UN: While you have been involved with the film industry for quite sometime, directing seems to be fairly new to you. What prompted the decision to pursue directing films?

Tim: Actually, that's always been my main goal and passion. As a kid, I always made little monster movies with my Super 8 camera, and when I went to NYU film school, I directed a short called A CHRISTMAS TREAT that won Fangoria magazines short film search in 1985. Once I graduated, however, to pay the bills I got heavily involved in production work, you know, being a Production Assistant on Hollywood films such as COCKTAIL and COMING TO AMERICA. Eventually I did every production job imaginable, from location scout to Assistant Director before moving to LA and into development at New Line Cinema where I read and analyzed scripts. It was there I pushed DETROIT ROCK CITY into production, my first major producing gig, a dream come true. But once that ended, I took stock of where I was. I felt it was time I stopped being a tug boat bringing everybody elses boat ashore, and refocused on my initial game plan, which was writing and directing. By the way, any one wanting to check out my Christmas film can do so by CLICKING HERE

UN: How did the idea for 2001 Maniacs first come about? Do you consider the film to be a remake or more of an updated version?

Tim: Update, for sure, and the whole film literally fell into my lap. Like I said, after DETROIT ROCK CITY, I started looking for a project to sink my directorial teeth into. At the time (it was 2000), Robert Zemeckis was remaking the films of William Castle and the remake trend was just beginning. A guy named Chris Kobin walked into my office and said he had the rights to remake the films of HG Lewis. A big light bulb went on over my head. I felt, looking at the current state of horror through the 1990's, that horror became a corporate production what I call it a cock tease movie. Films like SCREAM, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and URBAN LEGEND. Where you have a FOX or WB television star on hiatus from a television show for a week so they make a horror movie, and when I go and see a horror movie I want to see Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers not some pouty actress whos been in MELROSE PLACE or whatever. So I felt it was time to create an event out of a movie again and give you something you don't normally see anymore. Now the biggest challenge of doing that, was making a movie for modern audiences, yet remaining true to the vibe and spirit of the original. Hopefully, I did.

UN: Was Robert Englund your first and only choice for the lead maniac? As far as horror icons goes he is probably the best at being menacing yet comical.

Tim: First AND only. And man, I can't say enough great things about Robert Englund. Working with Robert was one of the most symbiotic experiences Ive ever had. I was working at New Line Cinema at the time and had always run into Robert at the Christmas parties. Everybody thought we were a little crazy. Theyd be off singing Christmas carols and Robert and I would be off by ourselves in some corner talking about Dario Argento movies. Our friendship developed, I wound up interviewing him for a couple of magazines and then I ran into him at the Saturn Awards. Thats where I asked him if I could create the role of Mayor Buckman for him in 2001 Maniacs. I described the movie as horror/comedy, a little like Lil Abner on Acid and Robert loved that take on it. Because youre right, no one does that comic menace combo better. Nobody. So going into the writing knowing Robert was to be Buckman brought a lot of energy to the process because I knew him well enough to imagine how hed approach certain things. When he finally got the script he said Oh my God I feel like somebody just tailor made a suit for me.

UN: Driftwood is quite different from 2001 Maniacs. I know that the original idea came from a teen you met in LA. How long did it take to get the original idea together? Did it change much from your original concept to the final script?

Tim: Sadly, like you said, DRIFTWOOD is a product of my own reality. Several years ago, I was working with a youth group. There was this kid in the group who was a little rock and roller. Played drums, listened to Nirvana, worshipped Kurt Cobain, loved horror films, horror comics His parents were up there in age, deeply religious, and just didnt understand this kid who marched to his own beat. When they moved away from LA, he got homesick, felt out of touch, got a bit withdrawn. Columbine had just occurred, and these bullshit Attitude Adjustment Camps for Troubled Youth were springing up everywhere, playing upon parents fears that their kid was gonna be the next Dylan Kleibold. Rather than try and communicate with their son, they decided to send him away to one of these camps. If youre under the age of 18 and mom and dad decide to send you off to one of these places, thats it. Youre screwed. So off he went, at which point I became determined to honor this kid and those kids like him who have their individuality stifled by others who think they know better. I came up with the idea of doing a teenage COOL HAND LUKE set in one of these camps. That was five years ago. At the time, my writing partner and I, Chris Kobin, developed the project for 7TH HEAVENs David Gallagher. We set it up at Maverick, but it never got off the ground. Then 2001 MANIACS got financed and DRIFTWOOD was shelved. Cut to last spring, I reconnect with Barry Levine, with whom I worked on DETROIT ROCK CITY. Barry was producing films with Mike Richardson at Dark Horse, and he vowed to produce my next film. Chris and I pitched several ideas in the vein of MANIACS, but Barry kept pushing us to think outside of that black humor/exploitation box. We finally told him about DRIFTWOOD, which at this point now had a supernatural element added to the storyline, as we were now known primarily in the industry as horror writers and everyone wanted our next film to stay within that genre. So yes it did change. It now had a ghost. And Barry loved the idea, and the next thing you know, Welcome to Driftwood.

UN: Has your friend seen the film yet? Do you keep in touch with him at all?

Tim: It's dedicated to him, and yes he has, and YES, we are still in touch, absolutely. Luckily, he was strong willed, and the place didnt break him, and Im happy to say hes fine, in his early twenties, and living his dream playing drums in a rock and roll band in Seattle.

UN: Did you feel like you were stepping out on a limb giving the role of Captain to Diamond Dallas Page at first? One viewing of the movie would prove any naysayer wrong. Do you think his performance will surprise a lot of people?

Tim: Truth be told, it was not my initial idea to use Dallas at all. What happened was that my dear friend and producer, Barry Levine, with whom I had produced DETROIT ROCK CITY, kept insisting I consider this wrestler friend of his named Diamond Dallas Page for a significant role in the film. Now I gotta confess, I am not a wrestling fan and had never heard of Page, but the idea of putting some gladiator named Diamond in the film did not exactly appeal to me. But that attitude was certainly very prejudgmental of me, and certainly went against the theme of the film, so I quickly changed my tune and agreed to meet with DDP. Man, the minute I met him, I was immediately struck that I was in the presence of a great man, a person so filled with positivity and determination and spirit, he made me a believer in his ability to do anything he set his mind to. This is a guy who began his wrestling career at an age when most other wrestlers are retiring. And he went on to win the world championship! A guy who he developed his own brand of Yoga named YRG (Yoga for Regular Guys) and healed himself after he broke his back and was told he might never walk again. His face was a road map of lifes ups and downs, but his eyes sparkled with a kindness that contradicted his intimidating physical size. He was perfect for the Captain. I always wanted there to be a wounded animal underneath the grizzly bear exterior, so much to both my surprise and DDPs, I offered him the lead role of Captain Kennedy right there on the spot. And then I became his staunchest defendant in the face of others, who, like I was initially, doubted his ability to deliver. But by the end of the first day of shooting, everyone was a believer like me.

UN: I had to ask, is it true that you got fined for cruelty to animals for killing maggots on set? It seems a bit ridiculous.

Tim: What can I say, people have to justify their job description, and we had the humane society on the premises, but the only animals that we used were a bunch of maggots, and when we were done with the scene, we were running late, I just grabbed a broom and started sweeping them up and tossing them in the trash, and next thing I know the Humane society rep is freaking out, and we ended up getting fined. We were supposed to gently gather up the maggots and then let them go free in a meadow where they can grow up into productive fruit flies or whatever. I guess I understand where these folk where coming from, and I would like to take this opportunity to deeply apologize to maggot lovers all over the world. If only Hollywood treated writers and filmmakers with as much concern as they do maggots!

UN: Was it tough to make the movie on a lower budget? Were there any ideas you had to scrap?

Tim: Extremely tough, and yes, there was a whole five page prelude showing the Ricky Ullman stealing car radios and then getting abducted from his bedroom by Norris (David Eigenberg) and taken to DRIFTWOOD. In the end, however, I dont miss that prelude at all. You know, there are many pros as well as cons to lower budgets and short schedules. The cons will always be that you never have enough time to rehearse or get what you want, and often you have to compromise- but the key is to look at limitations and compromise as challenges to your skills, whether you be the director, writer, actor, cinematographer, what have you. A short shooting schedule keeps you on your toes. You really have to bring youre a game and be ready to think fast and make quick decisions in order to make sure you have all the pieces that you need to put the puzzle together that makes up your film. You have to be open to adapting your story to the situation, changing as you go, but always staying true to the vision. For my money, films that have endless budgets and check books tend to feel like corporate fodder made by committee. Studio films that feel over thought and second guessed. On the other hand, films made with the edge of a time clock running out tend to feel more organic, and have a true energy and soul. Thats why I will always prefer the Indie spirited films such as TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and HALLOWEEN over commercial Hollywood product.

UN: With both 2001 Maniacs and Driftwood you use practical effects and stay away from CGI. Is it important to you to keep things old school and do everything right on set in front of the cameras?

Tim: Absolutely. Nothing like keeping it organic and wet on the set. I dont care how good an actor is, its fucking tough to react to a green screen. And boring as hell. CGI has become a crutch, and no matter how good it turns out, audiences know its CGI and feel cheated. Herschell Gordon Lewis didnt have CGI. He just went to the local butcher shop and got some leftovers and thats why we love him.

UN: Do you consider Driftwood to be a horror film? It certainly isnt a cut and dry horror film, but the genre certainly covers a lot of ground.

Tim: Yes, I do. But not in the traditional sense. It is not an exploitation picture, and it is not a splatter picture. DRIFTWOOD is a character driven supernatural thriller with teenagers as the main protagonists, which, I guess, is another way of saying teen ghost story.

UN: What do you hope for someone to take away from Driftwood? Is there any specific message that you want people to find in the movie?

Tim: Quite a few, but I guess mainly that true horror is not so much the blood and guts and things that go bump in the night, but the very real horror of forcibly not being allowed to be true to your own self. That, my friend, is the worst horror of them all.

UN: I was curious to ask if the facility you shot the movie at has been reopened yet. Does it bother you that such a creepy place in being reopened?

Tim: So far, it has not reopened. And hopefully, with awareness of such places growing, it will never reopen.

UN: How far off would you say the sequel to 2001 Maniacs is? Will Robert Englund be reprising his role? It is going to be similar to the first film or can we expect some new twists?

Tim: It's called BEVERLY HELLBILLYS and we shoot in the beginning of next year. Well be following the same formula, only more so- Boobs, blood and laffs! What else would you expect? Now as far as the plot goes, lets just say that things are not going so well for the fine folk of Pleasant Valley. You see, Sheriff Friedmans done plowed down the Detour sign, and so no guests show up for this years Festival, leading Buckman (yes, it will be Robert) and Granny (yes, it will be Lin) to figure that if the guests aint coming to them, they best be coming to the guests! And so they gather up a dozen kinsfolk, hop on an old left behind school bus, and head to California where they set up the Pleasant Valley Traveling Road Show, a sort of carnival which lures the unsuspecting cast and crew of Road Rascals, a mock reality show totally busting on Paris and Nicole. But before that, I am ecstatic to say that the very first issue of the 2001 MANIACS comic has just been published. I'm very happy because I always saw the Maniacs as something you could sink your teeth into as a fan, more than just a movie. You've got the t-shirts, you've got the collectible figures and now we finally have the comic book. And what I love about the comic book is it was really great to write it, to not just have it be based on and have other people write it, but to get down and dirty and write it myself. It was amazing because there was no restriction on budget, on schedule...it could be anything I wanted. The first issue is called "The Curse of the Confederacy" and it's the origin of what happened, how these people in Pleasant Valley became cursed and became phantoms and ghosts lost in limbo. We also introduce three new characters that are going to be in the sequel. A character named Doc Tickles, played by Bill Moseley a character named Jim Crow played by Tony Todd, and then we have a brand new little Maniac gal named Scarlet Red, who's being played by a newcomer named Amy Baniecki. And fans of wrestling, especially Lucha Libre, they might know her by her wrestling name of Crybaby. And she's awesome.

UN: Also in the works is Brothers of the Blood. What can you tell us about this upcoming film?

Tim: It's definitely more in the vein of DRIFTWOOD. The MANIACS films are my blood and guts comedy sex romps, whereas in films like DRIFTWOOD and BROTHERS OF THE BLOOD I get to explore themes that are more soulful and near to my heart and personality. BROTHERS is my take on the vampire myth, bringing me full circle to when I first saw Bela Lugosis DRACULA at age 5 and became obsessed with vampires- and all I can say is that it will be frightening, seductive, heartbreaking and cool. Its very operatic, its a love triangle between two vampires and a human, and it doesnt end well for any of them. Its a story of what happens when we try to chain the ones we love. Thomas Dekker who is the new John Connor in the upcoming Terminator TV series is playing the young vampire, and we are in talks with Rob Lowe to play the older vampire and Jennifer Love Hewitt as the human. I cant wait.

UN: Aside from directing you also do quite a bit of writing as well, with Hood of Horror being one of the projects you wrote for. Are you a fan of how the film turned out?

Tim: Do you want the truth, or the political answer? Bottom line, I was asked to write a balls to the wall politically incorrect urban horror anthology hosted by Snoop Dogg. And I did just that. And it was THAT script that got Snoop to agree to make the film. Yet no sooner had the ink on the deal dried, a bunch of producers got cold feet and started trying to water down the humor, the gore, the ghetto. Soon as I saw that happening, I took my check and walked off the film. So am I a fan? Lets say that to my shock, when I saw it for the first time, I thought it was a lot better than the way it seemed to be going when I walked, but it is still a pale shadow of what it was initially, and quite frankly the third story blows dogs for quarters, to quote DETROITC ROCK CITY. You heard it here first, kiddies.

UN: I was curious to ask how you and Chris Kobin originally met. Did you guys have a dynamic that makes the two of your work well together? You two have pretty much worked on all of the films you have directed so far.

Tim:What can I say? Chris and I are such polar opposites of each other. Im the rebel bachelor who lives in a bungalow in Venice Beach surrounded by monster movie memorabilia. Hes married with two kids and a house in Burbank. I tend to be more of a romantic and liberal. Chris leans toward the cynical and conservative. We love each other. We drive each other crazy. But there is no denying that together weve got a chemistry that is bigger than both of us. We compliment and balance each other. And Chris is a damn good producer. I never got to see that side of him, as he was not a producer on 2001 MANIACS, and it was truly awesome having him back me up on the set and help me see our vision through completely and perfectly (which did not happen on MANIACS). As far as writing together goes, I tend to be in charge of the structure and overall big picture and Chris focuses on individual scenes and dialogue. This allows Chris the freedom to riff and go off on tangents that form the basis of everything. Then I come in and shape and fine tune and arrive at the finished product with an eye towards directing the material. On MANIACS and HOOD, we pretty much wrote back and forth over email. On DRIFTWOOD, we literally worked side by side.

UN: What are your thoughts on the current state of the horror genre? While it seems like mainstream Hollywood is producing only a few decent horror films a year, there are countless independent horror films pushing the genre forward.

Tim:Indie horror is not only the best horror, it is the past, present and future of horror. A huge portion of the most groundbreaking, influential and timeless horror films of the past four decades have been made independently outside the studio system. TWO THOUSAND MANIACS! NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. TEXAS CHAINSAW. HALLOWEEN. FRIDAY THE 13th. EVIL DEAD. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. BLAIR WITCH. SAW. HATCHET The list goes on and on. Studio horror tends to be over thought, over analyzed, over demographed, and made with too many chefs in the kitchen. And all you get are remakes and sequels and now prequels or remakes of the Asian one and Spanish one Enough already. Give me something new. Something rebellious. Something unique, subversive, thoughtful. Chances are, to find that, its gonna come from those with nothing to lose and everything to gain- and thats what independent filmmaking is all about. So bring it on!

To keep up with Tim Sullivan, go to www.myspace.com/newrebellion. You can CLICK HERE to order the 2001 MANIACS comic and you can also CLICK HERE to order DRIFTWOOD.