The Movie Sleuth recently had a chance to talk to Lowell Dean, the director of the upcoming release, WolfCop!
LD: Thank you for your kind words. If I am
being honest, the idea came about almost by accident. I was developing a number
of different projects in my brain, as one often is. My two main ideas were a
cop script and a werewolf script. I jokingly considered smashing them together,
and WolfCop was born. The visual of a
werewolf cop was too great to ignore!
TMS:
Who would you say are you biggest influences as filmmakers? And why?
LD: I'm a big film fan, so I have countless
influences! I would say that for this project, I was heavily inspired by
filmmakers like Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, and John Landis. I also admire the
work of Edgar Wright. These are filmmakers who have balanced story, humour, and
horror - which was always the goal (and challenge) of WolfCop.
TMS:
With the current trends in movie making typically leaning towards blockbusters
and huge studio releases, was it hard to get funding for WolfCop? And how did you go about getting the financial backing for
something that is quite obviously a passion project?
LD: It was a BIG challenge securing funding for
WolfCop. In the end, we got it made through
the first ever CineCoup Accelerator. Once I had written the script, we shot a
two minute concept trailer to sell the tone and attract financiers. We were
turned down by many traditional funding agencies before we heard about
CineCoup, which is an online film financing platform. While not officially a
“contest”, CineCoup challenges filmmakers to submit their concept trailers and
hustle for votes and media attention over an intense three month period.
Luckily for us, WolfCop got a lot of attention,
both in Canada and internationally. It was clear there was an audience for our
movie. After three months in CineCoup, our project was selected for production
– securing one million dollars of financing and a theatrical release in Canada.
It is certainly a new and unique way of getting a film made – finding your
audience first - but I think you'll see a lot more of it in the future.
LD: To be honest, I was expecting far more
negativity from WolfCop reviews! When
you name your movie WolfCop and openly embrace a lot of B movie tropes, you kind of
brace yourself for an onslaught of attacks from critics and non genre fans. I'm
overjoyed by how many people “get” what we were trying to do. That being said,
the more your project is seen, the more negative reviews you'll face - so I'm
getting used to it. WolfCop is a very
independent movie and the whole team (cast and crew) poured their heart into
this little project. We literally bled for it at times. I truly believe we did
the best we could with the time and resources we had, so I am nothing but proud
of it. I'm overjoyed when critics and fans embrace it and champion it online!
TMS:
I’d say there has been a vast difference in the quality of werewolf films over
the years. Personally, I’d say An
American Werewolf in London is my favorite. That movie had great practical
effects and an awesomely dark tone. What would you say is
your favorite and why?
LD: I have to agree, An American Werewolf In London is my personal favorite. A huge
inspiration. I must also mention Teen
Wolf and Ginger Snaps, two wildly
different werewolf films that I also love.
TMS:
Following along those lines, do you consider yourself a horror fan? What is
your favorite horror film and what do you think of the current trends in the
genre?
LD: I'm a horror fan. It is hard to single out
just one favorite, but I'd say George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead was quite
influential. In terms of different styles of horror, my personal leanings are
toward the high concept and the truly messed up.
But just because you are doing something
messed up doesn't mean you always need to show it. I prefer tension and
suspense to torture porn, or just gore for the sake of gore. I like film that
play with the audiences's imagination. One horror movie trend I'm not really
into is PG-13, because unless the suspense is TRULY killer, it often feels like
a neutered concept. A half baked idea.
TMS:
Where can people see WolfCop and when
will it be available on blu-ray?
TMS:
What’s next for you? Are you already on to your next project?
LD: I'm working on WolfCop 2 at the moment, which is going to be insane. I also have a
couple other horror features in development. Some pretty absurd stuff. I'm
hoping to tackle them next!
TMS:
Lastly, what would be your dream film? Is there a certain movie you’ve been
longing to make?
LD: I've got a bucket list. I'd love to do a
superhero film. A western. I've also got a couple personal ideas I've been
developing since childhood. Big, original projects that would need at least 50
million dollar budgets. I've got those tucked away in a drawer. You know, in
case I get lucky!
-CG
-CG