Ana Clavell ('Creepshow 3)

Ana Clavell, who with her husband/partner James Dudelson and their company Taurus Entertainment, has directed Horror 102: Endgame and Day of the Dead 2: Contagium and produced Horror 101 and Museum of the Dead, has just directed yet a third horror sequel, which happens to be the third installment of Romero's Creepshow Trilogy. Creepshow 3 will be out in the Fall of 2006. [Watch the Creepshow III trailer] Creepshow I and II were Romero's anthology horror films based on horror comics of yesteryear, like Tales from the Crypt. The 1982 and 1987 anthologies featured cameos from well-known actors like Ted Danson and Ed Harris, and sported the writing talents of Stephen King and George Romero's directing technique. Now coming on the tail of a Creepshow remake that is backed by Stephen King and Matthew Leutwyler (Dead and Breakfast), Creepshow III is coming under a lot of doubt by the fans. Creepshow III has a lower budget than the Creepshow remake. It doesn't sport any famous actors, and a woman directs it.

Shot on sets at Universal Studios in Hollywood, California, Creepshow III follows its predecessors by having five separate short segments intended to chill and scare. The segments, 'Alice', 'The Radio', 'Call Girl', 'The Professor's Wife', and 'Haunted Dog', involve such subject matter as vampires, serial killers, hauntings, mad scientists, and different realities. Will Creepshow III be a disaster? Will it be able to compete with the upcoming Creepshow remake? (There is also a high-budget Day of the Dead remake rumored for release in 2007) The fact that a woman is directing another sequel seems to point to the likelihood that it will fall by the wayside like so many other female-directed sequels of the past. Unless Ana has something to say about it!

'I think everyone's approach to horror is their own,'

By looking at the women who preceded her in sequel-directing, Ana can see the problems that she faces when trying to market Creepshow III to fans of the original. Because she began by directing Horror 102, the sequel to Horror 101, and then moved on to the sequel to Day of the Dead, Contagium, Ana is well versed in the concept of pissing off purist Romero fans.

'The most important thing to consider is that it's a 50-50 proposition when it comes to pleasing the fans. Directing is about the project in front of you, on how to convey that story best, whether it's a sequel or not.'

However, Romero being the icon that he is in the horror world, many fans of the original Day of the Dead did not approve of Clavell's Day of the Dead 2: Contagium. Now that she has also created a sequel to his Creepshow series, fans might lash out even more. What is it about Romero's work that really impressed Clavell to want to direct the sequels?

'He always engages me with his characters' plights, and no matter how horrific the situation becomes, he never loses sight of what they're doing or how they're feeling.' Says Clavell of Romero. 'Creepshow is such a pleasure to work on! We've received a ton of truly creative scripts, and if I had my way, I'd do a Creepshow every year. It's a format you can get away with almost anything, and that is what I'd call storytelling freedom.'

How does Ana describe her interpretation of the Creepshow series?

'Creepshow III is fun, freaky, spooky, creepy and nasty. The film will be ready by April (2006), we're doing the visual FX right now. It'll probably be released in the fall of 2006. I edited the stories together, and intertwined the plots so characters pop up in different episodes. Plus there's animation, effects, and an extra ending sequence. One of the characters, Professor Dayton (created by James Dudelson, co-director) is a real piece of work, the kind of character you should never turn your back on. He pops up throughout, but we don't fully see the scope of his antics until the last story, 'The Haunted Dog'.'

Ana takes her role as a woman horror director seriously She realizes that she's a minority in the genre and that she follows in a long line of women directing horror sequels.

'It's not an easy genre, it involves unsavory situations, unlikable characters, and probably a fat dollop of blood. Horror also needs a total suspension of disbelief, a taste for latent violence, and constant curiosity about death. When I'm on set only a few of the women in the crew will look at a gory scene unflinchingly, and even less will like it. Maybe female sensibilities are inclined to be repelled by these factors, although I know for a fact it has to do with nature as much as with nurture...'

Despite her 'feminine' inclinations, there is something about horror films that Ana can't quit. She's fascinated by the storylines, the fantasy, and the fear of it.

'Ultimately it's the characters that compel me, and they usually try to go on by ignoring how their world is falling apart around them. I just try to stay close to them, as moral support...'

As a contemporary horror director, in the 21st century, Ana has experienced countless incidents where her ability to direct horror has come in to question not because of the quality of her films, but simply because she is a woman. 'I shrug it off because, in the end, I'm still the director.'

Visit the Creepshow 3 Official Website