We have an interview with a B-Movie madman, director, actor, writer, producer….Lou Vockell. Lou has brought us such classic hits as The Blonde Wench Project, Hookers in a Haunted House, The Stalking Hand, Planet of the Erotic Apes, and most recently…VAGRANT (plus more)
So what makes this guy tick??? Lets find out!!!
HorrorSociety – How did you get started with filmmaking?
Lou Vockell – It was all part of a “midlife crisis”. This is the charitable description of a nervous breakdown. Honestly though, I have been doing film and video production since 1989. Around the middle 1990’s the independent production business kind of went flatline and most of us who were doing it realized we had to do something other then depend on the business we got (mostly commercials) from advertising agencies. So a lot of us either got out of the business, or went into creating our own full length features or tv programs.
HS – If you were not into films, what would you be doing?
Lou – I’d probably be homeless! I honestly have no idea. Production is the only skill I have (some would say my skill in even that is limited). I might be taking pictures of weddings or bar mitzvas.
HS – I have seen some critics call you trash, and others call you genius….so which one is it? (haha)
Lou – The latter, OF COURSE! I get a kick out of saying that there are two types of people who enjoy my films, the ones who get a kick out of LOVING them and the ones who get a kick out of HATING them. Either way, if their getting a charge of the experience I’m ahead of the game! Joe Bob Briggs likes my work. Fred Olen Ray released one of my movies, HOOKERS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE. What’s not to love about that!?
HS – Do you have any type of movie making secrets you would like to share? Anything that you have learned over the years?
Lou – Left to my own devices I work fast, cheap and without a net. I don’t necessarily recommend this approach, but it’s worked for me.
HS – Do you get a lot of shit from other directors about the work you do?
Lou – Actually I get a lot of support from the professionals. There are a bunch of people who have been supportive practically from the point I got started. Then there are some (who shall remain nameless) who haven’t.
HS – Lets talk about The Stalking Hand. It looks like you had a fun time with that one. Got any crazy stories in particular?
Lou – We had a great group of people involved in that show. We had LOTS OF FUN and as you mentioned it shows! Most of the craziness got on screen and wasn’t behind-the-scenes. I’m very proud of everyone who performed. The things I made them do in that show were often embarrassing and in extremely poor taste. They all demonstrated uncommon courage and I will use them all again if possible. I guess special mention has to be made of the amazing Lori Morsch who’s job it was to produce the world’s longest on-screen fart! Farting women, that’s cutting edge baby!
HS – How did you get a hold of Russ Hurley for Stalking hand?
Lou – Russell attended the casting call for the HAND. He bore a striking resemblance to the chubby version of Elvis Presley and we literally re-wrote the script to add him to it. Russell even pitched in to help by contacting the company who owned the rights to the Elvis image. Russell’s pretty good at schmoozing people, and he found out that while we couldn’t afford to use the Elvis image directly, we could get close enough to it to make it work in the film.
HS – Have you done any films that have not been horror or exploitation films?
Lou – Not a one. I have been recently approached to direct a strait drama. It remains to be seen whether I’ll accept the assignment. I’m pretty confident at this point that I can direct almost anything. The question is whether there is the talent and the budget available. Stay tuned for further developments.
HS – Is it easy for you to get the girls you cast in these films to get naked in front of the camera?
Lou – There is nothing about making a movie that’s easy. I don’t mean to be excessively sexist, but it’s not a simple task to find women who are very photogenic to get naked in the movies. We can’t really afford to pay what a lot of pretty girls want for thsir services. We basically have to find exotic dancers who think that it might be fun to be in a film and work from there. There are a lot of women who SAY they are willing to take their clothes off, but they chicken out at the last minute. At least with strippers when the time comes to lose the duds they are always ready and willing.
HS – Out of all the films you have done, which one is your favorite, and then of course your least favorite?
Lou – I have to cop to a cliche’s here, they are all my children and I love them equally. Without being facetious I think they all achive our primary goal, to be ENTERTAINING. That’s what REALLY matters to me!
HS – Vagrant is a different than the other films that you have doen in the past. How did you get on board with that one?
Lou – I deliberatly intended to embark on a project that was nothing like I’d ever done before. Mostly I wanted to prove to myself I could work outside of the “auteur” style, where I had to work with other peoples money and didn’t have the final say on all decisions. I honestly wish I’d chosen a project that wasn’t quite so challenging, but I think we’ve risen to the occasion nicely.
SCENE FROM VAGRANT
HS – I hear that you shot Vagrant in a bad part of Cincinnati. Do you have any horror stories from the shoot?
Lou – Are you kidding. Everything about that movie is a horror story! The buildings we shot in were abandoned, filthy and filled with rats and bugs. It was shot in the winter and we were completely without heat during most of the filming. It looked amazing, but it was a living hell to work in. That said, all the suffering really brought the cast and crew together as a family and it’s kind of fun to reminisce about it retrospect with the “family”.
HS – Any word of a second Vagrant?
Lou – We haven’t sold the first one yet! VAGRANT has so far been very well received by screening audiences. We’ve been approached by a couple distributors, but I’m determined to keep taking this show on the road until it gets the deal it deserves.
RUSS HURLEY FROM VAGRANT
HS – So what is new with One Man Film Industries? Any work in progress right now?
Lou – Right now our main thrust is to create our own in-house means of distribution for our products. It kind of offends the entertainer in me to refer to what we do as “products”, but that’s exactly what they are. I love to entertain, but I HAVE to make money to do it. The business is just another part of the process of filmmaking, but it’s the one you must master to make all the “fun” possible.
HS – How is the film scene in Ohio?
Lou – There’s a fair amount of work being done but sadly there’s no substantive “indie film scene”, at least where I am in Cincinnati. There’s lots of support around here for indie music but not film. I guess if bars showcased movies the way they showcase bands that would be different.
HS – If you could turn back the clock and do anything over in your film career, would you do anything different?
Lou – I spent the early years of mu life in the radio business. Hindsight is 20-20, but I wish I would have started doing this at age 20 instead of age 40.
HS – Got any hobbies outside of movie making?
Lou – Other then masterbation? Not much! I watch a lot of movies!
HS – Any advice for other younger filmmakers that want to get in the business?
Lou – Just make your own movie. Don’t dream about it, just DO IT. Don’t be afraid of failure. Learn how to view adversity as an opportunity. Learn the “business” of the business, that’s the most important (and the toughest) part of the process.
HS – Got a favorite film?
Lou – My favorite movies are the ones made by guys like Fred Olen Ray, Jim Wynorski, Dave DeCoteau, Rick Sloan and a few others. So this is the “If you had to take one film with you to the desert island, what would it be?” question right? I guess Fred Olen Ray’s HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS.
ME AND LOU VOCKELL
Thanks Lou for the interview!!!
Check out the links below…
One Man Film Industry
Vagrant Movie
