Q: Can you please give my readers a brief background on yourself?

          A: Ryan Cavalline – Filmmaker History

Award winning filmmaker Ryan Cavalline: At the age of 18 Ryan formed his own production team called 4th Floor Pictures. In the fall of 2002, Ryan’s first full length feature ‘Serial Killer’ was completed and received high praises from b-movie critics. Cavalline followed up 'Serial Killer' with the horror/action splatter ‘Demon Slaughter’ (2003), ‘Dead Body Man’ (2003) which won the 2004 Screaming Stoner Award for best horror/comedy, ‘Day of the Ax’ (2004) which also won first place at the Cleveland Indy Gathering for best horror movie, Dead Body Man 2 (2005), ‘House of Carnage’ (2006). Also in (2006) Cavalline completed the ‘Aspiring Psychopath’ which won the polished apple award for – Best use of Violence/Gore in a movie. ‘Dead Body Man Chronicles’ (2007) and Cavalline’s latest production ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ (2008)

Produced/Directed/Written:

Serial Killer (2002)

Demon Slaughter (2003)

Dead Body Man (2003) – Screaming Stoner Award for best Horror/Comedy

Day of the Ax (2004) – Cleveland Indy Gathering: Best Horror Films

Dead Body Man 2 (2005)

House of Carnage (2006)

Aspiring Psychopath (2006) – Polished Apple Award: Best use of Violence/Gore in a movie

Dead Body Man Chronicles (2007)

Stockholm Syndrome (2008)

(Films available through: www.braindamagefilms.com www.gmdfilms.com www.b-movie.com)

Q: And how did you first get into the movie business?

          A: I’ve always been making movies since I was a kid. I spent a lot of time making up stories. I didn’t have any video equipment when I was younger so, I would draw a lot of comic books. Most of them being horror related comic books. When I hit high school, my parents were nice enough to get me a VHS camera and I was able to get my hands on some video equipment at the school, this started the film making monster in me. I kept making short films with my friends and continued to do so into my college days. It was in college that I started 4th Floor Pictures and just continued to build from there. It was during my college days that I ate, slept, and breathed film making. I loved every bit of it and I pushed to get my own films made, even when I didn’t have a dime to my name.

Q: Knowing how movie reviews may skew the perception of one’s product, give us in your own words what you want people to know about your film, “Stockholm Syndrome.”

          A: Stockholm Syndrome is a dark story about human trafficking. It’s the kind of story that could be told in anyone’s backyard because these types of crimes are happening everywhere in America. I think stories that are based on true crimes are the most, scary and Stockholm Syndrome takes you there. It’s gritty and real from start to finish.

Q: When did you first create the idea to do “Stockholm Syndrome”?

          A: I had just finished making the film Dead Body Man Chronicles and I wanted to do a darker film. I was walking through the video store one night and found a copy of “Last House on the Left” in the $5.00 bin. I loved this film as a kid. After watching it again I was taken back on how the situations in the movie were so scary. There were no monsters, zombies, or UFO people. It was just people in a bad situation and it felt very real. So, that’s when I decided that my next film had to be true to real life. It was a few weeks later that I was watching the news and this news report came up about some teenage girls that were kidnapped and forced into some type of human tracking. The scary part was these girls were picked up in a town that wasn’t to far from where I live. So, I started to do some research on human tracking and found some scary details. The movie grew from all the material that I found.

Q: If there were one part of the film that was more difficult than you expected, what would that be? Getting a scene to work? Certain lines? Location difficulties?

          A: Locations were the worse. Most of the locations fell through right before filming started. So, we hurried to find new locations and found some at the last minute. The worse part about shooting the film was the weather conditions at the locations. It seemed like we got hit with a blizzard the night before each of shooting days. So, the cast and crew would should up and drive through a couple feet of snow to get to the locations. It was cold, wet, and miserable. Some of the locations didn’t have running water, bathrooms, or heat. Everyone suffered but, we stayed together and forged through the hell together. The cast and crew were unbelievable through the movie. They stayed focused and got the job done.

Q: Was there any one day, one moment where you just knew the film would work they way you thought it could?

          A: The first day of filming at the motel was the day I knew this film was going to be something special. We were behind on filming due to a blizzard the night before, but we regrouped and ran lines while we waited for the snow trucks to plow out the parking lot. Once we started shooting everything just seemed to work. We got inside the motel and started filming the nasty scenes and it was like magic. After each take everyone just stood there and looked at each other like “Wow”! I could feel the scene coming to life. The tension in the scenes were, very powerful and I knew this film was going to be something.

Q: You’ve created a few other films. Can you tell me a little about each one and your experience with it? First, “Serial Killer.”

          A: Serial Killer was my first feature film. It was a very low budget film done for a few hundred dollars. The basic idea was to make a very cheap film and have tons of nudity in it. I think we achieved that…. I did some quick research on Serial Killers and wrote a quick script with a “Who did it” type of ending. Basically, we were going to use Serial Killer to raise funds to make a better film. We were hoping that Serial Killer would appeal to the fans of erotic films. We sold enough copies to make another film and that was the real goal of the film.

Q: How about “Dead Body Man 1 & 2”?

          A: Dead Body Man was one of those films that just kinda happened by accident. The original storyline was more of a serious film. As we started filming we added these jokes into the film and it became very funny. So, I quickly changed the script up and made it into a horror/comedy which was all new to me. We continued filming and it was just blast to make. There were no rules with a comedy. You could say or do whatever in the film. It found a following when it was released, so we ended up making a sequel. The sequel didn’t hold back in any way and it’s just a balls, out funny film. We complete the series about two years ago with Dead Body Man Chronicles and it was just released through GMD FILMS www.gmdfilms.com. The third film kinda tells the back story of the Dead Body Man and how he ends up where he is in life. I always enjoy making the Dead Body Man films and perhaps some day we’ll make another one.

Q: How about “Day of the Ax”?

          A: Day of the Ax was my throw back to the 80’s slasher films. I was always a big fan of Halloween and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so I wanted to do an old school slasher film. I wrote a very basic script but, I tried to develop some type of story that was different from anything done in the 80’s with slasher films. Basically, the storyline was about a group of kids who go camping and they run across this inbred family who are raping girls to bring demon babies into the world. The film did well and ended up winning at the Cleveland Indie Gathering convention for best horror film.

Q: Finally, “Demon Slaughter”?

          A: Demon Slaughter was the second film I did. I shot this right after completing Serial Killer. It was another film done with no budget. The storyline was about a gangster who wants to get out of his mob family. After escaping the mob he heads to a cabin where all of these bad things start happening. The film has been described as The Sopranos meets Evil Dead. It was quickly made and pushed out into the market, so we could raise enough money to make another film. Shooting quick and cheap kinda became a theme around here.

Q: Is there any particular actor/actress that you want to work with that you have not yet found an instance to do so?

          A: Ashley Laurence from the Hellraiser films is someone I would like to work with. She can act in horror and outside of horror. A very talented actress… Oh, and lets not forget Clive Barker himself. I would just like to have lunch with the guy and pick his brains.

Q: For any aspiring filmmakers out there who want to create their own work, what advice can you give them? Anything they need to avoid? Anything that they must know about?

          A: Keep Filming and don’t stop… It took me several short films before I ever got the chance to shoot my first feature. Just don’t give up and keep filming. The best way to learn is to keep shooting. Keep your scripts simple unless you have some rich aunt who is willing to write you out a fat check for your production. Just write something that you can shoot. Develop interesting dialogue and interesting characters. You can find interesting characters and dialogue in every day life. Just observe the people around you. I write down any weird or interesting person, place, or action I see. You never know when you might use it for something. Also, remember that you’re in the business of entertaining so, entertain! You got to keep in mind, that someone just bought or rented you film and they have their finger hovering over the fast forward button the entire time… So, you need to do you part and make sure that viewer is enjoying every moment of your film. It’s not easy and it takes a lot of practice. Just keep at it… Also, don’t dump your life savings or run up some credit cards to make your movie. Make a budget and stick with it. If you don’t have any money then do, what you can to make the film for next to nothing and keep building from that. Just remember there is nothing easy about making movies. It’s the toughest experiences you’ll ever go through and if you make it through it from start to finish then, you accomplished something magical. The sad part is that most of us crazy film makers find our selves wanting to do it all over again. We enjoy the madness of making movies… You just need to keep pushing through it and stay focused. Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way of completing your vision.

Q: What are your aspirations and goals in the movie industry? Box Office blockbusters? Films that anyone can watch? Something else?

          A: Personally I just want to continue making my movies and grow as a company. I want to push our films out a larger audience and keep pushing from there. I enjoy the indie level but, perhaps someday we can get a film out on a larger level. I think that’s every film makers dream. If it happens great, if it doesn’t it’s not a big deal. As long as I can keep making movies, I’m a happy camper.

Q: Can you name a film that my visitors probably haven’t seen, that you think has either been an influence in your work or just feel is a “can’t miss” film?

          A: I’m a big fan of Eric Stanze’s work. He is basically my hero when it comes to grass roots film making. Eric made a film called SCRAPBOOK that is a dark and dirty film. It’s not for kids… But, the film shows that an indie film maker can make a dark and terrifying film on a low budget. So, I would suggest anything by Eric Stanze.

Q: What’s next for you? If you and I were to talk 1 year from today, what do you think would be on your plate at that time?

          A: At the moment we are in the production stages of our new film The Killing Fields which is based on the crimes of Serial Killers. This is a very nasty project and I’m happy to be making it. I have another film in the pre-production stages called Rotting Souls. So, if it was a year from now, we would probley be talking about The Killing Fields and the post production stages of Rotting Souls.

Q: Anything you wish to add for my readers and visitors? Something special about you that they probably do not know?

          A: I’m a pretty laid back guy who is easy to talk to. I really enjoy talking about movies and making movies so, if you ever see me at a convention or festival, please feel free to just walk up and start chatting. I’m always open to helping other film makers out so, if you have questions feel free to just ask.

Q: Finally...this is an "Obscure Horror Movie" website. Can you name the last horror movie you watched either at the theatres or on dvd, etc? How about name a favorite horror film that you have seen that most people probably haven't seen?

          A: The last true horror film I watched on DVD was The Strangers… I really enjoyed it.

          One of my favorite films is “FAUST” by director Jan Svankmajer (1999). It’s a very dark and strange movie. Jan uses a lot of animation in his movies which really adds to the films story. Jan also uses a lot of puppet animation and its very creepy stuff. It’s a must see for any film maker.

Q: Thank you very much for doing this.

          A: Thank you for the interview.

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