Alan Rowe Kelly is the man (in woman’s clothing) behind the gorgeously fun slaher throwback movie I’ll Bury You Tomorrow (2005), and the brand new release The Blood Shed from Heretic Films. He’s a deranged lunatic in an asylum in the new horror film Pink Eye, and he has a new short coming out in the Hung By A Thread Anthology. What isn’t he doing?

His ultra-fun female characters (played by him, in some cases) are very noteworthy, as even in his slasher film work his chicks are never the kind to let things get out of their control.

Do you have a 'secret recipe" for anything?

Well, I am legendary for making the ‘perfect martini’!
Here’s my secret recipe:

#1 – Chill martini glasses and Grey Goose Vodka in the freezer – or whatever taste of vodka you prefer – just be sure it’s not in a plastic bottle please! We are civilized human beings after all!

#2 - Fill your shaker with ice, then pour in 2 jiggers of Dry Vermouth and shake.

#3 – Empty all the Vermouth from the shaker so the only Vermouth left is coating the ice.  Fill shaker with chilled vodka – A LOT of chilled vodka. Give it a good 30-second shake. Chill shaker for 3 minutes in the freezer and then pour into your iced glasses with three olives…and Voila’! Nirvana in a glass! Chilled and lovely!

 I also mix a real mean Manhattan for the fall and winter seasons, Heidi!
Follow the same recipe above, except exchange Vodka with chilled Maker’s Mark Bourbon, use sweet Vermouth instead of Dry, and substitute Maraschino Cherries for the olives! This drink will certainly ignite a fire down below on nippy evenings!

What made you want to make The Blood Shed, and why with the cast that you chose?

 THE BLOOD SHED is the story of the Bullion Family – a loony bunch of inbred, cannibals living on the outskirts of suburbia in northern New Jersey. The film was originally slated to be a 30-minute short for HUNG BY A THREAD, a horror anthology I am collaborating on with film auteurs Michael Todd Schneider and Tyler Tharpe. But my crew and I became so involved in the expansion of the characters and storyline that once editing began, we realized we had something special and different on our hands. So I made it a feature. When I look at the film now – I realize what a sin it would have been to chop all that hard work down to 30 minutes. I wanted to do something totally out of the ballpark like those nutty exploitation horrors from the 70’s and early 80’s. And of course, John Waters’ early films had a big influence on how far we were going to take this piece. I deliberately went for vulgar, disgusting, and LOUD to give the audience that awkward uncomfortable feel. I wanted to defy convention and push the envelope so folks would go “What the F…?”.  Simply because it’s fun to screw with the audiences head the way all those wonderful midnight movies did way back when! Many of my past reviews for I’LL BURY YOU TOMORROW were comparing me to John Waters, Jack Hill and Andy Milligan. So for this film I decided to go completely off the Richter scale and play it totally tongue-in-cheek, just to get it out of my system. I didn’t want a standard script, but more of a series of nightmarish vignettes to create a ‘day in the life of…’ type of storyline. Once the script was finished, I offered parts to all the cast and sent them copies to read. A week had passed and I still heard NOTHING from anyone! (Delayed reactions most likely due to shell shock)  But when everyone replied almost at once, they each had the same response; “This is the SICKEST thing I ever read. It hurt my brain to read this…so when do we start?”  You can imagine my relief! Even my IBYT cast mates took pause on this one. But they trusted me enough to do it correctly and I got all the actors I originally wanted when I wrote it. How lucky is that? Of course, none of them are speaking to me now…LOL! Only kidding!

 
What is your natural hair color?

I beg your pardon?? What do you mean my “ natural ” hair color??

My natural hair color is grey and silver white over what used to be mousy brown. I started coloring my hair when I started going white at age 19 – a Native American family trait on my mother’s side. I refuse to go natural until I’m at least 60. Currently I’m auburn brown. Tomorrow? Who knows? Depends on the next film role – I get bored quickly and can wear almost any color. Plus I have a ton of hair and it’s very strong. It can handle the chemical processes very well and it still looks real – I know I sound like I’m bragging, but my hair is my best trait! A lot of people think I wear wigs, but I go on the record stating that, except for my wig in THE BLOOD SHED, I use my own hair in all my pictures and films. Being a hairstylist for so many years in the fashion industry really taught me all the tricks on how to manage my hair and keep it looking shiny and healthy. Now I sound like a bad L’Oreal ad! LOL!
 
So, Susan Adriensen, your co-star in The Blood Shed and in Pink Eye, is a pretty awesome filmmaker herself, huh?

 I adore working with Susie! Susie really immerses herself in everything she does, be it a film role or her own films. And she has certainly put her Mingle Mangle horror group events in NYC on the map.  What I love about Susie is she’s totally fearless. She’s very pretty and her face structure translates great on camera. She can play anything from a cold, tight-lipped parapsychologist in PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DAMNED, to a crazed drug addicted patient in PINK EYE, to the lovable but demented Sno-Cakes in THE BLOOD SHED. Working with Susie on THE BLOOD SHED was a joy. She’s a great partner in crime and we gelled so well in all of our scenes together. She’s so petite and I was so huge (I gained 50 lbs for that damn role!) that together, we looked like the mouse and the elephant, which added even more to the cartoon-like effect our characters had on screen. I’m so proud of Susie for making UNDER THE RAVEN’S WING and getting it out there to press, festivals and the public. It’s great to see a female genre filmmaker working the industry and there should be a lot more. The door for our genre is always open for anyone ladies. You simply have to make a decent film for acceptance. And Jane Rose is another terrific genre filmmaker to definitely take note of. She thinks film 24/7, and you know with Jane that the best is still yet to come! I would love to see Debbie Rochon take on the hat of Director. You know she would make a terrific film with her years of experience in the industry.  

Alan and Susan in The Blood Shed
 

You brought back some of the cast of I'll Bury You Tomorrow for Blood Shed. How much fun was it working with them again?

They are my family of actors whom I will always work with. And why not?

Jerry Murdock, Katherine O’Sullivan and Zoë Daelman Chlanda can do anything on screen – they are so versatile and talented and disappear into any role you give them. You’ll be seeing much more of them in 2008 because they are expanding and working with a lot of other filmmakers now. Plus with the new additions of Joshua Nelson, Susie, Mike Lane, Terry M. West and Sandra Schaller from THE BLOOD SHED, I feel that future films with all of these actors in the right roles can develop into a very popular acting troupe of horror actors – much like the fabulous B icons of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s that dominated most of those great Roger Corman and Curtis Harrington classics. These directors always stuck with the same troupe of talent and never had them play the same roles twice. Makeup, hair and wardrobe change makes for a complete transformation in any great actor and they’re always happy to be given the opportunity to slip into another person’s skin. I’m simply thinking ahead and surrounding myself with great talent (who also make me look better too!) LOL!  I ain’t no fool!
 
How hot IS Kane Manera?

Kane Manera is one of the handsomest, sexiest and talented young actors I’ve worked with to date. Plus I’m a sucker for an Australian accent. I did three movies with Kane: Dead Serious, The Pod and The Blood Shed. We became very close friends during that period. Though I haven’t seen him in over a year, he is doing very well in his film and television career and moving on to wonderful new opportunities. I do hope some day that we get to do another film together.

But there are some other real knockouts I’ve been working in horror films lately that you must check out for your Scary Stud Of The Month: Don Money, Justin Alvarez, Andrew Roth, Keith Fraser, Miguel Lopez and my personal fave – Jerry Murdock! They are all very talented gentlemen and very yummy – I mean funny!

Who is the cutest guy at Heretic Films, do you think? My vote goes for Alex Afterman.

Alex is terribly cute! But Ian Reinhard, the president at Heretic is also quite a looker too, so don’t go getting me in trouble here Heidi!! LOL!

Nice hair!

So, what's the movie you have coming out in March? What happens in it, who is in it, and what can I expect?

It’s called A FAR CRY FROM HOME for the HUNG BY A THREAD horror anthology. Actually it is the film I made to replace THE BLOOD SHED after it became a feature. A FAR CRY FROM HOME is a controversial tale about a young urban gay couple (myself & Don Money) traveling through the NJ/Pennsylvania wilderness and stop at a rural antique hex store. What they don’t realize is that the backwoods storeowners (Katherine O'Sullivan, Jerry Murdock & Benzy) are a religious sect of homophobic, crazed killers who, under the local rule of the Preacher Man (Terry West), have extended plans for our vacationing couple by doing the ‘Lord’s work’. There is absolutely no humor in this film Heidi. I wanted to do a straight-up horror film without camp or comedy and use ‘hate’ as the ultimate killer. Plus, I have never seen a gay couple play leads in a dramatic horror piece. Don Money and I play the ‘good guys’ and are not flouncing about on the screen all P.C. and witty and Will & Grace-like, if you catch my drift. Tired of that stereotype too! I think FAR CRY is the best work I’ve done so far. I’m very proud of it and can’t wait to get it out there and circulating! And Susie Adriensen also has a cameo in this film as well.

I’m also beginning a 6–part horror web series in March ‘08 called THE HOLLOWS with my IBYT/Blood Shed cast of actors, plus Raine Brown, Randy Jones, Brinke Stevens, Debbie Rochon, Lesleh Donaldson and Keith Fraser have agreed to come on board as well. It should be very fun in the tradition of DARK SHADOWS and certainly a different medium to delve into. THE HOLLOWS should be ready to air online by next summer 2008.

 Have you ever had a bad experience in the world of filmmaking because of your choice of dress? Has it ever helped?

Interesting question. I personally feel that I have never really given anyone in the industry enough space to give me a rough time about my appearance. They may be a little taken aback at first because of my looks, but once you speak to me for 5 minutes you’ll realize I am a indie filmmaker too and we’re all in the same boat together. If there is prejudice and homophobia towards me out there in the industry because of the way I look, I certainly haven’t been subjected to it. And if I ever was, someone would end up sore and lying on the ground - and it wouldn’t be me!! Most folks think I’m a just a brassy broad from the get go and my Kathleen Turner voice just adds to that! But it’s who I am. I’ve been who I am since childhood. A leopard doesn’t change his spots overnight because the rest of the cats want you to be a tiger. You are who you are. I am who I am. If your mind is so small and limited in your thinking, we wouldn’t be talking in the first place. I’m NOT the next Divine, or Charles Busch – both of whom I admire greatly. I’m a horror filmmaker and actor. Period. So everyone just relax and take a pill!  That’s why I get on the soapbox about more women becoming filmmakers.

There is prejudice out there, if you’re looking for it. I don’t. I don’t have the time.

If you deliver a good film, that’s really all the industry and fans care about. So girls, get out and make some awesome movies!

 What's the worst new film you've seen in 2007?

 Hmmmm…I won’t say names because I am a filmmaker and I made a promise years ago that I would never voice my opinion about another filmmaker’s work in public – ever. I know how much of myself I give up every time I make a film and what an accomplishment it is just to finish a project. For that, I give every filmmaker credit, whether I like their work or not. But I will say that some of the “Hollywood Horror” coming out of Tinsletown is absolutely dreadful. They are made by filmmakers/producers who despise the horror genre and only out to make a quick buck using cheap formula and writers who don’t get it. I hate that! The producers tap into indie horror to cash in on the latest genre trend so they can put out a highly polished imitation that always insults the audience and fans. And the worst part is you forget about them 10 minutes later, only to be inundated with them within a year on every cable movie channel. It’s amazing how much money is spent on one stinker where I could probably make 5 decent genre pieces for the same price! And the studios work very hard at warning major retailers to not pick up independent films by holding their moneymaking blockbusters up for ransom if the retailers don’t comply. As if our films would squelch the sales for Pirates Of The Caribbean! LOL! But that’s show biz! And independent horror cinema will survive this backlash too by simply coming up with better ideas on how to get independent cinema out to the world.

 Support Alan by visiting these sites!

http://www.alanrowekelly.net/

http://www.hereticfilms.com/

http://www.thebloodshed.net/

http://www.hungbythread.com/