Horror Movies / Michigan Film Industry / Michigan Horror Films / Scary Stories

Randy Scott talks about creating a retro-style 80s slasher film-Paradise Lodge

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Slasher films are an acquired taste.  A subgenre of horror films,  they normally involve a serial killer murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed tools. Slasher films were originally influenced by such movies as Peeping Tom (1960) and Psycho (1960). Slasher films experienced their “Golden Age” between 1978 and 1984.

Notable slasher films include The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Black Christmas (1974), Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Child’s Play (1988), Candyman (1992), Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).

Many slasher films released decades ago continue to attract cult followings The slasher canon can be divided into three eras: the classical (1974–1993), the self-referential (1994–2000), and the neo-slasher cycle (2001–2013)

Drawing on the early 1980s influence of slasher films, young filmmaker Randy “Randy Dies” Scott is working on creating a slasher film.  Taking his cast and crew into the woods of Hillman, Michigan, this is where this will all go down.

Randy permitted us an interview and talks at length about how he was influenced to create this movie and what he will do to bring it about.  Randy is creating a slasher film and is confident that this movie will find an audience if a “cult following.”  It will be called Paradise Lodge.

When did you start filming Paradise Lodge?

Randy, We started filming July 8th on location in Hillman Michigan.. December is when we are planning to release it. I’ve always been a big fan of horror films and I came up with a basic concept of a very eighties throwback Styles slasher similar to Friday the 13th of a group of friends go out to a cabin and meet simply a madman in the woods. I contacted my friend Dale Hills about it. I had close to the first 30 pages and he took over and had a concept than an idea and ran with it.

So, you are shooting in September with a release date of December. Is this correct?
Randy, We spent 3 days filming all as a group. We were tired and it was a little cramped but we ended up leaving a very close family which I’m excited about. The location has so much to offer it was like instant creativity where we could just come up with something and go for it lol it helped to be on 10 acres of woods.
When do you anticipate finishing filming and when do you enter into post-production work?
Randy, We are looking at filming the last weekend of September, or the first weekend of October.  From there we go through October into November. Post-production has already started as far as editing footage and putting it together. I’m editing the film with some help but I start rendering and cutting footage on set at the end of a shooting day. I have almost 30 minutes of footage done already.
Now talking about the length of your film, when finished will this be a short or a feature film?
Randy, It’s a feature. I’ve yet to bring a feature out so I figured it was time to create something with a running time of 90 minutes minimum is our plan.

Talking features, who are your featured actors in your film? How did this cast work together?

Randy, The cast is amazing. I honestly can’t say enough about them. But the cast consists of Mlo O’Brien (Cheryl from Booger Picker 200) Dale Hills, Amber Techel, Sharrieff Beamon, Ava Miller, and now Jared Kuzich and Stacey Saunders, with Dennis Pank. The cast’s chemistry is amazing. Everyone clicks so I’m very excited about what’s going to be on screen
Being as this will be reminiscent of 80s slasher films, can we anticipate a lot of blood, gut, and gore? Everyone was okay with this? Did you have any scream queens?
Randy, Yes, indeed. We wanted it to be a real slasher and go for the R-rating, not play it safe. The entire cast was 100% on board for that and in some cases, that’s why they signed on. As far as to scream queens, I’d have to say the number one is Dale Hills. But all the girls in the film can bring it

Talking a retro-80s slasher feel, your poster really achieves this look. Who was responsible for your poster? Would you like to give a shout-out to your artist?
Randy, Actually, I am the artist.  I wear a lot of hats in this production.  But, thank you for the compliment. On the poster, I was really hoping it would give that feel.

You’re a man of many talents. When does your movie release? Are you looking at a possible premiere, or will this be released online?

Randy,  We are planning on doing a red carpet premiere in Detroit. From there we may look at festivals, as well. I don’t plan on dropping it on digital right away. If the first 30 minutes of footage tells me anything it’s that this cast deserves every opportunity I can make for them.
Understood. Looking for to this. In addition to Paradise Lodge, you are already working on another project.

Paradise Lodge teaser trailer

When do you start filming your next project? Tell us about this project and how things came about. Share this project’s storyline with us

The next official filming project is a short called Brandon, we are filming on Sunday in Eaton Rapids. It’s about a single father of 2 calling a local minister to help his daughter deal with the loss of her brother. What worries the father is since his death she’s been obsessively making paper cranes and leaving them around the house. It stars Jimmie Chiappelli, Dale Hills, and Dale’s kids Ella and Logan Hills.  I’m looking at getting it out in October to hold everyone over till Paradise Lodge is ready
For more information
Randy Dies Facebook page
Randy’s IMDb page

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