 UN: How did the initial idea get started for Frankenstein Vs. The Creature from Blood Cove? Were you looking to do something completely different from The Double D Avenger?
William: The idea came from a nightmare I had. I dreamt the Frankenstein monster was battling a half-man half-fish monster on a beach at night, with waves crashing and lightning and thunder in the background. From this seed of an idea, the screenplay was written. I was not looking to do something completely different from The Double-D Avenger, I just thought it was a terrific idea /concept for a monster picture. Unique ideas sell movies!
UN: Was it important to do something unique with the character design of the monsters? Frankenstein is very different from the usual design you see for the monster.
William: All of the monster designs are original and the characters are owned by my company, William Winckler Productions, Inc. We intentionally made them unique, different from other film monsters. However, the Frankenstein monster design is true to the Mary Shelley description of the character in the Frankenstein novel.
 UN: I read that a resin model kit of The Creature is available. Is it exciting to have a collectible available that ties in with the movie even more so to the films that inspired you? Did you collect models of the old Universal monsters when you were a kid?
William: It is very unusual for an independent film to achieve licensed merchandise, but because the film has been a success, various licensees have come on board. There are model kits by Geo Metric Designs, rubber masks by Cemetery Gate Productions, tee-shirts by November Fire, collector card sets by Monster Wax, posters by MovieGoods, and our music soundtrack CDs are licensed by Lakeshore Records, the biggest film soundtrack record label in Hollywood.
Yes, I personally have a large collection of genre movie memorabilia, including monster toys and kits.
UN: What would you say inspired the idea behind Frankenstein being used as a way to fight terrorism? Its an absurd idea but it is a very unique idea and gives the film a bit of modern social commentary to go along with the vintage feel.
William: I had to figure out why the monsters were fighting on the beach, so story-wise I backtracked and came up with the weapons against terrorists plot. So, yes, the film does combine classic elements with modern day situations. The subject is obviously on everyones minds these days. Guess I had an Ed Wood moment.
UN: Was it set in stone right from the beginning that the film was going to be black and white or did you toy with the idea of doing the film in color?
William: Yes, the intention was to shoot in black in white from the very beginning. I love monster films in black and white, because it gives them a larger-than-life entertaining entertainment, escapist feel. Black and white plussed the movie in so many ways. It also set us apart from all the other modern run-of-the-mill color slasher flicks or gorefests.
 UN: How has the response to the film been? I know it has been out for awhile now, are there a lot of people who understand what you were trying to achieve with the film and share your love for vintage 40's and 50's horror cinema?
William: The response has been outstanding. Ninety percent of our film reviews are excellent, fan clubs have formed, the movie is a huge DVD seller through Amazon.com and other retailers and wholesalers like Tempe DVD, and we've licensed merchandise. The films aired in syndicated TV, and most importantly, it won a Best Feature Film Award at the 2006 World Horror Convention, which is a great honor. The film will live forever.
Audiences can also download the movie on their computers on Amazon UnBox, Amazon's new movie download/streaming service. Customers can download to own, or download to rent.
UN: The film features numerous cameo appearances. Was it tough to get the people to appear in the film? I would assume that Lloyd Kaufman and Ron Jeremy are both very busy the vast majority of their time.
William: Because I've been in showbiz for years, I personally know many stars and celebrities, so it was not a problem getting them to do cameos. Lloyd and Ron were excellent, and so were the other celebrities cast such as Star Treks David Gerrold, and Butch Patrick from The Munsters. Russ Meyer star Raven De La Croix also appears. Butch Patrick's cameo was especially great, since we added a Munsters in-joke.
UN: Was it important to have a fully loaded DVD? A lot of independent films only include a trailer and little else. You really went all out and it really gives you a chance to dig much deeper into the film.
William: Yes, I love DVD extras, and we actually had a talented producer, Bob Pearson, do them. We have making of documentaries, audio commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers, trailers, audition footage, etc. More extras than many major Hollywood studio DVD titles!
 UN: One big difference between this movie and the movies you took influence from is the use of gratuitous nudity. Was it important to make that aspect of the film a bit more modern? You definitely wouldn't see this much skin in the 40s?
William: While I love the classic monster movies, many were lacking in female sex appeal. So, while I captured the magic of the classics, I needed to add more beautiful women, action and violence to the film, for todays audiences. The nudity scenes worked perfectly within the context of the storys plot. It all made sense story-wise, and the majority of the audience loves it. Playboy TV star Carla Harvey is especially outstanding in the film.
UN: Whats next for William Winckler? Your first two films have been quite different, is it safe to assume that your next project might be another style or genre?
William: Because of the success of my films worldwide, especially in Japan, I have been approached by a major Japanese film company to write, produce and direct a series of movies for them. I am now in production on an animated sci-fi film trilogy, which is very exciting.
UN: How do you feel when people call you the next Ed Wood? Obviously Ed Wood had good intentions but didnt have the means to make the movies he wanted. Low budget films have certainly grown in the past few decades and its nice to see a director showing an Ed Wood influence.
William: I love Ed Wood, and Ed and I share the same enthusiasm, hard work, and day dreaming habits. However, I'm lucky in that I have a very talented creative team I work with, from cinematographers like Matthias Schubert, editors like Kate Sobol, composers like Mel Lewis, actors like Larry Butler, etc., which Ed unfortunately didnt always have. I also think my writing, producing and directing talents are different from Ed's. I am very influenced by the greatest independent filmmaker in history, Roger Corman with a bit of Russ Meyer thrown in!
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