Interview with Jeremy “The Beast” Sumrall of Sweatshop
Hello Kids!! The Dhampir here, once again! I heard of a great “Beast” and had to investigate for myself, and found “The Beast” to a rather sizable figure! Where you ask? In Stacy Davidson’s new film Sweatshop!
I sat down and talked to Jeremy Sumrall, Davidson’s “Beast” and brought the conversation home to you, here’s what he had to say!!
The Dhampir: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, I know that you are quite busy with your business and filming as well!
Jeremy Sumrall: Sure thing. Not a problem at all. Happy to do it.
The Dhampir: So tell us a bit about yourself?
Jeremy Sumrall: Well, I’m not a terribly complicated guy, really. I’ve been a big fan of horror movies since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (as my father would say), and I’ve been fortunate enough to turn that love of horror movies into a couple of pretty cool creative outlets, which have all come to a head now with my involvement in Sweatshop.
The Dhampir: How did you get involved in the project and with Stacy Davidson (read interview)?
Jeremy Sumrall: That’s a pretty funny, and some say convoluted, story. A few years ago, at the first Texas Frightmare Weekend, Mel House had a booth there promoting a movie, and Stacy Davidson had one there as well. At the time, I didn’t really know who they were, or where they were from. I casually glanced at their booths as I made my rounds in the vendor room on my way to get the autographs I wanted, but I didn’t really stop and give them much attention. Little did I know, Mel and I used to play gigs together with our respective bands back in Houston!! Anyway, flash forward to about a year later, and Stacy is doing a Houston-area premiere of Domain of the Damned, which happened to fall on my birthday. I went there, expecting to see a pretty low-budget indie horror movie with cheap effects and shitty acting (sorry, Stacy!), but I walked away impressed. A few months later, the 2nd Texas Frightmare Weekend was going to be taking place (at which I was set up as a vendor), and I learned of the HMO (Houston Filmmakers Organization) Mixers, which took place every first Monday. Stacy is heavily involved in the HMO, and they were doing a Texas Frightmare Weekend “pre-party.” I emailed Stacy and asked if my company could co-sponsor the event. Stacy agreed, and we finally met in person the night of that mixer. During the mixer, Stacy mentioned he was going to be working on a film soon, and that was to become what we now know as Sweatshop. Months later, Stacy and Mel and I have all become friends, and Stacy begins casting for Sweatshop. A couple of weeks before shooting is to begin, he asks if I’d ever thought about portraying a masked maniac killer in a horror movie, to which I reply “Uhhh…yeah,” and that’s how I got the gig.
The Dhampir: Speaking of your company, you own and operate Necrobilia, I believe I met you and bought some of your T-shirts at the last 2 TFW’s. Tell me how Necrobilia got started.
Jeremy Sumrall: It really all began because of a general frustration with a lot of different things. As I mentioned before, I used to be in a few different bands, and they all kinda went no where. So, I was frustrated with that. Beyond that, as a sci-fi/comic/horror geek, I was completely willing to trek to all kinds of sci-fi conventions around Texas. Unfortunately, so many conventions would feature the same vendors over and over and over. It got to the point where I dreaded going to the shows because I knew the vendors would all have the same crap. I mean, I love Star Wars as much as the next Lucas-worshipping geek, but there’s only so many times a guy can see the toys and wanna punch a stormtrooper in the throat! So, since I knew several companies carried horror t-shirts (like my buds at Rotten Cotton, and CLC Graphix) and several companies made horror collectibles (like NECA, MEZCO, etc.), I decided I could turn my love of horror and my frustration with LIFE into a business. And that’s basically the genesis of NECROBILIA.
The Dhampir: Considering your sheer size, I’m unable to imagine anyone calling you a geek for any reason! Playing “The Beast” in Sweatshop has that size helped you with the character?
Jeremy Sumrall: Oh I’m a geek, for sure!! Don’t let the good looks fool you! Seriously though, I think this is the first time in my life my size has actually given me an advantage, rather than being a bit of a burden. I’m not exactly one of those types to be all pissy and depressed that he’s fat or whatever, but the size thing can get in the way from time to time. But, when Stacy was casting the movie, he really wanted to make sure that there was a distinct difference between the general cast, who are made up of some of the most attractive people I’ve ever met, and his killer. And, I’m considerably bigger than the rest of the cast!! But, the physical demands of the role, thankfully, are not out of my realm of possibility. And, I suppose there’s a certain way that bigger guys walk that set them apart from other people. I carry my frame a bit higher, I guess. Plus, some of the sets we have are almost custom fit for the rest of the cast, so that when I step onto them, my frame REALLY fills in the space! Especially one set in particular when I step through a doorway and my shoulders almost rub!
The Dhampir: You definitely have the physical goods to pull of a “Big Crazy Killer” type. What kind of research did you do into the “Silent Masked Killer” frame of mind and acting?
Jeremy Sumrall: Well, my research really consisted of watching a ton of 80s slasher flicks. Stacy told me he really wanted to go with that unstoppable killing machine type of killer like you’d see in the Friday the 13th movies, My Bloody Valentine, Halloween, etc. Since I’m a horror geek to the millionth power, I own over 3000 DVDs, so it wasn’t hard at all to go into my “library,” as it were, and pull a few choice movies for research. I won’t sit here and claim that I did some ridiculous amount of research into “the mind of a madman,” but I definitely watched what other actors have done in their roles, and tried to expand on it. Thankfully, “The Beast” is kind of an open canvas, in that Ted Geoghegan (writer of Sweatshop – read interview) really didn’t give some elaborate back story on him. Ted and Stacy really wanted this killer to have no clear motivation for terrorizing these kids, and didn’t want the audience to feel empathy for him, either. He’s not the mongoloid child who supposedly drowned while camp counselors were off screwing each other’s brains out, nor is he a jilted lover who’s idea of revenge is sending someone’s heart through UPS! He’s truly, utterly, unstoppable, and he’s pissed off about SOMETHING. So, that really freed me up to go completely nutty with my mannerisms and attitude. Plus, it helps that every day when I drive to the set, I blast a lot of speed, death, and black metal to kinda get me in the mood! Hahahaha!
The Dhampir: Would you say that you’ve developed a “vocabulary of motion” for the character, the way Kane Hodder did for the Jason character, to where “The Beast” has certain movements that are definitively his?
Jeremy Sumrall: I’d say so, yeah. Stacy and I were actually just discussing that last night. He’s busy cutting together several scenes, and he told me he’s been noticing certain things that I brought to the role that he had been wanting, but never really vocalized. It’s mostly a subconscious thing on my part, really, because some of the nuances he mentioned were simply things I had to do in order to function on a normal level on set! For instance, there’s a certain way “The Beast” adjusts his gloves and helmet in the movie, and that was really just a way for me to physically be able to see or handle the weapons!! After looking back at the footage, it definitely gives the character something that sets him apart from other movie maniacs, but it started really innocuously!
The Dhampir: How have things been on the set? Are you getting along with the other actors, or avoiding them like some actors do to increase tension during scenes?
Jeremy Sumrall: Initially, I tried to keep my distance, particularly in the beginning of filming. But, being this is my first time on a film set in any capacity, I try and be around and help out as much as possible to learn the behind-the-scenes kind of stuff, like lighting, how the effects work, etc. Plus, we’re working with a very tightly-knit group of people in the cast, and the crew, so it’s hard not to get wrapped up in that family-like atmosphere. And, despite my gruff exterior, I’m really a big softie at heart. For example, there was one scene where I had to really get physical with a girl (who shall remain nameless!), and every time Stacy yelled “Cut!” I would break character and make sure I didn’t really hurt her during the take. It’s funny, because every time I would do that, the girl would look at me, smile and say “I’m ok! I promise! Let’s do whatever it takes to make it look great!,” and I think that’s what sets us apart from bigger, studio pictures. These guys and girls in the cast and crew are really willing to do whatever it takes to make the best movie possible, even if it means getting their hands dirty, or even coming away with some cuts and scrapes and bruises. This isn’t a glamorous movie set where you can run off to your trailer when Stacy calls “Cut!” This is nuts-and-bolts filmmaking, and everyone involved in it is doing it for the love of the genre, and for the love of movie making. And, beyond that, all of the girls think I’m a big teddy bear, so it’s hard to wanna avoid them!
The Dhampir: And having seen some clips at TFW, I know that they’re quite attractive too, which probably doesn’t hurt?
Jeremy Sumrall: Hahahaha! Exactly! We’re definitely blessed with an attractive cast. The exception being myself, of course!
The Dhampir: So are you hoping that “The Beast” will rank right up there with the likes of Jason, Michael, and Leatherface one day? How do you think it would affect you if he did become iconic?
Jeremy Sumrall: It’s a bit weird, to be honest! When we set out to make this movie, Stacy and Ted really wanted to create this hulking, nasty, just downright disgusting killer who no one would idolize, and no one would want an action figure of. And that’s the attitude I had going in. As time has gone on, the reaction of the people has been so overwhelmingly positive, that I wouldn’t at all be surprised at this point to see a Sweatshop 2, 3, 4… As for how it would affect me, I really don’t know, honestly. When Stacy asked me to portray “The Beast,” I had a tough time sleeping that first night, just frothing at the mouth at the prospect of getting to play a masked killer in a horror movie. When I was 7 years old, watching Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter in the theaters with my mom, I never in a million years thought that one day THAT could be me. A few years ago, I was content to dabble with horror screenplays of my own, hoping some day I could get one seen by the right people who could turn my words into a movie. So, I never thought I could be creating an icon. Maybe we have. Maybe we haven’t. Time will tell how Sweatshop does with the public, but so far, people seem to really be anticipating it. I constantly have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be here now, chatting with you about a movie I’m involved in. And, I never thought I’d actually have a picture of myself in FANGORIA MAGAZINE of all places!! But, let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment (one of my favorite games, by the way!), and say that Sweatshop does create this iconic character in “The Beast,” and let’s say that I never play “The Beast” again. Whoever has to play him in the sequel has to work off of my blueprint! Hahahahaha!!
The Dhampir: OK, so you’re “The Beast” now and you’re going to continue to run Necrobilia. What’s next for Jeremy Sumrall?
Jeremy Sumrall: I haven’t really thought that far ahead, to be honest! Obviously I’ll focus as much energy as I can into Necrobilia, as well as promoting Sweatshop when we’re finished. Beyond that, it’s a mystery, even to me. If I never work on another movie again, I will have worked with some of the most dedicated, hard working, and talented cast and crew around. If this is the final chapter of my movie “career,” I could be satisfied. But, I get antsy! There’s a pile of screenplay ideas I have laying around, so I’m inspired at the moment to finish one, and we’ll see if I wind up being fortunate enough to get one made. Who knows? Maybe I’ll wind up directing one myself. Hahaha!
The Dhampir: How do you feel about being associated with the group of Texas filmmakers known as the “Texas Blood?” Is there anyone in it you’d like to work with in the future?
Jeremy Sumrall: I love it! Years ago, before I started Necrobilia, I entertained the thought of forming a horror group of sorts. A sort of film appreciation society, where we would gather once a month, watch some horror movies, and then have discussions. And it just never went anywhere, because I didn’t know if anyone would be as into it as me. So, I was very happily surprised to meet Mel, Josh Vargas, Stacy, and everyone, and realized I wasn’t alone in my love of the genre. Considering the amount of attention the “Texas Blood” and other Southern filmmakers like Marcus Koch, Joe Davison, and honorary member Gerald Nott, have been receiving from all of the internet sites like Fatally-Yours.com, and even on the national stage with Fangoria Magazine, I’d be an idiot to not be proud to call myself a member. It’s a unique, almost incestuous, type of family relationship all of these filmmakers have with one another, and it’s not something you’ll ever see in a Hollywood-type setting. There’s no shit-talking, no backstabbing, no underhanded bullshit trying to cripple each other’s projects. We’re all doing it for the love of film, and for the love of HORROR. Even though every single director in the group has a different style, and a different favorite type of horror, they’re all willing to lay it all on the line for one another. They’re closer than most families are these days. That’s a special thing. As for who I’d like to work with in the future, any of them, really! On Sweatshop alone, I got the chance to work with Stacy, Mel, and even Marcus Koch who came in and delivered some very sick effects on some already nasty kills! Hell, even Josh Vargas got thrown into a scene for good measure! And one of the most satisfying events of the shoot was having the chance to smack Mel House with that giant hammer!! Hahahahaha!!
The Dhampir: Well, I’d like to thank you again for taking the time to do this interview. I know that you’re busy and still shooting. I am certain that our readers will love that you’ve donated some of your time to sit and talk with me!
Jeremy Sumrall: Absolutely! It’s been a fun conversation, and I definitely look forward to talking with you more in the future! And in the mean time, make sure you SPREAD THE RED!
Visit Jeremy Sumrall on IMDB
Visit Sweatshop on Myspace
Visit Necrobilia on Myspace
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