Dohlerites

This is the website that pays tribute to DIY Filmmaker Don Dohler. Podcaster Jon Cross ( THE AFTER MOVIE DINER,   B-MOVIE BARGAIN BIN and DR. ACTION AND THE KICK ASS KIDand New York Musician Nick Consol have been approached once again by Smash or Trash to give us the low down on two Don Dohler/Joe Ripple movies: VAMPIRE SISTERS and DEAD HUNT.

VAMPIRE SISTERS’ genesis lies in the fact that after doing a huge (in scope) indie movie like STAKES, Don Dohler and Joe Ripple wanted to shoot a smaller, faster movie. Hence we get a storyline about three sexy sisters that run a website – www.vampsisters.com – out of their home. If customers spend enough money on the site, they get invited over to the sister’s house for a “private show.” However what should be a wet dream for the invited guests turns out to be a nightmare when it turns out that the sexy hosts turn out to be vampires!

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The vampires are Stacy (Jeannie Michelle Jameson) the tall blonde leader of the sisters, Tasha (scream queen Syn DeVil) the buxom brunette, and Dawn (Darla Albornoz) the youngest sister.  Local disappearances in the area linked to the website have raised the attention of vice cops Sonny Renko (“Fear of ClownsMark Lassise) and Jennifer Hunt (Leanna Chamish). These detectives decide to pose as an S&M couple to find out if the website is a cover for a prostitution ring. What they do find may mean they will never see the sun rise again!

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Robert: So – Jon and Nick – we have a smaller scale movie this time around from Timewarp Films. The plot is simpler and the storyline is pretty straight forward. Let’s do a little looking into the film – start to finish. First up we get Josh Sommers (Daniel Ross of CRAWLER and TRANSFORMERS fame) being chased around a heavily fogged estate by an unseen stalker. He hides inside the house on the grounds and gets captured and handcuffed to a bed by the three attractive vixens. What were your thoughts on this opening of the story?

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Jon: I think before we get to this I would like to say just how much I loved the title sequence. Always the innovators, Timewarp presents us with a title sequence that perfectly highlights the main themes of the story while giving the moody and tense opening score by Mitch Klein free reign, and also showing us some of the lovely ladies in the process. Then BOOM! we’re into it and an opening that manages to be stylish, tense but also with a great pace. This is Dohler country, where back gardens are filled with frightened teens, sultry, delicious vampires and enough dry ice to make an 80s pop band think twice. Joe and Don give us some epic lighting, some dutch angles and some wonderful decking. Gotta love the back deck in Vampire Sisters. The look and feel is a perfect compliment to lots of the outdoor night scenes in Stakes and then once inside, yet another brilliant Baltimore home, everything feels exciting and pleasingly familiar. Don and Joe never leave us in any doubt where the action is going to take place as we always get thorough coverage of the house first. I think it’s a strong start. Also, from the beginning, the three vampire sisters play their roles with a wickedness. an enthusiasm and a sultry, alluring  mystery. Great work. 

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Nick: Nothing let’s you know you’re back in Dohler Country like an unbelievably foggy walk through various backyards of Maryland. Someone should do a ecological study because I don’t think that amount of mist is normal. This first sequence is expertly shot and does a great job of setting everything up. For me, as usual, the score stands out… the driving percussion and sparse string passages are really effective. I should also note that the scream Daniel Ross’s character lets loose when he’s on the bed is one of the best in Dohler/Ripple history. Strong and musical with a nice cadence. It’s tough to have a good manly horror-scream, but he nails it.

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Robert: We now get into the meat of the story where a businessman meets the business end of a meat hook, another gent (Joe Ripple) that gets driller killed, a lesbian that enjoys tongue a little too much, a character played by George Stover likes his schoolgirl peep shows, and so on. What did you guys think of  these kill scenes?

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Jon: Joe and Don do not forget to deliver in Vampire Sisters that’s for sure. The kills are violent, surprising, gruesome, gory and make a fella wince on more than one occasion.  The infamous ‘tongue’ scene was probably the most surprising sequence in a film full of unexpected, “Oh ok so THIS is now happening” scenes and is the sort of boundary pushing, exploitation innovation we have come to expect in the world of Dohler since Tom Griffith first took his shirt off in Nightbeast I think it was actually these various kills that heightened our enjoyment of the film, that and the appearance of George Stover and Joe Ripple as ‘clients’. George peering through the door sweating and chewing on his handkerchief, Joe’s proud, satisfied look as he carefully removes his clothes. What tremendous performances. Now don’t get me wrong I am all for a lovely lady or three and you can’t beat a bit of basement booty shaking, but the inventiveness of the kills ramped it up a notch and made the movie one to enjoy again beyond the titillation of the almost-nudity.

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Nick: My favorite aspect of the movie is probably how creative Joe gets with the death scenes. The businessman’s meat hook scene is especially gruesome and the make-up effects from the aftermath are great. George Stover’s death scene comes much too soon, obviously, but he really packs a punch in his short time. And nobody nails the death face like Stover. He could teach a clinic! I would have to say that Joe Ripple’s power-drill death scene is my favorite in the movie. The vamp sisters getting sprayed with blood is a nice touch. They really hold nothing back in this one!

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Robert: Jon and Nick, the viewer also get the vice cops that are investigating the local disappearances at their precinct. Cops Sonny and Jennifer are sure it has to do with vampsisters.com and plan to go under cover to flush out these villains. Personally I found the cop scenes to be a breath of fresh air, and the audience even gets a cameo from Steven King! What did you think of our intrepid law enforcement characters?

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Jon: Well you can’t beat Leanna Chamish, next to Anne Frith she stands tall as the Don Dohler heroine of choice. This is not to play down the other three lovely ladies in this film, but Leanna will always have my heart. She’s great in the movie, as always. Interesting and brave choice for Joe and Don to make her character (SPOILERS!!) virginal and you’d never know it the way she sexily vamps it up in the last act. Mark Lassise as Det. Sonny Renko has a great look to go with his great name, his fight sequences in particular are an action fans delight and him and Leanna make an appealing, intrepid duo. Steven King’s short but pivotal banter scene with the vice cops is a pleasingly acted and edited scene that bristles with fun back n forth and important exposition.  Another cameo that is an absolute joy, albeit short lived, is the wonderful Mitch Klein lead church group. 

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So do the cops make a few wild leaps of deductive reasoning? SURE! Does the whole idea of vampires needing to lure men to them using a website, versus just going out and killing someone, because, you know, they’re vampires have a few holes in it? SURE! Does it matter? Not one bit because this is Dohler and Ripple country, entertainment is the name of the game. Also these buxom toothy ladies are capitalist entrepreneurs, women of industry and that’s to be applauded.

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Nick: Yet another staple of the Dohler/Ripple oeuvre is the police headquarters located in what appears to be a residential dining/guest room. The file cabinet adds a more realistic touch and the floral-print drapes are a staple of the Time Warp films. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Leanna Chamish is tremendous as usual and you can’t go wrong with a Steven King appearance.

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Robert: It all culminates in a supposed S&M encounter where the undercover cops head to the sister’s house for a little pain and pleasure. Things get wild when the sisters show their claws and flex their fangs. The audience gets a bit of cat and mouse chasing, as well as some action fight scenes at this point, so the movie ramps up. What are your thoughts on the 3rd and final act?

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Jon: Well the 3rd act of this movie has it all. Kills, action, horror, moody lighting, special effects, a great score and the reveal of the brother. Real, exciting, edge-of-your-seat stuff. The final reveal of big brother is tremendous and the make-up effects and performance are to be highly applauded. One of the best reveals since the ending of Blood Massacre and you know what an enormous fan of that movie I am. 

Nick: Vampire Sisters has a great sense of pacing and it really builds to the final show-down nicely. The fight scenes are well choreographed and some of the vampire effects in this section are tremendous. I also think the make-up in the big reveal of the very last scene is fantastic.

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Robert: This movie plays a little more faithful to vampire lore; they shy away from religious symbols, they can’t be exposed to direct sunlight, stakes kill them, etc. There is even a mutant brother of the sisters that gets to eat their leftovers. There are some comedic moments – especially with George Stover. The viewer gets a nice seven minute tour of Joe Ripple’s home. Mitch Klein was involved with the visual effects and did some of the music. Do you have any thoughts on these points?

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Jon: Well a lot of this I have already touched on in previous comments, but I was certainly pleased to see Timewarp sticking to traditional vampire lore. It always gets writers tied up in knots when they try and come up with their own rules and break from established tradition. They are also almost always doing it just to break from tradition rather than having any decent reason for it. I may be cynical but that’s how these Twihards and Shampire Diaries feel like to me. So much more inventive and creative to take the existing rules and do something new with them and it’s there that I think Vampire Sisters excels. I may poke fun at the necessity for these girls to be running the website but it’s certainly not something we’ve seen before and they seem to be pretty successful at it – till they face our fearless police force!

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Again I will definitely take this opportunity, as I did with Stakes, to mention and applaud Mitch Klein’s great vampire staking effects. I think they are great and love the look and execution of them a lot.

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Nick: As far as comedic moments go, George Stover’s peep show scene is one of the funniest and most uncomfortable in all Dohler movies. “Obey your daddy!” “I am your daddy!” “This is your sugar-daddy!” A lot of creepy daddy related stuff. And of course, the legendary:  “Shake them pigtails for yo’ daddy.” Eesh. I don’t know Robert, I’m seeing another Stover t-shirt design with that quote on it. Could be a big-seller. There must be a hilarious outtake reel from shooting that scene. Also, Joe Ripple’s scene is second only to Tom Griffith’s in Nightbeast as far as hilarious male disrobing goes.

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The soundtrack is a major strength of the movie. I’m not sure which parts were Mitch Klein, but many scenes had a strong percussion track mixed with sparse string arrangements that I really liked. Another highlight was the Indian-tinged percussion mixed with synth-pads during the biker’s long trek through the fog bank in the backyard, onto the deck and through the house. That whole sequence is also shot really well. You’d think a slow-paced 7 minute walk through a suburban home would drag a bit but it’s actually one of my favorite parts of the movie. Between that scene and the bi-lingual attempted escape scene earlier in the movie I feel like I can perfectly recreate the layout of Joe’s house and property. Really, that house and Don’s house should be Maryland Historical Landmarks! Maybe someday they will. (Atlantis pun!)

Robert: Don and Joe have a little fun with their audience and end the movie with a rather interesting end credit sequence. On one hand we get Darla Albornoz doing a sexy school girl dance, on the other we get George Stover doing a personal hygiene commercial. I understand the Dohlerites found this to be hilarious!

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Jon: This is one of the greatest sequences ever committed to video and one of the reasons I will always love but miss the films from Timewarp. The juxtaposition, the comedic performance, the bravery of George to give the world a look into a man’s preparation for love (it’s almost entirely my own routine now as well as I have adopted it since watching the film), Darla Albornoz’s hilarious yet strangely sexy dancing and just the whole unexpected nature of it. What a delight. So much about my enjoyment of this film came from the fact that my middle to low expectations for it, based on the slightly less than positive comments about it during Blood, Boobs and Beast, were completely surpassed by the surprising and inventive nature of the finished film. I should’ve known and trusted Don and Joe wouldn’t let us down and they most definitely didn’t.

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Nick: I could have watched a whole movie of just Stover preparing for a date with techno music playing. The flossing is an especially nice touch. Nobody makes oral hygiene as fun as George Stover!

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Robert: We move on to the last film that Don Dohler and Joe Ripple did, a whodunit slasher called DEAD HUNT. The basic premise is that a group of horror movie internet reviewers are at a get together party at one of the member’s businesses – a snack food company. From the party they plan to hit to road as a group and go to a weekend horror convention. The problem is, someone has trapped them inside the building and has electrified the doors. This someone also seems bent on killing every last one of the reviewers.

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To have a bodycount movie, you need bodies. Let’s meet the group: David “The Boss” Lansing (Ben Schyan) – the owner of the company. His shy sister Laura “Double L” Lansing (Sara Cole Pittore), Shaun “Slamdance” Hammond (Dennis Hill) – the lead reviewer of the group, Blake “The Witch Hunter” Proctor (John Patrick Barry) – Shaun’s best friend, Raven Rinaldi (Leanna Chamish) – the scream queen celebrity reviewer, Matt “The Hacker” Hargraves (Justin Timpane) the bookish intellectual of the group, Nick “Slash and Burn” Keller (Joe Ripple) and his irritated wife Sari (Ann Marie Barbour). Rounding out this group is sexy Adan “AK-47” Kramer (Colleen Taylor), extremely tall Steve “The General” Grant (Andrew Ely), and Rachel “R.I.P.” Paige (Angela Watson) – the gore effects geek. Patrolling the exterior of these grounds is security guard Eddie Bryant (George Stover).

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All goes well and good for this rag tag bunch of horror fanatics, until some creepy intruder dressed all in black and wearing red greasepaint decides to kill all the electricity in the building and channel it to the metal doors. Can I have your thoughts so far on the introduction to the characters, and the build up to this point? What did you think of this group of people?

Jon: Any concerns any Dohler fanatics might have had at seeing quite a large roster of new faces is immediately put to rest by the great performances of this eclectic cast and the superb filming, editing and production value that’s immediately apparent in the opening sequences. This is a well oiled, professional looking movie from the get go with good scripting and believable turns by a terrific ensemble, without losing any of the unique Timewarp filmmaking charm.

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The banter and comfortable friendship chemistry between Dennis Hill and John Patrick Barry is confident, funny and realistic without resorting to any of the pot, beer and boob gags that plague horror remakes these days written by out-of-touch hacks. Sara Cole Pittore (who I know worked on Blood, Boobs and Beast) is a revelation in her role and very naturalistic. I love the gag when Colleen Taylor turns and walks into Andrew Ely’s stomach, I love Angela Watson’s sass and strength, Anne Marie Barbour is perfect as the snarky, irritated wife and her chemistry/negative chemistry with Joe is a pleasure. Joe Ripple I will go in depth on in a couple of questions time but he is outstanding, and Justin Timpane is just the right side of unnerving and creepy – but also unassuming and charming. It’s a fantastic ensemble group with some real acting chops as they say.

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Leanna and George are not introduced right away in the film but I may, after reviewing and talking about all these films, finally be running out of superlatives to describe the joy I get when the Dohler regulars show up on screen. Luckily, as I have said, the main, full cast are more than up to the task of entertaining and holding the attention. It is sad to think this is the last film of its kind from Timewarp because I could see this next generation of performers being a welcome addition to the Dohler and Ripple legacy. Certainly I found the transition between early and late Timewarp easier than the transition between early Don and later Don in terms of cast.

Nice to see though in the films of Chris LaMartina, Frank Lama and others that this level of professional, watchable character acting has continued to survive and thrive in Baltimore movie making.

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Nick: As usual, Don and Joe do a great job assembling a strong cast and giving them interesting characters. Other than the cameos from Leanna, Joe and George, none of the other actors had been in any previous Dohler movies and it was great seeing some new talent. It’s too bad this was Don’s last film as I’m sure some of them would have gone on to be in many more. In particular, I thought the two leads, Dennis Hill and Sara Cole, gave two of the strongest performances in any Dohler film. There is great chemistry between the various characters, especially as they start to pair off and get separated later in the movie.

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Robert: We get the 2nd act where all hell breaks loose. There is a killer on the grounds, seeking revenge on this group of people. Cat and mouse chases ensue, and you have eye gouging, disembowelments, throat cuttings, shootings, stabbings, people tied up and set on fire, etc. This killer is a ruthless bastard, and to add insult to injury he leaves – with the bodies of his victims – quotable clues as to who he is and why he’s doing it. In some respects this has a very early 80s slasher feel to it. What did you think of the killer and his methods and motive?

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Jon: One of my favourite things about Dead Hunt is that it’s Don and Joe moving into a whole new territory, having never made a traditional slasher film before, but in some scenes, especially the reveal of some of the deaths and the reactions they are still filming it and directing it like a good old 50s monster movie. The gore effects and general death effects in this are surprising, awesome, in your face and completely keeping with the over the top nature of the best slashers. As for the killer, their motives and methods, well what’s interesting is that this film isn’t written by Don or Joe and yet shares their ability to take genre and a story line you expect and add something you’ve not seen before. It’s one of those pieces of writing where you think ‘why haven’t I seen something like this?’ You’d think with internet/film fan/convention/nerd culture at an all time high we’d be inundated with films taking place in that pop culture world but no, we still get dopey, throw back jocks talking tits, beer and pot in the woods like it’s 1983.

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That’s why Dead Hunt is a breath of fresh air. Also there’s a theatricality to the killer’s look and the way he kills which is welcome. The killer is obviously aware and informed on the traits and styles of slasher fare and is looking to do their own thing. It’s not a hockey mask, a leather face, a Shatner mask painted while or a gas mask, it’s something they’ve thought about and designed so as to be threatening when faced but also dark and unseen, I dig it.  The setting, the characters and the killer is also a nice way to be a little referential and meta without banging you on the head with it like Scream or something. The little notes and the whodunnit plot add just the right level of intrigue to keep you moving through the story for more than just the inventive kills or the fun performances.

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Nick: Early 80’s slasher is exactly right! Structurally, Dead Hunt is fairly formulaic insofar as it follows the slasher model: introduce a group of characters in an isolated setting and then pick them off one by one. That’s not a bad thing at all, especially for someone with my tastes… slashers are basically my favorite kind of movie! The key is to be creative and original within that structure and Don had already shown he was up to that task with Blood Massacre. Add in Joe Ripple’s brilliant direction with the various death sequences and you have a fantastic addition to the genre. The killer’s motive is obviously personal for Don and Joe, which I think is a brilliant touch.

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Robert: Gentlemen, let’s talk soundtrack now. For both films CRAWLER and DEAD HUNT, Don and Joe hired Justin Timpane, a talented actor and composer from Virginia. I know Timpane worked closely with Don to produce the music for DEAD HUNT, and he had to go back and redo some of the arrangements. Timpane had originally done a more synth keyboard soundtrack, and Don wanted it more like an orchestra – a very rich sound to it. Be it that both of you come from musical backgrounds, what did you think of this movie’s musical score?

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Jon: Well the soundtrack is exemplary. It is a step above and while, of course, Nick, Phil and myself are huge fans of the synth scores, the rock of Atlantis and some of the other songs Dohler has used throughout his work, Dead Hunt is the first that has one of those really polished, Hollywood style, orchestral scores and it’s very impressive. It completely enhances the film and the film-making the way a great score should.

I think it’s wonderful the way Timewarp was able to get so professional and so polished without losing their style, charm, drive, passion and risk taking attitude from the earlier films and Timpane’s score has the same spirit. It’s fascinating Don worked on it with him, in terms of defining the style and his intent, and clearly Don was going all out on this production to take it up a notch. It’s interesting because from behind the scenes stuff and especially the footage in Blood, Boobs and Beast, it seems to show a troubled shoot and Don, again, at the end of his love of making movies and yet the end result is something he clearly put his heart and soul into.

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Nick: I can’t speak highly enough of the soundtrack. For slashers I usually love great synth scores a la John Carpenter so I would love to hear what Justin Timpane came up with in that regard. That said, the final product with the more orchestral and piano based score is absolutely perfect. Dead Hunt looks tremendous but it’s undeniably an extremely low-budget movie and the classic soundtrack adds an invaluable air of professionalism. And the music itself it top-notch. The string motif from the main theme sounds like something Howard Shore might come up with and creates the perfect vibe right off the bat. My favorite piece might be the dark “love theme” which is prominently displayed in Blake and Adan’s scenes. “Doomed Love Themes” are often my favorite pieces of music from horror soundtracks and this is one of the best.

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Robert: Joe Ripple had to take over for a missing actor – what did you think of his performance? He does get some meaty scenes in DEAD HUNT. He also was the stunt coordinator for the two major fight scenes in this movie. What do you think of his efforts in this movie?

Jon: I think that Joe’s performance is genuinely one of the highlights of the film. He is just incredible in the role and has some definitely difficult emotional and moody scenes to carry in the movie. It’s especially amazing when you consider all that went on behind the scenes with Joe making the movie and the fact he replaced someone at the last moment. I know he has gone on to do incredible humanitarian work with the charity Scares that Care but I can’t help and think he was already helping humanity giving performances like this.

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Nick: From an acting standpoint this is definitely Joe’s best work in any of the Time Warp films. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise that the actor cast for that role had to drop out! Joe’s soliloquy towards the end is legitimately one of the best scenes in Dohler history. Factor in the great direction and stunt coordination and you really get the sense that this was Joe Ripple’s finest hour at Timewarp! 

Robert: What did you think of the performances of everyone in general? I know you wish George Stover had more than a cameo, but he does get a couple good scenes.

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Jon: Like I said earlier I think the cast are all round excellent. Outside of Dohler’s earlier films and his core ensemble, it’s one of the strongest casts he’s worked with and one of the strongest casts I have seen in an indie horror movie.  Leanna Chamish gets one of her biggest and best roles to date, not to mention sexiest as the outfit is pleasingly skimpy! which makes her demise all the more powerful and upsetting. Yes of course I can always use more George Stover. His appearance in any film immediately elevates it and he dominates any scene he is in. I like to think of his scene in Dead Hunt like Janet Leigh in Psycho, you expect him to be the hero and star of the piece but the killer has other ideas.You just know though that if the punch he swung had connected the killer would be down and done. No one can survive George’s devastating right hook.

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I have said before that if Blood Massacre had the best distribution available at the time it was made then it would now be a horror cult classic and I believe that if more horror fans saw Dead Hunt and looked passed the slightly dated looking video or if Dead Hunt was made now, exactly the same, with one of the new brighter, crisper cameras, but in exactly the same way otherwise, then it would surpass any of the repetitive remakes and demon possession movies Hollywood is trawling out every 5 mins and become a film I think horror fans and internet geeks, like me, could really embrace. In fact I used to say any film that featured either cell phones or the internet as a main plot thread, especially a horror film, were usually terrible. Timewarp films proved me wrong.

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Nick: Well, I could always do with more Stover but he does get a great scene. And, as always, he pulls his patented “Stover Death Face” with aplomb! As I mentioned above, I think the acting of Dennis Hill and Sara Cole is some of the best in any Dohler movie. I’ll have to check out some of their other work. I know Sara Cole was heavily involved in the production of Blood, Boobs & Beast, which was the only reason I ever saw any of Don’s films, so her place in Dohler history is secure! Leanna Chamish’s role is probably my favorite of her’s since Harvesters and she does a fantastic job with it, as always. Other standout performances come from John Patrick Barry and Colleen Taylor and Justin Timpane adds a great acting performance to his soundtrack work.

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Robert: Technically Dohler may have been at his peak in this film; what did you think of the pacing, lighting and camera work on his last outing? It doesn’t add anything new to the slasher genre, but it may be argued that this was Timewarp Films most polished production.

Jon: Most definitely. I mean I have always thought Don knew exactly what he was doing with the camera and I remember watching Alien Factor 2 and seeing the dolly shots and sweeps he was doing and watching him really come into his own as one of the great indie cinematographers. Here he builds on that promise, using some inventive dolly shots, nice use of framing and some genuinely moody, pleasing and professional lighting. The pacing is great and helped by some genuinely seamless and terrific editing. i really can’t praise the film enough for its look and professionalism. The only thing is you do wish that the video cameras were of slightly better quality and the sound was just slightly crisper but that’s only because camera and sound equipment available over the counter, at a reasonable price now has made leaps and bounds in a few short years. I only say this because it would definitely help to sell the film to more horror fans. With what Don and Joe had to work with at the time though the film is technically fantastic.

Nick: No question this was the highest level of production quality of the Timewarp films. From a technical standpoint it’s terrific and and film looks tremendous. It sets the perfect atmosphere and allows for some of the more creative deaths and the great acting to shine. The film builds perfectly in the classic slasher style and I think the early flash-forward creates the proper sense of dread through the early scenes.

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Robert: What is your final thoughts and rating for DEAD HUNT? Anything I have missed touching upon that you wanted to mention? I know Jon said on the podcast that it seemed more ambitious, but not have the same feel as previous movies.

Jon: You know me Robert and the NightBeast fiasco, I am such a slow learner because while it does have a new feel to it, I am now not bothered by that and only wish that Don had lived and him and Joe had gone on to do more and more of these. It took me a while to shake that desire for every movie to be another Alien Factor or Blood Massacre but now I can see the thread running through all of their work and I can connect the first steps Don took with Alien Factor as a film maker with, tragically and sadly, these last steps he took with Dead Hunt. What a great body of work and a legacy that continues today with the great work I am learning about from other genre film-makers in Baltimore. My final rating for Dead Hunt is a 5 out of 5 definitely. I forget what I gave it on the podcast but I have updated it. I would say if you are new to him and want to see what Don Dohler was capable of watch Alien Factor (or NightBeast), Blood Massacre and Dead Hunt. For me it definitely deserves its place in the must-watch films of his career.

Don Dohler on the set of Dead Hunt

Nick: This was a bittersweet one for us to watch since we knew it was the last to be released in Don’s lifetime but I couldn’t think of a better send-off. You’re correct in saying that it seemed like Don and Joe were really hitting their stride as a working duo with this movie which makes it that much sadder that they couldn’t continue it. Hopefully Dead Hunt will continue to reach an expanded audience in the future as it certainly deserves to be more wildly known.

Robert: I want to thank you both for taking the time to talk about the final two Timewarp Films. Are you guys looking forward to CRAWLER? We are hard at work on it. And I want to know when you guys get your copies of the MAYBE SOMEDAY 45s.

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Nick: It was a pleasure, Robert. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to discuss Don’s films! It’s been terrific getting to know these movies over the last couple years and you’ve been great in providing us with some additional materials…not the least of which was the Atlantis 45. “Maybe Someday” sounds tremendous on good-ole vinyl and it’s flip-side, “Moby Shark” is one of my new favorites. Keep up the good work on Crawler because all the Dohlerites are craving more from Timewarp! Thanks again, sir and hopefully we’ll all be able to take a trip down to Dohler Country soon!

crawler

Jon: Robert it is always a distinct pleasure. The Baltimore film scene that was started with the towering figure heads of Don Dohler and John Waters continues to impress, amuse, surprise and thrill and so I genuinely hope this is not the last time I am rambling on in my love and adoration for this fantastic indie film-making mecca. As for Crawler, I am not sure I have ever been as excited to see a film as I am that one. It will be interesting to see where it stands in the Dohler cannon and it is tantalizing to think there is just one more slice of Dohler out there to still devour. What a thrill! 

As for our copies of the Atlantis Moby Shark/Maybe Someday 45s, listening to it and owning it, for me, is akin to drinking from the holy grail. A shame that no more Atlantis survives in recorded form but what they left us in this simple, British invasion inspired, 2 song vinyl 45 will live forever and be a shining beacon to bands in indie movies, hopefully through the next millennium. The generosity, support and friendship of George, Leanna, yourself and the Baltimore community is something I and The Diner are blessed with and will never be taken for granted or underestimated. I feel honoured and will end by saying a very simple and heartfelt thank you to all of you.