20 Questions: An Interview with Larry Blamire by Rock Baker

“I WOULDN’T KNOW, PAUL.”
An Interview with Larry Blamire,
conducted by Rock Baker.

Most of us affectionately think of him as Dr. Paul Armstrong, the Man of Science. But Larry Blamire is actually much more than that. He can also be briefly glimpsed in the episode of Cheers with Sen. John Kerry.

I kid.

Listening to the commentary tracks on Mr. Blamire’s movies, you pick up on certain things. Larry likes to surround himself with friends, he’s extremely knowledgeable, and sharp. Most satisfying is that he sounds like a genuinely warm, fun, and friendly guy. Since I found Larry on Facebook, I’ve found nothing to contradict that impression.

Larry does so much, I’m a little shocked that he even found time to endure my game of 20 questions, but he was gracious enough to let me conduct this interview exclusively for Jabootu. I sincerely hope you all enjoy……

1) First off, thank you very much, Larry, for this chance to interview you. You sort of burst onto the scene for many of us B movie lovers as the writer/director/star of The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. But you had a pretty interesting life before all that, so tell us about pre-Skeleton Larry.….

LB: Yeah, I was a sci-fi illustrator, playwright, stage actor, stage director, painter, western gunslinger, even an atomic scientist for a short time. Okay, I made up those last two.

2) Some of your stage productions, such as Interface, and Bride of the Mutant’s Tomb sound like they’d be of particular interest to your movie fans (I find it quite neat that you played Robin Hood, myself) did anyone think to make film or tapes of any of these performances?

LB: Yes, but those dim days of ’80s video exacerbated by stage lighting make for tough-to-watch videos. Plus stage performances (especially outdoor ones) are done “large” so it seems a bid broad for video. Still it’s nice to have as an archive.

3) How do you find film work compared to theater work? Many stage professionals find the change jarring. Did that happen for you? Or were you more eager to work in films?

LB: I spent a long time transitioning from play-writing to screen writing, so that helped. Also, I’ve always thought in film terms, even when doing stage.

4) Your love of 50s drive-in pictures, or ‘monster movies’ as they’re known at large, is pretty well documented. As a fellow fan, I must ask which genre titles do you recall seeing the earliest? And which have provided the most inspiration as you’ve gone on to parody/tribute them?

LB: Well, of course as a kid I didn’t think of spoofing them, but the earliest I remember seeing would be titles like Phantom from 10,000 Leagues, Fire Maidens of Outer Space, Angry Red Planet, First Man Into Space. The latter was pretty scary to a kid. I try not to be specific in parodying however, with exceptions like the Ed Woodian aliens.

5) A good question suggested to me for this interview concerns the production end of independent movies. Many of us would like to know how you got Lost Skeleton financed, how you got your actors together, and how you got the film into festivals.

LB: Wow, that could be a book right there. Our financing comes from all different sources, through people you know, networking, etc. Festivals: you just have to enter them and hope for the best. Make sure you enter ones that seem they might accommodate your kind of film. Our wonderful rep company started from people I knew back in Boston and expanded out from there.

6) You followed Lost Skeleton with a color/scope production titled Trail of the Screaming Forehead, which has remained pretty elusive since the release. Can you tell us what’s holding up a DVD release? And can you give us an idea of how much longer we’ll have to wait?

LB: It was picked up by IFC but they kind of went out of the DVD biz. They showed a cut version on cable. Now my original cut is getting its premier in the UK via 4Digital Media. Hopefully, a US release will be pending.

7) Even after two features, you had already assembled a terrific stock troupe of actors including Brian Howe, Andrew Parks, Faye Masterson, Susan McConnell, Dan Conroy, and Robert Deveau, among others. The group expanded to include such familiar names and faces as H. M. Wynant, James Karen, and the late Betty Garrett.

This gives your films a real family feel, as if each was made just as an excuse to have everybody get together for a few days. What is it like to work with a stock company? The use of a stock company seems to recall your stage days, do you think that element plays a factor in you’re building a stock company?

LB: It is a great excuse to get together. More than a “few days” though. We have fun. The stock company is rare in movies but it does exist, like Christopher Guest’s group and going back, directors like Preston Sturges had them. The really fun part is writing wildly varying roles for the people. Actors in film are rarely allowed to stretch.

8) Jennifer (Animala) Blaire is a very important member of your crew, what with her being Mrs. Larry Blamire and all! Tell us how you two crazy kids met.

LB: I went to see a dinner theatre show I’d written and she was in the cast. To say we really hit it off is an understatement. Love at first sight. I’m fortunate to be married to an exceptional actress with great range.

9) Give us the lowdown on Bantam Street, how it was formed, who is included, where the name came from, etc?

LB: The name came from a surrealist painting I’d done years ago. Basically it was the name of a street in the picture. We formed it for continuity and branding.

10) Tell us about Tales From the Pub. I read an opinion (tho I can’t recall the author) that your brand of storytelling is better suited to short episodes than feature films, sighting TFTP as an example. How do you feel about that?

LB: I like both. Tales was great fun to do, telling stories in 2–3 minutes. It was a great way for us all to keep in shape between films. Plus I’ve always loved horror/sci-fi anthology series.

11) Tell us about your books. “Tales of the Callamo Mountains” sounds quite intriguing!

LB: I’ve always been a big fan of horror set in the old west, particularly atmospheric or folk-based pieces, as opposed to zombie gunslingers and such. Finally had a chance to write a book of short stories in that vein, and it was most rewarding. I already have a bunch for a volume 2.

12) Everybody has a favorite Larry Blamire moment/line (“Hey, a stiff! What do I win?” “We didn’t steal the doll of any crab!” My personal favorite being “Touch my wife again and I’ll eat your hands!”), what is Larry Blamire’s favorite Larry Blamire moment? And do Writer Larry, Actor Larry, and Director Larry have different favorites?

LB: That’s tough. As an actor I really enjoyed turning Paul bitter, not to mention alcoholic. As a writer I really enjoyed Burling’s dialog, perhaps knowing what Brian would do with it. That was fun. Also the reporters and cabby’s 30s repartee. As director, in Dark and Stormy Night when the clock strikes 13 and the Phantom appears. Bill Russell and I had fun building that sequence.

13) So you’ve examined micro-budget horror, alien invasion, jungle pictures, and the Old Dark House genres. What other genres do you plan on spoofing in future?

LB: Outer space adventure, westerns, and who knows what else.

14) Is it true we can expect a third Skeleton movie?

LB: Yes, THE LOST SKELETON WALKS AMONG US.

15) In addition to your multitude of other talents, you’re also a masterful painter. Tell us about your art, is it for commercial reasons or just for hobby? And how do you find time to paint in addition to everything else?!

LB: Thanks, Rock, I recently had an opportunity to paint for myself and it was amazing to me. Very freeing. I explored different styles, even abstract expressionism, besides my usual surrealist tendencies. Most of my commercial work, and there’s quite a bit, has been digital; I enjoy that medium in its own way, but nothing can touch real live paint.

16) You’ve been working on a project called Steam Wars for a long time. I have to say, the project sounds very interesting. Can you tell us about Steam Wars, and what kind of progress you’ve had in getting it headed for the screen?

LB: A huge project and a slow process. I have a ton of art, and a very strong script. It’s a big expensive action adventure. The better steampunk does these days, the better my chances. And there seems to be a steamboom!