Jim Wynorski Interview: Attack of the 50 Foot Cam Girl

If you’re a fan of B-movies and exploitation flicks, nobody probably does them better than Jim Wynorski. He has been making films since the early 1980s and has over 150 movies under his belt. He just recently joined forces with Charles Band and Full Moon Features on Attack of the 50 Foot Cam Girl and, as hard it is to believe, it’s the first time they have worked together as Wynorski has pretty much worked with all the exploitation producers you can think of.

Attack of the 50 Foot Cam Girl follows Beverly Wood, one of the biggest stars on social media. She is the admiration of millions of fans who subscribe to her sexy cam shows and by her various products. Everyone seems to love her…except her husband, who is secretly plotting to take Beverly down and take over her online empire forever. Beverly soon becomes an even bigger force when her latest and untested brand, “Unholy Meat-rimony”, gives her gargantuan size and sets her up for a journey of revenge.

The film is right in Wynorski’s lane and it’s a fun watch for fans of B-movies and exploitation flick, particuarly the films made by Wynorski. I had the chance to speak with the director about his new film, if he has any plans on retiring, his thoughs on 1986’s Chopping Mall still resonating with horror films and more!

You can read the interview below and you can check out Attack of the 50 Foot Cam Girl at Full Moon Features!

As a fan of a lot of your work, I had a blast watching Attack of the 50 Foot Cam Girl. This film allowed you to team up with Charles Band and Full Moon Features on this project and I was wondering how long has this collaboration been in the works and what was it like to come together on this particular film?

We started talking about it in mid-November.  The plan was to start shooting in December, but Covid and Christmas snuck up and got in the way.  Finally pushed it to January 6th.   Since I’ve already worked with all the other exploitation producers, it was an honor to finally come full circle with Charlie Band’s company after all these years in the business.

Kent Roudebush serves as a writer on this film and I was wondering what was the collaboration like between you and him? Was he heavily involved with you in crafting a lot of the film or was it like, this is being directed by Jim Wynorski, let me just let him do his thing?

Kent wrote a fun original script, but it was too involved to make on a low budget…so I had to make some changes to keep within the Full Moon budget constraints.  

I read that Ivy Smith made her film debut on Attack of the 50 Foot Cam Girl, playing Beverly Wood. I really thought she nailed the tone of the project. I wanted to ask you, with films like Chopping Mall you got to work with some pretty famous ladies of the genre like Mary Woronov, Kelli Maroney, Barbara Crampton, and Karrie Emerson, how did Ivy stand up with some of those ladies, and what was it like working with her?

Ivy was gung-ho from the beginning.  I had to mold and shape her performance on set, as sometimes she’d forget what her character should be thinking and doing.   But on the plus side, she’s gorgeous, wants to succeed and looks great in the nude.

Now that you’ve worked with Charles Band and Full Moon Features, will we be seeing more projects from you guys in the future?

The plan is to make five or six more films within the next year.  CAMGIRL 2 is already underway for a June start.

I love that throughout your career you have blended horror and exploitation so well. Arguably, you’re one of the best to do it. I wanted to ask since you got your start through today, how has your particular genre of filmmaking changed? Do you think there was a Golden Age for this kind of filmmaking or do you think there are voices, such as your own, that have kept B-movie horror alive in the best way possible?

Some fads came and went, but if you make a good film, people will come to see it

I love that we’re still getting films from you in 2022. Do you ever see yourself slowing down at all or are you still just as passionate about filmmaking today and want to keep going as long as you can?

I’ve been in the business for 42 years.  It will take an Act of God to stop me.  But in my twisted mind, I think the good Lord enjoys a good B-flick here and there; so he lets me persist.

I’m a huge fan of Chopping Mall and  I was watching the documentary In Search of Darkness with a friend and when that film was featured, I discovered he hadn’t seen it and I immediately had to introduce it to him. Of course, fans of yours are well acquainted with the film but are you surprised that it continues to be discovered today and what does that mean to you as the creative mind behind it?

I’m glad people like it and gravitate to it again and again.  It certainly has a life of its own.  I’m happy you enjoy it so much.  Thanks for the interview.