PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Director Matthew Williams has had a relatively short career in the filmmaking industry. His first short, Rush 91, was released just three years ago, and since, Williams has created five other projects. Also known as Vernon Metzinger, the director has incorporated comedy, thriller, western, crime and even holiday themes into his films, although they do all have some sort of horror element. PopHorror had the chance to sit and chat with the indie filmmaker, and we asked him about his influences, his upcoming film, Maniac Farmer, the struggles with filmmaking, plus a ton of other stuff.
PopHorror: When did you first realize that you wanted to work in film?
Matthew Williams: My original passion was writing. Even though I’ve had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember, I never considered filmmaking to be a viable option as a career. So throughout high school and college, I focused mainly on writing, both fiction and journalism, which I majored in. Despite this, movies were still a passion of mine.
It was toward the end of my college career that I began to realize that being a filmmaker didn’t have to just be a pipe dream. I gathered my friends and made a horror comedy called Presidents’ Day Massacre, a satirical slasher flick that garnered some attention, particularly from Kentucky filmmaker and producer PJ Starks, who joined on as executive producer on Maniac Farmer. The local attention that Presidents’ Day attracted allowed me to start pursuing film in a more professional sense, and a few years later, here we are, with Maniac Farmer about to begin a festival run and searching for distribution.
PopHorror: So far, most of your films have had a thriller or horror slant. Are you a horror/thriller movie fan? What’s your go to horror movie?
Matthew Williams: I am a big fan of thrillers, dramas, westerns, and horror. I wasn’t always a big fan of horror. I think that we went through a rough patch in the mid-2000s when it was a little hard to sit through a horror movie. It seemed like the market was saturated by jump-scare movies aimed at teens, which is fine because they accomplished what they set out to do, but they weren’t my cup of tea. But over the last several years, there’s really been a lot of phenomenal horror films that have out, like It Follows, Hush, The Babadook, Get Out, and A Quiet Place. I think these new modern horror movies are important pieces of cinema, showcasing how horror films truly can be works of art. Of course, that’s not to say that older films can’t be art, too. The Thing, Day of the Dead, Friday the 13th, and countless other classics are some of my favorite movies.
PopHorror: Those are some pretty freaking awesome movies right there! Of course, you’ve also leaned toward comedy quite a bit. Was there a particular dark comedy that started it all for you?
Matthew Williams: My first film, Presidents’ Day Massacre, was a full on comedy, practically a parody of ’80s slasher flicks. I decided to focus on a comedy element in the event that the film was negatively received, so I could chalk it up to the fact that it was a satire. I used the same tactic in my following feature, Thunder Boat.
However, I felt like abusing that same tactic for Maniac Farmer would’ve been a subterfuge. I do not consider Maniac Farmer a comedy. I think that, from my style of writing, there is a certain level of humor in it, similar to the way a Tarantino film does… we know they’re not comedies, but we still expect to laugh. But, all in all, I consider Maniac Farmer as drama thriller hidden inside of a horror film.
A short film I made several years ago which was featured in several film festivals was a western called Rush 91. It was, in no way, a comedy. I hope one day to transform Rush 91 into a feature, even.
PopHorror: What horror film would you say influences your work the most?
Matthew Williams: When it comes to the horror film that inspired me, I’d have to give the most credit to films like Jaws, The Thing, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and even the Last House on the Left. There is also a strong reference to Sleepaway Camp in there.
I feel like Maniac Farmer has been the film where I really found my footing. It isn’t full of cheap references and imitations – I am definitely still inspired by some of my idols, which probably shows, but I left my mark on a truly original piece of film that I’m so excited to share with the world.
PopHorror: I honestly cannot wait to see Maniac Farmer! It looks right up my alley, honestly. You’ve worked both in front of and behind the camera. What’s your favorite way to spend time on the movies your involved in: directing, writing, acting, or something else?
Matthew Williams: Writing and directing are my two passions. When I write, I love to keep myself locked away, and just write and write non-stop. Sometimes, wonderful things come out, and sometimes, putrid ones, but even the terrible ones help me and show me my mistakes and how to fix them.
While on set, I am truly a director. I don’t mean that I love to boss people around or anything like that, because I believe that making a film is a collaborative effort, but I love to direct actors and plan out shots. If I was capable of drawing, I’d storyboard a lot more than I do, but unfortunately, they usually come out as stick figures.
When it comes to acting, I do enjoy it, but usually in small doses. I have a cameo in every one of my films to date, some larger than others. In Presidents’ Day Massacre, for instance, I have a rather large part, whereas in Maniac Farmer, I have a non-speaking role in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot.
PopHorror: Sounds like a challenge! Can you tell our readers what Maniac Farmer is about? Where did you get the idea for that crazy farmer?
Matthew Williams: Maniac Farmer, funnily enough, began as an idea for a fake trailer to play before Presidents’ Day Massacre, inspired by the fake trailers of Tarantino and Rodriguez’s Grindhouse.
The plot itself, though, formed around my desire to write a horror story where the audience roots for the killer rather than the victim. So, I designed one of the most despicable movie villains I’ve seen in a long time: Blasphemous Rex, a murderous street punk who believes he is the baddest man on earth. But then, he meets the Farmer, and the tides are turned as Rex is captured and tortured by the Farmer. Telling too much might possibly spoil the film, but I will say this: at the end of a screening, I always ask the audience, “Who were you rooting for?” And you’d be surprised at some of the answers I’ve gotten.
PopHorror: I think a lot of horror fans root for the killer, which is kind of disturbing, now that I think about it. What would you say was the most challenging aspect of working on Maniac Farmer?
Matthew Williams: The same challenge as working on any independent movie: scheduling. The movie’s cast is made mostly of local actors and friends – all of whom are fantastic actors, I’m happy to say. I can’t tell you how lucky I am that my friends are good actors!
But, because every bit of work – in front of and behind the camera – was being done for free, it made scheduling difficult sometimes. But, in situations like this, you have to keep morale up, whether it’s buying food for everyone or reminding everybody that we’re doing one of the most fun things on the planet: we’re making a movie!
PopHorror: Did anything go more smoothly than you expected?
Matthew Williams: There is a large scene that takes place in a junkyard where we had at least twenty extras, not to mention about six members of the main cast. It was one of the final scenes we shot for the film, and I had been dreading it ever since writing it – sometimes wondering why I ever wrote it in the first place. But, to my pleasant surprise, the scene went down without a hitch. And, it was one of the most fun scenes to shoot. That’s something that’s often overlooked, and I always try to remind people, that the most important thing to remember on set is that we’re supposed to be having fun.
PopHorror: Do you have any stories from on set?
Matthew Williams: Probably the most noteworthy story I have was from when I slipped and landed face first in the mud during the filming of the junkyard scene. And I don’t just mean I fell – I mean I fell like a bag of bricks, my face-print being embedded in the ground. Needless to say, we took about an hour break after that for me to regather my thoughts and calm my rage! But, in hindsight, it was a funny and memorable moment that we all look back and laugh about.
PopHorror: All you were missing were little, cartoon birds chirping in a circle over your head (laughs). Any ideas on where or when we’ll be able to see Maniac Farmer?
Matthew Williams: Maniac Farmer has been submitted to many film festivals, so hopefully we’ll be seeing it playing at various places over the next year. We are also on the hunt for distribution and are getting closer to closing a deal on that, which hopefully means it will be on a streaming service soon, such as Prime or Netflix.
PopHorror: Ooh, I’m excited! Do you have any new or finishing projects coming down the pipeline?
Matthew Williams: Right now, I’m just focused on finishing up the last of the marketing and distribution for Maniac Farmer. After that, though? Who knows! I always have ideas in the back of my mind that are ready to go. Depending on the reception of Maniac Farmer, I’m not against making Maniac Farmer 2, so we’ll see how that goes.
PopHorror: Is there anything you’d like to talk about that I missed?
Matthew Williams: I’m just happy to finally be able to share this movie that I am so proud of, and I know a lot of other people are very proud of it, too. I think that Maniac Farmer will entertain a lot of people!
Thanks again to Matthew Williams for taking the time to bend our collective ear a bit. Keep your eyes peeled for the release of Maniac Farmer and stay tuned for a review as soon as someone here at PopHorror can get our hands on the film.
