Last Updated on July 28, 2021
ARROW IN THE HEAD
INTERVIEWS
JAKE WEST
To some
writer/director Jake West burst on the scene with RAZOR BLADE SMILE, for me,
he caught my full attention with his new blast of a splatter flick, EVIL
ALIENS. Jake and I got the chance to rumble and here’s what he had to
say about Evil Aliens, his Pumkinhead sequel, a possible Evil Aliens 2 and
more!
Congratulations on the success of Evil Aliens Jake! Did you expect it to get
that warm of a reaction from horror fans and press?
Thanks, and it’s
always an unexpectedly pleasant surprise as a filmmaker when people react
strongly to your work. You always hope it’s going to work with your intended
audience so when it does it’s a bloody delight, literally in this case! And
if audiences after watching the film having been entertained and with a
smile on their faces, I think the film has done its job. If they come out
bitter and angry that it hasn’t address any social concerns or issues, they
probably shouldn’t have gone to see a film called Evil Aliens!
What
was the initial spark that got the EVIL ALIENS idea brewing in your head?
Well
everyone else was making Zombie movies and I thought Aliens just make the
perfect bad guys… I did a lot of research and it struck me that any
intelligent life that has the technology to cross the galaxy just so they
can mutilate cattle, dish out anal probes and only ever be seen by highly
un-credible witnesses must be plain evil!
How
long did it take you to write the screenplay?
Nearly
a year.
Any
alcohol involved in the writing of the script? If so, what kind?
Chateau Margeaux ’53. You can only really write this sort of stuff quaffing
a vintage.
I
respect that! Was it always your intention to have the film be a pseudo love
letter to Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste and Dead Alive? Or did that just happen?
No the
film was absolutely intended as a love letter to the great splatstick films
that I was lucky enough to grow up with, and see at the cinema. I thought
Evil Aliens was the perfect premise for a balls to the wall splatter flick
that harkened back into that 80’s mindset where splatstick flicks did things
you just plain couldn’t believe. I wanted to create a feeling of jaw
dropping lunacy – a feeling that anything could happen at any moment and
that I wouldn’t shy away from ever being afraid of going too far. I think
one of the reasons a lot of filmmakers shy away from really having a go at
this kind of splatstick material is they censor themselves and are afraid of
getting into a juvenile mindset…because let’s face it serious movie
critics are generally not very indulgent or kind to this sort of material.
But hey that’s one of life’s punishments for having no sense of humor!
Once
on set how would you describe the shoot? Smooth sailing or tough as nails?
A real
tough shoot. We were on a low budget and that means a small crew working
very long hours…and complicated splatter gags take a long time to set up and
it’s very sticky and uncomfortable and cold. Lot’s of night shoots, lot’s of
stress, very little sleep. You have to be very organized and we had a great
line producer in Tim Dennison, and we were lucky enough to have a great
investor. Quentin Reynolds who supported my vision for the film – plus some
very up for it actors. Believe me there were no moaning luvvies on the Evil
Aliens set!
What
would say was the more difficult scene for you to pull off?
The
combine harvester scene was the most dangerous – especially as the guys in
the Alien Helmets couldn’t see where they were going – but in terms of
logistics and planning it was actually the liquid manure tank sequence that
was the toughest to realize because we needed a floodable set and a lot of
er liquid shit. Nice!
Any
funny on set mishaps you care to share with us?
Lots
of shouting “action”, and watching the Alien performers running off
completely in the wrong direction – often into a nearby tree.
Looking back any regrets? What would you do different with more time and
money?
No
regrets, and with more money and more time everything would have been even
bigger and better. However in reality you have to work with the resources
you have – for instance we had 150 digital FX shots in the picture which
were done by one person and composite by me. We had 5 PC’s in a render farm
in my flat. Now some people will complain about the digital FX in the
picture and with more money they would of course been better, and we’d have
had a whole ILM type team of people on it – but would that have been such an
achievement?
I have
to ask because enquiring minds want to know (i.e. me). With both Emily Booth
and Jodie Shaw in your film why no tit shot from either one of them?
Specially when taking into account that they’ve done nudity before.
Simply
that they didn’t want to do any….and as you rightly say we’ve seen that from
them before….but by gosh that Alien Queen surely makes up for that in my
book!
I’m
all for an Evil Aliens Part 2, are you?
Yes if
the audience wants it I’d think about it…and have a few twisted ideas – but
they would require a somewhat bigger budget so we’ll see. Also lets see if
there’s any demand for a sequel after it’s gone out on DVD, as that’s after
all where the majority of people are going to be exposed to it’s charms!
The U.K. DVD release is being handled by Universal and is out on September
25th – plus there’s loads of great extras on the disc. So fans if
you lap it up and want a sequel – let it be known!
What’s
next on your plate? Any future projects lined up?
Well
I’ve just directed the third part in the Pumpkinhead franchise – it’s called
“Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes” and is a true sequel to the first film and
has absolute respect for the mythology that Stan Winston laid out in the
original. Horror fans should be delighted to know we have Lance Henriksen
and Doug Bradley in the film, with creature duties being handled by Gary J.
Tunnicliffes “Two Hours in the Dark” company. I’m currently in post
production on that and it’s coming together beautifully. The film will
premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel in the States this Halloween as they
co-financed the picture. It may have a limited theatrical release in other
territories before going to DVD.
What
was the first drink that you consumed at the Evil Aliens wrap party?
Oh a Pan Galactic Gargle
Blaster of course! Thanks for the interview – keep the faith and watch the
sky!
I’d like to thank Jake for
the hoot that was Evil Aliens and for pit stopping at the site. Keep kicking
that ass bro!
READ THE ARROW’S REVIEW OF EVIL ALIENS HERE
VISIT THE OFFICIAL EVIL ALIENS SITE HERE
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