Interview w/ Dimitri Vegas

We’ve been talking a lot about zombies around HMF lately, and with good reason. George C. Romero, announced “Rise of the Living Dead” and not long after that gave his first casting announcement. Globally known DJ (and one of the people behind Tomorrowland), Dimitri Vegas, would be taking the role of Edmond. Well, thanks to Cameron (George C. Romero) and Dimitri, we have a short interview. So without further waiting, lets get to the interview with Dimitri.

 

Horror Movie Freaks: What is your favorite Horror Movie?

Dimitri Vegas: Hmm… that’s a tricky one. I grew up in the glorious 80s so there’s just too many to pick from…  I think one that made a big impact on me & my brother is ‘Child’s Play’. Especially BEFORE we actually got to see it! Our granddad used to work in one of those old outdoor movie theaters in Greece… and they had a huge Chucky poster hanging. The one with the doll & the scissors… the second one I think – scared the s*** out of us. That poster and watching ‘Critters’ that summer made us look under the bed before going to sleep for months…

HMF: What is your favorite film from the “Living Dead Saga”?

DV: The original stays timeless !!

HMF: You’re known everywhere for being one of the top DJs in the world. How do you think that success and following will move with you into more film work?

DV: Well it’s especially a time-management thing – shooting movies while touring the world… but I’m very dedicated and some very cool parts are about to be announced so it’s all very exciting and new.

HMF: Rise of the Living Dead is your debut in Horror. What can you tell us about your role in Rise as Edmond?

DV: Not too much without getting into trouble haha… but it’s a very cool part and can’t wait to start filming.

HMF: How do you plan to prepare for the role of Edmond?

DV: I always try to get in character as much as I can… which is a very interesting one for this movie

HMF: How does it feel to be the first official cast announced for the film?

DV: It’s a big honor for me. It’s such a legacy to be part of and reactions have been really great – from music-fans to horror-fans so I want to make everyone proud!

HMF: Without revealing too much, what were your initial thoughts when you were approached with this project, before and after reading the script?

DV: It’s really going to surprise people and relaunch the saga in a very exciting way.

HMF: There has been a little bit of backlash by hardcore “Dead” fans about this prequel. Are you a fan of the series? Where do you stand on this topic?

DV: It would be weird if there was no backlash… people always have something to say. It would have been worse if no one spoke about it. It means people care about the property and it’s up to George and us to surprise the haters and deliver a great movie.

HMF: How do you feel you’ll do if a zombie apocalypse broke today? How long do you think you’ll survive and why?

DV: Very good question… Guess it kinda depends where in the world we would be when it happens but it think me & my brother would do fine! Finally gives me a reason to use that huge Game Of Thrones ‘longclaw’ sword I got hanging on the wall…

HMF: For anyone out there who wants to make their way into the worlds of film or music, what words of wisdom do you have to impart?

DV: Dedication is everything… never give up and follow your dreams. It can take a long time to achieve something and there’s never a guarantee to success… but if you don’t pursue it you’ll never know.

 

Thank you again to Dimitri Vegas for taking the time to sit down and answer a few questions. We at HMF are going to be following “Rise of the Living Dead” very closely, so keep an eye out here for more news on the next installment of the “Living Dead” films we love so dear.

 

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Zombies: The Undead That Will Not Die

Zombies in film have been a thing since 1932 with Victor Halperin’s White Zombie (Widely considered the first Zombie film).  We won’t be looking that far back.  We will be focusing on the genre since it was defined in 1968.

 

Once upon a time in 1968, a man named George A. Romero brought to life and even defined a genre of horror that to this day, has captured our imaginations and fed our fears.  The Zombie genre.  You see, George had no idea at the time, that we would be looking back 50 years later on his work and proclaiming it’s greatness and its transformative power on the world of film.  He had no idea that there would even be a “Dawn of the Dead”, “Day of the Dead, or any other film.  No idea we would have remakes upon remakes of the original vision he had with John Russo and “Night of the Living Dead”.  What was started in 1968 however, has grown, like the hordes of the undead we see on the screen.

 

Hundreds of films have been made around these creatures over the last Fifty years and they have been all over the place.  Everything from Gore Soaked horror, to romantic comedies and everything you can think of in between.  We haven’t run out of ideas and situations to pit people against the undead yet, and it looks like this train has no plan of stopping any time soon.  I think its this reason, that zombies have remained in the spotlight so much since the 1990 remake of “Night of the Living Dead”, starring Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman (Ben and Barbra respectively).  There is something almost self-defeating and thoroughly terrifying about humanity having to fight its own risen dead.

 

Since 1968, we have seen a series of films, a loose spin-off, an explosion of art, music, clothing, games and so much more.  After Fifty years, why wouldn’t there be?  Fifty years…zombies are still going stronger than vampires, werewolves, aliens and almost every other creepy crawly out there combined.  Now with all that already going on, there is no way it could get better right?  Wrong!  So very wrong.

 

As I’m writing this, there is a small group of people, led by George C. Romero, who are working on a project known as “Romero’s Deadverse“. The “Deadverse” is described best by Cameron (George C. Romero). “The Deadverse is a very cool place full of love for George A. Romero, everything he created and everything I am working to carry into the future. At its root, this is the simplest explanation.

Upon a deeper dive into the “Deadverse”, your trip down the rabbit hole will introduce you to the phenomenon that has grown to global epidemic proportions. Whether you are new to the world of zombies or if you’re a seasoned fan with the most die hard of commitments to this world, you will find a place designed to finally pay the proper respect to the Godfather of the modern zombie, and my father, George A. Romero.” The “Deadverse” is also home to information on the next steps in the “Living Dead Saga” created by George A. Romero.  His son Cameron will be filming the next installment, titled “Rise of the Living Dead”. Along with the film, will also be a Table Top RPG, that will allow you, my dear Freaks, to enter into the world of the undead. Not just any world though. The world created by George A. Romero.

 

For Fifty years, we’ve seen Vampires come and go, werewolves as well, but zombies have been a massive constant. They’re not going anywhere anytime soon. The fact that the Romero legacy is in the more than capable hands of Cameron, leaves me feeling hopeful for the shambling corpses of our fallen in the future of film.

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Hollywood Vs. The Indie Filmmaker

These days we have so many big budget blockbuster films hitting us at every angle, that the true unseen genius passes us by almost without a thought. The art of independent film making has turned into the last bastion of true original content for filmmakers, and those of us who want to see something more original. Don’t get me wrong, the Superhero Blockbusters and Science Fiction Epics are fantastic to watch and experience, but the love of originality is fading from Hollywood. The suits in Hollywood would rather latch onto a title that has already been made once, or onto a Comic Book or some other form of written word for their next film, instead of looking to those in the Indie world for new and original content.

 

We have filmmakers out there however, like George Cameron Romero, Michael Junkin, Matthew Ward, Conrad Faraj, Itai Guberman, Kyle Hester and so many others, that see the issue and are all working towards bringing more new and original content to the people. I for one cannot wait. Cameron Romero, just announced “Rise of the Living Dead”, a prequel to 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead”, which was filmed by his father George A. Romero. Cameron aims to show us a film that is right up there with Night, and with George A. Romero, calling the script “genius”,  I think it is a safe bet that that will be exactly what we get. Matthew Ward just wrapped on his latest Feature film, “The Rave”. He had Conrad Faraj (“Little Thieves”, “The Colours of Desire”, “You Will Go Darker”) working on Camera, and Michael Junkin as his Second Assistant Director. I for one was on set for several scenes and I can say “The Rave” Will be a true Indie offering. Michael Junkin is as well writing shorts and features and I am quiet sure they will be excellent stories brought to film.

 

So what is an Independent Film and what is a Hollywood Blockbuster? The main difference comes down to budget and resources. A Hollywood film can get upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars and all the resources they need, just a phone call away, while Indie filmmakers have more obstacles to deal with. Obstacles like having to crowdfund your entire film project, or endless meetings trying to find investors to help reach the budget as well. Once you get the budget, there is still the fight of getting everything you need together. The cast, the cameras, lights, audio recording gear, the list goes on and on. So a Hollywood film can get a massive budget and a nice length of time to film in, while an Indie project may only get a few thousand dollars and have to film everything in 14 days. The challenges offered to Indie Filmmakers, means they are going to pour more heart and soul into their production than most Hollywood films would even attempt today.

 

One of the biggest areas for Indie Film making falls in the Horror Genre and there is no shortage of ideas out there. Its getting them filmed and distributed that is the biggest obstacle. An obstacle I see several filmmakers dealing with for whatever projects they are working on. You can find an active GoFundMe for Kyle Hester’s “Preacher Six” at the Preacher Six GoFundMe you can even find a Patreon account where you can learn and get tips from George Cameron Romero over at George Cameron Romero’s Patreon, where getting in on one of these would be a great thing for any budding filmmaker.

 

You want to know the great thing about Crowdfunding an Independent film? Its a way for the little guy, the viewer, YOU to get in on the ground floor of a movie! Depending on the level you pay in on the film, you can get all kinds of sweet benefits. Name in Special Thanks, your own Producer Credit listed on IMDb, walk on rolls, speaking parts, signed copies of scripts and so much more. Now, I’m not telling you to not watch your favorite Superhero, or to go enjoy a couple of hours watching dog fights in space between awesome star fighters. I’m merely suggesting you take some time and go outside of your comfort zone and watch an Indie film. You might be surprised how a film that only took $5,000.00 can touch you even deeper than a $50,000,000.00 film can.

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