Tell us who you are and what you do: My name is James Dean and I am an indie filmmaker. I own and operate Monster Kid Productions LLC.
In regards to your new movie, Fountaine and the Vengeful Nun Who Wouldn’t Die, without spoiling anything, give us a brief description of the film. Mary, The Maniac Nun must battle through gangs of thugs, a corrupt Church and even a few Nazis to bring her sister's killer to light and make them pay for her overdose.
So I think I can say, without spoiling anything, that parts of the film take place in a church. How did you arrange that? Because I can’t imagine the congregation knew what kind of scenes or movie that you were shooting. We found a church in rural Missouri that was no longer affiliated with the Catholic Church. In short like most things to do with indie film, it was very tough to acquire.
The film has a lot of action. Some of the martial arts looks legit as far as technique goes. I’m thinking specifically of Brian Davis. And Ron Clower does a pretty impressive spinning leap over a bad guy. Did anyone on the crew have martial training or were they just actors good at selling it? Brian Davis and Jaclyn Rachelle Tripp, "The Master" and "Lee" both hold black belts in martial arts. Brian also owns and operates Logic Martial Arts and does stunt and fight choreography professionally. He helped with the training for every fight in the movie.
Fontaine seemed influenced by several different “exploitation” films and genres. What were some of the films that served as inspiration? Fountaine was inspired by a lot of films. Lady Snowblood was a massive inspiration along with Thriller: A Cruel Picture. There are also touches of so many other films. Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS, School Of the Holy Beast, Ms 45 and many, many others.
The term “exploitation film” doesn’t get applied to many films today, but if Fountaine had been made in the 70s or 80s, it would have probably been called an exploitation film. Would you label it as such, and what does the term “exploitation film” mean to you? As much as i dislike labels in general I'm happy when someone refers to Fountaine as an exploitation film. It’s my love letter to the genre.
For folks who aren’t familiar with exploitation, on the surface the films may just seem like gratuitous sex and violence. How would you explain, to the uninitiated, the value of films like Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, or Foxy Brown? This is a tough one. I think you really have to dig into the history of film in general. Each sub genre of exploitation has quite a bit to say and explore. On one level exploitation films were made to keep eyes glued to the screen, but on the other hand most of them have a lot to say about the culture and time they are being created in.
Lets talk about nunsploitation, the sub-genre of exploitation movies involving nuns. How familiar are you with that genre and are there any movies that you’d recommend? Nunsploitation. I won't say that I know every single movie in the sub genre but I have seen quite a few. One of my favorites is School of the Holy Beast.( It is difficult to track down, but worth it). I love Killer Nun because it was my first nunsploitation. Alucarda (1977) is also a must see!
Fountaine was your first feature length film. What are some lessons that you learned from making it? This is a tough question. I learned how to make a film. Before Fountaine I made aprox 7 or 8 short films and a few skits. You only become stronger at something when you do it. I learned how to make a film.
Without spoiling anything, what was something that you did that definitely worked that you’ll do again in your next film, and what was something that definitely did not work? Some things that worked well were planning cuts and the edit in advance. It allowed me to be creative with the storytelling and the way it was being told. With our new film "Absolution" I concentrated much more on the acting, pacing and story telling and left more on set management and planning to the department heads.
For the technically minded, can you tell us what you used to make the film as far as how you shot it, editing software etc. We shot mostly on a Canon C200 super 35 mm camera with L series glass. I edited and color graded the film in Davinci Resolve
In regards to casting, how do you decide who to cast and was there anything that anyone did in the casting process that sold you on them playing a certain part? The lead Mary (Mallory Stern) is a close friend. We have played D & D together for years. The part of Mary was wrote for her. The other casting took some time to come together. We held multiple rounds of casting and actually had to recast Lee at one point.
Fountaine is available on streaming but you also put it out on Blu-ray. For people who may have grown up after the video store era, or for people who don’t see the value of owning a hardcopy anymore, can you explain the value of physical media. The Blu Rays have extra features. Outtakes, BTS footage and also Commentary with myself, Mallory Stern and Brian Davis. Additionally to all of those extras, physical media is the best way to support us and indie filmmaking.
Are there any older films that you wish would get the digital remastered treatment? Or maybe some films that are in danger of being lost if they aren’t preserved? One unfortunate side effect of filmmaking for me is how limiting it has been [for me] consuming movies. There are a lot of boutique labels really killing it lately. A few that I'd love to see released, I'm pretty sure Brain Dead/ Dead Alive still doesn't have a Blu release in the US. Also School of the Holy Beast would be great on physical.
Streaming has been a boon to independent film makers because it makes it easier to get your product to the audience. On the other hand it’s made it easier for everyone. There is an ocean of new content out there making it harder than ever to get noticed. What can a film maker do to stand out in this new streaming landscape? This is a tough question. I am still learning how to market myself and Monster Kid Productions. I think being genuine and reaching out to other creators is a great first step. Engaging with others around common interest (horror, genre) films is a step in the right direction. Supporting other indie filmmakers is a must also!
OK, the next few questions are just a chance to geek out about movies. 2022 is drawing to a close. What’s your favorite new movie that you’ve seen this year and why? Another tough one because I haven’t seen a lot. Barbarian may stand out as my current favorite film of 2022.
If you could work with any film maker, actor or director or whatever, past or present, who would it be and why? Akira Kurosawa. Even though I have only seen a few of his films I am constantly drawn in. He demands that I pay attention. He commands the frame in a way that I don't know I've seen many other filmmakers pull off.
So Fountaine is in your rearview mirror. When
can folks expect your next film? We just wrapped principal photography on
"Absolution." Synopsis:
"A Vietnam veteran's chance encounter with a brutal street gang sends him
down a path of vengeance." But if you are a movie buff I'd say its 75
percent Blue Ruin, 25 percent Death WIsh 3
If someone wants to see Fountaine, where can they stream it? Fountaine is streaming on multiple platforms. Tubi Tvis currently the most friendly towards filmmakers. It’s also on Amazon Prime and Troma Now on Nov 1st.
And if they want to get a hardcopy? https://www.monsterkidfilms.com/
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