Movie Director Steve Balderson on End Screen Credits, Erotic Sex Scenes and Women in Prison

Acclaimed director Steve Balderson has proven time and time again that great films can be made outside of the Hollywood system, which is refreshing for appreciative movie fanatics. I had the pleasure of getting a behind-the-scenes account on what makes audiences receive two of his most recent movies so well. In this interview, Balderson gets us to understand why the explicit “Watch Out” is not your typical narrative film and how “Stuck” pays homage to female inmates, with a modern twist.

Madlab Post: Why does "Watch Out" and "Stuck" open with end credits before the movie starts?

Steve Balderson: I always liked that about classic Hollywood films. They would always have all the credits at the beginning, and simply end with a “The End” title card. I do that in all of my films now, but what really gave me the idea was my documentary “Underbelly.” It was the last of my films to have the complete end credits at the ending. I was screening it at the Boston Underground Film Festival, and planned to do a Q&A afterwards. The end credits were about 5 minutes long, and by the time they were over, half the audience had left because they didn’t know we were doing a Q&A.

In “Watch Out” and “Stuck!” by the time the movie ends, the lights come up right away, we immediately walk to the front of the room, and the audience stays put. I also like the feeling it creates for the audience to be catapulted back into reality, while they continue to think about the film. So the film lingers inside them.

MP: Watching a father beat his daughter with an umbrella in "Watch Out" quickly let me know that this movie is not for the squeamish or faint at heart. Were you strictly going after Joseph Suglia's readers when making this movie? If so, why? If not, what portion of moviegoing audiences would enjoy "Watch Out"?

SB: My challenge with “Watch Out” was to create a cinematic interpretation of the novel, by still being true to the novel, yet bringing a cinematic air to it. That’s an incredibly difficult challenge for anyone to do, with any book. I can’t say I was thinking about Dr. Joseph Suglia’s audience at all… I think I was focused more on capturing aspects of the novel that were distinctive. Also, the whole project was an experiment in a way.

In film studies they tell you to never do a narrative like that, with his constant inner monologue. I wanted to see if I could break that rule—and I think I did. For some reason, and maybe it’s just that particular story, the film wouldn’t have worked without it. I was surprised at the critical acclaim the film received, and surprised that audiences seemed to love it so much. When we were nominated for Best International Film at Raindance, I was literally shocked.

MP: What other films would you compare "Watch Out" to when addressing general movie fanatics who are not familiar with Suglia's work or your work but wanted to see it?

SB: I’m not sure. That’s a tough one. Because I really think it’s one of a kind. It’s such a bizarre story. I’d say that if a person watched “American Psycho” and thought it was tame, or thought it didn’t go as far as the original book, those people would love “Watch Out.” But, I think that if someone’s expecting a traditional narrative, of, say, “The Social Network,” they are likely not going to like it.

MP: Why does the prison guard in "Stuck" wear platform heels?

SB: The stylistic elements of “Stuck!” were important for me to create that feeling of films like “Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill” – with tall amazon goddesses and high heels on the inmates, and lots of make-up. And yet, on the flipside, I wanted to remain true to the original women in prison films from the 50s like “Caged!” And “I Want To Live!” which were made decades before people started making exploitation women in prison films (like “Caged Heat” etc).

MP: Daisy appears to have done a 180, becoming an arrogant wench following her first brush with death. Was this an intentional part of the storyline to show how the guilty corrupt the innocent?

SB: That’s just how it was written, and I always thought if I were going to be hanged for a crime I didn’t commit, and then I somehow managed to live, I would be a changed person afterward. Knowing you’re still going to be hanged to death would be awful.

MP: Is the Warden in "Stuck" a sadist? Also, why are her scenes silent?

SB: I think the Warden is just like anyone in power who abuses that power. I think she revels in the idea of putting other people down to feel better about herself. She never speaks because she’s so powerful she doesn’t need to. It was written that way, and I liked the feeling of it, when we just had that deep bass drone sound and no other noise.

MP: What made you decide to do a cameo in "Stuck"?
SB: I’ve done cameos in all my films up until my most recent film, “The Casserole Club.” I thought it would be fun. Hitchcock was my favorite director, and he did it, so I thought I should, too. But then, I changed my mind. I thought, oh, I don’t need to appear in every movie. Hahaha.

MP: Why do some of the same actors from the "Watch Out" cast also appear in "Stuck"?

SB: They were so incredible to work with, I knew I wanted to have them in another movie. When you find a person who is as brilliant on screen as they are humble, and easy to work with, you’re incredibly lucky. So when I meet those kinds of performers, I try to find roles for them in future projects on purpose.

MP: Dutch has to be one of the sexiest fictional inmates of 2009. Could this character fit in a "Phone Sex 2"?

SB: I agree! Pleasant Gehman’s performance as “Dutch” in “Stuck!” is riveting. People went nuts over the “sex scene” where all we see is their hands, mouths, and they stay totally dressed. After it premiered at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, several people commented to me that they thought it was the most erotic sex scene they’ve ever seen. Even though it wasn’t even a sex scene!

MP: Stuck appears to have more intimacy than blatant sex despite it's gang rape and masturbation scenes. Was this intentional and why does "Watch Out" lack the same amount of subtlety regarding sexual activities in its scenes?

SB: Totally intentional. I see all of my films differently, different stories. “Watch Out” is meant to be in-your-face and outrageous. “Stuck!” isn’t. When we were filming the sex scenes in my newest, “The Casserole Club,” the actors were concerned because they all watched “Watch Out.” Kevin Richardson (from the Backstreet Boys) plays the lead (in his debut dramatic role), and I remember “Watch Out” was the first film of mine he saw. I was so thankful he still wanted to work with me! Hahaha! I told him, “Don’t worry. Just because that film was explicit, doesn’t mean this one will.” In fact, it would be overkill if I kept doing explicit stuff again and again.

MP: How do you select the films that you decide to work on? What is your criteria for deciding whether you will or won't do a project?

SB: I really boils down to whether or not it’s something I can really dive into and explore, something that is challenging, or exciting, or just something I’m interested in. Making a movie takes about a year and a half (from the moment of developing the script to the end result of watching it in a theatre). I try and make sure that the subject is interesting enough that it remains interesting throughout the whole process. I see my movies as my children, and to do one haphazardly and to not care about it that deeply would be irresponsible.

If you still haven't seen "Watch Out" starring Matt Riddlehoover,

or

"Stuck" featuring Karen Black,

....I'd suggest you check out these movies ASAP and be on the lookout for "Casserole Club" from Steve Balderson!

Question for Readers:
What are the most bizarre movies that YOU have seen?

Also, what are your favorite film noir movies featuring women in leading roles?

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What does the Sony CD Plant Closing mean for Independent Film?

When Sony announced the closing of its CD manufacturing plant in South Jersey (Pitman, NJ to be exact) last week, it was easy to understand how this change will affect the local economy there. Nearby restaurants and other businesses who depend on serving the 300 employees who will be laid off by Spring 2011 expect to experience a decline in revenue but are jobs in Gloucester County the only thing at stake?

It's no surprise that CD sales have gone down due to an increase in music downloads but if Sony's plans to move their CD manufacturing operations to a plant Indiana (where it also moved its DVD manufacturing to last February) are any indication, independent film may be slowly losing the home video distribution market....at least in the form of physical media. Whose to say that Sony's CD and DVD manufacturing plant in Indiana will stay afloat amongst the ever increasing demand for digital media?

Optical discs can still be useful for storing files for backup or archival purposes, especially for those who are not computer savvy, do not own the latest gadgets used for video on demand and digital music downloads and who also may not be interested in using external hard drives to store their files. This seems to be the only sector of consumers that producers and distributors of independent film and their partners (art house theaters and maybe even independent musicians who rely on exposure through motion picture soundtracks) can depend on to help maintain relevancy among consumers in the home video market.

If independent films have to solely depend on movie downloads for revenue, that reality may become a huge challenge, especially for some films with audiences who are not using computers, iPads or modern cell phones with mobile video features such as the elderly. It's much easier to sell a DVD to someone's 70 year-old grandmother because she can pop it in a DVD player that her children gave her for Christmas and enjoy.

It's hard enough getting independent films in front of wide audiences, so this sale to the grandmother may be nearly impossible if she can only get the movie on an iPhone.....a device that she likely would not likely know how to operate, let alone own.

Could offering free digital versions of music CDs and film DVDs make people buy more media in its physical format?

Can Independent Films like "The Kids Are All Right" and "Zen Noir" still thrive if DVD manufacturing goes the same route as CDs, which appear to be on their way out of the marketplace?

Photos by xmacex and whatleydude

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A New Year with New Movie Developments

I finally figured out (or was rather, reminded) another reason why the script is so important when making a movie.....resources.

Yes, I know it's been a few months since my last post. I'll touch on that in a few but first, let's discuss good ol' filmmaking.

After trying to find the motivation and time to write the script for a short movie that I plan on making within the upcoming weeks, I finally got up in the middle of the night and completed a rough outline for it. What started as an idea to create my own personal 48 hour film challenge to help move myself into action and become more productive has resulted in an exciting story that will hopefully be done by the end of January.

While the script may not be hard to complete in enough time to actually start production once I start typing it up, I realized a bit of a challenge during the outlining process. No matter how simple I tried to make the story be (and I mean, it's really simple...you could probably count the entire cast of characters on one hand), I'm still lacking the resources necessary to complete the main scenes in this movie. These resources include tangible items such as a manly styled vehicle, diamond ring and most importantly.......a location! I wanted a free one but it looks like I may have to rent one by just paying someone to leave their home for a few hours.

If anyone has any suggestions on where I can get these items, preferably for free, by all means, leave a comment with these suggestions.

Also, I'm seeking three male actors and two female actors. I'll likely find them through a network of colleagues so maybe the casting thing can be resolved quicker than the props and location. Well, here's to an upcoming week of shooting on the fly!

Now that we've covered the short movie project, let's discuss my posting frequency (or lack thereof), the status of this blog as far as updates go and what's in store for 2011.

Real life has gotten in the way of my film and art aspirations and that includes this blog. Trying to work and pay bills has left me with not much energy to post anything. I requested some guest contributors during the fall of 2010 but there weren't tons of people lined up to keep the Madlab Post active on a weekly basis. With the new year of 2011 here, I'm taking a more proactive approach to getting some guest contributors to balance out my infrequent posting habits as well as posting many of the dozen or more drafts that I've had sitting around and just never finished.

As mentioned previously around the time of my Blog Action Day posts, if any of you have something that you want to know regarding independent films, or even mainstream films for that matter, just leave a comment of what that is and that'll surely get the posts coming on here.

Speaking of movies.....I so want to check out "Blue Valentine"!

I've been waiting since December 31st and then like January 4th and then it appeared that "Blue Valentine" wasn't going to be released in many theaters and then a really cool film festival buddy gave me the goods on it's release today in the Tri-State area, so it's pretty messed up that it took an extra few weeks to be released but it's finally out in more theaters so it's all good!

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