andreasschnaas

Anthropophagous 2000 , and the brand new horror film Demonium among others. I haven't been fortunate enough to track down one of his movies yet , as legitimate copies are as rare as hens teeth in the States letalone here in Australia. I was lucky enough to catch up with Andreas , and get his thoughts on the current state of the horror genre among other things.

Blake : Andreas , your movie Anthropophagous 2000 is a remake/homage to Joe D'Amatos Anthropophagous (aka. The Grim Reaper). Are you a big D'Amato fan , and do you consider George Eastman to be an underrated actor?

Andreas : Yes , I am a lover of D'Amatos movies . I love the trashy late seventies style that was only possible back then. George Eastman is surely underestimated in terms of his acting , but one has to see the situation for actors.... he surely is a B-movie actor. And that is not too bad.

Blake : Do you think that horror has lost its edge, and that visceral films like yours are too confronting for audiences that seem to want their horror in a safe sanitised package like Scream , or Urban Legends ?

Andreas : The times of the zombie and cannibal films are over , much to my regret. People tend to like bizarre , exciting movies when their life is working out fine. In times of missing jobs , war , and AIDS people seem to prefer comedies and stuff like that. Just look at Frances Amelie , more than 7 million visitors. Another comedy from Germany also had this figure ( Schuh Des Mannitou). Not even Scream reached this point. For horror you have to go safe if you want a blockbuster.

Blake : A number of conversion companies in the U.S. sell your films. Do you recieve a royalty for these , or is there a better place to buy them (preferably with English subtitles) where at least a percentage of the sale goes back to you the filmmaker?

Andreas : This is a big problem in the U.S. There are a lot of bootleg offers of my movies. This is illegal ! I can only ask all the fans not to support people who squeeze out money like this. People that ruin the independant character and cause so that no production value can go back into new projects. So please just buy the originals if you want to keep watching your favorite kind of movies.

Blake : Here in Australia , independant filmmakers are constantly complaining that the government should fully finance their films. Do you agree with this school of thought , or do you think that if you don't have enough faith in your project to risk at least some of your own money , then you shouldn't try to make a film ?

Andreas : Here in Germany I see how public money is flushed down the toilet for movies nobody will ever see , or wants to. So I think you should find your own money. Maybe a tax advantage for investors would be nice.

Blake : Can you tell us a little about your latest film Demonium , and what kind of feedback you've had from audiences so far ?

Andreas : Demonium is my first movie on celluloid. It is an atmospheric movie in the 60's / 70's style and has some sexism and violence of the eighties. It is a journey into the dark angles of todays society : love , hate , death , and lies. The film has been wonderfully recieved at European festivals. People seem to like that it is not a teenie horror movie...you cannot put it in any trend. A trailer can be downloaded at our websites , where you can also find all the stories , actors, special effects, and background stuff about the movie and how it all happened.