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Bum Interviews:
The Stagknight Interview #1 (Simon Cathcart & Robert Mercer) | There's nothing Scraps likes more in a movie than violence, chicks, and giant stuff killing smaller stuff. That's why I'm so pumped about "Stagknight"! I asked director Simon Cathcart and writer Robert Mercer about the film, and learned where to hang out and grab some drinks when travelling abroad.
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Scraps: Tell us a little bit about your background. Have you been involved in any projects that we might be familiar with?
Simon: Nothing you boys on that side of the pond would know about.
Rob: Well, I started out as an animator doing MTV idents and commercials, but quickly moved into producing live action music videos with my own company called Beatnik Films. Animation took too long and involved working in dark rooms. Through a director I represented called Jake West I found myself producing his debut feature ‘Razor Blade Smile’. I also have a feature film company with an amazing director called James Pilkington, called Angry Donkey. I know it’s a stupid name, but it makes people laugh and we specialize in comedy. James and I have now completed 4 award winning short film, the last was BAFTA nominated. Oh, I also did a strange art house film called Luminal a few years back which won best film at the Rome film festival.
Scraps: Without giving away too much of the plot, what’s Stagknight about?
Rob: Bottom line, Stagknight is about ten guys, two hot babes out in the woods, loads of guns, drugs and one mean killing machine hell bent of mutilating them all. Oh and don’t forget a psychotic bitch for good luck.
Simon: Ten losers on a paintball bachelor weekend, one they ain’t coming home from. Lots of great, great kills, hot babes, and a new massive monster in the form of a giant killer knight. Tonnes of fun for all you boys and girls.
Scraps: Many movies over the past couple of years have compared themselves to “Shaun of the Dead”…to what do you attribute the success of this film? Is this truly the epitome of horror/comedies?
Rob: No not at all, personally Shaun of the Dead was not a horror at all, but an excellent comedy. Now the success of the film was due to the script and the talent behind it. For me one of the best examples of a true comedy horror is The American Werewolf in London. Now that’s a comedy horror in its purest form.
Simon: It is very Pythonesque, you know cringing British humour that we all love. The only rules we had was nobody mocks the monster and every scene has to have comedy gold no matter how small the gesture. In Sean they mocked their monsters. We don’t he is serious and brutal, but it is the combination of ten idiots and a big killer which make Stagknight stand out, the rest is up to the audience to decide.
Scraps: What writer’s/director’s/actor’s work do you most respect?
Simon: Clint Eastwood. He wrote directed and acted in over 60 of his own movies and he has a 12 line limit per picture i.e. talk to much and you look stupid – respect.
Rob: Wow, for me its directors. The G-d of them all is Kubrick, he is the only director to have mastered every genre of cinema. Strange Love was one of the best comedies ever and then you go to the Shining and from that flip to Barry Lyndon. There was nothing he could not do.
Scraps: The American Cineplex has been overrun as of late with horror remakes and sequels. Are big production companies not as willing to take risks, or is this a response to the audience’s tastes?
Rob: Not at all, the one thing through out cinema history that is constant is that horrors always make money. If not theatrically they sure as hell do with sale through. Now more than ever with new media, but its still all about making money and as they say if its not broke it should still sell. For example you have Final Destination 3 coming out, it will not be that good but there will be enough of an audience to warrant a theatrical release which will boost its follow on sales which make it a good return. Also at the other end of the scale a lot of the independent distributors are willing to gamble on low budget horror as the return is massive on them and horror fans lover them.
Simon: Good horror’s are usually picked up by the majors rather than created by them. But once every few years a unique independent comes along which has been created and built and floated independently and truly rocks, Stagknight is a good example of this indie spirit.
Scraps: We’re thinking of opening an office in England, but it needs to be within walking (or staggering, or crawling) distance of a really good pub. Any recommendations?
Rob: Sure, I would suggest North London as the place to be unless you can afford to be in Soho. Then anywhere in Camden town is great, the heart of music and drinking. Also a great medial environment.
Simon: Hmm, the best pubs, I think, are out of town village pubs which are owned and run by those who are serving you. They are the sweetest. I think the best pubs are rural ones in Ireland and they usually are part of the post office or funeral parlour. Yes there are pubs, I go to the “Pigs Ear” near me and they actually serve dried pigs ears to my dog.
Scraps: Looking at the past 5 years of entertainment that has been imported and exported between the US and UK, who do you think is getting the better end of the deal?
Simon: Oh USA is shipping more films than we are. You guys are the engine of the film world. Iran made more films last year than we did. The UK lost it’s entrepreneurial spirit with Captain Cook when he left for Australia.
Rob: I think at the moment its going both ways evenly, as I said I am a comedy person so you give us Curb Your Enthusiasm and send you over Little Brition and The Office. It’s nice to see that we can send you some top comedy, something we have not been able to do for many years now. I think you guys are still laughing at Benny Hill as the last good comedy we sent over.
Scraps: Benny Hill was comedy genius. What was the inspiration behind “Stagknight”?
Rob: The inspiration behind Stagknight came from the director who runs an acting class, he asked his guys what would make a good low budget film and between them they sort of came up with the basic concept.
Simon: To make a popular movie hardcore fans and regular guys and girls would dig together. I want guys to email each other the gags in the film, I want them mimicking the characters.
Scraps: What kind of cool special effects or inventive deaths can we expect?
Rob: Well I don’t want to give too much away, but my favorite is when one of the guys gets his head sliced off as he is doing a dump and it lands face down in his own crap. Now that’s a nice one.
Simon: You are gonna see a very cool retro looking film without too many sfx at all, you have to go back to the late 70’s and early 80’s horror classics to get Stagknight. But the kills? Oh man, they get stabbed, beaten, crushed, impaled, butchered, choked, we got ten kills all different and all very special.
Scraps: What was the last movie you saw that scared the hell out of you? What was the last one you saw that made you laugh so hard your sides hurt?
Simon: Blair Witch was the only and last film that scared the shit outta me. Last funny one? Team America! Fuck yeah.
Rob: The last scary film I watched was…………..I haven’t, its sad to say I don’t watch a lot of them. They scare me! Now comedies, the last one watched that did that was Blazing Saddles. I know its not a new one, but to be frank we make crap comedies at the moment. Oh I just remembered, 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler. Now I pissed myself watching that.
Scraps: With the amount of direct-to-DVD releases increasing every year, as a whole, do you think the consumer is getting a higher caliber of film than they may not have been exposed to before, or is it just more crap, with a lower production cost?
Rob: I think new media and ease of releasing it means that we are seeing more talent come through, as before it used be that unless it was shot on film with high production values people would not release it. Now anyone with a video camera and computer can make a film, which opens the gates to yes a lot more crap but it also allows real talent to break through.
Simon: For me film is about access. You know Wayne’s World is just around the corner from becoming a reality on the web and a lot of young stars will be found there, and I don’t care if they are on a big set or in their bed room as long as the talent is ball tearing. So I don’t see why movies cannot do the same. But, ultimately shit sinks and cream floats no matter how big the budget and who is in it. Film is the youngest art form in the world, there is a long way to go before we can define it, it is only a hundred years old, how old is say dance, writing, music, ten thousand years? The sad part is that film is the only art form which requires at least a million dollars to make it.
Scraps: We keep pounding on your website, and we’re dying to see what’s behind that cool poster! Can you give us a hint to what’s coming our way?
Simon: You and two million other weirdos! No way, you are gonna have to wait, but you are gonna love it, games, girls and giveaways.
Rob: Thanks, I think it’s a great poster to. Funnily enough it was designed by Jason Hyde who is also a actor in the film. A very talented guy. Well, we are working hard at the moment to produce some fun stuff for everyone. Ranging from mad virals, production details, a game and some cool download. We will update it gradually though, I hate it when you click on a site and its all there. I want it to be something that people want to check out constantly over a 6 month period building to the films release.
Scraps: Can you help us out with a debate that’s been raging for years in our office? Who was the best Bond? It was Sean Connery, wasn’t it?
Rob: Sean Connery, anyone who says different is an idiot. Obviously that’s only my opinion and anyone who mentions George Lazenby should be shot. The only exception is David Niven in Casino Royal, no one is smoother than him.
Simon: Of course not, it was Roger Moore in Octopussy. Breathe smoothly and ponder this, lay up their faces in your minds eye and you will agree.
Scraps: If we’re overrun by undead, what weapon would you recommend we have on hand?
Rob: As the great Mr Campbell showed us nothing works better than a chain saw & a shotgun. We love the chin. Or maybe a combine harvester, as used in the up and coming film ‘Evil Aliens’, but not good in tight corners.
Simon: Zombies ain’t my bag, but if I had a choice it would have to be a fully loaded A10 Tank-buster (flying titanium bathtub firing amour piercing 30mm milk bottle sized rounds outta a seven barrel gatlin gun in the front nose of a jet – chrispy!) baby we take on all comers.
Scraps: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. BumsCorner is always on the lookout for cool independent projects, and we’re definitely excited about “Stagknight”. Any final comments you’d like to add before we turn out the lights and send everyone home?
Rob: Yes, keep watching the skies and independent films. If you don’t there won’t be any more. Also go see Stagknight when its release at least 3 times and to get the best effects from it. And thank you for this interview, it’s been a pleasure.
Simon: Just wanna say a big shout out to you all. I want more of your questions about the UK that I can clear up for you guys, and I want you to look out for our really cool virals which we will be slipping to you guys every couple of weeks introducing all the characters as the film prepares to open near you. |
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Updated Tuesday, February 21, 2006 Written by Scraps |
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