
How
did you evolve from performing in a band to now directing horror films?
JimmyO: I was a very, very shy kid. More so than most. When I discovered the
comfort onstage behind a drum set, I guess I kind of craved it. I was more comfortable
onstage than off. After the band, I started acting in theater. I was given great
roles, and learned a lot. I then wrote a little and started a group called JAMO
that did musicals that I and my partner James Taylor wrote. We came up with a
fairly successful show called Silver Scream. It ran every Halloween from 1995
until 2001. I then decided to make a low budget version of Silver Scream, mainly
to use as a promotional tool for the show, and got hooked on filmmaking. That
is the cliff notes version.
What is it
like being married to a sexy scream queen?
JimmyO: Well… she is very sexy, but I don’t know if she’s
a scream queen. She is the one who makes the other scream! Sally hardly even
gets her blood pressure up, much less her voice. That aside, she gets a shit
ton of fan mail… pix of shrines to her… odd requests… marriage
proposals… sex proposals… poems about her… songs about her…people
wanting to buy her underwear, stocking and boots… should I go on? And… it’s
important to say.. that it’s pretty much equally from women as it is
men. Lots of women want to diddle my wife. So…what’s it like? I’ve
got no complaints!
Does she ever
bring her chainsaw to bed at night?
JimmyO: Chainsaw? Nope.. never. Many things… but never a chainsaw.Countess:
Any chance of you sharing one of April’s favorite bedtime items with
Old Nick?
A riding crop.
Aside from
April, where do you find the buxom beauties that you cast in your films?
JimmyO: Well… we kinda find each other. If I see someone.. male or female,
who has something going on in a movie .. and I like it.. and I know they are
right for a part, I approach them… no matter who they are. Worst thing
that can happen is they say “No.” I also have met a few at conventions..
and on MySpace. Honestly though, I have made the most connections because of
my work with and for PrettyScary.com
You
have a very honest and charming way about you…. respecting women with great
manners and grace. Treating them as friends and not just another piece
of ass to show off in your next film. Not that there’s anything wrong
with being a piece of ass as it sometimes plays in our favor. As the breathtakingly
beautiful and talented Marilyn Monroe once said, "I don't mind living
in a man's world, as long as I can be a woman in it".
Do you find having a respectful attitude towards women plays in your favor?
JimmyO: I find having a respectful attitude toward anyone who deserves it plays
in ones favor. We’re all just a bunch of goofy humans trying to make
it from point A to point B… no one better than anyone else. But I will
say this. I do tend to get along better with women than men. Not sure why.
Just always been that way. Besides, manners and kindness never hurt anyone.
As for being honest… that sometimes backfires. As it turns out, not everyone
in the movie business wants an honest opinion, they want someone to agree with
them. I’m not real good at that. If nothing else can be said about me… people
always know where they stand with me. I will not kiss you on the cheek, while
slipping a knife in your back.. even though I have plenty of scars on my back
from that exact thing.
Being surrounded
by beauty on a regular basis must make it difficult for you to maintain
a monogamous relationship. I know that April is a stunning woman with an
ample amount of brains and talent but as most men will admit, variety is
the spice of life. How do you resist temptation, or do you?
JimmyO: April and I do EVERYTHING together. How do I resist temptation? Simple… I’m
not tempted to do anything behind her back.
You are an
obvious fan of horror movies. Aside from Texas Chainsaw Massacre what are
some of your favorites?
JimmyO: We both love horror… and I think it is fair to say that at least
once a day, some sort of horror plays at our home and or offices. But we like
other genre’s too. My favorite films… which I will define as the
ones that actually spin in a DVD player the most often are: Blood Feast, Two
Thousand Maniacs, Return of the Living Dead, Halloween (1), Nightmare on Elm
St..(1), Dawn of the Dead (both of them), Jaws, The Exorcist, Dr. Phibes, American
Psycho, Devils Rejects, The Wolfman, Dracua (Lugosi), Dracula 1971 AD, Evil
Dead 2, and just for the hell of it, I’ll throw in Pink Flamingos and
Female Trouble by John Waters. (This list could be so much longer… but
I don’t want to bore your readers.)
Do you feel
like exploitation is an important aspect of the genre? As important as
blood and gore?
JimmyO: Well, I don’t really know that there is really such a thing as
exploitation anymore. But… that debate aside, I don’t know that
ANY of those three things are that important. If a movie has good characters
that can be related to in some fashion, and a halfway decent story… I’m
there. I love good solid characters in odd or extreme situations. If you look
back at my favorite movie list, you’ll find that may well be the only
strong thread though out ALL of those titles.
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