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Pinocchio’s Revenge:
A: At first glance, this film seems like another killer doll on the loose entry, but you wanted to deliver something a tad more ambitious. What were your intentions when you set out to do Pinocchio’s Revenge? What type of picture did you want it to be? Do you feel like you succeeded in your goal? K: In spite of the fact that I never would have written this script had I not been hired to do so, I actually like the finished film quite a bit. Granted, it’s not MAGIC, which is what I was aspiring to, but after all, I didn’t have Anthony Hopkins, did I? But we had a strong cast, giving credible performances, exploring interesting ideas about evil, and I wanted my last film in the genre to have some dignity. And considering the distributor wanted something closer to LEPRECHAUN or CHILD’S PLAY, I think we managed to hit a happy compromise. A: Did you find it hard on the nerves directing a little girl? I hear they can be quite a pain in the…? K: Brittany Alyse Smith knew the entire script by heart before the adult cast members had their lines memorized. She could cry on cue, and she wanted to please me and her peers whenever she could. She was an absolute sweetie who was also 100 percent professional. The girls who played her tormentors were also very easy and fun to work with. Even Chris Miller, the little boy from THE CELLAR, was a great kid and a joy to work with. I guess I’ve been lucky when it comes to kids. A: Taking into account that this is an original film with no sequels; why is it called Pinocchio’s Revenge? Revenge for what? K: Again, you’d have to ask the distributor. The script I wrote was entitled THE PINOCCHIO SYNDROME, which they changed after I delivered the finished film. “Revenge for what?” Obviously I must’ve insulted Walt Disney in a past life, and the title change to PINOCCHIO’S REVENGE was my punishment in this life. Demolition University:
A: This was your first non-horror genre picture. Was it a conscious decision on your part to step away from horror? If so...why? K: Yes. And I needed some extra Christmas money. Actually, PEACEMAKER, was my first non-horror film, but I had decided while making PINOCCHIO, that I was burned out on horror. I will only do another one if I have a bigger budget, or an idea that’s so fun, interesting, and/or original that I can’t resist it. Or if I need some extra Christmas money again. A: Ami Dolenz also stars in this one (she was the lead in "Witchboard 2"). Would it be safe to say that you had a solid working relationship with the lady? K: I would date her if I were single and fifteen years younger. And if I were thinner and better looking and had more hair and a lot more money and if I were cooler. And if she lowered her standards quite a bit. Seriously, she is just as sweet as the characters she played in both films, and I loved working with her. I also used Laraine Neuman in both films, because I enjoyed working with her so much as well. You might have also recognized Todd Allen from WITCHBOARD and PINOCCHIO, as well as Robert Forster from PEACEMAKER. DEMOLITION U was Robert’s last B-movie before JACKIE BROWN. A: Was Corey Haim a handful on set or was he on good behavior mode? K: I know a producer who worked with him just before DEMOLITION U and another producer who worked with him right after. They both had problems, but Corey was right as rain for me. He got along well with the rest of the cast and crew, and he showed up prepared. He knew his lines, he hit his marks, and his acting was always effortlessly natural. There’s a reason he was an up-and-comer at one time. Just go back and look at LUCAS. The kid can act. The Second Arrival:
A: Did you feel any added pressure in tackling a sequel to a film that you had nothing to do with? K: No. The only pressure I felt was shooting a $5 million sequel to a $22 million original. Charlie Sheen’s salary on the first one was more than my entire budget on the second. How do you compete with that? A: How would you define the shoot (which took place in Montreal)? Was it the storm of the century or smooth sailing? K: It was a tough shoot. The visual F.X. budget for the first film was 2 million; the visual F.X. budget for the second was $400,000. It was a very ambitious project for the amount of time and money we had. Thank God none of the cast members were prima donnas, or we’d have been up the creek without a paddle, without a boat, without a creek. Patrick Muldoon, Jane Sibbett, and Michael Sarrazin were all a pleasure to work with. A: Did you watch the original as a reference before shooting this one or did you purposely avoid it? K: Neither. I had already seen the film when it came out and had liked it because it was a smart mystery. I did want to reference it though, because I hate when filmmakers latch onto the success of a first film and then throw everything out, because they want to make their “own film.” I say if you want to make your own film, then have the balls to call it by a different title and not ride the coat tails of a successful predecessor. If you agree to do a sequel, then abide by the rules that were established in the original. Tick Tock:
A: "Tick Tock" was a departure for you. Not only in the type of genre you’re playing in, but also in the way you approached the structure of the narrative. Was it a fulfilling film for you to shoot on a creative level? K: No film is fulfilling to shoot, because you never have as much time and money on set as you had in front of the computer. When I write a screenplay, I envision movie stars in the leads, and a forty-five day shooting schedule, with any and every piece of photographic equipment I could possibly want. Money is no object. But usually, I end up making my films for 2 million or less, with relatively unknown actors, a very tight shooting schedule, and small equipment package. TICK-TOCK was a little better, because even though I had only a million dollar budget, the production company agreed to leave me alone, to not request script changes, to not tell me how to shoot it, to not tell me how to crew it, etc. So although I was still limited by time and money, I was not hampered by having to listen to a bunch of bad ideas from various company executives, which has usually been the case on every other film. I also had a solid cast of semi-names, who worked for less than their usual salary because they liked the script. Megan Ward, Krisitn Minter, Linden Ashby, John Ratzenberger, Hedy Burress, and the late David Dukes. Although they are not “big name movie stars,” they are all well-established actors who did a wonderful job for me. I know I’m starting to become redundant, but again, they were all a joy to work with. John Ratzenberger came up with a couple of his character’s funniest bits himself. A: Tick Tock sports its fair share of nudity and sexual situations. How do you, as a director, approach those scenes in regards to making the actors feel at ease? K: I get naked with them and offer to give them back rubs. KIDDING! Truthfully, I always discuss exactly what will be shot, and how it will be shot before the actress or actor is even hired. That way they can decide for themselves whether or not they are willing to do it. Once they’re onboard, I shoot it exactly as I said I would, and I let them see the cut sequence before the cast and crew screening, so they’re prepared for what everyone else is going to be seeing later. During the shoot, I clear the set of all non-essential personnel. Some actresses are more comfortable doing the nudity than others, but I’ve never had one refuse to do it, once I’ve explained how I intend to shoot it. Megan was very nervous, because she’s managed to gain a strong fan following for herself in B-films without ever having to take her clothes off. This was the first time she’d ever been nude on a set. But when the time came, she was a trooper and a total professional. Kristin had done topless scenes before, but I believe this was the first time she was going to be doing full frontal. She joked about it the entire time, and if she was in any way uncomfortable, she did an excellent job of hiding it. She impressed me even more, because she was running across wet grass in the middle of the night, and I was half frozen wearing a Parka and snow boots. Now that’s dedication to your craft. That reminds me of funny NIGHT OF THE DEMONS story. Is it too late now? Obviously, Linnea Quigley had a nude scene, but she had already done them before and was completely comfortable. It was only the second nude scene I’d ever shot, so I think I was probably more uncomfortable that she was. However, Cathy Podewell had a bare rear-end scene, and Jill Terashita had a topless scene, and neither of them had ever done nudity. Cathy agonized daily as her nude scene drew closer and closer, but Jill was very comfortable with her body and didn’t give it a second thought. When the day finally came, Cathy had worried about it so much, the actual shoot was nowhere near as bad as she’d imagined, and by the third take, she was pulling off her panties and wandering around the room, completely at home. Jill, on the other hand, froze up in front of the camera, and her performance was incredibly wooden. Everyone could see that deer-in-the-headlights look on her face, so we finished the scene as quickly as we could. A few days later, Jill came to me and wanted to re-shoot the scene. I asked why she would want to put herself through that again when she’d obviously been so uncomfortable. She said, “I’m already going to be naked in the movie, right? I don’t want to be naked and suck.” I agreed, and we re-shot her close-ups a few days later. And she was topless again. But this time, she was prepared, and she did much better. A: I’ve never gotten the chance to see this film...what kind of distribution did it get? K: What?! You can’t go to a video and/or DVD store and buy a copy of TICK-TOCK? The least you could do is rent it at Blockbuster. Obviously if you didn’t even know it was out, you’ve answered your own question about the distribution. Too bad. It’s my personal favorite of all my films. Endangered Species:
A: Your newest film Endangered Species recently wrapped and it stars Eric Roberts and Arnold Vooslo. Can you tell us a bit about what the picture is about? K: ENDANGERED SPECIES is a sci-fi/action-thriller, much in the same vein as PEACEMAKER. But it was shot in a foreign country with a foreign crew, so it did not go as smoothly as films I’ve made here. The cast was incredible, but the action sequences are not as gritty and spectacular. Also, because the crew was not experienced enough to keep up with the D.P. and me, we had to simplify our shots. Because of this, it is not as visually stylistic as my previous films. Luckily, it’s a fun story, and the cast ran with it. The film actually turned out better than I expected, due mostly, as I said, to the great cast. Eric and Arnold are both strong, charismatic actors, and the three of us got along famously. I’d heard that Eric could be difficult, but he and I share the same sarcastic sense of humor, and he’s one of the few actors I’ve ever worked with besides Patrick Muldoon and James Quinn who could make me laugh like that. We also had John Rhys-Davies and Tony Lo Bianco, who are also seasoned pros and great fun to work with. A: Has it been released in the States yet? If not, when can we expect it? K: I don’t think it’s been released yet, but I’m just the director. They usually don’t tell me anything. More often or not, I find out one of my films is going to be playing on television when I see a commercial for it. A: What type of genre do you feel the film falls in? K: The genre is science-fiction / action-thriller. But you’ll have to see it for yourself to see if you think the film “falls". Final questions... A: Of all your films, which three would you say that you’re the most proud? K: TICK-TOCK, because it’s the best. WITCHBOARD, because it was my first. And your first is always special. PEACEMAKER, because I personally like sci-fi action more than horror. But I think NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is visually the best-looking. I had more prep time on this film than any other, so I knew exactly how I intended to frame every single shot before production even began. And it shows. A: Is there one that you wish had never seen the light of day? K: WITCHTRAP. I had a lot of fun making it, but it is NOT my best work as a director. I was too busy concentrating on my producer duties. THE CELLAR. It’s just too much of a muddled mess, and I was not involved with the final cut or the final sound mix. A: What’s next on your plate? What can we expect from Kevin Tenney in the following months? K: I just finished writing a courtroom drama/neo-noir thriller entitled, TELLING TALES, and I’m almost done with the first draft of an action drama, which I am calling SPLIT at the moment. And I already have an idea for a crime drama/bank caper screenplay, which I will probably write next. I have also been inspired by Mr. King to try my hand at writing a book, and I have so far written the first two chapters. It’s as yet untitled, but it’s a coming-of-age tale about a young boy living on a military base in the 1960’s. Sounds incredibly exciting, huh? I know, but it’s something I really want to write. A: Thanks for the interview Kevin...you rock! -------------------- I'd like to thank Kevin for this lengthy and engaging interview: it made my week and I will most surely have a drink on the man tonight. This Bud's for you, Kevin! If you haven't seen Witchboard or Night of the Demons; do yourself a hearty favor and rent them asap...you'll thank me in the morning when the hangover kicks in. |
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