Last Updated on July 28, 2021
The Arrow
interviews John Bowker
John
Bowker has acted in “Monster In The Garage” and “Crimson
Heather”, his directorial debut was the low budget ghost/tits fest
“Evilmaker” and now he’s coming out with a new grisly film
called “Dreamwalker”. Indie horror fans rejoice, a new talent has
arrived. Arrow chit-chatted with the
man and here it is.
1- Have you always been a horror fan? What’s your favorite horror movie?
I have been a big horror fan for all of my life. It started out with movies like The Exorcist and Phantasm. My best friend in high school and I would spend Friday nights over at his house watching scary movies. It became a ritual of sorts. My favorite horror movie, that’s a tough one. My all time favorite would probably have to be John Carpenters Halloween. It still gives me the creeps.
2-
How did the script for EVILMAKER come about in your head?
I was sitting down at the computer trying to think of something to
write. It’s so hard to predict what will
scare people, so I went with what scares me. The spirit realm. It just
freaks me out. Things that go bump in the night…you think you see
someone out of the corner of your eye and when you turn and look, no
one is there. Whispers in the air. Things moving by themselves. Gives
me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. So, I went with it and
The Evilmaker was the result.
3-
The film is being compared to
Amityville. Did any horror flick
inspire you in terms of the look and feel of EVILMAKER?
As a matter of fact, Amityville was an inspiration along with The
Shining and The Entity. All cool and scary
flicks in my book.
4-
How
long did you guys shoot for? Any spooky things happen on the set?
The shoot was for nine days.
We would get up in between eight and nine in the morning, go over what
we were shooting that day, run lines etc. We would start shooting
about noon and sometimes we would go into the wee hours of the
morning. Sometimes until 4:00 AM. It was a crammed shoot, but we made
sure to take the time to ensure things were
right. (lighting, sound, blocking, etc.)
The entire shoot was creepy.
But the funny thing is, nothing would really happen while we were
shooting. It was like a strange vibe and everyone on the set felt it.
Sometimes things would be so still and quiet…it was unnerving. I made
sure all of the locations were down right Erie to add to the
atmosphere of the shoot. It really helped people stay in character. We
even slept out at the location out in the middle of the wilderness.
5-
This is by far
Stephanie Beaton’s best performance. Did you have anything to do
with that? Are you an actor’s director?
I am. My Director of
Photography Joe Sherlock is a wizard behind the camera. I would tell
him what I want it to look like and then he would set up while I
worked with the actors. I would like to think I had something to do
with her performance. But, the performance comes from within the
person. All I can do is help guide it along to come out right.
6-
What was the hardest
scene you had to shoot?
By far it would be the scene where a bloodied up Tyler comes bursting
through the wall. It had to be a one shot wonder. It took days of
preparation. My SPFX guy Rob Merickel built the wall and we installed it
the day of the shoot. We also had to lay down new carpet in the room.
It was a small room for the shot, but it had to be done in there. We
got everything ready and covered her in blood and locked her behind
the breakaway wall. It came off beautifully in the one shot. It was
the hardest to shoot in the sense that it took a lot of work for a
10-second shot.
7-
Looking back at the
film now, what would you change?
You know what? I am happy with
it. I guess if I had to change something, it would actually be adding
a scene that I decided not to shoot. It involved Stephanie drowning in
the tub and she comes up out of the water gasping for air.
8-
Are
we gonna get an EVILMAKER sequel? What’s next on your plate?
Yes, there are currently two
versions of a sequel in the works. Which script I will use, I
haven’t decided yet. Next I am finishing up editing another feature
called DREAMWALKERS and I start shooting one called THE SEEKERS in
August. I am also filming a segment for Kevin Lindenmuth’s ALIEN
AGENDA series. In 2001 I have four projects I want to get out.
That’s an incredible task, but I’m going to give it my best shot.
9-
What does John
Bowker do with his free time?
Enjoy spending time with my
family and friends. To me that’s the most important thing. Then
there’s spending time at
the coast…the most relaxing place on earth to me. Of course, I rent
a ton of movies and go to the Movie Theater as much as possible. I am
also writing all the time.
10-
What’s your
favorite aspect of filmmaking?
I know this sounds like a generic answer, but EVERYTHING. From story
conception, to green lighting a project, to filming and finally to
editing. I love starting out with nothing and finishing with something
that hopefully people will enjoy. At heart I am a writer and director,
but am in love with it all.
Thanks a lot big guy, come
back anytime.
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