Interview: Catching Up With Director David DeCoteau

And make no mistake, DeCoteau is a legend. No matter what you think of the dozens upon dozens of genre films of every budgetary persuasion he has made in his over 30 years in the business, the man lives for making movies and that passion oozes out of him.

This is the guy who has made everything from the amazing SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA to the lovable CREEPOZOIDS to…A TALKING CAT!?

Yes.

DeCoteau made that now infamous children’s film that, when I showed it to my 3 year old, he very slowwwly turned his head and gave me the worst stink-eye in stink-eye history.

Bad David keeps going. Via his Rapid Heart Pictures imprint, he’s making a glut of Lifetime movies at the moment and still spitting out his series of numerically preceded male-centric horror thrillers for the gay market as well as a series of fun, frothy exploitation films perfect for hazy Friday nights.

Wildly diverse. Super talented. And probably the most interesting, hilarious and anecdote-heavy dude I’ve ever met.

DeCoteau will be appearing at the upcoming DAYS OF THE DEAD convention in Burbank, Calirfornia. And when he alerted us to this appearance, it made sense to play catch-up a bit and see what’s what in his endlessly wild world.

Here’s Dave.

SHOCK: You’ve made over 100 films, maybe more that I don’t know about. Do you lose track? Can you account for all of them?

DDC: Oh, jeez…I lost track at about the 100 mark, I think. My assistant said to me the other day “I think you’ve reached 130 features as a director”. I guess that sounds about right (laughs).

SHOCK: I’m sure you’ve had feasts and famine in this business. How hard is it to stay in the game in this treacherous modern media terrain?

DDC: It’s all about perseverance. This is all I know how to do, so I just don’t stop. I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. And feast or famine is what most people in this business experience, it seems. But at the end of the day, no matter what, I’m just grateful I get to do what I love.

SHOCK: Like any good prolific indie filmmaker jumping genres, you have a whole mess of pseudonyms. How do you choose the names? Does each one have a story?

DDC: Its funny, really. I think this is the only business that seems to judge you negatively when you work too much. So, back in the ’80s I started using various pseudonyms and then, when I joined the DGA, I had to use an alternate name if the project was not signatory to the guild. So, Julien Breen, Jack Reed, Ellen Cabot and all the others…they are just names I came up with on the spot.

SHOCK: Which film do you think is your most creatively successful?

DDC: Hmm…either LEATHER JACKET LOVE STORY or SKELETONS.

SHOCK: How about commercially?

DDC: Probably THE BROTHERHOOD or VOODOO ACADEMY.

SHOCK: Okay, what’s your WORST film?

DDC: (Laughs) Probably the film I’m most known for. I’ll let you guess…(we presume it’s A TALKING CAT?!…it has to be A TALKING CAT?! -ed)

SHOCK: What projects are you primarily pushing these days?

DDC: A lot! I have 4 new feature films coming out in October for the Halloween season. EVIL EXHUMED is a mummy movie starring Eric Roberts, shot on Vancouver Island. 666: TEEN WARLOCK is a sexy comedy starring POWER RANGERS’ Hilary Shepard and Jason Faunt. SORORITY SLAUGHTERHOUSE is a “possessed killer clown doll in a sorority” horror flick starring Eric Roberts, Jessica Morris and Jean Louise O’Sullivan. And the exclusive announcement today, ASIAN GHOST STORY, starring Cynthia Rothrock, which we just wrapped yesterday.

I’ve also closed a Blu-ray deal with Vinegar Syndrome who is currently remastering three of my Linnea Quigley ’80s flicks from the original camera negatives. NIGHTMARE SISTERS, DEADLY EMBRACE and MURDER WEAPON. All 3 of these titles will also be released on limited edition VHS with the relaunching of my old Cinema Home Video label.

I’m VERY excited by the Blu-ray release of SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA from Full Moon Features as well. The original camera negative is being restored now and it looks amazing.

I just love to work and keep working and I’ll do it till the end of my days!

Come and meet Dave DeCoteau at DAYS OF THE DEAD on April 2nd and 3rd. He’ll be hanging at the Full Moon booth with a surprise Scream Queen or two.

Say hello and soak in some of his stories.

They’re wild.

In the meantime…