Interview with Indie Filmmaker Robert Luke
I, yours truly, The Dhampir, got writer/director Robert Luke of The Man in the Garage to sit down and talk with me for a while about this new film of his. Mel House (read interview) told me “Robert’s dead to me” due to the fact that Rob doesn’t hate Suspiria, but as you’ll see, he’s alive and well here on Fatally-Yours.com!!
The Dhampir: First and foremost I’d like to thank Mr. Robert Luke to taking time from his busy schedule to sit down and talk with us here at Fatally Yours about his film The Man in the Garage.
Robert Luke: No problem. Thanks for having me.
The Dhampir: Well, I found the advertisement card at Texas Frightmare Weekend ‘08 and was intrigued, tell me what’s this film about?
Robert Luke: The Man in the Garage is about a young couple, Jack and Mary Brown, who inherit an old, cluttered house from Jack’s late parents but don’t know that their daughter has become best friends with a homicidal psychopath who lives and hides in their house.
The Dhampir: From the trailers, it looks like a cross between Black Christmas or Stranger in the House meets Friday the 13th. Is it an homage film to “old school horror?”
Robert Luke: Well like any film it has its inspirations, but it was written as a straight forward story without trying to advertise it as “old school horror”. Although there are a couple of scenes that are both obvious and subtle little winks to Halloween and Friday the 13th Part 2
The Dhampir: What was the overall inspiration for it?
Robert Luke: Looking back now, I think it comes from the idea of being a kid and being scared of what horrors await you around the dark corners of your house and namely garage. And with that said I was able to film in my parent’s house and try to incorporate every “kid angle” that kind of freaked me out when I was a young lad.
The Dhampir: What got you into film?
Robert Luke: Fuck if I know. I was just born this way. Well I’ve always wanted to make movies and tell stories when I was a kid. When I was 11, I started writing 60 page books and then when I was a 14, I made friends with an RTF major from UT and then he told me to just make movies and so I did.
The Dhampir: Ok, first time for that answer! Which directors influenced you?
Robert Luke: As for directors, first inspiration from when I was a kid would be Tim Burton, and of course the basics like Spielberg and pre-CGI Lucas. Then I grew up and it turned into Michele Gondry and Sam Raimi (as far as low budget film making goes). In some ways damn near every director can inspire me. Even the shitty ones.
The Dhampir: I really liked the advertising card, how did you come up with the concept of a child’s drawing?
Robert Luke: Well it was easier than doing a real poster. I’m joking. The movie itself has an opening and ending sequence with kid drawing and I wanted to keep with that motif of childhood innocence. The kind of innocence where a child is just oblivious to the dangers of all the scary shit that exists in the adult world.
The Dhampir: As an adult, it kind of grabs your attention and makes you wonder what the film is about, it’s original, most of the horror films we see today are not original, but a lot of what’s coming out of Texas these days is. You’re based in Texas so technically you’re part of the “Texas Blood” any thoughts on that?
Robert Luke: Yeah, I recently made friends with Mel House, Marcus Koch, Stacy Davidson and Josh Vargas last year while I was in post. And I thought it was cool that they all had this “Super Friends” alliance (and they’re good people). I’d like to think years later after our films will be sitting around at a video store and we move on to bigger and better projects, there will be a kind of mysticism involved with a bunch of guys from TX and Florida who (I’d like to think eventually) reinvigorated horror with original content. Probably being melodramatic there but you know what I’m sayin’. I’m sure most horror fans are tired of remakes and torture fetish films, and prequels of remakes.
The Dhampir: Who in the “Texas Blood” would you like to work with or collaborate with in the future?
Robert Luke: Well even though I have my make up artists here in Austin, I’d love a chance to work with Marcus. And Mel and I completely agree on everything in horror, so I think it would be cool to work with him, and you gotta love Stacy’s photography. Damn near all of them are so creative and different, I’d be down to shoot anything with any one of those guys.
The Dhampir: So what is the current status of The Man in the Garage? Is it in post, waiting on distribution, where does it stand right now?
Robert Luke: Well it’s completely finished. We’re tweaking the audio just because we can. You should be seeing it at all the horror festivals that are in August and October. As far as distribution goes, I just got a call from my distribution company and I can go ahead and tell you that I’ve locked a deal with Ship to Shore Distribution. So it should be released on DVD later this year.
The Dhampir: Fantastic!! Aside from the obvious, distributing, promoting, etc. What are your hopes for the film?
Robert Luke: Well now I can show people before the next projects to say, “Hey this is what I did with no budget when I was 21. You like?” But I think I’d like to know that some day, some kid will secretly watch it without his or her parents knowing, just like I did with all the Fridays and Nightmares.
The Dhampir: So what’s next on you plate and what can we expect to see from you in the future?
Robert Luke: Well my next feature I’m going to move away from horror for a little bit to make an artistic action film about a drug dealer and a stripper who go on a moral crusade to save a bunch of kids who are being exploited to sell drugs, smuggle, and be sold as slaves to other crime bosses. And right now I’m in talks with Peyton Wetzel (from Closet Space, Sweatshop, and Fleshkeeper) to play the lead in that one. Before that however I’m talking to a brilliant Jersey comedian, Kyle Grooms (from The Chappelle Show) to be in a quick little short about a group of stoners and drunks who survive the “Zombie Apocalypse” because they are so brain dead that the zombies don’t even think that they are real humans. I know a zombie comedy involving alcohol and drugs isn’t the most original thing but it’s mostly something to do for fun.
The Dhampir: Sounds interesting!! Do you plan on attending any conventions where fans, or interested parties can meet you, or even see The Man in the Garage?
Robert Luke: Well I might have a screening in a month or two in Houston, after that I’m hoping to get into conventions like Dark Carnival, Fright Night Film Fest and Screamfest Orlando, just to name a few. But yeah I love going to cons, because I get to meet people, see old friends that I only see at cons and then spend the whole weekend drunk.
The Dhampir: Great! I’m sure that people would like to see you at those locales! I hear that Heather Langenkamp had trouble watching a clip of the film?
Robert Luke: Yeah, that was a very confusing time in my life. I think it’s a good thing that I grossed out horror royalty.
The Dhampir: So, saying that you agree with Mel on horror, are we to take it that you too hate Suspiria?
Robert Luke: It’s hard to say. Not a big Argento fan. Nothing wrong with him, I just haven’t gotten into one of his films yet. But as far as Suspiria goes, I think I’m going to remain neutral on this one.
The Dhampir: So what are your favorite horror films?
Robert Luke: Nightmare on Elm Street, Evil Dead 2, Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, Friday the 13th Part 2, and Halloween. Obviously I’m not referring to any of the remakes.
The Dhampir: So are you “Anti-remake” or you just didn’t like any them?
Robert Luke: Dawn of the Dead was good, but they should’ve given it a different title. Yeah this whole remake thing is dumb. Before it didn’t bother me until they announced Halloween, then Friday, then Nightmare. Seriously, I got excited at the idea that our generation’s Universal Monsters are now going to be in “vs.” movies. But no. Freddy and Jason had one bout and nothing happened after that. So yes. I’m anti-remakes. It would be nice if the studios could just release a good dub or subtitle a Japanese film instead of having to remake the entire damn thing but with American actors.
The Dhampir: A lot of people feel that way. Would you be willing to turn down Platinum Dunes if they offered you a big budget to do a remake, or would you have to think about it?
Robert Luke: Well if Platinum Dune asked me to remake A Nightmare on Elm Street I would at least try to make a prequel starring Mr. Englund (which i have wanted to do or at least see happen my entire life. The TV episode doesn’t count) or for any remake I think a better alternative is to make “A new beginning” where everything starts off ten years later and for whatever reason Freddy, Jason or Michael is back and then you can start a new franchise that doesn’t ignore the old. But to answer your question, faster, I would try to make an alternative to a remake but still make a “reboot” to a franchise. But nobody else could ever play Freddy Krueger (or Captain Kirk).
The Dhampir: That’s one of the best answers to that questions I’ve ever heard!
Robert Luke: Thanks.
The Dhampir: Any parting thoughts?
Robert Luke: I’d like say that Uwe Boll has the right to make shitty movies if he wants to. And he could never do as much damage to the film or video game industry as much as Paul W.S. Anderson has. With that said I don’t like Boll and I don’t watch his movies, but I don’t get personally offended every time he makes a movie.
The Dhampir: Well I would like to thank you on behalf of myself, Fatally-Yours.com and the readers of Fatally-yours.com for your time. We are all very appreciative for you taking the time out of your schedule and sitting down to talk with us!
Robert Luke: No problem. It was fun. Thanks!
Visit The Man in the Garage on Myspace
Visite Robert Luke on Myspace
Watch the trailer for The Man in the Garage:
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