers, while respecting content protection. www.dailymotion.com

About Matthew Snyman
An award winning young filmmaker based in London who likes Zombies, Robots and Spaceships, in that order. His work includes commercials, short films, virals and now web series. His work has been shown at Times Square, The Houses of Parliament, and the White House. www.matthewsnyman.com
FILM | DESIGN | ANIMATION
www.matthewsnyman.com

An Interview with Actor and Producer Roberto Lombardi

Actor and Producer Roberto Lombardi

Lori:

I've seen that you're a musician; are you still an active one?

Roberto:
I still write and record music. Some of my music winds up on the soundtracks to my films, but I am not in a band anymore. I was in some incredible bands like “April Fool”, “The Rage” and “Road Trip”, but I don’t really have the time to dedicate to a band anymore. Those bands, plus “Red Sky” and “The End” are on iTunes.

Lori:

What instruments have you played in the past?

Roberto:
I started out playing drums (great stress relief!), then switched to bass which is now my primary instrument. I then took vocal lessons. I also dabble a little in guitar and keyboards.

Lori:

What was the thing that helped you choose to go into films?

Roberto:
I’ve always been attracted to acting and music. I was on an episode of a children’s tv show and acted in school plays while I was putting my first bands together. I love performing and acting allows me to become characters that are nothing like me. It’s like living someone else’s life for a while!

Lori:
Was adding acting to your resume an easy choice or an easy transition from being a musician?

Roberto:
I went the music route first then moved into acting. The transition was easy since I started out doing both, but to be really good at either music or acting is not easy. You have to honestly assess yourself and improve constantly or you never progress and get to be really good. I'm one of those people who always strives for more!

Roberto in Abduction

Lori:

Would you tell us about your favorite roles?

Roberto:
I’ve done quite a few projects with Chris .R. Notarile and my roles in “Escape from New Jersey” (Armando Barone) and “Kill or Be Killed” (Target) are favorites of mine. My role in “The Happening” was also a favorite because even though it was a featured role, I had a lot of screen time and it brought me some global recognition in a Hollywood film for the first time. Also, all three of those roles have me playing different types of people and I like that!

Roberto in The Happening

As Armando Barone in Escape From New Jersey

Lori:
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a producer?

Roberto:
By far, the most rewarding part of being a producer is when the project is finished and released! From announcing a project all through pre and post production, it’s very stressful! It’s also a constant learning experience. I've also been an assistant director, location scout and done makeup on my films.

Lori:
What is your most recent film "Stand Off" about?

Roberto:
I’m excited about “Stand Off”! It’s also Chris .R. Notarile’s film and about an elite group of four female bank robbers that masquerade as men. One of them rats the rest of the group out to the police and they wind up in a Mexican stand off! I play the cop that one of them helps to track the rest of the group to their hideout. This is another favorite role of mine!
http://www.blinky-productions.com/standoff.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814865/

Roberto in Stand Off

Lori:

Is there a genre that you particularly like acting in?

Roberto:
I am drawn to action, fantasy and horror as a fan, but I love bringing any character I play to life regardless of the genre. I am not interested in playing the same type of role in only one genre. I want to be as versatile as possible. As long as the script is good, I’m on board! I like being challenged as an actor, so if it's a romantic comedy or a gore fest I'm up for it!

Lori:
Would you comment on "Dead Collections" and when it is expected to be released?

Roberto:

Sure, John Orrichio’s “Dead Collections” is about a woman named Sara that loses her husband and her life unravels. After she moves in with her elderly uncle she discovers the house is haunted and that she is being stalked. It’s part ghost story and part drama/thriller. It has some amazing plot twists, ghost effects and scares. I play Thomas (another favorite role), the psychotic debt collector that’s after Sara. Look for it to be released in fall or winter this year.

www.imdb.com/title/tt1648964/

Lori:

Do you have any projects planned after "Dead Collections"?

Roberto:
Yes, I am in pre production on John Orrichio’s next project “Johnny Blue” which is a crime drama and am also working on “Extinction” which is a sci fi film. We have some amazing actors attached to these projects and both are on IMDb. I have some other projects that haven’t been announced yet, but I’ll be pretty busy!

Roberto Lombardi (links)

www.imdb.com/name/nm2287478/

www.myspace.com/robertobass

www.youtube.com/user/PacoPapo

LivingDeadMedia would like to thank Mr. Lombardi for taking time to interview with us.