Zombie Honeymoon is an independent horror film about a young couple who on their honeymoon are faced with a horror they could never have imagined. Spawned from the death of director Dave Gebroe's own brother-in-law, Zombie Honeymoon seems sure to become a cult classic. I was fortunate enough to be able to do an e-mail interview with the director and will share that with FearSceners now . . .
Millie FS: With films like "28 Days Later", "Shaun of the Dead", "Land of the Dead" the "Dawn of the Dead" remake and your own film "Zombie Honeymoon" coming out, do you feel there is some kind of zombie renaissance happening? Why do zombies make such great movie fodder?
Dave Gebroe: I think with George W. being the brain-dead zombie that he is, we have been ushered into a whole new politically charged dalliance with our stumbly, bumbly friends. When I began writing "Zombie Honeymoon," "28 Days Later" hadn't even come out, so honestly, it was all just a happy little coincidence.
Millie FS: What differentiates "Zombie Honeymoon" from films like "Shaun of the Dead"? [From what I understand ZH is more of a drama and less of a comedy]
Dave Gebroe: As terrific as "Shaun of the Dead" is, "Zombie Honeymoon" attempted to be more of a combination of high and low art. The idea was to combine the domestic drama and vivid, in-the-moment immediacy of the performances in Cassavetes' films with the genre insanity of Romero's zombie flicks. There's definitely humor in there as well, but it comes from how straight-faced it's played. There was no intentional camp in there, no winks to the audience.
Millie FS: Your first film is a comedy, "The Homeboy": What made you want to do a horror film after a comedy? Is the horror genre something you've always been interested in?
Dave Gebroe: There is a very fine line between comedy and horror. I vacillate between the light and the dark myself, so I find it an easy line to traverse. I was into horror before I was into anything else--then comedy, and then, later on in high school, I became interested in French New Wave, Bergman, Bunuel....the greats. Then everything came together in a great big stew of disparate influences, and I found my style by blending it all together in a great big tasty gumbo of laughs and gore galore.
Millie FS: I understand you are working with Fangoria on your next movie. Can you tell us anything about it? What are the advantages/disadvantages working with a well known horror magazine?
Dave Gebroe: Working with Fangoria is only one of the possibilities right now. I am working on a bunch of different projects, so anything is possible as far as what takes off first. As far as working with the magazine, they've been nothing but supportive since I initially got in touch with Tony Timpone with the script for the film. It's been a dream come true, actually, since I have issues number 1 through 125 sealed in clear plastic bags at home. I'm a true Fango geek at heart. It's been a dream of mine to become part of Fango lore since the magazine began.
Millie FS: What are your feelings about the use of gore in films? Is there a lot of it in this film?
Dave Gebroe: Gore can be a little bit over the top if it's not used tastefully. Not that there aren't films that go overboard with it that I don't like. "Dawn of the Dead", "Zombie", "The Fly", these are movies that go nuts with it and justify its usage. There is what I deem to be a tasteful amount in "Zombie Honeymoon", and yet I didn't want to play it down--the idea was to make people fall in love with the main characters so that when they go sloshing through the blood and guts later in the movie, it's too late to turn away or hide behind their hands. I wanted to see if I could draw typically squeamish women or people who didn't normally gravitate toward horror films into the experience, and then pull them kicking and screaming through the mud after I'd already earned their hearts at the outset. In that way, it's a real sadistic experience I've established with the audience. I feel it's easiest to get to know life in its most stripped-down essence if you're face to face with death, and that was the idea behind the gore in "Zombie Honeymoon."
Millie FS: In my opinion, brothers rank up there as the most important people in a girl's life so I have to admit that the story behind the story of this film really touched me. Can you give FearSceners a synopsis of the story behind the story?
Dave Gebroe: They can go to
www.zombiehoneymoon.com and read my interview under "About the Movie". It's all there. This is as personal a movie as I'll ever make, believe it or not, and it's still hard for me not to cry when I watch it.
I would definitely like to thank Dave for dishing with us here at FearScene and I look forward to reviewing Zombie Honeymoon in the very near future. Remember that Zombie Honeymoon will be in limited theatre release in New York. To see where it is playing and to check out a synopsis of the story behind the story of Zombie Honeymoon be sure to check out the website!
