Thursday 15 November 2012

THE FACTORY DOORS ARE OPEN FOR BLOODY BUSINESS: AN INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN WOLFE AND DOLL FACTORY PRESS RELEASE!


Doll Factory, an upcoming killer toy flick written and directed by Stephen Wolfe, commenced principal Photography back in February 2012 and is now knee deep in Post Production. Great news for us horror fans who I am sure will be chomping at the bit for some new murderous doll action! Please read on for some more info on the film, some stills AND an exclusive interview with the man behind the mayhem himself, Stephen Wolfe!



“Doll Factory” is the story of a small town besieged by possessed killer baby dolls and the group of teenagers fighting for the souls of the townspeople.
“We’re excited to see it come to life,” said Wolfe, going on to say, “this story is a twisted, over the top horror comedy about a group of teenagers that inadvertently brings killer baby dolls to life.” “After reading the script for Doll Factory, I knew it had to be our next film,” said Andy Palmer, Executive Producer/’Melvin’, “and it made the perfect follow-up after Midnight Abyss.”


“Doll Factory” is a co-production between Fan Fiction Cinema, LLC and Barton Ct. Productions. The movie stars Justin Herman (Barton Police), Nicole Elliott (Abel’s Field), Andy Palmer (Midnight Abyss), Patrick Sane (Czech Beautiful) and Deke Anderson (Green Lantern). Practical Special FX, Visual FX and the Yegor character design are all being created by DWN Productions. JBD Designs is responsible for creating the titular dolls.




Hacked in the Head: Hi Stephen! Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I have been excited about your upcoming horror film 'Doll Factory' since I first learnt of it. I love me a killer toy horror film so I wondered firstly what can fans expect from it?

Stephen Wolfe: Doll Factory is definitely a throwback to the heyday of 1970's/80's horror but played more as a campy horror/comedy. It's a fun little ride packed with plenty of blood, gore and doll mayhem!

HitH: What do you think you might bring to the table that differs from other movies in the animated doll sub genre?

SW: Well I think what makes Doll Factory stand out amongst other killer doll movies is that it doesn't restrict itself to just one thing. It really does branch off into many different directions which I think helps set it apart. From the over-the-top death scenes to the crazy characters in it, I feel there are elements that makes Doll Factory a truly unique and entertaining experience! 

HitH; That's awesome, over the top death scenes and crazy characters are the making of many a decent horror movie. I would also love to hear how the idea for Doll Factory came about and your main influences for the film?

SW: The idea behind Doll Factory was actually conjured up playing a horror themed video game with some friends of mine. The game featured a level called the Doll Factory where these creepy dolls would walk around like zombies and explode if you touched them. Well that's where the initial idea came from. It really was nothing more than a inside joke for awhile until I started playing with idea of making a fake trailer for it. I wanted to do it very 1970's grind house style and make it over the top and campy. Eventually I got to do it for a film class in college and it actually turned out to be a hit! So after awhile, the decision was made to turn the concept into a feature film. Doll Factory is heavily influenced from popular franchises like Evil Dead, Gremlins, Puppet Master and Child's Play.

HitH: Fantastic...and I will be looking into that game, I have never heard of it!!! Could you tell us a bit about the Doll Factory cast and what kind if characters we can expect to see?

SW: As mentioned earlier, Doll Factory is filled with crazy and over the cop characters ranging from a really funny cop duo to a grumpy old man that has a Santa Claus beard glued to his face because of a Halloween costume malfunction! This film was a great experience because I got to work with such a talented cast that really brought these characters to life in ways I never could of imagined!

HitH: Finally: how's post production coming along? Although its early days what kind of release plans do you have in mind?

SW: Post-Production is coming along great! We have a locked cut of the film and are now in the early stages of visual effects. In about a week or so we should be locking down a music composer and a post sound mixer for the project. We are currently looking to finish the film sometime towards the end of January!

HitH: That sounds great, what a rewarding way to kick off 2013! I see you also have several other projects under your belt. Would you like to tell fans a bit about your Psychological horror film Midnight Abyss? Also how about the segment you directed in Evil Deeds 2 'The Hermit'?

SW: Midnight Abyss was a micro budget feature film I did back in 2010. It started out as a short film but ended up being turned into a feature later on. It's a psychological horror about a kid that watches a scary vampire movie and begins thinking that the vampire is real and out to get him. It plays on that primal fear of imagining there's something after you, when in reality it's just your mind making up things. However, in Midnight Abyss, we kind of blurs the lines of what's real and what's make believe!

Evil Deeds 2 was a anthology horror film I collaborated on with filmmaker Matt Spease back in 2009. I shot the wraparound segment which involves a creepy old hermit who finds this young couple camping out in the middle of the woods and begins telling them the different short stories. We shot it over one night with nothing more than a man made fire and a MiniDV camera. It was interesting to do because Matt lives in a different state so I only shot the inserts for the young couple and he shot the inserts with Hermit and then spliced them all together.


HitH: What do you love most about working working in the film industry Stephen and similarly what are some if the downfalls?

SW: The core of my passion in filmmaking is and will always be telling stories. Ever since I was kid, drawing in my notebooks or playing with my action figures, I was always making up really elaborate stories. The other aspect I really enjoy is the collaboration with a team of people that specialize in all different fields behind and in front of the camera. To watch all these different elements come together to bring a vision to life is just indescribable! Of course there are tons of hazards with filmmaking, I mean it's a big gamble to begin with and nothing ever goes exactly how you plan it.


HitH: Is there any advice you give anyone out there interested in getting into filmmaking? Particularly within the independent horror genre?

SW: I would say just don't give up on it, it takes a lot of dedication and time but if you stick with it and are really passionate about it, you will see results...eventually! Just be sure to involve yourself with as many projects as you can and always make sure to learn from your mistakes. Also, connections are essential so make sure to network your ass off!

HitH: I would also love to know about your all time favourite horror movies? Also any you particularly don't enjoy?

SW: My favourite horror movies have and will always be the classic Universal monster films. Those were the films that made me fall in love with the genre. The first horror film I ever watched was the classic Frankenstein and I remember just being mesmerized by it! I love all sorts of horror films though, from the popular slasher franchises like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street to really campy ones like Leprechaun. If I had to single out something that I don't really care for, it would be that wave of PG13 remakes that were really popular for awhile.

HitH: Ahem...'Prom Night' remake..ahem....Finally Stephen, is there anything further you want to share with fans about your work? And the very best of luck with Doll Factory!

SW: For anyone interested in keeping up to date with the progress of Doll Factory, be sure to add us on Facebook at facebook.com/dollfactorymovie. I'm also currently involved with a new creative blog called FanboyFilmmaker that is producing original genre-based content imbedded in pop culture. You can find more about that at FanboyFilmmaker.com or our Facebook page

Thank you Stephen for a great interview! Keep an eye out for more news on Doll Factory as I get it!



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