Interview with Lance Weiler - Head Trauma
By: Marcus Ingelmo

Evil Dread: Hey Lance, how are you today?
Lance Weiler: Iím doing well thanks.

ED: It was a while ago since HEAD TRAUMA was released, but for those who have not yet seen the film, could you like to tell us a little what it is about.
LW: Sure. HEAD TRAUMA was released this past fall and is now available on DVD in the states and will soon be released in Europe. HEAD TRAUMA is a dark and twisted flick. After a 20 year absence, drifter, George Walker, returns home to settle his grandmotherís estate. As if awakening from a long dream, he finds his childhood home condemned and littered with the remnants of squatters. In the midst of trying to save his past, George falls and strikes his head, triggering an onslaught of vivid nightmares and waking visions. As the horror intrudes on Georgeís reality, his conviction grows that someone or something is trying to kill him.

ED: You wrote the script together with Brian Majeska, how long did it take to write it and how did the idea of the story first come to life?
LW: We spent about 6 months writing the initial script and then kept writing all the way through production. The story comes from an actual real life experience. In 1994 I was in a horrible car accident. It was a head on collision with a garbage truck. The accident left me with a head trauma and a broken jaw. When I finally got out of the hospital, I was plagued by vivid nightmares. Eventually, the nightmares stopped. Later, I wondered what it would have been like if my nightmares started crossing over into my reality. What would that be like and how would I have dealt it.

ED: HEAD TRAUMA was very creepy/scary indeed. Was it hard making the scares work effectively when seen on screen? Did you feel that you had to be scared of what you saw yourself in order for an audience to later be scared by the same things?
LW: Whatís interesting is in order to create tension and then hopefully pay it off with good scares takes a lot of planning and a ton of editing and sound design. I like to try to create the feeling on set if I can. When ever possible I try to shoot on location some place that has a creepy ambience to it. For instance in HEAD TRAUMA we shot in an actual abandon house where a woman had killed herself. In fact if you visit headtraumamovie.com there are two whole sites hidden within the site. One of the site details how creepy the house was and what we found inside. The house set a tone which created a lot of tension for the cast and crew. But in the end building scares that work is challenging and some times takes a bit of trail and error.

ED: HEAD TRAUMA has some similarities to a few Asian horror films and the whole creepy Asian feel. Are you a fan of Asian horror and would you say that the way ďtheyĒ do things somewhat inspired you when making HEAD TRAUMA?
LW: I am a fan of Asian horror. Iíve spent a lot of time in Asia working and I love the culture, especially their folklore and ghosts stories. But Iíd say, I was more inspired by psychological horror films from the late 60ís and 70ís than Asian horror. Films like Repulsion, Donít Look Now and The Tennant, which in some ways might have inspired certain Asian filmmakers.

ED: What scares you the most on film and could you name a few flicks that you think are ace when it comes to delivering scary horror?
LW: Thatís difficult to answer because there are a number of types of scares. My favorite are the ones that have a slow tension build to them. There the ones that creep you out and leave you wondering when itís coming. They keep your footing off and donít rely on the classic sound cues or actions. Thatís the kind of scares I enjoy. In terms of films the Exorcist does a great job and really freaked me out when I first saw it. It left a lasting impression. Another freaky film is Audition it definitely catches you off guard.

ED: How has the response been so far? I believe you got some great reviews and a lot of people seem to like it. What kinda expectations did you have to begin with?
LW: Well HEAD TRAUMA has been embraced by critics and audiences. In fact we made a number of top 10 lists for 2006. Each week Iím getting a ton of email from people discovering the film and they tell me how itís creeping them out. Overall Iíd have to say that the reaction has exceeded my expectations.

ED: Where did you find the actors for the film and was it hard finding the right people for the job?
LW: We held a number of casting calls in Philadelphia and also in Scranton, PA. Casting is an important part of the process and it took a bit to find the right people. I knew Vince Mola who played George Walker prior to shooting. Weíd been friends for a number of years and had worked on a number of projects together. I wrote the part for him. He was going through one of the lowest points in his life and he poured himself into the character Ė he became George Walker.

ED: Where was the movie shot? The house was very creepy and had a great dreadful atmosphere to it. Was it hard finding the right location of where to shoot the film?
LW: After looking through more than 60 abandoned houses in Scranton, PA we selected the house we shot in. You would not believe what we saw in some of the abandoned houses. From rotting food to blood stained walls to rooms full of fecal matter, many felt like tombs. The most haunting aspects of any of the houses were all the items that where left behind. Piles of clothes, shoes, kids toys, papers, pills, bizarre photos, drawings, journals, records, bills, needles, and bullet casings. In most cases it looked like whoever was in the house had left in a hurry, running away from something.

ED: You co-directed your first film, THE LAST BROADCAST, but with HEAD TRAUMA you were on your own. How was that experience, was it hard being the ďbossĒ or did you feel completely comfortable with the role as the director?
LW: Making films is a collaborative effort and HEAD TRAUMA was an amazing experience. Even though we had limited resources everyone on the cast and crew poured their hearts and souls into the project. When you have good people around you it helps to make things more comfortable. It was fun directing HEAD TRAUMA and Iím dying to get back behind the camera.

ED: Was it hard getting financing for the film and how long, all together, did it take to make the movie, how many days did you shoot for etc.?
LW: Raising the money wasnít difficult after the success of THE LAST BROADCAST. There were a number of people interested and we made sure to keep the costs down which gave us total freedom in making the movie. Thatís the beauty of truly independent filmmaking you can have creative control and final cut. Plus when you self distribute like we did with THE LAST BROADCAST and HEAD TRAUMA you can retain the rights to your work. The movie was shot in 93 days over the course of a year. It ended up taking longer than we thought for a number of reasons but in the end I think it helped us make a better film.

ED: When did you first get into the whole horror scene and what is it about horror that attracts you?
LW: Iíve been a fan of horror films since I was a kid. My first exposure was the Hammer Films, which my brothers and I would watch on Saturday afternoons when they played on TV. I enjoy horror because you can add subtext. That to me is the most exciting part and I think that psychological horror is amazing because it taps the dark parts of the human mind which can be a very scary place.

ED: You just came back from EFM in Berlin, Germany. How was that and how did things go? Did you try any nice beers?
LW: EFM was excellent. There was a lot of interest in HEAD TRAUMA and we are currently working on a number of deals. I had a few local beers that I enjoyed. Iím excited to return to Europe there is such a great love of cinema at festivals like Berlin. Not to mention the programming I really enjoy watching films from other countries.

ED: Could you see yourself making anything but horror films in the future or is that where you feel most at home with?
LW: My next two films will be horror films. But Iím also working on some documentary subjects that arenít horror related. I think my narrative work will stay in the horror genre for the next couple films but if there is a story that moves me and it happens to be in a different genre Iíll give that a go as well.

ED: What are you up to for the moment? Have you started writing/working on anything new and do you have anything coming up in the near future?
LW: Iíve been working hard on two new scripts. Both are dark and twisted. It looks like I might be shooting one of them later this year. The best way to stay updated with my projects is to visit lanceweiler.com

ED: Anything else you want to add and say to the readers before we wrap this up?
Iíd just like to thank you for all the excellent coverage you do on Evil Dread. The fact that you cover truly independent horror is important. Keep up the great work.

ED: Thanks for doing this Lance, itís much appreciated and good luck with things to come!