Wednesday 23 March 2016

INTERVIEW with filmmaker Kelly Hughes

 
 
 
What does your film express about today’s generation?
 
My movie predicted today’s generation.
 
I wrote and directed the uncut version of La Cage aux Zombies in 1993. Before drag went mainstream. Before zombies made a comeback.
 
Back then it would have been impossible to imagine shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Walking Dead. Even harder to imagine them being mainstream hits.
 
Today’s generation thinks they are subversive. But in reality, they like cute and shiny fake kink and safe thrills. My movie challenges this generation by keeping drag queens and zombies in the gutter. Forcing the viewer to bathe in filth when they watch my movie.
 
 
What social circumstances lead you to make your new film?
 
In my recent Director’s Cut, I mercilessly hacked away at my precious footage to accommodate today’s short attention span ADHD consciousness. But knowing young people will be watching my movie on an iPhone makes me want to weep.
 
 
What do you think about the PINK8 Manifesto & Punk Cinema?
 
My favorite part of the PINK8 Manifesto is:
 
Look for street superstars to be your cast.
 
It’s a treat to work with a trained actor. They’re usually good at remembering lines. But there’s a certain thrill in working with amateurs. Especially if they have a unique look. And no inhibitions.
 
I’ll work with just about anybody once. And if they submit to my direction without question, I’ll probably work with them again. There’s a certain magic when a seven foot tall drag queen goes through the metal detector at an airport for you without hesitation. So if some stranger off the street is willing to get arrested by working in my movie, then yes, he will be cast.
 
As for punk cinema…
 
I still embrace a Do-It-Yourself aesthetic. No use waiting around for budget or permission.
 
But to me, the heart of punk cinema is all about the primal scream. Finding that pure loud expression. A sound, an image or a cumulative effect that pierces the viewer. And that usually doesn’t happen by committee.
 
Answer to one person only—yourself.
 
 
Whats next for you?
 
Two web series.
 
SPANKY GOES TO HELL: A Queer Horror Punk-A-Doodle
A reality show about the former drummer of horror-punk band The Dead Vampires. Following him as he resurrects his zine and sells off his horror memorabilia on eBay while embracing veganism and animal rights with his husband and three dogs.
 
The Mephisto Box
A supernatural thriller about sex, drugs and Satan.
 
They’re both in the can. I just need to move my ass and edit them.