DIRECTOR'S NOTES:
One of the great things about creating a movie like this is that you can go back and be a kid again.
Waaaaay back in the day, my late uncle Ben and I used to stay up late and watch a show in the Bay Area called "Creature Features." It was hosted by Bob Wilkins who is now touring the convention circuit. Wilkins was a bespectacled guy who introduced every movie to the viewing audience and developed quite a cult following among the horror fans in the Bay Area. I should say though that the majority of the time I would end up falling asleep during the majority of the flicks he would show because it was come on so damn late (11 p.m.)
The majority of the movies he would show were those offerings from Hammer House, a horror production studio out of England. I think my favorite was Christopher Lee in "Dracula: Prince of Darkness"...The foggy and dark British countryside was damn spooky for an eight year old and I loved the Hammer Films.
Flash forward decades later and I have two vampire movies under my belt.
"Crimson" is actually my second go around at making a vampire flick. My first was entitled "A Candle In The Dark." That was my rookie movie. I was still wet behind the ears and using analog video. So, with "Crimson", it was a test to see how far I'd come as a director.
"Crimson" is the brainchild of screenwriter Daniel Chant. I'm in debt for his hard work on the script. Mark Grant offered some screenwriting help as well. Shaun Dobie and Vincent Hunt provided some of the poster designs you see on the page.
It is a *comic book* horror movie. In other words, we didn't take ourselves too seriously in making the flick but there are enough scares to keep you on your toes.
If you listen to various director commentaries on DVDs invariably you'll hear the director mention how the particular project involved the "best crew I've ever had."
I now realize what some of these directors are feeling. In terms of talent, this was the best cast I've ever had the privilege to work with. And it is a privilege. These actors weren't paid all that much and I put them through "low budget hell."
They had to get all gunked up with fake blood, spirit gum (yuck), prosthetics, and then roll around in the dirt and grass.
Oh, and of course there was the hardship of saying their dialogue while wearing oversized vampire fangs (try it at your own workplace sometime!)
There was no trailer for them to powder their nose or a high-priced caterer preparing to serve them foie gras and caviar.
So for them, it was all about the love of the game. I was very lucky to have a cast so passionate about their work.
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