Deathstalker is again! Sure, the warrior who fought wizards, ogres and numerous different monsters within the Roger Corman-produced 1983 sword and sorcery cult basic is again on the massive display. The brand new Deathstalker, getting its world premiere in an out-of-competition spot on the 78th version of the Locarno Movie Competition, comes courtesy of author and director Steven Kostanski (Frankie Freako, PG: Psycho Goreman) and govt producer Slash.
Sure, Slash from Weapons N’ Roses, who teamed with Vault Comics, Shout! Studios, the proprietor of the rights to the Corman library, Raven Banner Leisure, Kostanski, comics author Tim Seeley and comics artist Jim Terry on Deathstalker comics.
The brand new Deathstalker film stars Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick, The Matrix Reloaded) because the titular warrior hero, in addition to Christina Orjalo, Paul Lazenby and Nicholas Rice. Patton Oswalt voices Doodad, a benevolent wizard becoming a member of Deathstalker on his journey.
“The Kingdom of Abraxeon is below siege by Dreadites, heralds of the lifeless sorcerer Nekromemnon,” reads a plot description. “When Deathstalker finds a cursed amulet, he’s marked by darkish magick and hunted by monstrous assassins. To outlive, he should break the curse or die making an attempt.”
The motion fantasy journey movie was produced by Pasha Patriki of Hangar 18 Media and Raven Banner’s Michael Paszt, Andrew Thomas Hunt and James Fler.
Forward of the Locarno world premiere, Slash talked to THR in regards to the return of Deathstalker, changing into a fan of the unique whereas working at Tower Video in L.A. and why the world wants escapist popcorn motion pictures.
Did you and the remainder of the artistic workforce have any explicit target market in thoughts whenever you determined to make Deathstalker? And do you know the unique?
I knew that there was a large fantasy style crowd on the market. They love these items, they’re very obsessed with it, and it’s nearly form of culty in that approach.
And yeah, I used to be aware of the unique motion pictures again after I used to work at Tower Video in Los Angeles within the ‘80s, in order that’s form of how I got here to be thinking about doing this.
I observed the movie just isn’t described as a remake…
It’s not a remake, it’s simply one other story within the Deathstalker saga. I keep in mind at Tower, there was an enormous part with comedian guide fantasy and medieval knights. I assume we’re form of half and parcel of that viewers as nicely. And so we simply knew the place it was going.
The movie is a mixture of motion, journey, gore, enjoyable, and a few cheesiness. Did you ever focus on the tone you have been aiming for?
What occurred was we had the IP, and it was actually in regards to the script. The course the primary draft was going was precisely what turned us on. It had a humorousness to it. It didn’t take itself too severely. The motion was all there. The dialogue was not silly, however good. And it simply appeared like a very enjoyable, gory, fast-paced film with a very good story and good characters. And that was actually all we wished. I don’t suppose we had a giant imaginative and prescient for what it needed to be. It simply needed to be entertaining to us. And having Steve Kostanski direct it was actually the clincher.
Do you know him earlier than?
No, I didn’t actually know Steve apart from he did The Void, which was a film that I actually beloved, and the man who wrote the void turned me on to Steve Kostanski.
Might we see extra Deathstalker motion pictures?
We’ll see what occurs with this one. If there’s sufficient curiosity, clearly we might like to do one other one. I’m positive we’d be thinking about doing a sequel to it, if the curiosity is there.
Deathstalker continues to be style however a bit totally different out of your different movie work, proper?
We largely are doing horror motion pictures. The massive factor for me on this explicit character and IP was actually that it had a nostalgic factor for me, as a result of I beloved the unique Deathstalkers. And, like I stated, I noticed them within the ‘80s after I was working within the video retailer. We had them up on the screens throughout my shift, and so they simply had a sure form of character to them. I don’t essentially go for swords and sorcerers and all that form of stuff typically. That’s probably not my factor. Nevertheless it all relies on the standard of the story. It relies on the characters, it relies on a number of issues.
The unique Deathstalker simply had a sure form of looseness to it and a sure form of enjoyable, and in addition a sure form of B film high quality that made it actually interesting to me. So, when this got here throughout our desk, I used to be like: “Yeah, that will be a enjoyable factor to do.”
What did you deal with as govt producer? And did you ever take into consideration taking part in a small function within the film?
The massive factor for me was the script, and the script got here out nice, and so from there, it was Steve. That was a very huge one, as a result of it needed to be directed by anyone that might seize all of the totally different nuances, which was motion, gore, however on the similar time the humor and the dialogue. Additionally, we wished to shoot it completely with sensible results. So it needed to be anyone who was artistic with doing sensible, versus CGI, and Steve was the right man for it.
Then it was about who was going to really play Deathstalker? Daniel Bernardt was an excellent name. After which the remainder of it was simply executing it. As quickly as I first went right down to the set, and after I began watching the dailies, I actually noticed that Steve was going approach past the price range so far as the looks of the film. It appears to be like dearer than it actually was.
I’m not into the performing a part of it. That’s actually not in my wheelhouse. I like producing, as a result of I like gathering all of the parts collectively to make one thing nice. That complete course of actually speaks to me. I don’t even like doing cameos. I hate that. It simply appears awkward and foolish whenever you do it. I don’t have any designs on performing, and I don’t foresee myself evolving right into a director both. I believe that’s one thing that you must be obsessed with from the start, and it’s a lifelong factor. I don’t suppose you simply stroll in and begin directing.
Do you know Daniel Bernhardt earlier than?
We by no means met earlier than. However we had a good time hanging out. He’s an superior man. He’s fairly a personality as a human being. He’s nice.
Do you watch a number of movies past horror?
I watch a number of stuff. Once you say horror, generally that’s slightly bit restricted, a slender form of description of the stuff that I like. I like thrillers, I like scary science fiction. I like horror. Horror has really been dumbed down in order that it doesn’t have the identical impact it did after I was a child. Once you say horror, you must broaden it. I like psychological thrillers.
I’m really not a giant gore film fan. I like story-driven and character-driven dramas which have a horror aspect to it that make them scary. However I do love monster motion pictures if it’s a nicely completed film.
I additionally like a number of crime stuff.
I’m not a giant superhero man, however I see them, I simply know the great ones. There are just a few good ones, after which there’s a number of filler that’s on the market. It simply appears to maintain coming. However there’s a really passionate viewers for that very tied to the fabric, so I perceive what that’s all about.
I grew up watching motion pictures within the ‘70s, and there are some nice motion pictures of all totally different genres through the years. However I nonetheless really feel like we haven’t had that form of magical second that we had within the ‘70s for filmmaking. I grew up on a number of ‘70s comedy as nicely, the place I can’t say that I’m an enormous comedy man now, however this present day the place there’s a lot cultural restriction occurring, it’s onerous to see how actually good comedies may even get made.
What comedies from the ‘70s did you want?
I beloved Woody Allen motion pictures. His early motion pictures have been nice. I beloved Harold and Maude, which was nice. Any of the Nationwide Lampoon stuff was nice. I grew up with the Unhealthy Information Bears. There was a ton of stuff. The In-Legal guidelines. There have been nice comedies popping out within the ‘70s.
Earlier than I allow you to go, I wished to say that Deathstalker looks like popcorn leisure. Any ideas?
A film like Deathstalker is similar to what rock and roll to me is all about. You do one thing that does form of takes you out of the present-day points. I’m okay with motion pictures that do contact on topics which might be form of social commentary on what’s happening on this planet, or the state of the human race. However I additionally like motion pictures that simply fully take you away from that and take your consciousness and put it in a totally totally different place. This actually is simply all about leisure and escape. That is a kind of form of motion pictures.
‘Deathstalker’
Courtesy of Hangar 18 Media