Actor/Writer John Fallon for an exclusive interview! Most hardcore movie fans out there know him best for his critique work as “The Arrow” on his website Arrow In The Head, a division of the popular website JoBlo.com. I had the honor of chatting with one of best horror film critics on the net; we talked about his early days as an avid moviegoer and what films made the biggest impact on his life, what made him decided that acting and writing was what he wanted to do in life, also we talked about his new film DEADEN which is out now on DVD and is available everywhere movies are sold in the USA, but if you can’t find a copy at your nearby video store you can order the uncut edition which ships anywhere in the world by clicking Here, or visit the films website by clicking HereClifford: First off; I'd like to thank you for agreeing to do this interview. It's been my desire to interview a celebrity such as yourself.
John: No problem bro.
Clifford: So how old were you when you discovered your love for the Horror genre?
John: Hmmm probably 10 or 11 years old. I wasn't allowed to watch horror movies which of course made me want to see them more.
Clifford: Which film was your first?
John: To be honest, I vaguely remember catching some of the Hammer films at around 11 years old. Films like Horror of Dracula, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed and all that. But it was when I first saw The Evil Dead in a cabin in the woods with one of my friends that I got scared shitless and fell in love with the genre hardcore.
Clifford: Wait; you saw The Evil Dead in a cabin in the woods?
John: Yup! I went to stay with my friend and his mom for a weekend at their cabin in the woods. At night while my bud's mom was sleeping, we sneaked downstairs in the basement and watched The Evil Dead... I didn't sleep all night after that... [Laughs]
Clifford: Well my hats off to you sir; I don't think I could be as brave as you to watch The Evil Dead in a cabin at night and of course in the woods. Hell I'm not even brave enough to do that now [Laughs]
John: Thanks dude! It definitely marked me. After that experience, I started hunting down horror films like a bitch in heat, even skipping school to rent them and watch them at home. I was hooked!
Clifford: I would think so, I mean after that who wouldn't right? [Laughs] so what interested you to become an actor?
John: Long story short. I had a tough childhood, so I turned to films to "escape". I fell in love with films as a whole first. I went to film school, did two years there, came out and then went to acting school, did 3 years there. Once out of that school, I started to focus solely on acting locally; doing auditions and such. That's how I started acting wise.
Clifford: So it was something that took years to achieve?
John: I guess you can say that. Being that I was interested in every aspects of filmmaking, I wanted to be educated on every level. Personally, film school and even acting school gave me a good base and that was pretty much it. I truly learned and still learn when working on set.
Clifford: So some of it is learned while on the job?
John: In my opinion, acting is a lot like writing, there's always something
to learn and you can always be better. It's one of the aspects of the job that keeps it interesting for me. I am very much aware that I don't know everything; I enjoy learning off people and different experiences.John: Here's an example.
John: When I did 100 Feet with Famke Janssen, I was a bit nervous. Actor Michael Pare showed me how to meditate and that helped. I didn't know shit about meditation before, but now I do. Always something to learn
Clifford: I see, so you learn from other great actors as you go.
John: Yes, or other directors, or editors. And I'm sure some people learn stuff off me that they're not in tune with... like drinking a bottle of Jack Dani
els in one sitting or getting hookers for free.Clifford: Yes that is skills I think everyone should have [Laughs]
John: Amen
Clifford: So how'd you get the nick name "The Arrow"
John: That was my buddy Berge Garabedian aka JoBlo that gave me that nickname before both sites ever existed, cause I was a "to the point" kind of guy...and still am.
Clifford: I see, it's kind of like how I got my nick name "The Comic Whore"
John: Cause you're a whore for comics...
Clifford: Exactly
Clifford: [Laughs]
John: I'm a whore for whores... [Laughs]
Clifford: [Laughs] aren't we all?
John: Funnily enough I would assume yes, but I have met dudes who didn't dig chicks or sex much...much to my dismay. To each his own I guess.
Clifford: Since becoming a writer/critic, you've had the chance to travel to many locations, meet a lot of amazing people and also have the opportunity to attend many events. What would you say was the most educational experience for you?
John: So many to state...Writing, starring in and co producing Deaden, acting in 100 Feet, being a member of the Jury at Sitges, selling my screenplay Trance, shooting my short film The Red Hours... all great learning experiences.
Clifford: I see, so it was a little of everything than.
John: Yes, for me every time I experience something new, I keep an open mind and learn from it. That's a trait I apply within the industry and in my everyday life.Clifford: By now it should be common knowledge that you receive loads of fan mail on a daily basis. But have you ever received hate mail?
John: Funnily enough - not often. I get maybe 3 to 5 hate e-mails a year, and I just delete them. Waste of time.
Clifford: So then you have very few, if not no hatters than?
John: I guess, I don't know or care. The way I see it, I do what I do, some people like me for it, others hate me for it, that's life. I'm just trying to make a decent living within what I love - films - anything outside of that carries little weight for me.
Clifford: I see your point, man, why bother wasting time with things you have no control over.
John: Exactly. I mean for me the internet is not real life, so any negative thing written about me online is fairly inconsequential. It's like I always say; reality is when I boot off the computer and have to deal with bills, projects, deals, crazy girlfriends, big changes in my life etc. That's
where my energy goes, that's what matters to me.Clifford: Before the film's title was changed to "Deaden" it was originally called "Pain Killer." What was the reason behind the changing of its name?
John: It wound up there was a video game called Pain Killer that we didn't know about. They threatened to sue me and director Christian Viel cause they owned the title. Then they tried to pull a fast one by claiming that we also stole their game's storyline so they wanted us to give them the film too.
John: Of course upon further investigation; we found out that their game was about some dude killing monsters; it had nothing to do with our straightforward vigilante film. So we changed the title and told them to shove their lawsuit up their asses. They never sued, cause once we changed the title, they had nothing to sue us about.
Clifford: Wow, that sucks that a video game company would try and sue you guys over a title
John: One thing I learned about the film industry, fairly quickly at that; don't trust anybody, cover your ass, cause it's filled with crooks. Specially at the low budget-medium budget range. Companies with dough bank on the fact that you're an indie filmmaker with no dough hence they try to fuck you every chance they get.
Clifford: I've also noticed that your character in the film has an arrow in his head. Was that an obvious ode to your own "Arrow in the Head"?
John: Yes it was. Funnily enough, that was director Christian Viel's idea and I fought him on it. I wanted the film to be distant from the site. He felt that we should reference it. So we discussed it and at the end of it all, I said "I disagree but go ahead do it". I mean the dude's the director; I have to respect his vision. So he did it. And in retrospect, he was right to do it and I was wrong to fight it. It works very well in the film and makes for a cool wink to the site. Like I said, we always learnClifford: How long did the filming for "Deaden" last?
John: 13 crazy, adrenaline charged and long days. Shooting within such a short span was the only way to accomplish what we wanted to achieve on the budget we had.
Clifford: So than it was a short shoot.
John: 13 days is little time compared to most films who have double that. Personally I liked the intensity that came with shooting with so little time. I was always "on", always stimulated. I mean on bigger budget films, I often wind spending half the day sleeping in my trailer. I like working, being active when on set. So that shoot was quite the rush for me.
Clifford: Were there ever any problems on the set?
John: [Laughs] Yup! The thing about shooting on a low budget with so little time is that if there's a problem, you're fucked, cause you don't have time to fix it. We had some internal conflict on that shoot which lasted half a day. The result is that we didn't have the time to shoot the scene we wanted to shoot. So we simplified it on the spot and shot what we could; then Viel made the best of it in the editing room. That was tough for me. Seeing a very cool scene I had written be ruined before my eyes.
Clifford: What was your hardest scene while filming?
John: I'd have to say the hand to hand fights. We basically learned the choregraphies on the spot, on the day we shot. So we had to remember them while exuding enough intensity to make the fights look real. Yup, me and my co stars punched each other in the face for real a couple of times... [Laughs]
Clifford: That must have been a painful day. [Laughs]
John: It gave a new definition to the expression "rolling with the punches"
Clifford: [Laughs]
Clifford: I see your bud Berge Garabedian (aka JoBlo) has a role in this. What was it like, working alongside him?
John: Me and Berge are best friends, I've known the dude for like 11 years now. It was great to have him in the film, say one line and then get shot in the head. He has a similar role in Recon 2022, in that one he says one line and gets eaten by a giant worm.
Clifford: So basically he always gets killed on film? [Laughs]
John: Yeah, it's a gag that both Christian Viel and I love incorporating within the films we work on together. And Berge digs it too.
Clifford: So how'd you and Berge become friends?
John: I went to acting school with his brother; so eventually I met him through his bro. We hit it off and became friends.
Clifford: As an off topic question; in the film "Freak Out", you're casted as the voice of the Looney Doll. It's a rather funny question, but was that your original voice, or was it edited (i.e. chipmunks) for the actual part?
John: That's my actual voice... [Laughs] I felt the doll's voice should have a Chipmunk tone to it.Clifford: Well than maybe you should have tried for the Chipmunk movie. [Laughs]
John: [Laughs]
John: Why not!
Clifford: Exactly my point!
Clifford: [Laughs]
John: Maybe for the sequel
Clifford: [Laughs]
John: You just never know man.
Clifford: Bringing this interview to a close, I'd like to play to your fantasy for a moment if you will. If you could reprise the role of one horror icon in a motion picture remake, who would you be? Granted I understand that it is blasphemous to mention remaking a horror icon, no matter who the character is.
John: I'd love to play Jason Voorhees. Sadly I don't think I'm tall enough; I'm only 6 feet tall.
Clifford: You know; you'd actually do well for that part. You match him being shaved an all. lol
John: Exactly! You hear that New Line and Platinum Dunes? Come on! Give me the role!
Clifford: [Laughs)
And that concludes my interview with actor John Fallon. We talked on for a bit more after the interview was done, manly about his work in some film projects of his and a second interview possibly in the near future, and I must say; he’s a real down to earth kind of dude, real easy going and very humble, the kind of dude you’d like to chill out with after a long day of work. I really enjoyed the interview, more so that I hadn’t noticed that two hours had passed in what felt like only twenty minutes, [Laughs] well John’s new movie DEADEN which is directed by Christian Viel is out now on DVD and is available everywhere movies are sold in the USA, but if you can’t find a copy at your nearby video store or live outside the USA then you can order the uncut edition online which ships anywhere in the world by clicking Here
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