A: Wow, that would take a very long time and a lot of writing. In a nutshell, I grew up in Chicago, a kid with a dream to someday get into the movie business. To help make that dream come true, I moved to Los Angeles and finished college taking film courses at the University of Southern California. And in the years following, I had various professions – from a rock musician to a writer to an actor and finally, and only relatively recently, as a movie director. There are many, many stories to tell along the way, but they could make several interviews in themselves. So let’s just move on?

          A: That could have several answers. You may know that, as a hobby in my younger days, I made amateur movies. In the mid-1960s four of those films – SPY SMASHER VS. THE PURPLE MONSTER, ROCKETMAN FLIES AGAIN, BATMAN AND ROBIN and CAPTAIN AMERICA BATTLES THE RED SKULL – got released to selected theatres, college campuses, even TV via the Chicago Center Co-Op. At the time these home movies were labeled “underground films.” The Rocketman movie was even made available to buy in 16mm and Super 8 sound from a company called Glen Photo Supply. So technically, that was my entrance into the business, although all of these were really amateur productions. If you mean what were my first professional script sales, around the time my book THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was at its hottest a friend recommended me to Tsuburaya Productions who wanted to make an all-American movie based on their popular Ultraman character. I wrote the script and was paid for it, but the movie, unfortunately, never got made. If you mean my first screen credit, that would be in my role as “dinosaur consultant” for Roger Corman’s first CARNOSAUR movie. But my first opportunity to direct was with DINOSAUR VALLEY GIRLS, for which I also wrote the script. Kevin Glover, with whom I’d already worked on several video projects, was approached by the Playboy Channel to make some sexy T&A movie. Kevin asked me if I’d like to get involved. You can guess my answer. It was I who suggested with tackle some fantasy or sci-fi project involving dinosaurs and babe. The title almost immediately popped into my head and the rest is (pre)history.

          A: First off, it’s not a ”softcore” movie like our previous four (and no, it’s NOT hardcore). Still sexy, yes, but we’ve gone off into a more respectable and mainstream direction with this one, hopefully attracting a bigger audience. Also, and I admit I’m a bit prejudiced here, but I sincerely believe it’s our best movie on every level. This is in no small way because of the input of my producer, the multi-talented Dan Golden.

          A: It was in my mind probably near the time that we finished the original MUMMY’S KISS. I’ve always loved those crossover movies where characters from different series meet – you know, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN, FREDDY VS. JASON, KING KONG VS. GODZILLA, etc. So I’d planned from very early on that my Countess Dracula and Mummy’s Kiss characters would eventually meet – which they do in BLOOD SCARAB.

          A: Nothing was really that difficult in BLOOD SCARAB. I had a mostly good crew and some good actors. If anything were more difficult, it would probably be the fight between vampire Elizabeth Bathory and the Mummy, which we shot the first day. It was more difficult because we had very little time, and so I couldn’t get all the coverage that you see in modern action movies. Also, our prop and make-up people were deficient in many ways and didn’t really accomplish the things I’d written into the script and believed we were going to shoot. By the time I did realize those things it was too late to bring in anyone else.

          A: You bet! When Monique so majestically stepped out of that robe and slid herself into that tub of artificial blood, and saw how that scene looked in the monitor, I said to myself, “I think we have a hit!”

          A: The next movie will be about female werewolves. I wrote first draft of the script several years ago and have been fine-tuning it ever since. However, I can’t even start to think seriously about this project until paying off the credit card that we used to pay for post-production. To make our theatrical premiere deadline in Chicago, I had to bite the bullet and put the post-production fees on plastic. I just couldn’t raise the balance of the movie. Now the movie is already selling well on DVD and I have yet to pay off on that card! Anybody out there want to invest in a movie?

         

Dinosaur Valley Girls?

          A: Vastly different from what I wrote in the original script, mainly because I had a lot of problems with some of the actresses regarding the topless scenes, and because my DP, although very good, was also very slow. Hence, a lot of what I’d planned on having in the movie never happened. But I learned a lot while making this movie, and some of the mistakes that were made were not made again.

The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula?

          A: We shot this one under the title SCARLET COUNTESS, which I’ve always preferred, and which I may use again once the DVD distribution rights (rites?) revert back to us a couple years down the road. This was our cheapest film to shoot and my first experience doing a “softcore” movie. But it was a big thrill working with big Bill Smith!

Countess Dracula's Orgy of Blood?

          A: Likewise, it was a huge thrill working with Paul Naschy, even though I had to direct him through an interpreter. Unfortunately, because my producer was trying to save me money, I agreed to some “cheap out” stuff I now wish I hadn’t. Also, I wasn’t happy with some of the casting, for which we only had one day! But all in all, I think there are some nice things in this movie, and working with Glori-Anne Gilbert was an adventure in itself!

The Mummy's Kiss?

          A: Maybe among my least favorites, for too many reasons to go into here, with a little too much producer interference. Also, some casting choices were made that I wish hadn’t been. But who am I to say? The movie proved to be quite popular, playing almost every week for two years on Cinemax.

The Mummy's Kiss: 2nd Dynasty?

          A: I like this one better than its predecessor, although I was not happy (again) with some of the casting, especially since we had so little time, or the production values. A lot of this movie looked cheaper than it should have, mostly because I went with a lesser art department. I had huge hopes for this movie that were not realized. But at least I was able to do the scene that was promised in the poster for THE MUMMY made by Hammer Films.

          A: I guess, seeing them now, I’m disappointed in just about all five of those movies. Because I remember what my original visions were for each of them. But when you’re shooting low budget on an extremely tight schedule (ORGY was shot in four and a half days!), you have to make compromises, some of which you later regret. The trick is to make each movie better than the last and to do your best within the limitations imposed upon you, mostly by budget and time.

          A: Well, there’s Denzel Washington, Johnny Depp, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Anthony Hopkins, and a few more. But I hear they’re all booked up.

          A: They must regard making movies as a day job, not a hobby … learn rejection very early on so that it rolls off one’s back … check out thoroughly anyone claiming to be an interested producer or director … never give up … and, maybe most important of all, move to Southern California.

          A: I want to keep on making the kinds of movies that I like to watch and make … keep the budgets low enough to make an impressive profit … and continue doing this until I drop dead one day (or night) on set.

          A: For too many specific reasons to explain here, some of the movies that had huge influence on me include THE WILD ONE, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, ONE MILLION B.C. (1940), KING KONG, THE THIRD MAN, BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, HOUDINI, others, and also some of the Republic serials, especially those with flying heroes like ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL and KING OF THE ROCKET MEN.

          A: Well I hope we’re talking about how well my werewolf movie turned out and how we’re into pre-production on my long-planned DINOSAUR VALLEY GIRLS sequel. I hope it’s NOT me still whining about trying to pay off post-production costs for BLOOD SCARAB.

          A: Something special? Well, I can do pretty good impressions of Walter Brennan and Lon Chaney, Jr., which I’ve recently put to good use as a voice-over actor. I now have a sideline dubbing Japanese animated movies into English. Otherwise, if they want to keep up with my current activities, they should check out my websites at http://www.frontlinefilms.com and http://www.donaldfglut.com.

          A: You’re indeed welcome and thank you, too!